Underdog

Top, Jeans - F21, Booties - Santee Alley, Bracelet c/o ModCloth and vintage

With animal prints being all the rage this season, I know that leopards are really getting their day in the sun. And even though I love me some leopard print (as seen here and here), I find myself gravitating toward more uncommon animal prints these days. You know what I mean, those animal prints that are just not getting as much love as the leopard. I'm just such a sucker for the underdog and all. Enter this shirt in the print of a giraffe! I love giraffes. The print of their coat is beautiful, they have graceful long necks, and they are enviably TALL. Plus they make me think of toys for some reason. Well done, advertising crew at Toys 'R Us. Well done.

I wish that I had taken a better picture of these adorable booties. The heel is a bit atypical, which makes me love them. They are one of two treasures I recently swooped up from "the Alley" in Los Angeles: a haven for inexpensive, yet adorable fashion finds from time to time. Some days I return home from the Alley with absolutely nothing, and some days, like my most recent shopping expedition, I come home an ultra happy camper. I can't wait to pair these booties with those hard-to-match-shoes-to summer outfits and skirts. I have a feeling they'll be delightfully versatile!

Rainbow Brite



Cardigan - F21, Dress - Target, Shoes - Steve Madden (from years ago!), Bracelet - Vintage

Finding spots to take photos is always hard, especially when you're trying to find a spot that is not populated with people giving you odd looks as they pass by. But every once in a while, you find a gorgeous spot when you least expect it, like this rainbow wall that I just love. We just happened upon it when we were shopping in Santana Row one day, and because there are no stores near it, it was completely empty when I stopped to take these photos. I love how the colorful wall plays off of my colorful dress.

As the weather warms up, I am getting more and more excited to start donning my favorite colorful dresses. I love the spring! Of course this means I'm going to have to do something about my pale-as-a-ghost legs in the next few weeks. Usually I tan really easily and am leg-ready for spring before it even gets here, but with winter taking such a long time to get gone, my legs haven't seen the sun in weeks. AND IT SHOWS. I know that getting a tan so you can bare your legs for the warm weather is a bit silly, like working out before you can start going to the gym, but I don't question these odd dilemmas of life.

I am loving Target's selection of clothing lately. Especially since I go there three times a week for who knows what (it seems I am always running an errand there), the fact that I can peruse the clothing racks makes Target trips even more fun than they were before. I had been craving a yellow sundress and this flowered one from Target was the best one I had seen. I can pair it with all sorts of different colors and it just instantly brightens my mood. Don't you just love clothes that can do that?

Lacy Gray

Tee, Cardigan - F21, Skirt - Lauren Conrad, Necklace c/o Chantel on Melrose, Booties - F21

So sorry for the lack of posting this week, but the weather has been absolutely horrible and I have been stuck indoors taking care of a bunch of things that needed to be done. I could have posted you a picture of the super sweet sweatpants and oversized football jersey that was my uniform this week, but I saved you the trauma.

I picked up this sweet little skirt for a whopping $12 the other day and couldn't wait to wear it. As I'm sure is becoming obvious, I am having a serious love affair with lace lately, and I just had to have this piece to add to my lace collection. If you're not new to my blog, you might be surprised by the lack of color in my outfit today. I know that I'm usually a fan of throwing in a bright color with neutrals, rather than sticking to a monochromatic outfit, but I kind of like how the monochrome of this outfit sets off the skirt. Plus, I got to make a pun on the name Macy Gray for my blog, which amuses me so. It's the little things, people.

I have loved cameos ever since I was little. My mom has a gorgeous vintage cameo brooch that I used to run my finger across as a kid and marvel at the tiny sculpted detail. I saw this black-and-white cameo necklace hanging on a mannequin at my favorite boutique on Melrose and thought it would be a darling accessory for all sorts of outfits.

