Ready for Spring Outfit

Alright, I must admit that I am ready for spring! When I think of spring, I think of bright, fun colors and easy, breezy outfits. I reach for clothes that are comfortable to lounge around with a sophisticated twist. So my colorful, eye catching piece are these hot pink pants. They just scream spring! To compliment the bright pants, I surrounded them with neutral items to keep the outfit from being too overwhelming. A drapey, cream dress shirt paired with casual jewelry like these gold hoop earrings, crystal studded bangles, and heart pendant chain necklace keeps the outfit simple. Then I added nude flats, a camel stained cross body bag, and relaxed wavy curls to complete the look. Spring, here I come!

~Hong

Lunch Date Outfit

A reoccurring theme: blue jeans! The outfits in my last several posts have all included a good old pair of jeans. I promise, the next post I will change it up a bit. Anyways, I paired these jeans with a bow tank and trench coat. I LOVE trench coats by the way: simple yet classy! Then, pastel pink flats, leather clutch, diamond dropped earrings, and an antique gold brushed rope bracelet. To complete the outfit, neutral tone sunglasses. I envision myself wearing this for a lunch date, casual dinner or casual Fridays at work.  It’s a put together ensemble without sacrificing comfort. Hope this gives you guys some gorgeous outfit ideas!

~Hong

City Outfit

Blue skies. Sunshine. Frost tipped grass. Chilly bite to the air. A walk in the city. This would be the perfect outfit for just that! I could see myself in a comfy pair of jeans, a simple tank with a slight embellished trim as I roamed the city. I love a patterned and textured coat to bring some flare to an otherwise subdued outfit. In order to avoid taking away from the detail of the coat, I thought neutral nails, pumps, handbag, and gold studded earring and necklace are great ways to round out the outfit. Then finish off by add a little simple glamour with a braided updo. The city, here I come!

Jewelry Addiction

Lately, I have been on a jewelry kick. I tend to gravitate towards simple but unique pieces that can let me go either fancy or casual. Two pieces I picked up a few days ago at World Market are these skull and teal stoned studs. You can't go wrong with studs. It's a simple statement that won't get caught in your hair or yanked by a pair of little hands. The skulls are a brass/gold tone with cut out eyes. They are quite petite, about 3 mm wide so they are cute without being gaudy.

These teal stone studs were an awesome find, I absolutely love them! They are a light teal color with brass/gold tone frames. They are also tiny, about 5 mm. I've worn they with leggings and a tunic, jeans and a t-shirt, as well as cute date night dress. 

I also got these chandelier earrings at World Market. The label states that they are coral color, but they are more of a pinky coral versus a true coral. Still, it is gorgeous! The coral rhinestones are framed with an antique gold metal finish and beautiful detailing. It hangs about 2 1/2 inches and is well crafted. I am thinking this will be a part of my birthday outfit next month.

After the holidays, I popped into Old Navy to take a look around. The jewelry display caught my eye. The first one I picked up is a cobalt blue rhinestone with antique gold finished frame and leaf shaped dangles that hangs about 3 1/2 inches long. The cobalt blue is quite stunning in person. It's unique, but pretty.

Finally, the last pair of earrings I grabbed are these black rhinestone, gold frame chandeliers. I have been looking for something like this for some time. I think it's a very classic look that once again, could go with a variety of looks.

The best thing about these pieces is they are all affordable. The most expensive pair was the coral rhinestone chandeliers. Yet still, it was only $10! The rest ranged from $4-$6.00. Despite their reasonable prices, they are all well made. I don't think you have to spend a ridiculous amount for fashion. Sometimes, when people are so focused on the brand, they miss out some really gorgeous pieces. So keep you eyes out for hidden treasure while you are out and about, you never know what you might find!

Hope you guys enjoyed my finds and let me know of what good jewelry deals you've scored.

~Hong

Chilly Monday!

