A Bespin We Will Go

May 4, 2017July 2, 2018 Nina PenalosaLeave a comment

Well, well… what have we here? An ensemble entirely dedicated to Cloud City? Hell yeah, that’s what we have here! Lately it feels like I’m wearing something Star Wars 90% of the time, so anyone who knows me outside of my blog are probably like, “this isn’t anything new.” There are days where I’m like, “Okay, try something different,” but I’ll end up in something Star Wars anyway. But it’s been a few parsecs since I’ve shared any of my ensembles on Le Fancy Geek! So it’s not like y’all know what’s going on with me. Also, wearing a flouncy a-line skirt with crinoline underneath is a bit much for some, so I had make sure this May 4th’s outfit post was, as the kids say, extra. Haha!

Modern-vintage-pinup with a touch of geek chic has been my aesthetic for quite some time now, so this Cloud City skirt by Her Universe is every girly nerd’s dream come true. I paired it with my pink top with lattice details, my denim vest (so I could wear some of my fave Star Wars pins like my glittery Millennium Falcon, Lando, and Sons of Anarchy style Rebel Scum pin), and my adorable Millennium Falcon purse! Another thing I’ve been obsessed with lately are novelty purses — particularly ones of the geeky variety (obviously). Loungefly and Bioworld have been coming out with some really fantastic ones as of late. They’re seriously like Kate Spade for nerds.

I hope you all have a Happy May 4th! May the 4th be with you in all that you do today, and hope that you grab some cool collectibles or get great deals with all awesome sales that are happening today! I’ll be working for a good chunk of the day, but of course I’ll be rocking some Star Wars threads (like any other day). 🙂

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
skirt: Her Universe (buy here) | denim vest: Mossimo
belt: A|X Armani Exchange| hair flower: made by me
shoes: Nicole | top: ?? | purse: Loungefly (buy here)
nail wraps: Espionage Cosmestics (buy here)
enamel pins: BB.CRE.8|Space Cadet Collective|Smuggler’s Bounty

Cheers,
Nina

(outfit photos by Caitlin Hamer)

geek style

I Know My Value

December 6, 2016July 2, 2018 Nina Penalosa1 Comment

It’s almost been a month since the world turned upside down, and I’m still trying to process everything. Like… how the hell did this happen?! If you haven’t been living under a proverbial rock, surely you know what I’m talking about.

I struggle with considering myself an optimist (now more than ever) because despite my great need to have a strong moral compass, and desire to believe that there’s kindness and compassion in the world thanks to my heavy Disney diet as a child, I can’t help but feel frustrated and despondent knowing that everyday some form of hate is being spread. With the results of the election, I’ve noticed that people who have opposing views to mine are growing a hell of a lot more bolder in spreading that hate. Sure, others who are like-minded to my views posted many encouraging things on social media that basically said they support you if you’re female, black, LGBTQ+, latinx, or muslim. Well, I identify as female, but why aren’t asians as a whole included in this list? As a community, we’re just as angry, hurt, scared, and frustrated as any other community. Hollywood has already left me feeling quite marginalized; as much as I love Marvel, the backlash that came with Doctor Strange has me seething with rage. I know the director acknowledged the issues of whitewashing, but I found his excuses to be very weak. Story tellers, talented ones at least, are able to overcome such obstacles as writing ethnic characters that aren’t racially stereotypical. I could go on about the frustration I feel over the lack of asian representation in Hollywood, but I feel like that’s a whole other blog post.

Despite my recent frustrations with Marvel’s cinematic universe, they did give me and the rest of the geek community Peggy Carter. She’s been a beacon of light for us geek girls (and boys) by being a scrappy bad ass that takes shit from no one. This Agent Carter inspired dress from Her Universe almost feels like armor in a sense because I feel like I can kick ass and take names whenever I wear it (and it has pockets!).

Over the past month, I’ve been turning to different fandoms to find some form of comfort because escapism every now and then is needed in times like these. Whether it’s Poe Dameron saying “As long as there’s light, we’ve got a chance,” Albus Dumbledore saying “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one remembers to turn on the light,” or the Hamilton soundtrack in its entirety, they all fill me with a bit of hope and inspiration. But Peggy’s infamous “I know my value” line has been coming to the forefront of my mind a lot more lately. The quote in its entirety ends with “Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t matter.” I know that my life and those in my community are worth it just as much as anyone else’s, even if others don’t seem to think so.

