Conference Fashion Transition to going out - Chambray dress and accessories part 2

Hello loves!
This is part 2 of the conference fashion post from Tuesday - but now I bring you an easy way to transition this same outfit into an easy going out/drinks/dinner/nightlife post by just changing some accessories!
Trying to pack light, I packed a lot of different accessories, and planned some outfits that I could transition easily by switching accessories, so I could get the most out of my expeditions out into the city without having to go back to the hotel to change! The statement necklace easily fits in my purse and I can carry my blazer! This is my look for the conference happy hour before heading out for dinner and drinks!
By just a simple removal of the blazer and switching the statement necklace, I feel like it looks like a different outfit! The same chambray dress from eShakti and heels from Nine West, and the same fringe purse! I am thinking of wearing my hair up though, since I wear my hair down a lot, and it is hot!

The original business outfit:

Barcelona Conference Fashion - Chambray dress, fringe and a Blazer

Hello from Barcelona loves!

Today I bring you an outfit I am wearing to the conference here in Barcelona! It's been a long day of traveling from LA, and after settling in the hotel room, I decided to check out the convention center, check in to the conference, and sit in for some talks before heading out and seeing some sights and getting dinner!

Since it will be 90 degrees F (~32 degrees C) all week here, I decided to mostly wear dresses to the conference! In order to make the dresses look more professional, I am pairing them with a blazer and some heels! 

I have to present at the poster competition tomorrow, so I will be wearing something similar! I am excited to present my research internationally and get great ideas about my research and other research going on in the community! 

I have been eyeing the chambray trend for a while now, and I finally bought a chambray dress from eShakti. I previously posted about new trends at eShakti and this is one of the dresses I fell in love with!  It is long enough to be sophisticated while providing a flattering look with a sweetheart neckline! I added the plain black blazer  (Steve Harvey Collection) on top to wear inside the convention center, since it is too hot outside to be wearing long sleeves, but sitting in talks all day inside will become a little chilly with the AC! I also wore this fringed black purse I got from Ross - Brand "Perfect Image" (store similar to TJ Maxx), I can't remember the brand, but it was $12 and I have been eyeing this kind of purse for months now (as if you couldn't tell from my posts!). I tried to pack lightly so I brought a few pieces I could match with different outfits, so you will be seeing similar pieces adapted to different things! I have a tendency to over pack, but I was determined to pack smart this time! (I had to pack for both a 4-day conference and vacation!)

Sunny days and pretty prints - Summer lab wear in LA

Hello loves!

I am finally bringing you an outfit post, that I am actually wearing to work today! I shot this look a few weeks ago and never got around to posting it! I am in dire need of sleep, but my experiments leave me no mercy and I must go to lab tomorrow (its Saturday, sigh...).

But anyway, I am wearing this cute comfy outfit today since I have been wearing jeans and sneakers all week. Leggings are my favorite, although I do need a longer top to cover my bum, so this floral print floaty top is perfect! Super cute print that I have had in my closet for years now, and never fails to look great! Top is from Forever21, and leggings I believe I just got them from Ross, but you can find them anywhere - I usually get them from H&M and buy new ones when I get holes in them! Just plain black leggings. The accessories I love, because they are simple yet super cute, with gold accents! 

Summer Trends - Dresses galore!

Hello lovelies!
I've had a rather busy/stressful couple of weeks, so apologies on lack of regular posts! Busy with pushing forward a project as fast as I can before I leave the country for a conference, in addition to finding out I'm moving at the end of the month (thank you University housing for the last minute notification!), I've been a little bit of a mess with very little sleep!
In addition I have been itching to go shopping, I haven't had a chance to go to the mall/stores recently, but I have been online window shopping... every few months I decide to spend 100$ or so on some new pieces. I had been looking at new arrivals/dresses on Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, and my fashionista friends told me about Zara's summer sale on summer dresses! I was ecstatic, but I don't get paid until next month so dresses will have to wait (my online shopping cart is full and waiting! ;) ) I am tired of the clothes I have and I need some new pieces for outfits to shoot!

While online shopping, I decided to pop over to eShakti.com, and came across eShakti's new summer dresses, and if you remember back in December I had a collaboration with them where I reviewed one of their dresses, and I remember how cool it was to customize my dress. Well, here are some of my favorite upcoming summer trends, with picks from their website - and then a coupon code at the end! There are some really cool pieces that are totally lab appropriate, and the code will give you $35 off (There's a lot of stuff on sale too, so take off 35$ and you are getting an amazing deal!)