The fog has lingered for a good 4 days straight. Temperatures have been steady at 35 degrees F during the day and 23 degrees at night. Needless to say, it has been chilly! Just wanted to give you a peek of what's keeping me warm, my little sheep slippers! It's fuzzy inside, making it both cozy and adorable.

So I am going to curl up on the coach, with the husband, a cup of hot cocoa, and my little sheep slippers and enjoy this cool winter night!

~Hong

Spicy Lamb & Roasted Butternut Squash

One of my favorite meal to make is lamb. Cooked properly, the meat is lean yet tender and succulent.

Ingredients:

• 6 lamb chops
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 4 tsp honey mustard
• 1 medium lemon, juice extracted
• 2 tbsp ground fresh chili paste (depending on level of your preferred spiciness)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp butter

Directions:

• Mix garlic, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, honey mustard, lemon juice, chili paste, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Place the lamb chops in a large ziploc bag along with the mix. 
• Toss to evenly coat the lamb chops.
• Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours. For best flavor, allow to marinate for 24-48 hours.
• Remove the lamb meat off of the bone, cutting into 1 inch cubes.
• Using a pan large enough to allow the meat to be cooked in a single layer, drizzle will olive oil and add butter.
• Place over medium-high heat, cook meat, stirring frequently for about 10-12 minutes or till cooked to desire temperature.

To accompany the lamb, I made roasted butternut squash and jasmine brown rice. I bought the butternut squash, pre-cut and cubed from Costco. Then I roasted them as I roast any vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of pre-cut and cubed butternut squash
• Olive oil
• Salt 
• Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• With butternut squash spread in a single layer, place in oven and roast for 10 minutes.
• Toss and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Hope you guys give this a try and let me know how they turn out!

Enjoy!

~Hong

Casual Weekend

The weekend has arrived and after a long week of work, the only thing I want to do is relax! My style is pretty casual anyways so this outfit is right up my alley with a comfortable pair of jeans, a heart long sleeve shirt, and simple chignon updo. I like to add little accents to a casual outfit to prevent it from being too boring. So a beaded bracelet, hook taper earrings and some bling-out black nails are perfect additions. Then a no-fuss black cross-body bag, a hummingbird pendent necklace and some good old combat boots to round it all out. Simple. Comfortable. Cute.

~Hong

Light Winter Outfit

So anyone who knows me, knows that I love fashion! I love to shop and think of creative ways of putting an outfit together. I would describe my style as being comfortable yet chic. However, for some reason, I actually very lazy when it comes to dressing up in real life. My work clothes are extremely casual and when the weekend comes, I usually crawl into some sweats at home or I throw on a tee shirt, leggings, and boots when heading out and about.

Then I discover a website called Polyvore that allows you to scrounge the latest fashion and put together an outfit from head to toe. It also links you to where you could purchase these items or provide you with an idea of what to look for when you shop. I have been creating these outfits for a few months now and figured it would be nice to share it with you guys.  So below is my Light Winter Outfit. It is casual, but chic and will keep you warm. Enjoy!

~Hong

Cozy Winter Outfit

Lately, it has been sunny with a crispness to the air. This is my absolute favorite weather. So how do I dress for these gorgeous days? Well, blue jeans and a t-shirt is perfect for any day. I love wearing a light shirt under a warm wool coat. It's enough to keep me warm while I am outside, but avoid overheating when I'm inside.  I actually have these GAP curvy jeans and they are very comfortable. They are boot cut, made with stretch denim, low-rise, and curvy through the hips and thighs. I also have the TOMS Dessert Wedges in both taupe and chestnut. I can walk for hours in them! They are also extremely versatile and can easily be dressed up or down. A universally flattering color is cobalt blue and this wrap coat is adorable! Paired with some spiked earrings, neutral color cross-body bag, and simple wavy hair....this is a comfortable outfit I could wear all day!

