Petite Secret Santas and More!

This year, I participated in my first online Secret Santa gift exchange!  A huge thanks to Jessy of The Little Dust Princess who pretty much organized everything and introduced us to a nifty website called Elfster.  The whole process including randomized assignments, anonymous Q&As, and wishlists made everything virtually effortless.

I was so excited to receive a package from my Secret Santa... especially when I found it was none other than Jean from ExtraPetite!  She sent me a whole bunch of goodies with a sweet hand-written note.

I love how everything was so personalized and carefully chosen!  She remembered practically everything I've ever mentioned and sent me: liquid eyeliner for me to practice my rudimentary make-up application skills, an Ulta brush for my Rock & Republic blush that I'd asked her about, and Kiehl's eye cream for my worsening dark circles that I'd once mentioned in a comment.

Last but not least, she got me this pretty necklace:

... that's a perfect match for my teal Ann Taylor ruffle blouse that she knew I had:

How thoughtful!  I really hope my Secret Santa pick, Jess from Stylepint, enjoys her gift as much as I enjoyed mine!

I also very unexpectedly received a couple other surprises in the mail this month, including a ton of goodies from Elle of FastFoodAndFastFashion:

There was a J.Crew belt, H&M pin, hair acccessories, Clinique eyeshadow and mascara, and some yummy treats.  I'm not sure what I did to deserve all these goodies, but thanks Elle for being such a sweetheart!

And finally, I'd recently tweeted to Sydney of PetiteLittleGirl about her Eos lipbalm, and she surprised me with one!

They really are fun to use, although unfortunately my HG lipbalm still remains elusive.  But thanks, Sydney, for adding to my lipbalm collection!

The best part of my holidays this year though wasn't about the gifts - it was all the people I have in my life, both old and new.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have met so many wonderful ladies online, and have never felt more like part of a community.  I truly want to thank my readers and fellow bloggers for all their support, and I hope everyone is having a happy holidays!!  :)

Mini LOFT Haul: Skirts & Dresses

I had no idea the last LOFT haul post would be so controversial!  I had a ton of feedback about the items, and I really really appreciated everyone's honest advice since I was slightly on the fence about most of them.  The first sweater is probably going back since it wasn't comfy enough or cheap enough for me to overlook the "diseased" nubs I can't stop thinking about now after reading Aubrey's comment.  I also had no idea those jeans were so unflattering!  They're an old adult-sized A&F jeans that I bought a long time ago and was so excited about then because they "fit".  I haven't worn them in a while and pulled them out for pics because I haven't had time to do laundry lol.  I guess those are going in the washer/dryer a few more times to see if I can get them to fit better.

But to continue with my mini LOFT haul, I actually only have a couple more items to talk about.  First is the Cable Sweater Dress in XXSP ($27, orig $90):

I actually liked this in the dark grey version too, but already have a charcoal grey sweater dress from LOFT that I got last year, so I decided to get this in the neutral color.

I thought the fit was pretty good.  I liked that the cables are on the top half, which adds a little bit of bulk to the bust and makes it more flattering :)  I can't decide if the ribbing was meant to be a empire waist, but it hits me at a good spot to define the waist and would probably look good belted as well.  The material is not itchy, but does shed quite a bit because when I hugged hubby, I left yarn bits all over his black shirt.  I wonder if a wash will fix that?

And next, remember this Scallop Edge Lace Skirt from my other post?

After discounts, it came out to about $24 (orig $80) which was definitely reasonable, so I picked it up in size 00P:

As you can see in the first tucked in pic, it sits pretty low on my waist like most other LOFT skirts.  But because the length is decent and hits me above the knee, I think it looks okay when worn under tops.  This is me trying a "walking pose" a la Chloe lol:

I've been wanting a lace skirt for a while now, and this does hit the spot even though I do wish it sits a bit higher.  That said, Kileen juuuust picked up a lace pencil skirt from H&M for me today that I haven't been able to find in my size, so I might have to reconsider once I try that on.  But for now, bring on the comments and opinions! :)

Mini LOFT Haul: Tops & Sweaters

Since J.Crew has been all the rage lately on the petite blogosphere, I'll head back to an old favorite... LOFT!  My favorite time to shop there is when they have 40% off everything, which is stackable with their $25 off $50 savings cards and makes for some amazing deals!  My haul this time isn't as exciting as the first time I found out about it, and I'm not sure I'm keeping everything, but here goes!

First is the Marled Cocoon Cardigan in XS/SP ($25, orig $80):

This was previously seen on Jean at ExtraPetite here, and I actually had returned my original one.  But lo and behold, it was still available at my local store, so I decided to pick it up again at the lower price.  The material is slightly itchy, but since I'll likely be wearing it over a long-sleeved shirt I think it should be okay.  There are no actual closures, but I found that it stays closed if I use one of the yarn "nubs" as a makeshift button.

