Time to Bring out the Pencils Again

Image Credit: Katie Jones-Barlow Illustration

Hi there! It feels like it's been a really long time since I've been able to just sit down and be really, really creative. Sure, I've been making cards a lot these past few months (or did I not mention that before? Oops) and have painted a few things here and there, the biggest thing being a painting for a friend, but I haven't just been able to get into it like before. It's not that I don't enjoy doing it anymore, but because I've been so freaking busy and haven't had the time to do anything of a sort unless I absolutely had to.

Style Diary: Lunar New Year

Hi there! First of all, I'd just like to say, happy, happy New Year to all those who celebrate it! Hopefully, it's a day you'll be spending with your family eating delicious food and gearing up for a better and brighter year to come. I'm going to keep this post short and sweet, so let's get into it!

DIY: Minecraft Beanie

Hi there! Before I get into this post, I just wanted to say that sometimes, life doesn't want to give you good lighting at 2 pm where it actually looks decent, so you just gotta take pictures where the sun wants to be nice to you, hence the messy background. My little brother just couldn't find it in him to make his bed, I suppose.

If you know any teenage boy, stereotypically, you've probably heard of a little PC game called Minecraft. I've heard my fair share of Minecraft talk, especially from my little brother. Though he's not a teen yet, he has been obsessed with this game for about a year or two now. It was hist birthday last week, so I decided to make him a bit of Minecraft gear... a Creeper beanie! I always think the best gifts are handmade, so I was so excited to make this for him. Thankfully, he loved it, making me a very happy sister. It's also a super easy DIY, so let's get into it!

Looks for Less: Emma Watson

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Hi there! After telling you all about my love for Emma Watson's closet a few weeks ago, I went online (but then again, when am I not online) and creeped through her street style and red carpet photos once again to pick out ones that I could recreate for you. Keep reading for outfits and ideas that you can use to help inspire you when you feel like channeling your inner Emma.

One of a Kind Finds: January

Hi there! This month, I seemed to gravitate toward really nice thick coats, or luxury-feeling/looking coats and expensive shoes. So kind of a weird month or a very normal month, depending on how you look at it or how well you know me. I really wish I had each and every one of these items in my closet. They're just so freaking awesome. Keep reading for a detailed list of the lovely, lovely items you see above!

Resolutions Diary: January

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Hi there! Remember when I wrote about my New Year’s resolutions last year? Well, I thought it’d help for me stick to them if I blogged about my progress or lack thereof, so I’ve decided to name this little segment Resolutions Diary which will be a monthly post to let you guys know how I’m doing. So let’s revisit those ambitious goals I made and see how I did, shall we?

3 Ways to Wear: Fuzzy Sweaters

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Hi there! A few weeks ago, I told you all about my latest obsession: fuzzy sweaters. Since then, I haven't fallen out of love for them, so I thought I'd share with you how I styled these sweaters. Keep reading to see the looks!

Pretty Little Liars Fashion Recap: Close Encounters

Image Credit: ABC Family (via IB Times)

Hi there! It's been quite some time since I've done a PLL fashion recap, hasn't it? I've decided to change the format a bit from simply writing about the fashion to actually recreating three outfits every two weeks. This week, I'll be talking to you about Spencer, Aria, and Emily's style in the latest episode, "Close Encounters."

Sunday Funday: January 26/14

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Hi there! I'm making an honest effort not to start each Sunday Funday with a short story about how crazy my week was because being predictable is the last thing that I want. Also, there are only so many ways you can phrase it.

Oh, and before I forget. You've probably noticed how a totally-lame-attempt-at-being-poetic type of title is missing from this post. Well, I decided to just make the date as the title to simplify everything for us all and minimise the cringing. Hopefully, that works out, haha.

Countdown to Confidence: 6 Ways to Fake it 'til You Make it

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Hi there! Two weeks ago, I posted the first ever Countdown to Confidence posts and got such an amazing response from all of you. It just made me so happy to know that you were all as excited about the new series and hearing some of your stories just made me so, so happy.

Today, I have the next installment in the series all about just faking that confidence until you get it. I’m not trying to say that you should be fake and all that, I’m just sharing a few tips on things you could do to make yourself feel more confident until you actually feel it yourself. So let’s get into it!

Style Diary: It's Comfy Week

Hi there! Long time no see. Or is it talk? Anyway, I feel like I've been gone for way too long, but I've been working extra hard to finish up project and cram information in my head in time for my first ever week of exams. It's been kind of a hectic week. Just a bit.

Because of the craziness of exam prep, my school decided to have it be Comfy Week, meaning that we could show up in pajamas, sweats, leggings, etc. all week and it would be perfectly acceptable. One of those days, I decided to show up in a little something like this.

Quick Update: Exam Week Prep

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Hi there! I'm just going to pop in for a quick little update today. I'm sorry to say that despite my resolution to blog everyday, that will not be possible/there will be delays in this due to the fact that I have exams next week. However, there will be twelve posts up from now until the end of January, don't you fret, but if I'm MIA for a day or two, chances are, I'm studying hard.

