SIN CITY: Red leather jacket and black textures

Hello from Vegas!  Quick entry as I am using dear boyfriend's data to type this and he doesn't have unlimited data.  We landed yesterday and one of the first things we did after checking in is head to Wicked Spoon.  There was a little wait (and higher holiday pricing) but it lived up the hype, I loved it.

FLOWER BOMB / Bomber jacket and pastel florals

Bomber jackets always remind me of dad.  Dad wasn't a pilot but for as long as I can remember, he loved wearing flight jackets.  He had them in all the earth tones imaginable and wore one practically 24/7.  Because of that association, I always have a place in my heart for bomber jackets.  We still have his most recent one (a lush forest green lined with plaid) hanging in the coat closet.

CASUAL HOLIDAYS / Red sweater, olive denim and happy holidays!

A quick entry before I head out to finish some last minute Christmas shopping (I had a feeling I would be taking my own advice when I said "good luck to those shopping this weekend!" a few posts back).  Sharing some holiday spirit while playing with complementary colors - bright red and shades of green without looking like Santa's little helper, I hope.

Gerard Darel sweater / J Brand jeans (40% off here) / Marc by MJ scarf / Chloe pumps / Gucci tote

Happy Christmas Eve!!  Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it and happy holidays if you don't.  I hope everyone has a very festive holiday season with your loved ones, family, and friends.  Take care!!

FALL STRIPES: How to appropriate a spring dress for Fall

Stripes, especially white and navy, are another one of those quintessential patterns dating back to way back then.  For spring and summer, navy and white stripes are the basis for a nautical inspired outfit and I like to pair the pattern with bright red or yellow.  However the pattern is tricky to use in the fall and even more so when it's on a dress that just screams sunny weather and relaxing by the waters (doesn't help that it's called "The South Hampton" dress).

To overcome this challenge, I paired the dress with darker accessories and a trench.  The necklace with hues of brown tortoise beads and aged gold hardware compliments the classic aspect of the dress.  And the pumps with its brown-black color blocking works alongside the necklace to pull the look together.

This trench is more of a light jacket than a winter coat but it serves its purpose in keeping me warm.  I love the pairing of navy and khaki (this past look is one of my favorite outfits w/ this color combo) so it was only natural I reached for a jacket in khaki.  The leather sleeves and accent gives the classic trench a modern and edgy update but my only qualm is that the belt is permanently affixed to the jacket.  Since I didn’t want to tie the trench in the front and didn’t want the belt dangling around, I simply tied the belt into a bow in the back.  Problem solved.

BCBGeneration trench / RACHEL Rachel Roy dress / Manolo Blahnik pumps / 

Talbots necklace / Salvatore Ferragamo 'Ginny' clutch (used more formally here)

It is the Friday before the holidays and I can't wait to get the (long) weekend started!  I am looking forward to having dinner with family tonight and tomorrow Shane and I along with some friends will be participating in one of those live puzzle events.  Have a good weekend and happy holidays!!!

BRUISED: Purples, navy, and printed pants

The title makes the post sound more dramatic than it really is.  I am not bruised, emotionally or physically, but I am pretty sure that I will get a few by this weekend because clumsy ol' me will run into something or other.  The color scheme for this outfit actually reminds me of a bruise in its second stage - varying shades of purple and blues - hence the title.  A bit strange to say that I was inspired by the colors of a bruise but it translates into a nice combo for an outfit.

These pants garnered a lot of mixed attention.  My mom said they look like PJ bottoms, my cousin expressed the same opinion but added that it was like "those 90s PJs we wore back then", and my colleague was trying to read it because he "thought the print was the name of the brand".  I liked the pants because I thought the print was cool, reminds me of dripping paint!

See by Chloe sweater (on super sale here) / Free People shirt / Marc by MJ pants (additional 20%off through 12/19) / 

Talbots oxfords / Proenza Schouler PS1 / Rolex watch (Michael Kors version here), Tiffany&co ring, Express earrings

It has been such a festive week at work since it's right before the holidays, lots of food, mingling, and having a merry time.  I hope you all are having a great week as well.  If you're a procrastinator like I am, good luck gearing up for the last shopping weekend before Christmas!  Take care!

RED HOT CHOCOLATE: Red leather and uniform brown

*****

I wanted to take a moment in remembrance of the innocent lives that were lost on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut and those injured in Henan, China on the same day.  My heart is breaking for the parents, the sisters, the brothers, the family and friends of those we lost yesterday and there will never be any words that will bring back the fallen.  I can only hope that the love and support, the condolences, the prayers, and the heartaches that is being shared will offer some warmth, some shield of love, from the tragic pain that is undoubtedly being felt this holiday season.

To the heroes of that day who protected the innocent children, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  It is inspiring to read about the teachers who hid the children in cabinets and closets while sacrificing their own lives to ensure the children's safety.  These teachers exemplify the compassion, selflessness, and dedication for said job and I have so much respect for them because of that.  Thank you.

Rest in peace dear angels of Sandy Hook Elementary School, you will forever be remembered.

*****

THE BLUES: Denim skirt and Daisy-Chaining

An interesting fact to start the entry, did you know the sun is closest to the northern hemisphere when it's winter for us?  Common sense would have us thinking, "wait, then why are temperatures so low if the sun, which is so hot, is close to us?", but this is one of those times where we shouldn't trust our intuitions.  Weather is actually determined by the tilt of earth's axis and the sun's distance to earth has minimal effect on temperature.  Who would've guessed!

That random trivia was brought on by the beautiful weather we had over the weekend.  Mid-to-high-sixties in the city with lots of sunshine during the day though we faced a drastic drop in temperature as we rolled into the evening.  With that said... I sound like a weather girl.  Moving on.

SHAPE MASH-UP: Geometric top, paneled skirt, and patterned tights

It is like kindergarten all over again - we're playing with shapes!  I wanted to create a fun outfit so using this cheery geometric top as my statement piece, I played up the shapes and lines and repeated it in other aspect of my outfit.  To draw out the pattern of this top, I made sure the rest of the pieces of the outfit was the color of the contrasting color (black) on the top.

CARPENTER: Juxtaposition of worker pants and soft sweater

In terms of men's fashion, carpenter jeans were all the rage in the late 1990s!  Who remembers seeing the guys sport the baggy jeans with all the pockets and the red/white/navy patch on the hammer strap at school?  The younger generation thought the jeans were so cool and the older generation was wondering why there were so many pockets.  I remember my dad jokingly asking my cousins what all the pockets were for when they weren't carrying anything to class =P

COLLAR PLAY / Teddy bear collar and breaking fashion rules

I’ve noticed a big trend this year is critters on sweaters – smack dab in the center, laying off to the bottom sides, or peeking out from the corner (such as the French Connection sweater in this post). As a huge animal lover, I am a fan of this darling touch on sweaters. My favorite one from this season is between this Burberry one with the dog off to the side (because I love dogs!!) or this Aqua one with the bunny in the center wearing glasses.

WILD HOLIDAYS / Leopard coat and holiday parties

I can't believe it's the 1st of December already!  With the start of December comes the season of holiday parties.  Dressing for work holiday parties are always tough (unless of course there's a theme, which is usually sweater related) - you want to be dressed appropriately but still stand out in your own special way.  I think I've found that special way to be different.