Curious Mel

Transitions

2011-08-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! So I know I haven't updated for the majority of the summer, but I had been super busy with school and work literally every single day. I hadn't even had time to hang out with my friends or do any summer-related activities, and maintaining this blog simply wasn't one of my priorities anymore. I love you guys all so much and I thank you all for keeping up and reading my ramblings, but I think it's time to close down shop and end Curious Mel. I started this blog my freshman year of college (and now I'm a senior). I've learned so much and had a blast running this blog, and meeting all you guys has definitely been one of the highlights of blogging. I still do read your blogs every week, but I just don't update here. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys for reading my posts and random ramblings, and thanks for being such an awesome community! Fashion blogging has been a blast and I'll miss it a lot!

However, I'm not completely leaving the blogosphere; my friends and I are starting another blog, Collective Endeavors. It's a way for the three of us to keep in touch since one's studying abroad in Hong Kong and the other is going away to college in San Jose; we also wanted to document our different adventures, thoughts, and ramblings, so it's a kind of lifestyle blog with personal touches. I hope you'll join us there and continue to follow my college journey there. Hopefully we can keep up that blog with the three of us working on it when we have time.

Once again, thank you guys so much for keeping up with my blog for all this time, but I shan't be gone from blogging completely! Plus I'm still on Tumblr...everyday I'm Tumblring. And don't freak out if I comment on your blogs from our Collective Endeavors account, it's just me, Mel :)

Summer Wishlist

2011-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence, summer school's been kicking my butt! I think I say that all the time though, so it's a poor but legit excuse. But I'm procrastinating right now by playing around with the layout here, so expect a few changes around here. I'm not sure how I want the banner heading to look like, but I think something simple like the above will suffice for now. Also procrastinating by doing some online window shopping, and I made a summer wishlist based on what I've been eyeing online.

My classmate had this exact romper, and I thought it was so pretty; I just love the exotic print and the back design. Naturally I had to hunt it down; I guessed it was from Forever 21 and I was correct! Unfortunately I tried it on the other day and it doesn't fit me too well, so I'm searching for another nice romper with a cute back cutout like this one. I only have one romper (which is more like a pair of overalls), and F21 has a huge selection of them. When I have time I'll have to go back and search all the racks for a nice one.

In San Francisco, you rarely get the chance to visit the beach on a nice day, but I thought I ought to be prepared with a floppy straw hat just in case the weather takes a turn for the better. I kind of want one with a shorter brim.

And of course with a floppy hat comes a beach tote, especially if I plan on heading to the beach. Lately though I've been addicted to my canvas tote so I'll probably use that instead of an actual beach tote if I don't buy one.

Technically this was on my summer wishlist but I bought a nice one from Eddie Bauer on sale. It's a darker wash but I love the fit and look! I never thought I'd buy a denim jacket because I could never find one that looked decent on me (like my leather jacket dilemma), but I loved how girls were rocking this look on blogs and such so I had to keep an eye out for the perfect one. Luckily I found it :)

I mentioned I've been looking for a pair of high-waisted jean shorts, and I still have my mom's old pair of jeans that I'm probably going to use to cut up. Just been too busy to do so.

ESPADRILLES! Oh my gosh, I've been looking for the perfect pair of lace-up espadrilles since high school. I have this pair of red gingham ones (I forget the brand), but they're terribly painful to wear for very long so I'm still looking for a new pair. Hopefully this summer I'll be able to find some. I love the flat ones on the right from Nordstrom, I think I might buy them when they have double points for the Anniversary Sale.

What's on your summer wishlist?

On the Hunt

2011-06-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Vintage
Tee: Target
Skirt & Belt: H&M
Flats: Rocket Dog

OH YES I DID. I bought a replacement pair of flats for my old dying Rocket Dog pair. They're a little different, but I think they're the leather alternative to my suede ones from high school. Haha you can probably tell I love Rocket Dog flats :) Well some of them at least. Anyhoo, I'll probably wear out this pair in a year or two. I just LOVE black flats...too much.

I've been wanting a pair of high-waisted jean shorts for the last few years or so, but it seems ridiculously difficult to find a decent pair for a reasonable price. American Apparel and UO have some but they're ridiculously expensive for just a pair of shorts. I asked my mom to look in her closet and she found an old pair of Levi's. It's a light wash, but I plan on cutting it up and making shorts anyways. Good thing we're the same size :) I'm still looking for a darker pair though, so I might go thrifting with my friend and look for an old pair of jeans to cut up.

From American Apparel

Alexa Chung rocking high-waisted denim shorts

Baseball Rant

2011-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Land's End
Dress & Belt: H&M
Leggings: Target
Boots: BC Shoes

Haven't worn this dress for awhile, so I opted for a comfy look with this pullover sweater.

I try not to talk too much baseball here since it's supposed to be a fashion/movies blog, but I need a small space to rant. Aside from vacation, the past week has been pretty upsetting. My favorite player, Buster Posey, was injured in a freak collision in a game last Thursday, and it was pretty horrific to witness. My mom and I were in the midst of packing and we were just watching the play when the Marlins' Scott Cousins ran right into Posey at the plate. We were nearly on the verge of crying because of how horrible Posey looked, writhing in pain on the ground and clawing at the dirt. He couldn't get up for a few minutes and it just seemed like forever. I know it's a bit ridiculous to feel so emotional about a baseball player, but I can't help but feel super upset. Posey suffered a broken left leg and a torn ligament, and had surgery last weekend to have some screws inserted into his leg. He's most likely out for the season, and it's very distressing to know he won't be back until next spring. Ha, I know it sounds like I'm being overly dramatic and it's just a game, but I can't help but feel so upset. And I'm glad I'm not alone, most fans are pretty distressed (as seen on Tumblr, haha). I wasn't really mad at Scott Cousins, just upset at the whole situation and that it happened. I guess all we can hope for is a quick and healthy recovery for Buster Posey, and he'll be back next season better than ever.

It's a little distressing though to hear some of stupid Giants fans are making death threats against Scott Cousins and his family living in San Francisco. There is no call for that, and it only shows that some of these fans are immature and ridiculous. And to think that only two months ago a Giants fan was beaten up by stupid Dodgers fans and is currently still in a medically-induced coma. There's no need to resort to violence, and those idiotic fans who think violence is the way need to get their heads checked. Of course, these fans only represent a very small percentage of actual fans, most of who feel the same way as I do: that this was just an unfortunate accident, but in no way do we want to hurt or take revenge in any way on Cousins or his family. We just have to move past this and let Posey recover. Though I admit it's been difficult watching baseball without Buster Posey playing. Get well soon Buster! We all miss you lots. Here's some eye candy for you guys ;)

Haha I think I've successfully bored you all to death, or at least induced some eye-rolling ("Lord, there she goes about baseball again."). I know I've done that at work several times. That's the problem when you work with a bunch of guys who don't even watch baseball. Or even with my friends, I'll suddenly talk baseball and my guy friend will be like..."OH. UM...changing subjects here..." Oh gosh. I think when I turn 21 I need to go to sports bars and make new friends who actually like baseball, LOL. Haha I'm kidding...sort of.

Raining in June

2011-06-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: Old Navy
Blouse: Ross
Belt & Skirt: H&M
Oxfords: Vintage

Hello all! Just a casual look from a few weeks ago; it's now much too rainy and cold to wear anything like this for awhile. Just got back from vacation yesterday, and I'm currently dealing with jet lag at 5:00 in the morning. Sigh, I'm already longing to go back though. It's a funny thing about being on vacation, it's like a mental and physical break/getaway from reality and responsibilities. Now that I'm back, I have to deal with summer school and a bunch of stuff that I don't want to deal with. Wish I were back still on vacation. Anyhoo I'll post photos soon!

If I Were a Sailor

2011-05-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Blazer, Belt, & Shorts: H&M
T-Shirt: Target
Shoes: Keds

A casual, preppy, nautical-ish look from awhile back when it was warm. Wish the warm weather would come back.

I saw this gorgeous photo of Hailee Steinfeld on Tumblr in her stunning Stella McCartney gown and just had to post it here. And those shoes are perfection with the gown! I love this girl, I swear she can do no wrong in terms of style. Why was I not this awesome when I was 14? Heck, I want to dress like her even now! I mean, remember her Oscar gown?

Laziness Ensues

2011-05-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Jacket: INC
Scarf: John Ashford
Dress: H&M
Leggings: Target
Boots: BC Shoes

A kind of casual look from last week when it was cold. So summer officially began last Friday at approximately 9 am...and sadly I have to begin my online summer course right away. Really ought to have started a few days ago but I've been feeling super lazy. Ugh, have to start that really soon. Can't even think of anything to write right now.

The Homestretch

2011-05-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sweater & Skirt: Vintage
Leggings: Target
Boots: Nine West
Tote Bag: Freebie at the Giant's game!

Whoop-dee-doo, another dressing room picture. Ugh I'm so glad this semester's nearly over, I have one more final tomorrow morning but it's no big deal, only for sewing class. Hopefully I'll have more time to blog now, I'm so sorry I've been so terrible with blogging for the entire semester! At least, I hope I'll have more time, because I'm taking 3 classes this summer (which I'm told is suicide yet I'm doing it anyways) and working as usual. Haven't made up my mind whether to throw in some volunteer work or not. Yikes. Wish me luck!

Anyhoo, despite having such a busy summer I have so many things I want to do! I bought "The Forsyte Saga" novel online and am dying to read it; I watched the series with Damian Lewis and Gina McKee and it was so good, I absolutely loved it! I just want to find somewhere quiet and cozy to curl up and read the novel from cover to cover. You guys should check it out, I'll try to write up a post about it soon while I still have it fresh in my mind! Also must attempt to get my license again (this will be the 4th summer of "attempting" to get my license), get some sewing done, and hopefully do well and keep up with all my summer courses. Sigh, somehow being busy never ceases.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Beret, Shirt, & Belt: H&M
Sweater: Vintage
Scarf: Forever 21
Skirt: Target
Flats: Plenty by Tracy Reese

I love the midi skirt trend, but I've always been afraid that it would a) make me look too short or b) make my hips look huge. Probably because the few skirts I've found are all gathered on the waist and poof out on the hips. But that could be just me being paranoid. In an effort to try the look I pulled out one of my old skirts from years ago. I've worn this skirt several times here before but I always forget how much I love it. It's so comfy and perfect to lie around in on sunny days like this (or when I took these). Note to self: must acquire more midi skirts. Possibly a maxi dress (if I could find one that doesn't look like I'm swimming in it).

I finally purchased these flats when they went on sale a few months ago at Nordstrom! Been waiting forever for the price to go down. Haha I remember I wanted them because Alexa Chung had a pair of Vivienne Westwood flats just like them. I just adore black flats, and I'm so sad because my favorite Rocket Dog pair have died on me. I've completely and totally worn them to death. Nooooo :(

On a separate note, Happy Mother's Day! My mom and I spent the afternoon at the Giants game; we won 3-0 and swept the Rockies in a 3-game series! YAY go Giants!

May Madness

2011-05-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Marshall's
Scarf: Mervyn's
Shirt: UO
Skirt: Target
Belt: H&M
Tights: Gap
Flats: Rocket Dog

I can't believe it's May already! Only 3 more weeks of school...hence time to cram like crazy for Anatomy. Oh dear. Anyhoo, did any of you watch the Royal Wedding? I really wanted to watch it live but I had class the next day and I couldn't pull an all-nighter (honestly I fail at all-nighters; sometimes when I'm on Facebook at like 1 AM, I swear I'm like falling asleep on my laptop), so I ended up watching it the next night on Youtube. I just adore Princess Catherine, I think she and Prince William are so cute together! And she is so pretty and gorgeous, and I just love her style! Her wedding dress was absolutely stunning and beautiful, I guessed she was going to wear lace long-sleeves and I was right! I should have put down money for that or something. And the minute I saw it, I instantly thought Grace Kelly. Was it used as inspiration or just a coincidence? Interesting nonetheless. Haha I read somewhere online that her favorite store was TJ Maxx (or the British equivalent of that), and I can see her style in some of the clothes there, but it bugs me that she rocks their clothes way better than I ever could. I'll have to try for a Kate Middleton-inspired outfit soon.

