TWICE AS NICE

{photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: v-neck crop top {$8/Q}, Lucky Brand men's leather belt, tan cut-out skirt {$8/Agaci}, Michael Kors leather pumps {$20/Buffalos Exchange}, vintage Coach satchel {$15, Savers}

The best things in life...come in twos, right? A very late post of one of my favorites, this simple little get-up was shot over summer right next to my office in LA. Looking at these photos makes me reminisce those long summer days and hot summer nights with the people that make me laugh most. A pool, a couple of beers and great company was all that we needed. Sigh, that and my summer bod. Take me back.

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WANDERLAND

wearing: Vintage striped top {22 euros/Kiliwatch Paris}, gray skater skirt {12 euros/H&M}, vintage leather purse {20 euros/vintage store in Paris}, vintage Longchamp purse {5 euros/flea market}

Life in Paris has been pleasantly, well, pleasant. It certainly has lost a bit of the rosy hue that we all came in seeing, but it is still a beautiful city that stuns and surprises me around every corner. Being extremely lucky, I have met some incredible people that fit into my life so well that I can't even imagine life without them. But even so, I've been stuck in a reminiscing mood and have been missing life back home in California quite dearly. Fortunately, the travel bug has surely remedied that heartache...at least temporarily anyways. Already visited London and Amsterdam (look out for those travel diaries soon!), I can't wait to hit up Italy next!

Here are a few snapshots from a day trip to Giverny, a town outside of Paris where Monet lived. Monet, or Mo-money as I say, lived among a floral wonderland. Seriously. His house and, more importantly his garden and pond, blew my mind. One of my favorite days so far, I can't believe I got to see a sight that has inspired so many great painters. We also stumbled upon a little flea market where I picked up this vintage Longchamp and a cute little black dress for only 5 euros each!

I promise, promise, promise I'll make an effort to update more. I'm more so just being lazy rather than being busy, I'll get back into the swing of things, like taking longer than 2 minutes to get dressed in the mornings #sorrynotsorrybutreallysorry. I'm excited to get a proper outfit shot up soon, stay tuned love bugs!

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NOTHING FANCY

 wearing: gray cardigan {giftcard/Modcloth}, geeky glasses necklace {gifted/ModCloth}, chambray button up {$9/Crossroad Trading Co.}, BDG ankle skinnies {$40/Urban Outfitters}, brogues {$35/ASOS}

These days, easy does it completely does it for me.  I can now get ready for class/life in under 20 minutes, and that's a huge feat for someone like me. I don't really care about re-wearing the same shirt or outfit as I did back home. It just seems to matter less, ironic isn't it? I came to Paris, the fashion capital of the world, and yet I care less about the way I look and especially the way I dress. As Audrey Hepburn once said, and my auntie so kindly reminded me, "happy girls are the prettiest girls." I believe it.

Life has been beautiful and the beauty comes from the smallest victories like ordering a crudité and café crème in French. Some days are definitely harder than others but I'm getting by. I'm just counting my blessings and enjoying a slower pace of living. No work? No club activities? Blasphemy! I have never had such a free semester before and I am completely loving it. What am I doing with all of my free time? Netflixing aside I am always trying to figure out what trip I want to take next. So far London and Amsterdam have been booked (which I am TOO stoked about) and now we're working on Spain and Italy. Life is still so unreal, the magic of Paris hasn't worn off yet.

These photos were taken a while ago, forgive me as I have been lazy and extra lazy. Just another day at Musée d'Orsay, admiring the paintings, pointing at sculptured penises, and trying to steal a french baby. Oh, and rocking a side pony. You know, the usual.

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BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

wearing: vintage southwest cardigan {$3/sample sale}, black Roxy tank top {$10/TJ Maxx}, black high-waisted BDG skinnies {$40/Urban Outfitters}, free ImBoyCrazy tote, gifted black Dolce Vita booties

/ outfit total: $53 /

My first week in Paris was unbearably hot, like ridonk a donk hot. Like sweating through my shorts and have to take two showers to feel normal kind of hot. I'm a Bay Area girl, which means that I love my "sunny but not all that sunny" days. I don't dig humidity, like not at all. Luckily for me, the gods have answered my prayers and given me exactly what I wished for: fall weather. I love my sweater weather, both literally and in The Neighbourhood's way.

