emily viveur

standard.

2012-02-06T02:15:00.000+08:00

uniqlo shirt, magaschoni vest, madewell 1937 jacket, gap scarf, just u.s.a. jeans.

A variation of what I wear most days when the weather requires layers. A light sweater or long sleeve tee, this fuzzy vest that was my mom's from about 10 years ago, a black jacket or coat, and skinny jeans. I feel extremely uninspired and lazy (in terms of dressing) lately so I've been wearing this combination nearly every day for the last two weeks. I'm just attempting to hide it by changing up colors, patterns, and accessories...although I'm afraid I'm going to wear this vest to pieces soon.
Sorry if I look blank/out of it, I had to wake up early for a Saturday morning class the day these photos were taken...let's just say I am not a morning person.

t by alexander wang pre-fall 2012.

2012-02-01T22:14:00.000+08:00

Perfect staple pieces...not just for fall, but for all year round.
Damn you Alex for making me feel vaguely depressed when I look inside my closet. Doesn't help that my first week of school after Chinese New Year holidays has been kind of crappy (yesterday, I ate food that had gone bad but didn't notice the tiny worms in my lunch until I was nearly done, then I accidentally lost a lot of money).
On the bright side...I think I can DIY that navy blue dress.

all those yesterdays coming down.

2012-01-27T20:28:00.000+08:00

zara sweater, equipment shirt, j.crew leopard edie bag, bcbg skirt.

My most overworn sweater + my most overworn button up shirt + my most overworn skirt + borrowed J. Crew Edie that I've been drooling over for months. I've been hunting for the perfect, slightly oversized white shirt for a long time and this Equipment shirt is it. It's so comfortable I want to sleep in it. Unfortunately I realized that I'm raving about a shirt which is mostly hidden in these photos...so moving on...

Happy (slightly late) Chinese New Year everyone! Hope those of you who celebrate it get lots of red pockets (cough shopping money cough cough).

what to do when all our thoughts have flown.

2012-01-25T18:35:00.001+08:00

Some simple accessories I've been wearing a lot lately, especially the rings. The ear cuff and rings are from some local jewelry stalls, and the belt is by b + ab (a Hong Kong brand). The belt is the closest I've gotten to this Chloé plaque-detailed belt...except at a much more student-budget-friendly price...

rather die hard than die hollow.

2012-01-22T05:04:00.000+08:00

como leather jacket, muji shirt, brandless skirt, h&m beanie.

Just some wardrobe staples, minus the coat I threw over this when I actually went out. I've been loving flared/A-line skirts this season, nice and simple. I also can't stop wearing these basic long sleeve cotton tees from Muji, there was a holiday deal so I went and bought...a lot. I wear them almost every day. Muji is one thing I love about moving to Hong Kong, seeing as their only US stores are in New York. Their Japanese minimalist aesthetic is sort of addicting.

you've traveled very far just to see if i'll come around.

2012-01-18T20:48:00.000+08:00

a.teen coat, equipment shirt, rag & bone jeans, madewell flats, vintage furla bag, zara scarf.

Hi everyone, sorry for the hiatus! My winter vacation was a little too busy for my taste...too much work, too many holiday dinners, and not enough lying around and blogging.
But anyways, I'm back now with my (very delayed) first post of the year.
I wore this out to lunch with my sister a few weeks back. I thought the late afternoon sunlight looked nice after we finished eating, but turns out the lighting makes me look like I have white vampire feet that match the pavement. Hopefully the shoes makes up for it...I'm in love with the slightly pointed toes. These photos don't do them justice.

on my mind.

2011-12-16T23:27:00.001+08:00

Inspiration for my wardrobe this winter: Camilla and Marc SS12 and Maje FW11.
Simple, solid colored pieces + black, red, navy, and white + a dash of stripes, a subtle print or two, and some interesting detailing to keep it all from looking too ubiquitous.

i tried everything but nothing works for me.

2011-12-13T22:00:00.000+08:00

h&m sweater, brandless skirt, chains of love necklace.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been swamped with final exams topped off with a bad cold...the result of which is spending most of my days in sweats, sneezing, with my nose glued to textbooks that are heavy enough to knock someone out with. Not really posting material.
Just something I wore about a week back for a cousin's birthday dinner...the sweater sheds more than a dog but I love it anyways.

vedette sensuale: i've got nothing to hide.

2011-12-08T03:59:00.000+08:00

zara blazer, lush skirt, butterfly wedges.

An overdue post from the end of summer! Vedette Shapewear kindly sent over another piece a few months back, this time the gorgeous Silvana bustier from their Sensuale collection. Their Sensuale collection is elegant and sensual (as the name clearly suggests), as well as more opulent than the rest of their products (think Italian lace and Swarovski crystals).
The Silvana was no exception. It is both sexy and tasteful, with impeccable detailing that isn't overly extravagant so you can easily pair it with some simple pieces and walk down the street feeling like you've got nothing to hide, not like you forgot your shirt. The point of the Sensuale collection is for you to feel confident in what you're wearing and who you are, because life's a little bit too short for you to hide yourself.

(Also, Vedette Shapewear is going nationwide in the US and doing giveaways in various areas...right now it's Hawaii! So if you live there and want the chance to win free shapewear, enter here. And if you don't live in Hawaii, keep an eye out for when Vedette hits the other states.)

the road is long until you come along.

2011-11-26T16:22:00.000+08:00

madewell shirt, h&m jeans and boots, alexander wang bag.

Some of my favorite basic pieces for one of the many strangely warm days we've had this November. These jeans are the first pair I've bought it almost two years and I can't seem to stop wearing them, so I guess the anti-jeans/anti-pants-in-general phase I've been in since the end of high school is over.

yushop.

2011-11-11T03:06:00.000+08:00

Just wanted to introduce all of you to YuShop, an online store I recently started up with a friend.
Remember her?
Above are a few of the pieces available in our shop!

We discovered out of the nowhere a couple months back we both had the same seedling of an idea involving setting up our own online store...so we decided to make it happen. After hours of hunting for just the right pieces to sell and many more (frustrating) hours of squinting at our laptop screens trying to set the website up, we finally got YuShop up...check it out it if you like what you see! We'll be expanding our selection to include winter pieces soon.
We're offering free world-wide shipping (yep, you read that right), and the first ten of my readers who order will also get a little gift along with their orders. Just mention Emily Viveur when you place your order.
Many thank yous in advance to those of you who take the time to check out YuShop!

Contact us at yushopservice@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.

if it doesn't matter then just turn around.

2011-11-04T04:43:00.000+08:00

zara knit, aqua blouse, zara clutch, christy's crown series fedora.

Can't stop wearing this sweater, it's the perfect basic knit for fall and just the kind of thing I want to throw on without a second thought when I'm stumbling around half asleep in the morning getting ready for class.
If only it would get a little cooler here so I can wear it outside of freezing lecture halls without sweating like crazy.

you move so fast makes me feel lazy.

2011-10-23T02:43:00.000+08:00

brandless vest, skirt pilfered from my mom, alexander wang bag, madewell boots, ysl ring.

Demonstrating my sometimes horrible posture in the first photo...I look like I'm turning into the hunchback of Notre Dame. These are more photos from when I was back in California, I just realized how many summer photos I have that I forgot about! A bright side of being given a week's break from classes to study (which turns into procrastinating) by my university...I finally decide to go through my camera's memory card. Too bad these photos are now more appropriate for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, but oh well. Gotta get some posts up involving sweaters instead of decorative crochet vests soon.

last of summer.

2011-10-17T23:26:00.000+08:00

zara dress, alexander wang bag, butterfly wedges.

Been a terrible blogger lately due to the tsunami of work hitting me in the face. I know it's fall already but here's some photos from back when I was in California during the summer...while I can't wait for cooler weather, I also can't help but miss beautiful (and boiling hot) desert sunsets.

i would do it all just for you.

2011-10-07T18:43:00.000+08:00

The architectural wedge. The folding. The straps.

Instant love.

These As Know As De Rue wedges (not sure if I'm missing the meaning of the name or it's just English nonsense Asians like to make up) are just what I have been searching for.

the end has no end.

2011-10-02T01:33:00.000+08:00

brandless top, dolce vita smoking slippers, vintage choker and watch, can't-really-make-out-the-label bag (i think it says punchy...)

I found this bag while aimlessly wandering around a shopping mall after dinner last week. It might be a blatant imitation, but it's sturdy, perfect for lugging around schoolwork, and considerably (big emphasis on considerably) more budget friendly than the real thing. And I still drool over the simple design, Celine or not.
It just might be competing with my hairy leopard shoes for my heart.

woke up this morning funny taste in my head.

2011-09-19T23:36:00.000+08:00

elizabeth and james blouse, levi's shorts, vintage prada bag, collar from bangladesh.

Quick post after a mini-hiatus due to...well, just adjusting to my schedule this semester which may turn out to be slightly suicidal. Not sure yet. But I'm going to do my best to post as regularly as possible, since I've actually got a couple of posts that have been lined up for weeks.
Been sticking to the basics a lot lately, just don't have the energy to put anything too complicated together anymore. Much less accessorize. That's why I love this collar, it doesn't take a lot of effort to incorporate into outfits. It's simple but not too simple, and it stands out but isn't overpowering. The matching earrings are also perfection...but I'll save that for another post.

brunch club.

