jennifhsieh

Beauty in the Breakdown

2012-02-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

The weather is so back-and-forth right now and I can't figure out if spring is here or if winter wants to stick around for a few more weeks. Luckily the weather felt like spring the other day so my friend and I went out for coffee and I rocked my bare legs. Compared to past winters, this winter I definitely decided to choose to wear jeans instead of tights more often. My tights were a bit neglected but I was just too busy to be bothered with skirts and dresses - especially during those windy days. This year has definitely been more about low-maintenance outfits.

Forever 21 Romper
Urban Outfitters Skirt, Belt
Target Cardigan
c/o Blowfish Shoes Tush Wedges

This past weekend has been crazy and I've been loving every single minute of it (but then again, which weekends lately haven't been crazy). Friday night was one of my club's biggest events of the year, Dance to Eliminate, where a bunch of dance groups volunteered to perform together. We managed to raise over $1,500 for The Eliminate Project and I couldn't be more proud of the people who were a part of all the planning it took. Then afterwards a bunch of us partied the night away in celebration. Nothing better then letting loose with some of your favorite people in the world. But due to how busy my life is right now my blogging has started to slack, if you guys have noticed. I'll do a better job of keeping up! :)

Like Shooting Stars

2012-02-22T13:26:00.001-05:00

American Apparel Sweater, Pants, Henley Top, Belt
New York & Company Scarf
Florsheim Boots

Here are the shots that I took of Donnesh during our last minute trip to the beach. He's crazy photogenic and also crazy adorable. If only I could pose half as good as he does - I wouldn't have to take so many pictures for my blog! I usually take around 40-50 photos for each outfit photo shoot since I'm always jumping around or making silly faces. For every nice picture I post on my blog, there are five more where I look a little bit stupid. I can't take myself seriously without cracking myself up.

I'm missing Donnesh already and I'm counting down until the next time I see him! He left me his Forever Lazy (you can embarrassingly see me wearing it here) to make sure I'd see him again and return it. Gotta make sure I do! :)

Starships Were Meant to Fly

2012-02-20T13:26:00.001-05:00

After this insanely busy weekend, Donnesh and I decided to take a last minute and relaxing trip to the beach before I had to drop him off at the airport. It was freezing and both of us stubbornly left our coats in my car. After wandering the Boardwalk arcades and bitterly muttering about how expensive beach food is, Donnesh and I just decided to walk on the chilly sand and take some pictures. Thank god for my giant cardigan which kept me warm in every way possible. I just had to watch out since when I wrapped the cardigan around me it looked like I wasn't wearing pants.

Urban Outfitters Cardigan, Skirt
Forever 21 T-Shirt, Ring
HUE Tights
Zara Purse
Blowfish Shoes Flats

I'll post the pictures I took of Donnesh in the next post because I don't want to overload this post with images. Donnesh is insanely photogenic so I couldn't narrow it down to just 2-3 photographs. I wish he lived thousands of miles closer to me but at least I've gotten used to the distance. Maybe next time I'll fly down to Texas and pay him a visit. :)

Don't Wake Me Up

2012-02-17T12:31:00.001-05:00

This weekend is going to be crazy busy and I can feel the stress piling on already. There's just so much to get done but I have almost no time to do it all! I have three different meetings and/or events for Circle K and I keep forgetting that I have work to do for my classes. It's so hard to put my academics as my top priority sometimes but I'm trying to remind myself from time to time that I'm still a student.

At least this weekend will be a ton of work mixed in with some of my best friends in the world. My friend Donnesh (you met him here) is visiting for the weekend from Texas and I'm dragging him around Jersey. He's ridiculously fashionable so I can't wait to post some of the outfits he's going to be wearing this weekend as well. :)

American Rag Coat
Gap Cardigan, Striped Top
American Apparel Skirt
Urban Outfitters Belt
HUE Dark Blue Tights
Blowfish Shoes Flats

