Shoe in Love!

It's supposed to still be summer, but recently when I go out early in the morning or late at night it's in the 60s, which for me is COLD. That means I have to wear shoes instead of sandals to keep my toes toes-ted (hehehe sorry!). Here's a selection of shoes that I'm currently coveting for Fall 2013 - not that it's Fall. I just want to be prepared ;) Which pair do you like best?

Fall 2013 Part 1 by white-lily featuring black leather sandals

Fall 2013 Part 2 by white-lily featuring platform ankle boots

Brrrr-ingly with <3,

On Music and Concerts

There's nothing quite like watching your favorite bands/singers perform onstage, holding your screams in because you don't want to be hauled out by security, dancing/singing/dancing&singing along to their songs with friends and strangers, and reliving every moment once it's (alas!) over. These are why I tolerate ribbing from coworkers and other friends about my semi-packed summer concert schedule (see below), even if sometimes they include bands that are not as famous as they used to be (or so you think) like Hanson, 98degrees, and such. The appreciation of good music has been deeply embedded in me since I was a kid, almost always waking up on weekend mornings to John Denver's lyricism and visions of  West Virginia, Eric Clapton's ability to make his guitar sing, Frank Sinatra's velveteen voice and perfect diction, and let's not forget Simon&Garfunkel, Eagles, America, Chicago and Bread. Sometimes classical music too, plus vocal groups like The Platters and of course The Beatles. Growing up (hey 90s kids!) I learned to love the same songs as my peers: I crooned along to Boyzone, sang girl power-infused lyrics by the Spice Girls, stared googly-eyed at posters of the Backstreet Boys and dressed up like Avril Lavigne for a costume party in high school. But weekends were meant for music curated by Pa, and thus my eclectic musical taste formed. I was a teenage oldie, and proud of it.

Not included: Steve Martin, NKOTB with 98degrees and Boyz II Men, and Matchbox Twenty & Goo Goo Dolls

I used to think that Pa was the greatest guitarist in the whole world. And while that might not be true to 99.9999999999% of the population, I still think he's pretty awesome and I will always keep the memory of our morning jamming sessions close to my heart <3 He's why I taught myself to play the guitar (one of the first songs I learned to play was Summer Breeze, which was, decades after the original version, made popular again by Jason Mraz) and why I love serving in Singles For Christ's Music Ministry, although my guitar skills are verrryyyy rusty. Ma and my two brothers have good voices too; in hindsight, we should have formed our own version of The Partridge Family hehehe jk!

I am fortunate and very thankful to live near the nation's capital, because the possibility of a good artist/band playing in the area is pretty high :) If budget permits it, I'll be able to go to other concerts that I've just recently heard about <3 Thank God they're not as expensive as John Mayer's tickets, though, seriously! Then again, if it's an artist that you've loved for the longest time, why not? Carpe diem! (This is also why I joined Run or Dye even if I didn't train properly! lol) 

Click on the band's/artist's name to buy tickets :)

Walk The Moon - Sept. 27 at 9:30 Club

KT Tunstall - Sept. 28 at Lincoln Theater

Franz Ferdinand - Oct. 17 at The Music Center at Strathmore

Blogger Love - Peony Lim

By happenstance, one particular picture on a street style photo blog I went to caught my eye - her outfit was impeccably styled, and I could not help but be a wee bit jealous of her sartorial elegance. The person I'm talking about is none other than Peony Lim - a half-Chinese, half-English lady whose style is very much envied by women from all over the world (I have absolutely no idea how she went under my radar. Rumi Neely who?). I've been following the same fashion blogs and it was refreshing to add her to my list of style inspirations. It also helps that she posts recipes that look absolutely DELISH. Take a look:

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Stuffed Meatballs

Chocolate Cream and Raspberry Swiss Roll by Peony Lim

Pink Oman by Peony Lim

A Blouse To Last A Lifetime by Peony Lim

Day 3 NYFW by Peony Lim

Be inspired, but most of all, be an inspiration!

<3,

Outfit Post - Everything's Coming Up Roses, The Socialite, The Stepford Wife

Just a few memorable outfits I wore in the past week :)

1. Everything's Coming Up Roses - I love the idea of black and pink, but find that most combos are too harsh and punk-ish (I don't want to be perceived as a poseur). That is, until I found this really pretty, flower print top by Michael Kors on sale at Nordstrom Rack for $9 (plus it's made in my homeland, too!). I have no idea what species of flower adorns it, all I know is that it was a steal and the soft, soft fabric was love at first touch. The tiny black specks that adorn the shirt tie up nicely with the black from my super-cheap but super classy printed Loft pants (styled differently here: Outfits), and I paired them both with pink/black suede Kicheya flats from Nine West (on sale here: 6pm.com).

