First Day of Class | Pink Blazer

H&M pink blazer with ruffle detail // Forever 21 lace dress //

Melie Bianco faux leather camel satchel bag // H&M black bow flats //
Revlon lip butter in Lollipop //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

This was what I wore on my first day of med school class an entire year ago (8/7/2012): my statement pink blazer and a white lace dress with simple black flats and a sensible camel satchel. Back when my apartment was blank and I was attempting to shoot outfits in my no-aircon, barely-lit room with my zoom lens. Just look at that naive little face, ready to be a well-adjusted individual in the real world (yeah right)! Meanwhile, time is flying by at home in San Diego, with not enough days to eat eat eat and take literal long walks on the beach. This is the deep breath before we dive straight into another year of madness!

Click to see more pictures → → →

Classy-fied | Satin Tank and Cropped Jacket

H&M mocha brown satin drape tank (deal) // H&M jewel beaded trim cropped jacket //

Ann Taylor Loft "Kate" straight leg black dress pants (00) (petite version) // 
Thrifted Melie Bianco faux camel leather satchel bag (deal) //

DIY/Payless red sole black pumps (DIY Christian Louboutin) //

Wet n Wild berry lipstick in Wine Room // Rose pearl necklace (gift) //
Ghetto $5 Walmart classic round watch (with a second hand for taking pulse) //

Photography: self; camera and remote

Balmy rays of sunshine, robins pecking at the ground for their version of gummy worms, longer days of clear blue sky: finally spring is here to stay! Today (4/8/13) I revisited this outfit from a few summers ago, when I was so excited to apply to medical school and start dressing more professionally for lab. Look how much has happened since! I wore this under my white coat for my clinical test (switched out black flats for heels, yellow backpack for my camel satchel, and threw on a necklace - what I would have worn if I weren't running late this morning). The cool spring breeze calmed down the warm 70s weather but inside the med school buildings, our heating/cooling is never thermostatically regulated and two words: pit stains.

Just because we blog about fashion doesn't mean we can't wear an old favourite and remix via accessories. My hair is significantly less fried than before and pulling it into a pony got the wind-blown strands out of my face and made for a cleaner, more twenty-something look. The satin top billows in the wind and reminds me of mocha sails fluttering on a chocolate sea - yum! These dress pants from Loft are the most slimming pair I've found so far for my uncommon leg/body ratio - these muscular thighs make it difficult to find a pair that skims over my upper leg while staying cinched at my waist. Have been too lazy to get it tailored so I just fold the bottoms in to make it more petite-friendly, since the 00P version was not flattering on me.

Cardiology so far has been really cool - I enjoy listening to the rhythm of heart sounds, taking advantage of my musical background to imagine a picture of what is happening. Reading EKG's and the physiology also appeals to visual-tactile learner me and I'm excited to learn more (this is rare optimism when living through the daily grind). My day-to-day schedule is more organized and manageable, so I'm able to feel like a normal semi-well-adjusted being again and do things like attend conferences on literature, draw with art students, scope out spring fashions, stuff my face with yummy treats, blog. Boy am I chatty today - off to watch the Mad Men season premiere and sip some Angry Orchard.

Click to see more pictures → → →

Day to Night: Colorblock Cozy to Slouch Style

H&M orange cropped sweater // H&M blue skinny jeans // Forever 21 black LS top //

H&M faux leather biker jacket // Merona? light pink beanie (gift from Dad) // 

Aldo blue floral vintage backpack // Suddenly Darling key necklace //

Merona faux calfhair leopard print scrunch flats // OPI teal and red nail polish //

Photography: JJ

LATHER UP IN LEATHER. For a chillier spring day, quick transitioning from PJ's to comfy school outfit, to going out at night (4/11). We took these photos almost after sundown - the T2i never fails to amaze me with how much it can suck the light out of any situation and inject it into the photos. Spontaneous pho dinner to warm up, cozying and slouching in my beanie all the way to bed. This weekend has been overflowing with programming as the semester (and my college experience) is quickly coming to an end :( But good moments make it worth it, like going to the carnival and screaming my face off on the two thrilling rides, meeting up with old friends back in town, thrift shopping at Goodwill (finally!), eating soooo much food. Now it's le cray exam week, which means study/blog marathon. Fueled by Ramen and Coffee.

Click to see more pictures → → →

Bluebird

Ralph Lauren royal blue LS w/ emblem (XS) (gift from Aunt) // H&M bird print scarf (worn as bow) //

Pitaya grey pleated skirt (S) // Predictions for Payless black pumps (5) //

Nordstrom BP brown and mint green ombre wayfarer sunglasses // 
Aldo blue floral vintage rucksack backpack // Urban Outfitters double face watch //

Photography: JJ

BYE BYE BIRDIE. This was my makeshift tie-bow blouse attempt with a solid top and matching colour scarf (from last spring's bird print craze). But because the scarf had a bird print on it, it contrasted too much for a good imitation but still turned out fun to wear with a girly bow to decorate my neckline. Keeping it simple and relatively monochromatic for one of the first signs of warmer weather this year (3/7). And hey, it blended perfectly with my new backpack too.

