speckled knits + laces.

news flash! new faves here!

(as if you haven't heard that before!)

it's rare that i use exclamation points, so you know i'm seriously excited when i use them. in addition to being a pretty shoe, the laces on these JustFab Vernon heels are an added bonus for my narrow feet; i can pull them nice and tight for a snug fit. plus, all of its details add oomph to a simple outfit.

it's also crazy for someone in hawaii to love sweaters, but my obsession is finally paying off this year. just as everyone else was experiencing harsh winters, we had our share of chilly weather, which provided lots of opportunities to bundle up. i love speckled knits (see here, here and here). even though i still consider them solids, like this gray one, the specks add dimension to otherwise "flat" colors.

do you like speckled knits?

do you have any impractical obsessions?

(JustFab 'Vernon' shoes c/o; Wet Seal sweater;

Pacsun denim (coupons!); ShopLately necklace; F21 clutch)

shop the look:

speckled sweaters for the guys:

denim grunge.

oh, monday. we meet again so soon?

the weekend was jam-packed with activities...mini-she's school fun fair followed by her freshman all-nighter, then a birthday party at a trampoline place for mini-he's friend. the latter part of the weekend was spent literally "hanging" out at the beach house (see picture below), eating, and having rubik's cube races. i talked about the cube before when i was teaching mini-she and my nephew. now, the cube has hit my niece's school, so she's learning how to do it. poor thing was learning on a tiny key-chain sized cube; i ended up buying a bunch of cubes so we could all have our own.

how did you spend your weekend?

(house of harlow ring (gold); capwell & co necklace (buy))

apparently this is called a brazilian hammock. i thought it was the funniest thing because it looks like a cocoon. definitely not what i envisioned for relaxing at the beach house, but my mom didn't know when she bought it. we joked about hanging four of these across the balcony for the kids to take their naps in!

rubik's cube racing marathon...

can you guess who's the fastest??

lips: mac up the amp + anastasia beverly hills gloss in jolene

(victoria's secret shirt; pacsun denim (coupon); converse shoes;

aviators via amazon; patty's closet flannel (808-625-6441))

peplum and bows.

it was a pretty uneventful weekend, thanks to the weather. two of my workouts were cancelled due to the rain, forcing me to hit the treadmill. don't be fooled by these pictures...the day before, it was pouring, and last night there was thunder, lightning, and flash flood warnings. today? sunny again.

one good thing that came out of this weekend was my trip to Patty's Closet. lots of leopard prints, including this peplum top, and some other fun things i'll share with you this week.

i always hope to start the new year off, well...new. but two weeks in and i still feel just as overwhelmed as i did in december.

is your 2014 off to a great start? were you able to start new?

(top c/o Patty's Closet (808-235-2924);

pacsun denim (coupons here!); JustFab bag)

ankle boots + gingham.

second year in a row that i've stocked up on button down shirts on black friday. these are my absolute favorite shirts because of their versatility. they work with shorts or skirts, look good left out, tucked in, or layered under a jacket or sweater, and can be casual or dressy. here i'm wearing it with denim, because with all the rain we've been having lately, it's hard to put on anything but jeans and boots. i almost got this 773 bag from JustFab in black; so glad i went for the purple. it makes a nice colorful addition to monochromatic outfits such as this one.

by the way, i never knew what these shirts were called; i say button down for lack of a better term. after googling, i learned that button down refers to a collar that is actually buttoned-down, like this. the term that i'm looking for is button up, or simply button. front. duh.

(Libi & Lola machu ring (buy))

wonton mein on a chilly day...

mischa boots | 773 bag in purple

(gilly hicks shirt; pacsun denim; bag & boots c/o JustFab)

rainy season.

happy veteran's day to all who served and serve today.

a few years ago, my office swapped veteran's day for black friday, so i'm stuck at the office today. it's ok, though, i like quiet days at the office. this weekend was rainy, windy, and cold...yay! i can finally break out the scarves and make use of all of my sweaters.

how did you spend the day?

