Post-Concert Nostalgia | Watsky, Hunter Hayes and Fun.

I have officially arrived at that point in the school year where I come down with a case of summer memories nostalgia. How did this post come to happen though? I was just casually listening to music while studying as per usual, when a Fun. song came up on my iPod and I instantly entered flashback mode.

I found myself drifting off into my memories of Ottawa's 2013 Bluesfest, my first ever Bluesfest experience.

See, there are different kinds of live concert experiences. Some leave you wondering why the heck you ever liked that artist in the first place. Others meet your expectations and you have the time of your life there. But the best kind? The best kind can make you fall in love with music all over again. My Bluesfest experience fell directly into this category.

From Watsky, to Hunter Hayes, to Fun. I discovered a new rush of passion for music. Though I was soaking wet and deaf by the end of the rainy concert day, it was a problem far from my mind. Instead, I found myself semi-consciously drifting towards the area that my car was parked while my heart was still pounding from the concert adrenaline. Even all the sketchy people around me couldn't dim my mood, haha.

♥ WATSKY ♥

Our first stop upon our arrival at the venue was Watsky's performance. I had never really payed much attention to his genre of music before purchasing my ticket for the specific festival date. When I was searching up the background information of all the artists performing earlier on that day, the words 'rapper' mixed with 'poet' and 'slam poetry' really caught my attention. I have to say, it was completely worth it and his lyrics opened my eyes to so many of the issues in this world. Not to mention that fact that he put on a great show, especially when he started climbing up the frames of the stage haha.

♥ HUNTER HAYES ♥

Next up was one of the two artists I chose the date for. Hunter Hayes. After listening to his adorable song Wanted and finding out that he was coming to Bluesfest on the same day as Fun., I was beyond excited. I was definitely out of place there since most of the crowd was die hard country fans, but I still enjoyed every moment of the show. He's an amazing live performer and definitely had more than enough energy to give into the performance. After this concert, I literally went home and downloaded all his music the next day. Just looking back at all the videos I took of his performance gives me those warm and fuzzy feelings. (Side note: I tried really hard to upload a couple of videos for you guys, but Blogger wouldn't let me, so I'm really really sorry!)

And I may have went a little crazy when he sat down in front of the piano and began to play the opening tunes to Wanted.

♥ FUN. ♥

I don't like to show favoritism, but this was by far the best concert I've ever been to. Then again, I've only been to one other concert other than Watsky and Hunter Hayes, which I won't name... 

After being pushed and suffocated by a rude group of university girls for an hour and having a panic attack, the performance kicked off and made it all worth it. It started with the three of them standing under one spotlight looking extremely dapper in their tuxedos. But then, in true Fun. fashion, off came the tuxedos and out came the tights and shorts.

I used to think that floor tickets to concerts were extremely over priced and not worth it. Now I understand that you have to try something before hating on it. The experience of being in the third row for Fun. was like nothing I've ever experienced. Even writing this blog post right now is causing me to have unstable emotions. I may sound crazy to some of you, but once you've experienced a concert front row with an artist that you absolutely love, you'll understand me. Trust me.

I can't actually describe the reason that I am so hung up on my Bluesfest experience. But you guys will just have to trust me on this one. If you find out that your favourite artist is visiting your city or one near you, go for it because it will become one of the most cherished and happiest memories when you look back.

How can I prove that the experience and memory will be as amazing as I made it out to be? I can't. But this entire post is the result of one song that came up on shuffle.

Though it's painful when it strikes, I have to say that I love post-concert nostalgia.

Well that was intense. I'll see you beautiful people next time, haha!

Liebster Award!!!

I was so incredibly surprised and overjoyed when I found out that someone had nominated me for the Liebster Award again! I've been nominated by Secretly Blogging, an incredible blogger! I absolutely love how this award allows everyone to find all the amazing blogs that are out there on the Internet! After all, through her discovery of my blog, I was able to find her amazing one as well!

First off, if you don't know what the Liebster Award is, it's mainly just a tag that goes around. 'Liebster' means sweetest, nicest and dearest in German. This award is given by the tagged, to 11 blogs with 200 or less followers that they think deserve more! The rules are simple, post this award on your blog, thank the blogger who presented this award and provide their blog link, share 11 random facts about yourself, answer 11 questions asked by the award presenter and nominate another 11 blogs with less than 200 followers.

So let's get started! xx

♥ 11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME ♥

1. I take the bus to and from school everyday for a total of 3 hours.

2. I need sugar to survive. I literally have a huge bucket of sour keys in my locker, haha.

3. I recently found out that I actually like drinking tea.

4. I need a big breakfast to start off on a good mood.

5. I love love love to swim.

6. I wish I was a good singer pretty much everyday.

7. One of my passions is film making :)

8. Someone stole my entire bag last month at school and left it emptied out on the back field. (so glad I didn't bring my laptop that day)

9. I am painfully socially awkward when I think about being awkward too much. (does that even make sense?)

10. I play piano, drums/percussion in general and a little of the electric bass.

11. I hate rainy days, but the moments when the clouds disperse and the sun comes out makes them totally worth it. (wow, I'm so poetic ;))

♥ 11 QUESTIONS FROM SECRETLY BLOGGING ♥

1. What is your favourite animal?

Turtles? I don't know... :P But I definitely also have a weak spot for kittens and puppies...

