Fellow bloggers - have you ever written out a post, only to let it sit unpublished because you can't seem to find satisfaction with it? After spending hours filming the video below, I felt unmotivated to publish due to the overall lack of creativity, gratuitous grammatical errors (English is my second language <-- love that excuse), as well as the...err...interesting outcome of my experimentation with wine lips minutes before shooting the vid.
After some pleading, Nick patiently re-filmed the entire thing. As luck would have it...during a hard drive "purge" we somehow permanently deleted the entire new video and all the backup files. So painful. It just wasn't meant to be.
Alas, I am pulling this from the YT rejects archive. The last idea (pictured above) was inspired by IamKhatu's cameo brooch tutorial, which actually spurred my desire to find a vintage Peri one. For more styling ideas, Elle previously posted a "wear it 5 ways" with her flower.
The star of the video is a J.Crew hair flower crudely turned pin from this oldie post, when I first "came out" from anonymous blogging. Although I still think these flower thingiemajigs are pretty, I haven't reached for one in weeks. My current obsession is with bold, colorful necklaces. I'm trying to collect affordable -yet not too cheap and costumey- gems and baubles to spice up my simple wardrobe. Coral, turquoise, emerald, lapis...I love it all.
Readers - what is your Spring/Summer accessory obsession?
It wasn't easy tracking down a nude sz 35. The stores were full of a "bone" color, which unfortunately is more of a bridal, eggshell white. Right after I got these, an SA managed to find the original shoe I was coveting (New Simples - just like Simples but with a thin 1/2" platform). Those are now en route to my grubby hands, so I will need the help of dear readers in deciding which nude CL's to keep.
PS - Ann Taylor & LOFT's friends & family starts Tuesday, April 5th (Monday, April 4th for cardmembers). Use code FRIENDS1 to get 30% off your entire purchase.
**The winner of my cameo giveaway has been announced here. Congrats, Danielle!**
I've received many emails from women who are just starting out with makeup, and are unsure where to begin. I was in the same boat a year ago, but have since ended up with a simple routine that works for me, for the time being. My skills are rudimentary, so I'm hoping to learn tips from a beauty guru friend soon.
I did think twice before posting this (as the internet is a haven for people who like to criticize and judge), but I'm pretty comfortable with my bare face. As one discovers and uses more makeup, I think it's important to not become dependent on it to feel acceptable. That being said, makeup can really do wonders to enhance features. Nature gave me small eyes and stubby lashes, but in this video you can see the effects of some simple shadow and liner.
If you are just starting out with makeup, feel free to play around and skip steps that you don't need. For example, if you have great skin, then concealer and foundation may not be necessary. If you don't like the feeling of eye paint aka liner, then you can skip the liquid liner and instead darken the liner eyeshadow.
At first I was overwhelmed with the selection of shadow brushes, but I guess they really do have their own purpose. I recommend at least the following: flat shadow brush, precision shadow brush (for lining), and fluffy blending brush. You can get them for $1 to $3 a pop on ELF (be sure to search around for coupon codes).
As I'm wearing more makeup, I realize the importance of taking it all off at the end of the day. I absolutely love Lancome's Bi-Facil eye makeup remover. It's very pricey at retail but I buy the sample-size bottles in bulk on eBay (can you tell I love eBay?). I've tried a few drugstore brands and some irritated my eyes so badly I went and asked for my money back. Lancome's remover is super gentle and a few wipes is all it takes.
I have an extra NYX Smokey Eye palette from Ulta which I'd like to give away to a reader. To enter, please just be a follower and fill out the form below:
Readers - I am trying to find a liquid waterproof liner that has amazing staying power but won't break the bank. I've retired my old cheapie NYC $3 liners because they flake off. This $23 one works beautifully, but is too pricey for me. Any suggestions?
Although handbags can "make" or complete an outfit, I rarely show them on my blog. I have a very small collection -maybe 4 to 5 total- so you guys would surely get sick of seeing them! After college I purged all of my bags (many of them awkwardly-sized) and started fresh. I wanted to invest carefully in pieces that were beautiful and timeless, that were suitable for my size, and most importantly - were functional.
Video review:
1. Petite Shopping Tote (PST) 9" width x 9" height x 3" depth
Beautiful, classic tote - but for reasons mentioned in the video, is not too functional for me.
2. Wallet on Chain (WOC) - 7" length x 5" height x 1" depth
This bag wasn't even on my radar until I discovered (non-petite) Anh of9to5chic.She always looks effortlessly polished, and her WOC makes frequent appearances in outfits for all sorts of occasions. The WOC satisfies all of my requirements. It can be worn as a:
I purchased both of these pre-owned, from ladies in Boston. I don't discriminate against pre-owned Chanel as long as it's in excellent condition and comes with all the original packaging (box, dustbag, tags, auth card). I have plenty of other things to spend the money saved on. I got a few questions on YT asking about the current retail prices, and honestly I'm not sure. The Purse Forum is a good resource for questions like that.
Here is an oldie but goodie from Alterations Needed on the East/West and classic medium flap. I'm interested in getting a taupe or colorful small flap next, but the original small size seems hard to come by these days.
