PURE NIRVANA

 Despite the bipolar weather, this past weekend was pretty sweet. Kevin and I headed over to Downtown L.A. to share a vending booth with some of my photography friends at the Artwalk. Aside from the fact that a pedestrian got hit by a car that had jumped the curb, it was a pretty cool day. I made a nice chunk of change at my Urban Legends Vintage booth and had tons of fun in the meantime. If I wasn't on my business woman tip, I would have taken tons of pictures of all of the swaggerific guys and gals that came by. As for all of you So Cal fashion lovers, my store will have a booth at the Inland Empire's very own Funky Fresh Flea in Riverside. I'll keep you all updated with the deets, so be on the lookout!

SHOPPING MADNESS

After a LONNNNG, excruciating lapse of not being able to buy anything outside of the necessary

 gas for my car, pesky bills, and food for the fridge, 

I was finally able to indulge in an extremely overdue shopping trip! 

My roommate Brandi and I hit the mall on Wednesday. 

Yet once we realized most of our money had dwindled away in only about an hour, 

we made our way to one of my favorite thrift spots. 

My first time at this particular thrift store was....mmmm...aiiiiight. lol

I got some pretty cool stuff, 

but for some reason, 

yesterday's trip was the most AMAZING experience I've ever had thrifting!

There were soooooo many items that I snatched up, 

and they had tons of shoes {which was an area they were lacking in upon my first visit}.

In all, I spent 68 bucks and walked away with a huge plastic bag of goodies...

the bag was so big, I felt like I had a Quasimodo-hunch while carrying it on my back. O_o

I didn't want to bombard you all with photos of everything I got,

{primarily because it would take at least 50 snapshots lol}

so I decided to do yet another video haul!

Enjoy!

My MASSIVE thrift haul.

My "mall haul." lol

P.S. I definitely think I'm going to start an online store. 

I know I've been saying that for some time now,

but this recent thrifting adventure caused me to find tons of stuff. 

Though there were plenty things that I knew I wouldn't necessarily wear, 

because they're so fabulous, I felt like SOMEBODY out there has to have them! lol 

Plus, I need to do some closet cleansing.

I'm not sure if I want to go the Ebay route or use BigCartel.

Either way, be on the lOOkout!

POINTE

This past weekend, I got to flex my styling skills alongside my

photographer friend Stella Simona.

I brought tons of clothes and accessories,

but ended up using only a few pieces...

which comes with the territory of being a stylist.

Our model, Noelle, was gorgeous and moved effortlessly,

which made our jobs much easier since the shoot was set on a ballet theme.

Stella and I will definitely have more collaborations to come!

So stay tuned :)

NO DAY BUT TODAY

I'm just now getting over the soreness that had overcome my body after

participating in THE longest journey on foot....aka the L.A. Aids Walk.

It was a no-brainer to support such a powerful movement with the crew:

Chelsea, Keek, Bree, Sulem, and Krystlasia

We walked a good 2 miles to get there--after taking the metro and the bus--,

walked 6 miles amongst more than 30,000 people,

then walked 2 more just to get to the car. lol

And, it was raining.

But all in all, it was for a good cause and I had blast with my girls.

Plus, we rewarded ourselves by indulging a hearty meal from

Roscoe's afterwards. ;]

Team Bullets&Bows!!!

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

The discovery of genuine friends is a special rarity that comes with life.

Though my circle is not the biggest,

I'd rather have a few good friends than tons of...

the flakey ones,

the backstabbing ones,

the always-borrowing-your-clothes-and-never-giving-em-back ones,

the boyfriend stealers,

the tell-your-secrets-to-the-world-and-might-as-well-start-a-blog-or-

write-a-book-about-what-everyone-doesn't-know-about-you ones,

the swagger jackers,

the liars,

the thieves,

the always-want-what-you-have-yet-are-unwilling-to-go-out-

and-do-something-for-themselves ones,

the bad advice givers,

the snobs,

the always-crying-broke-when-you-ask-to-borrow-a-few-dollars-

even-though-you-always-help-them-when-they-need-it ones,

and the

the floozies.

I'm so thankful that God has plucked out all of the weeds in my life and has sewn seeds that are blossoming into amazing friendships with beautiful people.

I love my posse,

my ride-or-die-

always-stick-by-my-side peeps.

I adore them all because they are each very different yet are all extremely talented,

intelligent, and bring something new to my life in their own little ways.

One of these fab friends of mine is Chelsea, better known as Danni Rouge.

Though I had an obsession with redheads far before we met,

she's the dopest one I know. lol

She's the designer behind the accessory line Bullets&Bows,

and is an uber-talented singer and songwriter.

