Frosty Treats

How awesome are these neon & baroque looks from Lulu Frost SS'14?! I am obsessed. If you haven't checked out Lulu Frost before- do it. NOW. Lisa Salzer seriously makes some of the yummiest jewelry I've ever seen.

Word Vomit

This was a submission for a scholarship, but I thought I would share it on here as well, for all you fellow writers.

I am creative. It sounds odd saying that out loud to myself- go ahead, you try it. Though a trait I have always been proud and assured of in myself, proving my creativity to others is a rather frustrating task. For my submission to the Fashion PR Confidential scholarship, I have chosen to showcase my creativity in the way I have found to be most personally effective- through my words. When we think of “creative” things, immediately we see colors, shapes, or images. We think of paintings, movies, delights to the eyes and senses. Though I love to paint, draw, and create beautiful objects, I know down to my core that my own ingenuity lies in my words. 

Writing is sometimes overlooked as a creative force, because it takes more time and patience to absorb. Glancing through a scrapbook is quicker and more immediately stimulating than reading a short story or essay. For me personally, however, the things I read often find a more permanent home in my heart and mind than those I simply look at.

Though I am by no means a bookworm (I barely get through a book a year, honestly) I tend to scribble, jot, and type incessantly. Some people have trouble shutting up if you get them talking, but oh boy do I have trouble putting the pen down. In the words of Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, it just keeps coming out- like word vomit. I often wish I could post more writing on this blog without losing the interest of readers- but after some analysis of the written content of my blog in relation to views and comments, it’s (sadly) rather obvious that images still reign supreme. That’s to be expected however, as they’re essential to fashion blogging in general. This is the case with all the blogs I follow myself.

Writing allows me to design and restructure my thoughts into the most coherent, impactful, and sometimes, I feel, melodic expressions of the beautiful but exhausting chaos going on inside. Laugh if you want, I know that sounded like an emo song lyric. For someone with a whole lot of juice flowing around up there, but very little structure, writing has been an invaluable tool for sharing and expressing my ideas.

By being able to partake in this workshop, I’ll not only gain valuable knowledge about this industry I have been tirelessly working to break into since I started at AIS, but I will be able to meet other creative, juicy minds as well. When blogging, because it is, frankly, a selfish occupation, I sometimes feel discouraged or lonely, because I forget there are others out there making the same efforts or with the same interests. Participating in Fashion PR Confidential would allow me to connect to others working towards futures in fashion, and to inspire me to take new risks with my blogging or my career plans.

My writing is an honest expression of where my heart lays, my earnestness, and is a true and intimate reflection of the person I am.  So no, I don’t have an immaculate work of art or zany YouTube video to enter here today, but I do have these words. I have a passion for this industry, a mind overflowing with ideas and observations, and an ability to articulate this creativity to the world in hopes of inspiring it in the same way it continues to inspire me every single day. 

Published with Monogram

Word Vomit (Fashion PR Confidential Scholarship Entry)

I am creative. It sounds odd saying that out loud to myself- go ahead, you try it. Though a trait I have always been proud and assured of in myself, proving my creativity to others is a rather frustrating task. For my submission to the Fashion PR Confidential scholarship, I have chosen to showcase my creativity in the way I have found to be most personally effective- through my words. When we think of “creative” things, immediately we see colors, shapes, or images. We think of paintings, movies, delights to the eyes and senses. Though I love to paint, draw, and create beautiful objects, I know down to my core that my own ingenuity lies in my words. 

Writing is sometimes overlooked as a creative force, because it takes more time and patience to absorb. Glancing through a scrapbook is quicker and more immediately stimulating than reading a short story or essay. For me personally, however, the things I read often find a more permanent home in my heart and mind than those I simply look at.

Though I am by no means a bookworm (I barely get through a book a year, honestly) I tend to scribble, jot, and type incessantly. Some people have trouble shutting up if you get them talking, but oh boy do I have trouble putting the pen down. In the words of Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, it just keeps coming out- like word vomit. I often wish I could post more writing on this blog without losing the interest of readers- but after some analysis of the written content of my blog in relation to views and comments, it’s (sadly) rather obvious that images still reign supreme. That’s to be expected however, as they’re essential to fashion blogging in general. This is the case with all the blogs I follow myself.

