Fashion Challenge: Neutral Black

This week I'm participating in the Fashion Challenge hosted by Megan Mae Daily and Casual Chic Kiki.  The theme this time around is neutrals.  Some of you may have noticed I have a pretty darn colorful wardrobe and could use a little help with wearing neutrals.  So this week I'm going to stay away from my safe colorful items and try out some neutral looks.  Today's neutral color of choice is black.  I'm often criticized by my best friend for the distinct lack of black in my wardrobe and I dedicate this post to you Rupie!

Jacket-White Elephant Sale Oakland, CA-Grey 3/4 sleeve jacket-$3
Top-H&M-Black and white printed poofy sleeve top-$10
Skirt-Clothing Swapped-FREE!
Tights: Nordstrom Rack-Polka dot tights-$4
Shoes:Ross-Black Flats-$14
Approximate Total Cost-$31

I'm pretty sure this is the most black I've ever worn in an outfit.  I don't even own a quintessential little black dress!  I wanted my outfit to consist mostly of black (grey is a shade of black, right?) but still be young and playful.  I think I accomplished this by pairing my black skirt with polka dot tights, an eye catching black and white printed top and my favorite floral embellished black flats.

Be sure to check out the other fashion challenge takers, listed here!

Tomorrow everyone will be wearing grey!  So I guess it doesn't really count as a shade of black, BUT I can wear my jacket again, right?

Inspiration Monday: Olivia Munn

I'm not sure who Olivia Munn is but what I wore today is loosely inspired by her outfit.  I decided at the last minute this morning to participate in Inspiration Monday after checking out what a few other bloggers wore.

I decided to stick with a slouchy theme based off of her shirt and wore one of my only slouchy loose fitting tops with my wide leg incredibly soft jeans.  They may as well be pajamas they are so soft and stretchy!  I even slept in them the first night we stayed in our house because I hadn't moved any pajamas yet!  I can't really tell what Olivia's pants are like but I'm pretending she's super comfy too in yoga pants.

Jacket:Target: Red Fleece Jacket-Gift from Mom
Scarf-Wedding gift from family member
Top: Anthropologie- Mulitcolored slouchy shirt with beading on shoulders-$20
Pants: Nordstrom Rack-Worn Jeans-$15 (Previously worn here)

Pastels

I had a friend in college who wore pastel pink a great deal and I really didn't like the color on her.  It didn't go well with her skin tone and somehow this turned me off from pastel colors in general.  ( Let's just say I'm not her biggest fan anymore).  So that is probably one reason I've had this sweater in my closest for years and never worn it.  I even remember the day I bought it.  It was an after Christmas sale at JCPenny and the store was crazy madness.  I grabbed this sweater and a red wool coat and headed straight to the checkout line.  Sadly, I don't get to wear the wool coat much.  It really doesn't get cold enough here and its more formal than I normally dress.

Sweater: JCPenny-Lavender chunky knit cowl neck sweater-too old to remember
Belt: Ross: Came with a shirt-$10
Jeans: Nordstrom Rack-Joes Jeans-S$70
Socks: Target-Pink with yellow dots-$1
Shoes: Payless-Pastel Teal sneakers-$8

The other reason I've never worn this sweater is that it is a size medium and I used to be extra small.  I seem to mention my former size often so I figured (hah. pun not intended) I'd show you a few pre-marriage photos. The photo on the left is from my bridal shower and the one on the right in from my bachelorette party. As you can see I've filled out a little :P.  The funny thing is at the time I was so happy I had gained a couple pounds in time for the wedding!  I'm actually really happy with my weight right now.  As long as I stay in the healthy weight range for my height I'm not planning on losing weight any time soon.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program, more pastels! This next outfit I'm wearing today and although its very comfy and cozy I don't think the style is my own.  What would you pair a baby blue maxi dress with? I feel like I should be going to a 70's prom in this.

Dress: Macy's, gift from Mom-Baby Blue maxi dress-FREE!
Blazer: White Elephant Sale Oakland CA-Blue Tablots Blazer-$6
Top: Old Navy-White lace tank top-$4
Shoes: Naturalizer yellow sneakers with bow-$15
Approximate Total Cost-S20

These two outfits are shopping ban outfits #11 and 12! I have 13 more pieces to go so I'm pretty much at the half way point (a few of my outfits featured multiple shopping ban items).  Technically I'm wearing another new item today, a pair of Spanx.  Yes, I was a Spanx virgin before today.  Anyone else have an issue with the elastic band on the waist not staying put? Other than that, I quite like them.

Breakfast Only on Weekends

In my house breakfast is only made on weekends.  We have a house guest this weekend so I've been cooking up a storm.  Thursday dinner was Hawaiian style short ribs, veggie stir fry and rice.  Yesterday lunch we had chicken fried rice made with the leftover rice from dinner.  Dinner last night was meatballs and spaghetti.  And for breakfast I made omelets and bacon.  I should probably start thinking about what's for dinner....but oh well, I blog instead!  

