as the holidays are rolling in

and it's also hell week.

i'm only allowing myself to blog because i've decided that it's time to rest, and work can be carefully allocated for tomorrow!

sketching, the most intense class i have has kept me busy for the past i dont know how many hours because of the amount of work that comes with it (along with the meticulousness needed for it too!) and i've also got my liberals to worry about - a modern art final and a research paper for my film class. i've gotten bags, belts, and boots, out of the way thankgoodness, and soon it'll all be done with.

meanwhile, holiday cheer is in the air around campus and it's really just a great thing to see. i personally haven't had a christmas tree in so long that this festiveness my friends have provided really is like a breath of fresh air, and a really good one at that.

I suppose it's also fitting to put up a wishlist..my birthday and the giving holidays are this month! But instead of making it a wishlist wishlist, it's more of a 'this is what i want to attain so i'm going to push myself to be more successful kind of" so don't blame me for the materialism that has intensified ever since I came to this very materialistically-focused school :\ I can't help it. And I've also become super interested (i won't say obsessed yet) with make up. I won't go into how it's like ooh a way of expression, but hey I like looking pretty? AND i rarely buy it.

Like I said, with a new surrounding and some more time, I'm planning on getting a job and making some cash monies, and eventually be able to obtain what I want :]

So here we go... perhaps you'll be interested too!

Make Up Forever Eye Liner Cream in Matte Black - $20
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P189502&categoryId=S10505&shouldPaginate=true


I'm really into cream eyeliners and have totally adapted to them more than liquid and just regular stick liners. I've heard this was a good nonsmudge one from the make up gurus on YouTube.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - $17
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;jsessionid=EG30TXBBUPHOYCV0KQRQIGQ?id=P202625&categoryId=C10480



Sigma Brush Set - $89.00
http://www.sigmamakeup.com/products/701.html



Obsession with make up = obsession with the tools to make it possible!

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study - $16.50

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT154&PRODUCT_ID=1573


I love using light colors now to highlight the inner corners of my eyes, it really brings out some depth that asian eyes lack :p

Shiseido Mascara Base - $23.00

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P173725&categoryId=B70


I heard this mascara base really brings out length and volumnizes your lashes even before applying any other favorite mascaras! I have their Maquilllage clear mascara and I use it as a base, and that works wonders too!

Stila Kitten Collection - $18.00
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P247363&categoryId=C17603&shouldPaginate=true





New earphones, mine are dying.



Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine - $20.00
http://www.bumbleandbumble.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT70&PRODUCT_ID=178

Aveda Abundance Potion - $23.00
http://www.aveda.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY11541&PRODUCT_ID=PROD10351

Those are hair products that I hear are amazing... hahaha.

Ok it's definitely time for bed now, and I guess I just got too lazy to put up more pictures :p I'm a failure as a blogger, but I'll just say I'm pressed for time.

What's on your wishlist this year?

i'm so thankful for the luxuries i have, the opportunities i've experienced, and being able to pursue and do something that makes me happy. i'm also extremely grateful to my family and friends, and the love and interaction i've been able to share with them, the fact that we're living and we're healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

inspiration

Like I said, I've been learning a lot from my roommates, and the other day I was pretty inspired by her. Suddenly, I had the urge to really do something with myself. I currently don't have something in the world that's tangible or any substantial evidence that I'm going somewhere/done anything. I'm kind of really yearning for that to change!

Who provokes such thought in me? My roommate. I've linked her blog that features a bunch of cool places that she's been to and recommends. Many of these entries have been published in newspapers, and she also has her own handbag business, NoLaceAccessories. She's also successfully balancing school, jobs, and a social life. She's pretty rad :]

My other roommate is also working as a designer at a Canadian accessories company and is slowly moving up the work ladder!

I think a lot of things will change once I move next semester. I'll have more time to myself to do things, maybe start making my own things (bags and belts, anyone?) to sell, getting a part time job, etc. We'll see, but I'm feeling good energies.

Obviously, being in fashion, I'm inspired by what I'm immerse in everyday. In the beginning of the semester, I was all about the cremes, taupes, and off whites. I still love them, but now I've made a turn for navy. It may be the cold weather and the upcoming winter, but a great source is also a new buttery to the touch navy cow hide I bought at a recent flea market for my projects. I've already got patterns cut out for my self framed bag and my corset belt, both that are going to be paired with navy suede and some silver/antiqued silver hardware. Here's a more visual representation of the navy that excites me:

I'm so thankful for being around good people that influence me positively. They make me want to be better, to succeed, and to do things NOW. I mean yeah, I'm not one of those transformation stories where I've turned from bad to good...but I guess from good to better? hahah. I think growth and learning is the most important part of living. That may be my personal point to life...that, and being happy.

