Toast with Charmalade

The beautiful day beckons

2011-09-29T23:22:00.002-04:00

Like many a-fickle person, I'm loath to but find myself wanting to blame the dismal weather for my dampened (pun intended) spirits. These photos were taken literally within a span of roughly five minutes by dear Pink because that was really all the time we had. And here's where I let out a big sigh. Ah, back in the day when it was actually too hot for me to foolishly wear tights, long sleeves and heavy boots. Back when it wasn't a week-long rainy fest of gray. I feel like I'm living in London during the 1800s. I expect an old crone to come hobbling out and whisk me away on some Dickensian adventure. If only.

(It's been raining all this week, if that wasn't already clear)

And today I just came back from a day-long trip in the Windy City, which was more of a Windy-and-Steadily-Raining-all-day-City today. But y'know what? It's all good in this tri-state area neighborhood.

Dress- Target :: Scarf- stolen from my friend Pink :: Boots- Kenneth Cole 925 :: Lipstick- Revlon Matte "In the Red"

Season of the Blazer

2011-09-23T17:46:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again, everyone. Time to dust off your trusty blazers, because that slight chill in the air isn't going to warm itself. Oh, and scarves, don't forget the scarves (though die-hard hipsters would probably argue that scarves are a year-long thing).

The other female in these set of photos that is clearly not to be confused with me is my dear friend Kirsten. She's ridiculous, derpy, cool, crazy and weird. Once, she jammed to "Party in the USA" and I told her that all her street cred was lost. Then she got it back by not caring about street cred. Boss.

Did I mention derpy? I consider it an important, endearing quality to have.

Top- Nasty Gal :: Shorts- Thailand :: Shoes- Dolce Vita for Target :: Blazer- stolen from Mom, stolen from Ralph Lauren

Time to get back to my stressfully and delightfully busy weekend!

A title would be redundant.

2011-09-14T18:31:00.001-04:00

Guess who randomly decided to come back for a spell?

I don't think you want to know that answer.

Shirt- Target (actually stolen from Mom's closet) :: Shorts- benevolent mystery :: Cardigan- H&M :: Shoes- Charlotte Russe :: Lipstick- Revlon in Siren

Normally I'd be compelled to explain my unannounced absence; but again, I feel like that'd be redundant. Today was just a spark of inspiration, more than I've gotten in awhile.
But I assure you through the power of crappy photography and the internet, that I am alive and well. If you'd like to see significantly more alive internet ramblings, my tumblr is the place to be. :)
Till next (sporadic) time!

Bravo! pour le clown

2011-08-01T03:51:00.002-04:00

Bienvenue, messieurs et mesdames.

Will not sit down awhile, listen to The Sparrow and join the circus with us?

The link for the texture used is here :: If you'd like to see the original drawing, click here

The story behind all this: I was home alone, feeling practically stranded, when a fit of "sure, why the hell not" seized me. It should be evident by now that these flights of fancy come often enough for me to prance around and make a dandy fool out of myself. To make matters better, I take proof of me making a fool of myself and then share it for all the world to see. True dedication right there.

The idea behind this originally was about some sort of lost clown girl who fell off the caravan and is trying to make her living in the real world when all she knows is how to be a clown. It's a sci-fi romantic comedy.

I can't believe that I took these photos one listless day in May. Today it's August. I'd like to assure you that I've done many other things besides dress up as a wannabe clown between then and now. I swear on my cheap-ass red Halloween wig.

Dress- Calvin Klein (secondhand) :: Gloves- Forever21 :: Bowler- Target :: Pearls- gift + Thailand :: Socks that I can't flippin' find now- TJMaxx :: Shoes- Kelsi Dagger :: Lipstick- Revlon's Black Cherry :: Delusion- my imagination + boredom

The places I've been

2011-07-28T04:27:00.000-04:00

Since last I've posted, I've been to...

three towns, four cities, scads of gas stations, one shooting range and too many bars to count.

But lately I've mostly been holed up in the house. Maybe it's time I came back to this place, right here on the interwebs. It's been awhile.

[insert symbolic photograph of your journey and feelings here, you dirty hipster]

But I'm standing still

2011-06-04T05:05:00.000-04:00

Where have I been? And while we're (not) asking, where's Hotaru?

We've been off adventuring.

But I've been lounging around like a dilapidated brain all this week. It's quite terrible. One might say that I'm ... trapped in my daily habits.

Yeah no one thought that was funny, either.

I hope the rest of the photos will come soon in due time!

Kings and Queens have to wait

2011-05-27T02:39:00.002-04:00

Dear Whomever It May Concern,

Charlene hasn't been able to blog because her body has been barraged with various illnesses. It started off with body aches and a sore throat. I was like, OK, I can deal with this. I'm a doctor. Then she came in with a runny nose that wouldn't stop running. I tried using that "is your nose running?" joke on her, but I don't think she appreciated it. She tried to stab me with a thermometer; it didn't go well.

Now she just won't stop coughing. It's really gross. I was all, "hey I get that you're in the doctor's office, but you don't have to cough all over the place. Show some respect, damn."

Then she tried to stab me again, this time with a tongue depressor. Let's just say that I'm writing with my other hand now.

Anyway, Charlene is recuperating nicely with the heavy dosage of drawing and 90s bubblegum pop I've prescribed her. So she'll be fine. And I've since taken away all sharp objects from her.

Totally from her real doctor,

Dr. Pepper

Fun fact: I've been listening to a playlist called "FUCK YEAH 90s" nonstop now. It basically contains songs that may not necessarily be from the 90s, but are all from my childhood. Aw man.

This is pretty much my drawing process; start on something, feel stuck, start doodling nonsense things in the sidelines.

But wait! There's more!

On the left is a drawing of me my friend Grimsay did. To the right is my response, a portrait of Grimsay!

My friend Indigo as an odd Scott Pilgrim/Barbie hybrid doll. Sure, why not?

I think you'd get this if you've seen Inception. Which is just about everyone. I hope. I dream. WHAT ARE DREAMS
(This was based off of a vaguely sick-addled conversation between a friend and me. I hope you can guess which one is me. You can almost always assume I'm the shouty one.)

Rapture and Awe

2011-05-21T02:41:00.001-04:00

Hi, everybody! (and this is where you go, "Hi, Dr. Nick!") I'm here, it's 2ish AM and the rapture hasn't arrived yet. I wasn't exactly sure whether it was a day-based thing or a time-based thing that would occur on the particular day... But either way, you need to cancel your dinner reservations. Because this is serious business.

Unfortunately, I don't have any particular profundity to spout or more jabs to poke. All I have are these quick photos that I managed to get while partaking in the lovingly warm outside world today before the weather goes badonk because of you-know-what.

And now it's 2:30ish AM. Nothing yet on my end of the world. Lemme know if something comes up on your end of the world. Whether your clocks start going backwards, or your dog starts acting weird, or your doorstep suddenly becomes inhabited by a certain Son of God who has a baseball mitt in hand... Either way, y'know.

V-neck- Thailand :: Skinnies- Gap :: Shoes- Jessica Simpson :: Ribbon- who knows and what does it matter because THE RAPTURE IS UPON US
Oh yeah, and look, I got a new haircut yay hi everybody hi.

WWJD? Probably say, "chillax everyone, chillax."
My mom will probably kill me for saying that. Or not, since she isn't completely convinced that Jesus is going to make a comeback so soon. She also isn't insane.

The smell of last year

2011-05-16T00:14:00.001-04:00

Blouse- secondhand :: Belt- Thailand :: Skirt- so long ago, since ... 9th grade! geez :: Sandals- TJMaxx :: Lipstick- Revlon Lustrous Lipstick "Plumalicious" :: Horse- THE LAND OF EQUESTRIA

Can you ever believe that this statue is made out of metal, not wood?

Though I wore this shirt primarily for the practical reason to cover myself without collapsing into a pool of tired sweat, nostalgia managed to permeate my skin as soon as I put it on. I couldn't help but recall that around the same time last year, I wore this shirt (and sandals) on my first day out in a thrillingly new country. Just looking at the pictures I took back then make me smile. They remind me of the smell of frangipanis, the tropical flower that grew almost everywhere in fragrant clusters.

Here, there are no frangipanis. But there are ... whatever these flowers are. I'm no botanist, so if anyone can kindly point out what flowers they are (I know they're not lavender, unless my nose is broken and I couldn't easily tell), I'd appreciate the extra bit of knowledge. These might not hold the same sweet scent, but they still had the sweetness to attract many bees.

Wait, crap. That's not a fair trade-off, is it? Shit.

Anyway: is it weird that I find myself occasionally missing a place that isn't home? Have you ever found yourself in the same or similar position? Most importantly, will the bees leave me alone?

This is the awkward position I'm left in when my mind goes OMGOMGOMGGUYZBEEEEES. Here's an accurate portrayal of the bees, true to size.

I try to smile through my tears of near death. In hindsight, wearing a lot of florals.... probably didn't help.

Alleyways and pay phone calls

2011-05-14T02:31:00.001-04:00

V-neck- Pitaya :: Tee- H&M :: Shorts- from Pink! :: Shoes- Dolce Vita for Target :: Looking this baller- Your mum

As mentioned in the last post, a certain alleyway was home to the photo shoot du jour during our adventure in Indy. And unfortunately that's pretty much all the coherent words I can conjure up to describe this post and my head has run out of ideas faster than RPatz climbs trees (the only reason I refer to that walking pop culture tidbit on this blog is because I just saw Water for Elephants which wasn't the worst movie but OK this sentence is already a paragraph I'll stop right).

I feel like this whenever I'm given the occasional duty to create a short headline for a story running in the paper. I'm slightly flustered and don't say the right/write thing. Instead of writing a proper/boring headline like "Columnist urges students to study abroad," I'm always tempted to write "STUDYING ABROAD IS FUCKING AWESOME." Because that'll totally grab your attention, right?

My copy editor friends are sticklers about that and don't find it as humorous as I do. You know who you are, in the comment section. I see you.

I spy with my little eye (besides darling shorts that Pink gave to me as per her usual "clothing purge" whilst packing)...

... little Hotaru!

And duh, I had to figuratively turn the camera on its head and feature my friend who was very nice enough to oblige me. Because I'm cuh-cuh-razy like that.

Ain't she nice and lovely and stuff?

And... this is what greeted us when we returned to our friends.

How lovely to see their backs smiling warmly at us.

It's always summertime here in my mind

2011-05-11T04:59:00.001-04:00

This past Monday, my friends and I celebrated a birthday (and the beginning of summer vacation in general) by gallivanting around Indy.

Oh wait, did I say... summer vacation? Hell to the bleepin' yes I did. The weather seems to have gotten word of it, too. Literally as I type this, my legs are stuck together like Velcro, thanks to the humidity that seems to have blossomed overnight. But I'm digressing.

As I've so briefly started earlier, Monday was set aside for a whole day's worth of adventuretime with good friends. We laughed, we walked around in circles, we vintage shopped, we shopped in general, we ate copious amounts of food... and I fell in love. Yes, I can't stop thinking about the (to steal a term coined by my friend) deliciously quaint subdivision of the city we hung out in. The setting was perfect, really. There it was in all its artsy-fartsy-downtown-college-student-area glory, and I had no chance. Little eateries/cafés and shaded neighborhoods? Ugh, I'm so there.

