Archives: Blog

Yummie by HT denim, Nike sneakers, Asos leather jacket, Lululemon hat, Dior by Shade Station glasses

I can’t get over how obsessed I am with my new Dior sunnies. Between looking uber cool, and similar to Kris Jenner at all hours, they aren’t going to get old anytime soon.

This weekend, I hung out with my new friend Kate from Prep of Boston. Having blogger friends is so much fun, because we can talk about work and boys, and spend hours putting together outfits to photograph out and about. If you’re not a blogger, you don’t exactly realize the importance of quality photos. You get me?

Probably not…but Kate does, woo!

I’ve been seriously over wearing these Nike sneakers on that note, but they’re just so dang comfy. And something about dressing up and then pairing sneakers with a leather jacket or dress takes the look down to being major chill. Why wear heels when you can look as cool in sneakers?

P.S. Catch me on Great Day Washington Tuesday MORNING!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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BCBGeneration dress via Charlotte’s Closet, Aeropostale wedges

Part 2 of my shoot with Silkstaq is now on the Silkstaq BLOG! 

GO CHECK IT OUT NOW! 

Make sure to join Silkstaq and follow all of your favorite (REAL!) influencers and bloggers. No crazy stick thin models here.  

Happy almost Friday!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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BCBGeneration romper via Charlotte’s Closet, Aeropostale wedges

The Meatpacking District is one area in Manhattan that never gets old. The Upper East Side can be monotonous, the Lower East Side can be trashy, and midtown just sucks. But Chelsea and Meatpacking are always trendy, sexy, and full of adventure.

On a sunny day last week, I ventured out with Silkstaq to dress up and prepare for spring. Oh yea, it’s romper time, my friends.

Since I’m collaborating with Silkstaq, I‘m going to post a few teaser pics on A Life in the Fashion Lane, and make you go to Silkstaq to see the rest!

If you’ve never heard of SS, it’s time you check it out. You’re going to hear me talk A LOT about this incredible platform in the coming weeks, because Silkstaq is one of the only platforms out there promoting positive body image. They enable you to find influencers and bloggers based on their sizes. That means no emaciated models or girls plastered in makeup. Cause y’all know, that ain’t real life.

Check out the blog to see more!

I’m pale. Like, more pale than the normal people. I don’t tan, I simply burn. When summer comes around and my friends want to go to the beach, I’m the only one lathering my body in sunscreen and lugging around an umbrella with me. When I was modeling, my agent was so nervous about me in the summer she would literally text me hourly to make sure I hadn’t forgot to put sunscreen on.

Eek.

Not that I mind, because like I always say, you were born this way. Stop trying to wish for longer legs, more enhanced abs, bluer eyes…just accept yourself the way you are! The minute you do that, you immediately become much happier. Trust me. Wake up everyday, look in the mirror, and say damn, you’re fucking hot. Cause you are. And you should be proud of that.

I wouldn’t ever get plastic surgery (not even when I’m 80) but one method I don’t mind experimenting with is spray tans. The last time I had a spray tan was 2 years ago in LA when I was in town for an appearance on Access Hollywood. I went to Equinox and tried my first spray tan out, and wasn’t impressed. I was still pale, probably because the girl was too nervous about making me look orange. I was also nervous, so I left disappointed and wanting to be not pale. Wah.

2 years later, I decided to try a spray tan again at Pure Glow in Boston. Located a few blocks away from my office, Pure Glow is Boston’s only organic suntanning method. No rays, or chemicals, simply just organic and toxin- free spray. The owner Lauren is super sweet and crazy passionate about her job: she’s also young and an entrepreanur, so that always impresses me. Her studio is cozy and quaint, which is just my style. You get a pretty view of Newbury Street while waiting for your tan.

I went in prior to leaving for Houston and walked out nothing short of happy. Looking in the mirror was slightly frightening because I could noticeably see how tan I had become with a matter of minutes, but that’s rad. Instead of enhancing or changing your body medically, why not try a method that can’t harm you in absolutely anyway? Plus, it’s a tan, so after a few days, you’re back to your regular self.

I’m already ready for my next session though…

P.S. See my new YouTube video on what I eat in a day HERE!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Looks provided by Elements Jill Schwartz, PromGirl, Tiannia Barnes

I just wrapped up my last segment before I leave for Europe, which is a bit of a relief considering I’ve been traveling nonstop since December. I’ve had a blast talking about prom style in my past two segments, since I know girls anticipate prom for basically their entire high school life. They didn’t have a chance to air my prom picture, but do you guys remember when I went to prom last year and wore that huge ballgown? My high school prom was a night to remember!

Hair and makeup was done by Nail Garden, which just opened Houston, and has other branches in cities like Los Angeles. I’m pretty sure Nail Garden is popular with the celebrity crowd, so having celeb worthy stylists in my hotel room this morning was a blast! They arrived on time,  and did my hair and makeup quicker than I’ve ever seen before. I always get a tad stressed before my segment goes live, in terms of making sure I say the right things and don’t fall on stage, so having effective hair and makeup artists is a huge bonus for me. If you’re in Houston and need incredible hair styling, makeup, or rad nails, go to Nail Garden!