2011-09-03T03:31:00.000+08:00

My stylish sister from another mister (very corny but appropriate) Kelsey. Our moms have been friends since high school, we share the same birthday but were born a year apart, and we can finish each other's thoughts...we might as well be related. Unfortunately she's leaving for university in the US (one not far from where I lived, ironically) in less than a week. So we went out for lunch at one of my new favorite places to eat, the Brunch Club. It's cute and cozy, and their Eggs Benedict is so good...especially with smoked salmon.
Anyways. Tell me her sandals (bought in Korea) aren't amazing, especially with the orange nail polish! Drool. Also kind of in love with her hair that she spontaneously chopped off herself.

Couldn't resist putting up a food photo. It's 3 am but I'm craving the Eggs Benedict right now. And then a few quick (and sweaty but I hope you can't tell) shots of what I was wearing...still can't stay away from black in this humid heat.

black and blue.

2011-08-29T03:27:00.000+08:00

ralph lauren sweater, rag and bone oxfords, ysl skirt, proenza schouler ps11 clutch, asos cuff.

acne denim skirt, junya watanabe skirt, surface to air pumps, chloe belt, illesteva sunglasses.

Some fall basics I want to acquire (obviously not the ones pictures though...unfortunately) for the coming season paired with clean and simple accessories. How I'd love to get my hands on that Chloe belt, it's deliciously minimal and I need a new belt or two...

if i get burned, no embers break.

2011-08-25T23:17:00.000+08:00

elizabeth and james blouse and heels, just usa pants, zara bag, target belt.

Straying from my usually neutral palette, which I feel the urge to do from time to time. And no, I'm not almost two months behind on posting my Fourth of July outfit, I just have a thing for bright reds and blues paired together lately. Not in the patriotic sense.
Getting incredibly behind on blogging lately, sorry guys...I've got (sort of) a lot of posts lined up. This one was from when I was still back in California. I haven't had a single chance to take photos of anything I've worn since stepping foot in Hong Kong. Probably for the best though, because between the humidity and the running-around-nonstop every day, I'm sure I'd look sweaty and gross in all my photos.

weapons in the form of words.

2011-08-16T18:45:00.000+08:00

asos rings, alice + olivia shorts, one by matisse footwear boots, mara hoffman bikini, river island bag.

A few things I scored from summer sales, with the exception of the boots (which might as well have been on sale considering how fast two of the colors sold out). The more lethal looking of the two rings was actually a birthday gift to my sister as a form of self-defense...just kidding.
Sorry I'm being slow at replying to comments, I had to put my summer vacation in California to an end and fly back to Hong Kong since my second year of university is starting soon. Leaving this summer was harder than the last...not to mention I have an awful amount of unpacking to do now. I always procrastinate...which is what I'm doing now.

youth knows no pain.

2011-08-09T17:20:00.000+08:00

elizabeth and james blouse, rory beca shorts, loeffler randall sandals.

Throwing some of my favorite summer pieces together. Nothing like white lace shorts, simple sandals in a pretty color, and an absurdly large blouse that I found on sale last summer...I initially intended to have to altered but the oversized-ness grew on me.
Don't forget the silly poses either.

the valerie by vedette shapewear.

2011-08-05T09:40:00.000+08:00

elizabeth and james blouse, sparkle & fade skirt, see by chloe bag.

Vedette Shapewear has kindly sent me another piece of shapewear to review! The Valerie is simple, elegant, and flattering; the fact that this style has no straps also makes it incredibly versatile. Here I just paired it with a black strapless bra to wear as a corset top and layered it under breezy separates (seeing as it was probably about 105 degrees when I filmed this). There are honestly so many options to layering when it comes to the Valerie. Its simplicity also means it can be dressed up or down...it can go with everything from a pair of jeans to an evening dress!
Not to mention, I don't know who wouldn't mind a piece of clothing that accentuates their waist a little more.
Many thanks to Vedette Shapewear and to Denise in particular!

Music: "Back in Your Head" by Tegan and Sara

south linden drive.

2011-07-30T08:56:00.000+08:00

gap denim jacket, oysho silk shorts, alexander wang bag, dolce vita smoking slippers/loafers.

Meet my new favorite shoes that I got dangerously close to actually drooling on in Bloomingdale's. I have been borderline obsessed with finding a pair of leopard print haircalf smoking slippers/loafers since March when I saw a woman getting out of a taxi in Hong Kong wearing a pair. I believe I actually stopped and stared before I realized I probably looked like a creeper.
Also I'm not sure if I should call them loafers or smoking slippers...but according to Google Images these look more like smoking slippers. Which I like better, it sounds more interesting. Loafers always make me think of...bread (a loaf of bread?). Irrelevant point, sorry guys.

so fall away from safe and sound.

2011-07-26T03:58:00.000+08:00

f21 top, american apparel shorts, rebecca minkoff clutch, rimo ring.

Just a basic look for some perfect Southern Californian afternoon weather. Although I actually failed to get a decent shot of the dandelion seeds flying into air where I didn't look like a chipmunk.

diy: dries van noten inspired shorts.

2011-07-21T04:09:00.000+08:00

diy shorts, elizabeth and james blouse, loeffler randall sandals.

A little late on this DIY. I wanted to try it as soon as I saw the Dries Van Noten bleached jeans earlier this year but just didn't seem to find the time (or the right pair of old jeans) till now when I was digging through some of my mom's old jeans. I didn't originally intend to ombre these shorts, just bleach them in the same blunt fashion as Dries Van Noten did...but halfway through I decided I'd like an ombre effect better. All I did was follow WhoWhatWear's tutorial and slowly add water to the original water/bleach mixture to make the water level rise while diluting the bleach at the same time, creating the ombre effect.
Such a nice touch to a basic summer outfit.

and she spoke words that would melt in your hands.

2011-07-15T03:42:00.000+08:00

leyendecker top, h&m shorts, butterfly platforms, alexander wang bag, cheap monday sunglasses.

One of my favorite pairs of shorts this summer, and definitely the most comfortable. I love the print, the kind of baggy fit...
But honestly I couldn't care less about these shorts right now when the last Harry Potter movie is coming out at midnight! So $&%!#@*!$&%!#@* excited I might go jump on the couch right now. But I might cry when it's over too...
Yes, seriously.

i can tell just what you want.

2011-07-11T16:51:00.000+08:00

i love wildfox, tumblr, we heart it, lust for life, fashiontoast.

White, white, and more white. As much as I love all the bright colors this season, when it gets hot (and I mean 110-degrees-California-desert-fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot), white is much more appealing to me than throwing my primary colors together. As much as I love my yellow pants. Besides, I'm pretty sure those insanely cute puppies would look better in white than bright blue.

surface to air.

2011-07-07T02:54:00.000+08:00

The perfect summer wedges. I'm in love with everything about them...
Too bad they're not mine.
They belong to my mom but maybe someone will "accidentally" misplace them right into my suitcase when I return to Hong Kong for the next school year. Wink wink.

if i had a heart it might be breaking.

2011-07-01T12:21:00.000+08:00

initial shirt, zara blouse, madewell booties, balenciaga bag, kana arm cuff.
target romper, alexander wang bag, carrera sunglasses, brandless earrings.

Slightly more image heavy post than usual.

An introduction to my frequent photographer/younger sister Christina...who responded with "budding prostitute" when I asked her how she wanted to be introduced (joking obviously) so I figured I'd do the introducing. She's part of why after moving to Hong Kong for university I end up taking photos in front of white walls in my room so often...unfortunately.
Interpreted Isabel Marant a little (or a lot) in this look, except I traded in the mesh tank for a sleeveless mesh shirt from a local brand I love for their unique designs...but not for their prices. Hooray for summer sales.

we were fated to pretend.

2011-06-25T19:51:00.000+08:00

ozone top, zara pants, dolce vita shoes, brandless clutch.

Taking a break from the Thailand photos...just returned to California for the remainder of my summer vacation. I haven't been here since last August, feels a little funny to return but at the same time it also feels like I never left. These photos are from a stash I took before I left Hong Kong, which I'll have to go on until I get my new laptop. Hopefully it will be soon...combined with the fact that I have no cell phone in the US right now, I'm feeling a little technologically crippled.

The color of these pants makes me feel better though.

my heart you can collect.

2011-06-19T18:40:00.000+08:00

zara tank, levi shorts, joie sandals.

Basic look for the purpose of not sweating to death on my third in Phuket. Naturally the wind decided to pick up when I asked my sister to take a few quick photos...my hair put up a very good fight. I left out the photos in which I was losing badly.
Anyways, meet my new lover. He is a harmonica-playing elephant who gave me two very wet kisses on the cheek after I fed him bananas. He's pretty cute, in a hairy and wrinkly way.

phuket.

2011-06-15T16:57:00.000+08:00

j. crew tunic, ralph lauren bikini, hk vintage sunglasses.

Some random photos from my trip to Phuket.
The clouds out of the airplane window, running around on the beach, a tiny crab my sister and I caught (and probably scared half to death), and a few basics I brought along for the trip.
Hoping to go back to Thailand again soon...

we'll all float on okay.

2011-06-12T19:21:00.000+08:00

brandless top, theory pants, joie sandals, balenciaga bag.

