vitaMinn style

2011 Roundup: The Year of the Handbag

2012-01-04T17:46:00.002-06:00

2011 was definitely the year of the handbag for me. Glad it wasn't a repeat of 2010 which was obviously the year of the shoes.

Here's a roundup of my purse-chase for the year!!

Chanel GST
Has gone up by 30% since I bought it, what a great "investment"!

LV Neverful
my weekly travel bag

Longchamp Pliage
in various colors and sizes

Gucci hobo
bought from Faye!

LV pochette
specially bought from Paris by my good friend Faye!

Chloe Marcie
yet another awesome find by Faye!

NYE Tapas Party 2012

2012-01-01T14:25:00.015-06:00

Here's some tips on how to throw a super fun New Year's Eve party!

STEP 1 - Prepare the tapas menu.

gazpacho
gambas al ajillo
mussels with saffron butter
fig and olive tapenade in endive spears
ceviche de pescado
avocado & tuna with marcona almonds
quince (membrillo) and manchego
pimiento stuffed manzanilla olives
chorizo stuffed piquillo peppers
cabrales serrano crostini
dates, brie & serrano skewers
spanish cheese & deli meat sampler (manchego, iberico, salsichon, chorizo, serrano)

STEP 2 - Count on good friends for an awesome Spanish wine pairings!

Big thanks to my very good friend, Faye for these fun photos!

STEP 3 - Prepare a 12-footer party backdrop which makes for a fun step 5 below...

STEP 4 - Ask guests to dress and suit up.

STEP 5 - Take lots of pictures. LOTS!

-- ABS Allen Schwartz Lanvin-esque dress -- Mimi di N leopard belt -- Alaia slingbacks --
Hubby is wearing a Burberry suit

STEP 6 - Welcome the new year with a a magnum rosé champagne!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!

...Very grateful for a great 2011 and here's to more food, fashion and friendship for 2012 and beyond!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-27T10:37:00.004-06:00

I know I have been gone here for a long, long, long time! Allow me to explain my absence at a later post. For now, just want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!!

-- BCBG dress -- Target blazer -- Mimi di N belt --Givenchy stockings --

...Wishing I could blog more in the coming year!

A Model I'm Not

2011-08-28T19:20:00.001-05:00

I am glad I don't model for a living. If I do, I would really suck at it. I only have a single pose -- one hand on the hips (two if I'm having a particularly nice day), one leg forward and slightly bent and face tilted to the side. I only have a single smile -- the BIG kind with as many teeth I could possibly show.

The whole process is almost part of my muscle memory now -- I can invoke it on a whim the very instant I see a camera!

So to change things up a bit, let's try this sitting down.

-- Romeo and Juliet Couture top -- Banana Republic shorts --

Yes, yes, I know! I should not give up my daytime job anytime soon.
Fine! :P

Orange You Glad?

2011-08-21T10:38:00.003-05:00

The title's a bit cheesy, I know -- but I can't think of anything else to write. It was the first thing that came out of my head seeing my orange top on this pic. :D

-- Free People orange halter top -- white shorts from Australia -- Stuart Weitzman cream wedges --

I am indeed glad that I got this top for a mere $12. And I am also glad for the cool summer weekends here in Minneapolis - a welcoming break from the heat in Dallas during the weekdays. And I'm glad we have great set of friends to enjoy the summer with -- shopping, jogging, working out, grilling and eating out!

A big shoutout to my dear friend Faye, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

A Tale of Friendship

2011-08-07T20:55:00.002-05:00

Good friends remain as friends no matter where they are in world.

Allow me to attempt to explain this in a story that will span four continents, three people and six years of friendship: Last weekend, a good Aussie friend of ours whom we met in Melbourne, and is now working in London for a company that is based in Minneapolis was in town for the weekend. We tried to meet up a few times last year but since I spent a lot of my time in Brazil, we couldn't. Tried to meet up again a few times this year but since I'm in Dallas during the workweek, matching our travel schedules was tricky. Until finally last weekend, we did!

He's a fellow foodie and travel junkie and he could talk about hole-in the-wall places in Makarska (Makarska where??) to three-star Michelins in Paris! A well traveled foodie seems a bit hard to impress but we took him to Restaurant Alma and surely, the pride of Minneapolis did not disappoint. Review coming up shortly!

-- purple top from Manila -- The Limited black mini skirt -- Saks sandals--
Hubby is wearing a Lacoste shirt and 7 for All Mankind jeans (yes, I just recently converted him over to the dark side of premium designer denim!)

Office Uniform Part5: Sheath Dress as a Skirt

2011-07-31T10:26:00.006-05:00

I had a light bulb moment in this outfit realizing that a sheath dress can also be worn as a skirt. I had another light bulb moment soon after, realizing that with the dozen sheath dresses I currently have, it's like having a dozen new skirts too! And so the 3rd light bulb moment - the best one of all, came all too obvious: If I could wear sheath dresses in many more ways than one, then I must shop for more of them!

And so I did just that yesterday, with my good friend Faye.

-- Daniel Rainn cream sheer top from Nordie's Rack -- Tahari teal sheath dress (worn as a skirt) -- Prada nude pumps -

This is my hotel room in Dallas, which has been my home on weekdays for the past four months now!

Harry Potter, Fireworks and Red Velvet Cheesecake

2011-07-24T22:48:00.005-05:00

Unlike other people, I prefer to watch movies in the comfort of my own home where the seats are clean and popcorn is way cheaper than the $5 a bucket at concession (with some health bonus to boot: less salt and less butter too).

So on the rare occasion that I will drag my germophobic and tightwad self to go see a movie, it better be worth it.

And truly, it was! Having read all the Harry Potter books, I could not hold back tears even as the credits were rolling. It was a great movie, the perfect end to a 10-yr saga.

It was a great afternoon with friends as well! We had an early dinner right after the movie and shared the tastiest red velvet cheesecake known to mankind!

Glad we snapped a pic to commemorate this great day. Thanks to our dear friend Rona for taking this! On the top left is Ann, my identical twin from another set of parents; next to her is Faye, my partner in crime in shopping; and next to me is Trix, a walking and breathing evidence that mommies can still look fabulous!

-- Daniel Rainn pink top from Nordie's Rack -- J Brand white jeans -- Valentino strappy heels -

An equally great night capped the perfect day. Our city hosted a fireworks night that day to make up for not having one on the 4th of July weekend.

What a perfect day it was! It's as if no problem existed in the world for a whole 24 hours!

Thanks to Faye for these great photos!

A Little Maintenance

2011-07-17T07:53:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered how to look a 5 pounds less in photos? Here's a tip: crop off one cheek. And since I'm all for extreme measures, I'm cropping off both as shown below.

-- Kay Unger pleated full skirt dress -- Mimi di N leaf belt -- Guiseppe Zanotti peep toes -

For those who seriously want to get rid a few pounds for real and for good (sans cropping tricks), join me here as I challenge myself to shed off a few pounds!

Please bear with this poor little me as I undergo a much needed maintenance because it's no fun to be in the slightly-overweight-for-your-height category.

BBQ Party

2011-07-10T11:38:00.004-05:00

We've been wanting to invite a big group of friends over to our place, but with work travel schedule, it was just too hard to find the time. Finally, without much thought and preparation, we decided to do it over the 4th of July weekend. It was a blast!

We probably had about 40-45 people in our place but surprisingly, clean-up was a breeze. I could have easily overdone it as I did so in previous parties here. But this time, I did the smartest thing and just had food personally catered by a chef friend. Thanks Chef Louie!

Now that I know that throwing big parties is just this easy, I can't wait to plan for the next one!

-- Ann Taylor tie dye top -- shorts from Australia -- vintage Chanel belt (from sister) -- Valentino strappy sandals --

This is my good friend Faye. She took all these shots in this post. She's my yoga buddy, shopping buddy, blog buddy and photography buddy. Well, technically, she does the photography while I only do the posing.

A few weeks before the big party, I invited her over for a test run of my grilling skills. She took this lovely shot of our new patio set!

Be sure to checkout her blog here and her photography profile here.

7 Habits

2011-07-03T13:15:00.001-05:00

If I have to write my own version of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I would definitely add Shopping in as an imperative habit. Would probably be even in my ~~top 1~~ top 3. And I don't need any study to prove it, heck I would just draw from my very own personal experience.

You see, whenever I go shopping (or about to go shopping), I always feel very productive at work because a) I know I need to pay for my shopping and; b) I get really excited to parade my new treasures to my teammates.

Even the time leading to shopping seem to make me work faster than normal so I could rush to the mall after.

Take this peplum sheath dress, which I got for 75% off at Neiman's Last Call last weekend. I knew it would be counter productive if I didn't buy it right away because I'll just be constantly thinking about it all day. So being the effective person that I am, I spared myself the agony and closed the transaction in 3 easy strokes - click, cart, checkout!

Convinced yet? Can someone please sign me up for a book deal already!??

-- Marc New York peplum sheath dress -- Romeo + Juliet Couture pink lace top -- Ferragamo Ribes --

Now excuse me as I write the Preface to my future book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Shopaholic's Edition).

Dressing Room Update3

2011-06-26T13:08:00.007-05:00

I'm going to stop giving myself a deadline to finish my dressing room. Since I don't seem to keep any of them anyway, it'll just be in a constant work in progress from now on.

Since my last dressing room update, I got two more shoe shelves, a settee, a dress form, installed a wall art and a chandelier.