The pictures above explain themselves (how hot did my models look!) and all of the clothing was provided by PromGirl, which is one of the only reliable retailers that houses every designer and dress for your dream prom. I tried to give my models looks that they could also wear to places other than prom, especially since the shoes and jewelry weren’t solely prom accessories. I’ve been featuring tons of eclectic jewelry lately, which has all been via Elements Jill Schwartz. I’m a huge fan of the designer and her line: she’s super sweet, and all of her pieces are unique and totally one of a kind. Having a prom dress (and jewelry/shoes) that you can wear again makes splurging a bit totally worth it to me.

Sherri Hill Red Dress ($350)

Faviana Cutout Dress ($298) 

Beaded Illusion Dress

Hope you tuned in and LOVED the piece!

Watch my segment on @GreatDayHouston from this morning HERE! http://bit.ly/1T7450f

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Vintage Trina Turk blazer, Vintage skirt, Aeropostale sneakers

Through traveling at a young age and following my dreams, I’ve had the opportunity to meet more inspiring people than I ever could’ve imagined. You only meet so many people growing up in a town the size of Mansfield, Connecticut. I always knew that if I had the change to start traveling when I was just a kid, I’d meet the people that I always dreamed of being friends with and surrounding myself with.

Whether it’s people with charitable aspects (like non-profits or startups), or just simply super cool teen entrepreneurs (shoutout to my best friend Megan, who started Yellowberry. check it out) I’ve finally come to peace with who I am simply because of the people I’ve met. Surprisingly, your whole life revolves around the kind of people you keep in it. Or that’s what I’ve learned.

Many people are scared to follow their dreams and do what they love. Regardless of what you’re doing, you’re going to receive backlash. Every entrepreanur has. When people ask for my top piece of advice about being an entrepreanur and owning a company, all I say back is are you ready to be rejected until you literally can’t feel emotions, and then do it all over again?

Now that’s an entrepreanur. Entrepreanurs don’t have the willpower to give up, even when things get tough.

That’s how I came across Kechie’s Project: a non-profit focusing on empowering girls to become leaders. With branches in Nigeria and Harlem, the founder Nkechi is a hero in my eyes. She saw a void for young girls in Nigeria who needed education and assistance, and decided to fill it solely on her own. Nkechi invited me as well as a few other speakers to speak at a phenomenal event yesterday in Manhattan, sponsored by companies like Dos Toros, to bring together young girls from across NYC and inspire them. It was quite a long day, but every time I have the opportunity to speak to one or 1,000 teen girls, I see the power that comes from speaking up. Meredith O’Connor even came and spoke, which made for a fantastic addition to the day, and made me happy because it was someone to hang out with who is actually my age!

Make sure to read more about Kechie’s Project on their site, and follow along with their journey to change the world.

After the conference, I went directly to a shoot at the Standard Hotel with Silkstaq which will be coming up SOON on the blog + Silkstaq! Here’s a sneak peak below…

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Everlane top, Yummie by HT denim, LL.Bean boots, Elements Jill Schwartz jewelry

Oddly enough, the minute I step foot on my old stomping ground back home, I immediately feel nostalgic for my childhood. From running through back roads with my best friend Gabe, to my mom picking me up from my high school and middle school, every place has a memory.

This weekend, I was home for a few days and got to really go back to my roots. Even the part where my friends and I would run around Walmart at midnight because we had nothing else to do on a Saturday night. Becoming an adult makes you seriously wish you could bring back the innocence of being a kid again. I have to put a hat on to screw around at Walmart now in case I get noticed and the lovely team at Walmart realizes I’m no longer a teenager. Eek.

It’s quite rare that when I’m home, I’m going to be wearing heels or fancy dresses. 1) I’d get stared at in my uber tiny town 2) I’m just not that kinda gal. Sweatpants are my boyfriend, along with my way too old Nike sneakers that I keep wearing. Hopefully, that’s why the majority of you follow me: because you relate to wanting to look good but also not wanting to spend a ton of money, or be uncomfortable.

I wore this look out for lunch and errands with my dad, and I fall more in love with these jeans every time I wear them. Though on the pricier side, I’ve had this pair in my closet for over a year now. Think of how much you actually save, money and mentally, when you invest in a few key pieces. Like a quality black dress, pair of black heels, denim, and a blazer. I bought a dress a few weeks ago at H&M for $50 (which I thought was a lot of money) and it’s already falling apart. Apparently, I need to spend at least $100 to have a quality black dress that’s going to last me for a while.

That’s the other thing that sucks about being an adult: my mom refuses to buy me clothing anymore. Or maybe that’s just because I’d rather shop at J.Crew instead of Justice now.

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Asos dress/ Madewell shoes/ Primark top/ DNH Bag

The past week has been a total blur. Between landing in NYC for the Talkspace conference (see my talk here!) and then spending the rest of the week running around to meetings and trying to catch up with friends, I’m finally back in Boston for a few hours. I’ve got a semi-interesting life, so rarely do I get bored. But tonight, tonight I’m Netflixing and totally chilling.

