For old time's sake...

I met a grad school friend, Chris, today.

There is a comfort of meeting an old friend; no need to dress up since we were classmates and he has seen me in exams with messy hair and dirty face because of overnight study. Old (male) friends are also the persons who told me "cut it out, Karen! Men don't like red lipstick/lace shirt/bubble dress!" or "Karen, you are walking like a man!" In other words, these are the people who demonstrate how cruel the world can be.

Chris is not one of them! He is a polite and generous boy who is happy to say things I want to hear :) Bravo boyo!

Forever 21 jacket, Ann Taylor Loft sequin top
Jbrand jeans

Merry Post Xmas!

I got invited to spend Xmas in a lovely cottage on the lakeshore.
It was a cozy house with a good-sized kitchen, a balcony with great view, a living room with a real fireplace; however, nothing can surpass my appreciation for the recliners that I spent my three days on.

Recliners go well with everything: warm milk, cappuccino, red wine, apple wine, scotch, cheesecake, turkey... It is a pity that I never belong to any coach potato group because I am not a TV fan; after this holiday, I am in serious consideration in applying for one.

This is how I spent my three days! 

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I recently fall in love with a cheap way of playing color -- diligently apply nail color everyday. This is my recent favorite, clam bake from Essie. 

Today is post Christmas mess cleaning. I have returned from the cottage to love nest and planned for running errands the whole day. Though after the cleaning, clam bake will be chipped for sure...

Ann Taylor top, True Religion jeans
Talbots necklace

Sister with benefits

This morning when I reached for shoe racks, a shoe box fell and hit my head.
It was a lovely surprise, a pair of Bally boots that I believe it belongs to my sister.

When I was young, she was the trendsetter. She had a closet of clothes that I drooled over. Guess (hey, Guess was hothothot during that time), Esprit, Mango...underneath a pile of clothes, I would find a pair of Chanel ballet flats, a Christian Dior clutch or a Prada backpack. It was when she was 20 and I was 16.

You know how the robbery works. 

I ran to her bedroom the second she closed the bathroom door and quickly browsed the racks. Carefully thinking through all aspects, I took away one piece that she most probably would not wear the next day. After several days, she tried to find that certain piece and couldn't find it; she would  come to question me. NEVER ADMIT ANYTHING was the rule of thumb. "No, I have not visited your closet for a million years." (a weird thing is it seems I have lost this ability of "never admit anything" when I become older; my face always turn to tomato red nowadays when I bluff)

There were times I was unlucky bumping into her on the streets with her clothes on. She would yell at me "You rat, I am telling mom!" I would think "ha, go ahead! Mom was THE ONE who told me I looked good in it."

When I worked as a flight attendant, I started building a wardrobe of European and American brands that she lusted after. Our roles changed. I have to say, I treated her way better than she treated me.

This pair of Bally boots looked like my last triumph; however, last time when I went back to Taiwan, she again had quite many cute clothes. Maybe it's time to wait for her shower time.

Jcrew cardigan, HM sweater dress
Bally boots 

 

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Yesterday I went to a hockey game Czech v.s. US (yep, hockey again! three more to go). It is the junior league world championship so the players are no older than 20. I am naturally toward minority so it is not hard to imagine I booed USA the whole night. Czech eventually won the game in final shoot-out. What can I say? I have a nose for the winner team!

yep, it's neither Czech nor US. I was very biased.

Two persons, one closet

One married friend shared the insights of marriage. It was so classic that I think I should document it or frame it and put on the wall.

"The advantage of being married is when traveling, you don't have to carry your laptop because he will carry it."

In fact, this statement came after at least 20 disadvantages of being married. Me and another girlfriend, still in hope of happy-ever-after, asked her to think of some advantages. This is the only answer she gave us.

This cannot be true! I am determined to find at least another one. I think I have found it --shopping in your husband side of closet (in my case it's my boyfriend's).

My boyfriend has great taste. For example, he has this amazing DSquared parka, a jacket so warm that I can wear just one tank top and the jacket and walk in -15 degrees. The jacket is so long (he is way taller than me) that if I wear UGG, there are not a lot of legs left in the air - my standard outfit of taking garbage out in winter.

