The Modern Koi

     (Blazer/ Necklace/Bracelet - Forever 21 | Top - ANGL | Zipper Pants - Zara | Heels - Nine West)

As mentioned in my previous post of my Christmas wish list, I am currently on a hunt for blazers. Although I haven't found the perfect over-sized one yet, I stumbled upon this rusted red one at Forever 21. The asymmetrical cut on the collar gives it an edgy feel, which I love. Paired it with these black stretching pants with zipper details from Zara. The cold weather makes you want to wear stretchy pants all day, and luckily I found these just in time. I call them my " hip stretchy pants". Threw on this gold fish scale layered necklace I got a while ago at Forever 21 to play off of the gold zippers on the pants. I've also been incorporating this leather studded bracelet in all my outfits recently, kind of a staple item for me.

Looks like this will my last post of 2011! Hope everyone is gearing up for the upcoming year. I'm imagining all the glitz and glamor and shiny dresses being put on display on NYE!

I've got lots of exciting events coming up in Janurary, and I can't wait to share it! Also booked myself a plane ticket to Chicago next month as a self Christmas gift =)

To end the year on an upbeat not, I've been listening to a lot of Kaskade's old work, and this is by far one of my favorite songs. Not exactly the usual jazzy stuff I've been sharing, but I hope this hypes everyone up for the new year <333

xoxojoannie

Lined with Gold

(Sweater/Skirt/Necklace - Forever 21  | Boots - Franco Sarto | Clutch - Deux Lux)

Seasons Greetings! It's only been a week since my last post and it has seemed like forever. My sincere apologies, been overwhelmed with last minute Christmas shopping and attending family holiday festivities for the past week! But now I am here with this conservative yet edgy, budget holiday outfit. Aside from the shoes and the clutch, you can snag this outfit at your local Forever 21 for under $50. Cause personally, I know that our wallets have nearly been sucked dry due to Christmas Gifting! However, we still need swanky outfits for our gatherings. Necklace was about $7, Sweater was like $20, and Skirt was a spanking $16 = $43! For those girls that like a bit of boyish edge to your outfits, I decided to pair this outfit with boots instead of heels with a bit of my black sock peeping out. I decided to play with gold accessories because the sweater has gold thread knitted into it ( but can't see it here). Gold lining is perfect for the holiday spirit! This layered necklace with green gems adds a classy feminine feel to the look. Happy Holidays!

Oh, and here is more music for the soul <3

xoxojc

The Best Nights are the Simplest

( Blazer - F21 | Heels - Nine West | Dress - Courtesy of Very.com)

I've been holding on to these items for the longest time, waiting to pull them out when the Holidays came along. This gorgeous dress from Very.com is the perfect dress for the holiday dinners and get-togethers. I took this dress with me this weekend on my trip for my friends birthday. The lace golden details and the low back makes the dress all the more feminine.  Not to mention the silk bow which is probably my favorite detail about the dress. Decided to pair it with a simple blazer that had the same silky detail as the bow. In addition, these Nine West heels are probably my favorite shoes at the moment. They could be worn casually or formally. 

Christmas is coming! Hope everyone has done their shopping, unlike me. Doing my last minute runs around the mall tomorrow! 

Currently listening to " Lovely" by John West. Soothing jazzy goodness. 

<3 jc

To Infinity

(Hat - H&M | Shirt&Cardigan - F21 | Scarf - Yesstyle | Bracelet - Bauble Bar | Boots - Franco Sarto)

Infinity scarves are a must have for the fall/winter. However, le Chicago Boy raised a good question, are they called infinity scarves cause you have to twist it to make two loops when you wear it? Or is it because its a circle, so there's no end to it? What ever it might be it's been a staple item for me in this semi harsh Southern California chill. This is a typical outfit for me during my normal daytime festivities. I guess you can tell it's one of those boyish days for me. Just a quick update! 

