2013 Year in Review

As the end of each year encroaches, I often get the feeling that time flew and not much has happened (life and outfits-wise). When thinking about writing this reflection post, I remembered all the exciting moments and adventures!

Heart & soul:

Reached out for support from my classmates, shared my Mom's story

Felt truly happy about my life and escaped the cycle of self-deprecation
Found my niche with my swole ladies - wine-ing, dining, cooking, squatting

Norcal trip with my family

The best way to learn is to be curious:
Research/internship with Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Taught anatomy to art students, learned to sketch the human body from them
Read 14 books
40% on the way to MD

Experience allllll the things:
New York Fashion Week
Skydiving with JJ
Ran my first 5k and started lifting weights and rock climbing
A cappella performance of Disney medley
Lollapalooza, Dayglow, first real concert (Bruno Mars x Ellie Goulding), countless adventures in Pittsburgh

The Great Outdoors:

Class V white water rafting and camping x 2
Ski trip (where I learned how to ski)
Hikes: Hocking Hills x 2, Potato Chip Rock in San Diego

Between all the snow and early nightfall, scrubs/white coat/workout days, and general laziness, the actual outfit compilation would look a lot like my knee-length parka, jeans, and snow boots on repeat. In fact, it might be a fun project to take a picture every single day of what I'm really wearing in 2014 for a little shocker :)

This picture sums up one of my main focuses of 2014: do it now, because later turns into never. I hope tonight as you're reflecting on 2013 and celebrating NYE with friends or family, you take a moment to be proud of how much you have grown in 365 days. We don't need a new year to reset our motivation to chase after our dreams and desires - adventure is out there, put on a good pair of shoes and run after it!

P.S. Did I make my 2013 Resolutions happen? Revisit them with me for a fun comparison.

2012 in Review | 2013 Resolutions

Looking back on 2012, it is hard to ignore the rough and painful moments this year brought. My eyes still well up every time I think of my Mom, and like riding a bike, the only thing I can do to keep my balance is to keep moving forward. But there were a lot of wonderful moments too, like adventuring around the world and country (one word: Hawaii), meeting Bill Nye the Science Guy, picking up racquetball/kickboxing/zumba, graduating college and starting my journey to M.D., being featured in a magazine, scooping out free time to enjoy little things like macarons, living through Leap Day/London Olympics/Hurricane Sandy/Obama re-elected/Mayan anti-climatic apocalypse, finally opening up my blog shop, and making lots of statements while getting dressed.

There are a zillion vacation photos waiting to see the light of the interwebs, so my first blog resolution would be to have fun while revisiting those moments and sharing them with you!

I have high hopes for 2013. There are a lot of things out of our control in this universe, but how we react to each day is entirely up to our own volition. Remember to wear your rose-tinted glasses every once in a while and do stupid things that make you laugh until your sides hurt. Surround yourself with people whose company you enjoy unconditionally. Learn to say "whatever" to things - just because you do not worry does not mean you do not care. Each year gifts us a necklace of 365 pearls, and I plan on cherishing every single one. 

Resolution theme: Live in a foreign country called "Out-of-my-Comfort-Zone."

• Be inspired every single day.
• Lose the self-imposed "can't" mentality. Ball it up, toss it in a recycling bin. Let spontaneity take its place.
• Explore my city. Even if it's raining, snowing, Sunday, before a test. I will always be studying or working, so take the scenic route as much as possible!
• Meet new people and listen to their stories. Revisit old friends and build bridges.
• Work on becoming a better person than I was the day before. This involves self-discipline in many aspects and frequent introspection. When in doubt, share more and be kind.
• Remember to give my artistic side some proper lovin': pastel, read, blog, make music ... avidly. Create, create, create.

Did I carry through with last year's resolutions? For a fun comparison, see last year's review in pictures post. Thank you wonderful friends and readers for sharing your time and thoughts since the beginning. To many more adventures and stories!

Readers - what was your favourite moment of 2012 and did you make any New Years Resolutions?

Practical Holiday Wishlist

Happy Christmas Eve, lovely people! Glad to report that the world is very much in one piece (Mayans just never updated their Google Calendars, that's all, geez) and I successfully conquered my muscle/bone block! This holiday season, I am surprisingly content with my materialistic but for shifts and giggles, I made a collage of practical gifts I would especially appreciate and use almost daily. Here's to last minute inspiration for the fashion blogger on your list:

