An Intervention Please--Part 3

Cleaning out the closet, assessing my inventory, I realize I have enough to dress almost an entire year without doing laundry, or at least 8 months!  If only I had more than 5weeks worth of skivies.  And with this reality, I am now content.  All it takes is some lock-down, tough love, and rational thoughts on my part......I can handle this.

Part 3: Accepting the Skeletons in the Closet

(The hangers being skeletons, the frame to which all my material possessions hang so limply--until I give them new life)

I need is to be grateful for what I have, the massive piles of objects from which I can build an acceptable outfit around.  I'm quite excited to rediscover the joys of wearing some of these Fall clothes--we'll see in the pages of this blog how it all goes down over the next few weeks.

I'm stoked to try again with these velvet vintage jackets:

And to discover the love for an impulse buy:

 purple jacket I found at H&M over the summer for only $20!!

Oh the beloved TURTLENECKS:

The brooches and other jewels that class-up any attire:

The coveted "fur vest":

(Thanks Mel for hooking me up)

And how long before I fall in my impractical shoes?

And with cooler temps, the surprise of which heavier scent my mood will feel like each morning:

Oh yes, the trench that no one else owns! NO ONE--a one of a kind!And my fave Alberto Makali coat, maybe one more time....

it's yellowing and losing the fur (poor storing strategies on my part)

Taking inventory, was more like taking inventory of my motives.  In the past, it's true--I shopped to fill a void in my life.  My best friend had moved to Ohio, and for 3 years I was here with a few good-time friends, but only BF as one I'd consider a real friend.  And sometimes even BF and I had our rough patches, so it was a double whammy of a void.  Shopping was my therapy.  Now that I'm all good again, I'm a a perfect place in life, and everything is patched up and friends are prevalent, there's no need for that emptiness to be filled with new clothes and more new clothes.   

So here I am with all that I picked up along my void of a life, and I'm ready to see what kind of life I can make out of what I've got. 

Start your clocks, mark your calendars, let's see how long I can go without purchasing more.

(unless it's halloween costume related--of course, I already made that clear yesterday)

Weekend Rewind: September 25-27th, 2009

I'll celebrate my

100th post

with my regular

Weekend Rewind:  

It's quite fitting considering these are usually my most entertaining posts of the week.  Sadly for my readers, this weekend and blog post is not full of super fun times about town like they usually are (it seems Miss Idee_geniale was the one to capture all the goings-on thru her lens, so I'll have to wait till she tags me on Facebook or something to post the pics of our good times--no rush).

Friday, September 25th:

With my 3-day weekend ahead of me (Monday= Yom Kippur people....and I'm not Jewish. But lucky me, I work for a Jewish family--yea..free day for me!) I knew it was high time I get myself into Fall-mode since I'd been anticipating it for so long.  That meant wearing whatever summer item I missed out on one last time, because this weekend was the weekend to switch out my wardrobes.

And with it officially being Fall by my calendar, I do not care if the weather says it's 70+ degrees, that does not mean it's OK to wear your sundresses and bare legs and little sandals ladies!  It's almost October for goodness sakes!  

You might recall this particular little gem of a dress; I had worn it a few weeks ago complaining that I forgot all about it and now summer was almost over.  I got suggestions to go for tights to give it one more whirl before it was too late.  And here it is, me looking more like a 3 year old at Sunday mass (you know that little girl, the one who crawls all over the pews oblivious to the fact that she's totally got her dress up over hear head, and the crotch seam of her white tights has somehow made it's way down to her knees....haha.  I always wondered how they could continue going on ignoring the uncomfortableness of falling tights????) than a grown adult:

Wearing-

*Black dress-Matty B

*Black sandals-Colin Stuart

*Black knit cardigan-Gap

*Ivory hosiery-Express

*Pearl earrings-Macy's

Oh, I forgot the most fun part of Friday--when I hurled myself karate style into the subway doors mere inches before they were completely closed.  It's possible my life flashed before my eyes-but I'm ok with that.  

