TBMD

This is my last post of the year because... I'm finally taking a vacation! In 36 hours, I'll be on my way to Japan, Taiwan, then finally the Philippines. I'll be without any means of communication, so I'll catch up with y'all once I'm back. If you have any must-sees/dos/eats, feel free to drop me a message.

In the meantime, here are some random thoughts and pictures from a last-minute weekend trip to NYC a few weeks ago. Good times, good food, and good company (not necessarily in that order). Can't ask for more than that :)

- I've been to NYC a handful of times in my life but this was my first time visiting Chinatown. Both Manhattan's and Flushing's are worlds apart from DC's, which is essentially a block around the Friendship Arch. I was surprised that pretty much every conversation I overheard was in Chinese, both among the young and the old. It was like being teleported back to Asia. I'll take that as a sign that I've been living in the suburbs too long.

My company doesn't always hold a holiday party. This year is one of those off years. Instead, I went to my brother's as his +1. Last year they had a food buffet, heated outdoors tent with a firepit for s'mores, roll your own cigar, and a casino setup with fake money?! Umm... the holiday party alone would be enough to convince me to switch jobs. Kidding... or am I? In return for him having to deal with his socially awkward sister, I was the designated driver. A win-win for us both.

Like a typical girl, I mentally went through my closet and freaked out like a drama queen over having nothing to wear. In the end, I decided on my tried-and-true Ann Taylor lace dress and piled on the accessories. The busy dress really doesn't need a whole lot of accessorizing, but what the heck, it's the holidays!

My brother felt last year's was more fun because fake casinos and rolling cigars were replaced this year with a food-centric theme (7 different buffet rooms!) In between bites and roaming from room to room, I had a grand time people watching. I've never seen so many Chanel flaps in one place in my life. I counted at least 15 of various sizes and colors, vintage and classic styles. What eye candy! Unfortunately, shoes were harder to check out without being obvious. All in all, it was a fun night.

Black suede booties have been on my wants list for awhile now (yes, apparently brown ones aren't enough). I first saw Adrienne Vittadini Adam booties on Cher and Jean well after it had long sold out. I've been keeping my eyes on similar silhouettes this season and stumbled upon these MICHAEL Michael Kors Adena booties, but the retail price and extreme front dip gave me pause.

Weeks later, I just happened to see the Adam pop up on a flash sale site and couldn't believe my luck. Shortly after receiving my package, I saw Annie's review on the Adena and loved it on her. The front dip I wasn't sure about looked much better on a foot in real life than by itself in stock photos. Not wanting any regrets, I decided it would be best to have both pairs in my hands for a better comparison (before the return window for the Adam closed). Surprisingly I had a hard time locating an Adena in my size, so by the time I found one, all thoughts of paying retail price went out the window. It's funny when low supply vs high demand forced me to rethink my willingness-to-pay-scale ("ehh I don't want to pay that" vs "alright I give in")

I'm glad I had a chance to compare both at the same time because I would've been kicking myself with the "what if?" game otherwise. I took my usual size 6 in both pairs but neither were a perfect fit. The Adam were a bit tight in the toebox initially, but now I think my foot has shrunk with the cooler temperatures, because fit isn't an issue anymore. The Adena was loose in the ankles and would probably need a heel grip to potentially solve that problem.

Thank you to everyone on Twitter who helped me make a decision within such a short time-frame. All your opinions were much appreciated ♥ And now... the ones I kept were the Adam (which are hardly noticeable in this outfit. Hopefully a future outfit will showcase them better).

The weather was ridiculously nice last week, so I wore a "summer" outfit complete with eye-blinding colors. Neon shirts with a bright colored belt? You bet.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

I fibbed. A pipe dream wish became a reality when I caved during sale season and bought this Burberry Marystow Trench Coat in trench, size 2 (sold at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman). I probably spent more time thinking about this purchase than I did before buying all the bags I own combined. I told myself that I'd have no problem make a return if it wasn't completely perfect. The devil on my shoulder rolled her eyes and said, "Now doesn't this story sound familiar... who're you trying to fool, fool?!"

