Day at the McNay Pt. 3 of 3

Wow!  Thanks for keeping up with me as we finally reach part 3 of 3 for Day at the McNay!  

I love to post pictures of my outfits and how I style them but sometimes it's nice to sprinkle in some of the little adventures that I embark on.

So without further ado-my outfit for Day at the McNay:

Oh. Em. Gee.  I LOVE this outfit!  It is so comfortable yet stylish.  When complete strangers take the time to tell you that they like your outfit it totally totally totally makes your day!  Side note: Don't you think we should compliment each other more?  Doesn't it feel good to let someone know that you admire something about them?  And doesn't it feel good to hear what people like about you?  Let's start a movement.

Okay, back on track:
Everything that I'm wearing has been in my closet for some time now.  The purse was probably one of the first gifts Isaac bought for me.  I had reposted it on my Tumblr (what ever happened to Tumblr?) and he bought it from there.  Awwweeee.

The body suit is from Forever21.  I actually bought it in this cream color and in a dusty pink that I'm still trying to find the right outfit for.  Body suits are great because you don't have to constantly be re-tucking in your blouse.  Isn't that so frustrating?!  I hate when an outfit looks great as long as I don't move my arms.  Not possible.

The pants are one of my favorite pieces of clothing that I own.  Pants and I have a love/hate relationship with each other.  Standing at  5'7" with most of it being leg means that many many many pants are too short.  Hence why I'm typically wearing skirts and dresses.  I was able to find these at a local Goodwill and guess what...they were new with tag!  Score!  I LOVE that they're long enough that the pants leg will just barely graze the floor when I wear a short heel.  I literally found my pant unicorn.

As for the shoes and belt, I've made it no secret that I love metallics.  I've been wearing these shoes multiple times a week because they compliment so many of my outfits.  You done did good, Forever21!  Even my mom liked these shoes so much that I bought her her own pair.   And you might recognize the belt from my Metallic and Floral post a few weeks ago.  I'm all about having the items in your closet be used for multiple outfits.  Gotta get your money's worth!

Mock turtle neck body suit: Forever21 | Pants: Goodwill | Shoes: Forever 21 | Belt: Goodwill | Purse: Etsy

That beautiful building behind me?  That's the actual museum.  If it's that outstanding outside imagine inside!

Thanks for sticking out this three part blog entry with me!  Y'all rock!  I hope you enjoyed reading and seeing my pics.  As always if you don't already be sure to follow my instagram: @CynthiaEdee for more updates and pics.  I love being able to meet y'all on social media!

Thanks and talk next Sunday!

-C

Day at the McNay Pt. 2 of 3

If you ever find yourself in San Antonio do yourself a favor and stop by the McNay Museum.  I promise you won't regret it.  Visit here! to check it out their website and enjoy some of my own pics.

I love everything about the McNay.  The history, its story, the different vibes, art, sculptures, interpretations, everything!  

Here are some pics of what you'll see when you go:

If it wasn't obvious enough I clearly prefer sculptures. 

I appreciate art in any form so much.  Mostly because it's something that I'm not good at.  I'm a creative soul with a terrible hand.  But oh, well!  At least I see and enjoy the talents of others.  So again, be sure to put the McNay Museum on your to-do list when you're in SA.  You can thank me after.  

Hope you all enjoyed part 2 of Day at the McNay!  Stay tuned for next week to see what I wore to the museum.  Let me just say that I loved my outfit and received quite a bit of compliments on it.

Be sure to follow my instagram:@CynthiaEdee for more updates and stories.  I love being able to share my day-to-day with my followers!

-C

Day at the McNay Pt. 1 of 3

I was originally going to have one post about my afternoon at the McNay but I took so many pictures that need their own attention.  So I'm going to split this up into three, yes THREE,  posts!  Two posts will be about the exhibitions and one will be about what I wore.  Hope y'all enjoy!

Day at the McNay Pt. 1 of 3

I had heard that Immersed was going to be a limited time exhibition at the museum and I was instantly excited.  I reserved my tickets, my time slot, and waited patiently for the weekend to arrive.  Let me tell you that it was 110% worth the wait!

