olive + red.

this is as fall as it's going to get around here, i'm afraid. with temps still reaching the 90s + high humidity, it's [literally] difficult to get dressed in the morning. i tried to put on a pair of jeans this weekend and could not get them up past my knees, because i was so sticky! the struggle is real!

but when it does get chilly, one of my utility jackets is always within reach. pairing an olive green jacket with red [plaid] is one of my absolute favorite combos.

p.s. stay tuned for our fall 2014 east vs. west series

debuting tomorrow!

have you transitioned to fall completely?

what fall trend are you loving?

(mossimo jacket (similar); justfab luxe boots; express denim;

shirt via local store; love & sunshine pouch)

here's a few to try:

long layers.

while many of you are experiencing cool fall weather (i know a few who had their first snow!), it's still hot here. best way to stay cool is in loose layers, like this vest from Patty's Closet. if you haven't already, join their text club to receive exclusive discounts. text 'pattys' to 75309.

i seem to be experiencing a streak of bad luck with my computers. a few months ago my hard drive crashed at work. i lost everything. my hard drive was replaced as a quick fix, but i'm still waiting on my new computer. last night, my laptop at home died. apologies, again, for the interruption in posts.

how's the weather in your neck of the woods?

how cute is this? i'm totally stealing this idea...but it needs a heavier base because i kept knocking it over.

(cargo pants via oomph; f21 tank;

Patty's Closet vest; victoria's secret shoes)

you might like these:

dress as skirt.

i'm no expert when it comes to layering, but i learn

from the best...YOU, my cold weather friends.

while i love the depth and texture layering creates, it's

almost impossible to re-create the looks i love in our year-round warm temps. thank goodness for air conditioning.

(maxi dress worn here)

our office was never big on snacking. in fact, we were lucky if we even ate lunch. but over the past few years, we've acquired a few new employees. and now, we snack. one employee's wife bakes us all kinds of stuff from lavosh to scones to bread pudding. in case you missed them on instagram, see them below. this same employee just brought in a convection oven, and now we're having fresh baked cookies. the office never smelled so good.

tell me one of your favorite layering combos.

do you snack in your office? what's on your snack table?

blueberry scones, mandarin orange/cream cheese jello,

chocolate chip cookies...

here's a look to try:

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sponsored content below from style network.

in sunday's season premiere of Tia and Tamera, the girls headed to the spa and unknowingly booked a v-steam. their reactions are classic; see the photos here. before this, i'd never heard of this treatment...have you? and have you tried it?

4x4.

is there anyone out there who can do the rubik's cube?

when my sister was in high school, one of her teachers showed her how to do it, and she taught me. we would race against each other to see who could do it faster. i used to bo able to do it in under 2-1/2 minutes. i was in elementary then, but every once in a while i'll pick it up and do it a few times,

just so i won't forget.

recently, mini-she and my nephew became interested in learning, so i taught them. then, my nephew decided to get ambitious and go for the 4x4 cube. he said it's really hard, and now the competitor in me wants to buy one so that i can learn it faster first. he's coming over tonight, so you know what we'll be doing.

i'm warming up my fingers.

soy milk + coffee jelly...

...mix together for a yummy drink.

(thrifted jacket, zara denim, nine west shoes; american rag chambray)

shop the look:

 

lime orange.

these are probably the two brightest pieces in my closet, paired together for a blinding combination. i thought it was the perfect backdrop for an equally bright, white leather + bead necklace that i picked out using an INpink credit i received.

recently, i've been loving a much simpler arm stack...2-3 pieces at most. check out lovely obsessions for some oomph-worthy pieces. enter code: rockoomph for 10% off.

and finally, mini-she and i spent some quality time over lunch at cpk this weekend. we shared salad and pasta before indulging in pumpkin cheesecake.

our favorite spinach artichoke dip.

tried this (seasonal) pumpkin cheesecake. excellent!

(sweater, gap; shirt, old navy; denim, free people; necklace INpink)

try this look:

   

congrats to elena for winning the Dermagist Giveaway!
i'll be contacting you shortly.

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kung hei fat choi.

today's workout: alternating beach runs and stand up paddling.

the weather and water conditions were perfect,

but i'm feeling the pain in my shoulders and legs now.

how did you start off your week?

last weekend we went downtown for chinese new year festivities.

several blocks of chinatown were closed off allowing people to roam the streets lined with food and vendor booths. it was crowded making it difficult to take photos, but it's everything you would expect to see...chinese lanterns, lots of jade, red paper goods, and good food. and, of course, it wasn't complete without the lion dances. plus, i just love the architecture and character of the buildings.

last week, it seemed many bloggers were asking some form of the question, "what is your go-to outfit?", and my comments were all the same...denim flares, heels, and a sweater + shirt combo. when i'm running late, i reach for some version of this combination and always feel good. 

(top to bottom: bracelets, f21 (buy); bcbgeneration (similar); banana republic;

ring, erica anenberg via ideeli (similar)) 

love the loft spaces upstairs.

jade jewelry galore.

the iconic hawaii theater.

this is all mini-he wanted.

the crowds.

red lanterns and good-luck paper goods.

(sweater, old navy (similar); denim, express (similar); shirt, hollister (similar);

bag, gucci; shoes, jessica simpson (similar))

find these and more staples at currently obsessed.

titanic form.

can you believe the news about the italian

cruise ship that went down?

talk about modern day titanic...

a catastrophe of titanic proportions.

some good news, on the other hand, is that i finally received a package that someone sent me in november! after my asos incident, i can't say i'm surprised.

guess that's why they call it snail mail.

i'm working on a project at work that has been titanically consuming my time, so i'll be quick here. an outfit from last week when temps were a bit cooler. this week, the humidity is unbearable; stand outside for a few minutes and you're already sticky and sweaty. definitely no layering this week.

(sweater, express (buy); faux leather skirt, via oomph (buy);

shirt, old navy; satchel, urban outfitters)

find more animal prints at currently obsessed.