Enjoy!
~Hong

Crock Pot Pork Chop & Roasted Green Beans

Crock Pot Pork Chops & Roasted Green Beans

I love cooking with my crock pot! The majority of the ingredients get thrown into a one pot meal, which makes for easy clean up. Plus, the house gets filled with the aroma of yummy food cooking all day long. We had some pork chops in the freezer and green beans in the refrigerator so we decided to make a crock pot pork chop with roasted green beans.

Ingredients:

• 6 pork chops
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 can of chicken and rice soup
• 3 tsp dry mustard
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Salt 
• 1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper 
• 2 tbsp of ground fresh chili paste (or to desire of spiciness)
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Combine flour, salt, dry mustard, and garlic.
• Coat pork chops in the mix and brown in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat. About 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Place pork chops, ground fresh chili paste, and chicken and rice soup into the crock pot.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Crock Pot Pork Chops

For the roasted green beans:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of green bean, trimmed and laid out to dry
• 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place green beans, garlic, salt and pepper in sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss to evenly coat.
• Spread green beans out in a single layer and place in oven.
• Roast for 10 minutes, lightly toss green beans. Roast for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Roasted Green Beans

This is really a simply, yet delicious meal to create. The pork was very tender and juicy with a nice kick while the roasted green beans were crispy. I served them with jasmine brown rice, but they would go well with really anything or just on their own together. I hope you give these recipes a try and let me know how they turn out!

Enjoy!

~Hong

Winterize My Skin-Part 3

For the last part of my winter skincare series, I will talk about what I reach for to keep my body and lips soft and silky during these winter months. My biggest pet peeve are moisturizers that leave a greasy residue. Not only do they make me feel slick, but also everything I touch. I just can't stand that! One particular ingredient that I tend to gravitate to is shea butter. From my experience, it tends to absorb quickly while leaving my skin nice and hydrated. The best time to apply body lotion is right after you step out of the shower, while your skin is still slightly damp. This helps lock in the moisture. My two favorite body lotions are Gold Bond Ultimate's Softening Skin Therapy Lotion Shea Butter and Bath and Body Works' Triple Moisture Body Cream.

The Gold Bond Ultimate's Shea Butter will take care of ANY dry skin! I usually use it from my neck down, avoiding my face just because I have very sensitive skin. This lotion contains a multitude of vitamins and peptides, penetrates quickly, and is not overwhelmed with a perfume scent. Most importantly, it is not greasy! It will keep my skin soft and hydrated even after my next shower. If I am diligent at using this moisturizer every other day after a shower, I can guarantee to ward off any dry skin during the winter!

The Bath and Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream is also a great body moisturizer. It is made with conditioning milk proteins, rice bran oil, and acai berry extract. This body cream is suppose to provide deep hydration for a good 24-hours while being non-greasy. I do believe it lives up to its promise and there is an endless array of scents to choose from. My favorites are Twilight Woods, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Country Chic, and P.S. I Love You. The fragrance of these body creams are nice, but also very mild and light. Although the triple moisture body cream is hydrating, for persistent dry skin, I usually reach for my Gold Bond Ultimate.

Yes, body lotion can be used to moisturize your hands, but my favorite hand cream is Bath and Body Works' True Blue Spa, Shea Cashmere & Silk Hand Cream. They advertise it has ultra-moisturizing, non-greasy, absorbs quickly with a blend of almond blossom, vanilla and sandalwood. This hand cream literally melts in my hands and as soon as I rub in it, it is absorbed and does not feel greasy at all! It makes my hands unbelievably soft! This is a must for anyone who has to wash their hands frequently as a part of their job or for those living in states that are freezing and dry during the winter months. With this hand cream, there will be no dry, cracked skin for me in the winter!

