Leopard mania

I wanted to wear these faux leather leggings with leopard pumps. My cramped leg muscles however had other plans. So I kept digging into my shoe boxes for something comfortable to wear and found these leopard flats. I’d forgotten I have them, let’s blame AZ’s hot weather.

For today, these shoes brought total bliss to my busy day!

Caped crusader

Despite my love of capes, I don’t get to wear them often. The weather, the rest of the outfit, the plans of the day, all play a part in when and where I get to wear my capes. I own two, one in black and one in navy. My navy cape is informal and great for daily wear when the weather is crispy cool and springy.

Wow Worthy:

There are some shopping triumphs you want to brag about to almost everybody.

Here is my most recent one, this lovely scarf:

Uptown Girl

This is a neutral outfit but I like the overall look. To me it’s the perfect mix of nonchalant and elegant. The gorgeous textures make all the difference, I guess, the softness of the coat, the luxury feel of the cashmere sweater, the easy fit of boyfriend jeans, the lushness of calf hair shoes, the sleekness of buttery leather. Despite its simpleness, for me this outfit was full of tactile pleasures.

What to wear to your PhD defense?

I’m trying to post a few of 2013 posts before January ends!

I had my dissertation defense back in June 2013 and deciding what to wear was an important decision. Attending my friends and colleagues defense sessions, I knew it is a pretty formal event. I had my qualifying exam experience to draw from, so I knew I will go with a jacket look. But what color? Should I go with a skirt suit or a dress or pant suits? Decisions decisions!

I had seen others go for total business formal and had worn their black interview suits, I had also seen friends go for a business casual look, shirt and slacks look; in a neutral color scheme. I had also attended defenses where the candidate had worn a blazer and button down shirt with jeans.

I decided to err on the side of formal, so I went with a black top and black slacks but since I had my reputation (as a dressed up and stylish type of grad student, OK, it was more along the lines of being a clothes horse, but why split hairs!) to maintain, I added an eye catching jacket in my favorite cobalt blue. High heels give me confidence, so they were a necessity and my tote bag had to hold my laptop and notes. I added a tiny lapis pendant which is also a favorite of mine and was small enough that didn’t distract from my presentation. 

Even now, remembering that outfit, I feel pretty happy about it. This outfit was comfortable and gave me a little confidence boost without being too outlandish or distracting for my audience or far from what I usually wear. I think I found a winner!

 Yup, that's the real me! An honorary appearance to celebrate getting my PhD! Yoohoo!

Edited: here are what I wore for my Qualifying exam and to my graduation ceremony.

As red as tomatoes

I’m trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe as well as into my meals. Apparently it wards off winter blues. Wearing tomato red today, I made a salad with red and golden beets, carrots, and spring mix greens. It was colorful but tasting so-so!

Outfit Inspiration:

Here are some looks I like and will be copying pretty soon. My plan is simple: as long as weather is chilly, I will stick to skinny jeans and jeggings with coats and high heels. Then I will switch to lighter blazers and tuxedo jackets. When it warms up slightly I will go for loose fit pants and tuxedo jackets and high heels. Pretty straight forward until temperature hits 80s when I will go for dresses and dresses alone.

It’s good to feel like you've figured out all the life's mysteries and can relax. I feel so in control of my life right now!!!

Arctic blast

Well, the rest of US are at least getting some snow. What we got here is the freezing air without any humidity to mellow it out (like back in California) or any precipitation like the rest of the country. Can I at least pretend I’m living somewhere in Alaska? can’t I?!

What I liked this week:

-Red jeans. A saturated pure and bright red, a true red. I have to have one. So many outfits I can put together with red jeans… should I tell you the inspiration came from my friends’ toddler.  What? That little girl has excellent taste!

-D’Orsay pumps. Real ones, with no side panels, not even a tiny one! Preferably in red, hot pink and snake skin, but I take all the other colors and finishes too!

-Mimosas. There is something inherently relaxed and Sunday-y in them, you know?! Just order one at brunch and you are transformed to a vacation setting, with beach umbrellas and blue ocean right in front of you. Maybe because I used to order them at my favorite brunch spot overlooking the ocean back in Dana Point, CA! 

Hot chocolate evening

My favorite past time on a weekend evening is reading a good book and sipping hot chocolate in my local coffee shop. Add to it a triple chocolate chunk cookie and I’m in heaven. I even devised a special outfit for these relaxed evenings: a full on chocolaty outfit made of worn out and comfy pieces.

Here is another variation!

Lady in Red

Red is my favorite color hands down but I didn’t wear it much this winter. Why? Blame it on my increasing affection for orange. So I might have been feeling guilty and went kinda over board when I put together this outfit!

The cozy factor

Nothing beats warm and fluffy outfits on cold and gray evenings. So what if your outfit is basically gray? The important thing is how cozy it is.

I’ve had that faux fur vest for many years and every time I wear it I feel happy.

