All posts in: Amazon

Culture
21 Jan 2021

Blog Roundup

  • Airbnb’s Most Wish-Listed Properties in all 50 States [Matador Network]
  • How Often Should You Reboot Your Computer? [Gizmodo]
  • How Many Minutes Per Day Should You Spend Outside? [InsideHook]
  • Vice President Kamala Harris is an ARMY [PINKVILLA]
  • Meena Harris Would Like (Politely) Remind You That She Is ‘Not Kamala’ [The Cut]
  • Pharrell Partners with Georgia Tech and Amazon to Teach Music Coding to Young Students [Hypebeast]
  • 13 Korean Dramas to Look Forward to in 2021 [Hypebae]
  • Glastonbury 2021 Has Been Cancelled [The Fader]
  • Anderson Cooper Fangirls Over Poet Amanda Gorman [CNN]
  • They Prepare the White House for a New President. They Have 5 Hours. [NY Times]
Culture
29 Dec 2020

Favorites of 2020

Favorite Style Icon (s): BTS

Before I even started writing this post, I knew I was in for a challenge. I’ve never had an issue deciding who was the most iconic in fashion for that year because we could always go back and look at who we shared the most for “Snaps for a Snapshot.” In a year where we had fewer red carpet experiences, that made this choice harder. And yet, it was easier. BTS truly shined in their “Dynamite” era and we were served impeccable looks for every editorial, appearance, and performance. Each one continued to top the last. Over the years, the guy have come into their own on highlighting the style that they are most comfortable with. Even though they show up as an ensemble, you can tell that they make it their own.

Runner Up: Margot Robbie

We somehow managed to get one award show season before the pandemic hit and Margot Robbie continued to stun on every red carpet.

Favorite Getaway: Los Angeles

I only had two places to choose from for this category this year and honestly, I loved Los Angeles and Phuket for two very different reasons. I think what pushed me towards LA is that I had the chance to celebrate the bachelorette of one of my best friends in a city that I love. No matter how many times I visit, I’m always being introduced to something new. Celebrating moments were few and far between, but this one was so memorable.

Favorite Artist: Dua Lipa

In 2020, I listened to an unhealthy amount of Dua Lipa. “Future Nostalgia” is a superb album and with the year that we’ve had, it was just what we needed. Full of pop tracks and dance hits, it’s actually quite difficult to be upset at any part of this album. It was the soundtrack to my summer and an album I know I’ll listen to even further into 2021.

Runner Up: Griff

Griff is just starting to come into her own, but we’re so excited for what she’ll achieve in the next year.

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Selling Sunset

It’s not easy for me to add a new reality television series into the mix, but Selling Sunset had all the right components. The series was catty, smart, and somewhat educational? I learned so much about homes and real estate just from watching the show alone without all of the drama. The episodes are short so it feels easily digestible and it is great background noise in case you don’t want to pay attention too closely.

Runner Up: Emily in Paris

How could we forget the show that we thought we’d end up hating, but actually loved?

Favorite Item Purchased This Year: [Amazon Brand – Terry Cotton & Modal Oversized-Fit Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt] – $29.50

If you had told me that lounge wear would be my aesthetic this year (pre-pandemic) I would have thought you were lying. Contrary to what some may believe, lounge wear can be stylish as well. However, this year taught us that comfort is key. That denim jeans may be a thing of the past (for now at least) and that half zips are the ultimate basic piece to own. We’ve talked about this Amazon half zip so many times now across all of our platforms, but I could live in this for a week.

Runner Up: [BLANKNYC Good Vibes Faux Leather Moto Jacket] – $98

The girl who thought she could never pull off a leather jacket finally did!

Favorite Albums (in no particular order):

  • Justin Bieber – Changes
  • The Weeknd – After Hours
  • Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
  • Kiana Ledé – KIKI
  • Tom Misch – What Kinda Music
  • JoJo – good to know
  • Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
  • Kygo – Golden Hour
  • Teyana Taylor – The Album
  • Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
  • Henry Green – Half Light
  • BLACKPINK – THE ALBUM
  • TWICE – Eyes Wide Open
  • BTS – BE
  • KATIE – Our Time Is Blue
Style
28 Dec 2020

The Closet: December 2020

[The Kooples Medium Black Emily Bag Croco Print] – $450

I always think that this post isn’t necessary in the month of December because we already do the holiday gift guide, holiday party dress guide and New Year’s Eve outfit guide. Sometimes, the things we want just don’t fall into those three categories though. And because of that, here we are showing you the things you still might want for your closet. On a typical year, we would be looking forward to Boxing Day sales – traditionally the day after Christmas. It’s the time where I splurge on winter coats that I’ve been eyeing all season and the last of the sweaters before I head into spring. Though it’s not like us, we completely avoided the sales and the posts promoting them this year. Since I’ve been spending so much time at home, I decided to invest in items that would make living and working at home more comfortable for the foreseeable future. That being said, here are some things I’m sad to pass on.

