i walk out in stormy weather

Reverse jumpsuit (c/o). Bitching and Junkfood coat (c/o). Karmaloop necklace (c/o). Jeffrey Campbell shoes (c/o).

Since it's winter, and therefore pretty unbearable to show skin, I've been compensating with deep cuts. The summer lover in me gets antsy in the wintertime, probably because she feels suffocated in layers (I'm still not very good at this layers thing). I envy those of you who are soaking up summer rays in Australia SO much. I told my friends the other day that when I retire, I want to have a house in California and a house in Australia, so I'll have summer year-round. A girl can dream!

photos by Jeff F.

no way

UNIF moto (c/o), Nasty Gal top, Nasty Gal jeans, Jeffrey Campbell shoes

I love all the metal-plated goodness UNIF's been doing (I'm obsessed with my UNIF metal bustier), so when Karmaloop sent this moto my way I was beyond thrilled. They really upped their faux leather game, it's really weighty and nice-looking! I think I own 5 or 6 UNIF motos, and this is probably my favorite.

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! I'm figuratively sprinting in my last stretch of the school semester, and finals are next week, which means I have almost NO free time on my hands. I haven't had a night out in weeks. I'm also moving into my new office/warehouse/loft/creative workspace thingamajig (yay!) so things have been a clusterf*ck. But getting all this done ASAP is going to ensure I have quite possibly my raddest holiday season ever. Whoo! Thanks for bearing with me! 

photos by Jeff F.

black friday

Cameo dress (c/o). Drmers blazer (c/o). ShopAKIRA clutch (c/o). Midas & Moros sunglasses (c/o).

The smoke print that Cameo came out with killedddd me. I love how beautiful and symmetrical it is, and it's a print exclusive to Cameo! This dress is genius, perfectly accentuating the smoke with a sheer overlay (it comes in white as well). I kept the sheer/black theme going and wore this blazer with mesh sleeve panels.

How was everyone's Thanksgivings? I had a fantastic time; I went to two Filipino family dinners. If you're not familiar with Filipino families, just know that I was WAY stuffed and they still kept trying to feed me more! Afterwards, a couple friends and I had a "Friendsgiving" complete with a bonfire. It's raining today (a big deal here in Southern California), the perfect kind of post-Thanksgiving day, and all I wanna do is cuddle with my dogs and sleep off the heavy food.

photos by Jeff F.

i'm thankful for...

Cheeky Doll blazer (c/o). 2020AVE dress (c/o). ShopAKIRA clutch (c/o).

Excuse the windswept hair, it was quite the breezy day haha. This is my Thanksgiving outfit! It's the perfect fall/winter/holiday look, and is almost casual but for the crisp white blazer that polishes everything off.

Even though I don't personally agree with Thanksgiving Day's historic roots, I still think there's great merit in a day when people go out of their way to be thankful. I know everyone says trite things like, "You should be thankful everyday, not just on Thanksgiving," but c'mon. Honestly, that's not something we keep in mind amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily routine. It's unfortunate, but we've become so busy and caught up in our fast-paced lives that we forget the little, yet meaningful, things. It's nice that for a day, the whole nation stops what they're doing to reflect on what they take for granted. I'm thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for all seven of my wonderful dogs. I'm thankful for my friends; I deeply appreciate that every single one of them is someone I can learn from. I was born into extremely unfortunate circumstances and my family and I never had it easy, but I'm thankful that in recent years, our lives have been turning around. I really feel like 2013 was the turning point for us, and I'm thankful that we are making our dreams come true, together. Last, but certainly not least, I'm eternally thankful for you, my readers. You made this blog what it is! Not a day goes by that I don't think fondly of you guys and want to hug you to pieces.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (for you Americans) and a wonderful day (for international folk)! Eat, drink, be merry, and cherish your loved ones! <3

photos by Jeff F.

the perfect 10

Nasty Gal hat (c/o). Nasty Gal blazer (c/o). Nasty Gal bustier. Nasty Gal jeans (c/o). Nasty Gal clutch (c/o). Nasty Gal shoes (c/o).

