Update #50: Liquid gold

Hi all, we're back from sunny Florida and what a wonderful and relaxing trip it was. Yes, that's right, I wore heels to the beach! I always do. I had a pair of beach sandals in my bag, but that was for later. Style first! :) Sorry I could not post earlier, but I was in a remote area called Tarpon Springs. Okay, it's not all that remote, but I wanted it to be and thus, that's what it became. I turned off my phone, left my computer at home and read nothing but a trashy novel while sipping piña coladas! I needed to decompress. Besides, my ox fortune told me to travel lots this year and that's what I plan to do. Why not? I've only got this one life (that I know of). I plan to live the hell out of it! The shot above included the bf. I had other shots, but thought why not include him, since I talk with him so much about this blog, it's as if he's a part of it too really. After all, the "skirt" I'm wearing was once his Ed Hardy t'shirt. He didn't like all the rhinestones and it was terribly large for him as a shirt anyway. I didn't like the shirt as a shirt, but thought it would make a killer skirt! And so that's what it became. The bf didn't mind too much, he's so encouraging when it comes to my love of clothes. He's always sure to remind me that when one door closes, try a window and if there is no window, well... tear down a wall! BTW, that advice goes for everyone out there, not just me. :)

(Gucci sunglasses; Salvatore Ferragamo scarf; Top Shop t'shirt; Ed Hardy t'shirt refashioned into a skirt by GigiV; Ellen Tracy socks; Cole Haan boots; AND the best accessory of all, my bf - Michael!)
(Better close-up of the former Ed Hardy t'shirt, now skirt!!)

Please excused the startled look on my face. There was no intruder in the house, just an unexpected double flash. Gigi is off to Florida on vacation today, but we have agreed that we'll try to keep up with the postings on the road. This applies to her as well as me, especially during my upcoming travels to China. So we'll see if she pops in with her post.

Today, I finally pulled out this necklace, a surprise present from my husband some time back. He has certainly come a long way with his gift giving. When we first started out, he picked out dainty things for me, things that all the girls he used to know liked. I appreciated his gestures very much, but delicate chains and demure sparkley things are just not for me, however expensive they may be. He soon figured out that I am much happier with $5 street market glass beads if they added good colors or interesting shapes to my outfits. Since then, he has gotten in sync with my aesthetics and now gives me the most fabulously fun stuff, like this waterfall necklace that drapes like liquid. I don't know about others, but I'd much rather have many little surprises that put a smile on my face than some diamond solitaire that looks like something everyone else has.

Update #49: shopping in my own closet

A loft is not for someone who likes to hoard stuff. Despite what people may think, I am not a hoarder. In fact, I share a single non-walk-in type closet with the husband EQUALLY and he gets about 80% of the dresser space in the house (I hate dressers). I am not saying that he is obsessed with clothes. He is not. He just likes to save all the old t-shirts and his clothes are a lot bigger. :) Anyway, the point is despite the limited closet space I have, there are enough goodies in there to play with and I never forget exactly what I have. I think the secret is to have lots of dresses that can play on their own or with the jackets/cardigans that you can mix and match with the dresses. Very few of my things wrinkle, so when packing, I can roll everything into a ball and it'd be just fine. People are always surprised that I can pack a single overnight bag and dress out of it for a week and don't look like I am repeating. So here is a dress and jacket combo again. I got quite a few compliments today and everyone thought the skirt was separate. So dresses that look like separates are even more interesting and flexible to play with. :)

Well, I guess I'm a hoarder. I have two walk-in closets (though one is not really used properly) and two very narrow closets. Along with another temporary closet type looking thing my bf got for me. Does the bf have space for clothes? I suppose he does, but he's quite practical and doesn't require much. Thank goodness, as it would be crazy here. Oh, I forgot about the trunks I keep too. They are for last season's clothes. What that means is, that my spring/summer clothes are packed into trunks and fall/winter go into the closets. When I'm sure we're over the cold snaps, then fall/winter will go into the trunks and well... you get the routine. I honestly don't think I have a lot of clothes. My problem is shoes and coats. Yeah, I gotta lot of those. I suppose it comes from my youth. My mother was a single mom, working as a waitress to support three kids. And I had some type of foot issue that required I wear special shoes. Only problem was, I continued to grow. One season I'd get a coat, the next shoes as that's all she could afford. So while one thing fit, the other didn't. I guess subconsciously, I collect coats and shoes for that reason. BUT, I make sure I use everything I own. If it does not get used, I give it to charity or to friends and so forth.

