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.

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.

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.

 
                   

Looks for less...Tiffany & Co. necklace

Ok, so today's outfit was super boring...dark blue and blah because it was grey and rainy in the city. But, the real reason for this post is to show one of my necklaces from today.

I found the exact garnet beads and made the above necklace after seeing the one from below at Tiffany's for over $1K. Mine was only $20!

Cream Puffs

I learned how to make cream puffs this past weekend...much harder than I imagined! They sort of deflated after I took them out from the oven, but still yummy :)

Have I shown you guys my new ring? Thanks to LBC, I got this cute little John Hardy:

                          

I've been eyeing this Hype tote...what do you guys think? Too orange? Would this color last over the seasons or is it too trendy?

                               

Today's outfit:

Outfit: grey dress (Gap), belt (H&M), jacket (Old Navy), shoes (Circa Joan & David)

First Thanksgiving

This year we're spending Thanksgiving for the very first time in our house. Caleb is eyeing the turkey that's as heavy as he is.

                   

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Shoes & Belts

I've been shoe searching like crazy this past month - trying to find pairs that are not black and not like my typical work pumps. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. My boring shoe collection is not due to my lack of trying, but rather...I can't seem to find any that are comfortable!

Somehow though, I suddenly got this notion that I desperately need a pair of Mary-Janes...in black of course.

Mary-Janes by ShopaholicHomebodies

Also, with all my new dresses lately I've been looking for more belts.  I love these options: wide elastic, double buckle or double wrap belts.

Belts by ShopaholicHomebodies

Not Sold

I noticed the Proenza Schouler PS1 bag a few months ago as it started to be photographed on the arms of Hollywood starlets, but I didn't think much of it then. Now, everywhere I look it's popping up on purse and fashion blogs. I'm still not sold on the design, to me it's a messenger style that's gussied-up and taken off campus to be more trendy. What do you guys think?

I've also noticed the increased trend for these briefcase type bags across other designers to be carried as normal purses, more examples here:

Briefcase Bags by ShopaholicHomebodies

Confessions

Forgive me, but I have a confession to make. I have been preoccupied for the past two nights with the Twilight series. Yes, the teeny-bopper vampire romance books. Gah - I'm thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that I'm enjoying them...thanks to Lilo, who introduced the books to me. She's going to see the midnight showing of the movie tonight - can't wait for her review!

                     

I do feel guilty of falling for the vampire hero of the stories - Edward Cullen. He's like a mix between the elegance and attentiveness of Mr. Darcy and the passion and brashness of Gilbert Blythe...my two biggest character crushes. Plus, I do have a thing for vampires - like Larva from Vampire Princess Miyu.

Whoops, you guys probably don't want to hear about my silly ponderings...on to the fashion segment of this post.

I was most impressed a couple of days ago when my friend showed up to work in a hat! I had to snap a picture of her to show how totally stylish she looked.

                            

ETA (11/26/2008): I have finished reading all 4 Twilight books and don't deny that all the purple prose has made me a little sick to my stomach. True, the writing is terrible, the plots are non-existent and the main character (Bella) makes me cringe...but who can resist sparkly vampire Edward?

A couple of links I want to share:
- The recaps from Cleolinda are even funnier than the original books, check them out here: http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Twilight#Bookdiscussionentries.
- The commentaries, reviews and links from this are LOLarious: http://io9.com/5096763/twilight-makes-for-the-best-fanwank-ever.

Rambutans

One of my favorite fruits is the Rambutan, in Vietnamese we call them Chom Chom. We bought some today, aren't they pretty?

      

Here's the outfit I wore...it was so cold this morning!

                   
                   

Morning Light

I'm trying to experiment with the camera, so you guys might be seeing some weirder photos.

 

Outfit: BCBG skirt (mauve), Ann Taylor Loft blouse (rose)

Lunch Together

Lilo and I went to lunch at Chef Liu's today. She thought her outfit was weird, but I think it's really cute! Sorry for the bad picture, it's from my phone camera.

Lilo's outfit: Old Navy dress, Rampage bag, dunno about sweater.
Thao's outfit: Ann Taylor sweater & pants, Target blouse, Botkier Sasha.

And on my way home tonight, I heard this new song, Love Lockdown, from Kanye...love it!

Missing Peru

This past weekend, JW and I started to miss Peru. We went on a tour of Peru in July with our cousins and had the best time there. The places we visited were magical and we had some really interesting food.

                       

One of our favorites is the Peruvian version of chicken soup, Dieta de Pollo. It consists of chicken consomme with quinoa, carrots and celery. We tried making it at home and it actually turned out to be pretty yummy!

 

Dresses

Over the weekend, I also bought 3 new dresses, but I need your guys' advice. The problem with these dresses is that they're kinda shapeless and require the person to be slim, unfortunately - I'm not. Sigh...I usually don't even try them on, but I couldn't resist the little details on these. Should I keep them?