It's Knot as Simple as it Looks

Hi there everyone!

It's Memorial Day Weekend here in the States, today being Memorial Day! Today is a day to take time to think about the numerous people who have served in the military and died during their time of service. In an almost ironic way, this weekend also represents the unofficial beginning of summer (which has been adequate due to the recent surge in heat taking place here on the East Coast at least). Many people only think about the celebrations, barbecues, and opening of all pools, beaches, and water parks during this time, but time should be taken out to think about the fact that thousands of people have died in order for us to be able to enjoy these very things from the time of the Civil War (where the origination of the holiday derives from). I personally have not had the experience of knowing someone who served and died in service nor am I really an advocate for the use of military forces and such (though other options appear difficult in this day and age), but simply knowing that there are people out there who have makes me stop and think about it. If you haven't yet, I ask that you do so now before proceeding, especially if there is someone who in your life who has served in their time and is no longer here.

This past Friday, I came up with an outfit that at first felt like I was intending to go to the beach but was actually just going to school so I turned it from beachy cute to city cute!

 

Afterwards, I decided to tone things down as I was going to give my hair some TLC at a salon as well as see some family so I traded in some of my accessories to bring about this look:

I've seen knotting as a big trend this season and not too long ago, I loved to knot my shirts so I decided to jump right back to it. This shirt fits me rather lengthy, as do many others due to my tiny torso, so it definitely helps to make the shirt fit me better as well as to lengthen how it looks. The key to showing a little tummy without it looking inappropriate is the balance the shortened top with a lengthy bottom, so I wore my long prairie skirt (though I guess it's now called a maxi skirt? Prairie was the look a few years back you know), though sadly it had a hole but I instead of sewing it I may take out the bottom tier and use it as a bandeau or head wrap (stay tuned for that!).

For the first look, I added class to it by adding my red patent heels, doubled pearl necklace and coral floral (it rhymes!) headband. Since my hair was messy, I flipped it to the side to give it some sort of structure. I went bare-faced as there was plenty going on with the look and I didn't want to look overbearing.

For the second look, I switched the heels for cream flats with a bow upon them, the pearls for my long-chained heart locket, and the floral headband for my white floppy hat. I also added a bunch of cute and colorful charm bracelets. This altered it from something suitable for wandering in the city to something more relaxed and easy without losing the appeal of the look. What makes this fantastic is how versatile the basics of the outfit are!

Throughout the weekend I had a few other outfits for bbqs and wandering around but I decided to show this one to give an example of how versatile an outfit can be and how having the right accessories can really transform a look. Also, I unintentionally used the colors of our flag, almost (so the shade of blue was off--I wasn't intending to use that blue as I wanted to look fit for summer, though maybe it would have worked...).

What do you think of this outfit x2? How do you switch up an outfit to suit different occasions? Do you have any go to accessories in order to do so? Or do you have a specific outfit choice you know you can easily transition? How did you spend your Memorial Day Weekend if you're in the States, or if not, did you do anything special this past weekend to prepare for summer?

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

I Party Anytime, Every Time!

Hi there everyone!

I went to Forever 21 towards end of December last year during the first snowstorm wearing my Christmas gift (a jacket) and some heels and picked up quite a few things, one of them being a beautiful dress that was on sale. Sadly, though, I had been awaiting the perfect occasion to wear it, specifically a spiffy party of some sort. I never quite found that time and have had it hanging behind my door while I wore practically every other dress I could find. As the weather shot up today, though, with the chance of rain still looming over the sunshine, I decided that the party I had been waiting for had arrived! The following outfit came about:

**Dress: Twelve by Twelve (Forever 21); Belt: Vintage; Boots: Route 66 (K-mart); Socks: Merona (Target); Bag, Bracelet, and Necklace: Gifted

I toned the formality of the dress by pairing it with green accessories, as green and purple pair up fantastically. By using different hues such as yellow-green and jade, the spectrum tones down the dress for daytime. As more rain was predicted for the day, I usually resort to my boots to hold me out for the day but also saw that as they were black, they played well with the black lace and slight fringe of the dress. Lastly, I had my oatmeal socks peek out a bit to add a bit of strategic dishevelment to the overall look and kept the number of accessories at a few so as not to appear overbearing.

Continuing on that, I styled my hair into a messy side braid (which only got messier throughout the day thanks to the humidity) and accented with a shiny lime green scrunchy.

