What I loved this week:

Wearing maxi dresses. With temperature warm enough to wear dresses day and night, I was able to give my neglected maxi dresses a workout. I have two, one black; one patterned in red and yellow flowers. Adding a few more (may be couple of solids) to my collection sounds like a good idea:

Wearing two pendant necklaces. Delicate gold chains and pendants in complementary shapes look good together.

Colorful ballet flats. I am so looking for the perfect pair! I really need: One pair in red, a pair in snake skin pattern, a pair in black with a bow, and something with a little embellishment. Ooh, and a pair in leopard print!

Hotness is not always good!

Dang! It’s hot. For the past two weeks the temp. has been between 85-95. Even at night is it in upper 70s. So what a girl’s got to do? One word: Dresses, dresses, dresses; Lose, breezy and uncomplicated. My gypsy maxi dress is getting a lot of workout. The metallic sandals go great with the metallic trim on my Cole Haan hobo. Aside from that, it is too hot for froufrou!

P.S.: In the interest of getting a little cooler, I also cut my hair. After two years of having shoulder-length hair, now I’m gone jaw-length! Cool!

The cat’s meow

…or maybe a leopard’s gentle roar!

For years and years and with all my love for all kind of feline, I used to treat leopard print with wary eyes, never to get close, never to buy the print. It always reminded me of loud style of 80’s and big curls and loud music and (sorry!) fat ladies! Up until last year my only leopard printed possession was a hair barrette. Then two years ago, I become brave enough and added a dress in stylized leopard print to my wardrobe right after seeing the print for six months straight. The dress went unworn for months and has been worn just once since!

Then I bought a gray leopard print scarf last winter which (surprise surprise!) I wore it most of the winter and well into spring even on my spring vacation.

Now with leopard being the dominant pattern everywhere, I’ve become obsessed. Still knowing myself, I’m focusing on accessories. I pushed my style boundaries and bought a pair of leopard print pumps last week and am looking for a thin scarf or a faux fur muffler, or maybe a pair of gloves or a belt. Ooh, rest assure, I’m not going to wear all these together. Small doses of this print is apparently all I can take!

What I loved this week:

My eyeliner: Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackened Brown. It has made my eye make up so much easier and so much faster. The winged (or cat-eye) lining on the eyes has become very easy. Just draw a little line and put (my favorite) smoky Shadow blast on and viola, done! no more messing with eye pencils!

Cotton A-line easy dresses. Ahh, the weather finally has gone above 80 and nothing is better than a breezy light dress.

Green Tea smoothies. Yeah, I know; fruit smoothies taste better but the sweetness isn’t too appealing in the scalding hotness of the afternoon. So it is either a green tea one or a lemonade. Let me tell you, green tea is very refreshing!

Fall fashion and trends

For the last two days I’ve been seeing women in the Fall most dominant trend. Well these ladies sure seem impatient for the Fall. For the rest of us with Back-to-school sales and every store carrying Fall merchandise there is still time to shop.

Key Words for this Fall are: Minimalist, mid-century (50’s and 60’s), Leopard print, equestrian, Lady-like accessories.

Colors: Camel and gray are most dominant. There is still room for Army green and olive.

Fabrics: Wool and tweed, khaki, Chunky knits, Bright velvets, Black Lace, Leather, fur, Shearling. Jeans still have time to shine, long chiffon dresses.

Dominant looks: Bohemian, Minimalist, 50’s lady, Baroque rock princess, sharp menswear.

Key pieces: A fur vest, anything in leopard print, army green jacket, straight and skinny pants or high-waisted wide leg and long, feminine blouses (like bow- ties in silk).

Accessories: snake and alligator skin, leopard print, cat-eye sunglasses.

Shoes: Nude shoes, riding boots, bright colored suede’s, Black strappy platform, pointy toed kitten heeled pumps.

Bags: envelope style and lady like purses in mix media, draw string bucket bags, large Satchels in croc or snake skins, large and refined hobos.

Wear: your camels with jeans or army green. Your grays with more grays and gold. Your leopard prints with everything!

Pictures from: www.Whowhatwear.com

Navy, my love!

I have become addicted to navy. My new inspiration was matching navy with blush. Now that’s a color combination I don’t get tired of.

Mixed feelings

I wanted to try the trend of mixing prints but had no confidence in the idea. So I went ultra-conservative with this outfit, adding the jacket and neutral touches to pull everything together. Still I felt self conscious the whole afternoon.

Not a mix I want to repeat. I think I’m happier with my tried and true mixing of solids and just one pattern. Sigh!

Hot weather and a bandaged knee

I was facing this dilemma two weeks ago right after I injured my knee. The temperature was between 80 and 90 degree and I had a bandaged purplish knee and couldn’t wear any of my skirts or dresses. So much for waiting for the warm weather!

My solution was wearing that slouchy linen pants I told you about a few weeks ago. The legs were wide enough to hide the bandage and didn't rub against my skin. Cool and comfortable, paired either with strappy flats or tan wedges.

The only problem was that the pants needed ironing before each wear!

Imagine it’s the week of July 12-16, right after I scraped my knee:

Tuesday night, dinner and going to the coffee-shop:

Wednesday, an afternoon in the library, pretending to be a serious researcher:

I have owned this top for more than 10 years and in all this time have worn it less than 10 times. But I can’t bring myself to throw it away. I have a weak spot for those burlap patchworks!

