Starry Eyed

Sitting in our freezing living room now listening to some Ellie Goudling and relaxing after a pretty eventful weekend.  The roomies are out at the Conad grocery store across from the Ponte Vecchio picking up some things for dinner and walking around for a couple hours.  I passed because I’m exhausted from our trip to Perugia yesterday and last night’s events.  Friday night we all agreed we needed to get out of Florence for the day and wanted to see one of the bordering Tuscan towns. We chose Perugia, a two-hour train ride away into the countryside.  In the morning we concluded that we definitely needed to buy a hat for the trip because it was snowing there so we headed over to the new market to check out their selection.  We spotted a stand with about a hundred different berets, fuzzy beanies, and fedora hats.  I picked a white beanie style that I had seen the locals wearing that I thought suited me and Sydney picked up a camel-colored knit beanie, each were about 16 euro so not bad at all to look just like a Florentine!  We have discovered, unfortunately, that is nearly impossible to “blend in” here.  We stick out like sore thumbs and the Italians automatically respond to you in English even if you try to speak to them in Italian!  We were disappointed but I’m still going to try so that I get better at conversation and hopefully by the end I can trick some of them into thinking I really am Italian.  Every day we pick up new phrases and words for things but it is a slow process with only having Italian class twice a week for an hour.  Some of the people in my class are worse at learning new languages than I expected so we have to spend a lot of time on the basics which is kind of frustrating. 

            Anyways, back to Perugia.  After we bought our stylish hats we trekked over to Santa Maria Novella train station to catch our train.  It wasn’t exactly like the trains in Harry Potter but it was clean and we got to sit facing each other in fairly comfortable seats.   As soon as we pulled out of Firenze it started slurrying and we got a great tour of the hills of Tuscany covered in a bed of snow.  It was so beautiful it almost reminded me of WWII and gave me the chills even thinking about it.  We did run into some technical difficulties however….all of a sudden billows of smoke started passing through our windows, the train came to a halt, and everyone started standing up.  This freaked me out because the only thing around us was snowy forest and distant little towns that I thought we might be forced to walk to for help!  It honestly felt like some dementors were about to take over our train and suck the happiness out of us…..
But the train thankfully came back to life fairly quickly and we were on the move again.  Finally we arrived in Perugia and took a little bus up to the top of the town that was placed on a hilltop.  It was colder than any of us expected and after being exposed to the weather for more than thirty minutes our fingers and toes started going painfully numb.  It was obvious that the Italians are not used to this level of winter either because most of the stores and restaurants were closed and there were hardly any people out on the streets.  It was almost like a ghost town.  In passing I spotted a quaint little place to have lunch where we ordered a bottle of red wine to warm us up.  There were no English translations on this menu (definitely not in Florence any more…) so Amy asked the waiter what he recommended.  I chose a creamy tortellini with funghi (mushrooms) and salsiccia (sausage) that was very good and filled me up quickly. 

  Then we decided to bear the cold once more and explore the town.  There were many buildings and structures of stone that hinted at how old they  were.  All of the churches were locked so we couldn’t go into any, but we got to see some great views of Italy there.  After walking around for about two hours we decided that we couldn’t stand the cold anymore and headed back to the train station early.  On our way back a car of two men spit at us, only solidifying that we needed to get home fast.  We also realized this was the very town where Amanda Knox lived, probably the reason why the locals didn’t quite meet us with open arms.  I could see how the town would be vibrant in the summertime, but at that very moment it was eerily quiet.  Back to Firenze!!!  We grabbed a cioccolata calda (hot chocolate) at the train station café and then hopped on the train where we were thanking the gods for the heated cabins.  Amy, Kayla, and Katie decided to get a hotel in Perugia and go to Assisi on Sunday (today) for more sightseeing. 

            

   

Once we got back we all went to the conad and picked up wine, a baguette, some fizzy sprite-like drink and crackers and brie to munch on.  The cooking warmed us all up and we felt much better after having a warm dinner.  We also had our first power surge because we had the washer, oven, and toaster on all at once.  Oops?  Yeah…So with the light of my computer we eventually figured out how to turn the power back on and started to get ready to go out.  We had a fun night at a place called Red Garter where lots of study abroaders go.  They had a dance floor and karaoke, which I’ve found the Italians absolutely love for some reason.  We stayed there for a while and met all sorts of Italians while practicing my broken Italian on them.  Then we headed back to our favorite spot Naima to meet with Sergio and Giorgio to go to the club Fullup.  We rolled back into the apartment at a mere 6am and plopped onto our beds for the night. 

