Under the California Sun

Mini Lace Dress by Nha Khanh

2013-07-25T10:06:00.001-07:00

Yes yes, I know I'm just greattttt at updating my blog. :)

See ya around!!!

Florals

2013-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to have several wedding-related photoshoots and of course each one comes with a new fabulous bouquet. I can't decide which bouquet is my favorite because I love them all! What about you, which one do you like most? :)

A Little Wedding Preview...

2012-12-07T13:36:00.002-08:00

Hi ya!

I've been a mrs. for almost 3 full weeks now! People keep asking me if it feels any different and the truth is...not much has changed. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing LOL...

Anyway, I'm still waiting on our professional photos but here are a few that I stole from friends & family. (The first 3 are sneak peeks from our photographer). Our wedding was 15 hours long but the day flew by soooo fast, I wish I could relive it again. All I can say is...it was magical...but then I'm probably a tiny bit biased. ;)

{at hilltop park--it was extremely windy that day so I don't think we got too many good photos :( }

{veil was flying all over without any additional help}

{wore these shoes for 14 hours straight! had to take them off the last hour though,

couldn't bear another sec of it :D}

{my traditional dress/ao dai}

{love love the flower girl's dress...I want one for myself!}

{lighting our unity candle in church}

{the beautiful arch at our guest photo area}

{rosemary place cards, 300 of them}

{photo/gift tables}

{lanterns lining the aisle}

{candy bar, lost a bird}

{first dance as husband and wife--I let my hair down at night}

{our beautiful and delicious cake}

{we were watching the hilarious same day edit video! Aubrey & Elle, I'm wearing the Alice & Olivia pearl dress}

{photos for guests to take home}

{this was waiting for us at our suite at the end of the night}

I didn't feel much stress/exhaustion leading to our wedding but boy, it sure caught up to me after! I should have taken a month off just to recover!

Stay tuned for more as we get photos from our photographer. Thank you for letting me share these photos with you and have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Wedding Updates

2012-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Our wedding is a little under 3 months from now and fiancé and I have gotten quite a few things done! We try to add many personal touches ourselves so DIY is taking on a whole new meaning hehe. I keep thinking of coming here and sharing with y'all...but being the anonymous "blogger" that I am, it's hard to reveal too much. Pretty much everything we do have our names/faces on it so...yah! But here are a few random things I'd like to share...

hair for a photoshoot

getting an early start on tissue pom poms

lots of baskets for ceremony programs etc.

a mock-up of our flowers. can't wait to see the fully finished product!

our wedding invite that we had a big hand in designing

i single-handedly addressed 200 of these babies myself

fiancé painted this for guests to "leaf" their print

a girl's gotta love her tulle

feathers for my fascinator. maybe i'll show the end result in another post :)

a sash that i put together. i have 3 sashes for my wedding dress so i don't know which one i'm using yet LOL

our wedding cake will be a mix of 8 different layers/flavors. yes, i'm a little crazy :D

starting to accumulate stuff for our guest bathroom baskets!

I will try to share more in-progress work as well as some pix when the day comes. But be warned, they will be headless pictures!!! :D

Yummy Wedding Shoes

2012-06-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Just sharing a few amazing pairs of shoes that I covet. So much bling bling, what's a girl to do?

{miu miu}

{manolo blahnik}

{valentino}

{christian louboutin}

And here's a more affordable shoe that we all can afford. Went to a couple of H&M to hunt them down...finally found a size 5 and they're HUMONGOUS! Sad day.

Which pretty pair would you wear on your wedding day? :)

Easy DIY: Clip-on Bow for Shoes

2012-04-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted a pair of bow flats to wear at my casual engagement shoot but didn’t want to spend money on new shoes, so I decided to make my own bows instead. Items needed:

- bows (you can buy ribbons and form your own, but I found a couple of children’s bow ties for cheap so I bought these)
- shoe clips
- felt backing
- feathers or any adornments you like
- glue
- your old shoes

This project is so easy, no skills or prior experience needed. :D And ta da…now I have a “new” pair of shoes!!!

