champagne + happy holidays!

first blogiversary!

 illustrated chiffon camisole in lt. peach beaver lake - american apparel // belt - levi's

floral chiffon double-layered shirred waist skirt - american apparel // flats - H&M

 YAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG! (Yes, I categorized this blog under "holidays" as well because a blogiversary is sort of a holiday, right?) Granted, I haven't updated daily, but it's still a major success in my books. I was the type of person to make a blog (or keep a diary) and then forget about it (actually, I was just too lazy to sit down and make a post), but I wanted to have something I could reflect back on. And having readers is just the fun part. I love reading my previous posts about where I ate and who I hung out with and what I wore (especially since most of my clothes are in huge heaps in my room, I tend to forget about certain items I own).

And MacBar is this delicious macaroni and cheese place that oh my goodness I can't even describe. It's cheesy and delicious and did I mention cheese? I love cheese. Oh and those are my friends. We're in a club together. We're also on e-board. This means we run the club and we are obviously important. And we take our club serious. Look at that dedication.

I feel like I've changed a year to date. I've started college, went to my first blogger meetup, celebrated my 18th birthday, transitioned into 2011, went to Boston, documented the snowmaggedon New York experienced, launched my own magazine (which is still in the works), watched the Gay Pride parade (which also coincided with NY passing the gay marriage bill YAY!), and basically documented my life for the past year.

I'm extremely glad to have started this blog. It has helped me on an introspective journey that goes beyond the clothes in my closet and the food that I consume. It has allowed me to appreciate the people around me and the creativity that this blog inspires me to continue to seek out. And it will be a priceless virtual memory book that I'll, hopefully, be able to share with my children and my children's children and an endless generation of my spawn. Or something less gruesomely worded. Yes. But, I hope this blog will have many many many more birthdays.

And I'd like to say "Hello" and "Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!" to all the visitors that this blog has, and will continue to have. I don't care about my reader count or comments or whatever, but just knowing that people actually take time out of their day to read my posts or look at my pictures or scroll through my ramblings is good enough for me. So, thank you a billion times over and I hope to make many more friends! I'm not a creep. Promise.

until next time!

fireworks.

striped tank top - American Apparel // highwaisted shorts - vintage Ralph Lauren // red belt - Lacoste

brown cutout flats - H&M // printed knit bag - Urban Outfitters

 So for the 4th of July, my family and I spent the day barbequing, drinking carbonated beverages, and playing poker. I'm pretty sure everyone has a small idea of what the 4th of July is in America, but for those who don't, it's basically the day the U.S declared their independence from the Mother Land (Great Britain).

From the dismal stack of chips pictured above, I would like to tell you that I am a decent poker player! I just have terrible luck. It was extremely hot today. So hot. And humid. Swarms of mosquitoes came and feasted on my hemoglobin today. I hope they're satisfied. I'm attempting not to itch my plethora of bites. There's even one right near my armpit that I'm afraid to scratch, just so people won't assume my pits are itchy. Because they're not.

I wanted to wear something really simple because of the weather and the occasion (a simple comfy family gathering), but to keep in theme with the whole patriotic thing, I had to wear red, white, and blue. In a really understated way so people didn't think I was completely bonkers to be dressed up in GO AMERICA YEAH garb. Not that I don't love America. I do. And I really lovelovelove that bag. My new bag that I got on sale at Urban Outfitters for $15! The best part is that it fits my camera. I think that's the Number One specification that I look for in a bag -- will it fit my camera? It has a cute little handle AND a strap so I can hold it like a brief case or carry it like a messenger bag. I've got the best of both worlds!

We watched the fireworks, as tradition calls for. It was spectacular. I tried not to take too many photos, because it takes away from really just watching the fireworks display. I felt like a little kid again. But to be honest...DisneyWorld's fireworks are awesome. Sorry, NYC. Better luck next time! I hope everyone had a great day!

until next time!

the two sides of monsieur valentine

Since I'm posting this, you can probably guess that my new camera lens finally came after I broke the old ones. And I am actually quite melodramatic. But in secret. I like to write poetry. Rough, free form "poetry", if it even deserves such a grand word. I decided I should share with you guys. Because sharing is caring and I really care about you all. I mean, that definitely explains the gif I made.

