Month: March 2014

Fashion Trends

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I cannot keep up with trends.

I’m the person who, by the time I started appreciating the Spice Girls, realized that the Spice Girls had disbanded. (Oy.)

Fashion trends change so fast and a lot of them are kind of super crazy??? Also, a lot of them I just don’t feel comfortable wearing personally because they don’t go with my personal style.

However, my style has changed a bit and I’ve become more observant of things like what’s going on on Tumblr and what F21 and UO and H&M are trying to push onto people at the mall. (If I see another mint green sleeveless oxford…) I know that this means the trends have already trickled down and are on their way out (trust me, I’ve been thinking about some of these pieces for years…) but OH WELL this ain’t a fashion blog, you guys know what you’re getting yourselves into.

Here are a few of the trendy(ish) items that I would (maybe) like to try out:

Galaxy leggings


You may not know this, but I’m really into galaxy printed anything. The first time I saw galaxy leggings was on Black Milk, but those are WAY more expensive than I want to pay for a pair of leggings. (Black Milk has a lot of really cool designs, but they’re charging a lot for spandex…) I have some sets bookmarked on Etsy that I may gift myself later on, but I’m nervous because I don’t wear leggings as pants., so I need to make sure I have something that covers my bum but doesn’t clash with the design of the leggings.

Flower crowns


I think I know these first as a fandom meme (any fannibals out there?) but I really like the look. I like florals and this is a pretty and delicate look. I don’t know when I would ever wear this, though. Not sure I would do this for my bridal look, as I’ve seen a lot of photos, and I’m not cool enough to go to festivals, but I’ll figure something out!Side note: I do really want this for the next time I go to a Disney park though!

Mickey

Bustier tops


I love the structured look of bustier and corset tops. Clean lines. Structure. UNF. I dig it a lot, clothing-wise. But the fetishization of these items makes me a bit uncomfortable to wear out, since my style is generally more modest. I’ve been lusting after bustiers and corsets for a long time now, and I own a corset top that is maybe a touch too silky for day wear. Soon… I’ll have the confidence (and funds) to fill my wardrobe with fun bustiers and corsets. (For day wearing.)
(Maybe I can find a nice galaxy-printed one! ;P)

Statement necklaces

i just love statement necklaces.. x


Statement necklaces scare me, because I typically only wear delicate necklaces. I don’t like jewelry that calls TOO much attention to itself. (I rarely even wear big pendants.) I also worry about really chunky jewelry, because my frame is pretty small and my neck is long and thin. The more I see them, the more they grow on me, but I’m still too scared to take that leap. Also, I can’t seem to find the right one. My friend has a gorgeous one that she bought at a local crafts fair, so I’ll never be able to find that exact one, but it was simple enough that I would be comfortable to wear it while still making a bold enough statement. Maybe someday.

This is essentially a list of things that, if you ever go shopping with me, I will be looking for.

I was trying to think of more trends that I’d like to try, but I’ve actually managed to try a good handful of the ones I liked. These are the ones that have just eluded me thus far. It often takes me a while to hop onboard certain trends. (I looked for red pants for maybe 2 years…)

To be really honest with you all, I’m still a bit too timid to try some of these trends. I love galaxy-print accessories, but I literally only own black leggings. I like solid colors and big prints scare me. Flower crowns are just… where would I wear those? And I am such a feral creature, how would I keep one on my head? Bustiers… I mentioned my insecurity about how “sexy” they seem, and I’ve had issues in the past with wearing things that I thought were cute but got me unwanted attention. And the statement necklaces. Sigh. SO CHUNKY.

What trends are you currently loving?
What trends would you like to try but haven’t yet? Why haven’t you tried them yet?

(Also, at the risk of disappearing for a long time again, I’m really enjoying posting as frequently as I am! I’m planning to try and BEDA [blog every day April] and these posts are just funsies.) (But don’t ask about the Europe posts yet, those are taking me a while because I start getting nostalgic XD)

Friday Favorites (Pi Day!)

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Today is Pi Day, so I thought I’d dedicate some of today’s Friday Favorites to my favorite types of pie.

Now I gotta be real with you guys: I really like pie. A lot. There is a heated pie vs. cake debate, and I don’t want to get started there because I don’t understand who is making anyone choose, you can have both.

I digress.

Here is a list of my favorite pies!

