The Last Summer

CALI FUNKY FRESH. Nothing like locally-grown fruits and veggies that are cheap and naturally sweetened with good ole California sunshine (if you live in San Diego, North Park Produce is where it's at). Chilled in the fridge and popped straight into your mouth - a sure switch from the college menu of chicken & waffles, half and half, and root beer floats so big you need 3 mugs to split it realistically. I've been sick with a cold since Senior Week, and finally recovering with jasmine tea, mints and a candy store variety of cough drops. My days are spent catching up on TV, relearning driving, watching Berkeley 2005 Anatomy lectures on Youtube (lol why am I already studying again?!), and lying by the pool reading the complete Sherlock Holmes. This is the summer to do whatever the heck I want before I sell my soul back to school and the hospital, markedly different from the hectic chaos last year.

My blog sale also launched, so there are many delicious items up for grabs right now. Please check it out for brand new to lightly used clothes, shoes, accessories that would love a new home!

Look who made Chictopia frontpage yesterday :) Hint: on the right

Readers - what are you doing this summer?

 

Ice Cream and Planets Nook Covers

Ice Cream Shop Nook Cover: Oh. Ma. Gee. I want this one so badly! The turquoise/orange and graphics are fun and perfect

Inside: no pocket but lotsa orange.

Planets Nook Cover: It'd be cool if the dots glowed in the dark. I like the simple line graphics and nerdy -little-boy feel.

Image credit: BarnesandNoble.com

Readers - do you like cute covers for your tech?

Don't forget to enter my Poshlocket jewelry giveaway!

Jonathan Adler Nook Cover Review + Nook Tablet Update

Part of the explanation of why I've been MIA from the web lately: been flipping through finger-licking good books lately and on my way to my goal of finishing 10 books during 2012. One thing I used to pride myself on is being a bookworm, but since college, reading for pleasure never seemed a convenient option anymore. Since purchasing the Nook Tablet less than 2 months ago, I've completed 3 books (one of which was over 1000 pages) - not bad, eh?

After a while, I decided my Nook should be protected with a cover, one with a cute design that makes me want to pull it out of my bag in public. After a bit of searching, I decided shelling out $30 for the Jonathan Adler Pink Circles designer cover was worth it and so far it's held up nicely (sold by Barnes & Noble). The design features pink and purple circles and is made of this vinyl-canvas-like material on the outside, and thick hot pink canvas on the inside. It opens just like a book and has a convenient built-in pocket on the left side with a clear case for an ID card or a picture (below "This Nook Belongs To:"). How cute! The Nook snaps right in on the right side and the cover folds back to allow for easy reading. An additional plus is that it can bend over to form a tent shape that doesn't slide on some surfaces, so good for reducing glare and watching TV comfortably. The other cover I was contemplating was the Kate Spade black and white striped one with red inside but it was $80 so no way. Unfortunately it seems that neither cover is available anymore on the B&N site, but check in your local store - there may be some left.

Click to see more pictures → → →

Nook Tablet Review

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I used to be such an avid reader. In fact, I have records of every book I read since late elementary school. While the library is great and free, sometimes fighting over reserving popular books leads to procrastinating on finally tackling those great reads. Buying hardcovers can add up and as much as I love physical books, they become a hassle in this mobile stage of my life (think multiple boxes of 50+ lbs ... filled with books). Now, I happily can say I read for pleasure before I go to sleep every night.

At first, I thought that tablets like the iPad were half-dismembered version of computers, and a little bigger screened than smartphones. At $500+ a pop, such a big purchase didn't seem worthwhile when I already have so much technology. Randomly, during Thanksgiving Break, JJ and I ventured to the Barnes & Noble in Mira Mesa. There was a central station featuring book covers on vertically displayed TV flatscreens, many Nooks to play with, so many amazing covers for these eReaders.

After tinkering with the zippy interface and cute "me-sized" screen (it's the size of a paperback book, suitably) of the Nook Tablet, I became enamored. At $250, it was a pricey impulse buy but I have been using my Nook every single day. Extra plus: the excitement of having a new piece of technology less than a week after its release. After a whole month of use, I'm loving it. It's a more productive entertainment gadget than my laptop, where I'm easily distracted while being distracted.

I think the only downside is when B&N has sales and coupons, they never apply to Nook products (that makes sense), including the apps and ebooks. The app store does cost more than comparable markets. Initially there were some problems with it shutting off by itself, but recently nothing buggy has happened. You can also "root" it and do all sorts of other DIY adjustments, but I'll leave it at that ; ) P.S. Day 9 of 12 Days of Fabulous!

It does everything I need a tablet to do:

• Small and thin, easy to slip into a purse or backpack
• Wifi-enabled for instant searches and my blog-ogling needs
• Fast. SO FAST.
• Clear IPS screen - this is intense resolution, folks
• Battery lasts foreverrrr. I didn't charge mine for 3 weeks and it was still alive (only reading)
• Reads pdfs, research articles, ebooks in epub format too - downloaded straight from its web browser
• You can read in the dark with black background, white text. Great for reading to sleep
• Angry Birds and other apps (though it costs more than Android Market)
• It has a microSD slot for additional storage (16GB+)
• Cute covers available (feat. in a post soon), gives it more of a bookish feel
• You can lend an ebook to a nook friend for 14 days - access disappears on your Nook for the time so it's really like borrowing. Sharing is caring!

