HEY HEY LA! (PART 3)

This is it. The last of my LA adventures, the end of the hoopla, the finale. TA DA! Let's begin.

Three girls, in LA, what to do, what to do?! We couldn't think of a better use of a day than to visit the holy bench that the amazing buttocks of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoe Deschanel (among with a million of other die hard romantic's) have graced. I gladly smothered my own ass all over the bench to soak up all and any essence of the two that is still left on the bench. Not going to lie, I died a little on the inside. Died in a good way, my heart swooned all over the place. I promise, nee, I SWEAR I'm not a stalker....I SWEAR!

A little photo sess later, we needed a caffeine fix to prep us for the little drive back and to warm us up because the sun in LA never came up that day and left us with nothing but wind. Little did we know that everything in downtown LA closes by 5PM. UHM WHAT?! Confused? Indeed. But we eventually found a cute little organic coffee shop by UCLA that had delicious desserts that flavor-danced all over my tongue. Yummmmmm!

vintage wallpaper-esque flowy top: H&M ($9)

vintage brown belt: thrifted ($5)

brown "explorer" skirt: taiwan ($3)

grey knee highs: target ($1)

mocassins: crossroads ($12)

chandelier-like necklace: f21 ($8)

vintage coach satchel: thrifted ($15)

The next day, our final day in LA, I HAD to make time to go to the Melrose Trading Post and I'm SOOO Happy I did! Let me just say, vintage heaven, OH DEAR LORD! Within 5 seconds of walking in we spotted a Rumi Neely look-a-like! I found gorgeous vintage items from leather bags to shabby chic furniture to leather boots! Everyone, boys and girls, there dressed amazingly well, I couldn't help but oogle and stare and drool (just a little). Sigh, I left my heart there and I need to return and retrieve it ASAP!

And that was it, the end of my six day trip in LA. I'm already starting to plan my next trip down!

photo cred for some photos: My bestie, Laura.

HEY HEY LA! (PART 2)

Day 2 and 3 of my trip down south, south as in LA not hell, or worse...Texas. The humidity does not like me nor do I like it. But anyways! After hitting up beautiful Newport Beach, we turned the car around and drove up and landed ourselves in downtown LA. My friend's roommate took us to this observatory that overlooks the whole city and the Hollywood sign (bucket list #54: hike up to the Hollywood sign). It was sooo breathtaking!

Being the city girl at heart that I've ALWAYS been and will always be, I treasure and love ANY point that overlooks ANY city; It so easily just takes my breath away and I feel so alive seeing the car lights and the buildings light up the darkness, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I can't wait until I finally move into a busy bustling city like I've always imagined for myself. Bye bye cows and sheeps and hello endless traffic and obnoxious honking at 3AM. I am so ready, BRING IT OWN! I'll love it all, I promise!

The next morning we took a little drive down to Ventura to meet up with my roommate who took us to Santa Monica Pier. Very much like Santa Cruz, we quickly started walking towards Venice Beach, which I enjoyed a lot more. A lot lot more. Okay, I loved it! Like a bigger, awesomer, even a more so LEGEN-wait for it-DARY version of our own little Telegraph, I was GAGA for literally anything and everything. Knowing me and how easily amused I am, my friends herded me down the street where I simply had to stop at every stall and oogle at everything that was out for display.

The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the cash was dwindling. and the time was ticking, so we made our way back to the car to begin the trek back.

On a side note, I'm currently sitting in Zanzibar, a coffee shop in Berkeley, and, naturally, after 4 hours of reading my social history book, I stretched out my arms as wide as I can. Naturally, being my embarrassing self, I would hit the HUGE canvas painting that would not be completely nailed down and I would knock half of it off of its nail and it would HANG off the wall. Oh me oh my, I can't even say I'm surprised. Welcome to my embarrassing life.

HEY HEY LA! (PART 1)

After the dreary fuss that was finals, hectic move outs and sad goodbyes, a well deserved break from reality was exactly what I needed to gather myself before the eminent doom that is Berkeley summer session. So what could be better than a trip down south the west coast to visit the people I miss the most? Well, maybe a trip to Europe or Belize or Bali, BUT I'm broke and only have a week off and I'M BROKE, so a drive down to LA would have to do.

