Black on Black

We got to escape to the beautiful Lumni Island this weekend to visit Eric's parents! I've spent my entire life living in the city, so it was quite a change of scenery for me. I didn't plan on doing a shoot for my blog there, but it was so lovely I could not resist.

Classic Q - Natasha by Marc Jacobs | Coat - Banana Republic | Boots - Aldo (similar) | Zella Leggings

I am wearing my favorite coat this winter. I was drawn to this piece because of it's unique hood. It drapes over the head like a large scarf; giving it a very feminine and elegant look. 

I love wearing all black and I'm sure many of you can relate! My accessories usually help add some color to the outfit and make them more interesting. For this occasion I just threw on my Marc Jacobs in Warm Zinc. This is definitely my go-to bag. The color is absolutely gorgeous and goes with everything! 

Zella leggings are my favorite! I wear them so often I should probably invest in another pair. They are double-sided; one side is more breathable for the summer and the other keeps you warm in the winter. They are completely affordable and much less than their Lululemon counterpart.

White Lace

My boyfriend's company holiday party was at the Sheraton this weekend and this is what I wore!

Please excuse the blurry photos! We were in a bit of a rush and had to take them right outside our room where the lighting was pretty bad.

Dress - Nasty Gal | Pumps - Steve Madden (similar) | Purse - Kate Spade | Watch - Michael Kors

I adored all of the detailing on this dress.

Kept the rest of my outfit simple with black pumps, an oversized gold watch and red nails.

Having fun with the photo booth :)

Oh Christmas Tree

We got our tree today!

And it was freezing!!!

Decided to keep it simple this year and stuck with silvers. 

Using a candle holder as a candy bowl for my kisses.

Placed a few cute gift boxes (with gifts inside) around the apartment as part of my decor.

   

Festive Leggings

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend with family and friends! 

Eric and I stopped by Starbucks for some treats before driving up to Bellingham for Thanksgiving dinner with his family. 

I got to wear my favorite holiday leggings that were ordered off of the Aldo shoes website last year. I paired them with a simple knit sweater and neutral booties, which by the way are from the Clark's outlet!! 

I was beyond excited when I discovered the store at the Marysville Outlet Mall last weekend. I am still a huge advocator of this brand because their shoes are so darn comfortable!

Aldo Leggings (this year's version) | Clark's Booties (similar here)

Holiday Wishlist

Just thought it would be fun to share with everyone a few things I have been drooling over this holiday season! I started my Christmas shopping early this year! :) Last year I waited til the very last minute and ended up spending a lot more money than I anticipated. A majority of my shopping has been done online. Where is everyone else doing their shopping??

LOVE LOVE LOVE the shape of this bag and the gold details. My other MK bag has also been holding up very well despite having been dragged to work with me every day!

Selma Studded Satchel | Michael Kors

Basically every girls' dream to own one of these.

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

Huge fan of this lovely taupe color right now.

Fur Jacket | Zara

Such a statement piece!

Camille | Michael Kors

I adore her jewelry and am dying to try her new clothing line!

HRH Collection Tanks

Gorgeous Maroon and perfect for the holidays!

Black Cherry | Marc Jacobs

I've wanted one of these forever! It would be so cute layered on top of a flannel button up.

Northface 'Nuptse' Vest

Skincare and Everyday Makeup

Growing up, my mom taught me that skincare is extremely important. She always made me take preventative measures such as using anti-aging cream and taking sesame paste. I am so grateful for that today! Your skin is one of the biggest indicators of age. Foundation is amazing, but I'm honestly so lazy in the mornings I try to cut as many steps in my makeup routine as I can. 

About a month ago I finally decided to invest in a Clarasonic Plus. I have been using it religiously everyday and am already noticing a difference. Usually around this time of year my skin tends to be a bit more dry as the weather gets colder. The Clarasonic has helped reduce the dryness and the exfoliation has also made my moisturizer a lot more effective.

Clarasonic Plus | RoC Daily Moisturizer 

Below are my everyday makeup essentials. I am not a big fan of wearing tons of makeup because it makes my pores feel clogged up and gross. One of my pet peeves are blackheads. They give me the chills! 

