A Twelve Year Reunion

semm9706 — Lips are **Marrakesh** by 100 Percent Pure.

semm9690 — Eyeliner is **Royal** by 100 Percent Pure.

For those of you who don’t know I was born in Singapore.

A tiny island that’s so small you’ve probably missed it on a map more than once.

It is incredibly hot and filled to the brim with malls. Since they can’t expand horizontally they do so vertically instead.

It’s also a great place for tourists.

It had been twelve years since I was last there, so to say I was excited and nervous to go back for a week over the summer is an understatement.

semm9742 — Jacket is Urban Outfitters via Poshmark.

We arrived at two in the morning, which was so great, and off the bat did stuff.

Like getting my first tattoo.

Yup.

If you haven’t seen it on my Instagram account, then, well first of all, what are you doing? And then go look. It didn’t hurt at all; it was a cool experience. So much so that I decided to go get another one. On the side of my rib cage. That one definitely hurt.

Like a bitch.

I’m pretty sure I screamed so loudly and frequently that I scared off other clients that were waiting. There were a lot less people in the waiting area when I came then when I first arrived.

I also reunited with my paternal side of the family for the first time in years.

My grandpa, as savage and blunt as ever, and my sweet grandma, but whose sassy too.

My hilarious and equally savage godmother/aunt and her husband (my uncle-in-law) in his awesome Darth Vader t-shirt.

Some of my cousins: Mark the responsible third grade teacher, Marcus the cool guy with tattooes all over his body who should’ve been an artist (it’s complicated), and Marian a.k.a. Squirt (for her height) my girl.

And, of course, my father. An incredibly tanned auditor whom I love very much. Who apparently remarried some time ago. Yup, I’ve got a stepmom. She just kinda popped up on me. But it’s ok. He seems happy. And she seems to enjoy giving me gifts, so who am I to refuse her?

SEMM9730 — Choker is **Gianna** from Ettika.

*This portion of the post has nothing to do with the main topic, but I’ve gotta give a shout -out to Ettika and Planet Blue for this awesome choker collab.*

My mother and I also had our own little adventures.

Like the zoo.

Yes, the zoo.

It’s awesome.

Don’t judge.

We had breakfast with the orangutans (the baby was soooo cute) and saw tons of animals. Like flamingos, naked mole rats, a polar bear (yes, in a hot continent but he’s ok), etc.

But the most important one was, of course, elephants. If you think otherwise you need to get yourself together cause elephants are the bomb dot com. I’m pretty we, meaning me, spent a good ten minutes just sitting and staring at them. And taking videos. and squealing like a little kid.

They’re so cute and sweet.

Ok, I’m done.

For now.

Not to mention our day at Universal Studios. Neither of us had ever been to one to it was pretty exciting. There were different sections like Sci-Fy, Jurassic Park, Hollywood, etc. But my personal favorite was Far Far Away. It reignited my love for the Shrek franchise.

My favorite rides were the Transformers 4D experience and The Mummy. They were both epically epic. We did The Mummy twice (even though it initially scared the shit out of me) and wanted to do the Transformers one again too (if it hadn’t had technical difficulties and had to stop).

I think it’s safe to say that the trip overall was wonderful.

From the family reunions to the touristy adventures.

And hopefully I’ll get to go back sooner.

Preferably not in twelve years.

Or eleven.

Or ten.

Ok, maybe just not in double digits.

Or above five.

’17

“We, the Senior Class

Memorial High School,

proudly announce our

Graduation Ceremony

Saturday afternoon, May twenty-seventh

Two Thousand Seventeen

one o’clock

Don Coleman Coliseum

1050 Dairy Ashford

Houston, Texas 77079″

It has been over a week since I graduated from high school and it still hasn’t sunk in yet.

I remember the lines and lines of teens Snapchatting and babbling and hugging one another as we sweat in our caps and gowns.

The feeling of being in a fishbowl surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people.

The coliseum was filled with the friends and families of about 630 students, waving maniacally with their handmade posters and joyous clapping.

There were a few speeches given at the start of the ceremony. I admit that I didn’t know most of the people that were speaking… All I know is that they held some sort of important position in the school district. Apart from them two of our eighteen valedictorians spoke as well.

Out of all the speeches made only two things stood out to me:

The mention of our deceased classmate, Kobi Pickett (I didn’t really know her but bless her soul), who passed during our sophomore year,

and the mention of a quote by Ellen DeGeneres:

“Never follow anyone else’s path, unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. Then by all means follow that path.”

