Outfit log: Cutesy

Shall I even share this outfit with you? It's not my favorite, but all I wanted was to wear these two new items and be comfortable and not worry about my hair.

Occasion: Super-casual workday, Friday April 23, 2010

Details: all remixed except tank and hoodie
hoodie - juicy couture, thrifted by mom
dotted tank - maurices, free with giftcard
jeans - gap
mary janes - dankso clogs
necklace - tiffany & co, hand me down from mom

I inherited my love for polka dots from my mom, so when I was browsing maurices.com to spend the gift card that I won in Kelly's giveaway awhile ago and I came across this tank, I fell in love (it was on sale too). Unfortunately ordering online prohibits trying on, so I wasn't sure how the tank would fit, but I figured I could make it work somehow. Then last week my mom sent me a little care package that included this thrifted juicy couture hoodie, and this outfit was born!

Even though the ensemble isn't really anything special and is mostly about being comfortable without being shlumpy, I felt a special connection to my mom because of the polka dots, and to my Auntie Anne (my mom's twin) because she has the same exact hoodie in black!

Makeup:
eye shadow (lid) - MAC retrospeck
eye shadow (crease) - MAC saddle
eye liner - MAC eye shadow in embark
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
burts bees lip gloss in zesty red

Since the outfit was so casual, I went for my go-to neutral eye look so I didn't feel too much like a 2nd grader.

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Speaking of Kelly, I'm totally flattered that my dress was included in Proficiscamur's "Friday Frocks" post today! Go check it out because she showcases some fabulous bloggers in drool-worthy dresses.

Outfit log: Dark & Stormy

 Have you ever tried a Dark & Stormy cocktail? They are delicious (Nic's current favorite) and include ginger beer, lime juice, and some sort of alcohol. Since I've got stormy legs and limey arms in this getup, I figured my outfit could go by this delicious drink's same title!

Occasion: Casual workday, Thursday April 22, 2010

Details: all remixed
cardigan - target
belt - entour (boutique in SF, Castro)
tunic - target
skirt - h&m, hand me down
tights - hue
clogs - dansko
necklace - gift

I just can't stop wearing this cardigan and tunic together. They are a match made in heaven! I just love how the green bounces off of the black and white pattern. This time I tried the combo with a pull on black mini skirt and gray tights. The tights kept my bottom half from being too monochromatic, and also allowed me to show off my mary janes (as opposed to just blending into black tights).

Makeup:
eye liner - mac fluidline in blacktrack
eye shadow - mac retrospeck
lipstick - estee lauder bronze goddess in fuchsia

Okay, so I tried something new, but it didn't go exactly as planned. The eyeliner ended up going on way too thick on the bottom line resulting in a total Cleopatra look I wasn't going for. But, you live and you learn! I'll get some new tools at some point and give this look another shot.

Outfit log: Old Faithful

This sweater wrap dress is an essential part of my wardrobe. Since San Francisco (especially the micro-climate where my office is located) can get so darn chilly literally any time of year, knowing I have a cozy yet work-event appropriate dress to wrap myself up in is reassuring.

Occasion: Fancy workday, Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Details: all remixed but tights
wrap sweater dress - target
wide belt - h&m
necklace - hand me down
tights - hue
oxfords - clarks (outlet)

Since the knit of the dress adds so much warmth on it's own, I haven't found any ways to layer over it that wouldn't leave me shvitzing my life away, so to keep it feeling fresh I change up subtle details like tights, shoes, necklace and belts. This is the first time I've layered my wide gray belt over it, and I will definitely do it again... I just love purple and gray together.

Here are the other ways I've worn this dress. I admit they all look verrrrrry similar, but it's the details that matter (to me, anyway)!

Outfit log: Professional with some Sass

I sported this outfit for my biggest work event of the year!

Occasion: Fancy workday, Thursday, April 15, 2010

Details: all remixed
blouse - hand me down from aunt
skirt - banana republic
belt - h&m
mary janes - clarks outlet
necklace - anthropologie
bolero - white house | black market, thrifted

Since I knew I'd be running around like crazy for the event (managing 400 attendees, setting up the food, making sure no one stole the food, handling last minute problems, coordinating volunteers), I wanted to be comfortable in something that I wouldn't have to tug at all day and that would keep me cool. I opted for this fabulous blouse handed down from my aunt over a stretchy pencil skirt, with my most comfortable shoes ever. The wide belt added some punch to the overall silhouette, and the bolero kept me warm in my office before the event started. In the end, I felt professional, a bit sassy, and quite comfortable in this ensemble throughout the event, which happened to be a huge success!

