Lei Ann...Off Duty

acupuncturist kung fu sifu speed typist hawaiian-born bostonian zombie hunter...so what's a girl supposed to wear on her day off? leiannoffduty@gmail.com ~ FB: Lei Ann Off Duty

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*wearing rodarte gold in NYC*

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i’m traveling again & it’s crazy how i’ve already shifted from one phase of my trip to another.  i was in NYC for a crazy weekend filled with kung fu, fun, friends…and of course, FOOD!  now, i’m in florida visiting my 2-week old niece & enjoying a lot of leisure fun time with my family.  still taking a lot of outfit photos…but only of my cutie patootie niece!  hahaha!  so, here’s an “old” outfit of me from just a few days ago :)

wearing: rodarte x target gold lace cardigan & tulle dress || faux leather & acrylic belt || target tights || christian siriano x payless booties

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*DIY trio zip clutch*

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i’m a big fan of luxirare & coveted her iphone 5 cases for a long time.  i never pressed ‘purchase’ however due to me being an android girl & worried my phone would never fit the case.  still, i was in love with the triple compartment design.

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then, i saw a pair & a spare’s easy DIY of the similar (and bigger) celine trio bag & immediately wanted to try it (plus how adorable is little miss pair & a spare)!  i’m one of those rare species of girl that doesn’t carry a lot of stuff in my every day bag…my wallet, my phone, my camera & keys are pretty much it, but i do love how highly organized i can keep things now.

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i found these cheapie clutches in the clearance aisle at target & decided to give this DIY a whirl.  if/when i find proper leather or suede clutches (finding 3 identical is pretty tough), then i’ll make more.  at least this colorblocked cobalt blue/black one is still pretty on trend with a strap i added from another handbag to make it a shoulder bag.  i couldn’t resist also the whimsical animal cameos of these clutches below (also on clearance at target) & this will be my smaller party-time triple clutch.  check out a pair & a spare’s post for the tutorial.  if you can sew a button snap, this really is the easiest & chicest DIY ever!

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*3 favorite trends for spring 2013*

i was perusing glamour’s top 10 most wearable trends for spring since having lived through 2 snowstorms in just the past one week, i needed a bit of warm weather inspiration!  i was thrilled to see that a few of my favorite trends are featured & some of my outfits have already gotten a head start…even though the weather has not ;)

1.  bold stripes:  stripes for spring is always recurring.  it’s almost a non-trend as it’s never not relevant.  i think the key though is switching such a ubiquitous trend up in a different way.  i love this old black & white H&M sweater, but instead of pairing it with just black pants or a black skirt, i took the whole stripes theme to another level with this matching pleated skirt in bold neon-hued stripes.

2.  beading:  i’ve never been a big fan of sequins or paillettes.  i seem to get them caught on everything.  so, i’m thrilled that beading is making a comeback, as i find it’s more subtle than sequins, but still special enough to make any outfit a standout.  like this old vintage indian fabric jacket i got from ebay.  i could wear it with leggings & a t-shirt or take it up a notch for valentine’s day :)

3.  black & white:  is there any easier color palette to pull off than black & white?  i like how for this upcoming spring season though, it’s more about using them in graphic lines & bold patterns.  my simple black & white dress would have been boring if not for the subtle elephant silhouette print.  i might even indulge in some black & white pattern mixing by wearing the striped sweater above with this elephant dress!  how’s that for switching things around & getting even more mileage out of these spring trends? hahaha! 

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*my indian valentine*

last year for valentine’s day, i went for that more va-va-voom bold look in red chiffon & black leather.  this year, i wanted to go more demure & had some pink pieces all set aside.  unfortunately, the perfect pink outfit i had envisioned (to put it in project runway terms) did not translate well once i had put it on.  hence this last minute outfit which i must say, would have been more appropriate for the indian wedding i attended, but still ended up looking pretty good!

even managed to get outside just in time to catch that last glimpse of “golden hour” sun…to perfectly match the sunset colors of my “jacket.”  i say jacket because this was a dress i got from ebay, but did not fit.  luckily, there was a seam that ran right down the middle that with just a quick zip of a seam ripper, converted a too tight dress into a wearable & more versatile jacket :)

wearing: vintage indian jacket/dress from ebay || rodarte x target nude tulle dress || kohl’s nude fishnets || madeline girl platforms

accessories:  engagement ring & substitute band || opal stackable ring || hawaiian style jewelry gold bangles with enameled name personalization || vintage gold tassel necklace (gifted from gma) || LF stores rhinestone snake ring

off now to a late dinner with the ol’ hubby :)  however you celebrated valentine’s day, hope it was lovely!

