A Revelation, a Life Story, a Piece of Art in a Skirt

There I was, standing in the fluorescent lighted vinyl cover isle, at a crossroads in my life. The racks of clearance clothing jeered me on as I held the metallic piece of fabric in my shaking hands. "To buy or not to buy, that is the question?" The guilt of having to sacrifice money for it scared me a bit but the thought of not having it scared me even more. I stood there for a few moments as I pondered back to when it all started.

*Flashback* 20 minutes ago
I had finished one sweep of the racks of 80% clearance clothing at Kohls, a gigantic lower quality department store that had once been the home of a Home Depot to give you an idea of its giganticness. Kohls is usually not the first place I want to head to when I go shopping. But I would dive into Kohls headfirst before I ever step foot into an Abercrombie or a Hollister (shudder, don't remind me of my experiences). So there I was with my mom at Kohls all because we had a 30% off coupon to use for the entire store. Add that on to there rows of 80% clearance and we were golden.

After perusing the crowded racks and not finding anything wonderful enough to induce a fashion orgasm. Sure there were cheap shirts and pants, but with my genetic cheapness even the way low prices of the pieces I had picked up, it somehow did not satisfy. It was still not cheap enough. That was until I stumbled upon it...

I got into the dressing room and looked at my loot. Nah, no, hmm... maybe but not really me, possible, no, no, no.

Then I turned to the last piece. A metallic fabric flared skirt. I liked the fabric because I like a swallow am attracted to shiny things. Okay fine. I lied. It wasn't the fabric that I was attracted to at first. It was the taunting 90% off tag the salespeople had slathered on to the label. At almost $5, the skirt wasn't exactly as cheap as I could go, but I picked it up anyways. Plus the extra 30% lingered in the back of my head, so that's like what an extra 1.50 off?

I tried it on. Disgusting. It was dowdy and fit badly. Even the shiny shiny couldn't do it justice. So then while my mom was trying on her bunch, I simply pulled the skirt up to my chest and.. wait, wait a minute, this looks kinda cool, kinda neat, lemme just unzip the zipper a bit and place it in the center....there!..there we go...It was an epiphany. The skirt was not destined to be skirt, but a top. It was nothing new to me for I had made my graduation dress from a gigantic silver laced metallic size way to large for me bohemian style skirt.

*End Flashback*

I was in the aisle again. And I went with "to buy" because really, my mom was paying for it and as mean as it sounds I must take advantage of these last few years possibly months before I have to pay for everything myself. So I bought the ugly skirt and for days it had remained on my sofa rotting away, that was until today.

The skirt. Ick.

So today, after a bit of morning shopping and eating vegetarian with grandma, I headed back to the "studio" and picked up the rotting skirt. I decided for my revamp I would go all out in terms of me painting on it. It will be all about who I am. It will be a piece of art (literally) for my body. For three hours I painted on the ground. This skirt top would tell my life story. It would tell the story of Lala and who she is: Nerd, Artist, Fashionista, Dreamer and Weirdo.

I waited for the paint to dry and then with a stitch and snip I added some black ribbon as straps. Done. Finito and boy did I pick the right path.

When my mom sneaked in to my room, she said I "overdid" it with the painting. But I just pshed her off. "Go big or go home" as the Americans say it.

So this is me manifested as a top/super short dress.


I am 1/5 = 20% part Nerd. It is a fact I embrace openly and fully. Yes. I was in honors. I hung out with nerds and the smart kids whatever you call them and they are some of the coolest people I know. Who needs popular kids when you have them. Certainly not me. And yes I still am a nerd. I like math and loved calculus (shh, don't tell anyone). I like writing notes on new pieces of crisp white paper with my BIC black ballpoint pen. It was pure bliss. I like learning despite my sometimes negative attitude with educational system. And dare I speak it aloud, (I actually kinda like learning about economics) even though fashion will always be my number one. I don't like tests, except when I do well and get A's or beat out the competition MUAHAHAHA (that was pure nerdness there).

