Saving money with every step.

I have been lusting over these Steve Madden embellished ballet flats since the beginning of the summer. The problem? They are still at the sale price of $60. Quite a bit for a penny-pinching girl like me. I love the adorable miniature sequins and coins that are sew on that give the flats a little exotic, "gypsy" feel to them.


Luckily for me, Target sells a similar alternative at a modest and incredibly amazing price of $13! Perhaps it might not have the exact same glitz as the lovely Steve Madden pair, but it's just as cute and wearable. And with my employee discount, what's not to love?

Worldly Tot Toys

If anyone knows me, they know how much I look forward to having my own kids. I'm a daydreaming dork who works up fantasies of taking my own little kids to the museum or park on the weekends and snacking on mini Nutella sandwiches. Rather than a Bratz Doll, I think this World in a Bag is an adorable little alternative that can be fun and educational at the same time. I can tell my little kiddie about each famous landmark and open their eyes early to what the world has to offer. And since they are made of wood, I'm sure that it would last for some time. They also have mini cities such as London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Barcelona, as well as mini countries like Italy and Germany.

These are so adorable that I want to order them now for myself! They'd be cute decorative pieces in my bedroom.

No matter what, I am so proud.

I'm not going to lie, I was upset when the US lost against Brazil 3-2 in the Confederations Cup Final. Who wouldn't be sad if their team was up 2-0 during halftime, only to falter a bit in the second half and let in three goals. It sucks quite frankly, especially since the yanks were the comeback kids all along.

Regardless of the scoresheet, I've never been so proud of my US boys. They made something out of very little, for after losing big time against Italy and Brazil in the group stages, they were able to get themselves together and beat Egypt and of course, the number one team in the world, Spain. Sure, my heart ached during that match, since I am a Spain supporter as well, but I knew in a time like this I could only be there for my yanks. I was on cloud nine, even though it broke my heart to see my La Furia Roja defeated and disappointed. I remember ESPN kept replaying a heartbroken Gerard Piqué (a.k.a. mi amante catalán) leaning on the goalpost woefully after Deuce's goal. I love my spaniards, but surely it's understandable that I have to stick by my country first. Trust me, it was so hard for me to deal with my two teams going against each other. An hour after the match my Catholic guilt started kicking in and I felt the discouragement of La Selección. The guilt was like no other, especially when I kept seeing pictures of Spanish players on the verge of tears. Then after a bit of that I felt so happy again, and then the guilt returned, only to disappear for the day when I popped in my 30 Rock DVD to watch in order to calm my soul.

Anyways, sorry I want off on a tangent about my Catholic guilt taking over my life once again. But yes, it was amazing how the US came back. After everyone wrote them off, put them down, scoffed at their chances, they fought harder than ever before for one of the biggest upsets in football history. I mean, I remember Rece Davis on ESPN saying how "there was a bigger chance that Jon and Kate write a marriage manual than the US continuing" and how he "would go into full detail about US's chances of qualifying for the semis but that would be longer than War and Peace" or something to those extents. And look what happened. It was front page of the New York Times website, tweeted like mad on Twitter (even by football n00bs that thought that this was the WC Final...oh boy), and talked about constantly on sports news. A friend of mine even IMed me telling me how it was on the front of the sports section in the Philadelphia Inqurer. Seldom do I see real football news in the sports section of the newspaper, let alone the front page. My US team newspaper clipping are very scarce, and the only picture I actually clipped out was of Sacha Kljestan from last year's Summer Olympics. Perhaps this means that the USMNT will get the respect that they truly deserve in the football world. You don't beat Spain with a crappy team.

