she floats like a swan, grace on the water

This is how I looked on Dec. 9:

jacket: Anthropologie, gift from Emily.....dress: JC Penney.....cardigan: Nordstrom Rack

tights: Kohls.....boots: Madden Girl

Becca and I went to the SJ Ballet production of 'The Nutcracker.' 

It was a magical experience.

the sun always shines on tv

This is how I looked on Nov. 19:

coat: Charlotte Russe.....sweater: Calvin Klein Jeans, .....jeans: Forever21

handbag: Dooney & Bourke.....boots: Rocket Dog, Macy's

I threw on this quick outfit after work for a date with Brian. We ate at our fave spot downtown, Firehouse No. 1.

emotion is a virtue. for you, it is the one fatal flaw.

This is how I looked on Nov. 15, 2012:

pullover: Forever21, gift from Kim.....top: Walmart.....jeans: Forever21

boots: Payless.....coat: H&M

I love this wool coat even though it is way too big. I bought it back in February on super-clearance, and I just can't part ways with it. Well, it does come in handy wearing it over my work suits.

I met up with Becca in SF to see Susanna Hoffs at Red Devil Lounge on Polk St. 

Susanna Hoffs is amazing.

my reflection, dirty mirror

This is how I looked on Oct. 26, 2012:

green brocade coat: Anthropologie, gift from Emily.....sweater: Nordstrom Rack.....top: Marshalls

black coat: Gap Outlet.....denim leggings: JC Penney.....scarf: H&M

flats: Sam Edelman, gift from Whitney.....boots: Charlotte Russe

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month. The company I work for let us wear jeans and pink to the office. I wore my coral cardi because that's how I roll. The bejeweled flats are so lovely.

It was very cold this morning, so I got to wear this green beauty for the first time today.

I wore my trusty black Gap coat for happy hour at Firehouse No. 1. And why not? Teal boots.

teal boots, again

I wore my teal boots to a Sharks game. Even though they are a snug fit, I was able to walk comfortably in them.

This is how I looked on March 22.

I think I'm wearing a shirt and a skirt under the coat.

tights: Walmart

coat: H&M.....scarf: H&M

gloves: Walmart.....boots: Charlotte Russe Online

handbag: Dooney & Bourke.....car keys

teal boots

Feb 10, 2012 - My coworker took a photo of me on Instagram the day my teal boots arrived at work.

teal coat: Target....work suit: Marshalls.....teal boots: Charlotte Russe Online

boy, your boots can leave a mess

Friday, Dec. 16 - I met up with Rachel, Jaimie, and Kelly to see Tori Amos at The Paramount in Oakland. We had front row, balcony tickets on the cheap.

By a landslide, the highlight of the night was the hanging out we did before the show. We had really strong drinks at a bar several blocks down from the theatre.

This is how I looked that night:


sweater: H&M.....dress: Forever21.....denim leggings: JC Penney
socks: Target.....boots: Macys.com
circle scarf: American Apparel, gift from Alannah
teal wool coat: Target
facial expression: that tired "just got off work" look

My fave shots from the show:

3 shades of aqua

Wow. The last time I posted to my blog was Jan. 5th. Really? Really??

Anyway, this is how I looked when I got home:

teal coat: Target.....turquoise scarf: Walt Disney World.....teal scarf: Ross
handbag: Dooney & Bourke, gift from Brian

I wore two scarves not because I'm stylish, yo. This was my way of making me take them home. I have a bad habit of leaving scarves at work.

My work outfit. I dressed for comfort today.


sweater: Nordstrom.....top: Marshalls.....skirt: New York & Company
crappy mini-socks: Target.....shoes: Nine West

The more I think of you, the more I melt like ice cream.

I went shopping in my closet for another wool coat, and I found this hot pink number.

wool coat: Target.....random outfit underneath
leggings: Target.....socks: Target.....boots: Bakers Shoes
gloves: Wal-Mart.....scarf: Walt Disney World

This coat is Isaac Mizrahi for Target, and it was purchased in 2003. I was obsessed with that shade of pink, so I had to have it! Fortunately, I bought this coat on clearance. Unfortunately, I couldn't button it across my tummy. The only one left was size S. And so I wore it open for the few times I did wear it. Or I would button it only on my chest. I loved hot pink that much.

Well, needless to say, times have changed.

my body rocks a rhythm. you beat my drum hard.

