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! 

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!

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!

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!)

Floral Print for Spring BBQ!

Happy Spring lovelies!

This past weekend I went to a BBQ with some friends up in the valley at Lake Balboa. It was a glorious spring day in Los Angeles, and I was expecting the cherry blossoms to be in full bloom! Upon arriving at the lake, there were no cherry blossoms, but the trees had some I guess... but not as great as in the past when I have come to this lake!

It was a potluck style BBQ, and we all brought a dish to share, and burgers were cooked on the grill!

After stuffing ourselves and enjoying the sun, we decided to head back to west LA for a cat nap/food coma nap. 

I decided to wear this really pretty dress I received from my Aunt for my birthday, from PinkWoman. I adore the floral print on the skirt of this dress! It is so pretty and the colors are super feminine and soft. The black top of the dress is super flattering, and then floats out with the skirt!

Statement Dress to Impress - Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung, and tomorrow marks the first day of spring (for all of you who aren't in SoCal, for us here in LA, its been summer since the weekend!)! 

On Saturday I headed to a fashion event in Beverly Hills with Samira, a fashion blogger from Stylemesamira.com! Post coming up to recap the event next week! It was a rather hot day (90 degrees F!), and so I busted out my favorite black dress shorts that I have had for years, I believe since I was 16! 

I really wanted to wear my new Midnight Waters Necklace from the Yayoi Collection at Boyajian Trend Gallery, so I tried to come up with an outfit that it would be the centerpiece! I love figuring out outfits to go with statement jewelry pieces, and this was a great opportunity since it was a nice day out! I wore a plain white tank top from Forever21 that I got for $2! and a gray mini vest that I have had for some years, probably since high school as well!

I wanted to wear heels to the event but I knew I would be standing/walking around so I wanted to be comfortable. I wore these heeled sandals that were super comfortable that I bought in Hawaii, from a local store in Waikiki called Island Fever.

I then quickly curled the ends of my hair, which came out nice and took me only 10 minutes! I was amazed at how fast I have become at curling my hair. It also helps that I hadn't washed my hair in a couple of days -- this makes for easier to curl hair! I wore it half up so I could get some of the attention on the necklace!

Road Trip to Vegas, Pit stop fashion

Hello lovelies!

Today I bring you fashion from my recent road trip to Vegas for my birthday! The road trip from LA is a good 4 hour drive, if you don't stop at all...but being cramped into a car for 4 hours can sometimes be unbearable, so we had to stop a little more than half way in the middle of the desert, in Baker, CA. At this pitstop we got some snacks and drinks at the local gas station, and there was some interesting scenery. I busted out my camera and had my friend snap some photos of my outfit. 

Mini pleats and leather deets!

Hello loves! 

As you may know from my previous post, I was in Vegas for the weekend to celebrate my birthday! I tend to post on Mondays and Thursdays, but this outfit made me too excited to wait an extra day to post! :D 

We stayed at Treasure Island, which was cool, and we explored the Strip, ate a lot of great food, shopped, and had some nice drinks to celebrate!

It was rather chilly in Vegas, which is weird because I have only been to Vegas when it was SUPER hot in the summer... but I had packed appropriately and brought a jacket and some booties! 

Friday night we went out to dinner for my birthday at BurGR in Planet Hollywood and it was AMAZING. SO. MUCH. YUMMY. FOOD.

The next day, we walked around the Venetian (shown here), which is one of my favorite hotels. It is so beautiful and picturesque, lots of cool places to take photos!

It's my Birthday! Celebratory Outfit!

Hello loves!
It is my birthday today! I am officially closer to 30 than 20 now :( Granted, I'm still young and no complaints here, but here I am sitting thinking about how much I've grown in the last 5-6 years! Not only have I changed coasts (West coast vs East coast), but I feel so much happier at this point in my life! For once I feel like I have things under control, both life-wise, school-wise, project/research-wise, and now blogging-wise! It's a good feeling to start off this next year, with many more changes and opportunities in the next year!

Casual transitional outfit - Work to Going out - Earth tones!

Hello Loves! Happy almost Friday!

Today I bring to you an outfit that I frequently wear to work, as it is comfortable enough to wear to lab, and with just a change of shoes, I can easily wear this to go out after work without having to go home to change!

I LOVE earthy brown tones mixed with black. You would think they don't go well together, but in this outfit, I think they go very well! Accented with gold/black/brown/ivory accessories, I think it is a great outfit! 

I wore a black tanktop underneath this flowy blouse-type shirt that I can easily take in/have worn with a black skinny belt, and some plain black leggings. I got this blouse at a small local shop during my trip to Hawaii this past labor day. 

I have been itching to find an excuse to wear my leopard print heels, and this outfit was a perfect combination of colors for that! They were pretty comfortable to wear as well. 

I accessorized with some bangles that I have worn before in other outfits, a gold chunky necklace from Charlotte Russe, a Bisous white Mother of Pearl Ring from Boyajian Trend Gallery, a Yayoi Blanched Almond Bracelet also available from  Boyajian Trend Gallery, and a black clutch that doubles as a wallet from Franco Sarto. 

I also curled my hair quickly using my straightening iron, and did not add any hairspray -- and surprisingly my curls stayed for a while after taking these photos! I was shocked. Must be the humidity (or lack of ) in LA that made them last! Usually they fall out rather quickly!

As far as makeup, I went rather neutral, and just a nice pink lipgloss. I wanted to keep the focus on my outfit that I fell in love with! 

Valentine's Day Outfit - Bring back body-con

Hello loves!
With Valentine's day in a few days, I thought to show you all what I'm wearing this Valentine's day! I have plans with the boyfriend for a quiet night in (which includes cooking dinner), but that doesn't mean I can't dress for the occasion!

I have recently been wearing flow-y dresses, but back in my early 20s I was a huge fan of the body-con dress! I have since gotten a little more conscious of my body when wearing a tight fitting dress, but I thought why not. After cleaning my room this weekend and finally putting away all my clothes, I rediscovered an old favorite, this black textured body-con style dress from TopShop, that I bought in London back in 2010! Since I went with a black dress, I decided to accessorize with some pops of color, red, gold, and white! I used a red bow clutch I bought last year from The Limited, a white drop statement necklace from Charlotte Russe, a pink/rose gold cocktail ring from the Ona Chan Collection from Boyajian Trend Gallery, and some black and gold bracelets. I also used a red lipstick from Rimmel London. which I have been itching to wear! For shoes, I decided to wear my red strappy heels, I don't remember where I got them from, but they were perfect for this outfit!

This outfit was the perfect combination of romantic and also a little sexy. Paired with big curls (which lasted for hours by the way, uncommon for my hair!), a smile, and a relaxing night, makes for the perfect Valentine's day!

Semi-formal Presentation Outfit

I had to present my research in front of a seminar class on Monday, and I was rather nervous. I had to summarize my last four years of data into a 40 minute presentation in front of my peers and professors! Since it was just for a seminar class, I didn't have to get all dressed up, but I still wanted to look presentable and nice! This is what I wore, and used accessories to add some flair!

                  

Transition Wear - Lab to Night out

I recently went out for dinner for DineLA week at this AMAZING sushi place called Sugarfish. It was sooo delicious, totally worth the price! I had a pretty busy day in lab so I knew I wouldn't have time to go home to change before the dinner reservation with friends, so I wore an outfit I knew I could easily transition from day to night!

Transition Wear - Lab to Night out by andreah227 featuring kate spade jewelry