Merry Christmas 2015

Happy holidays everyone. We decided to head out for some outfit picture today since this is the first dry day in December. I was so happy to see the sun for once and finally am able to wear something none-water proof like this beautiful All Saints leather moto jacket I picked up online during their Black Friday online sale. Truth to told, I am obsessed with Sloane Ranger style and Agents of Shield (TV show) so when I saw this jacket on the show worn by the charactor Sky/Daisy, I was determined to hunt it down. Anyway, long story short, I finally found it on sale and bought it. It took more than a month before I can finally wear it out on a dry day haha :) It is one of the best leather jackets I have ever owned. It is so soft, made well and I just love the quilting on the shoulders. Right now All Saints is doing 20% site wide (code Merry) so go check them out. FYI, this jacket fits true to US size (I am 5'4, 120 ponds and a size 6 fits me perfectly).
I am also carrying my birthday present handbag from my good friend Amanda (hope you are enjoying your well-deserved holiday dear), Rebecca Minkoff suede fringe bag in this beautiful wine colour (Port, on sale here). It is not a big bag. The size is more like a clutch and holds your essentials like and Iphone, a compact wallet, lip products and maybe keys. I think it is so chic and cute for winter. I am a big sucker for anything wine and red colour so thank you so much Amanda for this gorgeous pressie :)
Hope you all got what you have wished for Christmas. Link me to your social media on what you got for Christmas so I can go have a lookie!

All Saints Bleeker moto leather jacket in Ink Blue (here), Rebecca Minkoff Finn Cross-body bag in Port (here) and Sam Edelman Petty booties in black leather (here),

Christmas vibe in the Pearl District

I was just walking by the West Elm store in the Pearl District in downtown Portland and spotted their beautiful window display. What you could not see is it was pouring rain. The northwest has been experiencing massive storm. Certain parts of the region is flooded with some landslides as well. I hope we will be able to have some dry weather soon as it is making my muscles aching with all the humidity! Anyway, you can always sort of see a slight (subtle) change of my hair colour towards the ends. My stylist put in some light "purple" tone when she did my hair 3 days ago. It is not showing really well just yet but she promised me after a few more washes the berry-purple tone will gradually show up under certain lighting. Let's wait and see :)

Columbia rain jacket, Frey riding boots (old), Coach cross-body bag (old) and Etsy pom pom bag charm from YogaStudio55.

Merry December

Hi, I am back. It has been a month since my last blog post. As I told you I was going away for holiday (family reunion) overseas end of October. When I returned, work practically piled on top of me like a heavy hammer. Then I got the cold, thanks to the freezing Portland winter. Anyway, long story short. I am back blogging and it feels so good to be writing to you again(and to me, really lol). I thought I'd start the blog in December. To get back into the fashion biz and holiday spirit, I am sporting my 2013's Christmas find from H&M. You can read all about it in this post but I scored this faux fur coat at a super bargain price. I also am wearing my snowflake earrings and a colourful skirt I got during my trip last month. Sorry about my slightly paler than usual face. I am still recovering from the cold.
I am excited to show you the one piece I snatched during last week's Black Friday sale from All Saints. I will write all about it in my next blog post. Have you gotten anything during the sale? Please link your post and share with me.
It's good to be back :)

H&M faux fur coat, Givenchy small Antigona bag, Sam Edelman booties (old), Leslie Greene earrings,  Lindberg sunglasses,

Thank you for sticking with me. I truly appreciate it :)

Old town Portland and Madewell

In my last post, I wrote about all the new development that is happening in downtown Portland. However, there are still bits and bops of the old town left in this city and it is not difficult to just run into one. We found this quaint little alley way nuzzled behind the Madewell store. To my surprise, Madewell has the prettiest window display which you can see it on my Instagram post.
We are in the middle of autumn and it is indeed starting to get chilly in the morning and later afternoon. I will be out of town for almost three weeks so I do apologise upfront that this blog space will be "On Holiday" until I return. I shall keep you all updated via Instagram (kiwifashionblog) and some Snapchat (kiwitweedy) so be sure to follow me there.
Happy Halloween to all who will be celebrating :)

Iroo moto-jacket, Sam Edelman loafers (old), Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Lindberg sunglasess

Cool tones

While it is not cold enough to wear coats and scarves, it is definitely cool enough to wear lightweight cotton jacket. I scored this versatile utilitarian jacket at Banana Republic at 50% off. I am only 163cm (5'4) so the petite version fits me perfectly. For those shorter girls out there, don't you just hate it when your jacket's sleeves are so long they pass your whole hands? Sometimes I wondered if I just have short limbs?!
With this very casual jacket, I thought I'd pair it with my semi casual laced sneakers I got last spring by Ash. They are more comfortable with the traditional Converse (with padded sole) and a little bit more girly with the lace details. The only complain I have with them is the silky shoe lace. They become undone quite easily when I wear them. For how pretty they are, I think I can live with that :D

Banana Republic Military Jacket (online on sale here, but try to go into the store for better deal), Ash Lace High Top Sneakers (still some on sale here), Zara Stripped cotton T, Balenciaga City bag in Lazuli (lapis) and Lindberg sunglassess.

