A Touch of Pink

Blazer 7 For All Mankind, Grey Silk Top Marc by Marc Jacobs,  Pink Skirt Tara Jarmon for Target, Leggings Forever 21, Pink Statement Necklace Forever 21 (Similar here), Lace Covered Bracelets Forever21, Nude Satchel JustFab!, Zeda Boots Madden Girl (In brown here)I feel like in my last few posts I’ve really represented the colors of Valentine’s Day with my pops of reds or pinks. This outfit is actually a remix of one of my previous blog posts as you can see here. I changed the skirt, bag, and accessories and it becomes a different look all together. It’s been almost a year since I’ve worn that last outfit too so I doubt anyone at work would have noticed the outfits being similar (if anyone remembers them!)
I am finally getting back into the kitchen and starting to bake again. I took a small hiatus when my sister moved to Japan for the year to study abroad, and have not really been in the mood to bake. With Valentine’s Day coming up, and some special requests, I’ve dusted off my apron and have begun prepping my supplies to decorate tomorrow night and Thursday night. Can’t wait to share the photos once I’ve taken them, I am sure you’ll love them! (I already too, and I haven’t even started yet!)
Until next time,
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Burberry Black Dress

Tan Cardigan Express (similar here) | Black Dress Burberry (here) |Red Bow Belt Forever 21 | Red Suede Heels Steve Madden (similar here)I don’t think I say it enough, but Crossroads Trading Co. is my favorite place to shop. I love to go digging for designer pieces at thrift stores, but Crossroads does half of the work for you by curating their selection with current, fashionable pieces and must-have designers. Case in point: this little black dress by Burberry that I scored 2 weeks ago. Classic and Chic: I can never say no to great black dresses and right now my Poshmark closet has a few listed since I have so many in case you need one for the office or a special event, including this exact dress.
I love the Burberry nova check pattern underneath the collar of the dress and used that as my inspiration for the rest of the outfit. I paired it with a neutral cardigan and the red belt and shoes. I was originally going to wear the same pumps in nude so my belt and shoes would not match, but the red shoes looked a lot better. Red is a neutral I have fully adapted into my wardrobe, so I feel like you can never go wrong with red accents in your outfit.
Speaking of red, I am so excited that it is now February and that chocolate will be marked down on the 15th! But before that, it will be Valentine’s Day which means it’ll be time to wear anything heart print, red, or pink. Will you be wearing anything festive for Valentine’s Day, or as my sister calls it, Single Awareness Day? Let me know!
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Work Week Chic

Blazer and earrings Forever 21 (Similar earrings here) | Top Express (Similar here) | Pants Anchor Blue (Similar here) | Nude Pumps Steve Madden (Similar here)When I get ready for work, I usually have a general idea of what items I’d like to work with in the morning.  I thrifted this blazer about 2 months ago and have not had a chance to wear it since most of time soon after was spent preparing for my trip and being on vacation. I thought it’d be appropriate to wear it since the weather has also been really nice and it is a short-sleeved blazer. 
Using the blazer as the center of my outfit, I picked out the pants because it has the same feel as the sleeves of the blazer. I added the gold earrings and nude pumps to also bring out the gold stripe detail. The purple top completed the look and popped against an otherwise neutral outfit. Sometimes I can’t help myself when it comes to matching so many details, but I am glad I am now more willing to add a pop of color to the look.
Hope you’ve had a great week/month! Time to welcome February!
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

A Date by the Pier

Short Trench Coat B.B. Dakota (Similar here) | Red Skater Dress Zara (Similar here) | Silk Patterned Scarf Oscar de la Renta | Black Patent Bow Forever 21 (Similar here) | Polka Dot Mouse Flats Marc by Marc Jacobs (Similar here) | Natasha Petal to the Metal Cross Body Marc by Marc Jacobs (Exact match here) | Sunglasses DG
Armando and I made a date to together in San Francisco last Monday. We both had the day off and decided to walk around near Pier 39. We passed by all the shops and street performers and discovered the Maritime National Museum at the Hyde Street Pier. Admission was free that day so we toured the ships docked as part of the museum. Afterwards, we made our way to Ghiradelli Square to split an ice cream sundae. For lunch,we had clam chowder, calamari, and crab cakes at a restaurant along Fisherman’s Wharf.

