Coral Buttons: An Origin Story

Happy first day of March everyone! I realized that some of you may be new to reading my blog so why not share the story of how Coral Buttons came to be.

My blog, Coral Buttons, originated in one of my Communication Arts classes at Hood College. I went to college initially thinking that I wanted to major in English, but after a few Comm Arts classes, I fell in love with communications. I enjoyed the fact that communications encompassed so many platforms such as photography, digital media, social media, newspaper and magazine writing, and journalism.

One of the assignments for my class was to create a blog and post weekly or more often if I chose to. I’ve loved writing since I was younger and it came easy for me so blogging for a class seemed like fun work. Before I dove into writing posts, I had to actually create the blog. We used WordPress as our blog site, which I clearly still use to this day.

Our first step after setting up a WordPress profile and choosing our blog layout, was to pick a topic. Growing up, I watched wedding and fashion shows sometimes more than cartoons…don’t judege me! So even from a young age I knew that fashion and styling was an interest of mine so I decided to choose fashion as my overall blog theme.

The next step was picking a name. I struggled with this for a while and googled blog titles non-stop for a few days until I stumbled upon a great blog title template. The template said choose one of your favorite colors and something related to your blog and that can be your blog title. One of my favorite colors is Coral and buttons relate to fashion so put the two together and Coral Buttons was formed.

My professor loved the title and so did I. Once I gave my blog a name, in a weird way, I felt that I gave birth to a blog baby. I created this website from scratch and now it was mine to do as I wished with it.

The final step in Coral Buttons origin story was to write. As I mentioned above, I already had a love for writing before the class began. All I had to do was write 200-500 word posts and include some pictures and videos and bam, I was blogging. The more posts I wrote, the more I realized that blogging was not just homework for me but also a hobby that I enjoyed. I got to write about things that interested me and offer advice to people who were reading it and gave people a glimpse into my style, my ideas, and events happening in my life.

After the class ended I didn’t want to stop blogging because i fell in love with it. Going on six years later, Coral Buttons is stronger and better than ever. Hope you enjoyed learning about my blog history!

 

Also, its Day 1 of Motivational March so throughout the month I will be sharing motivational tips and advice to help inspire you. Tip of the day:

Remember that everyone has an origin story. Oprah didn’t start off as  one of the best TV hosts ever. Serena Williams didn’t start off as the #1 tennis player in the world. Barack Obama didnt start off as the first African American president.
Each one started off in a different space compared to where they are now, so whether you are at the start or middle of your journey or you’re completed lost on your journey, just know you have more to your story. 👏🏽

Have a great weekend!

Find Fun Walls

Hey hey! Hope your week is going well. Today I will be showcasing an outfit and giving a tip I learned that can help take your pictures to the next level.

My tip: find fun walls that make your outfit and picture stand out.

Walls come in all shapes and sizes. There’s the traditional stone and brick walls, but there are also walls that are colorful and highly decorated. I love finding walls that compliment my outfit.

 

LA has a lot of cool street art throughout the city so it’s easy to find a patterned wall to use as a background. I actually found this wall on the side of a parking garage near Melrose. I chose this wall because the red and black pattern on it was bright and looked edgy.

I wore a striped button up shirt from FashionNova that I knotted in the front and black Topshop pants. To finish off my look, I wore teal, velvet heels.

I like versatile outfits and pieces that I can rewear multiple ways. If I throw on some flats with this outfit it works for a casual, everyday look. If I button up my shirt and throw on a blazer, it’s a professional look.

What pieces do you have in your closet that you love to rewear? Where are some good picture locations in your city? Let me know in the comments below and enjoy the rest of your week!

Be Happy!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Today is Day 4 of Motivational March and my goals for today were simply be happy and smile often.

Somtimes we get too caught up in the negative or superficial aspects of our lives and we don’t appreciate the simple things.

I recently purchased this Topshop shirt that has rainbow stripes and the words “Be Happy” on it.