And of course, bought a few more pairs to fill the empty shelves! ;O

Have a great day!

Office Outfit Part 5 (The Tree & BCBG)

2011-06-19T11:02:00.004-05:00

I now have a newfound respect for trees of all kind. Last night, as I attempted to do a yoga tree pose, I could barely hold the position for longer than 10 seconds without starting to shake, wiggle and tumble. But the trees! They can be their own tree selves in the whole span of their tree life! Awesome! Just awesome!!

Like this BCBG dress that I got at Nordie's Rack for $16! Yes, just 16 bucks!! Awesome! Just awesome! Deals like this is up there in awesomeness like the tree, would you agree?

And while we're on the subject of nature and it's wonders, here's a beautiful vintage cheetah Mimi di N piece I found on eBay! It adds just the perfect amount of edge to this otherwise girly outfit.

-- BCBG dress -- Mimi di N cheetah belt -- Louboutin "Picador" slingbacks -

Dancing or Not

2011-06-12T13:25:00.008-05:00

If ever I get invited for a season of Dancing with the Stars, I would wear this outfit on my opening performance. This flowy and glittery chiffon dress would make for a perfect outfit for those swaying and grinding hip action!

But until then, I will wear this around the house while washing dishes or folding clothes or dusting counter tops. Who says a lady can't dress sexy while doing the most mundane of chores?

-- Marchesa Notte dress -- Target tights --
-- Mimi di N lion belt -- Saks black suede booties -

Date Night

2011-06-03T16:14:00.012-05:00

I thought that an answer to every question is just a Google click away. I thought wrong. At least not for the question I was after - How To Grow Money on Trees. Not finding an answer to this one bugging question was terribly disappointing for me.

Had there been one, I can only imagine how my life would be. A life without mortgage and bills... Only date nights. Every. Single. Night!

Wouldn't that be awesome?!

Oh well, it is what it is. Meanwhile, here's an outfit I wore a few months back for a date night with the hubz.

-- Saks Threads black cashmere sweater -- BCBG dress -- Target black tights --
-- Mimi di N lion belt -- Saks black suede booties -

Office Uniform Part 4

2011-05-30T00:23:00.010-05:00

I may have stopped blogging for a few months already but I have not stopped wearing (and buying) sheath dresses since I first started last year! The obsession continues...

-- Banana Republic light blue sheath dress -- Theory gray blazer -- Mimi di N vintage shell belt -- Stuart Weitzman black pumps --

Paris: Sights, Shops, STYLE (Part 3)

2011-03-07T19:05:00.003-06:00

What outfit should I wear in Paris during a winter visit?

This question caused me several sleepless nights. In fact, I must have lost a few pounds stressing much over it. I mean, it's Paris, the home of all things chic and fashionable, who wouldn't lose sleep over such mind-boggling question?

Ok, lies. The truth is, I only packed the night before the trip and in an effort to travel light, forgotten a few things. But I somehow managed with just 1 scarf and 1 pair of jeans worn 4 times!

Did I hear anyone say GROSS! Yes, I know. The germaphobic me seems to have been hibernating recently.

What I wore out shopping!

-- Armani Exchange sweater -- Target tights -- 7 for all Mankind jeans -- Banana Republic boots --

But I learned a very important, life-altering lesson on this trip: I need a good pair of some buttery soft tall leather boots! The boots I wore nearly cost me my toenails!! And each time the unforgiving leather would come in contact with my ankles, I'd give out little cries of pain. Considering we walked nearly 52,000 steps while there, can you imagine just how much ordeal I put my little feet through?!

Wore this to the Opera Garnier to see Caligula ballet

-- Lanvin LBD -- Chanel-esque tweed from Nordie's Rack -- Louboutin "New Simple" red pumps --

Hubby wore his favorite Burberry suit

Every time I'd see folks giddily strutting in their comfy Uggs, I had to battle self-restraint to prevent myself from tackling them to the ground and taking their Uggs for myself!

Yes, it was that serious. I was ready to suffer misdemeanor charges in the name of comfort.

So lesson learned there, I need some buttery soft leather boots so I could stay away from jail!

What I wore to Guy Savoy.

-- Qi Cashmere LBD -- Chanel-esque tweed from Nordie's Rack -- Louboutin "Picador" slingbacks --

Paying homage to the mothership

-- Theory dress -- Laundry by Shelly Segal coat -- Longchamp Le Pliage shopper tote --

Thanks for listening to my rant!
Up next: Paris haute cuisine!

Paris: Sights, SHOPS, Style (Part 2)

2011-03-02T17:47:00.002-06:00

Didier Ludot

Rue Fauborg Saint Honore Shops

Repetto

Depot Vente at 17th Arrond.

My Paris souvenirs!

Paris: SIGHTS, Shops, Style (Part 1)

2011-02-27T09:11:00.002-06:00

There are simply no words to describe the beauty of this city!

Restaurant Review: Guy Savoy, Paris

2011-02-20T17:47:00.007-06:00

I was nervous, giddy and excited all at the same time when we went for lunch at Guy Savoy. And considering it's got 3 Michelin stars and consistently get rave reviews among the foodie community, I had very high expectations!

We were the first ones to arrive and felt like a royalty as the entire staff welcomed us at the reception area! Everyone was so warm and nice and made sure we were comfortable being this as our first dining experience at a 3 Michelin star restaurant!

Out came a serious of amuse-bouches beginning with this foie gras terrine and toast on a stick...

Then, we were served another amuse-bouche of lentil and truffle ragout. I thought this was really, really good... such intense flavor!

Lifting the cup was another surprise amuse-bouche of lentil spring roll.

We were already so amused with the amuse-bouches served so far long before the meal officially started.

To officially kick off the meal, I had the artichoke and black truffle soup for starters. It was so rich and oh so flavorful, I really don't mind eating this every single day!!

Brioche with truffle butter...

For his starters, the hubz picked terrine of foie gras and cannard in black truffle sauce

Midway through, a bread cart came in loaded with some artisan bread!
I passed on these carbilicous goodness which to this day, I still regret!

Then came the main course. I had the red mullet with liver sauce and some pickled herb that was supposedly marinated for over 6 months!

...The hubz had sea bass (scales included!) with vanilla-infused stock.

Shortly after, we were served a pre-dessert of lemon/pineapple meringue, grapes with rice pudding (weird but good!) and apple infused with something that was really good but forgot what!

For dessert, hubz had what the menu says "apple" which was really layers of apple compote, apple sorbet, apple granita, apple crisps and juice of can you guess what?? Yes, apple... what else? :D

He calls it a very expensive applesauce. :D

Meanwhile, I had dark chocolate biscuit and dark chocolate ganache topped with dark chocolate sorbet! It was served with black pepper. Yes, black pepper, I'm serious!

Just when we thought it's over after the 2nd dessert, out came this "chariot of sorbet"!

I picked a vanilla sorbet, caramel custard, chocolate macarons and 2 of the best tasting marshmallows I had in my life!

The hubz picked strawberry and vanilla bean rice pudding and sorbet!

After all that gourmet goodness, the final dish was this prune sorbet which was a perfect palate cleanser!

And that ends our 2 1/2 hours gastronomic adventure which we will both remember for a long, long time!

♥♥♥ Lovers in the City of Love ♥♥♥

2011-02-20T14:59:00.007-06:00

Our planned trip to Paris falling on Valentine's day was not a mere coincidence. Its to make up for our 8th year anniversary back in October which we spent apart and Christmas day eating Chinese takeout!

We sure did make up for it with the 7 days spent in the City of Love! It was our most relaxing trip ever! No planned itinerary but to eat, shop and walk along Jardin des Tuileries holding hands!

♥♥♥

-- Saks Threads cashmere stole -- Target tights -- Chanel GST -- Banana Republic boots -- Linea Pelle belt --

-- Laundry by Shelli Segal coat -- Qi Cashmere dress -- Givenchy tights -- Louboutin "Picador" slingbacks --

More Paris posts to come, please stay tuned!

Economies of the World

2011-02-10T21:35:00.012-06:00

I'm in Canada! My first time here!!

The VP invited me to attend a client assessment meeting somewhere here in Alberta and I was so thrilled for 2 reasons:

a) I've never been to Canada and;

b) this is my first time to be involved in this early stage of an engagement!

The meeting went well but I definitely have so much to learn in this business. For one, I do not know anything of what's going on in the business world enough to carry out an intelligent conversation with top level executives. Time to start reading Time mag or BusinessWeek so I have something else to contribute other than "Ahuh.." and "Oh, really!".

I felt so stupid and I prayed they would talk about the fashion trend or the consumer spending on shoes but they didn't. Instead, they talked about the GDP of China, education % attainment of India, inflation in Canada and... get this... predicted the top 10 economies in 2020. Hmmm.....

If I want to play this field, it seems I need some apps on my iphone other than Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Stylish Girl, My Closet and Photoshop Express.

Very well, I'm installing The Wall Street Journal mobile now as we speak... Oh but first, I need to enter today's calories in my MyFitnessPal app!

Ok, I digress. Argh. I need to do less of this digressing too because these CIOs and VPs, they seem to be very focused, you know. Kinda like how I am when I'm trying on Loubies and Blahnik's on sale at Neiman's. Yes, that kind of intense focus! Focus. Focus!

Ok, now focusing on my outfit (this is a style blog afterall!), I just realized I don't have enough business-y outfits in my closet. I spent about 4 hrs last night trying to think of what I'm gonna wear for a 2hr meeting today. Ridiculous!

