Double Oxblood | Work to Night Out Burgundy Outfit

Day:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

DIY Christian Louboutin dupe/Payless red-sole black pumps //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) //

Night:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

Thrifted @ Goodwill/Ann Taylor black strappy wedges // H&M faux leather biker jacket //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) // Michael Todd vampy lip stain in Disco (thanks Nikki) //

Photography: self; remote and tripod

OXBLOOD AND BLOOD ORANGES. What is with the violence in colour terminology these days? Why is it oxblood and not simply blood? And even though blood oranges are so yummy, there's something so inherently Bram Stoker and grotesque about it. This all-burgundy/wine red/oxblood outfit was inspired by this pin on a Refinery 29 slideshow on wearing midi skirts. What's more fall appropriate than lace pencil skirts with a matching cable knit sweater in the same exact perfect autumn shade? For the PrettyShinySparkly oxblood challenge: one of my big-time doc blogger inspirations!

I noticed halfway through the day why my neck was itching so badly. Looking side my shirt, I saw a tag *facepalm* ... so I had my sweater on backwards. However, I rolled with it because it gave a more straight cut neckline which looked sophisticated. This black belt with the cool silver square buckle is actually a really old belt my brother wore for piano recitals when he was a little kid. Ironically it fits well around my waist still! How to transition to night time? Throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up and go along with the black and burgundy theme, exchange work-friendly pumps with strappy wedges from summer. Nothing makes me happier than sticking it to the man - in this case, Mr. CL and his uber expensive shoes. $20 pumps, $3 of nail polish and voila! Two things I will never invest in: designer heels or designer bags because I am so rough with my crap everything gets tattered faster than you can say cobbler. I'll post the DIY Christian Louboutin red sole heel tutorial soon if anyone's interested in having some faux glam fun :)

Friday night meant wearing wine colours to wine tasting but I got very lost and missed the bus, so instead mosied on over to a dumpling night event and stuffed myself with the tasty treats doused with Sriracha hot sauce (thank goodness for the sweet tea they had handy). Afterwards was an evening well spent with some new friends, practical physical exam skills. Don't judge - call us nerds now and be thankful when we can wield our diagnostic tools with finesse when you have an ear ache or pink eye. This weekend JJ visited and we had a grand old time eating along High Street and exploring North Market. And today I sang my first performance ever with our med school a cappella group - do epic shift, guys. Every single day.

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High Tea | SugarLips Royal Inclinations Dress Review

Sugar Lips Apparel Royal Inclinations Dress w/ scarf print and sweetheart neckline detail (S) //

Merona for Target dotted sheer black tights // Mossini for Target black suede ankle boots (get it here) //

H&M segmented gold necklace // Thrifted Goodwill vintage belt //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Sugar Lips welcomed me to my new place with another little number to style, Royal Inclinations Dress.  The sweetheart neckline makes this dress special, aside from the interesting "vintage scarf print." It features a horse drawn carriage? Horse saddle? Golden pipe? Golden lion head pin? Not really sure but it's mighty pretty (and no, I do not condone smoking!). I chose to style it with my "military jacket" to fit the theme of the prints. This is my first time ever doing milkmaid braids, so be nice. I'm actually quite impressed with myself since I never ever do anything to my hair besides wash it (I may or may not even comb it ... :P) Bobby pins are a brilliant invention. After jumping around for nearly an hour trying to figure out how my new official Canon remote works, I kind of favour the old $3 bootleg Chinese version I got off some weird site. The distance is very very close to my tripod which is terrible for prime lens users and i found that it has trouble focusing too close and too far unless I throw it in auto mode (fine by me as long as it's crisp). Eh ... not worth the $23 and the trouble. Or maybe my lens is just bust from humidity for real :(

The material is a lot thinner than I expected, almost like a satin scarf but with less sheen. From the pictures on Sugar Lips' site, it looked like a sturdy cotton fabric. Still, I was adamant this morning to wear it because I have been looking forward to getting dolled up post-exam for class and I froze my butt off. It was below freezing last night and when I left my apartment it was 41 degrees F and my derrière was not happy in this thin summer piece and sheer tights. Where did the end of summer go? We went from giving our sweat glands a workout to sudden polar bearing without a memo. Shakin mah head.

