Frugalista

Today I spent most of my time at the local mall applying for retail jobs. I already have a full time nanny job but I need another part time job to supplement my income; I plan to study abroad in England this upcoming fall, and that doesn't come cheap. I wasn't actually at the mall to purchase anything, but while I was perusing the Five Below for gag's for boyfriend's birthday gift. I noted a rather beautiful color out of the corner of my eye.




Unlike everyone else in the world, I actually only own four lightweight scarves. I'm pretty picky about them for some unidentified reason. This gorgeous peachy orange is not a color I'd seen anywhere else before, and it cost me five dollars! Hey, I'm not proud, the name of the game for me this summer is "frugality", and unfortunately I need an entirely new spring wardrobe, so I'm going to need to be creative. It did make me giggle that the plastic packaging of the scarf read "Pashmere" - Pashmina? Cashmere? neither. It's 60% viscose and 40% acrylic. But I have a feeling that it's going to serve me well.

Run

Target faux fur vest and leggings. Juicy Couture top. Wet seal necklace. Jessica Simpson boots.

I was feeling some uber glam / accidently kind of like Rachel Zoe for my date day with boyfriend. I wanted a fur vest so badly for fall and Ma found this very reasonable version at Target and picked it up for me. I do wish it was a little bit shorter with some more cinch in the waist, but I like it just the same. I honestly haven't worn it as much as I wish I had though..as much as I usually wear what I want, sometimes my super preppy sometimes very snobby campus intimidates me a bit. Back in Jersey I don't think I thought what anyone around me was thinking of the faux fur, funnily enough.

We went to see Shutter Island (we randomly ran into Brianna and Brandon seeing the same movie) and then went to dinner. The movie was so....interesting? I mean, boyfriend and I both decided that we enjoyed it, but we were both kind of speechless at the end. I don't want to be a spoiler, so I just recommend you go see it yourself if you're curious. We ate at the highly lauded Jefferson Diner, a favorite of ours. Dessert was a massive piece of chocolate fudge cake, half of which I brought home to my 15 year old brother to finish. Overall, an entirely successful day.

This beat reminds me of a nineties movie soundtrack.

Victoria's Secret soft and sexy wrap. Abercrombie and Fitch tee. Zara jeans. Jessica Simpson boots. Fossil watch. Gifted bracelet and pendant.

Oh how I love being at home. Today was probably the most perfect first day of break. Stephen and I went to Taco of the Town in Sussex for lunch for some excellent beef tacos (I've been craving one since I was sick, it was shredded beef but I dealt with it), we watched Pawn Stars and the Housewives, and I spent some quality time with my hometown friends who always make me laugh harder than anyone else. We played this excellent game called "Things", you should check it out.

The pendant is a gift from my mother. She bought it in Phoenix, Arizona where she was vacationing with her best friend this past week. It's sterling silver, handmade, and soooo pretty. It works perfectly on this random sterling silver chain I had, and I'm so excited to layer it with some other necklaces in the future, though it's just as pretty on it's own.

Can't get enough of the Victoria's Secret wrap. I have to be honest with you, I kind of really want the summer linen blend one in orange. This t shirt was bought on sale because I NEVER pay full price for something at Abercrombie and Fitch, and I don't usually go in there very often (or buy anything), but this t is really pretty and different and it's served me well in many an outfit. I also have to hand it to them, their cotton tees are super soft.

Forewarning, the internet in my house is acting up and though my father has told me he has called someone to come and deal with it, I don't know when the actual fixing will occur. So blogging/answering comments may be difficult for me for the duration of this week. Still, I will do my very best!!

Traveling Clothes

Zara jeans. Hollister cardigan. Jcrew tee. Random scarf and sunglasses. Adidas sneakers. Michael by Michael Kohrs jacket.

After my 1:10 class is over, I'm headed home to Jersey with Erin for Spring break, so I kept it simple and comfortable. I also spent last night dreaming about being violently ill again so I just kind of wanted to be comfortable in general when I woke up. Unfortunately my Spring break is going to primarily consist of catching up on work, but at least I'll be off campus.

Head Case

I always want to be the kind of girl who does more with my hair, but it just never happens. Usually I style it to be worn down, and throughout the day it gets put up with various elastic hair ties and large clips only to be taken down later. I tried the simple route of just headbands for a while (a la Blair Waldorf), but my head is sort of oddly shaped, and they don't sit tight on my head, and most of the time when I put them on I scoff and take it off before I even walk out the door. I love all the pretty, feminine head pieces that are so now, but I'm really picky about what I'll actually put on my head.

One site that I think does the headbands just right is Lavender Girl. Nothing's terribly flashy or over the top, but it all just looks so pretty and perfect.



Would totally wear this one for going out. Sort of reminds me of a turban without the entire headwrap (why? I don't know), and I think it's interesting and unexpected.



I'm always trying to find a double wrap headband that I like. This one's shiny!



Any headband that I can wrap around my forehead and then feel like I'm boho royalty is automatically perfect. The 76 dollar price tag is unfortunately too steep for me, because I'm in love with this one.





What I've really wanted lately, and which fueled my head-wear search, is wide head wraps, and these two are perfect examples of what I want. I'm totally in love with the quirky print of the bottom one, and for 18 dollars, I may need to order one. How do you guys feel about headgear?

