Love & beauty actually...are all around you

Zuhair Murad S14 Couture gown // Love Actually Film // Camellias in bloom

 Zuhair Murad's Spring 2014 couture collection was definitely love at first sight. The leaf-motif gold belts, the beautiful pastel spring colors, classic silhouettes, guipure lace, embroidery, embellishments, and floral appliques made me long for spring!

Links à la Mode Feature & Hello February

The shortest month of the year, February, is what I called the V-month. V simply stands for Valentine's. I think we should really celebrate love the entire month-- not just one day. I recently learned that my 5 year-old niece loves drawing hearts, which is puzzling to me how children gravitate towards things that are associated with love at such a young age! Anyway, I'll have to dive my nose into some books for an answer. Let the 28 days of love begin today!

It has been pretty incredible to start a new chapter this month with my 5th LALM feature so far this year!

The New Casual

Sneakers at Chanel Couture? Evening dresses to a picnic? Is there really any appropriate occasion to wear anything? Not anymore! Dress it up, dress it down, if you can make it work, all the better! This week we have a great roundup of news from Couture, Stockholm and Mens fashion week, as well as some style tips to put the new trends in action. So kick of your sneakers and pull up your chair, it's going to be a great roundup this week!

Links à la Mode: January 30th

• A la Modest: Pin Up Dresses That Don't Bare
• Attire Club: A Recap of Paris Fashion Week
• Bell Street: Nowhere to Wear that Pretty Dress? Create Your Own Opportunities to Dress UP!
• Burgundy Whispers: Tastemakers: Katy Perry
• Charlotte Lucy: Drape
• Confessions of a Style Cookie: Sporty Pastels at Chanel Haute Couture
• ExtraSmallXS: DIY Saltwater Spray
• Fashioned by Love: Beauty Talk with Adrianna Giotta
• Fashion Lush: Plaid Habits
• Lara Lizard: How to Be a Sarcastic Writer in 2014
• Modly Chic: Am I Pretty or Ugly?
• Privilege: Demystifying the Boyfriend Jean
• Simply Frabulous: Stockholm Fashion Week AW14 Back!
• Stilettos and Tequilla: 5 Ways to Wash Colour Blocked Clothes
• The Dragon Fruit Diaries: 5 Ways to De-Stress Over the Weekend
• The Stylish Butterfly: No More Black Tights
• Trace the Shadows: Who Dressed Laura Palmer? 3 Steps to Twin Peaks Style
• Trend Survivor: The Best Dressed Couple: Justin O'Shea and Veronika Helibrunner
• We Are Ready Made: WARM is in the mood for the emotion of fashion
• Wild Beauty Love: Painted Ladies: Madame X

SPONSOR: East Dane Tumi, MM6, Zac Zac, Mr Kim, Adidas, Men's Carven, LuliFama, Clothing, Red Ear, Jean Machine

Perforated Pumps Fresh Spring Air in Winter

click image to buy
 Jimmy Choo // Abel Perforated Patent Leather Pumps

Sexy doesn't have to be flesh-baring, at least not when the weather hasn't been very kind lately.  I actually like the subtle sexiness that comes with flesh-peekaboo, aka perforations.  If air is to NIKE, perforations are to fashion! They just make it that much better!  Cut-outs and perforations are making a comeback this spring, and they are definitely one of my favorite trends, as seen on the runway at Spring 2014 Rebecca Taylor, The Row, and Reed Krakoff. Let your skin soak-up some air in the spring time when the sun is out to play! I'll let my imagination do that for now, while I'm piled under layers.

Rebecca Taylor S14

Links à la Mode Feature & Award Shows

As we're getting ready to bid January good-bye, I am so ready to rid myself of this awful nagging flu that has plagued me for the past 2 weeks. It was partly my fault for not getting the flu shot before the flu  epidemic broke and  flu vaccines became a shortage in many pharmacies in town. Besides keeping myself hydrated with plenty of liquids and grapefruits (my favorite citrus), I have been loving the award shows.  So, don't be surprised to find lots of celebrity fashion posts, especially with the Oscar's coming soon.

Besides enjoying all the new fashion with fashion week by soaking up all the pretty images on style.com, I'm also very happy to be featured my 4th time this month with the weekly IFB LALM. Please check out these wonderful links and have a great  week ahead. The most dreadful day (Monday) is over!

Stepping Up the Style

The thing that keeps fashion interesting is that it's a never-ending project. But that doesn't mean we don't like to strive for perfection anyway. Whether it be following your favorite fashion icons, saying no to the trends, or breaking cliches, style can always be stepped up even when we simplify our wardrobes. This week we have a solid round up of style related posts, so be sure to check them all out!

