Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.

My day started at noon today with a call from my sister asking if I would like to accompany her to Forever 21. Is this even a question? Of course I want to come. Did I need anything? Of course not. Did I spend money? Of course I did. But I actually followed one of my rules this time! This time of year, when it's cold (theoretically speaking, since lately the temperature has been in the 70's and 80's), if I'm going to buy something it has to be weather appropriate. And not only is this jacket incredibly warm, it is one of the softest things I have ever laid hands on. I want to cuddle it.

They also have it in brown, but everything else I own and wear these days is gray, so I can't break the pattern now. 

I love the stitching on the back. It reminds me of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's album cover "Show Your Bones":

Then I bought some things that have nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with being awesome. I bought some accessories because every time I get dressed I think "wouldn't it be great if I had...". So now I can think "isn't it great that I have...":

This necklace in particular excites me because typically bib necklaces like this ride too high on the chest and rest right under the neck, which I don't like. I like pieces that dangle and drape and leave the neck bare because a neck is an accessory in and of itself. And this necklace is the perfect length. I have a beautiful one (also from Forever 21 a few years ago) that's solid silver leaves. And I love it but it's not long enough so I never wear it. Plus it is super loud. I sound like a marching band when I wear it.

These aren't new. I got them over summer but I wanted to share the picture because I wear them basically every day. This all goes to show that when it comes to me and my accessories, the bigger the better. I can't wear daintier, more delicate pieces or stud earrings. I love big heavy stones and huge, gaudy cocktail rings. There were about a million more rings there that I would have loved to get but we were on a time constraint so I resisted.

Next on the agenda was my sister's engagement party! I have been looking forward to this all month and it was such a wonderful time. It was at Massimo's in Walnut Creek and the servers there were so nice and so attentive. It was hosted by her best friend who did a beautiful job with everything. It's always hard for me at gatherings like these to get around and say hello to everybody, and I don't know about you but I love family gatherings. I love my family and all the people we've surrounded ourselves with over the many, many years. When I see them all, especially in one room together, it's like watching time passing in reverse. At the risk of sounding trite, it's how I imagine heaven must be. Like the end of Titanic when everybody is on the ship again, young and happy. Perhaps a corny example, but it gets my point across. 

When I was packing on Friday morning I was in quite the hurry so I just sort of ran through my closet tossing random odds and ends into my suitcase. When I was trying to get dressed today I realized what a horrible job I had done at editing my selections. I had some pant options and some top options, but nothing that could be combined. What the hell, Lauren. But I borrowed a top of my sister's and voila, harem trouser fabulosity!

I take awkward pictures. Deal with it. 

Leopard print silk trousers: H&M (On sale for $10. Holler)

Shoes: Steve Madden via Ambiance on Union (Also on sale. Holler again)

Studded stripes gray tee: Forever 21 via Kaitlin's closet (Fo' free)

Close up of the pants.

Closer up of the pants.

The cream background of the trousers was a smidgen too warm for the cooler gray tee, but as my mom said (and as is usually my motto when it comes to style/fashion): "You can do whatever the hell you want". Amen sista. And I'm serious. A lot of people ask me how I come up with certain outfits or how I think to put certain pieces together. Step 1: Throw the rule book out the window. The easiest way to dampen your own creativity is to come up with a lot of reasons for why you can't do something. By all means, flatter your figure and skin tone. But remove "can't" from your fashion vocabulary before you find yourself living in sweater sets.

 By my standards, this outfit was pretty tame. It was all in neutral colors and the silhouette was as basic as they come. But I guess leopard print harem trousers are a little out there for some. Huh.

-LG