Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year's everyone, I just finished writing up my resolutions and figured I'd share them with you.

I try to keep them as reasonable and incremental as possible so that I might actually follow through and then I can build on them next year!

Fun fact: it takes at least 8 weeks to build or break a habit. So once you get over that two month hump you're golden.

Next year I will:

- Eat fruits and veggies with every meal (and not just apples and green beans). I will only eat meat for one meal a day.

- Buy flowers for the apartment.

- Sign up for a boxing class, because I've always wanted to try.

- Try to do something new each week, such as all those museum shows I wanted to see.

- Wear more color.

- Find time to read books for fun.

- Say yes more often.

photo thanks to Velo Steve

SURPRISE!

I'm that girl who can never keep exciting secrets. Sad, bad secrets I can keep to my grave, but happy, exciting secrets .... I can never keep those secrets for longer than about 2.5 seconds.

So exciting news! (for me) I have a small internship with College Fashion!

I suppose it isn't supposed to be unveiled until January 1st, but I couldn't wait that long :)

Starting in January I'll be doing small guest posts over at College Fashion about all the stuff you know and love over here (yes, the attitude comes included. I really can't do much about that).

Big shout out to Zephyr of College Fashion! Sorry for ruining the surprise! Thanks for the awesome opportunity!

photo thanks to we heart it

Kite

So I'm back here in Boston, and due to the Nor' Easter that just rolled in we have two feet of snow and not many places to go. We're going to call these past couple days Recuperation and Family Bonding or something.
Awesomely though I was going through my closet looking for my Sorel boots so I could walk to the gym, and I found this old poem by one of my favorite poets Rives whom I'd completely forgotten about.
He's a slam poet, so most of his poems are made up on the spot and they really need to be heard live. I guess you could say it's "classy rap" with a sense of humor.
This is one of my favorite poems from him (which I had the pleasure of listening to him recite a couple years ago. It was kind of awesome) and I figured I'd share it.

Kite

I mistook a garbage truck for thunder.

The morning after the first night we made love,
I dreamt thunder was chasing rain
through your neighborhood,
flooding the streets and keeping the two of us
indoors for days or even weeks,
until some old prophet could drop,
by in an ark,
to take us and the rest of the paired-up animals
to a very high place,
or an island maybe,
where we could just
fuck for a living.

But the thunder was a garbage truck.
And when my eyes woke up
a note on your pillow said:
"Good morning, Sparkle Boy!
I'll be back around noon.
You--make yourself at home."
And so I did.

Maybe.

I'm saying maybe I put on your slippers,
which were as comfortable as bunnies
because they were bunnies,
and then shuffled over my new favorite
hardwood floor to the bathroom
where maybe I took a bubble bath,
which is not something I can do at my place
because, frankly,
my tub is way too skanky
to ever sit my bare ass down in.
And then maybe I got so caught up in the romance of the suds
I started quoting old Latin poetry from my college days
like: "fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles..."
You know: "Verily a bright sun does favor me this morning...muthafucka!"

And then maybe I...played with myself.
But it’s not what you’re thinking--I’m saying possibly
I just sorta stuck my hand up from the water, going:

(HERE I HOLD MY HAND UP LIKE A SOCK PUPPET
WITHOUT THE SOCK AND MY HAND TEASES ME
IN A HIGH, SMUTTY VOICE):

HAND:
"Somebody got laid last night!Ha-ha-haaaa!
It was youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"

Or whatever.

And then maybe I...played with myself,
and it's exactly what you're thinking.
But if I did, it was only to put
the mental motion picture of our naked night together
on replay and replay and replay
so touching myself was just like...
Tivo in a way.

And yes, I was still wet when I borrowed your bathrobe.
And yes, I baked apples in your oven and then ate them with your honey, honey.
And yes, I scared the birds away from your balcony
with my antics, dancing full-blast
to your old Prince CD's--
but please let’s just keep that my little secret,
because nothing is as private as a solitary dance
unless--maybe--it's standing in front of a full-length mirror
in a borrowed pair of bunny slippers,
slipping off a bathrobe and then wishing to a lightbulb
that my name, or my game, or my whatever were bigger,
wondering: "What kind of woman wants this skinny kid for her warrior?"

