Thrift Stores

In the past year I’ve entered the wonderfully inexpensive world of second hand goods.  I have no shame admitting that my closet and home are comprised of pieces I’ve collected from stores ranging to the Goodwill and Dollar Tree to Nordstrom and Z Galleries.  I have Dom Perignon tastes on Pabst Blue Ribbon budget, so I do my best to strike a balance between the two. I’ve always been this way, I remember in high school Vanessa and I went to a dinner at The Ritz, where she wore a Dolce and Gabbana Dress and I a little BCBG number. I remember our brothers making fun of us for pairing our dresses with cheap $9 heels from a no name Asian store. Since fashion moves so quickly I’ve always valued quantity over quality….. when possible. Here are some of my best thrifted finds:

Ann Taylor Trench ($18.99) my favorite find of all time!
Vintage heels ($6.99) I love the little bows on the sides.
Black Dress ($4.99) I wear this LBD all the time.

Dress ($8.99) I think it’s so sweet and romantic.

Boots ($16.99) though embarrassing I must admit I smelled them before I saw them. As I zigzagged through the racks up to the register I caught a whiff of the scent only new leather carries. (You know you’re a shopaholic when…) These boots are carried at Nordstrom and retail for a little over $200.
Sorry for the bad photo quality, as I have to wait for Christmas to get a new digital. Unless a Nikon D5100 turns up in the bargain bin.
We should go hunting together!!

My Bucket list....so Far

• Take a coast to coast road trip. Anyone have a RV?
• Pet a Large Spider. Ekkk!
• Marry my own Prince Charming
• Get remarried to my Prince Charming in a Las Vegas chapel by Elvis. All who attend are welcome to participate. You can walk me down the aisle or toss some flowers the decision is all yours.
• Donate blood. Sounds simple enough except the sight of a hospital needle makes me sweat and sometimes throw up.
• Give my children everything I had.  There is nothing my parents didn’t sacrifice and give me. I hope if I decide to have children I will be as loving and selfless as them.
• Own a weekend car.  Preferably a 50’s Bel-Air or a 40’s Ford Coupe. BTW, one car I will never own is a minivan, mark my words.
• Own a Chanel Purse. I want, I want, I want. That is my only reasoning.
• Own a Bulldog named Winston. Cause what else would you name an English Bulldog?
• Do a cartwheel.  I have failed on more than 10 occasions.
• Learn how to Salsa properly. I’m done shimmy shaking without direction.
• See the Pyramids of Egypt
• Visit a Concentration Camp. I have been fascinated with (and horrified by) the Holocaust since I first learned of it in 5^th grade. I’ve read 6 books of firsthand accounts and would like to pay respect to those brave enough to share their stories. I recommend I’ve Lived a Thousand Years.
• Attend at least one Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympic Games. I see lots of beer, hotdogs, and war paint in my future.
• Get a 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th tattoo
• Donate Money anonymously
• Become a Senior Citizen. I plan on playing the old senile card as often as possible. I have an uncle who when asked at a grocery store if he needs assistance to his car he will always say yes and then when asked which car is his, he’ll reply “the white one”. He giggles inside while the bag boy walks from each white car to the next asking if it’s the one. I swear I’ll end up silly like him or bat shit crazy like Etta James.

I want all of this.

Halloween day

 

 

On Saturday we went to the Cal Poly Pumpkin Festival. We enjoyed/devoured pastrami pizzas, cupcakes, $5 pumpkins, and the crazy heat.  Now if you could please direct your attention to the bottom left photo, where my brother and I are standing with our lighter half's. We love cracking racial jokes and Matt happened to have burned us brownies pretty hard....BUT right as Matt was beginning to celebrate Danny roasted him back with, "Very funny, but you two don't have sunscreen." This may not seem that hilarious but in the context of the conversation and the fact that Matt and Melissa were both over heating and turning red had us dying.

Matt wants to be a pumpkin......

 and I want big boobs, both aren't going to happen naturally.

 \

 

Fun times outside of LACMA! 

We fought through a broken air conditioner, horrible traffic, and  expensive parking only to find that our tickets were for the prior week! Only me, right? I decided I wasn't going to except defeat and if necessary I was prepared to cry or sneak past security. After some pathetic begging I convinced Mr. Mole (the box office guy had large moles and I never caught his name) gave in and moved our ticket not once but twice (I'm indecisive) free of charge! Mr. Mole was extremely irritated by me and in the kindest way suggested that I should vanish, disappear, or die before he changes his mind. Fearful, I decided to Speedy Gonzales myself to a safer location .

A few hours later Manuel and Yvette joined us for a haunted hay located in the woods of Griffith Park. The setting allowed you to leave the normal world behind and enter a dream/fantasy. The makeup, music, costumes, and special effects made the experience completely real.

 Red Lion!

Awesome food, beer, cake, and party place!

CAUTION: If you have a tragic mishap and break a boot, be ready to cough up 50 bones for the replacement fee! After Manuel's 5th shot we made an unanimous decision to revoke all his boot holding privileges.

Das BOOT....and this was the small one!

We ended the night at a bar that looked like the owner bought a bunch of decorations from a 99 cents store and stapled it to the walls. The place has an odd vibe so Kerensa, Matt, Daniel, and I took a walk to get cigs and ended up making friends with a group of hipsters in the parking lot. They were popping bottles of champagne and offered us to join their chugging circle. When in Rome/Glendale you say what the hell and accept the offer, right? Right or wrong we all participated and laughed about it later.

The bucket!

