never grow up

First full day of school! Woohoo. Thankfully, not all my classes were as bad as I thought, and as that was my first official day as a senior, I guess you could say I was a tad excited. One thing I'm not too happy about though is that for the first week of school, we have to attend homeroom 20 minutes before school is supposed to actually begin, so that's a bummer. Anyways, my school runs on a Day1/Day2 basis: 4 classes on Day 1, the other 4 on Day 2, and we live by that for the whole year (we also have 4 rotations, so we experience each class as every block). Yesterday was a Day 1, so after homeroom, I began the day with English. I'm glad to have the same teacher as last year, as I'm sure she's taught me more and helped me improve more in my writing than any other English teacher I had before her. After, I had Chem. The teacher was alright, but I'm happy to have a nice core group of friends I can count on. Lunch was lunch, and after it was French Honours. I've known the class for about 3 years now, and this is my second year with the teacher, so it was just like one big reunion (quite fun, full of laughs). Lastly, I had Physics. Originally a class I was just going to drop, I ended up sticking with it since a) my classmates are quite funny, b) I had the teacher last year and I did quite well in his class, and c) turns out, I understood the material more than I thought. Can't say it wasn't a bad way to begin the new year.

I've noticed that a few of my fave Youtubers seem to follow this one rule: There's no need to dress up for the first day, since everyone will do that. Instead, opt to look nicer later on in the school year, or even in that week, since that's when everyone will start to get lazy. I tried to do just that, by opting for something simple, classic and cute for the first day. I wore a sweater I bought with the cutest pearl collar, for an innocent, timeless look. Yes, I wore them with my favourite jeans, and to play up on the softness and girly-ness of the look, I went for flats and minimal jewelry.

For a brief time last year, I was completely and utterly obsessed with Peter Pan collars. Under shirts, layering button downs under sweaters, you name it, I wore it. Which is exactly why I fell in love with this sweater. It's the ideal collared sweater (black and white, oh so delicate), but with a twist since on the collar, there are pearls (which only adds to the delicateness. Score!).

My feet did not die yesterday, nor did it get (too) soaked in the rain. Yes!

OUTFIT INFO: 

Sweater: This store in Gastown (I forgot, sorry!) (similar)
Jeans: American Eagle (x)
Shoes: Aldo (x)

add it all up

 You know what I find completely and utterly useless? The fact that the first day of school was literally an hour-long assembly where all the VP's and the principal and the counselor, and the long list of other heads just have a quick speech about stuff that a) we already know, b) we don't really care about, or c) both. Nonetheless, because I am an extreme keener, I still attended. Knowing that today wasn't going to be special, I just dressed pretty casually, since with Vancouver's weather, you never know if there's going to be a rainstorm or heatwave in the next 5 minutes. Thankfully, our assembly was at 11, and not at 8 like some of the other grades (godbless), so we got to sleep in and not waste the entire day. Score! After the assembly, we got our schedules, and I hung around the school for a bit, saying hello to familiar faces that I haven't seen since exam time in June. I left the school with a group of friends, to relax at my house for a bit, and then once we got bored, we went for a quick trip to Metrotown. Me and a few of my friends bought the cutest (somewhat) matching planners and pencil cases, and this excites me because the one thing I love about class is notes! I seriously get obsessive about my colour-coding. Anyways, once we were done, we headed home and I took quick shots in a random alley across the street from my elementary, and proceeded to take a 2-hour nap (that's a quick nap in my definition). Once I awoke, I went to Staples with my parents for last-minute back-to-school supply shopping, and then just spent the night doing what I do best: absolutely nothing on the Internet.

Like I mentioned, I didn't really want to dress up for an hour-long assembly. It was chilly in the morning, but since I knew that Vancouver could easily heat up by the afternoon, I opted for layers, but not too many. I started by wearing a patterned button down that I absolutely adore, and just threw on my favourite jeans. Usually this would be enough, but I got really into the fall mood, and threw on my Aritzia trooper jacket, with leather sleeves to add edge to the look (plus it matched the shoes). I threw on Doc Martens instead of riding boots, my second option, since I wanted to go for a more grunge look. Plus, I heard it would rain. Lastly, I went extremely minimal on the jewelry, opting for just a simple jewel necklace that would peek out from underneath my blouse.

