No Thank You, SIR

ring ring. Oh, hay thur school.

Impropriety in the Fourth Dimension; Oil on primed cardboard.

Why Hello there, delightful Victorian Family. How do you fare on this very fine evening?
What's that, you say? Speak up a bit, bear child.
Ahh, so school is now in session? Your creator* is now a Senior? In Highschool?
How utterly DELIGHTFUL.
Fantastic, if I may add.
Octopus, do not be shy. Did I hear you whisper something?
Oh Bother, that's right. Your creator SHOULD be doing her homework,
Most Definitely.
And so I bid thee adieu fair family.
Until next time.

*as in me

Good Morning Miami

presentable, no?

FUN

This is me stagnating in my house all day.

MYSPACE　ＦＡＣＥ！！１！＜３
According to Heidi, it's hard to take clothes and yourself seriously in American Apparel.
I think I agree.

These pants are the epitome of FUN. Now if only I had $78 lying around...

Because I am Feeling Guilty About Being a Neglectful Blogger Again

enjoy. Back when I had hair.

And on a more sobering note, today at H&M I had a close and harrowing encounter with...dare I even name them? No I shall not. Well, then, let me describe them. Three teens dressed in graphic t-shirts and ripped shorts, topped with drapey jersey vests. I gazed upon their listless forms perusing a rack at said H&M and I hear them murmur amongst themselves... "Is 80's still in?"
SIGH. Poor mindless, ignorant masses. The delicacies, intricacies, and beauty of fashion is lost upon them.

Oh, and By the Way

And now, enter a new chapter of fun (almost? ish?) baldness of my life.

Snapped at the Getty. Perfection in a skirt, I daresay, and hearkens back to the glory of the book The Many Adventures of Curious George and its illustrations. HUZZAH. I love snazzy old ladies.

The Blogger Hath Return-ed

I may or may not soon be switching from frivolous outfit posts to more of an art and writing-focused blog, but that is too be determined. There is still much ruminating and soul searching to be done, because on one hand I do love some silliness and fun, but on the other hand I want somewhere serious where I can compile my artwork without distractions like, well, something like this little spiel. To be continued...

Oh Gawd

Dear peeps,

I do believe I forgot to mention that I had headed off to the UCLA summer art institute, hence the lack of posting. WHOOPSIE. gargantuan amount of picture uploading coming soon when I return from the swirling miasma of wonder that is art camp.

tea party table for one

Aah, tea parties, how the word sets my heart a-flutter. Simply the mention of English breakfast tea brings me back to last summer and my delightful escapades around Europe with the grandparents. While I was in London I grew specifically fond of English breakfast tea due to fun-tastic hotel breakfasts of baked beans, mushrooms, marmite, and most of all my beloved ENGNLISH BREAKFAST TEA with a splash of cream and two packets of sugar.

is not this a delightful British breaking of the fast? photo hailing from last year's euro trip (hence the lack of bowl-cutted-ness)

Pictured below is my attempt at recrecreating those charming breakfasts, albeit in a bit of a daintier fashion, with a pot of tea and a rhubarb tart. And yes, my mother laughed at me for lovingly photographing my breakfast.

pay no heed to the tacky portrait in the background...all the better if it goes unnoticed!

mmm, look at how scrumtious and bursting with rhubarb-tastic flavor and British charm

Thrifty Fun Time

Dear World,
I apologize yet again for being a less than punctual blogger. I hereby pledge to post once per day. the end.
Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

THRIFTY FUN TIME, hosted by your very own Kate!
Pictured below, gallavanting at Goodwill with a stylish buddy.

There are moments where I wish that I projected a more...sopohisticated image; but as much as I wish this, I know that I will never and can never be a "cool kid". I laugh too much. I cry too much. I crack too many jokes and I am most definitely too loud. Then after a few moments I come to my senses and remember that I'd much rather be laughed at and make people laugh than be respected. After all, what fun is there in respect? Thanks but no thanks, I'll stick with my embarrassing outbursts and random noises and awkward moments. However, that doesn't mean I wish to forgo seriousness altogether. Quite frankly and in my humble opinion, humble here taken to mean "not at all humble and in all actuality bragging", I have just as much capacity for artistic depth and expression as any cool kid. Perhaps one of these days I will do some soul searching and decide what I actually mean by cool kid. Hold on a minute, has there been any purpose to this little piece of literature? Not really, but how I do love a good unstructured (and unrelated) rant.