I told myself before the final that I would be proud no matter what the scoreline was, and I kept my word. I didn't start tearing a bit until I saw Deuce start bawling like a little baby when he was getting up to the stage during the awards ceremony to get this Bronze Ball award. That killed me like anything. I screamed, "OH GOD STOP CRYING, YOU ARE LOSING YOUR STREET CRED FOR PETE'S SAKE!" but it didn't help. He cried even MORE. Can't blame him, though. He scored an amazing goal and was close to winning the Golden Boot. And Timmy won the Golden Glove!!!!!!!! Against Iker and Buffon, two of the greatest keepers of today!!! I was so proud, so much for Timmy Tourettes. It's funny, he was at one point the #2 trending topic on Twitter, following Billy Mays, and people who didn't know who Timmy was thought that he killed Billy Mays. But yeah, I couldn't help but feel bad. At the end of the day, I felt, and still do feel, that this is a step in the right direction for the US team. This was their first FIFA tournament final, and they held their own. They are still developing into an even more fantastic team, and I cannot wait for what they have in store for the 2010 WC next year.

God Bless America!

A step backwards for all hardworking women.

Joe Cole finally made an honest woman out of Carly Zucker and both of them wed last weekend in London at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Though perhaps Carly is a bit too honest.

In the new wedding spread in Hello! Magazine, The Other Mrs. Cole talks about what the future has in store for her...or more like what it doesn't have in store for her:

“I am offered projects all the time, but I don’t feel I need to prove anything, or that I need a career to feel good about myself.

I tried it before with the personal training as well as running the house, and it just made me stressed and unhappy.

It wasn’t good for me and it wasn’t good for Joe and his football. I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to work."

At first, I chuckled my usual sardonic laugh at the hopelessness in the quote. And then reality started in sink in, and my chuckle soon turned to a bit of steam coming from my ears. Which then resulted to the ubiquitous *facepalm*

I'm sure I am not the only person who has beaten the WAG stereotype and culture to the ground. There are as many people disgusted of its materialism as there are people condoning it. But I think Carly took it to another level. Way to fuel the "trophy wife" persona, Mrs. Cole. At least Alex Gerrard pretends that she made something of herself with a magazine column and perfume line, or whatever silly ideas she had up her sleeve.

Call me what you want: man hater, femin-nazi. But it always upsets me when there are women like Carly Zucker, who have no ounce of integrity in them and would rather spend their respective partner's money instead. In this day and age, women are finally able to pursue their dreams. Yet so many women still do not seize the opportunity to live out their own success. Us women are capable of it, and Carly shows a lot of weakness and lack of self-determination.

And I highly doubt that she was "running the house," did she mean that the housekeeper was? It just doesn't make sense. It angers me when women still don't get the big picture. Make something of yourself, don't hide behind your husbands.

You know what? She may be living in a life full of convenience, laziness, and luxury, but we'll see who has the last laugh when the marriage ends. I hope Joey signed a good pre-nup.

Summer goal #1: Learn Catalan.

It's officially summer for me as of today! I am now a senior, which is such a weird feeling. I didn't even feel like a junior this year, more like a 6th grader! But anyways, now with all this free time to myself, I am able to do a bunch of things that I did not have time for during the school year.

One thing that I've always wanted to do was to learn Catalan. I figured that it could possibly be convenient when I go to Barcelona or Marseilles, but the language itself has always intrigued me. I've started my self-taught lessons yesterday, and so far it's going well. I got the simple phrases down pat in a matter of hours. Since it's basically a mix of Spanish and French, it's not very hard at all. Hopefully I'll be able to carry out my lessons all throughout the summer. I always say, "oh I want to learn [insert language here]" but never actually get time to do so. So hopefully things will actually work out this time around.

Besides, how many people here can say, "I can speak Catalan"? Not a lot. This will totally work in my favor.

Annual hiatus.

Hello everyone! Everything has been crazy lately, so I apologize for not updating this blog in so long. Summer's within my grasp, so keep checking for some posts coming up soon!

Anna Sui for Target.

It is reported that designer Anna Sui will be the next designer to have their own GO International collection at Target! I'm quite excited, I love Anna Sui and supposedly the line will be by Gossip Girl. I'm sure the whole prep look has been reiterated over and over again ever since the show started, but I hope Anna puts her own unique spin on it. Plus, I wouldn't mind dressing a bit more like Blair myself. I can't wait until the collection comes out on September 13th. I think I'm in need of a headband and ruffled blouse restock.