Wedding Theme

2012-04-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Many people have asked me what our wedding colors are and I’m usually at a loss of what to say because…well…we’re using almost every shade of the rainbow! I remember asking fiance how he wants our wedding to feel, and he replied with “romantic.” We didn’t talk about it too much but somehow eventually arrived at this:

Overall theme: enchanted garden
Look/feel: romantic, elegant, a little bit whimsical and vintage
Main colors: ivory, blush pink
Complementing colors: corals, brown, bronze/gold, leafy green

In the past few months, I must have saved at least a couple hundred photos as I looked for wedding inspiration. With all the blogs out there, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed. I decided to make these inspiration boards just to keep myself on track as to the overall look and feel we wanted for our wedding.

Since our wedding will be indoors, obviously we can’t have a full-on garden theme but we’ll try to incorporate it wherever we can. Now, I went a little cray cray with this and even researched about releasing live fireflies in our ballroom at night. Isn’t that sooo romantic? Ahhh…!!! And yes, you can really buy everything over the internet! I gave up on the fireflies idea when learning they’re only available in May/June. Ok…how about doves then? Would my church allow that? Hmmm…. :D

Birds and bees, rabbits and squirrels, flowers and moss…you will see bits and pieces of these tied into our theme. We hope our wedding will reflect our personalities as we plan to add many personal touches to it. So excited!

Less than 8 months to go, yayyyy! :)

Wedding Dresses: Vera Wang

2012-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE as of November, 2013: I am now selling my used Vera Wang Fawn for approximately half off retail price; please contact me at underthecasun@gmail.com if interested. I can send more photos and answer any additional questions. My dress is a size 2 but fits like a 0, I am 5'6 with heels, weighs about 105lbs. Thank you!

Hello again and welcome to another wedding dress edition. :) I'm super excited to share this blog post with you because hey, it's Vera freakin' Wang! Without further ado, here are some fabulous dresses that I tried on this past Saturday...

Meet Audrey...

Audrey

I have seen Audrey on a couple of brides but it didn't really catch my attention. The moment I put it on though, both fiancé and I were sprung. LOVE is an understatement (trust me, it looks so much better in person than in photos). Fiancé loved it so much he asked me to try it on twice. :)

Next, meet Georgina...

Georgina

I adore the delicate lace on Georgina but not a big fan of the horizontal stripes on the skirt.

Moving on to Ethel...

Ethel

When I first showed pictures of Ethel to fiancé, he wasn't a fan. He said it was much too simple, but with the right belt added, it looks amazing! And we both love the voluminous train of organzas on the back.

And this is Fawn...

Fawn

Fawn is just lovely, delicate, airy, and very fairy-like. The only minor complaint is that fiancé isn't a fan of the bust design. He said it makes me look flat from the side. Men! LOL...

Here is Gemma...

Gemma

One of my friends really love Gemma so I decided to try it on for her. It's too overwhelming on my petite frame but I'm sure it would look very nice on someone who's taller.

And last but not least, Diana...

Diana

Diana is my wild card. I wanted to try on something different and ended up loving it as well. The full, soft organza look is really growing on me.

Overall, Vera Wang was such a wonderful experience. After mulling over price + look + comfort level, I think fiancé and I have decided on the dress. However, I have 2 more appoinments with other bridal stores before making the final decision. I'm leaving my options open 'til then (but my heart is kinda set haha)!

Thank you everyone for reading. Which one is your favorite?

Wedding Dresses: David's Bridal + Monique Lhuillier

2012-01-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for your congratulatory wishes on my recent engagement. With a wedding date set (less than 10 months away), I have started to look for my wedding dress. I must say...this is wayyy more fun than all other wedding tasks combined... :D

I have always been drawn to the trumpet/mermaid silhouette so that pretty much stuck in my head. I also had my heart set on alencon lace...so a lace trumpet/mermaid dress was the way to go! Or so I thought...

