Photo Diary: Staycation

As much as I detest the word "staycation", it more than adequately describes my past week. Simply put, I stayed and vacationed. Slept in way too much, went shopping, saw friends, and got ready to go into the field. While the prospect of having virtually nothing to do, aside from pack a suitcase and buy a few last minute things is certainly appealing, I found relaxation much more difficult than I originally supposed. Fast-paced contemporary life, particularly in a craycray city like New York seems to demand constant motion. At times I felt guilty for lazing about all day in my pjs or indulging in hours-long TV/YouTube binges, but you're only young and have staycation once, right?

Wisdom Wednesday: Being a Twenty-something

Happy Wednesday! With Wednesday comes the inevitable "hump day" blues, sense of disillusionment, exhaustion, and longing for the weekend. Like a good shot of espresso, an inspiring quote can often inspire and perk me up, ready to take on what the rest of the day and week holds. Each Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle features a few bits of wisdom on varying topics, in the hopes you may find humor, inspiration, solace and affirmation.

This week I have been struck by the joys as well as frustrations of being a twenty-something or even a thirty-something in our fast-paced, social media obsessed, deep but shallow, grown-up but juvenile sub-world of all those unmarrieds with no kids. To be twenty-something is to be unattached but needy, adventurous but searching for a home, and trying to be an individual when social expectations seem to indicate otherwise. The quotes below reflect my meager attempt to sort out "the appetizer years" of life.


Every woman in her late 20s goes through a period where she just doesn't believe love is out there anymore, but it is. And I think the minute you stop looking for it is when it comes for you.
                   ~ Kristen Bell


When I was in my twenties, it felt like I was riding wild horses, and I was hoping I didn't go over a cliff.
                   ~ Chaka Khan


26 shows up in the middle of coffee one morning and hands you a freshly printed memo that reads: "You're going to get old one day and die. You're cool for now, but it will happen. You're officially on notice. You won't be young forever." And then 26 struts out of your office, like an unconcerned dick, having nonchalantly just changed your entire perspective.
                     ~ Jessica Blankenship

Positive, healthy, loving relationships in your twenties...I don't know if anyone would disagree with it: I think they're the exception, not the norm. People are either playing house really aggressively because they're scared of what an uncertain time it is, or they're avoiding commitment altogether.

                      ~ Lena Dunham

You'll enter your twenties as a fashion disaster and (hopefully) leave them looking fantastic. If you don't know how to put yourself together by then, I really don't know what to tell you.

                      ~ Ryan O'Connell

There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.

                      ~ Steven Wright

The idea that people know what they want is wrong.
                       ~ Laura Jennings


Being twenty-something is all about taking it in: eating it, drinking it, and spitting out the seeds later. It's about being fearless, and stupid, and dangerous, and unfocused, and abandoned. It's about being in it, not on top of it.
                        ~ Jodie Foster


Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.
                         ~ Johnny Carson


Why is it so impossible to understand how incredible a time it is to be alive, and to be young? Why is it easier to complain about the downsides of realizing our dreams and growing into ourselves than to sing the praises of being healthy and loved enough to have it? I don't want the nostalgia and possibly, the regret of not living in the moment, to hit me all at once like a ton of bricks when I'm past the point of recreating it. I want to feel the full joy of decorating my first real apartment, of making new friends while out having drinks, of saying "I want to move" and being able to pick up and do it. The aching to return to these days of relative ease and adventure is sure to wave over us at some point, and though forgetting that is too easy, it wouldn't hurt to appreciate what we have while we have it.

                    ~ Mahalkiax3.tumblr

I think I love you

Outfit Details...

Dress: Pink Diva (bought in Barcelona)

Shoes: Aldo

Hat: Charming Charlie

Bracelets: Alex and Ani, Creative Medical ID

Rings: Forever 21

Lipstick: Kate Moss for Rimmel #10

Nails: Essie Fishnet Stockings

Wisdom Wednesday: Be Yourself

While we normally share some pearls of wisdom every Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle, sometimes life gets in the way of writing and posting. The past week here in New York has been really busy with two old friends coming into town and plenty of fun with new friends as well.

I find myself becoming more comfortable here as time goes by. While I expected to eventually get into the rhythm of the "big city", I did not expect to adapt so quickly. Maybe my experience studying abroad in Rome has helped me to adjust, or maybe I'm just a New Yorker at heart! Regardless, I enjoyed playing tour guide for my visiting friends.

This week is all about individuality and finding your voice. As I continue further down the blogging path, I check myself to make sure the content I'm creating is a reflection of my style. Other than fashion, I have a passion for quotes (obviously) and photography, interests I have tried to incorporate here. The blogs I love the most display a strong personal voice writing-wise, and genuinely reflect the style and life of the person creating them. With that said, go forth and blog yourself!


If I am not for myself, who will be?
                   ~ Pirke Avot


My great mistake, the fault for which I can't forgive myself, is that one day I ceased my obstinate pursuit of my own individuality.
                    ~ Oscar Wilde


In our society, the ideal self is bold, gregarious, and comfortable in the spotlight. We like to think that we value individuality, but mostly we admire the type of individual who's comfortable 'putting himself out there.'
                     ~ Susan Cain


To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
                      ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


Be yourself. Unapologetically.
                      ~ Kesha


It is the business of the very few to be independent; it is a privilege of the strong. And whoever attempts it, even with the best right, but without being OBLIGED to do so, proves that he is probably not only strong, but also daring beyond measure.
                       ~ Friedrich Nietzsche


I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.
                        ~ Rita Mae Brown


In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.
                         ~ Coco Chanel


If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.
                         ~ Benjamin Franklin


Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
                          ~ Robert Frost

High Contrast

The true star of this outfit, at least for me, is the bag. After moving to the city, I discovered that my Longchamp Le Pliage was not quite large enough for the epic amount of things I needed throughout the day. I loved the red color when I initially bought it, but as time went on, wished I had chosen a more neutral option.

