PMN: Gillian Dress

I need to stop buying stuff from PMN, I'm pretty sure I try to buy something once a month. Though I haven't in what seems to be FOREVER (like a month). I wanted to buy the teal hoodie, but someone got it before me...and I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN. Oh yes, I will.

Anyway, I got this dress awhile ago, but had no idea how to wear it...like a lot of things in my closet.

So...you're totally supposed to dry-clean / wash clothes when you buy them used, right? I KNOW the answer is YES...but sometimes I'm lazy. And then I do the "sniff" test. That's a sure-way to know when clothes are clean, right? Now I'm embarrassed.

gillian dress, bcbg heels, h&m & f21 bracelets, martin & osa belt

questions? ask here! / twitter tracker

Blank Stare

So before California got all WEST AFRICA HOT on us (after a summer of cooler weather), it was actually a consistent pleasurable 75-degrees. While most people would enjoy that - I was a lot more confused on what to wear. Not cold enough for jackets & sweaters, not warm enough for me to wear shorts & a tank...just so in the middle. So I did both: paired a skirt & a sweater for a casual outing.

If you know me, you know that I love me my scarves! I just recently purchased this one from H&M; I love the colors & the material is really cool too - it's kind of a blend, so that it's just not like a piece of cotton. I'm always trying to look for new ways to tie my scarf - this one is super simple: fold diagonally, knot one side, tie the loose ends around your neck.

united colors of benetton sweater, martin & osa skirt, h&m scarf, martin & osa wedges

Also, before summer's-end, I just had to wear teal nail polish one more time before I start wearing purples, plums, and reds. I intermixed two colors of the same family and split them 3/2 (3 nails had 1 color, 2 nails had the other) so there was a slight difference in nail color, but not in a Rainbow Bright way.

urban outfitters nail polish in blue 1, bonita nail enamel in turquoise

For some reason, when Rye Bread was taking these photos, I kept zoning out. I don't know if I didn't have my caffeine yet, or if I was just in "another place," but look at all of my blank stares caught on camera! Oh yeah, and this was the first time in a LONG time I finally wore eyeliner. Oh how I've missed you so!
questions? ask here! / twitter tracker

Snap Crackle & Pop

When I went to the London Sole store on Montana in Santa Monica, I went there with the intent of buying simple & classic black flats. I personally don't spend that much on shoes & they're a little pricier than I had hoped, but I knew that the leather was great quality plus they're adjustable - so if they do stretch out, you can tighten them. Also, I'm pretty sure classic ballet flats are here to stay.

But as I browsed through the store, the hundreds of different flats literally overwhelmed me; it was definitely a case of too many choices. Rye Bread & I were drawn to these amazing patent leather crocodile oxfords. Classic black flats? Definitely not. Totally awesome? Totes. I went back & forth on them for awhile mainly because I was like, "Wtf do I wear with these? Also, am I even COOL enough to pull them off?" You know who could pull them off? Janelle Monae. I'm certainly not as cool as her, but why not, it'll force me to act a little cooler, lol.

So instead, I paired a wife-beater (which I cut myself) with Rye Bread's tuxedo pants & rolled them up. Where would I wear this? Maybe to a cool bar or something? I dunno...I used the word "cool" in this post too many times. Cool.

fruit of the loom men's wifebeater, club monaco men's tuxedo pants, london sole oxford flats

wet & wild lipstick in mahogany

I'm thinking these would go really well with a floral skirt or a flirty dress...you know what that means...shopping time!

questions? ask here! / twitter tracker

Buried Treasure: Leather & Lace

One day I was cleaning out Rye Bread's sister's closet (to ahem, store some of my own stuff). Don't worry - she's up north, so it's not like I put her stuff away as she watched! I found a trashbag of clothes (aka: BURIED TREASURE!), and pulled out a few dresses; turns out that they fit to the T! Also, they're from her high school days...talk about trends circling around! (And weird that I fit into her high school clothes.)