Writing allows me to design and restructure my thoughts into the most coherent, impactful, and sometimes, I feel, melodic expressions of the beautiful but exhausting chaos going on inside. Laugh if you want, I know that sounded like an emo song lyric. For someone with a whole lot of juice flowing around up there, but very little structure, writing has been an invaluable tool for sharing and expressing my ideas.

By being able to partake in this workshop, I’ll not only gain valuable knowledge about this industry I have been tirelessly working to break into since I started at AIS, but I will be able to meet other creative, juicy minds as well. When blogging, because it is, frankly, a selfish occupation, I sometimes feel discouraged or lonely, because I forget there are others out there making the same efforts or with the same interests. Participating in Fashion PR Confidential would allow me to connect to others working towards futures in fashion, and to inspire me to take new risks with my blogging or my career plans.

My writing is an honest expression of where my heart lays, my earnestness, and is a true and intimate reflection of the person I am.  So no, I don’t have an immaculate work of art or zany YouTube video to enter here today, but I do have these words. I have a passion for this industry, a mind overflowing with ideas and observations, and an ability to articulate this creativity to the world in hopes of inspiring it in the same way it continues to inspire me every single day. 

Yours Truly

I used to pretty much only post photos of my own outfits when I started out. I realize now that I should pick that up again, because I do describe my blog as being partially a "personal style" blog. Here's a couple looks from this past week that I actually took the time to photograph, the first one being from this morning. Plus I want you all to see my bad ass new tattoo :)

I had a major score at Target the other day and ended up spending almost $200 dollars. They are pretty hit or miss with their clothes there, but for some reason they had some real treasures buried under the heaps of uggo neon and cheap prints.





[White House Black Market Ponte Pants, Target scoop neck tee, Target motorcycle vest, Target pointed toe flats, H&M necklace, and Bubo Baggins leather shopper]

[Target grey cardigan, Maiden Form satin tank, F21 leather shorts, Thrifted leather shopper, F21 hidden platform heels, and Mercedes hood ornament necklace]

I was a naughty teen.. I ripped this hood ornament off an old Benz parked on the side of the road when I was 16 or 17. Makes a sweet necklace though!

[Target shawl cardigan, F21 leather bustier, Genetic Denim motorcycle Jeans, Report from Nordstrom over the knee stiletto boots, and Thrifted wood handle purse.]

Genetic Denim seriously makes the most amazing jeans. They are a bit pricey, but definitely worth the splurge. They are so soft and have great washes. Don't mess with that True Religion and Miss Me crap, ladies. I sold my Miss Me's. Go with better quality brands like Genetic, J Brand, or Hudson if you're willing to spend that kind of money on your blues.

[Target pointed toe flats]

And yet ANOTHER baller Target find were these under 20 dollar pointed toe flats. If you liked the PS Facebook page, you saw this photo already probably. They come in a lot of different colors and prints. Perfect for Fall!

Aaaand irrelevant, but this is the new tattoo I got, right after.. so it's almost healed now. Someone told me that I have Angelina Jolie/Megan Fox -esque tattoos, which made me feel really cool. I wish.

And ladies!- or gents- in the Seattle area, we are currently looking for more sales associates at White House Black Market at Pacific Place. So if you want to join our fabulous team, stop by the store or shoot me an email. I'll give a good recommendation.. unless you're insane of course ;)

Snapback to Reality

I'm about to get way existential regarding hats here... fair warning.

Every now and again I like to push my own boundaries. I like to take a second look at something I may have immediately deemed death wish list - worthy. A huge part of what makes fashion fun are the risks you're willing to take. This doesn't necessarily mean dressing outrageously or trying to stand out in any way - it means you're allowing yourself room to grow. Experimenting is the only way we realize our tastes may have changed.

So a big boundary pusher came for me in the form of hats. The snapback trend, to be specific. Initially something I would rather have stuck forks in my eyes than wear - I tried to show them a little love this week and see how I could tailor something I had previously found foul to my own aesthetic and taste. You'll see further down some photos of snapbacks that are worn in a way that I feel matches my own tastes more closely (Seriously, can Rihanna do any wrong?!)

