A Late Halloween Post

This past halloween I went up to my college to visit and spend time with some of my friends that are still up there. Boy was that ever a surreal experience! I am so used to going home for the weekend and coming back to school, and having it switched this time around felt all sorts of weird. Being back up there brought back so many memories and gave me some very unexpected new ones as well as frustrations. It felt like I had graduated so long ago, but in reality it has only been a couple of months. Regardless of that I was extremely glad with the break from the "real" world haha.

The best part aside from seeing my friends, was exploring the little town my school is in. The cheesy little shops, the delicious food stops and of course the gorgeous scenery of the Berkshires! It felt amazing to breathe in fresh air, and just listen to soft rustling of leaves and the smell of fall so potent in the air. Such a nice change from the overbearing city and herds of people.

And here is the costume I worked so hard on:

Let me tell you, hand sewing a dress from scratch is no joke! It took forever, but was relaxing to do at the same time haha. And a plus? It didn't rip or anything on the dance floor ;), i'd say I did a pretty good job! Hope everyone has had a good weekend/had a good halloween!

Guilty

Lately i've been thinking a lot about guilty pleasures. Whether it be singing at the top of your lungs to an old spice girls song or enjoying a T.V. show you're too embarrassed to admit you watch, hell even eating some of the weirdest food combinations hehe. It's interesting to see how society can sometimes constrict us from just being ourselves, no matter how weird or unnaturally quirky we may be. I've always been the weird one in my family, because of my tastes in music, clothing, and humor amongst other things. Growing up in New York and my tiny little caribbean island has given me a lot of perspective on what goes on around me, and has made me more observant of people's behaviors. This is probably why I majored in sociology, ha.

So what's brought this whole ramble up you say? Well i've been feeling like i've got ants in my pants in this city (figuratively of course!), and its made me realize that i've grown up around people who have never really cared for change. "why would you want to leave one of the best cities in the world?" is what I often hear, and my logic is that you don't really have the experience to compare a city to the rest of the world when you've never left it. I'm not saying that its wrong to love where you are from or anything along those lines, I just think its foolish to put down people for wanting to explore other places just because you don't want to ever leave where you are.

(Dress - Modcloth, Cardigan + tights - H&M, Boots - F21)

Anywho, I thought it'd be fun to share some guilty pleasures/weird things about myself.

1. I collect little piggy banks hehe

2. I sing at the top of my lungs to old 90's pop bands (i'm sure this is a give for most people though). I do, however, sing absolutely horribly. So much so, that i've been paid 5 bucks one time to stop singing!

3. I absolutely love baking pies, but I won't eat them... I know this is pretty sacrilegious to say but I dislike the taste of pie very much, and any form of cooked fruit.

4. I have a very large collection of teen vogues in my possession (the earliest one is from 2005), I don't buy them anymore but I can't seem to throw them away haha.

5. I can't stop eating wheat thins with whipped cream cheese, its sooooo good! (although that's not as weird as my friend's obsession with putting cheese in her hot chocolate... blegh).

What are some of your guilty pleasures/weird things you do?

Oh Joy!

Fridays have never felt so good! The whole TGIF tends to not have the same meaning when you work most days and weekends are still part of your work week. But today I woke up with such high spirits, because guess what? I've finished my grad school paper! Just a few more edits from the advisor and I am all set to send out my applications :). Even the rain can't damper my mood today (but I wouldn't mind if it went away hehe).

Lately i've been getting back into experimenting in the kitchen and have come up with some pretty tasty dishes. I think i'll share some of the stuff i've been making soon! I love getting a recipe and then adjusting it and making my own version of it. Anywho, here's my outfit, and please excuse my slightly poofy hair, the rain atmosphere isn't particularly kind to my hair:

(Jacket: H&M, Shirt: Primark, Skirt: Modcloth, Boots and Ring: Charlotte Russe)

I am getting so excited that halloween is almost here! I need to buy the cloth for my costume, since I am making it myself. I will be a zombied out rag doll this year :) What are you guys dressing up this year? Any funny past costumes? Hehe I sure have some funny ones, i'll share some old pictures soon!

A Delicious Walk

Lately it's been getting chilly enough to wear a jacket around here, which I am pumped about! It's also made me remember how fast fall can pass, and next thing you know its winter time. So I am taking advantage of the weather and walking around much more than usual. If there is one thing you should know about me is that I love to walk! This probably has to do with where I grew up, but nevertheless there is nothing better than some achy feet after walking aimlessly for a whole day. I am taking advantage of being able to walk around without freezing my buns off yet.

The other day my friends and I basically walked and ate all day, the perfect day if you ask me hehe! One of my favorite cuisines is asian, and we started off at my favorite Korean restaurant in St. Marks, and slowly made our way to chinatown.

This is what I had, Bi bim bap on a hot stone which has a bunch of different vegetables and rice!

Afterwards my friend stopped at a little Japanese place to get some sort of a pancake (boy was I surprised when I saw what it looked like!).

I don't really remember the name of it, but it had a weird taste. It wasn't horrible, but wasn't great? haha, it was definitely a trip for my taste buds.

Do you ever get those days when you seem to appreciate where you are from more than usual? Most days this city makes me feel a little claustrophobic due to the masses of people around all the time. Today, however, was different. The little quirks in my city seem to pop out more, all the different people that passed by made me smile. Little hidden places like this seem to be crying for my attention:

And all of the different areas and things that are easily accessible to me.

(I am a dork, and absolutely love goofy things like this hehe)

(Mmmm Taro bubble tea!)

And a comfortable outfit when feeling ill, there seems to be a cold/flu going around because everyone seems to be getting sick, myself included. Also, I think I may have a boot problem, I just realized how many pairs of boots I own... hehe!

(Jacket - boutique in England, Shirt - Gap, Jeans - F21, Boots - Old Charlotte Russe, Bag - UO)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sneaky Rainfall

The past couple of days i've woken up to torrential downpours and i've loved it! I love how chilly and dreary it gets outside, and after a long day of work getting home I love just cuddling in my bed while the rain tries to knock the AC right off my window hehe. This weather has kind of helped out my writers block a little bit, I just can't get past the second draft of my Grad school personal statement. Is it just me, or is writing about yourself really awkward? Anyways, it's made me think of how many times I changed my major while I was in school (Undecided, secondary education + Lit, and finally sociology/social work) and all the career choices I considered (culinary arts, photography) but didn't end up going through with due to varying reasons. I honestly don't know what i'll end up doing, but I do know I want to explore as many places as I can. This year at home is making me anxious to get out, I am so used to being on the move, hopefully i'll get into a few of the schools I am applying to and will be able to leave the country for 2 years (maybe more if I have my way hehehe).

Anywho, rainy weather makes me want to be as comfy as possible without having to walk outside in sweats (I can't physically walk outside in sweats, I feel weird and I hate how I look in them, and i've grown up in a neighborhood where velour suits that hug your lady bits in all the wrong places are seen as fashionable...).

I love the fact that the sweater has patches on the elbows, it reminded me of one of my history professors haha, all I need now is a blazer like that and life will be swell.

(Hat - Street vendor, Sweater - H&M, Shorts - UO, Tights - so old I have no idea, Boots - Steve Madden gift)

Oh and on an even brighter note I am going to Texas in Nov. to visit my best friend! I couldn't be any happier, exploring a new place AND my best friend :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend, happy October! Halloween is just around the corner ;)

A Personal Sun

While today did not turn out to be the best of days weather wise, I woke up with a smile on my face for no particular reason. After working 5 days straight, having a weekend to myself was nothing short of wonderful! I put on a pretty dress and called a friend to go have lunch since it was so nice out when I woke up. And she willingly took my photos today! Let me just say that after taking my own photos for so long, it was a weird change to have someone else take them for me. They came out great though!

In the middle of taking these photos a violent wind decided it wanted to make a pass at me and show my lady bits to passerby... I have quite a few of these shots haha, and it was quite funny to see the faces of people who were passing by. Not long after that it started to rain!

(Dress - UO, Belt and Flats - Primark)

I was supposed to bake a batch of my special oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies to send to the sweetest twins I ever met, but by the time I got home I felt lazy and just wanted to veg out and watch a movie. I'll make them tomorrow though, I miss baking like crazy (and the kiddos hehe)! I met these kids in a foster program I took part in before I graduated last spring and wished I had spent more time with them! We got along so well, and i'll be satisfied with sending little treats every once in a while :)

Anywho, I ended up watching The Rage in Placid Lake which is one of my favorite movies ever. I've shown it to a couple of my friends but not many of them think its very funny at all, I guess its kind of dry humor to them? Every time I watch it I laugh like crazy at the most random things. Do any of you have a favorite movie like that?

Hope everyone is having a great night/beginning of your week! :)

P.S. Any tips on how to cure writers block?