  • Apple, ever the all-American classic
  • Pumpkin, which I really only eat around Thanksgiving but I’m sure it tastes good all year round
  • Cherry, although sometimes the tartness is too tart
  • Key lime, where my current favorite is served at Red Lobster (it is so good) (so good)
  • Chicken pot pie, which is the first and only pie I’ve really eaten that is not a dessert pie
  • Pizza, because I’m from New Jersey and apparently not everyone calls it a pizza pie?
    Gooey Melty Thin Crust Cheese Pizza

Non-themed roundups may come eventually. XD

Happy Pi Day! What are you favorite pies?

Metamorphosis [short film]

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This is a spectacularly beautiful less-than-4-minute short film that is a retelling of Titian’s “Metamorphosis” for the National Gallery in London. The myth recounts the tale of how Artemis punished Actaeon for seeing her nakedness as she bathed. The visuals in this are amazingly stunning and the scoring is done well, too. If you have […]

Tips for Getting a Chinese Visa

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This is a cautionary tale.

I had a very messy ordeal trying to get my visa, primarily because of a bit of lack of planning and a lot of changes since the last time I got my visa (back in 2010). It was also tricky because the Chinese Embassy website is a bit out of date, so it doesn’t seem to account for this information. Later, I found a website called mychinavisa.com that would prove to be a lot more helpful.

However, I thought I’d just throw up a little guide here because you never know.

Note: I am an American-born Chinese person, and I have been to China before. If these 2 stipulations don’t apply to you, the process may be different.

Also, some details are specific to the Washington, DC office. This is a whole bundle of headaches in and of itself.

Documents to Bring

  • Valid passport (with enough pages for a visa)
  • Copy of passport page with important information
  • Copy of previously granted visa
  • Invitation letter*
  • Copy/scan of the front AND back of invitation letter writer’s ID*
  • Hotel reservation receipt (if you are not staying with invitation letter writer)
  • Flight itinerary

*This was the part that got me a bit tripped up. They have made visa applications a bit stricter since 2010. Essentially, you need proof that you are actually going to China and you will have your stuff together while you’re there.

The website I provided has a guideline for the invitation letter, as it does need to have specific information in it, apparently. ALSO the ID thing is very important. They need to verify that a Chinese citizen or permanent resident is inviting you.

Make sure you have ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS when you go. If you don’t, you will not be able to have your visa application processed. And that’s that. You may be able to print/copy (for a fee) at the location, but you’ll have to wait in the line all over again. AVOID THIS.

Maneuvering the Visa Office

The visa office nearest to me is the one in Washington, D.C. This sucks big time because it’s an hour long drive without traffic or incompetent drivers.

The problem is that getting into DC means dealing with both traffic and terrible drivers.

ALSO parking. If you are parking at the DC visa office, you can either park on the street in front (if there is room) or at a lot/garage. I parked in the lot behind the building next to the visa office’s building. This lot is kind of sketchy. You tell them which car you have, they take your keys, and then you ask for your keys back and pay with your ticket that they give you when you turn over your keys. It’s sketchy because:

  1. They don’t seem great at keeping track of which cars they have the keys for
  2. They don’t have a system for making sure they don’t give keys to the wrong drivers.

If you park here, make sure you have a distinctive keychain. Or try to find somewhere else. It is the most convenient place to park, but I always felt uneasy.

At the DC office, you can go upstairs to print things out (for a fee, of course). This can be anything from your visa application, to copies of your invitation letter, etc. Use this resource if you must do something last minute. For me, I had to run up there to get the copy of the ID, which I didn’t know I needed until they told me I couldn’t get my visa otherwise. I ran upstairs, furiously sent out emails, and waited for the photos to come back.

ALSO plan for traffic and then know the hours. At the DC office, they are open from 9:30-12:30 and 1:30 to 3:00. They are open for a grand total of 4.5 hours AND if you get there before 12:30 but you aren’t served by then, you will have to wait until after they come back from lunch.

That is some BS but oh well. I had to come back since I got stuck in a lot of rainy-day traffic and arrived at 3:15, missing the hours by 15 minutes.

Sigh.

I hated the whole process. I hated driving back and forth. I hated getting in a car accident on my way back from an infuriating trip. I hate DC driving (it is the worst in the country).
BUT. I got my visa and was able to celebrate the Chinese New Year with my family.

BOOM this is what I got.
Courtesy of ix-global.com

What else would you like to know about my trip to China?