Wild Roses

Wearing:
WildFox Couture rose tee
G By Guess cheetah print pants
Nine West "MainStay" booties
Vintage purse
Mac "Girl About Town" lipstick

I can't take credit for this cheetah and floral combination.  I saw it on a model when I bought this T-Shirt from WildFox.  It was something I knew I had to try out on my own.

Also, please ignore my massively chipped nail polish.  I am NOT a girly girl when it comes to doing my nails.  I actually kind of hate doing them and find them to be sort of a chore.  The smell of any and all nail polish really bothers me too.  Nail polish and I just do not go together.

Well there you go.  That was your fun little Azu fact of the week!  I have to go now, so I really hope you all have a safe and happy weekend.  My Friday was off to a rough start, but I know it will get better tomorrow... I get to spend an entire day hiking with my boyfriend :)

xo  Azu

Leather Shorts, Sequin Beret

Wearing:
Vintage short sleeve blouse
Topshop doberman motif sweater
Topshop high waisted leather shorts
Nine West "Mainstay" booties (buy them on sale here)
Saks Fifth Avenue sequin beret
Dior "Glossy 1" sunglasses
Vintage purse
Burberry watch
Mac "Up the Amp" lipstick

This is my Preppy-Meets-Cool look.  I've worn this combination of items before together (minus the hat and boots) and it's one of my favorite outfits.  My dog motif sweater is something I can wear over and over.  It has proven to be extremely versatile.  I can't wait to show you more ways to wear it.

I hope you're all having a good week so far!  It doesn't feel like a Wednesday to me.  As I type this I'm sitting here by my window sipping on some yummy chocolate Yerba Mate tea (my new favorite).  It's cloudy at the moment.  And for some reason this lack of sunshine has me thinking that it should be Saturday today.

Oh...how I wish it were Saturday.  There's still lots I have to do before the weekend.  Have a great Wednesday, everyone :)  Thank you for following along and reading!

xo  Azu

Tartan Blazer

Wearing:
Guess cropped plaid blazer
Bebe silk ruffle blouse
Citizens of Humanity jeans
Seychelles peep toe booties
Louis Vuitton mini back pack
Estee Lauder "Stay Scarlet" lipstick

I've mentioned before how I often make a connection to a piece of clothing, with a memory of when I purchased it or wore it last.  Whenever I wear this cropped blazer from Guess, I can vividly remember the time that I bought it.  I originally saw it at Bloomingdale's in San Francisco.  They didn't have it in my size in the color I wanted, but it was on sale.  I wanted it so bad and I knew it would be a mistake to order it one size too large (or one size too small).  I ended up hunting it down moments later at the same mall at the Guess boutique.  They had both colors (blue/green and this red color).  It wasn't on sale, unfortunately.  But I had to have it.

After buying this blazer, I walked down the street to meet my boyfriend.  He was working on a mural at Tropisueno at the time.  I excitedly showed him what I bought that day.  And like always, he approved of my new buys :)

 That was almost 5 years ago!  Now, when I ask my boyfriend, "Do you remember when I bought this blazer?"  He too can remember that day when I met with him.  We had just started dating back then.  He even remembers what I was wearing that day.

I think it's important to create positive moments that will one day become cherished memories.  Even if nothing significant or major happens (sometimes it's those little things that count).  It helps to have something like a unique piece of clothing to trigger a past memory.  Do any of you have clothing that reminds you of something positive from your past?  Share in the comments.  I'd love to hear about it :)

xo  Azu

Minty Fresh

Wearing:
Free people shrug/cardigan
Maxstudio top
Topshop "Baxter" jeans
Nine West pumps
Prada sunglasses
Mac "Girl About Town" lipstick
D&G wallet/clutch

Just a quick (and yet photo-heavy) post before Friday!  I wore this shrug/cropped cardigan for the first time in a few years.  That seems to happen to me a lot.  I like rediscovering clothing I've had for a while.  Especially when it's a cute, unique piece from Free People.  :)

Hope you're all having a great week so far!  I have to keep this super short because...well...look how late it is.  I'm a grandma on the inside and I enjoy my sleep.  But I thought I'd update you guys with another outfit post.

xo  Azu

Shorts in January!

Wearing:
Thermal
Topshop American flag shorts
BLACK by Saks Fifth Avenue sequin beret
Vintage quilted leather purse
Nine West booties (old)
Estee Lauder "Stay Scarlet" lipstick

Here I go again with my late night posts!  It was a holiday today (MLK Day) and I had too much fun during the day.  It got in the way of my weekly Monday post.

I'm actually kind of amazed that for the second year ever, it seems like people have forgotten about Martin Luther King Jr.  It's disappointing that a bigger deal was made about Brad Pitt's stupid hair cut than one of the most important people in American History.

I actually planned on mindlessly rambling about how happy I've been with this warm weather we've been getting.  But instead I'm going to share two of my favorite quotes from MLK.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal." (1963)

What are some of your favorite MLK quotes?

xo  Azu

Cozy Cardi

Wearing:
Silk contrast shirt
Vintage sweater
Citizens jeans
Nine West booties
Chanel aviator sunglasses
Mac "rebel" lipstick

I read in a magazine once that men don't understand certain fashion trends.  One of those fashion trends they fail to understand is when women wear anything boxy (like shift dresses) or other types of clothing that hide our bodies (kind of like my cardigan).  Apparently, the opposite sex doesn't "get" why we choose to look "frumpy" by hiding our bodies behind shapeless garments.

Prior to reading that article, I don't think I ever thought much about what men think about women's fashion.  And it made me more aware of how others may see me.  But that didn't stop me from continuing to wear boxy, shapeless clothing.  In fact, I think I wore it even more.  Not as a form of rebellion, but because I discovered how liberating that type of clothing can be.  And because I came to realize that dressing for me feels so much better than constantly trying to please someone else.

I'm also a firm believer that you don't have to wear a skin tight short dress to look sexy or feminine.  In fact, you can wear a loose fitting sweater, be covered up head to toe and look even more fantastic (and stylish) than if you had worn a skimpy dress (obviously, it has to be weather appropriate, but this is just an example).  Less is more when it comes to showing some skin.

While this outfit is probably far from sexy, it is still feminine.  And more importantly, it's comfortable.

xo  Azu

Fur and Gold

Wearing:
BCBG shirt
BCBG fur stole
Joe's Jeans
Apepazza "Liverpool" bootie in the color bittersweet
MICHAEL Michael Kors "Charlton" cross body purse in the color persimmon (from last year)
Asos hair chain
Burberry watch
Mac "Rebel" lipstick

As I mentioned the last time I wore this outfit, I'm OBSESSED with persimmons.  So when I bought this bag, it was funny to see that the color is called persimmon.  Sorry if I already said that last time I wore this purse lol.  I'm super tired and it's later than I normally post.

I have a serious question for you guys.  I know the topic of fur in fashion can be very controversial.  So I have to ask...do you wear real fur?  What do you think of it?  I'm sure most of you are fully aware of the way fur is brutally "harvested".  This post isn't made to judge anyone that wears it or anything like that.  Heck, I wear fur all the time.  Most of my fur is vintage, though.  But this particular piece is pretty new.  It came attached to a cardigan.

Anyway, I just wanted to see your thoughts on wearing fur.  Is it a do or a don't?  I won't judge you at all!  But some people get really crazy and judgmental like Peta when it comes to fur.  I'll tell you what I think later.  I have too much to say on the politics of it.  For now, I'm ready for bed!

xo  Azu