155. Monday Blues

Not the blues meaning sad and melancholy, but the blues meaning the colour of the stripes on my new shirt because I went shopping today!

It was a gorgeous day with the sun shining amidst clear, blue skies, and I thought why waste it at home when I can go downtown and shop instead? If the weather forecast is right, then the rest of the week will be gloomy and cloudy, and worst of all - rainy. So, I took my chance and went shopping on this sunny day.

I bought a new pair of cute ballet flats with ribbons from Aldo, and a striped top from Vero Moda from their Vero Moda in Blue collection. I just love ribbons, in case you couldn't tell from both the shoes and the shirt.

After shopping and walking around downtown, we went to grab dinner at Norboo Korean Restaurant. We ordered fried squid, seafood hot pot, and kimchi and pork pancake. It was a very filling meal. I can also eat spicy things now! All these years of building up my tolerance is totally worth all the Korean food I can finally eat!

A good start to the week!

60. Job Wrap Up and Haul

The past three weeks I've been working with students from China and yesterday was the last day. I was given a lot of presents and I feel thankful for each of them. It's the thought that counts. Here are two of the presents I received.

This is from the Western equivalent of a superintendent that came with the Chinese students. It is a Chinese lucky knot that is believe to bring about good health, prosperity, and luck. I will definitely hang this up at my Hermit Hole once the University starts again!

These two fish are made from porcelain, which where the students came from are known for. These two fish are just too adorable not to put up! I will definitely bring this pair to my Hermit Hole as well! The background is actually corn stalks growing right outside my window. I love corn and it brings a smile to my face every morning when I pull the blinds up.

I also did a little shopping today as we took the kids to a shopping mall for some last minute souvenir shopping. I tried returning a pair of sandals I bought online from Aldo because it really hurt when I tried walking in them, but because I had already worn them outside and they were visibly dirty, I couldn't return or exchange them. Oh well, I'll just have to unwillingly break them in wearing socks or something.

I also bought a simple blank tank top to replace one of my old ones that is showing holes. I really like loose tank tops because they can conceal the belly fat (very important!) and you can wear them casually or dress them up with a simple blazer!

I also bought an umbrella from The Bay to resist the Raincouver crazy weather that's going to be coming back soon. It's a gorgeous red colour because I'm more of a pedestrian than a passenger or driver.

44. S/S 2013 Wardrobe: Gray

These are my gray wardrobe essentials for the season! I've started taking a liking to gray t-shirts, so there will probably be more in the future. Gray is a very versatile colour to wear. Like white and black, it can match with almost anything! It's one of the basic colours that goes well with a simple pair of jeans and belt.

This cardigan is from XXI and it's lightweight, but still keeps me warm on those cold summer nights. I like the stripes and the big buttons. This was purchased back when I was really into stripes.

I bought this at Gap's outlet store in the States and the material really surprised me! Aside from when I was very young, I haven't shopped at Gap until this purchase. The material is very sturdy (it keeps its form) and I really like the button details! I substitute a spring jacket with this cardigan because it does the job nonetheless.

This t-shirt was bought online and the material is quite decent for an online purchase. I really like this t-shirt because it's very simple, but still has that fun factor. It actually came in three colours: white, gray, and lavender. I wanted to get all the colours but I thought that it might have been an overkill if I did that. Nevertheless, I wear this a lot because it's just so easy to throw on and match with jeans.

42. S/S 2013 Wardrobe: Skirts

These are my skirts for the summer! They're mostly high waisted because that's my favourite style. You can wear high waisted bottoms and they'll look good because not only do they accentuate your waist, but you can also hide your belly after stuffing yourself!

I bought this skirt online and still haven't wore it yet, but I'm planning on wearing it lots this summer because I love the realistic flower picture for the fabric and the colour scheme. I would probably wear it with just a plain tank top or t-shirt on top, maybe with a cardigan if there's some wind or clouds.

I also bought this online and I just love the fabric. The colour palette is so summer-y with the pinks, reds, yellows, and mint! I wore this to my brother's commencement with a blank tank top and black blazer, matched with black tights for some modesty at such a formal event. But, it can also be wore casually with just a white tank top for a breezy and girly feel, and paired with a denim shirt.

This is one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe! I have only ever bought one thing from Aritzia, and this is my second purchase. But! I bought this particular skirt from a community thrift store for less than $20! It is a full out A-line skirt (which I have been fawning over recently). The skirt is somewhat loosely pleated and because of the simple, but elegant blue shade fabric, it can be dressed up or down! I really, really love this skirt. I'm so glad I was able to snatch it at such a great price!

I bought this skirt last year from Forever 21. The fabric is very flow-y and romantic. It is a lace layered cream coloured skirt with a waistband, so I can wear it as high waisted with a cute polka dotted loose black tank top and a casual blue stripped blouse. This skirt feels great against my skin when I wear it and because of the lace, I can doll myself up without feeling awkward (as compared to wearing a leather jacket with skinny black jeans).

