this is winter rebellion

my gramma has excellent style. for christmas she gave me a huge furry vest and a flannel and a couple other goodies. but i'm practically living in the above stated pieces. the furry vest is, of course, fake, but it's SO warm. perfect for -1 degree weather! i've been obsessing over some punkish/rock looks lately, and this is probably due to the combat boots i bought on the family trip to rhode island-- excellent consignment shops there!

this is bitch.

this is christmas break.

will be slow to post, because today i'm lounging and tomorrow is christmas, and after that i'm visiting family. soooo yeah. slow to post. enjoy these photos from my first day of break. (that's sounds sketchy as hell)

this is making use of a great tank top

great basics--like a tank top, are greatly underrated. i've found that most of what i have seen in stores lately are cheaper, thinner, more easily stretched tank tops. i suppose that these are great for layering under a thin shirt or button-up, because you don't see them that much anyway, but when it's hot in the summer, i don't want to be wearing underwear on the outside! i have one tank top that started out purple-grey colour, and faded and got worn so much it changed colour more to a grey. it lost some of it's shape, yes, but it did it with grace. don't you all hate these shirts that lose shape and end up being weirdly wide and short? i hate it!

a great basic can be worn with anything.

an excellent basic will work perfectly with a million different styles of outfit.

these are old photos, yes, but they're just assorted looks that have "the tank" i pulled from my outfit file. in this shot, i'm wearing my home-made distressed jeans. i cuffed them on the bottom to give them a "haute" look. recently, as in yesterday, i chopped them up and made some cuffed denim shorts. they fit like a dream!

in this shot the tank isn't really visible, because i'm wearing a vest over it. but i'm wearing a skirt of similar colour, layered, so it looks like a dress. the picture is a little dark so the colours aren't true, but the vest was a statement piece over the "dress".

this skirt was actually a christmas gift from an old friend of mine. it's a thrifted skirt, and it's a bit big, but it's ok. green velvet is hard to work when it's tight anyway! worn with a thrifted studded belt.

this one isn't so much an outfit i could wear out. wearing a large tulle skirt, meant to fill out the bottom of a full dress or skirt. very useful in my wardrobe!

probably my favourite outfit of this bunch, this fantastic tank top worn with my favourite black skirt. layered necklaces and bracelets, and some warm, rolled, wool socks.

this is a hyperactive girl

this is weekend was great. i went shopping with some wonderful people, and i bought a pair of fantastic black wedges. they were cheaper too, because it's the weekend before christmas. merry christmas to me, i thought i'd treat myself. my friend showed me this awesome record store and i bought my father an old Sinatra record that i hope he'll appreciate. i could have spent hours in there. there were PILES of old records and tapes and cds and and and and... it was just like a fun house. we spent an hour or so there. then we went to explore the rest of the city, and it was a rousing good time. i actually didn't go wild with shopping, i was mostly helping my best girlfraaaan find some proper clothes for an upcoming debate we're in. we bought this adorable purple/grey ruffly dress, and she got some damn fine boots. i'm glad she was there though because i might have accidentally splurged on ANOTHER bag i didn't need. it's best to shop with a person who has really sensible fashion.

about this photo. i was trying to put together and outfit for tomorrow, and for my upcoming debate, and i kind of got into some DIY projects. i sliced up an old 80s era acid wash skirt, and now i love it even more. i thought i should make a post about this outfit because i like it a good bit. not for this week, but after holiday break, i think. it's always good to have a lookbook of favourite outfits, so when you have nothing to wear, you can find one you made up a long time ago! it's hard to pick out creative, stand-out outfits for myself though, because my school is small and judgemental, and it's freezing cold here most of the time. well, when i move somewhere warm and happy and peaceful, i'll wear whatever the hell i want!

ps. i'm drinking this amazing, no name brand, hot-pink energy drink that tastes like berry. mmm

this is DIY

so today i'm definitely cheaping out on fashion. you can't see in the picture, but i'm wearing black Ked sneakers i bought at a thrift store back in october (wow, it feels like i bought them last week, my, i haven't gone shopping in a long time).

