Ties that Bind

Thank you so much for your comments! I'm so happy that you enjoy reading the blog, and I'm certainly happy to be back.

I've been rather dressed up for the last couple of Fridays, so it's nice to go with a more casual outfit this time. The town where I work now is far more populated by business attire, so I have to look a little more refined (even on casual days) to fit in.

Given the fact that I have to save up more money these days for my upcoming travels, among other things, I haven't really bought anything new for the last few months. However, when I ventured out for a friend's birthday party last weekend, I got a few things. One much-needed item is a thicker sweater for work. The cotton open cardigan that I picked up from the Gap (with a 30% off discount) is quite warm. Fifty bucks is a lot to pay for a cotton knit sweater like this, but since I've tried to find a cheaper alternative but couldn't, I just gave in. It is a pretty good investment, I dare say, considering that I've been wearing it practically all week.

The tank top is from Forever 21. Although it appears to be a casual piece to be worn with leggings, there is quite a bit of sophistication to it. I love how the elastic bands are cris-crossed in the front as well as the back. Considering that this is a "cheap chic" piece, I'm impressed by the fact that the bands do align and connect on the sides such that they appear to wrap all the way around.

Since the colors of the outfit are rather low-key, I decided to liven things up with a neon-colored bracelet-watch. I bought this from the Cabazon outlet just before Christmas and have worn it before, but this picture captures the color more accurately. It really pops out against an all-black business outfit as well.

My favorite accessory at the moment is my big ol' Calvin Klein electric blue satchel. Not being one to switch bags every few days, this has been my daily staple for the last few months. I also got this bag just before Christmas, when the Calvin Klein store in the Beverly Center was having a closing sale and everything was 75% off. Although the faux-leather material isn't all that sturdy (there are a few cracks where the bag tends to crease), this bag holds everything, and the color is just gorgeous. One comment I get the most is "that bag is so...blue." Although it sounds rather hesitant, most people I've talked to seem to like it because it is at once an unusual color and a great fit for all the grays, blacks, and blues that are prevalent in businesswear. You'll probably see this bag until it finally wears out, but I've gotten quite a lot of use of it for $40, and there's still has a mileage left.

[Outfit: Gap cotton knit cardigan, F21 tank, Paper Denim & Cloth jeans, Bloch London flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet watch, Calvin Klein bag.]

The Show Will Go On

Hi Everyone! The next to the last time you heard from me, I was trying to decide the fate of this blog. A lot was going on in my life at that time, and a lot more was expected to go on in the ensuing months, so I decided to take a break.

As you can surmise from the title, I decided that I will keep blogging.

A lot did actually happen in the last few months, some fairly significant life changes, in fact. There were some things that needed my more immediate attention, since there was a very finite amount of time for it. Now that the changes have occurred, and I'm trying to adjust to life in the "aftermath," I'm trying to regain a balanced life. It will have to start with getting back into all the things that I once enjoyed doing, such as crafting, various hobbies and activities, and of course, blogging.

The theme of living stylishly in an affordable fashion won't change. However, I will be shopping a lot less, as I have more important things to save up for now. There will still be plenty of material to write about, since I did pick up a few things months ago and never got a chance to write about it. There'll be a renewed focus on trying to carve out a personal style in a professional setting, and now I'll have a new and brighter location to shoot pictures in! There will also be more posts about travel, as I will be doing quite a bit of that in 2010. Most trips will be short, but the one at the end of this year/beginning of next year will be longer.

Thank you so much for all of your support. Here's to new and exciting content!