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As a result of shopping for birthday and Valentine's Day presents for A on Nordstrom.com , I of course also browsed the sales for myself before finalizing my purchase. Surprisingly, I actually liked and kept everything that I purchased, while I tend to normally return most if not all things I order online. The three things I purchased are the LAmade Crisscross Back Sweater , Project Social T 'Varsity' Sweatshirt (Junior's) , and Nordstrom 'Python Plaid' Scarf . Left to right: front of the LAmade Crisscross Back Sweater , back of the LAmade Crisscross Back Sweater , Project Social T 'Varisty' Sweatshirt , Nordstrom 'Python Plaid' Scarf . The LAmade Crisscross Back Sweater is a bit big on me but I like it even though I tend to prefer fitted tops because it feels comfy and I don't own any loose sweaters. The unique crisscross detailing in the back is nice and there's also a nice pattern running down the sleeves as well, which you can

Right behind shoes, I think bags are really important accessories to completing your outfit. Surprisingly, I don't think I have that many bags when compared to the amount of shoes and clothing I own and I'm going to try to keep it that way. Top: Venus Faux Leather Sleeve Sweater , Pants: H&M, Shoes: Christian Louboutin Simple 100mm Pump , Bag: Gryson Skye in black pebbled leather My very first big bag splurge was on the Gryson Skye in black pebbled leather over six years ago, which I fell in love with upon first sight but did not purchase until much later when it was on sale. The store I purchased it from didn't keep it in the best condition, but I love it and still continue to use it very often on weekends. Top: Venus Faux Leather Sleeve Sweater , Pants: H&M, Shoes: Christian Louboutin Simple 100mm Pump , Bag: Goyard St. Louis PM Though I love the Gryson Syke, my favorite purchase out of all my bags is the Goyard St. Louis PM bag, which was a big splurg

After doing an overall post on my favorite petite brands and petite outerwear, here's a post on the brands I prefer when it comes to pants and skirts. I've tried on many brands thus far for pants but lately, I seem to be stocking up the most from LOFT, which I just discovered a couple of years ago. Below are some snaps of my favorite pairs. Pants from left to right: 7 for All Mankind, ASOS, BCBG, Forever 21, H&M, J Brand, LOFT, Madewell, and Old Navy. Over the years, my favorite pair of jeans has changed many times but now I find that I don't really wear jeans anymore. I made the transition last year towards wearing mainly black pants instead of jeans now, which has the added benefit of looking polished yet being extremely comfy. I used to have a hard time finding pants that fit but now have no problem at all, knowing what my go-to brands are. The only issue that I have to deal with is hemming the pants, which I have accepted is inevitable unless it happens to b

I receive multiple circulars in the mail and I always make sure to browse them, which is why this is a good marketing tactic to target people like me. I tend to see something that catches my eye every so often that almost always leads to some impulsive purchases, especially if there's free shipping offered. It doesn't hurt to try it if you can return it right? One circular that I've noticed I've just started to receive in the past year is Venus, though they seem to have been around for a while, though primarily as a swimwear retailer. Venus unfortunately doesn't offer free shipping but they do have promo codes from time to time. I decided to give them a shot by purchasing their Faux Leather Sleeve Sweater , which surprised me by being very fitted. Though it flares out a bit at the bottom when zipped up, I like the fabric, fit, and cowl neck of this light jacket enough to keep it. The sleeves are made of a faux leather fabric that is soft and doesn't hold wrinkl

Upon hearing this Banana Republic Sloan Colorblock Sheath and Old Navy Ponte-Knit Blazer could possibly fit very well off the rack without any alterations, I purchased all the available colors in my size right away to see for myself. I just received them yesterday but wanted to share as quickly as I could that they do, in fact, fit great on me just the way they are. Blazer left to right: Old Navy Ponte-Knit Blazer in Navy Stripe, Heather Grey, and Indigo. Top: Banana Republic. Bottoms: LOFT. Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue. I really don't need any more blazers since I own a fair share in black and navy already but I don't have any grey ones, the blue and white striped one is the perfect replacement for the J.Crew's girls' denim jacket in harbor stripe that I wanted to keep here , and the indigo color is more of a denim blue than classic navy. The material is a soft ponte fabric with bronze colored buttons so they are definitely more casual and comfortable than the o

My bff and I took Italian together from middle school to high school so with seven years of Italian classes under our belts, we finally decided to travel to Italy together two years ago. We were very ambitious and went to Rome, Florence, and Naples all in the short time we were there, which was only for four nights. It was a whirlwind experience and I loved it. Our favorite city was Florence but I'd love to visit Venice some day too. The Colosseum! Of course I shopped! :) Jacket: LOFT, Bag: BCBGeneration, Scarf: The North Face, Sunglasses: Chanel, Boots: BCBGeneration 'Petler' Until next time! And while I'm thinking about Italy's delicious sweets, here's my recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Rugelach, which was a big hit when I made it. It's surprisingly easy and fun to make too: BRIETTA'S CHOCOLATE-CHERRY RUGELACH RECIPE! Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup confectio

More packages have come in yet again! As mentioned here , I've been waiting a long time to finally be able to order the Blank NYC Faux Leather Jacket and have finally received it in Navy (though it's more of a royal blue) this week. All I have is a quick snap of me in it because I knew right away after trying it on that it's way too boxy in the shoulders for my frame as you can easily tell in the photo below. Though that blue jacket didn't work out, I also received my LOFT package the same day and am keeping this Petite Sleeveless V-Neck Dress , which is also coincidentally the same blue color. I've always thought that LOFT and Ann Taylor's dresses were too big for me but surprisingly, this dress in size 00P actually fit very well. I wish the underarm area was a bit more fitted on me but won't be needing to take it to a tailor before wearing this out. I like the back zipper and pocket details, though I do wish the pockets were real. It's made of a

Since it's a new year, I decided to organize my life's worth of digital photos in my external hard drive, which was a task that took way longer than anticipated but I finally finished and feel so much better now. Looking through all my old photos really made me miss all the trips I took with my friends, which we did consistently ten years ago up until the past year or two. Everyone is settling down now and doing their own thing so we don't even see each other over the holidays anymore. This isn't necessarily bad, since we're moving on to the next stage of our lives, and I feel happy and lucky to have all these memories. The photo above was taken in Iceland, where I went three years ago. We unfortunately missed the aurora borealis, which I really want to see someday. I'm going to Alaska later this year but on a cruise so won't be able to see it yet again. Speaking of Alaska,  I made yummy Baked Alaska over the weekend that my family and A loved and want

My resolution for 2013 was to exercise more by joining a gym and going as often as I could from Monday-Friday and I'm proud to say I've kept my promise to myself and have been going 5x a week ever since, sometimes twice in one day. I've lost a little over 5 pounds since then, and am looking to lose no more than 2 now. I notice minor differences in my arms, legs, and stomach and I definitely noticed that I got sick a lot less since then because my body is stronger now. It's so important to note that what you eat may be even more important if not just as important as exercising. I don't think I can ever give up any food since I'm a huge food lover but the key is moderation (which I should remember when I overindulge). I didn't make any resolutions this year but as you can see by now, I do shop a lot so I think I should really focus on being more selective with my purchases in selecting long-term pieces to build my wardrobe. And speaking of shopping, of course