Double Oxblood | Work to Night Out Burgundy Outfit

Day:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

DIY Christian Louboutin dupe/Payless red-sole black pumps //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) //

Night:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

Thrifted @ Goodwill/Ann Taylor black strappy wedges // H&M faux leather biker jacket //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) // Michael Todd vampy lip stain in Disco (thanks Nikki) //

Photography: self; remote and tripod

OXBLOOD AND BLOOD ORANGES. What is with the violence in colour terminology these days? Why is it oxblood and not simply blood? And even though blood oranges are so yummy, there's something so inherently Bram Stoker and grotesque about it. This all-burgundy/wine red/oxblood outfit was inspired by this pin on a Refinery 29 slideshow on wearing midi skirts. What's more fall appropriate than lace pencil skirts with a matching cable knit sweater in the same exact perfect autumn shade? For the PrettyShinySparkly oxblood challenge: one of my big-time doc blogger inspirations!

I noticed halfway through the day why my neck was itching so badly. Looking side my shirt, I saw a tag *facepalm* ... so I had my sweater on backwards. However, I rolled with it because it gave a more straight cut neckline which looked sophisticated. This black belt with the cool silver square buckle is actually a really old belt my brother wore for piano recitals when he was a little kid. Ironically it fits well around my waist still! How to transition to night time? Throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up and go along with the black and burgundy theme, exchange work-friendly pumps with strappy wedges from summer. Nothing makes me happier than sticking it to the man - in this case, Mr. CL and his uber expensive shoes. $20 pumps, $3 of nail polish and voila! Two things I will never invest in: designer heels or designer bags because I am so rough with my crap everything gets tattered faster than you can say cobbler. I'll post the DIY Christian Louboutin red sole heel tutorial soon if anyone's interested in having some faux glam fun :)

Friday night meant wearing wine colours to wine tasting but I got very lost and missed the bus, so instead mosied on over to a dumpling night event and stuffed myself with the tasty treats doused with Sriracha hot sauce (thank goodness for the sweet tea they had handy). Afterwards was an evening well spent with some new friends, practical physical exam skills. Don't judge - call us nerds now and be thankful when we can wield our diagnostic tools with finesse when you have an ear ache or pink eye. This weekend JJ visited and we had a grand old time eating along High Street and exploring North Market. And today I sang my first performance ever with our med school a cappella group - do epic shift, guys. Every single day.

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Olivia | Fall Transition Work Outfit

H&M olive green button down shirt // Forever 21 taupe lace pencil skirt //

H&M camel leather belt // Mossimo light grey suede ankle boots //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

The crisp morning air signals that fall is finally poking its darling little head around the corner! Everything is fresh with each inhale and I immediately wake up no matter how little sleep pre-midterm-week gets me, at least for the ten-minute walk. Songza pop hits pumping, headphones in, another brand new untainted day, wet clay.

I wore this outfit to class and work at the Free Clinic two weeks ago (8/31), swapping out the shoes for black flats because these ankle boots were a little casual to be professional dress. They are a great neutral piece, matching with the olive and taupe shades in this palette. It was really nice experiencing my first "real" patient from the community and having the privilege of hearing her story. As the days get shorter and the nights longer, it's vital to remember why I am here. You don't have to be a full-blown doctor to influence people, to make them feel special and taken care of. So I am to treat everyone I meet with the enthusiasm as if they were my first patient, the way I would have wanted anyone and everyone to take care of my Mom.

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Glamour Photos 2: Swan Lake | K-drama

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Glamour Photos 1: Sleek and Sexy

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Rent the Runway Review: Erin Fetherston Dress

Erin Fetherston gold strapless mini dress with ivory sash (0) // Aldo nude pumps (5) //
Makeup: Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette (light yellow, gold, rusty bronze), ELF Natural false eyelashes, Stila stay all day eyeliner, NYX Lipstick in Snow White

Finally, my belated review of renting a beautiful gold designer dress from Rent the Runway for free (thanks to winning Jean's giveaway a year ago). Mind you, these pictures were taken after 4 hours of crazed dancing and sweating, so the dress is wrinkly and I'm surprised my makeup/hair even held up this well. Read about the magical evening here and see tons more photos of the food, fashion, and fun. Thanks to JJ for snapping these after the event and to Jeremy Lai for the official photos.

