hellohoneyno

Princess Suri

2009-12-13T11:29:00.003-06:00

This might sound crazy but there is a fashion blog dedicated to Suri Cruise.

[via usmagazine.com]
http://suricruisefashion.blogspot.com/

And guess who added it to her reader! I'll admit, I'm both fascinated by how fashionable a little kid could be and disturbed that her parents would allow her to wear HEELS at such a young age. She's only 3!

Anyway, she's adorable and I look forward to seeing how her fashion transcends through her growing years.

chicken lettuce cups

2009-12-08T22:01:00.004-06:00

[photo by me]
In an attempt to procrastinate, let me share a wonderful recipe I stumbled upon from my favorite food magazine, Taste of Home. I made this the other night for dinner and hubs and I inhaled it. Additionally, it's super easy and healthy. Check it out...

Chicken Lettuce Cups [taken from www.tasteofhome.com]

* 1 packet stir-fry seasoning powder
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 pound ground chicken breast
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 1/4 cup diced water chestnuts
* 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
* Pinch red pepper flakes
* 1 head of romaine lettuce (inner leaves only), or butter lettuce
* For garnish: Mint, cilantro, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts

1) In a small bowl, combine stir-fry seasoning, water, soy sauce, lime
2) juice and sugar. Set aside.
3) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken meat and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Cook until browned, about 10
4) minutes. Add red bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions and red
5) pepper flakes and cook 5 minutes. Stir in reserved stir-fry seasoning mixture. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6) Serve in lettuce cups garnished with mint, cilantro, bean sprouts and chopped peanuts. Yield: serves 6 to 8.

labor of love

2009-11-13T00:36:00.008-06:00

as previously mentioned, i've been taking a sewing class. learning new things everyday like how to make alterations, read patterns and create a piece from scratch has been very eye-opening and addictive. there's still a lot to learn, but if i can walk away from this class with a strong grasp of the fundamentals, i should be okay. this has been the best hobby yet!

after weeks of laboring over this piece, i introduce to you my first DIY dress ever!
DIY olive green poplin dress
looking for the pattern? check out simplicity's pattern for cynthia rowley.

Time Flies

2009-09-25T23:44:00.003-05:00

Has it really been over a month since my last entry? If you're still following this blog, I'm glad you haven't given up on me! Things have gotten kind of busy in the real world and now I find myself back in school for an MBA. On top of all the textbook reading, amazingly, I've been keeping up with all the blog reading in my Google Reader, drooling over your latest looks/finds/projects! Just haven't been able to comment as much because after the mental strain of reading a million pages for school, I can only articulate very simple words like "ooh" or "wow". And let's face it, comments like that are not fun to read.

In addition to the not-so-exciting stuff, I'm taking a sewing class! I was gifted with a brand new sewing machine awhile back and decided that I should finally retire my lame hand-stitching technique and get with the program! So I signed up for a semester of sewing/tailoring/alterations just for fun. Ironically, I'm finding this new hobby to be very therapeutic and a nice break from the books, even though it adds an additional 8 hours of classroom time to my schedule. I'm wrapping up my first project and after some professional alterations (by me!), I'll hopefully get a picture up soon!

Till then, just take a look at our furbabies on our new sofa. Cutie wooties!

I Spy Gold Hardware

2009-08-18T20:59:00.006-05:00

clockwise from top left: unknown label denim band vest, jeffrey campbell fleur de lis flats, h&m velvet band jacket, tory burch reva flats
Fortunately, this month has been good to me so far and what better way to keep up the good mood than to indulge in a little bit of shopping? So I trekked on over to my local Buffalo Exchange to explore the treasures of resale. And without realizing it, I began picking out items that all fall under one theme: gold hardware. It's ironic that I stumbled across all these items at once because I have been hunting for the perfect band jacket and flats for a very long time and just when I start forgetting about them, they appear out of the blue... in twos! So greedy me bought everything and will stash away the jackets until the weather cools off. And in Texas terms, that means oh gosh, like, December? I'm just ahead of myself here.

I'll be in LA next month so I'll be sure to sport the velvet jacket because the picture does it no justice! (And yes, the left shoulder gold button is missing. Just haven't had time to sew on the extra button that came along with it.)