Oh, welcome to my home. My home is officially 100 years old this year!! It's a craftsman bungalow with what they call a Victorian package. All that means is, I have high ceilings. In today's pic, I am standing next to one of my inspirations. You can just barely see her in the left corner. It's Dorothy Dandridge! On the other side, are The Ramones! Don't forget, I'm a drummer. I was born punk rock, I'm quite sure of it! Oh yeah, and above me is a picture of what used to be Techwood projects here in Atlanta. I keep that picture to always remind me that it's not how you start, it's how you finish!

Today's look is my version of a Lolita doll. My bf loves them. So Mr. M, this one is for you. Muah!

(Vintage hat & belt; Bloomingdale's trapeze dress; Leg Avenue hosiery & socks; Matiko patent leather boots)

Update #48: Out into more colorful territory

Gigi and I decided that we'd have a lot more fun taking this little hobby of ours out to the more colorful world. What do you think? All I can say about her photo is "FIERCE"! :)

(Vintage leather jacket & fedora; Gucci sunglasses; Lulu Guinness studded scarf; Josephine Chaus embroidered tank; Victoria's Secret satin pants; Stuart Weitzman "Chain Alto" boots; AND my homeboy's Dodge Charger - Thanks a million, T.P.!)

Welcome to my home! In case the husband happen to see me wearing shoes here, please know that I've disinfected the soles before stepping on the carpet. :) Yes, we Asians are paranoid about such things, but I'll assure you that it's very nice to live in a house free of outside dirt. The really interesting part of this outfit is what you don't see. This Marciano dress is incredibly sheer on top and low cut to the point that I'd probably never wear it without something to cover it. But covered this way, it actually passes as a pretty fun scrunched skirt. I am so happy to be able to wear the orange slides now. It just says summer to me. Orange is the color of happiness, I am certain of that.

Weekday update #47: Green With Envy

Ok, this will be the first and last time I'll talk about something other than the outfit here. I am going to ask Gigi to put post #44 back on the blog. If gigi feels compelled to remove her words, at least we can have the photos back? When we started this humble little blog of ours, we had only wanted this to be a place for beautiful things. It's a happy place where we intend to generate happy memories. We thank you for visiting and hope your short stay injects a little lightheartedness into your busy day. Neither of us, I think, is so ungrateful as to bite the hand that feeds us and makes many of these beautiful things possible. Let's just all be happy. :)

I have decided to take up the art of haiku. Enjoy!

A sapling
Cannot grow
In the shadow of a mighty oak.

(Egyptian beaded scarf; Zucca jacket; Saks Fifth Avenue tank; thrifted pants; Etienne Aigner boots)

Photos of post #44 back from the deleted bin :)

Weekday update #46: Yellow Hot Pants

Over the weekend, I attended a clothing swap/sale type of event. It was held at a colleagues home and was done up quite proper. She and about 5 girlfriends decided to either sale or swap clothes that they were no longer using. There were hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and lots of smiles to go around. I didn't quite know what to expect as I've attended this type of event before and was utterly disappointed. This event, however, was very different. Not only did I score some killer clothing at prices that were unheard of, but I also got to mingle with an eclectic group of women. All were gorgeous. All were artistic. And all were so encouraging. Let me tell you, that's odd. Being a woman, I know. It's rare to find a room full of women where there is no drama. Rare! How inspiring it was to speak with ladies following their passions and living their lives on their own terms. Mesmerizing to say the least.

(Adrianna Papell bolero; Victoria's Secret top & pants; Cole Haan g-series boots)

After seeing gigi's killer jacket, I was so jealous! Most of all because I had to skip the event, not because I wasn't invited, but because I was working! I know, what a reason. But the job is what pays for everything nice in my life, so I gratefully deal, most of the time, until I am reminded of what I missed. :) To be honest, the job isn't bad, at least I have a window, unless it's a day like today, where the mist pretty much covered up everything outside. What's a girl to do for a little bit of sunshine? She has got to bring it herself! It's all about positive thinking, right? I think these bright bright pants did the job nicely. What do you think?

