In Which I Make A Mockery of the Menswear Trend

Hello there! This is just going to be a quick little post, because I really should be working on my poetry manuscript right now. My bloggy presence this week is going to be pretty much sparse and spotty (and alliterative?) because this is my last week of school. Eep! I'm actually not as excited as I hoped I would be. This is the first summer where I'm not longing for lazy days and relaxation. I have an internship, thank goodness, but I'm also hoping to find a job for the summer as well. Part of me wishes school kept going for the summer because I have this really strong urge to keep doing things and keep learning things. Strange, right? haha

Anyway, I wore this outfit last Friday. This glorious tuxedo sweater used to be my dad's when he was young and clearly hip. I've never worn it out because, frankly, it's so silly, but I got this strong urge to wear it the other day, so wear it I did. I realized quickly that with the tuxedo sweater and hat I was sort of doing a ridiculous take on menswear, but I think I'm okay with that.

Plaid shirt: Delia's
Tuxedo sweater: Dad's
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Hat: Modcloth
Sandals: Steve Madden







Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Mama's Day

Hello there! So, as a Mother's Day gift to my wonderful mama, my sister and I decided that we would cook the Mother's Day meal this year. Unlike my sister, I actually love to cook, but being on a diet doesn't give me to many opportunities to bake and cook delicious things. So, when I get the chance to cook for other people, I take it! So, my sister and I made a few appetizers (including yummy zuchini and potato pancakes), mozzarella stuffed chicken, and penne a la vodka. And don't even talk to me about dessert. My mother's absolute favorite dessert is peanut butter pie, so I told my sister to pick one up from some bakery in Manhattan. And in addition to this, which was amazingly delicious, there were cookies and cream puffs and cheesecake. Oof, I ate too much. But it was worth it. Maybe. How was your Mother's Day?

This outfit made me feel a bit more mature than I actually am, but for some reason mother's day made me feel like dressing proper and sophisticated. I picked up this skirt from Goodwill yesterday, actually. It's a little big in the waist, but I thought the pattern was cute and I'm looking for some non a-line skirts to add to my wardrobe.

Top: H&M
Skirt: Ann Taylor via Goodwill
Shoes: Steve Madden
Belt that you can't see: Delia's









I love you mom. Thanks for being the best!

Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Clothing Chameleon

So, for a while there I felt like my outfits were for the most part coherent, like they all had a similar style. Well, that's just gone out the window now hasn't it? Yesterday's outfit was kind of boyish and quirky, and now this outfit is super girly (and currently I'm wearing a tuxedo sweater? The madness!). Honestly, it's a tad too girly for me without the jean jacket added for some toughness. I almost didn't wear the dress/white blouse combination because it felt a little too much like a milk maid/fairy princess for my taste, but alas, I was running late this morning. Though I don't know what my particular "style" is yet, I do know that I don't feel quite like myself in anything too "girly". I like to have a balance in my outfits, so most of my favorite looks I've put together for myself are somewhere in the middle. What would you say your personal style is, though that's a tough question to answer?

Also, just a little dorky note to any of you who watch/adore How I Met Your Mother: Have you guys seen the episode where the group makes fun of Ted for not being able to pronounce chameleon? Oh goodness, it's all I could think of as I misspelt the word eight times in the post title before getting it write. That is all.

Blouse, belt: Delia's
Dress: Forever 21
Jean Jacket: Salvation Army
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Mom's
Fox pin: Three Blooms etsy shop











Until tomorrow,
Nicole

We've Been Spending Most Our Lives Living In a Gangster's Paradise

Hello there! So, last week, I posted that I was given an assignment by my classmates to write a "gangster rap" poem, and some of you expressed interest of seeing this proof of my ghetto-fabulousness. So, I'll post said poem at the end of this post! This is what I wore to read my rap to the class. I don't know about you, but I personally find high waisted pants and oxfords quite intimidating. I'm sure you wouldn't want to run into me on the street or anything while I'm wearing this outfit, right? Yeah, the class had a good laugh about me reading my rap in this getup, particularly because of my totally gangster flower hair clip. Anyway, I almost wore my dad's old tuxedo sweater instead of this tee, but I thought I would look too tough. Ah, another day my dear tuxedo sweater! This tee shirt is absolutely one of my favorites. It's a threadless tee called the Scream-o. It's a play on the painting The Scream, but it's an emo kid at a skate park. I appreciate its wit! Anyway, part of the reason I decided to wear this tee is because I wore it last year during conference week (my school's "finals week"), and my faculty advisor saw me wearing it and was all, "Is that how you feel right now?" and I was all "ABSOLUTELY". And now that it's conference week again, I thought it'd be fun to bring it out.

