Girly Girl

Fall chill has already settled in to the early morning weather here, so I'm taking advantage of the end of summer and throwing on this really girly and romantic summer dress while I still can. This outfit is so simple, but I love the drape of this dress. It's soo fun and flirty when I twirl in it...even if it doesn't show much leg. I'm just still not at all close to being tired of this dusty rose/pink color. These wedges make walking comfortable, but the heat still makes my feet blister like crazy, so sometimes I don't get too far. I'm really starting to appreciate leather uppers much more because they break in so much more easily and cause less rubbing!

Dress: Forever21
Bag: Kate Spade
Wedges: Jessica Simpson

Red and Black

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone's been having a wonderful weekend. Hopefully some of you made it to Fashion's Night Out! Charley and I went for the first time this year in Soho, but it was just way too crowded to stay too long or even shop. It was so much worse than Black Friday! It was pretty cool watching everyone wearing crazy outfits and gorgeous shoes though. :) We hit up the Prada store with friends to ride their giant glass elevator and snagged some delicious free Vitamin Waters before heading home. Next year I'm definitely going to stick to Fifth Avenue which is supposed to be the less crazy and crowded FNO spot.

I've been loving these light washed skinnies! I haven't worn this wash since high school--I've always found it so unflattering and unrefined, but I love the dichotomy of this simple and sleek black turtle neck shirt with this "ugly" denim. I feel super tall wearing this outfit with these heels. I love how the shoe remains classic because of the shape but edgy with the red and black color.

Turtle Neck Tee: H&M

Light Washed Skinnies: H&M
Gold Choker Necklace: H&M
Pumps: Nine West
Bag: Target

Oh my, I seem to wearing a lot of H&M today.

Lacey!

I really love lacey tops right now, and this specific one has really great delicate detailing and the perfect amount of drape. Paired with a tank top under it, it really flatters the collar bone and shoulders, which I think are the most feminine/delicate parts of a girl's figure. Not to mention wearing a top underneath it prevents this look from being too vulgar.

It was actually cooler in New York so I got to pull out my white skinnies finally! Usually it is way too hot to be wearing tight pants!

I really need to accessorize, but I think that's the most difficult thing for me.

Lace Top: H&M
Tank Top: Target
White Skinnies: Zara
Sandals: Vince Camuto

Before the End of Summer

SEEMINGLY RANDOM BLOCKS OF COLOR! I'm really enjoying this dress, it's so funky and unique. I'm also digging belts and their amazing ability to shape up really shapeless dresses.

Charley and I graduated this May, and now we're chilling in New York. Hmm, maybe no school will equal more posts? :D

   

 Dress: Mango
Belt: H&M
Sandals: Vince Camuto
Bag: Kate Spade

...ANNNND We're Back (fiiinally)

Wow, a post after a whole year?! I just don't know what to say other than life and lack of inspiration really got in the way of our blogging. I'm still trying to come up with a good solution for taking photos of myself using a remote so then I can photograph whenever. The only thing is my autofocus is not that great even on my tripod, and it always seems to focus on what's behind me :( It's just a little discouraging. And exhausting running back and forth between where you're standing and the camera just to check the photos! Hopefully something will get worked out soon! 

I've really been loving these ankle boots, especially the frilly top and mini bows! I got them before I came to college and was never really brave enough to wear them...I always thought they made me look really short. But they are sooo cute and a rediscovered love lately. :) My boyfriend thinks I look real fobby in this. ahh...

As for nails, I'm not sure when tutorials will be coming up. I really can't bring myself to do the same nails twice...I own so much that I always want to be trying something new. Maybe I'll try to be better about documenting WHILE doing nails from now on. Oh! And by the way, I have a tumblr that I tend to update more frequently with what I'm painting my nails.

Coat: Kenneth Cole Reaction
Blouse: H&M
Tank Top: Kohl's
Shorts: BCBGeneration
Leggings: Uniqlo

Booties: Connie

Bag: Kate Spade

Sandal Time!

Happy spring (I don't when I'm going to stop saying this since Spring isn't officially here yet)!! The flowers are blooming, and when the weather isn't being temperamental and rainy, it's nice being able to enjoy the warmth and nature. :) I got my hair trimmed last Friday and also got my bangs cut straight! I don't know what I was thinking because I realized as soon as the hairstylist cut them that I regretted it. I had bangs like these from the time I've had enough hair to have them until I was 15! I remember my mom trimming them shorter than I liked every time I had to cut my hair, and well...I just felt like I was seven again. Something about having my eyebrows showing just bothers me. Also my bangs are just terrible at staying put. Every time the stylist trimmed them straight, another random group of long strands would appear magically. At least I've had a week to grow them out!