And so I made for you a kite, enormous,
out of coat hangers, brown paper bags
and the masking tape from that drawer in your kitchen,
and I hung it in the hallway
where you couldn’t hardly miss it,
and I tagged that kite with my words,
I wrote:

Just so you know--

My weird mind wanders and my brave heart breaks.
I've nailed some milestones, but I've made mistakes,
Cuz I got more faults than a map of California earthquakes.

I am taking a nap beneath your covers.
Wake me if you like me.
Wake me if you want me
Wake me if you need another poem.

Your once and future lover
has made himself at home.

If you are interested in more poems, recordings, his blog or just generally want to check him out, head over here

That's A Wrap

Last finals today and then I'm catching the first train out of Penn station tomorrow. WOOO! I have a really strange need to switch up the scenery every couple of months, otherwise I get bored.

Posting might be a tad sporadic in the next couple of weeks with the holidays, but we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in January.

And by the way, I wish that trains and travel were as glamorous as this Chanel commercial makes it out to be. *Sigh* I really should have been born in another decade.

MVP

When I got out of my final today I stopped by the bathroom to wipe off the oil that without fail is always coating my face (so glamorous, I know).

But when I reached into my bag for my e.l.f. shine eraser pack, I found that it was empty. I might have had a small panic attack. Just a little one.

Thankfully I have about five more stashed in my desk drawer that I'd forgotten about, but I figured that I should let you know about this little beauty miracle.

If you have an oily or combination complexion, these are your saviors. They mop up oil and banish any sort of shininess, and they leave you with just a beautiful clean looking skin (instead of that powdery caked look foundation and powder can give you). They're easy to keep on hand and they're also only $1 each at E.L.F. (Btw Clean and Clear's blotting papers are $6 a pack. Just saying.) so you can stock up without the guilt.

Clean Slate

Sterling Style got me thinking with her comment about how she just wants to toss everything out of her closet and start fresh.

We all have those days. You just open up your wardrobe and are like, "Man." *SIGH* "What am I going to WEAR??" and then if you're me you decide that there are really only two options.*

1. go to class naked

2. go back to bed.

So the question is how do you avoid those days?

What you need is the Ridiculously-Edited-Closet

So I was forced to have a REC because of my closet space. But now that I have it I've learned just how wonderful it can be to have clothes that count in quality, not quantity.

Yeah, I dream of owning a Carrie Bradshaw sized wardrobe sometimes, but when it comes down to it I know what I like, and do I really need 52 pleated a-line skirts? (depends...)

So how do you get a REC?

According to my experience/how I wound up in this situation:

1. Purge
Seriously. Imagine you're going to have to fit all of your clothes into my closet space (6'x4'x2' if you're wondering) if it's not an essential basic, and you don't absolutely love it and want to do a little twirl in it when you put it on, toss/donate it.

2. Fast Fiscally
Now, like a true college student you will have no money for the next three months. You are going to have to live with only your favorite clothes for those three months. (sounds a bit like a desert island test doesn't it?). The idea is that as you go from day to day, you'll definitely start to realize where the holes in your wardrobe are. Which brings us to the next step...

3. Keep a List
But you are completely free to browse, find inspiration, and drool over everything in the pretty 5th avenue shops. Just keep tabs on all those things that make your heart go pitter-pat and also the holes in your wardrobe (Evernote is great for this).
Keep a list, and check it not twice, but closer to 47 times so you can edit and trim it down. Put down whatever you like (this is a dream wardrobe list after all), but after a little while check it and ask if you still need this.
Do you need that trendy jumpsuit? Probably not.
Do you need those black pumps? YES.
Do you need that fabulous pink dress that makes you feel like a princess? Sure!

4. Edit List
After three months (which is pretty much an eternity in fashion time) you'll have a pretty good idea of what you actually need and love, instead of what is just a passing fad.
Of course, remember the point is to keep everything edited, so try not to get too crazy and actually edit your list down to the bare minimum.

