I am Style-ish

Lookbook: Missoni for Target

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing
*Missoni for Target Cardigan - thank you to my mom who was lucky enough to score some great stuff during the Missoni-Target frenzy! This cardi was definitely one of the best things that I got, the quality is fantastic, almost unbelievable that it's Target!

*ASOS bow blouse - I'm wearing a size 2 Petite and it's slightly big on the sides (which creates lots of bunching when tucking it in so I only tuck in the front). I'm usually an XS in tops so if you are about my size, I'd probably try a 1 Petite in their blouses. I left the blouse untucked in one pic so you can see the length. Similar bow blouse (no print and short sleeve) would look great under a cardigan or blazer. Love the ruffle collar blouse too. And similar horseprint blouse.

*ASOS crop skinny pant (petite) and regular sizing (on sale!) - These are also a 2P and the fit is great (I'm typically a size 0/25 in pants) but a little long even for being petite and crop. I need to get them hemmed, I rolled them under for these pics.

*Christian Louboutin New Simple Pumps (black) - my go to shoes when I need a bit of cheering up! Also in nude. In my experience, the Simple pumps run more true to size than the New Simple pumps which are a bit small to begin with but with wear they now fit perfectly to my fit. I've heard quite a few people say that they go 1/2 size up.

*Balenciaga Classic City (gray) - I have mixed feelings about the Bal bags. I love the look but hate that they get so heavy so quickly. I feel like I have nothing in my bag but my arms are already tired from carrying it. I know you can use the shoulder strap but it looks better handheld in my opinion. But then whenever I see other people carrying them, I want to buy another color. They are so pretty! I love this purple. However, I may have found my solution with the Hip bag. I saw one at Nordstrom and they are a great size and I love that they just look like mini city bags.

*t+j Designs Gold Luxe Colored Crystal Bangle Set - One of my favorite of our new bangle sets. These go with everything. I wear them all the time.

Can you tell these are another set of tripod/remote pictures? Mostly you can tell because the gratuitous overposting of photos! LOL. I had a hard time editing them down because I had so many. I felt like I took about 100 pictures! When my husband takes my photos he takes about 10. Like I said before, huge props to those of you that self shoot every outfit photo. It takes a lot of patience! I started out at a park that had nice scenery but it was next to a kid's playground which I didn't think much of until I heard this slight "aaaaaahhhh" sound from far away and then it got closer and closer until it was "AAAAHHHHAAAHHHAHHH" and about 30 kids from a nearby school poured in and the entire area was swamped with kids! I really couldn't shoot with that commotion, I literally had kids running under my tripod so I packed up my stuff and found an office building instead. It was much quieter there ;)

Glitter... Everything!

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since I made my glitter clutch, I've been looking around at everything that we have around the house that I can glitter. I told you I had a lot of glitter projects to share, I finally gathered them together to photograph!

First up are these little tea light holders that were totally boring on their own...

I put together a mixture of mod podge and glitter (same as the glitter clutch) but this time I dumped the mixture in the candleholder, swirled it around until it covered every area and then let it dry upside down for a day. Now, they are adorable and I keep one in the bathroom to hold my bobby pins which has made my life so much easier when doing my hair! Obviously the other thing I glittered was my iPhone case. I had a freebie case that I wasn't using from when Apple was giving out free cases (because of the antenna issue). A plain black case instantly turned into something very girly and glam that I use all the time now!

*A note on the tea light holders, you can still use tea lights in them even with the glitter, just get the battery operated ones. They look just as cute and they even flicker a little! I have ones that I always keep in my candle holders.

I buy a ton of candles and always try to keep the jars once they are done being candles because they are great storage holders (I use a few to hold my makeup brushes). So instead of just cleaning it out and leaving it as is, I glittered it! I used a different glitter than the Martha Stewart for this one and it was a very fine, almost powdery glitter which I didn't like as much. It took many more coats to get it to be that glittery. The Martha Stewart glitter is the perfect consistency and opaque which I think looks better. To clean out almost empty candle jars, boil a pot of water with about an inch or two of water (depending on how big your candle jar is and how much wax is left) and put the candle in the pot. It will melt the remaining wax in the jar and then you can dump the wax straight into the garbage and then wash the container out. Use a fork to scoop out the wick holders.

I filled it with my lipglosses and lip liners. Now my bathroom has a lot more glittery additions! And lastly, a jam jar converted into a gold pencil holder that makes my desk much more fun!

There are so many things you can do with mod podge and glitter. Just look around your house, I'm sure you'll find as much stuff as I did!

Lust List: Miu Miu

2012-02-06T05:00:00.001-08:00

My favorite accessories designer over the past few years has been Miu Miu. I've accumulated quite a few pair of Miu Miu shoes (and my much loved bow bag) and have fallen in love with every single collection. When I got the email about their Valentine's day bags I went to their site and when I saw these lovely pink and red jeweled bags, I squeeled! It's so cute and so girly and so me! I want it all! Now if I can only figure out a way to become a millionaire ;)

Miu Miu Coin Purses | Wallet | Clutch | Pouch

I also have a couple of pairs of heels on my wishlist. The glitter ones don't need explanation do they? They just belong in my closet already. :) The blush ones would be so perfect for summery dresses. I talked about the navy ones before but I just adore the color and I think would look great with a tan.

And a few more pink bags that must somehow make their way into my collection. Other than my Foley & Corinna bag, I don't own any other pink bags. I think I might need to change that soon. The top contender is the leather tote (#1). It's such a great size and love that it comes with a shoulder strap. I love the look of handheld bags but sometimes it gets so annoying to not have the option to put it over your shoulder. The little Valentine's Day shoulder bag though, is so cuuute!

Thanks to DesignEditor for the adorable glitter hearts download!

Also, please excuse my absence from commenting and responding. I've been a bit consumed by work and have been on a few business trips and haven't had time to catch up. I so appreciate everyone that stops by and those of you that leave a comment. Thanks for your patience, especially if you've written me an email or left me a question in the comments. I will get back to you as soon as I can!

Current Favorite: Marc Jacobs Quilted Crossbody Bag

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

outfit details here

My current favorite bag is something that actually surprised me, the reason being that I'm not a small bag kind of girl. If you've seen my "What's in my bag" post and video (which coincidentally was almost 1 year today! I need to update again.), you'll know that I like to carry a lot of stuff in my handbag and I can't bear to leave stuff at home.

My husband actually bought this bag for me and to be quite honest, I don't think I would've chosen it for myself. Not because I didn't love the style, that I did love but I wasn't so sure about the size. There is a bigger size and I probably would have gone for that. But once I started using it, it was really hard for me to go back to using a bigger bag! I like the ease and convience of slinging it over my shoulder and not having to carry around a wallet as there are very convienent credit card slots and lots of pockets in this little bag. I also hated that most of my handbags have a tendency to fall off my shoulders (especially when I'm trying to carry groceries in - don't you hate that?) and the cross body is just so nice to have to not have to worry about your purse falling off or your crap falling out of it. And when you're feeling fancy just tuck the strap into the bag to create a cute little clutch. I like doing this when we go out to dinner and I can just keep my bag on the table or chair without taking up a bunch of space. Anyway, I'm a total "small purse" convert and wanted to give my little bag some blog time.