Fell off the radar for a bit for a couple of reasons...two days after my birthday I destroyed my laptop by knocking a large glass of water on it. I didn't notice at first how much water there was because the room was pitch black but it got inside and ruined the hard drive. I idiotically haven't backed anything up for ages so I pretty much lost everything, whoopee. Not to mention I won't be getting another one until I return to the US at the end of June. I'll survive...somehow.

On a brighter note, I left for Thailand for a few days after my laptop incident, so I've finally got some photos with summery tropical settings coming soon!

nineteen and counting.

2011-06-04T03:18:00.000+08:00

brandless vest and maxi dress, vintage belt, butterfly wedges, alexander wang bag.

So I turned nineteen today (last teen year...gasp). As you can tell from my expression in the second to last photo, I was very excited. Just kidding. My birthday face was a little more enthusiastic than that. Not to mention, my birthday marked the end of the 45 hour per week internship I started not long after my final exams ended. It wasn't exactly at Vogue (more like a law firm) so...no more wearing dark suits every day is enough to make me prance around in these wedges that feel a bit like Legos strapped to my feet.
Not that I stuck to dark suits every day anyways. But still.

Have a great weekend everyone!

out of the darkness and into the sun.

2011-05-31T22:22:00.000+08:00

zara tank and shorts, alexander wang bag, nicole sandals, gorjana ring.

Another basic outfit with my new favorite pair of sandals. I've never heard of the brand until now but they fulfilled my need for well-made vachetta leather sandals after I ruined my other pair by accidentally walking through an ankle-deep puddle of dirty Hong Kong rain which warped the straps.
The ring and bracelets are 3 pieces of jewelry I've been wearing almost every day for the past week. The bangle was given to me by my grandma when I was about 7 or 8 (apparently my wrists haven't grown much). Unfortunately in between dinner and heading home last night it fell off my wrist somehow somewhere and I never found it. Hope I can find a replacement somewhere...

got you around my finger like a lonely lover's charm.

2011-05-25T02:07:00.000+08:00

aqua blouse, heart shorts, zara clutch, madewell heels, vintage hermes watch.

I was about to go home empty-handed one day after an unsuccessful shopping excursion when these shorts caught my eye (probably not a surprise considering their color). Pretty perfect since I had been looking for green shorts and scalloped shorts, and definitely worth the awkward positions I had to contort myself into while I tried them on in the world's smallest dressing room (which was more like a 1 foot by 1 foot corner with a curtain around it). These photos don't do them justice.
In love with this new China Glaze nail polish too. After I bought it I realized it looks a lot like Chanel's Nouvelle Vague.

Have a great week everyone!

we're just two lost souls swimming in a fishing bowl.

2011-05-21T17:51:00.000+08:00

zara dress, rebecca minkoff bag, kaur necklace, bangle from bangladesh.

A concoction for an evening out from a while back with mon homme. Not sure why I wanted to say that in French but "my man" sounds kind of cheesy...maybe I'm also unconsciously trying to retain some of my highschool French. I keep getting drawn to polka dots lately, I just bought another polka-dotted dress the other day. Topped everything off with some sparkly purple ombre nails that were too fun (and time consuming) to do.

so you think you can tell heaven from hell.

2011-05-17T02:46:00.000+08:00

t by alexander wang shirt, levis shorts, zara clutch.

Some of my favorite basics...this my first pair of Levi's and I'm kind of in love. The wash and fit is perfect. I was also extremely tempted by the pair they had in light pink but it wasn't available in my size unfortunately. I feel like I've been falling into another style rut lately so I'm just keeping things simple while I go through my slightly overstuffed closet to start weeding out all the things I want to keep but I know I won't wear anymore...it's so hard for me to get rid of anything that still fits and is in good condition.

the light that shines twice as bright.

2011-05-14T08:54:00.000+08:00

diane von furstenburg dress, jil sander bag, helmut lang top, proenza schouler bag, versace scarf, surface to air heels, acne pants, theyskens theory tank, jil sander heels.

miu miu heels, dion lee blazer, carven shirt, jil sander parka, dion lee dress, proenza schouler clutch, miu miu skirt, dominic jones cuff, alexander mcqueen heels and pendant.

More dreaming courtesy of Net-A-Porter. Really need all of these shoes, especially those polka-dotted Miu Mius. I'm starting to develop a thing for Kelly green but haven't acquired anything in that color. Yet.

i follow you deep sea baby.

2011-05-09T05:55:00.000+08:00

rag & bone jacket, madewell shorts and necklace, rebecca minkoff bag, h&m boots.

Finally done with all of my exams! The taste of (a humid) summer and freedom...and mild disbelief that my first year of university passed this fast. I still feel like I have to get up for a lecture in a couple hours. But instead I get to sleep, do fun nail tutorials from YouTube, and devote more time to my blog.
Oh, and I forgot celebrate of course. Unfortunately, celebrations so far have included random men in a bar who, in their drunken state, decided to take everything off in public while dancing to Rihanna. And I mean everything. But thankfully, the rest of my celebrations have involved clothing.

love until we bleed (and giveaway winners).

2011-05-01T00:41:00.000+08:00

b + ab jacket, lani dress.

I am so, so, so sorry for being an awful blogger, I know I'm overdue on announcing the winners of the giveaway by about 10 days (argh argh argh argh). I'v entered into my exam/final papers/final presentations period which goes something like eatsleepworkprocrastinateworkeatsleepwork.

Anyways, here they are: Eliza of Reptilia, Kellie of Playing Dress-Up, Rebecca of 17 Candles, Kels of Fatties Anonymous, and ChiccaStyle! Congratulations, I'll be contacting all of you shortly :)
And here's a jacket I bought a few weeks back before it turned unfortunately humid and muggy here. Got a thing for mesh right now thanks to Kate Bosworth's cover on Nylon.

but how we move from a to b it can't be up to me.

2011-04-20T20:38:00.000+08:00

madewell blazer, zara shorts, alexander wang bag, jeffrey campbell oxford wedges.

A pair of little faded pink shorts à la Isabel Marant S/S 2011. I actually didn't care for them much until I saw this pair in person and in my size. Unfortunately, I don't have a thick black belt and a chunky off-white sweater to go with them (not that I want to wear a sweater in this humid spring weather) so figured a just-unpacked-from-a-suitcase-in-storage linen blazer would have to do. Miracle it's not more wrinkly.
And pardon those 3 scratches on my thigh that look like the aftermath of being attacked by a large, pissy cat (Crookshanks, anyone?), they're part of the result of falling on an escalator while heading to class. The sad part is that I was walking up and wearing flat shoes, and carrying an can of coffee that decided to explode all over my white shirt. Too typical of me.
Hope you're all having a great week! I'll be announcing the winners of the giveaway soon.

i'll never be the same, i'll tell you for sure.

2011-04-18T02:44:00.000+08:00

zara blazer, h&m tank, oysho silk shorts, vintage prada bag.

Finally got a new pair of glasses the other day...since I've been blessed with infamously imperfect Asian eyesight, I've needed them for about 6 years but I wear contacts most of the time. I don't know why but I dislike having something sit on my face all day, it makes my face feel dirtier. Anyways, it was really the embossed leather arms that caught my eye, makes these glasses a little different and gives them a sort of classy, vintage feel I love.

Pulling out some old stuff in this outfit too, I don't think the shorts or the bag have made an appearance since last summer. I always go through cycles with my clothes and can never bear tossing/giving anything away when it's still in good condition...which is proving to be a problem since Hong Kong apartments are not exactly known for being spacious.

i felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel.

2011-04-14T00:01:00.000+08:00

Really feeling warm tones and neutrals in everything right now.

Plastic Island sweater and Zara scarf, Boutique 9 boots, a gorgeous sunset by the harbor, a gifted Bobbi Brown summer palette, Joie oxfords, crappy iPhone photo of a delicious banana and chocolate crepe, and how I entertain myself in boring lectures with my friend's pink highlighter.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by life in general lately...which means using a Sylvia Plath quote is more appropriate than usual.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

vedette shapewear review and giveaway!

2011-04-06T23:40:00.000+08:00

vedette corset in juliane, h&m slip dress.

Apologies for going a little AWOL lately, a mix of work and being sick (eye infection, cough, you name it) has been keeping me away from the blog and from giving all of you readers a surprise! I was recently contacted by Vedette Shapewear to do a product review on a piece of shapewear of my choice. Vedette is a Colombian brand of sophisticated shapewear which has been designing shapewear garments for over 30 years. Their goal is to provide high quality pieces that help you achieve your ideal silhouette as well as feel comfortable. Their pieces are not only designed to provide support but they can be worn as fashionable lingerie as well, which is perfect as I love the lingerie as outerwear trend! And was it hard to choose just one piece...each one is elegant and enhanced with beautiful details.

I decided to go with the Juliane style, an underbust corset with a lace finish which I thought was a very lovely and simple piece. The advanced powernet fabric and latex front panel is meant to shape your waist and back, which is most certainly did...being a bit of a stick, I loved that it added definition to my waist. The double hook-and-eye front closure also ensures that the corset fits you comfortably (Vedette's pieces run a bit on the small side so I decided to only do one row of hooks). Even better, this piece is very versatile for layering over dresses and adding a bit of interest, as well as a sensual touch, to your outfit! I will definitely be wearing this over more everyday pieces in the future.

