Lei Ann...Off Duty

*what i wore for a walk in the woods*

this past weekend, the hubs & spent a really nice quick weekend getaway at a resort in the catskills mountain area of NY state.  i’ll be honest, i was leery at first.  sounded too much like glorified camping to me…log cabin rooms, nowhere else to eat for miles, NO CELL PHONE SERVICE!  *gasp*…can a city girl like me who is so “plugged” in all the time actually unwind & relax?

hahahaha…turns out i can!  well, only because the property had strong wifi signals everywhere, so i was never truly “unplugged” :) guess they’re used to out of town guests still wanting to be connected to the outside world….haha!  nevertheless, it was nice to spend time outside with the weather being that perfect blend of brilliantly sunny, yet comfortably cool.  even had the foresight to bring “appropriate” shoe wear for an impromptu hike in the woods & across a creek…while still holding onto my cell phone for dear life.  talk about city folk XD

wearing: express white blouse (old) || target bralette top || wet seal  faux leather leggings || target sunglasses || kohl’s grey wedges

*a different kind of animal print & denim*

going kind of overboard with this elephant print dress by pairing it with my elephant chain belt, don’t cha think?  hey, why not?  if you’re gonna go with a theme, just GO FOR IT right?  hahaha!  *another* kind of animal print overload :)

i first wore this dress for my father-in-law’s & sister-in-law’s dual exhibit art show back in february.  it’s one of my favorite shirtdresses so far…very comfortable, loose-fitting, light, airy & perfect for treating patients.

accessories:  elephant chain belt (via lady luxe - now closed) || target watch || opal dainty ring (V-day gift from hubby)

also, goes well with my denim trenchcoat & denim sandals that i often wear together since they’re so matchy-matchy.  simple formula for an easy, breezy day of work :)

wearing:  gap elephant print dress (gap outlet in FL) || gap denim trench coat (gap outlet in MA) || lela rose x payless denim sandals

*favorite spring outfit ~ black & white striped dress*

ever since i saw *that* oscar de la renta striped ballgown, i had been goo-ga-ga for a similar outfit.  granted, floor-length, full skirted gorgeousness is not practical for *everyday* wear, so, i’m glad i found this little swishy, bubble skirted lovely to tide me over :)

accessories:  hello kitty ring (SF flagship store) || h&m black flower ring || swapped silver filigree bracelet || opal/silver dainty ring

funny how black & white stripes are nothing new for spring, but something about altering the direction of the stripes feels so fresh & new.  forgive me too…being a child of the 80s, i can’t *not* love a bubble miniskirt as well.  can’t wait to style this dress in different ways come (warmer) spring & summer weather :)  

wearing; alythea striped bubble dress (via ebay) || contempo casuals satin blouse (that old!) || F21 earrings || aldo outlet ankle boots

*black & blue*

as a kung fu instructor, i typically have bruises *somewhere* on my body at any given time…either from training with the students or admittedly self-inflicted with weapons work.  wearing black & blue today then would probably be a more *accurate* representation of my true personal style…bwahaha!

wearing: zac posen for target snaps dress || vintage brocade jacket via oona’s $5 bag sale || isabel toledo x payless mesh heels

on a final note about the past few days, those of us in boston have all been feeling a bit bruised.  the physical scars are evident for the bombing victims, but in some way or another, we all have the mental, psychological and emotional scars.  it still feels a bit frivolous to me to post my daily outfits & be happy about new shoes, but we also just have to get back to our normal routines, back to our regular way of life to see ourselves past these tragedies.  let the healing begin…  

*for the love of watertown*

“nothing ever happens in watertown.”  that was mine & my husband’s mantra over the 13 years that we’ve lived here.  we leave our doors unlocked.  once we even left our car doors & trunk wide open at night after bringing in groceries & forgot to go down & close them all.  a neighbor shut them & called us that he did…not wanting our car battery to die down.  nothing ever happens in watertown.

