Slow down

We all have things to do. We have plans to make. We are all in a hurry. There are things we would like to change. There are things we would never exchange. There are times we either rejoice, complain, or comply.

Days go by so quickly as we chase our goals and dreams. There are many people I know whom want a fulfilling, successful, and meaningful life. Who doesn't? We all do. People have varying challenges in life, but these are happenings that mold a person. I know that it took again a slight accident to slow me down and smell my iced coffee.

It is a gift to chase your dreams. I should remember that the chase is the fun part. The capability to dream is the sustenance and fire to be alive. Each new day is appropriately a present to you to open with opportunity for a meaningful life. Love deeply. Live fully. Dream endlessly. Run far and wide.

The conundrum of life should never be taken on half-heartedly. I strive to constantly awaken my sometimes lethargic soul to never be too busy or jaded for a taste of inspiration, intrigue, and my intuition. Intuition tells me to be true to myself.

Do you strive to be true to yourself?

Dresses: Cheap Find

  Who doesn't like to shop smart? I love shopping, but it doesn't mean that I have to spend huge portions of my paycheck or credit card line(s) to get the looks I want all the time. Featured above are two different dresses from two different places. The picture on the left is a DVF dress that retails for $345 (also comes in a lovely, basic black), and the dress featured on the right is my pick, the Forever21 boutique mesh overlay dress in olive that retails for about $24. Now, you tell me which is better?

Although, I do have to say the materials are different, but I tried on the Forever21 find, and I am absolutely impressed. It looks well over a dress that costs $24, and it fits adorably. You can pair it with your favorite boots or pumps, and the color is great to layer with fall colors. You can easily put that extra money saved towards a staple must-have piece, or just save it, ladies. We all should know fashion should never compromise your financial stability. Right? If you absolutely love something though, I say you will find a way to make it work.

I will not attest that I have always followed those guidelines though. We live and we learn. *wink*


photo credits: Bloomingdales.com for picture on left. Forever21.com for picture featured on right.

Girls: A quick, natural look with PAUL & JOE and Ellis Faas

My current make-up loves are Paul & Joe and Ellis Faas (as previously mentioned in earlier blog post). Ellis Faas has unbelievable eye colors that DON'T budge. This is great for those ladies who are always on the go. Paul and Joe has a soft, ethereal look to their packaging and their colors. I love how natural the selection of colors are at Paul & Joe. It looks effortless. I'll show you a quick photo of me after I used some of the items from the two brands.

I can't go without my peachy blush from Paul & Joe. It is a perfect peach face color with a highlighter included as well. It is excellent for all skin colors, especially warm. (#17 Paul and Joe Face color)

Paul & Joe has amazingly flattering lip glosses and lipsticks galore! I personally love #17 lipstick (soft, very natural heather pink) and #2 lipliner.

Hmm, 17 must be my lucky number at Paul & Joe.

The Ellis Faas eye color I like to use for definition is E106 which I've seen Lucy Liu purchase before. (She's very cute, by the way.) It's a soft gray/heather color. I apply it in a horizontal V shape (like a sideways peace sign) at the end of my eye without going too high. The reason I stress on not putting eye shadow too high is because I have almond, Asian eyes, and my bone structure around my eye is not deep set. In contrast, I find if you are deep set, then it is very flattering to go above and beyond.  For the base color, it's nice to choose a neutral color to blend the darker, more dramatic color with. Highlighting the inner corner of your eyes with a warm, iridescent color is ideal to really give your eyes an awake and bright look.

My make-up monster says you can never have enough lip colors. As a friend of mine says, you have so many shades of the same. (Nude is my kryptonite.) My rebuttal? For all you Dexter watchers, remember when Camilla was in search of the perfect key lime pie? Uh, it's safe to say that I'm still looking for that perfect nude shade for my lips. Not too pink, not too brown, not too "I'm gonna wash you out in pictures"...

I have no shame. A search for something better always makes life a little more spicy-- even if it is as minute as a color. 

Left to Right: #17 P&J lipstick (I put Nars Lip Lacquer "Chelsea Girls" on top),  the two shades of #2 lipliner , and Ellis Faas E106

The South vs. The North (for Me)

A face America associates with the South.

I just came back from visiting my parents whom reside in the South. It's always weird for me the moment I arrive in Tennessee and then the moment I come back to New York. Why? I find the huge differences in the two states make me feel quite like the quasi-identity type of girl. I remember the days where I was a lot softer and patient than I am now. Now, I get really, REALLY annoyed when people walk too slow in front of me. Also, my heart doesn't flinch every time I see a bum. I may be slightly calloused, please forgive me.