The first stop was Newport Beach. MAN is that place beyond BEAUTIFUL?! Seriously, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to actually live there. Albeit it is a quaint little town, nevertheless the beautiful ocean surrounding is definitely something I could get used to. The beach has always been a favorite of mine. I love the way it smells, the way it sounds, and the way it can always calm me like nothing else in the world is able to do; it's pure magic and nothing but.

OHH, AWW, OHH! The houses there were just AMAZING! I am an architecture-junkie (or so I'd like to think) and the houses were so unique and different from anything in the bay. There were contemporary, modern, brick, European, old-school, southern, beachy, and so much more! I was in eye candy overload to tell you the truth, I was OOHING and AWWING at HOUSES. Not boys, or anything of that sort but houses. Typical me.

I love traveling and being a tourist and doing all things embarrassing, isn't it a fun thing to do? It's a speciality of mine, I'm freakin' awesome at being an embarrassment! It's pretty much encoded into my DNA, I can't wait to pass these amazing genes on, let's populate a world full of awkward embarassing kids, YEAH! Anyone down? Let's start a new tribe.

I had the best time driving around from Laguna Beach to Irvine to Corona del Mar, it was all just so beautiful! My eyes were kind of overwhelmed by the simple beauty that these towns provided. While there was not much to do there, the simple fact that the beach is merely 3 steps away changes the whole feel of the town. See, it is all about the little things in life.

leopard top: thrifted

light denim shirt: thrifted

tights: f21

socks: target

Steve Madden leather boots: Macys

leather Coach satchel: thrifted

RUT

It is pouring. Down right, pouring like it's cats and dogs out. IT IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING BREAK! This is absolutely, positively, a-NOT okay. Sigh, oh Berkeley, how you love to torture us, even when the campanile stops ringing (HAHA, like a high school bell...get it? Okay, fine, I'll stop). After an awkward encountering with my professor as I ditched class (I ran into him as he walked in...awwwk), I successfully avoided all my Friday classes so I can get a jumpstart on DESTINATION SDSU! WOOT! A couple of friends and I are road tripping it down to SDSU for the weekend to live it up, escape from the rain, and party hard! Ohhh and to visit a couple of good high school peeps, YO!

Thank goodness it's finally spring break, 9 days of happiness here I come! Cal is definitely burning me out, phew! It's a lot more draining than I imagined, but it's a good kind of draining...well, ish. Now if only this stupid rain would go, go, gooo away so I can enjoy my break and ignore my work! Please!

This upcoming week includes a lot of bumming around in my panda! sweatshirt and yoga pants...so really, it's not that different than what I do here at Cal...my life is sad. I know.

Last Wednesday, I met up with Kathleen of Inspirafashion and Deanna from A California Dreamer at the Sway Spring Fashion Show. It was a fun filled night full of bite sized food, pretty flowy clothes, cuties (WAIT, WUT?!), and beauties! Even though I had to hurry my boot from a BARE Events meeting and scarf down a quick snappy dinner to make the event, and had forgotten Finley (my Nikon) and money (RIGHT, RIGHT!?!?), yet I still had a jolly good time with my fellow Berkeley bloggers!

The weather's been making me feel supes bummy and my brain refuses to put together any feasible outfits, so I've been living in my leggings and nothing else. I'm in a fashion rut, somebody pull me out?

white lace top: thrifted

brown "vain" tank: hand me down

leggings: charlotte russe

rain boots: target ($30)

gray cable knit cardigan: old navy ($10)

own necklace: taiwan

awkward hand positions: ME, ME, ME, ALL ME!

P.S. CSN giveaway winner in the next update! Sorry loves I'm completely lackin' on my blogging duties!