• 1) Carry-all wristlet/clutch. After losing important plastic cards on multiple occasions from lack of pockets or transferring from backpack to purse to coat pocket, it's time to invest in something pretty and functional to fit my phone, ID's, a few dolla bills, keys. Tiffany's mint green doesn't hurt to look at, wrapped around my wrist.
• 2) Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. It's the only perfume I have ever enjoyed and wouldn't mind smelling like refreshing grapefruit yumminess every time I walked by (and especially after anatomy lab). Having trouble justifying the price tag for a bottle.
• 3) Ankle rainboots with bow detail. My shoes smell putrid after pounding through the rain, which transfers to my socks/tights and my feet. These short versions would keep my feet dry and work with any outfit on a rainy day (frequent in Ohio). My Hello Kitty ones were a little silly-juvenile and ripped up after a few years so I tossed them last spring.
• 4) Parka. Outerwear is a good investment, since in colder climates like where I live and walk outside for 30+ minutes every day, layering is a must and your jacket makes the statement. Parkas go with everything and they're so casual cool. Shearling lining inside and furry hoods earn functionality bonus points.
• 5) Chunky circle scarf. Saw a great option at H&M for $15 a few weeks ago - this is actually the only thing on my list for keeping everything sealed and warm when I step out into the great outdoors. It beats having to tuck in the ends of my really big scarf or having to deal with unruly scarf fringe.
• 6) Butter nail polish. Oh Butter London, you amazing amazing thing. First time I swatched you, my nails cried with tears of joy. No butterknife needed, but it sure melts right on with smooth heavenly-ness just as the name promises. Shades chosen for the holidays and professional work because my digits have been so sad-looking, cropped, and naked for the past four months.
• 7) Canon 50 mm f/1.4 prime lens. Okay I haven't even figured out all the wonders of my SLR or 1.8 prime lens yet, so there's no reason why I should be coveting a $300 lens but the bokeh is soooo smooth! Someday when I deserve the upgrade ..

I considered the ever-hip Skullcandy Aviators in steampunk amber but realized it would get into fights with my cartilage piercing after 5 minutes. Of course after ogling tons of cute dresses and skyscraper heels, I can be honest with myself that they're not my go-to's when I'm running off to class in the below-freezing winter or dressing up for work. The most precious things that money cannot buy are more time with my loved ones and zen "me" time away from studies. Right now medschoollife revolves around the bare necessities so treating myself to a nicer conditioner or fancy coffee is more worthwhile than hunting down the pricey most-coveted pieces of the season. As my friends frequently hear me say ... "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Collage by me. Photo credit: perfumelover.co.uk, melshoes.com, amazon.com, butterlondon.com, tiffany.com, hm.com/us, coolspotters.com, shopbop.com, shop.nordstrom.com, svpply.com

Readers - do you wish for more practical or flashy gifts during the holiday season?

Leap! Day

In my years of fashion adventuring, I've had an inclination to take many LEAPS of faith grandeur. Not sure why I haven't been jump-shotting as often these days. Maybe it's my old bones squeaking in noncooperation. In honour of Leap Day 2012, a by no means exhaustive yet exhausting Pandaphilia history of jumping:

1. Nerdy chic (published in Style Yourself!) 2. Crayola multicolour 3. Hello Kitty watermelon

4. Poncho and fedora 5. Sheer maxi and brights 6. In a tutu 7. I'm a butterfly!

8. First colorblock 9. Sporty hipster? 10. Pink wine 11. Blue da ba dee 12. Walk on air

In other news, I joined the Bone Marrow Registry today. For people with immune system diseases such as leukemia and multiple myeloma, a good tissue-type match can be live-saving but hard to find. One has a 1 in 4 chance of matching exactly with a sibling, but for many people that's not an option. Donors of Asian descent are especially needed, and matches are most likely found within your ethnic group due to the genetics. So I did the scary thing and signed up. If I could have donated bone marrow stem cells to my Mom for transplant, I would have but immunology doesn't quite work that way. Whose Mom or loved one will you save someday? This is part of my new endeavor for the rest of my life:

image credit: blog.pedrocustodio.com

Readers - what did you do on Leap Day?

Best of 2011 | 2012 Resolutions

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While it seemed like the entire summer and most of 2011 was Year of the Colorblock for me, I discovered my personal sense of style and realize that I don't have to apologize for not wearing what everyone else is. 2011 gave me the opportunities to earn that Canon T2i that I love so dearly, and these ginorm photos.

Wonderful moments: Taiwan with JJ, met Harry Shum Jr, met Wongfu, published in Style Yourself book, covered STL Fashion Week, raising Chickee, started reading more
Finally, I can't thank my wonderful sponsors enough for all their support and generosity!

2011 was filled with all sorts of exciting ups and downs from the moment we watched the fireworks burst out of Taipei 101 and the dragon slithering up the grandiose tower to the finishing moments with family and vino in San Diego. This year saw my best semester in college, some of the most stressful periods of time, and this was the year I finally accepted who I am: human. Not invincible, not limitless, but full of dreams and passion. We're on the brink of uncertainty, the brink of possibility.

2011 witnessed the whole journey of being accepted into medical school. 2012 will witness me graduate college.

If there's anything I learned from my studies in Chinese literature/culture, it's that time is circular. I believe in balance, and where there's the good, the bad, and the ugly, there's also the worst, the best, and the beautiful. At the beginning of 2011, I realized that I don't need this blog to be happy. At the end of 2011, I realized that just because I don't need something to be happy doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. Where will 2012 take us? With so much support from my friends, family, and you readers, this blogging experience has blossomed. Even if it's time to turn over a new leaf, it doesn't mean we can't use old trees to do so.

Here's to a simplified list of my 2012 Resolutions:

1. Live, laugh, love to the fullest. "Just do what you feel," in the words of a friend.

2. Take care of my body, it's the only one I have. This means sleeping, eating, and skincaring right.

3. Constantly remember my motivations in life.

4. Be nicer to myself. That inner critic can take a vacation every once in a while.

5. The most exquisite things in the universe will never replace the people around you - remember that.

Readers - what are your 2012 New Years Resolutions?