Earrings for everyone!

I'm one of those girls that don't have ear piercings. Having heard too many piercing horror stories, I'm not planning to have my ears pierced any time soon. Yeah yeah I know, it's not that scary, but I'm a scardy cat yea yea yea...nonetheless, I still get attracted to the beautiful earrings and yearns to buy them. But I can't wear them! I told myself. Until now.

OMG! Discovery of the century! I didn't know why I didn't thought of it earlier!

I can buy earings and wear them too! no not the clip on kind that hurt, I'm talking about the stud kind!

The stud earrings can also function as pins or broaches and are much more versatile! I'm a genius (I wish).

Here are some example earrings:

Those earings are pretty cute right? here are some wonderful uses, other than on the ears:

- scarf. Just hang a scarf around the neck, cross them, and pin an earring where it crosses. If you have a solid color scarf that have straight edges with no tassels or fancy stuff, pin a row of the same earrings on the end. Imagine a plain, white, knitted scarf, the long rectangular kind. Imagine a row of the rose-gold buttons featured above pinned on the ends. See? isn't it adorable? If you are hanging it at the end, these kinds works too:

- Dresses/skirt/shirt/cardigan: have a solid color sheath dress? imagine the 3 button earrings pinned in a row on one side of the collar. Or perhaps in a vertical row in the middle as fake buttons on your basic tee. Remember those buttonless cardigans? if you want to switch it up, pin it close using a stud earring. It's more unique than a button, and it's not as loud as a broach, which is usually bigger.
- Bags: the same way you would any broach. Use one at a strategic place, or put a couple in a row. You can even dress up a plain bag with a ribbon and pin the ribbon to the bag with the earrings! this way you won't have nasty glue leftover in case you decide to have the original bag back.
- necklace/bracelet: the closed hanging kind like the red one above would probably be the best. It's like a charm bracelet/necklace, except consists of your favorite earrings. Or just add an earring or two to the charm bracelet/necklace you already own.
- decoration/borders: Have a plain lampshade? add a ribbon as a border and pin the end together with an earring. Have a plain picture frame? ditch the back and just use the stud as a normal pin. Or ditch the back and just use the stud as a normal pin like thumb tack, pin something on your board. The rose-gold buttons will look elegant and classy on the board in your office, and no one will know it was an earring!

There are so many possibilities! I will be shopping for earrings now, see you later! =)

Nifty ways to tie scarf

Scarfs are the easiest way to help your clothe through the transition period between seasons. Rushing out the door and it's slightly chillier than you expected? grab a scarf. Got a plain outfit? grab a colorful scarf. etc.

Bored of your scarf but don't feel like buying a new one? why not try a different way of tying it?
(Images taken from the internetz)

European style:

1. Fold the scarf in half and hold it so you have the two loose ends in one hand and the fold in the other
2. Center it against the back of your neck.
3. Take the ends and feed them through the loop that was created by the fold.
4. Pull the loose ends to cinch the loop up towards your neck.

*It's great for long scarfs and it's a pretty classic style.

 Bow style:

It's the same way you always tie a bow. If you've ever tied a bow, you can do this.

Works best for skinny long scarfs.

 Wrap style:

Wrap the scarf around your neck. Usually once, more if you like.
Probably the most common way, if you are feeling lazy.

If it's a square scarf, take two opposite ends in your hand and then wrap. You can leave the widest part in front or at the back.

Works for all scarfs, but square silky scarfs are slippery and you may want to secure it with a brooch pinning the intersection of two ends.






 

 Another common way.


Take one end in each hand
Cross the two ends
Take the end on top and bring it behind and through the neck loop.

For long scarf, you can adjust so one end is at the front.
For squarish scarf, take the opposite ends and then fold. You can leave the knot as it is or pin it if it's too slippery.






Here's my favorite, picture and video, blatantly taken from The Satorialist:

here's how to do it:

Walkin' on Clouds

Cut out shoes have been quite a big trend since last year. Devil's in the details I say. Instead of shoes with cut-outs, traditional sandals with cut-out heels will make people do a double-take. Besides, it allows the comfort of wedge heels without the heaviness. Here are some of the cutest ones, if you dare to take on the heights:

Sculpted Wedge Sandal by Two Lips

Cutout Wedge Slides by Two Lips

Cutout Wedge by Two Lips

Charles David Women's Jester Sandal

Vince Camuto Dita

Personally this is my favorite. The white and gold look classy while the gold vertical column on the heel is reminiscent of the Greek for me.

 Painted Sandals by Two Lips

Not a fan of the wedge? want something skinnier and sexier? tribal is in right now, and the stitched heels give a pair of ordinary stilettos a nice surprise.