As I've always said, "If I'm going to die, I want to make the 10 o'clock news".  As I had my forearm and right leg wedged in the door, the power of two guys and myself could not budge it back open.  And then I heard that tell-tale sign a train is about to depart, you know....right as the breaks release and it makes this "Shhhhhhhhhhhheewww" sound?  Yeah, I thought for sure the train did not realize the last door was wedged open just slightly, and I thought, well here it goes folks--right before my huge 30th party, what a waste. (yes, yes, check that countdown on my right panel--only 5 days left)  That could've put a damper on things, right?

Anyway, as luck would have it, the door quickly opened a few more inches, enough for me to jump in with my bag sticking out, then it opened again and my bag came in.  I came away unharmed, but these tights did not fare so well--they snagged, ran, and got a hole all because of the door catastrophe.  And I was told by a school boy about the alarmingly huge black oil slick I had down my right forearm.  Thanks little boy--indeed I did have some grease from the door all over me.  Boy, they don't call me "Grace" for nothing--yeah right.

Saturday, September 26th:

I woke up and was out of the house much sooner than any Saturday I can remember in recent history--we're talking 10:15am! I had some highlights needing to be touched up and added back into this 'do of mine. As you've seen in past photos, the hair was looking rather bleak and lackluster. So off I went to midtown to visit my stylist. 

I had been looking forward to Saturday all week because the weather guys promised it to be cooler and really Fall-like.  

And if you know me, then you know that means: TURTLENECKS!!!!!

I put together an outfit I always go back to every autumn, in my eyes, it is the epitome of

"Nickie Does Fall":

Wearing-

(bike not included--shoot! I think I can use one of those in real life)

*Brown denim jacket-Jordache

*Black turtleneck sweater-Kohls

*Blue skinny jeans-Uniqlo

*Brown booties-Steve Madden

*Black printed scarf-H&M

Oh and how could I forget to mention we stumbled upon a gem of a thrift store in Bushwick Saturday evening?  After a day full of vintage shopping along the streets of Williamsburg, we headed over to a bar for a non-existent party only to find this place called Urban Jungle across the street!  So inexpensive and full of tons and tons of good stuff!  I'm hooked and going back soon!

Sunday, September 27th:

Sad and disgusting as it is, I have not left the house today....and now it's actually Monday (12:42am).  

I spent all day working on my closets, unpacking Fall/Winter, putting away Spring/Summer.  This process took much longer than I planned--4 hours to be more precise.    

So goodbye, until next April/May, summer tops.  Sorry to say I will not miss you, nor will I miss summer.

And summer dresses, enjoy the back rack of my two racked closet--I will not be needing you for a long while!

And behold...the Treasure Chest;

--or my suitcase full of Fall stuff in this case

And tomorrow, I'll dive headfirst into the world of my Fall clothing. Unpacking today, I found happiness in my wardrobe, a few revelations,and a whole lotta of self greed. Good stuff, you don't want to miss out on witnessing this little problem I have;

Shop-a-holics Anonymous anyone?

Weekend Rewind: September 19-20th, 2009

I'm a day late on my WEEKEND REWIND.  Sorry, Sorry.....it's just this birthday party of mine is sucking up all my time--turning 30, having a party, a guestlist of 90+, phew!  It's like planning a big to-do of a wedding, only on a tad smaller scale.  

Anyway, let's rewind and see what I was up to this past weekend--

Saturday Afternoon-September 19, 2009

I had 3 large bags of clothing to attempt to sell (A.K.A. donate) to Beacon's Closet.  They never want anything of mine for obvious reasons.  So I called a car (no way could I transport all 3 bags on public transportation) and headed out.  

I'd been looking forward to wearing my new vintage skirt I bought during "Fashion Night Out" at Market Publique's pop-up boutique.  Being that it's a bit of a butter color, which to me looks Spring, I pondered how to make it look a bit more season appropriate--or shall I say I wanted desperately for it to be a

FALL OUTFIT!