Here's more information on Immersed.

Who remembers Lite-Brite?!!  I was obsessed with mine.  I would play with it for hours making bright and colorful nonsense.  One of the art works featured was a humongo Lite-Brite which I loooooved.  

My inner late 80s/early 90s kid totally came back out.  Todays kids will never understand the magic that was Lite-Brite.  

This was the Shadow Monster exhibit.  Isaac turned the phone around so it's going to be sideways.  Either way-this was so fun!  People got completely creative with their poses and did an amazing job interacting with the shadows.  I however, was not as good, but whatever, I still had fun.

This was by far my favorite part of the exhibit.  It's the Infinity room and you only have 60 seconds to bare witness to its beauty.  

I had promised myself prior to going in that since one minute flies by (except when you're doing cardio) that I wasn't going to experience the whole thing on my phone.  I only snapped a few (blurry) pics and the one short video so I could "unplug" for just a moment.  This picture isn't even my own-Isaac had a steadier hand than me.

Hope y'all enjoyed the pics and videos!  If you find yourself in San Antonio before September 2nd reserve your spot at the McNay and enjoy Immersed.  It's so worth it.  Stay tuned for the next two weeks for more about my Day at the McNay!

If you don't already follow my instagram @CynthiaEdee for more updates and stories.  I love interacting with my followers.

-C

LBD Makeover

Making the items in my closet as multi-functional as possible is becoming increasingly important to me.  It allows for me to use something that I love for different occasions.  It also allows me the opportunity to utilize my accessories that, more times than not, get shoved into the back of my closet known as The Vortex.

One thing that a lot of us have in our closet is the LBD (Little Black Dress).  Whether it's a wear-to-work or a sundress there are various ways that it can be styled.

Cue this Cynthia Rowley dress that I scored at Goodwill.  It's a fantastic dress that I've styled in various ways.  Here are a few looks:

1-Make it Blue

Isn't this scarf gorgeous?!  Another Goodwill find!  It's the perfect pop of color for a plain black (or white) dress.  The scarf received many compliments when I wore it to work.  If you have any scarves in your drawers or closets, bust them out!  Youtube or Pinterest ways to style and tie them.  That's what I did!

2-Two Hats-Two Vibes

Hats are a very foreign accessory for me.  I've always felt self-conscious about wearing one for whatever reasons I've made up in my mind.  But you know what-the mean people only exist in our heads so here I am-wearing hats!

 This a 100% wool hat (from Goodwill) which gives me a more evening/dinner date kind of vibe.  It's a quick way to give a more sophisticated and stylish look to your LBD.  I'll probably wear it more in the fall/winter time. 

The straw hat is also from Goodwill.  This look is much more daytime or perfect for a hot summer evening.  I'm definitely going to be getting a lot of use out of this hat during the season.  

The options of how to style a LBD are endless.  I love to see how you all style one piece of clothing in different ways so don't be shy to show me!  

Hope that y'all were able to take a little somethin'-somethin' from this post! Again-if you don't follow me on instagram you really should!  Find me @CynthiaEdee!

Talk next Sunday!

-C

Houston May Be Changing My Mind

The city of Houston and I are not the best of friends.  We have a strange relationship which has prevented me from ever visiting there if it wasn't work-related.

Enter conflict: Isaac's favorite team is the Houston Astros.

I finally bit the bullet and agreed to go to H-Town to see them play against the Boston Red Sox.  The drive was pleasant, mostly because of the treasure trove of snacks we bought and an irresistible podcast (Heaven's Gate, seriously so good!) and in less than four hours we made it to our hotel and began to explore the city on foot.

Here are some pics from our exploring:

(This stripe top is a go-to for a lot of my outfits.  Stripes will always be classic and in style.  Top is from Target, shorts are from Forever 21 but purchased at Goodwill, shoes are Steve Madden, purse is BCBG but purchased at Plato's Closet.)