DIY Sequined Strong Shoulder Sweater

2009-08-13T22:26:00.009-05:00

DIY Sequined Sweater | F21 denim cutoffs | F21 heels
There's something about those obnoxious, overly sequined 80s sweaters that drive me crazy...so crazy that I go out and make my own. Inspired by Style Scrapbook, who was inspired by Sienna Miller's Twenty8Twelve sequined knit top, I decided to give this look a try.

[via www.style.com]
To begin, I picked up a black crew neck sweater at a Goodwill for 6 bucks. I was afraid to ruin a sweater that I actually own so I decided thrifting was the best route for this project.

Supplies:
- 4 yards of different color threaded sequin (about $1/yard)
- shoulder pads (~$5)
- solid color knit top or sweater with a crew neck

1) You'll need about a yard of threaded sequin for each color. Since it will be sewn onto the shoulder in the form of a rainbow, choose your first color and start with the inner rainbow and move outward.

2) If you are hand sewing, you can go in and out after every 3 or 4 sequins (as pictured). Make sure you secure both edges of the threaded sequin by double or triple looping the thread around the first two and last two sequins. If you're doing this by machine, then consider yourself lucky!

3) The inside of the knit top should appear like a rainbow of thread. I suggest using thread of either the same color as your knit top or the same color as the sequin. Or you could just use clear thread. In this project, I didn't really care that my black thread was visible on the sequin.

4) Straighten out your knit top on a flat sureface, line up the shoulder pads and stitch them into place.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Elle Spain features DIY Fashion

2009-08-03T11:30:00.019-05:00

I randomly stumbled across Elle Spain one day, and they had a special feature on popular DIY fashion ideas. Being in the DIY mood as of late, I clicked through the links which led me to a plethora of projects that I have either seen before or was seeing for the first time. Although the website is in Spanish, the pictures speak for themselves. I really love how Elle explained the projects using few pictures and words. It leaves the rest up to your imagination, and lets you decide on your own specifications.

Let's take a gander, shall we?

[All images via Elle.es]

Which one is your favorite??

scarf-making machine

2009-08-02T21:01:00.003-05:00

this is what i've been up to. ever since i learned how to make these recycled t-shirt scarves, it's been non-stop! i'm making them to give away as gifts and have no plans to sell them. check out cucumbersome's tutorial for instructions on how to make them!

Pendleton for Opening Ceremony

2009-07-27T15:53:00.007-05:00

Pendleton is celebrating its 100th anniversary by doing its first collaboration ever with Opening Ceremony so be on the lookout for cool Native American prints!

Sadly, many, many months ago, I received a Pendleton bag as a souvenir gift from my husband's cousin. Not having any use or knowledge for this brand, I ebayed this along with the rest of my neglected clothes and accessories. Ironically, as I posed for pictures with the bag to upload onto ebay, it started to grow on me and I kinda started liking it. However, with an exploding closet that needed some major regulation, I dismissed the slight infatuation and clicked submit on my ebay page. And strangely, the bag sold above its retail price, which I never understood why until now.

These are the pics I took for ebay. I love the color palette of the bag with the dominant turquoise and splashes of other bright colors. I can picture myself wearing this in October during festival month or even grocery shopping. Wish I had kept the bag! Is it weird to want to buy the same bag that I ended up selling??

Hydration Station

2009-07-19T21:16:00.005-05:00

Hubs and I spent the weekend in San Antonio soaking in the sun at Schlitterbahn, dining along the Riverwalk and shopping in San Marcos. A proper quench was in order after returning from an eventful trip so I rummaged through our fridge to whip up a quick homemade limeade since we had nothing else to drink. What first started with water, lime and sugar turned into an all out fruity limeade. Hubs challenged me to a friendly competition of Who Makes the Better Drink when he confidently insisted he could make a better limeade. Riiiight....

To the left is my drink and the right, hubs'. Victory was mine, booyah!

Home-made Fruity Limeade

crushed ice
cold water
1/2 a lime
2-3 sliced strawberries
2-3 slices of orange
sugar

1) Fill a glass with 3/4 of water.
2) Squeeze the lime into the water, and add strawberries and oranges.
3) Add sugar to taste and stir.
4) Top it off with crushed ice and enjoy!