            Our Api advisors keep telling us that there is an emotional cycle that students go through when studying abroad that starts out with a honeymoon period and then moves into a culture shock period typically from homesickness and sadness.  STILL haven’t hit that point yet and am riding out my Italy high wave as long as I possibly can!  Hmmmm, I’m hungry….going to go make a panini.  Arrivederchi!

Ciao!

It is absolutely frigid here in Florence and none of us were prepared for this level of cold!  The gusts of wind practically burn your skin it's so unpleasant that we have resorted to stay in for the rest of the night instead of bearing the night.  In other good news I received my new debit card today in the mail!  Earlier this week I had a minor tragedy when I tried to withdraw money three times and got rejected.  Soon afterwards Amy pointed out that my card was expired this month and the bank just failed to inform me of that, gotta love wachovia.  So after having a short-lived panic attack and about an hour on the phone with the bank people and missing out of the school-wide dinner I got a new one over-nighted to my parents and then to me.  So I finally have money again and might be more tempted to venture into a couple of the boutiques I've been eyeing on the way to class.  This was also my first week of school, which so far I am really enjoying.  I have a feeling of excitement for all the projects and and lectures that never happens for my classes at Uga.  On thursday I was so overcome with a sense of fulfillment that I could myself smiling way more than normal.  And I know the reason is because I'm taking subjects that interest me and will actually apply to my career instead of slaving over things like accounting and finance.  It's also been great meeting the people in my classes, I met a guy from Washington D.C. in my international marketing class who I partnered up with to do an exercise and a couple of girls from Clemson (Southerner's yay!!!).  My teacher has worked in the fashion industry for 15 years so hopefully I can get to know her better and she can give me some career advice!  After that I had Italian, which by the way, this is the first time I have ever wanted to start a language course so badly!  It will be so much less intimidating to interact with the street vendors and waiters once I learn some key phrases and  can actually hold a conversation.  That night we headed over to our favorite hangout Naima through the snow and had a few beers just to get out of the apartment for a little while.  Wednesday I had a grueling day with class all the way from 9am to 640 pm....it was worse than high school!  First I had fashion illustration, which is a very fun class that teaches you the steps to become a fashion designer.  We went on a little field trip to buy art supplies for sketching models and picked up sketchbooks and portfolios.  The people in my class were very diverse, a rowdy group of friends from Mexico City provided me with lots of entertainment.  Especially Mario, a chubby, yet very sassy boy that made me laugh on several occasions when he would say "Chowwwww!" I also made friends with a girl from Sweden who I went to lunch with during our break at the school cafe where we had a panini and warm cappuccino.  She is very sweet and speaks fairly good english, it was just interesting to talk to someone from different a completely different country.  Then we headed back and learned how to start drawing mannequins in different positions which is surprisingly VERY hard.  That's a skill I'm definitely going to have to refine....Next I had design sewing and I learned how to thread a sewing machine and did some basic stitches but I am definitely on the path to making finished pieces of clothing!

I really love my fashion marketing teacher, she waltzed in with a fendi computer bag and a louis vuitton purse and was dressed to the nines in a sweater dress with a fur collar and over-the-knee chanel leather boots.  Very high fashion for a teacher.  We even get to watch "The September Issue," the documentary about the life of Anna Wintour.  So awesome!My walk to class is always enjoyable, the building is located in the high fashion area so I always casually walk past Chanel, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton on the way and ogle at the shiny shoes and luxurious handbags.  It feels like I'm in a dream and I'm just waiting to wake up.  Sometimes I consider moving here to live and do fashion because it's actually more high fashion than I expected.  Being here has opened my eyes to all my options for careers and ways of life and it is so refreshing!  Now I just have to go to a few bookstores and copy shops to pick up all my books (which are way cheaper here btw) and sewing supplies before next Tuesday! On thursday night we all went to an apertivo, which is where you go to a bar and pay for one drink and the have a buffet of food all-you-can eat.  It was really fun and there were so many Italians there enjoying blowing off some steam after a long day of work?  On the way home we picked up some yummy cookies and desserts to munch on.  Loving my new Florentine life! Xoxo

Babylon

Today has been a day of relaxation and recovery from our previous nights shenanigans.  The night was definitely one to remember that's for sure...

