Style Story: Dubai Dress

When people ask me about my trip to Dubai, my answer is always, "I miss Dubai so much!" But that is a huge understatement.

Style Story: Christmas Pastels

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Thankfully, I got to spend mine with my parents and friends, so there was lots of love and joy as we gathered to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

If you checked out my Christmas decor storyboard, you would know that this year I decided to create a pastel themed tablescape. So to continue that theme, I decided to wear a pink color block dress that, with the right accessories, can be worn as Christmas attire.

Decor Storyboard: Merry Christmas

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's unbelievable that Christmas is here already! This year, especially, flew by probably due to the busyness of my life. But I'm so thankful to get to celebrate the birth of our Savior at home and rest.

As always, I've procrastinated and I just finished decorating the house. A million ideas have been floating through my head and it took a while for me to decide what I wanted to do this year. I wanted to do something different from the usual red, green, white, gold and silver. So, for the dining room, I created a pastel winter tablescape which I am currently obsessed with since it's different and it was a fun challenge.

Life Story: Friday Firsts

HAPPIEST of Fridays to you!!!

Sorry (I'm not sorry), I'll tone it down a notch. I have officially passed the 8 month mark of M3 year and it blows my mind. But really I'm most excited about my first real break I've had for a whole year! And I get a whole month of it! (Cue happy dance!)

Alright, now that that's said, I'm sharing about 5 "first times" that happened this past month or are happening this coming month.

Style Story: Fall Sister Style

When life is a constant marathon and you don't have time to notice nature's beauty around you, it's a problem. When the leaves just started changing this Fall, it took me a week to notice the obvious beauty of some climbing vines in the city alley behind our house. Cue the realization that I need to slow down and stop being so absorbed with the lists of things I need to get done and instead, take the time to soak in the beauty of God's creation.

I love how the colors of these vines bring life to the usual drab of our little alley. Jess came up with this brilliant idea to use it as a backdrop, so sister style part 2 came to be.

Life Story: Thank Goodness It's Friday!

SERIOUSLY. It's been a rough week.

I don't think I've complained this much in one week in a long time. So to avoid that ugliness, let's focus on the good things that make us smile. Today I'm linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday! This edition is a summary of September favorites.

1. Favorite Eat

Vora is hands-down my new favorite restaurant in Chicago for authentic Taiwanese food, one of my favorite cuisines. The restaurant is modern and the food is served with a modern twist, but once you bite into their food it's like being transported to Taiwan. I can't find all the food pictures I took, but that just means I'll have to go back asap! Here's a photo from my Instagram with my pretty foodie friends who introduced me to the place:

2. Favorite Sounds

Everything Pentatonix creates is nothing short of amazing. Their cover of Lorde's "Royals" gives me the chills every time I listen to it. And it's been on repeat since it was uploaded. Listen & be prepared to rub away those goosebumps.

I'm also obsessed with New Heights' cover of Avicii's "Wake Me Up". I love any artist who recreates a hit and makes it another hit in and of itself. Breathtakingly beautiful. More chills.

3. Favorite Outfit

Even though Fall weather is not in full swing yet (why is it 80 degrees out?!), I am still wishing it was here & brought out the boots last weekend. Because that will make Fall weather come sooner, obviously. I think another reason I love boots is the fact that I usually pair them with leggings and a dress especially the shorter ones that I don't feel comfortable wearing without opaque tights/leggings; my dresses tend to get more mileage in this season.

Dress: old | Cardigan: Mango | Leggings: Old Navy | Necklace: ILY Couture *** | Bag: Asos | Boots: GoJane

4. Favorite Memory

My birthday was one of the simplest birthdays I've had, but one of my favorites. We had a rough shift at the hospital and my amazing team brought in cupcakes to surprise me & made the day so much sweeter! Plus, I made it home in time (in the torrential rainstorm) to spend a quick but special half hour with my sister for a birthday dinner consisting of delicious Vietnamese food before she had to leave for night call. I love my friends & family! You guys are the best & know how to make a girl happy :)

5. Favorite Emmy 2013 Looks

Allison William's Ralph Lauren gown was by far my favorite. I love how the dress is so simple yet so stunning. It fits her like a glove, the color is perfect & so is her minimalist gold jewelry.

Source

My favorite outfit out of the guys was won by the adorable & brilliant Nolan Gould. It was the tiny details of his look that won me over. Just check out that snazzy white tie with black trim and the texture of his suit. Obsessed. Plus I just want to pinch his cheeks.

Source

Happy Friday friends! :) Find any & every reason to smile today!

Style Story: Sister Style

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a fundraiser for an amazing organization called Pursue Scholars. What they do is nothing short of amazing.

While there are many organizations that provide the monetary resources for students to attend college, Pursue Scholars goes beyond that and provides support in other ways. The organization supports them throughout their college journey by providing life coaches and by keeping in touch with them often, praying for them, sending care packages and cards for birthdays and other occasions. How amazing is that?

The fundraising event took place on a boat cruise on Lake Michigan and thankfully the weather was perfect for dresses! The sunset & my favorite skyline were breathtaking as always. 

Dresses: Hong Kong | Necklaces: ILY Couture (Also seen here & here) | Earrings: Betsey Johnson | My shoes: Anne Klein | Jess's shoes: Naturalizer | Purse: Asos (also seen here & here)

Thanks for reading! And please be sure to comment below if you know any other great causes that I & other readers should know about!

Life Story: Nashville Friday

Happy Friday! Hope all your weeks were not as awkward as mine! Does anyone else feel like every first few days in a new setting is super awkward & the days pass disjointedly as you try to get your bearings? Anyway, the week is almost over so hopefully the awkwardness will pass like a storm we can easily forget about.

I'm linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday for the second time! This time I'm capturing the 5 best moments from my too short but amazing Nashville getaway. Let's do this:

1. Favorite Outfit: I'm obsessed with this girly chambray floral dress you may have seen in my last post. And of course I girlyfied it further with a bubble gum pink cardigan & bow-topped heels. But I love that I can easily transition it into fall with a darker jewel toned cardigan, scarf, tights & boots.

2. Favorite Buy: Adorable $3 bird rings from Pangaea. Okay, and also the Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream sandwich I'm holding.

3. Favorite/Funniest Sight: What's better than a scrumptious typo on a restaurant menu? I do love my burgers on bums. I've heard Brioche bums locally made in Nashville are the most delicious.

4. Favorite Eats: Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream v. Las Paletas. I can't decide. My favorite Jeni's flavor was Loveless Biscuit + Peach Jam & at Las Paletas I tried the Canteloupe flavor which I could eat 24/7.

 

5. Favorite Sound: Matt Wertz released his new album "Heatwave" which is a fun 80s-esque album. One of my favorites off his album is "Get To You" since it's catchy & makes you want to get up and dance. We all need those kinds of songs. It doesn't hurt that his music video is hilarious. Love him.

Thanks for reading! What were your 5 favorite things this past week?

Please follow me with Google connect for more stories! I also just joined Bloglovin', so if you'd like, please follow me through that media! :)

 

Style Story: Chambray Florals

This past weekend was the first weekend my sister and I had the entire weekend off. We both even got Labor Day off which was a miracle! So upon coming to that realization two days before the weekend, we started brainstorming places we could visit. Plane tickets were ridiculously not in our price range so we decided to drive to Nashville, Jess' college town.

We had such a fun time revisiting some of Jessica's favorite Nashville gems, visiting new places with our friends & eating too much. But how could I say no to some Las Paletas or Jeni's Splended Ice Cream? Definitely highlights of our trip. Jeni's Loveless Biscuits + Peach Jam ice cream is the bomb-diggity.

(Did you know Jeni's is coming to Chicago? I'm going to be all over that & get fat. Worth it.)

Nashville is one of my favorite cities. Not only am I obsessed about the food, but I love the culture, music, and the sweet people. Is it the sweet tea they drink down South that makes the people sweeter?

Speaking of the sweet people, Jess' college friend so generously let us stay with her and her husband. They are in the midst of renovating their home & I love all the work they've done to their home. They built this beautiful garage door & I had to make it my backdrop since there's something about the natural beauty of wood before it's painted or finished.

