MIA [from The Princess Diaries]

I've been waging war with brain fevers and coastal wifi-less lands and the ultimate training days so sad to say it, but I've been a bit distracted from posting. Right now I'm in between Event Assistant training and caring for the boyfriend I infected with disease but I don't plan on leaving this pet project in the dust. Just taking a necessary hiatus! 

Above is a photo from our place at the Cape while I was people watching. One intense day of sun poisoning basically did me in but the place is always refreshing so it still felt like vacation. And now that I'm at school, it's a whole different type of refreshing but wonderful nonetheless. 

After being M.I.A., I'm trying to hop back on once things settle into a groove aka my shiznitz isn't populating my room and the hall and the common room and the bathroom sink [heh- Alanna, Julie & Libby]. But things I've realized while staring at the the things I have to unpack:

Plastic drawers are impossibly unflattering.

My senior memory board makes me look egotistical.

I don't remember owning so many clothes.

But I still don't have enough hangers.

The $19.95 U-Haul marketing dragged me in and spat me out.

My closet is HUGE.

My closet is so huge that my eyes become momentarily stuck when looking up at the pole. 

Moving furniture induces fevers. 

Finding left over tea packs makes everything better.

:)

Tonal Tips

I've never really touched my hair before. The usual routine is shampoo, conditioner, towel dry, and done. Bless my father's genes because my hair will usually end up with some waves and odd curls, and I love it like that. But I knew a haircut was just around the corner and since I waited four years for my last one, I figured why not wait a bit longer. So I replaced a haircut with bleaching the tips [for easy removal with a snippity snap]. My friend Alanna [HI ALANNA!] had just dyed a bit of her hair with Kool-Aid, but I knew my hair color would be too stubborn for that so I opted for an over the counter color treatment at CVS. Pretty spur of the moment. I can't say it turned out exactly how I had envisioned [thought it'd be more on the blonde side, and if I was lucky, ombre], but I'm warming up to it. Plus, my parents are still chuckling at the randomness of my novice salon experiment. 

I used Clairol Born Blonde, which did advertise that I'd be a blonde but maybe it's because my hair is untreated slash has red undertones? Trying to talk savy when I really have no idea. I did use DIY advice on how to bleach or ombre hair, but I think I lacked some talent and thoroughness. ^^

 Tiny tank- from Anthropologie. [bargain or indulge]

Express shorts. [bargain or indulge]

Forever 21 necklace. [bargain or indulge]

Finds from my hunt:

{sale rack}- tank & shorts.

...

Classically Classy

 Calvin Klein dress. [bargain or indulge]

Forever 21 necklace. [bargain or indulge]

Jessica Simpson pumps. [bargain or indulge]

[brandless] clutch. [bargain or indulge]

Finds from my hunt:

Marshalls- dress & pumps.

Mom's closet- clutch.

...

As I'm typing away, my hair is undergoing a transformation. Duhduhduhhh. I'll have the look in my next post! I figured I'd put together a professional outfit before the reveal- semi hint. Found this dress for $50 and haven't decided on whether or not I'm definitely keeping it, but it is a great staple for the upcoming interviews and case presentations at school. I just have to figure out how I like the cut on me. But the nude and black pairing are classic and the quality is superb so we'll see if I warm up to it! 

Minty Fresh Road

Forever 21 dress. [bargain or indulge]

Seychelles wedges. [bargain or indulge]

Forever 21 ear cuffs. [bargain or indulge]

House of Harlow sunglasses. [bargain or indulge]

New York & Company bracelet. [bargain or indulge]

Finds from my hunt:

Avalon Exchange- wedges.

Marshalls- sunglasses.

...

I'm fighting off the last day blues since I just finished my internship today and am so beyond thankful for the whole experience. Towards the end of spring semester, I was skeptical of a corporate work environment for my first internship since I had just rediscovered my love for art and decided to declare an art minor. But working at Content Raven gave me the most eye-opening and ambitious summer ever. All my bosses were passionate and ready to give us projects that would shape the young start-up, and I could so clearly see how everything decision I made progressed the company forward. From researching and building a venture capital pitch deck to analyzing and restructuring a database, I'm pretty sure I never thought I'd be capable of all this just one year ago. And the credit goes to such a lighthearted group that made me feel confident in myself every step of the way. I can't imagine not getting to work along the other two interns anymore since we had some absurd times and were quite a trio. But we'll be craiglisting each other [wink].

