DIY PAPER BAG ENVELOPE CLUTCH

Crochet Top: Vintage (From my mom)

High-waisted Shorts: Handmade

American flag clutch: DIY

Shoes: Colin Stuart, $12

Tomorrow's the big day guys... I was planning on getting 17 hours of sleep in preparation of the SAT like I did last Friday but that would have required me to go to sleep at 2 pm... So I decided to edit some pictures instead! This top is my mom's, the shorts are one of the projects I did in my fashion design class last semester, and the shoes are from Victoria's Secret. VS online has really great deals when they have sales on shoes and swimsuits :) Anyways, after the SAT, I'll be doing the photoshoot for a birthday party, and then after that, I get to go volunteer at a crab feed with my school's Interact Club! Did I mention, I LOVE CRAB?! I have a seafood addiction! Especially shrimp, lobster, and abalone. Yum. Well, I will check in with you all later this weekend! Thank you for all the lovely comments! I have many comments to return over the course of the next few days ;) Wish me luck on my test!

And here are the instructions on how to make the paper bag clutch out of only 2 paper shopping bags:

Supplies required: 2 paper shopping bags, masking tape, and scissors.
Optional: paint (I used acrylic because it dries really quickly. For the design I did, you will need red, white, and dark blue paint, but that's kind of obvious :P), paintbrushes, a hot glue gun, studs, fringe, or any other embellishments you would like to add!

DIY Paper Bag Envelope Clutch! (see more)

Warning: There are a lot of photos to load.

PHOENIX

Hat: Forever 21

Top: Forever 21

Leggings: Courtesy of Oasap.com, $28.

Today I'm wearing the leggings that Oasap.com sent to me :D I'm happy to expand my closet in terms of pants since I really only alternate between 3 pairs; I prefer tights most of the time. But these leggings are a happy medium because they have the sheer mesh (which is actually much thicker than your typical tights so you don't have to worry about it ripping) and the more structural qualities of the faux leather. They are eye-catching without actually being that revealing in my opinion. If you guys like these leggings, you should take a look around on the website! :)

I have some more exciting news! I'm doing a paid photoshoot this weekend and am quite ecstatic to have been asked :) I'm shooting 9 girls for a birthday party photoshoot so it should be rather fun! However, I won't get to enjoy taking the photoshoot pictures until I finish taking the SAT that morning :( So I'm sorry if I'm taking a while to reply back to you all, I just want to get the SAT out of the way first, but wanted to take a break to post an outfit today.

Right now, in my fashion design class at school, I'm working on a simple cotton dress with tie straps and a sash in the middle. I'm using only white cotton, because I plan on practicing some dying techniques on it afterwards! I normally like to pursue more complicated projects but I know that I don't need to add any more stress to what I already have. I hope all of you guys are doing well though! Have a wonderful Thursday!

PS: Eunice from MissDanbee.blogspot.com was so kind as to give me the Liebster Blog Award, and I just wanted to say thank you, and I hope you guys will also take the time to check her blog out as well :)

BEADED HAIR

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to be more creative with my hair. I have it down 99% of the time. It's almost painful for me to have my hair up in a ponytail all day because 1) my hair is stubborn and because it's been down for so long, it is not used to being worn up so as a result, it hurts my scalp 2) I have a lot of hair so that adds even more weight to it. I usually get pretty bad headaches and pains if I wear a ponytail the entire day. That feeling when I take the hair tie out though- that just feels amazing however. It must have to do with why it feels good when people play with our hair. I wonder what it must feel like to be a dog that is petted all the time :)

Anyways, one of the things I have recently stumbled unto is beaded hair! I was particularly inspired by this photo of Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film, Cleopatra. I feel like this is such a creative way to adorn your hair without doing anything permanent to it. It reminds me of those little hair beader things that you might have had as a kid. I had one but I didn't think it looked that great on me then. (Probably because all the beads were neon colors though) Now that I see the gold beading on Cleopatra's hair, I am in love! I also adore the gold thread she has wrapped around her braids. This is definitely something I want to try with my hair soon. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to braid every single part of my hair but maybe just a few strands on each side would be enough for me. :)

POLKA DOT FIELDS

Beanie: H&M ($6)

Polka Dot Top: Forever 21 ($13)

Floral Print Dress: Forever 21 ($16)

Tights: Forever 21 ($4)

Bag: Urban Outfitters ($7)

Cuffs: Forever 21 ($3 each)

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

I love mixing prints because they can add a lot more dimension to your outfits! Polka dots and floral aren't something I'd normally think to pair together but sometimes it's the oddest combinations that give you the best results! (Speaking of which, peanut butter and nacho-cheese dorito sandwiches are REALLY GOOD; you guys have to trust me on this!!)

