29 April 2013

The Good, the Bad, the Fringe & Stripes

blue maritime

Seems appropriate to have another one of these posts (here was the initial) since isn't life all about taking the good with the bad?

The good: As mentioned here, we cleaned the house really well earlier last week for impending house guests.
The bad: Impending house guests ended up cancelling on us a day after they were supposed to have arrived, so we busted our butts for nothing.
The good: No visitors to mess up our clean house!

The good: We decided to continue the house improvement kick this weekend and installed some curtain rods and finally bought some curtains (we've just been using blinds).
The bad: We have high ceilings and thus tall windows (not a bad thing technically), so we need super-duper long curtains. Which are not easy to find. We ended up buying some standard-length curtains thinking "how bad could they look?" and ended up with culottes for our windows. So we've got step ladders, tools, rods and such all over the place while we wait for our web-ordered replacements to show up.

blue maritime  blue maritime

The good: Still running on the treadmill everyday.
The bad: No perceptible difference on my body. I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm unconvinced I am really burning 250+ calories from the workouts as the machine says.

The good: Had the best cupcake of my life last week - yellow cake with key lime custard filling and buttercream frosting. Nom!
The bad: It was from a food truck, the name of which I have of course promptly forgotten so I will likely never find this magical confection again.

The good: My pup is the sweetest most obedient little dog in the world.
The bad: Except when we go to the dog park and suddenly she forgets her name and any learned commands, and will only come back to me when she's realized she is way to small to play with that great dane and needs a bench to hide under.

What are some of the goods and bads of your life lately?

blue maritime

blue maritime

Top: J.Crew Liberty perfect in june's meadow (worn here - same in peasant, sim, steal)
Dress: J.Crew maritime (this year's version, sim, sim, deal)
Necklace: J.Crew fan fringe (worn here - sim, simpler)
Bracelet: J.Crew golden stripe (worn here - sim, sim, stud, equestrian)
Shoes: Toms canvas wedge (worn here - this year's version, sim, platform, pricey)

26 April 2013

Comforting

black + blue  black + blue

As much as I enjoy going to places, I hate the act of actually getting there - road trips aside though, I love a good road trip. I'm really talking about you, air travel. 

I've got a few long biz trips coming up over the next two months and as much as I should be appreciative about having a job that allows me to go to new places, I can't help but to loathe the prospect of having to be squeezed like a sardine in a long metal tube at 35,000 feet for seemingly endless hours. Flying for the majority of us nowadays is just not a single bit comfortable. Especially if you're traveling alone and don't have someone to commiserate with and happily share armrest space.

black + blue  black + blue

I don't think I am a high-maintenance air traveler but I kind of have a system down to maximum my own personal comfort on these trips - 1) bottled water so I am not at the mercy of the flight attendant on when I can get a drink, though honestly I don't hydrate as much as I should on a plane; 2) get an aisle seat so I don't have to climb over people to use the lav; 3) scarf for extra warmth, since the planes are often arctic cold; 4) moisturizer and chap stick - dry lips are the worst; 5) Kindle for reading or playing games; 6) head phones with the soft squishy ear pieces for comfort and so I can drown everyone around me out; 7) socks and slip-on shoes for ease; 8) jeans because I have the impression denim is thicker that most other materials and I want to have as much between me and that airplane seat as possible; and 9) my own snacks because honestly airplane food is sometimes just borderline edible. So yeah, I'm usually that lady hauling a computer bag and a big ole tote full of stuff.

What are some of your comfort must-haves when you travel?

black + blue

Jacket: J.Crew downtown field (worn here - sim, pricey, longer)
Top: LEC (sim, sim)
Skirt: Yoana Baraschi via Anthropologie gilded estate (worn here - sim, deal, w/red)
Necklace: J.Crew factory chandelier (worn here - sim, simpler, baubly, pricey)
Bracelets: J.Crew (sim, sim)
Belt: Asos plate detail (sim, w/ bow or peplum)
Bag: Dooney & Bourke cabrio (sim, sim, mesh, luxe)
Shoes: Zara cap-toe court (worn here - sim, sim, slingback, w/bow)

24 April 2013

Orange & Herringbone

orange herringbone  orange herringbone 

We've got house guests coming over, so the earlier part of this week has been a bit of a mad scramble to get our house socially acceptable to be viewed by eyes other than our own. Granted we don't live like little piggies here but some general cleaning and tidying needed to be done, plus checking off some items we probably should have done a long while ago.

orange herringbone  orange herringbone

Like buying matching lamps for the living room end tables. Cleaning the covers on the couch. Getting rid of extraneous worn out throw pillows. Washing the sheets on the guest bed since our last guest (I know ...) And then since we were in a melee of household activity anyways, we went ahead and decided to clean out the fridge, organize the utility room and do all the floors. 

