Ritika & Mimi's Crossroads Photography Contest Entry

Recently, Mimi and I entered our first photography contest ever: The Crossroads Photography Contest 2013.  We were one of thousands of entries from around the world. Although we didn't win, the best part was letting our creativity run wild. Mimi and I came up with a few artistic visions and it was blast bringing them to life. Check out some our photos from our shoot and some behind the scenes photos as well!

Korean Fashion is Dainty, Detailed and Divine!

P o s t . b y    l   R i t i k a

Molangg Tumblr 

Lately I've been inspired and intrigued by Korean fashion. I started fancying their style ever since I stumbled upon a brand new quaint boutique called Alice's in my parent's hometown of Hacienda Heights, CA.

The owner, Alice, is very cordial and explained that she takes a trip to Korea once every 1-2 months to handpick new trends, styles and accessories and display in them in her store. I just loved everything. The clothes are so much more intricate than a typical American Forever 21 or even Nordstrom. It's pricey, but I think it's worth it.

You can find clothes here that no one else will have -- from dresses, maxi skirts, flannel shirts, tops, t-shirts, blazers and everything in between! The style is actually very similar and cohesive. It's very girly, preppy, detailed, whimsical and chic. Korean styles are also perfect for smaller frames (though Alice stocks for larger sizes mostly!).

I loved the collection so much that I insisted Mimi check it out. And she loved it too! In fact, we're planning on an upcoming collaborative post showcasing our awesome finds from Alice's. It's so new that it doesn't have a proper Yelp page yet. I'm going to change that!

Until we get a chance to get together and create a mini fashion show for you all, here are some of the similar Korean styles I found around the web. Note the intricate details!

 Hye-Jun Tumblr

I love the brown, black and white mix of neutrals.
It's probably one of the few black dressed I'd ever wear in the summer!

Frances Ha is a Simple, Gorgeous Film

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image from Pop Sugar 

Here at Love Jadore, we love to admire and appreciate the simple things in life. This appreciation of simplicity is exactly the feeling I got after watching the film Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach. It's about the life of one stunted mid-20's woman and her best friend Sophie in NYC.

This summer, there have been so many big, anticipated movies hitting the theater--so many that I think Frances Ha, a smaller indie film has been slightly overshadowed.

The starring actress plays the role of the lost millennial flawlessly. She's relatable, but doesn't adhere to the cookie-cutter millennial stereotypes that you often hear (self-absorbed, entitled, etc.). Frances Ha is much more real and granular than that. It's about the real conversations we have with our best friend...the real challenge that comes along with our tech-driven generation...the real fear of missing out as life speeds forward. Writer Britt Julious at WBEZ.org agrees and says Frances Ha gets millennial women right.

I loved it not just for its story and dialogue but also the beautiful cinematography. Baumbach shows us riveting, romantic landscapes of Paris and New York -- all in black and white.

It's gotten rave reviews from many critics (91% on Rotten Tomato)...even though it's not exactly a blockbuster hit like Despicable Me 2 or Iron Man 3 (ugh sequels). The brief last scene sent a joyous chill down my back as Baumbach symbolically explains the significance of the film title. It sums up the sentiment beautifully, yet simply.

Here's the preview + some beautiful cinematic scenes you have to see!...

Summer Beach Day Essentials

P o s t . b y    l    M i m i   

Summer has arrived! And I hope where ever your located, you have access to a pool of water! Luckily for me, California offers the big blue Pacific Ocean!

Here are my essentials for the perfect beach day....

Latest Obsession of Summer Whites!

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I love wearing whites and bright yellows this season. Here in SoCal, we had a nice, sunny dry heat this weekend. Lots of fun times exploring downtown cities and celebrating birthdays outdoors (water guns and all). It's kind of strange, but wearing white somehow adds a touch of confidence for me. 

It's uplifting, clean and really stands out on my dark skin. Same goes for yellow!

I've only made three purchases in the past two months (go me!): plain white tee at Gap (on sale), plane white long sleeved t-shirt from Old Navy -- both of which are so versatile -- and these pairs of white Nordstrom sandals (perfect for the office!). 

A few of my favorite, eye-catching whites at the shoppes I've been eyeing:

Suit Jacket at Mango $109.99

Found on Pinterest -- Can't find the shop, but cute white inspiration