Black Friday Shopping

While I was not one of the people that woke up at 2am to make it to stores, I did do my fair share of shopping. I may not have snagged the BEST deals but nonetheless, I think my shopping experience was successful. Excuse the poor quality of pictures. As you can tell, I definitely need a good camera.



I got this skirt from Forever21. Although it's getting colder in NJ, I thought this would be a good item for spring, whenever that rolls around. Considering it has some fall colors, I might be able to mix it up with tights and a cardigan to make it more fitting for fall/winter.



I don't know if you guys can tell from the picture, but the sweater is a hunter green and I love it. It's thick so it's really warm for chilly days. I got it from Forever21.



This dress is probably my favorite purchase of the day considering I found it in H&M for only $5!!! The minute I saw the price I knew it needed to come home with me.



While I don't venture often into Charlotte Russe, I saw this dress on a mannequin in the window and knew I needed it. I love that it's one shoulder and the material is suede-like which makes it a nice winter party dress.



I love love looove lace so when I saw this shirt for $8.80 from Forever21, I was already making outfits in my head. It's a beautiful beige color and I can't wait to wear it with black shorts and heels.



I have been looking for the perfect brown cardigan for quite some time now and luckily I found this one in Forever21.





Tie up Boots! Need I say more? <3



I have been on the hunt for brown suede boots and because my calves are so narrow, it's difficult to find some that are perfect. I got these from Michael Antonio and I am already obsessed.

How were your Black Friday's? I obviously purchased a lot of goodies. I would love to hear what you dolls got. =]

Next post will be about my beloved trench coat so stay tuned. =]

Weekend in Pictures

Hello all! =] How have your weekends been since we last caught up? Mine was productive but not too exhausting. I decided to post before I am off to the library for the rest of the night to complete 3 papers. Ugh. The joys of being an english major. So here was my weekend ...



Thanksgiving was amazing. There was so much food as you can tell from the picture above. After we ate, we all just gravitated to the couch and stood there telling stories until 3 am. I love my family.



On Black Friday, my cousins and I decided to wake up relatively early (10 am really which is nothing in comparison to how early other people woke up to go shopping) and headed over to Union Square for lunch and for shopping. There was the cutest Holiday Market taking place in Union Sqaure Park and it was adorable to walk through and see all the handmade decorations and treats. All of the tents above are different things people were selling. I love the holiday season. I came home exhausted from all the shopping though.



On Saturday, my mom and I decided to walk around Downtown Jersey City which has the best views of New York City (it might be tied with Hoboken but I'll say it's the best since I'm a Jersey Citian). However, it was freezing so we did not stay long but I did manage to capture this beautiful shot of the skyline where the World Trade Center used to be before we left to go home.



I ended Saturday night by going to a movie and a dinner with my friends from home who I had not seen in so long. It's always so amazing to catch up with friends from home. =]

How was your weekend dolls? Stay tuned as I show what I got from my Black Friday Shopping and as I blog about one of my favorite things in my closet, my trench coat.

xoxo.

What are you thankful for?

It'f officially Thanksgiving. In my family this means that all of my aunts are in the kitchen gossiping and cooking while all the little kids run around and I, well ... blog I guess. I know I said the previous post would be my last one but I saw the What I'm Thankful For on SugarPatch's blog and decided to make one too.

I would say first and foremost I am thankful for my family. They have made me the person I am today and I would truly be nowhere without them, especially my mom. Holidays are such a big deal in my family that I cannot help but feel a little happier once November rolls around.

Secondly, I would have to say my friends. I know everyone says this, but I truly have the most amazing friends on the planet. Friends I've known since I was 10, 12, 14, 18. I love you all. Thanks for always being there when I needed you guys. Special shoutout to my lovely roomates, the girls of 45 Stone, and especially my friend Vida who has her own blog which you should definitely check out if you need any makeup tips. Seriously, the girl knows what she's talking about.

Third on my list is my boyfriend. I have been with him for three years now and he has shown me how amazing another human being can truly be. Love you B. <3

Next comes fashion and photography. Where would we be without either of those things? I wouldn't have a blog, that's for sure. Photography allows you to capture memories, emotions, moments that are fleeting and makes them tangible; something you can look back on and laugh, cry, smile. Fashion is, all materialism aside, truly an art and a form of expression and I wouldn't know myself as much as I do now without it. Plus my closet would be so sad and empty. =p

Cappucinos. Seriously I must drink at least 10 of these a week. Being a college student and having such irregular sleep schedules, one finds that caffeine is truly your best friend. AND when the weather gets cold, the best thing is a nice, warm drink. Thank you Au Bon Pain for supporting my addiction and having cappucinos all the time.


Comfort Food (or as I like to call it) Mom Food. I love my mother for cooking up a storm all the time and having my favorite meals on hand when I get home. It's the perfect reminder of home and I wish I had the culinary touch that she has. Maybe moms take an instructive course on how to be awesome? Who knows.


Last, but certainly not least, you guys! Thank you for reading this or reading anything or for even following me. You guys are awesome.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Kissing Bridge

Hi all! It's almost Thanksgiving! This will probably be my last post for this week until the following weekend because I am going to be spending the next couple of days in Queens, NY with family. I'm so excited to see all my cousins again. What is it about the holidays that just puts everyone in such a good mood? I, for one, am a total holiday freak. I've already started my Christmas shopping. Yes, I know, Thanksgiving has not even passed. It's fine. =p I thought I'd put up an outfit post before I left though. The picture that inspired the outfit was taken in Dominican Republic and it is the door to my great-grandmother's kitchen. Her house is so interesting because it's half modern, half really old but it is all rustic which makes it so unique and beautiful. This is the door ...