Links à la Mode: January 23rd

• Al Balsam Life: Dress For Business: Spring 2014 Mens' Edition
• April to August: Review: Zara Pointed Ankle Strap Flats
• Burgundy Whispers: Winter Essentials
• Corinne Monique: The Life of a Legend and Death of a Diva
• Elegance Hunter: How to Succeed at PFW
• Fashioned by Love: 5 Dresses Every Woman Should Own: It's a Wrap
• Flower City Fashionista: What Not To Wear, Even When People Tell You You Should
• Frantic but Fabulous: How to Steal Outfit Ideas from Your Favorite Magazines
• Free Ur Closet: Eco Love: Fashion and Beauty
• Hunting in Heels: Hardcore Metal: 5 Metallic Shoe Picks
• Lara Lizard: I'm a better blogger because I'm prettier
• My Fashion S/ash Life: Short Afro Heroes
• Rhinestone Religion: 5 Winter Skin Lifesavers
• Romeo Style: Monday Men Style: Shoulder Slingers
• Style Bizarre: Get the Style of Omahyra Mota
• Sweet on Style: DIY Headbands
• The Stylish Butterfly: Black and Gold Artsy Nails You Can't Wait to Try
• The Undercover Princess: Breaking the Prom Cliches
• V is for Violet: Fashion Design and Merchandizing Professions
• We Are Ready Made: Sex is Around The Corner

SPONSOR: EastDane David Galan, IRO.Jeans, MSGM, Raleigh Denim, Tretorn Shoes, Jack Spade, Ullens,

Links à la Mode Feature & Feel Lucky

January has been a great month for TSB, as this week's LALM  features TSB for the 3rd consecutive time. This has never happened before, so I feel incredibly lucky. I hope your week has been filled with something joyful, no matter how big or small your accomplishments are. I'm so motivated to keep writing better posts and hopefully I'll have your support along the way.

Scratch the Surface

"They" say fashion is superficial, but would those same people say the same thing if they had no clothes? Or if they had to wear ugly clothes? Chances are "they'd" be singing a different tune. Whether you call it vanity, shallowness, superficiality, the truth is we all need fashion to get through the day... so is it really so superfluous? We think not! This week we have a load of great posts that get to the essentials of style, from styling that plaid shirt literally 50 ways to becoming more confident to concealing those pesky under eye circles (because you know, you do need to look your best!)

Links à la Mode: January 16

• All That Glitters Is Gold: Instagram Safety Tips
• DressCode:HighFashion: Diane Von Furstenburg's "Journey of the Dress" Exhibition in Los Angeles
• Explores More: Fashion in Film: Ginger and Rosa
• Happy.Pretty.Sweet: Inspired by Downton Abbey
• Insanely It: 6 Ways to Wear a Headband
• KP Fusion: Switching from Blogger to WordPress
• Lara Lizard: 13 Tips for Shopping Safely on Foreign Sites
• Love Style Transform: Layers on Layers
• Quirky Britches: 6 Ways to Cure the Winter Drearies
• Style Generis: Countdown to Confidence
• Style Through Her Eyes: Concealing Under Eye Circles
• Style Vanity: 3 Spring/Summer Trends for Less
• The B Team: 50 Ways to Wear a Plaid Flannel Shirt
• The Dragonfruit Diaries: 10 Essentials for a Fashionable College Wardrobe
• The Stylish Butterfly: Polar Vortex Calls for Comfy Parkas
• The Stylist: How to Get Invites for Paris Fashion Week
• The Undercover Princess: The Superficiality of Fashion
• The Voice Inside Herself: 5 Minutes to a Quick and Natural Look
• Wild Beauty: Vanities: The Art of The Dressing Table
• Wilde in the City: How to Shop Outlets

SPONSOR: East Dane Mrs President, MM6, Mr Start, Amanda Uprichard, Iro Shoes, Alice D, 50% Nina Ricci, Carven, Ariel Gordon, The Natural

black & gold artsy nails you can't wait to try

Barbara Bui S 14 RTW

I'm excited to bring you something I've never done for my blog--a nail polish post!! It's definitely a lot of fun for me to experiment with nail art and let you know which ones work and how you can try them at home.
 My inspiration for choosing black and gold (and glitters) came from Barbara Bui's Pre-Fall 2014 women's RTW collection. I love the subtle gold details in her collection, from gold eyeshadow to the silk gold collar, to gold pants and boots. 

Refreshing Fashion at 71st Golden Globe Awards

Not a lot of people get excited about award shows, but I do. The best part of it is of course the red-carpet pre-show fashion.  Watching how celebs wear their dress on TV gives me a better idea which ones I really like verses just seeing them in 2-D photos. So, that being said, I have watched the show in its entirety on Sunday night and here's what I've got to say....

The best looks at the golden awards belong to ladies who took fashion risks (Emma Watson who wore Christian Dior tunic with pants), reflected their personality-- the retro girl  (Zooey Deschanel), and a few who sizzled on the red carpet by avoiding conventional styles like  fishtail, mermaid, and revealing plunging-neckline and side-boobish gowns.

Vibrant hues like red and bright orange were among the most popular colors--worn by several stars, but I loved Lupita Nyong'o's Ralph Lauren get-up the best. She looked fabulous in that red hot cape dress even with minimal jewelry and make-up. I'm actually pleased to see Taylor Swift traded in her usual red carpet colors of white and gold for a surprisingly beautiful pomegranate and black Carolina Herrera gown. I could not believe Sandra Bullock's age because she absolutely lost years in Prabal Gurung's fantastic age-modifying simple and youthful gown.