Now for the best part: Vedette Shapewear is giving away a surprise piece of shapewear to five of you readers!

All you have to do is:

1. Join Vedette Shapewear's Facebook page.

2. Follow me on Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin.
3. Leave your name and email address in a comment (open internationally).

This giveaway will be open until Wednesday, April 20th. I will be randomly picking the winners.

Good luck to everyone and I hope you enjoyed the review! Many thanks to Vedette for giving me this opportunity.

ain't nothing wrong with ocd as long as it's for me.

2011-04-03T22:57:00.000+08:00

bdg cardigan, j. crew tee, theory pants, h&m boots, fossil bag, ysl ring.

A comfortable look for school...I actually had enough time in the morning for once to take a photo of what I'm wearing before class. Yes, I'm bad at getting myself out of bed.
I recently got this new bag for school seeing as I've used my Cambridge Satchel Company one nonstop since I got it in September and it's earned a well deserved break. The quality of the leather is amazing, it still looks like it's in perfect condition after the beating I put it through (including accidentally knocking a cup of iced coffee onto it once).
This Fossil bag is more summery anyways...their Vintage Re-Issue series was surprisingly nice. Unfortunately, being the klutz I am, I accidentally dropped an uncapped orange highlighter on the bag the 3rd time I used it (visible in the last photo, ack). And the stain refuses to budge. I suppose I will just attempt to awkwardly hide it with my arm until I figure out how to get that lovely fluorescent orange streak out.

if you fall asleep down by the water baby i'll carry you all the way home.

2011-03-30T23:26:00.000+08:00

dree hemingway for numero #121.

So crazy beautiful it almost hurts. I'm dying for warmer weather and a beach to run around on in the sunset...I've been in the city for too long.

but what do you say to taking chances.

2011-03-27T21:57:00.000+08:00

alice + olivia jacket, h&m dress worn as top, sparkle and fade leather shorts, alexander wang bag.

I've never really been a big fan of prints, so it was a surprise when I first saw this (now sort of ubiquitous) dress last August and loved it at first sight. To me, it looks like ikat meets the Transformers symbol (it looks a little more Decepticon than Autobot to me...yes, that was lame, sorry) and they have a neurotic mutant baby. Definitely weird, but in a good way. So after wearing this too many times without posting about it for some reason, I think I'll be a little more inclined to buy prints in the future. Without making more Transformers references.

fly me away on an aeroplane.

2011-03-24T04:03:00.000+08:00

giordano blazer, zara kids skirt, muji scarf, joie oxfords, vintage furla bag.

A pretty basic look for a casual day out with a friend. I've been searching for something polka dotted and a circle skirt...and a perfect combination of the two caught my eye from the kids' section when I was on my way, empty-handed, out of a Zara. Even better, it came in size 13-14. Which I thought was a little big for the kids' section, but I'm not complaining, no sir. It's now my favorite skirt.

Now I need to cut the habit of publishing posts in the middle of night...it should be 4 pm, not 4 am.

i see you my friend and touch your face again.

2011-03-21T04:08:00.000+08:00

h&m boots, joie oxfords, dolce vita wedges, loeffler randall heels.

Recently acquired black footwear...with the exception of the Loeffler Randall heels. I've had them for a while but never put a proper photo on here which did my favorite black shoes justice.

I was surprised by the quality of the short black boots, unusually sturdy for H&M. I generally avoid H&M's footwear due to quality but there's always that exception. The fact that it's not leather is actually a plus...I need something to slosh through Hong Kong's soggy spring without needing to worry about puddles. I once ruined a new pair of sandals when it rained here by walking straight through a giant puddle. Smart, I know. Maybe I need these.

Hope you all have a good start of the week! I need to start mine by getting rid of some shoes before my shoe closet explodes (a slight exaggeration).

why does time move slowly when i'm not with you.

2011-03-17T22:35:00.000+08:00

kain jacket, vintage scarf and cardigan, zara shirt, aqua pants, needsupply bag.

A casual, mostly-for-the-sake-of-staying-warm outfit from a few weeks back (it was rainy, hence my kind of nasty hair in the first photo). I love the simplicity of this jacket, it actually comes with detachable sleeves that look pretty much the same as the sleeves of the cardigan I'm wearing underneath here. Except the detachable sleeves have holes for your thumbs...huge bonus points in my book.
And sorry for going off the radar yet again...due to a mixture of work, laziness (pretend I didn't just say that), lack of inspiration, and a general out-of-it feeling. But I never manage to stay away for long.
Plus, I realized that I completely forgot about the fact that my blog turned one year old about 3 weeks ago! She now knows how to say "Mama" and throw objects at me when I don't post often enough.

but we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy.

2011-03-09T04:42:00.000+08:00

madewell tee, magaschoni vest, true religion cords, sam edelman clogs, matt & nat clutch.

Sort of in love with the gold/mustard color of this tee...I'm straying from my usual black, gray, and white palette (I even had red and blue in my last post, gasp). Gold/mustard also contrasts nicely with that never-ending ugly green scaffolding behind me.

My necklace is actually the chain that came with clutch but I found the length to be a bit awkward when I attached it to the bag. I was looking for a necklace just like it though so...why not, I can consider my search over and go back to hunting down a thousand other things for spring.

Now if Hong Kong could just throw another sunny day at me. Pretty please with some killer heels on top.

talk is cheap, give me a word you can keep.

2011-03-05T19:27:00.000+08:00

plastic island cardigan, alexander wang dress, prada wallet/clutch.

This just might be the first post where I have pulled my hair back and put my hair up at the same time. I am strangely OCD about putting my hair up. If there's one small thing I don't like, I have to keep redoing it until I like it, which usually ends in me giving up and letting my hair down. Consequently...I don't put my hair up much.

Anywhoo. Sorry I've been a little AWOL as of late, got a paper due and I've been splitting most of my time between researching in the library, researching at home, planning the paper, writing the paper, editing the paper, re-editing the paper, and sleeping. Unfortunately most of this does not require me to change out of a flannel shirt and sweatpants/leggings, or even take a shower. But don't worry, I take my showers. I even brush my hair.

Oh and I'm in love with the cutouts of this dress. Don't know why it took me so many months to post about it.

I promise to get back to all of your comments soon!

we lived on sunlight and chocolate bars.

2011-03-01T05:14:00.000+08:00

bambi for oysho spring/summer 2011.

I discovered Oysho last June when I visited France and pretty much fell in love with just about half the store but only got to leave with a pair of silk paper bag shorts (remember these?). Seeing those crepes just made me almost immediately start drooling on my keyboard...photos from France always makes me miss the place.
And then the fact that Bambi is modeling for Oysho just makes me love them more. Really craving the lace tee, the blouse with the Peter Pan collar, and the ruffly little bikini. Oh and Bambi's brows. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to donate even a couple hairs to me...

halogen's on bright when 2 pm is like 2 in the night.

2011-02-25T11:13:00.000+08:00

free people sweater, h&m shirt, splendid skirt, tabbisocks thigh highs, zara booties, vintage furla bag.

I love this huge knit sack of a sweater, from the seam running down the front and back to the deep V-neck to the faded, sort of tea-stained shade of dusty pink it is, if that makes sense. Or maybe I'm too descriptive with my colors...I once spent 5 minutes arguing with a friend if the color of a pen's ink was more like "creamy coral" or "strawberry fraise" only to have my other friend (the owner of the aforementioned pen) tell us to shut up because it was "just red". Wrong. So wrong.
Unfortunately all the thick knit fabric I have to stuff into my waistband can be a pain and will poof out weirdly, but I guess that's just a natural side effect of trying to tuck anything this oversized in.
Other than that, I'm just waiting for it to get warmer and sunnier (so far the weather's obeying me reluctantly) and being productive while I wait (like joining a dance class because I haven't properly exercised in ages). I just might have a tropical weekend getaway coming soon...after I finish these damn papers and midterms.

eighty eight days till the sun.

2011-02-21T21:34:00.000+08:00

acne sandals, the row cardigan, alexander wang bag, maison martin margiela dress, la perla bralette, acne boots, dkny sweater, alexander wang shorts, rick owens top.

proenza schouler bag, miu miu shorts, acne dress, elizabeth and james pumps, isabel marant sweater, j. crew sandals, solange azagury partridge ring, lover shorts, vanessa bruno pants, sandro jacket.

Spent an hour browsing Net-A-Porter and pretending that I have a bottomless bank account instead of reading a chapter titled Statutory Compensation for Work-Related Injury and Disease (exciting, eh?). This is a pretty good approximation of what I have in mind for spring, minus the fact that the likelihood I'll acquire any of these items (other than the J. Crew sandals in the 2nd collage) is about...uh, nil. What I would do for that linen PS1 though...we're talking chopping off a limb or two. Maybe.

i fly every morning for at least fifteen minutes or so.

2011-02-18T19:30:00.000+08:00

j.crew sweater, magaschoni vest, helmut lang shorts, chloe bag, bess boots.