Fashion Bloggers at Rutgers

2012-02-16T12:44:00.001-05:00

So a few months ago I had the chance to interview two fellow fashion bloggers who also attend Rutgers, Arabelle and Melanie, for the online magazine that I'm a part of, I Am Rutgers (I wrote about it before here). It was awesome getting to meet people on campus who also blog in their spare time. The fact that Arabelle and Melanie were so different made the editing process way more interesting and I was able to play their differences off one another. Definitely check it out. :)

On New Foundation

2012-02-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

My roommate and I decided to take an impromptu trip into the city on Saturday despite the forecast of a rainy and snowy mix. We prepared ourselves with umbrellas and layers of clothing (well, maybe not on my end), but luckily the worst weather situation we faced was getting trapped in chilly wind tunnels. We hit up some delicious and cheap restaurants for lunch and dinner and met up with my friend Rob in between for a quick movie. I love getting to catch up with him and I'm glad that I haven't lost touch with him despite him having graduated a year before me.

We walked through Chinatown for a while at some point which is where we decided to pause for these pictures. It was so hard waiting for the sidewalk to clear out - wave after wave of hipsters would keep walking past us but it serves us right for being in an urban college area.

American Rag Coat
Forever 21 Sweater
Urban Outfitters Belt
Zara Skirt, Purse
HUE Tights
Aldo Wedges

Before we had to catch our train home, my roommate and I had a few extra minutes to kill so we stopped by the H&M by Penn Station. Instead of browsing through the racks I spent most of the time typing away on my phone. While I was typing mid-sentence, a random guy comes up to me and my first instinct is that he thinks I'm an employee. He introduces himself and he tells me he just saw me from afar and wanted to know what I was like. I'm pretty sure this kind of stuff only happens in movies. My gut instinct was to run away as fast as I could but since I can never say no I indulged him in some awkward, small talk about absolutely nothing before slowly making my way to the door. Oh, New York City. You're so full of characters.

Oh, and the picture above pretty much sums up who I am.

Free Falling

2012-02-10T17:43:00.002-05:00

To be honest I don't really feel like myself in this outfit but I like it nonetheless. I don't really wear blazers that often because it feels so formal and a bit "adult". Not saying that I'm not an adult but I always feel like an incredible kid at heart. You have the majority of your life to be an adult - why grow up so fast? Sometimes when I act like a kid, others treat me like a kid. I guess in my ideal world people would treat me like an adult regardless. Can't have the best of both worlds all the time though, yeah?

Forever 21 Blazer, Jeans

Target Top

Blowfish Shoes Flats

Speaking of growing up, one of my best friends, Jess, is turning twenty-two in two days and we're all going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. I've known her since I was nine and I honestly don't know anyone else that knows me better. She's one of those friends that would drop everything they were doing to be there for me and I know how rare that can be. Definitely a keeper. Jess, you're stuck with me because I'm not letting you go. :P

Right This Second

2012-02-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays have started turning into love/hate kind of days this semester. I love starting off my mornings at work and it always puts me into a good mood. Then in the afternoon I have to head toward my classes - I have two classes in a row with the same professor and in the same room. It drives me crazy not having a change of scenery and I always struggle to stay awake and pay attention for the three hours. I just wish I had a greater interest in the subject topic. But then I get to end my Tuesdays going to my Circle K meetings and raging at the bars so at least I end on a good note. Guess it's just a bipolar day. I can't wait for this week to pass by quickly though since I have some epic weekend plans.

J. Crew Sweater
Forever 21 Striped Dress
ASOS Back-seam Tights
American Rag Coat via Macy's
Aldo Wedges

Last Saturday I met up with Kirsten, one my friends from home, to go on a photo adventure in an abandoned farm nearby (which is where these photos were taken). She had a photo assignment to complete for one of her classes and I just wanted to spend some time with my camera. All I ever seem to use my camera for these days is for work assignments and my blog. It's nice to just take pictures for no reason at all with no set direction.

15/15: Set You Free

2012-02-04T18:39:00.003-05:00

I'm done! I present to you, my last 15 for 15 look. It's among my top three favorites and I feel like it embodies my personal style perfectly. There's a clean silhouette, simple accessories, and a basic color palette. The gorgeous sunset in the background doesn't hurt either. Now I can't wait to style up the rest of my closet that I've been neglecting. It's going to be weird having so many options again and I don't know if that'll make it easier or harder to pick out what I want to wear in the mornings.

