Take Me Back

Wearing:
Maxstudio blouse
BCBG bermuda shorts
Steve Madden sandals
MAC "Impassioned" lipstick
Essie nail polish in "Peach Daiquiri" and "Ballet Slippers" on my toes

Do you ever look back at old blog posts (or for my non-blogger friends, do you look back at old pictures) and wish you were there?  Earlier this year, I did that.  I began to look at my old self and compare where I am now to where I was back then.  At first I was a little sad to see how much tanner I was in photos.  And I loved how I had less scars on my body (especially on my knees).  I'm ashamed to admit this, but I even went so far as to criticize my own body through photos.

It got to a point where I was looking at pictures of myself pre-blog, then at pictures of myself when I was little.  Everything was so much more simple when I was younger.  I seemed happier.  I seemed to be free of any worldly troubles.

While digging through some 20 year old photos, I had to stop myself.  I immediately remembered a quote my friend told me about when I was in college.  "Look back, don't stare" was her favorite quote. To her it meant that it's perfectly fine to look at your past...but don't dwell on it and move on.  I thought that was perfect.

It is way too easy to get stuck in the past, isn't it?  "Look back, don't stare" is a great reminder that I need to keep moving on with my life and let the past go.

xo  Azu

Palm Print

Wearing:
Forever 21 palm print crop top
BDG shorts from Urban Outfitters
Topshop "Nelly" sandals (The sole is made of wood, but are SO comfy!)
Topshop hat
XOXO fringe bag (circa 2003)
MAC lipstick in "Watch Me Simmer"

About two weeks ago, Amber and I met up at the Farmer's Market in Sonoma.  What a beautiful day it turned out to be.  Cloudy the entire day, but warm and breezy.  It was the perfect opportunity to shoot some pictures of our outfits.

Although I planned to wear a different outfit, I ended up wearing this boho inspired look instead.  You've already seen this adorable floppy hat from Topshop.  I can't stop wearing it :)  I also wore this leather fringe bag that I bought when I was in High School.  The intricate flower embroidery is what prevented me from tossing this bag ages ago.

xo  Azu

Orange Casual

Wearing:
Dolce and Gabbana almond flower sunglasses
ASOS top
AG Jeans "The Stilt"
Barney's wicker bag
Topshop sandals
MAC lipstick in "Captive"

It was such a bright beautiful day when we took these pictures.  So bright, that shooting in an alley gave me the perfect lighting.  I had to avoid all direct sunlight.  I didn't want the true color of this top to be washed out with too much light.  That way you guys get to see this orange hue better.

The color of this blouse is described by ASOS as burnt orange.  I love the long exaggerated collar and the cascading ruffles.  Even though it's boxy, it's sheer.  And that gives this top so much more depth and wearability.

I'm also wearing my second pair of almond flower sunglasses from Dolce and Gabbana.  These are the tortoise shell ones.  I'm kind of crazy about them.  I love both the original black ones (last seen here) and these that I'm wearing.

Have a wonderful weekend :)

xo  Azu

Summer Blues

Wearing
Forever 21 striped dress
Forever 21 faux suede jacket
American Apparel shoes
Vintage bag
Dior sunglasses
YSL Ultimate Beige

How many of you used to wear jelly sandals when you were little?  I owned a pair that were pretty awesome.  They had sparkles in them.  When I saw these cute peep toe jelly flats at the American Apparel in Vegas, I had to buy them for two reasons:  I hadn't brought a pair of walking shoes and my feet hurt, and they reminded me so much of late 80s and early 90s fashion.

These photos were taken in March.  Even though I don't always do blog posts, I frequently take outfit photos.  Because of this I've accumulated more photos than I have time to post.  So if you notice my hair getting longer or shorter in some photographs, it's not magic.  Some pictures are just older than others.  These here were taken about a month after my last hair cut.  Right after I left my old job, cut my hair, and bought a new makeup palette.  All of those things were such a huge deal to me at the time.  But I'm glad I made those changes (big and small) because I'm now in a much happier state of mind.

xo  Azu

Oh Deer

Wearing:
Aiko fawn print sweater
BCBG lace skirt
Miu Miu maryjane pumps
Prada cat eye sunglasses
YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in "Ultimate Beige"
Location: Santa Rosa
Photos taken by: Amber from Amused Blog (Thanks for the pictures!)

I can't even begin to describe how excited I was when I found this sweater on eBay.  Deer are one of my favorite animals.  And I was even more excited to see how easy this print was to style.  For styling purposes, think of it as a subdued version of leopard print.  Camel and white make this an easy "neutral" to work with.

This lipstick is also something worth mentioning.  I first spotted this color through a beauty blogger a few years ago.  I've been a big fan of bright colored lips for the last several years.  So I couldn't imagine going back to a neutral color.  I finally decided to try it out at Sephora when I went to Vegas.  I loved how creamy this formula was. It's anything but boring. The soft beige hue reminds me of caramel.  This was also my first YSL beauty purchase.  Any of your makeup lovers own this color?  Or anything from YSL?

Thank you for reading :)

xo  Azu

Vintage 70s Dress

Wearing:
Vintage dress from the 70s
Gap denim jacket
Topshop floppy hat
Topshop shoes
YSL lipstick in "Rage"

The first day of June started off rather dreary.  I woke up to the sound of soft rain.  Nothing but gray skies the entire day.   As someone who practically worships the sun, this is sad, sad news.     Once spring starts, I practically live in the outdoors.  Except this year.  Our hottest day in February was hotter than most of March, most of April, and all of May.

This cooler weather allows me to wear light jackets and covered-toe pumps without melting in the would-be summer heat.  I got to wear my new Topshop hat yesterday AND my new Topshop pumps (purchased in Vegas).

By the way, this dress was my mother's in the 70s.  She made it herself.  I've been wearing her vintage clothing since the 6th grade.  I think every girl should own at least one vintage piece of clothing.

xo  Azu