TWENTIES

wearing: Dolce Vita blouse {via StitchFix}, AE black coated jeans, Too Neon pink pumps c/o Two Lips, Lush two-toned moto jacket {via eBay}, H&M pyramid bangle, F21 silver locket necklace, black leather bag {via Taiwan}

Over the weekend I turned the big 2-0. It was a beautiful day spent with beautiful people; I literally couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to my teens and hello to my twenties. From brunch at the sweetest little cupcake spot in the city to dinner in Berkeley with all of my loves, I am glad to say that this was the best birthday to date.

It's a weird feeling leaving my teen years behind and taking on a brand new decade. The past 20 years have taught me far too much and not enough. With so many exciting things planned for the next year, I can't even being to imagine what the next ten will bring. Here's to hoping, to dreaming, and to the adventures that come in between!

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SEE SEATTLE

wearing: thrifted denim button up, Brandy Melville Grace dress, silver F21 necklace, gifted white crossbody, Dolce Vita Jamison booties 

Three days in Seattle and these are all the photos I have, which is a good indication that we were having too much fun to stop and take a photo. The mental snapshots of the trip will have to suffice. From coffee shops to gorgeous skylines, we ate, saw and did everything we could to soak up the beautiful life that Seattle has to offer. Highlights? Meeting and chatting with amazing foreign folks {hello gorgeous German roommates who likes to sleep in their undies}, paddleboarding with locals at the beach we didn't know Washington had, and seeing a bulldog that oinks. 

Until next time Seattle...xo

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RED, WHITE, & STUNNING

How do you like your independence? The sweet birth of a brand new country, one that we love to love and we love to hate -- a country that I am so proud to call home. Wearing red, white, and blue is a sign of patriotism, of love and devotion. While the colors may, after years of classical conditioning, directly bring up memories of flags, it doesn't necessarily have to look like you ripped off the one hanging on your neighbor's front porch and wore it around your waist.

USA by Day

I'm a casual gal at heart and I just love throwing on the first things my eyes set on in the morning. Sometimes this technique turns out beautifully and sometimes it looks more K-mart than couture but that's a risk I'm always willing to take. This outfit takes that concept and throws in a little pinch of red, a little bit of white, and smidgen of blue. A fun little number that'll have everyone seeing stars without having on too much to make them puke up the colors of the flag. I can't help but dig how the Dannijo collar necklace adds just the right amount of color to the sheer white button up.

America by Night

For the gal that likes to do her celebrating after the sun goes down, this outfit is more suited for a night on the town. A look that downplays the color scheme while staying true to it, it's like the flag went into the witness protection program and is incognito, trying to blend in with the crowd by hiding its...well, stripes. Strong pattern mixing and color splashing come into play, making this outfit bold, confident and utterly gorgeous. I love the combination of the red vertical and horizontal stripes, they contrast without being clashing. The periwinkle Liberty London scarf is the perfect shade of blue that reduces its obvious patriotic contribution.

While I won't be sporting either of these outfits -- even though I would saw off an arm and a leg to be able to do so -- I'm beyond excited to rep my stars stripes in my own way. As long as you're with good company, drinking a cold American brewski or two, what you're wear won't matter nearly as much as the memories you'll make busy making on such a spectacular day. So get up, get out, and have a beautiful fourth of July!

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A TICKING AND A TOCKING

Sometimes, days in the summer feels as short as a tick and a tock, and then it's all gone. Even though the sun hangs around for a few more hours a day, giving us back the hours it stole from us over winter, it still doesn't feel like it's ever enough. That's how I've been feeling as of late, having my days slip by as I sit inside lecture hall after lecture hall, staring at the clock slowing ticking and tocking, realizing that my summer is also slowly ticking and tocking away. Having just finished the first session of summer classes, I only have one more session to go before my summer (all 14 days of it) officially begins. My best friend, the cutie in the photo above, and I have already planned out how to spend the remaining days of my very short summer. Let me give you a clue, the plan involves 3 states and 2 very very big appetites.

These photos were taken in the Mission District in San Francisco on a scorchingly warm day. Being lovers of anything aesthetically interesting, it's no wonder why we're such big fans of this little graffiti alley located conveniently across the street from one of our favorite thrift store. It's always fun to see the transformation of the wall, seeing which paintings stayed, which were painted over, and giving appreciation where appreciation should be given. San Francisco always finds a way to color my heart in a multitude of ways.

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DEAR EASTER BUNNY

Easter Wish List

While not religious, I just love the colors of Easter; from the baby pink and light blue to the mellow yellow, it feels all dainty, sweet and oh so very girly. Me gusta. I choose to believe that the Easter Bunny is the Santa Claus reincarnated and thus will bring me awesome springtastic goodies inside the little pastel-colored eggs. Now, how he/she going to fit these Cole Haan oxfords inside those teeny tiny eggs is another story...

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SAME OLD, SAME OLD

{white blouse via Taiwan, body con tank via Taiwan,
Steve Madden boots (not pictured), Hello Kitty frames via Taiwan}

On one of the most gorgeous, cloudless and breezy days I have encountered in 2012 and I decide to take photos indoors.

Figures.

I also need to learn some new poses because I am just now realizing that, back-to-back, these are way too similar.

Typical.

Anyone as ready for Friday to come as me?

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HEART TO HEART

2 days late, but better late than never right? Just wanted to say a quick HEY and I LOVE YOU. Hope Valentines Day was filled with chocolates, sappy music, and lots of X's and O's ! Wish I could give each and every one of you a big ol' hug and a high five (that's just how I roll). Mine was spent with my girlies, bitching about love, life, our lack of love lives and everything in between over a nice dinner of sushi and tempura ice cream. You know how us single gals get on such a mushy gushy day (cue the bitter, cynical and forever alone comments). How was your day of love? Let me live vicariously through your love life, please!

<3

Follow me at Instagram!

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SEOUL PHOTO DIARY

There's a mailbox at the top of Seoul Tower for people to send letters to their loved ones.Some things never change ;)

Never visit a palace during the winter unless you enjoy frozen body parts.

The fish market where you can buy live seafood and the restaurants will prepare it for you next door.

A corn dog wrapped in a sea of french fries. The epitome of convenience...and deliciousness.

Fried mudfish. Don't know what that is? DON'T google it.

Sticker photos are a must in Asia.

Poop-shaped red bean snacks.

A handy keyboard made with Photoshop shortcuts to help those who are a bit more forgetful (like me!)

Live octopus. It squirms and suctions about in your mouth.

A very very cold best friend.

A Korean dessert made out of 240,000 strands of honey and stuffed with walnuts and chocolate. Love.

Ice cream with coffee; simplicity at its best.

The equivalence of a knuckle sandwich, this dish is called "fist rice."

The wall of love locks under Seoul Tower. Couples in Korea love making their mark on everything.

I have always been a wordy speaker, writer, thinker, and there is so much that I want to say yet finding the right words seem dauntingly impossible, so I'll let the photos (and captions) speak for themselves. Seoul was the most liberating, exhilarating, foreign, and wonderful vacation of my life thus far and I can't wait to have many many more just like it. Very open to trying everything at least once, I did and ate things I never thought I ever would but am so glad I did it. If a photo speaks a thousand words, than 16,000 words seems to sum up my 8.5 days in the Soul of Asia in a nice, concise, neatly-packaged post. Enjoy, I sure as hell did!

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