A Personalized Thank You

2009-07-18T00:11:00.003-05:00

I've delved back into the world of crafting and made these thank you cards for my friend. It all started when I decided to make my own wedding invitations to stay within budget. I'll post my wedding invitation later when I find the image files. Anyway, I somehow amassed a crazy amount of supplies and decided to make use of it by helping others with my own resources.

I wish Jolly Ranchers had better wrapping for these kind of projects. At first, I considered using chocolate, but was afraid the candy would melt during delivery. Message me if you're interested in a tutorial.

T-Shirt Loop Scarf

2009-07-12T18:07:00.008-05:00

Look what I made! I found the instructions here and made one with my friend. Three XXXL jerseys later, we made ourselves 2 lush scarves.

If you plan to make one for yourself, the directions were really easy to follow. However, here are some additional tips:

• Buy XXXL if you want your scarf to be full and lush (as seen in picture), but an extra large or simply a large is good enough for a summer scarf.
• You can pick up old t-shirts from a local thrift store for a buck or less. I purchased mine from the Salvation Army for 99 cents each.
• Seamless t-shirts will work best for this project. If you can't find seamless, you'll have some seam exposure as seen on mine.
• Choose t-shirts made of light material, especially if you're planning to wear this over the summer.
• Cutting your t-shirt into strips of 1/2" to 3/4 inch is ideal. 1" is too thick.

This DIY project was a lot of fun and I'm going to make more to give away as gifts. I might add a splash of color to them as well for more variety. Let me know if you have any questions!

The Ill-Fitting Sundress

2009-07-10T19:17:00.006-05:00

club monaco racerback tank top | f21 sun dress | thrifted cowboy boots | husband's rayban sunglasses

Just a heads up-- I'll probably continue to complain about the summer heat until the climate changes because, lately, the temperatures have been lingering in the sweat-inducing three digits and showing no mercy!!

I spotted this dress while heading out of F21. I was in a rush to leave that day and seeing that it was a size small, I purchased it without trying it on. When it came around to wearing it, I put it on, looked in the mirror and frowned. It was a sagging mess in the boobie department. Instead of going through the trouble of returning it, I've made peace with it by wearing it over a tank or a t-shirt. It was like whatever, you're made of thin material, gentle on my skin, and comfortable so let's be friends.

Designer Shoes on the Cheap

2009-07-03T13:32:00.010-05:00

Just like Target, Payless Shoe Source has teamed up with several designers to collaborate on a more expensive line of designer shoes. So far, Abaeté, Alice + Olivia and Lela Rose are on board with Christian Siriano, of Project Runway, to follow in mid-August this year. Rumor has it that the collection will be toned down from what you see in the runway pictures-- lower heels and minus the spikes.

Christian Siriano for Payless Fall 2009 via NYMag
Apparently this has been going on since 2007, and I am now just finding out about it! So I stopped by a local Payless to find everything had been picked over. I had my heart set on finding a pair of Alice + Olivia's black wedges, but to no avail.
via Payless
However, during a recent lunch drive-by, I noticed a Payless store that was having a store closing sale with everything marked 50% off!! So not only were they Payless prices, some of the shoes were marked down for clearance and in addition, the 50% discount was applied on top of it. I totally made out like a bandit for under 50 bucks.
via Payless
P.S. The first one is by a Payless brand and the last two are from Abaeté.

summer-proof attire

2009-06-25T16:33:00.008-05:00

thrifted linen romper | f21 feather necklace | target strappy heels | gucci twirl bangle watch

you know it's hot outside when CNN features your city's record-breaking temperature of 104 degrees on the front page of its website!

in this weather, i'm more concerned about the function of clothes rather than the aesthetics. in other words, i'd rather find ways not to sweat than to look cute. does that make sense? fortunately, i found this winner of a romper at the thrift store that fulfills both functionality and aesthetics. in addition to less coverage, it's made of linen which lets my body breathe! i decided to give it a little funky touch with the feather necklace i bought awhile back. i figured the various tones of blue in the feathers would go well with this romper. and the watch? a gift from my in-laws. i love no-need-for-an-occasion gifts, who doesn't? :)

somebody fan me down.

