Primped up Kicks

Had to share these cute little things from Kate Spade.
Might also be a little post-NYC blues.
Just sayin'

May 22 : Change

Alright, husband.
It is HIGH TIME you trade
your dirty old Made-in-China Fei Yues
for a more decent pair of kicks.




Can you believe they sell this same pair on Urban Outfitters for USD$60?
We got it in good ol' Shanghai for less that USD$10!
I think I shall get my friend to bring a few pairs when she comes to visit,
but for now J can make do with his new Vans!

Found: A Nautical Affair

Via

Now that it's summer, I'm longing to hit the lake!

And I actually sat down and created a mood board for it too! Phew! It was time consuming but super fun! Here are my picks from my favorite sites!



:: Swimsuit :: Bib necklace :: Heels :: Maxi Dress :: Tote Bag :: Ring:: 




I love stripes, the color palette red, white and blue. So one weekend I whipped these up!


Here and here




Have a wonderful week ahead! There's time yet, to plan for a nautical weekend!

You say Rain Boots, I say Wellies/ Gumboots/ Galoshes

Just as I read Katie (of HazelandMare)'s haiku about rainboots,

Gilt Groupe sends an email with rain boot sales!!!



Some cute pink quilted ones...


And cute English plaid ones


Mustard colored lace-up boots! Gotta love the color mustard...


This was my very first pair. I got them from Target years ago, before I ever stepped foot in the US of A. I was living in China then, and a friend was going back to the States for a vacation. She asked if she could bring me anything, and this was what i asked for! I still can't believe how kind it was of her to bring it back for me! I wore them all around the streets of Shanghai, rain or shine. I remember the locals casting side glances and smirks at me on sunny days. But when it rained, I got the last laugh!

I miss them. Time to shop for a new pair! (*waits impatiently for payday*)

Birthdays are FUN!

Hello blogosphere!

Firstly, I'm done with my summer camps! I was completely getting into the groove of it all and then they ended. Bleagh. I wish they'll let me teach some day classes soon! I miss my babies! My gardening camp was so much fun and the kids so enthusiastic we could go on forever!! D said on the last day of camp, "i will miss you!" and made my heart melt. I took them on a nature walk in the park. We caught a caterpillar, seen beautiful spiders and their webs, found a dead (crispy) cicada and picked acorns and pine cones!

These are the babies from my two camps! I love my youth volunteer assistants too!!








And then I got new kicks for my birthday. Rocking it out at work everyday now. New Balances are sooooo comfy!



My manager G baked me some special cupcakes because she missed my b-day dinner! So sweet of her! And the cupcakes were gorgeous and yummilicious!!!



i'm going car hunting this weekend! Wish me luck! I hope i find my dream drive soon!

Rock the Style: I'm a Vans Fan!

I bought my first pair of Vans when I was 14 as part of our *ahem* cheerleading outfit. *cough cough splutter splutter*

Those were some good ol' days. Our cheer team was more into the rocker chic style than the typical cheer uniforms with cute pleated skirts. And our cheer captain dictated we buy Vans shoes to complete the look. I loved my black canvas ones, complete with chunky soles. Not the best choice, for it made climbing on the other girls tedious, and we were always bruised at the end of practices, but it was great street style.

Anyway, i am debating on getting myself a pair, so i can wear them to work, instead of wearing out my good hiking shoes...

Here are some cute ones I picked out... wouldn't they totally rock your socks? I know they would mine... *pun totally intended*



#1 Cedar, Women in Navy


#2 Woven Buffalo Plaid


#3 Hippie Plaid E-Street


#4 Striped Palisades


#5 Micro dot in Navy



What's your favorite?? I think I might get #3!

Etsy Pick of the Week :: VerseauVintage ::

I totally have to gush about this Etsy store I found! I am completely in love with the vintage items featured in VerseauVintage. All the pieces for sale have such an elegant and classic feel to them!

I would have hearted like a million items on there but thankfully, Etsy gives you an option to heart the shop instead, so that is what I did. But oh I do love the shoes - from pumps, to heels, to moccasins; and the bags! Oh I do! I do love!

Here are some of my faves!


Cobalt Blue Pintuck Leather Pumps


80s Buttery Soft Black Quilted Leather Purse


Brown Leather Stacked Heel Brogue


I.Magnin Noir Pleated Leather Black Clutch


Eel skin Leather Flats (Wished this was in my size!)


Espresso Brown T-strap Woven Sandals

I think I'm going to get something from the store with my next paycheck! ♥

Chloe Dao Special

So this is the Chloe Dao (of Project Runway fame) dress that I bought and finally wore.




This picture of the same dress is taken off Lot 8, Chloe Dao's Boutique in Houston, Texas.



This was the other dress i tried, which had fitted me like a glove.



But i fell in love with the first and I know I made the right choice. :)
I'm not a heels kinda girl. But what do you think? Pair it off with boots or heels?

Thrifting: Blue Bird Circle Resale Shop

A trip to Houston yielded fantastic finds!



Ralph Lauren Polkadot Knitwear @ $12.00

Agreed. It is a little overpriced as far as thrifting goes. That said, the quality was top notch. It was 'gently used' and to my standards, hardly used. And I had a budget, along with the other items I bought, I remained within budget. All in all, a very good buy. Considering I could match it with this.



Which was my 2nd pick from the store for $8.40. It was an interesting piece with prints of blue ribbons and chain links.

Another pick of the day:



A Liz Claiborne Striped top that was brand new with the tag still on it!
A great steal for only $8.oo

Flats again! My absolute favourite type of shoes.



For an awesome discounted price of $5.60

Another piece I picked out was a Lucky Brand long sleeved brown top. I fell in love with its softness and flared sleeves. It is definitely a top I can lounge around in, pairing it off with a camisole because of its wide drooping neckline.



It had cost me only $11.00 given the almost new condition it was in. I love wearing it!

Now, the best part about this whole shopping experience was that when I tried on all the pieces in the dressing room, I realised I could mix and match all the pieces! I hadn't realised, but they all had shades of blue or brown or white. As a result, not only had I picked out 5 separate pieces, but i also gained about 3 different sets of outfits!

Definitely a MegaSCORE!

You'll have to check out this one if you are ever in Houston.

Blue Bird Circle
615 W. Alabama
Houston, TX
Phone: 713-528-0470

Thrifting: Stuff Etc

On a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I found this huge consignment store with the help of my husband's grandmother.



Leather box tote bought at $6.99

A sturdy leather tote that I now use to house my polaroid camera. It's good for taking out on little field expeditions, like when I go mushroom picking, or bird watching. My polaroid and digital camera fit perfectly in it, along with a few cases of polaroid film.


Pink Pumps bought at $6.99

I was in the checkout lane, waiting in line to pay for my stuff. As I silently added up how much my purchases would cost me, my eyes continued to roam around the store, hoping to catch a glimpse of something I might have missed. I am a pumps person. Heels, no. Kitten heels, maybe. Pumps, ooh I LOVE! So when my vision zoomed in onto these shoes, I excused myself from my line and made a lunge for them. A quick mental calculation brought a satisfied smile to my face. I was still within budget, which meant that I didn't have to discard anything else in my shopping basket.


Vintage Mustard Yellow Traveling Trunk $14.99

Our most expensive purchase for the day. My husband found this and called first dibs. Now he uses it to travel around, but only when he is traveling light. We are very careful with it because we don't know when the trunk might burst open, spewing its contents on other bewildered travelers. So far, though, the trunk has been sturdy and strong. No such mishaps.


Chicago Bears' Jersey (Boys) $6.99

I had been looking to buy a Chicago Bears' jersey, but the ones they sell on the NFL website are super expensive. So my heart skipped a beat when i saw this on the racks. It was a perfect fit! Item automatically transferred onto the Must-Buy list.


Owl Wall Hanging, Set of 2 for $3.00

Stuff Etc (Cedar Rapids East)
252 Blairsferry Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 5240

They have many locations, do check out their link above for phone numbers and operating hours.

Marimekko + Converse = ♥

I have always adored Marimekko prints. Now that they are splashed all over Converse shoes, what is there not to love??

So cute!