Longing for Summer / For the love of boots

As I sit freezing in front of the computer, I find my mind drifting towards memories of warm, bright Summer days in the Philippines. Floating on calm seawater (I have yet to find one with a similar temperament here in the US) with eyes closed, listening to the muffled sounds of the ocean, skin slowly bronzing from the rays peeking through clouds, and wondering how long I've been out there and how far away I'd been taken from the beach by tiny waves and gentle winds. Swiping off the cold sweat from the sides of a glass of fresh mango juice and discreetly patting it onto hot patches on my face. Opening all the windows in my room at night to let the slightly colder winds through, bringing along with it the sound of crickets and unmistakeable VROOOOM of tricycles struggling to go uphill (and the occasional Karaoke singing that goes on til the wee hours of the morning). No matter how long I stay here in the East Coast, I am perfectly sure that I will forever be an island girl at heart, and I will be fine with drastic temperature fluctuations as long as I am granted a yearly exodus to sandy beaches and the sound of waves lapping on the shore.

Winter (the temperature being at the low 30s, I think it is safe to assume that Fall has already come and gone) for me is somewhat bearable because I love layering clothes and wearing boots (the two things that get me through dreary weather). My current obsessions are pointy, buckled boots which make me feel like a cross between a character in a Spaghetti Western film, a wannabe cast member of Sons of Anarchy and an amalgam of my favorite fashion bloggers (who all love the same types of shoes as I do). The more buckles, the better (I am part-magpie, methinks). Below is a collection of boots, mostly from Sam Edelman and Jeffrey Campbell, that I will wear 'til the soles fall off if ever I get my hands on even one of them. Here you go, and here's to hoping a pair will magically appear on my doorstep without me having to pay a single cent.

boots by white-lily featuring leather boots

P.S.

One other thing I love: indoors, cocooned in a blanket, curled on the sofa with a good book, a warm cup of hot cocoa within arm's reach.

Wishfully thinking,

"Coz a little bit of summer's what the whole year's all about"

The title above is a line from Wildfire, one of John Mayer's songs from his new album Paradise Valley. And how true it is for me - Summer's the season I look forward to the most because it's when I get to do a lot of activities unhindered by the bone-chilling cold winds of Fall and Winter. Come those seasons, I'll retreat into my little nest again and become a temporary hermit who only comes out for work, Singles for Christ gatherings, babysitting and Pho noodles. Summer, oh Summer, how I love thee! Two weeks from now I'll be flying to LA to see my family after a year of missing them (my little bro grew so much taller, it'll be harder to give him noogies now :c ), hopefully the weather will be kind and grant us a sunny mini-vacation in San Diego. I can't contain my excitement <3 

I wore the outfit below to Mass this afternoon. I've had the dress from Old Navy for three years already, and even after being worn numerous times it's held up quite well (shopping tip: always check the seams to see if they're well-made, or else your garment will need some repairs after merely one wash). It's such a bargain considering I got it from the Clearance section! Guys and gals, you're better off buying sale items from reputable stores (e.g. Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J. Crew) if you want more bang for your buck because chances are the garments at trendier stores will not last long (although I have been lucky at times, but then that's it, just luck). Ok? Ok ;)

Have an awesome and blessed week ahead!

<3,

Floral ditsy dress - Old Navy

Black leather wedges - Aerosoles

Tortoiseshell watch - Relic

Black leather sling bag - Coach

Black floppy summer hat - Collectioneighteen

Drooling over..

Beautiful, white leather bags. Just because.

white-hot by white-lily featuring a zipper bag

Squeezing Summer!

The cold winds are arriving, so I’m trying to squeeze out all of my warm weather clothes! Of course I will still be using most of them in the coming months, but I want to spend what’s left of summer to display their individual beauty instead of being layered with other items (this particular top, though, would not be suitable for fall/winter). I still have dresses that have yet to see the light of day – I think I should start just dressing up the way I really want to (which is a little “extravagant”) instead of trying to blend in with jeans and tops most of the time, because in trying to blend in I tend to ignore a lot of my items. Do you do the same thing? Or are you bold enough to be as extravagant/glam as you want (if you do, I salute you, brave fellow fashion lover!)?

(Oh noes, it's getting colder! Time to release all thin-material clothes!)

Hair clip via jewelboxballerina.com

 Bag from Rebecca Minkoff (via Nordstrom)
Watch from Kenneth Cole
Top from H&M
Bangles from Forever21
Flower rings from Nordstrom
Heart ring from boyfriend
Belt from H&M
Skirt from a shop in Bethesda Row


<3,