I really think this is cool - same dress, different neckline, sleeves and length!

Summer Shoe Picks - Wear to...

Hi lovelies!
With summer basically here (depending on where you live, but in LA it is summer already!), ever wonder what shoes to wear? I love shoes, but working (or basically living) in the lab really limits what kinds of shoes I can wear... must be closed-toed shoes, but on the weekends/evenings I branch out and wear a pair of my cute shoes (my closet is full of shoes!!).
Here are some picks for this summer, with selections to wear for various places.

Summer Shoe Picks - Wear to... by andreah227 

Geometric Prints and Summer in LA!

Hello loves,
Summer has officially arrived in LA (along with the official June gloom weather), but there are days in between where the sun is shining and it hits 90 degrees! Amazing beach weather, but alas, being a grad student, I am stuck in the lab while I see facebook posts about friends being poolside or at the beach! It's ok, there are some nice weather days on the weekends where I am trying to not be at work and enjoying a nice dose of Vitamin D (with some sun protection of course!)
Here is an outfit I wore out with some friends to enjoy the day! I wore this cute geometric print romper from Kaitlyn Clothing, a small boutique here in LA near UCLA, and I haven't worn it out yet, until now. And I am showing my LEGS! something that is rare nowadays because of how much I wear pants and leggings in the lab! I am a little insecure about my legs, but pairing this romper with these chunky heels, I think the look pulls together well! When I first bought the romper I didn't think it was the most flattering thing but I think it looks ok!
What do you think?

Florals in June - Summer is officially here!

Happy June! 

Everyone talks about how fast time is flying, but jeeze! It is already summer and I am finishing up my 4th year of graduate school! I can't believe that I am getting closer and closer to finishing! Becoming a senior graduate student is rather frightening, but at the same time super cool, as I am much more wiser and knowledgable than I was 4 years ago! And I can say I am feeling rather ready to get a well paying job to finally make some moolah! 

Well, anyway, this past weekend was beautiful, the weather in LA was nice, and I hung out with a bunch of different groups of friends -- I got brunch in West Hollywood on Saturday with some of my LA blogger friends, and then got celebratory drinks in Santa Monica that night with some lab friends. And then Sunday was followed by a nice dinner with some colleagues in Thousand Oaks. I wore this cute floral print dress from H&M (I reused it both days, oops! Fashion paux? Or totally fine if you are going somewhere new/seeing new people?). With some cute sandals and gold accessories, I fell in love with this outfit! Again, I am reusing pieces I have worn before (the accessories and sandals), which makes it nice to get multiple uses out of simple pieces! 

Beach Trip Essentials - Summer Lovin'

Happy Friday loves!
I'm SO happy its Friday, and it's a long weekend here in the US, Memorial Day weekend!
I am going on a little mini trip with the boyfriend, to get away from work and stresses and just relax! Where am I going? Can you guess from the Style board posted below???
Also, I have some great news, my paper is finally accepted in the Journal of Biological Chemistry!! It will be online sometime soon, but it is just in time for me to present my research at an international research conference in July in BARCELONA!!!!! It has always been a dream of mine ever since I was in high school to go to Barcelona, and now it is happening, on a business trip nonetheless, but I will be able to explore the city (and bring you MORE conference/work fashion when the time comes!). I also will be jet setting off to the greek islands right after the conference to visit my family for a week and a half, so I AM SO EXCITED!!! I have needed a vacation since I went to Hawaii last September, so I am way over due, even with this little mini getaway this weekend with the boy!
Well, since my trip is 2 months away, I am day dreaming about afternoons on the beach, with no cares in the world. I LOVE research and it's my passion, but sometimes you need to step away from the bench and unplug for a week or two (or three!). Here is going to be my uniform this weekend and in July when I am traveling and on the beach: I have picked out some bikinis and cover ups and accessories! Barcelona also has some beautiful beaches so I am sure I can double use outfits for both my island excursion and Barcelona!

Beach Trip Essentials - Summer Lovin' 

Fringe and Metal

Hello loves,

I bring you another outfit post, for an outfit that I am obsessed with, featuring fringe and another statement necklace. 