<3 jc

In a Nutshell: My Christmas Wish List

( boots-Zara | heels-Jimmy Choo | Dress-ASOS | Clutch-Tory Burch | Blazers-H&M| Palette-Urban Decay)

Christmas is just around the corner, and when you're young its a holiday of receiving. With your wish list compiled with toys and unrealistic needs, you tend to open the oddly shaped ones first because you know its not clothes. Since I'm older now, I lust for those normal rectangle boxes because I KNOW its' clothes. I guess you can say, this is my grown up Christmas wish list, some definitely affordable at the moment...some not so realistic but a goal to eventually reach. This fall I've been scouting for boyfriend blazers from all over trying to find ones with the perfect fit but have not had much luck yet. I also saw these boots from the ZARA website and I can say it's definitely up there on my list (probably the first thing that I will get for myself). With everyone raving about the Urban Decay Naked palette, it's also on my list along with the Naked 2. The Tory Burch clutch is also up there on my list, however I have not decided on the cream or black one quite yet. Lastly, the dress from ASOS and the heels from Jimmy Choo are on my " THE PRICE IS CRAZY! BUT ITS SO PRETTY!" part of the list. One day....

In the meantime, I hope everyone is in the holiday spirit! I'll be definitely posting up some Christmas gift ideas when I  have the time.

<3

xoxojc

I'm Off To See The Wizard

 

 

(Fur Scarf - H&M | Jeans/Denim Flannel/Shoes - F21 | Necklace - T&CO)

Finally got these shoes in the mail the other day! Red or burgundy shoes always tend to remind me of the Wizard of Oz (I guess it fits the color scheme of this outfit as well). Found this faux scarf at H&M. Although I've never really been a fan of fur ( because it makes me look like a fur ball) I actually really liked this scarf and how warm it instantly made me feel when I tried it on. Since it's a scarf, it isn't too much fur. I've also been cuffing my bottoms a lot lately.  I'm super excited for the holidays, even though I haven't really started shopping yet! I need to get on it. In the mean time, I'll be back with some inspirational pictures and items stocked on my Christmas Wish List later this week! The weekends really go by too quickly, but happy SUNDAY!

<3

xoxojc

The XX of Summer

( Boots - Franco Sarto | Top/Skirt - F21 | Hat - H&M)

Took advantage of the last of the Summer air. Looking at the weather, it's going to be high 50's low 60's here in California next week. Snatched this top from F21 during their black Friday buy one get one free sale. It's supposed to be a crop top but I got it in a large to have it hang loosely. It seems like I've been throwing in this skirt with a lot of my outfits lately! This is more of a laid back outfit of the day. Going to definitely miss the summer warmth here. Been listening to The XX today. Forgot how catchy their tune " heart skipped a beat" was. 

Happy Wednesday! Enjoy! 

xoxojc

A Mermaid on the Weekends

(Skirt/Denim Jacket/Boots/Belt - F21 | Sleeveless Button up - UO | Necklace - T&CO)

Photos Taken By: Justin C.

This Saturday, my day consisted of exploring LA's Little Tokyo and indulging the goods of the city (ramen, ice cream mochi , Japanese pudding). Almost went into a state of food coma, but managed to still strut along the festive streets and wander into the unique gift shops. We stumbled into this "wishing tree" and found some interesting wishes. " I wish that my family could turn into mermaids whenever they wanted to. - Sammie", was one of my favorites. Thank you to Oprah's Friend (le boy from Chicago) for snapping these pictures for me. To be honest, it was a beautiful day but a too little chilly to be wearing a skirt. However, I loved pairing this emerald green and burnt orange together because they contrasted perfectly with one another ( and you know how I love my contrasting colors). Hope everyone had a weekend as amazing as mine was! 

xoxojc

Technicolor Feline

(Feline Tee/Pants/Belt - F21 | Bracelet - Bauble Bar | Chunky Heels - GoJane.com )

It was a beautiful day outside, so I decided to play with the brights. Contrasting an electric teal and a beautiful bright eggplant purple. These chunky heels from GoJane.com are the perfect mock up of the Steve Madden Grettas. I was so sad when SM ran out of my size, but luckily one of my gal friends came to my rescue and spotted these for me. Coincidentally, I had a belt that was the exact same color. Off the shoulder tees are my favorite because the peeping shoulder just adds a hint of fem to my outfits without baring too much skin. Hope you guys enjoyed this simple contrasting pair up! 