Better photos of my boots as promised last post. These photos were from about a week and a half ago when the weather decided to behave for a couple of days. I decided to lug my camera along in my small suitcase of a bag to a shopping date with a friend (and her lovely Balenciaga which I petted regularly throughout the afternoon). The shopping date rapidly turned into an eating date...and making our way through a creepy underground parking lot and a long tunnel with sewer pipes in order to hunt down a pretty spot by the harbor for photos. And then we celebrated out success in finding it by cabbing across part of Hong Kong for a cake shop.
As you can see, sometimes I have minor difficulty making not-retarded faces when my photo is being taken.
Have a good weekend everyone!

can i take you take you higher.

2011-02-14T06:38:00.000+08:00

a. teen coat, h&m hoodie, theory vest, j.crew shirt, madewell pants, bess boots, rebecca minkoff bag.

I actually spent part of an afternoon last week hunting down a hoodie in your typical sweats sort of gray...something somewhat warm, somewhat sloppy, and very comfortable. Not because I'm going to cave in and start shuffling to class in sweats and pajama bottoms, mind you...as attractive as that idea seems now with my completely out-of-whack sleep schedule. I just never thought a hoodie would be this good for layering when I get tired of cardigans and sweaters.
I also promise better photos of these boots are coming up, because these photos aren't doing them-or the two months I spent stalking them waiting for them to go on sale-justice.

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day, Free Tiffany and Godiva Day, I Can't Stand To Hear Another Love Song Day, or just Monday...whatever floats your boat) to everyone!

yeah she got a fake id they'll never know she's seventeen.

2011-02-10T03:54:00.000+08:00

johnnys bird, studded hearts, sonia szotak, we live young, tumblr.

In the mood for some messy hair and general disheveled, rolled-out-of-bed goodness...plus leather, lingerie, an American Indian headdress, and a little face paint.
Makes me miss summer/California/the desert.

the city feels clean this time of night.

2011-02-07T02:32:00.000+08:00

initial dress, kaur necklace, gifted bangle from bangladesh.

Feeding my minimalist side. What's not to love about asymmetrical hems, sculptured shoulders, and a little pleating thrown together with winter white angora that insists on shedding all over any dark clothing it comes in contact with?
Nothing, that's what.
Loving this square hammered gold bangle as well. It's the first slip on bangle I've ever owned despite the fact that I love bangles, because most of them tend to be too big (sometimes too big to the point where the bangle just slips off my wrist when I move my arm around). Although I am aware that this is more or less because I have unusually small wrists, and not because the world's bangles are out to get me. I think.

so it goes.

2011-02-05T03:43:00.000+08:00

madewell blazer and tee, bess scarf, ash wedges, accessorize necklace, bracelet and tights from street stalls.

Getting pretty horrible with posting, here's to another disappearance and photos from almost a month ago. Not that the weather's gotten any better, I seem to be stuck in a black and gray rut. It was making me feel a little uninspired but on the plus side, it's very good for mixing and matching. A no brainer for mornings where I just want to crawl back into bed, which is about every morning.

Anywhoo, back again for now while I'm on my holiday for Chinese New Year and attempting to crawl out of the aforementioned black and gray rut. If you celebrate it, well...Happy Chinese New Year!

i'm a high school lover, and you're my favorite flavor.

2011-01-07T23:24:00.000+08:00

Got tired of sticking my old face in photos so...here's a few of my favorite things right now.

My winter nail polish palette. Cropped/horizontal cable knit sweaters and big gauzy scarves. Midnight Poison (I love how mysteriously seductive/seductively mysterious it sounds). More horizontal cable knit in the form of a blanket-like cardigan. New earrings and ear cuffs. Madewell boots which I love and hate (love: self explanatory, hate: it takes about five minutes per foot to get these on, which is not good for when I'm in a hurry or feeling lazy, which is about 90% of the time).

two thousand and ten plus one.

2011-01-04T01:39:00.000+08:00

torn by ronny kobo dress, chains of love necklace, loeffler randall heels, rebecca minkoff bag.

Happy New Year's everyone! I celebrated mine fighting crowds, watching the fireworks, and toasting with bubbly in plastic cups in my most overworn holiday dress this winter (a woman actually stalked me demanding to know where I got my dress, if she could get it, and even asked for my email).
How'd you celebrate yours, and more importantly, in what? Just kidding...maybe.

Hope you all have had a good start to 2011 so far!

you're always taking sides but you won't take away my pride.

2010-12-29T01:28:00.000+08:00

como jacket, wilt sweater, sam edelman clog boots.

Stalked this jacket from a local boutique for over a week before buying it...a Christmas gift to myself of sorts. It's so furry and cozy I just want to live in it for the winter, but unfortunately it's not consistently cold enough here for that. I also dug this sweater out from the depths of my closet after months of not wearing it since things got pretty...messy after having to fit a California size closet into a Hong Kong size closet. And when I went out I remembered this sweater has the tendency to catch on everything from jewelry to hairbrushes to the zippers of the jackets of people passing by. The tail makes up for it though.

you should have come with a warning label.

2010-12-27T03:25:00.000+08:00

madewell cardigan and scarf, kain dress, rebecca minkoff bag, sam edelman boots.

Finally got my sleeping pattern back to (relatively) normal and stopped getting sick every other day just in time for Christmas. Success.
I wore this out for a friend's birthday dinner...which consisted of getting lost finding the restaurant, eating a ton of Italian food, hunting down some dimly lit, smoky bar/lounge to cram ourselves into, and then happily discussing random, odd topics like multiple personality disorder, friends who aren't really friends, sex addiction, and my mediocre Cantonese skills for a few hours until we tired of the large, creepy, mafia-type man sitting at the next table who kept staring at us while blowing hookah smoke out of his nostrils.
All in all, a good night.
And now switching topics on an abrupt note....
Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

and we could pretend it all the time.

2010-12-15T03:42:00.000+08:00

h&m shirt, helmut lang shorts, uniqlo belt, UO hat.

Sorry for the mini absence again, just finished my exams. And it was just my luck that I kept getting sick during them, because a fever accompanied by sore muscles that make you move like an old lady make reading 500 pages of size 5 font extra fun. I also did strange things like study in the library until 6 am wearing this thing called a sweatshirt. Don't fall out of your chairs.
Also, sorry for taking so long to get back to everyone, I promise to do it as soon as possible! Still have to finish (correction: start and finish) a paper due in a few days. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with the beginning of my black-on-black outfit habit and my grossly cute raccoon hat. I can't tell you how long I've been looking for an animal hat with earflaps...
Too long.

remember the time we stayed up all night to watch the sunrise.

2010-12-06T03:23:00.000+08:00

plastic island jacket, rimo scarf, alice + olivia bustier, iro skirt, ash wedges.

Not quite sure why I look kind of like a pissy cat in the last photo...sorry about that. I'm waiting impatiently for the weather to get colder so I don't break out in sweat five minutes after I put on this big, sloppy, furry black thing I call a jacket. The arm holes are located awkwardly far down and it always feels like it's going to slip off one shoulder or another, but don't get me wrong. I love abnormal (or at least slightly different) qualities in my clothing. The jacket also gets bonus points for making me feel like a gorilla, but a very cozy one.

Ack. Don't look for it (which means you will) but I committed a fatal error in one of my photos. I forgot to peel the price tag off the bottom of my shoes and you can see it a little.
Whoops. Damn my laziness.

still alive.

2010-12-03T21:03:00.000+08:00

alexander wang bag, ash wedges, glasses from halloween, random rings, friend's dogtags.

Yes I am. It's the night before one of my final exams and I get an uncontrollable urge to post, even if this is a 5 minute, half-assed post. Life's been crazy/amazing/shitty/bizarre/so-busy-i-forgot-to-breathe/confusing/infuriating/memorable/interesting-if-not-way-too-interesting these past 2 months. Learned too many life lessons in too short a time perhaps, but hey...that's life.

Going to get back to studying repudiatory breaches now. I'll be back (cue Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator voice...sorry, couldn't resist the reference).

your fingers danced metallic in the morning light.

2010-10-02T22:55:00.000+08:00

Quick post...my weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind so far and I haven't been sitting still for 72 hours (minus sleeping). Friday was a holiday, which I was unbelievably happy about, so you can imagine what Thursday night was like (lots and lots of fun!).

Anyways, here's an assortment of the jewelry I brought along. This mostly consists of my current favorites, since my suitcases were completely stuffed and the only way I could even bring jewelry was by jamming it all into a bulky patent leather handbag that was taking up a bunch of room anyways. Oddly, I don't like spending much on rings, with the only exception being the YSL Arty Oval ring. My favorite after that is the turquoise one by Alex and Ani, which I won in a giveaway. The best buy hands down though, is the three simple silver Marc Jacobs rings. They were special items so it was only three dollars, but what I really fell for was the Latin inscriptions.

Oh and I just got my ears pierced for the first time FINALLY. It hurt so much less than I expected...actually, it barely hurt at all. But now I have a new range of jewelry to shop from, which makes me excited.

Hope you all have a great weekend! :)

fiat justitia.

2010-09-28T16:30:00.000+08:00

bdg shorts, h&m bag, vintage belt, vintage d&g scarf, boutique nine boots.

I got this university tee last week and while I probably won't be wearing it much except to bed...for a few bucks, why not? School pride! Or more like What We're Studying pride, because, I mean, do they want to make the word LAW any larger? It stands out almost an obnoxious amount, which I find really funny. We law students need assurance that law is cool and we're not psychotic for choosing a subject where we'll read until our brains turn to mush. Yeah, right. Anyways, I thought I'd try to cool-ify the shirt some.