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
Agent Carter dress: Her Universe (buy here) | purse: Kate Spade (n/a)
shoes: Dexflex Comfort (buy here)| lipstick: Besame (buy here)
Avengers bracelet: Loot Wear (subscribe here)
Steve Rogers necklace: Le Fancy Geek Boutique (buy here)

Cheers,
Nina

(photos taken by Sara McDougall)

geek style

The Best Freaking Pilot in the Galaxy

November 5, 2016July 2, 2018 Nina PenalosaLeave a comment

Oh my goodness, how the hell is it November already?! It still feels like SDCC just happened last month, but alas. That was four months ago! The way the end of the year quickly creeps upon us never ceases to amaze and terrify me. Why terrify? Well… because it makes me think about what I have and [mostly] haven’t done all year, and makes me cringe because despite the things I did accomplish, I can’t help but focus on the negative. Y’know how that goes. 😛

I’ve been pretty quiet on here lately, and that’s because I’ve been crazy busy with an internship I just started a month ago in San Francisco! I’ll talk more about it at some other point because I just wanted to quickly share mine and Rory’s Halloween costumes. Him and I dressed up as BB-8 and Poe DAME-eron from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. HA! See what I did there? Poe Dameron. DAME-eron? No? Okay fine, whatever. I thought it was clever.

We were originally going to be Babe and Farmer Hoggett from Babe, but then I saw this BB-8 costume at Petsmart back in August and immediately decided we’d be BB-8 and Poe instead. I already had the Poe/Finn jacket by Her Universe from Hot Topic so that just saved me a trip from having to find a tweed jacket and whatever else I’d need to dress up as Farmer Hoggett. Plus dressing up like an old farmer versus dressing up like the best freaking pilot in the galaxy — pilot wins hands down! I thought about wearing pants (or trousers incase anyone from Europe is reading this) to be more Poe-like, but I went with a skirt because I’m all about that no-pants life. Except pants would’ve been nice to have on the hayride we went on at Dell’osso Farms. :: cringe ::

:: OUTFIT POST ::
Poe/Finn jacket: Her Universe (buy here)
skirt & shirt: Forever 21 (n/a online)
belt: Merona (buy here) | boots: G.H. Bass (n/a)
BB-8 dog costume: Pestsmart (buy here)

Rory and I are definitely going to be rocking these outfits again for our holiday greeting cards this year! Did you dress your pet or yourself up for Halloween? Tell me all about your costumes in the comments section. 🙂

Cheers,
Nina

(photos of me and Rory by Caitlin Hamer)

geek style

All the Loot: My SDCC Haul

August 10, 2016 Nina Penalosa2 Comments

Look at my cute lil’ ~~General Hux~~ Huxband Funko Pop figure! Isn’t he the cutest?! He’s one of the many things I picked up at SDCC this year.

So, I finally made a haul video to show off all the awesome stuff I picked up at SDCC. I’ve actually made a few over the last couple years, but never ever got around to actually publishing them. And even though I’ve made a few vlogs already, it’s quite odd because it’s like I’m just talking to myself. And then editing? Uugggh… listening and watching myself talk so much is w-e-i-r-d. WEIRD.

Anywho, you can watch the video down below:

Do you vlog too? Let me know how you get through it! And if you also went to SDCC, I’d love to hear about some of the cool things you picked up too 😀

geek style

Geek Couture: The Her Universe Fashion Show

July 28, 2016 Nina Penalosa4 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been a whole week since San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC)! Last Thursday was also the day of the Her Universe Fashion Show at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. It was hands down one of the highlights of this year’s con for me. The designs this year were insanely brilliant and so awe inspiring. It was definitely hard for me to pick a designer to vote for because I loved so many of the creations that were presented on the runway! What I love so much about this show is that it really shows how much of a force fangirls are, and just how much geek culture can easily be translated into both high and casual fashion. Gone are the days where we have to resort to ill-fitted unisex tees, or standard pink ones. Not that I have anything against the color pink, but us ladies want more than just that! Her Universe has opened so many doors to help make fashionable geek apparel for women of all shapes and sizes, and I’m both forever grateful and constantly broke because of it. But at least I know I’ll look cute! 😉

Ashely Eckstein, the founder of Her Universe, wore a one-of-kind, never been done before “little block dress” (pictured above) with an image of Ashoka Tano that weighed 25 lbs and was made of over 10,000 Lego bricks. It was designed by the 2014 audience choice winner Andrew MacLaine, and renowned Lego artist Nathan Sawaya. How likely do you think it’ll be to see another “little block dress” pop up at next year’s Met Gala? HIGHLY LIKELY!

If you head over to Comic-Con HQ, you can watch the fashion show and the Her Universe docu-series featuring the journey of every designer featured on the runway. I just signed up for a free 30 day subscription so I can binge-watch it. And rather than having two winners (judge’s choice and audience vote), a third winner can also be chosen by the public via the Her Universe website. So I urge you all to watch the show, which is up now, and vote before August 11!!!

For your viewing pleasure, here are some of the pictures I took while at the show. Enjoy!

“Define Couture” Wall-E inspired design by Laura Cristina Ortiz. Everything was made out of recyclable materials!

The attention to detail was bananas. PS: I totally voted for this design at the show

“Newt’s Menagerie” inspired by Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, by Harmony Keller. Watch the fashion show to see this dress in action!

“First Order of Fashion” inspired by General Hux from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, by Rose Ivy. This design had great details too! Plus, it’s inspired by my Huxband ♥

Falkor inspired design from The Never Ending Story by Jesse

“The Pilbasian” inspired by The Last Man on Earth, designed by Kristin Koga. She used PVC pipes as gigantic knitting needled to create this couture piece!

“Soldier of Embrace” inspired by Sailor Neptune, designed by Lydia Tachkov. This moved beautifully on the runway and was gorgeous in person.

“TARDIS Through the Wormhole” inspired by Doctor Who, designed by Lynne Marie Martens

“I Solemnly Swear I’m Up to Couture” inspired by Harry Potter, designed by Camille Falciola. This dress was MAGICAL and it won the audience’s vote!

Don’t forget to watch the show on Comic-Con HQ and vote for your favorite! Seriously, my pictures do no justice to any of these designs, plus there are so many others I wasn’t able to capture.

Let me know which designs you loved most in the comments section. 🙂

PS: You can check out more of my pics from the fashion show here.

PPS: Photo credit for Camille Falciola’s winning design goes to my seester ♥

geek style · giveaway

Level Up by Loot Crate February Review & Giveaway!

March 9, 2016 Nina Penalosa25 Comments

{GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED} winners have been contacted. thanks to all who entered!

Holy sh!t biscuits, y’all! Level Up totally killed it with the loot that came in their February fashion subscriptions, which is funny considering that the theme of the month was “Dead.” Haha! #PunsForDays

But seriously, there was so much cool stuff! I was particularly stoked for the women’s Wearable subscription item because I knew Her Universe was designing something with Deadpool and tacos. And you guuuys, the top they came out with is the cutest thing EVER!!!!

Here’s a breakdown of what every subscription came with:

♥ Female Fashion Accessories: Blood Splatter nail wraps by Espionage Cosmetics and a The Walking Dead cherokee rose necklace by Bioworld.

♥ T-Shirt: black and white Silence of the Lambs tee.

♥ Socks: Deadpool and glow-in-the-dark Death Eaters (Harry Potter) socks.

FYI: There are 2 combo subscriptions you can subscribe to – one is the wearable item + socks, and the other is the fashion accessories + t-shirt

To subscribe to one of the many Level Up subscriptions, please go here and use code “LEFANCYGEEK” to save 10%! March’s theme is “Versus” and includes items from Captain America: Civil War and Batman vs. Superman!

Keep on reading to get to the giveaway portion!

I was really excited about the Esiponage Cosmetics nails wraps that came with the Female Fashion Accessories sub. It has a blood splatter design that reminded me of Dexter. And they glow in the mother effin’ dark! That was a total surprise to me as my nails glowed while I watched Zootopia at the theater on Monday. It does say they’re glow-in-the-dark on the package, but I was too excited to put them on my nails to bother reading anything else on it. I put the nail wraps on about a week and a half ago and they’re still on! If you ever get any nail wraps from Espionage, I highly recommend putting a top coat over to help make it last longer.

Even though I’ve never seen Silence of the Lambs or watched Hannibal because scary movies and TV shows aren’t my thing, I really love the shirt and its design is pretty inconspicuous to the unknowing. Except when I wore it to work one day, my co-worker was like, “Oh my God, it’s the death moth!” and I’m like, “the what-what?” * shoulder shrug * And… I don’t watch The Walking Dead either (I tried! it was too stressful!), but I’m loving how simplistic the cherokee rose necklace is. When you open the pendant, there’s a mirror on the inside, and on the back it’s inscribed with a quote that says “This rose started to grow right where the mother’s tears fell.” Even though I’m not part of the fandom, I am sooooo happy for all you Richonne shippers!!! ♥♥♥

Overall, I was super happy with all the items that came with every subscription. But the Deadpool shirt by Her Universe, you guys. You guuuuuys. IT IS GIVING ME SO MUCH LIFE. And the nail wraps go with it perfectly!