Makeup:
eye shadow (lid) - MAC juxt
eye shadow (crease) - MAC plumage
eye liner - MAC eyeshadow in graphology

To contrast the red in my blouse, I opted for my light green/dark teal eye shadow combination and kept my lips natural.

Outfit log: Same Combo

Even though I combined these pieces almost identically the last time I wore it, the swapped necklace added a bit of newness to it, and keeping the bolero unbuttoned accentuated my waist more.

Occasion: Casual workday, Monday April 12, 2010

Details: all remixed
floral tunic - free people, hand-me-down
jeans - delias
bolero - anthro
boots - rockport "ainly"
necklace - gift from mom

I guess sometimes you just can't mess with a good combo! I do hope to rock this tunic differently in the future, but for now this will do.

Outfit log: Ooh-de-Lally!

Green and brown together always reminds me of Robin Hood. Did you ever watch the cartoon version with the foxes? Oh holy shit I loved that movie. Okay, still currently love. In fact, I would put Robin Hood in my top five favorite movies from childhood. The others would be The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, The Princess Bride (not necessarily a kid's movie, but a fave of mine when I was a kid), and Dirty Dancing (ditto to the previous). What were your favorite movies as a kid?

Occasion: Fancy workday, Thursday April 8, 2010

Details: all remixed
sweater - max studio
necklace - tiffany & co
belt - jessica simpson via dsw
skirt - nordstrom
wedges - sofft via tjmaxx

I just love this sweater, which is fabulous because getting it was a risk. I was nervous the arms would accentuate what I didn't want to, or make me look too broad in the shoulders or something. Even if those observations are true, it's totally worth it! I love the added texture to a monochromatic sweater. It adds interest while leaving plenty of pattern options open for other elements within the outfit. I ended up doing a little pattern mixing with my leopard belt and this great skirt.

Makeup:
eye shadow - a lilac shade from the body shop
eye liner - mac eyeshadow in embark (I think)
lip gloss - pink sugar by bobbi brown

I found this lilac eyeshadow hiding away in my makeup case and brought it out. Sadly it's probably too old to be appropriate to keep using (I can't remember how many YEARS ago I bought it), but I am in love with the color! Especially with all the warm tones in my outfit, the pop of cool lavender added a little contrast and pop of color!

Outfit log: Dotted

I thrifted this top a few months ago at Out of the Closet, and thought meeting up with Audi would be the perfect time for its debut :)

Occasion: Casual workday (& meetup with Audi!),Wednesday April 7, 2010

Details: (all remixed except blouse)
blouse - thrifted
necklace - charlotte russe
belt - jessica simpson via dsw
jeans - gap
clogs - dansko

Since the blouse is about four sizes too big, I cinched the waist with my favorite (okay, only) skinny belt to contain and shape some of the billowyness. The result was almost peplum-like, giving me a more flattering silhouette.

While my skinny studded belt just happened to echo the polka dot print of the blouse, I liked the effect so much I chose my blue bubble necklace to pair with it.

Also, I've been seeing Diana rock the shit outta clog-like shoes minus socks lately so I decided I'd try it out. Yeah that's right, I've never rocked these dansko mary janes sockless before, but now I am totally a convert. Sometime when it's warm I'm going to try 'em with a skirt or dress.... daaaaangerous :)

Makeup: I did a little black cat eye with a shimmery nude shadow and glossed up lips. 
eyeshadow (all over eyelid) - mac retrospeck
gel eyeliner - mac fluidline in blacktrack
clinique all about eyes concealer (under eyes and on eyelids as base)
clinique almost makeup liquid & powder
maybelline great lash blackest black mascara
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
MAC lipglass in rich & ripe

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Weekend Update

I had a great weekend! On Friday I went to brunch with my colleagues to celebrate my boss' birthday (Happy Birthday, Amy!) and then after Nic and I drove down to the Peninsula to lunch with her 15 year-old cousin Lindsay, and her aunt and grandma. After lunch we snatched Lindsay away to Oakland for the night. Since Lindsay is gluten-intolerant, we yelped our area for some gluten-free places and found this fabulous little bakery called Mariposa. There, Lindsay was able to get a bagel, cinnamon roll, and cupcake - all things she rarely gets to have. After our bakery run the three of us went to the movies to see Date Night. Oh holy shit that movie was HILARIOUS. I haven't laughed out loud that hard in front of other people in a long ass time. Seriously... Tina Fey and Steve Carell are absolutely amazing together and I hope they'll team up again... and again... and again.

