Tights and Bites

::goodbye, clothes that I always borrowed from Jill::

On my last night in Boston, I was able to meet a couple of my girlfriends out for a friendly game of trivia. All in all, my team sucked (sorry guys), and we probably came out dead last in the entire bar, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to throw back a couple of tasty beers, and have a proper goodbye with Boston. It’s possible that I didn’t give Boston the chance that it deserved, but for whatever reason, it seems that NYC is the place for me. I’ve been in NYC for six days now, and while it is somewhat lonely (luckily I have Layla), I just feel at peace. Maybe it’s all of the yoga classes I’ve been taking in my spare time – classes don’t start until Monday, so I’ve had a lot of extra time on my hands. Orientation is going on this week, but I decided that “college 101: how to survive your first year in college” isn’t quite the seminar for me…considering the whole been there, done that aspect of it all. It may be a while before outfit posts become regular, since I don’t really have a photographer…or a roommate…or many friends for that matter. But, I’m sure that I’ll figure it out. Eventually.

::goodbye, man (woman?) who plays the harmonica in the T station::

::goodbye, random stranger with your cute messenger bag::

My very last outfit in Boston.

Dress :: borrowed from Jill

Necklace :: vintage, borrowed from Jill

Sandals :: Nine West $15

Bag :: BCBG Maxazria $120

(Juicy Couture sunglasses $60, VSX tee $10, Juicy Couture necklace $gifted, Gap vest $thrifted, Jodi Arnold pants $30, Calvin Klein booties $50)

I have literally lost count of how many times I’ve been to NYC, Boston, Connecticut, and back again in the past couple of weeks. Moving to such a tiny apartment has proven to be a difficult task – between finding the right furniture, deciding what stays and what goes, finding people to people to help me, and so on. Blogging has definitely taken a backseat, but Jill and I were able to go to the beach near our apartment one last time to take these shots for the Make Life Juicy contest on Chictopia.

Today was a day when I truly relished in the fact that I am done with my job but don’t have to start school for another two weeks. I woke up late (on my couch in my Boston apartment, because all of my bedroom furniture has been moved to my new studio apartment in NYC); dressed in a too-short romper with heels; took the train to meet my friend in the park for lunch; walked Newbury Street for an abnormal amount of time; and met my roomie, Jill, in the city to be her plus-one at a dinner. Oh, and I realized that I left my poor dog home alone for far too long (good thing she’s a dog and not a child). All-in-all, a good, no-commitment day. And, I finally got these vintage-inspired shots that I have been intending to take for a while now.

Sunglasses :: Vintage

Romper :: Thrifted $6

Bag :: borrowed from Jill

Shoes :: Marc Fisher $30

Moving my stuff to NYC has been hectic, but it won’t be long before I am back to my regular-scheduled (outfit post) programming! Until then, here is a little tidbit for you. A little while ago, I posted a headband giveaway that will end when I have reached 101 members on Google Friend Connect. Well, I’m just about halfway to the giveaway. Thank you to all who have participated, and I look forward to future members and entries! Don’t miss out on your chance to win this bright and colorful, quirky yet chic, oh-so-lovely headband from Shop Tights and Bites. All you have to do is comment on the ORIGINAL HEADBAND GIVEAWAY POST (don’t comment here, or else it won’t count)!

::my teeny, tiny “kitchen”::

One of my best friends, Sammy, took the trip with me today from CT to NYC with a UHaul trailer full of crap. Let’s just say it’s 10 degrees hotter in the city than it is anywhere else. Towing a UHaul trailer in a Jeep with broken A/C isn’t exactly the most desirable way to enter the city. And, it all ended with us taking cold showers in my tiny, new studio apartment with no A/C. It’s possible that we unpacked my stuff in towels instead of clothes. My apartment is not nearly where I want it to be (no bed frame, no desk, no place for my TV), but these pictures are a little sneak peak of what I have so far. Did I forget to mention that I brought Layla, yet somehow forgot to bring her leash? Brilliant.

::bright and cheery::

And on a more fun note, Natalie of Pocket of Presh tagged me to answer eight fun questions. Here they are:

1. What movie best describes your style? Flash Dance. Ha! Totally kidding. I’m not quite sure how to answer this question. In my most recent post, I have expressed my excitement to move to New York City so that I can wear whatever I damn well please and no one will think twice about it. With this in mind, the only movie that really draws my attention to the style aspect of it is, of course, Sex and the City.

