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Leaving..on a jet plane

As some of you know, I'm Korean but spent a lot of my childhood (15 years) in the Philippines. My parents still live there and my sister lives nearby in Singapore. I was just there visiting in July but I'm going back again because my sister just had a baby!! I have to go see my first nephew and of course, reconnect with my family. It is incredibly difficult living so far away from my family because we are very close.

It's a 13 hour flight to Seoul and then a 3.5 hour flight to Manila. The flight to Manila back in July was the nightmare of my life. A was extremely tired but couldn't fall asleep so she was crying, whimpering, or whining for most of the 13 hour flight. At least I had the hubs to help me out. This time, I'm flying solo with the little monster, I mean darling sweetheart. :) 

 This is a video of A when we were about to land after our 13 hour flight. You can see that hubby and I (+ all the people around us) are so numb to her crying at this point.

Can you tell I'm nervous for the flight. I'd really appreciate any tips!!

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Some Things I'm Loving

Something lacy...
Club Monaco lace shorts. (Image: Club Monaco look book)

Something sparkly...
J.Crew sequin skirt (Image: Jcrew.com)

Something polka dotted...
Ann Taylor polka dotted scarf (Image: Zimbio.com)

Something chunky...
 Alexander Wang large cable cardigan (Image: Shopbop.com)

Something in a fair isle pattern...
Rag & Bone crop sweater (Image: Shopbop.com)

What are some things you are loving right now?

BTW...Don't be jealous but I'm at an Oprah show taping today!!!

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Recent Look: Leopard Scarf Saves The Day!

It was about to be another super boring outfit day when the leopard scarf came to save the day!

 I'm wearing my Gap legging jeans (aka jeggings). I like these because they're stretchy, comfy, and have a higher waistline (good for mommies with pooches that have muffin top tendencies, not that I suffer from either. ahem ahem!) Although I'm still loyal to my J Brand skinnies for days I'm actually trying to look presentable, I find myself reaching for these jeggings again and again for when I'm running around with A.Here we are off to dance class.

Gap leopard scarf, Aritzia cardigan, Anthropologie cami, Gap jeggings, Gap city flats, Louis Vuitton Neverfull handbag

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Growth Charts

One minute, she was swaddled in my arms and the next, she's a vivacious toddler with energizer bunny tendencies. It's amazing to see little A growing up so quickly right before my eyes. Before she gets any bigger, I need to document her growth and what better way than a cute wall decal growth chart?

I wanted something cute but still modern and under $20. I found a lot of amazing growth charts on Etsy but mostly, above my price range. For those with a higher budget, here are some of the cuter ones I found.

$44
A's favorite animal is a giraffe so this one was tempting.

$68
I love the owl and the leaves fluttering away.

$52
By far, my favorite! Love the gray & orange, the Amy Butler-esque flower, the owl, the bird. I love it all!

Now, I was starting to get discouraged and trying to convince myself that $52 for a growth chart was actually a steal. And then, I came across this one.

$14!!!
I opted for the pink to match some of the accents in A's room and omitted the name because I hated all the fonts.

 Here it is, in A's room. We love it! She loves to point out all the animals and then, of course, act out their sounds. I think it looks clean, doesn't take up too much space and is actually, really a steal at $14!

Which would you pick?

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Recent Look: Silk & Stripes



Love the unexpectedness of a casual striped top paired with a silky skirt. Brought out the Chloe Edith bag (which hasn't seen the light of day in over a year!) to bring some structure to the look. I would have worn cuter shoes had I not been on my way to a 1st birthday party with A in tow. Oh..woulda coulda prada! (Does anyone remember that line from Will & Grace?)

 Muji breton striped shirt, White + Warren silk pleated skirt, Aritzia fatigue jacket, Linea Pelle belt, Chloe Edith handbag, Gap City flats


This was my first official "photo shoot" if stopping the car for literally 2 minutes with all the doors open (since baby A was still in her car seat) counts. I was extremely awkward and did not feel comfortable posing at all! I don't know how so many of you fashion bloggers make it look so natural and fun! Any tips?

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Recent Look: Between Seasons

It had been cold all week and then, we had one warm day. That evening, the teeny shorts came out for one last encore performance.
 Aritzia leopard sweater, Theory shorts, Balenciaga bag, J.Crew & Nashelle necklaces, Gap city flats

A closeup of the 2 necklaces. The J.Crew was a recent purchase that I found on sale. I hesitated at the store but I'm so glad I brought it home. I <3 it!

If you could bring back a favorite summer item for it's final encore performance, what would it be?

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The Colors in our Home

I'm always getting asked what paint colors we used on our walls so I finally decided to do a post on it. 4 years later, I'm still loving our walls and at the end of this post, I'll let you in on how we chose such awesome colors!

