Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts

Monday, January 10, 2011

Red and Pink

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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! 

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

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

One year and a day.

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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. :)


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Calling Mr. Stewart, need my sanity restored

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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) 

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

Thursday, September 2, 2010

tiny splash

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What's Lovely for September 2, 2010: Prescription pills (for my cough, my COUGH, it's totally legit, really, I swear) and figuratively dipping a toe into the figurative water



Oh how I missed you all. Reading your comments delighted my sick-as-a-dog days, and if you've noticed, I've been tentatively making my way back into the swing of blogging. Danke for the patience that I sorely don't deserve. It's nice to not cough every five seconds.


Now I'm only at every fifteen seconds.   

Thursday, July 22, 2010

tangerine memorabilias in the indigo way

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What's Lovely for July 22, 2010: Awesomefantabulouslovelyamazingandotheradjectivesthathaven'tbeeninventedyet package from...

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I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw this bright yellow box on my front porch. How excited? THIS EXCITED!!!!!! Though I wasn't literally jumping up and down, I was wide-eyed as an eight-year old kid on Christmas day. Only it's better, because it's Christmas in July. Christmas in July is amazing in every way except one (Santa will be throwing off his snowsuit for a pair of boxers, yeesh).

My, I got sidetracked.

We've been planning this package exchange for awhile-- and now, with the blissful emptiness that is summer, it has become possible. Not only is getting mail exciting, but mail from blogger friends who live far away? Priceless. And since I have several questions from Indigo that I need to answer, this post shall be entirely Tangerine Umbrellas on an Indigo Day theme!

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Look at how neatly and prettily Indigo wrapped up her gift! All purdy like, I tells ya.


1.If you were to change your name, what would you pick?

I actually like my name, is that too vain to say? Charlene isn't a name you hear every day (though I have called it the name that only 50-year old women in menopause commercials have). But I have thought about this before-- if I had to change my name, I'd go with Irene. Boring, right? It rhymes with Charlene. I'm like the poor man's poor man's Shakespeare.

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Out of the magnificent menagerie I've been blessed with, one of the most unusual(ly awesome) were the pig popper and a pink feather.


2. If you had to decorate your house floor to ceiling in one pattern (wallpaper, furniture, picture frames, sheets, as if your name was Olive Snook...) what pattern would you pick?

I'd definitely go with varying shapes and sizes of stripes. Pinstripes, fat stripes, you name it. Can you imagine how streamlined and ridiculous my house would look like??

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Cami enjoyed the pig popper (hopefully I'll share a video of her playing with it later) immensely, but wasn't amused when I tried to put Tangerine's gift of the pink feather in her collar.


3. You are trapped in a room filled with rising dough with only an apple, a handkerchief and a non working toaster. The walls are soundproof and there is a door, but it is locked, and it is 15 feet a way and the dough in front of you is already 6 feet high. In two minutes the dough will have risen so high that it will suffocate you, how do you escape?

I'll obviously realize upon polishing the non-working toaster with the handkerchief that it's in fact the
Brave Little Toaster who's just sleeping. I'll lightly smack him to wake him up, and though he'll be a little perturbed that I slapped him awake, he'll be more than glad to help me. He'll then dive into the rising pile of dough and use his toaster powers to electrify the dough and then summon millions of toast that we'll both use to crush the dough into a corner. The Brave Little Toaster will allow me to use some of his inner wires to fiddle and open the locked door and in our triumph we'll both share the apple. And if all that doesn't work, I'll use magic and then eat the apple. The end.


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Tangerine sent over these beautiful Chinese paper cut-outs that were so delicate and fragile that I felt like I was holding a real butterfly.


4. You are offered the job of your dreams. What is it?

It's always been a problem with me to focus on one set career path, and the number of choices has always daunted me. However, at this point, I'd love to be offered as a graphic designer/artist at a fashion magazine or be a part of the making of film and television title design like
this. Of course, there's always that dream I once had to be a singer on Broadway. Ah, pipe dreams, don't we all have them?

