Book Club: The Hate U Give

This book has been highly recommended to me, especially as my career in advocacy included social justice work at one point in time. It had been on my To be Read list for a while but it wasn't until I found out Issa Rae had been cast as a character in the film version that I finally downloaded it on Audible. Issa Rae and her Youtube show, Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and her HBO Show, Insecure are seriously my favorites! Brian and I binge-watched both seasons in a weekend once and we are SO excited for the third...but I digress. 

It's no secret that Black Lives Matter has been a sweeping movement across the country and a YA novel that delves into it was interesting to say the least. Here are my thoughts:

Columns | Suede Moto Jacket and Bow Booties

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Jacket: Blank NYC || Top: Forever 21 || Bottoms: Madewell || Accessories: Forever 21 scarf (old, similar here), Madewell Transport crossbody || Shoes: Sole Society Flynn

March Bullet Journal Setup

I am SO excited to share this month's Bullet Journal setup with you guys! As you guys can see, I decided to go with a bee and honeycomb theme for the month of March. I looked to Pinterest for inspiration and there are some spectacular bullet journalists out there! I saw a lot of floral themes but as last month's theme was roses, I wanted to take a break from flowers for a month and here we are with honeycombs. 

Again, I really hope these spreads are helpful to you guys! I took a bit more artistic liberties this time around than last month. I played around with weekly spreads the last two months but I finally found one that really works for me so that's the one I'm sticking with this month (as you will see). 

Coffee Chat Vol. 6

Product Review: Sachajuan Hair Repair

In my Sephora haul post, I mentioned that I picked up a sample of this Sachajuan Hair Repair to change up my hair routine. For reference, I have straight, fine hair that is pretty easy to maintain. I don't normally use really high-end hair products because my hair is pretty healthy without it. In fact, the shampoo and conditioner set I'm using right now is from Whole Foods (which is actually good quality so I recommend you check that out). I just thought I would test this sample out and see if it's all that it's cracked up to be. 

For those of you wondering what this product is, according to the Sephora, Sachajuan Hair Repair claims to "promote cell regeneration and lends vitality and strength to the hair. Its long-lasting effect and frizz-reducing benefits leave your hair manageable with a silky shine and a healthy look." Here are my thoughts: 

Snuggly | Grosgrain Sweater Dress and Heeled Booties

Dress: Target || Accessories: LOFT tights, H&M bag (old, similar here) || Shoes: Sole Society Daphne

Book Club: Promise Me, Dad

Regardless of your politics, I think we can all agree that Vice President Joe Biden has been through a LOT. Imagine outliving not one but two of your children? It's so heartbreaking and tragic. I had heard a lot of good things about his book and I almost cried when I saw his interview with Meghan McCain on The View so I picked up this book as soon as I could from my local bookstore (yay for brick and mortar bookstores!). I went through such an emotional journey while reading this book and I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys today. 

Year of the Dog | Suede Moto Jacket and Turtleneck Knit

Jacket: Blank NYC || Top: ASOS || Bottoms: J.Crew || Accessories: Tory Burch Robinson mini || Shoes: Catherine Malandrino

Coffee Chats Vol. 5

How to Paint a Watercolor Rose

I got a few requests when I showed previewed my February bullet journal spread on how to paint the roses I had on the title page. 

Full disclosure here: I'm not an artist. I honestly enjoy watercoloring, doodling, and handlettering as a hobby but by no means do I consider myself an expert. Every time I post my bullet journal spreads on here, I get quite a few comments from you guys saying you don't have the talent. I promise you, I wasn't born with artistic talent - quite the opposite in fact. I still haven't perfected my doodles and there are times when I want to redo all my calligraphy work but I look at where I was before and I can see now how much I've improved through practice. If I can do it, you can too. 

Suffice to say, in the spirit of practicing new things and trying different forms of art, I thought I'd teach you guys an easy way to paint a watercolor rose - the same ones in my bullet journal. 

