Big Sweater Energy

Last year I spotted an oversized black and white stripe cardigan on my Instagram feed and fell in love with it. It was just too perfect for those crisp, cool fall days leading into the chill of winter. Unfortunately by the time I learned about this cardigan’s existence it was sold on the Hot Topic website. That is until this summer when it reappeared in two different color palettes along with a plaid knit option; I immediately added one to my cart.

Was it weird to order this in the middle of July? Definitely. But I regret nothing because this is sooo cozy.

I actually debated as to whether or not I should size down because I knew it was oversized,  yet I found myself selecting my size (HT Plus Size 1) instead to ensure that the fit would be oversized on me not thinking about how huge it would end up being. They seriously weren’t kidding when they said “oversized,” but my brother convinced me to keep it because of all the “fall sweater weather cozy” vibes which is all I really want.

The best thing about this kind of piece is that it can be styled to be casual, sporty, dressy and even professional. The oversize fit it, the stripe design and the classic cardigan silhouette offers many different options when it comes to styling this piece and I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with a few. Here are three outfits that I styled with this one cardigan for some fall (into winter) style inspiration. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite.

Disclaimer: While this specific cardigan seems to no longer be in stock I have included some similar options for you below to consider just in case you’re looking to trying this trend for yourself.

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BlerDCon 2021

After a year of no concerts or nerd conventions, and armed with both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, my best friend, Brooke and I made the trek to Arlington, VA for the fourth annual BlerDCon.* (Now with vaccination and mask mandates for your safety!)

I actually didn’t know that BlerDCon was a thing until Brooke kidnapped me back in 2019 in order to attend and I had a blast. It is hands down the best con I’ve ever attended, though I only have 10 years of New York Comic Con and 1 year of Anime NYC to compare it to. While our first year at BlerDCon was amazing (we only got to stay for 18 hours out of the 3 days), this year we took it up a notch,  as this was the year of the Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune “couple cosplay.”

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Sweet Like Deadly Nightshade

Fun fact: When I was growing up, my father had major aspirations of my brother and I becoming child models. Every so often he would put up a white bedsheet on one of the walls in the living room, get some props and outfits together and we’d have our own photoshoot sessions right at home. I still have the albums full of the photos including the professional ones that he had done to send to modeling agencies. Neither my brother or I ever got a modeling contract as kids (Not for lack of trying, I mean we were adorable but I guess that wasn’t enough, hahaha) but at the very least we have the memories.

At the start of quarantine last year, my brother was actually the first one to point out that I could not use the pandemic as an excuse for not continuing to take photos and create content. According to him, I’ve been “trained for in-house photoshoots” and now I even have more space to work with than we did growing up. I initially disagreed because working in one space can be pretty limiting, but in time I took up the challenge, working around issues with lightening (my apartment is intentionally dark in certain spaces) and even did some much needed furniture/decor shopping which I had put off for the last 2 years.

I’ve done quite a bit of shooting at home as a result, some of which I haven’t shared yet, but I wanted to try my hand at something “different” for this new year. So armed with my trusty tripod, selfie light, new make up, new bedding and a lux velvet set I bought as a Christmas gift to myself, I figured it was time to try something way, way outside of my comfort zone – my own boudoir shoot. Continue reading

At the Pumpkin Patch

This weekend, not only was I able to get brunch with two of my dearest friends after 8 months apart, but we also got to go pumpkin picking for the first time ever at a local farm. I love this time of year because the colder temperatures let me wear some of my favorite staples like my faux leather jackets but also because I get to eat pumpkin-flavored food. Yes, I know that is totally cliché but whatever, I love pumpkin. 

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Sunflower Summer Days

Living in NYC during a pandemic has been interesting.  Like I haven’t left my borough (Queens) except to pick up some things at the office back in May, making this the longest I’ve been away from the city (Manhattan) in years.  My summers usually includes work and taking long walks in the city afterwards usually around the neighborhood. Usually this involves browsing at the local book store, if not the library, meeting my friends for dinner and a movie, going to a marketing/social media/blogger workshop or checking out some of the events advertised on Facebook, like the Japanese food festival I attended last summer. Obviously things were very different this year.

Thankfully even with COVID and quarantine, Summer 2020 was not cancelled as most of us had joked when the season first started. Sure, I stayed closer to home yet this turned out to be a little fun because I got to do things like ride a bike again for the first time in 14 years and read a book under a tree at a park my parents used to take me and brother when we were kids. So much nostalgia and not just in Queens because just this past weekend, my friend Diana and I made the trek to Roosevelt Island, our favorite hang out spot back when we were in college to see how much it has changed since we last visited.

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