We started our evening by cooking some pasta and meatballs along with some garlic bread for dinner all together.  Sydney and Kelsey discovered a brand of red wine that for 3 euro you get 1.5 litres of smooth amazingness.  After enjoying our family meal and exchanging funny stories and talking about our home lives, we cleaned up, got ready, and headed over to a bar a few blocks over called Cruise.  As soon as we walked in we were bombarded with other API students, wayy too many americans for my taste.  We decided to take advantage of the 5 shots for five euro deal, ordering a round of kamikaze shots.  A boy in our group suggested we all go to a bar called black stove, but we couldn't seem to find it.  Amy, Julia, Sydney and I all broke away from the massive pack of americans and decided to head back to Naima, the bar we went to on tuesday night.  The drinks are relatively cheap here so we order big glasses of beer and mingled with the people.  After being harassed by a guy who told me he loved me and could he give me "kiss," a guy named giorgio sat next to us at the bar and struck up a conversation with us in relatively fluent english.  Turns out he is roommates with the bartender Carlos.  Then the gatto bombs came along...yikes.  Anyways, we all decided to wait for the boys to get off work and head to another place called Babylon where more Italians hung out.  Naturally, Sergio (the owner of Naima) knew all the B list people aka Bouncers, Bartenders etc. so we didn't have to pay cover charges and were taken to our place in the corner booth with a bottle of grey goose and red bulls.  This place was clearly a hot spot for the locals because it was packed to every inch of the room with raging partygoers.  The DJ was amazing, his mixes were infectious and my friends and I couldn't bring ourselves to stop dancing until 4am.  Then we moved on to another place called Fill Up which had separate VIP rooms and each had a Dj and a bar.  There were neon lights and lots of people dancing salsa to classic 90's music.  Eventually we decided to head back to Naima where we late-nighted some more and goofed off with our new Italian friends.  Sergio ordered us some panino's, one of which was hard-boiled egg and mozzarella...it was good at the time?  Giorgio offered to make us some spaghetti back at his place and there was talk of us trekking up to the Piazza de Michelangelo to watch the sun rise.  Ultimately the sunrise was still two hours away so we forfeited that idea.  As we walked home after our night of madness a wave of extreme contentment came over me.  What a great first week in Firenze, full of making new friends and learning my way around this beautiful, yet mysterious city.

My first Italia post!

It's only my third day in Florence and I already feel like I never want to leave this gorgeous place I will be calling home for the next four months.  I'll start from the airport with my recap of all the chaos that has been happening since I arrived here.  We took a small tram from the plane to the baggage claim where I was thrown into a crowd of anxious study abroaders attempting to grab their luggage all at the same time and finally caught sight of my obnoxiously europe patterned luggage (thanks mom).  I hauled it onto a cart and pushed it along the tiny airport alongside my new roommate/friend Kayla, who I unknowingly ran into on my flight to Munich.  We all loaded up on buses that took us to Hotel Baglioni, a four-star and very authentic Italian style place, and settled into our new Italian quarters where I witnessed the first bidet and heated towel racks...those I liked very much :)  My other two roommates had yet to arrive, so Kayla and two other girls I met at the airport decided to do some looking around and grab lunch before our group meeting at the hotel.

  The weather was perfect on Monday, and when I was in the sun I even had to take my coat off and hang it on my purse.  The open-topped purse I decided to bring, I realized quickly, is not ideal for walking around crowded town centers where gypsies with fake babies circle around you jingling cups of coins and mumbling words at you.  Apparently the thieves are so skilled at ripping you off you won't even feel them slip away with your wallet, which has now caused me to be suspicious of every lingering, semi-sketchy looking man near me.  Better safe than debit-cardless?  

After a few hours of moseying around different piazzas and shopping districts we made our way towards the Arno river....which is so incredibly beautiful/romanitic.  It's also the location of the Ponte Vecchio which is a bridge full of mostly jewelry shops and after seeing the amazing gems in the storefront windows, i decided that I definitely want my engagement ring to come from this place!  The Italians definitely prefer gold over silver, the opposite of Americans I would say.  After taking some pictures we headed back to the city center near the Duomo to find a good spot for a panini to hold us over until dinner.  We came across a tiny shop where the owner, an adorable older italian man assisted us in ordering.  I have very quickly realized how awkward it is being here and not know pretty much a word of Italian, which means I have to resort to hand gestures and pointing to get my point across.  I knew Rosetta Stone would've been worth it....