Meet Hotaru Lola somethingoranotherIhavetofigureoutherfullandfinalname. Pink gave her to me and this little buddy traveled with me wherever I went. Think of her like the gnome from Amélie and/or Travelocity commercials, only much smaller and cuter. You'll be seeing much of her in this post.

I ended up buying one of these au natural soaps at the local health food store because its scent reminded me of Thailand. Nostalgia, thy name is me.

There was a kitty in the first vintage store we went to; friendly kitty was friendly. Friendly kitty tried to knock little Hotaru over. Bad friendly kitty.

We had a lot of ... good finds.

"Hey, is that a creeper van that's completely carpeted in Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon?"
Why yes. Yes it is.

**SPOILER ALERT** This alleyway wall will prove to be significant in the next post.

Good thing Hotaru likes graphic novels as much as I do.

I think you may remember Hotaru's companion from last summer?

Fun fact: goats look demonic when you take pictures of them with flash.

Everybody loves a winner

2011-05-04T19:51:00.000-04:00

So nobody loved me.

Just kidding. But you know what I'm getting no love from? Finals. But it's almost over. But I have to begin studying, first. Yikes.

Shirt- Mossino :: Skirt- Modcloth :: Belt- Thailand :: Shoes- Target

And remember: may the Fourth be with you!
(please tell me you got that, and if you did, you're wonderful and Wookie high five!)

Directing Traffic

2011-05-02T17:05:00.001-04:00

Shirt- Mossino :: Scarf- Urban Outfitters :: Shorts- Thailand :: Belt- secondhand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Wedges- Bandolino via TJMaxx :: Coat- Gap :: Color blindness not included

WHAM.
Hear that? That was... not the sound of the death of Osama bin Laden, unlike what amazingly happened with this man who inadvertently tweeted the historic incident.

No, that sound was actually supposed to be the sound of color slapping you in the face. It's almost laughable how drastically different this outfit is in comparison to the one featured before it. Well, not that laughable, but at least it'll coerce a little chortle, no? You know, even though this is a relatively well-lit-happy-sunshine-look-at-me-guyz post like any other, I'd feel out of place not talking about it. I find it odd that while social media has revolutionized how we receive our breaking news, there are different compartments as to how they're distributed.

Where were you when you first heard that Osama bin Laden was dead?

I actually first heard about bin Laden being killed through a slew of Facebook statuses (first a trickle, then the whole dam). Next, I ventured over to my Tumblr account. And I could tell that sometime after the pretty pictures of a fashion model and an airplane, the dashboard exploded (too soon?) with reblogs and reblogs upon reblogs from the sincere (Anderson Cooper's tweet) to the glib (The Battle at Hogwarts, anyone?)

As for Blogger... it's relatively silent. Perhaps it's because most of the type of blogs I'm subscribed to are fashion/design-related, but it still seems like such a momentous occasion (regardless of your opinion, this isn't exactly a blip on the political, social, etc. radar) to ignore. In the end, I can't say that I have any credentials or insight whatsoever to fully delve into this as complexly as it requires. I can say that it's surreal for me to think back that ten years ago, I was a sixth grader who adamantly hated this man named Osama bin Laden because all fingers pointed at him. While he's in every way someone who was responsible for tragic deaths of innocents, I think this article effectively sums up how I feel. Even for something as seemingly simple as this, I can't see it in complete black and white.

But do you know what is black and white? My friends' faces.

Since I didn't really know how they felt about being on my personal blog, I went ahead and disguised them. I think it's very effective and shows them for who they are.

My friend has a beard, so I accommodated and accessorized him as such.

And then there's my friend Dawn, who I'm pretty sure is OK with having her face featured on my blog.

While we're on the topic of friends (who kick it in the front seat, kick it--OW, stop kicking me): it was my friend Michelle's birthday yesterday! Send happy belated wishes her way!

Here she is being off guard.

She complained about me "featuring her boobs" last time. So I kept it to the midriff.

Dawn is a graceful lady.

And now I must get back to the "real world" of "studying" and "unnecessary quotes."

A clean slate

2011-04-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

There are two things lovely about this photo: My friend and the fact that this picture was taken right before she said "... boobs."

This is probably why she said that word. Because she's mature.

Today it rained. Thankfully by the time I went out, it had stopped and all that was left over was the heady scent of earth after rain. I wish I could take that smell and trap it into a little green bottle for keepsake and usage. In my downtime after class, I was entranced like a child at how marvelously green the campus was; it made me appreciate the rain (coincidentally I loved it when it wasn't drizzling on me). Spring just gained a point towards being my favorite season at the moment.

Today I took pictures with my friend Dawn. For someone who was functioning on only a few hours of sleep, I'd say she was doing and looking pretty well. That is, save for the frequent outbursts of pointing out a nearby squirrel which she felt compelled to do.

Zzzzzt.

Woops. Looks out my mental capacity to write vaguely creative/pertinent things has reached its limit. That was pretty quick. At least there are more pictures in place of words. Given the old "1,000 words a picture" rule, that means there are at least 5,000 more words left in this blog post. That's like ... two essays! Or something.

Zzzzzzzzzzt.

OK seriously, I gotta go. Bye.

Dress- Thailand :: Blazer- Ralph Lauren from Goodwill, I believe :: Socks- Urban Outfitters :: Boots- TJMaxx

Key to taking blog photos: look somewhere off into the distance like it's really important but not enough so you break your facade of nonchalance like so. Am I right or am I right?

Notice how knees (especially mine) are never really attractive? Like, I can never see couples give each other nicknames like "Sexy Knees." Unless that's what you're into.

Ain't she presh?

The bare bones of it all

2011-04-23T01:45:00.000-04:00

Let's play the game: who can spot the squirrel? Or as I like to call them, "spurls."

Moody close-ups are moody.

Shirt- Goodwill? or something :: Cardigan- TJMaxx :: Skirt- secondhand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Socks- Sock Theory :: Shoes- Old Navy

Quick note: I just realized that in a weird way, this outfit is "totes ironic" (what makes that phrase even more annoying is if you imagine me saying it with air quotes) because while this post is called "bare bones," the clashing color scheme is anything BUT. This outfit has more print mixing than paper factory explosion, it's insanity. Call it an eyesore or mad, it's just Charmalade!

New annoying catch phrase? Hell yes.

BUT YEAH. It feels weird to jump back into the blogging pool after nearly two weeks of silence. It's even weirder that a) I don't mention that I was gone at all and/or b) considering that it's coming from me, the ever-so-loud one.

Seriously. One of these days, I should do a video post so you can all see how hyperactively loud I can be, mostly without being entirely conscious of it. You'll either be charmed or repelled; or both. But first, I need to figure out how to ... do that. I need to stop interrupting myself and deviating away into quasi-insightful tangents.

Actual bare bones of it all: the semester is ending and it's much like taking a bath. Everything seems to be quite sluggish until you pull the stopper and the whole thing spirals down into a finale that's too rushed for you to process it all. Just a week ago I thought I had a little bit of time; but one blink and it's dead week and I know if I blink again, everyone will be gone to their respective homes, internships, etc. That thought always unsettles me in a way.

I don't really have a solid idea of what I'm doing this summer. That's probably why I feel this excitement and overwhelming unease. I can easily set up my future plans in Tumblr by setting up a queue, and I wish I could do the same in real life. Damn the social media for being the scapegoat of my impossible expectations.

Despite my worrywart self cowering in a corner muttering about how the Freemasons are running the country, I'm well fed and well clothed so I'm basically fine. See below picture for evidence.

"Well OK, 'well-clothed' is an objective term. But this is a daily style blog..."

I just don't want to regret this summer when I only have a few days planned. Any advice?

Don't hang up your coat just yet

2011-04-19T04:11:00.000-04:00

I haven't fallen off this side of the earth.

I can say that Life got in the way, but it's slightly true. I mean, don't tell anyone this, but between you and me, I think Life needs to drop a few pounds. I keep on running into Life, and it's all awkward because it's like, "Hey Life, do you mind? Scootch a bit that way? Yeah, thanks." And it's like that every time. Honestly.

Now I just sound like someone who's a big jerk to magazines.

'Till the next post! I hope to resume blogging soon. :)

Indulge that sweet tooth, dear

2011-04-12T02:37:00.002-04:00

Imagine a sunny and unbelievably warm Saturday afternoon. Imagine the one thing that'll make it better.

That's right. HOMEMADE CUPCAKES.

Brandi, I officially made the cupcakes and I officially apologize for how delayed this baking experience has been. In the end, it was totally worth it.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who thought of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus when I saw this....

But did they turn out well?! Dun dun dunnnnn...

Jay kay, they actually did. I got this recipe for dark chocolate cupcakes (with Nutella frosting) awhile ago from Brandi from Not Your Average Ordinary, who is quite the foodie. This was very sweet of her; but you should know some context.

The last time I baked anything legitimate, it was for a high school French class where we had to bring in some food representing a region of France. I ambitiously and foolishly endeavored to bake le gâteau breton instead of making a salad like everyone else did. I swear on Gerard Depardieu's nose I followed those instructions as closely as I could. But I must have messed up somewhere, because that cake ended up being drier than the Sahara desert on an arid day. At least I didn't get points off due to effort.

But this past weekend, with a little (lot) help from my friends, the cupcakes came out beautifully.

"A muffin is just a bald cupcake." - Jim Gaffigan

No sorry, doggy. You can't haz any rich chocolate cupcakes or lolcat grammarz.

We aren't experts at frosting, as can be seen. We ended up having so much of it left over that the boys used that as an excuse to make more baked goods so to (quite literally) spread the Nutella-cream love.

omnomnomnomnomNOM. The cupcakes were so ridiculously decadent and rich and chocolatey that I thought I was going to blissfully die of sweetness overdose eating one or two or five.

The mooch who didn't help (and instead did homework) thoroughly enjoyed our hard work.

It was probably the combination of the lovely weather, lovely baking and lovely Pushing Daisies that influenced my outfit for the day. I both loved it and thought, "oh God, I look like the stereotypical 50s housewife." I mean-- skirted dress, red lipstick, heels and baked goods? I think the first graphic of this post sums up how I felt about this. :)

Dress- Beacon's Closet @ Williamsburg aka Hipsterville :: Shoes- Jessica Simpson :: Lipstick- Revlon Matte #007 "In the Red"

Can you spy with your little eye which one is the demented housewife?

Can you tell I have a wild crush on these shoes?

Forgotten snowy weekend

2011-04-08T17:05:00.000-04:00

Look at your calendar. Now look at this blog post's date. Now back to the calendar. Now back to the blog post. Sadly, something doesn't seem right because

a) there isn't this much snow and warm cozy feeling in April.
b) this is a poor adaptation of that one thing you all love.
c) answers a and b.
d) I'm on a horse.

Free hug to anyone who gets the right answer.