It was fun while it lasted.

I won't go into details about the match, because quite frankly, there is nothing much to say.

Arsenal's season is pretty much over, with a very slim chance of getting third. Though I wasn't overly confident that we'd get through to the finals, I did not think that we would struggle the way we did tonight. It hurts to see Manchester United, of all teams, to win, and Cristiano Ronaldo, of all players, to score. I've cried all the tears I could during the match, and all I am now left with is a numb feeling.

It hurts to reminisce on finer Champions League moments...like the penalty shootout against Roma, Adebayor's bicycle kick goal, and Theo's chip, without feeling remorse afterwards.

That all being sad, I have high hopes for next season. May this be a learning experience, for the players and Wenger. Make the changes that may be needed, get those players out of injury, bring that soul back into football, have Andrey Arshavin in CL (!!!), and we can be unstoppable. We're not far off at all. It's very well possible.

Life's For Sharing.

Perhaps life would be more interesting (albeit eventually slightly annoying) if it were like a musical, full of dancing and singing. But pseudo-spontaneous outbursts of dance would work just as well! I must say, the T-Mobile UK marketing people are geniuses; what better way to promote your product than kitschy and memorable dance? I am dreaming that one day I'll actually be in a train station when dance troupes decide to invade with their moves.

Fever Pitch.

After taking about six months to finish The Count of Monte Cristo, I finally was able to read another book, this time being Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch. And it took me a tiny fraction of the time it took me to read the aforementioned book!

Fever Pitch tells the autobiographical story of Hornby's tenacious and ever-growing obsession with Arsenal FC, from the time he was a little boy to in the years of his 30s (post-Anfield '89). If you know me at least a little bit, you can see why I would be attracted to this book; but in my defense, I am a fan of Hornby's other books as well, especially About A Boy, and I am planning to order High Fidelity sometime soon. But anyways, I read this book with an shy smirk on my face, because although I am not from England and have not loved Arsenal since I was ten, I understood where Hornby's love came from. Clearing his schedule for matches, waiting anxiously to watch, making personal connections with the club, they are things that I can relate to as a fan myself (though I will not go on a debate of "who's a bigger fan"). It might seem apropos that Hornby wrote about Arsenal in particular, but I think that even if it were about Liverpool, Fulham, or hell, even Leeds, I still would be attracted to this book. Fever Pitch is a fan's memoir, and Hornby's emotions throughout the book can be relatable to any football (or any sport) fan, no matter who they support.

I recommend this book to any passionate sports fan, whether you like football, baseball, or even golf. No matter if you like football or not, I think many can identify with the obsessive firmness that Hornby developed throughout his life.

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

The runway designers channeled Marrakech and the exotic depths of the East for their S/S 09 collections, displaying numerous tribal prints, lavish ethnic prints, flowing linen, and even harem pants. Despite the fact that the whole look is not particularly my style, I've always had a partiality for vibrant, colorful eastern prints. I do have an ethnic-inspired dresses of my own that I would like to wear this summer. I went to Macy's last night to find a number of ethnic print dresses on sale, but my frugal instincts fought through to veer me away from spending more money. Although I do like this trend, I think I am a bit short and small for harem pants...they'd only make me look bigger!

I love this flowy piece from 3.1 Phillip Lim. He always know how to give classic silhouettes more edge and quirkiness.



While I do love the ethereal flow of this Lacoste onepiece, I do wish that it was a shorter dress.

This Max Azria design is a modern take on the classic linen shirt with khaki pants, a la Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca (sans adorable fedora hat).


I am absolutely in love with this bold printed dress from Anthropologie, though the $608 price tag does make me wince...

This dress, which is also from Anthropologie, channels exotic India, and is a fraction of the cost of the aforementioned dress at $138 (which is still quite over my budget!).

"Deviled" eggs.