Thursday, lunch and shopping with my friend:

Friday, a walk on the beach with dear hubby:

Excuses, excuses!

You know me, too lazy to post regularly! Now give me the excuse of a hot week, then a week of dealing with a summer head cold and another one for transferring files to a new laptop and you get three weeks of my going MIA! There are still some pictures to be downloaded too.

Now, this is my new baby in all her Onyx Blue beauty:

Isn’t she cute? She is only 10”×7”, weights a measly 2 pounds and fits inside most of my tote bags. So very convenient.

Aside from that, with my knee still a little raw looking I’ve been wearing mostly wide leg jeans and striped tops, a thin slouchy jersey cardigan from H&M proving a little warmth in air-conditioned places. Am still sticking to my navy and turquoise or the classic blue stripes and red combination.

Navy, turquoise and a band aid

After waiting two months for the temperature to go higher than 75º so I can wear dresses, I finally got to try a new color combination: Navy and turquoise.
I felt pretty good about myself (and my outfit) for about 40 minutes until I got to school. Then I fell, scraped my left knee and went upstairs to my office where my officemates and one of our professors patched me up!

Don’t blame my 5 inch high wedges, please. If anyone is to blame, it is that idiot driver who scared me with his car horn and caused me to twist my ankle and scraped my knee.
The gory details include a lot of sniffing and a few tiny little tears, a huge 3inch by 1.5 inch gash in the middle of my knee, the whole knee becoming bruised and purplish and I feeling totally embarrassed in front of my colleagues and a professor.

What better way to start posting after three weeks of absence?!

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!

Let’s go Window shopping

Put it to my infamous laziness or slow internet connection, I didn’t post anything sooner. Sorry!
But one thing discouraging me more than anything else was the fact that I don’t have good pictures to post. It was next to impossible to use my camera in stores, so I asked my sister to use the camera of her cell phone. You cannot believe the amount of role playing we had to go through to take these following few.

And here is my dream Handbag, made of silver (95%). I keep visiting her day after day, not daring to even ask the price!

Hope you are greatfull ;) I went through a lot of trouble to put this post together!

How to Pack… (The sequel!)

You’ve guessed right! It didn’t work out! God bless Emirates airlines for allowing two 50 pounds luggage and a carry-on which I am taking advantage to the full! Huh! Me, traveling light? What a joke!

Last year I enjoyed my total of 12 hours transit in Moscow airport, people watching. I liked how all the locals were wearing stylish coats and boots. That observation fuelled my passion for trenches and coats this last winter. I added a few stylish long coats to my wardrobe and was very happy with the results.
This time around I’ll be staying in Dubai airport for a few hours. Let’s see what I’m going to learn.

For farther posts I plan to take you shopping wherever I go, internet speed permeating.
So keep tuned and let’s see where the life takes us.

What you pack for a month trip

… to visit your parents?
Let’s start with colors. I chose gray and white and navy as my basic neutral ones mainly because I’m going to live in my jeans and I have a couple in each color!
For accent colors I’m going with turquoise (because it is trendy this year!), purple (I’m in love!), ivory and cream (can’t live without them!).
I’m packing:
5 blazers, 2 trench coat, about 10 scarves, 3 skirts, 6 pair of jeans, 3 dresses, 4 cardigans, 7 blouses/dressy tops, 6 tank tops, 3 pair of shoes, 3 handbags and almost my whole collection of necklaces and earrings…
and for casual home-wear, 2 pair of yoga pants and 5 tees/tops.
Plus 2 set of pajamas and make-up and skin care and ….

Do you think all these plus all the gifts for my family are going to fit inside one 35 pounds suitcase?
Wait and see!

What I liked this week:

Last Saturday, my friend and I went for some necessary window shopping/girl time and I kept seeing pretty blush colored tops and dresses everywhere. My obsession continued through out this week as well. So here is what I’m dreaming about:

am looking for tan Flat sandals I can wear with my white jeans or olive cargo pants. I don’t like tong ones that look like fancied up flip-flops. I want something like these babies:



..and finally the Brittany Murphy’s costumes in the movie “The Ramen girl”. So urban, so comfy, so chic! I am so totally in love.

Later: I am sorry! As much as I looked, I couldn’t find any production pictures online (or any high quality pictures of the costumes, for that matter). You better go watch the full length movie!

Back on track!

The only upside of being sick with flu was dropping a couple of pounds. I was feeling pretty good about myself until I spent an afternoon organizing my spring wardrobe and dontcha guess? Some of my last year dresses and skirts are snugger than what they should be. All those afternoon snacks of cake and cookie are showing their effects finally!
To fit inside my skinny white jeans without a muffin top, I’m drawing battle plans.
Here are some of the high notes:
-Stop eating cake and pastry and cookies.
-Cut my portions of bread and rice in half.
-Stop snacking on chocolate spreads and instead take one square of dark chocolate daily.
-Instead of snacking icecream bars every night, drink a cup of vegetable juice.
-Incorporate more vegetable in my diet.
-Start doing Yoga again.
-Walk or hick for 3-4 hours every week.
I know these look pretty low key to some people but I know my offenders and weaknesses. I love sweets and cakes and bread. So limiting my carbohydrates intake should have high impact. Despite lack of exercise, my life style is pretty healthy, no bad habits, no alcohol or soda, no processed meat or ready-made foods or fast foods, no processed cheese… I just have a very sweet tooth and a weakness for creamy desserts.
So let’s see how these few strategy will work out. I keep you posted!