The more I move, the more I write. Words come with each step I make and each train I take. I love you all for showing me you and letting me be me. I’ll never put down this pen; ever again.
♥
This post is dedicated to my recent discovered treasures; both in fashion and in friendship.
♥
How often is it that we find the perfect fit? We are sometimes lucky enough to be blessed with this rare occurrence. We search for those perfect pair of shoes. You know, those shoes that look great and feel like slippers. Were always on the hunt for that next pair of favorite jeans. Those “made for you” jeans. Or that one hat that hugs you like a fitted.
You fall in love quick with the perfect fit. You never want to leave it’s side. It’s your new bestie. And when you find it, the connection is instant. You are magnetically drawn to it and hear it click. You are there in the mirror with it half way on and you just know.
As a child, my sister always told me to try things because I might like it. “How do you know if you haven’t tried it?” We must try everything on for size. Some initial encounters are misleading. We judge from a far. We look at a dress on its hanger but we’re reluctant to give it a chance. We judge people by the way they look or sound, never considering for a moment that they might be that shoulder we lean on in the future.
So, with life like a puzzle and fashion like a rubik’s cube, we search. We search for beauty. We try to find peace. We seek seamless connections to people, to things and to ourselves. We crave that perfect fit to everything from our clothes to our relationships and all throughout our lives.
This need is universal. Were in this constant effort to make things right. We rearrange to find perfection. As I write this, I scan my living room and I can’t ignore the desperate need to move the furniture to make it fit in the room better; be more symmetrical; make more visual sense. Some spaces, some outfits and some relationships are more challenging than others. They need adjusting. But should we keep forcing when it just doesn’t fit? Isn’t it so much easier to just take away. Remove from the picture. Clean up the space. Simplify.
I question if we push aside our desire to find the right fit? Do we ignore it and simply settle for less? Regardless, well always be on a mission to find that snug size. We’ll always search for a friend who can finish our sentences. Or hope to come across that lover who we are chemically drawn to so we can experience that flawless kiss. Or we keep talking so we can have that one conversation that sounds like a perfect melody. It exists but it’s rare. And when it finds you, you don’t want to let it go. You have no choice but to embrace it. You become involuntarily attached to what fits you. It’s magic when life hands you a hat that hugs you like a fitted. All we can do is keep our eyes open, so we don’t miss the perfect size.
♥
As I was working on this post, I found a strange parallel to Bill Cunningham’s recent “On the Street” topic. Was Bill and I on the same wavelength? Oh, how I wish!
E train westbound-finally the words come-like sudden hunger-do not hold the doors- but,
Hold me close
Hover over me to protect me
Never let me go too far
Keep me on a leash
But give it some slack
But only sometimes
Have me wait
But not too long
Have me cry
But not too hard
Make the pleasure
Overpower the pain
Make there be a balance
Does it always have to be a choice
Between surrender and control?
Keep going
And never give up on me
Love me always
Till the end
Never stop telling me
Never stop believing in it
Fight for me
Defend me
Always stand behind me
Listen to me
Tell me what’s right
Be truthful
Don’t deceive me
Keep secrets
But not to hurt me
Don’t try to replace me
Don’t think there’s better
Don’t shed light onto my flaws
Embrace my imperfections
Grab me but be gentle
But not too gentle
Can you find the balance?
Can you get to my heart?
Can you peal the layers?
Do you want it?
Do you care?
Do you dream it?
Do you imagine it in your mind?
Does it keep you up at night?
Does it haunt you?
Will it be the air you breathe?
Will it be you?
Will it be me?
Will it?
Can it?
Show it
Tell it
Cherish it
Never forget it
Suffer for it
Worry
Wonder
Want
No matter how hard we to try to be original, all art is somewhat borrowed. We all have images of our icons stained in our memory. It may be subconscious to want to copy or imitate. But we all do it on some level. And if you’re reading this saying, “not me”, then think hard about that one entertainer that you always looked up to or even just a friend who you admire. Yup, you’re guilty too.
Fashion is fleeting but flattery is forever. Trends, like most things in life, come and go. I got to thinking about this after reading about Ms. Nicki Minaj in the Sunday Style section of The Times this week. Going over her timeline of success, I thought about who we are before we are our current selves. What brings us to that you of today? Does suffering drive out the artist in all us? Or maybe just pure hunger to be more of who we look at in the mirror. It always fascinates me when I discover the fuel behind the fire. It’s mentioned that Nicki imitated Lil Kim. Of course she was inspired by her! Nicki, like all of us, is striving for success. Being an artist she’s searching for her distinct voice. What defines her? And what helps us create this image more than our inspiration? So, big deal that she borrowed…a little! Kim should be honored that a young up and coming starlet is following in her footsteps. Not only did she follow, but she traveled beyond.