Until the morrow, parting is such sweet sorrow!

Ay Caramba!

Salutations*
I have once again returned to the blogosphere and risen from my sedentary summer coma.
A triumph over the lack of motivation and inspiration which has been so plaguing me from the start of summer, penetrating every fiber of my being with ennui, coursing through my veins, stagnating with the sloth of a thousand complacent hippos.
Well, no more I say!
Begone, demons of listless lethargy!
ahem.
Pictured above, a two week old outfit in which you will find me channeling my inner tropical Caribbean something or other. And partying with a turban. Ah, turbans, so delightful, and what an all purposeful solution to the ever-present bad-hair day, scourge of humanity it is!

Outfit Details: scarf (China); light blue T (F21); chartreuse linen shorts (BCBG/Marshall's-poor people stores are fun! Okay, this sounds really bad outside of my head...); marching band shoes
*yes, I learned this word from that scene in the Charlotte's Web book.

Coming soon...
gaze upon the glorious new additions to my wardrobe, including thrifty fun time and a shirt my parents don't approve of!

Ahem

Dear World (especially a certain someone who I shall refer to as Beverly),
May I offer my most profuse apologies for a lack in postings as of late.

summer break + internet troubles + lack of motivation = poor posting

Regular posting shall resume shortly.

Forever Yours in Clashing and Polka Dots,
Kate

In a Sea of City Slickers

Country Bumpkinnavy dress(Lipstick/snagged from the mom); sandals(aerosoles)eversible hat (gift/from China); large plaid shirt (yard sale);

Well gawrsh, howdy there folks! I dub this outfit "country farmer trying to look sophisticated for a trip to the big city". Or as Ingrid saw it, more of a "chinese rice farmer peasant going into the city".

City Slicker

navy dress(Lipstick/snagged from the mom); white peeptoe wedges (BCBG)

This outfit was put together to project a slightly more sophisticated image*, with minimal/nonexistent accessorizing, in order to look presentable for the school newspaper banquet.
*Sometimes I have a strange urge to look conventionally presentable. Now I am slightly regretting my decision to cut down on strange head accessories and confusing tights for the evening.

What Would Paul Do?

Lookin' snazzy there, Paul!

Modeling Beatle-tastic creation with hair courtesy of not brushing it at all. Pay no attention to the stoic glare and yet again, awkward feet.

Pictured above: two years worth of birthday present procrastination for Ingrid, who is mildly(severe understatement) obsessed with The Beatles, and most of all Paul McCartney. Custom shirt by Kate (that's me!)
What's this, you say? You want to know how I created such a masterpiece?
It's quite simple, really. All it takes is:
-a vision, a decent amount of artistic skill (optional) a paintbrush, water, and some good ol' waterproof India ink.
-Buy blank t-shirts from F21! Great value! So cheap! ( imagine me saying this in an Asian accent*)
*hey, when you're that race (or at least part) it's not racist, right?

Readers, what WOULD Paul do?

Fluorescent Adolescent

neon cardigan(f21); should be a unicorn but is just a magical looking horse shirt (Wet Seal/Ezekiel); foofy Monet skirt (United Colors of Benetton); white middle school marching band shoes

Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to look presentable and suitably girly for Annabel's birthday party, who had requested that her guests don dresses for the said soiree. She took this as an occasion to break out her United Colors of Benetton skirt which she had snagged in Italy on sale for 20 euros because she wanted to get her money's worth out of the skirt and felt slightly special for owning a skirt from a usually expensive brand that she admired because of its eye-popping and colorful ads. She decided to wear a fanciful horse shirt to complement the colors of the skirt, and threw on a bright cardigan because she liked being obnoxious. Lastly, she placed on her feet rubber-tastic and severely scuffed-up marching band shoes because she wished she owned an acceptable pair of brogues but didn't so must always (at least for the time being) wear these for their slightly brogue-ish silhouette.
THE END

Epilogue
Emily (being the muckraker that she is): Hey Mom, what do you think of her outfit?
Mom: *insert look of disdain* Emily, I've given up on your sister's outfits.