Most of my makeup is purchased from Sephora (probably because there is one really close to my office). They also have a lot of difference brands to choose from and their associates seem genuinely knowledgeable about their products. I was really impressed with their color match technology! They have a tool that they use to find the perfect shade of foundation for your skin tone. If you aren't sure which shade you are, I would highly recommend going there to get it done. 

Naked 2 - Urban Decay | Finishing Powder - MAKE UP FOR EVER | Brow Powder Duo - Anastasia | Brow Pen - Anastasia | Blush/Bronzer Duo - Nars | Pink Tweezerman |  EOS Lip Balm | MAC Fluidline

I love the eyeliner pot from MAC. It lasts all day long without smudging and is even semi waterproof! Sometimes I come out of the shower with it still almost perfectly intact. I have to use makeup remover to get it all off. The Anastasia eyebrow products are my favorite! I honestly haven't tried many other brands, but this one was recommended to me at Sephora a few months ago and I've been loving it ever since. I also have their highlighter crayon, but only use it on special occasions.  

Bronzer and blush are fun to play with and gives your skin a pretty warm glow. This compact duo by Nars is very subtle and natural. It hardly looks like I'm wearing blush!

Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette is probably all the eye shadow I will ever need. I don't do anything too extreme with eye shadow so the natural hues in this palette are perfect for me. It also comes with darker colors for those nights out. I love using the lighter shadows to brighten the inner corners of my eyes. 

I don't like using foundation on a daily basis, so instead I use Make Up For Ever's finishing powder to help set my makeup. It gives my face a nice matte finish. The pink tweezer pictured is by Tweezerman. I have had it for years and they're still in great condition! Last but not least, I seriously cannot go anywhere without my EOS lip balm. It keeps my lips moisturized and minty all day long. I have at least three of these lying around the apartment because I use them so often. This green mint flavor is my favorite, but it also come in many others and you can get them at Target for around $3. I'm obsessed!

These brushes are undeniably GORGEOUS! After doing some research, I took the plunge and bought the Sigma Essential Kit in "Make Me Cool". They are a bit on the pricier side, but I don't buy makeup brushes very often at all. Most of my brushes before this were from years ago. I wanted to have one set of quality brushes instead of buying mediocre ones that I would be tempted to replace in a few months. I also hate clutter, so I'd rather stick to having just a few quality items that I love. 

Sigma Brush Set

Hope you guys enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by and stay warm!!

xxx

Mary

 

Express Outfit

A pair of well fitted slacks is are a must.. and if you are short like me, then so is a good tailor! I have two different places I normally go to for alterations: Cinderella Tailors and Adam Tailor & Alterations. Both are located in Seattle. Cinderella Tailors is just a bit pricier, but she gets the job done fast. The quickest turn around time for a pair of slacks was 1 hour! Her average price to hem a pair of pants is $15. Adam Tailor & Alterations are extremely inexpensive. Only $12 for hemming. However he is VERY popular, so the turn around time takes anywhere from a week to two weeks. 

With dress pants, I've noticed they often stretch out after a wears. Try to go with the smaller size if you are in between. They might feel a bit tight and uncomfortable at first, but they will loosen up. Better suffer a bit of discomfort, than end up with a pair of loose baggy slacks ;)

Photographer: Aiyana Yuki

Pants, Top, Necklace - Express

Express is one of my go-to stores for work wear. They ALWAYS have sales, so never buy anything at full price. Just wait a few days and I guarantee they will have some sort of promo going on. Their 00 dress pants sizes are comparable to Ann Taylor's 00 petites. 

Little Black (Work) Dress

Last weekend I had the pleasure of collaborating with the lovely Aiyana Yuki on a shoot!  She is extremely talented, professional and fun to work with. Check out more of her work on www.aiyanayuki.com. 

It was a gorgeous day out on the waterfront. This little black dress is staple for every office wardrobe. It is so versatile and easy to wear. You can dress it up or down pretty effortlessly. Now that the weather is getting colder, I like throw on some cozy tights to help transition it into an outfit for fall. 

