Holiday Look: Twirling Tullle Outfit from Eshakti

Sleeveless Red Top | Armani

Tulle Skirt | Eshakti
Black & Gold Necklace | Vintage
Clear Perspex Clutch | DIY

Silver Pumps | BCBG

     I seem to fall more in love with Eshakti with each order. I actually ordered this skirt with really really ridiculously low hopes. I saw the typical tulle skirt and wanted it so bad. But I couldn't justify the high price tag so I decided to snatch up a tulle skirt from Eshakti. It didn't look poofy like other skirts so I was worried I'd hate it, which in retrospect seems silly because I should have known that I will love literally everything I get from Eshakti.

      When the skirt came in, I put it on and just swooshed left to right for 5 minutes (I was too preoccupied to notice Chris giving me a weird look from across the room). It wasn't poofy, but it was still light and airy and just as magical.

     After pairing it with a vibrant red top, I decided to wear it to my family Christmas dinner. It's got elastic in the back of the skirt for that extra helping of food. The tulle gives it a little extra something special, perfect for the holidays. It's so much fun that I can't wait to re-debut it for NYE!!!

 ☑ Office appropriate (with a cardigan)
 ☑ After-work happy hour
 ☑ Dinner date

Have you tried Eshakti yet?!

(If not, then get to it! There are huge sales to be had!!)

Let's stay in touch!

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

Simply Stylist OOTD: Chi Chi London + Crop Top

     Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Simply Stylist! I learned quite a bit about bettering the blog, and met some wonderful people. Unfortunately, I was too engrossed with the activities of the day that I didn't get to take many photos. Eep! I was quite a terrible blogger, but I just couldn't help myself. It was my first conference :)

     I'll post about it later in the week, but here's the outfit I wore that day. I ordered this Chi Chi London dress for a wedding, but in the end, went with this dress. I "accidentally" missed the return cut-off date so I needed to find places to wear this dress. It was too cold to wear out for date night, but it was too special to wear to work. Like the perfect fairy tale ending for my new dress, I remembered I had the Simply Stylist conference on the 25th!

     I don't have abs or a perfectly tanned body, yet I always see crop tops being rocked by beach babes. But that didn't stop me from wearing a crop top. I decided to make them my own by creating a two-piece look with a crop top and this Chi Chi London dress. It gives new life to a formal dress and now I find I can wear it to work ;)

 ☑ Office appropriate
 ☑ After-work happy hour
 ☑ Dinner date

Crop Top Turtleneck | Asos
Floral Dress | Chi Chi London
Perspex Clutch | DIY
Silver Pumps | BCBG

Ever considered crop tops appropriate for work?

Let's stay in touch!

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

Office to Off-Hours: Chambray

Last week, I introduced the piece that started it all. A maxi. I wore a chambray shirt over it tied at the waist for some definition. It was a super easy outfit to wear out to a fun filled day in Montclair, NJ

(where we played this thing called an escape room, more on that later).

     As I was getting ready for work one day, I wanted to wear this simple black dress, but found it a bit too revealing (aka not enough coverage for our AC'd office). I found myself hesitant to pair the simple black dress with a white button down. As I held it in my hand, I thought, 'I'm going to look like a little Catholic Asian nun from the movie Sister Act who has lost her habit.' Not that I wouldn't mind being an extra on that set, because I freaking LOVE that movie, but it wasn't going to happen, and I've come to terms with that, sort of.

I'd like to note that I super love this photo. If you've met me in person, then you know how uncool I am. I am a HUGE dork so the fact that I look so suave, so cool, so legit is making me squeal like a little kid!

     So what was a girl to do? Well, I guess the photos give it away. I went with this chambray shirt again! It was a nice way to make the outfit a little different, by bringing in a different fabric and color to the ensemble.


     I loved the ensemble so much, I ended up photographing it before a dinner date with the manfriend! I chose a random little alley way in the town that looked so much cuter and romantic in photos. I'm not complaining though (;


     Anywho, I realized this chambray was a perfect staple for office wear AND off hours. It's versatile due to its classic shape and cut, but the texture and material lends a casual feel to any outfit. It literally is the embodiment of dressed up and dressed down at the same exact time. Mind. Blown.


     I love how I've found more uses for this purchase in the 5 years I've owned it. And to think, I originally bought this to wear to classes when a T-shirt just wasn't cutting it.


Office appropriate? ✓

After-work drinks fun? ✓
Dinner date good? ✓

Black Dress  | No Name
Chambray Shirt | Zara (old)
Black Satin Heels | Caparros
Sunglasses | Kate Spade
Tan Belt | Thrifted
Pearl Necklace | DIY

Would you like to see more of the "Office to Off-Hours" series?

Let's stay in touch!

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

Thrifting Reform(ation)

I'm taking it back to why I started this blog: thrifting.