A good resource is Real Simple's Essentials of a Well-Balanced Wardobe, obviously this is meant for 40 year olds but if you take it as a guideline instead of a rule book it's a pretty good summation.

5. Go Forth and Buy
Then, with all that money you've saved up in those three months (in my case, a whopping $200. WOOOOO!) go out and buy those closet staples and the loves of your life that you've been missing.


*KIDDING! I promise...

photo thanks to flikr

HEY

Girls, just a small announcement and then I'm heading off to the library (we've become AWESOME friends in the last couple of days). Another one of my favorite bloggers, Winona from Daddy Likey, is having a contest for the book she just published.
I know, she published a book. That makes her just that much cooler and makes me want to have a quarter life crisis over here.

Anyway, she's giving away five signed copies of her book, Closet Confidential, as well as a host of other awesome prizes with her signed book such as:
a unicorn necklace
Spice World, the movie
Butter by Nadia wrap dress
cookies
a watch from Normal Watches

and a bunch more, so check it out here and leave a comment to enter!

The Little People

Like any stylish shopaholic, I appreciate when something is a great quality original and it's just icing on the cake if it's also from an independent designer. My main reason that I shop at Etsy, Ebay, Moxsie, and Bad Joan is because I like to know that my money is going to a creative person instead of a conglomerate.

Maybe also so I can feel smug when people coo "OOOOhhh... where'd you get that?"
and I can reply, "Oh, this old thing? It's an independent design. You know."

and maybe because they're usually cheaper for some kick-ass quality clothes.

For example, I just found these adorable Brass Crest earrings from Ach Ach Liebling from Moxsie.

Moxsie.com it one of my favorite sites for independent designer accessories, and these are no exception. These little brass cuties? Only $32. Wutch-ah!*

*a general exclamation/verbal karate chop of success and victory. Just in case you were wondering. :)

3010

I'm starting to discover more and more exactly what niche my style falls into. Of course I'm all for reinvention, but knowing what works for you is a necessity.

One thing that j'adore... wicked crazy cutting-edge shoes. I tend to be classic, a little conservative, but when it comes to shoes you need to bring the party.

So can you see why this new tech has me drooling?

Ladies, please welcome the one piece shoe, "Mojito" by Julian Hakes.

Mr. Hakes, can I please order a pair, sz 8.5, black or gold?

Thanks darling.

for more info, head over here.

The Goods

I feel a little dishonest. You see, I've been holding out on you guys.
Honestly, I thought everyone knew about these little tricks, but apparently not.

So here are some of my favorite e-shopping tools.

Shopstyle
It's a pretty awesome search engine. Just type in what you're looking for "Linea Pelle" to "Awesome Lace Dress" and it will pull up hits from your favorite e-stores, which you can then filter through price, on sale, color, size ect.
Besides it's obvious uses, I like to use it to price check. See a great dress? Want to know if you can find it cheaper? Type in the brand and name and if it can be found anywhere else on the web it will pull it up.

Modista
Do you have a dream bag in mind? Or do you want a pair of shades that look exactly like Prada, except, you know, without the Prada price? Check this out. It's a search engine for bags, glasses, and shoes that lets you sort by color and shape. So go ahead and type in that Dooney and Bourke bag, then see what other (cheaper) bags have the same color or shape.

Savvy Circle
I actually just joined this site and I'm kind of loving it. If you see a favorite item (Say.... J Crew cashmere turtleneck. Yes, that's on my list) but you can't afford it right now, put it on your list. Savvy Circle will then let you know the moment it goes on sale. Sweet.

Covet
This is like a tailored personal shopper. You take a bunch of tests, they determine your "style type" (apparently I'm couture classic. Who knew?) then they send you a weekly email that has items in your size, in your style, on sale. Before the emails were mainly eye candy for me (Hell yeah, Birkin bag on sale? Wait, it's STILL got four digits) but they just recently added a price range so now I'm actually thinking about buying...