Ok so let's talk outfits:

I'm not a big t-shirt person (even though I have drawers dedicated to tees).  The times I do go to sporting events I like to wear a blouse/dress that has the team colors in it.  So when deciding what to wear to the baseball game I had to keep in mind that we were walking to the stadium so it had to be light and breezy.  (Texas weather is in the hundreds these days.)  

Polka dot blouse is from Goodwill, shorts are the same shorts from striped tee post, shoes are Kate Spade Keds, and the hat is sponsored by Isaac.  

A simple yet totally appropriate look for a baseball game.  

Polka dots and stripes will never ever go out of style.  To give it an extra sense of style I tied the bottom of the blouse in a knot.

  

 Believe it or not there was a point in time where I hated polka dots.  Blasphemy, right?!  I'll tell the story of why in a different post.

Yuummmm...

Hope y'all enjoyed this post!  I'm going to try to post every Sunday so stay tuned!  And also follow my instagram @CynthiaEdee!

-C

Keeping The Ojo Away

Let me start off by saying that if you do not follow my instagram then you NEED to!  I update on there way more often than my blog!  Look for me under Cynthiaedee!

A long time friend of mine reached out to my Treasure Box services to assist her in creating her ideal look for the upcoming Katy Perry concert.  Needless to say I was THRILLED to help her out!

The great thing about what my friend (Norma) did was that she put together a Pinterest page of what kind of look she wanted to create.  I can't even begin to tell you how much easier that made things!  I knew EXACTLY what she wanted which helped me to be specific on my search for her perfect concert outfit.  Here are some of the pics she had pinned for inspiration:

So great!  I had a starting point!  The more specific a client can be the better it is for the both of us.  I'm able to be more selective and better cater to their wants.

The very first thing I found for Norma wasn't even on her list for me but it was an adorable Forever 21 purse that I purchased at Goodwill.  Next came the belt, then the jacket.  I ordered an evil eye patch online but felt like the jacket still needed a little something more...pics will show what I meant...

Here's a picture of the before:

And the after!:

I added the lip elbow patches to make it a little jazzier.  I really wanted this jacket to be a little more comic pop art-ish and the sequin lips did just that!

Here are pics of the belt and purse that I found for Norma.  Doesn't that belt look almost just like the one she pinned?!  And that purse was too cute to pass up.

Let me tell you somethings that I learned on this quest:

1-Denim jackets that are second hand and in good shape are not easy to come by!  I went to at least three Goodwills and no luck!  I personally think it's because a good denim jacket is a staple in a wardrobe and it's safe to hold on to it.

2-I know this but if you don't know....hand stitching takes HOURS!  If you ever wonder why hand embroidered clothing is priced higher it's because of the amount of work that goes into it.  I can't tell you how many times I pricked my fingers or would stitch for a while just to realize that I started the stitch wrong then had to start all over again.  It's a painstaking process but the end result is so worth it!

I had a great time with this challenge.  It's by far been my favorite.  I loved collabing with Norma and watching her vision come to life through my work.

I'd love to be able to do the same for any of you reading this if you want me to!  I have some people asking if I'll hand embroider their denim jackets and the answer is OF COURSE!    I'll be putting a pricing chart soon!  If you want to collab comment below OR email Cynthiaedee@gmail.com!

Let's collab, yo!

-CE

Working On My Fitness

Another goal for 2018:  Find MY fitness!

First off-this has nothing to do with losing weight!

I used to love to run.  I'd go running at a local park here in SA and I loved it.  I loved being able to be outside because there was always something different to look at and people were constantly walking their dogs.  There was a dog park there so I'd start and end my runs by stretching in front of the park watching all the cute dogs run around and play.  It was great.  Until an unfortunate event happened there and then I didn't feel as safe anymore.

To me exercising has always been a solo job.  I prefer to be alone (though I don't mind occasional company) because it gives me time to clear my own mind without having any distractions.  Plus I can go at my own pace and I like to push myself and not have anyone else there.  It's selfish time for me.

