Tag: jordandene

10 Years of Le Fancy Geek
geek style · giveaway

10 Years of Le Fancy Geek

Nina Penalosa1 Comment

On this day 10 years ago I started Le Fancy Geek. How has it been 10 years already?!

2011 was an interesting year for me. At the beginning of the year, I was a fresh college graduate with absolutely zero idea what do post college. I moved back to my hometown and spent my days looking at job listings and being absolutely paralyzed with anxiety by them, and also marathoned lots of shows on Netflix (mainly Psych). Later on in the year I met my fur baby and soulmate, Rory. I also got into my first serious relationship. But out of all these things, starting this blog and Rory are the most important highlights for obvious reasons. lololol

Along with writing, I’ve always been very passionate about fashion and geek culture. Around this time, I was hella into Doctor Who and obsessed with finding ways to incorporate elements of it into my everyday wardrobe. So, as a means to have some sort of creative outlet, I decided to start Le Fancy Geek to chronicle my outfits and random musings. Looking back, it’s astonishing to think of how far I’ve come and what this blog has brought me. And I knoooow… I don’t blog on here as often as I did before, but I’m trying to get back into the habit of writing on here again.

The coolest opportunity blogging has led me to is becoming an ambassador for Jordandene and editor at its sister company Sartorial Geek! To celebrate Le Fancy Geek’s 10th anniversary, I’ve teamed up with Jordandene for a giveaway! Two lucky folks will get the chance to win a $50 Jordandene gift card.

Check out my post on Instagram to see how to enter for a chance to win:

Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the last 10 years! I can’t express enough how truly thankful I am 💜

Cheers,
Nina

bloop

Not Bad For the End of the World

Nina Penalosa1 Comment

I started writing this blog post at the end of March to post on April 1, but that obviously didn’t happen, because WTF it’s already the end of May.

So I’ll start over.

With the pandemic going on, many of us who aren’t considered essential workers have been laid off from our jobs (hi, it me). And with sheltering in place and only being able to go out for essential things I thought, “wow, maybe this will bring a blogger resurgence!” — like, LiveJournal/Xanga status kinds of blogging. Getting all deep and introspective, or just writing a lot in general. Because what do we have but time on our hands now? But alas. This is the first post I’ve written since NYE 2019. Haha!

At the beginning I was on constant edge about covid-19 (or as I’ve been calling it La Rona); I’d wake up with what I call hummingbird heart because it felt like mine was beating 250 beats per minute from all the anxiety built up. Sometimes I’d wake up with trouble breathing, and panicked even more because it made me think La Rona got me. Everything had me in a constant state of worry. But slowly, I’ve been able to keep it under control thanks to distractions like group chats and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Honestly, Animal Crossing has been a true godsend! It helps me take my mind off everything, and I’ve been able to keep in touch with my friends and sister in a fun new way. Last month I also co-hosted another Sartorial Geek Fashion Fix Challenge, and participated in some fun projects with the Galactic Coven (like the pass the brush challenge). It’s nice to have those spurts of productivity in a time like this, especially since I feel like I haven’t been that productive. My room is still a mess and I haven’t read a book since February! It’s not for lack of trying — my mind just doesn’t want to shut up every time I pick up a book. And I get very overwhelmed with my piles and piles of clothes. I’m thoroughly annoyed by it.

Even though I feel okay most days, I can’t help but feel sad — which I know is totally normal and okay. I don’t know how long this is going to last, or when it’ll be safe to see my friends and other family again. I had so many plans that are now postponed until who knows when. April was supposed to be a fun month with a trip to LA to watch Riz Ahmed with some of my Bodhi Brigade sisters, and a BTS concert in the Bay Area with my mom and sister. SDCC was also cancelled, and I’m sure Star Wars Celebration will be too. And if it’s not, I’ll probably skip it because I wouldn’t feel safe going.

I miss being able to travel and explore. I miss random trips to Target just to walk around. I miss my family and friends. 😦

Whoever is reading this, I hope this finds you safe and well. Ideally at home and practicing social distancing. I mean, for those of us lucky to have a place to call home anyway.

Cheers,
Nina

geek style

New Year, Who Dis?

Nina Penalosa5 Comments

Welp, 2018 has come and gone and it was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but I made it out alive (had my first bought of food poisoning the day before New Year’s Eve and wanted to die, but I’m here) so… yay?

