The Lemon Detox

Even though I wasn't mentally in a slump at the beginning of this week, my body totally was. That's right, I'm feeling under the weather despite the beautiful weather yesterday! The unpredictable weather is taking a toll on my health, and my busy college life has been wrecking havoc on my sanity. I have the stress acne to prove it!

Yes, I have a major case of the sniffles and my head spins from sneezing a dozen times a minute. Not only do I feel fatigued, but the changing weather is beginning to dry out my skin and I'm getting stress pimples left and right. What's a girl to do?!

I do have one idea, but it doesn't entail any ointments or pills. My family has always been a strong advocate of natural remedies, and we always try those before resorting to any harsh medicines, especially when it comes to skin care. When I was younger, I had to drink turmeric juice to help heal my stubborn eczema patches. Somewhat effective and healthful, but tasted horrible.


I've been hearing about this Lemon Detox for quite some time, but I haven't really had an urge to try it out until now. It's such a simple regimen: lemon + water, lights out for bedtime, and repeat. Not only is the lemon water supposed to purify and cleanse the body, but it also can clear skin, aid in digestion, and boost the immune system. Who knew so much could come out of a lemon?

An hour or so before I went to bed, I added half a lemon (juice + zest/pith) to a mug of hot water. I also added a dash of sugar to cut some of the strong acidity of the lemon. This could also be done with cold water, but I think that hot lemon water is probably more calming at night. I plan on continuing this detox every night for a few days and hopefully I will see some results in my health and stamina.

Until then, bottoms up! Or should I say...pucker up.

Merci pour les voyages

In my art history class a couple of weeks ago, we were learning about Renaissance art, and one day in particular was dedicated to the Venetian Renaissance and the Veneto-Byzantine styles of San Marco Basilica. Bright and early on a Friday morning, my weekly section class discussed San Marco, Titian's masterpieces, and the innovation of oil painting. It brought back fond memories of this past summer as I strolled through the narrow alleys and abundant canals throughout Venice. I personally connected a lot to the subjects in art history class, mostly because I either had a chance to see some of these artworks in person, or I just had a fondness for Baroque or Classic art in general. Anyways, I shared a few of my personal insights on Venice and the basilica. It felt kind of nice to speak about my travels, mostly because they are some of the most memorable places I've ever been to.

As much as I love learning from books and classes, it's just simply the icing on the cake to be able to see some places that I had always dreamed about in travel books and atlas. I still have the whole world to see, and one corner of the world means very little in the scheme of things. But I have learned a lot when I travel to different places, not only outside of the United States but within country borders as well. I am grateful that I have been to several places, and I cannot wait until I can go even farther and around the world.

{{Paris}}

{{Milan}}

{{Venice}}

{{Lyon}}

Tie it up: scarf headband DIY

If I attained anything from my mom, it's definitely her penchant for silk scarves. She has a hanging organizer in her closet that is overflowing with silk scarves in all hues and prints that she collected from many places. I remember when we went to Paris together a few years ago, she would constantly stop to look at all the pretty silk scarves to buy. And she'll always find a way to incorporate a silk scarf into her outfit, which always comes out super sophisticated and timeless. Nothing "chics" up an outfit quite like a silk scarf.

I may not have an impressive scarf collection like my mom, but I'd like to think that my collection is gradually growing. Unfortunately, I haven't had the financial ability to shop as I please, but I make do with what I have in my scarce wardrobe for now.

One of my favorite scarves is quite possibly a gold and navy vintage-inspired print scarf I got in Paris, and it's usually my go-to scarf when I need to add some life to an outfit. But in all honesty, I've been getting a bit...bored of just tying the scarf around my neck and calling it a day. So how can I incorporate this scarf into my outfit but with a different spin?

And I figured it out. What better way to wear my favorite accessory than to wear it as my second favorite accessory: a headband.

Turban headbands have been en mode for a couple of seasons now and they've been emulated on the runways in shows from Prada and Missoni. It may seem easier to buy an actual turban headband, but it's much cheaper and more fun to make your own using a scarf you already have! I used this tutorial to make mine, et voila:

Excuse my messy hair! My scarf headband is thinner and a little looser than the one in the tutorial, but you can adjust it to your personal liking. I tucked it underneath my hair, but next time I might have it wrapped around over my hair. It's my first time wearing my scarf like this, so I will continue experimenting with this. The next time my mom inspires one of my outfits, I can now add my own personal twist to the classic silk scarf.