Island Dreams

Dress - gifted from Hawaii, Necklace - Banana Republic, Watch - Michael Kors

It's right about this time of year, when the weather starts to warm up and summer looms, that I start dreaming about my vacation plans for the rest of the year. Maybe it's the years of conditioning that we get while attending school and growing up that summer means vacation, but I still feel like summer = vacation even though there is no such thing as summer vacation in the corporate working world. (Yet another reason to rebel against it).

If you're a regular on this blog, then you know that one of my fave places in the WORLD is Hawaii. And since it has been almost two years since I've been (yikes!), I am determined that a Hawaii trip is in order before the end of 2013. With that on my mind, I couldn't resist donning this gorgeous printed dress from Oahu that my sister brought me back last year. The fabric is cool and loose, which was a must when the heat wave hit last week, and the print is just beautiful. It's actually kind of a shapeless homewear type dress, but I couldn't resist belting it and rocking it outside because it was just too pretty to wear only at home. If I wear it, the vacation will come, right? That's how the saying goes?

Best Pants Ever

Pants - H&M ($17.95!), Tank - Boutique, Sweater - Target

I have literally found THE most amazing pants ever. How did I never realize before exactly HOW comfortable harem pants are? They're like pajama pants that you can wear out. I think I always shied away from them because I felt that as a curvy girl, the last thing I needed was to wear balloony pants. But I. Was. So. Wrong. These pants are flattering and way fun, and the high waist helps petite girls like me look more long-legged (who can say no to that?). They have now become my go-to choice of pants for traveling on planes, for road trips, for errands, well, pretty much for everything. I should seriously buy another pair just so I can have a pair to wear while I wash these. Those harem girls sure knew what they were doing. Do they still have harems? Because I'd consider joining just for the pants. 

              

Simply Red

Dress - Macy's, Belt - Target, Shoes - F21, Sunnies - Foster Grant

Ever since I got all dolled up for my friend's recent "I Love Lucy" themed bridal shower, I have been tempted to try rocking a bright red lip on a regular day. I don't know if you've noticed, but I rarely rock lipstick at all, let alone a bright red lip color, unless it's for a special occasion. Why the madness? When I was in high school, lipstick was the only makeup my mother let me wear on a daily basis (I know, insert gasp here), and so I made it a point to wear all sorts of dark and bright colored lipstick. After I graduated and the sky became the limit when it came to makeup, I started focusing much more on eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascaras and such, and my lips went from bright to muted to nude to nonexistent.

Wearing bright lipstick with dark eye makeup always makes me look like a drag queen (as Boyfriend will so helpfully point out), and if I can only have one, I will always pick eye makeup because it is totally my safety blanket. See, my eyes are my least favorite feature. Okay, okay, so that's putting it mildly. I went through years of adolescent angst where I even hated them. But with shadow and eyeliner, I feel much better about them, and if that means going lipstick-less, then I'll go lipstick-less. But after the "I Love Lucy" party, I realized how fun lipstick can be, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. On this day, I wore minimal liner, no eyeshadow, but a bright red lip with this chambray dress. Turns out I DON'T always need my eye makeup safety blanket, and now I feel like a whole new world of makeup has been opened up for me: LIPSTICK. Boyfriend is probably groaning while reading this because he knows that finding a new shopping need is like catnip to me. He has good reason to groan because lipsticks... here I COME.

What's the one "safety blanket" you can't leave the house without?

Transitions

Tank - H&M, Skirt - LC, Necklace - Santee, Watch - Target 

So sorry for the unexpected hiatus. My job has been kicking my rear end as of late, and I ended up working long hours and doing a lot of traveling, which left little time for outfit posting! But things have slowed down now (praise Jesus), and I'm excited to be back. The weather is still doing this weird up and down thing here in California (it's supposed to be in the 90s today and then raining tomorrow), so dressing appropriately for the weather has been semi-challenging. I love high-low skirts for transitional weather, and this coral one is one of my current faves. Grey is a neutral color that I keep forgetting to incorporate more into my wardrobe, but I love how it gives me a chance to rock a bright colored skirt AND a bright statement necklace at the same time. My goal for this season is to buy some more basics (like this gray tank) to mix together with the brightly colored clothes that seem to dominate my closet.