And what a lovely little reality check it was! Though I will always feel like a tool when wearing pretty much any hat, I decided I liked how I looked. I often find myself in the position where I'm wearing something and questioning it incessantly in my head as I'm walking down the street. For some, this may feel like an indication that you just shouldn't be wearing what ever it is. But for me, I get a sense of excitement and pride. I can't be worried weather or not people are staring at me if that was my goal in the first place. My newfound appreciation for snapbacks has opening me up to a larger feeling of freedom and security. I do believe my last few remaining f**ks have been given

The snapback I picked up for myself is the "Hollywood Forever" hat from Weekend Society. The underside of the bill is green and thankfully this beaut' still manages to fit my massive 24" head.

I left the sticker on for the photo but removed it later. I can't bring myself to be one of those 59/50 type sticker keeper people. I'm not 'bout that life.

Buying my first snapback from a label like Weekend Society was an easy choice too. Initially the cool name caught my attention, but after reading into their mission statement and aesthetic, I was impressed.

Weekend Society is a Los Angeles based clothing company that started in 2012 through the creative collaboration of Andres Andrieu and Jason Joyce after the two met in college. I caught up with Andres as he shared with me a little more insight into the company's inner workings:

1) "The weekend is a state of mind.." As part of your mission statement, I loved this phrase. How does this attitude manifest itself in your clothing?

Our tag line- Never Grow Boring- is a furthering of our mission and underlines all the pieces we craft. The weekend mindset manifests itself in our clothing through our focus in creating quality pieces that are comfortable and stylish, so people will want to wear them for a long time. We've always kept in the back of our minds that it's not about the clothing as much as it is about what you do when you're wearing the clothing; though it doesn't hurt if you also look good while doing what you love to do. We want to share some of the text and imagery we feel relates to adventure and embracing those things that bring you joy and daily fulfillment, but want to do so in a way that isn't overbearing or too loud. But at the end of the day, we have fun creating brand new pieces that may or may not push boundaries so we never box ourselves into just one style or dismiss an idea when it comes up in brainstorming. As we continue to build the brand and people learn what we stand for, that will give us that much more freedom to experiment and collaborate with others.

2) For those of us up here in Seattle - where we like to think of ourselves as exceptionally "green" - what does Weekend Society do to minimize their footprint and maximize their sustainability?

Thanks for even asking this question! This is one area we are definitely passionate about and take strides to make our company as sustainable as possible, but don't much get to talk about it. Currently we have three main areas of focus when it comes to being green. First, we use as much recycled packaging as possible when shipping out online and wholesale orders. Often times we like to leave little notes on our packages so customers know that we are indeed recycling them and to give a bit of explanation as to why they're receiving very random boxes in the mail. Anytime we have to buy envelopes and other packaging outside of what we pull from recycle bins at the post office, we make sure those are also made from recycled materials. Second, we try to leave as little a footprint as possible with the small, daily tasks we do. This means walking to the post office or bank or printing business documents on both sides of the page or on scrap paper. Lastly, we look to use eco-friendly products/raw materials for our clothing. For example, we tried out a brand new fabric for two of the pieces in our summer line that is gentler on the environment. The fabric for both our Stars tank top and Stars hoodie was spun using as little water as possible and crafted through other processes that leave less waste and make less impact than do standard methods of creating our blanks for printing. While we plan to continue these practices as we grow, we also want to incorporate new practices as we become big enough to do so and plan to keep up on new developments in the green industry as they become available and can positively effect the fashion world.

These guys are so rad that they even gave me a personalized discount code just for all of you extra special readers! Be sure to enter PHANTASMAGORIA at checkout to get 10% of your purchase from http://wkndsociety.storenvy.com

This Is A Test

I believe I've got all the hipsters I know topped when it comes to obscure, artsy, useless pass times. Well at least with my latest obscure interest- rorschach tests. More commonly known as "ink blot" tests, they are an older psycho analytic tool developed by the Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. Everyone's seen Watchmen, why am I bothering to explain this?

Besides their supposedly being able to tell you if you're wacko or not - or more that you're just so unbelievably special because you saw a banana when everyone else saw a shoe - they're so pretty! That's really the end of my story here. These ink blot prints are so beautiful on so many different things, not just clothing. In fact I think I like them best in housewares, as you'll see below.

Oh no... am I diving into "for the home" crap now too? I didn't anticipate this, it just happened.