Lazy Texan

  

Thrifted flannel & top, Zara jeans, Sam Edelman ankle boots

These photos were taken yesterday when my boyfriend and I got back from lunch. The water in my apartment complex got turned off for a few hours so this is what I look like, un-showered and really full off of chicken wings.

For those of you who don't know, that is a cannon on my t-shirt and not a penis. The text says, "COME AND TAKE IT" which was a patriotic battle-cry at Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution. It was the first battle of the Revolution and who do you think won? Yep. Now you know.

Outer Sunset

Uniqlo top & pants, Charlotte Russe shoes, Baggu tote

I just came back from spending two weeks in San Francisco (again). I got to see the future house I'll be living in once I make the big move and I got to spend more time with my future roomies. We had a house-warming party (since they officially moved in a couple of weeks ago) and the theme was 2001: Space Odyssey, despite none of us having seen the film. But 2001 is our street number and we all like space so, that works right? I even made a solar system on our kitchen ceiling, and thought I was pretty effin' awesome for it. But seriously, it was so good! Man, I'm so humble.

 

On this day in particular, Hoan and I had brunch at Starbelly, which was alright. Afterwards, we headed to The Creme Brulee Cart on Market & Castro to get some delicious, delicious dessert. A few feet away, there was a naked man selling his art on the street corner. Oh, San Francisco. Where else can I get willies and creme brulee all within 10 feet of each other?

About these pants though... I got them on sale from Uniqlo for $12 and they are the perfect brunch pants for no reason other than they have an elastic waistband. I mean, come on.

Broxfords

A.P.C. sweater, Zara pants, UO brogues, Baggu tote

I tend not to be too picky in general, but I had the perfect, most simple brogue oxfords in mind for the longest time. I thought the concept was simple enough to warrant waiting patiently because I mean... how hard could it be? Unfortunately, most places seem to think that female oxfords are supposed to be flimsy, pleather, brogue-ish ballet flats. So I went back to my roots and tried thrifting a pair, but that wasn't very fruitful either. Then one of my friends mentioned that Urban Outfitters was having a humongous sale and, while I usually opt out of UO due to negative previous experiences, I decided to check out what they had. Surprisingly, I found THE style of oxfords I'd been searching for and every bit as masculine-looking as I would have hoped. Here's to hoping they prove their $25 worth!



Photos by Patrick Lu

I had plans to hang out with Nicolai and Patrick a few days after my UO package arrived, so I used that as an excuse to break them in. Thankfully, we did a good amount of walking and the night ended with some east side bar-hoppin' and kick-ass pizza from Bufalina. If you live in Austin and haven't visited this place yet, please just stop what you're doing, stop reading this and go. Like, right now. Go.

Hi waist

Everlane tee, F21 pants, Mizmooz clogs, Casio watch, thrifted purse

I went to San Francisco this month to hang out with the boyfriend and continue to get to know the city. I worked the entire time I was there, so it wasn't necessarily a vacation though my appetite thought differently. Seriously though - I ate so much food. So many cheap Asian noms - ramen, sushi, dim sum, chicken wings, milk tea, blarrghhhhh.

Right before these photos, Hoan and I ate some Smitten ice cream that we waited almost an hour for. This explains why I look so pissed. I don't like having to wait an hour for ice cream regardless of how good it is. But to be fair, their ice cream is pretty damn tasty.

Homie

HUFSF hat, Everlane tee, Zara jeans & shoes

I think I may have found a place to take photos in my new apartment. Trust me, it's harder than it sounds, especially considering how small my place is. So great news! You get a little-tiny-baby peek at my living area. Maybe someday I'll post more photos, but don't hold your breath (hey, name that old-school Nickelodeon show!).

In this picture, I was going on day three of not washing my hair. Wait, let me preface by saying that I religiously wash my hair every damn day. I love a clean scalp. I love shampoo. My girlfriends and the Internet have told me the negative effects of constant washing, but I never listened (aka I'm stubborn). However, I've recently decided to cultivate a friendship with dry shampoo, so I'm interchanging hats + messy buns on days like this. Not to mention the last time I tried to incorporate this hat into my wardrobe, it was an epic fail. So here I am trying to make up for it, dirty hair and all.