Easter is coming soon, and I told myself to not open up my package of Cadbury Creme Eggs until Easter comes along. But I cannot for the life of me resist temptation. I am hungry, craving chocolate, and the box is right in front of me on my desk. I want to open it so bad and take a bite (or two...or three), but I know that it just wouldn't be the most gratifying feeling. Chocolate is basically the death of me, even if it were to be oh so delicious.

I'm hoping for some chocolate bunnies, and even jellybeans in my basket this year. My sweet tooth has been craving sugar more than ever!

Dancing the flab off.

Okay, so I don't have sultry hip movements or the complete understanding of the intricacies of simultaneously moving my arms and legs, but I think I can pretend to for the sake of exercise.

Upon enduring the trials and tribulations of hell (better known as gym class), I realized that I am not in the greatest shape I could be, despite my slender body. I am not naturally athletic, so competitive games are not for me, and since I absolutely despise running, don't expect to see me on a treadmill. I've tried to get into running and weights, and it just wasn't for me at all. Plus, my matchstick arms can barely lift up 20 pounds!

So after some searching, I found something that is not too painful, yet can still give me an affective and fun workout: dancing.

I need to face the facts, I'm an Asian girl with a lack of backside, and though I do understand the flow of musical beats and moving along, I'm not a technical dancer per se. I found a salsa dance workout video that is able to work my hips and stomach, as well as give me a cardio workout. It's not a science, yet there are simple yet affective dance moves that are fun and upbeat. I've always been intrigued by salsa (and Latin dances in general, go figure), and although this isn't truly authentic, it's a workout regimen that is influenced by salsa. So far it's a lot of fun and I feel good afterwards, which goes to show that there are exercises for everyone out there, it just might take a while to find; so I urge you all to experiment with different things and eventually you will find something. In the long run, this will keep you in better shape, and perhaps lower stress levels. Without some perserverence and fingers crossed, hopefully I will be able to shake off the unwanted chubs of my gut. If you are interested in dancing, I highly encourage salsa, or any dance for that matter! It's fun, easy, and also makes you break a sweat.

Penny Pinching at its Best

I went to the mall last week and I decided to go into Last Call Nieman Marcus, crossing my fingers that I would find some nice bargains. And to my surprise, I really did.

I couldn't find any worthy clothing deals (There was a Diane von Furstenberg blouse at $500, but I think that's pushing it), but I found the cutest Marc by Marc Jacobs ballet flats...for....$32!


I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I mean, it's purple, ruffly, with a bow, AND Marc Jacobs?! It was just too good to be true, and the original price was $325. I saved almost $300 on designer flats. If there was a bargain hunter award, I think I would be in the running.

*Cough*

Apologies for the lack of updates lately. Life has been really rough recently, and I've been sick since Thursday, and I slept all through Friday. It's now Sunday and I haven't even fully recovered yet. I'm definitely not looking forward to school tomorrow.

Until I feel more at ease with my health and my homework load, enjoy Balenciaga's Fall rtw line.

My Chronicles with Arsenal: 1000:1 goal attempt to goal ratio.

Arsenal sealed a win in the first leg of the CL KO round against AS Roma 1-nil, thanks to lightning fast penalty from the one and only Robin van Persie.

Quite frankly the scoresheet should have been 10-nil, easy. Arsenal still choke in the box while being gifted amazing chances for beautiful goals. Significant choking from Bendtner and Eboue (so really, no surprise there). There was about five minutes of nonstop Arsenal attacking in the penalty box, with each kick of the ball just as big of a fail as the next! Yes, we won, but that was just frustrating.

It must be said that almost everyone had a brilliant match, notably Denilson and Diaby. Even Eboue had some decent passes, and it touched my heart the the fans in the stadiums acknowledged it by giving him a standing ovation upon being subbed by Aaron Ramsey in the second half. Hopefully Diaby, who was subbed off after getting hurt, will not be injured for long (again), even if he is one of the most inconsistent players we have.