This dress is one of my favorites because the flowers have a painted-on effect. Any garment that is reminiscent of paint strokes always catches my eye :) Speaking of paint, National Portfolio Day went really well for me and I'm so glad I went and will do a more detailed write-up on it later!

At my school, we, as juniors, will be registering for our senior year classes soon and I am so excited about next year! You guys always hear me complaining about how I am dying with the workload but don't feel that bad for me because it's all self inflicted. If I utilized 100% of my time efficiently, I could watch a movie every night if I wanted to. The thing is, that is not humanly possible for me. I just learned to accept that procrastination is inevitable for me. If I were to go home everyday and start my homework right when I walked into my room and do all of it through with no breaks whatsoever, I would not even last a week.

The good news is I finally get to have only 5 CLASSES next year!! The work load will probably be the same though because I am signing up for 4 AP classes and taking Fashion Design 3. What I'm looking forward to the most is being able to leave school before noon every other day. So I could use this time to catch up a little on sleep, or take pictures when the sun is still out during the Winter, and I have all this extra time to devote to the finishing touches of my art portfolio. And I will have no stress whatsoever about college exams because they will be done with. And my art portfolio will be done too. And then I can finally breathe a sigh of relief :')

And on a closing note, if I suddenly go MIA next week, it's because of SATs on the 28th. If I hit my goal score on my first official try, half my stress will be gone. I'm going to wear all my lucky clothing that day!

I'LL TELL YOU YOUR FORTUNE

Turban: DIY (Tutorial here)

Glasses: From a friend

Cross Necklace: Vintage

Galaxy Bustier: Thrift ($5)

Vest: Vintage (My Mom's!)

Belt: Forever 21

Maxi Skirt: Vintage (Also my Mom's)

Boots: Steve Madden

Hi guys! Today, I'm wearing a DIY turban that you can make in under 10 minutes, probably in 5 minutes if you have much experience sewing though :) This is an easy project that you can do to use up any leftover scrap fabric, and they make great gifts for friends!

I love this bustier and the way it photographs. I originally found it at a thrift store for $5, but it was in a size Large. It was such a unique piece though and I was determined to have it so I bought it and cut out some fabric from the sides and then sewed it back up and now it fits perfectly! You can snag up a lot of good deals by altering sale pieces!

The printed vest and the maxi skirt are both from my Mom's closet. I keep taking things from her! :P This skirt was also rather fun to take pictures in. I encourage you all to raid your parent's closets. Also, don't leave out your Dad's closet if you only plan on looking through your Mom's. I take all my giant oversized sweaters from him :D

I'm also really excited because my Fashion Design teacher invited me to come talk at the booth for next week's incoming 9th grade orientation! So I will get to talk to the current 8th grades about taking Fashion as an elective next year :) My sister is going into highschool too and I am forcing her to take Fashion >:D Thank you all for your comments! I promise to comment back on all your blogs; it just may take me a few days because of school and all :)

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

Hat: Forever 21

Sunglasses: From a friend

Swan Top: H&M ($12)

Military Jacket: Abercrombie and Fitch ($120)

Belt: Forever 21 ($3)

Faux Suede Pants: H&M ($14)

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

So my Dad repaired my remote and now it is good as new! :) It turns out that the giant batch of batteries we bought just had a lot of defective ones. But after throwing out a couple more, we finally found one that actually worked. The batteries are very cheap though so it is not a big deal. Last night, I watched the Reichenbach Falls episode of BBC Sherlock. IT WAS THE SADDEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. I was sobbing uncontrollably. There was no literal waterfall in the actual episode; rather, I believe that the writers intended for the real waterfalls to be the tears of the audience. I do not know how I will survive the minimum of 18 months until the 3rd season :(

