June 30, 2010

More More More

A couple more pictures from Saturday:
My mom's side - her siblings whose names all start with the letter A.

Uncle Albert wasn't ready, but Kyle sure was haha.. such a poser.. just like a certain someone ^^

Cute - for every Faculty of Environment Grad, SFU has contributed one tree to be planted in a Canadian school yard. I have a tree somewhere!

So nice how things fall into place when you least expect it. I love how life is so full of surprises for everyone.

June 27, 2010

Family Time

Happy 80th Birthday, gong gong
Had a pretty huge party at my house today. Got pretty good weather, despite the reports. Tons of kids running around, bocce ball, food, food, food, ping pong tournament, good riesling, pictures, pictures (coordinated family colours except for mine), pictures, helium balloons, nail polish everywhere, headache, talking and singing outside in the dark, watching and dancing to SNSD, screaming, and my popular-among-both-kids-and-adults interactive stuffed animal show.
 
 
 
 

Exhausted? Very.
It's 12:40AM. Gotta get up at 7AM to do the Grouse Grind! Let it RAINNNN... yea!

June 25, 2010

Want/Need/Lust

Did a quick browse around Shopbop for fun and versatile basics.
Victorialand Panel Box Jacket
Diane von Furstenberg Dax Sequin Shorts
Rachel Pally Long Fortuna Dress
Theory Arrian Shirt
Theory Kaholo Dress (ahh tried on and love!)
Riller & Fount Fiona Mini Dress with Kimono Sleeve (hmm maybe)

Easy

DVF
style.com

June 24, 2010

Seo In Young - Love Is Bitter, Pain Is Calling

I really like this song. Seo In Young has a fantastic quality to her voice.. especially live!   I  wish I could sing like that!

Gucci Scores on the Runway

A Car Is Not Merely a Faster Horse...

And email is not a faster fax. And online project management is not a bigger whiteboard. And Facebook is not an electronic rolodex.

Play a new game, not the older game but faster.


(Something to think about from Seth Godin's blog)

June 23, 2010

Assertiveness


This is a light, summer song to go with the perfect summer weather we've been getting (except it started raining a few hours ago)... 
As One - Sonnet

Saw this on Lovelyish and thought it was a great post. I love seeing a strong, assertive person - someone who isn't afraid to speak up, someone who doesn't get stepped all over, someone who gets the respect they deserve. As I look back, I could see myself becoming more and more assertive (I've had other ppl notice and tell me too - I guess it comes with experience and confidence) all throughout high school. In elementary school, I wouldn't say I was one to get stepped on, but I would say "sorry" out of habit even when I wasn't the one at fault, I would speak with a quieter voice, I would say "thank you" often just because I was taught that it's polite (now, I actually mean it when I say it), I would agree with what everyone said, and I would have a hard time saying "no", though it didn't bother me to do whatever it was. Lots of things would just slide past me and before, I didn't care if it wasn't what I would wished to have happened.  Now, I can say that I get what I want and it's by using the following tips below (which I wasn't fortunate enough to have listed out back in elementary/high school). I'm not talking about getting material things (though, sometimes it is the result.. "uh... uh... um... sir........ s-s-sorry, but can I, like, can I have, like.. a.. a hotdog...please?"), and I'm not saying that the person fulfilling the request is losing out on anything.. getting what you want is done in a polite, straight-forward manner and you know what, it's a good thing for everyone cause, well, it reduces complainers and makes the world a better, happier place.  It's to do with the type of treatment I receive from everyone - it's on a different level. When I ask/request things, it is most likely not to be rejected and if it happens to be (very very rare if you use the tips below unless you're asking for something ridiculous), that's totally okay - at least I've tried... and maybe I'll find another way to approach it the next time.

1. Adopt body language that's more confident. Fake it until you make it!
  • Keep your voice at a consistent volume when you speak, and don't let it waver.
  • Make eye contact when you talk to people (also a great way to flirt!).
  • Don't cross your arms across your chest; keep your pose open and confident.
  • When you say a sentence, don't let the end creep up in tone (so it sounds like a question) [guhhh pet peeve]. End the statement firmly.
  • Get rid of filler words in your speech, like "um," "you know?", "like." They make you sound nervous.
  • Don't say "I'm sorry" when you don't need to apologize, like if someone bumps into YOU in the train.
2. Put your own needs first. It's not selfish, no matter what you might think! If you don't stand up for yourself and what you need, who will? Sometimes as women we feel like we have to apologize for wanting things a certain way or needing things from our significant others, but you should never feel like you have to apologize for things like wanting affection and respect.

When the time comes to ask for something, like a raise, or to confront a friend who's hurt you, take a deep breath and communicate what you want in one or two sentences: "I think that I deserve a raise, and let me tell you why." "What you said last night hurt my feelings and I'd like to talk about the issue further." [Communication is so important!! listen and if it doesn't work the first time, learn and try a different way next time.]