Thank you so much for your understanding!

- J

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6 Fashion Books to Read in 2014

Hi there! It's pretty clear, I'd say, that I really love fashion, but I just don't know enough about it, it seems. Sometimes, I almost feel like a fraud because my fashion knowledge is kind of lacking, so this year, I thought I'd change. My goal is to read one fashion-related book a month, sometimes, they'll be a bit more fashion-y than others, and write about it at the end of the month/beginning of the next month.

I've planned out the first six books I'm planning to read, but I'm leaving the other six for later because I'm sure there'll be other great books coming out this year. Keep reading for a little bit about each book!

Sunday Funday: Smile, Darling.

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Hi there! I was so incredibly busy with school this week, so that didn’t leave me with many opportunities to enjoy life, so today’s post will be pretty short and sweet about a couple of things that just made me very happy this week. Enjoy! x

Collection Crush: Veronique Branquinho Pre-Fall 2014

Image Credit: Style.com

Hi there! I hope that you're all having a fantastic Saturday afternoon, whether you've been relaxing or working away all day, clearly you've made time for a little break if you're reading this. 

I absolutely love discovering new designers and not just the big names that have become a part of our culture like Chanel or Gucci, but smaller ones like in today's case, Veronique Branquinho. Maybe you've heard of her before and have seen her work, but I was pretty excited when I discovered her designs one morning while riding the bus. I swear, I think the people who take the bus with me think I'm crazy.

Style Diary: Fresh Air

Hi there! Look who's outside again... Yeah, that's right, this girl. After treacherous weather for weeks, it's finally warming up, even if it's only supposed to be for a short period of time. I just love being able to enjoy being outside instead of making my trip from the bus stop home a rushed one because of the cold.

I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather by taking photos of a little outfit I put together. You know, because that's what I like to do in my spare time, not that I have that much of it, or any, to be exact.

Yet Another Exciting Accomplishment: Links à la Mode!

Hi there! I am so, so excited to announce to you guys that I was included in this week's IFB Links à la Mode roundup!!! This week, I submitted a post that was so, so special to me (Countdown to Confidence: Let's Get Started), so I was really hoping that I'd be maybe, just maybe included, but I didn't dare dream (that much). I was on the bus when I found out, anxiously awaiting the post to go up, and when it did, I just squealed and I'm pretty sure everyone heard me. Aw well.

I just wanted to say a huge, huge thank you to all of you for your amazing, amazing support over the past few months and especially recently. I wouldn't be anywhere without your support and it just means the world to me, specifically when you shared your stories in the comments of the Countdown to Confidence posts. It just made my life. Seriously. Thank you so, so much.

Cheesiness aside, if any of you would like to check out the roundup this week (which you totally should because the posts are awesome), here it is!

H&M: What's Up With Your Sizes?

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Hi there! Though I’ve featured many H&M items in outfit collages before, but I’ve never actually owned an item until this fall. H&M was always too far away for me to bother going (think two hours + too much tax), but I’ve always loved their designs, so you can imagine how happy I was when it was announced that the store would be opening at my local mall.

Because the prices are pretty reasonable for what it is, I wasn’t that disappointed with the quality because, like my mom always says, “What you pay is what you get.” I swear, it’s like her little life motto or something.

Aside from the quality, something that really bugged me happened in the change room. I’m pretty petite, so I’ve always reached for the extra-smalls or the smalls at most unless I want something to be super baggy or whatever. When I was shopping at H&M, I figured it’d be the same thing because I had no reason to think otherwise. Oh, boy was I wrong.

How to: Make the Perfect To-Do List

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Hi there! It’s the start of the week, so I thought it’d be appropriate to post this now. Something that I really, really love writing are lists. I write a least one everyday and it’s usually a to-do list. Sometimes, okay a lot of the times, they’re really specific and ambitious, but lately, I’ve found ways to make them more manageable and realistic so I can check everything off my list by the end of the day. Writing to-do lists are great ways to stay organised, so here are a few of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years.

Sunday Funday: Stormy Nights Ahead

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Hi there! I hope all of you are having a lovely, lovely Sunday afternoon, or whenever it is that you’re reading this. Also, if you have become the victim to any bad weather this week, I hope that you’re all safe and hopefully not injured because Mother Nature can be a hassle sometimes.

Countdown to Confidence: Let's Get Started

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Hi there! This post is so long overdue (it was supposed to go up in July), but here it is now, and I’m so, so happy to finally share this with you. Being confident is something that is so important in every person’s life and lacking it can really put a toll on your personal growth, your social interactions, and just your life in general, which isn’t ever a good thing.

This new series called “Countdown to Confidence” is something that I’ve been thinking long and hard about for a while now and with these posts, I’m just going to be sharing what I found that helped me change from a silly girl who worried about what everyone thought of her to someone who walks the halls not giving a care in the world that she’s wearing the most psychedelic pants. I’ll be covering things like how I got started (hint: I faked it ‘til I made it – that post will be coming up soon!), how I got my skin to clear up, changing my eating and exercise habits (or lack thereof), and being confident with what you wear, but if there’s something else you’d like to see as well, let me know in a comment.

