Tag Archives: Betsey Johnson

Viva Las Vegas: Day 4!

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HottieRodzMediumDay 4 of my trip to Vegas for Viva Las Vegas was a very important one because my best friend Santiago had his very own booth at the car show. This was his first booth and we were soooo excited and nervous to see how thousands of the rockabilly community would embrace his beautiful works of art. The nervousness comes from the fact that Santiago’s work isn’t always exclusive to one culture/era, his work is a marriage of every thing that inspires him about history, fashion, art, and beauty. So a purist of rockabilly culture may not relate to the unconventional yet absolutely amazing art Santiago brings into existence. Alas, my mom and I were there to show our full support (although he didn’t need it!). This is the reason why we relate to each other so well as best friends. Though I may be absolutely in love with the rockabilly culture and be a purist in some ways or another, my style isn’t always conventionally rockabilly but a marriage of everything else that inspires me as well. Being able to mash and clash opposites, cultures, eras is an art within itself and with that said..I am so happy to say that Santiago’s art was well received (duh) and he was nearly cleared out of all his portraits. Lets not forget that this was also his FIRST debut of his new project “Hottie Rodz” where he transforms pinups into hot rods! I feel SO fortunate to be #1 of his soon to be collection and I was completely FLOORED when I saw this piece. He even gave me the Prada shoes I always wanted! People were going nuts asking if he had prints of the Hottie Rod as he debuted it on a giant canvas and there was a waiting list till now! Here is where you can buy the Hottie Rod #1 print of me. Santiago has such a huge fan base so it really was amazing to see how many people came just to meet him and have his work signed to them. It was even crazier that some of those people even came to see me and have his previous portraits signed by me as well! My mom and I were so happy for him. It was even more awesome that we were neighbored by the beautiful Lisa Love who also had a debut of her own with her gorgeous paper dolls by Nathalie Rattner and her husband Julian Mendoza who is an incredible artist. It is always nice to be surrounded by good people. Speaking of…Mom and I took a stroll around the awesome vendors and in the mix I ended up bumping into so many familiar faces! And there were also soooo many amazing cars. I swear, we didn’t see a car we didn’t like. It was an all-around great day full of so much love and awesomeness. See more inside! Continue reading →

Puerto Rico: Day two!

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crop2Day two of my trip to Puerto Rico was another pleasant and relaxing day at the beach. My beau and I spent most of the day exploring the shore for seashells and ended up finding a lot more than we thought. As someone who used to want to be a Marine Biologist as a child, I am still really fascinated by marine life and the ocean. As a kid, I also truly believed I was Ariel in the flesh so I am sure my fascination with the ocean comes from me believing I was a mermaid. At least, now I can say I really was Ariel in Puerto Rico, with my red locks dressed up in pinup fashion. I was stoked to finally wear my Betsey Johnson romper, Tra la la swimsuit, and Hawiian robe I recently purchased at Reminiscence. I was a true Puerto Rican pinup in this ensemble and complimented my outfit with some nice vintage accessories like my 1940′s sunnies and my flower earrings I recently snagged from D&J Vintage. I was paying homage to all of those beautiful Puerto Rican pinups who were underrated, never discovered, or shunned from the spotlight in the 50′s and 60′s because I am sure they existed. I raise my virgin piña colada to them!

Walking down the coastline of the beach we met a few little critters who really made our day. We saw a crab we named “Fred” who was so adorable, I wanted to take him home (didn’t want to make my beau jealous ;) ). We also met many Sea Urchins, big and small, that felt weird when you picked them up. I kept being afraid I would step on one so I had to be very careful. Ironically, my boyfriend was hoping we would run into baby squid until I stumbled upon an actual Octopus that was VERY MUCH alive as she tried to steal my boyfriends glasses. We didn’t know if she was alive so my beau used the handle of his glasses to gently touch her tentacle and she grasped on to them and wouldn’t let them go lololol. We named her “Octavia” because I swear, she was not thrilled about us wanting to see those beautiful tentacles. She even squirted water at my boyfriend every time he tried to pick her up. She camouflaged so well so I am shocked I even spotted her, but boy was she beautiful. I believe she was about a foot long, not including the length of her tentacles. It really was beautiful to see an animal like this in shallow waters and it really made our day to have found and seen such a beautiful creature up close.

After exploring the beach and finding lots of beautiful sea shells and marine life, we headed back to the villa to enjoy a game of dominoes with the family over piña coladas. We also had sushi for lunch which was the BEST sushi I have EVER had. I cannot believe I am going to have to travel to Puerto Rico any time I am craving Hawaiian sushi, it was DELICIOUS. After that, we relaxed and tanned till almost sunset before an evening swim at the pool. It was another great day at the motherland and I miss it so much already.. Continue reading →

Art Basel 2012: Day tres!

