How to Get Back into Exercising After Some Time Off ;]

Hello hello! Okay you guys, this is rather embarrassing, but this post has been sitting half-finished in my drafts since about April. The shame, the shame! So what I'm going to do is post it anyway, with season-appropriate edits in bold brackets. [like this!] So here goes,

 If you're like me, you like to feel healthy and fit (duh) but maybe you've taken some....time off lately when it comes to working out. I'm no personal trainer, but I can relate to being totally out of shape and wanting to get back in the game! (I call this time of year Abercrombie Beach Bod preparation season.) [Okay, it's actually the end of the summer and fall is fast approaching. I don't know how I feel about this yet! However, we shouldn't skive off MOVEMENT just because it will soon be getting cold. So!]

1. Do it with a friend! you can motivate each other

2. Start small....don't try to run ten miles on your first day back in the game...you can end up hurting yourself!

moves called Iggy's Pop and Iggy's Punch.....nothin' but pure brilliance

3. COMMIT! Keep some sort of physical activity in your daily schedule, and keep doing it every day. No excuses! It helps to do it at the same time  every day, llike in the morning.

4. Make it fun! Some people love waking up in the morning and running around the block. Personally I find the repetitive motions of running a bit boring; it's just not for me! So for people like me I'd suggest joining a class like yoga (Yoga To The People is completely awesome and based on donations, which is rad if you're a student), or dance, or cycling.

Did you know that you can work your abs every day? I have a sit-up routine that I used to do when I danced, and I still do it every day!

[Also, living on the fifth floor of a walk-up building is pretty good for daily cardio, let me tell you! haha]

Exercise TV and YouTube have short videos like "Ten Minute Thighs" or "Bellydance Basics" that are amazing, because the time passes by so quickly! I completely swear by them....even with the cheesy names and scary-perky instructors.

Oh my gosh, do you guys remember PUNK ROCK AEROBICS, those commercials that played on The-N in between Degrassi  episodes? Well I think that there is a book, and I heard that in some cities there are Punk Rock Aerobics classes held....can anyone confirm this?

I would go to these classes for sure.

Okay, well, my classes have officially started this week. Therefore I hope to have tons of exciting posts for you soon, but there might be some writing draughts on my side also as I struggle with my self-imposed ridiculous schedule. Have a great week? And also, 

how do you get your exercise?

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?!?!?!?!?

"Body Pressure in the Blogosphere" nikki dee say whattt

ugh I'm sorry I can't find the source. does anyone know it?

Why hellooo there. Chances are, if you are into the fashion blogging world at all, you've noticed Gala Darling's two recent posts circulating about body image among fashion bloggers. I suggest you read them. There seems to be an astounding amount of people who agree that here on the internet, there is a mainstream pressure to look, act, and BE a certain way if you are a fashion blogger.  Fashion is an intimidating business, and yes, it is a business. However, fashion blogging evolved from people who wanted to share their opinions and styles without having to submit conform to the pressures and image of the mainstream fashion world. Now that fashion blogging is influencing the mainstream, these ideals are seeping into this online world as well. 

One of my favorite things that I've read about this issue is actually from someone that Gala quoted in her post this morning:

Kylie Cumming

"However, it’s important to note that the fashion bloggers who (usually) attract the most media attention and offers to work with larger brands and companies overwhelmingly skew slender, young, white and fairly wealthy....these images also have the power to make us feel badly about our bodies and our lives; giving us an “Audrey Hepburn complex” of sorts. They still project unrealistic perfection- just a different, tea-party-having/frilly-dresses-wearing/running-around-in-a-field-with-abandon version of perfection. These images not only are pushed in advertising, but they also circulate heavily on all our blogs. And while the images are beautiful, they mainly feature a very narrow standard of beauty. The subjects are still thin, young, and white. (A great website that calls this out is carefreewhitegirl.tumblr.com). A girl might be wearing a unique vintage-looking outfit, but the hair, make-up and dress is immaculate; she’s usually not actively engaging with her surroundings, but looks posed and fragile."