Nasty Gal is having this fun 10-day feature where they show you 30 outfits (three outfits a day for ten days) that mix and match statement pieces to create cool holiday looks. What's awesome is that if you buy one item from the sale, it's 30% off. With two items, they're 40% off. With three or more, they're an amazing 50% off! What's not to love? In these photos, I'm wearing a couple items you'll find in this sale! I've been dying to wear sequins and attend glitzy holiday parties recently; it's just that season. I was thinking more along the lines of the typical sequin dress but this blazer knocked my socks off, it's perfect. Forget about your boring blue or black denim and go for these plum/wine-colored skinnies. They're coated, and the sheen goes great with the shiny blazer. Top it off with this bowler hat for a boyish charm!

photos by Jeff F.

This post was sponsored by Nasty Gal.

white out

Front Row Shop top (c/o). Zooshoo skirt (c/o). Shoe Cult by Nasty Gal shoes (c/o).

Winter is fast approaching but that doesn't make me want to wear all-white outfits any less--quite the contrary, actually! Front Row Shop has some of the most unique yet beautifully simple pieces. This top is ethereal and almost has the look of neoprene with mesh cuffs + hem. I paired it with this essential faux leather zip skirt and wore simple silver jewelry to match the silver zipper detail.

photos by Randy Tran

come back and haunt me

UNIF moto. Nasty Gal top. Lex & Mila pants (c/o). Wasteland bag (c/o). Shoe Cult by Nasty Gal shoes (c/o). 8 Other Reasons jewelry (c/o). Quay sunglasses (c/o).

I have a white version of these pants (I styled them in my first-ever Shoe Cult collab, if you recall), so I was preeeetty stoked when I modeled for Lex & Mila's lookbook a few weeks back and they sent me home with a similar pair in a gorgeous shade of lapis. I went all-white with the rest of my outfit except for the perfect blue accents in my accessories. I'm also happy to say I finally own a white satchel, thanks to Wasteland! They sent me a bunch of goodies to celebrate the launch of their new and improved site; view it HERE if you haven't seen it yet, it's quite awesome. This bag is so versatile, you can use it as a clutch, hold it by the handle, or attach the adjustable strap and sling it over your shoulder. Options, options.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my $1000 holiday shopping spree giveaway with Karmaloop here! Only three days left!

photos by Randy Tran

floral

Sweet Rebel kimono (c/o). Lex & Mila top (c/o). Forever 21 pants and shoes.

Sweet Rebel is a shop based in Florida that perfectly embodies the easy, breezy coast lifestyle, be it Florida, Los Angeles, Australia, etc. One of their offerings is this beautiful floral kimono. It's semi-sheer and has a hi-low hem, silver spikes along the shoulders and back, and button closures to give you the option of wearing your sleeves up or down. I color-coordinated it with some burgundy skinnies and oxblood/black colorblock platforms!

photos by Jeff F.

This post was sponsored by Sweet Rebel. Check them out here.

la problems

1964 THREADS tank (c/o). Lovers + Friends jacket (c/o). Articles Of Society jeans (c/o). ShopAKIRA clutch (c/o). Chilli Beans sunglasses (c/o).

I laughed when I saw this shirt because I am all too familiar with the "LA problems" it's referring to. I remember reading an article on LA problems and being like, "YASSS GURL" to every single one. Take these for example: Trying to decipher the bajillion, seemingly contradictory parking signs to see if you're okay to park there at that time, traffic on the 405...or anywhere in LA for that matter, potholes, Obama visiting and basically rendering all streets useless, being horrified at eating something not organic and free-range, being late to Zumba (because of that damn traffic), never really having winter, etc. The funniest one was "model/actor/whatever". Coincidentally, my glasses are called the Melrose Sunglasses! They're from a line by Chilli Beans specifically inspired by Los Angeles, called the Los Angeles Collection (duh) and each frame is named after a well-known and loved LA area.

photos by Jeff F.

This post was sponsored by 1964 THREADS. Check them out here.

paragon

Nasty Gal Collection dress. Nasty Gal clutch. 8 Other Reasons jewelry (c/o). Forever 21 shoes.

I love the Nasty Gal Collection! With tons of emphasis on smokey shades, eye-catching styles, and perfectly revealing cutouts, it's a winner. I especially love this maxi, and for once, being short worked in my favor. I don't think it was meant to be floor-length but it became the perfect gown for me! I wore it with my ultra-affordable shoes that pretend they're A.Wangs and went to a nice lunch with friends this past Saturday.

photos by Jeff F.