Saturday, July 18, 2015

Jelly Magician Magic

Jelly

______I'm megathrilled (WORD SMAAASH) that jelly shoes are plastered all over the interwebs like wanted posters in a back alley. Not only are they cheap, but they feel cheap, look cheap, and make your feet all hot and bothered in the summer. Aside from an overwhelming majority of cons, there's absolutely no denying they're a) cute as heck and b) jelly magician magic.

______And as one should knowledgeably know, jelly magician magic trumps all.

Jelly
Dork Eating Leaf, digital photograph, 2015Jelly
Jelly

______Jelly shoes teleport us to when we were naive nuggets who delighted in the televised adventures of 2D characters, to when wooden spoons skimmed the tops of our single serve ice creams, and to when we hopped on scotch instead of drinking it. When making mud pies garnished with leaves was the closest thing we knew to preparing a well-rounded meal. When riding around with your friends on scooters wearing clunky helmets and knee pads was an absolute daily must. When familiar everyday sounds were the sloshing of water inside glittery hula hoops, the Windows 95 startup tune, the comforting digital screech of dial-up connection, and the pop of a PlayDoh can lid.

______Back to when the stresses of adulthood were things we could not even begin to comprehend. The hardest decision we had to make was how long to stay on the toilet playing our Gameboy Colors after finishing business. Okay, okay: the hardest decision was which starter Pokémon to choose. But you could do that from the toliet.

______What I'm getting at is that jelly shoes, though meager and materialistic, are an escape from adulthood, a portal to a place where all things are fresh and new again... we yearn for that renewal somehow, for that excitement of a first-time discovery. I feel like that's the reason items are reconfigured into new but familiar delights after a few decades: for the sweet feeling of nostalgia.

JellyJelly
Jelly

______For the next two weeks, I'm staying with my grandmother in Florida. We're going to a week-long quilting and sewing workshop together to enhance our craft and be hardcore ladies in general, and I've gotta say I'm super pumped for it! I'm more than thrilled to spend some much needed time with my g-ma. She's one of the most talented and selfless human beings on earth, always writing poems for her grandchildren and creating eye-popping quilts for them that make you awe in wonder at their intricate designs. She's ridiculously trendy, too, for she plays Mario on her Nintendo 64, texts with truckloads of emojis, and isn't afraid to call someone out when they be trippin'.

______My grandma is some eleventy-billion stars out of ten according to IMDB.

______The workshop we're attending is being held in a fancy resort so I'm definitely keeping expectations high. I've already packed my faux pearl earrings and downed every online guide on how to differentiate various forks and their specific uses (did you know the pokey parts of forks are called "tines"?). After each day of sewing, I'm hoping grandma and I will return to our room to origami towels shaped like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West with a foil-wrapped chocolate placed atop each of their cloth heads. Hopefully, there will be LED lights that line the rim of the toilet which blink eagerly with each flush. A butler in our closet wedged between the fold-out ironing board and metal hangers. And just piles of money everywhere.

______See you guys in a few!

Jelly

______What are some of the key elements of your childhood?

Top: Knowstyle (similar style)
Skirt: Charlotte Russe (exact)
Bracelets: Charming Charlie
Jelly shoes: Juju (exact) 
Necklace: Nasty Gal (similar styles)

21 comments:

Pearl in Fashion said...

great look dear, it looks like dress from behind! :)
Have a great time in Florida!

visit me soon on
http://pearlinfashion.blogspot.com

Ivana Split said...

I haven't got myself a pair of jelly sandals yet but I must admit there is magic to them...it may be because they remind us of our childhood.

you look lovely...I do like that knitted top. Such a great look altogether!

Have fun with your granny...I can't wait to visit mine.

http://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/

BeautyDrugs said...

aww nice post
keep in touch

Beautydrugs.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Woo! I hope you have an awesome time with your grandma for the next 2 weeks. Sounds like an exciting time!
Also hell yes to your shoes. Though I never had jelly shoes in the 90s because my mom said they'd make my feet sweat and she was correct. Now I keep seeing them but I'm like, nooo it's too hot here for that but they're so cute and 90s-tastic.

Jamie | PetitePanoply.com

Kelsey Bang said...

that top is so cool! rad style!
kelseybang.com

ChocolateFashionCoffee said...

lovely outfit, dear :)



Saci
ChocolateFashionCoffee
ChocolateFashionCoffee Facebook Page

Rachel said...