Once I finally placed my order (thank you Elle for all your Burberry knowledge and help!), I had to wait a few weeks before the package actually shipped. I'm assuming Bloomingdale's didn't have this trench in stock and had to place a special order. No biggie because the time delay was clearly stated on their website.

A few weeks later and whatddya know... the devil is always right :D It was love at first sight. I couldn't stop touching and staring, with the enabler voice in me screaming "keep keep keep!" without regards to fit. A few days after the initial euphoria died down, I tried on the trench again with a clearer mind looking for flaws. I think in general the trench fits me awfully well off the rack. I like the overall length, the sleeve length (personal preference of longer sleeves), and the belt placement on me. If I had to nitpick, the trench could probably fit slimmer in the body and arms, but that's after staring really hard at comparison pictures. I can also cinch the belt tighter around the waist, but that may cause the bottom to flare out too much.

I'm seriously considering keeping the trench as a Christmas present to myself this year without any alterations. Do you have any opinions for or against it?

me, as interviewed by Lisa @ respect the shoes in a fun 20 questions & answers format. Check it out here.

Today's outfit is all about experimentation. I typically roll up my sleeves to elbow length, but left it down today for a more ladylike look. Pictures don't lie and this is proof that I should stick to regular sizing in Ann Taylor blouses.

The blouse is also sheer, so I always wear it over a tank of sorts. Today's choice is a black turtleneck. My initial thought was just to stay warm, but the look is growing on me. The same color palette helps the high neckline blend in with the overall look instead of being a distraction.

Hope you're having a great Thursday!

Today's outfit is the most high maintenance one I've ever worn. The lace top I have on is actually a tunic/dress, so a fold here and a tuck there were needed to hide excess fabric underneath the sweater. I'm loving the end result but all the effort involved with each restroom trip may not be worth it ;)

Happy (Cyber) Monday!

After Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house last night, bf and I drove by Best Buy for fun just to see what the line was like. We had considered lining up for one of the $200 LCD TVs earlier in the day, but passed because ours was still in working condition. Besides, I think if robbers ever get through our front door, they'd take a look at our tube TV and walk right back out. A great deterrent I'd say ;) Amazingly, we estimated around 300 people in line around 8pm. As we drove by slowly, we looked at what people were doing to keep themselves busy, but most stared right back at us, haha. I guess waiting in line gets boring after awhile. After that, I went home and browsed some online sales, but didn't end up buying anything. I also slept in this morning, so all in all, a typical Black Friday for me.

Did you partake in the shopping madness? How did you fare?

Today's Ann Taylor inspired outfit matches my festive mood perfectly. With the holidays right around the corner, I loaded up on all things sparkly. Sequins, glitter, metallics? Check, check, and check!

Have a great Thanksgiving and happy Black Friday shopping, everyone!

Over the course of this past year, I've went through a few obsessions. Gingham, chambray, neon, and military green just to name a few. The newest (and hopefully last one) to round out the year? Tweed.

I put this Zara fantasy mini skirt in ecru, size XS (sold here) on my wishlist immediately after spotting it weeks ago. Buy now or wait for a sale? was the usual dilemma. Then I saw Jean talking about her Barcelona trip last month and it hit me that my parents were traveling to Spain, too! Spain = cheaper Zara in my mind, lol. I quickly emailed my parents at the last minute with this skirt request, detailing out everything I could think of in hopes that it won't be too much trouble (and too awkward) for them to hunt down when they're there.

My parents came through and were able to save me about 30% in cost. Price aside, I definitely should have tried it on here first because the skirt runs large :( Lying flat, it measures ~14" across the waist and ~15" in length down the center. To make it work, 1) I had the back buttons shifted inwards some and 2) wearing a belt can cinch the waist in even more. This results in a more pronounced poof to the skirt, almost like a bell shape. It's a different silhouette than what I'm accustomed to but I think works well with the shiny gold threads.

The quality is pretty typical of Zara: not that great. The buttons were not sewed on tightly, there were loose threads, and unfinished edges along the zipper and pockets. What I do like is the color and the metallic threading. It looks exactly as pictured online.