My color is last season but there are lots of other pretty colors here, or in a berry pink or a light pink. They also have a large size (I was thinking about getting this one) or an Xlarge. The larger ones don't have the credit card/ID slots built in, which is really the biggest plus for me with this bag. There's also the Murray Crossbody which is $80 cheaper and looks nice too (no credit card slots) or for the same price there's a crossbody wallet version which looks great too! So many choices! Anyway, if you are looking for a great crossbody bag, I highly recommend the one I have as I've been carrying it almost nonstop and haven't wanted to switch bags yet!

Have a great weekend! Take advantage of our weekend sale, all new arrivals are 20% off!

January iPhone photos

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love iPhone photo recaps but I can't seem to keep up with my weekly recaps so thought I'd do one for all the photos I took in January. If you're on my facebook you might have already seen some of these so apologies for the repeats!

Just a few indulgences...

Starting off the new year with Top Pot doughnuts - this time it was cinammon sugar blueberry
a latte and doughnut at my all time favorite Espresso Vivace (okay I'm cheating this was the day after Christmas, hence the Christmas sprinkles) :)
We've frequented the Skillet Food Truck and it is SO good, so when they opened up a restaurant - Skillet Diner - we had to try it out. I had the Fried Chicken Sammy - fennel seed crust, pickled and charred jalapeño aioli, kale, potato bread. It was amazing. Definitely will be back.
Marination Station is also a restaurant of a food truck - Marination Mobile - and I tried a Kalbi taco and a spicy pork slider. Both YUMMY and cheap. Double thumbs up, especially for having Hawaiian Sun drinks!
Hubs' beer and my wine served in Mason Jars at Skillet Diner. The next week I went out and bought those same mason jars and now drink my wine out of them at home. HAHA! But seriously, I've shattered so many wine glasses, this is a fabulous alternative. Thanks for the idea Skillet!

OMG snowpocalypse! It wasn't too bad this year... although lots and lots of people lost power for many days :( I feel for you guys if you went through that! We were able to stay warm and still go out most of the days.

My husband and me on our way to lunch with my brother and his girlfriend. It was my brother's birthday and we were supposed to go home and see my parents that day but didn't end up making it because of the snow so we took my brother out to a birthday lunch instead. (see below)
Savvy in her snow jacket. It's Juicy Couture and from a few years ago.
Snow outfit - lots of layers. Also, this is what I do when husband shops at Niketown. I take photos of my outfit. LOL

We went to Brave Horse Tavern, one of Tom Douglas' new restaurants. I've been there several times and everything has been good, however quite expensive and kind of not really worth it? I think I prefer Palace Kitchen for the same prices. Like those Chicken Nuggets were good (not amazing but good) and they were $9 for 6 nuggets. The sweet potato fries were awesome though but I love sweet potato fries.

I just posted a ton of food pictures but I really am eating healthy most days and back to working out 4-5 times a week. I am still using the Nike Training Club app and still loving it. Also taking a few circuit training classes at the gym. I've lost all my "holiday weight" and then some. Although I will say that working out does not contribute so much to my weight loss as does my diet. They say losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise (or something like that) which is very much the case for me. I work out to feel good, healthy and strong. It's amazing the difference of your overall mood and how you feel when you work out a few times a week. That feeling alone is what motivates me to go to the gym. Well, that and it's a great stress reliever for me.

Got some new shoes and workout clothes, because hey a girl likes to look good even while sweating it out! Wearing Nike LunarGlides , Lululemon Racerback Top, Nike running capris and Lululemon headband. (ha! I'm very partial to these two brands)
I usually do not take pictures of myself while working out but I really loved my new shoes that my husband bought for me so wanted to take a picture to show him. His work schedule is crazy these days so he and I don't get to go to the gym together as often as we did before.

My husband caught a really bad cold so I had to do a drugstore run to get him cough medicine and stuff. But of course, I can never go to the drugstore without looking at the cosmetic section and picked up some stuff that was on sale.

I hadn't seen any reviews of the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara but was intrigued by the display. I tried it when I got home and OMG this fiber mascara really works! Look how much longer it made my eyelashes! This was after 2 coats of mascara. It looks like I'm wearing false lashes right? I can't stop raving about this mascara, I love it!
I've been using the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow as a shadow base and it works great. Makes your eyeshadow last all day. I already have two Revlon Lip Butters that I've been using like crazy so also picked up "Berry Smoothie" and "Peach Sorbet". I'm wearing the Berry Smoothie in the photo above.

The Modern Three Stone Statement Ring matched my silvery nails
Our Love and Heart Rose Gold Necklace goes really well with the Trio Bangle
A stack of our Gold Double Braided Cuff, Hammered Bangles (now comes in a set of 2!) and Glam bracelet (sold out)

One of our newest designs, the Gold Luxe Link Necklace with my J Crew top.
Wearing another t+j Designs headband (you can see another one in this lookbook) and the Mother of Pearl Rose Gold Necklace that you can win in our giveaway, just head on over to our facebook for the details!
I attached a hair bow to our Gold Hammered Link Long Necklace and loved that it gave it an entirely different look! It went from being just an accessory to being the thing that everyone noticed!

And a few purchases that I made...

I got my husband's birthday gift at Mr. Porter and it came beautifully packaged, just like Net-a-Porter (their women's site) orders. They even personalized it with a handwritten note with his name on it!
The Foley and Corinna Disco City bag that you saw in this lookbook. It's sooo cute and I love that it's pink suede. Something I would never get in a bigger bag but totally works in this size.
New Miu Miu pumps that were an ebay score! I'm not very good with ebay, I watch auctions but then never remember to bid on them or if I bid on them, I never watch it closely enough to win them. BUT I scored these on an amazing "buy it now" price so was super excited as I lusted after these when they came out a few seasons ago and thought that I'd never be able to get them. They have stitching on the platform as well as on the back on the heel. Will have better pics soon!
The purple Prada booties that I mentioned in Monday's post that I somehow scored on sale at Nordstrom this year even though I got my black ones last year. I swear they just had this one pair sitting in the back and someone found it and put it on the sale rack for me to find!

My parent's also work with my sister and I on t+j Designs (it's a family business, even my brother and my husband help out) and we had a couple of meetings to go to so my dad picked me up in the morning and we ended up spending the day doing fun stuff like sitting at Starbucks with our iPads and discussing our future business plans and then stopping in Chinatown for delicious Taiwanese food and of course, working. But when you work for yourself and especially on a business that you love, it doesn't feel like working at all. It really does just seem like fun!

