Fashion Isn't Rocket Science

Songs that keep me going at work.

2012-01-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

I listen to the iheatradio app at work for music. In the afternoon, I need really upbeat music to make sure I don't get sleepy. My favorite station for ridiculously upbeat pop music is based on Shake It by Metro Station. Here's a sampling of the soundtrack to my afternoons.

Hello Seattle by Owl City on Grooveshark

Today

2012-01-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

So I don't normally talk about my health on this blog, but since most of the people who read it are family and close friends, today I am. I'm currently eating a very big breakfast because as of 9 am I have to fast several hours. I'm going to have a CAT scan this afternoon. Although I'm not scared of the scan, it is weird to be going to a hospital alone even for a simple scan. At my last rheumatologist appointment, my doctor found a small lump, or nodule, in my neck. Since I have had hypothyroidism since I was a teen, it is most likely just a nodule on my thyroid. However it's a bit far from where my thyroid should be, so she wanted to get a better look. My parents did offer to drive up this weekend, but I asked them to wait in case I need the nodule removed. I would definitely want them here if that's the outcome. I'm pretty confident it'll be fine, since most thyroid nodules are just left alone. Well, back to my breakfast so I can finish up before nine!

The Best Fruitcake Ever

2011-12-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

Pretty much everyone that tries my fruitcake agrees that it blows their preconceptions about fruitcake away. It is nothing like the stereotype. My friends once renamed it boozy trail mix cake because, honestly, that's a much better description of it. It's extremely customizable as well. Change up the fruit, nuts, and alcohol to suit your tastes. My mom even prefers the cake without the alcohol, so that's another option. The key to success with this cake is picking high quality ingredients. Buy good dried fruit, natural and not overly sweet. Use an alcohol you enjoy drinking.

Best Fruitcake, aka Boozy Trail Mix cake
(adapted from Holiday Baking by Sara Perry)

5 cups of dried fruit such as:
1 1/2 cups cranberries
1 1/2 cups apple rings, chopped
1 cup tart cherries
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup spiced rum, plus more for soaking (buy a whole bottle)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 3/4 cups nuts, roughly chopped or halves such as:
1 1/4 cups each almonds, walnuts & pecans
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup applesauce
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

5 mini loaf pans, 3x6 inches
cheesecloth

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease the mini loaf pans and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dried fruit and the rum. Stir to coat and set aside.
3. In another very large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves until well blended. Stir in the nuts, then stir in the fruit-rum mixture.
4. In a medium bowl (or a stand mixer), whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the applesauce, butter, and molasses. Add brown sugar and mix until smooth.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until all the fruit and nuts are coated with batter.
6. Fill the prepared pans to about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until the sides begin to pull away from the edge of the pan & a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. When cakes are completely cooled, take out of the pans. Cut cheesecloth to 5 pieces - lengths that will wrap around a cake about twice. Put the cloth into a bowl and pour in enough rum to thoroughly soak all the pieces. Wrap each cooled cake completely with a piece of cloth, then tightly wrap with foil. Put all wrapped cakes into airtight containers and set aside into a cool or room temperature dark place for at least a week.

The cakes will keep several weeks at room temperature. You can rewrap the cakes periodically with fresh rum-soaked cheesecloth to keep them moist if you'd like. If you want to keep the cakes longer, they freeze very well.

Holiday Party Food

2011-12-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

For last Saturday's party, I made a few easy dishes. I hope you'll try them!

Sugared Cranberries

My specialty - fruitcake!

Spiced mixed nuts

Mulled wine

Candy cane bark

4 bars 60% Ghirardelli dark chocolate

1 bar Ghirardelli white chocolate

4 candy canes, crushed

red decorating sugar

Line a cookie sheet with sides with parchment paper. Sprinkle red sugar then candy cane crumbs on the paper. In a microwavable bowl, place 2/3 of the white chocolate, broken into small pieces. Microwave in short intervals at half power until melted, stirring after each interval. Add the remaining chocolate one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over the candy canes. Use the same method to melt the dark chocolate, then pour over the white chocolate. Let chocolate set in the refrigerator. Once set, break into bite size pieces. Store in an airtight bag.

Holiday Party

2011-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I hosted a holiday housewarming party. It was nice to have my coworkers and neighbors over to my place. It was the first of many great parties I'm sure!

Just a few pictures of my place decked out for the holidays!

Furnishing My Home

2011-12-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend I worked on my townhouse. Next weekend I'm hosting a housewarming party, so I'm trying to get the first floor ready. I am halfway done with my dining room. I have a new rug and my buffet. Over Thanksgiving weekend my parents took me to a furniture store, European Antique Pine, and told me that they're getting me a dining room table for Christmas. I ordered a custom designed solid pine table! In addition, I went to Ikea this weekend and picked up a new couch slipcover.

Verona Buffet from Cost Plus World Market

Similar to the table I designed from European Antique Pine

New slipcover from Ikea

I also put up my Christmas tree (with a new star topper)!

Dining Room

2011-11-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

This is my dining room. It's big and open to the kitchen and sunroom. It's part of a great entertaining space. However, I don't have furniture for a big fantastic dining room. I plan on buying a new rug, table, drapes, and a buffet. (And I have a lot of shelves and art to choose from for the walls. The mirror is just hanging out in the corner because there was already a nail there, so it probably won't stay.) Eventually I will have hardwood floors as well. Maybe one day I'll even replace the light fixture!

Current

Table that I want from Ikea - it has 2 leaves so it can sit 6-10!

Buffet from Cost Plus World Market that stores wine. So perfect for me!

My dream chandelier that I cannot justify buying right now with so many other expenses.

For chairs I plan on painting 4 chairs from my parents. They're pretty standard round back traditional kitchen chairs, but I think they'll work if I paint them in 4 different colors - yellow, white, red, and aqua. I also want to buy 2 fancy end chairs.

For the floor, I need an 8'x10' rug (the current one is 5'x7'). I want to bring some color to the floor, so I'm looking for something with aqua in it. A pattern like damask or floral will look good. Any advice on wear to buy a good rug for cheap?

Pumpkin Revisited

2011-10-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today was dedicated to pumpkin. After brunch and shopping at Earth Fare, I started cooking. I started out with a pot of pumpkin white hot chocolate. It's basically my pumpkin coffee drink with coffee replaced with white chocolate. For dinner, I cooked Rachael Ray's Penne-wise pasta and Green Gobble-'Ems garlic bread. Following dinner, I baked pumpkin butterscotch cookies. Whew, that's a lot of pumpkin (& dishes)!! However, I didn't stop to take photos today, so these are from the web.

From Food Network

From Joy the Baker

Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

2 cups vanilla soy milk

1 Tbsp maple syrup

3 Tbsp pumpkin puree

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

vanilla extract, if needed

Whisk together soy milk, syrup, and pumpkin then heat over low heat until hot. Place chips in a bowl, add a small amount of hot milk mixture and stir until chips melt. Add melted chips to the pot of hot milk and whisk to combine. Add in pie spice, taste and adjust sweetness or vanilla if needed. Whisk vigorously or blend briefly to create foam.

Pumpkin Spice

2011-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find the recipe on the Kitchn for a pumpkin spice latte since I really don't like paying for it at Starbucks. Despite the price, they're amazing. So I found some canned pumpkin and made it...YUM! I modified the recipe a little, so here's my take on it.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Drink

(makes about 2 very large mugs)

2 cups vanilla soy milk (I used 8th Continent Complete Vanilla)

2 Tbsp canned pumpkin

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Coffee to taste

Whisk together soy milk, pumpkin and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat until hot. Off the heat, add in pie spice and vanilla. Blend or whisk until frothy. Serve in big mugs with coffee to taste (I used a 1:1 ratio) and an extra sprinkle of pie spice.

The soy milk I used was very sweet and had a strong vanilla flavor, so if you use something else, you can double the syrup and vanilla.

Small Town, NC

2011-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Just a few miles from where I live is an adorable little town, Waxhaw. It has a main street with train tracks running down the middle, a bike shop, antique stores, ice cream parlor, and more. During one of my Mom's visits, we explored. I bought an antique cake stand, we ate ice cream, and we walked around.

Race Photos

2011-10-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

The professional race photos from the 5k I ran last weekend are online, so I thought I'd share them. I wish they had gotten a finish line photo of me though.

Photos taken by Image Magic Photography

Big South 5k

2011-10-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

I am finally back into running! This is important since the official Disney Princess half-marathon training started this week. The half-marathon is in 20 weeks, so I'm doing the first three weeks of the beginner plan, then I'll switch to the 18 week "to finish in the upright position" plan. This weekend the shopping center across the street from me hosted a 5k, so I just had to run it. I hadn't expected to do well since I am very rusty in my training (only 2 runs into the half-marathon training). Since I got bronchitis earlier this year I have been really neglecting my running. I am proud to say that I finished the 5k today in 38 minutes! I walked a lot, but I got it done. My mom is in town, so she cheered me on and took photos. Also I cannot recommend this Lululemon top highly enough. I was decently warm at the start line and comfortable during and after the race. I was so happy I didn't need any layers!