By the way, can I tell you that I think my entire outfit here (shoes included) costs less than $50?? Gotta love when my bargain hunting pays off. Hope you guys are having a fabulous week!

In the Emerald City

Top - Vince Camuto, Belt - Banana Republic, Skirt - Vintage

Almost exactly a year ago, a long treasure hunt for a vintage green pencil skirt ended in a teeny thrift/vintage shop in North Lake Tahoe. I'm not sure why I craved a green skirt like this at the time, but when I heard that emerald green was THE color for the spring season, I unabashedly patted myself on the back for being so fashion forward. Sure, it's possible that I'm such a shopaholic that my desire for a green pencil skirt stemmed from nothing more than an obsession to own things in all colors, but I'll pretend that it's actually because I'm just so ahead of my time.  I've been planning all sorts of ways to wear this skirt, but I knew my first foray for the season had to include my new leopard skinny belt. I love how emerald and leopard complement each other. It should have been a cowardly leopard that went to see the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, not a cowardly lion, dontcha think? Of course, if someone's got a lion print belt out there, I'll stand corrected. 

Sometimes Slouchy

Sweater - Banana Republic, Jeans - JBrand, Boots - Urban Outfitters, Tee- Target

Just because I'm a girly girl who loves frilly, feminine clothing and accessories and the like doesn't mean that I don't like to be comfortable. All winter, I was on the hunt for the perfect slouchy, oversized cardigan that I could pair with a dress just as easily as jeans. This cardigan, which I FINALLY FOUND, is perfect. It's thick knit makes me think of a comfy throw blanket, and wearing it makes me feel all warm and snuggly. It's like wearing a teddy bear or a Snuggie, without making people think you're a crazy person. 

Even though I'm a little bummed that I probably won't get a ton of use out of this sweater this year as the weather has been warming up, it's been a go-to for me in the cool evenings when I need something to throw over a dress or a short-sleeve shirt and jeans. Now if I could only get this snuggly thing to feed me chocolate and wine, it would really be the ultimate comfort-wear.

Have a great weekend, lovelies!   

I Love Lucy

Dress - ModCloth, Bracelet - Vintage, Pearls - Gifted, Lipstick - Milani

Over the weekend, a dear friend of mine had an "I Love Lucy" themed bridal shower, which is a dream for someone like me who absolutely loves having a chance to play dress up. I already had the dress, since my love for vintage and vintage-inspired wear goes far beyond one party. All I needed were a few finishing "Lucy" touches, like the pearls (of course), the red lipstick, and the petticoat, which I just love. There's something so...Gone With the Wind about a petticoat, even a short one like this, and I'm wondering why women everywhere stopped wearing them. For a curvy girl, they accentuate your waist and expertly cover any "wobbly bits," as Bridget Jones would say. I'm going to try and see if I can figure out ways to wear it more often, although for now, Boyfriend has restricted to allowing me to wear it only in the confines of my own home.

I also tried to do a 50s pin-up makeup look, which was challenging for someone with my skin tone. Luckily (after a lot of Googling), I found a red lipstick that suits Asian coloring, and voila! Instant 50s. I hardly EVER wear red lipstick, but I have to admit that I felt ultra glamorous in it. I might try to figure out a way to incorporate it more into my look. Maybe with the petticoat. While I do the dishes.

Cute centerpieces!

UH-mazing cake...

Cutest party favors...aprons that we wore over our 50s wear.