Boyfriend once told me that he has experienced a few rare encounters when he could see the direction of his life being altered. For me, this internship is one of them. 

A full-blown gush of the company.

Congrats to Content Raven for winning the Red Herring Top 100 North America Tech Startup Award, being named the Most Compelling Company at Inaugural B2B IT Forum at the Microsoft NERD Center, and becoming a Finalist in Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council's 2012 "Technology Leadership Award".

The company and the people have done so much for me, so here's one last shout out:

Please vote for us to win the MassTLC "Technology Leadership Award".

You guys made growing up so much easier.

How To Thrift Victoriously

This pair of leather strapped, wooden cut-out, round toe studded Seychelles [I could go on] is one of my most beloved thrifting finds. I wear them constantly and unburied them at a local Avalon Exchange next to school. Bought along with a pair of Cole Haan loafers, seen clearly here and last worn here, both pairs were $15 each. And since I had sold some clothes at Avalon, I paid zero in cash. It was a shoe haven of a day. I love them so much and was on the prowl to find similar shoes. Sharing my finds, arranged $ to $$$!

Bargains:

Qupid
Guess

Mango

Jessica Simpson
Chinese Laundry
Shoebox
Steve Madden: here and here.

<<< $70 cut-off >>>

Indulgences:

Jeffrey Campbell: here and here.

Lanvin

McQ Alexander McQueen: here and here and here. 

[I love those ^]

Chloé

Since there aren't too too many thrift or exchange stores near home and I don't have much time for shopping during school, I like to shop efficiently especially when thrifting. Here are my personal tips on how to find that MUSTHAVE item. Cause trust me, it's out there.

1. The obvious: patience and thumbing through racks. But...

2. Quick scan for something that catches your eye. 

Is it that metallic floral shimmer? That perfectly toned leather? 

3. Don't have anything in mind. This may not be the most ideal time to grab a wardrobe essential. Instead, look for unique items that you can't find anywhere else because you probably can't find them anywhere else.

4. It looks great on even if it looks bleh off. March into those dressing rooms and just try it if you're in love with the fabric/design/awesomeness but the shape looks odd.

5. If it makes you squeal, you have a winner.

Copper Waves

Daniel Rainn copper blouse. [bargain or indulge]

Seven of All Mankind wide leg jeans. [bargain or indulge]

Forever 21 floral necklace. [bargain or indulge]
Forever 21 chains necklace. [bargain or indulge]

Seychelles leather studded wedges. [bargain or indulge]

Steve Madden wallet. [bargain or indulge]

Finds from my hunt:

Nordstrom Rack- blouse.

Marshalls- jeans & wallet.

Avalon Exchange- wedges.

...

A situation that irks me to no end, and one that I fall prey too as well [sadly]: when I'm out browsing the racks with hawk eyes and a magical teal crochet tank with a laced tail or, in this case, a magical copper toned flare blouse at an equally magical price beckons me. I totally and completely answer and bring it home in the bag that I clutch with accomplishment. And then it never makes it into the sunlight again because all I do is admire it on the hanger and not on me. Well that's about to change since I'm making a conscious effort to incorporate those stole away items into my everyday wear. And I begin my quest with this blouse of flourishes, which I bought a good three years ago.

And I honestly question if I'm the only one of suffers from this condition. Meeps. 

The Sea On a Bed of Greens

Happy August!

Today brings forth the month that begins with me getting to spend some lovely remaining weeks with family and ends with me getting to spend some lovely wherehaveyoubeenallmylife weeks with friends. I've come to thoroughly appreciate the blossoming family dynamic at home ever since my dad got to relocate back to the east coast so I'm going to miss it, but I could gush for days about finally being reunited at school with everyone. For days. 

And when I leave, I'm definitely taking some of my mom's insane cooking intuition with me. It's never the Freshman Fifteen that I have to worry about but more like the Hippo at Home that tries to get me every time. Mom's homemade dishes are always healthy so that's not the problem. It's just that I tend to shovel in as much as I can within that twenty minute grace period before my brain tells me I'm full. And this is one of the yummy dishes that I can't resist. I salivate every time when I see this combination of edamame, shrimp, and octopus. And the bed of edamame fills me up like a bed of rice but with much more nutrition.

The little known ingredient: soy sauce.

It holds the most perfect complex flavor and is simple! A step-by-step will be posted for this dish in the coming weeks.