Makeup was also kept light by doing a slight smoky-eye by using "Nude Beach" and "Cocoa Puff" from the Too-Faced Natural Eye Palette. Lips were also kept neutral with a slight hint of nude pink.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you find that the dress works well for daytime or should only be kept for special events? How would you take a dress meant for special occasions or nighttime and translate it for day wear?

Party everyday, just not too hard! :)

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

The Rocker & The Romantic Flowers

Hello everyone! Hope y'all had a fantastic weekend!

With my mini break about to end as soon as it started, I made sure to take a day out to simply enjoy myself and that I did with none other than my beloved best friend! Though some were worried about the Rapture on Saturday and others were laughing about it, we took the day to enjoy it like any other Saturday (though we did take time to join the "final countdown" as you can see me in mid-count below-- queue music).

Other than that, though, we just wandered around downtown fantasizing about our ideal futures as well as getting approached by the strangest of people, so much more than usual that I had to mention it here! Regardless we enjoyed our day, and of course, looked nothing less than fabulous!

Michelle looked beautiful in her floral strapless top paired with olive shorts. What I love is that she amped this up to a fantastic look with one simple thing: leather! The jacket and boots (whose chains definitely solidify the look) give what could have been a really feminine outfit some edge. The big shades definitely give her a cool look overall but when those came off, you got to see her beautiful light pink eyeshadow with some black eyeliner, maintaining the soft-yet-edgy look going in every way! Lastly, she finished off with simple, sleek, straight hair with an added cute headband. Ain't she just a doll?!

I have taken up wearing my Forever 21 dress as a skirt, as I find it easier to pair up with what I own, but instead of going for an edgier look like last time, I worked with the feminine look that comes with a tiered piece with little florals in between and added this lacy pastel multi-colored top, which also had its own floral designs beneath all that lace. As if it didn't end there, I wore my white American Eagle for Payless flats, which, surprise surprise(!), had florals decorating it (though the constant showers caused them to get dirty but flowers aren't as pristine as clothing makes them out to be so no big deal--I will be cleaning them, though)! With all that going on, I kept the accessories low-key with my vintage black necklace along with a silver necklace I added my Code Geass Geass charm to (which if you haven't seen, do so immediately!!!) as well as a few rings and my Forever 21 wide studded stretch belt. Oh, and of course, my beloved rhinestone bow sunnies and vintage backpack! I went with a clean face and had a messy high bun to finish off the look.

So which of these two floral looks would you take up? Do you have a piece you constantly alter to suit your tastes? How did you spend your time during "The Rapture?"

Have a fantastic week everyone and truly enjoy each and every day! No one can so easily predict the end of the world so make sure that you make the best of each day, not to ensure where you will end up in your afterlife, but so that your actual life is one you enjoyed living. At one point in time, I did the complete opposite of this, but now, I do my best to find a reason to smile and find the good in each day. It definitely does the soul some good. :)

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

When You Bite It In the Street, Stand Up and Walk on with a Smile

Hi everyone!

I've remained focus on school this past semester as it was my first semester in college without holding down a job as well, which definitely has its pros and cons. I don't like being very reliant on my parents (and the feeling is pretty mutual) so I've been off in search of a new job for some time now. Today I went to two fantastic stores downtown, Madewell and Anthropologie, and applied. For the latter, I even participated in a group interview! Now I'm waiting to hear back from both while also prepping for my summer course beginning next week. As these stores are both very stylish but because I knew I was having at least one interview, I wanted a formal yet trendy outfit and put together the following:

Last week I posted on how the pencil skirt serves as an essential in a lady's closet and mentioned how it is versatile piece for both work and play, play having been my theme then. For my mission today, I thought not only would it be perfect for me to wear but it would also provide an excellent chance how I'd style it for the purpose of work! Pulling this look together came with ease as I took some pieces from another outfit I wore, surprisingly, to an outing 2 weeks ago, once again, to Pacha NYC (Calvin Harris was DJ for the night and if you haven't heard him before, definitely check him out!).