Joe Fresh Chambray Shirt
Urban Outfitters Dress
Zara Bag
c/o Blowfish Shoes Cuvette Flats

This past week has been absolute chaos and I can't even keep track of everything that's going on. I feel like I've gone from one Jen to an entirely different Jen (who's kind of reckless). I'm gonna try to take some time to just relax, slow down my life, and finish up the work I need to get done. My friend from high school picked me up earlier so we could go on a photo adventure and that's exactly what I needed right now. Despite the cold weather, it was nice just exploring abandoned areas and bonding with my camera. :)

14/15: Caught the Pox

2012-02-02T21:56:00.002-05:00

I'm definitely coming down with a cold right now and my body is shutting down. My mind is feeling a little bit foggy and it's hard to concentrate on anything or get any food into my system. Maybe it's all the stress that's making my cold more intense than it actually is. I feel nauseous when I'm hungry but then when I eat I can't seem to stomach my food. I'm going to work on getting better because, like my mom says, your health is one of the most important things you have.

American Rag Coat
Forever 21 Sweater
Urban Outfitters Skirt
ASOS Tights
c/o Blowfish Shoes Vance Booties

I decided to mix two kinds of patterns in this outfit (because obviously one kind of pattern isn't epic enough). I feel like I have some kind of chicken pox but instead of red dots they're black. I actually never had the chicken pox as a child (besides 3 dots I got on my forehead when my brother had chicken pox). Then in high school I got my blood tested and lo and behold apparently I'm immune to chicken pox. I'm not sure why I'm talking about chicken pox but happy hour is getting to me a little bit.

The next post is my last 15 for 15 post - bet you guys thought it would never end! :P It's definitely one of my favorite looks though and I can't wait to share it with you guys.

13/15: Give Your Reasons

2012-01-31T13:19:00.002-05:00

Here's my next 15 to 15 look. I kept it really casual and this is usually what I look like when I'm walking from class to class. Simple. Clean. I don't really feel like writing much today since I'm feeling a bit blue but check back soon for my next look.

Gap Cardigan
Joe Fresh Gingham Shirt
Forever 21 Jeans
c/o Blowfish Shoes Cuvette Flats
c/o Gogo Philip Necklace

12/15: Shoot Down the Stars

2012-01-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite 15 for 15 looks so far (mainly because I of these tights - I haven't worn them in way too long). I remember people always telling me when I first started blogging that white tights were super hard to pull off. These white tights definitely make it easier though since they're so sheer and also have a simple floral pattern on them. Makes me feel like there's a mini-snow storm on my legs (and we definitely could use a lot more snow this winter in my opinion).

Gap Cardigan
Urban Outfitters Dress, Belt
Forever 21 Necklace, Coat
HUE Tights
c/o Blowfish Shoes Vance Booties

My roommate Monisha took these photos and it also just happens to be her 22nd birthday today! We're going out to dinner later to celebrate and we're probably going down to Atlantic City for the night. I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow morning but it'll all be worth it. Now I just have to make sure I get all my work done this afternoon. I'm definitely loading way too much on my plate right now but I can't stop! I definitely think I strive on stress to some extent - my mom keeps reminding me to slow down. But since I have about 30 minutes to breathe right now I'm going to make some Ramen and do nothing until it's time to run out the door again. :)

11/15: Girl Worth Fighting For

2012-01-26T02:07:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been stressed out beyond belief with all the non-stop work I've been having to do with classes, Circle K, and my job. Either something's going wrong because of a million curve balls being thrown my way or I run out of time to get everything done in a timely manner. Sometimes I let it overwhelm me and it just knocked me out today so I skipped my evening class to sleep and do absolutely nothing before insanity took over. There's nothing better than sitting around doing nothing with my roommates. We're currently watching Mulan and obnoxiously sitting along to every single song. I'm pretty sure we all know the entire movie by heart.