One topic I don’t frequently touch on too much is comfortable fashion. I’ve spoken about comfort over style in the past, but is it possible to mix both? When I’m traveling, I always try and stay as comfortable and relaxed as possible. For some bloggers, that means a full-face of makeup and heels, but for real people, that means sweatpants and Nike sneakers. You with me?

That’s why social media pisses me off so much. I really truly love my job: my job is my life. BUT, spending hours in a chair at 5:30 AM to get hair and makeup for a job that lasts 3 minutes before the filming is over isn’t how I dreamed of spending my time at 5:30 AM. It’s not realistic. The fashion industry isn’t always real. Not that I’m complaining, I just want you guys to know that there is much more behind the camera that makes my job fulfilling!!

I’d never preach clothing or style that I don’t adore, and know that people out there can go and buy. As I’ve grown older and you guys have too, there’s been a change in my personal style, though the brands and prices remain close to how they originally did. I’m all about getting a steal on clothing that looks expensive but is actually quite cheap. For example, my new Danielle Nicole bag above looks expensive in person, and the bags on her site look just as good as the next Birkin…though they’re all under $100. Now that’s what I consider a steal.

I could spend hours sifting through Nordstrom Rack, like I did in NYC this week, to find a Free People flannel for $13. $13!! I have 3 flannels I paid the full amount for ($80) when I could’ve found it for $13. Never say never to thrift stores or consignment stores. You’d be surprised how many of your favorite bloggers or celebrities spend more time thrifting than shopping at Neiman’s.

Unless you’re Kylie Jenner.

Simply be yourself. Wear the clothing that makes you feel insanely hot. That’s all.

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Today was quite the day. I had the opportunity to speak on an incredible panel at Talkspace on The Future of Therapy. I spoke on a panel regarding social media, mental health, and young adults. That’s right up my alley, considering I’m a young adult who has dealt with both body image issues as well as bullying, insecurities, and more.

Something I’ve been paying attention too quite frequently over the past few months has been mental health in the public school system. Before Talkspace reached out to me, I began brainstorming ways to improve the discussion of mental health, and give young adults the opportunity to discuss their own mental health as well as others from a young age. Basically, I want to invent the new D.A.R.E program. Do you remember health class during your freshman year of high school? Remember how little you probably learned? Yup, point proven. D.A.R.E. has been proven to no longer benefit teenagers and adolescents, which is shocking considering that the majority of health class is focused on the program.

Talkspace invented the Future of Therapy conference to bring together a wide variety of people from different platforms (writers, psychologists, therapists) to discuss how to improve the mental health state and how to prevent social media from (basically) ruining our lives.

I was the youngest person to speak, which was actually so cool and really made me realize that our generation is the generation that can change social media from having a negative effect on our mental health for the long run.

Thank you to everyone who joined in on Twitter, and reached out with fantastic ideas. I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for a new YouTube video this week on my experience at the conference!

WATCH MY TALK ONLINE HERE.

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Outfit by Crane & Lion

It’s 5:34 PM on a Saturday and I’m still working. When is the weekend? Remind me, I’m pretty sure I don’t know what a weekend is anymore. Not that I really care anyway. If you love what you do, it’s not work.

After landing on Thursday night back in Boston from Baltimore, I immediately got up on Friday prepared to host a kick ass event at Xtend Barre on Friday evening. This was my first experience hosting an event, and hosting/planning anything can be both stressful and rewarding. Seeing all of the ladies excited over the class, food, and goodie bags was the rewarding part. The stress came from organizing the goodie bags, arranging the food, and cleaning up: but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat! There’s not much I love more than working out AND eating, which is basically what we all did. Got a great hour booty workout in with Xtend’s signature barre workout, and then munched on gluten-free vegan donuts/cupcakes, and lots of healthy salads and snacks. B.Good food is just soooooo damn good.

We had a fantastic turnout. @onlyinbos joined us, and we made it on their Snapchat story that was viewed over 2k times! I got to meet some local Boston bloggers that I hadn’t met before, which was fun for me because I haven’t met a ton of bloggers in my new city yet. Boston is different from NYC (I say that way too much!) and I love meeting Boston bloggers. The vibe here is polar opposite of Manhattan.

What was in the goodie bag? A rad selection of items. Elemis face lotion, Air Repair Skincare moisturizer, AquaHydrate water, WB Kitchen cookies, Crispy Green snacks, Philosophie smoothie powder, nail polish, 180Pro hairspray... and a few more goodies! Food was sponsored by B.Good and Jennifer Lee’s Bakery! 

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, and congrats to those who won our giveaway after donating to No Kid Hungry! 

Hopefully I’ll be hosting another event soon in a city near YOU! Up next: NYC on Monday for the Talkspace Conference (RSVP HERE!), and my first YouTube video going up TONIGHT! Stay tuned!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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