Red Hot

It's been ridiculously hot.  I wonder if it's going to be another Christmas like we had a few years ago when we were running around in shorts and t-shirts because it was 100 degrees outside. Even Santa Claus was wearing a wife beater with his pants. hahaha

I feel the fire, I feel the fire burning hot hot hot!

xoxo,
Munkeh

Dress- Parker
Shoes- Vince Camuto
Necklace- Forever 21

Happily Ever After

The white dress I'm wearing was actually my wedding dress. Chris and I didn't have much money so we had a very small ceremony with our close friends in a chapel in Beverly Hills. But he did surprise me by getting a limo to drive us around for the day. He had some connections at work.  We had dinner at Shutters in Santa Monica during Happy Hour. Then we walked to the pier , played a few rounds of air hockey before we headed over to the Gas Lite for our reception. It's were we met. We drank and sang karaoke till the bar closed. All in all, it was a pretty perfect and amazing day.

Who says fairy tales can't come true?

xoxo,

Munkeh

Dress- Forever 21
Vest- Forever 21
Necklace- H & M
Shoes- Asos
Sunglasses- 99cent store

My favorite wedding photo :)

My Favorite Things

Today was one of those blah kind of days. And on days like this I need some help to get me through. So in the immortal words of Julie Andrews....I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad..

1. Chris
2. Monkeys (especially Winston my giant stuffed one)
3. My crazy turtle Gabbana
4. Fashion and playing dress up
5. Peanut butter toast with fresh strawberries
6. Upbeat, borderline cheesy music especially 80's
7. Bright colors and bold prints
8. Word puzzles and Scrabble
9. Feathers
10. Anything sparkly
11. Dancing (especially S Factor )
12. Getting cozy in my blankie
13. Learning new things
14. Being silly and laughing
15. Girly movies and cartoons

Those were the first things to come to mind. And see, all is right in the world once more. What are your favorite things?

xoxo,

Munkeh

My outfit today combines a few of my favorite things- feathers, sparkly things and bold prints
Vest- Haute Hippie
T shirt- Vince
Skirt- by me
Shoes- Vince Camuto
Necklace- Francesca's

So my absolute favorite song right now is Katy Perry's new song "Roar". I had it on repeat while I was driving today. It's my personal anthem at the moment. The lyrics really get me.

From Russia With Love

I checked the stats of my blog recently and noticed that a lot of my readers are from Russia. Spasibo! You all know how much I love to mix and match my prints and this particular combo reminds me of Russian textiles.  

Do svidaniya!

xoxo,
Munkeh

Baryshnya "young lady"
Dress worn as top- Topshop
Skirt- Debenhams
Shoes- Zara
Necklace- Ebay

Add caption

Here's To The Oddballs

At my first day back to work last week, we had a meeting sponsored by the brand Band of Outsiders.  I honestly didn't know much about the brand before the meeting but now, it's one of my favorite companies. Scott Sternberg prides himself in being a goofball and started the company with $300 in his pocket. He doesn't follow trends, just does what he loves and designs for people who are a little bit quirky and not traditionally high fashion. He does his photo shoots with polaroids and did a scavenger hunt for fashion week in New York instead of a runway show. He refers to himself and his staff as "outsiders" hence the name "Band of Outsiders".  I was so inspired by that meeting because everything just resonated with me.  I am a big goofball, and I don't always fit in. I work backwards and going the traditional route has never worked for me. I dream big and I honestly believe the impossible can happen. Case in point, I  got in touch with a big celebrity stylist this week and asked if I could send him some dresses for his client and he said yes! I used to feel really insecure about who I was but now I've embraced it. Chris always tells me that the world through my eyes must be pink and cartoon like, where monkeys talk and unicorns really exist. He often jokes that I crash landed on earth from another planet in a small pink spaceship with Gabbana my crazy turtle looking after me.

Steve Jobs said it best....

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

xoxo,

Munkeh

I flipped out when I saw this sweater. It makes me happy :) Tres Chic Magnifique
Sweater- Forever 21
Skirt- Forever 21
Shoes- Shoedazzle
Necklace- H & M

We just went to Taylor Swift's concert. Her stylist is one of our clients and he got us tickets to say thank you for everything. Our seats were awesome! I had a blast!  I've never heard this song before and now it's one of my favorites. haha It's fitting for this post I think.