New Shoes!

2011-09-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well I had a crappy morning. I was rear-ended this morning and it was a hit & run. Thank goodness there wasn't any damage to my car other than scuffed paint. Mostly, it was irritating and pissed me off. Since my day kind of sucked, I went to Off Broadway Shoes after work (and the insurance adjuster). I fell in love with glittery peep-toes and pumps at Kate Spade a few weeks ago that I couldn't afford, so I went in looking for something similar. I got SO lucky! I found a pair of pewter glitter covered pumps in my size that are comfortable which is insanely lucky in a size 5!!

And a theme song for this post:

Dynamic Zigs

2011-09-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Last month, I used my birthday discount at Anthropologie to buy the Dynamic Zigs dress. I have worn it a few times since I bought it, and I took photos of it twice. I haven't changed up how I've styled it, but I thought I'd share my two takes on it with you. The length feels a bit long for me, but since midi-length is in style right now, I've left it as is.

Shoes: Clarks

Belt: Forever 21

Sweater: Banana Republic

The second set of photos were from my birthday. I wore my birthday candle necklace that I received last year from Anthropologie with my discount coupon. I went to dinner and martinis with friends at a local thai restaurant. It was a ton of fun!

Chocolate Chipotle Chili

2011-09-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

(Image from myrecipes.com. No picture of my actual dinner tonight because I ate it before I thought about taking a photo.)

I made chili based on a Cooking Light recipe. I think it's a good start to creating my own championship chili. I love it! It smells like chocolate and chipotle. It's spicy, but not too spicy. It's super colorful too!

Ingredients
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced
1 3/4 cups chopped onion
3 cups chopped red, green & yellow bell peppers
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 links fresh spicy pork sausage, out of the casing (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
3 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (11-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & black pepper to taste
3/4 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt (optional)
Frito chips (optional)

Preparation
Remove 2 chiles from can; finely chop, reserving remaining chiles and sauce for another use.
Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Break up and brown sausage. Add chiles, onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients (chili powder through corn), stirring to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are soft. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate, lime juice, salt, and black pepper.
Serving size is 1 cup, top with 1 tablespoon greek yogurt and serve with Fritos if desired.

Fashion's Night Out - Charlotte

2011-09-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to go downtown for the big event in Charlotte, so I went to the mall. Neiman Marcus had a fabulous event with a fashion show, drinks, and food. I mostly attended for the people watching. It was my first taste of Charlotte's fashion scene. The theme was neutrals, strappy heels, and perfect hair and make-up. In LA, the trend was to look fantastic without looking like you tried too hard. In Charlotte, it's apparently appropriate to look like you put a lot of work on your appearance. There was even big hair, but not on everyone, thank goodness! I've browsed a few websites to try to find looks that fit what I saw last night. In addition to these, there were skinny jeans with heels and nice tops, and imagine these outfits with perfectly applied lipstick and not a single hair out of place!

Images from Forever 21, Banana Republic and Piperlime

My Favorite Home Decor Store

2011-08-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's not what I expected to be my favorite home decor store. Since I'm not scheduled to close on my townhouse until mid-October, I've been curbing my desire to shop for furniture. I've been restricting myself to only buying decor items for now. Almost everything I've bought so far has come from one store! And it's a store I had previously only bought clothes at - Urban Outfitters. Who knew they had such great home stuff? (I used birthday money to buy the last print today, thanks Grandma!)

Mirror, picture frame (purchased in white), Paris print, & this must be the place print

You & Tequila

2011-08-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

This music video is just beautiful. They did a great job of capturing Los Angeles. The song is also one of my favorites right now.

Summer Whites

2011-08-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's finally not raining! This is exciting since I feel like it's rained a lot since I moved. I was able to go over to the outdoor mall without carrying my umbrella. I wasn't planning on doing much actual shopping, but I did pick up a few items at Francesca's Collection. One of those is this watch (no, I hadn't set the time yet when I put it on). I've wanted a sparkly white watch all summer, so although fall will be here soon, I finally bought one. This is one of the dresses I purchased from Banana Republic as well. I took this photos just outside of my apartment.

Tax Holiday!

2011-08-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

So my first weekend living in Charlotte is their tax holiday for back-to-school shopping. This means that all clothing is tax-free. Since I have birthday month coupons, I decided that I should spend my first weekend exploring the area, starting with the shopping! I happen to live walking distance from an amazing outdoor mall, Blakeney. On Friday night I drove over (due to a thunderstorm) and hit up Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, and Banana Republic. I did SO well at Banana Republic! They had two deals going on, 25% off all sale and $25 coupons for ever $50 spent. In addition, I had a $10 reward card. So, I bought two dresses, a pair of pants, and a cardigan for only $100, plus I got two $25 (off of a $50 purchase) coupons! I still have a $15 birthday reward, so I hope to go back later this month to pick out a few more items to use those coupons.

This dress only cost me $18!

Today I drove over to the mall. It's very nice, but all on one floor, so it involves a ton of walking to get around it. It's definitely a high-end mall - the anchors include Neiman Marcus, Belk, and Nordstrom. My goals were Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle. I saw they also have LuluLemon, Sur La Table, Tiffany's, Godiva, Sephora, Apple, and several other stores I look forward to having nearby. I used my birthday discount at Anthropologie to pick up a dress, cardigan (in bright blue), tank, and belt.

Moving & Pinterest

2011-07-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes life gets busy. Very busy. It turns out that accepting a job on the other side of the country will do that to you. My life has been pretty crazy for the last few weeks. I've had a lot of fun, taken lots of pictures, and I have a lot I want to share with you. Unfortunately, it all must wait until after the move. The moving company is coming tomorrow, and I'm flying to Charlotte on Friday. After that, life will be adjusting to my new home, new job, and house-hunting (I'm going to buy a condo!). Hopefully sometime in there I'll get some blog posts written. In the meantime, I invite you to follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. Pinterest is perfect for organizing new home decorating inspirations! Plus, I put random thoughts about life on Twitter.

I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time

2011-07-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had an AMAZING weekend. One of those weekends that I absolutely did not want to end. It included farmers market, wine tasting, being silly with friends, a good run, sushi with SWE friends, and a pool party.

And here's the song my title is based on...

How I spent my 4th of July.

2011-07-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hi! How was your holiday weekend? Mine was pretty good. I went outlet shopping, farmer's market shopping, had lunch on the beach, drove thru the mountains, brunched with friends from college, bought new sunglasses, went to a bbq, and watched fireworks with friends.

Made in America

2011-07-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

I hope you're having a great holiday weekend! Today I heard this song on the radio on the way to the farmer's market, and I realized I had on an outfit that was made in America.

Top & shorts: American Apparel

Shoes: Target

Tags: 2011 CMT Music Awards - Made in America, Toby Keith, Toby Keith Videos

Big News!

2011-07-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have big news. I won't be living in LA for very much longer. I accepted a new job in North Carolina! In my last few weeks in California, I'm trying to do as much as I can to enjoy the city. Today, I went to the outlet mall, so I could shop at the American Apparel Outlet since there aren't any outside of southern California. I picked a couple of great items to help me handle the heat and humidity in NC.

A chiffon maxi dress (imagine it belted and worn with a slip):

And two cropped tops:

Canvassing: Sunglasses

2011-06-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm going to place an order online for new prescription glasses and sunglasses. However, I'm overwhelmed with the choices in sunglasses! I've narrowed it down to the RayBan New Wayfarer in the smaller size, since I already have a pair in the larger size that is not prescription, and I love them. The pair I own is a clear light brown frame, as seen in the photo below. Would you please check out the frame and lens color choices online (see link) and let me know what your favorite combos are for me in the comments? Thank you SO much!

RayBan New Wayfarer

Watercolor

2011-06-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

I love this dress. It's extremely difficult to get zipped up, but it's worth it. The fabric is amazing! I wore it to my cousin's wedding in Nashville a few weeks ago, then again on Thursday night to my friend's birthday party.

Dress: La Femme

Shoes: Windsor

Bow necklace & ring: Target

Earrings: Forever 21

Rompers

2011-06-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

These will be my go-to pieces for summer, especially once it gets super hot here. Both rompers are from Target. I also own the teal one in purple. All three are still available online! I highly recommend them for short girls.

