Navigating the Gray

Outbreak

2010-08-16T00:11:00.001-04:00

On our trip to Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), we learned that five men were found dead in the park near one of the lakes. It was quite a mystery for the game wardens, since there seemed to be no causes for their deaths. There were no bullet wounds or trauma on the bodies, yet they had died during the night.

It turns out that there was an anthrax outbreak among the hippo community within QENP and many of them were killed from being in contact with spores along the lake shores. The men that were found had been poachers...they had died from eating hippo meat. This was sobering news as we set out down the Kazinga channel - a 40km river connecting the park's two largest lakes (George and Edward).

We took a launch cruise down the river and saw all sorts of animals playing in the water. There are also 11 native fishing communities allowed to live inside QENP...it would be kinda amazing to swim in the hippo-infested waters or view elephants in your front yard!

As the sun begins to descend...elephants cease to play in the waters, buffaloes start to wander home, and the fishermen return from the horizon. To see the rest of the album, click here.

On Holidays

2010-07-27T17:33:00.000-04:00

My cousin doesn't believe that I'm actually in Rwanda for work, she keeps saying that I am "on holidays"...she has a point. I can't deny that my time here has been filled with wonderful excursions around the country. And a few weekends ago, we went up to Uganda to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. We stayed at the amazing Katara Lodge, which is perched on a hill overlooking the vast park below.

We were told to not be surprised if woken up in the middle of the night by banging pots and yelling villagers. The elephants in the park sometimes raid the farms below our hotel for sweet potatoes, so the people have to scare them away! Unfortunately, no pillaging elephants came during our stay, but we were able to sleep underneath the stars by wheeling our bed out to the balcony.

Our safari started early in the morning, with the sun peeking through the hazy sky. We didn't get to see any lions that day, but gazelles, buffaloes, and elephants were everywhere.

The landscape was also beautiful...we passed by a volcano lake that has been turned into salt flats. Occasionally, we would pass by farmers bringing their produce (mainly bananas) to market. There are 4 types of bananas grown in this region; two of them can be eaten, while the other two types are used to make banana beer.

Parties Upon Parties

2010-07-24T17:39:00.001-04:00

I don't know what I had expected of living in Rwanda, but I certainly did not anticipate how packed my social life would become! Between dinner parties, birthday or going away parties for the rotating ex-pat community, and work-related parties...it has been amazingly busy and fun.

There have also been several embassy sponsored receptions, including an VIP visit from Ambassador Goosby, the head of all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts. A colleague and I were tasked with welcoming people at the sign-in table, which we didn't mind because we got free food and drinks...along with the opportunity to hobnob with notable leaders within the public health field.

Gorilla Tracking

2010-07-11T07:55:00.001-04:00

Everyone asks if it was worth it to spend $500 for 1 hour with the gorillas...and each time I say, yes! The amazing experience was once in a lifetime, almost indescribable.

We started early in the morning, gathering at the Volcanoes National Park lodge before 7am. There are seven habituated gorilla groups allowed for visitation and we had asked to be given the Sabyinyo group since they were known to be the "easiest" family to reach. They usually hang out on the bottom slopes between Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga. The group also has the largest silver-back (mature adult male), Guhonda.

After a 30-minute horrendously bumpy ride and a 30-minute walk through farm fields, we arrived at a low stone field that surrounds the base of the volcano mountains. We were unceremoniously thrown over and began our tracking of the gorilla family, which was promised to be about a 3-hour round trip - an hour hike in, an hour to observe the gorillas, and another hour to come back.

Unfortunately, cape buffaloes and elephants were hanging around the mountain this morning and had scared away our Sabyinyo family. It was surprising to hear that buffaloes and elephants (that's right, elephants !!!), live on the mountains, traipsing up and down the steep slopes. After 3 hours of waiting for the trackers to find the gorillas, we learned that instead of hiking through the low-lying bamboo forest we would be CLIMBING up the steep face to the top of the mountain. After a two hour scramble through stinging nettles, dense brush, and slippery mud we made it to the top and found the family resting. We were incredibly close to them since we had to keep a 7 meter distance, though as the gorillas started to move around and babies began to swing around and play we sometimes got much closer. A black-back (young adult male) actually came up and touched one of our group members...just inches in front of me!

After a few minutes of us observing them under the cool forest canopy, the Sabyinyo family started to move down the mountain in search of food. We followed them down into a valley and then up across another hill in search of thistles, one of their favorite foods.

After 6.5 hours, we arrived back at the starting point...the promise of tracking an easy gorilla group clearly did not come to pass. But despite the arduous journey, each moment with the Sabyinyo group was worth it. Their gentleness, power, and beauty caught all of us by surprise. To see the whole album, go here.

Imbabazi

2010-07-05T12:35:00.001-04:00

This Kinyarwanda word means, "place where you will receive all the love and care a mother would give," and is given to the orphanage founded by Rosamond Carr, an adventurous American who had lived in Rwanda since 1949. I recently read her memoir, Land of a Thousand Hills - My Life in Rwanda, and was moved by her spirit and compassion for the people she lived with. On our weekend trip to Lake Kivu, we were able to visit the Imbabazi Orphanage and see her beautiful gardens, ivy-covered home, and final resting place.

Lake Kivu is located on the western front of the country, running along the Congolese border. It's a huge lake and very deep, known for containing high levels of methane gas, released underneath from the nearby volcanic chain. There is a tenuous relationship with the methane, which has recently started to be piped out as a source of fuel and energy...but any slight earthquake or landslide could cause the unstable mix of gas and water to erupt and kill inhabitants of the neighboring region!

Nevertheless, we stayed at a cute little hotel right on the lake and enjoyed beautiful meals while watching fisherman paddle by and listening to the sounds of children playing in the water.

On the Lake

2010-06-15T14:32:00.001-04:00

I went with friends to visit Lake Muhazi, which is 2 hours east of the capitol. It's known as a getaway for the Kigali elite to go relax by their lake-side homes (the President has a home on the other side). We went on a Sunday afternoon and visited the Seeds of Peace Center, which is a restaurant/meeting space run by the Episcopal Church. We sat under a thatched umbrella and saw beautiful birds, such as the Kingfisher, hawk, and this crested crane.

There is also a traditional Mwami hut on the resort grounds, a model replica of a King’s house from the former Rwandan monarchy. Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, the food took over 1.5 hours to come out...but while we waited a small group of people came down and held prayer service under the nearby tree.

The long wait was well worth it. For less than $20, the three of us could not finish the huge grilled fish that came with fries and bananas.

French is Exhausting

2010-06-13T03:53:00.000-04:00

Besides Kinyarwanda, French used to be the official language of Rwanda, but since 2009 it has been replaced by English. Though school children are now being taught English, the older generations have taken longer to adjust and therefore, there is a melange of languages everywhere you go. Around the office, I hear all three languages intermingled and sometimes with Swahili thrown in, just for the fun of it.

Trying to participate in meetings and conferences has been pretty difficult, especially when I'm trying to keep up with the French. I wish I could stay here longer, perhaps then my French would actually improve? Along with trying to translate what I'm hearing, I also have to contend with the scientific and technical language. Anyone can attest that in every sector of work, there's a whole different language. Even in public health, there are dialects between the various program areas.

On top of that, acronyms are thrown about as if they have full meaning and can stand on their own as words. For example: The TWG, will revise PMTCT norms and tools according to the new WHO recommendations. With TA from CDC and PSF, the TWG will emphasis on the quality of intervention targeting VCT, DCT, MSM, CSW and EID.

WTH?

Kwita Izina

2010-06-12T03:22:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, I was able to attend the naming ceremony of baby gorillas. This event stems from an old Rwanda tradition of naming newborns - Kwita Izina. It has now attracted hundreds of people and attention towards the conservation of the mountain gorillas. You can see the ancient volcanoes in the background:

There were several performers: dancers, drummers, and singers. Though I was under the VIP tent, I unfortunately couldn't get better pictures of the ceremony.

(photo: http://gorilladoctors.wildlifedirect.org/2010/06/09/kwita-izina/)

And since President Kagame was also there (we were only several rows behind him), his official band stood at attention for hours before he arrived...late.

The local people also attended en masse. There was a surge of people running out as the ceremonies ended and the children ran dangerously along our car, tapping the windows to wave and smile.

Safari Weekend

2010-06-06T10:21:00.002-04:00

I went on my first safari over Memorial weekend to Rwanda's Akagera National Park. It took us about 2.5 hours from Kigali and a third of the way was over potholed dirt roads...but the landscape was beautiful.

We checked in at the Akagera Game Lodge, which is a tired-looking hotel that desperately needs renovation in the rooms, but the views redeemed it. The restaurant patio and pool overlooks Lake Ihema and beyond to the Tanzania hills. It was also interesting to have baboons roaming the grounds. They sometimes terrorize guests, so the hotel has guards walking around with sticks to scare them away. Unfortunately, my friend had a run in with one of the largest baboons who ran up and grabbed her bag of coffee grounds, thinking it was food. We were all kinda shocked that it happened so fast.

Here we are at the beginning of the trip, my shirt would turn red-brown by the end from all the dust coming into our Jeep. The park extends over 420 sq. miles of rolling hills, grassy valleys, papyrus marshes and shimmering lakes.

I am in awe of all the animals that we saw during our two day safari. From the Big Five list, only the Cape Buffalo was present in Akagera, but we got to see lots of zebras, antelopes (impalas, bushbucks, topis, oribis), hippos, crocodiles, vervet monkeys, warthogs, and a variety of birds. The crowning moment was when we came across Masai giraffes with a newborn baby giraffe! The full album can be viewed on Picasa.

Site Visits

2010-05-28T13:36:00.000-04:00

This week, I was able to visit a couple of health clinics around Kigali. It's a mixture of sadness at the level of healthcare available, yet I am in awe of what can be accomplished in the most basic of conditions.

