Style Direction: Watercolor Goth

Hello friends!

How are you on this fine spring day? I can literally hear birds chirping outside of my window. Even the grating sound of someone continuously pressing the buzzer in my neighbor's apartment can't annoy me today.

That being said, it is finals right now, and I kind of feel like I'm going to keel over and explode at any minute now. If you are in the middle of finals as you read this, good luck and remember to breathe!

In the spirit of spring time, I've decided to write up a little Style Direction post featuring my Spring and Summer 2012 style that I'm feeling right now.

For lack of a better name, I'm going to temporarily title it

Wicked Watercolor Riot GURL

or maybe Wicked for short. Maybe FROTH- frothy fresh goth.  Watercolor Wicked? There we go.  I like them both.

So anyway, forging on! When it comes to fashion, (and life), I crush on everything.  I can't help but mix a million elements into my personal style. My ADHD addled art student brain sops up everything and mixes it in the blender to spit out a darkly glittering cocktail of INSPIRING FEELINGS.

 The recipe for my Watercolor Wicked style is as follows:

Take the fabrics, jewelry, and silhouettes of the First War era glam, dunk it in the colors of a Kathy Dennis Impressionist Watercolor, and sprinkle in the accessories of a true riot punk.

Use as many OLD THINGS as possible to achieve this look. (And remember, darling, time is elastic, and old is subjective.)

all images are click-through to source

what i'm into for summer: fluffy shorts under fifties dresses, shredded and cropped tees, Peter Pan collars, fresh-to-death colorful sneakers, gypsy jewelry, comic book tee-shirts, spiked accessories, knee socks, black, pastels, flowers in my hair, snapbacks and baseball caps.

What's your style inspiration this summer?

What I Wore: Birthday Edition

Hello there my sweet bonbons. It's been a while! I'm returning from my little Winter Break writing hiatus and my resolution is to have a more regular updating schedule this year.

My birthday was a few weeks ago (okay, it was in December), so I thought that I'd share some fun pics.

Um, this is one of the only picture of what I was wearing at my party....

♥ black tights

♥ purple and gold polka dotted minidress

♥ Hot Pink Sequined Minnie Mouse ears that almost everyone at the party ended up wearing

♥ no shoes!  because the party never ended up leaving my apartment, hahha!

Check out this beautiful cake that my friends gave me. Thanks so much Mika and Raj, it was delicious! (Also yes that is a magazine tear out of Ellie Goulding)

SO EXCITED about the X-Men glass that was my gift to myself, and coconut cupcake given to me by my bodega dude across the street! what a sweetie.

This is what I wore during the day of my birthday-it was freezing outside!

Those stripey Uniqlo Heat Tech tights are my JAM in the wintertime.

What kinds of things do you love to wear on your birthday?

Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! ad featuring Dakota Fanning. Is it too sexual for mainstream media?

Have you guys seen the new ad for Marc Jacobs' most recent perfume? The perfume is called Oh, Lola! and it has been described as a little sister of Lola, "more of a Lolita than a Lola".  I think that says something in itself, but what folks are going a bit wild about is the ad.  It features 17 year old actress Dakota Fanning, holding a large, flowery and evocative bottle of the perfume in between her legs.

Here's what the ASA had to say about it:

"Due to the fact that Dakota is styled to look a bit younger than her 17 years, and the position of the bottle and hemline of her dress, etc, the ad has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority  for child sexualization."

Personally, I don't think that the picture is all that bad, although the bottle is a bit strange looking. What does bother me is that it the advertisement reads, "THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR WOMEN", and then the picture shows a very young looking girl.  Nothing about this ad shows that it is for women.

Here's the ad so you can decide for yourself:

Do you think that the ad is too sexual? Voice your opinion in the comments!

What I Wore: New York Comic Con Edition

Hello all, here's what I wore to this year's NY Comic Con

♥ top, not sure where I got it

♥ white shorts, free people

♥ shoes, jeffrey campbell

♥ comic book earrings

I was trying to look reporter-y!  This is not so much Lois Lane though.

My second day outfit photo is missing..womp womp.

Third day outfit...I look super awkward in this photo.

♥ Deadpool t-shirt, Mighty Fine Clothing

♥ skirt, my mom got it for me at Macys hahaha

♥ black tights

♥ Pink glitter Toms shoes

new glasses! xoxo Betsey Johnson

Hi all! How's it going? I just wanted to share some pictures with you!

I have not so great eyesight, but the upside is that I get to wear cute glasses! I got new ones recently...I ordered them without seeing the color in person first and, wonder of wonders, they happen to match my hair perfectly!

