What I Wore: Cosplay

This past weekend was Florida Supercon, which is Miami’s comic book convention. This year, it moved over to the Miami Beach Convention Center, so I was hopeful it would be an even better show. It definitely was!  Aside from all the extra space, we had more quality vendors and even more people cosplaying than ever before! I had some issues with the show’s organization, but for the most part, I’d say it was a success!

This also marked the first time I would be cosplaying, so I have to admit that I was a bit nervous. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw all our fun antics and shots of my costumes. On Saturday, I was Amy Pond to my husband’s 11th Doctor, and although I had so much fun (someone asked me in a 100% concerned voice where Rory was), I think the winner of my cosplay weekend was Hipster Ariel. I had a lot of questions as to where I bought the pieces, so I figure I would break them all down for you here on the blog. Where else!

Seashell crop; Adorkable Apparel
Leggings; Castle Corsetry
Wig; Etsy
Glasses; Urban Outfitters {similar}
Starfish clip; Etsy
Wedges; Shoe Dazzle {similar}

Why Conventions?

With Florida Supercon quickly approaching this week, I thought I’d give my opinion of comic con’s and why I enjoy attending them. Oftentimes people ask me why I go or what I find so fun about them. For those of us submerged in the geeky culture, there is no question, but for others that are unaware, I thought I would shed some light.

The atmosphere at most comic book conventions is very accepting and loving. For many of us geeks, expressing ourselves fully is not always an option. Either we do not know people with similar interests or in my case, our busy schedules get in the way of being a full-time fangirl/boy. At conventions, we are free to be ourselves and embrace full blown geekery 24/7. It’s truly a thing of beauty. I have yet to meet someone at a convention that judged others or was not 100% smiles. There is full freedom of expression, and honestly, there are very few places or events that can say the same. It’s almost like being at a huge geeky frat party (sans high-levels of douche).

For those that are a little less apt to approach others, I feel like a convention opens doors to better socialization. You are less likely to feel intimidated to compliment someone when you are both wearing Doctor Who shirts, right? I mean, right off the bat, you know someone shares a similar interest, which is always the most difficult aspect to pinpoint when chatting up a stranger. With the bigger conventions, you are also able to meet some of your favorite vendors and artists. This is personally one of the highlights of my con experiences! You can read about all the amazing people I met at MegaCon here.


Finally, you get to shop till you drop! Conventions are prime real estate for geeky memorabilia you can’t find elsewhere most of the time. Depending on the size and popularity of the convention, you can find some pretty amazing vendors, like my personal favorite, We Love Fine! Since it is a special event, they also tend to throw in either discount for current purchases or future ones, or have exclusive items that you will only be able to find at that particular convention. Definitely something to get excited about!

So there you have it: some of the reasons I love convention season!
If you feel the same, I hope to see you this weekend! I’ll be cosplaying for the first time, so make sure to say hi if you see me!

What I Wore: Tropical Paradise

We’re pretty lucky in Miami. If we drive an hour south, we arrive in The Florida Keys, which is basically paradise. Nothing but blue skies and clear water where time just seems to stop. It’s my absolutely favorite place to be because I can disconnect from all my worries and stressors. The hubs and I haven’t been able to spend any time alone together lately, so it was nice to have a date day in such a beautiful setting.

The occasion obviously called for neons and floral prints. This summer I’m kind of obsessed with high-waisted shorts in loud patterns, so you may see these in many future posts. Sorry, I’m not sorry.

Blouse; H&M {similar}
Shorts; c/o Conversation Pieces
Sandals; c/o Yellow Box Footwear
Hat; c/o Conversation Pieces
Accessories; assorted

[Read more…]

What I Wore: Pineapples & Tattoos

Yep, officially summer time! We spent the weekend in the pool, running errands in the sun and recording our second podcast (don’t forget to check out The Fangirl Diaries). It’s time to whip out the shorts and….pineapples? Yep, it’s one of the summer’s biggest pattern trends, and I absolutely love it. It helps that it fits in perfectly with the Miami vibe! One of our Sunday errands was swinging by Ocho Placas, our favorite tattoo shop, to meet with the lovely Ms. Pooka to discuss our next tattoos. Details are under wraps right now, but I’ll make sure to share once we are newly inked in July! Hint: fandom!