And what's a girl to do in a predicament like that?  Tights of course!

Wearing:

*Gray sweatshirt-Forever 21

*Light yellow vintage skirt-Market Publique (sorry, can't remember the actual seller)

*Burgundy tights-H&M

*Brown suede boots-Carlos Santana

*White printed crinkle scarf-H&M

Afterwards, I went home to take a rest. And then before I knew it, Saturday night rolled around. I didn't feel like getting up and getting ready all over again. In fact I had no desire to primp at all. In my lackluster mood, at least I was able to cling to the anticipation of the cool chill we were expected to receive weather-wise. We were due to meet up with friends at the Frying Pan on the West Side, near Chelsea Piers.  Being on water, with the forecast calling for a low of 53, I was stoked to bust out my favorite Fall jacket-

THE LEATHER BOMBER

(or faux leather in this case).

My Quick Fix Routine

(when you don't feel like starting all over with your daily beauty ritual)

-Lots of black (eyeliner, shadow, mascara, clothing)

-Dry Shampoo (Psssstttt in my case), and some hair teasing

-A light pink lip gloss (to counteract the dark eye)

-A few spritzes of perfume (to mask what a shower might fix)

-And of course, that go-to article of clothing that makes you feel awesome

(the bomber jacket)

I actually beat the BF getting ready for the evening.  UNHEARD OF!

Saturday Night-September 19, 2009

Wearing:

*Black bomber jacket-H&M

*Gray sweatshirt (same as in the afternoon)-Forever 21

*Skinny jeans-Uniqlo

*Black leather booties-Daffy's

*Black print scarf-Express

*Cream vintage eyelet belt-Thrift Store

The Frying Pan was full of little nooks and crannies at every turn-just ripe for the exploring! And of course we were like grown-up children on our own little adult playground:

(Wait, didn't I just mention I was planning my 30th birthday?  Maturity at it's finest folks!)

What is it about boats and old sunken ships that makes me want to be a pirate?  

If indeed we could be pirates--this would be my crew.  First matey-the BF (on left)

Aaaarrrr!  Shiver me Timbers!

(eye patch, hook, parrot, and all--a girl's got to accessorize her pirate get-up accurately)

Back to reality....

Sunday was rather lackluster-just me, my clean clothes that needed hangers, a dusty vanity, and some cleaning supplies.  I told you it was lackluster.

BF did come home from the sporting goods store with this little gem of a baseball cap.  I've been on a Yankees kick and this made my day!

Sunday afternoon-September 20, 2009

Wearing:

*Black baseball cap-Modell's

*Black crochet applique sweatshirt-Zara

*Skinny jeans-Uniqlo

PS-Of course I like the Yankees, I live in NY and the METS are not my thing. 

And....did I mention, one of the greatest Yankees of all time is from Indiana. (Just some more Hoosier trivia). 

True story: He went to my high school (Reitz Memorial H.S. in Evansville)-any guesses??? 

Back to planning the party.....there's an oldies playlist waiting to be compiled to perfection. Ummmmm, someone tell me why I keep adding to my 6-1/2hr. playlist when the party is only 4 hours long?

Daily Wear (and Tear)

It's early Fall--well not quite Fall according to the calendar (that's still 4 days away).  It's clear I have yet to switch out my summer clothes and fall clothes--we all have heard how small NYC apartments are, and while I have a larger one by comparison, it does not mean I have extra closet space.  So each season I have to unload a suitcase or two, pull out the current season's threads, and pack away the past season's.

This is my plan for the weekend.

So in the meantime, this is how I've been making due with the slight chill in the air:

THURSDAY-9/17/09

*Beige poncho-American Rag

*Taupe long sleeve t-shirt-Target

*Skinny jeans-Uniqlo

*Brown suede boots-Carlos Santana

*Brown wooden necklace-Forever 21

-Can I just tell you, this poncho sucked me in the moment I saw it on the sale rack.  It's been a few years since I threw on such an item--but I remember why I used to wear them.  I love the way they look and the service they provide.  The fringe is my favorite part!

