Thursday, December 13, 2012

Gloom Room

      December is almost half way through, and the gray visage of winter is sweeping through along with the icy air. It has gotten so dreary and rainy these days that my whole friend group, unbeknownst to each others plans, have stayed home by our lonesomes letting the chill put our minds in entrancing reveries. Somehow the cold has cast a warning that all those who go out in it shall meet their doom. Well, at least that is just how I feel about it, but hey we have been studying Poe and Hawthorne in English and they might just be rubbing off. So this week to get out of house my friends and I have decided to plan a Christmas party, potluck and Secret Santa included. That ought to be the perfect thing to perk up our holiday spirit. Now all we need to do is finally go on that ice skating trip too. I am already planning cute outfits in my head. Except they all involve a cute skirt with tights and while in ice skating movies seem ideal, in reality for an amateur skater that still falls once in awhile, they're really not. Unless I enjoy icicles as limbs, you never know. I mean Ariel wanted to give up being a mermaid for legs... Ariel was my favorite Disney Princess but really?! I love to swim, and I would have killed to be a mermaid. But not literally, don't want Ursula popping up out of nowhere with a hit list for me. Anyway a random post but I was eager to show off my personal way to beating "Eeyore Syndrome." (Wow this post is full of my favorite childhood characters.) I strung up snowflake lights along the top of my bed, and they just make me smile when I walk into my room. Light a candle that smells like angel food cake from Anthropologie (the picture came out interestingly), and you are ready to hibernate like a very happy bear.



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Merrily We Go



I had just tried to flip my hair up like all those tumblr girls do. I got this instead, of course.



Candid Random Skipping


Ok so I am definitely not a model. Photos usually end up one of two ways: me laughing to mask my awkwardness or me making we weird face because I am talking to mask my awkwardness. In all honesty, I really should be the one behind the camera because shooting me is just painful. I used to watch America's Next Top Model religiously, and theoretically, I know what poses look good and how to "smize." Except watching America's Next Top Model does not make you America's Next Top Model. I could name thirty top international models and tell you what ads they have done recently, but even with all my studying poses come out just plain wrong, and smizing is a talent the three little fairies from Sleeping Beauty DID NOT give me. I got stuck with the ability to make goat noises, inconsistent but extremely wavy hair, and crescent moon shaped eyes. Now this is what you call genetically ideal. So in short, the only pictures I actually like the best are the candid ones. But the rest didn't turn out half bad, and hooray for only half bad! 


Lace Top: Forever 21 ~ Shorts: Forever 21 ~ Tights: Aerie ~ Belt: Forever 21~ Necklace: Urban Outfitters ~ Boots: Report

New boots are definitely on the wishlist. I have been ordering and returning new ones for weeks, I am boot cursed! But that's what happens when you have size 9 feet that are wide and chicken legs (another gift from the fairies). What went down in the gene pool at my conception?! Experimentation that's what. Well they know what not to do now. 


Photos taken by Nicole Duong

Monday, December 3, 2012

Beachy Serene




Jacket: Nordstrom ~ Tank: Urban Outfitters (of course its a fuschia-y magenta) ~ Jeans: Target ~ Flats: H&M


  I love going to the beach during the winter time. Last year my family went non stop over winter break because my sister who now lives on the east coast for most of the year missed it so much. My mom had to run a few errands in Ventura after school so I went with her. As we were heading home, I saw the ocean and the sun and the sand and I told her it would be nice to go to the beach right now. To my surprise, she proceeded to the nearest exit and pulled up in the parking lot of the beach she used to take us all the time as children. It seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere. We kicked our shoes off and I wiggled my toes in the sand. Something about the quietness of the sea's company with a light breeze to relieve our worries just made me feel at peace. We reminisced about the many times we spent there, and she told me that often times we would come at lunch and not leave until sunset. Those were the good ole days, where time was slow and sweet and no one was rushing around with a thousand things to do. It makes me so happy that I live here; how lucky I am have this place right around the corner. So we decided that we should go every Monday after school, or at least try to, to just relax and take time away from all the things that we get worked up over. Being a true romantic (not the lovey dovey kinda, although I can be, I mean the kind related to romanticism), nature really has a remarkable effect on my disposition. So once I get my license, whenever I need a pick me up I might just stop by the beach or retail therapy doesn't hurt either. Well I hope everyone has a good start to their week, and if you're feeling stressed or blue, let nature ease your mind.


Sunday, December 2, 2012

I Heart SF


While trying to find the famous Lombard Street, we followed this one spiraling road up a hill only to find an amazing all around view of the city.  The lighting up there was almost ethereal shining down through the trees and onto the faces of all the tall buildings.

