Terra Cotta

Shirt: AE ($2.5)

Skirt: Urban Outfitters ($5)

Necklace: J.Crew ($12.5)

Hat: H&M ($12.5)

Shoes: Aldo (not in picture $25)

didn't have time to take decent pictures today so here's a quick one from ipod touch. i like ann arbor's annual art fair for only one reason: urban outfitters' sale. every year, they have a lot of their clothes on sale for $5-$15. i never buy their clothes full price because it's really not worth it for the quality and price...but $5 for a skirt or dress? i'm sold. this year i got this skirt and a knit dress for the fall/winter. i usually don't buy clothes in the orange palette because it doesn't suit my skin tone. however, after trying on this skirt, i decided that a burnt orange like this 'terra cotta' color is okay. :) besides the sale, i really dislike the art fair...esp how all the main streets on campus are blocked off and  expensive parking fee. blech. 

i am not a hat person and this is probably the only hat i have (actually, i lied. i bought one years ago but i never wore it in public so it doesn't count). this one from h&m is a nice one for the summer - goes well with any outfit - especially white tee + denim shorts + small crossbody bag. 

Grey Shimmer

Shirt: J.Crew - Brushed Shimmer Tee
Belt: J.Crew - Brown Patent Leather Skinny
Shorts: China
Necklace: LOFT - Two-tone Colorblock

shoe sale!!

This sale is too good to pass up.

Talbots is having an amazing shoe sale. most of the shoes are $29.99 but if you apply the code 023087249 (20% off, free shipping) you get them for only $25 ! This is actually the first time I checked out the shoes at Talbots and it's good to see that they have narrow/medium/wide option for a lot of the shoes. I ordered the Flower bouquet ballet flats in Flint Grey (see picture).  I am not sure how I feel about the chiffon flowers on top, especially on rainy days...I guess I can always return it at the store.


Some of the other shoes I liked are the bow espadrille and pearlized snake-embossed leather chain trim flats

Not sure when the sale ends...get it before it's gone!

I want to go camping!

Shirt: LOFT - Roll Sleeve Camp Shirt in XSP
Shorts: Forever 21
Belt: Ann Taylor - Skinny Patent Leather Belt
Necklace: LOFT Two-Tone Colorblock Bead Necklace

It has been ridiculously hot these days except for today - Sunny and in the mid 70s with a nice breeze. So happy I could wear it so soon after I ordered it! I thought I had to wait until fall...I love this shirt! I guess it would've been better if it was XXSP, but since it is suppose to be loose fitting this is not a problem. It is also a bit sheer (if you put your hand behind the fabric you can see it - see image below) but with the right undergarment (nude) it should be fine.

As seen from previous posts, I usually wear the J.Crew flower pendant and I rarely buy necklaces. I got this so I could get the free shipping and ended up keeping it because 1. I really liked the color and sparkly-ness of the beads 2. I have a lot of coral/pink in my wardrobe 3. It was only $6!

sheerness of the LOFT shirt (indoor)

sale sale sale

 

Got the banana republic silk ikat pencil skirt in blue for only $11.12 today! they were on sale for $13.99 but then there was the 25% off sale. Size 0 is a little big for me but if I belt it, it is fine. Also ordered this camp shirt from LOFT last week - I really like the shirt - loose fitting with not too sheer. Perfect for summer! 

Blooms

tank: LOFT's Briar Rose Button Shell

shorts: Forever 21

belt: J.Crew

shoes: Old Navy

Picked up this LOFT Briar Rose Button Shell tank over the weekend. I really like the neckline (you can't really see it in the outfit pictures but take a look at the picture of the tank I took below). The colors are probably some of my favorites also - bright coral :) perfect for spring and summer! It will go really well with any neutral color on bottom. I will definitely be wearing this a lot this summer. Also,  I am really starting to like the watercolor look...this shirt reminds me of the Gap impressionist scarf.

Blue on Blue

shirt: lacoste
shorts: forever 21
belt: j.crew

I love summers where the temperature is in the mid 70s and i don't have to wear tank and shorts all the time. I actually really like this outfit, I think it works because the shades are significantly different so it doesn't look like i am wearing a romper or something...

p.s. new layout!

White Out

White Dress: H&M | Belt: diy and J.Crew | White heels: China

No...It is not Labor Day yet but I really like the look of an outfit that's all white with pops of color here and there.Ughhh. these heels were so uncomfortable there was no way I could've walked in them all day. I find this happening a lot with heels from China...not sure why, bad quality? 

It's ridiculous how hotels are booked months ahead for the holiday season, especially summer holidays. For those that plan one holiday at a time, it's really hard to plan for July 4th because Memorial Day is like a month before. Sad. 

White Lace and Ruffles

tank: edc by espirit | cardigan, belt: j.crew | shorts: f21 | flip flops: martin & osa

Darn! I missed the deadline for Everybody Everwear - Lace. Anyway, here is my outfit that I would've posted on it. I got this tank from edc by espirit in China 5 years ago and I haven't wore this tank in a long time. I really like the look of lace hems because it makes the shirt more feminine yet it is not overpowering.

I went to a Thai restaurant in town this week for Restaurant Week and it was decent. I got Thai iced tea (delicious!), spring roll, and drunken noodles  (a little bit too much salt and too spicy for me). Overall I would give it a three star because the price was pretty good ($8 for everything). 

I may go back to this place just for their drinks...haha. 

DIY flower (chiffon + organza)

Organza Flower

 Follow these tutorial - Instead of making the flower pattern and then cutting the fabric like the tutorial, I first cut the organza fabric into circles (about 7 large ones and 4 smaller ones) and then just free handed the petals by making multiple cuts towards the center of the flower and then rounding out the edges later - make sure don't cut too much into the center! 

