Easy Does It

Top: For Love & Lemons 'Nightcap' top (here)

Pants: C&C California (similar here)

Hat: Nordstrom

I kept things loose and relaxed this weekend with some languid fabrics and relaxed tailoring. This unfortunately was not by choice lol. I was in need of something with a little extra room around the waist as a result of my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day binge eating. Plus, I'm totally guilty of overindulging in pastries, chocolates, cookies, pies, and much much more. 

Luckily, I had rediscovered the beauty of drawstring pants (the ultimate quick fix for avoiding your weight gain)! They love me no matter what size I am, which is just what I need during the holiday season! Now that it's almost the new year, it's time for me to bounce back and start working out again. You know...so the rest of my clothes can love me too!!!

Bleach Day

White Dress: For Love & Lemons 'Lulu Maxi Dress' (here for $172)

Necklace: Jenny Bird (here)

Bracelets: Vanessa Mooney 'Fight the Power Studded Bangle' here for $125 

and 'Fight the Power Criss Cross Bangle' here for $120

This dress. It's just simply gorgeous as all other For Love & Lemons dresses are. It's been sadly hanging in my closet for quite some time now just waiting for me to find the right occasion to wear it. I finally decided that I'd wear it on my birthday because there's nothing like throwing on something that makes me feel beautiful to help forget that I've turned another year older. 

Even though my birthday last weekend was full of hiccups, the little bit that did go as planned was amazing. And I owe it all to my amazing family, boyfriend, and friends (especially those that traveled from as far north as Santa Barbara and as far south as San Diego). If that doesn't make a person feel special, I don't know what does! Thank you to all of my beautiful friends that love me enough to go to such great lengths just to watch me spend most of the night sick lol. I love you all! xoxo

A Hot Mesh

Mesh Crop Top: LF Stores

Chambray Skirt: For Love & Lemons

Hat & Belt: Vintage

Laser Cut Booties: Jeffrey Campbell 'Produce' (here)

With summer starting to really heat up, its mandatory to find ways to shed as many layers as possible without looking too scandalous. Lately I've been combating these high temps with one of my favorite summer trends....MESH! Obviously mesh can be a little tricky to style because if done poorly, you could quickly go from being cool and sexy to just a plain hot mess. Below are some of the tips I used when putting my outfit together.

Styling Tips:

1) A little skin never hurt nobody. Mesh Fabric + Crop Top combo seems a little daring but I styled mine with a high waisted skirt in order to show off just a sliver of midriff. Since my top was already sheer, I tried to avoid exposing too much skin. The key here is balance.

2) Layer wisely. Again, anything sheer can easily turn too sexy if you don't layer properly. Covering your little lady bits is a MUST! So I would suggest layering your solid mesh top over a cute bralette or bandeau but if your mesh has embroidery or designs like mine, you can just opt for a simple slip or nude bra.

3) Never forget that nude shoes elongate your legs! For shorter people like me, this is a very important rule to get dressed by. In this outfit, my skirt hemline is a little longer than other miniskirts that I'm used to so I completed my outfit with these Jeffrey Campbell nude booties to help create the illusion of longer legs.

*Try dresses and tops with mesh inserts if solid mesh is a little too scandalous for your taste. Or even try out one of my favorite mesh accessories...mesh heels! These can instantly add sexiness to any outfit without running the risk of exposing too much.  So no matter what your style is, know that mesh can easily be incorporated into any wardrobe. Stay cool by trying out this hot mesh trend with me this summer!

Nailed it!

Blouse: For Love & Lemons
Color-block Denim Shorts: Joe's Jeans (also on the blog here)
Leather Purse: Miu Miu 'Cloquet Nappa Leather Top-handle Bag' in Ink Blue (similar here)
Shoes: UGG 'Luella' Heeled Sandals (here)
Rings: Tom Tom 'Pyramid Spike' and "Chevron Mini' (here and here)
Nails: by me

I'm a huge fan of painting my own nails because why should I pay someone else to do my nails when I can probably do as good a job as them or even better? Plus...I got the Asian gene and I'm just naturally that good lol. In all seriousness, I think I did an awesome job on my nails this time around and I'm proud enough to really show them off! As much as I love them, I don't think they really compliment my outfit very well but it is what it is.