I initially thought about getting a backpack, simply to prevent my upper-body from becoming lopsided. Ladies with big bags, you know what I'm talking about! Every backpack designed for women that I looked at was not big enough and way too fussy, with too many elaborate straps and buckles. The men's backpacks, at H&M in particular, were cute but still pretty masculine. Not what I was looking for style-wise.

If I were to pick any new bag to buy, it would definitely be a Céline luggage tote. However, I have yet to successfully grow a money tree. For that reason, I needed to find a different bag. The bag shown here is from H&M. I purchased it last week and have fallen in love. It is cavernous, the pleather (I hate that word) is believable, and it has a fairly similar silhouette to the Céline of my dreams. While I would eventually love to save money for a true designer handbag, this one works pretty great. And for fifty bucks, who can argue?

Outfit Details...

Top: Zara T-Shirt Collection

Jeans: Forever 21

Blazer: Forever 21

Boots: H&M

Bag: H&M

Life is but Art

Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place in museums; others, we take for walks.
                 ~ Roger Caras

What does one do on a lazy Sunday in New York with nothing to do? Go to the museum of course! While there are many museums to choose from, I visited the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) on this particular day. Much of my art history education is in modern art and it was great to see works I've only experienced in the classroom. The museum was pretty busy, definitely not the time for quiet introspection. The sculpture garden provided the perfect escape from the crowds inside. Hope you guys enjoy the photos!

Thanks for reading!!

Wisdom Wednesday: Fashion and Style

Happy Wednesday! With Wednesday comes the inevitable "hump day" blues, sense of disillusionment, exhaustion, and longing for the weekend. Like a good shot of espresso, an inspiring quote can often inspire and perk me up, ready to take on what the rest of the day and week holds. Each Wednesday here on notsosimplestyle features a few bits of wisdom on varying topics, in the hopes you may find humor, inspiration, solace and affirmation.

This Wednesday is all about fashion, style and dressing as yourself. With Fashion Week almost upon us here in NY, all I can think of is the excitement for this season's collections, although I mostly spend my time wondering if that girl on the subway is actually a model or just really tall... 

Clothes are an integral part of how I express myself, who I want to be, who I am, and how I feel. As I have explained to my father many times, dressing myself is not purely functional but an artistic, creative and cathartic experience. Glad to know there are others who share my opinion. Happy Fashion Week!

Fashions fade, style is eternal.
                       ~ Yves Saint Laurent

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.
                        ~ Coco Chanel

One is never over-dressed or under-dressed with a Little Black Dress.

                        ~ Karl Lagerfeld

Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they'd just walk around naked at all times. 

                         ~ Betsey Johnson

Don't be into trends. Don't make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.

                         ~ Gianni Versace

Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.

                         ~ Rachel Zoe

Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.

                          ~ Yves Saint Laurent

Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.

                          ~ Marilyn Monroe

Fashion anticipates, and elegance is a state of mind...a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future, and should never be static. 

                          ~ Oleg Cassini

Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It's not about brands. It's about something else that comes from within you.

                          ~ Ralph Lauren

A Walk in the Park

Yesterday I was feeling restless, cooped up in my apartment while it was raining outside. However, as the weather cleared up late in the afternoon, I wanted to get outside. Coming from Colorado, where the "true" outdoors is always within easy reach, the concrete jungle of the city definitely requires an adjustment. With that in mind I ventured to the city's backyard, Central Park. I have visited the park previously as a child but never by myself. The park also provided the perfect venue for some photography. I love taking pictures of places I visit and would love to document my whole experience in New York. Tons of families were out and about: walking dogs, riding scooters, and playing baseball. There was even a big group having an outdoor party, celebrating Labor Day. Walking through the park really cemented the beginning of my New York experience. At times, the move still seems surreal and more like an extended vacation. I truly felt like I was participating in the life of the city and closer to being home. Below are some pictures from yesterday afternoon, hope you enjoy!

For these times, they are a changin'

Hi guys! Sorry for the long blogging absence. Major madness has ensued as I have recently had some life changes I wanted to share with you all! As I have previously talked about on here, I was set to move out of my apartment at the end of August. I had planned to move back into my parents' house to continue my job search.

However, on the 16th of August I had some fantastic and unexpected news! I was offered an internship position at a museum in New York City, doing what I love: archeology. In my personal life I remain as beauty and fashion-obsessed as ever but professionally I adore archaeology and all it entails. There was one challenge though...I had to be in New York by August 28th!

With tons of support from my parents and friends, I managed to move out of my old apartment and pack the absolute essentials to take with me. I will be in New York until the end of December at the very least, so three seasons had to be accounted for! I flew out last Monday as some of you may have seen on Instagram to start a week of madness.

This past week has entailed figuring out the subway, finding an apartment, starting my internship, moving into my apartment, grocery shopping for the first time, and Labor Day/birthday festivities. Hence, the radio silence...

Regular blogging will commence tomorrow but in the meantime I wanted to update you guys and share some pictures from my first week here.

Happy Labor Day! May friends, food, and fruity cocktails be in store for you!