Chiffon Flower

 

These are very very similar to the J.Crew chiffon flower hair pins that I saw in the store the other day on sale for $5. I followed this tutorial 

So...J.Crew sells these for $5 even when it's on sale. Buying all the material (fabric, thread) cost me $5 and it's enough to make more than 4 flowers. 

Coral Organza

tee: AE

cardigan: Urban Outfitters

jeans: H&M

shoes: Aldo

belt: DIY

So sorry I haven't been posting any outfits this past week. Don't worry, I have been getting dressed...but Michigan has been so cold lately I wasn't in the mood to think creatively. 

There is no way I am ever spending $15 and buying the J.Crew flower pins ever again (see the last post for J.Crew pictures). I DIY-ed this one last night and even though it took me a while...it's so worth it (I did it while watching White Collar and Covert Affairs and got a little distracted...Oops). I put bobby pins on the back of my flowers so I can clip them anywhere - hair, shirt, ribbon belt, etc. So in the last post I made it from cotton but I think organza or chiffon looks much better and more...expensive?

Oh, and matching thread is a must! 

I will show you guys the instructions I followed later. So excited to make more of these... Ha. J.Crew. 

D.I.Y Flower Headband

J.Crew Chiffon Flower Pin

J.Crew Floral Headband

I love J.Crew's flower pins and their floral headband but they are kind of expensive so I decided to try and make one myself. I wanted to make their floral pins but I need a different type of fabric (chiffon) and since I only had gingham patterned cotton fabric on hand, I went with the floral headband tutorial (see here). In the tutorial they made it into a pin so I just used one of my metal headbands I got from China for 2RMB and wrapped strips of the gingham fabric around it. Then I sewed the flower on top of it.

It turned out pretty well for my first time, I can't wait to try this headband with other types of fabric!

Shimmer

Tank: J.Crew shimmer pocket tank
Shorts: Abercrombie seersucker shorts

I love how J.Crew dresses up their basics with something shiny or glittery. The material is soft and I love the slouchy fit for the summer. It is on sale right now at jcrew.com - buy!

Picked up the Pamee pumps in black from Banana Republic yesterday. It was on sale and even though the size 6 was a little worn from people trying it on, the price was cheap enough that I didn't really mind (I mean, after I wear several times, it will probably end up like that too). I really really love Banana Republic's heels - they are so comfortable (just read the shoe description, apparently BR shoes' cushioned insole has memory foam...no wonder!). The leather they use is sooooo soft, like butter, and it molds to my slightly narrow feet perfectly. I also have another pair similar to this one (BR Tiona classic mid-heel pump) in gray and I really like the shorter heels as an alternative to my BR Maritza high heel pumps.

Rose Garden and Island Coconut

Floral Tank: Abercrombie
Cardigan: Target
Shorts: Aeropostale

I really want to try some of this Snoqualmie Ice Cream, maybe I'll stop by Whole Foods sometime next week and pick up one. All of their flavors look delicious, especially these four: Creme Fraiche, Green Tea, Island Coconut, Mukilteo Mudd! Yummmmm....Ahh! I really want some of this ice cream now. It would be extra delicious in this hot weather. :)

J.Crew Summer Sale

Here are my picks from the J.Crew summer sale...I love gray as a neutral, it is chic yet casual (compare to black).

felted wool mini (buy): $29.99

perfect fit stripe henley tank (buy): $14.99
crystal rail link necklace (buy): $39.99
notched skinny belt in tawny orange (buy): $19.99
love me knot suede platform heels (buy): $198.00
chiffon pouchette (buy): $69.99

too bad i can't afford to buy these...maybe just the tank. haha.

My Dream Bedroom

This is what I envision my ideal bedroom to be...simple, clean, and modern with pops of color here and there. A lot of different textures and although I don't have a picture of the curtains up here, preferably something white/cream and sheer - maybe one of those white IKEA panel curtains with the gray floral designs on them. :)

A Little Bit of Hawaii

Dress: Thrifted ($1)

Belt: Thrifted ($2)

Shoes: Martin & Osa

I would love to be there right now...on a vacation. Sitting on the beach, overlooking the ocean and watching the sunset. Summer is way too hot and although I didn't plan on it, I ended the day in a water park, where it is nice and cool (relatively).

I was browsing a store last summer and came across this dress and since I didn't have a Hawaiianesque dress, I thought it would be a great addition to my closet. With the right accessories, the tropicalness of it is more subtle ... (at least, I hope it is). Just noticed that 66% of this outfit is thrifted...I had a conversation with a friend one time about thrifting and she mentioned that she likes new clothes better. Although I agree with her for the most part, nowadays you can't find certain styles anymore...haha. 

I need another vacation soon....July 4th! One more month. I really like when national holidays occur one after another. It makes the month that much shorter. 

The Perfect Summer Getaway

Summer Getaway created by a-field-of-daisies on Polyvore

I would love to have this outfit for a summer weekend getaway to a lakeside cottage...so perfect for strolling around town in the little boutique shops. I really like the minty green color of  the J.Crew dress and the material (silk chiffon) should keep you cool in the hot weather. Mmm, in terms of accessories, I am biased towards the color coral (if you haven't noticed, I wear my J.Crew coral belt more than any other accessory) and I love the pops of coral in this outfit (wallet, belt, nailpolish) against the softer colors in the rest of the outfit.

I love Marc Jacob's Daisy perfume ... the scent is very subtle and feminine, perfect for summer. I recommend getting the roller ball because it great for travel (mine fits in my wallet), and you can choose more precisely where you want it to go (unlike the perfume where a lot just goes in the air).

So far...I have five things from this set. Aviators, necklace, perfume, sun screen, and nail polish. Okay, so not really the pieces from the actual outfit. Almost there - 50%!