Thanksgiving Day Outfit

Wearing:
Topshop peplum dress
BCBG tweed blazer
Anthropologie "ice drops" necklace
Miu Miu patent leather mary janes
Louis Vuitton mini backpack
Mac "Girl About Town" lipstick

By now I'm sure most of you have explored the abundance of sales popping up online.  You probably already know about ASOS and their amazing 20% off everything sale.  Alice + Olivia also has the same sale going on (25% off everything).  But I think the most surprising sale for me is the Nanette Lepore one.  50% off everything?  Sign me up!  She is one of my favorite designers.  I love her super feminine designs.  And all of her clothing and accessories are made in the U.S.  Not very many designers do that!  There are only a handful.

Anyway, I had the most amazing Thanksgiving!  It was by far the best turkey I've ever had in my life.  And I'm very picky about the type of meat I eat.  So I thought I'd share a few links, in case any of you living in the Bay Area may want to buy from these places for your next big meal.

Willie Bird (turkey...it was PERFECTION.  Organic, juicy, and fresh)
Stuffing, broth and cranberry sauce (all organic from Whole Foods)
Apple pie from Petaluma Pie Company (It was a huge hit.  Everyone loved it)
Ice Cream (for the apple pie from Straus Family Creamery)
Produce from Paul's Produce, Sonoma Market, and Whole Paycheck Foods
And we bought squash and sweet potatos from local farmers, which we roasted.

Alright...I've got to go.  Can't believe it's Friday again!  Hope you all have a great weekend.

xo  Azu

Plaid and Leopard

Wearing:
Vintage blazer
Equipment top
Burberry plaid scarf
Joe's Jeans
Zara leopard print flats
Vintage purse
Prada sunglasses
Estee Lauder "Stay Scarlet" lipstick

It's the day before Thanksgiving and I can hardly wait.  Every day, I try to reflect on what makes me happy.  I find that doing so makes even the smallest things meaningful.  It also helps to "erase" any negativity that may be occurring in my life.  I know it's so easy to focus on what may be going wrong, but dwelling in negativity doesn't help.  This is especially true for me on Thanksgiving.  I usually make a mental list of the things that I'm most grateful for.

I'm so thankful for many things in my life. What I'm most thankful for is being surrounded by people who love me.  I'm also thankful for my health, the beautiful valley I live in, and the delicious food I'm about to indulge in tomorrow.

What are you thankful for?

I hope you all have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

xo  Azu

Doberman Sweater

Wearing:
Forever 21 blouse
Topshop doberman motif sweater
Lucky Brand cords in "ceremony purple"
Arturo Chiang kitten heels
Vintage purse
Prada sunglasses
Chanel "Desire" lipstick

The vineyards look like they're on fire at this time of year.  Driving through the highway in November, you get to see a rainbow of autumn.  Coppery reds, burgundy, orange, and bright yellow leaves replace the summer green.  Brown crunchy leaves are the end result.

My outfit doesn't match the beautiful sorbet of colors behind me.  But they do go together quite well, don't you think?  I've worn this outfit so many times before.  It's another one of my go-to looks.  I feel so comfortable in this soft sweater and stretchy corduroy pants.  It's kind of a geek meets chic look with a dash of preppy.  This was the perfect outfit for running errands.  So much so that I actually wore it two busy days in a row!

Do any of you have an outfit (or more) that you keep wearing?  Tell me about it in the comments.  :)

xo  Azu

Pink Blazer and Leopard Print

Wearing:
Zara pink boyfriend blazer
BCBGeneration sleeveless leopard print top
ASOS leather skater skirt (exact one, really similar here)
Tights (don't know where or when I got them)
Nine West booties
Dior sunglasses
Vintage purse
Mac "Girl About Town" lipstick

Hey guys!  It's another Friday and I can't help but feel rushed.  I always try to get everything done during the week so my weekends will be free...but it doesn't always work out.  Last night, as I was trying to finish up a painting, the power went out.  Twice!  To make matters worse, I couldn't sleep very well.  It was crazy windy all throughout the night.  All I could hear were branches hitting houses, cars, and my neighbor's trash bins tipping over and rolling.  When I woke up, it was much worse than I thought.  Trees had fallen over a block away and part of our fence blew over.  Luckily the wind storm is over!  

Now tonight I can sleep well knowing there won't be any crazy noises outside my window.  I'm not used to it being so windy.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!  Thanks so much for reading :)

xo  Azu

Almost Boyish

Wearing:
Equipment top
AG Adriano Goldschmied "Stevie" jeans
Barney's wicker bag
Kate Spade "Isis" platform sandal
Estee Lauder "Stay Scarlet" lipstick

I have some exciting news.  I finally got a facebook page for my blog!  I've wanted to make one for a while.  The only thing that prevented me from creating a page was that I simply do not like facebook.  I've had bad experiences on it before and I swore to myself I would never have anything to do with that website again.  However, things change.  And while my dislike for facebook hasn't really gotten much better, the fact of the matter is that it's one of the best ways to promote your blog.  I've had readers ask me time and time again if I had a facebook account.  I want to help my subscribers reach out to me easier and follow my blog with ease.  So, I did it!

Like my page here:


Raven Locks

Promote Your Page Too

xo  Azu

At Sunset

Wearing:

Forever 21 striped dress worn as a top

Topshop leather shorts

Milly eyelet blazer
Dollhouse bow pumps
Dior sunglasses
Vintage purse
Mac "Up the Amp" lipstick

This dress has proven to be a huge hit in my closet.  I knew there was a reason why I was so frantic to buy it, when I saw it sold out online almost a year ago.  I like that it doubles as a top.  It's a little trickier to wear under shorts than a skirt.  I had to roll it up half way and tuck it in half way too.

