Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 and Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

It’s finally heeeere!! The highly-requested video tour of my San Francisco apartment! In this post you’ll also find links to most of the furniture/decor in each room.

I’ve been meaning to do a house tour for the longest time, but I’ve also been constantly putting it off because I wasn’t ready to consider my apartment in a “finished” state yet. I’m constantly adding and editing, so the apartment ends up looking pretty different from month to month. In the end I realized that it was never going to be in a “done” state, because my style will always evolve, and the apartment will evolve with me. So in September, I sucked it up and filmed the house tour. I didn’t get around to editing it until late October.

The birthplace of all food content on this blog

When you enter the house, you’re immediately greeted by the kitchen. Don’t be deceived by the marble countertops though—they’re actually not real. I achieved this effect by covering the original black counter tops with marble contact paper.

Marble Contact Paper - Amazon | Marble Cutting Board - Amazon | Plant + Holder - IKEA | Artificial flower - Daiso | Wooden Cutting Board - IKEA | Soap Dispenser - Muji

Smeg Retro Toaster in Pastel Green - Amazon | Artificial Flower - IKEA

Round dining table - Amazon | Eames DSW lookalike chairs - eBay | “Stockholm” Pillow - IKEA | Artificial Cherry Blossoms - Daiso | Fujifilm Instax Polaroid Camera - Urban Outfitters | Mini Succulents - World Market

Where Creative shit gets done

This is my place to relax after a long day, but also the place to get shit done. All the practicing for gigs happens here, as well as actual work work on WFH Wednesdays. To make this the perfect place to spark creative energy, I decorated the space with a lot of wall art, colorful accents, and plants.

“Pisces” art print - Society6 | Map of New York art print - Society6

For the rest of the prints on the wall, I download the images online and printed them at Walgreens. I then added on cheap frames from IKEA and Michael’s.

“Lisabo” desk - IKEA | Chair - IKEA | Rose gold lamp - Amazon | Wall grid - Daiso | Acrylic Drawers - Muji | Jewelry Holders - Daiso

“Soderhamn” sofa - IKEA | Coffee Table in mint green - Anthropologie | Classical Guitar - Lucero LC235SCE | Eames DSW lookalike armchair - Wayfair | Black/Ivory Southwestern stripe throw pillow - Target | Floor Lamp - Wayfair | 8-bit playing cards - Amazon

“Mulig” clothing rack - IKEA | Round throw pillow - Target | Turkish blanket - Out of stock, find similar on Truck & Barter

As a general rule of thumb: try to keep large pieces like sofas neutral. Choose a versatile shade like white or grey so you can get creative with the accents you add on top. This way, you can change them easily when your style changes, and when trends come and go.

Yamaha P71 Electric Keyboard - Amazon | Canvas art - Society6 | Retro red clock - Amazon

Where the magic (of sleep) happens

Since this apartment is not quite a full one-bedroom, the bedroom is quite small and doesn’t have a door. Because of the lack of space, I tried to keep the room super minimal by opting out of a bed frame and just putting the mattress on the floor. As for the bedside table, I created a lightweight replacement by laying some heavy books on top of a simple stool.

Coral embroidered round throw pillow - Target | Square light pink throw pillow - Target | White textured throw blanket - Amazon | Bedding - IKEA | “Marius” Stool (used as makeshift bedside table) - IKEA | Lamp + plant - Target | Guitar - Yamaha FG800

Hanging light - IKEA | Amsterdam map art - Society6 | Black and white line canvas art - Society6 | Vase - Amazon

Shower Curtain - IKEA | “Marius” Stool - IKEA | Circle rug - World Market | Marble Contact Paper - Amazon

Where the 7-step Skincare Routine Happens

Okay, maybe it’s more like 5 steps for me. But I love unwinding here after a long with my nighttime skincare regimen, and then starting my day on the right foot by taking good care of my skin. My favorite brand for skincare products right now is CosRX, a Korean brand that provides super affordable solutions that are also super effective.

Hope you had fun watching the tour of my apartment and reading through this post! Hopefully you got some new ideas for decorating your own space, or at least found something you would like to buy for yourself. If you’re interested in seeing my old 200 square feet apartment and seeing how I made such a tiny space work, please (re)visit this post I put up about a year ago—or the Apartment Therapy article!

♥ Cindy

Lately, I've made it a goal to start eating clean and healthy weekday dinners. I admit that cooking for myself is not the most exciting pastime, and so it was natural that I ended up putting very little effort into my meals and consequently ate a lot of junk food. I have to admit that doing this didn't make me feel the best, and probably even escalated the amount of stress and anxiety I was feeling on a daily basis. The amount of sugar I was eating left me feeling tired yet antsy all the time. So, in an attempt to start taking care of my physical and mental health, I've started waking up early to go to the gym and to eat more healthy, non-processed foods. This decision wasn't necessarily to lose weight (I'm lucky that I'm still young and have a fast metabolism). It was more geared towards making me a happier and more positive person. I can tell you that I felt 10 times more energized going to work after exercising in the morning. Of course, during weekends, I'll still treat myself to a Tonkotsu ramen or even some Korean fried chicken. But on weekdays, when I need to be at the top of my game and to feel confident, I'm really trying to improve my emotional health through exercising and avoiding sugary and processed foods.