Song looked very lackluster compared to Diaby, and he still needs a lot of work. And Bendtner was possibly the worst player on our squad last night. I don't know if he had weights in his (non pink) boots, but he had so many chances to score goals, and each time he missed terribly. If he does not get his act together, I highly doubt he'd be the first striker he thinks he deserves to be.

Roma will play the second leg without Daniele De Rossi, who was booked in the first leg and therefore reach the yellow card count. Which might be good for us, and they lost their chance at getting some away goals. Fingers crossed that Walcott and Eduardo will be back and fire up our team. Until then, here's to an Arshavin hattrick against Fulham on Saturday!

My Chronicles with Arsenal: Third is not the charm.

[[photo from Setanta Sports]]

I nearly woke up late for the Arsenal vs. Sunderland match. And frankly, other than the debut of Arsenal's new Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin, I might as well slept in or did homework.

I hate saying that about my gunners, because week in and week out they are the reason why I live for weekends. My week may be crap, but I always counted on my team to put a smile on my face after some hard times. But lately, Arsenal have only expanded my gray hair count, and with today's nil-nil draw, this is the first time in ten and a half years that Arsenal have drawn consecutively three times.

There were many horribly missed chances, especially from RvP, Vela, and Gallas. Those misses cost us a win, and it was typical Arsenal: numerous chances with little finishing.

That being said, the team looks more attacking than usual. Sure, there were no goals to really back that up, but the fact that we did have a couple of shots on target is something. Plus, Arshavin did fantastic in his debut, despite not playing with a team in some time. He had a few chances to score himself, and it's great to see a new gunner attacking and longing to win. It wasn't until he was subbed off at the hour mark that things took a spiral.

It needs to be mentioned that Fulop, Sunderland's keeper, was quite busy and did his part as keeper well (sadly). Our own defense was kind of shaky, but I have noticed that our keeper, Almunia, has been a lifesaver and have blocked many crucial shots. I was iffy about him in the beginning of the season, but as this year prolongs I see lots of improvement from him.

Bendtner had an exceptional match today, but I must say the likes of Nasri and RvP seem slightly lackluster. It's as if they caught the "Cesc burn out" syndrome. And I was confused with Wenger's choice of replacing Song with Eboue, rather than bringing Ramsey onto the pitch. I'm afraid to say that I've lost patience with Eboue, and there are only so many "second chances" we can give him. But he's a gunner, and no matter what I need to respect him as that.

Since Chelsea won today against Aston Villa, we are currently six points from the fourth place spot. It's heartbreaking, for if we won today we could have closed in at four. It's maddening how Arsenal can never take advantage of situations when rivals drop points. It seems as though the prospects of UEFA Cup is becoming more real, and frankly, I can't be bothered to care anymore. Because in the end, they'll always be my team.

Hopefully they'll step it up for the CL match against AS Roma on Tuesday. One can only hope.

Not a procrastinator about shoes.

It's been quite a while since I've updated and I sincerely apologize To the five people that actually read this.

•
I ordered these adorable oxford boots last week, and they came in on Monday! I wore them to school for the first time today, and they were very high. My feet still are getting acclimated to staying flat on the ground, but that's okay. Walking in them wasn't very bad, though I just felt awkward being REALLY tall. I got a few weird stares as I clickity-clacked through the hallways. So much for trying to blend in.

•
As I vowed to not spend anymore money, I found these Betsy Johnson pumps and my heart melted. They are completely adorable and charming, and for Betsy Johnson it's quite cheap for $50. But my mind says no, despite my heart saying yes.

Is my love for shoes unnatural? Am I destined to be the future Carrie Bradshaw? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be a writer in New York City (albeit not about sex...) and have an immensely chic wardrobe, but the whole Mr. Big and relationships thing doesn't cut it for me. Anyways, continue with your fabulous weekends (you'll probably have more fun than me...boohoo)!

Coming up tomorrow, a recap of Arsenal vs. Sunderland (Quite possibly the debut of Andrei "I want women to get their driver's licenses taken away" Arshavin!).

