life lately: back in the game

I'm finally out of school for the summer, and I'll be back on the blog weekly now! It's been a while, and I'm feeling a little bit rusty, but I'm looking forward to getting back in the routine.

I tend to shy away from writing posts about what I've been doing, because I'm never really sure whether people find my life all that interesting (sometimes I don't), but it has been a while:

Going: to the beach (-each)! We've had a heat wave the past week, and headed out the minute the last class ended. NorCal beaches are always a bit chilly in the water though, so we just tanned and took (lots) of photos.

Watching: a fashion show at Stanford! It wasn't as big as I had expected, but it was still fun to see. I was surprised at how fast the looks went by, especially since we'd gotten there earlier for seats.

Listening: BFD at Shoreline Amphitheater! It was my first music festival, and I absolutely loved it. It was sweltering and humid, but hearing the bands live and being able to feel the bass vibrating was amazing. My favorite was Lucius, and Finish Ticket also had great charisma and energy.

Doing: Being more fit! We took the dogs a couple times up to the mountains, and they loved it.

Seeing: The new exhibit, Living Digital Space and Future Parks, at the PACE Gallery in Menlo Park. We went on a weekend, so it was quite crowded and hot, but I enjoyed seeing the works. Crystal Universe and Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together are great for photo ops.

Trying: Lush! I went to the grand opening of the store at Stanford, and they gave out some free goodies! I've been working my way through Roots and H'Suan Wen Hua, and both are amazing (though pricey!)

Visiting: The Oscar de la Renta Retrospective at the de Young. I went almost the last weekend, and it was packed! I was glad that so many people were interested in fashion, but it also made it difficult to really appreciate his work. I also wish they had models, so you could see the fabrics in motion, rather than simply on mannequins.

Reading: Always Pack A Party Dress by Amanda Brooks. I can never get enough of fashion biographies, and have already reviewed and read a handful!

I've had a great time out there not worrying about driving traffic to the blog or coming up with new ideas to write about, but I'm excited to be back and creating more content. With that said, I'm still a bit dry on things I want to discuss, so let me know what you'd like!

xx
Angelina

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amplified existence - "big magic" book review

When a book comes out with an aesthetically pleasing cover, you get it, if not just for blog props. When said book is about creativity, and is written by Elizabeth Gilbert, it's an even better reason to get it!

While I definitely judged Big Magic by its cover, I was not disappointed in the least.

An overview
Gilbert separates the aspects of creativity into 7 parts: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity. Within each part, there are mini "chapters", a few pages long at most. She includes personal anecdotes, as well as stories of other creatives.

The way it was written is startlingly readable and fresh. It does technically fall into the category of "self help", but it had none of the sappy, easy to predict advice I'd expected. But I mean, we are talking about the woman who wrote Eat Pray Love...

"Hey Liz..."
It feels as though she is actually sitting there, talking you through how to be more creative - something we've all tried to do at some point. And it's not from her high up stoop as a successful and published writer, it's from the passenger seat. It's the kind of book that gives you tingles in your toes, and itches in your fingers, the kind of book that makes you get in your car and drive to new places.

I actually developed my own routine with this book; it became my constant companion while I was wandering through its creamy, white pages. I'd plunk the book on my desk, and ravenously devour a couple of chapters. Then I'd pause, make my way downstairs for a cup of tea, letting Gilbert's ideas really sink in.

Inspiration is fickle
Her ideas are like nothing I've ever heard before about creativity. For her, inspiration is a live being, a spirit who travels through the universe, like a nature spirit or nymph. It'll come to you if it senses openness and a willingness to try new things, but it won't wait around forever. Sometimes it'll come and drop an idea in your head, but the idea just won't be compatible with you. This idea might wait around, or it could pack its bags and head over to someone else.

After a few chapters, I'd sit and let inspiration come to me. Surprisingly, it was quite willing. I'd had a previous habit of denying its ideas quickly, judging them on the spot, and over time, inspiration would only peek out from around a corner. But after Big Magic, I welcomed whatever idea it was willing to throw to me, and I went with it.

Wearing: Topshop cropped sweater (similar), Lush envelope soft pant (similar), BP. teardrop necklace (similar), VANS white slip on

It was a novel experience, having ideas flow quickly and endlessly. I didn't question anything, I just took pleasure in the simple act of putting pencil to paper, and used that as my validation, rather than how "good" my art turned out. And it ended up turning out better than anything I'd created before.

A day in the city
I rarely venture up to the city, but when I do, it's a day of adventure and new sights. This was my first time at Baker Beach; I can see why it's such a popular tourist site. One of my favorite parts about San Francisco, and cities in general, is the wide range of people there. There is so much creativity and innovation, it's bound to rub off right?