I wrote a blog post last July saying I wanted to be better at writing on here, and after that I did a whopping 3 posts. ::cue sad trombone:: I’m gonna cut myself some slack though! On that note, I’ll try and be better this year. I feel like I did a lot of cool things in 2018 (went to Portland and checked out the Laika exhibit, went on my first business trip to NYC, read sooo many awesome comics, modeled in the Her Universe Fashion Show, oh and my hair is blue now!), so maybe I’ll do a few throwback posts throughout the year. We’ll see…

I’m pretty stoked for 2019 though — I have some fun things planned out already. Besides SDCC in July, I’m planning a trip to NYC in April!!! My plane tickets have been purchased and everything. My trip happened upon impulse after I had a mental breakdown about how I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, and I could probably do so many things, and I got really down on myself about my frivolous spending habits (this was sometime after Black Friday, and ooh lord, I spent sooooooo much). The amount I spend on food, clothes, Funko Pops, comics, and whatnot could totally be put towards traveling or going to shows. I cracked numbers in my head about how much I need to pay off my credit cards (even though I’m bad at math), and my friend Alice (Bodhi Brigade) had told me that tickets to Hadestown, a musical she had talked about on Twitter that I fell in love with, had discounted fan tickets before they’re sold to the general public. I didn’t know what day she got her ticket, but after my little breakdown, I picked a day and just fucking bought it.

I know. I KNOW! It all sounds crazy, stupid, and reckless, but Neil Gaiman said he hopes we make mistakes because when we make mistakes it means we’re trying new things and changing our world… or something like that. Anyway, my goal from that moment forward was to invest more in experiences. I want to do more things, not buy more things (except for books and the occasional clothing item).

Wanna know something else? I bought a ticket to watch White Noise, a play that Daveed Diggs will be starring in, at the Public Theater in NYC a week after I bought my ticket for Hadestown, so I was like, “Okay, yep. I am definitely going!” And by happenstance, my ticket for Hadestown is for the same day and time Alice and Cat are going. What are the odds???

Other goals I have this year are to create more, be more active, and read more books. Last year I told myself I wanted to write at least one thing and submit it for publication, and I did! Not sure of its status, but it felt so good to get back into writing anyhow. 🙂

::OUTFIT DETAILS::
t-shirt: Jordandene (buy here) | jacket: Old Navy (buy here)
skirt: Hot Topic | shoes: Dexflex Comfort | belt: Walmart
hat: H&M | glasses: Bonlook (sold out)

What are your plans for 2019? Have any trips lined up, goals, or resolutions? Are goals and resolutions practically the same thing? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Cheers,
Nina

(photos by Jennifer Khut)

PS: I almost forgot! Jordandene has kicked off an official ambassador program and I’ve been asked to return! I’m hella excited to be working with them again because they’re one of my absolute faves; their shirts are soo comfy and the geek centric quotes printed on them often feel like armor. My Clever Girl scoop neck also looks hella dope with my fossil skirt if I do say so myself ;)You can use my coupon code LEFANCYGEEK to save 15% on a minimum purchase of $20

Muggle Struggle
geek style

Muggle Struggle

Nina Penalosa8 Comments

I haven’t been feeling very magical lately. And as you may have noticed, my blog game has been super weak because I haven’t written a damn thing since November 2017. YIKES. I even missed my 7-year blogging anniversary back in April! Who knew being an adult with a full-time job would leave one so restless? Hahahahaha… ::sobbing::

But SDCC is just around the corner, and I’m starting to feel very much like Harry Potter going back to Hogwarts! I get to see my sister, and surround myself with my magical geeky friends once more and I. CAN’T. WAIT.

Plus it’ll be nice to be around witches and wizards who will understand and appreciate my geeky themed outfits! I wore this inconspicuous geeky outfit to work last week (and Sunday because I’m an outfit repeater) and no one could tell I incorporated Harry Potter into it with my “Mischief Managed” tank by Jordandené or my cute pins. 😦

Anyhow, I’ve been feeling the urge to get back into blogging as I’ve been reading TONS of comics. Book reviews are something I’ve wanted to incorporate on Le Fancy Geek, and I know I’ve done a few, but comics are pretty much all I’ve been reading lately, and they’ve helped me become a voracious reader once more. I had a reading goal of 30 books for this year and I’ve already surpassed it because of all the graphic novels I’ve read! And I want to talk about some cool ones I’ve come across because I need to geek out about them!! And with SDCC coming up, there are bound to be endless things I’ll want to share on here!!!

