Dalmatian Print Obsession

I have a minor obsession with Dalmatian print accessories that may extend out to shirts soon if I am not careful.  I bought these Sears flats initially when I became obsessed with the pattern.  The fit and comfort of the flats were horrible.  I returned it immediately except it's been a month now and still haven't received a refund.  According to their website, it takes about 28 days for a refund.  Seriously?  That is long, but I will be patient.  Anyways, I've moved on....  

...to my new Dalmatian print scarf from JCPenny!  The material is 100% soft acrylic.  I had a hard time finding one that did not have a snag in the store.  I don't see it online anymore, but perhaps one can find it available in the stores still.  I just purchased mine last week.  I'm pretty happy about this affordable purchase!  

JCPenny Dalmatian print scarf paired with faux shearling leather jacket from Ebay.

Tory Burch Lily Clutch

Another Tory Burch purchase:  Patent Lily Evening Bag in black with laser cut fringe.  It's cute except I was expecting a gold logo like the picture showed on their website (a minor disappointment that I got over quickly).  The size is enough for a smart phone and small money holder.  I like the way it shines in light!

Tory Burch Patient Lily Clutch

This bag is sold out on the Tory Burch website now, but it can be purchased at Shopbop (on sale).

Tory Burch Kids Greer Cardigan

I haven't seen a lot of reviews on how the Tory Burch Kids clothing would fit on someone with a petite frame like me... so I decided to purchase the Greer cardigan in kids sized XL and write a review of it.   This cardigan is stretchy and soft (83% silk and 17% cashmere, dry clean only).  The shoulders and 3/4" length arms fit perfectly.  The waist of the cardigan fits wide, but I don't mind the loose fit since the sleeves fit nicely.  I purchased it on sale for $77.00.  Hey, it beats the adult clothing prices!  Just for reference, I'm usually a size 00P at LOFT and Banana Republic.  If I were a bigger size than that, the cardigan would likely be too small.

This cardigan is sold out now, but I plan to keep checking the website for new kids wear in size XL!

Maison Martin Margiela MM6 Leather Wedge Ankle Boots

Maison Martin Margiela MM6 Leather Wedge Ankle Boots Size 5 Saks 550.00 Now on Sale!

Description: True to size, soft leather, comfortable heel of about 3 inches with rubber sole.   

I think I may have purchased too many pairs of black boots this year...

Edit:  I actually ended up returning these since the sides of the shoes dug into my ankles. Boo.. 

Wishlist: Céline Luggage Mini Tote

I know I made a handbag wishlist earlier in November, but the whole wishlist has been replaced with this handbag: the Céline Luggage Mini Tote! 

Spring 2012 Luggage Mini in Smooth Calfskin Navy

Pic from Purseforum

Pic from Purseforum

Pic from Purseforum

 Time to save up some money!

Miu Miu Boots ♥

My new purchase from Net-A-Porter sale!

Miu Miu Nuback Ankle Boots IT 35 $595 Originally $850

Ta-Da!  These boots are so gorgeous!  The pictures do not do justice!  The nuback leather is softer than anything I have felt before.  I just want to keep petting it.  There is a small platform, making the heel comparable to a comfortable heel height of about 3 inches.  The craftsmanship (Made in Italy) is flawless, and the soles seem similar to the Christian Louboutin's.  I can't stop staring at them.  These shoes are like a piece of art!  (Of course, I ended up returning my Clarks Boots.)  

Shopping Hit and Miss

Shopbop was having Black Friday specials so I bought the Tory Bruch Reva flats in black and Alexander Wang Rocco bag in granite (see this post).  I got the order today in the mail.  It's amazing how quick they are with shipping.

The Tory Burch Reva flats in black was something that has been on my wishlist for years, but the painful elastic in the back discouraged me from purchasing them.  I decided to give them another try and ordered true to size: size 5.

Tory Burch Reva Flats Black in Size 5

The size 5 fit perfectly except that the back elastic hurt the moment the shoes went on.  I put on a pair of thick socks with the shoes for two hours.  With the combination of the thickness of the socks and the heat from my feet, the leather stretched making the elastic less painful!  I looked a little ridiculous while I was in the process of stretching them out, but it was worth it~!

Trying to stretch them out with thick socks. 

On the other hand, I was quite disappointed in the AW Rocco bag in the color granite.  The bag itself was not as heavy as I thought, and the studs were fabulous, but the granite color made the bag look so dirty looking!  I would take a photo of it except I already packaged it up as soon as I saw it.

Wish List: Handbags

Refinery29 and Clare Vivier exclusive collaboration clutch $150 each
Honestly, I feel this may be a great DIY project for the future.

PS 1  Medium in Midnight
(Although I haven't figured out what color I want yet..) $1595.00

ALEXANDER WANG Rocco Duffel in Granite $875.00

or

ALEXANDER WANG Rocco Duffel in Beige $875.00

It is so difficult to narrow down which one to get!  If only I can have them all....

