Checkered & Floral

     Round 2 of my effort to mix unexpected patterns and colors. My outfit could have benefitted from some accessories but it still squeaks by with just the busy pattern on both the dress and clutch. The pockets on this dress are darling and the fit gave me plenty of room which upped the comfort factor by like a million. Strolling around with my maltipoo in these heels was also a breeze so this outfit is definitely going on my "repeat" list. Maybe with an added necklace... or two. :)

 I might have to take the hem of the dress up a couple inches but otherwise, this is one of the few thrifted pieces that I never have to do much on. :)

I love this clutch! Definitely a spring wardrobe staple.

Dress: Thrifted
Belt: F21
Clutch: F21
Shoes: Payless

Trees and Forests

     The minute I spotted this shirt at the flea market, I instantly thought of lush hunter green trees in an overgrown forest. Vivid imagination I have, don't I? Besides that, once I felt the texture of the pattern on the shirt I was convinced I needed this. (its a soft velour on a sheer shirt: super duper soft!) I didn't realize how large the shirt was since I forgot to look closely at the size. oopsies. Nothing a belt can't fix but after looking at these photos, I might need a bit of a wider belt and a tighter one at that. I had to roll up the sleeves because if I didn't, it'd look like I had no hands! I wore this with a grey cut-off v-neck tank. I may need a longer tank under since it looks like I might not be wearing anything except a bra. second oopsies. Fashion is after all a bit of trial and error no?

 These shoes are actually navy suede heels which go with the clutch. Scroll down for a better pic :)

 A closer shot of the details on the shirt.

 My favorite one is the rose-gold key :)

The clutch is such a perfect color match for this outfit! Details, details, details! :)

Top: RoseBowl Flea market
Grey Half Tank: Thrifted
Belt: F21
Pants: H & M
Shoes: Payless
Clutch: H & M
Necklace: 1928

Bracelet: Thrifted

Orange and Black without Halloween

     I can assure you that the inspiration behind this outfit was definitely NOT Halloween. Although I love dressing for fall weather, I can't wait to throw on cute dresses and sandals without the hassle of tights. What I can tell you is that the inspiration behind this outfit came from the shoes!
     I was looking around my room the other day and realized that I have not worn these shoes in years. I still love them and so they survived multiple closet purges but I still felt bad that they hadn't seen the sun in so long. The color scheme is one with browns, oranges, reds and black which is unexpected but lovely nonetheless. They are wedges so they also give me a bit of height which is always great for the vertically challenged. Looking back, I'm not entirely sure my red tank under my shirt is at all visible from the pictures but I made sure to wear orange, red, and black. I also wore a cardigan that had large white flowers and a gold necklace with flowers reminiscent of the pattern on the shoes.
     Hopefully the abundance of flowers in my outfit steered the mind away from Halloween. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Halloween. I just didn't want someone to think I was about 7 months off with my sense of time.
    I also wanted to know how everyone else finds inspiration for an outfit? Leave me a comment, I'd love to know! Have a wonderful day! :)

Cardigan: F21
Shirt: H & M
Tank: F21
Pants: H & M
Shoes: from a trip to Korea
Clutch: Borrowed from my mom :)
Necklace: F21

Sparkling on Laundry Day

     Laundry. I love the fresh smell, the fleeting warmth of clothes just out of the dryer and the feeling of rewearing an old favorite. Downside... I am one of those people who does laundry at the LAST possible second and I tend to hold off on folding for so long, clothes are wrinkled and require a quick session in the dryer to get back that ooommph back. This morning was the moment I realized it was laundry day. Luckily this sparkly number and these ancient dress pants were still on my shelf. So... Voila! A quick and simple outfit for work. Complete with studded heels to bring down the girliness of the sparkle just a notch and my new favorite gold-plated seashell necklace.

 I look like I'm falling to one side but I was only bending my right knee slightly. hmmm... weird.

 Here's a better shot of the shell necklace and the sparkle of my purdy sweater. :)

 I know this picture has already been featured on a different posts, but I just love the stud detailing on these shoes so I figured it should show up again!

I forgot to get a shot of the outfit WITH the purse so here's a stock photo of the purse I used.

*Note: I have since dealt with not only the mountain of laundry but my car decided to misfire on the freeway while I was going 60 mph. Yikes!

Top: H & M
Pants: super old from Ross?
Shoes: Francesca's
Necklace: Anthropologie
Purse: Kate Spade



In the Limelight

     So, this outfit is pretty much outside of my comfort zone but still quite comfy in fit. A couple of things that I never imagined I would ever wear are all components of this outfit. One... Neon. My reason for trying? Since I have already worn all the colors in my crayon box, I have now moved onto my highlighters. :) I can now say I have worn a lime-neon-flourescent hue. Second... uber bling. The necklace I have on under my collar is not only bedazzled with stones everywhere you can see, it is also in the shape of a rounder pan collar. Yes, I am wearing two collars. Two different collars. Rebel.
     The only thing I would improve upon with this outfit is finding a way to make the green sweater less frumpy. I thought about belting it but at 5:15 in the morning, my fashion sense was a little muggy.