The last few days have been "ugh" with studying, not sleeping, and attending to exam season. Luckily there has been a lot of fun, adventure, and food embedded with the mundane, so it ain't half bad. Been riding my bike more and thoroughly enjoying the sun. Looking forward to a less hectic half of the week and Girls Night Out @Saks !

Click to see more pictures → → →

Vintage Style Backpacks & Cat Eye Glasses

Vintage styled rucksack backpacks from Aldo. I got the blue and purple floral one on the left but the striped grey and white one on the right is cute too ($50). An adorable black with tiny white polka dots backpack that I didn't see in stores.

Grey and white striped tote with a silk scarf attached.

Urban Outfitters cat eye sunglasses. These are the perfect cat eye shape for my face but alas they're clear. Still on the hunt!

Forever 21 Burberry clear raincoat dupe (similar from Topshop). Looked good on their lookbook but this is pretty eww in person.

Filler randomness: these were mall sightings from a few weeks ago. Sitting on the top floor of the library surrounded by panoramic greening foliage and in clear view of the stained glass windows of Graham Chapel. Oh spring, never leave my sight again.

Readers - any cute mall sightings recently?

Pepper{MINT} St.{PATTY}

Pitaya bunny print mint peter pan collar top (S) // Lush mint green scallop hem shorts (S) //
Faded Glory white tank top (underneath) (S) //

From Taiwan mint green Longchamp Le Pliage dupe tote bag (gift) //

Predictions by Payless white low heel pumps (5) // From Taiwan grey and white striped socks (gift) //
Nordstrom BP ombre brown and mint green wayfarer sunglasses //

Bracelets: pearls from Forever 21, white bead from H&M // Forever 21 white plastic bow ring //

Lips: Clinique chubby stick lip color balm in Super Strawberry //

Photography: JJ

FRESHLY MINTED. Haha, clever title, no? This was the all-mint green outfit I was aiming for this St. Patrick's Day but it rained the entire day in San Diego, so yesterday (3/19) was the perfect opportunity to wear it back in St. Louis: 84 degrees and sunny (someone needs to fire that meteorologist, because we all felt like losers in our rain gear) and SPRING SPRING SPRING! There's nothing more mood-lifting than the blossoming pastels of flowering trees on campus and spontaneous trips to Starbucks and the Loop. In fact I think the Midwest skipped spring and went ahead and did summer on the Spring Equinox. Warning: this post may lead to visual overdosing on mint green. This exceeds your recommended daily amount by 10^9. Proceed with caution and open-mindedness towards my pastel obsession problems.

Can you believe this mini Longchamp Le Pliage look-alike was a free gift from a contacts store in Taiwan? At first I had no idea what I would use such a tiny thing for but it surprisingly holds a lot: my EKG manual, sunglasses, keys, cards, notes, etc. It also folds up and buttons shut and is quite sturdy. The socks were free gift along with a cute plastic popsicle container when I got my Tarepanda mini-scale too. My white pumping disappearing into the lush grass, almost feeling their cool soft spikiness between my toes, add a few pearls to balance the mint with cream. This big tree with all the gorgeous white flowers finally woke from its slumber and gave off such a wondrous aroma. It felt like playing under a giant mushroom and then the bumblebees scared me off. Ha.

Here's a funny story: since I've had this outfit planned for a week now, I wasn't taking no for an answer - rain or shine. But alas, after pulling both mint items out of my suitcase, they were and have been wrinkled (the most frustrating fabric) and unsightly. So I dripped some water on them and hung them on my window, hoping the sun would dry them before class, but they remained sopping wet. Then I threw them in the laundry. Then I aired them out during racquetball practice. Then I went to the locker room and held them under the hand dryer machine for 20 minutes. Yay finally dry and unwrinkly! Then I put them on and they immediately wrinkled FML lol.

I really need to go to bed earlier - self, at 3 AM.

Click to see more pictures → → →

[CLOSED] Giveaway: BagBeautiful Medium Handbag Shaper

In celebration of 100,000 pageviews on Pandaphilia (WOOHOO!) I have an exciting giveaway for you today. Erin, the co-founder of Bagbeautiful, reached out to me and wanted to give Pandaphilia readers an opportunity to win one of their products: a Medium Handbag Shaper. It keeps the shape of your beloved bags so you can keep flaunting them for many years to come (like a shoe tree but for purses). It retails for $14 USD and measures 10 x 13 inches. I know that some of my less structured purses could do with a bit of support and pillow-lovin' (doesn't it look like a comfy satin pillow for your purse? haha).

THE GIVEAWAY: Requirements are listed inside the widget below - you must complete ALL of the requirements on the first page of the widget to be entered (these are mandatory). The widget may take a few seconds to load and you need to have Javascript enabled. Rafflecopter makes counting and verifying entries much easier, so the winner get chosen faster. If you cannot use the widget, send me an email and I'll give you the instructions to enter via commenting.

