In conjunction to JJAMZ streaming their entire debut album, “Suicide Pact,” on AOL Spinner (personal review from me upon request) - the band has also premiered their second video “Heartbeat” on MTV. It’s another summery indie pop track, a nice follow up to their first single “Never Enough,” but let me tell you… the video is far from “nice.” Claiming to be based on “true events” - “Heartbeat” is a video fit for late 70s/early 80s horror.  The video follows innocent and sweet Z Berg around her high school, but like an after school special gone wrong, we aren’t the only ones following her. Unbeknownst to the pretty varsity student, a shadowy figure lurks behind closed doors and lockers. Pretty creepy!

But aside from all that, let me briefly discuss w/you the styling of this video, seeing as it is Monday, and I might as well do a #Fashion #MusicMonday! Obviously the styling is going to be very simple - late 70s school girl w/o appearing unquestionably vintage. A simple scoop neck body suit tucked into high waisted hot pants does the trick. 

This is actually one of my favorite looks - when it comes to my casual style, I have always been more in favor of simple looks from the past. Currently I am not wearing an outfit of that time (I’m still in my jammies to be frank), but this past 4th of July I was! 

My friend Frances and I somehow both managed to find ourselves transported in time w/our outfits. It wasn’t planned… and funnily enough we were at a disco event (oh hello Rhonda). You can’t really see our outfits too well - but aren’t we adorable (OK I look a little sinister)? We are both sporting high waisted shorts w/our tops tucked in. It’s the perfect summer outfit - at a location that matches “Heartbeat” a little better than the video! But I still love the cheesy creepiness of it, so cheers!

Frances and I at A Club Called Rhonda

On Me

  • Burn Out Tank Top: Forever 21
  • Hot Pants: my mom’s old Just Jeans USA - cut into hot pants
  • Bikini: Vitamin A
#Fashion #MusicMonday  “Of course you would have a photo of your ice skating outfit!” Duh! And since I have an outfit photo, I might as well do a #Fashion #MusicMonday… even though I went ice skating on Saturday! My friends happen to be the weekend DJs over at La Jolla Ice Town in UTC, and this past weekend I decided to check out their gig (I also wanted to see the newly remodeled Ice Town and food court - looks good BTW! Super chic!). Of course I wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately (my decision to show up at the rink was last minute) but I think I crossed a good line between 70s roller girl and current grunge, no? And it definitely WAS grunge as soon as I spun out, fell on my ass, and tore a hole in my fishnets! Haha it was fun though! The highlight of my night, however, was not just getting a comped pass to skate, but getting to skate around to ABBA! That Saturday night, my friends went on a binge of randomness, and granted my request for “Dancing Queen”! I must say, it was quite awesome seeing amateur figure skaters and groups of speed skating guys getting into the spirit of ABBA! Flourishes of the hand and all! Since Saturday, I have had “Dancing Queen” stuck in my head - so naturally, my choice of song for this #Fashion #MusicMonday is of course… ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”! Yeah… this post was entirely too cheesy. Love it haha  Denim Jacket: Levi’s Top: off brand Shorts: H&M Fightnet Tights: Jessica Simpson (seriously LOL) Skates: rentals!

#Fashion #MusicMonday 

“Of course you would have a photo of your ice skating outfit!” Duh! And since I have an outfit photo, I might as well do a #Fashion #MusicMonday… even though I went ice skating on Saturday!

My friends happen to be the weekend DJs over at La Jolla Ice Town in UTC, and this past weekend I decided to check out their gig (I also wanted to see the newly remodeled Ice Town and food court - looks good BTW! Super chic!). Of course I wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately (my decision to show up at the rink was last minute) but I think I crossed a good line between 70s roller girl and current grunge, no? And it definitely WAS grunge as soon as I spun out, fell on my ass, and tore a hole in my fishnets! Haha it was fun though!