My conclusion: I need a default, go-to, standard outfit for an occasion such as today. I wonder if the hubz would be so agreeable to me investing on a Chanel tweed suit?? Coz I feel like once I'm clad in Chanel from head to toe, talking about GDPs and growth rates and ROI's will just come easy! Heck I'm sure it will make me so confident I will even predict the economy of Pluto in 2030!!

-- Ann Klein suit -- Ann Taylor ruffle top -- Chanel-esque Stuart Weitzman cap-toe pumps --

Office Uniform Part 3

2011-02-04T15:41:00.004-06:00

I hope you're not tired yet seeing me in yet another sheath dress because I'm far from done with this style!

-- Banana Republic sheath dress -- Manolo Blahnik 'Ravel' snakeskin pumps --

Office Uniform Part 2

2011-01-26T19:08:00.006-06:00

...And so the saga of the sheath dress continues!

-- Milly of New York sheath dress from Neiman's Last Call -- Manolo Blahnik 'Ravel' snakeskin pumps --

This dress currently sells on ebay for more than twice of how much I paid for. SCORE!!

Dressing Room Update2

2011-01-25T18:50:00.007-06:00

Whenever folks at CSN stores approach me to do a review, it always makes my day! And yes, I will use it again for a product review for something in my dressing room. Nevermind if what I really need is a new laptop and a new laptop messenger bag.

Speaking of dressing room, look what arrived today! I searched high and low and finally after months of browsing through catalogs and websites and stores, I found the perfect settee!

Yes, I know, my progress has been very slow on this room considering it's my favorite room of all! Maybe I need to create a project plan just so I can manage its completion better! For now, I'm targeting to finish the entire room in 3 months (which is exactly what I said 3 months ago!)

Progress in 8 months:

~~4 ladder shelves~~

~~bench/settee/chaise~~

paint wall in mocca

Lucite (or mirror) side table

animal print area rug

platform

more shoes to fill the shelves! :D

...I'm sloowly getting there! Let's hope I finish by summer!

Office Uniform

2011-01-23T06:29:00.007-06:00

I've never worn pants for the past 8 months now! I really love sheath dresses and been buying them every chance I could! I probably have a dozen already with no plans of slowing down!

-- Chetta B sheath dress from Neiman's Last Call -- Jimmy Choo watersnake pumps --

-- Marc New York sheath dress from Neiman's Last Call -- Gucci 'Paloma' peep toes --

-- Banana Republic sheath dress -- Jimmy Choo watersnake pumps --

The French Laundry : "Peas and Carrots" -- Maine Lobster Pancakes with Pea Shoot Salad and Ginger-Carrot Emulsion

2011-01-04T20:34:00.011-06:00

"Peas and Carrots"

Everyone, meet Coco, Miuccia and Donatella -- my new friends.

Friends for a few mintues, that is... until I drenched them in hot water and steeped them silly. Yes, that's how I like to treat my new friends.

But I did butter them up nicely after. Literally! Even found out there's a fancy name for buttering-up your newfound friends - it's called beurre monté

Now that you know how nice I treat my new friends, let's begin!

Oh wait... Before I actually begin this recipe, I had to learn how to steep a lobster here. It was surprisingly easy! About 5-10 minutes per lobster, not bad!

Part 1 - Lobster Glaze

I heated the canola oil and sauteed the lobster bodies (and shells too). This smelled really good. So good that if I could eat the air around the cooktop, I would!

Then, I added the tomato, carrots, thyme, water and simmered for 1hr 15 minutes. I then strained and simmered again until the sauce was just 1-2 tsps.

Yes, you read that right. This process requires to simmer about 4 cups of liquid down to 2 tsps. It took patience!

In the interest of time, I might need to skip this step the next time I do this recipe again! So there, consider yourself warned!

Part 2 - Lobster Filling

This part is so easy, all that's needed is to mix all ingredients plus the reduced lobster glaze above. So I don't have an excuse when I realized after that I forgot the mascarpone cheese!

Silly, silly, silly me!! No wonder when I finished this dish, I was like, hmm, there's something missing. It's not really French Laundry quality!

Oh well, next time, I promise to redeem myself to friends who were kind enough to be my taste testers in this experiment!

Part 3 - Carrot-Ginger Emulsion

Yes, your eyes are not tricking you. That's a Jamba Juice cup you're seeing right there!
But I can explain! I don't have a juicer and didn't want to buy one so I just bought a carrot juice from Jamba!

Forgive me, pretty please! =)

This step is again pretty simple. All that's needed is to reduce the juice, whisk in the cream, then whisk the butter. Just be sure that when you whisk in the butter, your saucepan is not too hot, otherwise, the sauce will break!

Then, I blended with an immersion blender until it's emulsified.
If you don't have an immersion blender, I think it's ok to skip this step. It wont' affect the taste, this is just for presentation to have those little bubbles when you plate them!

Or if you're patient, use a wire whisk, I think that will work too.

Part 4 - Crepes

Again, this is rather straightforward. If you've been making regular crepes, this is nothing different. Although, I have to say, I will definitely invest on a crepe spreader next time I do this recipe again. That way, the crepes are even and thinner.

Part 5 - Pea Shoot Salad

Super easy, it's just like making any regular salad.

Part 6 - Plating!

So after 4 hours of slaving in the kitchen, this is what you'll have!

But please don't let that stop you from trying this recipe. The only reason it took 4 hours for me is because I had to take pictures as I cook, you see! I bet the next I do this, I can probably do it in 3 hours and 50 minutes! :P

The verdict? I didn't like my first version since I forgot the mascarpone. When I added it and did a little tweak to the steps (skipped putting the crepes in the oven which kinda dried the edges, instead, I microwaved the crepes for 30 secs which made it even softer!) . So the verdict is YES, when done right, this recipe is a Michelin star worthy!!

Time: 3-4 hours. Sadly, yes, that's the sacrifice!

Difficulty: Easy. It's just a bunch of steps and a lot of patience reducing liquids.

Calories: about 511 calories per serving

Total Cost: About $70-80 because lobsters don't come cheap!

Will I do this recipe again? If I can find a free afternoon again, absolutely!!

2010 Hits and Misses

2011-01-02T11:46:00.008-06:00

To recap 2010, I started the year buying shoes and ended it buying some more.
In between, I worked, ate, bought a house and racked 50,000 airline miles! :D

2010 was a great year for us!
Had our share of challenges but still feel so blessed!
Wishing for a great 2011 as well!

January - new shoes for the new year!

February - weekend in Vegas

March - goodbye downtown, hello 'burbs!

April - Regret
Who in their right mind would pass up a Lanvin for 90% OFF?
Back then it was either the dress or the coffee table!

May/June- French Laundry Craze
I discovered I have the patience to do gourmet at home!

July ♥♥♥ Rio, Copacabana, Ipanema, Samba♥♥♥
Ola, Braziwww!!!

August - São Paulo for my birthday!

September & October
6 things I distinctly remember about these months: I worked, worked, worked and ate, ate, ate!!!

November - 30 for 30 Remix Challenge
What a fun challenge it was!!

December
Spent Christmas Eve 30,000 ft above, spent Christmas Day eating take out, spent day after Christmas hunting for these!

I look forward to an exciting 2011 with all of you!

Feliz Natal do Brazil!

2010-12-24T07:04:00.004-06:00

Sending everyone warm Christmas greetings from Brazil!!

30 for 30 Round-up

2010-12-21T18:12:00.002-06:00

Warning: You're going to see a LOT of me in this post! Rest assured I'm only doing this to document and recap the challenge and not for anything else! :P

...Fine, fine, I admit it, I'm V-A-I-N! Why else would I torture anyone with 30 pictures of me, me and me?!?! =)

Top 2 most worn shoes

Prada nude pumps
Gucci gray suede pumps

Top 3 most worn items of clothing

Max Mara Weekend A-line skirt
Theory black blazer
Ann Taylor floral halter top

My top 3 favorite outfits

And most importantly, lessons learned:

30 pieces is a lot! In my case, it's even 3 too many! I had a skirt and pants I did not end up wearing and a pair of shoes I've only worn once.
Creativity is key. A dress can be worn as a top and a top can be worn over or underneath a dress; with pants, skirt or shorts and worn tucked, untucked or even backwards!
Quality goes a long, long way. Having 30 great pieces is better than 300 crappy ones.
I will go through my closet and will evaluate each piece using this new rule: If I can't picture myself using it for another 30x30 challenge, it's going to Goodwill!
I'm happy with what I have and absolutely need nothing else. But knowing me, I will completely forget about this as soon as I see something on sale. So if I have to shop anyway, I will shop for things I absolutely need!

And that wraps up this 30x30 challenge. Hope you had as much fun as I did.
Thanks to Kendi of Kendi Everyday for organizing this fun challenge!!!

THE END.

Learn Portuguese (#30)

2010-12-20T19:34:00.003-06:00

Some helpful tips in learning Portuguese :

"R" is pronounced as "H". Example: Rio de Janeiro is "Hee-yo de Janeiro"
"H" is silent. So, happy is "appy"
"L" sounds like "W". Example: Brazil is "Braziwww"
"T" at the end of the word is pronounced "tch". Example: Internet is "Internetch"

So, applying the rule...

