Running with Scissors

October 25, 2017

WEARING: SAKU MUSTARD YELLOW LACE TOP | LEVI'S 711 ALTERED SKINNY JEANS | 
FOREVER 21 BURGUNDY FAUX LEATHER ANKLE BOOTS | SEPCOEUR PARIS SUEDE DRAWSTRING BAG

HAIR CUT + COLOR: TAYLOR & DAVID ADAMS FROM FOURTEEN JAY & AVEDA.

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY s a k u New York.

Ever willfully act in a reckless, foolish, and/or dangerous manner? Alluding to the literal act of running with a pair of scissors in one's hand, which can cause severe injury, yet for whatever reason, one keeps running around with 'em and that is without a doubt stupid. But why? Most might say, it's easy. You just don't know any better. You like to live dangerously. Maybe you just don't give a damn and don't want to stop. But I don't think everything is that crystal-clear either though. Sometimes you have to dig deeper in search of the answer as to why. I'd say my blatant honesty are those pair of scissors sometimes, and that first cut can be rather sharp. I am fiery and passionate even impetuous at times, especially when emotions are running high. Especially in matters of the heart.

I'm an all or nothing type of gal. I never half-ass in anything I do, if I'm in it - I am all the way, 100%. This applies to all sorts of relationships, either professional or personal. But those very personal ones? I have to be into you. No, it doesn't have to be a romantic relationship, this also relates to friendships, to even companies/brands I work with. The relationship has to be REAL. And it should go both ways, so if I'm interested in them then it should be equally reciprocated. How else are you going to build what you have together? Is there such a thing as mutual interest though? Or is it always one having a little bit more of an interest than the other? I think that's what makes relationships unique and difficult simultaneously. And when you find those rare, great ones, they're all the more special.

On another scissoring-note, the cut of this ribbed top by s a k u New York is my latest fave! The mustard yellow is not a normal color hanging up in my closet and I am completely obsessed with the lace detail on the front and back end of the top! s a k u New York is one of my favorite Korean clothing brands. The designer, Lissa Koo, never plays it safe - as do I - on top of her talent and creativity. And I think playing it safe in life isn't the best approach either. You've got to be a little reckless and wild to be free. Because it will open you up to so many amazing things! So I say run with those scissors from time to time. Just don't intentionally hurt anyone with them.

Do you ever feel like you've got those pair of scissors around you too? What do you do to get them to 'disappear' and have it more 'together'? Is there a way to do that with a fiery and passionate person like myself? Because I'm pretty difficult to tame... and who's to say frankness is such a terrible trait to have? I'm always saying, so long as you're not hurting yourself or others, I'm fine with it. So scissors, honesty, schmonesty - just don't be deliberate in causing pain. I'd love to hear your insights on today's topic! Comment down below and follow me on Instagram for more of my everyday life. See you guys back here on Friday!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Houndstooth & Charles Bukowski

October 16, 2017

WEARING: VINTAGE MACKINTOSH OVERSIZED HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET |
FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED CUTOUT SHIRT | LEVI'S 711 ALTERED SKINNY JEANS |
EGO NASH BACKLESS ANKLE BOOTS | CHARLES BUKOWSKI WOMEN

I WAS SENTIMENTAL ABOUT MANY THINGS: A WOMAN'S SHOES UNDER THE BED; ONE HAIRPIN LEFT BEHIND ON THE DRESSER; THE WAY THEY SAID, "I'M GOING TO PEE. . ."; HAIR RIBBONS, WALKING DOWN THE BOULEVARD WITH THEM AT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, JUST TWO PEOPLE WALKING TOGETHER; THE LONG NIGHTS OF DRINKING AND SMOKING, TALKING; THE ARGUMENTS; THINKING OF SUICIDE; EATING TOGETHER AND FEELING GOOD; THE JOKES; THE LAUGHTER OUT OF NOWHERE; FEELING MIRACLES IN THE AIR; BEING IN A PARKED CAR TOGETHER; COMPARING PAST LOVERS AT 3AM; BEING TOLD YOU SNORE, HEARING HER SNORE; MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, SONS, CATS, DOGS; SOMETIMES DEATH AND SOMETIMES DIVORCE, BUT ALWAYS CARRYING ON, ALWAYS SEEING IT THROUGH; READING A NEWSPAPER ALONE IN A SANDWICH JOINT AND FEELING NAUSEA BECAUSE SHE'S NOW MARRIED TO A DENTIST WITH AN I.Q. OF 95; RACETRACKS, PARKS, PARK PICNICS; EVEN JAILS; HER DULL FRIENDS, YOUR DULL FRIENDS; YOUR DRINKING, HER DANCING; YOUR FLIRTING, HER FLIRTING; HER PILLS, YOUR FUCKING ON THE SIDE, AND HER DOING THE SAME; SLEEPING TOGETHER. . . .