And, as it turns out, black is my life. Most of my wardrobe is of the darker variety, who knew when that happened. The possibilities are endless when everything is black. I just love the way it looks against each other, black on black and even black on black on black. Everything matches or maybe I'm just getting lazier. That makes me love this crazy multicolored cardigan all the more, it adds just enough color and it feels like a cozy blanket. You get the best of both worlds with this outfit, as Hannah Montana once said.

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DOWNTOWN

{Photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: Lovers+Friends lace top {$5/sample sale}, ikat PacSun shorts {$5}, gold Lucky Brand bracelet {$3/sample sale}, Lucky Brand beanie {$3/sample sale}, thrifted Coach satchel {$15/Savers}, gifted To Be Announced burgundy wedges {Solestruck}

     // outfit total: $31 //

I'm in Paris! Sure, my vocabulary is limited to bonjour, merci, and je suis but I am falling in love with this city with every passing minute. Everything is beautiful. I finally understand why people say Paris is the place to fall in love, it's hard not to. I am in a perpetual state of awe and amusement, much like a little kid in a candy shop. Always on the go and seeing different face and places, I can't believe I'm actually here.

These were taken a while back in DTLA by my favorite photographer ever, wink wink. This is probably one of the cheapest and most colorful outfits I have worn in a long long time. Sample sale finds and contest wins pretty much make my life and my wardrobe for that matter. It's good to break out of your comfort zone every once in a while, a little dash of color and lace never hurt anyone!

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THE HERE & THE NOW

{photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: Fashion Exchange crop top {$6}, yellow printed skirt {$12/Crossroads Trading Co.}, gifted Dolce Vita booties {ModCloth}, borrowed black waist belt, vintage Coach Satchel {$15/thrift store}

These were taken at the infamous Urban Lights at LACMA on my last night in LA. I'm always one to record different parts and pieces of my life, I like carrying around my memories with me at all times. It's comforting in a way, being able to think back on the good and the bad. Some may call me a romantic and others may think I'm a hoarder, but it's a big part of who I am. 

I fell in love with LA this summer, like really really completely head-over-heads in love with the city. 2013 hasn't been the easiest year for me, it has actually been one of the hardest year by far. Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you when you least expect it, but that's what great about life, isn't it? Being young and resilient, bouncing back is in our DNA. We're constantly being reminded how beautiful and transient life can be and is. 

That's a little backstory about my new tattoo. People have been seeing glimpses and peeks of it on instagram, and here it is, just two days after I got it done. I won't go into the long explanation and story behind it because I think it speaks for itself. I love looking down and seeing this beautiful lotus flower, it brings the biggest smile to my face. It reminds me where I've been and where I'm going; it keeps me grounded and looking forward.

P.S. A huge thank you to Craig J at American Electric Tattoo for making my second tattoo experience even better than the first! Completely obsessed with him and his chill shop, I am so looking forward to my next one.

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GYPSY ROSE

{photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: lacy Ladakh shrug {$25/Wasteland sample sale}, black Lucky Brand tank top {$3/sample sale}, American Apparel corduroy circle skirt {$24/Poshmark}, black flatforms {$30/Free People}, thrifted black one-shoulder bag {$5}, gold Lucky Brand necklace {$3/sample sale}

Traveling has always been my first love, with food and fashion tied for a close second. I've always had the attitude of calling anywhere I lay my head, home. Stemming from my rather nomadic childhood of bouncing around from house to house and school to school, I used to hate it but it's a bit of a blessing in disguise. I'm more fluid now because of it and I feel at ease almost everywhere I go. To see the world is my one running goal in life, it will always be #1 on my bucket list. For a summer, L.A. has been a home and soon enough it'll be Paris. Maybe I was a gypsy in a past life and the wandering heart is something that just never left.