Onto the outfit, I don't usually wear pants but it was 30 degrees this morning so I made the right choice.  It's going to rain for 5 days straight (probably because the clouds are also crying over BBC Sherlock). But my sister and I prepared by taking a couple of our outfit photos in advance when it was still sunny yesterday ;) I also don't wear this jacket as often as I should. I got it at Abercrombie and Fitch during their after-Christmas sale in 2010. I had actually been stalking it online but when it went out of stock online, I freaked out because it wasn't even a sale item at that point! We went to the store and only found one left (my size thankfully) and my mom let me buy it then due to the circumstances :) However, I recommend you all wait to buy any outerwear you see at A&F until they bring in their new season of clothing and discount the last. This happens 90% of the time (given the item does not go out of stock). We have purchased so many coats that have been marked down from $150 to only $50. And there is almost always a large selection of colors and sizes to still pick from if you go right when the sale starts.

These sunglasses, I actually stole from my friend Jared ;P "Steal" sounds kind of harsh so I should explain that I borrowed them for my Sherlock Holmes costume and notified him I would be keeping them hostage; he has made no effort since to retrieve them so now they are mine :D Jared and I are both 16 and he is an outstanding musician and is gifted with crazy talent. He has his own Youtube channel where he often posts the melodies he improvs on the piano, or the tunes he creates on his own on the computer. In return for these glasses, the least I can do is help promote him back :) If you guys have time, I encourage you to check out his videos here!

ESKIMO SUMMER

Furry Hat: H&M ($15)

Wooly Coat: Piko 1988 ($58)

Floral Corset: Forever 21 ($13)

Cheetah Print Skirt: H&M

Ruffled Vest: H&M ($17)

Socks: Target ($3)

Shoes: Steve Madden

Today is National Portfolio Day! I'm feeling anxious but I think I'm more scared about the actual LINES. I hear horror stories of lines that move only 10 feet every hour, especially for the more popular schools. D: I personally can't stand lines; it's one of those weird personal quirks. But San Francisco is no small city so I can imagine the crowd will be even larger. The colleges I want to see for sure are Parsons, FIT, Otis, and RISD. Hopefully I have time for more but I know that waiting an hour in one line would not be unusual either. I will update you guys on how it went afterwards.

Also my Nikon wireless remote broke today :( It's been iffy in the past with the infrared sensor catching the signal but a new battery usually fixed it. Today we changed the battery twice and it still didn't work. I guess that was all my remote had in him D: For $20 I was expecting this to last at least a year considering that most other wireless remotes are under $10... it's only been a little over 4 months... So if any of you are planning on buying a remote, I would look into a different brand. I'll let you all know when I get a new one though! Luckily, I ran into the house and begged my sister to help me and she saved the day :)

Wish me luck today and Happy Saturday to you all!

TOXIC

Fedora: Forever 21 ($5)

Marbled Dress: H&M ($10)

Orange Skirt: Forever 21 ($16)

Flannel Shirt: Pacsun

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

I've been trying to experiment with mixing more prints and I decided to pair this marble print with the plaid from a flannel shirt. I think that the flannel shirt deserves an exception from the supposed faux pas of even tying anything around your waist. I do think that only looks bad when it's a bulky sweatshirt that doesn't match though. This shirt is lightweight enough and within the same color scheme as the top that they work together in my opinion. Scarves are another item I want to experiment with by tying around the waist; they give off a gypsy feel. I'd love to find one of those scarves that have the coin trim on them!

The funny thing is that I exiled these socks into the corner of my closet. They are actually old Nike crew socks that I kept for when I did track and field last year and thought I would never wear them again now that I'm not doing sports at school. But nonetheless, they found their way back into my closet and I think they add the right amount of white accents to compliment the white in the top. Lastly, I was so happy to see that my look from yesterday made it onto the homepage of Chictopia today too! :)

RAINDROPS ON ROSES AND WHISKERS ON KITTENS

Beanie: H&M ($6)

Cross Necklace: Vintage

Sweater: Vintage ($5)

Skirt: H&M ($17)

Wooly Coat: Piko 1988 ($58)

Lace Tights: Forever 21 ($6)

Lace Up Boots: Steve Madden ($50)

I'm wearing all my favorite colors today! It might not match to most people but it sure brightens my mood whenever I have on a bright outfit :) Fuchsia has been a favorite color since I was young but I've recently fallen in love with these minty seafoam, rusty orange, and mustard colors. This is the coat I recently thrifted and although it is more than I would want to pay for a coat, I do not regret this purchase at all as it is one of the few lightweight but warm coats I own. I hate bulky layers because they make me feel uncomfortable and it's also inconvenient if I take off a bulky coat at school when I already have so many things to carry around. You may have noticed I tried the whole layering white crew socks over your tights and boots look, and I must say I quite like it because it really lengthens your calves.