The facilities are packed full of people starting in the early morning hours. They all wait patiently, moving from one holding area to the next.

In the back of the clinic, the monotony of the passing day gets on the nerves of the babies as they cry and squirm. They are here waiting for medicine to prevent the transmission of HIV from their mothers.

Satellites

2010-05-27T13:32:00.001-04:00

Rwanda is called the land of a thousand hills, and this picture really is a testament to the beauty found here.

It was taken on the terrace of a nearby hotel, Select, where I was enjoying lunch from a really good Belgian chef. Sorry, I was so hungry that I forgot to take pictures of my meal: beef carpaccio salad, goat cheese on a baguette, tilapia in a white wine sauce, and passion fruit ice cream. It was pretty much awesome.

On another recent eating foray, I went to Heaven restaurant in town with work colleagues. It's run by Americans, so the service here is fantastic...unlike Rwandan standards, where you would be lucky to get your food within 45 mins after ordering. But the best aspect of the restaurant is its location, perched on top of a hill and overlooking city lights (few that there may be). On nights without any clouds, you can look up and see numerous satellites orbiting the earth's equator. They zoom across the sky, unmanned rockets that hold up our pathways of communication.

Peace Marathon

2010-05-23T12:21:00.001-04:00

The 6th annual International Peace Marathon occurred this past weekend. I joined a group from the US embassy that did the 5K, there was another group that ran the relay marathon. It took place at the Amahoro stadium and was a hour late to start, due to the complete disorganization of the event. We were moved back and forth to different starting locations, no communication to the runners, and no water available on the course as promised. You would think that after 5 years, they would have figured out the basics...but it was definitely a fun event.

It was amazing to see the marathon runners, they were so fast! Most had finished a quarter of their 26.2 miles by the time we finished up our 5K. Here's our group before the race:

There was a group of runners that ran and sang the whole way together...it was quite a sight and so motivating.

Food Fair

2010-05-22T11:15:00.001-04:00

I went to a food fair on Saturday, hosted by all the embassies in Kigali. There were tons of people celebrating at the South African residence and lots of great food from around the world.

It's funny that the first thing to run out was the sushi from the Japanese embassy, everyone kept saying that they miss sushi the most while living in Africa. Makes me wonder where they got the fresh salmon for this festival since we are in a land locked country?

Here's me and Kathy posing with the 2010 FIFA mascot...can't wait to watch the world cup this summer!

Ivuka

2010-05-18T16:22:00.001-04:00

There's a great art gallery near my apartment, called Ivuka, featuring local Rwandan and Ugandan artists. The space is pretty cool; it's perched on a hill overlooking the one and only golf course in Kigali. There are some artists that live/work in the back studios and some of the gallery's proceeds help support local neighborhood children.

There's an artist that I really like, J. Juuko, here are some of his pieces:

I ended up buying one from him along with another artist. There's a lot of texture in these paintings that's probably hard to see:

Here are some of the local children hanging around the art gallery:

Needed: Avocado Recipes

2010-05-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Went to market this past weekend...though not the local market because I've been told it's too crazy and I need a local to go with me the first time. This place is open 24 hours and is located inside a tiny "mall." It mainly caters to the ex-pat crowd, but offers almost everything you may want. Prices for local food items are ok, but if you want the familiar brands, then you'll be paying an hefty price. Nutella sells for $11 compared to $3 state side.

I wanted to try the local peanut butter and strawberry jam, which was a huge disappointment! The peanut butter was too oily and the jam had an acrid, fake-sugary taste. What has been good are the eggs and vegetables. Here's my first attempt to cook an omelet in my little kitchen.

What's really amazing is that my street is lined with avocado trees! I see kids climbing for the fruit as I walk to work each morning. Here's the front of my apartment and the gorgeous avocados tempting me. My only wish is that I can find condensed milk.

On the Hunt

2010-05-12T13:22:00.001-04:00

I finally have internet again! Supposedly a bird had knocked out the cable from the roof...this is actually a plausible reason. I have been amazed with the variety and amount of birds I have seen around Kigali. I need to try and take pictures of them, but there is a huge black and white crow that wakes you up with it's loud cawing at 5am. I've also seen swarms (as in hundreds) of hawks circling areas around the city, makes you wonder what they're preying on.

Anyway, I wanted to share my first fun/fashion-related purchase. I met a girl who runs women cooperatives around Rwanda and helps them develop crafts to sell for fair prices. She recently got an huge order from Ralph Lauren (link to story)to make these leaf bracelets (they come in different colors, depending on which part of the banana leaf is stripped):

I got them at a fraction of the price I'm sure they will be selling for at RL stores!

I'm also on the hunt for interesting buffalo horn jewelry. I had seen this site: www.koradesigns.bigcartel.com and love her pieces! I'm hoping that I can find similar designs around Kigali at the craft markets. Aren't they beautiful?

3rd place

2010-05-06T17:19:00.000-04:00

Met some new people and went to trivia night at Sol e Luna restaurant. We really thought we had a chance at 1st place, unfortunately we didn't know all the Sean Connery Bond movies and I missed the Fleming/Salk question...it's always the other guy isn't it?

Had an amazing eggplant and sausage pizza! Found out that pizza is the most popular food item in Kigali. You'll find it on the menu at every restaurant...from high-end to Chinese places. :)

Kigali, Rwanda

2010-05-04T16:20:00.001-04:00

After 23 hours of traveling and not losing any luggage...I made it to Rwanda! It's a beautiful, lush area with lots of hills and moderate temperature. I keep forgetting to take pictures, but I will have to try harder. Here's a start...

My apartment at Prima 2000

The most used appliance is the kettle...you have to boil water here.

There's a TV in the bottom left corner...but with only 7 channels and 4 of them are in English.

The windows are always left open because there is no A/C and it gets really stuffy, but it also means I sometimes get lizards in the house. :)

Here's the view from my balcony:

Chocolate Fondue at Dante's Down the Hatch

2010-02-23T23:17:00.002-05:00

I love winter because I get to wear my sexy boots. I really do feel sexy in them. The older gentleman is Dante himself. I like older men. :)

Live, Freeze, or Die

2009-07-23T21:22:00.001-04:00

So I went up to New England this past week, visiting several states. We started in New Hampshire (who's state motto is Live Free or Die...but the people there prefer the other motto). Here's our first night in New Hampshire, staying at an old Victorian inn...we were hoping it would be haunted.

(Strawberry & mango salad with candied ginger)

The next day we drove to Portsmouth on the coastal border of New Hampshire and Maine. The old town center was so cute with boutiques and waterfront restaurants.

My friend and I then also spent time in Connecticut. We had a quick stop at Mystic Seaport and then drove around to find a beach.

On our way, we also stopped at a farm stand which sold fresh fruits and vegetables. We bought some lovely local blueberries and couldn't resist this beautifully scrumptious home-made peach berry pie!

We found a small restaurant on a Rhode Island beach for some classic New England seafood!

(Friend clams and lobster roll with sweet potato fries)

(My friend couldn't resist dipping her toes in the Atlantic)

Buffalo Wings

2009-06-12T22:30:00.001-04:00

I was in Buffalo, NY this week for a conference. Besides for being known as the birth place for buffalo wings and the gateway into Niagara Falls, there's not much else. It was pretty depressing since everywhere I went there signs that the city is slowing dying. It once was a major top ten city is the US, but within the later half of the century has fallen on hard times. As I walked through the empty lots and buildings for rent, I could still see the beautiful architecture that had once put this city on the map.

I got to explore the huge city hall, which was eerily empty.

Also went to see the Pierce-Arrow car museum. I don't know much about cars, but that red Thunderbird was drool worthy.

And of course, when in Rome...or rather, Buffalo, you have to eat wings at the Anchor Bar!

Formosa

2009-06-05T20:38:00.001-04:00

We recently traveled to Taiwan to visit family and the trip turned into an eating fest...which always seems to happen. This is only my second trip to JW's homeland and it was great to see all the relatives. We were taken to several unique places along with some interesting food, so here's a quick recap.

For a more in-depth photo gallery, go here.

Favorite Places
(Public hot springs foot bath, Yehliu Park, National Palace Museum, Taroko Gorge, Shinto temple, Shilin night market)

Favorite Foods
(Shaved ice with red bean and taro, Oyster omelettes, Steamed pork buns; Shaved ice with mango and custard, Sesame meat buns, Onion pancake)

Favorite Photos
(Cleansing fountain at Shinto temple, Ceramic exhibit at Taiwan Modern Art Museum, Family at Pine Garden, Making sesame wraps, Entrance at Confucius temple)

2009-05-26T23:17:00.001-04:00

K and I are moving on to the next stage of our lives. . .OUT OF THE BOONIES! FINALLY! We're moving up to NY for a year then onto St. Louis. . .The packing/moving process is inducing frequent panic attacks, so K and I have been finding other distractions to avoid the unavoidable. Hence I am finally blogging :)

I got sick of my long hair and entrusted some random stylist in Barcelona to chop it off for me. I'm sure the stylist was on drugs - he kept asking me to point out which hair style I wanted and his cutting method was just madness. My momma thought he was a design genius when she saw him cutting some other girl's hair and I guess he is artsy but perhaps too crazy for me. Check it out.

I was extremely nervous when K kept saying "INteresting. . ." while the cut was in process. I finally realized the sides & back were unusual - it kinda looked like a modified bowl haircut from the front. Oh well, at least hair grows out!

Other images from Barcelona/Bilbao. . .

Short story for the Sagrada Familia pic above. . .K had to get down real low to take the pic of me with the building in the background, but it was absolutely hilarious to see the guy next to us get down that low. That guy had some skills!

With the wacky hair, I have been leaning towards more androgynous/monochromatic-ish outfits. I finally wore a Pleats Please mini from my momma (I wimped out and just wore them with leggings, nothing special) and asked K if I looked presentable for church. His comment was yeah, for NY but not for here!

