love on my wrist

For the holidays, I was lucky enough to get not ONE, but TWO Links of London bracelets- both from beloved family members. The two bracelets are entirely different, one with gorgeous shades of gradiating (as the boy so adorably pronounced "graduating") purple, the other a neutral and classic grey-gold combination. My original instinct was to return the latter, not because I didn't like it, but because I felt silly owning two similar bracelets and I knew my grandma wouldn't mind exchanging it. Deep down, though, I really wanted to keep both. 

If you know my grandmother, you'll know that she's the queen of bible talk, always connecting things to the Lord and to G-d. While her comment wasn't "biblical" per say, it certainly reminded me of one of her corny phrases. She told me that I should keep both bracelets, not because they look beautiful together or because they happen to match perfectly, but because wearing them together will be like wearing love on my wrist. Love on my wrist. It's so poetic, eh? So poetic, in fact, that I think I'll go write a poem. I'm a budding poet now, did I tell you? They're HORRIBLE, but I've been writing little poems in my diary every night. Maybe, if you're lucky, I'll share one at some point. Or maybe not. Teeeeheeee.

OHHHH and I got this new cape from Gap that I really love. It's a bit itchy though, so I had to wear a turtle neck under it. Usually I don't like turtlenecks because I feel so confined and stuck and constrained, but this one was from Gap Body and was super soft and silky and I almost didn't feel it. 

scary.

The bracelets!!!!

Cape- Gap

Turtleneck- Gap Body

Leggings- Gap Body

Boots- Via Spiga

Bag- Michael Kors

christmas eve shenanigans

I bought this little blue slip thing two summers ago at one of the EPIC LF sales, and wasn't able to figure out a way to wear it until two nights ago, on Christmas. It's completely see through, so I wore one of the american apparel skin tight dresses with the low back that have become so obnoxiously over-worn under it. It worked perfectly because it was a bit longer than the dress, which was arguably too short to begin with. if you know me, though, you'll know short dresses are my calling...my friends know that I have a tendency for turning all tunic-y shirts into mini dresses. whaaeva. I really wanted to wear something metallic for the holidays, as I wrote about here, and this ensemble was perfect for the occasion. I was especially digging the bluish gray luster, not to mention the victorian era aesthetic of the ruffles. i'm already thinking about how I'll be able to wear this piece again. any suggestions?

my sister and me. i wuv her! 

the color on my nails is OPI's Swiss Collection-Cuckoo for this Color. It's a metallic forest green. nomnomnom i love metallics!!

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and is enjoying their break! more soon ;)

dress LF
under dress American Apparel
belt Anthropologie
boots Tory Burch

chaos- the best kind

picture this: i'm sitting in my grandma's apartment trying to finish a college supplement. miley is blasting. some nintendo-mario music is also playing on brothers DSI. and the fire alarm is going off every 3 minutes due to all the cooking in the kitchen. somehow, my grandmother is still so surprised each time it goes off...

anyways, be expecting lots of picture posts soon!!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

controversy.

i'm not sure which to begin with- that I think these photos are beautiful, or that I think they're inappropriate.  because both are completely valid statements. i'm not much of a photo buff- but I can say that i think these pictures are of high professional quality. as a viewer, i was digging the black and white contrast as well as the whole laid back, tom cruise in risky business look. HOWEVER, the smoking thing is very problematic. in this era where we claim to be so ADVANCED, shouldn't our media not be advertising a deadly substance in such an attractive manner? i say "attractive" because honestly, this girl looks hot. hate to say it, but for some reason the film/tv/photo industry have a way of making smoking look so sexy. it's awful and interesting and mind blowing; we don't see bikini ads with girls tanning in tanning beds, do we?

Holiday Attire: What I'm Wearing

At last, the holidays have arrived. Good cheer and high spirits linger in the air; what a better a time than this to dress your best? Here are the things I'll be wearing come end of December...

