is that an apple in your pocket.

no, it's just my harems.

to some, harem pants come with a negative connotation. think wide hips, low crotches, and lots of extra material. it took me a while, but i think i finally figured them out. i kept wanting to pair them with long-er, fitted tops since the bottoms were full. i learned that the opposite is what i needed.

coincidentally, a fellow blogger asked me for advice on what to wear with her leopard harems,

so these are a few tips i offered her:

• accentuate the waist (not the hips)
  pair it with a cropped top or jacket that hits at the waist...
  or, tuck in a shirt.
  wear a simple belt.
• keep tops loose and blousy
  the pants should be the "skinny" part of the outfit.
  stay away from fitted tops to avoid a pear shape.
  thicker straps or muscle tee type shirts better balance the weight of the pants.
• elongate
  try a longer blazer that hits just below the hips to camouflage the bulkiness.
  wear heels.

like i said about maxi skirts...it's all about finding the right proportions for you.

orange chicken + veggies.

(hannah harems, available at oomph; top, f21; blazer, mossimo (similar);

shoes, nine west (similar); chanel sunglasses)

wanna give harems a try?

you could win one of these...stay tuned.

blogaversary giveaway coming soon!

he is risen.

love crosses. love leopard.

so when the first black tee with a leopard cross appeared

on the blogosphere, i knew i had to have one.

unfortunately, i can't get myself to buy something

i know i can make.

it took several months, but i finally got around to doing it.

i had my black tee and leopard material ready to go, when i decided to do some last minute inspirational browsing for size and placement of my cross. a blogger had posted an inspirational collage of all things she loved, including a leopard cross on the back of a white shirt.

it was just so...fresh.

so i revived a never used white sweater by giving it a

fresh coat of leopard.

** cross my heart back, hope to d.i.y. **

blogaversary giveaway coming soon!

the d-list.

i was hoping for a nautical look to go along with

my new starfish cuff from blue vanilla, but i couldn't resist

throwing in a bit of leopard. i think evvrything looks better with a hint of leopard.

mini-he brought home some preschool germs last week, so we had a mellow weekend to help him recover. i know i'm probably one of the last people on earth to jump on the netflix bandwagon, but i signed up for the one-month trial after our local blockbuster closed. i got it mainly for the minis (kids shows), but i've become a fan since learning about its ipad app. i took the profile survey and have been watching their movie recommendations. i haven't heard of half the movies but it's been fun discovering these oddball shows staring the not-so-A-listers. or as kathy griffin would say, the D-listers.

(linking up to the color brigade today)

(blazer, express (similar) (similar); dress, 84/5 (similar);

starfish cuff, blue vanilla)

like the starfish cuff?

you could win one of your own...stay tuned.

blogaversary giveaway coming soon!

roundish fetish.

due to year-round warm weather,

sunglasses are an integral part of my wardrobe.

while i used to splurge on pairs from gucci, fendi, and valentino, i was also famous for losing them. i'd leave them at the beach, on the airplane, and in dressing rooms. the minis also love to break play with them...folding and bending them in ways they are not supposed to be folded and bended. while i still occassionally splurge on a pair, i have learned that ones from the $20 kiosk, target, and surf stores are just as good. plus, i can indulge in several pairs at a time.

in the past, i avoided round sunglasses like the plague...

(i know, a totally cliche cliche...but i've lost all creativity today.)

...for fear of looking john lennon-ish.

(although, he rocked them.)

recently, though, i was determined to find a pair that suited me.

these mossimo ones from target are the perfect shape. the lenses are round, but the frame is slightly squarish...

if that makes any sense.

next style i'm hoping to acquire is the classic wayfarers. 

(marla shirt, available at oomph; gucci bag (similar);

sunglasses, mossimo (similar) (similar))

blogaversary giveaway coming soon!

skimping on time + a savage beauty.

just another dress i scored from my sister.

after wearing it once, she decided it wasn't the right color for her. i thought it looked great on her, but who am i to argue with my big sister?!

taking outfit photos has become quite a challenge recently.

two new tenants moved into the building across from ours, so the open parking lot in the back of my office is now filled with cars (making it an unpleasant backdrop), not to mention the people coming and going.

if we are not running late, mini-she will snap a few pictures before she goes to school. on this day, she gave me about 45 seconds of her time resulting in only six shots. obviously only two were decent, and neither was a full-length.

i was wearing these shoes.

(dress, michael michael kors, (similar); shoes, marc fisher (similar))

i won this book, alexander mcqueen: savage beauty,

in a giveaway hosted by terri at rags against the machine.

i've never splurged on a fashion book before,

so i was ecstatic to receive this.

sometimes we take fashion for granted, just loving things for what we see on the surface...but it was a real eye opener to read about the designer's life, the inspiration behind each collection, and his view of women and their bodies.

it's a beautiful book with eye candy on every page.

here's a few peeks, but you'll have to get your own to

see the rest!

(alexander mcqueen: savage beauty, available at here.)

two dresses and a burger.

this black dress doesn't get worn as much as it should because of its open back. so, for work, i layered it over a striped bodycon dress. the length of the striped dress was just long enough to peek out of the bottom. it was nice to have

the loose layer on top...it helped to hide

my stomach after this big burger.

if you thought the big mac looked good last week,

it is nothing compared to this burger from kua 'aina.

my usual is a third pound burger with cheese + avocado and

an order of the best skinny fries ever.

their first location was on the north shore,

and we would always stop there after the beach.

they have since opened one in town, five minutes from my office.

(black dress, american apparel; shoes, jessica simpson)

heading north.

a bunch of photos from our staycation

at turtle bay on the north shore.

the weather was gorgeous, and we all came home

a few shades darker.

that's always a plus.

we originally booked a couple of rooms in the hotel,

then they upgraded us to a three-bedroom villa.

double plus.

and, all for free using airline mileage.

triple plus.

for those who asked about the skinnygirl margaritas...

i'm not a regular tequila or maggie drinker,

but i thought it was light and refreshing.

definitely more on the tart side, which i prefer.

sister #1 is a maggie drinker, and she loves it.

of course, given the choice, i'd be drinking jack daniels.

with a beer back.

*burp*

(hailey heart tee, available at oomph.)

view of the grounds from our villa.

goober. a picnic essential.

adult beverages waiting in the wings.

heated pool.

spent hours on the rocks.

prepping.

view of the hotel from the beach.

finally.

(dress, lani via local boutique)

packing up.

so long...