Now, Nicki is gracing the covers of magazines like W and possibly Vogue this year. She’s attending Carolina Herrera fashion shows as Anna Wintour’s plus one. I don’t’ know about anyone else, but THAT inspires me! There’s nothing like knowing entertainment’s “it girl” is just like you and me. She was just a regular girl from Queens, trying to be somebody. She was a New York born gal, just like Lady Gaga, who used her own backyard to make her dream come true. If we could all use our city of dreams to build our own little empires, this would be one sweet city.
“I’ve always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn’t be. I thought, ‘If I’m successful, I can change her life.’”
– Nicki Minaj
press play for a little dose of daily inspiration…
Gulp…Breathe….HELLO everyone!!! It’s been a year. Yes, I know. Whew! It took me days to write this homecoming entry. One thing you’ll learn about me is I may just up and leave unexpectedly, but I’m never too far away.
You may have been wondering what happened. Has she not seen beauty to write about? Has she given up on the search for beauty in the world? Has she gone broke and can’t shop anymore? None of the above. Actually, this year has had beauty in every turn. I’ve combed this desert in my Guess stilettos. I’ve driven down the coast in my leg warmers and hoody-literally. I’ve met inspiring minds. I’ve been loved by the warmest of hearts. I’ve been touched by destruction. I’ve loved. I’ve lost. I’ve been set free.
There is an indescribable beauty in the center of destruction. There is a calm in the center of a hurricane. How impossible does it seem to find stable ground in the eye of the storm? Maybe it’s nature of the beast. We kick into survival mode and stumble upon beauty organically. Now that the year has come to a close, the clarity of my mind is remarkable. Something surprisingly lit my fire. It sparked my inspiration. I finally decided it was time to start writing again. Someone recently told me that creativity is not a constant flow. Sometimes we take breaks. We collect info. We record in our minds. And then we eventually put all those thoughts to work.
There have been so many surprises around each corner these days. They turn and bump into me and mentally knock me over. They are bigger than signs. They are bright, like a Dior pallet of Summer eye shadows. They are loud answers! And I’m finally listening. Even though I’ve been out of sight, I’m still the girl you all know. I will always wear my signature bangle bracelets. I will continue to over accessorize. I am always on the hunt for the perfect shoe sale. I’ll never let go of my love for makeup and fashion. And I’ll never give up my search for beauty in the world…on any and all levels.
Now here I am, back in the nook. I will live to tell the tale of how I came home. I will find the most perfect of words so you can get the truest sense of this story. I’m in the process of drafting up a few pieces. Hopefully, you will all welcome me back into your minds.
Until then my dear beauties…I just came to say hello.
♥♥please press play above and listen while you read♥♥
Dearest my beauties,
Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written. I’ve been caught up in the wind…busy changing clothes and rearranging my wardrobe of my life.
♥
Certain circumstances can force us to change. Unpredictable weather can bring on unseasonable outfits. Weather, much like life, fluctuates. How do we plan ahead when we don’t know what the day will bring? Is anything really guaranteed? Is the sun going to shine tomorrow? Or will surprise rain storms affect our choices and day-to-day commitments?
The power of timing always amazes me. Things can truly change in a split second. What your life is right now may not be that way in a month or a week or even a day. With time changing so quickly things, can become rearranged. As a true Gemini, the simple fact that things are guaranteed to switch up keeps me going. The excitement of not knowing what will be is what fuels my creativity.
The only constant in this life is change. But what’s even more fascinating than the actual change, is the fact that things always come back around. Life, much like fashion, is a cycle. And we as the players in the game of life and fashion, recycle so much of ourselves: trends, lifestyles, habits, addictions, our weaknesses and our strengths.
I recently read that Sarah Jessica Parker had 41 wardrobe changes for the new Sex and the City 2 movie. That’s remarkable! Personally, I usually have about an average of 3 wardrobe changes on a normal day. Is that abnormal? In any case, my point is that this change can serve as a comfort for us in a world of no guarantees. In an age, where technology can alter our images and we can communicate in a split second nothing is constant but this change. I often hear people say , “I hate change” or “I fear change”. That’s saddening. Life’s changes can be so liberating. Embrace them. The way in which the wind takes us to our next step is how poetry is made. Encourage it!
I observe people and their monotonous routines and it drives me mad!!! I’m seconds away from a panic attack knowing that there is someone out there who eats the same thing every day for lunch. And it gives me anxiety to notice that some people seem as if they are wearing the same thing every day. They’re whole wardrobe consists of duplicates. Whew! I need air!!!
