Outfit log: Transitional Layering

Occasion: Casual Workday, August 13, 2010

Details:
dress - gap, 2004
long sleeve tee - target (pre-boycott)
necklace - anthro
sneakers - vans outlet

Knowing that half of my day would be spent in foggy/cold-land, and the other half in chilly-but-sunny-ville, I wanted an outfit that was comfortable, cute, a bit summery, and would transition easily between. Layering this cotton dress over a long sleeve tee and skipping the tights was PERFECT! Never too cold, never too hot... juuuuuust right :)

Also, I can't stop wearing these sneakers with skirts and dresses. They are so cute, so comfortable, and make me feel a little bit like Baby, which is always a good thing.

Makeup:
eye shadow - MAC retrospeck
eye liner - MAC fluidline, blacktrack
lipstick - MAC rebel

I combined shimmery shadow, a mini-cat eye, and deep cranberry lips to compliment my outfit. Though not intentional, I liked how the lipsitck pulls out the redder colors in the dress' print.

--

In other news, I just made a fantastic discovery! Ever wondered how to eat cheetos or other similarly powdered snack items while on the computer? I have used the break, eat, hand wash method (which we all know just isn't very time efficient) and the less hygenic eat, wipe, and type... but peeps, my world is about to change. It dawned on me that I could eat cheetos in complete happiness while working on my blog... using chopsticks. Is your mind blown yet? Because mine is! This was just too good not to share :) Thank me later!

Outfit log: Tunic Tucked

Ever since Nic's stepmom, Julie, handed down this lovely leopard tunic to me, I've been meaning to try wearing it tucked into a skirt. Here's my first attempt...

Occasion: Typical Workday, August 10, 2010

Details:
leopard tunic - hand me down
purple wool skirt - h&m
brown tights - nordstrom
beige wedges - thrifted anne klein

I'm satisfied with the look overall, but feel that a longer pencil skirt with a higher waistline might create more of the hourglass silhouette I was envisioning. It couldn't hurt to add on a wide belt either!
--
By the way, thank you to everyone who has voted for me so far in the HUE Leggings NYC contest! Because of you guys, HUE recently notified me that I'm in the LEAD!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Y'all are so amazing, I can't believe I actually have a shot at winning!

The contest goes until September 6th, giving other contestants plenty of time to overtake my lead... so if you haven't had a chance to vote yet, I'd totally appreciate your support :) Click on the banner below to vote for me!

Also, I have had some feedback about how the voting process works, so I wanted to clear something up. If you go through the short process to vote and reach an error page, the best thing to do is to close that window and re-click on the banner above. I've suggested this approach to multiple people who told me that they were able to secure their vote this way! If you have any issues voting, please let me know :)

Vote for me!

Hi lovely friends! Since I'm a big fan of HUE leggings (see below for evidence), I was giddy today when they contacted me (and countless others, I'm sure!) to enter in their fabulous NYC Event contest, going on now! Since the first place winner will win a trip for two to NYC right before Fashion Week (meaning I could FINALLY hit up Fashion Night Out!), tickets to Broadway on Broadway, and other amazing prizes, I felt compelled to enter :)

So, if you like my blog and want to make me the happiest camper that ever was, please please vote for me! All you gotta do is click the banner below, and then confirm your vote!

UPDATE: I didn't realize that first you had to become a fan of HUE on facebook in order to vote. Once you click the link below you can "like" HUE, and then click through to complete your vote.  I know it's an extra step, but if you would do it for me I would be eternally grateful :)

My hugest thanks ahead of time if you decide to vote for me! You guys make me feel so amazing each and every day with your readership, comments, emails, and tweets :) You are why I keep coming back here!

Outfit log: Necklace Inspired (and follow BSD on Facebook!)

I'm still catching up on posts from my little hiatus, but I've almost made it to August! Stay tuned because some warmer weather looks will be coming up soon :) I'm just hoping this warmer weather sticks around for a couple of weeks!

My dear friends Ilene and Briana gifted me this gorgeous statement necklace for my birthday this past May, and I used it as a starting point for a cool weather ensemble.

