red blue white

(blazer: H&M; shirt: Zara; belt: Urban Outfitters; tights: F21;

 heels: Christian Siriano for Payless)

The weather has gotten so much nicer again after the rain. 

I got this camel-colored blazer at H&M for only $40, and it's perfect for spring weather because it's not too thin. I also love the red detail on the inside. One of my other favorite purchases this spring are my Christian Sirianos from Payless. They are so comfortable! I even wore them for my recital because they were the only heels I had that didn't squeak on the piano pedals when I played.

And my Jason Wu bag that's in almost all of my posts... it just goes with everything :)

Hope you had a good weekend!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

mayer hawthorne

I was fortunate enough to be an extra in Mayer Hawthorne's single "No Strings" this weekend. It took place in Malibu, and one of the locations was a private beach - my first time ever! It was a beautiful day, perfect for a beach shoot. And all I had to do was play with a beach ball with other models :) To top it off, Mayer turned out to be really sweet and genuine, and such the gentleman. I was not expecting him to sweep me off my feet... 

I really recommend his music, especially his song "The Walk." His music has a retro soul vibe, and I personally think it's perfect to listen to on a summer day. He told us that he usually comes up with the ideas  for his videos, which is pretty cool. Check it out!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

san diego

(photos by A. Wang & yours truly)

Photos from my brief trip to San Diego yesterday. My friend took me around to all the hot spots in the area - Balboa Park, the Salk Institute, Hillcrest, and "the Cliffs." An abundance of breathtaking views, delicious food, and phenomenal architecture. I had a lovely time. Hoping I can go back before my trip to Japan!

Love, 

Samantha Mariko

audrey

(JJ May issue)

I finally got my copy of the May issue of JJ magazine! I'm particularly excited about this issue because one of the cover girls is the gorgeous Audrey Ayaka. I had the opportunity to meet her last year at an Earthquake Relief event - she is so sweet and charming, you can't help but like her.  It's my dream to eventually be able to do the kind of work she does in Japan. I congratulate her for this great achievement and I look forward to continue seeing more of her work :)  You can check out her Ameblo (Ameba blog), which she writes in English and Japanese. おめでとう、オードリー！

Love,

Samantha Mariko

suburban

(tank: Brandy & Melville; shorts: Zara; shades: H&M; shoes: Converse; 

necklace: Rimo; purse: Jason Wu for Target)

Finally starting to settle back down in OC again, so now I have some time to get back into the swing of things, including blogging :) My last few days in LA went by too quickly, with moving and whatnot. I do miss living there and everything else about it, but I think the hardest part was saying good-bye to my boyfriend and doing the long-distance thing again. Despite that, I'm really looking forward to my much-anticipated trip to Japan this month! I haven't been there in 7 years, which is way too long. I'm excited to reunite with family & friends there, and for the adventures that await me :)

Well. that's it for now!

Love,

Samantha Mariko