The highlight of my night, however, was not just getting a comped pass to skate, but getting to skate around to ABBA! That Saturday night, my friends went on a binge of randomness, and granted my request for “Dancing Queen”! I must say, it was quite awesome seeing amateur figure skaters and groups of speed skating guys getting into the spirit of ABBA! Flourishes of the hand and all!

Since Saturday, I have had “Dancing Queen” stuck in my head - so naturally, my choice of song for this #Fashion #MusicMonday is of course… ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”! Yeah… this post was entirely too cheesy. Love it haha 

  • Denim Jacket: Levi’s
  • Top: off brand
  • Shorts: H&M
  • Fightnet Tights: Jessica Simpson (seriously LOL)
  • Skates: rentals!

#Fashion #MusicMonday (OK #Tuesday!) Monday morning I woke up thinking, “I really need to dress up and do another fashion/music post - I haven’t done one in awhile!” I looked to my wardrobe and realized that I still had brand new clothes that I hadn’t worn yet. In a rush to get ready and to leave the house semi-cute, I paired my unworn items (a long blazer and a green floral romper) w/a pair of hole ridden tiger tights, beat up cowboy boots, my pocket watch necklace, grabbed my black fedora - and bolted out the door. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the car and laughed - I looked like a hipster Disney cast member caught between the Jungle Cruise and the French Quarter! Completely mismatched - but cute! Honestly I feel the outfit is totally carefree and effortless. I think what makes it so fun is that I really didn’t take any time to put this outfit together, it just sort of happened. It reminds me of how I used to dress when I was younger (er… a few years ago). I think that’s the great advantage of being young: being able to experiment and put things together w/o really caring if it matches or if it is socially acceptable.  Wanting to capture this spirit in my music selection, I spent several hours searching for the right song. I wanted something pretty to match the feminine blazer and romper, but I wanted something tropically to match the tiger tights. Frustrated, I did not find a song until 2:30am Tuesday morning. I don’t know why it didn’t hit me before, but I realized El Guincho’s “Bombay” was the exact mood I wanted to capture. Dreamy, upbeat, and tropical - it has the right amount of quirk to match the quirkiness of the outfit I haphazardly put together. And the video? It’s one of my favorites - one of Tumblr’s favorite’s too! You know why, and if you don’t then I suggest you watch the video… in the comfort of your own home… not at work! Consider my outfit to be the PG rated version of what you are about to witness. Blazer: Forever 21 Romper: off brand purchased from Christine de la Creme Pocket Watch Necklace: Love Nail Tree Tiger Tights: Target Cowboy Boots: off brand

#Fashion #MusicMonday (OK #Tuesday!)

Monday morning I woke up thinking, “I really need to dress up and do another fashion/music post - I haven’t done one in awhile!” I looked to my wardrobe and realized that I still had brand new clothes that I hadn’t worn yet. In a rush to get ready and to leave the house semi-cute, I paired my unworn items (a long blazer and a green floral romper) w/a pair of hole ridden tiger tights, beat up cowboy boots, my pocket watch necklace, grabbed my black fedora - and bolted out the door. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the car and laughed - I looked like a hipster Disney cast member caught between the Jungle Cruise and the French Quarter! Completely mismatched - but cute!

Honestly I feel the outfit is totally carefree and effortless. I think what makes it so fun is that I really didn’t take any time to put this outfit together, it just sort of happened. It reminds me of how I used to dress when I was younger (er… a few years ago). I think that’s the great advantage of being young: being able to experiment and put things together w/o really caring if it matches or if it is socially acceptable. 

Wanting to capture this spirit in my music selection, I spent several hours searching for the right song. I wanted something pretty to match the feminine blazer and romper, but I wanted something tropically to match the tiger tights. Frustrated, I did not find a song until 2:30am Tuesday morning.