In other news, I am now sponsored by Oasap.com and I picked out the cutest leggings and I'm super excited to take pictures and show you guys when they arrive! :D My little sister has not posted in a while to Lookbook either but we are planning to take pictures together this 3-day weekend. If you want to look at her profile you can see it here. Everyone says we look alike and there have been many instances where people from school mistake my sister for me at the mall! Well that's all until tomorrow :) I love all my readers so much. You guys really help make my junior year a lot more bearable and exciting!

YOU PAINTED ME WITH PASTEL

Hat: Forever 21 ($5)

Sweater: Vintage ($18)

Dress: H&M ($20)

Furry Coat: Forever 21 ($28)

Shoes: Wt. Mountain

This is my first outfit post of 2012! I'm so happy to be posting my outfits again, it's been over 2 weeks now and I've gone into Lookbook withdrawal :( Anyways, this is one of my favorite dresses; it's one of those pieces you just have sitting in your closet going to waste because it doesn't get the wear it deserves. I originally bought it to wear at my final exhibition for the pre college art program I did during the summer! I found it in the sale section at H&M for $20. It's one of the rare dresses that actually fits me quite well in the bodice but it's really low cut unfortunately. Sadly, that was the only time I wore this dress for months. As I was going through my closet again this weekend, I started wishing that this dress had the skirt piece separate, then thought "why don't I just wear something over it?". I can't believe I didn't think of that before :P Throwing a sweater or more casual top over a fancy dress is a great way to make it wearable for the day.

On another note, this is quite random but WhatIWear, a new fashion networking site similar to Lookbook, emailed me to let me know that they featured one of my old looks in one of their videos! I'm only in it for like 0.8 seconds but I was still so flattered xD Here is the video if you want to see, you can see me at 0:14... They are giving out really nice prizes like an iPad 2 so some of you might want to check it out!

See you guys tomorrow! The weather is on my side this week :)

THRIFTING FINDS

This weekend, I went thrifting with a few of my friends :) I wasn't looking for anything in particular, in fact I was planning on not buying anything; I simply wanted to get out of the house again and spend some time relaxing before break was over. I tend to overwork myself, even during the Christmas break, I can never truly "relax" because I am always aware, maybe too aware, of the future and what needs to be accomplished. Consider it a blessing and a curse. This keeps me very focused and I'm able to accomplish whatever I set my mind to eventually, however, my stress level does not go down during these breaks. I may stop worrying about homework, but my mind will shift to worrying about college exams and applications. :/

Shopping with my friends is one of the few things that is a complete stress reliever for me. One of the reasons is because it takes me out of the house into a place where nothing will trigger my stress. I don't even need to buy anything, I just like helping my friends find things that they like and giving them my opinion. I did end up buying some things though :) The first item is a fuzzy, wooly coat. This was one of the first things I saw and even after glancing at the price tag and deciding to walk away, I came back to it 10 minutes later. I spent forever debating wether or not to get it because the price tag was $58.00 (By the way, this was a completely new piece, it was not worn previously so that would help account for it's higher price) and I was trying to only buy things that were in the $20 and under range because I had just gone shopping at the mall recently. Note to self: Don't try something on if you are not prepared to willingly fork out the money for it! :( But I tried it on, despite the voice in the back of my head, and I fell in love with it. Mainly because of the beautiful rusty, orange color and the soft, wooly texture. But also because it kept reminding me of Sherlock Holmes' old, beat-up robe from the first movie!