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I guess it was a fitting time to mention that! I can't wait, my roommate and I, along with some of our friends will be engaging in some Pregiving Thanksgiving festivities before classes end and we all go home. I'm looking forward to some quiet times at home and spending time with the family away from the city, and I hope everyone enjoys their holiday too!

second year

it's been a really long time since i last blogged, and i don't know what gave me this urge to make a post now. i guess a lot has been going on, non stop, mostly school related and i need something somewhat tangible to focus myself and look back on.

the first semester of my second year of college is almost over...it's the beginning of the end in a sense (well, once Thanksgiving rolls around, which is in about a week!)

I can honestly say it's been a really productive and knowledge-gaining couple of months, ever since the beginning of summer actually. The learning continues in this second-chapter, if you will, of my higher education, about the industry, the art i'm practicing, and about life in general.

I'm learning so much just from the girls i'm currently living with. They're both older and they're teaching me a whole lot about how to live, and just opening up my eyes to different things. It's really amazing how great they are too, being able to relate to them and to have these girls care as much about me as i them. I'm really going to miss them next semester, but I can tell we'll stay close. (I'm moving out next semester, more about that later).

Being a third semester in accessories, I guess I could say that I'm making more advanced things (belts and boots have been added to my curriculum), and sketching/rendering has been thrown into the mix. I'm really enjoying everything, and I can see my work improving a lot compared to last year. My designing abilities have really grown since this summer since my internship opened my eyes to many things. Here's a little glimpse of what I've completed:

What's to come:

A corset belt
2 self framed bags (i'm just being ambitious and greedy that i want 2!)
A pair of sandal boots

Unfortunately, my homework before the semester ends contains a lot more, along with the liberal arts!

Nonetheless, I've been feeling super grateful lately for the life I have, along with the fact that I'm doing something that makes me happy and i have friends and family here to support me. AHH for the future though, but that'll be another post.

celebration at hand!

So…I have a really fabulous blogette friend named La Couturier. Of course, I have many fabulous friends from all over, but this coquettish fashionista is also my sister (by bonds, unfortunately not by blood – even though that doesn’t matter), and you’ve probably come across her blog…if you haven’t then I’m super honored to introduce her to you.

In celebration of her blog’s first birthday, she’s teamed up with Chickdowntown for a giveaway of Current/Elliot The Legging Denim Skinny in Black. As you should/will know, La C. features inspirational images, what to wear advice, and a favorite among others; Le Petite Novellas. So, for this contest, she asks you how you would wear this giveaway item, and to write a small story to go with it.

As a personal friend, I don’t think I should enter for possible ethical reasons ;D , but anywho, I’m sure those pants wouldn’t fit me or my body type. Nonetheless, I have written a little something along with a collage, La C. inspired. I had a fantastic time making this (though I probably should have been completing some summer reading), and I can truly understand she loves doing this.

Everything I feature can be found on chickdowntown - they really have some fabulous things!

And here we go…michtseng’s own petite novella, perhaps my own dream for the future.



Mici took one last look in the mirror, tucking her some loose slightly waved strands (otherwise put into a loose bun) behind one ear while reaching for her scarf. Since it was morning, and she would be riding the PATH into the city, it would be chilly, but definitely not cold enough for any type of full coverage. The chiffon would be able to protect her from the harsh morning winds coming in from the Hudson at Newport, Jersey City.

She would be heading into her studio office today, checking up on a few things, and then meeting with a buyer who was also a personal friend. In the evening, she would be going out with a few ladies from her college days – at a bar lounge uptown. The work day didn’t include anything too serious, and the night served for some innocent fun with the girls.

Therefore, the night before, Mici decided on a pair of black skinny jeans, which were ever so classic for any occasion, and a sheer brown v-neck with a simple black lacy bra peeking through. She was feeling the muted tones today, but couldn’t help being a little coquettish, possibly inspired by her roommate. The booties she wore balanced out the light-weight of her upper half, and the jeweled bracelet added to the sense of class, and the shine mirrored the little sparkles in her eyeshadow. The final detail was a Rachel Leigh Olivia Ring, gifted to her by a sweet and dedicated man-friend. (mhm okay, I know what you’re all thinking…hahaha. Shush, it’s my story!)