I've got lots of things to look forward to in the upcoming week. This weekend I'm turning 21, so I'll be officially legal! Also next weekend is my school's Spring Fling--meaning lots of junk food, inflatable fun houses, performances, and parties. Lupe Fiasco, Flo Rida, and Ratatat (the Pokemon? :P) is coming for our concert, and even though I don't really listen to that type of music frequently and can hardly identify any songs associated with these artists even if I know I've heard them, I'm excited to have some good times with good friends. I just have to survive all the group projects that are due tomorrow... 

Teehee, I redid my nails, and I've painted them into Pokeballs! Really, who did not love Pokemon?! And how suitable were these nails considering Ratata Ratatat is coming next week?! Actually just a few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I played through Pokemon Fire Red on an emulator! WE'RE DORKS :P

I'm so crazy about these flowery lace tights and sandals!! I looked for MONTHS and MONTHS before I found these. The sandals are so high because of the platforms. I felt like I was towering over people (even the boys!) the whole time I was wearing these, especially because there are so many short Asians who attend my school. :D These sandals are perfect for me because I am terrible at walking in heels, and these are the perfect height, even if I still almost wiped out a few times while walking to class.

Coat: Forever 21

Blouse: Forever 21
Skirt: JCPenney

Tights: Asos

Belt: Thrifted

Shoes: Target

Thank you thank you Jenny for taking my pictures, and Charley, for holding my purse...! And thank you lovely readers for reading and commenting. I will definitely try to do a nail tutorial for you girls soon! :)

Spring into Spring!

So winter has really gotten me down with updating this blog. I'm quite disappointed in myself for not sticking to it, but it just seems that when drab weather (especially the windy and clammy kind we always see in Philly winters) comes around, I lose all motivation to do pretty much anything. :( How do you guys get over the winter blues? Clearly I haven't found a good way to get over the cold. I've just been snuggling up with my cow pillow pet all winter...Here's an indoor post for you guys, since it was raining all day today!

Spring Break was just a little over a week ago, and I spent it on a cruise to the Bahamas with friends and my boyfriend. The weather was so lovely, and it cheered me up quite a bit. If only the entire world could be temperature controlled like that cruise ship!! :P I've also been reading a bunch of blogs lately, and it seems like winter is finally coming to an end for everyone everywhere. Everyone's getting dressed up in their light spring gear, especially those lovely peachy-pink neutrals I've been admiring lately. I couldn't help but be inspired by it. Browsing other blogs has also brought on a heavy bout of shoe/sandal envy. I just keep seeing those Jeffrey Campbell platforms everywhere, and they're so pretty! Unfortunately the day I can afford/walk in those shoes is a long time away.

I'm due for a haircut soon! My bangs are way too long, and the chlorine/salt water from the beaches and cruise ship hot tubs have dried my hair out so badly, especially at the ends. I can't seem to keep any part of my hair untangled, and it's much wavier than before. I regret not bringing conditioner with me so much. :(

I've also been very obsessive about nail polishes lately. I've been painting and repainting my nails like a madwoman. These are supposed to look like clouds...I think people can tell? The smell of polish is awful though. I always wonder how many brain cells I'm losing when I get a whiff of the stuff. Bubzbeauty has been really helpful when I'm wondering what fun designs I should paint next. 

My friend Ariel got me these adorableee piggy socks when she was abroad. :) :)

Blouse: Forever21

Jeans: Forever21

Shoes: Spring (GET IT? SPRING?!)

Also, please let me know if the pink-toning in my pictures bothers you. I know the colors aren't as accurate, but spring time clothing always makes me love those soft tones you can get. :)

Happy New Year!

 

Happy new year everyone from New Mexico! Time really flies by when I'm at home. It's been so relaxing sleeping in everyday and eating a ridiculous amount of food. I can't believe school is starting so soon! I have been meaning to update sooner, but I haven't been able to get my camera to cooperate with me. My parents have a tripod at home, but the autofocus and timer on my camera have been so fussy, and as it turns out, my remote ran out of batteries! 