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Tea all the way! Coffee gives me headaches, sadly.

3. What is your favourite book/book series?

I will forever have to be predictable and say Harry Potter. But I also love To Kill a Mockingbird, Perks of Being a Wallflower and Catcher in the Rye.

4. What are some weird things you used to do as a child?

I used to pretend that there were tiny cute little monsters under my pillow and my bed and I'd have to feed them every night before sleeping. This involved sprinkling imaginary food under my pillow and sweeping food twenty times off the bed... yep, i was a strange child.

5. Which make up product can you not go without?

I don't really put on make up, so I'll have to go with concealer...

6. Which is more important to you, eyebrows or lips?

Lips?

7. If you could only have one, would you have liquid or powder foundation?

I used to use powder for ballet and that turned out horribly, so I'll go with liquid.

8. What is your favourite Disney movie?

I'm going to have to go with the newest one. Tangled. I don't really remember the other ones, but I'm already planning to have a proper Disney marathon so I can refresh my memory and choose afterwards.

9. Do you prefer your hair curly or straight?

Straight. I have naturally straight hair, and though I do love to curl it on special occasions, I still prefer my straight hair :)

10. Are you a night-time or a day-time person?

Definitely day-time. I'm a lot more energized and awake in the morning as opposed to the night. As soon as the sun goes down (which is sometimes VERY early in the winter), I become sleepy and slow :c

11. Do you like Asian food?

Being Asian, yes, I do.

♥ MY 11 QUESTIONS FOR THE NOMINEES ♥

1. If you could meet one TV/Movie cast, who would you choose?

2. If you could have an unlimited supply of one food item, what would it be?

3. What is your favourite song or artist at the moment?

4. What was your first concert?

5. Do you have a bad habit? If so, what is it?

6. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

7. What is your go-to coffee shop?

8. Who is your celebrity crush?

9. Do you prefer fruity or floral scents?

10. City or country?

11. Find a quote that really inspires you?

♥ MY 11 NOMINEES ♥

1. Adaora

2. Jaimie

3. Olwyn

4. Chloe

5. Helena

6. Trona

7. Georgie

8. Sammy

9. Zelda

10. Becky

11. Alanah & Sarah

October Obsession | Combat Boots

First off, sorry for not being as consistent as I should be with my posts! I've found that trying to be super involved in my school and the community while being in a super intensive academic program is not leaving me a lot of room for my internet life anymore! (Good or bad, you can be the judge of that) Either way, I cannot promise that I will post every Sunday, but I will definitely try to fit in a couple of posts each month when I'm not as busy!

So on the topic of not having that much time to spare, my monthly favourites actually take a lot of time to prepare and write (sometimes up to three days!). Instead, I've decided to start something new this month. Instead of a huge post with multiple favourites, I've decided to begin sharing products and other things I like spontaneously, haha.

This month, I was finally able to get a hold of the top item on my wishlist. Combat boots. I found a black version of these while window shopping at Globo Shoes and immediately knew that these were the boots that I had been looking for since last fall. Unfortunately, the Globo Shoes I was at was already out of stock for the brown version, so I ended up ordering them at the store instead. I've always been super impressed with Globo Shoes' delivery system as the shoes usually arrive within 5 business days.

So, how could I possibly wear these shoes non stop throughout a month with different outfits? Well, the thing that I love about these boots is that they go with everything. You could pair them with leggings, tights and dress, jeans and tucked sweat pants. 

How To Style Combat Boots

1. With Leggings

My go-to look while wearing combat boots would be to wear a beanie, baggy sweater, black leggings and midlength socks. I find that this particular style is perfect at capturing the coziness and warmth of autumn and winter.

2. With Jeans

I don't wear jeans much anymore, but when I do, I usually prefer to wear a plain top. I love how a plain black t-shirt with jeans, combat boots and gold accessories can create a super rustic and casual look.

3. With Tights & Dress

This is a much more classic and girlier look that I love going for on days where I feel super refreshed and ready to take on all the obstacles in life, haha. I find that this look even gives you a more professional and studious look while still giving off the nature of youth.

4. With Sweat Pants

Contrasting to the reason I wear these boots with a dress and tights, most of my days are spent in an endless pit of stress. I'm pretty sure that I find myself having an existential crisis 5 out of 7 days every week. There's nothing wrong with showing up to school for a test dressed in sweats. Your first priority is to be as relaxed as possible, and you know what? Everyone else will envy you when they see you showing up to school completely comfortable and pretty much ready to go right back to sleep!

So there we have it! This post became a lot longer than I intended because I randomly decided to try out Polyvore midway through typing.

I hope this post has convinced you that combat boots can easily be one of the staples to your shoe closet!

What are your October obsessions?

See you next time! xoxo

Opening of the First H&M in Ottawa!

It's been a while since I've posted about fashion or beauty, so here it is!