And then finally, FINALLY found a scarf that I wanted to use for a turban...in my grandma's huge (and I mean huge) scarf collection that I discovered a few days ago. We're talking every color, pattern, size, and material. I've always loved hats/turbans/headbands but always got a little self-conscious about wearing them because my ears stuck out a bit so it would get annoying. But my ears have decided to desist for the most part, and I'll be jamming things on my head more often from now on.

i dreamt we escaped to a faraway land.

2010-09-26T23:19:00.000+08:00

bess blouse, machine shorts, zara boots, the cambridge satchel company bag.

Changing it up a little...this is an actual outfit that I wore to school instead of a winter outfit made up in the large white box that is my room. Minus the thick scrunched socks...I went with a thinner pair in fear of suffocating my feet in the weather, which has, thank god, gotten a little less humid and thus a little cooler. Barely. But better than nothing.

Also, here is the aforementioned soul-mate-for-any-student bag that I spoke of last post. It was serious, serious instant love when I saw this on Urban Outfitters and even more beautiful in person. I love the clean, classic feel and I can just squeeze in all my school necessities (usually a laptop, notebook, wallet, compact, and maybe a mini umbrella). I even love how stiff the new leather is. Not quite sure why...probably because I get to "age" (aka beat up) the leather myself. But it's proving quite resilient. To top it off, it happens to be pretty water resistant too.

Basically, it's just perfect...you probably got the point already though, so I'll stop rambling about it.

we'll be young forever.

2010-09-18T02:45:00.000+08:00

plastic island furry jacket, uniqlo denim shirtdress, target tights, dolce vita wedges.

I think I'll probably be forever apologizing on here, but sorry again for going MIA. Thanks to everyone who's still coming by, I promise to try to get back to you faster! I am drowning in all my reading, and some of it isn't even related to law in any way. For instance, I spent two hours the other day reading about Euclidean space, alterity, homogenous transformations, and topology, only to finish it and not see how it linked to law, remotely. Perhaps it's just a giant metaphor (that the professor also didn't explain). But anyways, moving on.

This is just another outfit I intend to wear as soon as it gets cold enough. My mom, knowing of my penchant for a big, comfy, furry jacket, found this one online shortly after I left for Hong Kong and kindly had it shipped to me (3 day free international shipping, would you believe it??). It was a nice surprise, reminded me of home, since we got packages in the mail quite frequently...my mom is an avid online shopper. She also sent me a bag which is the soul mate for any student: durable, practical, and chic. Will have to blog that soon, as well as a few of the things I've bought so far.

you came to me in seamless sleep.

2010-09-10T22:45:00.000+08:00

h&m dress, h&m men's sweater, vintage furla handbag i dug out of my grandma's closet, sam edelman clog boots.

Sorry for disappearing again, adjusting to this new life has been more difficult than I thought and it drains whatever energy I have left after tackling the tidal wave of work that's hit me. Which will be yet another thing for my currently fried 18 year old brain to adapt to, since this is only the second week and things are only going to get worse from here on out...and people are only going to get more hardcore and competitive. Not that I expected anything different from law school, but experiencing it is a whole another story.

Also, sorry for the lack of an interesting setting, since I usually try to incorporate nice backgrounds with deserts/lakes/cities and the like in my posts. It's just me and my tripod here (well, my uncle's tripod I borrowed) and I haven't had the time to go search for some nice, secluded setting outside the apartment. So it's just going to be this nice blank wall and old chair, plus some random props, for now.

And last but not least, if you're wondering why I'm wearing winter clothing when it's sweltering in Hong Kong right now...well, that's it precisely. The heat I can deal with, but the humidity is unbearable, and in between sweating more than I ever have in my life just going from class to class, I am officially eschewing summer clothing in my outfit posts. Nothing summery for me anymore, no sir. Give me a blizzard. I'm figuring most people (minus those in the southern hemisphere) are switching into fall/winter mode anyways, so why not?

we will not let time erase us.

2010-08-30T00:22:00.000+08:00

american apparel lace tee and shorts, seychelles sandals, kaur necklace, ysl ring.

Sorry for the sudden disappearance from the blogging world, I just moved to Hong Kong and just had a slightly overwhelming amount of stuff to do, other than adjusting to the 15 hour time difference: unpacking (how about four 70 pound suitcases?), organizing and decorating for my room, shopping for everything I need/forgot to bring, law orientations, figuring out my damn schedule, attempting to brush up my conversational Cantonese, more unpacking, trying to cram my heels into one cabinet, et cetera. Not to mention the general "settling into moving for the first time in my life, which happens to be to the other side of the world, and I won't be going home for a year" thing. So I just want to apologize ahead of time if my posting gets a bit erratic from here on out. College starts in two days and who knows...but I'm going to try my best to keep this blog going.

I took these photos two days before I left California, it's sad looking back at these. Summer seemed so much longer on the other side. Not to mention, my boyfriend took theses photos (he's one of the primary photographers for this blog) and needless to say, he's not in Hong Kong. My sister was the other photographer and she's clearly not with me as well, so I guess for now I'll have to stick with a tripod (which I don't own but need to get soon) and a blank white wall in my new bedroom.

But on the plus side, I had a little free time today, so...

I decided to enter Chictopia's Jeffrey Campbell My Way contest! Click here for more, and give me a chic vote if you like it!

feeling light 2 am summer night.

2010-08-23T17:28:00.000+08:00

bess cardigan, h&m waistcoat, free people bandeau, american apparel shorts, chains of love necklace.

I'm actually wearing lipstick! For probably the second or third time ever in my life...I never really liked it much but I got this dazzling shade of pink by Liberty of London x MAC as part of a birthday gift and it sort of beckoned to me. I love bold lips but never participated in the look myself because it usually requires lipstick and like I said, I wasn't a fan...but consider me converted now. These bright pink lips will be back.

A big thank you to Anna Mae of Under a Lover's Sky for a blog award!

I know rules are: 1. Post who gave you this award, 2. State ten things you like, and 3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment. I usually bend that last one...it might be weird of me but I don't want to have to choose 10 people when so many more people deserve awards. I kind of feel like, "Who am I to?" if that makes sense. But this one I wanted to give to all my followers and readers that keep this blog going, so repost it if you want!

I am going to list 10 things I like though...other than what's already obvious (like clothes, or photography).

1. Dessert. I am such a dessert junkie. Actually, I just have a huge sweet tooth. I'm on the search for the world's best tiramisu.

2. Long haul/red eye flights. I know a lot of people dislike them but I love them for some reason, especially if I'm flying alone. Maybe it's because my 1st flight was 15 hours long to Hong Kong when I was 6 months old.

3. Getting new books. I've always loved to read...my parents actually made me stop reading sometimes when I was little because I'd do nothing else, including homework.

4. Sarcasm. Not the mean kind meant to put people down. I love the light and perhaps slightly teasing kind meant to be funny and create laughter.

5. Those happy moments when you realize how well your friends know you/understand you, and how much they mean to you. Maybe a little cheesy, but true.

6. Macaroni and cheese. This list is getting a little random, but I'm typing up whatever pops in my head, and i just said "cheesy" in number 5. But I really do love mac and cheese to death.

7. Drawing and painting, especially pen and ink as of right now. It's my weak point and I've always admired people who are good at it since I always mess up with a pen. So I'm working on it.

8. Big cities at night. Not roaming their streets going clubbing, but rather looking at them from afar. The lights always looks so magical and even comforting to me.

9. Big, fuzzy robes that you can just wrap yourself up in during winter and sit in front of the fireplace. I got a white one last Christmas, it's one of my favorite items of clothing, if it counts.

10. That I can completely be my silly and random self around my boyfriend and he'll be the same way back...and that he's supported my blogging and even takes photos for a lot of the posts! Also a cheesy thing, but hey, it's the truth.

life was on our tongues, on our tongues.

2010-08-20T03:18:00.000+08:00

t by alexander wang tee, iro skirt, boutique 9 boots, chains of love necklace, vintage bracelet.

I have an eternal love for playgrounds, especially swings...it's the little kid that always lives on in me. The playground at a park next to my elementary school was recently remodelled, so I just had to go visit.

I've been so lazy about my hair lately, I just stick it up in a bun after a shower and forget about it. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, when I take it out after it's dry it'll semi-resemble beach waves. Which did not happen in these photos. Anyways, this necklace is amazing, I've been trying to pair it with every outfit since it came in the mail. I actually won it from a giveaway by Idle Fascination, can't express how excited I was! I had been searching for a necklace with crosses/a cross for ages. And the shirt was yet another great summer sale find...$25. The perfect breezy summer tee, plus the back is silk, which equals extra points.

Oh and these are my new favorite sunglasses. I didn't want to spend much money so hello Target.

Note: Oops forgot to add this on first time I posted...I've been getting some questions about where I'm going to college/what I'm studying since I mentioned the fact that I'm moving to another country. I figured I'd just answer in a post: I'm going to the University of Hong Kong to study law. All the way across the Pacific Ocean for me...I really need to brush up on my Chinese a little.

we are young.

2010-08-18T05:28:00.000+08:00

on barbara: express dress, f21 heels.

on me: alexander mcqueen for target dress, dolce vita wedges, alexander wang bag.