Sunkissed

2009-06-23T01:33:00.009-05:00

aeropostale hoodie | f21 denim cutoffs | Victoria's Secret swimsuit
I live for jumping pictures. Everywhere and anywhere we go, I ask hubby to take a picture of me jumping. This is me jumping at 5:30 a.m. Hawaii time on Waikiki beach. With jet lag still in effect, we decided to hit the beach to catch the sunrise. Words can not describe the beauty of Hawaii.

This vacation turned out to be a very busy and eventful one, contrary to what I thought would be a slow-paced and lethargic trip. We snorkeled numerous times, ate Hawaiian shaved ice almost everyday, laid out on the beach, swam in the hotel's pools and lagoon, shopped at the Aloha Tower Fleamarket and in the Waikiki shopping district, jetted to the island of Kauai for the day to see waterfalls, canyons, took a riverboat to Fern Grotto, cruised along the North Shore coastline in our rental, strolled along the beach, visited the Dole Plantation and tasted the most delicious pineapple ever, hiked up the Diamond Head Crater and absorbed the natural beauty of Oahu, visited the Polynesian Culture Center where we watched shows, visited the different tribes of the Polynesian islands, and experienced our first luau, hung out with old friends, ate to our hearts' content, and slept soundly every night. Mix in a handful of mishaps (misplaced luggage, sprained ankle, sun rash, hotel booking error) and I guess you can say we had ourselves quite an adventure! Of course, we didn't sweat the small stuff because the good stuff was just too good!

Sadly, I don't have any fashion posts to share. Wet beach hair plus swim suits worn daily and peeking out of every outfit plus an ankle brace that looks like a black dress sock makes for a wacked out look. However, do not fret! I'll eventually share some goodies that I bought as well as some outfits (minus the swimsuits + ankle brace).

And now that I'm home, I may need a little time to recover. You know how it goes...

Aloha is for Lovers

2009-06-11T12:02:00.004-05:00

via c-mani-pro

Pretty soon I'll be laying out on Waikiki beach with my husband for nine blissful days of island pace relaxation. This was the long-awaited honeymoon that we have been patiently needing. Who knows, if I'm not too drunk off the aloha spirit, I might just drop a quick note to say hi. Until then, peace out!

For You Crafty/DIY Folks

2009-06-10T18:04:00.002-05:00

Deep down inside, there's a crafty person inside me dying to get my hands on some awesome DIY projects. Unfortunately, there's this thing called 'time' that I don't have a lot of these days. My life has been consumed with caffeine (of the tea kind), sleep deprivation, and staring at hundreds of sample test questions that get me all cross-eyed.

I stumbled across this youtube video while reading up on a very interesting DIY project and had to muffle my LOLs because I'm currently surrounded by fellow study-ers at this cafe. Check it!

the necklush

2009-06-09T18:09:00.004-05:00

tank top - vintage | scarf - necklush | cut off shorts - f21 | sneakers - converse

i received this in the mail today and anxiously ripped apart the package to try it on. personally, i think it is the best thing that has happened to scarves! if you check out the necklush website, you can see the many ways to wear it. they claim you can also wear it as a headband, but i gotta play around with it and figure out how. i love that despite the summer heat, i can still wear it and feel comfortable. i'd definitely consider the cowl style for night time or indoor festivities when it's cooler. this necklush is coming with me to hawaii, and we're taking off this friday!!

I Flashed Walmart

2009-06-03T19:06:00.008-05:00

denim jacket - bought in Korea | flower dress - thrifted | husband's canvas belt - aldo | taupe boots - f21

This floral dress is one of the many secondhand finds in my latest thifting addiction. On the hanger, it looked shapeless and frumpy and reminded me of clothes in the children's section. However, I was sold on the ruffled tiers that give the dress a little flare, along with a tiny bit of lace that lines the hem. Another feature of the dress that I adore (that you can't see) is the pockets. Yeah! This dress has pockets! Unfortunately, when I place my hands in them, it creates a huge bulge around my tummy that could fool one into thinking that I was preggars.

