A Harry Potter Halloween

Every 90s kid probably remembers badly wanting to transfer from Muggle school into Hogwarts. You can imagine how pumped I was when our campus gym hosted a series of Harry Potter fitness events on Halloween. That entailed me getting up at 6 AM to attend a spinning (stationary bike) class that turned out to be full before it started! My friends and I did our cardio + squat/bench routine anyway and even had time to spare for a nice breakfast before class. One participant was kind enough to give me her magical chocolate frog box, which contained a massive hunk of milk chocolate and a holographic wizard card of Salazar Slytherin! To my surprise, when it finally split open with a knife, I discovered it was solid milk chocolate (don't know why I expected rice crispy material). At least when I'm surrounded by dementors I won't be in short supply ;)

After going into research lab and analyzing data for a few hours, I returned for Zumba, which started out with a hilarious Harry Potter theme + dubstep remix and continued in an hour-long, sweat-drenched session of dancing, jump squatting, salsa, hip hop cardio. The souvenir for this activity was a massive wand with a hole at the end for my phoenix feather placement, I suppose. We dabbled in trivia, sipped butterbeer (cream soda + root beer + vanilla ice cream), and I even grabbed a tiny pumpkin that I named "Pumpkin 9 and 3/4" after the famous platform. Trick or treating this year would have been a fun last hoorah but Ohio weather decided to dump rain all over Halloween ... classic. Instead of being soaked to the bone and miserable, I opted for a cozier approach to the evening: blogging, watching Ghostbusters, and drinking a chai soymilk latte while studying the thyroid. Happy Halloween!

Readers - how did you celebrate Halloween this year?

'Murica! | 4th of July Sequins

Forever21 black and gold sequin skirt // Forever 21 American flag headband //

H&M mesh sweetheart neckline bodycon dress // Forever 21 gold sparkly strappy sandals //
H&M and Forever 21 gold bracelets //

Photography: JJ

Before the calendar starts tearing pages out of itself and it's suddenly the 24th of July, here's what I wore for a sunny Fourth of July in Pitt. Though this almost-all black outfit turned out to be a stifling hot getup for the summer holiday, the way the sequins reflect light made up for the dark colours - they give off a blinding shimmer with each little movement and remind me of fireworks in the night sky. The interesting sequins are black on the top and gold on the bottom so you can run your hand through them to make the skirt more gold or more black. My headband was the centerpiece that shamelessly screamed "MURICAAA!!!"

JJ and I set about exploring downtown, where we normally don't venture. In the park there was a giant fountain where people dipped their legs in to cool off, frisbee-catching pups, BMX-riding kids, pogo stick tricks and all kinds of entertainment. Riding the subway made me nostalgic for St. Louis and the 4th of July celebration we attended a few years back. At every turn that day we seemed to have the best luck and found seats right in front of the firework display. A long, long weekend of fun and adventures accomplished, back to researchin' and happy hourin' (repeat).

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Let's Have a Kiki | Merry Christmas

H&M silver sequin and tulle dress // Aldo nude pumps // Silver beaded sequin clutch from China (gift) //

Wet n Wild lipstick in Wine Room //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

LOCK THE DOORS TIGHT. This dress would be the epitome of a tinsel-meets-ballerina holiday outfit. I wore this sparkly little number to our post-finals party with my pink blazer and burgundy tights, leopard fur coat reserved for the nightcrawling hours. Today it felt right to throw it on for a cloudy and dreary San Diego Christmas to pizazz some festivity back into the atmosphere. With nude pumps, a high pony, and classic wine red lips, everything feels more classy and sassy. But really, let's have a kiki.

The fire in the sequins comes alive with ambient lighting and unfortunately doesn't photograph well. Therefore my cheesy dancing as a human disco ball is reserved for in-person enjoyment. If anyone has any tips on photographing sparkles and sequins, please share your knowledge! I amused myself for a whole 3 minutes reflecting the rainbow with my torso standing in front our tree. I hope your holiday has been wonderful and close to the loved ones around you. Gift-wise, my brother went all out this year and got me the new apple EarPods which fit wonderfully inside my big earholes and produce some quality beats. Santa also left me lime green Play-doh which this 90s kid is freaking ecstatic about. Already I've made dumplings, a lopsided heart, and a bracelet with it while taking breaks to sniff the memorable scent.

