"i love the smell of commerce in the morning" -brodie

Check out this girly time-waster called Polyvore. This site is like having a virtual closet where you can put together outfits and then be sad about how you don't have any of these items in your real life closet. This is the site for you if you've had your coffee today after 6:00 p.m. therefore are wide awake at 1:30 a.m.

This is my Mallrats-Shannen Doherty inspired outfit.

Flannel by Isabel Marant (so it's probably really expensive), Floral Dr. Martens, Boyfriend cut jeans, Pink Crop Top and Top Shop backpack. 

This outfit is sort of similar to something I wore over the weekend except with what I wore, a friend said I looked "lumber jack chic" then a few drinks later he said my outfit looked "really lesbian." I'm not sure what "really lesbian" means coming from a gay guy.

shopping guidelines and a very large sweater

This is a post that boasts consumerism, materialism and narcism. That's a lot of "isms" in one post.

I may have already confessed on this blog that I have a little obsession with anything that has to do with fashion (blogs, shopping online, reality t.v. shows, etc.). I am fully aware of the fashion world's ridiculousness-- people obsessing over a pair of snakeskin skinny jeans or "dying" over an extremely impractical 6-inch sequined-studded-rhinestone encrusted stilettos but yet I can't help but be amused-- even participate in all of it. I do like the occasional designer hand bag or sunglasses but I am also a little more practical. When I shop I consider the following:

1.) Is it going to suit my body?
Will this dress/pant/shorts/top make me look like a tree stump or like woman. The most important thing is that the clothing will fit me right. I see a lot of women wear really nice clothes but their look is ruined because it's ill-fitting. 


2.) Will I be able to actually wear it anywhere?
This is the reason why I do not own any cocktail dresses or ball gowns. I don't attend cocktail parties or get invited to dinner with the Obamas or The Queen (shocking, I know). I also do not often go to clubs where the dress code requires that I look like slut. I like clothes that I can wear to work and on the weekends, which is probably another reason why I do not own any suits. 


3.) Is the item age appropriate?
Will people ask me how many kids I have or will I get carded at a bar. When a woman in her thirties wears clothes fit for 21 year olds they look exactly just that-- a thirty-something year old trying to pass for a twenty-one year old. Famous people are great at being "ageless" even without the botox. I'm not sure I've found the perfect balance but what I want is to have style that is appropriate for my age group.


4.) Will I be comfortable in it?
This applies more to shoes. I am a big fan of flats. I know heels make women have better posture, longer legs and I admit when I am wearing heels I feel more "womanly" but at the same time I can feel the corns and blisters growing on my toes. 


5.) Can I afford it?
If I was really practical, I would also add, do I need it? I am terrible at purchasing things I only need. 


Now that I've told you what goes through my head when I shop I'd like to talk about this oversized sweater I recently purchased.

The sweater is like a poncho but with arms. I purchased this sweater out of guilt but I have grown to really like it. I mistakenly walked into a local boutique where I was the only customer and talk about awkward. The owner, a very sweet petite Chinese woman, was more than happy to see me. She had me try on several items and she kept calling me "Shweery" which I realized was "Sweetie" after 15 minutes of talking to her. I decided I needed to buy something because she had put so much energy in trying to please me. This sweater had no tags (unbranded) and has no size which means this sweater was probably made with the blood, sweat and tears of 10 year old kids. I dig it. It's warm and perfectly hides my food baby.

Speaking of food...

What I ate and drank today. Don't you just love Bloody Mary's? It's like a meal in a glass that makes you feel good.

Rant: Project Runway Winner

I don't know what is worse, the judges picking Anya as the winner of Project Runway, or me getting so worked up about it that I have dedicated the rest of my night googling what the press is saying about the finale and then googling the past winners' collections to compare.


(I recognize that I am one step away from cutting out letters from a magazine to use to write a threatening note to the show's producers.)

If you don't watch PR, you can save yourself from this rant and stop reading right now.