Today I found another good one, a gray wool cardigan that creates a baggie look. Ladies, go look for it! That side of the closet is like a virgin island. Better yet, next time when you shop for your boyfriend or husband, you should definitely take your outfit into consideration!

P.S. Of course I was just joking about the limited advantages of being married. I have so many friends who constantly shower me with their lovely family stories that I will sell them out sometime in the future.

You are not looking here but...there?

A weird thing happened today - I got two compliments on my shoes...from men.
You might say "Right now men got a lot of exposure to fashion. Don't be narrow minded." Please notice, I don't live in metropolitan area. I live in a mid-sized city in upstate New York where UGG is considered a fashion statement piece. (alert: exaggeration exaggeration!)

The story is as follows.
I was standing somewhere. One man came close by and said "nice shoes" with a pat on my shoulder. Because it was so natural, I almost said "thanks. I got it from Barney's last season" until I realized he was a man, a masculine man! I shook my head and kept walking. After a while, "I like your shoes," a sunshine football-player-kind-of-boy said with a huge smile. This time, I cannot be silent.

"You noticed my shoes?"
"Yea, they are great!"

Since when men started to pay attention to shoes? I thought they only care about lingerie.

Vintage wool jacket, Jcrew Stripe top
Jbrand jeans, Leopoldo Giordano shoes

My sister

My sister complained I didn't write anything about her so I am dedicating the whole article to her.

She is four years older than me; however, people always mistake me as the older one. My wild guess is that she is an idiot and I am mature.

She is petite and, as you can see, has a very pretty face with an angel smile; however, if you think she is very soft, you are absolutely wrong. She is one of the toughest persons I have ever seen. She doesn't back up when facing authority(yah, the authority can be a salesperson who doesn't let her return clothes or a cabdriver who wanted to over-charge her).

At work, she is very capable and responsible. At private life, she loves animals (she adopted two street dogs) and children (she just gave birth to a cute girl in May). Most importantly, she is my best friend. We grew up together (though when I was little, she abused me quite well as a normal older sister) and share no secrets. Till now, I still talk to her everyday, everything from what I/she eat or where I/she go.

Too bad that there is no sister day; otherwise we definitely can be spokespersons. I also have a baby sister but I will leave it till next time.

Care package v.s. USPS

My father sent me a package from Taiwan, a box full of my favorite Taiwanese snacks and instant noodle. The only problem is that he sent to the wrong address. It is totally not his fault but his evil daughter's but we will not dig deeper in this aspect.

I went to the post office around 7 PM.
"Hi, my father sent me a package from Taiwan but he sent to the wrong address. The address he sent to was XXXXX but I have moved out recently. My last name is XXXX. Can you please check it for me?"
"Why you didn't tell your father you moved out? You should have told him."
".....yes, ma'am. I should have told him. But it happens fairly recently so I didn't have a chance yet."
"Young people just don't communicate with your parents. You only talk to them when bad things happen." blahblahblah
".........." I bet she has a daughter who is as evil as me.
"What's your address?"
"It's XXXXXXX, ma'am."

After 10 minutes, she was back.
"We don't have it."
"What?" If you want to lecture me, at least you should have my package. "But I have the tracking number, on the website it says it's in the post office."
"What's your address again?"
"It's XXXXXXXX. My last name is XXXX"

Another 5 mintues,
"No, we don't have it. The carrier might know what happened but he is not here right now. Come back tomorrow!"
"......."

To cut it short, I got my package. Otherwise I can't write my blog while eating Taiwanese instant noodle now.

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Coat, Autumn Cashmere sweater
vintage skirt, Jcrew belt

This is my work look for today. This coat is from a Hong Kongese brand called Giordano Ladies. It is designed for working professionals. The collection is simple and chic. I always stock up its basic cardigans, sweaters, tees when I am in Taipei.

Today I had a coffee date with friends. I wanted to have a more relaxed look so I brought a pair of jeans with me and changed to it after work. The turquoise earrings totally glam up my ensemble. 

Jbrand jeans 

Color up!!

Today when I opened up my eyes, the world outside of my window was covered in a complete white. As I said, I only fancy the first snow. After that, I am just waiting for the spring to come.

