Summer Hunting...

Summer time in the city! (also in my backyard). It has been getting hot and sticky like the concrete jungle we all know so well in the summer time. I love the sunshine and the warmth, but I could do without the humidity and the overload of hot bodies (literally, not the figurative and aesthetic kind). Even Hoboken has been swarming with residents and visitors alike. It's summer time like I said.

I have been trying to beat the heat while giving my legs some sun action, in these little not-so-new-anymore shorts. These Forever21 staple shorts have become a favorite fast, making getting dressed easier and more sophisticated.

My neutral (legit neutral) shoes played up the city safari ensemble. And I also, tried to put on accessories, which is always difficult for me. My room is such a vacuum where everything vanishes (if I had any jewelry in the first place). So I took a mini safari into my sister's room to see if she has any goodies. I ended up with a couple, including an earring for a bangle (yup, I did that).

Is that a wild boar? No it's actually a group of tourists... Well I've gone hunting.

 What do you wear to beat the heat... and the tourists?
xx

SuperHero...

superRandi

Call me what you want... nerd, geek, dweeb...It's fine, I am all of the above. I have this odd fascination for the most random things, especially in my movie and television selections. As you all saw before I am a sucker for period dramas but I also get too involved the action movies based on graphic novels (Xmen, Iron Man, Priest... the list goes on).

PoW!!

I decided to wear one of my favorite tees, my loved and worn Forever21 Wolverine shirt. I was over prepared and wore it when the Wolverine movie came out a couple years ago. Yup, I'm corny. I feel like it was in fact purchased for that specific movie going event, but it incorporated itself into my wardrobe as a less dressed-up solution.

did I hear someone calling for help....?!?!

I paired it with my summer white blazer and my "neutral" cheetah print pumps, and a large earring (yes, singular...I couldn't find the other one).

waiting for the surprise attack

Along with my new super glittery Butter London nail varnish called "West End Wonderland." It is beautiful. So sparkly and lovely. I once again opened the order from the British company, and in the small box were newer colors; two glittery ones and two less exciting summer shades. My heart was set on this golden glitter wonderland at that moment.

Who said we all can't be Super Heroes?

xx

Temperamental...

Just because the summer solstice just passed us by, does not mean we are guaranteed summer warm weather. Like most of us, the weather can be temperamental even with the longest day of the year right behind us. Friday, I found myself both warm and cold. It was humid and sticky but there was an odd chill in the air.

This ambivalent weather forecast enabled me to wear some things that have not made it outdoors in quite some time. My poor little heeled combat boots saw the light of day for the first time in a while. Not only because of my 6 hour shifts were they in hiding, but because of the sunshine and summer heat. My little half a jean jacket was receiving similar treatment, or it was used as my just in case protection (cold or rain or an extra pocket). I'm glad though, that I got to mix it up, and bring out some of my favorites.
We see what's in store for the weather this week!
xx

And Again...

I'm afraid this keeps happening to me.
1. striped skirt.... for some reason, I keep wanting to wear this striped skirt. I keep imagining it with old and new tops, colors and shapes... As a result I keep wearing it. The shirt I really wanted to wear it with yesterday is against the company look policy (it is a tank top). I would need a sweater or something to cover my shoulders... alas. So yesterday I wore it with this borderline boring white tee. I liked that it falls off the shoulders for a romantic look, which kinda goes against the harsh horizontals on the skirt.

2. nail polish... I still can't resist the lure of nail polish in Ricky's, especially when I cut open the boxes of the new shipments. Essie's Brazillant summer line came into our store a little while ago, and I could not tear my eyes away. So I recently decided to buy one of the colors featured in the line. I picked "A Shore Thing," which is a light seafoam color. It is pretty pale. I would say it is between Essie's "Mint Candy Apple," and a cool cream color with a touch of grey. There is a hint of color, making it a trending summer pastel.

3. brown and black... Easy. In the rarely used bag that is becoming frequently used. My mother said to me when I tried to wear it in the winter, because of the dark colors, that it was a spring/summer bag because of the basket weave quality. My brown belt and black and white striped skirt. As well as my repeat offender dress, which will probs be repeated this week for an interviewish.

excuse the blurriness... its deffo my fav of the day

4. hair.... I'm blonde. 'Nuff Said.