Grace Kelly in her lace wedding gown

Shall end the post here with an awesome video: a cover of Lady Gaga's Judas by Jimmy Wong. I love this song, especially this version! Can't stop listening to it.

Quick Work Outfit

2011-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Scarf: Mervyn's
Coat: H&M
Jeans: UO
Boots: BC Shoes

A little bit Alexa Chung-inspired, but it was mostly just something to throw on before running off to work a few days ago. Sometimes when it's cold AND I'm working, I can't bother with dressing up. But lately I've been trying to wear dresses and skirts (comfortable ones, like knit ones) to work, just for the heck of it. I guess I'm just tired of wearing jeans all the time.

Not the Nicest Kids in Town

2011-04-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Jacket: Eddie Bauer
Blouse, Leggings, & Skirt: Target
Belt: H&M

Boots: Steve Madden

Sorry my hair's such a mess, it was a windy afternoon. Lace, polka dots, and my army jacket seem like a random combination, but this outfit was sort of inspired by Olivia Palermo and her look below. I love Olivia's style and her innate ability to mix and match patterns and colors; she always looks so flawless and her outfits are perfection! According to episodes of The City, she doesn't seem like the nicest person in the world (or the greatest coworker...), but despite all that, she was my favorite. You have to admit she was amusing on the show and definitely brought the drama (and not lame relationship drama like the other girls on The Hills). Oh gosh, I think I just admitted I was an avid fan of The Hills and The City. YES, I WAS. NO SHAME :)

The Essentials of Life

2011-04-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Vintage
T-Shirt & Belt: H&M
Romper: Forever 21
Leggings: Target
Boots: BC Shoes

A few weeks ago, one of my classmates was wearing something quite similar to this and I really liked how Alexa Chung-like her outfit was. Hers was more of a thrown-together look with a cropped pullover sweater, high-waisted denim shorts, and black lace-up booties, and I wanted to recreate that look with pieces in my closet. However, one thing I noticed is that she also wore a white v-neck tee, and if there's anything you should know about me, it's that I don't really have the "essential" basics that every fashion book speaks of, such as the aforementioned white tee. Most people consider it to be a staple of every closet, and I suppose I never found it particularly appealing so I never bought one. Until now. I went out to purchase a plain white t-shirt just to recreate the look, and suddenly I find myself wearing this t-shirt with everything. Ha, it's like I'm having an epiphany or something, as if I myself just discovered the wonders of a white v-neck tee. But did you know guys, that it matches everything? Whoop-dee-doo, it's some sort of weird miracle. Now I'm beginning to wonder, what other staples am I missing out on as well?

EDIT: Aha, this must have been the outfit I was thinking of (quite similar to what my classmate was wearing).

Image from Tumblr.

Completely Out of It

2011-04-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Vintage
Dress: American Rag
Purse: Giani Bernini
Scarf & Leggings: Target
Boots: BC Shoes

I've never been a fan of mirror photos for outfit pictures, but I guess these days this is the only time I have to take an outfit picture: in the dressing room at H&M. I'm sorry I haven't been updating recently, due to the fact I've been super busy as usual AND I seem to have misplaced my tripod. I could have sworn it was in my room...buried under piles of stuff. Oh dear. I'll go have a look soon. If not, I may have to build a replacement tripod...OUT OF LEGOS.

This week was spring break and I completely took a break from everything except work and going out with friends every day. So not ready to go back :( Ah well, there's only six more weeks...of torture. Speaking of torture, baseball season has begun again, and there's nothing like procrastinating on studying to watch games every single day. YES. And I think I'm going to one next week.

Asian dessert drinks

Fish and chips from Fisherman's Wharf

More fish and chips from Catch Isle

We finally made it down to Sushirrito too! Check it out, they're SUSHI BURRITOS. YUM!

OMG yes we did buy Charlie the Unicorn t-shirts. WIN! With Hannah and Bryan, who make up our little Charlie the Unicorn trio. OMG we're such dorks.

Huh, just realized that most of my break was going out to eat. What better way is there to spend it though, eating good food with people you love? LOL. And yes, I LOVE FISH AND CHIPS.

I should probably go finish my recipe project now.

Blah Sunday Afternoons

2011-03-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Jacket: Eddie Bauer
Dress: American Rag
Scarf & Leggings: Target
Boots: BP Nordstrom

Sorry the lighting is a bit off in these pictures, the sun simply came and went when it pleased. I took these Friday morning right before dashing off to school, so that could explain the strange angle of the sunlight. This has been my go-to outfit for the past few days; I just love how comfy and easy it is to slip these outfit on, plus I love how the colors work well together.

Today has been pretty unproductive. I blame the time change and the dismal weather and rain. I had all day to be productive, to do some major Anatomy studying, and what did I do? I watched Fanny and cried my heart out (that film is a major tearjerker with a happy-sad ending). I just adore Leslie Caron, and after watching this film, I decided that I like Charles Boyer again (after watching Gaslight when I was a kid I somehow decided I wouldn't like him, but he has redeemed himself, haha). The outfits Leslie Caron wears are beautiful as well, I wish I could find pictures of all them to post here, but here's one at least.

Anyhoo, I wanted to share some recent autograph acquisitions! I totally forgot I mailed these out early last month when Gemma Arterton was in the play "The Master Builder." So glad I got them back! She's one of my favorites :)

On another note, my heart and prayers go out to those affected by the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. The whole situation has been horrible, and I can only hope for the best. What really annoys me though is the ignorance of many who claim that this is karma/payback for Pearl Harbor and all the atrocities of WWII. How can you say such a ridiculous statement? To pull from the past like that? True, they bombed us at Pearl Harbor, but we attacked them back with the atomic bombs; they killed military and servicemen and women, we killed civilians. I'm not saying karma should come right back and hurt us, but to say with such malice that the Japanese deserve this is beyond messed up. No one deserves something like this to happen to them. I hope you keep Japan and those affected by the disasters in your hearts and prayers.

The Pink Dress

2011-03-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Creative title, I know. Actually there was an old novel called The Pink Dress that I read that apparently is OOP and extremely difficult to find, and copies are sold on Ebay for hundreds of dollars. Go figure. Anyhoo, back to the main purpose of this post, I finally finished another sewing project! Slow I am, yes (what, am I speaking like Yoda now?!), but it's done-ish. I'm having fitting issues with the top part, being as flat-chested as I am, the shoulders and chest areas are just a wee bit too large. It's a really weird dress in terms of function; you slip your head through the hole on the top, button the front flaps in the back, then pull the back forward and snap them together. Confusing, I know.

The inspiration was this adorable Modcloth dress (where I get a lot of inspiration) with an added 1950s touch. It would be awesome to buy everything, but for now I guess I will slowly build a Modcloth-lookalike closet, haha. Nowadays, when I go shopping and look at clothes, I think to myself, If I can make this easily then it's not worth buying. Which I think is a good way to shop, because it stops me from buying too many things. Sadly I don't sew fast enough to make a whole wardrobe within days, especially when I'm seeing more things I want to sew than I can possibly finish in a certain amount of time. Oh well, patience pays off, I guess. I still have to get around to my Alexa Chung velvet shorts (it's still on my list!).

And to finish off the post, a lovely rendition of "I Will Follow You" by my new favorite, the adorable Ricky Nelson. His brother David passed away a few weeks ago, RIP.

Shun the Non-Believer!

2011-02-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

Beret, Blouse, Belt, & Socks: H&M
Jacket: Vintage
Skirt: Made by me
Shoes: Miz Mooz

I took this a few weeks ago when spring came for about a week. We were promised snow by the weather people this weekend, AND THERE IS NO TRACE OF IT. It's cold and it's sunny. SIGH. Snow in SF I guess will just remain a dream and never a reality.

This outfit was supposed to be some strange mix of 1940s/late 1800s, all due to this jacket. I received it from my mom's closet when I was desperately searching for a jacket to wear for my Mary Poppins costume for Halloween, and it's just been sitting on my clothes rack since then waiting to be worn. I probably look too costume-y sometimes, but who cares? I think dressing up is fun when you have a character or theme in mind.

Random video I don't believe I've posted here before. My friends and I love this series, especially since we're exactly like the characters. Like our guy friend is exactly like Charlie, while my other friend and I are the pink and purple unicorns. LOL SHUUUUUNNNNAAAAHHH!

"It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!"
"Candy Mountain! It's a land of sweets and joy, and joyness!"

Goes to show you what kind of weirdo I am.

OMG OSCARS TOMORROW. THE KING'S SPEECH=ALL THE AWARDS. Get ready.

A Tumblr Obsession

2011-02-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Sweater: Land's End
Scarf: David Jones (in Sydney)
Blouse: UO
Dress: H&M
Tights: Talbot's
Flats: Rocket Dog

After seeing Jasmine and Amanda rock the pullover sweater and dress combo, I knew I had to try it for myself. I love it, it's such a comfortable look! Plus thick pullover sweaters are so much warmer than thin cardigans :) I picked up this lovely anchor-print scarf in Sydney in November, which reminds me I still haven't done my Australia post yet. Er...one day soon.

I think I'm addicted to Tumblr, sadly enough, because every time I log on, I promise I'm only going to browse for a few minutes, and a few minutes turn into a few hours. OH GOD. This is not good. Especially when I have my textbook out and ready to be read and studied...only to have my eyes glued to my Tumblr dashboard. IS ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS PROBLEM?

Happy early Valentine's! Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow; sadly I have work and night class all day tomorrow so I won't be doing anything. Then again, it's not like I would have been doing anything otherwise, except for studying. The life of a boring college student, or should I say the lack of a life? Ah well :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

2011-02-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Vintage
Scarf & Dress: H&M
Tights: Talbot's
Flats: Rocket Dog

Gong hay fat choy! That's pretty much the extent of my Chinese, since I was "deprived" of Chinese school on Saturdays for the whole of my life. Which makes me mad because I'm the only one of my friends who can't speak Chinese. Or makes me happy, because I'm the only one of my friends who didn't suffer on Saturdays. Hmm.

Anyway, life has been super hectic the last two weeks, so please pardon my horrible blogging. I really don't have a schedule when it comes to blogging anymore. Before it was every other day, but now it's just like whenever I have time. School's been kicking my butt. I'm taking a lot of units this semester; at one point I was at 19 units which is the max, but I dropped one class (3 units) to keep myself from going crazy. Though I'm still going crazy. O-Chem and Anatomy in one semester? That's like suicide. Not to mention 3 of my classes all have labs. So in between work and school, I pretty much have no life this semester. Sigh. But it's all good I guess, I'm taking some cool classes: Managing Human Resources (or something to that effect, which is a slightly boring class AND a night class, but the teacher's pretty funny so that makes up for it), Food Service Management (or something similar; basically we work in the school restaurant kitchen which is kind of fun but a little nerve-wracking because I CAN'T COOK; but I'm learning slowly...), O-Chem (the professor is almost exactly like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory), Anatomy, and Apparel Construction (which I'm taking for fun! We're learning to sew!). I feel like I'm stuck studying Anatomy and O-Chem almost every day. Sigh, I have no life :(

Anyhoo, I hope you all had an awesome New Year's (for those who celebrate it). I don't really celebrate it, other than going out to dinner with the family. My family's kind of ABC to be doing hardcore traditions and whatnot.

Not Another Sailor Jacket!