The omelets were Mohlajee style.  What's a Mohlajee omlet you ask...well, its one made with Mohlajee masala! (Also known as Garam Masala)  For party favors at our wedding, my husband I decided to do spice jars filled with seasonings since we both love to cook.  Mine was called Mohlajee Masala and contained a homemade blend of garam masala while my husbands was called Lowry Seasoning ( you know like the brand Lawry's) and contained a spice rub for ribs he likes to use.  We got the spice jars at Cost Plus and tied a recipe to each one using ribbon.  The labels were designed by my nephew and printed at home.  I was cheap and frugal for my wedding even.

So to make a Mohlajee Omelet you'll need eggs, garam masala, onions, jalepeno, bell pepper, and whatever other veggies you'd like to add.  Mushrooms, tomatoes, italian squash are all great options.

Finely dice the veggies, you can decide how much you want to add.  Fry the onions in butter or olive oil if your health conscious like most of my family.  Add in the rest of the veggies and saute for a little bit (maybe a minute on medium).  Beat egg(s) in small bowl add salt and pepper to your liking and pour into frying pan with the veggies.  Let it cook for a bit then sprinkle with garam masala.  If your fancy like me do the tri-fold when almost cooked through and then flip or if you prefer just flip over and cook the other side.  

If you are wondering where you can find garam masala I would try your local grocery store if you live in an area with lots of Indian folks as it probably has an Indian foods section.  If not, then you may have to google where your local Indian store is or buy it online.  Its a very versatile spice mixture commonly used in North Indian cuisine.  

Dress: Nordstrom Rack~ Purple sweater dress with flower things- $20
Tank Top: Gap~Neon green tank top-$7
Jeggings: Target-$22
Boots: Ross-Aerosoles Knee high black boots-$20
Coat: Thrift Town: Bebe Fushia Trench Coat-$20
Approximate Total Cost-$89

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!  I know I am! My blog reached crossed 3,000 hits today! Woohoo!  Yes, I'm a little obsessive about checking the stats, but I really do find statistics interesting.

Chandi chowk Chilli Powder

Today I was pouring chilli powder into a spice jar and the scent and sting I sensed reminded me of walking the streets of Chandi chowk in Delhi.  On my last trip to India, my best friend came too and we attended my cousin's wedding and crammed a whole lot of sightseeing in two weeks.  On what was supposed to be our last day there, we decided to do some last minute sightseeing and visit one of the oldest neighborhoods and markets in Delhi.  My cousin warned us we might have a sneezing fest from all the spices in the air, but its something you have to experience to believe.  The number of shops, people, restaurants, sights and smells in such a small area can be quite the sensory overload.  There is a street named after and devoted to paranthe, a fried stuffed bread!

This was the furthest I could stand to get a picture of her without being inside of a shop!

We left Chandi Chowk and took two rickshaws to an adjacent neighborhood where my grandfather had a bookstore and printing company after the partition.  My aunt almost fell off while trying to get on, the driver had already started peddling!

This is most likely where my grandfathers store was...no one is exactly sure.

Apparently, its also a pretty conservative area and I was later told I shouldn't have worn a tank top though if it was really that big of an issue I'm sure my aunts would have said something before we left the house. We took the Metro train to get there and its probably the cleanest thing in Delhi, seriously.  Its spotless and they don't allow you to take photos inside...the security officer made me delete a photo right there in front of him.

Me and my friend outside of the Metro entrance.

After we left the Chandi chowk, we had lunch at a trendy Chinese restaurant that had the best soup ever. And you know that soup had to be excellent if we finished our bowls clean in July in 100+ degree weather. My friend and I are still searching for the recipe!

So chilli powder Chandi chowk story aside, here's my outfit for today!  Its a frumpy cozy outfit, perfect for a rainy day like today.

Blazer: White Elephant Sale Oakland, Ca-Blue Petite Talbots Blazer-$6
Sweater: Thrift Town-Green 3/4 sleeve sweater-$2
Skirt: H&M-Floral Print Skirt-$20
Tights: Brown tights-Hand me down-FREE!
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack-Not Rated Oxford flats-$25
Approximate Total Cost~ $53

These shoes are ridiculously soft and comfy.  I know they look a little elf like but I like them. Since my top and blazer are thrifted I'm linking up with Thursdays are for Thrifters at Spunky Chateau.  Don't you just love her blogs name!

Sometimes you feel like brights

and sometimes brights just hate you.

Today's fashion challenge was to wear "Fall Brights" one of the current trends that I love. I woke up this morning ready to wear a colorful outfit, but everything I had put together in mind FAILED.  I even arranged my skirts in ROYGBIV order this morning, when I realized I had enough range in color to do so! I was so ready for the challenge.