The above dress belongs to a friend of mine; she got it at David's Bridal a few years back. My first appoinment was at David's Bridal (where I had to wait 30 minutes for my turn). Sighhh...but then it's David's Bridal, I should keep my expectations low. I just wanted to get a feel of the experience, test out different silhouettes to see if what I have in my head actually look good on me.

Here's another lace/beaded trumpet look. But my heart isn't singing.

This fun organza dress is from the Vera Wang White line made exclusively for David's Bridal. Fiancee actually likes poofy dresses. :) I think I'm starting to like organzas too!

They had me try on some other dresses that were hideous...WHY WHY WHY? Disappointed at the selection at David's Bridal, I headed over the Monique Lhuillier in Beverly Hills for our next appoinment. Just a note, they don't let you take pictures here. I forced fiancee to sneak in these pix of me.

The dress on the left is Peony, easily my favorite out of the bunch. The right is a 2-piece corset and skirt. I tried on a bunch more but sorry, no pix. :(

I'm really excited for my next post because I went to Vera Wang this past Saturday and they actually let us take pictures! Stay tuned for more wedding dresses. I might have found the one! ;)

In Other News...

2011-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

...I am now engaged! Way to end 2011 huh? ;)

Happy New Year and thank you so much for interacting with me on this little blog (even though my posts are so sporadic!) I hope 2011 was nice to you and here's to an even better 2012. <333

A New Work Bag

2011-11-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

Ever since I sold my Chanel GST earlier this year, I have been hunting for a more suitable work bag. Although I adore the GST, it was much too heavy for my weak frame. In the years I've had it, it was rarely used yet the shape loss was clearly evident, a definite dealbreaker for me. So I had to bid goodbye...

Since then, I have been looking for something more functional, using the following requirements as a guideline:
- top zipper
- light weight
- top handles + cross-body
- fits at least a laptop + binder at the same time

I considered the LV Palermo (not big enough + trying to stay away from the Monogram Canvas), LV Siracusa (wish it comes in Damier Ebene Canvas instead of Azur), Celine luggage tote (too heavy), and Balenciaga (too casual chic for the office). Disappointed that none of them lived up to my expectations, I stopped looking for awhile.

A few weeks ago, I stopped by the Louis Vuitton store to "browse around" and saw something that immediately caught my eyes. I hastily grilled the SA for more information and he said this design just came out a couple of weeks ago. As much as I wanted to scoop it up and take it home with me, I resisted the urge and went home to sleep on it. Upon further research, I found out that this design was available sometime in 2010 (sold in select stores only). Within one year, the price had already jumped by several hundred dollars. Are you freaking kidding me? So not happy...but...still...want...

Anyway, the color that originally caught my eyes is called Flamme (a deep purple, perfect for fall). When I showed bf some different options, he preferred Ombre (a nice taupe/brown). But those two colors were no longer in the running as I now have my heart set on Orage. It took a week to track down but I finally received it in my little hands last week.

And here's to my first "reveal" on this blog:

Name/Model: LV Monogram Empreinte Lumineuse PM in Orage

Measurements: 17.5" x 11.8" x 7.1"

Features: top leather handles + removable strap for cross-body wear; zip front/inside pocket; padlock; top zipper; lined with striped textile

As you can see, it fits my stuff nicely...can wear it dressed up or down.