The bust area on this dress was very loose, and fit more like a usual Medium (or the occasional S at Forever 21) so after fiddling with flimsy double sided tape and hiding this hot mess under my jacket, I finally pinched and pinned with a safety pin. Fixed! So basically, this dress runs big. Next time I would go with an XS, which they do have. On their page they suggested styling this with a trench coat and white pumps - can do! That will be my next outfit with this, and I'm going to try throwing a lightweight sweater or chiffon top under it too to save my poor arms in this chilly weather. Finished off my day with kickboxing my guts abs out and tomorrow I will once again not be able to climb stairs without screaming every step of the way. Exercise, baby - make that fat cry.

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Petite Fashion Challenge #19: Ombre Crochet Maxi Dress

Pitaya ombre pastel crochet tank maxi dress // H&M nude long tank top (underneath) //

Target pink beanie (gift from Dad) // Aldo nude pumps // Rue 21 wide woven belt //

Genius Outfitters dainty gold skull necklace (from Hawaii) //

Bracelets: Poshlocket Celeste gold and silver (c/o), Forever 21 pearl // 

Rings: green amethyst - Oklahoma medieval fair, silver statement - Erin Wasson Low Luv (thanks Suzy), turquoise cluster - gift //

Island Girl Hawaii neon yellow nail polish in Aloha Color //

Photography: Cassandra Morecroft King

Congrats! You made it to the great reveal of Petite Fashion Challenge #19: what did I have cooking for you guys? I call this look, THE MAXIMALIST. So as any of you may have guessed, I took my Trend Benders challenge too the extreme and went all-out. First off, maxi dresses are always a challenge for us petites. Tripping over your hem all day long, pulling down the entire dress with it, tattering the bottoms, sound familiar? The whole idea of maxi dresses is to let loose and take in all the chill vibe that comes associated with the slanky silhouette and length. On top of this comes another trend - ombre (and pastels while we're at it). Ombre is really cool - I have always been inspired by watercolours since I was young and avidly painting at every opportunity. The pretty purple and blue alternating drew my attention. Summer friendly crochet material? This shifts this dress all the way into the impractical-trend-why-did-I-buy-this zone, unless you have something handy to wear underneath (I went with a long nude tank top and black shorts). Leave it to me to have 4 trends or so in one piece going on.

Thanks to everyone who participated in PFC #19! It's been a pleasure to host and I can't wait to join the fun and creativity on many more to come. Here is the list of participants and their Trend Bending outfits. Please add yourself - you have until the end of September!
1. Click the “Click here to enter” button to add to the list.
2. In the “Link it to:” field, please provide the url of the specific post.
3. In the “Caption or Title:” field, please write the title of your blog (ie. Pandaphilia).
4. In the “Thumbnail field:” select pull from Web and follow the instructions to select your image.

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Scarlet and Grey | What to Wear to a Football Game

Faded Glory red tshirt // H&M plaid tweed high waisted shorts //

Forever 21 grey over the knee socks // Thrifted Goodwill white vintage belt //

Target Totes clear bubble umbrella (get it here) // DIY/Converse Chucks checkered sneakers //

Photography: self; timer and tripod

GO BUCKS. Last last Saturday was my first experience at big college sports event: Ohio State vs U Central Florida. I've been a Buckeyes fan since I was little growing up in Ohio and it was a real treat to live it up close in the stadium. Thanks to my friend Marie who won the tickets from our med school and let me tag along :)

I thought I lost my camera remote so without a stand-in, all the photos came out blurry. While flopping around on my bed I found the little black thing after I had ordered the official non-bootleg Canon remote from Amazon. Oh well - that one has a much better range, which is definitely useful so I don't look like Hermione bending over, casting some empathic spell at my camera on a stick.