I was upset that I could not see dear sun this morning so I decided to play an old trick to boost my energy-- dress colorfully. What combination can be more colorful than the mix of coral and red? If you are like me easily getting emotional by the weather or whatever (too rainy, too windy, too cold...), try this method! You will be surprised how it changes your spirit.

I toughen up my girlie look by a black blazer and also it is office appropriate. Other great choice will be a leather jacket.

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Another thing making me really happy was that this morning I saw a man walking two Golden Retrivers. One behaved well walking next to his owner while the other...not so much. He was running around and playing with the snow. So cute! It reminded me that this year I haven't posted my wish to Santa Claus yet. I WANT A DOG! I WANT A HAPPY DOG! You hear me? Santa?

Zara Black Blazer, Ann Taylor Loft top
Club Monaco skirt, Miss Sixty heels 

Stripe is the new black

I recently rekindled my love for stripe.

Stripe is so verstile. You can wear it with a suit for an instant style boost; wear it with jeans for a casual look; mix and match with florals for an romantic yet modern outfit.

Today I am pairing the stripe shirt with a white pencil skirt. I adore the simple color contrast. Also, I like to roll up the sleeves to add some coolness.

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I just cooked the dinner. As you know, we Chinese love to cook in very hot oil. When I put the meat into the pan, one drop of oil shoot into my eye....DIRECTLY INTO MY EYE!! I was in such a bad mood so I kicked the oven. Guess what?! now the pan fell from the stove and burned my foot. Now I am really pissed!

Vintage leather jacket, Club Monaco stripe shirt,
Jcrew pencil skirt, Miss Sixty heels

Saturday Night Game Night

I went to a NHL game last night, Buffalo Sabres VS Pittsburgh Penguin.
Because of last minute decision, we could only get tickets in nose bleeding zone; I felt my knees soft when I walked through the aisle. If you are a sports fan, you know what I am talking about.

Hey dude, you blocked my sight the whole night! 

To me, hockey is a sport that players are cute but when they open mouth, viola! not many teeth left. No matter how unknowledgable I was, I still very much enjoyed the game; the precision, the speed and the fight (I am sorry but it's indeed entertaining) made the game a very sensational experience.

Zara coat, french connection hoodie,
Club monaco strip sweater, Kova & T jeans

This is the ballerina, Yosi Samra, I wore yesterday. They are cute, comfortable and affordable. I have three pairs. The only problem is even though they are all the same size, one pair seems to be tighter than the others.

Though it was totally season-inappropriate, there has been no snow for two days and the streets were pretty clean so I still wore them. It's small bling bling on my feet!

House party? I am all set.

A friendly reminder of a pre-work for attending any house party (most probably you are way smarter or more experienced than me that you already have such knowledge) --politely ask the host if he/she requires guests to remove their shoes in the house.

Several months ago, I went to a house party. I wore 34 inches inseam flare jeans (considering the fact that I am only 5'4"-5'5") with very high heels. When I got to the house, I saw there were a lot of shoes outside of the apartment. Alas!! The whole night I dragged my flares around the house like a mop.

Remember Carrie Bradshaw lost her Manolo Blahnik in a baby shower because she had to leave her shoes outside? If she had asked, maybe she would have worn Converse or Havana slippers.

So, today's house warming party, I was A-OK!

PS. To be honest, I did not ask today's host this question. I just figured out a dress would never go wrong. Moreover, I just had a pedi. Shoes on or off? I am all set!

French Connection dress, Ann Taylor Loft Shoes

  

Happy Friday!

I started my day by a little bit rushing around because I somehow overslept and had a conference call the first thing at work.

But you know how it works.You jump out of bed swearing, run to rest room and can't find your toothbrush so you make an instant decision to run to dresser for make up and it occurs to you that you haven't washed your face yet.

I literally used only ten seconds for these two shots.

Zara blazer, Ann Taylor Loft top,
Robert Rodriguez skirt, Tods loafer 

 I even forgot to put on pantyhose before leaving my house and had to come back later! 

How you doing

I learned one thing after moving to US -- there is only ONE answer for "How are you doing?"

