I am Style-ish

Lookbook: White Night

2009-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

hello lovelies...

First of all thank you a million times over for all the comments, tweets, emails and facebook messages of your thoughts and prayers for my family. I couldn't have asked for a better support system than you all. It really means a lot to me.

I'm back home after a tough week. Booking the ticket the night before I left, the 13+ hour flight, the 16 hour time difference and being away from my husband wasn't even the hard part. But the only thing that matters is family and you got to do everything you can when it comes to family and I'm glad that we were able to be together at this very important time. Blogging will take a backseat for a little bit as I'm sure you understand that there are much more important things to take care of but I'm going to try to visit all your lovely blogs and hope that you continue to come by here. Anyway, I started writing the below post before I left so was glad I had a new lookbook to share!

I'm glad you guys liked my last nightime lookbook as we have just been so busy lately so the only time we have for lookbook shots is right before dinner and it's pitch black outside.

What I'm Wearing:
Blazer: Eryn Brinie
Top: J. Crew
Jeans: 7 for all Mankind
Shoes: Bally
Scarf: via Ideeli

I get so excited for fall so I can wear all my scarves. I love the Missoni-esque print of this scarf and thought it worked perfectly with my white blazer that I still adore.

It's getting to that point where it's so cold that I *should* be wearing socks but I hate socks. Like detest them, so I continue to wear pumps and let my feet freeze. And even though I'm inside most of the day my feet still get really cold so sometimes I bring my Uggs to work and wear them at my desk where no one can see me. hehe. I actually just bought these fringe boots that may actually replace my Uggs because well I find Uggs to be quite ugly so at least these will keep my feet warm and look cute!

2009-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm not one to divulge a lot of personal information, but this blog has become such a part of me and all of you, my readers, feel like friends to me. I just wanted to share that, unfortunately, I just got some bad news about a family member and am flying out of the country tonight.

Please think good thoughts for us. I truly appreciate all your love and support.

There won't be new posts for a bit.

kisses. xxoo

Honolulu I love u!

2009-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

I realize I still have not recapped our San Francisco trip buuut I couldn't resist posting the Honolulu pictures like right now so I will recap SF at a later date!

We didn't do much sitting on the beach as it was super humid when we were there but not very sunny and it wasn't too pleasant to be outside during the day. So, instead we shopped and ate and took pictures! Well, actually, we were there to shoot a wedding so we did have lots to do in regards to that. I don't think we really had a moment to relax as we were go-go-go the entire time. Which is fine, I love being busy!

Our room was one of the largest hotel rooms that we have ever stayed at. I think that when we checked in the guy must've thought we were on our honeymoon or something because the room we got had two showers, two closets and a huge deck with a beautiful view! We were pleasantly surprised. I took these 2 pictures from our deck. I love the ocean view mixed with the city skyline, so my kind of city!

We of course, had to check out the awesome shopping with all the luxury boutiques, how could we not! We went to Ala Moana Center as recommended by my fabulous reader Kara and loved it. Even loved the little food court in there as we found a little handmade mochi stand and shave ice! (No, not eaten together :) Oh and hubs got pineapple soft serve so he was in heaven.

We also made our way to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center which was fun as well. It's a huge mall but the entire street is all shopping, so of course we found all the luxury boutiques there too :)

The wedding that we were shooting was being held at the Honolulu Design Center (the reception was held there) which is also where I met up with a bunch of fabulous blog friends/readers! We met at the Amuse Wine Bar inside the Design Center and it was SO good. They have these machines with a bunch of bottles of wine and you insert a credit card type thing and you basically get to sample a ton of different kind of wines.

(A few of the girls and I. We didn't manage to get everyone in one picture but thank you all for coming!)

Thank you so much to Grace Like Kelly for putting this all together, J and I had so much fun meeting with you all and eating the yummy food! I can't wait to come back, I feel like I have a big group of friends to come see!

By the way, we really wanted to try Stage, the restaurant at the Design Center but we ran out of time. The decor in there is so cool, if you are going to visit Honolulu I would recommend going there just to see the restaurant!

So yes, we did have some time to visit the beach. We watched the sunset go down one night and it was quite a romantic little moment. The one problem about being photographers is that it's near impossible to get a picture of me and hubs together in one picture as we don't really want to be handing our fancy cameras to strangers so we instead just get pictures of each other. It's okay though, I don't need a picture together when I have all the memories in my head. :)

(oh yes, this is my hair post-digital perm. I am totally happy with how the waves turned out)

So that, was our trip minus the wedding events of course! Those will be posted on style.ish in about a month or so (we are SO behind with all of our sessions because we got so busy but we are catching up!) We had a great trip and are so lucky to have gone out there for "work" (although we never feel like wedding photography is work.) We are definitely ready to book our trip out there again but I think next time we are staying out in the North Shore which was where we did the day after session. It was just so pretty out there, I was gasping at the gorgeous view every second.

All the girls I met with pretty much convinced me to move out to Honolulu which I never would've thought of before this trip. It really is a fun city and to have the beach so nearby is such a plus. Well, as long as I can get to go there for work, I'm happy for now. So, anybody else getting married in Hawaii and need a photographer? If so...shoot me an email, we're available! :)

all pictures are taken by me and copyright style.ish. Please do not repost without asking for permission or giving proper credit. thanks!

