week in photos

Fair warning - this is a long post! This post is about trying new things w/ hair, trying new foods, organization, home decor purchases, and a DIY project! Last weekend I went to Miami Spice (similar to Restaurant Week in other cities - where super nice restaurants have a prix fixed menu for $35) at Ruth's Chris. It was the first time that I LIKED my hair when it was curled, but unfortunately my face was lookin' all sorts of weird so I had to cut out the best part of my hair! If you can see the bottom and are curious what I did - I started with hair that hadn't been washed in 1 day, and wrapped my hair in about 1-2 inch sections around the outside of the curling iron barrel. It started to fall out almost immediately, so after I was done, I went back through each section again quickly, spraying each section with hairspray right after I curled the hair around the outside of the barrel for about 15 seconds. It ended up staying all throughout dinner AND in the Miami humidity at that! Great success.

Swing Jacket: Michael Kors, P/P

Jeans: Guess, 23

Shoes: Liz Claiborne

Bag: Ann Taylor, won from Jean's giveaway

Bracelets: John Hardy, Fossil, Unknown, Ann Taylor Factory

Earrings: (even though you can't see them, I never wear them so I wanted to share) David Yurman (here)

 After going to a more expensive restaurant, I totally changed pace when I hit up the Dim Ssam a Gogo food truck for lunch this week. I asked one of the workers for suggestions, and she recommended this:

 Basically, it is DELICIOUS beef on top of DELICIOUS tater tots! NOM NOM NOM.

Then, later in the week, I decided to try a salad. I pretty much hate salads.

But this strawberry and spinach salad was to DIE FOR. NOM NOM NOM. I am a salad convert if they are all like this!!!

 This week was all about organizing my apartment, too. I've really been behind on getting everything the way I want it. Step one for me was organizing drawers. This is my bra drawer (turn away if you are easily offended!) I have to say I am most proud of this drawer. I learned this trick after working at Victoria's Secret for a summer a few years ago. SO ORGANIZED. I LOVE IT.

 I also took on the daunting task of organizing all of my jewelry and putting it away. I only got bracelets, earrings and rings done, because they are my smallest collections. I like to give credit where credit is due, so see after the pictures for a list of where I got stuff. 

 1. Movado (here)

2. Unknown gift

3. Simply Vera, Kohls (might be in stores) (similar)

4. Forever 21

5 & 6. Italy street vendor

7. Forever 21 (here)

8. Amrita Singh (Lindsey Bangle Set via Hautelook)

9 & 10. Mexico street vendor

11 & 12. J. Crew

13. Lela Rowe

14. Unknown, possibly F21

15. Etsy (here)

1. Unknown - found this ID bracelet from 1991 (my pre-K graudation) on my last trip to my parents house

2. Tiffany (here)

3. Ann Taylor factory

4. Tiffany (here)

5. Unknown 

6. Unknown

I have a fairly small ring collection, mixed with cheap and more expensive pieces. I'm hoping to get more comfortable wearing rings this year.

 Left to Right & Up to Down

Purple & Gold: Charlotte Russe

Opal stone: NYC street vendor

Purple stone: NYC street vendor

Diamond square: Lord & Taylor

Prasiolite: Lord & Taylor

Horse shoe: Forever 21

Turquoise: Forever 21

I do have more earrings than this, lol.

 Top to bottom:

1. Etsy

2. Etsy

3. Amrita Singh Hampton via Hautelook

Below is the top of my desk. I try to keep great memories around me! Left to right: empty frame (lol, needs to be filled) that I was given as a gift from the Congresswoman who I worked for a few years ago, a little sombrero that I got on spring break 2008 in Puerto Vallarta, a pic of me and two of my friends at a sorority formal, a frame and picture my friend gave me as a going away present to Miami, another frame and picture that my friend gave me as a going away present to Miami (filled w/ picture from spring break 2009 in Cancun). 

 Here are some purchases that make me happy :)

 Left: three random vases from Ross, Right: random baskets collected over the years, buddah head from Ross

This week I also went to the grand opening of a TJ Maxx/Homegoods store. I was looking mostly for a desk chair for my bedroom, but I got some other things I am SUPER excited about! 

Top left: French bulldog white ceramic statue - it is as big as Wednesday right now!

Top Right: White ceramic horse head. The lamp is from Ikea, the elephant is from India

Bottom: a DIY project I completed today. I blew up some pretty colorful (and a little psychedelic) prints that I found online. I hung them myself! HOMEMAKER, woooo woo! (They ARE level, BTW)

I am in LOVE with this chair from Homegoods. I am using it as a desk chair. I almost bought two, but I realized I am not yet a lawyer and cannot afford $260 worth of zebra print chairs. $130 will have to do for the time being, lol.