Dress: Forever 21 | Cardigan: Malaysia | Shoes: Vincci (Malaysia) | Purse: Asos | Necklace: Forever 21 (also worn here & here) | Bracelet: Tobi (also worn here & here) | Belt: Forever 21 (also worn here)

Thanks for reading! Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Linking up with:

Trend Spin Linkup

Life Story: Summer Life in Grams

Instagrams, that is.

I promise another real blog post soon, but while thousands of people in Chicago were in the midst of Lollapalooza this past weekend, I was in the midst of Wedding-palooza! Two weddings in two different states all within 24 hours. Just as crazy, fun & wonderful :) It was so nice seeing old friends and laughing/crying happy tears together!

Before I get to the instagrams, I'm asking for a huge favor from my awesome readers. I wish I had the time to bake something yums for all of you, because I would if you would do this one thing...
Please VOTE for my look to win an H&M gift card! It's simple! Just click on this link & click the <3 that hovers over the image to vote for my look! 
(Psst! Any US citizen over 21 can enter too! I'll vote for your stylish self if you enter!)

While I recoup from the weekend craziness, I'll leave you with my favorite Instagrams from my summer that you probably haven't seen if you aren't following me on Instagram...(what are you waiting for?)!

Top: Anthropologie | Pants: Bossini | Shoes: Toms | Necklace: ILYCouture | Purse: NY&Co  

 My favorite kind of mail...wedding invites!

 Enjoying friends :)

 Sisters style!

My sister's outfit: Anthropologie

My outfit: All from Hong Kong & Malaysia

 New Jeweliq pieces

 Trying new restaurants in Chicago! The salad was SO good!

 Dress: Hong Kong | Sweater: JCrew | Shoes: Kelly&Katie | Bag: NY&Co

 Enjoying my favorite skyline for a sweet & simple girls night in!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for more of my attempts to be artsy/hipster...!

Have a wonderful week!!

Travel Diary: Til we meet again, Hong Kong

I always hate leaving this place...2 weeks flew by so fast! Today was another family day with all the grandparents. Not much fooding, but dim sum today was delicious!! It's crazy how packed all the dim sum restaurants are every day of the week...I'm going to savor my last night here, so here's a quick photo summary:

(Clockwise): Steamed BBQ pork buns; ham sui gok (fried crescent dumplings); Pig hock with ginger vinegar and egg (A dish eaten by women after they have a baby because of the high calcium content)

(Clockwise): BBQ pork rice noodle rolls; Pig stomach with tofu skin and lettuce; chicken feet

(Clockwise): Chicken feet with spareribs and beef ball; pork and thousand-year-old egg congee; herbal tea with lotus seeds and an egg

DESSERT! (Clockwise): Mango mochi; the inside of the mochi (So yums!); Sweet potato and ginger sweet soup; Mango pudding :)

I hope you guys had fun drooling! :)

Travel Diary: Hong Kong Day 6

I am pooped. Got back to HK at 4:30am on a red eye and took a nap that was not long enough. I always regret taking red eyes...it messes up my entire day. But today was a fun-filled day since I got to spend quality time with friends and family!

LUNCH: Applegreen with Byron, Betsy & Jodi! It's always fun catching up with college friends! Undergrad seems like it was so long ago...anyway, this was an American restaurant and they had really good food.

We started off with apps, Asian Nachos and Cajun Fries in a Trash Can (loved the name & presentation); I got an orange sesame chicken salad. It was a half size, but so big for non-US standards!

Then we went to a cat cafe called "Ah Meow Cafe". Basically it's a "club" hidden away in an apartment complex where you eat amongst cats who lounge on your tables and chairs and leap across your food/drinks and possibly try to eat . This would definitely not exist in America...OSHA would be in hysterics. But there was a constant flow of cat-lovers filling the tables and other people's food looked pretty good. We opted for drinks and I got a cold hazelnut hot chocolate.

DINNER: My dad's birthday at Champagne House! It was a family dinner and yet another 10-course meal and their portions were huge. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

(clockwise): Duck, tofu, BBQ pork, roasted pork, "rubberbands" (jellyfish); chicken; fried rice; spring rolls with abalone and goose meat 

(Clockwise): Lobster with (ee-mein) noodles; Sea cucumbers, lettuce and mushrooms; clams, squid and veggies; shark fin soup

My cousin bought a black forest cake for my dad and my dad thought the peach cakes (a delicacy) on top were real, but it was just made out of sugar. Sob story.

