twenty one.

It's official. Since yesterday on the 30th, I'm now officially old enough to get royally pissed (in the English sense) and then feel jaded about it a few days later. Oh, twenties.


Even though I had to work on the night of my birthday (it wasn't that bad), I plan to make up whatever wild, raging party I missed by next weekend (fingers crossed). Because you know what a wild, raging party animal I am. The only thing I'm raging on this birthday is diabetes brought on by the plethora of sugar (whether in free cookies or cookie cake) my friends so generously provided me. Ain't I the luckiest? xD

Challenge ACCEPTED.

Sweater- Gap  ::  Leopard scarf- Target  ::  Cardigan- thrifted  ::  Skinnies- Macy's? or something  ::  Boots- via TJMaxx  ::  Beret- Mom'd

[Note: You should read the title of this post in the voice of Barney Stinson. If you're not aware of who he is or what the hell I'm talking about, please refer to this clip.]


Just a week ago, the figurative thermometer full of mercury that no one really uses anymore nearly broke due to how cold it was. The high was really an all-time low of about eleven degrees-- the challenge of the day was to bundle up as cozy and chic as possible. Suit up, so to speak. OK, I'm done with the HIMYM references... or am I?


Yeah, probably.


As usual per how frequently I post/how quickly I post photos after I take them (which isn't very, for both), it's funny to see how much I bundled up here when it feels practically balmy now at a comfortable 20-30 degrees. Dare I say, I'm getting used to it? It's so wildly out of place in my head when I see many bloggers wearing naught but a single layer of tights underneath their breezy skirts while I'm bundled up more than a penguin in a blubber blanket. OK, that was colorful, but slightly gross.


But penguins are cute, right? They're so cute that they made multiple movies out of them, and movies never lie. But I guess judging by this outfit, I'm more like a penguin bundled up in a leopard-print Snuggie (God forbid). I do love leopard.

I just want to Czech it out

Precursor: Thanks to those who gave me DSLR advice/options/answers to my last post! I still need to research into it further, especially since it's not easy for me to just buy one right off the rack. That is, if cameras are sold on racks. I don't know too much about cameras, but I don't think they're sold on racks. I should stop saying rack.

A doff of my hat to my dear friend Lizzie, who whisked off to spend the semester in Prague this past weekend. I wish her nothing but adventure, fun and dumplings; I do not wish her hunger, lack of money, cold, traces of xenophobia, pretty much anything that sucks. I sternly urged her to take as many pictures as she could (like the proper American she is) while she's there (I mean, duh). I'd mostly like this because I want to see Prague through her eyes, but I also want to see pictures because I want to see if my mental image of Prague (the set of Amadeus, otherwise known as one of the best movies ever) is true or not.

These pictures were taken this past Sunday, one of the last few times we hung out before she jetset it out of here. Deliciously greasy food and excessive talking: hallmarks of our friendship.

The best fuzzy wuzzy earmuffs ever

Lizzie bought this purse at a vintage store during my brief summer visit to NYC.

This picture is an almost exact retake of this photo (from this post) we took around the same time last year and roughly the same location. I don't know which is better, that the "anniversary" was unintentional, or that I look really terrible.

And here's a behind-the-scenes look at the "perils of blogging," a lookey-loo into the world of taking pictures of oneself during the winter...

Consistency, consistency

Sweater- Old Navy  ::  Black scarf- Pink's  ::  White scarf+Boots- via TJMaxx  ::  Jeans- Gap  ::  Gloves- Urban Outfitters  ::  Beret- thrifted

No, I'm not talking about the kind of consistency that prunes induce. Though I've eaten prunes before, and ... yeah, I prefer fruits that don't make me feel like a geriatric bear.


I'm talking about the kind of consistency that this blog needs, a square kick in the pants to get the machine moving along. And I'm already off to a dismal OK start. Right? Why do I hear crickets, it's the dead of winter. Tough crowd.


[Note: I guess I should also fully disclose that I've been storing these pictures on my jumpdrive since last week, saving it for days like today when I didn't have any plausible time to take photos on my poor, rinky-dink camera that I may or may not have broken already. It doesn't feel so long ago when I first bought it! Yet I'm already considering a "fancier" camera. This is terrible. But does anyone have any suggestions for a reasonably priced, not-too-fancy-and-easy-to-use DSLR? I'd really, really appreciate it ... there's an imaginary amazing cookie in store for you if you do help...]