Bye bye to the boonies! The only things I will miss about this place is:

1) The spicy jaja mein from this korean restaurant in town

2) Lack of traffic here

3) The super-casual restaurant down the road (we're talking park benches, paper plates, and graffiti encouraged everywhere) that serves tons of fried seafood.

Just 10 more days!

I have a time machine...it runs on booze and sadness and only travels to tomorrow.

2009-04-04T23:14:00.001-04:00

So today's post is about randomness - hence the random quote above and the random pictures below that were taken in the past few weeks.

During Tibet week at Emory, prayer flags were strung across the quad:

I was early to class (for once):

JW made breakfast for me - egg and onion pancake with turkey sausages:

My friend and I went to see the Terracotta Soldiers exhibit at the High Museum:

Running of the Brides...minus the mayhem

2009-04-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

Vintage

2009-03-12T20:07:00.001-04:00

Wow, I've been MIA recently! I've been too lazy to put together new outfits and rarely read my favorite fashion blogs. I did get off my butt finally, and wore this vintage dress I got in NY over Thanksgiving last year. . .

I think it was homemade, and it fits like it was tailored for me. . .too tailored in fact, because the tummy area was feeling a little tight after lunch. I don't know if the pleats are chemically treated or just ironed to stay put, but it's fun to twirl and see the skirt fan out. I'm also wearing vintage white rose beads borrowed from my momma.

Hey, my eyes look kinda bigger than usual in the 1st pic right? K told me to open my eyes wide :)

Miracle on 2nd Street

2009-03-01T14:21:00.001-05:00

It snowed! It's still snowing! First time this year in the south, so of course we had to go take pictures.

Happy Birthday Isis!!

2009-02-21T00:59:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Isis' birthday tonight even though her real birthday was on the 10th. Her party was at WhirlyBall, which is a combination of lacrosse, hockey and basketball with bumper cars!! There was also lots of cake and beer...hilarity ensued.

anger is but one letter away from danger

2009-02-19T00:37:00.001-05:00

I forgot where I saw this quote, but it made me laugh. You know what else makes me laugh...Cash Cab. The quiz show that takes place in a NYC taxi cab. It's on Discovery Channel and I rush home to watch it after work every day. I always root for the nice contestants and the elderly ones. Every time I'm in NYC, I'm constantly on the look-out for the taxi in hopes of being on the show (and I promise that if I get on, I will not go "wooo!!" after each correct answer - that really irritates me).

Outfit: JCrew sweater, BR skirt, Seychelles shoes

Dacryostenosis - also known as a blocked tear duct

2009-02-15T20:26:00.001-05:00

Sigh...my blocked tear duct has made me wear glasses since Christmas and it's getting to me. This is the longest I've had to go without my contacts since middle school and they make me feel frumpy. I tried to wear something preppy and ended up looking like a school-girl, but in a bad way. HA!

Here's my outfit from this weekend when we visited the land of Mickey again. We went down to pick up Caleb, who is regretting having to come up to cold weather and no more yummy snacks.

Eating my words

2009-02-14T19:56:00.001-05:00

So I think I mentioned in the past that my momma has trendier taste than me. She would come home with some crazy new item, and I would give her the "what the?!" look along with the proclamation that no way would I ever want to borrow that item from her! She would always just smugly tell me "wait and see. . .you'll like it when you're older!". Now at 29 years of age, I have learned that I do eventually come around to the items she purchased -- I usually lag behind her by a couple years.

Here's one example. . .she bought this crazy triangle-shaped green leather purse when I was in high school -- my bro and I thought it was the wackiest slightly cowboy-ish thing ever. This winter when I went back home, I searched around for the bag so that I could borrow it (note - this is over 10 years after she bought it!). But alas. . .it was so old that the purse was peeling and unrepairable so she had recently booted it from her collection. Sigh, I guess I should listen to my momma more.

Here's a more recent example. . .this time I only lagged behind her by 6 months thank goodness. About 6 months ago, she was eyeing this coat tailed/equestrian jacket jacket at Zara. I refused to let her get it. . .mainly because she is short (maybe around my ear height?) and I thought the coat tail would be too long for her. Anyways, 6 months later I saw it on sale, so I bought it with the excuse that we would both share it :) There's no way she could wear it in Hawaii but hey, she could wear it when she visits the mainland!

On a side note, we've been exploring options for how to get our puggy to Hawaii if K ends up matching there. . .Man are the options limited for heat-sensitive dogs! Looks like my best option may be to fly him out from LA with Continental but even then it's pretty risky considering airlines sometimes leave pets out on the tarmac for too long. . .There are a couple charter flights available for pets, but they sure are expensive! I think I'll have to be put on tranquilizers myself, when he flies in cargo :)

Grown men & their Snoopys

2009-02-09T21:00:00.001-05:00

So how many adult men do you know would want cute ol' Snoopy on something they own?

My hubby mentioned last night that one of his bro's friends has an Omega Snoopy watch,and that he wouldn't mind owning one either. I thought it was just the name of the model, but nope, the watch really has Snoopy on it (small one on the face, enlarged one on the back)! I was befuddled at first, wondering why guys would want Snoopy on their watches. After taking a look at it though, I want hubby to get one too so that I can wear it too :)

click for photo credit

So here's the story behind the Snoopy on the Omega Speedmaster watch:

Omega received the Snoopy Award from NASA for its contribution to the space program. Omega Speedmasters were already worn by astronauts on space missions starting in the 1960s, but their function and reliability were integral to the successful return of Apollo 13 in 1970. During the Apollo 13 mission, an oxygen tank explosion had rendered all time tools useless on the shuttle. . .except for an Omega Speedmaster, which helped the crew keep track of the exact second when they had to fire the re-entry rockets in order to return safety back to earth. To commemorate the award, Omega produced only 5,441 pieces and I want one!

Long Overdue

2009-02-07T12:12:00.010-05:00

I am finally at home with time to blog! Actually, I'm in bed sick.... so I decided I needed to contribute. :) I'm resting today before Thao and I kick butt in our tennis match later this afternoon.

Lately, I have been sort of obsessed with earring shopping. I just got my ears pierced last year, so I'm always on the lookout for earrings. So far, I have mostly been drawn to silver and gold earrings (as Miyu can attest to). I think it's time for me to branch out and add a little color to my collection. I was inspired by the turquoise chandelier earrings from Banana Republic in the polyvore below. I'm also very drawn to hoops, so I need different shapes too. Do you guys have a favorite or are drawn to a particular "style" of earrings?

Aren't the little birds so cute in those modcloth earrings? And I love the bows on the Anthropologie ones.

Colored Earrings - by asianchick83 on Polyvore.com

I actually don't have any outfit pictures to posts...boo on me. I need to get better on that....but here are various pictures from the past months.

Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

1) Miyu and I at the driving range last year. It was a beautiful day to hit some, minus the wind

2) Mini-Lilo and I made friends with the Cat in the Hat at Universal Studios

3) We also made friends with Chip and Dale at the Magic Kingdom

4) Whole family with our dinky Christmas tree, love it!

5) Mini-Lilo showcasing our huge bag of Disney goodies we donated to Toys for Tots. It was so much fun shopping in the Disney store, as you can imagine for Disney fanatics as we are. You can't really see it, but mini-Lilo is wearing a really cute teal v-neck empire-waist dress from H&M

6) HOT POT at the Lilo's residence on Christmas Eve.... yummy!

7) Ringing in the new year after my team suffered an embarrassing loss at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, sigh.

Mish Mash

2009-02-04T20:49:00.001-05:00

Today's outfit. . .brown on top. . .brown on bottom.

I dug this sweater out from my closet - I've been putting off on wearing it because it is pretty tight. I wore it, thinking I would have my coat over it all day since it is like 20 degrees here today!

Erv is looking a little geriatric. He's only 3 years old yet he already has a white beard. Poor kid.

Design History sweater, taiwan night market tights, modern vintage boots

Last Friday's outfit. . .Little House on the Prairie-ish.

I felt like a little girl in the country. . .I think it was the print on the dress - it makes me think of a field of grass blowing in the wind.

UO dress & boots, A&F cardie, taiwan night market tights

Long days require a nap...

2009-01-31T23:34:00.001-05:00

Had a busy day today. It started early in the morning at the tennis courts as I cheered for JW and SY at their tennis match. It was kinda boring during their warm-up, so I went around taking pictures :)

Then on to the Lunar New Year celebration in old Chinatown. Met up with Lilo and ate a ton of good Taiwanese food...also saw some lion dancing.

In the evening, we went to our first hockey game. Did you know that they sing both Canada's and US' national anthems? I thought it was because hockey started in Canada, but my friends said it was because there were so many Canadians on the team...I was the only one who thought that was odd.

Casual Fridays at the office

2009-01-30T18:20:00.008-05:00

(boots, Arizona Jeans Company; shirt, Banana Republic; vest, Charlotte Russe; jeans, Gap; necklace, Macy's)

My office is generally pretty casual already but Fridays are even more so. Hawaiian shirts - need I say more. But for me Fridays I love jeans. But come on, how many does one really need? In recent years, I've been shying away from buying anymore...unless they are super cheap. I bought a pair of Mossimo Jeans at Target once for $7. $7!!!! I was flabbergasted. I used to wear it pretty often because they were extremely comfortable.

I had an exam earlier this morning. So I wore track pants and hooded sweatshirt. That was definitely not post-worthy. I redeemed myself at work. I tried on a couple of shirts but fell in love with this outfit. I feel like margaritas tonight! Cheers!

Confessions of a bargainholic

2009-01-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Miyu, Isis and I hung out at the big mall for a little bit this past weekend to scope out some good deals. I found a pair of beige boots tucked away in a random corner at Urban Outfitters, with its price handwritten on the box. $39.99! What a great deal considering they were originally $150 online. Even though the box indicated they were sized 8.5 (I'm 8 for boots), I tried them on since I couldn't pass up on such an awesome deal. And they fit! Well, kinda. . .they would be a perfect fit with big thick socks.

