Holiday Update

sweater & leggings from F21//shoes from UrbanOg.com//skirt from H&M//coat by Kenneth Cole

gold heart ring gifted from my sister years ago//rhinestone ring from F21//nails: 2% Milk/Lait 2% and NYX gold glitter

I know it's been QUITE some time since I last blogged and I apologize! Midterms, finals, and cold weather all together make it a little difficult to come up with material. Now that I'm on my three week winter break, I'll try my best to update more often! First and foremost, my hair is a lot darker. I figured since it's winter time, I ought to get rid of my ombre hair but I do feel a little out of my element to not have light hair anymore. Secondly, it's been super cold and rainy lately in the Bay Area which allows me to repeatedly take advantage of chunky sweaters and, also something I almost never wear, tights. I'm not huge on accessories - usually I'm good to go with a watch or a necklace but I felt just some simple rings were needed to balance out the weight. Some random information on these photos (except for the last one): I asked my dad to take a *few* but it turned into a 60-something-picture photo shoot haha. Perhaps I found myself a personal photographer??

Anyway, I hope you all have a safe and happy holidays!

Holiday Red

Originally came to Target to stock up on face wash, but I stumbled upon Maybelline's Color Show collection. Surprisingly, it wasn't expensive at all so I decided to pick up "Paint the Town", which is a beautiful deep red color. Especially with the holidays approaching, it's absolutely the perfect shade. Thinking about trying out some more colors since it was only $2.99 at Target!

Weekend

Just a few snapshots of my weekend, which consisted of good food and company. Brunch at Bernardo's Cafe, afternoon tea at Mishka's, followed by a delectable home cooked meal of Cod Basquaise (similar recipe here). I must say, I'm becoming quite the fan of prosciutto...How is it that I was not exposed to this salty deliciousness sooner?!

New Boots for Fall

Steve Madden "Intyce" Boots in Cognac/ H&M Black Ankle Boots

For the fall and winter, boots are an absolute must-have! I've been looking for black ankle boots for awhile now so I was so happy when I stumbled upon this pair at H&M. With its 3 inch chunky heel, comfort doesn't have to be sacrificed for some height; pair it with some black skinny jeans and your legs will instantly look elongated. I also decided to FINALLY purchase the Steven Madden "Intyce". After years of lusting over this particular pair of boots, I figured I should just buy it since 1) it will probably never go out of style, and 2) the color "cognac" gives off a distressed look and goes with pretty much everything. The slight wedge also gives you some height, which is an added bonus. However, the leather is super fragile, making scuff marks likely inevitable. It's still a beauty, though, and  I'm super excited to incorporate these new boots into my fall/winter wardrobe!

Abandoned Road

Just a quick post before I resume my studies. It's been awhile and I apologize since it's quite hard to find  the time and appropriateness to snap some pictures; but here are a few photos I managed to take behind my new apartment. It's quite...bare and abandoned (and especially freaky at night) but that could work to my advantage because no one can see what I'm doing! Here, I'm wearing my floral shorts, which I'm trying desperately to make use of before it gets unbearably cold. Hopefully I can be more prompt with my updates in the near future. xo!

Welcome Week

 Little recap of welcome week for fall. School has just started and I'm already swamped with work, and midterms are rolling around in as little as a week. I'm trying to make the most out of these last three quarters because it is my last year of college. So far things have been fast paced, and I like it. It's going to be an especially time-consuming quarter with leadership seminars and an internship under way. It's somewhat making up for my very chill summer (oh Mexico, how I miss you!)

The pictures were taken from the Buzz, which is an event we have every year at UC Davis to welcome in the new year. It's great for freshmeat (first years and transfers) but quite boring for someone who's been here for awhile now. But since this is my last year I wanted to soak in (almost) everything. Even walking by the quad, sitting at the silo, or seeing the squirrels running around is bittersweet for me. Haha seniors...And it doesn't make me feel any better that I feel quite old compared to everyone else too.

Oh, and the last picture. It's my favorite salad at the moment. I've literally been eating this almost everyday as a snack/appetizer. It consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, half an avocado, feta cheese, with an olive oil dressed up in lime juice, salt, and pepper. So simple, yet so delicious. Yum!

New For Fall

Revlon Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Crush
This plummy, deep beery shade is so perfect for Fall. I've been really loving these lip stains because they're so long lasting while also providing the hydration. I still apply chapstick before, though, just because I'm a chapstick junkie.

Milani Baked Bronzer
I've been wanting to try this for awhile now. It reminds me of MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish but for a fraction of the price. Such a nice bronzer that gives you a healthy glow. You only need a small amount so this is going to last me awhile.

Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder
I heard great things about this and decided to get it since I was already at CVS. It might just replace my powder from Make Up Forever.

Maybelline the Falsies Mascara (Waterproof)
Now his has got to be my current favorite mascara. I love lashes. The longer and bolder, the better. I got it in waterproof because it holds up the curl all day long.

Striped

Before I leave for my trip to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow morning, I wanted to write a quick post.   Since I'm back in SF for the remainder of my summer, sweaters have been my best friend. Striped sweaters, or striped anything, is always a classic no matter what the trend is. I'm also super pleased to add this pair of nude ballet flats to my shoe collection! Simple. A must-have since it goes with almost everything.

Please excuse the dirty mirror! And yes, that is Pooh in the back.