Undershirt, barrette & earrings: Forever 21

Shoes & belt: Target

Occasion: Drive from Nashville to Georgia

Cardigan: Victoria's Secret

Undershirt & belt: Forever 21

Necklace: Aeropostale

Boots: bought in Nashville

Occasion: flying from Atlanta to LA

Cardigan: Aeropostale

Belt & shoes: Target

Occasion: site-seeing in Nashville

Necklace: Aeropostale

Purse: H&M

Belt & shoes: Target

Occasion: Crawfish Festival in Mississippi

Eye Revelation

2011-06-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

So I had a revelation tonight. (Granted I went out this evening with friends and may have had more than one cocktail.) I think my eyes are one of my best features.

So, tonight I went out for a friend's birthday party, and she requested that we wear formalwear. Thus, I put in my contacts because glasses just don't look so great with a long gown. As I was taking off my jewelry I looked in the mirror. The first thing I saw were my blue eyes. I think I had forgotten what they really looked like because I always have on glasses. I don't normally wear contacts because my eyes are severely dry (for the same reason I am also not a candidate for Lasik surgery). However I had my tear ducts re-plugged this week, which is not as bad as it sounds, and I have been on prescription eye drops regularly for a few months. My contacts are not bothering me, they feel fantastic, and I wish I could get my ophthalmologist's approval to wear them more often than twice per month. In all honesty, I doubt that would happen, so I really just wish I could be cleared to have Lasik eye surgery. All ranting aside, I guess I should just be happy I have cool glasses, and I am always open to suggestions for new ones.

Sorry for the kind of creepy webcam picture, but you get the idea - big blue eyes.

My cat is so weird.

2011-06-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently the most interesting cat toy in this apartment is my box of crackers. Although cute, this bothers me because there are still crackers in that box that I would like to eat.

Virginia Highland Summerfest

2011-06-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went to Virginia Highland Summerfest with my parents. It was my last full day of my vacation in Georgia, and I wanted to get to Atlanta. When I stay with my parents we don't normally go to the city. Because I lived downtown for five years in college, I absolutely love Atlanta. I wish I could move there permanently!!! Virginia Highland is one of my favorite neighborhoods. I love the craftsman style houses, cute shops, fun pubs, and good restaurants. Plus it's very pedestrian friendly. Summerfest was extraordinarily hot (90+), so we couldn't really browse for too long. It was a shame since there were so many great artists.

Dress: Target

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: Forever 21

Purse (w/camera bag attached): H&M

I also had on a brown Forever 21 belt, but I had to take it off because I was sweating so much with it.

As you can see, I decided that in the heat and humidity my hair needed to be up. I wore this hairstyle, milk maid braids, twice on my vacation, as seen below from earlier in the week to lay out in the backyard and then run errands. It may be my go-to hairstyle this summer. To make this style work with my long layered hair, I actually secured the braids twice each. When the initial braid started to get messy from layers ending I used a regular hair-tie to secure it, then I made new sections all of equal length and braided almost to the end no matter how much my layers were ending and used almost invisible tiny rubber hair bands. Also, I kept the braids very tight at the beginning and pulled them straight out away from my head while starting the braid. These two efforts helped them lay flat when I pulled them up.

Dress & vest: Forever 21

Shoes: Target

North Georgia Outlet Shopping

2011-06-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

I am on vacation. No, not the lay by the beach in a tropical setting or explore European cities kind of vacation. I went to a wedding last weekend, so I took a week off to spend with my parents. Yesterday my mom and I went to the outlet mall, one of our favorite things to do together. I did pretty well, although I was trying not to do much shopping because I do have to pack to fly home. I wore two of my purchases today because I was so excited about them. The dress my dad was kind enough to shorten the straps on, and the length actually works for me if I wear heels. Those heels are also new, and they're super comfortable. I wore them all day today and my feet weren't sore or red at all. Amazing!

Dress: Charlotte Russe - $23

Earrings: Cost Plus World Market

Shoes: Indigo by Clarks - $51

I also bought a french press that was on clearance at Williams-Sonoma for $9.

Summer Shoes

2011-05-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeing some new shoes for summer online. It's very difficult for me to find good shoes in my size, especially heels (I have tiny feet). In my search, I discovered that in addition to being a great company, Toms sells my size! The wedges are really cute. What do you think?

TOMS Canvas Wedges

Also loving these for flats.

TOMS Stitchouts

Keds makes some classic summer styles and come in my size as well.

Keds Eyelet and Laceless

Naturalizer is also one of my favorite brands because they sell my size.

Naturalizer Berlynn & Naya Maize

So, keeping in mind that I'm on a budget and would like shoes that will last me more than one year, what do you recommend?

Winter Weather in May

2011-05-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

(Yes, I'm up quite late.)
It feels like winter. LA winter, not real winter of course. It has been rainy and chilly. Today I was very thankful I have good rain boots and a wind-proof jacket. I only needed the boots in the morning, but I definitely needed the jacket this afternoon. I actually didn't wear this exact outfit to work today. I had layered this dress with a bright blue bandeau to stay modest. But on my way to work, I realized it was still too low, so I tugged it up. Unfortunately this put the bottom elastic band over the fullest part of my bust, and it was extremely uncomfortable. I ended up taking off the bandeau in the ladies room and swapping the green cardigan for my black work fleece zipped all the way up. It wasn't cute, but it was functional for the office. I still got compliments on my skirt. Aerospace engineers really do love planes!

Dress: Wright dress, Anthropologie

Sweater: LOFT Outlet

Tights: Target

Shoes: Bass

Belt: Old Navy

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

SWE-LA Professional Development Conference

2011-05-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I attended and volunteered at the SWE-LA (Society of Women Engineers, Los Angeles section) professional development conference at the Proud Bird. It was a fantastic day! The speakers were great, and I learned a lot. Plus I love hanging out with the SWE members. I hosted a fashion show about "What Works At Work" for entertainment during lunch. I think it went really well. It was my first time speaking in front of a large group, I was extremely nervous, but everyone said it was amazing! Apparently no one could tell that my heart was pounding. I wore a business cocktail dress for the last category of the show, so I used a blazer to make it appropriate for the whole day.

Dress: Banana Republic

Jacket: H&M

Shoes, necklace & computer bag: Target

Pantyhose: c/o my friend Sonja

Quick, need some blogger help!

2011-05-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm in charge of a fashion show that is during lunch at the SWE-LA Professional Development Conference on Friday. I have volunteers to model the outfits, started a script, and ideas for slides. However, I need photos. For every category of work outfit, I want to show actual pictures of people in these outfits. I don't want to use catalog shots, I want it to have a scrapbook feel. This is where you come in...if you have any photos of yourself in these outfits, can you let me know or send me links? Thank you SO much!
Categories: casual Friday, business casual, professional business-wear, interview, business cocktail and business formalwear.

De Chelly

2011-05-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

I love this dress but rarely wear it. It's a little long for me. I figured the length makes it good for work though. Btw, holy cow my legs look pale.

Dress: Anthropologie

Sweater: American Eagle

Shoes: Bass

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

What month is it?

2011-05-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles has forgotten the season again. All week was perfect pool party weather, aka way too hot for work clothes. This weekend it was chilly. Boo for colder weather! I refused to dress for cold weather though. On Saturday I went to a bbq/pool party (yes we did swim despite the cold weather...the water was heated). No pictures of it, but I finally got to wear my new swimsuit that I love.

Dress & sweater: American Eagle

Necklace: Forever 21

Shoes: Naturalizer

Sunglasses that I didn't need: Ray Ban

Today I was freezing outside, but thankfully the mall was plenty warm so I didn't wear a cardigan. I wanted to wear my "shade of white" dress from last summer. I found what I hope will be this summer's version on Urban Outfitters website. I haven't tried it on yet, but it's the same designer. I hope I can find it when it goes on sale! (Today I included both with and without flash photos.)

Dress: Thistlepearl from Urban Outfitters

Slip: American Apparel

Necklace: Aeropostale

Belt: Old Navy

Shoes: Naturalizer

Braided Hair

2011-05-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

While staying in Slidell, LA, I went to the mall frequently because it was across the street from my hotel and it had the BEST Forever 21 ever! On my second trip, I purposefully under-packed so I could buy a few things. One of those things is this top. I love lace trim and blush color. I tried to get photos with Zadie today, but she didn't want to cooperate. All I ended up with are silly pictures with her!

Top & cami: Forever 21

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Jeans: Paige

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Today I also wore my newest favorite hairstyle. How to do it: part hair where a headband would sit, from ear to ear. Secure hair in the back out of the way. Brush front hair to one side. Starting by one ear, do an inside out french braid. Braid hair a few inches past other ear and tie off with small hair-tie or clip. Take back hair down and brush into a side pony-tail behind ear and include braid. When all hair is secure, remove hair-tie or clip from braid.

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I didn't do much to celebrate America's favorite Mexican holiday. I wore a festive dress and had take-out Mexican food for dinner from my favorite little place. Btw, it was so hot while I took these photos that my necklace was stuck to me.

Dress: Tucker for Target

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Slip: American Apparel

Shoes: Clarks

Belt: Target

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Strawberries, Greek Yogurt & Tupelo Honey

2011-05-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Dessert

One of the perks of living in Los Angeles is the fresh local produce.

Spring Bronchitis

2011-05-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

I considered titling this post "Urgent Care Chic", but then I decided to include the soup I made today too.

This morning I went to urgent care to find out if my bronchitis had turned into pneumonia since I was having pain with deep breaths. Thankfully it wasn't busy, and the doctor on duty was a pulmonologist. I had a chest x-ray, and it is not pneumonia. Somehow after a month, I still just have bronchitis but now with back pain from coughing so hard and so much. I got an antibiotic this time, and I'm going to focus on just resting as much as possible this week. Oh, and I thought I'd be the only person in the hospital this morning in a dress and heels, but I was wrong. I picked out this dress bc it was super comfortable, but there were plenty of women dressed nice or at least presentable. Oh I love LA! There's even fashion in the hospital.

Top: Victoria's Secret Pink

Dress & necklace: Forever 21

Shoes: Bass

Also, when I arrived back to my apartment on Friday, the formal gown I ordered from HauteLook had finally arrived. The verdict? It's beautiful, but the fit is horrible. The tailor can do a lot to fix it, but closing the zipper takes an act of god and it can't be let out. I have to lose a few pounds before Memorial Day weekend! I can't work-out while I still have bronchitis, so I'm focusing on my diet. Tonight I made an asparagus soup. It's spring in a bowl!

Asparagus & Potato Soup

1 carton of chicken or vegetable broth
handful chopped onion
1 bunch of asparagus
1 potato
salt
pepper
olive oil

Microwave or bake potato until cooked (mine was already wrapped up with instructions to microwave for 7 minutes) then let cool. In a saucepan, boil a handful of chopped onion in the broth for 7 minutes. While onion cooks, wash and snap off woody ends of the asparagus. Cut off tips and set aside. Cut bottoms into 1/2 inch pieces. Add 1/2 inch pieces of asparagus to the onion and broth. Cook for 3 minutes. Peel potato and cut into chunks. In batches, blend the soup and potato chunks until very smooth. Put pureed soup back into the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the asparagus tips. Season with salt & pepper to taste. When heated through and tips are cooked to your liking, serve with a light drizzle of olive oil.

Although I only used one bunch of asparagus this time, I'll use two next time. I liked the potato taste, but I'd want the asparagus taste to stand out more next time.

New Orleans City Park Sculpture Garden

2011-04-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today I spent my day off exploring the sculpture garden in City Park.

Top & earrings: Forever 21

Shorts: American Apparel

Shoes: Target

I wish I had gotten a photo of the back of this shirt. It has cut-outs with bows, which is why I love it! (Similar to this top.)

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Although I don't really celebrate Easter anymore, I decided to go to Easter brunch at Copeland's today. It was fun to get dressed nice, eat fancy food, drink mimosas, and people-watch. All the little kids in their Sunday best were so cute! I did receive one one Easter basket...from my hotel. Earlier this weekend I came back from running errands to find a pink pail with three cute bunny cake pops. Such a nice gesture!

I tried taking photos outside today, but it was too windy. Luckily the woman at the front desk took my photo for me.

Dress: Forever 21

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Aeropostale

Oh Hi.

2011-04-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, blog. I feel like I need to reintroduce myself. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. Why the neglect you might ask...well I'd like to say I have a good reason, but I really don't. I did get a new computer. And I still haven't taken the dvd-drive out of it's box yet, so I haven't installed my photo editing software yet. Oh, and I am back in Louisiana, working at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi again. Also I have bronchitis (okay that may be my lamest excuse yet, since it hasn't stopped me from flying across the country for work). I have been wearing outfits, having good hair days, and taking photos of them. I will have a nice stock of photos to post in the future. Since I'm not sure when that future will be (whenever I get around to installing that software), I want to show you something WAY more interesting than my excuses.

hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

This blog is awesome. I promise. No, it has nothing to do with rocket science or fashion, but I love it.

I wish I could be a Jetsetter.

2011-04-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm spending several hours sitting in the Starbucks inside of the Jaguar dealership that's across the street from Mazda Service, where my precious car is getting a recall taken care of. While sipping my coffee and waiting, I've been browsing my favorite online boutique sites. I bought a gown on HauteLook to wear to my cousin's wedding next month, but now I'm browsing a site I know I won't be ordering anything from...at least not anytime soon. You see, I LOVE to browse Gilt's Jetsetter site. I love vacations, but I just spent my luxury fund on a new laptop. I love my new MacBook Air (it's fantastic for days like today, and the combination of amazing battery life and it's tiny size/weight is great). But, oh, I'd love one of these vacations! How about Fiji...all-inclusive for only $215/night for two people!

Or one of my favorite cities in the US, Miami. It costs a bit more, but it's an exclusive members only beach club near South Beach and includes spa treatments.

A private island resort in the Caribbean also sounds fantastic. Anyone want to get away to the middle of nowhere with me? Too bad the transportation isn't included, this one looks expensive to get to.

If you hadn't noticed, I'm specifically dreaming of warmer climates. Los Angeles decided that for the one and only week I'm in town, it is now confused what season it is. It's acting like it's winter. It was 40 when I woke up today! So not okay for April in southern California. Of course all of this dreaming of vacations doesn't do me any good unless I save up the money for it. I wonder if I can trim my budget enough for it? If you're interested in seeing these and the other current sales (and getting $25 to spend), join Jetsetter!

Can you find the difference?

2011-04-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Two outfits from this week. One I wore on Monday after work to run errands, go to appointments, etc. I switched out the jeans I wore to work for the new shorts I bought at the American Apparel outlet this weekend. They're black corduroy, super comfy, but also super short. I guess it works since I'm short too. The second outfit I wore today to work. Yes, I threw all preconceived ideas I had about what I could wear to work. I love this new skirt, also from American Apparel outlet. It's so swirly and so much fun to wear! Because I felt a little out of my comfort zone in this skirt, I wore black leggings underneath it. My friend Jen said that if I had a different camisole without lace trim and tights in place of my leggings, I would be dressed appropriately as an Amish girl. I guess if it's good enough for the Amish, it's good enough for work.

1st Outfit:

Top: Banana Republic

Tank, necklace & mint hairbow (not shown): Forever 21

Shorts: American Apparel

Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target

2nd Outfit:

Top: Victoria's Secret

Tank: Ann Taylor Outlet

Jacket & bow ring: Target

Skirt: American Apparel

Leggings & hairbow: Forever 21

Shoes: Clarks

Also, can you see what's missing?

Alicia Broussard Music

2011-04-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a show at the Mint to celebrate my friend Alicia's album releasing. It was a fun night with a lot of great music. I highly recommend buying her album on iTunes! Seriously, go do it.

I couldn't get good pictures of Alicia performing because of the red lights, but here she is.

I loved the cute "green carpet" outside!

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: American Apparel

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes & bow ring (not showing): Target

Necklace: gift

Last Week's Work Outfits

2011-03-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I realized that I forgot to post my work outfits twice last week, so here they are. Nothing exciting, just more ways to remix the same work clothes in new ways. I did wear a chunky brown necklace with this first outfit, but I found it to be way too heavy to actually wear.

Outfit 21:

Top: Anthropologie

Sweater: LOFT Outlet

Jeans: Aeropostale

Boots: Target

Outfit 22:

Top: Nordstrom

Jeans: Lucky

Tank & hair bow: Forever 21

Boots: Target

New Outfit Photo Spot

2011-03-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

I tried out taking pictures in the hotel's only outdoor space, the grilling patio. It's a gorgeous day - warm, sunny, and breezy!

Outfit 20:

Dress: Tucker for Target

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Although this angle doesn't show my shoes, I liked it.

miss u. dig u. love u.

2011-03-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share this video with you! On April 2, my friend Alicia (who I haven't seen in way too long because I'm lame and rarely go out to concerts) is having her album release party at the Mint in Hollywood. I'm SO excited, I definitely won't miss it! I think the video and song are adorable, and I hope you like it too.

New Jeans

2011-03-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't want my sunburn to show at work, so I wore my turtleneck to work on Monday. I really liked it with my new necklace from Forever 21. The jeans I wore I actually hemmed myself because I just bought them. Despite the fact they're a short length, they were too long for me. I also met my cousin and his wife for dinner after work on Bourbon St. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so I didn't get any pictures. I had a great time though!

Outfit 18:

Top & necklace: Forever 21

Cardigan: Division

Jeans: Aeropostale

Boots: Target

Yesterday I also tried to cover up, so I ended up in a super casual outfit for work. Thankfully there is always someone dressed even more casually than me at the test stand. Which reminds me, if you'd like to see where I work, check out NASA's blog post! It's gotten a lot more complicated since these photos, but it gives you a little bit of an idea.

