Christmas in Viva Las Vegas :)

Happy Holidays!

My favorite time of the year would absolutely have to be Christmas. It's a time of eating food, vacationing with the family and admiring pretty decorations.

One vacation destination for the Zhu family is usually Las Vegas. This Christmas was no different! Even though my being underaged limits the activities I can do in this city the never sleeps, I always love coming back and enjoying everything Sin City has to offer.

Always love Bellagio's Garden!

As for food, now that's what people come to Vegas for! Buffets, and Earl of Sandwich. For my past SF travel posts, you probably noticed that food does take up a great percentage of my travels. I must have gained a million pounds from the buffets and from every other meal as well. But of all the food I ate during this Christmas, Earl of Sandwich is my ABSOLUTE favorite. In fact, it's my favorite sandwich shop of all the sandwich places I've been to. 

The Holiday Sandwich

The Original

Lastly, since there aren't that many things I can do other than walking down The Strip and taking tourist photos because I'm not 21 yet. One thing I always do is curling up in bed and watching the Christmas story. 

Remember this? "You'll shoot your eyes out!" 

So how did you spend your Christmas! I'm excited to hear :) Anyone going after-Christmas shopping?

Merry Holidays!

Xoxo,

Jo.

P.S. Read more about what I wore in this post. 

Tis the season for holiday parties!

Christmas time is just around the corner, and you know what that means...Christmas Parties! 

I got my LBJ from Forever21.com a while back. It is a sleeved boatline cut backless dress, but because it fits a bit loose, I need the jacket :p Though black may not be the right color for a holiday party, you can always use accessories! 

For this look, I have a statement piece necklace. But, if I were to wear this outfit to a holiday party, I would have added either a red belt or a matching rhinestone belt to give it the holiday feel!

Did I mention how much I love the leather jacket? My mom got it for me in China. It's a feminine with a bit of the edge that comes with the leather. 

And here's a look at the backdrop at night! I've done a shoot here before, but the church is absolutely BEAUTIFUL at night. 

Happy Holidays :)

XOXO. 

Joanne Valentinechic

Liebster Award

Finals are finally over, and I'm backkkk!

I am a strong believer in being active in the blogosphere, and I am so excited that a fellow blogger and fellow Trojan has nominated me for a Liebster Award :) Thank you Kayla from http://www.blushandbangs.com/ for nominating me!! So excited. 

Now what exactly is a Liebster Award? Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging. The tradition is to answer the 11 questions from the person who has nominated you and then nominate promising bloggers and tag them in your post. Also you will write 11 questions for them to answer.
Here are the rules should you choose to accept:1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you3. Copy & Paste the award to your blog4. Nominate 5 blogs that you enjoy to receive the award who have less than 200 followers5. Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog

Here are my questions:

1. A year ago would you have thought you'd be a blogger today?

One of my close friends is actually a blogger, and I've always wanted to start my own blog. But I didn't get the push until I came across this opportunity with LSM until this summer. So a year ago, I probably wouldn't have thought that I'd be a blogger today.

 2. What do you love most about blogging?

I love the ability to just write out my thoughts and opinions on a very interactive platform. Also, as I am in the process of thinking of new ideas for blog posts, I am always looking at different fashion websites for inspiration. Lastly, there are so many things to write about! 

3. How would you describe your style?

I have a very casual and relaxing style. Occasionally, I would like to go out of my comfort zone and try out bold styles. Also, I love the chic style. So whenever there comes any opportunities in which I can dress up, I take my time to get ready! 

4. What's your favorite pick-me-up movie?

She's the man!

5. Guilty Pleasure?

Gossip Girl! So sad that the series is over :(

6. Favorite site to online shop?

Zooshoo.com! I love their shoes and it has free shipping!

7. What do you enjoy most about the Holidays?

Being with family, eating delicious food and traveling to places. 

8. What's something about yourself that would surprise most people?

I occasionally have a temper problem. People don't expect it because I try to be on my nice side. But if I ever explode, it would surprise people.

9. Any tattoos or piercings?

Just the normal earring piercing! Although I've always wanted a heart tattoo, but I would never have the guts to do it because I wouldn't know if I'll ever be up for the permanency or if I'll be able to tolerate the pain.

10. When you're not blogging, what are you doing?

It's hard for me to fully close myself off to the world, I need to play something to watch on the side or reading other blogs for inspiration! Also, I blast some music, get in the mood :)

11. Favorite movie snack?    

Nachos!

I'm nominating:

http://www.projektfashion.com/

http://www.agirlyouknow.com/

http://www.cutandtaylored.com/

http://anni-dot-elle.blogspot.com

http://bffbync.blogspot.com/

1. Which blogger inspires you the most?
2. What do you do in your free time other than blogging?
3. 10 years from now, do you see yourself blogging?
4. What is your favorite nail polish?
5. What is your favorite clothing brand?
6. What is your never-leave-the-house without it accessory?
7. Who is your favorite designer?
8. Where is a place that never will always inspire you to write your blog posts?
9. Favorite movie?
10. Descrive yourself in one word.

2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show ♥

Last night was indeed one of the sexiest night on TV. That's right...it only happens once a year, Victoria Secret's 2012 Fashion Show! 