We found Lombard Street :)

Even in the summer, San Fran was cool and misty, it was quite refreshing.

Hoodie: stolen from my brother, it was colder than I expected ~ Sweater: Forever 21 ~ Purse: H&M ~ Jeans: Target

Ate my first whole crab here! The garlic parmesan fries are great as well!


The amazing structure at the top of the spiraling street we went up in search of Lombard Street.

Taken in Big Sur, I wouldn't mind living here either with its crisp air, hiking trails, and awesome views of the ocean and cliffs.  I am laughing at my uneven sleeves right now because it was quite chilly but nice at the same time so I couldn't make up my mind. Loving this top from Forever 21, neutral color blocking is very chic if you're intimidated by actual color blocking, and I love black and tan paired together.


Oh San Francisco, you just might have stolen my heart. I live a good drive away from The Golden Gate City, but I have been here many times. Up til now I thought there wasn't anything special about SF, but that might have been because I've only gone when i was considerably younger. And a child's view point certainly doesn't catch the vibe and wonder of a city. For example, I went to Europe the summer between seventh and eighth grade. It is hard not to understand the wonders that are Paris, Venice, Rome, and Switzerland, but looking back I know I would appreciate those journeys a lot more now. San Francisco has a lot more to see than just its bridges and the wharf. This city is an individual with a culture of its own. In AP United States History this year, we learned that San Francisco was a big part of why we wanted California. It is a natural protected bay and that allows an excellent place for trade to go on. Therefore it was called the Gem of the Pacific. We only spent one full day in the city and the rest in Monterey and Big Sur, a gorgeous and historical bay area about an hour from San Francisco, but I could definitely see my self moving there when I'm out of college. Hopefully, I get to come back for longer next summer.


(Photos taken the summer of 2012)


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Post Thankgiving Non Leftover Lunch

   Sorry for not posting during thanksgiving break! I never really got around to taking outfit pictures, but more photos will be up very soon! These are some shots of my lunch from Saturday at the restaurant in LA called Lemonade. It was a nice break from all the leftover turkey sandwiches and ham I've eaten. I've been wanting to try Lemonade for awhile because it is formatted sort of like a school cafeteria but on the gourmet side. I ended up trying the herb chicken sandwich with an arugula salad. Not bad, but not a big fan. Also, I definitely had a hard time deciding what flavor lemonade I should get, they all sounded so interesting! Some flavors were: blueberry mint(my dad got this one, I didn't like it that much), cucumber mint (one i will have to try in the future), and the one I picked was watermelon rosemary. This flavor had a hint of sweetness from the watermelon and a peculiar (in a good way) refreshing quality from the rosemary. Even my brother enjoyed it and he hates vegetables and lives off of junk food. I also had some other vegetable sides that were very fresh and delicious but not pictured. And of course, with my sweet tooth I could not pass up their jumbo macarons. Those things were huge, like larger than my abnormally big hands for my 5'2" frame. I got the pistachio flavor and it was perfectly sweet and chewy, just as macarons should be. I totally forgot to photograph it until I was at my last bite! That just goes to show how good it was I guess. The decor and theme of the whole place was light and cute and I'm already planning my order for next time: Mac n cheese with jalepeno bacon that I tried from my brother and it was out of this world, the salted caramel macaron, and the cucumber mint lemonade. I wish all cafeterias were like this!



Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Floral Punch










Just when I was starting to lose my appetite for floral print, I find this brilliant piece. The color blocked shoulders and the fact that the print does not scream spring time make it extremely wearable for fall. Paired with gray skinny cargos, gold accessories, and basically the only boots I have. For a little more low key look ditch the curls and go for a high bun instead, but with today being the last day of school before Thanksgiving, I felt like celebrating. That's it for today, but I might be posting some pictures from a trip to San Francisco during the summer. So stayed tuned for those! Happy Holidays Everyone!

Top: Urban Outfitters ~ Skinny Cargos: American Eagle ~ Necklace: Urban Outfitters ~ Bracelet: Lucky Brand ~ Boots: Report
Photos taken by my Mom..thank you!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Barney Goes to the Park






No the title is not an allusion to How I Met Your Mother, even though it is a great show. Yes, it is in connection between my pants and my favorite friendly purple dinosaur as a child. I have so many baby pictures with my stuffed Barney. So I know burgundy is really trendy for fall or "oxblood" as the fashion elite are referring to it. However, wearing maroon/burgundy/wine colors have really been a staple for me in fall seasons past (As you can tell from my previous two outfit posts I already have so much of it), so I am deeming magenta, fuschia, and mauve my it colors of autumn this year. Plus the term oxblood really just makes me shudder. I've always been scared to wear pinks and purples, even though purple happens to be one of my favorite colors. My wardrobe is like a haven for the neutral gal, well stocked with navy, cream, gray, and black. This year it is time to think out of the box (throwback one of my favorite childhood tv shows) and experiment with all these beautiful new hues. Brands could never really do pink and purple right until now, and I am very pleased with the broad array of shades I have to choose from. I hope y'all like these colors too because there shall be lots of shopping done to feed my mauv-gent-ia cravings. 

