LA VIE EN VOGUE

MOVED!

2010-09-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

sorry for all the jumping around, but please find my new home at the following address...

i'll miss you blogger!

lazy blogger

2010-07-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

i did it again -- registered a domain complete with wordpress hosting/integration. i've been on blogspot/blogger for YEARS (literally... my first blog started some 10 or so years ago -_-) and it's time to move on to bigger and better things! i've been wanting to blog consistently, about pretty and interesting things, but using blogger has made me somewhat lazy. i figure if i pay for my site i'll pay more attention to it as well. plus, i really need to start exercising my creative braincells after all the numbercrunching i do... that has now become my life.

will post the URL once i have a complete product... yay for new beginnings!

work in progress

2010-07-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

revamping this nasty little blog
saving funds for numerous things. imac is at the top of my list so far.
is it worth it to pay for fonts? an idea i'm toying with.
experimenting with light in my photography
restyling my wardrobe
finally bought a moodboard/corkboard and it is still in the shrinkwrap
p h o t o s h o p / w e b d e s i g n

note to self

donate clothes to goodwill - rid myself of the clutter
buy clothing racks for my room. drawers don't cut it.

note to others

all saints is amazing. late news, i know. deconstructed and almost abercrombielike perfectionism.. and the SHOES...
chopped a good 6? or so inches of my hair off this past week. felt liberating. you should try it some time.
you can download freeware that mimics the same functionalities of photoshop/photo editing software, but the bottom line is, it sucks. buy photoshop, skip the gimp crap. well worth your investment.

You hold me now.

2010-07-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

On that day when I see

All that You have for me

When I see You face to face

There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away

In the light of your embrace

When Your love is all I need

And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold

In Your presence here to hold

Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain

No suffering

You hold me now

No darkness, no sickening

No hiding

You hold me now,

You hold me now

In this life finally stand

Through my joy and my pain

Knowing there's a greater day

There's a hope that never fails

When You're name is lifted high

And forever praises last

For the glory of Your Name

I'll be livin' for the day

When the world has finally ceased

All creation rest in peace

Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain

No suffering

You hold me now

No darkness, no sickening

No hiding

You hold me now,

You hold me now

For eternity

All my heart will give

All the glory to Your name

Faith

2010-07-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Did You rise the sun for me?

Or paint a million stars that I might

Know Your majesty?

Is Your voice upon the wind?

Is everything I've known marked

With my maker's fingerprints?

Breathe on me

Let me see Your face

Ever I will seek You

'Cause all You are, is all I want, always

Draw me close in Your arms

Oh God, I wanna be with You

Can I feel You in the rain?

Abandon all I am to have You

Capture me again

Let the earth resound with praise

Can You hear as all creation lives

To glorify one name?

#kor

2010-06-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

i'll admit it- i'm a bandwagon fan, and i don't follow sports unless there's a whole lotta hype behind it. ie. the olympics (winter- figureskating/kim yuna, speed skating || summer- opening ceremonies *yes, i'm a geek*, gymnastics, swimming- MICHAEL PHELPS! i'm a sucker for record breakers); baseball (wbc '09 japan/korea matchup; world series); march madness (bracket pools at work!!); football (superbowl commercials.. not so much for the game itself); nba finals (rooting for the celtics, fueled by my hatred for kobe); and now, the world cup (need i say more?).

cut to saturday morning as i grudgingly get my butt out of bed and head to Circle, the Aqua of nyc if you will, at 7 in the morning to cheer on South Korea in its first game against Greece.

yes, I know the flag is backwards :(

i can't say i regularly drink champagne & vodka any time before noon but this was an exception. booze flowing, free kimbap & cup ramen, and hundreds of Koreans decked out in their Red Devil gear-- truly an experience! i'll be back for all subsequent games, that's for sure.

making memories

2010-06-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

last Monday was a special day for the Kim familia... my oldest bro proposed to his fiancé! it was a beautiful day in Central Park and i'm so happy to have been involved with the proposal. many thanks to my awesome bf and cousin for helping... i could not have survived the day without you guys.

cheers to Pete & Cathy~ and i absolutely can not wait for the wedding! :)

photo booth

2010-05-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

good times at AOL's 25th birthday bash @ the bowery last night! watched john legend perform, but i was way more interested in the awesome photo booth they had out on the patio. every party should have a photo booth - you really forget how much fun you can have with a simple picture (or four).

cloudy

2010-04-22T13:13:00.001-07:00

head full of dreams with nowhere to go

img stolen from krystle :P

pixie

2010-04-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

carey mulligan - interview apr '10

i love everything about these photos, especially that pixielike charm that she exudes so effortlessly.

