Motivational Monday . . .

    A few words of inspiration for the upcoming week. These are word I will definitely take to heart as I go back to school this week and continue with my education and my dream, despite my mistakes and frustration I have been having. Hope you all have great week.

My Weekend in Pictures . . .

   A little about my weekend in pictures . . . .

 

       I started my weekend by eating strawberry toaster pastry and drinking tea, while reading the month Vogue magazine with Lena Dunham on the cover. I have found these magazines extremely useful in my classes, I constantly need to tear out pictures for homework and projects in class. 

  

     

      On Saturday I went to a "Frozen" theme birthday party which was extremely cute and fun! For the party I wore . . .

• LC Lauren Conrad Dusty Pink Tulle Pleated Maxi Skirt: I got this skirt last week and I adore it! It is my fave item in my closet right now. I folded the gold waist band inside and used a skinny gold belt instead.
• Mossimo White V-Neck from Target: I took a white v-neck tee and tucked it inside the skirt.
• Gap Jean Jacket: I wore a a jean jacket with sleeves rolled up that I borrowed from my sister that she has had for maybe around 8 years, so it looks worn and I like worn jean jackets. 
• LC Lauren Conrad Nude Flats: My parents gave me these flats for Christmas, this is the third time I wore them so they still give me blisters but I love them.
• LC Lauren Conrad Gold Pink Flower Long Necklace: I need to accessorize, so I just put on a long simple necklace to my outfit would not be too boring.
• Asos Black Satchel Purse: I got this purse like 3 weeks ago when it was on sale, so this is currently my to go purse right now. 
• Ray-Ban Wayfarer Shades: It was sunny so I just put on my favorite black sunglasses. 

      Like I said above, on Saturday I went to a "Frozen" theme Birthday Party. It was a fun magical little party with delicious sweets and even a appearance by Queen Elsa! But these Olaf center pieces were my favorite! How cute is it!

      On Sunday I did the usual routine. Me and my family went to church, ran errands, and made dinner together. Sunday is usually a bit busy because we drive all around town to do things but this week we only had 2 places to go too so it was refreshing to have a much more easier Sunday. That day I wore . . .

• Forever 21 Black Skater Skirt: I have also been obsess over this skirt.
• Gap White and Black Striped Tank Top: My favorite tank top! I honestly feel like this is one of my most worn shirts. Such a staple. 
• Gap Jean Jacket: I re-wore the jean jacket I wore for the birthday party also with the sleeves rolled up.
• H&M Black Opaque Tights: It was a bit chilly in the morning so I put on some  black tights to keep me warm during the church service.
• Mossimo Red Patent Leather Flats from Target: I needed some color into the outfit so I put on my red flats.
• Gold/Black Leather Cuff & Black Gold Stud Heart Earring: I kept the accessories simple, so I wore this Gold/ Black Leather Cuff I got from Charlotte Russe with some Black Heart Earrings that has some Gold Studs that watch with the cuff, I usually pair them together.
• Asos Black Satchel Purse: My favorite purse at the moment so I wear with everything.
• Revlon Lip Butter Lipstick in Red Velvet: My makeup was so simple that day ()Foundation, Blush, and Mascara) that I wanted add red lips. So I wore my favorite red lipstick.

     I ended my weekend by watching my two favorite shows; Downton Abbey and Sherlock while eating a delicious marble flavored cupcakes and doing my nails afterwards. 

Overall I enjoyed my weekend It was not dull nor overly busy but it was a good one. I hope all weekends could be the same pace as this one, maybe this year I will have more good weekends and less bad ones.

The 11/30 System: How to Get a 30 Outfits With Just 11 Wardrobe Pieces

 This past semester in school during my Clothing Selection course, my professor gave the class very handy system to use with ourselves and with clients. A system that we call the 11/30 system, which we manage to take 11 clothing pieces and create a month worth of outfits.

Breaking it all down:

The system is very easy to follow and remember. It does not include shoes and accessories but I promise that once you add them the outfits will just look better. Once you learn the system and how to use it, it makes getting ready much easier. So here is the break down . . .

• 3 Tops
• 3 Bottoms
• 3 Jackets
• 2 Dresses

The trick is to finding items that will go with your personal style, lifestyle, and that they can easily match up with everything else. 

Making the Outfits:

For the purpose of this post I will make 30 outfits with classic wardrobe pieces, you don't have to use these exact pieces if you decide to do it on your own, you can use the same formula but with pieces that are more your style. You can also just make adjustments and use the formula thru the seasons by changing the fabric of the clothes and the shapes and colors and prints.  

