Ending of 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I also hope everyone has a happy new years!

That time of the quarter

Target oxfords, Forever 21 tights + cross ring, nOir rings, Essie Mint Candy Apple

I know there's definitely been a lack of posting and I apologize! It shouldn't come as a surprise then that it's finals week. Luckily my final schedule is good this year and everything is spread out enough where I'm not living on 5 hour energy drinks (like last year. It was not pretty).

My last final is Saturday, but I'm not leaving for break till the 15th. This at least gives me time to procrastinate on packing and maybe even get some Christmas shopping done. I know that when I get home I'm not going to want to go outside for fear of freezing to death (though it's almost as cold inside my house).

I promise regular updates will come once everything has settled down. And good luck to the rest of you if you're also suffering through finals week!

Fall and Thanksgiving

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? It seriously felt like the quarter just started, and now I'm already worrying about finals (but getting excited for food, family, and my birthday). On another note, I re-read The Deathly Hallows last week in anticipation for the movie. It was really good, though now I don't know if I'll be able to wait until summer for the next one. So to curb my Harry Potter cravings, I've been re-reading the first book over too (good days).

Anyways, I hope you guys have a good Thanksgiving! I'm surprisingly not too set on doing a lot of damage to my wallet this break. If anything, I'll probably look for some new coats since it's starting to get freezing here, which doesn't help when you have to bike everywhere. But good luck to those who are going to be doing major Black Friday shopping! (I'm way too lazy to even think about getting up early).

Weekend getaway

H&M blouse, American Eagle jeggings, Walmart sandals, nOir & iLuck bracelets, Forever 21 bag

My weekend in L.A. was amazing, and so needed. I hadn't been able to go home like I usually do before fall quarter, so even going to L.A. was refreshing. Of course there was a lot of pigging out and shopping (we went to about five different malls the mere two days we were there). I actually didn't shop as much as I thought I would since I didn't go into any stores that are available here (F21, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, etc). I did end up spending quite a bit of time in H&M though (to the dismay of the bf). If only I took more photos! I ended up only bringing my dSLR since I packed in a rush, and I rarely took it out since I didn't want to deal with a heavy camera. Note to self: Always bring your digital camera. There's a reason I still have it!

(And me running away).

Don't study on an empty stomach

It's kind of ridiculous how much I've been craving a good tuna sandwich with steak (not regular!) fries. I have a total weakness for anything "bread-y" (in fact, I had a bunch of pasta yesterday). But I'm excited to eat at a bunch of different places this weekend when I'm in L.A. I've already mentally noted at least five places I want to try to eat at while I'm there. Other than eating and shopping (what else?), I haven't made any set plans. It'll be nice to be out of town during the craziness of Halloween though (after this many years here, I'm so over getting excited about it).

And of course I should probably stop Yelp-ing places and start cramming for a midterm I have in a few hours.

Easy to do leopard print nails

I've never been that into making my nails elobarote so I usually stick to one color all over. But recently I've been wanting to try leopard print nails in a way that wasn't too obnoxious. Hence why I stuck to classic black and white prints against an almost-nude pink background. (I used Forever 21's polish in Mauve and Milani's Nail Art polishes in Black Sketch and White Canvas. Of course feel free to use whatever colors you desire).

• First, start off with however many coats of your base color you need. (I used three since this polish is so sheer).

• When your base is completely dry, start making a few dots, placed randomly, on each nail. I did about 4-5 dots each (it's okay if they're not perfectly round).

• While it's fine to use the given nail polish brush to make the lines, I like to use an old felt tip eyeliner for extra precision.

• Start making outlines around each circle. Make sure they're not too perfect! I like to have some fully closed outlines, and leave others slightly undone.

• Once everything is dry, finish off with a top coat to preserve your designs for as long as possible!

Who knew salted caramel hot choco = delicious?

Forever 21 jacket + jeans + necklace, Charlotte Russe boots, nOir rings

It officially feels like fall. The days are getting shorter (sadly) and I'm currently typing this while it's thundering and pouring outside. (While it's always a cozy feeling in a situation like this, I'm praying it won't be raining when I have to bike to class tomorrow. Never a good experience).

I can't get you out of my head

I've kind of been in an obsessive shopping mood lately, but (thankfully) I have curbed my cravings and have only purchased a few items that I actually need. Though impulse purchases have been to a minimum, my I-want-to-get-this-eventually list has been growing longer!

