America the Grateful

Today I am keeping in mind all the soldiers who have fought for this country and us, the men and women still in combat and their bravery, as well as all the men and women resting peacefully after having spent their lifetime serving for the United States. This post is dedicated to all of you, and I am eternally grateful for your sacrifices and patriotism. 

Manicure Monday is a small artistic nod towards all the armed forces of the United States through abstract shapes in our nation's colors.

I myself am a fan of wearing American flag themed clothing, especially in the red, white and blue color range, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Instead of wearing bold colors on days like today and the 4th to honor the country and its heroes (or on any day!), muted colors with star and stripe patterns works just as well, if not creatively better. I've used a blue accent to a gray stars and stripes outfit to pay my respects today.

denim shirt: forever xxi

tank: issi @ t.j.maxx

jeans: target

boots: doc martens

necklace: ny & company

 My flag shirt I am wearing is just a regular tank worn on top of a denim shirt. Go out of your comfort zone and try layering things you wouldn't normally layer. You might be surprised with the result

Say thank you to someone who's earned it today; veterans and members of the armed forces are the core of our nation.

- nali xo

SamZARA of a denim shirt

First off, happy Halloween all you little ghosts and goblins! I hope you get enough candy today to rot all your teeth!


Samsara: (n) Buddhism  the transmigration or rebirth of a person.

All thrift stores have a Buddhist style to them don't you think? Each item of clothing that has some kind of story to tell is passed from person to person, each time being reborn and given new stories to tell from the people who wore them. Someone may have had the best night of their life in a pair of jeans that they eventually give away, one day becoming someone else's favorite pair of jeans. In my opinion it's quite magical all thrift shoppers are so closely connected without even realizing it.

For my thrift find of the week, I ventured into the men's section again and was lucky enough to stumble across an item of clothing from Zara. Not only is 10x cheaper than it would've been in the actual store, but it's something so simple that it can be worn many different ways, and yet so ornate in the casual design of it.

tank: forever xxi

pants: bdg @ urban outfitters

boots: de blossom collections

pants: target

belt: vintage

boots: sm @ sears

socks; christmas tree shop

 NOTE: Halloween 'trick or treat' socks should only be worn today and no other day. Side effects of wearing Halloween socks on days that are not Halloween may include, but are not limited to, pointing and laughing from strangers and a feeling of low self-esteem.

suspenders: macy's

pants: one clothing @ marshall's

boots: target

 Denim and corduroy, united in perfect harmony. Not too much corduroy that it overtakes the simple button-down denim design, but just enough to make it so the shirt isn't just another denim button-down design. How many more reasons do you need to start shopping for men's clothes?

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(taken from http://www.chris.com/ascii/index.php?art=holiday/halloween)

- nali xo

A Dollop of Daisy

No, the title for today's post doesn't refer to Marc Jacobs' fresh, summery scent (that deserves a whole post to itself) and it most certainly is not in reference to the goodness that is Daisy sour cream because I'll never stop if I get started on that. As I've mentioned before, I adore any kind of floral print or accent in my wardrobe; daisies in particular. One might even say that I'm daisy crazy (; There's no flower quite like a daisy, simply for the effortless simplicity of it. While on one of my excursions at Buffalo Exchange, I was lucky enough to dig out these studs from the back of the jewelry rack. 

My one-of-a-kind find screams promise to any kind of outfit, whether it be dressy or casual, monochrome or color-blasted, and is a great addition no matter what season you're dressing for. I'm a sucker for quirky earrings because they help fashionistas express themselves without screaming for attention. I thought the best way to wear these earrings was to always tie an outfit together with something yellow.

shirt: mossimo @ target

flannel: aeropostale

leggings: target

boots: target

sunglasses: topshop

shirt: h&m

dress: brandy melville

tights: forever xxi

sneaks: no name

vest: dakota blue

blouse: forever xxi

button-up: american eagle (mens)

shorts: h&m @ buffalo exchange

shoes: steve madden @ marshall's

tights: me moi @ marshall's

Homework for the weekend: go decorate your house for Halloween, drink at least two pumpkin spice lattes, and find yourself some flowery/statement earrings. Your wardrobe will thank me later.

- nali xo

Atreto-laptop: A Short Story by Me Part 2

Atreto- : lacking an opening to ((I looked this up on a doctor terminology website I'm probably using it in the wrong way)) 

As I continue to struggle through this terrible time of not having a laptop I thank all of you who are standing by me. I know this time will eventually pass but as I'm sure some of you unfortunately know, there is nothing that can take the place of a beloved laptop. However I am extremely lucky that I discovered a way to change the format of my photographs in camera so you lucky ducks will be able to see my ootd pictures via my Y2K desktop computer.

It's Tuesday!! For my shoesday pick of the week I chose my cherished Free Lance over-the-knee riding boots. And what better way to welcome in the fall and boot weather but to go riding in my riding boots? My family and I traveled to Bobby's Ranch in Acton over the weekend and were lucky enough to make some adorable (and very furry) new friends.

 All the farm animals were so friendly that most of them weren't even kept in a stable or pen. The whole farm was full of free roosters, ducks, goats and kittens. All beautiful animals I might add.

