the new essential

it’s official, leather jackets are making a big comeback.  they always look great with a pair of jeans, but i love the contrast and hardness it brings to the look when paired outside of a soft dress or make it sexy with a cute mini skirt.  i am especially fascinated with the hotness that is mike & chris “clark” leather hoodie.  not only is the distressed look super bad-ass, but their signature jumbo buttons and hoodie really add a hint of cuteness to the whole biker chick look.  but can someone please tell me, why is it not on sale yet???  i can’t afford the $876 price tag!!!

mike & chris “clark” leather hoodie

clutch onto your favorite photos

it’s a clutch, it’s a photo album.  no, it’s a photo album that looks like a clutch!  here’s a hip and new way of showing off your photos to friends and random strangers on the bus. this stylish travel size photo album from urban outfitters, makes it easy to carry your favorite photos with you everywhere you go and looking fabulous doing so.  also adding a little extra oomph to your photos. this will definitely make a cute and affordable xmas present . . . to myself.

“Choose from floral canvas or iridescent mock-croc clutches, both lined in satin and ready to hold up to 16 of your favorite 4×6 photos in a foldout sleeve. Imported.
* Holds 16 4×6 photos
* 4.5″l, 6.5″w, .25″h
* Cotton, PVC, mixed metal
* Holds photos only”

 

 photo clutch – $16

better together

now i usually have a rule of not posting pictures of myself on this blog due to the sheer fact of low self-esteem, but i will make an exception today.  i finally received my engagement photos, and they are looking fantastic!  although i’ve had a lot of faith in my photographer, john, i was still quite worried about how they would turn out, just because i’m such a photo snob.  i’m glad to learn that my worrying was for nothing. 

the photo shoot concept was simple.  we picked the playground of our old elementary school, since that’s where we first met…  6th grade, mrs. price’s class.  things didn’t get started until college, but the location was sentimental to us.  to maintain the fresh and relaxing summer feeling, i picked white for our outfits.  i wanted the theme to be dreamy and romantic, so i picked an a-line eyelet dress from bcbg, that’s almost unrealistically girly.  in reflection of the location, and the innocent children we once were, i tied my hair up in a loose pony tail.  i also prepared a few props, including my adorable dogs.  yes, i took the engagement shoot as an artistic project.

here’s a little preview:

 

for optimal experience and to view the rest of the shoot, visit this slide show i created.

shameless ebay promotion time …

up for bid is a lot of 9 like new forever 21 and arden b tops.  each individual pieces have unique details that are flattering and beautiful.  whether it’s clubbing with your girlfriends or going on a date, these tops will for sure make you stand out from the crowd.  all have been worn at most twice or new without tags and in excellent conditions.

lot of 9 forever 21 & arden b tops sz. small & medium – starting bid at only $9.99

this top is definitely the quintessential sexy top that defines bebe, and its ever so seductive style.  the sheerness of the top will make you look sexy without looking like you’re trying to hard, and the sequins will add instant glamour to your outfit.

new bebe cream sheer sequin dress top - bidding only starts at $9.99

the sheer ruffles on the straps of this flirty bcbg top are so sweet, people will be instantly attracted to your angelic charms.  it is stretchy and comes with the convenience of built-in bra.  this fun top is the perfect combination of cute and sexy.

new bcbg feather top sz. m - bidding starts at $9.99

droooooooooooooool

miu miu soft frame bag – frame bag style, check.  double straps, check.  big enough to carry everything, check.  cutie cute cute, check!  i must have it now!!!

i’m not even going to try and butcher her name

but doutzen kroes is just too beautiful to ignore.  i first noticed doutzen in bazaar.  out of the hundreds of gorgeous models in the magazine, she immediately grabbed my attention.  a few more glimpses of her was enough to make me to actually look up her name.  maybe it’s the unique combination of sultry full lips and innocent big blue eyes, but this girl is becoming my #1 model to look out for in the future.

i love designing my gals!

i am totally obsessed with designhergals.com.  it is absolutely addicting and i have spend (dave claimed wasted) countless hours on this site for the past few days.  the concept is simple.  create a version of yourself or whoever, then dress her up with cute outfits.  it’s like the modern day paper doll.  being the self-obsessed brat, i created lots of versions of myself…  well, if i was skinnier.

here i am on sunday, with my white marc jacobs dress and my bottega handbag

and this is me on monday, looking posh with my club monaco trench and my white ysl muse.