Come Play With Us

I remembered that I never remembered to put up these photos I took during my little romp during my trip to Chicago back in winter break. After my mom and I put-putted around Adams St., and after checking in and subsequently collapsing in our room, we decided to do two very different things. While my mom was taking a quick nap, I was determined to explore the (supposedly) haunted hotel (despite how tired I actually was). And I made some interesting discoveries... that I photoshopped in later. 


Oh, crap, did I ruin the magic?


Still. I really did have fun poking around the old, historic hotel, especially because there weren't a lot of people around to interfere or question my fun poking around. If you can't tell from the pictures, I had a lot of creeptastic fun.

My noes is froze, my toes is froze

Yesterday and today, the snow was falling all-pretty like, as snow is apt to do. 
Positives: the absolute quiet that comes with softly falling snow, how nicely it shines and acts as nature's reflector, and how it dramatically woooooshes out of trees when there's a wind like so...

Negatives: cold feet, cold toes, cold nose, how it turns into gross slush of an indeterminable color that tracks in most public places... 

Trust me, I wasn't really wearing nothing but flats outdoors. I have a pair of winter boots for outdoors and switch into these while indoors. Yup, I'm one badge away from being The Resourceful Non-Girl Scout of the Year.

Red and Pink

In order to make up for the fact that I never uploaded the picture of my first-day-outfit last semester, here's to make up for it this semester! 


OK, I think that's really it for my creative writing juice. It's pretty much drained dry. Drier than the Sahara desert. Drier than an empty thing that used to be full of water. Drier than that last sentence's originality. 


But no-- there are actually two great things I need to cover in this post:
a) A big hearty hug and soup to the people who said that they liked my last post for its content and my layering. Like, really, sincere and genuine comments get me every time.
b) The return.............. of my favorite friend with a color name/photographer! 

Dress- Modcloth  ::  Skirt- Urban Outfitters (on sale!)  ::  Tights- We Love Colors  ::  Boots- via TJMaxx  ::  Beret- Charlotte Russe  ::  Shawl- Mom'd 

Not only is it a wonderful fashion accessory, but my sequin beret is also a handy Kate Gosselin hair fixer-upper. I think I'd liken my frequency in sharing my pseudo-shame on my blog to a cheap pie-to-the-face trick. Only the best for all of you.

The first of the last of the next best thing.

How I ushered in 2011 ... and how I usher in almost everything else. With sheer class.

I just realized something. I've become one of those dreaded blogs that only update sporadically and then starts off every other post with a frenetic "omgosh I'm so sorry guys what can I do omg I was so bad and wrong and bad blogger bad blogger!" And not that it shouldn't be reprimanded (because, let's face it, most of us have done that at one point or another), but for me, I find it especially heinous that I've done this over the course of the shift to the new year (during winter vacation, no less!). While everyone else was donning sequins and sharing pictures of their respective New Year 2011, I was eating copious amounts of cheese and didn't even see the ball drop. I still had a good time, but it was probably not the most spectacular way to ring in the new 2011. 


I've also noticed that most bloggers took the time to recap their 2010s and/or reflect upon their past in order to talk about the future. And I haven't done that either! Only a week into the new year and I'm already behind. Whew. OMGOSH, GUYS. 


I actually still want to do a recap. A lot has happened to me and I've done a lot of things in 2010. Should I even bother? This isn't some school assignment (thank God), so I make my own deadlines. But what do you think? I'D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS. All 160 of you and beyond, I'd love to hear your voices, I've missed my blog and missed you so. I think my main problem in not even blogging quaint photos on my blog was the fact that I couldn't get pictures of myself before the sun set-- which would be much too early in the day. I can't wait when the sun and I can get well acquainted again. 

I should submit this picture into a JCPenney ad, because I have a severe case of "shopping catalog face" here.

Also, about the noticeably nicer-looking pictures? Unfortunately, this won't be a permanent thing, as far as I can tell. A friend of mine quickly shot these pictures of me for a separate project of mine, and I thought "hey! why not mooch these for my personal blog?" Geez, I'm like the person who steals medical supplies from the doctor's office. These photos get me seriously considering getting a fancypants DSLR. My main obstacle is: how the crap can I use this thing? An aperture sounds like a body part to me. This problem clearly needs to be resolved.

Sweater- Charlotte Russe  ::  Kimono jacket- garage sale  ::  Scarf+Booties- via TJMaxx  ::  Skirt- secondhand  ::  Socks+Gloves- Urban Outfitters

Eep! Classes start tomorrow! Technically today! Aaap!