Diaphanous

(studded vest and pleated skirt from Forever 21, thrifted tiered top from Crossroads, leather sandals from Zara)

It's been so hot in the Bay Area this past week—up in the 90s. I shouldn't complain though; I've always been spoiled by good California weather. Anyways, in this suffocating heat, all I want to do is lounge around with a book and some iced tea. The heat and humidity have motivated me to pick out some light and airy pieces, like this subtly gold polka-dotted chiffon top and pleated plum skirt. I like how the tiered layers of the top and the skirt underneath create a sort of drop-waist dress effect. I added a studded vest to make the outfit a bit more structured, and topped it off with some no-fuss black minimalistic sandals from Zara (my new favorite heels).

Interesting story about the title... I really didn't know what to call this outfit; I wanted to title it "light and airy" but thought it was a little too generic. While reading my current novel, Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende, I came across the word "diaphanous," which means "light, delicate, and translucent." Perfect for my purposes.

Stay cool this weekend! I'll most likely be staying at home working on some projects with a tall glass of iced tea and a fan by my side.

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A Touch of Glitter

(striped button-up, lace shorts, and spike wedges from Forever 21, tiered glitter collar top from Charlotte Russe)

I took these photos in quite possibly the worst lighting conditions ever. I've been feeling a little under the weather since coming back from sunny Los Angeles, literally. For some reason, the Bay Area was oddly dreary and humid at the beginning of this week, which discouraged me from wanting to do anything. But for the sake of my blog and developing self-discipline, I woke up early yesterday to take these photos. While the weather had improved, the lighting conditions were ever-changing between overcast lighting and direct sunlight—my two least favorite types of lighting for outfit photos... I definitely love the comfort zone of golden hour lighting and open shade, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. However, I think it was a great experience; it's always good to challenge yourself and try new things. I hope to experiment more with photography and shooting in different conditions, though my time feels very limited these days.

This was a very simple outfit I put together when I was feeling rather uninspired and lazy from the dull weather. Decided to mix a few unexpected prints and textures, including the bold stripes, glitter collar, and tiers. I also decided to wear my highest, most fear-inducing pair of spike wedges (fear-inducing because it would be disastrous for my ankles if I were to slip and fall...). This outfit feels very me circa 2012. I used to love wearing bolder prints and chunky heels and wedges just last year, while, this year, I prefer very minimalistic, clean designs. I wonder how my style will change next year as I develop my blog.

On a side note, I watched Monster's University last night with my BFF, and it was wonderful! Also loved the short at the beginning of the movie; Pixar always does it right. Scary to think how Monster's Inc. was released when I was eight... time sure flies.

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Floral Blush

(floppy hat from Forever 21, crochet top from Urban Outfitters, Helmut Lang-inspired skirt from Foreign Exchange, leather sandals from Zara)

I'm currently spending the first weekend of summer in sunny LA. What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than by wearing refreshingly light colors and nude sandals? When I saw this Helmut Lang-inspired wrap skirt a month ago on Foreign Exchange's website, I just knew I had to get it. I had been looking for a more affordable alternative to Helmut Lang's skirt, and this taupe one was perfect. Also, how good are these leather sandals from Zara? Like my relationship with Zara's infamous skort, I fell in love with these minimalistic leather sandals gradually. They were pricey, but the design is so timeless that it is worth it IMO. I also just got them in black, and I can't wait until they arrive so that I can style them. Minimalistic designs like this are always so sexy and refreshing—perfect for summer.

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Androgyny

(thrifted turtleneck sweater tank from Goodwill, "ex-boyfriend" jeans from A'gaci, heels from Zara, hand-me-down Burberry handbag from my aunt, boyfriend watch from Michael Kors)

This is probably the most androgynous look I've worn here on the blog. I decided to combine some masculine pieces, such as the sweater tank (which was only $5.49 from Goodwill! Gotta love thrifting.) and boyfriend jeans, with more feminine pieces, including the pointed ankle strap heels and classic Burberry handbag. My watch has also always been a more masculine addition to my closet; in terms of watches, I gravitate towards more masculine designs that lack the glitz and glamour of more feminine watches. I'm currently saving up for a leather strap watch to add to my collection (I'm looking at you, Daniel Wellington).

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Wild One

(thrifted cheetah print top from Goodwill, pants from Forever 21, heels from Zara, bag from Alloy, watch from Michael Kors)

Interesting story about these photos! I woke up early on Sunday to shoot some photos in the morning golden hour, but I overslept a bit and missed it, so I was left with harsh lighting conditions. I tried to make it work, but the direct overhead sunlight was really not flattering me or my outfit. I was frustrated, but I decided to try again later in the day. Before my second photoshoot of the day, I did some research and learned a lot of tips about shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions. Specifically, I learned that you could get great lighting in the middle of the day by shooting in open shade. Such a simple concept, but totally effective! I decided to implement this tip in the photos you see here. Look how even the light is on my face! Haha alright, I'll stop raving about open shade. I'm just glad that I'm gradually getting better at taking photos that flatter both myself and my outfits. :)

Onto the outfit—I made a quick stop to Goodwill and got this Michael Kors cheetah print top for only $5.49! I swear, the more I thrift, the more I am convinced that thrifting > retail. What's weird is that I've always loved animal print (especially cheetah and leopard), but I don't really own any animal print in my closet. This top is a great start, haha. I decided to make this outfit really bold by pairing the top with bright red pants, a faux reptile skin bag, and gold accessories.