my pants were hand-me-downs from a taller friend of mine. she said they were wayyy too tight and she only wore them once or twice. i tried them on and they fit perfectly! but then i put them through the wash and they shrunk a great deal. so i tried to stretch them back out a bit, and i did, but they still weren't in their original glory. after much thought, i decided i wouldn't jump on the bandwagon and buy ripped jeans, i'd make them with my old hand-me-downs. so i slashed them. cutting them also served a purpose. with smaller strips of denim, the jeans stretch out a bit more. see? a very practical case of DIY.

my shirt was also free... or next to free. my friends and i bought some white, huge, mens' tees for something we were going to do at school. but we never did. so i was thinking about it last night and i came up with a plan for the shirt. when i got the shirt i cut off the neck to make it off shoulder. but the rest of the shirt was untouched, except for some blue that ran from another article of clothing in the wash a long time ago, much to my dismay. so this morning i cut off a strip of the bottom, including the seam. then i cut two slits at the sides on the bottom. and i tied the shirt up, created a "bubble" shape. i did the same with the top part of the sleeves, so they cut be a bit more fitted. i did this because i noticed mens' shirts always stick out on the sleeves, instead of staying fit to the arm. i only like this in small doses and i wanted this shirt to look soft and folded, to play up the spidery light blue-grey stains along the back shoulder. it came out well, in my humble opinion.

it's still morning and i haven't loaded myself up with jewelry yet, but i'm thinking some cuffs and bangles and a long chain necklace.

going shopping later today with the boyfriend and a couple other awesome folk. last minute holiday shopping, i suppose. i already have a little but of what i want and need, but.... i feel lack. i always go all-out for my friends and family on holidays. it's much better to give than to receive.

this is festive

so today i didn't really feel like blending in. i went to a debate thing in the high school from the next town over, so i thought i should look presentable. also, i ran out of pants. so i wore grey wool tights because it was oh, i don't know, -1 degrees Fahrenheit today. and i threw on a summer dress because i wanted some fullness, i didn't want to do any boring dresses. also, my favourite blue one has deodorant marks on it. i didn't even wear it! i just put it on inside out!! any tips for getting these marks out? so i wore this really loose beach cover up with embroidery on the top part. so i didn't look like a tiny red lump, i belted it with an old thrift store find, this thick waist belt. i think it's vintage... it's made really well and that's not a plastic buckle! because it was cold and also because of my (stupid) school's dress code, i wore my boring old brown F21 cardigan over it, under the belt though. and i kept it quirky with my Miu Miu imitations!

this is me in front of our family's christmas tree. seriously weighed down this year with ornaments! can you believe christmas is only 8 days away? i feel terrible i haven't gotten anything for anyone yet! :o

i put my hair up and twisted some of the blonde pieces up over the dark. pretty loose, but i figured it looks more put-together than having my hair "just rolled out of bed". well, i don't spend hours in front of the mirror trying to make it look like i just rolled out of bed. i really did "just roll out of bed". in the mornings before school i wake up about 20 minutes before my bus comes, throw on what's close, or what i'm "feeling" and then just do some makeup. seems to work. besides, i need sleep. and i'm not one of those girls who is always late to school, mark my word!

this is mary longing for spring

i took these last winter, in february, but my love of these outfits and love of spring and summer have not changed.

this dress is fantastic. it's a tube dress with layers of colour of tie-dye. i love the texture of the linen fabric and the colour combination. i bought it as a beach over up but i layer it for different textures, with tights and sweaters for winter. too good a dress to just wear over a bathing suit and then be covered up. the belt is another thrift store find, it's black pleather with two rows of studs and cut-out stars down the middle. my shoes are my folksy, cutesy shoes, that i actually bought a payless. pretty sweet deal, eh? when i bought them it was right when Miu Miu was coming out with those square heels. these are a worthy look-a-like, in my humble opinion. pretty sure they're dyed leather.

good around town look... these shorts were some VERY ill-fitted mom-jeans i got as a gift or something. i wasn't ever going to wear them as-is, so i cute and hacked and bleached and wore out them, so now they're some cute vintage-knockoffs. belt is from a thrift store, kind of mock-croc leather, it's a bit small so i use it for my waist. eyelet brown tank top, loose and almost down past my butt, so i tuck it in for some waist definition 'cuz i'm so short. this is layered under a button down, transparent shirt, worn undone but tucked in. you can't see them in the photo, but i had some rad gladiators that went with this outfit. they're some nice leather ones, and pretty simple. but not cheap looking, because i've found a lot of the gladiators, like the ones i see on the "cute and quirky" girls of our school, are cheap looking and gross. black patent leather and gladiator do NOT work, i promise you! the earrings are some ones my mom picked up for me in Ghana. handmade, hoop-and-disk things. i really like them because they're modern but very tribal.

