Look of the Day: emerald city

I just read an article on CNN about why Seattle is better than Portland (it was part of this special city vs. city thing on their travel site). In all honesty, I was a little disappointed with it. It didn’t make a good argument for why we’re great. Instead, it was like reading a travel brochure.

 So I wanted to put my two cents in: we are so much more than Starbucks coffee. We are more than the “birthplace of grunge” (this saying makes me shudder). The views alone will take your breath away (one thing the author had right). We have amazing restaurants, music venues, art museums and are home to many, many coffee shops that are 100 times better than Starbucks. People here have real jobs (cough*Portland*cough) and a good local economy. As my husband says, the dream of being a productive member of society is alive in Seattle.

I never get tired of exploring all the neighborhoods here (Ballard, Capitol Hill, Greenwood, Columbia City, to name a few of my faves). I love the people here the most and am proud to call this city home, despite the flying fish at Pike Place.

Come for a visit. When the sun is out, nobody shines like Seattle shines. And when it rains, just the roads shine, haha 

American Apparel skirt (similar) - Vintage Bill Blass shirt (similar) - GAP sweater (similar)- GAP clutch - Vintage & F21 bracelets - Vintage watch (similar)

HiLo Dress by Night

As easily as this dress can be styled casually, it can also be dressed up for a date night or wedding reception. All I've done is added heels and a jacket and switched up the jewelry a little bit. By removing the strap on the bag, I now have an adorable little clutch!

Gosh, I love these wedges! 

Since I went for such bright nails and a matching neon bracelet, I thought it would be best to keep the rest of the jewelry simple. These handmade earrings were perfect! With short hair, I can't wear huge, flashy earrings anymore, and hoop styles are usually out, but these were just the right size.

Delicate, refined, and artfully made by the boutiques' owner, these added just the right amount of fancy :)

And look how easy it is to style an outfit featuring neons and neutrals! With the smallest touch of neon you can make any outfit right on trend!

Don't forget to take advantage of the discount code FLEUR12! You can get 15% off both online and in-store!

Bliss HiLo Dress - Grommet Clutch - H&M draped blazer (similar) - H&M necklace as bracelet (similar) - Thrifted leather belt - Canvas Wedges - Neil E. Silverman Gold Earrings

Photographs by Maria Gunawan & Praisely Jonatan

current color obsession: neons & neutrals

neons + neutrals by fleur-d-elise featuring short mini skirts

UPDATE: This Polyvore set has been featured on the Polyvore Blog!!

things to come

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” 

― Thomas Jefferson

It's been one of those weeks where I've been alternating between bored and excited. My husband was out of town all week, so the evenings were slow and my dog just doesn't get the jokes on 30 Rock.

On the other hand, I've started nannying for a new family. The little girl is about 18 months, so the action is pretty much non-stop when I'm with her! I've also been working on two exciting projects. One is with a local boutique and the other is international (!). I can't say too much about the projects right now, but you won't have to wait too long. They'll each get a separate post sometime this coming week! What I can say, though, is that I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of both; the local one especially. I got to work with some really lovely people and hope to work with them again in the future.

I hope your weekend is filled with the same kind of lovely weather that we're having here in Seattle :)

Look of the Day: layered lemon-lime and stripes

It's been just lovely here. This is my favorite time of year: bright and sunny and not too hot. The rununculus are cheap and plentiful, and I can start wearing fewer layers.

H&M mini dress (similar) - Vintage Bill Blass button-down (similar) - Forever21 bracelets (similar) - Asos bag - Vintage Nine West shoes - Felicee leopard print belt - Kate Spade iPad case

Look of the Day: feeling like myself again

Surprise!!

 I'm back to blonde! Blonder than ever actually. At the salon, I said platinum without realizing that kind meant "Make my hair translucent". Now I know how polar bears feel.

 Shopping tip of the week: If you can make it work, buy kid's clothes! They are so cheap! I got this shirt for $6 at Target. And I bought a matching one for my niece, hahaha

This isn't even the largest size they had, so you might as well take a look the next time you're at Target. You might be able to save some money!