After summer when the unfortunate event happened I stopped running and exercising all together.  I hate it.  But I also haven't done anything to change my situation.  So you can't complain about and not something and not do anything to change it so in 2018 I've decided that I'm going to find MY exercise.

This might mean that I go back to running and take more precautions or run with a partner.  But it also means that I'm going to try different things.  Maybe yoga, pilates, boxing, gym, a dance class...I don't know!  It'll have to be something that works with my work schedule (retail is tough, y'all).

Again, this has nothing to do with losing weight.  It has more to do with keeping some sort of balance and cleansing the mind.  I'll keep y'all posted!

What's your favorite exercise?

-CE

Miss running.

Buy Less-Choose Well-Vivienne Westwood

I'm extremely guilty of being a clothing/accessory hoarder.  It's difficult to part with my possessions.  I actually feel anxious and nervous when looking at my belongings and telling myself, "You haven't worn this in x-amount of time..get rid of it!"  

To keep myself out of this emotional turmoil that I somehow always put myself in here's what I plan to to:

Buy Quality-Not Quantity

This can be a little tricky since I've turned myself into a budget/thrift fashion blogger.  It's easy to be lured in to buying bags full of clothes because the price was right.  

As I've been going through my closet these past few days with a fine toothed comb I've been taking out a lot of items that were purchased at Goodwill that still have tags on them.  I bought them because they were there...not because I LOVED them.  Throughout these past few years I've really been able to hone in on my style and the kinds of looks that I go for so if I'm out shopping and something catches my eye yet doesn't support the kind of closet I want to have, then I won't take it.

I'm also going to limit my shopping trips!  I used to go to thrift stores every chance I got.  Before work, after work, on my days off.  You could always find me out and about shopping somewhere second hand.  This year I'm going to limit myself (actually I'm grounding myself after seeing how much I've bought but never wore...that money could have been used for trips and traveling!) to only shopping when it's been more than 2-3 weeks, if someone wants for me to go shopping with them, OR if I have a client for Treasure Box.  

I haven't been shopping for myself in a few weeks now and I realize how good it feels to be able to use the clothes that I have in my closet that haven't had a chance to be worn.  If you follow my instagram (CynthiaEdee) then you'll see that I wore a sequin blazer to The Pearl the other night.  I've had that blazer in my closet for over a year now and never wore it.  Not because I didn't love it but because I was constantly buying something else that I wanted to wear instead.  I kept on adding and adding to my closet with no real intent other than I just wanted it.  

I will always shop second hand because of it being environmentally friendly, the support it gives to non-profit organizations or small business owners, and because it's financially friendly to me.  But I can easily get mixed in to purchasing too many items that aren't really me.  So from here on out I'll tell myself, "If you saw this at the mall would you buy it full price?"  If the answer is no-it goes back on the rack.  

This is going to go for all areas in my life.  Beauty, home decor, furnishings, etc.  If it doesn't add value then it's not coming home with me.  No matter what the price is.

Does anyone else share this same goal?

-CE

My sequin jacket that was finally worn.

Cheers!

It happens around this time every year...we start to make those New Year Resolutions.  Resolutions to lose weight, make more time for this or that, quit smoking, start reading more, etc. etc.  I personally don't make "resolutions" and instead I make goals!  Goals that I want to achieve, goals that maybe I won't accomplish but will take me on a fun/cool journey, easy to reach goals, difficult to reach goals, fun goals, goals that I'm not too excited to work towards.

As for my relationship with 2017-I can honestly say that this year was a great year for me!  Probably one of the best ever.  I feel like I had more fun and more self-discovery this year.  I felt a little more alive this year.  And I want 2018 to be even better than what I experienced these past twelve months and with my nature of being an over-sharer I want to share these goals with y'all and take y'all on the journey with me!

So what I'm going to do is write a blog post about each one of my resolutions!  So stay tuned for my 2018 goals!

Shedding Skin

I'm guilty of having had many a blogs throughout time and this is no exception.  

Hi! Hello, hola, bonjour, hallo, ciao! My name is Cynthia Garcia and I'm a 29 year old girl living in Texas and loving life (cliche, right?)  I toyed around with the idea of starting yet ANOTHER blog and after some persuasion from one of my close friends I gave in.