Weekday update #45: A Room With A View

A guest! J walked in on us taking photos and graciously accepted our invite to appear on this humble little blog. I'll see if I can get her to say a few words about her cute little jacket. Doesn't she just have the best smile?

Remember the whole cherry thing started by Carrie Bradshaw quite some years ago? Well, this Marc Jacobs jacket goes back that far. I'd say that it's the first real designer piece I own. Since then, I have had the great fortunate of having friends in fashion who are able to find some incredible deals for me overseas, but this one is what started it all.

Today, dear gigi helped me solve a big problem I've always had and hated. Having size 4 feet means it's almost impossible to find shoes that fit perfectly. Often, either the heels or the toes slide a little. I love this pair of Michael Kors platform (another great deal) that make me feel almost normal height, unfortunately the heel part is just a little wider than my foot so it finds a way to pop out some times. Ever the rescuer, gigi went downstairs to the cobbler and came back with not one, not two, but three possible remedies. There were some toe pads, which just made the front too tight, some whole foot cushions, which made the shoes too shallow, and some heel grip, which were exactly, I mean exactly what I needed! Now the platforms stay put all the time! I must get some more of this stuff for future use!

Well, we're moving on up! I decided it was high time we made good use of C's space. And boy, will we. These shots look more lively than the plain ole' wall we've been using. Oh, honey, ya'll ain't seen nothing yet. I'm thinking perhaps a circular throw rug in the corner and various backdrops for our everchanging fashion moods. I figure, why not. Some call it perfectionism, some call it obsessive compulsive disorder. Me, I see it like this: 'any job worth doing is worth doing well.' I don't want people to stop coming to our blog because they know what to expect day in and day out. My bf of 7 years still can't figure me out. Don't get me wrong, I'm a straight up creature of habit when it comes to certain things. I always pay my bills on the same day of the month, every month! I always walk my dog the same route, every day. Stuff like that. But when it comes to matters of style, WATCH OUT! C & I are like a box of chocolates, you never know whatcha' gonna get! ^_^

I know C will be humble and say, 'oh, I do the same thing blah, blah, blah.' But she does not. Perhaps she has her own Pythagorean theorem when it comes to jacket and dress combinations (whether she knows it or not!). But it's how well she places her jacket/dress combo that makes it always fresh and new. In my opinion, she's more than just a jacket and dress type of girl. And she knows she does more than that too, she just loves being modest. So that's fine for her, I accept her modesty. But that doesn't mean I can't sing her praises. (insert a high soprano "Ahhh..." - here!) ^_^

Quickly, before I sign off for the week, I'd like to give a shout out to Limi Feu! The ensemble above is inspired by her Fall 2009RTW collection.

(Victoria's Secret cashmere wrap sweater; American Apparel t-shirt; Linea Pelle waistbelt; thrifted jeans; Issac Mizrahi boots)

Weekday update #43: I'm Going on Safari

For me, today is all about these gold chains that you can't see so well unless you click to enlarge the photo (as gigi pointed out, we are still trying to figure out her very awesome new camera). My husband and I got the heavy gold stuff as a part of a traditional Chinese wedding set. You should have seen his face when he opened the box. I feared for the one who would ask him to wear his. Luckily, no one did. Since, for luck reasons, we can't sell the gold for money :), I thought I'd work it into my wardrobe. What do you think? They sort of go with this otherwise low key outfit?

So as I walk into C's office today holding a rather large camera bag, she says, "ooh, you look like you're going on safari!" I had to laugh. It was funny.

Today is also warm, but tomorrow will be cold and rainy. I thought why not wear something fun, yet functional. I commented to C that this dress came from Brooks Bros. She says that when she thinks of Brooks Bros., this type of dress doesn't come to mind. I must agree. BB, at one time, did not conjure up anything fashionable for me either, unless you're a man that is. But as I watch store after store dwindle in our area of town, my lunch hour shopping has dropped drastically. BB would be the last place I would have thought to meander through, yet out of sheer desperation to spend a dollar (I'm so bloody American, it's sad), I did. And I'm glad I did. I learned something about BB that I've already known about other high end department stores, and that's when they have a sale, they have a sale! I learned to take those stuffy-looking pieces and make them my own. Isn't that what style is all about anyway? No matter who or what it is, you really can't judge a book by its cover!

(Brooks Bros. dress; Victoria's Secret hosiery; Ellen Tracy socks; Cole Haan booties)