Outfit 19:

Top & cardigan: Victoria's Secret

Tank: Banana Republic

Jeans: Aeropostale

Boots: Target

An update on the sunburn.

2011-03-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am officially wimpy when it comes to sunburns. I didn't want to do much today, so I didn't. Just errands, laundry, dishes, and hemming some pants. Boring, but at least I'm healing. Thankfully I had a soft cotton t-shirt dress that felt fine over my red skin today.

Outfit 17:

Dress: Ann Taylor Outlet

Cardigan: Division

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Keesler AFB Airshow

2011-03-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to an airshow in Mississippi. It was my first and pretty fun. However, I got a really bad sunburn, so I ruined any plans for today. Instead I'm sitting around my hotel room trying to avoid the sun and not do anything to make my back hurt any worse. I got my outfit photo taken late last night by the front desk girl, so I had on a cardigan to cover up my burn. I didn't wear that during the day because it was too hot outside.

Outfit 16:

Dress & cardigan: Anthropologie

Shoes: Naturalizer

Belt: Target

Headband: Forever 21

Some of my photos of the air show.

How to get stared at while running errands in Slidell, LA.

2011-03-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today I wore one of my new Target designer dresses to run a few errands around town. It's a comfortable outfit that's just preppy enough for me, but I definitely stood out. Turns out a short dress is not a normal thing to wear to run errands on a Friday afternoon in Slidell, LA, at least not in the mall or Wal-mart around noon. Last Friday, I tried to fit in with jeans and a t-shirt. After that though, I no longer care if anyone stares. I like how I dress! Oh and the irony is that I bought this dress here.

Outfit 15:

Dress: Libertine for Target

Belt: was my mom's

Shoes: Naturalizer

Last Wednesday

2011-03-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

I forgot to blog my outfit from Wednesday. It was the first day I had to re-wear a shirt to work. I hope I remixed it well!

Outfit 14:

Top: H&M

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Tank: Forever 21

Jeans: Lucky

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

St. Patty's Day Outfits

2011-03-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a fun St. Patrick's Day yesterday. I celebrated by wearing green and drinking green beverages. Okay, so it was just margaritas at the local mexican restaurant, but it was fun none the less. I decided not to wear my green dress out, but rather my green heels. Unlike some people that struggle to find the one green item they own, I normally wear bright green, so I have choices. Plus I have several pieces of peridot jewelry since it's my birthstone, so I also wore all green jewelry.
Dinner and drinks outfit:

Outfit 12:

Dress: Forever 21

Cardigan: Division

Heels: H&M

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Earrings: farmer's market vendor

I didn't have much time to change between work and dinner, so I forgot to photograph my work outfit. Instead of putting it back on this morning, I took a photo of it on a hanger.

Outfit 13:

Cardigan & top: LOFT Outlet

Worn with my usual work jeans and boots and the same jewelry as my dinner outfit.

Just Outfits

2011-03-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

I only have time for a quick outfit post today before I meet my coworkers to go out to dinner.
What I wore to work and to the Abita brewery after work:

Outfits 10 & 11:

Top: American Apparel

Blazer & undershirt: H&M

Jeans: Lucky

Boots: Target

Headband, hair clip & tank: Forever 21

Skirt: Anthropologie

Wedges: Naturalizer

And also, there is some sad news in the aerospace industry. An engineer had a fatal fall at KSC.

Happy Pi Day!

2011-03-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Did you make pie for pi day? I made derby pie, and my coworkers loved it!

So based on Gayathri's comment yesterday, I knew I had to go back to Target today. I tried on almost every dress they had. I ended up buying two! First up, my outfit today. I almost wore my navy khakis, but at the last minute I switched to jeans. I'm glad I did. I ended up crawling around the test stand above where the engine will be. I came out dirty and covered in paint chips. Everything shook off, but I can't risk wearing nice clothes to work anymore.

Outfit 9:

Top: Nordstrom

Jeans: Lucky

Sweater: Victoria's Secret

Shoes: Naturalizer

Dress 1: Tucker for Target

Dress 2: Libertine for Target

Target Go International Fail

2011-03-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Target near me to check out the Go International dress re-releases. Unfortunately, the store hadn't put out any of the dresses. At the store I was told that they NEVER put out any new stock on Sundays. I called later in the afternoon and after a long time on hold, I was told, "Oh, um, yeah, we're just about to put that out." Ugh, I didn't go back. I don't need any new dresses anyways.

Outfit 8:

Top: American Apparel

Tank: Forever 21

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Franco Fortini

All Dressed Up

2011-03-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wore dresses, even though everyone around here seems to live in sweats or jeans, I dressed up like I normally would. I went to the mall, then to my friend's boyfriend's house to bake pies (for Pi Day). Although the mall is small, the Forever 21 is one of the nicest I've seen. There's an entire room devoted to accessories! I ended up buying a dress and several items from Bath & Body Works. Despite the fact I'm on travel, I still want good hand soap, body wash, and candles. My choices: the antibacterial foaming hand soap in Watermelon, Lavender Camomile bubble bath body wash, and three of the cutest candles in Tropical Spice, Seaside Escape, and Vanilla Coconut.

Daytime dress:

Outfit 6:

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Naturalizer

Belt & headband: Forever 21

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Evening dress (that I bought yesterday):

Outfit 7:

Dress: Forever 21

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Exploring Slidell

2011-03-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Today I spent my first Friday off of work exploring my new town, Slidell, LA. It's not super exciting, but it was fun to drive around with one of my new coworkers all afternoon. This evening I went to dinner at a place that was featured on Diners Drive-ins & Dives, LA Pines. It was a good day.

I also tried out a new outfit picture spot, but I don't think it worked well. I tried it both with and without flash, but I don't love either.

Outfit 5:

Tee: Victoria's Secret Pink

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Cami: Forever 21

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Franco Fortini

Earrings: bought in SF

TGI-Thursday!

2011-03-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Now that I work a 4x10 schedule, I have three day weekends! I'm so excited to have a day off to finally explore this town I'm staying in. Plus sleeping in past 5 am will be nice. Tonight I asked the front desk girl to take my photo again. It was a different girl, so soon I imagine they're all going to know me as the girl with a blog.

Outfit 3:

Top & cardigan: Anthropologie

Jeans: Lucky

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Forever 21

And now, my first outfit of my trip, what I wore for my flight on Monday. I want to share this not just because it uses the items in my challenge, but to show you why I am not taking pictures in my room anymore. It's just not good. The light is bad, and the mirror is super narrow.

Outfit 4:

Dress: Ann Taylor Outlet

Cardigan: Left On Houston

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: Clarks

The bathroom mirror isn't any better.

Working at NASA-Stennis!

2011-03-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

I'm in Louisiana (and south Mississippi) y'all! Since I had to pack for a month, I decided to do my own version of a 30-for-30 remix. The difference? I only have 26 days here, and I packed 33 items of clothing (I think?). Also, I'm not going to stop shopping. I can't buy much since I have to pack everything to go home, but if I find something great in New Orleans, I won't deny myself. Also, I've found that I didn't pack quite the right wardrobe. The test stand I work on is extremely casual, and I packed mostly business casual. I'll make do, even if I'm always the most dressed up person at work. I do have to take into consideration my work environment, so long pants, closed toe/closed back/flat shoes, a warm cardigan for the office, and a wind proof jacket for the test stand. (Does anyone have a good recommendation for where to buy a wind proof jacket?) For my first two days at my new work assignment...I present outfits 1 & 2. I actually wore an outfit on the plane on Monday as well, but I'll post that later. For the first outfit I had the girl at the front desk of the hotel take the picture, and tonight I went into the gym for it.

Outfit 1:

Top & pants: H&M

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Naturalizer

Outfit 2:

Top & necklace: Forever 21

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Jeans: Lucky

Shoes: Target

SWE Region B Conference - Palm Springs

2011-03-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I went to Palm Springs, CA, with SWE-LA for the regional conference. Although Palm Springs had great weather, cool architecture, and felt safe, it also felt like a retirement town. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back. The conference was fun though. I went to some good sessions, including one on SWE's public policy efforts.

Saturday was the conference banquet dinner. One of the SWE-LA members, Bill, the counselor for the UCLA SWE section, won an award.

Dress: Anthropologie

Tank: Forever 21

Shoes: Bass

Necklace: Avon

Bracelet, ring & earrings: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

And on Sunday, we had the region business meeting and went out to a quick lunch. The weather was perfect!

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Bass

Purse: Michael Kors

Headband: Forever 21

Ring: Target

And now for something more serious.

