Armando and I returned from Italy and had the chance to do some exploring a little closer to home.
I received an invite to check out the Exploratorium AFTER DARK and to experience an upcoming virtual reality film and series for Fall.
A late outfit post for Valentine’s Day. Since this year’s holiday was on a Tuesday, Armando and I celebrated the Sunday before with dinner at Skates on the Bay. It is a restaurant along the Berkeley Marina that has an amazing view of SF. Armando was out biking on Sunday and surprised me with the dinner reservation.
Black Trench Coat Luii | Black Notted V NeckTop Moschino (similar) | Faux Diamond Statement Necklace Express | Dance with Music Notes Midi Skirt Chicwish (here) | Piano Key Clutch Kate Spade NewYork | Black Geometric Bangle Forever 21 (here) | Black Satin Sedaraby d’Orsay Pumps Manolo Blahnik (here) | Le Rouge 307 Grenat Initie Lipstick Givenchy (here)After a long weekend of Posh Fest, and a week of fun adventures, I am back to sharing an outfit post featuring this fun, pleated skirt from Chicwish.
During the Summer, I picked up a few cute skirts from Chicwish. I bought this black and white music note midi skirt for my sister, but she opted to keep a different music note skirt instead. It was too late to return this one, so I opted to style it and list it on Poshmark. Lucky for me it sold a couple of weeks ago, and although it had a fun, quirky print I wasn’t sure I would want to wear it more than once, especially since I purchased it for my sister. I wore it to work, but it definitely feels more appropriate for a holiday dinner or date night.
I picked up the Kate Spade clutch at the outlet store located in the San Francisco Premium Outlets. There was an extra percentage off, and I loved the sleek design and fun print. The Manolo Blahnik heels are from The Real Real, and they were a steal! I found another pair listed on their site, in case you want to snatch them up for your holiday party outfits.
I love this red wall that Armando and I found on our way to dinner. Lately I have been in awe of his photography skills. When I think about how we both started out, he definitely was unfamiliar with blogging photography. But now he has it down and doesn’t even take half the number of photos he used to (because they come out great the first time!) I feel really lucky to have his support and to be able to showcase his talent.
Some of the best parts of blogging are taking photos when he is behind the camera. I enjoy those moments because sometimes we will be laughing, I will struggle to keep a pose, or I ask for “one more shot” when he is hungry and tries to rush through a photo shoot so he can go eat. I feel extremely lucky to be on the other end of the lens and for his willingness to help. It is thanks to him I am able to make sales on Poshmark, and I am grateful for his support for the blog and all I do.
I hope you enjoyed this post and are also grateful for someone in your life.
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Blue Wrap Top Diane von Furstenbeg via thredUP | Black Mesh Panel Midi Skirt Express (similar here) | Blue Jane Necklace Perry Street via Rocksbox | Silver Bow Bracelet Kate Spade New York | Ring Gift Macy’s | Samira Tower Radio Clutch Kate Spade New York (similar here) | Silver Sederaby d’Orsay Heels Manolo Blahnik (here) | Le Rouge Grenat Initie 307 Lipstick Givenchy (here)
A quarter of a century. I don’t exactly feel different or older, but it is still something I am trying to wrap my head around.
I am excited for this year though, and I am finally thinking of making some big changes. I’ve thought about changing my job, my hair and apartment for some time, but it is pretty easy for me to become comfortable with things and not take super big risks. I think this year my goal is to step out a little bit more out of my comfort zone. Starting a blog was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I’ve enjoyed putting myself out there and meeting the people that I have met. I’ve made friends that have been there for me during a scary moment and also there for fun and laughter. I am really happy with where I am at in life and look forward to making this year even better.
My goals around my last birthday were to be better with my body (and start a workout routine), know when to let go (and remove clutter) and make others smile more (by baking more.)
Out of all 3 things, I can say that I’ve done a really good job removing clutter from my apartment and especially from my closet. At one point it was putting a strain in my relationship with Armando since the apartment kind of just had too much in it. I am a lot better of editing my wardrobe, and letting go of 2 things or more when one new thing enters. I am still working on it, but it is a lot more manageable than it was before.
