Viva La Vida

Lately, I've been having the feeling that plaid will be in this fall... maybe it's because everyone has suddenly developed an urge to copy the guilty-pleasure show of Gossip Girl, or else maybe it's just the "mood" that students have been getting in for school to start. Either way, I have to say I'm a big fan. Plaid is not only classy, but it's also a great way to experience with something totally chic and sophisticated, yet natural.

The dress below by Zac Posen was on sale originally for $2600 but it's supposed to be about $900 now at Bergdorf.Which leads me to my next point. Has anybody actually been to Bergdorf Goodman, before? I've been in there a couple of times. My friend's sister, a fashion design major at Cornell, has repeatedly said "Bergdorf is overpriced. It's the only department store with its name in the United States. Of course it's going to be overpriced. But, when there's a shoe sale, there will be rooms and rooms full of shoes on sale. The shoe sales are to die for." I have bought a pair of Juicy Couture jeans from Bergdorf before, on sale from $299 for $99, but aside from that, I can't really say that I've bought anything. The store itself is gorgeous inside and out in New York, but I will have to take my friend's word on it that the shoe sales are to die for... maybe I'll have to stop by New York someday for a shoe frenzy.


I love advertising. When you think about it, advertising can basically be a form of psychology. Good designs, good catch phrases, having "the look" will always attract readers and buyers to whatever it is you're trying to sell. I think this is one of the ultimate reasons why Apple is doing such a great job.My sister is picking up her new iPhone 3G today. As much as I adore Apple products (I myself am dying for a new Macbook), I'm not really sure what I absolutely like about the iPhone. There's enough around for me to simply walk around my school, ask a friend to borrow a phone, and immediately have an iPhone to play with in my hand. Maybe it's because I know exactly how it works, but I'm not too crazy about what all the hype is about... but in all honesty, I am a big fan of Apple and will probably be converting myself to some form of Apple Communication at one point or another... Anyhoo, I love the looks and the advertisement that Apple has. Has anybody been to the apple store on fifth avenue? It's a glass wall and the store itself is DOWNSTAIRS UNDERGROUND- I immediately fell in love with the place.

I have about two more weeks until the dreaded school starts- bleh. Until then, I will be gone for a couple days on my way to Las Vegas. I will be staying at the Venetian Hotel- an attempt at replicating Venice.




Have I been to Las Vegas, you may ask? Yes. Very, very many times. Many times to the point where I will sometimes just sit there in my suite and idle on the computer or watch television while my parents are downstairs in the casino having fun. But, at the same time, there's always something new in Las Vegas. Whether it's the Fashion Show Mall across the street from the hotel, or just walking up and down the Strip, there's always something that will make you go out at least twice a day and look at something. Not to mention the dozens of outlets and shopping centers available to you.

As for me, I plan on thoroughly enjoying myself at one of the five pools at the Venetian in the late afternoon sun at around the evening while hanging out and shopping in the daytime... all between that and SAT studying...


Okay, I must admit it. I am one of the zillions of fangirls that obsess over the Twilight series. But, unlike many, MANY of the fans- I consider myself an original. How, you may ask? I started reading the book WAY before any of the others came out. It was suggested from a woman working the cashier at the Borders by my house while I was buying the latest installment of the A-List Series. "Have you read Twilight?" she asked me. "No," I politely answered back. Her eyes instantly went wide. "Oh, you have to! Do you like vampire books?" I was thinking in my head "no, absolutely not" but I didn't want to be rude so I just said "Yes." She pulled off half of my receipt (I guessed right then and there that there was no way I could return the book even if I wanted to later) and wrote down the name of the book and the author. I later went to Barnes and Noble a few weeks after and bought the book and instantly became hooked with it.

I would definitely suggest it to everybody- it is ultimately a romance novel but the action and the mystery contained within itself is absolutely amazing. If you haven't yet read it, I would definitely suggest it- it changed my life.

And yes... I do love Edward Cullen.