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.:Aurora:.

Erin Fetherston gold strapless mini dress with ivory sash (0) // Aldo nude pumps (5) //

Photography credits: Allison Li, Jenny Sun, JJ, me

This past Saturday was the Chinese Students Association Winter Formal at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. I had the time of my life and danced my face off in those painful nude Aldo pumps of mine. In fact, my legs are still sore and I'm proudly wearing my "lasted over three hours in killer heels" badge. This Erin Fetherston gold dress had just enough room to expand for half of dinner, then it was time to burn off some of the scrumptious chicken and cheesecake in front of the speakers. Took some photos with JJ's HTC Evo 3D, not the best camera but it let me snap some quick ones and enjoy the rest of the night carefree.

The venue was gorgeous, modern, romantic. I could see the city skyline through the sheer ceiling high curtains and the centerpieces had floating white orchid blossoms lit with beautiful aurora-like lights. The dresses were stunning, the music was bumpin' (shoutout to some impressive mixing by DJ Keeno and some soul-searching croons by Jordan Ing), and we danced the night away. Who soaked her designer rental in sweat? ; ) Grotty, yes. Fun, heck yes. Btw I did my friend's teal and brown makeup. The flash washed it out but the super-pigmented Coastal Scents 88 palette really shone through! Review on that too soon :)

Review of my Rent the Runway experience and close up details of makeup and the dress taken with my SLR to come! For now, packing for home and see you on the sunnier side of the country!

Readers - what did you last wear to formal/prom?

I See Right Through You

Pitaya sheer pleated maxi skirt (S) // Pitaya cutout sweetheart dress (S) (worn as top) //

Fioni for Payless cutout zip up heels (5) // Calypso necklace (c/o Jewelmint) // Claires chain ear cuff //

Urban Outfitters double face watch // BCBG silver metallic foldover clutch (c/o ReallyPetite) //
Aldo snake coil ring (5) // H&M black red trim blazer (Euro 4) //
Makeup: Wet n Wild Vanity E/S Palette, Stila eyeliner, Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer

Photography: JJ

JUST DANCE, GONNA BE OKAY. This was my outfit for St. Louis Fashion Week @ Macy's (10/12). I aimed for a classic yet interesting look - sheer pleated maxi worn over a cutout bodycon, accessories silver and snazzy. The sheer and long silhouette made me want to dance and sway and I'm happy to say I got a lot of looks during the party and show. Threw on a blazer for the sake of modesty and staying warm. The dress works as a great miniskirt kind of slip too.

Jewelmint recently contacted me and had me choose two pieces from their collection to try out. I'm wearing the Calypso necklace here - it's really pretty and has three stones that match pretty much anything. I like the shape and length too. A more thorough review coming up soon (I also got the Astoria necklace).

Notes: Yes, I look slightly possessed in the first photo. I had a Photoshop adventure removing plugs and a big black light cable out. CS5's content aware removal is pretty good but not perfect, so a lot of it turned out to be manual clone stamping. Not much else to add, other than I have so much to post about Fashion Week and so little time. This week is exceptionally busy, with multiple exams, papers, prepping for a med school interview, adoption season. When will there be a breather? Notice: stress levels and amount of blogging have a strong positive correlation. Bee tea dubs: You NEED to go see Monet's Water Lilies. It was the highlight of my Fall Break! I was lost in the colours and got super emotional when I saw Agapanthus. Yeah, world's biggest dork award goes to me.

Readers - how do you wear sheer pieces?