Since starting break I've finished The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, a great analytical-but-engaging read to changing your bad habits into productive ones ... and howled with laughter with every page of Me Talk Pretty Some Day by David Sedaris. That I believe completes my goal of 10 books in 2012, surprisingly half of them read during med school. Cheers to two more weeks of exorbitant movie-watching and not getting trampled during after-Christmas sale shopping.

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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?

O Christmas Tree | Meetup with SydneysFashion

BB Dakota chevron tweed cape (c/o Jupe Boutique) // H&M faux leather pants // 

Mossimo black suede ankle booties //

Photography: JJ, taken on Sydney's Nikon camera

LES PETITES MEET. One of the funnest things about blogging is meeting your friends in real life. After all morning in anatomy lab, I was excited to jump out of scrubs and spend my Saturday afternoon catching up with Sydney again. It was nice to slow down and do a little shopping, latte-sipping, and holiday-spirit enjoying at the mall amongst hoards of shoppers on a mission.

Thanks so much JJ for snapping these! Sydney was kind to send me photos from her camera and I edited a few different ones. You can read more about our fun and see other pics on Sydney's post. The bokeh made all the holiday lights twinkle and turn into big sparkly dots. The GIANT Christmas tree makes us petite gals look even more minuscule, doesn't it? :D

JJ and I had many adventures out on the town as well. We watched Wreck it Ralph and played the online versions of the games too - Disney never fails to disappoint, chatted Neuroscience at the cozy and hip Northstar Cafe on High Street (their food is so fresh and delicious and healthy!), enjoyed macarons and eclairs with eggnog latte at Pistacia Vera.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

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Year of the Dragon

Photography: me

EYE OF THE TIGER. Happy Lunar New Year Festival 2012! All of the Asian multicultural student groups had a big preview party last Sunday for the sold-out performances tonight and tomorrow. There were sneak peeks of acts, free snacks and games, bumping into old friends, and a re nao firework display outside at the end. I'm very pumped to see this year's show - JJ is choreographing Chinese yoyo and many of my friends are getting their dance on. Thank you event-goers for bearing with me as I shamelessly walked up to you and asked if I could snap pictures of your body parts (erm ... not quite as creepy as that sounded). If you hover over each photo, there's a strange and telling title for each.

Whew editing these photos took a lot longer than I thought they would. Early morning bloggin' sans coffee (7:30 AM what what), after dropping that horrid anatomy lab which single-handed threatened to turn my sociable and fun last semester into a raging nightmare. Imagine Caveman Angie, holed away somewhere mumbling things like "arbor vitae" "trochlear nerve" "posterior commisure" to herself while prodding at some plastic model labeled with miniscule smudged numbers. Given, I do enjoy learning anatomy a lot but this is all too much too soon. Isn't that what med school's for? My other 6 classes should keep me happily busy instead of stressed to the limit. Happy weekending! 

Readers - do you celebrate a cultural New Year?

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?

NYE: au casual

H&M silver tinsel/sparkle light sweatshirt (XS) // H&M deep blue satin button down top  (Euro 6) //

H&M Pants Collection dark green slim fit colored jeans (Euro 6) // H&M multicolour bracelets (XS/S) //

Merona calf hair leopard print flats (5.5) // Wet n Wild lipstick in Wine Room //

Photography: self-timer/remote & tripod ; Thanks Dad for helping with the photos

TINSELTOWN & JEWEL-TONED. My subtlely sparkling silver top, thin as can be but still with a bit of weight to it - reminds me of mithril, for fellow Lord of the Ring fanatics out there.  The annoying thing is it started falling apart before I put it on, but for $10, who can complain? It reflects light beautifully but my camera doesn't want to capture it properly. Wore this over a satin sapphire button down and some emerald skinnies out to Red Lobster with the fam a few days ago and finalized it for a New Years Eve-Eve (NYEE, pronounced knee, or like the Knights of Ni?) on 12/30/11. Also felt effortless and channeling Alexa Chung while walking my dog, if only she wore more messy buns.

Since I have nowhere to be, I figured as much as I want to get dandied up in my sequined and posh best - the glitter's best left on the dance floor. Someday though, I will count down in Times Square (think of the potential riffing: NYE in NYC). Someday I will attend opulent holiday parties and be decked in boughs of sartorial awesomeness. Reality check? Bumming at home with my parents, watching the ball drop a whole three hours early. At least there is White Zinfandel and a trunk full of hope for 2012 involved. Happy New Years, everyone! (Am I the only one who only feels comfortable when it's an even numbered year?)

The two winners for the UNESTABLISH giveaway have been selected and announced here. Congrats!

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