In the Golden Afternoon

January 31, 2011

In the Golden Afternoon

 

Is it just me, or is this winter especially full of snow storms? Before any of the snow can melt away, even more snow gets dumped on top of it! There's supposed to be another snow storm starting midnight tonight and I'm kind of hoping it cancels classes. The last one got two of my classes canceled so that was pretty awesome.

You know, every time I talk about the weather on my blog, I always feel like I'm in a really bad relationship with my blog. I remember I once dated this guy where the relationship went downhill to the point where all we could talk about was the weather. "I'm glad it's not raining today." "Yeah...same. It's nice out." "Yeah, it is." "..."

(American Rag Coat, Forever 21 Sweater, Random NYC Boutique Skirt, Topshop Belt, HUE Tights, Kenneth Cole Reaction Wedges)

Every time I wear this skirt on my blog, I always feel so awkward writing down where it's from...mainly because I don't remember. It was a random boutique I visited with my friend in the city and it's definitely one of the best purchases I ever made since I wear it all the time. Sure, it's a little short, but I've learned how to prevent myself from flashing passer-byers. And on a completely random note, can I just point out how my outfit matches my blog layout? :)

Oh! And don't forget to enter my Orient Watch giveaway! The last day to enter is Thursday, February 3rd. (Also, please excuse the fact that I don't take very good care of my shoes).

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Sponsor JennifHsieh!

January 30, 2011

Sponsor JennifHsieh!

I'm now accepting new sponsors! I offer very affordable and customizable packages. For statistics and/or more information, just shoot me an email at jennif.hsieh@gmail.com. :)

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I've Been Down this Road Before

January 28, 2011

I've Been Down this Road Before

It's finally the weekend but it doesn't feel any different from the rest of this week. I guess it's because I've been treating the past few days as if it were already time to relax. I wore this outfit earlier in the week and I've gotta say, it's definitely one of my top 5 favorite outfits I've ever worn to date. There's just something about this jacket paired with this sweater that I love. It's not overly complicated and it guarantees comfort throughout the day (and of course you can't forget my reliable earmuffs). Oh, and if you're wondering about the post title, it's because I've taken pictures in this spot outside of my apartment multiple times before. :)

(H&M Coat, Topshop Sweater, Forever 21 Jeans, Urban Outfitters Bag, ASOS necklace, Forever 21 Earmuffs, White Mountain Boots via DSW)

I think I'm slowly getting out of my blog slump. Luckily, I have some great friends who have offered to take outfit pictures for me whenever possible. My roommate, Monisha, endures the worst of it. I see her the most often and she's always more than willing to run outside of our apartment to snap a couple shots before running off to class. Not only that, but she also has to watch me throw my whole closet on the floor on the days where I just can't decide what to wear. I'll try on 3 different pairs of shoes - asking for her opinion after each one - only to go back to the first pair. Thanks, Monisha, for being there for me (and my blog). Oh, and did I mention she's turning 21 tomorrow? I'm insanely jealous since she'll be able to go out to bars now with my other roommate. Obviously I'm just going to stay home and mope about it. Obviously.

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Earmuffs (Again)

January 26, 2011

Earmuffs (Again)

So it's currently snowing pretty heavily outside and classes haven't been canceled. Personally, I don't have class for a few hours still so I'm warm and snug inside. My friends who are currently out in the cold (or in classes) have said the buses are running slow so I should probably leave for class especially early. Ugh, cancel classes already! It's only the second week of classes and I'm sick of them already. Well, I'm mainly sick of the commuting. There definitely have more snow storms than usual this winter - it's supposed to snow until the weekend. I wouldn't mind the snow if it actually canceled classes so I could enjoy it.

 

(American Rag Coat, Gap Scarf, H&M Shirt Dress, Urban Outfitters Skirt (from Jasmine), Topshop Belt, Seychelles Wedges, HUE Tights, Forever 21 Earmuffs)

I hope you guys aren't sick of my earmuffs yet. Lately it's been so cold outside to the point where I refuse to take off my earmuffs for my outfit pictures. Maybe I should just change my blog title to "JennifHsieh's Earmuffs" and be done with it. And completely random...but how adorable is the word "Earmuffs"? If I use the word earmuffs in one more sentence...

