AHOY MATEY

f21 nautical tank, American Apparel high waisted denim shorts, Dollhouse wedges, sailor hat, borrowed red belt

Happy happy Halloween lovers! Halloween will always have a special place in my heart being as it's only 3 days before my birthday and god knows how I love to dress up! I hope everyone had a spooky weekend full of fun Halloween-related goodness and your choice of poison, whether it's a bucket ol' sugar-infused yummys or "special" punch. Having just experienced the best Halloween weekend, in both Davis and Berkeley, full of amazing friend, a disgusting amount of food, and a few interesting stories, I can honestly say that it will be hard to top such a weekend. It really is too bad that I live in such a college town, otherwise I'd be out trick-or-treating with the rest of the elementary school kids. Hey, free candy is free candy.

Being the poor college student that I am, emphasis on poor, I opted for a simple pin up-esque sailor costume. I spent a total of $5 on this outfit as everything came out of my closet, minus the sailor hat which I promptly lost. I am obsessed with my new wedges from Dollhouse that I randomly found while frantically scouring the local mall with my girls for some last minute Halloween costumes. Technically I bought these beauties for my birthday dinner but I was too excited to wait. Towering over everyone makes me giddy with joy, one of the many symptoms of having short girl syndrome; a totally legitimate disorder. My bestie, twin, partner in crime was a pirate, not a shabby costume for something we came up in just 30 minutes right? Procrastination at its best.

What's your Halloween costume this year? Deets!

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BUN APPETIT

Topshop bonjour bodysuit, American Apparel corduroy skirt, leather bracelet via Taiwan, 

Steve Madden flannel boots, thrifted vintage Coach satchel

Bonjour, or rather au revoir, to California because I will be crossing the oceans and spending my winter break in Korea and Taiwan. Stoked? Beyond. I get goosebumps/butterflies/excited just thinking about what I am about to experience in two months time. I've been contemplating this trip for some time now, never really thinking about it as anything more than a silly daydream, who knew it would become such a sudden reality. Booking the tickets made me feel uneasy, a little unsettle, and undeniably excited to take on such a culture shock, to push my boundaries, to embrace something completely and utterly new. 8 1/2 days in Korea with my best friend and then 8 1/2 days in Taiwan with family and friends, ohh I can hardly wait! 60 days and counting...

It was bound to happen, after spending my whole summer working with babies, I had to experience a onsie for myself and I could not pass up such a cute one from Topshop. Bonjour? Oui oui! No one can resist saying hello now...literally. Not that I mind, especially if you're a 6 foot tall, brunette with piercing blue eyes and an adorable accent, feel free to holla atchooo girl. I went for a ballerina-esque look with a casual feel by replaced the traditional tutu with a corduroy skirt that has an a-line shape so it gives off the same illusion. To tone it down a little, and to stay comfy all day, I pulled on my Steve Madden flannel boots and laced it all the way up for a little Doc Marten action. To tie it all together, I carried my vintage Coach Satchel that I thrifted for $15; my pride and joy. I feel like a shaggadelic dog in desperate need of a trim, my bangs have never been longer but I am totally loving the ability to throw my hair up in a buntastic way, you like? It's been a while since my hair has been past my chin, I am way looking forward to playing around with my hair once it grows out! A simple look for a simple Sunday spent strolling around 4th Street.

My puns are getting out of control aren't they? I thought so.

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MY KIND OF THREESOME

f21 magenta chiffon tank, vintage skirt via joellenlove, 

t-strap deena and ozzy wedges, thrifted belt, borrowed deux lux bucket bag

I was gushing when I received an invite to see the Sachin + Babi Fall 2011 collection in person, which I RSVP'd immediately, glad to rid my usually routine of making oogly googly eyes over their photos on the internet. I rushed on over to Iniam and was pleasantly surprised to see Lulu Chang of Luluandyourmom chilling over by the counter, just chatting away. Let me just state the obvious: girl. is. SMOKIN'. God, she is adorable. She has the ease that seems so natural. Why must I be so naturally awkward? After cleaning up my drool, I had the immense pleasure of talking to Babi, half of the husband and wife designing duo, who is undeniably the sweetest and funniest designer I have ever met, mind you she is also the only designer I have ever met as well. We laughed, we joked, she complimented me on my shoes, I feel deeper in love.