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5. What, in your opinion, is the best thing since sliced bread?

No offense to sliced bread, but you know what, there are a fecking ton of things that can beat it. For example, this package. It's fecking awesome and it's full of love. Is a bread full of love? No, it's full of bread and carbs. Though I love carbs, so whatevs.

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I keep all my letters, postcards and miscelleneous things with writing on them in this box. It's gradually yet surely getting fuller.

If I may be so bold, I have one more thing to say.

The second song on Indigo's CD
(Scott McKenzie's "San Francisco") was playing when I read this comment over at Ruby Slipper Journey's blog-- "It makes me so happy that someone is considering taking up sewing, possibly partly inspired by little moi!"

That's when it hit me (albeit softly).

Blogging brings us all together. If it weren't for blogging, then that blogger wouldn't have been affected by the other blog. If it weren't for blogging, then I wouldn't be listening to this
Andrew Bird song (he's currently trilling his violin and whistling, of course). If it weren't for blogging, then my room wouldn't be littered with many treasures and I wouldn't be quite so full of thanks, grace and a little bit of guilt (mind you, there's only a bit of guilt because Tangerine and Indigo are so generous to give such amazing gifts that I feel like I don't deserve this at all).

This is when the music swells, figuratively if not literally.

When I really stop to think about this, I'm overwhelmed. My chest feels heavy with feeling, but it's not overbearing. It's light yet has a steady weight at the same time. It's hard to put how happy and thankful I am quite succinctly into words that aren't blatant signs of flowery poetry, but I'll try. Thank you, Tangerine. Thank you, Indigo. Thank you, blog. Thank you, followers and blogger friends. Thank you for supporting me and replying to my neverending questions. You like me, you really like me (and this is when they drag me away from the stage).

Contrived melodramatics aside, I'm happy. It's enough to make you want to laugh, cry and hug a puppy all at the same time. But that sounds a bit too hazardous to try at home. Thanks y'all.

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PS: I got what-- five?!?!-- mix CDs total. And they're all amazing. I really should share them with the rest of you guys in future posts. Last time thank yous and bear hugs for Tangerine and Indigo! :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Drumroll, please...

And the winner of the Giveaway Tree Giveaway is...

Kristy Eléna!
Congratulations, Kristy! Have fun with Owlie McHooters, Ms. Jaspy aka Kit Jagger and the gang!

(The winner was chosen at random through random.org with my eyes closed)

Thank you to everyone who participated. :) It's been an awesome 100+ (now 120! I'm close to falling off my chair)!


PS: I'm trying to tweak around my blog layout, so apologies for the sporatically ADD-esque changes that I'll be experimenting with. Unfortunately, my knowledge in basic HTML and CSS seems to be lacking... I'd appreciate any tips and pointers so my blog wont' look so embarrassingly juvenile!

Monday, July 12, 2010

To Vuvuzale

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What's Lovely for July 11, 2010: The vuvuzela.

That's right, THAT thing.The buzzing trumpet that sounds like a mix between a horde of bees and a wailing Wookie. I personally think it's tons of fun, even though I haven't been following the games at all (my cable wasn't working! I got behind! aaghhh I usually love this international-sports-gathering-every-four-years kinda thing). But as you probably know by now (spoilers if you don't): Huzzah Spain! I know a lot of people are crushed or ecstatic. I certainly know you're the latter, right Jess? What about you guys, have you been following it religiously as I know some fans have?



Fact: my friend Anthony is a proud owner of a collapsible blue vuvuzela.
Fact: much like the traditions we all held as children, if someone has a cool thing, he/she must share it with his/her peers.
So naturally, we took advantage of these facts and vuvuzaled (the verb form of vuvuzale) the hell outta that thing. Some facts about the vuvuzela:

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Playing the vuvuzela in your downtown area might garner you many stares and the occasional "fuck you, asshole!" from an irate and bitter passerby. Instead of insulting them back, just blow on your horn and go "BRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." (Anthony's vuvuzela doesn't really buzz)
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No matter how collapsible they are, vuvuzelas are not meant to be put in the back pocket.
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They can also double as large eardrums.