LOVE THE NAIL STUD DETAILS!

 FINALLY, last but not least - I picked up these two frames at Homegoods also. You can never have too many sparkly frames :) - Now I just need another picture to put inside it!

all black everything

I just signed up for a Bloglovin account - not sure how to use it, but I'm sure I can figure it out! Anyway, 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This weekend I unfortunately had to go to a funeral. I'm the type of person who always cries at funerals even if I didn't know the person, hence why my face isn't in these shots after we got home (nobody wants to see that!). However, despite the sad occasion, I did realize I really like this outfit and will hopefully be reusing it for work. The dress is a super soft jersey material sheath dress that can be worn belted or unbelted (I prefer belted). The sleeves have a very pretty pleating which was not captured in photos. The jacket might be my best fitting Theory jacket off the rack (I personally do not think I need to get the sleeves shortened, what do you think? Do you think I should or keep them the way they are?) And of course I love pulling out my Tiffany's bead necklace for an updated look on classic pearls, because they arent very appropriate for my everyday wear. 

Jacket: Theory Gabe B, 00 (here)

Dress: from Saks Off 5th

Belt: from Ann Taylor skirt

Shoes: Liz Claiborne via DSW

Necklace: Tiffany (here)

prep ish

I had a whole outfit planned revolving around a pair of Sperry shoes the other day. I wanted to wear a white button down as a jacket and go for a sort of preppy look, but all of my white button downs needed a good ironing, and I was running late. I opted for a striped shirt to try to go for a nautical look, but it was too subdued to really achieve the look I was going for. I think my shoes spoke for themselves though :)

Shoes: Sperry (original version here) via Gilt

Shirt: Banana Republic Factory

Jeans: Forever 21 (here)

Belt: Ann Taylor Factory

Necklaces: Lord & Taylor Effy Collection (here) and David Yurman (here)

Bracelets: John Hardy (here), Fossil (similar), Unknown, Movado (here)

This is the first post in a while that I noticed a lot of my stuff is still currently available online. While trends come and go, there are certain things that are always in style. I love Sperry because it is classic and timeless and well as affordable. I know children who wear Sperry and 65 year old men who wear Sperry and it looks great on everybody in between, too. And of course jewelry is timeless. All of the pieces I'm wearing I've had for several years and all are still currently available online.

dots on dots

I tried mixing patterns today, but I chose two different small dot patterns to not go TOO much out of my comfort zone. Wednesday even snuck into one of my pictures. Look how big she's gotten after only a few weeks!

Shirt: BR Factory

Cardigan: Ann Taylor

Jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: from India

Wednesday: the French Bulldog

Thanks for reading!

back to school

Today was my first day of (hopefully) my last year of classes ever. I learned early on not to wear bright colors on the first day of class to avoid getting called on, so I stuck to all white today. If only my Gap order had arrived, I would have totally worn my white jeggings too!

Sweater: Target

Tee: no name via Ross

Jeans: Forever 21

Belt: Forever 21

Necklace: Etsy

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelets: (L to R) Unknown, Movado, John Hardy, Fossil

theory suit, target heels

Today I had to get spiffed up to get professional pictures taken with the rest of the "moot court board" at my school. We travel around the country representing our law school in appellate oral advocacy competitions. Anyway, I pulled out my favorite theory suit for the occasion, but decided to dress a little more modern with my accessories and shoes.

Jacket: Theory Gabe (here)

Skirt: Theory Joanie (here)

Shell: Ann Taylor Factory

Heels: Target Versie (Here)

Belt: Ann Taylor Factory

Necklace: Tiffany (Here)

Bracelets: John Hardy (here), Fossil, Movado (here), Unknown

I should probably get the sleeves taken up an inch, but that is not on my immediate to-do list. 

In other news, this is the 2nd time I've worn these Target pumps. The first time, my feet got so cut up in vegas that I was out of commission wearing heels for at least 2 weeks! This time, the same thing happened! So much for wearing in the shoes :( And, even worse than having cut up feet - somehow the heel got completely torn up. I wore these standing still for about 2.5 hours, I have no idea how this happened but I'm sad. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for :(

gap 35%, 30%, 20% off sale

I knew good things would come to those who wait! In my post only 3 days ago I talked about going into gap and finding pants that fit but the zipper was broken, and a jacket that was cute but I wanted to wait for a sale, and the sale is already here! yippee!!