Occasion: Typical Workday, July 28, 2010

Details:
necklace - gift*
dress - kohls, 2007*
denim blazer - swapped american eagle*
tights - nordstrom*
boots - rockport*

Since the necklace is so bold, I wanted to keep the color palette of the whole look fairly neutral to show it off. The cream polka dots played off of the large white beaded flower and other white beads, and the browns in the boots, tights, and dress just jived well with the gold. The navy in the blazer added a little something unexpected, and drew attention to my waist without needing a belt.

--

In other news, I finally bit the bullet and created a little facebook page for the blog. Click the link in the sidebar under "check me out on", and like away! If you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see happen there, be sure to leave a comment ;) I'm kind of a facebook junkie when it comes to my personal stuff, so I'm very excited about the possibilities!

Outfit log: An Experiment

Holy moley.... the heat wave is upon us, and I am freaking LOVING it!!! It's very strange to post pictures of me in a sweater and tights from less than a month ago, but here you go anyway :)

Occasion: Typical workday, sometime in July 2010

Details:
yellow 80s sweater - thrifted*
necklace - gift*
white tank - hanes*
shorts - hand me down*
tights - nordstrom*
blue suede shoes - target (pre-boycott)*

*remixed

I put this outfit together after wanting to jump in on the fancy shorts trend. Since I haven't acquired any of the non-denim variety yet, I thought I'd give fancy-ing up this pair a try! These tights called to me from my closet, and picking some pieces that complemented them made completion of the outfit easy.

Special Occasion: Shelby's Wedding (some Guest Appearances too!)

The newlyweds!

Nic and I attended the beautiful wedding of our friends Garrett and Shelby back in July, and it totally inspired us in so many ways! The tables, the ambiance, the layout, the outfits - it was just all kinds of awesome, even in the crazy 105 degree F temperatures!

Occasion: Shelby & Garrett's wedding, July 17, 2010 

Details:
dress - bettie page clothing
belt - bettie page clothing
flower - bettie page clothing
heels - madden girl, handed down from a friend
clutch - vintage, handed down from Nic's grandma

This is the dress I alluded to in my last post, from the new Bettie Page shop on Haight Street. The flower came with the dress, but I added the belt after seeing it belted on the mannequin in the store window. I love the bold black and white print, and the shape made me feel like a bombshell! 

Details:
shirt - h&m
plaid pants - h&m
shoes - payless
belt - target

Nic won't like me telling you this, but she came up with the idea that we should match outfits for the wedding :) So, we headed to H&M with her mom to pick out an ensemble and the super friendly sales assistant picked up this shirt for her. Isn't it perfect? She didn't want to be suffocating in long sleeves, but the color made it festive enough for the occasion. Nic already had the awesome plaid pants purchased for another wedding we attended, and picked up the shoes at Payless (and got mad compliments on them!). 

Guest Appearances: I couldn't help but catch these ladies at various times throughout the night to capture their ensembles. I only wish I had a better picture of Shelby's first dress!

I knew Shelby would look amazing on her wedding day (because let's face it, she's a total knockout!), and I was right! She started the night in this gorgeous David's Bridal dress (left) and ended it in this shorter number (right) purchased from Midway Antiques.

I have had this particular dress bookmarked on the David's Bridal website for ages, so you know I love it to pieces. The sweetheart neckline and lace cap sleeves are so sweet, and I love how the lace diffuses out into the flowy material at the hem. Shelby changed into her second dress towards the end of the reception, and kept the looks connected using the same sash as a belt. 

Shelby's sister in law, Mary (on the left) got her fabulous frock and shoes from Ross, and the bride's mom, Ginnie (on the right) picked up her breathtaking dress also from Midway Antiques and her shoes from Famous Footwear. I love the gorgeous color of Mary's dress, and the vintage-inspired shape (and oooh, belt!). And Ginnie's dress... I literally gasped when I saw it. It was just so beautiful and perfect for this gorgeous mother of the bride!