I think the judges have lost their minds (or I think they were under a lot of pressure to pick a "fan favorite" winner so they can keep their ratings because last year they picked Gretchen who was one of the most hated contestants and people got all up in arms on Twitter about it). The winner was a beauty queen from Trinidad who learned how to sew only four months before competing on the show. Throughout the entire competition, people helped her sew more complicating garments and she took a lot of shortcuts by sewing the models into the clothes instead of actually sewing on buttons and zippers. Yes, she designed some interesting clothes throughout the season but her collection in the finale were nothing but maxi dresses with a plunging v-neck. The judges commended her on her choice of patterns and fabrics, but I don't see how fabric choice can make you a good designer. In fact, the credit should go to the people who made the fabrics and the patterns.

The other designers were more interesting and innovative. Josh designed crazy looking clothes but he used unconventional materials and made clothes that at first glance were really loud and strange but I found them interesting. Kimberly and Viktor also made really great clothes that were chic and cool and can be worn anywhere. Anya's clothes you can only wear at the beach when you're on vacation. I was shocked the judges never mentioned Uli (from season 8) because that is who she reminded me of and the judges kept calling her clothes "resort wear" (and they didn't mean that in a good way). By the way, here is Uli's collection in the finale and her clothes are so much more diverse and designed than Anya's.

Anyway, it has been a disappointing season. I think I stopped being really impressed with this show after the season Christian Siriano won. By the way, Christian Siriano's 2012 Spring collection he showed at NYFW is fantastic. I love every single piece.



I am by no means a fashion expert, just someone who likes to go shopping and has too much time on her hands. Why are we so obsessed with fashion and why do people spend so much money on clothes? It's like a drug. I recognize how stupid it is but I also just can't help myself.

Saturday Night Arts and Crafts... One step away from Scrapbooking?

I like to think I could be one of those crafty people who can DIY like a mo' fo'... but I'm not sure I can, nor do I have the patience.

Here's a really cool pumpkin decorating idea I got from The Swede Records blog and hers turned out so much better than mine, but it was fun to do. A little messy, a little dangerous-- that's how I like to spend my Saturday night.

What you need:


A pumpkin (I used a fake one from Target)
Crayons (I got a 24 crayon box for 66 cents)
A lighter (a bbq lighter works best)

What to do:

Just melt the crayon and let it drip over the pumpkin. Be careful no to splatter everywhere because melted crayon on your dining table is bad. Take it from me.

I didn't have a BBQ lighter so I had to improvise. The pocket lighter kept burning my thumb so I had to keep lighting matches. I eventually would let the paper of the crayons burn and let the crayon drip. If you choose this method, keep a bowl of water nearby because the paper can suddenly burn fast so you have to throw in the crayon into the bowl of water. Just go get yourself a BBQ lighter.

So it kind of looks like a bird crapped out a rainbow on the pumpkin... but I still think it's cool.

Plant-Based Diet Day 24: Fashion trends to get excited about

I had a terrible affair today and like all affairs, you go home at the end of the day trying to wash out the dirty-- in my case sweat it out on the bike.

This morning I had another record low weigh-in, but I am pretty sure it will all go up again next week... but for now here's the stats:


Weight Loss since Day 1 of PBD: 7.3 lbs.
Total weight loss since I've been tracking my weight back in March: 30 lbs.

I went down one pant-size a couple of months ago and I didn't blog about it because I had only bought one pair of jeans so I wasn't sure if I really did go down a pant-size. But, I recently went shopping for a bunch of pants and I guess I have officially gone down a pant-size.

Since we are on the subject about pants... I have noticed a couple of trends I am super pumped about. First, I should say I am OBSESSED with fashion blogs and I have no idea why. One day, I just stumbled onto some random girl's blog and she posted her daily outfits, then the next thing I'm following like 20 girls and spend most of my work day looking through their blogs. The girls are all skinny bitches with perfect skin.
Anyway, I have seen the girls on these blogs sport elastic waisted pants and skirts. If elastic waisted pants in jersey material come back, I will be in heaven. It'll be like wearing sweat pants. I'm also excited about boxy sweaters and tops and no more super-tight-the-girls-are-popping-out-and-my-back-fat-is-showing tops.

living space

Here are some photos of my living room. Because my apartment is old, I tried to with a mid-century modern vibe.