And now you know everything there's to know about vuvuzelas. You're welcome.

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Check out that wonked up expression! I think I was trying to be serious, and ended up having this prematurely bad Zoolander rip-off on my face.
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I really must thank Lizzie for being patient with me, seeing as how I tell her to go stand in various places and just stand. She's not really used to this whole "fashion blog" thing. But isn't her dress pretty? I got it for her in Thailand at JJ Market. It instantly reminded me of her because it was blue and has elephants on it.
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So it's incredibly and unbelievably fortunate that I didn't lose my balance in those heels and fall into the fountain. That's what I get for trying to be a pseudo-wannabe-Glamourai...
[outfit] Skirt (as dress)- Mom's :: Scarf- Limited :: Belt- Thailand :: Heels- Steve Madden via TJMaxx
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What's yo flavor, tell me what's yo flavor-- no seriously, tell me what's your favorite flavor ice cream/yogurt! I don't have just one, but today it was mint chip. Yummmmm.


Thank you to EVERYONE who entered in my first giveaway!!! I'll reveal who the winner is in the next post!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Hangover recovery

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What's Lovely for Thursday, July 8, 2010: Ending the day with someone who's got a friend in me (and vice versa)

My apologies for going AWOL, but lately I've been suffering from a hangover. No, not that kind. It's what I like to call-- Toy Story 3 hangover. This kind of condition left me completely emotionally drained by the glory, beauty and purely inexplicable tenderness of the movie that left me weeping like a bathtub overflowing. Are you happy, Indigo?? Are you happy, friends who hounded me to watch this film? In their defense, I totally wanted to watch this heavily anticipated movie, and wasn't about to miss this like I did Avatar (the James Cameron one, not the fucked up M. Night one).

But now I've made it sound like watching this movie is a harrowing experience. It really isn't. I'm just a towel that's been wrung one too many times. Go see this movie if you haven't already! It's beautiful and wonderful and hilarious. Who's your favorite toy besides Woody and Buzz ('cause you gotta love Woody and Buzz)? Mine prolly is Hamm-- he's so frank it cracks me up.


(The Thai Jewelry Giveaway ends tomorrow at 11:11 am CT, so enter if you haven't already!)

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As you can see, my dear friend Lizzie has come to visit home and was gracious enough to watch Toy Story 3 for my sake-- which was the third time for her. Hey, what can I say: it's a good movie!
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I've always wanted to take pictures in front of this favorite store of mine-- hopefully like Schwarzenegger, I'll be bahk.
[outfit] Dress- Thailand : Scarf- garage sale : Booties- Rebel via TJMaxx


What's Lovely for Friday, July 9, 2010: Attacking my dog's fur with a small pair of scissors, transforming her into a much neater-looking canine with legwarmers

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I can't help but giggle everytime I see her now. Teeheeheehee.


What's Lovely for today, July 10, 2010: A little mosey and mango ice are very nice

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OK fun story: So I spotted these AMAZING pair of Western heeled boots on this girl and consequently had to stalk her and pretty much made my poor friends follow me through the crowd just so I can snap several pictures of her in this overall cute outfit which the boots just MADE y'know? And that's how Charlene stalked a girl in a pair of boots for about ten minutes.
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We watched this one band play (who were pretty rad, actually, check 'em out), but it was the kids who were really rockin' out. So darn cute, I tell ya, they were running and jumping all over the place. Just look at that boy's face.
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Me sporting a new look-- mango iced yellow lips. Strangely enough, I sorta like the idea of yellow lipstick. What do you think?

PS: Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me in that "Be as ironically aloof as possible!" contest I mentioned in the last post. I ended up coming in second place, I think!!

PPS: I'm currently feeling all up in a funk and have this ball of impatience in my chest. Or maybe it's from all those salt and pepper chips I ate...