Anyway, I picked a pizza wrap stuffed with ham mozzarella  lettuce tomato and deliciousness.  As I eyed the drink fridge I noticed that my precious diet coke and I would not be reunited until I returned to the U.S. because here they substitute it for Coca-Cola Light*.  I guess I'll survive.  The meal was just the right amount and absolutely melted in my mouth.  I concluded that it was definitely worth going back to get another on-the-go pizza sandwich. 

As we headed back to the hotel we passed through a market where all kinds of leather commodities were being sold including jackets, purses, and belts.  I could easily max out a couple credit cards here.  Back at the hotel the entire group of Api students gathered in a conference room where we all began to feel the effects of jet-lag.  Glancing around the room I caught numerous people's eyes rolling into the back of their heads.  Even worse, we were all to go to a planned four course dinner at the rooftop restaurant.  Normally this would have excited me, but who knew it was even possible to be as tired as I was at that point.  I had woken up at 8 a.m. on Sunday and it was now 6:30 on monday and I had yet to sleep more than two hours on the plane.  My roommates and I dragged ourselves up to the restaurant and settled into some cozy booths where we found a lovely table set-up with candles and sparkling water (not a fan).  The first course consisted of a tiny croissant with fresh tomato and mozzarella, a spinach and cheese filled eggroll-type thing, some fried asparagus, and hunks of parmesan cheese over a bed of lettuce leaves.  The next round displayed two different pastas, one penne pasta with peas and white sauce and the other with a basic red sauce.  Both were divine and the difference in the pasta quality was instantly obvious compared to what we have at the local Kroger.  INSANELY  BETTER.  At this point I was starting to get full when another plate was suddenly in front of me, this one bearing a chicken breast with a light brown sauce, some roasted potatoes, and a gelatin looking mound of cream spinach.  Everything was phenomenal.  And finally for dessert we were served a chocolate mousse pie....it was like heaven on earth.  Why can't americans seem to make a decent chocolaty mousse that doesn't taste like air?  In other words it was BOMB.  I didn't have the energy to stick around for the after dessert coffee and headed off to bed where I passed out cold for the night.  

The next day we were provided a brunch in the same restaurant, which intrigued me because I wasn't sure what to expect for an Italian breakfast. I found three different types of croissants and pastries, muesli, some odd juice with three different fruits combined, coffee americano, hard-boiled/scrambled eggs, lots of fresh fruit (I had a succulent apple, so fresh!) and lots of cold meets and breads.  I was happily surprised to find that it is  fairly similar to our breakfast and chowed down before racing to our next meeting downstairs.  This is where we learned about our upcoming excursions, housing information, and cultural events for the semester.  There was mention of wine tastings, museum exhibits, and even a spa day?!  That's my kind of excursion!

After that we were free to go out into Florence until 3:30 where we were to meet back at the hotel for a guided city tour.  This time I went with all five of my new roommates, Sydney, Kayla, Amy, Julia, and Kelsey. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio and finally decided to lunch at an outdoor cafe where I ordered a ham cheese and tomato panini and my first glass of vino!  I chose the house white and man, did it go down nice and smooth.  A step up from barefoot, yes.  The sun was shining and we all chatted and got to know one another over our glasses of wine when it really hit me, how lucky I am to be in such a beautiful, amazing city.  

Today was just another amazing day for me.  After moving into our sick apartment, we decided to nap and then go for another stroll in town.  We ventured into the Santa Croce district which is apparently not the safest area, but low and behold we found a wine tasting bar that we want to try out and about twenty different boutiques with amazing clothes!  After walking along the river and seeing the Grand Bibliotheque we headed back towards our apartment in search of a supermarket.  Luckily we found a nearby one where I was able to buy cereal, milk, fresh bread, swiss cheese and salami, and some other necessities.  For dinner we decided to be touristy and go to the jersey shore pizzeria called O'Vesuvio where I got to see snooki's bra and Deena's underwear.  The pizza was surprisingly big, I ordered a tomato, bacon, onion, garlic, and parmesan pizza that literally melted in my mouth.  The road to obesity has truly begun....