Next is the Banded Bottom Ruffle Shell in XXSP ($15, orig $50):

This was an impromptu buy!  I hadn't even noticed it online or in-store until that day... but a ruffly shell with armholes that fit perfectly was hard to pass up.  I'm not super crazy about the blouson style (which LOFT seems to like a lot), and the color is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I brought it home to think about.  I recently spotted the same top on Vicky too here.

Next is the Abstract Print Blouse with Tie in XXSP ($17, orig $55):

Again, the color/print is a bit brighter than what I'm used to, but I have a slight weak spot for bell/trumpet sleeves... and look, there's ruffles! :P  It speaks a little "mature" to me, but is a very comfortable blouse and the price isn't bad.  I wonder if this one will go on crazy clearance though... will have to hold on to my receipt!

And finally, the Striped Cardigan with Bow and Brooch Detail in XXSP ($11, orig $70):

I've had my eye on this one for a long time now and have seen it on several other petite bloggers.  I was very happy to be able to pick it up for an amazing price!  I lucked out because the SA let me use the savings card anyway even though it was already a sale item.  Definitely keeping it for sure!

That's it for tops and sweaters.. so what do you think?  Any votes for returning any of the items?  I do have a few more items saved for the next part of the haul, which will be skirts & dresses.  Due to being swamped with work, it actually took me THREE days of using every available free moment to take pics and write just this one post, so I had to split it up.  I also haven't been able to keep up with and comment on my fav blogs (you know who you are!).  But luckily after this week I'll be done with long night shifts for a while, so I'm looking forward to catching up with everybody again!

Petite Bloggers & TLBC

Last night, I got a chance to hang out with a couple other petite bloggers at The Little Bra Company's Holiday Open House.  They'd just opened a new office/showroom in downtown L.A., and invited us over for a little holiday gathering with cookies and eggnog.

We were treated to a preview of the new styles they'll be introducing, including ones that will be available in C cups.  They also showed us several styles from their upcoming swimwear line which I'm so excited about!  Here's the adorable Britni from their "A-team" who showed us the goods, posing with their bestselling Lucia bra:

A whole rack of lovely bras to check out:

 The awesome petite bloggers I met, Kelly of AlterationsNeeded and Jess of Stylepint:

I also got to meet the founder of the company, Emily Lau, and she was so nice!  We all took pics together, but all of my pics with her turned out blurry so I'll defer to Kelly or Jess for nicer pics from the DSLRs they both brought versus my ghetto point-and-shoot.  But here's the one shot of us three petite bloggers that turned out the least blurry:

Notice how we're all roughly the same height!  Well, we were all wearing heels, but same difference lol.  It was so nice to meet with these gals in person, and it was pretty neat to realize how well I've come to know so many lovely ladies over the past year.  I can't wait to finally see Jean of ExtraPetite at the end of the month!

New J.Crew Favorite Finds

I honestly didn't think I would ever find anything at J.Crew that fits!  Even though I loved this ruffle shell and got it in several colors when it went on super sale, in retrospect it still fits quite long on me.  And bottoms?  Don't even think about it!  Even when Kelly of AlterationsNeeded raved about this skirt, I secretly had my doubts lol.  But I should've trusted her because she was absolutely right!

Even though I made the order mainly for the olive coat I mentioned in the last post (which I'm probably not keeping, but more on coats in general later), I ended up really liking a couple of the other items:

First is of course the afore-mentioned Wool Bell Skirt in size 00:

This turned out even smaller than I had expected!  It actually really reminds me of the BR Paper Bag skirt, which I was kinda turned off by because of the name.   But I like this one a lot, the elastic is tight enough to tuck shirts in snugly, but slim enough that it isn't too noticeably lumpy when worn underneath tops.  I really like this color too, I think it's versatile and is something I don't have in my closet yet.  And on sale for $35?  Definitely a keeper!

Next is the Muse Tank in size XXS:

It's definitely long on me, but the armholes and neckline are good.  I like how the ribbon ties cinch the waist and can be worn either in front or back.  I also love this Urban Grey color which actually looks like a pale sage green to me.  I also got it in the Heirloom Pink which is pretty but completely washes me out and I don't plan on keeping.  You can also check it out in Golden Topaz on Vicky here.

Of course since I ordered, everything is now further discounted and there's an even better code, MUSTHAVE, for 30% off with free shipping on orders over $150.  The skirt is now $35 and the tank is now $21 for certain colors.  I also picked up this ruffle shell which is now only $14 (seen on PAG) and also this ruffle cardigan now only $21 and looked amazing on another petite in the AN Forum.  The code expires Friday 12/17, and I already hear a lot of petite buzz about these items... we're probably going to end up all wearing the same things again! :)

A Short Coat Here & A Long Coat There

When it rains, it pours!  Both in terms of work, where every day has been busier than the last, but luckily also in terms of shopping for coats!  I had ordered a whole bunch, hoping that may be one or two would work out.  And while usually my success rate is almost always zero, this year for some reason I keep finding potential keepers!

