so this is the new year...

As this new 2009 year is closing, I feel like it's really important to really look back on the year and see how one has grown as a person. I know for sure that a lot has happened to me in the past year.

Things seemed to have really flown by for me, it seems just like yesterday I was having my New Year's kiss in Downtown Disney, that I celebrated Valentine's Day at Disneyland, that I relaxed under the sun and sounds of music at Coachella and SunGod, and that I started a new life in my new San Diego townhome. Yet here I am at the tail end of 2009 musing over other trivial things such as how my style has changed over the year.



Although the only real change I can see is that my look seems to have refined a bit, no? However some fascinations never seem to die out. (Note the ever persistent presence of the skirt, and the unwavering silhouette!)



And with that, I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and a happy new year!

Tues Dec 1st - Back on FashionQuarterly!

I'm so glad! Last quarter I was a part of an on-campus fashion & lifestyle magazine called Secret Scholar, and I was a print writer doing little things such as study upcoming trends and give recommendations. However, due to my time constraints I dropped out, only to rejoin again this quarter. Luckily I made it in! So although they renamed to Fashion Quarterly, it's still the same flavor and style of how it used to be. I'm currently a web writer, so it'll be very neat to write up some articles for the website.

Hopefully this is a beautiful step closer to really landing an internship in fashion journalism somewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed for the best!

Finals week is looming up, and although finals have never stopped me from doing my daily life activities...I have a feeling there will be many bummy days studying indoors and very little worthwhile outfits to post up. I'll still be around blogging up a mini storm though!







Black Coat - Forever 21 ($40)
Blouse - Urban Outfitters ($10)
Black Skirt - Buffalo Exchange ($7)
Dotted Tights - Ebay ($5)
Silver Wedges - Seychelles (???)

Wed Nov 25th - Pre Turkey Day

Sometimes it just gets really difficult to remember what your spending limits should be. In my case, I realize that I do have spending limits, but seem to forget about them in a moment of retail lust. For example, lately I've been on a binge for accessories and just nice little ways to play up my many many dresses. This includes, but are not limited to: gloves, tights, jewelry, headbands, books, videogames, and amazing macaron snacks.


blackcurrant macarons and fresh black nail polish

green tea and strawberry macarons - my favourites!

With the Christmas season creeping up right after the glorious Tryptophan day tomorrow, I realize that expenses are just going to go apes with all the Christmas shopping happening.

But I'm sure some of you girls know what I mean when I say that there are just some things that are too good to pass up. This dress was a steal at H&M for only $15, and the gloves were an amazing ebay find for $8!



Dress - H&M ($15)
Sweater - Forever21 ($28)
Belt - H&M ($10)
Gloves - Ebay ($8)
Flats - Dean & Ozzy for Urban Outfitters ($10)

Tues Nov 10th - Blustery Days

I've been spending copious amounts of time looking for inspirational and lovely photos. Maybe it's the chilly weather, but I love just imagining how I could reinvent my space into something new and different.




In the mean time, I'll just go about my day as usual with starry eyes and look for anything fun and crafty to make.

For my outfit posts, I'm thinking of putting in the prices I paid for each piece. I think it'd give a nice look into my little world of fashion, no? I might stop for after a while...but for now I think it'd be fun to see how thrifty I can get!



Blouse - Gap ($20)
Skirt - Forever 21 ($13)
Coat - MetroPark ($20)
Tights - Ebay ($5)
Booties - Ross ($20)
Clip - H&M ($5)

Total: $83

magazine spreads

Instead of making a regular post with a bunch of pictures, I decided to instead do this post a little differently.

I recently drafted up some magazine spreads with some small stories I threw together. It's nothing serious, but I figure it gets my point of view across as both a graphic designer and a fashion-minded individual. So without further ado...






Enjoy!

Mon Oct 19th - I'm just a child sometimes...

I'm generally pleased with how things are going in life right now. Schoolwork tends to be a little overbearing, but not so much where I'd have to tear my hair out.



How has autumn been treating everyone so far? Here in San Diego things are getting warm and bright, but unfortunately I do wish there were much more creative weather patterns than just the simple bright and consistently sunny. I dream of what it's like out in Europe, whether the chills are biting at the apples of people's cheeks or if folks are cuddling up to a warm cup of hot chocolate yet. I honestly can't wait for the weather to dip down low!



Floral Embroidered Dress - Betsey Johnson
Black Cardigan - Kimchi & Blue, Urban Outfitters
Braided Belt - Thrifted
Black Ankle Boots - Thrifted

Still trying to experiment with the lighting in my room! Bear with me as I proceed to give out poor quality outfit shots!