FAQ: Camera + Photography

2009-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

I get asked a lot of questions about wedding photography and what camera I use so I thought I'd make a post on the most frequently asked questions. (Scattered throughout the post is just a random sampling of my favorite pictures that I've taken)

Please keep in mind that these are all just my opinions and experiences and to do all your research before buying a camera or lenses or starting your business.

What camera and lenses do you use?
This is an update to my last FAQ as we’ve upgraded our cameras. Both my husband and I now use Canon 5D Mark II’s (we both have our own) and we have our Canon 40D’s as our second cameras. For everyday pictures I use the 50mm 1.2L lens. For weddings I also use the 24mm 1.4L lens and J uses the 85mm II 1.2L , the 35mm 1.4L lens and sometimes the the 70-200mm lens as well. If I were to only use two lenses I would pick the 50 1.2L and the 35 1.4L. Both are the perfect length and are great for low light situations which you will find a lot in weddings. J and I like to use as much natural light as possible. We only uses flashes when absolutely necessary.

I am a prime lens girl, (meaning that the lens does not zoom, the only way to get up close or far away is to physically move yourself.) I do not like zoom lenses and plan on only using prime lenses as much as I can. This is totally a personal choice and you must try it out with both to determine what you like better. My best advice before buying lenses is to rent them and shoot with them as much as you can. I rent from our local camera store, Glazers and we've also rented lenses from LensProToGo.com, which you can rent for weeks at a time and it's cheaper than the daily rate at Glazers.

What kind of camera bag do you use or how do you carry your camera around?
I bought a Coach bag (looks similar to this one but bigger) that slings across my body and can carry one camera + lens, flash and the pockets carry extra batteries, business cards, extra CF Card. When I am actually shooting, I carry both cameras on me and on one of my cameras I use the RS-4 R-Strap which really helps as you can slide the camera up and down the strap and the two camera straps don't get twisted. It's hard to explain but trust me, if you use two cameras, I highly recommend using the R-Strap.

Where did you take or recommend taking photography classes?
Both J and I are self taught. We’ve never taken a photography class, we've both learned by going out with our cameras and taking pictures of everything and anything including each other! Since I don't have experience in taking classes I can't recommend anything but I'd suggest talking with other photographers in your area to find out.

Are you a wedding photographer too or is it mainly just your husband?
My husband and I are a team and neither one of us is a "second shooter" we both shoot equally as much and neither of us are assistants in any way. If you look on our blog, all of our posts are a mixture of mine and his pictures but they work so well together that you can't tell who took what picture. Our styles just mesh really well together. We do find that he is better at some shots while I'm better at other shots. That's what makes us a good team and I love more than anything in the world to be shooting alongside my husband. I wouldn't have it any other way.

What setting do you use?
You’d be surprised how many times I’ve been asked this question. As a photographer, I kind of chuckle at it, but I understand that if one wasn't a photographer, there just are too many buttons on a dSLR not to wonder what one to use. One thing you have to know is that there is not one magical setting or button that will help you take pretty pictures. YOU are that magical button. I shoot on manual all of the time and that's the only way that I recommend. However, if you are first learning, I say use the Av setting and don't just take pictures on that setting, learn from using that setting. (If you don't know what the Av setting is, go find your camera's manual and read it, it will explain it in there.) You can see how the shutter speed changes when you change the aperture, so you can start making the connections of how you would manually control it.

Do you have any photography tips you can tell me?
Photography is a very personal thing so the only way to learn how to take pictures is to go out there and just do it. We bought our dSLRs with very little experience, only the love of photography. We didn’t take any classes, we didn’t have friends that helped us, what we did was go out almost every single day and shoot with our cameras. It didn’t matter what we were taking pictures of, it was just that we were learning to “make” pictures. Go out at different times of the day and put your camera on manual and just start shooting away. Find details in your neighborhood that you never noticed and take pictures of them. Find out what to do when the sun is low, when the sun is high. Shoot at different angles. Find different ways to shoot one subject. My husband and I practiced taking pictures of each other a lot too. We don’t do it much now which I kind of miss. I love those early pictures of learning and the pictures that we took of each other. Taking pictures of people is a lot harder than most people think so any chance you have at taking pictures of people and not just inanimate objects, do it. It’s the only way you’ll learn. Try practicing on two people or even three people at once. The more people there is, the more complicated it is to shoot. Practice, practice, practice. Go out there and see what you like, read photography blogs, look at images in magazines, find inspiration anywhere and everywhere.