xoxojc

I Can See the Velvet Light

( Necklace - Nordstrom | Corset/Skirt - F21 | Heels - Guess | Button up - Lush | Bracelet - Bauble Bar)

Thanks to Thanksgiving, I catch myself eating loads of food then quickly falling asleep. It's like I'm hibernating. However, this corset top from Forever 21 semi-helps hide a bit of the winter goodness. I'm in the love with the velvet texture of it. However, it might be a tad too much for a normal day so I decided to throw a button up over it to cover up a little. Bracelet was snatched from bauble bar a while back. There are a bunch of holiday sales circling the web especially on the Steve Madden site and Hautelook.com. Check it out if you haven't done enough black friday shopping yet. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Happy Cyber Monday! 

xoxojc

The Holiday Bee

( Leather Jacket - F21 | Dress - H&M | Portfolio Clutch - ASOS | Shoes - Courtesy of Very.com )

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been in home body mode recently. However, I managed to squeeze in pictures of my get up for an early Thanksgiving dinner with my girl friends right before heading out for pre-dinner boba. I was lucky enough to snatch this dress at H&M on my recent trip to Nevada for a whopping $10. This was a steal given the velvet top and the pleaded bottom. Thanks to Very I had the perfect pair of heels to go with this outfit. The gold trim lining adds more to the holiday cheer and I am in love with the architectural structure of the straps. From the front they give the illusion of ballerina shoes, don't they? Of course, I can never get too girly in a dress so I threw in a leather jacket to toughen up the look. I purchased this yellow portfolio clutch from ASOS, and although it is a lot bigger than I had imagined it certainly brings out the pop in this all black outfit. Black and yellow, kind of like a bumble bee eh? 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

xoxojc

Indoor Weather and Urban Zakapa

 ( Photo Credit to FashionHype)

Finally feeling the fall weather here in California. It's been raining every week which gives me the perfect excuse to be a weekend home body and listen to my mellow Korean music. Urban Zapaka is just one of the albums that I have download recently and I must say the album is all sorts of amazing. Definitely fits the mood of sitting at home and sipping on a hot cup of tea. The picture of above basically sums up the perfect fall look for me. Thick knitted sweaters and fluffy scarves. I'm loving the neutral colors <3

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is excited for Thanksgiving! 

One of my favorite songs off their album!

<3xoxojc

Fly Away with Me

 (Skirt/Blazer - F21 | Sheer Button Up - Lush | Boots - Franco Sarto )

 Everyone has those days where you just feel like fleeing from the stress that life entails. Like going for a long drive or flying to an unfamiliar place. If I could be anywhere right know it would definitely be the Windy City. When I first saw this blazer I thought it was a little crazy cause it had silhouettes of birds on it. Then I was  later informed that the print was indeed a mock up of classic Mui Mui. Decided to pair it with a solid sheer black button up with a hot pink skirt for a pop of color. Finished it with my go to boots of the moment. 

Also made a few new purchases that I cannot wait to receive in the mail. Hope it comes soon so I can share with all of you! 

<3jc

A Pleasant Surprise

(Sweater/Boots- F21 | Collared Shirt - Lush | Shorts - Thrifted DIY | Necklace Nordstrom)

Went with a few of my lady friends to a local Flea Market this passed weekend. Was amused to find a lot of amazing items. Since it's fall, it was a pleasant surprise to find that it was the perfect weather for the great outdoors ( shopping outdoors). It was decent enough for a sweater, but warm enough for shorts. So I decided to take my shorts out for one last run before I stash them away for the cold season. I call this my ugly sweater, because I can't help but think it's a little ugly. But ugly things can come to life when paired with the right items right? Result was a really laid back soft look when I layered it with a pastel pink button up underneath. Also say hello to my new bracelet! A gift that I received while on my quick vacation to LasVegas, which was a pleasant surprise in it of itself. 

 

Happy Wednesday!<3

 

xoxojc