I am so appy! We going ome in a few days. But before we leave Braziwww, we are going to Hee-yo first. If I'm silent for a few days, it means I don't have an internetch!
=)

-- Ann Taylor blazer -- A|X tee -- 7 for all Mankind jeans -- Prada nude pumps --

I am also very appy that I am now finally done with the 30for30 challenge!!! Hurray!!!
Thank you all for looking and thank you Kendi for organizing this fun challenge!

My recap of lessons learned will be posted tomorrow! Stay tuned! =)

Favorite Top (#29)

2010-12-20T19:31:00.002-06:00

I really love this Marc by Marc Jacobs pink top, it is so versatile! I've worn it at least ten times since I bought it! It's great paired with jeans, shorts, skirt, with cardi or shawl and can be worn untucked, tucked and even backwards!

This combination: SK1 + T3 + S1

-- Marc by Marc Jacobs pink top (work backwards) -- Dolce & Gabbana gray skirt -- Prada nude pumps--

Office + Office Party (#28)

2010-12-19T08:27:00.012-06:00

The glittery top of this outfit shouts party while the blazer and pumps remain office worthy. I wore this to the office last week and wished I had an office party to go to afterwards!

This combination: B1 + T4 + SK2 + S5

-- Theory blazer -- Ann Taylor sequined top -- Max Mara Weekend skirt -- Gucci pumps --

Black and Gray (#27)

2010-12-19T08:24:00.015-06:00

My office uniform consists of black, brown and gray. I need to learn to wear some colors to work. I fear that if I wear pink, yellow and purple, no one will take me seriously. But it doesn't have to be. Who ever said that pink can't be powerful? Someday, I will prove them wrong. But for today, it's black and gray!

This combination: SD4 + T1 + S4

-- Ann Taylor black sheath dress -- Ann Taylor satin gray top -- Stuart Weitzman black pumps--
-- Oscar by Oscar dela Renta belt --

CIO Meet & Greet (#26)

2010-12-18T15:23:00.008-06:00

What would you do if you're told you're going to meet with the CIO to present a 90-minute year-end review of the project and propose (errr "beg" in corporate speak) a budget for the next year?

My initial reaction to this was, "Oh my gosh, what would I wear?!"
I thought of going the easy way -- shopping for a new outfit... BUT decided against it in the end.
I thought there has to be pieces in my 30 remix worthy enough for my most important meeting of the year!

Once I picked the right outfit, everything else fell into place.
=)

This combination: SD1 + T5 + S1

-- Banana Republic gray sheath dress -- Ann Taylor halter top -- Prada nude pumps--

What Was I Thinking? (#25)

2010-12-18T15:01:00.007-06:00

The idea of this outfit seemed fine when I wore it. But looking at it now, not sure what I was thinking there? The black cami looked liked a bra strap!

I contemplated on not posting this pic but oh well... in the name of remixing accountability, here it is anyway. Please don't hate me for it. :P

-- Banana Republic pink halter dress -- Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats --

An Outfit to Remember (#24)

2010-12-15T18:57:00.002-06:00

I know this happiness will be short-lived but I'll allow myself to pause and relish this moment anyway ! I delivered what is probably the most persuasive presentation in my corporate career in this outfit. The client Director was so pleased and brought the team a box of chocolates shortly after the meeting. The long hours has paid off, I'm in career cloud 9!!

This combination: SD3 + S4

-- Magaschoni black sheath dress -- Stuart Weitzman pumps --

Sorely Tempted (#23)

2010-12-14T17:51:00.002-06:00

I have to admit I was tempted to shop so many times during this challenge. The urge was so strong early on, but as the challenged progressed, my self-control got stronger -- sending sale alerts straight to the trash bin just became a habit, something my mouse learned to do automatically without waiting for my brain to think.

Of course it helped too that work has been so hectic and I barely had any time to open my personal email most days. But the bottomline is this: My previous 65-day streak of non-shopping was not a fluke. I'm glad to realize it's perfectly repeatable! Now, it's been 40 days and counting! I'm so proud....

-- Ann Taylor cream blazer -- Ann Taylor top -- Banana Republic brown skirt --
-- Prada nude pumps --

Cutesy as a Gradeschooler (#22)

2010-12-13T17:00:00.002-06:00

Hubby said the oversized Peter Pan collar makes this outfit too girly and cutesy for work. But what's wrong with a collar looking like petals and my head looking like flower bud?! I am willing to experiment on anything all in the name of remixing! :P

This combination: SD2 + T1 + W1 + S4

-- Calvin Klein sheath dress -- Ann Taylor gray satin top -- Banana Republic black cardi --
-- Stuart Weitzman black patent pumps --

Weekend Casual (#20, #21)

2010-12-12T06:44:00.006-06:00

I can almost see the end of the tunnel now, 9 more outfits to go and I'm done!
Meanwhile, it's been 36 days since I last shopped!

This combination: T1 + P2 + S6

-- Ann Taylor gray satin top -- 7 for all Mankind jeans -- Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats --

This combination: T9 + P1 + S6

-- A|X tee -- A|X leggings -- Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats --

Casual Friday (#19)

2010-12-08T19:22:00.001-06:00

I finished work early today! And by early, I mean before midnight.
Hurray for working 14 hours instead of 16!!

This is what I wore for last week's casual Friday.

Combination: T3 + P2 + S1

-- Marc by Marc Jacobs top -- 7 for all Mankind jeans -- Prada nude pumps --

(#18)

2010-12-07T17:55:00.000-06:00

This combination: SD1 + B1 + S5

-- Theory blazer -- Nordstrom Rack floral dress -- Gucci gray suede pumps --

(#17)

2010-12-07T17:54:00.000-06:00

Puffy eyes. I think I worked til past midnight the previous night when this was taken.

-- Banana Republic sheath dress -- Gucci gray suede pumps --

15-Minute Conversation (#16)

2010-12-06T17:04:00.003-06:00

Today, the funniest thing happened to me at work. So we had a meeting and everybody spoke in Portuguese for a good 15 minutes. Then, as if realizing my very limited Portuguese, they all looked at me and asked, "Did you understand all that?", for which I replied, "No, you lost me at ola!" =)

On a different note, I knew I'd pull a skress look sometime in this challenge and here it is!

Skress Combination: SK2 + T10 + S4

- Armani Exchange blue dress -- Max Mara black A-line skirt -- Stuart Weitzman black patent pumps --

Halfway!

2010-12-05T15:07:00.002-06:00

I can't believe despite my crazy work, I made it halfway through the challenge!

Notes to self:

I love wearing sheath dresses to work, need to buy a few more after this challenge.
I've been wearing my Theory blazer almost every week, need to get another one!
Don't forget to include a basic black cardi for the next challenge.

And most importantly...

Think twice of joining again if I anticipate work to be hectic!!!

100 Words (#15)

2010-12-04T07:04:00.005-06:00

I'm becoming more and more Brazilian each day I stay here. My Portuguese vocabulary has now reached 100 words! I can say basic phrases like calling a cab, ordering food, greetings, and counting. But it is sure not enough yet to carry a longer conversation. In a few more months, maybe... =)

Combination: SK2 + T2 + S4 + W1

-- Banana Republic halter dress worn as top -- Max Mara black A-line skirt -- Banana Republic black cardi --
-- Stuart Weitzman black patent pumps --

Old Pic (#14)

2010-11-29T18:50:00.007-06:00

I'm way behind on my outfit posts but I'm not giving up just yet. I don't care if I finish this 30x30 challenge next year, I'm still in! Technically, I really am still in. I have been wearing only my 30 pieces even for the days I'm not posting. It's just that on days I to rush to work, I have not been able to take pictures for some of them.

So I do have to apologize for using an old pic for something I wore last week. I don't think I'll ever find the energy to recreate outfits just for the sake of taking pictures, so an old photo will have to do!

Last Wednesday's combination: SK1 + B1 + T5 + S2

-- Theory blazer -- Ann Taylor halter top -- Dolce & Gabbana gray pencil skirt -- Chanel burgundy pumps --

Catch-Up (#13)

2010-11-27T06:17:00.007-06:00

Work pretty much occupied my every waking hour this week. I've been working 16-hour days for a few weeks now and usually won't turn in until midnight or 1AM, too tired to blog. Just this week alone, I must have worked more than 80 hours.

Today, I'm so glad I do not have to work so I took advantage and slept like a baby for 13 hours. I'll enjoy this day as much as I can because tomorrow, it's back to work again.

Will catch up on outfits when I can, wasn't able to take pictures for my Wed-Fri outfits. But just in case this blog gets quiet again, just assume work is taking over my entire life again!

Tuesday's combination: B3 + SK4 + S1

-- Ann Taylor blazer -- Romeo and Juliet couture floral top -- Banana Republic skirt -- Prada nude pumps --

5 Mins (#12)

2010-11-22T18:37:00.005-06:00

It's already 10:40 PM here in Brazil and I'm still working but I have 5 minutes in between tasks. Guess what I'm doing with that 5 minutes? Posting today's remixing outfit, of course! What else is more important to do?! :p

Today's combination: B1 + T8 + S5

-- Anne Klein blazer -- floral Dress from Nordstrom Rack -- Gucci pumps --

Lovely Brazilian sunset!

Switch Needed (#11)

2010-11-21T12:34:00.007-06:00

I'm making another switcheroo for one of my remixing items. My Dries pumps turned out to be quite impractical here in Brazil. I don't want to hurt myself walking along uneven cobblestones or worse, make a fool of myself as I try to balance in a 4-inch pumps walking downhill. Safety and practicality should justify a switch, would you agree? :D

Found these Steve Madden Ann Demeulemeester-like buckle booties at DSW for $30 last month. I couldn't resist the price considering the real deal is 30 times more expensive! But I have to say though the leather is not very comfy on this. I am curious to know how much comfier the real Ann D's would be like... and for that let me ask my friend Martina of The Little Fashion Treasury!