Leaving Las Vegas...

I'm back! MAGIC wasn't as busy as the previous years but the line I was working for got some decent business.  It was really nice to spend some time with my mom and dad even though they try to kill me with food every time I come to visit. And I actually got some sleep while I was there so I feel refreshed.   Although, I did come home to a busy schedule and more orders to fill so we'll see how long that lasts haha.

Home sweet home.

xoxo,
Munkeh

First day back to work!
Chris bought me this awesome jacket for my birthday :)
Leather jacket- Vince
Striped Bandage Skirt- Honey Punch
Cami- Elizabeth and James
Shoes and Necklace- Forever 21

Leavin' on a jet plane!
I was up at 4:00am to make my flight to Vegas.
When I travel, comfort overrules fashion....but at least my sneakers are cute. haha

I always overpack. I was there for 3 days and I packed enough for a week.

I got to catch up on my reading while I was there

Vegas baby!

My mom and dad
They may be small but don't let that fool you.  They can pack away more food than anyone I've ever known.
And they try to kill me with food everytime I go to visit them.

I saw this poster at MAGIC and I realized it's my mom and dad's motto 

MAGIC @ the Mandalay Bay

One of the lounges at MAGIC

Day #1
Marni dress, Zara shoes
Day #2
Thakoon Addition dress, Zara shoes

This was the booth right next to ours.

I geeked out when I saw the stormtroopers at another booth and had to get a pix.

Because people always carry sharp objects with them after they've been thru security at the airport.  huh?
Only in Vegas....

Anchors Aweigh

What a week. I barely got any sleep and have been working around the clock.  I had a lot of orders to finish and haven't had much time for anything else.  I'm going to Vegas for  MAGIC this weekend. The show doesn't start till Monday so I'll at least have a couple of days to relax so I am looking forward to getting at least a couple of good nights of sleep.  I can't believe I actually said I'm looking forward to going to Vegas so I can get some sleep. What's happened to me? hahaha

Anchors aweigh! See photo caption for a fun piece of trivia.

xoxo,
Munkeh

The term Anchors Aweigh often gets misspelled to Anchors Away. It totally changes the meaning.
The prior means that the anchor is clear of the bottom of the ocean so the ship is moving and on its way.
The latter changes its meaning to dropping the anchor, therefore keeping the ship at dock.
Sequin Anchor Tank- J Crew
Flounce Skirt- by me
Cardigan- Forever 21
Shoes- Forever 21
Bird Necklace- H & M

In The Trenches...

I saw Lucy Hales's character wear a floral trench coat on Pretty Little Liars last season and desperately wanted to acquire one for my wardrobe.  Hers was from Anthropologie and it sold out very quickly. So I decided to make a couple of my own.

Quick post today...gotta get back "in the trenches" to finish my orders. (ba dum bump)

xoxo,
Munkeh

Watercolor Bird and Floral Trench Coat- by me
For ordering info email me rochellecarino@gmail.com
Dress- H & M
Shoes- Forever 21
Necklace- Forever 21

I made this trench from upholstery fabric last fall.
Shirt- H & M
Skirt- Forever 21
Hat- Forever 21
Necklace- Forever 21

Fun linings! You all know how much I love to mix my prints! 

Floral and polka dots!

Birds, florals and stripes!

                                                         

Tiny Dancer

People don't believe me when I say that fashion was actually not my first career choice.  It wasn't even my second choice. My mom taught me how to sew when I was a kid and I used to make my doll clothes. And then when I got a little older I started sewing my own clothes and I loved looking at pictures in magazines. It's always been a part of my life and something that I've always enjoyed but I never thought I would end up becoming a fashion designer or working in the field period.  No, I wanted to be a dancer. I used to do ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop and ethnic dance. I studied for a long time, belonged to a dance company and I was actually very good.  You wouldn't think so because I'm the biggest klutz in day to day life but when I danced, I was very graceful and controlled. Then I got injured. I was preparing for the biggest audition of my life, a part in A Chorus Line. I randomly ran into a psychic on the street and she told me I was going to get my big break very soon. The very next day I completely tore my achilles tendon in my dance class. I got my big break, literally. I was devastated because the doctor said I would never be able to dance professionally again.  I really do miss dancing and I wonder from time to time what life would have been like if I got to pursue that path. I think it's those feelings of nostalgia that inspired my outfit today. hahaha. But I'm very happy how things worked out and grateful for the things and people in my life. So maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

When fate steps in, don't question it, you never know where it will lead you.

xoxo,
Munkeh

Prima Ballerina
Skirt- my own design (buy here)
Sweater- Joie
Shoes- Vince Camuto
Necklace- Francesca's

I want these Chloe shoes!
available at Saks Fifth Ave

Me playing dress up at work....

