Today I decided to sweep my bangs over my eyes and somehow it ended up covering my whole face. I liked the results though; it looks a little edgier. I'm contemplating getting some bangs since I can't do much with the rest of my hair right now....I've had such conservative-looking hair for so long that I don't think I'll mind going a little shaggier and punk rock....thoughts?

Maybe some different colors in there? Hmm....

Accessories of the day: zipper necklace from F21, crucifix necklace is from my mom. Layered together and worn with silver hoops

Spent the day in SF with one of my faaavorite shopping buddies. I've known this girl for 11 years, crazy! Since we went away for college, we only see each other during winter, spring, and summer break. And every time we get together, it's a guarantee that shopping (and gossiping + eating of course) will be involved. I think we spent 2 hours in Sephora just browsing around, lol! Anyway, here's just a quick pic of us trying on sunglasses in Juicy Couture. Be back tomorrow with pictures of my haul! :)

Hair Accessory of the Day 9/2/09

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I have a penchant for headbands. I don't think I ever left the 2nd grade, because I've been wearing them from then until now. Before all the headband hype generated from Gossip Girl, I've been sporting and collecting this undeniably girly accessory. A lot of my headbands are collected from random places here and there, but a great many of them are from Forever 21. Yea, yea....overlooking the whole sweatshop controversy, you have to admit that F21 has some majorly chic, cool, cute, and awesome stuff. Headbands are one of them. Plus the prices don't break your bank so you can afford to have a wide variety!

Today's featured hair accessory is this cream, vintage-inspired piece. Love! I wore it with a simple white tank, jeans, and gold sandals, but I wish I had a pretty, lacy vintage dress to go with it

Close up, quote taken from F21 website: "This vintage inspired headband is covered with satin and trimmed with twill tape and chiffon ribbon. A jeweled stone sits up top surrounded with pearls and bugle beads"

Silly face just because. By the way, I've been trying to give my skin a rest by not using any foundation other than for special occasions. Moisturizer, SPF, and concealer are a nice reprieve, but I miss the even look I got from my mineral powder :( Excuse the blotches! BUT, I must admit my skin is liking the break

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On another note, I have a hair dilemma!

This is what my hair looked like when I last cut it, back in May (picture is just from a series of me and my cousins messing around with the camera after a wedding)....

.....and this is what it looks like now. I hate it! It looks so awkward...shorter in the back than the front! I'm still unsure of whether I should cut it again or not, but even if I don't, I'm still stuck with this weird length until it's long enough for a trim. Any suggestions on how I can cut it or at least style it so it'll look better???


More accessories next time! :)

summer skin

School doesn't officially start for me until the end of September, so until then, I'll still be in summer mode. Here are some things that have made me smile recently :)

*My second excursion to The Golden State. They are still my pick for Best Burger in Los Angeles! This time was especially yummy with a cold Minted Lemonade (for me) and a dark, dark ale (for him) on the side

and a scoop of banana-Oreo ice cream for dessert!

*Driving down Sunset Blvd with my feet on the dashboard on the warm, beautiful evening before I went back home to Norcal...excuse the grody toe nails (grody= my sister's word for gross + dirty)

Just to take a stroll and people-watch in Hollywood

*This cute sight of my little cousin wearing my fedora. By the way, for those who asked, I got it at one of those random stalls at Third Street Promenade but I'm sure you can get it at a regular mall

*Essie polishes in Bermuda Shorts (fuschia) and Shorty Pants (yellow)....these are from last summer, but I still looove them for their bright, fun color. I also have Mini Shorts, which is orange

Too bad this picture of my feet doesn't do any justice for Bermuda Shorts. In real life it's way more vibrant!

*This pretty copper kettle holding utensils at my favorite American BBQ joint in the world, Everett & Jones. I love the whole vibe of the restaurant...they serve their drinks in jam jars and everything feels very homey

*Palm trees at the Jack London Square pier in Oakland

*Waterfronts

*My 3 year old cousin's Spongebob birthday cake

*Gardening Mama for my Nintendo DS (which goes with me everywhere like my camera and wallet :P). I feel kinda sheepish for admitting this, but I'm OBSESSED. As in playing-until-4-am-obsessed. Then turning it on again first thing when I wake up in the morning. I feel like a kid, sneaking in play time when everyone in the house is sleeping. AAAHH!!


Ok, it's 2am here in California, and I'm off to play 10 minutes of Gardening Mama before retiring for the night... :)

DSK Again!

As promised, here are some pictures of the other DSK necklace that I own, the limited edition Holly Brio Collabo. I don't wear this particular one as much as the silver Titanic necklace, but I love it all the same. It comes out when the weather gets warmer, especially since gold is so perfect for hot summer days!

Again, I find that my necklaces work very well with both casual and more dressy outfits. Here, I am wearing it before heading out to meet a friend for coffee. My hair is still pretty short, but I managed to tuck most of it under my fedora and I thought that the strand that fell out looked kinda cool :)

My parents have separate, opposing closets with mirrored sliding doors. When I was little I used to wonder how the reflection did that...it looks like it's an endless tunnel of mirrors behind me! Then I realized the mirrors were just reflecting each other...still makes a nice background!

Then there's a more girly adaptation...perfect for a warm summer evening. With my Golden Shadow Checkerboard earrings, ready to go on a date <3

A little bit closer.....

A little more....

There's just something very delicate and pretty about this necklace. I feel like I have to touch it very gingerly in case it floats away :)

What my hair looks like when I don't straighten it! I have naturally wavy hair. Messy messy

It's not a loud statement kind of piece, but it captures the eye in a more demuring, come-closer-if-you-want-to-see-me sort of way ;)

And it makes me happy~

Enjoy what's left of summer, everyone!