I absolutely love this dress - definitely my favorite out of the bunch. So easy to update with a cardigan, but this time I paired it with leather jacket to balance the romanticism of the lace.

Also, what is going on with my hair?

laundry dress (from the 90's), ashley jacket, shoedazzle shoes

questions? ask here! / twitter tracker

Sweet Rose

Wore this last week before heading out to Brentwood Country Mart. A super cute & quaint shopping area (with really expensive shops). I don't know what happened to my go-to spot for hot chocolate, City Bakery, it went away. :( Instead, we went to Sweet Rose Ice Cream - a creamery that purchases a lot of their produce from local vendors. They also make a lot of their stuff in-house (marshmallows, cones, chocolate chips, etc.)

old dress, cotton-on sweater, f21 belt, shoedazzle shoes

look at my new shoedazzle shoes - they're really stepping up their game

So at Sweet Rose Ice Cream, I tried their mint & chip ice cream and was in a for a surprise! It wasn't what we could consider the normal "mint & chip" but ACTUAL mint...I'm talking it was like licking a mint leaf. But after the shock of NOT having Baskin-Robbins type ice cream, it was really nice & refreshing. They made their own chocolate shavings there...and evidently forgot to shave a HUGE CHUNK of chocolate in my scoop. It was like finding a candy bar in my ice cream cone! A good surprise? Maybe...a chocking hazard? Definitely.

rye bread's banana split

Then we drove down to Melrose to London Sole to purchase my first pair of FANSHY black flats. I tend to go through my flats like I go through my men (haha, not really, but I just wanted to use that joke); I've been going back & forth between Tory Burch flats, but I felt like everyone had a pair, and also I'm afraid the emblem is just going to come flying off one day & sever someone's head. You don't know, IT COULD HAPPEN!

questions? ask here! / twitter tracker? here!

Fud Pr0n: Eggs Bruschetta

Awhile back I was flying from O'Hare to LAX early in the morning and wasn't sure where to eat. Saw that Macaroni Grill was open & thought "What kind of food does Macaroni Grill make for breakfast?!" it seems like such a lunch / dinner place. I ordered the eggs & was pleasantly surprised that they topped it with bruschetta. INGENIOUS!

This is my take, so apologies if the recipe isn't that detailed...I kind of just threw stuff in it.

This recipe is SUPER easy - it's a little prep-heavy since there is chopping & dicing, but there is little cooking, so it's the perfect breakfast! I made this for Rye Bread's sister when she arrived from SF & she liked it so much, I made it for the whole family the next day!
What you'll need:
+ 2 1/2 cups chopped cherry (or grape) tomatoes
+ 1/2 cup chopped onion
+ 3 cloves of minced garli
+ 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
+ 2 tbsp evoo
+ 1 1/2 pinches of kosher salt
+ cracked black pepper
+ fresh basil
+ shaved parmesan cheese
+ 4 eggs
+ salt & pepper to taste for the eggs
+ rustic toast (or french baguette)

+ quarter the cherry / grape tomatoes
+ chop onion
+ mince 3 gloves of garlic (I just used a garlic press)
+ mix tomatoes, garlic, onions in a bowl
+ add balsamic vinegar & evoo
+ add salt & pepper to taste
+ scramble eggs (hint: while you're busy with the bruschetta, let the eggs out of the fridge to be at room temperature)
+ place bruschetta on scrambled eggs
+ add freshly chopped basil & shaved parmesan cheese
+ pair with cheese rustic toast

Bon appetit!
questions? ask here!

follow me on twitter

Fashion's Night Out / TWITTER TRACKER

First thing's first. I was finally convinced to BE ON TWITTER. I've been AVOIDING it like the plague..mainly because there are too many symbols. @? #? RT? What do those even MEAN? Can someone give me a tutorial? I can Facebook the CRAP out of anyone & I can even play FPO (first-person shooters)...but why do I get anxiety over Twitter?

Anyway, it's: @hoisinivy - let's keep it simple.