While I am definitely keeping my Jack BB Dakota coat, I'm also being tempted by these two recent petite-friendly finds.  First is the A|X Fitted Peacoat in XS:

I was pretty impressed by how slim this fits!  The sleeves are a bit long but not so long that I'd have to get alterations.  The length of course is longer on me, but I dare say that it actually fits even closer to the body on me that it does on the model.  It retails for $185, now on sale for $149 and A|X has a free shipping and $50 off $150 purchase with code 50FORHER which ends on 12/15.  They also offer free return shipping or returns to store as well.

Second is the Banana Republic Wool Ruffle Coat in Sugar Plum, size XXSP:

I got it on a whim because it was on sale at the time with an extra 40% off, making it about ~$100.  I didn't expect too much but as it turns out I'm also tempted to keep this one!  I love the eggplant purple, and while the coat isn't as slim-fitting as my Jack BB Dakota, the fit is not too bad overall and is good for throwing over any amount of layers underneath.

Do I need all these coats, especially in CA weather?  Probably not.  But I sure do WANT them all lol.  And of course I still have one more coat in olive coming in the mail from J.Crew, courtesy of PAG.  If that one fits well too, I really don't know what I'm going to do!

Sorry I didn't have any time to take actual modeling pics... maybe I will do a collage of all my winter coat acquisitions when everything gets here! :)

PFC #4 - Holiday Party

The fourth Petite Fashion Challenge is being hosted by Elaine of Curls and Pearls!

The Challenge: 

Create a holiday party look using festive colors and/or holiday pieces without looking like a greeting card.

It doesn't sound too hard, right?  Except I've never been to a holiday party and don't really have any holiday pieces in my wardrobe!  But here's something I could possibly wear to a friends or family gathering:

Top:  Ann Taylor    Skirt:  Banana Republic    Cardigan:  American Eagle
Shoes:  TB Classic Reva Ballerina Flat in Black with Silver Logo, size 5.5
Necklace:  Nordstrom    Pin:  LOFT    Belt: Gift    Tights:  Simple Vera

I bought this skirt around this time last year, so it had always felt like a holiday piece to me.  I added the flower pin, which is a recent LOFT acquisition, so I'd have some green to complement my red to represent the quintessential holiday colors :)

Speaking of recent buys, I got pair of suede OTK boots from LOFT a while back when there were on sale for ~$60.  Initially I thought the fit was not great as the shaft was loose overall and had planned on returning... but I tried them on with this outfit and now I'm having second thoughts:

Hubby was less than helpful so I figured I'd ask my wonderful blog readers for opinions/feedback.  I like how they look from the front, but here are some side views:

The cuffs can be folded down, but I don't really like how that looks because then you can really see how my scrawny my thighs and calves are by comparison.  The price isn't too bad at all for boots, but I never would've thought I could do OTK boots.  What do you think... to keep or not to keep?

Sorry for all the headless pics.  Wish I had time to get all holiday-glam on ya (well, it'd also help if I actually knew how!), but I'm working nights this month and had literally just rolled out of bed at 4 pm and had to be back at work in an hour, and looked frightful in every single shot.  Serves me right for procrastinating until the last minute, but I'm glad I was still able to participate in this PFC... now to go see what everyone is wearing for their holiday parties! :)

Easy DIY Glasses Case Tutorial

I've been trying to pick up sewing, but it hasn't been going very quickly.  Mostly because I tend to be somewhat of a perfectionist, and want everything to be completely thought out before I start.  While knitting mistakes can be unraveled and re-done, I feel like sewing mistakes are so permanent!  I have several projects in the planning stages, but the only thing other than this skirt I've actually made so far are a set of padded glasses cases.  I saw the tutorial on a random sewing show on TV, and was so amazed at how easy it was!

The Materials:

All you need are two 8x8" fabric squares... here I bought a package of precut black & white prints:

And some craft batting:

The Preparation:

The basic template is an 8x8 inch square with a rounded corner:

Cut two pieces with right sides together, lining fabric (black) on the bottom:

Cut a piece of batting in the same shape and put it on the bottom:

The Sewing:

First sew along the top curved edge:

Here's the trickiest part:
Open it along the top seam, keeping batting on the lining side.  Then fold it in half length-wise.

Then fold it in half again along the seam:

Sew along the long free edge:

Turn it inside out so the batting is now on the inside, and sew along remaining short free edge:

Finally, turn it right side out and you're done!

The Result!
Here are the first few that I made:

There are certain blogger friends who have been so kind as to send me things for no other reason than out of the goodness of their hearts.  I've been raised to never let nice acts go un-reciprocated, so I decided to make a bunch of these for them as a small thank-you gesture.  Some attempts turned out better than others, but I hope they liked them!