I never felt comfortable with most fast fashion trends and boutiques. But for the longest time, I didn't think I had any other fashionable option so I followed suit and wore whatever was available. Then I stumbled upon the world of blogging, introduced to thrifting darlings such as Nicole Warne, and had my eyes opened up to a whole new world of possibility. I could wear midi skirts with peter pan collars, indulge in bows on everything, and vintage clothes with a touch of whimsy.

Thrifting was a gateway drug.

However, since moving to New Jersey for work, I have found the thrifting resources here are a bit bare. It's filled with a lot less vintage pieces, and more upcycled fast fashion. My only option for good thrifting was to go into NY every time I had the thrifting bug, that is, until recently.

I buy clothes online all the time, but thrifted pieces are another story. Their inherent nature of being "pre-loved" pieces makes them bound to show signs of wear, but would I find them acceptable? Did the company's "like new" mean a beaten up old rag or still with tags? I took a leap of faith, and gave thredUP a try (my lack of thrifting the past few months played no part in this decision, I swear). With free returns and a coupon code, I couldn't really lose. Boy, am I glad I trusted my thrifting gut and bought from thredUP!

I bought a bunch of beautiful pieces including this one from the Brooklyn-based brand, Reformation. I've lusted over their beautiful dresses for YEARS. They originally started by creating one of a kind dresses from vintage fabrics. Each dress embodied the grace of eras past without being outdated. They hinted at sexiness with its sheerness and design. With their growing popularity, they've since moved to using sustainable fabrics in conjunction with vintage fabrics, but stayed true to the original design of the dresses. I loved it so much I couldn't decide on just my usual 5 photo round up, and had to upload 10. Sorry!

So my verdict on thredUP? They're really awesome & here's why.

First Bit of Awesome: A lot of "New with Tags"

The majority of the clothes are "New with tags" or like new. I was a nerd and read their guidelines for sellers. They have really high standards. They refuse old clothing, or anything showing signs of wear, but they will always disclose any imperfections found like pilling or mild fraying).

Second Bit of Awesome: Range of Choices

They carry every brand imaginable. There were big names like Louis Vutton, Tory Burch, & J.Crew but also indie brands like Shabby Apple & Free People! They also have a varied range in products including shoes, handbags, maternity, and petites. Literally, a little something for everyone!

So if you're itching to thrift, and can't get to a store, then I highly suggest you try thredUP! If you still have questions on how it works, then check it out here. If you do buy from thredUP, let me know as I'd love to see your finds!

Sheer dress | Reformation

(here or similar here/here)

Two tone pumps | Schutz (leopard version here)

Satchel with top handle | Kate Spade (here)

Gold-plated belt | Asos

Tortoise shell sunglasses | Kate Spade

Disc earrings | Jules Smith 

Mother of pearl necklace | Ippolita (similar here)

Arm party | Shashi, Handmade, Gorjana (ring)

___________________________________________________________________________

Let's stay in touch!

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

DIY | Polaroid Magnets

If your mom's the sentimental type then this is a gift she'd love. Just fair warning, you might encounter trouble topping this gift in the coming years. It's a photographic journey of her life from her younger years, to her first moments as a mother, to some of her most recent and treasured memories with you. The project recycles the retro Polaroid look, which has had a resurgence in popularity recently, into magnets. If she's a working mom, she can take them to work and decorate her office for a personal touch. If she's a stay at home mom, she has new photos to accompany your fridge art. The best part? It can be made in under $10!

What you'll need:

• Photos to be used, scanned and ready (I'm totally dating myself right now)
• Magnetic adhesive sheet
• Pair of scissors or exacto knife
• Polaroid template (find the downloadable version below!
• Photo paper (optional)

1. If you're using a scrapbooking software or Photoshop, this will be much easier, because you just enter the template and multiple it on one sheet. You then resize all of your photos to fit the Polaroid photo frame, and arrange a photo behind each frame.
   
   For non-photoshop users, find a polaroid template you like. Cut out the middle of the template. Crop your photos to a square shap then resize your photos to fit the template cutout. Paste each photo into an individual template.
2. Print the pseudo Polaroids onto photo paper. I don't have a printer that can print out quality I'd be happy with so I sent mine to CVS for 1 hour printing. Do not do the in-store printing. It utilizes a different printer, and the photo color and quality are sub par.


3. Once you have your photos. Peel off a corner or the magnetic adhesive sheet, but do not pull it completely off. Place your photos on the adhesive side, and cover with the peeled off sheet before adding pressure to ensure the photo paper has attached to the magnet sheet.
   
   
4. Take your exacto knife or scissors and cut out your sheet of photos.
5. Now peel away the top sheet, and carefully cut out each individual Polaroid magnet.
6. Voila! Your gift is ready to be given :)
   
   Note: If you don't want to see the black strips of magnet on the sides of your polaroids, you can paint them white with acrylic paint after you've done the steps listed above.

I hope you liked this post, and if you end up doing this DIY, let me know! I'd love to see what flowers you used, and how it came out! Just your creation with #polaroidmagnet so I can check it out :)

Happy DIYing!

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