[Not] One of the boys

[Black square aviator sunglasses, Armani Exchange; Gray pinstriped men's suit, Vintage; Gray and silver sequined top, Vintage from India; Gray cap toe ankle boots, Nine West; Blue cobalt luggage, Gloria Vanderbilt]

Went shopping to St. Mark's and to garage sales. St. Mark's is mon favorite store in MA! Gee, but the whole store is going on vacation for an entire month. Today was the last day before they left and I got this suit!!
They always have the coolest pieces there, like my Ann Demeulemeester white blazer and Burberry trench. Thank you, Jean for holding my suit at the store while je hurried to find mom. Thank you, lovely Jean and Priscilla! Thanks also for having such a fun and composed coolness. Je want to be like you when je grow up! See you next month.

Mom finally appeared and was puzzled as to why I'd want a "skinny old-man's suit". Haha. Oh, mom is so funny. Well, for one, men's suits are often made to be so much nicer with the fabrics and the make. Especially 3-piece, vintage ones like the one here. It was tailor made long, long ago for a very skinny man.

Men's suits are not just one of the strongest and most stylish trends, the tomboyish girl is a classic. Yes, j'adore little dresses, they are my number-one staple. But there is something that feels just so right about masculine shapes.

Menswear tends to be especially slimming on curvy fiugures. Here, for instance, you would not guess that my bust is a 32 DD. Yes, mon never ending stack of chocolates next to my bed may be responsible. Yes, haha, a stack of chocolates, because life is too short to not have a stack of your favorite dessert, yes? Ohh, cant wait for monday when the seafood restaurant nearby is half priced!! Yummy crab cakes.

Muah, chic people!

I've had a crush on you

A wonderful new addition to mon wardrobe, no?
It says, "hello! I've been sitting here somewhat quietly, for you."
Je dit, "hmmm, hello!"
It flirted, "Ohh, don't look at me like that, Mari. You're making me blush!! Oh, you own me."

La flaca

[Black wayfarer sunglasses, Ray Ban; High waisted black mini, gift; Safari red silk shirt, gift; Printed nude leather jacket, Encore; Ripped-back black tights; Printed calf hair black and khaki ankle booties, Via Spiga]

A tentative set of staples this summer, minus the jacket and tights. There is so much inspiration on the web, but sometimes it feels like ripped shorts are getting overplayed. Have not worn this skirt since Cara gave it to me as a gift. It was buried with all other abbreviated bottoms and dresses. So, little a-lines it is, maybe even a sequined, jeweled, ripped, layered or studded one.










Thank you so much for reading! I was experimenting with the pics. Maybe too much. haha.
See you tomorrow!
XO    

Shine bright like a diamond

Gray beaded jacket, Vintage; Black heart sunglasses, Betsey Johnson; Lavender-ish pink tiered skirt, ??; silver branch necklace worn as bracelet, Flea market; Black patent pumps, Coach;

Beaded vintage jacket, backwards and zipped up... It started raining as I was taking these pictures and the wind blew down the camera. Note to self, invest in a tripod.There was this teen boy staring from his porch.

This skirt was a gift from my sister in the summer of 2007, a tiered boho-ish number she got at a sale. I asked her how to wear it and she said with a white tee and sandals. But it was overplaid. The look was on too many retail catalogs. So, she said, "figure it out, skinny girl."

Hence, it had never been worn. It could not. It refused with it's velvety might!
Yes, this skirt refused. It said, "No, Mari, no!"
So there it was, in the donation bag... until last night, when it suffered a scissor attack and lost a tier.

Love these necklaces.

Current Favorites

Clockwise from bottom left:
Backless dress, Poleci, $238; Lolita Lempicka perfume, it's just bewitching, $44; Crystal earings & gold overlay silver bacelet, Givenchy, gift; White gloves, used to be mom's; Be Delicious perfume, DKNY, $70; Shredded tank, FOL, $1; Branch necklace, silver, flea market $1; Beaded jacket, Vintage made in India, $2; Wayfarers, Ray Ban; Two-tone aviators, Michael by Michael Kors; Black skirt, Gift from Cara P; Nilla stilettos, Sam Edelman, $120;


Thursday's tentative outfit: Red lips, Crystal earrings, Wayfarers, Ripped tank, Black Skirt.




This jacket can also be worn as a little top and it's so decadent.
It feels like a regal piece of jewelry.


Sunglass frenzy. I'm not the hoarding type, but it's so hard to part with any of them.
Two months ago there was just one single pair of sunglasses here; the brown Ray-Bans 3-up on the left, a birthday gift from my dear Shang.


Ah, there is my little brother's resume paper. This should be in his room, not mine.


A total score. A friend brought it from Bosnia. It's handmade!


Went shopping with mom, sister and nieces yesterday. I'll never have kids, but these girls are so adorable. When they're at my home, It's so hard when they have to leave.


After walking around for a while, my feet got sore for not wearing socks. Luckily we were at a mall. You'd think that the purchase of socks would have been sensible, but all the stores were fancy designer, so instead, I ate designer chocolate. Did you know Juicy Couture designs chocolate bars?? And they're huge. Ahh. But we went to Lindt's instead. Shared a gigantic chocolate bar with cute nieces. The feet did not matter after the chocolate.


