Birthday Vibes

 Frank Jerky and I got together and shot two videos in a day.  It was the first time we were working together and the first time I did any video content.  We had a lot of fun and I look forward to doing more! What do you think about video vs photo content?

Anyway it also happens to be my birthday and to be honest there isn't much for me to ask for.  I've got amazing friends and family that I'm very thankful for, and can only hope to improve myself with another year of great experiences in the books.  Thanks to all who have been a part, big or small! 

Looking forward to the next. 

Thanks to Cutler Salon for giving me a Redken HeatCure treatment- if you have colored (especially highlighted!) or damaged hair, this treatment is amazing.  Hair felt like it was transformed to silk, a contrast from its almost straw-like state after all the bleaching!!   I linked above so you can read about it if you're curious.

xx

Dress - Layana Aguilar

Shoes - Valentino

Hair styling by Hayde Georgakis at Cutler Salon for Redken

Filmed by Frank Jerky 

Returning Home

While I was in Italy, I'd heard about everything that was going on on the other side of the hemisphere.  Though my trip was time I was taking to physically disconnect, I still wanted to be aware of what was happening in the world. So every couple of days, I'd come home at the end of some hours spent exploring, connect back to wifi, and do a brief catch-up on current events.

Most of what I saw during my time away saddened me, much like the way many events have been affecting me lately, and a skip across the ocean couldn't serve as an escape from it.  Nor did I want it to.  I had traveled to this place to rekindle my love with the world we live in and remember how beautiful it is- and of course to find more beauty that I'd never known of.  That, I did.  But I still wanted to be connected.  I didn't want to turn my cheek from the struggles in Puerto Rico, or the fresh news of the senseless acts of a damaged individual in Las Vegas.

This was home, still my world, even 4,000 miles away. 

The thing is, during previous travels, when I turned on the tv, I'd be able to get by without a big story from home that was international breaking news.  I'd be able to continue on and flip through to watch a local comedy with subtitles.  Now, things just seem inescapable. 

As I stood over the Grand Canal and watched gondolas of lovers glide by, I thought about how the very water this city has thrived on for centuries is the same water that had just abruptly taken shelter from thousands back home.

As I stared up at the statues of Psyche & Cupid, and the Three Graces, I'd thought about how humans fought just to live a free life (freedom of emotions, to create, free to think your own thoughts), and now individuals have taken it upon themselves to destroy that very same freedom which one could've only hoped for in the past- and unfortunately, along with that anyone else who these individuals thought might have been living happier lives than their own. 

We live in a world so self absorbed that we think about ourselves all the time (which was necessary to advance the human race this far) yet so socially connected that we are also injecting ourselves into everyone else's business.  Perhaps the problem lies in how we react and handle the information that we discover- which was once private and not shared.  Especially when we don't like what we learn.  Perhaps it is the realization and increased awareness of the fact that people live so differently from ourselves that others cannot handle.

Ironically enough, these hands sculpted by Lorenzo Quinn were created because of his concern regarding global warming and the city of Venice drowning water...

I've been trying focus on the positive lately, but one must be aware of the goings-on of our home and the world as it evolves.  The struggle is in the balance of staying positive while putting energy towards places where we can help to make some kind of progress in a forward direction.  I don't typically write about all of this on here, and I certainly don't have answers, but the current changes are so intense and relevant at the moment that at the very least, our relationships with them need to be addressed, considered, and acted upon.

The underthing trend + Taco Tuesday

Just as I like to double the functionality of a swimsuit, I also enjoy a good bodysuit that can comfortably be worn as a daytime look.  Walking down the street in NYC, one may notice that the once-risqué idea of wearing lingerie and sleepwear as part of an outfit is now a slowly (well, rapidly) flourishing trend.  Sometimes done right, other times a potential disaster.  What defines the line between a trendy, current, and palatable look vs. something reminiscent of Julia Roberts' character pre-Pretty Woman-makeover? How do you turn an underthing into an... outterthing?

