A Pretty Thought

Ladurée Love: Parisian Macarons

2013-01-03T06:00:50Z

Im on my way back from a quick trip to New York and I just HAD to share with you the amazing macarons from Ladurée. I have heard of this pâtisserie before and have tried the macarons at Vanilla Bakeshop and lette's in Beverly Hills before. I thought macarons were similar with some tasting a tad better than others. Boy was I wrong.

Ladurée was a gorgeous shop. Very fancy french neoclassical. It is filled with thousands of sweet confections arranged in conical displays. The manager confirmed my wonderings that the tiny macarons were in fact mixed, baked and assembled in France and shipped by boat stateside. Imagine that! What you hold in your hand is a little piece of Paris! That made the experience even more grand.

Rows and rows of colorful macarons were on display. If i were mega-wealthy, I would lie in a bath of these sugary confections and not get out until I have eaten them all.

I purchased 2 boxes of 24. They had 18 flavors in total, so I picked a few extras in each box.

If you are ever in New York, I implore you to try these babies. The line may be long, but do not be discouraged, as it moves pretty fast.

Outfit of the Day: Sweaters and Sparkles

2012-12-31T18:34:30Z

A house party can be a little tricky to dress for. Is it super casual? Would a simple shift be too much or too little? I decided to dress up a sweater with sequins or conversely, to dress down sequins with a sweater. My favorite sweater right now would have to be the French Hen Sweater by J. Crew. It has elements of sophistication and whimsy and is perfect for the Christmas season. Unfortunately, my dad stuck my sweater in the hot dryer and now it's shrunken! :( any tips on how to resurrect my favorite garment?

My outfit:

Top: J Crew French Hen Sweater

Skirt: JC Penney Decree Sequin Bodycon Skirt (here)

Stockings: Express Metallic Back Seam Tights

Jacket: Express Minus-The-Leather Asymmetrical Jacket

Boots: Stuart Weitzman 50/50 Knee High Boot

And an advanced Happy New Year!

Love,

Kim

Animal Sweaters at Every Price! Sweaters are Better with Critters

2012-12-28T08:34:42Z

This winter season, every store is popping up with sweaters printed with representatives of the Kingdom Animalia. The trend is cute and adds a little bit of adorable intrigue and whimsy to an outfit. If you like the look and are unsure of how much you want to spend, I've gathered a collection of great animal sweaters at multiple price points so you and your wallet can feel comfortable wearing the cute topper!

$10 - $24.99

Old Navy Sheep Sweater (On sale for $15! Here)

Forever 21 Mirrored Seahorse Sweater ($19.80, here)

Forever 21 Panda Sweater ($22.80, here)

$25 - $74.99

A Wear Exclusive Swallow Sweater ($43.98, here)

Brat & Suzie Polar Bear Sweatshirt (On sale for $51.01! Here)

Just the Fox, Ma'am Sweater ($72.99, here)

$75+

J. Crew Frenchie Sweater ($98, here)

Wildfox Sequin Lion Friend Sweater ($178, here)

Shae NY V-Neck Horse Intarsia ($300, here)

I'll be on the lookout for more!

Love, Kim

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Blogosphere + A Little Bit of J Crew

2012-12-25T04:49:23Z

As the fires warm us on this cold winter eve, I would like to wish everyone the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of Holidays. Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope my posts continue to be useful and entertaining. Your visits and comments bring me great joy!

I went to a nearby J Crew on the 24th to see what was new in store. Nothing much really. But I did try on a few things.

J Crew Minnie Pant in Boulevard Green (here)

This is the 2nd time I tried the Minnie pant and my verdict remains the same. While it may be flattering on some ladies, I don't like the fit on the thighs and calves. The material kind of bunches out in the calf area and narrows at the ankle making my calves look more muscular than they are. I think the Cafe Capri is a better fit for me. I am wearing a size 2.

J Crew Classic Mini Felted Wool in Brilliant Fuschia (here)

I liked this skirt a lot. Since it flares out a little at the end, it looks better with a tucked shirt rather than with the top draped over it. The color is a little more purple and less magenta than in this pic. I am wearing a size 00 here. It was also on sale for $69.99.