One thing is for sure: this will be the only time I ask for clothing I haven't tried on before -- gotta stick to souvenirs or non-perishable food. I think my brother got the better souvenir this trip with a coffee mug ;)

I have a love/hate relationship with turtlenecks. Hated wearing them while growing up because my mom was convinced they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Ribbed, cable, wool, you name it, I've worn it. And itched and felt choked through them all.

Mom: You cold? Here. holds up another turtleneck
Me: GROANS
Mom: Young lady...

So who knew why I decided to try on this turtleneck from H&M. Perhaps my subconscious was telling me it's time to get rid of childhood demons? Ok, I exaggerate. I'm glad I gave this top a shot because the fabric is soft to the touch, not itchy, and thin enough around the neck that I can still breathe. Thank you H&M for helping me overcome my childhood phobia ;) One down, many more to go!

What did you hate wearing as a child but have come to love now?

ETA: Just realized I'm wearing the same outfit Wendy had already posted. Completely unintentional, but a copycat is still a copycat. Sorry about that :( I'll try to be more conscientious in the future.

I dug deep into my closet for today's outfit. Everything but the bag and pants have not seen the light of day in a long while. This is a much-needed reminder that I've been shopping too much lately... and well, old clothes need loving too *sheepish grin*

Today's outfit is once again inspired by none other than my favorite retailer, J.Crew. I've been seeing a lot of intertwined pearl necklaces and wanted something similar. I looked through my ever-growing stash of costume jewelry and figured I could try creating my own. I took a long multi-layered necklace, knotted the longer ends, then wrapped them up and around the shorter ones, twisting as I went. The result? A shorter, messily wrapped necklace that felt at home with my distressed jeans.

Fur, denim, gingham, boots. Umm... how many trends could I possibly wear at once? Too many apparently, lol. I'm thinking this fur vest will be too bulky to wear under winter coats soon, so I'm taking advantage while the nice weather lasts. 60 degrees in November? Heck yeah!

Hope you're having a great Wednesday!

I took these pictures at a local park where people like to walk their pets. By pets I always meant dogs. Not today though because I had my first pig sighting. Not on a leash, trotting towards me with the owner frantically chasing after it. Too bad I was worried about my tripod being knocked over I could've tried to take a video. D'oh! The cute and funny sight instantly perked up my day.

I didn't have longevity expectations for this pair of cognac boots. Season #2 is still young, but so far, so good *knocks on wood* Will you be walking around in cognac shoes this season?

Finally a break from recent purchase reviews and back to our regular scheduled program. Outfit pictures also mean less wordy posts :) I've got to say though, I think today's look is one of my favorites this year. I sure am having fun embracing the browns, greens, and gold right now.

Hope you're having a great Wednesday!

Presenting my most impractical purchase of the year: Prabal Gurung at J.Crew exploding bow blouse (#49310) in neon azalea, size 0. The bow is so ridiculously large and fun that I bet could easily double as a Halloween costume. After having worn a neon pink gingham shirt and tee this past summer, I figured a huge bow in the same color should be pretty wearable.

Dislikes:
- material feels linen-like therefore very wrinkle-prone
- style is like a racerback tank but with big armholes (might just be me, but I don't think undergarments can be worn without showing through)
- wish the bow was stiffer because the ends keep flopping forward
- zippered back for pretty much the entire length of the top

I'm sad to say that the color is the only thing I like. I so, so wanted this top to work out (despite the hefty price tag), but the poor fit on me is a deal-breaker :( It will be returned back to the store.

See Kimchi Girl rock this top in two colors.

Sorry for the grainy pictures in poor lighting -- I have to figure out a better indoor location soon.

Next up on my outerwear wishlist (another one?!) is a trench coat in a classic khaki color with shoulder epaulets and detailing around the wrist. This Zara Girl trench coat with checked lining in sand, size 11-12 (sold here) had everything I was looking for. Kids' clothing is usually a miss for me, but I figured it's worth a shot after loving the proportions on Jessy (in hindsight, I should've known being taller screws everything up).

Upon wearing it for the first time, I felt there's no way it's going to work. The sleeve length is short (I prefer longer sleeves), the fit is a bit tight across the back, and I thought the length was awkward. I voiced all these reasons out loud to bf but he shot them all down. Let's just say he couldn't get past the trench-with-nothing-underneath illusion. Sigh. Men.

