the time I remembered I had a blog (again)

the time I remembered I had a blog (again)

Dusting off this blog with a fun, playful look from none other than a great company I love representing: Zara.  I know its been radio silence here for over a year but other than the new extra 20lbs I've brought along with me, I've just been doing what seems to be what I'm always doing; untangling myself from the confusion over what I want to do, figuring out what brings me real joy, and navigating living a life that is meaningful. I want to say it's the gemini in me - just constantly being in a state of flux. And truthfully, it's exactly what this past year has looked like. I came home and settled back in DC where I started my fitness career - teaching non-stop and really honing in on other workouts to cross-train. I took up another nursing job after I swore up and down I would never do again. But there I was - opening up an office in Arlington from the ground up, recruiting and hiring nurses, and providing free vaccines to students in the county. It was the best nursing gig I ever had. And just recently, I completed real estate classes in DC. 

So I think it's probably safe to say that I'm most likely going to start branching this blog out into other aspects of my life rather than it being exclusively for fashion (but after fashion week because let's be honest, I live for all of that) For example, maybe it's also because I'm 33 but I feel that it's important, and quite possibly a life skill, that everyone knows a good recipe for chocolate cheesecake muffins or a blueberry lemon cake. Am I right, or am I right? 

Shirt: Metallic Effect Top

Shoes: Slingback Heels w/Studded Bow

Three Ways to Style a Basic Black Sweater

Three Ways to Style a Basic Black Sweater

Whenever I go out to buy winter essentials, a basic black sweater is always on top of my list. It may seem less than exciting but its secret is that it is every stylists dream because of its ability to be infinitely versatile.  I can go from day to night, casual to a little more dressed up all at once. Whenever I think, I have NOTHING to wear!, I talk myself off that ledge and pull out the sweater because actually I do have something to wear... and I can mix and match things already in my closet and look like I'm wearing a new outfit each time. It's genius, to be honest. 

Here I have my favorite basic black sweater (turtleneck too, mind you) and I've gone ahead and styled it three different ways. What I love about each look is that it can be transitioned to day to night easily depending on where you go. This is a major plus for me! If I can wear the same outfit all day, I'm sold.

Look 1: Oversized Pants

It may seem strange to want to pair an oversized sweater with oversized pants but it works. I can't tell you how much I love this look because of the fact that its incredibly comfortable but also makes me feel chic. It's very New York but the pants are kind of LA. Do you know who Tania Sarin is? She lives in wide leg pants and is my favorite fashion blogger on the west coast. I feel like we could be soul sisters in this outfit. Actually, scratch that. We most definitely are soul sisters. 

Look 2: The Mini 

Black sweaters have a  99.999% chance of looking good paired with a mini skirt. Feeling cold? Throw on some tights, wear over-the-knee boots... you really can't go wrong. Again, this outfit makes me feel chic but also sexy at the same time. 

Look 3: Jeans 

The most obvious pairing! The trustworthy jeans! My usual go-to for sweaters are almost always jeans (sometimes with yoga pants too, if we're honest) Since I was planning to go from day to evening out, I brought along a leather jacket and wore some nice warm Gucci loafers for some pizzaz. 

Boots and a Boost

Boots and a Boost

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I've already baked apple bread last night and if you know me at all, my love for honeycrisp apples is so strong, I could live off of them during this season. Transitioning from summer to fall is quite fun because you can start wearing those oversized sweaters and pair it with a skirt, which is exactly what I've done here. Nothing makes me happier than an oversized sweater and a honeycrisp apple.

Just kidding.

Boots. Boots also make my heart sing. For awhile, I didn't know what kind of boots looked good on me and I experimented with just about every style from booties, to ankle, to knee-length. And to be perfectly honest, my preference for boots would change over the years depending on what I was into (style-wise for clothes) and how my body looked at that time... in particular, my legs. The shape of my legs have transformed quite a bit from them being swollen for over a year when I was going through Lyme Disease, from them being a little bit heavier when I was not as physically active, to being a bit leaner now that I am more attentive to my health. All of this has played a part in choosing the right boots that complimented my shape despite what was trending.

These amazing over-the-knee boots are my first pair at this length and I could not love them more. They add a sultry vibe to any outfit, whether it be a dress, skirt, or even on top of jeans. Oh and did I mention that they make your legs look extra long? Personally, I think they would have looked wonderful on all the body transformations I have gone through throughout the years had I only had the confidence to try. So here's to you, whoever you are... in case you're going through body transformations of your own. If there's something you've always wanted to wear but felt insecure about it, now is the time to go for it! Confidence is everything and I have a sneaky feeling that you're going to look absolutely fabulous ;)

Boots: Marc Fisher Praye Over The Knee Stretch Boot

minister marie and jumpsuits too

minister marie and jumpsuits too

Random story:

Last night, my friend and I were discussing his wedding. There isn't a date set yet and he's not really religious. Long story short, I started researching alternative officiants for him and shortly after, I somehow ended up becoming ordained online (non-denominational) and am now legally able to officiate weddings... and funerals and house blessings too, among other things. I, myself, was raised Catholic but somehow through my adult years, I guess you can say I've become more of just a spiritual individual. And now it looks like I'll be officially officiating his wedding which is an honor but also quite hilarious. At least for me. But to be honest, after giving it some thought, I actually think I might want a close friend or family member to officiate my wedding one day. You know, if I actually get married and settle down one day faaaarrrrrrrr in the future. But hopefully not too far where my ovaries have completely expired but far enough. 