• There are so many lace-up booties out there, but these in particular caught my eye. Not too crazy and the perfect heel height.
• I didn't realize how hard it would be to find a relatively inexpensive, but simple quilted chain bag. Everything's either overpriced or plain ugly. But this one is the perfect all around.
• Usually palettes don't interest me, but the Urban Decay Naked Palette has been getting so many good reviews it's hard not to want it.
• I don't know if it's blatantly obvious by now, but I have this about rings and knuckle/armor rings in general. I thought I would get over this one by now, but I can't stop visiting the site to stare at it! (It doesn't help the Free People catalog arrived yesterday and it was featured on practically every page).
• I love Nicole Richie's Winter Kate collection, and this cardigan is my absolute favorite.
• Out of all the Mulberry for Target bags, this one caught my eye right away. Perfect for carrying around all the junk I need throughout the day.

Minimal effort

Mondays call for caffeine, easy food, and studying (especially when you have an exam the next day and you don't know crap).

Lauren Conrad Fashion PSA

Thought this was hilarious! Hope you guys have a good weekend.

You're hot then you're cold

I always tell myself I'll buy rainboots when we start approaching this kind of weather, but so far it hasn't actually happened. I'm all for rainy days as long as I'm inside, snuggled up in a blanket reading a book, but it's those days when I have to go to class that I despise them. Thankfully it stopped pouring early this morning, but I've told myself I would finally purchase a pair of rainboots this year instead of suffering with wet feet (one of the most unpleasant feelings).

• Urban Outfitters Heeled Rainboot
• Hunter 'Boa Tall' Rainboot
• Chooka 'Crocodilia' Rainboot
• Zetta Tall Rainboot

Luckily I only have one class today, so the rest of the day will probably be spent cozied up in a bookstore with a warm cup of coffee (which I weirdly don't like to drink most of the time) and studying (of course).

Recent purchases and a poll

I didn't mean to but this weekend I made some purchases after spending a few hours downtown. Lately I've been trying not to make any impulse buys, but luckily the above cargo jacket had been one of the items on my "fall shopping list." I've found that some other jackets I've tried on are shapeless or way too big, but this Forever 21 one is the perfect fit and length. (It's still available online too). It's still pretty warm here so I'll have to store it away till it starts getting colder.

I also managed to find a silver cross connector ring while rummaging through the jewelry section (surprising since the Forever here never has any of the accessories I want after seeing them online). It happened to be the only one out of all the ring bins there and I kept thinking how lucky I was. Then I went to check to see if they had another cargo jacket in small and saw a random ring bin on a table stacked with clothing. And of course there were about ten other cross rings in there...They're slightly different than the ones that came out first; this one is thinner and the metal is a bit shiner. Apparently they're still really popular and sell on eBay for upwards of $80! I know I wanted to get my hands on one of these for a while (but wasn't that desperate) and was even thinking about purchasing the $12 version from the Material Girl line at Macy's. So if any of you happen to want one, let me know and maybe I can go back and grab up a few more. They'd probably be about $9-10 including shipping and handling.

And if you aren't already, follow me on Bloglovin'! Which reminds me, answer the poll below since I am curious like that.

What do you use to read blogs?

Is it really already October?

It's been a hectic week ever since classes have started. Visitors have kept me busy which is why I've been MIA from the computer in general. It was horrible timing that a heat wave decided to come along (and I had been complaining about the lack of warm weather here all summer!) but nonetheless it was fun. I probably gained a few pounds from all the going out and eating and I'm still tired from the past few days of "sleeping" in my hot apartment. Thankfully it's actually cooled down enough that it's chilly outside at night (which is normal weather here). I'm relieved that my schedule allows me to have Friday's off since I'm going to need the extra day with the weekend to recover and catch up on work.

Hope you guys have a relaxing weekend (and if you're in California like me, aren't you so glad it's finally cooling down even just a bit?!)

My current favorites (taken for a photo meme).


Decent spicy California rolls that passed as an easy dinner.


Random raccoon on the roof (cute and creepy at the same time. Apparently it likes Nutter Butters).

Just the way you are

Love love love everything about this. Gotta admit Olivia Palermo always looks so put together. And her new haircut! I have serious hair envy.

The little things

Some days it's just nice to do unproductive, relaxing things.

Snug

Now that I'm done with all my summer classes I feel like I can officially get excited for fall. Though I've already been bundling up a bit, receiving the Free People catalog in the mail made me want to layer up with all their cozy, chic pieces. So of course I had to go downtown to stop by the recently opened store (definitely got distracted by their so-me jewelry items).

Flipping through their lookbook online also inspired me to pair thick, chunky sweaters with lighter, flowier pieces and laced, grungy boots (and of course, decking it all out with tons of intricate accessories).