She recently did a vid covering Bruno Mars' song "Grenade,"

which I never heard prior to hearing her sing it and now I love it! lol

Enjoy!! :)

TEACHERS PET

Floral printed blazer:: Urban Outfitters, Boyfriend collar shirt:: Forever 21, Black bandeau skirt:: Forever 21, Camel canvas lace-ups:: Urban Outfitters,

Polka dot hair bow & neck bowtie:: my closet.

Yet another dress up day at work.

I'm a little bummed that I missed out on our Lady Gaga day lol

but I managed to pull a little something together for the back-to-school theme.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

This weekend's festivities were priceless.

Friday night, Brittany & I headed to Redlands for a party,

yet once we seen the ridiculously long line, we didn't even make it out of the car lol

And the fact that there were plenty of hoochiemamas on the scene was an even bigger reason

for us to go elsewhere.

We made a pit stop for some gas and then made our way to Pomona's Fox Theater for rapper Kent Money's mixtape release party.

The event was a rooftop shindig....definitely more my scene, lol

full of fashion savvy guys & gals.

Upon our arrival, I spotted soooo many people that I knew!

After grabbing a tasty concoction of a beverage from the bar,

we linked up with my girls Yesenia {of Saucie Garments},

BreeAnn and Chelsea {aka Danni Rouge of Bullets & Bows}.

Rica Cupcakes, Ms. Keek Marie, and a few other pretty gal pals were with them,

and once that music started bumping... IT WAS ON! lol

Neon t-shirt {made into a headband at the last minute! lol}:: Forever 21, Black sequined vest:: H&M, Black & white striped dress:: H&M, Multi-chained necklace:: Forever 21, Black studded bracelet:: H&M,

{Not pictured} Black & neon pumps:: Forever 21

The infamous Don Cannon was the DJ for the nite

and was the master of keeping us on our feet.

Many including the uber talented guys from Audio Push came out to support Kent Money,

who performed a few tracks from his mixtape just as the event got underway.

Things got a little on the wild side...

but for good times with good friends,

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

BETCHA WANNA SEE THIS BOOTY BOUNCE

Tuesday night {after a long day's work}, my b.f.f Brittany & I got all dolled up

to go to Hollywood's infamous Dim Mak Tuesdays at Cinespace.

The streetwear queens of L.A.'s very own Hellz Bellz were hosting the Hollywood Boulevard hotspot to promote the release of DEV's music video for her dope track, "Booty Bounce."

Filled with tons of fresh threads, the styling of the vid was all thanks to Hellz.

After premiering the video,

we nabbed a spot front & center as DEV took the stage to perform a few hits,

including my all-time fave, "Fireball."

The diverse crowd was full of hipsters and free spirits,

all grooving the night away to indie pop jams.

We had a good time, even though we ran into a few weirdos lol

But hey, it comes with the territory.

Black headband, Black tunic w/ sheer sides, Grey splattered dress {worn underneath}, Multi-chained necklace, Army green grommet belt, Black lace-up booties. *All from Forever 21*

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

To make the workday a bit more interesting,

the visual merchandising team at my store decided to have dress-up days.

Although customers often look at us crazy for dressing out of the usual F21 norm,

their stares and awkward facial expressions are priceless.

Yesterday marked another creative theme:: 90s grunge.

Although not many of the other associates take part in looking like the

high school rebels that were infamous for smoking cigs and starting fights,

we visuals definitely looked the part.

From left to right: {Top} Jessica, me, Lauren, Nevia, Christina, Victor, Liz,

{Bottom} Joel, Raymond, & Sharon.

Going hand-in-hand with the grunge get up,

all that kept coming to mind was Nirvana and Courtney Love.

So here's hommage to the days where the combination of plaid, Doc Martens, mosh pits and sheep dog-like hair ruled the scene.

THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE

Thursday, after a long day of laundry and laundering in the scorching heat,

I headed out to celebrate the 21st birthday of one of my dearest friends, Brittany.

Brit & I have been thick as thieves since our first year at UC Riverside when we lived

on the same hall in the dorms.

There, I also met Cate and Ada, a pair of the truest & nuttiest girls I've ever encountered lol

From then until forever, they will all remain as some the most sincere and genuine friends

that I am so blessed to have :)

{Cheesy? I know lol But it's true!}

Last night was the first time I've seen Cate & Ada in a lonnnng time,

since they spent the latter part of the school year in London

through the Study Abroad program.

It was amazing to see them, along with Brit of course, and my other pals from UCR.