Tee: Threadless
Pants: H&M
Shoes: Steve Madden







And, without further ado, my terribly gangster rap...

Regret


Let me tell you all a story, cause I know you want to hear one,
About the time I saw my brother die, set like a winter sun.
I saw the cancer cut through him, sure and erratic,
Like a spear headed bullet from a semi-automatic.
I watched his stringy hair drop dying to the floor
Like the dollars in my hand at the jewelry store.

I got him everything he could ever want or need
His favorite meals to eat, though he was never hungry,
A chain with his name spelt in immortal gold,
The richest cashmere blanket to keep him from the cold,
And then my job was done, I left him there alone
To go roll with my homies, go make some ladies moan.
By choice I blew my life away, like a cigarette
While the cancer faded my poor brother to a silhouette.

Now he’s dead and gone, with a tombstone for a name
And I’m stuck here, alone, with my life gone up in flames.
Every day I look for answers in the pools of blood I fill,
But the guilt only gets stronger with every heart I kill.
I see my brother’s shadow in every chilling breeze,
And I spend my life wishing I could have killed a disease.


That would be my gangster pose. Yes, I did that after I read my rap. Yes, my entire class things I'm insane gangster.

Until tomorrow,
Nicole (Aka Lil Nickie aka Testafly aka Coco Maria)

What Makes Me Love You Despite the Reservations?

Hello there! So, I feel like a broken record, but I've been buried under piles of papers and homework lately, and I dug myself out just a little to make this post. Luckily, I finished up a 13 page rough draft last night, which is hopefully decent, and I think I know what I'm doing for the other two papers I have to write. Goodness, I'm so boring right now! Thankfully, Fleet Foxes' new album came out yesterday, and I've been playing it pretty much nonstop. Listening to the whole record is a pretty good motivating force for finishing a paper/staying awake to do work. Have you guys heard the new album? What's your favorite encouraging/feel good music (I could always use more good music in my life!).

So, I really love the colors in this skirt. I got it on sale from Urban Outfitters online, and I can't wait to wear it with some sleeveless tops once summer comes. Oh, and I also changed my blog header! I really just needed a bit of a change, so voila - new header!

Lace top: Forever 21
Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Mom's
Trench: H&M








And one silly one, of course. I think I look like a cat?


Until tomorrow,
Nicole

A Semester Reflection

I'm quite tempted to use a baseball analogy here, since these photos were taken on a baseball diamond, so if you'll allow me just one, I would like to say that I can't help but feel that I haven't been "stepping up to the plate" this semester. I feel like I've been taking the easiest way out a lot lately, when it comes to papers or readings or class participation. I feel like all of my papers have been subpar -perhaps singles rather than home runs? I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself - and I'm sure my teachers would agree. It's disconcerting because I feel like every semester I get more and more rundown, less and less excited about the work I'm doing. My first year in college, I pushed myself really hard and I think it payed off. Now, I'm almost done with my second year and I can't help but feel like a bit of a failure. I've been doing all my work, but even as a I view these last two and half papers I have to get done I can't help but feeling like they won't come out well, like I've given up on putting a lot of work in to my psychology class because it's frustrated me so much and I feel like I haven't come very far at all.

Maybe it's too early to be reflecting on these sorts of things, since I still have two weeks to get through, but it's been weighing on my mind all day so I thought I would write about it. I wore this outfit last week, on a day when it was too cold for shorts. I was a little antsy about wearing a sweater with shorts, but I often wear items together that are meant for separate seasons, so I think this turned out alright.

Top, Purse: Urban Outfitters
Shorts: Zara
Belt: Delia's
Shoes: Keds









Until tomorrow,
Nicole

Mystic, Connecticut

Hello there! On Saturday, my parents, Zak and I headed out to Mystic, Connecticut. I had such a fun time! First, we went to the aquarium where I saw beluga whales for time ever. We also saw these really adorable penguins who kept swimming up to the glass! It was probably the nicest aquarium I've been to. Afterwards we headed to this little shopping village, Olde Misticke, and looked around at all the little, quirky stores. One of my favorites was this little cooking specialty store. What can I say, I'm a cooking nerd. Oh well! We also stopped by this little bakery for a cupcake break. After the shopping village, we headed over to Main Street where we looked around at even more little stores - I really love quirky little towns and shops. There aren't any in my neighborhood! - and got some yummy lunch at this restaurant called the Ancient Mariner (If you get the literary reference here, I automatically love you). All in all it was quite a fantastic day! Now, I need to buckle down and do as much work as I can! Eek, wish me luck! What did you all do this weekend?

Dress, Jacket: Salvation Army
Shoes: Urban Outfitters







Oh, and before I go, let me announce the giveaway winner!





Congratulations Louise! I will be emailing you shortly!

Until tomorrow,
Nicole