Bohemian Rhapsody (Ootd post)

This outfit post is long overdue, but I loved the outfit so much I had to post it. Think of this as a throwback post. As far as the outfit goes, I mostly loved the top I was wearing, which is a hand-me-down from my aunt. 

It's really outfits like these that are the reasons that I love summer. I love flowy, loose, natural-looking outfits. I also love the colors in this outfit. There are quite a few, but yet they all go really well together. 

What I'm wearing: 

Shawl/Cover-up: Thrifted

Knitted Top: Hand-me-down from aunt

Khaki Shorts: Forever 21

Black Sandals: Target

Bag: H&M (borrowed from my sister)

I'm still trying to find more ways to wear this top. I'm not so sure why, but I'm absolutely in love with it! Once I get enough outfits going for it, I may have to do another post on how to wear knitted, bohemian-style crop tops. I'm obsessed!

I hope you enjoyed this short throwback post! Until then, chau for now ♥  

My First Giveaway! (CLOSED)

This month, the seven of us have teamed up to give one of our lovely readers a Kiel James Patrick bracelet (any bracelet of the winner's choice, $40 or under) and $15 store credit to Brenda's Etsy Shop! 

One of my personal favorites by KJP. Buy here.

The Sponsors: 

Rachel at Sunshine & Sinatra // Kriselle at Through the Eyes of a Cali Girl // Hannah at Words as Palindromes // Jacky at Keep Calm & Blog On

Dylan at Sartorial Spice // Brenda at From Me With Love  // Ashliegh at The Darling Prepster

Enter below for your chance to win the bracelet and store credit!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Making Your Dorm Room Pinteresting

The past few days have been spent organizing and decorating my new dorm room as much as I can before school starts. I've been doing a lot of things with my job as a Diversity intern and as a music student, but in my free time, I've been getting creative and crafty on a budget. 

I'm not completely done decorating my room just yet (but then again, when will I ever be), but I've gotten lots of it done through lots of little crafts here and there, all inspired by Pinterest!

A few of my projects that I've done over the past couple of weeks:

1. My homemade letter "k"
I'm actually pretty proud of myself for this one. I thought of this idea spontaneously when I was sitting at my desk on Friday night. I have always wanted to have a letter "K" for my initials to display on my wall or desk but just have never been able to buy a wooden one for myself. One of the girls on my floor just threw out a bunch of cardboard boxes that night so I decided to take a nice piece and make one for myself!

I traced the a letter "k" onto the cardboard before cutting it out, resulting in the picture above! 

Afterward, I took a pack of scrapbooking paper I bought from the 99 Cents store and wrapped it around the "k," thus resulting into the beauty on my wall. 

2. Paper Chains 

I took the same scrapbooking paper that I used for the "k" and cut them into strips. The best part was that it was reversible, so I could change up the pattern a bit and it still looks nice. I'm actually pretty proud of what I did with it. 

3. Cell phone case display

This one is the simplest and easiest to do out of everything I did: all you need are push pins, a cork board, and cell phone cases! In this case, I have the iPhone 4S, and when I was figuring out how to organize them without just throwing them into a drawer, I decided to just stick some push pins onto the board and hang them by the hole where the camera goes. And voilà, you're done! Because the camera isn't centered, the cases naturally tilt to the side, but I think that's what makes them so cool. 

4. Mason jars as pen/pencil holders

These mason jars were from the 99 Cents store, as well as the scrapbooking paper that is covering it. I simply cut the paper to fit the jars and wrapped them into a cylinder shape and stuck it in the jar. Simple as that!

5. Picture Display on the wall

You can probably tell from the pictures hanging by clothespins that this was definitely inspired by Pinterest. I made a couple adjustments, however. 

Instead of using hooks like in most pictures that I've seen (and what I've seen friends do), I used poster putty. I had an overabundance of it and not any of the hooks most people use. Because of that, I molded my poster putty into hearts so it'd look pretty and I attached the yarn to it. 

The yarn, clothespins, and picture frames are all from the 99 Cents store (isn't that so great? so many great things), while the poster putty is from what I had last year and some of the pictures were printed off of YorkPhoto. All other photos came from parties that had photo booths. 

That is basically my dorm room! My roommate and I are still looking for a couch to place in front of our tv, and I'm still looking for a canvas to paint something to put above my desk. Other than that, I'm pretty much golden. I love my room so much, and am pretty proud at what I was able to do with it. I hope y'all enjoyed seeing what I've done, and maybe I can help conjure up some inspiration for you as well. [:

Chau for now! ♥

Love is More than Having Fun

Last Friday I received a gift from my boyfriend. It was a gift that I had known about for a while now (he told me before I found it), but I have since then been waiting for when he’d be ready to give it to me. I had given him the same kind of gift on Valentine’s day, and he admitted that he was working on the same thing, but he had started it before me.

The gift was very simple: a jar filled with reasons why we loved each other. I gave him the reasons why I love him on Valentine’s Day, and last week he gave me his reasons for loving me.

