*** If you missed out on the Ann Taylor factory chiffon ruffle front shells last year, they are back! Thanks to a reader (Kellie) for letting me know. Style #274709 (petite) and regular is style #271140. It was an additional 50% of as of yesterday for a grand total of $21.74. This year, petite's carry them in grey, pink and teal (similar to my seahorse color). Regular sizing has pink, teal, cream, light blue and burnt orange. If you have an AT card, you can call and have it shipped to your house. ***

Top: c/o Lulus.com - size small (buy here)

Blazer: H&M - size 2 (similar cropped here)

Skirt: J.Crew - size 00P (buy here)

Shoes: Tory Burch {old} - size 5 (identical here)

Earrings: Pearls from Mom (studs with necklace set for $13)

I love this J.Crew wool mini but it is 1" too wide in the waist and hips. If you are smaller than me, you may have to get it slimmed and the waist taken in. It's doable for now but it would be nice if it fit better. I have to blow out my stomach for the waist to fit : )

I must warn you about this polka-dotted top. Even though it's size small, it runs extremely large. I had to slim each side by 3" and make the armholes smaller. It's completely sheer so you will have to wear a tank/cami underneath.  Now that it fits, I can wear it alone or layer it underneath a cardi or blazer for work.

Don't forget to enter my bangle giveaway! Ends this Friday : )

*** I listed some items on my blog sale if you want to check it out! Items include J.Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, LOFT, H&M : ) ***

Top: Ann Taylor - size XXSP (similar here and here)

Skirt: H&M {hemmed} - size 2 (similar here and here)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin - size 34.5 (buy here)

Purse: Chanel m/l 

Ring: YSL arty in lapis- size 4 (buy here in gorgeous emerald)

Bangles: H&M girls (similar here and only $31)

Necklace: LOFT (similar here)

I had a completely different outfit planned until I realized my blazer had a stain on the sleeves. I have no idea how it got there because I am really good about taking care of my clothes.  I had to quickly hand wash it and of course, it didn't dry it time so I had to settle for this back-up outfit. 

I realized that all my Christian Louboutin's are all sized differently. My very first pair (black simple 100's) which are a size 5, run the smallest. My nude patent's in 35 are huge and thankfully I found a 34.5 which fit much better. These rouge ones are a 34.5 and still have a tiny gap in the back but luckily don't slip. I ran out of shoe pads but once I stick them in there, they will fit perfectly. It's just so frustrating how inconsistent the sizing is. They usually say to size up because Loubie's are known to run small. Definitely not the case for me.

Taking self-photos is not easy! Today was quite challenging for me. I tried three different locations and none of which worked out. Either the lighting was super poor or the wind kept blowing my hair in my face. It was just one of those days that wouldn't let me have any good photos.

As I mentioned in the past, I just love having a complete matching set of pumps and purses. I am so glad I bought my red Chanel when I did. It was out of total luck that I scored it for the old pricing. I was unsure about the gunmetal hardware but have grown to love it.  I scored these red Loubie's (brand new) off of Ebay for well under retail.

What do you think about matching shoes and purses? 

I have been on a the hunt for perfect fitting bangles for a very long time. It's been a very frustrating process and so many of you have emailed and asked where you can find tiny bangles.  After doing extensive research and found nothing worth sharing, I considered having them custom made in all gold. Given the ridiculous price of gold these days, I gave up on that idea. I ran across Lavender Cottage Jewelry and was immediately drawn to her jewelry. Everything she makes is completely handmade. You can read more about the owner Cheryl here.  I immediately contacted her about bangles and she was kind enough to send me two different sets for me to try. She can custom make any size bangle to fit your wrist. At first, I was originally going to have her make 2 1/4" in diameter for me but this was prior to me finding the H&M girls bangles which measure 2 1/8" (slightly smaller) and fit me perfectly. So luckily she got super busy over the holiday  with tons of orders and hadn't starting making my bangles yet. I caught her just in time and requested she make my bangles in  2 1/8". 

This comes as as set of three and includes a hammered bangle, twisted rope pattern, and one with tiny flowers with milligrain edges (Petite Fleur). All of them are solid sterling silver so they won't turn your arm green if you accidentally get water on them while washing your hands. The hammered bangle measures right under 2mm, twisted rope is 2.6mm, and the Petite Fleur is 2.8mm. I love the gradual increase in sizes of each individual bangle. Yet as a set, they are still very dainty and you can still  mix and match with other arm candy.