Wed Oct 14th - Denim Mess

How silly is it that the exact day after I start raving about my hair, it decides to really let loose and go wild with volume? Well, that's what it did today. Although it was most likely due to poor styling on my part.

As San Diego weather gets slightly chillier, with extreme emphasis on slightly since the sun still shines painfully bright, I figure it's about time to bring out the outerwear. Granted, I didn't bring my whole set back from Orange County in the process of moving, but right now I only have eyes for my lovely denim jacket from Gap. It fits me so well, the texture is soft and easy on the skin, and the dark color is just absolutely perfect. I must truly thank my sister for such a generous "give" on her part! (For you see, it was originally hers before she decided to rid of it!)






Denim Jacket - Gap
Frilly Dress - Forever 21
Heels - Ross/Dolce Vita

And as a side note, last time I will ever be wearing those heels on campus again. Miles of trekking with those heels-of-death has got me weary on such high schoes at school. I would be fine if only I were stationary most of the time, but I've been active going out and being simply outdoors!

Tues October 13th - I Turn my Camera On

Finally, an outfit post! I somewhat dressed down today, since I've been cranking out late hours just trying to get outlines done and art papers out of the way. (And have I ever mentioned how Physics will be the bane of my existence?) So weariness has become my new best friend as of late.

And should I mention how much I'm enjoying my longer hair? I haven't had my hair this long since my Junior year of High School, which was a good 4 years ago. (At which point in time I chopped it entirely off in favor of an extremely short bob.) This renewed interest in my lengthy hair comes at just the right time as I was inspired by side braids from the Spring 2010 Wang show, pigtail updos inspired by Alexa Chung, and loose chic buns. I'm anticipating its continued growth, since I'm hoping to grow it out to obscene lengths before donating to Locks of Love.

For those who noticed, my title does indeed come from Spoon's classic upbeat tune although it also has relevance as well. Here are some varieties of photos in different modes and settings. I'm trying to find my best fit!







Turtleneck Dress - Forever21
Wool Vest - Thrifted, Gap
Black Booties - Ross

ban.do the black line

School and social activities have really been eating up my time. Luckily the weather here in San Diego has stayed beautiful but still wonderfully chilly. I'm finding myself in search of perfect light sweaters and cardigans and pairing it with just the right casual dress.

My wardrobe's been looking slightly spare though. I didn't get to haul a whole lot of clothes back from Orange County, and I haven't gathered much funds for actual shopping purposes so I'm left to really be creative and recycle clothing...again haha.

No real outfit photo yet, but I ran into beautiful and inspiring headpieces from ban.do and I absolutely had to share! They're all mostly very flapper-inspired headpieces, and normally I'm not big on these styles of headbands, but they're so elaborate and elegant that I can't help but lust for them.



Come on, you guys must admit these are pretty...even if some would find it quite unwearable!

Thursday Sept 24th - A New Start

Oh dear, I know it's been forever since I've had an outfit post. A lot's happened since the end of July, all a mix of good and bad, but now that school's started again I really feel like I can get back on top of things!

This picture's a little blurry. Unfortunately I didn't pack my tripod so I have to make due with what I could. Also, there aren't any NYC photos since I was just caught up in the whirlwind of Fashion's Night Out and touring the city with my friends.

On that note, NYC was fantastic! It could've ended better, but Fashion's Night Out was so much great fun. Unfortunately I wasn't fully geared (fashion-wise) to be strutting out on the town, but it was amazing to really mingle with others that were dressed to impress.

I'm hoping to really stick around much much longer!



Floral Dress - Kensie / Ross
Denim Jacket - Gap
Studded Belt - my sister's closet
Boots - Working Wardrobes thrift

slow times in life

Life has been slow for me since the last time I updated. But in better news...I'm back!! Well, kind of anyways.

I'm heading out to my annual New York City trip next week, and I'm a mixture of thrills and cold anxiety all at once! But I'm sure the moment I'm there relaxing in the streets of Manhattan all dolled up, it will all be peachy keen again. I'm hoping to have many more outfit posts from Manhattan street-walking...or so I'm planning.

A little update on what I've been wearing out to the LA nightlife! (Psst! I'm the one on the far right!)



Top: Vintage lace corset
Skirt: Buffalo Exchange (H&M)
Belt: Working Wardrobes Thrift
Purse: Working Wardrobes Thrift
Shoes: solesruck (Steve Maddens)

Cirque 21

I've been having a rough week, so I may be a little more inactive than usual. (If that's even possible!) But here's a reason to love Forever 21...

Sorry the thumbnails are so teensy! That's the only size they really have



Their new original designs called Forever 21 Twists feature really great detail and at actual reasonable prices. The theme for this cycle is known as Cirque 21, obviously circus and child-themed. I love it! My wallet's is starting to look a lot more empty...