This was a great investment for me because it’s a reminder that everything is going to be ok and that I need to take things one day at a time.

I paired my shirt with simple black leggings and teal Vince Camuto chunky heels.

Let my #ootd be an inspiration to you this week. Be Happy!

Stay tuned for more Motivational March posts and let me know in the comments below if you are down to take the challenge as well.

Mulling over Mules

Mules for a Monday! Yes, I have given into the mule trend, but it’s a stylish fashion statement.

These red mules are from Topshop and add a great POP of color to any outfit. In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, mules are slip-on shoes that are taking the fashion world by storm.

They come in different types of fabrics such as leather and suede. Some also come adorned with buckles, fur, or pearls. Heeled mules are also just as trendy as flat mules!

The ones I am wearing are called the Angelina Flat Mule, made from real leather, and are a deeper shade of red. I paired them with a striped Lush wrap dress purchased at Nordstrom!

The dress has a snap button closure at the chest to avoid being too lowcut and a string belt to tie around and cinch your waist.

Since the dress is so colorful, you can easily match it with almost any color shoes. I also recently purchased my first watch ever, a simple Brass Plum marble watch with faux leather straps.

The great thing about this dress and the mules are their versatility. I could easily throw a blazer over this dress with a nice pair of pumps and have a decent interview outfit. I can also kick off the heels and blazer and add some Converses for a fun day in the park.

I could wear the mules with a dress like I did today or with a tshirt and jeans for a more casual look. To me, purchasing clothing that is versatile is the best fashion tip I can offer.

What’s a great fashion tip someone gave you? Did you fall in love with the mule trend?

Leave a comment below and let me know. Make the most out of your Monday and your week!

What I Wore Wednesday

Happy hump day! I hope your week has been great and productive so far.

Today, I am showcasing an outfit I wore to work recently. As some of you may know, I currently work at Nordstrom and specifically in the Young Contemporary department also known as YC.

YC consists of three subcategories/brands: Savvy, Brass Plum/BP, and Topshop. Savvy has special occasion items such as dresses, jumpsuits, and blazers.

BP, a Nordstrom exclusive brand, has everyday wear such as sweaters, tshirts, blouses, and jeans. BP also carries dresses, but are more casual than the Savvy dresses.

Topshop, one of my favorite brands, carries a mix of BP and Savvy-esque items. It is a trendy, low price, but high fashion brand.

Topshop carries everything from leather jackets, to sequined dresses, to embroidered jeans, to fur vests! Anything trendy and up and coming in the fashion world Topshop has.

Working in YC allows me to dress more casual than I would have to dress if I was in another department, but also allows me to be trendier. The outfit seen throughout the post definitely represents what YC is all about.

I paired a Forever 21 Rugrats bodysuit with super comfy green cropped ASOS pants. To add more color to this look and accent the colors on my bodysuit I wore a lightweight linen Halogen cardigan as a layering piece.

To wrap up my look, I paired the outfit with red TOMS. What do you think about this look? And I hope you learned something new about YC brands!

Have a wonderful rest of your week lovelies.

Embrace your ever-changing style

Happy Fri-yay! Excited for the weekend??

Im off today so I will be catching up with some friends from college, which I am excited about! Today, I am showcasing my Caslon sweatshirt dress!

I paired a red lip and red TOMS with the dress to give the charcoal gray a pop of color.

Ive not so secretly been obsessing over this dress ever since I saw it at Nordstrom, where I work in case ya didnt know. 🙂

It was $79 when i first saw it which is pricey for me. Im a bargain shopper for sure.

So I patiently waited almost 2 weeks for it to go on sale. So the sale price in addition to my employee discount got me this amazing dress for only $27. A steal!!

What I love about fashion and style in particular is that you can definitely see how your style has progressed and changed over the years. As you get older and go through different stages in life your style changes and matures.

Im saying this because honestly a few years ago I would never have purchased and definitely not worn a dress like this. Growing up, my idea of fashion was always having to dress up and look super feminine and cute in order to be stylish.

