What I Wore: Miami Chic(k)

The right outfit can really change your day, huh? Everyone has those days, weeks, months (?) where the clouds outweigh the rainbows, but I promise if you slap on just that right something, a special thing will happen. This was it for me last weekend. The most perfectly graphic wide-legged pants, a summery crop top and a great hairstyle was just enough to make me feel like a new woman. I walked a little taller, smiled a little wider and generally had a skip in my step. Don’t underestimate what something as seemingly silly as clothes can do for your mental health. The simple things. It’s all about them. That’s what I’m realizing more and more every day.

Crop top; Forever 21 {similar}
Wide legged pants; Forever 21 {similar}
Sandals; Enzo Angiolini {similar}
Arm candy; assorted
Watch; c/o Timex
Leo necklace; Sassy Steals {similar}

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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!

Lovable Friday: Geeky Roundup

Everyone knows I love me some geeky goodness (have you loved The Fangirl Diaries yet?), but I like my geek to be sprinkled with chic, and that, my good friends, is a rarity. So I figured this Friday I would bestow you all with some of my finds that have that exact combination.

1. Sherlock brooch; there is just not enough quality Sherlock accessories floating around, so when I saw this amazingly stylized brooch, I had to have it. And don’t stop there, Kate has the cutest laser cut items in her store. One of each please.

2. Game of Thrones bow ties; now that the hubs has gotten in touch with his inner Matt Smith, he is all about the bow ties. I have since learned how difficult it is to find a good one, and this one actually got the mister to smile. It may be due to the amazing house sigils emblazoned on them though.

3. Tardis temporary tattoo; I can’t lie. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Doctor Who tattoo, but that is a big fandom decision right there. In the meantime, I can test the waters (of mars – har har) with these adorable temporary tattoos from Geek Ink Designs. Find more fandoms too – from Potter to Star Wars!

4. Potter ring; unlike what I mentioned about Sherlock, the Internets are flooded with amazing (& not so amazing) Potter accessories. It can be difficult to sift through everything out there, so it’s nice to find one store with so much to choose from. I adore this shop‘s little knick knacks (special shout out to the Luna Lovegood ring) fandom-related or not, but I must say it’s hard to deny all those glasses, bolts & hallows!

5. The Hobbit tee; I appreciate good typography almost as much as a great fandom, so the tees over at UnicornEmpirePrints really satisfy me on so many levels. They are so gorgeously made, made by fans and such a great price ($18 a pop)! Definitely grabbing one (or 5) for our romp in Comic Con this year!

World Autism Awareness Day

Quite a few someones actually….

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, but what we need more than anything is acceptance. When telling people what I do and the population I work with, I am often greeted with sympathetic expressions, generally paired with an ignorant statement, such as “Oh those poor children. They can barely do anything.” I’m not calling out friends, family and acquaintances as being ignorant, just not informed about these amazing children and all they are capable of doing. And I see it all the time. Ultimately, it is not their fault.

Unfortunately, what is being presented to people via the media is to blame. Our culture is inundated by propaganda stating that children have been kidnapped by autism or robbed of their lives. It makes it seem like these children are lost, never to be found. This cannot be farther from the truth. Every single day I am blown away by all the children I work with, and their abilities to grow and learn. It may not be in the traditional way their peers do, but they are more than capable of achieving goals just as their peers.

This is not a death sentence, and I think that is what I would like people to understand more than anything on a day like today. These are very special children that deserve love, acceptance and opportunity. We are the ones robbing them of that, not autism.

If you are not familiar with autism, educate yourself here.

What I Wore: Boho in Otown

Even though it was just for a quick day trip, I had to make sure that I was looking cute for our Orlando adventure. Comfort was key since we were going to be spending just as much time traveling as enjoying the city. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you really have to neglect style. I absolutely adore my tried and true wide legs, and paired with a plain white tee (what up Tide pen) and bright accessories, you can’t really go wrong. Although the hubs labeled it as boho chic, I was reminded of my 90’s youth. Kind of what Angela Chase might wear these days, right?

ps; I’m hoping one day I’ll get over my self consciousness of being photographed in public (namely when there are people around) – am I the only one that seeks out abandoned locations for that very reason?

Tee; Old Navy
Jeans; Free People via Marshalls {similar}
Sneaks; Forever 21
Hat; H&M {similar}
Shades; Charming Charlie {similar}
Necklace; Etsy
Arm party; assorted
Watch; c/o Timex

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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!

What I Wore: Geeky Chic

Although I wasn’t an avid cosplayer during this year’s Megacon, I wanted to dress the part (comfortably). I am a huge fan of Her Universe and their adorable “every day cosplay” line because it allows you to do just that with little to no effort. Remember my 10th doctor dress? I really like this little number I snagged at Hot Topic only a few days before the con because of its fun pattern. For a Doctor Who fan, the bad guy motif is immediately apparent, but for all those non-geeks (boo hiss), it just looks like a cool patterned skater dress. That means I can wear it to any event – multifaceted!

ps; check out a $15 off coupon for Her Universe here!!!

Dress; Her Universe via Hot Topic
Sneakers; Forever 21
Belt; Forever 21 {similar}
Earrings; Gimme Swords
Shades; Gap {similar}
Tardis nail decals; Fandom Cosmetics

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).

Autism Speaks Donations

Although I don’t mention my day job often here on the blog, I work as a behavior analyst with children on the autism spectrum. I absolutely adore what I do, and am very passionate about the cause. In a few weeks on April 6th, Autism Speaks will be holding their annual Walk Now for Autism event, and I am fundraising on behalf of my company (and myself, of course). If you have anything to spare to help fund autism research, you can donate through my own personal link here.

Thanks for supporting these very special children, their families and their future!

Ban.do’s Gift Line

So as if Ban.do could get any more tempting, they unleashed their new gift line to the masses this week. It is peppered with all sorts of girly goodness from iPhone cases to umbrellas, but they all have one thing in common: belonging in my possession. Here are some of my favorites:

Clockwise: mermaid clutch, gem speaker, mobile charger, drink tumbler, umbrella & heart tote

Make sure to check out the entire collection here.