What I loved this week:

..my new Cover Girl eye shadow duo: Smokin’ Shadow Blast. You get two eye shadows and can layer them or go with one single color. It is soft and creamy and easy to slide. Just don’t over do it because it tends to gather in the crease of your lid.
I got the 805 Silver Sky.

…white jeans. I have been wearing them every day. I have one skinny pair and one with wider legs and love them both. This summer they have become my staples somehow, worn with floral tunics, inky blue tops or stripes, with jacket and tank tops, …

…my occasional depression! I finally got used to these periods of being low and blue. I’m accepting them as my body’s signal to slow down and relax after a period of high stress and lots of activity. I’m learning to enjoy them, spend time on myself, day dream and plan, … and definitely go shopping and read lots of books!

Wanted! Inspiration

I’ve been delightfully busy. My cousin and her husband were visiting California for the first time. It has been more than ten years that I’d seen them. So it was very exciting and fun having them over.
To make everything easy I wore my tried and true outfits: Striped jacket and skinny jeans, White jeans and navy folk-y tunic, striped tops and white cargos…; easy, fun, cool and great for going to the beach and sight seeing.
Rinse and repeat! A week of this easy diet and I was fed up with navy and white and strips and in desperate need of inspiration and a new outfit combination.
Oooh, what is that picture in Lucky magazine?

Getting It Right: Cargo Skirts & T-Shirts



• CHOOSE A CRISP SKIRT that hits mid-thigh (for a little sexiness) and fits slim through the hips. As far as color goes, we like classic army green.

• A THIN-CUT, SLOUCHY TEE creates a soft juxtaposition with the clean lines of the skirt. Anything overly formfitting will quickly take the outfit in too uniform-like a direction.

• LUXE-FEELING ACCESSORIES like strappy heels and a bucket bag add elegance; keeping them in a neutral palette maintains the feminine-utilitarian vibe.

Mmm, it happens that I have an olive cargo skirt bought last October on sale for $8.99.
Let’s go check and see if I can find it and also a loose top that is not a t-shirt.

Lab Coats and my ranting

I had to wear a lab coat again after 5-6 years. I had mix feelings about it! I who changed my major and basically my whole career because I didn’t want to wear a lab coat for the rest of my life, was there in a strange lab wearing a borrowed lab coat (four size larger) and goggles, trying to pretend I knew what I was doing with their instruments! Ahhhhh, what an experience!
I know that whole career change because of the dress code may sound shallow to you, I can add a few more reasons to it but why bother?!
Anyway, two career changes later and here I was in a lab coat again! Universe plays cruel jokes on us sometimes. This particular lab was analyzing radioactive water samples and they had to take additional safety measures, plus being scanned for radioactive residue at the end of the day.
Now my personal policy in our lab is simple: If I’m not working with toxic or corrosive chemicals I wear my regular clothes (and thank goodness none of my chemicals are toxic or corrosive!). That means open-toed sandals, jeans, short sleeve tops, my jackets, skirts and …. If I was still in chemistry department, I wouldn’t be allowed in the labs!
The dress code in a chemistry lab includes: closed shoes which covers your entire foot (and you better wear socks too!), long sleeved lab coats, pants (no shorts, skirts or even cropped pants), mostly goggles and depending on the chemicals you are working with you may have to wear latex or chemical resistance gloves and sometimes face masks. Sounds cute, no?
Oh, no way! I am not going to look for a research position in the future because I don’t want to be forced to wear lab coats again.
Believe me, I am very happy that I am not in medical field and forced to wear scrubs day in and day out.
So what do you think? Is your dress code (and no, I don’t mean suits) bothering you? Will you change your career because of the dress code? Will you wear lab coats and scrubs every single day if your job demands it?

What is your feeling about lab coats and scrubs?
	I will change my job ASAP!
	I try to make them pretty and accessorize with scarves and pins and brooches!
	I try to break the rules and won't wear them everyday.
	I will wear them because I have to!
pollcode.com free polls

What I loved this week:

…white canvas and leather bags. Those that look preppy and cool and artistic. Something unique that screams summer in the city:

…Poppies, specifically red and orange ones. Has been seeing them on the side of the road,
Of posters, on dresses … well, almost every where.

