Plaid at No. 22

May 24, 2017

WEARING: VIP ME BLACK PLAID LONG SLEEVE SHIRT W/ WIDE LEG PANTS | 
MATT BERNSON MEZZA | ZAFUL TRIANGLE CLUTCH

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY VIPme.

My mind has been stuck on Manchester.

What kind of world are we living in where our children can't even go to a concert without being safe anymore? Imagine - 13... 14... 15 years old and running for your life thinking it's the end. And yet we have people wasting their energy complaining on Instagram for having their photos (not even their photos actually) being reported and therefore taken down because of it. How about instead of posting tits and va-jay-jays that are solely for attention-seeking, we rather post content that either tells a story or tells a story within a story? Why does everything have to be instantly gratifying nowadays? Don't get me wrong. Everyone is allowed to do whatever the heck they want, and I'm not here to preach what one should or should not do... but can't we give this bullshit a rest? People are dying out there and you want to talk about why it's okay to post nudity because we're all naked in the end or whatever cockamamy excuse you want to use to call it a way of expressing art? Now, have I ever done a self-portrait of my booty? You bet your ass I did, but the difference is I didn't do it for anyone but myself. And I certainly didn't post it or someone else's work to grab any kind of reaction.

Sure, everything is redone/copied/heavily inspired by someone else's work today, even sometimes making the fashion world quite an ugly one. Not everyone that's talented is kind or even decent for that matter. But what I appreciate is the story-telling that is ongoing, that leaves me with the desire to do the same. No, I may not have the power or finances to help with what is going on in the world at the moment, but my power to share the content I create, I believe, does help and inspire others to do more and be more.

Like this British-inspired, two-piece made of plaid and leather by VIPme. After the Manchester attacks, I wasn't sure what deemed appropriate in terms of my next blog post, given the crazy times we're living in is much of what I've been thinking about the past couple of days. But as I was editing this shoot, I played around with the tones much more than I usually do. I think it has a lot to do with mood and your environment. And I'm more and more in tune with what can be told through a photograph, so for me, this is my teeny-tiny little tribute towards our current events. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for UK fashion.

Summer is coming but before the hot days are here to stay, you can mix this two piece with so many other styles. I accessorized with an old pair of gold hoop earrings and Matt Bernson flats. The triangle clutch from Zaful is from last Fall but is still a favorite in my handbag roundup. I love the linen feel of the two-piece, and really dig the black leather statement pockets in the front of the top.

The bottoms have pockets too and I love that you can not only wear them together but also separately. The pants would look chic with a white tee and blazer and the top would look great with black jeans or even a cute white denim skirt. I love when pieces hold a ton of versatility and can be worn all year round, especially in places with all four seasons like here in New York. What do you guys think of this two-piece? How would you have styled it?

And lastly, I've recently been getting a lot of food content requests, with questions of when I will be getting back into video content as well. I'm happy to report that after a tiny hiatus (because video editing is my worst nightmare and least favorite thing to do in the world LOL) but also because I haven't found a story I really wanted to create for it, I have finally got something in store for you! It'll be out in the next couple of weeks, but it's something really special to me and I hope it'll blow you away! Stay tuned because I can't wait to just even share the behind the scenes!

Lots of changes happening right now and I'm excited, nervous and a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but I know me and I'll be just fine. At the end of the day, we have no one to answer to but ourselves. So be true to you and to others. Stop being full of crap, be nice, and go out there and get ish done! I know it sounds easier said than done, but remember that people love you and care about you, that includes me! Spreading nothing but Love + Light, forever and always. Until next time, take care of yourself and take care of others. Smooches. xx

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Vip Me Black Plaid Long Sleeve Shirt With Wide Leg Pants

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To Speak or Not to Speak

May 5, 2017

WEARING: TBA DUSTER JACKET | RHODA WONG ASSYMETRICAL TOP 
ONEBUYE BLACK WORK STRIPES WIDE LEG PANT | THE LUXELLE SILVER PLATED CLUTCH 
FLOWER EYEWEAR CASEY AVIATORS | GUCCI BELT | MATT BERNSON MEZZA | THE 5TH BROADWAY WATCH

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RHODA WONG, THE LUXELLE & THE 5TH WATCHES.