Times are tough for procrastinators.

I have loads of work to make up for classes and finals next week, but I can't be bothered with it at the moment. Maybe in a couple more hours.

1.
I love how Chloé's Pre-Fall 2009 collection is a businesswoman fashionista's dream come true. I love the pairing of high waisted skirts with the peacoats. I dream of one day wearing a chic and sophisticated outfit like this to my job at the offices of Vogue.

2.
Awww Cesc is a fob! Hehe in all seriousness, Cesc, Sergio Ramos, and other footballers joined in a new Nike Campaign for their 'V for Victory' jackets. (The picture of Andrei Arshavin is a total 'awwww' moment!)

3.
Beirut's new double EP March of the Zapotec/Holland leaked recently, and I'm in love. I had already heard "La Llorona", but I absolutely love the latin influence in this. My favorite so far has to be "The Akara", but I must say I quite like the light taste of R&B in the background of the Holland EP. Highly recommended download!

4.
It might not show because my room is awfully messy, but lately I've been in such a mood to redecorate my room. It just doesn't flow, and I don't think it really shows my personality. Plus, my lamp has been abysmal and spontaneously turning off on its own when I use it, so I decided to order this adorable Eiffel Tower lamp. I know I shouldn't be ordering more things online, but I figured this is one thing I need, and could possibly be a motivator to do more organizing.

5.
I already have lots of headbands, but this headband from Forever 21 just screams Blair Waldorf! It's a little more expensive than other Forever 21 headbands, but I might just invest in this classic piece. It's a great headband to wear with more formal dresses out on the town.

6.

These Swiffer commercials are hilarious! The inner Mexican in me loves the Swiffer 360 one, and I actually was crazy enough to listen to the song in it while cleaning my room.

Meet Rosie.

I got a new puppy last Saturday and failed to mention it. Her name is Rosie, and she's a nine week old Cockapoo. Isn't she cute? At first it was weird to have an animal around our house, but I've become accustomed to her, and she's a lot of fun.

(P.S.: Don't forget to check out my new blog post at Bigsoccer!)

Things I Love About This Weekend.

• Staying up til the wee hours of the morning
• Reading The Count of Monte Cristo
• Baking chocolate chocolate chip cookies
• Watching Singin' in the Rain with my mom
• Listening to Beirut's new single on repeat
• Accomplishing some laundry
• Finally getting a chance to enjoy a cup of lemon tea
• Ordering a Gnome book from Amazon
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow

A Very Rare Beauty Post.

I am not one to waste money on loads of beauty products. I don't wear lots of makeup; the farthest I usually go is just mascara and some Burt's Bees. When I read my fashion mags I usually skip the beauty section. Because frankly, I don't really care about blending eyeshadow or the new trends in hair dye.

But with the painfully cold weather hitting up my place lately, my skin as been getting really dry, and my moisturizers don't seem to be working. I have extremely sensitive skin, so I can't really use a lot of the lotions that are out on the market today. I've heard a lot of buzz about Cocoa Butter, but never really tried it. But hearing that it's cheap, effective, and an emollient base, I knew that it wouldn't hurt to try it. I bought a small tub from Target today and I tried them on my hands. I didn't realize that it would be the consistency of wax in the tub, but after a little bit of digging, I finally got some out and applied it on my skin. So far no weird rashes, plus it smells quite nice. Hopefully with some use there will be a nice difference (not to mention, a nice difference on the scars I have!)

I've been using Burt's Bee's Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb for my lips. It's basically all that I need in one, a chapstick and a little hint of color. I don't like lip gloss or many bold colors for daytime (though I've always wanted to work the cherry red lipstick), so it's great. However, lately it's been drying up my lips even more, so I think I will only use that as a lip color and use Softlips in Raspberry as an overall chapstick whenever I don't need color. It's a combo of two of my favorite things (raspberries and green tea) and it sure does smell good!

Ooof, bad stomach. But yay for funny TV shows!

