*karolina; sea and sand.

***

Back for more pretty?

If you insist...

Dress by Thom Browne; SS13.

Here's Czech supermodel, and former VS Angel, Karolina Kurkova on the June 2013 cover of Vogue Ukraine.

And, cause I'm missing the beach....her fun-in-the-sun, mermaid inspired, summer editorial.

Gorgeous, no?

Hmm...makes me wish I was by the ocean running around in really expensive clothes...

Sigh. One can only dream. 
 

“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” ― Unknown

“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choice-less as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea.” ― Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.” ―
Isaac Newton  

xx

***

*[pride]

***

As most of you know [unless you've been living under a rock], yesterday was NYC's annual Pride Parade.

A celebration of community and equality, qualities that we should all aspire towards, NYC's week long of  festivities ends in a culmination of colors and love.

However, despite it's apparent beauty, one must always be mindful of the underlying meaning of Pride week. It is not only to celebrate how far we in the LGBT community have come in the fight for freedom and our rights, but also to recognize how much further we, as humanity, have to go.

I believe that the words of one of my very close friends aptly summarizes this ideal...

He says,

“PRIDE has meant many things to me in my life, but never has it just been about being a fag or not. It’s a celebration of us, of humanity no matter where we come from , what we look like, or what or who we do… this past month I have seen love and hate, People holding prejudice where you least expect it, and acceptance and tolerance from where you least expect it… this weekend I was able to celebrate with friends and strangers, gay, straight , black brown red yellow and blue all the same, in each and every party and place the breeze blew me… I was reminded of one thing though, the hope for a better world, belief in humanity and belief in a generation all come from belief in oneself… If we’re lucky and believe in ONE love and the effervescence of a generation, we will live to see a world that shines with more resilience than can even be dreamed of- a world for our children to grow, love and be loved in all the same…”

 Thus, in commemoration of this rainbow event [and what would pride be without some colorful fashion], here's a few fabulously fashionable and, better yet, colorful clothes.

                               “What have you done today to make you feel proud?” ―Heather Small.

xx

***

*perspective

***

Sigh kiddies,

Sometimes in life things happen that slap you back to reality and make you really question your take on things...

...questions like: "What do you want in life?" "What's really important to you?" "What are you willing to sacrifice for it?"

Meh.

And, I can tell you, it ain't fun when they all pop up at the same time.

So, after a fun and action-packed week "vacationing" in Atlantic City and NYC [post coming soon], tour-guiding etc, it has been a harsh fall back to reality.

After being in the greatest of funks, feeling lost, confused and overwhelmed with life for the past few days, I've realized that it's life's little way of making sure that I do not remain complacent...

As I always say, turn that frown into productivity...and although I'm not entirely sure of my destination, I am confident that hard work will get me wherever I am to be...

...perspective.

“Humans see what they want to see.”― Rick Riordan

“A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.”―Allen Klein

“A pessimist sees the difficult in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”― Winston Churchill

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”― Lucille Ball

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”― Abraham Lincoln

“Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be.”― George Carlin 

“Songs are as sad as the listener.”― Jonathan Safran Foer

xx

***

*in transit

***

¹com·mute verb \kə-ˈmyüt\

Definition of COMMUTE; 

:-transitive verb

1a : change, alter 

  b : to give in exchange for another : exchange 

2: to convert (as a payment) into another form

3: to change (a penalty) to another less severe <commute a death sentence to life in prison>

:-intransitive verb

4: to travel back and forth regularly (as between a suburb and a city) 

 So...while I am most definitely NOT a morning person [as you can tell from my previous post]...and the commute isn't the easiest in the world...I really do seem to be enjoying my internship. My perception about a few things is changing. I am learning a lot, not only about the industry, but also about myself; what I like and what I don't like in terms of working.

[par example:- I like interacting with people. I like having a variety of tasks to work on so, if one is monotonous, I can move on to another and then return to it. I do not like Photoshopping for hours on end. *womp womp* And I, without a doubt, do not like lugging 70 [seventy] lbs of "natural" river stones around New York...*long story*]

However, it is nice to be able to work with industry professionals who are down to earth and really seem to care about my career aspirations and even just me as a person! [after some of the horror stories I read].

What's even better is the lack of homework! #joysofsummer That means that even though the days are long, as soon as I reach back to my apartment in Jersey, I can flop down on my bed, watch re-runs of Modern Family and get all the sleep I want.

In fact, I am probably looking well rested these days, so I'll grace you with some glam shots of me riding the subway.

"The Vanishing Underground." Liya Kebede & David Agbodji. Shot by Mikael Jansson for Vogue Japan. April 2013.

...I look fresh and perky, no? And a little tanned too? #joysofsummer

Haha. I kid.

