Mini-me Monday

One of my favorite things about having a daughter is all the cute girl clothes in the kids section. Dressing my daughter in fun, adorable outfits is almost as fun as shopping for the cute clothes themselves.

She started to pick out her clothes when she was 3, and already have developed her own sense of style at age 5. Sometimes hubby and I would veto her choices but for the most part we let her wear what she wants.

Little C loves watching me get dressed in the morning and am always telling me whether or not she likes my outfits. Sometimes I try to get her to wear the same outfit as me and she would say "Mommy, this is your style, not mines." My hubby thinks I shouldn't let her pick out her own clothes but sometimes I think it's good that she has a mind of her own.

I'm proud of her for having a strong sense of self. She's very eclectic and takes a lot of risks. She puts the most random things together and it would still end up looking great. She is the exact opposite of me when I was a kid. We used to wear hand-me-downs from the neighborhood church so it was hard to be stylish back then.

I love the simple look of this outfit. You can never go wrong with a white slouchy T and black boots - the addition of the mustard skirt is all you need to bring a burst of colour to this outfit.

[My Outfit]

Top :: H&M

Bottom :: F21

Boots :: Steve Madden Intyce

Earrings & Necklace :: Swapped

[Lil'C's Outfit]

Top :: Old Navy

Bottom :: OshKosh B'gosh

Shoes :: Payless

Thanks for reading!

Dare to Bare

Here I am at the beach in mid-October wearing lace shorts with no tights. But hey - I had to go along with the title of my entry today ;) Last week I wore a summer lace shorts outfit as seen HERE so today I wanted to do an autumn lace shorts ensemble before snow starts to fall. I wore this outfit in the nick of time too because yesterday it was snowing in Boston. Yes, you heard me right - snow in October! My ears were frozen by the time I got home from school!

What can I say? I love lace, it is the one fabric in fashion that is always in, and constantly getting renovated creatively. The layers of lace which are carefully crafted over these shorts in the same hue, makes this look just as interesting as it is subtle.

It's hard to do these adorable lace shorts justice in this winter weather but I can't seem to stop wearing them despite how chilly it is! As you can see though, the sun was out on this particular day so it made it easier to justify. Plus I was a little top heavy and was wearing three layers so really that evens out my body warmth.

Also to add  an exotic splash of colour I brought out my lovable leopard scarf, although I was using it more as a prop than for its purpose here.

Can't wait until it's warm again and I don't have to cover-up these lace shorts in hundreds of layers. They're so pretty and feminine that I have them in all three colours - cream, coffee and black!

Some Lace Shorts Options:

1. Free People Scalloped Hem Lace Short

2. Lauren Conrad Lace Shorts

3. Lulu's Lacy Daze Grey Shorts

4. Collective Concepts Lace Shorts 

5. Anna Sui Antique Lace Shorts

Have a great weekend ladies!

[Outfit]

Sweater :: XOXO via Macy's

Shorts :: Ebay

Boots :: Steve Madden Intyce

Scarf :: H&M

Gold Belt as Bracelet :: Came from an XOXO dress

Thanks for reading!

Pour on the Mustard

With cool weather moving in, we have a tendency to focus more on rich colors to set the mood for shorter days and cooler nights. Teal and mustard yellow emerge as front-runners for popular, splashy colors this fall. Sometimes they are even paired together as a bold mix in patterns and colors. I thought that might be a bit too flashy for a beginner color-blocker so today I picked one color - mustard yellow.

Maybe our admiration for this mustard color is inspired by the changing color of the leaves during the fall, but whatever the reason every season we see it make a comeback as we move into the colder months. Here I am wearing black leather shorts and brown fur-trimmed boots. Pairing brown and black is a great combination for fall/winter because it looks so warm and casual. To complement this ensemble while giving it a boost of color, I paired it with this mustard sweater. I love how the addition of this sweater brings such a warm tone to my ensemble.

Mustard might seem like a difficult color to wear, but there are many different shades of mustard ranging from honey to Dijon, you just need to experiment and choose one that suits you best. The key to pulling off this bold color is pairing it with darker, more neutral colors. 

To continue my fur fever I brought out these fur-trimmed boots which I have had for over 3 years. They are so warm and comfy. To neutralize the outfit even more I completed this outfit with my sand F&C fold-over bag. I adore this bag! It's big enough to hold all my essentials and can be worn many different ways - in the hand, on the shoulder, on the arm or fold-over as a cross-body.

So there you have it ladies - my attempt at going from bland to bold with this season's latest color sensation; mustard yellow. I think mustard has such an automatic warmth to it - it's my new favorite color. With proper experimentation to find a color that is right for your complexion - you can definitely pull off this very trendy color - have fun ladies!