So off to the cash register I went, ready to pay for my new steal. As the guy rang up the purchase, I noticed that the size indicated on the boots themselves were size 10 (versus 8.5 as indicated on the box)!! So I tried one side on again and realized. . .they were 1.5-2 inches longer than my normal shoe. Sigh, I'm a bargain hunter who does have a tendency of buying things that are sized a bit larger than I really am. . .but it would have been too ridiculous to buy those boots.

Happy New Year (again)!

2009-01-26T01:29:00.009-05:00

I just got back from Temple. Sy's cousin, Linh, wanted to dress in the traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" so I obliged. It's part dress and part pants. You can't eat much, if anything at all when you're wearing it. You have to suck it in and push "Betty and Susie" up to look good. The things we women do to look our very best.

I wish everyone good health, prosperity, success in achieving your resolutions and goals for the year. You guys have inspired me to dress a little better and be a little more feminine. I'm working on the not slouching part...I'm already short so no need to lose a couple of inches needlessly. :)

That blemish under my lower lip was self-inflicted. It was a little miniscule pimple that I tried to excavate from my face...not with much success as you can tell.

Official Miss America Judge

2009-01-24T23:58:00.001-05:00

Isis, Shasha and I spent a few hours goofing off at the mall today. Isis was doing the Miss America wave while Shasha looks like she's doing the robot chop.

Random thoughts about our outfits:
- Isis found those awesome Ralph Lauren suede boots for a STEAL!!
- Shasha's top used to be a dress, but after 2 washes it's now a shirt
- And I just realized that we're all wearing our glasses today!

Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum

2009-01-22T23:36:00.001-05:00

Today's color combo is brought to you by the game of Clue.

Outfit: Gap grey pants & plum cardigan, JCrew mustard blouse, Nicole oxford shoes

By the way, these two recent outfits from The Sartorialist really struck me. I love the guy's use of colors and patterns and the woman's striped tights!

Matchy matchy

2009-01-19T19:03:00.001-05:00

Would you coordinate your outfit with your significant other's? I always thought it was kinda cheesy, but after looking at the outfit shots below, maybe it's not such a bad idea afterall.

(1st 2 images from dropsnap.jp, last image from TheSundayBest.org)

Road Trip to St. Simons

2009-01-18T18:46:00.002-05:00

Lilo and I went down to St. Simons this weekend for her friend's wedding. The island was beautiful and the weather was cool and breezy.

The reception was at the lighthouse and the band was totally awesome that night!

And here we are on the road back home. It was such a fun trip from beginning to end.

Crazy Paisley

2009-01-13T23:29:00.001-05:00

This is probably the most pattern I've worn in a long time. In fact, I was so scared of wearing the dress by itself that I wore a brown cardigan on top...LOL. I'm also proud of myself of pulling out some gold jewelry - yay me for working on my new year's resolution!

Outfit: BR dress and sweater, Cole Haan pumps, Sarah Coventry tassle necklace

Worth a Kidney?

2009-01-13T00:31:00.001-05:00

On a blog that I read almost everyday, The Clothes Horse has been interviewing some of her favorite bloggers. And one of the questions she poses to them is, "Would you rather buy one designer piece or six vintage pieces?" Usually, I would choose the six separate items if it's a choice of clothes, shoes or jewelry since you would get more bang for the buck! The only exception...is with bags. I'd rather go without ~~shopping~~ food in order to save up for a nice bag.

Hello, my name is Miyu...and I'm a bagaholic. Here is my latest addiction: Chanel Classic Flap.

Of course, to justify the exorbitant cost I'm selling my kidney...haha, no just my claim on presents for the rest of 2009. WAIT, before you judge hear me out. The purse could cover this year's presents for Valentine's, our wedding anniversary (4 years!), our dating anniversary (10 years!!), my huge milestone birthday (!!!) and Christmas present. After all that, this would be considered a steal...right?!!?!

Locket in my Pocket

Someone, whose name rhymes with "never staying at my house again, ok?", suggested that I should stare at JW a little more. Which was quite prophetic, because I got a vintage locket last week and was planning to put in a picture of JW. Finally, tonight I went through my photo albums and here's my new pretty locket!

Recap of week

2009-01-09T22:41:00.001-05:00

Glad it's Friday and that I survived the week! Here are some random musings and outfits.

Miracle in booney-land. One night I opened up the fridge to reheat some roast pork leftovers for dinner but it was no where to be seen. So I checked the microwave, the oven, Erv's cage (sneaky pug), garbage can in case K threw it out like a crazy man. . .yet no pork was to be seen. Was it a mischievous crook, a sign from God, or some twilight zone-ish occurrence? Turns out the pork was hiding out in the cupboard. K apparently ate some for lunch, and absentmindedly put it in the cupboard. It's a miracle that we're adults living alone.

Slightly Goth. I felt kinda goth in this outfit. I think it was the boots that did it.

Design History sweater, Uniqlo skirt & heat tech tee, vintage bally boots

School Girl. I think it was the flats and slightly high-waisted skirt that made me feel like a school girl today.

Anthropologie shirt, Uniqlo skirt, UO flats

Contagious Taste? I chose some wacky UO booties as a gift for Apple, and they were actually approved by K! Even I thought these were pretty out there, but K liked them. I think maybe he's starting to get used to my taste. Do you think taste is ever contagious? I think a lot of times we may start liking a style after seeing it more often. . .will Miyu show up in a bejeweled bib and horsey boots one day? Would love to see that :)

Bibs and Horses

2009-01-08T01:37:00.001-05:00

Two trends in 2008 that I'm not sure I want to see more of in 2009: bejeweled bibs and horse-like shoes. Though I'm on the fence about statement necklaces that were so big (literally) on the runways, how do they interpret in real life? Can you imagine going to work with any of these on? My co-workers would think I'm crazier than usual. But, I do have limited experience with accessorizing...so maybe I'm the one in the wrong.

Something that I do find a little ridiculous though, are these fold-over boots and wedges. To me, they make legs look more like Clydesdale hooves than anything else...clip clop, clip clop.

(Images from Style.com, Wikipedia, Jak & Jil Blog, FabSugar, Free People)

Playing in my momma's closet

2009-01-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

As expected, I was super lazy while in Hawaii. As predicted, I ended up wearing tees, shorts, and slippahs most of the time. Thanks goodness I played in my momma's closet before I totally morphed back into my lazy ol' self! I'm convinced that I am lazy at dressing up when it is hot.

I tried on my momma's clothes from a Korean boutique in town. In the 2nd pic, I'm pointing to a childhood pic of me and my bro. My bro was rocking the classic bowl haircut while I had sweet natural curls. Note the significant difference in the size of our eyes! AND I'm the only one in my family without double eyelids. No fair! I guess I just have to console myself by being grateful that I don't have chest hair like he does haha.

Here is me and my other "bro", Bei-Bei. This dude's haircut costs way more than mine! Maybe I should just move to Hawaii and be a dog haircutter.

Below are my momma's aborigine necklaces and bracelet. I'm going to borrow some of them, since she hasn't worn them for probably a decade! She also has this necklace made out of wooden beads with amusing faces carved into them, but I couldn't find it :(

I found this clutch tucked away in the storage room. Definitely borrowing it!

Too bad my momma doesn't have any boots for me to play with :)

Long Live Leggings

2009-01-05T23:18:00.004-05:00

I truly hope leggings are here to stay forever. When they first came back into style, I thought they were so tacky. Back then, when I thought of leggings, the first few images that would come into mind were these GAP leggings with a lemon pattern that my momma used to wear in the 80s, or those bike shorts with the attached short flouncy skirt people used to wear long ago. Did you ever wear those 80s bike shorts with the attached skirts? I hope I have a picture of me in those, because those were just truly ridiculous :)

Anyways, I remember reading about a decade ago that Vera Wang 's daily uniform consisted of leggings. I was in disbelief that a well-known designer would wear leggings when no one else wore them anymore. I should have known that she was probably ahead of the game, or knew that they were so versatile that they deserved to be staples. I'm now a true devotee of leggings (as long as I don't wear them as pants, because I'm self conscious of any bulges/lines!) after wearing them on all my travel days during the holidays. They were so convenient to pack as an extra change of clothes in my carry-on bag too, unlike bulky jeans!

Here are some of my recent travel outfits. . .

Taking a quick pic w/ Miyu before starting the trip. We're purse sisters :)

The beginning of my jet-lagged state of delirium. I have never been drunk, but you should have seen me in this state! I was talking with absolutely no reservations at all :)

Me & Mr. Tomato at the Taipei airport. His shirt says "I love Taiwan." Hm, I haven't seen any of those shirts around at the tourist stores. . .

Maybe I should buy some more leggings before they're completely out of style/stock!

Conversation on Investments

2009-01-02T21:44:00.003-05:00

Me: For my new year's resolution, I've decided to make a more concerted effort on wearing jewelry.

JW: Why jewelry and not make-up?

Me: Because it would cost more money to start wearing make-up. Make-up is a consumable good, whereas jewelry will last forever...they're more like investments.

JW (warily): You said your handbags were investments and they cost a lot of money.

Me: My bags ARE an investment! And not all my jewelry will cost a lot of money.

JW (suspiciously): ALL?!? Why can't you just wear the jewelry you have now?

Me: Most of them are useless, bad decisions from my mis-spent youth. I only have a few good pieces.

JW: Why can't you go back to vitamins again?

To satisfy JW's request, I went through my jewelry box tonight. Here are my rings, most of the silver ones are from junior/high school days...come on, didn't we all have a mood/puzzle ring at one point? (Dunno why I have an orange plastic ring or the CIA pin.) And I occasionally wear the DY or John Hardy ones.