Tips for photographing people: First of all, understand that you can't just put people in front of a camera and expect fantastic pictures. The biggest thing that helps create those pictures is to connect with your subjects and help them feel happy and relaxed in front of the camera. A few years ago, J and I had a session with a photographer who pretty much did nothing expect to tell us to "act natural" which really just made us even more uncomfortable because when you have a camera in your face, how does one "act natural"? We spend time with all of our clients before their session to get to know them and then throughout the session we chat with them and get them to laugh and relax in front of the camera. Also, know how to pose people. When you are the photographer, everyone will look at you and say "Where do I look?" "Where do I put my hands?" "What should I do with my feet?" J and I like to tell our clients that we pose without it looking like it was posed. We tell them where to look, when to kiss, how to sit but the way that they react after they are posed, their head turn, their smile, their laugh, the look in the couples eyes when they look at each other is what we try to capture. All that is just them being them but they feel less awkward because they were given some direction on what to do. Don't be afraid of being bossy! Your clients want the best pictures possible so if you think the picture will look better if the hand is up on their partner's shoulder than on the waist than tell them. They are trusting you to get the best shots so don't be afraid to say something to get your best shot!

How did you start your wedding photography? How did you find clients? Did you do a lot of free weddings?
When we first started we offered free sessions so that we could learn how to shoot couples. I think every new photographer should do this. You might think you know how to work your camera until you get two subjects in front of you who are looking for your direction in front of the camera and then that’s a whole different story (see tips above). We actually did two free engagement sessions with people we didn't know, two sessions with friends and since then we’ve been charging. We have never shot a wedding for free. This blog has been the biggest network in us finding clients. The majority of J and my friends are married so we didn’t have the friend network to go through so I’ve just been doing self promoting through this blog, twitter , facebook and just generally telling everyone we know that we are photographers. I recently had to go see my doctor and told her about our business and it turned out she was interested and took our card. You just never know who will need a photographer! We’ve also been lucky enough to meet some really wonderful people and hope that we can continue expanding our network. It hasn't been easy, but I'm also pretty business minded and enjoy that part of growing our business. We still have a long way to go and am still struggling to find new clients but I always remember to take it one day at a time. We have short term goals for our business as well as long term goals and we've been doing our best to keep to them.

If you want some good advice, I really really like this list from PhotoDino. Especially this:
"Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does."

Read the list and keep that in mind if you are diving into the world of photography.

Hope this helps to all my wonderful readers that are interested in photography. I'm always up for a one on one chat or email exchange but my time is quite limited so if you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment or email me and I might do another FAQ post.

P.S. If you liked this post, feel free to visit our website, fan us on facebook and tell your friends about us! :) We love to travel so will go anywhere for our photography!

Currently Loving: Vests

2009-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Vests are one of my favorite items of clothing that I never wear. I buy them and promptly forget about them. I blame that because they are usually small and then when I fold them, they get lost in my piles of shirts I put over them! But when I do remember and I try to wear them, it just never seems to work with the outfit. But, we will see about this season as I'm going to try to wear them more often. They are such a good piece to add to an outfit because you can wear them with nice trousers, over a casual tee and even a dress. It's not something that I see a lot of people wear but when I do see it, I always think it looks great.

If you look through my lookbook, I obviously love blazers so of course fell in love with this as it's basically a blazer without the sleeves! This would look great with a plain tee, dark skinnies or even leggings.

(revolveclothing)

I just bought this vest in navy blue and I can't wait to wear it. And it was even on sale! I think I will wear it just like this with my favorite J Crew tee, a skirt and lots of pretty necklaces.

(jcrew)

Doesn't this vest look so cozy? I usually am all about wrap cardigans or pashminas for the plane but I think that I would totally wear this one to keep me warm on a flight.

(shopdetour)

I love the look of this vest both open and closed. I think it would be super cute over a printed dress with tights.

I have a couple of menswear style vests that I wear with button down shirts and I always think I end up looking like a waiter. HA! I'm going to start styling them differently, I guess we will have to see if they end up on a lookbook... :)

P.S. speaking of vests, check out how adorable Hanako of Through the Looking Glass is in her Francis vest. Love!

Lookbook: Long Cardi

2009-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

After spending a few days in the HOT humidity of Honolulu, coming home to this cold brisk weather was a bit of a shock to the system. We had such a great time, the wedding was amazing and the day after session was killer. Like, "I DIE" gorgeous. Can't wait to show you all the pictures!

What I'm Wearing:
Cardigan: ASOS
Tee: J. Crew
Jeans: 7 for all mankind
Shoes: Gucci
Necklaces: J. Crew

I am all about long cardigans this year, although me being a whole 5'2" can't go too long or it makes me look even shorter. Gray is my go-to color for the fall and winter and I've been trying to convince myself that I need more color in my closet as I usually only wear color during the summer but whenever I go to buy a sweater or cardigan, I really just want the black or gray one.

A few of you have asked about my digital perm. I did go back and re-perm my hair last week however it was a 2 days before I left for Hawaii so haven't had a chance to post any pictures of it (the above pictures were taken before the perm). Will post about it soon! I think it turned out a bit curlier than last time but still happy with it. If you have no clue what I'm talking about read about my (first) digital perm here, here, and here!

I heart Yumi Kim

2009-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once I find a designer that I love, I kind of obsessively stalk their websites to see the newest collection or when they put stuff on sale. Yumi Kim has been one of those designers for me. I just adore the prints and the color that she uses. I am currently obsessed with these pieces... they may have to find their way into my closet soon!

Claudia Jacket

Julee Top

Dani Dress in Leopard

I am a taking a little blogging vacation as I will be enjoying my time in Hawaii so what better way to leave you than with a fab giveaway? Do you want another chance to win a gift certificate to the Yumi Kim shop? You know you do :) Click here for my reviews blog to enter!