One of the many passages from writer Charles Bukowski's novel, Women, I always found comfort in his writing. His style flairs in the rawest form of honesty, something that most writers today do not have. The older I become the more I realize how important it is to pull away from the idea of what perfection is supposed to be - straight to its core in every aspect. Bukowski wasn't exactly the nicest of people; a total misogynist, narcissist and straight up alcoholic. Many disliked him, but many like myself saw him as an influence not just in the realm of writing. So in today's post I'm sharing with you five things I've learned from one of my favorite American writers.

HONESTY

Writers have so many things they can’t write about: family, spouses, exes, children, jobs, bosses, colleagues, friends. That’s why they make stuff up. Fiction is their best friend. But Bukowski didn’t let himself get hampered by that so we see real brutal honesty, a real anthropological survey of being down and out for 60+ years without anything being held back. No other writer before or since has done that. For a particular example, see his novel, Women which detailed every sexual nuance of every woman who dared to sleep with him after he achieved some success. Most of these women were horrified after the book came out. It's actually one of my favorite books written by Bukowski and the beginning excerpt of this post is from Women. Sure he talks badly about most of the experiences he has had with women, but what I really love about it is the cold hard dose of reality that comes with any relationship: disappointment, pain, heartache... love... and the way he is so candor about some of the more intimate parts of life. Think about it, would you find it easy or rather difficult talking about your personal relationships through the written word?

DISCIPLINE

Imagine coming home from an awful day at work and arguing with a woman/man that was living with you, finishing off a six-pack of beer and then... writing. He did it every day. Most people want to write that novel, or finish that painting, or start that business, but have zero discipline to actually sit down and do it. I'm actually amazed he had any sort of discipline at all. With that kind of work ethic, it just goes to show that if you truly love what you're doing, it will supersede the rest. (Even through the potent powers of alcohol!) In order to be a writer, you must really love to write and you must write every single day. Easy to say, but so tough to do. I, myself, also write every day, but I'm not going to lie, there are some pretty bad days where I just want to throw my typewriter out the window. But you keep at it, because it's all you know, it's all you have and without the written word, you feel like you could die. That's how Bukowski felt too.

SHAMELESSNESS

Bukowski didn't give a rat's ass what people thought about him. And I praise him for that. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and am always second-guessing myself. I sometimes wish I could throw caution to the wind and really have that mentality of 'no f*cks given' at all times. But when feeling extra down, my insecurities tend to get the best of me. Learning the art of not caring what people think takes time and experience, I think. But I've always admired those who really didn't worry about the opinions of others - because it's not as easy as it looks. It can be cleverly hidden in so many different ways.

POETRY

Bukowski was quite the poet. And it's all non-fiction, which to me, is the best part. It's not the puzzle-kind of poetry where you have to intellectually decode it to understand it. His work was straight to the point. Poetry was something that let writers to master making each word in a sentence effective and powerful. It was this training that allowed them to destroy the competition when they sat down to write their longer pieces. That's how I also got started in writing. In fact, the first two pieces I ever had published were actually poems I wrote as a young teenager. It was only after these publications that I really started to consider becoming a writer.

PERSISTENCE

The man wrote his first novel at age 49. And it took him over 25 years to become a successful writer. Everyone (mostly everyone) nowadays wants instant gratification. Less and less are understanding what it takes to become one of the greats. I find that when most figure out how long or how much dedication/work will be required to reach whatever goal you may have, most tend to give up before even reaching that halfway mark. And Bukowski was far from perfect and yet still managed to become what he wanted to become. So if he could stay persistent despite all the misfortunes and misgivings life can bring, he still kept plugging away and never gave up. And to me, that's what makes the heart of any champion...

LOVE & XX'S,

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Faux Leather Biker Chic

October 9, 2017

WEARING: ZAFUL ZIPPERED FAUX LEATHER BELTED MINI DRESS | 
FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED CUTOUT SHIRT | ANGELINA SHOETIQUE OTK BOOTS | 
LEVI'S WINTER WOOL BERET | FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED ROUND GLASSES | 
ROSEGAL SILVER BEAD HOOPS | ALLES FRINGE BUCKET BAG

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZAFUL.