I know it doesn't look the exact same but I couldn't calm my fangirl instinct :D I put it on hold and decided that if I still wanted it at the end of the day and hadn't made any other big purchases, I would come back for it (which I did). The second piece is a minty green, knit wool Bebe sweater from Goodwill. It was only $5.50 and was in my size too :) It's super soft and has a nice thickness. I'm going to pair it with my fuchsia skirt soon! And then the last item is a vintage silverware plate which was $7. I really like going to the Goodwill and looking through their fancy plates and containers because they are very cheap and make beautiful jewelry organizers. Plus, I always see these types of jewelry organizers being sold at Urban Outfitters but for $20-30, in which case, I'd rather just buy more jewelry than buy an overpriced organizer! Anyways, school starts again on Tuesday for me so I will finally get back into the routine of posting my outfits which I'm very excited about. Until then, have a wonderful day :)

RED OMBRE HAIR

I've always found ombre hair to be gorgeous, and so much more eye-catching than an all-over change in hair color. Another hair obsession I have is for vibrant, fiery red hair. I love my dark brown hair but if I had red hair, I would find that wearing dark blues and charcoal greys would not look as boring with the added pop of color!  With my love of ombre hair and red hair, I wonder why more people don't try this combination instead? It's a nice twist to the usual light brown and blonde ombre hair. My all time favorite example of red ombre hair is Suzy's from Beneath The Glass!

It transitions from her dark hair very well into the fiery hues of red. Plus her hair accentuates her boots so well! (Or vice versa). For anyone who is lusting after Rihanna's hair color, this could be another option for you to get your red hair fix. Not only do I love Suzy's hair but I also love every single thing in her wardrobe. She is one of my favorite fashion bloggers :) I hope you guys stop by her blog because I'm always inspired by her outfits!

Here is another photo of red ombre hair. This one has three tones of fading, going from a deep chestnut brown into a burgundy (even has a violet tinge) and then into a fiery, more orange-toned red. When the colors fade perfectly into eachother, ombre hair is so visually pleasing! I definitely think that if more people choose to continue the ombre trend into 2012, they should go for red instead!

NEW DRAWINGS AND NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Happy New Years everyone! I want to show you all some new drawings that I did! Both have been done with Ebony pencils although my camera made the one on the right look a lot darker. They're kind of crinkly because I actually did them on printer paper just to practice doodling and then ended up finishing the entire portrait. I also get really intense when I'm drawing so I'm not surprised it got crinkled :P The one on the left is Robert Downey Jr and was done in 20 minutes, while the one on the left is Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman from BBC's Sherlock (By the way, I watched the first episode of Season 2 and I'm still speechless) and was done in 30 minutes.

I also wanted to share my New Years Resolutions! I know that this will be the hardest year of highschool by far, and I'm not measuring it by grade level, but in terms of months from January to December because of the college preparation and application process. I found that while the first semester of my junior year was not a piece of cake like sophomore year, I was still able to adjust... somewhat. With the transition into the new year, what that means to me is that COLLEGE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited to graduate and go off to college but it really seemed that only one day ago, SATs, ACTs, and APs were a thing only to be extensively worried about for upperclassmen. Funny how quickly you find yourself in those shoes!

My one goal is to keep my sanity! It was quite unsettling to see how some of my classmates simply just lost it at finals week, or just flat out gave up. I don't really blame them because everyone has a different amount of stress and work load that they can individually handle. However, the mentality that drives me is "Do not allow yourself to have any 'What ifs?' later in life". Meaning that although I could ease up on worrying about grades and instead focus that time on only art since I want to attend an art school, I would much rather make the time to focus on both. This is because I want to do everything in my power to be the strongest applicant I can possibly be. I would not want to look back later in life and ask myself "I wonder how things might have been better if I had really pushed myself full force to get the best possible grades I possibly could?". If even after giving my 110% and I still do not get into my dream college, I will not feel regretful because I will at least know I did all that I could and if it's not meant to be, then so be it.

I have a second goal, but it seems to apply more broadly. I think that people who can naturally prioritize and balance time efficiently, have a true gift. There are 4 major things on my mind right now: homework, college exams, artwork, and blogging. Sometimes there is no choice but to give and take in order to get things done, but I hope that will push myself to balance all 4 of these things to the best of my ability. As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting my outfits as much during the break, for I've become really absorbed in my artwork. 2012 is going to be the year that I can cover all bases and go full force against whatever life throws in my way. And with that said, I want to say thank you again to all my readers <3 I hope that you too see 2012 as an opportunity for you to fully reach your goals, and if you are not already in the process of doing so, to find it within yourself to start the chase!