We can choose to live our lives like this; like robots, living lifeless and characterless. Or we can create a life that we want, keep re-inventing ourselves and just keep changing our clothes.
“love changes and best friends become strangers”-Nas
♥♥please press play above and listen while you read♥♥
Fashion RiffRaff
Preface: I keep up on my fashion sources: Ginia Bellafante, Vogue, The Cut in NYMag, Racked.com, Daily Candy, Tavi, Gossip Girl, What Not to Wear and old Sex and the City episodes. I’m constantly shopping uptown, midtown, downtown, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Long Island. I’m always browsing online. I will never stop window watching on 5th Ave. And I’m never not observing the runways on the streets of NYC. I invent. I reinvent. I borrow.
The Cut recently used the term ‘fashion riff raff’ to describe the non designer wearers of the world. Unfortunately, not all of us can shop at Bergdorf or Barney’s. I can’t take a quick trip to Melrose or Fred Segal and pick up some new pieces. I even have a hard time stepping foot in Club Monaco or Intermix. For those of you who frequent the little no name stores in the East Village or run to Steinway in Astoria, Junction Blvd. in Jackson Heights, Fordham Rd. in the Bronx, 125th in Harlem, Fulton Rd. in Brooklyn or Old Country Rd. in LI. for retail therapy this does not make you any less of a fashionista than Blair Waldorf or Serena Vanderwoodsen. And although Anna Wintour would probably catch an anxiety attack reading this blog or being in the near vicinity of any of above neighborhoods…what.ev.er.
Path of the RiffRaff: Herald Sq.
I remember a time when I used to go to 34th Street and I could spend hours shopping. I would start from 5th Ave. and work my way west on 34th following in the route of the M34 bus. In order: Strawberry, cross the street to Bakers, Dr. Jay’s, Aldo, Steve Madden, cross the street to LeChateau and then Forever 21. Maybe even cross over the Ave’s if I had the head for Daffy’s and always end up at Macy’s Herald Square. It was always a physically journey. I’d have to make sure I was well fed before, had a bottle of water with me, wore flats and carried light.
Without fail, life in Herald Square is always adventurous. It would include at least one verbal altercation with someone just to spice the night up, witnessing at least one person getting into a fight or arrested and laughter or tears with strangers over whatever scenes we were witnessing.
True Story: I once watched a middle-aged woman get arrested for shop lifting at Forever 21. She was sitting in the back seat of the cop car and then decided to thrust herself out of the side window headfirst. They put her face down in a straight jacket right in the middle of 34th Street: True Story
Nothing will top that level of crazy, but this past week left my feelings toward Herald Square in a strange place. I came home completely physically, emotionally and mentally spent. I did get some great new additions to my wardrobe BUT there has got to be a better way!!
We started at my favorite costume jewelry store in the universe, ‘Earrings Plaza’ at on Broadway bt. 31st &32nd. I stocked up on my signature bangle bracelets and also purchased two floral bangles.
Then we headed to Dr.Jays where I scored on a black, cotton, mid thigh length with a belt, cute ornamental buttons and perfectly positioned pockets, transitional trench coat. I can’t decide what the best part about it is: the fact that it was $20 and looks like it’s from Club Monaco or that it has lining inside of it that makes it perfect for folded up sleeves. What do you think? Can we say jackpot? Ahhhh…the little things in life.
I also got the coolest light blue pin striped button down with a black elastic belt and string button tie ups on each side. Don’t worry things take a dive so put your boiling over purchase envy aside and keep reading.
Below:
Jacket $20 Dr. Jay’s; Shirt, $14 Dr. Jay’s; Fedora $30, Target; Bag, $30 Aldo; Black Leggings, $40 Guess; Floral Bangles, $7 E. Plaza.
Forever 21 was insanity. The people who work there all have A.D.D in addition to being borderline retarded and/or completely clueless. I asked three different people if they carried a boyfriend blazer and all responded that they have no blazers at all. I found about six. The store was pure chaos and left me beyond overly stimulated. Too many options, too many colors, too much pattern and too many people. I got nothing and left stressed. Now for the obstacle course to get to Macy’s (which for those of you who don’t know the proximity is literally diagonally right across the street). It may have taken us about 15 minutes to get there while dodging baby carriages, muck puddles and groups of rambunctious tweens.
Macys!!! I’m excited. The annual flower show!!! It was (if I may speak in text term) sooooooooooooo gorgeous. Lilacs(my fave), lilies, tulips and real birds! And right there in the middle of the Chanel and Lancome counters! Great to see and experience. But try go really early or late to avoid a crowd that will ruin it.
