Weekend Instagram

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I'm disappointed with the switcheroo that CA and NY pulled on me with the weather - it was rainy, gloomy and for the most part, very chilly in the Bay Area, while I jealously read tweets from East Coast counterparts about the 70+ degree gorgeous sunshine.

Top left: Am I the last person to find out about Daiso, Japanese dollar super store? If only I had my own place to decorate. This Saturday, my friend Eveline took me for the first time and I was itching for all the adorable housewares, including cutesy lunch boxes that I can't wait to make into bentoboxes for um, future kids. Foursquare also tipped me off to the beauty section, with its extensive false eyelash selection - will keep these in mind for Vegas or special occasion events. I picked up some hair tie ropes and chestnuts for snacking.

Top right: To honor St. Patrick's Day, I pulled out the only green thing I had, this Yoshi tshirt that was a genius gift for the bf. The bottom words say "games" in Chinese, which is pronounced "yo shi"!

Bottom left: H&M has stepped up its game and is enticing me with all the recent offerings. This is the third time I've bought stuff from the store in two weeks. Today's goods: khaki crocheted sweater perfect for layering over maxi dresses/skirts during summer, breezy black asymmetrical hem top on sale, white vest for layering (pattern emerging: I love holey knits for summer), and a geometric pyramid gray/white bracelet. 

Bottom right: Coachella wristbands are heeerreee! On my shopping list is what to wear for this music festival. Boho, carefree, but mostly being comfortable as I'll be on my feet for the better part of the days. Can't believe it's 3 weeks away.

Have a great week!

Lightening Up With Some Nude Heels

I'm definitely late in the game, but I finally got myself a pair of nude pumps at the Nordie's Anniversary Sale (see post below for Janice's picks)! Since seeing them successfully worn by bloggers all over the blogoverse, I've been on the search for some of my own to wear with my lighter-toned work outfits. I found these Nine West Madeup Pumps on sale for $52.90 (original price of $79.95) and was lucky enough to nab a size 5.5 during the first day of the sale. At only 3'' high, these are definitely work appropriate and very practical for all day wear. I can already see these pairing well with half my work wardrobe!

I wore these pumps with a light cream tulip skirt from H&M. The skirt is an easy favorite for its pretty dotted texture and feminine pleats flowing from the waistband. Not only does the skirt fit amazingly well (the tulip shape is flattering and forgiving and the hemline sits perfectly above my knees), the light cotton material makes it way more comfortable, movable and machine washable. This is the perfect alternative to my more conservative pencil skirts that ride up and sometimes hug my butt a little too tightly. I promise that the light ridges around the waistband are due to my running late and lack of time to fully iron it that morning! Trust me when I say it usually looks a bit prettier than that. To complement the overall the look, I added the long strand of blush pearls from Forever21. Love everything about this outfit except that I wish I would've picked a more sophisticated-looking top (what was I thinking with those arm ties?). Next time!

Button It Up: Not Just Another Shirt

When shirt dresses began popping up everywhere a few summers ago, I was instantly on a mission to find one that fit perfectly... A great alternative to summer florals, I like that these are so light and airy to wear, while still offering a fun and casual look. Unfortunately, each one that I have tried on was either (1) too short or (2) too boxy. Even on my 5'1 frame, I was surprised at how indecent these things could look! Without the proper dress length, the ones I found truly made it look like I was missing a pair of pants (was definitely not going for Blake Lively's infamous I'm wearing my bf's shirt from the night before look). After pretty much being disappointed each time I tried one on, I gave up.

Recently, however, I came upon a picture of Amerie in this Gap shirt dress and knew that it was exactly what I have been searching for all this time. The blue stripes are classic, the ruffles add the perfect touch of femininity, and the belt completes the overall shape by cinching at the waist. Too bad this dress is from Gap's 2007 summer collection. How did I miss it?! Still, seeing this gave me hope and so I began my search all over again... with much more luck this year!

I finally found a summer shirt dress of my own this past month at H&M. It's not as stylin' as the one Amerie has on, but I think it'll definitely do. The H&M version I found has light blue stripes, a pleated bosom and the sleeves can be worn rolled-up or left at a 3/4 length. My arms are short, so I favor the rolled-up look (love that the dress comes with a button strap to hold the cuffs in place). Since the material is pretty sheer, I also bought a cotton slip at H&M's Divided department to wear underneath (it comes in a pair of white and black for only $12). These slips hit mid-thigh and are the perfect accompaniment to the overall length of the dress. Although the empire waist gives a cute A-line silhouette, I found that the size 4 was still too unfitted when left on its own. Since I wanted to wear the dress with my new cognac Bandolino Fortunata sandals, I needed to find a substitute for my go-to cognac belt. After digging through my closet, I came up with a much more comfortable alternative: a silk sash from one of my work dresses. The dark blue, 2-inch sash was a simple solution to keeping the dress fitted, while adding a fun contrast. Being able to tie a cute, fluffy bow in the back also gives it more of a "summer dress" feel! The dress, itself, is super lightweight and comfortable to wear and will be a definite staple over the next few months. I've been trying to stop myself from buying things from H&M just because they're cheap, but thankfully this dress was $24.95 well spent!

Love the pretty blue color and pleats!