[Outfit]

Sweater :: H&M

Shorts :: H&M

Tights :: DKNY

Boots :: Aldo

Bag :: Foley & Corinna Plated Mid-City Tote

Earrings & Bangle :: Swapped

Necklace :: Gift

Thanks for reading!

Faux Fur Vest

In my last post HERE I mentioned that I found a dress and top in the same pattern and was wondering if I should keep both. Today I decided to try out the dress to see what I think about it.

It was a chilly October day so I paired it with a long fur vest, a recent purchase from H&M. I love the boho vibe of this look. I love fur vests - they are warm and cozy and a great layering piece for the fall/winter season.There are a million different ways you can sport this style, it's definitely a piece you can have fun with and dress up or down. If you want to take the safe route pair it with fur-trimmed boots and skinny jeans or some olive cargos and booties and you will be on trend whatever the occasion.

I can't tell you how much I love the pattern on this dress. The material is slightly a little heavier than the top. The gold buttons and ruffles gives this dress such a chic look. Whereas the top was silkier in material and had buttons on the back. I think I may end up keeping them both!

And here is my little prince charming offering me a little weed flower.

 They may be weed but they are the most beautiful flowers I have ever received - I will take them home and press them inside my textbooks ;)

[Outfit]

Dress :: H&M

Vest :: H&M

Shoes :: Aldo

Earrings: Swapped

Thanks for reading!

Casual Weekend

This past Saturday we (hubby, BFF, BFF's hubby and I) took the kids to see Puss in Boots at AMC Boston. It was such a cute movie. If you are into those cute childhood fairy tales then this is the movie for you.

Afterwards we stopped at Little Q in Chinatown for some hotpot. When the weather is dreary and cold, there's nothing better than a pot of simmering liquid with a colorful array of meats, seafood, vegetables and noodles. Hotpot is also known as Chinese fondue.

 
My favorite part about this meal is creating your own concoction of the dipping sauce. There are plenty of different ingredients you can put in your bowl to personalize your creation: soy sauce, sesame paste, chili, garlic, scallions, cilantro and Chinese barbecue sauce are some choices.

Then there is the steaming soup that fills the entire restaurant with fragrant aromas. Here we have the mala flavor which features a numbingly spicy broth. This one wasn't too bad because the broth was actually drinkable, if we had ordered the crazy mala than our tongue would've been numb.

Little C with his Thai ice tea with boba.

Today we have a special guest appearance by my partner-in-crime and fellow fashionista. We always call each other when we make a purchase and sometimes end up buying the same thing. It's great to have a fashion buddy when you go shopping, you can rest assure that what you are buying will look good on you ;)

As you ladies can see I am addicted to color-blocking. Having only been blogging for a little over a month and here I am with my 3rd color-blocking outfit. This outfit is a combination of pinks and browns. I love these two colors together. I think dark brown paired with shades of pink add such a hint of vintage flair to any outfit.

I love how BFF contrasted the leopard scarf with plaid shorts here. Mixing leopard with plaid is a wild way to have fun with an otherwise neutral ensemble. And can I please have your LV Berkeley please!

[My Outfit]

Top :: H&M

Sweater :: H&M

Skirt :: H&M

Shoes :: Steve Madden Intyce

Earrings & Necklace :: Gift

Tights :: DKNY

 Bag :: Gucci

[BFF's Outfit]

Top :: Ann Taylor Loft

Blazer :: H&M

Shorts :: H&M

Scarf :: Ebay

Shoes :: DSW

Tights :: Hue

 Bag :: LV

Thanks for reading!

Event :: Ceremony at Boston Park Plaza

Last Friday I attended an awards ceremony with my husband at the Boston Park Plaza. Originally I wasn't going to go because my husband didn't think he would be able to fly back in time but he took an early flight and we eventually were able to attend. Every year around this time my school host a ceremony to recognize top students in their class. Some of the awards include top 2 students, top 10% and students that receive the highest grade in a particular class. I was honored to be the recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in the study of Law & Ethics of Lawyering.

I was in such a time crunch that I didn't really have time to get ready. I came straight home from work, got dressed and had to pick up the kids to bring to mother-in-law then had to pick husband up at the train station. Luckily I had this chiffon blouse that didn't require any ironing and threw it on with a pencil skirt and belt. Nice and simple for a formal event.

When I purchased this blouse I was visualizing that I would wear it in the summer/spring time but because this particular pattern utilized the darker, richer tone of the fall season with the rustic orange and navy - I thought it was cold weather-appropriate. Layering is another essential aspect of working a floral pattern into fall looks. Here I paired this outfit with a slouchy cardigan to emphasis the long silhouettes of the pencil skirt.