I felt heartbroken after discovering that they no longer carry the brand Kensie Girl. The new Rachel Roy line is just okay. A little on the conservative side. I did not find one affordable boyfriend blazer. They’re done moving things around and I don’t like the new layout on the 4th floor. It’s not as hip as it used to be. Where’d the DJ go? Yawn!
Last stop is the Mac counter. The Mac counter makes me almost as happy as going to PinkBerry; original flavor eye shadows, thick toppings of eyeliner and the best new mango flavor AKA the sassiest gay men ever…fyi prettier than most women I know. Big xoxo to my new favorites on 34th: Pinkberry and the Mac counter divas of Herald Square!
As for Macy’s, I’m a little mad at it. I think were on a break. I will probably never go back to that Forever 21, unless my friends drag me. Dr. Jay’s I could never leave.
So, life isn’t easy on the riffraff side of the tracks. We have to fight for what we want, be extra selective in a store filled with tacky clothes and make friends where we can to help us through it. There is a way. It might be a challenge but you can look like a star without a Hollywood wallet. Don’t get me wrong. I would love to trade in my Aldo’s for a pair of Christian Louboutin’s. But most great things in life don’t come easy. What’s life without a story? What’s a story without a struggle? This is not the end of my intro to spring fashion shopping spree. I have a few more stories to tell.
I have been writing an entry about shopping on 34th Street for the past week. Today I looked at it and threw it in the trash.
There are certain things that simply just work. And there are others that no matter which way you twist, rewrite or try they still don’t work. The natural way that life takes it’s course always fascinates me. I am always stuck on the way in which the day can play out; the series of events that lead to an outcome; the coincidences; the de-ja-vu; the emotion involved in it all.
I’m dizzy thinking about it all. And I have writer’s block trying to make sense of it all. I being writing and then I get stuck. What do you do when you’re stuck? What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Don’t do anything.
Letting the thoughts percolate like a cup of coffee…
♥I’d like to dedicate this entry to the illustrious Lady Gaga
I’ll admit, at first I was a little anti-Gaga but when I found myself humming her songs as I walk, I decided to learn more about her. She’s become an inspiration to me. She’s a born New Yorker who made it big time. There really aren’t enough of us. You always hear success stories of someone traveling to our city with a dollar in their pocket and a guitar on their back, getting signed and being on top of the world.
Sometimes when things are at our fingertips, we don’t take advantage of it. NYC is where things happen. It’s where dreams are made. And were in the center of it all. Life can happen in a second. All you have to do is be in the right place at the right time. You have to invent yourself, like Gaga did. She made her image a piece of art that the public can’t wait to see. She worked hard, she thought hard and she is hard. She got what she wanted out of life. And that is more that I can say for most people that I know.
Many argue that Gaga was raised beyond privileged with money and connections. They actually formed hate groups against her on Yelp! (and I’m sure on other sites) Jeesh! Is it really that serious? I even noticed on Wikipedia that the tone of the writer seemed to have some kind of resentment towards her. Maybe a former classmate mocking her ‘crazy style’? Jealous much? She’s quoted saying that she always felt out of place because of her eccentricity. She felt the need to ‘tone it down’ not to be looked at funny. I feel like that sometimes. Everyone wants to subdue your expression to make themselves feel at ease. Does too much of her color take their shine away? Does the strength of her core intimidate the weakness of others? Can’t we just accept that some are meant to entertain and others to be entertained?
Now the biggest pop star in the world, Gaga was just an Italian American party girl who went to NYU and was trying to be somebody and make her mark on the world. Sound like everyone you know? Or maybe just everyone I know? Now she’s THAT girl. Or THAT lady!
She should be an inspiration to all of us. No matter what your art, put it out there. Get it out there, somehow. Keep at it. Keep creating. Keep going. No one gets anywhere by standing on the sidelines observing and criticizing. Focus more on yourself and your own work, than picking apart the work of others. We should all embrace the Gaga in us and be the best possible version of ourselves!
This video has single-handedly inspired me to get back into dancing. Beginner Hip Hop classes, here I come!
One of my fave photos of her, refrigerator worthy ♥ Jan. 2010 Elle
Also, check out this article from NY Mag this week. Funny! It sounds like the writer wants to hate Gaga but just can’t help loving her. “Loving you is cherry pie.”