A gloomy, rainy day doesn't exactly set the perfect tone to start any week, does it? But whenever I'm feeling a bit down and out, I just continue on and keep doing me. It doesn't matter the amount of pressure I receive on a daily basis, either work-related, personally and/or more, I'm not a quitter and I refuse to let anyone that I know or do not know, to make me feel anything less than worthy. I have come a long fucking way and to those who think they know anything about me, YOU DON'T. You don't know the half of it, and to the ones who do and have never left my side, with full support and no judgment, I thank you and I love you. I have endured and survived through so much shit in my life. I should have died at least three times already, but by the stroke of luck (or hopefully) for some greater purpose, I'm still here standing. And I'm here for a reason, goddamnit. Excuse the language today, but I never said I was all ladylike and ish.

So in today's outfit post, I'm presenting my bad-ass self in a biker-chic inspired look completely made out of faux leather. I was really inspired by Moschino's SS18 collection and all of the 'butch' ballerina vibes straight off the runway and wanted to create a similar style pertaining to my own from this inspiration. The zippered, belted mini dress can be worn in all sorts of ways: unzipped/zipped with or without a shirt, layered with one, or without the suspenders, and more. But for this look, I went with a black and white color scheme to keep it fresh and clean. I think other colored shirts would appear just fine as well when it comes to the layering game but I don't always feel vibrant or colorful. I love that about fashion. You can look the way you feel in colors, textures, shapes and more. And whenever I feel more of my weaknesses rather than my strengths, I also will dress more like a baddie to feel more confident and secure. Trust me, an outfit like this can go a long way, even when you're feeling like crap. (Physically, emotionally... perhaps both.)

To accessorize the look, I wore my favorite hat at the moment. I'm indecisive as to grow out my bangs or not, so for days where I'm not feeling them as much, I just put on a hat and keep moving forward. I wanted to give it a little European edge and a hat can help do just that! My bag is from Alles Bags, and this fringe bucket bag is definitely a staple in my closet. I've had this baby for a little over a year and I still can't get enough of it, it's such a wonderful bag! To keep with the faux leather from the dress, I wore a pair of faux leather over the knee boots from Angelina Shoetique. I actually wore these bad boys during last February's NYFW on the first day when there was a blizzard outside. I trekked in these throughout the day and THANK GOD for them. They're super comfortable, giving me a tiny extra height from the platform sole, and are just so bad ass! I secretly feel like a superhero when I wear them, and how can that ever be a bad thing?

What do you like to wear when feeling extra insecure or down in the dumps? Are you more of a sweatpants kind of gal that would rather stay in or do you like to dress up a little more into something extravagant or in character and go out? I'm in between. Sometimes I really enjoy being alone when feeling this way, but I also believe that sometimes, no matter how shitty your circumstance might be, you just gotta dress up and show up. As my father always used to say, keep on keeping on. And to anyone that wants to directly or indirectly (you might as well say it straight to my face because I'm fucking fearless, so watch out) try and bring me down, here's the bird for you. Have a nice day and don't forget, I'm not doing any of this for anyone but me. Don't seek validation from others, seek it within yourself. Having a rough day like myself? Leave your comments down below and let's hear how your day/week/month has been.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Zaful Zippered Faux Leather Belted Mini Dress

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New Level

October 6, 2017

WEARING: NATIVE YOUTH GRAY LONGLINE COAT | DETROIT TIGERS BASEBALL CAP | 
LEVI'S INDIGO PERFECT POCKET TEE | ZAFUL SIDE STRIPED VELVET PANTS | 
PUMA CLYDE SNEAKERS | KYBOE! WATCH | FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED ROUND GLASSES

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZAFUL.

This week has been just been crazy with a lot of ups and downs so in return, I'm sharing a new editorial street style post... video included, definitely with no f*cks given. Most fashion content I create is polished, intended styled looks but what I realized is I've never really shown you what I wear when I'm just bummin' around the hood, runnin' errands, shootin' photos or kickin' it on my rooftop. I thought I'd show you a side of me most don't get a chance to see! There's definitely a 'hardness' to my style at times, especially when my mood has been the way it has been this week: Fed up AF but still taking it like a champ and putting in that work. Come take a look for yourself and continue reading more about that Detroit style that'll never cease to fade away in me... it runs through like blood.

When I think of Detroit style it's definitely not feminine, soft or uber chic. It's got grunge, soul, punk, rock n roll and a whole lot of street. The first time I picked up an issue of Vogue (US) I was in my teens and couldn't pronounce half of the designers featured in the magazine, and there was something even back then that made me fascinated about the fashion world but because of where I came from and who I was, I never really embraced the industry until recent years. Everyone has their own journey when it comes to personal style, but I believe what sets the foundation of what your style really is where you've originated; your own backstory will help mold you and constantly interchange you and your style.

