* 2015 *

2015 is approaching! Another year has passed and this one flew by so fast for me. Since I turned 25 in July, I've been in constant contemplation of my goals and passion in life. I'm only going to be 25 for so long and there are so many things that I thought I would accomplish by now. But I realized that that's what society wants you to think, it doesn't matter what they say. So if you still haven't accomplished your goals yet, as long as you're putting forth the work and effort, then you're doing just fine. Keep in mind that your goals aren't going to happen for you, so you have to pull through the highs and lows. I't won't be easy but I'm sure you know that by now. So get up, pick yourself, and keep going.

People usually get on this motivational high around this time of the year and soon after fall off of it and forget to fulfill their resolutions. But you know what, who cares?! At least it got you to start thinking about your goals in life. And whether or not you choose to make it happen, know that you have the power, it is all left up to you. It's never to late to start over again. 

2015 is going to be a great year for me. You know why? Because I choose for it to be. I'm going to do the things I said I would do since I was 18. I'm going to continue my love of learning and experimenting (mostly fashion, beauty, and travel related). If you want your life to be an adventure, simply change your mindset and look at your life that way. Remember to do what you love and to never give up! I wish all of you blessings upon blessings and a Happy New Year! Cheers!!! xoxo

Hope is wishing something will happen. 

Faith is believing something will happen.

Courage is making something happen.

-unknown 

Sweater Grunge |

One reason I love living in Jax is because of the (bipolar) weather. The cold is comfortable, not extreme enough to snow. The hot weather, well it's FL so it gets pretty HOT! Point is, I can still wear a sweater with shorts, skirts, and open toe shoes. I love that I can wear both Summer and Fall all year round. Hope you like this look - If you don't know by now, I love experimenting with new styles whether or not it "looks good" on me. xx 

Top: ZARA
Dress: ZARA
Tights: H&M
Shoes: ZARA
Eyewear: Asos
Hat: Cotton On
Lips: Mac

100 happy days

A couple months ago I took up the 100 happy days challenge on Instagram. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to keep up with it. I was going through a very stressful adjustment. And my crazy self thought it was going to be manageable.. "It's just a pic a day of something that makes you happy... Sure I can do it!"

It wasn't that it was difficult. It was because I was going through all of this:

1) I moved back home - misery of unpacking etc. 2) I started a high-demanding job - which I was literally thrown in and was expected to produce miraculous results and 3) juggled 3 fast-paced classes - and each of them kicked off in the same week. 

Let me be clear about something, it wasn't that I wasn't able to accomplish being happy every day. I have a very positive outlook on life so finding happiness in something, whether small or big is quite easy for me. The reason I couldn't keep up with the challenge was because I literally had no time to take a picture of the very thing that made me smile that day. Integrity is a huge thing for me, so posting a random photo and slapping on a pointless caption isn't my style. So altogether I just naturally stopped posting. Those months were pretty rough. I barely found time to eat and sleep. Let's just say I have learned to love coffee! Waking up at 6am every single day and not returning home until 10pm really took a toll on me. My dark circles got darker ehhh... And life just seemed to whiz by. -_-

With all of that being said, I will no longer be participating in the challenge. My schedule has gotten better but the fact that the days are no longer consecutive and is inconsistent, It just isn't right anymore. Besides, it was suppose to just be a fun thing to do! Happiness is about being - and if you're having to interrupt your blissful moment by taking a picture of it each time, in a way it loses its meaning. 

Have a HAPPY day and CHOOSE to see the good in everything :)

Plaid & Oxblood

I'm welcoming Fall with a plaid pencil skirt, black crop top, and oxblood booties!

Fall has got to be the most romantic season of all. It's like walking in a dim-lit restaurant with romantic music playing in the background... As oppose to walking in a bustling fast-casual dining. lol my mind wanders. I digress! In addition, I love Fall because of the assortment of jeweled colors that's (supposedly) only allowed during this time of the year.

This coordinate is by far one of my favorites. What I love most about styling a pencil skirt, is that you can dress it up or down! Depending on the choice of shoes, it can offer a laidback look or make you look like an uptight professional! HAH! Anyway - hope you enjoy this look as much as I do!