I attended a wedding in Dallas last weekend and used this purse as an under-the-seat carry-on. After the church ceremony, bf & I went to this beautiful park and snapped some pix. No, I did not wear the work bag with my cocktail dress, just wanted to show you how it looks on a 5'2 person. :)

Moi and the "wilderness" :P

This must be my favorite LV purchase yet. What do you think, yay or nay? ;)

NYC Edition

2011-11-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Boyfriend and I were in NYC around mid-October to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. I wasn't really sure what to expect since I'm from Hell-Ay...and some friends have suggested that NY is not very different from where we live. But it IS different, soooo different! For instance, I love the public transportation there, love that it's a walking city, love the energy, but most importantly...love that there are restaurants/food carts/shops everywhere. So exciting!

cheesy cheesy with Lady Liberty

(daydreaming in Central Park; p.s. saw these not-so-basic flats on Wendy's Lookbook and had to have them!)

(at Grand Central Station; LOVE sign {it was pouring that day}; and Ellis island {down & dirty to capture the perfect shot :P})

(St. Patrick's Cathedral; Picassos at MOMA; trying on Louboutins at Barneys)

And now...onto the FOOD :D

From top left going clockwise:

Shake Shack Burger: oh boy the line was long but thankfully it was moving fairly fast. Food was definitely yummy in my tummy but equivalent to a heart attack waiting to happen lol...
cute little cake bites from "baked by melissa"
ramen from Totto Ramen. My NYC friends also recommended Ippudo but it was out of our way so we came here instead. This teeny eatery opens at noon, we got there at 11:30am and we were 4th in line! Yikessss! It was well worth it though. (btw, I'm starting to feel like all Asians frequent the same restaurants haha)
pastrami at Carnegie Deli--we are still drooling over this :)

dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. Verdict: we like it more than Din Tai Fung in LA! Although the skin is a bit thicker than DTF, the meat is more juicy and the soup is definitely more savory/sweet.
red bean & lychee ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
chicken/lamb + rice at Halal cart on 53rd and 6th (we came at an odd hour so there were only a dozen people in front of us. YESSS!)
pizza at Lombardi's, first pizzeria in NY.

Italian appetizers at Carmine's
coconut rice pudding at Rice to Riches
bf's sushi (don't remember restaurant)
my "cooked" sushi

That's all folks. ;) We took so many pictures (but of course our faces are clearly visible so I can't share them on this blog). Hopefully the ones posted are small/blurry enough where you can't make out my face haha.

Really, we LOVE New York! <333

Cocktail Attire

2011-10-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello world,

It's me...your worst blogger eva! Sorry for the disappearance, but it's really my niece's fault. Babysitting is now officially my 2nd job. :]

Dress: BCBGeneration

Necklace: eBay; Ring: YSL

Purse: Chanel East/West

Shoes: CL Simple 85

I wore this dress to a friend's wedding a couple of weeks ago. I love the hot pink color, lace, and unique pleat placements. Unfortunately, the top part was cut too generously. It was an eBay purchase so I gotta make do.

Hope you all are doing well. Let's hope the babysitting business eases up a bit so I can get back to this little hobby called blogging. <3

Tweed Pants

2011-09-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Top: Banana Republic (PXS)

Pants: Victoria's Secret

Shoes: BCBGirls

Purse: Chanel

Necklace: Monet; Ring: Forever 21

Nothing screams fall like tweed. Although it's just starting to heat up in Southern California, I look forward to cooler weather just so I can legitimately pull out my tweeds. Note that I despise cold weather...but I love dressing for it!

This lace top is one of my recent purchases and I love it. When bf first saw it, he said I have too many similar items already! I had to convince him that I don't lol.

Boyfriend and I are traveling to New York later this fall...and let me tell ya, I can't wait to see some real autumn leaves! If you're from the NY area or around there, please recommend any sightseeing activities and yummy eateries, bf and I thank ya much! ;)

California Girlz

2011-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: H&M

Belt: Fred Flare

Necklace: eBay

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Shoes: Louboutin Simple 85

Boyfriend lives next to a beautiful hilltop park but our busy/lazy selves rarely venture out there. Now that summer is almost over, we're reminding ourselves to take advantage of the beautiful weather and landscape available in front of us.

Palm trees, green grass, view of the city...right in our backyard.

