TSD July 2013: romwe.com, Fighting Eel, ALDO, Nature Republic

Hello all! This is one of my favorite monthly posts that I like to upload basically because it has to do with clothes :P. I've been reeeaaallllly trying to cut back on shopping, but all these cool pieces keep popping up and I just gotta have it >-<. I've been somewhat (?) good this month-ish...I don't know. Even I don't fully believe that statement //_-. Anyways, let's get on with this month's goodies.

Asymmetrical Black Top: I came across this top when I was watching a clothing haul by Youtuber Cutiepiemarzia. She hauled this from romwe.com, a site I'd heard of but never bought anything. I thought it looked really cool and just something that I didn't have in my closet at all. So I signed up with romwe.com and instantly got a 20% off coupon for joining and applied it to this top. Also, free shipping is always a great plus. I thought it looked really edgy on, especially after I piled on some chain necklaces. The only thing that I would warn future wearers of this top is to pre-wash it, especially if you're going to wear white pants with it. The color rubbed onto my pants, but luckily I was able to get it all off ^^b

Black and White Tie-Dye Dolman: I'm a major fan of Fighting Eel, but it is a bit pricey. I understand where the pricing comes from though! Anyways, they had 20% off their entire store during the 4th of July weekend. I checked out their Downtown location and I decided to pick up this piece. I had seen it before at the Waikiki location and was instantly attracted to the print. I love that this isn't the most obvious tie-dye print. The print reminds me of something earthy and natural. Also, I happened to see a much older woman wearing this top and I can say that it wears nicely along all ages! The brand is Ava Sky, which is a subset brand of Fighting Eel.

Navy and White Fishnet Knit: I'm into anything that has a nautical feel to it. Not only did the colors give me that vibe, but also the material. It literally reminded me of a fishing net as funny as that sounds, but a wearable, chic fishing net lol! This brand is called POL. I looked it up and it happens to be a brand out of L.A. The slight hi-lo is a nice touch to the design.

Brown-Nude Strappy Sandals: I've been on the hunt for a nude sandal, especially for summer. I saw these at Aldo; the one downstairs at Ala Moana. I thought they looked great and they seemed comfortable. I like the different textures of the strap and the slight wedge gives me a bit more height. They aren't the most comfortable shoes to wear, but perhaps that's because I need to break them in a bit more. The annoying thing about this transaction was that since they didn't have my shoe size in-store, they said they could ship it, but I had to pay $7 for shipping. The shipping cost annoyed me, but whatever. At least it came super quick through UPS.

Cooling Mist, Truffle Sun Cream, and Snaytox Mask Sheet: A couple weeks ago at the Korean Festival, I decided to trek down to Nature Republic since it was somewhat close (although the hot weather made it feel like miles away). I wanted to get a light-weight feeling sun screen for my face. The truffle sun cream is great because it has SPF 50+ and PA+++. It absorbs nicely into my skin and it doesn't have that icky smell that sun screens usually have. Since I was super hot, I grabbed a cooling mist to add to my purchases. This has a fantastic, fresh smell and I spray it on my face and arms when I need to feel cool. Then as I was checking out, I got a free face mask and this one is my favorite from Nature Republic. I really wish they would sell them individually, but it seems like you can only get it if it's bundled with something? I don't know it's kind of weird.

Thank you for tuning in to my post! Next month is my birthday so I might have some goodies to share. Actually I have already started a b-day haul since I did some early birthday shopping with Jason :3. I'm waiting for this other piece to come in and I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get it.... I need to contact Nordstrom's and see what's up.

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

The Monthly Gram: July 2013

Hello all! It is close to the end of July, which means a lot of monthly-themed posts :D. I had to compact a lot of my pictures this month so that it didn't overwhelm this post, although even with the combining there are still a lot of pics! It seems like all I did this month was eat and drink lol. I promise you this isn't the only thing that I do, but yeah, I do love taking pics of my diet. I need to crack down on eating healthy though. I am getting a little poofy around the middle ^^;

Some masks that Jason gave to me. He orders a whole bunch from Amazon at great prices! It's better than buying singles at the store though :)

(left) My first time at Taste Tea near Ala Moana! This is the milk tea with the bubbles. I don't like bubbles, but the person taking my order didn't want to listen to me that I only wanted the tea. That was a bit annoying.
(top right) This is from a coffee shop in Kailua called Chadlous. It's my favorite place to get bubble drinks even though I really don't eat the bubbles. I like this place because of the flavors they offer. My two top flavors are passion fruit, which is pictured above, and guava.
(bottom right) San Pellegrino's Blood Orange Soda is da bomb. It is the perfect summer drink and also refreshing. I like to wait for them to go on sale at Costco hehe.

