Winter Workwear with Lookbookstore

Top: c/o Lookbookstore.co

Skirt: J.Crew

Jacket: Old (Kenneth cole)

Shoes: Ferragamo (60% off!!)

Somedays (okay, more like everyday) I have the hardest time getting up in the morning. I HATE waking up in the mornings. It's one of the worst feelings in the world- along with wet socks, getting caught farting in public, and vomiting. Just to name a few. Lately, I've discovered a new trick to helping me get up in the morning. After I reach for my phone to turn off the alarm, I then start scrolling through emails, news, instagram and facebook. Within a couple minutes, I am alert with giggles, random and useless information, and outfit ideas for the work day! The power of social media I tell ya! Do you guys do this too? Tell me I'm not the only weirdo who does this! Whatever it takes to get me to work on time...

I'm starting to enjoy instagram more and more now that I've figured out the whole hashtag, @system (talk about delayed). Lookbookstore posts so many cute outfits everyday that totally make me smile. They generously sent me a few items awhile back but I didn't have an opportunity to take any pictures. I have worn this top so many times to work already, as it serves as a really nice layering piece and looks great with a suit jacket. Check out their store at www.lookbookstore.co for other great, affordable pieces.

I hope you have all been doing well and enjoying the holiday season! Thank you so much for continuing to follow along despite me going through my winter laziness period. I've really enjoyed keeping up with your lives as well :)

Getting in the holiday spirit

Sweater: Thrifted

Jeans: J.Brand

Boots: Tory Burch

As we approach the holiday season, it's often hard not to become overwhelmed with the gift shopping, card writing, cookie baking, holiday parties, pumpkin spiced latte saturation. I feel like the Christmas season can either be an extremely joyful time for people, or a time of tremendous loneliness when we are not surrounded with what society labels as "joyful and happy". Particularly now when social media can portray the holiday season so perfectly laid out for others. 

Therefore, I wish you all a very wonderful holiday season filled with internal happiness drawn from the blessings you experience day to day. A season saturated with gratitude for what you have, who you love, people who love you, and light for what the future will bring instead of take away. May all the Christmas lights, festivities, music, food and presents be an added silver lining to that :)

Autumn Orange

Sweater: Thrifted

Jacket: Modcloth

Jeans: Target

Boots: Tory Burch

No matter how enticing it seems to live in beautiful California or sunny Florida (where you get perfect warm weather every single day of the year), I still prefer to be in the Midwest. I can’t imagine not being able to experience all four seasons, especially Autumn. I think my brain would be so confused, particularly when Christmas comes around and… wait, what? Why is it so humid out? Plus, going through four seasons just means you get to have more variety of coats and footwear J

In other news and updates, since I’ve been such a blog slacker (I give myself a D- )

1. I’m starting a new job in December! Yay! All that training finally has come to an end. I’m also scared out of my mind to be taking care of patients all by myself, but that’s where Google and Wikipedia come in very handy, right? 

2. Got in a pretty bad car accident last Saturday L It was a head-on collision on the freeway and my car is completely totaled. Although I’m sad about the car, I’m extremely grateful to have walked away from the accident with only some minor bruising. Life is precious

3. Grace is now saying a few more words in Chinese! She can also squirm up one stair and pull herself to her knees. She’s not walking yet, but she sure has come a long way. Just a year ago around this time, she had her last brain surgery. I continue to be amazed how much kids can progress in just one year

Hope you guys are doing well! Will be catching up on all your blog posts soon!

A Rose in the Rough

As Aaron has become more enthusiastic about his new photography hobby, we thought it would be interesting to incorporate some more art and technique into each fashion post.  Originally I had envisioned to shoot this outfit in the middle of a dirty dumpster alley, or in front of some sort of rotted old barn to add a chaotic background, but this backdrop was kind of neat too.

Dress: Old, can't remember where I got it from

Ballet flats: J.Crew

We still have much to learn about photography, but adding bits of art/emotion into these shoots have made it so much more fun. 

Have a great weekend!

Drugged out Grace.

Don't be a poser, but if you have to...

My close friend, talented photographer, and now photography blogger Samantha Bartlett had asked me a few weeks ago to do a guest post on how to pose for the camera. I couldn't help but snicker to myself because I still don't have the faintest clue what I'm doing. If you watch Aaron and I take pictures, it's usually me standing awkwardly, and Aaron saying stuff like: "Too stiff. Too fake. Smile more!! Your arm looks funny. Stop looking constipated. Look over there! Squirrel!!

In any event, I thought I could have a little fun with this and share some of the top 8 go-to stances that have worked somewhat for Sunny with a side of. Yes, I collectively have named these poses:

1. THE "SMILE AT NOTHING"

This one is probably the easiest to do. Just relax your body and stare off at the nearest tree, lamp post or telephone wire, then think of something funny. You'd be surprised how well this technique works, and you still look somewhat natural.