Went to Juicy Couture and scored this blouse. Yes, we got chocolate on my new blouse!
Does not matter, though. So obsessed with the soft bows and the subtle golden pinstripes that I dressed the bed and headboard with similar fabrics. Je suis happy.





This is what i wore:




So crazy about this blazer. It's a little big even though it says "small", but the fleur de lis details are so glamorous. The collarless shape is so clean too.




The Girlies after the chocolate bars.

It's raining, it's pouring!!

And someone is outside, dancing in the rain!
Why wait for a special occasion?
No, no, no...
No waiting for a date, or social gathering. Besides we all know I'll never dress up for a straight boy. Gather the roses while still fresh. Such a silly idea to wait.

It's like waiting for dessert... and we all know that life is too short. Both my stash of chocolate and stupidly elaborate salads know it.

Marc Jacobs brown sunglasses, Rebecca Taylor black dress, Chanel lipstick red accessories, Michael Kors brown belt, Sofft black shoes

On second thought, one cute guy asked me out... but I kind of subconsciously just walked away (oops, sorry guy, you were still talking).

So I wore my little ruffled tiered silk dress with a belt and red lips and ate hot oatmeal with honey, almonds, cherries, and red grapes... Then had cocoa. Then a stash of fries =]




This LBD was an impulse buy at Bergdorf's. The ruffles are so soft... Switched the pumps for comfy, warm, furry slippers too. It's a no-brainer, chooosing between fashion and comfort. Who are we kidding, I'll always go for comfort.

Life is too short not to do what we want, yes?


Ohh, maybe this is the culprit inspiration for this buy. It's been on the inspiration tack board.

Save it for a rainy day!

Hello, hello!! I apologize in advance for the poor lighting. There has been no day light today, so may or may not have"played" waaay too much with them. hmm.

Well this is what I wore!

I really wish I had that simple, minimalist style you see on French people, but this is usually what je wear on the other side of the computer screen, typing for you on my PC. There always is an excess of something... Be it accessories, color, hair, red lipstick, mascara, blush, fabrics, magazines, books, you name it, it's been there. Welcome to the other side of the screen *^_^*.

Also, the room is a mess. We just got my bags unpacked and a new bed (Yipeee!)! The hat is a vintage gentlemen’s hat and was purchased and even gift-wrapped at a vintage store as a gift for a very special person… He’s been wanting a hat like this since last fall, but I’m liking it too much with the bow, so we might have to fight it out! “Rock, paper, scissors”, babeeee. Hardcore! =P

You may have seen this minidress on a previous post. It has functional buttons on the sides!! It is very short, but I also have a short torso, so it’s bend-over-proof, luckily. No one can see my goodies. Hehehe.

Coral minidress, silk, Free People,; Gentlemen's brown hat, wool, Vintage; Little pink ribbon bow, silk, thrifted; Locket long necklace, gold 14k, Gifted; Brown shield sunglasses, "Scrambled Logo", Marc Jacobs.

The 12 Seconds

This song played this morning on my online station. It reminds me of a certain person.

12 segundos de oscuridad
(12 seconds in the dark)

Song By Jorge Drexler Prada, Uruguay
Translation by Maricelle Ramirez Hazim, Dominican Republic
Gira el haz de luz
para que se vea desde alta mar.
Yo buscaba el rumbo de regreso
sin quererlo encontrar.
The light beam turns
for it to be seen in the high seas.
I looked for the return course
without wanting to find it.

Pie detrás de pie
iba tras el pulso de claridad
la noche cerrada, apenas se abría,
se volvía a cerrar.
Foot after foot
I went after the pulse of clarity
the closed night, as soon it started to open,
it just closed again.
Un faro quieto nada sería
guía, mientras no deje de girar
no es la luz lo que importa, en verdad
son los 12 segundos de oscuridad.
A still lighthouse would be nothing
it guides, so long as it doesn't stop turning
it's not the light that matters, in truth
It's the 12 seconds in the dark.
Para que se vea desde alta mar…
De poco le sirve al navegante
que no sepa esperar.
So that it is seen from high seas…
Of little it serves to a mariner
who does not know to wait.
Pie detrás de pie
no hay otra manera de caminar
la noche del Cabo
revelada en un inmenso radar.
Foot after foot
there is no other way to walk
the night in Cabo
was revealed in an immense radar.
Un faro para, sólo de día,
guía, mientras no deje de girar
no es la luz lo que importa en verdad
son los 12 segundos de oscuridad.

A lighthouse stops, only by day,
it guides, so long as it does not stop turning
it's not the light which matters in truth
It's the 12 seconds in the dark.

Para que se vea desde altamar.

So that it can be seen in the open seas.

This is Drexler with one of my favorties ever, Jarabe de palo:

Jorge Drexler y Jarabe de Palo

It started raining again. No blue day any more. Time for Mayan Chocolate!!! No matter how gray the day is, this little silk tunic always brings out a rainbow.

Ephemeral Fantasy of a Sun

The sun peeked through the mounds of clouds earlier so I took these pictures. Thank you, sun! Please forgive my silly posing! Haha.