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to live in a city this full of life and culture, and I couldn't have asked for a better home base :)The food was to die for, the buildings were intricate and have so many stories behind them, and my new friends were amazing.  Life couldn't get any better!  

Take a breather

Today marks the end of a truly grueling week of school and the start of one that's all about jobs, jobs, jobs!  Today I was pinning on pintrest (my new obsession) and came across a quote that reminded me that it is important to keep yourself in check because it is easy to forget the things that matter, "Sometimes you need to step outside, get some fresh air, and remind yourself of who you are and where you want to be."  We all have days where we lose focus, and today was definitely one of them for me.  I made a list of ten things that I needed to do today, of course I did about half of them...thankfully I didn't forgo anything that was too urgent.  A landmark in my life is also taking place on Thursday, my very first REAL interview!  I can't even wrap my mind around all of the initiatives I have had to take this semester and how it is really hitting me that I am the only one who can support myself.  SCARY thought.  One reassuring thing that has provided me comfort is knowing that I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to, and that the only thing holding me back from doing what I love is me.  These are the years that will test us to see how strong and motivated we are to achieve our highest dreams, mine being to work for Chanel or Vogue. Ms. Chanel herself explains the power of clothes, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.  Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."
So the theme this week is going to be about inspiring people in the fashion industry.  These are the fabulous icons who immediately pop into my head when I need a reminder of why I am devoting my life to the world of couture:

"I have a dress-up chest at home. I love to create this fantasy kind of thing. "

Kate Moss

"I'd describe my style as simple, day to night,  Casual with style."

                                                                      Lauren Conrad

"Of course I've made mistakes but I don't really regret-I can't really regret-anything, because that's just a part of growing up."

Sienna Miller

"I think you're either born with a sense of style or you're not.  Either you care or you don't.  And we love fashion."

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

"He's lucky to be going out with me."

Kate Middleton

Live Your Dream and Share Your Passion

I thought this day would never come, but it finally has...I bought a suit.  A recurring theme in my posts has been based on the pressures of setting yourself up for success in the business world.  Every week in every class all I hear is my professors and guest speakers repeatedly lecturing me on the importance of getting the oh-so-sought after internship.  All I feel like doing is screaming out in the middle of class "I'm just a kid!!!"  But seriously, I just turned 20 and i feel like I am being forced to grow up so fast and it scares me so much I want to go home and cuddle with my cockapoo!  I'm always quickly shot back to my reality that I am a junior  in college and that it's time to start doing things I've never done before to achieve things I've never achieved.  That means asking people for help(which I hate doing), putting together a resume, starting to take on more leadership roles, and attending career fairs.  I'm nervous but excited at the same time for what lies ahead, which is hopefully an amazing semester in Italy and a fashion-geared internship in the summer.  After having spent two fun-filled  years here at UGA I've come to know that it is time for a change, meaning every aspect of the term.  I want a new location, new food, new people, new everything.  I want to get out of my comfort zone here in Athens and be introduced to students from different states while also mixing with the local crowd.  Hopefully the Italian men aren't as creepy as I've heard?  Nevertheless, I can't imagine what I would be feeling right now if I didn't have this big adventure to keep me positive and motivated to experience something new.  I'm ready for the challenge of entering an entirely new place and adapting to the language and customs that are probably going to be a huge adjustment at first.  I should probably go buy an Italian dictionary so I'm not completely ignorant when I try to ask for directions or order at a restaurant.  I'm going to be taking more fashion-geared classes which will be completely refreshing considering I desperately need to take a hiatus from anything math-statistics-accounting related (not my strengths/favorite subjects).  I'm hoping to take more hands-on classes that will give me a sense of what the real-fashion world encompasses.  Another part of my extended stay in Italia that excites me is the chance to see the way women in Europe dress themselves.  My goal is to eventually blend into the streets and not be automatically labeled as an American tourist.  The word TOURIST makes me cringe.  The last thing I want is for the locals to look at me as an annoyance, only there to disrupt their peaceful everyday life.  I want to come home with an understanding of their way of life and hope that it changes me in the best way possible.  I thought it would be fun to post some photos of Italian street fashion to prepare me for what to expect in my new home!  These are examples of trends found on the streets of Italy's fashion capital, Milan.

These hairstyles are loud and intimidating!  I respect their courage  and creativity, however i think I'll be sticking to the natural look.