2011-03-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

"Thousands of federal and state jobs tied to the space industry are at stake. Local economies such as Florida’s Space Coast and aerospace communities in Alabama, California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas await the sea change in the industry to become more defined. These changes must happen soon or our space industrial base will continue to be in crisis, threatening our national security."
From: The Future Space Partnership | SpaceNews.com

So this article is written by the president of my company. I'll be completely honest with you for a moment. The atmosphere in the aerospace industry has been rough. Our future is at the whim of Congress and NASA. I think everyone is nervous. My job could be in jeopardy. And the worst part? Most Americans have no clue that the Space Shuttle is retiring this summer and there is no planned replacement currently. I urge you to contact your senators and representatives if you want to see the US have a continued presence in space and help save the jobs affected by this, possibly mine included.

Los Angeles Engineers Banquet

2011-02-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended and volunteered at the Los Angeles Engineers banquet, hosted by the Los Angeles Engineers Council. I recently joined the council as the SWE representative. To volunteer, I arrived early to arrange the awards (there were a ton) and after dinner during the awards portion of the event, I handed the awards from the table to the presenters. This meant I spent most of the night on my feet. Thankfully I was able to stand behind a table with a floor length table cloth, so I ended up taking off my heels. So here's the lovely outfit I wore, along with one of my good friends in SWE who helped me join the Engineers Council.

Dress: White House Black Market

Shawl: Cost Plus World Market

Shoes (black peep toe pumps): Target

Headband: Forever 21

Bracelet, ring & earrings: Target

It's been a while.

2011-02-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

I wore this outfit quite a while ago. It was what I wore for a SWE EC meeting. We met at Starbucks for coffee and business and then got pedicures! Thus the flip flops, I wore pumps beforehand.

Top: H&M

Skirt: American Apparel

Sweater: Victoria's Secret

Necklace: from my dad

Headband: Forever 21

I apologize for being an absent blogger. In all honesty, I haven't been taking outfit photos. I have been gaining weight and it's very frustrating. I haven't had any lifestyle changes, yet my clothes are getting uncomfortable. I hate the fact that I can't even suck in my stomach for a photos anymore. It's a horrible feeling. Thankfully I got an answer today. I had my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, the standard test for thyroid function and medication dosage) tested yesterday. Today I got the results. My TSH is up, which means my thyroid levels are low. My doctor increased my synthyroid dosage, so hopefully this helps. The most frustrating part of this weight gain is that I don't even have the energy to work out more than normal when my thyroid levels are low. I eat less, move less, sleep more. No matter how little I eat, I gain weight. It's frustrating, but there's a light at the tunnel...I think. I'm really hoping that the change in meds and change in scenery will lead to a more active life and better fitting clothes. In the mean time, I'll search my outfit archives for things to post.

Foodie (aka the post in which I use a lot of parenthesis)

2011-02-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

So it's no secret on this blog, despite that it's supposed to be about fashion from a rocket scientist's perspective, that this rocket science fashion fan is also a foodie. Now, I use that term loosely. No, I do not cook myself gourmet meals for dinner every night (or even weekly really). No, I do not travel far distances and spend vast amounts of money on celebrity chef dinners out (LA traffic and a budget tightly stretched between rent and clothes prevent it). However I appreciate good food. I really do. I also appreciate quick food, convenient food, healthy food, nostalgic food, etc. Basically, this girl loves to eat, cook, and bake, but I'm realistic with how they fit into my life. So it's no surprise to anyone that I love reading food blogs. In addition to Joy the Baker (the most delightful LA baking blog ever!), I read Serious Eats daily. Thankfully, last month Serious Eats decided to have an international meetup day. Meetups in cities all over for the fans of the website. Food fans getting together over a good meal to talk about food! I was excited but couldn't go the day it was scheduled. To my luck, the LA group had so much fun that they decided to make it a monthly event! I met up with the group last night for dinner at Malo. I was unfortunately, due to poor planning on my part, an hour late, but the group was still welcoming, and the restaurant served my friend Jen (that I dragged along for moral support in case the group was weird or I couldn't find them) and me extremely quick. The food and company were both fantastic. I'm very excited to more monthly meetups, even if I have to miss March because of my work trip (btw please read and comment on my other post today!!!). I won't even drag along Jen, unless of course she wants to go. Now what was the point of this post, other than to confess my love of food and reading about food? To tell you about the great new sites I learned of from the people I met at the meetup of course!

First up, a new food blog to follow. Vegetarian Foodie is written by Kelly, the organizer of the LA Serious Eats meetup group. I may be an omnivore, but I still appreciate meatless meals. I added this one to my blogroll, and I look forward to her posts.

Second, back onto the main topic of this blog, fashion. I sat next to Tina at dinner and found out that she designs accessories. Her line, Della, is made in Ghana, supporting the community that inspired the line. The clutch she had at dinner was really nice! You have to check Della out!

Image from shop.dellala.com

I need packing advice!

2011-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

No seriously, this isn't just for any trip. I am going to be working at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for a whole month. Most likely I'll live in a suburb of New Orleans. So I need to figure out what to pack for a month. I'll need clothes that work for both work and play. Since I'll be so close to New Orleans, I want to enjoy the city as much as I can. However, I need to have plenty of work appropriate clothes for my time at the NASA facility. Since I don't know if I'll be in an office or at a test stand, I'll need to dress appropriately for working outside or in a shop-type facility if needed, which means long pants & closed-toe shoes. And thankfully the weather should be nice, averages for the month of March are about high 70/low 50. For washing clothes, I'll be limited to laundromats probably. So, based on what you've seen from my pervious posts, are there any items of clothing you'd recommend I pack? Or for anyone that has done a 30 for 30 challenge before, do you have any advice? Thanks!

Spring Inspiration

2011-02-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

I know that 1970's fashion is the trend for spring, but personally I love Free People's take on spring in their February catalog. It's just beautiful and the layering is inspiring! I can't wait to try out some these ideas this spring.

Check it out!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

I had a great day! I guess it started yesterday. I bought myself a dress from Anthropologie. (My grandma sent me a gift card, so it's from her too. Thanks Grandma!) I cannot believe I found this dress hiding in the sale room in my size! I also finally bought my formal dress for the Los Angeles Engineers Council banquet. I tried on this dress months ago, but it was $228 at full price. I bought the last one in my store for only $91! Last night while I watched the Grammy awards, I treated my cat to her Valentine's gift - a whole pile of cat-nip! I poured it onto the base of her scratching post. As you'll see, she loved it! Today I arrived at work to find my rabbit (with big pointy teeth!) toy biting down onto a little box of chocolates on my chair. There was no note. As the day went on, it became clear that about 7 other girls at work also received mystery chocolate. It was a fun day talking with the other girls trying to figure out who the gifts are from! Tonight I treated myself to a fantastic dinner at Morton's steakhouse. I ate at the bar for happy hour. They offer a prime burger with fries for $17 and cosmos for $7. One of my friends, Marinelle, met me at the bar for dinner too.

Yesterday's outfit:

Dress, shoes & belt: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Heart necklace: gift

Hair bow (not seen): Forever 21

Dresses I bought:

Anthropologie De Chelly Dress

White House Black Market Crystal Circles Gown

My mystery chocolate (and my Monty Python rabbit).

And as promised, photos of my cat high on cat-nip.

My valentine!

Blues Fusion

2011-02-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a party that a friend invited me too. It was her friend's apartment warming party, but instead of having it in her actual apartment, she rented out her building's community room. Since it had a great dance floor and she dances as a hobby, the host's friends took over and hosted a blues fusion dance party, complete with three different DJ's. The party guests really knew what they were doing! It was intimidating at first, but after a while (and a few rum & cokes) I really started to enjoy the dancing. I had trouble at first with "following", a concept that is a lot harder to do than it sounds. I actually want to take lessons now!

Since I didn't know that it would be an actual dancing event, I just wore party clothes. I did somehow manage to dance in these heels, but I wouldn't wear them again for dancing.

Tank: Target

Jeans: Paige

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Bakers

Purse: H&M

Messy side ponytail inspired by these two posts: Asian Cajuns & A Cup of Jo

Hair bow: Forever 21

A heart ring for Valentine's Day from Victoria's Secret PINK

And since you're probably thinking "what in the world is blues fusion dancing?", here's two youtube videos I found of it online.

There's no such thing as a real sick day.

2011-02-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

At least not when I have a work laptop. I took 3/4 of a real sick day. Whatever cold/allergies thing I have finally caught up with me. I slept until 1:45 this afternoon, went out for lunch, then worked 2 hours from my couch. For food, I didn't have the energy to cook, so I walked to a newer restaurant next door to my apartment complex. I live near great choices for being sick. First there's an Americanized sit down Mexican restaurant - I'm sure they make a good chicken tortilla soup and there's always margaritas (alcohol to kill germs and maybe a little vitamin C in the lime juice). Next up there's a small plaza with a Quizno's - soup and subs are a classic combo, although a bit overpriced at this particular location. In the end of that plaza there used to be a chicken place that I really liked that unfortunately went out of business. In it's place is a sushi spot. I hadn't been yet, but they had a sign out front advertising lunch specials. I decided today was a perfect day to try it out. If nothing else, hot green tea and miso soup sounded wonderful. Turns out that the star of this place was the panko fried whitefish! So crispy, not at all oily, and overall just wonderful. The prices were pretty good too. In total, $11 for 8 pieces of California roll, fried fish, tomato & orange wedges, scoop of potato salad, miso soup, hot tea, and a bowl of brown rice I didn't even eat because I was too full from everything else. (Yes, I realize this seems like an odd combo of food, but it's what comes in the bento lunch meal.) Overall the place looked good, and I can't wait to go back to try more sushi. Somehow raw fish just didn't seem super appealing while congested.