New/Surprising Use for Common Items

For reasons unbeknown to me, I'm always in a state of trying to organize things. Here are some good ways to make your life easier.

Travel:

-You know those free shower caps some hotels provide? well, they are great for wrap shoes to prevent them from dirtying your suitcase, or your purse if you are carrying them as a back up measure.

- Through years of wearing and changing glasses, I've acquired quite a collection of eye glasses cases. Unused eyeglass cases are perfect for keeping small grooming items together, they prevent the sharp object from damage your other items, and if the nail polish spills? no biggie.

-Sure there are camara cases out there, but they are usually the soft kind and bulky. A hard soap case protect camera from sharp objects and are easier to fit in your purse. =). Besides, why spend the money for camera cases when you probably already have unused soap cases at home? save those extra dollars for a some chocolates.

-Need to look dapper but lacking an iron? Straightening iron will do the job in a pinch. It's probably not the most efficient way, but it is also wonderful for iron shirts between buttons, where normal irons can't reach.

Decoration:

-Have guests over and need a temporary way to distinguish all the drinking glasses sets? Window decals to the rescue! Plus, they are cute.

-Napkin holders can act as bill/letter holder and sometimes are even cuter than the bill holder they sell at office depot.

-Want a nicely arranged bouquet in wide neck bottles? use clear elastics to tie up flowers will help them to keep the arrangement shape. Now you don't need to go and buy/find a new vase. =)

-Flowers too short for your vase? Clear plastic straws attached to the end of stems allows you to arrange flowers with short stem in tall vases. Plus, if the vase is opaque, any staws will do.

-Cleaning supplies in a pile under the sink? make then easier to find and use by hanging them on a towel rack over kitchen sink.

-Hate doors that slams? tape/glue a thin piece of cork to keep it silent. Chances are you already have some from wine bottles and such.

-Painting around weird shaped objects? Aluminum foil to cover door knobs and such will prevent you from accidentally paint it when painting the surroundings.

-Clothe won't stay on the hangers? Rubber band on hangers will prevent those slippery camisoles from slipping off.

Any fun and useful ideas you have on using common items for a greater cause?

RIP Alexander Lee McQueen

Alexander McQueen has never failed to give a spectacular performance. I don't know what to say about his death. I was shocked and saddened, and the fact that there won't be a next show haven't sunk in yet. I browsed through all his collections from back in early 2003, and here are my favorites (as in what I would love to wear, not necessarily his signature pieces from the collections):

Those are from his various collections over the years, I tried to group them, but there might be some mismatches. (All images curtesy of instyle.com + some photoshop from me)

What is your scent?

When I was a little girl, the spray we used for mosquito bites was very fragrant, herbal and crisp. When I ran out of spray, I would often spray my aunt's perfume on the mosquito bites instead.My aunt was not very amused when she discovered I've been using her perfume as mosquito spray.

A decade later, with the proximity of a wonderful Sephora store, I have to try tons of perfumes before I buy. Perfume is an expression of self. Not only are there a wide variety of perfume, but they also smell different depending on the individual. While some people believe in signature scents, I believe in wearing perfume to suit my mood. When I need to wake up early in the morning, a spritz of a clean, crisp perfume gets me ready for the day. When I want to feel special, for a dance, dinner or party, a warm, I crave a warm, feminine and inviting fragrance.

Here are some of my favorite fragrances (it's my personal opinion, and it may smell different on different people):

- Haiku by Avon: clean, cool, a bit grassy and I'd like to think with a hint of bamboo. It perfectly reflect my tomboy personality since it's not sweet, not soft/powdery, and not super femine but definitely not a men's fragrance. Of course, the simple but beautiful pagoda bottle with translucent glass doesn't hurt.
p.s. The Chinese character in the circle means "harmony" or "peace". =)

- Daisy by Marc Jacob: yeah I know, it's everywhere and on everybody. It smells sweet, fruity but clean and soft. It is definitely girly, fun and inviting. It also fades very quickly and you can barely smell it after an hour or two, but it's a great perfume for those days when I'm feeling girly instead of tomboyish. If you feel like this is too immature, Burberry Brit sheer is a good one to try. It's slightly more serious than daisy, but still young and fun.

 - J'adore: while it is a popular perfume, which might be a turn off for people that like to smell unique, it is a very elegant, feminine, inviting and soft smell. While it has citrus ingredients, it is not sweet and the citrus made it more inviting and less old-lady like. It has a warm undertone and is great for evening or winter. One spritz before a party is all I need to feel like a lady.