P.P.S. Love you all and thanks for the constant support :)

BABY YOU'RE A FIREWORK

Corny title, yes, but oh so freakin' appropriate! Just last week, my roomie invited me to her sorority AXO's invite in the city. The theme? AXO July Fourth, how cute right?! Since invites at CAL always fall on Thursday nights, I had a huge dilemma; to study for my stats 2 midterm that was taking place Friday at 1PM or go to a huge (& free!) party in SF...the decision wasn't a hard one to make. My justification was that 2o years, what am I going to remember: that nice fatty A (ok fine, realistically it would be a B at best. grr math, even fake math and I do not get along) on my midterm or the night that I ran free and wild while wearing an American flag with my best friend? So of course I went with the latter because, let's face it, I'm always down for a good time, no matter the consequences (personality flaw on my part, oopsies!)

flag worn as a top: asian party shop ($8)

red skirt: borrowed (f21)

silver oxfords: urban outfitters ($20)

red&blue headband: asian party shop ($2)

Despite the downpour of rain (curses Berkeley weather!) we walked all over the place, not giving a damn about the possibility of us getting pneumonia, in order to get to AXO, to get to AEPI, to get on the bus, cause in the end, it was well worth it. The whole thing was a blurry memory of good times, of clumsiness, of everything that goes with being young (HAHA, GET IT GET IT? CAUSE MY LAST NAME'S YOUNG AND I'M YOUNG?!?! OK, BAD JOKE, FINE HUMPHH!)

I'm a firm believer that college is far more than just studying, attending lectures, and aiming for that perfect gpa. While all that is nice and definitely helpful towards your future, college is so much more than that. It's the place to find your bridesmaids, to find your best man, to find the people you're going to call in 10 years (or 20 years in my case) when your first born is here, the ones you're willing to put do anything for; it's the place to find your true friends.

I don't know if this is the case for everyone, or if I was just incredibly lucky, but the friends I've made here in the last 6 months are closer than most friends (though not all, I love my HS besties to death!) I've maintained during my 4 years in high school. They've seen me at my worst and at my best, they see me when I just woke up, eyes half opened and still drooling, and when I'm fully dolled out, they're there for me at all hours of the night and I'm there for them. I love them so much and can't wait to see what other kinds of shenanigans we're going to get into over the next four years, yippee!

P.S. I don't regret not staying in to study for my stats midterm one bit.

P.P.S. The fact that we get to drop our lowest midterm score doesn't hurt!

P.P.P.S. Don't forget to enter the $40 CSN GIVEAWAY! You know you want it ;)

BABY I LIKE IT

Last Wednesday was the MOVIN' 99.7 TRIPLE HO SHOW at SJSU Event Center. The line up was SOOOO DANCEABLE! And sexy, VERY VERY SEXY! Who performed you ask? Miranda Cosgrove (who's super sweet and adorable I must admit), Nelly(so many memories, ahhh!), Taio Cruz (BREAK BREAK BR-EAK BR-EAK YOUR HEART), Jay Sean (dance, dance, sweat, dance, sweat!) , Far East Movement (LIKE A G6!!), and.....ENRIQUE IGLESIAS! AH, I died when Enrique came onstage. I cried, literally. He's gorgeous, beautiful, sexy (SO SEXY!) He turned me into such a fan girl! Iscreamed until my head start to T H R O B and my lungs ached from being oxygen-less. Ahhhh, Best 20 minutes of my life.

So, in order to get into the concert mode, I decided to dress a little...yeahhh. Leather jacket, holes, tights, booties, gold; yup, it works...right?

(it totally looks like I'm grinding on myself...yeah...)

leather jacket: h&m ($30)

black hole infested tank: f21 ($14)

vintage levi shorts: buffalo's exchange ($7.50)

tights: taiwan

brown booties: urban outfitters ($20)

gold heart necklace: f21?

vintage belt: thrifted ($5)

What was the best concert you've been to?!

POST TURTURKEYKEY

The last four days have been heavenly, scratch that, mashed potatoly (cause mashed potatoes taste like heaven, get it get it? HAHAA!) to say the least. With the endless nights, the restless days, the late mornings, slipperless showers, blasting my car stereo, rocking out, laughing till I can't breath, long ass chit chats, gossiping, fast food run, thrifting, adventures, broken high beams, etc. etc. etc. it was starting to remind us of our summer days. It was tear-inducingly lovely.

