Recap of 2014 (ish)

This isn't exactly a recap of my entire 2014, because I didn't gather the courage to start blogging until August.

That means this post would have included only 5 outfits. Gasp! So to make up for the lack of outfits, I decided to choose two outfits from every month instead :)

August

Because honestly, who doesn't fight trees?

September

Lemons & mint inspired this photo :)

Photo from my first ever collaboration as a blogger!

October

Budget outfit challenge: Accepted.

Result: $38

If a pumpkin can become a carriage, why can't I become a pumpkin? A girl can dream.

November

I started really abusing this wide-brimmed hat..

...and this trench.

December

One of my most casual yet favorite looks!

Ok, I cheated. But this is seriously one of my favorite photos. It embodies all the qualities I love. The qualities from which I build my style. Vintage. Romantic. Simple.

I just wanted to thank you for coming back every week, and joining me through this fashion blogging adventure. I sincerely enjoy all the comments and interactions I have with everyone here. It gives me such joy to have met so many wonderful people through this blog. I hope your 2014 was filled with happiness, love, and laughter. May 2015 overflow with even more success and ♥♥♥

Happy New Year!

Let's stay in touch!

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Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

Black Tie NYE Outfit

Dress / Old prom dress

Heels / Schutz

This is actually an old prom dress. Well, not my prom dress. Because I didn't go.

It was someone's old prom dress given to me. Family friends assumed I would go to prom, but I chose not to in the end. I didn't see the reason to pay so much money, and stress so much over a simple dinner. I still remember friends complaining or getting hurt over being excluded from a certain table or being kicked out of a limo. It sounded like they were paying someone to stress them out!

So I decided to stay at home, and enjoyed a relaxing evening with family. I did go down the shore over the weekend to spend time with friends (and go paintballing!), but that was the extent of my "high school prom" experience.

Even though I didn't go to prom, I still love this velvety dress. The luxurious feel of velvet just instantly says glamorous to me. It's not an everyday fabric, and I love it for that. The beaded fringe at the waist adds to the glamour of such a simple dress. If my office party hadn't been cancelled, this dress would have been a big contender. I'm not too heartbroken about it though, because now I have the chance to wear this out for NYE :)

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

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A few of my favorite things..

Top | Asos

Skirt | No label (gifted)

Heels | Schutz

Pillbox Hat | Catarzi

♪ These are a few of my favorite things ♪

But they actually are. I loved this pillbox hat the moment I laid eyes on it. It's romantic, it's vintage inspired, and it's of high quality. I waited for a good month to snatch it up for 1/3 of its price. This skirt embodies those three traits as well so I decided to bring them together to create a romantic, vintage inspired, winter outfit.

Just a close up of the beautiful wool pillbox hat.

After every photoshoot, I go through the photos and find a ton of candids along the lines of the photo below. I think my manfriend entertains himself during our photoshoots with these type of photos. It's..definitely..not the aesthetic I go for, but he must see something in them, so here I am posting them haha

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

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Recipe | Hot Chocolate DIY Gift

Disproportionate amount of marshamallows? I think not!

I love Smitten Kitchen.
I think I've said this many times. Deb Perelman is amazing. She started her blog, because she DIDN'T know anything about cooking or baking. It was a way for her to teach herself. Most of all, I love that she steers clear of one-time use ingredients, because she thinks you can yield the same results with what you already have in your pantry.

She recently posted this recipe, and I hesitated.

I love hot chocolate, but always saw cocoa from a box or packet clump. If I wanted clumps, I'd rewatch Nutty Professor II: The Klumps! But I trust Deb. Every recipe I've tried of hers, I've loved, and it's never let down (that woman is freakishly amazing) so I gave it a go. It also seemed like an ideal gift to send to friends and family through the mail so win-win :)

Unlike others, I don't own a food processor so I had to grate the chocolate to ensure it would disperse evenly and get that powdery texture. Unfortunately, in the winter, the grating made the chocolate have a negative charge and attach to me instead of going into the bowl. I used the sugar's weight to hold down the chocolate gratings.

To top it off, I whipped up a simple way to gift wrap this delicious hot chocolate mix to give to friends and coworkers this season! It's a great gift to give as it is rich, but not overly sweet.

Just get any type of glass jar (mason jar, milk bottle) and fill it to the top. After you cap it, take some paper and jute and wrap the top. I handmade a little tag with "instructions" to go with the hot chocolate not pictured here. Now who wouldn't want to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold wintery day?

