last of days

I'm back! :) Can you believe that there's only 2 days left until 2011?! It's insane! I've been sick for the past couple of days, but I went out into the cold to take some pictures because I was feeling lazy just staying in bed like a little girl. Gotta' credit my cute little nephew for helping snap some shots of me, he's the best. There was definitely a lot of wind action going on today.

      

 I know that plenty of people make resolutions for the new year, and one of my cliché ones is to lose weight, haha :P BUT this year I'm not making a list of things that I need to improve/enhance. I just want to live the year freely and rich of memories that will last me a lifetime. There are times when people feel like January 1st is a reset button on life but the truth of the matter is...you control this imaginary button and can press it whenever you want. Reset all the negativity, anger, hurt...walk forward and achieve everything that makes you beautiful. You don't need a new year for a new resolution. 

As always,

peace and complete love.

simple

( I should really start putting in my lip ring stud instead of just letting my bar peek out, oh the laziness )

It's December 25th 2010 and that means it's Christmas! or any other holiday that you celebrate around this time :) I've been on break for over a week now and find myself wasting time sleeping, a lot! It's time to go make some plans with people and enjoy my city but as strange as this sounds, I feel like I've become really attached to Champaign. Weird. Anyways, another thing that struck me as odd was that my capitalistic hunger was not in full effect this holiday season. I, actually, didn't ask for anything so there were no presents underneath the tree for me or anyone else in this family. We just go to the mall, pick up what we want and we call it a day- and this year, me and my sister didn't even pick up anything crazy...two shirts, at most and some makeup, haha. I guess that's when it hit me that I have everything I want and need. Relief. I still need to wrap my bestie's gift(s)/birthday present(s)- it's been a long time since I've seen her!

Om nom nom time and then off to read a book or something intellectual, haha.

studio beats

(My roommate and friend MinJoo snapped this photo of me on my bed around September/October)

Finally finished finals! and you know my advice for pulling through it? A good pair of headphones!

I'm happy I invested in these bad boys (they're the Studio Beats by Dr. Dre if you were wondering...pictured). If I could, I'd run out and buy everyone a pair so that they can see I'm not crazy when I'm jammin' out too hard to them. They got me through endless papers, study guides, books, days of not sleeping, etc. 

Once I re-energize, a real thoughtful post will come through, but for now, live off the beats or die from the dancin' :)

clean it up

I need to get my hair shaven again. It grows out so fast!

Back to studying for finals.

thankfully thanking you

(My sister (left) and me)

(Best nephew, ever!)

(Express yourself!!)

So today is the infamous turkey day. I've already eaten and hit food coma, I'm just passing some time until I go to my first Black Friday shopping extravaganza! It better be good, I swear.

So, I've been hit by a ray of happiness...real, feel it in your heart, happiness because I realized how lucky I truly am. Funny how a day can do that, right? I can be a complainer and lose sight of things because I make things seem like they're the end of the world but my issues are miniscule compared to what is happening to other 20 year old girls who are less fortunate then I am. I salute you, you brave hearted souls. Everyone is beautiful. So here's my list:

I'm thankful for:

-Family : They've always been my backbone and support system (for the most part). It's nice to have a pretty stable, but dysfunctional, family tie. They love me and I love them. It's as simple as that.

-Friends: Though I may have faded into the background with some, and stand in the spotlight with others, I appreciate the company I keep with me. These people make me want to socialize because I am SUCH a homebody.

-Roommates: Okay...they also classify as friends, but they're so special that they need they're own recognition. For the craziest nights they've witnessed me in, to my insanely random hyper antics, they understand me as a person. I'd like to believe I'm pretty easy to live with and that they feel the same way about me (:

-Love: I don't thank a name, but rather the act of being able to have fallen in love...of having been able to feel the unexplainable phenomenon. It's beautiful and corruptive and incomprehensible. When you find it, exude all of your happiness into it. Even if it's for a day, a month, or a year, okay? Thanks, love <3

-Materialism/Money/Music: It allows me to express myself in ways that I visualize. It sounds petty, but I'm thankful I have this gateway open for me.  These 3M's really represent my mood. Wear my heart on my sleeve much? haha

-School: I go to a beautiful school. Yes, it may be in the "middle of nowhere", but I'm getting a top-notch education (with the loans to prove it). I mean, c'mon...it's a Big Ten school...I sometimes feel like I have way more than a right to brag. I work hard and karma will grace me ever so gently.