a little fusion outfit, a mix of classy and vacation-y vintage. metallic mock-snakeskin heels, very comfy but an awkward peach colour so kind of hard to wear. these shorts are the ones you saw before, but this time another favourite thrift store find, a navy-and-white long sleeve scoop neck tee, is tucked in it. i love this shirt because it's loose and old and thin, and i know, that if it were crisp and new, it wouldn't have nearly as much personality as it does now. can you say, 4 cents at Changes? this store is the shit! my scarf is one i picked up on my last NYC trip, bought from a little Indian guy on 7th ave. i feel classy and cheap at the same time. the good life! Now i really can't wait for summer and spring to wear all this!

haha, in the background of the photo you can see my suitcase. i had just gotten back from my yearly trip to florida to visit gramma! some good, cheap shopping down there. good for disposable basics, and i actually find some good stuff down there! like my dress in the first picture, or my gladiators! yeahhhh boyyy!

this is mary's wondering

as i find myself exploring "Blogspot"

i am wondering why there are so many blogs about people's children.

is it just me, or does that strike you as... creepy?

do they think we care?

if i were a mother, or a father, i certainly wouldn't want internet folk eyeing my spawn.

i wouldn't know though. i've never had a child.

i probably shouldn't.

i find myself bored on my laptop on weekday afternoons

when i'm not doing anything in particular, or out with friends.

today i am listening to Amy Winehouse.

she's been inspiring me for the past 24 hours. last night,

i even drew a jazz singer with wild eyeliner.

it makes me wonder what gets me in moods for particular musics.

when i watch T.V. with my family on evenings, i see a lot of sexual innuendos.

i wonder if the people who made the shows used these subtle messages

as a way to provide sex education for the mass generation that is growing up.

and i also wonder, if this is preaching morals

and letting the corporations that make children's television

teach our youth about sex.

then i get scared.

because, i think about how i grew up on the same programmes.

it's not a secret. candy stores are happy places.

but i wonder, if after being surrounded by a joyous place so long,

the workers of the store, and even the candy, get sick of it.

or maybe, they just like being in there, because it's where they can escape their problems.

i'd be pretty content, working surrounded by

lollipops, licorice, gumdrops, chocolate, nuts, and assorted confections.

my geometry teacher is a crazy old man. but he's not a joke.

we all respect and love the math teacher. even i do, and i am "math-stupid".

i think it's because he tells jokes and weird stories,

and that he has a character, and a personality.

even if it's fake, he still gets across to the students

more than the other facilitators of our learning.

i wonder if he does it on purpose because,

he knows that i am secretly learning.

wondering thoughts, december 15th 2009

this is insanity?

soul sacrifice

this is lazy winter

Lazy day with my brothers around the house. What i wore today:

white wash skinny jeans that are a tad too big (but you can't tell, can you?)

a zebra top, just a teeshirt, it's pretty basic, really, but it was getting the most comments today. maybe the way the other layers over it kind of made it a peek-a-boo type thing.

over that was probably my most controversial piece, because of where i got it and the fact that it's a Metallica sweatshirt. i've found that wearing band shirts and merch is generally asking for conversation, but hey, i like metallica (yeah, that's right) so who really cares? My ex-beaux gave it to me and i cut the hood off. it's a ratty looking sweater but it's comfortable and went with the slouchy look i was doing today, even though i don't speak to the boy anymore. Past affliations will not run my fashion choices! although, it was awkward seeing his girlfriend today at school... but she gives me dirty looks anyway :)

My boots are probably one of my favourite vintage finds--ever! i walked into my favourite thrift store (i've ranted about it before, it's called Changes) and right on the wall i saw a pair of beautiful, black, scrunchy boots. i couldn't find a size so i tried them on. this was a heavenly moment: they fit! So i scrambled around and tried finding the price tag. Then i saw it: on the wall, a sign that just... made my year. the perfect pair of boots were on- on- on- the dollar wall! Not an impulse buy, either, boots like that were on my list for a long time.

and on top of my head is my favourite, warmest wool hat!