These photos were actually taken back in February (makes more sense, right?) when I was having a bored afternoon one weekend and turned to the camera for mild solace and entertainment. I actually like how they turned out (considering that it wasn't planned), and in a way it makes me miss large, comfy winter knits.

So enjoy the backwards into time (and elbows, as seen above) as I go enjoy what will be a helluva weekend... which is going to be both good and terrible. Allow me to be a cliche record and bemoan, "why can't a weekend be much longer?" Amirite, people?

Blouse- secondhand :: Vest- thrifted :: Skirt+Socks- Urban Outfitters

Oh, and the answer's C for Charmalade, Chihuahua and chutzpah. What's your favorite c-word? And no, not THAT c-word. Dirty minds, all of you.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming

2011-04-05T00:06:00.001-04:00

Miss me?

Polo+Sweater+Flats- I think they're all Mom'd, oh geez :: Shorts- Thailand :: Socks- Urban Outfitters

Noticed anything different about me? Perhaps in the hair follicle area?

You mean you didn't miss me? I think I need to quote my friend Cee-Lo Green and say... fffff-f-

forget you. Yeah. Forget you. Though it's really hard to do so because I see you all the time driving 'round town. Why the hell are you in my town? Are you stalking me? Don't you have better things to do? Forget this. I'm going to go play on my Atari while driving my Ferrari.

Here is my friend Scott (my designated photographer of the day). He believes he is Carol Channing and has yet to bake cupcakes with me. He's one of those guys who thinks that everyone should wear hats again. He's sort of a hat-o-phile. There must be a word for someone like that.

(I just Googled "name for person who loves hats" and the first result was "Everybody Loves a Human Resources Person Mesh Hat from Zazzle.com" Not this person, buddy.)

Here's a bush that Scott liked to take pictures of for some reason.

Goddammit, I don't trust that bush.
God
.
Dammit.

Yea or Nay?

2011-04-03T23:20:00.001-04:00

I act like this is an everyday occurrence. I wish.

This past weekend I went to a Rocky Horror showing at the last minute (inappropriately simulated acts galore!). Of course, I had to break out the blue eyebrows (again, as you can see here). At the suggestion of my friend Sue, I'm randomly sharing this on my blog. I'm not exactly sure if she was being serious, but hey... why not?

I personally had a lot of fun with them. It's easy, unexpected and non-permanent. And I figured that the one place where they'd be accepted is at RHPS, which is also easy (in the sleazy sense), unexpected and (hopefully) non-permanent. The best reaction I got was when I was in the elevator with my friends and one of them turned to me and asked...

Kira: (stops and stares) Are your eyebrows... shaded blue?
Me: (deadpan) ... Oh. Yeah.

True story.

A really real change of blog (really)

2011-04-02T05:15:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their April Fool's Day! Or as I like to call it, Fred and George's birthday.

I know I ... didn't. For serious and light reasons alike. In any case, I had to kick that pesky Toast to the curb. And by curb, I mean my belly. And by belly, I'm sure it's in one of the intestines by now. Yum.

Speaking of yum (my penchant for terrible non sequiturs always prevails), how now of this new layout change? I thought the blog needed a due makeover. I'm still tweaking here and there, so bear with me. But as of now, yea or nay? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Bear or bull? Constructive criticism is more than welcome.

In the meantime, here's a cool Youtube video of something really cool. Call it the raddest cell phone commercial ever.

Until next time!

A change of blog.

2011-04-01T02:13:00.001-04:00

Hi.

I'm Toast.

Charmalade has been so busy lately that she and I have come to an agreement that I'd guest blog for her indefinitely.

Well, she didn't say "indefinitely," but I already changed a few things around this old dump and she didn't seem to notice. I actually think she's been distracted by Youtube and shiny things for like, three hours now. Plus, I think I can totally do a better job at this than she ever could. What a putz.

Anyway, there are going to be some changes around here. Definitely for the better. This blog is going to be something you've never seen before. A fashion blog... about toast. As in me, I'm Toast. I'm the star of this show now, don't anyone say anything else about it. This will be just your everyday personal style blog, only a lot better.

A brief blurb about me...

I'm more than your average toast; I love dressing up.

I love hanging out with my bffs.

I also love my boyfriend.

He still cares for me, despite all my quirks. I've been burned before.

I hope to share with all of you my style outfits and misadventures through this blog. I can't wait!

>___<

2011-03-30T22:24:00.002-04:00

And now for your ADD-addled-five-second entertainment...

Shirt- H&M :: Skirt- Forever21 :: Jacket- Gap :: Tights- Target :: Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell :: Scarf- garage sale

Oh wait, what? What happened? What? Cheese? Huh?

Juuuust kidding.

Here's a short play comprised solely of emoticons. Enjoy.

Pink: ^__^

Me: -____-

Pink: ^o^

Me: >___<

Pink: ^O^

Me: x____x

See Pink camwhore. See me imitate Pink's camwhoring. The circle of camwhoring.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling pretty >___<;;;; and x___x right now. How about you? Leave a comment below with the emoticon of how you're feeling, whether it be all :D or :( or maybe even >:( though I hope it won't come to that!

The Worst Fairy Tale

2011-03-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Lookin' at the creeper van, lookin' at the white white creeper van that's a-creepin' with a ladder on it, why does it have a ladder on it, God knows why, just lookin' at the white creeper van with a ladder on it, yeah.

Blouse- it's a mystery, Scooby Doo :: Blazer- thrifted Ralph Lauren :: Vest- thrifted :: Shorts+Shoes- from Thailand :: Tights- Charlotte Russe :: Nails- China Glaze's "For Audrey"

Once upon a time, there was a princess, an ordinary princess. One day, she overslept and ended up skipping her princess classes, which had princess attendance. This royally screwed over her grade, in all literal sense of the word. Then the princess woke up and realized that it was a dream and that she wasn't a princess, but a college student. But she was still royally screwed, in the figurative sense of the word.

Then she kissed a frog, only it was one of those frogs that you lick to get high, so the college student ended up hallucinating that she was a princess again. Then she fell asleep. Again.

The end.

THIS FAIRY TALE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.

Just kidding. I hope. Where did that frog go?

On a completely unrelated note: today is Gaga's birthday. Paws up for the Mama Monster!

I'm ridiculous but I have a headache so it's OK.

In Winter's Dying Light

2011-03-23T19:26:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've done a photo shoot. The odd thing about this one is that it came by accident. Halfway through editing, I said, "sure, why not?"

Not usually the way photo shoots should happen (after the shooting process), but we could call it a happy accident. And no, the blog isn't pregnant.

To see Summer's Dying Light, click here.

Dress+Vest- Target :: Flats- Thailand

Luck o' the Korean

2011-03-19T02:06:00.000-04:00

This may be a day late, but I figured I should put it up to preserve the luck o' the Korean. What, you never heard of it?

It's that thing where you eat kimchi every day for the rest of your life and never get sick.
It's that thing where you ride on a swing while standing up and wearing a wide-brimmed hat made out of horsehair so you can ensure your invincibility.

It's that thing where you take a tiny, irate Korean leprechaun and carry him around in your pocket until some gold falls on your head.

It could be none or all of these things. Either way, I invented my own luck, with a little help from the Irish. I always like dressing for the occasion, so green was in order. I also didn't want to get pinched by a slovenly stranger, because that's unsavory.

My St. Patrick's Day last year was when I opted for an alternative choice that delineated away from the standard fish 'n' chips + booze fare with Lizzie. Vegan food and taking pictures downtown. Ah, how lovingly quaint.

This year, my mom and I ventured to Indy where we looked at high quality department store items with the prices to match. Have you ever done that thing where you walk into a very high class store, such as Chanel or Burberry, and try to "act like you belong" and pass by clothing you can only dream of purchasing and casually peek at the price tags, casually put them down and then casually walk away with a bemused air of "yeah, I can totally buy that now if I wanted to, but I don't feel like it."

Hands up, that was me.

Is this a good enough disguise to shake the department store heads off my tail?

I even dared to try on some lovely Anthropologie threads ("on sale" is still $80? really?), as seen above. The lady who worked there asked for my first name as she helped me into the dressing room. I think they're onto me.

Comfortably gastronomical amounts of Cheesecake Factory + Piña Colada for lunch and then
KFC + Guinness = un/comfortably satiated stomach. I might not have bought anything that day, but my stomach and wallet thanked me. My liver, on the other hand...

One of the rare times you'll ever see me without glasses. I am blind as a bat, and am worse off for it because I can't use echolocation. I tried screaming at objects, but I'd still run into them.

Dress+Belt- Thailand :: Scarf- gift (from Egypt?) :: Sunglasses- stolen :: Tights- Target :: Shoes- Old Navy :: Purse- shiny

My best impression of a celebrity being stalked by the paparazzi. Did I pull it off?

Oh! Hark!

2011-03-15T19:26:00.000-04:00

Shirt- Target :: Scarf- TJMaxx... I think? :: Leggings- HUE :: Gloves- Forever21 :: Boots- Mom'd :: Lipstick- #435 Love That Pink

I'd say that this is a pretty accurate rendition of my glorious spring break so far. A lot of smiling and sitting on stone walls. You know how I do.

Oh gurl, I wish. Really my days insofar have been stuffed to the brim with tumbling and the new show du jour to obsess over (before it was Avatar: The Last Airbender, now I'm geeking out over that sassy girl detective Veronica Mars-- I have an active social life that clearly doesn't involve a lot of pajamas). So really, this is a complete fluff piece of a post where I'll just (politely) throw a bunch of pictures and a pretty song at you. Here, here is the pretty song that's perfect for those carefree spring days. Don't be alarmed if you keep on wanting to hit the replay button repeatedly: that's normal.

As lighthearted as the song seems, the video is like part Florence + Machine's "Drumming Song," part Bjork looks and part Lady Gaga's weird twitching in her "Bad Romance" video.

Painted/Funny Face

2011-03-10T01:53:00.000-05:00

Shirt- American Apparel :: Skirt- Forever21 :: Scarf+Socks+Boots- TJMaxx :: Jacket- garage sale, chyeah

This week has definitely been a test to my mind, body and paper-cutting skills. The latter of which is evidently very poor. Curse you, box cutter!

Random cursing aside (which is my life, really), I'm all sorts of haywire right now. I feel like I'm in the state where my mind urges to leap and scatter itself around so many different subjects, leaving my body sluggish and stupid. Just when I thought that the hump of the week has been crossed, another huge camel of a challenge lands in my way. In this analogy, my problems are represented by a large camel. Just go with it, OK? And oh no no, not the movie. I don't mean that. Don't go with that.

Spring break is so close that I can taste it. Or is that a Girl Scout cookie (specifically a Thin Mint) I taste?

This is me in pulling-all-nighter mode. Soymilk mixed with iced coffee with Thin Mints. Snack of champions.

OMG IT IS.
Seriously guys, it's Girl Scout cookie season. Have you given in and bought one or ten yet? I bet you have. Devoured a box in the dark corner, haven't you? Don't be ashamed. I mean, I posted that above picture of myself. There's no shame in the cone of trust (that's this blog, in case it wasn't clear). But it's really relieving to get out of globby-gross mode and paint on a fresh face after a hot shower and a good night's sleep.