I wonder if Blonds do have more fun... you know, as the saying goes...
xx

RePrint...

 

I wore this ensemble yesterday to return some clothes to my second favorite H&M on 34th St in the City. I always feel a little uncomfortable wearing pieces that are obviously from the store I am in. This time was blatantly obvious. Some times in H&M or Forever21 if you are wearing some neutral colored staple or indistinguishable black separate, you can slide through unnoticed. But on my adventure, I was wearing a print, that happens to be everywhere in the store currently. Waiting on line, I saw people walking around with the same dress/shirt I was wearing, or other items with the same exact print. Eep. At least I felt a little ahead of the curve (I got this dress/shirt last Monday).

I paired my new dress with... my JC babies, a favorite belt, and a forgotten bag.

Also some hot pink highlight clip-ins... I think they are so fun! Also, when I was in H&M some of the mannequins had neon highlights as well. This is my kind of stand-in for the ever popular feather extensions.

NOTE: A couple of things. I used a tripod to capture these images and I am still not good at it, hence the cut-off body parts. Also, because I had to use a tripod, I decided to take photos where I was most comfortable, my (parents) house. This post gives a little peek into my house. I really love the way my parents decorated and made the baby brownstone their own. I only hope I am lucky enough to create my own space as they have. Reviewing my pictures, I could not tell if they were featuring the outfit or the decor and coloring of our (their) home. The house holds rich colors, art and antiques. Maybe it is just because I grew up here, but I feel like the mixture is ideal and can't imagine it any other way. I need to marry a footballer so I can buy the house off my parents.

What do you think of summer prints and the creative hair extension trends?

xx

Stand4... standburger

sorry for the blurriness... last minute decision.

The Friday before last, before a summer birthday, my favorite and I decided to have dinner out in the City. We made a quick trip to the Barnes and Noble in Union Square to pick up some light reading (A Game of Thrones!!!!!!!!!), and then headed down to 12th street for Stand4. I heard extraordinarily great things about this burger spot, but our experience was far from that...

almost ready for a packed night... and disappointment

We decided to start our experience off right with the joint's famed Toasted Marshmallow MilkShakes. I read so many great things on a variety of websites that allow for customer ratings, ranging from its orgasmic qualities to the cannot miss factor. Even our little waiter proclaimed the deliciousness of this milkshake. Too bad it fell short. The anticlimactic desert tasted no better than a McCafe shake from McDonald's (to me anyway)- despite the gourmet flavor. It was well-presented, but lacked the magic I was rightfully expecting.

toasted marshmallow milkshake

The two of us ordered the same burger. This happens so frequently because we really like the same things. We ordered the Bacon Cheddar Burger and spiced it up with the fried egg add-on. I am just going to say, fried eggs atop a burger is one of the most amazing combos EVER. In London at my favorite chain of pubs, me and my friend, Ivan, would always order the Big Ben Burger (burger, cheese, british "bacon" aka ham, egg and a delightful bbq sauce). Unfortunately this gourmet Stand burger, did not even surpass the taste of the mass-produced pubstyle Big Ben Burger. It was way too salty! I know that bacon can be salty and cheese and even eggs when fried in salted butter can be too, but the actual meat was too salty. The whole combination resulted in a salt overload. This is also reminiscent of a time my family and I went to eat at Bobby Flay's Burger Palace by where my sister goes to school in Philly. We were lucky enough to catch the new burger recipe (if you can sense the sarcasm, well done), which included tablespoons of salt incorporated into the meat. I bet you can guess our reaction....(if not.. YUCK). In both instances, I could not taste the meat (the most important part) or the toppings, just the overcompensation in the form of salt.

looks good...but less than appetizing

If our salt mutilated burgers were not enough, we ordered two sides to accompany them. They deffo looked promising; onion rings and sweet potato fries. Boy were we wrong...again. We were already considering the onion rings, and ordered them on the recommendation of our server. He said that they were light and covered in some kind of Pankoesque batter, crunchy but not too crunchy. He also highlighted the saltiness of the batter made for the secret ingredient in the "tasty" onion rings. Forget the onions or the batter, salt once again was the star. These too were incredibly salty. Beautiful to look at but not so easy on the tastebuds.