notice the snow. -tear tear-

this is mary

raw, uneditted

this is child's play

i went to Portuguese Festa with my (not then) boyfriend in September. It was a beautiful weekend, the sun was shining, it was warm, it was perfect. One morning, before a lunch party, we went to a playground. i found a bridge-thing similar to what i used to play on when i was little. i had to get a photo, for memories' sake.

i am wearing: a scarf i bought the day before at Festa, a wonderful find, made in portugal, printed with traditional designs. lovely colour, and perfect for summer or to liven up winter. a black, highwaisted skirt made of light cotton jersey. it's a good base piece because it can be fun and playful looking (the way the skirt is circular and flouncy) or can be very put together because of how the waist is high and it's a traditional cut. i wore a tank top underneath, it was brownish-grey, but you can't tell because it's under the scarf in this photo. also, i was wearing simple black flats, that i've worn so much i can't even feel them when i wear them! i also had on some bracelets, like a woven rope one that has sentimental meaning to me, and of course, hair bands on my wrist. my hair was SO curly in the humidity! it was a lovely weekend.

this is goodbye to summer break

back in august i still had my gauges in! these were little white 6gauge ones, i got up to a 2gauge before i stopped. notice my simple makeup and the fact that my arms are actually tan from summer... now, not so much. yes, i have naturally curly hair, that's a question i get a lot. and on top of that curly hair, in this picture, is one of my favourite statement pieces. it's a headband, and it's a little bit weird, but a lot awesome. it's a black one, and it's made of like canvas or something, and has an intricate bow made of zippers. gives what i wear a little edge but still is cute. i like it also because i'm not very tall (a whopping 4'11'') so i have to stand out in a crowd because i'm a fairly outgoing person. also, i have just one necklace on in this picture, it's just got a lot of little strands. i like this necklace, but it got tangled up easily and i haven't taken the time to undo it yet. shame, but i have many more necklaces to layer. i'll work on it some other time.

this is the full outfit, head to toe. it's hard to find jeans for myself because i'm short and thin. quote "the body of a ten year old" so when i find jeans that fit, i jump on them (in them?). so these don't fit perfectly but they're comfortable as far as straight leg jeans go. on my feet are these AMAZING strappy heels. normally, heels are uncomfortable because of the straps across. these are comfortable straps, because they're made of black elastic. my toenails are painted white, for some drama. i love the shape of the heels though, they are just plain elegant. you can't tell in the picture but i was wearing a vintage mock-croc green skinny belt. my tee shirt isn't actually from venice, but i'm ok with that. i bought it because it was cheap and i like filler in my (large, mutated) wardrobe and i also loved the colours of this. my bag is just a pleather purple beast, i don't really like it for practicality because it's a huge bag and it has just one snap, not a zipper. but it's cute, not gonna lie.

please excuse my bad posture in the photos, it was early in the morning.

this is peace in my ears

i'll fly away, fly away oh glory!

this is a few of my favourite things

this is my favourite toy. found this little guy in the sand at the beach last summer... there may have been more of his friends but they were all gone. just a lonely little plastic beast in the sand. i had to take him home. i like plastic animals best because they love you unconditionally and you never have to take care of them. for the record, i do have a dog. her name is sally and she's very old and unique looking. i love her.

this is my favourite necklace (besides my portuguese one). my mom picked it up for me in venice wayyyy long ago and this is what it looks like now. a masquerade mask yes, but weathered and with stories. it's absolutely tiny-- but handmade. beautiful craftsmanship here!

this is my favourite hat. i went thrift shopping with my friends a couple months ago (my my, time has flown, it feels like last week!). there's a great little treasure chest a couple towns over called "Changes" and it's main floor is filled with a mix of vintage and cutesy pieces, ranging from very cheap (think like 50 cents) to steeper prices. they have a vintage designer rack too, which is pretty rare in my neck of the woods. in the basement it's some slightly damaged or just not that valuable pieces, and they're all priced to 4 cents. so you can get 25 random pieces for a dollar. that's kind of an amazing deal. needless to say i've picked up quite a few old sweaters and tees to refurbish. but whilst i was rummaging around on this particular day i came across a really, really warm and thick hat. it gets pretty cold up here, so this hat was gold. it's black with some interesting knitting detail, and made of really soft wool. i love this hat, it's such a find!