I don’t know why it didn’t hit me before, but I realized El Guincho’s “Bombay” was the exact mood I wanted to capture. Dreamy, upbeat, and tropical - it has the right amount of quirk to match the quirkiness of the outfit I haphazardly put together. And the video? It’s one of my favorites - one of Tumblr’s favorite’s too! You know why, and if you don’t then I suggest you watch the video… in the comfort of your own home… not at work! Consider my outfit to be the PG rated version of what you are about to witness.

  • Blazer: Forever 21
  • Romper: off brand purchased from Christine de la Creme
  • Pocket Watch Necklace: Love Nail Tree
  • Tiger Tights: Target
  • Cowboy Boots: off brand

#Fashion #MusicMonday Once upon a time, there were these indie bands in LA that I loved so much. They were all part of the same clique and were constantly photographed by Mark the Cobrasnake (back then he ran Polaroid Scene). One of those bands went on to be very successful (Maroon 5), the rest kept trucking w/their music, getting gigs where they could. Some of those bands have sadly disbanded. Back then, I wanted to be part of their world… but I knew I would always just be a fan who showed up to shows. I’d be lucky to get my arm in a photo by Cobrasnake (eventually when I stopped caring so much for those bands and got more into dance parties, I ended up on Cobrasnake quite a few times). Many of the musicians I kept tabs on remained friends, and have even come together to form somewhat of a supergroup. They are now known as JJAMZ (pronounced juh-jamz), and have done a few shows in LA. Their latest album, “Suicide Pact,” comes out this summer (July 10), and they’ve finally FINALLY put out a video for “Never Enough.” JJAMZ - Never Enough from Eddie O’KEEFE on Vimeo. The song is incredibly melancholy, but is so wonderfully catchy w/beautiful melodies. It has that 60s set in 80s vibe to it - as if the song were produced in the 80s, but the musicians were influenced by 60s pop rock. I’m sure the song is about the friendships that all of them had, and how it was never enough. I’m not sure who specifically it goes out to, but I think anyone can relate to the emotional strife of falling out of a friendship. The outfit I chose for this song has that same 60s vibe to it, and it reminds me of what the girls of The Like, Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, Kirsten Dunst, Cory Kennedy, etc etc would wear. Their looks were always very mod and very leggy w/a hint of prairie girl. So I chose a similar outfit: a little prairie w/the cowboy boots, a little mod w/the pop of color (blazer) and a mini skirt, a little 60s w/the tunic. I actually like this outfit a lot and would wear it both to work and play. Wish I remembered to wear makeup LOL [So it’s been a week since I’ve done this, and technically it’s Tuesday now, but I took the photo and already have a song in mind - so let’s just go w/it OK?] Blazer: off brand (Calendar by Be Cool) Mod Tunic: H&M (gifted by EA Vintage) Pencil Skirt: Cotton On Cowboy Boots: off brand

#Fashion #MusicMonday

Once upon a time, there were these indie bands in LA that I loved so much. They were all part of the same clique and were constantly photographed by Mark the Cobrasnake (back then he ran Polaroid Scene). One of those bands went on to be very successful (Maroon 5), the rest kept trucking w/their music, getting gigs where they could. Some of those bands have sadly disbanded. Back then, I wanted to be part of their world… but I knew I would always just be a fan who showed up to shows. I’d be lucky to get my arm in a photo by Cobrasnake (eventually when I stopped caring so much for those bands and got more into dance parties, I ended up on Cobrasnake quite a few times).

Many of the musicians I kept tabs on remained friends, and have even come together to form somewhat of a supergroup. They are now known as JJAMZ (pronounced juh-jamz), and have done a few shows in LA. Their latest album, “Suicide Pact,” comes out this summer (July 10), and they’ve finally FINALLY put out a video for “Never Enough.”

JJAMZ - Never Enough from Eddie O’KEEFE on Vimeo.

