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)

style me. striped maxi skirt.

reader request:

my sister bought a black and white striped maxi skirt similar to this one and needed ideas on how to wear it to work.
"style me!!" she said. so here are my thoughts:
since she is in a management position, she should continue to look professional even on casual days. my suggestion is to pair her striped maxi skirt with a shrunken blazer that is structured and short in length. the shorter length balances the maxi and keeps the look from being too frumpy. i might also pair it with silky button-ups or crisp white shirts that are tucked
in and belted.

her skirt has thin stripes and almost looks solid black from afar, which works out better for the office. this is the only striped maxi skirt i have, but you get the idea.

maxi + tank + blazer

maxi + crisp white shirt

maxi + long-sleeved dolman tee

maxi + peplum top

maxi + peplum top + blazer

tips for keeping your maxi skirt office appropriate:

- avoid loose oversized tops which can look sloppy and too casual

- skirt should cover shoes without touching the ground

- keep the outfit simple and unfussy

- stick to [dark] basic colors

- avoid large prints

try these:

*need ideas on how to style an item? email me.

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:

wishlist: persun.

 have you heard of PersunMall.com?

i recently learned about this global shopping site and was surprised by all the fashion-forward items they offered. their goal is to provide you with the latest in clothing, jewelry, shoes, and bags at great prices, and with service to your satisfaction. i found myself adding everything to my cart,

but here's the top 10 on my wishlist:

printed shorts that would work day or night.

 always looking for cute sweaters to throw over my shorts.

love, love, l-l-love these blue, pointy-toe flats. period.

light and airy blouse to go with fresh white denim.

colorful horses + zippers.

basic black bag with standout details.

i can never pass up a summery, white dress.

this would fill my void for a peplum skirt.

want to try wedge sneakers. i like that these look worn.

a bright necklace for summer.

in addition, Persun is known for their beautiful dresses and evening wear. they have a wide selection of short and long dresses in satin, lace, florals, sequins, and chiffon, as well as a selection of plus size prom dresses. if you have a particular style in mind, design it and persun will make it

at no additional fee. now that's service!

have you heard of Persun?

check out their site and let me know what you think.

pearlescent mint + hoop earrings.

pastels and florals...it doesn't get any more spring-y than this.

even though i already have a pair of mint cargos, i liked that these denims had a pearlescent sheen to them.

you can see it in the detail shot below.

i just wanted to drop in and say hi again. things are still busy at work, but i'm slowly catching up around here. i never really pay attention to the seasons because it's pretty much summer year-round where i live...but it's been rainy for the past few weeks. there's even a flash flood warning for 6pm tonight. guess this is what you might call spring showers.

hopefully they bring may flowers.

(SilverSpeck 18k gold plated diamond accent hoop earring c/o)

i love that the diamonds are on the inside of the hoop since that's the part we see. makes sense, right?

the minis had some QT of their own...

i brought out these rocks [in the yard] so that mini-he could drive them around in his dump truck, but it started to rain. so in the house they came and out came the paint. on sunday they painted one side and let them dry. monday, they painted the other side. TWO days these rocks kept them busy. who knew?!  

(JustFab signature skinny in pearlescent mint c/o; old navy vest)

hep pep.

what a weekend! ours was jam-packed with activities which i'll share throughout the week, but first let's talk about superbowl sunday. we always have parties because it's also my nephew's birthday. this year was exciting because 1) i actually watched the game, 2) i almost understood what was going on, and 3) there was some monetary prizes involved (i won nothing!). i did catch some (friendly) $hit on instagram from 49ers fans after posting the photo of mini-he below. i am clueless about football, therefore i am not partial to any team. but, for the sake of having some friendly competition in the house,

i usually root for the underdog.

finally. peplum.

been wanting to try this trend for a while. it's more fluff and florals than i'm used to wearing, but i kind of liked it

with black [accessories].

did you watch the superbowl? how do you feel about peplum?

(bubble necklace via oomph (buy))

mini-he helping with the party decorations (and we did have 49ers stuff too!)...he did an amazing job cutting and coloring. way to go, mini!

my DIY birthday sign.

(express pants; target shirt; aldo bag; jessica simpson shoes)

btw, oomph is now on vine.

if you have an account, let's connect!

try these:

the very one.

i love a great dress. it's an instant outfit that requires little to no effort to look good. a few accessories and a great pair of heels are all you need to complete the look. over the years, i have built up my collection of dresses for this exact reason. dresses are a great base that can be worn alone or layered with blazers, cardigans, or coats to suit any occassion. my personal collection includes babydolls for the beach, sheath dresses for the office, bodycons for girls' nights out,
and maxi dresses for those casual coffee and lunch dates.

i was recently introduced to Very.co.uk, an online department store, and was surprised by their selection of over 900 dresses. when you search Very's women's dresses, you'll find a wide selection from top brands like Diesel, French Connection, and Lipsy, and their styles are on trend...

take a look:

peplum

flirty florals

minty spring blues

peter pan + pretty prints

color bright maxis

summer whites

although their prices are totally reasonable,
they have a buy now pay later option that helps you spread the cost (and the guilt)! take a look at their entire selection, including their collection of maxi dresses, and tell me
which ones you love!

*this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of very.co.uk.
all opinions are my own.