With the beautiful California weather of 70 degrees in the winter, these ladies are making Spring seem closer than it is for the rest us who are still ugging around in our winter boots.

Lupita Nyong'o // Ralph Lauren

Previously, in 2012 Gwyneth Paltrow caused quite a stir at the Oscars wearing her all white Tom Ford cape dress creation.  At the MET ball last year, Stella McCartney's cape-style donned by Cameron Diaz was nothing short of amazing. Although capes are cool and theatrical, they have been featured on both best and worst-dressed list. I think Katy Perry's  Naeem Khan's cape dress looked great on her at the 2013 UNICEF snowflake ball, especially with the long straight black hair giving a more sultry and sexy vixen vibe.

Cameron Diaz (Stella McCartney)//Gwyneth Paltrow (Tom Ford)// Katy Perry (Naeem Khan)

Shop:

 Naeem Khan's Deep-V-neck Beaded-Bodice Gown

Stella McCartney "Embroidered Cape"

Links à la Mode Feature & 12 months of inspiration

Time passes so quickly, when I'm busy...or not.. as I get older.  My mom says that I'm one year older as soon as we hit new years regardless  when my birthday is.  I read somewhere that wisdom comes from common sense + experience. So age signifies the accumulation of all your experiences thus far, which goes to say that I'm wiser than I was last year!

New experiences can be exciting but also nerve-wrecking when they're completely new to you. I'm hoping to tackle new experiences in 2014--stepping out of my comfort zone and be wiser by the year's end.

One of the hardest things for me to do  is not to get lost in all the little things or not to "sweat the small stuff".  So, this year I'm going to make that my priority.  I hope you'll find your inspirations to guide you to where you want to be in the next 12 months. This blog is my own inspiration to continue to bring  you a piece of my world, one post at a time.

Once again, I'm headed towards a great start with my first Links à la Mode feature of 2014. It's always so nice to get linked up with other great posts.

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to 2014. Don't you love the start of a New Year? Imagining all that will happen over the next 12 months. Sure, you can think about the next 12 months any time, but something is special once the calendars reset to a new year. So... what's in store for you? Who knows! But one thing we can do is show you some links to help you make the best, with DIY projects, fashion tips, and a few bits of inspiration just for you!

Links à la Mode: January 2nd

• Al-Balsam Life: Skin Care Diary
• Attire Club: 12 Fun Facts About Neck Ties
• A La Modest: Winter Wedding Wonderland
• Beauty and Sass: 3 Trends That Will Stick Around for 2014
• Burgundy Whispers: Fuel Food
• Carly Tati: DIY Junya Wantanabe Patchwork Jeans
• Cream and Sugar Please: 5 Tips for The Perfect Selfie
• Doefya: A Pair and a Spare
• DressCode:HighFashion: Backstage at Jean Paul Gautier FW13/14
• Fashion Lush: Fridge Chic: DIY Gold Animal Magnets
• I'm an Airhead. Oh Wow!: How to Layer Clothes
• La Prive: Show Them Who's Boss!
• Les Assorties: Dress You Lips in Red
• Lunar Candy: How to Get Your Man to Dress Better
• Miss Monet: Why I Love Fashion Illustrations
• Stilettos and Tequila: 5 Lessons Blogging Taught Me in 2013
• Style Bizarre: Tattooed Fashion Bloggers
• Style Through Her Eyes: LUSH Lip Scrub Review
• Tonie Girl: Time to Sparkle! 5 Ways to Wear a Sequin Skirt
• The Stylish Butterfly: 11 Ways to Wear a Festive Fashionable Bow

SPONSOR: East Dane Lisa Perry, De La Renta, Ellery, Melillo, Ruddick, Banjo Matilda, Black Pointe, Steven Alan, 30%, Ostwald Helgason

Kick-start 2014 with slithering snakeskin boots

It's officially 2014 and I am super excited to wet your new year's  appetite with some gorgeous boots that will keep your inner fireworks flying for the rest of this winter.  I recently had a heart-ful conversation with a dear friend about life, hopes, and dreams; we are the type of dreamers who dream big but live small.  We are filled with a sense of wonder and when it comes to shoes, we share that love too. So, this post is dedicated to her, and I thought a post about gorgeous boots is a great way to kick-start 2014 with high-flying style.


1. GIVENCHY - one of my favorite luxury brands.  When I have my eyes on  new things, including shoes, I'm usually fixed on a certain detail that pops like the cool printed green and silver pattern and slightly curvy heels. 

GIVENCHY Ayers Snakeskin Printed Ankle Boot in Green

Givenchy Podium snake leather clutch

My 2013 Favorite trend: Tie-dye

HAPPY NEW YEAR! to all from around the world. I'm doing the count-down (less than 1 hour left until we kiss good-bye to 2013 forever).  I hope  your 214 will be filled with success and happiness.  I look forward to a great year ahead in terms of fashion, blogging, and everything that I will be sharing with you. Thank you for such a  great year here at TSB. I hope you'll continue to join me for more style, fashion, and other unpredictable things that will be happening here at my blog. Best wishes and cheers!!