(Lulu's sweater c/o; pacsun denim; gucci bag; Libi & Lola necklace c/o)

the bomber jacket.

the bomber is back. in satin.

and right now, Patty's Closet has them in lots of cute prints (all under $30!). they are lightweight making them perfect for layering over my tees.

i feel like the past two weeks have been non-stop. i'm finally working on my home office (aka corner of one room). i've been putting it off for so long but finally made the first purchase, my white shag rug. i'm going for a clean and simple all white look...you can check out my home office board on pinterest to see my vision. next up is my desk, and i can't decide between the clear acrylic console i've been wanting for ages, or a white desk. thoughts?

and sunday is our neighborhood halloween block party. i don't have a costume yet, but i can always pull out my wig collection.

are you dressing up for halloween?

if so, tell me about your costume.

discussing halloween party details with the neighborhood mamas...

good wine, chocolate, and my first time trying cookie butter.

(jacket c/o Patty's Closet (all for availability 808-625-6440);

pacsun bullhead denim (coupons here!) 

a few you might like:

a leopard scarf.

just a few snaps from a casual weekend,

wearing some of my current faves...an awesome leopard scarf from my friends over at sisters marie and my pacsun bullhead denim. speaking of bullhead denim, i recently learned of a site that features pacsun coupons (wish i learned of this sooner!). they even have a giveaway right now for a $500 shopping spree at pacsun.com. do check it out if you love pacsun as much as i do!

what are some of your current faves?

have you tried pacsun bullhead denim?

macarons from a client...

(pacsun bullhead denim (coupons here!); justfab bag)

*i am not being compensated for this post;

simply sharing out of my own love for pacsun bullhead denim.

say it with a [graphic] tee.

i've always had a love-hate relationship with t-shirts,

because the fit, material, and length have to be just right. and while i never used to wear much of them, they have been at the top of my wishlist recently for several reasons:

1) they are great layering pieces

2) they are versatile; can be dressed up or down

3) they are comfortable

in particular, neutral colors (especially grays) with simple sayings or graphics have been on my radar. i recently ordered this one from madewell only to find that it is back ordered until january! so i was ecstatic to [coincidentally] receive this one from my friends over at sisters marie. we didn't get a full length picture, but i am wearing my sole society skylar boots. the collage shows a couple ways i will be wearing my tees.

do you wear tees? do you keep them casual or dress them up?

(matchu gold ring via libi&lola (buy))

(starfish bracelet c/o INPINK (buy))

a few you might like:

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last weekend!
enter to win a $100 Nordstrom gift card

peplum + denim.

i'm not sure why it took me so long, but i can finally check basic peplum top off of my wardrobe wishlist. when peplum first hit the blogosphere, i thought a simple black or white one would be a nice upgrade from the plain t-shirt. well, theory confirmed. i'm all about finding ways to make casual outfits more presentable, because comfort is key. i was pleasantly surprised with this peplum top from Choies. the quality exceeded my expectations, and it feels like a blend that will not wrinkle after washing. i sized up to a medium, and it fit perfectly.

the second musical i saw this weekend was a local production called, A Korean Cinderella. it was the story of cinderella with a k-pop (korean pop music) spin. it was freaking hilarious. my high school classmate was in it, and he was amazing...

they all were.

the show's stage, and the tripod i finally purchased.

(ravelli 61" tripod via amazon (buy))

(top c/o Choies (buy); pacsun denim; victoria's secret shoes; JustFab bag c/o)

shop the look:

crops + boots.

with regards to personal style, i think it's important to take risks...dress outside of the box, as i like to say.

otherwise, we never change; and change is good.

take this cardigan from Patty's Closet, for instance. while i loved the [faux] leather trims and zipper details, the idea of a long in front, cropped in back style never really appealed to me. i tried it on anyways with an open mind, and to my surprise, i liked it. here's why it worked for me: i'm short. the cropped back elongates by showing off the entire length of my legs while still giving the illusion of a longer style in front. to further elongate, i threw on these tall platform boots from JustFab.

i'm glad i tried something different and found a

new favorite cardigan in doing so.

do you take risks or play it safe when it

comes to your personal style?

what did you try that was different from your norm?

JustFab Valletta boot.

love, love, love these boots. i chose the Valletta because it had a smaller calf circumference. i was unsure about the platform and 5-inch heel height, but it's comfortable and easy to walk in. this style seems to run a 1/2 size smaller which worked out perfectly for me. JustFab is ON right now; i love everything i've been getting. JustFab recently launched its LUXE line of genuine leather shoes. i purchased the remington and

eagerly await its arrival. 

(Patty's Closet jacket c/o; pacsun denim;

JustFab boots c/o; sonia rykiel bag)

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have you entered these giveaways yet?

$100 Victoria's Secret gift card

$100 Sephora gift card

Coach Legacy Mini Tanner crossbody bag

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