The takeaway
Elizabeth Gilbert is wise. I love what I've been able to do since, just keeping these ideas in the back of my head (inspiration is always at the front of the table as thanks):

*Don't turn inspiration away, even if you don't like what it's telling you
*Take pleasure in creating art, not just the art itself
*Some ideas may not be right for you; thank them and let them go
*Don't be a "starving artist", love your art and it will love you
*Treat you art like an affair - you can definitely make time for it everyday
*Fear is healthy, to a certain extent

Without a doubt, this is a book well worth your time. And really, it's not just because of the pretty cover.

Have you read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert? What's your take on living creatively? Where do you get inspiration from?

xx
Angelina

p.s. I've got more book reviews! Books by strong women or art/photography/fashion books.
p.p.s. here's a more creative piece I wrote and really liked. it's on idealization, and how I feel about it. let me know what you think of it!

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photography by Serina

adios summer 2015

Every year, I make a bucket list of things I want to try and accomplish over the summer. It helps me plan out my time, and keeps me from being bored! This year, I got quite a lot done. 

1. Bake super cute cookies - I'm terrible at baking, so this was way over my expectations! I had (lots of) help from a friend, and they were amazing for photos, and even better for eating. 

2. Spend 24 hours with someone - There are like 2 people I could spend this long for in one sitting without going crazy - one of them lives in Canada. We got a ton of things done, shot lots of photos, and caught up with each other's lives!

3. Redye my hair - I originally dyed my hair in April, so it was time for a touch up. My hair was much more damaged this round, and I now have two tufts of hair that stick out. It's terrible, and they look like horns. 

4. Take photos with someone who traveled to California - Nora and I met through Instagram - she's originally from Atlanta, so it was really cool to be able to meet her!

5. Go on a picnic - Ok, so this one is mainly for the photos, but I love going out and doing things I used to when I was younger. When you're swamped with schoolwork, picnics aren't really an option, but in the summer, they're my favorite thing to do. 

6. Do a roadtrip to SoCal - 2 weeks, 4 (and a half) posts - 1, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4.

7. Sit by a window and read while it rains - Technically I wasn't sitting by the window. Or reading a book, which is what I originally meant. Buuut, on our last day in LA, it rained for a few hours, and we sat in the lobby of the Line Hotel (they play some really nice music), and I read blogs. So I'm counting it!

8. Do a shoot with someone Internet famous - LA is like the Mesopotamia of YouTubers, so I thought going there would make it a lot easier to shoot with one of them! I didn't get to - I discovered how most of them are rather occupied with other things and won't respond to your DMs after a while, buut I did get to do a shoot with Jennifer from Art In Our Blood! The pictures aren't up on her blog, but you can see some of them here and here. She's such a genuinely kind person, and I loved getting to talk to her. 

9. Start making a dress - I've always wanted to get into designing and making my clothes. A dress, since it allows for more mistakes, seemed like the perfect way to get into it! I worked on this for about 5 hours nonstop, and now it's just been sitting in a corner. This is a terrible habit I have. 

10. Take photos for a couple - Next up: get cute couple pictures taken of me and my...dog.
11. Make a teapot that works - I have a love-hate relationship with teapots. I love making them in different shapes - the bottom one is the first one I ever made in elementary school, the pumpkin is more recent (inspired by Cinderella's carriage), and the unicorn is from this summer. It technically works, but someone fired it with the lid on, so it's glazed shut...
12. Receive a sponsorship through my blog - I started blogging regularly in April, and I'm really happy about my sponsorship from eShakti. Not because I'm into blogging for free clothes (if that was my goal, I think I'd do those surveys that pay you instead of this), but it was just the first tangible outcome. It was like a reassurance that yes, we see all the hard work you've put into this, and it's paying off!
13. Make $500 from photography - This summer, I ran two week long photography camps, took photos for two summer camps, and a company, and taught on the side! I ended up making over $1,800, which was way more than I expected!
14. Take more Polaroids - A few years ago, I got a polaroid camera for Christmas, but I rarely use it. I made a point to bring it on my SoCal trip, and took tons more!
15. Take blog photos for someone - Blog photos are so so so fun to take. End of story!
16. Sell/trade 80% of the clothes I didn't want - I shop a lot. I also get tired of clothes quickly. Solution? Selling and swapping on Poshmark, Vinted, and with friends! For me, 80% was about 70 items.
17. Take photos with 3 people I don't know very well - Towards the end of the year, I was running out of people to photograph. My photography Instagram was starting to look like a fan page for the few regulars I did shoot with! I reached out to a few people, and am finally out of my photo rut.
18. Participate in a Color Run - A great way to trick myself into being active. Because I will never be one of those people who run for fun. Except maybe in the mall. Mall marathons, I would do those.