Yes, I am blogging about socks.

Old Navy Chenille Animal Print Cozy Socks

These are so soft and fuzzy.  I can't stop wiggling my little toes in these! 

(Don't worry... I only wear these at home). 

Already on my iPod.

Drew from X Factor. She is an amazing singer.

Call me crazy.

Yes, I bought another pair of Vaneli Undine pumps from DSW.  The red is gorgeous!  

Knowledge is Sexy.

The Big Bang Theory

I love nerds, especially Sheldon and Raj ♥

Problems with decision making?

Answer: Yes, it stresses me out.

I came across this page that offered some good advice: Don't Overthink It: 5 Tips For Daily Decision Making, by Jocelyn K. Glei from The 99 Percent.  Here's what really interested me:

Decision-makers can be split into Satisficers vs Maximizers.

"Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high; but as soon as they find the car, the hotel, or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied.

 

Maximizers want to make the optimal decision. So even if they see a bicycle or a photographer that would seem to meet their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option, so they know they’re making the best possible choice… 

In a fascinating book, The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz argues that satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers must spend a lot more time and energy to reach a decision, and they’re often anxious about whether they are, in fact, making the best choice." - Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project

I'm such a Maximizer. I want the best of the best that also fits my needs the most.  Ugh.

Basically,
1.  Be more of a Satisficer.
2.  Trust your gut.  Less is more.
3.  Ask an expert/ someone with experience.
4.  Don't obsess over the small things. This is probably most important for me.

Black Booties I've tried this month:

 Marc by Marc Jacobs. Suede & Shearling Wedge Ankle Boots. $320.00. Size 5.

Returned: Reason: Too expensive and slid off my narrow heels. It looks gorgeous though.

Nine West Tulley Ankle Boot. Size 5.
Returned: For the price, the quality could be better but they are very comfortable.  

indigo by Clarks Mckenzie Faith Ankle Boot
Kept!  Reason:  Overall, very cute and comfortable for a night out for dinner/bar.  Runs small.  I'm usually a size 5 but these I had to order in 5.5.  Kept the size 5.5!  Bought Miu Miu boots~ and kept those instead.

Aerosoles Plum Luck Boot bought from Outlet. Size 5.5
Kept! Reason: Comfortable, affordable, and cute!  My favorite out of the bunch.
Heels are 3 inches.  Bought the 5.5 because 5 wasn't available.

Nine West  Realmo from Outlet. Size 5.
Unsure: Reason: I bought this for work.  Heels are 3 inches.  The back feels a little loose.   It's still comfortable, but I don't know if it would bother me later.

Pandora's Rock Star

Rock Star Clip Sterling Silver

Rock Star Black Rhodium Sterling Silver

Love Me White Mother of Pearl Charm

I am so excited about these new charms/clips called "Rock Star" from Pandora.  It's about time they came out with something modern and simple!

Their bracelets are great for people with small wrists because they come in different lengths.  I believe I have the smallest size.  Although, if you are someone that likes to fill the whole bracelet up with charms, you should probably get a size larger.   I bought mine last year and still only have one charm on it.  In my opinion, I think it looks better simple.

I'm planning on getting two Rock Star clips.   I may or may not keep the current charm on there depending on how it may look.  I can't wait to go to the Pandora store!

Black and Red

How things change...

1. Soft black hair color
2. Pale skin
3. Bright red lips

I'm loving the contrast between dark and bold to the paleness of my face.  I used look more muted.

Don't Go Alone

Have you ever ventured out at night to the beach and just looked out to the ocean?

It's eeriness intrigues me.
The waves call ...to disappear into it...
Curiously, I take just a few steps in.
It's beautiful.
It's dark.
And then I feel small.

I run away..

Then comes morning....
The ocean, with a new face.

My Teddy, Kuma-chan, protected me too.

Seva Indian Restaurant

I finally got the chance to make a trip out to Astoria ♥ ♥ ♥


Place: Seva Indian Restaurant.


What I ordered:  Chicken Korma with rice and nan in mild.  I also ordered the Mango Lassi. I can never finish the whole thing even though it is delicious.  Yum! Good service too!

Louis Vuitton Pochette Repaired

I finally had a chance to pick up my pochette.  The threading is fixed!

See my past entry for the photo of a loose thread.

Louis Vuitton Bandouliere 30 Revisited

Since I put away my Balenciaga bag for now, I'm using this bag. 

The removable shoulder straps are the best part of this bag.  The patina process has started, and the vachetta is slightly darker than when I initially purchased it earlier this year (although the photo does not show it).  Some people love the look of new vachetta.  I prefer it to be slightly darker. The handles make me sad because it is dirty no matter how hard I try to keep it clean.  The cleaning and moisturizing kit from Lovin' My Bags doesn't really help.  

