Stick With You

outfit: top and bow -- f21; skirt, belt, and shoes -- uo; cardigan -- h&m

Hello!
I told you I was trying to breathe life into clothes I already own, of course the easiest (and kinda counterproductive) way to do that is my remixing them with new clothes. Today I pulled out this peach cardigan that I wore once in Fall and it went into hibernation. I already know this cardigan and my mint green one in my last post are going to be my very good friends this Spring and Summer. This top is another thing I got from F21's 100% for Japan event. I first saw it on Maggie (she has it in grey) and I knew I had to have it! Bow-printed things make me so weak in the knees! Like my cream peter pan collar top, it's such a great alternative to a plain white tee. Spring is definitely here in California. Today is supposed to be a beautiful 86-degrees! I heavily considered going to the bathroom and taking off my tights while at work yesterday, but my bare legs just aren't ready quite yet.

I wore this outfit yesterday, in which I had a great morning. I woke up with the hugest craving for an iced coffee, which is really strange since I can't function without tea. So after I finished my homework and did my morning bike ride, Robert and I checked out the Madewell that recently opened up here, where one of the workers recognized me from my blog (Hi Reena!) and where I walked away with a new top. We got my upside-down, iced caramel mochiatto from Starbucks and McDonalds--satisfying two food cravings is better than just one right? Not really--I felt kinda sick for the rest of the day. I guess my body isn't used to intaking so much crap all at once anymore. Lesson learned: no more crap.

Until next post,
Jasmine

Crew Cut

outfit: cardigan -- gap; t-shirt and bows -- f21; skirt -- aa; shoes -- aldo

Hello!
It feels like it's been a long while since I've last blogged when it's really only been a few days. Crew cut cardigans are my new obsession lately. I just find them so...dainty and proper--like I should be putting on a shift dress and a pearl necklace and going to a country club. This mint green one is probably my new favorite cardigan out of the 20+ boyfriend cardigans I have. I found it at Gap a few weeks ago for only $14; and my dad paid for it! That felt a little weird since he hasn't paid for my clothes since...freshman year of high school. But free clothes will never go unappreciated right? I can't wait to wear it with everything this Spring and Summer.

I'm really trying to breathe life into the clothes I already own, like this pink skirt that I've only worn twice. It's a bit of an awkward length on me, so I pulled it up all the way to my bra (thank goodness it has a zipper closure and elastic) and put a cropped top over it. I think that's the way I have to wear it for now, but I don't really mind. Cropped top over dresses/skirts are so comfy! Now that Spring is truly here (no more yucky rain hopefully), I'm already starting to think about Summer. Ideally, I'd want to not work, take some classes, travel a bit, and study for the exams I need for my grad school apps. I have so many things I want to do and accomplish. What about you guys? Are you already thinking about Summer?

Until next post,
Jasmine

Uncharted

outfit: top -- uo; skirt and bows -- f21; shoes -- aldo; belt -- topshop

Hello!
I think I'm wearing all of my current favorites in one outfit: this striped lace top, this floral skirt, my now-fully-broken-in loafers, and my new pair of ginham bows (will get better photos next time). I haven't bought a pair of bows since November so when I was $1 away from free shipping during the F21 100% for Japan thing, I jumped at a chance for getting a pair of new bows. My local F21s have stopped carrying bows for some reason. Must find a way to fuel my bow obsession without paying crazy shipping prices.

The rain has finally ceased! I drove home from work yesterday with a rainbow in the sky--such a nice way to end a rain-filled week. I don't wanna see another rain cloud (literally and metaphorically) for a very long time. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend so far! I'm on my way to a Saturday class, but tomorrow I'll be heading to the beach to catch up with my cousin. Hopefully I'll have a weekend photo diary for you all by the end of it.

Until next post,
Jasmine

Little Sailboats

outfit: top, skirt, belt -- uo; bow -- h&m; shoes -- marais usa

Hello!
I logged onto blogger today to find that I have so many blog posts to catch up on. Days have been dragging on, but nights just seem to fly by. I found a life for a little while, but now spring break is over and I'm back with my official first Spring outfit. It's a little weird going to my night classes when it's still light out, but I love driving to home/school when the sun is setting. It makes rush hour traffic that much more bearable don't ya think?

As you can see my shopping ban has failed. This top is new, and I spent a little when Forever 21 had their 100% for Japan shindig (but in my defense half of that was for my brother and it was for a good cause). I don't have much guilt though, because I know everything I bought recently are things I love and will wear a lot in these warmer months. I'm really trying to be smarter about what I buy because I know shopping bans don't stick for very long. My appetite for Spring clothing has become so insatiable lately. I don't look at stripes anymore, instead I'm drawn towards cute prints (like this sailboat/anchor printed top), florals, lace, and pastel things. Don't worry, I'm not over stripes--I think I finally realized just how much of it I actually have and I need to fill the holes in my closet. My mission this Spring/Summer is to find the perfect chambray blouse. I want all this rain to go away so we can all be girly and frolic in open fields (virtually) together.

I have to get started on my project that's due tonight (procrastination at its finest). I hope you all are enjoying this first week of Spring!

Until next post,
Jasmine

Kaleidoscope Heart

outfit: cardigan -- gap; dress -- victoria's secret; belt -- charlotte russe; bow -- h&m; shoes -- marais usa

Hello!
I had the greatest craving for nail polish last week. With Spring on my mind, I went for a mint green and a barbie pink and wore them both. Robert hates them, but I smile every time I look at my nails. I didn't realize this green/pink combo continued onto my outfit until I was driving to meet up with Robert. It's officially Spring, but for once in Cali, it looks more like Winter with all the rain we've been getting lately. Over the weekend, I played dress up in my closet and have Spring outfits planned out but it just doesn't seem right to wear such outfits on a cloudy day. Thankfully I still have outfits to post from last week. This is what I ended up wearing on actual St. Patty's day. Robert and I went to the Anti-Mall again to try my luck at thrifting, but I walked away with nothing. I think I'm learning that it's perfectly fine to walk away from shopping with nothing, instead of being disappointed. It just means I'll find something better next time!