Burgundy and snow leopard

I know I’m ready to say goodbye to winter colors, what about you? However every time I go into my closet I look at a favorite piece and tell myself: “wear it one more time before winter is over”, which is how this outfit came together!

Spring and Summer Fashion Colors

If you are preparing for Spring now that the holidays are over, here is a little visual to keep in mind. The 2014 spring and summer Fashion Colors by Pantone:

The plaid scarf

Building an entire outfit around a scarf sounds crazy but I’ve fallen fast and hard for this orange and green plaid and there is no hope for me! It’s just so soft and warm and happy and lovely and… ok, enough already!

Lust Objects:

There are items you fall in love with as soon as you see them. But then you look at the price tag and go into shock! Here is one example:

From here!

Life Style Changes: a healthier approach

Holidays are officially over and life is back to normal, business as usual, ….you know the drill. I have to get back to my routine and apply a bit more restrain since the result of holiday indulgences are showing up.  It also has the added bonus of Arizona’s dry air and ruthless sun. My skin is breaking out and I feel tired waking up. All kind of allergies are flaring up and I start the day with low energy and by four in the afternoon, I am ready for bed. All of this necessitates going back to a healthier life style regime and minding my sensitivities and allergies.

So, I’m back to my gluten-free sugar-free semi Paleo eating habits, loading on lots of moisturizer, exfoliating religiously and getting more active.

Ahh well, holidays are over!

Caramel and cream

A comforting color combination for a low key and lazy Sunday. The outfit kept my mind on the yummy French toasts I had for brunch the whole day. In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t such a smart outfit choice!

Orange weekend!

Apparently this sweater has become my go to piece for the weekends. Maybe because it’s soft and cozy and I can hide half my face in the collar when it’s cold. Whatever the case, it felt perfect for watching “Frozen”!

My plaid pants have an orange/red thread running through them which makes them go great with red or orange tops!

O, the glorious shoes!

There are some shopping triumphs you want to brag about to almost everybody. Those special trophies that make you smile whenever you are reminded of them. I made one of those conquests yesterday: finding a pair of peep-toe wedge pump Jimmy Choo’s in nude for one third of its retail price. All hail the victorious me!

Let there be jeans!

I was berating myself today for wearing leggings and jeans all the time this winter when there was this perfect moment of epiphany: here in Phoenix I can only wear jeans for a couple of months, the rest of the year is dress time. So let’s enjoy this fleeting sweet time and celebrate it!

Ah, am I writing poetry? I may have indulged in too much chocolate!

Post-holiday blues

Do you feel like you need a vacation to recover from your holidays? Me too! At least a vacation from eating which due to a fridge and freezer full of leftovers is not possible anytime soon. Believe it or not I was looking up juice cleanses this morning, knowing me it says a lot about how serious things are!

Still, it’s hard to give up all the sparkly things. I decided to tough it out some!

Wardrobe Obsessions:

"If the shoe fits buy it in every color!"

Yes! I have taken this sage advice to the heart and developed a bit of hoarding mentality. When something looks good, is high quality, works well in my wardrobe and becomes a staple, I buy it in multiples and in different colors. It saves time and energy and lots of heartbreak in the long run. (How many times your favorite pair of jeans got ruined and you couldn’t find a replacement which fitted as great as the old one? It is an all too familiar scenario. I prefer to avoid it!)

One of my recent obsessions is leggings/jeggings from Hue. They fit well, look polished and aren’t too thin like jersey leggings or too thick that won’t fit in my boots. They look exactly like jeans from the back and even have back pockets. Currently I am up to five pairs in “go with everything” colors:

I confess to my mad grand plan of obtaining almost every color and wash Hue produces!

New Year

To start the year on the right foot, I dressed up. Since we were going to laze around the whole day the main objective was comfort, but I wanted to look polished too. My old standbys, a tux jacket, dressy jeggings and wedge pumps to the rescue! Sparkly necklace as a nod to New Year, a hot pink clutch to insert some color and keep things interesting.

A stylish older lady complimented my jeggings and called my outfit “Sharp”. It is always delicious when people compliment you, but a nice comment from a well-dressed lady who has seen lots of fashion trends come and go and has figured out her own style is priceless!

New Year thoughts

I didn’t do resolutions last couple of years. I set up goals. You may say it is a play on words but psychologically I find goals more manageable. Considering those goals, I didn’t do that bad. I’ve mostly bought lasting high quality stuff and have been using almost everything I’ve stored in my closet. I have learned a few new skills and improved on some of the old ones. I have tried to respect myself and don’t punish or treat myself badly, however it is a conscious effort and sometimes I slip into old habits. I know there are issues I have to work on long term. The only goal I didn’t meet was less stressing and being more relaxed. My anxiety peaked and become unmanageable last year.

Therefore, for 2014, I start with:

    1-      Treat my anxiety once and for all, whatever it takes!

    2-    Be more mindful, live in present and be happier, and to appreciate small things in life.

    3-   Take better care of myself, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Well, there! Let’s see what happens!

Whatever your resolutions, best of luck and stay strong!

Happy New Year!