Online, Gap has the cropped legging jean in white, black and ecru (here) in small sizes.

With a 27" inseam, they would be perfect for petite girls! I picked up the white and black to meet the $50 minimum for free shipping, and with the 35% off both pairs came to $35! I am worried they might be a little short on me because I am 5'3", but I think the shortest they would be is ankle length which I wouldn't hate.

Later in the evening yesterday, I realized this sale was the perfect chance to get the boucle tuxedo jacket in XS. With the discount it came to $45.50, which I think is a very reasonable price for a jacket.

If you want anything from Gap, hurry up! The 35% off is already over, but today you have a chance to get 30% off your entire order, and after today it is 20% off. Hurry hurry hurry!

weekend

This weekend was all about getting ready to go back to school. I already have assignments due Tuesday!  I went out to lunch with BF on Saturday at a little marketplace near me and wore this:

Dress: Rampage from Macys

Belt: Thrifted

Necklace: Forever 21

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelets: John Hardy, Fossil, Unknown

I like the color of this dress, but that's about it. I should have done something about the floppiness of the belt, it was just too long for this dress. 

Later that night, BF and I met up with some friends for a BBQ and some drinking. I hadn't seen everyone in so long, it was a really nice change of pace and a reminder that in only 2 days (!!! YIKES) I will be back to school and seeing all these people every day again. I decided to keep the shoes and the necklace the same, but change the clothes to accommodate the sweltering weather.

Shirt: DKNY

Shorts: Forever 21

And finally, a picture of my bathroom! I like the tile all over the walls and into the shower, but it didnt come with a mirror (is that even normal?) and the curtain on the left is covering a window that leads right outside into the breezeway, where everyone could see me showering if the window wasn't covered! Other than that, it is a well lit and pretty nice bathroom. 

hits & misses at gap

Today I woke up early and headed to the DMV to get my Florida driver's license! I got there 5 minutes after the DMV opened at 8:05 am, but there was still a 20 person line out the door. That's just Miami for you, I think. This NEVER would have happened in Connecticut, that's for sure! Despite waiting for about an hour and a half, the process was pretty painless. I was only outside for 10 minutes, I waited in several different lines inside for about 10 minutes each - the workers were friendly and they broke up the waiting by having you constantly moving lines to get another part of the application done. And the best part?? My picture turned out good! I can really live with it for 6 years, lol!

On my drive home, I heard on the radio that this weekend (starting today, Friday) is Florida's back-to-school tax free weekend! I decided to head to the mall to try to find some white skinny jeans, a staple that I've been missing all summer long. Unfortunately, I found ZILCH at the mall. Nothing was in my size! Finally at Gap, I found a pair of their jegging jeans in white in my size! I fell in love as I pulled them on, I already knew they would fit! But alas, some things aren't meant to be, because the zipper was broken and I didn't want to pay for the pants (minus a meager 20% discount for the broken zipper) plus getting a new zipper put on by a tailor for probably 20 dollars or more.

Anyway, I also tried on some other pants and took pictures because they were probably the weirdest fitting pants I've ever tried on. That's typical Gap for ya (at least, for me anyway!). Gap clothes fit me so weird!

The pants were almost too tight on my thighs and ridiculously large from the thigh up to the waist. It was hilarious. Oh and right as I was taking my pants off a stupid little boy crawled into my dressing room. I have a huge problem when parents can't watch their children or teach them to behave/have basic manners in public.

However, good news for anyone who can fit into these pants: they were marked down to 14.97 plus another 30% off! That's some seriously cheap jeans! They had a ton of styles (including these white ones) in small sizes at the store near me, but I really really really don't need any more blue denim. Surprisingly, a few of the pairs fit very well but they were all sort of boot cut or flared bottoms which I have enough of already. Despite the great price I couldn't bring myself to get something I didn't need or really want. 

I did find this Gap Boucle Tuxedo Jacket (click link to find it online) which must be a part of the fall collection. I had just read a blog post about jackets that were not quite blazers being perfect for going out or for a more fancy evening, and I came across this baby and felt it fit the mold.

The jacket is a tweed material and is sooo soft and not scratchy tweed at all. I also think I could wear this to work over a cute sheath dress, or exactly how I have it on with my shopping outfit on the weekend for dinner or drinks. The fit was pretty great for an XS from Gap-- it slightly grazed my sides and wasn't too big or too small. The sleeves were about 1 inch too long (left picture I rolled the sleeves up slightly), but it can be worn with the sleeves pushed up, too (center picture). It was 69.99, and I considered buying it for full price because of the tax free weekend on items up to 75 bucks, but gap always has sales and I know I can get it cheaper! I just hope I don't miss out on getting this jacket!