2. Where do you find inspiration for your outfits? I find inspiration for my outfits all over…real people, fashion magazines, style blogs, my seven-year-old cousin (tu-tu’s and velcro shoes). I think that everyone’s style is shaped by an unending number of factors.

3. How do you feel about thrift store shopping? Well, ladies, I feel pretty wonderful about thrift store shopping. I don’t do it as often as I would like, but some of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe have come from thrift stores. Examples: my new Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch for $16 and a fun, new floral romper for $6!

4. What is the next item of clothing you want to buy? …do shoes count? I’m really jonesin’ for a particular pair of Jeffrey Campbell platforms.

5. What’s your favorite color to wear? As much as I try to break out of it (but secretly don’t want to)…black, black, and more black.

6. If you could shop in any city in the world, what city would you choose? Because I am not well-versed in foreign cities, although I’ve heard some good things about Paris and Milan (ha), I would have to say New York City.

7. Do you have an item of clothing from the past that you really regret wearing? I think we all know the obvious answer here, but when it comes down to it…it’s all in the past (and hopefully not too many pictures).

8. Which is more important to you when shoe shopping…style or comfort? Style comes first. Comfort is a nice surprise.

::looking very happy after walking many miles in the hot, humid city::

I know that I haven’t posted in over a week, but what a busy week it has been. First and foremost, I must resign from the 30 for 30 challenge (sorry Kendi and friends)! Not because I wasn’t enjoying it and not because I’m a quitter, but because I am slowly moving into my new studio apartment in New York City, and as a result have had to really split up my wardrobe. I got the keys to my new place today, and I realized that I am probably only going to have space for about 1/10th of my current wardrobe (that’s including shoes, bags, etc.) Yikes! I start at the Fashion Institute of Technology on August 23rd…double yikes! It is honestly so strange going back to college after a year of teaching.

::not exactly sure how much cooking I’ll be doing in my teeny, tiny little kitchen::

My co-workers at the school I just finished with asked me what I was most excited for. I said that 1) I can wear whatever I want in New York City, and no one will even bat an eyelash; and 2) I just can’t wait to be creative every single day. As rewarding as teaching has been this past year, I feel like having a steady teaching job has really dampened my creativity, and well…my wardrobe. Starting a lifestyle/fashion blog as a teacher has been tough, because up to this point, I don’t think that I’ve really had the opportunity to show my true sense of style. I think that living in the city and going to school there is going to change my life (and blogging) in a lot of very positive ways. Now I just need to find a photographer, since Jill will be moving back to CT.

On a somewhat different note, I titled this post “ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” as a promise to my friend, Erin. Her family had a dinner for her last night, because while I am making the “big move” to NYC, Erin is making a HUGE move to Thailand! She is going there to teach English. I am so proud of her. I wore this no-name maxi dress and carried my new Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch (that I thrifted for $16) to her dinner. I am currently at my parents’ house in CT with a very lightly packed bag, so outfits this week will mostly consist of black (black, black, and more black) dresses and rompers. Oh, and another thing…I must admit that I hadn’t washed my hair in days and I left my makeup in Boston, so it is actually a day old in these photos and non-existent in the NY ones (that’s what a brief night in Newport will do to you). Hey – Bare Minerals said that their makeup is so pure you can sleep in it…I just wanted to see if it was true!

::what’s with the extreme laughter, you ask? my friend (who prefers to remain anonymous for some reason) just flashed me at a very classy establishment::

30 for 30 challenge: outfit #10

Sunglasses :: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Tee :: American Eagle $4