*ignore the terrible picture. i took it after i had just rolled out of bed so i could make a blog post about this hat.

this is my hair.

My hair... has had so many changes in the past year. ever changing. i look around in my school and see girls all with long, straight hair with sidebangs. then again, i'm not from the fashion hub of the world. everyone dresses so similarly, but, that's boring, and I would never be boring!

this is what it was before:

long, few layers, natural brown, bangs. i wore it up usually with some loose pieces, essentially all natural.

outfit: cheap plastic wayfarer glasses that are like leopard, (it was st. patricks day and i'm a wee bit irish) a green silk scarf, a ruffled grey tank, white washed denim skinnies (lost weight, wayyy too small now), and my good ol' taxicab converse! i've had them since literally sixth grade, i've taken GOOD care of them. over all that i wore a purple-grey striped cardigan, fairly cheap, so it's lost its shape. and that jacket isn't mine-- it's an old vintage boyscout coat of my boyfriend's. it's got interest pockets, but you can't tell by the photo.

my friend bleach dyed half of it blonde, the bottom layers. and chopped up a bunch. so I had to fix it up because the cutting was so damaging. since it was so ghetto my hair is still recovering. i miss the old hair but i've gotten used to it. it's not as dramatic now as it is in this picture, and i've started to grow my bangs out.

outfit: black leggings and the only flannel i own, i swear.

i do not plan on dying my hair again. i've learned my lesson. I liked my natural colour best, and it's just weird feeling now. my mother has never dyed her hair and it's still beautiful and healthy, so I have something to look up to. besides, i'm having horrid roots (but I don't want to/ can't afford to dye it back.. mhmmm), but it's close to being grown out.

on the photos:
the first one was from a trip to NYC last year with the drama club... mediocre but still memorable. on the way home i fell asleep on my friend whilst he made jokes about Scarlette Johannson. we are now dating.
foreshadowing?
the second was just one i took of myself when i dyed it. went through a phase when i wanted to model. gave up on that because i'm 4'11'' and done growing.

this is debemos bailar

this is what happens

girl found herself in her room with some old fake glasses and her ex-boyfriend's black sabbath shirt. swiped on pink lipstick and pulled the shirt over her tank top and cut offs....

it happens.

*let it be known, the best thing I ever got out of that relationship was the teeshirt and some good icecream.

but no space for ranting!

this is SWEETER THAN CANDY

my apologies for terrible macros... not a great camera.

these are my sprinkles on top of the cakes that are my outfits.
i love my jewelry collection- it's a mix of old costume stuff, vintage hand-me-downs, some expensive pieces, and even some stuff from all over the globe. it's fantastic. i know i have more rings... i just always seem to lose them.

i used to gauge my ears, i still have some of those, but after some bad infections and the realization that i wouldn't look that great in them, i let my ears shrink back.

********

there's one necklace i always wear: my Our Lady of Fatima necklace, made of a tiny pendent given to me by my boyfriend's Vó. she's a wonderful woman. tt's got a lot of meaning to me, it was handmade in Portugal and blessed by a priest there. i'm not religious, but it has some emotion behind it because i'm also Portuguese... a bit of the homeland, i suppose. i came home from Festa this year with the pendent and i put it on a chain, and i've worn it every day since. thank you, Vó!!

this is comfortable chair

photo via LIFE magazine
"Modern Living Chairs"

reminds me of YSL....


(wish upon a star)

this is when childhood goes away

when i was little
i used to play
the side yard was my kingdom
starting my own civilization
chasing animals with sticks
prodding invasive beehives
building houses for fellow nymphs of the wood
and i wrote
oh, how i wrote!
fantastic tales of feathers and wings and fur
sheets and sheets of pouring words!

but soon the words faded
and the games did too
became cheap and tarnished
no use in rebuilding the flooded lands
don't bother to climb back up the hill of rocks
urges to explores the mountain gone
one by one
all the kids in the neighbourhood
grew up
transitioned into teenagers
disappeared.

the games were stupid
the stories were lame
the woods were icky.

and soon enoughit hit me too
magical lands and superpowers replaced
by boys, eyeliner, getting my ears pierced
going to middle school
being grown up
far too early
killed my childhood.

this is Wednesday

Tried to hang out with a wonderful person.

The snow said no.

Made a blog instead.

I've been meaning to do this for a long time.

Welcome to my mind.