last christmas, i gave you my heart

Merry Christmas/Chrimbus or Happy Holidays/Festivus y'all!
crappy iPhone picture of what I wore on Christmas Eve (pre-booze):

pastrami at the hat

Acne Beryl cardigan (christmas present!), Acne top

Sup guys, I'm currently enjoying my time in LA until I have to go back up north to begin my job search. Thanks for all of the comments about my graduation! I posted an outfit shot from that day on my Tumblr in case anyone is interested in seeing what I wore. Still getting used to not feeling pressured to finish a paper or study for an exam, it feels so strange! Maybe that's why this trip home feels especially relaxing. Aside from obligatory trips to In-N-Out and pho with my dad, I almost always stop by The Hat for lunch. I've been eating the same thing there since I was a kid: a classic pastrami sandwich and fries (although sometimes, if we're feeling wild, we order chili fries lol). Anyone else from the San Gabriel Valley? No matter how many miles away I am, I'll always consider it home.

snowflakes on my sweeeeater

Not an outfit shot but whatever. I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL!! FOREVER! We're getting ready for a pretty big storm here and it looks like it's going to rain when my family is up for my graduation. Wow, I'm graduating guys! Feels nice. After that I'll be in LA for a week or so. Is the weather really that awesome over there? I hear people complaining that it's supposed to be winter and all but I'd rather have that over dealing with my frozen fingers as I type this. IT'S COLD! My parka + (aweeeesome) wool sweater barely kept me warm today.

Also, check out my Q&A with Teen Vogue. Thanks Naomi!

study break

Gap mens parka, A.P.C. plaid shirt (BF's), Citizens of Humanity jeggings, A.P.C. loafers

OH MY THESE FINALS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY. I already submitted a final 12 page paper a couple days ago but I still have a final paper and two more exams left. Come Wednesday at 11am I will be FREE FOREVER. This is what I wore to leave the apartment (and dismal Arsenal game, hmph) and walk around for some fresh air + coffee from Ritual. Man it's so nice to be able to walk anywhere.

Leave it to me to choose the two most unflattering photos of the bunch rofl. I have no idea why I was bending over, maybe I dropped something? I look like I need to poo! Sorry for sounding so vulgar, I'm a little out of it right now. I can't wait for these finals to be over. Oooh, you can kind of see my new ring in the next photo. Brent bought me that Mociun ring that I'd been wanting for my birthday. He even remembered that I wanted it in silver and not gold, hah.

Oh and since the fall colors match with this post, I'll post this video that I made when I was procrastinating yesterday. It's not really eventful, just nice music (Shugo Tokumaru's Tracking Elevator, I highly recommend it) with little clips that I filmed when I was on a train from Portland to Seattle a couple months ago.

portland to seattle from Annabel Ly on Vimeo.

burger bar

Went to Burger Bar last week. It was kind of overpriced but I still enjoyed it (plus I didn't have to pay, hah). Word of advice: don't get a milkshake AND burger for lunch. Actually, we all got booze in ours. Was it even noon yet? Jeez. I hope you guys don't think I'm trying to promote bad eating habits...

And because he paid for me (and some of you seem to like him?), here's Mike. Thanks, Mike.