I randomly stopped by the outlets after Christmas (unplanned, I swear!) and was overjoyed to stumble upon the Theory "Gratian" blazer, this time in a textured cotton fabric available in cream or black. Some of you may remember that this blazer was a petite fave, as its cropped, shrunken style fits nicely on shorter and smaller-framed women. Revisit my post here, and the original post on Alterations Needed that started it all!
The jacket was $410 marked down to $99, plus they had another discount for post-Christmas. Sadly, the smallest size left at that outlet was a 2, and the manager said "I'm not going to call up every single store" because they were too busy. It actually takes about 10 seconds to look it up in the system (my local Theory outlet has done this for me many times), but the manager didn't believe me. I had to take matters into my own hands and spent the rest of the day actually calling up every single Theory outlet in the US. No one could find anything smaller than a 2.
Theory "Gratian" blazer in "Conversation" fabric, size 0
Gap legging jeans in "faded dark" sz 00P (buy here) I've tried on 4 washes and faded dark is hands down the best material. Gonna buy a 2nd w/ the next sale!
I set my alarm the next day for right when the East Coast outlets opened (being that I was in CA...this was about 6AM) and I diligently called every store again. The sleepy boyfriend thought I was a nut! Yes I was a little overzealous, but oh the things we do for fashion and bargains...
I found the cream and black in a size 0 as the smallest size, and gave in and ordered each with a $15 shipping fee. What was I thinking paying so much for the wrong size? I really love the cream but the boyfriend says it's too big in the shoulders...what do you guys think? Update: after reading your thoughtful opinions, I sadly parted with the cream. See it on its adorable new owner here.
The next day, I called some stores that were previously closed due to the Nor'easter, and was overjoyed to find two 00's in the black. Without thinking twice I ordered both. I figured a fellow petite would buy the extra and benefit from my crazed searching. Here is the black in sz 00:
Theory "Gratian" blazer in "Conversation" fabric, size 00
Liane from PetiteXXS and Jen of Frmheadtotoe also picked up this blazer. They are both smaller than me so I'm curious how 00 fits on them. Here is the material up close. It is a thicker woven material (89% cotton, 11% polyamide) and has sparkly metallic silver threads woven throughout. Made in the USA.
As I was hanging up this blazer in my closet, I did a double take. Apparently I have a dress suit in the same exact fabric! I remember Theory fabrics by name so it didn't hit me until then, because the name apparently changed. My dress suit (posted here) fabric is called "Dialogue" and these jackets are in "Conversation" ! What a pleasant surprise. I wore the jacket over the dress to work last week.
This was a long and rambly post, but to sum it up...I have two black "Gratian" blazers up for grabs in 00 and 0. Both sizes are sold!
The J.Crew chiffon cardigans that almost every petite blogger ordered on sale have arrived, and I liked them but didn't love them. Elle said it simply - the arms are snug but the torso is not fitted.
**The winner of my favorite things giveaway is: AubreyOhDang! Congrats!**
In honor of the J.Crew sale this weekend (25% off and free ship for orders over $150 with code PRESENTS) I wanted to get this review out for you guys. I haven't had a chance to catch up on blogs, respond to comments or emails yet, but will do that later this weekend : )
I tried to touch on everything in the video, but please let me know if you have any questions. Here are the measurements of a 0P: 14.5" across the shoulders, 17" across the armpits, 14" across the waist band, 33" total length, and 21" sleeve length (I mistakenly said 20" in the video). To see this same coat on another petite, visit Cynthia at Shorty Stories (she is about 5'2").
Top: Cascading Flutter Shell in XXS regular Jeans: Gap legging jeans in "dark rinse" sz 00P, Booties: Target Mossimo sz 6
Overall this tank was a comfortable fit, and I can see myself wearing it with jeans or tucked into pencil skirts. Originally only the green was on sale, but all colors are on sale now! Great little filler to get the free shipping. And I promise...my olive kick is officially over : )
Hello readers, I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend! I woke up lazily this morning, browsed my phone while still in bed, and was completely floored to see my friend DSK Steph's "welcome" post. After reading her words as well as the ridiculously kind comments from some of our mutual readers, I think I have a perma smile glued on my face. I am so blessed to have so many of you as friends - both fellow bloggers and readers alike. Many of the earrings I showed in a previous post are back in stock on Steph's site, at very affordable prices too, so visit her blog if you are interested.
On a separate note, I tested out my flip cam in hopes of doing reviews while items shown are still in stores...
Video Review
YouTube screen capture system...won't you take mercy on me?
Along with the Gap cowl neck sweater I also ordered two more pairs of Gap legging jeans, in their faded medium wash and classic "rinse" wash. I cut this part from the video review because it was too long. In short, faded medium = too faded and whiskered. Classic rinse is actually a nice dark blue (thanks Pam/wallbounce for the tip!), however the material on both are paper thin and stiffer than my original "faded dark" pair. After much debate I'm returning both, so buyer beware that material and sizing can be inconsistent on those jeans from wash to wash.
And just wanted to show how the Gap cowl neck sweater fit on me in XS regular (for ref I am ~5 ft, 90 lbs). I am wearing XSP in the video. Hopefully the vid w/ flip cam is easier on the eyes/ears than previous ones. Thank you guys for watching!
