Spring Sale Scores

Hey all...happy hump day!  Yesterday was an emotional filled day.  I woke up in the morning anticipating for lunch time so that I can hop on over to the Bravern Anthro store to check out what's on sale.  I love that particular store because there's minimal customers but still enough sales people to make the experience a wonderful one.  And they always seem to have all sizes in stock.  Without much further ado, here are my purchases:

This top was adorable, the ruffle detail wasn't too overwhelming, the fit was slimming, and the blue stripes added something extra to the shirt.  It's a little sheer, but I can always wear a cami underneath it.  I can see myself pairing this with a pink wool skirt I have that's old from LOFT.  I've been wanting to find something that matched better with that skirt for a while so I'm glad I found this cute little blouse!

I'm in love with yellow right now...it just makes me happy and it's the perfect color for spring in this cloudy, gray city.  I have a lot of yellow cardigans and outside layering pieces, but not enough tanks and shells for inner pieces.  So when this baby went on sale, I had to have it for my collection.  Can't wait to sport this with a gray or blue or white or pink cardi.  A lot of pieces in my closet will match this. 

Who let the dawgs out...woot woot woot woot!  Purple and gold...the colors of my alma mater...the University of Washington Huskies.  Hollah for the Dawgs, ya'll!  Despite reviews online saying the fabric feels a bit flimsy and cheap, I totally disagree.  I love this fabric because it's thin and smooth to the skin.  I also didn't mind that it did not have a side zipper, putting this on and taking it off wasn't difficult at all.  I wore this today so see below for my OOTD.

OMG I can't say enough about this belt.  I know I've been going on and on about the snakebite belt (which I still love, btw and will be buying them in multiple colors once they are back in stores), but this is a different type of love.  I think it's so feminine looking and after seeing it on Tara here, I just wanted it badly to pair with my Beda dress and mint colored cardi for my engagement photos this weekend.  I tried on the outfit last night and I can't wait to take pics in it.

How cute are these.  These, and the belt above, weren't on sale but come on!  These little posts matches perfectly with my beda engagement outfit.  Anthro has a lot of cute flower post earrings right now and I just want them all!  But I thought I'd start with this one...and boy...I'm SOOO in love. 

Well, those were my purchases yesterday.  These items only cost me around $100 because I had a gift certificate and a return.  So, all in all, a great way to welcome spring with this sale event.  Thank you, Anthro! 

Now for my OOTD...as mentioned above, I wore the Serengeti dress today.  I just love it.  All my coworkers who were Huskies commented on the dress and one girl even high fived me.  Now a OOTD that gets a high five is one to remember! 

Dress: Seregenti Dress (Anthropologie)

Cardi: Jackie Cardi - Gray (J. Crew)

Shoes: Seychelles Lavish - Gray (Endless.com)

Necklace: Macys

In Memory of Claro...

Uncle Claro (11/4/1948 - 5/18/2009)

One year ago today, my future father-in-law, Claro D. Jocson sadly lost his short battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Linda of 32 years, and their three kids, Chris, Justin and Jill. Claro found out he had cancer three weeks before he passed away. He had one treatment of chemo before his body gave out and he peacefully passed away (and I’d like to believe painlessly). However, on this one year anniversary, I’d rather not discuss how he passed, but remember him as how I knew him when he was alive.


Chris invited me over to his parents’ house for dinner shortly after we became serious. The first time I met Uncle Claro, he introduced himself as “Chris’ older brother”. Of course, nerve wrecked at the time, I had to think twice about that joke. Chris had told me that his parents fell in love with me even before meeting me. He must have talked me up, but what solidified that truth was when Uncle Claro said, “Cindi, please help yourself to the food. We are family now” before we started eating. You probably think that comment scared me off and made me want to run out the front door, but it didn’t. It felt…true.

When people talk about Uncle Claro, there’s always one theme…how he’s such a generous person. He always thinks about others and tries his best to help people out. Not only that, he asks nothing in return. When Chris’ parents found out my mom might be pre-diabetic, they immediately gave her a blood sugar measuring device. And Uncle Claro made sure to call Chris and talk him through how to use it on the phone. When they found out I liked canned corned beef (yes, I know…it’s canned meat but so’s Spam and I love that too!) he made sure to buy a whole case of it when it was on sale at Rite Aid, where he was the store manager. There were countless things Uncle Claro did that will always remain unforgotten in my heart. For me, I was lucky enough to have him grace my life for a little over a year. I only wish I was as lucky as those people that have known him all his life.

Chris and I were able to tell Uncle Claro about our engagement before his passing and he was extremely happy. Although he won’t be here to see us walk down the aisle together come August, we both know that he will be watching over us in spirit. He walks alongside Chris every single day, and I think that is why we’ve been so fortunate in the last year. Things just fell into place for us, and it’s because Uncle Claro is there protecting us.

Wonderful Weekend Wins

Hello all!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  It's Monday again, which sucks for sure.  But do we all know what this means?  Yep!  That means tomorrow there is going to be a HUGE Anthro sale.  Through the blogosphere, I found out that there will be a big semi-annual blow out at your local Anthro.  Make sure to check Anthroholic later tonight for a listing of what's going to be on the sales racks tomorrow.  Kim is always very good at making sure she gives us everything on the list to be marked down. 