I love you Roberto

So, I was compiling material for a rather late post about some of my favorite things from fashion week thus far, and as soon as I saw the first outfit from Roberto Cavalli's fall 2010 line...I died. And went to style heaven.







Can I be this girl? Can I be whoever the muse for this collection was? I love EVERYTHING about this. The proportions, the boho/rocker chick vibe. The fur (though I always about for faux). Just the whole, sexily disheveledness of it all. THIS is how I want to be able to wear clothes! So much drooling and inspiration and if I could just have every outfit from this show for my fall wardrobe I could die happy. Roberto, you always manage to cast your spell on me.

Sweet Lovers Love the Spring

This is the tree outside of the window that my desk is in front of. As you can see, it is currently covered in these little red berries; my bird friend to the right of the photo is fond of these berries and I see him daily. Maybe he's not the same bird but in my mind he is, perhaps I shall call him Frank. I often watch Frank gorge himself on these berries, and I wonder when it will get warm enough for me to enjoy being out in the open air that he calls home. I, like everyone else, have been thinking about spring, especially since break is coming up and my mother promised me some spring shopping extravaganzas.

This time around, I think I need to streamline my shopping technique. When you're losing weight there's no plan. Your wardrobe is shrinking and so are you, so you are just terribly excited to buy things your couldn't wear before and things that just strike your fancy. As I struggled with putting together outfits this winter with all of my random pieces, I realized that this was just not going to work out anymore. What I need is a list! A plan! And man, do I do lists well.



Planner one and planner two. Note that planner one has a list clipped into it. Just a little peek into my personality. And yes, perfectionist doesn't even begin to cover it.

So yes! A list! What I need for spring. Aimee's Spring Shopping List/Guide/Thing. Subject to Change.

1. boyfriend blazer (so I stop jabbering about them and just OWN one)
2. A romper! (or two)
3. chambray shirt
4. Wrapped ankle gladiators (a la Chloe)
5. Military jacket
6. White jeans
7. cropped trousers
8. Nude pumps
9. Maxi and mini dresses
10. Multiple finger rings
11. Bold necklaces

PRINTS: Florals (I've decided I'm pro floral, that is unless I try them on and gag) and tribal

COLORS: lots of white/cream/tan, I hate the idea of "pastel" so I'll just say sort of washed out colors, NO/MINIMAL BLACK! I buy wayyyyy too much black all the time and it makes me feel drab

Fabrics: Lace, chiffon, denim, athletic (a la VPL and Wang)

Hm, that looks pretty comprehensive to me. What sort of things are on your spring shopping list?

Pursued By A Bear

Quotes from attendance call in one of today's classes, my last name followed by "who must be feeling better, since she's got her attitude back." It's good to know really, because I hate being without my attitude. But right now I'm avoiding a philosophy essay that's got me feeling stumped, and I feel too irreverent to give you the normal post. So I'll just muse if that's alright with you.




Ran into a lovely friend who has been too busy for me, and who just recently finished being the resident young lover in our school's production of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale". He was apparently also the bear, who "pursues" in the famous exit. I told him that he isn't tall enough to be the bear, because I'm mean, and apparently the stage worked it's magic on him and made him appear about 8 feet tall. Isn't theater just beautiful like that? It still makes me sad that theater doesn't love me back. In any case, then I found this photographs. The most charming bear I've ever seen. Stephen Colbert might disagree.

And I just want to be beautiful and badass like these women.




But I'm not. I agonized over why I cannot be effortless in any part of my life in philosophy today as I simultaneously envied and hated and loved the girl sitting next to me in her plaid shirt, jeans, hot pink driving mocs, random assortment of gold bracelets, and short and cutely disheveled blonde hair. My lovelies, I have ANGST. Make it STOP. I'm already too old for this.

all photos by Hedi Slimane

More Weight!

Thrifted Banana Republic Dress. Forever 21 vest. Hoops - gift from Brianna. Target tights. Hot Kiss booties.

I am incredibly overwhelmed with work for this week, work from last week, and the work I have this upcoming Spring Break - which is not going to be much of a break at all. But at least I got dressed.

The vest is as good as I had hoped it would be. I love the flare in the back. Thanks Ma.

I'm Mary Tyler Moore!

Despite feeling rather ill this morning (Mono, BE GONE!) I did hear birds in the trees when I was on my way to my way too early saxophone lesson, which lifted my spirits a bit. So I was motivated to dress in something other than sweatpants for the first time in about two weeks.




gratuitous sasquatch pose.



Zara jeans. Old shirt from Brianna. Necklace from random South Carolina shop. Fossil watch. Gifted bracelet. Michael by Michael Kohrs boots. Forever 21 poncho.

Yes, that is the poncho that I talked about here. Ma read the blog and ordered me the poncho and the vest for Vday instead of sending me chocolate that I didn't want. It's so soft and comfortable and perfectly large. I absolutely adore it. I styled it pretty casually, this is my first day in class for a week and a half.

These magic Zara jeans still fit despite the loss of 7 pounds from mono that made all of my other jeans big. Way to go magic pants, I love you.