Maxi-mum Versatility

Dress - F21, Jacket - Gap, Sunnies - Foster Grants, Watch - Target

I'm not sure if it's because the seasons are transitioning or because jeans can just sometimes feel very binding on a curvy girl, but I have been so addicted to jersey maxi dresses lately. They're so simple and uncomplicated but give the impression that you put a lot of thought into your outfit. A black maxi like this one has become a serious closet staple for me. It's can be casual or fancy, dressed up or dressed down, but it's always comfortable, no matter how you doll it up. I've already worn this dress belt-less with an infinity scarf, with a colored belt and funky jewelry, and even with motorcycle boots for an edgier look. Its versatility is making it rise quickly in the ranks of go-to pieces in my closet.

Ever since I bought this maxi (for like $12 no less), I have been hunting for more and more maxis to add to my wardrobe. It's a challenge for a shorty like me because maxis are usually too long for me, and jersey is such a pain to hem (So I've been told, I can barely thread a needle). One little tip I've figured out with maxis though is that you can belt them with a wide belt (like I did here), and tuck some of the length up under the belt. Voila! Instantly shorter hem, and I didn't even have to pull out the sewing kit. Again, I imagine that's what you do when you need to hem something. I don't own a sewing kit.

Wine, Dine and More Wine

Sweater - F21, Dress, Boots - ModCloth

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends in Napa for some delicious wine tasting, some good eats, and some fabulous company. After a few tastings, I tried not to fall over since I'm a lightweight to take outfit photos and just loved the gorgeous scenery that you find all over Napa Valley. I particularly love the clouds rolling off in the background after the rain cleared up and the sunshine came out.

With spring weather (finally!) upon us, I couldnt' resist breaking out a dress...and a springy, floral dress at that. To tone down the girly, I went with a grandpa sweater and my fave lace-up boots to complete the look. I love combining frilly and casual pieces to balance things out. Plus, the dress (with an elastic waist) proved to be the perfect complement to a day that was spent gorging on Ad Hoc fried chicken, creamy cheeses, meats, wines, more wines, and then more wines. Kudos to the Boyfriend for being able to take these pictures with a steady hand after drinking. The ability to take drunken outfit photos is one of my prerequisites for a man. What a keeper.

Going Casual

If you're not a stranger to this blog, then you know that I sometimes struggle with dressing casually. I'm just one of those odd girls that feels much more comfortable in a dress and heels than jeans and flats. But every so often, when I'm feeling bold and daring, I try to do the casual thing, and I think to myself..."Wow, so THIS is why so many people go the casual route. I'm so...I'm so...COMFORTABLE." 

I challenged myself this past week to style a T-shirt and with some jeans and flats. It was rough. It was painful. It was stressful. I felt so plain and boring and unaccessorized. Then I realized...I can accessorize! I added this pretty printed scarf and some simple jewelry, and voila! I felt a little bit more like myself. I also love how wearing a scarf in the same color (as opposed to contrasting colors like I usually do) had the cool effect of making the print on the scarf really pop. 

I feel a little like Joan Cusack's adorably tacky character in Working Girl when she tells Melanie Griffith that an elegant, sophisticated black dress "needs some bows or something." I need accessories! Scarves! Bells! Whistles! But I always wonder why I feel like an outfit isn't an outfit if it doesn't have all those additional touches. Am I adorably tacky?! My sister's style is always ultra simple and uncomplicated, and she looks sophisticated and fabulous. 

What about you? Is your look simple and complicated? Or does it needs some bows or something? 

To Taupe it Off

Top - F21, Jeans - J-Brand, Booties - Marshall's

I have spent months and months searching for the perfect pair of suede taupe booties. And let me tell you, it was rough out there. Some were too brown, some were too grey. Some were too high, some were too low. Some were too country, some were too city. I almost gave up all hope and wandered the streets in despair. Gosh, life is so hard. But then, salvation came in the form of $16 clearance booties at my local Marshall's. They look a little grayer than they are in the photos, but they are the perfect shade of taupe I was looking for. Whoo hoo! They're also a size too small, but with some Crisco, the jaws of life, and some foot binding, I can wear them. I kid, I kid. They are a tad snug, but they fit well enough for $16!  

Now I want a pair of beige ones...do I dare start the long and discouraging quest again? Yes, I am the queen of First World Problems, I know.

Happy Hump Day, y'all!