FRIDAY-9/18/09

*Black cardigan-Urban Outfitters

*Teal tiered blouse-I.N.C.

*Boot-cut jeans-Express

*Black booties-Daffy's

*Silver vintage owl necklace-Thrift Store

-Just FYI, I'm not one to wear belly shirts.  And it was much too late for me to realize just how much of my stomach showed.  Yikes!  I noticed it when I was already at work.  How business appropriate am I, seriously?  haha.

Yeah, my stomach; probably my least favorite part of my body.  No worries though, if I cared enough I'd probably do a sit-up or a hundred.  As it stands now, that is not a part of my routine.

Oh, and does anyone else have a problem with their contacts?  You're lucky if you don't have to wear glasses/contacts--I swear, the moment I turn on my computer, my contacts try to come out of my eyeballs!  Contact solution please!

Off to check out the Anna Sui for Target goods-then to bed.  I am still sooooooo tired from this week's parties.  Oh, if only I were 23 again--maybe I could handle the lack of sleep then.

The Beginning of the End

Tomorrow is the beginning of the end.

It will be Labor Day Weekend, the unofficial end to summer. How will you spend your holiday weekend?

In addition to my weekend agenda, I will be welcoming the end of summer with open arms.  I mean seriously, I need to wear sleeves already-I have absolutely no tan....time to cover up in sweaters, scarves, and my favorite fall staple: 

TURTLENECKS!!!!!

Today was still that same great weather we've had all week, so I took it as an opportunity to wear my first turtleneck of the season.

*Gray sleeveless turtleneck sweater-Forever 21

*Skinny jeans-Uniqlo

*Brown booties-Steve Madden

*Brown leather rope necklace-Street jewelery designer (Soho)

I have so much on my plate for this weekend, which sadly does not include the Weardrobe weekend retreat thingy.  No time for that when you've got a friendly acquaintance in town, an all-day birthday party to attend on Saturday, a college BFF's wedding on Sunday (see bachlorette post from last week's "Weekend Rewind"), and possible trip to Governor's Island on Monday.  Phew--busy girl I plan to be.  But just more of an excuse to wear something semi-fun, not just jeans and t-shirts.

Oh, and how did I forget?  Tomorrow,  BF is taking me to one of my very guiltiest of pleasures:

RED LOBSTER-it's ALL-U-CAN-EAT SHRIMP!!! YUMMY!

(maybe if you're lucky, I'll document my gluttony--and it's gross!  I eat as much as any man I know, maybe more).

Back-To-School WEATHER

If ever there was a term for a day like today, I'd hope they would choose my name for it,

"BACK TO SCHOOL WEATHER!"

It's what I always feel when it's the first fall-like day of the season.  It always reminds me of walking across campus with a smile on my face and some pep in my step.  Seriously, I wake up about 1000% happier and cheerier than any other time of the year.  There's just something about that brisk air, the crisp chill, the fact that there's no humidity-it all reminds me of football season and the promise of falling leaves and hot-chocolate.  And yes, I get overly giddy about it all.  I guess school, football, cocoa, my soon-to-be love affair with turtlenecks, etc. it's all a little bit of "all-American girl goodness" I can claim for myself.

It's no secret, FALL IS MY FAVE SEASON and today's weather brought back all my FAVE MEMORIES of school.  I always looked forward to the first day of school, and the excitement of seeing who was in your class, if  you'd be seated next to some cute boy, the note-taking, the random knowledge learned in classes totally unrelated to my fashion major, oh it was the best! I was a total goody-goody and loved going to class.  (I even had perfect attendance my first semester in college when for 4 months I battled a raging case of mono!).  So what better outfit to wear, than something that reminds me of school days of yesteryear?  