Tee; Forever 21
Shorts; Old Navy
Sneaks; Forever 21
Necklace; The Limited {similar}
Shades; Zara {similar}
Arm candy; assorted
Bag; c/o Conversation Pieces {similar}

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What I Wore: Breezy & Balmy

Sorry to the rest of you, but in Miami, it is already summer time. We spent a great day with friends visiting places we had never been: Funky Buddha Brewery and Rock n Roll Ribs (omgz I was able to eat something). Despite a crazy storm very early morning, we had a GORGEOUS day to contend with, so I pulled together my most perfect summer outfit. Both these pieces are so light and breezy, it barely feels like you have anything on at all. Paired with my absolute favorite unicorn clutch (totally adorable, but not exactly functional – itty bitty space that barely holds a phone), I think I found my go-to outfit for the months to come.

Tank; c/o Conversation Pieces
Shorts; Sassy Steals {similar}
Shoes; Go Jane {similar}
TARDIS Earrings; Etsy
Clutch; Ebay
Constellation necklace; Etsy
Leo necklace; Sassy Steals {similar}
Shades; Ebay

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What I Wore: Broken Shaker

The hubs and I had been dying to try out what is being hailed as the best bar in Miami for quite a long time (hello, James Beard award nomination). It’s so well known that when we traveled to Orlando (twice), both times bartenders asked us if we had been. It was kind of embarrassing to say we hadn’t. So we took the plunge this past weekend, and despite the strange and fickle weather, we had a great time at the Broken Shaker.

What I wore was kind of perfect for the laid back, relaxed vibe of the place. The Broken Shaker is located on the patio of Freehand Miami Hostel, and it is kind of absolutely adorable. It didn’t have a very Miami vibe, which is what I loved about it the most. It reminded me of somewhere between L.A. and Spain (yeah, I know…weird), and definitely made me want to plan a staycation (Private King Suite please) just so I can relax by the pool and take in the bar every.single.day. Needless to say, we will be back. And frequently.

Tee; c/o Conversation Pieces
Shorts; Old Navy
Sneakers; Forever 21 {similar}
Accessories; Forever 21

[Read more…]

Forever 21 Road to Festival Event

This past Saturday, Annie Vazquez of TheFashionPoet.com paired up with Forever 21 for a fun event on Lincoln Road whose goal was to make sure its shoppers were festival ready. For those of you not in the know, spring and summer months don’t just mean the beach, bikinis and mai tai’s – they are also prime time for music festivals (get prepared for this year’s best here). What used to just be considered a sweaty, expensive and generally uncomfortable avenue to see your favorite bands has turned into a fashion mecca. And Forever 21 wants you accordingly equipped with festival-friendly crop tops, wide-brimmed fedoras, and flowing maxi dresses. And who was I to deny them?

Aside from the 21% off any single item, the store also had a complimentary hair bar where I made myself comfortable and only several minutes (?!?) later had a slammin’ braid crown that had me dreaming about dancing around the grassy knolls of Coachella. I also got to meet some other lovely local bloggers and, of course, SHOP. With Annie’s guidance listed all throughout the store, I was able to put together what I deemed a melificent festival outfit with some new and some old pieces. OK, so I only changed my pants. But c’mon. Give me some bravery points. Those are not a pair of pants I would have usually gravitated towards and look! I loved them.


With the always lovely Annie of The Fashion Poet

Overall, the event was a blast! Everywhere I went afterwards, I was greeted with some sort of compliment about my hair and I think the great pieces I took home with me are versatile, while still being fun and whimsical. AND! I actually was able to attend an event, guys. My full-time job usually prevents me from being an active member in the Miami blogger scene, so it’s nice when they land on a weekend and I can finally mingle! Until the next…

Look out for the outfit post tomorrow!

**special thanks to my buddy, Tammy, for snapping these pics of me!

One Day in Orlando

Some may call us crazy, but we fell in love with a vintage desk at 1618 Something Different last weekend while at MegaCon in Orlando. This is something that we are severely lacking in Miami, so I definitely wanted to experience it since I’d much rather have something special and unique in our home than what everyone picks up at Crate & Barrel, IKEA or West Elm. We hear that we have similar (?) antique shopping here in South Florida, but I have yet to see or believe it. If you know of such places, please leave me some suggestions in the comments!

Either way, we decided to make it a one-day adventure. We’d wake up early, drive up, pick up our desk and then spend the rest of the day exploring as much as possible before starting our trek back home. A really amazing bartender we met at The Imperial in Washburn Imports during our last visit gave us a list of must-do’s, so we pulled it out and started choosing. We ultimately selected East End Market, and I am SO glad we did.