I love the print on this shirt. Is it a plus-sign? Is it a cross? Am I a math fanatic or do I just like prints? No one knows!!

Words can't explain how much I love my Docs. Sure, I could always just go for my ratty old combat boots instead, but there's just something so... English(?) about them. I think it's because they remind me of the old British punk bands, and somehow, despite my extremely lame exterior, I feel just a smidge cooler with these on.

OUTFIT INFO: 

Jacket: Aritzia (x)
Shirt: H&M
Necklace: Topshop
Jeans: American Eagle (x)
Boots: Doc Martens (x)

the maze runner

Brief note, as a huge movie buff, this is a new type of blog segment I'll be posting, titled...

Movies I've Seen in 2014 - The Maze Runner 

Starring: Dylan O'Brien

Supporting: Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee

Directed by: Wes Ball

Plot: Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) awakens one day in a small community called The Glades, with no memory of his life other than his name. Thomas slowly learns that he and all the other boys are trapped in The Glades, with the Maze, an unsolved, constantly changing place, as the only way out.

REVIEW

In a sea of many YA book-to-movie adaptations, it takes quite a bit to even stand out from the bunch; Maze Runner, while not entirely perfect, succeeds in giving something different. The plot and storyline, is darker and the execution of the story is (dare I say) even a little bit more realistic than most YA adaptations. It does not beat around the bush; there is no romance, the world is bleak, and they are all risking death. Gathering plenty of comparisons to Lord of the Flies and Cabin in the Woods, it is certainly directed towards the older generation of YA than the younger kids and the love-obsessed. Kudos.

For a first-time director, Ball does quite a good job. I admit that occasionally, the pacing can be a bit off (at times situations occur a bit too fast, and others it drags a bit), but overall he shows promise that he can handle being behind the camera, and not just be in the art department. He captures the mood of certain scenes quite well. That said, his art background does come in handy. Since most of the movie takes place in the Glades, it's a good thing that, even though it's so small, it's so interesting. Peaceful and calming at a glance, but quite dire and almost lonely and pitiful as the movie goes on. The maze and the monsters within, including the "Grievers," mechanized spider/alien killers that easily terrify the audience, deserve a round of applause on it's own. The intricacy of the maze, yet the simplicity of the looks is fantastic, and the "Grievers," while on paper sound not that bad, are able to look like the monsters from your worst nightmares.

Performance-wise, the cast does a great job. It's great to see such diversity in the cast; a rare thing in Hollywood, and quite refreshing. This is O'Brien's first leading role, and as Thomas, he shows lots of promise in being one of Hollywood's great young actors. Even as a simple archetype at times, he shows depth and emotion, and turns the most obvious of stereotypes (he's curious! He's brave! He's not like the rest; he's the chosen one!) into something real. He will make you laugh, he will make you swoon, he will make you cry, and you will root for him the whole way. As for the supporting cast, it's easy to say that Poulter is the perfect antagonist to go against O'Brien. He is everything I said about O'Brien and stereotypes, but with an antagonistic point of view. While Gally could've easily been a 2-dimensional character, strictly there for causing trouble to Thomas, Poulter makes us see him as more than just a bump in the road, but as a real-life boy, with emotions and heart, and beliefs that he holds more dear than just about anything. In the last scenes of the film, Poulter is a powerhouse. Ki Hong Lee is magnetic as Minho, Thomas Brodie-Sangster is fantastic and charming, and Kaya Scodelario does the best she could do with what could be just a background role. I do wish there was more to Scodelario's character, but there's something in her eyes that still enchants the audience. Newcomer, Blake Cooper, is the heart and the humour of the film as Chuck. He is fantastic as a young boy, with dreams and hopes higher than the sky, and bravery that could shame even the most daring soldier.