yesterday, as most of you well know, the BIGGEST thing ever happened in watertown.  i won’t rehash all the details…there will be news reel replays & analyses for weeks after for that.  all i can say is i’m grateful.  grateful the events in my neighborhood didn’t end in tragedy & even more loss of life.  i’m so happy i can still drive down arsenal street on my way to target & be proud…not riddled with fear & anxiety.  thank you to all the law enforcement, media & anyone else involved…especially that astute home owner who noticed the blood & rip in the tarp over his boat…in the relatively swift capture of the last boston marathon bomber.  yes, we were on home lockdown for one day, but it ended with us, not at home crying & watching bloodshed on TV, but with us standing on the street waving & cheering police vehicles that drove by.  so relieved it’s all over, but also grateful, proud, and thankful.  it’s a brighter day in boston…and watertown…my town :)

*for the love of boston*

what can i say?  it’s been a very difficult week for boston & will continue to be for a long time.  my heart breaks for this city that i love so much.  aurora…tucson…newtown…us.  we’re now a part of the current landscape of national tragedies.  never thought it would happen.  however, to reiterate the sentiment, we’re boston, we’re strong, we’ll endure & we’ll heal.

*a pop of color*

the most overused terms in fashion blogging (in my opinion) are “obsessed, chic, stylish, pop of color & date night.”  with that being said, on this most rainy, windy & dreariest of days, here’s my outfit featuring “a pop of color.”  hypocrite much?  hahaha!

wearing: michael kors fishermen net sweater || wet seal bodycon black dress || target neon pink bandeau || JC thigh high boots

*style crush ~ tabatha coffey*

i spent the easter holiday weekend in florida with my family.  i have a 2-month old niece & i’m *perfectly* content to sit, hold, feed & coo her all day while my sister-in-law showers, naps or just does what she needs to get done.  one of those days, i spent watching a mega all-day marathon of tabatha’s salon takeover and tabatha takes over.  i vaguely remember her from that shear genius show.  can i tell you though…her head-to-toe opaque black ensembles are truly enviable!  these aren’t even the best of the outfits that i watched during those episodes.  her penchant for leather, knee-high boots, dramatic fit & flare jackets with ornate shoulders & minimal embellishments, I LOVE!  for someone whose own personal style involves lots of color & print mixing, it’s quite ironic that most of my style icons are those who wear solid black.  *or* it could also be that tabatha reminds me of another one of my favorite ghost-haired, gothic black-wearing beauties…hahaha ^_^

images via bravotv.com & imdb.com

*blogger day at wrentham village premium outlets - spring edition*

it was blogger day at wrentham village premium outlets once more!  we loved our first trip in the fall & when are kristen, sami & i *not* always up for hanging out together?!?!  of course we went!  this time, najeema of a stylized hysteria & kara aka the bostonista also tagged along for a super fun girls’ day out :)

this fine sunday morning, we started our shopping excursion at the oak room long bar & kitchen located in the fairmont copley hotel for a lovely brunch!  the menu was amazing & i had a hard time deciding, but went with the yummy smoked salmon flatbread. everyone else had frittatas & brioche french toast & BACON which all looked delicious!

after brunch, our van picked us up & whisked us away for our afternoon of shopping!  susan, the marketing director at wrentham village premium outlets, was just as accommodating & enthusiastic as last time.  she even took us around to the newest shops there…joe’s jeans (so excited i *finally* got the perfect pair of white jeans) & max studio.  

after that, we were left to our own devices to shop around on our own.  najeema found a gorgeous blush pink/grey print dress & kristen, the cutest rebecca minkoff crossbody bag!  i, funny enough with baby clothes so much on my mind, bought my nieces cute little things from carter’s.  don’t worry though, i shopped for myself as well!  can’t wait to show ya’ll what i got ^_^  thanks again to the management both at the fairmont copley & wrentham village premium oulets for such a wonderful time!

disclaimer: i received brunch via the oak room long bar & kitchen as well as gift cards from joe’s jeans & wrentham premium outlets, but opinions are 100% my own ^_^