I consider this look a bit of a classier causal look because the blouse is just  really cute and dainty with the tiny bow details on the pocket and the girly ruffles on the sleeves. And my nails probably look better with an edgier look, which I typically reserve for the nighttime when I let my inner badass really come out hahaha. 

Since I headed to lunch with a friend, I opted for more of a daytime outfit. I paired this girly For Love & Lemons top with some denim  shorts, my UGG heeled sandals, and my brand new but old Miu Miu purse (I've had this purse for awhile but it's been tucked away in it's box because I tend to abuse my handbags and this was one of the first designer purses I actually bought all on my own with my hard earned grownup money).

Side note - I'm not really a fan of UGGs but let me just tell you...these are some of the comfiest heeled sandals ever. I feel like I could walk a million miles in them. Plus I think these heels were pretty cute, which is a nice change for the brand. They were actually cute, comfy AND they didn't have fur in them! I remember when even their sandals had fur...who wears sandals with fur?!?! Ayayay! Unless it's used solely in your private home, I don't think it's acceptable to own them!!! Just kidding...kind of. Anyway, I hope you all had a great start to your weekend! Have fun and stay safe!

Pretty in Pink and Pearls

If you're in search for yummy Chinese food, Monterey Park is the way to go. You almost can't go wrong with any of the places there. Since the city is saturated with Chinese restaurants, the portions are overwhelming and the prices are super competitive and low. No joke...you can typically feed a family of 4 for $50 or less and still leave with leftovers! Anyway, my family and I drove all the way there to get our grub on at this dim sum place and we all left extremely content. When we were on our way to our next destination, we passed by this kind of cute and kind of awkward fountain. I figured I'd snap some shots and post the outfit on the blog.

My outfit was put together with this pink 'Cecelia Kimono' from For Love & Lemons in mind. It's such a girlie girl piece of clothing with the bow details on the sleeves, the sweet pale pink color, the whimsical flowy fabric, and the asymmetrical hemline. I paired the long kimono with some high-waisted short shorts and a crop top to balance out the whole outfit. It's really all about playing with proportions to create the illusion of longer legs. Well I hope you guys enjoy the post.

 

Kimono: For Love & Lemons 'Cecelia Kimono' (here)

Lace Crop Top: Millau (LF Stores) also seen here on the blog

Corduroy Shorts: MinkPink 'Forever Young' Shorts

Shoes: Seychelles 'Stick to Your Guns' Flats (here) 
Clutch: JJ Winters 'Croco Leather Envelope Clutch'

 

 

  

 

RAW Moonlight

This past Thursday night my boyfriend's beautiful sister participated in her first art showing at a RAW Natural Born Artists event. She showcased her amazing ceramics pieces and even sold quite a few items! If you like what you see below, you should definitely check out some of the pieces she's selling on Etsy (here).

When I was trying to figure out what to wear for this art show, the first thing that popped into my head was this little artsy fartsy kind of dress I had recently purchased from For Love & Lemons called the "Moonlight Dress'. I'm totally in love with the crochet detailing down the front with the cutouts on the sides because it really adds a little sexiness and femininity to this loose and flowy dress. I paired this little number with some simple ankle-strap black suede Jeffrey Campbell heels and a sterling silver purse I had gotten from Thailand awhile ago. Since the sleeves were so long, I really didn't need to accessorize much. I just threw on some earrings and rings and rushed out the door for a long drive to the event in Ventura with my man.

Dress: For Love & Lemons 'Moonlight Dress' (here)

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell 'Hough' (here)

Rings: TomTom Jewelry 'Pyramid Spike' and "Chevron Mini' (here and here)

Amrita Singh 'Yasammez Antique' Ring 

Earrings: Nordstrom

 Sterling Silver Purse: vintage

 

 

 

The Artist, Amanda, is in the upper left and middle pictures.

My boyfriend, Eddie, is in the upper right picture.