All in all, The Maze Runner might not be winning any awards, nor is it up to the level of Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, but it's a step ahead of all the other YA movies. With a cliff-hanger ending that almost promises a sequel (lucky us, apparently they're filming or will be filming soon!), it keeps audiences wanting more. Yes, the plot is a bit by-the-book (as you're watching it, you should be able to know what will happen 2-3 scenes ahead), but then again, it's rare to find a YA movie that isn't. It does a good job at entertaining, and the cast is refreshingly new and talented. There's not much more to say than, let's see Phase 2.

cryptic code

 Even though I love going out and I love adventures, there is nothing I love more than films. Films are my passion, they are my life, and I dream of one day impacting the world with films, whether I be on the screen, behind it, or both, it does not matter, just the fact that I. Love. Films. So, even though today is the last day before school officially starts for me, and even though it was gorgeous out, I chose to spend the day at the theatre, as I haven't gone in quite a long while. I took pictures with my friends quickly before heading to the closest theatre near us, Silvercity Metropolis, to watch The Maze Runner. Hopefully, by the time this is up, I'll have written a review on the film, but to put it simply: I liked it much more than I expected to. The plot was pretty good, the acting wasn't bad, and not gonna lie, there was plenty of eye candy in the film that I thoroughly enjoyed (here's looking at you, Mr. O'Brien). OH! The entire time, there was this little kid behind me who shouted out comments at absolutely everything, including a hilariously timed "WHAT" during an intense scene. Anyways, with the movie pretty much taking up most of my day, after it was finished I just grabbed a quick dinner at Tim Hortons, and went home, to finish up some posts, and watch an episode of Sherlock. Speaking of that, I am one episode away from being caught up, and I think I'll probably start it once I'm done this. Better get to it.

The only time I truly do put comfort before fashion is when I'm going to the movies. I find it much more important to wear comfortable clothes that will effectively hide my food baby, than to wear the cutest outfit I own. With that in mind, I slipped on my boyfriend jeans, as they are loose and I don't have to worry about suffocation, like with high-waisted shorts. I threw on a simple graphic t-shirt from Zara, and a plain long necklace. Going with the simple scheme, I chose my Aldo flats for shoes, and grabbed my old, bent-way-out-of-shape Topshop bag. Because it's so old and ratty, it's the perfect bag for sneaking in Mcdonald's (greasy fries in a Kate Spade bag? I don't think so). Lastly, on my way there, since it was sunny, I put on my sunglasses, as a final touch to the look.

I remember seeing a clutch of some sort with the exact same print. I think I'm going to get that for myself soon, it's rather cute.

Boyfriend jeans are one of the best style staples I've bought in a loooong time. They are so comfortable, and can easily be dressed up or down. They're like the skinny jeans, comfier, more relaxed sibling. As a person who's been wearing skinnies since the dawn of time, I can't begin to explain how nice it is to have room in my pants.

To be quite honest, I have a really good feeling that I accidentally bought these shoes in a size that's a tad too small for me. For the most part, they're fine, they're not too bad, but I've come to realize that after a long day of walking, my toes were honest to god, killing me. Sigh, if my feet had hands, they would honestly shoot me for all the pain I put them through.

It has been about 7 years since I first met Asahi, but it feels like a lifetime (not in a good way. Kidding, kidding. Mostly kidding). Because we've known each other for so long, she's one of those people that I can spend a whole day doing nothing with, but we can both still call that a successful hangout. Going to the movies is a usual pastime for us. We stuff our faces with all sorts of junk food, complain when we lose at Timeplay, make silly comments before the movie starts, make sillier comments during the movie, and most of all, make silly and stupid comments after the movie. Aaah, friendship.

OUTFIT INFO: 

Shirt: Zara
Necklace: Urban Outfitters
Sunglasses: 8th and Main (similar)
Bracelet: Brandy Melville (similar)
Watch: American Apparel
Bag: Topshop
Boyfriend jeans: Zara
Belt: Forever 21 (I think) (similar)
Shoes: Aldo 

