Tamed Animal

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

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.

Hot-pants.

I asked the Hubby to take a photo of my outfit for this post, and it ended up being a photoshoot, go figure. I was trying quite hard not to laugh in the second photo..believe it or not, I can get painfully camera-shy.

Wearing a knit sweater & bracelet from Forever21, gifted Express shorts, Hue navy stockings, Topshop sneaker wedges, necklace gifted from Africa (the Hubby!)

Material goods.

Dakota Fanning sporting a leopard Rodarte dress.

It's that time again, where designers create a line exclusively for Target. This time, Rodarte will be the featured brand. This clothing line was founded by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who are sisters! They graduated from UC Berkeley and are actually from Pasadena! I wonder if they'll make a guest appearance at the Pasadena Target store...

Saw this Rodarte for Target dress in my GLAMOUR magazine and I was in love with the lace, bows, detailing, everything! And for $40, it's the price you'd pay at F21! I intend on ordering it online right when it comes out, otherwise it'll probably be out of stock like the Anna Sui line for Target.

Forever 21 has been carrying some cute shoes lately, the only thing I'd question is the comfort. The black lace-up boots look like a polyurethane knock off of the ones by  Burberry, but for $35, you really can't complain. I love the tan colored booties, especially with the bows in the back, as I'm a sucker for bows. Now I'm tempted to walk over to F21 just to see if they carry them!

Food and fashion are two things that I love separately and equally, so you can imagine how excited I was to see the American Fashion Cookbook, a cookbook featuring fashion designers and their own favorite recipes. It features,"Isaac Mizrahis Mushroom Truffle Spaghetti, Carolina Herreras Pommes Toupinel, Mark Eckos Adults Only Chocolate Chip Cookies, Derek Lams Yellowtail Crudo, John Varvatoss Calaloo Soup. Published with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and with a foreword by Martha Stewart, American Fashion Cookbook is a chic objet containing recipes and original illustrations by more than 100 American designers. Brimming with color, flavor, and personality, here are the fashion communitys favorite dishes and preparation tips (Amazon.com)."

Okay, so I caved in and stopped my shopping freeze this month...

YSL look-alikes by Carlos, except I paid about 5% of the price. Don't let the heel fool you, the hidden platform make them surprisingly comfortable.

Found this vintage leather chain strap clutch at a thrift shop in Alexandria, Virginia during our DC trip.

Leather gloves with little buttons on the side from Target. They have a great selection of leather gloves on sale for 14.99 this week! The jade-colored stone bracelet was found at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History gift shop for 7.50 : )

Animal print scarf from Walmart for $5.

Anna Sui for Target brocade blouse. They actually had a few items left at Target and I was eyeing this during my shopping freeze in October. Turns out, the Hubby purchased it for me as a surprise for Christmas. Unfortunately, I found it while putting his clothes back in the drawers. This always happens to me...I love surprises, really I do!

I've been accumulating quite an amount of stockings lately, due to the fact that they're usually cheap and instantly update your wardrobe. Urban Outfitters was also having a sale last week and I found some for $2.50! Some other places with great prices are Ross, TJ Maxx and Loehmanns. 

Sigh, there goes saving up for a Chanel bag! I don't think I have the patience or restraint to wait two years, and by the time I would've saved enough, I don't think I could bring myself to spend all of my hard-earned cash on a bag. 

Black magic.

All items from forever 21

I've been attracted to a lot of black, lace, tweed, suede, leather and dark metals lately. Perhaps it's because Halloween is just around the corner. My Halloween night will most likely be spontaneous this year, I don't even know if I'll be dressing up (other than being a "burrito" to get a free meal at Chipotle.

As the month of October is ending, I am proud to say I have not purchased a single clothing/shoe/accessory item! The feeling is sort of empowering, but who knows if I'll continue onto November. I'll be traveling here and there and I always tend to break my monthly budget when I travel, tsk tsk.

Fall fashion picks.

Due to the ongoing recession, I decided to post some affordable picks for the Fall/Winter. I usually tell people to invest in shoes, bags and classic items. Super trendy clothing pieces such as tops, dresses and accessories aren't worth spending a ton on, which is why Forever 21 is such a great source.

Forever 21 Fall picks

Ponchos, fur, stripes, military= love.

Forever 21 accessory picks

I'm an accessory hoarder and seeing all these beautiful finds on the F21 website is making me drool. 

Cold-weather boot selection


L-R: Piperlime/Aldo/Aldo, Bottom row: Piperlime

People have been asking me questions on buying boots, so I've decided to put in a few tips:

• Boots are an investment. Go leather, Pay more, feel better and wear them longer. Expect to spend at least 80+ retail. The key is to find them on clearance.
  
• Try shoes on at a local department store and then find them cheaper online. At least now you know how they feel/look on you.
  
• Go for classic colors if you intend on spending more for your boots. Neutrals, black, grays, red, you'll never get tired of these shades and they go with everything!
  
• Properly store your leather boots back into the box when you're done wearing them for a season, otherwise the leather will start to dry out.
  
• Get over the UGGs. They have and never will be considered chic. They're only practical when there's snow.
  

 Bags. Spend more, buy fewer and they will last longer. I'm not a huge fan of designer monogram. Small logos are okay. Go for all-leather if you decide to buy a classic bag that you will keep for years. Loehmanns, TJ Maxx and Nordstroms Rack are excellent choices for a variety of designer bags. 

Alright, that is all for today. TGFCW (Thank God for cooler weather) !!

Free concert night

Wearing: DIY "band jacket" - F21, striped button-down- cousin Sarah, polka-dotted tank- gap, gray skinny jeans- Levis, cheetah wedges- thrifted, belt- gap
Photo credits: My Hubby


Sexy Alexander Wang booties I got to see/try on in person. Felt like buttaah, but I took them off and walked away proudly : )





Window-shopping is more therapeutic than shopping because you have no obligation to buy and your wallet stays full!





Went to a free "All 4 One" concert (brought me back to middle school, love them!), followed by Marie Digby at the Americana. Great music, great drinks, great company.