Nonetheless, I died when I was lead over to the racks of gorgeous fall wear. With my fall-ophelia in full bloom I wanted everything I saw; from the chic chiffon button ups to the glittery skirts to the textured trench coats. If only I could afford such luxuries but, alas, groceries still prove to be a challenge for me. I love the line's aesthetically simple yet eye-catching look that combines chiffon, leather and wool so effortlessly, cohesively and collectively. A little sexy, a little dangerous, a lot of smoldering, sounds like my favorite kind of threesome, no? This is what I would envision as the absolute perfect fall wardrobe, easy chic that never goes out of style. New Yorkers just know how to get it right.

Onto my outfit, I am a full-fledged chiffon addict! I love the lightweight material, the sheer, slightly vixen texture, and the versatility it offers. I love it as shirts, as tanks, as skirts, as maxis, ohhhh I can never get enough of chiffon. I am ready to give this great trend of bright neon colors a huge bear hug as it adds an unexpected element of surprise, like BAM! OH HELLO! I feel like it's exactly what fall needs, a spoonful of sugar to deflect the fading sunshine. I know I get a little happier, a little chirpier every time I catch a colorful glance of my reflection. The vintage skirt makes me feel a little Chanel, and honestly, who doesn't love a little Coco? A bit print crazy but still demure enough to balance well with the explosion of color up top. And, of course, the bucket bag that I want to call my own. I figured if I wear it enough, my roommate will naturally forget that it belongs to her and associate it with me and, thus, I have a new addition to my collection. Think it'll work? Eh, it's worth a shot.

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NO HASSLE TASSELS

vintage peach blazer via Joellenlove, denim vest, snake printed shorts, 

f21 thigh highs, Steve Madden flannel boots, Encore necklace c/o Jewelmint

Let me tell you a little story involving a girl (aka me) and a lost cellphone. So one day, girl leaves phone on the bus, OOPS! Girl freaks out having lost her prized possession, her connection to the world, her savior during boring lectures and has no idea what to do! Girl waits rather impatiently for the lost and found to open...only to find out it doesn't gather the inventory until fourty-eight hours later. Pissy and angry, girl waits and comes Tuesday, girl ventures off to find the love of her life. Unfortunately Google maps has other plans in mind and takes poor girl to San Francisco when she needed to be in Oakland, why? GIRL HAS NO IDEA WHY. Freaked out, lost and phoneless, girl does not know what to do. Frantically racing against time and trying to reach the office before it closes, girl wants to break down and cry on the overly crowded bus but cannot do so for the Asian granny is giving her the stink eye and the old man next to her is giving her the other kind of eye (!!!). Girl runs from bus to BART to running down 4 blocks and then 6 the other way because she is way directionally challenged. After four solid hours of tracking down this stinky ol' phone, girl is finally reunited with her Blackberry. And they lived happily ever after.

