the chambray dress

the bohemian by creamandtulle featuring summer beach hats

In my opinion, the chambray dress is the most versatile summer essential.  When styled with the right accessories, this summer must-have can be worn while you're out running errands or even in London watching the Olympics! Today, I'll show you two different ways to style the chambray dress using two Polyvore sets I created.

The first look has bohemian tendencies, and my style inspiration was Dianna Agron. I accessorized the dress with a wide brim hat, a neon chain necklace, and gladiator sandals.

the classic by creamandtulle featuring boat shoes

The second look is classic and refined, and my style inspiration is Pippa Middleton. This time, I chose square frame sunnies, a brown cross-body, and gold Sperry Top Siders.

strawberry white chocolate chip pancakes

On Sunday, we made strawberry white chocolate chip pancakes, and they were the best pancakes I've ever had. Paired with coffee, they were just what we needed for brunch!

Here are the ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 Tsp salt, 1 Tbsp white sugar, 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, and 1 cup of sliced strawberries

First, add the flour, egg, and oil. Then, beat the egg.

After that, add the baking powder, sugar, salt, and milk.

Afterwards,  stir the ingredients, but don't over-stir, as this will harden the batter.

Then, slice the strawberries and add them in the batter. 

Finally, grease a frying pan and place a spoonful of batter onto it. Flip the pancake over once it becomes golden.

And now they're ready to eat!

pins of the week

{1} Jessica Alba, dubbed the "Queen of color-blocking" by People Magazine for her amazing capability to mix and match different hues, opted for a simple white polka dot dress and adds a pop of color with her orange espadrilles. 

{2} Miranda Kerr makes another fashion statement in floral pants, which she pairs with nude heels and a simple gray shirt. 

{3} For the Berlin Film Festival, Diane Kruger wore this Vionnet dress. I love the long, structured pleats and the black detailing on the halter and waistline.{4} I love these cake toppers found on Style Me Pretty! So adorable.{5}  I love this table setting because I am amazed at the florist's ability to mix and match different colored flowers for the centerpieces. I also like the ruffled edges of the plates.

bon appetit

Yesterday, we went to Finale, our favorite bakery, for their 14th anniversary and picked out two deserts to take home with us. The first desert is a pretty fruit tart with a custard filling. It was my favorite of the two deserts because the sweetness of the fruits complimented the custard so well. 

"Chocolate Symphony"  -- a decadent layered cake with chocolate shavings on top.

a black and white affair

My outfit today is a classic white blouse with an a-line polka dot skirt. This lightweight, polka dot skirt is perfect for the summer, and the a-line gives it a classic, refined look. For a pop of color, I wore a red jeweled bracelet that was fashioned into a necklace.



{goldenbleu clutch}

{givenchy bracelet fashioned into a necklace}

{j. crew white sleeveless shirt +amy byer a-line polka dot skirt + rampage mary janes}

the surf and sea

the surf and sea by creamandtulle featuring a beige dress

Today, my Polyvore set features a striped maxi dress. I've been seeing many people wearing striped maxi dresses lately, and I have to say that I absolutely love this trend. In my opinion, black and white stripes were made famous by Chanel and have remained timeless since then. Since the dress is monotone, I added subtle pops of color with a beaded necklace and red espadrilles. And to balance out the color, I chose a straw hat and tote bag.

another coffee outing

On Sunday, we walked over to Dwelltime, our favorite local coffee shop. We shared a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino. It was so soothing to enjoy each other's company while drinking coffee and listening to the familiar chatter of customers and the bustle of the baristas. Come to think of it, we might make this a Sunday morning ritual!

{chocolate croissant + cappuccino}

{forever 21 a-line floral skirt + gap button-down + h&m sandals}

{a local arts and crafts store}

 

neon dreams

neon dreams by creamandtulle featuring a layered necklace

a summer in paris

a summer in paris by creamandtulle featuring floral print shorts

pins of the week

 

{1} If there's one person who knows how to take a trend and make it her own, it's Olivia Palermo. She pairs a bright printed dress with a lightweight neon green sweater, and ties the look together with neutral flats and a belt. She avoids being matchy-matchy with a light blue chain purse. 

{2} This is one of my favorite looks of Miranda Kerr while she is out and about with baby Flynn. (Isn't he the cutest?) She takes the floral trend to a whole new level. She pairs a white patterned floral blouse with floral denim shorts, and tops her look off with neutral gladiators and a fedora.

{3} This summer look was featured on Fabsugar, one of my favorite fashion websites, and goes to show that the black and white trend doesn't have to be boring! This well-dressed gal pairs a light chiffon blouse with black leather shorts and adds a pop of color with pastel blue wedges. 

{4} This French twist is a pretty way to tie your hair up this summer. The best thing about this look is that it doesn't have to be perfect -- loose, face framing strands are encouraged! 

{5} This photo was taken by "The Image is Found," a husband and wife photography team.  I love how they use the concept of overlay to combine their pictures together. The repeated images gradually fade away against the background of the sea. 

 

the maxi skirt: a summer essential

style inspiration: camilla belle by creamandtulle featuring long printed skirts

summer adventure by creamandtulle featuring roman sandals

I made two Polyvore sets featuring maxi skirts and a versatile white button-down. For the first set, I featured Camilla Belle as my style inspiration. Her style is very classic, but when she takes risks, she opts for bohemian pieces.  I selected a patterned skirt in deep blue and completed the look with a white espadrille and a gold cuff. For the second set, I selected a nude pleated skirt, a tie-knot button-down, and nude gladiator sandals. I love this palette because it reminds me of the beach, and it shows how pretty neutral colors can be!

the versatile blue ribbon

Today's post is short and sweet. In my previous post, I used a piece of ribbon as a belt for my navy dress.

And it can also be used as a headband, like this. I didn't realize how versatile a simple ribbon could be!

I hope you have a great day! xoxo

navy florals

Today, I wore one of my favorite dresses -- a navy dress from H&M. I love wearing it because it's comfortable, casual, and versatile. I accessorized it with a ribbon belt, a headband, and Mary Janes.

{h&m floral dress + h&m chain purse + max studio sweater}

{a ribbon that was tied to make a belt}

cinnamon raisin roll

Sometimes when I came back from school, my home would be filled an aroma of cinnamon and raisin, and my mom would greet me with a plate of cinnamon raisin rolls straight from the oven. They were so warm, soft, and heavenly, and they were the perfect food to satiate my hunger. Lately, I've been wanting to eat raisin bread, but I have yet to find a healthy type of raisin bread in my local grocery store. So I decided to make my own.

Here are the ingredients:  4 cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1.5 ounces of raisins, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar

First, add in all the dry ingredients.

Then, beat the egg and stir in all the other ingredients.

Mix in the raisins.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray.

Then, roll the dough into balls and lay them in rows on the pan.