But while I've been doing a lot of #4 [see above], I've also been doing some #1a...and definitely none of #3 [sounds a little morbid to be honest. eek.]

Life changes happening kiddies. Gotta love 'em.

So if any of you see me on my commute. Don't be scared to say hi!...Be sure you say where you know me from though cause I'm a runner...

Have a great day. Always be inspired.

xx

“I'm not like most designers, who have to set sail on an exotic getaway to get inspired. Most of the time, it's on my walk to work, or sitting in the subway and seeing something random or out of context.”
― Alexander Wang 

***

*perked | the return

***

It is I...the abandoner...

...but I come bearing amazing news.

I'm not going to complain about how busy I've been these past few weeks with finals and apartment hunting and all that..cause you've heard it all before...(and quite frankly I'm tired of saying it), so I'll focus on the positives...

I have an internship!!

So far it's been fabulous (thankfully). Long hours...but with amazingly nice people.

Officially, I'm interning for a blog called Fashion Elephant. Slightly different to mine, which is mostly about inspiration from my travels and funky fashion pictures, Marina's (who I work for) has the luck of being able to feature herself wearing amazingly fashionable (and totally out of my price range) clothing.

Unofficially, I am also helping her fashionable friends and family - which includes fashion photographer Ronald James (who has done amazing editorials for worldwide editions of Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Numero, Essence and Elite), Charles Philip (designer of Charles Philip Shanghai shoes), Lizzette Kattan (former editor-in-chief for Harper's Bazaar Italy, Harper's Bazaar France, Uomo Harper's Bazaar and Italian Cosmopolitan) and up-and-coming designer Bianca Allen - get through their own to-do lists.

And although it's only been three weeks, I've been exposed to so many great people and facets of this crazy whirlwind of an industry.

It has been such a humbling, learning experience...with much more to report. *blows dust of keyboard*

*eyes open, ears to the ground*

I mean...it could be worse...

...thankfully the only coffee I get is to wake myself up during that commute!

 

“If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”― Masaru Emoto, The Secret Life of Water.

xx

***

*gotta stick it out

***

Good morning kiddies!

It's certainly been a while, hasn't it?

The past few weeks have just been uber hectic for me; last week being Spring Break and the week before that, the equally crazy [but for different reasons] midterm week.

Although I didn't do much exciting things over my break, I did sleep quite a bit [which is always a plus] and watch a lot of 'Say Yes to The Dress.'

...made me think about commitments...

...and a large one I have is this blog! [and to you too of course!] so I am definitely going to push myself to churn out all those posts-in-waiting I have lined up...

But for now...have some pretty! Bet you missed it!

“Anyone can dabble, but once you've made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it's very hard for people to stop you.”- Bill Cosby.

"Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the "right stuff" to turn our dreams into reality.”- James Womack

 

“There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”- Art Turock

#thinkaboutit

 

See you soon!
xx

***  

*and the award goes to...

***

me!...for having a grand total of ONE blog post for the month of February. #grr

I won't linger on about my self-loathing and procrastination now and just skip to the pretty...

The Oscars were last night and, since I didn't post about the Golden Globes [#missedopportunity], I couldn't call myself a serious fashion blogger if I missed this one...

Although I didn't watch the show, from the pics I gathered this morning, the red carpet looked pretty fab. Most girls were dressed in lavish gowns, couture pieces and sparkling jewellery, and the guys in well-fitted suits. Pretty classy affair no? Haha.

In fact, my top five female looks for the night [in no particular order] were:

Clockwise L-R: Stacy Keibler, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron

...with close runners-up..

Clockwise L-R: Maria Menounos, Kelly Osbourne, Amanda Seyfried, Kristin Chenoweth, Amy Adams

Eek! What a stunning set of gowns... #fabricfiesta

Even the after-party outfits were glam; one of my favs being Lily Collin's sleek little number...

#iwant #blindedbysequins

...along with other honorable mentions...

Clockwise L-R: Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Lawrence, Ginnifer Goodwin, Solange Knowles, Elizabeth Banks

Colorful little group no?

Even the Kluminator showed up looking like an Oscar in true Heidi-plunging-neckline-cleave-showing-fashion...

And then this happened... *record scratch*

You can pick your jaws up off the floor now...but yes, that's Heidi. and Naomi. lip locked. *blink blink*

I reserve further comment while I go shop around for my Oscar 2014 look...I'll also be taking applications for my hair and makeup team in the comment box below :)

It will happen one day kiddies...mark my words...

xx

***

*you. better. work.

***

Hola kiddies,

My semester has started off a little rough to say the least. Still a little jet lagged and unpacking can be just as tedious as packing!

Needless to say it's taking a while to readjust to New Jersey living...