(images via fashiongonerogue)

classy, a-list, bedazzling

2010-04-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

more likely than not, there will be an extensive post in the future detailing my experiences with Kappa.
but for now, here's a sneak peek...

i am so thankful for this sorority and the opportunity it's given me to meet so many individual, unique, beautiful, STRONG women. i went back to dc this weekend for the first time since my last semester, and it was so amazing to be reunited with these faces!

i have so much hope in the future of our colony and can't wait to see all the great things that are in store for KPL at GW. out of everything i've done in college, Kappa has provided me the most meaningful and memorable experience.

i miss you all already and can't wait to go back :)

desires

2010-03-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

i've always been such a dreamer... my mind is constantly wandering. just a few things i'm craving at the moment... hoping to make them my reality very soon :)

Macarons from Laduree

Bags for spring... Proenza Schouler & Mulberry Alexa

excursion to Paris

pretty baubles / statement pieces

j.crew spring everything

life instructions

2010-03-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

uncharacteristic of the pretty little things i like to post in this blog,

but worth noting.

(via thedailywhat)

alexa for madewell

2010-03-17T11:09:00.001-07:00

er.. old news, but word on the street is that alexa chung's designing a line for madewell? i have to admit that i never really cared for her as a person or woman of style but after taking a closer look, i take it all back. quirky chic.. almost boring.. yet surprising. that's what it is to me. and now i can't wait for fall 2010.

^ my favorite!

more previews of her fall collection on Madewell's facebook page.

THE list

2010-03-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

jonnie & duncan from the buried life! photos from flickr.

back when i was in california, i had a tête-à-tête at in 'n out with one of my sorority sisters. i was looking to her for post-grad advice being frustrated at the job market, unsure of what i wanted to do upon graduation. while we were talking, the woman who had been sitting next to us with her family kindly interrupted asking if she could just put in her two cents:

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation but can I just say-- Stop worrying. You two are young, and you've got your entire life ahead of you! You WILL find a job. It might not be the one you dreamed of, but it will lead you to one that is perfect for you. TRAVEL. Do it now while you still have time to yourself. And when in doubt of everything else- make a list. Make a list of all the things you want to do in your life, and before you know it, you'll be crossing them off and living your dreams... just for subconsciously making the realizations that you want to do all of those certain things."

she walked away with her two little kids and a smile on her face. she looked tired... but happy. clearly this was a woman who had lived.

inspired by this woman and my new favorite show on MTV, the buried life, i started thinking of things that i wanted to do before i die. i wanted the list items to be realistic, yet far-fetched enough that i would have to go out of my way to do these things. i only have a couple so far and started numbering them from #1 onward... and thought it seemed too small and measly. so i assigned them random numbers giving me time & space to think of what to do in between all of those things. :)

what i have so far:

#35 go to the opening ceremony of a summer and winter olympics (preferably in a country that i wouldn't normally travel to)
#49 get dressed & dolled up for a star-studded red carpet affair
#17 run a marathon (start with a halfie, but work my way there)
#72 be featured in a magazine.. for anything

so inspired to live the life i've imagined... thanks to a mother of two from california and four crazy, driven Canadian gentlemen.

words to live by

2010-03-11T07:25:00.001-08:00

live as if you were to die tomorrow.

learn as if you were to live forever.

-- Gandhi

pretty little things

2010-03-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

Chanel accessories designer Laetitia Crahay.

oh what i'd give for that wall of jewels...

i need to start a mood board, pronto!

(images via marie claire)

new lease.

2010-01-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

i'm officially employed!!!

got the offer today. couldn't have come at a better time- i needed this job in so many more ways than one :)

things i'm looking forward to at my new gig:
- making new friends/meeting new people
- seeing/decorating my workspace
- touring the building
- getting a company email address

and after watching way too many commercials today, i've FINALLY deducted what i've been trying to figure out for what seems like years: the white guy of the 'psych' duo [that weird tv show on USA] is the pirate from dodgeball! a lifechanging discovery.

loving these old school sex & the city reruns circa 2000. they show how much and so little new york has changed throughout the past 10 years...

alrighty, time to rest. so tired for some reason! each minute felt like an eternity today.. strange..