Well, there was my January! I can't believe we are already one month into 2012!

*all photos taken on my iPhone 4. Some were edited with Cross Process (the ones with the frames around it) and the others I edited in Photoshop.

February Calendar and iPhone Wallpaper

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for the great feedback and support about continuing my free calendar downloads and for everyone that has tweeted or emailed me their iPhone screensaver. I love it! It makes me so happy to see you guys using it!

February's calendar is ready and I decided instead of making you guys go to a different blog post each month (and in case you missed it, having to search for it) that I would just create a page where you could find the download links and wallpaper images all in one place! So click on over here to get the February calendar! Enjoy!

Want to know my favorite dry shampoos? Check out this post for my faves!

Lookbook: Photo Bomb

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing
*Forever 21 Sweater - It's only $12.50 but I'll tell you, probably best to wash on delicate and line dry. I made the mistake of not doing that and it's now completely shrunken and misshapen. A better alternative might be this cute textured knit from Anthrpologie. I'm also loving yellow striped sweaters like this one or this one with wider stripes from Gap.
*Madewell Rail Straight Jeans - a bit baggier than their legging jeans that I usually wear.
*Happy Scarf Polka Dot Scarf (gifted from Happy Scarf) - This scarf is super soft, I often just keep it on when I get home because I love how soft it is and how warm it keeps me.
*Vintage Chanel Bag - borrowed from my mom. She's not the original owner as she bought it vintage about 10 years ago so we're not sure exactly how old it is but it's still in fantastic shape.
*Prada Booties - my favorite and they are from last year. I got super lucky last month and found them on the sale rack at Nordstrom in purple! Low cut booties definitely work better on my shorty legs so I love the Cole Haan booties or these Vince Camuto booties (on sale!) which are great alternatives to my Prada ones.
*t+j Designs bracelets - get FREE shipping on all orders!

Kimberlee from I have a degree on this did a post on "dog photo bombing" in fashion bloggers photos that I thought was so cute. And although mine is not a true photo bomb (mostly it's a forcing my dog to be in my picture. lol) Macho's been "photo bombing" mine lately, mostly out of necessity. The only time we brave it outdoors these days (it's mainly too cold/windy/rainy) is when we walk the dogs so that's also when we take outfit pics. I get so insanely jealous when I see the outfit photos of bloggers that live in Southern California because in every picture, they actually have sun. And they are wearing shorts. SHORTS! I can't even imagine pulling out shorts right now. Sometimes, I get so cold that I have to wear leggings under my jeans! Nobody is jealous of that. Nobody. haha!

Oh and a fun little giveaway that's going on the t+j Designs facebook page! Would love it if you "liked" our page (and if you already do, thank you!) and then leave a comment on our page or on the giveaway photo (you'll see it on the page) and you'll be entered to win our Mother of Pearl Rose Gold Necklace from the Timeless Collection! Giveaway will end on 2/6.

Lookbook: Zig Zag

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing
*ShopSosie Dress - I have it in the khaki and black too but now they have lots of new pretty colors, I love the berry!
*Elizabeth and James Blazer - on sale but limited sizes. I'm stalking this E&J blazer, I really really want it to go on sale.
*Miu Miu Suede Sandals - got mine last season, this year comes in a gorgeous blue that I'm thinking about getting too. They are truly one of the most comfortable pair of sandals I own. (I look like I'm slipping out of them because of the dang tights. I hate how tights make my feet all slippery in shoes!)
*Zara Clutch (Christmas gift from my sister!)
*t+j Designs Gold Drop Luxe Earrings, Rose Gold Statement Ring and Glam Leatherette Ring

It's been one of those weeks where I have no idea where the time went. Crazy busy. Started out rough but it's definitely looking up and looking forward to the weekend. If you're on my facebook, you may have seen a preview of this outfit. I wore it on new year's eve for dinner out and then the best part, champagne and cupcakes before midnight. I love this dress - so much that I have two, which is rare as I don't usually buy the same things in different colors - but here's my dilemma, if I don't belt it, it's a tent on me. If I belt it, it's waaay too short. Hence, why I don't love this outfit but hey I saw way more scandalous outfits on New Year's Eve. (why is NYE like Halloween except instead of your sluttiest costume you put on your sluttiest sparkly dress? haha!) And then I compensated for the shortness by teasing my hair to make me look taller. Just kidding! (sorta) ;)

P.S. If you didn't know, I also write on the smarter.com blog. Check out my tips and picks for wearing lace!

Currently Loving: Neons

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm completely obsessed with the neon trend. I've been seeing it pop up everywhere and I wrote a post about how to incorporate neons into your winter outfit but I also really can't wait for spring so I can start wearing it a lot more! Here's a few fabulous neon looks as soon on a few of my favorite bloggers...

Image Sources: The Blond Salad | Le Blog de Betty | The Golden Diamonds | A Pair & a Spare (hers is a DIY!) | Fashion is My Drug

And a few things that I'm thinking about adding to my wardrobe...

Oh colored jeans, I'm still not over you. Especially in these fun bright colors!

a) TEXTILE Elizabeth and James Jimi Flare Jeans

b) AG Adriano Goldschmied The Stilt Cigarette Pants

c) Forever 21 Fitted Skinny Jean

Fabulous tops that you can wear now but will look great with shorts in the summer!

1) Diane von Furstenberg Grandie Silk Blouse

2) Wildfox Black Sparkle Heart Baggy Beach Sweatshirt

3) Ladyee Boutique Shredded Sweater - use code STYLEISH for 10% off your order!

4) ASOS PETITE Exclusive T Shirt With Neon Stripe

5) Patterson J Kincaid Flemming Tie Neck Tank

And loving these dresses and the flare skirt. Would be so cute with black tights!

1) Forever 21 Sleeveless Shirt Dress

2) ASOS Pleat Skirt in Neoprene

3) ASOS T-Shirt Dress with Zip Back

Lots of fun neon jewelry from my jewelry line and we've marked them down to some super great prices!

Pink Rhinestone Ribbon Bracelet

Purple Rhinestone Ribbon Bracelet

Pink Crystal Friendship Bracelet

Neon Pink Rhinestone Cuff

Green Crystal Square Statement Ring

I wearing the J Crew Vintage Cotton V-Neck, my color is sold out online but check the stores. And Cosmetics Arts Nail Polish in Pink Rush. I bought it from Bartell's (a local drugstore) but unfortanately can't find a place that sells it online!