It still hasn’t hit me that I’m attending college in the fall and that I won’t see my friends and family on a daily basis anymore.

I also have not cried yet.

A friend of mine cried ten times on our last day of school (yes I actually counted). I, along with maybe one or two of my friends, did not cry at all. We talked about how inhuman we felt compared to our other friends who bawled frequently. But I suppose I’ll cry when I officially move into the University of Dallas in August. It’ll hit me when my mother and I say goodbye (don’t start crying Momma Bear!).

SEMM8809 — Lipstick is 397 BERRY NOIR (Matte Berry) by Lancôme.

Overall I’m excited at the prospect of attending college and officially graduating from high school.

From the classes with a quiz and test every week, to the pressures of trying to be in at least the Top 15% and above (I was in the Top 20%; I just missed it grrr), to discerning what your rank is, then trying to get the AP scores you need/want, to blah blah blah blah …..

It was a struggle not just because of the competitive nature high school establishes, but also the feeling of inferiority that comes with it when you think others are succeeding whereas you are not.

But regardless of how tough it was, I, and my fellow classmates, stuck to it and made it!

With these last words a valedictorian of ours said:

“Let’s live!”

My Prom

Q1wnU — **202 NUIT ET JOUR (Sheer Nude)** by Lancôme. Necklace was a birthday gift.

Last Saturday was my prom night.

I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t expect much.

Most of these dances are overrated and end up being incredibly boring. The hype that comes with it raises the expectations in our little teen hearts but normally result in nothing short of a disappointment.

The idea of buying a dress and renting a limo for one night is absolutely ludicrous to me.

But more importantly, the stress people have over getting a date is, quite honestly, stupid. Why on earth would having a date dictate whether or not you have an awesome night?

That’s why I wasn’t crazy about going to prom.

However, I decided to go in order to just say that I had the experience. Plus, it’s the last high school dance I’ll ever get to go to with my friends.

So why not?

SEMM8655 — **Blush Classic Convertible Gown** by twobirds via Rent the Runway.

SEMM8664 — Heels from JustFab. I borrowed them from Momma Bear.

Ever since my freshman homecoming dance I have rented my dresses from Rent the Runway, who is awesome!

My mother, like always :), was the one who found my dress, which you can see in this post. I haven’t been a pink girl for a long time, trading it in for a more grunge look filled with blacks and blues and reds.

But it was love at first sight with this dress.

It’s not a bright or neon or hot pink like Barbie kind of color, which I deeply appreciate. I now prefer the blush pinks to have in my closet.

Once my mother and I officially ordered the dress I began to feel excited.

I’ve never been the type of girl who waited around, hoping that a guy would ask me to be his date with those big posters and flowers. Now before I go further, let me be clear: I’m not bashing those that do. It’s just not me.

I prefer being with my friends and dancing the night away acting goofy and content with my single status.

When prom night arrived, my friends and I headed to a park in order to take pictures together in our dresses.

Now the shoes I was wearing, as you can see in some of the photos, are legit high heels. I normally stay away from them because, frankly, I’d like to feel my toes. But I thought maybe I should give it a try, so I borrowed a blush suede pair of heels from my mother (which somehow fit).

The shoes went incredibly well with the dress. It gave the height and made me look statuesque, were pretty as hell, and just completed the overall look.

But midway through the taking pictures, I promptly took them off and walked barefoot for the remainder of our shoot. It’s quite comical actually. In some pictures I’m incredibly tall while in others I’m a hobbit compared to my friends.

In the end I went to prom in my comfortable, glittery sandals with pride.

I danced throughout the night with all of my friends.

From Despacito to Yeah! to the Cupid Shuffle to Party Rock Anthem. I was sweating like hell (I perspire easily). I was a sweaty mess, but at least I was having fun and letting loose.

The first portion of the dance was literally just pure Zumba and reggaeton music (my dress was exceptionally great for dancing to those genres). Then it turned into a mix between hip hop and rap music, before ending the night with pop.

I just remembered having so much fun. By the end of the night every single one of us was dancing. Even the shy, introverted ones that swore they couldn’t dance or only did so in the comfort of their rooms.

It was genuinely a great night to me.

Would I say it was “the best night of my life” like those characters in teen movies revolving around a dance event?

Probably not.

But it was fun and I’m glad that I got to experience my prom.

Benji and Me

This is Benji.

He’s my best friend’s sister’s dog.

I think.

Benji was hers, then their grandfather’s, then their dad so I don’t know anymore.