Joe Fresh Gingham Button Down
Urban Outfitters Skirt
HUE Tights
Forever 21 Ring
Belt from Italy
c/o Blowfish Shoes Jackie Boots

I should be going to bed now because I have to get up early tomorrow. Too bad I'm wide awake because I took a power nap before. I thought it'd be a good idea to nap because I had a meeting an hour away but then it got cancelled and now I'm up late watching Mulan. Living the life - obviously. :P I keep on having midnight snacks too! Actually, I guess now it would qualify as a 2 AM snack. Late night snacks are both amazing and dangerous. Isn't it true that you shouldn't really eat before going to bed? Whoops! Guess bad habits stay around for a while. I'm not gonna out grow this habit for a loooong time.

10/15: We Have Left Nothing to Chance

2012-01-22T20:44:00.001-05:00

I just realized I'm the slowest person ever when it comes to doing these 15 for 15 looks. I guess I've gotten to the point where I'm too busy to post everyday so it ends up taking me a month to post all the looks. My days have been pretty crazy lately (in a good way) and I never seem to be sleeping anymore. Good thing I'm spending today just bumming around, watching movies, and doing some busy work. There's no other way I would want to spend my lazy Sunday.

Forever 21 Coat
Joe Fresh Button Down Shirt
BCBG Max Azria Skirt
Topshop Belt
Mossimo for Target Tights via Jasmine
c/o Blowfish Shoes Cuvette Flats

I'm feeling a little bit homesick right now since it's Chinese New Year. My Facebook news feed is being flooded by pictures of enormous home-cooked meals celebrating the new year. My family and I don't really make a big deal out of celebrations like this so I didn't go home at all. Maybe I'll celebrate tomorrow by setting off some fireworks I bought over the summer when I went down to Virginia. Then maybe I'll make some fried rice and dumplings for dinner. Gonna go all out Asian tomorrow. :)

9/15: Tale As Old As Time

2012-01-19T16:57:00.004-05:00

It's Thursday, which means it's the last day of classes for the week (at least for me)! It's only been three days since we've officially been back at school and I'm already exhausted. I have a knack for nodding off during my classes due to short attention span and need for interactive learning. Just sitting there and listening to someone lecture doesn't really help much in my opinion. I'm glad my professors that I've already met so far at least seem pretty chill. I have my last class of the week in a few minutes - it's called Wine Insights which seems really interesting. Maybe I'll finally develop a taste for wine.

Forever 21 Sweater, Jeans, Pearl Bracelet
Joe Fresh Button Down
c/o Blowfish Shoes Vance Booties
Kenneth Cole Watch
Pink/Pearl Bracelet via homemade gift

My roommates and I went to go see Beauty and the Beast last night because who doesn't love getting to watch your childhood movies in theaters?? I hate how expensive the movies have gotten and I always know when I go I'm going to start craving some popcorn. Even when I resist, once I hear all of the munching in the theater I start drooling. The movie was amazing (just like I expected) and the 3D was beautifully done. The only bad part about watching it in theaters was that I wasn't able to obnoxiously sing along to every song without getting yelled at. :P

8/15: Roaming the Mall

2012-01-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

Gap Cardigan
H&M Tank
Forever 21 Skirt
HUE Tights
Urban Outfitters Bag
Kenneth Cole Watch
c/o Blowfish Shoes Jackie Boots

Our last day in Chicago was more relaxing and we wandered around one of the biggest malls in the area. After wasting some time creating our own happy hour at one in the afternoon, we decided to go see Devil Inside. It was definitely scary beyond belief but overall it wasn't really worth seeing. Oh, and the reason I'm carrying my glasses in these photos is because I accidentally dropped one of my contacts while taking them out before going to bed the night before. I look ridiculously dorky in my glasses so I refused to wear them in my pictures. :P

Today was my last first day of the semester. One of my classes was cancelled and one of my classes only ran for 30 minutes since the professor only went over the syllabus so it was a good ease into the beginning of classes. I need to start buying my textbooks - I always end up putting it off until my exams start. Good luck to everyone else just starting their classes!