I am Nerd in a symbolic sense as well. I am awkward. in social situations. in life. in everything. I don't easily make friends because of my inner fear of rejection so instead I reject people first so they won't to me and then I see if I can accept them. Bad I know. I'm a lot better now though. I might have broken out my shell. I obsess over odd things that help me cross the border to Geekdom and I like to repeat things I remember from school randomly. But I accept it. I love it. Some people would rather die than be a nerd. But why?! Nerds will rule the world not someday, but today. (except C student President George Bush, now that was just luck in my opinion).

I am Nerd here me roar!!

I am one-fifth artist. Before fashion or even nerd, art was my number one. It still is because fashion is a form of artistic expression in my opinion. The world I see around me is really my canvas for the taking. I paint it, mold it, chop it up whichever way I want. As a child I wanted to be an artist. My dream stayed with me until middle school when my dreams were crushed when I learned that artists rarely make it big time. But to this day I will always an artist. An Art Geek because I was never one of those "cool" art kids in highschool and I like it better that way because they didn't have much talent anyways. Hey, truth is sometimes harsh. So art. I love it and sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake by going to a four year traditional college instead of an art school but I know that it's not because learning is never a waste. I love weird art but not necessarily really modern art. I like Impressionism, Surrealism, Post-Impressionism and anything that tickles my heart.

I am also in love with a ,unfortunately, dead man with coolest mustache in the world, but things could be worse.

I am 1/5th fashionista. I don't know if everyone will see me as a fashionista, but I see myself as a fashion obsessed girl so I win. Truth be told I don't think I really got into fashion until my junior year in high school. I liked shopping and doodling outfits but I wasn't really passionate about it until now. Hopefully the future is bright for me in this portion of me.

I am part dreamer. I have big dreams for everything. I allow myself to get my hopes up because it keeps me going and plus if things don't work out and I don't find my magical prince charming riding in on a silver unicorn then I can always change my big dreams.

Finally, I am a weirdo. I like to laugh and make people laugh with my weirdness. I love oddities. If you're weird, I may just stare at you for a really long time. I am brave enough to don a lobster headband in a really non-fashion oriented city because I am weird. And us weirdo's cannot see anything beyond our own weirdness that we don't really care if people judge us as weird because that's what we wanted to be known as in the first place.

So there I go. I think this is longest post I wrote. I really beat out Hamlet in my decision making because the little dinky ugly skirt became such a revelation for me as person. It was so worth my, I mean my mom's, $3.50 + tax.

I am 100% Lala, I am 100% me. And if you don't like it, I'll get my turtle, Mr. Wallace, to hunt you and your mother down.

I leave you with a image of my hideous shoes that have MELTED!! I know, wtf right? They weren't even outside. Just sitting in the hallway. I guess the sun must have attacked them secretly while I was away. It's on sun. You better watch your back.

Rockin Girl Blogger

The lovely and multi-talented Diana Bobar from the coolest blog around, So FASH'on, honored me, Lala, with a Rockin Girl Blogger award. I'm in tears. Thanks so much, it means so much to me.

Okay, I'm not really in tears but I do thank you! In my heart, I'm in tears. So once again, I'm here with the dilemma of choosing some bloggers to tag. I don't know that many bloggers and my only "real" friend has not updated in so long (GRRR, you know who you are!! LOL, update pretty pleasee??).

So not to be a blog pooper (the equivalent of a party pooper in the blogging world) I've tagged these wonderful fashionable gals. I also tag Diana in spirit because I guess I'm not suppose to "retag". Also if you've already been tagged, well too bad, I tag you again! MUAHAHAHA!

Isabel at Hipster Musings is too cool for school and rockin such a cute bob at the moment.

Emma at Alarm Clock Catastrophe because she is my daily dose of laughter.

Eleh at Come Thrifting With Me because I wanna go thrifting with her!!! and she wears such adorable outfits.

Fabi at Diary of a Third World Fashionista because I love reading about her life and looking at all her pictures. She is my favorite third world fashionista

Katie at Fashion + Feminism = Love because I envy her thrift finds. and a feminist as well, right on!

And the Asian Cajuns of Asian Cajuns because I love their blog title. It makes me smile everytime I say it.

and and I also tag Carmenita at Fashaholic because I want her to update.