They are Betsey Johnson frames that are "rose" colored on the outside and light pink on the inside. The arms have little hearts on them, and the top of the frames have small round metal studs. SO PERFECT, SO NIKKI DEE. I am obsessed.

Sorry for all the goofy quality Photo Booth pictures lately....I am lazy.

In other news, it suddenly got cold here in New York....whattt it's still summer in my book. Do you love fall? It definitely provides us with a lot more fashion choices! Have a great weekend!

Nikki Dee's DUH Style Tip of the Day

Wearing a long dress or skirt? Is it too long? Is it windy or rainy out? Knot the hem! Knot the hem! SO EASY WHY DIDN'T WE DO THIS PREVIOUSLY?!

Also, it looks pretty cool!

Take this lovely striped maxi that I wore to class today. I'm short, so the dress goes all the way down to the ground. It looks quite pretty but is horribly inconvenient for getting to class through the (dirty) streets of Manhattan. However, once you knot the hem, it is much more manageable and gives off a different look as well.

You don't have to knot it- you can pin it, hold it up with some crazy clip, tie it with bunches of yarn....

 Here are some pictures that I took on Photobooth reallll quick to show you guys.

really awkward picture

knotted hem!

the whole dress

me trying to make photobooth work properly to get my whole outfit on the screen....hahhaha

Yeah! Has anyone tried this?

This has beeen....Nikki Dee's DUH style tip of the day!  :p

Reader Opinion: Belt Bags and Pouches

Hello lovely readers! I have so many things swirling around in my head at the moement. Summer is the perfect opportunity for inspiration and starting new. I am so excited for the semester ahead, and for all of the amazing things that are to come in the future! Woohoo!

Okay, that being said, I've been really into a really free, natural feeling style vibe lately. I think it started with my roommate's job at Free People and continued on throughout my trip in Mexico.  I always joke around that I'm a punk hippie, which I think is funny because they can be so opposite. Anyway, I've ben really into things like wearing tons of things wrapped around my arms, feather and dream catcher earrings and accessories, and....bags and pouches.

like this pouch necklace! - wow, when searching for a photo of a pouch necklace, I found so many amazing pictures that I think I want to make a few...perhaps I will make a post on pouch necklaces? Would you guys like a tutorial? Or should I just sell some on my Etsy shop? BOTH?

I am going to the Electric Zoo Festival at the beginning of September, and I am searching for an alternative to a purse or backpack. I usually wear either a small backpack or small messenger-type bag to concerts and music festivals. This time, though, I don't feel like being restricted. When I dance, I hate having all of my belongings burdening me. That being said, I am like a Boy Scout when it comes to these things- always prepared- so not having any kind of bag at all isn't really an option.

So I ask you, dear readers:

What is a good, stylish alternative to carrying a purse?

I am open to all ideas! I am your guinea pig!

What do you guys think about belt bags? I am really interested in them lately. I think because they remind me of something a fairy or a Medicine Woman would carry around trinkets and powders in. The leather ones are also quite Medieval Times in an "I collect swords" kind of way. However, do they come across as simply being a souped-up fanny pack? Because I am definitely not a fan of the tourist-at-Disneyland look.

These examples from Etsy and elsewhere on the web seem nice actually!  What do you think?

And, an extra question, if you're still with me:

How do you make really girly or natural outfits feel more tough? My instinct is always to wear boots, or studded shoes. It's all in the shoes, sometime!

Bloggers Do it Better- My Arm Party

ARM PARTY- noun, "all of the crazy shenanigans you wear on your wrists mingling in a fabulous fiesta"

 -definition taken from the Nikki Dee Dictionary of Fashion

I am ALL ABOUT the arm party. Now that it has an actual name, coined by the one and only Man Repeller queen herself, I love it so much more.

This week on Pretty Shiny Sparkly they are having a Bloggers Do it Better challenge regarding our own personal arm parties! When I saw it, I immediately decided to take part.

A little background- when I was in Junior High School, I decided that I was SO DARN PUNK. I wore bracelets up and down my wrists and arms like ka-razy. My friend counted them one day in class (yeah we were great students) and according to his questionable math skills, I wore 50+ bracelets every day when I was in the sixth grade. These included rubber 80s Madonna bracelets (the kind you got in trouble for wearing because they were supposed to symblize sex acts), tied-on friendship bracelets, breaded bracelets, LIVESTRONG varieties, rainbow bracelets made of paper clips, and more.

Nowadays, I sport a tattoo on my left wrist that I don't like to cover up, and my right hand is my drawing hand (IN CASE YOU FORGOT THAT I GO TO ART SCHOOL YOU GUYZ) so I don't wear quite as many bracelets as Past Nikki did. However, I do like to indulge in a crazy arm party every once in a while. Oh yeah, it gets pretty out there- in fact I just accidentally typed "wild" at first instead of "while".