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DSC_1489It was day 3 of my trip to Miami for Art Basel and I savored every minute of the experience since I only had 2 more days to take it all in. The weather was, as usual, bright and sunny so I dressed casual for a day of exploring. Our first stop was Wynwood where I got to watch some graff og’s paint walls. Like I said in my previous posts, it is so inspiring to watch these artists paint giant walls. This time, I wasn’t the only one inspired. Photography legend, Ricky Powell, stopped by EWOK 5MH‘s wall and loved his Brainlington character. Hell, he loved the whole wall and took some photos with Ewok’s art while listening to his vintage portable radio. He was certainly a character and I was glad to have met him. Then I was off to some thrift shops in Hialeah with my girl Ingrid. I wish I documented the damn thing but it was the last thing on my mind since I was too occupied looking for treasures. You know you are in an amazing thrift store when you forget to take pictures of the treasures you find. Alas, I took some when I got back home and will share that with you all soon.

After a day of thrifting, I ran back home to change into my freak-um dress for the “Art of Basketball” private event. I was excited to attend because after the last few I have been to, I knew this would be fun. This time was especially special as EWOK 5MH’s work was front and center of the event as soon as you walked in. He did such an amazing job creating wonderful works of art in the theme of basketball and it was nice to see so many people appreciate it. I am also so proud that aside from painting floor boards and basketball hoops, he also designed the basketball for the new NBA2K game! Other talented artists also did an amazing job contributing to the Art of Basketball like graff og  COPE2, cutie-pie Sand Oner, Shiro, Mr.Brainwash, and more. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better…Shake Shack sponsored the event and gave out free cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream the whole night! specialty drinks were served as well but I don’t drink so I didn’t care lol. I love parties that serve food!. Anyway, It made me so happy to see the artwork of my friends showcased at such an amazing event and boy did we have a great time.  The event was successful and then we were off to see the Luxotica exhibition back in Wynwood where I enjoyed seeing classic cartoons and Cadillac symbols painted on giant canvas’. See photos inside! Continue reading →

Art Basel 2012 in Miami: Day dos!

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DSC_1426On day two, I spent less time in Wynwood and more time exploring other parts of Miami with my beau like little Havana and Biscayne Boulevard. I wanted to see cool deco hotels, motels, and thrift stores as well as the culture of Little Havana and thanks to our good friend Frank, we were able to visit the best spots. Our first stop was Little Havana were I was inspired by the culture of the people there. It was so dope to see latin elders play dominos and chess while smoking their cuban cigars. I also fell in love with an art deco theater there that featured some really awesome old films. Then we were off to Versailles Cuban Cuisine to enjoy a VERY YUMMY breakfast that was so good, I miss it terribly. After that we went off to Biscayne Boulevard where I was also completely floored & inspired by the amazing architecture of the hotels. It is heaven for people like me who follow the rockabilly culture. So many of them are still in mint condition despite being built 50-60 years ago. I wish New York would have salvaged great architecture like Miami did, it really is..so amazing. I also fell in love with some of the cute thrift stores on Biscayne like Vintage Revenge and Fly Boutique. They were both super cute and full of goodness at decent prices. I found some very special things at both shops but really hit the jackpot at Vintage Revenge. I have to say VR was my favorite because the owner was so sweet/helpful and she had such amazing vintage pieces from my favorite eras. I found the BEST swimsuit there that may or may not be Versace (as if I care anyway). The tag is missing and she was pondering if it was too. Regardless, this swimsuit was BAD (in a good way). It was so amazing, I was afraid to wear it but had to have it as It fit me like a glove. Ironically I found a vintage Cache top as well that looked great with it, only it was a bit over my price range for that sorta thing. With my luck my friend ended up finding one for me just like it at Red White and Blue in Hialeah for just $5.95 so on day 4 I sported them both (post coming soon). After an eventful day of sight-seeing, we revisited Wynwood and then went off to Fania to support my best friend Santiago at his awesome showcase via the Pax Performing Arts Center. See photos inside! Continue reading →