Lemon Blueberry Muffin Tops

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

The best part of the muffin IS the top. Am I right? So I HAD to share this recipe with you guys, especially because I found it on accident. You see, I was in the mood for scones and you know me, I love the combo of Lemon and Blueberry together so I went looking for a scone recipe. I found this one over at allrecipes.com and I liked the looks of it as it was a bit different than most scone recipes as there was no need to use a pastry cutter (hurts my arms), no heavy cream (didn't have it), not a lot of butter and used yogurt (you know I like using yogurt better than butter). Oh and you don't need to roll it out as they are called "drop scones" which is just that, you drop the dough onto the baking sheet instead of rolling it out and cutting the shape of the scone. I mean, I love scones but sometimes they can take a bit to make and these just sounded so much easier so I had to try it out.

Turns out, they are nothing like a scone but they are YUMMY in their own right! They are light and fluffy with bursts of blueberry and lemon flavor. I was also generous with the lemon glaze as it kind of needed it (they are not that sweet on their own). After my first bite, I thought, "This is just like a muffin!" which I then saved it into my Springpad* as Lemon Blueberry Muffin Tops!

Go here for the recipe and a few changes that I made were I added lemon juice and used plain yogurt since I didn't have lemon yogurt. And before baking I brushed them with egg wash to get the brown color on the tops.

*I use Springpad to keep all my online recipes as it saves them and organizes them very nicely and also has an iPad/iPhone app which is awesome because I use my iPad as my cookbook in the kitchen and iPhone as a grocery list so I can always reference the recipe when I'm out grocery shopping.

Lookbook: Chartreuse

2012-01-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing

*Cardigan: Madewell - the First Frost Cardigan is really similar and on sale (+ additional 30% off)

*Blouse: ASOS - Mine is unavailable but for you mamas to be, there is a maternity version! Similar horse print blouse, or a cute horseshoe print and if you are feeling a bit nautical, I like this cute seahorse print blouse.

*Jeans - Madewell Legging Jeans (now on sale)

*Boots - Roberto Del Carlo (last year) - get them here in black and on sale.

*Headband - t+j Designs (will have them on the site soon!)

*Earrings - t+j Designs White Drop Stone Earrings and Jewel Tone Crystal Ring- Free Shipping on all orders!

We're snowed in today! Hope everyone in the Seattle area is staying warm and safe! We're going to head out in a bit to play in the snow with our doggies but for the most part I'm keeping near the heater!

Sale alert! Madewell has a ton of great stuff on sale and additional 30% off all sale items! If you liked my pink skinny jeans from this lookbook, they are now on sale for about $35 after the 30% off! I just bought them in purple too. I also have this Striped Ex-boyfriend sweater and love it. It's now 50% off and with the 30% off it makes it ~$24.50!

Madewell Striped Ex-boyfriend sweater and t+j Designs Gold Link Necklace and Ivory Satin Chain Necklace - both are $12 and free shipping!

You know I can't resist a good sale at Madewell! Here's what I'm contemplating...

First Frost Cardigan - love the Mulberry color! | Sateen Skinny Ankle Pants

Clear Dawn Cardigan | Silk Sojourn Shirt - I swear this is the same top as my Soft Silk Boyshirt | Flowerlace Top

*At the time I wrote this post, all the stuff was available but I think some of it has sold out so check your stores if you can't find it online. I find that the stores always has great markdowns on different stuff too!

Lookbook: Stars and Hearts

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing
*Blazer: Forever 21 (old) - similar contrast trim blazer
*Top: Forever 21 Starry Blouse - similar in black at ASOS (on sale)
*Skirt: J Crew (old) - similar sateen skirt
*Tights: DKNY no waistband tights - my favorite!
*Shoes: Miu Miu Platform Pumps - The ones I'm wearing are suede. Similar in suede and not as high.
*Bag: Foley & Corinna Disco City in Rose Nubuck - available in lots of colors and a few colors are on sale. It comes with a shoulder strap too so you can wear it cross body. I love this little mini bag, it's so cute!
*Jewelry: t+j Designs Love and Heart Necklace and Rose Gold Turquoise Cushion Ring - Free shipping on all orders!
*Nail Polish: Julep Anne which came in my latest Julep Maven box and I've been wearing it since I got it! I love the lavender color and don't have anything else like it. Remember to enter IAMSTYLEISH to get your first Julep Maven box for $9.99!

I haven't shot many lookbooks lately. In between the weather, how dark the day gets and my husband's schedule, it just hasn't been happening. But last week, I was inspired to take a lookbook (mostly because our new collection came in) and I actually took these photos myself using the tripod and remote (major props to all you style bloggers that do this all the time).

If you are wondering, I am not embarrassed easily so I totally didn't care who saw me. (I was in an industrial area and I had guys in hard hats walking by and being funny asking if they could be in the picture :), men siting in their pickup trucks watching me and construction going on right behind the wall that my tripod was standing.) I've done self lookbooks outside a few times already and to be honest, I actually think it's fun. I wouldn't do it in a super crowded area but the area I was in was only semi-busy so if you are inspired to shoot self portraits outside but are embarrassed to, just be confident and smile at the people that are looking at you. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, all you are doing is taking pictures. I've seen much crazier things done in public :) Everyone was super nice to me, some even crossed the street so they wouldn't be in my picture and I chatted with a few people. The only factor that has me concerned about doing this often is someone running up and stealing all my camera equipment since I have to be away from the tripod. (my husband worries about this so he got me worried.) So that's why I don't do it very often but it's always fun to see the pictures that I shot when I'm done, it's kind of like a surprise roll of film where you know what's in the pictures, you just have no idea how they turned out! It's definitely not easy and I'm not just randomly shooting as I do have a few tricks that I do to create the kind of pictures that I want, but it's fun to see if they turn out right. As long as you have the kind of shot that you want in your head, it's a lot easier to set up the photos. Oh and of course, make sure your settings are right. I shoot on manual 100% of the time even on self portraits and the first thing is I adjust the settings, find my focus point and then base my composition from that. Anyway, I won't get into it unless you guys have questions which I'd be happy to answer in the comments, but I've heard so many people say that they don't want to bug their boyfriend/girlfriend/brother/sister/roommate about taking photos for their blog so I'm here to say, go out and do it yourself! It's totally possible. :)

Check out my latest smarter.com blog post on how I wear plaid all year round!

Our latest collection is here!

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Some fun news to announce today! I've been a little quiet lately on the blog and everywhere else really just because I've been so busy with so many fun projects including this one. Well, we are finally able to reveal our latest collection and I'm so excited that it's here!

So many have you requested more rose gold items from the beginning and being a huge fan of rose gold myself, I knew that we had to incorporate it somehow and I love, literally LOVE, this collection. We are only starting with a few designs and limited quantity but will continually grow this collection with more designs and styles. We want the Timeless Collection to be something that you can wear for years or something that you can gift to your mom, sisters, bridesmaids, aunts, anyone that you truly care about and want to share your love for. All items are 18K rose gold and the chains are beautiful and delicate. I am so proud to bring this to you guys at this quality for under $65! We wanted to get this collection out before Valentine's day in case you wanted to give someone a hint or two about a potential present. ;) Unfortunately, it's not in stock yet but they are on their way to us as we speak so for now pre-orders are being taken and will be shipping next Monday January 23rd. Oh and for the first time ever, we're offering free shipping on all orders. Check out the Timeless collection here!