I seriously had the hardest time styling this lace skirt. Something about it is just "off" and no matter how many tops I put on, I wasn't happy. In the end, simplicity won. I'm still not satisfied but whatevers.

On a different note...I first saw Katherine of Feather Factor sporting a long four-leave clover necklace and I thought it was super adorbs. Fast forward a few months, as I was browsing eBay, I came across a similar piece and jumped on the cheapie deal. A few days later, I was flipping through Lucky magazine and literally *GASPED* as I saw the price tag on the real deal. I am a jewelry novice and do not know much about brands/pricings at all. Katherine, please forgive me if you're reading this. All I can say is...Kat is a real baller haha.

California sunset on a gorgeous day...

Happy Monday dear friends!!! Hope you're enjoying your summer. <3

PFC #9: Dressing in the Heat Wave

2011-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ms. Elle of Fast Food and Fast Fashion is our gracious host for this month's petite fashion challenge. She has asked us to "...create an outfit that accounts for the various environmental factors that plague us in the summer. I want to know how you dress when it's 90 degrees outside and 65 degrees inside."

Now, I always carry a jacket around with me even when it's 100 degrees and counting. I get cold and sneezy very easily, and of course that holds true for the office environment as well...

Jacket: H&M

Dress: BCBG

Floral Scarf: H&M

Purse: Chanel m/l

Shoes: Louboutin Simple 85

My normal work staples include trouser pants, pencil skirts, cute tops/blouses, and sheath dresses. In the summer, I often wear more "fun" dresses that are still conservative enough for 9 to 5. This light yellow dress is cheerful, lightweight, and can be worn for both work and fun.

The dress looks lovely on its own when the weather is scorching outside. I pile on a light blazer and scarf for the AC-blasting office. *I must make a conscious effort not to reach for this blazer because I wear it entirely too much!* I actually don't keep the scarf on my neck, but use it to cover my bare legs because they turn purple and blue and full of goosebumps when it's cold. :D

I adore all the pleated details on this number....

....and adore the nude red soles...

I hope I did ok with this challenge and can't wait to see you ladies' outfits. Please head over to Fast Food and Fast Fashion to see all the entries.

Happy Heat Wave but stay cool! :)

A Foodie Birthday Weekend

2011-07-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Me, my sidekick and bf's dog

It was my birthday recently (another Cancer in the house!) and boyfriend spoiled me with food food and more food. When he said that I could eat to my satisfaction all weekend, I litterally started mapping out all the places I wanted to hit up haha...

At first, I put on a cute little dress but was wise enough to change into this "pregnant lady" dress in order to accommodate all the eatings. By the way, I saw the black version of this H&M purse in Lucky magazine and loved it...but after seeing the cognac version on Jean, I am sold! This girl is the shopping guru! ;)

Birthday flowers from mi man. ;)

When I saw this cake, I was like "holy, you're creative!" He filled the basket with my favorite tropical fruits and put the cake on top! Oh heck yesssss!!! <3

He took me to my favorite restaurant, Crustacean. We indulged in lobster with garlic noodles, roasted crab with garlic noodles, and grilled lamb chops. Everything was oh-so-amazing!!! *drools* I want more...

From top left going clockwise:
1. My leftover lunch from Crustacean. Ok I must admit that I'm a food addict; all I thought about that morning was "is it lunch time yet?" haha. I wanted to get to my garlic noodles!
2. Ice cream crepe from Harajaku Crepe. Green tea batter, vanilla bean ice cream, nutella, strawberry, blueberry, whipped cream, almond. Uhhh need I say more?
3. Goodies from 85 degrees. My fav is the marble taro.
4. Look at this gigantic basket of tropical fruits that bf got me. How can I not love him? :D

1. Fresh oysters for bf. I refuse to touch this stuff.
2. Crawfish at Boiling Crab. My weakness can be summed up in 3 words: lobster, crab, and crawfish. Done.
3. We went to OC Fair for the first time and had more food. This is pork ribs with all the fixin' + blue moon beer.
4. Fried avocado and fried twinkies. We wanted to try other crazy fried food but were soooo full. Sucks man :/

We went fishing at night and caught 4 catfish. More like bf fishing while I slept in the tent. :P There were lots more foodies but I forgot to take pix. :( When you put food in front of me, it's hard to think about anything else, ya know? :D

Happy Monday everyone!

