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Perfect outfit for a BIG meal

Thao and I went consignment-shopping this past weekend, where I found the perfect outfit for the holidays. Behold. . .the magical expandable tent-style dress that will accommodate big tummies after huge meals, topped off with a corduroy blazer with a leather closure. I felt slightly like a school girl with the completed outfit, but it was so comfortable!

 

 

corey lynn calter dress, Borne Jacket, UO tights & shoes

I used to be a little squeamish about used clothes (other than the ones from family members & friends). This was because I was turned off by the low quality options that were sometimes dirty and majorly overpriced in the places I did check out. However, I recently became much more open to consignment & vintage items after visiting Beacon's Closet and Buffalo Exchange, thanks to Apple. Considering that there are fashion cycles and most things, if not all, come back into fashion, I'm realizing what a great idea vintage/consignment-shopping is! Not to mention it's eco-smart. Now I'm all up for recycled clothes!

GAH! I have to go pack soon. K and I will be heading off to Taiwan later this week, then Honolulu, then onto Cali to visit my bro, sis-in-law, and their newest addition! Hopefully I'll be diligent enough to take tons of pictures and eat tons of good food. I also hope to play in my momma's closet :)

Mackage is seriously macking :)

I had never heard of the brand Mackage until I saw Lilo's winter coat this past Saturday (hopefully she'll post pictures of it). Coincidentally, Apple sent me an email the next day, with a note about how she saw some incredible Mackage coats. And they are indeed INCREDIBLE! They induced some serious drool, even from the hubby.

Image source: Mackage

K & I were in the big city this past weekend, and we took some pics - recognize the location? I just had to post this pic, in case you thought that I perhaps never went outside the house, since all my outfit pictures are in my house! By the way, yes, I was wearing that Uniqlo heat tee AGAIN :)

The Sandman

Hey girls, sorry this is my first outfit post this week because of two reasons: 1) I was sick earlier this week - so I didn't feel like much except sleeping after work, and 2) last weekend I bought a new pair of shoes that are really cute except when I wore them out I tripped twice and sprained my ankle (kinda ironic because they were only 1 inch heels...whereas I'm fine in my 4 inch pumps today).

Today's outfit is a blast from the past. Shasha, do you recognize this red skirt? I wore it so often back in college...and after all these years, I'm finally bringing it out again.

 
Outfit: BR coat & vest, JCrew skirt, Brooks Brothers shirt, striped tights (though hard to see)

And here's a picture of Lilo and me at work...though this actually isn't either of our offices, but we thought it would provide a good idea of our work environment.
                     

Also, I completed my collection of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman graphic novels. Squee! I always get a thrill when I complete a series...and these Absolute Sandman volumes are so beautifully designed.

Jellyfish pouf

So I have this dress that I rarely wear -- I think it's a knock-off of a Max Azria dress from a small boutique in Hawaii (the tag was strategically snipped). It's a dress that makes people look preggers.

I ain't got any special events to wear this to, yet I felt like I needed to wear this dress more often, so I stacked on some layers, and wore it to work. It ended up looking like a jellyfish pouf :) You see that grey long-sleeve shirt? It's one of those Uniqlo heat tech shirts that are supposed to keep you warm. I think it works especially well when I first put it on, but I love it so much that I've worn it to work in the past 8 days. hehe hope no one noticed.

 

SILLY FAN GIRL MUSINGS: On a different note, here's some eye candy for Lilo, who likes Vanness. Now how the heck did I have an inkling that he would be Lilo's favorite (confirmed by her comment on my 12/10 post)? He's like the only member who can dance! And he seems to have a really open & easy-going personality as well. I feel like I should cover up my eyes when I look at the pic ;)

Yes, I only started to think they were adorable after recently watching Meteor Garden (I only watched the 1st & last episodes of MG2 though, because I couldn't handle the drama no more!). Can you guys guess who is my favorite? It's a close tie between 2 of them, but I think one wins out because of his improving acting skills.

Like a stern school marm. . .

I dressed like a stern school marm today. . .

Tahari blazer, Michael Kors black dress, TJMaxx belt, Uniqlo tights, Nine West shoes

I think the outfit looks similar to the basic boring outfits I used to wear for work, but I know it is an improved version because I definitely threw in more texture and details than I would have a year ago. . .like a fuschia belt, argyle tights, some sequins (on the neckline of the dress) and a tuxedo-striped blazer.

Interesting. . .those high heels are the only ones I wore for 4 years while in consulting. Man did I wear a lot of black flats during those years!

Come YouTubin w/ me

I found some gems while YouTubin. . .

PUGS ARE CRAZY
Here's a silly pug, showing off his mad skills. If only Erv could do this!




SINGIN DORK
I was searching for a soundtrack from a TV drama, and came across this. . .I almost turned it off because I thought it was going to be just another awkward amateur cover, but it is surprisingly beautiful. . .His original name was singindork, but after much prodding by others, he changed it to something else for his MySpace site (he changed it to afraidofeverest, because he's acrophobic).




I GUESS I'M JUST A SILLY FAN GIRL TOO
Uggh, I can't believe I'm saying this, and I hate to admit it, but I think F4 (now JVKV) is pretty adorable. . .



