sunshine on my shoulders

I know I've been lamenting about Summer coming to an end, but the truth is that I love Autumn. It just seems to go by so quickly and Winter is not my friend.

Fall, I welcome you and your turning leaves and pumpkin treats. But please, stay awhile.

Outfit Details:
crochet dress - thrifted
belt - thrifted
tights - we love colors
bag and sunglasses (in my hand) - courtesy of Coach
Romance boots - courtesy of Seychelles
corduroy blazer - stolen from my mom's closet

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

fringe

Outfit Details:
Dress and shoes - courtesy of Nine West
vintage Moschino fringe skirt - borrowed from Samara
bag - courtesy of Coach


I stopped by Fringe Salon to meet up with Miss Kimberly, who was getting her hair colored and trimmed. We also made a half-hearted attempt at finding our bridesmaid dresses. I was planning on making mine, but since I am in way over my head, I think I might just buy one. Very simple - we just need all black dresses. It's just that I'm extremely picky and unrealistic. Is it so much to ask for a 50s or early 60s dress with a nipped in waist and full skirt, in solid black? Oh, and can it be my measurements and within my budget? Too much to ask? Yeah, I guess so:)

At least we accomplished one thing: Kim's hair is colorful again! If you're in NYC and you need your hair done, I highly recommend checking out Fringe. It's an adorable salon with the cutest, friendliest stylists. I'm sure everyone is equally talented, but I know from firsthand experience that Amy (the owner), Jen and Holly are amazing. Prepare to girl crush on all of them. Check them out and then stop in Babycakes (next door) for some delicious vegan treats!

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn p.s. I just realized that I wore a fringe skirt to Fringe Salon. YES!

Light enough to move.

Outfit Details:
pink silk shirt - thrifted
vintage slip - gift from my mom
doily skirt - courtesy of Spotted Moth
Coach bag - courtesy of Coach
Boutique 9 "Girlie" peep toes - courtesy of Nine West
elastic hair band on my wrist - because I'm classy like that

Fashion week is a blast, but I'm afraid I ran myself ragged. A mere two to three hours of sleep a night doesn't suffice for me anymore; insomniac college Keiko would be disgusted. I woke up today feeling like my head was filled with rocks and ocean water. Does that make sense? In other words, I do believe I've come down with the dreaded common cold.

Throughout the week, I'll be catching up on the blog. I have photographs from shows, events, and everything I wore throughout. I actually wore this shirt two days in a row, because 1) I'm gross and 2) I never plan my outfits and I needed something in a hurry. I really wanted to wear this cute little skirt that Monica of Spotted Moth sent to me, but didn't have any other suitable tops within arm's reach. Because, you know, I got ready at the very last minute...as Kim and I both tend to do.

On this particular day, we went to a Tweet Up (I know, what nerds) at the AmEx Skybox with Paper Mag's Mickey Boardman, who is extraordinarily charming. If you don't follow my twitter, you missed my favorite quote of the week:

"Fashion is for everyone. Just because I'm fat doesn't mean I don't want to be fabulous." - Mickey Boardman

Bravo, Mickey!


Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Heart IFB!

photo credit: Jason Jean of Citizen Couture for Harper's Bazaar


The very first day of fashion week was also the day of the IFB Evolving Influence conference, which Kim and I volunteered for. I had a midday show to attend at Lincoln Center (within walking distance, luckily), but I helped stuff the goodie bags and checked in the attendees. It was really awesome meeting so many different people and seeing blogger friends from all over. After the conference, a bunch of us went out for pizza and generally had a great time.

A lot of readers ask me for advice on blogging, and in addition to my normal tips, I always direct them to IFB. If you're a blogger and you aren't familiar with IFB, join it and soak up all the info you can retain. Jennine and the IFB crew and contributors are pretty amazing. It's such a great community to be a part of. If you missed the panels, there are many articles available on the site, as well as other blogs!

It's kind of funny that I was at a blogger event and actually forgot to take my outfit photo. Luckily, a bunch of photographers snapped some photographs outside of Lincoln Center - one of which ended up on Harper's Bazaar. Yay! Sure, it's only one photo, but it's not like I won't be wearing the outfit again;)

Outfit Details:
cardigan - borrowed from my friend Samara
grey shirt - Forever 21
skirt - self made
Seychelles Hawk Wedges - courtesy of ModCloth
nude fishnet tights - probably Target?
belt - thrifted

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

Shake Your Little Shoulders

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm freaking out! I know it's ridiculous, and I can feel all of your eyes rolling right now...but I thought I would be a real adult by now, and I feel so behind. You know, the kind who can just run out and buy a new camera when hers is broken (see the darkness on the side? the shutter gets worse and worse). I know I'm on the right track and I'm working so hard to get ahead, but my goodness. Sometimes I just feel like I'm still a teenager - only with lots and lots of bills.

Twenty-six. Yikes. I keep telling everyone who takes my picture that I am 25, thankyouverymuch, because until 7 AM tomorrow, I am. I know I'm ridiculous. Everyone keeps telling me that your thirties are the best years. In your twenties, it's a weird limbo between being a child and a full-fledged adult.