My favorite is the Love and Heart Necklace as it looks like two necklaces but it's just one so that means, you won't have to deal with untangling a bunch of chains while it's on.

I hope you guys love this collection as much as I do! I think you'll be seeing them a lot on me as I just can't stop wearing them! Lookbook of the outfit above will be posted tomorrow!

*Free shipping offer lasts until January 31st, no code necessary.

Lookbook: Blue and Gold

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing:

*Blazer: Hinge (Nordstrom, from a few years ago) - I'm totally in love with this Hinge Waterfall leather jacket. I think it would look perfect with this outfit!

*Blouse: Shop Sosie Jocelyn Tie Blouse

*Jeans: Rag & Bone Skinny Jean

*Booties: Rag & Bone Lovell Platform Booties - on sale here! Also in brown and purple. After wearing these all winter, I adore them and totally recommend. Very comfy and keep my feet warm and stylish!

*Clutch: Semi-DIY - see my tutorial

*Ring: YSL Arty

*Earrings: t+j Designs Large Diamond Teardrop Studs

The mod podge/glitter clutch is still holding up! :) Anyone else try out this DIY? It's one of my favorites. I have a few other glitter projects I gotta show you!

Sale alert! J Crew and t+j Designs!

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

J Crew has 30% off sale items right now. (It's not a lot but ebates has it at 1.5% cashback, so don't forget to use it to get a little bit extra savings.) On Friday I went shopping and tried on a few items including the Honeycomb Cable Sweater. It was $39.99 in stores and 40% off. Online it's $54.99 and 30% off so not as good as a deal but still a great price. See the sweater on Jean in a few different colors and her review as well.

I'm wearing the XXS and is a good overall fit as I like that it's slim fitting on the sides (my apple shape does not fare well with chunky knits + baggy sides.) and the sleeves are not too long. The length is a little on the short side for me as I have a short torso and I tend to like my sweaters a little farther below my waistband to elongate it. I passed on this but regretted it the next day (as some of you know from my facebook). Although looking at the pictures now, I do think I look a little chunky in it so probably a good thing that I passed. One plus was the color and it looked fantastic with my Luxe Chain Crystal Necklace!

Two other things I tried on were this Paisley Blouse (not online but same print in a button up) which was $79.99 and 40% off (Style # 60333 if you want to call stores to see if they have it.) and the Glimmer Long Sleeve Tee that you've seen on me in bronze. Now marked down to $59.99 and 40% off in stores and 30% off online.

I'm wearing a size 0 in the Paisley Blouse. Fit is a little loose and I could have sized down if they had it but still doable and I fell in love with the print so I took this one home with me. In the Glimmer Tee I'm wearing an XS here which I decided was just a bit too baggy on me and since I already own the bronze in an XXS which fits a lot better, I passed on this one as well.

My phone case is this Kate Spade Resin Case that my brother and his girlfriend got me for Christmas. So cute right? I have quite the collection of iPhone cases now, I love changing them up!

Anyone else pick up great stuff at the J Crew sale? I'm actually on the hunt for the silk Lucinda blouse in stores, I hope I can find it!

Also, my sister and I went a little crazy marking stuff down on our jewelry line. Check it out now before we change our minds about the prices :)

I am Style-ish Calendar is back!

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I did a calendar last year on a whim, kind of just to make one for myself and then decided to share it on my blog and ended up (much to my surprise) getting a great response to it. I was so happy to receive such nice comments and emails throughout the year from you guys letting me know that you were enjoying it. I got a ton of requests to do a new one but... I don't have time to do a full calendar right now so instead of making you guys wait (since it takes awhile for me to pull all my pictures together, edit them, photoshop them into the calendar format, etc...) I thought I'd do it a bit different this year and just offer it a month at a time so you'll have to come back each month to get the next month (but I hope you're reading my blog weekly anyway. hint hint, wink wink!) :)

And this year, I have also created an iPhone wallpaper! The easiest way (for me at least) to save on your iPhone is to look at this post on your iPhone and hold down on the image below and "save image" will pop up and save to your Camera Roll. From there you can select to make it your wallpaper. I don't know if this size will work on other phones but you are welcome to try!

Here's what it will look like:

For the print version, it's the same as last year, this size will fit into an empty CD case. You'll notice it's not in the same format as last year but you can print on an 8.5x11 (or similar for those of you not in the US) and cut on the corner lines that I have marked.

Click to download and print!

** Just a few notes concerning the free download and iPhone wallpaper: This download is for personal use only and can not be sold or reproduced in any way. If you'd like to mention this on your blog/website, I would LOVE if you passed it along but please link to my blog and/or this blog post and not directly to the download link. As with any of the images on my blog, please be respectful if you use the image in any way on your site and to link/credit me. **

(this image has my iamstyle-ish tag on it but the printable version does not)

An easy way to share it without worry about crediting/linking is to pin it :)
Pin It

And one last thing, the winner of the t+j Designs necklace and bracelet is Mayumi and the winner of the Stila Palette and Paula Dorf Lipgloss set is Carol L.!! Congrats ladies! I have sent both of you emails so check your inbox! Thanks to everyone who entered my holiday giveaway!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our new year's eve and new year's day was quite low key and uneventful but still spent with the ones I love so that's all I need to be happy. (Above are a few of the accessories I wore. I still believe in dressing up even for a low key night!) Wishing everyone the best for 2012 and although 2011 was a fabulous year, I think that the best is yet to come... :) I have lots of hope for 2012!

Unfortunately, I'm a bit under the weather and mixed with some highly stressful things going on in my life so blogging is going to take a back seat for a bit but being that we are in the midst of creating our next jewelry collection, I've been trying to get all the creative juices flowing and thus started a tumblr full of inspirations. (Would love for you to follow if you have a tumblr and let me know yours so I can follow back!).

The tumblr is more for just pretty photos and anything that will inspire me but of course, my first love for all things inspiration and fun things found on the internet will always be located on my Pinterest. Which, BTW, I have started a board for lovelies wearing t+j Designs so if you have a photo of you wearing our jewelry, please email/tweet/facebook me the link on your blog or the photo and I'll pin it to our Pinterest board! I love seeing our jewelry on all of you guys!

And lastly, I've started a tumblr for t+j Designs as well. It's a place to find inspiration on how to wear jewelry pieces and just generally gorgeous jewelry. Sales announcements and other news will be posted on there as well!

