{OUTFIT} NEON BRIGHTS

the three-peat stars: FOREVER 21 neon lime jeans & COACH cross body bag

t-shirt & sunglasses: F21 // cardigan: ETAM 

necklace: BAUBLE BAR // hat: BCBG // sandals: COACH

shirt: ZARA 

necklace: EBAY // sandals: L'AUTRE CHOSE // scarf: H&M

shirt: vintage DONNA KARAN from umma  

necklace: vintage Sarah Cov via ATLANTIS DRY GOODS // wedge sandals: 2 PRIMA

While some may cringe at the thought of wearing highlighter colored jeans that can be spotted from yonder-ville, evidently, I'm quite the fan. Plus, these are probably one of the most comfortable jeans I own. While the quality is on the cheaper side, the fabric being thinner and washed-out, it actually works great for the summer, and more unassuming than meets the eye.

Since the pants are on the brighter side, I like balancing them with basic hues/cuts on top, so that it's not all Match McMatchy. My favorite pairing would probably be with my umma's chambray. After telling her that I was in the search for one, she dug this out from her treasure chest of clothes. Recycling at its greatest for sheez. Though it's a bit tight in the bust (since my umma is a few inches shorter than me), I will just have to refrain from breaking out into spontaneous spastic dance moves and carefully keep my arms to my sides. DARN. 

toodles & peace, 

Diana

{COOK} SIMPLE EGG SANDWICH

There are times when you think two flavors just won't get along together (like feta+watermelon, mangoes+chili, ketchup+rice, kimchi+cheese), and then you taste it...WABAM, whatta slap to your pretty lil presumptuous face! This was eggs & mayo for me. 
Somehow the mayo magically morphs with the fried egg and toast, and you've got a taste of a sunny morning right in this sandwich (ok, perhaps I exaggerate, but it's seriously that good).

As a kid, my mom would make toasted egg sandwiches with mayo for breakfast or snacking, and I used to think "big whoop, how plain. Where's the Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes?!" (yesss, I was quite the ungrateful one), but after the first bite, game over, bye bye Mickey. 

You soon begin to realize that the best things in life are often the simplest in kind.

some Jon Hamm & eggs ;p 

{OUTFIT} CREATURES of COMFORT

button-up blouse/shorts/scarf/sunglasses: H&M

tee: FOREVER 21 // sandals: L'AUTRE CHOSE // necklace: EBAY // bag: VINTAGE

via 1 // 2  // 3 // 4

Scarves have always eluded me, and the only time I actually bothered with them was when I used to live in Boston because I had to since it was the only thing that actually helped keep the violent wind from freezing my ass off. But when it's not frigidly cold, what to do with them? *blank face*

Then, when I saw this post on my friend's site about these Givenchy scarves she gilted, it had me jonesin'...But then again, scarves were never my thing, and so I didn't feel like dropping a few bills (plus, they were sold out). So once I saw this wannabe at H&M, I was all over that ish. The affordability of it quells the anxiety of "what-if-I-spill-something-on-it!" and just tie it to whatever,  and whenever. Right now, I tie it to whatever bag I'm carrying at the moment, and it adds a bright splash of color to any summer outfit. 

peace

{OUTFIT} DIY FISHTAIL

blouse/belt/necklace/skirt: Forever 21

sneakers: Nike

 This OOTD is a continuation from the previous post on my small DIY venture. I actually ended up trimming a bit more from the front of the skirt to make the back look longer. I've been wearing this a lot lately, and so more future OOTD posts with this one.
I had gone to the farmer's market in this look, which explains the baggu to lug around all the goods (they're a fantastic alternative to plastic bags!) and the comfy kicks since I parked my car "far" away (in LA standards, far means a few blocks away ;p)

xoxoo

{FOOD FRIDAY} SUMMER PASTA VIDEO

HAPPY TGIF! I wanted to share what I like to cook & eat at home, and so I made this video clip of a summer pasta that I've been whipping up a lot lately (supes easy!) While I enjoy every food derivative of the tomato (ie. ketchup, checca, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato sauce...)  I'm actually not a fan of raw tomatoes. But these cute lil' cherry tomatoes from my umma's garden have this perfect balance between sweet & acidic, and so I wanted to create something that retained the natural taste of these spectacular tomatoes (for me, this was a tastebud-changing moment, big time). 
I've been meaning to do a cooking video for a while, especially after getting a dose of inspiration from my friend's vid on pan-fried salmon w/ mango glaze. This was my first time making a video clip & using iMovie (oh heyyyyy~), and it was so much fun! I'm going to make more vids and hopefully in better quality with my camera (I now have a tripod *hallelujah!* bahaha) instead of through my webcam... STAY TUNED! 

{WRAP-UP} JULY WEEK I

 Some infused olive oil I made (basil+garlic & lemon+garlic) yahhh I lurrrve garlic

serrano chilis & shiso leaves from the Farmer's Market to plant in the garden

 Roses cut from the garden in a mason jar (the best makeshift vases) // OOTD (future post!)

current bag I'm carrying with new H&M scarf inspired by Givenchy // Sarah Cov necklace

from atlantis home's vintage e-shop, (they have lots of unique finds!) & non-toxic nail polish 

by KURE Bazaar in rose milk

 vintage-inspired necklace from ebay (ebay has become my jewelry destination; search tags can 

get tricky though...) // current nail color in Zoya Jules

homeboy bakery...fuggin brill name for a bakery (and yes...they are made by homeboys!)  

Anchor Summer Beer (always on the verge of selling out), taaaasty beer with a nice balance.

Some inspirational posts that I cruised through this past week that I wanted to share:

1) Tips on how to spruce up your blog (I followed up on some of these this past weekend)
2) Cool photographs of a supes-cute couple, Harry & Loemie
3) Choreo to one of my favorite songs from a few years back: Natalie Gilmore Full Moon (Brandy)
4) I felt a slight kindred-spirit moment with Lauren Gallo after reading her Q&A
5) Cool Chicago food blog I fortunately found via another cool Brooklyn blogger

While an instagram post would be a shiet-ton simpler, this lil anti-modern dame is not smartphone-equipped. So here is a little diddy I made on Illustrator. Hope you all had a great weekend!

{FOOD} + {OUTFIT} FREEDOM PARTY

shirt: Zara

skirt & sunglasses: Forever 21

belt: Vintage Christian Dior from umma

cutout oxfords: Stuart Weitzman

chain bracelet: ebay

The original title was going to be "Happy 236th Birthday," but after arguing with my sister over the exact date of Independence Day, which then led to a pointless, drawn out debate about the significance of dates & history, I realized it was a stupid title...ANYWAY!

This Fourth of July was a family affair, and switching from our usual carnivorous feast, we went pescetarian. As a bona fide food-shopaholic, I volunteered to get all the goods, and brought back home a variety of fresh vegetables from the Farmer's Market, wild clams, squid & mackerel from the Korean market, and wild shrimp & calamari from Whole Foods. Seeing everyone's happy face as they mmm'ed and ahhh'ed at the food, made all that time spent prepping and skewering worthwhile. How did you spend your Independence Day? 

xoxoo