Well hello there, remember me? I know, I know, what is consistency right? I'm working on, things have been a bit crazy, and well... let's just say my mojo is low. I've been lacking the motivation to not only blog, but to REALLY get dressed. Jeans and a black tank have been my go-to. I forgot how much of an attitude adjustment can be made when you decide to just get dressed, even if it's to go to the local grocery store. That's exactly what happened with this outfit. (minus the store lol)
Do you ever have those items that you've harbored forever but never really figure out how to wear? Yeah, that's exactly what this leather is for me. I found it about 3 years ago at a thrift store for $9, if I remember correctly. Now, why I chose to wear it on a 98 degree weather kind of day, let's just say i'm a true fire sign. (Aries) Although the day ended up scorching (and I ended up changing into a jean mini), I needed my cute little plaid jacket while out & about earlier that morning. I snagged this cutie from leftovers of a clothing swap hosted by a friend of mine.
You know me, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."
Who would've know an outfit with 3 items or less would be so fun to sport. Let's not forget to mention that 50% of the outfit was thrifted and the other half gifted.
I came across these TUK black & leopard creepers at a local Crossroads Trading Co. for a sweet $30, alongside a cute little $5 black dress. On the other hand, I was gifted this awesome customized military jacket in return for helping a friend move, along with the socks.
Not a bad deal if you ask me. Check out the vintage feels below!
How do you chose where you're going to travel? Do you check out "Top 10" lists, or do you spin the globe & chose at random?
I personally get a thought in my mind about a place i've never been, & at that moment it gets added to "The List". My list is compiled of places to go, things to see, people to meet & so much more. Last Year, Seattle got crossed off the list. This year, I knew I wanted to do more traveling than I ended up knocking out in 2015.
Like Seattle, I got tired of talking about wanting to visit & just made time to get it done. Especially when I lived on the East Coast for 6 years & never made my way to either spot. With school back in action, I have to be strategic with my travels. I figured, no better way to spend my spring break, than getting bronzed up laying out on a beach in Miami. Yet at that moment, the cherry blossom lined parks of New York in the springtime, took over my mind. That's when the great debate began. I started raising pros & cons, unsure of which way to go. Then it dawned on me... "Kayak Explore". Like most travel sites, Kayak has an "Explore" tab in which you pretty much see where your money will take you & when. I started playing around with each destination for different times, then I just decided to check & see how much it would cost for a multi-trip. (LAX-MIA-MIA-JFK-JFK-LAX)
Lo & behold, there they were for a mere $312!
Your read that that right! I booked plane tickets from Los Angeles to Miami, Miami to New York & New York back home to LA, ALL for pretty much the price of one ticket. I usually spend $400 minimum on one round-trip to Raleigh or Atlanta. That's most likely because I used to be the queen of "travel procrastination". Even then, I booked these tickets less than a month away from my travel date & still came out victorious. My first travel hack mission... COMPLETE!
Anytime I travel, I like to do a little bit of research on where i'm going. I'm not really into visiting over-saturated touristy places, but I do like to get the feel of the culture & learn a bit of history. Not to mention, I've never been good at following the whole "itinerary" thing. I like to roam about & stumble upon great gems you may otherwise never know existed. Considering i've never been to either place & they both carry their own diversity, I knew I wanted to go empty handed & come home not only full of experiences but full of clothes & yummy food!
So, I decided to compile a list of 3 places or things I wanted to do in each destination.
Experience, Eat, & Enjoy!
Anytime I travel, I like to do a little bit of research on where i'm going. I'm not really into visiting over-saturated touristy places, but I do like to get the feel of the culture & learn a bit of history. Not to mention, I've never been good at following the whole "itinerary" thing. I like to roam about & stumble upon great gems you may otherwise never know existed. Considering i've never been to either place & they both carry their own diversity, I knew I wanted to go empty handed & come home not only full of experiences but full of clothes & yummy food!
So, I decided to compile a list of 3 places or things I wanted to do in each destination.
Experience, Eat, & Enjoy!
First Stop: 5 Days in Miami
#1: Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
Despite the tragedy of the era, I've always been extremely drawn to the time & people of the Holocaust. Being as though, "The Museum of Tolerance" in Los Angeles is one of my favorite museums to frequent, I couldn't pass up the viewing of the Holocaust Sculpture located on Miami Beach. Through the photos alone, the impact is felt. "The Sculpture of Love and Anguish" displays a range of emotions. From the pain filled expressions to the sweet embrace of mother & child, I plan to allow myself to experience all that which arises.
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| Photo Courtesy of: holocaustmemorialmiamibeach.org |
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| Photo Courtesy of: holocaustmemorialmiamibeach.org |
#2: Little Havana - Calle Ocho
I don't know about you, but when I think of Cuba, I instantly get excited! My mind automatically goes to delicious food, cultural pride, & authentic cigars. Now that we have the green light to "dirty dance" into Havana, I figured i'd get my feet wet & kill 2 birds with one stone. I haven't quite made it across the border yet, but you better believe it's on "The List." Until then, i'll enjoy all that Little Havana has to offer me. You better believe i'm not starting my day off without first visiting the famous Versailles Cuban Restaurant for a "Cortadito", which happens to be a tame version of a Cafecito:"a frothy, coal-colored concoction that appears to be made from equal parts espresso and refined sugar", but with a splash of condensed milk.
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| Photo Courtesy of: www.trbimg.com |
#3: Thrifting!
I wasn't playing when I said I was traveling light. I'm literally bringing a suitcase in which I can fit another empty bag along with an outfit or two inside. I plan on being a bit of everywhere, so I looked up a few thrift stores in all locations. To my delight, one of my favorite thrift store is located in two places throughout the Miami area, Out of the Closet. I'm also excited to check out Little Haiti Thrift Shop as well as Give Good Works & more.