The first set of photos below show the fit with the trench buttoned up. I think there's too many problematic fit areas -- belt is too high, sleeves too short, fabric pulling at the shoulders, etc. I may be nitpicking, so please let me know your honest opinions. Unbuttoned though (see last pic) -- a completely different story. I love how it looks on me, but I wonder if it's just the way I was standing... or a well-fitting jacket will look even better hanging open? The jacket also looks a lot better with the sleeves scrunched up. With non-winter coats, I can put up with shorter sleeves and don't mind leaving it open and unbuttoned.

My favorite feature has to be the inside lining -- such a pretty plaid pattern. A few surprising negatives: the belt is super short (I can barely tie a knot once), the material is very wrinkle prone (is this pretty normal?), the quality isn't the greatest with a few loose threads and a hole in an inside pocket's lining :(

So the dilemma is:
1) Exchange then wear unbuttoned with sleeves scrunched up all the time
2) Return and hope for a larger selection through Zara Woman next spring
3) Return and hold out for... Burberry?!

The last is a pipe dream right now, so I'm leaning towards #2 (if this past spring collection is anything to go by, my patience should pay off).

Raise your hand if all these fall promos from the last few weeks (and counting) have been killing your wallet. I know mine's been feeling like a money tree, lol. Hopefully these upcoming reviews will be useful when the real fall sale rolls around in a few months.

New items I'm wearing:
1) Ann Taylor overlapping placket long sleeve blouse in indigo ink, size 00 (sold here) - It took me long enough, but I've finally realized AT's petite blouses do not work for me -- the sleeves are always too short for my liking (of course, just as I'm saying this, I roll up the sleeves. D'oh!) Likes: opaque, fits well, pretty color. Dislikes: material seems very high-maintenance and snags quite easily. I also picked it up in the crisp nougat color... but I'm still on the fence about which color to keep, if at all.

See it on Fast Food & Fast Fashion. Did anyone else pick this up?

2) J.Crew classic mini in felted wool in vintage violet, size 00P (sold here) - This skirt measures ~12.5" across the waist and ~15" in length down the center. Likes: the color is gorgeous. Dislikes: the inside lining ends about 1" above the hem and the wool is sort of itchy. I plan on returning this skirt because I think one size up will look better on me. It's a little too high-waisted as is, don't you think? In the meantime, it's never too early to start planning outfits around this skirt ;) Tights, suede shoes, cozy sweaters in neutral colors that I couldn't pair with my wool bell skirt.

Hosted by Alli @ Ski Petite, Petite Fashion Challenge #11: Vacation Vogue has us putting together an outfit made for sightseeing. It should be one that will be comfortable for walking around in and can last you from the early morning until dinner and drinks in the evening. You can choose just one outfit but vary it by adding or taking off layers or accessories to take you from the a.m. to the p.m. and make one outfit easier to last through the day.

I've always dressed like a bum on vacation, therefore sticking out like a sore thumb in both photos and as a tourist, lol. In the spirit of this challenge, I came up with outfits that I would wear while traveling in my daydreams, all the while keeping in mind one must: comfort.

For my a.m. look: I chose a soft sweater, skinny jeans, and the most broke-in pair of flats that I own (to avoid blisters). I accessorized through layering, which allows me to stay warm (indoors and out) while remaining comfortable.

For my p.m. look: I kept the core items from my morning look, but changed it up with the sweater styling and shoes (less walking, so heels are doable). Cowl-neck sweaters are so versatile and perfect for vacations when you want a range of looks but limited in suitcase space. Other ways of wearing these type of sweaters include: off both shoulders and with the cowl-neck draped down the front.

Be sure to check out all the other participants' outfits!

Move over, blue and black chain scarf. This red and black version is currently on my list of favorite items. I was in such a hurry to wear it the first time that I forgot to take off the tags, hahaha.

Bf (in a loud voice): What is that thing hanging off your neck?!
Me: Oh. I must've forgot to cut the tags off. Can you rip it off?
Me (in a louder voice to no one in particular while looking for the store's security camera): I didn't steal this!

Lesson learned.