Did your mom have an accessory or outfit that you admired as a kid? I find that my mom inspired me in all sorts of ways that I didn't even realize. She used to wear a vintage leopard print skirt and vest (I love leopard!) that I hope to inherit by some miracle of nature, this gorgeous tangerine colored chiffon ruffly dress that made her look so elegant and pretty (love tangerine, love ruffles), and that cameo brooch I already mentioned. Makes me wonder what pieces of mine my future kid might remember in the future. With my luck, it will probably be the sweatpants and oversized football jersey. Sigh.

Details, Details

Top - c/o Chantel on Melrose, Booties - Steve Madden, Necklace, bracelet - gifted from sister

While I always try my best to find basics when I go shopping, I find that I am always drawn to wardrobe pieces that boast subtle and surprising details. This top, with it's simple ruched sleeves and bow-tie back, is a perfect example of my kind of shirt. It can be worn like a plain white top, but has pretty details that keep it from being boring.

I wanted to toughen up this feminine top a little, so I opted for wearing it with some distressed jeans and lace-up booties. To finish off the outfit, I picked this turquoise beaded chain. I love wearing turquoise jewelry with white. The colors complement each other so cleanly and crisply and make each other pop. What color do you go to when you've got a white canvas like this shirt?

Lamb and Tunafish

Blazer, Skirt, Booties - F21, Tank - Target, Bag - Chanel borrowed from mom

Another one of my favorite color combinations is navy blue and magenta. They go together like lamb and tunafish. Or spaghetti and meatball? Are you more comfortable with that analogy? If you get my movie reference with those lines, we should be best friends!

I love this leopard print skirt, last seen HERE. It is so versatile and really goes with all sorts of different colors. Plus the chiffon material and the pleats make it so flouncy and give it such movement that it's just FUN to wear. And I'll say it again, this blog is about making fashion fun!

One of the best things about visiting my parents, besides how much my mother spoils me with her cooking, is being able to pilfer things from my mother's closet. My mother is a TRUE fashionista and has been her entire life. But since she weighs about 95 pounds and is a size zero, I don't get to take advantage of her gorgeous clothes. Instead, I stole this to-die-for Chanel bag. Okay, I didn't really steal it. I asked if I could borrow it and she said yes. Except I might forget to give it back. No, I won't. Yes, I will. No. Maybe. It's a moral dilemma. Isn't it darling?



I wore this outfit to grab dinner with one of my nearest and dearest friends, the always fun and amazingly fashionable Miss L. Dinner turned into a much-overdue and extremely lengthy (we nearly closed the restaurant down!) catchup session full of lots of laughs, great food, and insightful life advice. Sigh. My favorite kind of get together. Thanks, Miss L!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane



Dress - c/o Ruche, Cardigan, Belt - F21, Boots - Steve Madden, Bracelet - ModCloth

 Sometimes I feel like I buy dresses because they are such easy go-to pieces when you're feeling uncreative or uninspired. They are pretty and simple and can be worn lots of different ways. Lately, I have been really drawn to dresses with fun prints and ruffles. This one that I snagged off Ruche is already a new favorite. It's navy blue, it's got such a fun birds print, and it's got a kicky ruffle. It's comfortable and flattering and will transition great to spring when I'll be able to wear it with wedge espadrilles or sandals.

I have been carrying this bag everywhere. I picked it up from a street vendor in Soho for an unbelievable price (which makes it an instant favorite), and it's so versatile and comfortable and buttery soft. My boyfriend attempted to do some bargaining for it, which is his specialty and my nightmare. I hate bargaining! At the end of bargaining session, the vendor came down from his price a little, but not quite enough to make my boyfriend happy. He then attempted to tell me to walk away from the bag and find something else, but I gave him my best "are-you-insane?" look and took out my wallet. I would have paid what the vendor was asking for before any bargaining! I know, I know, I should get "sucker" tattooed to my forehead. Anyone else love a bargain but hate bargaining like me? I know you're supposed to bargain with street vendors, but I Just. Can't. Do. It. Thank God the boyfriend can. I knew there was a reason I liked him.

