intergalactic planetary style

proving i can make anything a bit nerdy...
here is my intergalactic planetary style moodboard. i watched new girl tonight and thanks to zooey deschanel i had her 'yes man' soundtrack in my head - complete with intergalactic synth/keytar. so just go with it and definitely listen to these hilariously awesome songs while you enjoy these funkadelic items that seem perfect for any time, place or galaxy really.

dress and model
rocket ship
sunnies
korg synth
pin
clutch 
cell phone case 

a perfect outfit for a day at the vintage bazaar :: aragon ballroom

living in chicago, you sometimes take for granted all the rich history and architecture that surrounds you on a daily basis. one of the places that i always seem to forget about is the aragon ballroom. i have been lucky enough to see bloc party perform here as well as florence and the machine. but when you are seeing a concert at night sometimes you forget to stop and take in the architecture around you. so it was really cool to see the venue today {during daylight hours} while attending the vintage bazaar.

besides purchasing quite a few lucky finds, i found myself enamored with the facade of the ballroom as well as the intricate adornments on the inside. so here are a few of the snaps i shot as well as a little outfit post -- complete with my adorable kate spade armadillo bag...i've never been so in love with a purse before.

hope you had a lovely weekend!!

eclectic style in the uk :: coggles street style archive

i stumbled upon coggles street style somehow and am now addicted. the men that they capture are so insanely stylish! so are the women of course but i think it's a bit rare to find so many creative, well-dressed men. i love how eclectic everyone they capture is as well. i definitely believe in creating your own style and bucking trends at every turn. the people portrayed on coggles exemplifies this mindset completely.

now go get addicted!

an old man lives here :: my living room decor wishlist

so i am moving...next friday to be exact.
not virtually but physically. i think we need to clarify that since we're friends on the web and all.

going through my 'want' list on pinterest only makes me realize that i have the same home decor style-sense as a cooky, elderly gentleman. and to that i say - so be it!

when things are gold...they're fancy...when they're dusty, dirty AND gold...they're refined. hence the reason why you simply cannot go wrong with an antiqued gold dinosaur on your mantle. {sarcasm. no, but really.}

here were a few items that fit with the moodboard {oh yes, i did make a moodboard} i made for our living room. that i obviously can't afford or find but will find a way to thrift something within that same vein. 

you can bet your bottom dollar i will. thoroughly, an elderly gentleman was here.

one // tumblers
two // speaker
three // chair
four // dino
five // coffee pot

weardrobe that would make a summer festival perfect

maki oh silk organza shorts and top - it would have been ideal if in romper form like it seems.

india basket briefcase

cosmic wonder light source geometric circle dress - how awesome and airy is this?! 

click on the images to be taken to the product.
all of these items are from maryam nassir zadeh. love that store.

15//30 project :: capsule wardrobe recap

sheesh! so many outfits - well, 15 pieces to be exact and boy did i ever exhaust them! i even got quite a bit furious with myself when i felt like some of the pieces would get a bit stale in the way i was mixing them - shame on me! but i did it and boy was it challenging but well worth it!

believe it or not, this is only half of the outfits i put together. there are still 14 more - granted, some of the above looks i did repeat out of utter laziness but hey, the days were far enough apart for anyone to notice.

in case you missed my previous posts about the 15//30 project, it is basically a challenge to select {and be limited to} 15 pieces of clothing for 30 days. you need to mix and match so that you are challenged to create new looks. it was quite fun.

please check out the other bloggers who also joined the challenge::

tania from t like bubble tea
sam from sam is home
karen from tomimito
alicia from kitten masks
joy from of stranger sensibilities
monique from petite avenue
clare from curious looking glass

monday metamorphosis :: parisian mod

i absolutely love this art by yoko tanji. it reminds me of a mod parisian ad which is probably why i love it so much. needless to say, i just had to use it for monday metamorphosis. so here we are!

i hope everyone had a lovely weekend. i had a very nice time yesterday spending it with loved ones. i have been running myself ragged lately so it was really nice to force myself to take a time out and just enjoy being.

i have a very busy week ahead but i hope to visit here often. have a wonderful day!

