Where's Wednesday?: In the Rain

I love autumn weather.  If anything, living in Chicago for 4 years only magnified my appreciation for Fall.  There's something romantic about the briskness that lingers in the air and the chilly breeze that brushes past me.  Being back in the beachy area of Southern California, where the weather consistently remains sunny, I actually miss the sporadic rain.  In Elementary and Middle School, I secretly prayed for rainy days because they meant movie days during recess, PE, and lunch.  The cherry on top was coming home to a nice cup of hot chocolate and a new Disney movie that my mom bought from Sam's.  Well, my wish came true today, and we saw rain.  Hearing droplets hit the ground and feeling the moisture made my skin tingle.  Best of all though, we can say good-bye to summer clothes and say hello to cashmere sweaters and boots.  Rainy mood calls for rainboots and proper gear.

1. Penfield Lucedale Puffy Vest (available at Madewell) 2. J.Crew Painter Boatneck Tee in Stripe (similar tee online) 3. Madewell Skinny Jeans in Western Wash 4. Hunter Original Tall in Ruby Red 5. LA Dodgers Cap

My idea of concluding the perfect, rainy evening? Some acapella, oh baby.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mjvfnUAfyo&w=560&h=315]

Until tomorrow...

Love, Pristine Christine

Tough Tuesday: Working in Comfort and Feeling Loved

Tough Tuesdays call for comfortable working clothes.  The problem occurs when we mistakenly believe that such attire comes at a cost--sacrificing chic and cool.  Really, statement shoes and accessories (ex. belt) can transform a simple outfit into something fashion-fantastic.  Men, simply wear a collared button-up shirt inside a bomber jacket, and you'll be the coolest kid in the cubicle room.  Ladies, say hello to roomy peg pants and trousers.  An effortlessly coordinated outfit appears to be so much more when pieced together appropriately!

Now, whether you're riding the subway to the office or taking a break, you must read an article written about love.  Towards the end of it, I could not help but to pause and reflect.  How true, I thought.  Until our honeymoon, we fool ourselves into thinking that we love our prospective spouses.  The all-too-familiar verse, "Love is patient.  Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud," rang restlessly in my heart.  How often is our patience tested prior to marriage?  How often are we challenged before our wedding day to be slow to anger and hold back our sharp tongues?  Not very often.  Actions speak louder than words, and I wonder how many of us will and do love our spouses? 

Love,

Pristine Christine

Friday Fashion: Fall-in' Back with Graphics

Top (left to right): 'Horsing Around' J.Crew Sweater; TIBI Lady Liberty Sweater; Burberry Brit Dog-Intarsia Sweater Bottom (left to right): Max&Co. Sambuco Wool Sweater; Autumn Cashmere Pow-Intarsia Sweater; Milly Kiss-Intarsia Sweater

Don't be afraid to reveal the inner-child in you this Fall.  Trends for patterns and prints vary every season, but we inevitably still see them on the runway to a certain degree.  Graphic sweaters and tees?  Not so much.  While designers display them from time to time, it's rare for a wave of highly revered ones to be so forthright about them.  However, I've noticed that from the collections of Stella McCartney to Max and Co. to Burberry, graphics are 'fall'-ing in style.  The sweaters above are some of my favorites, and if you know me, when I shop, versatility ranks at the top of my priorities.  You can easily throw on a cardigan vest or blazer with these sweaters in mild weather or grab a warm, puffy vest on colder days.  From slipping on a pair of classic denim jeans to flaunting a bit of skin with cute skirts, you won't have to stress about searching for the "right" bottom.