(left) Mapo Tofu at Gomatei in Ala Moana. This is the first time in how many years that I didn't order a tantan ramen. It was good, but I think I'll stick to my usual next time ;)
(top right) I've been loving my veggies more than usual, so I ordered a Primavera angel hair pasta from Auntie Pasto's.
(bottom right) Some summer nights can be warm over here so zaru soba from Matsugen hits the spot! They make their soba from scratch and thus I can't eat the dried kind found in stores anymore. I've been spoiled rotten :3

(top) Chinese Chicken Salad from Cafe Laufer in Kaimuki
(bottom) A mixed salad consisting of romaine, spinach, carrots, red onions, cucumber, grape tomatoes, korean watercress, and red cabbage.

My cousin's rabbit Pierre. He's so adorable <3

I've been craving shave ice literally for this entire month. My favorite spot is Ailana's near Ala Moana. This combination is li hing mui, melona, and lilikoi with condensed milk and ice cream at the bottom.

Cactus in Kailua is a great spot for Mexican and the only thing that I really like is their rolled quesadillas! This is just a veggie quesadilla. You can add roasted veggies or a meat, but to me, it's perfect as it is. Also, you get to choose a side dish for free! I also tried their frozen sangria and it was pretty nice. Strong, but nice!

I've been going to my friend's band's (Broke Aesthetic) performances for a while and this month was his last time performing since he's going to Japan for JET. I'm going to miss him terribly, but I'm so glad that I've gotten to know him throughout the years. He's a great guy and I'm really happy that he's finally going to be able to do JET. I don't know if he'll read this post but if he does, I just want to say that I'm not the best when it comes to making friends with guys. Heck, I just feel awkward lol! But to be honest, you are one of the few guy friends that I have that I truly feel like we're friends and that I'm comfortable with. I hope you find everything that you're looking for and don't forget to keep on drumming!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

OOTM: July 2013

Here are some of my looks from this month!

Lace Top: Free People
Paggings: MURUA
Necklace: Brandy Melville

Knit: Pineapple County
Shorts: Forever 21
Necklace: Pacsun

Striped Dolman: MURUA
Leggings: H&M
Necklace: Forever 21

Ombre Knit: Pineapple County
Shorts: Cotton On
Necklace: Jayro (Japan)

Fishnet Knit: POL (from Fighting Eel)
Shorts: GUESS
Bracelet: Brighton

Asymmetrical Top: romwe.com
Pants: Wet Seal
Bracelets: H&M, Cotton On
Necklace: Macy's, axes femme (Japan)

-LAUREN

TAG: Colors of the Rainbow

Hello lovelies! I wanted to blog about something different before bombarding you with end of the month posts. Actually, it's basically the end of July but I'll stick this post in anyway! I wanted to do a fun tag and so I decided to try out the Colors of the Rainbow tag. Basically, you take each color in the rainbow and pick out some of your favorite beauty and fashion items that correlate with the color. I'm not that major when it comes to makeup. I tend to go for a very natural look with most of the emphasis going to my eyes, which is just eyeliner and mascara. So, I stuck with fashion goods! Some colors were tricky, but I think I got my picks down. Here it is:

1. Red

Miss Sixty Booties: I got these around 2008-2009 when MS was still at Ala Moana. I believe Jason gave these to me as a Christmas gift. I was absolutely in love with the color and I like the texture of the leather. The only downside is that your feet do hurt after walking in these. I need to insert some sole support. Also, I tend to ding the heels hehe. To be honest, because these aren't the most comfortable shoes to wear, I haven't worn them in a long time. That being said, I'm going to try wearing them again!

2. Orange

Orange Tone Salopette: I'm not sure how to describe this pattern. It's kind of damaskish or it reminds me of something Mediterranean. Anyways, I got this from Spiral Girl in 2011. When I was studying abroad in Japan earlier that year, I saw this exact piece at a store and I wanted to get it but I didn't. Then a couple months after I came back, my dad took me shopping and I saw this at SG on sale, which was cheaper than in Japan. This has great shape because you don't need a belt to emphasize your figure. A belt will go nicely with it, but I usually don't wear one :).

3. Yellow

Funky Geometric: This is one of my absolute favorite pieces from MS. I bought this around 2008 or 2009 and when I first saw this, it was love at first site. I was attracted to the vibrant color and it just oozed happiness and sunshine. Also, this was around the time when I was digging billowy sleeves, so when I wore this, I felt like a total hipster hehe! I still get good vibes whenever I wear this.

4. Green

Bon Lapin: This is a purchase from Forever 21 after I came back from Vegas last year in October. I'm a bunny lover, so anything bunny-themed I'm there. I immediately grabbed this when I saw it and I was lucky that I snagged the last size small. I probably would've gotten it in a size medium if they didn't have my original size. In theme with the color, I love this shade of light olive. Olive tones are some of my favorite shades of green.