I love how simple, classic and dainty these are. Each skinny bangle is soldered, hammered and hand-polished. The material is gold filled with the higher quality of 14/20 which is thicker material than 14K gold. You can even custom make solid gold bangles and are priced at market price when ordered. 

The best part about this company is that everything is guaranteed for life. If there is ever a problem, Cheryl will be more than happy to fix it- granted you didn't take a hammer and smash it to death or something catastrophic happens to it that is beyond her control.  She stands behind everything she makes.  What an amazing thing to offer our customers. This alone would make me go back and want to purchase something.  If you have tiny fingers, Lavender Cottage even custom makes rings!  

In my opinion, her prices are very affordable and more than fair given the increases in metal.  They were the cheapest I could find that were high quality. The fact that you can custom make bangles for under $70 (for a set of 3) in pure sterling silver is so worth it. Lavender Cottage is kind enough to give one set of your choice (between the 2 above) to one lucky reader!

Top: H&M {style #094245}- size 2 

Jacket: H&M - size 2

Necklace: BCBG (similar here and here)

Skirt: BB Dakota Groton - size 0

Shoes: Ann Taylor Perfect Patent Pumps in porcini - size 5 (similar here)

Clutch: Vintage Coach (similar here)

Belt: Ann Taylor - size XS (similar here)

Earrings: Chanel

Bangles: H&M girls

Thanks to SewPetiteGal letting me know about this messy bun tutorial, I couldn't wait to give it a try. Since my hair is extra fine and I have a million crazy baby hairs, a traditional bun does not work on me. No matter how much teasing or hair products I use, I can never tame my baby hairs so that explains why I rarely wear my hair up. It didn't turn out as I had hoped but I think it's because I had freshly washed hair. I tried it again the next day with un-washed hair and it worked much better.  This is a great way to wear your hair up with no spin pins or bobby pins.  It's super quick and easy- if I can do it- anyone can.

I clearly couldn't wait to wear my new neon yellow top and took pictures the same day I got it. After looking at this pictures, I realized the top is quite wide. Much wider than I thought when I initially tried it on in-store. The arm holes are also pretty big. I may slim the sides eventually.  I was in quite a big hurry to beat the sun going down so I didn't do such a great job tucking the shirt into my skirt- hopefully you won't notice from these pics.

I was elated when I found Kelly's BCBG collar necklace during my lunch break last week. It was on major clearance for $24.99! I felt like I won the lottery. She looked so amazing in it that I had to have it. 

I'm not sure if you can tell but I tried wearing eyeliner on the top of my lids! I have very shaky hands and can never draw a straight line. I'm trying new things to keep it fresh for everyone but it's definitely out of my box.  Thanks for reading and have a great week!

I wanted to quickly share this in case anyone is heading out to H&M either today or this week. I picked up this cute bright yellow top:

Size 2 - $29.95 {style #094245}

Top: H&M {style #040581} - size XS ($17.95 - in stores now)

Jeans: Old Navy - size 0 short (buy here)

Boots: Halogen Brianna - size 4.5 (buy here)

Watch: Seiko mens 34mm 

Bangles: H&M girls 

I haven't had much time to take blog photos so this is another quick post showing one my new favorite finds at H&M. I only saw this pretty Kelly green color at my store but online it shows these:

What drew me to this top was the seam at the waist (helps accentuates your waist) and the flounce detail at the hem. It's so girly and feminine.  I like that I can wear this casually and also dress it up for work. Stay tuned for how I style it for a professional environment :) 

On a different note, I wanted to show you my complete sets of Chanel and Loubie's. I've been longing for a pair of dark red loubie's in size 34.5 to complete my entire collection.  Aren't they all just gorgeous? Next on my list is a pair of cognac or dark tan Louboutin's!

Work has been so crazy for me so I apologize if I haven't responded to emails or comments. I will try to catch up in the next couple of days. 