…Hot pink color. Blame it on my sister and my missing her, but I’ve been seeing hot pink clothes and accessories every where:

Linen, cool and effortless

I had always envied those women who can look effortlessly chic. No, I don’t mean those wearing a nice dress or jeans and jacket combos. I mean those awesome women who dress like they put their outfit together from the floor of their closets in the dark, wearing lots of layers, pieces that don’t go together color wise or are rumpled and wrinkled but still look good! You know whom I mean.
And I always thought to wear this distressed ultra casual look you should be very tall and thin so anything would look good on you!
But a couple of weeks ago I saw a friend (OK, the wife of a friend) whom I see once every two years or even less! It was a sunny day and she was wearing a pair of draw string linen pants (those that have draw string at the hem too) in light brown and a silk loose slouchy top in dusty rose, carrying a large light gray satchel and wearing flip flops. …. And she looked good, cool, effortless and totally chic. I should mention that she is not thin and tall. She has a great figure but is of average height and has curves. And still, she managed to pull of that slouchy silhouette! Ahhhhh, I was envious!
I’ve always worn more structured pieces. Now I’m not that vigilant when it comes to ironing my clothes every time I want to wear them (my sister always complains about my lack of polish). But I go for pieces that are tailored and keep their own shape. I used to think soft loose silhouettes will make me look short and fat.
Well, not anymore! After that visit I’ve been dreaming of mastering that effortlessly cool summer style and today I took the first step. I bought something I have avoided like a plague in the past: a pair of %100 linen pants in mocha which has really wide legs.
I envision styling it with white silk tunics and wooden beads, tan espadrille and straw bags.
Well it would look more French Riviera than South Orange County but hey, it’s my first time!

Flowers and Stripes

I love my new horizontal striped jacket (Thank you mom!). With a little chill in the air, a thicker sweater top was in order. My top has a string of flowers crocheted in front and with my dangly floral earrings, I was thinking of purposing a bill for changing the flag from stars and stripes to flowers and stripes. All navy and white with a pop of red. Won’t that be nice?!

Looking for a…

“I want a denim dress. I need a denim dress. I really really need a denim dress” I repeat to myself every time I go shopping. I have been on a quest to find the perfect denim dress for three summers now. As you can guess, still no luck. Everything is too short, too long, too thick, too thin, not enough sleeve, very long sleeve, too much cleavage, too much rock and roll, too grandmotherly… can you believe there could be so many things wrong with one simple piece of clothing? And this dress is supposed to be a symbol of simplicity, being care free and effortlessly chic.
Ahhhhhhh! Why can’t I be happy with one of these:

Going Blue

I become enamored with nautical theme every summer. I have an ever expanding collection of blues and whites and stripes. This seasonal nautical-mania has been fanned by all the cute pieces available in stores this summer.
However I bought this dress last October and afterward start to have doubts. Is it out of style? Is the skirt too flow-y and teenage-y? Does it make me look wide?
But today’s nice summery afternoon was a great excuse to match this dress with a white jacket for the first time and head to the library. Anyhow, no one is too fashion conscious at the library, right?!
I was feeling very happy with my look and totally weather appreciate until around 8:00pm when I left the library to go to dinner. I was shivering in my BCBG espadrilles and cursing the sudden change in the weather. So cloudy, so chilly, so freezing! Where did my nice sunny afternoon go?

Casual shirtdress

I usually don’t like shirtdresses much (their popularity this season aside). They remind me too much of school uniforms! They are formal, very much an office attire. So it was with considerable amount of reluctance that I wore my shirtdress for an afternoon of running errands, although I did my best to casualize (can it be a real word?) it!

Day Dresses by Merona
Sandals by Max Studio

Strange but amazing: The dress was light and comfortable, it had me feeling playful.
I am a convert!

so how was your trip?

I have been away for so long it seems. A five week trip, a whole week getting over my jetlag and another week doing school work*.
How was my trip in general? Good, relaxing and totally lazy.
How was my trip fashion wise? Well, people usually are in sweats and tees and jeans for long flights and my five hour stay in Dubai airport didn’t provide me with any fashion inspiration unfortunately. The most well-dressed people around were the airport staff and guards, wearing either black suites or black pants or skirts with nice bright turquoise blazers. All of the female staff had full make up and their hairs were up in French twists, quite elegant I should say.
In Iran the most popular color was (sadly!) mustard, off-white and cream as other choices due to weather getting warmer. The top coats were body skimming and short. Tunics were really popular.
How was my trip shopping wise? On my other trips, I used to spend a couple of days shopping for clothes in Tehran and a day shopping for artwork and handcrafted pieces in Isfahan but not this time! This time I did my most minimum shopping. My mom should be so proud of me!
But I managed to bag a few sweet and unique pieces that I am very proud of.
Here is your sneak preview:

Just look at those hand-printed silk scarves! Are they gorgeous? And just look at those bags! I so love them!

* Why is it? Whenever I put a lot of effort in my report or presentation, I don’t get the opportunity to present my work! The gods of homework don’t like me!