All paint is by Benjamin Moore.

 Entrance hallway: 2134-30 Iron Mountain
I wanted to use this very dramatic charcoal-y color for the entryway. My intention was to hang sconces and have a black and white picture wall but I never got around to it. Maybe next year...
Oh and excuse our pug, Turtle and my dear daughter in her underwear (to my defense, we were potty training!)

Living Room: 1468 Willow Creek
This neutral gray provides the perfect balance between modern and warm.
Okay fine fine! So what if I used an old, pre-baby picture of our living room? Sad to say, this room looks very different post-baby.

Master Bedroom: 2108-50 Silver Fox
Another neutral, warm gray.

Both Bathrooms (powder room shown): 1632 Glass Slipper
I wanted a soothing, calming blue for the bathrooms.

Guest Room/Office turned into Nursery: AC-32 Pismo Dunes
We chose this neutral beige when this space served as an office but it actually works just as nicely in A's nursery. For more nursery pics, click here.

Picking paint colors is a hugely difficult task for a newbie (such as myself). The color always looks completely different when it's on a huge wall, as opposed to a tiny swatch. 

So...we went to one of our favorite furniture stores, Room & Board. I'd always admired the paint in their mock up rooms. So, I asked a sales associate and she said to write down my favorites and she would give me the swatches. Voila! Beautiful, foolproof paint choices!

Do you have a paint related story? I want to hear them all...the good, the bad, and the ugly!

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Keeping A close to my Heart~

I've been wanting an initial necklace since A was born. I like the idea of having each child's initial on a separate disc and wearing them all together.

After lots of searching, I finally decided on Nashelle's version from her Identity collection.  You can customize everything from the length of the chain to the size of the disc and I also liked the story behind the company and how motherhood pushed her to take her business to the next level. Love supporting mompreneurs!

Here's mine! 
I chose the 17.5" gold chain with the mini charm disc in gold.
The total for mine was $60 but I had a coupon code for 30% off so I paid $42!

E-shopping tip: ALWAYS google the store name and "coupon code" before purchasing anything. So, for example, I googled "Nashelle coupon code".

Here is a neck shot. Not the prettiest picture but I wanted to show how long the 17.5" inch chain it is.

The best part is how light it is. Since it came in the mail weeks ago, I have not taken it off. I wear it in the shower and to bed and it's so light I hardly notice.

Also, while I post pics of fun accessories I wear when I'm out with my girlfriends, the majority of my days are spent chasing A around a playground or a dance class where fussy jewelry just gets in the way. This is the perfect, won't-get-in-the-way piece to wear all day everyday!

What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

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Party like it's 1999~

One of my close college girlfriends came into town this weekend and it was a blast! The weekend consisted of lots of catching up, enjoying good food together and laughing hysterically while reminiscing.

Here I am with my girlfriend from LA. We were lace sistas that night!

Fun times!

Forgot to take an outfit pic but there I am on the right and here are the deets.

Aritzia lace top, Tart leggings, blazer that I bought in Korea over 10 years ago for job interviews, J.Crew & Nashelle necklaces, Chanel flap bag

So many of my closest girl friends have moved away to different states and even different countries. On top of that, my bestest friend of all (my sister) moved to Singapore last year. These girls mean the world to me and I miss them sooo much! Do you have friends or family that live far away? How do you cope?

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Chicago Parent Panel Question

 A huge shout out and thank you to my friend, Sarah of Truly Smitten who redesigned my blog banner! She designed my original one and then emailed me out of the blue yesterday saying she wanted to update it for me. She also did all the paper goods for my daughter's first birthday seen here.  She's sooo talented!!
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I'm part of the Parent Panel at Chicago Parent Magazine. Every month, we're given a controversial question to answer. I decided to post the questions here each month to hear what you all have to say.

This month's question is:
You strongly disagree with how a parent is treating their child. Do you step in?

I'd love to hear your thoughts too!

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Recent Look: Leopard

Congratulations to the winners of my giveaway!!
9. Christine, just bella
42. Sharnie
27. Baby rompers and one pieces
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On Mommy: Forever 21 Leopard blouse (from years ago, also seen here), Paige denim cutoffs, Gap city flats, Louis Vuitton Neverfull handbag
On A: Gingersnaps (Filipino brand) dress, Target sandals   

I love when I hold on to something long enough that it becomes trendy again. Animal prints are definitely something that continues to come back in style every few years or so. Stick to classic, flattering pieces and you will wear them for years to come. 

On the flip side, I hate when I hold on to something and it comes back in style but doesn't look quite the same. For example, I had 2 pairs of Joie cargo pants circa 2002.  I held on to them all these years only to have my bootcut cargo's look ancient next to their hip, skinny counterparts. I should've just donated them all those years ago!

What's something you held on to that you regret?