After hundreds of five hour drives to Toronto for some shopping sprees, I am delighted to say that Ottawa's shopping malls and  stores may finally be enough to satisfy our local shopaholics. I, myself, was ecstatic  when I found out that we would be opening a Forever XXI and H&M all in a short time period.

Because of my mountain of homework, assignments and upcoming tests, I did not plan to visit H&M anytime soon. Instead, some act of fate (haha, not really) gave me the perfect opening to go browse through the new store on our way back from Toronto, ironically enough.

It definitely met my expectations. The clothes were amazing because, let's be honest, lot's of stores *coughforeverxxicough* sometimes like to give their Ottawa stores the products that don't sell as well. I found so many nice things, but because I was a few days late, most of them didn't come in my size anymore.

Here are the two things I actually ended up buying:

Over-Sized Sweater
I FINALLY FOUND AN AMAZING SWEATER. I've been looking for a cozy sweater since the end of August. They all ended up being too cropped, too scratchy or too thin. I've already worn this three times since I bought it haha. (Oh, shoutout to Renee, who I know is reading this post, for being the first to compliment the sweater. ;) ) I love how this sweater is super baggy with a cozy and wintery design. The back even drapes down a little so you can wear leggings without showing off your... bottom... :P

Sorry about the unoriginal picture! I just packed away all my summer clothes without planning for this post and I have no idea where my mom put all the bags, haha. Back to the dress.

Neon Pink Dress
I never really bought such a bright dress before... I tried on the same dress in royal blue as well, but somehow this pink one just stood out to me. This dress fits super nicely and ends right above the knees. The contrast between the bright pink and the black is perfect and, overall, it just gives off this great energetic vibe.

So there we have it. My first of many adventures to Ottawa's very first H&M! I hope you all enjoyed this fashion post, it has been a while hasn't it?

What are your favourite stores?

See you next Sunday! xx

♚ Autumn In Canada ♚

My family has a tradition where we take a day during each Thanksgiving weekend to go visit the forest. In Canada, we are famous for the maple leaves, which gives us the advantage of having a breathtakingly beautiful fall time when the leaves turn crimson, golden and amber.

During each of these annual visits, I love taking photos. I'm not really a professional photographer or anything, but I thought I'd share a few photos with you anyway!

What's unique about your country or city?

See you next Sunday! xx

❄ wheretoget.it ❄

I know I promised that my September Favourites would be out this week, but I was super busy with hosting guests and exploring our city during Thanksgiving weekend. I personally think that it's way too late to post my Favourites, but I'll have one for October! As a way of begging for your forgiveness, I have a bonus post for the week!

Now on with the post...

So my sister, who's a year older than me, came home one day from school telling me that a girl in her science group had introduced her to something completely and utterly amazing. Naturally, I was super curious as to what my sister was so in love with. So we sat down and she took out her laptop and typed in "wheretoget.it". And let me just tell you, I was not disappointed.

If you're a Tumblr user, a Pinterest user, or an Internet user in general, I'm sure you've all come to a few pictures of things that you really really REALLY wanted to buy, but just didn't know where to get it. This website allows you to post pictures of anything that you see on the Internet and don't know where to buy. As soon as the picture is posted, other users begin to help you look for the product and the price.

Here's a snapshot of what the site layout looks like!

I find it really fun to browse on this site occasionally. It's such a great way to relax and destress. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to relax and destress lately, which is great. Sarcasm. I'll definitely write a post on destressing sometime soon, haha.

Do you have any sites that you're obsessed with?

See you on Sunday with some... PHOTOGRAPHY! :)

♪ My Autumn Playlist 2013 ♪

If you know me at all in person, you would know that music is a big deal in my life. I decided to give try making my own list of recommended songs every once in a while and hope to find readers and bloggers who have a similar taste! This first playlist is going to be quite simple and you'll probably all recognise the artists on this list, but in the future I promise to include some new artists that I, personally, have discovered.

So what is my definition of an autumn playlist? For me, the whole atmosphere of autumn is super warm, rich and welcoming. I chose to make a playlist of calm and rich (if you can describe music like that) songs that I personally would love to listen to while cuddling in a knit blanket, reading a book and burning some amazingly scented candle in the background. So without further ado, I present to you my autumn playlist!

1. Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran

2. Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood 

(I especially love the acoustic version)

3. Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons

4. Rainy Zurich by The Fray

5. 1901 by Birdy

6. Little Things by One Direction

7. Only Love by Ben Howard

8. Endlessly by The Cab

9. Video Games by Lana Del Rey

10. Counting Stars by One Republic

11. Let Her Go by Passenger

12. Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's

13. Stubborn Love by The Lumineers

14. Monster by Imagine Dragons

15. Stormy by Hedley

I created my first playlist on 8tracks which you can listen to here, but don't judge because it's my first playlist and I was supposed to be doing homework so it came out super rushed...

I am so sorry for all of you who were looking forward to a September Favourites post! I have 4 labs, a math test, and philosophy assignment, a chem quiz and a French presentation all next week before our long weekend! I promise that it will be out next week though!

See you next Sunday!

What songs are on your autumn playlist?