Had a little photoshoot adventure with my bestie since 4th grade Barbara before we left for college. We pulled random items of clothing out of our closets, tossed them in the backseat of her car, and drove off into the desert listening to French rap, feeling a bit like two teenage vagabonds. However, the real adventure (if you could call it that) began when we jumped into the street to take these photos and Barbara tossed her car key to the side of the road (or so we thought). About ten minutes later we heard a crunching noise and turned around to see a car speeding away and the car key in pieces on the ground. Thankfully the key itself hadn't gotten run over so we could unlock the car and get in, but the car refused to start because the electronic part of the key was ruined. It also didn't help that it was about 110 degrees outside and we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere...

In the end I got a friend of mine with a car to come out and get us, which I now owe him forever for, since he had to drive for 30 minutes to get us, drive for 20 minutes back to Barbara's house so she could get her spare car key, and then drive another 20 minutes back to where her car was. All in all, it was a fun, idiotic, and sweaty adventure that made a hilarious memory, even thought it wasn't quite that hilarious when we discovered we were stranded.

giveaway winner!

2010-08-17T03:48:00.000+08:00

And the winner of this necklace is...(drumroll)...Anna Mae of Under a Lover's Sky!

(according to random.org, who gave me a 29)

Congratulations, and I will be contacting you soon for your shipping information!

summer was painted on our skin.

2010-08-14T03:58:00.000+08:00

elizabeth and james blouse, machine shorts, joie shoes, ysl arty oval ring.

ARGH I still can't believe I actually went and got one of these YSL rings. Even though I loved them when I first saw them, I never had the slightest inclination to go and get one myself. I think I just assumed it was something out of my reach, so I didn't want to bother to fall in love with too much. Fast forward a couple months and I accidentally run into one of these babies in a boutique, and suddenly it seems more real...especially when I give in to myself and try it on. Thankfully, the money I've been saving up in my piggy bank (plus the $60 worth of change I discovered I had in my change jar) allowed me this last splurge before I headed off to college. Where I can't use American money anyways, and I don't want to lose some of my money to the exchange rates.

Anyways, I had a nice and relaxing picnic with my boyfriend earlier this week...nothing like one lazy afternoon of basking in dappled sunlight and eating peanut butter and chocolate chip cupcakes. The blouse is another summer sale find but when it came, it was absolutely huge. And it was also on sale to the point where you couldn't return it. One large knot later though, I was able to move it from the "so large it's swallowing you whole" category to "nice and baggy".

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Today's the last day :)

i've told you all of my secrets.

2010-08-10T15:38:00.000+08:00

vintage blazer, alice + olivia bustier, oysho silk shorts, sam edelman boots.

And finally I've introduced you to my so-called pimp blazer. You might remember seeing the other half of my pimp suit here, except the blazer is somehow much less agreeable than the pants when it comes to pairing it with stuff in general. It screams when I don't put something of mild coloring (does that make sense?) with it.

I wore this to my sister's birthday dinner over the weekend and I think the combination of a bright turquoise blazer and a bustier got me some "what is she wearing" looks but hey, that's half the fun of it. Although I'm wishing now I lugged my giant chunk of a camera to dinner, because when the sun set it got cold so I pulled up my thigh highs (that are scrunched here; very convenient for sudden changes in weather) and decided I liked my outfit better that way.

give it one last try make it solid gold.

2010-08-07T12:02:00.000+08:00

theory vest, american apparel tee, iro skirt, seychelles sandals, alexander wang bag, hallmark ring.

I'm hiding my face because I look tired as hell due to a sleepover with some friends the night before. Or rather, 'sleep-less over', since sleep wasn't really on our agenda. Our agenda, however, did include: painting Disney princesses (from a set one of my friends impulsively bought at Costco); watching five and a half out of six Harry Potter movies; making super intense running commentary through all five and a half movies because all of us are huge Harry Potter fans/dorks; eating homemade curry and orange sherbert and drinking tea; and taking a nice chilly dip in the pool at 3 in the morning. And pulling a prank. Sleepovers always equal pranks in my book.

All in all, one of the best nights I've had in a long time. By the time I got home next afternoon though I was a zombie and didn't really feel like pondering over my outfit even though I had to go out again. I wanted sweats and flat shoes. So that's what I wore...kind of.

Sorry to everyone for being slow at responding to comments, things have been getting busy. I'm leaving for college in a little over two weeks and I'm kind of moving 7,233 miles away (approximately) to another country...so hectic. Argh.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a necklace! It's open internationally and ends on Friday, August 13th.

crawling towards the sun.

2010-08-05T05:28:00.000+08:00

oboe vest, pencey skirt, alexander wang bag, joie sandals, kara's accessories ring.

This is an I'm-running-late-just-grab-anything-within-reach crossed with a Why-is-it-so-hot outfit...I got actually got tanner in the few minutes I took these photos. I also got a not very awesome but very long burr thorn stuck in my foot.

The vest is my go-to piece on days like this, I love the asymmetrical cut and the enormous pockets on the side that look as if they were added on an afterthought. And the skirt fulfills my search for a flirty (and uncharacteristically girly) summer skirt that can be dressed up or down. Extra points for the white lace, because I have continued to fail at acquiring a white lace dress.

Anyways, hope everyone has a lovely, burr thorn-less Wednesday and dont forget to enter my giveaway for a gold key necklace! Ends on Friday, August 13th.

g is for giveaway.

2010-08-04T12:01:00.000+08:00

G is also for gold...and for goddamnit I am so tempted to keep this necklace for myself but it's just too perfect for a giveaway for all my lovely readers!
Anyways, this is my first giveaway (in honor of hitting 100 followers-slash-just because). The necklace is from a boutique I live close to...I get almost half of my jewelry from there, so naturally I found myself there again this past weekend to look for something for you all.

All you have to do is:
1. Follow me via Google Friend Connect and/or Bloglovin' if you haven't already...
2. And leave a comment with your email and your country of residence!

(Yep, this is open internationally)

And that's it!

Ends Friday, August 13th.

the shadows kept me hidden from the light that calls my name.

2010-08-02T05:36:00.000+08:00

tee-up jacket, helmut lang tank, machine shorts, madewell socks, sam edelman falken clog boots.

I think I'm slowly reverting back dressing like it's fall/winter even thought it's clearly not yet. So the closest I can get right now is breezy layers and scrunched thigh highs for the slightly chilly evenings, plus these boots (love at first sight). Which, by the way, I don't think are really all that clog-like at all. Minus the rivets, I'd just think it was another platform heel, topped by a hash-up of my favorite shoes: oxfords and boots with buckles around the ankles. (Not quite sure where to classify the open heel).
The tank is one of my summer sale finds. I've always loved Helmut Lang's prints: dark, abstract, mysterious, sometimes even a little bit scary, but in a can't-stop-staring way. The back, however, is a little (or a lot) lower than I expected but hey, for 80% off, I'll take it.
And this jacket is so much fun! I got it in Hong Kong earlier this year and it can be worn three different ways. Must post about it again sometime.

enter galactic, you and me.

2010-07-31T07:58:00.000+08:00

treshei blouse, rimo ring and necklace.

Sorry for the slightly narcissistic post, I got bored a few days ago and decided to have some fun (probably too much fun) with my makeup, which I'm usually kind of lazy about. And after attacking my eyes with green and blue eyeshadow and silver glitter, I thought it matched one of my favorite blouses I got in Hong Kong last summer. Then came the impromptu photos and my sister's suggestion to make GIFs (also had too much fun with them) and here we are. I can never get over the way the fabric of this top changes colors.

plastic stars in our own private galaxy.

2010-07-29T05:49:00.000+08:00

theory dress, rimo scarf, joie sandals, vintage bag, bcbg and rimo rings.

Whoohoo I'm on a roll with posting...every day-slash-every other day? I don't think it's happened in a while. Anyways, I've got a bunch of my summer favorites going on here...basic dresses (just too easy to wear!), mixing similar colors with different patterns and textures, summer scarves, and gold jewelry. I'm usually a silver jewelry girl, but lately everything I'm acquiring ends up being gold.

Plus...

I did a little ink and color pencil illustration/doodle of the amazing Raez of Cheap Thrills yesterday. It's the first work I've ever done completely in ink (minus the color pencils of course); I usually lean towards pencil because, well, you can erase your mistakes. I've never drawn a person in ink before either actually, but hey, there's always a first time. Doodling is a good pasttime while you're talking on the phone and waiting for Gossip Girl to download on your computer.

Thank you to everyone who nominated me for the Cosmo Blog Awards!!!

sun beams upon my palm.

2010-07-27T05:36:00.000+08:00

petra van raaij, i love wildfox, lauren ward, weheartit.

This is about as close as I can get to describing what pops into my mind when someone says summer. Easy frocks and layers. Rumpled hair. Bare feet. Some beautiful, wild, deserted place. Golden rays of sunlight that cast that certain dreamy, magical feel upon everything they touch.

And now that I think about it, I fell in love with all of these photos mostly for the lighting. Even though in real life, the heat accompanying sunlight isn't quite as pretty and the beach is a bit more tempting than a desert.