The song is incredibly melancholy, but is so wonderfully catchy w/beautiful melodies. It has that 60s set in 80s vibe to it - as if the song were produced in the 80s, but the musicians were influenced by 60s pop rock. I’m sure the song is about the friendships that all of them had, and how it was never enough. I’m not sure who specifically it goes out to, but I think anyone can relate to the emotional strife of falling out of a friendship.

The outfit I chose for this song has that same 60s vibe to it, and it reminds me of what the girls of The Like, Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, Kirsten Dunst, Cory Kennedy, etc etc would wear. Their looks were always very mod and very leggy w/a hint of prairie girl. So I chose a similar outfit: a little prairie w/the cowboy boots, a little mod w/the pop of color (blazer) and a mini skirt, a little 60s w/the tunic. I actually like this outfit a lot and would wear it both to work and play. Wish I remembered to wear makeup LOL

[So it’s been a week since I’ve done this, and technically it’s Tuesday now, but I took the photo and already have a song in mind - so let’s just go w/it OK?]

  • Blazer: off brand (Calendar by Be Cool)
  • Mod Tunic: H&M (gifted by EA Vintage)
  • Pencil Skirt: Cotton On
  • Cowboy Boots: off brand
#Fashion #MusicMonday As long as I am still awake and haven’t fallen asleep, I can still do #Fashion #MusicMonday - regardless if anyone else is awake to see this post! LOL  This week I have decided to take a different direction with this post. Rather than choosing a song and creating an outfit from the mood/lyrical content - I decided to select my outfit first. This actually wasn’t my original intent, but this Monday was different. As my friends may know, I have been following the Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi stories pretty closely, and following the movements for their justice. Today (or this past Monday I should say), several people wore hoodies in respect for Trayvon Martin. It was also suggested to wear black for either Trayvon, Shaima, or both. I decided I would honor both. For Trayvon and Shaima I wore mostly black. I wore my black leather hooded jacket for Trayvon, and I wore a scarf around my neck for Shaima (I will later be using this same scarf for International Scarves in Solidarity on April 11th http://scarvesinsolidarity.tumblr.com). My own personal touches of course were black jeggings and my combat boots.  I remember turning to my friend and asking him if I looked strange - like if I was up to no good. He admitted that I do look a little mysterious (though you can’t really tell from this photo) - but you know what? That’s also the point. Your outward appearance should not profile you as anything other than a person. Your choice of clothing should never be seen as an invitation to an act of violence. Content w/the outfit I had chosen, and the reasons behind it, I proceeded to find the perfect accompanying song. Selecting a song actually proved to be very difficult. Music can evoke any kind of emotion, and I wanted a song that wasn’t overly sentimental or one that displayed a lot of anger. By the time I had gotten home, I still hadn’t chosen a song. That’s when one of my favorite LCD Soundsystem tunes “Someone Great” found it’s way into my head. The line “When someone great is gone…” repeated itself in my brain - and with those straight forward words, I knew that this song was one many of us could relate to.  Leather Jacket: Silence & Noise at Urban Outfitters Tank: Kimchi Blue at Urban Outfitters Silk Scarf: Vintage Valentina Fiore Stripped Jeggings: off-brand from the Philippines Combat Boots: Bakers

#Fashion #MusicMonday

As long as I am still awake and haven’t fallen asleep, I can still do #Fashion #MusicMonday - regardless if anyone else is awake to see this post! LOL 

This week I have decided to take a different direction with this post. Rather than choosing a song and creating an outfit from the mood/lyrical content - I decided to select my outfit first. This actually wasn’t my original intent, but this Monday was different.

As my friends may know, I have been following the Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi stories pretty closely, and following the movements for their justice. Today (or this past Monday I should say), several people wore hoodies in respect for Trayvon Martin. It was also suggested to wear black for either Trayvon, Shaima, or both. I decided I would honor both.

For Trayvon and Shaima I wore mostly black. I wore my black leather hooded jacket for Trayvon, and I wore a scarf around my neck for Shaima (I will later be using this same scarf for International Scarves in Solidarity on April 11th http://scarvesinsolidarity.tumblr.com). My own personal touches of course were black jeggings and my combat boots. 