I’ve baked a few more times, but not as much as I’ve wanted to. In part because my oven is temperamental and decides when its 375 degrees on its own. I’ve burned more cupcakes and under cooked batches of brownies, but I am not discouraged. You’ll see more baked goods, especially since I picked up a Raspberry Ice Kitchen Aid mixer a few months ago.
I haven’t found a workout routine I like, but I do have a few passes to try a yoga studio for free for a month, so that might be what I do for awhile. I am happy with my body, but I want to make sure I am still active.
Aside from stepping out of my comfort zone and working on these 3 things, I want to make sure I am supportive. Armando is in his last year of school, and he has been the best when it comes to me asking for outfit photos. I have had some taken from this summer I’ll be sharing, but there may be less outfit posts while he is focused on studying. This outfit is from when we say a Cirque de Soleil show together, but it seemed fitting to share it today because of how I felt in this outfit.
The other person I want to support is my younger sister while she is teaching abroad in Japan. I miss her a lot and although I would have wanted her around to celebrate our birthdays together, I know she is doing something amazing that she is passionate about. Seeing how she’ll grow from this is something I look forward to and of course I plan on a few more visits to Tokyo, this time with Armando.
Thanks for sticking around to read my long post. I am grateful for you and your support means a lot to me. I hope you look to another fun year with me!
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Black Princess Coat Steve Madden | Silver and black Leopard Print Dress Trina Turk via ThredUp| Statement Necklace Express | Ulltra Patent Black Pumps Steve Madden | Le Rouge 307 ‘Grenat Initie’ Lipstick Givenchy (here)
Valentine’s Day came and went and I did not make any cupcakes. I did however make some Valentine’s Day themed cupcakes for the beginning of the month as a good-bye treat in honor of a coworkers last day. She was actually my cubicle neighbor and it was a big deal to me to go through the process and motions of feeling sad that she would be gone but also thrilled for her new job and her new adventure. I think it has taken me awhile to get over that considering I felt we had a close connection. I did make a pretty cute gift basket for her which I will share in a DIY post next.
I am ready to stop moping around and to get back to blogging. This is an outfit I wore to a Holiday party in December, and the shine to the dress makes it perfect for any night out. I wore it to the office too, but the dress has a very sophisticated cut and the metallic shine works for slightly formal occasions. And don’t even get me started on the tassel belt!
This beautiful Trina Turk dress is actually something I scored using ThredUp. I feel like ThredUp is really addictive as it is a mobile, curated thrift store. Items can potentially be new with tags, but at a fraction of the retail price. This dress looked too pretty to pass up, and with their return policy, I felt pretty good about buying it. Had it not fit, or if I was debating whether I should keep it, I would have had 30 days to return it. I have the best luck finding items on that sight and I would recommend checking it out. As of now, I have not send in a bag of items I wish to sell, but I expect I’ll be trying that pretty soon as the need for space in my apartment is ongoing.
My blog turned 3 sometime this month, and I can’t believe it’s been that long since I’ve started! I think a post dedicated to that is also in order. In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me this long and/or welcome to my third year of blogging!
Until next time,
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Black Wrap Dress Diane von Furstenberg | Leopard Print Mini Keller Suede Bag Diane von Furstenberg (Buy here) | Champagne Glitter Baxen Wedges Jimmy Choo (Buy here) | Silver Bangles Forever 21Day 39! Can’t believe I am one post away from ending this series!
Today’s outfit features a little black wrap dress and a fun leopard print bag. The bag is from is one I scored on +Poshmark and the dress is one I found at Crossroads Trading Co. The dress was actually one of the first black +DVF dresses I found at a Crossroads. but this is actually my first time wearing it. It looks very elegant, and I love the way the dress ties up like an obi belt. I am still debating whether I want to keep it or if I should list it for sale in my closet since I own so many black dresses. It is a classic and versatile piece so I might just have to keep it. 😉
The shoes were also a thrifted find via eBay. They were originally going to be someone’s wedding shoes, but the person ended up not wearing them. I am glad I’ve been able to wear them a number of times to make them worth the splurge. This look is perfect for a night out for cocktails or a fancy dinner. I’ve been cooking a lot more at home lately, but it is always fun to dress up for a night out.
Thanks for sticking with me this far with this series and I hope you enjoy tomorrow’s post.
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