absurdly peculiar

So I know a lot of people are on my site about RAVON dresses, but how about an alternative... TART inifinity dresses: There are many ways to wear this dress: They are currently on sale at GiltGroupe for $99 (originally $258). According to Gilt, there are 8 ways to wear it...that is basically ~$13 per look!! I've seen the longer ones being worn as a bridesmaid dress, which is a great idea!

I came across Wendy's Lookbook after watching her scarf video tutorial on YouTube. This video definitely deserves a watch...maybe you will discover a new way to wear your scarf!

So I found a new way to procrastinate: going on ASOS and creating outfits. It's actually better than shopping because 1) I don't have to try anything on and 2) I don't spend any money; therefore, no feelings of guilt are felt afterward. I love every piece of this outfit..especially the knit top!

I've been busy working on job apps all day... hopefully I finish a couple tonight. BUT I just needed to share this video because this is making my day a little less depressing: This guy's dance moves are to die for! And did I mention how amazing The Black Keys are? They are one of my all time favorite musicians.

My friend is turning a quarter century this Saturday but will be going up North to celebrate. So I decided to make her cupcakes for her birthday. I decided to make mini and regular sized cupcakes. I used red velvet cake mix (beacause really, it's just easier that way). The frosting was a mixture of 1 box of cream cheese, a couple dashes of cinnamon, vanilla, honey, lemon zest, a 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar and I folded in a cup of cool whip to make it into a lighter tasting cream cheese frosting. I also made some candied walnuts by warming them up on the stove for a little and mixed in some honey, cinnamon and white sugar. I'm not even sure if that's how you actually make candied walnuts..but they are walnuts and they are sweet, thus the term candied walnuts emerged from my head. Hopefully, she likes them. They need to be dropped off today because I already ate 4!

So I had a lovely weekend. Friday, I had dinner with friends I've known since kindergarten at Aroma Coffee & Tea. I love their bread pudding! Apparently, my friend spotted Elle Fanning on her way out. I, as usual, did not see her because I am oblivious to everything around me. Saturday, I went to Disneyland to eat a fancy dinner at their secret restaurant called C33. I only grabbed 5 of these after dinner mints... I'm down to 2 and I'm getting a little sad that I won't have any more.  Even though we arrived at 3pm, we stayed til way past the park's closing time. The next day I woke up with very tired feet. So it got me thinking about a pair of comfy shoes. And I saw these on Refinery29's site: These are the first pair of slipper flats that I've seen and actually liked. Too bad they are $325! Maybe I can find a cheaper pair of plain black ones and do some do-it-yourself magic on them. Basically, the key word here is that they...

I actually have two videos for you all today. One is an awesome video on how to make a men's button down shirt into a skirt, dress, and/or top that I saw on That's Chic. How innovative is that?   The second video is a great song by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes called Home. It puts me in a great mood... I think it has to do with the whistling. And why shouldn't you be happy? It's Friday! Enjoy your weekend!

So I decided to attempt Chevron Nails today.  I decided to use OPI's Barefoot in Barcelona and Essie's Lady Godiva. Following Refinery29's tutorial:  ( Photographed by Tracy Wang) I got these fabulous nails: While Refinery 29's tutorial pics looked as though they had a lot of control when painting their nails, I'm not going to lie...my nail polish was all over the place. But I was able to clean them up nicely! I'm loving my nails!

I've been browsing some sites like Refinery29  and just discovered the amazingness of chevron nails. This will be a must try for me... although, there may be a possibility that I might have problems painting my right hand!

So as you know, as of lately I have been very inspired to go bead crazy on some clothing items I own. So I chose a dress.. this one in particular: It is a great dress in person, the bottom is two-tiered and flows beautifully. But when you look at in pictures, it looks super boring... borderline depressing. So I decided this is the dress that will be subjected to my awesome ideas.  Then I came up with designs to get an idea of what type of beads I was looking for and how much I would need. So here are those pictures: I thought to myself, not amazing... but enough for me to decide what beads I will be getting and how much. So then I went off to Joann Fabrics (did you know they take Michael's coupons?!? amazing!!). Then I gathered all my fabulous tools: Tools Included:  Black thread, sewing needle, beads After all my tools were gathered, it was time to bead away. So I was a little confused where I should start since I didn't settle on a design, so I decided to wor...

Jenny Packham is a British designer known for her intricate beadwork and embellishments. I came across Packham's designs after being inspired to turn a drab dress into something more. For her 2011 collections, all that shimmers is definitely a good thing. Check out her Spring and Fall 2011 collection below. And definitely stay tuned for my DIY dress makeover... hopefully , it turns out to be good one! Jenny Packham Spring 2011 Jenny Packham Fall 2011 

I have become intrigued by this idea of stacking accessories. So I decided to test some out (as well as my temporary camera and editing on Picasa). In these pictures, you will find 2 leather bands that I got in Florence, gold bangles, a gold charm bracelet, the feather/leaf bracelet I made from polymer clay, a gold watch, a black beaded gold necklace, and a paper rolled bracelet made by Ugandan women. Stacking is not anything new or some innovative idea that nobody has thought of before. But I definitely like the idea of combining different types of accessories... such as the unlikely pairing of an expensive item next to a not so expensive one. BUT the best part of stacking is being able to include an accessory that holds some type of memory or an interesting fact about it.

There is something amazing about a structured bag. So I decided to compile a list of my favorites. The bags I chose have clean lines and are minimal (design wise); there aren't crazy amounts of pockets or too many design details. What makes them stand out is its structure and maybe even its color. 1. Rigby Saddle Bag | JCrew $148 2. 3.1 Phillip Lim KC Satchel | Neiman Marcus $569 3. Mysuelly Color Block Bag | ASOS $831.10 4. Mulberry Polly Push Lock Tote | Mulberry $1,400 5. 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashili Top Handel Satchel | Nordstrom $895 6. Edie Purse | JCrew $238