Another wild and brightly-colored ensemble creation.  I think the way she included different colors/prints with the unexpected edginess of the top makes her standout in a positive way.  Her tight up-do gives her a sophisticated element that tones down the busyness of the rest of the pieces.

I am freaking out about this look.  It just oozes coolness.  I can recreate this outfit with my own black faux leather jacket and some silky shorts.  The white top is an easy find, but the best part, in my opinion, are the oversize shades and the turquoise necklace to give a pop of color.  Bravo!

This dress reminds me of the cliche romantic Italian novel where the girl gets swept off her feet by a charming boy she met at the market earlier that day.  I could totally wear this to dinner overlooking the Mediterranean, drinking a glass of white wine and chatting about life.  

The way she paired her jean shorts with a flowy white top, black pumps, and a black chain bag is genius.  The two opposites balance perfectly to make it day or night.   

This girl is just straight up chic.  She is simple, yet pulled-together in a sexy kind of way.  I'll be on the lookout for a similar dress, which would serve as a great shopping outfit!

pictures courtesy of elle.com

I'm as free as my hair

Wheww this weekend was a whirlwind of constant fun activities starting with Thursday and ending at approximately 2am on Saturday night.  The Boise state game was a complete success!  Other than the embarrassing start to the season....but after an exhausting day saturday I decided to head home to roswell to catch up with the Inwood family and possibly get some of my mom's delicious home cooking (she made a pot roast, mashed potatoes, and brownies with marshmallows nom nom).  Lately I've really appreciated her amazing skills in the kitchen more than ever, especially since moving into a house because I have to make everything myself! Sometimes I think I should start a career in food tasting which would be so yummy and soo delicious....but I should probably stick to what I know-clothes.  Today I ventured to the most convenient mall , North point, which turned out to be a huge disappointment.  For the time being stores are just trying to rid themselves of their summer rejects, which was a huge bummer because i was on a serious hunt for a few certain staples that I just have to have this fall.  Firstly, I scoured the mall' few tasteful stores for a funky maxi skirt.  They're so easy to wear to class, dinner, or even downtown if you wear wedges to prevent any bar tar mess.  The girls in my fashion classes inspire me every day to try new things and are always so innovative with the things they have lying around their closets.  The other day one girl sported a beautiful red maxi skirt with a white tank and ankle boots, and it was at that moment that I decided I just had to have one.  Failed. The next item on my internal list were some pretty scarves to dress up a perfectly boring t-shirt and jeans ensemble.  Unfortunately I can't find pictures of them online to show you guys but I picked two really unique ones: a leopard print scarf and deep blue floral scarf.  There is also a new invention this season-the "SNOOD" which is like a scarf but it has no ends and is extremely easy to wear and comfortable.  Both will be worn frequently among the streets of Florence once I get there.   I can't seem to help it that every time I want to buy something, I always consider whether it's Italy material!!  I'm sure you can sense my extreme amount of excitement about making my four months there perfect.
Moving on from my rambling....I was also on the lookout for fall coats, in particular the one I posted in my most recent post.  The only thing I came across were some cheap looking vests with terrible lining/fit.  Looks like I will be ordering the online version!  Boots were another must-have for this season/my trip to Italy.  Boots are simply the best way to look fashionable and edgy, which is exactly why I take buying a pair so seriously.  Still searching for my perfect boot...something leather, preferably black (it goes with most of my wardrobe) but with more of a hard edge with a buckles trap or metal hardware or grommets...who knows where my dream boots are sold, but one day we will be united!  Here are some pics of my choice fall pieces:

I would definitely wear something like this around campus or shopping downtown.  This is the epitome of effortless cool.  Image from chicopia.com

Just bought a scarf similar to this one from H & M!  Animal prints are really hot right now and I can't wait for it to get colder so I can wear it!

Some boots similar to what I would want in my own pair.  These are from intermix.com

I'm loving this motorcycle sequin jacket!  The perfect balance of rocker and party girl

There was a skirt similar to this one on shopnastygal.com but it sold out unfortunately for me.  I love the way she paired it with a white knitted crop top to tone down the busy leopard print and those intense (yet totally sexy) beige pumps.  This is also from chictopia.com

Last but not least....another version of the shearling jacket I want so badly!! I found this one on intermix (wayyy out of my price range!!)