Update + Brunch

Poached Eggs with Bacon and Salsa Fresca + Home Fries

BLT half sandwich with French Onion Soup

Banana/Walnut French Toast

Due to all the chaos that's been happening surrounding my move to another apartment, I wasn't able to find the time to do a decent post. Now that everything is in order (almost), I'm back in SF enjoying the last bits of the summer before I start school again in a few weeks. With that said, I'm really looking forward to some down time with friends and, of course, my trip to Mexico next week! The hard part: packing. I'm the type of person who can't commit to outfits so I have to plan extra shirts or shorts in case I change my mind. This is going to be tough considering I'm only doing a carry on. 5 days, small  bag, what's a girl to do???

On the contrary, I went out to brunch today with a friend for his late birthday and much to my delight, we decided to go to Zazie's. The food was amaze-balls. You can tell my hair is a lot shorter too from the picture I took at the mall. Ahhhh it's so nice to be able to comb your hair struggle-free!

Summer Nights

I almost didn't want to put up this post but I thought to myself, "why not" since I haven't written in awhile. My way of a night out without looking too dressed up: a tank with black high waisted shorts and a pair of black wedges to add some height without sacrificing the comfort. And a leopard belt, of course. Little did I know this concoction became a reminder of a crazy night. One too many drinks. We never seem to learn, do we? 

Sure Thing

I didn't know what to name this post, and since I'm currently listening to "Sure Thing" by Miguel as I'm writing this, I decided to use that as my title. Anyway, I feel like I live in these white shorts. They go with everythinggggg so I tend to gravitate towards it all the time. Bad for all my other shorts I have in my closet. Maybe it's time I wear more dresses also. I'll keep that in mind when I pack for Mexico! I'll be going in about a month and I'm so excited to finally get out of the Bay Area and relax on the beach and eat some Mexican food. The problem is that I'm probably going to be without internet - or even without contact to anyone in the states actually. It's too pricey to get daily internet at the hotel and I don't want to get any roaming charges for using my phone. Hmmmm..I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do. Now that I don't have to worry about any presentations this week, it's time I start researching activities and places to visit!

 

1. New nail polish in "Club Havana". I've been searching for an orangey/peachy color and this was only $1.99 at CVS so I thought I'd try it out. The color is a bit too orangey than what I wanted but it's still really pretty and perfect for summer!

2. A plate of some of my favorite fruits: strawberries, green grapes, and peaches!

3. Steak with sautéd mushrooms and boiled broccoli/ glass of Moscato and with a few grapes. 

Blushing

(sweater and skinny jeans:F21/ flats:H&M/ bag:Aldo/ watch:Guess)

the infamous SF fog

These skinny jeans are probably the most perfect shade of pink I found - subtle but bright enough to somewhat make up for the gloominess of San Francisco weather. I don't think I even remember the last time  I wore jeans since my uniform in Davis always consists of shorts and some sandals. Also, I can't help but point out that the quality is a teeny bit better, yeah?? That's because I got a new camera (Nikon D3100) for my birthday. I always point out how my pictures are blurry/not very clear so this is a big upgrade from my iPhone and Panasonic Lumix! I'm trying to learn the ropes so for now I'm shooting on auto hahaha...newb. I know. 

21st

Last night I went out to dinner at a steakhouse in Sacramento to celebrate my 21st birthday! The place was soooo good. My prime rib was fantastic. I also got to order my first official drink ;) The funny part was that they didn't even card me! Kind of takes away from the whole experience haha but oh well. I had some fruity martini called the "Bocce Ball"-- quite pricey but it was expected from a steakhouse. I wore a black romper from Forever 21 with white diamond patterns along with a leopard print belt (leopard acts like a neutral in my book). Finished off the look with some really simple black ballet flats from H&M and a taupe wallet with gold studs from Charlotte Russe. The only accessory I wore was my watch from Guess!

P.S. the lighting made my hair look really orange in the picture, I know. It was the only picture I could get. I feel really weird when I feel like people are watching me take pictures.

Special Guest

Promenade at Westfield Galleria at Roseville Mall

Posing with our Ramen!

Tan Tan Ramen (Extra spicy) at Shoki Ramen in Sacramento. Yes, there's a bill in the background although we haven't touched the food yet cause the crazy girl handed her credit card to the waiter right after we ordered!

Self-timer iPhone app = super blurry picture

LOL our creepy faces

My best friend came up from Santa Cruz the other day and we spent the whole day eating and shopping (what we do best, ha!) Sadly, I barely EVER get to see her so I was so happy she could come up to visit me for my early birthday. It's always fun when we're together but at the same time always a struggle because we fight about who pays! No exception this time because it was a late birthday hang out for her (May 19th) and an early one for me (August 1st) so you could imagine we were bickering over paying for each other's shopping and eating expenses. Haha. Now, it's my turn to make the drive down to Santa Cruz!

Beachy Waves

I've stirred up the perfect concoction for some beachy waves. Aside from wearing my hair in it's natural state (that's because I've been too lazy to curl or straighten my hair like I used to do ever so often in high school) I love amping it up by getting those "natural" looking waves that I wish I had. I think it looks good on everyone. And it's just so laid-back and summery. I love it.

After showering, I let it dry about 90%, parted my hair in half, then twisted it into a bun and secured it with a hair tie. After an hour or two, or when it completely dries, (you can speed up the process by using a blow dryer, but I try to stay away from  heat as much as I can), take out the bun and....WAH LA! Some natural-looking-beachy-waves. Super easy. Apply hair spray or some mousse to make the waves last longer throughout the day. Too bad I did this right before going to sleep. Sigh.