Dress - H&M | Necklace - Express | Earrings - Nordstrom | Michael Kors Bag - Nordstrom Rack

I was not absolutely sure about this white cover up when I bought it, but now it is one of my favorite pieces! It is made out of a very light material and adds a little more fun to your outfit than a standard suit jacket. The black toe nude pumps are by Michael Kors. I wear a size 5 in women's shoes, which makes it really hard to shop for heels. This gives me the perfect excuse to make the purchase when I do actually find something I like that also fits. These were a no brainer! They were on sale at Marshalls and miraculously there was a pair in my size. You can definitely find some decent designer footwear there. Nordstrom Rack is another great place to shop for small sized shoes.

White Cover up & Michael Kors Pumps - Marshalls

Fall Booties

I am looking for a comfortable pair of booties that I can wear in and out of the office for fall/winter. Last month I purchased a pair of wedges from Clarks and love them! They are my go to pair of heels because I can literally walk around in them for hours without feeling too much discomfort, so I am deciding to give their booties a go. Below are the three styles I have narrowed it down to. Which pair is your favorite??

1. 

I have a feeling these will be the easiest to wear with both slacks, skirts and dresses.

Wessex Azure:: Black Leather

2.

Love the paneling on these.

Society Round

3.

Suede is so cute, however am a little hesitant because they may not be practical for our rainy weather. 

Wessex Azure:: Black Suede

Simple Pad Thai Noodles with Peanut Sauce

It is really hard to leave work at the office sometimes. During the first few weeks at my job I would literally have nightmares about work. Luckily that doesn't happen anymore. Okay.. it still happens once in a while. It is really important to find a good work-life balance; unless you're one of the few lucky people who's job is also your passion. For the rest of us, our jobs are there to fuel our passions outside of work. 

I find that keeping busy with things that you enjoy after work is the best way to take your mind off of it. Cooking is one of the things that help me relax. However, preparing something that takes too long can be exhausting. During the week I try to keep my meals quick and simple. 

Below is a dish that took me less than an hour to make last night. I used Pad Thai noodles with a peanut and lime sauce. You can add your choice of meat!

Ingredients:

Pad Thai Noodles

3 Tbsp peanut butter

6 Tbsp lime juice

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup of cooked chicken, chopped

Fresh mint leaves, chopped

Peanuts, crushed (as garnish)

Instructions: Cook Pad Thai noodles according to package directions. Mix peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, olive oil and mint leaves. Throw noodles, sauce and chicken together in a large dish. Garnish with peanuts and mint leaves and enjoy! 

By the way, I am obsessed with mason jars. I wish they sold them separately instead of only in bulk. It would be fun to have them in different sizes! They are extremely versatile and inexpensive. I use them as glasses at home or to pack smoothies in for work and picnics.   

   

Fourth of July 2013

   

October Details

Fall is here! I am actually pretty excited for cold weather again. No more sleeping with our fan on and windows open (with the occasional car alarm going off) at night. I've even missed the rain a little; although I'll probably regret saying that in a few weeks. 

The living room is coming together really nicely. We are spending a lot more time out there now that we have the new flat screen. When we first moved in I had very little care for a big TV. We had my parents old 24 inch flatscreen and that was enough for me.  

With that being said.. I must admit I am a huge fan of the TV now. My boyfriend had mainly wanted it for video-gaming purposes, but for me it is more like a very expensive ornament. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, it is pretty fun to watch movies on. My new project now is coming up with design ideas for our entertainment center. 

I finally bought my first coffee table book from Barnes and Nobles last week! I took the book cover off of it because the bright pink with gold lettering underneath looks a lot prettier. Candles are my new obsession this season. I like to buy ones that come in a pretty jar so I can reuse them for something else later. 

Tray - Amazon.com | Candle Holder - Target | Coasters - Ikea | Kate Spade Coffee Table Book - Barnes & Noble

In love with the gold edges of this book!

Kate Spade everything :)

The little ceramic figures hugging are salt and pepper shakers I bought while living in Thailand two summers ago. My boyfriend and I saw these little guys at our favorite restaurant in Vietnam. The restaurant, Green Mango, was nestled away in Old Hanoi. I had read some good reviews about the place online, so we walked around for a while searching for it during our first night there. We were on the verge of giving up when we finally stumbled upon the restaurant. The outside was fairly old, but the interior design was quite beautiful and modern. The salt and pepper shakers were the first things that caught my eye when we sat down at our table. I came across them again at a little street shop in Bangkok and had to have them.