Benji is also one of the few animals I’m not completely petrified of (yes, I have a fear of animals).

Benji is literally a walking ball of fluff.

He is so soft and loves to give high fives. But I have to say, Benji did not give me many during the shoot which deeply offended me.

SEMM9600 — Benji loves giving me high fives.

SEMM9621 — He’s sticking his tongue out at me!

SEMM9610 — “Benji, don’t you dare walk away while I’m talking!”

A few of my friends created an Instagram account for Benji called @belovedbenji with the goal of becoming as famous as Doug the Pug.

This was all studiously talked about during art class and lunch.

So when they suggested I do a shot with him, I thought, why not? It was slightly insulting when they were more excited about him then me. I remember saying, “What the hell? I’m the model, he’s the prop.” They just laughed before returning to Benji.

He is adorable though.

A very happy pup who melts my heart.

I’m still not getting a pet though. I gotta learn how to take care of myself first (ahem, I’m talking to you Joy, you and your possible three dogs).

My First Campus Visit

SEMM6906 — Sweater cardigan from Poshmark (it’s actually my mother’s).

Last weekend I attended my first ever college visit at the University of Dallas in Irving, Dallas.

Before anything let’s get some stuff out of the way:

Yes, it’s a Catholic school.

Yes, it means I might stay in Texas.

Yes, it’s been in the top most ugliest schools in America.

No, it’s not the same as the University of Texas in Dallas.

SEMM6907 — Jeans are Abercrombie & Fitch

I stayed the night while my mother went back to the hotel and roomed with an already enrolled student.

The first thing we, including other possible and already enrolled students, did was…play volleyball. And by we I mean they. I made it clear from the get-go that I’m not at all athletically inclined, which they, thank God, respected (you never know, people can be cray).

Once the game ended we all headed out to have dinner at Rathskellers, which is on campus, where there was also a jukebox (which I thought was pretty cool). We sat outside while tunes like Love Shack were blaring on the speakers. By the end of dinner there were all in all ten of us.

Afterwards we headed out to the soccer field on the outskirts of the campus. While half of us played, the other half sat on the sidewalk listening to music and looking at the blue bonnets surrounding the field. Once they were done, we moved on to some night frisbee with a frisbee that lit up.

We then proceeded to head back to the campus, while the students sang Justin Bieber’s “Baby” very very loudly, and went into one of the lounge rooms where they danced on top of the tables. Once they had their fill of that, we went into a different lounge room to play Catchphrase. Which, for those of you who don’t know, is an extremely intense game.

After playing a couple of rounds of Catchphrase all of us went to Club Donna, a portion of the campus that students basically have a rave in with a DJ and strobe lights.

I, however, had not properly slept for the past 24 hours so I was the first to fall and go to bed. Side note: the air conditioning in the dorms are awesome!

After saying goodbye to my host, who was incredibly sweet, I reunited with my mother. We, being the rebels we are, skipped the last event (alumni panel) to get some free hot chocolate and check out some books (there’s a bookstore on campus, by the way).

Another side note: the hot chocolate was amazing.

Overall I really enjoyed my experience in UD even though it was exhausting.

And for those of you who are asking: Yes, I’ll probably attend this university. Oh, by the way I got one of their college tees on sale! It’s super soft.

Princesses Never Go Out of Style

My mother, the blogger behind Sheela Writes, is part of the monthly collaboration called the Fab 40s. It celebrates women in their forties who don’t let age hinder their awesomeness and sense of style.

This month the theme is Fairytale Princess.

It seemed appropriate, with Beauty & the Beast being recently released. Something which I’ve waited to happen since the day I was born. This moth bloggers would put together an outfit inspired by their personal favorite Disney princess (if their muse is outside the realm of Disney, that’s totally ok too).

You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you about this. Well, it’s because I was the one to come up with the idea of channeling a Disney princess and decided to do it too!

SEMM7480 — Dress is a Badgley Mischka via Rent the Runway.

SEMM7539 — Necklace was a gift from Momma Bear via Poshmark.

SEMM7511 — Fun Fact: Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors.

So my mother and I both got some Belle-esque dresses in honor of that theme. Because well, you know, I love Belle (as you can see in my previous posts: Belle and My Disney Moment and Another Princess Disney Moment).

Instead of going with a yellow gown (I think I look terrible in that color), I chose this really gorgeous blue dress as an interpretation of the very first outfit Belle wore when she still lived in that “provincial town.”