on saturday, i went out and tried on a vera wang wedding dress

ok, of course everything is imaginary…  but until i got enough money to buy a real ysl muse or bottega handbag, i will be happily settling for the virtual versions of it.  and if you love your gals enough, the cool thing with this website is, you can order paper goods with the gals you’ve designed printed on it.  yes, it’s probably more useless crap that i don’t need, but how can i resist myself looking so cute in a vera wang?

big red

my newest obsession is the color red.  for the longest time, i never felt comfortable or confident enough to sport such a bold statement.  now that i’m older, i don’t know if i’m getting more confident or just fashionably wiser, but suddenly i am super attracted to all things red.  if you’re still too timid to wear red, start off with some red accessories to pair off with your neutral color outfits. 

seychelles stitched woven heel – the best part about seychelles is not that it’s incredibly cute, but with its heavily padded insoles, it is also the most comfortable shoes around

diane von furstenberg hathaway dress - talk about bold!  well done, queen dvf!

mike and chris oliver trench hoodie – the hottest hoodie around right now

if you find a really cute red handbag, let me know…

summer/celeb/icon inspiration

the much imitated, but never duplicated miss audrey hepburn – summer casual, yet still so elegant and not at all sloppy

an anthropologie fantasy…

for the longest time, anthropologie has always been a store that i dare not venture into.  not that it isn't beautiful and lovely (their dresses are my favorite,) but spending 200 bucks on a trendy, yet vintage-looking skirt just doesn't go well with my wallet.  i know, i know, and a $900 marc jacobs bag was ok?  what can i say, my wallet is very picky and strict.  the good news is, they have some cute stuff on sale right now, and the bad new is, as usual, the things i want are still a little out of budget.  good thing i got this tiny little space on the web to act out all my wildest shopping fantasies.  well, just don't tell my wallet…

the black dress – so demure and sweet

paisley halter dress – the plum and the deep v neck is sexy, but the paisley makes it down to earth

heavenly wrap dress - a little boring, but who doesn't look good in a wrap dress?

celeb inspiration

rachel bilson – i love her simple and bold dress.  how can you not notice her?  the best part, she looks perfectly comfortable.  ok, now let me go lose 50 lb. so i can look just as good.

image via rachel-bilson.com

reunited and it feels so good

the warm weather is here (well, barely in seattle,) but there is a hawaii trip coming up this summer, so it's time to start researching the vacation/resort attires.  if there's one store that does summer vacation right, i would have to say it's j. crew.  i worked at j. crew during my whole high school career, so i was pretty j. crewed-out for the next few years.  it wasn't until recently, did i, once again, start eyeing the preppy store.  j. crew's new collection stays true to its clean and comfortable root, but i find it to be extra adorable than usual. 

aloha-print shorts – these shorts screams a fresh and relaxing summer

critter chino bermuda shorts – awww…  the white and pink combo is so sweet

embroidered tulum tunic – white tunic is this summer's absolute stable

palm beach djellabah – i love the little ethnic color and details

fish dress – ok, it doesn't get any cuter or more summery than this!

victory is mine!

besides an extra day of relaxation, my favorite thing about the memorial weekend is the sales, sales, SALES!  no, it's not the best sale of the year, but it's definitely the first wave of the stream of summer sales that are going to bankrupt me. 

there are 2 purchases i made this weekend that are so great, that i must share (brag) to all you girls out there, after all, who else can grasp the concept of the satisfaction that comes from a good sale?  certainly not my fiance who couldn't seem to share my pride and joy when i waved my conquests at him. 

first, i found a pair of people's liberation skinny jeans for $60 at nordstrom rack, when it's retailed for $180!!!  it was the only pair on the rack, and it was my size!  D-E-S-T-I-N-Y!!!  i've always wanted a pair of people's liberation b/c i love the star pockets (i have a thing for star shapes,) and now i have a pair!!  a couple of days later, i went back to a different nordstrom rack to try my luck again, and there it was, the only pair of black j brand skinny jeans around, and again, it was in my size!  to top it all off, with the normal retail price at $138, the price tag presented before me was $34.95!!!  i feel like tom cruise on oprah winfrey's couch.  can i get a hell yah~! 

people's liberation bella skinny basic 5 pocket in dark wash – retail at $180, and i got it for $59.95!