I had a rather rough week last week, I wasn't feeling so great and I had a recurring headache that evolved into a migraine, so that was fun. Not sure if it was due to stress, allergies, a combination of over working, being tired, stress, environment/pollen??? But I am feeling much better after relaxing this weekend and my paper was officially accepted to the journal! So I was super happy and I treated myself to a manicure, lunch, and drinks on Friday. Laughter really helped alleviate my headaches, and being surrounded by good people really helped! 

I love this outfit because it is rather simple and proper to wear to lab, yet still edgy enough to have some style! I bought this fringe top and statement metal necklace from Express, and I fell in love with how it all looks together! Paired with my usual dark Zara jeans (which, I have to go shopping to get new pants, too much wear has caused some holes... anyone else have this problem?!), some low heeled booties from Sam&Libby at Target, along with some accent bangles (cute Tassel bracelets from Charlotte Russe), I loved this outfit! 

Fringe Kimono and Amethyst Gemstone Necklace - Anjolee Necklace Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! Happy Monday!
I am currently on a high note because I received some good news about my paper, what an amazing way to start my Monday!!! :D Hope you are also having a great start to your week!

Spring/Summer is officially here in LA, and the weather is warming up! Although it has been getting rather chilly at night. Since I have posted multiple times about how obsessed I am with fringe, what a better way to incorporate that into my outfit than a floral kimono cover up with fringe! I have been wearing leggings a lot lately, and I wore this outfit to lab the other day, just with ankle booties instead of sandals! That way, I was still covered up and warm while still being rather fashionable. A simple black outfit underneath (tank top and leggings from Forever 21) with some accent pieces on top!
Since the floral print and fringe made enough of a statement for this simple all black outfit, I decided to pair with a simple diamond pendant necklace I got from Anjolee.com, featuring my birth gemstone, amethyst with some really pretty cubic zirconias in set in silver!

Gift Ideas for Mom - Mother's Day Inspiration

Hello lovelies!

Happy mother's day this coming Sunday to all the lovely mums and mums to be!
I unfortunately won't be able to spend it with my lovely mom because she is all the way across the country in Boston, but I will be there in spirit and have already sent her a card, and may just send her a bouquet of flowers or a care package later with some gifts! It's a little hard to send a lot of gifts when you are so far away, but the post office is always around the corner!

Here are some of my gift ideas for my mom, and hopefully some inspiration for you to get for your mom/wife/daughter/best friend/anyone in your life that you are celebrating this weekend!

1. Flowers - While I hate buying in to the whole holiday get flowers thing for like Valentine's day and other holidays, when you are so far away from your family, sometimes flowers mean the world. I like to send my mom flowers to her work to surprise her, and I have in the past on her birthday, particularly because she doesn't expect it. And my mom works a lot, so it's more likely to make an impact sitting on her desk :) There are lots of floral shops you can order flowers online, so even being across the country I can order from a local florist online and have it delivered within a few hours!

2. Cards - Cheesy sometimes, but again, when so far away, it shows that you are thinking of mom! A nice personalized message inside to tell her how much you appreciate her and miss her, can mean a lot!

3. Jewelry -  I tend to not like necklaces that say 'Mom' on them, but if it floats your boat, go for it! I float towards jewelry that can be worn with various things, and such I would shop for my mom with such a necklace! These cute wish, love necklaces are perfect, and add just the right touch to a casual simple outfit!

Gift Ideas for Mom - Mother's Day Inspiration by andreah227 

Spring/Summer '15 Inspirations

As it is may already, I am already thinking about and trying to plan my summer getaway. I am overdue for a vacation, and this stress from work is killing me! I am dreaming of sun, beach, coffee/drinks, and relaxation at a place far far away! I am trying to turn this into a European escapade, so I will let you know the details as soon as I know more myself! hehe!

Today I bring to you a style board with some pieces and inspirations that I have been in love with recently.

1. Blazers:  Ever since I went to the conference, I have been in love with blazers and wearing them over a casual outfit. They add the right amount of chic and elegance while still being able to be worn more casually if the moment calls for it. They are very versatile, can be worn to work, over a dress, over a blouse, or even a T-shirt! I am stocking up on blazers and trying to wear them as part of different outfits to create more variation in my outfits!

