UNIQLO : Doraemon X Murakami

We all know I love a good tshirt from Uniqlo. I love how they can collab with the best artists and still charge $14.90 for a shirt. My love for Takashi Murakami dates back to elementary school but growing up I couldn't really afford anything from him. This collaboration with Uniqlo is going to make my closet soooo happy. It's actually a double collab with Murakami and Doraemon. Doraemon is a manga that has been made into a pretty successful anime and sitcom. The first time I went back to the Philippines, again when I was in elementary school, I saw Doraemon everywhere similar to how Hello Kitty is branded on everything. I thought it was so cute but he's not as popular here in the US. 

I definitely want a few shirts. I typically don't buy plush because I am an adult and also my dog would destroy them. Put 5/24 in your calendars!

LOVE, MARA

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Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!

I spent the weekend doing a proper galentines dinner! It's kind of annoying being in an LDR bc all everyone is doing is talking about date nights. I wanted to do something with people I enjoy being around, so that was that. I wore this adorable jumpsuit from a Target x Isani collab. I found it at a thrift store but I knew it had to be mine!
Linked below are really cute pick me up items. Aesthetically, they fit into today. But in real life, they are the perfect addition to everything.

5 SURPRISING STYLE FINDS FROM FOREVER21

This isn't one of those annoying blog posts made just to place a bunch of style collective links. I honestly just was on the website and found a ton of cute things that I wanted to share with you all. I know fast fashion is cheap and wasteful, but if you are interested in a trendy look I think Zara, HM and F21 are great places to grab that one seasonal item. A secret: I actually have never stepped foot inside a Forever21 since I moved to Portland. I went to one recently when I went to San Diego, but I have never been to one in Portland. I haven't really bought clothes lately outside of work and a few random things I ordered off shein or got at target. Regardless, strolling through the interwebs I came across these awesome finds that I wanted to share!

GETITGURL

WORLD TOUR | LOUIS VUITTON COLLECTION

HAPPY MONDAY! 

First of all, we know my obsession for this brand. In high school I said that I would be a creative director one day and that I loved Marc Jacobs. (Not quite a creative director yet, but I'm not doing so bad.)Well, the Jacobs era is gone and the new Men's artistic director at Louis Vuitton is Kim Jones. The cool thing about Kim is he actually is a part of the street wear culture. Do you remember Pastelle? The clothing line that Kanye West talked about FOREVER but never released? Kim Jones headed the project. To work with Kanye at THAT time... Kim Jones was clearly was pin pointed as a leader in streetwear. He has a pretty diverse portfolio, doing design work for everyone from uniqlo to McQ by McQueen and Iceberg. After debuting a highly sought after collab with Supreme, he revamped the World Tour collection.

MOTHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE

Mothers day is coming up soon! Do you still need help picking out a gift? I put together a quick list of easy go to mothers day items. This is my first mothers day away from my mom so I will be mailing a gift home.

1. I have a couple of these Kendra Scott necklaces and they add the perfect touch to any outfit. I had the best one that was gold with black druzy and I lost it in Belize! I can't have nice things... really.
2. The apple watch is the coolest accessory for any tech obsessed mom. It does all that a fitbit does, and so much more.
3. Glossier's Balm dot com is my favorite lip balm, its so simple and care free throwing this into a gift bag for your mom is going to be a thoughtful and useful gift.
4. My mom loves Clarins after I gave her a kit for Christmas. They have so many products for many skin types and needs. I have raved about Clarins almost any chance I get.
5. Glam glow is another great gift for any mom that just needs to unwind! I know I love a good mask or multimask to end a week.
6. My mom and I were walking through Nordstrom one time and she was obsessed with this scent from Cartier called La Panthere. She has so many perfumes but of course wanted this one.
7. Kendra Scott earrings. They have so many shapes, sizes and colors to choose from you can easily find something for your mom there!
8. IT cosmetics is a new brand I am happy to start working with and they just introduced me to this lip balm. I'll talk more about them in a future post but this balm was developed with plastic surgeons to awaken and hydrate those lips!
9. What mom doesn't love a bag? This Tory Burch tote is the perfect tote for a working mom. 

Are you ready for Mother's Day?

LOVE, MARA

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BLOGMAS | Candle Obsession

I haven't engaged in going any gift guides this year mainly because I haven't been feeling that Christmas vibe this year and I have been really busy with my transition. One thing I do like to help make my space feel a little more like home is lots of candles! I saw these from the cutest candles from  125 Collection  and I love the way they look. I haven't tried them so I'm not sure what the smell is like but the phrases alone are some DIY inspiration if anything. 

I need all of them!

LOVE, MARA

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SAKS HOUSTON, REOPENING.