beautiful onion rings

My boyfriend and I love most anything sweet potato (he does a little more than me), so we figured the sweet potato fries would be a lovely addition. They were less salt encrusted than the rest of our meal, but had little to no flavor. I know I should not compare adult, real world food to food at the Ratty (on of Brown University's dining halls), but the sweet potato fries at Stand4 paled in comparison. Sometimes a little grease and salt (though not too much) bring out the great flavors in things. I recall these sweet potato fries being parched and needing to be chased by the over-sweet but under-flavored Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake.

bland sweet potato fries

I feel awful, still, because this adventure was all my fault. A while back, working at Ricky's, chatting with customers who just wandered in after a meal at Johnny Rockets, the topic of burgers casually came up. Apparently, this couple were burger fiends and dished on all the best places to grab a burger in the City. Stand4 was on the tippytop of their list. I am afraid to try any of the others. It's so disappointing eating a bad burger, especially when dining. My favorite suggested that we just make our own burgers from now on. I agree...for now.

Anyone have any burger spot suggestions in the City?
xx

MixMatched...

So, I know I am behind on the times. Mixing patterns has been 'in' for a while, but I could not get the courage to do it. I would look at it and think that it was cute, but deep down in my heart, knew I could not pull it off. But the other day, the gloomy weather and a long wait (ahem), inspired me to try something different.

Result.... mixing stripes and florals. I really wanted to try the striped shirt with my beloved duck skirt, but my father informed me that the combo was moderately offensive. So I tried this black floral skirt that I got in a Primark in London, with my fav striped shirt. After putting on the combo I added my brown summer heels, as I described them to a friend the other day. The outfie deffo didn't feel like early summer, but neither did the day...

 

My summer brite nail polish picked up my mood and added a more summery feel. Though, I feel that the black stripes on the white ground is open and not heavy, and the pretty flowers on the skirt speak spring and sunshine.

I am still not sure I have the talent necessary to coordinate two completely different patterns... I might make a second attempt. Suggestions?
xx

Summer Brites...

So, it's finally summer time, and people are thinking "Enough with the dull stuff, bring on the light..." I saw that all day yesterday and the past couple days on my meanderings. The people have spoken, the weather has changed, Loud Bright Nail Polish is in. Pastels are nice, but bring it up a notch, make it scorching. From neon orange, to warm turquoise, to hot pink, to blazing purple... the more iridescent the better...

jelly&jam, orange revenge, almost famous

almost famous, cosmic blue, thunderbolt

thunderbolt, cosmopolitan, van google

rainbow*fingers

Does bright varnish tickle your fancy?

Pop 'n' Neutral...

So. I just realized something a few days back... I never wear accessories; necklaces, bracelets, earrings. I do wear purses out of necessity, but they are not as important to me as they once were. I used to spend all my time and money dreaming of designer bags. LV, fendi, dior... oh my. I may or may not be passed the dreaming part, but I am deffo past the spending money part.

This epiphany occurred when I was tidying my room, and I came across these earrings I purchased who knows how long ago. They happen to be my largest and loudest (and heaviest...unfortunately) earrings I own. I feel like I bought them at a time when I thought "Hey, I can wear large loud earrings too." It was deffo a short lived phase. I saw them mixed in with other pieces of jewelry I forgot about, and once I laid eyes on them, I knew I had to try to wear them. So, I coordinated an outfit to go with them. They became my pop of color to an almost typical work day outfit...

I was also told by my younger sister, who read something somewhere, that Diane von Furstenberg has declared Cheetah is now a neutral (I am still working on finding the source). This transforms a print, a festive print, into a solid, and better yet, a staple color. I still think that this specific animal print is not completely appropriate in all the same environments that neutrals are accepted. Hmmm....

 Though, this means I get to wear my cheetah print shoes with no shame.

my pop of color and new "neutral"

 What do you think? Can Cheetah be considered a neutral?

xx