Overall it was a nice and relaxing evening for us. I was able to introduce my husband to my classmates so that he can meet the people that I interact with at school. I am so thankful to him for rushing home to attend this event with me. I am so blessed to have such a great support system to help me through this road in my life. Thank you for letting me share this event with you ladies and I hope that you had a great weekend as well!

[Outfit]

Top :: H&M

Skirt :: H&M

Cardigan :: Banana Republic

Shoes :: Aldo

Earrings & Necklace :: Gift

Belt :: Swapped

 Bag :: Gucci

Thanks for reading!

Silver and Studs

I don't know what it is about Fridays - I am always bursting with happiness because the weekend is here but it doesn't tend to show in my clothes. Today is one of those monochromatic days again with black and gray - I didn't even look for anything colorful to add to it. I've had a tough week...

I love dark-metal piece jewelries, I always feel rocker-chic wearing them. I paired these jewelries with my lace skirt to juxtapose the rocker and romantic look. I was going to save this outfit for a formal event tonight but feared that the studded-belt and metal jewelries will give it too much of a heavy-metal feel.

I want to dedicate this post to my newly acquired blog friend Erica from The Pretty Factor. Yesterday Erica extended the Liebster Award to me. This award is given to blogs that have less than 200 followers as a means of getting connected to other bloggers and their followers. I was ecstatic to receive this. In all honesty I am amazed with the friendship that I've made since starting this blog a little more than a month ago and truly feel bless to be accepted as part of this community. I want to share a cool fact between Erica and I with you ladies - we both started our blog on the same day AND it was a birthday post. See HERS and MINES. Isn't that bizarre? In any case I would like to truly thank her for extending this award to me and to all of you ladies who take the time to visit my blog on a daily basis and leave such sweet and inspiring comments. Thank you so much and I hope you ladies have a great and relaxing weekend!

[Outfit]

Shirt :: TJ Maxx

Skirt :: Grass via Macy's

Wrap :: Gap

Shoes :: Aldo

Earrings & Necklace :: Swapped

Bracelet :: Gift

 Belt :: Taken from a Rampage Dress

Thanks for reading!

Patterns and Ruffles

I fell in love with this pattern from H&M when I saw it on one of their Spring collection shift dress. At the time the dress was a little too pricey for me therefore I didn't purchase it. I didn't know they had the same pattern on a top until I saw this one on the clearance rack. Before trying it on I was afraid that the top would be too short and show my mid-section. As a short petite I tend to wear shorter length skirts to give the illusion of longer legs so to pair it with a short top would be a big mistake.

In any case the top worked out well. I paired it with a black skirt and beige wedges so that the focus will be on the colorful top. I also kept my jewelry simple. As you can see I was even experimenting during the photo session. In the first picture I tried it on with a long necklace but didn't really like how it hung so I took it off. I like it better with just dangling earrings and a single bangle. You can probably tell by now that I tend to be a minimalistic when it comes to accessories.

I still really like the pattern and color of this top but am in a dilemma. Last week I found the shift dress on sale in my size! So I bought it. The question is, would it make sense to keep both the top and dress in the same print? Something to ponder about this weekend...

[Outfit]

Shirt :: H&M

Skirt :: Free People via TJ Maxx

Shoes :: Aldo Cannistratro

Earrings :: F21

 Bangle & Necklace :: Swapped

Thanks for reading!

Pearls and Lace

Yes I know - I'm still living in my little fantasy world where the Sun is still shining and it's 80 degrees. I just can't seem to put away my lace shorts yet! I'm continually drawn to these beautiful and feminine shorts - I love the delicate lace, lightweight fabric and the romanticism of it all.

These delicate and feminine shorts are best when offsetted by slouchy or masculine pieces. Here I paired it with a simple soft T-shirt. To keep it neutral - I wore beige platform shoes and added minimal accessories - dangle earrings and a bangle.

These earrings complete the romantic look with crystals and pink pearls. This ensemble captures the Victorian era aesthetic with the combination of crystals, pearls and lace. But instead of fancy tea and cakes we are heading to Brighton for some frozen yogurt ;)

I'm thinking once it gets a little chilly I can add a cardigan, leopard scarf and tall boots and make it a mid-Autumn outfit. Or tights, long sleeve top, faux fur vest and booties for a pre-Winter look. So many variations can't wait to test them out!

[Outfit]

Shirt :: H&M

Shorts :: Ebay

Shoes :: Aldo Gwenda

Bag :: LV Artsy

Earrings & Bangle :: Swapped

Thanks for reading!