A "Tall" Petite

2011-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Blazer: BCBG (more than half of my BCBG stuff are from eBay)

Top: Ann Taylor; Skirt: LOFT

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Prorata

Purse: Chanel Jumbo

Watch: Omega; Rings: H&M

Prior to finding the petite community, I've always felt like I'm the shortest/scrawniest person in this world. I was so self-conscious of my stature that I even "lied" about my weight on my driver license...putting me at 5 lbs. heavier than I really was. Most of it didn't come within as I'm a pretty confident person; but hearing those comments from extended family members, peers, co-workers etc... do get to me after a while. I guess I was really skinny which makes for an easy target. At one point during my undergrad years, I weighed 78 lbs. standing at 5 feet 2 inches tall. I couldn't gain weight no matter how much I eat and eat and eat... (I wish I could say the same now lol.)

Since then, I have gained a few (a lot actually haha) so the skinny part isn't so much an issue anymore. Moreover...I now realize that at 5'2, my height actually ranks me as one of the medium-taller petites. I feel so fortunate that my pencil skirts always hit above the knees and I rarely have to hem pants (money saved). Some inseams are actually short on me; for example, the infamous petite Gap legging jeans (made popular by the lovely Jean of Extra Petite). I had to go with regular sizing because P00 barely hit my ankles! Now only if companies would stop offering such ginormous pieces as their smallest sizings, because overall fit is still an issue. I definitely feel for you ladies that are smaller than I am. Shopping must be so difficult (but I hope it's at least fun).

I'm so thankful I've found a community that understands what I've gone through as a "small" person. I'm sure many of us have it worse. Now I can truly say that I embrace my petite-ness, flaws and all! Kinda proud of it, actually. ;)

Jamaican Sun

2011-07-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies,

Boyfriend and I were in Jamaica last week soaking up some sun! Not that we don't have enough sun and beaches in CA, but it's always nice to take a break to nourish the soul. This was probably our most relaxing vacation yet...

From top left going clockwise:

1. Iberostar Grand all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay
2. one of the nicest/biggest rooms we've stayed at
3. fully stocked fridge but we don't really drink boohoo :'(
4. from the reading chaise looking out to our private patio (omg there's a swing!!!)

I feel like the little Mermaid in this dress hehehe....

Overlooking all of Montego Bay...

1. we took a safari jeep tour to explore Jamaican rainforest

2. haunted tree. it was used to hang slaves back in the days so there are supposedly lots of haunted spirits around there *shudders*

3. waterfall & lush rainforest

4. what used to be a slave hospital but now it's an Anglican church

Nooooo don't jumpppppp!!! :P

Some stuff we ate...

1. starter course with potatoes/tomatoes and some other goodies that i forgot

2. lobster salad with tomato sherbet

3. our midnight room service snack complete with mimosas and ice cream lol...

4. candied salmon

1. lobster thermidor

2. surf and turf

3. phyllo dough filled with vanilla cream

4. saint honore. gosh these desserts were to die for!!!

Boyfriend's choice of morning exercise: karate chops!!!

My choice of morning exercise: playing in the water??? LOL...

Life's a beach... ;) Hope you enjoy travelling along with us to Jamaica! <3 Yeah mon!!!!

Smell the Roses...