The first time I wore this dress, it was a hot day and we were out running errands. I decided this dress was perfect since it was super casual, comfortable, and fitting for the occasion. My husband and I were leaving Walmart and a slight breeze kicked in. It was then that I felt an overwhelming draft below my hips so I looked down and realized I was flashing everyone around me in the Walmart parking lot! I was completely mortified. My husband watched me as I frantically struggled to hold down the dress WHILE walking AND while carrying two bags of groceries. It was then that I realized that this was probably what the previous owner of the dress experienced! I haven't worn this out publicly since my incident and probably won't until I sew in some weight into the hems to keep the dress from flying up again.

Chocolate Madeleines

2009-05-31T22:28:00.006-05:00

Hubby was in the mood for something chocolate and asked me to bake chocolate madeleines. If you can recall, I've actually made these before but in the regular vanilla flavor.

At my second attempt to bake these fancy cookies, I found the chocolate version here. The outcome? Moist, perfectly sweet and totally scrumptious.

Going Au Naturale

2009-05-28T18:57:00.007-05:00

romper - thrift, belt - f21, gladiator heels - nine west
I had a successful shopping spree in vintage goods today. This is the first of several more outfits to come. I never thought I would give rompers a try since I figured it would look strange on my short torso. However, for just 10 bucks, I decided what the heck!

This outfit is a first in that it's a romper and that it's overwhelmingly neutral. It almost looks like a safari getup. Being a lover of colors, I haven't yet figured out how to spice it up with some color. Thoughts?

Anywho, next one, more color, promise!

Floral Smocked Dress

2009-05-25T17:19:00.009-05:00

headband - F21, dress - F21, heels - Calvin Klein, handbag - Kate Spade
Summers in Texas are not kind so the only way to stay cool is to wear as little as possible, while still maintaining your dignity. I've resorted to dresses for this very reason. I picked up this little dress from Forever21 and have already worn it multiple times for several occasions like my recent birthday gathering, errands, an engagement dinner and a casual lunch. If I could, I would buy one for every day of the week to last me through this warm season.

I'm totally smitten by the contrast stitching and gold hardware details against the black grained leather. Being an owner of big handbags only, this Kate Spade Tarrytown Betty handbag is nice for a change. This is my first relatively small handbag!

The Story of a Handbag

2009-05-23T23:53:00.009-05:00

[via Barneys]

Once upon a time, I stumbled across this pretty little bag by Alexander Wang. With the hefty price tag, I decided to search for a cheaper alternative.

[via Steve Madden]

Then this cute cute little crossbody from the Steven by Steve Madden line came along. Although it was less than a third of the Alexander Wang price, it just didn't feel quite right to shell out that much for a Steve Madden handbag. Luckily, Nordstrom was having their yearly half off sale where I came this handbag for 33% off the original price. I impulsively whipped out my credit card and placed my order immediately to be picked up at my local Nordstrom.

When I arrived at the store, I decided to swing by the handbags department really quick to scope out the others before picking up my online order from customer service. Fortunately, the Steve Madden bag was available in store because once I tried it on, I realized that it just didn't suit me the way I thought it would. So I browsed around some more and stumbled across Kate Spade's Tarrytown Betty.

[via Nordstrom]

It comes in quite a few perky colors, but our local Nordstrom only had it in black and cream. And it fit me just right! Small, boxy, and black just like the previous bags, but it has a more classic look and feels more sturdy for everyday use. And with 33% off, I totally had to snatch it up for myself! (And return the other bag.)

And I lived happily ever after with my new BLACK Tarrytown Betty. The end.

Eclectic Summertime Frock

2009-05-20T21:35:00.009-05:00

dress - Target; heels - Calvin Klein
This dress is by Tracy Feith from Target's Go International line, and I must say-- it is the strangest dress I've ever bought! The combination of Hawaiian flower print, lace, and nylon gives it a very eclectic look. Top it off with some nylon flower cut-outs across the chest, and you've got yourself a whimsical little white dress.

I love how the lace peaks out from underneath the nylon ruffle and the details of the flower cut-outs!