There are some things that should only be worn during certain seasons. Take this necklace for example. In my head, I thought the turquoise color would look great against a stark background. Instead it just looks like a pretender, summer trying to fit into winter. Given the surprising warm weather we've been having for this time of year, perhaps it's fitting after all.

Happy Thursday!

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*

My usual choice of camera* placement is on the trunk of my car or on a ledge on my building's rooftop. Either would give me a background photo of a parking lot. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of the same old :) So... the hunt for a cheap tripod begins. The cheaper the better, but still sturdy enough that a gust of wind won't knock it over. Perhaps this, this, or this one? Do you have a tripod to recommend?

*I also toyed with the idea of potentially upgrading to a nice DSLR camera, but I don't know if I have the time right now to learn enough of the controls to get my ROI back... perhaps further down the road.

I love clutches, but it's always been more of a spring/summer accessory to me. So... as soon as the nice weather rolled around, I've been trying to use it as often as possible. Take this Jenny Yuen clutch for example. I've carried it every day this week. Every day! Usually the fickleness in me changes bags every day or two. I blame it on my love for spring.

How do you feel about clutches?

Warning: whiny post ahead. Feel free to skip.

Has anyone been following the housing bubble/fallout? I have, and I'm still waiting for the fallout. What recession? My area is practically immune. Reading articles, following message boards hardly makes me an expert, but I do know what I want. And I know there's no way of getting it unless I compromise. All I want is a garage townhome with 3 bedrooms, a place I can live in the rest of my life. Semi-newly built? Good schools? Prime location (for a decent commute)? Move-in ready? Right size? I'd be lucky to get 3 of 5.

Sure, I can easily increase my price range and possibly get everything I want, but I'm too cheap to be paying off a mortgage into my 50s/60s. Who in their right mind expects to buy their dream home (really, a garage townhome is my dream home) in their 20s as your first house unless you're a millionaire?! I know I'm being difficult and not following the traditional path of buying a starter home (ie, condo) and using equity to move up the housing ladder. I honestly can't foresee housing prices going up significantly in the next few years where it'd be easy to move up to the next tier. But what do I know? People are still snatching up houses left and right that I feel are overpriced (as in, out of my budget).

Then you ask, if you're not happy with these prices, why are you even looking to buy? A part of me is ready for the next step, owning a home, starting a family, etc. Sure, lots of people do that in rentals, but it isn't what I want (and I realize I'm being greedy and wanting too much). The logical part of me believes housing is a good investment in the long run, when you're free to live in something you own without any more monthly payments. Plus, there's the help of inflation. Oh, and I also hate moving. The realistic part of me knows that I'll never be satisfied with prices and my budget. Every generation probably feels that housing is expensive and adjusts their budget according to the market. It's only looking back that we'd say, "You had it so lucky to only pay $X for a house when nowadays we're paying three times that amount for the same house. I'd snatch up $X for that house in a heartbeat." Well, if I was in that situation back then, I bet I wouldn't feel $X was cheap and rather budget according to the norm then. It's a lose-lose situation.

Sometimes I half-joke to bf that we should up and move to Atlanta or Texas, the land of cheap housing. If we didn't have family ties or steady jobs, I wonder if we really would have the guts to do so? ...probably not as I'm a wuss at heart.

Nope, don't feel bad for me. In fact, I know I come across as bitter, entitled, and unreasonable. Someone who wants too much (used 'want' 7 times in 4 paragraphs?!) and am too stubborn to compromise. Eventually, I'll grow up and realize the error of my ways. I hope to come back to this post in the future whenever I'm moody and remind myself: wake up, life isn't fair, learn to compromise.

Did you have to make compromises when purchasing your home? If so, how did you prioritize?

Thanks for putting up with me. I promise this won't be the norm. *deep breath* Knock some sense into me and bring on the honest feedback. As bf likes to say, "do you want some cheese with your whine?" :)

I ordered this Gap Classic pencil skirt in true black, size 00P awhile back and finally received it the other day after having been on back order for weeks. This one is much smaller than the 00 (reviewed here). I really like the fit and the material (seems to be the same as their black magic pants). I've gained weight in my stomach area recently -_- so it's a tad tight, but that will be the motivation I need to lose it! Currently sold online here. (Sorry for the messy background!)
Casual work outfit with the J.Crew sash from the last post =)

Happy Friday! And happy monthly anniversary to my boyfriend <3 The colors of today's outfit is probably better fit for spring, but with temps in the 60s I didn't care =) Just to give this outfit a bit of an extra oomph, I added my own touches with the jacket and flower sash.

*Madewell image courtesy of J.Crew Aficionada

I just looked through the last couple of posts, and I'm sorry I've been wearing my Forever 21 necklace with practically every outfit! It's still new to me, but must feel so redundant to you guys *sheepish look* I swear the newness will wear off soon! ...hopefully ...ok, maybe after a few more outfits :P

Today's outfit is pretty much the same as this previous one, just swapping out the skirt and bag.

Why am I standing on my tippy-toes in the first pic? It's my attempt at posing like Olivia Palermo :P

I've been looking for a boyfriend type of long cardigan but haven't had much luck. When I saw this stephanie b cardigan on Hautelook a few weeks ago, I thought it would fit my bill. (I'm still on the hunt for a true boyfriend cardigan though :P) It was a bit tight in the sleeves, but luckily fit everywhere else. I'm new to this brand and had to only rely on the size chart. Since this is pretty much a statement top by itself, I figured to tone down the rest of the outfit.