HUGE thanks to my dear friend Abel for shooting this look for me! Check out his work:
IG: @sensosketch
YouTube sensosketch
1O1Films

Top: ZARA
Belt: Topshop
Bottom: Topshop
Shoes: ZARA

Seattle, we finally meet!

Today is the third day of my Seattle vacation. It reminds me of San Francisco minus the gloomy weather. It drizzles with light rain but doesn't rain nonstop like I imagined. The city is so vast with green lush vegetation. It's truly tree heaven here. I see houses planted on hills and mountains. There are people everywhere. There's a clear diversity from Chinatown to downtown. Considering that I'm from a small town, I can't help but feel so small in this city. Everything is moving, people are on the go, shops and places are bustlin'. 

I arrived Seattle at 10pm pt (1am et). I was sleepy and hungry. After we got our rental we went to the best rated Japanese restaurant that was opened at the time. Cod fish was amazing, sushi was nothing spectacular. 

Next day I visited Chinatown. I went there for a quick dim sum lunch. I was craving congee. It's not as busy as SF's Chinatown however it's a lot cleaner. Not much to look at so I went to Pike Place Market. 

It's a farmers market plus a flea market, you see art booths to fruit booths. You can eat fresh seafood too. The first Starbucks is also located there. Which was pretty cool! Another amazing thing is that they have booths that sell fresh flowers created in beautiful arrangements! All under $20! I wished we had something like that back home! My room would be filled with fresh flowers everyday!!! I made the mistake of waiting to buy one because I wanted to walk down to the shopping center about 4 blocks away. When I got back, everything was closed. I thought it was gonna be open all day! it's okay though because I know I'll visit again before I leave. 

I still have the space needle and sky city restaurant to explore. I might do down to the Ferris wheel harbor too. So far, my trip has nothing but amazing!!!

my caution, not the cold

I got this amazing top as a birthday gift from one of my best friends! Black and white together, is hard to wear during the summertime so it's nice when you can find something light and flowy. I just love the versatility in clothes, you can mix and match a variety of different styles. I was going to wait until Fall to bring out the clutch but I couldn't resist the rich color any longer. I just had to make it part of my next blogpost. I usually don't wear silver. Most of my accessories are in gold. Despite that, I love my silver kitten heels from target. If my memory serves me well, I think I bought it for only $8! It was during the clearance sale.. Mmm.. A year ago? ^_^ anyway, hope you like today's post! 

Outfit deets:
Top: h&m
Bottom: Zara
Heels: Target
Bag: Zara

Home Sweet Home

Hiiii :) I'm back!

I miss doing ootds. Gotta get up and try again. :) I can't wear color without wearing black. I just don't know how to let it go. I'll learn one day, just not today! I paired this floral romper with a lightweight blazer-like outerwear. I added a gold necklace with a simple skinny watch, which btw doesn't work anymore. I chose to complete the look with my pale beige block heels from Aldo. 

This marks my first ootd in Jacksonville since I moved back. Guess who took these awesome shots for me? None other than the person who loves me unconditionally. My mum. She had more fun than I did, I think! Enjoy! 

Outfit deets:

Romper: Agaci

Outerwear: Agaci

Necklace: h&m

Watch: thrifted

Shoes: Aldo 

OOTD: Black with Fuscia lips

 

  

When in doubt, wear a black ensemble with a statement piece!

 Here are extra shots of my outfit from the night of my friend's birthday dinner. 

 For my look, I decided to add a pop of color! The fuscia lip brightens up the look and brings attention to my face rather than my tight-hugging top and bottom. Although I like to experiment in fashion, tight fitting clothes still makes me uncomfortable. It's not really my true style. However, I can't deny how nicely the skirt fits to my small frame. It does a good job of accentuating certain assets (assets that I don't have)  hahaha..

I'm noticing that my hair is getting longer! It makes me so happy :) 

You can definitely see my roots growing in but I actually like it.

 Since ombre hair is still trending, I think I can still rock this look for awhile.

Top: MNG by Mango

Bottom: H&M

Shoes: Windsor

Handbag: H&M 

Photo credit: M.D