Like so.

Bam.

I feel like I literally painted on my face; I do like playing around with make-up depending on my mood. But today I felt especially ... vampy. Rightly so.

Another thought: when I wore this, I think this is a typical "me" outfit. Pattern-mixing (with leopard, of course), some form of tights, the fuggin' kimono jacket, short skirt... I know I've definitely worn these items of clothing time and time again. It's disturbingly like this outfit I wore "ironically" for a contest. Yikes.

What do you think? A repeat, or a Charmalade classic turned over on its side?

As Avalonne pointed out in my last post, my hair HAS gotten a bit hairy (geddit?!). It's quite shaggy, I'm not particularly thrilled with this. But it does enable me to do a proper Bieber hair flip, as seen here. FWAH.

My Favorite Creeper

2011-03-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

Dress- Beacon's Closet @ Williamsburg :: Cardigan- FROM PINK TO REPLACE RED B. CARDIGAN :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Boots- Rebel via TJMaxx :: Headband- Modcloth freebie whee

I really have nothing else I can say (eh eh), because it's the weekend and I should either be:
a) going out and having a cuh-razy-ass time, or
b) staying in and diligently working my ass off
instead I am:
c) doing all of the above
when really I am:
d) schlutzing around.

Instead, I'll tell that random story I mentioned in the last post concerning thigh high socks:

   This happened when my mom and I took an overnight trip to Chicago over winter break. The morning after we spent the night in the supposedly haunted hotel, we were walking out to a nearby gift shop so I could find some post-Christmas Christmas presents. So there we were, walking la-dee-da down S. Michigan Ave., when a decently-dressed middle-aged man started walking alongside me, close enough to slightly burst my bubble.
   "Is that one or two parts?"
   "Uh... uh huh? What? I'm sorry?"
   "The black and gray, are they one or two parts?" He gestured to the gray thigh high socks over black tights ensemble I was wearing that day.
   I fumbled around my words and told him it was two parts. To make matters even better, my mom (who, keep in mind, was witness to this whole conversation so far) piped in.
   "Why you ask?" She's an Asian mother, of course she had to ask.
   And this isn't verbatim, but the man said something along the lines of,
   "Oh, because I think it's very attractive."
   Oh. GOD. My alarm bells were going off and I was not-so-subtly sidling away from the man as I quickened my pace. I tried to mentally drag my mom along with me as I told her in high-pitched Korean "let's GO, Mom." But the panic wasn't contagious.
   "Oh ho ho," she chortled (yes, she chortled). "My daughter? You find attractive? Oh ho ho."
   Being the polite, if somewhat to a fault, woman that she is, my mother bid the man a good day. I followed suit, if somewhat hastily and in a get-the-fuck-away-please-sir kind of tone. I got the gifts, met up with my friend and received no further compliments that day.

Moral of the story: Thigh high socks' biggest fan base is the middle-aged man. Be careful of the power you wield when you wear them.

And now, some quaint pictures of faces. Our faces. With MATH.

Pink

+ me

= AUGH GET AWAY FROM ME

In hindsight, did I overreact? I never actively said anything bad to the man, but I do tend to exaggerate circumstances for the sake of humor. It wasn't exactly like he was salivating on my socks or anything. That would require a get-the-fuck-away-from-me-now-sir tone of voice.

My grandmama ain't the only one callin' me baby

2011-03-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

Chambray shirt- Target :: Bowtie+Skirt- Thailand :: Socks- Urban Outfitters :: Shoes- Old Navy

It's a bowtie. Do I really need to say much more?
But it may or may not be fake. Shhh, don't tell anyone else who didn't read it on this public blog, it's a poorly kept secret (she said in an obvious stage whisper).

Life and stress have seemingly engulfed my time quicker than burning paper. Both result in burnt fingers. Can you tell that lack of sleep has caused me to think that I have burnt fingers? It's a strange side effect.

Anyway. I feel like the only way to de-stress (besides actually doing work, eheh) is to take a hot, hot bath and watch Futurama. And maybe sneak in a dark chocolate bar in there somewhere (because as a stereotypical woman, I self-medicate myself with chocolate like it's aspirin for the soul, SO WHAT). What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Extra points if they're illicit and illegal.

Fun fact: Thigh-high socks are a hit with middle-aged men who reside in busy cities like Chicago. I should tell that story sometime.

Leap of faith! I'm very graceful. To quote Black Swan: "I was perfect."

PERFECT.

Hop into the Mystery Van!

2011-02-26T04:10:00.000-05:00

Polo- secondhand Zara? I didn't know I had Zara, cool? :: Sweater- thrifted, sorta :: Skirt- Thailand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Boots- TJMaxx :: Beret- Target

Seeing double? Will you expect trouble? Probably not. Simply marvel at the variety of morose schoolgirl poses I struck at two different locations today. I hope my résumé, buffet and TV shows have more variety than this.

Also... remember the mystery that wasn't really a mystery and a lot of people guessed on and stuff... ?

The majority of you, like Sydney, Rose and Laura, hypothesized that it was a headband. Today, I put it on my head and it fit. So I assume I'm using it right. I feel like a bona fide music festival bound hipster now. Like, totally.

But I also personally liked the other possible options (good, but not limited to): bungee cord for holding down tarps and fancy dog leash (if my dog was literally a toy dog)

And now, I bid you a happy weekend, because I certainly will have a ... hectic one. YAY.

Bye Bye Birdie

2011-02-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

Poor little buddy's got a bent wing. Let's pretend he's waving or something.

Since tomorrow was going to be the last day that my school's undergrad art exhibition would be open, I dragged my mom in to see my work that was accepted into the gallery [cue cheesy and unnecessary aw's here]. Today was such a long day (like.... molasses on a cold day long... like student stuck in a basement for nearly six hours long) that I look worse for wear. So please excuse my ghastly face and focus on the cute little bird. I think I named him, but I forgot what. I'd like to think that his name is Figaro, though I totally have the wrong opera in mind (Figaro, Papageno.... same thing, right?). If anyone understands what the hell I'm talking about, you get major brownie points for being a cultured fuddy duddy.

These pictures were taken a few years ago when Little Birdie was just a fresh young chickadee.

Can ya dig it?

2011-02-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

Today didn't start out so hot for me. Dare I say, I was downright getting curmudgeonly and grumpy because of sleep deprivation, but then the day peaked sometime in the afternoon when the sun decided to be delightful and the lighting in these photos decided to not suck.

I also was wearing this new vest I've acquired and wanted to wear with a vaguely 70s-inspired vibe in mind. Can you tell? Perhaps the beret was a bit much. To be honest, I was only wearing it because of bedhead.

But really, not much to say. I need to buckle down and do work that I don't completely understand (isn't that spectacularly frustrating?) and worry about worrying about the smaller, internal things (my homework, my little life, etc.) and then worrying about not worrying about the bigger things (what's going on in certain parts of the world). Are we as humans too self-internalized and inherently selfish? Or should I just worry about figuring out what the hell "coding" is? Did I just answer my question?

I think I need a shower.

Shirt- American Apparel :: Button-up + Vest- Target :: Jeans- secondhand Express :: Boots- Mom'd :: Beret- Charlotte Russe

Pink's copying my moves again.

"dedicated to tomorrow's children"

2011-02-23T01:19:00.000-05:00

In times of pain and turmoil, there's still that chance of hope. Without it, there is no fight.

I hope that those who are safe and away from the parts of the world where unrest is rife (Bahrain, Libya, New Zealand, etc.) are becoming more aware and educated of what's happening. I admit that while I still don't know the whole picture, I'm amazed at how quickly word is getting around despite efforts to shut down the media. My tumblr dashboard was and still is filling up with news that are truly eye-opening. This one quote in particular stuck to me, because of how astoundingly normal it was:

“I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children…”
- anon blogger.

Back from the Graveyard

2011-02-20T14:45:00.001-05:00

Remember that one time I wrote about that one graphic t-shirt that I would've purchased were it not for the exorbitant price? You thought maybe it was a one-time-whiny deal, but that's underestimating my ability to desire the clothes that are gleefully out of my price range.

And with that, I randomly bring back...

Graveyard of Stuff I'd Like to Buy Were My Wallet More Accommodated for the Exorbitant Price:

I grew wide-eyed at this leopard print sweater from Topshop. I never bought anything from Topshop before, and now I'm reminded why. This baby is priced at $90. $90 for a "Knitted camel short chunky animal jacquard jumper," according to their site's description. Calling it a "chunky animal jumper" makes it sound like you've skinned a very overweight leopard to make this sweater. For shame, Topshop, for shame. And what the flying balls is a "jacquard?" Whatever it is, I know I think I want it. Damn.

Zara's yet another place where I've heard about but never had the pleasure of shopping before. I never really gave it much thought until I was talking to someone who said she was a big fan of their clothing, so one late night later, I decided to check it out. I came upon this lovely in the sale section (I almost always make a beeline for the sales first), priced at $50. Hm, not too bad. This is only a mild case of ranting, but I normally wouldn't pay $50 for a blazer, no matter how amazingly rich the velveteen color looks and how awesomely placed the elbow pads are. That's what really got me: the elbow pads. Like porn for a history professor's closet.

Available here, here and probably at a lot of other places, I've been coveting and following this boot more than Stephen Colbert covets and follows me. If you don't get the reference/didn't bother clicking on the link (which I encourage, because Colbert is Co-God), I basically considered this boot to be My Dream Boot. At any source I found, these pair of boots price at nearly $300, which is a hefty, hefty, hefty price. Once it nearly came within my grasp when I was at Urban Outfitters, only to be available in a size 9. It's like I was the opposite Cinderella, if Cinderella was into this kinda stuff.

Anything you want to randomly rant about? Think of the comment section as a virtual couch you can lie on and talk about it. I promise there are cushions. Virtual cushions.

Disclaimer: Mind you, even though I rant about not having this or not having that, I know I don't really need them. Plus, it's fun to make fun of things, mainly myself. And who doesn't want to see that mildly entertaining freak show?

early spring come, early spring gone.

2011-02-18T20:46:00.000-05:00

Flowy top- vintage shop in Bronx :: Open knit top- Charlotte Russe :: Corduroys- Gap :: Boots- Rebel via TJMaxx

Today was probably one of the last few days when the weather was charming enough to wear just a light coat. It was mad windy outside too, but I actually didn't mind. In fact, I'd like to think of it as Mother Nature's wind machine. Thanks, you were a real pal to today's little photo session.

I was telling Pink today that Punxsutawney Phil (I totally had to google that shiz to get the spelling correct) probably got it right with his prediction: spring did come early, but also didn't stay for too long, either. Damn you, you little overgrown rodent. You tricked us with your cutesy wiles and promises of early warm weather.

Is it also weird that I feel so disconnected from NYFW that I see exploding up my blogroll more than boys blowing up Ke$ha's phone? I've definitely loved perusing the behind-the-scenes and reviews of the latest and greatest of what's on the runway, but I haven't been poring over them. It's almost like I care about how I don't care enough. To be fair, it probably isn't that off base that I'm off base about this. I love fashion, but it isn't my life. Plus, being several thousand miles away might have that effect on me, too. What say you, fellow fashion enthusiasts?