One of the first Korean dishes I was introduced to was bibimbap. I had the normal cold version at a Korean church and later learned about dolsot bibimbap (the one in the hot stone bowl) from going to Korean restaurants with friends. I loved putting loads of gochujang (sweet, spicy paste) in my bibimbap and mixing it around with the sunny-side up egg. It was so satisfying. But bibimbap can also get a bit heavy with amount of white rice that's in the dish, which you might not even notice when mixing it around with the other ingredients. The portion given at restaurants for this dish can also be quite big.

In my version, I took out the rice completely and added in edamame and avocados to replace the carbs with protein. I took out the bulgogi and replaced it with imitation crab meat—which is insanely delicious and is only 80 calories per 3 ounces. Then, I swapped out the fried egg for a soft boiled egg. On top, I took out the gochujang for its high sugar and salt content and replaced it with a small drizzle of sesame oil and freshly cracked black pepper. I guess the only ingredient that ended up staying was the kimchi. On the side, for some banchan (side dishes), I steamed a small block of tofu and drizzled it with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

Healthyish "Bibimbap" calories

Ingredients

For the "Bibimbap"

• Half an avocado
• ½ cup Edamame
• 1 oz Imitation Crab
• A few pieces of Kimchi
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Black Pepper
• Sesame Seeds

Steamed Tofu

• ¼ a block of soft tofu
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Takes 15 minutes, Makes 1 serving.

Instructions

1. Put the edamame and tofu into two separate bowls and bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the two bowls into the boiling water and steam the edamame and tofu for 5 minutes.


2. Chop up half an avocado into small bite-sized cubes.


3. Layer the edamame, avocado, imitation crab, and kimchi into a bowl. Lightly drizzle with sesame oil.


4. For the soft-boiled egg on top: put an egg into boiling water for around 6 minutes and then immediately submerge the egg into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Peel the egg carefully, slice it into halves, and layer it on top of the ingredients in the bowl.
 

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.


6. For the tofu side dish, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar and drizzle on top of the steamed tofu.

This dish super is easy to make and requires very minimal cooking (all you need to do is steam the edamame and tofu, and soft-boil an egg!). Since you're only boiling/steaming the ingredients, your clean-up will super simple as well. See? Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of time cooking at all!

Eating healthy also doesn't mean cutting out all of your favorite foods. There are loads of delicious ingredients that also contain numerous health benefits—avocados are my favorite, haven't you noticed? There's no one simple solution for everyone to eat healthy, so find your own favorite healthy ingredients, and start getting creative!

♥ Cindy

After scrolling through my Instagram feed one night, I discovered a clothing brand called Petite Studio: an online womenswear brand for Petite women, by Petite women. After scrolling through their feed and coming across a few clean, elegant pieces that gave off major “Effortless Parisian” vibes, I instantly felt like I needed to buy everything. Not only did I fall in love with the brand’s aesthetic, I knew everything would fit me perfectly as well.

This was also a collaboration with the talented Iann, a photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Be sure to check out her amazing work on her Instagram and website.

The first item I fell in love with was the Bailey Jumpsuit. The looseness and effortlessness of the jumpsuit stood out to me, and it gave me a “vacationing in Southern Europe” feeling. For a petite girl, shopping for pants is hard enough. So you can imagine what shopping for jumpsuits is like. Usually I have fit issues with standard-size jumpsuits—they would fit correctly on some parts of my body, and then fit horribly on others. This one, on the other hand, fit like a glove.

Can we seriously appreciate how the length of the pant sits right above the ankle? Gives me a perfect opportunity to show off one of my favorite shoes: The Modern Loafer Mule by Everlane (in white, to complete the whole white-on-white aesthetic)

Bailey Jumpsuit: Petite Studio NYC| The Modern Loafer Mule: Everlane | Dangling Hoop Earrings: Yesstyle

Because of the bagginess and the slightly tomboy-ish vibe of this jumpsuit, I made sure to throw in a more feminine accent with these dangly hoops.

The next piece I chose from Petite Studio was the Poppy Dress. This dres combined three of my favorite trends into one: gingham, the button front accent, and yellow. Again: instant vacation vibes. I paired it with a white, cropped denim jacket and a pair of yellow mules to complete the clean, effortless vibe of the outfit.

Poppy Dress: Petite Studio NYC| Cropped white denim jacket: ZARA | Yellow mules: Thrifted

---

Thanks a ton to my photographer for all of this, Iann, who reached out and planned this entire shoot at the Legion of Honor. Be sure to follow her on Instagram: @iannivy

♥ Cindy

It’s autumn in California, and you know what that means—fig season! For breakfast, I decided to ditch my usual avocado toast (unheard of, I know), for a more seasonal favorite—figs and ricotta on toast. This simple 4-ingredient dish will complete a fancy breakfast or snack in minutes. Let your toaster do most of the cooking, and then just finish up with the assembly of ingredients on top.

