seriously..

I mean, if that's your nature, then carry on.  But if it's not, just STOP.  It's annoying and it takes so much extra energy and effort to be a dick. Don't get me wrong, I can and have been mean at times, but it's usually warranted.  And if it wasn't, then I'll generally apologize. To the people I'm referring to..  knock it off, it's Christmas time for fucks sake.  Hey, I even let someone deliberately cut me in line at the store today.  I'm hoping that in return, the universe will send some kindness my way.  Merry Christmas, buddy.

Do It Yourself!

I'm definitely one of those girls who gets her nails done (almost) every week.  I like for my nails to look pretty and I'm too lazy to do them myself, so I pay for someone to do them for me.  I even like to humor myself and buy nail polish that I think is 'cute', but I know I'm never going to use nor take to the nail salon for my next manicure.  But lately, I've been getting bored with my plain polished nails and have been trying to find a solution to change things up a bit.  I started researching do-it-yourself nail options and have stumbled upon some really cool stuff.

These Kiss Nail Dress stickers can be purchased at just about any drug store and applied to your nails to enhance your plain nail polish. The design was inspired by the pearls applied to the models skin at the Chanel Spring 2012 runway show, but I think the stickers look like rain/dew drops.  Very pretty.

Getting inspired by fashion and translating that in your manicure is genius and as a fashion major, I don't know why I hadn't ever thought of it.  The blogger behind  MoveSlightly does it nicely.

cute, right?  These nails were inspired by the Stella McCartney Fall 2011 collection.

Miu Miu glitter booties inspired...

The nails were inspired by the Givenchy Resort 2012 collection and were painted by The Illustrated Nail artist Sophie Harris-Greenslade.  She's dope..

Here's another one of her gems.  I know I won't be able to create or re-create anything this elaborate, but I'm kind of excited to see what I will gain inspiration from and create for myself.

A few nail blogs worth checking out:

Mani-Fest Destiny

Nail Burgerlar Burgers and Nails blog invites you to send in pics of your cool mani whilst holding a burger.

Miss Ladyfinger

Local Art warms my heart

I like to going to beauty and fashion events in the city to see what's trendy as of late, snag my goody bag, and have a couple of cocktails, of course.  I'm never usually moved in one way or another by the vendor (or free cocktail) selections, but at the last one I attended, Nomadic Ant's jewelry line caught my attention. They are Chicago based and specialize in unique, handmade (sterling and pure) silver, gold and brass jewelry; as well as re-purposed leather accessories.  There is a very earthy and bohemian theme to their line, however, I think just about anyone could find something they like from their collections.

I really like this jackrabbit skull necklace and the pocket watch pendant is super steampunk-esque and could be worn everyday.

Jackrabbit Skull pendant, $49

 Pocket Watch pendant, on sale $48

I thought these rings were cool, too.  Very charming and adds a little somethin' somethin' to your boring hand or ensemble.

Pure Silver Chunky Wrap ring, $68

Pure Silver Braid ring, $68

Pure Silver Woven Square ring, $68

Here are a few earrings I liked from the website.  I picked these because I think they can be worn with short or long hair (down or pulled back) and with pretty much any color outfit selection; and because they have so many pretty earrings on their site, I couldn't post them all.

Hammered Brass Goa earrings, $42

Howlite & Brass Mindoro earrings, $48

Silver Woven Screen Hoop earrings, $78

Turquoise Robin's Nest earrings, $48

These leather pouches may not be the right accessory for everyone, but I think they are adorable and functional as hell.  The perfect size for all your important items (phone, keys, debit card, lip gloss), these pouches allow you to shop hands free, brunch without needing a purse hook and do just about anything else you can think of without having to hold your purse.  They even fit under your big ass winter coat.  Genius.

Tour & Travel Hip Pack, $90

Brown Urban Travel Pack, $85

So, yeah.. Crafty,  reasonably priced and perfect for gift giving (and shopping for yourself), Nomadic Ant offers a little something for everyone.  Support your local artists!!

Tux yeah!

I know that no one just wears a tuxedo unless it’s (a guy) to a wedding, formal event OR you happen to be the dapper darling, Janelle Monae (look her up, she’s dope).  But.. The fashionista that’s buried underneath the party monster in me wants to wear a tuxedo.  Like, real bad.  But not the traditional penguin suit everyone is used to.  I’m talking about a super girly version that will be sure to turn at least a couple of heads and render a few compliments.  And, since I’m not getting married (nope) and no one is inviting my bull-in-a-china-shop ass to any formal event, the only occasion left for this outfit, I suppose, is NYE.  I’ve had this idea in my head for a while now and I'm sure a bunch of flashy celebrities have probably done it already, but now it’s my turn.  Here’s my vision:    

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First, the jacket needs to be fitted and flashy, it’s NYE for crying out loud.  And nothing says ‘flashy’ like sequins.

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Next, the shirt should be a low-cut white tank (I prefer burnout over a ribbed wife beater for this look) tucked into a pair of black, fitted cigarette style pants. A satin stripe down the leg would be awesome too, wouldn’t it?

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And instead of a classic bowtie, I'd go with a bowtie necklace that hangs lower and is slung somewhere near the cleavage area.

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On the feet, I think a pair of suede or patent leather wedges vamp up the look quite nicely and they'll be a lot easier to walk/dance the night away in.

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Diamond stud earrings and a killer clutch and you're all set to make bad decisions with good friends. *boom*

Since the tuxedo makes a statement on its own, you'd wanna keep the makeup simple; neutral eyes, black eyeliner, a shit ton of black mascara and red lipstick (duh).  If you’re too scared to do red lips, a nude, shimmery lip works as well.  Keep the hair simple too, pulled back or up into a sleek bun, like those chicks in those Robert Palmer videos.  And, let’s face it, wouldn’t it be nice to be wearing pants instead of a torn dress on that walk of shame to your house the next morning? I thought so.

{photo cred. 1  2  3 4 5}