Baby, It's COLD Outside!!

The weather here in New England has been more temperamental than a menstruating female. The forecast is predicting that there'll be snow headed our way this weekend. WHAAAT?????!

The days are getting shorter, and darkness falls by the time I leave my office.To help combat the dreariness of the cold, a bright winter coat acts like a cheerful smile.

Today in particular has been dreary -- it was raining, the wind was blowing, it was pitch black at 6.30pm, and my car was parked far away. 

What was sufficiently warm in the morning, was no longer so...

L/S tee - Forever21

Skirt - Ann Taylor LOFT (30% off)

Scarf - from Malaysia

Tights - Target

Booties - Sam Edelman (with 20% coupon code from Piperlime)
Coat - J.Crew (outlet, on sale)

I swear, halfway through the parking lot, I had to chant in my head "Almost there, almost there!!" I felt like my legs were completely frozen as I struggled to bend my knees to walk. Note to self -- get wool tights.

On a plus note, when the temperature goes down, the scarves come out.

This scarf is a handpainted silk from Malaysia - something that's generally bought as a souvenir by tourists (although I'm not one)

I love the colors and the fact that it's a piece of my heritage.
And no way would I be able to find a $10 silk scarf here in the States!

 

Black is....Comforting

I've been gravitating towards solids lately. Mostly black. With bright red lips. 

Perhaps it's due to the weather. Perhaps it's due to my mood.

Each morning, I get frustrated with the process of dressing up. Mostly because my current closet is the size of a postage stamp. Or more accurately, the size of an original 1950s closet. How did those people manage to look so fantastic with such a small closet? Perhaps the answer is in terms of well-chosen, quality pieces over quality. Much like the French?

Regardless, I'm tempted daily to toss out my whole entire wardrobe and start afresh.

 

Coat - G2000 (Hong Kong brand, purchased in KL, on sale)

 Shirt, pants - Gap (50% off, Black Friday sale 2010)

Belt - H&M

Shoes - Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pump (40% off sale -- these are occuring very frequently these past few weeks, although they are out of my size for the pairs that I've been wanting. Better for my wallet, I suppose)

P/S: Using a fixed lens is a pain in the patootie. I oftentimes have no more space to back off, nor am I able to go higher, away from what I'm trying to capture, without resorting to pulling out a ladder. And I don't do ladders.

Bold

For the past few weeks, I've been partial towards a bold lip. Vibrant, look-at-me bold. 

I got divorced about 3 weeks ago, and after that whole sob story was over and done with, I picked up my daughter and headed to the mall. 

I needed a pick-me-up. Something that made me feel strong, independent and worth it.

I purchased Chanel's Lip Lacquer in Dragon. A bold, beautiful, intense red lipcolor.

Red lips to me brings to mind strong women who know what they want, and get what they want. It's timeless, classic and sexy. 

I've past that moment of insecurity and now I just enjoy how it looks.

A few months ago, I would have never dared to put on any lipcolor other than a nude or a pale pink. Now? I feel like intense color on the lips completes the face. I don't have much time to do my makeup in the mornings, so having a slap of color on the lips just makes me look (and feel) a little more put together.

From left: Chanel Lip Lacquer in Dragon, MAC Viva Glam I, MAC Heartless, Revlon Colorburst in True Red, Revlon Colorburst in Fushsia

My favorite out of the few but growing collection of lipsticks are definitely the Revlon Colorbursts - A single application will last all day, and True Red is a wearable red that's suitable for day wear compared to the Chanel. (Icing on the top is that those ended up being under $2 each, thanks to great drugstore cash back/sales)