How to be Awkward

When I took these outfit shots, I was cringing. I'm pretty sure my friend was too when she was helping me. Like I said before, I've never taken photos purely for the sake of taking an outfit shot. Trying to pose with a non-photography-obsessed friend feels awkward because they don't tell you what to do! You have to figure out the poses and find the right feel yourself, and if you feel like they're totally going to judge, you can't let go either. Since most people seem to believe that practice makes perfect, I guess I'll definitely have to keep working on these poses! Stay with me until then!

leather bag: from China chiffon top: a.n.a skirt: Target shoes: CG Shoes necklace: Forever 21 sunglasses: DG

The Good Thing About Photography-Loving Friends

These are fairly old photos (6 months) because, if you know me, you can see that I still had my old long hair. I'm still debating whether or not I want to grow it back out; any ideas? These were taken last November during the Thanksgiving break. My friend and I happened to be on campus while the rest of campus went home for the holiday, so we thought we'd take advantage of the period where no one would be around to gawk at us being silly and taking outfit shots. We dressed up and hit the more photogenic locations on campus (including a trek in the woods, in heels), and these were some of the shots we ended up with. Take a look!

studded red jacket: Forever 21 white chiffon blouse: Worthington's (Available at JCP) peacock chiffon skirt: Worthington's

Hiking

When I was abroad, one of the locations we went to was Guangzhou. Our resident director was a quirky, sometimes fussy, middle-aged man who tried so desperately to please our group of complain-y teenagers. He had heard of this magical waterfall location near Guangzhou called Bai Shui Zai and thus decided that this would be a lovely detour from the business-oriented company visits and bustling cities that we'd be visiting for the rest of the trip. He was right; except for the fact that to make it up to the top of this quaint location, there are technically 9999 steps. I think the highest our group went was to 3000 something steps. Considering the climb and how it took for us to get that high, I'm amazed we only went a third of the way, but I guess the optimistic part is that if you dedicate a full day, it's definitely do-able.

It would be beyond crazy to wear anything less comfortable, and since I wasn't sure whether or not it'd get cold on the climb up, I chose an oversized sweater with a tank top underneath to give myself the most options for hot and cold. The sneakers could have been more interesting, but I got these as a temporary replacement for Nikes that I had left at school by accident, and they just seemed like a smart choice to bring on this trip. If I could do this outfit again, I would definitely pick more colorful footwear, but, you know, you make use of what you have.

oversized sweater: Taobao blank tank top: Charlotte Russe leggings: Forever 21 sneakers: Payless

The location itself though is quite beautiful. If it had been sunnier (our entire trip was doomed with clouds, which really ruined the atmosphere for photos), this place really would have been magically. Even without it though, it was still nice, and you just immerse yourself in the nature and the sound of water falling. If you ever happen to be in the area, I would honestly suggest you visit. The hike sounds intimidating, but it's actually not too bad because it's not all stairs. There's a route that takes you pretty far up the mountain without having to climb too many stairs.

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral stood as an elegant edifice, but the last time it was whole was in the 16^th Century. Now, it lives on as only a façade that boasts of its past glory. The gate is gorgeously decorated with stone carvings of religious figures and symbols that are reflective of the era when it was first built. Since Macau is fairly small, they don’t have a lot of “tourist” spots that don’t include slot machines. As the city develops more and more (primarily because of the casino/gambling business), more people populate this tiny land mass and build higher and wider hotels/casinos. Coming to this quaint church front was a fresh sight from the hotel room (since I’m not 21 and Macau recently passed a new law prohibiting minors from entering casinos) to which I was restricted. Even if I had been able to venture into the casinos, I think I would still have preferred seeing the façade. The complexity and durability of its architecture is amazing, especially if you consider the time periods it has survived.

blazer: GAP dress: Forever21 sneaker wedges: Target necklace: eBay