This is what I wore for that lonely scavenger adventure which happened to fall upon a gorgeous fall day which made me a little bit chirpier. With the sun making another happy appearance, dressing for San Francisco has never been harder. Desperate to wear my new JewelMint Encore necklace that looks like the love child of the cute DIY kitschy friendship bracelet and the badass tassle who just won't quit. What a lovely hassle-free tassel-tastic piece it is! JewelMint, part of the Mint Family that also includes StyleMint and soon ShoeMint and BeautyMint, is a personalized jewelry shopping service that caters to your every fashion need that utilizes stylish celebrities, like Kate Bosworth, and their stylin' stylists, like Cher Coulter, who are SOO well dressed, I doubt ANYONE can find fault in their taste. With each gorgeously crafted piece influenced deeply by anything from runway trends to flea market inspirations, there is truly something for everyone! I love the fact that one of the tassle looks like it was made from the leftover thread from my peachy blazer. It was just too perfect of a match to pass up and I've never been one to break up a happy coupling, nope not I. I love the togetherness yet differentiated feel of the slithering shorts with the tough leather boots that perfectly contrasted with the bright blazer and necklaces. Since I have absolutely no balance whatsoever, as proven by my utter failures at certain yoga positions, I try to balance out my outfits in one way or another. Never too girly, never too ordinary, never too crazy, never too boyish, that's always the goal. Whether I actually accomplish that is another story for another day.

P.S. Notice the music has left the title? No longer able to keep up with the lyrical searches, I am full-on ready to break out my puns! I promise you'll giggle or scoff at the very least.

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GNARLY, RADICAL

{Gucci Gucci - Kreayshawn}

thrifted floral button up, H&M slip, Levi's belt, Ecote brown lace ups, 

f21 ankle socks, RAD crop top via Taiwan

Is life not super silly at times? I feel like my own self is a stranger at times, to myself. I feel like I am constantly surprising myself, especially with how I'm handling everything this year, it is as if I am a completely different person, yet not really. It's like I'm meeting myself anew everyday, like I'm slowly finding out things I never knew about myself, each and every day. Sometimes I feel like I know more about my friends than I do about myself yet this is the longest relationship I have ever had and will ever have. Weird to think about right? Life is silly, no? Maybe it's just me.

Sorry for the short post tonight, I have been absolutely, positively, ridiculously swamped with life and I just haven't found the time to blog properly. Don't fret, I promise I'll post again before the end of the week! This was an outfit I wore a while ago when I went over to assist with DNA (designers+artists)'s photo shoot in San Francisco. I've never felt more like an intern; steaming, organizing, sorting, folding, cleaning, you know, doing the bitch work. Weirdly enough, I loved it! Totally wanted to break out my crazy oversized granny floral top but the sleeves were just simply TOO oversized so I scissored them off and layered a little slip underneath, no undie slip for me! Scared it might be windy in the city, I thought it might be smart to layer a crop over it, and boy oh boy was it windy! Anisa-1, SF's bipolar weather-0! Winning! Knowing that I'd be on my feet for a while, I knew that flats were the way to go and my lace ups were ideal. Ahh, I just love the delicate daintiness of my little ankle socks from f21, they make me feel so ladylike. Overall, I felt like this outfit was very Dora the Explorer...maybe a little wittle bit?

P.S. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! I can't believe there are 100 of you AMAZING folks out there who are willing to put up with my awkward ramblings. For that, I LOVE YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You are all the bestest! I give you all virtual huges, high-fives, low-fives, and too slows!

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SHE WAS CHASING THE THRILLS

{For the Girl by The Fratellis}

thrifted button up, thrifted j.crew sweater (rip), vintage button up maxi skirt, 

DV jamison booties, green bag via Tawian (rip), cat-eye necklace c/o Modcloth

We were chasing the thrills, the cheap thrills that is! Last weekend, Sherrie and I, amazingly, found ourselves at the Alameda Flea Market, the biggest flea market in all of the Bay. We were in vintage heaven; everything had to be 20 years or older to be sold within the ground and things from obscene playsuits to old school records to ancient dolls to wheelbarrows were displayed, bargained and sold. We had a great time shifting through the endless racks of clothing, the tables of jewelry and drooling over the vintage furniture we wish we could buy. All in all, it was a solid day much like one spent going through your grandparents attic; full of treasures, surprises, tons of junk, some duds and a whole lot of awesome.