I remember turning to my friend and asking him if I looked strange - like if I was up to no good. He admitted that I do look a little mysterious (though you can’t really tell from this photo) - but you know what? That’s also the point. Your outward appearance should not profile you as anything other than a person. Your choice of clothing should never be seen as an invitation to an act of violence. Content w/the outfit I had chosen, and the reasons behind it, I proceeded to find the perfect accompanying song.

Selecting a song actually proved to be very difficult. Music can evoke any kind of emotion, and I wanted a song that wasn’t overly sentimental or one that displayed a lot of anger. By the time I had gotten home, I still hadn’t chosen a song. That’s when one of my favorite LCD Soundsystem tunes “Someone Great” found it’s way into my head. The line “When someone great is gone…” repeated itself in my brain - and with those straight forward words, I knew that this song was one many of us could relate to. 

  • Leather Jacket: Silence & Noise at Urban Outfitters
  • Tank: Kimchi Blue at Urban Outfitters
  • Silk Scarf: Vintage Valentina Fiore
  • Stripped Jeggings: off-brand from the Philippines
  • Combat Boots: Bakers

(via Johanna by Henry Moshizi for Costume March 2012) Happy first day of spring! In case you didn’t know, for the past week I have been away from my laptop and most of my wardrobe. Due to this, I haven’t been able to do my weekly #fashion #musicmonday. My slightly OCD mind bugs because of this, so I have decided to do a similar post for today. Today I give you the song “Cool Runnings” by Perseus. I chose this song because I am feeling lounge-y, and as it is the first day of spring, I long to be in a more tropical atmosphere. Unfortunately I am stuck making phone calls and sending out e-mails, so a song and outfit inspiration will do. “Cool Runnings” has a very tropical-deep house sound. It’s definitely a tune you would hear poolside while sipping on some spiked lemonade. What I love about this song is the sample from the movie “Cool Runnings.” It’s very subtle, but if you watched the movie as much as I did when I was a kid, you would definitely know Sanka’s “Go!!!” as he pushes a pushcart or bobsled down a track. The outfit I paired w/this song is a very resort look that I’d love to attempt. I love the art deco top that is unbuttoned down to the belly button and color blocked w/a pair of little peach dolphin shorts. I assume the entire outfit is made of breathable materials to offer ventilation for hot days. It’s a very refreshing and sexy look that is deserving of a vacay in Jamaica.. or of at least a poolside party. 

(via Johanna by Henry Moshizi for Costume March 2012)

Happy first day of spring! In case you didn’t know, for the past week I have been away from my laptop and most of my wardrobe. Due to this, I haven’t been able to do my weekly #fashion #musicmonday. My slightly OCD mind bugs because of this, so I have decided to do a similar post for today.

Today I give you the song “Cool Runnings” by Perseus. I chose this song because I am feeling lounge-y, and as it is the first day of spring, I long to be in a more tropical atmosphere. Unfortunately I am stuck making phone calls and sending out e-mails, so a song and outfit inspiration will do.

“Cool Runnings” has a very tropical-deep house sound. It’s definitely a tune you would hear poolside while sipping on some spiked lemonade. What I love about this song is the sample from the movie “Cool Runnings.” It’s very subtle, but if you watched the movie as much as I did when I was a kid, you would definitely know Sanka’s “Go!!!” as he pushes a pushcart or bobsled down a track.

The outfit I paired w/this song is a very resort look that I’d love to attempt. I love the art deco top that is unbuttoned down to the belly button and color blocked w/a pair of little peach dolphin shorts. I assume the entire outfit is made of breathable materials to offer ventilation for hot days. It’s a very refreshing and sexy look that is deserving of a vacay in Jamaica.. or of at least a poolside party. 