I guess I am known as a transplant to New York, but I feel like I'm a living, fire-breathing New Yorker after all these years. Even so, I do find that when I go visit my family I find a bit of repose while I am there. There's so many trees and no marinating odors of urine in the streets. I also appreciate how there seems to still be chivalry as opposed to New York. Men in New York tend to be overtly confident to the point that they are arrogant. You won't find a lot of men in New York opening doors for ladies or letting them cut them in line. In the South, men will open the door for you, and (OH MY GOD!) let you cut them in line??

There's no rush in the South. It's pleasant and slow-paced. People still remember their manners for the most part. You don't really have a great variety of places to eat from like New York. You don't have all the amazing galleries to explore. You don't have the exciting night life. You have wholesome meals with family. There's a lot of BBQ and plenty of hospitality. Also, it is still the Bible belt. The first day I got back, I had a Jehovah witness named Mary Cash (?) tell me that we crossed paths for a reason. I listened to her earnest preaching about the end of the world, and I thought many things while she claimed the end was coming soon. My heart felt sorry for her ailing leg, but my patience was wearing thin after 20 minutes of her preaching. She made me remember all the people I came across whom despised how organized religion tries to impose beliefs upon others. She also reminded me in this act how different the South is from the North (aka. New York).

I think leaving and going back to places allows you to really see the transition in oneself. I also believe it's really important to assess your changes and growth into who you are today so you can better understand yourself as a whole. I like different things about both areas, but I have to say-- I LOVE NEW YORK. I feel free here for now, and that's all that matters to me. If only I had my loved ones closer to me... but a perfect life is always so hard to attain. Distance does make the heart more fond, after all.

In conclusion, they say home is where the heart is, but my heart seems to have more than just one.

Barney's Warehouse Sale

This is actually my first time going to Barney's Warehouse sale. I felt like I was entering a secret entrance into a good selection of finds, hopefully. I knew I wouldn't find many things, because I have little patience going through racks and racks of mess. Women and men were waiting in line to get in, and I thought to myself how it must be worth it. As my friend and I enter, I check in my bag and prepare with my wallet. I was definitely not going to drop a lot of money today. (It's called: I have a lot of bills lately.)

We wandered around the first floor of men's apparel. I found no liking to the racks of men's blazers. I feel that my apathy may be that I know I can find great deals at Bergdorf Goodman when the appropriate events come for the high end designers. I can also look to the more affordable Zara, Express, H&M, Guess, and Bloomingdale's for my boyfriend. As for myself, I have already snatched a great deal with some shoes at BG. So, when we were looking in the women's shoes section, I was greatly disappointed. There were the least in selection for the smaller sizes (5-6 1/2). I quickly instructed my fab friend to look for these sexy, sheer black Louboutin shoes that I found in size 9 for a steal of around mid $200's. No 6 1/2-7 to be found. I wasn't surprised. Oh, well. I will invest in a classic pair from BG later.

Craig really wanted to find something for me it seemed. He looked and looked. He cooed over some random pieces of clothing, but I shook my head. I am a pro at finding things that look like they came from somewhere more expensive for the fraction of the price from places like Forever21, H&M, Zara, Express, BG 5th floor (sometimes, but you can get steals during sales as well) and so on. Yup. I don't believe in spending an exorbitant amount of money on clothing unless you're absolutely in love with it or if you see it as a classic/staple piece. That's just me. In my opinion, how much you spend does not label an individual as a fashionable person. It's all in how you put it together and rock it, loves!

 So, I attempted to glance through the racks, but the women in my way did not seem obliged to move. Women can get really focused when they shop, if you know what I mean. 

I'm pretty sure I'm ready to leave after 30-45 minutes or so. (I actually don't know the real time because I was not looking at my iPhone.)  Then, we go back to the small shoe section one last time to see if perhaps a winner missed our eyes. I see a quirky and funky sequined shoe. (I am usually not attracted to sequins.) I pick it up. Marc by Marc Jacobs. Hmm. I do like that brand. 6 1/2. Perfect! It's affordable and cute most of the time. I own a black leather bag that is my declared "default" bag. But, shoes? I haven't bought Marc by Marc shoes yet.

I decide to put them on. They add a bit of sparkle to my skinny jeans. I envision an outfit with these shoes. A black outfit would go nicely with these. I see the price. I'm getting them! (Excuse my summer-colored toes. Can't wait to put the fall nail colors on!!!!)

That concludes my story about the sale. You just have to go in with no expectations. When you do, you will have possibly a range from a great euphoria moment to a mild tickle in your stomach when you do find something you fall for. 

HAPPY SHOPPING!!


**True Story Tidbit: I saw an Asian girl making her assumed boyfriend/husband carry around literally 10-15 single shoes whilst she shops hurriedly. LOL, poor guy.

Dexter: Good or Bad?

