Tamed Animal

leopard mohair cardigan by Banana Republic | vintage silk blouse | suede shorts from F21 | gifted Via Spiga boots 

DIY: Blinged-up kicks

Everything has been blinged out with glitter lately, and I was totally inspired by Honestly WTF's Miu Miu DIY. I thought to myself: I should re-vamp my old Jeffrey Campbell Mary Roks shoes that I abhor, after the "laces" kept falling off. The number of times I've had to glue those darn laces back onto the shoe left a residual glue stain that I could not stand looking at. My solution was to cover the entire front part with glitter to make it a new shoe, inspired by Miu Miu!

Mod Podge is a new discovery I wish I had discovered sooner. I always passed it up for fabric glue, wondering what the retro-looking bottle promised. Apparently, it is a glossy sealant that acts as a glue and dries completely clear, without the Elmer's glue effect. The mixture is a 2:1 ratio of Mod Podge and glitter. I found extra-fine glitter in the color champagne at my local Michael's store using the printable in-store coupon.

I taped off the areas I didn't want to be doused in glitter. I wanted to keep some of the natural color of my shoe to give it a bit of contrast, so I taped alongside the back wedge. After doing the first coat, I waited till it was nearly dry to put on the next. Since I feverishly piled the stuff onto my shoe, I only needed to do touch-ups during the third round. I let the shoe dry overnight before wearing them, and...voila!


Within the next week, I will be working alongside (and touching!) the Miu Miu glitter shoe collection (I'm sure every guy out there thinks they are hideous, but some of us women would beg to differ). Glittering your shoes is quite therapeutic, and now I want to make everything dull sparkle..and you should too! : )

Color Blocking Pt. 1234

Vintage cobalt blue blouse, vintage italian grid scarf, Zara skirt, Trouve (Nordstrom) heels, assorted accessories
Some more shots we took up on the rooftop, this was my own outfit- a big mistake to wear on a super-sunny day in  downtown LA while being a photog/stylist/wannabe-model. At least the silk breathed better than a polyester shirt might've...next time I'm sticking to 100% cotton! The color-blocking trend will have to die hard on me because I've been addicted to color lately (can't you tell??)...although I still have small dosages of monochromatic colors every now and then, including blacks and grays : )

Up on the rooftop.

Leyendecker top, Again grid-pouf skirt, AK Vintage necklace, assorted accessories from Nordstrom, F21 and gifted bangles

Had the delightful opportunity of accompanying my loverly blogger friend Cindy on her visit to Dietch PR in downtown Los Angeles as her stylist/photog! Their beautifully landscaped rooftop was left to our camera-happy disposal. Even despite the blistering heatwave in the middle of October, we were able to play dress-up with fabulous brands such as Leyendecker, Again, AK Vintage, Kahlo, Generation Love, Beso Beso jewelry and more. Thanks to David and Megan for opening up your office to us! Here are some samples of the photos I snapped of Cindy:

Beso Beso accessories

AK Vintage jewelry

"En Vogue"

Missoni Madness.

Okay, don't laugh. I kind of went ballistic inside Target this morning when my Hubby called me and told me they sold out of the tights (mainly the only thing I was eyeing from the line). I didn't expect the turn out to be THAT insane. I was out of the door by 9am, hoping to glean whatever was left of the mayhem at the quietest Target I knew of. I ended up with more than I had expected. Most of these will be and are currently being sold on eBay (always got to be business-minded!). Oh, and did I mention I am on a shopping fast this month? If anyone is interested, I am always willing to negotiate!

My favorite open cardigan piece...I can't let this one go, but I will wait a bit before selling it : )

Tested out these silky PJ-turned work pants today and got a few compliments. Hey, if you can get away with wearing PJs to work, you can get away with much more than that!

In Living Color

Just got back from vacay, hence the mia status. The above photos were taken several weeks back during my color craze. Been hooked on the whole color-blocking trend as you can tell...come Fall, I will probably tone it down with neutral colors. I know I say this all the time, but I can't wait for the cooler weather to come so I can bring out the fur, leather, pants, tights, blazers, etc!

LA, I think I love you.

F21 cropped tee | Mossimo skirt | GAP neon belt | Longchamp handbag | sandals taken from lil sis | Banana Republic cluster chain bracelet| braided cord necklace from F21 | friendship bracelet from the Swap Meet

My friend and I finally decided to pay Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles a visit. The pristine, white-washed walls with intricate mouldings and marble floors were an eye candy reminiscent of those found in Paris, France. However, the food was mediocre, comparable to Costco's frozen lasagna (but Costco wins). The pastries and desserts on the other hand, were delectable and satisfied our sweet tooths.




Going along with the theme of food in LA, the Hubby took me to Lukshon in Culver City. A friend from high school helped create the recipes and menu for this new restaurant by Sang Yoon, the same dude who opened up Father's Office (the chi-chi burger joint most visitors try, alongside In-n-out). The verdict: a fun twist on Asian fusion food- less stuffy and entertaining to the mouth. If you are in the LA area and haven't been, go try it; pronto.

We also stumbled across Buttercup Furniture, in the same plaza at Lukshon and Father's Office. Walking inside made me wish we met sooner, as in prior to us purchasing a ton of furnishings for our new place. Straight out of a Domino magazine, it is every interior decorator's dream come true.

All in all, I think Los Angeles is finally a place I can call home. Never thought that day would come, but in the midst of all the pollution, traffic and aggressive drivers, there is still beauty to be found in this city.