...but the work never ends. Lots to do kiddies so get to it!

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.” ― Sam Ewing

“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.” ― Babe Ruth

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” ― Thomas Jefferson 

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” ― Vince Lombardi

Hope you all have a productive day! 

xx

*** 

*you're cordially invited...

***

One thing that I am most certainly going to miss about England is the tea!...

 

“Tea is liquid wisdom” -Anonymous

[mhmm]

 I'm a self confessed addict...drinking up to four cups a day... [you can bet half my suitcase was filled with PG Tips]

...so why not share the love with you guys?!

soooo I'm hosting a tea party! *fanfare* and you're all invited!

Traditional English tea....sandwiches, scones and sugar cubes #ohmy

...all online of course...haha what did you expect??

“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.” -Bernard-Paul Heroux

 

“Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world” -T'ien Yiheng
 

“If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty” -Japanese Proverb

“Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors” -Alice Walker

  
 Anyways, no elbows on the table! *dabs corners of mouth with napkin*

Drink up!
xx

***

*fabulous London.

***

“If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting.” ― Peter Shaffer

[...different; not better, not worse]

The time has come for me to say goodbye to this wonderful country and return to the States.

But don't worry kiddies, I'll still be posting about the numerous English models and fashion icons that I haven't gotten to and my experiences in the UK and over on the continent! [still didn't do a post about Paris...and now I have to do one about Belgium!! #fallingbehind]

How about a 'see-you-soon' present to cheer myself you up?

'Fabulous London.' ft. Bonnie Chen. Harper's Bazaar China. July 2012.

Just think, while I'm stuffing choccies in my carry-on and getting searched at customs, you get to enjoy some fun and ferocious 'English' pretty...

...sigh..I miss it already.

Life is a journey, and I must remember that it may be one that I am not entirely in control of; just gotta enjoy whatever experiences are thrown at me, ya dig?

Am I sad that I'm leaving? Yes. But, I'm also excited to move on and continue growing and anxious for what experiences 2013 will bring. And of course I'll definitely be back...[maybe sooner than I know?? hehe.]

So, goodbye to 'The Swinging City' and hello to 'The Big Apple.'

Wish me luck kiddies!
xx

***

*explore.dream.discover.

***

hmm..*sips tea*...

I'm neglecting you again, aren't I?

Lo siento kiddies... spent the weekend in Bristol by the cousin. It was interesting to say the least...haha...

...and other than the wonderful Trini food my cousin cooked, she is super inspirational...following her own dreams and goals..

Sigh. But being on a 3 hour coach..and having to pack and unpack just reminded me of how many hours in these past six months I've been in transit...

...with more traveling coming soon! Haha....

Anyways, being a blog about finding inspiration in constant uprooting, here's some nomadic pretty to start off your day..

"Trail Blazers": Daria Werbowy and Lily Donaldson in Cuzco, Peru by Mario Testino for Vogue UK. March 2008.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
 

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

Sometimes I find myself complaining that world travel isn't as glamorous as it's cracked up to be, having to live out of a suitcase and slum it out sometimes [and look like a hot mess toting heavy suitcases through New York City]...but honestly, it's worth it...

Maybe I'm being totally existential right now, [blame the impending return to the US] but the experiences that I have had in the past few months are ...I dunno.. live-changing, priceless, once-in-a-lifetime...and have certainly impacted me and inspired me in ways I could never have imagined *tear* ...cliché, I know.

And, while I am somewhat excited to return to the States, I will definitely, DEFINITELY miss this gloriously cultural country... [and, of course, will be back!]

ah well.. "The only thing constant is change..."...a concept that I am slowly understanding...but, as one very amazing friend rightfully said, it's not the end..just a new chapter...something new to get used to...to keep me on my toes...life does that...

...and hopefully I look amaze doing it! Ha!
xx

***

*the end is near

***

Long time no see!

Good morning kiddies... I am finished with finals..and thus, the rest of my semester consists of returning library books and packing to leave *sad face* [although I will still be in England].

While this has been an amazing, full of life-changing experiences and inspiration, I am pretty eager to get some rest; it was a pretty exhausting term! I can honestly say however, that I will always cherish this experience and the people that I have come in contact with over here...

And, with the end of this crazy chapter in my life in sight [and loads of free time], I thought you could use some pretty...

“For every finish-line tape a runner breaks - complete with the cheers of the crowd and the clicking of hundreds of cameras - there are the hours of hard and often lonely work that rarely gets talked about.”-Grete Waitz

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”-Walter Elliot

 

“The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race.”-Unknown

“But for each of us, isn't life about determining your own finish line?”-Diana Nyad

“If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish the race - it's up to you.”-Dave Scott

Have a great day! More posts to come!