2011-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

Beret, Jacket, Belt, & Skirt: H&M
Blouse: UO
Tights: Nordstrom
Oxfords: Vintage

I think it's fairly obvious that I love all things nautical, so I simply couldn't resist this sailor coat. I feel like I need to justify my buying another sailor jacket, since I already have one. Even at H&M, I was standing there debating, Do I really need another sailor jacket? Well, in this case, one is more of a spring coat or jacket while the other is just a sweater. And this jacket has real pockets. So yes, I did buy this coat for a very good reason. If I ever stumble across the Topshop version for some insanely low price, I will probably talk myself into buying that one too :) You can't have too many sailor jackets, right Jasmine? I bought it last week so they probably still have them at the stores; so run, don't walk to your nearest H&M to grab one before they're all gone! I'm totally shamelessly advertising for H&M right now; they ought to pay me or something, hahaha.

I'm super glad this week is nearly over. I feel like it's been the longest week ever. Every day it's been like, Ugh it's only Tuesday/Wednesday/etc? How strange that the longest week ever should follow after the shortest one. Anyhoo, I got into my Anatomy class after crashing nearly all the labs and crying and clawing my way in. They opened up a new section at the last minute, and about 30 people showed up with only 20 spots available. It was like a reality show or something the way the professor was letting people into the class, when finally he divided the students by year, and of course juniors get priority over sophomores so I got in! Thank God! You have no idea how stressful it was standing outside the door praying he'll let you in. Like The Bachelor or something. "PLEASE GIVE ME A FREAKING ROSE." Except they're seats in the class instead of roses. Anyhoo, now I just need to pass the class...

Back to School

2011-01-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

Beret, Dress, & Belt: H&M
Cardigan: Bloomingdale's
Tights: Target
Shoes: Miz Mooz

The first week of school is always a pain in the butt, running around campus and crashing classes all day. 9 times out of 10 crashing doesn't even work, but last semester the one time I really did not expect to get into a particular class, I actually did. Huh, go figure. Anyhoo, tomorrow's going to be hell as I try to crash all the Human Anatomy labs and pray I get into one of them. I have been trying to get into that stupid class for three semesters, and seeing how I can't take my senior classes next year until I fulfill this pre-req, I'm so screwed. Oh well, I guess I can forget about graduating in 4 years :P Plus I'm taking like 3 night classes this semester, which ALL happen to fall on the same nights as my favorite TV shows (Gossip Girl, Modern Family, and The Office); what a weird and depressing coincidence. Sigh, I can't wait for this week to be over with.

This cardigan is actually my first cashmere sweater! I picked it up at Bloomingdale's when they were having some epic sale, which is pretty much the only time I can ever afford something from that store. I love the drawn-on peter pan collar, and how warm and cozy this sweater is. My mom has a billion cashmere sweaters, and somehow they're never included in her hand-me-downs to me. Oh well, at least I now have one.

Return to Sewing

2011-01-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

Blouse: Marshall's
Sash & Skirt: Made by me
Tights: Target
Shoes: Nine West

Last year, I made a resolution to sew a new project every month, and that lasted about 5-6 months (which I consider good progress). However, I decided not to set myself up for an impossible task such as that and instead sew whenever I want to/have time to, because I know I am going to be incredibly busy this semester. I think that's proof of how slow I am at sewing, if I cannot even finish a project each month :P

Over the break, I decided to sew an easy full skirt with an elastic band using this lovely green material. The plan was to finish in time to wear to my holiday gathering with my friends. That didn't work out. So the next plan was to finish to wear on Christmas. Another fail. Finally, the last resort was to finish by the Golden Globes so I could wear something pretty whilst watching the show. Mission accomplished! I think the problem was the hem; I'm very lazy when it comes to hemming because in my mind, I'm thinking, Oh it's just the hem, one more step until I'm finished. At the same time, it's like, Crap I hate hemming. Especially hemming a (very) full skirt. Complete with lining. So it took me forever to hem, plus I refused to wear it sans a pretty black sash so I threw together one using lining material (shhh, no one will be the wiser!). Voila, I had my ~~holiday gathering~~ ~~Christmas~~ Golden Globes outfit! And don't laugh, yes I do like to dress up to watch awards shows at home. When else do you get a chance to wear fancy outfits? You should see me on the night of the Oscars ;) Which reminds me, I need to figure out what I'm wearing for that.

Sorry the colors and lighting came out all weird in the pictures! They were way overexposed, and I tried my best to use Photoshop to fix them.

Front

Back (I accidentally made the sash extra long, so I had to wrap it twice around)

Random note, I swear Helena Bonham Carter wore a pair of brown shoes in The King's Speech very similar to my Nine West ones. I can't find a picture of it at the moment, but I swear it's true.

And finally, I just finished watching Black Swan. Oh my gosh, it was crazy weird and good at the same time. Natalie Portman was just amazing, I can't even describe her performance, but she blew me away. I'm no expert at ballet either, but her dancing was just phenomenal; she truly looked like a professional. But her character was just incredible, she really drew you into the film and Nina's life, struggles, and mental torment. I was just blown away by the film. Go watch it! It's amazing, and I dare the Academy not to vote her as Best Actress (and of course, Colin Firth for Best Actor).

Golden Globes Review

2011-01-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

Cape & Tights: Gap
Gloves: Ralph Lauren
Scarf: John Ashford
Blouse: Macy's
Belt & Shorts: H&M
Flats: Rocket Dog

Sorry the quality of these pictures; I took them in December and it was a horrible muggy, rainy day. I feel like I haven't had time to take outfit pictures for awhile, so these old ones will have to suffice.

Did anyone watch the Golden Globes? I was beyond ecstatic when Colin Firth won (as expected, of course)! If you follow my Tumblr, you could probably spot my excitement with all the Colin Firth spam :) I wasn't too crazy about Ricky Gervais as host though; I thought his jokes were rather dull and in bad taste. One of my favorite parts of awards season is the red carpet and what everyone is wearing, all the gorgeous gowns, some good, some bad.

I can't decide if I love Olivia Wilde's sparkly dress better...

...or Angelina's gorgeous gown.

I love the emerald green trend!

Of course, I can't forget Colin and his gorgeous wife Livia :)

I wasn't really expecting otherwise in terms of Colin Firth winning the Best Actor award, but I really feel that The King's Speech should have won a lot more awards. It was such a beautiful film, and I definitely feel it was greatly underrated, even with all the nominations. Maybe it's because when I ~~gush about it~~ mention it to my friends, they haven't even heard of it. God, do all my friends live under rocks? Hahaha! But it makes sense, because until the film was even nominated for anything, it was playing in exactly ONE theater in San Francisco, and my mom and I had to run across town to watch the film in the rain! Now they have it in several theaters, and I'm tempted to go watch it again :) But I was really disappointed that The Social Network swept the Golden Globes and took away a lot of awards from The King's Speech. I wanted Helena Bonham Carter to win Best Supporting, but I didn't think she was going to win; however I really really REALLY wanted Geoffrey Rush to win Best Supporting Actor because I thought he was absolutely spectacular in the film. I mean, he really deserved the award! Well, there's still the Oscars...

I really ought to write up an official movie review on The King's Speech; if you haven't seen the film, you really ought to watch it, especially before the Oscars so you cheer Colin Firth on when he WINS. I've been raving about this film for awhile and been looking forward to watching it for about a year, and it did not disappoint at all. I even predicted the cast would be nominated for awards :) Go watch it!

And now the winner of the night:

“Getting through the mid stage of your life with your dignity and judgment in tact can be somewhat precarious and sometimes all you need is a bit of gentle reassurance to keep on track. I don’t know if this qualifies as gentle reassurance, but right now this is all that stands between me and a Harley Davidson. I owe a very great debt to my supernaturally talented fellow cast members, my exquisite no-nonsense Queen Helena, and my wayward royal older brother Guy. Geoffrey Rush and Tom Hooper, my two other sides of a surprisingly robust triangle of man-love, somehow moved forward in perfect formation for the last year and a half or so. Tom with his scorching intelligence and Geoffrey who has now become my true friend and geisha girl. David Sidler, I know the value of longevity in my relationships, Harvey Weinstein has made an improbable number of good films. We have had 20 years together, which is not bad going for a showbiz marriage. Thank you, Harvey. But the very best thing of all has been Livia, and all the beautiful things she’s given me and I think I can cope with just about any age as long as I can still see her.”

Did any of you watch the Golden Globes? What are your thoughts on the show?

What Happens in Vegas

2011-01-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

How was everyone's New Year's? I went to Vegas again with the family right after New Year's for a few days. I'm not 21 yet, which is kind of depressing because I can gamble in Macau and Sydney but not in Vegas. So while we walk through the casinos I point out to different machines and say, "Oh I want to play that!" But I couldn't :( Ah well, six more months until 21.

The trip was okay up until the last day, when I suddenly got food poisoning and had to spend the last day in bed, throwing up every hour and eating only crackers for about two days. Ugh, what a disaster. I'm not sure what it was, but it may have been the vending machine ice. Apparently those machines and the ice buckets aren't very sanitary, and I just went ahead and dumped some ice cubes into my drink straight from the bucket. Just lovely. Anyway, I'm better now thankfully, just a little weak still and really tired.

The H&M there was HUGE! You can't even tell how big it is by this picture alone.

Aww, these belonged to FAO Schwartz before :(

I'm so excited! Tomorrow PBS is going to air Downton Abbey, which I've been dying to watch for ages! Super excited! Plus in a couple weeks they're going to have Upstairs/Downstairs as well! Now if only I could get ahold of the new season of Lark Rise to Candleford somehow. Haha this is probably proof of my obsession with British shows :)

Happy 2011!!!

2011-01-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Since I've enjoyed reading everyone's 2010 recaps and resolutions, I figured I'd make one of my own :) Haha sadly I don't have much of a life so I didn't go out for New Year's, but I hope you all had a lovely New Year's! I haven't really decided what my resolutions will be yet, but I know one of them for sure is to learn to drive. God, that's been on my list for the last three years. How depressing :P

Anyhoo, here's a recap of the year through outfit photos :) As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm watching Gone with the Wind. Gosh the costumes are all so wonderful in that film.

January

February

March

April

Made my Regency Era-inspired dress

Haha my Anna Karina impression

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Here's to another year of blogging!

Being MIA

2010-12-26T23:04:00.000-08:00

Beret, Coat, Blouse, and Shorts: H&M
Tights: Gap
Flats: Rocket Dog

Lately I feel like I've been starting every blog post the exact same way, with an apology for the lack of posting, but it's true. This Christmas has been so hectic, mostly because of the shopping. As much as I love Christmas, I feel slightly relieved that it is over this year. Hopefully I can be more organized next year, because I hate the stress that comes along with Christmas shopping :P I can't believe I hate shopping...for the moment at least. Until all the other mean shoppers go away, hahaha. Anyhoo, I think my laptop caught a virus; it's been freezing up and loading very slowly, so outfit pictures might be scarce for awhile. These photos are from earlier this month.

Anyway, my Christmas was cool, except we had a few problems here and there in scheduling and getting everything done. My cousins and I played Just Dance 2 (which is one of the most awesomest games, FYI, if you ever happen to stumble upon it)! Seriously, all you Wii owners need to get this game (as well as the first one).

Now that Christmas is over, hopefully I'll have more time to blog and whatnot. I'm sorry for being a terrible blogger! I have been reading all your blog posts, but haven't had time to comment back! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas :)

Whooooo a jump picture! You have no idea how many times I had to jump to get this one picture (and it's not easy to jump on your roof multiple times, trust me).

My "Grown-Up" Christmas List

2010-12-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

1. Miz Mooz Shoes
2. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
3. Toggle Cape
4. Vans Saddle Shoes
5. Modern Family Season 1
6. Adjustable Dress Form
7. Three-Strap Flats
8. Ralph Lauren Gloves (pretty much any Ralph Lauren gloves, because they're all too awesome)
9. SF Giants World Series DVD Set

Hecka random wishlist I just threw together because I'm slightly bored (even though I have a million other things I need to be doing right now). I'm officially on winter break as of yesterday, even though I'm scheduled to work a million hours over the next two weeks, which is cool I guess. It's a good thing I like my job :) Anyway, my friend and I are throwing a party and I have to hurry up and sew a skirt for the event, plus I need to get going on shopping and wrapping. After a hectic shopping day today after work, I officially hate shopping...or I will hate the next week or so of shopping. Bear with me, I know I don't mean it. I'm just so tired.