The inside of my jewelry box holds my earrings, bracelets and a few necklaces. There was a time in college where I got several bracelets for presents, yet I never wear them. And though you can't see, I have 3 sizes of pearls and 3 sizes of silver ball earrings.

The rest of my necklaces are on a pants hanger on my closet door. All the silver ones have oxidized black...it's been so long since I've worn them. And I don't have any gold necklaces - I have this belief that gold doesn't look good on my skin tone? Hmm...maybe that's where my jewelry investment should be in.

And oh, I wanted to show the pretty earrings that Shasha made for me a while ago. They're a beautiful purplish-blue chalcedony...she's so talented!

Vroom vroom shoes & "what da?!" boots

2009-01-01T18:43:00.011-05:00

My bro & sis-in-law got me these crazy flats for Christmas.

Check out the ornaments - what do they look like? They're steering wheels! They're made by Nascar, and they were on sale at some store closing down. Vroom vroom. . .hopefully a kid doesn't come up to me saying that :)

Anyways, so my bro (and mom) have kinda crazy fashion taste. They always go for the wilder options. However, they both went "eh. . . . what da?!" when they saw my new boots below. . .

I fell in love with these Aldo boots after seeing the real deals (Martin Margiela) on the Sea of Shoes blog.

what do you think? Are they "what da?!" or "cool!"? I'm inching closer and closer to the fence, as I keep getting more "what da?!" comments and I'm starting to doubt whether I'll be able to fit them into my wardrobe or not. . .

I'm an aunty!

2009-01-01T18:08:00.008-05:00

Michael Emmanuel was born 2 weeks ago, with a full head of hair and huge eyes (inherited from my bro and his wife). Craziness, I can't believe my bro has a little one. They've been calling him Mikey, and I've been calling him M-Em (like M&Ms hehe).

I've always been a little nervous about having my own kids, but I'm starting to realize it's not so bad afterall, especially with extra helping hands around. However, I'm still hoping for a miracle within the next 1-2 years, that someone will invent some baby incubation device (so women can avoid the birthing process should they choose to do so) or for men to be pregnant. I guess I have to admit I'm a WIMP :)

Anyways, this is a pic of M-Em's uncle. Bei-bei belongs to my parents, and boy is he one hyper dude. He turns around in circles at least 300 times a day and never tires of playing fetch. Are you curious how he got his name? My parents couldn't figure out what to name him, so I had jokingly suggested to name him Bei-bei ("white" in Taiwanese), because he used to be snow white at that time. Little did I know that my parents would take my suggestion seriously!

New Year Resolutions

2008-12-31T17:37:00.002-05:00

So it's New Year's Eve and resolutions are on my mind. I tried last year to start taking vitamins...and lasted almost 5 months! But once the vitamin bottles were complete, I never made it back to the store for refills. LOL.

This year, I'm thinking of making a fashion resolution. I usually don't wear make-up nor much jewelry (I tend to like simple stuff like pearls or studs and an occasional ring). But maybe this is the year that I make an effort to look more polished. Which resolution should I *TRY* this year? I'm afraid doing both would be too stressful...haha.

Are you guys planning to make any resolutions for 2009? Maybe I should just go back to my vitamins. :P

Though, today I did take the initiative and wore a necklace!

Outfit: UO grey dress, BR sweater, Seychelles shoes, Tibetan necklace

Mouse Shoes

2008-12-30T22:57:00.003-05:00

My new flats remind me of mice...they're grey and have little ears!

Outfit: Old Navy lace skirt & swing jacket, Zara grey flats

Le Petit Prince

I just found out from my friend, Tokyo Star Girl, about these totally cute shoes from Melissa! They're currently sold out, but hopefully I'll get them once they're back in stock. Do you remember reading The Little Prince for the very first time? The story is so timeless and reminds me of the innocence of our youth.

101 Dalmatians

2008-12-28T21:31:00.003-05:00

This skirt reminds me of Dalmatian spots, no? We went out to dinner last night and I forgot to bring a purse or even a wallet. It was disconcerting...made me feel naked without any of the usual staples (cell phone, ID, lip gloss, keys) and yet it was also surprisingly very liberating. You guys ever go places without your purse?

Outfit: BR sweater & sandals, Black Market/White House skirt

Hot Pot in 70 Degree Weather

2008-12-25T22:55:00.002-05:00

Over the last few weeks, I've been craving hot pot. Probably because when we were deciding to relaunch our blog, one of the names we were thinking was "Style Hot Pot," and since then it's been on my mind. Well...lucky me our Christmas dinner was one HUGE hot pot affair.

This was my outfit for the dinner and I got my sister to pose for me as well. She has such cute clothes and always has great style.

My outfit: black Gap sweater, rose Ann Taylor blouse, BCBG mauve skirt
Jenny's outfit: Ralph Lauren shirt, black Citizens jeans, Tory Burch flats, Bally clutch

Then after dinner, JW and sis played beer pong...but with water?!?!? Jenny ended up winning.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T01:38:00.003-05:00

We're spending Christmas in the Land of Mickey this year. Luckily there wasn't too much traffic as we drove down, but I guess it was late on Christmas Eve.

The family decided to open presents tonight - despite it being midnight - since we weren't too keen on getting up early Christmas day. Almost all of our pictures came out blurry and made it look like we were frantically tearing open the presents...LOL. Here's a couple of the non-spastic ones.

I got a beautiful orange cashmere scarf and Caleb got the cutest sweater from his aunt.

Hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas with their loved ones too!

Me and Barak

2008-12-22T18:47:00.003-05:00

So, guess who came to visit our offices? Why, Mr. President Elect Obama! He's shorter than I thought he would be.

Haha...ok, so I saw this cut-out as I was passing by the elevators and couldn't resist taking a picture with it. Mr. Obama was actually wearing a Santa hat (why someone would bring this in and put a hat on him, I don't know), but I took it off because THAT would be too much, eh?

Outfit: sweater from Ann Taylor, skirt from BR, Nicole shoes

From Scratch

2008-12-21T22:29:00.003-05:00

I don't know why, but I've been fascinated with baking lately. I love how the house smells when something is in the oven...it makes the holidays complete.

A couple of weekends ago, we went to a Christmas potluck and I wanted to try making pecan pie from scratch. It turned out beautiful with a honey brown crust and a delicious glaze to the pecans. Unfortunately...it tasted not as good as it looked. LOL! The crust and top layer of pecans were fine, but the filling was kinda gooey and...custardy? It made me kinda sad because I was truly looking forward to my first pecan pie this year, oh well-o.

So, after this failed attempt at making the pie I was pretty nervous to make red velvet cupcakes from scratch. I found a Paula Deen recipe and here is the end result, decorated with chopped pecans and chocolate morsels. They tasted awesome to my biased palate :), but we'll see what my co-workers think tomorrow!

All Packed Up

2008-12-18T23:18:00.002-05:00

I'm ready for our winter 2008 trip to Taiwan, Hawaii, and California!

Packing was a pain as usual, since we had to pack for weather ranging from the 30s to the 80s. For some reason, both K and I packed dressier clothes this time instead of the usual jeans & tees. Hopefully I don't get lazy and just resort to wearing the same comfy thing over and over while on the trip -- this is what I usually end up doing when it is hot!

Anyways, I always knew that I'm really dependent on Excel - it seems like I can't think outside of it. So when I started a packing list for this trip, I ended up relying on trusty ol' Excel again to organize my thoughts. Check it out. . .

The top section lists the packed items by category, the middle section details out the outfits with winter layering options, and the bottom section helped me make sure I had the appropriate outfits for travel & party days. The bottom section also helped me roughly estimate how many outfits I needed for the other days -- I doubt I'll strictly follow the schedule, but it should save me some time in the mornings. This packing method really helped me to make sure I didn't overpack! It was also a lot easier to use Excel than to make scribbles on a notepad.

I usually wear jeans/sneakers for flights, so it'll be interesting how my boots & tunic/dress & legging combo goes tomorrow - it better be comfy because I'll be stuck with that outfit for over 24 hours! Did you know that I used to wear shorts, tees & slippas on flights? So weird, now thinking about it.

Hope you all enjoy the holidays, and take it easy!

Dark Dresses

2008-12-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

A couple of dresses I've worn this week...also, my new shoes.

Re-Launch!

2008-12-17T21:34:00.005-05:00

When we first started our blog as Shopaholic Homebodies, it was done on a total whim and we learned many things on the fly. Now, we are re-launching ourselves with an additional friend (who has the same name as Thao, so they're going by their nicknames) and would like to introduce our group:

Isis, Lilo, Miyu, and Shasha. . .

We were all together this past weekend for a Christmas party and late night of Rock Band!! Here's our awesome girl group:

Perfect outfit for a BIG meal

2008-12-16T22:15:00.001-05:00

Thao and I went consignment-shopping this past weekend, where I found the perfect outfit for the holidays. Behold. . .the magical expandable tent-style dress that will accommodate big tummies after huge meals, topped off with a corduroy blazer with a leather closure. I felt slightly like a school girl with the completed outfit, but it was so comfortable!

corey lynn calter dress, Borne Jacket, UO tights & shoes

I used to be a little squeamish about used clothes (other than the ones from family members & friends). This was because I was turned off by the low quality options that were sometimes dirty and majorly overpriced in the places I did check out. However, I recently became much more open to consignment & vintage items after visiting Beacon's Closet and Buffalo Exchange, thanks to Apple. Considering that there are fashion cycles and most things, if not all, come back into fashion, I'm realizing what a great idea vintage/consignment-shopping is! Not to mention it's eco-smart. Now I'm all up for recycled clothes!