Obligatory med school update: just finished my first exam today! Man is it a relief to get all that stress and pressure off of my shoulders ... and to get back to normal life. To add to the mess, we had clinical skills exams last week too, requiring perfect performances in procedures like blood draws, EKGs, sterile technique, shots, etc. Describing med school as "intense" just doesn't cut it anymore, it's just downright CRAY before the first midterm. Stewing in my girl-cave all week was not the best thing for my sanity's sake, and many lessons learned. This is one giant marathon (well, one that blitzes by at lightning speeds) and I just ran the first 100 meters. Professional clothes up to 4x a week, throw in scrubs every once in a while and jeans and tshirt becomes a luxury! A girl's also gotta let loose and get sassified, so I'm enjoying a well-deserved break with friends and classmates tonight: sushi and drinks!  [/end speed blogging]

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Olivia | Fall Transition Work Outfit

H&M olive green button down shirt // Forever 21 taupe lace pencil skirt //

H&M camel leather belt // Mossimo light grey suede ankle boots //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

The crisp morning air signals that fall is finally poking its darling little head around the corner! Everything is fresh with each inhale and I immediately wake up no matter how little sleep pre-midterm-week gets me, at least for the ten-minute walk. Songza pop hits pumping, headphones in, another brand new untainted day, wet clay.

I wore this outfit to class and work at the Free Clinic two weeks ago (8/31), swapping out the shoes for black flats because these ankle boots were a little casual to be professional dress. They are a great neutral piece, matching with the olive and taupe shades in this palette. It was really nice experiencing my first "real" patient from the community and having the privilege of hearing her story. As the days get shorter and the nights longer, it's vital to remember why I am here. You don't have to be a full-blown doctor to influence people, to make them feel special and taken care of. So I am to treat everyone I meet with the enthusiasm as if they were my first patient, the way I would have wanted anyone and everyone to take care of my Mom.

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Adore Me Jenna Set Review

"Jenna" push up lingerie set in magenta, bra in 32C and boyshort panty in size S

PRETTY LITTLE THINGS. Sometimes we need a bit of lace and glamour even if no one can see it! That's why I prop up my floor length mirror in my room so my legs look just a little longer and leaner - major self esteem boost every morning :) When Adore Me contacted me a while back asking if I'd like to try one of their special lingerie sets, at first I was hesitant because I am the tshirt-bra type of gal. No fuss, no fluff, throw it in the laundry with the rest of my clothes, simple and gets the job done. I chose the Jenna set because of the fun colour and ultra-feminine details on top of the most important thing - substantial coverage. The straps are covered with feminine delicate ruffles and the inside has cushioned push-up for an extra boost. For the panty, I chose the boyshorts version because thongs make me nervous and I have always liked the coverage this shape provides. The sexy placement of lace makes sense and leaves more private regions covered with opaque cloth.

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Knotty Nautical | Fuchsia

H&M striped tshirt dress // H&M eggshell white cardigan // 

Merona/Target hot pink fuchsia loafers with brown tassels and back detail (get it here) //

Bracelets from H&M and Forever 21 // Revlon Lip Butter lipstick in Lollipop //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

A very simple school outfit that cost me a total of $7 head to toe. Won a $75 gift card from the H&M grand opening last week and this striped tshirt dress and eggshell white cardi would have been $13 + $18 but they were free! Target sales added this bright pair to my collection of flats: hot pink loafers with weird brown tassels and shoe versions of elbow pads in the back in a nice brown. These were hella on sale too but unfortunately gave me big open blisters for a week. Now my ankles are so calloused that it doesn't matter ack. Matching hot pink lipstick, kisskiss.