2010

2009-12-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

new years resolutions.

get a job and work hard at it no matter what. must keep in mind that everything happens for a reason and that everything will fall into place.
save up for [and buy] a car, computer, and camera. in that order. which leads to..
become more financially prudent and independent.
take better care of my body/health. i can't eat so much garbage any more. sad stuff, but important.
smile more often & remember the goodness in life. all of God's blessings. why is it always easier to see the bad than the good? regardless, i need to stop being jealous of others and start to truly appreciate all the amazing things that i have in my life. things may not necessarily measure up to others, but i need to thank God nonetheless- i am so lucky in so many ways
more "organic" time- knitting, cooking, laughing, making music, having fun- without the technology and useless noise.
find my way back to my faith. and His teachings. i've come so far and gotten lost along the way. this is more of a long term thing but i'm just praying for consistency, not a radical change in my ways.
be more thoughtful. i want the ones i love to know how much i care about them and adore them. i simply don't show it enough as it is.
keep writing. i always tell myself to write more but i guess i just forget/get lazy. whether it be through blogging, writing journal entries, or writing more emails, i just need to keep writing.......

well, there you have it. i wish i could have more realistic, profound resolutions but that's all i could think up.... hm.

steph & i were talking about 2010 and all the crazy things that will happen in the next decade. 2010-2020 is my 22-32 y/o bracket. which means.... LOTS of graduations, engagements, weddings, BABIES?!, new jobs, lost jobs, traveling, moving, and............ my thirties. how surreal to think that 10 years ago, i was a clueless twelve year old minding my own business in 5th grade. it's both exciting and scary. but let's opt to be excited and happy, yes? i can't wait til we all start to get hitched and start our own little families... the thought makes me all tingly! ...but of course, let's give it til our LATE twenties at the least... i don't think i could handle so much change in my life within the next 3 years T_T.

i also rediscovered this timeline project i had to complete when i was 12- 10 years ago. how fitting. i think the assignment was to outline my life in 30 yrs... i had to choose a highlight for each year up until i was 12, and then guestimate what would happen each year after that until i turned 30.

highlights:
12: *now* got braces.
14: have a good first year in high school - hah, awww.
20: go to europe/asia - didn't happen, sadly enough :(
25: get married - what the WHAT? ahh naive little jane...
26~30: have a *GREAT* life!!

man. maybe i should redo this project and outline the next 30 years of my life. from 22-52. oh dear...

at any rate. happy holidays everyone! i wish you all the best for 2010 and hope you had a great christmas. it's going to be weird to not go back to school within the next few weeks..... i feel uneasy but i suppose this is when my FUNEMPLOYMENT shall begin....

content.

2009-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

everything's falling into place.

have an interview next monday for a company i adore.

making the grand exit from dc on saturday.

rodarte for target on sunday (haha).

entered two graphic design contests this week. hear back in the near future?

seeing my niece in a week.

christmastime is always my favorite. no matter how disfunctional and unhappy my family might be at times, we can forget it for a moment when we're all together again, feasting on korean food with our 30+ other relatives.

not much else to say at the moment... pretty happy with the way things are going right now.

oh oh, but the lovely ladies of we wear things are hosting a gilt giveaway... check their blog for more info. :)

an open love letter.

2009-12-14T22:44:00.001-08:00

often times i forget how spoiled i really am. those who know me well know i complain more often than i should (oops..) but i think steph summed it up best; i don't like to settle for things and rarely rest until i am truly satisfied, and this applies to all walks of my life. jobs, friendships, hobbies, love...?

i don't talk about him as much as i should, especially about all the amazing and wonderful things he's done for me in the past. it's not a particularly special day/anniversary for me to be writing about these kinds of things, but i'd like to say them now before i forget/before another day goes by without me giving him recognition..

a few months/years ago i stumbled upon this quote by bob marley on how to love a woman. cheesy as it may be, i fell in love with it, so smitten with the idea that some day i might be able to find a man who might love me keeping these very thoughts in mind. it was seemingly impossible and so far out of reach...