Also, I'd like to point out that I consider these my man-repelling leggings. They remind me of color guard uniforms from high school. For this reason, I've never worn them before. I love the idea of velvet leggings, but these were on sale online at Target and I didn't realize it was shiny crushed velvet when I placed the order. Somehow, I think this is a pretty good outfit considering it's a sick day.

Tunic: Forever 21

Tank: Express

Cardigan: Division

Leggings & shoes: Target

Cute new pedicure from last night's SWE EC meeting at Bellacures

Zadie spent a lot of time with me today. While I worked, she laid on my feet.

Ice Skating!

2011-02-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

Today I went ice skating outdoors in 75°F sunshine next to palm trees. Only in Southern California!

Tunic & tank: Forever 21

Leggings: American Apparel

Necklace: Old Navy

DineLA Restaurant Week

2011-02-05T23:51:00.000-08:00

I love DineLA restaurant week. It happens a few times each year, and I never get to as many restaurants as I would like. This time I managed to get to two. On Thursday I met up with SWE-LA members for a San Fernando valley social. We ate at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks. It wasn't the best food, but the corkage fee was only $2 and the menu included two courses of lobster. Last night I went out with 2 girl friends and the most articulate 5 year old ever (one friend's daughter) to Katsuya Hollywood. I loved Katsuya. It was exactly the kind of LA restaurant I love to take out of town guests to for a nice dinner out. Plus the food was great, the drinks were fun, and the service rocked. I also heard that it's a great celebrity spotting place on week nights, so I'll have to go back again. And here's what I wore to both.

Thursday -

Dress: Anthropologie

Sweater: American Eagle

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Friday -

Dress & shoes: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Scarf: Cost Plus World Market

Headband: Forever 21

Purse: bargain store in Vegas

Dinner Shortcut

2011-02-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight I tried a grocery store item I hadn't tried before - refrigerated mushroom ravioli. It was amazing! Plus I topped it with a very good quick tomato sauce. You should try this product if you like mushrooms.

Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

My Little Secret

2011-01-31T22:42:00.000-08:00

I loved this outfit today. I had a crappy morning, which threw off my day, but this outfit made me happy. Oh, buying four new bottles of wine at Cost Plus World Market after work also helped. So this outfit looks super modest for the office, but my little secret was that I was wearing thigh highs. Technically these are knee high socks, but American Apparel and I differ on the idea of the distance between feet and knees. Oh yeah, I noticed after I took my pictures today that my glasses need cleaned and are doing funny reflective things. And I noticed in the photos I took without the sweater that my shirt was a bit see-thru in the more stretched out areas. Thank goodness I'm always cold and bundled up!

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: Anthropolgie

Sweater: American Eagle

Socks: American Apparel

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Awesome texture of my super soft socks.

And a super cute picture of Zadie sleeping on top of a blanket on top of a box in the living room. Also note just one small portion of my vast collection of cookbooks.

Wine Tasting in Temecula

2011-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

My wine tasting trip was SO much fun!!! A few highlights...

Top & cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Jeans: Paige

Boots: Target

Necklace: Old Navy

Earrings: bought in Mexico

Mini-Vacation

2011-01-27T21:51:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a few days off from my blog to go here...

To taste some of this...

And hang out here after...

I hope you have a great weekend too!

This may be a repeat.

2011-01-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling that this outfit may be a repeat, but I liked it. Plus I'm working thru the outfit archives. Plus I am wearing my boots that I was so excited to find this month.

Tunic: American Apparel

Leggings: Forever 21

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: LOFT Outlet

My Favorite Part of LA

2011-01-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about Los Angeles is that there is a ton of great hiking. This weekend my friends and I went to Escondido Falls in Malibu. The trail started after a walk down a private road with big Malibu houses. The first part of the trail was a nice wooded park with a creek that the trail passes over several times. The path ends at the first waterfall. It's pretty, but smells like sulfur. Beyond the first waterfall there was a small path up a loose gravel that led to steeper rocks. I won't lie, I had a mild panic attack when we got to a part that had ropes to assist in the climbing/hiking. We eventually got to some smaller falls, then the path was more just going over rocks and tree roots. Finally the path opened up to the main waterfall. And it was amazing. Worth the work to get there!!!

Lower Escondido Falls

Upper Escondido Falls

Outfit of Anthropologie + A Review

2011-01-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to everyone's favorite store. It's not exactly in my price range for clothes, but I love the store anyways. This may be the most Anthropologie clothes I've ever worn at once. I really liked this outfit for my office. Also, I feel that I should mention that this is still from the outfit archives (Jan 11). Maybe one day I'll catch up on my posts.

Dress & cardigan: Anthropologie

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: Naturalizer

Flower hair clip: Forever 21

On Friday I spent some time in the mall. I purchased a few items on clearance from American Eagle, basic long sleeved tees. I also tried out a new ice cream place, LA Artisan Creamery. It was amazing! The lavender honey and Jack Daniel's were my favorite flavors. Next up, I spent a lot of time in Anthropologie. I browsed the home section for a long time. I want to pick up some hooks for my entryway for coats and keys. I like these: flourish hook, place-setting hooks, big key hook, and other key hooks so far. I also tried on a few dresses. This one was disappointing on me because it was not meant for someone so petite. However, I'm in love with this one! It needs hemmed, but that's easy. I'll have to wait until it goes on sale though.

Sun Shades Dress

Warby Parker Glasses

2011-01-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

When I discovered the Warby Parker website, I was so excited. I wear glasses everyday. I cannot wear contacts for more than a few hours/week (ophthalmologist's recommendation), so it's very important that I love my glasses. One of my friends in SWE has several pairs of glasses that she switches between, and I love the idea of glasses being an accessory. Unfortunately, normally glasses are very expensive, but not Warby Parker. Now I love my current frames, but I want to add a black pair to my daily options. I might even pick out a brown pair later this year. For now, I took advantage of Warby Parker's free home try-on option. I order 5 pairs of narrow frames (based on the size of my current glasses). They were out of one of the frames, so they sent a replacement. I wasn't a fan of the Finn glasses, and I still really want to try the style I didn't receive. I would love if you would vote for your favorite style out of these (or the Harper that I didn't try on).

LACMA

2011-01-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

I love the LA County Museum of Art, LACMA. It's free to county residents after 5 pm. Can't beat the value! My friend Jen and I went to the museum on Monday after work to check out the visiting exhibits: Tibetan Furniture, art of Lucknow, and European Fashion. We also stopped in the Broad contemporary art building to see Band, a giant work of steel, and took pictures outside at Urban Light, with a lot of other people including a wedding party. I highly recommend you check out LACMA if you visit LA. It's free on holidays for everyone and the regular tickets don't cost much anyways.

Dress: American Eagle

Sweater: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Naturalizer

Belt: Anthropologie

5k Personal Record!

2011-01-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

I ran a 5k last weekend in Venice Beach, and I set a personal record!!! I finished in 36:01, under a 12 minute mile pace. I know I'm still not super fast, but I beat a time that I set on Thanksgiving 2009. Also, this race was really fun. There were a band, drummers, and fire breathers along the route. In addition there were food trucks and another band at the post-race party. I would definitely recommend doing one of these races if there is one in a city near you!

The 5k started about 15 minutes after the half marathon, thus the clock doesn't read my actual race time.

Last Weekend

2011-01-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe I still have outfit photos from over a week ago. These were from last Saturday. It was still colder outside then, not hot like now. First up, an outfit for day.

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Cardigan: Victoria's Secret

Tights: American Eagle

Shoes: Clarks

Headband: Forever 21

Close-up of my purple tights paired with brown flats.

Last Saturday night I went out with friends to downtown LA.

Top: Banana Republic

Jeans: Paige

Blazer: H&M

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: Forever 21

Perfection!

2011-01-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

And now for a break in old outfit photos...an actual outfit of the day! I had to share with you because it seem so unbelievable. While the rest of the country is covered in snow, Los Angeles was 80 degrees F and sunny. Yep. I even went to the pool today. I also went to the farmers market, Blue Table for lunch, and window shopped in the mall. Doesn't hurt either that this morning the scale read a lower number this week than it did last week. It was pretty much a perfect day!