Yes, I'm a writer. But like my father, I have a tendency to bottle up my feelings. I have a really tough time trusting people. The only family I've got left is my brother and getting to know people can sometimes be exhausting, not to say that no one is interesting or beautiful but I have had many life experiences that few people will ever have to go through. I've been through it all, really. It can be difficult to relate to others on a personal or emotional level. And though I know I'm really fucking strong, I'm still vulnerable because I'm human. Sometimes the pressure cracks and like propane, I explode. But my new career as a content creator has given me the power to share my story and along the way, has helped me connect and be inspired by others. Just extremely incredible, talented people.

These life experiences have also taught me when to speak or not to speak. When I was younger, I was wilder and more naive. I had no problem telling it like it was, shamelessly giving a big F-U to your face while at it. But when you grow up, you (hopefully) mature emotionally and realize there are times and places for speaking up and when it's just best to remain silent. Even though I still can have a 'flare-up' here and there, even perhaps losing my temper, I've really learned to always be the bigger person, but hurt me or someone I love, I will verbally slaughter you before the real damage is even done.

And call it Korean pride, but I was also raised to never express your personal problems to anyone under any circumstances. It was a big fat no-no to my mother and she had that drilled into my head by the time I was in elementary school. Of course, this might explain my difficulty in also sharing certain parts of my life with others, but with what I do now, I feel like I'm slowly but surely making my way through sharing my emotions perhaps not always verbally, but through visual storytelling... the creative input... this means more to me than anything else right now. Thanks for tuning in this Friday! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better. Got questions? Thoughts from this post? Comment down below or drop me a message! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

OneBuye Black Work Stripes Wide Leg Pant

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

To All the Ladies with Style and Grace

March 8, 2017

WEARING: CADIEUX SS 17 JACKET | UNIQLO HEAT TECH TURTLENECK |
SHOE DAZZLE FAUX LEATHER LEGGINGS | ANGELINA SHOETIQUE OTK BOOTS | 
BOOHOO MOCK CROC CLUTCH BAG | SHOPTIQUES ROSE EARRINGS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY CADIEUX.

Happy International Women's Day! I could say the usual, such as how all women are beautiful, special and worthy of everything, etc.; but I'm not the usual kind. *WARNING* This post is not anger filled but brutally honest. Don't like what you read or see? Get outta my way. BYE.

There's a ferocious new trend-demic where women, but more so cliché-like cliques, that are parading around their 'love & support' for ALL women. Now, don't get me wrong. There are a ton of bad-ass ladies that are really about community and the idea of everyone getting their fair share of the pie with unity and togetherness, but then there are always the typical two-faced bitches (particularly in the blogger world) that are not only complete hypocrites, but also liars and manipulators and have no other motive than to cause drama because of their unhappiness and insecurities. Maybe they're not as terrible as it sounds because hey, I get it. We're all human. I'm flawed and complicated, and not in a light-hearted funny kind of way. But I'm in no way intentionally mean-spirited.

My closest girlfriends, which have been in my life for decades, can be counted on one hand. Why? LOYALTY. TIL THE END DAWG. We have been through so much shit in life I don't even know where to begin. I'm not talking about childish high-school breakups or fights with the folks, I'm talking about life & death situations. Loss, heartache, violence – our trials & tribulations were sometimes extreme and I really wouldn't have made it out alive if it weren't for my babes. And we didn't become friends because of race, social class, and other ridiculously atrocious reasons why some girls 'clique-ify' their way through life. It's the same type of girl who can't STAND being alone and always has to have a guy around. Seriously?

