The club was fun last night! I have to admit…I hate most club fashion. Cheap fabrics, extra low-cut tops, too many people in shiny clothes, short skirts…it’s just a meat market. Yet, I keep going! Hey, I like to dance and I like to dress up in what I deem appropriate club attire. Ruffles, silk, lace, class; that’s club attire to me. Show a little, but don’t show it all.
The basic rule is if you show a lot of skin up top, balance it with pants.

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How would you describe your personality?

Eccentric. Honest. Humorous. I’m an extreme optimist with a love for intellectuals, movies, travel, music, and fun!

List in detail 3 major events in your life?

Obviously, my parent’s divorce. It sounds ridiculous, I’m sure, but growing up my only real fear was that my parents would divorce. Well, my parents did divorce.

I had it really rough growing up. I was voted “nicest classmate” every year, but that didn’t stop the bully and terrorizing. In my gut, I knew high school would be better! No more braces, cuter boys, football games, etc.

The last and most recent event is a little happier! Due to my parents divorce, I was craving an escape. So! At 17, I planned a trip to Italy to get away from…EVERYTHING! Broken friendships, broken family, broken hearts. Best time of my life by far. I wrote in my journal everyday, ate pasta everyday (and lost weight), went on more dates in one week than I had in my whole life, and dated the sexiest men I had ever seen in my life.

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I met Matt at the café. He sat at one of the sidewalk tables with a single yellow rose lying diagonally across it. Yellow roses are my favorite, but how did he know! Maybe he got if off my Facebook or maybe from a friend or maybe it was just a wild guess…I don’t care. It was amazingly romantic.

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Yesterday’s meeting went very well. There’s nothing I love more than talking about traveling (after fashion of course). I covered everything from the hottest clubs in Firenze (that’s Italian for Florence) to the best gelateria’s in Roma (Rome). I also talked about the fashion in Italy. It’s such a great place to find accessories, which in many cases can make or break your outfit. In the open-air market in Florence I found some amazing scarves, vintage jewelry, belts, and purses. The best part is, it can make an old outfit…NEW again!

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Let me start by telling you that last night was amazing! Matt appeared at my door in a well-fitted gray Armani suit. He looked knee- weakening amazing!  He brought me a bouquet of yellow roses (my favorite), which fittingly matched my dress as well! We started the evening with a lovely dinner at the top of a sky-high hotel. Very swanky! I almost felt out of place, but I noticed some women admiring my Ralph Lauren dress and my slick, well-dressed date, and I felt at ease.

Did I mention Matt rented a limo? He’s pulled all the stops last night!

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I’m writing from the car again. We’re on our way back from Nor Cal. The party was interesting. Unique fashions, but better than what I had seen on the street. Some Badgley Mischka, Theory, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Roberto Rodriguez, and Free People, just to name a few of the designs I saw.

So to give you an idea of what the street fashion looked like, imagine the quirkiness of Free People and maximize that to the extreme. Free People works because it’s quirky, but balanced. Most of the Berkeley fashions were “extreme” quirky and not attractive.

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May I start with saying, the weather report lied! It’s freaking cold AND overcast! It’s summer! It’s not supposed to be like this! I’m glad I packed a pair of pants because it looks like I will be utilizing them to the max. As soon as we arrived to the dorm room, we realized there was no way we would be able to (OR WANTED TO) sleep there. James quickly got on his Blackberry and hit up the nearest Doubletree. We got a big room there for the four of us. Yes, even our friend Hallie from the dorms at UC Berkeley stayed with us in our hotel.

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I’m writing from the car! We’re somewhere on the 5 freeway and while usually I’d be excited to watch the scenery out the window…I’ve seen these hills, farms, and cattle ranches a million times.

Now, when traveling (with guys), my main concern is always to look my best. I know, I know. Who cares?! My friends always make fun of me, calling me high maintenance. To not give them the satisfaction, I packed smart. One pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, sandals (that can work for night as well), a few tops, a swim suit, a pair of converse for mild-hiking (I know, not real hiking shoes), two dresses that won’t wrinkle, a light sweater, and my black leather jacket from Italy. It sounds like a lot but it all fit into my L.A.M.B overnight bag.

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There’s not much to say about last night except that Matt looked amazing in a crisp suit that had to be purchased in one of those obscure/expensive/amazing Italian designer boutiques. The fashion was great. A lot of people had vintage designer clothes which made the whole experience that more authentic!

I’m currently listening to The Weepies. Their new album “Hideaway” is incredible! I listened to their last album on repeat when I was touring Europe with my high school choir. Every time I hear, “Take It From Me,” I envision the streets of Prague; and when I hear “Painting by Chagall” I can see the Austrian hills. It’s funny how certain scents, materials, sounds, and tastes can trigger a slew of memories. Gotta love it! There is this one lip-gloss I found in an old purse the other day. I opened it and the smell of it put me right back to when I was 16 staying overnight in a hotel room in Boston. The memories just flooded in with this album!

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A bunch of my old high school friends are back in town! High school (or any school before that for that matter) was not much fun. I guess the only high light of high school was winning “best dressed” in my senior class and being editor-in-chief of my yearbook. Alas, I think it would be interesting to see everyone after all this time has passed.