-- Ann Taylor Loft halter top -- A|X leggings -- Ann D-inspired Steve Madden booties --

Today's combination: T5 + P1 + S3 replacement

Can't Believe (#10)

2010-11-20T13:41:00.009-06:00

I can't believe I've escaped the cold back home and enjoying the lovely Brazilian summer. I can't believe it's a Saturday and I have to work. I can't believe I'm a third of the way through remixing with no sign of quitting yet!

Today's combination: T6 + T2 + S1

-- Ann Taylor Loft top -- Banana Republic halter dress -- Prada pumps --

Boring (#9)

2010-11-19T19:38:00.009-06:00

My outfit might be but my work is anything but. My calendar is booked all day. If I'm not in meetings, I'm either running to get to the next one or planning materials for the next. I expect it to be like this for the next few weeks. And as my work gets busier, my outfit will even get more boring. Please bear with me! =)

Today's combination: B1 + T9 + S3

-- Theory blazer -- A|X tee -- 7 for all Mankind jeans -- Dries van Noten pumps --

Hectic (#8)

2010-11-18T17:00:00.002-06:00

I worked for 16 hours yesterday, then 12 hours today, and then again on this weekend too.
But remixing must go on...

Today's combination: SD2 + B1 + S5

-- CK sheath dress -- Theory blazer -- Gucci pumps --

Brazilian Independence Day (#7)

2010-11-16T14:56:00.006-06:00

Lovely day today here in Brazil! This is what I wore for dinner to join in in the celebration eating what Brazilians do best: steak!

Today's combination: T10 + S6

-- Armani Exchange dress -- Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats -- Mimi di N lion belt --

Remixing Takes Brazil (#6)

2010-11-15T11:12:00.006-06:00

After traveling for what felt like forever, finally arrived here in Brazil!

Today's combination: T7 + T5 + P3 + S6

-- Ann Taylor halter top worn over Ann Taylor pink top -- 7 for all Mankind jeans --
-- Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats --

Good, Bad, Worse, Worst (#5)

2010-11-12T18:42:00.010-06:00

Good: I am traveling tomorrow and packing was a breeze last night.
Just threw my 30 items into a suitcase and I was done in record time!

Bad: I inadvertently packed everything and forgot to leave some clothes to wear today. I suppose I'll just wear this top again tomorrow, shhh...

Worse: I packed all my shoes too and was forced to "cheat". Yes, again.

Worst: I went shopping today. BUT it was only to make an exchange, it doesn't count, right?

I'm inspired by all the lovely ladies in this challenge who are breaking the rules and experimenting outside of their comfort zone. Today, after 15 years, I tucked my shirt again!

Today's combination: T7 + P3

-- Ann Taylor top -- 7 for all Mankind skinnies -- Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots --

Faceless (#4)

2010-11-11T17:03:00.011-06:00

I'll be faceless today. The culprit: experimental eye make-up gone wrong.
Consider yourselves spared from the horror of seeing it.

-- Ann Taylor gray top -- Weekend Max Mara skirt -- DIY zipper necklace --
-- Stuart Weitzman pumps -- Banana Republic belt -- Gap cardi --
-- Prada bag --

I'm obviously a rookie to this remixing thing.
Realized today that I didn't have a single piece of cardigan in my mix.
What was I thinking? Well, I did say that I will need to pull a wildcard at some point in this challenge, so here it is.
I hope you still love me :/

Today's combo: SK2 + T1 + S4 + W1

Instructions for this DIY zipper necklace is here.

Was a bit chilly today so decided to wear a tights.
And yes, I did realize it's crooked and did fix it, thanks for your concern. :P

Structured, Sparkly and Stretchy (#3)

2010-11-10T21:41:00.011-06:00

Today, I needed an outfit comfy enough for a drive across town yet formal enough for a business meeting, all while being versatile enough for a date night with the hubby.

A structured blazer, sparkly top and stretchy jeans saved the day!

Today's formula: B1 + T4 + P3 + S2

-- Theory blazer -- Ann Taylor Loft sequin top -- 7 for All Mankind jeans -- Chanel burgundy pumps --
-- Oscar by Oscar dela Renta belt --

The Mastercard Analogy (#2)

2010-11-09T09:36:00.026-06:00

Braided necklace on clearance at Target: $6
Classic gray sheath dress on sale from Banana Republic: $57
Chanel classic pumps in patent burgundy: $$$
To stand out as a woman in a man's world: priceless!

There's some things money can't buy. For work outfit shopping, there's always...
Well, you all know how the quote goes.

Let's face it, it's a man's world out there. But I'm not going to hide my curves nor stop curling my hair in an effort to blend in. There's more to me than my lacy camies and 4-inch stilettos!

Today's formula: SD1 + S2

-- Banana Republic sheath dress and belt -- Chanel burgundy patent pumps -- Target necklace --

So far, so good. Let's see if I still smile this big on the 3rd week of the challenge ;)

LBD Monday (#1)

2010-11-08T09:36:00.017-06:00

I feel like no matter what I say, as long as I say it wearing a sheath dress, I'm ten times more convincing! It's formidable in the most feminine way.

I need 20 more of these to assure success at work! ;D

The cutest $4 purchase ever!

Basic pumps with bow DIY ala Lanvin:
Satin bow knotted a few times over the heel and around the ankle so it would hold up.

Today's formula: SD4 + S4 replacement
(I left my patent Weitzman pumps at the hotel!)

-- Ann Taylor flutter sleeve sheath dress -- Stuart Weitzman pumps with DIY bow --
-- Target necklace --

30 for 30 Remix Challenge

2010-11-06T10:36:00.026-05:00

Kendi of Kendi Everyday is having a 30 for 30 Closet Remix Challenge which I've decided to participate in. The premise simple: take 30 items from your closet, style it into 30 different outfits to wear for 30 days.

STEP 1: Take 30 items from your closet

Well, I kinda cheated on this as half of my 30 items are new. :P
But that's ok coz I think I really deserve a mini shopping spree after the predicament I've "suffered" as documented in my previous post here.

So, here are my 30 items. Well, it's 31 actually!! I don't want to squeeze my brain anymore just deciding which 1 item to remove from the list.

Gosh, I've already cheated twice, and we're just on step 1!
Am I disqualified now?!?!?!

SHEATH DRESSES

SD1 - gray Banana Republic v-neck sheath dress.

SD2 - two-tone Calvin Klein sheath dress.
SD3 - black Magaschoni sheath dress.
SD4 - black Ann Taylor flutter-sleeve sheath dress.

I think I'm setting myself up for failure by posting the stock photo of these models! :D

Oh well, moving on...

SKIRTS

SK1 - gray Dolce & Gabbana skirt

SK2 - black Moschino C&C A-line skirt
SK3 - white Carolina Herrera pencil skirt
SK4 - brown Banana Republic pencil skirt

BLAZERS, JACKETS, CARDI

B1 - gray Theory blazer
B2 - navy blue Anne Klein suit
B3 - khaki Ann Taylor blazer
*the cardis will be a wildcard pick!

LAYERING TOPS

T1 - gray Ann Taylor satin sleeveless top

T2 - pink Banana Republic satin dress
T3 - pink Marc Jacobs hearts satin top

T4 - floral pink Ann Taylor halter top
T5 - gray Ann Taylor satin sleeveless

T6 - polka dot pink Ann Taylor ruffle top

T7 - tie-dye pink Ann Taylor top

T8 - floral blue dress from Saks

T9 - salmon A|X tee

T10 - blue A|X pleated pocket dress

PANTS

P1 - black A|X snap leggings
P2 - black 7 for all Mankind skinnies
P3 - blue 7 for all Mankind skinnies
P4 - black JBrand jeans

SHOES!!!

S1 - Prada nude pumps
S2 - Chanel burgundy patent pumps
S3 - Dries van Noten python heels
S4 - Stuart Weitzman black patent pumps

S5 - Gucci gray suede pumps
S6 - Vivienne Westwood Melissa flats

It's the shoes selection that I was most excited about! So much so that I seriously contemplated on picking just 30 pairs of shoes and nothing else. But then it would be very indecent to show up for work in nothing but a pair of shoes -- that would sure end my career, well my career in the corporate world, at least!! :P But I do love my job, so there, a happy compromise of 6 pairs!

STEP 2: Style 30 different outfits for 30 days

Styling 30 outfits for 30 days is not a problem. Posting those styled outfits here is!

I seriously don't know how in the world would I be able to manage posting an entry everyday for 30 days. The longest posting streak I did so far is probably just 1 whole week and I was just at home staycationing.

If I end up cheating a little bit, please forgive me in advance. Such cheating, which I'll hereby refer to as "creative alternatives" will include but not limited to:

Taking pictures of the said outfits not on the day as I wear them -- could be before or after depending on how crazy my work schedule gets.
A wildcard shoe selection (outside of the list) - because I really love shoes!
A few wildcard clothing pieces -- perfectly excusable as I'm in a unique position as I take on this challenge: I will be traveling midway through this challenge and I will transition from winter to summer as I travel!

STEP 3: No shopping for 30 days

I did not shop for 64 days prior to this and I consider that one of my major achievements in my adult life. :D

30 days should be E-A-S-Y! But we'll see!