Downtown Portland is changing. Sky scrappers are coming up everywhere. It's bitter sweet as the city progressively grows but also comes with overwhelmingly population density increase and congested traffic. I guess this is part of an urban city that is booming.

Autumn golden leaves

On a snap of fingers, autumn is now in full swing. This is the time when all the leaves begin changing colour. You get that cool crisp air in the morning and evening and sun is setting earlier and earlier everyday. Alot of people say autumn is their favourite season. For me, I try to embrace every season as it comes. Portland is unique in a sense that every season has it's strong distinctive character. When the season changes, you can definitely feel it. We took the opportunity and had these "colour enhanced" pictures taken to demonstrate their beautiful golden hue.
Are you enjoying the season change at your area? Despite it did make me a little sad putting away all the summer cloths last week, I am looking forward to bust out my massive scarf collection (last counted I think I own 12.........). Stay tuned for many features of them here on the blog :)

Esprit cotton coat (old), Vince slip on sneakers in black (two colours here), Coach Rhyder satchel (last seen here on the blog, this leopard print is still avaliable), and Lindberg sunglassess.

Autumnal equinox and red tartan

It has been five months since the last time I wore this tartan dress (you can see when I last wore it here in April). I am one of those happy people to hear when tartan (or plaid) became all the rage last year (along with Birkenstock). I have quite a few things in tartan so I will be showing them to you gradually in the next few posts. When I wondered into Madewell store yesterday, I spotted a gorgeous cobalt blue/black tartan shirt dress. Hey, I don't have anything in this colour combination, I thought. Looks like I will be stalking this item on their website and wait for the next sale (here is the link, what do you think?) What attracted me too was how soft the material is! Definitely going onto my wishlist! Along with several other things on their website......

Rebecca Minkoff Love cross-body bag in the colour Moon (love this colour Port, too) and Sam Edelman Petty booties (darker colour here, the most comfortable booties ever)

Here is a photo courtesy of my friend Brian C. from last night's equinox with a Canon 50D. 200mm lense and a 1.4x extender (thanks Brian for letting me using your awesome picture)! Did you go check out the moon last night?

Before Fall, wear Fuchsia

What is the best way to celebrate last day of summer by wearing a bright top and a casual (almost ripped) denim skirt? Temperature can be very temperamental around this time of the year. We had our last day of warm day (high 20's) before the climate plunged down to the low teen's (12 degree C to be exact) today. Nevertheless, I had a pretty good morning wearing short sleeved top and being bare-legged :)
Excuse for the naked toe nails. Like my blogger friend Mica (Away From Blue), I put myself on a shopping ban since the 12th of May this year. To make things a little easier, I have decided to also save money on not going to get spa pedicure (which normally is something I do during summer) but just keeping my toe nails short and using at home micro-pedi callus remover tool from QVC (this one) to keep my heels smooth and cracks free.
While most of us feel a bit sad that summer is leaving us, I am sure some of you are secretively thrilled to be able to wear cozy knit and cute boots again! I do have plans to add a few new pieces to my wardrobe once I come out of the ban in a month! For those of you who are currently on ban or plan on being on a ban, trust me, it gets easier with time :)

Sam Edelman Trina sandals (old), Louis Vuitton Pochettte in monogram canvas (here), Cartier Roadster watch, Vita Fede rose gold bangle (in size XS here) and Stella and Dot necklace (old from last year).

Beach bond on Labour Day

For someone who has been living in Oregon for the past 14 years, it's embarrassing to say I had never been to the famous Cannon Beach. Oregon coast is about a little over a hour drive west from the city. Visitors from all over the place come during summer to go witness the beauty of our untouched natural coastline. This Labour Day Monday, we decided to drive to the coast and admire its grandness ourselves. We were in for a treat! Since it's already late summer, the coast was a bit on the windy side but we were blessed with very sunny weather. Go barefoot, or at least a pair of flip-flop. Let your toes sink into the softest white sands you can imagine! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and I recommend you do the same :)
We had a wonderful time spending our afternoon at Cannon Beach. The big rock formation behind me is called Haystack Rock. There are several similar ones along the coast but the Haystack Rock is the biggest one. We took our time walking on the beach and saw many happy dogs running around freely. There were also several kinds of kites flying on the gorgeous sky (check out my Instagram photos kiwifashionblog for more pictures). Not bad to end the non-official last day of summer eh?