The purpose and mission of this blog?  To post my current obsessions from clothes, to songs, to books, to food, to beauty products, to television shows, and well, you get the picture!  

So a little more about me:  

• I'm a Taurus (April 29).
• I graduated with my degree in Business Marketing with a focus on Retail.
• Almost everything about the 70s decade inspires me.
• I am a HUGE Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fan (not just the movies, I've read all the books numerous times).
• I believe that the world would be a happier place if everyone owned a pet.
• My favorite movie is Forrest Gump and my favorite color is glitter.

As this blog goes on y'all (yes, in Texas we do say "y'all") will get to know me a little bit better.  

Enjoy!

Tonight I realized that certain goals and dreams I had for myself are starting to come true.  I've started to branch out a little and I'm beginning to find my own identity, and I owe some of it to this little ol' blog.

Above was my very first entry in this blog.  It was published on 7/29/2014.  As stated in the second paragraph of the entry the purpose of the blog was to share some of my favorite things, nothing in specific.  But like most things that we create it ended up taking a life of its own.  

Through this blog I realized a few things: I loved shopping second hand, I loved sharing my finds with others, I enjoyed seeing what other people found while shopping second hand, and that I wanted to find a community of like-minded people.  These are things that I would have never used to describe myself prior to this blog.  

I've also found my style since starting this blog.  My style in clothing, music, food, make up, hair, people I like to surround myself with, how I want to be perceived, etc.  Not that I didn't make a lot of mistakes on the journey to finding my style, and there will still be mistakes to come, but I've really been able to hone in on ME!  It also comes with age (I'm on the way to 33 after all) and as I read through my old blog posts I slowly see my transition to who I am today.

Today I am a blogger, instagramer, second hand stylist, hand stitching seamstress, and founder of CE Treasure Box.  I'm excited to see where this blog and I will go in the future.  

I've always enjoyed sharing myself with others.  From the days of AOL profiles, AOL Hometown Pages, Myspace, Livejournal, etc.  And I'll continue to share with anyone who is willing to read my thoughts.  So thank you if you follow any of my social media outlets!  From facebook, to instagram, to this blog.  I thank you for being with me this long and hope you enjoy the ride to the future!

-CE

Wedding Fun

On December 2nd Isaac and I went to probably one of the most beautiful weddings that I will ever see in my lifetime.  Everything was extravagant without being tacky or distasteful.  It was very well put together.

Being that I knew that this was going to be a high attendance wedding I knew that I had to have the right dress.

I believe in repeating a dress/outfit if you need to in order to save money and be environmentally conscious.  The dress I chose to wear was one that I wore to my cousin's wedding a few years ago.  Since the weddings were held in different years and would be held in different cities no one would notice!  I don't even think my own husband remembered the dress!

I purchased this dress on clearance for $14!  Let me repeat that...this dress was only $14!  Now-I did pay a pretty penny to have it altered.  I had to have the chest taken in (story of my life) but it made all the difference.

Like I said earlier the wedding was gorgeous.  I know the day was all about the happy couple but I couldn't help but smile myself when strangers were complimenting how beautiful my dress was.

What are your thoughts on outfit repeating?

-CE

Pearl, Baby, Pearl

I purchased this black velvet v-neck at Goodwill when I went to visit my family in the valley earlier in the month.

I didn't know exactly how I'd style because it doesn't have the most flattering fit BUT I knew it had major potential.  I just had to find the right product.

Viola!!  Embellished pearls on anything has been the latest trend and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.  Thank goodness for eBay because I was able to purchase over 300 assorted beads for a great price!

I started this project at around 10 pm last night and ended around 2:30am.  So it was pretty lengthy but the Taurus in me had to see the project through till the end.

Almost done!

Ta-da!  The finished (well, almost finished) product!  I still want to add more medium sized beads to the back of the arms.  However, all-in-all I'm pretty pumped about my updated blouse!

What do you think?!

-CE