Yesterday, I shared with you a bit of my story and in today’s post, I’ll be talking all about how to get started on your journey. Maybe some of them will sound a bit cheesy or lame to you, but I promise you, it does help!

Countdown to Confidence: My Story

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Hi there! I was sitting there combing through memories the other day when I remembered seventh grade. In seventh grade, a lot of things happened and one of those things was English class. We had to write a slam poem about something and at the time, I was probably the least confident I’ve ever been. It was nothing super serious at all, but it didn’t make me feel so good about myself, so I decided to write about that. I also decided to share that poem with you today.

I thought it’d be appropriate to share this today because tomorrow, I’m going to share with you my tips on how to be confident and I wanted to share with you a bit of my past. Oh, it’s funny how dramatic I sound right now…

It’s going to be a pretty decently long series called “Countdown to Confidence” that I’m very excited about, but I realised my “confidence story” as I like to call it, didn’t fit very well into that post, so I thought it’d be better to post it separately. It's going to be a series all about achieving confidence and I can't wait to share what I have to say with all of you!

Enough of me rambling, let’s get into it.

Style Diary: Hibernating in Pink

Hi there! I hope that you've all had a lovely first week back into the swing of things after the holidays. Because of the extreme cold, I've been trying to find ways to still do my outfit posts, but take the photos indoors, so let me know what you think of this!

I Want Her Closet: Emma Watson

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Hi there! We knew her as Hermione Granger for ten years, but something I learned is that aside from her wild curly hair and acting chops on the silver screen for Harry Potter, Emma Watson also has a wicked sense of style. She is certainly not scared to try something different, which proves especially true when she chopped off her locks when the franchise came to a close. Keep reading for a few of my favourite street style and red carpet looks from Emma!

Current Love: Fuzzy Sweaters

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Hi there! A recent obsession of mine has been fuzzy sweaters. There's just something so captivating about them and how you can get a feel for the identity of a garment just by running your hand over it, if you catch my drift. Isn't it just lovely when a garment has the capability to tell a story? I sure think so.

DIY: Laugh Wire Bracelet

Hi there! I haven’t done many DIYs lately, so I wanted to do a throwback to my first DIYs that I did with plain ole wire at my desk.

I made this bangle for a good friend of mine for Christmas last year. I offered to make her something and she requested the word “laugh” which I thought was just absolutely adorable. I think it’s a really nice to have a reminder on your arm everyday to laugh and not take everything too seriously.

It’s a really easy DIY, so let’s get into it!

Sunday Funday: The First of 2014

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Hi there! You know that feeling at the beginning of a new month or a new year when you have to write the date again and you keep catching yourself writing, for example, “2013” instead of “2014”? Well, it’s been happening to me a lot lately and it really makes me feel old. How is it already 2014? It still blows my mind. Crazy.

Okay, confession. It’s 11:32 pm as I’m writing this, with a really full stomach after eating the best meal (photos will be included). I was going to just wake up early and do it tomorrow morning, but I thought, “You know what? It’s the first “Sunday Funday” of 2014. I cannot miss that.” So here it is. Happy 2014 everyone!

7 Quick Tips for Organising Your Agenda

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Hi there! As you’ve heard me say before, an agenda is essential in anyone’s life, whether or not you’re a student or not. Those of you who are students, however, have probably just finished your first week of school from the break and you might want to get yourselves organised.

Remember those agendas that the school always gave us? Well, they were the start of my obsession with agendas started early and I’ve been using them ever since. I picked up quite a few tricks here and there to make sure that I make the most out of my agenda, and now, I can help you with yours. Only if you want it, of course.

Style Diary: Darling Mother's Closet

Hi there! Okay, before you start nagging at me for the quality of the photos, let me explain (even though I already did in last week’s posts). When the weather was nice and not freezing where I live, I could take photos for my outfit posts, no problem. Now that it gets to -40 Celsius/Farenheit, it’s a bit harder to do that. Just a bit. I will try to take photos outside as soon as it gets warmer, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen any time soon. So yeah.

Haul: Boxing Day | H&M and Victoria's Secret PINK

Hi there! Last year, oh gosh, it feels so weird saying that now because it feels like it’s just the beginning of 2014, anyway, I went Boxing Day shopping, just like every single year. This year, instead of going to the outlets, we went to the local mall and shopped our little hearts out at H&M.

Since its arrival at the mall, it’s been a popular shopping destination for us. What made it even better was the deal that was going on: buy one sale item, get the other free. Also, the first 300 customers had the chance to win up to $300, but we missed that, unfortunately. When we went, it was really dark outside, like it was just dawn, not seven in the morning, so I was pretty surprised by how packed the store was at the time of day. I guess that’s what shopping does to all of us. Keep reading to see what I got!

J's Musings // 02

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Hi there! Happy, happy New Year, everyone! You all seemed to enjoy my first J's Musings, so I thought (with help from someone who, once again, knows who she is) why not write another? It seems perfectly logical, so here it is. Enjoy.