Don't forget to check out/follow my Tumblr (Jennif365)! It's one of my new year's resolutions to take a picture everyday during 2011 and my tumblr tracks my progress. The goal of my resolution is to encourage myself to become more creative with my photography.  I spent last year in front of the camera more than I did behind the camera and personally, I prefer being behind the camera. Plus, you guys get a little peak into my life outside of my blog through my tumblr!

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Van Nest Hall

January 24, 2011

Van Nest Hall

(Coat American Rag, Cardigan & Striped Shirt Gap, Jeans Forever 21, Boots Crown Vintage via DSW) 

So just a quick outfit post. My friend Rob and his girlfriend Dawn offered to take these outfit shots for me the other day. We walked over to the oldest area of the University which has the most gorgeous brick buildings. I'm standing in front of Van Nest Hall which was actually the second building to be constructed on Rutgers campus (1845). It's a gorgeous building but I've never had the chance to go inside. Since it was the weekend they had locked it up.

Lately I've been stuck in jeans - mainly because the weather is dropping down to zero degrees and tights just aren't cutting it anymore. I don't know if it's just the weather getting to me...but I feel like I'm falling into a blog slump. It's so hard to quickly grab outfit shots this semester. Either it's tough taking self-portraits (all the abandoned areas are covered in snow which would be risky using my tripod), the sun has already set by the time I can take pictures, or the pictures turn out blurry since my camera takes some getting used to. I'm also an awkward person when it comes to asking people to take pictures for me. At this point, I really can't wait for some warmer weather. As much as I love the snow, I think it's about time for Spring to roll around.

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Not My Intention

January 22, 2011

Not My Intention

 

I've been meaning to do this for the longest time, but my horrible memory has caused me to forget.  As many of you might know...sometimes it can take quite a while to take a picture you're satisfied with. I'm extremely self-conscious and, when it comes to sorting through my photos, I get extremely picky. Also, the more pictures you take, the more likely you're going to catch an embarrassing pose. Here's just a few of them (I'll be posting way more on my Facebook Page). :)

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Giveaway: Orient Watch

January 20, 2011

Giveaway: Orient Watch

Story time. A few years ago I was dating this boy who was very much the typical guy - he loved video games, sports, and girls.  Being that it was his first relationship, he treated it very stereotypically by giving jewelry, stuffed animals, and scarves. Once the holidays rolled around I couldn't think of what to get him. I finally settled on a watch - kind of fits the relationship we had - and once I bought it I suddenly wanted it for myself. I haven't owned a watch since my elementary school days and this one, despite the fact that it was a men's watch, had a stunning, light blue face and it was so damn shiny. I didn't keep it for myself, but when he broke up with me a month later I wish I had.

But now I have a chance to give one of you guys a watch just like it! Orient has generously offered to giveaway one of their Orient Automatic Watches with you guys. They have some pretty crazy watches on their site including racing watches with a million features, such as the EM7A003B and the CFT00001B. You guys get a choice between one of the following five watches:

You can either pick the Women's standard line watch (in green, red, blue, or pink) or the Men's standard line watch (in khaki).

Mandatory Entry: 

Be a Google Connect Follower and leave a comment on this post telling me which watch you would choose.

Don't forget to include a way to reach you!

Extra Entries:

Be a Facebook Fan.

Be a Chictopia Fan.

Be a Twitter Follower.

Tweet about this Giveaway.

Post about this Giveaway. 

The last day to enter this giveaway is February 3! 

*Only for US Residents

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A Fairytale Adventure

January 19, 2011

A Fairytale Adventure

This is not how I originally wanted my outfit to turn out, but alas, here it is. I wanted to wear this dress without a cardigan and I wanted to wear my Seychelle wedges as well. Unfortulately, it's too cold to skip on a cardigan and just imagine if I wore my wedges to go climbing up and down hills in knee deep snow. I had to resort to wearing my trusty "adventure" boots this time, even if they don't exactly work wonders with this outfit (neither does the snow completely covering them).

Speaking of adventures, Kirsten and I decided to take one last adventure before we went back to our separate colleges for the spring semester. We decided to explore the Fairytale Forest in northern New Jersey. It used to be a family attraction with a little fairytale village until it shut down a little less than a decade ago. Now it's turned into a restaurant and the rest of the grounds was taken over by a storage business. We drove around back towards the residential area and took the sketchy route in order to trespass and grab some pictures.

