We had happily sauntered off to the mall on Easter Sunday for this matcha soft serve ice cream I was craving. It's only served there and I had to have it. I was going to kill someone if I didn't get it. Yea, blame mother nature dropping her beloved gift every month. Like fools, we didn't realize most shops would be closed. We were astonished that the mall itself was open at all. We wandered (moped) around for a while until we came across this paper art installation.

 I never thought it was strange to wear florals during the winter season as I wear them whenever I feel like. Interestingly enough, I recently came across a few articles (here and here) stating that winter florals were now a fashion trend and examples of how to style this trend. I guess it didn't have as big of an impact on me because I've always had a thing for florals (and I don't really follow fashion trends too closely, I think?).  All the more reason to wear it, I suppose! Now, it does make sense to pair floral prints against darker fabrics. One tends to gravitate towards darker colors during the colder seasons. I do like a pop of color here and there, however. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of wearing a wholly dark attire. I also find it rather interesting that these darker hues are suggestive as being "gothic", "Victorian" or  even "vampy", which I can understand. You don't see vampires in movies wearing bright pinks and corals, do you?

After a week long break from blogging, I've returned with fresh ideas and am determined to improve in all aspects of my photography. I've still got my sights on a full frame camera but that won't be any time soon. I'm hoping by the end of this year I'll have saved enough but that's being really optimistic. As part of my New Year's resolution, I've made it one of my top priorities to spend more time with my friends this year. I was going through some rough, dark times and had forsaken their friendship. I couldn't talk to anyone about it, not even my boyfriend of 9 years. It took some time - I was apprehensive, fearful even - but I reached out to my friends one sunny day and was so grateful that they accepted me back into their lives with open arms. It felt so good just to be with them. Enjoying their presence. Talking of mundane, nonsensical things in loud, raucous voices. Hours passing sleepily, peacefully with great bouts of laughter shaking us awake from the afternoon lull. Doing nothing but feeling everything. I had forgotten how precious these moments were. And I felt so at ease. I'm happy to say 2017 has been off to a good start!

While I didn't experience a white Christmas (no white frosted winters here in SoCal!), the weather here has finally been cold enough that I could throw on a thick coat without sweating profusely. Autumn seems to have arrived late in our sunny state, but that's nothing to be surprised about. I'm  thoroughly enjoying it, however. Surrounded by all these beautiful leaves, what's not to love? Well, it's more like a couple of maple trees scattered here and there that we see on the road. We can't help but stop and take a look, slowly taking in this rare scene. They're not overly abundant here. I would like to take a trip to the east coast one day just to view the fall foliage. If that Family Guy episode speaks true about how congested and crowded it gets during leaf peeping season, I'm not sure I could handle it! I do have to say that during my stay many years ago that autumn in Japan, especially Kyoto, is absolutely stunning. I noticed the Japanese maple leaves were smaller and more delicate. And they turn a beautiful deep crimson red. It's amazing how many temples there are and the walks leading to them are so peaceful and awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit them all. I would love to visit again some day.

Even as a child, I was always interested in astronomy. How my eyes would light up should they witness a shooting star streak across the dark night sky. Ephemeral and radiant. The thing that always gets me is that our galaxy is just one of billions in the vast universe. How many other habitable planets must there be? How many other lifeforms? How insignificant everything seems then. My life seems to matter little in the grand scheme of the universe. I'm just this tiny little human being living on a planet in one galaxy. And to think that our living sun is just one of billions in the Milky Way. Now times that by all the other galaxies out there and just how many stars are there out there? Way too many to count.

 It's been a rather stressful week to put it lightly. Things didn't work out the way I had hoped. I moped around for some time but eventually roused myself from the lethargic lull following a certain momentous event. I needed to get mind off things and this post was not going write itself. As famously quoted in Moulin Rouge (one of my favorite movies of all time), 

 Remember what I said about shrinking your clothes in the washer/dryer and how you run the risk of too much shrinkage? Well, this burnt orange dress was a victim of such an atrocity. I purposely meant to shrink it down a size but I wasn't expecting it to shrink that much. It's shorter than I'd prefer but I still like it a lot. I'm just glad I'm short because no one wants to see butt cheeks! I think it's a good time to try my hand at one of those "how-to's" to reverse the damage. Should be easy, right? I would hate to ruin it. It's got such an awesome 70s inspired silhouette that's just so groovy (hehe). I love the vibrant, foxy burnt orange hue. I can already see myself wearing it with boots some time in the future.

 As stated by the title, that is exactly what we did last weekend. I needed to drop off my phone at the Apple store to get it fixed and knew was going to take several hours. I'd planned to do some shoots while we waited. What I hadn't planned on was for it to rain! When I left the house, it was nice and sunny. After I dropped off the phone and walked out of the mall, it was pouring. Normally I do check the weather but I truly thought I was safe. Didn't bring any umbrellas or jackets. We decided to wait it out and get a bite to eat. By the time we were done, the rain was letting up a little. Luckily, we found this grove of bamboo trees and were surprised the ground beneath was completely dry.

 I've been itching to wear this mock neck top ever since autumn officially began but weather in SoCal has been consistently in the high 80-90s. I despaired of ever experiencing fall in October because I honestly feel in my heart that it is the perfect autumnal month. How can one resist all those plump orange pumpkins decorating all the patches and the front of stores? How can one resist the beautiful russet transformation of leaves - do keep in mind most of the trees in California are evergreens so I can only live vicariously through others (sobs eternally). Anyway, as soon as the weather dropped to 75F, which I considered cool enough, I threw this top on and wore it gleefully all day.

