The World Shimmers, But Not Everyone Can See It

Sunglasses: Prada; Necklace: Stone (Mexico), Coat: Calvin Klein via Goodwill, Legging Pants: BCBG, Sweater: All Saints, Backpack: Vince Camuto, Socks: The Spare Room, Los Angeles, Booties: Jeffrey Campbell

Photo Cred: Becca Aguilera, Location: West Village, New York

What is true strength? Forgiveness. A topic that has been penetrating my thoughts for the past 2 years. I always believed that true strength came from walking away and letting go. Sometimes it still does. What's harder than that? Forgiving someone. How much better has my life been since I learned this? Exponentially.. 

Just watch. I dare you to look up at the night sky tonight, and every night. In fact, do it as often as you can. Time stops in these moments and you are allowed a beautiful glimpse of eternity. None of us really know where we are or what is going on here. We are all floating in space and anything is possible. I have found that love is a state of mind. Fall deeply in love with yourself. This is the surest way to fall in love with someone else, and with the rest of existence..

If you pay close enough attention your mind is expanding with each passing moment. So is the universe. So follow your bliss. Your happiness, true happiness, matters more than anything. So figure out what it is that makes your soul flow and spend your life dwelling in it. 

I hesitate to use the word "bad" because I feel that most everything in the world has both bad and good elements. That being said, negative things may have happened to you but that doesn't mean the world is negative. Let the flowers, crystals, music, trees, dragonflies, stars, memories and dreams remind you of the magic that inherits the earth. There are no mistakes here. Everything is as it should be. Your reality will transform once you realize this. Trust the universe. The waves are headed in one direction only to be pushed back by the shore. Be like the waves and trust the process without judgement, without resistance. Nature is embedded with an infinite amount of wisdom..

My other favorite F-Words: Floppy, Funky, Faux & Fun

Floppy Hat: American Apparel; Faux-fur Frock: RAGA; Stone Necklace: Madewell; Gold Necklace: J.Crew; T-Shirt: Old Blink-182 Band Tee; Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Jeans: AG; Maroon Suede Heeled Booties: Vince Camuto; All photos by: Kristine Constantino

Nothing says "Winter's coming.." quite like faux fur and suede booties paired with hats that cover the entire face. 

A question I routinely get asked about my outfits is: "How do you put it all together?" The answer is unfortunately very unequivocal and simple, unlike most everything else in life. There is no sorcerous ritual, no closet computer (a nod to Cher), it is as easy as picking a statement piece and working from there. My humble opinion is that each outfit needs a statement piece, sometimes even more than one. This piece can be any article of clothing or accessory, as long as it draws in the eye, is more captivating than other parts of the outfit, and reflects your fun personality to some degree. Example: My faux-fur creature of a jacket.

Now to the funky & fun: Something about floppy hats is intrinsically 70's to me. The age of funk. I searched the world over for an excellent floppy hat. I always came up empty until I was in LA, happened to have consumed a few too many mimosas, and stumbled into an American Apparel in Manhattan Beach. Not exactly a recipe for making stellar purchases (I also bought $18 sunscreen), but when you know you know.  

Suede, the fabric of November, December, January. Don't let anyone tell you different, you heard it hear first. Maroon goes as well with gold in the festive months as Marc Jacobs does with creative direction for Louis Vuitton year-round. A match so perfect, you cannot imagine what one is like without the other. You don't want to either. 

Cheers to turning our backs on 2014 and looking forward to 2015. A quote from one of my favorite authors:

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

— C.S. Lewis