Winter’s coming but it feels like Spring <3

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It has been quite a while since I have done an outfit post but I have been way too busy lately, so busy that I haven’t had much time to even post at all. Alas I was off today for Thanksgiving and decided to wear a dress I recently found at a thrift store that my mom ended up taking pics of while we were taking a stroll around my old neighborhood. I have been dying to wear this wool plaid dress. It reminds me of something Vivian Westwood would create but it is actually by Kal Kaur Rai. I couldn’t believe I found such a statement piece here at a local thrift store in the Bronx but I am not complaining. It only cost me $7.50! I probably should have saved it for fashion week but decided every week is fashion week in my life, I am sure I will cook something up when it’s time to cross that bridge. Anyway, it was beautiful outside. The leaves were falling from the trees but it felt like the beginning of spring. I was able to walk around without my jacket for most of the day until the evening when the sun started to set. I wanted to channel the punk rock style of the 70s with a 50s touch. I love to clash eras and create outfits that work. Leather, plaid, and studs are all signature staples of punk rock style and since my dress reminded me of the queen of punk fashion Vivian Westwood, it felt oh-so-right to pair it with my Christian Louboutin spiked pumps, Agent Provocateur gloves, and Betsey Johnson studded purse. I also wore cuban heel hosiery by Leg Avenue. All in all, It was an all around win and if it got too cold, I carried my scape by Theresa Dapra and my buckle boots by Steve Madden. I always like to carry an extra pair of shoes. My friends make fun of me because they say I change from heels to heels lol. I had to bring my boots because my shoes were open toe and we all know those type of shoes are meant for spring/summer but I didn’t care. Cheers to being fashionable and comfortable on a beautiful day like this one. Continue reading →

Comicon 2012!

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I have had my hands full with work within the past few weeks, so I almost didn’t even make it to Comicon this year. Low and behold, I still found a way and attended this massive event with my beau. I only spent a little over 2 hours there before I was off to work but I had such a blast. I’ve been a gamer and comic collector since I was a kid and it has yet to rub off. I wish I could have dressed up but I didn’t have time to commit to a costume so I went in a very cool Warhol inspired Marilyn Monroe get-up by Betsey Johnson. I couldn’t even concentrate while I was there, enamored by all of the booths full of my favorite video game and comic book characters. This convention gets bigger and bigger every year so the only thing I really had an issue with was how PACKED it was to the point that it was hard to even walk at times. I still managed to get around and found lots of great goodies I got to take home with me. I found an awesome vintage comic from the 50′s, 3 big giant authentic vintage posters, and an autographed pinup calendar page. I took endless photos of my favorite comic girls like Vampirella, Wonder Woman, Veronica from Archie Comics, and more. I was sad I didn’t get to see any Fathom, Soul Fire, or Witchblade booths but I can see them next year. Here are some photos of everything that caught my attention at this amazing convention. Continue reading →

Old English Charm.

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So I took a few days off from blogging. Most of you who follow me know that I post every 2 days or so and try to keep a consistent flow of content going on my blog. I am always coming up with new and fun stuff to share with you all but came to a halt just the other day when, for the first time in a long time, I started to question whether my 5+ years of effort into this blog was really getting the recognition it deserved. I started questioning was it worth continuing if the blog world is rapidly changing into some retarded commercial popularity contest of privileged snobs who only wear labels? It seems the only time rockabilly style is trending is when Prada comes out with a collection inspired by the 50′s. Though I love Prada, and I loved that SS12 collection, it is sad that something has to become a trend to be “cool”. Well, obviously that isn’t going to stop me from dressing this way, I just think the whole thing is pretty ironic which is what everyone is trying to be these days.

Anyway, I’ve got my mojo back and my head on straight and my discouragement was just an addition to the past few months that have been, contrary to popular belief, very difficult. Sometimes you have to step away from all of this social media stuff and just live life as if it never existed. I wasn’t away for too long but it was nice just taking time to myself to regroup, recharge, and come back to blogging with a better state of mind. I do have pride so it has been hard to say that it hasn’t been all cookies and cream for me (great now I want sweets) this year but I am still grateful for all of the good things, because there were and still many good things ahead. I just have to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize because that is how I stay inspired and motivated.

So what do you do when mainstream fashion and culture under-stimulates you? You find inspiration elsewhere.

I have been checking out lots of WWD street style posts on tumblr of Milan Fashion week and maybe it’s just me but..it seems that fashion over seas is less contrived. After attending a few shows this NYFW, it just seems people were over-dressing to get their picture taken. It just didn’t seem authentic especially after seeing a guy dressed as a yellow M&M and decorated as an angry bird. Yet, I was on Buzzfeed in their freak or chic post in which I replied “I am both, thank you :) ” because in the end, at least what I wore was authentic to who I am. I just think it is important to be authentic, to really be yourself. I know we hear it all the time but it doesn’t mean just doing what you want, it’s having an unbiased unpretentious opinion (just like this post is of my own opinion). I think most people are afraid that there style or personality might offend those who have a certain standard but there is nothing offensive about being you, if anything you are more respected.