My Current Obsession!

I have found myself reaching for this necklace everyday lately! For some reason, it goes very well with my current outfit choices. I love the pop of color it gives! The boy always marvels over it when I wear it (that's when you know it's extra special--when it captures the attention of an average guy who doesn't really notice things like jewelry in a girl's outfit!), plus I get so many compliments from random strangers! They always ask where I got it :)


Where did I get it, you may ask? From Stephanie of DSK Jewelry!! She makes some pretty amazing pieces! What I like about her work is that it's not too complicated conceptually, but it stands out because of it's sparkly simplicity! She lets the individual, high quality pieces shine...a beautiful Swarovski stone here, gorgeous pearls there...I love it all! I recently acquired 2 beautiful necklaces and 3 pairs of earrings. I gave one of my best friends a pair of Swarovski AB plump lil stars earrings, and she liked them. I also have a pair of silver hearts, a pair of Golden Shadow checkerboards, and the Titanic Heart and the limited edition Holly collabo necklace. I haven't taken any good pictures of the Holly necklace yet, but the Titanic necklace is the one I've been rockin' most often! I looooove it...simple, stunning, and elegant~

See how amazing the color is??? I can't get over how alluringly blue it is! Sometimes I take it out just to look at it even when I'm not wearing it :P And this picture is taken from my simple point and shoot! It looks even better in person! It kinda changes colors...I keep ogling it!

Me, bored in the car while waiting for the bf, listening to my ipod, seeing how the bang pouf would look like with my short hair....and wearing the necklace! :D

Out to lunch...wearing the necklace!

Out to dinner.... wearing the necklace! See how it stands out so much??

And my Golden Shadow checkerboards! I've been wearing these a lot too...

...Especially with my Holly brio necklace! You can't see the earrings in this picture, but you can see the necklace. Wearing them together makes me bling from neck up haha. Sorry I don't have any better pictures right now!

My point is, you've got to check out DSK Jewelry! Steph is super friendly, professional, and talented. And she's funny too :D

I'm saving up for an AB crystal heart necklace and a bracelet next ;)

What A Weekend!

Sorry, my posts have not been make up-related at all lately! It's summer, and I haven't had the motivation to wake up extra early to put on make up before classes. I'd rather get my extra half hour of sleep and just slap on some sunscreen before I head out. I realized how much time I save when I don't have to do make up in the morning! Of course, I still put on some for nights out and such, but for the most part my face has been bare. Maybe when fall comes around I'll feel like doing my make up daily again, especially since I have so many products I want to review! In the mean time, trust me, everyone should try the no make up thing for a week! It's sooo liberating, and your skin will thank you! My skin looks and feels so much better since I've gotten lazy (just with the cosmetics, not the rest of my skin care regimen! :P)

Anyway, I had such a great weekend that I wanted to share! :) I haven't had such a relaxing few days in a long time. It's amazing how good you can feel and how much fun you can have with simply a great group of people, nice weather, and yummy food~

I started off my weekend with a trip to Dave & Buster's with some friends on Friday night. For those of you who don't know, D&B's is like a grown up Chuck-e Cheese's! Games, tickets, prizes, and a bar haha. Fun place to just chill with your friends!

Boys playing some shooting game

Hanging out at the bar

I discovered this weekend that I really like cosmo's! :)

Pose, pose

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On Saturday the boy and I decided to go to this Caribbean place called Cha Cha Chicken for lunch. They have this delicious jerk chicken served with fried plantains and your choice of sides. Oh, and agua frescas, which are basically fruit waters, but much better than the name implies!

How cute, they give you your order number for your table on a plastic seashell. We got a mango-guava agua fresca and a cantaloupe agua fresca. They were like the most delicious fresh fruit juice ever....so cool and refreshing!


And the food....oh THE FOOD!! Moist, well-flavored chicken (your choice of 1/4, 1/2, or whole portions) and sweet plantains. I got the beans and rice and he got spicy fries

After lunch we decided to go to the beach, which was right down the street. I've been to the Santa Monica Pier and beach before, but never during the summer. It was packed since it was a weekend and such a nice day!

Palm trees in the breeze~ so California

I was super happy because there was a swing set ON THE BEACH!!! I ran over to it, hopped on, and had the boy push me high into the air. It was so exhilerating to be a kid again! :D

:P

Views of the Pier

Dipping my feet into the water

Lots of people taking advantage of summer

Felt wonderful to have the warm sunshine on my face....Life is good!

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On Sunday I decided to go to the Beverly Hills Farmers Market. I happen to love farmers markets and try to go as often as I can. It's fun to sample fruits, chat to the farmers, and buy fresh, organic produce. Some of my best memories of certain fruits and veggies are the result of going to the farmers market. I bought THE sweetest, juiciest cantaloupes this time around...along with an abundance of pluots (plum + apricot mix) and a loaf of artisan pumpkin bread and a fresh tamale :)

I really want to buy some potted herbs for my apartment balcony :)

The other reason why I wanted to go to this particular Sunday's farmers market was because there was a chili cook-off to celebrate the market's 15th anniversary! I've never been to a real cook-off before, so it was a chance to taste some yummy chili and explore!

I think this family had my favorite chili. It had turkey sausage and pineapple in it...so good!!

Cups from all our chili samples

I also watched a corn-husking contest! One of the ladies at the far end won, but I was rooting for Milton, the 92 year-old grandpa :)

I spent the rest of my Sunday afternoon happily munching on my farmers market purchases...my next summer school session is now under way, so back to classes + homework! At least I have my nice weekend to look back upon...

'Til next time!