The White Stuff



Shirt - Vintage, Skirt - F21, Booties F-21, Jewelry - Vintage

For weeks now, I have wanted to wear "winter white." Maybe it's because wearing white in the winter feels so naughty since it breaks that stupid no-white-after-labor-day rule or because I just associate white with fresh, clean snow, but I just love the idea of wearing white in the winter. The gorgeous texture of this skirt makes it a perfect winter to spring transition piece, and I love how flouncy and girly it is. To make things even better, it cost me $12.50 at F21. Sometimes, life is just good.

On another note, I am in LOVE with these vintage front-tie shirts. They remind me of the way my mom dressed when I was a kid, and they seem to be universally flattering on any shape. The bright blue color of this one begged to be worn with something that would make the blue pop, and this skirt did the trick. Another point for winter white!

I wore this outfit to meet one of my fave girlfriends at a champagne bar. Did you read that? A champagne bar. A bar in which all of their drinks are made with at least a little champagne. It was all kinds of awesome for a champagne lover like me. I'll say it again. Sometimes life is just good.

Braveheart



Boots - Soho boutique, Cardigan - Santee Alley, Tank - H&M, Jeans - JBrand, Necklace - Vintage, Earrings - ModCloth

When you're 5-feet-almost-nothing tall and curvy, every fiber in your being tells you that over-the-knee boots have no place in your wardrobe. But since this blog is about breaking fashion rules and doing what makes me feel good, I decided to ignore that little voice in my head that sometimes tells me I should play it safe and flattering. I saw these boots in a boutique in Soho on sale, and it was like they spoke to me. In case you're wondering, they said "Buy me! Buy me!" Clothes and accessories often say this to me. Which is why my wallet often says to me, "I'm empty! I'm empty!" I tend to ignore the wallet. It's so pushy.

I'm really glad I decided to challenge my insecurities and go for these boots because they are lovely! And I don't know about you, but I don't think they make me look short and stumpy like I feared. I love the chocolate brown soft leather, and the fact that they are flat means that they are super comfortable. They just have a little more sumptin-sumptin than your average knee-high boots, and who doesn't like a little extra sumptin-sumptin? What are you some of the items that you're too scared/insecure to try? Be brave!

Sorry for the bad quality of the pics! I'm using a borrowed camera and am still trying to learn how to use it. I'll try to figure it out before my next post.

Dot Dot Dot

Shirt - from Paper Doll on Melrose, Tank - H&M, Jeans, Shoes - F21

Today is International Polka Dot Day! OK, I made that up. I don't even think it's National Polka Dot Day. What I do know is that today is the day that fashion bloggers from all over have been challenged by Everybody Everywhere to style their polka dots. Since you all know from this post how much I adore polka dots, I just had to participate!

Polka dots are just so adorably retro, and they have such an element of "fun" to them that they give any outfit such a playful vibe. I wanted to play up the retro feel of my polka dot tie shirt by cuffing my pants and adding some girly platforms and pearls.

I'm currently working on this post at a coffee shop near my parents' house since I'm visiting the parentals and they don't have....wait for it, wait for it...WIRELESS. *Insert gasp of horror here*  It has honestly been a bit torturous, but the home-cooked meals by my gourmet mom and stocked-to-the-brim refrigerator are kind of a nice tradeoff. I always wondered what people on their laptops in coffee shops were so busily doing. Now I know, they are bloggers who are staying with their dinosaur-era parents who don't have Internet.

On a happier note, aren't these platforms just too cute to live? I love them. You all know how much my five-foot-one frame loves a stacked heel. Add a perky bow on it and an ankle strap, and I swoon. But not while I'm wearing my shoes. I'd hate to fall and scuff them.

Happy Polka Dot Day! Check out Everybody Everywear to see how everyone else is styling their polka dots today.