The Artisan of Repair

Acknowledge my smile, return it,
Yet love is still deferred by the glass planes
Of your ribs, guarding your heart from my greedy hands.

Like a serpent’s tongue my own seeks its home,
Behind my lips that belong against yours,
That taste of fruit from the garden of Eden.

I cannot help that glutton plagues me
Of the lust and love of your throbbing pulse,
Satiate my wanton needs and my aching veins.

Desperately I cried, like the watchmaker,
Whose palpitations become erratic when he has no business,
And when he cannot fix something so simple as the cadence of his own heart.

I suppose it's a bit depressing for Valentine's Day, but can never find myself writing about the kind of romance we see in movies. It doesn't happen like that! I don't have a Valentine this year, but that's okay! I mean, today is about showing your love for people you care about and I care about my family and my friends and every single one of you that actually take time out of your day to read what I write and comment. It means so so so much to me. Especially because it lets me know that I'm not talking (typing?) to myself. That'd just make me seem more crazy than I already am.

You can thank my mother for today's ensemble. I mean, she didn't dress me, but the dress and blouse are hers. As you can tell, it's very reminiscent of the 80's era. I found this blouse a while ago and I've been saving it for Valentine's Day to wear it. It seemed appropriate! I mean, I already dress like a gaudy displaced grandma-in-a-young-adult's-body. I hope everyone enjoyed cute little cookies and candies and chocolates! And even if you don't have a Valentine, I'll be yours! ♥

LOVELOVE (seriously), JULIA.

Outfit Details:

vintage printed heart blouse - Clara Collins
vintage printed black dress - Kookai

black tights - Hue

black flats - Seychelles

red light spells danger

So today was Chinese New Year! Happy Chinese New Year to any Chinese bloggers/readers. Even though my family doesn't really celebrate it aside from the red envelopes, wearing red, and having a big dinner, I kind of felt super Asian today. Plus, all my friends could pick me out in the crowd because of the horridly bright blazer I had on. I swear, that's the only red article of clothing I owned (besides this red cardigan, but I wasn't in a cardigan mood). AND IT HAS SHOULDER PADS. Haha! It was my mom's, originally, and like many of her clothes, it got passed on to me. I went to school today and blah blah blah. School's pretty boring, but at least the weather's looking better! Can you believe I got amazing lighting at 7:30 A.M in the morning? THIS NEVER HAPPENS.

But I checked the weather again and it says there might be a wintry mix in the next few days. I don't want to know what that's going to be like. New York City was encased in ice the other day, and I slipped a total of FOUR times walking TWO blocks to get to my bus. I even left my house early in anticipation of the weather to try to make class on time but NO. I end up two hours late. Isn't that ridiculous? It felt like NYC turned into our own personal ice skating rink that day. Even the mounds of snow had this glossy sheen that you knew was going to be dangerous. I tried to climb over one and I ended up sliding. Not. Fun! But it was pretty funny seeing everyone struggle with the ice.

And these Seychelles flats that I'm wearing are AMAZING. I wear an 8 (which is the size I got), but they're a bit small. I don't think they had half sizes, so that's a shame. But they're super super comfortable so it's fine about the whole size thing.

Me. Being ridiculous because it's so early!

MAKE UP TIME YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Okay, so in lieu of the nastiness of the Icepocalypse, it was raining and everything, so my make up ran and I didn't carry my tools with me. So in order to look decent, I had to run into the local drug store and buy a few products. I was so happy with them, I actually decided to use it today.

(from left to right) Maybelline's Waterproof Great Last mascara, Prestige liquid eyeliner in black, Jane Iredale lipstick "Rachel", Neutrogena lipstick "Rum Raisin", rosebud salve lipbalm for those chapped winter lips!