5. Blue

Blue Plaid Shirt: This is a more recent purchase from Guess at Ala Moana. I had such a hard time deciding which blue item in my wardrobe I wanted to post since blue is my favorite color at the moment. I was surprised that I ended up picking this because while I do admire plaid, I don't think it particularly looks good on me, but I definitely love this piece. I like the studs and the fact that I can wear it as a cover up or an accessory around my waist.

6. Indigo

Billowy Tie Top: Indigo was probably the hardest to find in my closet. I'm not even sure if this really counts as indigo but whatever. It's closer to blue on the violet-blue spectrum. This is another top from Forever 21 that I instantly fell in love with because of 1) the color, 2) the tie, and 3) the buttons bordering the top asymmetrically. Also, I love how the buttons trails down the back!

7. Violet

Lace Floral Plaid Tote: This is definitely an older item of mine that I still love. This was when Betsey Johnson was still under Betsey Johnson and not being overtaken by Steve Madden. I had gotten this a little after Black Friday for only $34. I absolutely love the pattern. I still have this bag but I haven't used it since I graduated from college. I must say it held up for a very long time. It's sad that the quality of Betsey Johnson goods have really gone down the hole, especially with their bags.

8. Pink

Light Pink Ribbed Peplum: I know this color almost borders on nude, but honestly it is my favorite top in a pink shade. The trend for peplums have somewhat subsided but I'd still rock one any day, especially from Topshop. The darts and the basic shape of this top is super flattering and makes you feel like a rockstar any day!

9. Multicolored

Summer Lightweight Stole: When it comes to multicolored items, I tend to gravitate to colorful stoles. This stole came in a set from Ingni when I was in Japan two years ago. Lightweight stoles are still a staple for me during the summer, although to be honest, I haven't been wearing them as much this year. But because the weather is somewhat straightforward in Hawaii, this can be worn throughout the year. The way I like to incorporate stoles into my outfit is to wear something basic and simple so that the stole is my center piece :).

I hope you all enjoyed reading this post. I had a lot of fun picking out items for this tag and you should do one too if you have a blog or a Youtube. Pretty soon I'll be uploading my monthly posts which will be including a shopping, instagram, and outfit of the day!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

In the Kitchen: Chicken Hekka

I'm so happy to post another In the Kitchen segment! To be honest, I'm not sure how often this section will be updated as I suck at cooking. Sometime last month, I attempted to make a carbonara with a recipe I found in the newspaper. It didn't turn out that well lol. Luckily, I found this recipe in the Today section in the Honolulu Star Advitiser either before or after the carbonara failure and this came out pretty well!

Chicken hekka is basically a "whatever's available" type of dish. Similar to a sukiyaki, it is a meat dish mixed with veggies such as watercress, noodles, bamboo, etc. This dish originally calls for chicken, but pork or beef can be used as a substitute. Also, a lot of the veggies can be substituted for other such as choi sum or another leafy green. Here are the original ingredients:

Ingredients

1/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin or sake
8 ounces boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, sliced or julienned
4 cups watercress, cut into 2-inch lengths
8-10 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1 (7-ounce) package shirataki (yam noodles)
20 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
8 stalks green onion, cut into 2-ince lengths

First, you mix the shoyu, sugar, and mirin in a small bowl. Then in a different bowl, marinate the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the liquid mixture for at least 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet or wok on high and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and onions and sear for 3 minutes. Add the remaining sauce and bring to a boil. Next, add in the carrots, watercress, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Cook for another 2 minutes while tossing and turning ingredients. Add the shirataki and tofu to gently combine and cook for another 2 minutes. Lastly, add the green onions and mix. After that, serve it over hot rice and you're finished!

Here are the results:

My review of this recipe is that it's a pretty easy dish to make. I did make the mistake of adding too much green onions. I thought that 8 stalks of green onion meant 1 bunch so it turned out a little too green oniony hehe. Also, I would add a little more shoyu because I think the taste needed to be a tad bit stronger. The sauce is only the shoyu, sugar, and mirin and I don't think 1/4 cup of shoyu cuts it for the amount of ingredients in this recipe. But hey, that's my opinion. If you want a light, fresh taste, keep to the original amount, but if you want it more savory, I say increase the amount of shoyu.

I hope you try out this recipe! It's kind of representative of the local food here in Hawaii. It's very typical to eat this at home. I love it because of the mix of veggies and the use of lean meat, like chicken. If I find anymore recipes in the newspaper that are worthy (and successfully made on my part lol), I'll be sure to post it!