7/15: My Battery Is Low

2012-01-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

Forever 21 Coat
Joe Fresh Gingham Shirt
Urban Outfitters White Dress
HUE Tights
Rocket Dog Boots via TJ Maxx

Jeremy and I took a trip into the city about a week ago for some delicious dim sum and one of my friend's brother's comedy acts. Unfortunately I was a bit of an idiot and forgot to charge my camera battery. Before Jeremy could even get ten pictures in...the battery died. Therefore, I didn't get shots of my outfit underneath my coat. Style Blogger Problems. You can sort of see the gingham patterned shirt peeking out from underneath my coat so I figured I'd post them anyway. Whoops! Lesson learned.

Winter break is coming to an end and I'm moving back into my on-campus apartment this afternoon. I'm excited to start this spring semester (fresh starts are always nice) but at the same time I keep remembering that this is my last semester in college. These past four years really did fly by and I wish I could hold on to them forever. Everyone keeps telling me that you'll never have the same experience in life afterward so I guess I better enjoy these next few months to the fullest! :)

Chicago In A Bean

2012-01-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

I finally got done sorting through my Chicago pictures! I sort of took a break from my 15 for 15 during this trip since most of my 15 items were in the wash and I was in too much of a hurry to pack and catch my flight. Plus, I was expecting super cold weather in Chicago so I needed a warmer sweater.

One of my favorite parts about visiting Chicago (aside from the food of course) is the Bean (which is casualy sitting behind me in these pictures). It looks kind of awkward just randomly stationed in the middle of Chicago but you can see the entire city in it's reflection. Amazing, right? My friends and I "flicked" the Bean before leaving to hunt for some food. I feel like the majority of my trip to Illinois consisted of eating, eating, and more eating. Thank god for friends who share my love for delicious food.

H&M Coat
Topshop Sweater
Love Culture Print Dress
ASOS Tights
c/o Blowfish Shoes Jackie Boots

My friend Donnesh took all of my photos here and he's quite the dresser himself, so I switched to standing behind the camera and snapped some quick shots of him. I'm in love with his little bow tie - kind of makes me want to invest in one myself (but I know I'd just look plain silly with one around my neck). Both his chambray shirt and his bow tie are from American Apparel. The last pictures is of Donnesh, myself, and Eric - these boys are two of my favorite people in the world and it was painful saying goodbye. Donnesh is visiting me all the way from Texas in mid-February so I'm pretty excited about that. If only I had enough money to travel the world!

6/15: Nothing on the Streets to Explore

2012-01-12T18:41:00.001-05:00

H&M Coat
Joe Fresh Chambray Shirt
Forever 21 Belt, Jeans
c/o Blowfish Shoes Jackie Boots

This is one of my more simple outfits for my 15 for 15 and it was perfect for running errands with one of my friends from back home. I love the denim on denim look and I still remember when it was tacky back in the day. Then again some people might still think it's tacky, but if worn the right way I tend to love it.

I'm still exhausted from my trip to Chicago (I landed back home two days ago) and I have yet to finish sorting through pictures. I can't wait to show you guys a few pictures from my trip (including my non-15 for 15 outfit that I wore into the city - whoops!). :)

Look 1-5

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

5/15: A Thousand Endings

2012-01-08T15:59:00.000-05:00

So I'm currently in Illinois right now visiting some of my very favorite people in the world. We're about to head out to Chicago and we're figuring out train schedules. Surprisingly it's way warmer over here near Chicago than it is in New Jersey. Do you guys have any suggestions for places to visit? We're probably just going to take a lot of pictures just like last year, grab some cheap and delicious grub, and then dance the night away at a random bar. Good night with great friends. I just wish I didn't see these guys only two times a year. I'll post pictures when I get back. I also didn't stick to my 15 for 15 in Chicago (sorta) since I needed to do laundry so I had to pack other clothes. I thought it would be better not to smell :P

Forever 21 Jacket, Belt
Joe Fresh Button Down Blouse
Urban Outfitters Skirt
HUE Tights
Kenneth Cole Watch
c/o Blowfish Shoes Vance Booties

Jeremy took these pictures about a week ago (I've been so lousy with posting pictures on time lately). We started off the day with some local dim sum and stuffed ourselves a little too full of delicious food. Then I drove us over to this abandoned barn/house area that we passed earlier since I was determined to get some outfit pictures near it. I'm definitely coming back here with my camera to take some more pictures. The area is eerily beautiful and I keep on wondering what the story behind it is. There are some old signs that suggest that the previous owners used to own a little farmer's store. I really hope they don't redevelop the land but the town most likely will in the next few months.