All in a Day's Work

With summer school officially finished (thankfully) and everything else happily out of the way, I can now say that my summer has started.

So between studying for SATs, doing more random bits of writing, reading fanfiction online, and doing summer homework, I've had really nothing to do. I love summer. It allows me to sit back, relax (just a little), and do some things I would never have allowed myself to do.

My sister and I headed to the nearest Nordstrom's by our house right after she got off work for the Anniversary Sales. Of course, one definitely cannot resist a sale without a few buys, no?

I absolutely adore coats. And I love pink. Therefore, I adore pink coats. Although they really aren't that useful around here until November.

Ever since a friend of mine appeared in Ed Hardy shoes last summer at a party, I instantly fell in love with them. Now for $40 (half off) I can kick as much dirt as I want in these comfortable and cheap sneaker shoes. (I still can't believe that Ed Hardy did all the designs himself and had them screened onto shoes, shirts, etc).


If you've ever been to southern california or heard about the weather here, everything about it is true. Sun, hardly any clouds, and happiness is all a part of the california lifestyle. Of course, everyone here is destined to own a pair of sunglasses. These Gucci sunglasses were obtained by my sister ($100) at the sale where she luckily enough, snagged the last pair.

I'm sure all of us, has, at some point or another, splurged on something that you know you may very well never use later on in life. We thought these Uggs (they're buttonable/foldable so they can go down to your ankles!) were absolutely adorable! Yes, I have seen them before, but in reality, I will probably never have to use these from where I currently reside. Of course, there's always that little thought in the back of my mind that tells me EVENTUALLY I may need them (which makes buying it all the worthwhile, no?)

My absolutely favorite superhero of all times is Batman. After all, who wouldn't want to date a part time billionaire, part time crime stopper in a black suit? I've recently gone to see The Dark Knight- must I say, just like everybody else, it was absolutely AMAZING! Heath Ledger, by far, was the best (it's so sad what happened to him...) and he completely blew every other actor off the stage (in my opinion).

After being nosy around my house with nothing left to do, I came across my mom's old old (and I emphasize OLD) camera from the 1970s. I've recently been looking around for an old-fashioned style camera after seeing this one at Urban Outfitters and developing an immediate longing for an old-fashioned style camera that I can lug around without worrying about.
This Yashica camera once belonged to my mom's. It's a Yashica Electra It 's still usable but I still have to replace the lens and figure out all the bits and pieces about it. I also have to go and get some film and find the flash. But so far, I love it. Afterwards, I then found my aunt's even older Minolta Hi-Matic 7s lying in a closet.I'd have to say that even though the zoom and the clarity definitely doesn't match that of my friend's recently acquired Nikon D60, it's definitely got perks. Not to mention, but cameras come with an old-fashioned light weight bag with a skinny strap- which is just a little more fashionable than the currently fat sling around the necks that photographers these days carry around.

Lessons Learned in Life

I am very excited to say that after barely eating and barely sleeping for exactly a week, my IB scores have returned and I have not only passed, but scored higher than what I expected. Unfortunately, I still have to wait for those darn AP scores to come in (I'm sad to say I don't think I did as well as I did on the IB exams).

I am also very excited because yesterday meant confirmation for my Jonas Brothers Burning Up Tour Concert tickets for this Saturday at the Verizon Amphitheater down in Orange County.


Although I wasn't originally planning on going, my friend convinced me and even though we got tickets late, I am happy to say that I can go and be a screaming fangirl in the audience. I can excitedly and openly admit that I am a big fan of Disney Channel and I have no problem in saying that I love singing to most songs that come on it (although I am not that big of a fan of Vanessa Hudgens). Anyways, the Jonas Brothers are of course, an exception: not only are they adorable (I love Joe, especially) but their clothes would make me want to become a teenage boy just to wear them.