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Pearls & Green Tea on GLAMOUR.COM!!

Eeks!! Thanks GLAMOUR for featuring Pearls & Green Tea on your site!


Oh and don't forget, the giveaway ends tonight at 11 pm CST so go down to the post directly below and leave a comment!!

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My First Giveaway!!

To celebrate passing 100 followers, I've decided to host my very first giveaway! 3 winners will be selected using random.org and they will get to choose 1 of any of the Gingersnaps items I have available. Even if you don't have a daughter in this age range, these make great gifts since these clothes are not available in the US!

Here are the items you will have to choose from (modeled by A of course!)
(Please note: sizes are limited and they range from 6-24 months)
yellow bloom dress

 color block dress

blue tank with rosettes

chartreuse bloom tank

striped tank with bunny

To enter:
1. Follow my blog 
2. Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. 

Entries must be in by Wednesday (10/13) at 11 pm CST.

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Wedding Looks from the Past

I already blogged about my 2010 wedding looks here but thought I would look back to some of my favorite wedding looks from the last several years. I get my dresses on sale or clearance 90% of the time and I recycle the same bags and shoes over and over again.


Betsey Johnson dress, Target wedges, Vintage Christian Dior clutch


Tibi dress, Chanel bag, friend's shoes (Thx T!)



Saks Off Fifth private label dress, Forever21 studded belt



Can't remember the name of this brand and I gave the dress to my sister. Got it on sale at Tangerine, one of my fave Chicago boutiques! I loved this dress so much but I found out I was pregnant right after I bought it. I wore it to this one wedding and never again. It was already tight and I doubt I could zip it up now. :(

Is it just me or do you love getting dressed up for weddings too?

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Recent Look: Can you tell I love Tucker for Target??

On mommy: Tucker for Target dress, Forever 21 studded belt, Aldo motorcycle boots, Nashelle initial necklace, Louis Vuitton Neverfull handbag
On A: Gingersnaps (Filipino brand) top, American Apparel cardigan, BabyGap leggings, Old Navy boots

I love the contrast of the feminine floral print with the rocker studded belt and motorcycle boots.

After I took the picture above on the stool, A insisted on taking a pic in the stool as well!

Close up of belt looping thing

We were on our way out to brunch with a friend visiting from out of town. Love brunch!
Sorry if these pics aren't the best quality. I am home alone with A most of the time so until she's old enough to expertly handle my camera, the self timer will be my best friend. :) Who takes your pictures if you have a fashion blog?

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Pearls & Green Tea on MTV Style

I'm famous! Thanks MTV Style for featuring Pearls & Green Tea on your site. 


I'd like to thank the academy, my family and friends and of course, Tucker for Target who made all this possible. ;)

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Pearls, green tea and a good book!

I love to read and I'm in the middle of a really good book (Little Bee by Chris Cleave) but I never seem to find the time or energy to read! Of course, I have time after A goes down but honestly at that point, all I want to do is lay on my couch and watch a lot of really bad tv (think Jersey Shore and Real Housewives.)  

So, I started leaving my book in my car and I've been reading more consistently! A falls asleep a lot in the car so I'll sit and read until she wakes up.

J.Crew double chained mesh bracelet, Triple strand pearl bracelet my MIL made for me, Rebecca Minkoff studded bracelet  

Here, I dropped A off at my in laws but had some time to kill so I stopped into the nearest coffee shop for some much needed "me" time.  A hot cup of green tea, my latest favorite book, and an armful of chunky bracelets make me smile!

What makes you smile?

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Girls Getaway to New Buffalo, MI

A little while ago, two of my best girlfriends and I took an overnight getaway to New Buffalo, MI.  We met when we were all young, single and carefree.  Now, we're all attached, two have kids and one moved away to SF. This trip was just about the three of us, catching up and being together, without boyfriends or husbands or babies. 

Saying bye to A, who wanted to try on my hat

Cute little lunch spot called Blue Plate!

Next, wine, beer, and spirits tasting at Round Barn Winery

Cheers!

Our suite at the Marina Grand. 

Bike rentals were free at the hotel!

We all hadn't been on bikes in over 10 years but we went for it anyway and had a blast!
(on me: Forever21 romper, Balenciaga part time bag in Officier, Sue London ballet flats)

Can you believe she just had a baby 3 months ago?? Also, check out her Rebecca Minkoff Stud Rocker! Love!!

We tried to get massages but they were closed. :(

So, we just went back to our room and cracked open a Cab instead. :)

More vino on the terrace overlooking the marina. So beautiful!

Enjoying good food and more wine at Bentwood Tavern at our hotel

Quick pic before heading back up to the room for...

You guessed it! More wine & chitchat!

Bye New Buffalo!

Would you rather do a trip with your significant other or your besties?

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