Goofy Pics: OOTD + The Fashionistas in the Next Cubicle

In order to make it to work on time I have to leave my house at 7:30.  This morning, I woke up at 7:00... aaaaahhhh.  Fortunately, the corporate fashion culture at my job is very laid back.  Jeans are more than welcome, and I take full advantage of that, especially on those mornings when my biological clock fat ils me (I haven't used an alarm in a while now! I wake up at 6 every day...even on the weekends!)  Today's outfit is kinda boring, but do LOVE the shoes, which I've had for at least 9 years. I got these cute blush Enzo Angiolini sling-back pumps on sale at Macy's for about $20 at one of their infamous 65% with an additional 40% off sales.  They are just instant classics! They have a very sweet vintage look to them and they are the perfect shade of blush.

What I'm Wearing...

~ Blush top from H&M

~ Silence + Noise vest, purchased at Urban Oufitters

~ Enzo Angiolini sling-back pump
~ Forever 21 necklace
~ Pearl studs from JC Penney
~ LOFT clutch
(you will notice that I don't change purses during the week #Lazy..LOL)

The Fashionistas in the Next Cubicle...

Do you ever see people on the street looking fabulous and get the urge to stop them in their tracks and ask to snap a picture... oh, that's just me? Well I get that urge all the time, but you can't do that sort of thing without looking like a psycho! Lol! (btw, my fiance' says I'm an undercover lesbian because of all my girl crushes...whatever! I like beautiful people) Since I can't stop strangers on the street, I harass my friends and co-workers instead.  I tell them its not my fault they're so fabulous!!!

Meet Emily and Alison... the Fashionistas in the Next Cubicle...

Emily is the queen of fabulous accessories an she actually moonlights as a jewelry designer... maybe she'll let me showcase some of her stuff one day *wink wink*  She actually scours thrift shops and gem fairs looking for unusual trinkets and stones inspiring some truly unique and beautiful pieces.  I'm totally bummed that you can't see her necklace in the first picture below.  It's a stunning necklace fashioned out of an old keychain.  I'll have to try to snap a picture next time she wears it.  What you can see in the picture is her beautiful scarf. I LOVE the colors.  In the second picture Emily is rockin a gorgeous pair of vintage earrings she picked up on an antique shopping weekend.  I was lusting after them, so I decided to take a pic.










Now meet Alison.  I just love her eclectic style! She is not afraid to take risks and she always looks fabulous!  She also has oh-so-pretty big, bouncy, gorgeous curly hair.

What She's Wearing

~ Top purchased at the Santee Alley a.k.a "the alley" located right in the heart of LA's garment district.

~ black tights purchased at Target

~ shoes purchased at Macy's

~ Ring on right hand is from Target.

~ Vintage ring on left hand was passed down from Alison's grandmother
~ Vintage charm bracelet and necklace passed down from Alison's mom.  The charms on the bracelet are from all over Europe! Don't you just love heirlooms???

In case you're wondering Alison keeps her curls frizz-free, soft and bouncy with Batia & Aleeza sculpting gel.  Curly haired duo, Batia & Aleeza, own a salon in Beverly Hills that specializes in curly locks, and have developed a haircare line made for the curly hair.  Check out their website!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Special Delivery + Goofy Pics: OOTD

Wednesdays are always particularly hard for because I have a 7:30 am staff meeting.  Only 30 minutes earlier than usual, but if feels like 3 hours, and I'm usually a full on zombie! Anyhoo, I was getting settled at my desk waiting for my Outlook to load when I received a delightful, yet unexpected special delivery... my Style Your Dream Wedding book! Those of you who follow my Loving Long Distance blog know that I got engaged last week!!! I am still floating on cloud 9, *sigh* but I get overwhelmed every time I even think about planning a wedding!  Is that weird? Am I the only 28 year old woman that truly has no idea what she wants her wedding to look like?  Well, my mom and I headed over to Barnes & Noble last week to skim through a few wedding planning books.  I fell in love with this book, but not the $49.99 price tag.  I decided to delay gratification and buy the book on Amazon.com instead, which of course means I had to wait for it to be shipped.  Well, I received notice from Amazon last night that my package had shipped but did not expect to receive it within 24 hours! Go Amazon!!! And the book was only $34.99, plus free shipping! Can't beat that! This book has a ton of useful information to inspire bewildered brides-to-be like myself... color palettes, stationary paper recommendations and printing methods, fonts, ceremony and reception ideas, etc and it breaks it all down into "wedding styles" --Classic, Beach, Contemporary, Countryside, Garden, Fanciful, and Exotic.  Well, I don't know exactly what I want just yet, but I do know that it falls somewhere between Garden and Countryside... stay tuned to see how it all unfolds (I'm curious myself! ha!)  There is one thing I am sure of.... THE DRESS!  I want strapless and I want one of two silhouettes -- Mermaid or Sheath.








The Mermaid...



The Sheath



What I'm Wearing Today...~Ryu jacket purchased at Philthy Ragz
~Old Navy White V-neck T-shirt (hiding under jacket)
~Brown Skinny Belt
~Boyfriend jeans, thrifted
~ Nine West sling sling-back platform circa 2005
~ Gold tone hoop earrings from Target


























Thanks for stopping by!!!

The Fashion Blog Gods Have Smiled On Us... Another Giveaway!

Can you believe it! Two giveaways in less than 24 hours! Last night I told you all about Kim at Anthroholic's Shop Ruche Giveway.  As if that wasn't exciting enough, I was browsing through my daily reading list and found that J. @ the Look 4 Less is also offering a giveway. Yippee!  J. is partnering with EmersonMade to give away their fabulous "School Bloom and Goldie" clutch.  A fabulous marigold clutch with a cute navy flower detail.  Check it out below. I LOVE IT! and guess, what it's SOLD OUT! so this might be your only chance to get your hands on one.  Checkout J's blog The Look for Less (http://www.thelook4less.net/2010/05/giveaway-time-win-clutch-from.html) for details and contest rules, and of course don't forget to check out the EmersonMade website for more GORGEOUS floral accessories! 

Good Luck!!!!

Fashion Alert: Anthroholic's ShopRuche Giveaway!

Calling all Fashionistas!!! Our friend Kim at Anthroholic is partnering with ShopRuche.com for a giveaway!!! WE LOVE THOSE! You could be the lucky winner of Shop Ruche's cute "How to Tie a Bow" purse in Navy shown below along with my fave item -- a vintage-inspired floral romper, which retails for the low, low price of $35.00! Can't beat that!  Check out Kim's blog at http://anthroholic.blogspot.com for details and contest rules!

ShopRuche.com by eboni.ife featuring Chocolat Blu shoes

Items in this set:
romper fun : ShopRuche.com, Vintage Inspired Clothing, Affordable..., $35
Chocolat Blu "Jillian" t-strap sandal in cognac, $65
how to tie a bow purse in navy, $39
royal rose and pearl necklace, $35
worn around bangle - $10.99 : ShopRuche.com, Vintage Inspired..., $11

Kim, thanks for introducing me to ShopRuche.com!!! I'm lovin' the vintage, country-chic sorta vibe. The worn, soft denim, and pretty plaids and florals are just lovely! and the prices are GREAT!  I'll definitely be bookmarking Shop Ruche with my other online shopping faves!

Goofy Pics: OOTD

Pretty busy day at work today, and I'm feeling a little drained.  I was barely able to sneak away from my desk to snap a few shots. Btw, shout out to my official photographers at work -- Colleen and Ronnie! These lovely ladies get to see me acting all squeamish in front of the camera. I don't know why taking these OOTD pics makes me feel so dorky! Anyway, today's shots came out a little dark (still waiting to receive my new camera charger!).

What I'm Wearing...
~ Perwinkle-ish camisole that actually came with a sequin blouse that I can't find :(
~ Off-white Amanda Smith silk blouse, thrifted from the Goodwill.  I love how feminine and flowy this blouse is.
~Black Vest
~Trouser Jeans.  You can't really see it in the picture, but these jeans have the cutest vertical railroad stripes.
~ Steve Madden peep-toe booties, purchased at Macy's.
~ Black patent skinny belt that came off of an H&M dress I never wear! Love the belt though :)
~ I ended up not wearing the necklace, but I purchased it at forever 21.  I love necklaces with leaves for some reason.  I  buy them all the time.

Goofy Pics: Failed Silverlake Jubilee OOTD + Blogging Indentity Crisis

Yesterday was an interesting day filled with ups and downs, but altogether good times.  I spent the day with my good friend Gylli.  We intended on going to the Silverlake Jubilee street festival... ummm #FAIL!  We drove all the way there just to be utterly frustrated with the traffic and parking.  After sitting through 4 - 5 green lights trying to make a left turn, only to find that there was absolutely no parking, we threw in the towel and headed to The Grove for a stress-free, crowd-controlled, validated parking structure, fun!  Apparently, we missed out on several tasty delights at the festival, which featured all of LA's fave food trucks.  Yes, folks, us Los Angelenos like to eat gourmet food off trucks.. Indian food trucks, taco trucks, grilled cheese trucks... you name it, we'll cook it on a truck.  And of course, you can't forget the classic ice cream truck, although I bet your neighborhood ice cream truck didn't offer "butter bacon ice cream."  I know, I know... doesn't sound very appetizing to me, but my friends assured me that its quite tasty (I'll take their word for it).








Looking for my keys...as usual...





















What I'm Wearing...
~ I Heart Ronson Boyfriend Shirt Dress. Originally $50, purchased on sale for 50% off at JC Penney.
~ I started out with my Old Navy black shorts (circa 2008), but ended up wearing my black ruched leggings because it was a little chilly out.
~ No name brown suede belt that I've had for at least 5 years.  It's on its last leg but I love the texture and dusty brown color.  I'll definitely be taking it to the shoe shop to attempt a repair before throwing it out.
~ Jessica Simpson "Virnica2" suede boots in dust. (seen here)
~ LOFT handbag (seen here. purchased this past weekend at the Manhattan Beach mall marked down to $39.99 from $98)
~ Mossimo sunglasses. $16.99 at Target
~ FAVE bumble bee broach that is usually a permanent fixture on my H&M Jean Jacket collar. I snagged this from my mom's jewelry box one afternoon when I was helping her clean out her closet.  She would never wear something like this, but I love it! She laughs every time I wear it.  Shout out to my girl Laurina... she says I'm an old lady! haha :)








Blogging Identity Crisis...  
As a newbie to the wonderful world of fashion blogging, I am still finding my voice.  Thanks for bearing with me!!! :)  So my lovely friend Gylli has urged me to change the name of my blog.  I love Gyl for her honesty!  She explained that she loves my blog but the word "frugal" was basically a turn off because it implies cheap.  I have to admit that the name never really felt right, but it did encompass my approach to fashion -- keeping it fashionable and stylish without going broke.  It's really about making fashion accessible for any budget, and this is how I came up with my blog's new name -- The Fashionista Next Door.  When you think of the girl next door, you think of that naturally beautiful girl who always looks Fabulous.  Her effortless style is what makes her so accessible.  Well, I hope you all like the new name.  Thanks for the advice Gylli!!! and thanks for standing in as my photographer this weekend. I've still got our Top Accessory Picks to post.