Fill-in-the-blank Friday

Inspired by Kate and Lauren, I have also decided to jump on this really fun bandwagon. 

1. My current obsession is Ryan Gosling. I am dying to watch him (and darling George) in the Ides of March. 

2. Living in New York makes me happy.

3. My greatest strength is the boundless energy and enthusiasm I seem to have.

4. My inability to focus only on one thing at a time is my greatest weakness.

5. My life is filled with a lot of fun and laughter though I could do with more family and friends not living a million miles away. 

6. In high school I was a school prefect! 

7. When I'm super tired I am utterly useless!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Kate Spade Flash Sale - Sept 27 only!

The only good thing to come out of insomnia is finding out about flash sales before the rest of the country wakes up. 

Click HERE to access the Kate Spade flash sale site - shipping is a flat $5 with all sales final. Don't forget to use ebates for a 3.5% rebate.

With a serious soft-spot for whimsical prints and an even major love for the city I now call home, I couldn't help pull the trigger on the latest version of the Lillith Skirt:

Now all I need to do is get some sleep tonight - happy shopping!

Pink, Green and a dash of metal

For as long as darling S and I have been dating (a very very long time now), Friday nights are always been reserved for each other.

It doesn't matter that we hang out plenty other days of the week, my weekend always starts with a night about town with my favourite boy.

Last Friday we FINALLY watched The Help, as noble as my intentions were to see it the weekend it was released. It was as much fun, sad and endearing as the book.

 H&M dress, Lanvin kitten heels, Hermes clic bracelet in White

Blurry pictures aside, I thought it'd be fun to pair up colours conventionally known for it's tie to all things preppy.

The movie was followed by supper at Boulud Sud, Daniel Boulud's latest venture into mediterranean cuisine. The meal was exceptional and naturally resulted in over-eating.  

Full belly = Happy Usha

 

It's been a while since I took this COS necklace out to play. Part of the H&M umbrella of companies, the store is a must-visit whenever I am in Europe.  I long for the day they open-shop this side of the pond.

The radiance of Zara

I live directly across the street from a Zara store and I still could not help place an order the moment the company launched it's online presence.

I purchased these two - which unfortunately for me, went back to the store as quickly as it was delivered:



The slit of the skirt (bought in size S) stays decent only whilst standing. The moment I take steps, it reveals WAYYY more than should be EVER revealed to anyone (besides to a lover). I am afraid even wearing this skirt with tights won't mitigate the flashing so tread with caution!

The pretty salmon pink coat - well I was just sized out. I bought an XS so I suggest sizing down. There is no tapering of the waist and it has more "swing" than appears in the picture above. Not made of wool and the obvious 3/4 length of the sleeves mean the coat will only be suitable for fall or "mild" winter (holla Australia!).

Now that's out of the way, here's the September lookbook and some of the pieces that caught my eye: 

I love the rich colour of cable knit juxtaposed with the shimmery mini  

I am hoping this is a solid coat and not just a trench

I already have a pencil skirt in nave lace but there is always room for more, no?

I will be stalking this dress since I hope to be living in it all winter

If you weren't already aware, here are some tips for a happy Zara shopping experience:

• New shipments arrive in store on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I am hoping this also applies to online stock.
• Zara maintains a 30-day return/exhange policy in the US. Always retain your receipts - without it, an exchange will be solely at a store manager's discretion even if you have all tags attached. Don't even try returning without one.
• Non-sale items can be put on hold in store, usually for 24 hours.
• I have a feeling that the mirrors in the change room are of the "skinny" kind - I have ended up with many dubious purchases to the extent I always try things at home to make sure.
• Most importantly, Zara quality is questionable at the best of times - so check seams, buttons and zippers etc. of your garments thoroughly (another reason to keep your receipts carefully).

Have you plunged into Zara e-commerce yet? Would you be keen to see more, thorough reviews of Zara items? Email or let me know via the comments section!  

ps - Fun fact: the word "Zara" has Arabic roots and means radiance! 

Fun in the Windy City

Darling S and I flew to Chicago for Labor Day weekend.

Just like most trips we take, this one was filled with great food and drink. But being first-time visitors, we dutifully spent time at various tourist spots - Millenium Park including taking silly pictures at The Bean, walking the stretch that is the Magnificient Mile and hanging out with thousands(!) of others at Navy Pier.  

My favourite bits: the sunset walk along the lake shore, cocktails at the Aviary (this one deserves its own post) and the architecture cruise along the Chicago river.

Day 1 outfit:

 LillY Pulitzer blossom dress, Anthropologie sandals, J Crew necklace, Hermes Clic bracelet, Michael Kors watch, Marni sunnies

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress

Here's what I wore, i.e. day 2 outfit:

 Lilly Pulitzer Lela Shift Dress, tweed navy jacket from Seoul, J Crew necklace, Marni sunglasses and Anthropologie sandals

  

Day 3 outfit:

  

 Holding on for dear life: Anthropologie D'armee dress, sandals, necklace and Desert Spring scarf, tweed jacket from Seoul

The thrill of standing on the glass ledge of the Willis Tower (I haven't been here that long and even I prefer to refer to it as the Sears Tower) looking down 103 floors was worth the admission many many many times over.

(As you can see from my outfits, I am the champion of packing light - just allows for shopping space, no?)

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend too!

(Edit: Here is a list of must-eats in Chicago:

• Deep-dish pizza: Giordano's - so nice we had it twice! 
• The Publican: meat-heavy. This was our choice for Sunday brunch.
• The Girl and the Goat: my favourite restaurant of the trip. Make reservations well in advance as Stephanie Izard packs a full house.
• Green Zebra: vegetarian fine dining. Nothing on the menu was a miss.
• Cafe Spiaggia: less formal than the dining room but still exquisite with a view of the Mile and John Hancock Tower.
• The Aviary: PHENOMENAL cocktails. If you only go to to one place in Chicago, this is it. Whilst not the most comfortable since you have to stand, the best tables in the house are right by the mixologists. )

Matchbooks and Doorknobs

The latest issue of Matchbook Mag came out last week.

I am a summer baby through and through. However, reading the September issues of glossies, print or digital, I can't help get excited about Autumn

Perusing the Anthropologie website recently, I fell in love with

these little beauties:

Oxidized Ruffle Coat

Sungazer Embroidered Coat (though what is with the price tag?!)

I had initially planned to take OOTD pictures but my apartment   doorhad other plans:

The maintenance guy took over an hour to break open the lock to get me in



Now excuse me while I go work out whats bugging the new blogger