This giveaway is for United States only (sorry international friends - there will be more giveaways for you soon). Please ask parental permission if under 16. The winner randomly chosen using Random.org. Giveaway ends at 12/11/2012 at 12:01 EST. The winner will be drawn and contacted by email. If there is no response within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 Medium Handbag Shaper will be provided by BagBeautiful. I am not otherwise affiliated with the company. Image credit: BagBeautiful.com. Compilation by me.

Think Pink

H&M pink fitted blazer w/ruffles (Euro 4) // H&M crisscross mesh bodycon dress (Euro 4) //

H&M floral A-line skirt (Euro 2) // Forever 21 oxford lace-up booties (6) //

CLAWS jewelry turquoise and gold necklace (c/o WhitWatWear) // 

 H&M polka dot red trim socks // Aldo snake coil ring (5) //

Thrifted Melie Bianco orange satchel bag // Urban Outfitters double face watch//

Photography: JJ

ROSY GARDEN(IAS). This is what I wore to the closing event of St. Louis Fashion Week (10/15), which seemed like just yesterday! This ensemble felt natural, it felt me, and I can proudly now say my personal style is usually some variation of a skirt (A-line is the best) and a tucked in top/dress with a fitted blazer. I feel polished and cute at the same time. Better yet, I've been hunting down a pink blazer for ages (my trend bane, if you will). After considering many light pink ones that were always too oversized, H&M came out with this perfect fitted one in a dusty pink richer colour and it has ruffles on the sides! I was sold, despite it being $40 after coupon (orig $50). You can read about the other things I found in my latest fitting room review. The bodycon dress I wore before has been recycled as a top and remember, it was only $5? Same with the $5 floral A-line skirt I scored and styled last fall. The cool necklace from Whit and Mal's giveaway is handmade and designed by CLAWS Jewelry and I love how edgy it is while being dainty. Toss in curly hair and we were off to a very good start.

Can you believe it's November already!? The months just fly by - cue calendar-page-flip animation sequence. The transition between October 31st (definitively Halloween) and November 1st (think countdown to Turkey Day) is awkward at best. Nevertheless my November wishes are: to eat as much pumpkin pie/cheesecake as possible (hello, love handles), go to a pumpkin patch, consume as much post-Halloween sale candy as possible.

The best thing about flying out for interviews is all the people that you meet. There's something about just extending your hand and chatting up a storm that makes all the studying, painful classes, MCAT boot camp, endless essays totally L'oreal slogan - because [it's] worth it. And just to top it all off, McDonalds seeing med school in action ... I'm lovin it. My friend Sherri helped me realize the bigger things in life and to be confident in my strong sense of identity and never apologize for who I am. Thus, more time for coffee breaks and catching up with old friends, less complaining and unmotivated slushhhh, more powering through life. I have to remind myself why blogging was fun to begin with - it's because of everyone else in this community. I've been so self-absorbed and just posting to get things checked off ... my play has become work. So, now it's just fun! Very excited about continuing my sartorial set-list documentation, something I'm going to call "365 Days of Cute."

Readers - are you dying for a pink blazer?

I'm Leukotriene My Best

Forever 21 teal button up shirt (S) // H&M grey cardigan (XS) (gift from Japan from JJ's mom) //

H&M brown felt fedora // Forever 21 black skinny jeans (26) // 

Pitaya/Wild Diva tan faux leather boots with heel (5.5) // Thrifted camel satchel handbag //

Photography: JJ

My hair desperately needs DIENE. So much brown making a comeback. Luckily these photos are over a month old and I finally went back to black. Bear with me as I work my way through this backlog, this is from the viewpoint of the relatively blissful days of September. Not much has changed, other than the fact that the busy-ness has gotten unbelievably busier to the point that I'm excitedly awaiting November 6th for the extra hour of sleep (DST).

"This was an impromptu shot of Wednesday's school outfit (9/14) and of how tired I have been from overworking and mostly Immunology. Big test today, crazy amounts of studying, lots of getting rained on in shorts and flimsy old flats. I changed into pants and boots (remember these $15 babies from my equestrian outfit?) before another student body meeting because it was freezing outside and even two top layers weren't enough (finally 60 degrees = FALL woot!). Went to a Barcraft event in St. Charles later at night. Can you believe people get together in bars to watch Starcraft tournaments? That is some pretty fancy schmancy nerding, represent.

I'd say there's the ever-so-slight equestrian feel I'm going for in this outfit. Honestly I just threw on some random pieces in the morning and headed off to more studying at the Law School courtyard, nice and peaceful with minimal obnoxiousness. My housemate/friend Patrick is crazy. And really really tall xD Now you can really tell how "fun-sized" I am."

I miss you, small bird.

Readers - how do you spice up a neutral toned outfit?