I'm going to get my first ever pair of jelly shoes for my birthday this week--I'll have to tell you later how I feel about them. For some reason, they definitely were not a part of my childhood. The shoes I associate with childhood are cowboy boots. That's what we wore all the time. Weird.
Your grandma, and this sewing conference thing, both sound incredible awesome! Have a blast!

Unknown said...

OMG! YOUR PHOTOS ARE SOOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! GREAT BLOG DEAR!
www.lenparent.com

Inna said...

nice pictures and good post

Frannie Pantz said...

I never made the connection, but you are right--jelly shoes are a welcome (and sweaty and mildly uncomfortable) reprise from adulthood. Yours are so cute!

I am so jealous that you get to stay with your grandmother and sew all weekend. I miss my grandmothers and often kick myself for not asking them to teach me how to sew. Enjoy your time!

Kristian said...

Loving all your jewelry-especially the necklace. And, yeah, I think the Jelly shoes sell due to nostalgia! Have fun at the workshop.

jess said...

The jelly shoes are so cute. Have fun crafting in Florida.

Vasundhara Agarwal said...

So pretty, you look amazing :)

Boheme.Fille said...

Uuu, jelly shoes, they are so cute! In fact your whole outfit is cool, girl!
And you always manage to make me laugh. :D

The Dragonfruit said...

Always evoking such beautiful imagery with your writing Ali! (okay, maybe not "beautiful" all the time, but definitely creative!) Haha, loved your bit on our childhood - because everything you said took me back to elementary school and recess time. Oh man, how I miss that! A designated time to just play and be a kid. I wonder what kids do now...probably just sit around and play games on their cell phones. -_-
I read something somewhere where 90's kids are nostalgic for a reason. We grew up during a time of such rapid development, that we saw things change in front of our eyes. We can still recall hop scotch, drawing with chalk, and playing kickball, but we also went from dial up internet to high speed in a short amount of time. That's why it feels like such a long time ago even though it wasn't.
Meh, I don't think I wrote that clearly. But you get the gist!

Anyway, I am loooooving this knit hi-low tank thing you're wearing! It's such a cool mix of trends. Paired with jelly shoes, you're perfectly nostalgic and stylish ;) Lol

Have fun at the convention with your grandma! I think that's so awesome that you're doing that. Haha, you really are an old lady at heart ;) Bahaha, but no really, your grandma sounds like a rad lady, and I guess all the Hval ladies have that spark of awesomeness to them!

PS: And yes, its Jord that sponsored the next watch ;)

The Dragonfruit Diaries
Check out my YouTube channel too!

E said...

I remember my early obsession with Jelly shoes! They were fashun jelly shoes with big block heels (from Guess) and they were the best! Love the white soles on these bad boys. And that long slit top is amazing! Great look!

District of Chic

LyddieGal said...

Your grandma sounds amazing, and I hope you enjoy your crafting adventure together!
Also, where is your gorgeous necklace from?!
Chic on the Cheap

Sybil said...

love the sandals!! :D

Have a great weekend!
Animated Confessions

Carla said...

ohhh i really like your top! I'm so into uneven-cut tops and dresses these days, that top is jus perfect. you look amazing. sorry i've been gone for while and haven't been able to comment.

cheers,
Carla
www.carlaviolet.com

Lily Fang said...

You're rocking those jelly shoes, Ali! This look is so sophisticated with the sleek shine of the shoes and the knit ribbed top. I, too, miss the carefree elements of childhood sometimes. Everything was simpler in our eyes now, but it's all relative--not getting your favorite ice cream flavor was a major fiasco as a kid haha. Everyone has problems--just different ones.

Sending you the best of wishes as you soak up the sun with your grandma! I am also good friends with mine, so I loved reading about your grandma's quirks. May it be the happiest, sunniest, most beautiful time.

Aiman Ghani said...

Aw Ali-

This touched my heart beautifully. Most posts like these are basic and unoriginal, but like all your writing, this made me very happy. Jelly shoes are so cute I'm not even going to hurt them by beginning the list of how uncomfortably weird they actually are. People leave you the sweetest comments. Hashtag comment goals? Grandmas and Florida sound like McDonalds and America. Never one without the other! I think these jellies would go grand with a denim dress I have. yes to whoever said that thing about 90s kids! Nostalgia is so much more deep when you SAW the change itself, my god. Stay happy. Life is spontaneously splendid. Always.