Obviously, we can't always splurge on luxurious items, so if you're more of a trend-follower who discards an item after the trend dies or prefer cute vintage looks, then you might to check out one of the following: 1. Wildfox (wildfoxcouture.com) 2. Topshop (us.topshop.com) 3. Junkfood Clothing (junkfoodclothing.com) 4. Kensie (http://kensie.com/sportswear)

TGIF, everyone!  I still can't believe that it's Friday.  Labor Day Weekend has already arrived.  Last Labor Day, our family went to The Taste (food festival) thanks to the free tickets I received from PBS during my internship there.  Since we hosted a BBQ about 3 weeks ago, our family's planning on taking it easy and going out for brunch by the beach.  If you have any exciting plans, do share!

Love, Pristine Christine

Monday Musings: Relishing the Last of Summer

In approximately 6 days, a new month will replace August, and in approximately 27 days, we will finally face the first day of Fall.  Autumn.  Why do I say approximately instead of exactly?  If we spoke technically, then exactly would imply that at this precise moment, it is 12 am, August 26th.  However, such fails to be the case.  Already, the morning air smells and feels different.  There's a certain briskness to it--chilly yet refreshing at the same time.  Before we bid farewell to Summer, I hope we can relish the last bits of this sunny season.  When else will we be able to adorn our heads with fun straw hats? Not until next Spring at best.  I'm not advocating you to splurge on the items above (more so since Summer is coming to an end), but if you own anything similar, I recommend that you maximize their use for the next few days! (Lanvin wide brim straw hat, Tom Ford sunglasses, Christian Louboutin Copte Flat Sandals, Tory Burch Weston Flat Espadrille on sale for $70, J. Crew Bermuda shorts on sale for $35). Mondays always energize me as I wonder what the new week will bring.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be tough though.  They're neither in the middle nor in the beginning of the week.  Maybe you can resonate with me on this note.  My Monday Musings this morning consist of Buy, Read, Watch.  (I just devoured a whole donut peach after eating some Mayan Blend oatmeal with sliced bananas and almond butter-and-cocoa-almond-spread... eat like a king for breakfast!)

1. Buy Donut peaches/Saturn peaches (http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Donut_Peaches_20293.php) 2. Read the A to Z guide for veggies and healthy, delicious drinks (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323608504579023104034251722.html?mod=e2fb) 3. Watch N'SYNC bring the glam back on stage during the VMAs (nothing can beat old school pop): [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIo0-NZwSM&w=400&h=300]

Donut peaches slide off the pit so easily, which I absolutely love.  They're more sweet than tart or sour, so if you're craving for something that's sweet-sour, then opt for the Emerald Drop pluots.  Until tomorrow then.  Take it easy, my friends.

Love, Pristine Christine

Fashion Friday: Poppin' Colors

Photo Credits: Phil Oh (streetpeeper.com)1. Vintage air force jacket, grey mohair sweater, ankle booties Point: mohair sweater and blue ankle booties 2. Pinstriped trousers, beaded belt, embroidered J.Crew jacket, navy blue jacket, polka dot shirt, blue heels Point: beaded belt, blue heels 3. Kenzo sweater, black skirt, nude heels, black bag Point: heels and sweater 4. Navy varsity jack, blue chambray shirt, high-waste denim, black booties, Balenciaga bag Point: black booties, Balenciaga bag

What's a Friday without some fun?  Some companies like to call it "Casual Fridays," as employees are allowed to dress a little less formal.  Casual does not mean, "Be lazy and throw on a pajama shirt and ripped jeans."  Rather, you have the privilege of playing around with the colors and shapes in your wardrobe.  It's all about adding that one "poppin'" piece to your outfit.  By poppin', I am not referring to a completely random color. Consider the tone of your overall outfit.  Refer to the collage I created above for visual aid and the abridged anatomy of the respective outfits for summary.

The four photos I chose for my collage are a few of my favorites in Phil Oh's collection, but I have slight bias towards outfits 1 and 2. Gorgeous!  I absolutely adore how both subtly add that pop.

Coming tomorrow: Spontaneous Saturday @ BluJam Cafe in Los Angeles and many more gastronomic adventures.

Stay tuned!

Love, Pristine Christine

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