-Everything else in between: Like being a completely healthy person, with two eyes, two legs, two arms, a mouth...etc,etc. You get the picture. I'm enthusiastic about it all. Oh...and my mom's food was delicious, it always is, I love you mommy!!!

I'll try to remember these when I get stubborn.

Until the next time....

roger that.

Hanging High

I've been neglecting my blogspot for so long :( Forgive me publicly web-viewable journal for I have sinned! --Cutting the dramatics short, the days seem to have flown right past my eyes. The school grind kicked my ass but I've been on my fall break (which has been much anticipated and needed). I missed home...you know, that "sleeping late, watching bad morning tv, mom's amazing cooking, dad complaining about something" type-of-home. Besides home, I missed my hometown-->Chicago. It really is so beautiful. I don't mind the cold winters, I actually don't mind the drastic seasons at all. They seem to keep my head right and my clothing options in seasonal check. Speaking of seasonal...my internship boss wants me to work during my winter break, blessing in disguise? I must have done something right for her to contact me and not the other way around :) Proud moment right there. 

I've got big plans, BIG plans that I'm ready to seize and deliver. Keep your eyes peeled world, I'm back and better than ever. 

Oyvey...I ramble my thoughts all over this social medium.

Welcome to Zebra Island!

Welcome to my room! Pics are fuzzy because of poor lighting...especially since I took these at night. My room has become such a safe haven and cozy place...and I'm not one to brag but I completely love it! All thanks to a creative partner in crime I was able to knock out that boring "do-your-homework-desk" and just jazz it up with a zebra print carpet hence...ZEBRA ISLAND! 

I haven't posted in so long because I've been super busy and focused (two things that are good to have in your life, I assure you). Besides that grinding demanding work of school, my life has been fantastic! Just being easy-going and nonchalant about silly people is definitely the way to go (: No use in complaining and going on and on about the same story- the same dilemmas. Living my life differently every day so that I have fun stories to tell my future children. I'm such a whirlwind of thoughts right now.

About an hour to kill until I'm off to the movies. 

Do Better

(Old-ish picture. Makes me miss my hair that I shaved off a bit, but it'll grow back in no time :P)

If I continue this positive streak, I will be happy for a very long, LONG, time :) I think I've finally been able to wrap my head around how I want to live my life and what steps I gotta' take in order to reach that goal. In the mean time, I'll keep myself in a cool, calm and collected state -of-mind. 

Shoe-stravaganza!

So, I've recently gone through a minor shoe faze and these are my Top 3 shoes that I have drooled over, fallen in love and now have in my possession. I present to you...my babies:

(Jeffrey Campbell Lita boots in Mustard <3. I definitely feel like I'll get a couple of staredowns because of the height, but I don't care, they're beautiful and I was inspired to get them through thestyleplaylist , check out her blog.)

( Jeffrey Campbell K-Genius wedges in gray and black <3 Super comfy! ) 

(The image is from the book Facehunter. That book is fabulous :) )

( Irregular Choice Itsy Bitsy Betsy Peep-toe Heels <3 The big bow is just so fun and these are super comfortable too, ah! )

(The bottom of the heels are super cute too!)

Shoes can make anybody smile  :)

Why TJMAXX Makes Me Happy

I was going through my iPhoto Library and came across the folder with 10/03/10 marked on it and saw these photos in it. It was a mini-shopping trip I took for myself to go get workout things to get me motivated and I ended up coming out with these things:

(How amazing is this pack? I saw it and the wrapping alone suckered me into it. I've never purchased Vogue Italia, or any international Vogue for that matter)

(It came with all of these magazines in it! Pretty badass and not to mention that I can read 90% of the Italian in there thanks to my less than decent Spanish skills, hehe)

(Boots bought on impulse. SOOOO COMFY!)

(I actually bought yoga pants and a tank to get my mind right. Note to self: Actually start working out)

(The best way to get in the grind is to buy magazines with beautiful toned bodies and how to just better your lifestyle. I sound like a health freak...but I'm not...yet)

( Yeah,yeah, Yoga makes me all zen and whatnot, helps me balance my body and life. And what's there to say about this chicken book? 100 recipes for a chicken lover like me= HEAVEN!)

(I just needed to buy water and when I came across VOSS water I was super.fucking.happy. I've been wanting this water for a year now? I always seemed to not have the right timing at Whole Foods - always sold out. I just love the glass bottle and how huge it is. Got my mommy a big and little one because she's a bottle/cute package lover like me)

HEYHEY!