As you can see, I used this Peter Pan blouse that has some cute cap sleeves and shows some midriff as well as my peep-toe Madden Girl platform heels. In order to tone it down from a "fun night out" outfit to an "interview appropriate" one, the pencil skirt does well with the blouse due to its high rise and covers up the midriff, making it a perfect match with its cream color and while it appears formal, it is very cute. The shoes, with their mauve color, add more to the black and white. I also added the orange belt at the waist to break the top and bottom apart as well as add some springtime pop to the look. I added no additional accessories as the outfits use of colors as well as the silky, wrinkly texture of the blouse are enough to make it stand alone.

For makeup: I feel bad I don't recall where I heard this tip (if I find the source, I'll be sure to mention them right away) but it was that gold eyeshadow can actually help to diminish the sight of those little strays around your eyebrow and since I don't plan on going to get mine done till next Monday, this was tremendously useful. I put it on the entire lid and brow bone ("Honey Pot" from the Two-Faced Natural Eye Palette) and added Heaven over it on the lid to subdue the intensity a bit, as I didn't want my makeup to look too extreme. On the lips I added my Tiki Tiki Pink by Milani for an added cuteness and color but again, nothing that would have seemed inappropriate.

For hair: Thanks to yesterday's downpour my hair has become a bit of a mess so I decided to go with a bun but instead of the usual neat one placed right in the middle, I opted for a messy side bun for a personable yet cleaned up look. NOTE: It's always good to go to an interview with your hair pulled back somehow; interviewers want to see the person their interviewing, not how fantastic their hair is.

What do you think of this look? If you weren't convinced about the goodness of a pencil skirt, how about now? What is your go-to outfit for a guaranteed hire during an interview?

Also, the reason for the title is because as I was about to cross the street on my way to Madewell, I somehow tripped and fell right onto the street and scuffed my right hand and left knee. New Yorkers are pretty well known for just walking on by when something happens and I'm sure there was laughter among a few bystanders (can't blame them), but I stood up and made sure my outfit was unharmed when a lady came and asked if I was okay and went on to compliment my outfit and wished me luck (I had quickly mentioned that I was on my way to an interview and how it was not a good forewarning). I cleaned up my boo-boos, though, and continued walking like I wasn't even phased by what happened and remained focused. Oh, and I made sure to smile when I got to my destinations (very important to do during the application/interviewing process)! I even enjoyed the vibrant, off-beat beauty that is SoHo:

Keep your fingers crossed for me everyone! If any of you are in the hunt for a job, I'll keep you all in mind as well!

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

Nails Looking so Peachy These Days

Hi everyone!

I have skipped out on giving myself a mani for quite some time as due to excessive exposure to the acetone from constant color changes, my nails began to suffer some serious damage; so I let them do their own thing (with exception to the occasional snips and filing) until they were back to their original state. That was a while ago but I need to take my time when it comes to doing my nails, thanks to my awfully shaky hands, and tonight, with the rain a-pouring outside and while sitting cozy underneath my blanket after doing work around the home in the day as well as prepping for my final day of finals tomorrow, I gave myself a much needed manicure that lauded the following result:

I used this Peach color by Forever 21's "Love & Beauty" collection from when I last went shopping there. Perfect for spring, this soft color looks simple yet so lovely. It definitely carries a romantic feel to it. Also, it's definitely ideal with anything and everything! This may be my favorite nail lacquer within my collection thus far so definitely expect it to be seen on my digits this spring and summer.

As for preventing the damage, I checked some info out before actually painting the color on, specifically how to manage to remove it without acetone and avoiding the damage. I came across this answer, a rather intriguing one and one I wasn't too sure of trying out, until I saw the following response to someone's question on avoiding nail damage by the user amazonian:

Actually, acetone-based polish remover is really much less damaging to the nail than non-acetone versions. It removes polish much more quickly and efficiently. (I use pure acetone for glitter polish.)

After you remove polish, wash your hands, and apply and massage cuticle oil over the cuticle and nail. Let it soak in. Wait for maybe a half hour before you again wash your hands and apply fresh polish.

Be sure to use a high quality strengthener as a base coat. My fave is OPI Nail Envy. Also, use a glass (crystal) nail file. Regular sand files can cause splitting and peeling. Buffing is good too, but do it very, very sparingly, as overbuffed nails will be thin and weak.

I know this is a lot more info, but there is a lot more to do with the health of your nails then just the polish remover! 

Very useful information, no? What's your color of choice for you little piggies this season (both for your fingers and toes)? For the gents, are you cool with painting your nails and would you/do you?