Anyway, enough of that jibber-jabber. These photos were taken before the ModCloth party and Robert Geller show. I was bummed that they overlapped, because I missed a lot of people at both the party and the show, since I was in such a rush. Speaking of being in a rush, I have to leave in a few minutes. Pictures from ModCloth and Geller and everything else, later! In the meantime, if anyone has a spare digital SLR just hanging around and gathering dust, I will gladly take it off your hands...and pay you in pictures of Miku's precious face. It's a fair trade!

Outfit Details:
trench dress (so comfy): courtesy of Queen's Wardrobe
vintage bustier
twenty8twelve skirt: via Gilt (I'm obsessed with this site)
Felicita heels: courtesy of Nine West
tights: Target
belt: thrifted
Madison Brynne bag: courtesy of Coach

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

Pete and Repeat

Outfit Details:
thrifted silk shirt
ADAM satin crepe blazer - via Gilt and their amazing sale zip side jeans - courtesy of Jessica Simpson Collection
Steve Madden Caryssa Pumps - replaced by Steve Madden, woohoo! Excellent customer service.
Coach Madison Brynne Bag - courtesy of Coach
belt - thrifted (only worn in loops in the front; the rest is cinching my top)




h&m shirt ($5!)
ADAM satin crepe blazer - via Gilt zip side jeans - courtesy of Jessica Simpson Collection
Seychelles Hawk platform wedges - courtesy of Seychelles
Coach Madison Brynne Bag and sunglasses - courtesy of Coach
belt - thrifted
I wasn't kidding when I said I've been wearing jeans a lot, lately. The weather has been cooler and it's just so easy to throw on a pair of jeans and jet out the door. This chilly weather crept up on me and I need to get some new tights and socks!

I decided to post two outfits at once because they're basically the same exact thing, with a different top and different shoes. Really...I wore the same thing two days in a row. I did, however, end up switching up the first look with flats for a walk to Cobble Hill. Let's be honest - no one should be walking that far in five inch heels. Especially not a pigeon toed, clumsy gal like me.

Is it just me or are they actually taking curves into account when making jeans, these days? I usually have the worst luck with jeans, but the last three pairs I have received - Tory Burch, Hudson, and Jessica Simpson - have all fit rather well. My usual issues with denim are that they either flatten out my bum, have that huge gap in the back, are super short or give the dreaded muffin top. Trying on jeans is depressing. Oddly enough, Forever 21's $12 jeans fit rather well. So do the pricier 4 stroke jeans, whose sample sizes are 28 (my size - lucky me!). It's like everyone woke up and realized that some girls might have hips, but then they forgot to let me know about their epiphany...and I'm just now finding out.

Now that fashion week is in full effect, I'm back to my usual skirts and dresses. I'll post more when I'm on more than two hours of sleep. In the meantime, nap nap nap for me. I have so much work to do and a full day ahead of me!

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

crimson and clover

Bobby and I have been very busy, and the past couple of weeks have been no exception. He's working two jobs (seriously, he's always working!), while I'm sewing way too many dresses, helping with my sister's wedding planning, making her wedding dress and generally taking care of business. We found some time to take little Miku to the dog park, where she befriended a baby pug and got extremely dirty. We let her play until it got dark and all of the puppies went home. I obviously decided to dress like I was Joan Jett; I was probably listening to Crimson and Clover while getting dressed that day. I've actually been wearing jeans a lot in the past two weeks. It's like I all of a sudden realized how convenient they are.

Outfit Details:
tyler moto jacket - courtesy of Coach
favorite vintage shirt - thrifted a million years ago (at least that many)
jeans - courtesy of Hudson jeans
Senso shoes - courtesy of Solestruck

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

I wear my garment so it shows.

A couple months ago, my darling little kitties shattered my full length mirror. I still haven't replaced it. I never really think about it when I'm out, nor did I feel it necessary to make a special trip for that sole purpose. That is, until yesterday. You see, I bought this lovely little blush pink dress for $5, wore it to brunch and on an outing with my friend Samara, and then realized...it's way more sheer than I thought. Though I wore it with the appropriate flesh tone undergarments, I skipped the slip. I caught a glimpse in a store mirror and realized I could completely see my rib tattoo. Which means, when in sunlight, it is probably way worse. Sure enough, I asked Samara and she agreed that it was a little see-through! If I had a full length mirror with which I could examine these issues, I wouldn't have left the house like that. But Kim is the only one with even a regular sized mirror, and her room is dimly lit.

Needless to say, purchasing a full length mirror is on this week's agenda. Until then, I will wear slips as a fail-safe. Hope everyone in my neighborhood enjoyed the underwhelming show!

Outfit Details:
inappropriate dress - H&M
Dainty and Demure top - courtesy of ModCloth
belt - from my mom's shop, Hourglass Consignment
pink socks - from my mom
Seychelles "Romance" boots - courtesy of Seychelles
Coach Madison Brynne bag - courtesy of Coach

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

to make her glow.

