Thursday, December 29, 2011

sunny days


Day two of my SF trip, downtown!
I love the huge Christmas trees :)

(sweater: Madewell; purse: Gap; boots: Dolce Vita for Target)

It was a perfect day to wear my new sweater from Madewell - it's so warm & cozy I could probably curl up in it. Luckily, an oversized men's collared shirt paired well with the sweater.


Thank goodness I wore my Dolce Vita boots because it's quite a walk to the Ferry Building.

I did some vinegar & olive oil tasting at Stonehouse Olive Oil (so good!), bought macaroons at Miette again, and tried other things as well. But I think my favorite purchase was the gouda cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. Can you tell I love cheese? 



To end my last night:

My camera doesn't do the gorgeous scenery justice from Twin Peaks but.. oh well.

Good night San Francisco <3 
Until next time.



Love,
Samantha Mariko

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

back in san francisco

I am so happy to be in San Francisco again!
It's a lot sunnier than it was in the summer- a pleasant surprise.

A few things I did today:

(Knit shirt: Nordstrom; scarf: Rimo; purse: Gap)

My first time going to Haight Street!
 So many vintage stores and boutiques that I couldn't even get to them all.

But this store has got to be the creepiest store I've ever been to.


Antique baby coffins, old photographs, dentures(?!), taxidermy chicken dressed up in a suit, and an abundance of skulls.  It was definitely interesting, almost like a museum.


On a brighter note, I stopped by an adorable-looking hot cocoa bar called Coco Luxe.
Their Black & White hot cocoa was delicious! I finished it in less than 5 minutes.




I'm looking forward to more shopping and good food tomorrow!
I'm always discovering new things when I go to SF. The fun never stops :) 


Sweet dreams <3

Love,
Samantha Mariko

Sunday, December 25, 2011

happy holidays


(Dress and gloves: Zara; fur wrap: H&M)
(Photos by raldigiphoto)

Some unedited shots from a photo shoot I did in San Gabriel last weekend. The location was so gorgeous and I had a great time doing this shoot! I was trying to go for the 40s glam look..Who would have thought the fur wrap would come in handy again.


On a different note, I am enjoying the holidays away from home for once and stuffing myself in the process. I hope everyone else is able to relax and spend time with their loved ones :) 
Merry Christmas!



Much Love,

Samantha Mariko


P.S. I found out that I was featured on half-asians.com !! No wonder I was getting more views than usual.. Anyways, thank you Jody for featuring me and thanks to those that saw it :) 

Friday, December 23, 2011

sale?


Rumor has it that there will be a sale at Zara starting tomorrow! The layout of the store is different, which I think gives it away. Anyways, this is perfect for last minute shoppers. They have lots of good items this season, including coats, dresses, and shirts. 

I may have caught the shopper off guard :* Oops.

Happy shopping :)


Love,
Samantha Mariko

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

for beauty

I wanted to avoid posting 2 beauty/makeup posts in a row, but I really want to show all of you some of the early Christmas gifts I received. With compact-size beauty items, I think I'm ready to travel :)

 "Lola" by Marc Jaocbs solid perfume (doesn't it make a cute ring?)


Shea cashmere hand cream ( it has a wonderful scent and leaves my hands feeling incredibly soft)



I also recently tried the L'Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in Sunset Red.



I don't usually wear such bold lip colors, but this shade is perfect! And it stays on forever.



Getting more and more excited for the holidays :)


Kisses,

Samantha Mariko


Thursday, December 15, 2011

stiletto


Ever since I started using liquid eyeliner, I've never really found the right kind until now. Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner is true to its name. It's so easy to apply and it comes in 3 different shades. I chose the brownish black so I can wear it for everyday since it isn't as harsh as black.



Paired with Rimmel Max Volume Flash Waterproof Mascara:



What are your favorite eye-makeup products?


Love,
Samantha Mariko

Saturday, December 10, 2011

sweet

Last night, I went over to Iota Coffee & Bakery in K-town for my cake fix. 
Such a spacious cafe and so bright! I was quite pleased.



And the banana cheesecake & Sakurambo tea I had was delicious. Their portions are pretty generous, so I feel like I got my money's worth.  Take a look at the presentation of the sweets!

(shirt: H&M; pencil skirt: Zara; ring:Rimo)


Next time, I'd love to try their breakfast & lunch menu! 
This place is definitely worth checking out :)



Love,
Samantha Mariko

Thursday, December 8, 2011

so much drama


I'm sure many of my friends know this, but I am a huge fan of Asian drama, Japanese ones in particular.
Right now, I'm watching "Sengyou Shufu Tantei (専業主婦探偵)," which translates to "Detective Housewife." There's a brief synopsis on Dramawiki, but basically Kyoko Fukada plays a naive housewife who is irritatingly optimistic. Of course, her husband (Naohito Fujiki) finds her behavior to be overwhelming and has an affair with another woman, and the housewife somehow ends up being a detective's assistant, etc. 

I love all of the actors in this drama, especially Kenta Kiritani, my new favorite actor :) As the detective, he switches from serious to funny in seconds, a quality I really like in Japanese actors. His impression of Osaka dialect is hilarious (which is interesting because he is a native of Osaka prefecture). And Kyoko Fukada is adorable as always, especially with her short do and glasses. 


The theme song for this drama is a catchy electro-pop song - "Spice" by Perfume.


They are such a cute & upbeat band. 



Watching these dramas and listening to this kind of music really makes me want to go back to Japan. One day.. :)



Love,
Samantha Mariko

bulgogi!

I'm finally done with finals.. forever! My my Korean final as my last one, so naturally I was craving Korean food. To celebrate, Gabe took me out to a delicious Korean BBQ restaurant.
Soowon Galbi isn't all-you-can-eat, but it was clean with a friendly atmosphere. 
Most importantly, they had the most side dishes I've ever seen and the best bulgogi! 
I was in heaven with every bite.

Looking at these photos is making my mouth water again - it was that good.
Great way to end my last quarter :)




Love, 
Samantha Mariko

Saturday, December 3, 2011

sparkle

Made it to the Grammy concert after-party this week at the Conga Room. The space was a lot nicer than I expected, but the crowd was, to put it bluntly, quite sparse for an after-party. Anyways, we decided to play around with my new camera and we got some cool shots:




(shirt & skirt: Urban Outfitters; clutch: Zara)

Sequins and velvet are a must this season! The gold clutch made my all-black ensemble a bit more fun :)
Spice up your look with cute & funky accessories too!



Love,
Samantha Mariko