I bought this skirt two years ago, I think, from the kids' section at H&M. I had to get the biggest size or else it would be too short, but it is slightly loose (nothing a nice black belt won't fix though!). I wear this skirt for dates or just to an informal event. I usually just pair it with a white tank top, black cardigan, and a nice black belt with black tights and black flats. It's a pretty simple coordinate, but it works!

I bought this skirt online as well, but it was two or so years ago during my crazy online shopping phrase. I look back to those days and I think I was very outrageous, to a point, going crazy with the online purchases. Anyways, I have already outgrown that and I do not regret it a bit! Anyways, I usually wear this skirt as I would the skirt above. Basically the same coordination, just different skirts. It's pretty simple, but my favourite part of this skirt (aside from the cute cherry fabric), is the lace underneath, which gives it a cute and romantic feel!

And, of course, a black leather skirt! I bought this for a cheap price at Sirens, so the quality isn't that amazing. But, it works. It flares out like an A-line skirt should with pleats. The structure is very similar to the Aritzia skirt, but just different fabric material. During the winter, I wore tights underneath and a red sweater on top. But, now that it is summer, I would switch out the tights and sweater for just a nice white blouse with details on top. Maybe accessorize a lot to give the coordinate more attention and glam.

39. Shopping Haul

I went shopping today because summer sales are going on everywhere and I decided to check them out. I went to Zara and bought a simple boat neck red striped box shirt (wow, that is a lot of clothing adjectives). It was on sale for $20 and I really like it! The material is a bit thick for summer though, but I can probably wear it on those weird days where it is cold and rainy. I can also wear it during the fall and winter, so I guess it makes this a good all-season purchase!

This is a picture of me trying it on in the fitting room.

I also picked up my order from Chapters. Two big sketchbooks (one for me and one for a friend) and one little sketchbook. These sketchbooks are pretty good because the pages are somewhat thicker than most, and are tear-able, which means if I drew something that I really liked and wanted to hang up or give away, I can tear it out nicely!

This is a picture of the smaller sketchbook, but the large one looks basically just like it... but bigger, so I didn't bother taking a picture of the same product, but different sizes.

38. S/S 2013 Wardrobe: Red

Surprisingly, I don't have a lot of reds in my closet for the summer. I do think red is an amazing colour; it is very vibrant and visible, and overall, it gives a statement. No matter if it's a small accessory or an article of clothing, it will stand out. With my closet of mostly monochromatic colours of black, white, and grays, having accent colours like blue or red changes it a lot.

This is a floral dress with frilly layers. I haven't wore this out much because it is a bit tight on me. But, after my diet is successful and my ideal weight has been reached, I will definitely be wearing this dress a lot more often! When I did wear it out though, I wore a white t-shirt underneath with a black sweater on top and tights and black shorts on the bottom with black ribbon flats. This was during the winter so I bundled up. I really liked how the dress peeked out from under the sweater, showing that cute frill of floral pattern. But, if I wore to wear this during the summer, I would just put on a cardigan, some sandals and perhaps a big, floppy sun hat.

Similar to the anytime, anywhere blue striped blouse I posted here, this shirt is also one of my go to shirts because of it's casualness. I usually just wear a pair of jeans, a black tank top inside, and layer it with this shirt. But, if it's a bit cold outside, it looks amazing paired with my black leather jacket! It toughens the look up, yet still making that red statement. 

37. S/S 2013 Wardrobe: Blue

These are my closet essentials for the colour blue!

This is my first ever denim shirt and you have no idea how long I have been looking for the perfect one. When I saw this at H&M, I knew I had to have it, no matter how much it was. I've been wearing this for its worth and I love it. The material is not too light and not too heavy, so I can still wear it during the spring and summer without feeling hot nor cold. This is my go to shirt for those lazy or chill days. I usually pair it with a simple shirt or tank top inside (depending on the weather), jeans on the bottom, and flats or boots to match (again, up to the weather). This shirt matches everything. It makes everything casual and has this playful, yet feminine feel.

This blouse I bought from Jacob on sale and it was the white lace collar that caught my eye. The collar was too cute not to pass up, and on days when I want an informal professional look, I just wear this with a pair of nice jeans. During the winter, I also make the most out of the cute collar but wearing a gray sweater on top, with the collars popping out.

This is one of my formal occasion blouse that I have only wore once or twice. I expect to wear this much more often during my university time. I am a huge fan of stripes (it comes from my mom), and I love this simple and sophisticated style with the button details. The sleeves are my favourite part where there are four buttons adorned. It makes the wrist area look skinnier, which is also a plus!

This one is more of my versatile blouses. I can dress it up, or wear it informally with a pair of nice jeans and red skinny belt. I can also dress it all the way down to casual by unbuttoning the blouse and matching it with a cute skirt and tank top. Overall, I have wore this blouse many, many times. It's very lightweight, so I would usually bring my leather jacket or a cardigan on those windy days. But, when it's sunny, this is the perfect blouse to cover up the arms from tanning!