One of my good friends from high school—well, we’re not really good friends anymore—has a band that is putting on this super cool event in a mansion downtown. There are supposed to be a handful of bands, free food and drinks, and some wacky over the top fashion. It’s themed, too! I love themed parties—I think they are so much fun. It’s a film noir party which means I want to dress like a femme fatale! I’ve got this great Vera Wang black dress that kind of reminds of the one Marilyn Monroe wore in Some Like it Hot. I’m going to put my hair in big finger-waves (that’s what they call them) and accent it all with some deep red lipstick.

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The meeting went really well yesterday and both my boss and the visiting people complimented my crisp outfit, which only gave me added confidence before presenting my ideas to them. They have to work a lot of logistics out, but the good news: it’s looking like we’ll have a program in Italy for our students soon!

Today is going to be a nice and relaxing day. We all need a few of these kinds of days a week! I’ve got to start packing for Italy, which begs the question: what do I take?

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My Catherine Maladrino gown was a hit with everyone, but most importantly Matt’s mother. He offered to pick me up, but I insisted on driving over and meeting him at his mother’s so I could introduce myself to her and see how she was doing. I picked up a dozen light pink roses, a box of chocolates, and made my way over. Matt was waiting on the front porch for me. He wore a fitted gray suit, black Gucci loafers, a white Ralph Lauren button-up, and a black silk skinny tie. To say he looked handsome would be the understatement of the century.

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Monday usually means: “BACK TO THE DAILY GRIND!” Luckily, it’s summer and, for me, that means the office I work for on campus is closed, for the most part, and I’m scot-free for a few months!

My DKNY dress was a hit with my girls last night and the hot waiter we had at the restaurant. He even recognized it was DKNY, which was incredibly impressive! A lover of fashion, to say the very least.

I made a great breakfast today. Two egg whites scrambled with chopped fresh cherry tomatoes with feta cheese sprinkled on top. Delicious!  After a good work out doing a mix of Pilates, weights and cardio, I went to get my hair done in preparation for my date tonight with Matt.

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Summer is here! The weather is warm, the sun consistently shines and the effort to make a fashion statement with little, to no, clothing is underway! I spent the first part of my day cleaning out my closet. I put all of my winter clothes into a large suitcase and “hid” it in the spare bedroom. I can’t believe how much room that left in my closet! I love it! I can actually move the hangers apart to see my clothes easier. No matter how many clothes I collect, my motto is “No Clothes Barred;” which means I constantly have to clean out my closet and not lose track of what I own. Not that I’m a celebrity, or anything, but almost.

In cleaning out my closet, I found vintage pieces and gorgeous, bargain, designer duds that I’d almost forgotten about. My closet is like a refrigerator. Each item has an expiration date and it’s up to me to decide when its season is over. This cycle keeps my wardrobe fresh and up-to-date. But, I have a few dozen timeless items that I refuse to ever give up, and wear year round.

Then, I studied some Italian. I bought a book on cusswords and slang in Italian and I’m studying it furiously. The great thing about this book is that it also has diagrams. I remember, last summer, when I learned the hard way that putting two fingers behind your left ear and making eye contact with a man meant that you were calling him gay. My ear had itched! I didn’t realize until much later why he’d given me such a dirty look.

I’ve got so much going on right now, but I can’t complain. I love having so many opportunities to create outfits for. Tonight, I’m heading out to this nice restaurant/bar, right on the water! My girls and I have a weekly tradition of enjoying great cuisine and catching up. We usually run into some hotties because, lord knows, there is a lot of them in Long Beach. I want to wear something striking! I’ve got this great DKNY lime green dress, that’s got a deep V-neck , and will go really well with my Venetian glass necklace that I bought in Italy. Paired with my GUESS sling-back pumps, and I’m ready for a good night!

Tonight is all fun and games, but tomorrow is that big charity event with Matt! I want to impress him—but not look like I’m trying to impress him. This is our first serious date in a while and I really want it to go well. I’ve had the biggest crush on him, and I’d be lying if I said this date wasn’t a big deal. I plan on wearing a dress that says, “Kiss me!”

Another day…another birthday! I can’t seem to escape the birthday cheer and with my friends—birthdays are a serious matter.

We started the afternoon at the beach. I wore this great polka dot bikini top with a high-waisted black cotton skirt. It was overcast, so the cover worked really well, and it looked cute! We talked and played Frisbee until the Frisbee went into the bay. The water was too cold and no one wanted to get it, so we sat on the sand and waited for it to wash to shore.

There were some totally cute guys, a few yards away, playing wiffle ball. I kept making eye contact with this ripped guy in red swimming trunks and a trendy hat; but, seeing as I was with my group of guy friends—it didn’t really go anywhere.

After the beach we went back to my friend Christian’s, seaside apartment, and hung out on his patio. We didn’t know that Christian’s roommate, Brad, invited a bunch of people over for a mid-afternoon barbeque.  The place quickly filled up with badly dressed twenty-something beer-chugging boys; thankfully, some cute girls showed up, so I wasn’t the only girl.

I ran into my ex-boyfriend’s sister. Small world. It was a little awkward. She was nice, but not as friendly as I thought she’d be. She was well dressed in cute nude colored flats, Seven jeans and a purple plaid button-up that gave her a boyish shape. She was drowning in that plaid shirt.

We decided to go out for drinks and I snuck off and changed into this great cotton, Marc Jacobs, blue mini-dress. I kept my gladiator sandals on and cinched my waist with a black belt.

We ended up at a random dive bar on a sketchy street; but hey, that’s what makes it fun! As long as I didn’t get food poisoning…or bad fashion poisoning, dive bars were ok – for now!