Dry, cracked, and flaky lips are just plain gross and annoying! It is a particular a problem for me in the winter since we live in a cold, dry state. My secret to soft, smooth lips is Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment and Eucerin's Aquaphor Lip Repair. The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment has added SPF 15, moisture preserving sugar, oils, along with antioxidants that are meant to keep your lips hydrated for 6 hours. I also like how it has a twist action to remove the top, allowing you to then twist up the product itself to be used. This prevents it from being accidentally being twisted up in your purse or pocket and destroying your chapstick! It is very hydrating without making my lips feel greasy or sticky and has a refreshing lemon scent. However, it is a little pricey.


The Eucerin's Aquaphor Lip Repair is marketed to provide relief for dry, cracked, irritated lips by sealing in moisture and conditioning the lips. It also has shea butter, vitamins, and chamomile as well as being fragrance, preservative, and dye free! Let's just say, I will not be facing another winter without this lip repair! I can honestly say that my lips have been smooth and soft since I started using it 3 months ago.

Another trick I use to care for my lips is exfoliating them in the shower. I wait till my lips are wet and I use a moist washcloth to gently rub my lips and remove any dry skin. Once I hop out of the shower, I immediately moisturize my lips as I do with my body. I also make a very conscious effort to not lick my lips, which leads to drying and chaffing.

So these are just a few body and lip products I depend on to get me through the winter. I hope they give you a few ideas to help with keeping you moisturized during these cold months!

~Hong

Winterize My Skin-Part 2

In Winterize My Skin-Part 1, I talked about my favorite exfoliators, cleansers, acne treatments, and face mask. In Part 2, I am going to let you in on my favorite moisturizer both face and eyes along with some awesome foundation options that I reach for particularly in the winter.

Keeping my skin hydrated is a difficult task in the winter. My skin can be extremely dry, so flaking is a constant issue. I'm also a firm believer of using anti-aging products even at a young age as a preventive measure for the future, but my sensitive skin can easily get irritated by retinol, peptides, amino acids, vitamins and other anti-aging ingredients. Right before Thanksgiving, I bought Clinique's Repair and Lift Set. It includes Clinique's repairwear laser focus, uplifting cream, and intense eye cream. This is one of the best set of skincare I have ever tried! Every piece in this set is amazing!


The repairwear laser focus is formulated with enzymes to help with wrinkles and correct UV damage. Just 2-3 drops is enough for adequate coverage and is safe to use for both the face and eyes. Thankfully, I don't currently have any wrinkles, but this is not irritating, is great with hydrating my skin and hopefully will discourage wrinkles from creeping up on me. I use the laser focus at night and the uplifting firming cream for my face and the intensive eye cream during the day. The repairwear uplifting firming cream and the intensive eye cream are very thick and once again, hydrating. After only a week of use, I noticed an increase in firmness of my overall skin along with brightening the area around my eyes. This really is an excellent, affordable, skincare set.

Kukui Oil

For really dry patches, I use Kukui Oil. It was given to me by a friend after her return from Maui. It is meant for dry skin, sunburn, eczema, and psoriasis. I usually use it at night since it is quite thick and makes my skin shiny. This oil works great at soothing the redness and dry patches from my eczema without clogging my pores or breaking me out.

Dry skin can make it difficult to achieve an even and flawless skin when applying foundation. The foundation may settle into the crevices created an uneven and patch appearance. For days when my skin is flaky, after using the Clinique repairwear uplifting firming cream, I apply Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer spf 20. Since it is a moisturizer, it hydrates without clinging to the dry skin. Although it is a sheer foundation, it is buildable and does well with covering slight redness.

Laura Mercier's Tinited Moisturizer in Sand

For areas of hyperpigmentation or extreme redness, I use Kat Von D's Tattoo Concealer. A little goes a long. It stays put all day and will cover anything! Also, like the tinted moisturizer, it does not enhance my dry skin, blends well and can be worn on its own on days when I am in a hurry. Best concealer ever!

The theme for all these products is they work with my dry, combination, sensitive, acne, and eczema prone skin. They are great at hydrating my skin as well as disguising the redness associated with my eczema. I hope you give some of these products a try and let me know how they work for you!