Lululemons wrap jacket (old, but very similar one here), Havana flip-flops (how cute are these minions ones) and Rebecca Minkoff Love cross-body bag in Moon (navy, love this one too)

Life lately- rainy late summer day

After a very hot and dry summer, Portland finally is back to it's normal cool, cloudy rainy weather this week. Not going lie, I have been thoroughly enjoyed this unusual warm season! In the past I always had to carry a thin cardigan or jacket with me no matter where I go. This summer is the first time I actually did not feel the need to do so. I have had many days of me happily rocking the sleeveless dresses and sock-less sandals. However, today Portland seemed to had waken up and we are BACK to our norm again!
I have been laying low this season. Not much travelings, nothing too spectacular happened besides work and lots of exercise trying to get my body stronger. I do have travel plan later on this year but for the time being, I have been enjoying staying in town and exploring Portland. If you do plan to visit P-town, come by during June-August. I guarantee you will fall in love with the city and the beat almost uncomfortable. :)
Let me know what have you been doing this past season. As we transition through the next cooler phase of the year, I hope to get out of my shopping ban and keeps my eyes out for some new fashion pieces like boots and coats. Oh, let the fun begins, shall we?

H&M denim jacket (old, but I like this one by Top Shop), DIY necklace, Sam Edelman sandals (old), Balenciaga Lazuli City bag and Lindberg sunglassess

Tag watch and La Mone bracelets (white version here)

Ocean princess at a garden party with Happiness Boutique

I was lucky enough to be contacted by Happiness Boutique  to feature one of their many beautiful statement necklaces on my blog as part of my Outfit of the Day post. After browsing through their website, I fell in love with this sapphire blue Ocean Treasure necklace. I have been loving the colour blue this season. Funny, I just to be a all red/pink kind of a girl. I think my love for the shade blue began when I first laid my eyes on a vintage blue sapphire ring I saw at our local antique jewellery store Glit. My heart literally skipped a beat. Although I did not end up be able to afford that drop dead gorgeous piece (one day one day...) I have completely converted to a blue lover.
Back to my outfit. It took me a while to decide which outfit I should be pairing with this necklace. I want my outfit to not be overwhelming but complimenting the necklace. I wore this aqua coloured dress to attend my brother's wedding 2 years ago and I think it looks quite nice with the necklace. The Ocean Treasure necklace has an adjustable chain link so it fits to virtually any neckline! I was too busy to go on "location" in the city for photos so I took the liberty of using my own backyard.
I hope you like what I have chosen. And yes, I am NOT wearing sunnies. I am usually very light sensitive that's why you almost always see me in shades to avoid odd squinting or closing my eyes :)
Check out Happiness Boutique. They ship worldwide and fast too. You can also join their Reward Program to earn points when you shop!
I hope your week is going well. My has been busy as always. Work has been slightly less stressful and I have been able to caught up with a few of the summer blockbusters. I highly recommend Mission Impossible 5 (action packed, not a dull moment),  Inside-out (cute and such unique ideas) and Ant-man (a light take on a Marvel superhero).  As always, thanks for reading my little casual blog!

Dress and cardigan from Asia, Ocean Treasure necklace from Happiness Boutique, sandals are Sam Edeman (last season but the Tina are very similar and on sale here)

 Ocean Treasure necklace c/o from Happiness Boutique, sandals are Sam Edeman

Strolling around the City Hall

Over the weekend we walked pass our City Hall (Portland) and suddenly realised it has really interesting architectural columns in the front. The best thing about it was the area was relatively empty. Perfect for some quick photo snapping. I was in my comfy cargo pants and did not realise with the red bag I'd end up looking similar to a Christmas tree. Oh well, weekend dress down I guess. While these pants are comfortable, I now see they somehow made my wide hips a bit wider lol. I assure you, I am not this "hippy" in real life. I am starting to do some target specific floor work out at home and hopefully it will help tighten that area just a little. Ha, wish me luck (especially on my consistency lol).

I am entering a really stressful time at work. We have a brand new (no experience at all) assistant starting today. Lots to teach her, lots of transition and change..s..hope all goes well in the end :) (ps. Anouk of Luxessed, ready for a holiday break?)

This outfit featuring the dark red Chanel Le Boy bag <3 Needless to say more?

Thanks so much for reading and thanks to all my long term friends/reader for your consistent support and feedback on my very casual blog <3