Also, if any of you guys like my blog, I'd really appreciate it (and love you forever) if you nominated me for the Cosmo Blog Awards! I know it's for blogs less than six months old and mine is just under, so I thought I might give it a shot. Thank you!

tiger's blood in summer heat.

2010-07-25T15:13:00.000+08:00

zara dress, random belt, vintage purse, joie sandals, rimo ring, collapsed sno cone from the sno shack.

No, I didn't go hunting after tigers at the local park because I thought that would be a nice form of exercise when it's a hundred and ten degrees...tiger's blood happens to be a rather deliciously fruity sno cone flavor which I picked because the slightly morbid name gives you absolutely no clue what flavor you're actually ordering. Nothing like a little mystery.

These are my current favorite shoes which I found during my (still ongoing) hunt through summer sale items. I don't know about you but I've never seen sandals quite like these, which is exactly why I snatched them up. I don't even know if these classify as sandals 100%, I see them as the offspring of a sandal and an oxford which got attacked by a pair of scissors intent on making shapes. But that's why I love them.

le transat.

2010-07-22T14:32:00.000+08:00

splendid crop top, american apparel high waist shorts, need supply bag, hallmark ring.

Sorry for the mini hiatus, I sort of overdosed on blogging last week and took a small break.

Anyways, some more photos from the pretty and picturesque Bretagne, France, after an amazing dinner at a (primarily seafood) restaurant (the name of which is the post title). This is saying something, as I'm really that huge of a fan of seafood. But I loved it here, as well as the pasta and the dessert. I took a photo of nearly every dessert I had on the trip because, well, I love dessert.

And this turned out to more of a food porn post; my simple outfit is equivalent to a side dish to all that fantastic food. I should probably throw in something related to what I'm wearing, so I'm going to say: as much as I love those American Apparel shorts (which I want in coral!)...they are not suited for gorging one's self.

innocence was the key i was locked up never free.

2010-07-17T10:14:00.000+08:00

romie studded denim vest, leyendecker cutout sleeve top, sky tank dress, alain tondowski sneaker heels.

This outfit was for Chictopia's Teen Vogue Wardrobe Remix contest, which I entered in a bit late unfortunately. I styled my favorite black tank dress in three different ways; in this look, I layered the top over it to make the tank dress appear to be another dress altogether. Check out all three looks here, hope you like it!

More posts from France will be coming, I just found some more photos that I thought disappeared.

Have a great day!

a sunset in saint-malo.

2010-07-13T16:58:00.000+08:00

madewell blazer, lna shirt, rimo scarf, f21 leggings, dip dye keds, alexander wang bag.

More of France! Back to the same location as this post, except during a gorgeous sunset instead. This was just a casual, more practical outfit so I didn't freeze walking along the boardwalk to a restaurant for dinner. Unfortunately you can't see from the photos that I layered a black lace tank under my shirt...some improvising after my warm clothes began to run out. Too bad I'm pretty windblown and makeup-less here, ech.
Had quite the busy weekend full of late night fun and I'm now nursing injuries that resulted from falling down while ice skating and accidentally jumping into the shallow end of a friend's pool during a party. Not quite sure how I didn't notice it was shallow since the pool was crawling with people, but I definitely noticed when my foot began to bleed. Anywho, passing over that...I finished a small drawing project that'll be up here soon and I've been interviewed by the lovely Isabel on her blog, Walk of Fashion. Check it out here!

they chase their dreams and inhale the sky.

2010-07-09T13:39:00.000+08:00

f21 crochet top, madewell denim shorts, boutique 9 boots.

zara blouse, random lace skirt from hong kong, random belt.

vintage white slip, diy harness.

vintage silk trousers, j.crew sandals, f21 flower rings.

My summer lookbook of sorts...mainly just current favorite pieces and stuff on (pretty heavy) rotation right now. For someone who's not really a fan of crochet, I've been wearing this crochet top a ton. I think it's because all the holes make it a perfect piece for layering in the summer without passing out from heatstroke. Throw in some watermelon, a pomegranate and berry popsicle, and a nice cool pool and you could almost call this a post on some simple ways to not melt in the sweltering heat. Of course, air conditioning is nice too-or maybe standing in front of the freezer-but nobody's going to drag their favorite fishy beach chair inside to do that.

along the seine.

2010-07-07T03:19:00.000+08:00

alexander mcqueen for target dress, madewell cardigan, aqua blazer, loeffler randall sandals, martin+osa scarf, f21 necklace.

Back to France. These photos are from my last evening in Paris when we took a dinner cruise down the river Seine. Unfortunately, it was a bit on the cloudy and gray side (I was hoping for a dazzling sunset to finish my trip off, hah) but lovely all the same. Layering was kind of my best friend while I was in France because it turned out to be colder and windier than I expected.

I'm not quite sure why my legs look so funny and pale here...but anyways.

There's been something weird going on with my comments, especially in the last post; several of them never showed up after I accepted them and some of them even disappeared. I have no idea what's going on, anybody ever experience the same thing or know what to do about it? So apologies to anyone if your comment doesn't show up and I don't get back to you...Blogger might have swallowed it up.

we dream among orange juice and whole wheat bread.

2010-07-03T08:24:00.000+08:00

forever21 crochet top, sky tank dress, alexander wang bag, jeffrey campbell oxford wedges.

No, this isn't from an excursion into a supermarket in France, I'm just taking a quick break from the France photos with this post...not that I would've minded bringing these shoes to France. Due to a lack of luggage room and a need for practical footwear (or so I thought), I brought all flat shoes to France, which made me miss my heels after a while. So I guess I'm trying to make up for it by wearing these wedges everywhere...like to the supermarket to buy a turkey, provolone, and pesto wrap for lunch. Thankfully these wedges are really comfortable because they're less than 4 inches tall. Which, today, seems to be a practically unheard of fact about heels.

Wait...why am I rambling about my shoes again?

saint-malo.

2010-07-01T07:51:00.000+08:00

tresors des oceans striped shirt, old uniform shorts, dip dye keds, hallmark cross ring, kara's accessories stone ring, ring from france.

One of my favorite destinations during my trip was the walled city of Saint-Malo in the Brittany region of France. Such a gorgeous place...and the hotel I stayed in was right next to the beach, always a plus. Too bad it was rather cold and windy, despite the sunny photos, which squashed my fanciful idea of shooting photos on the beach wearing some sheer, flowing dress that would billow in the wind. Unless I wanted to freeze, of course. So I pulled out the only other item of clothing I bought in france, a breton striped shirt...I am weirdly delighted by the fact that I actually bought a breton stiped shirt in the place its named after (Brittany). Maybe it's because I've been searching for one for too long. I love how the stripes on the arms start way lower than the stripes on the body.

under paris skies.

2010-06-28T07:23:00.000+08:00

cynthia steffe jacket, american apparel tee, oysho silk shorts, martin + osa scarf, prada crossbody bag.

Apologies for being gone longer than I projected, I didn't envision getting sick twice in the week after I came home, which isn't very compatible with unpacking and sifting through over 3000 photos. But now that I have achieved the ability to semi-breath through my congested nose, here we go.

These are from the last few days of my trip, which I spent in Paris. After deciding our feet were going to fall off one afternoon if we didn't stop walking and take a break, my sister and I sat down at a cafe near our hotel, had crepes with nutella and espresso, and people-watched. It was so lovely and relaxing, I had fun checking out the streetstyle especially. While this wasn't my first time to Paris, a few days was nowhere near enough for me. Especially not when it came to shopping...I didn't buy a single item of cloting in Paris, if you would believe that! I did get the shorts I'm wearing in another city-the first pair of paperbag waist shorts I've ever found that fit me.

this condition can't be fixed.

2010-06-12T02:00:00.000+08:00

ilovewildfox, leatherandlimes, flickr, lordhowtheyhypnotize.

Yep, another automated post. I've wanted to post some of these images for ages so I figured I might as well now...before I bombard this blog with photos from France. Which hopefully people don't get tired of. This will be the last post until I get back (and recover) though...so sit tight I guess and thank you to everyone who's kept checking out this blog despite my prolonged abscence! I hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful day. Or night.

let's make a journey.

2010-06-08T02:00:00.000+08:00

gap denim jacket, loeffler randall sandals and keds (first pair i've owned since i was like 6), assorted tops and dresses and non-blue denim, studded needsupply bag and alexander wang bag.

No, I didn't find internet access while in France, this is just an automated post unfortunately. I really didn't want to not post for two weeks...anyways, these are just some of the things I packed away to take to France. I tried to create a super mix-and-match wardrobe since I didn't want to pack a massive amount of clothing...think black, gray, and white with a few drizzles of bright colors and pastels, all topped off with a sprinkling of studs and zippers. With the optional sides of blue denim and recently acquired jewelry. Don't know why I'm making it sound like ice cream.

eighteen.

2010-06-04T03:30:00.000+08:00

flickr, knighttcat, random.

So I was just going to find a nice photo of some balloons or something and leave it at that, but I kept finding non-balloon photos I liked...and my quick little birthday post turned into a regular inspiration post. Oh well. I'm still in a pastel state of mind apparently, even though I don't actually wear a ton of it myself.

My eighteenth bithday kind of hit me unexpectedly in the face. But I'm legal now! Hah.
Now back to my frantic, kind of last minute packing. Less than a day till I leave.

Hope everyone has a lovely day!