A few items I didn't get around to, but will next year (hopefully):
1. Go to an outdoor concert.
2. Volunteer.
3. Go to the zoo.
4. Go to the Boardwalk.
5. Go swimming (yes I went my whole summer without ever going swimming. Not on purpose).

What are some of your summer highlights? Do you like to plan things out beforehand, or just let things happen? What do you hope to do next year?

xx

Angelina

p.s. I'm also trying to figure out what color to dye my hair next. If you'd like to help out, I would be forever grateful if you guys used this form (yes I made a survey)!

one striped top, two ways

A while ago, I spent a whole day with one of my best friends. We're both into photography, so naturally, I still have many photos to post. I'm in love with this striped crop top, and I wore it two different ways that day. 

You know when you've been wanting an item of clothing for ages, and then you finally get it, and it's amazing and everything you hoped for? 

That was these black shorts for me. In the summer I mainly wear denim high waisted shorts to make my legs look longer (when you're 5'3 you take every inch you can get), and I love everything black. I got them from Hollister when they were having a sale, and I love everything about them!

No beach trip (or any trip really) is complete without some hair flip photos. You can see how terrible my roots are, and the chunks of orange are because I'm running out of purple shampoo. 

Not sure if you guys have noticed yet, but I'm not terribly creative with poses. I tend to look down and touch my hair a lot, and that's mainly because my eyes are very uneven. 

I have one double lid, and one monolid, and it makes one of my eyes appear a lot larger than the other. I've been assured no one but myself notices (spotlight effect?), but it's very irritating and I've tried everything to make both eyes permanently double lidded. It's an Asian thing. 

I also paired this top with a high waisted (noticing a trend here?) black skater skirt. I love how these types of skirts look good with everything, and this particular one has a very subtle herringbone pattern. 

We went to a library to take photos, which is something I've been wanting to do for ages. We definitely got a lot of looks, but do it for the photos right? 

My cat flats are from Papaya, and I've gotten so many compliments on them! They add a nice touch to any outfit, and they're pretty comfy too. 

We rediscovered the wonders of window lighting - I wish we had gotten more photos, but the shutter noise is quite loud in a quiet library, and I didn't want to disturb anyone. The library at school on the other hand... 

Some of the photos we took can be seen on these posts: the importance of friends, dressing classy at the beach, and june: my month in photos. We also made a video here, and below:

What are you favorite items of clothing that work with anything? Do you guys have any favorite places to shoot - whether for OOTDS or in general? 

xx

Angelina

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dressing classy at the beach

When I was in Paris, I bought this gorgeous midi dress from Zara. They had run out of my size, so I had to go up one, and I didn't get around to altering it until a few days ago - right in time for a beach trip!

I've been trying to wear less "cringey" pieces (denim shorts and cotton leggings from middle school anyone?), and more classic ones that I'll be able to still wear in 5 years. I love how this dress can be dressed up and down for any event. 

Bonus - it's really loose, so I can eat as much as I want without worrying about popping any buttons. Almost as good as dresses with pockets!

Cries a little bit at my roots. I've been meaning to redye them forever, but I can't help wondering if I'll mess it up and have a slightly different color at the bottoms. You can read about how I got this hair here. 

I've never had a dress with material like this one, it was a little stiffer, and didn't stick to my body which was great (more chips to eat!!).

Body image has always been an issue for me, and I feel like I'm pretty close to accepting myself, but there's still so far to go. I feel like a lot of focus is on realizing that models in magazines aren't real, and I've always known that, for me, it's more that many of the people I interact with at school, who are definitely real, have the ideal body shape that I don't.

We were basically the only people at the beach, which is always nice because your backgrounds are so much cleaner. Also less people staring! We always get a few older men who will point blank stare - it's really uncomfortable, and sometimes I worry about safety. I wish we didn't have things like that to be concerned with. 

All in all, it was a great trip, and I'm very happy with how the photos turned out. We actually took a ton of different outfits in one trip, so stay tuned for the rest of them (edit: you can see a more casual take here, and read about my musings on friendship here)! 

p.s. if you haven't seen it already, our video!

xx

Angelina

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my first time modeling + how to get started with your own clothing company

For a few years now, I've been into photography, and by association, a little bit of modeling as well. Modeling has always been an add-on, and it's something I'm not as good at, but happy to do.

Recently, it just so happened that someone I was shooting with started designing her own clothes! Referred to as S in this post, she asked me to model for her, here are some photos from our shoot as well as what I learned, after the jump.

We found this amazing roof top when we were shooting, and I love how well it goes together with the prints. It's sort of a juxtaposition between more rural and wild, and urban and edgy. I was surprised to find such a unique location; where I live is quite tame, and I hadn't expected it. It just goes to show what amazing things you'll find if you keep your eyes open!

The tops of parking garages also make great locations, especially if you get there at a time when there aren't many cars. Just be careful of your surroundings - always. I've seen way too many movies with kidnappings in parking garages!