So there, let the remixing begin!

Be sure to check the other 337 bloggers who are joining this challenge!

A|X x8

2010-11-04T17:28:00.008-05:00

I'm still alive!!

Sorry for being such a bad blogger these days. Work is getting in the way with all the travels and deadlines and stuff. But I'm not complaining! In fact, I just got a very good news a few days ago that could very well be the turning point of my career.

I would have celebrated with you all but the good news was immediately followed by a few misfortunes: my work laptop died; my backup work laptop, though working, was completely unusable for work; lost my luggage with most of my work clothes; airline is unable to locate my lost luggage; I got sick and was in bed for 2 straight days, unable to vote, unable to work.

All that happened in a span of 4 days. And so, to save my sanity, I decided to break my 64 days of non-shopping.

And shopping I did! Went shopping online, at the outlet, at the mall, at discount retailers, specialty retailers, mega retailers. In fact, I'm not done yet. As soon as I hit the publish post, I'm off shopping again!!!

Yes, that's what 64 days of non-shopping along with a dead laptop, lost luggage and a nasty cough and cold can do to ya. I surely don't wish it on anyone. :D

Meanwhile, here's a sneak peak of what I've bought. I snagged 8 new pieces from 1 store alone!! Thanks to ArmaniExchange.com for all the wonderful sale!!

Sweater: A|X, on sale here. So happy with this, I bought it in black and heather.
Biker's Jacket: A|X, sold out but similar style on sale here.
Leggings: A|X, on sale here. Love the stud detail!
Sunnies: A|X, similar style here.

And my Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee-boots is making a debut after 6 months of hibernation!!

Stay tuned for more of shopping updates!! Let's see if my shopping luck continues tonight...

Home Decor DIY: Travel Map

2010-10-16T12:36:00.008-05:00

We wanted to have a travel map where we could pin the cities we've been to.
However, we couldn't find anything that fits our budget. So a DIY is in order and this only costs about $10.

Materials I used: map, canvas, sponge, antiquing medium, candle and glue.

First, I applied the antiquing medium to both the map and the canvas.

Then, I tore the edges and burned it with a small candle.
As a safety precaution, I did this process outside.

Next, I glued the map to the canvas.

Lastly, I pinned the cities we've been to! The list is now 80 and counting!!

minneapolis. lawrence. topeka. kansas city. manila. chicago. wisconsin dells. san francisco. san diego. las vegas. boston. temecula. los angeles. london. manchester. paris. versailles. sydney. melbourne. cebu. boracay. bohol. singapore. kaikoura. christchurch. hanmer springs. cairns. hobart. bay of fires. freycinet. bicheno. launceston. beauty point. new york. richmond. jamestown. williamsburg. yorktown. orlando. washington dc. boca raton. delray beach. miami. key west. south beach. nassau. cococay. amsterdam. venlo. rome. venice. milan. florence. pisa. brussels. cologne. bruges. luxembourg. beaufort. bacharach. st. goar. antwerp. ghent. leuven. berlin. hamburg. dresden. prague. salzburg. innsbruck. lucerne. black forest. trier. bonn. hong kong. macau. windsor. bath. salisbury. rio de janeiro. sao paulo.

Colors of Fall

2010-10-11T20:52:00.004-05:00

Living in the city for so many years, we've been so deprived of colors -- specifically, the beautiful colors of fall! This year, we were giddy as kids as we explored around our neighborhood and admired the nature around us!

-- Marc by Marc Jacobs hearts confetti top -- Lucky Brand jeans -- Dries van Noten pumps --

-- vintage Rochas necklace --

Parade of Nations Party

2010-10-09T10:44:00.004-05:00

One of my goddaughters, whose name I share, is celebrating her 1st birthday next weekend. Check out the invites her parents sent out: a passport and boarding pass, what a cute design!! The theme is "Around the World" and guests are asked to dress up to represent any nation.

Too bad I won't be able to attend her party as I would be traveling that time. But that won't stop me from coming up with a costume anyway and still be there, if only virtually. ;)

My costume would have been this, representing China!

I got the dress from a thrift store for $4! I'm wearing it with a skirt on top -- sort of a reverse skress because the dress by itself is way too tight on me (gotta be decent to a children's party!) Then, I styled my hair into a messy bun and stuck 2 chopsticks for props, pulled this DvF "Roni" boots and voila!

It's too bad I couldn't come to her party, what a bummer!

Fall in Minne-SOH-ta

2010-10-07T17:12:00.007-05:00

Enjoying a fine day in Minne-SOH-ta!

Weatherman says today is 10 degrees warmer than average.

Last year, we got a foot of snow around this time already.

I'm sure we will be paying dearly for this prolonged lovely fall weather.

But I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

-- Ann Taylor blazer -- Debenhams tee -- Lucky Brand Jeans -- Prada coral platform sandals --
-- Longchamp tote --

Next to Louboutins, I think Pradas got the sexiest soles!

VitaMinn MJ

2010-10-02T21:12:00.030-05:00

I got this Marc by Marc Jacobs confetti hearts and jacquard top from Gilt a few weeks ago at the urging of my best friend. I "work" as her personal shopper in my spare time and supposedly, the Gilt purchases were all for her, but couldn't help it and got this one for myself as well!

I'm so glad I did because I loved it! So much so that I'm thinking of buying another one in blue.

...And here's how I styled it!

Last chance to wear these peep toe beauties before they hibernate in the shoe rack again.

-- Marc by Marc Jacobs confetti hearts top -- Express cardi -- Ferragamo Ribes peep toes --

-- Prada bag -- Dior sunglasses -- necklace and ring from Brazil --

Virtual Housewarming (Part 1)

2010-10-01T09:06:00.009-05:00

It's been 6 months since we moved in to our new home and finally, I can say we're almost done furnishing and decorating. However, we have not had any proper housewarming party yet and will probably not have for a long while because I've been traveling again for work. Funny, in this digital age, my virtual friends get to have a sneak peak of our house before our real friends do. In any case, here's a few rooms we've completed already beginning with our formal living room -- which is pretty much done already, just missing a slightly edgy, slightly funky modern chair in the corner.

And what a perfect coincidence that I have been contacted again by CSNstores.com to do another product review! It seems I will find that perfect chair pretty soon here!

And here's our dining room. It's actually not a set. The table was from our old set, the end chairs were bought separately, and the 4 chairs with round cutout back are matching chairs for our dinette -- which we switched over with our old chairs! Confusing I know, but it works somehow, don't you think?!

The lamps, plants and accessories were inexpensive buys from Target, Walmart and Our Home.

The drapes and area rug were from lavish-interiors.com and came free from our builder!

And of course, you've seen our Travel Room which I blogged about here.

And in case you're wondering, my dressing room is still in the same exact state as when I last blogged about it here. Ironic, my favorite room in the house is probably the last one to get furnished and decorated.

OK folks, that's all for now! I'll be sure to continue this virtual housewarming post as soon as I can sneak a few hours off work!

VitaMinn VW

2010-09-26T10:33:00.009-05:00

...is for this lovely Vera Wang Lavender Label layered ruffle top!

I really love Vera Wang silhouettes and how it embraces femininity in its designs: ruffly, drapey, bling-ey and frilly!

I got this deep green/black satin top earlier this year but didn't get a chance to wear it until recently. I must admit though, this draped me better months ago when I first bought it. I seemed to have gained some pounds lately which makes a few of my clothes fit awkward. I blame it on this here! ...A minute on the lips, forever on the hips, arggghhh!!!

I'm really loving my Vivienne Westwood for Melissa jelly flats! I've been wearing them almost every night for dinner out with colleagues. Arghh, there goes another reason for the weight gain, I've been dining out way too much recently! Oh well, such is the challenge when you're traveling for work.

OK, enough about my weight gain, I'll deal with it somehow! ;) Meanwhile, I want to share this beautiful necklace I'm wearing here which is a friend's design! I'm wearing it like a bib which is very Vera-esque, would you agree?!

Have a great week ahead, everyone!!

Design(er) Diagram - Part 4

2010-09-19T15:40:00.006-05:00

This has been fun and I'm contemplating of making this same picture format on my future posts! Though it's just a lot of work and it might remind me of work... so we'll see!!

Design(er) Diagram - Part 3

2010-09-19T14:03:00.005-05:00

Design(er) Diagram - Part 2

2010-09-19T14:01:00.008-05:00

Shoutout to my lovely friend, Faye, who's giving out an exciting giveaway! Check it out here!

Design(er) Diagram - Part 1

2010-09-19T13:12:00.018-05:00

If I apply the same concept I do at work on this blog, my posts would look like this:

I do a lot of diagrams and arrows and smart arts for my work documents and presentations, so I figured, why not for my blog?

Please stop by everyday to see more design(er) diagrams here for the next couple of days!

Brazilian Gastronomy

2010-09-19T11:00:00.009-05:00

Mystery: An unexplained weight gain of a few... well, uhhhm, errrr, MORE than a few pounds!

Investigation: Track back the travel photos to find the culprit.

Mystery solved.

Must try: petite gateau & caipirinha
(but not necessarily together!)

Brigadeiro Chocolates

corn pizza, anyone?

how about chocolate pizza?

only in Brazil: cheese ice cream with guava fudge
(it was surprisingly good!!)

This poor little blogger is still so swamped with work but will try to sneak some blogging time here and there, when I could!