Cold perfection

This has been out for a while, but I'm still obsessed with this editorial Megan Fox did for Interview Magazine. I love how the coldness and mannequin-ness of the shoot exemplifies Megan's own personality. Definitely one of my favorite celebrity photoshoots this year.

Going CR crazy

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed a few weeks ago that Charlotte Russe had vamped up their website. It's easier to navigate and, I don't know if it's just me, but the products themselves seem better too. I've already added a ton of things to my wishlist to check out the next time I go visit the store.

• I'm actually surprised I don't own any snake jewelry yet since I've always loved how bohemian they look.
• Inexpensive, nude strappy heels are a staple I've been meaning to add to my wardrobe.
• I've been obsessing over lace everythings, and this dress is no exception.
• A unique bracelet cuff that gets the mixing metals aspect right.
• What I like about these black clogs are that they aren't very clog-y at all.
• A quilted bag that's been toned down with fabric is great for everyday.
• Another textured gold ring that caught my eye. (Guilty).
• While I'm typically not a big tights fan, these lacy ones are just too pretty pass up.

Pull me up

Time flies...

Forever 21 shirt + leggings + necklace, Urban Outfitters sandals, nOir rings

Summer is almost over and it would be nice to plan as many fun activities before September rolls around. So far I've got: spending the weekend dog-sitting an adorable Yorkie and Maltese, making a trip to Griffith Park with three good friends, and having a mini-vacation at Palm Springs. (Somehow I also need to fit in a trip back home). Hopefully there will be less lounging around at the apartment.

I forgot to mention that my nOir rings arrived a few days after I got back from Vegas. They're just as amazing as I thought they'd be! I wear them practically everyday. The other day in my class a guy turned to me just to say, "Your rings are crazy!" (I was wondering why he kept staring at my notes. Apparently that wasn't what he was looking at).

5 summer go-to products

I know it's already August but I've been meaning to do this post for a while, and after going to Vegas it really made me appreciate some of my beauty products more (hello primer!). Not all of these are specific to the weather but are more geared to what I tend to use the most in this season.

• I don't use foundation, but when I do want to even out my skintone I go for tinted moisturizers. The two reasons why I adore them are because they're moisturizing (perfect for my skin) and provide light coverage. My friend actually introduced me to Stila's Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer and I haven't stopped using it since. It provides even lighter coverage than my usual tinted moisturizer, but it gives you this dewy look that illuminates your whole face.
• I've always been a bronzer girl and I've been using Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer as long as I've been using makeup. It is matte, though when you look at it in the case you can detect slight shimmers. This I feel allows the bronzer to look less heavy and unnatural on your face. I actually use this year-round!
• I'm not a big fan of their eyeshadows, but I do like Cover Girl Eye Enhancer Shadows in Country Woods for their neutral, shimmery shades. I like to use gold colors during the summer and the second shadow in the palette is the perfect one.
• My lips are addicted to Softlips Chapstick, no joke. But they're the only ones I've found to actually moisturize my lips. I like that they're SPF 20 since people tend to forget that your lips need to be protected too.
• When it's hot out and I know I'm going to be outside for a long period of time, I'll start off with a primer before putting on makeup. Make Up Forever's HD Microperfecting Primer works wonders with just a pump to cover my entire face. Another plus is that it goes on so smoothly which is something I always look for when I'm using something that goes on my skin (which tends to be dry).

Vegas weekend

Our hotel




The "garden" inside the Bellagio Hotel

Last weekend I was in Vegas and I had an amazing time. I met a lot of people and there were some typical drama (though nothing concerning me, thankfully) but all in all, it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately the drive was horrible since it was so hot and the traffic was not pleasant. At least I know next time to fly!

I had left right after I finished my final on Friday and both nights there I didn't sleep well so my body had no time to recover. So I got sick Sunday when we left, which didn't help me survive the first week of new classes all that well. I'm feeling much better now though I have a ton of work to catch up on this weekend. I promise better updates when things have calmed down!

A day in food

If I'm starting my day early then I have time for breakfast/brunch after class. I can never eat a big amount of food right when I wake up so something simple like a salad with lots of veggies and protein is perfect.

Since brunch keeps me pretty full I end up eating a late lunch around 3 o'clock. I adore Silvergreen's crispy thai chicken salad. I'm getting hungry just looking at the picture.

If I'm not lazy and actually cook, dinner usually consists of something I whip up quickly. Of course pasta is the easiest, yummiest choice. Since we don't have a Soup Plantation/Sweet Tomatoes here I always buy Joan's Broccoli Madness salad from Costco. Definitely not healthy at all, but it's too good not to get!