Despite the ill fit, I liked the dress so much that I didn't want to return it. I don't know if it's just me but a lot of dresses that I consider "tea party" appropriate tend to have these nice delicate ruffle trims like this. Maybe it's the delicate nature of such tea parties in general. From the beautiful porcelain teapots and cups to the dainty sandwiches that are too pretty to eat. And the lovely, sweet pastries one eats. I don't think I'd feel right if I didn't wear something as equally elegant and endearing.

In terms of alterations, I've given myself two options: fix it or shrink it. As I'm only really capable of hemming, I always try to shrink it first.What I've come to depend on a lot of the times is the shrinkage that happens when I throw my clothes into the washer and dryer. Because I just toss everything into the machines (yes, even delicates!), I actually discovered by accident that rayon materials will shrink no matter what. If you haven't noticed, a lot of clothes these days are constructed from rayon. Viscose will shrink somewhat or quite a bit for me depending on the quality.  So, I tossed this dress into my pile of laundry, hoping it would shrink and it did! And now it fits perfectly as you can see in this post.







What I wore:
Dress: ASOS
Heels: vintage from Etsy
Bag: ASOS

 Remember what I said about owning 3 different versions of this dress? Well, on display for you today is her darling older sister! Sweet and demure grey with a familiar A-line shape. Scrunched cap sleeves as lovely as can be. Of course, hidden side pockets also run in the family. While not as bright and fresh as her younger sister, she's got all the charm to make up for it.

 What I love about this dress is how it cinches at the waist, which lifts the weight off my lower body. Thus, contributing to an overall more flattering look. I don't think I have a very defined waist. It's just kind of...there. Just imagine a pear and you've got it quite perfectly. I've learned long ago that anything that accentuates the waist is key for me. But sometimes, during those particular days, I just want to wear babydolls or shift dresses - essentially look like a blob because I feel like a blob. And that's okay, too. I don't think I could bear stuffing my bloated belly into a fitted A-line dress anyway!

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What I wore:

Dress: H&M

Bag: ASOS

Flats: Corso Como

Photos: John & me

 As I type this, my right index finger is resting snuggly inside a DIY splint that I made. What in the world happened? Well, let me just simply say I received a nasty, deep cut right at the second knuckle. I won't go into details as to how it happened because it was rather gory. Let's just say 8 hours later, I was still bleeding. But that's because I kept forgetting and moving so it would reopen, So, now it's in a splint! Typing is rather cumbersome now so I won't write much today.

 And as the title indicates, it still feels very much like summer here while the rest of the world is already experiencing beautiful autumnal weather and colors. So, wearing this H&M chambray dress felt quite appropriate. I've had it for over 5 years and liked it so much that I got it in 2 other variations - both equally as old! Perhaps I'll feature them in the next posts.

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What I wore:

Dress: H&M

Sandals: New Look

Bag: ASOS

Photos: John & me

 Some days we find ourselves chasing after the last rays of sunlight with our hearts beating rapidly against our chests, wondering if we'll make it in time. And when we do, it's simply the best feeling. But we can't relax for long. Eyes scout out all the possible locations and lips paint the scenes. Sometimes it always doesn't work out and we just shoot continuously, hoping the bullet will hit dead center. Time is so precious during these moments, but I love it.

 As I walked hand in hand with my loved one, the soft, warm glare of the setting sun in front of us, I heard the unmistakable sound of crumpling metal high up on the bridged freeway. I let go of his hand, eyes wide open, trying to identify the scene of the accident over yonder. But I could see nothing. And soon enough, the cloying smell of burnt rubber wafted over to us. How fragile everything seemed then. 

 I enjoy wearing this vintage dress way too much. It's got gold accented zipped pockets. It's constructed of a very strong and soft polyester blend. I can easily get 5+ years more out of it. When I first saw it, however, I really thought it was baumwolle or a sort of corduroy. Anyway, I really enjoy blinding people with its bright Kelly Green shade. The color appears much more subdued in these photos, but it will definitely catch your eye if seen in person. It's one of the brightest article of clothing I own. I love to pair this dress with boots but I can't bear to stuff my feet into them this time of year!

While I normally never wear tank tops, I do make gracious exceptions during the sweat-inducing summer months. With this solid 90 degree weather we've been having, I don't want to wear anything at all!  But because tank tops are so thin and lightweight, they keep me cool. And because they are so thin and lightweight, I can't help but feel a little naked. They're something that I would wear underneath a see-through top or at home as part of my pjs.

-Jane Austen, Mansfield Park (1814)

-Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey (1817)

 I'm a huge sucker for floral prints and ruffles. And when it comes 2-n-1? Please, just take my wallet. As soon as I saw this "tea dress" on ASOS, I couldn’t help but envision myself attending tea at a garden party amidst delightful characters of palatable eccentricities. Of course, a giant maze in the back of a lovely mansion wouldn’t hurt either. And there is going to be an enormous tree with a hole into which I shall fall just like Alice herself. I will have myself a great many adventures in Wonderland with no viable ears around to hear me utter my tale. And who would believe me, anyway?