After staying up until twelve working on my very first assignment for my editor on my internship, she has emailed me back saying that it was terrific. What I love about my internship is that it allows me to do one thing that I absolutely love doing: writing. Editors offer me the chance to write articles that have the potential to be published, and hearing from someone with so much experience saying that my article was fantastic gives me the biggest joy in the world. After reading the email, I am excited to say that I will now go out, buy a cupcake, and celebrate by myself.

Are you a big fan of nail polish? A couple months ago I bought one of the advertised "Nic Sticks" made by OPI. I have not tried using it until about a couple of weeks ago. Although the color I bought didn't really suit me, I absolutely adore how simple and easy to use it is. I recently went out again and bought this color- it's called Ink a Dink a Pink and it's from Nicole by OPI and I absolutely adore it. The bright pink is perfect for my pale skin tone; I can say that I think I have found my perfect toe nail "color."

I've noticed (and so has Style.com) that little frills and such around the neck are becoming a growing trend. Perhaps it is to stop the vampires from biting us? There does after all seem to be another growing trend in the literature world for a vampire series known as Twilight.


My diet has (so far) been working. Unfortunately, there are still those little guilty pleasures in the world such as cupcakes and yogurt and ice cream. What are your (edible) guilty pleasures?

Culture Clash

First of all, I just really want to thank everybody for the lovely comments on my post. You guys are so amazing for taking time out of your lives and leaving a heart-warming comment for me, I love you all!

On Sunday night, I was a photographer at an Indian performance. I actually don't know much about the Indian culture except what a couple of friends have told me about. The students were performing "Kathak" which is an Indian physical expression of dance. From what I saw, it was supposed to be emotional yet elegant at the same time. Here are some random photos that I took:

What surprised me most was how long it took to prepare for the dance. I was there from 4 PM to 9:30 at night, but I was watching the performance from 5:30 on. Backstage, I watched the girls hectically (is that a word?) prepare for their dance. This girl in the picture above had flowers in her hair to cover the rubber bands tied into her head. Each girl was actually dressed and putting on make up by the time I had arrived there. Most of them started getting dressed at around 2 PM and by the time the performance came on at 5:30, they still weren't quite finished.

In this photo, a mother helps her daughter tie her sari around her while she patiently waits. The whole process of tying things and making sure they don't come loose during the dance took the majority of the time. (I love the colors of their outfits).

What makes Kathak so interesting is that they have these "bells" on their legs. I'm not quite sure what they're called (although I should know by now), but when the dancers dance, they make bell-like noises that add to the beat and rhythm of the song. The beauty of it, is that the dancers also turn with their footwork. I not only love the color schemes of the outfits, but I also love how the dresses will fly and twirl with the dancer.


Here's an example of what the outfits looked like. I adore the contrast of bright red behind the darkness of nighttime. The outfits are so intricate, that it's amazing how it was made. "It was hand-stitched," one person said to me. Evidently, that's what makes the outfit so heavy and so expensive.


These two girls are actually sisters. What I love is the jewelry and the way their faces are made up. Their necklaces and earrings match what they're wearing, and their make up also has to be completely flawless for the whole "look" to work.

Overall, it was an amazing experience to see how the Indian culture works- their outfits are absolutely gorgeous and you can definitely tell how much time and dedication they put into the performance to make sure it's as perfect as possible.

This new brand "Milly" designed by Michelle Smith seems to have gotten the whole idea of "black and white" elegance. It's premiering this Fall and some of the more work-oriented clothes are very pretty.

I love the way this dress seems to flow perfectly. It's kind of a more adult version of Little Bo Peep (remember her?) and redefines youth and elegance.


If you don't know me by now, I'm a big fan of contrasting colors. I love the playfulness of the bright pink skirt compared to the black jacket, tights, and shirt.