[Zara Plaid Blazer] – $89.90 – $49.99

Read more “The Closet: December 2020”
Culture
27 Dec 2020

This Weekend:

What We’re Watching: Love Life (HBO Max)

I’m a little late to the “Love Life” game, but decided to start this on Christmas. As much as I love Anna Kendrick for her work as an actress, I was surprised to find that her portrayal as Darby is wildly unlikeable. It was quite a struggle to get through the first two episodes, but after you get past that hurdle, it’s somewhat smooth sailing from there. What’s great about the series is that you feel like you’re sort of growing up with Darby. While she makes many mistakes early on, she learns from them. Part of why it’s so difficult to like Darby is because many of us watching her see ourselves. Therefore, watching the show is triggering because our mistakes are similar to the one’s she’s making herself. And with that, we’re already on episode 8 and can’t wait to see how this all unfolds.

What We’re Listening To: The Postal Service – Everything Will Change

I used to think that listening to live albums were never going to measure up to the real thing, but in a year like 2020, any and every type of music has the ability to bring someone comfort. We don’t have an option to be picky this year. We’ve talked about this a few times now, but early on in the pandemic, Ben Gibbard’s daily 4pm shows helped keep my spirits up in a time of uncertainty. Everything Will Change is a live album from their two-night performance at Berkeley’s Greek Theater back in 2014 brought back to life with it’s 2020 release. This is actually one of the few albums I have on vinyl and now I feel like I need this version as well.

What We’re Wearing: [The Drop Women’s Mirabelle Long Bell Sleeve Open Front Cozy Cardigan] –

And the coziness continues! As we drag our feet through winter looking ahead to spring, I’m starting to swap out my thick sweaters for some lighter ones including this cardigan. I actually found this through an influencer I follow and love the ease of how you can pair this with any outfit. At the moment, the cardigan is currently unavailable, but there are similar styles coming from The Drop often!

What We’re Eating: Daeho Galbijjim

For Christmas this year, we ordered from Daeho! I’m probably the last person in San Francisco to finally try this place for the first time and have spent the last year hearing from my friends how much they love going to this spot. The FOMO was real. Now that I’ve finally had it, I can confirm that it really is as good as everyone says it is. The takeout itself was awesome, but I can only imagine how better it is to have in person and can’t wait to go there myself when things open back up again and are safe.

Style
11 Dec 2020

This Weekend:

What We’re Watching: Shawn Mendes Live in Concert (Netflix)

We’re starting our weekend a little early today because we’re feeling under the weather. As I wrap up my work day, instead of just having a Shawn Mendes playlist going on in the background, I’ve got his concert special instead! Some of you may know that I decided last minute to attend his tour stop in the Bay Area last year and it was incredible. It’s funny; I always go into concerts thinking that I’m going to have an okay time, but once it starts I am very much invested into my time there. Since his latest album came out, I’ve been feeling lukewarm about it. In fact, if you’ve read the Pitchfork review on it, I share similar sentiments. Watching this live show of his last album has reminded me of some better times.

What We’re Listening To: Taylor Swift – Evermore

What did we do to deserve two Taylor Swift albums in one year? Like everyone else this weekend, I’m also tuning into the sister album of Folklore and looking forward to it. I tend to consider myself a moderate Taylor Swift fan. I listen to the tracks, have some favorites, even attended two concerts of hers, but I’m not the fan that waits at midnight to watch the release go down. That’s reserved for BTS. She’s debuting a bit of a different sound with these last two, but at the same time, I’m intrigued. The pandemic is really sparking this interesting wave of creativity in people and it’s amazing what we can accomplish when we’ve slowed down.

What We’re Wearing: [Amazon Essentials Women’s Relaxed Fit French Terry Fleece Jogger Sweatpant] – $21.10

Don’t ask me when I’m going to stop buying lounge wear because I honestly do not know. You would have thought we’d gotten this all out of our systems after month three of the pandemic, but obviously not. In my defense, I don’t own navy joggers yet and this is a great price!