Now I’ve learned that you can dress semi-casual or completely casual and still look flawless and fashionable. Im glad that I learned this in my late teen years because now at 22 I feel more stylish and beautiful than ever.

Remember fashion is ever changing and you can always reinvent your style. As long as you feel beautiful, wear what you want and wear what you love.

Have a great weekend lovelies!!

Tropical Sundress on a Sunday

Happy Sunday!

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, I’ve worked the entire weekend unfortunately, but I did get a chance to go to a baby shower and take the fab pictures seen in this post.

I love dresses because they are breezy, flirty, and super comfortable. In the front this tropical floral print dress looks like any other traditional sundress, but in the back is where all the fun is!

The straps, even though they are very hard to put on lol, give this look an edgy side. And they are adjustable so you can make them as long or short as you need to.

I paired the dress with blue sandals and also tried a couple of new poses. What do you all think of this look and my model-esque poses. Leave a comment below and let me know!

Enjoy your week and don’t work too hard loves!

New Look, Most Complimented Item, and a Word of Advice

Is there one item in your closet that seems to get an outstanding amount of compliments? I know there has to be at least one piece that does every time you wear it!

For me, that’s this blouse that I purchased in South Korea over 3 years ago. Its lightweight, sleeveless, sheer and the collar is accented with gold triangles to give it an
elegant touch.

I paired this blouse, with pink joggers, and black lace TOMS. Overall, I would consider this more of a dress down look for me, simple and chic, with a dash of sportiness. Also, in case you haven’t noticed from the pictures, I have another new hairstyle!

This style is called feed-in braids, because the hairstylist “feeds-in” or blends my natural hair with the fake hair to create this gorgeous look. What do you think about it and would you try this look out?

Now, this post isn’t to brag about my shirt or hairstyle, it simply came to fruition based on a thought I had yesterday when I wore this shirt to work and everyone seemed to ask where I got it from, how much it cost, etc. It is one of my favorite pieces because it is one of the few items I have in my closet that I purchased overseas.

The important information I would love for you to grasp from this post is don’t let your clothes be the only definition of what makes you you. Don’t hide behind fancy clothes or an outlandish style in order to hide your true self.

Having an unique sense of style isn’t a problem, I love my eclectic style. But I also know that when I dress down in a t shirt and leggings, I am still beautiful, strong, and I should still feel like myself.

Don’t let your clothing mask your true self; let your clothing speak volumes and add to the beauty and great personality that is already there. Hope that this encouraged you on this lovely Hump Day. Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Stripes and Curves

Last weekend, I wore a striped bodycon dress to my little brother’s graduation. It was an exciting event!

I paired my bodycon dress with rust orange sandals. I love this dress because the colors are great year round and the pattern makes it unique.

Not only are those factors true, but I think the dress is quite flattering. Bodycon dresses are meant to be fitted and show off your curves.

Don’t be ashamed to wear fitted dresses and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t wear one because of your body shape!

We all have body insecurities and parts of us we may not like as much as others. Embrace your curves, love your body, and stay stylish!

Dress & Sandals: Forever 21 ❤

Daya by Zendaya Bomber

Hello lovelies!

I apologize for the delay on this look, it was suppose to be up on my blog way sooner but here it is.

I have to say this is one of my favorite looks ever and its super simple to put together and comfortable.

I purchased the blush bomber  from Daya by Zendaya. A clothing line started by the outspoken, inspirational, and beautiful Zendaya Coleman.

Not only did I want to support her because she is an amazing role model and a black business owner, but also because I never saw a bomber as chic as this one. Her prices are also affordable!

The color is gorgeous and it is long! Leave it zipped for a chic look in itself or if you leave it open its a perfect jacket to throw over almost anything…dresses, a top and skirt/pants, or how I wore it.

I paired the bomber with a black crop top from Charlotte Russe, black leggings from Forever 21, and black boots from Nordstrom.

Head over to dayabyzendaya.com to check out this bomber and other stylish gear!