PS: Guess we know who will never be writing a dictionary or creating words because my little color mash-up above is pretty lame. But I hope everyone is enjoying November! I can't wait for my sister to come home, maybe she will even make a cameo on the blog. Sister outfit posts? I think yes! :)



Crocheted Tank: Urban Outfitters ~ Black Tank (underneath): Aerie ~ Pants: Urban Outfitters ~ Metallic Flats: H&M                 Photography & Editing by Nicole Duong


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Trailblazer









I am finally experiencing the Back to School Blues. The bug must've flown in on all this wind we've been having, but not to worry, Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away. I cannot wait to try a ton of fall inspired recipes from the food blog, Smitten Kitchen. I can't decide on whether to attempt the pumpkin or carrot cake pancakes. The orangeness of both seem so festive! Guess I'll just keep drooling over the scrumptious pictures on her site as I procrastinate starting my English outline and essay. That's what a block schedule is for right? To make it academically acceptable for scholars like myself to procrastinate because I do not have English tomorrow! Another thing I've been able to get away with is wearing this brilliant jacket with only a sheer tank top underneath. While this amazing mauve-y gray jacket is quite versatile and can go with many pieces in my wardrobe, I just couldn't resist wearing it out with this papery thin, brown/maroon cami. The thick structured element to the jacket contrasted very nicely with the breeziness of the tank pulling together a casual, cool outfit without the fuss. I can't wait to use this jacket with sweaters and scarves, so this weather better shape up and give me a proper autumn chill because I'm ready for it. Fuzzy socks and all.

Jacket: American Apparel ~ Tank Top: Aerie ~ Pants: Nordstrom Rack ~ Boots: Report
Photography and Editing by Nicole Duong


Friday, November 9, 2012

Garnet Galavant






Welcome to fall in California, where the standard recipe for a high school girl's "cold weather"outfit is a sweater paired with black leggings and boots. Of course, I had to put my own spin on it with a gold sequined sweater for texture and some maroon leggings that I got for $5 last year because I didn't want to dish out a ton of cash on actual pants. They also work quite well under jeans on days that are actually cold; a tip from my mother who lived in Switzerland who always felt too warm in those overheated buildings, but still needed some insulation while walking from place to place in the snow. This go-to California outfit was not so great while traipsing about the neighborhood shopping plaza in gusty winds today. However, I cannot complain about the temperature since it is never any lower than 50 degrees, and earlier this week just happened to almost hit 90. One thing I will complain about is the serious lack of colorful, fallen leaves. What you see in these pictures is about what we get for the whole season, and they score disappointingly low on the crunch-when-stepped-on scale. Also, you can get especially jealous if your sister goes to school on the east coast and loves to brag about how it actually changes seasons there. Speaking of the east coast my thoughts go out to all those affected by Sandy, and I pray you are all well! I hope you enjoyed this little dose of Californian style, and please ignore my lack of makeup (it was just one of those days). More outfit posts coming soon, so make sure to check back and tell your friends!

Sweater: Urban Outfitters ~ Leggings: Forever 21 ~ Boots: Report
Photography and Editing done by Nicole Duong
Much thanks my dear!

Friday, November 2, 2012

November Spice

       It is finally starting to feel like fall here in California. I know because when I wore sandals to school the other day my toes almost fell off! Fall is swiftly surpassing summer as my favorite season. Most likely because all of my peers have been driving me crazy in their skimpy Brandy Melville summer ensembles, but my staunch abhorrence of the brand would be enough to fill an entirely different post.

       On a better note, fall has always given off such a cool homey vibe, and what better way to achieve this than to bake cookies and drink tea with your mother? I obviously can't wait for Christmas either seeing as I used Christmas tree cookie cutters (along with crescent moons), but hey they're better than plain ole circles! I did however use some autumnal flavors with their being Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies (recipe courtesy of the blog Smitten Kitchen - I'm a huge fan). The recipe renders a lot of cookies, but my family, being Filipino, can never eat in moderation, so naturally we polished them off pretty quickly. You also have the option of freezing them to save for later, but I would probably forget. I hope you all have had a wonderful start to November, and outfit posts should be up in a week or two!













Recipe:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/12/nutmeg-maple-butter-cookies/