Okay, enough jabbering, let’s get onto the important part of the post: THE GIVEAWAY!

Level Up sent me an extra package full of goodies from all of the subscription services they have to offer and one of you lucky ponies can win it! FYI, both the wearable item and t-shirt come in my size (2x) so if you’ve got big booby-8s like me or are willing to tailor the tees, enter away!

Also, five of you will be get a code to get a free subscription for March’s Level Up Female Accessories subscription! This month’s accessory will feature Batman, Superman, and a special guest… I’m assuming it’s Wonder Woman. Who else could it be?!

The giveaway starts today (March 9) and ends next Tuesday, March 16. Winners will be chosen and contacted the morning of the 17th.

Code winners, please make sure you use the code by the 19th because that’s the last day to subscribe to all subscriptions from Loot Crate.

These giveaways are open to US residents only. Sorry to all my international ponies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Don’t forget: the more options you enter with, the more entries you’ll get to better your chances of scoring a prize!! Good luck!! 😀

FTC Disclosure: Loot Crate sent me these items to review. Along with the items, I earn a small compensation when purchases are made through my affiliate link. All opinions given are honest and my own.

geek style

They See BB Rollin’, Darth Hatin’

January 24, 2016 Nina Penalosa2 Comments

‘ello, my little ponies! Like I said in my last post, I have more awkward moments with Darth Vader to share with you all 🙂

The day before my birthday I decided to wear my BB-8 bomber jacket and scarf, and Darth Vader wasn’t too thrilled by it. When we went, he had us line up and examined each of us. He saw my sister’s jacket said “Boba Fett” and said, “Good” to show his approval. Ryan’s Chewbacca tee was covered by his sweater, so Darth was kinda like I-don’t-know-about-this-one. And then when he got to me he said that he sensed that my allegiance was not with the Empire, which absolutely flabbergasted me! I mean, HOW DARE HE. How many times have I said on this very blog that I’m all about the dark side??? And it’s not like I could point out my Stormtrooper purse to him because I set it on the floor across the way. So I giggle nervously as he tells me that I can either align myself with the Empire or join the Rebellion and be crushed. You can see him telling me that I will be crushed in the picture below.

And then we got to meet Chewie! This was actually my first time meeting him since I only met Darth when I went to the meet & greets back in November when they launched Season of the Force. I met Chewie for a second time on my actual birthday. Anywho, it’s a good thing I wore my BB-8 jacket because when he was about to hug my sister he stopped when he noticed her jacket said Boba Fett. Then he began to guide her towards the exit. It was so funny! My sister said she’d like him win if he let her stay, but as we left he looked at Ryan and growled in a way that said, “Watch out for that one.” 😀

I also got to meet Boba Fett this day too, but he was a dick. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that. -_-

dress: Planet Gold | bomber jacket: Her Universe (buy here)
belt: A|X for Women | shoes: Vans (buy here)
BB-8 scarf: Bioworld (buy here) | purse: Loungefly (buy here)

(photo credit: my seester & Disneyland cast members)

geek style · out & about

[Self-Rescuing] Birthday Princess

January 17, 2016 Nina Penalosa6 Comments

A long time ago (30 years exactly) in galaxy far, far away, I was born on the 12th of January.

OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS. I’M 30 NOW.

Like I mentioned in previous posts, I kicked off this brand new decade of life at the Happiest Place on Earth! I went from the 10th-12th, so I also got to celebrate my last day as a 20-something there too. When one celebrates their birthday, they should dress for the occasion — at least that’s what I believe. Since I knew I was heading to Disney, it only felt right to channel some princess vibes. Princess Leia was the obvious choice for my birthday outfit inspiration because Star Wars has taken over my life for the past few months. Duuuuh. How perfect is Her Universe‘s Leia inspired dress?! I also accessorized with a Han Solo necklace I made, a Chewbacca ring, a heart shaped pin with Darth Vader, and bracelets that say mine and Rory’s name in Aurebesh (which you can get made in Tomorrowland).