So I may not be around here as much but I'll still be pinning and tumbling away. And of course, you'll be able to find me on my regular places, twitter and facebook. See you in a week (or maybe even sooner!) :)

Oh and I promise, I will come back and announce the winners of the giveaways as soon as I can. I just have to finish entering all the youtube entries into the pool of entries and then I will select the winners. Thanks everyone!

New Years Eve Shopping!

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I was getting ready to write a recap post, since this will be my last post of 2011. But... I was bored by it. HA! So you guys get a shopping post instead because I've been busy scouring the deals out there and had to share.

You know my love for Madewell so I was very excited to see that they are doing an additional 30% off sale items. (4% cashback at ebates) I'm often asked about Madewell sizing since I know they don't have stores in a lot of cities. For me, I'm mostly true to size. However, I noticed that they recently started carrying XXS in some items and I bought a few cardigans like #4 below in an XXS and it fits great for (obviously) a slimmer fit. Otherwise, an XS works fine for me. For jeans, they run smaller than J Crew and their skinny jeans are definitely more form fitting.

1. Spotted Snowfall Sweater - not on sale online but it is in stores. I think for $49.99 (?) not sure about the price but I know it was on sale for sure and addt'l 30% off in stores as well. I love it but for some reason these kinds of crew necks look terrible on me (I look like I have no neck) so I passed but I love the sweater! See it on Kelly in the tan color, doesn't she look great?
2. Printed Storybook Dress - I can't help but love this dress even though I'm not a huge fan of strapless dresses. The print is adorable as well as the pleating and the full skirt. I tried it on in store and passed because I bought too much stuff but am really tempted to go back for it.
3. Sweater Blazer - just a great classic looking blazer but in a sweater material which I adore because blazers can get a bit uncomfy since most of them are a bit stiff to keep the structured look.
4. First Frost Cardigan - I own many cardigans from Madewell and I especially love the quality and that they don't get misshapen. I wear cardigans a lot during the winter, even if I'm already wearing a sweater (I get cold a lot) and I can't stand it when the sleeves and shoulders start to stretch too much which a lot of cheaper sweaters do.
5. Spotted Snowfall Slipper - I always wear slippers at home. Yes, mainly because I'm Asian and I've always taken my shoes off at home but also because I live in an industrial style loft and our floors are concrete. If I don't wear slippers at home, my feet will freeze!
6. And I didn't include it in the collage above since you just saw them on me but if you are on the hunt for pink skinny jeans (or even purple) get the BlankNYC ones for $50! I just saw that they had turquoise ones too! Hmmm... might add those to my cart right now!

ASOS is having an up to 70% off sale now with lots of cute stuff. (3.5% cashback at ebates) ASOS is always a hit or miss for me. Lately more hits than misses so I've been looking and bookmarking quite a few things. Here's what I'm loving and at great sale prices too.

1. ASOS PETITE Cropped Pant with Jet Pocket - I got these in a purple earlier this year but in the regular sizing and it didn't work out for me. I loved the style so hoping that these in petite sizing will be better for me.
2. ASOS Pussybow Blouse In Floral Print - cute floral print and my obsession with bow blouses still isn't over.
3. ASOS PETITE Exclusive Midi Dress With Button Front - just cute. Love the color. Will pair it with black tights and my Miu Miu heels.
4. ASOS Fluffy Spot Sweater - dots are the new stripes for me. I've been loving everything spotted lately. Again with the high crew neck, so it might not work for me but I figured I'd try it out. I love this color combo.
5. ASOS Fluoro Sweater - I really wanted this sweater and sad that it's already out of my size. I bought a few things in this bright yellow and I've decided it's my new "pop of color" fave!

I bought a few Christmas gifts on Piperlime and ever since have been stalking their sale section. They carry a lot of great brands and lots of good stuff on sale right now.

1. Michael Stars Short Sleeve Off Shoulder Top - this top is so pretty. I can see it being paired with my red skinny jeans and my gold clutch.
2. Michael Stars Sequin Front Tee - another pretty tee. I think this would be cute paired with a cozy cardigan (like #4), kind of an unexpected pop of sparkle.
3. Hive & Honey Double Layer Crochet Cami - like I said, I'm really into yellow right now and love it paired with this gray. Would be so pretty underneath a blazer and paired with jeans.
4. Hive & Honey Fair Isle Open Front Sweater - I live for cozy cardigans in this weather. It's my favorite thing to slip one over anything that I'm wearing. It doesn't even have to match!
5. Citizens of Humanity Angie Panorama Twill Pants - Since I discovered my love of flare (or bellbottom) pants, I think I might take the plunge with another pair and I love that these are twill and not jeans since I mainly just find flare jeans and I don't need another pair as I love mine.
6. AG Adriano Goldschmied The Sateen Stilt Pants - another pair of colored pants, but I love this purple. I think they would be perfect with my brown over the knee boots!

Oh and if you were looking for the J Crew sequin shirt that I wore in my giveaway video (you still have time to enter!) they finally put it back online. You can get it here in 3 colors. Also wearing our Gold Drop Luxe Earrings.

And lastly, don't forget about our sale going on for my jewelry line! Lots of great pieces at our lowest prices yet!

Happy shopping but most importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmas recap in photos!

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that Christmas is over and 2012 is almost here! Since I like to think of my blog as a little online journal for myself, I thought I'd share a little bit of the Christmas pictures I took this year.

Our holiday decor. I kept the wrapping very simple this year with just some kraft paper and fun ribbon. I made all the bows myself and the ribbons were all purchased from JoAnn Craft store. The red tree and the plant were found at a boutique flower shop last year. I love pulling out our holiday decor but some of it was so buried in our storage that I couldn't get to it and had to order a bunch of new decorations! (Cleaning that storage is top of my new year's goals!)

(i downloaded and printed off the gift tags from Creature Comforts round up of free holiday gift tags! Thank you to The Sweetest Occasion and Ellinee for the cutest gift tags! )

My husband was very thoughtful and spotted these roses for me and I loved that it went with our holiday decor.

I also keep a little space just for my "girly" holiday decorations. :)

Just some of the goodies that I made. I had never had homemade chex mix before but decided to make it and YUM! So addicting. I put a bowl out and in an instant it was gone. I made chex mix 3 mornings in a row! And white chocolate covered pretzels are so delicious!

The cutie tins that I put the treats in. They were perfect for gift giving!