 Matt and I adore tasty (aka unhealthy) FOOD….a love no celery stick could shake.  We recently went to The Bucket, a small and I mean shoebox size burger joint. That strictly serves fries, beer, and 6 or 7 types of burgers (our favorite food groups). The house specialty is “The Cardiac” it sounded a little too threatening so I opted for “ The mild cardiac”. My burger contained: 1 beef patty, cheese, ham, bacon, Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mushroom, ketchup, and onions. My mouth started to salivate at 1^st sight.

Nom Nom Nom NOM!

Interesting encounter:

The other day I wore a fly away cardigan, black maxi dress, and a cream belt to work, cute right? As I was walking from my car a guy looked me straight in the eye and yelled "YOU HIPPIE!!" I don't know if he was insulting me or was excited to see one of his own? The guy was rolling in a late 70's tin can that sounded like a vaccum.

Moving on.......

Things I'm going/ wanting to do this month (passengers welcome):

• Cal Mart's sample sales and trunk shows!!
• Getty Villa
• Cal Poly pumkin patch
• Tim Burton Exhibit at LACMA
• Griffith Park haunted hay ride
•  Beach visit
• Save the life of another mumu

MUMU

I know this woman, Mrs. Money Bags, I named her this because she literally has bags of money. Despite her endless cash flow she can be seen chasing her dogs in a rotation of 3 hideous  mumus. I'd love to save her but she is far past recitation. I decided to use her as inspiration for what I’d like to call “mumu chic”. My mom found this 15+ year old piece in her closet. I developed a small crush on the bold print and decided that I should attempt reconstructive surgery before dooming it to the goodwill.

The operation was a success! I removed the ties, hemmed 1 ½ inches, took in 3 inches on each side, and created a more flattering set of sleeves. I added a belt and heels to complete the look and there you go ladies and gentlemen a new outfit. FOR FREE!

Peace, love, and champange

I believe with my whole asthmatic heart that I passed my test today. Oh ya, I have asthma attacks from time to time when shit gets tough. Today’s had me thinking of an old bulletin board, with an image of a fish lying on the floor and a quote from a child saying, “When I have asthma attacks I feel like a fish without water”. Well, I woke up as that fish 1 week ago when I realized I wasn’t doing so well in one of my classes. Unfortunately, my fate lies in the hands of a metallic, eye shadow wearing prune, who’s clearly only teaching because she has two years left till retirement. DAMN FOSSIL! Anyways, I spent the whole class period working on that test and I feel confident that I at least passed……but we’ll see. Quite excited, I hurried over to parent’s house (FYI: My ID is expired and I left my passport in LA) so naturally, I was trying to recruit someone to buy me some bubbly. Once, I realized there was no moving Manuel, I found the winner, my mom. I told her I deserved some 11am drinks after all the fun I've been skipping out on.  My mom’s so funny; she was super sneaky about the way she handed me my change in the parking lot. I had to remind her that she wasn’t committing a crime and that I’m of age, just currently not on California plastic.

To anyone who would like to join, this Saturday I’m going on a haunted hay ride through Griffith Park and then on to a German bar to celebrate Lindsay Lohan’s …ugh I mean Manuel Mungia’s birthday. It’s going to be crazy fun and the bar serves beer in glass boots. The troops are rallying around 6 and no soldiers will be left behind or lost. Plenty of cars are going and I’m not opposed to my living room looking like a mortuary, so NO excuse, I have plenty of floor space for all your drunk bodies!

Party of one... well, two if Cali counts.

This is my Friday night, I swear I will pass Statistics or die trying (Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge I'm trying not to lose my head Uh huh ha ha ha). Honestly, I'm barely holding onto my sanity. So here I am with my studious light switch cover, the watchful eye of Snoop-a-loop, my cup of wine, my bottle of wine, graphing calculator, and Kitty cat, Cali. Cali keeps pushing my calculator off the desk, either she wants me to play with her or she also hates statistics.... I agree, indisputably the latter.

I have a BIG BIG BIG test MONDAY!!!!

Please send good VIBES!!!!

Besitos!!

Steve Jobs is the Chicken Soup to my soul...

"If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

R.I.P.

Who wore it better?

A classic match-up of one of the world's best tennis players and someone who has played ping pong at least once - Serena and I both standing with handsome men and though different colors, the very same purse in hand... Who wore it better?

 Dear enormous side boob, many thanks for your guest appearance in my photograph.

FYI: These photos are from the wedding of John King and Lynnelle Patron (yes, spelled and pronounced like the tequila) I'm really hoping for a possible hyphenation in the future. I'd hitch those names together in a heartbeat, Jessica Jane King-Patron, sounds tough.

If you didn't read my prior post, I absolutely love this outfit! Nordstrom Rack dress ($6.20), Sample sale heels ($10.00), and a Kathrine Baumann clutch ($2,895) Sadly, the clutch goes home tomorrow, thanks again Dorothy!

LOOK at this beauty Matt and I came across ( screeeeeeech!!! Cue sound of record dramatically stopping and the whole party going silent) ya right. I won't lie I enjoy shaking it to his beats but he may quite possibly be the ugliest human I have ever seen. Since this isn't exactly the home decor we're searching for, I may or may not have bought this as Christa's Christmas present. 

Other NEAT things:

• Canada is BOOKED!
• I'm creating a bucket list, complete with goals of walking The Great Wall of China and getting married by Elvis.
• If I don't pass my Math class (the only thing keeping me from Cal Poly) I'm going to try my hand at reality TV........ perhaps being one of those drunk messes on The Bad Girls Club.
• Diet Ginger Ale is my new everything. 
• I love FREE clothes, who doesn't? I have lots of pieces ranging from small to large that I'm ready to part with. I keep hearing about swapping parties and I want in!! Help me find one or throw one with me!!

GOOD NIGHT!