I remember the first print-on-print pairing I did when my Ma started to let me dress for myself - an oversized, gray Goofy shirt with floral denim shorts (one leg had blue flowers, the other leg had pink flowers) - and I loved the combo so much I wore it repeatedly when I was 9. Heyyyy who knew I was a budding fashionista? (One other outfit I loved, oh 90's fashion, was denim overalls + tee + black Skechers with heels. I was a genius. LOL). Anyway, here's the aforementioned outfit with the quintessential blogger bun! The bag is a convertible vintage leather purse by Coach that I snagged for $10 at Urban Outfitters in DC. Mwahahaha.

Top - Michael Kors

Belt - Michael Kors

Bag- Coach

Pants - Loft

Shoes - Nine West

2. The Socialite - Inspired by the chic Blair of atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com, I began acquiring huge neck baubles that add more oomph to outfits, and this one was no exception. It was hot on that particular day (it rained at around 10pm), so shorts were the only option. We celebrated my friend's birthday at Oya, a classy Asian-French fusion restaurant in DC, so I had to make my shorts look the part. But how do you style $18 Mossimo shorts from Target and make it look like a pair of $200 Phillip Lim shorts? Simple: wear it with a luxe-looking top (preferably a little loose so you can balance the amount of skin you're showing with the amount of silhouette you're not showing), add the right accessories and voilà you can start rubbing elbows with the chichi crowd there. Or just have a great time talking to your friends while eating the delectable three-course meal you ordered (just make sure that the molten chocolate cake does not get in between your teeth!). How would you style your shorts to make them look classy? Reply in the comments section below!

Necklace - SM Dept. Store ($3 I think?)

Top - Kenneth Cole, on sale here : 6pm.com

Shorts - Mossimo, get it here: target.com

Bag - DKNY, I bought it for $200 less at TJ Maxx, but you can buy it here: macys.com

Shoes - Kenneth Cole, infinitely more expensive version here: bergdorfgoodman.com

3. The Stepford Wife - Pearls? Check. Structured, knee-length tea dress? Check. Classic print and colors? Check. Blow dried hair? Check. Insincere smile? Hopefully not! Haha. This was the outfit I wore to a friend's bridal shower, where I won the trivia game (it helped that I am good at taking in random info!). The dress was very comfy and easy to move in, and I can see myself wearing it for a long time, or at least until I can't squeeze myself into it anymore. It's from Tommy Hilfiger, one of the brands that I would love to wear every single day if and when the opportunity comes (if you're curious to know, the other ones are: Banana Republic, Kenneth Cole, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs). The pearl necklace is from the Philippines, and is made up of flat, irregularly-shaped pearls - so unique looking and much less expensive than South Sea pearls!

Dress - Tommy Hilfiger (similar style here: usa.tommy.com)

Bag - Banana Republic (bid for them here: ebay.com)

Espadrille wedges - Ralph Lauren (similar ones here: bloomingdales.com)

Stay classy!

<3 lots,

Kmart Week 4 Entries

A big thank you to Kmart, the judges and the people who voted for my entries to Part III of the Money Can't Buy Style challenge! I received the news that I am one of the finalists right after I posted my entries to Part IV, and so as not to make them go to waste I'm sharing my outfit entries here. Most of the items are from Kmart - the cobalt blue jeggings, the black and white striped top, the crop gray sweater top and the blue-green crop top - that were all luckily on sale when I bought them! They're all from Selena Gomez's Dream Out Loud line, check them out! :)

Outfit 1:

Jean jacket - Old Navy

White lace wedges - Ralph Lauren

Blue-green crop top - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Cobalt blue jeggings - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Rose clip - gift

Blue leather sling bag - Banana Republic

Outfit 2:

Blazer - Nordstrom

B&W top with lace sleeves - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Cobalt blue jeggings - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Leather hobo bag - Dooney & Bourke

Black leather clog heels - Calvin Klein

Outfit 3:

Crop grey sweater top - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Cobalt blue jeggings - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Sequin oxfords - Sam Edelman

Black leather sling bag - Coach

Sword ring - Pirates of the Carribean (yup, the movie!) via Hot Topic

Outfit 4:

Orange jeggings - Ross

Gold sandals - DV

Yellow leather bag - Cole Haan

Bird top - Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

Necklace - handmade by my cousin, the lovely lady behind jewelboxballerina.com

Outfit 5:

Blazer - Marshall's

B&W top - H&M

Leopard flats - (forgot!)

Orange jeggings - ROss

Black leather sling bag - Coach

Bonus outfit (this one didn't make the cut because of the color scheme, although I really, really loved it!):

 

Blue-green crop top - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

Neon green crochet sweater - TJ Maxx

Cobalt blue jeggings - Dream Out Loud via Kmart

White canvas tennis shoes - Payless

I pray that I'll win the final round so I can go to New York and watch their Spring 2013 photo shoot! Who knows, maybe they'll consider including me, too ;) *wishful thinking*

Lotsa <3,