January 2013

Floral park


Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A few days late with posting these, but better late than never...

Blowfish Blowfish


Do you know how some certain pieces of clothing can remind you of specific times in your life? Well, me and this dress have some history together. I thrifted it back when my parents were living in Maine. Even though I think it's a cute, 90's inspired print, I used to wear it a lot during some of my more depressed days, so it has that association for me. Also, I've since lost some weight and it's a little too roomy. Honestly, this dress was in my "get rid of" pile recently... but I decided to rescue it for one last hurrah.

Blowfish Blowfish


To be quite honest, one of my favorite things about this outfit is the socks :P I ordered a few colors from Show Your Legs on Ebay, and I must say, I dig them. The material unfortunately doesn't feel like cotton (even though supposedly, it is.) But they are sturdy, comfortable, and I feel like colored socks (much like colored tights) are an easy way to jazz up an outfit. If you order a few pairs and save on shipping, they're a pretty excellent deal!

IMG_2148 Blowfish dress- thrifted/ cardi- thrifted/ necklace- etsy/ leggings- uniqlo/ socks- ebay/ tarta booties c/o blowfish



chantilly

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Blogging tips ~ Photo Backgrounds

Blogging tips


One day I found myself at Michael's, knee-deep in the scrapbooking section. I had the idea for this video for one of my songs... it would be still-motion, and I would use scrapbooking paper to make little cutouts that move around. But once I got home, it dawned on me that I'd need probably 1,000 stills for that video, and maybe five times that many individual cutouts. It seemed overwhelming and impossible. So I forgot about it, and abandoned the paper I had bought.

But my trip and the money spent was not in vain. For it turned out the scrapbooking paper was useful for something else- photo backgrounds.

Blogging tips


Having any kind of background for your photos is always a good idea. If you have an extra few seconds, it can produce a variety of of looks, depending on what you want. Want vintagey? Use vintage fabric. Wanna go clean? A white sheet of paper will do. I've used a lot of different things as backgrounds... even my own clothing in a pinch! But the scrapbooking paper has been very useful to me.

I love some of the more cutsey patterns, not to mention different colors and textures. They can convey a different feel. Does today feel like a green day....

Blogging tips


Or a purple one?

Blogging tips


Here's another interesting question- how do these different colors and designs convey different messages about what I'm shooting? What do we think of when looking at green, as opposed to purple? It's interesting to think about.

Blogging tips


Perhaps I should've used the green background for the above photo, as the purple dots makes the girliness way too overt. Then again, I favored the purple with the espresso over the green... I thought the dots gave the photo subject some depth, and the color was more vibrant.

What do you think?



chantilly

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Little red cap


Buggin' out over the fact that I actually have a new style post up this week! Feels good.

Sometimes I feel weird about posting photos of myself on the internet every week. Like... I must be really narcissistic. But then I remember that some girls post daily photos of themselves. And furthermore, who cares if I'm a narcissist. It's the internet. Everyone is!

Gabalmania wig Gabalmania wig


Anywayy. Say hello to the new best hat ever! I've been a longtime fangirl for slouchy beanies, as my veteran blog followers can attest. So I came across these ones on ebay going for a whopping $3 (including shipping!!) Couldn't resist the temptation. Even Matt tried it on, and he wants me to buy him one! Which I'm going to, because my love of slouchy hats totally extends to guys wearing them :)

I've been finding that if you search for very specific little things on ebay, there are usually really cheap deals to be had. Another example would be the pair of cutsey heart-shaped sunglasses I just ordered for around $3!

Also- you guys haven't seen it yet, but this here sweater I'm wearing has been my winter warhorse for some months. I got it in the Tulle sale back in November. It's really cozy and warm, plus I love the quirkiness of it. Sometimes chunky, bulky winter sweaters make me feel matronly. Not this one!

Gabalmania wig Blowfish tarta booties Blowfish tarta booties Gabalmania wig Blowfish tarta booties


Blowfish tarta booties
hat- ebay/ sweater- tulle/ shirt- thrifted/ pants- urban outfitters/ tarta booties c/o blowfish


So, as I'm writing this post, I probably should be in bed. I have to wake up really early tomorrow to go in for more training at a new job - teacher for this toddler's music program! I'm actually really excited about it. But I've only sat in on one class so far... it's a lot harder than it looks! I'm hoping I can hack it. We'll see :)

Gabalmania wig Gabalmania wig



chantilly

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A Bushwick Community Garden


It's pretty impossible to imagine a community garden, complete with chicken coops and actual chickens, in the midst of a noisy and garbage-strewn main drag in Brooklyn. Yet that's exactly what I pass by every time I walk down Broadway. Perhaps I'm on my way to Mr. Kiwi's organic store, or Little Skips Cafe (or just mayyybe somewhere less hipsterrific... like Family Dollar, or KFC :P)

Either way- a rad group of people took the time to try and better their community by installing this little oasis in the middle of all the chaos. Pretty beautiful, right?