Necklace :: borrowed vintage

Shorts :: Tehana $10

Sandals :: Mossimo $23

In one of my first posts, I admitted that I may have adopted Layla partly because she is black, and…black goes with everything! My best friend commented by saying that no one ever doubted that this was true. And it still stands true. When I first adopted Layla, she was a terror. She chewed everything from cell phones to bed quilts; she peed herself whenever someone looked at her; I had to physically drag her off my bed to take her anywhere; and the list goes on and on. But, after over a year of lots of TLC and extreme patience, I have turned my timid rescue pup into a pet that I literally love more and more everyday. And now that I have a blog, she is totally one of my favorite accessories, which I have definitely mentioned before. Haha. I am relieved to have made it to outfit #10 of the 30 for 30 remix challenge . This outfit really benefitted from Layla, because without her in these pictures, this post would have been extremely boring. It’s Thursday, though, and creative outfit juices just don’t flow at 7 a.m. on Thursday mornings. Well, at least not in my world! I feel the need to explain my title. I am relieved to be 1/3 of the way through the 30 for 30 challenge…puppies relieve themselves on fire hydrants (well, boy dogs)…hence, sweet relief. It’s a stretch. I’m completely aware.

::Layla and her friend, Dudley::

::SIT // STAY::

30 for 30 challenge: outfits #4-9

Andrea necklace :: gifted

Tee :: Emulsion Apparel $25

Blazer :: White House//Black Market $30

Shorts :: See Through Soul cutoffs $15

Wedges :: Steve Madden $40

I admit it. I have been a total 30 for 30 remix challenge slacker. Don’t judge me just yet! I swear I have been wearing my 30 items…I just haven’t been photographing them! I have to say that choosing from only 30 items really cuts down on morning outfit-choosing time. I have definitely pressed snooze more times in the past two weeks than ever before, but I’m totally okay with it. I’m not sure if it’s the 30 for 30 challenge or the fact that I am done teaching in seven business days (but who’s counting and separating business days from weekend days, right)?! I hope that everyone else is rocking their 30 for 30 challenge and learning a little something along the way!

Tee :: VSX $8

Necklace :: borrowed vintage

Pants :: Anthropologie $10

Sandals :: Mossimo $23

Earrings :: Shop Tights and Bites

Cami :: Express $15

Oversized cardi :: Press $7

Scarf :: The Limited $10

Jeans :: Express $15

Sandals :: Mossimo $23

Top :: Banana Republic $15

Shorts :: Jodi Palmer $10

Sandals :: Nine West $50

Cardigan sweater :: borrowed from Jill

Skirts :: Alfani $30

Sandals :: Steve Madden $40

Dress :: Forever 21 $15

Belt :: The Limited $10

Cardigan sweater :: Ralph Lauren $30

Sandals :: Steve Madden $40

I had a very travel-filled, busy weekend starting in Newport, where I went to see an old friend’s swim wear fashion show. There’s nothing like watching models prance around in bikinis to make you regret all those not-so-good-for-you things you ate last week…hmmm. After a night of bikinis and cocktails, I headed to Connecticut for a “bridal party dinner,” where I got a chance to meet the other bridesmaids and groomsmen for the wedding I am a bridesmaid for in September. The dinner was at a quirky little hookah bar in New Haven, CT. If I had it my way, I would wear see-through shirts all the time, but that just doesn’t seem right. However, I did feel like a hookah bar called “Mediterranea” was the perfect place to bust out this little sheer-meets-crocheted number. A creepy guy sitting on the side walk told me “nice shirt,” so that’s really all I needed in order to know that this outfit was the right choice. Haha.

::there’s nothing like picking up my parents’ 8 pound cat to realize how ginormous my 20 pound kitty is::

I know I haven’t posted a 30 for 30 outfit in a while, but I swear I’ve been wearing them. Now that Jill is back from two weeks in Ecuador, I have my photographer back and we have lots of outfit catching up to do!

Sunglasses :: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Top :: Adiva $10

Pants :: Joe’s Jeans $10

Sandals :: Mossimo $22

Bag :: Forever 21 $borrowed

Giveaways are fun! Say it with me…yay for giveaways! I am doing another headband giveaway this week, except this time instead of putting a time limit on it (boring!), I am putting a member limit on it. As soon as my Google Friend Connect reaches 101 members, I will ship this baby out. That means you will have a 1 in 101 chance of winning this bright and colorful, quirky yet chic, oh-so-lovely headband from Shop Tights and Bites. I like your odds! Go ahead! It only takes a minute to enter. All you have to do is:

1) Be a member of Tights and Bites on Google Friend Connect;

2) comment on this post with a way to reach you; and

3) cross your fingers!