-Code by Armani: while it smelled a tad too mature for a 21 yr old girl(me), I couldn't bring myself to dismiss it. Initially it smells clean and floral, and then it dries down to warm, floral, and vanilla, with a slight hint of tea. It smells elegant, feminine, and slightly mysterious. Both on amazon and on sephora, it received very favorable reviews from men as well as women. With a gorgeous bottle and alluring smell, this is what I want to wear when I'm older.



And then there's the sweet perfume that smells wonderful, so much that I actually wear them occasionally, despite my dislike of sweet perfumes:

-Butterfly by Hanae Mori: It smells absolutely delicious, like creme brulee or caramel flan but slightly more fruity. It doesn't have that artificial smell most perfumes have. It smells sophisticated, although sweet enough to almost give me a sweet toothe.

 - Fleur de Corail by Lolita Lempicka: The bottle is gorgeous and I would keep it as a book weight long after the perfume is used up. The perfume itself is slightly sweet, tropical, and comforting. It feels young and full of energy but not girly. If I happen upon it again and am in the mood for a sweet fragrance, this is the one I'm getting.

-Princess by Vera Wang: It is sweet, but also vanilla, fruity, and soft. Maybe I am influenced by the perfume description and the packaging, but it smells fun, sweet, girly, and inviting. And there are some days where you just wanna be a little girl and have fun regardless of what other people say. Why not?

Shopping: Urban Outfitter

Want the fashion without the thousand dollar tag? there are a few shops that offers knockoffs or trends at cheap or affordable price: Target, Forever21, Victoria's Secret and Urban Outfitter.

Urban Outfitter is not exactly cheap, but it's my first destination for cute legging/rights, chic and quality shoes/bags, and chic gadgets. The quality of most clothe and accessories are just ok, you can get the same style at Forever21 for a lot less. However, it is difficult to find fashionable shoes/tights that are comfortable and high quality, and Urban Outfitter is my go-to store for those. Posted below are my favorites, not endorsed in any way by UO.

Urban Outfitter:

• Sheer Dot Full-feet Tights: a subtle way to add a little fun/cuteness to your outfit.
• V Stripe Light Nylon: tired of the old flower/fishnet patterns? here's classy and office appropriate, or pick a bright color and have fun.
• Satin Bow Heel by Jane A. from Sea of Shoes: pretty in pink, or black. Lady-like heels to add instant elegance/cuteness to the outfit.
• Multi-watch Bracelet: it's like a charm bracelet except consist of 4 watches. You will never lose track of time again. =P
• Deux Lux Tassel Bucket Bag: where else can you find a gorgeous leather bucket bag in navy? the leather and zipper makes this cute and edgy.
• Dolce Vita Suede Over-The-Knee Boots: over-the-knee boots are in, and they are warm. This give you a nice lift with a heel but is still comfortable. And it looks classy instead of hooker-ish.
• Jeffrey Campbell July Wedge: Gorgeous blue shade, and a heel that can be dressed up or down. Something that brightens the most blah outfit.
• Sam Edelman Zoe Boot: the real balenciaga boots is to die for, with a price tag to stay away for. This is the closest to it, and slightly more wearable. That is, if you have a couple hundred to spend.

• Eskuche 33 1/3 Headphones: old-school coolness. Cool/expensive looking headphones. And it sounds good.
• Headphonie Speaker: there once was a little girl, who fell in love with this speaker. She found it for <$10 elsewhere and so she bought it there. It was broken after it was opened. The girl was sad and bought it from UO instead for the full price. It worked loud and well everafter. I was surprised by the quality and loudness of the sound. And it's portable. Want a personal speaker? buy it. From here.
  
• USB Feather: a 2GB USB that doubles as a bookmark? maybe? Either way, a chic way to store your data.
  
• Siamese Cat Lamp: Since I'm not allowed to keep pets here, this is the next best thing.
• Burger Bento Box: for the burger lovers who makes their lunch on weekdays. Better than brown paper bag no?
• Animal Kingdom Toothbrush Holder: makes getting up in the morning a little more bearable. And the suction cup = more counter space for other stuff. The panda has blush on, tehee.

Let the adventure begin

Finally, I have joined the world of self-broadcasting.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, adventure is an activity that is perceived to involve risky, dangerous or exciting experiences.

An adventure could be a relaxing escape to paradise, a thrilling action packed trip, or simply enjoyment of little things you usually don't notice or think about. It could be trying a new recipe, discover a new fantastic blog/shop, or go outside with an outfit that you dearly love but never really had the courage to wear.

This blog will be a record of adventures, simple recipes for delicious food, blog/shops I discovered, beauty in little things that make me smile and gorgeous things I can only dream of owning. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. =)