Anyway. Inspired by the beautiful Victorian era of France, the bold plaid of the British, and the charm of Milan in the 1950′s..I wore a charming little outfit for a morning of shooting followed by a walk in the park. The weather is perfect at the cusp of Summer and Fall for wool, cashmere, and Autumn hues and I was ready to embrace it all. Continue reading →

The Brooklyn Blacksmith.

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Saturday was crazy as per usual this fashion week and after a long morning of errands I finally got to unwind with my friend Queena in Brooklyn. It was a weird day, one minute it was sunny and the next it was raining cats and dogs. For fickle weather like this all you can do is wear black and Queena and I saw eye to eye on that. Queena shined in her steam-punk shades, leather shoes, metal and leather bag, and a fringe top. And my outfit was inspired by the old gangs of NY in a vintage fedora, black dress, leather heels, and sharp accessories ;) . My sharp accessories included my Noir dagger rings and my vintage sword hat pin in true blacksmith style. My necklace is a skull from H&M circa-like-10-years-ago and I still love it.

Dressed in all black like the omen, we were off to Williamsburg to check out some thrift shops in the area before I was off to a birthday loft party in the area. However, we didn’t find much as it was a saturday and most of what was left was already picked through. That’s one of the reasons I try to thrift on weekdays. I am just glad we got to enjoy a nice lunch at the Meatball Shop, it has become one of my favorite places to eat in the city and in Brooklyn. It was a fun and relaxing evening spent with my friends and I couldn’t have asked for a better spontaneous day of smooth sailing. Continue reading →

Mad for Marilyn!

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Last weekend I was invited to a friend’s house for a birthday party and was excited to finally get out of my shell and get dolled up in some of my pieces I haven’t worn yet this summer. I decided to attend in a much-anticipated, pre-meditated, Betsey Johnson Marilyn Monroe get-up because…well.. I love her! I wore a “Betsey Babe” printed romper and a bejeweled Marilyn cardigan and it couldn’t have felt more perfect together. I wore a black belt, black Steve Madden platforms, and a vintage black purse to set a contrast and just had to wear my Stila “Fiery” lip color to add some color. My glasses are also thrifted vintage and went so well with my victory roll up-do. My earrings are daisies by Tarina Tarantino. It was the perfect outfit for an awesome party and I was so happy I got to wear it this summer as it is going by rather quickly!
Vintage Puerto Rican Barbie!Love this romper! I am so glad it was one of my last great purchases at the last sample sale.
You can’t see but Marilyn has a diamond necklace embroidered on my cardigan.My accessories! I love these shoes! Carmen Miranda would be proud!XOXO

V.V in Retro Lovely Magazine’s issue #8 & Taboo edition #4!

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I am excited to say that aside from being featured in Issue#2 of Atomic Bombshells magazine, I am now featured in 2 Retro Lovely Magazines, issue #8 and Taboo Edition #4! I was stoked when I found out it would be 3 magazines this month as I have never really been featured in a pinup magazine previous to these other than my small photo in Retro Lovely’s cork board page about a year ago. I know it may not be a big deal to Cali pinups because they are always shooting with amazing photographers in amazing settings and their photos are always submitted, but for me it is difficult as I am all the way on the east coast where the culture is almost nonexistent and there is hardly ANY pinup photographers who specialize in the stuff. I feel fortunate and thankful that Edson Carlos and Erin Shepard (Lone Star Pinups) submitted the photos they shot of me and gave me the opportunity to shine in a world I love so much. In Retro Lovely’s issue #8 my very avant-garde pinup photo with Edson Carlos is featured. We took that photo when I was in Vegas last year. I was also happy to see a few of my east coast pinup friends in that issue as well and included them in this post! Taboo Edition #4 features my vampy fetish photos I took with Erin Shepard and are a little more raunchy than my usual pinup photos. I look like a vampire in a sheer baby doll, sheer gloves, lacy high-waisted undies by Agent Provocateur, and black heart-shaped pasties. Taboo is like the 1950′s version of playboy and is flooded with tasteful pinups, some nude, some partially nude, and some clothed (me) leaving a little to the imagination with pasties. I always wanted to do a fetish shoot, I guess I didn’t think it would end up in a magazine lololol. I don’t have an issue with it, however, if you are not 18+ don’t dig deeper into this post. The Taboo images are slightly naughty! Continue reading →