01 :: cos mustard dress
02 :: chelsea crew cut-out peep-toe heels
03 :: citrine and pounamu rings from the talented nga waiata
04 :: hansel from basel zig zag bag {a steal at only $39!}
05 :: vintage sunglasses from flea bag {sold - but similarly cool}

15//30 project :: sustainable capsule wardrobe

boy do i have some catching up to do or what?? methinks yes.

i have been sitting on these images...majorly procrastinating on editing the photos themselves. so i managed to complete all of them while i was on the train to work and from work today.

lately, i have been contemplating more and more, over the myth of my 'downtime.' you see, i don't know what downtime is anymore. when i think relaxing - i think: surf the web for something awesome to blog about - what the hell is my problem?! so needless to say, i've been trying to find somewhat of a healthy balance.

it's easier said than done though because right now i am designing a new jewelry line for fall//winter 2012, interviewing amazing and inspiring people, doing interviews for blogs, trying to unearth interesting things to blog about, make a buttload of product for orders from my etsy sale, take pictures for my blog, coordinate sponsors and giveaways, get product ready for the dose market in mid-april, organize for the new york international gift fair, keep up with friends and family, go to events, have a full-time job on top of all of this and oh yeah, actually try to sleep and have something slightly resembling a life.

not that i'm complaining though because honestly, i have never felt so fulfilled in my entire life.

but anyway, back to editing photos on my daily commute. i don't want to give you all of the outfits in one lump sum, so i thought two a day might be the way to go.

i threw my favorite green ruffle bird dress into the mix and my cream lace free people top. how did i not think of these pieces sooner?!

anyway here they are! so now i have used 12 out of my 15 pieces!
check out my other project posts here and here.

please follow the other wonderful 15/30 project ladies::
tania from t like bubble tea
sam from sam is home
karen from tomimito
alicia from kitten masks
joy from of stranger sensibilities
monique from petite avenue
clare from curious looking glass

15//30 project:: first week of the capsule wardrobe

wow, it's already been a week of 15//30!! time really does fly.

now, i am one of those people who are not lucky enough to have someone willing to take pictures of them - well, sometimes i do but there rarely seems to be enough time in my day. i know, excuses, excuses. anyhow, i decided that curating my articles of clothing in an interesting way might be just as inspiring. i really hope that it is and i welcome your feedback!

so, i decided not to pick out all 15 articles of clothing just yet because i wanted to make sure i had a few on reserve for any occasions that might come up. kind of like a mystery piece or a lifeline - which makes it sound really exciting.

so i ended up wearing a few things TWICE in the same week! i know, a bit weird but i learned that if you space it out so that you aren't wearing something to work twice but you wear it one time during the work week and one time during the weekend, it really splits it up quite nicely and adds a bit of longevity to your 15 pieces.

so in week one here are the articles of clothing i have managed to utilize::
{skirts}
1. orange knit skirt - anthropologie
2. plaid pleated skirt - vintage

{dresses}
3. liberty dress - designers for target
4. pink dress - forever 21

{tops}
5. white peter pan collar trapeze top - forever 21
6. ice pink sheer top - vintage
7. orange blouse - thrifted
8. yellow floral blouse - forever 21

{sweaters}
9. teal oversized cardigan - target
10. black cardigan with off white lace - forever 21

wow! i can't believe i've only worn TEN pieces so far! i know that at least one of the additions will be jean pants. as you can tell from my outfits here, i am definitely not a pants person. i love, love, love dresses and skirts.

so far so good! week two, here i come!

be sure and check out the rest of the amazing bloggers participating::
tania from t like bubble tea
sam from sam is home
karen from tomimito
alicia from kitten masks
joy from of stranger sensibilities
monique from petite avenue
clare from curious looking glass

monday metamorphosis:: nouveau shades

this outfit post was inspired by one of my favorite artists koloman moser. the design was for the frommes calendar for the 14th exhibition of the vienna secession in 1902. you can buy a print of this beautiful poster here.