As many events as there are in the fashion world, rarely any gets streamed on television! We're missing out so much. But I am SO glad we get to catch it on TV! The Victoria's Secret Angels are all about confidence and sexiness. It's the only time, where walking on the runway in lingerie can be considered an art show!

Props must be given to the designers and the planning committee behind the show, they've been working hard for an entire year to put together the 45 minutes that makes our sensational experience. 

Here's a quick recap segment by segment, and I'll talk about my favorites :)

The Circus

vote for your fav looks here: http://t.co/qMwYWi77

The show started with a circus theme Adriana leading the way as the ring master. I love the theme, it's so creative and different. Two of my favs outfits during this segment would definitely be Adriana's look as well as Izabel's look (who doesn't appreciate a gem snake?)

Dangerous Liasons

May I say that Rihanna is an amazing performer?

    

Though I love the theme of Dangerous Liasons, as the theme of seduction fits well, I wished for better outfits for this round. 

I liked Constance's outfit because the colors were pretty nice. As for Shanina's outfit, I really liked the top!

Calendar Girls 

June

December

All the looks for the Calendar girls are so cute! Especially Lindsay's and Barbara's. If I counted right, Lindsay's SHOULD be June, and June's the season for weddings! (awww....) but the heart-shaped wings, the veild, and the bouquet definitely made her look my fav! 

PINK

I'm usually never a fan of the PINK part of the runway. But of all the looks, I adored Jourdan's buzzlightyer--she did a good robot! And Shu Pei looked absolutely adorbs in those sexy footie PJ's. But I thought the overall delivery was better than Dangerous Liasons.  

Silver Screen

This has got to be my favorite theme! The classic theme really allows the angels to show off their elegance. But more importantly, all the looks are very simple. 

 Angels in Bloom

*All RUNWAY Photos Were Taken from Zimbio unless otherwise stated*

I love the idea that each of the flowers represented their respective VS Fragrance. Also, the flowers symbolically represented the fact that the Angels were in BLOOM :)

And...last, but definitely not least: The star of the night, Alessandra and her $2.5 million Fantasy bra. After just becoming a mom, that girl managed to shed her baby weight and step back to the runway as the star of the show. 

So here's some details to this 2.5 million bra: It's got Sapphires, Rubies, Diamonds, all made by London Jewlers and it's going to be on sale, too! There's a center piece with a 20 carat diamond, and another with a 12.5 carat...

ABC got the exclusive here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/victorias-secrets-million-dollar-fantasy-bra-2012-17506574 

The PR girl inside of me couldn't contain herself, Alessandra did a great job dodging that bullet of "is that bra uncomfortable" as she answered the question by saying it doesn't matter, who cares! Girl, you ain't just got good looks and perseverance! 

Last year, after just given birth as well, Miranda Kerr also stepped onto the runway in her $2.5 Million Fantasy Bra with 3400 gem stones, including 142 carats of diamonds! (Shine bright like a diamond!)

Read about it here: http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-10-20/miranda-kerr-busts-out-of-2-5-million-treasure-bra-photos/

ANGELS

Of course, what's a Victoria Secret Runway show without the bombshell Angels? 

My all-time favorites would definitely have to be Miranda Kerr. Why? I don't know. Maybe because of her dimples. Or if it's cause together with Orlando Bloom, they make the power couple of power couples. Or perhaps she's a great humanitarian! 

Who's your favorite Angel?

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Over all, I thought the 2012 show was a success. It was widely publicized. Our USC VS campus reps certainly did a great job in terms of promotion. They hosted a viewing party, and the entire lobby of the building was filled with girls who got free swag. Plus, VS utilized the social media platforms effectively. For example, they added the "find your wings" feature onto their mobile app. 

Lastly, all three performers were great, exceptional compared to last years. I can prove my unbias by saying the biebs (who I am not that big of a fan of) was way better than Maroon 5 (one of my favorite bands!)

Can't wait for the 2013 show!

If you missed the show on tv, catch it here:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/victorias_secret/video/0EE42E96-906A-6030-D777-6402D55E0A85/victoria-s-secret-fashion-show-2012

Or catch the CW replay tomorrow!

XOXO, 

Joanne

The City by the Bay, Day 3: Bakeries, Seals, and Ice Skating

A little pre-exploring photoshoot!

Sequin infinity scarf: H&M; Beret: Forever21

Oversized sweater: American Eagle

Thanks Phoebe for the photos! Like her page here. And check out her Flickr :) 

Tartine Bakery

Lemon Meringue Cake 

 Spicy Turkey Sandwich

What is your favorite meal of the day? Mine would definitely have to be breakfast! It's not that I wake up hungry--it's actually quite the opposite. But I LOVE breakfast foods! Pancakes, waffles, BACON! It's the food that makes this meal especially special. 

Day 3 of the SF trip is Friday. Unlike every year, I didn't wake up early and hit the stores to score the good deals. Although, I did sprint to the Apple store next to our hotel for the new iTouch. I was instantly in love with it when it first came out, and I'm surprised that I was able to wait till black Friday. I got a good deal. So what if it's a splurge? Merry Christmas!

