somewhere over the rainbow

long time no see, bloggerinos! September is halfway through and I've been a busy little rainbow-srtiped bee. 

I guess that makes another unintentional hiatus for The Ocean! for those of you who may have recently started to check in on my little slice of internet, I'd like to tell you this kind of abrupt absence is uncommon... but I'd be lying. this is real life, people. sometimes sleep > the internet.

I KNOW WHAT I SAID.

this past week two of our friends from Newfoundland came to stay and explore the Big Apple. between hosting, sightseeing, and regular life stuff, there hasn't been a whole lot of time for the blogosphere! it was a hectic week, but an enjoyable one.

on the weekend all four of us spent a gleeful afternoon in Coney Island, wandering the boardwalk and getting slingshotted into the air and whatnot. Brandon hates rides, so with Andrew and Janet here I finally got to try some out! specifically, the new roller coaster- the thunderbolt- and the giant slingshot thing where they rocket you into the big blue sky. we also had Nathan's hot dogs and pizza from L&B Spumoni Gardens. Coney Island, I tell ya!

dress + shoes- Modcloth // bag- Marc by Marc Jacobs // sunglasses- vintage via Brooklyn Flea

of course a day spent in the brightness of the boardwalk and amusement parks lends itself to an equally colourful outfit, so I went with a rainbow dress and funky accessories. I discovered that this dress is something of an eye-catcher, for better or worse... at the Freak Show I got pulled on stage not once, but twice to be the assistant- they lit a fire with my tongue because I'm magical- so I'm basically employed there now. then later at dinner the performer pointed me out and talked to me while singing. as someone who doesn't feel much like an attention-grabber, this dress made me feel quite noticeable! 

to top it all off, that very same evening my parents surprised me and met us in Manhattan! they just showed up. I couldn't believe that a) they came all the way from Canada for one day to see us, and b) Brandon could keep a secret. all in all it was a pretty ridiculous day! 

there is lots more to say and there are lots more pictures to share, but that's enough for my little "welcome back" post. thank you for youe continuing patronage to my little internet world! please come again.

(when this all became a restaurant, I don't know... sometimes these posts get away from me.)

come and stay a while...

it's no secret that since moving to the Big Apple Brando and I have been running a sort of cultural exchange program; meaning, basically, that we have frequent visitors from far and wide. and I love it!  not only does it bring temporary roommates to hang out with, but it gives me an excuse to go out and explore this big beautiful city some more. 

in August we were lucky enough to have two sets of visitors and tons of great weather, so I spent a lot of time galavanting around NYC and eating pizza. (the pizza is a big tourist attraction.) here are some pictures from our recent friend-time adventures... 

I'll never get sick of visiting Central Park, or walking the Brooklyn Bridge. or of the pizza, of course. 

more friends are coming in just two days, and I can't wait!

so if you're looking to come to New York at some point... hit me up. take advantage. we'll eat food and play bingo. you'll love it. 

she talks like june

I guess now it's Labor Day weekend?

what?

well, even though I feel like the summer swooshed by me so fast that it made my head spin and my eyes go googly like in an old-timey cartoon, I'm looking forward to fall. not that September will really be very autumnal, but the temperatures will start to drop and the craziness will start to slow down. soon enough I'll get to wear tights again!

but, not yet. I still have summer-ish plans; to go swimming some more, to visit Montauk, ride the new roller coaster at Coney Island, maybe even to take a short road trip. summer lives on in your hearts, people.

dress- Modcloth(still crazy on sale!) // boots- thrifted // bag- vintage // belt- old // fleur-de-lis earrings- Bueno Style

I feel like it should be on a blooper reel-type post, but I kind of like that picture of me making an annoyed face! I think I look sassy. so I used it. bam!

I've dubbed this look "urban cowgirl," not realizing till just now how much it sounds like a sexual position. but we mustn't be afraid of using the word cowgirl in other contexts, people! you may think that I'm basing that outfit title solely on my choice of footwear- cowboy boots, doi- but I think this dress has a bit of a rockabilly vibe to it as well. florals and gingham and lace? just call me Annie Oakley!

actually I'd prefer Calamity Jane because she was more outrageous and friends with Wild Bill, but I'm basing that perception solely on my deep-rooted love for Deadwood. 

but check out the neckline on this dress! so cute I can't stand it.