Lookbook: Cuffed Boots

2009-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

The day I wore this outfit I couldn't go to a store without at least one person asking me about my boots. Everyone was in love with them and they all thought it was a cover that went over boots but nope, it's not, it's all one piece. Kind of like a book with a sleeve attached to it!

What I'm Wearing:
Blazer: Radcliffe via Ideeli
Dress: Aqua
Tights: DKNY
Boots: Ash (buy them here)

I own many blazers but this is my first denim one. I love Ideeli, which is a sample sale site like Gilt, because they have a bunch of different brands that I never heard of but totally cute stuff! (Click here for to join with my personal invitation code) I am always a bit weary of ordering blazers online because the shoulders never seem to fit me but the fit of this blazer is just perfect. This is one of those dresses that look like two pieces. I like the convenience of putting on a dress and looking like you put an entire outfit together.

I completely "heart" my new boots, not only are they totally cute, they are so comfy! I wore them out shopping for a few hours and my feet weren't complaining at all. The boots are actually a size too big as they don't make them in my size (damn small feet) so I put in foot petals which help make the shoe fit and more comfortable.

I just love the cuff detail, it makes the boot so much more interesting and fabulous! I usually spend all of fall trying to find the perfect pair of boots so I'm lucky I found these so early on. They will be getting a ton of wear this winter!

How to Cook a Wolf

2009-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever J and I have an event like a birthday, anniversary, promotion etc... we go to restaurants that we haven't yet tried. Not that we don't already do that pretty regularly but we try to keep a list of restaurants that we want to try and make it a point to go to one of them for the special occasion. We are lucky to live in a city that has so many amazing restaurants and living in the city, everything is less than 10 minutes away!

We have been wanting to try How to Cook a Wolf for the longest time as we have heard such great things about the food. However, they do not take reservations and it is pretty hard to get in. Luckily, we are pretty late eaters so we waited until about 8pm and thought our chances would be pretty good to get in. We actually still had to wait about 15-20 minutes before getting seated but we didn't mind at all.

Anyways, I'll just let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

How to Cook a Wolf is a shared plates kind of place so we ordered 4 dishes (and I don't remember the correct names of them all as they have a constantly rotating menu) but we had the Prosciutto di Parma (1st Picture), Escolar, Pork Belly (2nd picture) and a pasta. If you are super hungry when you go there order 4 dishes, otherwise I think 3 dishes is enough for 2 people.

Seriously, one of the best meals that we've had and are already planning on going back!

See my other foodie posts here and here!

Meet me in Honolulu!

2009-10-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

The adorable and fabulous Grace Like Kelly has graciously offered to put together a fun little meetup for my readers while J and I are in Oahu! If you are in the area and are free on Wednesday 10/21 come join for a fun night of wine and tasty food. Shoot me an email (tiffany (at) iamstyle-ish.com) and I'll let you know the location and time. And this is not just limited to girls as the hubs will be joining so feel free to bring your significant others as well. I can't wait to meet everyone!

If you didn't know, the reason we are off to Hawaii is to shoot the wedding of the fabulous Miss Carmella. Go check out her blog for beautiful wedding goodness!

Speaking of weddings... Go to style.ish to check out our latest:

The beautiful wedding of Darcy and Gary at the Columbia Winery

And the pretty beachside wedding of Heather and Chris

Complete with some of the best details ever!

Gold Jewelry

2009-10-13T09:00:00.002-07:00

I've been so obsessed with gold jewelry lately. I used to strictly only wear silver or platinum but now the majority of the jewelry I wear is gold. I saw this Vogue spread which made me love gold even more and inspired me to pile it on in gobs.

photography by Markus JANS via GoSee

And of course my new favorite jewelry to buy is from J. Crew and am currently loving these two...

(jcrew.com)

As well as these pieces, how fun is that ring? I want to get it just so I can see it on!

(maxandchloe.com)

A fab alternative to gold is brass which is what Marika King uses on these pieces. I just love her designs, so pretty and unique!

(Marika King)

I'm wondering, is it just me or have more of you transitioned to gold jewelry too?

pssst... the Femme Rationale shop is having a sale! Save 40% off everything!

Lookbook: Polka Dot Tights

2009-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're changing things up with a nighttime lookbook!

What I'm Wearing:
Blazer: Aqua
T-shirt: J. Crew
Skirt: Aritzia
Tights: Nordstrom
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Necklace: J Crew (gift from Kelly!)

My polka dot tights are awesome. I want to wear them all the time! I am all about different patterns and textures for tights this season. My faux leather skirt is one of my new favorite buys, it totally looks like leather and the best part is, it's nice and stretchy not like some of the leather skirts that I own that are a bit tight and constricting.

I have been looking for a boyfriend blazer for a bit and found this one while shopping in San Francisco. The gold buttons and the inside lining (that you can see when I roll up the sleeves) make the jacket that much better.

By the way, make sure to stop by Imperfect Concepts Boutique as they have a lot of great new stuff and they are offering an additional 30% off for the entire month of October! Make sure to enter "SAVE" during checkout.