It's Christmas in San Francisco

2010-12-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hat: H&M
Trench Coat & Tights: Gap
Scarf: Mervyn's
Boots: Nine West

Sorry this is such a crappy "outfit" picture, but it's really difficult to take a nighttime photo with a Christmas tree and two other friends using self-timer with the camera propped on a statue. Not to mention my camera's pretty crappy, but I still love it. I probably mentioned before how much I love Christmas, especially in SF, but I'll say it again: I LOVE CHRISTMASTIME IN SAN FRANCISCO. The city is absolutely beautiful at this time of the year, with all the Christmas lights and decorations, the people running around with their Christmas shopping lists and gifts, and the Christmas songs playing in the stores (with me singing along, of course). We may not have a white Christmas or even cold enough weather to bring snow to the city, but it's still such a wonderful, magical time of the year. I think I just got a little corny and mushy here, but I just really love SF at Christmas. There's a reason why there are three main Christmas songs about SF at Christmas. Of course, I would LOVE to visit New York during Christmas. I think that would probably beat even SF :) Oh and HK during Christmas is pretty awesome too, I'm not going to lie.

So two of my favorite people, Hannah and Bryan, and I wandered around downtown last week, snapping pictures of SF in all its Christmas glory. I'm sorry again my camera isn't so awesome and it probably doesn't capture the beauty of the streets and the lights as well as it should, but I hope this will suffice for now.

The annual SPCA window displays at Macy's

Ice-skating rink at Union Square

Union Square tree

Neiman Marcus

H&M

Inside the Westin St. Francis

What is Christmas like in your hometowns? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on your favorite places during Christmas!

London Girl

2010-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hat & Shoes: Target
Trench Coat: Gap
Scarf: John Ashford
Dress & Bag: H&M
Tights: Nordstrom

I'm so sorry for the absence! It's the same dumb excuse, school and work (mostly school), but seeing how finals are looming around the corner, but I hope you will excuse me if my blogging is a little sporadic. I promise I have some Australia photos to share with you, but I think I will have to save that for after finals! In fact, right now I'm procrastinating to write this post (which I would rather be doing than studying MANAGEMENT; ugh!).

This is my "London look", or what I interpret British style to be. If I were living in London, this is how I would imagine myself dressing up as every day. Actually probably not, because I would take living there and "dressing British" for granted. I don't know what makes this a classic "London look", but perhaps it's the individual pieces that seem the most British to me. Bowler hat, khaki trench, Burberry-look-a-like scarf, and black satchel bag? Haha I know people don't dress like that over there, but it's sort of the fashion stereotype or image projected, to me at least. The dress really reminds me of Alexa Chung, and of course you know Alexa Chung is the quintessential British style icon, in her own way. If I owned real black oxfords, I'd be wearing them here; but for now, these cheap black ones will have to suffice.

And yes, this is my new school bag! Actually I've had it for more than a month now, but I've been searching for a brown satchel bag to carry to school when I found this black one and a brown version at H&M. I actually liked how the black one looked better so I bought that one instead. Maybe I'll never be able to afford an Alexa Chung Mulberry bag, but this satchel will suffice for now. And I picked up this scarf in the men's department at Macy's! Honestly, would a guy actually wear this? I'm just trying to justify me shopping for myself in the guys' department. But hey, a few of my favorite pieces are from mens' and boys' departments :)

Oh crap, I just wasted an hour typing up this post, an hour that could have been used to study or nap. What we will do for the sake of blogging, no?

The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

2010-11-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

Once again, sorry for the brief absence, but I just spent the week in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately I have a 1000+ pictures to rummage through to make a post, plus we just returned home this morning and I'm really beat. But it's been awhile since my last movie review, and I saw this film at the hotel that really caught my attention called The Magdalene Sisters, a powerful, haunting tale of the Magdalene asylums (or Magdalene laundries) through the eyes of three teenage girls. These laundries are institutions created to punish "fallen women" who have sinned in the eyes of society, and the women were treated like inmates in a prison. Essentially the laundries were places were the women could redeem themselves for their sins, in the eyes of the Catholic church at least, but it appears the nuns were nothing more than cold-hearted, greedy souls who ran the laundries for money. I never even heard of these Magdalene laundries until watching this movie, and perhaps it's because I don't really know much about Ireland's history, but I'm surprised a huge injustice such as this escapes a lot of history books and, sadly, the knowledge of most people. Perhaps it's because we're here in America and we don't know very much about Irish history, but I'm really curious to read more about this.

Anyway back to the film. The movie follows three girls: Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff), Rose (Dorothy Duffy), and Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone), who are all sent to an asylum for seemingly harmless (by today's standards) acts. Margaret was raped by a cousin, Rose gave birth to an illegitimate son, and Bernadette is an orphan who was unfortunately born beautiful (apparently a sin...) and flirtatious. The three began difficult labor at the laundry, living with other fallen women and treated worse than inmates at a prison. The nuns are cold-hearted and uncaring, using abusive and degrading methods to punish the girls. Rose is beaten with a belt by Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan in a most evil role) just for speaking to someone outside the gates of the asylum, and Bernadette gets her hair chopped off and her head almost scalped by the nuns for attempting to escape. Very little hope exists in such a degrading and morbid place; in fact their only hope is the bond they have between each other, and even that can be easily taken away. The asylum is so dehumanizing to the human spirit and soul, and the girls often lose their minds and the will to live. Their very existence in the asylum is degrading and horrible to imagine, and the film itself is very depressing.

I had no idea what I was getting into while browsing through the channels on TV at 11 at night, but this film really caught my attention almost instantly. If you want to learn more about the Magdalene asylums, you should really check out this film or read more on Wikipedia. Be prepared for pretty much two hours of depression and morbidity, because you're going to finish watching this film feeling nothing but lingering sadness. Haha I don't mind to turn you guys off of the film; it's a very powerful and moving film, as well as very chilling and disturbing. In fact, I think they have the film up on Youtube if anyone's interested.

Trailer:

I'm sorry my film review was written so poorly, I just wanted to get a post out tonight, but I'm still suffering from jet lag and the slight time change. I'm dead-tired.

Pictures from here.

Nihonmachi Adventures

2010-11-14T22:25:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Liz Claibourne Outlet
Beret & Belt: H&M
Blouse: UO
Skirt & Oxfords: Vintage
Backseam Tights: Hue

I have no idea if I've ever posted this outfit before, but I'm sure I wore something like it a few months ago. In any case, I really like the combination of navy blue and green. Plus I have a bunch of green skirts and navy blue sweaters, so it allows a lot of remixing :)

Last week, my cousins from out of town came into the city to hang out, and we went down to Japantown because they've actually never been down there before. Honestly, there isn't very much to do other than eat and look at stuff (at Cherry Blossom Festival, there's even more food to eat), so I just took them on a tour of the small shopping center. Bought crepes too :) You can't go to Japantown and not have their crepes. Sadly they ran out of taiyaki and spam musubi by the time we got there.

I got a banana and ice cream crepe with chocolate syrup.

My cousins and I. Despite being the oldest amongst them, I'm probably going to wind up being the shortest, especially when Brianna grows up.

It's nice having my cousins come into town and take my mind off school and such. Life has been so hectic lately, and there's nothing like three crazy cousins to help relieve a bit of stress.

If Bonnie & Clyde Were S.F. Giants Fans...

2010-11-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Beret & Belt: H&M
Cardigan: Liz Claibourne Outlet
Sweater: Sears
Scarf: Forever 21
Skirt: Tucker for Target
Backseam Tights: Hue
Oxfords: Miz Mooz

If the above photos aren't proof of my repetition of outfit poses, I don't know what is :P Haha I'm so not meant for modeling outfits. I should have called this blog "Awkward Mel". Anyways, now that Giants fever is slowly passing in the city, I'm back to (hopefully) more normal "fashion" posts. I couldn't quite get rid of Giants fever 100% so I incorporated orange into my "Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde"-inspired look. I've always loved Faye Dunaway's look in Bonnie and Clyde; the berets, the long skirts, the neck scarf, etc. Sadly I have yet to see this film, despite owning the DVD and having it sit in a pile of other films...right next to me actually. I swear I'll watch it someday...

Inspiration:

Okay, I swear this is (probably) the last Giants post for awhile, but I just had to mention this: I MET CODY ROSS. Last Friday, they had an autograph signing at Macy's Downtown, and I know you guys have no idea who he is, but as you can guess, he's from the Giants. As one of the most important contributors to the team this postseason, it's no wonder he's a hero to many Giants fans. He hit not one but TWO homeruns off Roy Halladay (Mr. No-Hitter in the NLDS) in one game, plus another one the next day off Roy Oswalt. Take that, Phillies. And I believe he had a hit in every single postseason game (or almost every single one). It's no wonder he won NLCS MVP. Plus he's a spectacular outfielder, diving at the most craziest hits and actually catching them. Go Cody! ROSS IS BOSS.

Anyway, we were required to buy an item from the Giants collection at Macy's to have him sign, plus we couldn't take pictures with him. Thankfully, they hired a photographer to capture the moment for us. Thank you Macy's for at least doing that. Even if it means I can't get my own picture with him. Or a baseball signed. That's okay, because these pictures were rather nice instead. Warning: the extreme happiness I was feeling at the moment kind of shows IN MY FACE. God I look stupid. But I guess I have good reason too, I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF CODY FREAKIN' ROSS. And he's the nicest guy ever.

I GOT A HUG FROM CODY! Yes I asked for the hug. No, not everyone got one because not everyone asked. Tell me, who seriously asks for a hug? I do. DON'T JUDGE :P

I really ought to be studying right now...BUT THE NEW CALL OF DUTY CAME OUT YESTERDAY. Whoo going to go play now!

Victory Parade on Market Street

2010-11-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

OMG YOU GUYS, the parade was amazing! You have no idea how awesome it was! I don't think I've ever been to a parade (not even the annual Chinese New Year parade), and this being my first parade and the first World Series parade in SF, it was just indescribable. I mean, the atmosphere and the vibe, the electricity flowing through the fans in the streets, all so epic! We were all screaming and yelling at everything and anything: people climbing up trees and bus shelters, starting chants every few minutes, blowing those horn things. Haha I'm surprised I didn't lose my voice! Even the smell of weed floated through the air every so often (not from me, of course!). But we didn't care, it was just so much fun to be there, and when the parade started, it got 1000 times better :) We screamed at everyone and everything passing by; the players, the mayor, the broadcasters, even the UPS truck drivers.

Oh my gosh, I just can't believe how amazing and epic Wednesday was! It was just so much fun, I wish you guys were there to see it. Even the TV doesn't truly capture the excitement and vibe down there! To be standing ten feet away from your baseball heroes, it just doesn't get better than that. And to have the city united and all the fans excited together, it's just so amazing! Haha I saw on Twitter even the Chictopia offices couldn't avoid the mad rush and the loud crowd down on Market St. Haha I don't think anyone could go to work or school on Wednesday. There were more than 1 million people at the parade! Trust me, SF doesn't even have 1 million people living here.

My mom and I got there at 8 am (parade started at 11, so we were there very early) because we wanted good spots. Haha it wasn't very crowded so we claimed our front row spots right by the barricades on Market and 4th, in front of a coffee shop. I'm so glad we got there early because our spots were perfect! Took over 400 pictures, so here are a few snapshots:

Giants manager Bruce Bochy with his wife and the World Series trophy!

Cody Ross, NLCS MVP!

Matt Cain's postseason ERA: 0.00. That's called PERFECTION.

Freddy Sanchez!

Andres Torres, looking very suave

Haha crazy Brian Wilson! He was on Jay Leno last night.

Players coming down the street in motorized cable cars

BUSTER POSEY, MY HERO! LOVE THIS BOY :)

Haha Aubrey Huff and his infamous rally thong

Whoo Tim Lincecum!