*HIGHLIGHT* of my day...at dinner my grandma told everyone at the table she didn't recognize me (She just saw me literally a week ago) because I got FATTER. Leave it to asian families to break it to you bluntly. Can someone please find me a workout routine that involves eating? Muchas gracias.

Travel Diary: Hong Kong Day 5

Alright, I guess that white flag of surrender yesterday didn't mean anything...and I know some of you are disappointed by my non-fattiness. Really? 17 dim sum dishes and a 10-course meal isn't enough guys? Well, hopefully today will make up for yesterday's lackluster performance.

LUNCH: Myung Ga. We met up with my mom's old co-worker and her adorable 8-year-old son who developed a little crush on me hehe it was really cute.

(Clockwise): Galbi, Bibimbop and Sujeonggwa (Cold cinnamon tea...my first time trying it! It was yums!)

AFTERNOON TEA: Fairwood. We shopped around Causeway Bay and I just wanted some milk tea so we ate more. Yea, I could've just gotten tea, but there was food there so I just ate more...

(Clockwise): Honey BBQ chicken wing and sweet potatoes with milk tea, fish cake noodles and a mini hot dog.

DINNER: Champagne House. We celebrated Father's Day early since we won't be in HK to celebrate with my grandpa and I got to see my baby cousin for the second time :) She is THE cutest and acts like a mini me! She eats anything in front of her, loves to sleep, loves putting kiddie makeup on and has the same silly personality I had at her age...LOVE her!

(Clockwise): Chicken (again, presented so cleverly), duck, and the stuff from our soup (including black chicken...yes, it's actually a chicken with black skin and is supposedly really good for you)

(Clockwise): Steamed fish, veggies with dried scallops, Shrimp, and veggies with abalone and mushrooms

Delicious Chocolate Banana Father's Day cake, me & my mini-me making silly faces, & playing with her new makeup :0)

So, was today a success?? My tummy thinks I remain a fatty, so yes? And hopefully this post can tide you over for a few days while I'm away. I don't think I'll have internet on my little adventure, but I will be documenting the fooding and I'll share the pictures when I'm back :)

Until then!

Travel Diary: Hong Kong Day 4

I'm about to EXPLODE!!! Waving my white flag in surrender. I may be a fatty, but no one can or should eat like this every day. No fitted clothes for me any time soon.

We went to the same place as yesterday for dim sum and my dad said, "Today I won't order so much"...so he ordered 17 instead of 19. Ugh. I could barely move after. We ate pretty much the same stuff so I won't post pictures of the food. To work off maybe one of the dishes, we went for a walk in the beautiful park right outside my grandparents' house and wandered into an area of the park that had architecture from the old days of China. It was so picturesque...I've always loved the elegance of it all!

There were ponds full of koi fish and turtles and the walking path on the lower right is for you to walk barefooted as a foot massage (ouch).

More architecture...isn't it gorgeous?

Some of the pretty flowers and more architecture

DINNER: My grandma's 10-course birthday dinner with the family at Paramount Banquet Hall

(Clockwise) I forgot to take a picture of the 5 Treasures dish (roasted pig, duck, chicken, bbq pork and jellyfish aka "rubberbands")...but I took a picture of our stereotypical Asian-ness...leaving one of each on the plate, ee-mein (fried egg noodles) with giant shrimp, and celery & chicken

(clockwise): Fried stuffed crab claws, Turbot fish, and chicken with sparrow nest soup 

(clockwise): Chicken (I couldn't stop laughing at their presentation...), abalone with lettuce and mushroom, and egg fried rice

(clockwise): DESSERTS! My favorite longevity buns (buns with lotus paste and egg yolk), the usual fruit, and sweet red bean soup

The amazing cake my cousin bought! The bottom is a wafer with a layer of chocolate and light spongy cake with mango cream. YUM.

I'm currently in a food comatose state...and carrying twin food babies...I'll probably end up with quadruplets by the end of this trip...oye. I don't even want to go home to my jeans. Thank goodness I thought to bring only elastic-wasted dresses and skirts. Perfect maternity clothing.