BRB, HK

BRB, HK.
yyz ✈ hkg

Haul, travel, food and OOTD posts coming soon! :)

DIY: Vintage Button Jewelry

If you saw my last post, you would know that I've been going crazy over my new DIY goodies. (You can check out that post here.) They're the easiest things to make and yet they look so chic. It's official, I'm a vintage button addict.

Want to make your own vintagesque bling? Continue reading!

A Night of Glitter and Wedding Bells

Back in July, I had the chance to attend one of my friend's wedding. I know this is a few months back but I thought I'd make a post on something other than my usual casual outfits. She was a good friend of mine back in high school and it was such an honour to be a part of her special day. 

I was working at CraftyCouture during the day so I wasn't able to make it to the wedding ceremony. It was pretty tricky deciding on what to wear to the banquet that night as I only had two hours to get home from camp, get changed and head to the banquet. I'm usually tired and not looking my best after camp, so I needed something quick and easy. 

 I decided to go with a one piece dress. This dress is one of my favourites. I love the cut outs at the waist; it's definitely the wow factor that I'm looking for. To spice it up even more, the skirt is a sparkly chiffon which really adds interest to the black top. Other than the bold details on this dress, another great element of this dress is that it's stretchy! No tugging on zippers or buttoning up... super easy peasy to get in and out! So you might be thinking...how much is this awesome dress. Believe it or not, this dress was only $20! I got it at Sawgrass Mills Outlet mall this summer on my trip to the U.S. It was definitely one of my fabulous finds of the season.

 Taobao Vintagesque Necklace | Moschino Patent Star Purse in Black

Taobao Roman Numerals Bangle | Beya Ring | XXI Ring

Le Chateau Nude Patent Pumps

For make-up, I went with a dark liner and a clean smokey eye. A pair of nude pumps was all I needed to finish off the look. You can never go wrong with a pair of nude heels! It not only helped to elongate my legs but it left the spotlight on my dress. All in all, I thought this dress served me well for the night. I was comfortable and it definitely got a few heads turning.

Ready, set... action!

One of the biggest blessings that I've got out of working at CraftyCouture this summer is the people that I've met. They're such awesome people and I always have the best time hanging out with them. A few days ago, my lovely friend and coworker Sarah from CC asked if I wanted to help her with a video project. Excited to see the crew, of course I said yes! She decided to do a DIY video on the crystal wrap bracelet. We filmed it this afternoon and it went really well...we also had some good laughs here and there. The lovely Tahsin, director of CraftyCouture, was our model and actress for the video ;)

It was my first time taking part in filming a DIY video and I must say, I really enjoyed it. I think it's safe to say that there will be more coming our way. Expect to see some styling/ DIY videos up soon! :P

My "American Apparel"

Autumn is unofficially here and it's time for a seasonal closet cleanout! Cleaning my closet is always a big mission. I always have more trouble donating my clothes, compared to the rest of my family, so things tend to pile up in my closet. You never know when things will be back in style...plus, you can always rework your items into something else so I never want to dump things out. However, my closet's bottom shelf recently collapsed so I decided it was time I sort through my closet a bit, haha.

This time, I found a pair of white capris that my mom handed down to me. It had a bootcut leg at the calf which I thought looked awkward and would never wear out. Since I don't own a pair of white shorts (surprising, I know), I decided to make my own out of mommy's awkward pants, haha. I've also been wanting to paint shorts for the longest time so the white shorts would be the perfect canvas.

So here's the final product! This is my first time painting shorts so by all means, I'm no expert and there's major room for improvement. But anyhow, I'm quite pleased for a first attempt.

Please continue reading if you want to know how I made these shorts!

My CC Summer

It's been a while but I'm back! In my previous posts, I was quite secretive about what I've been up to..but secrets are being revealed today! In the past month, I was actually working at a fashion camp. That's right...you heard me, a fashion camp! The camp is called CraftyCouture and it is a fashion camp for young girls aged 12-15. It's an amazing summer program where girls get to be creative, explore fashion (and the arts) and meet awesome new friends. The program consists of four different classes, including DIY+design, magazine production, fashion tech and fashion illustration. We also have another period for fashion show production. At the end of each camp session, we finish off with a fashion show in which the girls themselves help to design the set, develop the concept, choose the music and ultimately model projects that they have made down the runway. One of the other cool things about this camp is CCGivesBack. CCGivesBack is basically when girls at the camp create items to put up for a silent auction. All proceeds go to charity, and Because I am a Girl was the chosen charity for this year. Oh how I wish i knew about this camp when I was 12...

| 2 fabulous fashionistas and I at CC 

| 2 fierce models/ cc designers at RAWR fashion show

| CC It Girls! (awards per day to shine on the excellent work of these girls)

| CC designers at CraftyCouture

| The Clara bracelets for CCGivesBack silent auction

Queen of (Monochromatic) Couture

Yesterday was a super fun day for me. It was my dear friend's birthday and she invited my friends and I over to her house for a barbecue. Conveniently, she lives right across from the Night Market (Night It Up) that was happening in Markham. If you've read one of my previous posts, you would know that I'm a night market addict. So there I was again, chilling at the night market. 