I don't need a pile of so-called friends to waste time shooting the shit with over coffee anymore. It's so mundane and it makes me nauseous just thinking about it. On the same note, it is crucial to network and to connect in New York City and also the world. It's not just about how hard you work to get towards that 'pie' but rather, who you know and what you can do for each other. Now is having coffee with any kind of friend, close/non-close a crime? Of course the fuck not. Yes, I continue to make new friends and they're all truly AMAZING but again life is so short and there will be very few people in the world that will deeply matter to you. And you to them. I'm not here today to engage in any kind of battle but I see what I see and I have the right to express what I want to freely. Dammit, I hate being a writer sometimes...

It's unnerving to continuously meet other bloggers who are not in this game for the right reasons. Sure, everyone has the right to go after whatever they want. I remember having a conversation with a 'part-time' blogger, and even though she wasn't doing it full-time, she thought anyone can become a blogger. That's like saying anyone can become a writer, a photographer and so on and so forth. BULLSHIT. It takes so much hard work, PASSION, dedication and discipline. It is by far the most challenging work I've ever had and I wouldn' have it any other way. And yes we 'all have to start somewhere'. You pay your dues, you learn & grow (I PRAY), and you work hard and be kind to people. BUUUUUUUTTTTT, that doesn't give anyone the right to make you feel uncomfortable about yourself. PERIOD. The second anyone, not just a woman, wants to treat you this way: DISENGAGE. Don't even give them the reaction that they're just dying to wait on. Pathetic. Let them get even more pissed because of your lack of care or effort on the situation.

To all my bad bitches, I LOVE YOU. I cherish our friendships and you all mean to me more than you'll ever know. Thank you for continuously inspiring me, supporting me, laughing with me and enjoying the good times with before they all fade away. To my loving followers, I may not have time to reply back to every single comment on social media every day, but I SEE you and I can never thank you enough for your encouragement and love to continue what I'm doing. Today is for you, ladies. Keep it real. Always. NOW, to all y'all weak-ass wannabes, I don't have the time playing checkers when I'm mastering my strategies at chess. Boom. Signing off. One Love.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Crop Top and Trench with a Side of Maroon

January 27, 2017

WEARING: SHOPFW RIB KNIT STRAPPY CROP TOP | 
MICHAEL KORS BLACK TRENCH | BDG HIGH-WAISTED JEANS | 
JILL-E DESIGNS SMART TABLET PURSE BERRY | HUNTER LACE-UP RAIN BOOTS | 
ESPERE DIAMOND PAVE WAVE RING

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY SHOPFW, JILL-E DESIGNS & ESPERE JEWELRY.

First, I got to get something off my chest. I read a quote the other day. It said, "I have a bad habit of searching for beauty in beasts and forever in temporary people." Sure, nothing lasts forever. But dammit, I'm a die hard romanticist and just absolutely LOVE falling in love with people. Why can't it be forever always? Because most people you'll come across in your life aren't meant to be with you permanently. Meaning, the majority of people you know will not be there for you when you hit rock bottom and are at the end of your pitiful rope. Sadly but truly, from one human to the next, people are bound to disappoint you, and even worse, hurt you. (Grrrr face.)

Have you ever had such a connection with someone, one from the inner depths of your soul; one that was so strong, as if you knew them from a past life? Can be a lover or a friend. It's a rarity to come by these days and I've only experienced it a few times. But something always goes awry - you're just a passing distraction to one's amusement, or the timing isn't right, or somebody never follows through. Perhaps one grew easily tired of the other or it's just a fleeting moment/chance encounter. People drift apart and can change. I believe you meet everyone for a reason, though, and yes, it's all for the better because you LIVE and LEARN. My best relationships were all happy accidents.