What We’re Eating: [Tortellini Soup]

Since the forecast is showing us a cold weekend, I really wanted to make the most of my time indoors. I haven’t actually ever made a soup before so this will be a new venture for me, but look at how beautiful this looks? It’s also so nice to have something as simple as this, but hearty enough with tortellinis mixed in.

Culture
05 Dec 2020

This Weekend:

Watching: The Queen’s Gambit

After hearing for weeks about this Netflix miniseries, I finally finished it just last night. It was a great series to start after our Thanksgiving meal and since then, I’ve been chipping away at episodes every couple of days. I’m hearing now that this show has influenced watchers to buy their own chess set for the holidays. When I look back at everything I’ve watched this year since the beginning of quarantine, The Queen’s Gambit is one of the series that I find quite intriguing. In terms of enjoyment, I’d put it behind “Start-Up,” but it terms of quality content, I’d put it ahead of “Tiger King.” I know that these things aren’t always comparable, but I’ve now consumed more television and film content in a year than I have ever before in my life.

What We’re Listening To: Shawn Mendes – Wonder

Caught up in all the hype that is BTS, for awhile, I felt like all other music couldn’t reach me. Or rather, I wasn’t letting it. 2019 was the summer of Shawn Mendes for me. He had two summer hits and a concert that I still can’t believe I had a chance to attend. The publicity around this album has also been rampant with not one, but two Netflix programs. I’ve already watched the documentary, but have my on my to do list is concert special. This weekend, I’m really looking forward to spending more time on his album and dissecting every song a little closer.

What We’re Wearing: [Jouica Women’s Casual Lightweight V Neck Batwing Sleeve Knit Top Loose Pullover Sweater] – $27.99

My favorite part about shopping on Amazon is how long the titles are for every piece under the fashion category. I haven’t always shopped for my clothes on Amazon. To be honest, until the pandemic, I wasn’t doing much of my shopping on Amazon to begin with. An Instagrammer I follower, however, swears by some of the pieces she purchases from them. With her being a similar size to me and us having similar tastes in clothing, it was her influence that led me to the half zip sweater that I wear on a weekly basis. The other morning, I was in bed going through my IG stories when a video popped up of her describing this sweater above. It didn’t take me more than five minutes to add this to my cart and finish my purchase. With less of us going out and more time indoors, it doesn’t seem reasonable to be purchasing expensive sweaters especially if you can find them at the same quality and for a better price.

What We’re Eating: Jollibee’s Spaghetti

Ahead of our grocery shopping errands today, we stopped on over to Jollibee’s for breakfast. My favorite is their Spaghetti, which honestly, looks very simple and is something I could make myself, but don’t even attempt to. It’s slightly unconventional to be having pasta so early in the morning, but somehow it works and it’s delicious!

Style
29 Nov 2020

Holiday Gift Guide 2020

[Ohom Kopi Mug and Warmer Set] – $75

When it comes to Christmas shopping, Kevin and I are no strangers to waiting until the last minute to shop for my parents. Instead of shipping things directly to our parents’ home (to avoid spoilers obviously) we wait until we’re back in Seattle to do all of our shopping. Most times, it can be what you expect it to be: hectic and chaotic. Other times, it gives us an excuse to leave the house and visit some of our favorite local spots while we’re out.

This year, we won’t be returning home for Christmas. Instead my parents will receive their presents unwrapped, but boxed from USPS. It’s not the holiday we hoped for, but we’ll make this sacrifice for the safety of those we love. In previous years, you’d be getting this holiday guide from me the week before Christmas. Since I had some time off this week from Thanksgiving, I decided to get a head start. You all may need it since you might also be doing some shipping of your own!

I didn’t intend for the theme to be so focused on home life, but after the year we’ve had and what 2021 may look like, this seems fitting. Moreover, festivals and celebrations are all about cheerfulness and colorfulness, one way of achieving it could be through decorating the home with some beautiful lights and lamps like the ones available at thelamplife. When the home looks bright, our mood brightens up instantly. This is the reason this time, I have focused on the gifts that can make your home a little more “home-y” and you more comfortable. In addition to getting this guide earlier than usual, you’re also getting MORE because nothing is sold out yet.