You can tell just by looking at this picture that this door has history. My mother told me that she remembers that door being there when she was a kid and spent her summers at my great-grandmother's house so I can only imagine how long that door has been there. This was my outfit choice to match ...











i <3 my shoes =]



I love the different colors in the door and tried to have that reflect in my outfit. The skirt brings out the blues in the door and the shoes add that yellow mustard accent that the picture has.

The shirt and the skirt are from Urban Outfitters, the booties and tights are from Forever21, and the little bag is from H&M.

=]

Happy Friday!

Yay it's Friday! What are you guys doing this weekend? Preparing for Thanksgiving? I will most likely spend the majority of this weekend in a library. =/ I have an exam on Monday and a presentation due Tuesday plus I need to get some stuff done before Thanksgiving break as my main focus will be FOOD during those four days. =] Anywho, I figured I would share a outfit post. My inspiration was ...



Being raised in Jersey City NJ, New York is probably my favorite place on the planet ... well ... aside from home. I love how busy it is, the different scene in every little neighborhood. I am determined to live there for AT LEAST five years of my life. This picture is just quintessential New York to me. Cabs everywhere, bright lights, people out in the streets. I took this picture from the 3rd level of the M&M store near Times Square. =] And now for the outfit ...









Although it's flowers on the tunic and not cabs, I feel like this outfit captures the picture quite well. What do you think? I figured the blending of color and different designs as there are flowers but there are also stripes put together to form a shirt can symbolize what New York is all about. Different people all grouped together in one city regardless of age, color, height, whatever. They all make New York what it is. I paired it with a yellow cardigan since the yellow is the color that stands out the most in the picture and paired it with a red hat since the color red accents the picture in many places. I paired that all with black leggings and booties to offset all the color I had on top and create a bold outfit that did not look too crazy and colorful.

The Shoes



I am obsessed with these booties. I got them over the summer for 21st birthday outfit and they are probably one of the most comfortable shoes I own. The platform in the front allow the foot to have a good amount of support.

The outfit in its entirety is from a whole bunch of places. The red beanie is from a street vendor in Washington, DC. The yellow cardigan is from a thrift shop in Brooklyn. The flowery tunic is from Wet Seal. The leggings are from Forever21 and the booties are from Shi by Journeys.

So, what do you think?

S.

On Gloomy Days ...

On gloomy days like the one we're having today in Jersey, it's easy for me to get into a funk. I guess my mood believes it needs to match the weather. To make up for that, I love going through flickr for beautiful photography or looking through forever21's website to get inspiration. When all of that fails, of course, there is nothing better than a piece of cheesecake and cuddling with my boyfriend on the couch watching television (ESPECIALLY if there is a Law & Order SVU marathon). We'll settle for the photography and online shopping for now though. =]



This was taken at a resort we stayed in while in Dominican Republic for a week. In the background you can see my boyfriend looking through the sand hoping to find nice shells. He came back with one in every size. How lovely would it be to just escape to that beach right now?? Anything to get away from this yucky rain going about ruining moods and such.

Since this is a summery picture, I decided to focus my search online on dresses. The idea I had in my head was an elegant dinner at sunset right in that little house looking thing overlooking the water. It's the cheesiest thing to think of but hey, better than thinking about the rain falling outside. I decided on 4 dresses, One from Forever21, one from UrbanOutfitters and two from Anthropologie. Figured I'd go in order of least expensive to most expensive for every type of budget. While it was a bit difficult to find dresses that weren't just intended for Fall, I think I pulled a few good ones and I'd love to hear your opinions on them.

First One From Forever21 for only $27.80



I love how simple but elegant the dress is. I even like the details on the shoulder because it reminds me of the waves in the ocean. And for under $30, I'd say it's a steal.

2nd Dress is from UrbanOutfitters




While a bit more expensive at $69, I love the rich color of the dress as it would create a beautiful contrast with the beach for dining. =]

Last, but certainly not least, the last two looks are from Anthropologie I love the timelessness of everything in Anthropologie but unfortunately, as a college student, I don't have the budget for it. A girl can always dream though right?





I could not decide between the two dresses as they were both equally beautiful so I decided to include both. The first one is priced at $258.00 but is absolutely exquisite. You can light up the room in this dress whether it's for dinner on the beach or even a New Year's party where you're sure to get a lot of attention. I love that it's still very much a cocktail dress which adds a bit of quirkiness to an otherwise elegant dress. The second dress is priced a little lower at $138.00 but offers everything Anthropologie is known to stand for: elegance, beauty, and simplicity. I love how the baby blue makes me think of a sunny blue sky and I could just picture being able to wear this dress in any season.

So what do you guys think?

- S.

Skirts and Booties and Neutrals Oh My!

Sorry for the delay in posts. I decided to wait until I could get quality pictures to post rather than rely on my crappy camera but thanks to my favorite photographer on the planet, Jane Lee, I was able to get beautiful shots on a beautiful day. I don't know where you may be reading this from but here in Jersey we had a perfect fall day. And now for the picture that inspired the outfit ...



This picture was taken in the historic district of Dominican Republic called Zona Colonial or Colonial Zone in english. I took the picture when I went there to visit family in August and just love the elegance and simplicity of it. Can you believe that is actually someone's balcony? Their view everyday is absolutely to die for. And now for the outfit ...











Booties from Wet Seal, Key necklace from Urban Outfitters, skirt and shirt from a store around my campus called Finale. They have cute clothes for a cheap price.

The browns and greys in the picture were what originally inspired this outfit and I thought it would be best to keep it very neutral adding in my grey booties. I added a boost of color with the yellow and gold key necklace but it was otherwise neutral. What do you guys think? I think the outfit is quite fitting for the picture with the rich textures and blending of neutrals.

Well .. Until next time,

S.