2011-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

Wow...it's been awhile. My boyfriend texted me yesterday and said "how come you haven't updated your blog lately?" Can you believe even he noticed my MIA-ness? I wish I could say I've been off on some exciting adventures but it's just work, volunteer stuff, and my niece that's keeping me insanely busy. Whine whine whine bore bore bore. :)

Top: BCBG

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Necklace: Amrita Singh

Purse: Chanel Jumbo

Shoes: CL Prorata

I took these pictures on Father's Day and here they are...two whole weeks later. I remember mentioning to my dad once about how much I love the purple of jacaranda flowers, so he went and planted it one for me. That's my dad...always putting us first. <3

Blouse in matchy matchy shade with my jacaranda flowers....

And since I've been spending so much time with my sidekick, she makes an appearance again! Ahhh this little one is European I tell ya...always kissing people smack on their lips. You like our crocs. vs. Loubies battle? Crocs can win this time just because my niece is wearing them lol.

No matter how crazy life is, I have to remind myself to stop and smell the roses. I always get caught up being so busy and then I feel completely burned out. Good news is I'm going on vacation for about a week starting tomorrow. Woohooo!!! Can't wait to share it with you when I get back. :)

I shall leave you with this... My niece has something to say to you all: pffftttttttttt!!! :P

Happy Independence Weekend!!!

Ahoy Sailor!

2011-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I threw together this nautical theme outfit for blog pix, my boyfriend seriously *made* me wear it to dinner because he loves it that much. So I grudgingly obliged because it's still cold and gloomy here in LA... (Funny how I'm so updated on U.S. weather from reading blog posts lol.)

Top: H&M

Skirt: Forever 21

Belt: unknown, bought from Overstock

Wedges: Banana Republic

Purse: Louis Vuitton

I got these wedges during my college years and haven't touched them for a whopping 5 years. Had to clean off all the dust layers before taking them out for a spin...

And are you jealous of my hair tossing skills? Of course you are. :P

Soooo sorry for the brief post, but I've been super busy lately. And now for the winner of my BCBG clutch giveaway... *drum rolls please*... Cee of to brighten my day! Congrats Cee and please email me your addy so I can send it your way. Thank you everyone for entering and for interacting with me on this little blog. Cheers to all! :)

PFC #8: Spinning The Favorite

2011-06-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

This month's PFC is hosted by Gracie of Radiator Session. I haven't had the pleasure of interacting with Gracie yet...so Gracie, if you're reading this I would like to say hi *waving hand frantically*. Although I've read the gist of this challenge weeks earlier, I was stumped and couldn't figure out what to do...

"...the challenge will be to take a 'go-to' outfit, put a spin on it by styling it in a different way but still keeping a couple of essential components."

So...yikes...a "go-to" outfit? I don't think I have one! I decided not to overthink this task and settled for a summer "go-to" outfit. Being a Socal girl, my quintessential summer wardrobe includes t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops. It's not a favorite, but I guess it'll pass as a summer staple. :)

Here is plain jane me in the summer essentials mentioned above. Or should I say plain joe? I look like a sad little boy lol.

The transformation is nothing drastic. I wanted to keep the casual, laid-back look going but not so bum-like. I added a belt, long necklace, and traded flip flops for cute flats.

Top: Forever 21

Blazer (pictured below): H&M

Shorts: H&M

Belt: Hollister

Purse: Louis Vuitton

Necklace: Ann Taylor

Bracelets: H&M

Shoes: AGL

I was excited to find these shorts at H&M but if I'm being nitpicky then I guess the color is too matchy matchy with my skin tone. Wait until I spend one day at the beach, you won't be able to tell where the shorts end and where my legs begin lol.

And gosh, I love this blazer to death! I swear I wear it every other day (or more). Ahhhh must make a conscious effort not to reach for it so frequently. This is the first blazer I found that can be dressed up or down with ease so I'm seriously sprung. I'm thinking of getting a spare to wear for years to come.

I can't wait to see what the other ladies came up with! I'm sorry mine was so boring blehhh. Please go to Radiator Session to see the full list of participants.

