Summer haul

I have been extremely busy for the past couple months and have not had much chance to shop.

Ever since I saw a post regarding Greek Sandals in one of my favorite blog, I have been thinking about that neutral yet beautiful leather sandal that looks and feel better as time goes by.

It was one of my first purchases I made on the island.

Greek sandal

I love natural stone jewelry and am always looking at them on Etsy.com -- I think it can be dressed up and down, and are surprisingly neutral, and goes well with many different outfit choice.
When I saw this stone bracelet I immediately fell in love with the color.

The little blue eye on the turquoise bracelet is an Evil eye.
It is a good luck charm that is extremely popular in the Mediterranean culture and I was looking for a piece that included one but didn't look too much.
This turquoise bracelet was a perfect since I wanted a turquoise piece as well, and the 'eye' is dainty enough you won't even notice.

The wooden tray in the shape of a tear drop is made of pure olive tree, and again like the sandals, gets better with age.
The lady who owns the store told me to rub a little bit of olive oil in, and buff it if it starts to look a bit dry.

Stone bracelet and turquoise jewelry with an evil eye

Oversized dyed scarves in different shades of purple -- my favorite color 

Perfect white summer top that I can wear at home in Los Angeles.
Looks like something I can find at a store by Free People - but for about 1/3 of the price.

Gauze-y top I have been eyeing since my arrival in Greece

Summer Lovin'

My summer favorites that I have been wearing all summer.

Essie Tarte Deco, OPI Strawberry Margarita, OPI Pandamonium Pink

Bebe knotted racerback in deep green, black, white and royal blue

Tissue paper thin T-shirts from random boutiques

Copper colored earring and yellow+gold bracelet from Target

Bow bag from The Limited

Flower earring and ring from F21

Fall Haul

For this coming fall season, I have been drawn to blazers and also been obsessing over taupe and blush colors as well.
I have collected few items over the past several months that can be dressed into the colder months.

Now that I reside in Los Angeles, weather will not be that big of a factor, giving me more options within my own closet without having to go out and purchase a whole addition to my wardrobe for the colder months ahead.

I did, though, purchase few key pieces and accessories to spice up what I already have.


Various neutral colored booties and heels



My latest obsession: duster earrings



My vanilla colored blazer to wear with anything

Even among hiccups of life we need to shop

My favorite shop right now is CUSP.
It is a Neiman Marcus affiliate, and much more young and relaxed than the department counterpart.

I love to go in and browse their sale section as I have found some amazing pieces.

Following has been added to my wardrobe as I am trying to find nice 'conservative' looking things that can be dressed up and down.




Tory Burch "Eddie" in Olive





Tory Burch "Eddie" in Fuschia

I'm happy to report that the above two AND their snake print sister has been added to my closet.
It is one of the most comfortable flats I have ever worn and the colors are fantastic.
Who needs another pair of black shoes?



Alice + Olivia
Andrea Asymmetric Dress

I LOVE the color on this piece.
It makes me feel like a Goddess with the blousy fabric as well.
It looked nice with a gold wedge heels.



Diane von Furstenberg
Scarlette Chiffon-Tier Skirt

This is the most beautiful skirt I have ever owned, and can not wait to wear it with tights and a T shirt, or a black blazer and chunky heels for dinner!




Diane von Furstenberg
Mid-Calf Pencil Skirt
This skirt also works as a strapless dress - and looked great with a pinstriped blazer or a colored leather jacket and tights.

All pictures courtesy of CUSP.com

Just enough

Black OTK socks

In Los Angeles winter actually creates a dilemma for me. I have to be covered up enough to not be chilly, yet I have to look somewhat stylish without looking like I am going on an expedition to the North Pole.

Growing up in Chicago I'm used to dressing for pure survival rather than fashion.

Over the knee socks has been my choice of 'cover up' this past few weeks.




HUE OTK boot liner

I wore one with a banded mini skirt and a sparkly tank, a body chain and a boyfriend jacket to dinner at Morton's in Beverly Hills.

It was a perfect outfit that kept me warm but not too covered up.

The following has been added to my collection this fall.





F21 grey OTK



F21 Sheer Metallic OTK

Blue Gem

My blue hair accessories

I am in love with gem tones right now, specifically cobalt blue.

It is eye catching yet surprisingly neutral, and easy to coordinate with other colors, yet gives the outift an extra something.



Tank with lace trim


Whenever I shop, I can't help but look for that beautiful, deep blue.


Earlier this month I wore the blue bubble dress to Soho House for dinner with black tights and an open toe heels, sans any other accessory except a long gold necklace that I wrapped around my wrist as a bracelet.



Blue dress with bubble hem

The color itself was a statement enough, and I felt like a mermaid all night.


During the Black Friday *Online* Sale (I would never get up at 3am for a sale -- it's just not something I would do) I purchased this ruffle skirt that I am excited about adding to my wardrobe.






(photo from Express)


It will no doubt be considered for my dinner outfit during my next visit to L.A.

Fall Haul #2

In the past week, I have added just a few more pieces to my fall wardrobe...



Madden Girl
Karlla Zebra Platform Ruffle Pump

I was so excited to get this pump -- it is amazing with a simple outfit like skinny jeans and a slouchy tee, and totally dresses up a sleek black dress/skirt.
(I also bought it in a satin finish black as well.)



NARS
Chelsea Girls

PERFECT nude lip color and texture!
I am not a fan of lipstick but sometimes my beloved gloss just doesn't have enough pigmentation.



NARS
Triple X

I wear this over the above lip color for a shiny finish that's not overly done.



