Thursday, June 30, 2011

SF, I heart you.

SF
Some photos I snapped while in SF earlier this month for my lil bro's graduation in NorCal. It made me really miss the Bay Area and all that it has to offer.
"Hipsters"
My sibs and I
'Lil Sis
Tartine
Lemon cream tarts
Best bakery, ever.
Bi-Rite Ice Cream
Bi-Rite ice cream- deliciously creamy and gourmet-tasting ice cream!
Lines
Sweetheart
Mama's spicy beef noodle
My mom's spicy beef noodle soup
Flan
Mom's flan- the best.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Random musings.

color blocking
Experiment: Played around in the fitting room at Zara and wanted to buy nearly every piece I saw, especially this mod-inspired orange skirt. Nonetheless, I behaved, and narrowed it down to two pieces (not shown here).
snack
Munch: Made smoked salmon crackers spread with cream cheese, topped with caviar while a friend and I watched Hor de Prix and ate a Parisian-inspired brunch.

abstract nails
DIY: I had some time to kill last week and decided to have some fun with my nails by creating abstract paint strokes. It's super simple. 1. Start with a base color (preferably one that contrasts the top colors) 2. Once dried, apply 2-3 light strokes on each finger 3. Add smaller strokes using a different color while overlapping existing tones 4. Voila! A masterpiece at your fingertips!

double the trouble
doggie play date
Play: Went to see a friend and her very new buddy. Him and Mocha gradually lived up to the title of "Bonnie and Clyde." Since neither of us have kids, we have doggie playdates (yes, typical LA girls, but we go deeper than that!).

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Playing tourist in LA

Rodarte
Finally went to see the Rodarte: States of Matter exhibit over at .the Pacific Design Center before it went away this past Sunday. I had been wanting to see it since it opened a couple months ago, I have no idea where the time went! The pieces were amazing and the amount of detailing must have required tedious amounts of time and effort. There was an eerie aura to the dark pieces displayed in the first room, and the last room featured the Swan Queen's costume post-stabbing, as well as some other pieces from their line with streaks of bloody red. The ballet costumes used for Black Swan were soo tiny that it baffled me as to how Natalie Portman whittled away the pounds.
Mustard
Design
Trouve heels
Longchamp
Rodarte for Target tulle lace skirt, Uniqlo striped tee, forever 21 necklace, Trouve heels from Nordstrom (seriously the comfiest high heels I've ever experienced, the leather is like butter and the bottom sole is made of rubber), Banana Republic belt, Longchamp wallet from Paris
Mozza
Vino
Since we were going to be in the area, the Hubby surprised me by making a reservation for Mozza, Mario Batali's highly-acclaimed pizzeria. Did it live up to its hype? I think so. If only we weren't placed in the wine cellar room (I enjoy being in the daylight during the day, not much of a vampire), I may have gotten better photos of the food. But then again, it's pizza. But these people aren't messing around..the crust was thin, light, chewy and crispy all at the same time. I'm usually one of those people who throw away the crust, but I nibbled it down to the last bite. We nearly finished 2 pizzas between the two of us.
OC Entrance

Opening Ceremony
We also decided to visit Opening Ceremony in LA, since it was literally several blocks down from the exhibit. I had been wanting to visit since attending their Fashion Night Out event at the Ace Hotel. The cozy building resembled a classic housing complex from the mid 1900s or so. One of the workers said that it was once Charlie Chaplin's dance studio. I found that tidbit fascinating and was immediately drawn in. The rooms featured a different designer and the displays were created by the designers themselves. Some of these labels included Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Band of Outsiders, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Proenza Schouler and Acne, to name a few. Each piece appeared to be uniquely hand-picked and detailed in aesthetics. I think I've found my new favorite store, but my wallet doesn't agree.
OC Sign

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Color me mine.

Color Wheel
Jaclyn Smith shirtdress, Gap colbalt-blue stockings, Dolce Vita for Target wedges, Banana Republic leather belt

This is an older photo I had forgotten about, but it's basically my interpretation on the popular "color-blocking" trend that seems to be hitting the streets, including our Savvy department over at Nordstrom. It's always refreshing to see color in the midst of the typical blacks and whites. How can one (and others around you) not be in a joyful mood when wearing bold colors? Dare to be colorful!