If you guys know anyone that would like to follow me or I should be following, let me know.

Also, Friday was Fashion's Night Out, and my friends & I did make it out onto Rodeo. We got there relatively early so it wasn't super packed, which we liked. Also, parking was only $5, which I liked even more.

Free champagne, Chanel temporary tattoos, and almost getting kicked out of Max Mara? Sounds like a good night to me! I didn't take too many pictures because I was worried that some stores are uppity about "COPY INFRINGEMENTS" (who even knows what that means).

free application with purchase of limited-edition chanel temporary tattoos

Overall it was a really fun night; I was worried about being JUDGED for my inexpensive (and simple) outfit; though it turned out to be a lot more chill-axed than expected. All my friends & were worried we'd be under-dressed, but it turns out, if you wore a suit, people thought you worked security so we were better off!

Anyway, follow me on Twitter...that's right, right? lol.

questions? ask here!

Wrinkle McGee

YEY Friday! Not sure why I'm so excited, I had a four day weekend plus last week & this week were short weeks. I'm just spoiled.

So today is Fashion's Night Out & I'm thinking of going to Neiman Marcus in BHills to check it out, but...no one to go with, will it be crowded, & should I have RSVP'ed? So many questions...also, so lazy. Also, what do I wear? I feel like I would get JUDGED there. Judged so hard for my cheap looks, lol. NO my shoes were not $6,000, my car isn't even worth that much! And I can't valet at Neiman Marcus in my old beat-up Civic, that would just be embarrassing. EMBARRASSING I TELL YOU.

Also, this entire outfit is wrinkled. No time to iron. Stop judging!

zara cardigan, kirkland signature tank (YES FROM COSTCO), f21 skirt, dollhouse heels, f21 belt

questions? ask here!

Queen of the Gypsies

I'm trying all sorts of (creative) ways to wear scarves now that my eyes are opened to all of the possibilities. Since Fall is coming up quick (quicker than I'd like...what's going on with you weather?), it's the perfect time to whip out your scarf & play with it.

Hmm...that didn't sound right.

I checked out the new Santa Monica Place - the renovation of the old Santa Monica mall across from the 3rd Street Promenade. It was nice, almost like a cross between Hollywood & Highland and Century City. I tried wearing my scarf this way...I couldn't tell if I was actually rocking it...or if I looked like an offspring of a gypsy & pirate. I mean, I didn't wear hoop earrings & carry a parrot, so I should be okay, right?

h&m scarf

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!

Congratulations to Kimmie for winning my first ever giveaway thanks to designerapparel.com! Please email me directly (via my blogger profile) with your full name & shipping address; congrats again!

P.S. I'm also thinking of doing another giveaway (but from yours truly) since it was well-received. Whattaya say?

Do-Over, Done-Over

Rye Bread recently bribed me with Hermes scarf (in turn for taking my elusive GMATs), and I received a booklet of a bunch of different ways to tie scarves. I'm already OBSESSED with scarves, but have been wearing them SO SIMPLY (aka: like a SCARF). I was super excited to try out all these different ways; while this isn't EXACTLY what was described (nor is this an Hermes scarf), I saw this in an ad once and have been dying to try it.

f21 shirt, target skirt, tom shoes, f21 scarf
poncho

sydney

Every summer, a bar in Hollywood starts their drinking hours a lot earlier on Sunday afternoons (2pm) and hosts a small backyard-like party outdoors, called Do-Over. They serve primarily sangria & beer by the carafe & pitcher. This is definitely the place to be, with a laid-back vibe, everyone chills to soul & hip-hop music and sangria-stained shirts. This was my first time there - and it was SO PACKED because of Labor Day. My friends & I waited in line for over 3 1/2 hours. Was it worth it? Yeah, it was fun. But I'm telling you - thank GOODNESS there was a Rite-Aid down the street so we could DRINK in line. I'm not condoning public drinking (cause you know, it's technically against the law & all), but it did keep me in good company last Sunday.
questions? ask here!