Barista Blues

Some days I really enjoy working at my job, and being able to make any complicated drink that is thrown my way. When a nice rush of customers come and I am able to quickly make a line of drinks, it gives me a nice feeling of accomplishment. However, other days I reach my limit when it comes to dealing with rude customers. I fail to understand why some people feel it necessary to be so rude and act so disgustingly to workers, just because you are paying for us to make your drink does not give you any right to get angry or throw your money and credit cards at us as though we are dirt. Seriously? are workers not human beings? I don't care how heavy your black Amex card is, if you don't respect me, I have every right in the world to refuse any service to you. This is not even solely the case for baristas, its the same deal in other places. Sorry for the ramble, i've had a tough couple of days at work recently.

Moving on! Since i've been in a funk lately I decided to dress up a little more the other day to make myself feel better. And boy did it work! It felt wonderful to bust out a light jacket because the air has been cooler lately. I didn't dress up to go anywhere in particular, it felt nice to wear something other than my uniform.

It will be interesting to see the transition of fall in the city, I haven't spent a fall here in 4 years. I am barely getting used to the fact that i'll be around so much concrete for so long. How do I even begin to explain how gorgeous the fall in New England is? Especially in the Berkshires! The leaves turn all sorts of luscious colors that are so gorgeous they stop me in my tracks and make me go hot damn! For now though the smell of cigarettes, subways, and manmade parks will do hehe.

(Blazer - Thrifted/ Dress - Modcloth/ Boots - Jeffrey Campbell)

Sometimes its nice to have little dates with yourself. I chose to aimlessly walk downtown and ended up by the Pier, I didn't take many pictures because I just needed to clear my head but I did manage a snap. It was nice to have a breath of "fresh" air :)

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

So Real

(Warning: Image overload! Full set of photos for the event can be found over at my Flickr!)

So here I am, walking out of the train station, cupcakes in hand and about to meet people i've never met. All I could feel were jitters, and was all sorts of nervous. What would I talk about? These are people i've only seen through images and words, yet here I was walking through Central Park with freshly made cupcakes. However, as soon as I spotted the red balloons and a couple of familiar faces, I became excited!

The first girls I saw were Rebecca from The Clothes Horse and Erin from Calivintage! They were so welcoming and easy to talk to, making the experience less awkward than I thought it would be.

Soon afterwards I met these two amazing people, Jacob (how much do you love his sequin blazer?!) and Adeline (who came all the way from Norway!) from Lady Croissant. Seriously, they were too funny for words and I absolutely loved them!

It was so exciting to see more familiar faces showing up! I probably sounded like a broken record, because I couldn't stop saying how surreal this whole experience was. At one point somebody said that were all like moving pictures (I think it may have been Tieka or Rebecca? I am probably completely wrong haha).

I loved Tieka from Selective Potential! She was too funny and such a sweet girl! Pretty much everything I expected her to be from reading her page for so long haha. I am so happy that I got a chance to chat with her, such a sweetheart!

(I have the best out takes of our jumping picture! I loveee doing jumping pictures, even though I probably flashed all my goodies to the world in that dress!)

I got to see these two fashionable ladies, Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky and Annie from Time Enough for Drums, I wish I got to talk to them a bit more, but they were such sweet girls!

And of course, the ladies with their gear! ( Kim from Eat.Sleep.Wear. and Jessica from What I Wore)

Oh and I got to meet Nicole of Coco Maria from my neck of the woods! it was like everything went in slow motion when I heard somebody mention an area I lived nearby haha.

Oh and here's what I wore, whilst I damn near flashed my goods to the world...again haha

(Cropped Blazer - UO, Dress - Thrifted, Belt - Thrifted, Flats - Primark)

(A big thank you to Emily from It Girl, Rag Doll for my outfit shots and some of the other photos!)

Overall, it was such an amazing experience and I am so glad that it was set-up! It was such a bummer to go from a great afternoon to serving coffee, and boy did we feel the rush of Fashion Night Out! My store is right by one of the shopping districts and some stores had DJ's and lines that would make your mother a bit dizzy!

Hope everyone is having an awesome fashion week!

What a Trip

Atlantic City turned out to be pretty enjoyable considering I was the youngest one in that horrid bus ride. It made me realize that even though I live with my mother, I spend very little quality time with her. So spending the entire day with her and her BFF was hysterical to say the least, and I realize now where I get my crappy jokes from haha.

We ended up spending about an hour in the actual casino, and out of a 25 dollar card I won a whopping $4.40! While my mother made the big money and won a whole $12! Those penny slots were clearly calling our names. I enjoyed the boardwalk way more than the casino.

I absolutely love the cheesyness and bright colors of boardwalk entertainment, there is just something about all those cheesy signs and bright lights that makes summer complete.

In the end we are all big kids at heart :)

Theres is nothing better than fatty summertime food!

P.S. I am supperrr excited for friday, because get to attend this lovely event! :D