an afternoon with Shelley (guest starring Lady Danger!)

I've been on the internet for as long as I can remember. 

Actually, looking back, I think I was one of the first kids in my community/circle of friends whose family got internet at home (my dad worked with computers). 

That being said, I've experienced various phases of the Internet through the social media platforms that fueled them. Be it talking about fan theories on forums, filling out surveys on the Myspace bulletins, discovering the world of fanfiction, making Livejournal icons -- yeah, each are parts of my past I look back at fondly...with the occasional cringe. 

Some of my most formative years were those I spent on Livejournal. Before Tumblr came into the picture, rather than scrolling through a blue dashboard and laughing at gifs, I'd be reading my fellow friends' journals and posts from communities who shared my interests. There are many aspects of Livejournal I miss terribly -- I liked the privacy, the communication system (Tumblr asks and replies just aren't the same), and the general sense of family I feel is easily lost in the image-heavy nature of Tumblr. Don't get me wrong: I do like Tumblr, I've been on there since 2008...but there are just certain parts of it that cannot compare to Livejournal. 

Anyway, I've made great friends at Livejournal, and have kept in touch with some of them since most of us have migrated over to Tumblr. Today I got to meet one of my longtime internet friends, Shelley! We've known each other for so long (around 8 or 9 years) that neither of us even remember how we came across each other, apart from our shared interest in Harry Potter (the fandom from which many of my earliest and oldest internet friendships stem from).

She was here in San Francisco for the weekend and I got to spend a few hours with her today. 

After meeting up at Coffee Bean we walked over to Cako Bakery for some cupcakes. I wouldn't say I'm a major sweet tooth but I really love their cupcakes! I've had their macarons in the past, though in terms of San Francisco macarons I'd still say Chantal Guillon is my favorite. 

We ate them over at Union Square Park (less crowded than it is on the weekends, but it's still a tourist spot so there was still a crowd) while reminiscing about the Livejournal days. I tend to be more open with friends I've met through the internet (even while we're talking in public) as I've basically got nothing to hide from them. Since I've known Shelley for so long and since she practically watched me grow up via Livejournal entries, I rambled on and on about those golden days.

Then we stopped by the newly opened MAC Cosmetics store. I wasn't planning on purchasing anything -- I've managed to get by just lusting over the Lady Danger shade for several months now -- but one of the employees applied it for me and...well, I caved. It's my first MAC lipstick and I'm already ridiculously impressed with it. I've always wondered if it was worth the price and oh man it definitely is.

Our last stop was Yerba Buena gardens where we relaxed (after battling with stubborn wind as we attempted to take multiple photos together). 

We said our farewells at her hotel a short walk away. Unfortunately she had to leave quite early, but I'm confident we'll see each other many times in the future! 

Another great thing about keeping in touch with internet friends is that since we're usually in different places, I don't have to worry about being alone in a new place most of the time! In fact, I've got my eye on a certain city for this spring break...but I'll save that for another post! I've got a lot ahead of me.

After our goodbye, I stuck around downtown for a while browsing clothes and accessories. I got a pair of sunglasses to replace some I broke recently. (Tip: Don't run after a train with your sunglasses on your head, because not only might you miss your train anyway, but your sunglasses might break. Mine did.) They're very cute, and reminded me of the Karen Walker Northern Lights sunglasses I hope to own one day.

Needless to say, I know which two things I'm going to be wearing a lot this season.

All in all, today was well spent. Shelley and I were lucky that the weather was absolutely perfect today! Sunny, breezy, not quite 70 degrees. After walking around a lot, that gets to be pretty hot for me, actually.

I admit I have no idea how to dress during the warmer months. (Trying to pack for New York last summer was absolute hell. Walking around New York last summer was even worse, save for the great places and great people.) Some of my favorite pieces tend to be those that are more suited for the fall and winter: coats, sweaters, boots, etc. I'm one of those. Usually I just go for one of my striped shirts and wear it with jeans or a skirt. I recently got a new striped shirt with red stripes and wore it today for the first time, and I already know it's going to be a favorite of mine this season. Breton stripe shirts go with literally everything -- I wore mine with a leather jacket.

After scoring those sunglasses this photo of Alexa more or less summarizes my simple outfit for the day, save for the shorts that I swapped for jeans instead. The Lady Danger shade matches the stripes on my shirt!

Anyway, I've got another band spotlight post coming up next. Also, I'm planning to replace my broken laptop with a new one this month, so I hope to get back to my artwork and start up some outfit posts! 

My spring break doesn't start till the 21st, and to say I'm excited would be a terrible understatement.

More details soon! Thanks for reading.

gustav klimt @ CF, art update

Hey!

I've got a lot going on right now, so I'll save a longer update for another time. For now I'm just here to link to another College Fashion article I wrote, as well a quick art update.

This time the post features outfits inspired by Gustav Klimt and his painting titled "Water Serpents II".

Read on to learn more about Klimt, and to see three outfits
inspired by his entrancing painting.

Art update: 

My laptop with all my art stuff (and programs) is still busted and I haven't replaced it yet, so I haven't been able to do any digital art. My scanner still works though -- looks like I'm going back to regular pencils for a while.

Anyway, it was only a matter of time till I drew the HAIM sisters (who I still can't stop listening to). Click the image to go to the original post on Tumblr.

I'll be back soon!

virginia frances sterrett @ CF, band spotlight (The North), and a sudden craving for white go-go boots

Hello!

Hope you've had a nice Valentine's day. I know I did -- even though it involved more window shopping and laughing at things with friends on Twitter than it did cuddles and flowers. But still, there was plenty of chocolate, and that's all that mattered to me in the long run.

