The ash that turns into waterfalls.

Lately the weather here has gone from low/mid 40s to plummeting low 20s in a matter of days. As if I don’t layer 365 days a year, I feel myself becoming a woolly cocoon with each passing day. I own one (partial) down coat, but it’s a size too small and the collar is too wide for me to stay comfortably insulated and mobile (it’s super warm everywhere else! sigh). My warmest coat is my tan duffel coat from UNIQLO, so a lot of my OOTDs lately have been with this coat! I want to buy warmer ones, but every year my mom says the same thing — “you buy too many coats and jackets!” They’re my favorite :(! I can’t help it. I like a lot of thin coats so I can layer warmly underneath, but this winter has been particularly harsh, despite having only snowed once.
My hair has also been pretty crazy. Trying to grow out a bad haircut I gave myself, but it’s hard to style, haha! I tried to flip out the layers to make it look messy-nice, but it wasn’t my best. :v

This ring in particular holds a lot of sentimental weight to it. A long time ago my uncle gave me one of his rings, since he couldn’t fit them anymore. It took a long while for me to be able to fit this ring, and even now it’s a little loose on my middle finger. My uncle was very much a father figure to me, having lived with him for several years. The Greek key design, also called a Meander (or Meandros), is a symbol for infinity and eternity. It’s a very common repeating motif found in a lot of art around the world, representing the flow of life, eternal friendship and love (in their many forms), etc etc. When I was 12, my uncle passed away after battling cancer for what felt like only a few short whiles. He was the type of person who was always smiling, always giving, always cracking jokes, and, to the frustration of my mom, he would always buy me candy when my mom said I couldn’t. He was always there for anyone, no matter who they were. The depths of our loss still feels endless, but with loss comes the determination to love through remembrance and celebration, and even after our vessels return to dust, we must strive forward. This ring reminds me to always strive to be as loving and kind as my uncle. 

I wanted to highlight a bag I made for one of my classes. It’s still a protoype design, with a lot of key elements missing (like, uh…. side pocket closures) due to time constraints, but I’m hoping to develop this pattern more and more to someday try to put these bags into production. 🙂 I’d like them to be camera bags, most of all, which requires a lot of research in weigh distribution, sturdy and reliable construction, efficient closures and ergonomics.

A much-loved birthday gift from a lovely friend, who I’ve known since middle school. 🙂 ♥
The downside to being a Seattle blogger is that you have to deal with being in a convergence zone — 10 minutes it’s sunny like Spring, and then 10 minutes later it’s back to gloomy, chilly-looking Winter.

Outfit Details

UNIQLO Tan Duffel Coat
UNIQLO Cream Lambswool Cardigan
Island Shores Blue Chambray Button-up
Love Culture Black Skinny Pants (modified)
Super Pinky lenses in Violet
F21 Camera Necklace
Gifted Gold Meander Ring
??? Slate Green Plaid Distressed Scarf