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THE SACK

{photos by Laura Ngyuen}

wearing: Lovers+Friends chambray dress {$20}, Jeffrey Campbell x Free People cowboy boots {$100}, Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony black cat-eye sunnies {$120}, Forever 21 necklace {$7}, thrifted Coach Satchel {$15}

Most people would be mad if you described their dress as a potato sack. I on the other hand gladly named my new Lovers+Friends dress just that. Oversized by nature, I am in love with this airy chambray dress I picked up from the Lovers+Friends sample sale for $20. Not the most flattering design, but it covers up a post-dinner food baby perfectly. Sometimes a sack is just right, for the right occasion of course.

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SIMPLE ADDITIONS

photo credit: Laura Nguyen

wearing: H&M embellished tee {$10}, thrifted Levis cutoffs {$7 via Buffalos Exchange}, Chloe Sevigny x Open Ceremony black cat-eye sunnies {$120 via Poshmark}, gifted leather hobo

A year ago, I would never classify myself as a simple girl. Accessories? Pile them up my arms and all around my neck. Color? The more the merrier! Drama? You best believe that I've got 99 problems and a bitch IS one. But as I grew and my style evolved, I trimmed down the accessories and the flair and just stuck with the bare basics. I now love my blacks and my whites and I love my denim sans rips and designs; it's the core basics that I'm a slave to.

That's not to say that I don't love little add-ons here and there. That's why this embellished H&M top is so beautiful to me, I love the sheer simplicity of it with the added sparkle and shine. It makes even the most basic outfit a tad more appealing to the eye. For now, in a period in my life where I never know what the next few hours of my life will take me, comfort and versatility comes first.

In going with the newly appointed "theme of my life," I changed my blog to reflect my love of the simple things. Just black, grey, white and a little mint. Because really, who doesn't love a good mint? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

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BARE NECESSITIES

I hate underwear. There, I said it. I hate them, I hate them, I HATE THEM! Underwear have always been the bane of my existence; I hate the feel they bunch up, they way they feel, and the way they leave those ugly little lines. If I could do commando all day, every day, I totally would. Seriously, ask any of my friends, they'll tell you that I'm being dead serious. So when I got an email in my inbox from MeUndies, a LA-based & made company, that promises the "world's most comfortable underwear" I was curious and knew that a test drive was a must.

Cute enough, the undies come in these little sealed packages that look like pretzel bags. Later I find out that these are packaged so because you can purchase these from vending machines. How cute is that? I loved the way the undies feel in my hands, they're crazy soft. Putting them on was even better, they stretch to fit all of your curves which is SUPER important for my badonk. I'm a huge fan of the the no frill design, simple enough that both ladies & gentlemen can wear them. Couple undies anyone? I'd way rather that than matching t-shirts, barf.

Literally the most comfortable things my butt has ever had the pleasure of coming in contact with, I can't rave about MeUndies enough. I wish I had a pair for every single day of the year, I would seriously wear these for the rest of my life. Comfort has become so important to me, I feel most beautiful when I'm comfortable. Even though I'm a lover of dresses and heels, I still feel a lot prettier when I'm in a pair of shorts and a tee. The same goes for underwear. Although I love looking at my frilly lacy ones, these briefs just make me feel amazing. 

{Women's briefs in grey, chevron and "love me" by Curtis Kulig undies c/o MeUndies}

Not convinced yet? MeUndies is offering first time customers 20% their first order AND free shipping with the code 020! Seriously it is so worth it, just give them a try!

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RED, WHITE, & BEER

{Photos by Laura Nguyen} 

wearing: H&M denim vest, red polka dotted dress and star button up from Taiwan, Dolce Vita boots, thrifted vintage Coach crossbody

Whats up lovers and friends? Miss me? Cause I've seriously missed ya dearly! Can't believe it's been more than two months since my last outfit post, I've been a very very bad blogger :( I'll try my hardest to change that! 

Hope everyone had an awesome fourth of July yesterday! Went for a laid back day this year to counteract last year's crazy festivities; steaks, fries, and beers at my besties' was exactly what I needed. The conversations were flowing as were the homemade mojitos, let me just say that we make a mean mojito! Passing out at 10PM and waking up at 4AM was the lamest/funniest way to end the night. Oops, guess this girl still can't hang!

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