Lei Ann...Off Duty

*fringe, ruffles, tassles & the golden hour*

another anomalous warm “winter” day in the high 50s necessitated going outdoors & soaking up that late afternoon sun, affectionately known amongst photographers as the “golden hour” for that amazing picturesque glow.  warm enough for one of my favorite kimono jackets & this comfy yet chic (it has pockets!) mini romper dress picked up at yet another awesome clothing swap :)

wearing: LF harvard sq floral kimono fringe jacket & fleece-lined leggings || swapped grey dress || aldo tassel necklace || IT x payless booties

*kimono kasual*

i loves me a kimono robe style jacket…easy, comfy, less restrictive than a blazer & just more fun!  it can look super chic (to the next lev) with a short sexy skirt for a night out (also handy for keeping you warm), but again to dress up an otherwise casz outfit.  i know i just said the other day i don’t do t-shirt & jeans, so *of course* what am i wearing today? hahaha…well, for some odd reason i don’t really count black jeans as “jeans” jeans…cos they’re black.  don’t even ask…it’s friday night & i’m tired & my brain’s all loopy & my neck is jacked up from doing my last lion dance & kung fu performance of what felt like an unusually long CNY season…hence the fuzzy logic & comfy outfit :) oh & hey looky what else…i got bangs ^_^

wearing:  h&m kimono jacket || h&m purple t-shirt || c/o kmart black skinny jeans || thrifted pink belt || pink glass pendant from a santorini, greece gift shop || red/gold murano ring from isabella gardner museum gift shop || michael kors rose gold watch || sam edelman zoe booties

*greetings from the pacific northwest*

i go from an improper bostonian feature right onto a jet plane to portland…the start of a 2-week spree of visiting friends, family & oh hey, there might be a wedding in there too somewhere ^_^ i’m LOVING portland! this city has such a great vibe! if there’s one thing to ever know about portland is the food.cart.pod! get to know it! if you’re obsessed with food trucks as i am, imagine the corner of a city block taken up by a circle of food trucks/carts. there’s several picnic benches in the middle of circle, covered by a tent that’s usually decorated with christmas lights & even plants! it’s the GREATEST thing ever!!! a food court of food trucks…and they’re everywhere!

anywho…outfit deets. my plaid dress from the philippines you’ve seen before. we seemed to have left boston at the appropriate time since it’s in the middle of a mini-heatwave (sorry everyone back there!). the weather here in portland is delightfully on the cool side. i can even wear my vintage haori out as a jacket & finally a better view of my BUY clutch that i knitted. just a quick post as we’re off soon for another food adventure! i’m eating sooooo much, i hope i can fit into my dress for the wedding :d

*wedding in old montreal ~ the ceremony outfit*

it’s been an *interesting* time in montreal thus far. today, started off dark & drizzly. uh oh…NOT good for an outdoor garden courtyard wedding. luckily, we were already told which hotel to go to in case of rain. i spent the morning with my in-laws & hubby having brunch & then sightseeing where we could with the time we had left…nothing major. we wandered around a little food/music street festival, but when the skies opened up heavily, we were fortunately near Centre d’historie de Montreal & ducked in there to get out of the rain downpour. by the time we got back to our hotel, i still had over an hour to primp & get ready & by then, no more rain ^_^

i loved this dress ever since i saw it as part of rodarte’s target collection from december 2009. it was also one of the hardest ones to find *lemme tell you.* i was very lucky when i went to the target near my in-laws in pennsylvania way back then & found my size on the rack. i never even saw this dress ever in my local target. this clutch is another ebay find to add to my growing collection of clear handbags ^_^

excuse the smirky, dorky smile, but as you can obviously tell, the royal wedding had a big influence on my choice of headwear (espesh from a girl who considers her hair her crown & glory & *never* wears stuff on her head)…hahaha! no joke, while watching the wedding on TV, i was already googling & on ebay, added to my watch list quite a bunch of hats & fascinators. i previously *warned* the bride i was wearing a funky headpiece to her wedding & she LOVED the idea…albeit compared to some of the royal wedding hats, mine is quite conservative & tame ^_^ speaking of inspiration, i’ve already proclaimed my fandom of adorable singing duo, amy & nick, but as you can see, amy’s hairstyle also inspired me to do something different with my hair. i never go for this type of retro, vintage-y look, but with this fancy fascinator in my hair & the swanky party about to ensue, the occasion called for an equally fancy swirly hairdo :)