Coat- Gap :: Tired look- free

Pink was trying to imitate my moves, but we all know there can only be one Slim Shady.

"Be a windmill!" I take good direction, like a regular Zoolander.

Happy weekend, everyone! I don't know about you, but I was so ready for this.

Wino

2011-02-18T01:08:00.000-05:00

Shirt- H&M :: Jacket- Korea :: Belt- Thailand :: Skirt- Modcloth :: Tights- Target :: Flats- Gap

Even though it's nearly a month after the day, here's the whole obligatory "hey look at how capitalism allowed me to buy something for myself as a birthday treat" post. Yes, I'm shameful, it's terrible on many levels. But in my defense:
a) I rarely, if ever, buy something nice from Modcloth. I guess you can say it's the second anniversary in the tradition of treating myself to a Modcloth item for my birthday.
b) It was really pretty and shiny.

Let's take a step into my ramshackle time machine made out of boxes and wood glue, shall we?

Dress worn as a top- TJMaxx :: Skirt- Modcloth :: Tights- Charlotte Russe :: Booties- Kelsi Dagger :: Tripod- about to fall apart :: HBIC look- baby, I was born this way

Ain't we fine?

This is when I first debuted the skirt, so to speak, at the joint birthday party my friend threw for me. And no, not joint as in that kind of joint. I'm not that old, after all (I just get alarmingly punnier by the day, don't I?). But no, I shared the birthday celebration good times with my friend Alex, only we postponed the party a week after its original date so it was really about two weeks after my birthday that I celebrated it in proper fashion (which involves copious amounts of wine and cheese). So posting these pictures a week after that... means I'm not that late. Right?

Back to the present in our time machine that may or not be leaking plutonium (which everyone knows is the proper fuel for these kind of contraptions). I tried to dress the skirt down while still letting it shine, which it does quite literally. My only "problem" with it is that it doesn't cinch right at the waist tight enough, so I'm wondering just how and where I can have it altered, because I know less of using a sewing machine than I do speaking sports lingo. And that's just the bottom of the ninth right there.

I'm such a classy dame. And I think I may have abused the skirt swishing it too much. But it's just so. much. FUN

Plain Jane

2011-02-17T01:06:00.001-05:00

My bangs are getting quite long and getting all up in my biz.

Dress- Beacon's Closet @ Williamsburg :: Cardigan- H&M :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Boots- Mom'd :: Beret- Charlotte Russe

Despite all the slush and mush and other such stush outside, it was so remarkably warm today (an alarming 50 degrees!) that I was inexplicably put in a good mood. My highlight of the day was probably when my professor decided to have the windows thrown open to relieve the stuffy classroom of its stuffiness and that distinct scent of cooped-up B.O. Lovely, right? It was. There was a breeze and it was heavenly.

This was just a throw-on outfit that I put on and liked for the colors if not the proportions (am I making any sense? No? good). Even though it might not be my favorite, it was a simple look that I liked. Have you had days like that? Like, "it'll do." Just like Babe, except my outfit isn't an adorably anthropomorphic piglet. If only.

Ain't She Sweet

2011-02-14T19:20:00.000-05:00

Top- Goodwill'd? :: Furry jacket- gift :: Skirt- Urban Outfitters (Sparkle and Fade) :: Ribbon- magic? :: Belt+Flats- Thailand :: Lipstick- Revlon #435 "Love That Pink"

Quote Pink: "Are you trying to be kawaii or something?"

The tag "Pink" is really for the person, but it applies in every sense of the word, today of all days. I think I may have gotten some looks (pshaw!) and then some vurry welcome compliments on my literally themed outfit. I rarely, if ever, wear bows in my hair. But I thought, "what the hey, why not?" Only problem is that same as last year, I'm suffering from self-inflicted severe sleep deprivation thanks to homework. So really, even though I dressed in everything Valentine-y short of white downy feathers and a diaper, I changed right into my PJs once I got home. But they're pink and red, so it counts, right? I'm just an effin' romantic at heart, ain't I.

Aw, I kid. Natural cynicism aside, today wasn't too bad. But then, it's not over... yet. I have the whole night ahead of me to spend fitfully napping and fitfully working/procrastinating/wishing I was napping/wishing I could comment and blog more/tumbling.

Happy Valentine's Day, urrbody!

Smile like you mean it

2011-02-12T18:33:00.000-05:00

This reminds me of the What's Lovely I used to do last year. Isn't it awesome finding random stuff like this?

Shirt- secondhand? :: Tie-scarf- gift :: Popcorn scarf+Boots- via TJMaxx :: Pants- H&M via thrift store

~~Most if not all~~ Sometimes I make silly faces when pictures are being taken.

Can you tell that I don't have too much to say today? I'm busy yet not busy at the same time. And to top it all off, I really want curly fries. Aw yeah, curly fries.

Pretty Young Thang

2011-02-10T03:25:00.004-05:00

Bustin' out my best fake Michael Jackson move. I couldn't exactly grab my crotch in public-- I already do that too often.

......

JUST KIDDING. really.

Sweater- French Connection :: Bomber- JouJou :: Leggings- HUE :: Ribbon- random magic witchcraft :: Flats- Gap :: Jaunty Beret- Target?

Guess what today's inspiration was from?

That's right, today's theme song was "PYT," that iconic feel-good-shake-your-little-to-big-tush-gurl song. I can't help but recall that Keiko is a big fan of this song herself-- and who isn't? The unfortunate few with no tush to shake, that's who. But this song doesn't discriminate. It gets stuck in your head and doesn't judge you for lack of ass you were maliciously blessed with (thank goodness for me).

That's right, hit that play button... again and again. You know you want to. Let the fun happy dance times begin!

I apologize for the poor fluorescent lighting in this pictures. You can tell that I'm wary of the quality in this picture, because I'm ... meta? like that.

Sorry I can't speak at length about-- well, anything for that matter. But I'm so swamped that I should be wrapping up this post very soon! I wish that I had more time to comment on tons of blogs at my leisure instead of rambling about Krishna knows what right now. But to briefly touch upon two things:

1) I'm extremely flattered y'all say that I wear lipstick good and stuff. I've found myself recently drawn to lipstick rather than eye makeup because it's more dramatic and easier to apply. I typically wear Revlon, the color depending on my mood. My mood in the post before this was In the Red.

2) The mystery object is still a mystery. [dundundunnnnn...]

Rock on, fellow PYTs!

Burlap sack

2011-02-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

Blouse- Ralph Lauren via TJMaxx :: Vest- thrifted :: Skirt- Forever21 :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Boots- TJMaxx

I think the title says it all. I had it decided it in my head since this afternoon; that's more pre-planning for a blog post than I've ever done in awhile. Like, I'm totally on it.

Speaking of things I totally got:
It's the second anniversary of treating myself to Modcloth in celebration of the day I shot out of the uterus aka birthday. And the package arrived today (finally, no thanks to weather conditions), along with a nice ... thing. I'm grateful (and a little tentative for my wallet, there's a reason I don't regularly purchase from Modcloth), but can you help a blogger out here? I'm having a major durka-durr moment and am not ... exactly sure what this... is.

Watch it turn out to be the simplest thing, like an elaborate shoelace. Is it a shoelace? I don't know whether to put this on my head or shoes.

The Room (and not the movie masterpiece)

2011-02-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

Lately, all that I've wanted to do is crank up my heater as moderately high as possible, curl up in my warm bed, and watch copious amounts of TV episodes on Netflix.

My room is my refuge. You know those birds that go around finding things like twigs or shiny pieces of glass that they use for building and decorating their nests? Sometimes when I look around my room, I feel like one of those birds, bolstering and decorating my hovel bit by bit. I'm a pack-rat at heart (a bird, a rat... I'm a regular zoo... infested with disease), so I tend to save up items them locals like to call "sentimental." I have a small case dedicated to holding all the letters and postcards I've ever gotten, along with many movie ticket stubs and various knick knacks. Even though I love getting snail mail letters, I'm starting to have to push down on the growing pile to subdue it back into the box.

Call me too curious (or as Lonely Island likes to call it, doin' the creep), but I like looking at people's rooms. I'm not just talking about those featured in style magazines and blogs where someone's home is the ultimate of the ultimate in home decor and IKEA catalogs. No, just a regular person's regular room. No matter how small or big it is, I'd like to think that it signifies you in a way, especially if you stay in there often (like this nerd does). This gives me an idea concerning a little tagging fun event thing and your room. But would you be interested? I honestly hope so, I want you to want this and be interested. Let me know in the comments below, if you so may please thank you smiley face.

And now, a further sneak peek of the place where I choose to stay trapped in most of the time because of how warm it is! Like I'm a cat! Or pretty much any warm-blooded mammal!

I can't believe I never showed these letters ("LIVE LIFE WITH REAL STYLE") that Brandi from Not Your Average Ordinary (whose charming blog you should check out if you haven't had the pleasure to already) sent to me this past summer. Damn, momma's way behind the times.

The paper crane is a gift from Tangerine (she has one of the sweetest little tumblrs, btw just sayin'). Origami has always eluded me, despite my purported Asianness, so I always appreciate it when others can achieve it better than I can. And that's just about everyone.

Why hello der, Cami. She's spoiled, she likes to sleep next to the heater.

The ultimate way to keep warm: wrap a scarf around your head.

Sequins and Snowpocalypse

2011-02-02T02:31:00.001-05:00

The most gloriously impossible thing happened.
The whole school, classes, exams, labs, urr-fucking-thang is declared cancelled today for the sake of a "snow recess." I don't think an official snow day has occurred since 2007. And that's like, four years ago, a whole high school career's worth of time.
Wow, I really need to solidify the mush that my brain has become.

And as I type this, I realize that there's silence when there was nothing but violent-sounding gusts of icy wind pelting against my window before. Despite how encased in a snowy and shellacked cocoon my house is now, I fear that I'll have to break out to attend classes tomorrow. I'm sure you can guess how excited I am about this as you can tell from my chosen italics. ahem.

These pictures were actually taken yesterday when it was only a mild snowstorm outside, but a snowstorm no less. Hence, why opting for an indoor photo shoot was vastly more practical. Well, as practical as any photo shoot can be. Can you tell I was going for a little theme here? It's the theme of "let's 'break some rules' by not wearing too many bright colors and wearing leggings as pants." That's right, leggings = pants here. But in my defense... they're sparkly. And they're a gift from my mom, so... are you saying something bad about my mom? For shame, everyone.

Plain shirt- secondhand :: Lace shirt- Thailand :: Leggings- HUE (birthday gift from Mom!) :: Scarves, rawr- Urban Outfitters + Target :: Lace gloves- Forever21 :: Beret- Charlotte Russe :: Boots- TJMaxx

And to ask the oldest conversation starter in the book (you know-- THE book. The Bible. Trufax. Only not really at all, and I really should be reading religious texts now, what an unfunny coincidence):

What's the weather like where you are? Not the "snowpocalypse" like it is here, is it?