smiles for miles

I bring good news: I finally got my own camera! Fun fact: up until now, I have actually been using other people's cameras for all the pictures on my blog. To say that it was a hassle having to constantly find someone to take a picture and a camera, is an understatement. But a hassle no more! I now have my own camera! As to when I'll be able to fully understand how to use it, that's a whole different story. Anyways, I had a late lunch, or afternoon snack as some might say, with my parents at a cute cafe near West 7th, called Moii Cafe (I think). After we finished our amazing crepes, we basically went all over town, to a Best Buy and a Sony store, to search for the camera that my dad wanted. Finally, we found the camera at Metrotown, and headed home, where I met up with my friend, Grace, who luckily for me, was off her volunteer early, so she could take pics. Later, we were joined with two other friends, and even after Grace left, we all did what we do best: eat, sleep, gossip, and internet. We did all those exciting things until about 7-7:30, and with the extra time (I was surprisingly ahead of schedule with blog posts), I had the chance to watch two Sherlock episodes tonight. I can already feel how sad and anxious I'm going to be once I'm caught up.

I feel like every person has a wardrobe item (or two or three) that is often a conversation piece for them. For example, perhaps you have a stand-out sweater, filled with wacky designs, that can't help but attract strangers and their compliments. These shorts are one of my conversation pieces. Almost every time that I've worn these shorts, I've gotten asked where I got them, and like I mentioned in a previous blog post (although that one was about my bag), at least 3/4 of the time, I had to say, the awkward, "A store with no name." Thankfully, like I mentioned, they have a name now, but these shorts still bring back the memories of that worker at Lush's face when I told him the no-name thing (disbelief? In a not-so-good way? I think that's the best way to put it). Anyways, I paired it with a black shirt, since the shorts are already a stand-out piece on it's own, and put on a statement necklace, so the top wouldn't be so boring. I grabbed a flannel, since I knew it would be cold, and it added a grunge appeal. I decided then, that I would just add to the grunge look with my sunglasses and cutout boots. Comfy and cute, I like it.

 Fun fact: I had a pair of sunglasses that looked just like these that I got from Aldo before the summer started, I broke them in my bag halfway through summer, and words couldn't describe how sad I was. And how much I had to squint during those hard times.

Close-up of the smiley shorts! They're just like the Bart Simpson shorts that circulated the Internet, I think about two years ago, but a tad different (obviously).

OUTFIT INFO: 

Plaid: TNA/ Aritzia (similar)

Shirt: Oak + Fort 
Necklace: Topshop
Shorts: 8th and Main
Bracelet: Brandy Melville (similar)
Watch: American Apparel
Shoes: Topshop (similar)

trooping around

Fall would not be fall in Vancouver without endless rain. We don't have the nickname Raincouver for nothing. Yesterday I was supposed to have a small AHS-themed photoshoot, but it had to be rainchecked due to some showers in the morning/early afternoon. Instead, I went to Downtown briefly with my friend so she could exchange some film, but that didn't work as planned and we briefly scanned the racks at UO and Topshop, before skytraining back. Next, I stopped by my house to not only meet up with my neighbour, but grab my laptop and a DVD before heading to my friend, Asahi's, house for a chill day. I took pictures on the road outside her house, and what I thought would just be a quick visit ended up in me and a few other people staying till around 9:30. Oops. We ate tons of junk food, I made a blog post, and we ended off the night by watching old elementary school slideshows. I don't think I've laughed louder and cringed harder in my life.

Fall is here and I have never been happier! My number one, absolute fall must-have (after plaid) are military jackets. Plain, simple ones, patterned ones, ones with patches, it does not matter: military jackets are life. I got this jacket as a gift from my mom, and I am in love with how the leather sleeves instantly amp up the look. It's much edgier than just a simple green one and perfect for those days where I don't want to think about layering, but want to go for a fancier look. I went pretty simple for the rest of my outfit, tucking in a striped tank top into my go-to skinny jeans. I layered two simple necklaces (again), and because I knew that a) I'd be walking quite a bit, and b) I wasn't going anywhere too fancy, I went with my riding boots instead of heels for a classic yet comfy look.

I have missed wearing jackets so much. Words can't explain how happy I am that I can incorporate leather and just jackets in general into my wardrobe again.

99% sure these were my mom's boots and I kind of just took them and claimed them as my own.

OUTFIT INFO: 

Jacket: Aritzia 
Shirt: Aritzia (similar) (similar)
Necklace: Short: Topshop
                 Long: Urban Outfitters 
Jeans: American Eagle 
Boots: Mom's closet (similar) (similar)