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%! 

Little White Dress

Dress: H&M
Belt: Impressionist scarf from Gap
Shoes: Martin and Osa
Bag: Coach - thrifted
Sunglasses: Old Navy

Got this little white dress couple weeks ago. I really like how it fits and it's a great summer dress. (especially for a brunch on a nice day like today!) But...it's pretty see-through so it's kind of annoying to remember to wear the right undergarments. This is the same Gap scarf I wore in the previous posts but this time I did the scarf belt following Elaine's tutorial (see here). I really like how it looks, especially the contrast with the white dress.

Picked up these aviators from Old Navy today. It's really hard to sunglasses to fit my face shape because it is on the smaller side so if I do find them, I usually buy it...heh.

Perfect Summer Days

Tank: Abercrombie and Fitch
Shirt: J.Crew
Pants: H&M
Belt: Thrifted
Shoes: Minnetonka
Wallet: Kate Spade
Bag: China

Belt was only $1.99! It's actually only big enough to go around my waist and I can't wear it like a normal belt...which is fine because usually belts are too long for me. Mmm. I really like this bag that my dad got for me from China a couple years ago. The sequin pattern in the front is really pretty. Too bad the inside is falling apart from over use :( . I took a picture with the wallet just so you guys can see what the color looks like under natural light. Its a very pretty lime green color but in the sun / in pictures it looks more yellow.

Today's weather was just perfect. Not a single cloud in the sky, hot enough to wear a tank and shorts (but I didnt think it was too bad with this shirt on), not humid...Sigh.