3. Realize why you tend to be a people-pleaser. When we operate from a place where we're already feeling low and inadequate, we bend over backwards to please others because of our need to keep the peace and thus avoid feeling rejection from others. If you don't stand up for yourself with your words, you're more likely to be passive-aggressive with your actions. Try to not be so afraid of others disagreeing with you or confronting you, and you'll feel much better able to do what's right for you.

4. "Assertive" is different than "aggressive." Aggressive people are hostile and pushy, and they bully others into meeting their needs exactly how and when they want them. Don't be like that! But also, don't worry that by standing up for yourself, you're being mean or belligerent. As long as you're polite and respectful of others, you can't fret that standing up for yourself is going to piss people off.

5. Be more positive! If you have a negative outlook of yourself, that's going to affect both your assertiveness level and how you view others, i.e., you'll assume that everyone is out to get you and make your life harder. Keep a smile on your face and others will see you a confident girl to be reckoned with, not a Debbie Downer.

June 22, 2010

To Each His Own...

I don't understand how some people think "jello" salads are delicious.

부활 (Buhwal) - Never Ending Story (2002)

A classic song to practice Korean... and another song to add to our karaoke list.

June 19, 2010

Yesterday, All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away


Dammit. I obviously forgot. Bad idea to get that Spanish Latte so late. I went to bed at 2AM and now I'm fully awake at 7:15AM (I woke up a couple times in between, too). So yea. Busy day yesterday and since I brought along a digi, I have a few pictures to share for once~


Sooo convocation was early in the morning. My grandparents, parents, and brother came. My grandparents got me a pretty and girly bouquet, a graduation bear from the bookstore (that my mom helped me name "Geo" for Geography), and a necklace my 2nd cousin made (she sells her handmade jewelry as one of her many jobs and really ran around to find the right quality pieces for it). The whole thing was 2 hours long (zzz) and we all walked across the pond and down the stairs of the AQ while the whole group of bagpipe players (SFU tradition) blew air into their instruments EEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR which left 10 minutes to take a few quick snaps before we rushed off to the Milestones near my house and then to the office. 
(I got a BA in the Faculty of Environment, btw.. Geography major). There was this one graduate who had a 4.24 GPA.  He did a joint major in (something along the lines of) molecular biology and biochemistry and minored n psychology! He has 36 A+ (not a single A-!). CRAZY.

Oh, I picked up 2 Anna Sui polishes and was pretty excited to use them. I saw someone swatch the peach colour, but I was taking a chance with the purple and I was so disappointed when I painted my nails! (Oh yea, btw, I totally did not fulfill anything in the challenge yesterday... I wore mascara, straightened my hair, and painted my nails.. bad... I know :( I'll make up for it Tuesday). 
Super adorable packaging and the polish has a nice rose fragrance, which was a nice surprise. I was hoping the purple would be a dupe of the YSL one I wasn't fast enough to get earlier on in the Spring. The Anna Sui purple (208, for reference), was totally NOT anything close!!! It was darker, way ugly, and had this blue under-shimmer that made my nails look like I stole my little cousin's DISNEY nail polish! It looks cheap and the shade is more than awful. It's hard to see just how terrible it is in the picture... but I guess you can imagine. (Yes.. I'm a nail drama queen.. I think it's because the polish was $15 which is pretty expensive, but I swear, this is my extent of my drama....... hehe).
Met up with M and Yena downtown to do some shopping after and M brought me 2 rolls of chamchi (tuna) kimbap from Port Coq. because that store has the closest thing to the best chamchi kimbap rolls like the ones we had in Korea. That was dinner, thanks! Bought a huge fluffy hot metallic pink and black (so not me haha) powder brush from Sephora I will test out. It was very pricey so I hope its price will reflect its performance... also got a basic form-hugging tank dress from True Value Vintage for only $19! Deal of the day. I think that's all I bought. 
I tried on my first one-shoulder dress at TVV. It feels weird putting it on! It's like when I first tried on my mom's 3/4 length sleeve shirts back in elementary school - it felt soooo weird.. as if material was missing.  It looked really bad on in person (pictures are a bit deceiving and it was way too small at the hips) but I really like the look of [most] one-shoulder dresses. I like this general shape because one side is a "long" sleeve. I see so many sleeveless versions out there, but not many one-sleeve.  One-shoulder is the new strapless!
Quick snap of my simple outfit of the day before I left Urban Outfitter's change room.. (I tried on some really cute pieces but the debit card machine was broken). Club Monaco sun dress, cropped 3/4 sleeve cardigan from Korea, UO Sabina Convertible leather bag, cheapie elastic + metal belt from Korea, and the only shoes that fit me from Vince in Malaysia (and the only heel I can walk all day in) that I noticed after was a replica of a Nine West heel.
After, hung out w/ the Kgroup... (lol I don't think I've ever made a name for them) at Jerry's apartment. We were originally supposed to go sing, but I kind of like just hanging out 'cause I haven't seen them for a long while. It was in celebration of Jerry's birthday. 
Bern has all the better pictures... we tried to surprise him by lighting his candles in the bathroom and then coming out. Guh.. now that I look at this picture, it looks really really unappetizing! LOL
Jin is leaving to return back to Korea on Monday~ InJae is leaving mid July~ Jerry is leaving mid Aug. Sad!


