Stripes, Gingham & Nonsense

I really shouldn't post when I am this tired and have a head full of homework done and homework still to do. Mostly homework still to do but let's be honest it's a nice little procrastination tool distraction study break. I do worry about what sort of nonsensical garbage my over tired brain is going to come up with though, so my sincerest apologies if I'm not making any sense at all.

striped blazer {Gap} - navy & white gingham blouse {Banana Republic} -

dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - tan riding-inspired boots {The Bay}

Currently I ride the subway to and from class. If I'm lucky, I get serenaded by some pretty rad musicians. Did I really just use the word "rad"? Yep. Sure did. Almost always, I get asked for money from someone who just lost their job/got evicted/caught their wife cheating/you get the idea. And it's pretty much certain that I'll see some sort of crazy. The most recent being two passengers who starting yelling at eachother because the intercom volume when the guy announces what stop we're at was very loud. I'll admit it was very loud. Startling really. The poor guy announcing each stop popped his head out at one point and apologized for it. One man did not accept this apology and started making a bit of a fuss. Then the lady across from this man who complained started laying into him. Next thing I know, these two complete strangers are yelling at one another. It was comical really. And the announcer was looong gone by that point.

My favorite is when the musicians jump on and play music or sing a song for a stop or two. If you want a little taste of the New York metro, take a listen below!

j.

Pleasant Peasant

Things are getting a bit crazy around here. Only three weeks left of school. Which is the procrastinator's code for mental breakdown. So. Much. Homework. If I post a little bit less in the next couple weeks, this is why. My apologies in advance.

coral earrings, peasant blouse and nude heels {Kiki} - floral tank {Old Navy} -

dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - photo credit {Kiki}

A few pleasants, as of late:

•  Kiki and I are the proud renters of the sexiest two bedroom apartment Manhattan has to offer. Can an apartment really be sexy, you ask? My exposed brick wall and heated bathroom floor say YES!
• Helping a nice couple find their way on the subway. Then being told that they think New Yorkers are nice. Ha! I fooled them with my impressive subway skills (I use the term "impressive" loosely...).
• Tart frozen yogurt. With blackberries. The only thing better would've been raspberries, but I'll take what I can get.

And the Not So Pleasant:

•  The subway I instructed the nice couple mentioned above to get on deciding to become a different train altogether. Oh...umm, excuse me, this train is now headed to Brooklyn. No. Big. Deal. I did help them get turned around again since I also ended up in Brooklyn...
• Me, just straight up, getting on the subway headed in entirely the wrong direction. Oh, hello Brooklyn, again. I've missed you terribly, since yesterday.
• Waiting to hear about a summer internship. For two and a half weeks. I'm patient, I really am. Not so much.
• Jumping in heels. Ha. Ha. Ha. (And by jumping, I mean hardly getting one foot off the ground, let alone both at the same time).
• Being told, and I quote, that "I will die" in my new bedroom this summer if I don't have an A/C installed. Big ugly A/C that costs hundreds of dollars versus my certain death.....I may take my chances. Any wagers on how long I'll last?

 

That's about it for now, friends. Until next time...

j.

J. Loves {Her} Style: Never Enough Neon

Meet Kanika. She's from India and I (still) love her style. Read on to find out why!

The first time I loved Kanika's style she was all about color and mixing patterns. Today, she was still all about color, but rocking the neon trend to the max. And I was loving every second of it.

One thing I appreciate about Kanika is that she commits to a look one hundred and fifty percent. She never does a style halfway. She's all about the details and the details usually make the outfit. I especially loved her neon necklace that she wore over top of her buttoned-up blouse.

From her sandals, to her bracelet and even her fingernails, she was neoned out. A big props for being able to match the colors of that skirt so spot on. Which, by the way, she made!!!

I am pretty much in awe of Kanika's design and artistic abilities every. single. time I see her. It also doesn't hurt that she is the biggest sweetheart on the planet. I just know that this girl is going to be something else real soon. I just have a feeling.

Thanks, Kanika, for rocking my favorite trend for Spring. You make neon look real good!

j.

Summer Lovin'

It's starting to feel like summer around these parts. It was near melting today and it's only the middle of April. Most of me loves it. But a teensy, small part of me worries for this redhead's well-being come, say July...or August. Afterall, we are more prone to melting than most. It's all good though, A/C and fro yo will be my new best friends. Never thought I'd say that. The A/C part (hate it), I've always loved fro yo...although I really need to stop calling it that.

 

 

 

 

black tee & royal blue skirt {Zara} - chain necklace {DIY} - sunnies {H&M} - bronze belt {Old Navy} -

gold gladiator sandals {Steve Madden via Century 21} - photo credit {Kiki}

 

 

This skirt really is the best. I just love it so much that I've compiled a list of the top five reasons why this skirt rocks my world:

 

1.  It is beyond ridiculously comfortable, fooling me into thinking I'm not wearing anything at all.

2.  The color makes me want to do cartwheels across a lawn (ideally not while wearing the skirt).


 3.  The mullet hem line (shorter in the front, longer in the back) allows for superb leg movement while walking and creates a billowy sort of train effect in the back making me feel much classier than I really am (see mullet reference above).