Look how cute and how perfect those shoes are with my outfit today!

Alter Ego

I had my second class at S Factor tonight.  It was so much fun and such a great way to unwind from my  hectic day. Earlier today, I had a sweet schoolgirl look going on. I did mix my prints and one of my co-workers said that if he saw this outfit on anyone else he would think they were crazy and got dressed in the dark, but on me it totally worked and looked cute. I didn't quite know how to take that although he  said it was a compliment, I'm not so sure....  As soon as I got to class the hair came down, the layers came off and then I was doing tricks on the pole. My sassy alter ego came out to play. haha

What's your "S" Factor? For me "S" stood for sexy secret....

xoxo,
Munkeh

Schoolgirl by day.....
My usual crazy mix of prints :)
Skirt and Blouse- by me
Sweater- Forever 21
Shoes- CC REpublic

Between The Lines

It's Monday. That's all I have to say today. hahaha. But seriously, this weekend went by way too fast.  I spent most of it slaving away in my sweatshop because I have several projects and orders right now. It's a bit overwhelming but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?  Thank heaven for Chris right now. He keeps me sane in the midst of all my craziness. He knows me better than anyone ever has and definitely reads between the lines when I say "I'm fine".  He makes me take a breather and pulls me out of my head.

One day at a time....till Tuesday my friends.

xoxo,
Munkeh

"Between the lines"
Dress- Parker
Jacket- Forever 21
Necklace- Express
Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell

Fall Preview

As much as I love summer clothes, I'm anxious for the fall season to start because I love the upcoming fashion trends. I've also been lucky enough to see previews of designer's autumn/winter collections and of course want everything in my closet.  A couple of key trends for fall that I decided to play around with the other day are laser cut leather and mixing textures.  There's also going to be a lot of feminine silhouettes reminiscent of film noir glamour.

Good night everyone!

xoxo,
Munkeh

Mixing textures is a fun key trend for fall.
Faux Leather Laser Cut Tank- Forever 21
Jacquard Skirt- Zara
Blazer- Calvin Klein
Colorblock Sandals- Forever 21
Necklace- Forever 21

Power Suit

Yesterday was amazing. I got to meet one of my all time favorite designers Antonio Berardi. He complemented my outfit which just so happened to be one of my own designs. It completely made my day! I also made some great contacts with a couple of top Hollywood stylists who said they would love to use some of my designs for their clients and editorials. Another stylist got us VIP tickets to Taylor Swift's (she's his client) concert and he said I could give her a couple of my dresses. I honestly think it was because I was wearing my lucky suit, haha. Every time I wear this outfit, without fail, at least a couple of really good things always happen. I get tons of compliments and it just gets plenty of attention. It's probably my favorite thing that I've ever made.  I was inspired by Dolce and Gabbana's use of tapestry fabric last season. I love the fabric, I love how feminine it is and it pretty much sums up everything about my personal style. Someone commented that it's very Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl.  I wish I could wear it everyday because I could be the luckiest girl ever. lol

Have a great day!

xoxo,
Munkeh

My lucky outfit, the "power suit"
I love this tapestry fabric and how feminine the whole look is.
Blazer, Skirt, & Top- all by me
Email me for purchasing info or general inquiries, rochellecarino@gmail.com or visit my website here.
Shoes and Necklace- Forever 21

Florals and Stripes, my all time favorite pairing!

Antonio Berardi and I
He is super talented and just a really nice and genuine person.
He made my day by complementing my outfit :)

Some pieces from his new collections.
Stunning. 

My favorite dress of his.
It's inspired by hummingbirds.
The details of the sequins and beading really do look like the feathers of a hummingbird.
Exquisite work.