Oh yea, the boys created Korean names for me and Bern. I like them. They went through the effort to make it as close as possible to our Chinese names (but really, only our last names were very accurate).
Bern = IM BO-MI (Bomi is a very popular Korean name, I knew 4 Bomi's in Korea. It suits Bern 'cause her nickname is "Bunny" and if you say Bomi in a certain way, it sounds like Bunny! or maybe you can even hear "Bher-ni[ce]" lol so I think it really really suits Bern!).
Me = OH SO-NA (Very unique apparently - only 1 other person has this (full) name in Korea lol - you can check online! The "So" is close to my middle character of my Chinese name "little".. and the "na" resembles "Natasha". It's funny how easy it is to write (and say) my name in so many languages)


Anyway, thanks to M for letting me borrow her camera. Good day, especially since it warmed up! I shall get my Canon S90 within the next month if I find time (and someone) to go down and pick it up from the States with me. :)

June 18, 2010

Make Up Your Mind

You know what would make my life so much easier? If they just had a mini mini mini Cafe Artigiano booth here at City Square. I can't afford to walk all the way down to Broadway during my break! 2.5 blocks away takes way too much time.... (and I don't walk slowly) oh but their Spanish Lattes are totally worth the effort. mmmmmmm I shall get one after work.


Anyway, currently liking LV's new Delightful Monogram GM! Single shoulder strap.. could possibly get the leather strap to convert it to across the shoulder. Classy and everyday. Like like like.
Some other things from the site that I sure wouldn't mind.
Considering how often I wear belts (not actually to hold my bottoms up, though), I should invest in one that costs more than $10, don't you think?




Jewelry Case. Oooo
Gucci almost always disappoints me...


Diane Von Frustenberg - pretty dress (Neiman Marcus)
And... I wouldn't say I get "suckered" into these sorts of pieces of versatility, but I kind of think this is neat.... (Bloomingdales)


Weekend! I had my convocation this morning. I guess I'm glad I went, but I almost fell asleep during the speeches... and who holds convocation at 9:45AM?! They should all be at 11AM or after. 


Oh forget it. I'm going down to Artigiano. Helllooooo Spanish Latte :9

June 17, 2010

Darn... Someone Just Opened A Bag of Chips...


June 16, 2010

Style Dot Com Resort 2011

Was browsing through the runway resort collection. This Lanvin dress is, to me, the epitome of a designer resort dress! Perfectly flowy, lightweight and drape-y and all around relaxingly chic and... PERFECT!
Another great resort dress by Emilio Pucci
Most of his other stuff looks kind of Austin Powers-ish...
This is a cute dress though. I'd wear that print.
What a great blazer
Ooolala


Watch Rachel Zoe wear this dress in the near future...


Givenchy!!!! I looove this outfit!
This is pretty cute
I was anticipating a pretty decent collection from the Olsen twins' label, The Row, but I only partially liked one outfit.... Most wasn't remotely flattering.

Celine makes some great bags. Adore the clutch.

I love white...

Couple of pretty gowns over at Badgley Mischka
Chanel's breezy retro-inspired florals (not posting the retro-fit ones.... think ruffly jumpsuits.)
Cute
Sheer tops! Love this trend.
The obi sash belt is still in style/in style again...
Adorable!
How to wear pattern on pattern
Burberry Prorsum
How come their outfits are so dark and heavy and look like they're for Fall? (Confused... apparently some resort = Fall collection.......??)
Perfect Fall shoes.. I must get a pair of booties this Fall. No exceptions.
Alexander Wang
Neat trench
Uh.. was he inspired by Karl Lagerfeld or something? What's with the turtleneck for a resort collection?
See the resemblance?
Love the colours for Rag & Bone. My sort of Fall colours.
Louis Vuitton
Very wearable pieces happening at Marc by Marc Jacobs....
Marc Jacobs is all about being a cute grandma...


Stella McCartney
Super lovely cape!!
The sort of masculine outfit I would wear. Great blazer. Can't help but think I've seen it before this collection from another designer....
Nice feminine ice lilac dress
How mod. Love how the little bit of lace peeks from underneath to subtly soften the look.
So there are my picks!