Outfit log: Thoughts on the Prop 8 Sitch, and a Bettie-Worthy Look

First of all, this roller coaster ride for marriage equality in California is getting old! Yes you can get married! No... you can't. Oh, but you can! Nope... can't again. It's a tiring and frustrating battle and each outcome, whether good or bad, seems to go straight for my gut.

As it stands now, same sex couples in Cali cannot yet get married until the appeal to Judge Walker's decision to repeal Prop 8 is tried, which should occur sometime in December. There is still hope for Nic and I to legally wed next year, but we're not counting on it (though we'll have our freaking wedding either way, dammit! and you better believe I'll call her my wife after the fact, legal or not).

I was ecstatic to see Meg from A Practical Wedding post this bomb-ass video (and analysis!) of Ted Olson's interview on Fox News.

To quote (can you even quote yourself?) my most recent Facebook status update, "I know there are some out there who may mistakenly (ignorantly?) believe that Judge Walker's decision was equivalent to taking away the voice of the people and was 'unconstitutional,' so I bring you Ted Olson's interview on Fox News. Don't you feel just a little bit silly now? ;)"

--

Okay, now onto this outfit from long ago. Before their sister/sister-in-law's wedding last month, friends Mary and Amber came for a brief visit to San Francisco to check out the brand new Bettie Page store on Haight Street. Holy moley that store is amazing. I actually found a dress for the mentioned wedding, which was such a hit (pics to come, pinky swear!), and had a ball trying on a bunch more (check out their online store, and prepare to be wowed!). Since Amber and Mary are such stylish ladies, I took particular care in planning my outfit for the occasion.

Occasion: Work and a visit to the new Bettie Page boutique in SF (!!), July 14, 2010

Details: all remixed
necklace - gift from mom
sweater - max studio outlet
belt - mark shale going out of biz sale
skirt - vintage, thrifted on melrose in 2003
mary janes - nicole via dsw

I can't remember how I dreamed this baby up, but seriously? It turned out to be such a glorious combination, if I do say so myself! I love how the different colors interact harmoniously together without being too matchy-matchy (not that I'm above that, mind you), and the silhouette is my favorite. What you may not immediately notice is that the skirt is of the wrap variety, which I find look fabulous belted.

Makeup:
eye liner - mac fluidline in blacktrack
eye shadow - mac retrospeck
lip gloss - bobbi brown pink sugar
blush - bobbi brown ski slopes

Please please please excuse the dead-eye expression I've got going on. I wasn't bored or moody, I just find that when I smile you can't see the CAT EYE PERFECTION I achieved on this particular day :) I do this cat eye look quite often, but only sometimes do I feel that I've reached the perfect shape. This was one of those days!

Outfit log: Leggings To The Rescue!

Whoops, I was missing there for a few weeks. It wasn't planned or intentional... each day I thought about taking pictures (and sometimes I did) and thought about posting, but just never got around to it. I just have so much swirling around in my life these days from job hunting while continuing my current work to wedding planning and coordinating with my family (and family-to-be) for our upcoming engagement party and I just couldn't get myself to commit to posting. I think if my heart's not in it, then it's best not to half ass it, so instead I embraced the break and now I'm back feeling refreshed and excited to be posting again.

So the above explains why I am so incredibly behind in my outfits... like this number below.

Occasion: Casual Workday, July 13, 2010

Details: all remixed
wrap dress - american apparel outlet
camisole - volcom
leggings - hue
leopard flats - rocket dog
abalone necklace - gift

While some of you have been enduring crazy heat waves, I've been literally chilling out in the brrrrr-tastic weather this Summer in San Francisco. When I get back to Oakland after work the sun is usually shining and I need to de-layer quickly in order to maintain sanity. For this reason I've been really loving leggings lately. They're warm like tights, but don't feel so wintery, and allow a little breathing room for my ankles (or feet when they're in sandals) when the temps tip over the 65 degree mark. It's all about transitional clothing this Summer for moi, and leggings are essential for that, yo!

Makeup: I can't help but want to mirror the gorgeous colors in this abalone pendant on my eyelids when I wear it. For details see this past post.

Missed y'all, and hope to be posting regularly again from now on :)