GAH! I have to go pack soon. K and I will be heading off to Taiwan later this week, then Honolulu, then onto Cali to visit my bro, sis-in-law, and their newest addition! Hopefully I'll be diligent enough to take tons of pictures and eat tons of good food. I also hope to play in my momma's closet :)

Mackage is seriously macking :)

2008-12-15T23:47:00.002-05:00

I had never heard of the brand Mackage until I saw Lilo's winter coat this past Saturday (hopefully she'll post pictures of it). Coincidentally, Apple sent me an email the next day, with a note about how she saw some incredible Mackage coats. And they are indeed INCREDIBLE! They induced some serious drool, even from the hubby.

Image source: Mackage

K & I were in the big city this past weekend, and we took some pics - recognize the location? I just had to post this pic, in case you thought that I perhaps never went outside the house, since all my outfit pictures are in my house! By the way, yes, I was wearing that Uniqlo heat tee AGAIN :)

The Sandman

2008-12-13T01:24:00.001-05:00

Hey girls, sorry this is my first outfit post this week because of two reasons: 1) I was sick earlier this week - so I didn't feel like much except sleeping after work, and 2) last weekend I bought a new pair of shoes that are really cute except when I wore them out I tripped twice and sprained my ankle (kinda ironic because they were only 1 inch heels...whereas I'm fine in my 4 inch pumps today).

Today's outfit is a blast from the past. Shasha, do you recognize this red skirt? I wore it so often back in college...and after all these years, I'm finally bringing it out again.

Outfit: BR coat & vest, JCrew skirt, Brooks Brothers shirt, striped tights (though hard to see)

And here's a picture of Lilo and me at work...though this actually isn't either of our offices, but we thought it would provide a good idea of our work environment.

Also, I completed my collection of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman graphic novels. Squee! I always get a thrill when I complete a series...and these Absolute Sandman volumes are so beautifully designed.

Jellyfish pouf

2008-12-12T23:45:00.001-05:00

So I have this dress that I rarely wear -- I think it's a knock-off of a Max Azria dress from a small boutique in Hawaii (the tag was strategically snipped). It's a dress that makes people look preggers.

I ain't got any special events to wear this to, yet I felt like I needed to wear this dress more often, so I stacked on some layers, and wore it to work. It ended up looking like a jellyfish pouf :) You see that grey long-sleeve shirt? It's one of those Uniqlo heat tech shirts that are supposed to keep you warm. I think it works especially well when I first put it on, but I love it so much that I've worn it to work in the past 8 days. hehe hope no one noticed.

SILLY FAN GIRL MUSINGS: On a different note, here's some eye candy for Lilo, who likes Vanness. Now how the heck did I have an inkling that he would be Lilo's favorite (confirmed by her comment on my 12/10 post)? He's like the only member who can dance! And he seems to have a really open & easy-going personality as well. I feel like I should cover up my eyes when I look at the pic ;)

Yes, I only started to think they were adorable after recently watching Meteor Garden (I only watched the 1st & last episodes of MG2 though, because I couldn't handle the drama no more!). Can you guys guess who is my favorite? It's a close tie between 2 of them, but I think one wins out because of his improving acting skills.

Like a stern school marm. . .

2008-12-11T22:45:00.001-05:00

I dressed like a stern school marm today. . .

Tahari blazer, Michael Kors black dress, TJMaxx belt, Uniqlo tights, Nine West shoes

I think the outfit looks similar to the basic boring outfits I used to wear for work, but I know it is an improved version because I definitely threw in more texture and details than I would have a year ago. . .like a fuschia belt, argyle tights, some sequins (on the neckline of the dress) and a tuxedo-striped blazer.

Interesting. . .those high heels are the only ones I wore for 4 years while in consulting. Man did I wear a lot of black flats during those years!

Come YouTubin w/ me

2008-12-10T20:30:00.001-05:00

I found some gems while YouTubin. . .

PUGS ARE CRAZY
Here's a silly pug, showing off his mad skills. If only Erv could do this!

SINGIN DORK
I was searching for a soundtrack from a TV drama, and came across this. . .I almost turned it off because I thought it was going to be just another awkward amateur cover, but it is surprisingly beautiful. . .His original name was singindork, but after much prodding by others, he changed it to something else for his MySpace site (he changed it to afraidofeverest, because he's acrophobic).

I GUESS I'M JUST A SILLY FAN GIRL TOO
Uggh, I can't believe I'm saying this, and I hate to admit it, but I think F4 (now JVKV) is pretty adorable. . .

Let me go hide in shame now :p but wait! one more to redeem myself. . .

I'D RATHER DANCE WITH YOU THAN TALK WITH YOU
One of my favorites. . .just saw the video for the 1st time today though.

Beedle the Bard

2008-12-09T22:26:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I don't just covet fashion, I also love to collect books. And being the Harry Potter fan that I am, I was so excited tonight when JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard arrived home. It's a collection of five little fairy tales...and sure, the collector's edition costs more than all seven HP books combined but it's totally worth it. Look at the cool packaging and awesome embellishments on the book!

Outfit Thoughts

2008-12-08T23:03:00.002-05:00

Just some outfits from net-a-porter that I came across.
- I really like the color combo of the first outfit, again blue and purple looks great together.
- Usually not fond of cowl necks nor beige (it washes me out), but I couldn't resist how comfy this second outfit looks.
- I love the inky blue dress and the idea of a grey jacket, but I can't stand oversized blazers that are so big this season - just slap some shoulder pads on and call it the 80s.

Narciso Rodriguez

I've always loved Rodriguez's gowns on Hollywood red carpets and I think his fall pieces are spot on with the jewel colorings and easy elegance. The only mis-step so far was Michelle Obama's election night dress...ugh. But these I love.

Boots are Sofa King Banned

2008-12-08T21:43:00.001-05:00

Is what my hubby says. . .

hehe, did you understand the title above? If not, say the title quickly (hint - He says, no more!)

Anyways, onto my granny/ass-kicking boots in action. They don't look that intimidating afterall right :)

Oscar jacket from Mother-in-law, tunic & tights from. . .you guessed it - Taiwan night market!

Bootlicious, round 2!

2008-12-07T23:47:00.001-05:00

MC Hammer pants are back in style, so I guess sooner or later Doc Martens would be back in action.

Did you ever wear them in high school? I never did, because I was wearing slippers all the time, or my velvet converse sneakers at school where slippers weren't allowed. Anyways, when I think of Doc Martens, I think of the guy who sat in front of us in the cello section in high school, who once turned around and said to us. . ."are you going to be my sex. . I mean stand partner?". He turned bright red after that. When we had all started orchestra together, the girls thought he was cute, but called him Rudolph because he had a red nose all the time from having a cold or allergies or something. Hm, this is slightly going down the memory lane, but when I think of that orchestra, I always think of the conductor who would sweat so much that he would bring extra shirts to change into during practice. His sweating problem was so extreme that his sweat beads would literally fly off his arms during practice. It was an advantage to suck, and sit in the back :)

Onto some Doc Martens. . .

I don't think I could work the two above. BUT, I love the one below. Apparently those colored panels are individual strips of leather so there are gaps between them. Definitely a must if I ever wore them in Hawaii, where you need a breeze circulating in your boots :)

Did the picture of the laces above make you drool? They sure did for me -- it's a Pavlovian response originating from Jane's (from Sea of Shoes) cool lace-up boots from Ann Demeulemeester. Check out one variation of the boot below. . .She also has a posting with pictures of the 2 boot variations that both she & her mother have.

Photo credit: Sea of Shoes

Awesome boots. I initially thought they were insane, but now I love them. They're outrageously expensive, but perhaps there will be a cheaper alternative out there soon!

Anne of Green Gables

2008-12-07T00:09:00.002-05:00

Lilo and I had a movie and baking night! We're watching Anne of Green Gables (sigh...Gilbert Blythe) and made brownies with Andes mints and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Bootlicious

2008-12-06T22:51:00.003-05:00

Boot Looks for Less. . .

Ferragamo created these lace-up boots for the Australia movie. . .they were made without zippers, in order to conform to the time period setting of the movie. It would take me like 10 min to lace those babies up! I think with my height, these babies would go above my knee. . .not a good look for shorties. I'm guessing these are >$1000.

Photo credit: AP/Ferragamo

Ta-da! I present to you. . .a more compatible pair of boots (for both my lifestyle and wallet). Yeah yeah, I know. . .they're not exactly similar. And I cheated, because I found the cheaper pair of boots first, then accidentally came across the Ferragamo ones above.

Photo credit: 6pm.com

Anyways, they're from Stuart Weitzman, which I always thought were primarily for old (rich) ladies. I guess this is not the case, since these are some "hot combat boots" (quoting Apple). I'm calling them my "hot granny/ass-kicker boots" haha. They were 75% off on 6pm.com, and I somehow managed to snap up the LAST pair. The leather is so nice & soft that I can't believe they used it on a pair of shoes. . .I'll be running away from crowds, messy kids, dogs & shopping carts, in fear of getting any scuff marks. You know how some families have those clear plastic covers on sofas, to keep them nice & new? I wonder if they make those for shoes :)

All the Basics

2008-12-05T21:33:00.002-05:00

cardie? check!

U-neck tee? check!

black pencil skirt? check!

black tights? check!

granny boots? check!

I seem to have hit all the basics in my outfit today (well, the lace-up granny boots are stretching it a little bit, but oh wello).

Old Navy cardie, Uniqlo skirt & tee, Walmart tights, vintage boots from Ebay

Those lace-up granny boots were the best deals I've scored on Ebay to date. $23 for almost new Bally boots? Wow. . .I'm still amazed.

Looks for less...Tiffany & Co. necklace

2008-12-04T21:25:00.004-05:00

Ok, so today's outfit was super boring...dark blue and blah because it was grey and rainy in the city. But, the real reason for this post is to show one of my necklaces from today.

I found the exact garnet beads and made the above necklace after seeing the one from below at Tiffany's for over $1K. Mine was only $20!

Moving in opposite directions. . .

2008-12-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

K took a look at my outfit this morning, and said "Cool! Too 'out there' for the people here though". GAAH! We better not move to somewhere even boonier than here!