(Coat American Rag, Cardigan H&M, Dress Zara, Belt Topshop, Tights HUE, Boots Vintage Crown via DSW)

I didn't end up taking any outfit pictures near the little fairytale houses (although the little abandoned church had gorgeous lighting inside thanks to the pseudo stained glass windows). The whole place had a beautifully eerie vibe. Many of the houses were boarded up where they used to show animated shows and most of the glass windows were broken.

I ended up snapping some shots next to a nearby stream. You could see the water running where the ice had already broken and it was just a really peaceful place to sit and relax. If only there was somewhere to sit that wouldn't have frozen our asses. On our way to the stream, everything was completely covered in snow - including the rocks that I didn't know were rocks. I kept on claiming they were dead bodies buried underneath. You can't blame me for my paranoia though since I had just watched a movie involving Nazi Zombies popping out of the snow.

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The Start of Something New

January 17, 2011

The Start of Something New

I took these pictures with my friend Jess the other day in the nearby community college's parking lot. I expected there to be tennis courts but apparently they paved over them to make more parking spots. Oh well, I guess that's life. But in other news, I got these new Matiko wedges from Hautelook and I feel really awkward in them. When I first checked them out I thought they were pretty much the most beautiful shoes I've ever seen. On second thought, not all beauty was created with comfort and/or practicality in mind. These shoes won't get me from campus to campus without a couple of scratches and bruises.  Sorry some of my pictures are blurry as well. It was so cold outside I didn't bother checking how the pictures came out.  

(Jacket Forever 21, Chambray Shirt Gap, Cardigan Target, Skirt Urban Outfitters, Tights HUE, Wedges Matiko via Hautelook)

So I'm finally completely unpacked and I've settled back into my apartment - if only I was ready for classes to start tomorrow. I still have a bunch of books to buy and I'm getting ready to go broke. Today is probably the last day I'll get to just sit back and relax for a really long time. My roommates and I are going to spend it watching a movie and just doing absolutely nothing but bonding. :)

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We're All Crazy in Chicago

January 14, 2011

We're All Crazy in Chicago

So I've finally found some time in this busy post-Illinois week to update you on my time in Chicago! I was only in Chicago for one day and it was absolutely freezing. It's a lot different than NYC; not better - just different. My favorite part of any trip is usually the food and it definitely did not disappoint. Our friend, Eric, took us to a pizza place where there was customer-drawn graffiti everywhere...and I mean everywhere. Even the ATM was covered in scribbles!

While we were in Chicago, it also started snowing. I always believe that the cold is worth it as long as there's snow falling from the sky. The one place I wanted to visit while in Chicago was the Navy Pier (which is where these pictures were taken). I can only imagine how much fun it must be during the summer time, but nevertheless, it was gorgeous during the winter. The lake was covered by huge sheets of ice that trapped all of the boats to the dock.

(Peacoat H&M, Skirt Random NYC Boutique, Tights HUE, Boots Vintage Crown, Scarf Urban Outfitters)

I didn't take outfit pictures during any of my other days in Chicago. By the time we stopped traveling from city to city, the sun would usually have set already. I'll definitely be back again though.

Ever since I landed back in NJ, I've been insanely exhausted (and I still am). I don't think I've gotten a completely decent night of sleep since then since I've had to catch up with a lot of people. I still don't think I'll get a good night of sleep until the semester starts. Then once the third week of the semester starts, the stress will kick in again. Ahhhh! I need a nap.

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Up in the Air

January 11, 2011

Up in the Air

I'm finally home from Illinois and I'm exhausted. Being with friends for 5 days and 4 nights means you'll barely get enough (comfortable) sleep. But despite my exhaustion, I'm so glad I went and I miss all of them terribly. My favorite day was the one we spent in Chicago. It's such a beautiful city and in many ways different than NYC. I'll talk about it more in my next post.

(Cardigan Gap, Chambray Shirt Gap, Shirt Forever 21, Jeans Forever 21, Flats Urban Outfitters)

This is what I wore for the flight to Illinois. The lighting wasn't the best, hence the lack of proper photos. It was a cozy outfit though and kept me warm on the plane. :)

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See You Later, Alligator

January 6, 2011

See You Later, Alligator

If you're reading this then...surprise! I'm currently in the lovely state of Illinois to visit my friend Eric and to attend a lovely Circle K event. I keep telling myself I'll be able to blog once I'm there but I can't guarantee it so I'm warning you guys now! I'll be taking outfit pictures while I'm there, though, so no worries. I'll be back the 10th! :)

In a while, Crocodile. 

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