What I Wore: Broken Shaker

April 16th, 2014 | Posted in Fashion, Local by Meli

The hubs and I had been dying to try out what is being hailed as the best bar in Miami for quite a long time (hello, James Beard award nomination). It’s so well known that when we traveled to Orlando (twice), both times bartenders asked us if we had been. It was kind of embarrassing to say we hadn’t. So we took the plunge this past weekend, and despite the strange and fickle weather, we had a great time at the Broken Shaker.

What I wore was kind of perfect for the laid back, relaxed vibe of the place. The Broken Shaker is located on the patio of Freehand Miami Hostel, and it is kind of absolutely adorable. It didn’t have a very Miami vibe, which is what I loved about it the most. It reminded me of somewhere between L.A. and Spain (yeah, I know…weird), and definitely made me want to plan a staycation (Private King Suite please) just so I can relax by the pool and take in the bar every.single.day. Needless to say, we will be back. And frequently.

Tee; c/o Conversation Pieces
Shorts; Old Navy
Sneakers; Forever 21 {similar}
Accessories; Forever 21

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30 Smiles

April 14th, 2014 | Posted in Personal by Meli

The past month has been quite a difficult one. I can say it was the first serious hurdle we’ve had to jump as a couple (possibly even as adults), but we are still standing tall and proud. Something that helped me cope was a project I decided to start on Instagram. Inspired by the overwhelming positivity of my friend Audrey of the boutique, Conversation Pieces, I decided to take all that sadness and negative energy and instead recycle it into something positive. Much like the saying, “a bad day does not equal a bad life,” I challenged myself to find something good in every day for 30 days. I’m not going to lie. Some days it was hard. Like, very hard. But what it taught me is that there is always something worth smiling about. ALWAYS.


If you want to see the pictures at full size, search the hashtag #30smiles.

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If My Blog Was An Outfit

April 10th, 2014 | Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Geekery by Meli

I love meeting new geeky lady friends via the Twitterverse. Thanks to Her Universe and their fabulous #flauntyourworld hashtag, Megan and I started our bloggy-ship? Blogship? Either way! She’s an adorable geek girl hailing from Comic Con’s stomping grounds, San Diego, and she has a great blog over at The Nerdy Girlie. She also loves tea, the UK and Doctor Who. Hello new bestie! While looking through her site, I loved the If My Blog Was An Outfit post, and had to do my own!


Necklace | Tank | Clutch | Lipstick | Nail Polish | Flats | Skirt

I love wearing clothes that reference my fandoms, but I like them to be a little discrete and still fashionable (OK, so this tank isn’t super discrete…). I also love me some bright clothing, neon preferably. Most of the time, I am in sweet little skirts, preferably paired with flats. If they are glittered: perfection.

I also love me some whimsy, so a unicorn clutch would round out this outfit perfectly. I equally stay faithful to my rock roots, so I like to add a little edge with fun and spikey accessories. My nail polish obsession only continues to grow – glitter-filled Deborah Lippmann shades are my favorite because they are just so happy and pretty, while M.A.C. is always my go-to for lipstick. Candy Yum Yum is my new favorite, especially for the upcoming Miami summer.

Finally, my iPad! It’s always with me either for work or for play – it’s where I read all my books. I spend many a late night cuddled in bed with the hubs and the newest YA series. Right now? Vampire Academy! In a nut shell: glitter, geekdom, neons, unicorns, and nail polish. Yep, pretty Melificent.

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What I Wore: Miami Chic(k)

April 8th, 2014 | Posted in Fashion by Meli

The right outfit can really change your day, huh? Everyone has those days, weeks, months (?) where the clouds outweigh the rainbows, but I promise if you slap on just that right something, a special thing will happen. This was it for me last weekend. The most perfectly graphic wide-legged pants, a summery crop top and a great hairstyle was just enough to make me feel like a new woman. I walked a little taller, smiled a little wider and generally had a skip in my step. Don’t underestimate what something as seemingly silly as clothes can do for your mental health. The simple things. It’s all about them. That’s what I’m realizing more and more every day.

Crop top; Forever 21 {similar}
Wide legged pants; Forever 21 {similar}
Sandals; Enzo Angiolini {similar}
Arm candy; assorted
Watch; c/o Timex
Leo necklace; Sassy Steals {similar}

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Forever 21 Road to Festival Event

April 7th, 2014 | Posted in Fashion, Local by Meli

This past Saturday, Annie Vazquez of TheFashionPoet.com paired up with Forever 21 for a fun event on Lincoln Road whose goal was to make sure its shoppers were festival ready. For those of you not in the know, spring and summer months don’t just mean the beach, bikinis and mai tai’s – they are also prime time for music festivals (get prepared for this year’s best here). What used to just be considered a sweaty, expensive and generally uncomfortable avenue to see your favorite bands has turned into a fashion mecca. And Forever 21 wants you accordingly equipped with festival-friendly crop tops, wide-brimmed fedoras, and flowing maxi dresses. And who was I to deny them?

Aside from the 21% off any single item, the store also had a complimentary hair bar where I made myself comfortable and only several minutes (?!?) later had a slammin’ braid crown that had me dreaming about dancing around the grassy knolls of Coachella. I also got to meet some other lovely local bloggers and, of course, SHOP. With Annie’s guidance listed all throughout the store, I was able to put together what I deemed a melificent festival outfit with some new and some old pieces. OK, so I only changed my pants. But c’mon. Give me some bravery points. Those are not a pair of pants I would have usually gravitated towards and look! I loved them.


With the always lovely Annie of The Fashion Poet

Overall, the event was a blast! Everywhere I went afterwards, I was greeted with some sort of compliment about my hair and I think the great pieces I took home with me are versatile, while still being fun and whimsical. AND! I actually was able to attend an event, guys. My full-time job usually prevents me from being an active member in the Miami blogger scene, so it’s nice when they land on a weekend and I can finally mingle! Until the next…

Look out for the outfit post tomorrow!

**special thanks to my buddy, Tammy, for snapping these pics of me!

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