For the past two months, I've had the biggest urge to buy a new wool coat. I did a lot of window-shopping online, and I even checked out Macy's, Target and Burlington Coat Factory. But I couldn't find one that fit the bill.

As I was staring at my wardrobe, trying to figure out what to wear on Dec. 3, a certain coat caught my eye. A funky loud plaid jumped out at me. It was a coat that I bought on clearance for $19.95 at Charlotte Russe earlier this year. It still had the tags on it. As soon as I put this coat on, that urge to buy a new wool coat disappeared. The black, white, green, and orange patterning did me in.

So, the point of this story is this:
Shop in your closet, for crying out loud!

This is how I looked on Dec. 3:


wool coat: Charlotte Russe.....skirt: Ross
socks: Target.....boots: Avenue.com
circle scarf: American Apparel
under coat - top: Marshalls.....sweater: Nordstrom

so much to believe in. we were lost in time.

This is how I looked on Sept. 15:

location: Centre Bell, home of les Canadiens de Montreal~!


location: somewhere on the waterfront


location: Vieux-Montreal

dress: kensiegirl via Shop Idee's Closet.....tanktop: H&M.....leggings: Target
socks: Target.....boots: Avenue
coat: Gap Outlet.....handbag: Dooney & Bourke
sunglasses: LensCrafters

The dress.

I love the contrast of the zipper against the floral print.

my honey wears his heart on his sleeve

Last Sunday, I met up with Em in SF for an all-day outing.

Our first stop was the beautiful Columbarium. The personalised niches brought tears to our eyes, especially the niches of couples. We spent a moment at the memorium for Harvey Milk, and I placed a penny on his niche's ledge. As tempting as it was, I didn't take any pictures of the niches out of respect.

Lunch was at Pot de Pho. This was my first time eating restaurant pho, and I was not disappointed! We both had medium bowls of pho with rare steak, but I had well-done shank added to mine. I ate the meat first, so I could savour the noodles at the end. Em did the exact opposite.

Then, we did some shopping. We tried on armfuls of clothes at Anthropologie and at Jeremy's. I ended up purchasing a skirt at each store. Em scored a Yoana Baraschi dress at Jeremy's for $24!

By the way, this is how I looked in my regular clothes in a fitting room at Anthro:


sweater: Target.....tanktop: H&M.....jeans: Charlotte Russe
socks: Target.....Vans shoes: PacSun
coat: Gap Outlet.....messenger bag: Volcom Stone

By the way, I purchased the Nathalie Lété Paris cream and green skirt that's hanging behind me on the right-hand side of the picture.

Em gave me two tops and a dress, which are now too big for her. While at Anthro, I changed out of my trusty teal cardi into a cool hand-me-down burgundy Deletta top, which fit like a glove.

This is how I looked wearing a size XS top that's too big for Em in a fitting room at Jeremy's:

Yeah, if it fits me fine, then it's definitely baggy on Em!

Oh, I purchased the Edme & Esyllte cream and green skirt that's hanging behind me on the right-hand side of the picture.

Yep, I purchased two cream and green skirts!

(I took a lot of fitting room pics that day, so I uploaded them to a Flickr set, fitting room pics.)

Somewhere along the way, we had tacos at Mijita. I indulged in a cadillac margarita made with Siete Leguas.

We browsed Macy's Union Square mostly to gawk at ugly handbags, then we met up with Em's fiance Dave at Burger Bar. That place makes the best veggie burger I've ever had!

i'm love tornado struck. i don't know what to do.

Today marked the debut of this coat. It had been sitting in my closet, still with tags, since February 2007. What a shame! Seriously!

At work, I got so many compliments on this coat, that I didn't bother taking it off.

It's oh so retro!


That's okay. I felt a bit overdressed in this black sheath anyway.


coat: Proenza Schouler for Target.....dress: H&M
tights: Kohls.....Steve Madden shoes: DSW

Detail shot of the coat.
I quite like the white piping between the fabric and the lining.

And why not? A close-up of me the dress collar.

wash the angels from your hair, won't need them anymore.

coat: Gap.....scarf: H&M
sweater: Target.....secret tanktop: Mervyn's.....slacks: Marshalls
mini-socks: Payless.....shoes: Payless

The last time I wore this coat was a few years ago. And back then, I was barely able to button it up. This time around, the coat is a little loose. Rock on.

Sometimes, these eyes forget the face they're peering from.