J Crew Liberty Toothpick Jean in Emma and Georgina (here)

I have been eyeing these jeans for a bit now. I was excited about the printed look and how the pair might be similar in material to polka dot and graphic print denim, both of which have a lovely firm fabric that is oh so flattering. Unfortunately the material of these is similar to the soft garment dyed denim twill. I know it looks pretty good in pictures, but it wasn't as well fitting and slimming in real life. Must be the pose. It runs a size smaller too in my opinion. I am wearing a 27 and am normally a 26. The print is pretty though. I like how the flowers are small and not overbearing.

J Crew Scattered Sequin Sweater (here)

A cute festive sweater that is perfect for the holidays. I don't know if I would wear it outside of Christmas season time though. It is a little shorter than their normal sweaters. Not too itchy at all, but not as soft as the merino or cashmere sweaters. I am wearing a size XS.

J Crew Pear Sweater (here)

Here we have another novelty sweater that I have been a fan of lately. It is a pear, nothing more so I passed. It didn't have the adorable feel of the French Hen or Frenchie Dog sweaters. The length is nice and elongated. I am wearing a size XS

Again, Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. Keep safe, warm and happy!

Love,

Kim

Boots for Narrow Calves: Part 2 (Stuart Weitzman 50|50 Boots)

2012-12-23T15:59:37Z

As promised, here is the second part.

In this review I am going to show you the Stuart Weitzman 50/50 Boot in Black. The over-the-knee (OTK) style is the more popular one for this boot, but I don't know if I could pull off the OTK look. I'm sure a lot of women can do so classily, but I think it makes me look a little pretty women-esque. But I decided to bite the bullet and get the OTK look anyway since so many women were raving about them. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that they also came in a knee high version! :D

So here they are:

Stuart Weitzman 50/50 Boot in Black (here, here or here)

The boot is appropriately called the 50/50 because it is half Nappa leather (or suede if you wish) and half neoprene, a wetsuit-like materal. The boot, unstretched is quite narrow at 12-12.5" around. It is also very soft, and the shaft will not stand on its own.

The soles are rubber with the name "Stuart Weitzman" emblazoned on.

Now for my thoughts. This is seriously the softest leather that I have touched...even more so than the inside of a Chanel bag, if I might say. I'm worried that it might scratch easily, but I've worn it out twice and so far so good. The elastic neoprene is great! It is quite thick so it doesn't over stretch and it does a great job of staying on the calf without slipping down. The beauty of the boot is how amazing and slim it makes your calves look. Here is a picture of me wearing the boot on one leg and none on the other, so you can see that it pretty much skims over your leg. There is little bulk anywhere.

The one gripe that I have (aside from the $600 price tag, ugh) is that since it is a pull on boot, I probably cannot wear it with jeans. It seems really difficult to roll down the shaft and roll it back up over denim. I have so far worn it with a bare leg and tights and there is no problem with that!

So, I know this boot is quite pricey (It does go on sale between $400-$500 once in a while), but it is very much worth the money. The materials and craftmanship are top notch, and the boot is very comfy. It fits great over the leg, especially for ladies with slimmer calves where boot-buying can be a problem.

Thanks for reading! I'll post an outfit pic with the boot in a bit!

Love,

Kim

Boots for Narrow Calves Part 1

2012-12-12T04:09:15Z

Hello!

I'm back and am very excited to share with you a new purchase. See, I have never liked wearing knee high boots. First, California is warm enough to get by wearing flats and sneakers year round. The bigger reason however is the poor fit of the boots. The calf circumference of knee high boots were adjusted to fit the average population, which is fine. However women in the farther ends of the spectrum may have trouble fitting into those average pairs. I have seen quite a few options for wider calves, but not as many for ladies with narrow calves, unless you want to go all out and spend $1,000+ for a designer pair (Prada, Hermes I'm looking at you!)

The thing I disliked about the fit was the unflattering look the boot gave you. Instead of enhancing my legs, they made me look stumpy due to the generous space. The gap between the calf and the boot is one thing I can't stand. I know a lot of women life the slouchy look, but it just isn't for me. I love a sleek, equestrian style that enlongates the wearer.

So that being said, I surprised myself when I purchased the Pour La Victorie Loryn boot (here) online. The description detailed a narrower calf circumference, so decided to give the pair a try. After all, it is wintertime in LA (still 70 degrees though) and I am making a trip to Maryland at the end of the year. Brrr...

