no parking.

zara blouse, jeans & shoes, lulus id bracelet

my brother actually answered my call today!  lol...he's the only one i can go to for quick pics.  even bribing him with lunch doesn't work but i mentioned how my blog has been pretty much dead lately.  he's sympathetic like that.  

so let me address some changes since my last blog post...i got some bangs, i went lighter and i'm not wearing my simple solids.  after obsessing over freja's bangs/hair, i thought what the heck and just went for it.  i've had it for about 6 weeks now and every 2 weeks when it's time for a trim, i have to make that hard decision whether to trim or grow out.  i am actually making a decision right now.  and also, i know i swore off ombre but i didn't want to bleach (only way to lift off the black dye) my entire head.  i was trying to go just a couple shades lighter but i'm going to give my hair a little break before i put more chemicals on it.  i've been really into grunge lately but it's been a challenge finding pieces with the perfect amount of "grunge" for me.  i think this plaid blouse is good, i just wish i weren't as sheer. 

shop it like it's hot.

zara sweatshirt, pants & shoes, vintage clutch

photos by Ryan Chua

last week i attended chictopia's shop it like it's hot event.  bumped into and met some friendly faces including kathleen of inspirafashion, chanda of pancakestacker, christina of arainymelody, melissa (my cousin) of bohemianragz22 and photographer ryan chua who snapped these photos (ryan's instagram).  had a really great time!

cozy thing.

warehouse cardigan, zara top, pants & bag, sam edelman boots

oh my gosh i love this cardigan!  it has to be the warmest and coziest thing i own.  even my heaviest coat doesn't keep me this warm. 

my inner beja.

zara coat, t-shirt & bag, old uo jeans, sam edelman petty's, venita boutique bracelet, deathxchocolate planner/calendar

after going back and fourth about deciding whether to cut my hair or not, i finally made the decision last week to just go and do it...it's not really drastic anyway.  i went to mikey at diPietro Todd salon in walnut creek.  i forgot about my 'hair' board on pinterest and only took a look at it yesterday.  all the freja hair pics i had pinned looked just like my haircut!  i love what he did, he was really good at figuring out what technique would work best for me.  ...so if you're in the bay area, i highly suggest him!!  

since my haircut, i've been subconsciously putting freja (inspired) looks together like tee's, low rise jeans and lot's of black and grey and the chanel touch, like a tweed blazer/coat.  not too far from what i usually wear but i guess i just feel a little more edgy with my shorter hair : P  

anyway, since my schedule has been crazy lately with the holidays and the girls' school functions going on (...AND i'm so forgetful!) i have found it so easy remembering everything with this cute planner/calendar from death by chocolate that i carry around with me in my bag.  i remember all the items i want to bid on, things i have to ship out, dr's appointments and appointments with the girls' teachers.  i love its cute chevron print too. 

winter template.

zara coat, top, belt & bag, vintage levi's cutoffs, aldo boots

blouse + cut-offs + tights + winter coat (especially this one) + booties = default winter outfit.

there's a long story behind this coat starting even before i finally got my hands on it.  i should spare you all the details but i will mention it includes it only being available in the uk, sandro and discontinuation.  there is a new version of this coat in stores right now that i tried on and lusted over every time i went in.  i was ready to buy it but there was something about the fit on me i didn't like.  of course it looked cute on every one else i saw it on.  these are all my favorite pieces as i showed on instagram here last week.

fresh fall.

h&m top (similar here & similar splurge ) zara skirt (similar one here)& bag, naughty monkey boots c/o

i used to love fall for its boots, coats, sweaters and colors until it felt a little too...cliche or monotonous maybe...  every year it's always a challenge to approach fall differently and give it a fresh take.  if you have been following my blog for at least a year you might already notice that i don't usually dress season appropriate.  i wear sweaters in the summer and shorts in the winter, cream in the fall and black during spring.  and for all of the above reasons, i've avoided tall boots for a long time.  these are probably the first i've liked and worn in the last 5 years.  i'll wear ankle boots or over the knee boots but i get way too picky with the 'normal' height boots.  i quickly put this outfit together as i was avoiding the typical browns, blacks and greys as i was craving color during this storm we had in the last few days.

loved tweed.

zara bag & jacket, t by a wang tee, forever21 jeans & sam edelman petty boots

oh my gosh, it feels so good to be back!  it's been over a month and it feels like forever.  let me fill you in :)  i got this tweed coat on friday and have already worn it with black jeggings to go see my cousins on saturday, to church yesterday with a black dress underneath and today for a quick trip back to the city.  if you already follow my instagram, you might be able to tell what else i've been into lately.  obviously with the current season we're in, texture is everything.  tweed and fluffy boucle knits are my obsessions.  button-up blouses and ankle boots are nothing new but nonetheless still around.

my sister and i went to our annual crazy black friday trip.  i did pretty good.  checked off my gift list and scored on a few things for myself.  i got this tweed coat and shoes from aldo and a fluffy boucle sweater that i am excited to soon share.