So I really enjoy mixing the better of both worlds I've been involved in and continue to be in. I think staying in one box, one style is playing it safe and gets boring after a while. Let your style have its own voice and let it run its mouth! Inspire others to express how they're vibing through their style. In today's post, I've created two different looks with just one change from each outfit and that's outerwear. Outerwear can really set the tone of a look. For example, this Native Youth longline coat gives me a bigger and bolder statement, looking a tad more luxurious than in the second look. The second look is with a more preppy but ghetto vibe. One can be both, trust me! I took one of the oldest Nike sweatshirts I own and cut the sleeves to give it fringe and added toughness to it. I styled it over my shoulders as well as around my waist.

Check out my YouTube video down below or HERE to watch all the different looks going on while still maintaining the same overall vibe. I've also revamped my YouTube Channel and gave it a more polished look, so let me know what you guys think. And don't forget to subscribe while you visit my channel! Shop directly down below and feel free to leave me a comment on what you thought of today's post and how you like to express yourself through style! Have a great weekend, everyone. Take care of each other and yourselves and don't ever stop believing in the good in people, hope and most importantly, LOVE. :)

LOVE & XX'S,

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Hot Pink Parisian

October 2, 2017

WEARING: FOREVER 21 HOT PINK RIBBED SWEATER-KNIT CROP TOP | 
LEVI'S 711 ALTERED SKINNY JEANS | ASSEMBLY NEW YORK STANDARD BLACK BELT COAT | 
FOREVER 21 BURGUNDY FAUX LEATHER ANKLE BOOTS | LEVI'S WINTER WOOL BERET | 
BRAHMIN ANDESITE GABRIELLA MELBOURNE BAG | FOREVER 21 OVERSIZED ROUND GLASSES

Hot Pink Parisian Chic! Since Paris Fashion Week, I've been getting all the feels (and a MAJOR desire) to not just visit ole' Paree but to dress like one! One of my biggest inspirations when it comes to that effortless Parisian chic style is the iconic Caroline de Maigret. Her laid back but rock n roll look (not to mention she's basically married to a rock star, and how incredibly hot is that?!) always brings me inspiration when it comes to my own style. But fashion is not supposed to be one main thing. And so begins the story of this hot pink sweater-knit crop top from Forever 21. No, this is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to share with you a look that mixes different pieces together that can be affordable but still giving you that Parisian chic vibe including some 90s vibes up in here! Continue reading to hear about why I HAD to style this colorful top and how you can get this look too!

The other day I had run into a Forever 21 store just to look and de-stress from hours of burning holes into my eye sockets from the computer screen. To others like myself, this means editing your life away... am I right?! I had taken my usual lap around the store before going upstairs to see what other stuff they had. One of the first things that caught my eye was this hot pink sweater-knit crop top. It's velvet, soft to the touch and looked oh so cute. BUT. One, I'm not a pink-wearing type of gal and two, crop tops are not typically in my wardrobe. So initially, I walked away from it. But even after a whole day of not being able to stop thinking about that damn top, I was finally convinced to go back and get it!

I'm sure many of you ladies can relate. And it's a sure sign to go back and get whatever it is that you can't stop thinking about (so long as you don't break the bank hardcore with what you can afford, ha ha!) Got to trust that first gut instinct too. If you're in awe of a piece right away, it may be a good sign to at least try it on. Other pieces I had to have are these oversized round sunglasses that are so 90s retro and these comfy burgundy patent faux leather ankle boots. I think each accessory fits well with the beret (it's from Levi's of all places!) I love that it's wool material because that means I can wear it through the winter season as well! My jeans are also from Levi's, and more specifically are style 711 altered skinny jeans. I love the long-lined seams in the back along with how comfortable they are to move around in.

My staple fall coat is this black one from Assembly New York. I've had it for a couple of years now and I still wear it every fall/winter season. I love how classic it is, also made out of wool, and the beautiful cuts of the coat along with the long belt. I think it goes well with the ensemble, no? And you can still wear crop tops when it gets chillier, especially with a bad boy like this on you! ;) What are some of your favorite ways to mix in summer-like pieces into your fall wardrobe?

I really wanted to style this Forever 21 top not only for how much I love it but because it's something outside of what I normally wear. The most vibrant color I have the most in my closet is probably red (Hello, Aries.) but I think adding a few pieces here and there and trying stepping away from your comfort zone is always a good thing. It's how you will learn and grow, even if it's not always a hit. Because we're all going through hits & misses, what do you think? I'd love to hear how you try and elevate your styles! Whether it's adding more refined, high-end pieces, or trying something new, or both, what do you think works for you?