I’ve never been so attracted to floral prints in my life and what keeps me wondering is the reason why. In the past few weeks, I have purchased the 3 floral dresses, 2 shirts and a pair of leggings. I have been consumed in thought and trying desperately to find the specific reason behind these purchases besides trend. Why have I been compelled to overflow my wardrobe with lilacs, lilies and roses? This is the reasoning that I came up with:
-The winter was tough and the image of flowers makes me feel hopeful and alive. After struggling through the snow, cold and ice, multicolored fabric awakens my senses.
-I love color. I am known to wear too many colors. And the idea of a piece that has all those colors mixed together makes me happy.
-My tastes are changing as I get older, in every aspect. What I may have over looked in the past, I am now interested in and a part of. This reinvented person just might like flowers.
I was never a fan of flowers. I’d always encourage boyfriends to buy me something useful like a bag or a pair of shoes rather than a dozen roses. Floral prints always made me think of a grandmother or a child or an innocent person, which I strayed away from in the past wanting to express my edge and attitude. But things have changed, like everything in life. Things get rearranged. I’m evolving as we all do when our age increases and part of my evolution is my style. Or maybe I watch too much damn ‘What Not to Wear’. Stacy and Clinton are always preaching to try things outside your comfort zone. I think that is great advice for anything and everything in life. If you are doing things and constantly getting the same results, then try something different. Switch it up a little. Whatever the reasoning, the fact remains that I now have more floral print than your Nanny’s linen closet.
Here are a few ideas for new spring additions to your wardrobe. And you don’t have to go to Bloomingdales. I actually would advise against that when it comes to simple dresses, shirts and leggings. I hit up the cheapie stores on Broadway by NYU, Target or Pretty Girl on Steinway. And you know I always frequent my second home, Macy’s! How ironic that the Annual Macy’s Flower Show begins on March 28- April 11! If you’ve never gone, definitely go this year. We all deserve it after the torture we’ve been through this season!
I haven’t written in a while. I have been crazy busy with work and school and such.
In my midst of running around like a chicken without a head, I lost one of my favorite accessories in my collection: my heart clock pendant by Marc Jacobs:
Yesterday, I felt the chain fall down my neck. The pendant was gone. In the words of my baby niece Natalya, it was “no where to be found”. I feel disappointed from it. My mother bought it for me. The only positive spin on this unfortunate situation is that it will push me to get to the Marc Jacobs store down on Bleecker St. I have been meaning to go because I heard they were having a great sale. MJ here I come.
On another note, my beginning of the week writer’s block has extended into today. This has lead to me writing in letter form. Sad, but true. And now look at me! Wasted away to practically NUTHING. Dramatic much?
(Yes, I just posted a clip from The Little Mermaid. It just makes me laugh!)
Dearest my beautiful readers,
The past two days here in NY have been rainy. Today, the sun is out again and life is resuming back to normal. I would like to address what seems to be an issue here in the five boroughs; bigger than the transit cutbacks, maybe even bigger than the signing of the new healthcare bill. The issue, my beauties, is feet. Friends and facebook statuses have shared their disturbing experiences of seeing exposed, unmanicured toes. Now, ladies (and gentlemen who wear open toed shoes) I know you are excited that the lovely weather has arrived. But before you thoughtlessly shove your crusty toes into anything that remotely resembles an opened toed shoe, please give a little TLC to your feet. Do not shock the world with your toes that have been hibernating all winter long. It’s not only adding to the pollution of our city, it is also possibly effecting the appetites and moods of NYers who have to catch a glipse of your lack of common courtesy. I have a few suggestions regarding this matter:
1-Get a pedicure. If you don’t have the money, I know a few people who would be more than happy to lend you $10
2-Give yourself a pedicure. And please include a deep scrubbing of your calluses with a foot stone
3-Wear Chinese slippers. I will forgive you. Well, maybe.
4-Stay home
No one deserves the pain that comes along with having to sit next to crusty feet carelessly thrown into an Old Navy flip flop on the train. Do good for your city and take care of your feet. Please.
Best,
d
♥Considering my recent writer’s block, I am more than open to suggestions for future entries. It’s been challenging in the past few days to get past the unavoidable ugly (and no not just rotten feet) and write about the beauty in life. I’m searching for inspiration and your words might just help. Inspiration is a chain. So, pass it along.
Have a great week!♥
Below is a clip of a great comedian who addresses the issue of men’s exposed feet: Take notes for yourself or your man. And thanks to Laura for putting me on to a funny dude. Just click on “Sebastian Maniscalco – Men’s Feet”!
Dina Passaro is a freelance writer and works for a magazine publisher in NYC. She was born and raised in NY and now resides in Jackson Heights, Queens. She received a B.A. from St. John's University and is currently attending NYU studying Graphic/Web design.
*Feedback, Ideas, Thoughts*