Amusing feature: some children's books have a "read to me" or "read and record," so that you can record your own voice telling your precious darling's favourite stories and they can listen to it any time. I would very much like an ebook copy of Samuel L. Jackson reading "Go the F*** to Sleep" for my toilet humour ears only, of course xD

Haha already using the reflective surface as a mirror xD

Readers - did you get new tech for Christmas/the holidays?

This review is 100% my honest opinion and the product was purchased with my own money. I am not in any way affiliated with B&N.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

H&M black fitted blazer w/ red lining (Euro 4) // Rue 21 "Le Moustache" print tee (L) //
H&M black and white pleated mini skirt (Euro 4) //

Forever 21? black leggings // Wild Diva peep toe suede ankle booties w/ bow tie accent (5.5) //

Thrifted red knit beret // H&M red gems and baubles statement necklace //

Claires black faux shiny croc bag // From Taiwan black frame glasses //

Photography: JJ

WORK IT, QUIRK IT. Hello lovelies! Been off the web for a few days, spending time with family in hot-hot-hot (relatively) San Diego. Had my computer off, finished reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, started another page-turner on my Nook: Brandwashed. It reveals the psychology behind how companies fool us into buying, buying, buying and as a blogger, it's certainly pertinent. Since I started 2.5 years ago, my closet has rapidly divided and colonized my life like some unruly E.coli. The pressure to consume, to buy the newest hyped lipstick, to online-browse the incessant discount offers, to hand over that hard-earned money. There haven't been many times when I've come home and not felt guilty about purchasing something. Up until high school and even through some of college, I refrained from consuming materialistically and was all about saving. What happened? Btw Day 7 of 12 Days of Fabulous (need to catch up I do)

This was my outfit for a day of finals studying at Kayak's Coffee (12/17). I spent more time eating and enjoying my gingerbread latte than chugging through 400 pages of boring academia, books, and journal articles, but it all worked out. My never-ending obsession with all things that are magically (in my head, at least) French, including BLACK/WHITE/RED colour schemes. In fact, standing in front of my closet I meant to do an all black/white outfit but with the hint of red on my blazer cuff, the red just kept piling on in the form of accessories. Got the red beret for 50 cents I remember at a thrift shop. It gave off an aura of grandma-knitted-it and head lice, but still, it has been one of my favourite pieces conducive to playing Parisian dress-up. Black tights with ankle booties elongate the legs, a readers' favourite H&M pleated skirt that was only $10 not-on-sale, and a $6 snarky print tee that fed my moustache obsession starting all the way back in the sweltering summer at the Lake of the Ozarks. Can you believe it's a large? Yeah, makes no sense. 

Right now: attracting the bewildered attention of many a neighbor as I hurdle, jump, squat, pose, laugh in front of my tripod and remote/self-timer combo as the best boyfriend-photog in the world is on the other side of Cali. Also, forcing myself to finally get that blog shop running, which will include these booties :) Last but not least, making ambitious lists and resolutions as always. You can guess what's on there: get off my butt and exercise, stop being a hermit and enjoy college, stop picking my pimples. Realistically, let's aim to do at least one, mmkay self? 

To Peace. Love. And really long blog posts. Happy Holidays !

Readers - what's your favourite colour combo?

Enter my UNESTABLISH giveaway for TWO $50 gift cards!

[CLOSED] Style Yourself Personal Fashion Handbook Giveaway

This contest is now closed. Stay tuned for more exciting giveaways!

Last September, an editor of Weldon Owen publishers contacted me to ask if I'd like to contribute to a style handbook featuring fashion bloggers from around the world! Yesterday 6/21, Style Yourself! was launched on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders. That is freaking exciting stuff (in stock at Mira Mesa B&N what what!). 240 pages of fashion tips, trends, and more, real bloggers show their true style sense. I think my photo is the jump shot when I dressed up in nerdy granny shorts and a panda tee hahaha. My copy is coming in the mail and the publishers have offered to giveaway a copy to one of Pandaphilia's readers!

Rules:

1) Must follow Pandaphilia publicly through Google Friend Connect (click here)

2) Must fill out the form below only once

3) Optional +1: Follow @pandaphilia and tweet this message: "Enter @pandaphilia + @WeldonOwen Personal Fashion Handbook Giveaway! http://bit.ly/je25Nn" or click: Tweet

4) Optional +1: Like my Facebook page

This contest is open to US and international readers. Please ask parental permission if under 16.

Giveaway ends on 6/29/2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Winner will be drawn the next day and must email me with their mailing address within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.

[The Google Doc has been removed after the giveaway ended]

Images from Weldon Owen/Amazon.com. This giveaway was sponsored by Weldon Owen Publishers