I got to meet Darth Vader when I went to Disneyland in November, but this time around I also got to meet Chewbacca too! And Boba Fett… who is a dick… so I shall not speak of him. We went to the Star Wars Launchbay where Darth and Chewie are the day before my birthday too, but I wanted to go back because I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take pictures with them in my Leia outfit! Meeting Darth Vader is scary as hell, you guys. When I went in he paced in front of me and sized me up, and then said that he sensed my allegiance to the Empire was very strong (because he saw my heart shaped Vader pin), but said to not let my judgement misguide me as he gestured towards the Han Solo necklace I was wearing. AH!! He’s so intimidating. As I was walking away the cast member said, “Congratulations, you have officially joined the Empire.” Weee! But then I got to go see Chewie and he gives hugs! He probably wouldn’t have hugged me if I wore my Vader pin, so I took it off. And the cast members on the Rebels side are much cheerier — they wished me a happy sun cycle while the Empire congratulated me on my anniversary of life and asked what my serial number was. Anyhow, wookiee hugs are fantastic because it’s like you’re hugging a really big dog on its hind legs. Chewie was also super stoked when I showed him my big ring with his face one it 😀 At first he gestured for me to stand on his right side, but I asked if I could stand on his left since that’s my good side (gotta know your good angles!), and the cast member told him that I want to show off my flower and then he looked at me and patted the flower on my head. HE’S SO CUTE OMG. ♥♥♥

I’ll be posting a few more things from my birthday trip to Disneyland, so stay tuned for more Vader awkwardness! 🙂

dress: Her Universe (buy here) | cardigan: Old Navy
shoes: Vans (buy here) | necklace: made by me (buy here)

(photos by my seester & Disneyland cast members)

geek style

Nerdy 30 Birthday Wish List

January 10, 2016 Nina Penalosa7 Comments

My 30th birthday is in 2 days! AAAHHHH!!! Some people call it the “dirty 30.” Others call it the “flirty 30.” Since I am neither (well, maybe more dirty than flirty regarding my sense of humor), I am calling this birthday my “nerdy 30” because it makes so much more sense. And I’ll be at Disneyland to celebrate, because what better place to kick off 30th anniversary of life? 🙂

I threw a little birthday wish list together and as you can see, all I want are Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter things (mainly books)! I’m not expecting to get any of these things, but y’know… it’s just a wish list.

Who else has a birthday in January that’s coming up or has passed? Lemme know what’s on your wish list or what you’ve gotten for your birthday in the comments section!

geek style · pup life

Merry Sithmas, Happy Hothidays!

December 25, 2015 Nina Penalosa2 Comments

Merry Sithmas my little ~~ponies~~ tauntauns!!! Here’s the holiday greeting card I sent out this year 😀

I’m off to SoCal to spend Christmas with my dad’s side of the family — everyone is packing up things last minute as I type this — so this is gonna be brief.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you have an amazing day and a happy new year!! And don’t tell me you don’t celebrate the new year because that happens to all of us. 😛

:: OUTFIT DETAILS :: skirt: Her Universe (buy here) | denim vest: Mossimo belt: A|X Armani Exchange| hair flower: made by me shoes: Nicole | top: ?? | purse: Loungefly (buy here) nail wraps: Espionage Cosmestics (buy here) enamel pins: BB.CRE.8|Space Cadet Collective|Smuggler’s Bounty

Cheers, Nina

:: OUTFIT DETAILS :: Agent Carter dress: Her Universe (buy here) | purse: Kate Spade (n/a) shoes: Dexflex Comfort (buy here)| lipstick: Besame (buy here) Avengers bracelet: Loot Wear (subscribe here) Steve Rogers necklace: Le Fancy Geek Boutique (buy here)

Cheers, Nina

:: OUTFIT POST :: Poe/Finn jacket: Her Universe (buy here) skirt & shirt: Forever 21 (n/a online) belt: Merona (buy here) | boots: G.H. Bass (n/a) BB-8 dog costume: Pestsmart (buy here)

Cheers, Nina

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
skirt: Her Universe (buy here) | denim vest: Mossimo
belt: A|X Armani Exchange| hair flower: made by me
shoes: Nicole | top: ?? | purse: Loungefly (buy here)
nail wraps: Espionage Cosmestics (buy here)
enamel pins: BB.CRE.8|Space Cadet Collective|Smuggler’s Bounty

Cheers,
Nina

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
Agent Carter dress: Her Universe (buy here) | purse: Kate Spade (n/a)
shoes: Dexflex Comfort (buy here)| lipstick: Besame (buy here)
Avengers bracelet: Loot Wear (subscribe here)
Steve Rogers necklace: Le Fancy Geek Boutique (buy here)

Cheers,
Nina

:: OUTFIT POST ::
Poe/Finn jacket: Her Universe (buy here)
skirt & shirt: Forever 21 (n/a online)
belt: Merona (buy here) | boots: G.H. Bass (n/a)
BB-8 dog costume: Pestsmart (buy here)

Cheers,
Nina