Pieces I Used:

• Tops: Blue Chambray Blouse, Black Lace Blouse, & White/Black Stripe Tank Top.
• Bottoms: Black Skater Skirt, Black Jeans, & Blue Jeans.
• Jackets: Black Blazer, Tan Trench Coat, & Black Leather Jacket
• Dresses: Little Black Dress and Day Dress

Outfits:

1. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans + Tan Trench Coat
2. Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Blazer
3. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Black Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
4. Little Black Dress + Tan Trench Coat
5. Black Lace Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
6. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
7. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater  Skirt + Black Leather Jacket
8. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
9. Little Black Dress + Black Blazer   
10. Day Dress + Tan Trench Coat
11. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater  Skirt + Tan Trench Coat  
    
12. Little Black Dress + Black Leather Jacket
13. Day Dress + Black Blazer
14. Day Dress  + Black Leather Jacket
15. Little Black Dress
16. Day Dress
17. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans
18. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans
19. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt  + Black Leather Jacket
20. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans + Tan Trench Coat
21. White/Black Stripe Tank Top +  Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
22. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater Skirt + Black Blazer
23. Black Lace Blouse + Blue Jeans + Tan Trench Coat 
    
24. Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Jeans  + Black Blazer  
25. Blue Chambray Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
26. Black Lace Blouse + Black Skater Skirt
27. Black Lace Blouse + Black Jeans
28. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans
29. White/Black Stripe Tank Top + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket
30. Blue Chambray Blouse + Blue Jeans + Black Leather Jacket

Making the outfits can get a bit challenging after you use all the pieces once, so you sometimes have to get a bit creative. But once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. Well I hope this system will help you as much as it has helped me.

New Year, New Chapter, New Me! Hopefully . . . .

I can't believe it is already 2014! Wow 2013 sure went fast. What a stressful and bad year I had, but I also had some good. Last year I made the brave decision to study what I was truly meant to do, I got a new puppy who I just adore and love more than anything in my world! And I still have my family and friends.

I am looking forward for this new year. I am determine to make it a good one with my family and friends. I also plan to be more involve in life. I have high hopes and positives vibes for myself this year. Also, me and my two friends are planning a blog that I hope you will follow as well. So thank you for still keeping my blog in your blogs list and thank you for the visits despite I have not been so involved in the blog recently. I fully intend on being more involve and making changes such as posting outfit post.

Can't wait to hear from you all once again!

Personal Post: My First Hospitalization

The LAC+USC Medical Center Hospital where I stayed.

        This past summer as everyone was out having fun in the beach, going out at night, taking road trips and having fun, I was spending it at a hospital bed. As a child I was always healthy thanks to the great care of my mother so I never had any reason to go the hospital or see a doctor unless it was a check up. Earlier this year around my grandmothers birthday (May 10) I began getting sharp pains in my lower right side. The pain would come for a week and the pain would slowly go away on it's own and only come back if triggered by something such as spicy food. Eventually the pain would come back on it's own and it would stay with me for more than a week, the pain would subside but I would still feel the pain. I never had any fever, vomiting, or diarrhea or any unusual symptoms other than pain. For the first half of the summer I was uncomfortable and in pain most of the time. Because of my pain I would get easily irritable and became extremly grouchy, especially with my parents. On Sunday July 21st I decided I could no longer take it. I knew there was something wrong with my body and felt it was time to do something about it. Around 10:30PM I was taken to the emergency room where for the next 5 hours I was getting all kinds of medical test done. Around 3:00AM I was taken to a bed in the emergency room where I was told I had acute appendicitis. Part of was relieved that they found what it was and could fix it, after all my appendix had not ruptured so the surgery would be a easy one and it would quick be over . . . little did I know that it was far from over.

       After getting more lab work done and being in observation for a day I was taken into surgery at 12:00AM on July 23rd. What was suppose to be a 2-3 hour surgery done laparoscopically (small 1 inch incisions on my abdomen) turned into a 8 hour open surgery. What was meant to be the removal of my appendix turned into the removal of part of my small intestine and colon. When my surgical team saw that they could not remove my appendix the easy way and had to open my stomach up they were met with a extremely swollen and infected appendix that was causing a blockage on my small intestine and colon. Being the biggest appendix they had ever seen, my team had to put my surgery on hold and had to call a pathologist from their home to come and observe my appendix to make sure it was safe for them to move on. Once the pathologist gave my team the signal that it was okay to continue with the surgery they carefully removed it and send it to get tested for cancerous cells. I was taken back to my room around 8:15AM and I vaguely remember seeing my mother and older sister in the room waiting for me. As expected I was in uncomfortable pain when I was fully awake. When my doctors came in to explain to me why my surgery took longer I was surprised to find out that my small intestine has a hole on it's wall that leaked bacteria onto my appendix causing it to swell. A week later after going on antibiotics and although I was still in pain the doctor let me go home, but not before one last blood lab to be done. I was thrilled to be home even though I was in pain and had to take 2 different medications. However the following morning around 10:00 am as my mother was giving me breakfast my doctor called my house letting me know that they needed me to go back to the hospital that my blood work showed a high infection in my system.

