sweater + tartan

I did not shop on Black Friday-- that was very hard. But I am trying to save money ...and not spend it. (Btw its kind of funny when I get all excited that I am "saving money" by buying something on sale- I'm not actually saving, I am spending!- unless it was something I was already going to buy).
However, in my wanderings and window shopping in the past few days, I have seen some lovely pieces that I would have loved to add to my closet. Solution: create an outfit idea! That usually satisfies my craving to make something pretty, even though I would love to wear it myself.

So here is an adorable sweater from anthropologie and a lovely on-trend skirt from zara, which inspired this outfit:

anthropologie sweater

white sheath dress...in winter!

This is another piece I got from my mom and I absolutely could not wait until spring to wear it--way too long! I love the simple shape and how it fits me. I styled it for a family party. I love the bright colors, with a bit of sparkle in the shoes.

rainy day outfit

This I wore on a rainy day last week. I was inspired by weekend outfit ideas of a collared shirt under a sweatshirt. And who can resist fun red rainboots? I added a knit hat to keep warm. I put on two heart pendants on one necklace.

happy friday!

Yesterday was so nice. We got so much accomplished around the house. It was lovely to be around my family the whole day. I wish I was "black fridaying" right now, but I choose to be thankful for my current large-enough closet :)

makeup ART

I am feeling a little flat and uncreative these days and I am in search of inspiration. That's why I am desperate to go to museums, which hopefully I will be able to do next week. Also, I have been rushing and doing so many things, and I haven't taken the time to just sit and think and write creatively to keep the ideas flowing. I really need to make time for that more often.

silver and gold

The other item I bought from NY&C was this lovely polka dot sweater. I can't wait to wear it in a whole bunch of combinations. Here, I paired it with a neutral and casual skirt, with pops of bright pink. You can see how I wore the same skirt here. I really like the skirt because its not a typical denim and its stretchy and comfy, but I get a little lost on what to wear it with. I guess I went pretty safe both of these times with a grey top. Do you have any ideas?

blue and black

I have been obsessed with cobalt blue for a while now. I have quite a few pieces in that color in my closet, and I am always looking for more. This is a dress that I have been recently using as a top (like here). Its comfortable and loose and so pretty. Up until recently my style has always been more fitted because I am worried about looking like I am swimming in my clothes since I'm short. But lately, I have been getting into some loose and flattering styles. I bought this dress about two years ago, right before I got married and I have worn it so many times since--even when I was pregnant. I just pushed the empire waistline up and tied a bow sash over my belly! I love converting regular clothes into maternity :)

bohemian and braids

Friday night with hubby was a bit of a bohemian look, with a maxi skirt and loose top, and braided head scarves. I usually wear braids when I am wanting the feel of long hair, and I love how thick the braid is.

purple all over

As I said last week, I bought a couple of items of NY&C. One of them was this skirt in a delicious color and texture. It is a great classic and work appropriate shape in such a rich and warm color. I decided to complement the deep color by going with other purple pieces. I really love how it came out!

fur two ways

I have been wanting a fur piece so badly, but with a ban on shopping, that is so not happening right now. Yesterday, I wandered into Banana Republic and saw some amazing pieces. Here are a couple of ways to style them.
First up is a casual and fun look:

faux fur vest

floral dress

colors of the sunset

Lately, since the days are so short, I have had the opportunity to see some sunsets with its lovely pinks and yellows. I woke up yesterday wanting to wear the beautiful orangey/red/pink colors the sunset. Sometimes I get a vision in my head of certain color combos and then I can't wait to try them out. I wasn't sure if these colors would go together well for a work outfit. But I have a fantastic orange and red head scarf that I haven't worn in a while and it needed an airing :) I tied my hair in a high bun so that the scarf would have height. I added an orange embellished headband to make the colors stand out even more. The finishing touch was a light coat of Maybelline's Vibrant Mandarin lipstick.
This outfit was very satisfying (not to mention comfy) with its bright color scheme, played down with the black and white heather dress.

apartment decorating UPDATE

So we have been doing a lot of work with the apartment and I love love it! Here are some pics:

his and her comfy chair corner in master bedroom-those pillows were a housewarming present from my husband when we were engaged for our first apartment

our gallery wall- more to come!

floral skirt celebrity inspiration

As I'm sure many of you can relate, window shopping can be a painfully tempting experience. Something that helps me is trying stuff on- many times it does not look right which takes away the temptation. Yesterday, while I was at NY & Co, I saw some beautiful skirts that were not in my price range, but oh what pretty fabrics! One skirt I really liked was silky with wide pleats in black and pink floral print.

ebay.com

(This picture is similar; for some reason, I can't find it on the store's website). 