Belle is an independent and fiery bookworm whose beauty goes beyond her physical appearance. I had always loved her and the movie, but my appreciation for the film deepened as I got older. When I started watching movies set in a high school or centered around a teenager, I became exposed to the idea of outcasts and cliques and the pressure of fitting in. So watching a film with a heroine whose unafraid to be herself, despite others being transparently unkind, struck a chord with me as entered adolescence.

Here are everyone else’s Disney princess inspired outfits:

Jennie as Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

Sheela as Belle from Beauty & the Beast.

Veronica as the titular movie character Pocahontas.

Diane as Joanne “Jo” Polniaczek from The Facts of Life.

Mary as the titular movie character Pocahontas.

A huge shout-out to everyone who was a part of this collaboration!

Everyone’s interpretation of their princess was awesome!

Belle 🥀

SEMM7338 — Sweater is a gift from my stepbrother’s girlfriend, Bennett. It’s so soft!!!

Today is the day Beauty and the Beast (2017) is finally released!

Disney’s animated version was released in 1991 and won numerous awards for its incredible music and storytelling. Honestly, I’m surprised a live action version of the Disney film has taken so long.

But then again, I’m probably biased since it’s my favorite film of all time.

SEMM7342 — Lipstick is **NINZA** by LAQA & Co.

SEMM7340 — Shades from Urban Outfitters.

When I first heard of the possibility of a live action Disney Beauty and the Beast film in 2015, I was so excited I think I started hyperventilating (yes, it’s quite pathetic). My excitement was further enhanced when I discovered that Emma Watson would be playing the main protagonist, Belle.

Belle has always been my favorite Disney princess. An independent and fiery bookworm whose beauty goes beyond her facade was in my eyes nothing short of inspirational.

Emma Watson appears to be a down-to-earth young woman whom I first took notice of in the Harry Potter series as the strong and intelligent witch, Hermione Granger. But it was her work with Books on the Underground, the Book Fairies, as well as the HeForShe campaign from UN Women that garnered my respect for her.

She, in my opinion, is the perfect Belle.

Every trailer and clip that I watched leading up to the movie’s release always gave me chills.

From the light piano playing in the background to the dance between Belle and her Beast to the stark red rose petals falling slowly to the ground.

All of that on top of the incredible CGI that went into creating the Beast and his staff is awesome! And what is also equally cool is Lefou’s homosexuality. I mean, it’s the 21st century people! There aren’t just straight people! There are lesbians, gays, transgender, aseaxuals, so why shouldn’t they be represented in our media and entertainment? In the words of director Bill Condon on the controversy around it, “I’m so sick of this!”

SEMM7307 — Bracelet is part of the Disney Couture line. It was a Christmas gift from my mother.

My family and a couple of my friends were lucky enough to nab some tickets the day after its premiere.

I’m so excited I’ll probably start crying before the film even begins.

It’s not just about the cool animation or the crazy musical numbers.

It’s getting the same feeling I got when I first watched the animated version when I was a little girl. A sense of complete wonder and content from watching a beautiful and meaningful film.

I’m sure the 2017 version will be as wonderful as the original.

Either way I’ll be humming the title song all the way home afterwards.

Pop of Color

This is the last edition of a three-part collaboration with Jodie’s Touch of Style and Sheela Writes. The idea was to showcase various ways of dressing with the colors red and gold. Also, though unintentional, it is a collaboration amongst mothers and daughters

The last of the series is to wear red and gold with another color.

Nail polish is Orly. Jacket from Forever 21.

Here are our looks:

Thanks to everyone for participating in this collaboration!

I’ve loved everyone’s looks!

Boom Shakalaka

This is the second edition of a three-part collaboration with Jodie’s Touch of Style and Sheela Writes. The idea was to showcase various ways of dressing with the colors red and gold. Also, though unintentional, it is a collaboration amongst mothers and daughters

The second of the series is to wear those colors with a print. The last will show a different surprise element, which shall be posted this Friday.

Choker from Forever 21. Shades from Poshmark.

Here we are 🙂

jodie-print — Jodie looks so cute with those earmuffs!

charlotte-print — Those pants are awesome!

Come back on Friday for our last one!

Glam AF

This is the first edition of a three-part collaboration with Jodie’s Touch of Style and Sheela Writes. The idea was to showcase various ways of dressing with the colors read and gold. Also, though unintentional, it is a collaboration amongst mothers and daughters

The first of the series is to wear those colors in a glam style. The rest will show different surprise elements, which shall be posted in the following days.