4.  It is so flowy and flouncy that the slightest breeze makes for lots of "Marilyn" moments, especially while descending stairs and/or waiting on the subway platform.


5.  The modest hem length refrains from showing off my unmentionables when number four happens.

All jokes aside, I really am loving the mullet dress/skirt trend this Spring. I also have anothet skirt that is as long in the back but much shorter in the front, making it a true "reverse mullet", business in the back and party in the front. I love that this one is conservative enough to wear during the day and even to a job (when I have one of those...).

Okay, I think I've used the term "mullet" quite enough for one post. So on that note, good night!

j.

 

New York Uniform

It is very unlike me to wear all black. You see a whole lot of all black ensembles in New York. I'm always impressed when someone is darkly decked out head to toe yet still manages to look fresh. One of my roommates is one of those people. She often wears all black but still always looks effortlessly chic and put together. Anyways, I recently bought this shirt and perhaps need to do laundry for reasons that will remain unknown, I decided to give the all black look a try. 

black zipper tee {Zara} - black skinnies {Old Navy} - sunnies {H&M} - blue belt {Loft} - brown boots {Aldo} -

 elephant necklace & blue leather bracelet {flea market, NYC} - beaded & chain bracelets {DIY} - photo credit {Kiki}

Clearly I had to take baby steps into this dark world by throwing on a bright blue belt, brown boots and loads of colored bracelets. After all, I've always been a little afraid of the dark (actually though, I slept with a night light until an embarrassingly old age...). I'll admit, though, that I am kind of loving the pseudo-gothic new me. I just may don the darks a little bit more often. It's just too bad I figured this out when Mother Nature* started cooperating and giving us sunshine.

j.

*Umm...Mother Nature, if you're reading this, don't worry I can save my black for Fall so please keep the sunshine coming.

Crafty Chains

I love crafts. I always have and probably always will. It was my absolute favorite thing to do when I was a kid. Make things. Anything, from sewing projects to jewelry to countless decorations for this holiday and that holiday and often just for fun.

I did bring a bit of my crafting supplies with me to NYC, just in case. And this past weekend, I got to crack them open with my friend and fellow craft queen, Sesame. She saw this bracelet on one of my favorite blogs, Honestly...WTF, and showed it to me. Little did she know, I was familiar with this DIY blog and had already successfully made these puppies a few months back. I had also already seen this bracelet and had wanted to try it.

So, what better time than now to give it a whirl? We had stumbled upon an amazing trim shop on the weekend during a flea adventure where we picked up basic beads and made a few simple bracelets to whet our crafting appetites. We knew they sold the chain so we planned another trip there and set our crafting date for Wednesday morning. Well, Wednesday morning came and I made two bracelets and Sesame made a necklace. We spent our "group meeting" making jewelry instead of working on our project due next week. Then, when it was about time for me to leave for class, the most wonderful of things happened. I received an email saying that class had been cancelled. We both looked at one another and at the same time said, "wanna go get more materials?". Yes, yes we do. So, off we went for the third time in five days to the trim shop we were starting to know and had loved since the first chance encounter. We made more bracelets and more necklaces and called it a night nine (!) hours after we had first begun. What fun we had crafting the entire day away. And we have so many more ideas to come!

leather detail tee {Zara} - necklace & jacket {Forever 21} - black skinnies {Old Navy} - tan riding-inspired boots {The Bay} -

neon & chain bracelet {DIY} - watch & teal leather bracelet {flea market, NYC} - scarf {market, Spain}

There was tea and hot chocolate, lemon poundcake and red velvet cupcakes too. Dinner from the Indian take-out place, Clay Oven, just down the street. Lots of chatter. Too many new ideas. And promises of more crafts to come.

I can't wait to show you what we make next!

j.

InstaLife Lately

I know this type of post is really popular among the blogs right now and I hate myself just a little bit for doing this. BUT, I have a serious Instagram addiction. I mean, SERIOUS. So my iPhone is loaded with photos. I'm talking jam packed of square-shaped photos filtered by "toaster" or "valencia". I even discovered another app that allows me to make photo collages and upload them straight to Instagram. The photo insanity is at an all time high. And I'm kinda loving every second of it...

