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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Lovable Friday: Geeky Roundup

April 4th, 2014 | Posted in Fashion, Geekery by Meli

Everyone knows I love me some geeky goodness (have you loved The Fangirl Diaries yet?), but I like my geek to be sprinkled with chic, and that, my good friends, is a rarity. So I figured this Friday I would bestow you all with some of my finds that have that exact combination.

1. Sherlock brooch; there is just not enough quality Sherlock accessories floating around, so when I saw this amazingly stylized brooch, I had to have it. And don’t stop there, Kate has the cutest laser cut items in her store. One of each please.

2. Game of Thrones bow ties; now that the hubs has gotten in touch with his inner Matt Smith, he is all about the bow ties. I have since learned how difficult it is to find a good one, and this one actually got the mister to smile. It may be due to the amazing house sigils emblazoned on them though.

3. Tardis temporary tattoo; I can’t lie. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Doctor Who tattoo, but that is a big fandom decision right there. In the meantime, I can test the waters (of mars – har har) with these adorable temporary tattoos from Geek Ink Designs. Find more fandoms too – from Potter to Star Wars!

4. Potter ring; unlike what I mentioned about Sherlock, the Internets are flooded with amazing (& not so amazing) Potter accessories. It can be difficult to sift through everything out there, so it’s nice to find one store with so much to choose from. I adore this shop‘s little knick knacks (special shout out to the Luna Lovegood ring) fandom-related or not, but I must say it’s hard to deny all those glasses, bolts & hallows!

5. The Hobbit tee; I appreciate good typography almost as much as a great fandom, so the tees over at UnicornEmpirePrints really satisfy me on so many levels. They are so gorgeously made, made by fans and such a great price ($18 a pop)! Definitely grabbing one (or 5) for our romp in Comic Con this year!

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World Autism Awareness Day

April 2nd, 2014 | Posted in Health by Meli

Quite a few someones actually….

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, but what we need more than anything is acceptance. When telling people what I do and the population I work with, I am often greeted with sympathetic expressions, generally paired with an ignorant statement, such as “Oh those poor children. They can barely do anything.” I’m not calling out friends, family and acquaintances as being ignorant, just not informed about these amazing children and all they are capable of doing. And I see it all the time. Ultimately, it is not their fault.

Unfortunately, what is being presented to people via the media is to blame. Our culture is inundated by propaganda stating that children have been kidnapped by autism or robbed of their lives. It makes it seem like these children are lost, never to be found. This cannot be farther from the truth. Every single day I am blown away by all the children I work with, and their abilities to grow and learn. It may not be in the traditional way their peers do, but they are more than capable of achieving goals just as their peers.

This is not a death sentence, and I think that is what I would like people to understand more than anything on a day like today. These are very special children that deserve love, acceptance and opportunity. We are the ones robbing them of that, not autism.

If you are not familiar with autism, educate yourself here.

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What I Wore: Boho in Otown

April 1st, 2014 | Posted in Fashion by Meli

Even though it was just for a quick day trip, I had to make sure that I was looking cute for our Orlando adventure. Comfort was key since we were going to be spending just as much time traveling as enjoying the city. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you really have to neglect style. I absolutely adore my tried and true wide legs, and paired with a plain white tee (what up Tide pen) and bright accessories, you can’t really go wrong. Although the hubs labeled it as boho chic, I was reminded of my 90′s youth. Kind of what Angela Chase might wear these days, right?

ps; I’m hoping one day I’ll get over my self consciousness of being photographed in public (namely when there are people around) – am I the only one that seeks out abandoned locations for that very reason?

Tee; Old Navy
Jeans; Free People via Marshalls {similar}
Sneaks; Forever 21
Hat; H&M {similar}
Shades; Charming Charlie {similar}
Necklace; Etsy
Arm party; assorted
Watch; c/o Timex

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