Me & Erv moving in opposite directions. . .

BR cardigan, tneck & tights from TJMaxx, Uniqlo skirt, UO boots

K tried to take pics of me without the flash. Check out this haunting picture. . .it reminds me of an image that you may see in a dream. or maybe a scary movie.

On a note related to my outfit, Apple and I had roughly 20 minutes to run around Uniqlo like crazy women before we had to go to dinner at the Mercer Kitchen last Saturday in the big Apple. I somehow ended up finding 2 skirts, a pair of tights, and a tee at a good bargain during this quickie shopping session. . .

By the way -- that night I learned a lesson that will hopefully remain with me forever. DON'T BE A CHEAPASS WHEN EATING AT GOOD RESTAURANTS IN BIG CITIES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE BOONIES!! One of my biggest dumbass moments in life was ordering a stupid cheeseburger at Mercer Kitchen because I was feeling a little stingy (and I had a glimmer of hope that maybe Jean-Georges has some kind of super unique recipe for cheeseburgers. But really, that's no excuse). We ended up splitting the check evenly between our group of 8. Grrr, I think I took home the DUMBASS award for the night.

Looks for less. . .LAMB peeptoe booties

2008-12-04T00:47:00.002-05:00

I'm always fascinated by those "looks for less" shopping postings, where bloggers showcase (relatively) cheap alternatives to insanely expensive items.

Anyhow, here's my first one.

Can you tell which is the real deal? The grey ones are from Bakers, yellow ones are LAMB. . .I know there are folks out there who think you should get the real deal because they're better quality, but I'm sure those >4 inch heels will be hell (at least for a klutz like me) regardless of whether they cost >$300, or ~$75. Not to mention my upper price point/ceiling currently hovers around $120 for shoes - maybe the ceiling will get pushed up soon haha, especially since I'm now venturing beyond the old habit of wearing the same boring black work shoes basically everyday.

After looking at the 2 versions closely, I actually prefer the Bakers, because it doesn't have scales/scallops on the back. I can't imagine what I would do if all those little scales ever curl up. I'm already having issues with the ~6 long fringes that stick up on my black booties from UO - I need some doublesided tape or rubber cement to tame those fringes! I should take a pic of how they have been ridiculously sticking out :)

Turkey Weekend Recap

2008-12-03T21:29:00.001-05:00

The HILLY BILLIES go to NY!

. . .to visit K's hipster (more on that later) sister, Apple, in the big Apple (haha). . .

. . .to eat good food, such as these sushi bombs from BOZU. . .

. . .to see Apple's boyfriend, who drew ERV in his super hero cape (and with his super sprinkler nose). . .

. . .to see Apple's shoe parade (I'm still impressed that black shoes only comprise a small percentage of her whole collection. can you spot the 3 shoes we share in common?). . .

. . .and boot parade. . .

. . .and her super old Candies and other ancient shoes which pretty much deserve a parade of their own. . .

. . .and to take pictures of ourselves in mirrors at the MOMA. . .

I'm kicking myself right now for not taking more outfit photos- I really should have taken pictures of other people, but I was too shy to tell them why I wanted to take pics of them. . .

Cream Puffs

2008-12-02T20:13:00.001-05:00

I learned how to make cream puffs this past weekend...much harder than I imagined! They sort of deflated after I took them out from the oven, but still yummy :)

Have I shown you guys my new ring? Thanks to LBC, I got this cute little John Hardy:

I've been eyeing this Hype tote...what do you guys think? Too orange? Would this color last over the seasons or is it too trendy?

Today's outfit:

Outfit: grey dress (Gap), belt (H&M), jacket (Old Navy), shoes (Circa Joan & David)

Baglovin

2008-12-02T13:57:00.001-05:00

here's a quickie from a sickie!

while packing for our NY trip, I realized I need bigger bags! I've held off on buying big bags for a couple years now, since that is usually what I gravitate to. I'm a self-proclaimed bag lady and I would pack a whole meal in my bag if I could, in addition to an umbrella, jacket or scarf/blankie. Anyways, I ended up using this really old messenger bag I've had since I was 18 (damn, that was long ago).

So I'm now officially off the "Big bag ban", and am lusting over these (Sherlock and Esme bags from Jenny Yuen). . .

(images from the Jenny Yuen online store)

I'm on a black bag ban now (what's up with the "bbb"s?). By the way, I'm still kicking myself for not taking advantage of the Luna Boston 40% off sale on black friday -- I miraculously woke up on time for the sale, and yet did not take advantage because I was feeling stingy. sniff sniff. . .what the hell was I thinking?

I'm too lazy to post any further today since I'm sick at home, but I'll definitely post more on the Thanksgiving NY trip, as well as what kept me occupied last week :)

First Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T19:27:00.001-05:00

This year we're spending Thanksgiving for the very first time in our house. Caleb is eyeing the turkey that's as heavy as he is.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Shoes & Belts

2008-11-25T23:56:00.001-05:00

I've been shoe searching like crazy this past month - trying to find pairs that are not black and not like my typical work pumps. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. My boring shoe collection is not due to my lack of trying, but rather...I can't seem to find any that are comfortable!

Somehow though, I suddenly got this notion that I desperately need a pair of Mary-Janes...in black of course.

Mary-Janes by ShopaholicHomebodies

Also, with all my new dresses lately I've been looking for more belts. I love these options: wide elastic, double buckle or double wrap belts.

Belts by ShopaholicHomebodies

Not Sold

2008-11-25T00:48:00.001-05:00

I noticed the Proenza Schouler PS1 bag a few months ago as it started to be photographed on the arms of Hollywood starlets, but I didn't think much of it then. Now, everywhere I look it's popping up on purse and fashion blogs. I'm still not sold on the design, to me it's a messenger style that's gussied-up and taken off campus to be more trendy. What do you guys think?

I've also noticed the increased trend for these briefcase type bags across other designers to be carried as normal purses, more examples here:

Briefcase Bags by ShopaholicHomebodies

Confessions

2008-11-21T00:23:00.001-05:00

Forgive me, but I have a confession to make. I have been preoccupied for the past two nights with the Twilight series. Yes, the teeny-bopper vampire romance books. Gah - I'm thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that I'm enjoying them...thanks to Lilo, who introduced the books to me. She's going to see the midnight showing of the movie tonight - can't wait for her review!

I do feel guilty of falling for the vampire hero of the stories - Edward Cullen. He's like a mix between the elegance and attentiveness of Mr. Darcy and the passion and brashness of Gilbert Blythe...my two biggest character crushes. Plus, I do have a thing for vampires - like Larva from Vampire Princess Miyu.

Whoops, you guys probably don't want to hear about my silly ponderings...on to the fashion segment of this post.

I was most impressed a couple of days ago when my friend showed up to work in a hat! I had to snap a picture of her to show how totally stylish she looked.

ETA (11/26/2008): I have finished reading all 4 Twilight books and don't deny that all the purple prose has made me a little sick to my stomach. True, the writing is terrible, the plots are non-existent and the main character (Bella) makes me cringe...but who can resist sparkly vampire Edward?

A couple of links I want to share:
- The recaps from Cleolinda are even funnier than the original books, check them out here: http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Twilight#Bookdiscussionentries.
- The commentaries, reviews and links from this are LOLarious: http://io9.com/5096763/twilight-makes-for-the-best-fanwank-ever.

Resort Lines

2008-11-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my favorites from the 2009 resort lines on Style.com.

Burberry Prorsum
I'm really digging the colors here, lots of greys, mustards and an interesting combo of burgundy and lavender.

Vera Wang
Her interesting use of textures caught my eye - from structured satin to flowy georgette to wrinkly silk.

Rambutans

2008-11-16T21:43:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite fruits is the Rambutan, in Vietnamese we call them Chom Chom. We bought some today, aren't they pretty?

Here's the outfit I wore...it was so cold this morning!

Grey in the lead

2008-11-16T18:00:00.001-05:00

I had claimed that blue was my favorite color. However, I need to face up to the facts, and confess that grey is actually my true love :)

When I shop at TJMaxx/Marshalls/Loehmanns, I always keep an eye out for a unique leather jacket at a reasonable price (~130 would be my price point). Though I have yet to find a fashionable one I am willing to shell out $ for, I figured I can dream about finding some similar to the ones below.

dresses in grey. . .the right one is similar to something mrs. beckham wore. I guess that means it's pretty formfitting - eck, probably not comfortable :)

purses in grey. . .I think the 1st one is actually purple, but it looks grey to me :) I really want to touch the last one - it looks so soft.

shoes in grey . . . the first one has built-in socks! I wonder how they'll stay up through time though - may take tons of starch. . .

for Thao. . .purple stuff! they look so lucious - yum.

and for Lilo. . .the necklace below is from Disney couture! I love it!

. . .all items above are from asos.com. . .

Menswear from ASOS

2008-11-15T23:59:00.001-05:00

A little sampling of men's clothes from ASOS. . .

would your guy wear a cardigan? I'm trying to get K to wear one, before he starts drinking lots of beer again and gains a pregnant belly. he may not go for the cardigan below, but I think he may agree to the grey jacket on the right.

what the heck - is the shirt below for some guy who wishes to accentuate his boobies? I don't get it. . .

if K gets the boots on the left, we can be a matchy matchy couple (I'm getting mine in brown because who knows what a klutz would do to light grey suede). I wouldn't mind having the exact same shoes on the right though I doubt we would be bold/lame enough to ever wear them together.

Morning Light

2008-11-15T10:55:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to experiment with the camera, so you guys might be seeing some weirder photos.

Outfit: BCBG skirt (mauve), Ann Taylor Loft blouse (rose)

2 misses

2008-11-14T21:56:00.001-05:00

I found a winner, I found a winner, I found a weiner. . .(or so I thought)

I must have been on crack or something. . .on Tuesday night, I tried to find options to make this frilly f21 dress work in the winter, and was so excited when I settled on the final look. However, when I put it on to go to work the next day, I ended up feeling a little silly. . .and instead swapped the dress for a more demure BR one, with rounded toe pumps.

