Feeling a little flippant

When I first saw the "Life's a Beach" Havaianas sandals, I couldn't help but chuckle and want a pair. But I couldn't bear the thought of paying double-digits for a pair of flipflops plus shipping, when I know that flipflops could be had for $3 a pair down at Target or Old Navy.

Thanks to Closet Therapy, I found out that they're on sale at an unlikely place--the Saks Fifth Avenue website. At $9, they seem to be more reasonable. But what about shipping? Sometimes they come out to more than the purchase itself. Fortunately, they offer free shipping until 7/17. I just snatched up a pair and can't wait for them to get here. As I currently have only 1 pair of flipflops in bright green, which doesn't necessarily go with everything, the new pair would be a fun addition.

Forever 21 Does Cashmere (Blend)

What a difference a day makes! Over the long weekend, there was a lot of frolicking around in the heat. On Sunday, I wore my short shorts. On Monday, it was back to being all business. Hard to switch gears, but the long weekend definitely did me some good.

My all-business outfit was comprised of a $3 v-neck t-shirt from Charlotte Russe (which is surprisingly versatile for work), a pair of sandals I splurged on (more on that on another day), and two new items I picked up from Forever 21. After a long drought, I've had quite a bit of luck there lately. Although it can be really hot these days, it's not too early to look for clothes suitable for the cooler months. In California, they can actually be worn even during the summers--on work days, the office is freezing; at night, there are times when the weather drastically cools down.


In the last 6 months or so, I've been adding quite a few cardigans to my arsenal of workwear. They make dressing up for work really easy--I can wear a comfortable t-shirt underneath along with pants/jeans without looking shabby. This brown-with-plum-trim number is a new addition. Despite the less-than-perfect workmanship (things not necessarily sewn on straight), I really love this cardigan from the slightly more "upscale," if you will, Twelve by Twelve line. The brown is on a more conservative side, but the plum-colored trim adds a nice splash of color. I usually eschew buttonless cardigans, but this one is perfect when worn open, as the muted tones allow whatever is worn underneath to show off a little. The belt is really long, so I had to wrap it around twice. It works quite well this way. Best of all, it is incredibly soft and comfortable, not at all itchy and scratchy as some budget sweaters are prone to be. Initially, I thought it felt like a cashmere sweater, notwithstanding the fact that I was standing in Forever 21. Indeed, there was 10% cashmere in the knit. For $28, it's a pretty good buy.

As for the pants, I spied them on the clearance racks. While a little loose at the waist, the pants fit quite well everywhere else. I thought that they'd be $15 or so as written on the tag, but to my surprise, they turned out to be just $8. Great pants for $8? Doesn't happen very often. Now that I have a sewing machine, I can (eventually) make them look and fit like a million bucks.

Bright Stripes

Most of my closet is dominated by solid colors. I have a few floral patterns here and there. Then, there's a ton of stripes. I don't know hy I'm so fascinated by stripes. I like simple prints, but I also want simplicity to make a big impact. Contrasting stripes do the trick.

But I'm also taken by contrasts that are less subtle. There's something about yellow and gray. Yellow is flashy and playful, and gray is sophisticated without being stuffy. When blended together, the contrast is noticeable yet subtle, as if both tones are a bit washed out (but in a good way). It's nice to have something that's noticeable without being showy.

I have a cute, thin sweater with stripes in gray and an orange-yellow, but that yellow just doesn't resonate with me quite like the bright yellow of this t-shirt I found at Forever 21 last week. I paired it with a subtle-colored shrug and shorts and colorful accessories today. I haven't worn a retro-inspired outfit for a while, and the big holiday weekend seemed like the perfect time for it.

[Sunglasses from A. J. Wright, Forever 21 t-shirt, Mike & Chris shrug, American Eagle shorts, thrifted Olay bag, thrifted electric-blue pumps]

I haven't worn these sunglasses for a while, and I'm happy to have rediscovered them. I bought them from the most unlikely place--A.J. Wright. There was one that was relatively-newly opened in my hometown, so I decided to check it out. The home goods were passable, but I was not impressed with the clothing selection. However, I found these retro-looking sunglasses for $5. These are pretty good for being budget sunglasses--the metal frames were sturdy, the wintermint-green shade was perfectly swanky, and the little white dots all around were just the perfect embellishments.

Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. It'll be hard to get back to work tomorrow, but it felt good to finally have a long weekend off.

And the Rocket's Red Glare

Happy 4th of July, folks! Enjoy the free fireworks, barbeques, and freely-flowing beverages (I'll leave it to you to decide what kind).

Every year, I wear a red-white-and-blue outfit to celebrate the occasion. Most of the time I've busted out an old $3 red-and-blue-stripe-with-white-trim halter I got from Ross. This year I'm doing something a little different.



[Ella Moss top, old pair of workout shorts in a hard-to-discern navy blue, Chinese Laundry espadrilles (also from eons ago), BCBG bag]