Any other people's states reward their citizens with tax free holidays?? Did you pick up anything?

detail

The past few days I've been helping out with reorganizing all the files for one case -- the capital gang case that I talk about sometimes. That one case's files took up an entire back room in the office! Unfortunately, the attorneys just decided to rent out the back room to a solo practitioner, so we had to clear out that make-shift file room and move the files elsewhere. 

Anyway, I picked up this sweater from Target during their last 20% off sale just to get the free shipping, but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised.

Cardigan: Target, XS (here)

T-shirt: TJ Maxx

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

Belt: Forever 21

Necklace: Lord & Taylor

Bracelets: John Hardy, Unknown, Fossil

 The sweater is a true bright white, which is definitely a color I needed in my cardigan collection, as my last white sweater was ruined by a pink highlighter (damn you, law school!). It's also pretty fitted overall as an XS, whereas many Target cardigans can be boxy. I love that it is a thin material and a perfect weight for summer (although this could also be a negative, because it is obvious the thread count is low). Lastly, I love the petal-like detail. A better picture below:

Seriously, how pretty is that? The only negative that I can think of is, I have NO idea how these petal things will come out if I wash the sweater. The sweater is machine washable, but I'm worried about the petals falling off or something because they are only held on by a thin stitch. Maybe hand wash? I've never hand washed anything in my life (thanks to mom and grandma), do you have any suggestions? Are there any tips I should know before I hand wash something? Or do you think something like this could withstand a normal wash and the dryer?

I also love this belt I got from Forever 21 a few weeks ago! The fit is SO tiny and is a perfect natural waist belt for me. In this picture I'm wearing it on the smallest hole, but after lunch I had to move it to the largest hole (fatty, haha!). 

blending in to the background

I have been so MIA since I got this puppy! I have still been getting dressed, but have not been able to remember to take pictures. Between constantly watching the dog and trying to get my apartment set up the way I want I have been a busy busy girl. 

Anyway, the walls in my new apartment are kind of camel colored, and unfortunately the first few outfits I've worn and taken pictures of here I've totally blended into the walls! Hopefully in "real life" I've stood out in a positive way. As an "im sorry" for not posting in like, 2 weeks, I posted two outfits, and a little picture of my dining area. Enjoy!

Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch, XS

Shell: Ann Taylor Factory, 0 (similar pattern)

Jeans: Forever 21, 24x29

Shoes: Liz Claiborne via DSW

Belt: Forever 21, XS/S

Bag: Longchamp le pliage (similar in black on black)

Necklace: Kendra Scott (here) via Gilt

Bracelets: John Hardy white sapphire bracelet (here), Unknown, Fossil

Necklace: Kendra Scott (here) via Gilt

Today I wore something with the Color Brigade in mind. I picked up this Banana Republic skirt a few weeks ago before I moved for $11 (some bloggers were lucky enough to get it for 6 or 7!!! But I was completely happy with 11!) I was lucky to find a 00 in store. A few bloggers my size picked up the 0's and the skirt was slightly big on them, so I knew a 00 would be great for me. I love blue so I knew it would fit in with the rest of my wardrobe. As I was bored at work today, I analyzed the skirt and realized it also has black, green and purple in it, as well as the more obvious blues and yellow. I can't wait to wear it again different colored tops! My accessories are gold silver and light pink.

Skirt: Banana Republic, 00

Shirt: Polo, XS

Cardigan: Loft, XSP (jcrew version here)

Shoes: Nine west (very similar, and cheap!)

Belt: Thrifted (similar) 

Necklace: unknown from childhood

Bracelets: John Hardy (here) , Unknown, Unknown, Fossil

Finally, my apartment is slowly but surely being put together. BF helped me put together a TON of Ikea furniture. I know Ikea is so mainstream now that it is kind of annoying when everyone has the same stuff as you, but some of the things I picked out on my last trip there I am really happy with! One of my favorite purchases were these chairs for my little teeny tiny kitchen table. They totally go with the lucite chair trend, but were only 79.99 as opposed to 150 or more. They also come in a clear, but I wanted these smoke grey to go with the rest of my furniture. 

Chairs: Ikea Tobias (here)

a different option (for a different price, lol) 

More apartment photos to come as I clean everything up!