2011 Recap: Monthly Favorites

2012-01-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

I've Been Down this Road Before | Now Here I Cannot Feel the Wind

Yours Are the Sweetest Eyes I've Ever Seen | The Geese of Beverly Road

Day 4: Richmond, VA | I Love Colors

Wild Horses | Bambi and Allergies

Construction Zone | Stripes at the Shore

Barely Breathing | Orange Scallops

Marching On | By the Riverside

Sing Along to My Stereo Heart | Central and Remote

Sunset at Boyd Park | Great White Sweater

Take the Breath That's True | Monday Night Study Session

Flames Overhead | Talking to the Moon

In Your Head | Lady Liberty in Leopard

Do you guys have any favorites from 2011? :)

4/15: Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-02T10:45:00.002-05:00

Gap Cardigan
H&M Shoes
Topshop Belt
Forever 21 Jeans
c/o Blowfish Shoes Cuvette Flats

Happy New Year everyone! I know I'm a day late but I spent the first day of 2012 recovering from the last day of 2011. I spent New Years Eve with new and old friends and I couldn't have started off the new year in a better way. I keep wanting to make resolutions but a part of me is telling me I won't remember them in a month anyway...which is true. I probably already have resolutions for myself for the next 6 months bubbling away in my head anyway. Did you guys make any 2012 resolutions?

Anyway, I'm heading into the city for some dim sum with Jeremy. We're going to spend the day roaming around Manhattan until we meet up with some friends in the evening for a comedy show. I'm thinking of either visiting the Museum of Modern Art or the Guggenheim. Any suggestions?

3/15: Reaching the End

2011-12-30T22:03:00.000-05:00

So I know this gingham shirt wasn't on my original 15 for 15 list but I couldn't resist adding it in. I'm just going to pretend like my two coats are just one item since the only reason I added them in was because it's too cold not to wear a coat. Forgive me for cheating a little? I fell in love with it when I saw it and I couldn't not pick it up. I wanted a gingham shirt for the longest time anyway and this one had a subtle enough color.

H&M Coat
Joe Fresh Gingham Shirt
BCBG Skirt
Forever 21 Belt
ASOS Tights
c/o Blowfish Shoes Cuvette Flats

I'm still in denial that tomorrow is New Year's Eve and that starting Sunday it'll be 2012. I'm definitely not ready for the new year. I still remember my list of 2011 goals from last year (found on this blog post) and I haven't completed it yet. There's definitely not a chance that it'll be completed by the end of tomorrow. At least I managed to do the one thing that was most important to me on the list - figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. This next year is going to be a crazy ride - from graduating college, being twenty-one for a full year, finding a job, to moving out of my house...so much is going to happen and so much is going to change. I have no idea what to expect but I can't wait to find out.

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you go wild (but not too wild) celebrating! :)

2/15: Fire Around the Rim

2011-12-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts about being home is actually not having a photographer and having lots of time on my hands. I took my old tripod out for a spin and went to one of my favorite spots for self-portraits. I took pictures here a little over a year ago in this post. This time I caught the sun as it was setting and positioned myself in front of it for the red-orange glow. Taking self-portraits for my blog is always really therapeutic for some reason. It gives me a chance to practice my photography and also spend some time alone and away from my usually busy and hectic life.

Joe Fresh Button Down
Forever 21 Jacket, Skirt
H&M Belt
HUE Tights
c/o Blowfish Shoes Vance Booties

I'm heading into the city later tonight to meet up with two of my friends and I'm pretty excited. I haven't really been into the city since New York Fashion Week in September with Jasmine and I have to say I'm missing it a little. I'm gonna stuff myself full of Magnolia cupcakes and maybe get a little too happy at happy hour. ;)

Favorite Look (1-5)?
	Look 1
	Look 2
	Look 3
	Look 4
	Look 5