I remember seeing people working in there when I first glimpsed it. I passed by it very slowly, trying to sink in every detail. It looked like such a little utopia that the grimy City could never touch (although you'll see remnants of the City in the pictures- like the graffiti, or the fact that I had to take the pictures through a chain link fence.) I wanted to find out more, but at the time, was too shy to go in and ask how to get involved.

On this day when I happened by, there was no one in the garden. It was locked up, so I did have to take my pictures through the fence. Still. I'm glad it's there. That people care enough to make something like this a reality. It's kind of incredible.

Bushwick Community Garden Bushwick Community Garden Bushwick Community Garden Bushwick Community Garden Bushwick Community Garden



chantilly

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New nails

coffee cup


A few days ago, a lady on the train with mint green nails caught my eye. It reminded me that that's my favorite color, so I copied random-train-lady, and painted my nails the same. It's Mint Candy Apple by Essie. I know it's not a "winter" color. And I know it's not the best paint job. It never is. I'm a pretty sloppy nail painter, if I do say so. But looking at my hands now makes me happy.

I sat on my windowsill and did my nails while looking out at my street, and it was the frigging best feeling. For no particular reason. It just was. I have chronic anxiety and stress... So moments like these are unexpected, beautiful, and such a relief.

I wish I could explain it... and I guess capturing these moments is what this blog is supposed to be all about. But no matter how many inspiring images I post, it doesn't come close to those quiet few minutes I experienced with myself and the Universe. Real life. And maybe real life is un-captureable. Something simple as sitting on a windowsill is all the healing I'll ever need. And the joy it brings is something I'll never be able to fully express.

I guess even if I tried to explain, only I'll ever know what my sloppy painted nails meant to me. Maybe it's better that way. That way, the moment will always be mine. Maybe it's not meant to be shared.

coffee mug 2



chantilly

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wiggin' out!!

gabalmania wig gabalmania wig


As much as I've yearned for the skill, I've never been talented at doing my own hair. It's wavy/ curly, and hard to manage. It's a pain in the butt, frankly, so that's why I've been intrigued by the idea of wigs recently.

It's a new concept for me, and I've always had a negative connotation associated with wig-wearing. Visions of outdated styles and skewed toupees danced in my head. But I've noticed a few girls around the blogosphere wear wigs... so I did some research, fell in love with a brand, and ordered one! You may have already seen its unofficial debut in my New Year's post.

gabalmania wig gabalmania wig


I have to say... it's pretty badass. So far, I've only worn it to New Year's and for a few other small purposes (like this style shoot), but it looks really glam! It's like my hair, but kicked up a notch. Matt HATED it when I first put it on, but he came around ;) It's hard to blame him... even I was shocked to see such a drastic change in my look within minutes. However, when I wear it out, everyone thinks it's my my own hair. My friends practically died over at the New Year's party, and everyone declared they wanted wigs too!

It's still not completely comfortable for me to wear, though. After awhile it gets itchy, and I have to find a way to pin it properly. Plus it gets much more tangly than normal hair. I haven't figured out how to comb it out without snarls. Truthfully, it's more high-maintenance than I was expecting... maybe even more so than my own hair! But it looks so good that I'm dedicated to figuring out the mystery :)

Also, this color is a tad bit lighter than my hair. Next time, I want to get something closer to my own color. THEN maybe branch out to something fun, like dark red, or maybe even pink! As I unfortunately found out in Junior High, I look terrible as a blonde. So I probably won't go there unless I'm really bored...

gabalmania wig gabalmania wig gabalmania wigdress worn as top- modcloth/ skirt- anthropologie/ cardi- f21/ tights- f21/ shoes- thrifted/ wig- yesstyle/ gabalmania




chantilly

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Lantern Hill Hike

Lantern Hill CT


When I was little, my parents used to take us everywhere. They're adventuresome souls, to this day. So even just trips riding around windy backroads would seem exciting to us kids! We'd all pile into the car, and sometimes our friends too.

Collecting seashells at the beach at dusk. Manhunt games at an abandoned military fort. Sitting through the pouring rain to watch Fourth of July fireworks (much more fun than it sounds!) I remember so many little trips, just driving around to this place or that one. We didn't have a lot of money, so this was all done very cheaply or free. They're some of my best memories.

One of the places we used to go is Lantern Hill- a hiking spot in Connecticut. And this Christmas, my parents thought it would be nice to go hiking there again as part of the visit.

Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT


My dad used to come here when he was a kid. Throughout the hike, he interjected little stories here and there about an area we were passing. There was even a story of a high school keg party tradition! Probably not the safest thing, but no one was ever hurt (I think...)

Seeing Lantern Hill again was honestly one of the highlights of my trip. It was so nice to get some fresh air, and do some physical activity. The holidays can make you pretty stagnant. Not to mention overindulgence of stuffed mushrooms and cookies taking their toll :P

Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT Lantern Hill CT


To tell you the truth, I knew there would be pictures... So I was concerned about looking "cute" and complained about having to wear five layers of clothing in order to avoid frostbite. But what a fool I was. Who cares how I looked? I had the best time, and got to relive a beloved piece of my childhood with my family. There is nothing more wonderful, and no cute outfit in the world can replace it.

Lantern Hill CT IMG_1874



chantilly

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