While walking, peek into alleyways - sometimes you'll get a great surprise! I fell in love with this little nook we found, it looked like something you'd see in Greece.

Later on, I met up with a larger group of people, mostly her friends. We walked around the city, and took some photos there as well. It wasn't as productive as our one-on-one shoot, but still quite fun, and I had a chance to meet a lot of lovely creatives.

There were a few helpful lessons I learned from this experience, both from a model and a designer's perspective. I'd love to share them with you, and hopefully inspire any of you considering modeling or designing to get started!

1. Connections from one experience can lead to something completely different!
When I met S, it was because she contacted me wanting to do a photo shoot. I was very comfortable with taking photos, as I have a lot of experience in this field, but I hadn't expected we'd click as much as we did, and she'd ask me to model for her.
Grabbing a coffee with someone whose style you admire at work or school may lead to opportunities you'd never consider later on! Of course, this is different from taking advantage of others, or going into situations expecting to get something out of them.

2. Likewise, pay attention to what people say/do, it can come in handy later on
In S's case, by meeting me, a stranger on the internet, she was able to have one more model, and photographer as well. I hadn't asked to be part of her clothing label, but when she noticed I was somewhat decent at modeling, it was helpful for her brand.
If one of your friends consistently posts high quality Instagram photos or has a talent for picking the best songs to accompany videos, consider how their talents might be used in a business sense! They could potentially be your photographer and videographer.

3. Be flexible - assume at least one thing will go wrong when you first start
At the shoot, one of the shorts didn't fit a model - it was too big and kept sliding down. Luckily, S had brought shoelaces, which she used as a makeshift belt. We were also planning to have a beach bonfire, but that didn't happen because someone else had arrived earlier and snagged the spot already.
However, we were flexible, and walked around the houses near the beach instead. We found an interesting location we otherwise wouldn't have.

4. Make sure everyone you're bringing really has a purpose
A few of the girls who came to model were lovely people, but they didn't really have experience with modeling. When you're first starting a company, and trying to get the word out, pictures can make or break you. It should be a priority to make sure your models really know what they're doing and represent the look you want. Of course, the clothes are what truly matters, and it's important to check that they fit your models well. Lastly, a photographer who knows the ins and outs of lighting, composition, and portraiture is a must. There's no point on having amazing models and gorgeous clothes only to have an amateur photographer butcher the lighting.
It's like the Triangle of Health, but for fashion/design; you need clothes, models, and photography.

5. Even if nothing goes as planned, you still have that experience
When starting out, it's easy to feel discouraged, and want to quit if nothing is going your way. The model had a breakout the day of, someone accidentally spilled on the dress, the camera ran out of battery, whatever you can think of. It's important to remember that even if you don't get a single usable photo out of the shoot, you've still learned what to do, and what not to do.
This knowledge can be applied to a future shoot, which will undoubtedly turn out much better.



Are any of you thinking about starting modeling or designing? Do any of you already model or design? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below.

xx Angelina

p.s if you're wondering how I got my white hair, read the first part in the series here!

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what to wear for a beach day

Beach days are my favorite thing to do when the weather finally gets warm enough. I've never actually swam in the ocean, but just tanning in the sun with a bowl full of watermelon brings the best summer memories. It hasn't gotten warm enough here quite yet, but so soon.

To hopefully usher in the warm weather faster, here's an outfit I wore last time to the beach.

I adore circle sunglasses because they're something different from Wayfarers and aviators. They're just the perfect amount of edge to compliment the more feminine pieces, but they also work great with neutrals and more urban outfits. I got these from Forever21. 

I borrowed my friend's romper from Wet Seal, but I've seen this style everywhere. The blue is bright without being neon, and there's a tie at the waist so it fits any size. When the temperature dipped later at night, I wore an oatmeal cardigan layered over it. For fancier events, you could easily dress it up with a black blazer and heels. 

Basically any hairstyle works well with this romper. I started off in a bun, then took it down for loose waves and pinned it back. I wanted to show off my shoulders more and put it up in a ponytail, which complimented my waves well. 

My favorite thing about going to beaches in the spring or fall is that there are barely any people. It's still warm enough to make it by, and you can actually get a decent spot on the beach with more than 2 feet away from the next person. 

I'd always recommend staying for the sunset at the beach - look at the colors! There were also lots of little bonfires, but I didn't any great photos of those. From far away, they looked like mini stars. 

We also tried out light painting. I think it worked out pretty well. We used the flashlight function on iPhones. You just have to remember every light pattern shows up, even if you go fast. It'll just show up thinner. I would definitely suggest trying this - you don't even need to be at the beach, you can just turn off the lights in your room. All you need is a tripod and a light. 

I'd love to hear about what you love about the beach, and if you've tried light painting before!

xx

Angelina