Yet Public Service Announcement for LalaLiu

Attention people of the world. I've taken an hiatus from my DIY rampage to finally edit some of my "modeling" (erm..I mean "normal folks picturetaking") for LalaLiu Designs.

And now good people of the universe you must head over to the site right now and check out the new gallery section and the new items!!

A Summer Afternoon Not Well Spent

My sister and I had a "Laguna Beach"/"The Hills" online watching marathon. I believe that now I have gotten dumber. I'm not that upset. I'm too smart for my good anyway.

Sorry, I was having a "cocky" moment

Oh Snap.

My sister told me I had a "flats tan" which were worse than her "sandals tan". That just about ruined my day.

Lobster Head

I've professed my love for hats, but that love extends to the borders of all head decor as well. I love headbands, headscarves, hairclips, ribbons, barretes, flowers, and of course all things weird. So two weeks ago, during my DIY rampage, I thought "If Salvadore Dali can make a Lobster Telephone, then I certainly can make a Lobster Headband."

My lover's telephone. Erm, I mean Dali's telephone.

My headband.

And I did. I was not only inspired by Dali's lobster phone, but my friend has a deep obsession with these crustaceans that I stole some of her obsession for myself. Even though the lobster looks like a drawing of a five year old and looks like it was constructed by a four year old, my new headband most certainly fullfills my surrealist tendencies. And despite the fact that when I wear the lobster headband, it's pinchers look like devil horns, I cherish it dearly.

Watch out all you fashionistas, I'm the coolest, if not the kookiest, kid on the block now!

Crazy Psycho eyes.

I can't wait to wear it out in public. I hope birds don't attack me because that would just ruin my day.

EDIT: I wore it out today and I got compliments (and stares). But the majority were from my friends. I hope they weren't saying all those nice things to make me feel better. Nah.. they're weird like me.

Vacation

If you haven't figured it out already, I did not actually go to Uranus, although I did really want to, but my parents just could not afford it. So instead, we opted for a small five day trip up north.

The first day was just a whole bunch of driving and sleeping on the car. Hmm.. I really do love sleeping on the car, especially after a nice fullfilling lunch at good ole Denny's. We met up with my mom's friend from college and her family.

Stanford, the school that failed to acknowledge my greatness.

Day two consisted of touring Stanford for my sister. At the little one hour admissions information session, the person said they look for people with potential that will contribute back to the university. Hmph, so they thought I didn't have potential did they??? I'll show you!! LALA WILL RULE THE WORLD ONE DAY and then I'll show you who has the potential now! Jerks.

I don't feel that resentful. Seriously. Up north, they don't have much fashion sense and many hot people. That was mean. I apologize. Sorry.

Then we went to Monterey for beach, fish smells, scenery and all that jazz. We visited fisherman's Wharf and then Cannery Row where we walked and did tourist-y stuff and then ate at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co., which I must say is one of the coolest seafood places I've ever been to even though it was a bit pricey, but all the Forrest Gump memorabilia totally made up for it.

Boats at the wharf that don't really catch any of the fish they sell at the wharf. What tricksters.

The Harley I road up north. Fine, fine, it was just a display next to a shop.

Bubba Gump's! The little shrimp is rather ugly, but boy are the desserts so not ugly.

After our fun at Cannery Row, we headed back to the motel which happened to be right next to a Salvation Army. I had the thrifting itch the whole trip! Hopefully a trip tomorrow will cure me of my madness. The motel had fungus on the shower curtains. So not cool.

The next day we went back to Cannery Row to the Monterey Aquarium. So many fish, so little time, and a lot of people. I love sea otters and I now know how to sniff one out if there happen to be any in area.

Jellyfish!

Afterwards we drove to Carmel where Clint Eastwood was once mayor. And then we paid $9 to drive 17 miles around Pebble Beach, a golf course, and rich people's homes.

Carmel: city by the sea

The tree.

The day was not yet over as we went back to Monterey to drop our friend off and then decided to adventure into downtown and what was there? Why a farmer's market!