As I entered through the doors of Trader Joe’s, the boxes of figs were the first to catch my eye. It’s always delightful to see them pop up every autumn at groceries stores and (occasionally) at the office. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to pair them with one of my Trader Joe’s favorites—the Sliced French Brioche. This bread is the perfect size for this kind of open-face toast. Not to mention they are so delicious just by themselves because of their buttery, sweet taste. I have to confess that I’ve eaten them plain and un-toasted without any butters or jams multiple times.

Figs are super versatile in what kind of dishes they can contribute to. For the savory category: toss them into a salad with arugula and walnuts, sprinkle them onto flatbread with gorgonzola, or add them on top of a crostini with prosciutto. As for the sweet, well, there are too many recipes to list. But cakes, tarts, pastries, bars, and cookies are just some ideas. One of my coworkers even incorporated them into an ice cream!

Fig, Ricotta, and Honey Toast

Ingredients

• 2 Figs
• 2 tbsp Ricotta Cheese
• 1 tsp of honey
• Sliced Bread (preferrably on the thicker side)
• Honey for drizzling

Takes 5 minutes, Makes 1 serving.

Instructions

1. Remove the top stem of the figs and slice them into thin, round disks.


2. Thoroughly mix the ricotta cheese with the honey.


3. Toast the bread using a toaster, oven, or a pan.


4. Spread the ricotta cheese and honey mixture onto the toast and assemble the slices of fig on top. Drizzle with honey to finsh. Enjoy while the toast is still hot.
 

Did I mention figs also have a high content of potassium, fiber, and calcium? They will add a great boost for a nutritious breakfast without contributing much to the calories.

Happy fall, everyone 🍁

♥ Cindy

As summer comes to an end, I wanted to give a shout out to the Eggieshop summer drop for rocking my outfits on my vacation to Italy. I wore one of my favorites from the collection, The Helena Top, on the island of Burano off the coast of Venice. And boy, the clean white, feminine top looked so gorgeous against the backdrop created by the vibrant, colorful houses

Every corner on every street in Burano is extremely photogenic. The photoshoot actually ended up becoming pretty difficult because all of the locations that we stumbled upon worked so damn well. Beware, this island is not for the indecisve.

I decided to pair the clean and crisp white Helena Top with a more vibrant mustard button-front midi skirt from Soprano. Because this top is cropped and shows more skin than I'm used to, I knew I wanted to pair it with a pair of jeans or a high waisted skirt. But because it was nearly 100 degrees in Burano that day, I really didn't want to slip on a pair of jeans. Luckily, the brightness of the skirt blended perfectly within the bright colors of the Burano houses. 

And yes, I was one amongst many girls taking photos on the island with their "Instagram husbands."

Helena Top: Eggieshop| Mustard button-front midi skirt: Soprano, via Nordstrom | The Zip-Top Transport Crossbody: Madewell | Flats: Forever 21

Shop this outfit

EggieShop

Soprano

Madewell

Curious to see more of Burano and Venice? Check out my vlog and photos in this post.

♥ Cindy

Video was shot using the iPhoneX + DJI Osmo Mobile 2 for stabilization. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 and Adobe After Effects CC 2018.

Happy Labor Day everyone! Hope you all had a great time relaxing during the long weekend. I spent most of my holiday with my family up in Lake Tahoe, exploring Emerald Bay and hiking up the mountains with... the new addition to the fam—Kairos the Corgi! 

Many of these shots were taken on the top deck of a boat cruise that circled the lake and took us to Emerald Bay.

If Emerald Bay gets a little too crowded, head on over to Sugar Pine Beach, where there are plenty of parking spots and lots of shallow waters to swim and do water sports in. Here I am, in head-to-toe H&M (probably the most inexpensive outfit from my closet).

The last few times I blogged about travel, my posts were mostly focused on bigger cities and their attractions and restaurants. It's a nice change to visit a place that's more nature-focused. In this setting, there are definitely more opportunities to take photos with more negative space (my favorite!).

Emerald Bay got its name because its waters are slightly green. The more shallow an area of water is, the more green light that it reflects.

We brought Kairos the Corgi, our Pembroke Welsh Corgi pup, along for the ride. He's super adorable but also super sassy—and can be quite a pain in the ass when he gets excited. To keep up with Kai and his daily musings, follow him on his Instagram account: @kairosthecorgi—which is growing way faster than my personal account. I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad about that.

My apparel might not be sporty enough for hiking, but I'm absolutely in love with this jumpsuit from Petite Studio. It fits me so well, and the bottom of the pant is tailored to sit perfectly on my ankles. Not too long, not too short. My only complaint is that it was quite a splurge (it's apparently on sale now though!).

If you enjoyed these photos, please don't hesitate to pin them on Pinterest. If you enjoyed the video, give it a thumbs up, and subscribe to my YouTube channel as well :)

♥ Cindy