hardly haunting

Hello folks!

Yes I know it's been a while, and I'M SORRY WE ABANDONED YOU FOR A MONTH.

Regardless, I've come with a quick recap of my Halloween (almost a week late I know).

I didn't feel like I had so much time to prepare this year, and so I stayed up late on the night of October 30th, trying to find a quick and easy last-minute costume.

Should I be rough and tough Rosie the Riveter?

Nope, it just didn't look right for me with my ill-fitting boyfriend jeans, frumpy denim shirt, and flat hair that wouldn't cooperate with my red bandana.

Maybe Daria (the costume that I had prepared for earlier)?

I could have BUT I was missing the glasses! So it didn't feel right.

So what did I settle for?

A totally 90's rad outfit that hardly resembled an outfit worn by Ashley Banks in one episode of Fresh Prince.

Photos by the lovely Georgina Espinosa.

BARELY BANKS

HANDED-DOWN jacket and skirt // AMERICAN APPAREL turtleneck crop top // MOSSIMO wedges // F21 necklace

SO, maybe it wasn't a super creative or well-known costume, but at least I tried! Although many people commented that it looked like a regular outfit that I would wear on a regular day... I guess that's a sign that the costume was made for me?

Or maybe I was just lazy. BUT IT WAS A GOOD ATTEMPT.

Xx,
Daysia

schoolin' em

Hello again!

To make up for my absence, here is my second post for the day. As I approach my sixth week of school, I feel like I should give you a collective OOTD post. Here are some of the things I've been rockin' lately.

Schoolyard Bum

H&M T-Shirt // F21 Skirt and Sweater // NIKE Free Run Shoes

Burgundy Bohemian (ft. friends)

F21 Dress // MOSSIMO Booties // BANANA REPUBLIC Cardigan // HAND-ME-DOWN Belt

Treés Cool

DIY Tree Cut-out Shirt // URBAN OUTFITTERS Bralette // WASTELAND Shorts // F21 Hat + Sunnies // PC: Dana ♡

Service With Style (ft. friends again)

INTERACT D5150 Shirt // GAP Shorts // MUNI Hat (pattern not shown)

Warning Signs

SHEINSIDE Top // F21 Shorts and Jacket // H&M Sandals

Dana and I may be spending too much time together... Anyways, that's it for now folks! Once again, new posts coming soon!

xo,

Daysia

big city dreaming: week ii (a photo diary)

Hello folks!

After about 2 months I have finally found the time to post the second part of my trip to New York (It's extremely late I know, and I apologize!). This post is quite long, so bear with me! Fortunately it's more photo-heavy than text?

After the educational part of the trip, I was able to explore the Big Apple further, wandering around the hip parts of the Village, finding in amazing hidden sushi places in Chinatown, and strolling through a huge open market down the street from 30 Rock (which, admittedly was a bit out of our set boundaries but well worth it).

First stop in the tour? Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (of course). Although I wasn't eager to go out and do all the touristy stuff, the view from the ferry was beautiful! We didn't spend too much time with Lady Liberty (only about 20 minutes), but I didn't mind. Afterwards we went to Chinatown where my friends and I found a great sushi place and a mediocre boba spot, but nevertheless it was a fun night.

View from the boat // The Statue of Liberty

The following day the group woke up super early to catch a recording of the TODAY Show at Rockefeller Center which was pretty rad! After a while though, it got a bit old so a few of us went around the area for a few hours, and found a super cool open market, staged on an entire street and closing off traffic in one direction. There was a kiosk with these beautiful rings but alas, I hadn't the extra money for them.

At the TODAY Plaza // Art Vendors // Flags // Dumb Selfies inside a Sunglass Kiosk

We stopped by SoHo for a bit, and we stopped by all of my favorite retail stores (Urban and Zara anyone?). It was a brief trip, sadly, and it started raining, but it wasn't too bad.

In SoHo (ft. two pals ♡)

At night, we went to the Empire State Building, where the view was breath-taking.

Views and more views // Yours truly at the top (wearing a FREE PEOPLE Top. DKNY Denim Jacket,  Forever 21 Shorts)

On to the next day! Destinations: Central Park, South Street Seaport, and Broadway.

Central Park // Cannoli + Iced Coffee from a Food Truck at the South Sea Seaport // On Broadway

On the last day of the NYLF program, we went to Greenwich Village and Union Square. I got to see NYU (insert heart-eyed emoji) and hang out with my NYLF friends one last time.

NYU // Waverly Place

My NYLF experience was truly life-changing as I further discovered my passions and interests and made amazing friends that I still love and miss (I swear I'm not trying to be cliché).  After the program ended, I stayed in the city a few extra days with my dad and aunt and I got to venture into the Brooklyn scene. Most of the time we just went out to eat.