Had this idea to wear hot pink and cobalt blue together.  Saw it on a blog yesterday (cant remember which one).  Its a color combination I haven't tried before.  Unfortunately it didn't work out.  One hot pink shirt was too long to wear over my skirt and too baggy to wear under.  The other has thin straps and is a layering piece...I can't do spaghetti straps anymore...my giant bra straps show and strapless bras aren't my friend :(.  So I decided to throw on my khaki dress and wear my dress as an over shirt. Didn't like that either. Where the skirt hit my waist and the waist of the dress didn't mesh.  It was too much of a bother to pin it SO I just wore the dress with my favorite scarf as a belt.

In conclusion, I more mostly neutrals for fall brights day.  Maybe I'll try hot pink and cobalt again another day.

I just like my hair in this picture

Dress: H&M: Khaki shirt dress-$35
Shirt:Express-Pink lace layer tank-$10
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack-Not Rated Oxfords-$25
Scarf-From Turkey, a gift from a friend-FREE!
Approximate Total Cost~$70

 And, you should really check out what the other lovely challenge takers wore today! I feel like a failure.  But a cute failure.

Stripes

Today's fashion challenge is to wear stripes or polka dots.  I went with stripes even though I love polka dots.  This is supposed to be a challenge so I may as well challenge myself and not take the easy way out.  My blog friend Ki at Dressing up for life decided to go for polka dots today, and I can't wait to see what the other challenge takers will be wearing.  Still not to late to join the challenge, tomorrow is "Fall Brights"!  I think this will be my favorite, I just love bright colors.  Can't you tell?

This is also Shopping Ban outfit #8.  The yellow blazer is new...I think it arrived in the mail after I took photos of my shopping ban items. So, this brings the total to 27 items and I've got 17 items to go!

Top: Target:Xhilaration Striped Tee with poofy sleeves-$10
Blazer-Stilletos &Diaper Bag Blog Sale-Yellow short sleeve blazer- $10 (including shipping)
Pants: Nordstrom Rack: Black Cropped Dress pants-20
Belt: From some other shirt or dress....not sure
Shoes:Ross-Black Flats with flower-$14
Approximate Total Cost ~$54

And I spotted these Halloween questions over at You, Me & Anthropologie and thought i'd be fun to answer them.  

1) What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Those red cinnamon fireball things.  And chocolate.  But chocolates my favorite year round.  My favorite as a kid was definitely milkway...i think they taste the best in mini or fun size. The ratio of carmel to chocolate is wrong in the full sized candy bar.

2) What's your favorite Halloween movie?

Don't  have one.

3) At what age did you stop trick-or-treating?

High School I think.

4) What is your favorite Halloween costume that you've worn?

Fairy princess when I was five.  My mom made the costume.  I remember her sewing it and me bugging her all worried it wouldn't be done for the Halloween party at school.   I later used that costume in a school play were I played the fairy in The Velveteen Rabbit.

5) What is your least favorite costume that you've worn?

For a party while in high school I went as a housewife. I wore my fuzzy slippers, a ripped over-sized shirt and my sisters ratty bathrobe.

6) Have you ever repeated a costume? If so, what was it?

I've repeated lots of costumes.  Recently I was Mrs. Incredible for Bay to Breakers last year, halloween last year and a halloween party last week.

7) What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

A lobster.  I found the cutest lobster hat at a thrift store for 69 cents! Its probably meant for a toddler or small child since I found it in a bin of kids costumes but luckily I have a small head so it fits!  

8) Do you like going to haunted attractions?

No.  I'm afraid of the dark.  I will turn on every light between me and where i'm walking to in the house at night. 

9) Vampires or werewolves?

Werewolves.  I love Alcide.  

10) Do you decorate your house for Halloween?

Yes.  Not very well as you can see, but I tried!

Question thingy started over at TheGridMonster and JoeyGraceffa.

Animal Instincts

This post is linked up to Bloggers Do It Better where the assignment phrase is animal instincts.  I don't wear this animal print top often as its pretty tight on me now, its an XS and I am no longer.  Since its on the tight side, I like to pair it with wide leg trouser jeans or a skirt with volume to it.

While my friend was organizing my clothes she cam across this top and ran squealing into the kitchen where I was.  She was SO excited that I bought this top in animal print because she has it in two different colors and thought the animal print would look great on someone whose complexion wasn't super fair like hers.

Top:H&M-Animal print (cheetah?leopard? I don't know) ruched sleeve top-$12 (Similar Animal Print Dress here)
Jeans:Nordstrom Rack-WORN Jeans wide leg-$15 (Similar here for $10!)
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack-Not Rated Heritage Oxford Flats-$25
Belt: Ross-Part of another top-$10 (similar here)
Earings-Gift from my cousin-FREE!
Approximate Total Cost~$62

Decided to give you a few different views of my backyard today instead of my standard photos on the deck.  Soon I'll be able to mix it up even more! I ordered a tri-pod and it should be here this week :D