I'm Alive

So, I just realized yesterday that it's officially been a month since I got back from Tampa. It's also been almost a month since I've posted on Stellar Piece. It's a travesty, I know. I feel like I'm one of those horrible parents who leaves their kids in the car on accident because they're too busy worrying about other things. Yes, I did just compare my blog to a human child, but whatever.

I have been so busy lately. I've never been happier. The first week that I came back to Brooklyn was kind of the worst week of my life. Although I was excited about the thought of being here, I knew that I had to find one of those things called a J-O-B before I would let myself get too comfortable. But everything feels like it's falling into place.

Right now I'm currently working with CollegeFashionista HQ, Bib + Tuck & a marketing company called Liz Theresa. If everything goes as planned, CollegeFashionista will become my full-time gig & you have no idea how happy that makes me. It's just where I want to be everyday.

Now that I have a little bit more stability & a structured schedule going on, I've been trying to spend my free time wisely. I had a pretty fun day yesterday with my godmother, Auntie Anne. She took me to brunch at the coolest little place called Edi and the Wolf in East Village. Brunching is taken very seriously here in New York, so I went all out & had a the wild mushroom frittata. I ate a frittata, guys. Who am I? Then we had a little photo shoot, hung out while it rained, watched Charlie's Angels + went for dinner & drinks at Blaue Gans.


Speaking of Auntie Anne, she is pretty much the coolest. She designs her own clothes with fabric that she picks out from India & sells them in her store, Anne Kothari. If I'm lucky, sometimes she lets me test out some of her lovely pieces. So, I decided put my own twist on her Lineage pants + Girl Next Door skirt. 

I loved styling these because they aren't pieces that I typically go for, so it was fun to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. Her clothes are all super well made, fit beautifully & have the greatest prints. I love the '50s vibe of the Girl Next Door skirt + I kind of want to live in the Lineage pants because they are softer than an actual pile of kittens.

Check out Anne Kothari, buy her super cool printed pieces + make sure to enter STELLAR PIECE at checkout for 25% off your entire purchase.

Love,

A

Sweet Spontaneity

Today was a day of spontaneity. A & I are undoubtedly two of the most obsessive planners you will ever know. We enjoy routine & planning ahead. But sometimes, a day can prove so much more thrilling when it operates completely without an agenda.

We awoke at the crack of noon to find ourselves working through a schedule of the day: pick up some hay for Tyson, the family celebrity // guinea pig, visit the Post Office, & take a trip to St. Petersburg to visit the Salvador Dali Museum. After getting into the car, A & I decided to completely derail our routine & take a spur of the moment trip to Downtown Tampa. 

A short drive later, we found ourselves at the Henry B. Plant Museum on the campus of the University of Tampa. If you've never been to UT, or seen photographs of it, let me be the first to tell you that it is by far one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen. After taking in the sights, we paid our admission ($7 for students) & were pleasantly surprised to be treated to a pair of complementary museum audio tour sets, which A & I took an immediate opportunity to look like total goofballs with.  

We strolled, appreciated times when a hotel room was $5 a night, and took an unending amount of mirror selfies. A discovered that standing over an air conditioning vent caused her dress to fly up, Marilyn Monroe-style. Photos were taken, you know, for documentation purposes.

Hunger hit us like a sudden wave, & we hurried across the street to one of our favorite little spots, Oxford Exchange, for some afternoon high tea. While A has experienced high tea many-a-time, this was my first. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, never in my life have I eaten such a fancy finger sandwich. And while I'm usually the guy to run far, far away from anything labeled "vegetarian", I even enjoyed a few bites of an arugula sandwich (thanks for broadening my horizons, babe). 

We snacked on our three-tiered tower, sipped on some Earl Grey Lavender Tea & caramel cappuccinos, but most importantly, enjoyed each others company. Engaging one another in endless conversation is something A & I delve into regularly, but reaching the point in a relationship where a quiet, romantic lunch isn't awkward is something to be cherished.

To summarize, an afternoon in the gorgeous Tampa air, sans-any kind of plan, turned out to be one of the most perfect & memorable days of my entire life thus far; one that I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.

Love,

J

Jake // Shirt: J. Crew // Pants: H&M // Bracelets: J. Crew & Pulsera Project // Shoes: Clarks // Sunnies: Ray Ban

Aisha // Dress: Cotton On // Shoes: Deena & Ozzy // Sunnies: Urban Outfitters 

  

Take a Walk

There comes a point in your life when you realize that someone means so much more than you than you had initially anticipated. You start wanting to do really weird things, like come over to just to help clean their house, or showing up unannounced with a pillow pet & a box of Milk Duds. You start wanting to share everything with this person: meals, thoughts, conversation, & even your past experiences & memories. 

Last weekend, A took me on a trip to South Tampa, where we visited her old stomping grounds & retraced the places where she formed precious childhood memories. We drove past her old high school, walked up to the front door of her mom's old condo, & took a walk on the Ballast Point Park Pier, where she used to spend many-a-summer-day playing with her mom & brother Ashton. It was beautiful to visit the places she used to spend her time at long before she even met me & listen to her recount some of her most treasured memories.

Aside from being a lovely day in the sun with an incredible view of the downtown Tampa skyline, I really enjoyed seeing all the places where A blossomed into the pretty little flower she is today. It feels good to have reached such a wonderful place in someone's life.

Take a walk down memory lane with your loved one as soon as you can, it's as fun an experience as it is beautiful.

Love,

J   

Aisha // Dress: Target // Shoes: Deena & Ozzy // Sunnies: Urban Outfitters 

Jake // Jacket: Levi's // Shirt: Brixton // Pants: Levi's // Bracelets: J. Crew & Pulsera Project // Shoes: Vans // Sunnies: Ray Ban