My weekend was wonderful!  We finally started the packing process in anticipation for our move and we were in a purging frenzie!  I hate clutter around the house so it was a great weight lifted when we purged a bunch of old mail and magazines that we don't need anymore.  I was also able to clean my closet a bit and give some clothes to my mom.  She will either wear them or save them to give to our relatives in China.  I know...silly isn't it? 

From left: Marla, Wai, Me, Jean - happy hour at Palominos in downtown Seattle

On Sunday I met up some three of my bridesmaids.  These are my girl friends from high school and every now and then, if we can clear some time out from our busy schedules, we hang out and shop.  This weekend I needed help picking out my jewelry for the wedding so they were great to come along.  We did some normal shopping as well and I think all four of us went home with some great finds.  Here's some of what I got:

This skirt was so comfortable.  I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it.  The color I got was more of an orange than a coral.  See below as I wore it today for  my OOTD.

My friend Marla and I really loved this tunic but there were no XS's left, so sadly she was unable to go home with one.  In the picture it looks fine on this model without a belt, but to me, I think a belt is needed to complete the look.  I can't wait to wear this!  I got it in a gray and will be sporting this once my gray snakebite belt comes in the mail. 

I was also able to find a great white and black poka dot sleeveless blouse at J. Crew which I just adore and a couple of thin cardigans.  I was unable to find the items I got at J.Crew online so I apologize! 

As mentioned earlier, I wore the Halogen skirt today for my OOTD.  The light green sweater is a steal of a deal from J. Crew yesterday.  There were just so many cute things at J. Crew...I really needed to control myself.  Same philosophy goes for tomorrow at Anthropologie.  Hehehe...enjoy and good night! 

Cardigan: J. Crew ruffle cardigan

Top: J. Crew ruffle tank

Skirt: Halogen (Nordstrom Point of View)

Necklace: Macy's

Shoes: Ciao Bella (DSW)

Wine and burgers...classy Friday night

My alcohol drink of choice has been wine for a long time.  And between white and red, I always choose red.  When I have a good piece of steak for dinner, I like to pair that with a full bodied cabernet.  The Napa Valley cabs are my favorite with steak because the grapes grown in that region offers a bolder taste which is what I like to wash down a good steak with.  Despite many wine connesuirs that claim the best cabs come from France, I really do like a good Napa cab.  For everyday drinking, and a night like this where I know I'll sip and sip and sip a large quantity, I like a mid-range priced nice table red.  We in Washington produce some really great wines and one of my favorites is Brian Carter Cellars.  Brian Carter specializes in blended red wines that are easy on the tastebuds.  Not to mention their bottle labels look like works of art.

Tonight though, I'm not having steak.  I'm having a burger.  It's one of those days where food just overtakes me.  And after being so healthy, eating whole grains everything (if there was a whole grain banana, I ate it), and working out 6 days a week for a while now, Chris and I decided to treat ourselves.  When we have what we call "Indulgence Days", I crave for some meat and cheese!  And usually those two items come in a nice burger.  Five Guys Burger is an East Coast chain that recently opened up two locations in Seattle.  Renowned as President Obama's favorite burger joint, I agree that it's gotta be one of the best burgers I've ever had.  It's not fru-fru fancy, but just good old fashioned meat, cheese, fresh veggies, and bacon (only if you want it).  So, to pair with a nice burger, I am drinking a nice table red from one of my favorite wineries from Napa called Ceja Winery.  Now doesn't this just look delicious???  Want one?

 OK, now my OOTD which I probably can't fit into anymore today...

Old old old is the theme today.  I think everything I have on, other than the shoes, is at least 3 years old.  The silk teal shirt is probably the oldest item as I think I've owned it for 5 years. 

Cardigan - Ann Taylor LOFT (circa 2006)

Silk Top - Express (circa 2005)

Wool Peekaboo Skirt - Ann Taylor (circa 2006)

Shoes - Aldo patent leather black peep toes

Necklace, Bracelet and Belt - Forever 21

I found a Penny and feel priceless!

Meet Ms. Penelope Shorten!!!

Tonight Chris and I met up with an awesome couple.  Phil and Jasmine Shorten, and their two kids, Ryder and Penelope.  Phil, Chris and I used to work for the same accounting firm but Phil decided to go back to get his MBA and pursue a different career path.  He is now focusing on Human Resources at BYU and will be moving to New York City with his family for a summer internship.  I was fortunate to meet Ryder and Penelope (Penny) for the first time tonight.  And I have to say, great people raise great kids.  Ryder, who's two and a half, and Penny...a mere five months were so well behaved!  Obviously, the terrible two's don't apply to Ryder because he was happy and content with his ginormous mud pie.  Penny was just a doll!  She did not cry or fuss the whole time and when we held her, she was all smiles.  Many babies have an emotional attachment to their mommies, but Penny was happy just to be held and loved.  Let me just tell ya, my ovaries were clapping as if they were watching Sandra Bullock win the Oscars all over again.  Kids like Ryder and Penny make me want to have kids now and hope they are as good as they are.  You can't see it in the above picture, but little Penny wore a headband with a purple flower that matched her onesie.  That girl has fashion sense, she's my kind of lady!!! 

