Sheer

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blouse-Equipment

Leather (faux) shorts-F21 (old)

Shoes-Same Edelman (leopard version here)

Purse-Chanel WOC

Ring-David Yurman

One of the staple items in my closet are button down shirts. I own various kinds because they're easy and comfortable to wear and great layering pieces for the winter.

Out of curiosity, I've tried on the ever popular Equipment blouses before in the past, but opted not to purchase them since all of the ones I've tried on have either been too long on the sleeves or too roomy on the sides for me. Simply put, they are just not petite friendly. The blouses are pretty pricey as it is and I personally don't care enough to spend more money on it to have it altered--I just don't want to be bothered with it no matter how popular they are in the fashion blogosphere. However, to my (pleasant) surprise, the sleeves on this version didn't fall below my wrist like the others have in the past, and it was my first time seeing a Peter Pan collar on their blouse which adds a little character to their usual conventional design. What can I say, I'm a sucker for subtle details;) 

Have a great weekend. Xo.

Floral Love Continued

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Denim jacket, tank-H&M

Skirt-Alice&Olivia (love this one here)

Shoes-Loeffler Randall (old)

Clutch-Saint Laurent 

Necklace-Alexis Bittar (similar version here)

Bracelet-Hermes

Sunnies-Karen Walker

My love of florals continues with another A+O skirt I picked up a couple of weeks ago--just can't get enough of the vibrant colors from their floral prints! This version is shorter and doesn't have tulle underneath compared to the one I wore here, but the silk material is so soft and lightweight which bodes well for this current humidity we're having. It's nice to have options;) 

Have a great rest of the week. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1.  Ordered these Valentino shoes that my mom's been eyeing for awhile now but couldn't find in her size anymore. I have a Nordstrom SA in NC who's kind of awesome and he emailed me to let me know he had one pair left, which happened to be in her sz, in the exact color she wanted, AND it was on major sale (org $400, sale $150). He quickly shipped it my condo so it could arrive over the weekend and needless to say, my mom was ecstatic. I've mentioned this before, but building relationships with (great) SAs is SO helpful.

2. Finally checked out my rooftop pool. Kicking off the first day of summer by relaxing by the pool was just what I needed after a busy week at work. 

3. Had a craving for Mexican food after shooting upcoming outfit posts with my photographer friend so we went to Cactus Cantina in Washington, DC. We wanted to sit outside because the weather was perfect for al fresco dining and assumed there would be a long wait, seeing that everyone had the same idea. Fortunately, we got lucky and was seated immediately because a table for two was available as soon as we arrived. I ordered the fish tacos which were good but not mind blowing. I was more impressed with their frozen margarita and complimentary chips and salsa...we definitely asked for a second helping of the salsa. 

4. Stopped by J.Crew to do a return and also bought this necklace, thanks to a sales alert from Kelly of Alterations Needed. It's currently on sale for $79.99 with an extra 25% off. On another note, I've been experimenting with green smoothie recipes recently and found one that I absolutely love which involves spinach, bananas, strawberries, almond milk, greek yogurt, and ice. So far, I've convinced several friends and my parents (after they all tasted the deliciousness of it) to incorporate it into their eating habits. Who would've thought that I would turn into that girl who drinks green smoothies and practices bikram yoga? Yeaaaa. 

5. Invited one of my besties over for Sunday dinner. I made slow cooker Indian chicken stew which not only tasted amazing but made my place smell so good (recipe coming soon). We decided to eat outdoors on my patio and caught up on each other's lives over several glasses of vino. Good times.

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Strawberry Lemonade Sangria

To kick off the first official day of summer, I want to share with you this drink recipe that will surely carry you through those hot, summer days when you just wanna kick back and relax with a cold, refreshing drink in hand.

Ever since I bought a blender several weeks ago, I've been on a blending/smoothie rage. I even made my first green smoothie a couple of days ago, which if you know me, is a shocking thing. When I told my friends I made one, they looked at me all bugged eyed. Health guru, I am not. That's another post....

This recipe appealed to me for several reasons. One, it involves strawberries which is something I've been obsessed with (slowly being replaced by watermelon and blueberries). Second, the recipe tells you to blend whole lemons. Yea, the whole thing--not just the juice. I was pretty skeptical with the thought of blending the skin of the lemons but I tried it out and well...just do as your told. It's also convenient since don't have to sit there and juice several lemons. Thumbs up for efficiency. 

Don't worry, the natural sweetness from the strawberries helps with the sourness that lemons give, and if you still think it's too sour, the recipe also calls for sugar (I used agave nectar). 

This drink recipe is the perfect summer drink whether it involves alcohol or not....but I prefer adding sparkling white wine to the mix;) I made this for a couple of girlfriends a couple of weeks ago (one of them rarely drinks alcoholic beverages) and the friend who doesn't usually drink alcohol loved and requested pouring her the alcoholic version. So that's that.

Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from http://laylita.com/recipes/2012/06/08/strawberry-lemonade/) Yields: 6-8 C) 
¼ lb strawberries, washed & cut in halves, about 4 cups
2 lemons, washed and quartered (use limes to make strawberry limeade)
 ½- ¾ cup honey or sugar to taste, adjust based on your preference &sweetness of strawberries (I used agave nectar)
6 cups of water
Ice
Sparking white wine (for alcoholic version)
Garnishes: Strawberry slices, lemon slices and/or fresh herbs

Procedure
1. Blend the strawberries, lemons and honey with 2 cups of water
2. Strain the strawberry lemon mix, add the additional 4 cups of water through the strainer (Alcoholic version: Mix the strained mixed with white wine or sparkling wine, instead of the additional 4 cups of water)
3. Taste and add additional honey/sugar if needed
4. Serve cold over ice and garnished with strawberry slices, lemon slices and herbs

Stripes+Floral

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Floral cropped jacket-Patterson J. Kincaid

Shirt-J.Crew

Leather (faux) shorts-F21 (similar version here)

Shoes-Sam Edelman (leopard version here)

Purse-Chanel WOC

I've recently been loving floral prints, which started with the purchase of this floral skirt worn on this outfit post. When I ordered this jacket online a couple of months ago, I didn't realize that it was reversible until it was delivered! For once, I'm actually glad the sleeves are a bit long because when I fold them, the print from the reversible side shows. Now that's what I call a pleasant surprise;)

Have a great rest of the week. Xo.