I am loving these Matt Benson boots that they have available. Too bad they are not my size but if you are a 9 get them before they are gone!

Skincare Essentials

2009-10-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

The winner of the Yumi Kim giveaway is chicncheap! Please e-mail me to get your $150 gift certificate! Thanks everyone for entering and spreading the word about the giveaway. You guys are the best! Stay tuned as there is another giveaway on the way!

For the first time in my life I think I have finally found my "magic potions" that actually work for my skin and have not had to deal with annoying pimples in a long time. I've been asked about my skincare routine so wanted to share what I've been using.

I've mentioned the Clarisonic before and I have to mention it again as it is my number one beauty product that I recommend to everyone. It has changed my life! I have used it every day and night since I got it and my face has never been smoother and had less breakouts in my life.

All of my skincare is from DHC, which is a Japanese skincare line but they ship from the US so shipping isn't ridiculous. I found this line a few years ago and have been using it since with no complaints. I can't stand when skincare has fragrance to it and this line uses no fragrance at all which is a huge plus for me. It's also very reasonably priced for how great of skincare it is.

It sounds weird to use oil to clean your face but this Deep Cleansing Oil is amazing. It really gets all my makeup off easily and is not abrasive or drying at all.

I tend to have dry skin so at night I use this Extra Nighttime Moisture which sounds like it might be thick or heavy but it's not, it's the perfect moisturizer and keeps my skin from being dry day and night.

Eye wrinkles are one of my biggest enemies. I can't stand them and have been using eye cream since I was in my early twenties. I truly believe that preventing wrinkles is better than trying to fix or hide them so I've made an effort to keep the eye wrinkles away. I've been using this Concentrated Eye Cream and all you need is a little dab underneath each eye.

Lastly, I use this Velvet Skin Coat right before I put on any makeup and it is one of the best primers I have used. It smooths out my skin and helps keep my make up on all day.

The funny thing is I have been buying these products for the past few years and finally they have come out with a set! It's like they made it for me! Well, actually they call it the "best sellers" so obviously I'm not the only one that uses these amazing products. It's definitely worth getting these products in the set as it saves you a ton of money!

Best Selling Beauty Essentials Set

So obviously I recommend using all these products but the one thing out of all of these products to get is the Deep Cleansing Oil. It is seriously the best face cleanser I've used in my entire life. Definitely Style-ish approved!

Bling, Bling

2009-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of my most searched terms on my blog is "engagement ring". Every Sunday I get a report sent to me about the search words on my blog and that is always the top search. I'm not quite sure why, but if my readers are searching for it then I figured I should write a post about it. I don't actually have a full post on my rings so when people search for it, they can at least see something!

We rented a macro lens a few weeks ago so I played around with our rings. They're sitting in a bowl of brown rice, we didn't have anything nearby that was more pretty that would actually hold the rings up.

My husband's ring is black jade with our last name engraved in Japanese Kanji. When we were looking at wedding rings, he just wasn't into the traditional rings for men so that's why we went with something completely different. It looks really nice on and he gets a lot of comments on it. It really is one of a kind! We had David Lin of TS Lin create it for us. Because it's so thick, he can't wear it every day, so we went and got him this Tiffany & Co ring to wear when he can't wear the jade one.

My ring is a 4 prong set with a half eternity band and pave diamonds all on the sides (like the flat side that people don't see). Both bands are shared setting full eternity bands.

This is how I wear it, with the two bands sandwiching the engagement ring. If you are looking for engagement/wedding rings and want two bands like me, I suggest going the route that I did and have the engagement ring be half eternity so that the three rings aren't so squished on the bottom side of your finger. It makes it a lot more comfortable. I also suggest going up a .5 size for all 3 rings so they all sit on your finger comfortably as it does get a bit tighter with the 3 bands.

(can you tell what it's sitting on? My blue Dior heels!)

When we first got engaged I had a classic 6 prong Tiffany & Co. solitaire ring but when we saw this setting, my husband (fiance at the time) wanted to upgrade it and then he suggested the two bands, so really he picked it all out for me. I only had diamond specifications, I was pretty picky about the cut, color and clarity. I just really wanted a super sparkly ring so I was there when he picked out the diamond and I definitely got what I wanted.

Sometimes I play around with my rings and just wear the two bands on my left hand and the engagement ring on my right hand or vice versa or just one band with my engagement ring. It's kind of fun to mix things up but mainly I wear it with the 3 stacked on top of each other. A lot of people are curious about my two bands and why I got them but really no reason, just that we think it balances out nicely.

Anyway, not the most exciting post but there you go, that's what I wear on my finger every day!

Many Many Thanks!

2009-10-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am so late on this but have so many people to thank so better late than never right?

One of my readers, Kara, found out that I was going to come to Oahu (where she lives) in October and offered to send me a helpful book of all the fun shopping areas. What she ended up sending me was the most wonderful package of goodies! She even included magazines and took them time to put post it notes of all the things she thought I would love. Isn't that the sweetest? Adore you Kara and can not wait to meet you in a few weeks!