he sent me this via email today. i read it over line by line and began to tear up, haha- by the time i finished reading i was crying because i realized how much he had given me and how little i'd given in return. and how he's always been there for me, so faithfully, taking these words to heart (probably without realizing it at all).

too many times i've complained to him about being unhappy without taking the time to thank him for being him.. for that i'm infinitely sorry. i failed to realize all the amazing things about our relationship and focused on the negative, thinking that things weren't quite measuring up to my expectations and that everything was far from perfect... when perfection was only just a few inches away.

there are too many things that i can point out.. too many stories to tell.. but i'd just like to take this time to tell the world how truly blessed i am by having him in my life and how happy i am to be able to call him my boyfriend. he is making me a better person, day by day, and hopefully i'll be able to do the same for him some day.

oppa, i adore you. thank you for being you :) i promise i'll do better. you deserve nothing less.

b&w finale.

2009-12-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

i'm really glad i decided to take a fine arts class in my last semester of GW. why black & white photography? i've been meaning to learn all the fundamentals of photography on a broader scale- especially since i plan on investing in a DSLR sometime in the near future. even though digital doesn't require any darkroom knowledge, i still found everything i learned in the class to be extremely useful. my final portfolio is due tomorrow, and after spending 15+ long hours in the photo lab this weekend... i am extremely proud to show off all my hard work :)

(excuse the nasty scan quality... stupid school computers.)

01. depth of field

02. choice

03. qualities of light

04. self portrait

05. motion/shutter speed

06. choice

07. self portrait

08. motion/shutter speed

09. motion/shutter speed

10. choice

photo lab

2009-12-02T00:05:00.001-08:00

my hands have smelled like photo chemicals all day, but i don't really mind.

i spent about 6 hours in photo lab today... jeez.

was touching up a print that i took in new york this past weekend. at first it was pretty frustrating because i had to burn the image 5+ times (literally. this is a process that takes about 7 minutes each time) just for one darned glare on a skyscraper's windows.

came home and looked at the final print. smiled because it was awesome to see the fruits of my labor in a different light.

this post would be complete with the actual image itself, but my computer's still broken, so no can show :( oi.

will make use of the school's scanners as soon as finals are over. can't wait to build up my final portfolio... but i just wish i had more time to spend in that photo lab.

holiday

2009-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

it was nice to come home for the weekend. in all honesty, i really didn't care for thanksgiving this year for some reason... maybe it's the weather. doesn't feel very suitable for such wintry holidays. but it was a good clean fun couple of days. wish i could have seen a few more people but it was well worth the trip.

a little inspired after today. i want to improve on a lot of things... get an early start on my new years resolutions, if you will. i don't think i made a list last year but i think 2010 looks promising. for one, i want to be more organized... it never hurts to be too organized. and i want to get more involved with my church. focus more on my relationship with God. things i've been neglecting for way too long. now's the time.

i also want to learn how to cook. had some delish homemade food at a church potluck today... totally impressed! not only will this be a tremendous lift off of my wallet... it's just good common knowledge to have. i'd like to be able to host dinner parties of my own one day. better to start now and get a lot of practice while i'm not overly bogged down with work. :P

train in 6 hrs. work in 9. hard to believe i'll be back in dc in just a few... 2/3 more weeks of my undergrad career left... let's make it count, shall we?

notebookdoodles.

2009-11-20T08:56:00.001-08:00

via

rip daul.

2009-11-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

a gorgeous model with an enormous personality... and intelligence to spare. an inspiration to koreans everywhere. thanks for making fashion a brighter industry.

images via Refinery 29 & The Cut

Just for today...

2009-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

Just for today, I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appall me if I felt that I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that "most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Just for today, I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my "luck" as it comes, and fit myself to it.

Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to--just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticize not one bit, not find fault with anything and not try to improve or regulate anybody except myself.

Just for today, I will have a program. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

Just for today, I will have a quiet half hour all by myself, and relax. During this half hour, sometime, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.

Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

divine intervention.

2009-11-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

crazy day. i log into fb and see my "God wants you to know..." app in my notifications.