My ovaries and I leave you with my OOTD.  It was 68 degrees today so I busted out this $15 dress from Old Navy.  I love a versatile great deal and the color was fitting for a beautiful day in the green Pacific Northwest. 

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Shoes: Seychelle's Trip the Light Fantastic Sandles

Belt: Snakebite Belt (Anthropologie)

Is that spinach on your bra?

Ladies, we all consider ourselves good girl friends and when your friend has spinach stuck on her front teeth, you'd definitely point it out wouldn't you?  But don't you think someone that's not a best girl friend, like an associate per se, should provide you with the same favor?  Except I'm not talking about spinach in my teeth, although just as embarrassing, I'm talking about the ever so dreadful unbuttoned button in the boobage area of a button up shirt.  Phew, say that fast five times!  I'm definitely not what you would call busty.  But sometimes when I wear a button up, the button, and always in the boobage area, decides that it's my worst enemy and refuses to do its job. 

This lovely story begins when I was assigned to a new hire at my job as their professional career coach.  We decided to meet up for lunch to get to know one another.  We stroke up a conversation fairly easily and I thought he was a very nice young man.  Born in Utah, he was a Mormon kid that went to BYU and decided to explore another city since he's never lived anywhere else.  Throughout the conversation though, I noticed his eyes were mostly connecting with mine, except every now and then they'd linger south towards my chestal region.  I think nothing of it and just wrote it off as his way of thinking before he speaks.  An hour and a half lunch ends, we walk outside, shake hands and we part our separate ways going back to our respective working locations.  Several people, men and women, looked at me and I'm thinking "I must look goooood today!!!"  Much to my dismay, I arrive at my car and reach for the seatbelt to strap on and realized my button in the chestal region was unbuttoned!  My nude 10-year old bra exposed, screaming for someone to rip it off since I refuse to toss the old thing.  All this time, my new hire, ladies on the street, NO ONE took the time to tell me.  My new hire coachee definitely "got to know me" better than I did him.  From this experience I've learned that no matter what, I will tell a friend or a stranger that they have spinach on their teeth or their boobie button needs buttoning.  Or...even if they've got spinach on their bra!

Now, onto my OOTD.  Yep, I'm wearing a button up shirt.  Thank goodness no button exploding episodes today.

Shirt - Crossroads Button Down (Anthropologie)

Pants - Banana Republic

Belt - Forever 21

Shoes - Bouquet of Roses Heels (Anthropologie but bought on Ebay)

Naked Face!

I've always considered myself a fairly low maintenance girl.  From the moment I wake up to when I'm foot out the door leaving for work, the total time for me to get ready is approximately 30 minutes.  And that includes making myself a nice cuppa joe for the lovely 520 traffic I have to endure every single day.  Today I was quite proud of myself when I found that I was a little early.  I get in the car and drive off, thinking today was gonna be a great day! 

I look into the rear view mirror like I always do while in traffic just out of habit and noticed that my eyes looked a bit small.  I mean, this wasn't my usual get-ready-for-a-great-workday Chinese eyes.  These were NAKED eyes.  Wait...it's not just my eyes...it's my whole face.  MY FACE IS NAKED!  I had completely forgotten to put any amount of make up on.  Now before anyone judge me and make up their mind about how vain I am, I am not one to never wear make up.  I am not one of those girls that can not step outside without make up.  I often go "faceless" on the weekends and the first thing I do when I get home is wipe all the gunk off.  And if I go out again to run errands, I don't reapply.  But I work in a professional environment and have established myself to be somewhat of a professional, so showing up for work with nothing on was a little daunting.  The good news is I don't think anyone noticed.  I didn't even get one, "Oh Cindi, you look tired today" comment. 

Forgetful is the theme today because I just wanted to mention that I left my car on for an hour and a half while I was happily taking my turbo kickboxing class.  I guess all this isn't as bad as that one time when I went to a bridal shower and forgot to put on a...you'll never guess...a bra!  Spending the whole afternoon with my arms crossed trying to protect my girls and acting like I'm just "cold" probably tops the list of forgetful moments. 

So...here's my OOTD.  Good thing the blackberry camera is fuzzy.  Now that I look at myself, I DO look "tired".  =)

I wish I had a belt for this outfit but I'm holding out until the end of May to get the Snakebite belt from Anthro in gray and black!

Look at that nekked face! 

I love the details of this skirt and got it on sale last year at Anthro.  I finally was able to wear it today. 

A great score at DSW this weekend.  I really should not get anymore yellow shoes but I just live the color.  Makes me happy!

Cardigan - Halogen (Nordstrom Point of View)
Tank - Flounce white cotton (Nordstrom Rack circa 2007)
Skirt - Fertile Loam Mini (Anthropologie)
Shoes - Seychelles
Necklace - Forever 21