I have to say, I'm a pretty big fan of this combination. It's not too feminine (which I'm very much not) and it also doesn't delve too far into "urban wear" (which I will never be able to pull off). I will say that I feel kind of awkward wearing this hat since I'm not a sk8r, but it was a gift so that should negate my lack of credibility, right? Maybe.

White days

 Zara top, American Apparel skirt, MizMooz clogs

This was supposed to be a "minimalist" take on an outfit, but I failed so hard. My thoughts were, "Oh hey, I'm wearing lots of white and some brown... Only two colors... I bet that's minimalist." But it's not. My outfits are simple enough, so I guess I thought it'd be an easier concept to understand, but it's not that easy, people.




 
These photos were taken by my friend Patrick on a day when three of us decided to go on an Austin adventure and ride the (relatively) new MetroRail. After some east side 'splorin' and making a new four-legged doggy friend (really regretted wearing white at this point), we ended up at newly-opened Qui, a restaurant owned by the Austin-based top chef winner that so many Austinites are in love with. We didn't order food, but we were graciously treated to free drinks that I was not about to turn down. I mean, c'mon, Girls- and Game-of-Thrones*-themed cocktails? Yes, please.



*I don't watch Game of Thrones, whoops.

Brick house

 
 ASOS dungarees, Miz Mooz clogs, Rayban wayfarers
Here's an anecdote: When I was in New York last month, Hoan and I decided to go to Momofuku Noodle Bar to get our ramen fix. We were waiting for our orders to arrive and having some light conversation when a couple was seated beside us. The girl sized me up, complimented me on my overalls and asked where I got them, to which I replied, "Thanks! They were on sale at ASOS." I didn't really give her a second thought until I looked over at her table a few minutes later, and she had her iPhone out, credit card in hand. One glance at her screen and I could see that she was buying the exact overalls I had on.



 
Can you see my tanline? I "laid out" for the first time in my life. It was weird.

I don't really care about people having the same clothes as I do because it's pretty much inevitable, unless I get filthy rich or... well, that's about it. I just thought it was amusing how quick she was to whip out the card and make the purchase. I've since left that city (with every intention of coming back, of course) and I can only hope she is doing these overalls justice until I can return.

...Psh, but who am I kidding - she lives in NYC and obviously has enough taste to buy something I had (OBVI...), so I'm probably better off keeping an eye out for whatever the next trend might be. To be honest, I was definitely not expecting overalls to be back with such a vengeance. But little did I know...

Publish my love

 
 H&M hat, Everlane shirt, Thrifted skirt & bag, Dolce Vita booties

I've worn this hat so many times over the past month or so, to make up for the four or five months it was just sitting in my closet. I got it for less than $10 at H&M during the post-holiday season madness, to serve as my foray into wearing non-functional headgear (see: anything other than a bike helmet). Thankfully, this hat goes with most things, so I'm slowly getting used to it. But one thing I'll never get used to... hat hair.



 

On an unrelated note: I've been using Rdio for the past few weeks, namely just listening to this playlist over and over. The interface is a lot more pleasant to look at than Spotify's (blegh, green and black), not to mention the lack of ads interrupting my playist is so refreshing. If you're in the market for a different streaming experience (lol, I swear I'm not being paid to say this), then I'd definitely recommend it. Users get free music for up to six months, and then subscriptions start at $5. I'm considering paying for the service once the six months are up, and believe me, I avoid paying for ANYTHING if I can help it.

Snippets

Yes, I am such a terrible blogger. Sometimes life gets in the way, you know? I'm sure that's a really tired excuse, but what can I say other than it's true. So because I've been slackin' and I still don't have anything substantial to post... I'm gonna cheat!