Saks Fifth Avenue's newly renovated 200,000 sq foot space will be available to shop today! Today's reception benefits MD Anderson. I was able to go to the private soft open last night and it was great. The new space is very modern and has lots of clean black, white, and gold fixtures. All mannequins are white and it seems to be a timeless space. Even the outside of Saks looks sleek.

Dress is Blaque Label from Carrie Ann boutique.

Inside there are a lot of new vendors like Dries Van Noten, Prada and Lanvin. The dedicated shopping spaces are my favorite. Separating out the 200,000 Sq feet by vendor shops is genius.
Also, the beauty department is the largest shopping space outside of the location in New York. The Houston Saks beauty department feautures a Gucci beauty boutique, the first and only one in Texas.

 Did you know the Houston Location ranks in the top three stores in the country?

5th Avenue has arrived in Houston, you should definitely spend some time in this space.

LOVE, MARA

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IVY PARK

Always stay humble ya'll. If you know anything about anything you too went to Topshop or Nordstrom to score Beyonce's new athleisure line "IVY PARK." I got the opportunity to shop before it was open to the public which worked perfect. It opened at 8am and I had to slide into work at 9am. I made it with time to spare and picked up 3 pieces from the line (trust me I wanted basically everything) . Besides the 2 pictured here I also grabbed a gray tank.

Athleisure + Junkfood? My vice. I know this summer to achieve my body goals I can't eat this bad. I got my ass back in the gym yesterday and I am super sore. I have been working way too much lately and I really need to step back and balance my life back into the mix. The last thing I need is for my personal health to slip. In an effort to make more time for life I am going to get back into the groove of Time Management and prepacking lunches/ breakfast so I'm not tempted to snack all morning/afternoon because I am picky with my first two meals. 

When I wake up I'm never hungry. I try to pack something so that when I get to the office I'll eat something. When I have a really good week I'll pack toast, sliced egg, and sliced avocado for breakfast. On a bad week I'll make oatmeal and drink tea. 

For lunch if I don't bring something I'll get whatever gross thing is in the cafe. Very few days have a good menu, sometimes I'll walk across to Uptown Park, but my options are My Fit Foods and Starbucks. I'm not sure how this happens but every time I get My Fit... I also grab a Crave cupcake, which is next door. HOW RUDE! 

I am hoping this Ivy Park gives me some motivation to get more active. 

I have some body goals to accomplish! Summer body.... why can't I just order you on ebay?! 

LOVE, MARA

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100 DAYS UNTIL COMIC CON.

Its almost one of my favorite times of the year. The time where all nerds get together and bond for their love of all things comics, movies and TV. As a TV and Movie freak, it has been pretty fun attending the coveted SDCC to see Conan, The Walking Dead Cast, Hunger Games, Cast of Scream Queens.... so many more. Many, Many more. I really enjoy all of the games and guest experiences they set up to advertise for different shows, movies, and video games. The Xbox lounge is always a cool place to check out what video games that will come out soon. They always do a couple spoilers during the Con so it's always really cool to be a part of that experience.
Hotelpocalypse has come and gone, we avoided that drama with Early Bird Hotel selection. The randomizer sounded complicated up front so we decided not to take that chance. Either way, San Diego here we come!
I will be posting weekly con tips until we get to the big day! Now that we have a few under our belt I want to share some knowledge.
My dilemma is always what to wear.

The Rylo Ken and Coral tee are on my list of shirts I need to purchase for the days that I attend.
I am not one to dress up because thats not my thing, but I do enjoy seeing other peoples creativity and commitment when it comes to costumes. I on the other hand will stick to quirky graphic tees, cute bottoms and a dope, comfy sneaker.
Can it just be July? I have a few things to wrap up before July... but I at least have this to look forward to.

LOVE, MARA

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Joe V's Opening in Houston

Today the 7th location of Joe V's Smart Shop has opened in Houston. I had the pleasure of touring the space with Joe V himself to get a deeper look into the chain. Joe V's is a division of H-E-B and has been around for 5 years. Joe V's can be known for its low prices, great shopping experience and fresh products. They get 7 day deliveries, so that let's you know what you pick up on the shelf is a quality product.

A lot of people has different misconceptions with Joe V's Smart Shop. This store offers a cost conscious selection of items that include a mix of name brands and HEB store brands. There is also quality meat and seafood in addition to the fresh produce and bakery. What I admire is the staff of actual butchers that cut and grind the fresh meat daily. Don't forget the organics section, this location has a wall of organic produce and yes, at a way better price than Whole Foods.

#GEARUPFORCOLLEGE With Office Depot

*This is a sponsored post in partnership with Office Depot, Inc and Her Campus Media. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for partnering with me on this post!