One of my best friends in the whole wide bloggy world (I tell my husband that she's my best friend that I never met. haha) Kelly of My So Called Fabulous Life sent me this absolutely gorgeous J. Crew necklace for my birthday! I love it so much that I try to work every outfit around it. Thank you so much Kel!

Candi of Candace Rose sent me one of her beautiful rose photographs and such a nice note on one of her custom photocards. Candi, you are so sweet, thank you, thank you! She is currently running a special in her etsy shop, purchase any 8.5 x 11 print, and receive a FREE 4 x 6 photo note card! These cards are great because you can either use them as a note card, or can frame the photos afterward! Available at Dolce Chic/Candace Rose Etsy

I've also been the lucky winner of a few giveaways.

Awhile back I won these Paris Hilton shoes from Savvy Mode. They are totally adorable and surprisingly comfortable for someone like me with extremely picky feet. I have yet to wear them out, am waiting for an occasion to wear a sassy dress with these sassy shoes!

(mine are black)

And thank you to Diane from Snapshot Fashion as I won these fun velvet leggings! They are really warm, I can't wait to wear them during the winter.

My girl Nina, of Femme Rationale (another awesome friend that I have yet to meet) had a one year blogiversary giveaway and I won! I was the lucky recipient of all this makeup. Yay! I heart makeup!

I am so lucky! Thank you, thank you everyone!

Lookbook: Flowers and Zippers

2009-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, the winner of my Cover Your Hair giveaway is Stephanie who left this comment!

Stephanie

I also love the gray beret - website had some other great colors as well!

I follow you here :)

Stephanie, please email me, tiffany (at) iamstyle-ish.com, with your address and the one item that you picked from coveryourhair.com

We went to visit my in-laws this weekend and due to an issue with the weather, we are unexpectedly stuck over here for an extra day. My computer access is limited so I won't be able to choose the winner of the Yumi Kim giveaway until later this week. Thanks for your patience!

Speaking of... I just can't get enough of Yumi Kim and this little blouse that I can pair with jeans, trousers and skirts. I love the soft print and the ruffles.

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse: Yumi Kim
Skirt: Cheap Monday
Shoes: Miu Miu

I paired it with this slim zip skirt as a contrast to the soft, girliness of the blouse. I get asked a lot about outfits to wear to the office that are work appropriate but still show my style. An outfit like this is the easiest way to go with a pretty blouse, a black skirt and pretty pumps. It's basically my uniform when I don't want to think too hard about what to wear that day.

And of course the pink Miu Miu's came out to play again! I never would've thought how much I would wear bright pink pumps but everytime I see them in my closet I want to wear them.

Sponsor Spotlight!

I love featuring clothing designers and Daniella Tello is one of those young designers that I think everyone needs to know about!

Daniella Tello is a young designer with a contemporary line that carries each seasons most coveted pieces transformed into every day clothes for the stylish woman. As a growing brand new items are added to the shop every week, please be sure to join the mailing list for updates!

Daniella doesn't have many items in her shop but the things that are in there blow me away! Look at this very Balmain-esque jacket, the detailing is gorgeous! Go to her shop to check it out and her other stuff!

Lookbook: Grimace

2009-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back and I had such a lovely break! San Francisco was fabulous and I got to meet a couple of awesome readers (now friends!) and take pretty pictures of them and their families. I am so lucky to have this network of such great ladies and to be able to meet them on our trips! Being a blogger has brought so many amazing experiences to me and it really makes me appreciate you all more and more each day. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for reading and following along with my little piece of the blogiverse. Enough with the mush, time for another lookbook!

Ever since Herve Leger dresses came back into the celebrity scene everyone has been so into bodycon dresses. Pretty right? I love the look but upon feeling a bit chubby lately I decided to buy the opposite of a bodycon dress...

(source)

with this batwing dress that shows no shape whatsoever. But, I love it. You don't always have to show shape, especially if you are going to show lots of leg.

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: ASOS.com
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Necklaces & Bangles: J. Crew
Ring: Kenneth Jay Lane

I didn't want to belt this dress as I liked it loose and belting it would've made the entire dress too short for my taste. The only thing that I would do (will do as soon as I have some time) is to take it to my tailor and make it just slightly slimmer in the body. Other than that, I still plan on keeping it loose. I would rather add lots of pretty jewelry than a belt, which I did!

I love the touches of gold that my jewelry added so had to of course add my highest, strappy gold heels.

So the title of the lookbook? Because I do realize that I look a little bit like this guy. But, it's okay, I always thought Grimace was cute. :)

p.s. Thank you, thank you for all the birthday wishes! I had a fabulous day and week (it's still not over yet, we are continuing the birthday celebrations through the weekend!) and thank you all who wished me a happy birthday!

Lookbook and Giveaway #3 - Yumi Kim

2009-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I can't say much other than I LOVE this dress. The ruffles, the print, the pockets, what's not to love?

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Yumi Kim
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Sunglasses: Liz Claiborne
Belt: Mapel via Boutique Culture Warehouse Sale

Due to Blogher guidelines I've been asked to move this post to my Reviews blog so please click here to see the rest of the post. The comments/entries will be left here. Thanks!

Lookbook: B&W

2009-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first and probably last time you will see my lookbook in black and white but since this outfit was black and white (my shoes were a dark red) I thought it would be fun to change it up.