It's Oh Soho Orange

Coat - Old Navy, Sweater - F21, Jeans - JBrand, Scarf - from PaperDoll on Melrose, Boots - Target, Necklace - ModCloth

Here is my final outfit post from NYC. I wore this outfit on the one marathon day of my trip. We did brunch and shopping in Soho, grabbed lunch in Chinatown, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, saw a bunch of friends and had dinner at Momofuku Noodle Bar to end the night. I am really ashamed to admit that my legs were aching by the end of the day. I had shin splints and actually started limping by the time we got back to our hotel. A true New Yorker, I am not. I realized that it probably means I need to work out more, which depressed me so much that I got a bag of pretzel truffles at Momofuku Milk Bar to make myself feel better. Don't judge me. I have my own way of dealing with things. It's this new methodology called denial. It's pretty awesome. You should try it.

I am currently having a love affair with burnt orange. I'm not sure what it is, but I just love how bright and vibrant it is. This scarf brightened up my outfit unbelievably and kept it from being boring. It also allowed my boyfriend to pick me out of a crowd in Soho in about three seconds flat, which proved to be very useful.

This necklace (sorry the picture quality is so bad...I desperately need a new camera) is one of the Valentine's Day presents I got. I have to give the boyfriend props one more time. I love how the scarf brings out the orange in the flowers. I can't wait to try and style it with other things.

And thus ends my week of outfits from NYC! Up next, outfits from LA. I'm visiting the fam for a few days and am enjoying the warm(er) weather. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Pearly Whites

Dress - H&M, Necklace - Nordstrom, Ring - H&M, Booties - F21

We ended up seeing a Broadway show in NYC (an item on my bucket list) one of the nights we were there. I hadn't heard much about "Memphis," except that it won the Tony Award in 2010 but was blown away by how fantastic it was. As I've mentioned before HERE, going to the theater always gives me the uncontrollable urge to dress up a bit. Since it was Broadway after all, I decided to go very old New York with a simple black dress and pearls. Pearls always make me feel so glamorous for some reason, and this multi-strand of pearls instantly makes me feel a little like Holly Go-Lightly. I need a giant black hat and a cigarette holder, of course, to complete the look. And about eight inches of height. And the ability to lose about 100 pounds. But you get the idea.

Sorry these photos are so blurry. I rarely take night photos exactly for that reason, but I tried to find a well-lit spot to capture the outfit. The well-lit spot I ended up finding was the hallway outside of the business center, barber shop, and beauty salon of my hotel, so I got a lot of funny looks and stares from the people inside. I told myself that they were admiring my outfit. Yes, I lie to myself sometimes, and that's OK.

Winter Wool

Coat - Old Navy, Skirt - Old Navy clearance ($6!), Tights - We Love Colors, Necklace, Boots, Tee - Target

These flat boots from Target and this totally reasonable wool coat from Old Navy were my two best friends during my NYC trip. I hate taking a lot of luggage on planes because I am a jetsetter. OK, it's actually because I am weak and petite and once had my suitcase hit me in the face as I struggled to get it in an overhead bin. Seriously. I got my butt whooped by my own luggage. Anyway, as a result, I now try to pack pieces that I can easily remix, and these two pieces ended up being extremely remixable. Hopefully you won't get sick of seeing them in multiple outfits this week.

Despite the fact that it was raining and windy as I trekked up and down Fifth Avenue, I opted to wear a skirt, tights and boots, which I contend are actually warmer than wearing jeans. We ended up walking up Fifth Avenue to Central Park and taking these pictures at the fountain right in front of the Fairmont Hotel. I love how it seemed like almost every block in NYC had a great spot for an outfit photo. Plus, no one in NYC seemed to care or flinch when I would stand in random spots posing for outfit photos. No one stared, gawked, pointed at me, or made me feel uncomfortable. Well, except for that one time that I stood outside of Magnolia Bakery practially stuffing an entire red velvet cupcake in my mouth, but I figured I couldn't blame them. It was impressive, I tell you.

Two more NYC photos before I go back to my regular daily outfit photos. Hope everyone survived Monday!