[Ortofon Orbit Special Walnut Turntable with Built-In Pre Amp] – $549

Read more “Holiday Gift Guide 2020”
Style
28 Aug 2020

The Closet: August 2020

[Society6 Whimsical Sky Face Mask] – $16.99 – $13.59

This is quite possibly the bulkiest Closet post we’ve created in awhile! The good thing though is the pieces are all at the intersection of summer and fall. I’m also convinced that there’s something in here for everyone and at varying price points. Even a lot of the summer-y pieces can be transformed for fall wear. For example, the jumpsuit below? Pop a chunky sweater over it and you’ve got a look. We’ve been doing a lot of shopping lately ourselves so even though I’ve shared all of these here with you, I personally need to refrain from buying these myself. Enjoy!

[Abercrombie & Fitch Tie-Front Jumpsuit] – $79 – $47.40

Read more “The Closet: August 2020”
Life
28 Aug 2020

This Weekend:

What We’re Watching: Descendants of the Sun

It has been a couple of weeks since we wrapped up our last K-drama, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, and I’ve enjoyed the break. But Descendants of the Sun has been on my list for awhile. Since all of my regular shows airing have all wrapped up, I’ve got some space in the evenings to start something new. I also want to see if I can finish a drama before the one I’m anticipating arrives! Park Bo Gum and Park So Dam’s Record of Youth hits Netflix September 7th and we cannot wait!

What We’re Listening To: Bearbot

I worked with Bearbot back in 2012 and I’m probably long overdue for a catchup, but through Instagram I discovered that she was releasing mixes every Friday. It has been awhile since we returned to SoundCloud, but for a period of time, these mixes were all that I was listening to. I’m excited to jump back into it and see what she’s creating. Here is the one I’m listening to [tonight!]

[The Drop Women’s Sarah High-Waist Double Pleated Wide Leg Pant] – $49.90

Since our first Amazon clothing purchase (the half-zip) was such a hit, I decided to test my luck again. I haven’t actually tried these on yet since they arrived, mostly because the gloom, smoke weather has made me not want to. Here’s hoping that the sun comes out and we can pair these with a fun basic top. I’m usually never a pants wearer, but as we gear up for fall, I want to be comfortable and for work meetings, dresses aren’t always the most functional.

What We’re Eating: Bread N’ Chu

For most of shelter-in-place, Bread N’ Chu has been closed, but they recently opened up and I saw a window of opportunity. I’ve been dying to try their sandwiches with Japanese milk bread before COVID times. Tomorrow, we’re going wild by buying two sandwiches so that I can savor them for lunch and dinner!

Culture
15 Aug 2020

This Weekend:

What We’re Watching: Selling Sunset

In the past week, a couple of friends have recommended this show to me and I had promised to give it a one-episode shot. While my work is involved with real estate, I have never gravitated towards shows like this, Million Dollar Listing or even Property Brothers. None of those shows have ever been in my rotation. However, Selling Sunset has a bit of a different vibe and I’m catching a real estate + The Hills hybrid. The similarity could be from the fact that producer Adam DiVello was not only tied to this show, but also Laguna Beach and The Hills. So far, I can see what makes it so addicting! It also helps that each episode is about 30 minutes long so you’re really just flying through them.

What We’re Listening To: Henry Green

I’ve been listening to Henry Green now for the last month and was surprised it took me so long to notice him. His sound is just easy listening. It’s great as a backdrop for writing in the evenings and even during the work day. Our favorites include his cover of “Electric Feel,” but also his most recent album “Half Light” in its entirety.

What We’re Wearing: [Daily Ritual Terry Cotton & Modal Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt] – $29.50

I’ve been on the hunt for a half-zip sweater for months, but could never find the right one. Often times, it was the material, the half-zip itself, coloring, or there was an issue with the price point. It wasn’t until another Instagrammer I followed [@spreadfashion] posted about this one that I decided to take a chance. First off, we’re brand new to online clothing shopping. Secondly, this is from an Amazon retail brand and I have never thought to purchase pieces from them. The blogger mentioned that she purchased this in a large size because she likes things a bit roomier. That meant I, too, was also going to be purchasing this in not my usual size. To make matters more stressful, my package was late. Then, it was lost! I couldn’t even order another one because both the size and color were sold out. Luckily, my half-zip arrived a few more days later and I haven’t parted ways with it since!

Che Fico has been one of my favorite go-to’s during shelter in place and they’ve been offering a diverse menu since the start. Now, offering even more flexibility, there are breakfast options! Since shelter in place started, I’ve been taking care of breakfast on my own most weekends as an alternative to the usual brunch meals I would have had. However, today was a special treat. Their breakfast sando includes a scrambled egg, prosciutto cotto, and strawberry jam. The thought of mixing jam with my eggs gave me some pause, but it was actually quite delightful.