This has definitely been a:

P.S. If you'd like to win a BCBG clutch, please click here to enter my giveaway.

Only 2 days left before I draw a winner. :)

Red Pencil Skirt: Take Two

2011-06-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since my horrible attempt at styling the red pencil skirt here, I've been dying to give it another go. Mind you, I was on my deathbed at the time (only slight exaggeration), plus the crappy self photography didn't help any either. So here I am, hopefully doing it justice the second time around.

Top: Victoria's Secret

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Purse: Chanel East West

Pearls: eBay

Meet my little sidekick for the day: dear baby niece. She loves going outdoors so when she saw me leave, she immediately grabbed her shoes and followed. Ahhhh please excuse the ugly crocs, her mama (my sister) has no sense of style. She said comfort over beauty for the baby. Nonsense, you can have both especially for babies!!! On top of that, her dada put her in a soccer t-shirt because his favorite soccer team was playing. Poor baby, she has no chance of looking stylish (but still soooo cute though). I want to dress her like Suri Cruise haha...

There's something about the color red that's just so powerful! I would definitely pull out this outfit whenever I need a boost of confidence at work. If I have important events/meetings on my calendar that day, I take a little extra care to my outfit that morning. Looking good can really make you feel good! And I love how the red skirt matches the red soles of my shoes hehe...

Don't forget to enter my BCBG clutch giveaway ending this Saturday 6/18!

Here's to hoping that we all feel "powerful" at work this week, ladies! ;)

Electric Blue

2011-06-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

I've been on a "blouse" kick lately so when bf pointed out this little number during our SF trip, we quickly snatched it up! He commented that I have too many white shirts already and I completely agree. I'm just drawn to white/beige tops like that. But worry not, I'm open to new things, especially if that means I get to shop more! :P

Blouse: Zara

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Pumps: Christian Louboutin Prorata

Pearl Necklace: eBay

Handbag: Chanel East West

It's hard for us to find time for blog photos but we do what we can. Sometimes I see bf only a few hours a week (like this past weekend), so we rushed outside to snap a few quick pix before the sun goes down. We lost...darnnit! But I rather like the blue against the black backdrop; it pops even more, don't ya think? ;)

Cleaning my Louboutins. :D Gotta put in zip soles soon, darn thing easily gets scuffed up by these harsh cement streets!

Yayyy it's Friday! My weekends are usually more hectic than weekdays because I have many volunteer obligations. Although I lack leisure time, I don't think I would have it any other way. I often ponder...one of these days I'll just stop with all the extra activities and finally have time for myself, would I be more happy? I may have to make that decision soon out of neccessity but I know part of me will always feel like something is missing...

Wishing you all a very beautiful weekend!

BCBG Clutch Giveaway

2011-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to downsize my closet...and as I'm sorting through my stuff...I find several new items that I haven't even touched. Instead of listing them all on eBay, I've decided to keep a few and share them with the blogging community.

My first giveaway is this brand new BCBG satin bow clutch (retail for $178). I bought it for a wedding but ended up using my other clutches, so it's been sitting there waiting for its time to shine.

Color: beige/gold

Material: satin

Comes with removable chain handle (can be used as clutch or worn on shoulder)

Fold-over flap with turn-key closure

Approximate dimensions: 10"W x 6"H x 2.5"D

How to enter this giveaway:

1. Be a public Google follower of this blog (required +1 entry)

2. Add me to your blogroll if you kinda sorta like my blog enough hehe (absolutely optional +2 entries). I've noticed that some ladies have added my blog on their blogrolls and I'm so grateful for that. Thank you so much! <3
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- Deadline to enter is June 18, 2011 at midnight PST.
- Open to international readers.
- Winner will be drawn randomly and has 3 days to claim the prize...or I will draw another winner after that.
- I'm new at this so if I make things unclear, please leave me a comment and I'll try to answer as best as I can. :) Thank you so much for reading my blog and best of luck!