***

*superhuman

***

With this exhausting, but eventful, semester wrapping up and finals right around the corner, I'm going to need some type of superhuman ability to stay focused on studying while trying to deal with cranky people who're buckling under the pressure [one of the downsides to living in such close confines]...

That's not to say that I myself won't be cranky [cause I probably will be] but I guess I can try to look cute while fending off [and dishing out] the attitude....right?

*BAM*

Your daily dose...Superhero pretty!

“When your desires are strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.” -Napoleon Hill

“Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results.” -Ernest Shackleton 

“It's not about who's got powers...It's about who's not afraid. And who's going to do what has to be done.”-Michael Grant

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”-Norman Vincent Peale

“It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”-J. K. Rowling

***

*exhaustion

***

If any of you readers have been following since the conception of this blog, you will probably know that I usually post pretty regularly.

However, with the end of the semester coming up, I've had a lot of work [and a lot less sleep] so, unfortunately, I think the exhaustion is setting in.

Your long awaited daily pretty, which maybe isn't so pretty..haha, is an ode to what I've looked like this week. [ok..maybe not that fabulous]

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Reka Nyari

 

"If you are going through hell, keep going."-Winston Churchill

"I never dreamed about success. I worked for it."- Estée Lauder

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."- Unknown

...some truth in those words! #perseverance

Hopefully I get a lot of posts done before finals!

Happy December kiddies!

***

*Fall 2012 Trend Alert: Orient Express

***

Sigh. Definitely been a while since I featured a "Trend" post on the blog and I figured might as well get them done while these trends are well, still trends! Haha.

Today's agenda: Oriental!

2012 has so far seen a massive interest in the East, predominantly with the Asian nations. While it may be because China is set to become the dominant global power in the next few years, or it may just have to do with globalization, or even the amazingly vivid inspiration provided by such a rich and colorful culture....whatever the reason, the exquisite luxury of the orient is back!

Louis Vuitton, Dries Van Noten, Zac Posen and Osman are just some of the designers using floral fabrics in their kimono and cheongsam inspired pieces.

close-up of a Dries Van Noten F/W 2012 piece

 Take a look!

Think it's hard to pull off? Celebs do it without looking too literal....[with the exception of Katy Perry]

Top Row L-R: Fan BingBing, Elisa Sednaoui, Katy Perry, Audrey Tatou, Dakota Fanning
Bottom Row L-R: Olivia Palermo, Katy Perry, Dita Von Tesse, Liya Kebede, Katy Perry

Paired with basics, these pieces can add pop to any outfit. Timeless and chic with a modern interpretation. Who wouldn't want to dress like that?

After all, isn't the modern woman a woman of the world?

***

*OnTheGo

***

Lots to do kiddies. Constantly working. #endofsemesterstress

Have some pretty.

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”-Jim Rohn

“A runner must run with dreams in his heart, not money in his pocket.”-Emil Zatopek

“Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”-Will Rogers

“If you start soon enough, you won't have to run to catch up.”-Chinese Proverb

That last one should definitely become my motto. Sigh.

***

*Snoozefest.

***

Morning kiddies!

I know it's been a while since I've posted and I really am being a delinquent blogger..but this week has been so utterly hectic for me...

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I have thought about you every day that I didn't post...but school work, unfortunately, comes first...

Anyway, second set of papers in, and I've got about two weeks before the crazy starts again.

As a result, all I want to do right now is catch up on my missing sleep, which is another reason why I've been pretty neglectful of the blog.

Now that I'm rested, some daily pretty?

Can you guess the theme? :)

“Life is something to do when you can't get to sleep.”-Fran Lebowitz

“If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.”-Dale Carnegie

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”-Dr. Seuss

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.”-Akira Kurosawa

***

*la vie en rose...

***

Bonjour kiddies!

In a very French mood today, as I've the amazing opportunity to wake up in Paris!

A gorgeous city of culture and romance, and fashion capital of the world, I'm sure to find loads of inspiration here!

Hold on to your seats beautifuls, lots of posts to come...

***

*Remember, remember...

***

***

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.
By God's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him! 

***

So, it's Guy Fawkes' day and, as most of you know, we celebrate his failure to bomb Parliament by [none other than] setting off fireworks!

Hence, firework themed fashion! Seems fitting right?

MSGM F/W 2012.

MSGM F/W 2012.

Gorgeous, simple, but eye-catching. Cute, no?

 ***

*Trini To The Bone

***

Hey kiddies!

If anyone wants to see where I come from, or what I should sound like please, please, please check out this video. It makes me insanely homesick and super proud to be a Trinidadian.

Enjoy!

Haute Caribe: The World of Trinidad & Tobago Fashion from Wedge15 on Vimeo.

Maybe I should do a post about Trinidad??

***