Forever 21 longline gray wool coat (similar here) | Zara mohair sweater and jeans | thigh-high boots from Nordstrom Rack | Aldo Sauls crossbody saddle bag 

I'm sorry if I've set this blog aside (like way, way aside) the past couple of weeks. To say that it was a bit of a rollercoaster is a huge understatement and trust me, only touches what has been going on in my life on a skin-deep level. Winter (and February, actually) has not been a good friend at all to me. I had to let things run it course for awhile and reclaim some breathing space.

With March and spring rolling in, I'm glad a lot of the challenges of last season are coming to pass. Literally and figuratively a new season is being rolled in, and I'm fairly optimistic this time around. Hope you guys are, too!

I'll be updating more soon!

December 2015 marked so many incredible fashion events and gatherings, but the hotly anticipated Saks Fifth Avenue-Troy's (re)Launch Party was certainly one for the books! Metro Detroit's fashion elite and excited shoppers gathered for a night of contemporary fashion, hors d'oeuvres and bubbly, and some butt sketching. Yes, you read that right. Butt sketching!

Read on after the jump to check out more photos!

Can you guys believe how fast 2015 has come and gone? I don't know about you, but it seems like the older we get, the faster time seems to pass by. Sure, there were moments that I felt like things have been going on foreever, but most of the time I wonder where it all went. My son is already a year old and soon enough, I will be spending my second year as a permanent resident in the US. Crazy, right?

Trying to come up with resolutions in all aspects for 2016. Do you guys have your personal list already?

Sometime ago, I met up with my always entertaining gal Mademoiselle Leah V for lunch and light conversations in the Troy area. Living on completely opposite parts of Metro Detroit, it's always a pleasure to see Leah on my side of town.  After a hearty lunch at La Botana (amazing Mexican food, btw), we decided to head over to visit our blogger pal Larita of Lalatrips to check out her awesome workplace that is Halston Heritage in the Somerset Collection. I was personally excited to check out what they had for fall-winter, as well as examine the pieces up close and fit some of them - read on after the jump to see more Halston goodness!

As promised, you'll be seeing a lot more of my work as a filmmaker here on Chic in the Tropics. This site has obviously become way more than just me posting outfit shots and brands I'm obsessed about, but rather, a place where I share my adventures here in America as an aspiring (and sometimes struggling? ha) filmmaker, business owner, and new mother. Who would've thought, me? A legit
"mompreneur"? I actually like how that sounds, haha!

Anyway, I've been slowly and steadily working on little shoots here and there and meeting a lot of new friends/potential clients, just bringing our camera and a bit of gear wherever I go to take videos of whatever tickles my fancy. I've never been a technical genius as I'm more of the producer and writer in our team- my husband, who takes my photos here, does all that us - but I've been slowly and steadily learning all the ins and outs of cinematography, editing, and sound design, just constantly trying to hone my skills better. After all, what kind of filmmaker would I be if I didn't have mastery of what it takes to make a good film, right?

Anyway, my eventual goals here in my personal blog is to balance both film and fashion related posts, and hopefully be able to upload at least one short film or video that I personally shot. That is a long shot (lol pun intended) considering my life as a mom to a pre-toddler, but I'm taking the necessary steps to make this happen! :)

One of the first videos that I shot and completely did everything myself is this post-event video of Detroit fashion blogger Leah V's birthday bash - it wasn't just a fun party, but it was also fun shooting it. Hope you check it out and like it! :)

Ah, Detroit's Eastern Market. What better way to kickstart my birthday weekend than for a quick trip to the beloved spot with the fambam? Fresh blooms and pastries, the chance to see the Murals in the Market artworks before their completion, a cornucopia of AMAZING homemade products from Detroit and the Mitten State... Detroit's comeback as a city is just absolutely undeniable, and I believe it's the entrepreneurs who are making this happen. As someone who's only been here a year, I fall more and more in love with the city every day!