Here's what I've been up to as told by Instagram:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I went to NYC with Hoan for four days to celebrate our belated five-year anniversary. Long distance is no joke, so I definitely value whatever time we can scrounge up to spend together. Four days in this city was FAR from enough (seriously, I feel like we barely did much of anything), so that just means we need to visit again soon. Too bad AirBnB is no longer going to be an option. So lame. NYC y u wanna take all my $$$?



 
 
 

Hoan flew back to Texas with me to celebrate my birthday and spend a couple of weeks visiting friends and family before he went back to San Francisco. Since he left, I've been avoiding withdrawals by keeping busy with seeing my own friends, studying for the upcoming GRE (shudder), and working on my ever-growing list of goals. Speaking of, I should probably go back to studying now. This was a good... 45-minute break from flash cards and math reviews. Man, why did I wait so long after undergrad to take this thing? Here's a tip: Don't wait so long after undergrad to take this thing!

I'll be back soon.

Neighborhood

 
Thrifted top, American Apparel skirt, Sam Edelman booties, thrifted purse

I visit my old 'hood every Sunday when I drive to my parents' house in south Austin. Most of my friends are surprised that I see them so often, but I think if I didn't see my family at least once a week, I'd start to feel pretty homesick. And I mean, I know they're only 20 minutes away, but... still.


 
Blogging here is kind of awkward. I'm not used to expressing things that I actually know other people will read. But maybe I'll get used to it.

Anyhow, my life's been pretty busy lately. Work has been wearing me out more than usual. And I've found myself with something to do every single night of the week, whether that be studying for the GRE, writing articles, job hunting, or going on outings with friends. Or trying to find time to Skype with the boyfriend. Or yoga. Or finishing up Doctor Who. I'm just trying to get through the next week and a half, because then I'll be on my way to NYC! It'll be a much needed break, to say the least.

P.S. My sister is the best stand-in photographer boyfriend ever. <3

Spring List

It's April! That means it's summer time in Texas, but in the rest (well, most) of the US, that actually means what it's supposed to - sunshine, cool evenings, and the regrowth of foliage. I'm still reeling from the negative financial effects of getting a new car, so any spring-related items I'm looking at buying have to be simple, versatile, and within budget. That's what I tell myself anyway.

1. A.P.C. Large Pouch - I love clutches. This pouch is also 100% cotton which means I can use it as much as I want without fear of ruining it forever because I'll actually be able to clean it. Plus, the simplicity of it means I can pair this with all the floral prints I want.
2. J.Crew Panama Hat - A neutral hat to wear with said floral prints. I'm trying to get more accustomed to hats and just wearing things on my head in general. Not to mention this is a fair enough distance from a fedora for me to not feel like a douche when I'm in public.
3. Swedish Hasbeens Heart Sandals - To me, these shoes are a symbol of innocent, fun times in the park with your boyfriend, and you're wearing a dress and a sunhat, then he starts playfully chasing you around, but you trip and you both fall in the grass, then he falls on top of you and you're about to kiss and then I forgot where I was going with this.
4. Zara Leather Sandal - This is that sexy, strappy heel that every fashion blogger and their mother has, but can you really blame them? No, because it's freakin' perfect.
5. Timex Expansion Watch - I've been in need of a gold watch, a simple one that won't cost me an arm and a leg. I bought my boyfriend a Timex Weekender, which I almost kept for myself, so I'm going to say that this one will suffice. 
6. Baggu Duckbag - Baggu had a recent site overhaul, so this navy blue bag is no longer available. They still carry this version albeit in a bright blue, but that doesn't really matter since the polka dots are the most important part anyway, right?
7. Claire Vivier Foldover - Look at this thing. It's simple, classy, feminine and leather - every adjective I would use to describe myself on a good day. So it only makes sense. (I meant, I'm smooth like leather.)

Foliage

Thrifted top, Zara pants, Miz Moo clogs, Baggu duckbag
So my sister was like, "Help me buy some jeans!" So I was all, "Alright, let's go shopping!" And then she was like, "Whoo!" So I took her to H&M, Zara, and Forever21; she didn't buy any jeans.

When we got back to my apartment, I asked her to take some photos as my stand-in "photographer boyfriend." She didn't like that I called her that.