cheers

today i met up with kristine, who i haven't seen in at least a year, probably more, for one last shopping excursion in new york before i head back to school tomorrow. unfortunately, i couldn't find my camera this morning (i should probably be a little more worried about that than i am right now..it'll turn up. right?), so i'll try my best to recapture the magic through power of words.. and other people's pictures plus crappy photo booth shots.

today was a great day, and i should have foreseen it, because depsite an unfortunate turn of events first thing in the morning, when i got to the ferry terminal, i bought the february 2008 teen vogue (a habit i have yet to break), and what should i find in the very beginning of the magazine, but M.I.A. IN A MARC BY MARC JACOBS AD. it was like the stars aligned and told me in no uncertain terms that i was loved. are they serious? that's like finding out that my best guy friend and best girlfriend hooked up. i had to suppress a public squeal of joy, and quickly texted the happy news to megan, the most likely person to care (and she did. care, i mean). now that the afterglow has worn off, i suppose i've seen her look better, but it's just the idea of the two of them getting together and grooving off of each other's cool vibes that sends chills down my spine.


finally the elusive kristine showed up, and all the words and stories just spilled out of us.. sooooo much catching up to do, so much gossip to compare. foremost in our minds was food, naturally, and so we headed to the cinema cafe (34th and 3rd..need to write it down because i constantly want to go there and can nev-ah remember where it is), where the waiter had a great smile and simultaneously reminded me of both cameron frye and my cameron..which is weird because those two don't resemble each other at all. i think i just miss my cameron alot.

anyway, the food was intensely satisfying, and with bellies full we headed to the marc jacobs accessories/specialty items store where i crossed off one of the items on my what i want list, a bag for next semester.. got the marc jacobs for pan am innovator bag in blue/white.. loving it because 1) um, it's marc jacobs, 2) i could actually afford it, 3) it's not quite a messenger bag, but i can still do the diagonal strap thing that i want to do with it..i loved the handbags i used for books last year, but it really id weigh me down heavily 4) the color is such a departure from my usual blacks and dark-toned bags. kristine warned that she'd seen plenty of people wearing this bag, but i figure hey, no one i know does, and a pan am bag? that's just the type of vintage-y stuff that i lust after.. cigarettes and stetsons with the brim just so..sunday bests and hatboxes and bellboys. oh, and just for giggles, bought two (also brilliant blue) marc jacobs condoms.


wandered about until we hit an american apparel (cue the singing angels), where i crossed off yet another item on my list, the mineral wash bull denim slim slack! oh my goodness, those are getting busted out tomorrow for the new year!

browsed urban after that, but wisely chose to stay away from the lovely overpriced things. at that point, i was feeling pretty damn good, i was buying strictly things that i had explicitly said i wanted, no random, not-sure-if-i'll-actually-use-this-but-i'll-buy-it-just-in-case type of purchases, and since i was being so efficient, i felt like i had a little money to spare, so i bought cam a t-shirt from a store with maybe the most extensive tee collection i'd ever seen in my life. every wall, every blank space was covered with t-shirt designs, nothing too edgy or campy, but simpe pop cultural references, and band and movie images, and some random slogans. i decided to buy a beatles tee, because those are his homeboys, but struggled for a little bit, since both he and i dislike the glaring, obvious, picture-as-large-as-life-plus-bold-title type of tees, and honestly, it's hard to be subtle about the beatles, so i got him a plain black tee with a beige silhoutte of the fab four them crossing abbey road (thanks to kristine for helping me choose).

as usual, had to stop at world of disney, but they were closed. new year's eve had all the streets blocked off and stores closing as early as 5:30. always reliable to fall back on, h&m was open and despite my vow to shop efficiently bought a cute little nightie on a whim. i reasoned that besides the fact that it was cute, it would be an ideal sleep garment, considering that the heat is absolutely raging in my dorm, more often than not. i like the fact that while it's your standard nightie, with a low neckline, skinny shoulder straps, and satiny feel, the print is a cozy and friendly red plaid. it wasn't an ordinary all black, silky, seductress type of thing. and who am i kidding, cameron will probably love it.

so then we tried to pass through times square just to see how crazy it was getting, but it was all blocked off. to console ourselves, we had to go to max brenner and gorge ourselves on desserts. it was simply necessary.

in the category of wtf, my brand new sparkle an fade olive tights, bought just before christmas, today worn for only the second time, have no more, no less than 5 runs and various holes. and for once, it's not my fault..it just randomly appeared. branded: unforgivable.