Let's see how they went:

The boot itself is gorgeous with buckle detailing on the ankle and top area and a full zip down the back. Now for the fit.

Before anything, here is an image with one boot on and one boot off to compare the look of the boot. I have narrow calves that clock in at 12.5"-13" depending on the time of day.

The boot looks good! It is actually very flattering and follows the contour of the leg! Impressed.

There is a little gap still at the top of the boot, but that's fine. I figure I'll have space to tuck in my jeans and whatnot.

So I'll stop whining about how unflattering boots are now. I really do like the look. You just need to find one with the right fit, and that is the hard part.

Thanks for reading! A delicious Part 2 is coming up with another pair of boots, considered a "cult classic".

Love always,

Kim

Black Friday Part 1: J. Crew

2012-12-03T21:27:36Z

Hello!

Black Friday shopping was pretty eventful for me this year. Of course I had to hit one of my favorite stores: J. Crew. The sale was 25% off everything, which was a little disappointing since they had the same promo the week before and a better one the week after (30% off $250+)

But in the Black Friday spirit, I was ready to shop. I went to a the J. Crew store in SF and Corte Madera, as well as the online store. Here's what I got with some reviews:

Toothpick Jean in Polka Dot: (here)

I got this pair in a size 26, my normal size. I LOOOVED this pair of jeans. The material is more rigid than the garment-dyed toothpicks and really sucks you in. The material is comfortable and conforms to your body shape. It is so much more flattering than the regular toothpicks and gives a slimming effect. The fabric is identical to the Toothpick in Geometric Print, which I reviewed a few weeks back. If J. Crew could switch their jeans to this material or make more I'd be a happy camper! They need to stop increasing the denim prices though haha!

Toothpick jean in garment dyed twill in Soft Peach (here):

I got this pair mainly because it was so cheap, essentially $30 after the sale! The fit was tighter that normal as you can see the outline of the pockets, so I'll save these for my skinnier days. As always the material is very soft, but not too flattering on the thighs. The color is a little darker than depicted online, but is still a very pretty light pink. It goes pretty well with the J. Crew heart sweater.

Toothpick jean in garment dyed twill in Shallow Sea (here)

Another purchase because of the price. This pair was also on sale for $30 and green is my favorite color! How could I resist? I already have the toothpick jean with ankle-zip in a similar color, but I wanted a full length pair. I ordered this in a size 26T so it would go beyond the ankle. The fit is TTS, again not as flattering as the polka dot pair on the thighs, but the color is pretty.

Downtown Field Jacket in Mossy Brown (here)

I have wanted this jacket for a while now as I needed something in between a hoodie and a blazer for casual nights. The color is an olive green and it fits nicely, with the shoulders not too broad. This is a size XXS and it runs TTS to a tad larger (I am 00 or 0 in jackets). The material is VERY stiff, so that might turn off some people. I can't even raise my arms fully straight over my head because of the constraint. I'm willing to forgive that though because it looks great on.

Heartbreaker Sweater in Dusk Navy (here)

Is it me or are some J. Crew sweaters (especially the wool/angora blends) itchy? The sweater was cute, but a little short for my tastes. I like the neutral color palette, but yeah...itchy. I am wearing a size XS.

J Crew French Hen Sweater

Haha! Isn't this the cutest print? A hen with a beret! This sweater is sold out online and I was lucky to find it at a store as they thought they no longer carried it. It is the itchy blend I mentioned above, but I willing to overlook that for that French hen! I took a size XS.

Dream Colorblock Sweater in Mint/Grey

This sweater was SO much more comfortable. It is a wool/nylon/cashmere blend is a way softer and much less itchy than the wool/angora/viscose/nylon mix. The colorblock is flattering as the darker color whittles the waist. I am wearing a size XS.

Silk Crepe De Chine Pant (here)

I really like lounging pants. plus points if they are attractive enough to wear out too! The bottom is tapered so the fit is slimmer and more flattering. It is machine wash too I think. Score! The cobalt blue is very saturated and the waistband is elastic with a drawstring. I am wearing a size XS.

Saturday Pant in Heather Coal (here)

Another lounge pant from J. Crew. This time more fitted like tights. The pants are very wearable on their own, not under a tunic or a dress. The material is stretchy and thick, much like sweatpants and incredibly comfortable. Though I often find these types of pants unflattering, it actually fits great due to the thickness of the material that holds you in. I am wearing a size XS.

That's all for now! Hope you found my reviews helpful and if you have any questions, leave me a message!

Love,

Kim

Quickie: Bracelet Stack

2012-12-03T10:32:19Z

I'm a little late to the party about bracelet stacking. I used to keep it single, especially because I had anatomy lab quite often in med school, and wearing jingly-janglies is a huge no-no. But the chunky look has always intrigued me. I wanted a mix of punk, delicate-ness (is that a word?) and a hint of sophistication on my arm candy. I took me a few weeks experimenting with different bracelets/bangles to finally find a combination I liked. I have warm undertones, to naturally gold would look better on me. I didn't want to limit my options, so I decided to include a small mix of silver in it as well.

Here's what I came up with:

From left to right:

Etsy personalized bracelets, Dad's Rolex, Noir Pyramid Stud Necklace worn as a bracelet (here), Cartier Love Bracelet

What do you think? Too much, too blingy? It's a really closeup shot, it looks much less intimidating normally.

Thanks for viewing!

Love,

Kim

Birthday Festivities and an "H" surprise!

2012-11-15T02:21:39Z

Hello everyone!

Hope you had a great 3-day weekend (although some offices still had work :( ) My birthday fell on a Saturday this time, which is always perfect! Let me walk you through my night.

The BF and I went to Melisse, a french restaurant in LA for dinner and had the "Ten", an appropriately named 10-course dinner" The decor was pretty and I was able to sight my 1st celebrity since coming to LA (Pink!).

Here's a quick run through of what we had:

Salmon Egg Roe and Lobster on a Crispy Rice Cracker:

Egg Caviar

Yellowtail

Pumpkin Soup

Raw Scallop Wrapped in Pear

John Dory

Scallop

Suckling Pig

Venison

Cheese

Flavors of Banana Split

Overall the dinner was good, but not exceptional. For example, the small pieces of yellowtail were very tough and seemed frozen! The pumpkin soup was mediocre, something you'd find in a less fancy restaurant. My biggest pet peeve is overcooked scallops. And yes they did it. For $200 + wine per person, I'd expect well cooked seafood. And the servings are TINY. I'm not a big person with a huge appetite, and I wasn't full by the end. It was a good dining experience, however and the wine was great.

Halfway through the dinner, my BF pulled out an ORANGE box. He gifted me my first Hermes piece ever, a Hermes Clic Clac. I was ectatic since I've been eyeing it on other bloggers (Mica!) for a while now. He got me the wider size, which I LOVED but wasn't sure about:

Needless to say I was ecstatic, but still swaying back and forth between the Clic Clac (wider) and the Clic.

So guess what he did...

He ran out the next morning and got me...

I just about died. He spoils me too much and I tell him to stop, even my parents tell him to stop haha! But deep down inside, I love it. :P

Here is a comparison of the Clic Clac and the Clic:

Which size do you prefer?

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Kim

P.S. J Crew is offering 30% extra on sale items online AND 40% off all J Crew Factory items IN STORE.

Unif Dream Jumper Dress from Nasty Gal: Review and Alterations

2012-11-07T01:45:50Z

I posted here about this gorgeous Unif Dream Jumper Dress when I purchased it from Nasty Gal online. The rainbow of shifting colors were beautiful and I loved the sheerness of the skirt as well as the length. The one qualm I had about it however, was the miniscule shorts underneath. I tried to think of a way to add a little more modesty to the dress.

First, here is the dress on me:

As you can see in the previous and next photos, the attached shorts underneath are REALLY tiny. They also bunch up in the crotch area, making me feel like I am wearing a diaper. Not flattering at all.

So I decided to remove the shorts altogether. I was hoping to find a high waisted jersey skirt in a similar color, but to no avail.

Instead I used a shaper skirt slip in a nude color underneath. I liked the formfitting style of the skirt as a contrast to the billowy maxiskirt layer.

Now I can confidently wear this dress out! I looks even more lovely in the sun as the material is slightly glimmery as well. I am wearing a size XS. The dress is still available at Nasty Gal in sizes XS, S and L. It is marked down from $148 to $74!

I paired this dress with gold flat ankle strap sandals and a gold crossbody bag.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

Best,

Kim