So in a way I am glad for guests since it makes me feel like I need to get the house into a certain standard (that I should probably be living in anyways!), but dang, I'm exhausted and our guests aren't even here yet!

Do you do anything special to prep for house guests?

orange herringbone

Top: J.Crew tippi (worn here - sim, sim, sim)
Skirt: J.Crew pixilated houndstooth (worn here -  sim muted, quirky, B/W)
Necklace: J.Crew fan fringe (sim, simpler)
Bracelets: J.Crew, Asos, F21 (sim, sim, deal)
Ring: c/o INPINK (worn here - sim, sim, deal)
Bag: Pour La Victoire roma (worn here - sim, sim, pricey)
Shoes: Michael Kors hamilton (worn here - sim, sim, peep, luxe)

22 April 2013

Easy Likes

more pink camo  more pink camo

more pink camo  more pink camo

Jacket: J.Crew (worn here - sim, sim, studded)
Top: Holding Horses via Anthropologie smocked henley (sim, sim)
Earrings: Jeweliq contessa (worn here - sim, sim, sim
Bracelets: C.Wonder pave initial, Asos, J.Crew (sim & sim), Glitterbox Jewelry via Etsy (sim)
Brooch: Broochmaker via Etsy (pricey)
Bag: Brahmin anytime (worn here - sim, sim, studded luxe)

more pink camo

+   +   +

I'd like to think of myself as a fairly uncomplicated person. It doesn't take a whole lot to make me happy. I don't need big fancy gestures, loads of money spent or to be lavished with anything (other than attention and maybe the occasional sweet treat). Sometimes I just really enjoy doing nothing under the guise of barely doing anything.

So on seemingly the first perfect weather weekend this spring, a lazy Sunday was spent at the park in my new favorite (almost) shoes, drinking too much fresh-squeezed lemonade, laying about while I got my hair part sun burned and stumbling upon a art festival that also happened to have some pretty spectacular guilty pleasure eats - funnel cake and cupcakes on the same day? Yes, please.

What are some things that you like to do that barely takes any efforts but still totally makes your day?




  

19 April 2013

Blue Lighthouses

blue lighthouse  blue lighthouse

I can’t believe we’re more than halfway through April already, time just seems to be flying by. I feel like this year I am ill-prepared for the arrival of warmer weather – most of my tees and lighter clothes are wrinkled masses on the bottoms of my drawers, I am still afraid to show my toes because I haven’t had a pedi in forever, and I’ve just started to break out the self-tanner so I can get some color on my legs. Can’t you tell how bronze and sleek my legs look already, ha.

blue lighthouse  blue lighthouse

I kind of miss the days of being a kid when April meant spring break from school and being taken out to get fresh clothes for the warmer weather. Back then I would have much rather been outside running the block with my friends on sunny days than play dress-up, but it felt special to be able to get new things just for me to wear and to get all this attention lavished on me by my mom and big sis.

What do you typically do to prep yourself for warmer weather? What do you enjoy about spring?

blue lighthouse

Top: J.Crew factory tissue (same long-sleeve, sim, sim, steal)
Skirt: J.Crew lighthouse linen (sim, pricey, as dress & another)
Belt: J.Crew (sim, sim, steal)
Bag: J.Crew factory dorset (strapped, pricey, luxe)
Necklace: Anthropologie tinsley strung (worn here - lighter, pricey, seed)
Bracelets: Asos spike & stone set, Target, Yunikelley via Etsy
Shoes: Jessica Simpson jaide (worn here - sim, bowless, slingback)

15 April 2013

Appreciative

green gingham  green gingham

Thanks for all your feedback regarding my post a few weeks ago about blog design. Unfortunately fate determined that I will continue to DIY my own layout for a little while longer instead of paying a professional to do it. Apparently I had forgotten all about having a car insurance payment coming up this month - and I completely detonated my phone earlier this week so I had to go slunking back to the Apple store (and by "detonated," I mean it now lives in a little baggy to keep all the wee pieces together. Yeah).

green gingham  green gingham

So life's not been a bunch of unicorns and fairies lately, but whose life is? So I gleaned an idea from one of IFB's recent posts and I want to give a shout out to all of you lovely ladies who stop by to visit my blog. 

Thank YOU.