It's actually been quite cold here for the past few days, but thankfully, I can just run into my car if I need to go anywhere! (It's magnificent not having to walk everywhere in the wind and cold!!)

My girlfriends and I went shopping at the giant new Forever21 at the mall a few days ago, and I fell in love with this pencil skirt and headband. I've been marathoning Gossip Girl like crazy since I've been home, so there's no doubt that somehow brought about this obsession. :) 

Unfortunately I've been a bit sick for the last few days because I went to the doctor for a flu shot--the doctor ended up recommending I get the new flu mist they squirt up your nose. I really don't recommend getting that one if you have something important to do the days following it. I've never gotten sick from the flu vaccine before! Being sick during break is no fun at all!

 Blouse: J. Crew

Skirt: Forever21
Purse: Target
Headband: Forever21

Heels: Naturalizer

So what are your resolutions for the new year? I don't know what mine are yet. I never seem to be able to keep them anyway (if that's not too pessimistic a way to look at it!) I would rather just make them up as I go along; after all, there really is no set time for making changes in my life :) Although one thing I'd like to change immediately is how much I update this blog! Cold weather scares me but I'm going to try to power through it.

I think it's wonderful that everyone celebrates the new year with bright hopes for the year to come, but I find it sad that we seem to want to rid ourselves of the past year as if it was all a bother to begin with, as if the few (or maybe more than a few) bad moments or hard lessons in 2010 was worth exchanging all the great memories of love and laughter. It's scary to me that people are able to sum up an entire year's worth of time and just say "It wasn't worth it". It's silly because I'm the exact opposite. I always find the new year refreshing, but at the same time, incredibly intimidating. At the start of every year, I always find myself wondering if the coming year will be as amazing and beautiful as the last. Regardless, it's 2011! So enjoy it. Embrace all the good and the bad that is going to come with every year, and I hope you will be able to take something meaningful and important by the end. :)

Some Floral Layers for the Philly Cold

 

 

 

 

 I had this funny phase where I was completely obsessed with owning a fedora. :P Even though the ones I've found are all one size, and my head seems to be slightly small...I still love them! I was also absolutely crazy for these owl knee socks when I saw them at the store. It was amusing listening to the girl behind me in line talking about how creeped out she was by everyone loving owl stuff so much. Oops. What's wrong with owls?! THEY'RE SO CUTE!

 

 

Coat: Anne Klein

Fedora: TJ Maxx
Scarf: NY&Company (from my Secret Santa last year!)

Dress: Forever21
Cardigan: Kohl's
Belt: Thrifted
Gloves: Target
Tights: J. Crew
Owl Socks: Forever21
Boots: Target

Happy December everyone! It's been getting colder and colder in Philadelphia these days, and to make it worse, it's getting windier! Earmuffs, hats, scarves, and gloves have become my best friends. I've been trying to make as little bodily contact with the cold air as possible--if only I owned a ski mask so my face could be warm too. :( Some days I have fantasies of wrapping my scarf completely around my head like a mummy. Ridiculous!

Days have been flying by, and I didn't even have time to realize how long it's been since my last update! Things have been really busy here. The weeks after Thanksgiving were packed with assignments, and now it's time for finals. Just one more week to go before the semester's over, which means I'll be headed home for Albuquerque, New Mexico soon (hopefully it'll be warmer there, or at least less windy...) 

It's pretty strange thinking I have homes in two places. I really look forward to going back--it'll be the first time I've been home since last winter break. It'll be fun lounging around the house with my hyper little sisters (they're twins!) and my fobby asian parents. :D I'm excited to FINALLY see my best girl friends who are like sisters to me. I still find myself calling them up at 2 am in the morning to ask for advice or to cry when I've had a rough week. There's something comforting when I hear their voices over the phone. Is that corny? I love them to death. I'm really unconvinced that I could have survived those rough teenage years without them. :) And even if they would tell me otherwise, it wouldn't have been nearly as crazy and beautiful as they made it for me. It's so odd that we're growing up, and I never really get to see the different places they are or where they're going or the new people who are important in their lives. Hopefully winter break will change that, since I'll be meeting and spending time with some of the boys in their lives :D It's exciting also because my boyfriend will be visiting Albuquerque, and we'll get to go on many crazy New Mexican excursions together!