PS: Thanks so much to y'all who wished me a happy birfday. I can't stop eating that cookie cake, it's getting really bad.

twenty one.

2011-01-31T05:30:00.001-05:00

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

I also got a birthday sloth. I'm pretty excited about this.

His name is Sarsaparilla Meegosh.

Random fun facts 'cause sure why not: I share a birthday with FDR, Christian aka Jesus Bale, the guy who played Lizzie McGuire's little brother and Kid Cudi, to name a few. I also realized that the Beatles' iconic rooftop concert happened 42 years ago on my birthday.

Love, love, love.

Challenge ACCEPTED.

2011-01-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

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.

This is another (not so) rare sneak peek into how I am in real life. I don't even know, guys, I don't even know.

[Post Script]

Can't believe it's my birthday so soon! Hooty hoot and a what what, I'm turning that age that can get me legally smashed and whatnot.

I just want to Czech it out

2011-01-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

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...

Expectation:

Sweater- Express :: Corduroys- Gap :: Jacket- Silence+Noise :: Scarf- Urban Outfitters :: Belt/Boots- Mom'd :: Bowler- Target

Reality:

SO.

COLD.

Consistency, consistency

2011-01-20T01:31:00.001-05:00

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...]

Can you tell I got a little theme going here?

As an added bonus... my friends are silly.

All hail Pink, the Queen of Yarn.

Serious partyers.

Come Play With Us

2011-01-16T02:37:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-13T01:41:00.001-05:00

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.

Sweater+Corduroys- Gap :: Jacket- JouJou via TJMaxx :: Belt+Flats- from Thailand

My friends are silly. That is all.

How's the weather were you are? I hope you're dressing appropriately for it. Just today I saw three guys wearing shorts in this weather. Seriously, guys. Seriously.

Red and Pink

2011-01-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

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.

Guess who's back from Greece and back to the cold Midwest weather and helping me take pictures in this cold Midwest weather??

I think these photos sum up our stupid silliness aptly well.

Welcome back, Pink!

Being a boot enthusiast that I am, I wanted to take a picture of Pink's boots. Because I liked them. If you couldn't tell already.

The first of the last of the next best thing.

2011-01-10T01:44:00.000-05:00

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!

Chi-Town: 2 days in 20 pictures

2010-12-31T00:41:00.001-05:00

What was Lovely for December 27, 2010:

I'm waiting for a train, a train that will take me (fairly) far away to Chicago for a couple of days.

What was Lovely for December 28, 2010:

Waking up to a fresh, cold Chicago; spending the day with a friend who I haven't seen in awhile; ending the day with Inception jokes and pretty winter wonderlands.

There was no better way to celebrate my blogiversary.

Guess which floor we were on?

Shawl- Mom'd :: Jacket- Silence+Noise :: Skirt- secondhand :: Socks- Urban Outfitters :: Boots- New York Transit via TJMaxx

Goodbye, Chicago...

... Hello, home.

One year and a day.

2010-12-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

What's Lovely for December 29, 2010:

Remembering that a year and a day ago, Toast was made. And what better way to have spent that day than in a particularly windy city?

Thank you, everyone. :)

And to all a good night.

2010-12-24T23:31:00.001-05:00

What's Lovely for December 24, 2010:

Christmas Eve! I think that's all I need to say. Happy holidays, everyone! I need to go work off the turkey stuffing calories by an invigorating schedule of sitting here and watching movies and TV shows...

It isn't much, but it's home. And delicious.

She must've sensed I just ate fatty goodness...

A Robber Who Pays for Everything

2010-12-23T01:05:00.000-05:00

Guess who my sartorial inspiration was?

What is this, an honest to Gandhi outfit post??? I have to say, getting back in the saddle felt good, even though the saddle was remarkably dusty. And yes, I'm still talking about a figurative saddle. Aaaaand that's honestly all the pseudo-witty things I have to say for today. I believe any and all possible one-liners went out the window once I drank that salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks today. I hypothesize all that sugar went straight to my head and sucked out all funny things to say-- but that could just be the sugar talking.

Sweater- 2890 (warehouse sale) :: Scarf- garage sale :: Skirt- secondhand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Beret- Mom'd :: Boots- TJMaxx

I wanted to post this to show that there's a good amount of bona fide WINTER here. Unfortunately, any pictures taken as this angle were all dull and junk, which explains why the majority of pictures don't have a pretty snowy backdrop.

What's Lovely for December 22, 2010

(whew, haven't done one of these in awhile! wudda surprise):

Going from this...

... to this. With the magic of an oven! How about that.

Your Questions (finally) ANSWERED.

2010-12-21T22:10:00.003-05:00

OMG. I'm back. It's like I'm Nathan Young and I was buried alive but turns out in a major plot twist that I'm back from the dead because I'm immortal and...
I may have been watching a lot of Misfits lately. This (warning: slightly NSFW) has been my winter break so far. I didn't say I was proud. But it has been a wonderfully and terrifyingly lazy hiatus, and I'm overdue on a lot of things. Remember the FAQ back in October? I hope with profuse amounts of apologies and kowtowing, I can come back to my blog and finallyfinallyfinally answer these questions once and for all in this post.

*hug* I missed you. Please forgive me, I have digital chocolate chip cookies.

_____

Paige asked:

What inspired you to start your blog?

Essentially, I bullied myself into doing this thingamajig after a good amount of ~~stalking~~ following and reading many daily fashion blogs. The beautiful thing about blogging is that fairly anyone's capable of it-- it was just a matter of mixed delusion and confidence when I went "hey, I think I can do that!" And thus it began.

What has changed about your blog/your style since you started?

I can say all this stuff about learning the subtleties of what to do or what not to do in blogging and how I dared to mix prints more, but I'd like to show a visual.

Hey look, same scarf! Just goes to show that I re-wear some clothes to death.

Like my hero RKelly*, I started in a closet and then I came out and blossomed, so to speak. Speaking of small, claustrophobic beginnings, that leads perfectly into the next question...

*OK, not really.

Alsooo- favorite HP character? :)

AUGH, this question is so unbelievably hard, you don't even know. They're all connected and intertwined, it's hard for me to choose ONE. For technicality's sake, I'd say Remus Lupin because not only was he clearly the best DADA teacher, he balanced out the crazier James and Sirius. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for him.
But to stretch the answer a bit, I'd say my favorite "character" is the Weasley family (because duh, they wrock).

I couldn't resist.

Michelle asked:

If you had the chance to pick a show (or two) from the fashion week shows.. which would you want to go to ? :)

I actually don't really follow specific fashion week shows. I'll pipe up when I see something I like, but I've never been the one to review a certain line or show. However, I'd love to see Alexander McQueen because to see works like this and this up close sounds amazing.

Nickie asked:

I just want to know...did that Bus really have that written on it? Or is this some snazzy photoshop skills your possess?
Hahahaha, I wish that bus had that written on it. That's very specific vandalism that would've worked out perfectly for me. But no, graffiti isn't really my gig; but Photoshop is! And as snazzy as I'd like to seem, that picture was snazzed up thanks to a borrowed tablet and some hand-eye coordination.

Lexy asked:

When did you become interested in fashion?

To be frank, embarrassingly later in my life. I like to joke that I really like fashion now to make up for the severe lack of style I was left to stifle with in my elementary youth. It wasn't until after high school that I took more freedoms with my wardrobe and personal style, and I love how simply liberating it can be. :)

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I've always shied away from these type of questions because honestly, I have no idea. I only wish/hope that in five years, whatever I'm doing, I'm content and fulfilled. And possibly doing something within the law. And breathing. And doing physically and mentally well. And a lot of other things.

What's something about you that NO ONE KNOWS?!

UHM. For someone who has hilariously low athletic ability, I can crabwalk exceptionally well. But I'm really rusty, so...

Fhen asked:

Which fashion era do you love the most? 50's? 80's? or?

As shown here and here (to name a few), my favorite fashion eras are typically 60s and 20s inspired. That's not to say I didn't dabble in 50s silhouettes a bit, either. Lately, I couldn't shut up about looking 70s/bohemian chic. So I'm all over the place. But my go-to favorite probably is the 60s.

Krissy asked:

Do you like thunderstorms?

When I'm safe in my bed and not in a flimsy, leaking camping tent, yes.

What is your biggest fear? Biggest dream?

My biggest fear is probably abandonment/never finding "that special someone"/divorce.
My biggest dream used to be performing on American Idol. Now I realize how lame that is, so now it's probably being successful and recognized for my efforts/traveling to Korea.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the following colours: purple, green, orange, yellow, black.

Purple- royal.oysters.rich.
Green- silk.fresh grass.snake
Orange- burst.gaudy.wonderful smell of clementines
Yellow- yellow ranger.goldenrod.thick Van Gogh-esque paint
Black- CMYK.Jet black horses.hair

If you could live in any movie or television show, which would you want to be in?

The first that comes into mind is the world of Pushing Daisies. Almost everything is saturated in color and the world is an odd mix of modern with vintage vibes. There's even the occasional moment when people break out into song (and I can't beat that). The only drawback is that people die often under unsavory circumstances.

On a practical note, I'd say living in House MD's world isn't too bad because... the world's best and most curmudgeonly diagnostician exists and will solve whatever possible weird illness I may have about... 90% of the time.

As for the other 10% of the time, I'm screwed.

And that's it. I hope y'all enjoyed the answers as much as I enjoyed answering them. :) Which was a good amount, just so you know.

Before you open up your eyes

2010-12-07T03:32:00.000-05:00

It's officially dead week. This officially means that there's less than a week left till finals week. Which officially means that winter break is just a week after that.

It also officially seals my doom.

But. As long as I'm cuddling in this impossibly puffy and comfy jacket (which I was lucky enough to natch at half price!) and impossibly puffy scarf, I can pretend I can get as much sleep as I desire. Which is hilarious to assume when I'm hopping between two big projects and all-nighters...

Top- thrift store in Bronx :: Jacket- Silence+Noise :: Scarf- TJMaxx

It probably doesn't help that I recently got a tumblr, does it? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnaw. I try to refrain myself, seriously I do... oh look! What is that, a SONG?

It's very soothing and haunting to listen to this song on repeat when you're half awake. Furreal.

Winter's officially here

2010-12-04T03:53:00.000-05:00

This fur stole that my mom found is the only thing standing between freezing-my-neck-and-ass-off and tolerably-being-comfortably-warm. It's a very tricky and thin line, especially during the long winter.

What keeps you warm during the cold months? If you say it doesn't even snow where you are, I just might throttle you.

Just kidding. I really won't, truly. I mean, I like snow, until it turns into this cold, amorphous, gray, gross, slush. Concrete slushie, mmmmmm.

I think my face here succinctly sums up "why the frickfrack am I standing out here taking photos to pass the time?"

Also, a question for y'all. I took my outfit photos in several different locations, some outside (for the sake of natural lighting) and some inside (for the sake of convenience). Putting them side by side, which do you think turned out better? Which one do I look most pained in? I give myself points for keeping the same awkward bent leg pose in each picture.