Also, if you haven't checked out the "Love & Beauty" Nail Polishes, do so now! I have quite a few of them and they I find them to be a pretty good line, with an exceptionally affordable price!

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

Last Day of Class...& I'm Still Confused? Nah!!

Hi y'all!

This past Tuesday was my last day of class for the semester! Woo! It won't be a very long break for me personally as I'll be taking a summer course right after my finals are over but a break is a break and I sure could use one. For my last day, I wanted to really dress well but also have a little fun with my difficult-to-hide excitement boiling within so I put together the following:

Something about a fitted skirt or dress makes me instantly go into a rockabilly-inspired mood!

A pencil skirt is such an excellent staple in a woman's wardrobe because it is a versatile piece that's great for work and fun; exactly what I needed for the day. Were I to be heading for an interview or an event requiring a business look or if I just wanted to have a more serious look for the day, I'd pair this with a button-down of any color or pattern (the plain black of the skirt makes that kind of possibility available). Since my intent was to be a little more playful, though, I opted for a fun graphic tee instead! I chose this one, though due to the hi-waisted fit of the skirt it cut off the phrase a little, which actually says "I'm Confused...No Wait Maybe Not," because of the fact it is black with really colorful, practically neon(!) print (probably the most neon I'll go for at once).

As I said, I always get a feel for the rockabilly style of the 50's so I added these chunky-heeled peep-toed platforms with a skull print all over along with my leather jacket. I also added this simple heart necklace that carried the same sky blue shade as the beginning of the shirt's rainbow-colored print and some fun little colorful bracelets with butterflies, stars, and flowers. The pink of the shirt got covered up by the skirt so I substituted it with my pink purse.

The skirt reminds me of a librarian at times so I added a simple yet wavy ponytail. Originally my eyes carried the colors of the shirt but in a softer tone with some added shimmer but some of it faded away rather quickly since I don't have an eye primer just yet. Due to all that color, though, I added my nude-pink lipstick before I began to look eccentric.

What do you think of this outfit? For the ladies, do you have a pencil skirt and how do you make it work? How are you with neon colors (personally it's not a fave)? How are you winding down from school? Are you excited for the summer?! Are you still confused (I hope not!)?

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna

Hot Wheels Aren't Just for Boys!

Hello hello world!

I've spoken plenty about how I was a tomboy when I was an itty bitty kiddie and what's a tomboy without her racing cars?! While other little girls were fawning over their Barbies and baby dolls, I kept my eyes open for amazing cars by Hot Wheels! I remember going to McDonald's after a long day at the Barnes & Noble at Union Square (where I definitely spent a good portion of my life in and still do) and whenever they would have either Barbie or Hot Wheels accompany a Happy Meal, I made sure I looked as boyish as possible so that I was guaranteed a Hot Wheels car. If they somehow noticed that I was a girl, though, I'd just ask to get the toy exchanged (but I have always disliked asking questions which is why I tried to avoid it as much as I could).

As I grew up, though, the cars got passed along to my younger brother, who has built up an incredible collection since then, and I set my eyes on things like Kingdom Hearts, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. While I worked at Kmart, though, I was browsing their wares one night and found my eyes stuck on this Hot Wheels shirt for the ladies and there were no hesitations in that purchase! I've worn it dozens of times and what I love is that it fits so well and gives the tough Hot Wheels a feminine touch (or gives the female wearing it a tougher look?).

 

I paired it with some grey skinny jeans (which I swear was blue when I first got them but I'm not complaining--saves me money from buying an actual pair of grey ones lol) and a heather grey boyfriend blazer and my beloved red pumps. I chose these pieces because they accentuate the female form well along with the shirt but with the loose fit that comes with a boyfriend blazer, polishes it up some while giving it a laid back appeal simultaneously.

Hair and makeup followed suit with a hint of rosiness on the lips while keeping the rest of my face clean and my hair loose and in its confused curly-wavy state but pinned back at the top to change it up a bit.

What do you think of this outfit? Were you a Hot Wheels kid or a Barbies kid or neither? What was your favorite toy as a child (books count too!)? Are there ways you incorporate your childhood loves into your adult life? Have your jeans ever changed color on you (hope I'm not alone on this one)?

VAROOM!!  (lol I just had to!)

Hasta Luego!

Love,

Little Luna