The answer is "I am doing good/well/great/excellent" in an upbeat tone and you have to respond as fast as a reflex.

Once I was really in a blue so I decided to speak out my mind, "actually not so good."
That poor person looked stunned and tried to murmur something but failed.
I must have crossed a cultural line, maybe even a line of human beings interaction rule since, after that, that person always smiles and nods head but avoids asking me how I am doing.

This teaches me a lesson; now I am always answering loudly and clearly "I am doing great. How are you doing?"

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Guess I was just feeling a little bit blue this morning and had to say several "I am doing great."
Why blue? I have passed phase one of welcoming the snow and moved to phase two that I could not wait the snow to end.

Dressing up is one way to get rid of my depression, plus my fake smile.

Elie Tahari jacket, Zara shirt, Ann Taylor Loft cargo
I also wear the secret weapon from Japan, Uniqlo's Heattech innerwear

Rumor has it

Last week when I was storing my ballet flats and taking out my UGG, my boyfriend suddenly said "Russian women don't wear flats."
"What do you mean they don't wear flats?"
"They wear high heels only."
"All the time?"
"Yep"
"Even in winter?"
"Of course. They wear short skirts, panty hose and high boots"
 ...It sounds like men's dreamland.

I decided to research more on this topic and I found this.
http://russianwomentruth.com/russian-women-are-practically-born-with-high-heels-on/

I suddenly felt ashamed of myself so I put on the highest heels the very next day for a party.

H&M dress, Max Studio boots 

My feet got tired after one hour. I struggled for another 15 minutes and called it quits.

This honor belongs to Russian women.

Effortless chic

I adore the idea of throw-on. High maintenance is never my thing. In summer, I usually wear a simple top pairing a ripped jeans skirt or shorts plus ballerinas or sandals; in winter,I wear merino or cashmere sweater, skinny jeans, huge cashmere wrap and UGG. In the morning, I can get out of my house in 30 minutes but still finish the whole morning routine including double shots.

It is easy as long as you follow an old trick. Build your outfit around one center piece, the piece your mood is in. In my case, it is usually the piece I recently bought (what else?). Like the jacket I am wearing today, it has the faux fur detailing, which makes the jacket look posh and snow appropriate. I keep the rest simple by pairing it with a white long sleeve t-shirt and a grey cargo pants. At first I added a red belt for a pop of color but decided to go without it for a laid-back look.

P.S. one thing worth of mentioned: WE FINALLY GOT OUR SNOW, our first snow! Though bye bye flats, the snow is still welcome.

                                                                                                                                                 

  

Panda in Theory

I had a great Thanksgiving; I went to bed in the early morning and woke up in the late afternoon, stuffed myself like a turkey and watched a lot of DVDs. So, it came at no surprise that I could not sleep AT ALL last night. I climbed to bed at 1:30 AM, yawned for a bit and thought "Nice! Keep going! I am almost asleep." This thought continued till this morning... lovely, a panda is looking at me in the mirror!


On weekdays, I am always in business casual or sometimes business formal. Theory is the brand I always turn to. I have tried several brands of suits and found Theory had the best cut and structure. The pants I am wearing today -- love it!

Sun bath: Theory blazer, Jcrew necklace, Ann Taylor Loft top
Theory Pants, Banana Republic heels

Another thing worth of being reported: thanks to global warming (Sorry polar bears), I have been wearing my ballet flats and high heels. Until snow comes, UGG can wait.

Mom and Pastel

There was a time I wore only black, black T-shirt, black jeans, black socks, black shoes, black sunglasses. My mom always used her signature crying tone "wear some color, you are not a widow!"

I so trusted that her fashion sense worth a penny because she also told me to wear a lot of A-line skirts. However, with years passing by, I start to appreciate color more and more. Right now my closet is composed of rainbows. Today, I am a firm believer that wearing color is the key to happiness.


Mom, sorry about my arrogance. You are always correct! 

Banana Republic coat
agnes b. top
Jcrew belt
7 for All Mankind skinny jeans
Nina shoes

Black Friday ...maybe next year...

Yesterday after Thanksgiving dinner, I made my mind that, this time, I would like to join Black Friday. Having been in US for 4 years, I never made to any.