Stay posted for some New Mexican scenery soon! Have a fantastic week! :)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Philadelphia!

It's been a busy few weeks at school, but this week is Thanksgiving break so hopefully I'll be able to update everyone with a real post soon! 

Last Wednesday, Joseph Gordon-Levitt came to our campus to speak about his collaborative production company hitrecord.org. I was super excited about the event since 500 Days of Summer was such a good movie, and he was just so darn cute in it. :) Charley and I bought tickets for the event a week before, and the entire week, I kept thinking how amazing it would be if we got to take pictures of him for Jing & Charley? I saw him dressed quite snazzily in GQ and Nylon. Two days before the event, I'm yammering on about how excited I was about seeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt to my friend in class, and this girl asks me if I'm going--turns out she was on the planning committee for the show! I ended up sending her a few samples of my photography, and she let me be the event photographer. Of course, Charley was my guest. We had reserved seats and everything! I ended up sitting in the center aisle near the stage so I could get some nice pictures. Charley used my camera for the event, and my boyfriend let me borrow all his super nice camera gear. :D

At the end of the show, we got to go backstage with the event planners to take some pictures with JGL. Right when he was leaving, I mustered up enough courage to ask him for a picture. :D Charley was so selfless and let me have the picture with him (since we couldn't find someone who was willing to take the camera to take a picture of the two of us).

Blazer: Walmart
Tank Top: Kohls

Jeans: Forever21

Bow: Forever21

Earrings: Korea

Pretty plain outfit. I didn't want my ability to photograph everything to be affected by what I wore, so I decided it would be best to play it safe. Good thing because I did a lot of fiddling around on the floor in the aisle and probably would have flashed a bunch of people if I had decided to wear something more daring.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for everyone reading this blog :)
<3
Jing

Read the whole post for more pictures!

OHAI JING.

Ohai everyone. My name is Jing. Apologies for the awkward photo; I'm a tiiiny bit camera shy, but I promise I'm working on it.

I've always had an obsessive interest in all things crafty and artsy and just in general anything aesthetically pleasing. :) In the past, I've always thought of clothes as just whatever I could throw on that would keep me warm (or cool), but in the last two years, I've come to love the textures, materials, and combination of different fabrics, and I've completely changed my view of fashion as more of a form of art and medium for self expression than anything.

This January, I purchased my first DSLR, and it's come to change the way I view fashion even more; I love how photography can be a medium for capturing all the rich colors, textures, and patterns of design. Browsing through others' lookbooks constantly inspire me to try new styles and experiment. Currently I want to become more immersed in the art of design; I'm looking to purchase a sewing machine, but being a poor college student...who knows when that will happen. (Even if I wasn't a poor college student, I'm too much of a serial hobbyist to tempt myself) A girl can dream. :)

It depresses me how winter is on the verge of arriving any day now. Philadelphia has no real fall--or at least not fall by my standards. My ideal fall temperatures would have to be around 60-70 degrees, but the weather here has already fallen considerably lower than that. I envy those girls who blog about throwing on a cardigan or another jacket if it gets too cool--I'm practically pulling out my wool coats and chunky scarves here! Though in all fairness, I'm kind of a cold blooded creature, and anything below 65 degrees requires major bundling up on my part.

I haven't figured out a way not to look just incredibly drab during the winter. With my fear of the cold, all I feel like doing during days like today (48 degrees, what is wrong with the world?) is living and swimming in layers of ugly but oh so fuzzy and comfortable sweaters. Also, winter colors are just boring. I miss colors, prints, and romantic fabrics of summer! I realize I'm idealizing my memories of four months ago too much since I know at the back of my mind that summer was unbearable--too hot and WAY to sticky, and I didn't wear that many colors or prints because I was too busy being immobile and lazy from the insufferable heat. BUT I just can't imagine living my life in shades of gray and UGG browns and maybe a colorful headband or scarf when I think of the next "few" months (more like half year) of freezing weather.

Blouse: Thrifted

Cape: Newport-News
Skirt: Forever21
Tights: Urban Outfitters
Bracelet: Amazon

The day these photos were taken was actually quite chilly. The cape wasn't nearly warm enough, but I'm glad I charged through this photoshoot so this first post could be here. Knowing that this blog exists and someone somewhere might be reading it and taking something from it (whether it's inspiration or even just a break from boredom or homework) makes me feel so happy. :)