I was whining for one of those fish hat, but my parents wouldn't pay and I didn't want to either. I will make one someday and then I can be the coolest girl in the block with this giant fish eating my head.

The third day we left Monterey and drove down south. We passed by Harmony, the most coolest, fun-filled city in all of America. With population 18. I can now say that I've ran across an entire city in under a minute.

We drove down more to Solvang- a fake Denmark.

Our motel was next to the infamous Anderson's Pea Soup Restaurant. We got the pea soup and on the first sip it was wonderful. But then I realized it was pea soup and I don't like peas so I kindly gave it to my dad.

Finally, on our last day we drove back down, stopped by Santa Barbara a bit and then went down to Malibu to visit the Getty Villa. And then we drove back home where I made it just in time for Showgirls.

guess whos back

Just got back from my trip to Uranus and I would have posted about it except I got caught up in Showgirls...again. I'm embarrassed to say I even wasted my precious hours watching such incredibly awesomely bad acting and writing, but what do you know, horrible movies are good for the soul.

Trip across the universe

So yesterday, my coolest super-duperest awesome highschool buddies took and I took a trip across the universe. We visited the rings of Jupiter and froze our hineys off at our quick stop to Pluto. I was estatic with joy to have traveled so far but my dreams were shattered when the local law enforcement told me that Pluto is not a real planet. After our rendevous we space traveled back to Earth all in good time to catch the 4:30 metrolink back to orange county, allowing ourselves an indulgence in overhyped but delicious pinkberry.

If you haven't realized by now (I thought the first sentence was rather obvious), I lied about the whole thing. Minus the pinkberry and metrolink of course. I don't think I'm a compulsive liar, I just like to tell stories. But yesterday I did venture off into Pasadena home of the Rose Bowl and my coolest friend's (KC will be her name) school Art Center: College of Design. It was filled with everything a trip should be: shopping, old people, and art.

This old man was falling alseep, can you say adorable? Because i can! He's adorable!

Unfortunately, we didn't go because of the old people (there was a senior center right near the metrolink stop) but I wanted to visit her school, one of the best art schools in the whole entire universe (and that is not a lie!) Senior galleries were also being put up because they JUST finished school and are starting summer break. We took the bus to get there but wasted an hour when we took the wrong bus that ended up going in a circle around Pasadena. Even the bus was a work of art, they are called the Arts bus afterall. But what is a good adventure without making mistakes and getting lost.

It was sooo cool to see all the works of art and taking their free postcards they left out.

.

Grrrr!

I loved this person's illustrations. black + white + red = my favs even though they are my highschool colors and highschool was not a fav.

There's no fashion design major at art center, but I did see these two absolutely WONDERFUL creations that were works of art. I want those so bad.

One of the coolest parts of the whole school was the prop room. The guy working it was nice to let us "take a look". We did more than that. They had cool clothing there and it felt like a dress up girl's dream come true. It really made me want to go thrifting and buy more hats.

The school was surrounded with art everywhere! Look there stands the chicken that guards the entrance:

Afterwards and another hour of bus mishaps, we went back to Old Towne Pasadena and went shopping. That is wear I spotted Pinkberry and boy does it taste so satisfying when its really hot outside. We walked around H&M and forever 21 and I so a lot of trendy people. Grr those trendy kids! I wanna be trendy too! (haha, not really) I was good and didn't buy anything.

This was a funny picture because this random tall dude came out of nowhere and joined in on our picture but sadly lil fashaholic was blocked.

Read this shirt in the mirror:

Finally we went back to where we started and met up with another friend who couldn't come and ate gelato!! Afterwards my mom and sister came to pick me up and she wanted to eat Cheesecake factory and she would pay! Yummm.

Friday was a fatty day but good thing I wore my high waisted shorts of fury because it kept my stomach trapped in its big pleated fabric. I got a nasty pants burn though. I invented that thing up its when your pants get too tight that you see a red mark.

So tomorrow I will fly off to space again, this time I want to visit Uranus, not just because its a funny name (HAHAH ur anus..okay that was immature). See you space cadets in a week :)