OMG you guys, YOU HAVE GOT TO CHECK THIS OUT. First baseman Aubrey Huff claimed to wear his lucky rally thong throughout the last couple months, and today he revealed the red thong to the public with his Zoolander trick. Hahaha you guys have got to watch this, it's absolutely hilarious!

"Rally thong's going into the Hall of Fame, or we'll just wear it next year at spring training!"

WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!

2010-11-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

Jacket: My sister's
T-Shirt: Giants Dugout Store
Belt: Forever 21
Skirt: Vintage
Leggings: Target
Boots: BP Nordstrom

If you haven't heard by now, THE GIANTS WON THE WORLD SERIES. Seriously, San Francisco erupted into chaos when they won yesterday, good chaos for the most part. Rioting, partying, just pure happiness and joy in the streets. People shouting, strangers hugging, cars honking nonstop, it was just absolute craziness yesterday. That's why I love this city. While the city partied though, I was stuck at home studying for a midterm (which didn't go to well, probably because it was too difficult to concentrate, especially when I'm wearing a goofy smile on my face and yelling,"OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED!" every five minutes).

Posey and Huff love :)

I was really happy yesterday, and I still am. I guess it's winding down now, and I still feel this bittersweet happiness since baseball season is actually over. Which could be a good thing, because having baseball this late into the semester has taken a toll on my grades. Yikes.

Anyways, I went down to the ballpark this past weekend to look around and take pictures down there. AT&T Park is so gorgeous, and I think I've mentioned that a million times. But it truly is :) We're so lucky to have such a wonderful ballpark; our old one wasn't that great so I'm glad we made the move.

McCovey Cove; the other side is where people go to smoke weed. Hahaha.

Haha my hero!

Tomorrow's the parade, and after thinking about it for awhile I realized this parade only happens once in a lifetime (first World Series parade in SF), so I ought to jump on the opportunity...and skip school. Woohoo, so scandalous. What's funny is my mom is encouraging me to skip school to go to the parade. Hahaha my mom can be funny sometimes.

Anyway today I went the Giants Dugout store in mall near my school and house to get the World Series Champs t-shirt, and the line was SO LONG. You seriously have no concept of how long it was. I was waiting in line for four hours, no kidding. No idea what went through my mind to do that, but from 10:15am to 2:30 I was there. Waiting. My mom was nice enough to buy me lunch during her lunch break while I was waiting in line. Thanks Mom :)

Got the shirt, packed my stuff, ready to head out early tomorrow morning to watch the SF Giants parade. You ready SF? Tomorrow ought to be a holiday. Nobody's showing up to class or work.

Halloween Flashback

2010-10-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

My plan for Halloween this year was to dress up as a crossword puzzle, with a giant pencil made from construction paper and a wrapping paper stick and a newspaper hat. I found this crossword puzzle material at the fabric store and was going to make a dress, and I did. Sadly, it didn't turn out too nicely, probably because while I was sewing it, I was too preoccupied with watching baseball games to realize all my mistakes. In the end, it turned out kind of...bland. Or maybe it's the pattern I chose (one of those 1-hour patterns, which by the way, are SO NOT ONE HOUR). Then I was going to invite some friends over to watch the game and take them down to Harry Potter Street to look around and just kind of hang out. That failed too :( Turns out my friend and I aren't too good at planning; we called everyone last night and surprise, they were all busy. Haha FAIL.

So my last minute costume I threw together in about five minutes was a 1920s-inspired look. Not sure what the inspiration was behind the look, but I guess you could say it was a little inspired by Miss Dorothy from Thoroughly Modern Millie.

I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, but I really love the dressing up part. I love everyone's creative costumes (well, preferably the non-slutty, non-store bought ones), and sometimes I wish I could be more creative in coming up with costumes. I usually pick one based off a character I really like. Still haven't done my Eloise costume...and I almost went with Elizabeth Bennet this year. Haha sometimes I feel like I wear costumes more all throughout the year.

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you guys some of my past costumes (don't laugh!):

Mary Poppins, last year.

Julie McCoy, also last year.

Yes, Twister...the board game. You have no idea how many people asked if they could play Twister on me. Gross. This was senior year of high school (I feel old).

Bahahahaha Jen in her infamous taco glory. And my little cousin, who's not so little anymore...

Lara Croft, when I was 16. I think I'm going to die laughing looking at this pictures.

Orange Spirit Week

2010-10-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

Jacket: Vintage
Dress: H&M
Tights: Hong Kong
Flats: Rocket Dog

SF mayor Gavin Newsom declared this week is Orange Spirit Week: wear your orange. The World Series kicks off tomorrow in SF at about 4:30 pm. Who are YOU rooting for?

Haha you guys have no idea how much I needed to restrain myself from babbling on and on about my favorite sport. Tried my absolute best to keep it to a bare minimum. And here I am talking about writing about it. Sheesh.

Anyway, my layout's a mess and I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I'm a total noob when it comes to layouts and HTML. Thanks Jasmine for at least helping me figure out what to do with the header. Not 100% if I like the header in general, but since I'm too lazy right now, I'll just keep the layout kind of messed up like this, until I figure out what on earth I'm doing.

Speaking of orange and black, is anyone dressing up for Halloween?

NL PENNANT WINNERS!

2010-10-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Jacket: My sister's
T-Shirt: H&M
Leggings: Target
Flats: Rocket Dog

OMG WE WON THE NL PENNANT!!!! WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!! If you can't tell right now, I am beyond excited. Today's game was beyond stressful, I was biting my lip, biting my nails, pulling my hair, but it was all worth it! One thing you should know about Giants baseball: IT'S TORTURE. That's been our thing all year :) Haha I swear everywhere you go in SF, you'll run into someone wearing SF Giants gear for the next few weeks. My school is practically a sea of Giants gear.

I tried incorporating this jacket into my outfit without looking super sporty, but it's kind of hard. Finally I just chose a simple, casual outfit with leggings :P And this is from last week, it's actually raining now :(

And finally...some celebratory pictures:

10/03: Wilson and Posey, after winning the NL West

20 days later, Posey and Wilson, after winning the NL Pennant

OMG YOU GUYS! This is me right now. Just like Posey :)

Cody Ross, NLCS MVP!

To celebrate, Coit Tower has been ORANGE for the last few weeks. Orange October, you guys.

I can't remember if I posted this here or just on my Tumblr, but you have to watch this. Especially Journey and Giants fans:

I'm sorry this blog has been turning into a baseball rant for the last few weeks, but it's going to be this way for another two weeks at least.

Coit Tower picture from Flickr.

Blah Blah Blah

2010-10-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: Old Navy
T-Shirt: Giants Dugout Store
Shorts: American Rag
Flats: Rocket Dog

Sorry for the absence, I've been so preoccupied with a combination of school, work, my "second job", and volunteering this week. Plus we were hit with a heatwave again this week, and I wore shorts for the first half of the week. Sorry for the weird tan on my legs :P Organic Chem is kicking my butt, and my other Food class is a mix of excitement and nerves. You see, this semester I'm taking this Nutrition class where we learn to cook and serve in an on-campus restaurant. It's like a second job. Yes, haha I'm a server for this semester, wearing this horrible uniform of a button-down dress shirt and black dress pants. Ugh, I know now I could never work in an office wearing those kind of clothes (unless I wore clothes like from Mad Men). Serving isn't too bad, but since it's a fine-dining restaurant, there are so many rules we're supposed to follow (right hand service, left hand service, the appropriate time to fire up, etc.), and I have terrible memory with this sort of stuff. The cooking bit is kind of fun though; we work in a cooking lab and cook for each other, not for the restaurant, and it's pretty fun trying all these recipes (especially since I can't cook otherwise).

I also started volunteering this week for a middle school, working with this lady who teaches Nutrition to these kids after school. I guess I feel awkward with kids; I never know what to say to them. I have enough trouble talking to people my age, let alone kids :P

Lately I haven't felt like shopping or blogging much, probably because of all the stuff I've had to do, plus because of baseball :) Giants have been doing pretty good lately, so now they're off to the Championships to play the Phillies, who are really really really good. But don't count them out yet, I still think they have a good chance of winning :) I apologize in advance if I don't comment back right away or if I don't blog very often for the next few weeks.

Oh and sorry about the layout, I'm still working on it. I started fixing it up when I lost the old layout because I didn't realize they changed the design format ages ago...so now I'm really confused. I like the layout to be really simple and easy to navigate, and right now it's kind of half-finished.

One more thing. I posted this on my Tumblr, but this song has been stuck in my head for the last week since my coworker was playing at work:

Not Another Colin Firth Period Film

2010-10-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

No it's not deja vu. I simply couldn't resist reusing the same post title as my Keira Knightley one from a few days ago. Perhaps I should have changed it to "Not Another Colin Firth Film" because I tend to talk about his movies (and him) a lot here. But give me some credit, it's been AGES since I've mentioned him. Or watched P&P.

With that out of the way, I wanted to discuss his upcoming film The King's Speech. I heard about this movie last year, and I only need to know two things about the film: Colin Firth and period film. 'Nuff said. I knew I wanted to watch it :)

The film is about King George VI during the late 30s and WWII, who had a speech problem. His wife, played by Helena Bonham Carter, hires a specialist (Geoffrey Rush, who looks hilarious in the film based on the trailer!) to help him out. At first I thought the storyline was a little weird, but after seeing the trailer it looks really interesting, combining both elements of comedy and drama. I think Geoffrey Rush is going to be brilliant. I just love the scene where he's sitting on the throne and Colin Firth is all yelling at him, "YOU CAN'T SIT THERE!" and Geoffrey Rush is like, "Why not? It's only a chair." LOL.

The film comes out November 26, and I seriously cannot wait! I have so many films I want to watch this year, like this film, Never Let Me Go, Easy A, The Tourist, Harry Potter 7, and Black Swan. Plus I have a feeling Colin Firth is going to be nominated for Best Actor (and possibly Best Supporting nods to Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush). Keep your fingers crossed! Will any of you be watching the film?

Aww they're so sweet :)

If you need an incentive to watch the film, check out the trailer:

P.S. I'm trying to update the layout, so it's kind of a mess right now! Sorry about that!

Orange October

2010-10-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: Old Navy
Beret: H&M
T-Shirt: Giants Dugout Store
Belt: Forever 21
Tights: Hue
Boots: BC Shoes

Haha, still reeling from excitement over the Giants' victory the other day, still rewatching the winning strikeout online. I decided to show my support for the Giants by wearing my gear everyday since the game. Today I wanted to incorporate my Buster Posey shirt into my usual style, instead of with jeans. This is what I came up with :)

My attempt at close-up shots. Haha how on earth do people take close-up shots without having to position the camera at odd angles? I feel like I had to crawl on my knees to take these, especially when I was trying to enable macro (that's the most skill I have when it comes to photography: using the macro button!).

Now if only I could figure out how to wear my Giants jacket with something other than jeans...

I Bleed Orange and Black

2010-10-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

Victory jump by Buster Posey with Brian Wilson, the closing pitcher

I have seriously been in full baseball mode the last few weeks. I'm not even kidding, I haven't even been shopping or watching much TV because I've been obsessed with the Giants and baseball games. They've been in a tight race with the San Diego Padres to win the National League West Division, and we've only needed to win ONE game. So the Giants lost the last two and it was all up to today, and guess what? THEY WON! As seen from a million tweets and Facebook statuses announcing their win. Haha I was watching the game at Nordstrom in the men's shoe section because I don't have the channels to watch it regularly at home, and my radio has really poor reception inside the mall.