A classic denim skirt and boot combo of course.

To me, this outfit is nothing but BACK TO SCHOOL/FALL IS HERE--YIPPEE!  I have worn a variation of this outfit every year to school since I was 7!  Ummmm, hmmmm--maybe that's not such a good thing.  Time for a change?  NONSENSE!

I can vividly remember the first time I gave this look a whirl.   <picture it: 1986, me in the 1st grade-blonde high side ponytail, rocking my acid wash denim mini and DIY tie-dye t-shirt made in Brownies>  I should give my actual childhood look a try nowadays, I think acid wash and tie-dye would be rather cool!

But here's my more updated version--after wearing such an outfit for 23years, is it safe to say it's a classic?

*Orange 3/4 sleeve sweater-H&M

*White wifebeater tank-Hanes

*Blue denim skirt-Gap

*Brown suede boots-Carlos Santana (yeah who buys that?)

*Ivory scarf-Old Navy

I just realized, honestly I cannot even describe the way I feel on a day like today.  The gibberish above does my feelings no justice.  I cannot come up with the words.  I seriously really really like Fall and I'm kinda frustrated right now knowing that I can't fully convey my thoughts on it.  All I can say is I am so beyond excitement for the upcoming season; it's nuts!

And don't even get me started on NYC in the Fall--oh, to die for!

Fave Rave

1960s-70s Rock Groupie

Pamela Des Barres

"I'm with the Band" a must read!  In fact, it's Pamela Des Barres whom I stole the term "Fave Rave" from.  Ever since reading this book 2 years ago I can't find a better term to define my attitude and girly giddyness over my favorite things.  And Miss Pamela (or Miss P as she was sometimes known) is one of my very Fave, FAVE RAVES!

She has the power to bring out your inner wannabe rock groupie-all I wanted to do for the next weeks of my life after reading this was channel the awesome styles of her glory days.

Seriously, she is an icon,

the original ROCK GROUPIE.

 And believe me, those girls from back in the day had some serious style.

I'm wanting to whip out some of my vintage 70s threads and get back into that whole look.

I mean, look how demure and cute she looks in this white dress, while alongside a rock god like Jimmy Page.  And not only did she "befriend" him, she managed to snag the likes of Mick Jagger, Waylon Jennings, Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, Chris Hillman, Noel Redding, etc. etc. etc.  Then she went on to date Don Johnson of all people.  And she even managed to wed a freakin FRENCH MARQUIS!

And as if her life was not stylishly fabulous enough, Frank Zappa formed a girl group called the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) in which she was a member.  She also doubled as Moon and Dweezil Zappa's nanny for a little bit of time.  Ah, to pal around with all the people she did, that would be the life.

Needless to say, Pamela Des Barres, was a major inspiration/muse, in the making of "Almost Famous" in which Penny Lane's character is loosely based.

And don't we all wish we had Penny Lane's outfits?  Seriously, that COAT!  THESE BOOTS!  

So yes....the 60s-70s girls of Rock were one stellar bunch of fashion inspiring ladies and I wish to channel their style very soon (perhaps Fall will be the perfect season to do so-when I can layer up, wear some vintage vests, suede jackets, bell bottoms, what have you)

Oh, and just one more noteworthy beauty of that whole scene,

Pattie Boyd!

Gorgeous!

And, who else can say they married both Eric Clapton and George Harrison?

This is soooooo my next read, if I can ever find the time.  I've been dying to give it a looksie!

So go off and channel your inner rockstar lovin self-chase after your fave band, and make sure you look as eclectic and cool as the original groupies of yesteryear!

Lucky for us, looks like Topshop is going to help us suit up perfectly.

Topshop's "MARIANNE" F/W 09 Preview

(so funny because I just received the email with this particular preview in it, and they flat out said they're ready to bring the vibe of the rock groupies from the 70s)  

PERFECT!  

Oh, and I want that coat.