Boho fringe purses

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[Hippie fringe purse by Realmlistic]

I tend to obsess over hippie, bohemian and gypsy themed accessories. It is probably because I like my bags and necklaces with an explosion of color but have a structured, functional shape. Realmlistic on Etsy has great products that have all these pompoms and fringe details.

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[Folk fringe purse by Realmlistic]

This one is pretty functional as a cross-body purse, which is perfect for shopping, concerts and the beach.

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[Bohemian red clutch by Girlwitharadiomind]

This last one is from Girlwitharadiomind on Etsy. I’m feeling the pompoms and the earthy woven bottom to balance out the loud colors.

Fall-friendly leftover trends

If I were to sum up the major trends I’ve indulged in this past summer, I’d say they would be ombre, hi-low tops/frocks/dresses, Aztec prints and vintage leather. I always go back to past shops on Etsy to see what else these awesome designers have come up with. Take Brooke Fung’s Peeko Apparel, she’s listed some new duds for the fall season. I really like how she took the ombré to a wine shade and gave the hi-low top some shape with extra frills on the side.

As you can see from my previous posts, leather is a good investment. At Pascal Vintage, these rough, classic boots caught my attention and I’ve had them in my favorites list ever since. They’re a bit pricey for me, but that’s what’s expected of vintage clothing and accessories. You get that worn out feel.

Lastly, I saved these in my faves list just because they’re fun and colorful. I’ve been wearing a lot of black and grey lately for work so I figured that these would work well to break up the boring neutrals on Mondays. They’re pretty cute and made from real leather (according to the designer).

You can find more of these leather earrings and other goods by Tovi Sorga on Etsy.

 

 

 

Leather purses

Lately I just bought a good pair of leather kitten heels and boots. The next thing I plan to invest in is a genuine leather satchel or tote that I can use for work. I’ve been browsing through some good ones on Etsy and I really like Art of Leather by Lee Loong Studio.

This black satchel is pretty functional too. I’m a sucker for black leather and gold accents.

Lastly, I like a random find here and there. This is a clutch by Blackbird and the Owl on Etsy.

 

 

 

To the stars and back

 

Someone once told me that the typical aquarian is an overly ambitious dreamer, a frustrated perfectionist who can sometimes lose sense of time and practicality. Aquarians represent the constant, creative flow of ideas, which come from an unrestrained mind. For some aquarians, there are very little intellectual limitations.

While I may not fit into the genius category of aquarians, I do experience some kind of crazy perfectionism here and there. I often come up with ideas and sometimes after days, weeks or even months, I realize that they cannot ALL be achieved in the way that I envision them. Right now, I have a couple creative projects in progress such as designs for my soon-to-be t-shirt line and my (amateur) black and white photographer portfolio. I am only halfway done. I thought I could crank these out by the end of summer, but it’s almost August! Yikes!

As for the latest on my fashion cravings >>>

My little astrological, week-long obsession began with a print titled A space between us  by Slovakian artist Lucy Murmu (aka Lucy Hudec) on Etsy. I’m drawn to the pink, blue and purple hues, not to mention the geometric shapes and metallic illusion that the artist has created. From there, I found myself greedily hypnotized by this blue scarab ring from Urban Outfitters, which is Egyptian-esque and at least for me, the stone closely represents the stars I remember seeing in Lucy’s print. I then found myself gawking at was this lush ASOS Curve vest with diamond embellishments and these mountain hoop earrings from Lila Rice (also on U.O.). You can find all  of these on my Pinterest account.

Of course I can’t help but feature more of Lucy’s creations on my blog. Here’s a couple of my favorites from her Etsy store >>>

 

Jellyfish air plants

Sea urchins and jellyfish are nothing new to me. Living on an island my entire life, I’ve watched friends place the creamy flesh of sea urchins at sushi bars, I’ve collected their skeletons along the beach and had the opportunity to swim with golden and moon jellyfish in Palau. Yeah, I’ve just about seen everything…until these photos of “jellyfish air plants” caught my eye on Etsy. They’re so cute! The concept of transforming a sea urchin into a jellyfish is something I would have never thought of.