Brando and I snapped these pictures as the sun was setting in Williamsburg. I have to say, while many New Yorkers seem to have this impression of Williamsburg as being pretentious and obnoxiously hipster, it's one of my favourite neighbourhoods. there's an endless supply of amazing restaurants, the cheapest movie theatre we've found in the city, and our favourite movie-themed bar. plus, it's really easy to get there on the J train.

if you happen to live in/near NYC, or are just visiting and want to check out the origins of the modern hipster, here are my fave Williamsburg establishments so far! (click "read more")

the second time around

lately I've been doing some wardrobe double-dipping. I'll wear the exact same thing two or three times a week in an attempt to make the most out of outfits or combinations I really like. of course you don't see that on here because usually outfit photos are forgotten or postponed... often that's why I'll double up! if you find something you like, stick with it, right?  

skirt- thrifted via Beacon's Closet // tank top- Forever 21 (old!) // necklace- gift // shoes- Aldo (old!)

I wore a version of this outfit while hanging out in Brooklyn Heights last week and a pushy chocolatier told me she liked my "Stevie Nicks vibe." I was pretty happy with that compliment. hence, I am wearing it again. with only slight changes, I assure you.

one of those slight changes being I HAVE EYELINER AGAIN. it's been months- nay, even years?- since I ran out of my Bobbi Brown long-wear gel liner, and I tried to go without it. I really did. but I couldn't last any longer. eyeliner is a staple, you guys. I picked it up yesterday in Manhattan and IT FEELS MAGNIFICENT. 

it's been a busy week for us here! so many fun things to do and people to see... so much beer to drink... I'm glad to really be making the most of what's left of this beautiful summer. in a couple of days two friends from home are visiting us, so even more excitement awaits! it's going to be another fun-filled week. I'll try to keep my blogger friends (you...) updated a little more frequently... I know you're all just dying for further glimpses into my glamorous life. 

I live to serve. 

who wears short shorts

is that title too obvious? perhaps. 

on thursday Brandon and I finally made it to a summer screen movie in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I don't know what took us so long, because it was delightful! we spent the afternoon walking around Brooklyn Heights beforehand. I had definitely the most incredible bagel I've ever had from Montague Street Bagels (get the cranberry apple chicken salad and die happy) and we admired the pretty tree-lined streets of the neighbourhood. 

and on our way there we watched a guy throw up on himself on the subway, so I guess it was an exciting day for everyone.

hat + shorts- Modcloth // shirt- Williamsburg boutique (?) // bag- Steve Madden (gift) // shoes- Walmart

this outfit felt a little vaudevillian, hence the cheeky pose! 

I've been hesitant this past year to embrace the cuteness of shorts, especially in the summer when tights aren't an option to smooth out my thighs and hide other imperfections... but these were on sale and I thought, screw it- shorts are cute, and I wanna wear cute things. to hell with insecurity! live while you're young!

...oh my god, did I just kind of quote One Direction?

let's ignore that and focus on my personal triumph of wearing shorts in public. 

Brooklyn Bridge Park is one of the places where it really hits me that I live in New York City. there's always something cool going on- like outdoor movies, or free kayaking in the East River- and the views of lower Manhattan are spectacular. it gets me every time. 

the movie screening on this particular thursday evening was Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which I'm kind of embarrassed to say neither of us had seen before. but that made it even more enjoyable! Paul Newman was such a fox. and he looks pretty darn good next to the big city lights, don't you think?

across the universe

saturday night we went to see Guardians of the Galaxy, and man-oh-man, was it amazeballs! Avengers level awesomeness, for sure. and whoever did the soundtrack/music for the scenes was a genius. I won't say anything else, because you should really go and see for yourselves. 

I made a slight attempt to dress for the occasion in a laser-y, galaxy print dress and lightening bolt earrings. the ensemble said "super space heroes" to me. 

dress- Modcloth // bag- Aldo // shoes- Walmart // earrings- gift

other than the devastatingly attractive Chris Pratt and company, it's been a pretty lame summer, movie-wise. most of the blockbuster types were let downs, and the indie ones were kinda meh. my favourites have been, in order of splendiforousness; Guardians of the Galaxy, Edge of Tomorrow, Planet of the Apes, Wish I Was Here, and How to Train your Dragon 2 (which I think should have been called how to re-train your dragon, but whatever, I'm not in charge). so basically sequels and lots of CGI. 

I know this is meaningless rambling on an insignificant corner of the internet, but those are the movies from this summer that you should watch in the future. I'm telling you, that is a definitive list. disregard it if you want, but you'll be sorry. 

also, you could watch The Mighty Ducks, on netflix. just because you should. 

I may or may not be doing that as I type this...