not from kansas

(Vintage sweater, Calvin Klein Jeans dress, Zara shoes)

Gingham is one of my favorite prints ever. It's wonderfully young and energetic, and I'm often reminded of picnics when I wear it. This is one of my go-to dresses because of it's simplicity and sweetness. I can pair it with everything, including these red shoes.

The combination of these two items are quite reminiscent of Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz of course. By adding this green cashmere cardigan, I toned it down a little so that it wasn't costume-like, but still had that good girl attitude.

(Photos by Timothy Toda)

simplicity birks

(Zara shirt, Thrifted Gap denim dress, Bag from the de Young Museum in San Francisco, Birkenstocks shoes)

When my uncle gave me an Amazon gift card for my birthday/Christmas present, I was quite clueless on what to buy with it. I order things from Amazon occasionally, like certain books or gifts, but I don't browse around on a daily basis. As I started to look, I decided that a pair of Birkenstocks might work out well, especially if I could get them for a very good price. The result was these wonderful cream-soled Birks that I've been wearing everyday, for they're definitely the most comfortable shoes I now own.

This was a very casual outfit that I put together for a day out. I'm obsessed with this new shirt from Zara because it's one of the sweetest floral patterns I've ever seen, and the colors are wonderful. I wore it with the deeper blue of this denim dress, which has been one of my go-to basic pieces ever since I acquired it. Denim skirts are tricky business, and I feel like by wearing this dress as a skirt I avoid the possible tackiness of certain denim skirts on their own.

I intern at LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and it's important for me to have a larger bag when I go to work because I never know what sorts of materials I'll pick up there. This is my favorite tote bag because the color goes with everything and the art on the front is simple yet intricate. There's a cityscape with clouds, but the whole picture is composed of words, words that are actually artist names.

(Photos by Timothy Toda)

chubby lippy

(Clinique chubby sticks)

Recently my mom bought me a bunch of new make-up, and these chubby sticks are by far my favorite of the products. I'd never used a chubby stick before and I discovered that they're like a super great colored lip balm. I've found myself mixing these two colors together to create a color that's sort of a subtle, deep pink. Chubby sticks are heavier than simply lip balms but lighter than hardcore lipsticks. It's like applying crayon to my lips, and as weird as that sounds, it somehow feels fantastic. 

Pooh

(Hat from Forever 21, Gifted necklace, Sweater from the Topanga Vintage Market, Thrifted dress underneath, Disneyland bracelets) 

Whenever I go to Disneyland, I usually go for comfort considering the amount of walking and movement involved. However, Tim and I chose to go for a comfortable, relaxed Disneyland trip, so I focused an a cuter outfit. I found this sweater back in November at the Topanga Vintage Market at Pierce College, and I decided not to wear it until this adventure. That was a very difficult thing to do considering how much I love both Winnie-the-Pooh and sweaters. Although it did get warm later in the day, the sweater really was the perfect choice. I paired it with a beret to class it up a little, and even dressed my phone in the Pooh phone case I have. 

It was a wonderful day. 

(Photo by Timothy Toda)

fancy pants

(Thrifted shirt, Necklace from Rose Bowl Swap Meet, Pants from Urban Outfitters, Zara shoes, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag)

In all honesty, this shirt is totally my go-to lazy day piece. It's polka-dotted with little women doing various tasks, and is extremely large, loose, and comfortable. The length makes it the perfect over-sized shirt to wear with jeans, sandals, and a sweater when I'm going out for a quick coffee or something, but I also like to pair it with more unique things, like these pants. 

Bell bottoms are coming back. There's no denying it. And I love it. Skinny jeans may be flattering on some, but sometimes they're the most uncomfortable and inconvenient pants in the world. If the switch is happening, I'm totally on board. However, these pants are definitely not your typical bell bottom. I found these when I was shopping at the Urban on the Third Street Promenade. They were $9.99 on the sale rack, and when you find something velvet and possibly cute for that price, it's sort of obvious that you should try it on. I did, and I think it's really the slits that make these pants. If they were simple black velvet, they wouldn't be half as exciting. When I walk they move in what I believe to be the coolest way. They're pants with a little bit more exposure, which is nice for the warmer winter weather we've been having in LA. It also helps that they're high waisted. 

+1 for comfort. 

(Photos by Timothy Toda)  

welcome, 2014

(Hair piece from Target, Shirt from Blossomvintage, Zara skirt, Topshop shoes and socks, ONA Smoke Bowery camera bag, Fossil watch)

New Year's Eve was spent with family and a new top from my favorite new vintage shop, Blossomvintage, located in an airstream. The top, upon closer examination, is covered in gold flowers and is absolutely beautiful. Initially I wanted to wear it with all black, but I thought a little bit more color was necessary. This Zara skirt is one of two colors that I own of the same design, and I'm crazy about them. I normally like my skirts high waisted, but these particular ones sit perfectly on my hips and are good for shirts that are not quite crop tops. 

I also have to mention my beautiful new ONA bag which I received for Christmas. Tim told me about this company awhile back, and I thought it would be a good idea to get a smaller camera bag more convenient to carry, for my traditional Nikon one can be a bit of a hassle, and holding my camera without a bag is risky and dangerous. This bag, called the Bowery, is extremely high quality and is the perfect size for a camera and few small belongings. It's comfortable, stylish, and isn't obviously a camera bag. I'm crazy about it. 

My parents, my uncle, and I went to see the Endeavor at the California Science center, and it was extremely eye-opening and fantastic. It made me feel extremely patriotic. 

(Photos of me by Paul Chavez. Others by me.)