The Year That Was...2010

January - chillaxin' at home, waiting for results
February - vacation in the Philippines all month long and found out that I got into Columbia while I was there!!!
March - visiting day at Columbia; chillaxin' at home
April - spent a few days in NYC with Eddie finding a place; chillaxin' with friends; bought new shoes as reward for getting into Columbia (should've bought jewelry but oh well)
May - packin' up my old apartment and signed a new lease; moved to NYC on the 25th with the help of my mom
June - ETP summer of hell begins; met new friends
July - ETP summer of hell continues; getting accustomed to life in NYC
August - ETP summer of hell ends; 2 week vacay in LA; flew back to NYC with Doozy
September - Fall semester; patho hell; more new friends (best clinical group ever!!)
October - birthday month!!!
November - fambam spends Thanksgiving week in NYC; Stephanie visits
December - FINALS!  Spent the holidays in LA

2010 was a challenging year but an exciting one as well.  Lots of changes happened - both good and bad but all embraced.  I hope 2011 has better things in store for me like a job, more money and a great lovelife :)  Happy New Year everyone!  Stay safe!!  xoxo

Black Swan

Spectacular.  Aronofsky is a genius.  Natalie Portman is a gem.  Watch it.

Chillin' at home on Turkey Day

Thanksgiving Break!

YAY for break!!  I have a whole week off from school and the fam bam is coming to town.  As much as I have to look forward to this coming week, I have had quite an eventful weekend.

Friday, I went to see the much awaited Deathly Hallows Part 1.  It definitely delivered.  It was worth the wait and I can't wait to see it again.

After the movie, Brack Attack and I headed to Five Napkin Burger on UWS.  Since Umami Burger in LA has spoiled my taste buds forever for mediocre burgers, Five Napkin Burger definitely delivered.  Not quite up to par with Umami but it was as close as one gets (so far).

Last night, I trekked to Brooklyn for Kristen Marie's annual Thanksgiving Feast.  The food was amazing and worth the trip.  The turkey was moist and delectable, mashed potato pie was creamy, the yams were perfect and not too sweet and the cranberry sauce was perfect.  The desserts didn't disappoint and the company...well, what can I say?  Our clinical group is pretty awesome.

Today, I've got a lot of cleaning to do to prepare for my family's arrival (early tomorrow morning, yikes).  I've also got to pack for DC coz we're headed there for a couple of days.  I'm pretty sure there are other chores that have yet to be done that I'm completely forgetting.  It will be quite a frantic week but hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post. 

Have a fun Thanksgiving everyone!!  xoxo

Wedge Ankle Boots

I've been looking for ankle boots for a while and I finally found one that I love.  But now that I think about it, it's really not that practical considering I'm a student with no income.  The Balenciagas are still on the table but I also have to consider options that are more...um, budget-conscious?? 

Anyway, here are my choices:

1.) Cheap (from Shopbop)

(L-R: Luxury Rebel, $280; Joe's Jeans $240)

2.) Cheaper (from Topshop)

(L-R:  Acorn, $170; Amore, $190 - not wedges, but too cute)

3.) Cheapest (from Urban Outfitters)

(L-R: Cooperative, $68; Deena & Ozzy, $78)

I think I need this!

No, not Fergie...but her wolf hood thing!  CUTE!!

Birthday Outfits

Yay for my birthday!  I love my birthday, it should be a national holiday...just sayin.  Anyway, here's what I wore to celebrate my special day.

Day Outfit: (well, I was in scrubs most of the day...this was after)

Top: Forever 21

Cami: Joie

Jeans: JBrand

Shoes: Tory Burch

Night Outfit: dinner at Charm Thai and drinks at China1 - first time I've ever worn flats on a night out

Jacket: S.W.O.R.D.

Top: DVF

Jeans: People's Liberation

Shoes: Tory Burch

Clutch: Lauren Merkin

Necklace: H&M

Ring1: bought from Century 21

Ricng2: bought from Cancun

close-up of the ring1:

NYC Shopping Fun Day

Today I got to meet lovely shoe ladies, hang out with fun people and SHOP!  First stop:

1.) Christian Louboutin West Village boutique

2.) Chelsea Market

3.) Bergdorf Goodman - where I fell in love with these Balenciaga ankle boots:

4.) Saks Fifth Ave. - we only had 30 minutes before they closed up shop.  Spent all of it on the 8th floor (HEAVEN!!)

5.) Banana Republic - where I bought a bunch of stuff that I probably don't really need.  They were having a 25% off promo, I couldn't help it.


It was nice to take time and enjoy what the city has to offer.  School is always in the back of my head but it was nice to just relax and not have to talk about school stuff.  It felt like I was back to my old self/life, even if it only lasted a few hours.

Disclaimer

I am not a fashion guru.  Nor do I claim to be one.  As much I love fashion, I love shopping more.  I can talk to anyone about shopping for days on end but that does not make me an expert on fashion.

That's all.  xoxo

Layering done Right

One thing I still need to perfect is the art of layering.  I think all I need is time and practice... for now, my inspiration:

NAP

Utility Jackets

I've always liked utility jackets. I think they're very versatile can  be worn casual or they can be dressed up.  Seeing the pic on the left makes me regret not getting one and now it's too cold.  Story of my life - I always second-guess my choices and it's always a little too late when I've decided to take the plunge.

Any of you guys have similar regrets?  xoxo

It's Starting to Feel Like Fall

I love fall clothes but I'm not entirely sure I like the cold weather.  Needless to say, I have to live here and it'll get colder soon.  For now, I'm trying to work with the weather.  We'll see how I feel once the temp drops even more.

Also, the only days I really ever get to "dress up" are Mondays, Tuesdays and theoretically, Friday.  Here are last week's outfits.  (Sorry for the pic quality.  I'm on the market for a new camera.)

Sweater: Madewell
Cami: Joie
Scarf: from street fair courtesy of Val
Pants: Rogan
Shoes: L.A.M.B.

Sweater: American Apparel
Cami: Joie
Skirt: Romeo & Juliet Couture
Tights: H&M
Socks: Forever21
Boots: Charles David

I'll try to post more next time....well, if I have time or if I remember.  xoxo

haircut - stylist needed!

You all know how hard it is to try and find a new hairstylist.  Now that I've moved cross-country, it's extremely hard for me to find a new one since I don't know anything about anyone here.  I still haven't found anyone from NYC whom I trust well enough to ask for stylist recommendations.  Also, I'm on a student budget so that narrows down my search even further.  *Sigh*  Sometimes it baffles me how expensive it is being a girl.

I'll update when I've found a stylist and gotten a haircut.  xoxo

want.want.want!!!!

Santa, any of these for me please...pretty please with cherry on top.  Thanks!  xoxo

More Coats

Why?  Why did I have to see these???

Add Down, $728

Burberry, $1495

Dior, $3500

Images from Saks.

Winter Coat Poll

I need your help.  Winter is around the corner and I am dire need of a coat that can withstand the cold (or close to it, at least).  I've narrowed my choices down to two.  Please help me pick!!! 

Choice 1: Liric in Grey - with a removable faux-fur hood

Choice 2: Down coat with arm warmers (to be worn with a snood or a trapper hat)

Thanks for your help!  xoxo

Amber Black Strass

When these shoes hit my radar a few months back, I was ambivalent.  Partially because I feel like I have nowhere to wear them and also because the first ones I saw were a gold/fuchsia color combo (so not me).

Amber Volcano Strass

Then I found out the shoes are available in other colorways.  The black strass caught my eye, not at first sight but definitely after Freida Pinto's editorial spread for InStyle.  It might have been the styling of the shoot that made the shoe more appealing.  Right now, I'm waiting to hear back to see if it's still available in my size.

The croc version is also a great alternative (glitter version to hit stores later in the fall).

Have a great Labor Day and happy shopping!  xoxo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KK!

First Day of School

I am officially back in school today (and on the lookout for cute med students, lol).  It's still a little bittersweet - on one hand, I'm glad to be productive; on the other hand, I feel like I need more time to get situated after being away for a couple of weeks.  I admit that while I enjoyed two weeks of sheer laziness, it's taking me a while to get back into school mode.  I am soooo not liking the early mornings.

To help with the morning blues, I ordered a bunch of healthy stuff from Amazon - wheatgrass supplements and protein supplements.  I am going to try to kickstart my mornings with a healthy breakfast smoothie, a change from my usual coffee.  I'm not sure I can totally kick the caffeine habit but it's worth a try.

Anyway, back to today.  After class, we decided to enjoy midtown at least one more time before our schedule starts getting too hectic.  It was such a beautiful (albeit scorching) summer evening that we treated ourselves to people-watching at Bryant Park (while dreaming of Earl Grey Tea ice cream, yum).

xoxo

Dinner at Saigon Grill - 08/29/10

I met up with a few friends last night for dinner and to catch up before school starts.  We decided to meet midtown and since it was extremely hot and the place is pretty casual, I decided to wear my new cargo pants with a white top.  I also knew that I had to walk at least a couple blocks so I decided to wear flats.

My new cargo pants fit like a glove so I really can't gain any weight.  And it looks like I need a new purse coz the one above looks like it's about to swallow me whole.  :)

Top: Madewell
Pants: J Brand
Shoes: Tory Burch
Bag: Kooba
Ring: Forever 21 (close up below)

xoxo

New Jeans :)

Two weeks in LA and what do I have to show for?  No, not a tan and yes, you probably guessed right because of the title of this post...NEW JEANS!!  Yay.  For those who know me well, this is not news.  I am after all, a jean junkie.  And since I'm back in school, it's pretty much part of my daily uniform and therefore a justifiable purchase.  Yeah, whatever excuse works at this point.

Now, I don't usually share my shopping secrets (except to my close friends and my mom) but because:
1.) not a lot of people read my blog, and
2.) I'm pretty sure it's not a huge secret,

I'm gonna tell you guys that I bought these 3 pairs for the price of 1!  For those fortunate enough to live in LA, you may avail of this same bargain by visiting the J Brand Factory Outlet in Downtown LA.  My mom had been bugging me to go and I'm glad I went with her.  For a closer look at my purchases, see below (left to right):

12" Pencil Jeans in Ink

Houlihan Cargo Pants in Vintage West Point

 

 

Jean Leggings in Olympia

Caveat, the J Brand Factory Outlet is NOT affiliated with J Brand.  No, they do not sell fakes.  They sell overstock items and they accept credit cards although they tend to give a discount if you pay cash.  Also, they accept returns.  Now, who's ready for new jeans???  xoxo

Images from Shopbop.