We all had dinner at BJ's and then headed over to Brit's apartment for cake, laughs,

and an unforgettable game of Taboo. lol

Brit's pipsqueak {complimentary} Pazookie. lol

Gold twine {worn as headband}:: Random fabric store in Downtown L.A.

Gold hoop earrings:: Forever 21

Navy blazer w/ gold trim:: Forever 21

Red & white striped tank:: H&M

Juicy Couture charm bracelet

Button necklace:: DIY :)

Denim shorts:: Forever 21

Vintage taupe clutch:: Rob's Vintique

Taupe booties:: Forever 21

Oh What a Night

My friend Brittany && I got all dolled up for New Years

and partied the night away with my boys from Major Hype.

The closer it got to countdown time, the more mayhem there was at the front door!!

Luckily, me && Britt were able to make our way through the crowd and inside

as soon as we arrived.

Although our night ended a bit earlier than we expected,

we still had a blast! :)

Cream & gold earrings:: Forever 21

Gold chained necklace:: Forever 21

Black lipstick dress:: Designed && made by ME!!! ;)

{Worn Underneath} Leopard dress:: Made by me too!

Red suede pumps:: Forever 21

Black & gold pyramid clutch:: Forever 21

Black studded bangle:: H&M

In case you didn't notice,

my hair is ridiculously DARK! lol

I accidentally bought the wrong bottle of color

so no more pink! :(

Although I get compliments on my new doo all of the time,

I want my colored locks back!

I feel like with this new color, I have to be more soft-spoken for some odd reason lol

But until it grows out,

I guess I'll just have to deal.

OMG!!!!! JEFF!!!!!!! lol Welp hey, at least he got his New Years kiss! lol ;)

View more pics from the party over at Major Hype.com!!!

Ten Nine Eight

Wow.

2009 is REALLY over! lol

I'm so grateful that I've been blessed with yet another amazing year.

I can't say that everyday was full of kicks 'n giggles lol,

but all in all,

I'm still standing even in spite of all of the rocky roads I've endured.

I would probably have to say the highlight of my year

{as well as the most drama-filled moment}

was when my brothers & I found out that we have an older sister

{Chrisandra} who is 23 years old!

After my dad had me & the rest of the world thinking that I was his only daughter,

come to find out, he was well aware of the fact that Chrisandra existed!

That story would have to be another completely different post if you all would like me to share all of the details lol

However, I love "Chrissy" to death, && she's the best thing that's ever happened 2 me! :')

I've been fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of so many great opportunities!

Interning for Chic Little Devil Style House

{shoutouts to Michelle, Rebecca, Molly, Shaina, Grace, Kristen && everyone else! lol}

has opened my eyes to so many new things about fashion that I hadn't been exposed to before.

Working with my friends Starsky & Brian Timothy of Major Hype,

my photographer amiga on-the-rise Eulogia "Penny,"

Dorothy of Dot Magazine,

the uber-talented group The Stunners,

&& a host of others have been the icing on my 2009 cake!

As this year ends,

I walk away with plenty of lessons learned,

many connections made,

&& a slew of friends I've gained along with a handful that fell off.

&& to end the year on a FAB-U-LOUS note!::

I recently got promoted to being the new Visual Merchandising Assistant at my job, Forever 21! {I'm SURE you're not surprised that I work there! hahahahha}

AND....{drumroll please}...

I've been offered the AMAZING opportunity of interning with Teen Vogue in NYC this summer by Editor-in-Chief Amy Astley herself!!!!!!!!! :)

TADAAAAH!! lol

I'm praying that everything works out as planned,

so hopefully I'll be working in "The City" by late June! lol

&& of COURSE, I can't help but thank all of my Vanity Girl readers!!!

I deeply appreciate all of your support && hope that you all have a fun && safe new year!!!

2010 will be MY year to shine!

All of my designing goals will be made into a reality,

so LOOKOUT WORLD!

I'm comin' at ya!

THE KOOL

In early November, I did a collab shoot with my photographer friend Eulogia {aka "Penny"}.

I've been [im]patiently waiting for the photos,

and FINALLY got a few finished flicks from her!!!!

I originally planned on keeping all of the pics under wraps until I got hold of all of them, but

I'm just toooooooo excited && HAD TO show ya! lol

Plus, Starsky aka Tomi of Major Hype posted em on their blog!!!!

SMH! So much for keepin' them on the D.L! hahahha jk

In the pics, I'm rockin' my own designs && I styled myself! lol

How often do you see THAT?!

A designer who rocks her own gear?? && WELL! hahahahhaha lol

I don't mean to sound cocky,

but I'm proud of the progress that I've made this year,

and I'm NOT slowing down for ANYONE!!

Kooley is on the up&&up folkz!

WATCH OUT!!!! ;)