My Asian side is telling me to be ashamed of my lack of filial piety

Birthdaytime is Here

from top: Annabel, illustration by Beverly circa 2007, Annabel again. photos courtesy of me.

Introducing Annabel and Beverly. Wow, those names put together sound like they should be anthropomorphic bunnies decked in frilly dresses in a cheery-cupcake-filled-fluffy-rhyming children's book. Color scheme is a little bit of Mark Ryden (minus the slabs of meat and stoic children) and Jeff Koons and Beatrix Potter?

Wizard Pageboy

Lookin' magical with a levitating tennis ball

No matter how hard I try to take mysterious and alluring photos, I always end up looking frantic and overly cheerful. Oh well, someday...

Purple velvet dress (Banana Republic/yardsale); fossilized walrus tusk scrimshaw (Alaska); black and white tights (AA); obscured cheapy white belt (yard sale);middle school marching band shoes

Theme of the day is "wizard pageboy", dubbed by my ever-perceptive sister.
Should have broken out her Harry Potter wand for the little photo shoot going on here.

I finally broke out the two-toned tights which have been fermenting in my sock drawer since October of last year, which had been waiting to be bought for many months prior to that October in an attempt to make a foray into more, how you say, unconventional dressing.

And on the first day of wearage they ripped.
BOOO.
At this point I am getting extremely fed up with these AA tights because they have consistently ripped on me! My maroon thigh-highs lasted a couple wearings before getting a few holes, but my periwinkle tights majorly leg-crotch ripped on day one of wearing, ever. I thought I would have better luck with these bubbies, but! It was not to be! I discovered with horror a run on my black leg...Is it American Apparel tights, or am I just fat-legged and rough on tights? I want to like American Apparel tights because so many other peeps do, but! ACK. AACK. AACK.

Comments received today:
Mom: "*with a disdainful look at my legs* You look almost respectable today"
Quite a few classmates: "Your tights are two colors" followed by confused look
"...nice tights..." Obviously, they did not think they were nice tights.
*edit: need some black lipstick to further confuse people about my color sensibilities

Smile Like You Mean It

Gypsy Hobo Who Mugged an Old Lady and Made her Rug into a Vest and Put a Dead Bird on Her Head

carpet vest(Goodwill); plain white t (HAHA GET IT, SO PUNNY, snagged from madre); bleached jeans (DIY/Tommy Hilfiger); dork socks; black loafers (Nordstrom's); part of a box as my low-tech tripod

I'm so good at being my own photographer, and look at these purdy accessories: pile o' feathers headband (costume jewelry store); blue striped sunglasses (SIDECCA)

This is what happens when I am running late for school due to a slightly *cough cough* procrastinated history project and I need to leave for school in two minutes
- so I grab these jeans because they're slouchy and comfortable and not skinny jeans
-and throw on a white t because heck, might as well have a whole slouchy outfit
-and then grab the vest because my style senses subconsciously wanted be to add some structure to the outfit even though I didn't realize it (hey, this could be true, right?)
-then threw on the feathers because I wanted to look as hobo as possible. sunglasses grabbed for maximum clashing.

-partially untucked shirt to look as sloppy and hobo as possible.

I've been going a little crazy with cuffing my jeans lately, but I just love the proportions of cuffed jeans and high socks.

Just Another Lazy Day Afternoon

windbreaker (Tommy Hilfiger); navy striped T (Polo Sport); octopus neclace (SIDECCA);
black skinny pants(Fire); sandals (Aerosoles); fake Nike sports watch (China); awkward hands and large feet

Welcome to the world of "I'm feeling lazy today" dressing, where comfort and ease triumphs over personal artistic statements. In this photo can be observed

• one newly re-bowled haircut
• two pairs of awkward 8.5-9 size feet
• the ever useful hand-binoculars pose

Personal formula for lazy dressing:

• striped or graphically printed T
• skinny jeans/pants
• structured jacket of some sort
• accessories as needed
  

Yet again I am channeling safari-explorer-ish style, but this time with a hint of Alexander Wang*.
*Okay, I just threw in that last bit to sound pretentious.