By the way, I can totally see my twenty-three year old self shaking her head at me regarding marriage. We have opposing views. 

Wearing: 

Jumpsuit: Forever21 Floral Wide Leg Jumpsuit

on being 31

on being 31

Over the weekend, I celebrated my thirty-first birthday. I spent the day with my parents who drove up to New York. When they asked what I wanted to do to celebrate, there was really only one thing on my mind: Smorgasburg. Because it's my birthday and I'll eat what I want. 

Smorgasburg in Brooklyn on a sunny weekend day is what my dreams are made of, especially when all you want to do is wear stretchy shorts and sit out in the grass to bask in the glory of all the food you've managed to carry with two hands. My favorites that I would definitely want to eat again would probably be the ramen burger and the mango flower with chili. It's exactly what it sounds like...  a mango cut into the shape of a flower, topped with chili. And it's pure magic. In leu of a birthday cake, I ate an ice cream cone wrapped in a cloud of cotton candy the size of my head. You absolutely must visit Wu Kong in NYC to experience this because it's freakin WORTH IT. 

And since I'm 31 and as old as moldy cheese, I did what any old person would do on their birthday. I put  in an application for an apartment in the East Village.  I know, its a mission I've been on for quite some time now. Well, you guys, I'm here to tell you that this is most likely not the end of the road as many others applied for the same apartment at the same time I did. If I could roll my eyes any harder... 

I'm still so very thankful for the past year as I've had so many great opportunities in this crazy world of fashion and can't believe I'll be heading to London next month to design athletic wear! And the greatest birthday gift of all is booking a project in the Bahamas! I'll have more information on it soon but it's safe to say in the words of Jessie Spano: I'M SO EXCITED!!! 

Wearing: 

Crop Top & Pants: Papaya Clothing Striped Palazzo Set

a little friday lesson

a little friday lesson

I love clothes. That's no secret. But dressing up and styling outfits doesn't equate to excessive spending and investing in big brand names that most people cannot afford. Or at least on a regular basis. And in my own humble opinion, just because someone only wears brand names doesn't mean they look good or are stylish. It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it. And personal style comes a long way. I love seeing street style fashion whenever I'm just walking around New York City. So much creativity and personality! 

If you're on a budget, don't be afraid to look at those stores that you may think wouldn't have anything good. One of my favorite places to go to when I'm home is Ross. Seriously, it's such a gold mine if you're willing to sift through racks of what can initially be perceived as junk. Take this yellow bodysuit for example. I knew instantly that I would want to pair it with fringed jeans and some funky, furry sandals from Zara. Mix those highs and lows, financially speaking. The outfit is pretty simple but with the furry sandals, its personality and statement enough (plus it reminds me of my favorite 90s movie... Clueless! The epitome of 90s fashion!) 

So to summarize: you can be stylish wearing clothes from anywhere, I'm wearing a bodysuit again so I'm rethinking my feelings and conclude that they're not so bad, furry sandals are the ish so if you want to re-live your 90s fashion dream, it's pretty much the way to go.

Fur The Moment II

Fur The Moment II

As part of the coat series this winter season, here is my second pick! I love the color and how soft and light the coat feels even though it is thick and incredibly warm. Pretty genius if you ask me.

Tomorrow is the start of spring semester for me and I'm excited to be in school again. Last summer, after I spent three months styling projects around the city, I decided that fashion styling was most likely not for me. Instead, I've turned my focus more on the business side of fashion and hopefully one day, I'll be able to start a small business of my own. We'll see!

This coat is Zara from last season.

Get a similar coat!

Faux Fur Coat: Topshop Claire Faux Fur | YOINS Green Long Sleeves Artificial Fur | Make Me Chic Collarless Faux Fur Dark Green

Fur The Moment

Fur The Moment

Just five more sleeps until Christmas! Without a doubt, this is my most favorite holiday ever. I love spending time with family, all the Christmas movies, the baking,  sending cards, the decorations... I could just wrap myself in obnoxious Christmas spirit for the rest of my life and be ok with it.