I started to comtemplate where I should line up and what to buy. Maybe BestBuy for a new TV? Never a TV fan. Maybe a new camera? It sounds hilarious of waking up at 2 AM just for a $300 camera.


Eventually I didn't go because I went to bed at 4 AM and it was just impossible for me to wake up before 4 PM......too bad I even picked up my combat outfit.

Since I live in a place where I drive everywhere, wearing like a bear is not an option.
Banana Republic leather jacket, Jcrew top, Loft cargo pants
Boden animal print belt, Jcrew ballet flats, Jcrew necklace

God I love America.....

for its free shipping and painless return policy....

My recent purchase from Ann Taylor Loft and Forever 21, a brand I  thought I would never ever put my feet in but was addicted to the first time when I visited its website.   

I live in New York ..State. People call it upstate New York. As a matter of fact, it is so up that I have to drive 6 hours to New York City. It also means that I enjoy zero benefits of zero sales tax of single item of clothing under $110 happening in NYC. I pay 8.875% of tax on clothing and have very limited choices. Luckily, there is a company called Times Warner Cable which connects me to the real world with a very unsteady service. Still, there are so many things which I can only buy when I am in city because they don't have online shopping. 

To continue my topic, I highly compliment on America's retail return policy. As long as the clothes are unworn with tags attached, you can return anything. Back in my home country, Far East so to say, return or exchange happens rarely and unpleasantly. It may involve some yelling or screaming. Once I bought a tank top and found a stint after going home. I went back to the store the next day and asked for an exchange. 

"I am sorry, we don't do any return or exchange." the salesperson said. 

"But I got it just yesterday." I said. 

"Yes, but WE DON"T DO RETURNS AND EXCHANGES IN OUR STORE." the salesperson started to look impatient. 

"OK, but look, here is a stint. I don't want a piece of clothes with a stint. I am not asking for a refund but only an exchange with the other one without stint!"  

"We have no idea if you got the stint yourself after you left the store. It was actually your responsibility to check if there was anything wrong before you bought the clothes." 

...................................BXXCH.................

God bless America. I never had any experience like this when I return anything. On the other hand, it is also THE reason why my bank account is not that happy. I bear the thought of "hey, I can return it if I don't like it. I am ordering just for a try-on" when I am online shopping or "I am not sure if I like this top that much but I better take it because small size may be gone soon and that woman has been checking at this piece after I got it. I better buy it now and return later so she cannot get it" when I am in store shopping. Miraculously, all of them stay in my closet forever; sometimes because I am too lazy to make the trip to return or sometimes I already knew the "if I don't like it I can return it" just an excuse to buy an expensive piece without feeling that guilty. 

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!! I am off to my Thanksgiving party! 

Zara dress
Jcrew belt
Urban Outfitter necklace
Ann Taylor Loft Shoes 

Out and About

Over the weekend I took a trip to Boston to have a small reunion with my girlfriends. People who know me well know I am THE complainer (gene from my dearest mom) so gotta spit out some complaints first. The first complaint was about the airfare -- US Airways charged me $350 for an 1 hour flight and got me into a teeny-tiny propeller airplane which just did not seem very trustworthy. The second complaint was Boston was as cold as a refrigerator. I wrapped myself like a burrito and still got a sore throat. However, other than that, Boston was gorgeous. I had the best time with my girlfriends with whom I have been very close friends since ancient history.

What would three young and fabulous girls (??) do when they gather together? THEY GOSSIP and SHOP!! 

My Pre-Luggage

New Friends!!
Zara dress, Club Monaco cardigan,Club Monaco top, Club Monaco skirt,
Jcrew headband, Jcrew necklace, Zara top 

I bought the most amazing Zara dress with a weird belt (Replaceable!!) and a flowy Zara top which I plan to utilize a lot in the near future. I had an eye on these three pieces from Club Monaco back in summer but did not buy them so I was absolutely thrilled when I saw them in the sale zone. Though it is winter now, with the right accessorise and layer, they can be winter wardrobe staples!


I went back home with a heavier luggage, several ideas of outfits, one bag of croissants which I bought in my favorite South End Buttery and two validated and renewed friendships, who said money can't buy everything :)