#45 INSPIRED BY: Gangnam Style

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely obsessed with PSY, the South Korean rapper and creator of the amazing song and video, "Gangnam Style." A friend of mine showed it to me at work on Friday and I can't get the song, video, and dance out of my head. The word "Gangnam" refers to an area of South Korea's capital, Seoul-- the wealthiest area of all of South Korea.

As I watched the video, besides the hilarious antics and overly dramatic vignettes, I was really blown away by the fashion and inspired by the attention to details in the scenes.

  

Lots of tuxedo jackets with piping, billiard ball peplum shirts, sequin and leather shorts, lots of accessories and necklaces, neon yellow from head to toe, wedge sneakers, sheer flowy fabrics, and equestrian themes throughout. PSY wears several different pairs of amazing sunglasses in the video (my favorite being the tortoise shell ones) and he has two or three button up shirts that have undone bow-ties, but they appear to be sewed or printed on the shirt! I also love the scene when he's on the tour bus, and he's wearing a military style white shirt with gold buttons and these really high fashion looking khaki kilt/skirt/shorts. So much detail clearly went into every aspect of the video, especially the fashion, so it's no wonder why I'm obsessed. 

Gangnam Style by zezaftig

Above, I created a Polyvore spread inspired by the video. My favorite items are the sequin short shorts from Top Shop, the Moschino tuxedo jacket via Net-a-porter, the neon yellow sneakers by Betsey Johnson, the resin necklace from Etsy, the Karen Walker sunglasses, the Miu Miu ruffled peplum top (genius!) and the equestrian print collared dress by Therapy. And I couldn't forget one of my favorite lip colors, Schiap by NARS (available at Sephora). If you click through, Polyvore will show you where to buy all of these lovely albums. So what do you think? Are you feeling "Gangnam Style" and PSY's crazy fashion?

#30 - Welcome to Harlem

I officially moved to Harlem on July 2 (then had to go back to Cleveland for a family reunion) and in the approximately 10 days I've lived here, I just am so amazed by this city and by my neighborhood. Harlem is a beautiful, vibrant place, and deserves SO much more credit than it is given. The people here have been so welcoming and kind to me in every possible way. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this community. I can't wait to start work and get to meet my students in about two short months!

Moving to NYC from Ohio has been quite a lifestyle change. I'm slowly feeling myself turning into an authentic New Yorker (annoyed by tourists, figuring out how not to fall on the Subway, running in heels/wedges to catch a train) and there are some things that have been hard to get used to-- no driving, no public restrooms, and no large sodas! Damn you, Bloomberg. However, there are so many things that I have always loved and am growing to love more and more. Walking everywhere is certainly not convenient, but I'm so amazed by what I see. The subway, too. I get to listen to music now and chill (road-rage free!), I get to be physically active nearly every moment of every day (my body is rejecting it but, soon I'll be used to it!). And the fashion! I'm trying not to be that creepy weirdo staring all slack-jawed at people on the subway, but I'm so inspired by what all different people of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages are rocking every single day. I can't help but make mental notes when I see a unique piece, or an accessory worn a certain way, or a color combination that I've never thought of before. It's been a little bit lonely sometimes (not a ton of close friends here... yet) but I have to say that I'm utterly inspired and awed by being here.

I hope to get a tripod and a remote soon so I can take some real outfit pictures, especially while I'm exploring, but I hope these cell phone pics will do for now!

DRESS Black Silk Ruffle Wrap Dress, Banana Republic| SHOES All Caps Wedges, Jeffrey Campbell | BAG Nickoley, ALDO (on sale for $32!)

I have to pat myself on the back-- er, head-- for what I would like to say was a phenomenal hair day! This dress is my go-to dress when I want to look classy and fierce. You can't see the ruffles too well in the cell phone pics (my bad!), but they add a very feminine touch to this classic silhouette. It's also very "flattering" for every body type, if you're into that kind of thing. BR is definitely a place I like to shop for work-to-evening kind of looks (and they go up to a size 18/20). The bag is my dream-- a pretty classy color-blocked bag that is HUGE. It fits my 13" laptop and pretty much everything and anything else, and still zips!

I was wandering around Soho yesterday, checking out some swanky places on and off of Prince Street, doing a little furniture browsing in the beautiful Room & Board on Wooster. I popped in to the Miu Miu store inspired by the wonderful Nicolette Mason and was blown away by the shoes and sunglasses. Maybe after I receive my first paycheck I'll blow a good chunk of it on these absolutely mind-blowing sunglasses:

If you're gonna live in NYC, you gotta look the part! More adventures forthcoming...

#18 Unusually Bright

Unusually Bright by zezaftig featuring antique bracelets

Tonight is about demonstrating self-control: I've been really working hard to save money. I have some upcoming traveling I want to do and I'm also really trying to minimize the number of material possessions I own. It's something I've always wanted to do-- I really admire people with few belongings. I see how it can really keep your life from getting overly complicated and keep you focused on the things that are important. I also notice how people (myself included) use shopping as an emotional outlet, which I think can be financially dangerous. I haven't really bought new clothing for months, which has taken quite a bit of restraint. I'm proud of myself, but it's really getting tough to keep this going...

Which gets me to my next point: for the past few days I can't seem to stop fantasizing about shopping! Tonight, I daydreamed up this little fantasy on Polyvore. It's one of those, "If I had a million dollars..." scenarios. I have always been into bright colors and quirky statement pieces, and I think this photo sums up that aspect of my style quite well.

If you want to find out where to purchase all of these quirky, bright, beautiful pieces, just click the photo. My favorite pieces are the glittery Miu Miu salmon heels, the neon green satchel by Cambridge, the cobalt blue body con lace dress from ASOS, the mustard pencil skirt by J Crew, the white seashell heels by Alexander McQueen, and the peacock tights from Mod Cloth. A girl can dream, can't she? This was a pretty fun project and it cost me zero dollars. Not bad.

On another note, my literary wish list includes the following:

A graphic novel's interpretation of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. AMAZING.

A collection of essays by the amazing David Foster Wallace.

A new book about self-control and will power. I just read about it in the New York Times this weekend. Goes well with my theme of self-restraint this evening...

The incredibly brilliant Howard Zinn writes about race in America, something that has always fascinated me.

And now, the end to my materialistic rant! While I may never own Alexander McQueen heels, I definitely plan to own these books sometime soon. Surely, they will also make you "unusually bright!" As much as I love fashion, books will always be some of my favorite possessions. I learned to read at a very, very young age and I used to stay up all hours of the night reading as a little girl. My parents even had a small library in the home we used to live in before we moved and I used to stare at all the books on the shelves and promise myself I would read every book that was ever written! It's always been my dream to have my own library in the beautiful home I will own someday. Just day dreaming on a Monday night...