Iguatemi Mall, Sao Paulo

2010-08-28T08:31:00.023-05:00

What could have been a 2-hr trip to Sao Paulo took us 6. And to add to the stress was some hotel confusion that took another hour to get sorted out.

By the time I went to bed, my body was telling me that it needed to sleep for at least 2 days. Too bad my stomach didn't agree. It woke me promptly the next morning at 8, growling for breakfast.

I was more than happy to go back to sleep after breakfast but encountered another opposition. The hubz made a marital decree that a day in Sao Paulo will not be wasted spending in the 4 corners of our hotel room. I opposed such decree and lobbied with my very own conditions: I will only get my lazy arse out of bed if the day's activities involved something relaxing, rejuvinating and calming.

...And so he took me to Iguatemi Shopping Mall!! Am I a lucky wifey or what?!

The mall didn't disappoint. As with any other mall, it delivered the promise of relaxation, rejuvenation and calmness. While it's in the "smaller" side compared to the malls that we're used to here in the States, it's got all the designer "essentials" enough to transport any girl to shopping dreamland!

Brazil has a very steep tax on foreign goods. For comparison, an LV Neverfull GM That costs $750 here would retail for about $950 in Brazil; a pair of Louboutins on sale at Neimans for about $400 sells for $850 in Brazil, and that's on its final clearance already... Ay caramba!!!

But fret not, my dear friends... I didn't go home empty-handed. Of course not! That would be a violation of the Shopaholic's Code of Conduct. Stay tuned to see my Brazilian trinkets and souvies!

While roaming around the mall, we also caught this exhibit featuring gowns of Hollywood icons of old.

And here's us performing our touristy duties posing at a small Japanese Zen garden inside the mall

Restaurant Review: Figueira Rubaiyat

2010-08-27T21:41:00.025-05:00

We flew to Sao Paulo to celebrate my birthday but with no idea how. For once, my usual plan-to-the-very-last-detail self took a backseat to make way for the spontaneous side that I didn't know existed.

We had about 1 night to do some research and immediately zeroed in on the legendary "Figueira Rubaiyat" -- a place a lot of food blogs are raving about. We were so lucky to get reservations on such a short notice!

The restaurant is so unique as it is named after and built around a massive 130-yr old fig tree!

The food and wine surely didn't disappoint.

...But the highlight of the entire night has gotta be this!
For the first time, we got to try this perfectly marbled and perfectly grilled kobe beef!

The tag says "Tropical Kobe Beef - point of origin tracked and screened".

Here's a little secret: I actually saved the red tag at the end of the meal because who's to say I'll ever get a chance again to eat a 14oz steak priced as a pair of designer shoes!

And here's what I wore...

-- pink crochet wrap top from Portman's in Aus -- Anne Klein swimsuit -- Lucky Brand jeans --
-- Louboutin "Picador" slingbacks -- hubby's belt --

São Paulo

2010-08-24T20:40:00.010-05:00

As our plane was about to land in São Paulo, I was completely shocked with what I saw... Buildings as far as the eye could see and our plane hovering just a few hundred feet above this mega massive city!

Sugarloaf Mountain

2010-08-24T20:02:00.008-05:00

We almost skipped this tour not knowing what Sugarloaf Mountain is and what to expect once there. Glad we went because the sweeping views from the mountaintop was simply spectacular!

Copacabana beach on the left side and Christ the Redeemer in the distant right side

Samba!

2010-08-23T19:40:00.008-05:00

This is by the far the cheesiest thing I've done as a tourist but for a mere $3, who can resist such cheap entertainment?!

Allow me to indulge my lifelong dream of participating in The Rio Samba Carnival!

Well, except that I am 6 months late from the actual Carnival (happens every February).

The costume however, was for real and had its share of 15 minutes of wild fame parading along Sambadrome!

TADA!!!

Judge if you must, but I certainly had a ton of fun!

Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

2010-08-21T20:59:00.009-05:00

photo credit: google

One day, as I wandering aimlessly along the shopping streets here in Brazil, I came across this quaint little shop that had the cutest flats in their display window. Intrigued, I came in and realized they were all made of plastic! Yes, plastic! And not only that, they smelled like bubble gum too!!

The SA was kind enough to give me a quick fashion round-up saying the designs are from a Brazilian company called "Melissa" whose eco-conscious creations features plastic shoes made out of recyclable materials.

And just like any other hip retailer in this day and age, Melissa collaborates too with designers to come up with some special, stand-out pieces!

In particular, these "Ultragirl" flats is a collaboration with the fashion icon, Vivienne Westwood. They immediately caught my eye and within 5 minutes, they were mine!

Here's the rest of the Vivienne Westwood collection for Melissa.
Aren't they the cutest?!

And here's a Jean Paul Gaultier design for Melissa.

I have a feeling this is not my first and last pair of Melissa jellies.
Already eyeing the Lady Dragon and the 3-strap flats!!!

♥♥♥ Copacabana ♥♥♥

2010-08-21T16:45:00.012-05:00

For the latter part of our stay in Rio, we decided to stay in Copacabana just to see how it is compared to Ipanema. Glad we did coz we loved the area! There's definitely more action, more food choices and more shopping... and to top it all, the beach is twice as long!

Thank you dear hubz for all the wonderful pix!!

-- Zara pink white top -- white skirt from Myer in Aus -- orange Havaianas --

Christ the Redeemer

2010-08-14T19:56:00.015-05:00

Of course, no visit to Brazil would be complete without a tour to see Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer. I still can't believe we finally got to see it in person, and on a day that couldn't be any more beautiful with the clear blue skies that provided the perfect backdrop!

-- Gap white top -- Qi Cashmere black dress -- Prada bag --

Up next: Maracana stadium, the site of 2014 FIFA World Cup!!

Ipanema - Part 2

2010-08-14T10:48:00.012-05:00

-- skirt and swimsuit from Myer in Aus -- Yaya Aflalo top last worn here --
-- Kenneth Cole flip flops --

I have a lot more Rio pictures to share but for now, we're off to São Paulo!!

Ipanema Beach

2010-08-11T16:57:00.015-05:00

Frank Sinatra cannot be any more right -- the 'Girl from Ipanema' is indeed 'tall and tan and young and lovely'! Unfortunately, we've been too shy to zoom in on them to take pix, so instead, here's us.

Sorry to disappoint :P

I was the only one wearing a 1-piece swimsuit, I looked like a grandma standing next to the ladies in their micro-thong bikinis! Yes, the kind that some of us consider too risque to even wear as an underwear is proudly worn on the beach here!

View from our hotel

More Ipanema pictures soon!!
The internet is cooperating so I'm taking advantage and uploading a bunch more pix.

Impressions of Rio de Janeiro

2010-08-08T10:26:00.010-05:00

The week flew by so fast! I can't believe we're halfway through this trip already! Here's a few pix for now. More to come as soon as we're home.

The famed Ipanema Beach

Statue of Christ the Redeemer

Maracana Stadium - site of the 2014 FIFA Worldcup

Samba!

Sunset at Sugar Loaf Mountain

Tchau!!!

Fun in the Sun

2010-07-31T21:30:00.001-05:00

Straw hats, cover-ups, swimsuits and suntan --
My uniform for the next few days.

BRB

Travel Room

2010-07-29T18:41:00.001-05:00

Finally done with this room and would like to share some pix with you all!

This is our travel room slash office slash guest room...

Photos were taken by the hubz from Paris, New York and London

The map at the far end corner was a DIY project!

Wall of souvenirs.
My fave are these tiny cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest in Germany!

Hope you enjoyed this mini virtual house tour! =)

Summer Uniform #4

2010-07-28T19:41:00.002-05:00

I rarely post outfit photos taken outside. I'm too shy to pose for the camera knowing people are looking. Special thanks to my friend and shopping buddy Faye for taking this shot!

-- Marc by Marc Jacobs pink top -- cream shorts from Melbourne, Aus -- F21 necklace and cuff --
-- Linea Pelle jeweled belt -- Dior sunnies --

Skress #3

2010-07-27T19:30:00.003-05:00

If you've been following my little blog a while now, you'll know I love the skress look. Skress = Skirt + Dress. See my skress outfits here and here.

And today, another one!

-- Zara halter dress -- Guess skirt -- Mimi di N gold lion belt --

-- Ferragamo "Ribes" peep toes --

Would you believe this is the same dressI wore here, and the same skirt I wore here and here. Yes, that's the power of the skress, it can transform a simple little skirt and dress into yet another fabulous outfit altogether!

A shout out to the lovely Ces of Mom-Daughter Style who's also rocking the skress look!

Try it and let me know if skress works for you too!!

Dressing Room Update

2010-07-26T18:27:00.004-05:00

My dressing room is slowly making some progress. I am very pleased with the shelves I got from the very generous folks at CSNstores.com (the one stop shop for anything you could possibly ever need for your home -- from furniture sets to dinnerware sets, name it, they've got it!)

Thank you CSNstores!! With the shelf they sent, all my favorite pairs are now proudly displayed and every visitor we invite over have to endure my senseless babbling that usually goes along these lines:

"Designer pairs are so worth it, there is no turning back once you buy your first one! I had 200 pairs of regular shoes before, and not one I'm giddy about -- design-wise and comfort-wise!! I mean, just look how stylish this is and feel how soft the leather is on this!!! I did not even think I could wear a 4-inch pair until this!!!! (Picking up the Prada booties or the Gucci suede pumps). These make walking 10 blocks easy breezy!!!!! Something that was a torture with ALL my old non-designer pairs before!!!!!!!"