It was not just a day of fun though, sad things did take place on said day. One tragedy occurred at the faire grounds, one that I still cannot get over. Walking along, with the roaring sun, I finally decide to take off my sweater, despite my internal self screaming, "NO! NO! NO!" When I wanted to put it back on to calm the madness of my internal screams, I realized it was gone! Sad and forlorn, I tried to retrace my steps until I realized it was gone for good. Just like that, it was out of my life. This all took place within a 10 second time frame, it's as if a magical thieving gnome appeared out of no where and stole it, right there and then! Why a gnome? They just look like little menacing thieves to me. R.I.P. my dear sweater, I loved you so. But it doesn't end there, oh no it doesn't! Walking home from the festivities, the strap on my green bag broke off as well. My poor closet and I mourned deeply for the two lost souls. May you both rest peacefully in fashion heaven. Maybe it was their time to go and they were merely making room for new additions to my closet; I think I found the silver lining.

Weather.com lied and said that the day would be cloudy and slightly windy when, in reality, it was anything but. Prepared for the fall breeze, I decided on a vintage maxi skirt which I previous wore backwards because buttons are just too darn precious. This time, after falling in love with the 90s high side slit, I wore my skirt half unbuttoned on the side to emulate such a fashion. I love this skirt, it can seriously be worn front, back, side to side; it's the epitome of versatile. I'm so happy I stole it out of my mom's closet because it loves mingling with the rest of my clothes. On top, I went for the classic school boy look, with a thrifted J. Crew sweater and a button up with the collar peeking out as if it was curious, much like a young school boy. Never one to wear my actual glasses in public, I gladly wore the cat-eye necklace from Modcloth around my neck which added an extra kick of nerd power to my already nerdy ensemble. And, of course, my green bag and DV Jamisons that I just can't stop, won't stop wearing until they become unwearable.

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DANCING AT DISCOS, EATING CHEESE ON TOAST

{Merry Happy - Kate Nash}

cowl neck top via Taiwan, striped skirt via Taiwan, Levi's braided belt, AA bralette,

DV Jamison booties, j'aime Paris necklace, green purse via Taiwan

Life is in full transitional mode; from summer to fall, a-line cut to collarbone length, lazy butt to workaholic, it's a nice change of pace I must say. The past six weeks have been difficult, rewarding, exhausting, exhilarating, hilarious, successful, and above all, different. Different in ways I never thought life, and I, could ever be. I'm surprising myself all over the place and I like it, love it, want to spend the whole day tangled around in it. I love surprises! I am beyond the moon about it all and I can't wait to share every detail with you lovelies. Keep those fingers crossed for me for just a little longer!

This is my hello to fall! With October 1st marking it's territory, I feel like a formal declaration of love is in order, if not absolutely necessary. I cannot wait to snuggle underneath my comforter with Lawrence (my cute little heffalump of an elephant) and watch movies after movies while the rain and wind do their typical do-si-do outside my window. I am beyond excited to wrap my neck up with feet upon feet of never-ending fabric courtesy of my huge AA circle scarf that smothers me in just the right way. I look forward to splashing around in puddles as I turn my dreadful mundane walk to class into one of adventure and ridiculousness? Can you tell that I love fall above all? Gosh, I am a poet and I DO know it.

Firstly, I apologize for my rudy red cheeks. The Indian summer we were experiencing in the Bay was amplified in Berkeley, I swear! So hot was the heat that I seriously contemplated running around in my birthday suit, at least then I wouldn't have clothes sweat-glued to my back although I would get a few more awkward stares than I normally do. My DV Jamison booties are now my right hand gal who I entrust everything with, they are just lovely. It was one of those days that I just threw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that then BAM! out the door. It seems to be an emerging pattern that the sociolgist-in-training inside me is noticing; that whenever it's unbearably hot, I usually tend to just pick, grab, throw, leave, dgaf. The sun gets me all worked up in a downright weird funk, weird huh? My life is basically opposite day, everyday.

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