Beautiful skirts like these are so amazing because they don't really need anything else- they make their own statement. Wearing a plain black tee and some sweet shoes are all that's needed. 

emerald and blush pink

I was inspired for this outfit by this:

red and pink

I wore this outfit a while ago already and I liked it but wasn't so sure about it. I was inspired by seeing someone wearing red and pink together so I wanted to try it. Its a lot of layers but that is by design because I wanted to be warm without wearing a sweater. What do you think?

everything but the kitchen sink spaghetti squash

I love spaghetti squash because its so versatile and easy. My husband likes food with a lot of "stuff"-like muffins with lots of types of fruit in it, yogurt with fruit and nuts and oatmeal, etc. He has totally converted me. Here, I made spaghetti squash with whatever I found in my fridge and cabinet. It was soo good. 

Also, I just got this baking dish and I was so excited to use it- I really enjoy having oven-to-table dishes, instead of using disposable foil pans.

cobalt blue and hot pink

What a color combo! I keep a pile of ripped out magazine pages of outfits and styles that I like, and I take them out whenever I need some outfit inspiration. Friday I was looking through them, and found this fur Fendi bag:

laciness...

Such a crazy week- continuing to decorate and do schoolwork, plus my baby was sick so I didn't get as much sleep. Looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend :) Its been really hard not going shopping- I see so many things that would be great additions to my closet. I even imagine outfits to go along with them. So tempting! I am consoling myself by creating virtual outfits and letting my imagination run wild, and saying "one day I'll be rich!"

mustard and gold

Mustard is a color that is showing up a lot lately. At first, I really didn't know what it could possibly go with besides black, but I now have seen it with so many different contrasting colors- like cobalt blue, fuschia, and others that really make it pop. On this day, I went with black and gold (with a touch of pink), but I can't wait to try it with others. Scallops are so pretty and they are everywhere now!

orange obsession

in the park

Okay so you know how a couple of years ago, orange gowns started showing up on the red carpet? Well, I fell in love with the color.

fashionfame.com

dove gray + fall colors

Lately, I am really into gray. I see the beautiful possibilities of this neutral color. Here, I paired a dove gray skirt with the darker colors of forest green and eggplant purple. This skirt is actually the underskirt I have from a darker gray wool skirt, but I took it apart to try it by itself. I love this dove gray color! Lighter accessories, like the necklace and shoes, accentuate the skirt's color. I also wore a wide black belt to bring the top and bottom together.

classic skirt + brights

Lime green, purple, sky blue, and rose red- all such fun colors in this outfit! I paired a classic neutral skirt with lots of color everywhere else. The top and skirt are very simple and appropriate for work, but the colorful accessories spice it up. The hoop earrings and wedges give it a bit of sassiness.

fancy mushroom barley soup

I am trying to get into cooking with more fresh ingredients. Mushroom barley soup is great for cold days, but this one was unbelievably tasty because of the fresh mushrooms I used, instead of from the can. We usually have soup with some crackers and melted cheese but its great by itself.

oxblood monochrome

This is one of my favorite looks for work. Its comfy, fashionable, and completely work appropriate. Doing monochrome looks are so fun and a great way to dive headfirst into a color trend. These pieces can all work separately, but make quite a statement together. The gray cardigan breaks it up a little, and gives some visual interest.

art exhibitions this month

Whenever I see ads for an interesting exhibition, I write down the information so I can go when I have a chance. Right now, there are a few places on my list and I really hope I can get to them soon! Living in NY, I know I have a fabulous opportunity to be exposed to all kinds of art, and I love learning about new techniques and being inspired.
Here are some places I want to check out:
1. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the Brooklyn Museum

trendland.com

floral and plaid mixed prints

Wearing mixed prints makes me feel like a rebel! Growing up, style advice I got from my grandmother was not to look "too busy"- more than one print in an outfit was "too busy". So now that I started experimenting with mixed prints and seeing how amazing and fun it looks, it feels exciting and a bit rebellious. When I first heard of this trend, I thought that it was crazy, and that I wouldn't be able to do it with things in my existing closet. But with a little creativity, I put stuff together and I love it!

scarf as a belt

Who cares about what's in style? Dress for yourself!

For some reason, I got an itch in my brain to wear one of my head scarves as a wide belt. I thought it would be a great divider between the purple and burgundy colors that go so well together. This was a very satisfying outfit, with the rich color combo and graphic print to break it up. It was also super comfortable, as maxi skirts usually are. The earrings and ring from michal negrin have even more beautiful and rich colors.

wall decorating for rentals

I love walls- they feel like a huge canvas waiting to be filled. I like filling a room with color by painting and using accent walls. My last apartment, we got it before we actually moved in so we had time to paint. And literally every day I was there (about a year a half), I would exclaim "I just love these walls, they look so good against the flowers, the picture frames, the tablecloth, etc".

In this new apartment, all the walls are a cream white. This is really not my usual thing, because I love color but I am seeing the pluses to it. The light is really bounced off the walls well, and I see how it is possible to inject color into a room without necessarily painting it- like pictures, furniture, and fun accents. That being said, I still really want to decorate my walls. There are so many solutions for renters now- I will round them up for you. 