2. Floral Print Spring Dresses: Something that I think I am going to carry over into summer is floral print dresses - I am in love with big floral prints this season, and what more romantic that a light, flowy skater dress with a flower print! Super easy to wear and easy to dress up or down, depending on the occasion!

Spring/Summer '15 Inspirations by andreah227 featuring a button jacket

Winter/Spring 2015 Outfit Recap and Reflections

Hello lovlies!
Happy Friday and first of the month!
Today I bring you a recap of my favorite outfits since the beginning of 2015, since this past Winter and Spring here in LA (if you believe that LA has seasons, which it does not, so you won't see a great variation), now that it is May and the temperatures are rising (today it was 93 degrees! eek! Good thing I am inside in air condition all day, although it would be nice to enjoy the weather at the beach!)
Ever since I invested in a nicer camera and lens, I have been able to bring you much better quality outfit of the day posts, and I am so in love with the process of blogging, photography, and posting about it. It has become something I look forward to doing, even at the end of an extremely tiring day in the lab. And the blogger community is amazing - I have met so many amazing people in the last few months ever since I started branching out and going to networking events, and I am happy to say that some have become my close friends. It is a great feeling!

April 2015: Twist and Turn Open Back Top by Dina Arrieta

     

See more on Original posts:  1st look and 2nd Look

Sunny days are back! Twist and Turn Open back top take 2!

Hello!
I have had such a busy weekend, with another on campus symposium where I presented my research again with a poster and then 12 hours of talks on Saturday! It was awesome but rather tiring! It's nice to be busy but I also enjoy having a few hours to relax. This past week it was very cloudy and gray, which is unusually for LA. But, alas, the sun is back!
Today I am sharing with you another look I created using the Twist and Turn Open Back top by Leaf and Crown that I posted about a few weeks ago! Check out the original post HERE! I wanted a more casual, chill look, so I went with a maxi skirt. Little secret - this is actually a dress that I just rolled the top part down to my waist so it would act as a skirt! I got this skirt/dress from when I went to Hawaii back in September from a local store.  I loved the mint green color contrast with the black pattern, particularly matched with the black top!  I also wore these sandals that I have worn before, that I also got from a local store in Waikiki.

The top detail in the back again I love, and it perfectly hides my bra straps in the back! Super easy to wear and style! You can find/shop for this top on the Leaf and Crown Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/leafandcrown), and it comes in a variety of colors! I particularly loved the black top but I also loved the top in purple or red!

Sunny days and Stress free weekend!

Hello everyone!
Happy Monday! I am back with an outfit post, something that I was able to put together rather quickly based on some new finds from this weekend!
I was very stressed out the last couple of weeks because I was preparing a manuscript/paper for publication, and we finally submitted it on Friday to the journal! I was so happy and excited, and it literally felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders! I had some recurring headaches due to stress and now they are gone! It is a relief.
On Saturday I went to a sidewalk sale in Santa Monica, where a store was selling lightly used clothing, shoes, jewelry, etc. for $1, and all of the proceeds went to charity! I bought three pairs of shoes (which I will showcase in some outfits soon!), and some dresses and tops! I bought this really cute button up top from Express, which I am wearing here, and the material is just so soft. The color was a little blah/beige but from how I styled it, it really looks good!
On Sunday, I needed to get out of the house and have a change of scenery. I went to the Getty Villa Museum with the boyfriend, and it was beautiful! It sits on the Pacific Coast Highway, with amazing views of the ocean, and the gardens are just so beautiful. I have been wanting to go for a while now. There is one garden where there is a large pool of water with lots of pretty trees and flowers around it, but the water was drained due to the horrible California drought we are having. But it was still beautiful, nonetheless, and I am happy that the museum is making efforts to conserve water during this tough time!

20 Conference Essentials: A packing list!

Hello everyone!

Today I bring to you a Conference Essentials packing list!

After attending and blogging for the recent conference in Boston, I decided to come up with a packing list to help you prepare for a conference or meeting, for whatever topic it may be, scientific, educational, blogging, etc.! 

I decided to check my bag, so I could fit all of this in a big bag, but you can always scale down for a carry on bag!