It was rainy yesterday and the weather was just having mood swings. I guess you can't say it was a bad thing since it was evidently less crowded than it would have been on a sunny day. That being said, less people and more food for me! 

Aldo printed headband | Seductions top | Silentworth lace shorts

Vintage purse | Locket from Hong Kong | Banana Republic thong sandals

So as you can see, I am currently going through a turban phrase at the moment. You can't really go wrong with a monochromatic print like this one. I kept things simple with a loose top and a pair of lace shorts. I knew I'd be pigging out at the night market so something comfortable would be the best. I needed a very subtle shot of colour so I brought out my Queen of Couture locket. I honestly cannot wait to go jewelry splurging when I get back to Hong Kong.

On the side note, I've been up to something lately! I'm not going to reveal it just yet but here's a sneak preview! Stay tuned for some exciting news! 

My Royal Saturday

Today, I went to my first bridal shower ever...! I guess I'm finally reaching that age where my friends will start to marry off, haha. The bridal shower was held at Hilton hotel in which we went for their dessert buffet. To be honest, I'm not really into cakes and pastries. I guess you can say I'm more of an asian sweets' girl. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant afternoon and we played games, ate desserts and showered the bride with love and gifts. 

It seemed fitting to bring out my golden collar today. I matched my chiffon blouse with a royal purple skirt, my fandango belt and a pair of nude pumps. The golden collar was enough of an accessory on its own so I wanted to keep it low and tamed on the accessories. 

Taobao blouse | XXI tank top | "Skirt" from Hong Kong

Fandango belt | Le Chateau nude pumps | Aldo clutch 

The skirt here was originally a one-piece dress. But because I wasn't too fond of the top that went with it, I decided to cut it off this morning, haha. I find myself altering a lot of my clothes lately. If you find things in your closet that you don't wear anymore, don't throw them out just yet! Maybe with a little alteration, it'll be your new favourite piece in the closet! 

Today is a Turban Day

I was feeling a little fancy today so I decided to turban it up. I've always avoided turbans in the past because I was really afraid of the "monkey brain" look. You know, that look where your hair poofs out just a little too much. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be, and anything just looks ten times more chic with a turban, haha. 

I tied this turban with a printed scarf from Italy. There are so many ways to tie a turban, and I just can't wait to try them all. Oh, and if you noticed, here are the DIY pants that I altered a few weeks ago. You can see different pairings with them in my other posts. It's also my first time wearing my DIY collar necklace out! You can check out the DIY post here. My outfit is actually really simple; just a basic tank with a sheer button up, a belt and a pair of shorts. I accessorized it with my DIY necklace, my favourite golden cuff and a vintage black purse. Adding the turban spices up the outfit and adds that special factor to the look. 

DIY collar necklace | Taobao chiffon shirt (altered) | XXI teal tank

Valentino leather belt | DIY tailored shorts | Vintage black purse

Scarf from Italy | Emporio Armani sunglasses

Are you ready for turbans this season? :)

GIENESS ♥ DOODLES

The Facebook page for my original GIENESS ♥ DOODLES has finally launched! 

Please like, share, support and smile!

http://www.facebook.com/GienessLovesDoodles

A Tropical Pink

I love my pink shorts! Brightly coloured bottoms are very popular this season. They're extremely fun and playful and so perfect for this summer! Not to mention they are more versatile than they seem. I decided to pair it with my tropical rompers as I really wanted to wear that print today, yet I did not feel like a one piece. Drawing from the pink of the floral print, the pink shorts went extremely well to create a seemingly coordinated outfit. Weather was a bit chilly today so I topped my outfit with a long, black cardigan. To finish off, I simply tied the outfit together with black and gold accessories. I feel like this outfit was my subconscious' yearning for tropical weather. Please be warm again, Toronto! 

Morgan cardigan | Seduction floral romper | UK2LA pink shorts

Vintage purse | Patent black belt | Nine West studded flats | XXI gold rings

And so it begins...

And so it begins...
I'm an official fashion design graduate student.
So what happens now?
Honestly, I have no idea!
But one thing I'm certain,

{ JEREMIAH 29:11 }

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD., "plan to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."