First stop: Pies n' Thighs, a Southern soul food joint on 4th Street in Brooklyn.

Menus // Entrees // Grimy Bathroom Selfies at Pies n' Thighs

Next: Burger King and Cafetasia in Greenwich

Food and drank.

Ugly nails and a henna.

 Last Day: Waiting for the Subway, loitering about Brooklyn brownstones, and sitting on stoops

OOTD: SUPREME Gingham Button-Up, Levi's Shorts, H&M Tank

And that wraps up my trip! Sorry for the lengthy post, and for being MIA lately. New posts coming soon!

Besitos,
Daysia xx

escapades: ootd + diary

NORDSTROM sunnies // INTERACT D5150 t-shirt // EBAY suspender skirt // NORDSTROM boots

EYEKO eye do eyeliner // MAC lipstick in "media"

spirited away henna on my wrist

urban doubtfits ft. potatoes and milk tea

The annual festival came to town this weekend, and that inevitably meant work for Daysia and I. Our Interact Club sells beverages at the festival every year, and as president and vice-president of the club, we came decked in our Interact wear. We sold oodles of drinks thanks to our super effective advertising skills (aka us chanting "Get hydrated, get get hydrated" and attempting to juggle water bottles). After my shift, I got a No-Face henna on my wrist; as always, it was grossly overpriced, but no festival is complete without one.

In other news, I don't recommend buying Eyeko's Eye Do eyeliner. It makes gorgeous lines and wings, but the pen tip is oddly shaped and it smears quite a lot on humid days; plus, the tip starts drying out after two weeks, and after a month it's practically unusable. So although I did enjoy Eye Do during its short time span, I can't justify buying a new one every two weeks when a trusty Stila will last for months at the same price.

Final note: I'm starting to become a huge fan of pigtail braids. I used to think they were too juvenile, but I'm really digging the whimsical vibes the hairstyle gives off. Not to mention that braids are a quick fix on a bad hair day.

Hope your Labor Day weekend is peachy keen so far!
Dana

kickin' it ivy league: photo diary

(I'm alive, I swear. After a long, long hiatus, OOTDs and the like are coming up.)

Last month, I went to Brown University to study public policy at the Brown Summer Leadership Institute. The two weeks I spent there were some of the most enlightening and liberating weeks of my life, and I've decided to share with you all my Providence adventures.

Oops, I totally forgot where I took this photo.

John Carter Brown Library.

The campus is breathtaking. When I first arrived, my travel-weary eyes went wide open--from the old-fashioned brick buildings to the intricately crafted metal gates, I was absolutely enamored. It took a few days for the shock to wear off and for me to realize that I, even if only for two weeks, was really studying at Brown University. 

Doing homework at College Hill Cafe; eyebag game was so strong.

Polaroid of some of my classmates and I.

My class was taught by a professor at Brown's graduate public policy program, and it was one of the smaller classes at the Leadership Institute--including myself, there were 17 eager young leaders studying public policy. To keep it short, we learned about policy analysis and program evaluation, developing "action plans" to improve public policy issues in our communities. As an aspiring political science major, the knowledge I gained was invaluable, even if I constantly stayed up past midnight finishing the thirty-page readings.

View of Downtown Providence from Prospect Park.

Nice Slice Pizzeria, my second home.

Luminaria lanterns at WaterFire Providence.

Sea star (Patrick?) at Narragansett Ba(e)y Aquarium.

Black milk tea via Tealuxe + bulgogi and aloe drink via Mama Kim's food truck.

As packed as my schedule was, in my free time, I was able to explore Providence and discover just how awesome it is. The food is diverse and delicious--I even found some good boba places (which I thought I'd never find on the East Coast), and even though California boba reigns superior, my milk tea cravings were definitely satisfied. Providence itself has such a chill yet thriving culture, and the city emanates both New England charm and urban "artsiness." I felt like I was back home in San Francisco but with far less crowding, a lot more sun, and more of an East Coast vibe.

Impromptu photoshoot at Easton's Beach.

Shameless selfie on the grass near the VDub.

Party at Perkins Hall??

Seaweed, bird poop, and smiles abound at Easton's Beach.

Amigos y amigas!!!

All good things must end; snapchat from my last night at Brown. Prospect Park again.

After two years of monotony in high school, being at Brown was a much needed change of scenery, a headfirst dive into a maelstrom of new experiences: new environment, new subject matter, new people. Because of that, I can honestly say that I left Brown a different person: more informed, more confident, more outgoing--a better leader. I know I sound hyperbolic and overly sentimental, but between questionable dining hall food and cavorting in the Main Green and tiring yet worthwhile leadership workshops and staying up until 4 AM cracking up and eating junk food, what can I say? It. Was. Life-changing.

Until next time,

Dana