Fashion Wish List: F21 Dress + Earrings

Hello everyone!

When I was shopping for my 30th birthday outfit, I came across this Forever 21 dress and fell in love. I was not too fond of the chest area design but overall, it was a beautiful dress. It was a bit more expensive than I would have like to have spent and I hate ordering online with the hassle of going in person to return should it not work out.

Here are some jacket (and regular) earrings that I fell in love with and totally want!

This is my fave that I found on Pinterest. WHERE DO I FIND YOU?!

Gaahhh. Sometimes I wish I had Sabrina the Teenage Witch powers to just point things into life and in my possession (kids who grew up in the 90s, you know what I'm talking about). Until then, I will just drool over these beautiful pictures. 

What's on your wish list?

Xoxoxox

Obsessed: Floral and Red Lips

I know what you guys are thinking...my face doesn't match my chest...and you're right! No, it's not my make-up, I am just different colors all over my body...seriously! LOL.

If you've read my old blog post about Lupus or already know about Lupus or even if you have never heard of it, Lupus is an autoimmune disease. One of the things I must stray away from is the sun! I can get really really sick in the sun, so I avoid it when I can.

My face (and arms/hands) are tanned from all the driving I do for work (I'm a field-based social worker). My feet are tanned from all the walking I do from my car and to my patients' homes. Since my work is conservative in dress code, my chest is always concealed. 

Now that's all out of the way, let' get to the stars of this post!

These are my current favorites and obsessions:

• Floral kimono - F21, $14.90
• Floral sunnies - Ross, $4.99
• Rimmel Provocalips, Play With Fire - Target, $7.49 

I have an upcoming post on the Rimmel Provocalips so stay tuned.

So far, the floral on floral with the red lips is my absolute favorite! I can't wait to wear them together again. LOL

Do you ever find outfit combos that you always wear together and don't seem to work paired with anything else? This is who I feel about this trio ;)

<3<3<3

OOTD: Birthday Week!

It's official! My birthday week is here :) I will be 28 on May 23 :) Time flies. Sometimes it feels like I just turned 21. Wow, can we rewind time, please? Life is passing by way too fast!

May is filled with a long list of birthdays. Ben's birthday is on the 22nd. My mom's, my good friend, and my best friend's brother's birthday is on the 24th. My best friend's birthday is the 31st. My sorority little sister's is on the 30th.  It's non-stop celebration in May :)

Last night, I took Ben out for his birthday dinner to Malbec Argentinian Cuisine in Pasadena, CA. It's a very nice and elegant place where you would need a reservation on a Saturday night. I don't go to places like this often, but for special occasions, we all deserve a treat ;)

Here's what I wore:

I wore this maxi dress that I bought on CLEARANCE (yay!) at JC Penny two years ago. It is by Ruby Rox. 

Pink blazer is from Marshalls. I bought it for $4.99. What a steal!

I had my H&M green sunglasses. I know they don't really match, but I broke 2 of my black sunnies a while ago and I haven't found any that I've liked. The deaths of those sunnies were traumatic!! One was slammed in my car door and the other got caught onto something and I yanked it way too hard...and that is why I don't buy expensive sunnies.

My purse is the Merona Ostrich Flap Crossbody from Target. I love it! It was also used in the Nickelodeon TV show Instant Mom. My purse hit the small screen! HEHE :)

(Left: Instant Mom. Right: Me)

  

My earrings are from Forever 21. Black center stone with gold all around with crystals within in the gold. 

Necklace is also from Forever 21.

My Style & Co watch is gold from Macy's. 

My bracelet is a brown shiny jade from Chinatown.

My flip flops are from Mossimo from Target. They were $12.99. Nine West sells this exact style for $40. Who got the better bargain? I DID. These flip flops are black and gold and they match my earrings!

My nails as you can see are confused. The colors and designs are different on each hand and on each foot. I recently purchased this nail tool set so I was playing around with it.

Our food!

I ordered the rib eye. I'm not a heavy meat eater so when I eat something like this, I have to prepare myself. Vegetarian pre- and post-heavy meat meal. It was really good though :)

Ben ordered the skirt steak. He loved it as well :)

Funny Story:
During my meal, I was getting so hot. I did not understand why. I look around and noticed the restaurant started to become full so I figured it was just body heat. I ended up taking off my pink blazer and putting it on the back of my chair. I  was seated by a marble counter with a glass window. At the end of my meal, I realized that behind that glass window was the bread toaster! HAHA. Explains my heat flashes throughout my meal.