Anyways, I went to the game yesterday with my friends this time; we were quite close to winning at the bottom of the 9th but we failed. You can't imagine how angry we were at Barry Zito, the opening pitcher, for allowing two walks in the first freakin' inning with the bases loaded. Seriously not cool. I think that two RBIs set the mood for the rest of the game, though there was a little hope later when Uribe hit a barely-there homer, and we scored another RBI at the bottom of the 9th. Plus the game seemed to go by so quickly because we were having a bunch of 1-2-3 innings, while Zito was letting the Padres dance around the bases. Thank you Barry Zito; and you're the highest paid Giants player on the team? Man were we pissed off. Okay, breathe Mel. Plus I got sunburned again. It was SO HOT where we were sitting. I guess that's what happens apparently when you don't put on sunscreen :P Anyway, here are some snapshots from the game.

11:20 AM: Doors are open!

The Giants Dugout store at the park was PANDA-MONIUM. Get it? Panda-monium? Panda's the nickname of one of our star players, Pablo Sandoval. Wow I'm hilarious :P

LOL we match with our jackets. Except mine's a little different, it was my sister's in the late 80s. So that's like...vintage. And yes, I'm wearing a Buster Posey t-shirt. Don't judge.

Lunch: hot dog and garlic fries.

Wave those orange rally rags!

Buster Posey!

And because my friend and I are such Posey stalkers, I snapped a bunch of pictures of him.

Love AT&T Park :) It's an absolutely gorgeous place.

Steve Perry from Journey was at the game! "Don't stop believing!" And we never did :)

Ha behind our smiles we were absolutely devastated at the end of the game.

Haha sorry for the lack of actual outfit posts. It seems like my posts are deviating from the normal fashion blog, but this is my life :) Doesn't revolve 100% around fashion and movies. That's like 90%, hahaha. Expect more baseball posts in the future, because that's going to be my life for the next few weeks.

A Sunday Afternoon at the Park

2010-10-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hat, Dress & Bag: H&M
Boots: BP Nordstrom

Haha I think this is the closest thing I have to an outfit picture for that day. I was sitting in this weird yellow spinning thing, and though it may not look like it, I swear it feels like it's spinning so fast. Anyway, last weekend my buddies and I headed to GG Park to watch a free concert, the Now and Zen Fest, sponsored by Alice 97.3, featuring Ryan Star, Five for Fighting, Natasha Bedingfield, Plain White T's, and Sara Bareilles. The weather was perfect, if not a little warmer than desired. I got a sunburn even with sunscreen (we were standing in the sun for five hours...), but I don't mind. I rarely get sunburns, and the concert was pretty fun so I should say it was worth it. Haha this is probably the closest we'll get to a music festival. Don't know what I was thinking when I dressed for today, but I thought this was rather "music-festival-y". As if there was some kind of standard. But I guess boots made me think of Glastonbury while a sundress reminded me of Coachella. Somehow mixed the two for the day :) Good thing I brought a sunhat too, because my hair burned. Since this was our first time attending something like this, we weren't really prepared (no food, no sunscreen, no blanket, NOTHING), but next time we'll be ready :)

Long line at 11 am

Nat and I

I love this picture of Nat!

It's weird, but whenever I go to events, I just have to have a hot dog. No lie.

Really crowded

Haha we're so ghetto, using my H&M bag as a blanket.

Nat and the guys

Natasha Bedingfield! I had NO idea she was British until she spoke.

Sara Bareilles is absolutely adorable, with such a dirty mouth. No kidding :)

Sorry for the terribly worded post the other day, as if my writing wasn't horrible already. Some days I just can't think. So instead I decide to channel Eloise's nanny and repeat myself three times. Ha. Don't we all have moments like that?

Listening to the Giants game right now. I feel so sad for Matt Cain, who had a horrible first five innings, allowing nine runs and six scores. And it was his birthday :( Anyway, let's do this Giants!

Hot and Cold

2010-09-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: H&M
Blouse: Gap
Shorts: American Rag
Socks: Target
Oxfords: Vintage

Yesterday was hot hot hot. Today was cold cold cold. That's all I could come up with today. I told you, I'm REALLY boring.

Okay there's a little more.

It's been awhile since I've written a movie review (the other day didn't count since I haven't even seen the film yet), mainly because I haven't watched very many movies lately. But I'll work on that.

Not Another Keira Knightley Period Film

2010-09-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yes I know. Another period film with Keira Knightley. But you know what? I'm a sucker for Keira Knightley period films. The fact that she has made so many is probably I'm still a fan of hers. Well, I'm pretty much love any period film. But this time, it's Carey Mulligan AND Keira Knightley. How much of an incentive do you need?

Anyway, it all started when I saw the above picture in a magazine and thought, Oh I really like Carey Mulligan's outfit. What movie is that? Never Let Me Go? Never heard of it. Then I watched the trailer and got REALLY CONFUSED. I still have no idea what it's about, but when I saw more on-set stills and costumes, I knew I had to see this film. The fact that the costumes resemble Keira Knightley's other film The Edge of Love (as pointed out by Tess) is the main reason I have to see this. I even received advanced screening tickets (which I was too late to redeem because they were all gone). I'm not quite sure what the film is about, even with the trailer (which only confused me even more...), but I still want to see it. Sigh am I too superficial about watching movies based on costumes and/or actors? Which reminds me, there's a period film with Colin Firth coming out later this year. GUESS WHO'S GOING TO WATCH IT?

Anyway, these pictures ought to get you guys excited for the film:

Just for reference, in case you forgot how awesome the costumes were from The Edge of Love:

Trailer (see if you can figure out what it's about, but I suspect some weird science fiction/distortion of time element is involved, something about cloning?):

It's September Inside

2010-09-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Zara
Blouse & Jeans: UO
Belt: H&M
Shoes: Vintage

I'm so glad this week is over. Had a lot of studying and reading to do. I wore casual outfits for most of the week, like this one. Whee I got these high-waisted jeans from UO when they had their $39 sale, and I didn't even have to hem these up! Sorry the colors are all weird in the pictures.

So lately I've really been into baseball since it's September and the playoffs are just around the corner. It's been especially exciting because the Giants have been wavering on the brink of 1st and 2nd with the Padres, and I'm really hoping they can stay in 1st and go off to the playoffs. It's so much more fun to watch when you actually have a team to root for. In fact, my friends and I are going to one of the final games next week, versus the Padres! Whoo go Giants!

Anyways, my newest crush and favorite Giants player is catcher Buster Posey, at the moment, along with pitcher Matt Cain. Honestly, he has a really good average (last I checked it was .321), 16 homeruns this season (two in the last three days), and 64 RBIs this year alone. One of the best rookies (if not the best) I've ever seen. Plus he's so adorable and only 23 years old. I just love this kid. Looks like I need to save up $70 to get myself a Posey jersey :) Anyway, here's some eye candy:

Vintage Fashion Expo

2010-09-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Liz Claiborne Outlet
Dress: H&M
Purse: Giani Bernini
Leggings: Target
Boots: BP Nordstrom

My mom and I went to the Vintage Fashion Expo yesterday just because we LOVE vintage fashion (duh) and were curious about the event. All I can say is LOTS of vintage clothes and not enough money and time. It was fun though looking at all the clothes, jewelry, and accessories. I wanted lots of vintage hats, Bakelite bracelets, and sewing patterns, but I only walked away with one hat and two patterns. Not too bad of haul. My mom wanted this cashmere sweater but it was too expensive. We definitely had fun, and will be back next year! I only snapped a few pictures because I didn't want to get yelled at, but I think they'll give you a general idea of what it was like.

What I bought (sorry the lighting's off, I snapped them in my living room at night):

A pretty hat from either the 50s or 60s with not one but TWO hat pins!

Whoo sewing patterns! I'm going to try making the high-waisted shorts with some sample material and if it goes well, here come my Alexa Chung velvet shorts! Also I finally have a real middy blouse (and dress) pattern!

How was your weekend, everyone?

She and Him and Free Jeans

2010-09-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Zara
Dress: H&M
Purse: Giani Bernini
Tights: Target
Flats: Rocket Dog

You see this picture? Aside from an inflated image of myself, if you'll observe the band playing in the background, you can spot two individuals, a man in tan and a girl in a blue denim jacket. IT'S FREAKIN' SHE AND HIM: MATT WARD AND ZOOEY DESCHANEL. That's right, my friend and I went to see She and Him at Union Square! They were amazing, but sadly they weren't performing for very long, only about 30 minutes. You see, the other day I received an email detailing Levi's Wear What Fits event, where they were promoting Levi's new Crush ID jeans by giving out free fittings and free jeans. I got a pair of Skinny Slight Curves. Anyway, part of the entertainment was free style advice from Bobbie Thomas and a free performance at noon by She and Him. Naturally, I was so excited when I heard, and I just had to go. At first I wasn't even sure I'd be going because I didn't want to go by myself but luckily my friend agreed to go.

Outfit picture, sans shoes.

The event was supposed to begin at 10, and we thought we were smart by arriving early at 9. Ha. The line was already three-quarters around the block! Thankfully we got an appointment time for the fitting, even though it wasn't until the mid-afternoon. After we got our wristbands, we walked around downtown, went shopping, browsed in the Christmas section at Macy's (yup, it's already up!), and ate at Cheesecake Factory. I was waiting for She and Him to arrive and start playing while we were up at Cheesecake Factory on the patio, and when they did begin, we had to eat fast and rush down there! Thankfully we arrived on time to hear most of my favorite songs in the set, like "In the Sun", "Riding in My Car", "Over It Over Again", "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", and more. It was such a thrill seeing them live, performing less than 20 feet away from us! We got to see them really up close! And best of all, it was free and conveniently in SF!

Sunnies in UO with Judy

Sock elephants!

The Levi's event from up above.

ZOOEY! Love her outfit! She was wearing cowboy boots too which you can't see here.

M. Ward and Zooey!

After the brief performance, we walked around some more, then returned to our appointed time to get fitted for the jeans. The line was so long, I think we were waiting for the free silk-screened tees and jeans for almost two hours!

I really like the design Judy chose! Mine only had one peacock :P

I think the woman in the gray jeans is Bobbie Thomas, but I'm not sure.

What a thrilling day! Seeing She and Him perform up close for free was so exciting! I still can't believe I got to go! I wanted to share a little bit of the performance with you too, so here's She and Him singing "Sweet Darlin'", the last song they performed before running off at the end.

Gigi the Schoolgirl

2010-09-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Zara
Blouse: UO
Belt: H&M
Skirt: Hong Kong
Shoes: Miz Mooz

A sort of schoolgirl look for today. The shirt has these puff-like sleeves that, in my opinion, give it a Victorian vibe. Plus puffed sleeves=Anne of Green Gables. I bought this skirt almost six years ago on my first trip to Hong Kong. Such an amazing and life-changing experience! I grew very appreciative of my culture because of this one trip (and the consequent trips throughout the following years). Anyway, I bought the skirt in a street market and had no idea if it would fit or not. It was a little bit around the waist so I used a safety pin for the first few years, but now I just belt it. Anyway, elements of the outfit actually remind me of premature Gigi, meaning the navy and white sweater and the plaid skirt. Or maybe I'm just trying really hard because I want to look like Gigi/Leslie Caron.

The other day I ventured to Target and came across the new Go! International line, Tucker by Gaby Basora. I've never heard of this brand before, but I'm already smitten with it. Bright, beautiful prints? Um, YAY! I immediately grabbed like six items to try on, and after much debate, walked out with only one: the orange polka dotted blouse. I really wanted the orange tweed skirt too to have a matching outfit. Also loved the blue dress with the colorful flowers! Apparently she's famous for her bright, bold prints and use of colors. I'm debating whether to even go back and buy more. Probably have to wait until they're placed on the clearance racks though in a couple weeks since I'm so cheap when it comes to Target. Here are some of my favorite looks.

Fashion's Night Out

2010-09-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Cardigan & Skirt: Vintage

Blouse: Gap
Belt: H&M
Tights: Talbots
Flats: Rocket Dog

Though you probably can't tell here, my tights are actually a charcoal gray. I need to refine my Photoshop skills.