Day ZERO: No More Days

(Today, 10/19/10)

I've been doing things in such a formulaic way with this blog. I'm done numbering my days, limiting myself to one post a day. If I wanna' post materialistic wants, I will. If I wanna' whine and complain, I will. If I wanna' share the biggest news of my life, I will (and even if not one person reads it). One thing will remain constant, I'm going to keep posting pictures and keep experimenting with life. On the positive side, tomorrow is the Passion Pit concert and then I'm going home for the weekend....my school's homecoming weekend, ironic...I know, but I have Halloween to enjoy down here at UofI :P

Day 10: All You Need To Say To Me

(Yesterday, 10/5/10)

I should be studying my ass off right now for my midterms tomorrow but instead I fall into the internet trap. I have my advisor meeting in roughly an hour and am nervous about asking her for study abroad options. Yup, I wanna' study abroad. Illinois is boring me. The United States is boring me. I talk so much about packing my bag and leaving but never do it, so it's time to! I really hope that I can go to Korea/Japan this winter break and then go to London in the summertime to study and then maybe to Dublin in the next Spring semester. I have such a farfetched mind. 

Day 9: And Darling

Small post: I like to dance.

Day 8: First of the Month

(I realized that I like to super edit my photos for this blog, so I'll keep it that way for now :P)

Happy first of the month! It's always a good feeling to know that it's a fresh beginning every 30 to 31 days, but it means time is flying :( After much needed sleep, I can begin to feel a little more secure in decisions I'm making and I feel like I'm taking matters into my own hands...in a good way. 

Day 7: Acoustic

I've been singing this song for a couple of days now. It's so phenomenal. I'm determined to learn how to play it.

Short post because I have TONS to do.

Day 6: Missing Persons

(I wonder how many poses I'm going to exhaust in my mirror. And I think I'm wearing super baggy clothes to trick my mind about my body...maybe. Still gotta' work out!)

Why do I always do this? Give up on the constant blogging I hype myself up to do but then fail? I've been on Tumblr and YouTube way too much. I've been studying pretty hard because I need to be on my A game. I did a photoshoot for a calendar, on Friday, Sept. 24th (which is when this camera whoring picture came about) We drove to Curtis Apple Orchard in Champaign! It's such a cute place full of people and so many activities to do. I want to make a cute picnic there with wine, bread, strawberries and nutella along with a good book and my camera. The girl we shot photos of was super nice and a completely sweetheart, but I keep running into all of these Koreans! I love them, though :P haha I also went to Kenneth's 21st birthday which was a stress reliever that was much needed; especially when we left his apartment and went to the club (Cly's) afterwards. Nothing beats dancing to the best music and singing as loud as you want - you just lose yourself in the moment, no inhibitions. Midterms are coming up and it's not the best time for me to be in this weird slump. The past week has been full of thinking, eating way too much, sleeping at weird hours and feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I still feel like I can't keep up with myself, when will that change?

Day 5: Tell Me Now

 A fighter needs their rest too. How else are they gonna' get up in the morning with twice the strength to want something so badly?

Day 4: White Blank Page

(This picture was during the first week of school-->you can tell by my old bedsheets)

EDIT: Post erased

Day 3: Chrome Hearts

This post is for September 14. Let's say I dressed like a bum and wanted to let you know.

A real post will come later :P

Day 2: Rock Your Body

Today I started running again. 

Day 1: I'm Trying

(Old serious-ish Yumi photo, ftw!)

It's another sleepless night and I decided that I want to get back into blogging. Real blogging. I contemplated writing on Tumblr, but I think that page is like my own personal scrapbook of photos and quotes that I love and I'd rather not taint it any more with my rambles. I don't know what drove me to the edge to erase all my old posts, it makes me sad, same thing applies to deleting my Xanga a couple years ago now. I want to really follow through with this. I do follow through with everything in the beginning but midway through, some sort of crisis happens and I just can't handle what I write about my life. Dramatic...I know. So I'm going to try really hard to put up a picture and a little blurb about myself and let's see this transformation. This picture is from this summer and I've already changed - gotten my nose pierced, hair is way longer and a different color and...I don't know what else, but that's fine.

I think it's funny that I'm writing as if someone's reading this, when it should be for myself. But if you're a random person that somehow managed to fall onto this page: Hello :)

I'll find time, I have to learn how to, for this, for people, for myself.

And so it is.