Anyways, onto the details of my original wackier outfit captured in the pics below. I love this f21 dress, but man does it love to showcase my belly pooch! my momma saw me try that dress on, and told me to go get some granny fat-banishing panties. to add salt to the injury, there's this big iron/starch mark right smack in the middle of the belly section. I can't believe I was so blind that I didn't see it while at the store -- the ruffles must have distracted me. anyhow, the sweater is from AE, and I doubled up on the tights (crochet tights over grey ones).

I was so excited about this outfit (I told you I must have been on crack or something!) on Tuesday night that I happily and lightly stomped around the house, singing "I found a winner. . .I found a winner. . ." which somehow morphed into "I found a weiner. . .I found a weiner. . ." maybe it was my hawaiian/fobby accent coming out, who knows!

What not to wear . . .BIG thumbs down!

I should not have even bothered with this outfit, but I thought I would give it a go -- it was raining cats & dogs and no one would notice my outfit anyways.

- 6 year old grey pants from Express. HORRIBLE fit around the belly area, and it is too short even with the lowest heels. Unfortunately, I have another pair of these, in beige. I knew long ago that they had to go, but I tried to make it work today. It's officially leaving my closet!

- cropped trench-style jacket. I must have been mesmerized by the price, because this jacket doesn't look good on me. it's a little bit too cropped, the shoulder pads are too obvious, etc. I tried to pawn it off on my momma since she's much shorter and it wouldn't look cropped on her, but it was rejected without even being tried on! maybe I'll try again in Dec when I see her.

- only part of my outfit I'm keeping is my trusty blue 8 year old jcrew sweater. not a perfect fit either, but I'll hold onto it. . .

I felt like a dork the whole day!

side note. . .the Ervster somehow understands what I'm doing now when I whip out the camera. He now tries to crash my pictures, and even looks at the camera waiting for it to go off. what a camera hog ;)

Lunch Together

2008-11-13T21:28:00.001-05:00

Lilo and I went to lunch at Chef Liu's today. She thought her outfit was weird, but I think it's really cute! Sorry for the bad picture, it's from my phone camera.

Lilo's outfit: Old Navy dress, Rampage bag, dunno about sweater.
Thao's outfit: Ann Taylor sweater & pants, Target blouse, Botkier Sasha.

And on my way home tonight, I heard this new song, Love Lockdown, from Kanye...love it!

ROY G. BIV without the O&V

2008-11-12T22:03:00.001-05:00

I almost hit all the colors of the Roy G. Biv spectrum today.

the belt sat in my car glove compartment for months before I finally went to get extra holes punched. . .

the shirt I got for $11 bucks at GAP, but for some reason I got it in a size too big. probably because I was being an extreme cheap-o and planning ahead for any shrinkage or extra fat padding during the winter months.

the blue wool pants have lived in my closet for the past 4 years. again, too big, but I was being a cheap-o and planning ahead (I know - I'm so weird!). or, maybe I get stuff too big because I hate being uncomfortable after a big meal of chicken wings. anyways, I was so excited when I found them because the brand is the same as hubby's last name, except with a Q. . .

BONUS POINTS!!! Though I have had this vintage bracelet for at least 5 years, I wore it for the first time today. It was my momma's momma's.

Missing Peru

2008-11-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, JW and I started to miss Peru. We went on a tour of Peru in July with our cousins and had the best time there. The places we visited were magical and we had some really interesting food.

One of our favorites is the Peruvian version of chicken soup, Dieta de Pollo. It consists of chicken consomme with quinoa, carrots and celery. We tried making it at home and it actually turned out to be pretty yummy!

Dresses

Over the weekend, I also bought 3 new dresses, but I need your guys' advice. The problem with these dresses is that they're kinda shapeless and require the person to be slim, unfortunately - I'm not. Sigh...I usually don't even try them on, but I couldn't resist the little details on these. Should I keep them?

Gossip girly

2008-11-10T23:59:00.001-05:00

Exhibit A.

So I got this girly dress from a Taiwan department store during a visit about 4 years ago, and wore it twice while in Taiwan. After returning to the States, I realized I would feel too frilly-nilly self-conscious wearing it in the US. So it was banished to the back of my closet. Actually, its status was even lower -- it was exiled to the guest bedroom closet downstairs.

Exhibit B.

I got this sweater blazer from TJMaxx about 4 years ago, and always wore it to work only, and with the same beige tank top and black pants over. . .and over. . .and over. However, I recently got sick of wearing my stuffy consulting clothes so it was pushed to the back of my closet (I was a stuffy dresser as a consultant because it was so much easier for me to pack black and basic stuff rather than being creative).

Items A + B = . . . .Gossip Girly?

I was flipping through an old Lucky magazine yesterday, and saw a page of frilly layered dresses. Then a couple page flips later, I saw a sweater blazer that looked exactly like the one in exhibit B. As I was thinking to myself what a great deal I got on mine and how other suckers had paid ~300 for theirs, it all somehow clicked in a second, and resulted in the outfit below.

I was seriously going to chicken out and change to another outfit in fear of receiving laughter or snickers at work (who wears party dress-looking things to work in the city I live in?), but surprisingly it went well. . .or at least, no snickers that I know of :)

I also get bonus points for using my old blue bag -- it's a jewel toned blue bag that I stalked for months at TJMaxx over 6 years ago. Good thing no one else wanted it! But sadly it just collected dust for about 5 years during my stuffy fashion phase. I had to wipe off the dust while at work today.

I'm on a mission to wear everything in my closet so I gave a heads-up to my 2 girl co-workers, alerting them that I may be wearing some wacky stuff :)

Inspiration from Nihon. . .

2008-11-09T23:59:00.001-05:00

Thanks to a recent blog posting on Fruchtzwerg's Island, I am now addicted to DROP. I spent hours browsing through the images on the first day I visited the site. . .here are my favorites.

it seems like every strand of her hair is perfectly in place, and her headwear perched just right. . .I'm fascinated by all the patterns & textures of her outfit.

this lady is my hair style idol :) I love the tinges of purple.

where can I find those dimples for sale?

I love the mix of the 1st one, the interesting straps on the second, and the elegant all-black look on the 3rd.

blazer commonality. . .

I love these 2 pictures above. . .that guy has a beautiful nose. and skin. and hair.

couple wearing vintage. . .

I find the 2 pics above adorable - the guys holding their drink cans in a similar fashion, and the height difference & fur hat on the 2nd!

Birthday Cake

2008-11-08T23:42:00.001-05:00

I went to a friend's birthday party tonight and had a lovely time with delicious food and the most beautiful cake (raspberry chocolate mousse from Alon's).

Outfit: purple & green dress, Target shoes

Great conversation, yummy food, lots of laughter...what more can you ask for?

Ode to UO

2008-11-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

I LOVE Urban Outfitters.

K's friend happened to comment last week that UO is mainly for college kids, and Barney's is more appropriate for our age group. I guess I never really shopped at UO while in college, since we didn't have one in town back then. Maybe I'm now out of its target age group, but I rediscovered UO again through Chictopia a couple months ago, and have been absolutely obsessed recently to the point where I know UO added new stuff to their website several times this week! I guess I should feel better knowing that I'm technically saving money by being obsessed with UO rather than Barney's since stuff at Barney's is so pricey!

Onto the important part. . .SHOES!

I love the ones below. . .

I think Lilo would look great in these. . .perfect for people who go out partying :)

the boots look like they would match the Botkier Kika she was eyeing

How about these, Thao? I love the grey boots the most out of the bunch below.

Ebay Tidbits

2008-11-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

I've been browsing through Ebay quite a lot these past few days, so I thought I would post some tidbits related to Ebay.

- According to a recent WSJ article, the most recent popular search words for clothing are Ed Hardy, Nike, Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch! Must be all the young kids out there hanging out at Ebay, because no way would I search for those items (maybe Ed Hardy shirts for people my age, but definitely not the others)!

Ok, I do admit that I have an 8 year old turtleneck I love to death from abercrombie, which Ervy tugged & ripped during a pugtona session. My momma also recently brought me a brown sweater from there - apparently she and K's aunt went shopping there. Can you imagine short little asian mommas walking through that bass-booming, cologne-smelly, dark place? With huge posters of naked boys?

- I came across these cool 80s boots during the last minute of the auction, and was furiously entering 3 bids during the last 30 seconds. Craziness - needless to say, I did not win. Sniff - they're so cool. . .and they're really from the 80s but are NEW!

- I did come across another pair of boots that were interesting - they're labeled as magenta/pink, but it's kinda risky to buy them w/o seeing them in person first. . .they could be bright pink for all I know! On the right are some Burberry Prorsum heels that are totally not even in my price universe, but cause me to drool . . .Lilo - how about those for your next splurge :)

Shoe Clips

2008-11-08T05:26:00.001-05:00

Do you remember when shoe clips were really popular? Ok...I don't quite remember those days either, but before I had thought them kinda ugly and tacky. Well, no more. These examples of shoe clips from Erica Weiner and Aliza Darik are kinda charming! I think it's a creative way to dress up flats and sandals or create more options for pumps.

Mod

2008-11-07T23:55:00.001-05:00

I felt a little mod in my outfit today. . .the boss wasn't in, so I wore leggings to work. . .

f21 dress, leggings from taiwan, boots from taiwan!

Did I ever tell you about how I constructed my "tripod"? It consists of a ceramic container with coins, placed on a bookshelf -- this is what keeps my camera steady while I take pictures home alone. It is an absolute pain in the butt to use, and involves sticking my head into the shelf in order to see what's captured on the camera screen. I need to find a mirror to use so that it is a tiny bit more convenient. GAH! I can only stand taking 5 shots before I get tired out using this "tripod".