Gift Card Rescue
Christmas is coming up, and you know what I get the most often? Gift cards. Unfortunately you know that you're going to get some duds, so why not give them a good home? This site will buy your gift cards for a decent percentage of the price, and also sells gift cards for stores you might want to shop at (we're talking $20 for a $25 gift card. Not a lot, but it adds up). You can collect gift cards to your favorite stores (ahem, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Victoria's Secret, Sephora....) or just stop by before shopping.

And of course darlings, always, ALWAYS do a google search with the words "promo code", "coupon" and the store you're about to buy from. It's worth a look.

Thought I'd put what I know out on the table, especially since most people are starting their Christmas shopping. Of course, if you have some clever bargain-hunting tricks up your sleeve, go on and share with us!

photo thanks to celiomarie

Mondays...

Mondays, you know 'em, you probably don't love 'em but here's another one. Best part is that this is finals week (I know. I'm sorry too)

So let's just start off the week with a big dose of AWWWWWWWWW.....

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Before you know it we’ll be in the midst of finals and then off for winter vacation. But while the semester is coming to an end, winter is just getting started, and as anyone from the northeast knows, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Sometimes it seems there are only two options when it comes to handling the chill: bundle up in layers of sweatpants and sweatshirts, or continue wearing your favorite clothes and watch your feet slowly turn blue.
Thankfully it is possible to be stylish and warm, with the right accessories of course.

While it is certainly possible to get winter accessories for dirt cheap (H&M, Forever 21, and Charlotte Russe are great for this) they tend to not last as long or keep you as warm as something a little pricier may. You can try out the latest trend for pennies, but if you are buying something classic or something you love, you may want to spend a little more for quality that will keep you warm all season long.
No matter what your budget, it is possible to invest in some stylish winter accessories to keep you warm when New York City weather has you shivering down the street.

Gloves
How many times have you left your gloves behind in a taxi or had one half of a pair just mysteriously disappear? H&M or Forever 21 will sell three packs of standard issue knit gloves for about $5, so losing a pair won’t be such a tragedy.
However, there are more adventurous options out there if you are willing to spend a bit more for something trendy. (Just make sure to double check before leaving the taxi!) Some of the big trends are leather, studded or ruffled gloves that come in long, wrist or driving glove lengths.

Steal:

Nordstrom Two Tone Knit Gloves $18
American Eagle Cable Knit Convertible Mittens $19.50

Splurge:
Spiegel Leather Bow Glove $29
Echo Ruffled Cuff Knit Gloves $28

Scarves
Scarves have become a wardrobe staple all year long. Throwing one on instantly adds a bit of je ne sais quoi to your look. For winter simply switch out your lighter summer scarves for a cuddly wool one.
Go classic in a cable or rugby striped scarf, or try out one of the new infinity scarves. If you want to splurge cashmere or merino wool will last longer and is more luxe than acrylic.

Steal:
American Eagle Circular Scarf $24.50
Urban Outfitters BDG Cable Knit Scarf $24

Splurge:
Michael Kors Black and White Rugby Cashmere (available at Bluefly.com) $47 (sold out)

Cheap Monday "Freja" Tube scarf $45

Boots
Those of us from New England (where the winters are harsh to say the least) know the merits of a great pair of Sorel boots. Sometimes in order to survive the snow you just have to embrace the ugly. However, winters are a bit milder down in NYC so feel free to experiment with some more aesthetic options, such as motorcycle boots, riding boots, or booties.
For shoes you should spend a bit more, because leather will stand up to being frozen, soaked, and encrusted in road salt better than pleather will. However, if you aren’t skeeved out by second-hand shoes, vintage and thrift stores are great places to look for quality boots for cheap since real leather just gets better with age.

Steal:

Blowfish "Willis" Booties $83 **
American Eagle Leather Motorcycle Boot $89.95 (sold out)

Splurge:
Etienne Aigner Vira Leather Riding Boot $139.95**

Sorel Caribou Boots $110**

Head Gear
While infinity scarves are great for their ability to transform into a hood when the Manhattan wind tunnels pick up, sometimes a girl needs something a bit warmer. A pair of retro faux fur earmuffs is a trendy way of keeping cozy and avoiding hat-hair. A wool fedora or cloche hat is another great winter option. To channel a more laid back vibe slouchy beanies or berets will keep your head warm and your style cool.

