The Wedding

On August 27, 2011, my cousin Steven and his fiance Jeanette got married at the CSULB Japanese Gardens. It was a gorgeous ceremony and reception that our family will always remember.

Shopping Extravaganza- South Bay

These photos are from my mid-summer days that I leisurely spent shopping with my aunt and cousin (pictured). Our shopping trips spanned from Costa Mesa and Rowland Heights to Torrance and South Bay in search of consignment stores, Marukai Markets, and asian gift shops. We popped into Yogurtland for their Sanrio event and snapped photos at their 'Photo Op' with the Sanrio characters. For lunch we ate at Vince's Spaghetti in South Bay where I had the BEST spaghetti and meat sauce of my life. It was so simple, spaghetti al dente with their infamous meat sauce and a side of garlic bread. It just goes to show you that simplicity is best. Their menu had only three items: spaghetti, ravioli, and lasagna, but boy did they knock those dishes out of the park. My cousin even attempted to eat off my plate, it was THAT GOOD. Not only is the spaghetti of South Bay delicious, but their consignment stores are astounding. I scored TWO Betsey Johnson slip dresses at a South Bay consignment store called 'Second Time Around' for (wait for it)...... $10 A PIECE! From a retail price of $80 down to my $10 purchase, I say thank you to the rich ladies of South Bay. The polka dot number appeared on one of my Las Vegas posts, and the floral dress will be making its appearance very soon.

One piece of advice for the day: The grass is never greener on the other side; make the best of what you have and live it up.

Over the Horizon

Solitaire crochet top, GAP skinny flared jeans, Report clogs, Christian Dior handbag

Sometimes, you don't need a destination or a reason to dress up. You just do. When you dress for yourself and your own happiness, you don't need anyone else to achieve it. Don't dress to impress any man, any woman, any person out there. Dress for yourself, however you like.

Back in my tween years, I dressed with a heavy Japanese jrock influence. It definitely wasn't the quickest way to attract a guy, and damn it, I didn't care. I dressed that way because I loved it, it made me happy and fulfilled each and every one of my aesthetic desires. As a result, I pretty much repelled every guy within sight for the next 2 years. But if I didn't pursue the fashion that I liked, I wouldn't have found a key part of myself: I wouldn't have discovered my determination to push to do what I wanted. It's a stubborn characteristic that's stuck until this day. In fact, it's been there since I was three. There's a Chinese saying that translates in "Age three, set personality", meaning that at age three, the basis of your personality is set for the rest of your life.