So there you have it, a glimpse into what my upcoming adventure to Miami & New York may look like. I plan to put out a couple of short posts, summarizing each leg of the trip. I will also be vloging my time in order to bring something visual to check out on YouTube.
Be sure to be on the look out for a new edition of "New Music Monday". If you have music to submit, or know anyone who may be interested in submitting, feel free to drop me a note on here or email me directly.
Next Up: 5 Days in New York
#1: Brooklyn Bridge Park/Central Park
As I mentioned above, I'm not really interested in Tourist attractions, but there are just some places I refuse NOT to visit. For me, no trip to New York can be complete without visiting Central Park & snapping a pic in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. Hopefully I can catch free Yoga in the park somewhere, or maybe just sit on a bench & stare off into oblivion. Let's see what the weather permits.
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| Photo By: Michael Kafka |
#2: Big Gay Ice Cream
Considering i'm not sure how the weather is going to treat me, I plan on going wherever the wind blows me. I DO know, that I'm one of those people who likes to eat ice-cream given whatever the weather may be. What better way to satisfy my craving, then to visit the highly talked-about 'Big Gay Ice Cream' shop. From what i've heard, not only are these handsome men super awesome & playful, but their yummy concoctions aren't something to be passed up.
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| Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff |
#3: Thrifting!
You know I couldn't leave without adding some East Coast flare to my ever-changing wardrobe. I'm super excited because the list of thrift stores seem never-ending. A few shops I plan to check out include: Beacon's Closet, Angel Street Thrift Shop, Cure Thrift Shop & more.
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| Photo Courtesy of: www.curethriftshop.com |
Be sure to be on the look out for a new edition of "New Music Monday". If you have music to submit, or know anyone who may be interested in submitting, feel free to drop me a note on here or email me directly.
Until Take-off,
-Twanie
Coat - Styles For Less | Sweater - Thrifted | Jeans & Boots - Forever 21| Jewelry (except Quartz necklace) - Claire's
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To my delight, I can say that California is actually experiencing what most of you call a "Winter", or something like it. There's been no abundance of rain or snow but we are experiencing pretty chilly weather. Chilly for us Californians that is... Luckily for me, living in North Carolina for 6 years or so, made me pretty unbiased to the California weather. Even though you can experience every type of weather imaginable in a weeks span while living in NC, you can't but help to love & appreciate the fact that you actually have seasons.
I based my outfit around this white & black men's sweater I bought while you guessed it.... Thrifting! I only paid a good $2.99 for it & couldn't wait to wash & wear. I even felt a little girly & decided to stack on some accessories
Stay on the lookout, because I will be uploading YouTube videos & writing more posts on many the thrifted look books I have for you.
Until next look!
-Twanie
I'm back with new thrifted finds as well as new hair! I can never look one way to long.
This time I bring you the most comfortable & lightweight velvet pants ever! Thrifted over a year ago in Paso Robles, I cam across the most a sweet pair of black high-waisted velvet pants. They're pretty straight leg, so I don't get much of a shape out of them, but with all the hard work in the gym i've been putting in lately, my baby butt still gives me just enough. (Don't Judge lol)
Along with these pants, my shirt & jacket are thrifted as well. Actually, I bought my jacket from a sweet buyer on the Vintage app. Cehck it out if you haven't already, especially if you're good at finding treasure in other people's 'trash'.
The biggest name-brand you'll see in this outfit would be my boots... Forever 21. Hahaha, You can't go wrong with $25 boots.
Check out the Vinted app if you haven't already, you'll so many great finds! Also, stay on the look out for a chance to be able to shop my very own thrifted gems. Soon you'll be able to buy some of the great vintage finds that I pick up randomly while on my adventures. Save yourself the trouble of sifting through racks & racks of clothing in order to find that one unique item that steps up your wardrobe.
Until next outfit!
-Twanie
If you're anything like me, you love to be original; what better way to do that than by wearing vintage & thrifting up a storm. With the exception of thrift stores, I'm really not a fan of shopping in stores... especially for clothes. On Saturday, I stumbled upon a pop-up shindig presented by Whurl & friends.
"Whurl is a vintage clothing and accessories marketplace dedicated to changing the way we shop and giving customers a voice."
Nestled in DTLA's Fashion District (824 S Los Angeles Street, #500), more than a handful of vendors set-up shop in this cutely decorated studio space. Some of them were local, like amazing artist & designer Robin Eisenberg from RobinEisenberg.com, while there were those that came from states away like the gorgeous ladies of HelloHoliday.com, Megan & Sarah & many more. Not to mention, the grateful source responsible for me hearing about this event, Bri from TheHoodWitch.com
I've literally adored this goddess since day one of finding her on twitter a couple of years ago. I barely missed her pop-shop that happened earlier in the year, around the time I took a little weekend trip to Seattle WA, where she's based now. That sure didn't stop me from ordering a few crystals from her though. Which is why it was really nice to finally meet the great 'modern mystic', as well as experience the great sense of energy she brings with her through her beautiful pieces & products.
Continue to check out the pictures below from this awesome event. Did I forget to mention the rum-infused punch, sodas from Hollywood's Original Shirley Temple Soda Pop, and sweets provided by Circus of Cakes? Oh, & to top it off, 15% of all sales will be donated to Girls For A Change, an organization that provides support programs for young girls living in low-income households.
Pretty damn awesome right?
Don't forget to catch up with these great entrepreneurs by following them on their social networks or checking out their personal sites for all kinds of great finds!
Sam the Founder Whurl: IG:@EarthGirlsAreEasy
I hope something caught your eye & made you check around. Until next time!
-Twanie