     It is no surprise I was scared that there was something more serious wrong with me, I was still in pain and had to take pain killers which I was resisting but I had no choice. For the following 3 weeks I would get blood work, CT Scans, X-rays, and went on 3 different antibiotic treatments because my doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. Until finally my diagnosis came in, the reason why my blood still showed a infection was because I have Crohns disease. Once my diagnosis was in they were able to give me the proper medication, and finally after a month I was able to go home. I was still on strict orders to keep rested, don't over do it with activities, and was prescribe with 3 different medication that I took 5 times a day, in total I would swallow 10 pills a day. But at least I was home and I was glad to go on with my normal life.

     But it was not easy to adjust to my old life once I was out of the hospital. I would feel lonely, depressed, anxious, and had bad nightmares. I did not feel like myself. I had no desire to do anything other than sleep and feel the summer air. Once I got back to school and began my fashion courses all over again I felt feeling like myself again. I am excited and looking forward to the projects, speakers, new friends, and new experiences I have made and done. I still feel a little down every know and then. I also realized I will have to go to a specialist to get the proper treatment for my Crohns disease and until then I will have to deal with being tired a lot more frequently and tried to stay away from things that trigger stomach pains such as stress, pork, greasy and overly spicy food.

     Overall, It was a experience I wont ever forget. Yes I am alive and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for the wonderful doctors and nurses that took care of me. They were all very sweet and nice to me and my family, I could of not have asked for a better team. I also am grateful for my mother who stood by me 24/7 and the rest of my family and friends as well. I truly felt loved from everyone around me.As for me, my life is going on and I am gaining my strength back and with that some of hopefulness in my future.

Fashion School Outfits: First Week of School

       This week I started my Fall 2013 semester and so started my second semester as a fashion student. I am taking it easy this semester with only two classes instead of five like last semester because I am still recovering from surgery and a very long stay in the hospital. I also want to start blogging again, so I came up with the idea to show my outfits from the days I go to school and every now and then write about my courses, but I will leave that for a separate post. So let me get started on my fashion and beauty looks . . .

Outfits:

Tuesday: On Tuesday my first day back I wore my creme and black polka dot blouse from Lauren Conrad with my black straight jeans. For jewelry I wore my gold diamond bow cuff bracelet paired with a pearl bracelet and a gold diamond chain link bracelet, with my gold diamond bow earrings. As for shoes I wore black flats with a gold medallion on the front inspired by the famous Tory Burch flats.

Thursday: Temperatures here in Los Angeles are at a ultimate high, seriously I cannot handle, so I decided to wear my orange coral lace dress that I got in Las Vegas in May. Because I love my smallish waist I always like to cinch it when I can so I wore my black skinny belt around my waist, the only bad side about that decision is that  I cant put the belt tightly because of my surgery so it was loose so the buckle would keep moving to the side, what a bummer. I accessorized with my 3 layered mint colored crystal bead necklace similar to the set I made above except mine is brighter, I also wore a black scarf with multi colored flowers in blue, violet, turquoise, coral, and lilac that is also very similar to the one pictured above. For shoes I just wore plain black flats.

Beauty & Hair:

Tuesday: For my hair I just curled my hair with my bangs twisted and pinned to the side a la Lauren Conrad. My makeup was just as simple, I did my usual foundation routine, dusted some copper eye shadow, put on cat eyeliner, and because my outfit was very neutral I wore my Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Tart to give me a pop of color. 

Thursday: My hair was even more simple than on Tuesday. I left my hair in it's natural texture (Pin straight) and braided a goddess braid on each side and pinned it to the back of my head with a clip. As more my makeup I did the same copper eye shadow with cat eyeliner, coral blush and a nude lip gloss since my outfit was bright enough I wanted to keep my face simple.

      So I have a confession to make. Lately I have not been feeling my clothes, I almost despise them with the exception of a few items. But since I cannot go and buy a new wardrobe I have to work with what I got. It has been so hard deciding what to wear each time I go out since I am unsatisfied in everything. I literally came up with my Thursday outfit that same very morning, I have worn the dress before but this was the first I accessorized it the way it is. Now I wish I had someone to take pictures of my outfits so I can post them up for you all instead but I don't so instead I make Polyvore sets of the outfits I wear using the exact pieces I have or that are 99% similar, so for the most part the outfits are true to the way they are in real life. Any differences will be pointed out by me.

Trend of the Moment: Love Jewelry

     

       It may not be February the month of Love but Love sure is in the air . . . or at least in your jewelry.  A popular trend on the moment has to be showing your Love in everything from watches, bracelets, rings, and necklaces. So go on and show your Love this season with fun quirky jewelry. I own a LOVE Cuff watch that I just Love! (No pun intended . . . yes it was intended) and a Love necklace that I like to pair it with.

Where to find them:

•  Forever21.com
• Charlotterusse.com

      Have you tried this trend out? and if you have not are you  willing to try this trend out or is it a pass for you? Let me know in the comment below.