Joining the I-Fathom Magazine Team!

HELLO EVERYONE! Guess who landed a spot on the I-Fathom Magazine team!...guess... I did! I even have proof:

BAM. Told you I had proof.  I could not be more excited to be an I-Fathom blogger and content writer. As you can see, I'm becoming more and more active in the fashion industry between Tropicana Girls and I-Fathom (a special thanks to my fellow Tropicana Girls, Elizabeth and Ellen, who really inspired me to explore the fashion world in the first place). Now, let me tell you about I-Fathom Magazine. I-Fathom is an entrepreneurial platform based out of Philadelphia. I-Fathom brings to you behind the scenes coverage and exclusive interviews with your favorite celebrities. Our much anticipated winter issue has been released this month with Kris Jenner, from Keeping up with the Kardashians, as our cover girl. Here is our beautiful cover:

The issue also features Tabatha Coffey from hit Bravo show "Tabatha Takes Over" and celebrity blogger Karen Civil. In the winter issue, you can also expect to find talented photographers, haute couture designers, models and stylists in the fashion industry. Ok, so I know what you're thinking (Yes, I'm a mind reader now). How can I get I-Fathom Magazine? You can download the I-Fathom app in the App Store (and yes, the app is free). Just search "I Fathom Magazine" and the app pops right up. Once you have downloaded the app, you can buy the winter issue and read right from your phone or tablet! Ok, so this is just a glimpse of what the magazine has to offer. You have to read it yourself and tell me what you think. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my new adventure with I-Fathom Magazine. I can't wait to start and make my readers proud!

Social Media:

I Fathom Magazine can be found on Facebook by searching "I-Fathom"
Click HERE for the I-Fathom Facebook page

And Twitter (@ifathom)
Click HERE for the I-Fathom Twitter profile

By the way, look who tweeted us! (fan girling)

And of course, my personal favorite, Instagram (@ifathommagazine)

 Amanda  

                                                                                 

 Personal Instagram: @amandapdc

Blog Instagram: @tropicana_girls

Let's Pretend Miami Has Cold Weather (4 Reasons Why)

Reason #1

Lately I've been drawn to black and white, which is weird because my wardrobe used to be really colorful. With that being said, I saw this jacket and fell in love. Not only is it black and white, but the design is pretty cool. But wait, it gets better: it's actually light. You know what this means right?! I wont die of heat exhaustion during Miami's version of "fall" and "winter"...always a plus. I bought this at Loehmann's and the brand is Romeo & Juliet. The jacket cost me $50. I have a lot of clothes from this brand so its no surprise I like this jacket. 

Reason #2

To be honest, I was a  little iffy on this one. I'm kind of petite so I wasn't sure if I liked how the over sized vest looked on me. So, I began to brainstorm potential outfits with the vest. I began to imagine a long-sleeve fitted black shirt under the vest, with skinny cargo pants or leggings paired with cool boots. Maybe a statement necklace too. Turns out I sold myself on the vest with my imaginary outfit. We'll see if my "vision" was a success or failure in the future (leaning more towards success though).I got this vest for $50 at wait for it...Loehmann's...(shocker). The brand is also Romeo & Juliet...told you I liked the brand! 

Reason #3

This jacket...I think it looks so "high fashion" because of the print. The print has a blue-ish tone, and I liked the contrast of the black and blue. The jacket is heavy though, but I don't mind baking in the sun all day just to wear it. I've done it before (along with many fellow Miamians) and I don't mind doing it again this upcoming fall/winter. I got this beautiful piece at Zara earlier this summer and knew it would come in handy in the future. 

Reason #4

Lastly, I got a varsity-style jacket. I like the simplicity of this jacket and I think it's pretty "dope"...Ellen and I use this word all the time now regarding clothes. I'm not sure if it's a proper way to describe clothes but it seems to work for us. Anyways, The jacket is pretty simple so matching wise the possibilities are endless. I also got the jacket at Zara.

Amanda

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: @tropicana_girls)

"You Seriously Bought Those?"