Oh.... and you guuuuuuys! I think Nic and I found our wedding location!!!!! It's right on the Russian River in the gay-friendly Guerneville area. Lindsay and Nic's mom Lisa accompanied us up to visit a venue... and oh, it's just perfect. Quaint, outdoors, green, peaceful. We are ready to book it! Eeeeeee!

Outfit log: Hand-Me-Downs

I love shopping in other people's closets! I just scored this sweet pull on cotton stretchy mini skirt from my aunt in LA a couple of weekends ago, and then went browsing through Nic's clothes and found this sweater I bought for her but doesn't fit how she likes. Score for me!

Occasion: Casual Workday, Friday April 2, 2010

Details:
sweater - Old Navy, boy's section
skirt - h&m, hand-me-down
tights - the limited, remixed
shoes - converse chuck taylors, remixed
necklace - tiffany's, hand-me-down, remixed

Something about this outfit makes me feel like I belong in the movie the Craft. I feel so rebellious with all of the black, still preppy with my argyle, and kinda cool and hip with my chucks. An added bonus was that I was way comfy all day!

Makeup:
basic base (both clinique almost makeup liquid, powder & all about eyes concealer)
mac fluidline in blacktrack (liner on top lash line)
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
max studio two step lip color/gloss thingie

And the Misikko Giveaway winner is...

Entry number 5... Sabrina of Defying My Closet!

Congratulations, Sabrina (love your blog, btw)! I will be in touch soon so you can get a hold of your new Hana Professional flat iron :) Thanks for playing everybody!

Outfit log: Mixing up Fuchsia

I absolutely loved this dress when I picked up on a shopping trip with my mom a few years ago, but since wearing it once to a wedding, I haven't felt that fabulous in it. Something about the cut on my body (lack of waist definition) and not finding the right way to belt it kept me from wearing it again. The week before last I gave it another go by layering my favorite patterned cardigan on top and belting it that way.

Occasion: Casual Workday, Thursday, April 1, 2010

Details:
dress - anthropologie
cardigan - jcrew outlet, remixed
necklace - gift, remixed
tights - ??, remixed
boots - rockport, remixed
belt - mark shale clearance, remixed

I'm satisfied with this remix, but it still didn't wow me. I still love the color and idea behind it, so perhaps when it warms up I'll try it with sandals and some fresh accessories to see if I can give it more of a chance. To make up for a less-than-perfect outfit, I tried out a new hairstyle, which in-and-of itself felt just fabulous :)

Hair: Hillary recently linked to Kasmira's "lazy girl's updo" tutorial, and I'm hooked!

Makeup:
eyeshadow (all over eyelid) - mac retrospeck
eyeshadow (crease) - mac cork
eyeshadow (liner - top lashlines only) - mac embark
clinique all about eyes concealer (under eyes and on eyelids as base)
clinique almost makeup liquid & powder
maybelline great lash blackest black mascara (top lashes only)
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
max factor lipstick + gloss combo thingie

For makeup I did my neutral contoured eye, but kept my bottom lashlines bare. I like this look for daytime because it adds some drama, but the lack of liner on my lower lashlines makes my eyes a bit brighter.

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Have you entered my latest giveaway yet? Be sure to do so by midnight (PST) tomorrow for your chance to win an awesome flat iron!

Outfit log: Comfortably Cottoned

Oh holy moley, I just loved sporting this outfit last week! It was one of those looks that looked cool in my mind, and looked even cooler when I put it on. I loved how it was comfortable, took some creativity to put together, and felt just the right amount of sassy.

Occasion: Casual Workday, Wednesday March 31, 2010

Details:
jersey sundress - target, remixed
tunic - anthro on sale, remixed
belt - jessica simpson gift, remixed
necklace - gift, remixed
tights - the limited, remixed
mary janes - nicole via dsw, remixed

I think my favorite part of this combo was the choice of black tights. These contrasting with the brown shoes and skirt mirrored the colors of the belt, making the combination of brown and black seem much more intentional instead of thrown together because that's what I had. Another detail I loved was how the neckline of the jersey sundress peeked out from the v-neck of the tunic. Come to think of it, I've always loved the look of layered necklines, especially when it's some sort of halter under a more open neckline. I've gotta remember this idea for future inspiration :)

Makeup:
makeup base (clinique almost makeup liquid and powder & all about eyes concealer)
eyeshadow (all over eyelid) - mac retrospeck
eyeshadow (crease) - mac cork
eyeshadow (liner) - mac fluidline in dipdown
maybelline great lash blackest black mascara on top lashes only
bobbi brown blush in ski slopes
max factor two step lip color/gloss thingie

Since my outfit felt so complete on it's own, I kept my makeup pretty subtle, using browns/creams for my eyelids and liner, and a very pale nude/pink for my lips. Okay maybe the contouring wasn't subtle per se, but subtle in that nuetral no-bright-colors kinda way.