Boyfriend sweater
I got this exact one in black -- you would think it's easy to find a perfectly slouched plain black sweater cardigan. I looked everywhere last season, and they all had some kind of embellishment, or had wool in the material (I'm not a fan).
This was exactly what I wanted, and I am looking forward to wearing it with everything.

Fall haul

As the end of any season approaches, I always do a few hauls to 'liven up' my closet, makeup bags, what have you.





Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow in "Mystic Smokys"





Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

Christian Dior is my favorite brand when it comes to high end ANYTHING.
I have few of their purses, and my occasional splurge is their fashion jewelry, especially bracelets.
The one (and only) pair of their beautiful heel that I own is really a breathtaking piece of art -- no wonder it costs an arm and a leg!

The makeup collection is also a bit pricey compared to some other brand, but it is obviously more affordable than their $700 pair of shoes, so once in a while I treat myself to their pieces.

This balm is soft, moisturizing, and neutral and the best part is that the product adjusts to your own pigmentation so it is always flattering.
The eye shadows are highly pigmented but yet not chalky at all.


Both are worth every penny.






Skin 79 BB cream
Super Beblesh Balm Triple Function

My new go-to 'foundation' is this pretty pink bottle.

BB Cream is very familiar name in the Asian community as it is produced mainly in Korea, and it is abbreviation for 'blemish balm.'
This particular one comes out almost three shades lighter than my skin color, but it blends in after a few minutes, and makes my face look FLAWLESS.
Even as the temperature cools, I will need to have some kind of protection from the sun, and this cream has SPF 25, and fights against wrinkle and has oil control.
It is not exactly a foundation, yet it has medium coverage, so it works well for that purpose.




Madden Girl Kallista Bootie in Tan

I love the peep toe bootie look.
This one has a slight platform (3/4 inch) and a not-so-sky-high heel (4 inches) and the color is JUST right.
It will go with almost anything in my closet, so versatile.



Express moto jeans
I have wanted a moto style jeans for a while and this week, with Express' 25% off jeans sale, I finally nabbed one.



Bebe handbag
I am really feeling the feminine lace and frills this fall and this bag is perfect in size and design.



F21 dress

Again, loving the lace details, and the color of this dress! It falls somewhere between tan and blush, is going to be a perfect compliment to black boyfriend jackets and tights.

What are you looking for for the fall season?

Workin' it

I have been looking for a stylish cargo pants that doesn't make me look like I am going into work at a safari park.
I am a fan of the skinny leg/jeans look as I am tall (5'8") so I was naturally looking for a skinny leg style, not baggy 'comfy'.

Luckily for me, this year, the selection is endless and I was able to find a style I like in two different materials.

The style is extremely versatile and the two different materials can take me anywhere from baseball games to nice dinner all summer long, and with some knee high boots, it can take me through rest of the year.



Denim Cargo from Express

Zahara

'Zahara' is one of Bebe's best selling shoes.

Since a couple of years back, I have avoided very tall heels (3+inches) for comfort reasons.
I wear heels for work, but they are 3 inches at the most, and on my days off, I try to live in my Havaianas.

Two back injuries from work didn't help either, and there were so many stylish ballet shoes that were in the stores that I really didn't need heels to be completely 'dressed up.'

I was visiting L.A. earlier this month when I was given an opportunity to shop for a pair of heels at Bebe as a gift.

Bebe offers many different styles, but all of their heels are 4 inches and above.

When I slipped on these Zaharas, I thought they were much lower heels then they actually were because of the comfortable fit -- when in reality they are 4.75 inches.




They come in variety of colors and material, but they are beautifully made (in Brazil) and the sky high heels are so much more bearable due to the platform.

I wore my brand new heels to dinner at Craft that night, and they were as comfortable as they were stylish.




I now have four different pairs, and am planning on adding to my collection when new colors come out.

Tie Dye

Ever since I bought this sweat pants by YFB (Young Fabulous and Broke) at Lisa Kline few years back, I have been a quiet fan of the tie dye look. (Sorry about the wrinkle!)
I like how the tie dye is used as an accent and not a statement in this particular piece and I look at it as a spice.

I have purchased few pieces here and there through out the years and it seems as though the trend is back along with the '80s theme, and I am seeing more options in the stores lately.


The Romeo & Juliet Couture tie dye tanks with frills on the bottom are my favorite these days (I own three colors) as it can be dressed up (surprisingly) with a banded pencil skirt and some great heels or (obviously) casual with the usual denim and or some capri pants/shorts and thong sandals.

Here are some of my favorites I have seen lately that I may consider adding to my collection in the near future....





F21 denim



F21 Maxi dress




Gypsy 05 Maxi dress



Gypsy 05 silk tank

Summer Uniform

During the smoldering months of summer, I elect to dress in maxi dresses.

There are endless selections of styles, as well as prices and materials, it is hard to get tired of it, not to mention the ease of literally slipping it over your head and walking out the door, looking polished without any added effort.

Prices, as I mentioned, are so wide spread you can find great styles for very affordable prices.
One of my very favorite one is from F21, for under $15.


Few bangles, a pair of hoop earring and some flat sandals and I am set for the next few months!


Below are some of my favorites I found online for this upcoming season.

The bright colors and pattern of these selections are so beautiful and they can be dressed down or up with accessories and sandals.

I prefer my clothes to be soft and flowing, and I am always drawn to materials like modal or rayon for maxi dresses.




Forever21
Knit Basic Maxi Dress



Splendid
Tshirt Long Dress



T-bags
Strapless Long Dress



What Goes Around Comes Around
Paloma Dress



Rachel Pally
Long Shirred Cami Dress