FINALLY I found a pair of oxfords I like! Usually my problem was finding a pair with colors that would match my wardrobe (a lot of the oxfords I've seen had touches of neon), but hey silver works right? I know what you're thinking...they're very...very...flashy(literally...they're like a mirror). At first I was iffy about the shoes, but Ellen persuaded me to get them and told me that they would look "sick". I think these shoes will make a great statement with any outfit. It will immediately dress up whatever it is that you're wearing. And because these shoes are so shiny it will add a cool touch of "different" in your outfit...or as Ellen likes to say "pizzaz". The brand is Abound, I bought these shoes for only $20 at Nordstrom Rack! It was a good shopping day for me. I can't wait to wear them.

Now onto pair #2:

To start off I was in desperate need of flats...so I'm beyond happy I found these. The brand is Enzo Angiolini and they cost me $35 (at Nordstrom Rack). I think they're really classy. The gold pointed tip and gold outline makes the shoes that much nicer. At first I was gonna buy a pair of solid black flats, but once again Ellen convinced me to buy these instead. I definitely made the right choice, solid black flats are good to have, but they're boring. And nobody likes boring. 

Last but not least, pair #3:

These...are my favorite. And of course, they're Sperry Top-Sider. Sperry in high top form is a dream come true for me. I was already a Sperry fanatic, so when I saw these high tops with the cheetah print AND red on the inside I was sold. I'd say these shoes are really "fun" and casual, it's only been a week since I bought them and I'm pretty sure I've worn them everyday since. The shoes were $60 (also from  Nordstrom Rack) and anywhere else they would have been double the amount I paid. I highly recommend Nordstrom Rack for shoe shopping, I always find something I like. These high tops will definitely add a cool touch to any simple outfit. 

Link to Nordstrom Rack Online!

Amanda 

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)

Yea.Nice (It's A Brand)

This hat...I'm obsessed. The hat is called the Jungles mens 5-panel hat...and yes I bought it even though it's for men. I've worn it almost everyday since I bought it (with my pajamas/anything I've been wearing around the house...as ridiculous as that sounds). The print is so unique and I finally came up with a legitimate outfit to wear it with! The outfit was simple, I wore a black t-shirt with a small horizontal zipper on it and green skinny cargo pants so the hat really completed the look. The brand is called Yea.Nice and I think it's so clever. If you look closely, under the Yea.Nice logo on the hat it says "It's A Brand" which actually makes a lot of sense. The other day my friend said "Oh that's cool the hat says Yea Nice on the back" and I replied by saying "It's A Brand"...I thought it was pretty clever. The picture above was taken yesterday and yes, once again this is lo-fi filter. I couldn't help but Instagram a picture of it. So I tagged #yeanice because when I bought the hat, the tags had the hash-tag on it. Turns out the two founders of the company liked my picture! The two founders are Jj Thomas (@jjthomas_) and Josh Sherman (@josh_yeanice). Check them out! Here are more pictures of the hat:

Oh and shameless selfie with one of my favorite Ray-Ban sunglasses that look pretty sick with the hat 

Buy The Hat HERE

Official Yea.Nice Website

Amanda 

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)