Another thing I could wrap myself in for the rest of my life is this coat! Look at it! It's perfection in all of its pink, faux furry glory! As part of a project showcasing and styling coats this winter season, I'm happy to choose this beauty as my first choice.

This coat is an exclusive from Story of Lola, which recently went on a huge sale! Unfortunately, because of said sale, it is now sold out. But luckily, I found one for you that is similar and because I like to find a good bargain, this one from Choies  is also on sale.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Don't forget to hug the ones you love extra close and tell them you love them. That always seems to be the best gift of all :)

#ootd

#ootd

What's better than finding the perfect sweater? Designing your own. Here is my  first sweater, designed and styled by me. Who knows, maybe one day I'll come out with a small clothing line of my own... there's quite a bit of brainstorming, mood boarding, and sketching over here ;) 

Can we talk about frayed jeans for a second? There are so many of these kinds of jeans trending right now, whether you want a heavy fray or just want to flirt with some uneven hems. If you want to invest in a nice pair, its gonna cost you. If you're feeling creative, there is a fun alternative. I had an old pair of jeans I was willing to experiment on and a simple DIY search on youtube got me this as my final product and I'm pretty pleased with it. The best part about uneven hems is that you can't really screw it up. It can be as crooked as your heart desires and you can flash a big smile afterwards because hey, you meant for that to happen. Right? Right. 

Wearing: Revolve Denim old but similar here  | Gucci loafers | Sweater (Marie)

Faux Leather Pants

Faux Leather Pants

On days that I don't want to wear denim, and I'm not sporting yoga pants to go workout, I like to wear faux leather pants, especially in NYC because where else can you wear pleather pants at 7am like its no big deal? Or maybe I should say, when else can you feel like Olivia Newton-John when she's killing it in that last scene in Grease with John Travolta? However you want to look at it, I've really come to embrace these pants over the past year as an acceptable day attire and not just something we pull out of our closet for a night out on the town. I remember feeling self-conscious wearing it to an art gallery opening one afternoon with my friend last winter and looking back at it now, that was pretty silly on my part because #nooneislookingatme and more importantly, #whydoicarewhatpeoplethink. Actually, maybe we should talk about why I'm explaining things in #hashtags? 

Anyway, I wore this outfit over the weekend when I was in NYC for one of the biggest fashion conferences in the city. I'll write about the entire experience separately because something so fun and important deserves its own post. In the meantime, an update on my apartment search! NADA. NOTHING. ZIP. I can't really decide what's more tough... finding a good guy to date or finding an apartment ;) 

Wearing: Express Scuba Legging

If you want to rock the shizz out of some pleather pants yourself, get the look for less!

Similar Leggings: Forever21 Faux Leather Leggings | H&M Imitation Leather Leggings

The Bomber Jacket

The Bomber Jacket

Two things to note about fall: a vintage bomber jacket is a must-have and you can most definitely wear white after Labor Day. I learned that bombers are pretty big in New York and that every fashionista wears one... and it's pretty smart considering how it goes with anything. It completes a casual look and it can add that extra spark to a dressed-up outfit as well.  Also, I love that everyone who is anyone in the fashion industry liberally wears white no matter what the season and I couldn't be happier. I always thought that wearing white after Labor Day was a major faux pas but if the big names wore it to Fashion Week and are continuing to do so... then who I am to adhere to some archaic made up rule?

Wearing: Old bomber | MotherDenim Jeans | Celine flats 

Get the look for less!

Bomber Jacket: Forever21 Zip-Front Bomber | Guess Kazra Patches Bomber | NastyGal Patch Me on the Flipslide

Jeans: MotherDenim (similar) Jeans

on wearing a bodysuit

on wearing a bodysuit

Of all the things I love to wear during fall, early fall is my favorite because a skirt and a long sleeved top is easily my go-to before transitioning to sweaters, coats, and pants. Because I like this look so much, I gave in and decided to try this ridiculous looking trend that has been going on for a while... you see them everywhere and might even wonder why anyone would want to buy such a thing. Enter the snap crotch bodysuit. With a name like that, it's as silly as it looks when you pass by it at the store. You might have even looked at it and thought, "Is that an adult onesie?" And the answer to that question is yes, pretty much.

Pros of a Snap Crotch Bodysuit:

• Actually looks really nice when you wear it; clean fit
• Looks good with practically anything

Cons of a Snap Crotch Bodysuit:

• Hell to put on
• Hell to take off when you need to use the bathroom

Like a new relationship that you're still figuring out, I think I still need some time to process how I feel about this trend. It's definitely not love at first sight but it's good enough for me to want see where it goes. 

I wanted to link where I got this bodysuit but it was nowhere to be found online even though it's a new arrival. This outfit is courtesy of Forever21 

Sunnies: Thick Donut Round Retro Sunglasses

Boots: old (get a similar one here Alice + Olivia Suede Knee High Boots)