j brand 14" cigarette leg in black - retailing at $138, and i bought it for $34.95!!!  please excuse me, while i wipe off my tears of joy…

dresses on a budget = do-able

like i've mentioned before, i have made wearing more dresses this summer's new mission.  since cash is low, my usual favorite names (catherine malandrino, rebecca taylor, dvf, bcbg, etc.) are even more out of reach than usual, so here are some cute budget (under 50 bucks) finds:

silk crepe wrap dress from la redoute - i love the cute boho floral print, and on sale for only $29.99

crush check puffball dress from asos – such a cute and trendy dress on sale for $38

pintuck smock dress from asos – i love the long sleeve and short skirt combo, and again on sale for $30.40

ladybug dress from forever21 – how can i mention budget shopping and not include forever21?  cute way to look like kate moss for only $29.80

looking good, boys

i don't think we talk about guys fashion enough, which is really too bad because with the right clothes, a guy can go from dud to stud (i know that was a little cheesy.)  personally, i actually enjoy shopping for menswear more than womens at times.  lucky for me, i have my own personal ken doll to play with.  dave has been such a good sport from the very beginning and i must say he definitely have one of the best closets out of all the guys i know, yes, thanks to me…

watch out!  hot boys on the runway for your inspiration

lacost spring '06 – i love the white pants for the summer. very let's-go-chill-on-piddy's-yacht

karl lagerfeld fall '06 – the short belted trench coat look is very 70's and very flattering to the figure

marc by marc jacobs fall '06 – i love the preppy/grudge look to the new marc by marc jacobs

audrey hepburn wore goggles too

a week ago, i read about these cute sunglass from style bytes, and just fell in love with them.  besides the modern and eccentric allure, there was a familiarity to them that i couldn't put my fingers on, so i ordered a pair right away.  coincidentally, since i was in dire need for some fashion inspirations, i prescribed myself an audrey hepburn marathon over the weekend.  and bam! in how to steal a million, i find her wearing something very similar.  don't you love that feeling when you find a piece of fashion that you really like, and then come to realize that either you or your mother already have it in your closets? 

yes, i did get a lot of comments about how big they are from family, friends, coworkers, strangers, the homeless guy on 5th…  but everytime i second guess myself, i just look in the mirror, and see how small they made my face look, then keep on struting my stuff down the street.  after all, if it's good enough for audrey, then it's good enough for me… even if they do hurt my nose like no other.

white jackie o sunglasses from fred flare

 

audrey hepburn – my favorite actress/fashion icon of all time

shameless ebay promotion time

the sheer ruffles on the straps of this flirty bcbg top are so sweet, people will be instantly attracted by your angelic charm.  it is stretchy and comes with the convenience of a built-in bra.  this fun top is the perfect combination of cute and sexy.

bcbg ruffle feather top size m – bidding only starts at $9.99

i’m prrring for la perrrla

some people might argue that it is an absolute waste to spent hundreds of dollars on underwear.  i used to be one of those people, until i recently had the pleasure of trying on la perla lingeries…  i know they've been around for a while, but it wasn't until a recent sale, that gave me the courage to open my heart and my wallet to la perla.  besides the fact that their feminine design is right on the money, i am also in love with the laces and materials they use, which are so light and soft to the touch.  i spent enough money on dresses that i'll never wear or shoes that are too uncomfortable to wear, so why not pamper my breasts and ass like the goddesses they are…  well, at least that's how i rationalized my spending on these expensive underwears.

occhi verde – i love the sweet eyelet details. innocent, yet sexy

la perla black label : tulle raso – i love the shape of this bra, and the tulle adds a very seductive, but not slutty, touch. 

sky doll - the tulle straps remind me of my wedding gown, which is why i'm all over this one.

la perla black label: tulle cotone – i'm not diggin' on the frayed edges. it makes her look hairy…

shameless ebay promotion time

known for her cutting-edge, yet feminine designs, catherine malandrino has done it again.  this whimsical silk skirt is perfect for the hot summer days ahead.  my favorite little detail is the beautiful botanical graphic, along with the cute little dragonflies.  i would have kept this skirt myself if it was my size.  my loss is your gain!

catherine malandrino silk skirt size 8 – starting bid is only $9.99

plaid is back

i remember back in the 90's, first it was grunge, and then it was clueless, fashion was all about the plaid, and then slowly it disappeared…  well, it's been hibernating long enough and now plaid is slowly creeping back onto the runway again, and it is better than ever.  another item to add to this year's summer list:  a plaid sundress dress.

alicia silverstone and stacey dash rocked the plaid movement back in 94'

sarah jessica parker in vivienne westwood – leave it to carrie to be always one step ahead of this game we call fashion

marc jacobs fall '06 – you know it's a hit when mj is in on the fun

forever 21 – only $27.80, it is cute and cheap, what better way to look trendy this summer?