Christmas Eve

            Adorn yourself in plush fabrics, such as velvet or silk. This is the time to be lavish, isn’t it? I always lean towards the velvet. The way the fabric illuminates itself is so luscious and has such an expensive feel, even if what you’re wearing is a brown velvet loose t that really was just 19.99 from F21 (cough cough, my latest buy.) I often choose velvet over silk because the velvet leaves more room for the body to just be. In other words, the silk fabric can cling very close to the skin leaving not much to one’s imagination. This effect can make one feel self-conscious. Having experienced this feeling myself, I’ve realized I can opt for a silk top in a larger size rather than a silk, body-skimming dress. If you’re not self-conscious, though, and are ready to flaunt your beautiful body, then by all means- wear the dress!

Christmas Day

            Every year, I spend Christmas day with my large Italian family. And boy, do we eat.We eat a lot. Picture the last supper. Oh, just the thought of my great-grandfather’s hot stuffed peppers makes my taste buds tingle. I dress for this meal how I dress for Thanksgiving- roomy. Cozy, stretchy leggings and an oversized cashmere sweater do the trick. A loose dress- perhaps an A line- works, as well. I may do the dress, actually; I could use the extra room for immediate stomach growth. Hellooooooo, food baby!

New Years Eve

            My absolute FAVORITE night of the year. Why, you ask? Well, remember that fleeting love affair you had at Bloomies last month with that gorgeous but hopelessly unrealistic sequined mini? This is your night to put that buy to good use. You rock those sequins. Go big or go home. Carpe diem. You get the gist. I’ll be wearing my new silver and gray metallic mini-dress with the full skirt and open back. Oh, and black pumps. My favorites are anything sheer,sequin,or metallic (ugh, I wish that began with an "s"...I'm all about alliteration.)

            

copenhagen street style

i love literally everything about this look. the studded bucket bag, leopard vest, camel sweater dress, not to mention the braided up-do...such a jaw-dropper. perhaps i'll attempt to emulate this style later this week...

How To: Cozy Chic

We're all familiar with the following routine, are we not? Sleepy eyes crack open, "snooze" is pressed one too many times, functional thoughts of putting on an ensemble that remotely resembles real world clothing enters our minds, we feel like vomiting out of repugnance. For me, this happens every morning that I haven't received at least ten hours of sleep the night prior. Which is every night. Side note: I ALWAYS have trouble getting dressed in the morning, but come noon, regardless of how tired I am, I'm ready to throw on my most uncomfortable of outfits and be happy. Weird, no? There's something about a dress and tights that is so unappealing after wading through the R.E.M cycle in jersey knit pajammers. Anyways, for quite some time I have been searching for a remedy to this problem (problem being: lack of motivation to put on clothes that are cute yet not as comfortable as pjs.) Finally, it seems I have found it. The solution? Oversized sweaters. And I mean OVERSIZED. Pair 'em with silky leggings or sheer tights and you're set. When buying your sweaters, comfort is key. While that plush wool sweater may look cute on the rack, before buying you MUST first consider the likeliness of you putting itchy fabric on your skin first thing in the morning. Not sure whether to wear tights or leggings? For me, if the sweater falls below my butt, it's tights. If not, leggings. Easy as pie. If you're looking to add extra layers and comfort, throw on a chunky scarf. Currently, I'm coveting circle scarfs in rich colors, like chocolate brown or mahogany. This look especially is great for it is not confined to a specific hairdo (you know, there are some looks that if your hair isn't stick straight, it just won't look good, right? Or am I crazy?) I'll usually throw my hair in a loose side braid or low pony with a thick headband. Note: headbands do not need to be fancy for this look. I love the packs sold at CVS, such great color combos.

currently listening to:

stay tuned.

Oh, the things I do when I should be working. I really ought to be doing my Gov notes right now. But I’m not. Instead, I'm lollygalling with my blog that I sort of obsess over. I’ve had a bit of blogger’s block lately, as I’m sure some of you readers may have noticed. So, en lieu of protecting my ego and only writing of my own ideas, I took a leap of faith and asked a friend what she would like to read about. I got many great suggestions, so hopefully within the next week or so I will have several new posts offering advice and “how-to’s” on many different subject matters. If any of you avid readers are interested in throwing out some ideas for possible posts, I’d love to hear them. Just leave a comment! The first is on its way...stay tuned  ; )