I’m a very sensitive and emotional person especially with relationships, so you can bet that I was sobbing while I was reading them in my room and processing it with my boyfriend over text. There were things that he’d said about me that I had never even thought that I had that kind of effect on him. It was such an honor and blessing to know that I was able to influence him in such a way.

The night before, we had gotten into a pretty bad fight after worship practice at church. He had to take me home, and it was to a point to where he wouldn’t even flinch when I talked to him. But don’t worry, we talked about it the next day. As much as I hate sleeping on a fight, I’ve come to realize (although may not have completely accepted) that sometimes it is necessary. Part of it may also be due to the fact that we don’t live together so it’s easier to do that rather than if we did.

As I am processing reading through all the notes that I just read about why my boyfriend feels the way I do about me, I go on Facebook, and my friend had just posted a status about a Bible verse. The reference? The ever-famous 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the Love Chapter. The whole chapter wasn’t quoted, but the part that I was reminded of was from verse 7: “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (NASB).

Why did that verse stand out to me so much? It’s because it’s just another confirmation and reminder of what you need to do to have a relationship work out. Like what I said in a past post, it’s more than just the good times in a relationship or marriage. It’s about the bad times too. No one likes to have them, but every time you overcome an obstacle with that person you become stronger, especially as a couple.

So there’s a little peek into my relationship with Darell, once again. Lots of people only post about the good times, but hey, real relationships aren’t always good. Because of that (and many other things we’ve endured together), I’ve learned to take pride in my relationship and not to be afraid to talk about not-so-good times. I definitely hate them so much, but I realize every single time that there is a reason for it all.

MooDaePo Rowland Heights Korean BBQ

If you know me personally, you'd know that I absolutely LOVE Korean BBQ. As an Asian-American living in Southern California, it's a pretty normal thing for me. Almost every single day there is someone I know out eating Kbbq, so when I got the opportunity to attend a media event that Moodaepo Rowland Heights was hosting, I was beyond excited!

A few other bloggers and yelpers, along with myself, were invited to this event (hosted by Wendy of Wendyful World I might add) to try Moodaepo's new lunch menu and Korean Bbq.

This was my first media event, so I was very excited to meet up with some other bloggers through SoCal Lady Bloggers. I was very happy to sit with Allison from Girl with the Pink Snuggie, Julie from Wrongway Peachfuzz, and Jess from IRockSoWhat. It was lots of fun sitting with them and getting to know them through the beauty that I call Korean Bbq.

Saesak Bibimbap: Mixed Rice w/ Assorted Spring
Vegetables

So onto the food! (*Note: the lighting for the pictures wasn't very good, so I aplogize for that!)

First, we started off with a traditional Korean Salad, called Saesak Bibimbap. The salad consisted of a fried egg, bean sprouts, seaweed, carrots, and other assorted spring veggies! It was pretty good, but I'm not much of a salad person so I didn't eat much of it.

Yuksu Bulgogi: Bulgogi Soup w/ rice cakes
and vegetables

Next, we were served the Yuksu Bulgogi, which is Bulgogi Soup with Rice Cakes and Vegetables. I actually really liked this dish and ate it with Sriracha. Yum! The meat was beef and having mushrooms in the dish reminded me a little bit of Mongolian Bbq (which I also love!). I definitely ate a lot of this.


Shortly after eating the Yuksu Bulgogi, we were served the Teriyaki Chicken and the Galbi Tang, or Beef Rib Soup. Boy, I must tell you that the teriyaki chicken was some of the best that I've ever had! Teriyaki chicken is such a common dish, but Moodaepo did a great job at making it stand out tastefully (to me, at least!). As for the Beef Rib Soup, I enjoyed it mostly because I love all kinds of Asian soups. It reminded me of some Filipino stews as well. I know for a fact that Allison enjoyed this as well! She kept eating it, even after we had gotten the Korean Bbq!

Teriyaki Chicken and Galbi Tang: Beef Rib Soup

Up Next, was a dish that I had been waiting for the entire meal! (No, not the Korean Bbq yet!) It was the Kimchi Fried Rice, or as it is traditionally called, Kimchi Bokumbap.

I had only tried Kimchi Fried Rice once before when I was out with friends and I loved it! I couldn't stop eating it! So when I saw that it was going to be on the menu for the day, I was so excited to eat it again and try a slightly different version of it! I talked about it so much that even the lady who served us said, "Here's what you've been waiting for," when she served it to us! (I really do just talk that much.)

Kimchi Bokumbap: Kimchi Fried Rice!

When I tried the Kimchi Fried Rice, it was just as good as the first time! A couple reasons why I like Kimchi Fried Rice:

• It's rice. I'm Asian. That's pretty obvious. After going to college and being deprived of Asian food, I learned to appreciate rice so much more!
• I normally don't like fermented food, but the kimchi (which is fermented cabbage) adds a very interesting flavor to the rice, which I actually really like. 

So after eating all of this food, you'd think I'd be full, right? Well to put it simply, no! 