By the way, this look was inspired by Nicole from garypeppergirl.com.  She wore a look very similar to this a while back.  I like to give credit where it's due.  Obviously, it's not the exact same look but I had similar items in my closet.  I never liked the idea of copying someone's exact look from head to toe.  I think it lacks creativity.  But I do love having your own take on an inspiring outfit.

Have a wonderful week!  Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?  It's my favorite holiday, so I'm super excited :)

xo  Azu

Military Jacket and a Striped Dress

Wearing:
LaRok "cute cadet" military jacket
Forever 21 striped dress
Anthropologie fanned raffia necklace
Dollhouse pumps
Vintage quilted leather purse
Mac "Girl About Town" lipstick

I have a burning question to ask you.  Do you ever look back at some of your outfit posts and think, "what was I thinking?"

I was looking through some of my older posts today and ran across a couple I found to be questionable.  Actually...it was more than a couple.  More like 10.  

I don't like to criticize myself because I don't think it's healthy.  And I like to make the focus of this blog my clothing, instead of what my facial expressions are (or anything else I may find distracting to my outfits).  But I couldn't help but think of how much better my pictures would have looked "if only my makeup was better" and "if only my hair didn't look so frizzy."  I guess this is where I have to get over it.  It's kind of like looking at the past, right?  Look back, but don't stare.  This may very well be a reflection of what I've felt for such a long time about my life.  I shouldn't look at the past for too long because it may somehow interfere with the present.  This holds true when it comes to outfit pictures, too.

Oh, and before I go.  My friend Amanda took these pictures!  I think she did a fabulous job :)

xo  Azu

A Touch of Leopard

Wearing:
American Rag poncho (old)
BCBGeneration leopard print top
Joe's Jeans
Apepazza "Liverpool" peep toe booties in the color bittersweet
Vintage purse
Mac "Dear Diary" lipstick

This is one of my Go-To outfits.  I've worn this same outfit before, as I have some of my other looks.  The first time I wore it was almost 3 years ago.  The only thing that has changed about this look are: the addition of my Prada glasses, and I'm wearing a different lipstick.  Other than that, it's been exactly the same.

When I wore this outfit again, I was hesitant. I didn't know how stylish or modern it would look in 2013.  I tend to do that a lot with what I wear.  If I wear an outfit repeatedly throughout a span of 3 or more years, I began to doubt my style.  But then I remember that it's not about what is "in" at the moment, nor what is "trendy."  What matters to me most about style is (and should always be) comfort, wearing something unique, feminine, and being true to myself and my personal style.  I need to remember that the next time I make another purchase, too ;)

xo  Azu

Playful Stripes

Wearing:
Forever 21 dress worn as a top
ASOS leather circle skirt/skater skirt
Zara leopard print flats
Vintage purse
Prada sunglasses
Estee Lauder "Stay Scarlet" lipstick

Every once and a while, I'll come across an article online that praises a celebrity for their style or sense of fashion (ie Jessica Alba or Taylor Swift).  Usually the written part of these articles are meaningless publicity lures.   The author will throw in a few flattering pictures of the chosen celeb wearing a stylish look.  After looking at the glamorous and yet severely processed outfits of this celebrity, I scroll down to check the comments.  And commenters, without question, will always applaud the celebrity because "she has the best style" and "she always knows what to wear."

This is where it gets misleading.  I don't think these people understand that most celebrities own a personal stylist.  There is a huge difference between having your own personal style and having your own personal stylist.  Whenever I come across articles like that either in magazines or online, I think of blogging.  If you're a fashion blogger, chances are you don't have a personal stylist.  Not that there is anything wrong with having a stylist to call your own.  But I have way more respect for you ladies (and gents) that get up every morning and actually know how to style an outfit...by yourselves!  You are your own stylists.  That is exactly why I love  looking at all of your blogs.  You guys are for real.  You're not airbrushed, photoshopped, professionally shot and processed by the big fashion designers.  You're not being packaged and sold to promote anything.  Well, some of you get paid to promote certain brands, but that's okay!  It's nothing like the commercialized Hollywood type of fashion we're constantly being fed.

Anyway, I hope next time any of you lovely bloggers see a perfectly styled celeb you think of all the hard work that an entire team of people put in to make that outfit work.  And you can smile secretly, knowing that all you needed to get ready today was a little creativity and...yourself. :)

xo  Azu

Velvet, Peplum, and Cat-Eye Sunglasses

Wearing:
Topshop peplum top
Vintage belt
AG Adriano Goldschmied velvet pants
Nine West pumps
Prada sunglasses (Thanks to my boyfriend! I'm in LOVE with them.  Buy them here or at Sunglass Hut.)
D&G wallet
Clinique "A Different Grape" lipstick

It's finally Friday!  For most of us it's the start of the weekend...but not for me.  I still have loads of work to finish.  Which is why I have to keep this post kind of short.

But before I go...I have to tell you guys about my new obsession:  These sunglasses!  I've wanted a pair of cat eye sunglasses for what seemed like ages (but in reality, it's only been a year).  I looked all over for a pair that would perfectly frame my face.  They were harder to find than I thought.  I finally found these at Sunglass Hut.  But...there was a catch.  With taxes they would have cost me just under $300.00.  I hesitated for months until...my boyfriend surprised me with them!  And now I can't stop wearing them.  I feel like they help to "complete" my look.  Black sunglasses or aviators don't always go with everything.  You know what I mean?  I think it's helpful to have different shapes and colors of sunglasses to coordinate with outfits.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xo  Azu