PPPS: Again, more thanks to
Indigo for tagging me (yet again) for answering 5 Questions! And also to Marie of The Joy of Fashion for giving me the "I heart your blog" award! Thanks and exclamation points all around!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Win from the Giveaway Tree!

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So funny story: I walked outside my house a few days ago when lo-and-behold! this curious wonderment of the giveaway tree appeared before me. I knew it was the special giveaway tree that only blooms every once in awhile because the fruits were bits and bobs of pretty jewelry straight from Thailand. How did I know they were from Thailand? The tree and I go way back.

Two of the jewelry included-- the double black and red necklace and the red-orange ring-- were given to me as a gift from the lovely Paulena from K&J Classy Closet. She's Pink's cousin who recently started a new clothing business that I'm excited about. Did you know that I actually modelled for her? True fax. You'll see if you click on that site, but you can ignore how dour I look. You can also see that the prices are decent; and I know Paulena's hoping to ship more overseas! Anyway: I need to make it perfectly clear that I'm not sponsored by her nor am I being paid in any fashion. I'm just someone who's helping out a friend. And who knows? Maybe you'll find something there you'd like.

As for the other jewelry-- the giant lock necklace, the owl ring and my own Ms. Jaspy (that I wore here)-- I bought at various outdoor shops in Thailand. So I can confidently say that these are all from Thailand, so you can sound verrrrrry exotic. :)

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Note: I have very scrawny fingers, so the jaguar ring fits my middle, index and ring finger fine; but the owl ring is very large and slips off easily. Click here for a photo reference.


The rules:
- Giveaway goes from now till July 11, at 11:11 AM US Eastern Time.
- You must be a follower to enter
- Leave a comment here with your email address
- Just for fun, why don't you give me what name you'd give the owl ring?

Good luck! And thanks so much for making this blog awesome!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Sunny side up, please.

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What's Lovely for Friday, June 11, 2010: Bright yellow + Interview + "PARKOUR" = a good day

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Yes, this bug bite is one out of many resulting from last post's escapade.

Say hello to the latest addition to the slowly-yet-steadily growing Charmalade choe (pronounced "shoe") family. Mom was a fierce opponent to these babies, but I was aching for a dash of bright yellow for the longest time. And these fun, summery (not to mention fairly comfortable) wedges were the answer. As it turned out, it started to rain on me right when I arrived home, and I saw how perfect the two sunny shades (oxymoron?) went together. So I made lemonade out of lemons ("balls, whyyyy is it raining nowwww?! grumblegrumble"), so to speak.

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Not exactly singin' in the rain, but I have a feeling that standin' in the rain will be a new classic.
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Tee- Old Navy : Shorts- gift from Thailand : Wedges- Bandolino via TJMaxx

Thank you all who responded and gave me fashion advice for my job interview! I want to give you all a big hug and perhaps a puppy. I only seem to have beagles and greyhounds left, is that OK with y'all?

I decided to go with what Elaine suggested and wear a skirt instead of slacks. Not only was it humid outside, but I wanted to wear this skirt for slightly auspicious reasons. This is the same skirt that my mom wore back when she was a teacher in Korea, but I never knew just how to wear it. It's very good quality and I love the tulip design, but it hits at a length that I'm not used to. In hindsight, I was worrying too much about what I was wearing more than I should've... not to say that I thought my outfit was the most important part of the interview, but dressing well puts on a good impression, right? Well the manager must've also liked tulip skirts because I was hired for the job! Huzzah, champagne and puppies all around.

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Blouse- Violet & Claire via TJMaxx : Skirt- Mom's : Belt- Thailand : Shoes- Gentle Souls via TJMaxx

What's Lovely for Sunday, June 13, 2010: Pretending to be on the Broadway stage by belting and howling classics like "Don't Rain on My Parade," "Rose's Turn" and "Maybe This Time." What can I say? I love musicals.

(Saturday's What's Lovely shall come later)

Though this isn't what you call show tune material, I've been playing this song on repeat-repeat-repeat over and over today.

I usually don't like the phrase "no one's ever gonna love you more than I will" because it sounds so selfish to me... but I still love this song.