Dress: Ebay
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Necklace: Forever 21

I don't do a lot of shopping on ebay but one night I randomly found this store that sells Japanese/Korean fashion and being me, who devours Japanese fashion magazines like no other was intrigued and had to buy something. Of course all the models are these cute little Asian girls that made everything look so adorable. Anyway, I ordered this dress and it ended up being pretty cute. (if you are wondering I ordered the size S) The quality is okay which I expected for the price but it fit well so I give it a thumbs up. These are the same Louboutins from this look which added just the littlest bit of color to the outfit.

This is my reaction after my husband told me that I looked tall. Quite happy!

We are off to San Francisco so see you all when we get back next week. I do have a great giveaway scheduled for Monday so make sure to check back in and enter! Also, don't forget to enter my Cover Your Hair giveaway, which ends this Sunday.

If you want to know what I'm doing throughout the weekend, follow me on twitter to see my updates!

Random Tuesday and Ciao Chessa winner!

2009-09-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since I had a Random Friday before, here's a Random Tuesday with just some things that I've been obsessing about.

I have been trying to find new hairstyles to try out and love these two...

Lauren Conrad's sweet pulled back hair style

Leighton Meester's sexy waves

I have been searching for a perfect fall cape and adore this one on Natalie Portman. In fact, I love this entire outfit!

I've still been perusing the runway shows on style.com and one show that I surprisingly loved was Tommy Hilfiger. It's been years since I've looked at Tommy Hilfiger clothes but dude, gorgeous right?

Random list, but that's what I'm loving!

Sponsor Spotlight!

Marquis Miniatures is a bit different than my other sponsors but I really love what Keith does. I know that we all have different passions and hobbies in life than just fashion. I definitely have a crafty side (as you can see from my amigurumis), I just need to make more time in my life for it! Marquis Minatures appeals to that side of me so was happy to the store on as a sponsor and I do hope that you all check out the store to see all the neat things in the store.

Some info from Keith, the owner:

Marquis Miniatures is a dollhouse miniature shop inspired by rustic, coastal New England themed objects. Each piece is carefully handmade with lifelike details… just much smaller in size…

We also enjoy creating personalized pieces and scaled paintings for customers. Nothing is too eccentric or unusual… We have just about heard of everything!

Thank you to all of Tiffany’s guests who have already taken the time to visit my shop!

And the winner of the Ciao Chessa! giveaway is... Rhonda of Life.Love.Lipstick! Rhonda, please email me with your mailing address. Congrats!

credits:
1,2,4 - justjared.com
3 - popsugar.com
5,6 - style.com

Lookbook and Giveaway #2 - Cover Your Hair

2009-09-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Flannel, what? I think I'm channeling a bit of my Nirvana and Green Day music loving days. However at least I've grown up to wearing flannels that fit me rather than when I was in the 8th grade wearing flannels that were at least two sizes too big and thinking that they looked way cool.

What I'm Wearing:
Hat: Cover Your Hair
Flannel: Trovata (from Gilt)
Shirt: J. Crew
Jeans: 7 for all Mankind
Shoes: Bally

Oh how I love Trovata. The line is so great with details, down to the buttons and how these sleeves can be rolled up and a convenient button and flap to hold it up. It's hard to find Trovata at any stores in Seattle so whenever they pop up on Gilt, I always have to buy something. (If you need an invite to Gilt, click here!) I recently got these jeans at Barneys and love the zippers on the hem. It's too funny how all my old fashion loves have come back into my life as I remember being about 9 years old and getting a pair of jeans with zippers at the bottom and wore them almost every single day. They were also acid washed. I'm not getting back into that trend just yet. ;)

Thank you to Cover Your Hair for sending me this fabulous gray beret! It is a great hat for the transition to this colder weather and can't wait to pair it with more outfits this fall.

And to thank you all for reading, I am holding a giveaway with CoverYourHair.com for birthday giveaway #2! They are offering the winner one product on their website, the winner can choose anything they like! They carry everything from hats, berets, headbands, hair clips, basically anything to cover your hair so you have lots to choose from.

To enter:

You must be a follower of I am Style-ish (through Google Friend Connect, Twitter, Facebook, etc...)
Visit www.CoverYourHair.com and leave a comment here on which items you would love to have

For additional entries:
1) Join Cover Your Hair's Google Friend Connect:
It is located in the Social Center which can be found by clicking on the 'peel away' at the right corner of every page.

2) Become a Fan of Cover Your Hair on Facebook:
Click http://www.facebook.com/coveryourhaircom (free item always being offered)

3) Follow Cover Your Hair on twitter:
Click http://twitter.com/coveryourhair

For the additional entries please leave another comment and let me know which ones you did.

Rules:

This is open to readers WORLDWIDE! yay!!
Comments will be closed on Sunday 9/27 at 8:00pm PST
Winner will be chosen by random draw
Winner has to contact me within 5 days or else a new winner will be chosen.

Lookbook: Red & Black Plaid

2009-09-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was really into plaid last year and I'm still not ready to let it go. I have so many plaid shirts and skirts that I still want to wear. I keep on forgetting about this shirt and I don't know why as it's one of my favorites with the plaid and the ruffles. You can see how I wore it last fall here.