I have been suffering with a horrid stomach bug for the past couple of days, and to my dismay I could not look at food the way that I used to without feeling even more sick.

I went home early yesterday and stayed home today as well, and enjoyed the first few episodes of Arrested Development. Honestly, I don't know why I've never watched this show before, because it really is GENIUS. One of the funniest shows I have ever seen, and it's so disappointing that there are only three seasons! Too bad it was cancelled so early into its time. It was recommended to me by my cousin who got me 30 Rock on DVD for Christmas. He told me if I loved 30 Rock, I'd probably love Arrested Development. And I must say, he is so right! It's quirky, hilarious, witty, and all without trying too hard. 

Arrested Development tells the story of the Bluthe family, who are a rich Southern Californian family that has to deal with the father being in jail for fraud and the middle son, Michael (Jason Bateman), being in charge of the company. I'm telling you, this is the equivalent of pure comedy gold, and upon hearing that they are making a movie version makes me even happier (that is, if all the main actors come back...)!

I'm really tempted to buy the first season on DVD and watch it from that, rather than on hulu which I've been doing. Another withdrawal from the money tree, but as my cousin says, "the laughs are priceless."

Michelle Obama, Organized books, Moroccan food, and...wait....is that Cheryl Cole?

Here I am again-- procrastinating by updating this blog again. But I'm not giving up on my resolution just yet-- just give me five more minutes!!

School has started again. I suppose I can say that the first day was smooth sailing, but now I can feel the work piling on yet again. How many days til summer, again?

1. I've always loved how future first lady Michelle Obama mixed high fashion with those shopping mall jewels, especially this adorable J.Crew ensemble. With the Inauguration fast approaching, CFDA Fund designers including Alexander Wan

g and Vena Cava are handing in their sketches for what they think Mrs. Obama should wear to that big day. My personal favorite design has to be Derek Lam's, the hue is just gorgeous.

2. My bookcase has always been a tidy mess. Books, papers, basically everything stuffed onto the shelves. But with the new year, I decided that it was time for a little tidying up. And I even made more space for books! This new section of my bookshelf makes me so happy, how's it all organized and roomy.

3. I'm in such a mood for Moroccan lately. A nice plate of couscous would be fabulous.

4. Girls Aloud are one of my guiltiest pleasures, and I know that Cheryl Cole is beautiful, but what is up with this cover? An over-airbrushed Cheryl Cole graces the February 2009 issue of UK Vogue. She's almost unrecognizable. It always irks me when magazines do this. Really, she is always gorgeous; why totally ruin the photo? Oh well, at least I can put in Girls Aloud's new album and make myself feel better.

Must start the APMEH homework! Until the next time I have random things to amuse people with.

Virtual Post-It Notes = Affective.

The new Macbook that I got was marketed as a "greener, more earth-friendly" computer, and one of the apps on this laptop carries on this idea. The "stickies" app.

It has the utility of a real paper sticky note, but without the crying trees. You type up what you want on the sticky note, and it even has the options of choosing different colors and fonts. Quite cool, huh? As part of my resolution to be more proactive, I figured that having a sticky on my desktop can be a nice reminder of all the things that need to be done in my life while I am wasting away in front of the bright laptop screen. And honestly, I actually get some of the things done, and it always is rewarding to be able to delete off something I already did. Granted, there will never be a time when the sticky will be completely empty, but it's a nice and cute way for me to have all my agendas in the know.

Here's what my sticky looks like right now:

Doesn't look like much on there; but believe me, there's quite an amount of work to do. And though I SHOULD be doing those things instead of writing this, I thought I should have proof of attempting to keep my resolution.

Not looking forward to school.

After two weeks of watching 30 Rock, immense consumption of food, and freelance hunting, I am getting quite acquainted with this quiet lifestyle. I still have some homework to do, but I can't be bothered to do that now. I'm too busy refreshing Arsenal.com for any transfer window news and watching Food Network cooking shows. 

Anyways, I go back to school on Monday, and I am crying inside because of all the work ahead of me. Oh, pray for me now.