 2. THE "WHATEVER"

Not a care in the world. Nope. Not paying any attention. Not listening.

3. "MY PRETEND EAR PIECE"

My hair often gets in the way, so may pictures are captured of me trying to tuck my hair back... which ends up looking like I'm talking on an invisible ear piece. It works, somehow.
Roger that.

4. "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"

Oh say can you see...

5. THE SIT

Sitting works much better than squatting- which is an awkward position to begin with, and I risk ripping my pants. The trick is to always keep your back straight.

6. MESSY HAIR

There are all sorts of ways you can mess with your hair, get closer portrait shots and have fun with it. It's also much easier to do this when there is a strong wind out. 

7. HIDE IN THE BUSHES

Use the nature around you to be part of the camera frame, especially if you need to hide your crooked skirts/pants.

8. THE "RE-ADJUSTING MY BOTTOMS"

In this case, my skirt was crooked. However, while you are adjusting your bottoms, you can turn it into a pose. This is a variation of "hands on the hips", except I think this looks maybe a little bit less forced.

Top: Generously contributed by Lalamagic

Skirt: J.Crew

Bag: Target (Philip Lim)

Shoes: Ferragamo

Bottom line is, it doesn't matter if you're a beginner fashion blogger or top model, do what you are comfortable with. There's really no right or wrong way, as long as you're connecting with the photographer, enjoying the experience and having fun. With time, the rest will fall together naturally. Have an awesome weekend, everyone!!! Check out Samantha's photography blog!

She's not afraid of us. Not one single bit

Transformed

Top: Urban Outfitters   |      Jeans: J.Brand     |      Purse: Prada Gaufre

We traveled back to Chicago almost every weekend in August and September mostly for weddings, but the last two weekends, our family made last minute travel plans back to the city so I could finally experience being an extra in a movie! (Thank you to Aaron for babysitting)

Transformer’s 4- in theaters planned for June 27^th, 2014. If you guys go see it, look for the tiny little dot resembling an Asian woman in the corner of an office building caught in an explosion, screaming for her life and protecting her purse. That’s me! If I’m lucky, I may also be seen walking behind Mark Wahlberg in a few split second shots. Haha

I’m sorry, under contract I can’t give any details about my experience or inside scoops about the movie, but I guarantee that there will be lots of action, and if there’s anything you know about Michael Bay films, you will not get a shortage of explosions!

I met some great friends in all walks of life. Not all movie extras are professional actors/actresses! Most are everyday people with corporate jobs who, like me, occasionally do this for fun. It was neat to see how movies are made from behind the scenes, and meet all the talented cast/crew members who make it possible. I have a whole new appreciation for movies now, and will definitely be paying more attention to the background who usually get ignored. It can be a pretty tough job!

I found this picture that someone captured on the web (I wasn't able to take pictures on set). I'm standing right behind Michael Bay!

Photocredit

Ahh let’s see, what else is new… I turned 31 last Thursday. I feel so old. My hips are starting to hurt.

Blind as a Bat

If I lived in the Stone age, God help me I would've been one of the first to die. I certainly would not have been part of the elite "survival of the fittest" club. My vision started deteriorating when I was in first grade, and since then I have become severely myopic (near sighted). I actually have a hole in the back of the retina because my eyes are so deformed, which is closely being observed right now. So back in the caveman days, if I hadn't already been chased down and eaten by a panther, I would've already killed myself by running into a tree. Finding a pair of well fitting glasses have been pretty difficult for me over the years.

Every pair of prescription glasses I got in the past, I always ended up with a bad case of "Heavy coke bottle lenses repeatedly sliding to my nares" syndrome. You know what I'm talking about. In residency, I had to tape my glasses to my forehead when I performed sterile procedures in the ICU so that they wouldn't fall off. Talk about embarrassing!

I'm happy to say that my search for glasses is over. I renewed my prescription this year, and was lucky enough to find a team of wonderful ladies who work at EyeQ Eyewear, who introduced me to Alain Mikli glasses. These carefully handcrafted glasses factored lens weight into the equation, and is made such that the ear pieces are heavier in the back to balance out the front. GENIUS! The lens itself is the thinnest I have ever gotten (despite my ridiculous prescription of -9.5R and -8.5L), held intricately together by a unique french designed, durable titanium frame. As long as my eyes don't get worse, I may wear these glasses for the rest of my life.

Outfit: Back to school Inspired

Dress: Theory

Eyeglasses: Alain Mikli from EyeQ Eyewear

A thousand thank you's to Tammy and Simona at EyeQ eyewear for your help. I can actually SEE now, and I don't have to tape my glasses to my forehead anymore! Thank you Mayo Insurance, for your generous eye insurance/stipend for making this affordable for our family :)

Linking up this week with Stylelixir, Life of the Party, Thirtytwocents

Thanks also to Friday's Five Linkup on Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins and FACE IT CATALOG for the feature!