#Fashion #MusicMonday

This Monday I have chosen an older song from Marina and the Diamonds: “I Am Not a Robot.” The song is something that resinates with me personally in more ways than one. Being a robot is definitely a cop out way of dealing with life’s situations and how they make you feel. But being so cold and distant is not always easy, and our human selves can easily make us crash - causing our vulnerability to show through when we least expect it. It’s a good thing, because at least it we know we can bleed… but at the same time, a balance should be had.

Originally I had planned for the accompanying outfit to “I Am Not a Robot” to look slightly futuristic w/a flourish of chiffon and florals. I was kind of going for a Wall-E meets spring day look… but then as I hit replay the lines “It’s okay to say you’ve got a weak spot//You don’t always have to be on top” changed my idea entirely. I started thinking of how I’ve used work to override any emotional feelings I’ve had about life. I’m certainly not on top, but I work like I am. I push away sadness or anger, and channel that into productivity.

I also started to think of how in the 9-5 world, there is this perception that you’ve got to stick to this penguin like uniform - professionalism in appearance. I’ve always abhorred this, and have had tried to defy the normal 9-5 day look (this was especially true when I worked in more professional settings). So today’s #Fashion #MusicMonday I have decided to go w/a look that I very familiar with: the “edgy chick” who is trying to break out of the normal 9-5 hum drum (or as my friend calls it “Business Casual Friday on a Monday”).

I started w/the average power suit: blazer and trousers, but I cuffed the blazer high up so I could accessorize w/one of my favorite studded bracelets (to add that edge), and a bracelet watch (because time = money!). I layered a screened tee underneath the blazer, and let me tell you - it is the mullet of tees! Solid cotton in the front, sheer chiffon in the back! If you go for a look like this, I suggest not taking off your blazer! Scandalous! And of course to complete the look, I added a pair of maroon pumps and a pair of oversized Marc Jacobs shades to block out the world… during lunch.

  • Blazer: Forever 21
  • Screened Tee: Velvet Thorn by PacSun
  • Trousers: Joe Benbasset
  • Studded Bracelet: Forever 21
  • Watch Bracelet: Anne Klein
  • Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs
  • Pumps: unknown

#Fashion #MusicMonday

How appropriate that I start my #Fashion #MusicMonday w/the song “Money” by The Drums (thanks to Griefshare for the song suggestion). I’m not the most well off person, but what I lack in money when it comes to fashion, is style. When people ask me how I’ve gained my sense of style, I am honest and say “It’s a combination of low income and a laziness to finish my laundry.” True story of a self-employed fashionista.

“Money” is fairly straight forward: “I want to buy you something, but I don’t have any money.” It’s about someone who just wants to do something nice for someone they really care for. Life isn’t about materialism, but sometimes it feels good to put your cash towards someone you deem worthy of your cash flow. This feels especially true when you do not have any money yourself, and in this song - the sentiment of wanting to buy someone something is the best you can do. It’s a little sad, but still very sweet. 

The outfit I imagined for this was very simple. I pictured almost a manic pixie dream girl (see definition here) - a Zooey Deschanel a la “500 Days of Summer” (I suppose it helps that The Drums sound a lot like The Smiths). A girl who isn’t overly trendy, but someone who goes for a classic and effortless style w/that slight bit of whimsy. Someone you’d easily fall in like with if not love. I went for a clean yet feminine look, pairing a crisp button down w/denim shorts to keep it light and casual. I wore topsiders in keeping w/the classic theme - and a wide brimmed teal fedora to add a pop of color and that whimsical characterisic I mentioned before. And, just to add that true element of the person I am, I added a studded bracelet. I, myself, have a weird attraction to edgy accessories.

  • Hat: Rubi by Cotton On
  • Blouse: Banana Republic 
  • Denim Shorts: Hurley 
  • Studded Bracelet: Forever 21
  • Topsider Shoes: Dexter by Payless (seriously)
  • Belt: thrifted
  • Purse: vintage