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This was the very well-mannered horse I had the honor of riding. He was quite modestly named Booger.

  This little guy's name is Honey

And here are the stars of the show.

In the spirit of farming and horseback riding and such, I had to be sure to be comfortable. But you shouldn't have to sacrifice style for comfort. I paired these vintage Express high rise jeans with a basic Marshall's deep blue knit sweater for a poppy and somewhat earthy color scheme. 

Here are ways to wear riding boots when comfort isn't a first concern.

dress: marshall's
tights: forever xxi
earrings: claire's

headwrap: claire's

lipstick:  rimmel london moisture renew #560: as you want victoria

leg warmers: target

skirt: forever xxi

button-down: american eagle

scarf: target

bracelet: ralph lauren @ buffalo exchange

Welcome October right and treat yourself to a new pair of boots. Visit www.freelance.fr if you like the style of my boots and want to see more.

- nali xo

Thursday Thrift Find!

nali·rucci [nah-lee-roo-chee; Italian] 
noun
1. Nickname of 'goodbetterdressed' blogger
2. Avid toaster strudel eater
3. Professional sleeper
4. Semi-professional thrift shopper


The dictionary doesn't lie ^^^

HA if only. Until my semi professional status becomes officially ordained I make use of my time spending all my shopping money on clothes that were previously worn as attire during other people's memories. My favorite thrift/consignment store right now is Buffalo Exchange. It's perfect for regular thrifters as well as people who aren't as comfortable buying used clothing because the store has a filtering system when accepting clothing that accepts fashionable and name brand items. To learn more about Buffalo Exchange or to find a location visit http://www.buffaloexchange.com for thrift finds of your own! Here's my favorite item I found there this week:

tank: h&m

blazer: rue 21 @ marshall's

skirt: 21 trachic clothing & accessories @ buffalo exchange

boots: wet seal

 I know this skirt seems a little random and many people would probably not even think twice when seeing it on a rack but it was the only thing on the rack I saw that actually stood out and I have a thing for that. It also instantly reminded me of something one of these lovely ladies would wear so I loved it even more.

 This was my first instinct on how to wear it, very grunge. 

 And then I played with more subtle ways to wear it

sweater: h&m

boots: sears

earrings: buffalo exchange

lace shirt: eyeshadow @ marshalls

cardigan: piazza italia

shoes: lower east side @ pay less

denim button up: american eagle

shoes: no name

Go out and spice up your life!

- nali xo

The Breakfast Wrap

"Eat. My. Shorts." 

If you don't recognize that quote off the top of your head please open a new tab immediately and google it so you can pretend you were in the club from the beginning.

Now that we're all on the same page I'd like to take a minute to appreciate the masterpiece that is The Breakfast Club in a collage that I found on google.

This movie has been and will always be timeless, not because of the fashion and trends seen in the movie but because of the underlying message that everyone leads their own secret life behind closed doors. As difficult as it is to see that in high school, kids should learn to give each other a break and remember we're all here for the same reason. 

On another note, the clothing in this movie, although perfect for the time period and specific group of people it is dressing, would not normally be worn out now on any other day. I took inspiration from this movie and mentally updated my favorite character's look for myself.

 John Bender Official Resume: 

- Able to light a match with his teeth

- Has a bad influence on anyone he speaks to

- The voice of reason of the breakfast club

- Acts as comic relief

- Certified badass

Anyone as enamored with this movie as me who says they didn't have a crush on old Bender is either delusional or lying. Here is my way of showing appreciation for the high school "criminal"

The easiest way to spin off a character's style for your own is to take main patterns or colors, (in this case, plaid and denim) match them with similar or neutral colors to the rest of the character's outfit and finish off your look with your own personal touches. I chose a bow :)

Lace shirt: monteau @marshall's

denim shirt: american eagle

leather shorts: divided @ forever xxi

necklace: ralph lauren @ buffalo exchange

plaid flannel: cpo @ buffalo exchange

bow: forever xxi

boots: sm @ sears

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to eat breakfast today (;

- nali xo

It's #manicuremonday !

With the temperatures dropping and days getting shorter it's plain to see how quickly autumn is falling upon us (ha ha). This was my first seasonal attempt at converting to darker, fall nail colors and my final chance to squeeze bright, summer-like colors into my look as well, doing my best to honor both seasons as they should be. 

And what is a unique manicure without its complemental outfit? Absolutely nothing, even though it seems to be Miley Cyrus's thing lately... we wouldn't want to take that away from her though.

 

            
           
                                                                                             
                  


                   No one ever said denim on denim couldn't be a thing and paired with darker tights and shoes it can be a fall thing too! I love mixing colors and a paint-splatter statement nail gave me the perfect excuse to bring turquoise, orange and blue together into one beginning-of-fall-ready outfit. Happy Monday everyone! Hope your day is full of autumn colors and hot apple cider.





- nali xo

sunglasses: aldo
shirt: vintage
belt: wet seal
skirt: forever XXI
tights: urban outfitters
necklace: new york & co.
midi rings: aldo
bracelet: etsy.com
shoes: payless shoe source