Anyway, here's my DAILY ARM PARTY- the bracelets I wear all day, every day, on a constant basis. I never take them off.

Simple and cute.. :]


Now.....for the real ARM FIESTA

Woooo-hoo! If my arm was a party, I think it would be an after-party at a Brooklyn art gallery where everyone gets a little silly and starts wandering in the streets..... YEAH.


Here are the party guests, from the top:
♥ a purple wire bracelet. It was made by my friend Bean (SHOUTOUT-THANKS GIRL!) and given to me for my....17th birthday, I believe?
♥ my most recent acquisition to the party- a stretchy peace sign bracelet on a turqoise- the color of peace and health- string
♥ a tied on seed bracelet that someone gave me in Mexico last summer. The bead is actually a seed called Job's Tears that is often used on rosaries or for medicinal purposes.
♥ a gold bracelet with gems that was passed down from my great aunt
♥ my RockBand cuff that I got in Miami a few years ago. The heart shaped stone is rose quartz, which is said to open the heart chakra, enhance love and understanding, and releases fears. The cuff is white vintage leather.
♥ That bottom one is actually a long, feathered and beaded hair attachment that I wound around my wrist and tied. Groovy, no?


As you might be able to tell, I love all of these wrist accessories. It is like partying with your closest and most treasured friends!


What does your arm party look like? Share a picture or link to your own arm party post in the comments! Happy partying!

What to Wear on a Long Flight

Hello, hello! Ciao, hola, bonjour, what is good?

I'm just gonna get straight to it: I've heard many requests for help about a certain topic. It's vacation time, summer study time, whatever, and many ladies are wondering:

How can I stay stylish while traveling?

How do I stay comfy yet cool on a long flight?

Well, it's actually pretty easy! There's a secret to comfy travel dressing, an it's all about these three things-

1. Comfortable, natural fabrics
2. Basic Shapes
3. Layering

Also, remember this: shoes are key! Especially when you are traveling, shoes can be the most important part of your outfit. They are the base, and if your feet are uncomfortable, you'll be unhappy and it will show! That being said, there are plenty of cute and comfy shoes out there! NO NEED TO BUY CROCS OKAY GUYS?!?! Also, you might want to wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off- TSA regulations require you to take your shoes off while going through security in the USA.

Here are some examples of some stylish, long flight-friendly outfits!

Long Flight? by nikkidee featuring screen printed t shirts

On my recent 6 hour flight to Mexico from New York, I wore basically this outfit. A loose cotton tee with some fun shorts or harem pants, a light scarf large enough to spread out over you on the plane, Toms sneakers, and a cute necklace (it's a paper airplane!) Don't forget that big ol' carry-on bag, and throw a hoodie or cardigan in it. Even if it's hot where you're going, the plane will probably be cold.

Flight Outfit, 2 by nikkidee featuring vintage boots

Here's another outfit idea- a cute midi-length dress with a cardigan. Add some cute bracelets and lace-up boots or flats and you've got an instant cute outfit.

I might add some more later, but I want to see your ideas! What's your favorite outfit to wear on a plane? Share your ideas, pictures, or Polyvore sets in the comments!

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream. Wandering by lone sea breakers, and sitting by desolate streams. World losers and world forsakers, for whom the pale moon gleams. Yet we are movers and the shakers of the world forever it seems.”

-arthur william edgar o’shaughnessy

I JUST CAME TO SAY HELLO

HEY you guys!  I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here...no te preocupes.

I've been super ridiculously busy...recently moved into a new apartment, working many many hours at my new job, about to have two internships, a big trip to Mexico coming up, meeting new friends and nights sitting around talking about movies and comics and music and relationships and life.

SUMMER!

I'm also working on some cool new art and fashion projects that I'm pretty excited about. I'll hit you guys up with a peek soon enough.

I ALSO wanted to take this time to mention that I finally have my new Etsy shop up!

It is called "palloncino" which means "balloon" in Italian.

Here's the little mini-description I've got up at the moment:

Welcome to my NEW SHOP, palloncino! Here you will find whimsical clothing and accessories made with a lotta love. Think Hello Kitty on Adderall at Warped Tour.

I'll be adding a ton of new stuff up in the coming weeks, so please check it out!

Thanks so much for reading, you guys, and I hope you're all having an amazing summer! How's it going? Personally, I am mentally preparing myself for the midnight premiere of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART TWO on Thursday night. It brings a lot of questions: is this really the end? what will i wear? WILL I EVER STOP OPENLY WEEPING ABOUT THIS?!?!?!?!?