Once we made it back to Pier 39, we walked in and reached the carousel. I originally thought my outfit photo should be taken with the ocean in the background, but the colors of the carousel worked with my outfit really well! It also looked fun which is the look I was going for when I was getting dressed this morning. I was really happy about being able to spend time with the man behind the lens. It isn’t everyday that we get to hang out and not worry about work/school. We had a blast together and he was dressed cute too but he is a little camera shy and doesn’t let me take his outfit photo…yet.
Hope you all had a fun weekend and until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

French Twist

Trench Style Coat 2B Bebe (here) | Black Malarbis Silk Blouse Diane Von Furstenberg | Red Pencil Skirt J Crew | Black Suede Metra Booties Nine West | Knit Beanie and Statement Necklace Forever 21New Year, New You!
At least that’s what the windows say at my nearest Crossroads Trading Co. By now most people have forgotten or broken what they resolved to do with the start of a new year. I didn’t resolve to do much this year except a few things. 1) Wear new items I buy sooner, ex: the J Crew pencil skirt in this post. I bought it back in October and it had just been hanging in my closet a little surprised it hadn’t been worn all throughout the Fall season. One thing I can learn to improve is wearing what I buy right away so I don’t feel as guilty for splurging and maybe even see myself shopping less with this tactic.
My other goal, which has remained strong, is to sell items through my closet on Poshmark. This last weekend I made a bunch of sales and it has motivated me to keep adding things to my closet that I am not wearing or don’t plan on wearing anytime soon. I think when it comes to how I spend my time, I do spent a lot of time on Poshmark, checking for new notifications, sharing items from other people’s closets, and taking photos of the items I plan on listing. I’ve become a little obsessed with all the pretty cover shots that I’ve created a board on Pinterest devoted to listings I see in the app. (You can see what catches my eye here.) 
The coat I am wearing in today’s outfit post is one of those pieces that does not get much attention from me since I tend to wear my black princess coat. I love the sparkle it has and the overall look of the jacket. It has so much detail and as I write this is sounds almost silly to be selling it. But I did just comeback from Japan with 3 new coats and don’t have space for everything in my studio. Currently it is listed in my Poshmark closet here in case you are a size XS and need a fabulous winter coat. And if it doesn’t sell, that’s okay. In creating listings on the app I’ve fallen in love with pieces I thought I no longer wanted and this helps me transition to my final goal for the year with my closet. 
I want to want what I have. And while there are a bunch a pieces that I tend to reach for again and again because I love them and use them, I want to be able to remember that in case I find myself shopping. With every new issue of a magazine, Fashion can feel a little overwhelming with all the trends or must-have items of the moment. It is easy to be caught in a vicious cycle of always wanting more. I can’t say I won’t always want high-end items or more clothes, but I can do a better job of really appreciating what I do have and working with it. 
Hope you have been able to keep up with your resolutions and wish me luck with mine!
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Japanese Convenience Store

Trench Coat B.B. Dakota | Grey Sweater Kenneth Cole Reaction | Olive Cargo Pants 7 For All Mankind | Gold Beatrix Flats Sam Edelman | Gold Bauble Necklace Subversive for Target | Natasha Petal to the Metal Black Cross Body Marc by Marc Jacobs | Grey Flats Socks Purchased in Japan | Photos by Nicole Saldana I wore this outfit the day before my sister and I went shopping in Harajuku and Ameyoko. So technically this was my Saturday outfit (Friday in the U.S.). My sister and I were recovering from having spent our entire Friday at Disney Sea and just kicked back all day on Saturday. I didn’t have to worry about layering up too much since we were indoors all day, but I wanted to walk over to a convenience store nearby for some dinner and something to drink. As I mentioned in my previous post, my biggest mistake in packing was not bringing boots or sneakers. Buying socks for flats made a pretty big difference and my toes were not as cold.

I’ve narrowed down my favorite photos from each day of my trip so my next post I’ll be sharing a recap of my first day in Japan. I am so happy that last year I ended it by traveling and then spending the holidays with my family. I have been thinking about my resolutions for this year and have decided I just want to continue trying new things. At the end of the year we tend to forget we’ve accomplished a lot as we reflect on whether we kept our resolutions from last New Year’s Eve. I sort of stuck to mine of being more eco-friendly when it came to buying clothes and opted to buy secondhand as opposed to new more often. I went a little overboard and now have way too much in my closet so my goals are to reduce the amount of clothes I own. I’ve invested in some really good pieces and now just need to trim out what I am not wearing. It will probably make getting dressed in the morning easier, but I sometimes think it is harder to appreciate what you have if you own too much. Trying to figure out what to pack opened my eyes of how I am really able to create completely different outfits by only taking a few key pieces. I tried to fit a weeks worth into a carry on, and having fewer options forced me to be a little more creative. I look forward to approaching my closet like that everyday and really mixing what I own already.

Hope you’ve had a great weekend and have kept to your New Year’s resolutions. Stay tuned for my Travel series in the next few posts.

Until next time!Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |