"You're a Wizard, Harry!"

Image via Amazon

In honor of Harry Potter and J.K Rowling's birthdays today (July 31st, I'm just typing this really late)... today is the perfect day for a Harry Potter appreciation post.

My best friend in the whole wide world, MNR and I met in kindergarten. We went to the same elementary school. In 2nd grade, she started reading the Harry Potter books. I didn't really know what Harry Potter was, and I preferred other books, so we didn't really talk about Harry Potter. (PS: Yes, reading HP in 2nd grade... She is one of the most intelligent girls I know and she loves to read!)

In 3rd grade, everyone started reading Harry Potter and MNR had started reading the 5th book. She told me that I just had to start the Harry Potter series. Everyone seemed to love the series, so I decided to give it a try. I fell in love with the magical world of Hogwarts and fell in love with the idea of receiving a Hogwarts acceptance letter (every little girl's dream, right?). I don't think I ever loved a book so much.

As we went to 4th grade, MNR and I were in the same class with the coolest teacher ever, Ms. M. She did a cartwheel every time everyone turned in their homework, and she got us free Jibbitz since her daughter worked at Crocs (Crocs were the coolest shoes in the world back in 4th grade. Side note: I got a light up Tinker Bell jibbit- talk about awesome!). Ms. M was a huge Harry Potter fan and we actually read Harry Potter in 4th grade, since she was such a fan of the book. We even had a Harry Potter Day complete with a Hogwarts feast, potions class (with dry ice, of course), a sorting hat which divided us into different houses, and we all dressed up as Harry Potter characters! I was Cho Chang (since I was Asian...) and MNR was Hermonie. It was one of my favorite memories of elementary school, and that's saying something since my elementary school had the best activities! It was a very elaborate day and the entire classroom was transformed to Hogwarts. Ms. M was dressed up as Professor McGonagall.

I remember getting the 7th Harry Potter book before it was officially released! I took these fun science activity classes and my family had became close friends with the lady who taught them. She owned the cutest science store where we took the classes. She knew a book publisher who got some copies early so I bought my copy from her! It was crazy to me that I could get a book before it was officially released... coolest feeling ever! I still remember the main question I was thinking before I read the last book "Was Snape good or bad?"

Lots of my childhood memories are associated with Harry Potter, and even now, Harry Potter is still a part of my life. My little brother is starting to get into the books (finally!), since his class has some Harry Potter themes incorporated. We started watching the movies on the drive home from Canada and he's really into it.

I still haven't made my way to Harry Potter World, but I'm pretty sure, once my brother reads all the books, we'll be making a trip down to Florida. I love this Buzzfeed article about hidden gems in the latest section of Harry Potter World- Diagon Alley.

Does anyone else remember these videos? They were the thing in middle school!

Snape... Snape... Severus Snape!

My friend A is the biggest fan of Harry Potter. The biggest. Go against her in Harry Potter Quizup, chances are you'll lose. I was talking with ALD and she hasn't read Harry Potter yet, but she's thinking of starting the series. It just goes to show that there's something about Harry Potter that makes it timeless... the dynamic characters, the amazing location and unique storyline. 

To "The Boy Who Lived!"

Happy birthday Harry and to the mastermind behind the wonderful world of Harry Potter, J.K Rowling!

PS: Also a happy birthday shout-out to my sweet friend in elementary school who's also friends with MNR and me... AF. I hope you have the best day! I trust and value your opinions like no other. Thanks for always teaching me something new.

Let's Go On an Adventure... Philadelphia, PA

On our way to Canada, we stopped in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, (Mom's always wanted to see it with us) and try the infamous Philly cheese steak. I really liked Philadelphia, maybe it was my love for the marketplace and Philly cheese steaks, but hey! ;) It was really pretty. All around Philly was the combination of old and modern architecture, which was really cool. There were lots of bike riders, which was really cool; I'd love to ride my bike all around Philadelphia. We were only in Philly for half a day, so we didn't do much. But here's what we did and my tips for Philly:

Go see the Liberty Bell: It's a really cool experience and it's free and even if the line is long, it moves quickly! It's held inside a center full of information to read and see. At the end is the Liberty Bell! It's a quick, easy, informational attraction.

Walk around Philly: There's lot to see and do. Just walking around is an experience itself. Don't forgot to stop and try some of Philly's famous water ice. Lemon and cherry water ice is available at any of the vendors on every street corner. (Water ice is seasonal.)

One of the National Treasure movies was filmed right here!

The architecture is very different than where I'm from.
Common stores on the side of the street and not in a strip mall
is normal in Philly.

I love the combination of modern and traditional,
as shown in this photo.
The modern corner building and the traditional clock.
Oh and there are lots of bicyclers in Philly!
This photo is Philly in a nutshell.

B.Y.O. Cheesesteak! ;)

The art is out of this world!

Famous Philly water ice.
It was different than anything I've ever tried before!

The two flavors available at almost every vendor.

Hungry? Head to the Reading Terminal Market: This market is probably the coolest thing in the world. Inside holds a wide variety of restaurants and grocery stores! You could eat at a different restaurant everyday for a month and you still wouldn't have tried each restaurant! It's a foodie's dream come true, and it's my dream come true. You can buy fresh produce or order some delicious food.

Not the best photo, sorry!
But it's probably my favorite place in the world.

Best sandwich in America award (seriously) goes to... TOMMY DiNiC's: Tommy's is located in the Reading Terminal Market and Tommy's roast pork sandwich has been awarded the best sandwich in America award. We tried the roast beef sandwich (I prefer pork, but my brother choose), and it was pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of roast beef in general, and I would go back to try the roast pork sandwich. Add some provolone on your sandwich because their cheese is really flavorful and delicious!

The famous roast beef sandwich!

We didn't get a chance to go... but next time we'll go to the Philly Pretzel Factory. I can't say no to soft pretzels, and we just saw their company on an episode of Undercover Boss.

We also stopped at Pat's and Geno's to complete the famous taste test between the two oh-so-popular Philly cheese steaks. They were both similar. I preferred Pat's, the rest of my family preferred Geno's.

Pat's!

Geno's!

However, we all agreed that our personal favorite Philly cheese steak was from the Reading Terminal Market's shop, by george! Also the Philly cheese steak was less the price than either Pat's or Geno's, and double the portion. I'd go here for Philly cheese steaks, or try somewhere new!

Philly was a lot of fun! We'll be back soon!

Just (Romp)in' Around

[Warning: Super long post! A Recap and Fashion post all in one. You get two for the price of one. (free?)]

Today was quite a productive day (minus the part where I didn't do any of my summer assignments... I'm really going to be regretting that by this time next week. I woke up bright and early to go with J to the school to get our class t-shirts approved. Yay! The one J and I loved and thought would win the survey is surprisingly not winning or even close to winning. I guess you never know what others truly think. It was crazy being back at school and the fact that school starts in a few weeks really sunk in. (Ahhh!)

Then I went to hang out with SS and AV at our favorite lunch spot, Noodles & Co. I got a mac & cheese (what can I say? I love it!) and a side Caesar salad. I forgot to take a photo because I was so hungry. It was amazing. Oh and I copped a prom date at Noodles! ;)

[Side note: SS, AV, EPP and I all hung out yesterday at SS' house too. We tie-dyed shirts and ate all of SS' food. Her ice cream selection is like a mini Harris Teeter!]

We went window shopping at a local boutique, Ulta and Charming Charlie's. Personally I'm not huge into make-up or jewelry, but it's also fun to window shop, especially with friends!

Then we got froyo (my fav!). I got the peanut butter & white chocolate mousse swirl and the strawberry & pina colada swirl with whipped cream and Nutella. Weird combination, but froyo is froyo- which means it's good.

We, then, made our way to everyone's favorite shop, Target! We went straight to the clothes. AV tried on some swimsuits and got a really cute top that I loved!

For the life of me, I can't find it on the website, but this is a similar one.

Junior's Flounce Swim Top -Mint

I fell in love with this swimsuit. I'm coming back for ya!

Xhilaration® Junior's Push Up Swim Top -Stripe

Background story: SS wore a romper to lunch and it was so cute! She told us she got it from Rue 21, where I don't usually shop. Such a funny story about how she got that romper! It was super cute, and unfortunately no longer available online. We talked in the clothing boutique 

Back in Target... After finding this romper in the clearance section; SS and I both fell in love. She tried it on first since she's tiny and it was a XS. It was way too small on her, so I tried it on and it fit! A happy surprise since I'm usually a S. I love it! I'm so glad AV and SS convinced me to buy it. We've already decided that I'm wearing it the next time we go out.

Junior's Printed Romper

I am now in love with rompers. I always have been but now that I have another one, I'm totally in love. I need a million rompers. I could wear them everyday. A complete outfit. Only downside? So hard to go to the bathroom in!

Here are some really cute rompers:

Sweet Tie-Front Romper

Don't Tempt Me Romper

Everything Leads To You Romper

Abstract Floral Strapless Romper

Some Nights Romper

Take Me Away Romper

Jetsetter Romper-Royal

Sweep Me Off My Feet Romper

Riverwalking Romper

What do you think about rompers? Which ones do you love?

Help! Great Birthday Gifts?!

Image via Pinterest

I usually pride myself on giving sentimental, amazing birthday gifts. However, I didn't get an old friend's text invite to her party this week. She DMed me on Twitter letting me know since I didn't reply! I never saw the text. I haven't seen her in a while and was excited for the chance to see her again, so I happily obliged.

But that doesn't leave me much time to get a great gift!? I haven't seen her in a while and she's not like in love with any brand in particular (Sorry, I'm a brand name girl and I figure everyone else is too. They're not.).

I was thinking of getting her a picture frame (my favorite gift to give friends!), but I can't find all my photos with her since they're from a while ago when I used my old laptop (aka gone and I deleted all my old photos off Facebook because... well, because embarrassing.)

I hate getting people gift cards and when asking her stepbrother what to get her, he said a Starbucks gift card since she goes there every day after swim practice. I don't like getting gift cards- but I could buy a Starbucks tumbler with a Starbucks gift card inside and other goodies... Hmm.

Please provide me with some gift ideas before Monday comes!

Here are some ideas I thought of! Let me know what you think is a great gift! Maybe it's something you'd like to receive. Even better, if you have any better other ideas, let me know!

1.) Tie-Dye Kit & Shirt: It's a fun DIY craft for a rainy afternoon! It's not your typical birthday gift and awesome for those Pinterest lovers. Just add water!

Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit

Women's Perfect Fit Crew Tee

2.) Ugly Selfie Book: For all those screenshotted Snapchats and embarrassing middle school photos. Make it as funny as memory lane can possibly be. I haven't made one yet, but it might be in the works for a friend in the future. Watch out guys! ;)

Inspiration from Sarah Belle's 21st Birthday Haul video

3.) Mix Tape: My friend AS made me a mix tape for my birthday and it's one of the best (possibly the best) gift I've ever gotten. She also made me a scrapbook (tie between the mix tape for the best gift ever). With songs from our middle school days and the lyrics we wrote on all our binders (in middle school, of course). It's also perfect for friends who drive so you can blast it while driving!

4.) Customized Shoes: Who doesn't love shoes? Especially shoes customized for your friend! My friend AV sells the coolest canvas shoes. You can get Toms, Mossimo Supply canvas shoes or Vans. You can contact VuVu Designs directly to create a custom order of shoes for your friend, or send in your own shoes to get them designed! Make sure to plan in advance because it takes 3 weeks processing and 3-6 days to ship to the US. If you need them sooner, rush order is also available! (Rush order is 7 business days processing and 3-6 days to ship to the US. More information here.)

Dream Catcher Vans
(These Vans are on sale for one week!
$129 original price, $94 this week only.)

5.) Movie Kit: What's better than a movie night at home? A new movie complete with all of the essentials: a great movie, popcorn, candy and a soda. Bundle it up in a bucket with a giant ribbon and you've got the ultimate stay-in night. You'll receive texts afterwards thanking you for a relaxing evening- whether with a date, the family, alone, or friends... Maybe you'll be the lucky friend asking to pass the popcorn that night! What better way to personalize this gift with a movie the two of you saw and loved in the theater or their favorite movie you know they don't own. Add a Share a Coke with their name to make the gift all the more personalized!

Grease

Orville Redenbacher's Butter Microwave Popcorn

Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares Premium Assortment

Share A Coke - Customize and Personalize Coke Bottles With Names

6.) Sephora Fragrance Gift Sets: This is one of the coolest gifts ever. When I was online shopping at Sephora a few years ago, I ran into this gift and I thought it was the coolest gift in the world! How it works is you buy the fragrance sampler set which is filled with several samples of Sephora's most popular perfumes. The lucky recipient gets to try out all the samples of the sampler set. Then, she chooses her favorite scent of the set, and with an included scent certificate goes to redeem at any US Sephora store for the full size version of said perfume. So you get to try out different scents, pick your favorite and get the full size version of your favorite scent! It's perfect! It's a fun gift that I think is great! There are different versions of the gift set, so go here to check them all out!

Fragrance Rollerball Sampler For Her

Fragrance Sampler for Her

7.) R&R Kit: Similar to a movie kit (so much inspiration from #5), a R&R kit is perfect for your friend who needs some relaxation and loves a rainy day spent curled up with a book, a cup of tea (or coffee, if they prefer) and some relaxing tunes! (Tip: Add a sticky note of relaxing song recommendations onto the gift card for them to buy! I'm a huge fan of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Ed Sheeran and acoustic versions of their favorite songs.)

Looking for Alaska

Tazo Calm Chamomile Herbal Tea

'crème de la crème' porcelain mug

iTunes Gift Card

More gift set inspiration to come! If you have any ideas what I can get my friend (I only have one day left!), please help! Send me some gift inspiration. Thank you!

Five on Friday

If there was an award for the "constantly late Five on Friday blogger," I think I'd be taking home the gold. So I've started this post at 12:28am on... Saturday. Sorry it's been a crazy day! An amazing day, but crazy, none the least.