The fit of the sweater is definitely looking frumpy here. A belt would have made a big difference.

Bbbbbbbbllllliiiinnnnggggg.... Blinding no?

This is my ultimate favorite of the three map bags I have! Shhhhh.... don't tell the others.

Green Sweater: F21
Shirt: F21
Pants: H & M
Necklace: F21
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack
Bag: Picked up on a trip to Hong Kong

Hodge-Podge and Fashion Guidelines

     Hodge-podge. Say that TEN TIMES FAST! It's tough but funny. The first word that came to my mind when I look at this set of outfit photos is hodge-podge. It's all over the place but I think it works. Maybe it's a sign that I was scatter brained at 5:30 in the morning but who isn't? Oh... not you? Well then you must be wonderwoman... or a morning person.

     I have a flowy top, geometric necklace, brown leather sandals and my black leather jacket on ALL at the same time. Then I decided it wasn't enough. So I reached for my "gumby" legs ring, piled on the bracelets and topped it with TWO green scarves. Don't worry, only one scarf went around my neck. Looking back at the pictures though makes me want to go back to my closet and put together more over-accessorized outfits.

     Now... back to the nitty gritty reasons why this outfit works requires an explanation of a few fashion guidelines I keep in mind when putting outfits together. I am sharing these with you whether you want to read them or not. I'm pushy like that.

Here are a few of the reasons why I think this outfit works:
1. color "themes" : mossy green scarf with brown shoes both of which are earth tones.
2. the pops of color are toned down when paired with neutrals. (Blue top with beige shoes & black jacket)
3. Balance: Structured geometric necklace with a flowy top or the black & blue of the necklace repeated in the blue top & black jacket.

"Gumby" legs ring.. do you see it?

Jacket: H & M
Top: F21
Jeans: Nordstrom's Rack
Earrings: shop in Chinatown (Los Angeles)
Scarf: Souvenir from Hong Kong
Necklaces: F21(Metal), Francesca's (Blue, black, clear glass)
Bracelets: F21 (bangle), Anthropologie (wrap leather bracelet)
Rings: Mom's shop (leaves), Hubba Hubba in Burbank (Gumby ring)
Purse: Kate Spade
Shoes: Banana Republic
Nails: Essie's Lapiz of Luxury (fingers), Essie's Mint Candy Apple (toes)

Colorful Flowerful

     This dress is somewhat of an anomaly. Basic black with bright-colorful spring flowers bursting all over the skirt. Black is not necessarily the color of spring but it certainly does make these flowers POP! A bit of an odd pairing if you ask me. Like peanut butter and honey. Oh so tastey yet definitely an odd couple. I like making food analogies. That's right. I relate fashion to food. Don't judge.

 I know this is a total No-No being a bathroom picture and all but

I am fully clothed and could not resist showing off the details of the

belt and jewelry!

 My maltipoo invaded this picture... I should photograph him wearing his sweater. :)

Dress: F21
Tank: F21
Belt: Anthropologie
Shoes: F21
Purse: Kate Spade
Necklace: Francesca's
Bangle: Boutique in Hong Kong
Ring: Francesca's (multi-color) Leaf: Mom's shop
Nails: Essie Lapiz of Luxury

Black & White No-Brainer

My fuzzball insisted in being every shot he could get into.

This outfit is a no brainer. Laziest of the ultra-lazy. So to compensate... jewelry. I had a minor brain fart and couldn't seem to come up with an outfit at 5 AM before work. I forgot to put together my work clothes the night before so I woke up with an extra 5 minutes to spare to whip one up. That's a pretty sufficient chunk of time for me in the morning since I usually allow myself a whopping 25 minutes to get outta bed, brush my teeth & hair, get dressed, grab my purse, grab lunch, let my fuzzball go out to do his bizness and finally give my dog his brekky and a kiss before I run out the door. Whew. I get tired just recounting everything. Anyways, my brain was still groggy so I went with black and white. Easy peasy outfit. I was conscious enough to want to add some color so I grabbed these earrings and bracelet. They are both pretty fancy but I figured the rest of my outfit was relatively simple so they would balance out.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Cardigan: H & M

Top: F21

Pants: H & M

Shoes: Zara

Belt: Kaitlyn Boutiques

Earring: F21

Necklace: RoseBowl Flea market

Bracelet: Banana Republic

Rings: Mom's shop :)