Back to the point about breakfast being my favorite meal! One of our friends from Nor Cal recommended that we try out Tartine Bakery. Yet another amazing find! The food was delicious, and I would definitely recommend to anyone in SF or wants to visit. 

Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39! As a native LAer, when I visit SF, I visit ALL the tourist locations. It's a must.

I love the pier. The Christmas decorations are up, and there are so many cute stores. 

As for Fisherman's Wharf, it's its own world. My only disappointment was that I didn't see the Bushman :( Although I did see a wannabe bushman that hid very obviously behind an electric box. But hey, technicalities. 

CHOCOLATES! To our luck, Gheridelli's Square was within a walking distance from Fisherman's Wharf, and boy did I got some yummy delicious free samples--i love peppermint! 

Last meal of the day. Hog Island Oyster Co. 

Being next to the ocean, adding seafood to our endless list of places to try is a must. Cudos to the almost-yelp-elite-when-she-turns-21, we picked Hog Island--yet another wonderful meal. 

The clams in the clam chowder are still in their shells!

Our second to the last stop of the evening-- Japan Town.

Everything in this town is so cute! 

A bitter-sweet conclusion to my trip: Ice Skating. 

It was a fun experience, but I also realized how bad I am at Ice Skating. However, in my defense, we were skating in Hockey Skates, so it's a lot harder!!

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In the spirit of the moment,  I'm so glad to have been able to go on this trip with these people that I consider my second family. 

Excuse me for my cheesiness, but HIMYM is on on the TV right now, and it's the episode where Ted finds his doppleganger. The final lines were that even though their gang drifts apart from time to time, they always get back together and watch Robots vs Wrestlers. 

Can't wait for the next trip together <3

San Francisco Trip Day 2: What I'm Thankful for.

The wonderful photographer! Love her <3

Sweater Dress: Sweater Market, Shanghai ; Coat: Burberry

Tights: DKNY; Leg Warmers: China; Beret: Forever 21

Rings: Flea Market; Earrings: Macy's

Boots: Macy's

It's day 2 of the Thanksgiving trip, and it's Thanksgiving Day! Thanks again to Phoebe for all the amazing pictures! Like her page here. and Check out her flickr!

So we started off the day craving for breakfast. As San Fran is known for its China Town, we headed over to Golden Gate Bakery for some delicious traditional Chinese Pastrys :) They're know for their egg tarts, and everyone knew that-- the line winded a couple of times outside the store. Once I had a bite of the tastiness, it was worth every minute of the wait. 

 蛋挞 ； Egg Tarts 

叉烧酥；cha siou su (bbq pork pastry) 

Once our stomachs were sustained, we took the opportunity on the bright and beautiful Thursday morning and explored around China town. Like I said, there's so much character and culture in this part of city, I couldn't help but falling in love. There's beautiful aesthetics, like the street art below. It really looks like I'm walking up the stairs, right?

This is just like the markets in Shanghai, I miss shanghai now...

Next up, Golden Gate Bridge! As touristy as this attraction maybe, it's definitely a must-stopped destination when you go to San Francisco. It's like when you go to Shanghai, you HAVE to stop by the Bund! 

The girls!

It was Thanksgiving, but it's never too late to give thanks. I'm so blessed and honored to have these people to make the wonderful memories I've had. They're like my second family! Alpha Alphas till the end.

Next up on the itinerary, The Palace of Fine Arts, yet another absolutely beautiful place!

 It's Odette!

Now that we've devoured enough scenic candies for our eyes, it's yet again time to send food down our growling stomachs. We were lucky to have our pledgemaster join us on this memorable trips, and his relatives were so kind to open up their homes to a bunch of starving teenagers for the Thanksgiving occasion. I had one of the best Thanksgiving meals of my life--no exaggeration! 

Crack Pie from NYC-- claimed to have crack in it, might as well! 

Took a bite from it and I felt like I've gone to heaven!

Flan- Definitely one of the better flan's I've tasted

Our pledgemaster's aunt is actually starting her own business, check out her page here.

Ever since I began the pledging process for APO, I grew very close to my pledge class. Obviously, considering I almost spent my entire break with them, and I couldn't have asked for a better break! Being that we were in San Jose for the evening, we couldn't resist not meeting up with some of the others who are back home. Despite our exceptionally full stomachs, we still made a stop at Fantasia Cafe. 

I was too full to even take a sip, but from what I heard, they were pretty bomb!

This brings us to our final destination of the evening: Twin Peaks--one of the most eyegasmic experiences I've had in my life. And this is coming from someone who grew up in the city that houses The Bund! 

  

Feel your heart racing? Mine, too. Words won't do justice to this amazingness. And how this girl was able to capture it in such low light, without a tripod. I don't even know. All I can say is, I am so proud. 

Even with the sea of lights, I was able to see the bright stars and the illuminating moon. I am a sucker for a beautiful night time sky. That night, I gazed at the stars. And inhaled the night air. To be able to breathe in the cool crisp air that encompasses that evening was a privilege. Which is why I am thankful for everything. It was a perfect conclusion to a perfect night.