Let me go hide in shame now :p but wait! one more to redeem myself. . .


I'D RATHER DANCE WITH YOU THAN TALK WITH YOU
One of my favorites. . .just saw the video for the 1st time today though.

Beedle the Bard

Sometimes I don't just covet fashion, I also love to collect books. And being the Harry Potter fan that I am, I was so excited tonight when JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard  arrived home. It's a collection of five little fairy tales...and sure, the collector's edition costs more than all seven HP books combined but it's totally worth it. Look at the cool packaging and awesome embellishments on the book!

                         
                  

Outfit Thoughts

Just some outfits from net-a-porter that I came across.
- I really like the color combo of the first outfit, again blue and purple looks great together.
- Usually not fond of cowl necks nor beige (it washes me out), but I couldn't resist how comfy this second outfit looks.
- I love the inky blue dress and the idea of a grey jacket, but I can't stand oversized blazers that are so big this season - just slap some shoulder pads on and call it the 80s.

 

Narciso Rodriguez

I've always loved Rodriguez's gowns on Hollywood red carpets and I think his fall pieces are spot on with the jewel colorings and easy elegance. The only mis-step so far was Michelle Obama's election night dress...ugh. But these I love.

Boots are Sofa King Banned

Is what my hubby says. . .

hehe, did you understand the title above? If not, say the title quickly (hint - He says, no more!)

Anyways, onto my granny/ass-kicking boots in action. They don't look that intimidating afterall right :)

 

Oscar jacket from Mother-in-law, tunic & tights from. . .you guessed it - Taiwan night market!

 

Bootlicious, round 2!

MC Hammer pants are back in style, so I guess sooner or later Doc Martens would be back in action.

Did you ever wear them in high school? I never did, because I was wearing slippers all the time, or my velvet converse sneakers at school where slippers weren't allowed. Anyways, when I think of Doc Martens, I think of the guy who sat in front of us in the cello section in high school, who once turned around and said to us. . ."are you going to be my sex. . I mean stand partner?". He turned bright red after that. When we had all started orchestra together, the girls thought he was cute, but called him Rudolph because he had a red nose all the time from having a cold or allergies or something. Hm, this is slightly going down the memory lane, but when I think of that orchestra, I always think of the conductor who would sweat so much that he would bring extra shirts to change into during practice. His sweating problem was so extreme that his sweat beads would literally fly off his arms during practice. It was an advantage to suck, and sit in the back :)

Onto some Doc Martens. . .

 

 

I don't think I could work the two above. BUT, I love the one below. Apparently those colored panels are individual strips of leather so there are gaps between them. Definitely a must if I ever wore them in Hawaii, where you need a breeze circulating in your boots :)

 

Did the picture of the laces above make you drool? They sure did for me -- it's a Pavlovian response originating from Jane's (from Sea of Shoes) cool lace-up boots from Ann Demeulemeester. Check out one variation of the boot below. . .She also has a posting with pictures of the 2 boot variations that both she & her mother have.

Photo credit: Sea of Shoes

Awesome boots. I initially thought they were insane, but now I love them. They're outrageously expensive, but perhaps there will be a cheaper alternative out there soon!

Anne of Green Gables

Lilo and I had a movie and baking night! We're watching Anne of Green Gables (sigh...Gilbert Blythe) and made brownies with Andes mints and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

 
                   

Bootlicious

Boot Looks for Less. . .

Ferragamo created these lace-up boots for the Australia movie. . .they were made without zippers, in order to conform to the time period setting of the movie. It would take me like 10 min to lace those babies up! I think with my height, these babies would go above my knee. . .not a good look for shorties. I'm guessing these are >$1000.

Photo credit: AP/Ferragamo

Ta-da! I present to you. . .a more compatible pair of boots (for both my lifestyle and wallet). Yeah yeah, I know. . .they're not exactly similar. And I cheated, because I found the cheaper pair of boots first, then accidentally came across the Ferragamo ones above.

Photo credit: 6pm.com

Anyways, they're from Stuart Weitzman, which I always thought were primarily for old (rich) ladies. I guess this is not the case, since these are some "hot combat boots" (quoting Apple). I'm calling them my "hot granny/ass-kicker boots" haha. They were 75% off on 6pm.com, and I somehow managed to snap up the LAST pair. The leather is so nice & soft that I can't believe they used it on a pair of shoes. . .I'll be running away from crowds, messy kids, dogs & shopping carts, in fear of getting any scuff marks. You know how some families have those clear plastic covers on sofas, to keep them nice & new? I wonder if they make those for shoes :)

All the Basics

cardie? check!

U-neck tee? check!

black pencil skirt? check!

black tights? check!

granny boots? check!

I seem to have hit all the basics in my outfit today (well, the lace-up granny boots are stretching it a little bit, but oh wello).

 

Old Navy cardie, Uniqlo skirt & tee, Walmart tights, vintage boots from Ebay

 

Those lace-up granny boots were the best deals I've scored on Ebay to date. $23 for almost new Bally boots? Wow. . .I'm still amazed.