Steal:
American Apparel Unisex Ear Muffs $20

Express Striped Beanie Hat $14.70

Splurge Arden B Asymmetrical Wool Cloche Hat $28
Nine West Felt Small Fedora $26.99


Socks
Whether tucked into boots or just worn lounging around, a pair of luxe socks are great for keeping your feet toasty. Thigh high socks are cute layered over tights, while slouchy leg warmers are chic peeking over boot tops. However socks are just as practical hidden under jeans or in your slippers.

Steal:
Xhilaration Thigh High Socks (available at Target) $5.99
Hue Soft Opaque Knee High $4.50

Splurge:
Hue Mini Cable Leg Warmer $12
Sock Dreams Long Cuffable Scrunchable Socks $12 **

**They're so good that I own them.

Trend Hunter

I usually try to stay away from trends (simply put, my wallet just can't handle it) but... I'm breaking on this one.

I love over the knee boots.


There. I said it.


I borrowed a pair from my friend to wear this weekend, and I loved them. So sexy. So risque. So diva.
I'm seriously considering buying a pair of my own, but I'm afraid that this is a trend that's going to die soon. Of course, isn't one of the rules of style that if you love it, wear it, no matter what's actually in style?


If I was going to buy a pair, I'd buy one of these two from Victoria's Secret (of course, I'd have to check out the thigh size first.)


Chinese Laundry

Colin Stuart

Trail Blazer

Hey, guess what? Someone else is loving long skirts lately.

Calvin Klein Pre-fall


Alexander Wang Pre-fall

I'm just saying, we must be on the same wave-length or something...

Avatar

*Warning, Serious Geek Alert Ahead*


Okay, glad we got that out of the way. So as most of you know, I'm an artist, and also a programmer. So CGI is something I get a little geeky about.
This is why the new movie Avatar is on my absolutely-must-see-this list.




Why is this going to be super-awesome-epic?

- Because it was made by James Cameron, the creator of Titanic, and this has been his baby for the past decade.

- Because it looks like it actually has a well-developed, thoughtful, and relevant story. (pet peeve: when a movie is just all flash and bang and focuses all on the special effects department. People, it's a movie. The special effects are supposed to aid in telling a story, not the other way around.)

- and my favorite part, because the CGI has been developed past anything we've seen before. THIS IS NEW TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE. Why is it awesome?
Basically, CGI in the past has been an actor acting with a green-object, then a separate voice over for the character, then weeks later an illustrator/programmer developing the character and creating all the motions and emotions on a screen. This creates a lot of disconnect and lack of reality within the character because it's all done separately.
Then we got Polar Express where they CGI'd real live actors, instead of just a green lump, so we combined the motions and voices, but there was still touch up needed on the faces and the eyes didn't move (um.... creepy) so illustrators were still largely in charge of the actor's emotion and presence.
NOW Cameron has managed to combine all of it at once. For filming, he literally held up a camera to the actors, and within the viewfinder saw their animated characters in their animated environment. What he has basically done is created a computerized costume department. Why is this incredible? Because just think of the possibilities. You have real actors who have the same limitations as cartoon characters when it comes to what they can look like or can do.

I'm so excited. This is going to be epic.

The Cuckoo's Nest

I normally do not condone graphic t-shirts, I find them slightly juvenile (personal taste, of course) but this one I would make an exception for.

I just feel like people always have a certain place and (unfortunately sometimes) a certain time that they belong to, no matter where they started out. When people finally find the right country/city/area you can just tell, and they settle right in. Some people know right away where they need to be, other people it takes a bit longer but I think that everyone has a place.

Long story short I spent High School with a picture of the New York City skyline and a Calvin Klein ad taped to the inside of my binder as a little inspiration. Now that I'm here I feel like I've already won half the battle. :)

Of course, the other half is staying here, but we're taking that one step at a time.