September basically solidifies the idea of back to school, fall, football, and pumpkin spice. When it comes to school (or life in my case) I like to stay very organized! You can do it with me with all of the things featured in the post. The cool thing is you can find all of these items at Office Depot, OfficeMax or officedepot.com.

I haven't been to office depot in a long time, so can I tell that you I have been missing out. Here is a fun sercret for cute supplies for College-- OFFICE DEPOT is where its at. 

I grabbed a ton of  supplies to organize my desk and they were very affordable. Divoga is an office depot brand and this Gold Struck Fashion collection immediately caught my eye. The mint even matches back to my Ban.do planner. These are perfect for college! Mint, Gold and Black? Are these colors on trend, or what?

The best way for me to organize in College was to devote a spiral and folder to each class that way I could keep all notes in order, and then I would write all due dates/important dates in my planner. 

I also found things that made me feel very 90's again and had to buy them. A puffy pen? I'll be the envy of all business meetings. Cupcake post-its? Perfect to scribble little notes to yourself!

What are my desk must haves to stay organized in College?

File folders for each class- Super easy to store the syllabus or file notes so you don't lose them for the final. 

Note cards- I made flash cards for everything. Ya girl has a great memory!

Notebooks/ Folders for each class- Separate folders help me keep my classes and notes in order. There are times when the classes might over lap and its easy to merge them in your head! This kind of helped me "leave" the class in its own place so I would never get confused. 

Cute Pens This might be priority number one. Who doesn't have a favorite pen? OK-- as a (former) design student this was important. The pentel with that felt ball point tip was perfect for sketching croquis!!! Don't let someone borrow your good pen, sketching will never be the same.

You can Follow Office Depot below:

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#Gearupforcollege with Office Depot. They have a ton of great trends and at an affordable price for college students, if you need any last minute supplies this is the perfect place to head to!

CHEERS

LOVE, MARA

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I am Busy Bando: Back to School Planner

No, I'm not going back to school but I do have a school supply obsession and have some fun things to share with you now that kids are getting back into the swing of a routine. I have been through it, and now my dread of the B2S season is knowing that traffic gets so awful the day kids go back. Summer commutes in the city are pretty manageable, but taking and hour and a half to drive 15 miles should be illegal!

I may not be in school but I have lots of Work and Blog things to keep track of. I decided to get a new 16 month planner and this is the PERFECT planner. I'm so obsessed with the colors, stickers, cute notes and drawings. There is a ton of space on each weekly section to write out plans and meetings as well. Like I said, its basically the perfect planner.

KENDRA SCOTT | Mystic Bazaar

I got hooked on Kendra when she was about to open her store here in Houston's very own rice village. She sent me 4 pairs of earrings and invited me to come to the grand opening. I knew she had a great eye and was very on trend. I love seeing how she evolves trends every season and this Mystic Bazaar look is awesome.

EYE SPY AN EVIL EYE. 

I have loved the evil eye forever, so I love that she put it in this collection but I hate how its a "trend."  If I could count all of the evil eye jewelry I own it would be insane. So what's another piece? I am craving that and something with the white marble motif.

Oh Kendra gurl. WHHYYYY!?

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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Current Crave: Bao Bao Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake must know I like anything with Texture. The geometric print of the Bao Bao bag is something I am currently craving.I randomly see this bag on stylish Asians and always wondered what it was. I finally googled it after seeing it at the Hello Kitty event and now I really want one.
Both light and soft, it folds, accommodates and transforms itself after handling to create dramatic new shapes. BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE is a line of bags and pouches with the theme of "shapes made by chance." It features a flexible functionality perfect for busy modern lifestyles. Since its inception in 2000, it has established a unique array of products through its pursuit of intriguing shapes born out of simple pieces and diverse materials.

It comes in so many colors, I wish I could start a collection.
*Insert heart eyes emoji here*

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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YELLOW ROSE DISTILLERY | TIDBITS TAGS SALE

After work I ventured to the Yellow Rose Distillery to shop the tidbits tags sale AND see the distillery. I have always wanted to tour one, so there I was. I don't even like Whiskey! I was to try a few, and yes they are still not for me. 

Since we were in a distillery it was very hot. I walked through pretty quickly and stopped at Chloe Dao's section. I caught glimpse of the perfect gift for my bosses birthday and in scanning the table, saw Chloe Dao herself! She posed for a couple photos including the gift I purchased! She is so sweet, I love supporting local. 

FUN FACT: The first time I ever met Chloe Dao was 10 years ago when I was in High School and attended Project Career day. She was the special guest and it was at that same event I decided I wanted to be a Buyer. 