The Ingredients        (source: Smitten Kitchen)         3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate,             grated if you don't have a food processor             roughly chopped if you do         ½ cup granulated sugar         ½ cup cocoa powder         1 tablespoon cornstarch         ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract         ¼ teaspoon salt

The Instructions If you have a food processor: Rough chop chocolate. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until powdery. No food processor? No problem. Grate chocolate as fine as you can get it. Stir in remaining ingredients.

To use:

1. Heat one cup of milk (almond, soy, whatever tickles your fancy) in a saucepan over medium heat until steamy.
2. Add 3 tablespoons (or more!) of hot cocoa mix.
3. Whisk over heat for another minute or two until it begins to simmer and mix has completely dissolved.
4. Pour into mug, top with marshmallows, and enjoy :)

Linking up with Miz Helen & Lamberts Lately.

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It's a wrap!

Crop top / Asos (available here)

Wrap coat / Jovonnista (available here)

Ripped Jeans / Asos Petite (similar here)

Heeled Sandals / L.A.M.B.

Recently, been trying to take 4 days off inconspicuously from work in the last 3 weeks of the year, because in this case, Andy, if you don't use it, you lose it.

But the days off afford me some time to do extra recipes and DIYs that I haven't had the time to do in between outfit posts due to a ridiculous amount of birthdays, thanksgiving dinners, and other errands like buying/making gifts!

It's not obvious in the photos, but this coat can keep you warm like a fur! It's soft to the touch, and thick material. I wouldn't go to Antarctica with it, but it definitely served its job keeping me warm in my crop top as I ran around Sunday!

Oh, and that green ring wrap around bracelet? I made that! It's a sliding knot bracelet I learned as a kid from Chinese knotting class. Yes, that's a thing. Anyway, I didn't take photos, but if you guys like it and want to learn how to make it, I'd be happy to do a quick tutorial :)

This is a close-up of the bracelet I whipped up last minute the night before! :)

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

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Pink Thrills - I will not tell lies

Sweater / Thrifted

Salmon skirt / Thrifted

Scarf / Burbery (gift)

Heels / BCBG Paris

Ok, this will be a short post, but only because I am prepping some awesome posts for the weeks leading up to Christmas. Be prepared to be bombarded! :X

I started thinking about what I should do for my secret santa. My 'research' quickly snowballed into "I could totally make that" or "that's an awesome gift; everyone should know about it." So now I have a ton of recipes and DIYs coming up on the blog to help you with gifts for your coworkers or a secret santa :) plus it's just super fun to make, because I'm a weirdo that likes to spending time and money giving presents. Santa, are we somehow related? Are you, by any chance, Taiwanese on any side of your family?

Also, on a totally random and dorky note, my friend pointed out this outfit makes her think of Umbridge. That is one person I'd rather not be related to haha

Somehow I was still able to smile that day despite freezing my butt off in 30 degree weather.

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Lauren, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

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Sweater Cape + Cyber Monday!

I don't know why, but I instantly thought "Kim Kardashian" when I saw this photo of myself hahah

Sweater Cape / Echo Design (thrifted NWT!)

Long sleeve / Uniqlo Heattech<3

Knitted Skirt / H&M (old)

Heels / BCBG Paris

This thing is ridiculously warm. I just never take it off, because whenever I do, I look like a frizzy, frazzled static-y ball of hair. But wearing it also gives me a chance to do the infamous hair tuck I always see other bloggers do! I get why they do it. It looks cool, keeps your hair in place, and your hair helps keep you warm in those windy urban cities!

And happy Cyber Monday! Are you guys excited for any specific sales? I always love checking out Net-A-Porter's annual sale and then actually buy from its sister site, theOutnet, which usually starts its clearance sale around this time. I'm also looking for some good weather proof tan leather boots. Any ideas?

Here are just a few sales I think you might be interested in :)

For the DIY'er: A Pair & a Spare

20% off (HOLIDAY20)

For the office party: Rent the Runway

$40 off $100+ (CM4014)

For yourself: Kate Spade

30% off the entire site (CYBER30)

For the trendy friend: Revolve Clothing

additional 20% off final sale (CYBERMONDAY20)

For more work clothes: J. Crew Factory

whole site is 50%. Get an additional 10% + free shipping (YOUVEGOTSALE)

For everything else: Asos

30% off entire site (ILOVEMONDAYS)

J. Crew

30% off full priced items, 40% off sale items (MONDAY)

Bloomingdales

Additional 25% off

I saw this wreath during my photoshoot, and decided to steal it. Teehee. Don't tell Santa :X

Manfriend made me put it back D:

Linking up Shanna, Lauren, Lindsey, Lauren, Jen, Zarouhi, & Sarah :)

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