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In other news, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Audi of Fashion for Nerds yesterday for happy hour! She was just as lovely and interesting in person as she is on her blog, and before we knew it we had chatted for 2 and a half hours! I had such an awesome time... and can't wait to hang out with her again :) 


Audi is the first blogger I've met in real life, and now I'm just itching to meet more of you! If scientists (ahem... Audi can you and your people get on that?) could get their act together and prioritize the development of teleportation devices, this would be so much more easily accomplished!


Have you met other bloggers in real life? 

Misikko Review & Giveaway!

The folks over at Misikko were kind enough to send me one of their awesome hair straighteners to review! Not only does Misikko offer a variety of the best flat iron brands (check out the Babyliss flat iron and the Chi flat irons for sale), but most of these are heavily discounted. Who doesn't love a deal, right?

Now, let me just tell you that I will not positively review any item that I don't like, and I will always be honest with you regarding my opinion. I only accepted this offer because I've been regularly straightening my hair with a flat iron for 9 years, so I figure I can be a good judge!


Now that I have that out of the way, on to my review of the Hana Professional (Pink Edition) flat iron!

REVIEW

I wasn't entirely surprised to be met with this glorious packaging after Hillary's review, but I was still tickled by all of the sweet details!

The package contained both expected components (the straightener), and some sweet extras:

1.      hana professional pink edition flat iron

2.      hana shineshield thermal protectant

3.      instruction manuals

4.      traveling case

5.      protective mat

6.      pink flat iron case

7.      tin to store flat iron (or other goodies!)

(With the package came some free schwag too, which I forgot to photograph! This included a few key ring nail files and a mini hand sanitizer.)

Here are some shots of my hair before and after I used the Hana Professional.

As you can see, I started with my hair kinda wavy/bushy; I had air dried it curly the day before and brushed out the curls/waves resulting in the "before" photos. I normally use a CHI flat iron, so I was wondering how the Hana Professional (HP) might compare. I was excited to see different heat settings on the HP, since my CHI only has one, and it is HOT. I looked in the manual to see what setting I should set it at, and decided on the 370 setting, for processed but dense hair. 

I was totally satisfied with the results of the flat iron, though it did take a bit longer than my CHI iron. Since this first go I've used the HP again but on a higher heat setting and this made the straightening process go by much faster, which I liked! I would highly recommend this straightener to someone with hair as or less dense/wavy as mine (while my hair isn't very coarse, there is a lot of it!). I think it is an especially great iron for folks with fine and/or straight hair, because the option of lower heat settings will protect your hair from heat damage! For folks who have thicker or more curly hair I would recommend one with higher heat settings.

One of the treats that I wasn't anticipating was the hana shineshield thermal protectant. This stuff contains jojoba oil, which is supposed to be naturally awesome for your hair, and smells great. I put in a dime size amount into my hair before straightening as directed by the bottle. The protectant not only protected my hair, but it seemed to add a bit of shine too! I wasn't asked to review this stuff, but I just had to tell you about it because I love it. I've been searching forever for a product like this that wouldn't leave my hair greasy or sticky while protecting my hair and taming frizz/flyaways; I think the hana shineshield thermal protectant is the product I've been looking for!

GIVEAWAY

Now, on to the giveaway :) To win your very own Hana Professional flat iron, all you have to do is comment on this post by Tuesday April 13th at midnight (PST). Want more chances to win? Just do any of the following and leave a separate comment for each additional entry!

1.      Follow Misikko on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/misikko

2.      Blog about the giveaway on a personal website.

3.      Sign up for the Misikko Newsletter: http://www.misikko.com/newsletter-signup.html

I will choose a winner at random next Wednesday, April 14th!

Outfit log: Business Casual

Okay, you got me. This look isn't really "business casual," but I call it that because a pinstripe vest definitely means business, while jeans and an elbow-sleeve white tee are more casual pieces.

Occasion: Casual Workday, Tuesday March 30, 2010

Details:
vest - target, remixed
elbow sleeve tee - old navy
jeans - joe's via tjmaxx, remixed
belt - h&m, remixed
clogs - dansko, remixed

I was stoked to discover that I could make Nic's vest work for me the first time I donned it, and since then have been itching to use it to spruce up a jeans and tee look. As many others can attest to, I get self-conscious in lower-rise jeans because they aren't shaped correctly for my hips, but the length and flare of the vest camouflaged any bits I would normally worry about. The result: I was not only happy with the whole look of this outfit, but it was so comfortable too!