Magenta Florals and new eye wear - Firmoo

Happy Monday everyone!
Hope your week is off to an amazing start! I am off to the lab for another week full of experiments and classes!
I wanted to share with you this cute new pink/magenta outfit I styled with my new glasses from Firmoo.  I bought this really cute magenta floral peplum top from Express during their 40% off sale when I recently went shopping, and I fell in love with the color and print! And it just so happened that the new glasses I ordered from Firmoo coincidentally were magenta frames as well, so why not wear them together for a cute, chic outfit?!
I love the flattering form of the peplum top, along with the really pretty print! I matched it with my deep red lipstick from Hikari in shade cabernet, which I have worn before, and some light jewelry that I will describe later. Along with jeans and my little booties also from Express, This is a great outfit to wear to work, or out with some friends! And the glasses are a nice little touch!

I ordered these glasses from Firmoo, and it was super easy on their website! I had a hard time choosing frames, since a lot were really cute, and I wasn't sure what would look good on my face, since I don't wear glasses frequently. I did need a very slight prescription last time I got my eyes checked, so I thought why not get a pair from this site! Their site is cool because they have a feature where you can upload your own picture and "try" on the glasses! Pretty fun, and it was using this tool that I finally decided to go with these fun magenta frames! I already have a black pair, so I thought I would change it up and go with a little splash of color! And I am able to match these with some of my outfits!

Beautiful LA Day - Twist and Turn Open back top - Leaf and Crown

Hello loves!

I am attempting to get back to my regular posting schedule, traveling, conference, and lab work has really worn me down the last two weeks! I feel like I already need a vacation and I just got back to work! I am also taking classes on top of lab work, so I am going crazy! 

But anyway, here is a recent outfit I wore to lab and lunch with a friend, and who actually designed the top I am wearing herself, Dina Arrieta, owner, designer and blogger of Leaf and Crown (Leafandcrown.com). It was really hot here in LA, but I had to have my legs covered for lab, so I wore my Zara jeans and usual heeled boots from Target, and I wore this Twist and Turn Open Back Tee. I love wearing black, and this black top was just way too cute and flattering! The neckline was perfect and it hugged my curves in all the right places! The open back detail was just great, I really liked it and it hid my bra straps well! (sorry if thats TMI... but that is a big problem with us girls who can't just not wear a bra!)

ExpBio Day 5 - The Final Presentation

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I was exhausted with all the running around at the end of the conference! I bring you the last post in my series of Conference Fashion posts for the Experimental Biology Meeting I went to in Boston this week! The last day of the conference was Wednesday, and I was presenting my data in a poster session (see last photo of the post!). I was sad to be done in Boston, as I fell in love with the city and the city life. I was also sad the conference was over, as I had learned so much going to all of the talks and interacting with all of these great, intelligent people! 

A lot of people came to my poster, and I was excited because most of the people I saw give talks came to talk to me and hear about my research. I got a lot of great ideas and had some amazing conversations about new research in the field! I am inspired to go back and do more experiments!

I wasn't going to photograph my last outfit, as I had a really hard time deciding what to wear (I changed about 4 times, all too early in the AM before I had to pack my things and check out before setting up my poster at the convention center! can you say STRESS??!). BUT, I am really happy with how my outfit turned out, very professional and sleek! 

I decided I wanted to wear this greenish-turquoise statement necklace from Forever21, so I tried to put together pieces that would be simple and work well with the color and piece! (Statement necklace dictating the outfit for the win!)

Exp Bio Day 4 - #ExpBioFashion

Hi everyone!

Today's post comes to you with some awesome fashion from people who have been attending the conference! I met a lot of great, interesting people at various networking events, and while I felt a little shy to pop out my camera and ask to take photos of people's fabulous outfits, the topic of being a fashion blogger for the conference came up - and I got a lot of positive feed back! 

Being the only one at the conference from my lab and not knowing anyone else attending, I had throw myself out there and just meet others, start conversations, and have a good time. I met a lot of great students presenting their research, not only graduate students but also some undergraduates, in addition to professors and recruiters.

Each night of the conference there was some kind of networking event hosted by various committees, and I made sure to make an effort to attend as many as I could. Not only were there free drinks, but  some good food and company. Worst thing that can happen is I get bored and I can leave. I ended up staying the whole time to each event I went to and had a great time with the people I had met!

I was able to take photos from a couple of fashionable people I had the pleasure of meeting, and they were more than willing to let me take their photo!