But that's not all! Before we left, I went to the ladies room to wash my hands. I came back, grabbed my blazer and left. When we arrived to the dessert shop, I got out of the car and saw a brown cloth on my chair. I was so confused.

I had accidentally stolen the napkin from the snazzy restaurant. I must have grabbed it along with my blazer. OOPS. Sorry, Malbec!!

Well, I guess I shall consider it a birthday present from the restaurant? -__- 


<3<3<3

OOTN: Laidback

My SOTM (style of the moment) has been both a rotation and blend of laid back, cozy, grunge, boho and hipster. My latest fashion sense comes from me trying to be daring, edgy, and stepping out of my comfort zone of jeans/leggings/shorts and a shirt and rocking styles I admired but never had the guts to wear.

I've almost always played it safe with all aspects of my life. Clothing is no exception. The closer I get to 30, the more I yearn for being more and more comfortable in my skin [and wardrobe].

My OOTN is nothing spectacular, nothing fashion forward, nothing runway material. It's simply me trying to rock a hat that 1 year ago, would have made me feel awkward and self-conscious wearing it. I know, I know. You all must be thinking I'm crazy, but that just shows you how "safe" I was in how I dressed. 

Yes, it's not exciting. But hey, I am easily amused :]

[excuse the messy background -__- ]

Hat: Forever 21 $6.80
Cardigan: Papaya Clothing $10
White tee: Target
Leggings: Target 

Life's too short. Try something new and be YOU

<3<3<3

OOTN: Boho Hipster Grunge

Aloha there!

As we grow older, we evolve. Fashion is no exception. Our styles transform, we experiment.
The past few summers have been boho-inspired, which is definitely a popular summer trend. It's already November and I don't think I'm quite ready to give up the boho look just yet. 

Instead, I'm incorporating the boho look with a hipster grunge vibe. Now, that can mean a myriad of things to different people. But this is how it appears to me and this how I've been feeling fashion-wise lately. 

I recently purchased three bold print leggings which I probably would have not bought one season ago. I used to be such a plain Jane with simple (usually dark or neutral) colors. Wearing leggings that were NOT black was even a bit too much for me. Yes, I know. I'm cray. As I get older and more confident in my own skin, I want to try new styles and make myself rock them.

What do you think?!

From left to right:
1. Charlotte Russe. I got it for $5 in store. Sorry,  I couldn't find it online
2. Papaya Clothing. $9.99. I tried it on with a black peplum top. SO CUTE
3. Charlotte Russe. I got it for $5 in store though it says $12.99 online.

Here's how I styled the royal blue leggings:

 (Sorry for the messy room. My brother's room has the best natural lighting. I sneaked in when he was out. hehe)

 

My "elf" boots that I bought from Papaya Clothing 3+ years ago

 I bought this beautiful 3/4 sleeve top from Marshalls for $12.99. The lace detailing on the back and shoulders are absolutely gorgeous and feminine. I've seen similar tops like these worn by YouTube gurus such as Anna Saccone and ItsJudyTime.

This top from Papaya Clothing is similar, but the lace on mine blends in a bit better than this Papaya lace top.

This is the cardigan I am wearing from Papaya Clothing. Just like the online price shows, I bought this for $10 in stores. AND I LOVE this cardigan. I'm contemplating purchasing the white one.

My hat is from Forever 21, I think. I bought it a really long time ago. I believe I bought it in 2009.

This has been my style lately. I call it Boho Hipster Grunge. It's comfortable, it's edgy, and it's bolder than what I'm used to. As much as I hate letting go of my youth with each passing year, I am enjoying feeling more confident in my own skin and rocking whatever style that comes to mind. 

Life is too short. YOLO ;)


<3<3<3

OOTN: Coffee Date

Good evening!

I just wanted to share a quick angled view of the outfit I wore last week when I met a friend for coffee.

Shoes: Naughty Monkey - Somebody Shake Me in. This is definitely one of my most favorite shoes! They are absolutely gorgeous and comfortable. 
Pants: Forever 21 Skinny denim in petite. Love these! They're only $10.80

Shirt: Papaya Clothing

It's definitely not anything fancy, but heels totally dress up a casual outfit.

I hope everything is well with you! Please share your dressed up casual outfit with me! I always love new ideas :D

<3<3<3