Designer and art director Cathy Van Hoang established her shop, Petit Beast, on Etsy and cleverly markets her creative products with pretty, dream-like photography. Her little creations make cute gifts and are affordable, with prices ranging from $6-$70. Check out more of Cathy’s creations on her blog.

Calamari Studio

I stumbled upon Michelle Tavares’ Etsy shop Calamari Studio today. I’m in completely in love with her dreamlike circular prints. Tavares is a freelance illustrator based in Augusta, GA and features DIY projects and her inspirations on her blog. I love her idea of transforming heavily filtered photos into motivational (and inspirational) prints; they’re pretty creative yet simple with textured backgrounds. I’m thinking of creating something similar, but maybe with island-centric photos. We’ll see if I can find some time between work and sleep.

 

Wanderlustings

Summer has been very eventful so far. My little brother arrived in Honolulu the other day and I’ve taken him under my wing for the next three weeks. I’ve been thinking of ways to entertain this 11-year-old wonder-kid, having that he pretty much does whatever he wants in Guam. Since I’m a teacher, I’ve taken it upon myself to have him read at least one book a week, then have him tell me about the characters, plot and literary elements, all in between his golf tournaments, of course.

My brain needs some exercise as well. I’m trying to develop my creative skills and I’ve looked to some artists for inspiration. I’ve just stumbled upon artist and designer Caitlin Peters, creator of Wanderlustings. She designs jewelry on Etsy and has been featured in art shows. Her blog is a wonderful platform to post her designs, fashion tips and photography, I could scroll on forever just admiring her work.

I’m also thinking of taking an art class (either at the university or the Honolulu Academy of Arts) this summer, at least until the Fall semester starts. I’m a natural busy bee. 🙂

Cropped & pastel

I don’t think I could ever pull off a cropped top. Being a plus-sized, curvy girl, I haven’t completely ruled out this particular style. I use crop tops for layering. Here’s one that I really like on Search and Construct on Etsy. I love the pastel turquoise with orange, blue and brown dots on the back.

ISWAS+WILLBE on Etsy is doing their thang with the natural stones and chevron-esque metal beads. Their bracelets and necklaces are simple and colorful.

There’s nothing like something rugged and raw to balance out the cutesy pastels. I loved this Porcupine Quill Natural Ivory Bullet earrings by Raw Earth Studio on Etsy. I love how dangerous they look.

>>> Being a tribal badass

I guess I’ve been feeling more of a badass since my last post about designer Brooke Fung, because I’ve been looking for things that pack some punch and express the little indígena in me. In grad school, I’ve learned so much about the struggles of los aztecas, mayas e incas and I’ve become somewhat fascinated with how they have influenced designers like Judith from Rusty Cuts to this day.

Even jewelry designers like Grace of MamaSheaShea are influenced by some sort of tribal fever. Grace calls her trendy pieces “cultural collages” that pairs the rough with the refined. My inner badass would totally rock these with a clean, preppy peplum and a leather jacket.

These mixed metal trapeze earrings were also designed by Grace. Her idea of pairing the natural with the industrial isn’t something I find surprising. It’s what I experience every day. I like to think that I am a child of both the rough and refined – a confusing, but relatable blend of indígena and assimilated island-girl-wannabe-badass.

Rust, browns and kaftans

Lately, turbands like this one have been requirements for the muggy and hot weather here in Hawaii. I’m particularly fond of this one by Triko in rust because it’s just so unexpectedly cute and rugged at the same time. The next one is a suede round-tip collar by FloryFauna. I like to add a bit of prep to my outfits now and then, just to pull it all together with a clean accessory. The last one is a random kaftan I came across during late night “window” shopping. It’s by GoldDustDresses and it’s called the Coachella Charmer. I’m absolutely in love with its bohemian-style-cut-short, which is perfect for summer mornings at the beach…although it is out of my budget. Hopefully I’ll find a similar dress for half the price.