I just had to include this picture of me and my super adorable nephew in the sweater we got him. We love H&M kids where we bought him this sweater. He just looked so darn cute in his little winter sweater and I was wearing a cozy winter sweater too so I had to get a photo with him! :)

Lookbook: The quest for pink jeans

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing
*Madewell Soft Silk Boyshirt - as seen in my shopping post. I went back and got it later. (sold out online but my store had a ton in stock. Here's the item info if you want to call them about it.) This one in "sleek charcoal" is practically the same.
*BlankNYC Skinny jeans - on sale and Madewell is doing 30% off sale items! (and ebates it to get 4% cashback!) Get them at a great price! They are true to size and although they fit fab in the legs and the waist, the crotch part is a little baggy and creates a bit of the "wrinkly crotch" effect. It's not uncomfortable but looks a little funny so now I'm mostly wearing them with my shirts untucked.
*t+j Designs Silver Baubles Necklace - one of my favorite necklaces to wear for everyday. It looks so much better on, I get so many compliments on it whenever I wear it.
*t+j Designs Silver Edge Bangle and Modern 3 Stone Ring - take 40% off all Sale items! use code EXTRA40.
*Miu Miu Bow Bag - I just saw that Valentino's lower end line RED Valentino has a bunch of cute bow bags! This is a great size tote, but I'm totally in love with this satchel. I think I'm going to get it in the nude color. But after seeing this bow tote, I'm contemplating it as well as I've been wanting a navy blue bag. For leather, it seems like a good price!
*Christian Louboutin Bianca pump - (also in black) my gray flannel ones were from last year so they don't have them anymore. These shoes are one of my top 3 favorite shoes ever. Every time I wear them, I feel fabulous! :) Thank you to my husband who got them for me, the guy has great taste ;) If you are thinking about getting the Biancas, one word of caution, they are VERY high and only for the super stable high heel walker. They can be pretty bad ankle twisters if you aren't careful!

I have been on a hunt for pink jeans for the longest time. I started with these cute ones from Zara but they ended up quite mishapen and unsightly to wear (super baggy in weird places) after only 2 wears. I wanted to invest in a pair like my rag and bone jeans that I adore but I couldn't find the perfect pink. UNTIL! I went to Madewell and fell in love with these BlankNYC skinny jeans. They are pink but not too pink and look great with so many colors. I've totally embraced the whole colored pant trend. I did a huge order with J Crew when they were doing 30% off everything. I opened the box and my husband said "woh, color explosion!" I ended up getting the toothpick jeans in a bright yellow, the Cafe Capri in warm jade and the Minnie Pant in vibrant flame and a few other things. Unfortunately as much as I loved all the pants, I had to return two of them for sizing issues. The Cafe Capri in a 0P was huge and the toothpick jeans in my regular size 25 was a size too big as well. Not sure what's going on with J Crew sizing, it's been wacky lately! For reference, the Minnie pant in a 0P fit perfectly.

So, where are you guys shopping at? Any good deals? Turns out a ton of stuff I ordered during the Christmas sales didn't work out for me so I had to return a bunch of stuff (and ahem Barney's canceling my order 17 days after I placed an order for shoes is so annoying.) so I'm itching to score on some deals since most of my stuff didn't work out!

Two new posts on the smarter blog! My suggestions for affordable new year's eve dresses and the best dry skin solutions that I've found to help me out in this winter weather.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

my sister and I with our doggies at our parents house :)

Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I had a wonderful few days with my family and my husband's family and now am resting up because I ate WAY too much food! haha!

I got some great presents but can't resist doing a little bit of after Christmas shopping :) And speaking of shopping, if you've been wanting some t+j Designs pieces, we've marked down some more styles in the sale section AND we're offering an additional 40% off all sale items. Shop here! If your order is $50 or more, you'll get free shipping and a $10 credit to use in January! Jen and I wanted to thank everyone for being such great supporters of our jewelry line so we wanted to give you guys the best deal that we could before the year ends! For most of the pieces, we won't be getting any more inventory in so once it's gone, it's gone forever!

Oh and my giveaways are still going on! The gorgeous sequin dress has ended and is going to ANITA B.! Anita - I sent you an email already so check your inbox! The Stila Palette/Lip Gloss set and the t+j Designs necklace and bracelet giveaway doesn't end until 12/31 so enter here if you haven't yet!

Holiday Giveaway! 3 prizes!

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

I truly appreciate you all reading my blog and just generally making my life so much better with you guys in it. I can't imagine my life without the wonderful emails/comments, tweets, etc... that I get on a daily basis. I've made so many new friends and connected with so many women who I can relate to and I just so appreciate being a part of this community so I wanted to thank you all with a fun little giveaway.

There are 3 prizes (so 3 winners) for this giveaway. Please make sure to fill out the rafflecopter form for each prize that you'd like to win. The first prize is this gorgeous dress that Motel Rocks sent over. I thought it was the perfect dress to celebrate New Year's Eve and so in order to get it to somebody, the entries for this dress will only be open for 5 days in order for me to get the dress out in time to make it to the lucky recipient for NYE! The dress is a size XS.

If you don't want to wait for the giveaway to end, you can get the dress now for $52 (50% off!) They are also having a great sale so make sure to check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The next prize is a Stila palette and Paul Dorf Lip Gloss set. I am such a makeup junkie so had to pass on some of my fun finds to you guys. The Stila palette has everything you need, a great range of eye shadows, lip and blush colors. The Paula Dorf lip gloss set is the best set of neutral lip gloss shades that I found. They all have a bit of shimmer to them too which I love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the 3rd prize is from my jewelry line, t+j Designs. I wanted to give away one of our newest designs, the Luxe Twisted Black Crystal Necklace and one of our most popular styles, the White Pyramid Bracelet. From the bottom of my heart, I so appreciate all of you that have given me encouraging words, who have given us feedback about the line, those of you who have bought from us, who have given our jewelry as gifts, those of you who have helped us spread the word about our line. You are AMAZING and I thank you so much. You are truly helping my dreams comes true in starting my own business and watching it grow and hopefully becoming successful in the future :). I can not thank you enough so this is just a small token of appreciation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you want another chance to win, I also filmed a video showing you the prizes and you can get additional entries on my youtube channel. Just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment on the video letting me know which prize(s) you'd like to win. Please leave a separate comment for each prize and only 1 comment per prize per person on my youtube please.

What I'm wearing: J Crew sequin top (not available online but check your local stores!) Here's the tank top version on sale for $29.99 that I bought as well. My jewelry is all t+j Designs. Gold Luxe Drop Earrings, Glam Leatherette Ring and Dashes of Purple Ring.

Thank you again for being such amazing readers and friends. Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: The dress was provided to me courtesy of MotelRocks.com as consideration for review. The rest of the prizes were bought and paid for by me.

Lemon Pound Cake (my Light version!)