That's right! I use two kinds of lipsticks. I have no idea why, but I really like the mixture of the color. Rum raisin's a bit too purple for my liking, and Rachel is a little too orange-y! Not pictured is the L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara in Black Quartz. It's alright, nothing special. It just adds colored glitter to your eyes. But it is long lasting! It lasted me through the whole day, haha. I'm no make up expert, so that's why I don't have some super cool tutorial for you guys. Sorry. Maybe in five years, haha.

Outfit Details:

vintage red blazer - Isabel Ardee

floral printed dress - Forever 21

grey tights - American Eagle Outfitters

black flats- Seychelles

vintage quilted red Chanel bag - from my mom

three cheers to a new year!

 

Happy New Years, everyone!

If you can't read my atrocious handwriting, it says:

I want to wish everyone a happy new year! May you accomplish all your resolutions & start over new!

Love, Julia Leung

This was a great year, and hopefully, a year from now, I'll still be running this blog! Thank you so much for all your supportive comments, everyone. I really appreciate my audience and I definitely need to shower you all with love and cookies!

feasting forever!

OH HELLO BLOGGERS. Right, so holiday festivities and family bonding and all that! I promise I'll catch up (sooner or later) on my posts. I mean, I totally have an awesome post about the snowstorm that hit us. I always feel bad I never blah about my day on the same day, but I find that really hard for me. I'm always so lazy tired after all the festitivies!

I wore this outfit on Christmas Day! YAY. I felt like a candy cane, but I think that was the whole point. You know, being festive and all. Our dinner was delicious! I mean, I totally didn't even take enough pictures because I was too busy gorging myself on the food, but it was all homemade and wonderful. After dinner, we just all sat around and talked and (finally) watched Inception. And IT WAS AWESOME. Was it just me that had a crazy awesome dream that night after watching that movie? I was totally trying to figure out what level I was on and what my kick was, haha.

(Left to Right: the christmas card i made for my parents, our food baking in the oven, melon & prosciutto appetizer)

I hope everyone had a great festive time! I know it's almost the end of the year and it's kind of really weird that the year went by so quickly. So much has changed in my life, I feel like I should do one of those blogger recap of the year posts with my favorite outfit from each month or something and talk about my resolutions (1) uhhh be nice to my brothers, 2) lose weight (just kidding. this is impossible!)) and share my sentiments. Which I totally will do. I PROMISE. Because it's not like I have any cool plans for New Year's Eve. I hate being 18! I can't go out and have drinks and party (legally in the U.S, anyways) and fun like all the cool adults!

Outfit Details:

cardigan - Forever 21
striped dress - Eyeshadow

floral tights - American Eagle Outfitters

white shoes - Ralph Lauren

headband...thing..bow - Forever 21

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I took these photos at the Union Square Holiday Market! It's such a wonderful place. The vendors are placed together in a maze-like area, and the whole place is decorated with Christmas lights. They were even selling gingerbread cookies and hot apple cider (which were so delicious)!

I realize as I get older, the magic of Christmas sort of wears off every year. I'm not even feeling very festive today. On the contrary, I feel as if I hate the whole holiday thing, especially because of my family's plans this year. But I'm not going to dwell on that much longer because it's supposed to be a nice and happy day. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures of the delicious food I'll be having though! My dad e-mailed me a menu of our dinner, haha, even though we live in the same house.

Appetizers:
Melon with prosciutto
Kani Salad
Stuff Mushroom
Baked Wings

Entrees:
Cherry Glazed Baked Ham
Garlic Herb Salmon
Julia Child's Roast Chicken

Sides:
Stuffing
Mac and cheese
Buttery corn.
Chinese vegetables.
Garlic mashed potatoes.
Rice

Dessert:
Cheesecake
Banana creme pie

Now, after rereading that list, I'm definitely excited for dinner! What are your plans for the day? Is it something low-key or is it a really big celebration?