lovely links: artistic inspiration

I love Nancy Zhang's style -- it ranges from drop-dead elegant, to tomboyish, to pure fun. For this outfit, she was inspired by the work of one of my favorite artists, Yoshitomo Nara.

Try-it-out Tuesday: texture + monochrome (almost)

   Today's Try-it-out Tuesday features two rarely worn items: an embellished linen tunic and a boldly printed dress (this dress takes my love of big prints to new heights). I thought this would be a fun, subtle way to double up on the florals, and I liked the texture of the linen embellishment contrasted with the skirt.

Charter Club embellished linen tunic: passed down from mom (Macy's)

     Style & Co. petite dress: Macy's

6-strand red lucite necklace: eBay

     I've always thought this dress would look cute with a red necklace. Due to its size, this necklace is out of my comfort zone, but I like how it looks peeping out of a black shirt.
     I feel like this outfit is my first step out of a style rut. I felt good wearing it and I got to play with texture and prints! :)

 

   It doesn't really show up in the photos, but the big flower print on the skirt has splashes of a very light gray/tan. That gives me some ideas on how to wear it the next time around.

     Something else that, thankfully, doesn't show up in the photos: a fresh bruise the size of a half-dollar on my right shin. Just a souvenir from early morning aikido practice, and another merit badge for the Klutz Scouts. What, you mean you aren't a member??

February Freeze, vol. 5: chambray + a splash of animal print

     I'm enjoying this dress-simply kick I've been on for the last few days. While I really love creative pattern mixing, I'm still too new at it and end up looking like a mess instead of marvelous. I don't wear this chambray tunic much, but I'm starting to see its possibilities. :) I was inspired by Linda of Little Tin Soldier's outfit here.

 Velvet Heart tunic, Ross (old)

Beau skinnies, Ross (old)

snake print fabric belt (from dress)

hoop earrings, Old Navy (old)

Micro-ruffles and subtle yet sparkly earrings

     Speaking of simple, the Mr. and I had a quiet Valentine's night. I had planned to pick up some mochi ice cream on the way to his house, but when I drove past the ice cream place, there was a line spilling out the door onto the sidewalk. We have a mutual dislike of crowds, so he's just going to have to wait until the weekend for his treat. ...
     Luckily, he had picked up a chocolate cheesecake. We traded Valentine's Day cards, watched some Stephen Colbert, and spent some quality time with each other (and the cheesecake, of course). :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: white jeans & February Freeze, vol. 4

     I've been in the style doldrums lately, so I decided to wear these jeans as simply as possible. Red, navy and white are a classic color combination. I actually bought this cardigan to wear with the red tank, but this is the first time I've paired them together! Three of these items don't get worn much (jeans, tank, gold sandals), so it was nice to put them together. February Freeze trifecta! :)

DKNY red tank with navy chiffon and gold chain trim, Off 5th

navy cardigan, F21

DKNY white jeans, Macy's

gold sandals, Target

     

The Mr. grumbles that I always walk around with my hands in my pockets (SO not true). ; )

     Obviously, 12 seconds is not enough time for me to cross the room, put my shoes on, and be ready for the camera ...
     Happy Hearts Day! <3

what I've been wearing: a collage

 Friday indecision: I really wanted to wear this henley top and pleated skirt together -- I thought it would be fun to juxtapose the casual henley with the girly, dressier skirt. But it just didn't look right, so I ended up stomping off to work in an old green tee, my Volcom shirt jacket, jeans and boots. *sigh*

   Sunday's outfit: playing with animal print, red and charcoal gray (the shirt you can't see under the scarf). Saturday night: flowy patterned Cinnamon Girl (local boutique) top, F21 cardigan.

tag, I'm it: all about books

     Erin (her blogs are here and here) was sweet enough to tag me to talk about one of my favorite things .... books! :)

Favorite poet(s): Li-Young Lee, Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, e.e. cummings.
Least favorite/hated poet(s): I don't hate Marianne Moore, but I don't enjoy her work, although I know she's considered one of the "greats."
Favorite fiction authors: Haruki Murakami, Barbara Kingsolver, Pamela Dean, Hans Christian Andersen, Gish Jen, Jeanette Winterson, Michael Ondaatjie, Charles Dickens, Jose Saramago, Lynne Rae Perkins.
Least favorite/hated fiction authors: Hmm, nobody comes to mind at the moment ...
Favorite nonfiction author(s): Jane Yolen (Touch Magic), Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief), David Mas Masumoto (Epitaph for a Peach)
Least favorite/hated nonfiction author(s): I have to agree with Erin about the library sciences readings. The textbooks intended to give you an overview of the discipline are the worst -- they are so general that they are mind-numbing.
Favorite graphic novel author: I don't read many graphic novels (want to start, though) but I did enjoy Shaun Tan's "The Arrival." Would love some recommendations. :)
Worst reading habits: Buying new books when I have a stack to read.
Worst book you ever read: "Tulip Fever" by Deborah Moggach. I got a few chapters in, realized I didn't care at all about the characters, and returned it to the library.
Favorite book (at the moment): It's a tie between "All the Names" by Jose Saramago; "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver, and "Criss Cross" by Lynne Rae Perkins.
Favorite genre: young adult, picture books, and, judging from the list above, what would be called literary fiction  : p (sounds a bit snobby, doesn't it??)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin