Vogue : September 2008 Issue

Fall fashion is coming up and it must be a big deal because most of the fashion magazines start to get bulky around this time. Has anyone finished reading the September issue of Vogue? All I can say is oh my. I felt overwhelmed by just looking at the first 300 pages, which consisted of 2 pages for the table of contents and the rest were advertisements. The total amount of pages in the magazine is 798. Oh snap! I've been getting minor headaches lately so maybe this isn't a good time for me to read my magazine... :(

The most expensive item at Forever21

Forever21 is always coming up with new surprises..from releasing new clothing and accessory lines..to selling a $150 real leather jacket. Say what?!

Fantasy worlds

Haven't updated in a while..so I'll leave you with some intriguing paintings to look at while you're here. The artist is Jacek Yerka, by the way.

Dream

Tower of Subconsciousness

Hydrotherapy

The City is Landing

Cathedral

Home sweet home

After being away from home for almost 2 weeks, I think I've started to lose my old habits. I feel more focused now and I'm starting to care less about things that waste my time. Being away from home for a long time might have resulted in something good after all.

Blood is thicker than water

Sometimes in the end, family is the only thing you've got.

So cherish and hold on to what you have tight.

Be grateful for what you have and remember that everyday is a blessing.

It also makes me sick to see people who don't appreciate the person who bore them.

It's all part of the adventure

Imagine driving down a winding road surrounded by open grass fields, wooded areas with thick ferns and beautiful creeks while listening to Keith Urban's, "Somebody Like You". This was how I felt driving 20 minutes from the entrance of the neighborhood to get to my cousin's home in Forsyth, Georgia.


As much as I love the somewhat city life that I have in Orlando, there's something about the countryside of Georgia that always gets me coming back for more. It's not everyday that I wake up to the warmth of the sun with a sense of renewed feeling that cannot be found anywhere else. Every time I visit my relatives here I always try to take in as much of the fresh air as I can.

I'm very thankful to have relatives who are so welcoming to their cozy home. At times I felt like I was in the movie Pride & Prejudice when I heard my cousin playing the piano in the parlor from outside while my other cousin and sister picked wild berries and corn.

I felt very selfish to have been gone for so long and leaving the work that I have to do at home, but sometimes I think you've got to take a break from the daily life and allow yourself to get the rest and peace that you deserve.

But like any fairy tale story, all good things must come to an end. I will be back to tell you about my next trip: Atlanta, Georgia.

Reminiscing

"When summer burns with heat
I always get the hots for you"

Summer days . . .

I'm finishing my summer break off with a short trip to Georgia. The past few days have been so relaxing, I wish I could live at my aunt's place forever. Now I'm currently in Atlanta staying at my cousin's place. I'll be back with updates later. :)

Lets go places

And so it begins...

Something chic

I want these dresses from Twelve by Twelve!

Painting on a canvas

My first time painting on a canvas..and painting like I actually care. :p It was tough but not as tough as I imagined! Probably because silhouettes are easy to do..but I had a lot of fun. Painting is so much different from graphic design and drawing with pencil because it's hard to erase. But from this I think I finally faced my fear of painting.

Happy birthday again, Phungtien! :)

Gift bags can be cute but show someone you really care by putting some thought into how you want to wrap a gift. Even though it will probably take less than a minute to unwrap..a good first impression lasts a lifetime.

Dinner in 30 minutes

Quick update before I head out to run more errands!

Last night was my first attempt at making food. With the help of my sister we made one of my favorite meals, pasta salad! It was yummy...
The ingredients are simple. Just cut everything while the pasta is being prepared and voilà! A delicious dinner made in 30 minutes!

Ingredients:
- Pasta (we used fusilli and cooked it for about 15 minutes and then drained the water out and put the bowl of pasta in the fridge to let it cool.)
- Green & Red Bell Pepper (diced)
- Tomatoes (diced)
- Chicken (ham is also good!)
- Italian vinaigrette (for the dressing)

Charlotte Russe sale!

Last night at 8:15pm I decided to make a quick run to Fashion Square mall to buy a pair of black boots that I've been longing to own. The cheapest ones I've seen so far are from Charlotte Russe for only $39.99! For the past couple of weeks I waited for the prices to go down..but no luck. So I sped to the mall hoping that I would get there before it closed (at 9PM). And when I arrived, the boots were patiently waiting to be purchased by someone so I happily grabbed my size and just when I was about to leave, the salesperson told me that all shoes were buy one get one for $10! Perfect opportunity to buy the red pumps I've wanted as well! As the cashier rang me up, she told me that I've spent over $50 and I get 10% off my entire purchase! Gee golly, I am one lucky&happy girl.

Distressed Black Velvet Boots
$39.99

Red Patent Pumps
$22.99

Before Charlotte Russe Sale
Boots : $39.99 + tax
Pumps: $22.99 +tax
$67.07

After Charlotte Russe Sale
Boots : $39.99 + tax + (10% discount)
Pumps: $22.99 $10.00 + tax + (10% discount)
$47.92

TOTAL SAVINGS: $19.15

If you're in need of new footwear..then this is the BEST time to shop at Charlotte Russe! Their styles range from flats (which are all 30% off), heels (round or pointy / open-toe or closed-toe), boots (ankle/mid-calf/knee-high) and sandals! Visit your local store today to see if they have the same sales! Sales are only in participating stores and I live in Orlando.

*Update* The Glass Castle

This was one of the most incredible memoirs I have ever read. I still can't believe how much the author, Jeannette Walls, and her family went through. I'm pretty sure there are hundreds of other people out there going through similar experiences. But from reading her story my outlook on the less fortunate and homeless has completely changed. Jeannette is one helluva woman.

After reading the first paragraph, I couldn't put the book down after that.

"Mom stood fifteen feet away. She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash while her dog, a black-and-white terrier mix, played at her feet. Mom's gestures were all familiar--the way she tilted her head and thrust out her lower lip when studying items of potential value that she'd hoisted out of the Dumpster, the way her eyes widened with childish glee when she found something she liked. Her long hair was streaked with gray, tangled and matted, and her eyes had sunk deep into their sockets, but still she reminded me of the mom she'd been when I was a kid, swan-diving off cliffs and painting in the desert and reading Shakespeare aloud. Her cheekbones were still high and strong, but the skin was parched and ruddy from all those winters and summers exposed to the elements. To the people walking by, she probably looked like any of the thousands of homeless people in New York City.

It had been months since I laid eyes on Mom, and when she looked up, I overcame with panic that she'd see me and call out my name, and that someone on the way to the same party would spot us together and Mom would introduce herself and my secret would be out.

I slid down in the seat and asked the driver to turn around and take me home to Park Avenue."

Sometimes we forget how grateful we are for what we have. And it's stories like these that help us bring ourselves back to reality.

The Glass Castle

Last night I stayed up to read as much as I could of The Glass Castle. But when I went to bed I couldn't bear with the fact that I was sleeping in my room on a comfortable bed in an air-conditioned home when there's thousands of families outside on the streets trying to make a living on any land they could find.

What's more touching about this story is that it's true. I can't really say much because I haven't finished the book. But I do feel very much more motivated to help the world now.

Advanced Glow Effect

I learned some new Photoshop tricks at work today and I'm very excited to show it off! If you'd like to learn how to do this..click here.