my 10 wardrobe essentials

10 THINGS by ornithes featuring ballet pumps shoes

01. White high-top sneakers. Always a classic. I've had my Chuck Taylors since high school and somehow they've lasted all through college. I prefer mine as used up and battered as possible but when they get too dirty it's easy to pop them in the washing machine.
02. Red nail polish. My shade of choice has always been Chanel's Dazzling from the 2007 Holiday collection. I love painting my nails pink, black, and blue but I always go back to red when I'm bored with everything else. There's an Essie shade I've been wanting to try as well (and for a fraction of the price!) called Silken Cord but I've been putting it off.
03. Breton shirt. Okay, okay. So I may have gone a little overboard with this striped obsession but I will continue to swear by Saint James tops when it comes to satisfying it. I've never tried the thicker Meridien knit but I think I may prefer the lighter Minquiers top more. I know $65 may seem like a lot for a top but when I finally caved I ended up wearing mine almost every week (and am currently wearing a white and black one right now!). It's cozy, slightly oversized since its unisex, and easy to pull off. BF also bought me the Naval top recently which is a different, more fitted cut with fabric similar to the Meridien top but I still find myself wearing it the same way I would any other breton top.
04. Oversized black sunglasses. I've had my vintage pair of sunglasses for years after finding them at a flea market for $3 but I'm seriously tempted to upgrade to a similar pair of these Karen Walker frames. For now I'm satisfied with my trusty sunnies since they've never failed me all this time. Actually, I really doubt I'll ever replace them. I'd rather save my money!
05. Red lipstick. This one is a little tricky. I don't usually wear lipstick (something my mom constantly criticizes me for) but when I want that extra kick I alternate between Opium Red from YSL (which is longer available unfortunately) and MAC's Russian Red. I save the YSL lipstick for special occasions since it's so bright but Russian Red is great for every day wear since it's matte and lasts all day.
06. Wool cardigan with pockets. Emphasis on the WITH POCKETS bit there. I wont be too specific about color with this one (although a gray cardigan is pictured) but I still prefer this slightly oversized shape and style to most. I found the perfect black wool cardigan by Acne at Barneys the other day for 50% off which I may go back and buy if the small is still around. My favorite thing about cardigans is that you never have to think twice about putting one on if the weather's not too bad. I'm a hands-in-pocket type of walker and it always feels strange to wear any sort of outerwear without pockets...
07. Dark blue skinny jeans. I seriously live in my pair from the Gap. If you feel self conscious about looking "exposed" when you wear jeggings try wearing longer tops or cardigans over them. I felt weird for a while but got used to it since they're really not as obscene as I thought they would be. They're more like jeans than leggings in my honest opinion but ho-ly crap they're comfy. Like, dangerously comfy. So comfy you think you can get away with eating Burger King and Taco Bell in the same day...
08. Fjallraven backpack. Maybe one day when I can afford to save up I'll actually get a nice purse (like a Mulberry Bayswater or Celine tote ugh) but for now these backpacks really hit the spot. Right now I have two (Classic Green and Black for those of you who were wondering) but I really want to get another in navy, warm yellow, or rust... ps, did you guys see Camille's ice blue one? So tempting!
09. Black ballet flats. Alright, I'm totally cheating by posting these Repetto flats since I've been telling myself for years that I'd buy them but I just keep putting it off, mostly because it's hard to find a 40.5 and when I do, I'm saving my money for something else and I feel guilty about not . But uhh, if anyone out there wants to buy them for me I'm totally down (*COUGH*MOM&DADIKNOWYOUREADTHIS*COUGH*). Right now I have a pair from Zara that I bought a year ago but they're not real leather and are falling apart :(
10. Comme des Garçons wallet. After years of using random wallets (ranging from Hello Kitty to a dinky little coin purse) I finally treated myself to this cute little Comme des Garçons wallet in red after working this summer. The best part about it is that I'll probably end up using it for years so saving up was totally worth it. Feels good man.

birthday outfit

A.P.C. trench, top, & skirt, American Apparel opaque tights, vintage oxfords

SO excited!!!!1! This is what I wore on my birthday to not really do much other than sit around and watch that disastrous Real Madrid game. I don't really want to talk about it. Zuni the night before was fun, it was my first time going there for dinner instead of lunch. This trench has already seen a lot of wear since it came in the mail.

In other news, B tried to make me a Rilakkuma pancake for breakfast on my birthday but it turned out completely janky. I wouldn't have it any other way though. Oh yeah, and I made a Facebook page.

oh, blerg!

A.P.C. trench coat, Steven Alan dress, A.P.C. shirt, vintage oxfords

Just spent a nice relaxing weekend with family (thanks for taking my pictures, mom!) and now I'm back in Berkeley where the high in is in the 50s. Super excited about tomorrow, it's finally time for El Clásico!! Oh, and my birthday. Too bad I have a paper and presentation due right after. I'm keeping this short because all of my creative juices are running dry after writing 5 pages about baroque Spanish poetry...