This is going to be another one of those posts that cover a variety of things, so without further ado:

This past Wednesday another post of mine was published over at College Fashion, featuring outfits inspired by both Virginia Frances Sterrett's illustration for Old French Fairy Tales and some trends seen at New York Fashion Week.

  

Click here to learn more about Virginia Frances Sterrett,
and to see three outfits inspired by her imaginative illustration.

I've never really been much of a pastels person, so it was interesting to see how they played out on the runway -- especially when paired with metallics, a trend I absolutely adore. If you want to stay updated on Fashion Week season, fashin over at Livejournal is pretty consistent.

♡ ♡ ♡

Anyway, moving along now to newer things -- I never thought of creating the following section over at this blog, but for this band, I must. I don't know how often I'll lend my posts to this category, especially since I don't go out of my way to discover new bands as much as I used to, but I know there's some great groups out there that deserve more attention -- so let me know if you have any recommendations!

Band spotlight: The North

via @TheNorthBand on Instagram

I came across The North a few weeks ago on Twitter, and have been enjoying their music since. They recently had a gig over in Sheffield, for which they gave tickets to those lucky enough to be nearby, and quick enough to message them on Facebook in time!

They're described on their Reverbnation page as sounding like Kasabian, Miles Kane, The Stone Roses, Oasis, and Paul Weller. If you enjoy any of the aforementioned artists, I guarantee you'll enjoy some of the music The North has put up for streaming and download. Confident that 2014 is their year, this band certainly sounds promising to me! So far my favorite tracks are "Spiders", "Into the Fire", and "Out of Line".

If you're in the area, I'd keep my tabs on them and go to one of their shows if you can. Oh, and have extra fun for me, who is unfortunately all the way in sunny California. (Bad time to not be across the pond, huh? Don't even get me started on the excruciating wait for my favorite artists to play here. I'm not about to name names, but...)

You can listen to The North here, and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Life stuff:

+ I'm seeing Lana del Rey in April! Maybe I'll see you there?

+ I'm still debating on whether to go to the St. Vincent show in March (whose latest album was, by the way, really good). I might have to pass on that one, and tighten the purse strings a little, because...

+ ...my laptop screen broke. While the laptop itself still works, I can't see anything, so I've synced the data and have been accessing it on a desktop computer. But until I get that repaired (or get a new laptop entirely, since I've been encountering problems with it for a while now), I'll be unable to do any artwork or personal outfit posts. I miss my webcam. And Photoshop. God, I miss Photoshop.

+ I'm going for lighter hair -- a lighter brown, which will be a nice change from my super-dark-brown-to-the-point-it's-pretty-much-black hair. I have a specific shade I'm going for, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it turned out lighter than my ideal result. After years of reading reviews, I finally tried out Palty hair dye -- I highly recommend it if you have stubborn, dark, Asian hair like me that has completely refused to cooperate with American brand dyes. I don't think I left it in long enough, because it still looks the same unless you're in the sun (I tried out Raspberry Macaron), so I'll try again once I've let my hair rest for a while. But I'm definitely impressed. One thing I noticed after my experience with Palty is that, unlike with the several American brand dyes I've tried, Palty didn't dry out my hair, and left it feeling baby soft!

+ A few thrift/vintage stores in the Mission district have caught my eye, and I'm making some plans to go vintage store hopping sometime soon. I've got this 60's getup in mind, and a few pieces from which I'll be on the lookout for. (Why would I go to vintage stores looking for something I could get at any other store, anyway?) When I fall upon the 60's for style inspiration, I usually drift towards its shift dresses, hairstyles, and eye makeup -- not once have I considered the footwear. But the moment I looked over to its signature shoes, I've been thinking a lot about white go-go boots. I haven't had any luck locating something similar anywhere else -- most of my search results yield to boots of questionable quality and durability sold at costume/Halloween stores. No thanks.

+ Still on that topic: if there's an outfit I'm dying to recreate/channel, it's this one as worn by Suki Waterhouse in 2012 at London Fashion Week. It includes a refreshing, modern interpretation of go-go boots I certainly wouldn't mind seeing in my shoe cabinet:

+ I've been wasting time playing around with sets over at Polyvore. It's equal parts entertainment and torture. I don't know why I do it, though I suppose it provides me with ideas when I'm blanking out in the morning, and am in a hurry to catch my train.

+ I'll be writing up the next post for my personal style influences section soon. There's so much I want to showcase, so it's hard choosing who and what to feature next!

What I've been wearing: As much as I love my skirts, I'm definitely going back to wearing pants more often. I've also been painting my nails. I'm awful with nail art and being creative with my nails in general, but I've been wearing this metallic/holographic nail polish from Wet & Wild I got on sale a while ago, and it certainly amps up anything I wear it with, such as my favorite turtleneck.

What I've been inspired by: Ming Xi's street style. Devon Aoki, because...how can you say no to Devon Aoki?! And monochromatic outfits, such as this number from Richard Nicoll's Fall/Winter 2014 Ready-to-Wear collection:

What I've been listening to: The Raveonettes, Natalia Kills (have you seen her new video yet?), The North, and Drowners (who recently released their first album). There's also this cover of Leonard Cohen's "Memories" by The Last Shadow Puppets that I've only just come across now for some reason and, as you've probably guessed, haven't been able to stop listening to. 

What I've been reading: Still not reading anything outside of what's required for class. Since my last post, I've finished Philip Roth's Goodbye Columbus (which I enjoyed) and Willa Cather's My Antonia (which admittedly put me to sleep in a few parts). Right now I'm reading Leonard Cohen's The Favourite Game, and yet another reread of The Great Gatsby for my American literature class. There are a lot of books I've been meaning to read, and the books I've been recommended is an exhaustive list  that only continues to grow -- but I'm always welcome to hear more, if you have any.

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