1. Fabric as wallpaper with using starch as glue

howaboutorange.blogspot.com

black sweater and dress

In the past couple of weeks when I haven't been posting, I have still been taking outfit photos. I have been really experimenting, and its such a fun challenge to continue to dress up and try new things.
On the day I was wearing this, I was going to an engagement party in the evening, so I wanted something that was comfy for during the day but still would look good for the night.

I'm back...and decorating :)

So the past couple of weeks have been crazy with making my apartment liveable and finishing up a paper for school. I have also been procrastinating getting back into blogging because it is intimidating for me to keep up relevant and exciting posts. I get a little nervous sometimes. But I know I want to do this, and that its good for me, so I'm just gonna push through the discomfort.

I am so happy to be in this new apartment. It feels so spacious and has very bright lighting, even being a basement. All the white walls feel like an exciting canvas that is begging to be filled up.
Originally there are two small boxy rooms that are meant to be bedrooms, and a large random shaped room for the living area. But I don't like such small bedrooms, so we switched it- one of the small rooms will be our dining room, and the large room will be for us. We are not doing that much entertaining at this point in our lives that it makes sense to crowd ourselves into a tiny room. This apartment is for us to feel comfortable and relaxed in. Hosting is fun, but its really not the main point here.

Below are pictures of what I would call stage 1 of decorating- it is liveable, most of the boxes are gone, and the main furniture is there. Next up will be the start of injecting some style and color into the place. I have already started putting up a gallery wall, and I have so many ideas for everything. so fun!

Our boxy dining room- we are currently using folding chairs, but I want to get proper wood ones, and a red comfy chair for a corner. I put up display shelves for the random bottles and vases I have- I love collecting them!

statement sweater

I absolutely adore this sweater! I found it on the way out of a store, and I was like, this is just the thing to complete my fall wardrobe.

when feeling blue...get creative!

I started this blog because I was feeling pretty down and useless. I didn't have a job, and being a stay-at-home mom is so not my thing. I was in such a rut, not using my brain at all. When I got the idea to start a blog, all of sudden my brain woke up! I had ideas like every second and I had to keep jotting them down. This has been a wonderful creative outlet for me, because its keeps me accountable to use my brain in creative and fun ways, and constantly try new things.

What's funny is that I was speaking to a coworker, and she said that she was also unemployed and feeling down, and also used a spark of inspiration to start using her creative abilities, which pulled her out of it. I am wondering if anyone else has had experiences like this?

Now the trouble is making time for myself to express my ideas and keep the creativity coming. I just started a job last week, and I just moved apartments, and I am so busy! But I try, whenever I have a few moments, to brainstorm or sketch in my notebook, and stay on the lookout for things that will inspire me. I am happy to say that I have been feeling much more fulfilled and happy in the past few weeks!

Here's a blue outfit to start you off- turning "the blues" into something fun!

sweet hearts

I love this skirt from Urban Outfitters-silky material, heart print, and pockets! how can it get better? However, I find it difficult to find ways to wear it because it is a bit short. However, I have been using my tulle skirt a lot lately and I thought it would be great as a lengthener. The tulle also really adds to the girlyish vibe of the outfit, and totally inspired me to wear the tstrap shoes and bow earrings.

a bunch of neutrals

Camel is a great neutral color because it is richer than beige or tan. I paired it with navy. I love the shoes I was wearing. They are quite old, but mary janes and ankle straps seem to be so in right now.

MOVING

I am so happy to be finally moving. Our new place is a lot bigger than our old one. Its a basement though, so I will have to be creative in making it cheery and bright. The ceilings are super low, but the current lighting is pretty good. Right now its all white, which is so not my thing, so I can't wait to make it colorful. I love house decorating! The only real piece of furniture we have now is a table and mattresses, with a couple of dressers, so we have a lot to do. Here are some current pics (before all our boxes came in).

fur collar

polyvore.com

I adore the fur collar short sleeve cashmere sweater from Marc Jacobs. Its a really sweet shape- I would love it in gray. I would pair it with a gray sequin skirt to dress it up. For some color, I would add in purple heels and a purple silk head scarf, with a gray head band and some sparkly earrings.

graphic print + green peplum

I love this shade of green- especially as nail color. It goes with almost everything and is so unexpected.

decorating with glass bottles

So I did another collage on a bottle.

 I actually really like collecting interesting and unique bottles and vases. They can be used to decorate tables, display shelves, holding flowers, and even made into a lamp!

structured bags

The side effect of immersing and educating myself in the world of fashion is that I want to buy everything! But I can't, of course, so I have to satisfy my desires by just looking and imagining.
Here are some structured bags that I would love to have.

sugarscape.com

handbag.com