The Long and Short of It

Darlings, I'll confess, I'm often that girl who has the hemline that barely passes decent, I take things to the tailor to get it shortened, and I do believe that leggings are pants. My legs are my best feature, so while I bundle up on top, I like to put the gams on display.
And, let's be honest, most of fashion has been pretty leg-centric for the past couple of years.

However, I'm feeling a change. Why? Because I found this L'Agence dress.
I always reserved my maxi-dresses for summer, because I figured that a little skin on top made up for not showing my legs on the bottom, but now all I want to do is wrap myself up in this sinfully soft jersey dress all winter.

How would I wear it you ask? Like, a bazillion different ways. But right now for the winter I would layer it up. I could wear it out at night with a leather jacket, some pearls and a slight heel, or for day I would wear a bright cardigan cinched in with a skinny patent belt, and some oh so classy pearl studs.

the dress by erind90 featuring DAY Birger et Mikkelsen

Either way lovelies, I think this season it's time to switch up the silhouette du jour.

Flats vs. Heels

my babies....

my favorite heels from Tahari (at the moment)

I love heels. A lot. The higher, the crazier, the better. Most of my friends will argue that when a person measures in at 5'9" that there's really no need for more height.

My favorite moment wearing heels? When my guy friend said, "You know Erin, you're like really tall usually, but now you're like... guy tall."

Of course, please realize that I was wearing my conservative 3" heels.... although now that I think about it (math isn't my strong suit) that would put me at 6' tall and taller than all my girlfriends and most of my guy friends.

The point of this is although everyone always says "spend money on what you love, buy more of what you wear the most" this is seriously conflicting in my case.

I love my heels, I wear them every time an occasion even remotely allows for them, but in reality I'm a student. Therefore for comfort's sake I spend more time in flats and NYC pavement is not kind to flats (I just had a mini funeral for another purple pair that got holes through the soles)

So here's the question: what do you spend more money on? Flats (which most girls wear every day) or heels (where quality matters. A LOT)?

I find I split it pretty fifty/fifty. So that means I have a lot of cheaper flats and a few expensive heels.

I personally have not found a way to make flats last longer than a year for me (but if anyone has a trick please chime in because I'm getting sick of replacing them).

Oh and just for fun here's a picture of my closet. Yup. that's about it. The other half is my roommate's, and there's about a 6" of shelving behind that wall.

All I can say is that college has definitely forced me to know what works and toss out anything that doesn't, because there's limited space and if I'm not in love with it.... well, that simply won't do.

Santa Baby

"Think of all the fun I missed

All the fellows that I haven't kissed

Next year I could be just as good
If you check off my Christmas list..."

Joe's Jeans The Cigarette
United Nude Eamz pump

Birger et Mikkelsen Day leather jacket
Mikimoto Opera length pearls

Hugo Boss dress

Guerlain Kohl in Terracotta Thakoon Mirror Mosaic sandals

Glamorous Is...

Riding your bike in killer-heels.

Mom, are you reading this? It's not just a %*#$) New Yorker thing! :)

Photos thanks to jack and jil

The Love List

Let's start off this week on the right foot with a list of things that make my heart go pitter-pat!




Okay, confession, I'm a HUGE Lady Gaga fan (just like everyone else apparently... I know, I know). But isn't this music video crazy-beautiful?



Nutella. I think I might have eaten three jars by myself this weekend. I have a chocolate problem.

Joe's jeans, specifically the Cigarette and Muse ones.

I do love my AE jeans, but these ones just oozed quality and fit like a second, buttery soft, skin. I think spent half an hour just checking myself out in the dressing room mirror until Erin finally dragged me out of them. So... if anyone sees a pair, size 25, for less than $50 give a shout out m'kay?

Peggy Guggenheim. After reading about her avid collecting of art, dogs and men, (not necessarily in that order apparently) I'm absolutely intrigued by her, and might have a slight girl-crush. Also Lara Stone as Peggy (as shot by Karl Lagerfield for the November Harper's Bazaar) is gorgeous.