 This lovely little bag came in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier. I'm thinking about buying all the colors Mochi Beaucoup has! It was hard to decide which color to get, but in the end orange bag won because I need some orange in my wardrobe. They have some really cute pastels, too, that are perfect for Spring. I love how they have them stacked on top of macarons. Too cute.
♠

Target t-shirt - Forever21 dress - American Apparel petticoat - H&M belt - Forever21 glasses

Look of the Day: slap-in-the-face pink!

Oh geez, I love this sweatshirt. It's way too big and probably unflattering, but I just cannot see past that pink! Actually, it might be ruining my eyesight, and not just simply distracting me.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've bought two short sleeved sweatshirts in the past month. I don't know why, but I feel like my best friend from high school, Sarah, would make fun of me for wearing them, like when I shaved my arms junior year.
The sweatshirts seem a little silly, but are actually making a lot more sense then I thought they would. This Spring has been pretty cold so far, but I want to at least pretend the weather is getting nice! Short sleeves with a soft, fuzzy interior are working out just perfectly.

J.Crew chambray shirt - Vintage sweatshirt - Polka dot skirt (similar) - Vintage purse - Forever21 glasses (similar) - Xhilaration flats

Look of the Day: neon spring

Spring is finally here! I'm so excited for warm weather. This past winter really made me want to move to California. Trevor absolutely refuses, though.

Look! I got a package! It contained two wonderful treasures I won from a giveaway. A big thank you to Mona @La Boheme and MochiBeaucoup.com

I absolutely love the bracelet! Sad that the ring doesn't fit :( Stupid tiny fingers. It is adjustable, but my fingers are so small I would have to bend it weird to get it to fit.

Oh! And I got a new purse! I am so in love with it. I found it at Value Village for $10. It's in perfect shape and the faux croc texture makes it look so expensive. I wish it were leather, but beggars can't be choosers.

Forever21 Tank Top (click to buy similar) - Sheer vintage blouse - J.Crew belt - Thrifted sunglasses (similar) - Faux Croc purse (similar) - Forever21 trousers - Xhilaration flats (similar)

spring wish list: illustrated

Clockwise from the left:

1. J.Crew Tippi Sweater $72.50
Great for layering (Spring weather can be unpredictable!) and the perfect preppy piece to pair with all of those crazy florals, which we'll get to later. Check out J.Crew for a million other colors.

2. Cat-Eye Glasses
This is one of those trends that seems to have real staying power. Vogue says it's because of the recession (no one has money to invest in new trends). Regardless, they're pretty awesome and go great with those other trends that don't seem to be going anywhere: 50's and 60's style

3. H&M Chiffon Blouse $49.95
Collars are EVERYWHERE. Classic oxford collars, patterned collars, peter pan collars, beaded collars; everything goes! They're an easy way to add some interest to an outfit. Layer it under your crew-neck sweater (see #1) for insta-prep.

4. M.A.C. Fake Lashes $15
What's nice about the trends this Spring is that they all go together! You don't have to worry about getting your space-age make-up to look right with Victorian-inspired dresses. Instead, most of everything looks straight outta the early 60's. So pair your cat-eye glasses with cat-eye make-up. Try fake lashes for extra oomph!

5. ASOS Floral Pants $72
Florals were seen all over the runways again for S/S 2012, but these are not your prissy mini-florals of years past. Think huge, bright, and kinda kitsch. Alexander Wang and Blumarine had some of the biggest, most over-the-top prints. Asos has some good ones, too!

6. J.Crew Tillary Bucket Tote $198
Ok, so neon is yet another trend that keeps coming back every spring. It just makes sense. It's fun, it's lively, and like masago adds such a pleasant pop to sushi, neon adds the nicest pop to an outfit. This leather bucket bag is a steal at just under $200. Also, check out the Celine-esque Tillary totes for $328.

Finally

Perfect, wonderful lighting. It's turned out to be a very bright day and I am home at the right hour to get some good pictures.

I want all of the old Coach bags. The vintage ones are just so sturdy and gorgeous. I keep almost buying all the black ones I can find on eBay. And have you seen them in Forest Green? Incredible. When I recover from my car repairs ($900!!!) maybe I will hunt down a nice one. The one I own I inherited from my step-mom and I'm very close to taking my mom's little black one as well. The classic designs are also still available through the Coach website! Just click this link Classic Coach