I actually didn't do much this week other than procrastinate on summer assignments, but next week is my last week without work until the school year starts- so I better get cracking!

I went to the zoo with my friends JSC, ALD and MF today, and it was so much fun! It went really well, and I learned that I am the "mom" of the group. More on that later and the trip!

I also found my new favorite fast food restaurant ever! (#1 on my Five on Friday) and have an extra surprise for my #5! I used my point & shoot camera a lot today, and barely touched my phone today on my zoo trip aka uploading lots of photos to posts that will be posted soon!

Yay for a relaxing and fun week! Anyone else playing the Kim K game? I'm low-key not low-key at all, borderline obsessed.

1. Cook-Out: New favorite fast food restaurant. On the way back from the zoo, we decided to stop at Cook-Out. ALD is a fan and I was really excited to try it. I had been once with the girls (last year after ice-skating) and we got milkshakes, and they were good, I mean really good, good good. (Good good? Great? Hahaha. Don't mind my blogging past midnight!) I didn't take any photos because I devoured my food. I got two corn dogs, a cheese fry and a caramel fudge milkshake. Sooo good! I couldn't even finish my food in one sitting. It was so good and I was raving about Cook-Out so much, that my family decided to go again for dinner! My brothers were envious of my amazing experience. It lived up to the hype. They both got trays, which comes with a main food item, two sides and a drink... for less than $5. I think it is a great deal! (I'll have to get one next time.) I'll be back there very very soon. If you make your way to the South (NC, SC, TN, VA or GA), make sure to stop at a Cook-Out! They're famous for their milkshakes. I got the peanut butter one the first time and that one was really good! I tried my brothers' Reeses Cups and Oreo shakes, and they were good too! I want to try Cappuccino, Mocha, Walnut or Hershey's Chocolate next time! And get more of that food. Honestly, I'm not huge into fast food (I prefer Chipotle and Noodles & Co types of restaurants if I'm getting takeout), but Cook-Out has changed my opinion on fast food and Southern food as a whole! (I know this is super long, but that's seriously how good Cook-Out is!) I recommend: the hush puppies, corn dog and peanut butter milkshake. (If you're a peanut butter lover like me!) All the food there is insanely good, and I'll probably tell you more about my Cook-Out recommendations in a future post as I eat there more often!

   

   Image via PDFoodie.com

    
2. Road trips: I wasn't the biggest fan of road trips. They're long and I prefer the comfort of a plane. And then I took a road trip with my friends to the zoo. And my opinion on road trips totally changed! I didn't drive during this trip, so I can't really say that I'll love being in the drivers seat during road trips. But just talking, singing along to Frozen and old goodies like Picture to Burn and This is What Dreams Are Made Of makes the time fly by! (And a Cook-Out milkshake doesn't hurt!) I honestly wouldn't mind just driving around and talking for the entire day. (Given that I'm not the one in the driver's seat...) I want to go on more road trips with my girls! DC, anyone? I'm up for it. (DC is probably my favorite place in the US... that I've been to so far!) I'm already dreaming of going window shopping and eating pastries in Georgetown with the girls. 
3. VSCO Cam: Even though it malfunctioned on me once today, this is my all-time favorite photo editing app. I just like simple lighting edits, and even when you think a photo is perfect- VSCO Cam can make sure it's perfect. Best part? It's free! I don't use the filters, but the edit button for lighting, shadows- it's the little things. My days of Auto-Enhancing, Valencia and Instagram filters are gone. I really want to work on more photography and I love my family friend's DSLR camera... Maybe my next "big" purchase? After riding boots? (which are a need!) Side note: Perhaps a future post on my favorite apps to come? I think yes.
4. Pullover Shirts: I'm not sure if this is the proper word for them, but they're the buttondowns that go down 1/3 of the way. I have two from J.Crew and this week, I got another one from Lauren Ralph Lauren at Belk. They're my favorite! 

   

   Bib Popover

5. Pets: We got a pet guinea pig this week! My brother loves animals, loves animals! We've been trying for a dog all the time, but my dad wasn't feeling it. My brother did his research and fell in love with a guinea pig at the SPCA we volunteer at! His name is Thor and he is super cute. I wasn't sure how I felt at first, but after meeting him, he's a cutie pie! He's already pretty old- 3 years old, and he's a bit shy. He's been at the SPCA for a long time, so we're really excited to give him a home. We actually brought him home today/yesterday (Friday), and I'm really excited for him to adapt to our house and get comfortable with us! Right now, he hangs out in his igloo and comes out just a little bit to get some kale and oranges (his favorite!). More photos to come soon! (This one is his adoption one!) 

   

   Welcome home Thor!
   We're so excited to have you!