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*happy valentine’s day!*

*not* that i’m the kind of blogger who would opportunistically turn a valentine’s day gift into a gratuitous blog post, but hey…when you’ve been together as long as MDH & i have been (20 years in sept), the annual ritual of valentine’s day flowers & jewelry & chocolates went away a loooong time ago.  not that i mind.  that way, when i unexpectedly get a sweet & little stackable opal ring from my sweetheart, it’s cherished even more ^_^  happy valentine’s day everyone…even to you najeema :) 

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*coolidge corner library movie night event with the boston fashionista*

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who else was getting crazy cabin fever from being all cooped up due to winter storm nemo?  *raises hand*  so, when the invite went out from one of my BBBs (best blogger buddies) for a fun event at the coolidge corner library (conveniently near my home & work), i was so there!

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the event was a really interactive kind of trivia night in line with movies & the oscars.  a constantly running projection showed scenes that involved libraries (get it?) & people wrote down what movie or tv show they thought it was from.  i saw clips from movies ranging from shawshank redemption to ghostbusters to seinfeld.  it was really cool!  guests really got into it too with snazzy party wear, fancy heels & even fascinators!  kristen, ms. boston fashionista herself, was appropriately elegant in a slim black dress & a string of pearls :) there was plenty of wine, snacks & door prizes.  the winning prize for whoever got the most correct answers on the trivia game was 6 tickets to the coolidge corner theater!  this first-time party was a resounding success for the library, so stay tuned for more hip & happening events in the future :) 

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i didn’t play along with the trivia, but was happy to just hang out with kristen & her husband, sip, eat & be merry.  in case you don’t follow me on twitter (why not? hahaha!) & don’t know, i became a new aunt last night…so this invitation out came at the perfect time as i was in the mood to have some drinks & celebrate with good friends ^_^

me wearing: h&m satin brocade top || wet seal satin skater skirt || me & ro fearlessness necklace || christian siriano x payless booties

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*happy chinese new year 2013 ~ year of the snake!

unfortunately, winter storm nemo put a damper on a few chinese new year performances that we had scheduled this weekend.  oh well :(  still doing some small things though to ring in the new year, like:

1. surrounding myself with the lucky color, red

2. having lucky foods like oranges & candy (for a sweet year)

3. didn’t wash my hair (so all my luck doesn’t drain away)

4. worked out grudges i had with some people, so that negative energy doesn’t follow me into the new year

5. finally, wearing new clothes (thanks to prabal gurung & target…tee hee hee)

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY ~ YEAR OF THE BLACK WATER SNAKE!!!

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*all that glitters is not gold*

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i was cleaning up/putting away clothes in my closet & this sweater happened to fall against this dress.  i can’t believe i never thought to combine them before with all the glittery gloriousness!  admittedly, it was a little much for treating clients in my office, but my regulars are used to (& dare i even say appreciate) my extravagant wear sometimes :)  i wanted to look nice for a friend’s birthday dinner that night & i didn’t have time to go home to change.

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love these old ankle booties too with all the grommet, buckle, hook & eye  & suede detail.  ever notice they don’t make booties like this anymore?  they now all seem to have zippers up the inner side.  no likey :(

wearing: express silver glitter sweater || h&m bronze/silver glitter dress || swapped silver filigree bracelet || aldo outlet earrings & ankle boots

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*lei ann…ON DUTY ~ getting ready for year of the snake!*

in five days, it’ll be chinese new year…lunar year of the black water snake 4711!   from this week on for about a month, the above lion dance costume is pretty much the outfit i will be wearing most of the time…hahaha!  most of our lion dance & kung fu demonstrations are private events, but we (me & other performance team members of my kung fu school) will be doing the traditional lucky chinese lion dance at the downtown crossing macy’s at approximately 2:00 on sunday, feb. 10, the actual day of chinese new year.  if anyone wants to see me in my less than fashionable wear (and shoes with NO heels…gasp!), come on down ^_^

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*art show elephant chic*

only one more weekend away from home (well, until the end of the month at least…boo hoo). i’m so tired of traveling lately, can you tell?  hahaha!  this trip brought us back to visit my in-laws in PA.  no big whoop.  we do that drive like 5 times a year, but this was for a special occasion.  my father-in-law is an established sculptor & my sister-in-law is a budding ceramic artist.  they had a unique art show where both their works were shown together…a father & daughter exhibit!  i was so very proud of both of them & i do love their artwork.  here’s an article about their show :)  if you’re in the blue bell/ambler area, please check out the exhibit which is still on display until feb. 15th :)

apparently my elephant print dress that i had purchased recently during my trip to FL was the perfect thing to wear to an art show with all the compliments i kept getting on it. i wish i could say i got it somewhere exotic, like during my trip to bangkok, but no, it was a gap outlet special…hahaha!    

final note on the art exhibit…i was so mad that one of my SIL’s bowls had sold before i got to it, so instead, i commissioned her for another custom made piece!  HA!  family-ship has its privileges ^_^

wearing:  gap outlet elephant print shirtdress || target tights || blue nile white gold/diamond rings || sam edelman zoe harness ankle boots

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