We seem to have assimilated. Sister and monself used to make fun of the locals in New England for always greeting you with the current weather forecast. For example, "Nice day today, eh?", or "It's blasting out there!" This would continue until night-time.
How many times in a day did you need to be reminded that it's raining? Were we keeping each other updated?

Well, the clouds are a perennial here this spring and it actually is kind of exciting when that changes. Ah, can't wait for the ephemeral fantasy of a sun!

Yes, j'ai a life-long obsession with Erin Fetherson's ethereal dresses, admiring them from the runway. But in reality the looks dont really flatter me because of this whole big boobs thing. This Alice and Olivia piece saves me here!!

It was somewhat of an impulse buy. It was the absolute last one that i bought to spite a snobby store clerk who kept following me and then disappeared when i had a question... It's so dreamlike with its waffled, wafered layers of skirt. It has that Fetherson winter glimmer. Ahhh. And of course, Alice + Olivia use the softest fabrics, so it's lined with silk so it feels soft.

Off white dress, silk, Alice+Olivia; Brown boots, leather, Michael Kors; Sunglasses, Men's square aviator, Armani Exchange.

Rain, rain, come again!

Are we there yet?
Not yet.
...how about now? When is it?

Yes, it's hard not to feel like a child, bored on the backseat. But that is exactly where we are, the backseat of mother nature. Though it's the middle of June, it's still springtime here. You know, below 70F and it's wet and rainy.... which i happen to appreciate very much!! Yes, it does compromise the style pictures with the poor lighting and all.


For some strange reason, the rain keeps getting associated with... um.. feelings, and all. But rain provides the absolute perfect excuse for decadent self pampering and absolutely blissful sloth.

Are we there yet?
No. It is not summer yet, honey. But it is still cashmere and hot cocoa season!

No smoothies and icicles on the northeast, but there is no occasion more perfect for hot chocolate and cappuccinos. Besides, we still get to wear silky tops and decadent cashmere and maybe even fur. We get to drink hot cocoa while wearing cashmere, silk, and or fur and all things soft! As
anyone shall discover, there is always a mix of Mayan cocoa (concentrated dark, with spices) either in the room or in my weekend bag. So good by itself and with dessert. Yes, life is too short to leave desert for last.


Also, here is a leopard fix!




Then je changed back into a cashmere and alpaca lavender poncho and drank some more spicy cocoa!! It's good with ginger in it too.

And read a non-fiction book that had lots of pictures.





















We used to make the chocolate straight from the sun-dried cocoa beans at home. The beans were ground into a paste in a gigantic mortar. Then we dried and smashed the pieces into chocolate powder, ready for yumminess.

How to make Mayan Hot Cocoa at home (from recipezaar.com):

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup bitter cocoa powder (on the baking aisle)
• 1 teaspoon flour (optional)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or raw panela
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmet at least
• 3 whole cloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper, crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken up
• 2 teaspoons sugar powder to decorate (it's worth it)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the actual bean
• 1 teaspoon corn starch (optional) or flour (dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water; optional)

1. Sift the cocoa powder and flour if you like, or to impress a guest.
   
2. Measure out 4 cups of milk. From the 4 cups of milk, slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of it, a little more if necessary, into the cocoa/flour mix until it becomes a paste. If you add milk too fast, you get clumpy cocoa. If that happens, use a hand blender to smooth it out.
   
3. When all the cocoa and flour are a paste (no more dry flour,) add the remaining spices (sugar, nutmeg, cloves, peppers, and cinnamon).
   
4. Heat the rest of the 4 cups of milk in a double-boiler or a saucepan over medium.
   
5. Add the cocoa/flour/spices mix to the hot milk in the double-boiler. Stir constantly to keep it from burning.
   
6. If you prefer a slightly thicker drink, you can add the optional cornstarch/water mixture now. Continue stirring on the heat until it's to your desired thickness. Not too long; you don't want to be forced to use a knife and fork. ;D.
   
7. When the cocoa is ready (it takes about 10-15 minutes until the flavor and heat level are *just right*), strain the cocoa in a fine sieve to remove the cloves and cinnamon pieces. (Careful, it could splatter - I found out last night. *grrr*) Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir.
   
8. If you like, you can put whipped cream on top, add small marshmallows, or add a stick of cinnamon for stirring.

Things I Like: DIY and Basement hunting

Not sleepy enough for sleep, not awake enough for studying.... But there was a pair of scissors and an oversized sweatshirt that mostly acts as a makeshift dustbag for mon leather goods. There was a DIY feature on teen vogue about how to make a skirt out of an oversized red Christmas Santa Claus sweatshirt. Now it's an asymmetrically hemmed skirt with Santa as an apron. The weirdness of the shape and the dark humor in is guaranteed some more of those looks from my fellow suburban locals. Ahh, yes, picket fence suburbia. The skirt is All I hoped it would be. Perfectly mon taste.

Current Mood:

Won the jackpot with this oblong, shimmery scarf. To think it almost stayed behind; I could kick mon self for such neglectful shopping. Gee, I make myself laugh sometimes...