On this day, God wants you to know...
... that it's OK. Just rest for a moment. It's OK. Yes, things are crazy, yes, the world is going nuts. Yet, deep underneath the stormy waves, there, in the core of your being, there is pure silence, pure love. And ... it's ... just ... OK.

simple words, but it's always nice to have a reminder.

do what you love.

2009-10-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

new blackberry commercial ft a cover of "all you need is love" by grayson matthews.
great concept, touching theme... but i don't see how it ties into blackberry... anyone?

cfda/vogue fashion fund

2009-10-16T07:01:00.001-07:00

gary graham / sasha pivovarova.

the 2009 CFDA/vogue fashion fund finalists seem to be a flock of new designers. just in the nick of time. with no returning contenders for this year's scholarship, it looks like we'll finally be getting something fresh for a change- don't get me wrong, i love me some a.wang & jason wu- but perhaps this is suggesting an optimistic new beginning in a very downridden economic climate? yay fashion!

wayne lee / lily donaldson.
my favorite pairing of the lot.

images from vogue.com

lighting

2009-10-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

i'm a sucker for anthropologie. these lamps are so boss.
priced at $1598, $248, $798, respectively

picturesque

2009-09-29T16:38:00.001-07:00

been a weird couple of days but i'm trying to get out of the funk... i always manage to put myself in the strangest situations...

well, i received one of the *best* birthday gifts ever this past weekend! the fujifilm instax mini. it's the camera zooey deschanel uses in 'yes man'... ever since i saw the movie i couldn't get the camera out of my head. thanks for the gift, oppa. :)

i've also signed up for black & white photography as my additional course for the semester... luckily i had a friend take the class before, so i'm using his camera and textbook (thus saving roughly $300 on materials?!). today i went to the photo store to buy the rest of my materials and walked out with $70 worth of film alone. gah. still need to buy about $200 worth of stuff. for someone who's so broke, i'm definitely choosing the wrong time to begin my journey in photography. oh well... at least there will be many pretty pictures to post on my blog! hopefully they'll be interesting, but most likely they'll just be pictures of rocks or trees in shades of gray...

birthday is tomorrow and i'm not too excited. more excited for dinner if anything. the ribeye at founding farmers is just too good.

someone's gotta go.

2009-09-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

kelly clarkson- already gone.

i feel so helpless sometimes. like there's too much going on and i can't handle it all... i can't breathe or focus. i sit there and think of all the ways that everything is going wrong. this is not ideal, folks... i have this incessant need to feel like i'm in control of everything that's going on in my life and when things seem slightly out of reach, i shut down...

ugh

anyways, my mom called yesterday and asked me what she should get me for my birthday. i've never been too keen on receiving gifts (idk, i always feel guilty) so of course i brushed it off and told her not to worry about sending anything. just to call and say hi when it's the day of. so for some reason my mom has this abnormal obsession with uggs... and she was SO insistent on buying me a new pair in chocolate brown... (O_o?!!!) i didn't really want to hurt her feelings and say ew, so i just... entertained the thought and gave in.

pointless story. i don't know where i was going with it... huh...

happy autumn, everyone.

s/s 2010 favorites, part one

2009-09-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

how ethereal was the runway at rodarte?
i love how the models look like gothic angels.
sasha is SO boss.

if i could choose any collection to be my wardrobe for spring -- no doubt it would be PORTS.

and phillip lim could do no wrong.

all images via style.com
to be continued...

stuck in black and white.

2009-09-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

it's like a continuous movie that plays in my mind... with the scratches and speckled noise on the reel... but it's silent, there are no voices, there is no laughter, there are only ghosts on the screen, cackling, crying?, kissing, in love.

mantra to live by

2009-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

"Simplicity is the nature of great souls."
via flickr

bringing it back.

2009-05-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

gonna start writing again. about anything this time... pictures i like, people i like, whatever. i like being minimalistic. i like when my life is minimalistic.

so i have subscriptions to vogue, teen vogue, and nylon that are all sent to my house in nj. i always have heaps of glossies to look forward to whenever i come back for breaks. i'm not really over my obsession with models just yet so i was completely enamored by the feature on steven meisel. all my favorite faces in one photo. natalia and sasha (the two to the far right) are breathtaking.

lastly.... sooooooooo much food at home. x__O ive been eating nonstop since i got here... just wait til i get to cali...