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.

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Strawberry Banana | Spring Transition Work Outfit

H&M light pink scallop edge blouse // Thrifted Escada bright yellow pencil skirt (steal) //
Pitaya patent yellow skinny belt (steal) // H&M opaque black tights // 
Target Merona faux calfhair scallop edge leopard print ballet flats (steal) // 

Photography: self, tripod and remote

'Ello there! Welcome to my new and improved blog design, clean and minimalistic. Thanks to JJ for helping me work out all the kinks in this old tangle of code and sharing his artistic eye. Last week/Spring Break was a fantastic blur of food, reading, snoozing. Key highlights include reinventing Lunchables with gouda cheese, crackers, and deli slice turkey, watching The Croods and Hercules, dusting off my interior design/DIY renovation skills, observing strange animal behavior at the zoo, exploring the botanical gardens, discovering a vegetarian reuben that features savory wheat-meat (cray, I know) all with JJ. What I would give for another week to spend with my best friends in Arizona and Kentucky and my St. Louis babies.

This was my work outfit for today (4/1), featuring a silky light pink blouse with a scallop edge that I picked up on sale this weekend. Something needs to be done about the way it poofs unruly when tucked in, but besides that the girly touch makes this top very special. My much beloved bright yellow pencil skirt is also too big, so soon I will be searching for a tailor to fix up these two pieces. A quick fix to make the skirt more playful was to tie a yellow skinny belt to cinch it like a paperbag waist style.

Spring is just around the corner (I hope), and here's to rekindling old passions. A fresh blog face has made me more excited to post and share tidbits from my daily life again, especially because of the busy-ness. As Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

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Spotty Reception

H&M cropped mustard yellow sweater // H&M chambray button down (underneath) //

H&M black and white dotted pants // Target hot pink loafer flats w/ tassels //

Totes pink and yellow polka dot umbrella // 

Photography: JJ

Continuing my "blog-the-zillion-blue-folders-on-my-desktop" project, here is a fun outfit from fall fitting for a rainy mood like today's (10/12/12). This is my best antidote for the gloomy greys and soggy hair-frizzing atmosphere: wear the brightest colours and quirkiest prints in my wardrobe and a 100-watt smile. Start with my Dalmatian pants and polka dot umbrella, building the rest according to the colour scheme of hot pink and yellow.

What do rainy days make you crave? I like lying in bed listening to the pitter-patter against tin rain gutters, drifting between daydreaming and sleep. A delicious perfect cup of coffee brings a smile to my lips and I'll put on some indie playlist that I don't know the songs to and read until I'm tired of turning pages. Or I'll run around outside trying my luck in a storm. If the pros to being fun-sized include never being the tallest thing around to be struck by lightning and not having to worry about hitting your head on overlying branches or doorframes, I'll take it.

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Cat Eye

H&M faux leather biker jacket // H&M hunter green colored skinny jeans //

Forever 21 sheer black top w/ woven embroidery // H&M nude cami tank top //

H&M cat eye sunglasses w/ snakeskin inside //

Predictions for Payless black pumps // Aldo black feather rainbow glitter earrings //

Photography: JJ

EYE OF THE TIGRESS. Today's hastily thrown-together outfit, from the cold but delicious time at JJ's Russian professor's annual picnic to the mall for graduation dress shopping with my friend Sherraine (see fitting room review here). It's feminine yet bad girl at the same time. Sheer dolly long top with some coloured skinnies and a leather jacket. The best part is actually these uber fun glitter-dipped feather earrings from Aldo. They shed glitter everywhere, so by the end of the day my body looks like it's covered in unicorn vomit, not that I oppose that kind of thing. Also found the PURRfect pair of cat eye sunglasses (FINALLY) that flatter my round face, stay on my flat nose, and aren't vintage-sharp to the point of Rita Skeeter. They even have snakeskin print on the inside, an added quirk. Yay now I can look like everyone else in the fashion world *eye-rollage*

Thank you JJ for taking time out of your busy Circuits schedule to shoot this outfit! Apparently when it's right about to get dark outside and it's a grey gloomy day, the camera shuts up and picks up the perfect amount of light/exposure/temperature that requires minimal post-processing. However, humidity = instant Ms. Frizzle 'do (gosh I miss Magic School Bus).

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Refresh-mint

Pitaya bunny print peter pan collar mint top (S) // Ralph Lauren ivory cable knit sweater (S) (gift from Aunt) //

Lush mint green scallop hem shorts (S) // DIY/Converse All-Stars checkered sneakers (5) //

Forever 21 mini dot sheer black tights // Wet n Wild lipstick in Wine Room //

Photography: JJ

MINT-CREME-MINT OREO. Blogging as fast as I can so y'all can enjoy this outfit while I'm stuffing my face with pizza at the ARMOUR launch party/Happy Hour. MINT ON WHITE ON MINT. Wore this spring pastel-perfect ensemble for the Craft Alliance x STL Bloggers meetup and tour (4/5). Pictures and a tale to tell about the art workshops and awesome tea set exhibit going on at a much-understated gem on the Delmar Loop. It had just rained the night before and I dragged myself the 25 minutes there at 8:30 AM in my fave pair of DIY checkered Converse - man I work harder for fashion than school sometimes. Do what you love, every single day.

It was a little chilly so I threw on a cable knit sweater and tights instead of going in a lightweight top and bare legs. These funky teal and red nails are from my first ever manicure at the Saks Fifth event with Styleta. Pics and deets from that too! So much to blog, so little time! Meanwhile this week has been filled with poetry and art contests and of course, more thesis-ing. Almost ... there!

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The Brunch Bunch

H&M mustard yellow cropped sweater (XS) // Forever 21 blue chiffon dress (S) (old) //

Forever 21 gold chain wrap turquoise necklace // Merona faux calfhair leopard print flats (5.5) //

From Taiwan mint Longchamp dupe mini tote (gift) //

China Glaze nail polishes: Hunger Games style (post coming soon)

Photography: Self, tripod & remote

I have no clue why I look so tan in these photos, but the recent amazing spring summer weather in St. Louis has gotten me ahead in my new goal to bake as much as possible into a well-browned turkey by the end of my last real summer break. Threw on a cozy lazy sweater over an old semiformal dress for double date Sunday brunching with friends at Pappy's Smokehouse for BBQ and The Fountain for dessert (3/24). It was actually way too hot but just the right amount of flow and slouch. Foodie pics tomorrow because it's too juicy and delicious to fit all in one post.

Last week was cray in all the fun ways (paying for it dearly this week haha): spontaneous biking to the Loop hunting down JC Litas only to reluctantly turn away when they restocked on Nordstrom, watching V for Vendetta, trying escargot and veal for the first time, enjoy my friend's lyric opera senior recital, learning a bit of Korean to thank her parents for the wonderful meal at the fanciest schmanciest Italian restaurant, winning a free cup of Froyo from Chill's twitter contest. And it was 90+ degrees Sun & Mon ... *makes the "Y U SO ___" face* Explored the Kemper Art Museum for the first time yesterday with my poetry class and appreciated the newfound inspiration. There were downs too but we don't like to dwell on them, now do we? Today: so much coffee, not enough sleep, exam done, started tinkering with Instagram and Pinterest. Off to shower and a meeting!

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Zen Garden

Pitaya/Lush abstract cocoon cardigan/wrap (S) // Old Navy taupe v-neck cable knit sweater (S) // 

H&M forest green skinny jeans (6) // Predictions for Payless black pumps (5) //

H&M gold segmented choker necklace // Silver inspirational words cuff bracelet (gift from Alice) //

Lipstick: Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude (base), Wet n Wild Wine Room (top) //

Photography: Alice Gu (& JJ for face shots)

SPRING TRANSITIONING. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Was planning on going all-mint green this year but that's a surprise for tomorrow :) Either way, safe from pinching with the forest green, eh? Remember my all-green shabang a few months ago? Ha, grubby finger-proof. This is the outfit I wore for thrifting at Scholarshop (3/9). I wore this ensemble for school before but didn't take outfit photos, but thanks to Alice as my photog, we perfectly caught the Golden Hour and the lighting was beautiful as it lit up the parking lot. Layering this flowy cocoon wrap over my lightweight cable knit sweater provides extra warmth and an interesting mixture of layers and textures. NEUTRAL + ABSTRACT PRINT + BOLD PANTS. Had the hardest time coming up with a title too, almost went with "Abstraction" before I thought of the lines on the cardigan like rocks and the pants like evergreen. This silver cuff bracelet also means a lot to me because it's a heartfelt gift from Alice, giving me strength to take each day hour-by-hour, and to remember that I always have loving people around to pick me up when the pain is too hard.

One more day until I head back to STL to finish off my college career and graduate (time flies so fast wth). That means primary objective has been shifted to stuffing my face full of the city's treats and reveling in the warm Spring. Meanwhile, almost done with the Hunger Games trilogy and can't wait to see the movie!

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