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Target

Shoes: Naturalizer

Hair clips: Forever 21

My look for the pool today.

Tee: American Apparel

Hat & one-piece (not shown): Target

Shoes: Old Navy (from Angeline's wedding)

Flower pin: Forever 21

View from my balcony & view from my pool chair

Work Wear

2011-01-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Despite working in a "California casual" office, sometimes I like to wear very professional outfits to work. People have finally stopped asking me if I am giving a presentation or something. I guess my coworkers finally gave up on questioning what I wear.

Top & cardigan: Banana Republic

Pants: LOFT Outlet

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: Old Navy

Reinventing the 90's

2011-01-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

This dress from Target reminds me of a print from the 90's. I made it into a skirt by layering a sweater over it for work. I love this look, plus it's super comfortable!

Dress (as a skirt) & sweater: Target

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: Clarks

Belt: Anthropologie

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

I also love this hairstyle. I did inside-out french braids from the front and secured them with a tiny hair band and used a clip to hide it. I've also been very frustrated with my bangs recently, so I secured them to the side with a tiny brown bobby pin.

It's Not Easy Bein' Green

2011-01-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

Actually it is - when green means fantastic peep toe pumps with bows or ruffled cardigans. I bought both of these items during my holiday vacation to Georgia. The shoes were a gift from my mom, and the cardigan is from the outlet mall.

Tee: Victoria's Secret PINK

Skirt: Anthropologie

Sweater: LOFT Outlet

Tights: American Apparel

Shoes: H&M

Necklace: Old Navy

Welcome Back to Cali

2011-01-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

Since I had misplaced my camera cable for several days, I have a backlog of outfits to post. The day I got back into LA, I wore one of my new Anthropologie sale scores. This top has a fun print and shape.

Top: Anthropologie

Sweater: Victoria's Secret

Jeans: Paige

Boots: Franco Fortini

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Green Soup

2011-01-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

I'm on a produce kick. It's a little weird, I'll admit, but I'm going with it. It has to be healthy. I cannot believe it, but this soup looked good to me. Good enough to go out, buy the ingredients, and make it. And I enjoyed it. True, I also paired it with a serving of chicken sausage on the side, but I'm not trying to be a vegetarian here. Just a lover of vegetables.

My review: First off, Trader Joe's didn't have parsnips, so I substituted in one small yam (white flesh, purple skin). The soup is very mild. On the first bite, I thought it was bland, however, I had forgotten to add salt and pepper. Next time I will increase the ginger and garlic as well. After a few properly seasoned spoonfuls, I really started to enjoy the light taste. I'll definitely make this again!

How I Fly

2011-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

Camera cable has been found and outfit photos are back!

Over the years, I've figured out how to dress best for flying. First off, comfort is most important, and warmth is next because I am always freezing cold on planes. However, comfort and warmth should not mean dressing sloppy. I have learned that being a pretty girl in a pretty outfit really does mean better service. Call it whatever you like, but I'll take it. Also the TSA security guidelines must be considered. Shoes and outer layers must be easy to remove and put back on. And although it might seem like TMI, but I highly recommend wearing a wireless bra due to the new body scans/pat down procedures. Turns out they will pat down an under-wire bra - I learned that by experience unfortunately when I traveled over Thanksgiving.

I had a great outfit for New Year's Day, but I ended up changing into a warmer sweater for my flight. I love that I mixed patterns!

Dress, boots & jacket: Target

Tights: American Apparel

Headband: Forever 21

Sweater: Left on Houston

Suitcase: Victorinox

Also a little fun fact, I travel with my cat, Zadie. She goes with me whenever I visit my parents for a week or more. Most airlines allow you to bring a pet in a carrier that fits under the seat in front of you for a fee. You should call the airline right after you book your ticket to reserve the spot for your pet. Zadie travels without any meds.

Green Smoothie Success

2011-01-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've tried to make green smoothies before. They were okay, but not great. However, inspired by this post by Joy the Baker, I tried again today. It was amazing! I highly recommend this combination.

Green Smoothie

1 cup orange juice
2 cups spinach
1 banana (frozen if you have time)
1/2 pear, chopped
Honey to taste

Blend the juice and spinach until smooth. Add the fruit and a drizzle of honey. Blend until smooth. Taste, add more honey if needed. Add a few ice cubes and blend again if the banana isn't frozen.

Nutrition info:
341 calories, 1 g fat, 85 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 5 g protein

So Excited!!!

2011-01-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sahiti and I decided that we're going to do the Disney Princess half marathon in 2012! I'm SO excited about it!

Also, I've misplaced my camera cable, so outfit posts are on hold for a while.

Pantry Black Bean Soup

2011-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was faced with chilly, rainy weather and an empty kitchen since I just got back into town. I didn't want to venture out into the rain, so I prepared my own spin on my mom's refried bean soup recipe. It's perfect for days like today because all of the ingredients are pantry items. It's also extremely customizable to your tastes. I forgot to take a picture of the soup today (I was too hungry and it was too yummy!) so hopefully I'll remember tomorrow...leftovers look just as pretty I'm sure.

Update (1/4/11): It looks just as yummy as it tastes, especially finished with lime and avocado!

Pantry Black Bean Soup

2 cans 99% fat free refried black beans
1 can (2 cups) chicken broth
1 can mild Rotel tomatoes
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can mexi-corn, drained

In a stock pot over medium heat, combine the refried beans and 1 cup of the broth, stir until combined. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered on low for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition information for 1 cup of soup:
136 calories, 1 g fat, 25 g carbs, 5.7 g fiber, 7.4 g protein
Recipe makes 13 cups of soup

I typically eat about 2 cups of this soup at a time personally.

I didn't have anything to top it with, but it would be good with all sorts of toppings - low fat sour cream, reduced fat mexican blend cheese, avocado slices, squeeze of lime juice, tortilla chips, or jalapenos.

Note: all cans used were normal sizes, about 15 ounces, except Rotel which is smaller.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011! I celebrated yesterday by helping my parents un-decorate the house and driving down to Atlanta to my friend Lindsey's place. We got take out dinner from Taqueria del Sol and went to MJQ with several of her friends. I wore a new cardigan for cleaning the house (and lunch at Five Guys burgers). Today my mom made a fantastic north-meets-south traditional New Years day dinner. I'll post more details and my outfit tomorrow though, since I have to catch my flight back to LA tonight.

Cardigan: LOFT Outlet

Shirt: Victoria's Secret PINK

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Franco Fortini

Necklace: Old Navy

For NYE out, I wanted to dress festive, but also comfortable and suitable for a dive bar. I wore a dress I've had for months, but I hadn't worn, from Free People. Flat boots were an absolute necessity. A cross-body (cheap) purse was also a great addition. Old Navy was sold out of the matching bracelet to my necklace, so I purchased another style of necklace that had the same beads and chains that tied with a ribbon closure. I wrapped it around my wrist several times and tied it with a bow. I kept my earrings simple studs, and a grey hooded jacket kept me warm and casual.

Dress: Free People

Cardigan & boots: Target

Tights: American Apparel

Necklace & bracelet: Old Navy

Purse: H&M

End of Year Shopping

2010-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

I am officially shopped out. I didn't know it could happen. My mom and I have hit up just about every possible store. Today we spent the afternoon at the outlet mall, where I finally picked up a formal dress for the Los Angeles Engineers Banquet. Yesterday we stopped by Borders to pick up a few bargain books with the gift cards from my great-great-aunt Milda. I picked up three books for $4 each, and the cashier said the balance was the highest she's ever told anyone...I have $87 left! I found a great book that I've almost finished already - All You Need to Be Impossibly French. I definitely recommend it.
Yesterday's outfit:

Tank: Target

Jeans: American Eagle

Cardigan: Division

Boots: Franco Fortini

Headband: Forever 21

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

Earrings: Farmers market vendor

Today's outfit:

Top: Victoria's Secret

Skirt: Anthropologie

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Tank: Forever 21

Tights: American Eagle

Shoes: Naturalizer

Necklace: Cost Plus World Market

My necklaces in these two outfits are actually different. The first has a green stone and says "Peace" and the second has a purple stone and says "Inspire".

Urban Holiday

2010-12-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Today my mom and I went to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls for some after Christmas shopping. Our best stop of the day was in Urban Outfitters. The whole sale section was an additional 50% off and all holiday decor was 75% off. We picked up ornaments for both my parents' Christmas tree and mine. Our favorite purchase were two Linus blankets for only $9 each!

Owl ornament for $0.99

Bird ornament for $0.99

Good luck ornament for $0.99

Pickle ornament for $1.99

Six Cupcake ornaments for $1.99

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang hardcover for $5

Plus my outfit of the day includes a new dress that my mom bought me from Target earlier in my visit.

Dress & boots: Target

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Tights: Forever 21

Belt: Anthropologie

Earrings: bought in Mexico