01:: cope striped slit-back top
02:: camilla and marc surrender botanical print trousers
03:: ralph lauren alannah suede platform sandal
04:: reed krakoff atlantique tote in cobalt
05:: butter london in jaffa

15//30 project:: capsule wardrobe

so friends, it seems that i have been challenged.

well, offered a fun challenge that is by my lovely friend tania from t like bubble tea. the challenge is called the 15/30 project. we are to create a capsule wardrobe comprised of 15 garments that we are supposed to mix and match for 30 days. it started {yesterday} on march 15 and will go until april 15 - i haven't been home in a few days but i will be posting the catch-up looks come monday i promise.

now the most important part of this challenge is that it is for a cause. it is to raise awareness about sustainability and over-consumption in the fashion industry. which i truly believe are two crucial topics that need to be addressed nowadays. i am very excited to be doing this and even though it might seem, well, seemingly impossible, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see how fun and creative you can get when you're limited in resources. i've worked as an event planner for nonprofits almost my entire career and believe me, there is nothing more challenging, creative and fun than having to stretch yourself to think outside the box to make things happen.

wondering what the rules are?
well here you go::
- any 15 garments from your wardrobe x 30 days
- accessories {scarves, hats, tights, gym clothes} not included in the 15 pieces
- no shopping for one month
- diy on the existing 15 pieces permitted
- document any way you wish
- use hashtag #15/30project so we can share

so i welcome you to join in with us and help spread awareness. if you'd like to join, head on over to sam is home or t like bubble tea and let 'em know you want to join. and if you don't have a photographer, feel free to do it on polyvore - creativity welcome!

please follow the other wonderful 15/30 project ladies::
tania from t like bubble tea
sam from sam is home
karen from tomimito
alicia from kitten masks
joy from of stranger sensibilities
monique from petite avenue
clare from curious looking glass

bedford street laundry:: marvelous shapes and shades

you can find amazing things in the most unlikely places.

like when you follow friday people on twitter and then they retweet with some of their faves. well, that's how i found out about bedford street laundry and holy cow am i ever glad!

bedford street laundry is a ny based label created by the adorable jessica yuen {a native new yorker herself} in 2009. the label is named after her family's former laundromat in greenwich village. let me tell you, this girl's got quite the resume:: studying at parsons both in ny and paris, interning at donna karan, ohne titel and alastair mckimm, styling for ny times, oh yeah and working directly with diddy and kanye west.

i am just enamored with all the different hues yet all related in the family of color it just makes such a statement. and the shapes - good god - those shapes. i seriously just want to drape myself in these clothes.

you seriously need to check out the rest of her collections because they are all seriously stunning. like f//w 2011...uh, yes please.

girl crush :: kate foley nyfw f//w 2012

kate foley, buyer for opening ceremony, and i must be sisters from another mister...

because i rarely see anyone who dresses like me in photos from fashion week. but when i happened upon her thanks to the lovely alicia of cheetah is the new black, i was utterly delighted to find a kindred spirit among the sometimes rigid fashionista {ehh, i used 'fashionista'} crowd.

tights with chunky platform sandals, babydoll peasant dresses, tapered trapeze tops, lacy and leather skirts, leveled layers, etc. i am so happy to see it all!

i've always wondered if i was too casual, folksy or cutesy - but hey! this just proves that there's room for us fashion free spirits in nyfw and design houses everywhere. thanks kate for paving the way!

who is your fashion kindred spirit??

h a l l o w e e n . t h e m e d

queue evil cackle: muahahahahaha!

ahhh, now that's halloween! i get so psyched this time of year.

the breezy fall weather
the colorful trees
football games
cozy sweaters
dark clothes
and yes, halloween.

halloween means dressing up and i LOVE dressing up!! i seriously wish the dressing up part was all year-round. i would be such a happy camper and maybe a bit of an identity crisis brewing.

i usually where two-three costumes leading up to halloween.

are you a big fan of halloween? 
what has your favorite costume been to date? 
and what are you going to be this year?

t h a t . g i r l

oh my gawsh!!! talk about color boost, right?!?!

i saw the 19 year-old Brinny first on asos when i was surfing the site for more clothes ; ) her style is absolutely amazing and that hair - to die for! i seriously wish i worked in a creative environment because i would absolutely go some crazy, bold color like leelo red {fifth element}.

well after looking at *stalking* brinny's blog: not without incident, we emailed and became blog buddies.

i am seriously so inspired by her color combinations - they make me feel so happy and alive!

keep up the good work, brinny!

ps: i would totally do virgin snow // electric lava // black & blue
what would you do????? i am seriously dying to know!