Having to give strangers the apologetic/nothing-to-see-here-whistling face is so weird when you see someone in the med year above you that you kind of know and it's just awk to Awktown. Anyway, adding to the sweat from 100 degrees Freakinghotheit (definition: noun; a new unit of temperature. Can you use it in a sentence? "Today in the Midwest I soaked two shirts and the thermometer read a zillion degrees Freakinghotheit, no wonder.") was this rightful social discomfort from 10 more undergrads walking by walking their dogs, big and little. Fast forward an hour and I'm sweating so much my pores are practically donating their own version of blood without my permission. Enter kickboxing session, not knowing what to expect, going along the lines of my adrenaline-fueled motto of "DO EPIC SHIfT" ... I had no idea would lay me on the floor like that! Core, crunch, kick, punch! That hour felt like eons and afterwards we went out for froyo and chrysanthemum bubble tea, undoing all that work. Aimless shopping at the Barnes & Noble and the haul consisted of a biochem textbook, medical Spanish workbook and sparkchart, scrubs top, review guide for the next standardized exam (once you think about a career in medicine, you commit to taking multiple choice exams until you're wielding a reflex hammer with a cane attached to it .. so basically forever).

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St. Louis, I Miss You

Here is St. Louis from Anastasis Films on Vimeo. Beautiful work of videography, capturing moments like petting the bat rays at the zoo, climbing wire airplanes at City Museum, Kayaks Coffeeshop, legit BBQ feasts and hot summers, the past four years of my life filled with adventures to remember for decades.

Fashion Night Out: Easton

If you're in the Columbus area, join me at Fashion's Night Out tomorrow night 6-10 PM at Easton Mall for some mixing and mingling and fancy snacking and wining. I'm so excited for this Fashion Night Out event and a lot of stores will have deals and discounts. Time to play dress up! I'm heading there with some fellow med school gals right after our test review. If only my 250 free business cards were here already, right? Shameless plug and meeting strangers, my public extrovertedness at its best! No matter which city I live in, I will find other fashionistas and live it up sartorially :) Now that I have a car that's even easier - hello Columbus Fashion Week coming up mid-October!

Photo credit: Easton Town Center

Pale Canary

H&M light canary yellow tank with sheer back // H&M bird print mini skirt //

Mossimo light grey ankle boots (get it here) //

Photography: JJ

Reminiscing about this awesome Labor Day weekend after a harrowing "Monday" Tuesday ... JJ drove over from Pittsburgh on Saturday and we went exploring down in the Short North Arts District by where I live. Gallery hopping, boutique exploring, ice cream nomming, an unexpected discovery of the North Market indoor public market complete with pho bars. This lightweight tank saved me half the time when I was in sweaty humid Beijing and the sheer back is just a tad of naughty. This new bird print skirt is no-surprise too short for my thighs, but still rocking it with a longer top for contrast and the cute little white doves that I still can't get over since Miu Miu a few years back. Been living in these boots, will keep living in these boots. Best. Shoes. Ever. Too hot and lazy for accessories.

Obligatory med school update? It's technically a chill week but every day is still full throttle. Long live my coffee thermos and water bottle (and of course ZUMBAAA!)

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New Fall Accessory: Doc Swag

You've got chunky statement necklaces, I've got something better. Say hello to my new fancy schmancy stethoscope! It's a Littman 3M Cardiology III in BURGUNDY, like our school colours (well, a little more subdued than vivid scarlet) and of course in line with the new fall trendy shade. Now if only they had them in mustard yellow and mint green, right? They did have every shade from classic black to femininity-flaunting pink and lilac but I wanted to stay professional and have something I could use in any instance and be taken seriously. Now to get some sleep finally after that long night of paying for my fantastic time out during Labor Day weekend with JJ. Maybe I'll dream about Korotkoff heart sounds ... knock knock whoosh whoosh.

Night Out: Models in Shop Windows & Gallery Hop

Tonight was the first Saturday of the month and incidentally the 1st of September (how are we here already, 2012?!). The Short North district of Columbus puts on the Gallery Hop every month and all the art galleries down High Street stay open during the night and the surrounding restaurants and bars are open extra late. Something interesting that made me stop in my tracks as I enjoyed the nightlife was models wearing white "COLUMBUS IS FASHION" tshirts, posing in store windows. Their movements were so graceful and their faces so intense as they pokerfaced in focus at the smiling, camera-wielding crowds (yours truly is a guilty party). Here are some snaps from the evening!

The infamous Jeni's ice cream: lavendar, sweet corn, salted caramel

Playing with Picfx app - so these are all the filters everyone's been using on Instagram ...

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