~Hong

Winterize My Skin-Part 1

This will be a series of how I care for my skin during the winter season. I initially started off thinking it will be one post, but quickly realized it will be way to long. So Part 1, will focus on my favorite exfoliators, cleansers, acne treatment, and face mask.

For my entire life, I have dealt with sensitive, dry, acne and eczema prone skin. Unfortunately, my eczema has only become worse with age to the point where steroids are warranted during periods of severe exacerbation. So I tend to be very hesitant about trying new skincare because there is no middle ground. My skin either reacts really well or in extreme protest that will literally last for months without relief! The winter months are particularly hard on my skin. The low pressure, and the dry cold air can be very difficult for my skin to adapt to. Although my tempermental skin has been a challenge, there are a few products that have been a life saver as we struggle through these winter months.

Exfoliators

Being meticulous about exfoliating my skin has been the key to controlling the flakiness of my dry skin. My two favorite exfoliators are St Ives' Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub, and Clinique's 7 Day Scrub Cream.

I absolutely love the St. Ives' Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub! I use it about 2-3 times a week in the shower. Not only is it an excellent exfoliator, it is also meant to clear up acne and help with redness. It is oil-free and contains salicylic acid, which is a gentle acne treatment ingredient. The exfoliating beads are large, but not too coarse or rough. To top it off, it smells amazing! I believe it has kept me skin fairly clear and soothe d some of the redness created by my eczema.  After using it to exfoliate my face, I take what is left in my hands and quickly exfoliate my hands as well. I always look forward to freshening up my skin in the shower with this scrub.

On days where I just need a gentle exfoliator, I use Clinique's 7 Day Scrub Cream. It's very creamy and the exfoliating beads are not as large, coarse or as abundant as the St Ive's. I use it when I feel like my skin needs a pick me up, but not a deep exfoliation. Hence, it is effective without being harsh on my skin. Clinque is also known for being hypoallergenic and 100% fragrance free so there is no overwhelming perfume scent. 

Cleansers/Acne

My current favorite cleanser is Clinique's Liquid Facial Soap Mild. It is made for dry combination skin and is extremely gentle. It is wonderful at removing my face as well as eye makeup without making my skin feel tight and dry afterwards. I tend to switch back and forth from this cleanser and Clinique's Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam. Particularly during that time of the month when my skin is more acne prone, I will use the acne solutions cleansing foam to ward off any breakouts. Similar to the liquid facial soap, the acne solution cleansing foam does not dry out my skin, is gentle and does help to control my acne. I wouldn't say it has kept my skin completely acne-free, but it definitely has kept my breakouts to a minimum. 

For those pesky cystic or persistent acne, Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion is my life-saver. I apply it directly to my acne and let it dry before I head to bed. This is literally a miracle lotion! I usually see a significant difference in the size and redness of the pimple when I wake up in the morning. I will also apply it when I feel the beginning of a pimple erupting which most of the time will take care of the pimple altogether. Not only is it good for acne treatment, but also to fade blemishes and dark spots. However, as the name indicates, it is very drying! So I use it sparingly in the winter.

Face Mask

In this category, there is no competition. I solely use Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque. I use it about once a week and it is meant to dry up acne, eliminate blackheads, and shrink your pores. The mint gives my skin a nice cool and tingling sensation, which I love. I don't think I use it enough to see a difference in my acne or blackheads, but my skin definitely feels soft and smooth after using it. I don't use it too often because just using it once a week, I can tell it would really dry out my skin if I used it more frequently. Still, it is an awesome face mask!

These are a few products that have made a difference in my skin. Keep in mind, I am not a dermatologist and what works for me, may not work for you. I hope these recommendations give you a few things to think about trying that may help you like they've helped me. Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll talk about products I use to keep my skin nice and moisturize.

~Hong