Mona Lisa Smile

I mentioned in another blog post that I went to see the younger Mona Lisa painting at a fantastic exhibit at The Arts House in Singapore. The entire exhibit goes into meticulous detail on how the Younger Mona Lisa is a Da Vinci original. It completely convinced me and I enjoyed seeing Da Vinci's tedious process in creating a painting. The most interesting things I learned were actually about math (a subject I usually stay very very far away) One point was how Da Vinci used the Golden Ratio to create composition in his paintings. I could try to explain the other points but I think I would just end up confusing you more! Either way, it was exciting to learn the behind-the-scene of Da Vinci's mind as well as all the scientific research to further prove who created the first beautiful Mona Lisa. And then of course, it was incredible getting to see her so up close and personal! 

I just had to get a t-shirt with her iconic face on it. Every time I wear this shirt, I see strangers pointing at me and whispering "Mona Lisa" as I walk past. Even my little five-year-students get excited to see this shirt. 

I'm half way tempted to write something funny or iconic on this shirt (perhaps "I woke up like this"?) like in Fly Art . 

Skirt: Modcloth | Shirt: Mona Lisa exhibit
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Le Freak C'est Chic

I don't know what my thing is with crop tops. I feel like I'm so obsessed with them; every off day that's my go-to. Maybe it's living in the tropics or being able to throw off the teacher clothes or what but I love 'em. When in doubt, just make it into a crop top. Like knotting my favorite graphic tee. I love wearing a gray tee (which can be problematic in a humid climate) because it casualizes an outfit. Is casualize a word? It is now. 

I found this orange skirt at my local thrift store. The circle is so HUGE, walking down stairs is just ridiculous in this thing. I feel like a big, loud, orange madame with a old-timey train. Which sounds like a bad thing, but trust me - for me, it's an awesome feeling. 

Then I tied the whole thing together with pops of turquoise. Voila! 

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Summer Words

Last week my boyfriend graduated from his Master's program (which he totally kicked BUTT IN; so proud. Waaaaahooo!!!) so we dashed over to Thailand for a long weekend to celebrate. This is the balcony of the resort we stayed in. The grounds were so gorgeous and we could see the turquoise ocean water from the balcony. My favorite part of the resort was listening to the waves crash as we fell asleep; much different than the noise from our Singaporean bedroom window! My favorite part of the trip was both of us turning off our phones for three days and just relaxing together.

It's also fun just to wear a swim suit for 3 complete days. I threw this oversized tank top and bright skater skirt over mine on our first day to the pool/beach. I don't usually get to show off my tattoo so I was excited to wear this outfit in Thailand - a place where people go purposely TO show off their ink! I got mine my first year in Korea. It says in French "one vie passionnante" which means a life of passion.   Pair it with the "love is blind" tank and "art as canvas" tote (what does that mean…?) and I got a lot to say as I walk down the strip! ;-) 

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Tights, Tribal Print, and Conspiracies

Let me introduce you to my beautiful riding boots, Dede. Finding riding boots for me is ridiculously difficult. My feet are a size 6 1/2 but my calves are... not. Buying boots wasn't going to happen for me at a thrift store so I finally broke down and bought the expensive ones. I have a hard time spending a lot of money on clothes but my mom pushed for these boots. I'm so glad she did!

I've been so excited to wear this mini skirt ever since I got it from a friend who was leaving the country. When someone leaves Korea, they have so much stuff to give away and I will always gladly help a fellow fashionista lighten their load! ;-) I've been waiting to wear the skirt because it is waaaay short and there is no way I was going to wear it without tights or leggings. Which leads me to my other obsession: tights. Tights are an easy, fun way to add personality to any outfit. 

Shirt: Gift | Skirt: Forever 21 | Tights: Target | Boots: DSW | Ring & Earrings & Bracelet: Clothing Swap

Lady-Like Graphic Tee Confessional: I'm a Bond Girl

I wasn't a graphic t-shirts fan until recently. I thought t-shirts were for high-schoolers, going to the gym, or throwing on with jeans and flip-flops. So instead, I would just buy plain basic tees because I thought they looked more grown-up and classier. But I never had the idea of pairing a t-shirt with more feminine pieces! Thank you, Pinterest, for that one. (Below are some of my favorite graphic tee looks.)

So instead of just wearing a black or white t-shirt, I choose my James Bond tee. I still styled my outfit exactly like how I would if it wasn't a graphic tee. But now, it's more personal and adds an interesting detail. A cool t-shirt can also be a conversation-starter. I get a lot of compliments on this shirt so it opens the door to talk their ear off about how I bought it at the International Spy Museum in D.C. during an East coast road trip this summer (shout-out to all my patient and loving listeners! You know who you are...) 

And here's another secret - this skirt technically doesn't fit. It's got a band around the waist that clasps with a button. The button won't go! So I wore a fitted tee over it that still slims my waist and no one is the wiser. I can't give up this skirt no matter how wonky it fits. It's a silky texture and the print is out of this world. I've never seen such bright oranges in a floral print before. And it has pockets! 

I've just started growing a graphic tee collection but luckily between thrift stores and the Korean clothing stores here, there is no end in sight. I know my friends in Korea have got some awesome and hilarious finds. What's your favorite graphic tee look like? 

Skirt: H&M (American Goodwill) | Shirt: Mighty Fine | Shoes: Korean Thrift store | Necklace: Raleigh, NC Flea Market | Ring: Clothing Swap | Watch: Citizen Eco-drive
Lady-Like Tees, Please: 

1. Riches for Rags
2. Huffington Street Style
3. Marion Berry Style
4. Barefoot Blonde
5. Huffington Street Style
6. Marie Claire Street Style
My Graphic Tee Wish List:

1. Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal
2. Zombie at Tiffany's
3. Y'all Georgia
4. Hogwarts Alumni
5. Beauty Fades Sarcasm is Forever