East End Market reminded me of something you would find on the west coast – think the Ferry Building in San Francisco – only bite-sized. A bunch of quality, locally sourced products all in one adorable little space. Fresh herbs could be found out front with picnic benches sprawled for customers to enjoy the beautiful Florida sunshine. A number one highlight for me was my completely gluten-free & vegan lunch from Skyebird. I had this great taco salad (with mushrooms as a meat substitute) and delicious tropical kale juice in an adorable mason jar.

For people with food allergies like myself, knowing that you can eat safely (and deliciously) means so, so much. The fact that Miami is so far behind the game makes me very upset, and has literally left me feeling like I cannot go out to enjoy a meal with my husband or friends. Take note, Miami. You have a very long way to go. Again, if you have any suggestions for great places that I may have missed here in the Magic City, please let me know!

Even though I only featured one of the shops, check out all the rest of East End Market’s merchants here.
I can’t wait to visit again the next time I am in Otown!

MegaCon 2014

After a whirlwind weekend at Megacon, I have returned, blogosphere.
We had this trip planned for some time, and it just happened to land at the most opportune time. We needed an escape, and we definitely got one in the form of mass geekery. The hubs and I attend conventions because we love the lifestyle and the culture of geek fandom, but also because we really enjoy meeting new people, discovering new artists and supporting them. There is also a special vibe at these conventions. There is an air of comradery, love and acceptance, and it was exactly what I needed.

While there, I did stumble upon some pretty amazing artists, vendors, human beings and here they are in no particular order:

1. Sarah Wilkinson; I had a physical reaction to this woman’s art. As I was walking down Artist Alley, I had to suck in my breath when I saw this particular piece because I felt like it had been knocked out of me. It moved me beyond belief, and I was so happy to hear that she had similar experiences with other con-goers. She even told me a man began to cry as he described what the piece meant to him, which of course, caused her to cry and that it was a beautiful experience. I can only imagine that moments like those are why you make art. Although I did not get personal with her on my feelings towards the piece, I’m sure my tear-filled eyes said enough as I stared at it and made my purchase.

2. Evie Tees; this is an Etsy shop that I had been following for some time now. I adore their taste level when it comes to fandom tees – something that I truly appreciate. It’s fun, but doesn’t forgo quality. I actually was immediately drawn to their booth without knowing it was actually theirs! I loved what I saw and immediately started soaking it all up, until I recognized their adorable lapel pins. What made the experience even better was that Elena, the owner of the shop, and her friend Jessica, were truly amazing people. They were easy to talk to and incredibly sweet. So much so that we swung by to say hello not once, not twice, but every day of the convention.

3. Clark Orr; there are art prints you find at conventions, and then there are Clark‘s designs. Wow. Each piece had some sort of additional element, like 3D printing, black light capability, etc. The hubs was immediately drawn to the Back To The Future 3D Hoverboard print, and I could not argue. It was gorgeously done (& even came with a pair of old school 3D glasses). Again, what made him even more spectacular was that he was such a nice dude. I love it when you can strike up a conversation with an artist and its not just a purchase.

4. Jessica Grundy; Absolutely beautiful, fanciful, and sometimes somber, sketches of little girls. Her booth immediately caught my attention and the more I looked through her prints, the more I fell in love. Ultimately, batgirl stole my heart, but without even realizing, I stopped at her booth again the following day before realizing I had already been there and purchased something! When it’s good, it’s good. I can’t wait to continue stocking up via Etsy.

Special shout outs go to WeLoveFine (great tee site) and Art of Danny (whom I featured in my Supercon post last year).

The Fangirl Diaries

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, this is old news, but I wanted to spread the word about my new side project. Don’t worry, Melificent is not going anywhere! I just wanted an outlet to share more of my hobbies, so a few friends and I created The Fangirl Diaries. It will be a YouTube channel and podcast where we can discuss our favorite fandoms. It’s a totally new avenue for me, being all-video-all-the-time, but I am beyond excited to get it rolling.

We released our teaser video last week, along with our Facebook fanpage, and we are already at 81 fans as of today! Squee! I will be recording our first vlog hopefully next week reviewing Series 3 of BBC’s Sherlock. I also want this project to be an open collaboration. That is, if you want to join in on the fun: the doors are open! We will be recruiting guests for almost all our podcasts, so make sure you shoot us an email at ilovethefangirls@gmail.com or send us a private message via Facebook if you are interested.

Finally, show us some love on all our social media accounts;
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