My internship started on Monday with an orientation and a tour. I was able to see the printing presses and the machines (they're three floors high!). I was amazed at how people worked to make an excellent magazine and newspaper, and I am really excited to be working. From what my editor told me, I will mainly be assisting the photographer down in Newport Beach when we will be shooting at the large multi-billion dollar homes. I will also be doing some copy editing and some writing, in addition to a number of other things. I hope everybody is having fun working at their respective job (if you have one this summer), and do tell me how exciting yours is and what you're doing, I know a couple of you guys are down in New York having the time of your lives. If not, I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves on your summer vacations.

Morning

My mom is a nurse. She has been working at the County Hospital pretty much all her life. Often, she tells me stories about her and her patients that she cared for the day before. Working at the County Hospital does not mean that you get patients who are upper-class YSL-wearing "Oh I have a cold, can you cure me?" type. No. She gets all kinds of patients from everywhere. I have been to work with her for volunteer hours, and I am completely amazed at what kind of stuff she has to deal with. Drug addicts, alcoholics, and many more often spend time yelling mindless things at her. I ask her "how do you put up with it?" and she tells me "it's all a part of work. Once you go home, you go home. Don't take work home with you."

She often tells me stories of the patients she has (no, not the alcoholics). Last night, she had a patient who was 32 years old and she had a autoimmune disease. The problem with her body was beginning from the age of 10, her calcium basically started "eating her up", thus causing her to shrink in size and make her the current weight she is today: 40 pounds. But it wasn't pity that made me want to post this up on my blog. It was inspiration. Although this patient has been suffering from the time she was young, she has received a bachelor's degree and she is currently writing her own novel about her disease. Although I have never met her, I have felt that her story should be an inspiration to everybody; this woman who can comfortably fit into 2 year old baby clothes has managed to achieved what she has wanted to achieve and she continues to live to tell the tale. Although I will probably never fulfill my mother's expectations of becoming a nurse, I realize that no amount of AP Biology can ever teach you what my mom learns everyday about people.

I've been seeing a large amount of frilly-type clothing nowadays. I'm going to call it what H&M calls it: Folk Romanticism, but I'm going to mix it in with a bit of Greek-ness.

Alberta Ferretti's Spring/Summer 2008 collection seems to perfectly match with the gladiator shoe-type going on right now. I love how the dresses bring back the idea of "elegance" and "Roman-like".

I adore this Juicy Couture watch that I found at Nordstrom. (Juicy Couture 'Tallulah' Watch, $255). It reminds me of an excellent day to go sailing or walking around on the sandy beach. Not to mention the time symbols are in Roman Numerals, bringing back a sense of classic and timelessness- (is that even a word?).

On another note, my senior photo is at the beginning of July and I really need to get a haircut ahead of time. My internship starts on Monday, but I have been hired to take pictures at a dance performance Sunday night, which means I have to know exactly what I will be wearing on Monday ahead of time. In the mean time, I have to email my teacher a part of my Internal Assessment for my History HL class for the International Baccalaureate Programme, which I have been slacking off on for the past three weeks since school has been out. Oh, dear.

Anyhoo, on a COMPLETELY unrelated note, I am very angry that I could not attend the Remus Lupins show at The Knitting Factory last night in Los Angeles. If you're as big of a harry potter fan as I am, you should understand.

The Beginning

Hi, all! Thanks for reading my blog. I've just started, so give me a chance to make you all proud and make a name of myself. I just started getting the hang of blogging. First, here's a little bit about me:

1) I'm a senior in high school
2) I love photography, although I'm still learning everything
3) I love writing- everything from fanfiction to writing articles for the magazines I work with
4) I love shopping

Anyhoo, InStyle's current Look of the Day is Chloe Sevigny who is wearing Sonia Rykiel. I adore the classic put-together look, and I absolutely adore the brooch as an accessory.


It seems that I've been seeing these 1920-type dresses more often in some of my favorite shops. Often, they've been shortened to only be shirts, or else full outfits. However, it's not just this jazz-type dress which was worn by Emma Watson almost a year ago at the Harry Potter premiere, but other flapper-like revivals have been brought forth making it seem as though every person wants to go back and live the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald is probably proudly turning in his grave as we speak.