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt: ?? (I can't remember)
Jeans: Levi's
Belt: Express
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Black skinny jeans are still a staple in my closet. I won't be giving up skinny jeans anytime soon!

I added the big belt to create some definition in my waist rather than tucking in my shirt. I get questions from readers about how to wear belts as you can see I really like belts. The tricky thing about wearing belts is proportion. The above shirt is long enough to wear a belt and create a proper top:bottom proportion. I could have also worn a skinny belt with this outfit and it would've looked fine. When belting over sweaters and cardigans, it's a bit harder because you don't want to look too bulky. Also some materials just don't belt well so don't try to force it. A lot of you suggested I belt this dress which I did try when I first put on the dress but the way the material is and where the ruffles lie, it didn't look good at all. Belts don't look good on everything but I have this problem of wanting to belt all of my outfits. My rule is to look at myself in the mirror right before I leave the house. If I think the belt looks weird in any way, I take it off. Sometimes it's best to leave things unbelted!

Anyway, back to plaid. My obsession with plaid luckily does not have to go away as there are plenty of designers that are still on the plaid kick too. Here are some of my favorite picks from shopbop.com. (click on picture to take you to the direct link)

That last blanket one is too funny I had to include it. I wouldn't actually wear it but considering that I'm always cold it might actually come in handy! I just showed it to J who called it a "couture snuggie" LOL! At $858 it definitely is the most expensive snuggie I've ever seen.

See that look on Anna Wintour's face? I think she is saying "plaid is here to stay!" LOL!

(fabsugar.com)

Don't forget to enter the Ciao Chessa! giveaway!

style.ish love

2009-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

No new post here but a few new posts over at style.ish!

Check out Stephanie and Brian's engagement session

and Tesmer and Andrew's day after!

BTW, are you a fan of style.ish on facebook yet? We would love it if you were!

On a related note: We will be in Portland in early October, anyone interested in a photo session with us while we are down there? Our available dates are October 10 and 11. If so, email me for rates! (tiffany (at) style-ish.com)

Also a little shout out to my sweet husband who surprised me with this post on the day of our anniversary. If you didn't know, we had a courthouse ceremony before our wedding in Jamaica so we actually have two wedding anniversaries. We are celebrating both, at least for this year since it's the first year! Click here for my post on our courthouse ceremony.

my NYFW loves

2009-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Obviously the fashion blogger world is abuzz with New York Fashion Week. I've been living vicariously through Cupcakes and Cashmere's tweets and blog posts about her time there as well as Clutch 22 and AlixRose. And of course, Dream Sequins' amazing pictures and posts.

Anyway, seeing as I can't be there I am catching up on all the runway shows at style.com. I had to check out my favorite label ever, Rag & Bone (which is also my husband's favorite label). They make the best blazers and jackets ever. I am totally lusting after the jackets in the top two pictures. I have one Rag & Bone dress that seriously fits me like it was made to fit my body. I adore it and need more of their dresses in my life. The dresses of the bottom two photos are perfection and am in love with their leggings too. In particular I really really want these leggings but I cry at the price.

We can't forget the men too. I love the look of blazers and vests on men (I could do without those pants though.)

For my girly side, I am lusting over every single one of these Cynthia Steffe pieces.

in. love.

pssst.. if you loved the necklace on my Marika King lookbook, she made one more so get it now before it gets bought!

all images from style.com

Birthday Giveaway #1 - Ciao Chessa!

2009-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

September is kind of special to me because it is my birthday month, however I am not a huge birthday person because I don't like celebrating getting older, my one fear in life is getting old. I can't handle it. BUT that's not to say that I like people to ignore it, I still like the people in my life to recognize that it is my birthday. I'm just a bit more low key about it. My husband is the best as I get to use the "it's my birthday!" excuse all month, which means he does whatever I want (which now that I think about it is not much different than the other 11 months of the year. haha!) With that said, I want to celebrate my birthday month with you guys so, I will be hosting a giveaway every Monday for the rest of September!

We are going to start off the Monday giveaways with Ciao Chessa! As you may know, Monica is the photographer behind Ciao Chessa! and she is offering any print in her shop (excluding the limited editions) to the giveaway winner. Here are some prints of hers that I love.

Summer

Empire Envy

Abstract Spring I

How to win:

Visit Ciao Chessa! etsy shop and let me know which print you would like by leaving a comment on this post.
Be a follower of I am Style-ish or Ciao Chessa! through Google Friend connect (that "follow button on the left side of our blogs), through twitter, feed subscriber by reader or by email, facebook friend, etc.. anything works as long as I know that you read our blogs!
Twitter about this giveaway for an extra entry just include @styleish and @CiaoChessa in your tweet.
Post on your blog/sidebar on your blog for another entry

Thank you to everyone in advance for getting the word out about the giveaway!

Rules for the giveaway:

This is open to readers WORLDWIDE! yay!!
Comments will be closed on Sunday 9/20 at 8:00pm PST
Winner will be chosen by random draw
Winner has to contact me within 5 days or else a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck everyone!