This is how I looked on April 3:

sweater: H&M.....tanktop: Wet Seal.....jeans: Steve & Barry's
socks: Target.....Etnies sneakers: PacSun
circle scarf: American Apparel

This is how I looked when I left the house to meet up with Maria for our trip to the Legion of Honor in SF:

leather jacket: Wilson's Leather, a gift from Brian's mom

This is how I looked when we made it to the museum and then walked around downtown SF:

wool coat: Zara

It was beautiful and sunny in SF that Saturday, but it was also chilly and windy. I needed a jacket that would cover my bum, that's how cold I was! Being the over-cautious person that I am, I had brought along the wool coat just in case. After the museum trip, we drove on down to downtown SF to get lunch and to walk around. Brrr! Cold!

For some reason, I've been wearing my hair up in a ponytail on the weekends. Mind you, it's a pitiful ponytail, since my hair is barely shoulder-length.

Maria and I finally went on an outing to the Legion of Honor to see the "Cartier and America" exhibition. The jewels were simply breathtaking. There was this one brooch with a 47.59 carat pear-shaped diamond that we kept coming back to hover over. So amazing!

Where I come from, there's a place called heaven.

(That's a place where all the good children go.)

This is how I looked on Feb. 15th:


sweater: Nordstrom.....top: Ross
denim leggings: A.N.A., JC Penney.....socks: Target
Sarah Connor boots: Bakers Shoes
wool coat: Zara

I bought these denim leggings specifically for my Sarah Connor boots. An added bonus is that these skinny jeans are so comfy. Seriously.

The wool coat is a random purchase from Saturday. I saw it at Zara, liked the green plaid, looked at the price tag, gasped, and hurriedly tried it on. It was marked down several times before dropping to $29.99. Crazy!

***

My friend Dorena and I both happened to have Monday off, so we ventured on up to Napa Valley. We had a light lunch at Hog Island Oyster Company, went to three wine tastings, and had dinner at Redd.

Theee best grilled cheese EVER @ Hog Island Oyster Co.
It's made with three cheeses:
Cowgirl Creamery mezzo secco, cave-aged gruyere, and fromage blanc.


Six cabernet line-up at The Hess Collection Winery.


Domaine Chandon Winery

Too much absence makes my heart go frantic.

This is how I looked on January 9:

I'm wearing something I only wear for special occasions: make-up!

And a special occasion it was! Brian and I went to his cousin Hannah's wedding in Duncanville, TX. The wedding was beautiful, and the bride was gorgeous!

I quickly took off my jacket for this shot, then put it back on asap. I think it was around 34-degrees F that afternoon.

I bought these grey shoes when I went to Ross in Sacramento with Rachel. Today marked the first time I wore them in public.

coat: Target.....teal shrug: Macy's.....dress: JC Penney
scarf: thank you, Alannah!.....tights: JC Penney
shoes: Ross.....necklace: Tiffany & Co.
lip colour: "Berry" lipliner by Chanel (discontinued, I think!)
foundation: Paula's Choice
eyeshadow: MAC.....blush: MAC

Let's go, Sharks!

Saturday morning, Brian and I flew down to O.C. for a Sharks @ Ducks game.

This is how I looked loungeing about our hotel room:

youth large Sharks shirt: San Jose Sharks store.....thermal: PacSun
jeans: Steve & Barry's.....Etnies sneakers: PacSun
merino wool watch cap: Banana Republic

This is how I looked at the game that Saturday night:

teal coat: Target.....scarf: Eddie Bauer
beer: Blue Moon served with an orange slice = YUM!

The Sharks beat the Ducks, 3 to 2. What made the win even sweeter was that half of the arena was a sea of teal! I also heard that 3 charter buses full of Sharks fans made it to the game that night!

Sunday, to kill some time before catching our return flight home, we took a short detour in Huntington Beach. We had lunch at Aloha Grill on Main Street, then we walked up the street to the pier.

This is how I looked on a nice warm day at the beach:


Garbage shirt: gift.....thermal: PacSun
jeans: Steve & Barry's.....Etnies sneakers: PacSun
Rx sunglasses: LensCrafters.....purse: Dooney & Bourke

My head is in a spin, my feet don't touch the ground.

I love my purple wool coat.




coat: Wal-Mart.....beanie: H&M
sweater: H&M.....skirt: Ross.....shoes: Aerosoles



Purple and teal, for real.