2011-12-21T08:34:00.001-08:00

You all know that I love baking and I'm preparing for a full on baking day tomorrow as I'm preparing to make white chocolate bark and cookies to give as gifts and to bring to both of the Christmas celebrations we will be celebrating with my family and my in laws. (I'm also thinking about making chex mix and muddy buddy mix if I have enough time!) Before I start all that, I thought I'd share my recipe for a Lemon Pound Cake that I made about a month ago that is to die for and would be a good treat to have on Christmas morning! While I typically do not believe in substituting "healthy" stuff for stuff that's supposed to be indulgent (like you will never convince me that "cauliflower mashed potatoes" is as good as the real thing. I believe in indulging in what you love, just control how much of it you eat), my one exception is butter. I don't like butter. Yes, I love to bake but I don't like butter. I don't like the taste of it so I always am trying to cut down on how much butter I use when I bake. I understand that most of the time that you can't taste the butter and that it just adds to the texture of the baked good, however, in my mind, I still dislike butter so I just try to use as little of it as possible. I've found that yogurt does a great job in replacing butter which is what I did with this Lemon Pound cake and it tastes amazing. My husband (who does love butter) can never tell when I substitute yogurt for butter and he enjoys this lemon pound cake so much that I had to make another loaf just to freeze and eat it for later. I cut the butter in half for this recipe as well as used non-fat milk (that's not an on purpose substitute, that's the only kind of milk I drink.) but feel free to use low fat or whatever kind of milk you like. The pound cake still had a wonderful heft to it like pound cake normally does but it also had a light and buttery texture, even without all of the "regular" ingredients. I also made a lemon glaze and oh man it was yummy!

While I wouldn't count this as healthy or anything, if you are trying to reduce the amount of butter in your diet or you are like me and don't like butter, this is a great recipe to try, especially when you are in the mood for something lemon-y!

Lemon Pound Cake (light!)
Adapted from: allrecipes.com
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt (you can use Greek yogurt too)
1 egg
~1 cup non-fat milk (when mixed with egg)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze
2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and
1/3 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl (or in your stand mixer), cream together butter, yogurt, and sugar. Break 1 egg into a measuring cup and then fill to the 1 cup line with milk. Add to butter/sugar mixture and beat well. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Add dry mixture and mix well.
4. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.

For the glaze: mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice until desired consistency. Let cake cool completely before pouring glaze over cake.

Also I've got a new post on the smarter blog, check out my picks for chic faux fur jackets!

Video: Designer Shoe Sale Haul

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you watched my last video, you got to go shopping with me during the designer shoe pre-sale, so here's the follow up video of what I bought! I ended up buying a few pairs on a different date as well so there will be a few pairs that you haven't seen yet, except of course if you are on my facebook you saw a sneak peek :)

The Haul!

Here's just one of them!

Watch the video to see the rest of my Shoe Sale haul!

What I'm Wearing: Lucca Couture Lace Collar Top | t+j Designs Drop Stone Earrings, Silver Clasp Bangle, Bamboo Crystal Bracelet and Modern 3 Stone Statement Ring - Get 20% off with code GIFTS

In order of appearance:

Lanvin Bow Ballerina Flat - find them in silver on sale for 50% off and gold ones are 30% off)
Dior 'Miss Dior' Peep Toe Platform Pump - same pump but in velvet is also on sale. Also in black on Bluefly for ~20% off.
Miu Miu Mary Jane Pumps - my color is sold out, get them here in black or gray on sale. These pretty metallic mary janes are also on sale. And gorgeous blush color with a bow! So cute. Too bad they don't have my size left.
YSL Tribtoo (shorter heel) - not on sale but these are the same style.
YSL Tribtoo (high heel) - same style but not on sale. The captoe Triptoos are on sale in Gray and Nude.
same-ish style: the YSL Palais (metallic silver) are also on sale. I love this deep plum color. After seeing them on Wendy, I'm lusting after the leopard ones!

I would so appreciate you subscribing to my channel and "liking" my video, obviously if you liked it! :) I will try to make more videos, suggestions always welcome!

And check out my latest post on the Smarter blog, my favorite winter accessories - all topped with a bow!

Lookbook: Tweed Queen

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

What I'm Wearing

*Malang Tweed Jacket: gift from Uniqueen

*J Crew Vintage V-Neck Tee - Through today, take 30% off your order! Use code SNOWMAN. And don't forget, 4% cashback at ebates.

*Seven for All Mankind "The Rachel" Bellbottom - I bought the petite sizing (shorter inseam) but I don't see it available anymore. These are higher waisted than what I'm used to but in a good way. I stayed true to size for these. If you are pregnant (ahem, my sister :) ) the maternity versions of these are on sale for $59.97!

*Chloe Marcie Small tote - my color is not available any longer but check it out in this gorgeous metallic silver! Also available in black in the Medium size (which is not much bigger than the small).

*t+j Designs Crystal Bauble Earrings - on sale for $20 , Turquoise Statement Cocktail ring. Take 20% off your order with code GIFTS

If you are on my facebook you may remember this adorable tweed jacket that I got from UniQueen all the way back in October. I have no idea why it hasn't made the blog yet because I've been wearing it like crazy, I absolutely love it! You may have recognized it also as it's been seen on a few other bloggers. Jean showed us how she wore the cream version and Wendy who has the same version of mine, wore it here. Khatu also rocks it in a few of her outfit posts! I've never owned a tweed jacket because when I think of tweed jackets, I think of Chanel and then I also think I'll never be able to afford one so I've never really looked anywhere else to buy one. Well, Anna from UniQueen must have known that I was missing one from my life as she surprised me and sent this one over. I fell in love the instant I put it on. When I think of tweed jackets, I also think of Rachel Zoe because she has such an incredible collection and when I think of Rachel Zoe I also think of the really big bellbottom jeans that she wears all the time which was exactly my thought process in putting this outfit together. Silly but true! Especially because these are the bell bottoms that Rachel wore on her show. I will admit, they felt weird at first, I mean the bell bottom is HUGE and I felt like I had to walk all funny because they would swish around when I walked. But they've grown on me and I've been wearing them a lot more than I expected. Oh and I didn't get these hemmed but I'm wearing my platform Rag & Bone booties (as seen on me here) with them so they work just fine.

Thanks for your patience with choosing the winner of the t+j Designs Style Challenge! We had such a hard time picking the winner because everyone did such an amazing job! Just a reminder, there were two fun prizes for the winners of the Style Challenge.

Prize 1 will contain the Layered Statement Necklace, Glam Leatherette Ring and the Gold Double Braided Cuff.

The 2nd prize will be the Glam Leatherette Ring, Gold Large Braided Cuff and the Satin and Pearl Rhinestone necklace.

And the winners are...

The judges pick was Design & Style!

It was so close that I also had to include some "honorable mentions" which were Natasha Fatah and reader Petite-ish!

The 2nd winner (chosen randomly from all participants) is AdamAlexMommy!

I will be emailing all the winners so that we can get the prizes over to you so make sure to check your inbox! :)

I want to thank all the participants again for being a part of the Style Challenge. It was such a nice way to get to "meet" new blog friends and help me find new ways to style jewelry as well. I hope you guys enjoyed being a part of it too!

P.S. You still have time to order if you need last minute gifts! You can order up until this Wednesday to make it on time for Christmas. I suggest any of our $20 specials :)