And I know I've been lagging on taking before and after photos of our (no longer new) house, but I shall get to that soon! : )

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Simplify.

Rust
Rust2
Rust colored silk top, T by Alexander Wang side zipper pants, Nine West snakeskin stilettos, leopard snap-bracelet from Marc by Marc Jacobs, old Express gold chain necklace, Wet n' Wild Shine nail polish in 'Pink Petal Glitter'

I promise you I'm not smothering my dog! Anyway, I've been looking for something in a nude rust color for some time, so imagine my excitement when I found this vintage silk top at my local Savers while doing some styling with a couple of friends. I also found these T by Alexander Wang zipper pants at...none other than Nordstrom (of course, right?), several weeks ago. They are by far, the most comfortable and well-tailored pants I've ever owned. Highly recommended.
Snakeskin heels
I've got to admit, the past week in a half or so has been a bit crazy. From birthdays to anniversaries to graduations to promotions to changes in friendships, I've been a ball of emotions. I'm looking forward to my mini weekend vacay back to the Bay Area in June. As much as I enjoy meeting new faces here in Sunny SoCal, I do miss my parents and childhood friends...
Chains

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Little Tokyo.

Little Tokyo
DSC_6827-1
Vintage silk button-up, vintage tiny houndstooth skirt, vintage belt, Nine west booties, quilted bag, assorted accessories from F21, Macy*s, and various countries
Accessorize
Paulettes
Tried the new "Lettes (mini Paulette's)" in Little Tokyo, not bad.
History
Love this mural found near Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles.
Daichan Menu
Japanese Soul Food
Chirashi
Went out for a pre-anniversary date with the Hubby this past weekend. We found out that the restaurant was in the same plaza as the place we went to last year for our anniversary, go figure. We decided on having Japanese "soul-food" this time around and ate till we were happily stuffed with quite a reasonable tab.
Sakura
Asian Rockstars
Afterwards, we went off to Little Tokyo (for some more Japanese/Asian persuasion) with some friends to see our buddy perform for the East West Players. On a side note, we just started our Women's Half-Yearly Sale at Nordstrom. Come one, come all...if you've been good, now's the time to start finding some awesome deals!

With that, I should probably head to bed and get some much needed rest..

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

White Houses.

Patriotic
Wearing a sequined dress from Target, H&M blazer, Carlos patent pumps, vintage Chanel bag, Forever 21 bangle

Taken in front of the Anaheim White House restaurant. We came here based on a free gift certificate that Cindy received. This was possibly the most over-rated "fancy schmancy" restaurant I've ever been to. I don't usually like to criticize places, but this place was definitely pretentious and over-hyped. The ravioli was below Costco's standard and the souffle would've caused Julia Child to roll over in her grave. As my friend Cindy would say, the only part that was worth it was the $4 valet service. Nevertheless, it was an amusing experience that made me feel like we were in a Dynasty episode, circa 1980s.
Cindy
Anaheim White House
Sparkle
Peek-a-boo
Cindy's favorite part: the architectural parmesan crisp
Mini bow-tie
This event calls for a mini paper bow-tie.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Not so secret garden.

Statue Garden


Statue Garden 2
Throne
H&M floppy hat, sundress from Target, vest from Kmart, Dolce Vita for Target wedges, vintage Vogue sunglasses, vintage Christian Dior bag taken from Mom, assorted jewelry from Beijing and Hawaii

We received free tickets to the Huntington Library and Gardens last week and decided to pay it a visit for old time's sake. It was a super-sunny day in Pasadena and we ended the night with margaritas in honor of Cinco de Mayo day : )
Antique jewelry
I loved this amazing jewelry, especially the peridot ring with a vine-like setting.
Leah 2
Leah
My beautiful friend Leah, who shares the same love and appreciation for art nouveau as I do.
Convo piece
Bee
"Plastic" flowers
Pink
Flowers