Oh, Dexter. You are my source of entertainment lately. Lost, where? 24... hours of what? Entourage, who all?  You get the point. It's a show of great magnitude, and I always am very pleased to hear the instrumental theme song. It's genius, dark, and strangely resounding.

Dexter is a show that portrays a serial killer that lives by the code. The code was instilled unto Dexter by his deceased cop father, Harry. Harry adopted Dexter as a young boy who was tarnished by the experience of seeing his own mother murdered right before his eyes. It was a gory murder, and Dexter was changed ever since then. Harry took on the task of raising Dexter with his odd darkness and urges. Harry honed Dexter's urges to kill into a code of killing those who killed others. This code molds Dexter's life in a deep degree, and it helps him to not be an unorganized, sporadic serial killer. Instead, he is portrayed as a vigilante. 

The audience follows his frequent murders which clean the streets of Miami so to speak. As an audience, we may be disgusted by the methods of killing and the abundant blood. Over time, you find yourself immersed in the character development of the Dexter cast, and you can't help the addiction of wanting to watch more and more. I even questioned myself as I watched it. How am I so interested in something that is obviously so wrong? We all should know that murder is simply wrong, but I believe the actions of "justice" tend to disperse into different directions of opinion. Some people believe in the death penalty. Others may believe in confinement.  Even so, we can't help but like Dexter and this is successful story-telling. If you capture the audience, you have won gold. We side with a serial killer. Hello?!

On the other hand, Dexter goes through Season 2 and 3 with finding people who "understand" his darkness. For example, Lila believes they are soul mates. She understood his darkness, but it didn't work out. (Was I the only one that found her so inexorably irritating?) Miguel Prado was supposed to be his new buddy he let in, but it wasn't as it seemed. Miguel had used and abused him, and this led to his ultimate fate. Dexter never has anyone to truly keep his secret with.

He keeps it with us, and we can't stop watching. Vigilante or serial killer? Take your pick. I'll say it's wrong in reality, but hey, that's not going to stop Dexter from topping the TV show charts or me from complaining that Netflix won't supply my Season 4 Disc 1 fast enough. Let's delve away from the vampires for now, shall we? 

The Technological Generation vs. The Old School

I love my iPhone. I thought I knew love when I had my Blackberry, but I was sorely mistaken. Well, I did sort of miss my Blackberry for the first two months or so. I had a lot of BBM contacts that I liked to speak with daily. It was a nice way to chitchat throughout the day. Now, I have my Meebo program that integrates AIM, Gchat, and even FB chat. (I opted out of the FB chat.) I think that might overwhelm me-- I need to simplify after all.

The reasons why I like my iPhone:
-It looks prettier.
-There are so many apps! I love my Yelp application in particular. The Facebook application definitely has some kinks that need to be worked out.
-Touch-screen can become likable over time. I did like the feel of the keys of my Blackberry, but I didn't like the sore thumbs I was left with.
-I love Apple. Apple girl here!
-I can jam, text, surf, and answer a call all at the same time. (Not that I really do all this at once, but it's a good point.) **Disclaimer: I do not support texting while driving. Also, watch what's going on when you cross the street or walk when you are making a quick text. I don't think that's safe either, but I'm definitely guilty of walk-texting. Ugh, sorry.

There are so many things that make a smart phone essential to its owner. Now, we all know we are guilty of texting while waiting in lines, the elevator, or who knows where and when. Do you recall ever having an occasion where someone says these very words: "When did the cell phone and texting become so important?" 


Say what? I was in the elevator with an elderly male and a younger female around my age. She continues to ignore him whilst I look at him slightly bemused. I respond that we live in a time where it's all about "real-time". I try to show some mild empathy, then he exits the elevator with a "have a good day." It made me pause and think back to when I first really relied on text messaging.

...Don't recall.

I had an interesting conversation with my Italian godmother (as I love to call her) about what she thinks of it all. She abhors how people compulsively check their phone and thinks there is a lacking of manners for in other words, my generation. I apologize on my generation's behalf to her, and I stringently ignore my iPhone when I am having my occasional lunches with her. I like her that much.

The conclusion is that we live in an age of more "efficiency" in communication and instant gratification. Say an impending goodbye to snail mail, land lines (for the most part),  phone calls (text is faster for responses to questions, and it can be more discrete say if you are in a meeting), and possibly even some forms of print. For example,  I get constant notifications from billing companies if I'd like to "go green" and go with electronic statements.

Some people cannot adapt to change very well. They like familiarity. The technological generation tends to embrace change because they know that one day something could be in, the next day it could be outdated by a newer version. This is likewise in fashion as well. I will have to say I do find sentimental value in my collection of cards and letters, but I accept that these things are quickly being updated by e-greetings and emails. Does this mean we are compromising quality with efficiency?

Life is on the fast lane more than ever. Could it be for the best or for the worst? This is the question I leave you with.