Thank you for your endless stylish inspiration, your humor, your openness in sharing your personal anecdotes. Thank you for taking time from your busy days to visit here, read my rambles and provide me with your commentary and sound advice. Thank you for lifting me up when my spirit is down. Thank you for making me know it is OK for me to like the things that I do - that though fashion and style blogging may seem a bit frivolous, it doesn't make it any less valid a hobby and form of expression. Thank you for giving me the confidence to wear what I want and to put together pieces I would have never considered before. Thank you for sticking around and staying with me and getting to "know" me, as it were, on this little electronic platform.

green gingham

Top: Old Navy lightweight patterned (worn here - sim, sim, as dress)
Dress: Saturday/Sunday via Anthropologie striped day (sim, more white, more colorful)
Earrings: Amrita Singh (worn here - sim, sim, pricey)
Bracelets: Target (sim), J.Crew (sim), Asos (sim)
Shoes: Vince Camuto kira (sim, sim, higher)

10 April 2013

Upside Down Frown

june's meadow

My apologies for my inadvertent mini-blog break, ladies. Believe me, I'd rather have been blogging than dealing with some of my regular life stuff. I know I should feel more grateful in general, but sometimes when the bad outweighs the good and has a tendency to repeat itself, I can't help but to ask myself - why can't All This just be easy for once?

 When I'm feeling down, I typically end up doing one of the following to try to put myself into another state of mind-

Eating - well, there really isn't anything that can keep me from eating. I eat when I am happy, I eat when I am sad, though when I need to "turn that frown upside down," my choices veer towards the more deep-fried or refined sugar variety. Doughnuts are my friends. I had a brief stint during college where I had "boy troubles" and literally could not eat the food that was in front of me. This went on for probably two weeks. I look back now and cannot help but to think, "what's a matta wit you?!" College boys versus ramen noodles - sometimes there's no contest. And I don't mean the college boys.

june's meadow  june's meadow

Nothing. Some days are best left to doing just plain ole nothing.

What's a fashion fiend's favorite cheer-me-up hobby? Buying something, of course, the more frivolous, the better. Though I'll typically keep my shopping to solitary online shopping. The last thing I need when I'm not in a good mood is to battle the mall parking lot or feel like I'm getting bombarded too-helpful sales associates. Online shopping alone in the dark, can help take a girl's mind off of things.

I paint my nails. It takes my mind off of things because I need to concentrate - or I just enjoy sniffing polish - and the end result is usually pretty.

And sorry, friends, but for me, a bottle of wine and a good gab still can't compete with the sheer glee of taking my pup to the dog park and watching her run amuck amongst her furry friends. Is there nothing more smile-inducing than to watch a grateful smiling pup bound her way through the fields?

What do you do to cheer yourself up when life is getting you down?

june's meadow

june's meadow

june's meadow

Top: J.Crew Liberty perfect in june's meadow (same in blazer, sim, sim) 
Skirt: Ann Taylor striped flounce (worn here - sim, darker, deal, as dress)
Belt: Anthropologie ekbal (worn here - sim, muted, casual)
Necklace: Personal Jewelry via Etsy (sim, sim)
Bracelets: F21 faceted (sim) & Tag Heuer
Bag: Kate Spade quilted signature ellen (worn here - patent, sim, flap)
Shoes: Audrey Brooke via DSW mary (worn here - sim, nubuck, flats, higher)

03 April 2013

Sherbert in the Navy

sherbert + navy  sherbert + navy

Currently loving: the 1980s. 

I sometimes wonder if I hadn't been born too late because there's something about 1980s pop culture that totally fascinates me (in reality, I spent most of the '80s sucking my thumb and learning to count my toes).

I loooooooooved Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, I groove to the techno-poppy-rock beats of Madonna, Pat Benatar and Duran Duran on my cable provider's '80s music channel, I still wish there really is a Sweet Valley, CA. I remember falling asleep to the big drama of shows like Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest that my mom watched - nothing like heavy eye makeup and jeweled-tone claws tearing at each other's big coiffs and chiffon gowns.

sherbert + navy  sherbert + navy

I guess I should clarify - I love my idea of the 1980s. I was really young then and we just moved to the States - everything looks bigger and better from a child's eyes. And now I "live" through the '80s thanks to the idealized 1980s world in The Carrie Diaries and recently stumbling upon a treasure trove of teen queen Molly Ringwald movies on Netflix that I can watch any time I want. I can sit back at stare in awe at the big everything-ness of that timeframe - the hair, shoulder pads, heels. Pop, color and possibilities seemed to be everywhere.

What are you currently loving?

sherbert + navy

sherbert + navy

Jacket: Gap striped twill (worn here - sim, more stripes, pricey)
Top: Loft henley (worn here - sim, trimmed, pricey)
Skirt: Limited sailor skirt (sim, peplum, pencil)
Necklace: gift (embellished, lighter, teardrop)
Bracelet: J.Crew wildflower (worn here - sim, sim, pastel)
Bag: H&M (worn here - sim, pricey, solid)
Shoes: Kenneth Cole Reaction swim n fool (worn here - sim, sim, darker)