I went to Fashion's Night Out on Friday, and honestly I thought it was going to be a little more exciting. Maybe I wasn't sure what to expect or I showed up at all the wrong places at the wrong times. Oh well. I don't really attend very many fashion events just because I'm either busy or I don't want to go by myself (yeah I'm on the shy side...so if I ever meet any of you and I don't say much, don't think it's because I'm intentionally unfriendly; I'm just super shy, although I might have more to say on the topic of fashion; I just totally went off topic here). Anyway, the two pluses of the night was getting a free can of Coke at Nordstrom (um yeah, that's EXCITING STUFF! FREE COKE!) and discovering a million different pairs of shoes I really wanted. For now I'll share two:

Saddle shoes have been on my wish list FOREVER, and I love how these Vans ones are kind of casual and not overly costume-y (although I do love costume-y things!).

O.M.G. YOU GUYS! I was so excited when I saw these! Three strap flats, which totally remind me of Alexa Chung's Vivienne Westwood pair! See how fickle I am? I decided not to buy the velvet shorts from the Madewell collection and instead throw my money away on three strap flats! Although I usually like to invest in quality shoes over quality clothing (though they're both equally important to me, says the girl who shops at H&M too much for her own good).

Three strap flats on Alexa

I didn't take any pictures of the events probably because there was nothing note-worthy going on (except free Coke at Nordstrom, but there are probably enough pictures of me posing with a Coke can out there). We went to this restaurant called Bangkok on Powell Street for dinner simply because the atmosphere inside really reminded us of Hong Kong. Haha my mom and I are suckers for places that remind us of Hong Kong (and anywhere else in our travels; we like to imagine ourselves elsewhere quite often). The food was okay, but the people were a bit rude. Probably won't come here again, since there are better Thai restaurants out there. We still have yet to find a place that makes the perfect Won Ton Mein almost exactly like the one in Hong Kong. Thinking about it makes me hungry...

I forgot what this was called, but it's just rice noodles with veggies, beef, and a whole lot of gravy sauce.

Won Ton Mein with BBQ pork

I have zero photography skills, but I really liked how downtown looked at night (it's even better at Christmas, but we still have a few months), so I snapped a few pictures at Union Square.

Oh also we spotted a "celebrity" signing: LuAnn de Lesseps, or the Countess, from "Real Housewives of New York." I confess I don't watch the show or keep up with the characters, so I had no idea who she was until I looked at the books she was signing and came home and Googled her. I took a couple pictures of her (didn't want to use flash and draw attention to myself so that's why they're blurry) in case you guys are familiar with her. I really don't know any of these reality folks (other than the girls from "The Hills").

Some surprising news: I'm on the front page of Chictopia! Or I was a few days ago. Nevertheless, I'm so excited! Thanks to everyone who commented! I feel so honored since Chictopia is one of my favorite websites as well as where I started getting into the fashion community. It's a little bit scary though to see myself staring back on the homepage of Chictopia. Yikes.

Alexa Chung Wannabe

2010-09-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dress: H&M
Tights: Target
Shoes: Miz Mooz

I am so in love with this dress. I saw it on the rack at H&M and knew instantly I had to have it. Other than the fact that it's so romantic and pretty and perfect for a tea party (if I ever had one/attended one), it greatly reminds me of Alexa Chung and a few dresses she has actually:

So maybe I'm a little obsessed with this woman's wardrobe.

I don't know if many of you heard, but two days ago, around 6:15 PM, a gas line exploded in the middle of a residential area in San Bruno, very near to SF, and a huge fire erupted, devastating the lives of more than 100 people. I believe 4 to 6 were killed, and many more are injured. 53 homes were destroyed and 120 more were damaged. A girl the same age as me was killed, and her boyfriend tried to save her but couldn't. Such a heartbreaking situation. I can't imagine what these people are going through. Here you are, returning home after a hard day at work and wanting to sit down and relax, maybe play with the kids or while they're doing homework, or even sitting at the dinner table, and all of a sudden, everything you've ever worked for is gone in a second. I am so grateful that we were safe in SF, almost ten miles away, but I can't believe how devastating this whole situation is. These people have to rebuild their lives after a few hours of destruction. Thank goodness no one I knew was hurt in the fire, but I know people who knew some others who were, and we even knew people who lived very close to the fires (thank goodness they're okay). My mom and I were sitting in the front of the TV watching the live coverage of the fires, and it actually reminded me a lot of nine years ago, when we were sitting in the same spots, watching the news and live coverage of 9/11. I guess because it hit so close to home, I feel a lot more awful. What really gets me is the looting. How can anyone think of something so awful like that while people are suffering? Thankfully there was only one person looting and the police caught him, but it's so insufferable. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of this horrible tragedy, and I hope this teaches us how important life is and we have to make the most of every day.

The newspaper compared the area to a war zone, and I'm inclined to agree.

Here's a list of ways to help for all you local bloggers (and even those who aren't). Thankfully there have been a lot of people almost immediately chipping in to help with donations of money, supplies, blood, and time.

Pictures from here, here, and here.

At the MOMA

2010-09-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: Vintage, from my mom
Dress: H&M
Leggings: Target
Boots: Steve Madden

A little blurb about the outfit: I bought this dress YEARS ago from H&M but rarely wore it. I think the V-neck kind of bothered me because it always felt like it was slipping off. But now that I've pulled it out again, I really like it. I love rediscovering old clothes. Plus this goes in hand with my Western mood, as it kind of reminds me Prairie dresses and whatnot. The cardigan is another story. Basically I'd been wanting a tan-colored cardigan for awhile, preferably a long one. Then my mother finds this nice thick one from the closet and washes it, and I discover it hanging in the laundry room. So I asked my mom if I could borrow it to wear with red clothes (I really like tan and red right now), and she said I could have it. Awesome! I tell you, my mom's closet is full of treasures, and it only takes a little time and right trend and mood to come along for me to start digging in her closet. It's like some weird delivery service where I request something to my mom and she finds it in her closet. I have some other items from my mom I want to share with you, but at the moment this tan cardigan is my current obsession. I don't know if I wore these boots on the blog before, but they're from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale back in July, and it's my tradition to buy a pair of boots from every sale (I sort of forced this tradition on my mom...and her credit card). They're also my current favorite :)

I also wanted to thank you guys for all your lovely comments on my last post. Sorry for getting so sentimental and mushy but I was just in the mood I guess. Whoops there I go again.

The other day was the free day at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), so my friends and I took a trip down there. We had so much fun! Actually, I think we had more fun taking pictures and just hanging out rather than looking at the actual exhibits. Hmm. Anyway, we had lunch at a place nearby called Toaster Oven. It wasn't too bad, although I wish they had more selections on their menu. I took way too many pictures at the museum so here are a few (too many) of them, including some of my favorite exhibits. Sorry for the picture overload.

Roast beef sandwich

I thought this was kind of cute.

My friend Winnie: I thought this was modern art. What's Picasso doing here? LOL Winnie.

Henri Matisse

I thought this was a fish, but Winnie and Alex think it's either a chicken or an egg.

Okay, answer me this: WHAT is that brown thing in the bottom right hand corner? I deduced it's either a pill, a piece of chocolate, or a football.

I want one of these.

I also want one of these.

Bright lights

Whee, my high school buddies Winnie and Alex! Oddly enough, these beads were our favorite "exhibit."

CHOMP

I'm not particularly familiar with art in general, but I know for a fact that I love Wayne Thiebaud's paintings.

Yay we went to the beach...sort of.

Window mannequin poses! Haha I look so awkward here...this is why I don't pose in outfit pictures :P

Haha Alex and his Michael Jackson pose!

Inked

One LAST thing: THE ALEXA CHUNG COLLECTION FOR MADEWELL CAME OUT TODAY! I've only mentioned the collection and my need of those velvet shorts about a thousand times on the blog (and on Tumblr and Twitter and Facebook, but no need to go into those), and I was really hoping the shorts would be around $50 (seeing how the lowest priced item was like $48, I had heard?). Sadly the shorts are $88, way more than I wanted to pay. It's almost $100 for a pair of shorts? I ask you, is it really worth it? On one hand, it's velvet, they're high-waisted, and they're ALEXA CHUNG, but $88? I really need to think about this. Could I sew up a pair myself? Perhaps, if I spent a million hours looking for the right pattern and tailoring to my size. Oh the dilemma. The other items look really cute too though, but I guess I've had these shorts on my mind for the last few months that I can't stop debating about them. ARGH.

Two Years Later

2010-09-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

Cardigan: Liz Claibourne Outlet
Dress: Nordstrom
Tights: Hue
Flats: Rocket Dog

I can't believe it. Two years ago, I was just starting my first year of college; two years ago on this exact date, I created this blog and posted my very first outfit. I was reading blogs like The Clothes Horse and Liebemarlene back in 2008 and I found them so inspiring and wonderful that I wanted to create a place where I could throw all my random interests into one space. I'm really not sure why I called it "Curious Mel" (oh wait, I do know; it's because I was into the PBS series "Curious George" and thought it was so cute and funny; hahaha don't judge), but I can't believe I've stuck with this blog for two whole years. I never stick with anything. I constantly make goals and flake on them because I get lazy. I know I haven't posted consistently, especially in the last few days (I really try to post at least every other day but I've been super busy lately!), but I am so grateful to everyone out there who has stuck by me and read my silly ramblings. I feel like I never write anything remotely interesting other than the things that interest me, so thank you all so much for reading and commenting. My small circle of readers mean so much to me, and I've met so many wonderful people through blogging. I love how this blog is sort of like a diary, and it recorded my style throughout the last two years. I'm surprised how much it's changed, and how now I wouldn't wear some of the things I loved wearing two years ago. I think my sewing has improved a lot over the last two years, though I haven't done very much over the summer. I'm glad that this blog kind of recorded a lot of my phases over the last two years, from my obsession with Blair Waldorf's wardrobe and my Charlie's Angels phase in early 2009 to my more recent phase with British miniseries, Jane Austen, and more notably Colin Firth (I still adore him). Sometimes I feel like I haven't changed very much over the last two years, but then I look at my previous entries and see I have; even if only my style and interests have changed, I think that affects me overall as my perspective has greatly altered over the course of the last few years. Though one thing hasn't changed: I still ramble about crap and can't stop explaining everything (and throwing a lot of things into parentheses; did you ever notice that I do that ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME?).

So I wrote way too much and got too analytical for my own good. But my main message was simply thank you. Thank you for reading my blog, bearing with my simultaneous insanity and dullness, from my fickleness to my fast-changing phases. Thanks for the last two years, and here's to another year :) In honor of my blogiversary (is that the word?), I decided to wear the same dress I wore in my first outfit post today. Haha is that weird? I never know how to style this dress, so I always just wear something simple with it.

Ahhh so sorry for my rambling, I do apologize. And I'm sorry if my posting is erratic for the next few days, and I have to catch up on commenting and reading blogs!

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

2010-09-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Blazer, Dress, & Shoes: H&M
Socks: Target

Whee another heatwave has struck the city. I look pretty dorky here with the knee socks pushed down my leg; didn't look quite so bad in my mind. Plus I'm clad in all H&M again. Seriously need to shop elsewhere. I finally ventured out of the house with these shoes, only to find out that they hurt my feet :( I guess I was being quite literal with stepping out of my comfort zone. In any case, I was running late so I didn't have time to walk back home (after realizing my discomfort one block away...) and figured they just needed to be broken in. I think the problem is there's no traction in the shoe, and my feet are sliding down a bit and I'm trying to hold onto the shoes with my feet. This is why flip-flops and me don't work.