Love in the Afternoon | Plaid Skirt and Tall Boots

Top: J.Crew || Skirt: Forever 21 (similar here) || Accessories: Kate Spade bag (similar here), Kate Spade necklace (similar here) || Shoes: Catherine Malandrino

Book Club: Pachinko

As a Korean American, I'm always interested in stories of people like me - a child of immigrants or stories of immigrants themselves are stories I like to consume with a passion because I can see myself in the pages. I saw that Pachinko was trending on Goodreads as a National Book Award finalist and on the cover I saw a picture of a woman in a hanbok (a traditional Korean dress). I was instantly intrigued and I picked it up at my local bookstore (yay for brick and mortar bookstores!). 

After I finished reading it, both my mom and Brian asked to borrow it as they could see how absorbed I was with it so while the two of them debate who gets it next, I'll leave you guys with my review: 

Hamlet | Burgundy Wrap Skirt and Turtleneck Knit

Top: ASOS ||Bottoms: ASOS || Accessories: Dagne Dover Classic tote, Kate Spade necklace (similar here) || Shoes: Zara (similar here)

Elisha Coy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Serum

I'm so glad that Korean Beauty products have become so mainstream that I'm seeing them at CVS of all places! I remember the first time I saw a Korean Beauty aisle and I almost lost it - imagine all of the affordable Korean sheet masks, serums, ampoules, toners and the like? 

I picked up this ampoule serum at CVS and I've added it to my skincare routine. I figured that since I've used for a while, it would be a good time to do a review of it and share my thoughts on this. 

Coffee Chat Vol. 4

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him and Her

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

I know a lot of people have a love-hate relationship with Valentine's day and I totally understand why. I think that this "holiday" is pretty commercialized when really it's supposed to be a day about celebrating love - love for your family, love for your significant other, and love for yourself. And I say this as someone in a relationship!

So this year, I am writing a gift guide not just for those of you guys who have a "him" in their life, but a "her," or an even "yourself." After all, you need love too!

Mom Jeans | High Waisted Jeans and Lace Up Sweater

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Top: H&M (old, similar here) || Bottoms: J.Crew Factory || Accessories: Banana Republic belt, Tory Burch Robinson tote || Shoes: Sole Society Flynn

Five Years!

Today is my five-year anniversary of starting this blog! That's right, FIVE YEARS! That makes me a dinosaur on the internet!

I want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for continuing to read my blog! You guys are awesome and the reason why I continue doing what I do! Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. 

Now, for the sake of celebrating a milestone, here are Five Things I've Learned from Five Years of Blogging: 

Who's Blushing Now? | Black Jumpsuit and Blush Blazer

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Jacket: H&M (old, similar here) || Jumpsuit: ASOS (currently out of stock, similar here) || Accessories: Kate Spade Madelyne bag (similar here), Feisedy sunglasses || Shoes: Zara (similar here)

February 2018 Bucket List

How is it already February? I feel like I blinked and then January flew by! 

February has always been a busy month for me. My brother and my dad have their birthdays this month and my anniversary with Brian is on Valentine's Day (double whammy). Plus, my blog has a blogiversary! At work we have a huge convention in February every year so by the end of the month, I tend to be extremely exhausted and blog posts tend to be sparse. 

Still, I am a big believer in creating goals, regardless of whether I manage to actually achieve them because we all need something to strive for, right? Here are mine: 

Coffee Chats Vol. 3

Recent Sephora Haul and First Impressions

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

I did a mini haul video on Instagram Stories a while back but I wanted to do a more in-depth post on some of the products I recently got from Sephora. 

Haul videos and posts are not things I really like to do because there's always kind of an undercurrent of privilege and shameless consumerism involved. I know it's weird for a blogger to talk about these things but I always try to remain conscious of the costs of everything I buy and I tend not to go on a big spending binge in my personal life to begin with. Not to say I have anything against anyone who does haul videos regularly - you do you! I think I'm just overly sensitive about such things. I don't ever want to come off like I'm bragging. Most haul videos I've seen don't come off braggy but I'm always weary of my tone and the way I come across here. All this to say, I'm just a cautious writer and I'm trying to combat negative stereotypes about bloggers, just like everyone else.

That said, I got a couple of questions regarding my first impressions of some of these products so I will warn you guys this is more of a small haul with more samples than products purchased.