I was actually still really hungry despite having had a whole meal already. But after all of these dishes, we finally had what we came there for--the Korean Bbq!

Look at all those beautiful meats! (Top left)Flower Steak,
(Bottom left) Pork Cheek, (middle top to bottom) Pork Belly,
Short Ribs, Tiger Shrimp, (Left) Beef Brisket

According to the menu, we were served the Prime Beef Brisket, Prime Marinated Short Ribs, Flower Steak, Tiger Shrimp, Prime Pork Cheek, and the Miso Pork Belly. Out of all of them, I loved the Prime Marinated Short Ribs and the ever popular Beef Brisket the best. However, I did enjoy all of the meats. I found the Flower Steak and Pork Cheek interesting because it was my first time having both. But it was a good kind of interesting and wished that we could've had more. 

Another thing that I loved with the meats were the sauces! They had the brisket sauce and salt/oil mixture that most Kbbq places have, and when I asked for hot sauce, the servers gave us each a small dish of a special hot sauce that they serve. I must say that it was definitely different than what you normally get for hot sauces, but I liked it for the most part.  

Look at all those beautiful meats on the grill. Yum.

I must say that hands down, this was the nicest and best quality Kbbq that I have ever had! I definitely would love to come here again! It is a little far from the LA/OC area where I live, but knowing my friends from my hometown, they'd be willing to drive a little for a good Kbbq place! The prices are a little much for the average high school or college student--$13.99/person is the price of their cheapest package, but it comes with 14 items! That's a lot more than what I normally get at the $9.99 all you can eat Kbbq places so I say that's really good! The menu that we sampled from was the $24.99/person package, and there are 31 items in that package overall! We only sampled five of the items, so I can only imagine trying everything. Don't forget, this is also ALL YOU CAN EAT! (But there are also cheaper, single dishes like the ones I had before the kbbq!)

Would I come here again? Heck yes I would! I'd be willing to drive here every now and then, and I also have friends who live in the area so it would be great to drive up and hang out with them here when I visit. I think that it is well worth the drive. The food is great, the service is great, and the atmosphere of the restaurant itself is really hip and modern. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who asked! If you'd like more information, "like" MooDaePo RH on Facebook! 

Chau for now ♥  

Disclosure: I was not paid to write this post, but I was served this food for review purposes. All opinions are completely my own. 

Going Back to School: Before

It's that time of year, where everything about going back to school is on everyone's minds. From buying school supplies, to buying clothes, and moving out of your parents' homes to moving into your new dorm or apartment--this is a very exciting, but stressful time of the year. It is also very bittersweet because there's usually one of two feelings running through your head at this time: One: you're very excited to see friends again or move into your new dorm or two: you're hating the idea of homework and papers and deadlines once again.

If you're in college and living at school like I am, you have to pack up your stuff, buy (some) new stuff, and say bye to your friends once again before you go move into your new dorm or apartment. I'm currently less than a week away from moving back, and I feel like my life is so unorganized from everything I have yet to do.

This post is here to help prepare for going back to school! At first I was originally going to just write about everything going through my head, but most people feel the way I do when thinking about moving back to school or going back to school. Here are a few back to school tips to prep for before going back:

• Lists, lists, lists! Lists are how I keep my life organized! Right now I have lists of things to do, things to buy for my dorm room, and even things I need for this blog! Whenever I come up with something new or need something new, I just add it to my list and keep it near me so I can always add or cross things off as they happen. 
• Use Pinterest for inspiration! I've been obsessed with looking through Pinterest for design and organization inspiration for my desk and dorm room. There are so many cute and (sometimes) cheap ideas for crafts and other things to decorate your room! I'm making a list of things I need to recreate some of it [: Follow my Pinterest for some inspiration and ideas of your own!
• Go Thrifting: As I have mentioned before, thrift shopping is a great way, not only to buy cheap clothes, but to buy cheap furniture and other items as well! And you don't have to use things in the condition they're in. You can always repaint or reuse it for something else! For tips on thrifting, here's my previous post about it! 
• Keep, Store, Throw out: If you've been in college for more than a year, chances are you've realized that there are some things that you use more than others (and other things you don't use at all). When looking through your things, have three piles: keep, store, and throw out (or donate). Your keep pile will be everything you'll take back, the store pile will be for things to keep at home, and the throw out pile is for everything you don't need. That way, you won't have too many things in your tiny dorm room or apartment. If you'll be a freshman in college, you could always do this for cleaning out your room! This will make your room less cluttered when you come back home from school! (Your mom will also thank you, haha.)
• Take your time. The last thing you want to do is rush packing, only to find out you left all your underwear at home! This tip is especially important if you live a few hours away or out of state from your school. Another tip that goes well with this one is to double-check everything before you leave. This can also help if you're a forgetful person like I am (making a list would help make this part easier too!).

There you have it! These are my tips for a transition back to school that should be as smooth as possible. If you have any tips that I may have missed, please let me know in the comments below! I hope you have fun getting ready for school [: 

Chau for now!  ♥