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN

TSD June 2013: Forever 21, Free People, Nordstrom, Charlotte Russe

Man I'm on a roll tonight! I just posted my Monthly Gram for June and I've decided to get this post up as well. It's probably from all the tea I drank this evening, so I'm hyped on caffeine hehe. Because I ended up getting fashion pieces here and there, I decided to make this TSD post a monthly roundup rather than separate posts for each brand. Here are my finds for June:

Round Framed Glasses: I've been on the lookout for a pair of sunglasses like this. I was inspired by Youtuber clothesencounters and I thought it looked super cute on her. So, of course, I wanted to try it out. I'm open to trying any trend and I'll go with it as long as I feel comfortable. I ended up finding my pair at Forever 21 for only $5-6! Jason isn't really a fan of these glasses but I'm over the moon about them. I feel so Lady Gaga-esque/retro in them!

White Lace Flowy Top: Jason and I were killing some time at Nordstrom Rack before seeing a movie. They had in some cute pieces from Free People, a brand in which I love their bohemian style. We don't have an actual Free People store in Hawaii, but they do have a great selection at Macy's. The pieces are quite pricey, but when it's at the Rack or TJ Maxx, the price is doable. I got this for $34 and the original price was $88 I think. I love to pair this with my neutral polka dot paggings (a pic will be uploaded in next month's OOTM post).

American Flag Sunnies: Before I found my round sunnies at Forever 21, I was hoping to find a pair at Nordstrom's. While there were a few that I could've worked with, it wasn't the exact pair I was looking for. I tried these on for fun without the intention of getting them, but I ended up liking it a lot. It was super cute on and I thought it would be great for the upcoming 4th of July weekend. There were only two left, so Jason bought the other pair for himself to match!

Sand Colored Sun Hat: Once again, I was inspired by Youtuber clothesencounters to get a sun hat of sorts. I've said it to myself over the years, actually my entire life, that my head isn't suited for a hat. It's probably due to my poofy hair, but I just never really matched in a hat. As I was perusing through my local Charlotte Russe, my eye kept going to this hat. I bought it thinking that I could actually work with this. It's not tight looking, so I think it'll go well with some of my looks.

Semi-Sheer Striped Maxi Skirt: I'm absolutely loving this particular style of maxi skirt. I love the bit of sheer fabric that exposes your leg from the mid-thigh down. I'm more of a monochromatic girl, so pairing this with a white crop top or any type of white top will bring this look together to my liking. It's easy sophistication!

Thanks for reading!

-LAUREN

The Monthly Gram: June 2013

Hello all! I know I said that I was going to try to get up monthly favorites, but I realized that nothing really changes in my makeup or beauty routine. My fashion crushes do change somewhat frequently, so I'd probably mention it on a haul. Anyways, I have just decided to do a recap of Instagram pics of each month, which seems a bit more doable for me and is kind of like a monthly favorites ;). I love the convenience of posting pictures on IG rather than on Facebook. So here are a few pics that were taken in the month of June:

It was super hot that day, so after my first purchase at Lush, Jason and  I stopped by our favorite tea stand at Ala Moana called the Tea Place, which is across from Neiman Marcus. I've been going to this place for years after classes at UH. Recently, I've been constantly ordering their Hawaiian Pineapple Ceylon Tea Float with pineapple gelato (right). Their gelato is all homemade and it's delicious. Jason's usual is the Dragon Phoenix Jasmine Tea Float with jasmine sorbet (left).

This was taken on Ward Ave. Hawaii always has beautiful sunsets, but this one in particular seemed  picture worthy! 

This is just a simple strawberry parfait from a gas station, but the reason why it was extra special was because Jason got it for me after dropping me off at home. It was a tiring day for him that day and I just happened to mention that I was craving a piece of cake. I was surprised that he returned with this! It made my heart flutter a bit (o^-^o)

I think Rilakkuma has got to be one of the cutest characters ever. I don't know why I never bought a plushie in Japan (actually I was too busy buying clothes >->). This was the window display of Hakubundo, a Japanese bookstore at Ward Warehouse. I always slow down to admire the cuteness, but then Jason starts pushing me away in the other direction >:(

(top) Mini Mochiko Chicken plate (one of my favorite eats from Zippy's)
(bottom) Tonkatsu Teishoku from Kimukatsu at Shirokiya. I have been wanting to try the famous Kimukatsu  tonkatsu. Honestly, it isn't as good as Ringer Hut in Waikiki, so I'm glad I never paid the expensive price at their Waikiki location.

(left) $3.90 Kirin at Yakiniku Glad. They have three different sizes of beer and they're all $3.90, so you might as well get the large!
(right) Loving the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher for summer, although my drink of choice nowadays is the Cotton Candy Frappe :9

(left) Fringe Top: GUESS, Pants: Pacsun, Necklace: Brandy Melville, Ring: H&M
(top) Vest and Mr. Bunny Tee: GUESS, Camo Pants: Brandy Melville
(bottom) Sheer Shirt, Pants, Booties: GUESS, Necklace: Brandy Melville
I'm thinking of doing a separate OOTM post for July instead of mashing it all up in one post. 

Thanks for reading!
-LAUREN