This is what you see when you first enter my apartment. I don't have much of an entry way.

Sofa, Coffee tables and lamp: IKEA
Ottoman: World Market (which I got on sale and doesn't quite match my couch, oh well)
Pillows: Marshalls, Anthropologie
Shelf and Side table: IKEA. The shelf was only $20 and the side table $25.

I don't think my fireplace works.

Round mirrors and clock: Target

Frames: IKEA. 

Since I can't wallpaper, I really wanted to use something that was mid-century inspired on the walls so, I framed samples of wall paper. Wall paper is expensive so I bought the standard paper size samples for a dollar a piece. A place called Bradbury & Bradbury make these awesome vintage inspired wall paper. I eventually want to buy a roll of wallpaper and put it in a large frame.

The other week I was complaining about weddings but for the first time I got a wedding favor that I liked and suited my apartment. A vinyl melted into a bowl. Don't worry, it was only a Reader's Digest record.

Off to the side of my living room is my "office." 

Wall File, Table, Lamp, File cabinet: IKEA

Metal shelf to the left, Old Map of the U.S: Vintage Store

1950s desk chair: My dad

The Stairwell

I got everything from the thrift store that is on this wall. I hollowed out the frames and kept the mirror. I plan on adding more frames.

The entry way

Curtains: World Market

Coat Rack: Urban Outfitters

The framed peep hole is my homage to the t.v. show Friends.

The key rack is made from an old drawer I got from a vintage store, along with the small chalk board. I mounted the drawer and added the hooks which I got on clearance from Urban Outfitters.

Key Rack 2: Etsy (it holds things I may need for my bike on my way out)

Dining Area and Kitchen

I am finally almost settled into my new apartment. The kitchen is ready to be used, although I have yet to use the sad little electric stove and oven and I have been living here for 15 days.

The Dining Area

Dining Table and chairs and cart (with microwave on top) - IKEA (The table was a great deal, it's less than $200 for the entire set. I really liked the look of the unfinished wood).

Curtains - World Market

Chair cushions - Anthropologie (the chair cushions don't match because I got two of them on clearance and the other two a while back, but I like the mismatched look because it's more affordable).

Shelves - Planters from Home Depot garden section mounted as shelves. They were only $15 a piece!

The Kitchen

The kitchen is a really important part of a home for me, unfortunately, now that I am living in a rental there is not much I can do with the kitchen-- including the yucky stove. The shelves in the kitchen were boring and kind of ugly and since I can't paint them I pasted on these decorative leaves. I hope they stay on!

Falling leaves decal - Urban Outfitters (where I originally saw them) but you should get them from Amazon for a much cheaper.

Towel hooks - World Market (the hooks look a lot like hooks sold by Anthropologie but at a third of the price).

I bought chalk board shelf liner and covered half of the freezer. I have no idea why there would be a chalk board shelf liner but it's worked well for me to jot down things I need to buy. You can get a chalkboard decal from Urban Outfitters, but again, you can get the shelf liner from Amazon for a fraction of the price and more material.

I am finding it a little difficult to decorate a rental but I think it is worth decorating and making it your own even if you only plan on living there for one year. I like to be able to come home and enjoy being at home. 

I have been doing most of my frame hanging late at night. I forget my neighbors are at such a close proximity and I have been using an electric drill. They are probably facebooking about me, their noisy neighbor.

house is now a home

A house is just not a home without cable t.v. and Internet. I'm sitting really close to the television because I don't have a wireless router and my modem is next to my cable box. Sitting this close to the television all I can think of is how my eyes are going to go bad, get brain cancer and die. At least that is what I was told when I was kid. Parents are such liars. Never trust what they say.

I also feel like I have time traveled to early 2000s because I have no wireless connection and I just got a landline. The t.v. though is obviously from the late 90s.