It's a weird and surreal feeling being back home with all of my high school BFF4LZZ. We seem to have picked up exactly where we left off as if the last 3 months never even happened. It simply thrills me to no ends. I love having such a close knit group of friends that I know will be there for me no matter what. It's such a great thing to smile about and my mood has been extraordinarily blissful and wonderful. Just three more stressful weeks (FINALS, FINALS, FINALS!) and I'm HOME FREE! I. CAN'T. WAIT!

As these pictures do tell, the glorious Christmas spirit is among us! HIP HIP HORRAY! My friends and I trekked up to SF for the tree lightening ceremony. The city was still buzzing on the black friday high and the cold was not crisp as ice like I had anticipated when we arrived; it was a beautiful night in the city I love so so much. The whole night was filled with laughter, love, awe, and memories. The city was all lit up with beautiful lights and the tree was HUGE! I had no idea that it was an ACTUAL Christmas tree made of real wood and all. I wonder how they got it into Union Square, I would've much rather watched that then the tree lighting. Overall, I went home empty handed but I didn't mind it one bit.

My awesome, amazing, lazy, calorie-filled Thanksgiving vacation is coming to an end, sadly. Being lazy ol' me, I'm trying to delay the inevitable return to CAL by staying home an extra day, mainly so I wouldn't have to leave my couch. It seems as though my butt and my couch have consummated as one. Yup, the couch wined and dined my ass and after several dates (aka hours) they decided to take the plunge and get hitched! So now they're on their hunky dory honeymoon so I have to stay otherwise I'd become a terrible home wrecker. See, totally legit excuse for me to stay home. YEAAH!

grey knitted top: ross ($10)

knitted dusty pink beret/beanie: crossroads ($12)

black jeggings: old navy ($19)

moccasins: minnetoka via crossroads ($15-->$12, yay birthday coupon!)

huge tan scarf: f21 ($10)

grey tweedlike long coat: roxy via buffalo's exchange ($25)

SANDCASTLE IN THE SAND-ROBIN SPARKLES

A week in photos (and some stranglers that didn't make past posts):

This week felt like a blur. I felt like I didn't do much-I didn't. I felt like I don't remember much-I don't. Regardless, it was nice. It was a week of too much: too much food, too much free time, too much ditching, too much sleeping, too much partying, too much falling, too much Modern Family, too much complaining, too much sunlight, too much of not doing work. Oh the consequences of being young. And naive. And bored. And procrastinating.

P.S. Another new layout. Simpler. Classier. Prettier. Inputs?

UDDAR

Something major happened today. Major, like beyond epic.

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

IT RAINED!!!!

BADAPAAA!

2XL grey sweatshirt: urban outfitters ($20)

cutoffs: f21 ($20)

black tights: taiwan

white shoes: payless & artwork done by a friend

heart pin: taiwan

So as some of you may have noticed (Come on, break out your Nancy Drew skills, you got this!), I got a haircut! I was definitely surprised at how short it is and how boyish I feel. Hopefully it'll grow on me and hopefully I'll find a way to work it. I think it will and I think I will.

This is what happens when my mother leaves me in the car for 15 minutes. PHOTOSHOOT WITH PHOTOBOOTH!

This past weekend, a couple of friends and I went on a mini road trip to UC Davis to visit some good friends. It was exactly what we needed! We did everything from running into really old friends, to trying out new froyo, to racing in roller chairs around the bike parking lot, to playing and stargazing in adult park, to smelling the smelly cows, to laughing like I haven't laughed in weeks. It. Was. Amazing. It thrilled me to no ends being able to just pick up where things left off with my friends, it's like nothing even changed. As always, going back home was great. It just hit me how fortunate I am to live close enough so I can venture home whenever I want. Even if I don't do it often, its just feels nice to have that option. Tomorrow's the start of another busy week at Cal. Let's hope I can get through it without another meltdown.