Last but not least, happy father's day to the best dad ever! I'm always a little self-conscious when I take my outfit pictures outside by myself (I get a lot of weird stares), and I was especially self-conscious when I took these photos because my outfit was so loud, so my wonderful dad decided to accompany me. :) Thank you for working so hard to give me all of the fantastic opportunities I've had, and will have, in my life. Love you dad! <3

Have a wonderful week everyone!

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Cream of the Crop

(thrifted lace cardigan from Crossroads, lace crop top from Foreign Exchange, cigarette pants from Forever 21, heels from Alloy)

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past week! I've been caught up with life this week—moving out of my old apartment and into my new apartment in Berkeley, saying goodbye to friends whom are going back to school for work and internships, and in general dealing with a lot of administrative tasks. Also, to be honest, because I was so tired all week, I was unmotivated to work on my blog. 

I've been a creative all of my life, having been an avid illustrator as a child. Admittedly, I had put away my aesthetic passions in high school to focus on college admissions. However, even when I was accepted into my dream school, I couldn't forget the artistic pursuits that had always captivated me. As I started a new journey in college, I was burnt out from being an illustrator, so I decided to venture into photography and fashion.

I will admit to you now that HONEY + MILK is not the first blog I've owned; I remember taking my first outfit photos in late 2011 at a park near my house while my mom accompanied me. Looking back at those photos (perhaps I will post them someday when I get over my embarrassment!), I am glad and proud to see how much my style has changed and improved. Until HONEY + MILK, I could never really commit to blogging. I always prioritized other things before my blog and made excuses for not being able to blog. It was when I decided to create HONEY + MILK that I made the commitment to keep this blog, all for myself. I didn't want to blog for fame or fortune, but because it brought me so much happiness amidst the daily drudgery of life. So it began.

Of course, there are days when I get stressed out, burned out, and I just wanna quit and be lazy. But then I remember the great sense of happiness and accomplishment that my blog and creative pursuits bring me, and I persist. I've slowly developed a better balance between my academic/work life and my blog/hobbies, and I'm really enjoying it. I've even been revisiting some of my old artistic passions, such as illustration and drawing, and learning about some new ones, such as interior design and web design.

The journey is long and arduous, but also enjoyable—the desire to improve and the thrill of constantly improving motivates me every day, in my blog, in my academics, in life. I will commit myself to a lifetime of learning, hard work, and passion. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.

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Peaches and Cream

(button-up shirt from Forever 21, skort from SheInside, heels from Alloy)

Alright, one last outfit with this skort before I put it away, I promise. It's just too easy to pair this skort with everything! This outfit is sort of a lighter version of my last outfit, inspired by Jenny Ong's look, in which she paired the ubiquitous Lovers + Friends jacket with this white skort. I loved the easy, light combination of peach and white, so I tried to recreate that here.

Have a lovely weekend!

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The Right Angles

(acid wash denim jacket and beanie from Forever 21, v-neck tee from Charlotte Russe, skort from SheInside, leopard booties from GoJane)

I went out to have brunch with a few girlfriends today at Los Gatos Cafe. My best friend and I shared a huge plate consisting of eggs benedict with chicken apple sausage and avocado, a side of potatoes, and raspberry coffee cake. It was a delicious, fulfilling meal that (temporarily) satisfied my cravings for breakfast food. 

I went for more of a "grungy" appearance here with the acid wash denim, beanie, and leopard booties. I decided to pretend that I was wearing a dress/romper by pairing a black v-neck with my black skort (still obsessed with this skort...). I think this pair of leopard booties is probably the most "wild" pair of shoes I own. Whenever I go out wearing these booties, I get compliments on them. I've been deviating towards more minimalistic designs lately in terms of footwear, but these leopard booties will always have a special place in my heart.

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Soft Neutrals

(thrifted cardigan from Crossroads, sheer top and bangle from Forever 21, skort from SheInside, heels from Zara)

Ahh, the ubiquitous wrap skort (looks like a skirt from the front, but shorts from the back) that every blogger seems to own. To be honest, I wasn't really into this skort when I first saw it popping up on the blogosphere. I'm not used to dramatic, geometric cuts; I'm used to soft, flowy hemlines, like that of chiffon skirts. However, as I saw this skort styled in numerous ways by different bloggers, it started to grow on me. I also own the black version.

I like how, this year, I've been trying to go out of my comfort zone in terms of my style. This is one of my rare outfits in which I wear mostly light/neutral colors. Hopefully, working on my blog this summer and beyond will allow me to further explore different styles.

Have a lovely week!

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