I do like this bag, but I love my Balenciaga.

Shiny Legging

American Apparel Shiny Legging in Lamé Matte Black.  If you are looking for comfortable leather looking leggings, this is it. I got mine in size small.  Pardon my fitting room photo.

Spikes!

Edit 2/1/12:  How exciting!  I was reading a few blogs and came across this photo.  I was excited to see the same (if not, similar) necklace in Lookbook Cookbook! 

Photo from Lookbook Cookbook.

Necklace from Forever 21. 

Earrings:  Small: 14k Pyramid studs from Bloomingdales.  Large: BEN-AMUN Spike Studs from Ideeli

Balenciaga Nourishing Cream

Finally, I have something worthy to write about.

This Balenciaga nourishing cream has been sold out for months!

If you are around in the NYC area, this cream is available at the Balenciaga store now for $20 (as of 9/26/11).

I'm always skeptical about using products on my leather handbags but TA-DA... just look at the difference! (Refer to photo: the handle on the top of the photo is the moisturized one, the bottom is untouched).

It comes with a cloth you can put the cream on with.  The cream has a mild scent, but it is not horrendous. It also drys out fast so be sure to cap it well after use.

Life is not easy.

Life is full of surprises.  Sometimes those surprises are good.  In other times they are not, and we have to make the best out of those situations.  First thing we need to do is to accept the change so we can move on.  Perhaps, this is the hardest step.

SHOCK

I panic.

While visiting my friend in Seattle this past week, a sales associate at Neiman Marcus told me that Balenciaga is discontinuing their handbags with giant rose gold hardware!!  Nooooo!

How can this be?  This bag my easy-to-use, go-to, everyday handbag!  I've used and abused it many times.  This means no more using it as a pillow on the plane, throwing it around on my chair, using it out in the rain, and stuffing it to the max capacity!  I thought I can easily replace it if ruined but now that it is going to be discontinued, I filled it with tissue paper and put it in my dust bag.  My precious....

SONY Vaio laptop

It was about time I bought a new computer. Since all my bedroom furniture is white, I bought a white laptop.  Of course, I checked out the specs first.  I was thinking about getting a Mac but there really isn't much need for a computer anymore for me.  I can do anything I want with my smart phone, except blogging and shopping online seems better with the computer.

My previous computer was a Dell.  It was more than six years old!  It still works... it is just majorly slow.

I'm excited. My new Sony computer is so pretty!

Bachelor Pad is soooo good.

Yes, I'm obsessed with the Bachelor Pad (2?) on ABC.  I haven't seen the first Bachelor Pad or any other Bachelor/Bachelorette shows except the most recent one with Ashley Hebert.  I found out that a few cast members from that show were going to be on Bachelor Pad so I decided to watch it. Who knew I would get hooked. 

First off, when I first saw Ames on Bachelorette, I thought his forehead was the biggest thing ever!  He seemed doofy looking to me, and I couldn't understand why he had so many fans!  After watching the episode of him leaving the Bachelor Pad for a girl that got voted off, my impression of him has changed for the better. 

Second, Blake is such a man-whore! He reminds me of a shark, but I find him extremely intriguing.  I would fall for him too.  Melissa definitely had to leave the show.  She was crazy!  I almost felt bad for her at the end.

Third, Holly, I can totally relate to her.  Watching her and Michael is like watching my life.  I'm curious to know what happens to their relationship.  Although I feel for Michael and feel all girly and gooey inside when he tells Holly how beautiful he thinks she is, I secretly hope Holly and Blake would be together.  I know, bad bad bad!

Versace silk scarf

My new Versace silk scarf!  Please ignore the crease lines from the packaging.  The colors are so vibrant, I love it.  The camera fades it out but in person the reddish and purple part is much brighter. It just pops!  Everything I've been posting lately is black, so here's something different. 

DIY: Painting soles red

As you know from previous entries, I do not fit the lovely Christian Louboutin pumps. The size 5 was too big and size 4.5 was too small.

I didn't want to give up on the red soles just yet, so I decided to paint the soles of my grey suede Vaneli pumps red.  I know it is frowned upon to do this in the fashion community but what can a girl do if the originals do not fit well!?

I purchased red paint from Save Your Sole and with a disposable brush, I carefully painted away! I am meticulous and pretty good at artsy projects, so I did not use any tape to cover the suede part of the shoes.  It was actually pretty simple.  I painted 1-2 coats and let it dry overnight.  The paint dried quickly (within minutes) but I just wanted to be on the safe side.  Then I finished it off by putting clear Sole Stopperz.  Not too bad, right?

The enamel paint is water based according to their website, so I wonder what would happen if I walk out in the rain or step in a wet spot.  (I wouldn't wear suede out in a rain but you never know what could happen!)  I sent them an email asking about that but they have not responded to me as of now.