Turtleneck- American Apparel :: Skirt- secondhand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Cardigan- H&M :: Boots- TJMaxx :: Fur stole- Mom'd

I have to say though, that I'd much rather be lounging in this setting (yes, this is a bathroom)...

... than trembling in this setting. Eep.

Finally... What's Lovely for December 2, 2010 (yes, it's late):

Late night studying sometimes calls for late night food deliveries (that might not be the best for you-- I always feel at least a little guilty splurging so much money on food alone). Occasionally late night food deliveries come with an adorably ferocious dinosaur.

Oh, I just want the weekend to last much, much longer. Happy weekend, everyone!

Try to Keep a Cool Head

2010-11-29T23:45:00.002-05:00

Beret- local thrift store :: Scarf- H&M :: Blouse- secondhand :: Skirt+Shoes- Thailand :: Tights- We Love Colors+Target :: Coat- Gap

What's Lovely for November 29, 2010:

Some sort of "Pimp My Ride: Low Budget Bicycle Edition," where one of the wheels looks vaguely like a Pokeball...

Ahem. First off, how was your Thanksgiving? Were many thanks and calories had around the table? Did you watch the Macy's Day parade? Were you disillusioned by it all? Did you at least eat well?

What's nice about straight-up outfit posts are that after the song-and-dance of editing and uploading them, I can simply throw them into a post, say a few words that I hope are in coherent English, and be done with it. Unfortunately, a part of me is usually loath to do just this because it lacks personality, though it's also a matter of letting the clothes "speak for themselves." Oh, if they could talk...

Things My Clothes Might Say If They Had an Opportunity to Speak (Presumably in Proper Grammar):

- You know, you probably should stop using the "sniff to see if it needs a washing" system, you're not a frat boy (am I the only one who does this?).
- What is this, no dry cleaning?? What kind of cheapskate are you??
- We like our hangers, they keep us high and dry. Which is why we don't like getting squashed every which way when you're too lazy to put us up and leave us in large heaps. That's fun for about the first five minutes, then it's just messy.
- Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed ussssssssssssssss.
- UGH, you're going to wear the leopard print scarf with the floral print pajama pants?? GURL.
- Meh, I guess it's not all bad-- we do have our own show. Only it's less of a show, more of a random blog where you pose all weird and stuff. Thanks.

And you're welcome, clothes of mine that don't speak. Besides letting them speak for themselves, the other problem with purely outfit posts is that it reminds me of what I've been putting off/have forgotten to feature or do on my blog-- hell, even in my life. As much as I am also loath to conclude my post on a downer (spoiler alert: I'm going to talk about dumb stuff like my feeelings), all I want to do right now is physically douse myself in warm water and mentally douse myself in cold water. I feel like it's all I need right now, but all I have is an empty bowl.

Truth be told, I've put myself in a needlessly pitying state, tinged with that ugly color called ungratefulness. I'm really not; I don't think I am. The funny thing when I'm feeling particularly prickly or indignant is that at the back of my mind, I'm usually aware of how I'm wrong. I think a good number of us are. But sometimes I want to take that anger and run with it. Run with it as far as I can and then collapse in a tired heap, knowing that I'm finished. I know that in the future, I need to be more mature and control my anger instead of acting brash.

But now, I'm going to sit here in my warm place and think and give thanks (even after Thanksgiving). And most hopefully, finish something that's not my temper.

Getting rid of that nasty spot

2010-11-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

What's Lovely for November 24, 2010:

Pretending that this Wednesday is really a Saturday, indicated by the fact that I started off the day in Hello Kitty pajama pants and am ending it with leg warmers. On a scale of lame to Barney Stinson, how cool am I?

Top- Nasty Gal (on sale!) :: Bottom- would you call these gaucho pants? either way, they were a gift, I believe :: Boots- TJMaxx

Fun fact that you never bothered to know: These pictures were actually taken last week, but I never found the right opportunity to post them. Until now. Ugh, being away from the blogging world for about a week in real life seems to translate to six months. It's like when time goes faster in Narnia, only I don't get to go through a mothball-filled wardrobe that's really a portal to a new world where a satyr that looks oddly like James McAvoy greets me with nothing on but a scarf. Wait, can this please be just like Narnia?

As I was actually not saying, I wanted to talk a little bit about the top I'm wearing in these photos. When I initially heard of Nasty Gal, I thought of something akin to Girls Gone Wild. Thank goodness in actuality they were closer to Girls Gone Wild's mature older sister, Girls Gone Wild with Fashion While Fully Clothed. When I saw this leopard print (I'd like to think that y'all know how I feel about leopard print) on sale, it was pretty much meant to be. But enough waxing poetic about clothes... it feels more than slightly shallow to go on about my wardrobe when it's Thanksgiving (or as a particular HIMYM fan appropriately called it, Turturkeykey day), tomorrow.

Yes, Thanksgiving. However, something seems a bit off. For one, as I'm writing this, there's a nasty thunderstorm outside that's just about to simmer down. It's funny to think that it's been dreary (as what I'd imagine London would be) in late November when I heard that the Northeast coast has been having snow days. And forget the South, where I imagine they're BBQing a massive turkey as we speak. Speaking of speaking about turkey, I won't be having turkey this year (did I just hear a collective intake of air known as a gasp?). In my defense, and as much as I love turkey, I'm also a practical person who knows that sharing even the tiniest hormone-injected turkey between two people will be a disaster. So, my mom is excited to prepare a smaller, more Korean type of dish; but don't worry, it's still mm, mmm, meat. Personally, I'm looking forward to the stuffing and mashed potatoes. YUM.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And for those who're not American, I hope you have a happy random day tomorrow for no reason at all!

Accio Deathly Hallows (and the rest of my childhood)

2010-11-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

"As thrilled as I am to be so uncomfortably close to you, you really need a manicure, Voldy."

You've heard it on the news. You've listened to your friends talk on and on about it. You've seen all the statuses on Facebook. And you'll hear it here, your number one source for Harry Potter fandom mania from a dorky, loud and pop-centric Asian who likes to dress up every once in many while.* In this post, I show what I did that fateful night when I was lucky enough to score two midnight tickets at the last minute. I spent a lot of the pre-show like this:

Yes. Be excited.

*I still have yet to find my niche.

It's so lame, but I seriously almost cried due to sheer epic adventure/emotional measure when I saw this trailer again. Though it does throw me off a lot to notice that at least half of this trailer is all stuff that's going to go down in the second half... But if a more literal approach is more your fancy, then look below...

While the original trailer makes me weep shamelessly like Moaning Myrtle, I like to watch this on repeat because of sheer silliness and I have "bad guy at an uncomfortably close distance" stuck in my head.

That's right. HARRY POTTER. If you didn't already notice my brief "About me" on the right hand side, I'm a huge fan. The timing was very good for me; I got my first taste of The Boy Who Lived back in 4th grade when I was 10 years old. Imagine my utter disappointment on my 11th birthday when no owl came swooshing in to drop a letter informing me that I was a Muggle-born witch who was honored to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The fact that I wasn't British might've affected that. On a tangential side-note, I wonder what school the American witches and wizards attended? Wasn't it mentioned in the third book that they went to Salem or something ironic like that? I'm open to all-nerd-out discussion in the comments or email.

Fun fact: I originally had another outfit post all lined up for brief talkin' and clothes showin', but then I thought... hey, it's way more topical to put out a Deathly Hallows post. Plus, I can show how totally cool and rad I am when I geek out hardcore. Fine, the last bit is more than a long shot, but lately I haven't been putting much effort into my blog in terms of variety. And dammit, I love Harry Potter.

My friend Kira and I decided to dress up as Trelawney (me) and Rita Skeeter (her) 'cause "why not?" We got more than a mildly startled reaction from a couple of Starbucks employees when we made a caffeine pit stop on our way to the theater. Once there, I saw with a sinking heart that we were only one of the few who bothered to go all out in costumes. FAIL, THEATER-GOERS.

We spent the first twenty minutes or so chilling next to the bathroom, away from the ushers, so I could inconspicuously scarf down my haphazard dinner (note: the Arby's). Only the best for us.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, WE LOVE YOU.

Dear Kira was responsible for this turban on my head. This was one out of a grand total of five scarves I draped around myself to be batshit crazy Professor Trelawney.

You knew she was Rita because of a) the bright green jacket b) the glasses and c) the fluffy pen and notepad that said "His eyes were gleaming with the ghosts of his past."

Another fun fact: we originally wanted to get a picture with dead Cedric Diggory (with scars and blood and everything!), but we couldn't find him. When we finally did, a fairly frightening Death Eater was with him.

"Can you take a picture with us? Oh, and your friend can be in it too, his outfit's awesome." I said, holding my camera up.

"Sure we will, Charlene," said the friendly Death Eater.

Turns out that the creepy-ass guy was really my co-worker/friend in disguise. He happens to be one of the friendliest and silliest guys I know. Irony can be awesome.

CEDRIC, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Seen any Wrackspurts lately, Luna?

Kira, Stephen and I were super pumped that it was only about five minutes till showtime. Stephen was feeling a little bent out of shape, though. [insert corny laugh track here]

I definitely have to watch it again/discuss it avidly with my friends to properly assess this movie. But my initial response is that this movie really put me on the edge of my seat. There are always inherent flaws with every Harry Potter movie (uhm, randomly burning down the Weasley house, anyone?), but I really do think they get better and better each time. For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action, the emotion, AGH.

What about you? Tell me what you thought of it if you saw it and/or are a huge Harry Potter nerd like I am!

Go Ahead, Try Something New

2010-11-16T23:11:00.003-05:00

What's Lovely for November 16, 2010:
After having a talk with my professor that left me a little frustrated, I discovered that simply switching up a daily routine-- whether it was finding a new spot to take photos or paying an unexpected visit-- can end up surprising you.

Blouse- thrifted at local store :: Vest- remnant from Pink's closet :: Jacket- JouJou via TJMaxx :: Skirt- Forever 21 :: Tights- We Love Colors + Target :: Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell from Thailand

My level of maturity is astonishingly high.

Unfortunately, that's really all I have time and brain power to say. But I challenge you to change something in your daily routine, whether it's the route you take to work, what you eat for lunch everyday, what color/outfit you usually wear, which hand you use to brush your teeth, anything. You might not get an epiphany from it, but we all need a little shake and bake in our usual rituals. Do that, then tell me all about it right here. I look forward to it. :)

What I've been up to...

2010-11-11T23:04:00.000-05:00

What's Lovely?

From enjoying pumpkin lattes in inordinately warm November weather (yesterday)...

(Blouse- magic? :: Dress- Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg :: Shoes- Old Navy)

... to artfully skinning knees like I'm an eight-year old tomboy again (today).

Uphill Climb

2010-11-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

Pictures. Pictures, pictures. Clothes clothes. Picture. Poses. Clothes fashion style style clothes fashion clothes scarf.