Since I started my weight loss journey in February, I officially hit the 10-pound milestone yesterday. It was so exciting! That's probably what sparked my playing dress up in my closet. I'm so proud of myself--I didn't go reward myself with fast food but with shopping in my closet. All my clothes fit so much better; some are even too big. Even when I go shopping, I need to grab a size smaller. Some of you have noticed and I thank you for that. I'm really not doing anything special: just eating right and exercising a bit everyday, even if it's just walking. I've tried so many times before to lose weight, but I think what makes this time different is that I really want this. I have become obsessed with it--over what I eat, making sure I exercise, etc. It's important though not to completely rule out your cravings/favorite foods. I still let myself eat chips and fast food sometimes, but in moderation and I still try to find the healthiest option when doing so (ie. veggie chips and snack wraps). Every meal, every day counts--that's what I keep telling myself. If I cave in and binge on something I shouldn't have and feel like crap after, I just let it go and resolve to eat healthy on my next meal. It's not worth beating yourself over or giving up. It's nothing an extra bike ride or walk won't fix. I hope this helps some of you out. I still have a long way to go, but I'm not looking back, only forward.

Until next post,
Jasmine

No Other Way

outfit: top -- uo; skirt, headband -- f21; belt -- anthropologie; bag -- thrifted; shoes -- aldo

Hello!
I was always jealous when bloggers had brown accessories to wear with their outfits: brown belt, brown shoes, and a brown bag. I just wasn't lucky back then, but now I have a few brown belts, one pair of brown shoes, and one brown purse. And just in time for Spring! Now that I have the whole set, I couldn't help but wear them all together. I found this vintage Coach bag at my trip to the flea market a few weeks ago. My Marc Jacobs bag needed a rest. I've been wearing it everyday since I got it in September. I do miss how roomy and slouchy it is though. This Coach bag doesn't fit my camera so I just might have to switch back after I get tired of slinging my camera around my neck.

My mom used to have this bag, but in a charcoal grey. It's too bad I came into my style a little too late since she donated it last year. She also donated her Ferragamo bow flats. So sad. My grandma recently passed away. My parents just got back from her funeral in Taiwan and I was looking through the old photos they brought back--my mom was so stylish back then! She always tells me how she used to have something similar to what I wear back in her day and she wasn't lying! She wasn't as cutesy, but I can see the resemblance. I need to raid her closet one day before she donates anymore vintage goods.

PS. I always knew this top would be a good replacement for a plain white t-shirt!

Until next post,
Jasmine

Bring it all Back

outfit: sweater, bow -- h&m; skirt -- aa; ring -- gift from tieka; shoes -- aldo

Hello!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you all remembered to wear green today! It used to be my favorite holiday as a kid because my favorite color has been green for as long as I can remember, and I would be the few who remembered to wear green and go to pinch others. I still get a bit giddy when this special day comes around; though now, pinching has turned into drinking--which I'm not all that into even now that I am 21. I'd rather drink tea and buy clothes I guess.

This is a super casual outfit from yesterday. I had lunch with Robert in a dress but halfway through I realized the dress was cut a bit low so I went home and had 5 minutes to change. Keeping that I had to post an outfit on St. Patty's day in mind, I put on this green skirt and the rest just sort of fell into place as I frantically rushed to work. Next year I'll have a better green outfit. I love that the sun sets when I get off work now. It feels better stepping out of work to a blue-orange sky rather than a pitch black one. I just wish I got off work a few minutes earlier so Robert and I could catch the sunset for blog photos. One day we will, maybe we can do it action-movie style where I tell him where to meet me and I just drive to that spot, and we shoot (pictures of course) as soon as I get out of the car at the perfect time when everything has an orange glow. Hehe we'll see how that turns out.

Until next post,
Jasmine

Spring Awakening

outfit: top, skirt -- uo; belt -- gap; shoes -- aldo; bow -- f21

Hello!
After my "epiphany" in my last post, life has...life again. I couldn't help wearing a chipper outfit to go along with my cheerful mood yesterday. Robert and I had so much fun taking these photos. We walked around the entire lake and took photos in various spots. I chased ducks (see picture #3), but then stopped after some geese gave me the evil eye for picking on their little friends. This top is my last purchase for a long while. Even Robert couldn't resist it or my puppy eyes last week. It somehow managed to combine all that I'm craving for spring into one pretty darn cute top: stripes, lace, florals, cropped, and pastel. I planned to wear it with my red skirt, but that's pretty predictable of me so I went for the mustard yellow one instead. I had on a brown belt too, but yesterday was "wear-red-for-Japan-day" so I had to sneak in a little red somehow. That is how this primary color outfit came about. Watching the clips of the tsunami in Japan make me so ever grateful that my biggest "problem" is which of my red belts I should wear or where to go for outfit photos. Grateful, but still not settling!

I think I unknowingly already said my goodbyes to my Fall and Winter clothing--to the chunky, cozy sweaters that I lived in but never got around to taking photos in. I'll still be in tights until it is truly unbearable. I'm a little reluctant to say goodbye to my tights because I just feel everything looks chicer with tights, but there is no way I'll be wearing more than necessary when it gets to 100+ degrees here. My loafers are almost fully broken in! I'm going to have so many adventures in them.

Until next post,
Jasmine