I also have some cute geeky outfit photos I’ve posted on my Instagram account, but not on the blog, so I’ll be sharing those soon!

::OUTFIT DETAILS::
cardigan: ModCloth (buy here) | tank: c/o Jordandené (buy similar here)
skirt: Merona | shoes: Dexflex | belt: Amazon (buy here)
Polyjuice Potion Pin: Magical Girl Studios (buy here)
Niffler + Occamy pins: Hannah Hitchman Illustrations (buy here + here)

Cheers,
Nina

PS: Why yes, I do have my dog tattoo’d on my arm now! We have lots to catch up on, don’t we?

PPS: Are you on GoodReads? Let’s be friends! You can add me here.

geek style

I Myself am Strange and Unusual

Nina PenalosaLeave a comment

jordandene-shirt-of-the-month

Jordandene’s last few Shirt of the Month designs has been making me add things to my must-watch list. First there was last month’s “Make it so” Star Trek: The Next Generation tee, and now this month’s is Lydia Deetz’s iconic quote from Beetlejuice! I honestly can’t even remember the last time I watched Beetlejuice, but I remember it scared the figurative sh!t out of me when I was little. Anything that had to do with ghosts/death was just a no-go for me. I found that as I’ve gotten older I have more of an appreciation for the spooky and macabre, so I’m sure I’d totally enjoy revisiting Beetlejuice. 🙂

I adore this quote though because I relate to it 100%. I’ve always been a bit of an oddball; I’ve been called “weird” countless times when I was a kid because of my sense of humor or because of how I’m overly passionate about the things I’m interested in. But isn’t that what living the geeky life is all about?

If you yourself are strange and unusual and want to show it off it loudly and proudly, be sure trick or treat yo’self to this shirt ASAP because today is the last day to purchase it. Don’t forget to use my special code LEFANCYGEEK25 to save 25% off your order too!

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
tank: c/o Jordandené (buy here) | cardigan: Old Navy
belt: Wal-Mart | skirt: Hot Topic (buy here) | shoes: Dexflex (buy similar here)

Cheers,
Nina

(photos by Sara McDougall)

FTC Disclosure: Product was given to me as compensation for an honest review and to aid in promotion. All opinions stated are 100% honest and my own.

geek style

Make It So

Nina Penalosa4 Comments

jordandene-shirt-of-the-month

Jordandené is a well-known fashion staple for geeks, and they’re definitely one of my favorite places to grab cool geekwear. Their shop is stocked with cozy tees, tanks, sweaters, accessories, and home goods with beautifully scripted quotes from different fandoms — from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Disney, and even Parks & Rec, they’ve got the gamut covered. All of their wearables are unisex too, so everyone can wear them! I love how I can easily get away with repping my fandoms in such a discreet and stylish way whenever I wear anything from them 🙂

With all that said, I’m very pleased and honored to announce that I am one of their brand new ambassadors! * happy dance * 

One [of the many] cool thing[s] Jordandené does is release a special shirt of the month that’s only available for the duration of the month, and for September it’s Captain Picard’s famous one-liner “Make it so” from Stark Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve been meaning to watch TNG for the longest time, so this tank is like extra motivation for me to get on it. But if you’re a Trekkie and love Captain Picard, you’ll want to order this ASAP because it’ll only be available until the end of this week! It comes in red or gray, and you can choose to get it as a tank (like me), t-shirt, or slouchy tee. I’ve let some cool shirt of the months slide by and am full of regret — don’t be like me!

Use code LEFANCYGEEK25 to save 25% off your order too 🙂

jordandene-shirt-of-the-month

jordandene-shirt-of-the-month

Do you have a bunch of Jordandené swag too? What’s your favorite item? Let’s talk about it in the comments section!

:: OUTFIT DETAILS ::
tank: c/o Jordandené (buy here) | cardigan: thrifted
belt: Wal-Mart | skirt: Hot Topic (n/a)
bowler hat: H&M (n/a) | shoes: Nicole
necklace: Chabot Space & Science Center (buy similar here)

Cheers,
Nina

PS: Here’s an outtake of my husband best friend Jen fixing my hair and holding my purse during this outfit shoot. #InstagramHusband

(photos by Sara McDougall)

FTC Disclosure: Product was given to me as compensation for an honest review and to aid in promotion. All opinions stated are 100% honest and my own.