Just a straight-up outfit post, folks. If you can't tell, my lack of consciousness is preventing my vocabulary from candid conversation. All I can seem to do is spew out words that sum up this post. I could tell you how I got caught in the act of taking these photos, or how abnormally warm it has gotten here as of late. But no. Photo, photo, scarf scarf, kimono sleeves. You can also tell I'm sleepy from my sleepy eyes. Ah, never-ending battle, why do you never seem to end?

Top&Pants- thrift store in Bronx :: Scarf- Limited :: Jacket- garage sale :: Flats- Thailand

Against the Bright Sun

2010-11-05T00:15:00.000-04:00

What's Lovely for Nov. 4, 2010:

Trying out this new, almost obnoxiously bright coral pink, lipstick. This outfit was something I like to do-- black and white with pop(s) of color. Speaking of pop, I want pop tarts. I know they're terrible for you, but you know what? I'm cravin' me some artificially-flavored sugar, dammit.

Blouse- Mom'd :: Bow- magic? :: Skirt- secondhand :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Wedges- Bandolino via TJMaxx :: Lipstick- Love That Pink by Revlon

Oh yes, it's the return of the just-as-obnoxiously-bright yellow tights. Hello, Banana Legs.

List of Clever Things That Come to Mind When I Try to Write This Post:

- Look at the bow I made, durr hurr, so pretty
- I wore yellow tights with yellow sandals, how clever am I, see what I did there
- Why's my face so weird? Have I forgotten how to pose properly?
- Trees so pretty
- Herp derp buh buh buh

Not very clever at all, is it? Sadly, no. So I'm going to sign off with a random funny.

Why did I decide to wear dramatically yellow tights today?

For kicks and giggles, of course!

OK, I'll leave quietly now that I've said the worst joke ever. Please don't hurt me.

Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, spooky scary

2010-11-03T23:52:00.000-04:00

Two costumes, one dress. Secretly, I was really a person who remixes her clothes for Halloween, but that would've been much harder to explain.

Aaaaand it's the Halloween episode! I mean, post, it's the Halloween post, several days late. Blame it on the barrage of exams and projects, since there wasn't any a-a-a-a-alcohol to be had (disclaimer: that was a reference to a bad song, I've yet to be a raging alcoholic).

Anyway, onto the fun costumes. Meet my alter egos:

Lini P. Vixenberger. Channeling Liza Minelli from Cabaret who was channeling Charlie Chaplin. She dislikes pecans and likes cocktails with suggestive names. She's a sweetheart.

One doesn't receive a kiss and tell *exaggerated wink*

The Crimson Shadow. Identity unknown. Powers unknown. Honestly, not much is known about her, except that she's definitely not a sweetheart.

In which I try to look like a total badass super villainess, but when I look at these photos, I realize that it can never be because a) I couldn't run in high heels/wedges and b) I don't have the impossibly large bust/tiny waist body ratio of a typical comic book female.

Friday was when I became a slut. By Rocky Horror Picture Show standards, that is.

V for virgin, baby.

Dress- Goodwill :: Ribbon- magic? :: Bowler- Target :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Shoes- Old Navy

Though I was too late to partake in the wonderfully humiliating opening ceremonies, I still got to do the whole schpiel-- throwing toast, spraying with water guns, yelling "asshole!"-- to name a few. It was a fun night of debauchery and 3 a.m. Chinese food.

Let's do the Time Warp superfast again and again and again and again

I'm glad that since Halloween fell on a Sunday, that left us the excuse to spend the whole weekend as Halloweentime. I definitely wasn't complaining. My only regret? Not dressing up for class on the Friday before. I saw a guy (at least, I assume it was a guy) dressed up as Gumby (I almost thought the character's name was Gumbo, then realized that was the name of a traditionally Southern dish and wouldn't make a very recognizable costume). He just politely barged into one of my large lecture classes-- and this is what I love about Halloween the most. The costumes and playing an elaborate game of dress-up! I'm not much one for massive amounts of candy, nor am I a particular fan of the general rule "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." I'm all for dressing sexy, but not slutty. Slutty equals remarkably uninspired costumes like Sexy Finding Nemo, Sexy Wookie... must I go on?

Needless to say, I was pretty psyched about pretending to be a super villain. Though it came with its liabilities (see below).

The Crimson Shadow hasn't done any major bad work yet. Most of what she's done is take pictures of herself in her home, so yeah.

Dress- Goodwill :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Scarf- American Apparel :: Shoes- Kelsi Dagger via TJMaxx :: Jacket- Joujou via TJMaxx :: Gloves- borrowed :: Wig & makeup- Walmart

The Two Times When I Was Killed In One Night Because That's the Kinda Stuff You Gotta Look Out for When You're a Super Villain:

1. I was stabbed by a vampire slayer, even though I wasn't even a vampire. If you're going to slay your Draculas and Edwards, that's your thing, but keep me out of it, Buffy.

2. Later, I was locked in an epic battle (that was witnessed by a staggering amount of five people) with the Green Arrow (in this case, a female) when it seemed I was the clear winner. Then she had to turn around and freakin' stab me with her arrow. Seriously, what's up with the stabbings? Give a super villain a break, geez.

All in a night's work of your run of the mill super-badass. It's nice to come home to your lair and just relax with a nice bottle of wine and evil plottings, or whatever villains do in their downtime.

Good thing NO ONE will find out my secret identity now.

So I had a pretty good Halloween. What about you? Tell me what your plans and misdeeds were!

Calling Mr. Stewart, need my sanity restored

2010-10-28T23:25:00.000-04:00

What's Lovely for October 28, 2010: It's not every day you can pet your clothing (though it's quite easy to put clothing on your pet)

Top- Goodwill :: Skirt- Aeropostale survivor :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Jacket- gift from incredibly generous friend :: Belt- Thailand :: Shoes- Old Navy

And I'm back! Sort of. I'm sorta late in the week, just like I've been late in everything else this week. Though it's been oddly quiet on this blog, I've been having a grueling week that's left me nervous, exasperated, anxious, tired, embarrassed and ashamed. Funny how I'm saying this in an outfit post where I'm wearing nothing but bright pink fuzzies and frilly black, right? The irony isn't lost on me.

I hope that I haven't been too much of a downer-- on one hand, "dammit, it's my blog!" But on the other hand, I never try to be too heavy at the Toast. I hate to admit this, but I've felt stressed when people would ask in passing "hey, how are you doing?" It's almost a burden to answer; I'm tempted to be blunt and go "oh y'know, feeling really tired and bad this week." But no one likes TMI emotional baggage. Plus, that's not even entirely truthful. I haven't exactly been weeping or huddled in a corner this entire week (contrary to popular belief). I'm odd in that I can be feeling terrible, then I'd hear a dumb joke or see a stupid Youtube video and laugh. I mean, belly-flopping Corgis, that's priceless!

It'll be a lie if I said that I haven't watched this video at least five times already. Belly-flopping Corgis cure many ailments.

However, I must thank y'all for the nice words and things on my last post. Though I took a hiatus off of blogging, I clearly couldn't keep myself away from blogs themselves. I'd like to give the whole blogosphere a hug, if it'll let me.

On the other upside: who's psyched for Halloween like I am? And who's psyched for the rallies to restore sanity and to keep fear alive? If you're going to the Stewart/Colbert rallies in DC, let me know! I'm so jealous and I'm voracious to know what you're planning!

Next up: I answer your questions!

Hiatus (and some random information you never wanted to know)

2010-10-24T02:54:00.000-04:00

Another self-inflicted banishment falls upon this blog: I'm beyond stressed right now and karma is biting me squarely in my lack-of-ass. If you have the time, please wish me luck as I huddle in my fetal position over in the corner. Maybe then I won't fail as hard as I know I will.

In the meantime, allow me to share...

Three Things I Learned Today That Had Nothing to Do with What I Actually Had to Learn:

1) That dude who directed framed rabbits and creepily animated people is coming out with a 3D remake of the Beatles' classic film Yellow Submarine. And Cary Elwes is going to be voicing my favorite Beatle.

Cary Elwes = Westley = Dread Pirate Roberts = George Harrison = HE'S A MASTER OF DISGUISE
"Uh hey, isn't he an actor?"
... shut up.

2) They're making a Mean Girls 2, minus Tina Fey, Lindsey Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, etc. I'm pretty sure the only person to return is the principal.

Nothing against Tim Meadows, but as ~~Liz Lemon~~ Tina Fey is demonstrating: "wtf furreal?"

3) The guy who played "the dorky guy" in Legally Blonde is Norman Bates aka Psycho's son. WHAT.

"It's because of my family history that I've become very averse to taking showers. Every time I try to, I hear screechy violin music."

Maybe this is why I'm currently in this mental fetal position. Maybe. Probably. I'm going to go back to my corner now, if that's OK with you.

Fall Uniform

2010-10-22T00:40:00.000-04:00

Blouse-Target :: Skirt-Forever 21 :: Belt-secondhand :: Boots-TJMaxx :: Scarf-from Pink (coincidence?) :: Jacket-gift from Korea

What's Lovely for October 21, 2010:

OMIGOD THIS SONG. I saw this musical tonight and must I say-- never have I enjoyed a musical that puts a little bits of chauvinism, stereotyping and pink more than this. No really, it won me over with this infectious song. I honestly think it's a disease that's burrowing a heart-shaped hole into my brain. But it's fine because TOTAL MAD PROPS I LOVE YOU GUYS. *squeals*

Omigod you guys caffeine makes me go ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Exhibits A and B of how I never drink coffee or caffeine; yet here I am, gulping away at pumpkin lattes. This may be serious.

Today's outfit just seemed to scream "misfit girl who's just 'misunderstood,' she reads Kafka for fun and likes to fall in love with boys who have OCD" to me. Just one of those days, y'know?

It seems that the final remnants of Indian summer have been squeezed, pressed and furiously rubbed out. In its place lies the chilly fall hiding underneath. Which means that it's both a) layering weather and b) chapped hands that resemble humanoid scales weather. Both are beautiful things to behold.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to attend to this hole that's mysteriously formed on the side of my head. Omigod like I have no idea why.

Start wearing purple, wearing purple

2010-10-20T23:13:00.000-04:00

Guess why I donned all purple for today?

What's Lovely for October 20, 2010 (10/20/10!):

In continuing my penchant for finding things in unexpected places, I'd like to point out this heart made out of ... space fabric wrapped around heater. Screw Valentine cards, nothing's more romantically sweet than this.

Dress- xhileration from Target :: Skirt- Thailand :: Scarf/belt- gift :: Tights- We Love Colors :: Jacket- gift from Korea :: Shoes- Old Navy

Gogol Bordello got it right when he warbled in his quasi-Russian: start wearing purple for me now. Then again, he didn't really finish that sentence with "for raising awareness of anti-gay bullying." Unfortunately those lyrics weren't as catchy, so it ended up on the cutting room floor. Despite this, the song played on sporadic repeat in my head as I walked around decked out in more purple than a stereotypical pimp. And much like a pimp, I ~~felt like I had to slap some rakes and hos around~~ loved to help a brother/sister/anything-in-between out in a tiny way.

And here's my gift to you. This song. Enjoy it. Dance to it. Wear purple to it.

Two reasons you know this is a true man: his mustache and the fact that he can somehow pull off drag.