Under a pair of relaxed boyfriend jeans and a men's style button-down, my snug-fitting (but incredibly comfortable) CK bodysuit feels balanced and a little less risqué.  Sexy heels complete a look that may might have otherwise been overwhelmed by an abundance of male-counterpart-influenced clothing.  
While I may have borrowed from his closet, the style is mine.

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Of course, I can't be at this place and not have the amazing tacos! It just wouldn't be right.  
And I'm always trying to do the right thing.  

Shoutout to La Esquina & Chef Fabian for being awesome
while making my favorite tacos in this city.  

Photos by Dennis Christians

Beach to Street

Here we are in midsummer and the temps are as high as the sun in midday.  These are the kind of scorching days that cause one to search for shaded cover minutes after being in the sun, when walking feels heavy, and the search for a nearby ice cream shop becomes habitual.  All for some moments of temporary relief from the heat.  

It is during these days that I want to wear...how do I say this- minimal clothing without being inappropriate.  Enter the one-piece and bodysuit trend.  The move toward one-piece swimwear designs that are made for a whole spectrum of body types has lead to an explosion of options that are no longer mundane and frumpy-looking.  In addition, the bodysuit look has grown equally in popularity.  

Take the two trends, and you have an excuse to go from beach-to-street without anyone batting an eye.  One extra-hot 95 degree day, I decided to take my new AdoreMe swimsuit and pair it with denim cutoffs.  I wore my swimsuit as a bodysuit for an outfit I could sport to a rooftop party- and be able to jump into a pool if I had the option.

Swimsuit - AdoreMe
Shorts - Zara
Sandals - Sam Edelman

It was the best way to keep from sweating my face off (ps, not to be gross, but your sweat stains won't show...score), and I love having the option of so many gorgeous swimwear designs now.  All while doubling-up the functionality of my look.
Below are several one-piece options available.  The beautiful suit I'm wearing in the photos is from AdoreMe, and I've listed several more styles below.  I honestly have seen so many cute designs that I keep wanting to get more.  Luckily there are tons of reasonably priced options now, and I've (clearly) found more than a couple of ways to wear them.  So I'm happy to be sharing. 
Staying cool, looking cute, and saving bucks- I call that a triple win!

xx

Undiscovered Greece

Romper - Sabo Skirt
Sandals - Asos
Sunglasses - Spctcl
Bag - Zara

I'm back from a summer break in Greece, and it was undoubtedly beautiful.  I've got much to share, and would like to shed light on places that get less attention, and deserve more appreciation.

We visited several cities, driving from the countryside to the city and then making my way over to the islands that are so famous for their sunsets.  While most of you know of, and have seen plenty of photos of, and/or already visited Santorini, there's another island that holds much history and beauty: the island of Crete.

Upon arriving by ferry to this quietly calm, lush, destination, you feel immediately transformed by the serenity of the island.  Surrounded by clear blue waters, you will not find the signature blue and white architecture of Santorini, rather a natural abundance of vegetation: greens, purples, and pinks lining mountainsides and ancient stone structures.  

We stayed mostly in the port area of Chania, but several other stops are worth a visit.  Day trips to the beach of Elafonisi (which I will share later), or neighboring Rethymno are easily done.  Above is a photo from a castle I visited where much of the old Venetian influence can be seen.  Venetian influence also remains in the many Italian restaurants you pass by, scattered amongst the Greek family businesses. 

For travel, I love a one-piece, which includes packing a few rompers because they're such an easy, effortless look.  I paired this gold one from Sabo Skirt with sandals I got from Asos -- which surprisingly turned out to be super comfortable.  The best pleasant surprise for a shopaholic like myself.  And how cute are they?! I've officially given into the pom-pom adornment trend of the summer.  I've linked the sandals below along with several others to replicate this look.  Oh, and everything I've listed is $60 or less.