all in all, ab fab day, and though it's not quite 2008, i consider this a great omen for the upcoming year.

happy &healthy new year to all!

resolved,

stole.

from milk. i love how the projects are situated to the direct right of them.

thieved,

futzin' around

for an untitled project:





post.script.: those black sunnies are my dad's from circa 1991. i distinctly remember him rocking them on weekend excursions to new jersey flea markets and florida-bound road trips. hah. and taylor's killer shoes? forever21 .. who knew?

sealed with a kiss,

yellow shoes, green envy

she :: omg i got the shoes of my LIFE today
me :: fabuloso?
she :: yesss
she :: they are like schoolbus yellow patent leather t strap sandals with a lucite sole and wooden heel....omg i'm obsessed
me :: noooooo
me :: that sounds intensely amazing
she :: they are like the cheaper michael kors line, they make me like six feet tall i'm sure tim will be thrilled
she :: i am wearing them right now haha for no reason
me :: no, no.
me :: that's perfectly understandable
she :: they are like sooo hooker, but i love them
she :: i just had to share amazing shop find with SOMEONE you know
me :: def
me :: i understand
me :: i don't think those are hooker
me :: they're like 'spring, here i come.. BAM!'

and as killer as they are in yellow, they're kill-ah in black.

and then, as icing on the cake, she told me she was going to disney world for new year's. i hate my roommate.

looking for my solemate,

sugar + cheese

love the schoolgirl outfits/pieces scattered throughout both vids, hah.

randomly,

what i want

first and (superficially) foremost,

try as i might to convince her otherwise, my cousin told me in no uncertain terms that this is one of the ugliest pair of jeans she's ever seen, but i'm absolutely IN LOVE with them. it's late80s/early90s, youth! nostalgia! it's perfection. i will not rest until i get my hands on a pair. i'd buy them online, except i want to at least try on the same cut in person so i'll be sure of the fit. i find myself just staring at them every now and then, trying to picture the day when they'll be mine. ugh.

-also, on the topic of jeans, i'm kind of big on these, though i can't seem to decide which color i prefer. the ankle zips are key.

i also want wide-leg pants, ridiculously wide-leg pants, but i have yet to find a pair that make me lust.

-ever notice how the black pumps in all jean shots are impossibly perfect? the heels are not too high, not too low, minimal or no toe cleavage at all.. the ones in the aa image even have a subtly retro-sexy vibe to them.. in short, the quintessential black pump that i can never find. anywhere. whenever i attempt to find that black pump, it's a little too business-y, a little too embellished, a little too boring.. the closest thing i can find to match the shoes in the urban outfitters pictures are these jeffrey campbells:


ehh. i'd have to try them on to see if they move me. the aa ones are mind-blowing, though. too bad i have no clue where to even begin to find them. the search continues.

-an alex + chloe necklace. the necklace. the black diamonds collection is killer. my personal favorites are chloe's eclipse, alex's eclipse, love is not dead, and the peace sign, in black or the bronze-y hue.



i'm also loving brookadelphia, in the realm of acrylic jewelry. i've been looking at their site for days, just trying to narrow the options down, but i love them all.

-in terms of things that i actually need, though, stylish, functional, and roomy bag to function as next semester's school bag is a total must. no pictures here, since i can't find anything that even begins to fit my criteria. r.i.p., granny satchel, you served me well. i did, however, find really cool nylon-y neon colored backpacks, and vintage-esque pan am bags at the marc jacobs specialty store that were wicked cheap.

-sneakers! i'm not what you would call a sneaker head in the very least, but when i go into sneaker stores, i'm mesmerized by the candy colors and neons that are splashed all over the place. i went through an air force one phase at the beginning of high school, then moved on to chucks, which evolved into an affinity for ed hardys and other graphic-laced, if not name-recognizable sneakers, which quickly became a long stretch of time leading up to now, in which i don't wear sneakers at all, but i think that they'd be an bright and unexpected change in style, and a really good way to perk up my unofficial uniform, the black-skinnies-paired-with-something-else-that's-probably-black-and-flats-outfit.
'nike dunk sb mid donatello' yeah, that donatello.

-and speaking of black skinnies and flats, they're both in dire need of replacement. i bought the perfect pair of black cotton skinny pants last spring at h&m, and i'm still wearing them, a million and one rips later. the poor things need a rest, but i can't find a suitable replacement. at h&m, i constantly find the same pants in all colors but black. so frustrating. and as far as flats go, they're my default shoe in wind, rain, sleet, or snow, but that also leaves them pretty wrecked. i wore my black velvety anne klein flats (my audrey flats!!) on a clear december morning a few weeks ago, and by the afternoon, there was a foot of snow on the ground. the shoes haven't been the same since.