Welp, here I am. 

TCS Closets | Custom Closets by the Container Store

When you were younger did you have a barbie Dream house? My favorite part of my barbie house layout was her closet. I had an organized barbie closet for everything from her Cinderella dress to her nurse uniform. As a child I organized closets, today... its much of the same.   I do have a pretty large closet but its already kind of packed and aesthetically not exactly my dream. 

Enter, TCS Closets. The container store is offering a build out option from top to bottom that you can fully customize in every way possible. You can pick the wood, the hardware furnishings, the fixtures. It's amazing.

DREAM CLOSET. Can I please have glass doors and shoe shelves? Granted I don't even own cool shoes... I just like how neat it all looks. Its almost like having a mini boutique in your house.
One day!

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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SHOESDAY | Melody Ehsani Ventilators

If I could put elements together to design my own shoe, they would probably look like this.
HELLO? EYES?! REALLY! SNAKE SKIN? She even left an inspirational note on the inside of the shoes. The details are amazing. They are also my first pair of Reeboks in a VERY long time. They come with 3 pairs of laces, so I have the option of snake print, black or neon yellow.

Purchase them here! If they're still available.

The note on Melody's website says:
"I designed these particular shoes inspired by the idea of seamless time. It seems as though it is a trend that we are running ourselves into the ground, buying one thing just to acquire it and be onto the next. Seemingly because we feel like the world is ending. Im hoping that these shoes inspire you with a sense of time. You have time to awaken no matter where you are or what you're up to. Time to love, time to fulfill your dreams, time to make amends, time to move forward. The time is now. Make love your compass and it will give you the information you need to move forward.  Ladies you are society's greatest resource. Stand tall in your light, and don't compromise. We need you. Special thanks my dear friend Julie Walker for my inspiration."

MOTHERS DAY OUTFIT INSPIRATION

Its almost Mothers day and I have the perfect brunch inspiration. Do you have special plans for mothers day?

Mother's Day Fashion Inspiration by malibumarablog featuring a yves saint laurent shoulder bag

Phase Eight pink floral dress, $200 / Yves saint laurent shoulder bag / MARC BY MARC JACOBS white face watch / Van Cleef Arpels 18 karat gold jewelry

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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HENRI BENDEL | 120th Anniversary

Rocking my Henri Bendel Jetsetter bag.

As a Bendel girl and I super excited for the 120th anniversary! Since I am traveling I am missing the official launch of the 712 perfume but I will have to check it out as soon as I get back.

Price: $98.00

Key notes include:

o Top notes: Italian Bergamot, Sparkling Mandarin Blossom, Quince

o Mid: Blue Freesia, Iris, Hedione

o Dry: Suede, White Sandalwood, Cashmere Musk

It all began in 1895 when Henri Bendel opened his first store in Greenwich Village New York. In 1907 Bendel created and trademarked the now legendary brown and white striped hatbox and shopping bag, and was the first luxury retailer to move his store to Fifth Avenue. In 1915, Bendel was one of the first American designers to launch a signature parfum called “Un Peu d’Elle”. A century later, inspired by its legendary address at 712 Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel New York introduces Suite 712 Eau de Parfum.
 Suite 712 elegantly embodies iconic New York’s sophisticated affluence and understated extravagance. The fragrance rouses the senses as if stepping into that landmark townhouse, or lounging in the backseat of a chauffeured luxury car. Its scent, distinctive and sexy, encompasses floral and woody notes such as freesia and suede. More than homage, it is a celebration. Suite 712 pays tribute to the brand’s rich heritage and to generations of Bendel girls.

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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Lilly for Target | Sandals

Do people know that you can by actual Lilly Pulitzer for cheaper than all the Lilly for Target resellers? I really think Target doesn't understand how to do this collaborations. One like Lily should have come with a limit. It's really not fair, to someone like me, that wanted to shop the collection and buy a piece that I can add to my personal collection. Instead I arrived to empty racks and 2 white women pushing around 2 VERY FULL baskets each stuffed with full size runs of clothing, accessories and homeware.

In the store one of them picked up a scarf and said "Will they like this? Do you think they will buy this?"

Yes bitch, thats why I woke my black ass up at 8 am and drove 10 miles here.

The only things left were a few XL a L apparel items, iphone 6 phone cases, a few hats, and most of the outdoor collection. I was decided between a hat, these sandals and a beach towel.

Welp, meet my Lilly Pulitzer pineapple summer sandals! I honestly didn't need anything crazy sooo it might be better if I buy it when these "resellers" try to return it all!

DID YOU BUY LILLY FOR TARGET?

CHEERS 

LOVE, MARA

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