NOTE: The increasing exclamation marks in my monologue above is not a fluke on my keyboard. I do say these lines in a rising crescendo, just ask my friends who've had the misfortune of touring this part of our house with me!! :P

OK, now back to my slowly progressing dressing room. I say "slowly" because until I actually STOP shopping for stuff, then I actually won't have any budget left to finish off this room.

With that dilemma (and OH, what a dilemma! ;), can you just imagine how happy I was when I was contacted again by the folks at CSNstores.com for an opportunity to do another review?!

Right away, I went to their site and searched for things I still need in this room: a chandelier, a chaise, a girly lamp shade, some frames, an area rug and a platform.

A platform??? Yes, a platform! Don't ask, it's a story for another post!

So anyway, I'm still trying to decide what to get for the product review but I promise to post it here as soon as I receive it. Stay tuned....

Summer Uniform #3

2010-07-24T19:59:00.012-05:00

Just a quick post to add to my summer uniform series.

-- Free People top -- brown Banana Republic shorts -- F21 necklace and cuff --
-- Banana Republic wedges -- Prada Vit. Daino bag --

I took the photos just as I was about to head out doing what I have been doing best all summer -- shopping!!

vitaMinn P3

2010-07-24T09:35:00.007-05:00

Friends, may I present the newest addition to my handbag collection -- the Prada pebbled leather hobo with silvertone hardware! It's P to the power of 3 as this my 3rd Prada this summer and my 3rd Prada bag* from the Vitello Daino design!

I already said this before and I'll say it again, leather Pradas make for a very practical everyday handbag -- stylish and requires no maintenance despite the soft leather. I have been using mine all the time and managed to reduce the cost per use to about .6% of the bag's price. Now that's what I'd call getting my money's worth!!

* The burgundy Vit Daino I got last Christmas by cleverly pulling a Birkin scare now lives in MIL's closet. I decided to give it to her for Christmas! It was so fun to see her expression opening the bag -- she was giddy like a little girl!!!

Summer Shopping

2010-07-21T21:17:00.015-05:00

Whenever I go shopping, I feel a surge of natural high, my endorphins shooting through the sky. Whenever I go shopping, I forget about any hunger, exhaustion, aches, pain and discomfort. Whenever I go shopping, I stride like a gazelle, prey like a lion and roar like a tiger in triumph.

Shopping is in my very DNA. It's the only plausible explanation for all that I've written in the paragraph above.

Or in less scientific terms, I am simply born to shop (and have a keychain to prove it). And chances are, you are too, otherwise, you won't be lurking here in my little blog, curious about the recent shopping haul I've got!! ;)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My souvenir from Saks in Chicago, a Longchamp toile shopper tote!
Still available at Nordies, if you want!

Fresh from today's haul at the shopping equivalent of Disney, aka "the happiest place on earth!" :P

Got this Magaschoni sheath dress in black.

And this DvF Roni tall boots.

And this package was waiting for me when I got back!!!

Here's a sneak peak... Any guess on what's inside?
Clue: this makes it for my vitaMinn P3 this summer!

And that folks, is the end of my summer shopping. The next few months will be a period of drought... or so the hubby hopes!

Afternoon Tea at The Drake Hotel, Chicago

2010-07-20T12:55:00.021-05:00

An afternoon tea at The Drake Hotel is a must do for anyone visiting Chicago. Visitors who did exactly just that include: Queen Elizabeth in 1958, Princess Diana in 1982, Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra, just to name a few.

Curious, I dragged the hubz to the northern end of Chicago's Magnificent Mile to check this out for ourselves. And we weren't disappointed.

As soon as we got inside the hotel, we were warmly greeted by a hotel staffer who offered to take our photo and insisted that it's a crime to refuse such offer. Not wanting to be dubbed as photo criminals, we happily obliged.

As we headed up to the hotel's Palm Court, the faint harp music was getting more and more distinct and immediately, fresh from reading the Twilight saga, I recognized, ahh Claire de Lune!

As we were ushered to our table, I felt light years away from all of life's worries. There was something about the place that's so calming, the kind that is almost hypnotic. (That, or I was really just overwhelmed with my very first proper afternoon tea experience. :P

Soon after, food came in this lovely 3-tiered plate. We shared a selection of finger sandwiches, fruit bread slices, scones, and a variety of French pastries. They also had this tray of spreads of strawberry preserves, lemon curd and English Double Devon cream. Fancy, isn't it? :D

For tea, I had the tropical green tea while the hubz had the chamomile citrus. Both tasted great! Or should I say, delightful! There, that's more proper. =)

Almost 2 hours passed, which we both hardly noticed. Maybe because of the unhurried and attentive service, or my mind was busy making a mental shopping list inspired by this afternoon's experience - Yes, I definitely need a lovely china service set, a teapot, an ornate tea strainer and antique-looking utensils if I am to host a lovely tea party at home with friends!!

After the tea service, it was back to reality. And reality meant some obligatory outfit poses for this blog...

-- Qi cashmere dress from Neiman's -- Mimi di N lion belt -- Banana Republic thong sandals -- LV speedy30 --

... a little shopping...

... and a dinner of chicken sandwich from Wendy's.

Yes, after all that fancy shmancy afternoon tea, it was the humble dinner that immediately brought me back to Earth. Ah well, it was good while it lasted!

Stay tuned tomorrow for my shopping reveal!!

Chicago Trip

2010-07-19T12:48:00.018-05:00

We had a hotel coupon that was expiring soon so we decided to use it by taking a quick road trip to the Windy City!

It was a 6-hr drive and the 1st leg was mine so I had to dress as comfy as I can ever be.

-- Forever21 orange sundress -- Gap tie worn as a belt -- blue swimsuit --

-- Stuart Weitzman wedges --

Yes, you read it right. I wore a swimsuit underneath the dress as a safety precaution -- You know, just in case I won't be able to stand the heat and would need an emergency dive into the hotel pool, the forecast was scorching hot after all! See my skewed definition of scorching hot here.

And speaking of sensible, the wedges were NOT. I realized that quickly, 5 mins into driving.
Flats was a better option if I am to drive us safely, in 1 piece and with all limbs attached.

We had nothing planned except to see the "American Gothic" painting at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Walking along Michigan Avenue, it was such a nice bonus to see Bumblebee, Megatron and Optimus Prime filming an action sequence.

...Except we didn't.
All we saw was this and the crew frantically preparing the rest of the props.

We could have camped out in the street for a few hours to see all the action but someone was such in a rush to see another museum -- ever heard of the Institute of Shoes and Handbags?

Not just an ordinary museum, mind you! You can actually touch and buy the artworks and exhibition pieces here! In my book, that trumps any Camaro-transforming-Decepticon-fighting autobot anytime!
:D

More Chicago adventures tomorrow.
And yes, it involves shopping, as my adventures often do!

One Top, Many Ways - Part 5

2010-07-15T08:32:00.009-05:00

To be honest, this outfit might not ever see the light of day -- it's too revealing for what I'm used to wearing. But I'll post it here anyhow. Who knows, I could eventually get some courage someday to step out of the house wearing it. And if nothing else, at least I had fun coming up with this outfit idea.

-- Romeo & Juliet top -- Guess skirt -- belt from Manila --
-- Alaia snakeskin peep toes --

And that ends my challenge to come up with many ways to wear this top!
I hope you had fun as much as I did!

And here they are once more...

Now, the next task is to load these outfit pix to my "StylishGirl" iphone app!
I'm so hooked with this app, it kept me wide awake until 5:30AM the first time I installed it.
I hope to find the time to review it here one of these days.

One Top, Many Ways - Part 4

2010-07-15T08:32:00.007-05:00

This is now the 4th outfit idea from the challenge, not bad, I suppose! And it's a work outfit this time. Although, I figure there's some minor tweaking I need to do first before I actually wear this one to work. For one, the neckline is probably too low for what I consider office-appropriate, so might need a cami to fix that bit.

Another concern is the high front slit. I usually pair this skirt with a long cardi to minimize leg exposure but I think this will be OK for those days that I'll just be in my desk all day. Thoughts??

-- Romeo & Juliet top -- Banana Republic skirt -- Michael Kors belt --
-- Jimmy Choo pumps --

Please come back tomorrow for the last installment on my "Many Ways to Wear 1 Top" challenge!

One Top, Many Ways - Part 3

2010-07-14T17:39:00.003-05:00

The challenge continues! This time, I tied the strings into a halter (instead of a knot from the previous posts below.) Just another simple outfit I could wear for casual summer dining.

-- Romeo & Juliet top -- Armani Collezioni linen pants -- Ferragamo Magma slingbacks --

I have a few more outfits to share, see you tomorrow!

One Top, Many Ways - Part 2

2010-07-13T09:51:00.015-05:00

Here's another outfit idea from yesterday's challenge. It's another summer casual attire but this time, pairing it with cropped jeans and peep toes. I'm even thinking, if I trade the heels for thong sandals, it'll be even more casual and I could wear it running errands. Or, if I wear comfy flats and a shawl or wrap, I could wear this for travel -- on a cruise perhaps to the Caribbean? Wish. Well, at least I'll have a decent travel outfit for when it happens! =)

Close-up pic of my puka shell necklace from Boracay, Philippines.

-- Romeo & Juliet top -- JBrand cropped jeans -- puka shell necklace from the Phils --
-- Prada peep toes in coral --

The challenge continues. Please stop by to see more outfit ideas tomorrow...