She was ready for the entire day of festivities, without any need to make any alterations from day to night. Today, she chose convenience and sheer simplicity over anything else.

With a short goodbye to her roommate, who would eventually be heading into her own editorial office, Mici stepped out of the apartment, into the elevator, and was on her way to a day she was grateful to have.


aw. i kind of don't want to stop. hahah.

significant others, love, and all that

since we were young, i think we all had the preconceived notion that we would be falling in love with the right person, finding prince charming, getting married, having kids, and being successful at whatever we put our hearts to.

even nowadays, we talk about how many kids we want, if we want girls or boys, and what their names are going to be. we talk about our ideal wedding, the cake, the colors, the decor. we'll talk about our future homes, the picket fences, the household pets.

but really, how is everyone so sure that whatever they're dreaming about will happen?

honestly, i'm getting skeptical.

in actuality, i don't plan on getting married, and i don't want to have kids.

i don't think i'm the type of person to rely my entire life on someone else's. I don't want to completely devote entirely what I am to one person, and if anything ever happens, to be absolutely broken. (Don't get me wrong, I am undividedly against cheating and being unfaithful, but I just mean throwing all of myself into a relationship without reserving anything)

I just want to be happy, and I'm not sure if I will be, being alone, but maybe marriage just isn't the answer for me. Permanently tying myself to someone kind of reflects that complete dependance that I fear and want to avoid.


i had dinner with a friend the other night, and we talked about relationships and guys. she actually said "honestly, i think there are more amazing girls than there are guys. Many times, I'll look at a girl and say, Wow, she's perfect. Whoever she's with is really lucky. For guys, not so much."

I'll admit that I can see some really good guys in my group of guy friends, but I can also vouch for where she's coming from.

no, i've never been in a relationship, and i haven't had a crush in a long time. i'm starting to lose hope and possibly making the excuse that i'm not completely satisfied with myself yet, and that's the reason why i haven't been able to be in one, or find a compatible guy. Another excuse is also with the school I'm attending, but it hasn't stopped a lot of my friends. Let's not get into the insecurities in this entry.

I'd like to see what love feels like...in terms of having a significant other. I want to experience saying "I love you," and totally meaning it.


am I being totally confusing and contradicting myself? what i've just written is essentially the thoughts of love and relationships that have been floating around in my mind lately. it's getting kind of lonely in that aspect, as my friends engage themselves in new relationships and look so happy. I'm happy for them too, of course, since I think that's the most important thing in life (being happy, and doing what makes you happy, as long as you're not hurting someone else).


haha, I've been listening to a lot of Elliot Yamin's "Fight for Love," and Keri Hilson's "Knocks You Down"

cliche reminiscing

i can remember my first day at FIT like it was yesterday. well, no, not really.

But I do remember that the day I moved out of home and to FIT, it was an exciting day where I believe i was wearing a long white knitted v-neck tank, my marigold yellow Madewell 3/4 sleeve cardigan, blue skinnies, and gold flip flops. My hair was in a loose pony tail and i had a black headband on to control my newly cut bangs. Did I plan this outfit days in advance? I'm sure of it. I'm cheesy like that :]

I remember walking into my brother's room even though he was still sleeping and woke him up to tell him that I was leaving. He turned over towards me and said "ok, goodbye. I'll call you. have fun." that was the first time I wanted to cry.
I could spend another entire paragraph or more talking about the relationship my brother and I share, but that's a whole different entry to be shared later.

I was never upset about leaving home, I was ready to get out and start a new chapter.

Despite the madness at FIT that day with the thousands of students moving onto 27th street, I remember when Olivia and her parents first stepped into our new home, when I ran into my first friend Jason on steps of the C building (who I first started talking to online and established a no-expectation meeting), and when I first called him to start our adventure.

Then, we met some new friends...I think. Ok everything after that is just fuzzy.

My gold flip flops broke that day after my parents returned back home. Talk about symbolism of new beginnings.

That night, I was all alone because my suitemates went home and Soo A hadn't arrived yet. That was the first time I actually stopped feeling the excitement of the city and being independent. The Independence kinda got lonely.

All I had were the sounds of cars honking and people chatting outside. I found that puzzling since I'm on the 17th floor.

Luckily, I received an unexpected call from a really good friend, and we talked about everything as he made sure I was okay. It was my first night sleeping alone in my small dorm that became so large with just myself in it. I didn't know anyone around me, and it was still light on with all the lights of the city.

Really, I cant' believe how it's already been a year.
It's insane how fast the time has gone.