The other day, Bobby and I went to Coach's Bleecker store to check out the Fall collection. My friend Vanessa invited me with this preface: "...though I love that you still rock your Cambridge, the kitty marks have got to go!!" Aw, poor Cambridge. That bag has served me well. I'm still not going to let it die; it really is my favorite...but I now have a new everyday bag! This must be my lucky week! I ended up picking out the Madison Brynne in a beautiful greyish taupe and I couldn't be happier. It has the sturdy handles and a chain strap that slips through the bottom, when not in use. Kim made me promise to keep it away from the kitties, which I am absolutely adhering to.

Afterward, Bobby and I went on a little drive to Long Island. On the way home, I fell asleep (I always do) and the last picture is a result of me sleepily trying to get out of the car and failing, twice. All I remember is waking up and saying, "Can I borrow your glasses? My eyes are sleepy." That makes no sense, but nothing ever does when I'm sleepy. He obliged, like a gentleman. He didn't even look at me strangely when I groggily asked him if he could take my outfit photo.

Outfit Details:
sheer black jacket - beacon's closet
lace camisole - thrifted
bow belt - thrifted
brown wrap shirt - express, years ago
glasses - Bobby's
scalloped shorts - courtesy of Queen's Wardrobe
Coach Madison Brynne bag - courtesy of Coach
peep toe platforms - courtesy of Nine West


Love love,
Keiko Lynn

p.s. This has nothing to do with the post (except the title), but I'm listening to one of my "happy songs" right now. Some songs that never fail to make me smile are The Cure - Just Like Heaven, The Bird and the Bee - My Love, Broken Social Scene - All to All, Michael Jackson - PYT, Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing...and so many others. Sometimes I will listen to one of my happy songs right before bed, to make sure I go to sleep with something positive in my head. I already asked my twitter followers, and now I'm asking you! What are your happy songs?

phone tag

Outfit Details:
striped sweater - H&M
leopard button up - thrifted
wide leg pants - c/o Gap and LookbookCoach classic shoulder bag - c/o CoachSeychelles Chant heels - c/o Seychellesbracelets - Nine West

At this point, I'm really just messing with Kim. As you may recall, my dear friend hates leopard print. After yesterday's spotted outfit post, she actually sent me a text that said, "F***ing leopard print Keiko da**it" - just like that. She was apparently so angry, she forgot to use punctuation.

Now, I love my Kimberly but I also like to push her buttons. It's just what we do (in good fun, of course). So, Kimberly, this post is for you. I was originally wearing a black button up but would have been remiss to overlook this opportunity to mess with you. Leopard, leopard, leopard! :)

p.s. This isn't a great "after" picture of my hair (full update later) but this is my new color and slightly updated cut. Subtle changes can make a big difference!

Rock you like a hurricane

Outfit Details:
Sheer feather cardi - c/o Simply Audreytop - Forever 21vintage Coach belt - thrifteddenim shorts - H&Mlipstick - MAC Please Me

As a Floridian who has lived through more hurricanes, tropical storms and tornados than I can even count, I am less than thrilled about this Hurricane Irene business. I think I'm more nervous about this one than I ever was in Florida. We, for the most part, were prepared for the hurricanes in South Florida. We boarded up all of the windows, had gallons and gallons of water and flashlights for days, took the horses to a concrete barn on the racetrack and "hunkered down," as the news anchors loved to say. I slept in the bathtub of my grandma's house during Hurricane Andrew. It was normal for us to do such things during Hurricane Season. We would be without electricity for days or sometimes (in the case of Hurricane Charley) weeks. But we were prepared for that business. Heck, I was even outside during two tornadoes that touched down on the ranch and wrecked the place.

Here, we're a little more vulnerable. No one has storm shutters or boarded up windows and the stores are already out of supplies. Everyone relies on mass transit, which is shutting down tomorrow and could very well stay that way if there is a lot of damage. There's a good chance it won't be that bad (fingers crossed) but I'm just a little worried about how unprepared everyone is - including us. I'm contemplating packing up the kitties and pup and going on a little road trip. But where should we go?

Goddangit, I moved out of Florida and the hurricanes followed me. Sorry, New York! It's all my fault!




p.s It bothers me, just as much as it probably bothers you, that I'm touching my hair in every picture. Sooo annoying.

tiny creatures

Outfit #1 Details:
Ali Ro Anorak - gift from the Ali Ro shoot
blouse - Threadsence
skirt - Forever 21bag - c/o CoachMother of Pearl heels - c/o Seychellesglasses - Ray-Ban

Outfit #2 Details:
Ali Ro Anorak - gift from the Ali Ro shoot
shirt - Forever 21jeans - c/o Tory BurchAcorn trinket flats - c/o Anthropologie vintage scarf - gift from my mom (tutorial hereRachel Roy Japan Tote (all net proceeds go to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief)

This anorak was a parting gift from our Ali Ro shoot - each of us picked out our favorite color. Even though it was too hot to wear it at first, it has since saved me from all of the rainy weather we've been experiencing. It also made for a great airport outfit topper, which is where I was headed in the second set of pictures (and also why little niece Roxy Mae was hanging onto me). What I should have documented was the hidden hood inside of the collar - which has come in handy more than a few times - but I often get distracted by tiny, adorable creatures and can't seem to resist the urge to pick them up: