Petite Online Store | Gambita - Flower Power

**Sale alert: The Kate Spade Gayla sunglasses I am wearing here is on sale on Gilt for $69.**

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This is the 2nd look I did for Gambita (see the first look here). I am not exactly crazy for the floral print trend but I love this blouse. It’s silky soft, flowy and so easy to wear. When it comes to floral print, I prefer more subdued pattern. For this outfit, I decided to pair the blouse with a blue pencil skirt to create sort of a monochromatic look. Gambita generously offers a discount to readers of this blog. You can use code “Gambita4Sydney'sFashionDiary” at check out to get 30% off your entire purchase. I have one more look for you and will be featuring it in the next few days. I am sooo looking forward to having a 3-day weekend. What are your plans?

 

What I am wearing:

Blouse: Mya top by Yumi Kim (also available here)

Skirt: J.Crew No. 2 pencil skirt in wool

Sunglasses: Kate Spade Gayla

Shoes: Banana Republic Jenna (identical style here)

Watch: Michael Kors 5128 in rose gold

Bag: Tory Burch Robinson double-zip tote

   

Disclaimer: This top is on loan and will be sent back.

Petite Online Store | Gambita - Jewel Tones

A month ago, the founder of Gambita reached out to me and asked if you'd be interested in working with the company. She is a really petite girl herself and always has struggled with finding clothes that fit properly. This year, she decided to do something different and launched her own company. Gambita is an online store that sells clothes exclusively for petite women. While this blog is no longer cater specifically to petite women, I am more than happy to help spread the word.

 

What I am wearing:
Skirt: Ana skirt by Yumi Kim - size S (also available here)
Top: Bebe *a gift from my sister* (buy similar here or here)
Shoes: Express two-strap heeled sandals
Sunglasses: Kate Spade Gayla

This skirt is really beautiful in person. The attention to detail is absolutely breath taking with impeccable bead work. This outfit is great for date night (which is rare for us these days). Sorry for the wrinkled top. It’s been sitting in the storage for quite some time. I absolutely love the jewel tone colors and the mix of textures going on in this outfit.

 

Gambita sent me a package full of eye candy. I put together a few looks and will be spotlighting them throughout the week. I had so much fun playing dress up and hope you enjoy as well.

 

Disclaimer: The skirt is on loan and will be sent back.

Leafy Spring Print

Besides this dress, I also found these pants in the back of my closet while packing. They are practically brand-new. I bought them years ago for an interview and only wore them once. I don’t wear pants every often so it’s been fun to rediscover those forgotten items that I can use to change up the look. Besides this pretty blouse, the Shop Velvet package that landed on my doorstep a few weeks ago also consisted of this pretty top. I am always open to try different cuts and shapes when it comes to fashion. With that in mind, I am drawn to this top because of its unique characteristics. I absolutely adore the interesting neckline. I am participating in Tara's what I wore to work link up today. Gosh, I can't believe that it's Thursday already! Where did the week go? Not that I'm complaining =) Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

 

What I am wearing:

Bottom: BR Martin pants - size 00R (buy this year's version)

Top: Morgan top in black and white c/o

Watch: Micheal Kors 5128 in rose gold

Purse: Tory Burch double-zip Robinson tote

It's been three years....

It's been 3 years since I've started this blog. For the most part, I still enjoy blogging. Although, can’t say I am as excited as I was 3 years ago. This past 3 years, I've learned a lot about my personal style and how to dress for my body. Blogging certainly becomes a part of my daily routine. I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your continued support during the past 3 years. Your readership is appreciated.

I wrote a post about making plans for our lives on October 2010. Fast forward 2.5 years later, we are pleased to cross another item off our list and that is finding our “dream” home. It's not a million dollar home by any means but it’s everything we wanted to be. Last weekend, we've packed our belongings, said goodbye to neighbors and moved to a 2-bedroom apartment while waiting for the new house to be built. Downsizing from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom apartment was definitely a challenge. I had to downsize my wardrobe from 2 closets to 2 cardboard boxes and that is everything I have for the next 5 months =) The rest of it goes to the storage for the time being. On the flip side, a small wardrobe hopefully will force me to be more creative with combinations. Over the next few months the blog will be very sporadic so please bear with me.

With all that said, my Mother’s Day weekend consisted of hauling boxes, unpacking and cleaning for the most part. I had no time for myself but to me, everyday is Mother's Day when I am with my kids. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of love and laughter.

Colorful Chevron

Just a quick casual look with some bright colors and bold accessories to brighten up a gloomy day! I love this dress (it's available in 2 colors). It’s fun, easy to wear and of course, bonus points for the pockets. FYI, this dress runs super small. I am wearing a size medium here and it fits me perfectly. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

 

What I am wearing:

Dress: Orange Dress With Rainbow Wave c/o - size M

Shoes: Banana Republic *old* (splurge - love! or steal)

Necklace: Amrita Singh *old* (buy similar)

Watch: Michael Kors 5128 in rose gold

Jacket: H&M *old* (almost identical )

2013 Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is just a few days away (this Sunday 05.12). I've been on the hunt for the perfect gift for a very special woman in my life. I can't stress enough how lucky I am to have my mother around. Mother's Day is an opportunity to show how much we appreciate all she does. Here are some ideas that I think would make wonderful gifts for Mother’s Day.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

• Chanel Chance: I'm not a fragrance type of person but my Mom is. I tested this scent a few months ago at Sephora and I LOVED it. It is a beautiful soft and seductive scent. It smells insanely good. I got this for my Mom this Mother’s Day and hope she’ll like it. Sephora currently offers a free mini fragrance with any $25 purchase. You can choose one of the following items: Dolce & Gabbana The One Desire, Chloe Eau de Parfum, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, Versace Bright Crystal and Clinique Happy. I ended up getting the D&G The One to try. Beauty insiders also get triple points on any fragrance purchase.
• Clarisonic Mia: I got this for my Mom last Christmas and she’s been enjoying it ever since. 
• Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: After seeing how great this product works on me, my Mom requested this too (read my review). She’s been using it for a couple of months now and it works wonderful on her skin as well.
• If you want something a little more personal, monogram jewelry is the way to go. 
• Flowers and personal notes never get old. You can get $40 worth of Mother’s Day flowers for $20 from FTD.com via Groupon. I did get one for myself.

It doesn't have to be any sort of gift. You can take her out for brunch or who doesn't need a little pampering, right? or just simply pick up the phone and say Happy Mother's Day. Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your day with your Mother. As always, it's the thought that counts. I sure will enjoy this special day with my 2 precious girls.

Soft colors

What a gorgeous weekend in the Midwest! Yesterday, I took my newspaper skirt out for a spin. Lately, I can't seem to get enough of circle/full skirts with flowy blouses. I wore this skirt with a black turtleneck a few months ago when it was cold outside. This time, I paired it with a moss green blouse for a spring look. I love the soft colors of this outfit. The combination of moss green and newspaper print certainly gives this outfit a vintage vibe. I hope you enjoy your weekend as well =)

 

What I am wearing: 

Skirt: DIY (see my tutorial) 

Blouse: Velvet Felicity shirt c/o

 Shoes: Express two-strap heeled sandals

Sunglasses: Kate Spade Gayla

Black and White Pompeii

I am a huge fan of fit and flare dresses. Personally, I think the fit and flare dress is flattering to most body types as it is designed to achieve the ideal hour-glass shape. Thanks to Rosy Ruby for sending over this beautiful dress. I love that the material is lightweight and breathable but not sheer. The dress fits great and hits just above my knees. Since the flirty silhouette of the fit and flare dress can be childish, I like to offset it with a more mature print. Black and white pattern adds a timeless touch to this rather youthful looking dress.

 

What I am wearing:

Dress: Call Me Maybe dress c/o - size UK8

Belt: H&M (buy similar here)

Shoes: Tahari Sarina pump

Sunglasses: Selima Sun for J.Crew (similar style by Selima)

Keeping it Simple

Lately I've found myself reaching for my closet basics over and over again. This Ann Taylor skirt remains one of my favorite wardrobe items. Since the skirt is a statement piece within itself, I thought I would keep it simple by pairing it with a plain white tee. I love how fresh this outfit looks. This is probably one of my favorite outfits that I've put together. Of course, it’s not going to be my favorite without my trusty denim jacket. I know it’s way overexposed on this blog =). Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

What I am wearing:

Skirt: Ann Taylor *old* (buy similar in navy)

Tee: H&M (buy similar here or here - comes in 12 colors)

Jacket: H&M (buy similar here or here)

Pumps: Ann Taylor perfect exotic leather pumps (same style in black or nude)

Bracelet: Gold faux pave textured bracelet c/o Yuni Kelley

Purse: Tory Burch Robinson Double-zip Tote (read my review)

Saturday Hiking

The weather was insanely gorgeous yesterday so we decided to take a hike. It took a bit of work to get up to the top but the view was so worth it. The little one actually did better than me. Hiking is a great way to get away from crowds, noise and enjoy the peace of the natural surroundings. Perfect weather, great views and a good workout - a Saturday well spent with the family.

What I am wearing:

Bottom: F21 Contrast Trim Skinny Workout Capris

Jacket: H&M (buy similar here or here)

Sweater: Hollister *old* (buy similar here or here)

Shoes: Merrell Siren Sport Sneakers