Having a conversation over drinks with a new girlfriend this past week we discussed how important it was to us to have meaningful relationships in our lives. And no, not everything in life has to be deep and intense because you can't take life so seriously. It's true, you'll never get out of it alive. And not everyone you meet is going to shake you to your core (so to speak), but like many of you, I'm sure may feel, I miss my friends. Always. Old and new. What a fool to be bothered with such nonsense, right? Hardly. I'm a highly sensitive, emotional creature. And yeah, it does suck knowing that not everyone wants you to be happy. And yes, (yikes) many are there to either use you, abuse you... (Annie Lennox rolling through ha ha!) Most likely, though, 99% of the time it's because they're unhappy. I don't expect to be lifelong friends with everyone I meet, but to the special ones I've made especially this past year, I'm beyond grateful for you. Without you, I wouldn't have grown the way that I have, and this means more to me than you'll ever know. So, apologies for the semi-LONG rant (HEY, I'm first & foremost a writer so...) but thank you for continuing to inspire me and for always making me want more than 24 hours in a day.

Onward to what's going on in this look today! I'm showing you guys what I normally wear on a typical rainy day here in NYC, but given the mild temps and the fact that my abs got a serious workout at a boxing fitness studio the other day, (yes, I took my first boxing class!) I wasn't as shy to show some skin. :) This crop top from ShopFW is rib knit fabric and has a self-tie strappy midriff which gives an ultra-sexy feel to it. And it's really comfy! I styled the top with my usual rain boots from Hunter and Michael Kors black trench coat. Along with my most worn, and quite possibly, favorite pair of high-waisted skinny jeans to date, is the super cool and tech-savvy smart tablet purse by Jill-E Designs. It's great berry/maroon color is only the icing on the cake. Inside is a Joey Energy charger where you're able to charge your phone, tablet/laptop, etc. on-the-go! It even has a longer strap to make it a crossbody. I know this will come in handy come fashion week! And last but not least is the gorgeous ring by Espere Jewelry. It's such a statement piece and I love its shape and design. Perfect to sparkle up any gloomy, rainy day!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

Michael Kors Black Cotton Trench Coat Ladies

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Earn Your Stripes

November 9, 2016

WEARING: ZAFUL STRIPED TRENCH | AMERICAN APPAREL DRESS | 
RALPH LAUREN RIDING BOOTS | ZAFUL TRIANGLE CLUTCH

“But this was a White-lash against a changing country.”

— Van Jones

Last night I went to bed around 4am. I couldn't sleep. The election was far too important to miss, let alone far too nail-biting to take your eyes of the television set. Every vote set its fate for the future of our country. Amongst friends and colleagues, I'm usually uncomfortable talking politics. It's not because I don't care or am afraid to speak my mind – it's because I care too much for the people I know to lose them over such a topic.

Being half-Korean and half-Polish, female, and from a multi-cultural background, I know how hard I've worked to get to where I am today. But after last night's historic presidential election, I feel squashed. I feel heartbroken. I feel my country is not listening and therefore, not learning from their past mistakes. I worry for my future and our peoples' future. I thought the past eight year's progress were built on hard work and trust. But this was a White-lash against a changing country. It is a complete step backwards to where we were heading to.

This election proves this country is not ready for a woman to be a president and sadly also demonstrates how much this country still hates women and minorities along with its lack of culture. To be raised in a state that's suddenly turned red is disheartening and shocking. I am disgusted in what I've been seeing over social media since we found out Trump will be our next president. And today I cried over Clinton's emotional concession speech, a painful moment in American history.

What is happening in our society where we think it is perfect okay and suitable to elect a candidate who's never had any political experience, let alone the knowledge or temperament to handle real-life situations as the President of the United States? And that with the right loopholes and strategic pulls, anyone can become the leader of the free world? I've never felt so shaky about the stability of our country and also the world. How can we go from the arc in losing and move forward? We have to accept what is and at least try to give Mr. Trump a chance to do good. Maybe he won't do everything he says he will because when it comes to politics, there's so much fluff and bullshit along the ride, you never know what's true and what's false.

But I still hope, like many of you, that we will prevail and strive forward to make this country still the greatest country there is. Be kind to one another. Not just in the next few days but always. Never forget that your adversity and uphill battles will never go unacknowledged and that there's still a glimmering light shining at the end of that tunnel. Soldier on and continue to earn your stripes. I love you, all. Take care. Until next time. ❤️❤️❤️