I'm off to Zuni now for dinner. CHICKEN FOR TWO! Sounds like a good birthday.

wizard cape

vintage cape, american apparel tights, vintage boots, lanvin x h&m sunglasses

I found this cape deep inside my closet when I was cleaning it out this weekend. I think I bought it at American Rag in SF right before it closed. I watched Harry Potter last night after a successful marg & guac fest at Chevys (SUNDAY FUNDAY!!). It was okay. The movie, I mean. I read the final book three times when it came out and I don't remember it being that boring. I guess nothing exciting really happened in the first half of the novel but the next one is going to be way better, obviously. Good thing I was drunk.

ohhhh here she comes

A better photo of my hair from the last post. I don't know if you can tell but I'm wearing a braided double headband from Zara. I have no idea how it came out so well, I think I was watching TV while I put it up absentmindedly. I do remember taking out around 15 bobby pins at the end of the day though. Second photo has nothing to do with the first but I like it anyway. I hope he doesn't end up with carpal tunnel, seriously.

To answer a few questions about the photo in that last "happy" post: I bought the Totoro dolls at a kiosk in a mall in Southern California and the ceramic eggs are from Daiso in Japantown. I don't know if that kiosk even exists anymore or if the eggs are still around since it's been a while since I bought them. I don't know where to find them online, unfortunately.

Also,

wrinkled linen

A.P.C. linen dress via Azalea in SF, H&M cardigan, vintage oxfords, fjallraven backpack

The next time someone asks me to summarize my style in one word I'm going to be crass and say it: I'M JUST LAZY. Sometimes I like to care a little but for the most part this is what drives the way I dress now. The busier I am, the less I fuss over my appearance. I admitted that for a while that I thought I was letting myself go, which is somewhat true, I suppose, but after a while I realized that I may just finally be getting comfortable with the way I want to look which isn't really anything special. So what if I wear the same things over and over again? Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you buy clothing you claim to love? As a friend of mine stated so eloquently:

my whole thing is just

stop being "things"

and just get dressed
c*****

Maybe I'm just a lil' cranky about everything that's been going on with Four Loko. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS! Everything is good in moderation, guys.

bare legs in the fall

vintage dress, H&M cardigan, vintage oxfords, fjallraven backpack

Slowly easing back into the flow of things. I think I just needed a month-long break from everything to reevaluate my life/relationship/friendships. I'm entering the "real world" in less than two months and I'm still not 100% sure about what I want to do. Or I think I know but I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm looking for a full time job at the moment but can't devote enough time to seriously look because of school.

OKAY THIS DISCUSSION IS TOO SERIOUS TO GO WITH THESE PHOTOS. I'm eating a horchata ice cream pop and prancing around in a mini dress in 75 degree weather, damn it. In November! Is it really November? I had originally put this dress up for sale but the buyer fell through so I ended up keeping it.

Starting to rethink these larger photos since they really show how haggard and frazzled I look after sleeping 12 hours. I've been sick, okay? I'll end this with this stupid photo with this stupid idiot who I want to punch every now and then. I'll still give him a bite of my ice cream though, even if he is a little vulgar.

things that make me happy #6

the corner of my desk. I always watch Totoro when I'm feeling especially down. last week's South Park episode? ACE.

things that make me happy #5

I've never been a handbag person, I use totes more often. now, this HOPE leather tote? best of both worlds.

bringing on the lulz

vintage dress, parka from a korean boutique, american apparel tights, vintage boots, fjallraven backpack

Feeling totally drained after working on an essay all weekend. Sometimes I wonder if I force myself to feel this strung out and overwhelmed. Nay, I've just had a lot to deal with. Things are starting to look better, thankfully. Yesterday was a nice little break, except for that pigeon feather which flew into my mouth while I tried to imitate Lulu on camera. Actual video coming later.

...alright bitches, who am I f***ing kidding trying to be serious and laconic about this shit: A PIGEON FEATHER FLEW INTO MY DAMN MOUTH ON F***ING CAMERA. We played that shit over and over again so many times that Lulu and I both cried from laughing too hard. WHO THE HELL DOES THIS HAPPEN TO?! I mean really, I was just trying to enjoy my cream puff and blended drink from Coffee Bean (while making fun of Lulu) and this feather just happened to fly into my f***ing mouth. Editing that video is going to be a huge pain since I can't think about it without laughing insanely hard and wanting to pee myself.

Sometimes all you need is a really good laugh which takes over you so well that you totally forget about whatever problems or bullshit were previously messing with your mind, even if it's just for a second. Laughter is awesome, guys. Although most of the time the people around me are laughing at me, not with me. Hmph. Okay, now just look at LULU'S SHINY HAIRRRR...

things that make me happy #4

watching this boy play video games. world of warcraft, starcraft, you name it.