YSL Cage Booties

I've always been a shoe fiend. I fall in and out of love with shoes so often I can't even count the times. I always try to find the most fascinating shoes to wrap my little fingers around, and I find many quite fascinating! From granny booties, to brogues, to classic little oxfords and strappy heels, I always find myself in great lust for new shoes.

My newest want would definitely be the Yves Saint Laurent cage booties. I don't know if this is fleeting lust, but right now I am definitely all over these shoes.



The best part is, it seems like a lot of other retail stores seem to be picking up on the trend! While these sweeties are going for a cool $1,500 other places like Bakers are selling out theirs for a fraction of the price. ($70, I believe?) And just today I saw Forever 21 selling a pair exactly like these Baker ones for $27! But I don't know...it's still a little pricey for my blood considering I don't know if it's overwhelming lust or true shoe love.



What do you guys think?

What to do what to do...

As a belated birthday present, my sister from NYC decided to mail me a sweet sisterly-love card as well as a nifty $50 Forever 21 gift card. Now unfortunately I've been weening myself off of retail clothing that would cost me more than $10, so I haven't been looking through the stores very much. I'm also very wary of the quality of clothing that comes out from there, they tend to be a little less than reliable.

So I decided to go through their site and look through potential instant-love pieces. None of them struck me as so, especially for the price they're at, but I thoroughly enjoy these certain pieces...



See I'm always fond of the TwelveByTwelve pieces, but they're always terribly overpriced, even if the quality is significantly better. I'm also in the dilemma of the fact I love dresses and heels, but I have too many of them! (About 30+ dresses and 30+ shoes!) Oh, to make this precious card last...

On a side note, who here knows that Anna Sui is totally doing a collection for Target? It's really quite lovely, and supposedly all of her pieces are directly influenced from her past collections! (This could be interpreted as letting us poor folk have a bite at her distinguished line, or that she was possibly lazy to design. I'd like to not think it was the latter.) Here are some highlights from her new Target line arriving soon.



Are they not darling?! I'm excited for it!

ClosetBug@Ebay

It has literally been FOREVER since I invested time into my stuff at Ebay. Well recently I thought I would really put things back together again since I had the time to dedicate myself to this project again.

So, without further ado....ClosetBug@Ebay reopens!



Please do check it out! You can click on the image, the little ad spot I have on the left, or just CLICK ON THIS. Lots of random vintage stuff that I wanted to share with those who love and appreciate vintage fashion! Starting bids don't go over $9.99, and it's very unlikely that you'll have to auction too competitively for pieces so go on ahead and check things out!

Thursday July 9th - The Boyfriend Birthday

Yesterday night was my boyfriend's 21st birthday and had his celebrations at Dave & Busters so that all us underaged folks could get in. (For those who don't know, Dave & Busters is a bar/arcade place where people can just drink and play!) It was an exciting night, and I was so happy to be there and take part in it!

It was also noted somewhere else that I was kind of a clothes snob...and I admit I am. I honestly feel like I wouldn't be where I'm at now without being highly selective of what clothes I wear and buy. In my head, if I'm not really selective of what clothes I wear and how I present myself with my clothes, I wouldn't have a fine-tuned sense of my style and aesthetic. Is it terrible of me to be a "fashion snob"? Am I the only one in the fashion blogging world that thinks like this?

Anyways, here's what I wore to the celebrations. It was between this get up or a fancy black cocktail dress, except my boyfriend insisted that I dress "casual" for the night. So, believe it or not, this is my "casual" way of dressing haha.




Black Blouse - Gap
High-Waisted Shorts - Gap
Gold Chain Purse - Thrifted, Working Wardrobes
Derby Hat - F21
Cami - Borrowed from the sister
Lace up Heels - Ross

Tues July 7th - Black Black Black

Oh dear! I feel like I've been thrown into a hurricane of monotone colors and can't escape! As usual my usual palette has been going back to it's usual and somewhat lazy black and gray ensemble. I'd like to think it has its own chic twists to it as well and it isn't just lazy way of dressing.

This lovely breath-easy dress was found miraculously on a thrift store rack. It's delightful, modern, but still very much romantic and summery despite its dark color. It's also surprisingly from American Eagle Outfitters. Now I will be the last person to be found back at that store (I used to shop there in my early tween days! Oh the horro!) but I was delighted at the quality and affordability of this dress. Three dollars? Oh yes please!

(I also apologize for the shots being taken in my room! It was simply too hot to be taking forever taking shots outdoors!)






Black Babydoll Dress - Thrifted, Salvation Army (American EagleOutfitters)
Buckled Sandals - Macy's, Nine West
White Straw Purse - Thrifted, Working Wardrobes
Peacock Necklace - A gift from my jester ♥, Urban Outfitters