Have a great weekend! : )

**The first winner has not contacted me so the new winner of the Revlon nail polish giveaway is:

Top: Ann Taylor - size XXSP (buy here)

Blazer: H&M *recent* (similar F21 version)

Pants: LOFT {old} - size 00P (similar here)

Belt: Ann Taylor - size XS (similar here)

Shoes: Ann Taylor - size 5(similar here)

Necklace: Pearls (similar here)

This is very similar to my green ruffle front shell from H&M. It comes in two colors - northern twilight (color I am wearing) and shooting star (gray/taupe). I ordered both but got two of the same colors :(

Likes: Even though the material is 100% polyester, it's a nice poly material that almost feels like silk. I had to double check the tag to see what it was made out of because it was so soft.  I was afraid the scoop neck was going to be too low-cut like my H&M top (had to bring it up to wear to work) but it falls high enough so no cleavage.  The tiny front pocket is adorable and adds a sportswear-inspired touch. I like that I can dress this up under a blazer or wear it casually with jeans.  The shirttail hem is nice to wear it un-tucked. I don't normally wear my shirts un-tucked but this one is short enough where it doesn't overwhelm my frame. My favorite part is the color. It's even more gorgeous in person.

Dislikes:  The arm holes are a tad too big but do-able. The width of the top is a bit wide making tucking in slightly tricky when worn alone. 

Verdict: Pricey but I'm keeping since I had a gift card.

20% off at Piperlime.com for 3 days only. This includes new arrivals and already reduced sale items that are 50% off. Use code: NEWYOU

Other picks:

Adrienne Vittadini Kaylee (Only$30)

Badgley Mischka bow pumps (adorable)
Ivanka Trump Ciry (so cute and comes in 2 colors)
Calvin Klein Elita (chunky black platform pumps)

Be careful because some items are FINAL SALE. I have a few rewards burning a hole in my wallet so hopefully I will get to use it on some shoes.

30% off at GAP, Banana Republic and Old Navy (online only). Use same code: NEWYOU

Happy Shopping!

**Update (deals in-store): I scored this drapey sequin tank (see on Kelly) for $10 and the gold sequin bell skirt (regular J.Crew not factory) in 00 for $49 (see factory version on Jean and Khatu). I found a size 0 if anyone is interested! These must have been in-store returns because they were the only ones hanging on the rack.  I also picked up an extra gray/taupe H&M cropped blazer from this post in a size 2 in case someone wanted it. Please email me.**

Today and online only- get an extra 60% off all sale items with code: SHOPANN.

Here are my picks:

- fringe skirt (small sizes avail)
- sequin cardigan
- jacquard mini skirt 
- crewneck sweater (regular sizing runs small)
- 3/4 sleeve cardigan (my fave color is misty fiord)

I didn't order anything today but did buy these items last week:

- ruffle front sleeveless shell  (bought in 2 colors)
- pleated placket blouse in chartruese
- crewneck sweater in winter white (exact same as my gifted red sweater from Ann Taylor - see here)

Did anyone take advantage of this sale?

Top: J.Crew in henna - size XXS (buy here)

Skirt: H&M - size 2

Pumps: J.Crew in clove - size 5 (buy here)

Necklace: C/O Naomi for Stella Dot - (buy here) *mention REALLYPETITE for 20% off*

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C (buy in gorgeous taupe or mini or other colors)

Sorry I don't have too much time to write but wanted to share my new purse with you.  I'll get into my likes/dislikes about the M.A.C in a future post. Also, my new necklace is so amazing! I hope to take better photos with a nicer outfit soon : )

Hope you have a great weekend!

Short and fitted blazer $34.95

This cut is very similar to my new favorite gray/taupe one but has different sleeves and no closure in the front. It appears to be a bit more casual.  I want the orange one- it looks like it has a lot of potential to be a great casual blazer.

Faux suede ankle wedge booties $49.95 (sizes 5-10)

Top: Ann Taylor factory {old} - size XXSP (similar here or here)

Blazer: H&M {style #037443} - size 2 (similar here)

Skirt: Petite Sophisticate {old} - size 0 (love this waterfloral or similar here and neon azalea)

Purse: Chanel m/l
Shoes: Ivanka Trump - size 4 (buy here)

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder - 13.5"
Armpit to armpit - 14.5"
Sleeves - 23.5"
Widest part of sleeves - 5.5"
Total length of front - 21"
Total length of back - 19.5"
Material:  66% poly, 33% viscose, 1% elastane