-pretty underthings. this includes tights. opaque and sheer, please.

-replacement latex-y leggings. maybe in more colors.

since this is my slightly realistic wish list, i've stuck to things that are in my relative price range. no chanel or miu miu musings here (at the moment). only things that my paycheck could, in theory, purchase.

will work for clothes,

a visual feast

because i've been slackin' in a major way..



this video should come with one of those warnings they used to show before you started playing sega games.. possible epileptic seizures and all that jazz. love.

dazed&amazed,

"told me back in '95 she fell in love with the tribe..

boo, back in '92, i was just like you."
--kanye west - "improvise"

i absolutely love reading the new york times style section. i don't really know why. the things they report on run the gamut from things that are plainly obvious, to things that confirm a trend whose popularity i had an inkling of, to things that i had no idea about. im not gonna lie, this article falls into the 'plainly obvious' category, but i do love that they acknowledged it. in 1992, i was all of three years old, but that's basically when my childhood memories begin, and with two brothers five and ten years older than me, i have an unusually clear view of the year in my mind's eye, pop culturally speaking. pre-school, fanny packs, and neon.. take me back? oh man, i had this pair of wayfarer-esque sunnies back then with dark lenses, hot pink frames, one, neon green arm and one neon yellow arm. i loved those things to death. it would be so amazing to bust them out again.. too bad they'd be too small for me even if i could find them.

nostalgically,

optical illusions

if we could, just for a moment, ignore the train wreck that is amy winehouse and direct our eyes to her hair. a necktie! cute.. i know i swore off borrowing my boyfriend's clothes, but this deserves a little experimentation.





again, you have to make your eyes focus on lindsay lohan here and not the ridiculously cheesy superheroes in the picture for this to work. is lindsay actually sober these days? it's hard to keep up, but she looks amazing, no? and an actual smile? what's next, a return to redhead? if only..

*pictures courtesy of WWTDD

eyes peeled,

yesterday

"love to write? about pretty much anything?.. lifestyle and fashion e-zine is currently looking for four new bloggers - one from each class - to share their thoughts on anything related to college life. If you're interested in applying, please send a proposed blog title and a sample entry to.. good luck!"

so said a particularly interesting e-mail that made its way to my inbox on monday afternoon. unfortunately, the entry was rushed, but hopefully it'll be considered a solid effort.


Upon flipping through the Guinness Book of World Records one day, I learned that Dorothy Straight had become the world's youngest published author at the age of four. I felt a slight pang of jealousy. I was much older than that and I had yet to accomplish anything nearly as impressive.

I was seven at the time.

Despite my longing for supposedly dwindling youth, I distinctly remember lashing out at my mother each time she dared to dress me in anything frilly or bright. I was a mature young woman and refused to wear anything that suggested otherwise. While I may have been the most delusional second-grader on the block, the concept of age continues to work its opposing forces on me. I also realize that I might not be the only one grasping for youth and maturity simultaneously. An ever-growing myriad of anti-aging concoctions and the option of going under the knife in order to "age gracefully" coexist seemingly in tandem with revealing clothes with suggestive slogans sold at Limited Too and questionable 'party girl' celebutantes that act as role models for impressionable young females. At college, an unrelenting emphasis on professionalism and an impressive resume often clashes with the desire to enjoy college for all of its frivolous, enjoyable aspects.

And where does this leave those of us on the cusp of womanhood, sartorially speaking? Once classes wind down for the holiday season this year, dresses make use of the usual suspects: satin, sheen, and all things that sparkle. Colors run the gamut from blacks, reds, crimsons, and forest greens to electric blues, hot pinks, and bright whites. The cuts range from classic A-lines to full bubble hems and miniskirts. It seems we're left wobbling on that perpetual balance beam for now.