Sadly the shoes didn't work out, but I'm determined to try other shoes, perhaps of better quality. I can't really describe the kind of shoes I want because I'm not even sure. Maybe Liz's shoe collection would be nice :) I really like all the shoes on Madewell's site, particularly this pair:

Does anyone have these shoes? Are they comfortable? The price is a little steep for me, but seeing how I just got my paycheck (and I made the most I ever made in a month! So surprised!), I'm tempted to splurge a little. Then again, I'm still waiting for one more week for this:

I'm so excited! I don't know why, because I know everything will be too expensive for me, but I really want something for the sake of the collection. Isn't that awful? To actually want to buy something just because it's Alexa Chung? Well, partly that, and her collection is amazing as well. I think I've mentioned it here several times, but I seriously need that pair of velvet shorts:

I haven't done any sewing for awhile (too busy and lazy!), but I did buy some velvet material to make a pair of shorts. Unfortunately it's a lot harder to find a good shorts pattern, and even more difficult to nab a high-waisted pair :(

Are any of you planning on buying something from the collection?

Tumbling or Tumblring?

2010-08-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hat: H&M
Shirt: Uniqlo
Romper: Forever 21
Tights: Target
Boots: My mom's

After rambling on about Western inspiration the other day, I tried really hard not to go overboard with a full-on Western outfit. Taking a cue from Carrie's outfit consisting of a button-down blouse and her overalls, I threw together this outfit, but I really wanted to wear my new "John Marston" hat (yeah, that's what I call it) with these new boots. Oh yeah, the boots:

So my mom was looking for black shoes for me in the closet for my Nutrition class (part of the dress code, more on that another day), and we stumbled across these boots. A brand new pair of boots, never been worn, belonging to my mom...and in my size. She gladly handed these over to me and voila, I have myself a pair of boots. They're not the suede desert boots I originally wanted, but these will do. I call them my desert-wannabe boots. FREE BOOTS=SCORE!

By the way, I hopped on the bandwagon and made a Tumblr, and it is so addicting. No kidding. I thought it'd be like blogging but it's...different. Seriously, I'm sitting in class Tumblring instead of paying attention. Shhh. In any case, if you guys have a Tumblr let me add you! I need to follow people other than Alexa Chung fashion Tumblrs (I swear I went crazy and added like four).

Western Inspiration

2010-08-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Video games affect me; take "Red Dead Redemption." Suddenly I find myself inspired by all things Western and the American Midwest. Desert boots, Western hats, plaid shirts, long skirts, and more. It's a little bit of a stretch from my usual style, but like those leopard shoes, I'm all about change nowadays and going outside my comfort zone. I feel like changing up my style a bit without losing who I am. Maybe because it's a new semester, and the winds of change are in the air. Am I a little silly for being influenced by a video game? Haha I remember last winter I was really into military clothes and war movies because of "Call of Duty", which explains why I had to have a green army jacket.

Here are some pictures to get you inspired by the Wild West:

John Marston

Bonnie MacFarlane is so cool. No kidding.

Clint Eastwood

King of the Westerns: John Wayne, and his leading lady Maureen O'Hara

Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in Dodge City

Cast of Little House on the Prairie

Cast of Bonanza

Haha I thought I'd throw this one in for fun.

My first step towards Western-inspired clothing? Desert boots, preferably brown suede:

From Nordstrom

From Madewell

From J. Jill

What are your thoughts on Western-inspired clothes? Like them or hate them?

Impulse Buy

2010-08-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Dress & Shoes: H&M

So you know how you're not suppose to buy impulsively something trendy that's impractical, poor quality, and not going to be worn by next year? Uh...well I kind of just did that. I bought the most unlike-me shoes ever. They're open-toe, wedges, leopard print, and from H&M. I'm pretty particular about shoes, and I usually don't like to spend money on cheap shoes from H&M and Forever 21 since the quality is pretty awful, for shoes at least. I don't like open-toe either because I take horrible care of my feet. I don't really wear wedges just because. And leopard print isn't my favorite print (aside from my faux fur leopard coat!). So why did I buy these?

I think I've always wanted to try out new cage-y, structured shoes but didn't want to spend the money for them. Not only was the height of these shoes perfect (I think about 2 inches, less with the platform), but it was only $13. What other great way is there to try out a new shoe style without breaking the bank? Sure, the quality isn't top notch, and it probably will break in a few months, but $13 isn't too bad of a sacrifice :) So what do you think? A waste of $13 or not?

I was going to wear it today...but I chickened out at the last second. I wanted to stick with something familiar, so I just threw on my Keds in the end.

UGH it was SO HOT yesterday! I can't believe how hot it was! Seriously, it jumped from the 60s last week to 90-something! Especially since I was standing at the bus stop at high noon for only ten minutes, and I just totally melted. I had to shower three times yesterday because I felt way too sticky. Haha I've been complaining about how cold the summer has been, and now that it's hot, I want it to revert back to normal. Hahaha. It was much better this afternoon: warm, like high 70s with a cool breeze. However, I'm looking out the window right now, and it's all foggy again. Ugh, typical SF weather.

More Summer Adventures

2010-08-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

T-Shirt: Style & Co.
Leggings: Target
Shoes: Keds

So last Monday, my friend calls me at 10 in the morning (super early for me) and asks me to go Great Mall, specifically Dave and Buster's. I thought, sure why not? So off we went to Milpitas for another adventure. Essentially, Great Mall is this ginormous shopping mall/outlet center, with a theater, a bounce house place (which we didn't get to go this time, sadly), and an adult arcade.

Dave and Buster's is this epic arcade center, lacking only one of my favorite games called Arctic. It's not quite as family oriented as Chuck E. Cheese, as they kick people under 21 out at 9 pm. Still it's rather fun, even though I spent more than I wanted to at an arcade. It kind of looks like a casino inside though, don't you think?

One thing you ought to know about me: I LOVE RACING GAMES :)

My friend Christine won 500 tickets! So cool.

My doppelganger Nat returns.

Sorry my outfits haven't been very exciting but I've basically been living in leggings for the last few weeks. Plus we've been hit with a heatwave all of a sudden, and summer has actually arrived in SF. Ugh...it's so hot. And oh yeah, school starts tomorrow. Boo. Goodbye summer, it's been nice knowing you for about a week.

Summer Adventures

2010-08-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

Sweater: Nordstrom
Dress: UO
Tights: Hue
Flats: Rocket Dog

This week has been so crazy busy, I haven't even had time to sleep (or blog). I don't know how people handle 9-5 jobs five days a week, because I've sort of had a schedule like that this past week and let me tell you, it's so exhausting. Of course, it doesn't help that we're on our feet the majority of the day, running around the store. Then again, it's nice to make money :)

Anyways, these pictures are from last Sunday. Jen, Judy (our coworker/friend), and I went around town exploring and having adventures, from Clement Street to Japantown, then to the wharf and Haight Street. Thank God Jen can drive now, so we can go lots of places and have lots of adventures. I also had a cup of coffee from Haight and let me tell you, I don't need to drink or do drugs to get really hyper.

CLEMENT STREET

WHARF

Yeah, it's another picture of the Ferry Building, Jen. SO WHAT?

How cool is this? It's a GIANT MACARONI :) Yeah, you know you love it.

HAIGHT STREET

We're crazy Asian chicks. I don't know why I like this picture so much, but I do.

I really like this shop on Haight. It's called Mystery Mister I believe, and it has lots of nice vintage items all neatly organized. Even though it's a bit pricey, it's really nice to look at. I almost bought some 1960s gloves.

They had a Bettie Page store down in Vegas, and I had no idea there was one in the city as well! I also like looking here even though everything is expensive and too big. Haha I lack the curves to fit into their retro-reproduction items.

Me, a purple dinosaur, and a cup of crazy caffeinated coffee.

I also really like this picture :)

After our day of adventures, we headed back to our bosses' home for the annual work dinner party. It's so freakin' fun and full of good food. We basically eat all this really good food (of which I forgot to take pictures, so I only have a few shots), then play Jeopardy based on our work (with quiz questions about our products and employees), which is so much fun! Best of all, we're competing for $20 for each team member. Then after we play board games like Taboo or Cranium which is also so much fun! Plus everyone made Jen sing because she insisted she could rap "Billionaire", which turned into a "Tik Tok" sing-a-long. I know Jen would kill me if I posted the video here so I shan't. I really love our end-of-the-summer dinners :) Can't wait until next year. A couple pictures of the appetizers and desserts:

More adventures coming soon!

Be Italian

2010-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Cardigan & Belt: H&M
Dress: UO
Socks: Target
Oxfords: Vintage

Sorry if the colors in these pictures are obnoxiously bright but this is a clear example of my super Photoshop skills.

Since I have absolutely nothing to say right now other than the above, here's a random video of my favorite song by the French singer Mireille Mathieu. I just adore her and her amazing voice. I've been a fan of hers since high school; when all the kids were listening to rap and hip hop, I was kind of obsessed with Mireille Mathieu's songs. It's called "Scusami Se" and actually it's in Italian; there's a French version but I actually like the Italian one better for some reason. Oh yeah, another random note: I'm taking Italian 101 next semester. Hahaha. I think it's because of Mireille Mathieu and her Italian songs that I wanted to learn it. Anyway, it's such a pretty song, though the live version below is actually a bit faster than the recorded one:

Channeling Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple

2010-08-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hat: Target
Blazer: Ralph Lauren
Blouse & Belt: H&M
Skirt: Sewn by me
Shoes: Penny Loves Kenny

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a week or so, but it's the same old sorry excuse: school and work. Thankfully I finished summer school today! After this week, I get one week off before school starts again :( Sigh, so much for summer vacation.

Today's outfit was inspired by countless episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot and the one Miss Marple episode I saw (can't remember the name). I've been inspired by the clothes of the 1920s and 1930s and the costumes on the show. For some reason, this blazer and my bowler hat together remind me greatly of Hercule Poirot :)

Inspiration:

David Suchet as Poirot

With Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings

Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple

Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Sweater & Oxfords: Vintage
Scarf: Forever 21
Striped Shirt: Hong Kong
Jeans: Levi's

After almost ten years, my mom and I finally made it to a Giants game! I used to keep up with the Giants when I was a kid, but it sort of died out within my teenage years. Thankfully we're trying to make an effort to start getting into the games again. It was our tradition to attend the Giants Trading Card Day every year in August, when they gave out free packs of trading cards to the first 10,000 or 20,000 fans. Another tradition of ours was to buy hot dog at the ballpark :) I could have sworn the hot dogs were bigger before, but I guess not. I could not fit any of my old Giants stuff (like my old sweatshirt and jersey), and I wanted a jersey to wear to the game but they're pretty expensive. I think I'll have to wait until next year for that. I dressed kind of casual and warm because I knew it would get cold at night at the park, but I tried to show my team spirit with the orange scarf. We sat all the way at the top in the View Reserve section, but our seats were actually pretty good. We could see everything quite well.

Some snapshots I took of AT&T Park, which I think is one of the prettiest ball parks ever; sorry the quality isn't the greatest:

Haha my hair is so wild here from the wind.

Traditional hot dog slobbered in ketchup

I was so hungry, so I bought more junk food :)

Pablo Sandoval (Panda) at the plate

Now batting: Matt Cain (who I call Matt Damon because I swear they look alike)

Panda hats! I wanted an orange one.

Oh I almost forgot, the Giants beat the Dodgers 2-0 :) SWEEP!

Casual-Tees

2010-07-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Cardigan & T-Shirt: Gap
Leggings: Target
Flats: Rocket Dog

Another casual work outfit. Lately I've been wearing long striped tees over leggings just because it's so darn comfy. And I've been finding a lot of cheap long striped tees. Yay. Also got this cardigan from Gap from their BOGO sale, and it's pretty much the same as my blue one except the inversed colors.

I'm so sad; I had to return "Red Dead Redemption" to Blockbuster because it was due today (though I might buy it eventually). Now I feel like I can't procrastinate anymore and I have to read. Boooooooo.

I was watching one of the Thin Man films (I've seen all of them countless times), and I forgot which one this was, but Myrna Loy was wearing this beautiful dress at home, and I thought it was so gorgeous that I wanted to share it with you guys. Don't you wonder how it would look in color? Myrna Loy truly wears the prettiest clothes throughout the series. The scene itself is also quite funny, because Nora pretends to call Nick just to get someone to relay information to her. Haha Nora's a laugh.

Screenshots by me.