Outfit Breakdown: Amanda

Alright I know what you're thinking so let's get this out of the way... is that Lo-Fi filter again? yes this is Lo-Fi filter for all you Instagram fiends (Myself included, @amandapdc). Ok now that we got that over with... Ellen and I decided to have a photo shoot about a month ago and I loved this outfit. Ellen helped me put it together and these are her pants that I borrowed (as usual...we're always borrowing clothes from each other). Libz (Elizabeth) bought her the pants about 2 years ago at H&M in Europe so unfortunately you can't buy them anymore. I bought the peplum shirt at a local store here in Miami called Maruchi. About 50% of my clothes are from this store, it's my Saturday tradition to stop by and see what's new in the store. The peplum style has become very popular this year, and this style can dress up any outfit and give it a more formal look. The peplum style has a way of slimming the body too, so I consider it to be a very "form flattering" look. Now for the shoes...these shoes aren't mine and I should probably give them back to my friend. I've had them for 3 months now but hey at least I'm making good use out of them. You can't really see them in this picture, but the brand is Vintage. Last but not least is the fedora. It's definitely a must-have for anyone who lives in a city as sunny as Miami. Fedoras are a great accessory and adds fun to any outfit. Someone bought me this fedora at Target and the brand is Mossimo. I love Target, you'd be surprised at what you'll find in there. But beware: it's kind of dangerous. I always want to buy everything in there when I'm  only looking for "just one thing". I call it Target syndrome. Alright so this is my first outfit breakdown and I'll be posting more soon! Check out more pictures(less filtered) from our photo shoot:

Libz finally decided to stop being so lazy and joined me for one quick picture (notice she's sporting my mirrored Ray Bans you can read  about in my post Here)

Buy The Fedora Here!

Aaaand...enjoy this Target meme I thought was hilarious:

Amanda

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)

Let's Get Naked (Naked 2 Urban Decay Eye Palette That Is)

I finally got it! The Urban Decay Naked 2 eye palette (and lip gloss which was free...I love free stuff). I usually don't leave my house without some shimmer on my eyes, and I love this palette because of the wide variety of pigment rich colors it offers. The palette ranges from shimmery colors to matte, opening the opportunity to create any look you're going for. I can easily achieve a simple day time nude look or a dramatic smokey eye for going out at night. I love that about this product, I highly recommend it!

Buy The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette HERE

Amanda 

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)

The "It" Bag of 2013

I'm sure you've seen these purses lately while walking the streets of the city or scrolling down your Instagram feed (usually on a celebrities account). We recognize the square bag when we see it and we know: It's a Céline. I personally don't own a "luxury brand" purse but I'm determined to get a Céline as my first. There are two purses I have my eyes on, both from the 2013 Fall collection. The first is a classic black and white purse (the luggage mini) that will match with everything:

The second (also a luggage mini) has a completely different color, but it caught my eye anyways:

I love both of these bags because years from now, I know I will be able to wear any of these purses and the purse won't be out of style. That's the great thing about buying a classic purse: it never goes out of style. If anything, it is possible that years from now the purses will increase in value. 

Now here's a little background on Céline: the company was founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana and the head quarters are in Paris, France. Céline is a luxury goods brand that is now owned by LVMH (Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A.) who purchased the company in 1988 for 540 million. Céline was originally a made-to-measure children's shoe business. Céline later grew into women's shoes and accessories. The ready-to-wear line debuted in the 1960s. Céline Vipiana was the designer from 1945-1997. 

Alright I'm done informing you (boring you) with history and all that... point is I need a Céline bag and I CANNOT wait until I own one! Trust me I'll be sure to update you when that happens.

Check out the links to the bags I showed you:

The first bag 

The second bag

Amanda 

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)

Mirrored Lens Addiction

How sick are these sunglasses?! You can't see the logo but they're part of Ray Ban's most recent sunglasses collection. The sunglasses  shown above are called large metal  "mirror flash" aviators. -BTW that is me in the reflection if you're wondering- The color of my aviators are crystal green with matte gold. I love them SO much. These "mirrored" aviators blew up this summer...I've seen so many people wearing them it's crazy. Then again, it's Miami. Either you wear sunglasses or go blind in the summer sun. I finally bought my first pair about a month ago and I was so excited to add them to my sunglasses collection. The sunglasses come in a deep blue and a reddish-orange kind of color as well. I want them all but I'm saving up for the reddish ones next (Have in mind I bought a pair of classic black Wayfarers two weeks ago).

This is just my first post about sunglasses. Trust me I have a lot more coming your way... I literally can't get enough. I have about 6 Ray Ban sunglasses and I'll fill you in on those later!

Find these aviators here!

Amanda 

(Personal Instagram: @amandapdc // Blog Instagram: tropicana_girls)