Yet for spring, some of the curiosities that graced the runways and will most likely be trickling down and coming to a H&M or Urban Outfitters near you displayed some relics from our collective pasts. Acidic neons, functioned either on their own or thrown together to form dizzying floral prints and other equally eye-catching patterns. Even classic black-and-white was used to create op-art insted of staid stripes or houndstooth. One might call it garish, or maybe even juvenile. Finally, with fanny packs making a comeback, it seems like the 90s are back in full effect. For the moment at least, I'm looking forward to basking in the glow of my childhood. I think I may have rushed through it a little too quickly the first time around.


in anticipation,

i saw this one coming.

i remember the fateful day when i first watched the video for lil mama's 'lip gloss'. i was waiting for someone to come out and say 'PSYCHE!' or something like that at the end, but i came to the slow realization that the chick was not kidding.. dead serious, actually. and then the song became way popular and i couldn't escape it, so i gave in with a pinch of humor and a dash of laughter. but i knew it was only a matter of time before the next cosmetic-related song&vid would make its way onto the scene, and here it is (of course, jess would be the first to know):

kid sister featuring kanye west & a-trak - "pro nails"

oh man. there are plenty of things that make me cringe in this video, but i think this girl has an awesomely bold look and attitude. plus i loveloveLOVE the loud patterned leggings and baggy, super80s windbreaker jackets. and kanye west is always a delight in my book.

those crazy nails take me right back to high school, though. our rule book specified that fingernails were not to extend more than fraction of an inch past the tips of our fingers while maintaining a natural color, but that rule went right out the window, along with the ones banning denim or motorcycle jackets and specifying how short our skirts could be. teachers unanimously expressed disdain and/or disgust at the claws the some girls sported, while some of them would cite the rule itself and hand out detentions, demanding that the atrocities be removed by the next day. but it seemed nothing could stifle their popularity. even the nails in this video are mostly long but straight with wild designs. girls at school used to go so far as to get 'fans' or 'spoons' put on, fake nails that expanded outwards from the nail bed, essentially creating a little fan (or spoon, if they also curved from the fingertip) on each finger. i can't find any pictures of them, but i think that may actually be a blessing.

while i don't think i'll ever be a fan of nails like those (actually i'm positive.. i'm kind of wanting to end this post as soon as possible hah), it does inspire me to do something creative with my own nails, considering they don't fall out my personal realm of taste. i tend to think that if one's (natural) nails are healthy and filed to a nice (natural) shape, a strong color is all that's necessary to make them stand out. but even an old-fashioned girl like me can appreciate a few innovative nail designs. those monochromatic dior ads, for instance. of course, this is all mere speculation. i very rarely bother to wear nail polish at all, but to any girl out there that's "got her toes done up, with her fingernails matching", you definitely have my respect, and possibly my appreciation.

au natural,

FAIL*

i found this picture on a stockholm street style website a few weeks ago and thought this guy was absolutely adorable, but other than that, i had no particular reason to post it.

and then last night happened.. here's an excerpt from last night's frantic conversation:

me:: omg meg
me:: i'm bugging out
me:: there's this big gray cardigan that cam bought from the gap
me:: and i wear it all the time
me:: and i just washed it
me:: and dried it
me:: and its mini
me:: omggggggggg
she:: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
me:: what do i do???
me:: i need to buy a replacement one
she:: hmmmm
me:: omg im flipping.. i just pulled it out of my clean clothes to wear out because we're going to dinner but it's mini so i shoved it back in before he saw it
me:: OMGGGGG
she:: EEEEEEEEEEEEEP
she:: i dont know
she:: omg

...we have quite intelligent conversations, but eventually we came to some sort of solution.

me:: i can't believe this is happening lol i think i could just not mention it and he'd forget the sweater exists but..
me:: ahhh fuck this menswear trend.. it got me in trouble
she:: hahaha just tell him
she:: it's not your fault
she:: it happens
me:: you think?

all of this was much more helpful than what i got from my cousin when i implored her for help.

me:: so there's this big gray button-down cardigan that i always wear.. it's camerons and i tried to be nice and wash and dry it but it shrunk!
me:: HARDCORE
me:: and i don't know what to do
she:: OMG
she:: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
she:: ha ha ha ha ha ha!

i finally told him, even though i was terrified that he'd be upset. it seems like i'm constantly wearing his clothes lately, and to be ruining them on top of it is just too much. i told him i'd stop freeloading his wardrobe and buy him a replacement sweater, but he insisted that i do nothing of the sort. i'm still buying him a replacement sweater. he actually thought the situation was pretty hilarious too, and modeled the new sweater for me.




and that's when i realized.. it doesn't look all that bad. it had a very cool oversized fit to it, which is why i was addicted and couldn't stop wearing it, but looking at Stylish Stockholm Boy makes me think that maybe with a more fitted shirt underneath and the sweater unbuttoned..maybe cameron could still get a few wears out of it? oh, who am i kidding, i'm probably just trying to compensate for the fact that i ruined a perfectly good sweater that didn't even belong to me. sigh.

*title of post refers to my own inability to do laundry, and not the personal style of SSB or the unwavering pillar of awesomeness that is cameron.

apologetically,