Ready for it? I'll give you the reader's digest of it, starting at the top, from left to right:

• A guilty face. Yet another chai before class.
• Fro Yo, YO! (No guilt there.)
• Field trips aren't just for eight year olds. Materials Connexion for Textiles. Basically a museum of all things material. Pretty cool, actually!
• More takeout than I care to admit. And a reminder to be dependable. Because people rely on it.
• Interview nautical.
• Pretty fountains AND flowers. Win. Win.
• Taking two new flea finds on a sunny Sunday walk.
• Started making bracelets with Sesame. Just wait until you see what we're making tomorrow!
• Mixing patterns and waiting for the train.
• Shadows = Sun = Happiness.
• Cherry blossoms. See equation above.
• Apartment hunting with Kiki. And very large teas. It was way too early for a Saturday.
• Being a fleaster. And making up new words...
• Quiet study sessions on sunny days in my favorite cafe.
• A beautiful sunset over the city. And a beyond amazing,definitely enviable view from a friend's apartment.
• Fashionable friends inbetween classes.

Life, you are kinda alright at the moment.

j.

One Dress, Three Ways

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you all to, arguably, my favorite article of clothing currently in my closet. Whoa...perhaps that's too strong of a statement. Well, it's definitely my favorite dress currently in my closet. Ok, I feel better about that. I would hate for that skirt or these boots to get jealous now...

Anyways, friends meet striped dress. I bought it in the summer and it is the gift that just keeps on giving. I've basically been wearing it year round, just throw on some tights and you are good to go. Oh yeah, I also loved it so much I went back and bought it in another color. You should know that I am a stripe hoarder, who specializes in horizontal stripes, specifically navy and white ones.

Outfit 1: dress {Joe Fresh} - necklaces {Banana Republic} - woven belt {Old Navy} - clutch {justfabulous.com} - neon wedges {Kensie Girl via Century 21};  Outfit 2: dress {Joe Fresh} - necklaces {Banana Republic} -  fuschia belt {Loft} - navy jacket {Jacob} - wedge booties {Dolce Vita via Century 21};  Outfit 3: dress {Joe Fresh} - blazer, necklace & shoes {borrowed from Kiki}

One last remark about the love of my life dress. The best part of all was that she cost a mere $20. Thank you, Joe Fresh, for being so awesome.

I hope you all got a kick out of my ridiculous and somewhat awkward posing above. I really do amaze myself some times. One thing I learned while editing these photos was that I could do with a good, old fashioned posture lesson. Stand straight young lady, sheesh!

Happy Monday!

j.

Rainbow Suede

There's nothing like a pair of fuschia/melon/turquoise suede shoes to get you pumped to kick some interview booty. Which hopefully I did yesterday. I'll find out in a week or so. In the meantime, my fingers and toes are crossed because the internship sounded ah-may-zing!

navy button-up, navy skirt & fuschia belt {Loft} - turquoise earrings {etsy} - white purse {Coach} -

gold cuff {thrifted at VV Boutique} - rainbow suede flats {Zara}

So, I know I usually find a pretty wall to pose in front of (and by pretty, I mean either brick, grafitti covered or garage). I decided to switch things up a bit to show you just what my daily view consists of. This is right outside Guy and Gallard (also known as my favorite coffee shop, some may call our relationship co-dependent...). Just steps away from one of two Parsons buildings where half my classes take place. I spend a great deal of time either, in Guy or out on this street, so I thought it only fitting to snap a few pics amidst the New York chaos. Sorry, random guy, you walked by at just the wrong moment. Were you the one who gave me the very creepy, drawn out "Verrrrrry Niiiiice"? Or was that the white haired gentleman in front of you?

As per usual, a big shout-out to my girl Kiki for her always impressive iphonography.

j.

Marvel in the Unexpected

I went on an interview today. For a summer PR internship at a luxury Italian menswear company. Interviews always make me a little nervous, despite the fact that I've been on a zillion of them. I don't know if that is necessarily a good thing. Back in the day (by this, I mean six, maybe seven years ago...) when I was looking for a summer job during my undergrad, I kinda had this thing for becoming a receptionist at a hair salon (don't ask....I also have a slightly less glamorous dream of being a check-out girl at the grocery store). Anyways, I applied to many salons and went on many interviews, but sadly I never did get my dream job as a receptionist. I did, however, become an expert at going on interviews. Fast forward a few years, a degree in business and several real jobs later and you get me going on my very first fashion interview. The nerves subsided once I got to their ridiculously nice office on Fifth Avenue and I think the interview went well. But, as those hair salons taught me, one can never tell.

tan trench {Kiki's, H&M} - gingham button-up & navy necklace {Banana Republic} -

grey tiered skirt {Banana Republic Outlet} - neon wedges {Kensie via Century 21} - photo credit {Kiki}

I also have another interview tomorrow at a PR agency. I don't want to jinx it, but this is kinda, okay big time, my dream internship. It's basically perfect for me, as I am for it. So, keep your fingers crossed for me and hopefully I will blow them away with my expert interview skills and obvious modesty.

By the way, this little outfit you see above was styled by Kiki and I during our humongous photoshoot for that really huge project I keep blabbing about. I loved the unexpected pairing of the gingham button-up with the feminine tiered skirt. I'm also pretty much in love with those wedges. Because they are neon. And wedges. That I can walk in. Win. Win. Big win.

j.