I would like to push this a bit further and say that there are rarely women of color who become mainstream famous because of blogging. This reflects, I think, a problem in the mainstream fashion industry of the same nature that we are experiencing here in the world fashion blogging success.

ugh

We must also remember that this is not a new problem.  There are main ways to be beautiful in society:  if thin and whitewashed then you must be of the blonde Hollywood variety or of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" persuasion. If you're not thin and/or white, then you're "curvy" (read: perfect hourglass) and over-sexualized. However, no matter what your size, you will never be good enough! It's a joke between me and my roommate that on the "style" site Lookbook.nu, it is quite obvious that if you are 

1. internet famous and 

2. classically pretty 

then you are a shoe-in to be sent straight to the top of the "hot" list. Posing in a field and looking down also helps. You can be wearing a t-shirt, ripped denim shorts and a scarf (and they usually are) and get thousands of comments saying, "your style is amazing, you are an inspiration!" It's like anyone who is not wearing vintage Chanel or might be a model should not even bother posting their pictures up.

Since this is internet blogging where we share our feelings lol, I just want to say this: I have been running this blog for...three years now and there are times where I'll think, "Maybe people don't read my blog because I'm not pretty enough, because I don't wear designer labels...if they met me in real life they'd realize I'm short and ugly and would stop reading my blog." Real talk, you guys! Everyone feels this way at one time or another. I've seen girls who are insecure post things online like, "I am so le gorgeous ya'll love me kiss my feet." I've also seen girls who are completely awesome and fabulous posting like "ughh I am so fat and gross I cannot afford beautiful clothes." This crazy, shallow, ego nonsense is rampant on the internet.

Fuck this you guys, this needs to stop once and for all. Because us internet people are the gosh dang future, and we are continuing these ideas by posting things like "so and so needs to lose a few pounds to wear that dress" or "you must not have any problems in life because you look like a skeleton". Come on.

I thought that Tami Winfrey Harris, from What Tami Said (I read it on Racialicious) had an excellent point:

"The cult of domesticity defined idealized womanhood centuries ago–and that definition included both perpetual childhood and whiteness. The wide-eyed, girlish, take-care-of-me characters that [Zooey] Deschanel inhabits on film are not open to many women of color, particularly black women. We can be strong women, aggressive women, promiscuous women…we can do Bonet bohemian and Earth Mother (as Andrea pointed out), but never carefree and childish. Even black girls are too often viewed as worldly women and not innocents.

Also, the affectations of the manic pixie are read differently on black women. A streak of pink in the hair goes from quirky and youthful to “ghetto” on a black body. Thrift store clothing leads to a host of class assumptions.

Am I wrong about this? Is there a black Zooey? A manic pixie Latina? Is this a persona that women of color can inhabit?"

Race and body shape shouldn't matter in life, but especially not on the internet! Anonymity on the web has basically gone out the window. I read somewhere that Tumblr users who don't have an image of themselves as their icon picture are less likely to gain followers. It's really getting very silly. At some point blogging became a popularity contest instead of a safe place to share your opinion with strangers as it started out. Though girls and women who are excited about their lives, opinions, and style should be able to share their views and not feel intimidated.

I always think of that line in Mean Girls where Tina Fey is saying something like, "You need to stop calling each other skanks and whores, it just makes it okay for guys to do it".  

I learned in fashion class that the purpose of these fashion houses is to create an image and a fantasy that women strive to be. Well, there is a big difference between that and this image today that leads to envy and ever-changing cycles of loathing. Fashion is supposed to make us feel happy, but first we have to be happy with ourselves....and each other! It is up to us to promote an image of strong women with real, active lives and looking all different ways. That's what style is all about, anyway. It is personal because everyone's is different. Being proud of your style starts with being proud of who you are, and includes accepting others as being fabulous as well.

This article on beauty ideals around the world is also super-interesting and puts some things in perspective.

What do you think about all of this?

International Lolita Day NYC

Heya! So last weekend I went to an International Lolita Day NYC meet-up.

It took place at the 

Kinokuniya Bookstore near Bryant Park. The bookstore is amazing! It is two floors of pure awesomeness- English, Japanese, Korean, and other international fashion magazines, art and design books, even some apparel and toys.  I met a friendly group of the most adorable girls (and a couple of guys!) that I have ever seen!

I don't own any real Lolita or Lolita designer clothes, so I wore my own interpretation of the sweet Lolita style.   :]

Wearing:

♥ H&M Tank Top (I think?)

♥ LF white vest

♥ Rodarte for Target skirt I got on ebay

♥ Jeffrey Campbell flats

♥ white bow in my hair

♥ Fossil bag with Japanese charms I got a few years ago at some store on 14th street

Were you at this event? Did you go to a similar meetup in your area? Share your story in the comments!