Robo minus 10 pounds...

I've mentioned my struggle with my weight before in this blog, and Lord knows I've tried all sorts of stuff to lose weight. However, the scale never really moved definitively in the negative direction; I kind of just fluctuated between the same ten pounds (+/- five pounds in either direction from a base weight).

Lately, though, I tried a couple of new tactic in terms of eating: lots of portion control and not eating after 7 p.m. or so. Those little bowls from Ikea are great for doling out the actual serving sizes for a lot of stuff -- cereal, rice, pasta, etc. I know the not-eating-in-the-evening is a bit controversial in that some say it makes a difference whereas others say it doesn't matter when you eat, it's what you eat. Regardless, I gave it a shot. It takes a lot of discipline to not eat after a certain time because you inevitably get hungry, but I find that by the time I do get hungry, it's time to sleep anyway :)

Exercise-wise, I actually didn't do as much as I did in previous months just due to my work schedule and my trainer's availability. I did keep going to my fencing class twice a week, and it's actually quite demanding. Fencing is very much interval cardio because everything is in short bursts, but it also requires control, focus, and sharp reflexes. It's lots of fun, so try it if you get a chance.

I felt the difference in my clothes for sure because stuff that used to be tight or uncomfortable or needed Spanx underneath to look decent now fits or is loose. I started feeling this difference about a month ago, but my scale said otherwise, and the numbers were the same. To it I said, "F*** you, scale. You lie." Recently, I even went down a size in H&M stuff, and lots of you will know how wonky their sizing can be. I couldn't find my scale this morning, so after my workout with my trainer this morning (the first workout in a few weeks), I weighed myself in the gym.

Ten. Pounds. Lost. And confirmed.

My reaction? "SWEET!!" I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see the scale definitively indicate I'd lost weight as opposed to me just relying on how my clothes fit. THRILLED!

Here's a picture I took for fun in my office yesterday, and I think there's a definite difference in my face from February when I last posted photos.

Right then, on to the next ten pounds :)

Cute + Comfortable

So as my feet screamed bloody murder while I walked the streets of San Francisco (my heart is still there), I kept wondering why cute and comfortable are mutually exclusive, especially when it comes to shoes.

Let me back up for a second: I was in SF for a conference (the Game Developers Conference), and I brought what I thought would be relatively comfortable low-mid heels. I also packed a pair of Royal Elastics flats. Make that superflats. However, by the middle of day two, my feet...oi. So on day three, I switched to the RE flats, which were fine for the first couple of hours. But then I started feeling friction on my right pinky toe (= telltale forewarning of a blister) and developed an odd limp because my calves/Achilles tendons were sore. Might I add that those flats looked slightly silly with a pencil skirt and nice top. I ended up running to Walgreens to take preventive measures and got those J&J blister bandaids and Kushy Foot socks .

Now on the second day I was in SF, I stopped at the giant DSW on Powell Street on my way to the Moscone Center, and I saw that they had a few Faryl Robin and Corso Como shoes. I knew the Faryl Robins were supposed to be comfortable, but it was a pair of Corso Comos that caught my eye:

The ankle strap is slightly different in that it just goes around the ankle instead of criss-crossing. Anyhow, I put my achy feet into those shoes, and it was as if an angel choir descended from the heavens to sing its praises. Okay maybe it was just my feet breathing a sigh of relief, but the point is that these were seriously comfortable with a good, very walkable heel height. They were also $130. So I made a note of them and went on to the conference. I went back later that night to take another look...suffice it to say these babies were on my mind for a few days.

So finally on the last day I was in SF, I shelled out the $130 and bought them. After resting my feet all weekend and letting them recover, I wore them to work today. All I can say is I'm in love and really wish I'd gotten them sooner. Corso Como actually made the effort to include cushiony, soft footbeds with great quality leather. There is no need to break them in because the shoes are already so soft. No toe pokeage or seams cutting into the foot anywhere. In addition, the company also takes pains to be an ethical, eco-friendly manufacturer. There's a whole pamphlet included in every shoebox.

Anyway, I <3>

I'm also wondering if my mission in life is to make cute and comfortable shoes so that the women of the world can rejoice. Things that make you go hmm...

S-H-O-P in the UK! Kind of...

In my last post, I promised to show you the stuff I got from Asos, and smart me, I cleared out my temporary internet files, cookies, and history before I could do that. However, lucky for me, Asos keeps your order history in your account, complete with links to what you ordered! So, here we go:

I got this cape/tunic thing in grey with silver beading, and that's what I wore on my birthday (photos in last post). It's very glam earth mother, non?




















This clutch, though oversized, is a very useful size. I managed to fit my big wallet, phone, and camera in here along with lipstick and gloss quite comfortably. With most small clutches, even though you don't take that much stuff, it ends up getting messy, and you dig around for your things. The closure is fun, too, and there's a backup zip top underneath the fold.

















Okay, so I know a lot of people are all "EEEWWW harem pants!!" But really these are so freaking soft and comfortable, not to mention actually flattering, that I could live in them. Also, the other thing that made me love them is that I ordered an XL to be on the safe side, but they were TOO BIG! Thrilling, I tell you. No giant poopy crotch either.

For the record, though, I cannot get behind the cropped harem pants or dhoti pants (featured in the March issue of Elle). That's just asking for stuff to be out of proportion and look like you've got room to take a dump. Also, close fitting, structured tops look much better with these kinds of pants, but of course you knew that.








Classic white pencil skirt. Really I should live in pencil skirts. However, on me, this sits way higher (like under my boobs higher) because I have much wider hips than the moddle. Perhaps by summer, the skirt will sit where it's supposed to.


















Very cool, funky ring. I wore that with the grey cape/tunic. Just enough bling, y'know?

These earrings are fun because they're two of my favourite colours, but if you look closely, it's also a peacock! They're also superlight, so a breeze to wear.

Super cool statement ring that looks like something you'd find at an ancient archaeological dig. I think that's probably why I was drawn to it because I'm the geek who watches stuff on Egypt, Rome, etc. on the History, Discovery, and National Geographic Channels any chance I get. I haven't worn this ring yet though.

Unfortunately, I lost this ring the first night I wore it. It was a little big big, and I had to adjust my hair, so I took it off while in my friend's car. I forgot it was on my lap, stood up and walked into the restaurant, but noticed much later that my ring was gone. I tried calling the place to see if they found it in the lot, but alas, no luck.

I loved the colour of this dress, and usually I don't do strapless dresses because of bra issues. However, at the time I purchased this, the price was too reasonable for me to let it go. It was orignally one of the potential dresses for my birthday, but I didn't have the time to get a really good strapless bra with it, plus it seemed a bit too fancy just for a dinner out. It's living quietly in my closet for now. Oh, also, I think they styled that side strap wrong in the photo. It should really go across the chest, so from under the right boob to the left shoulder.

I also got this dress as a potential birthday dress, but I didn't realise how short it would be. And tight (whoops sizing). I'd have to either lose weight or wear my Spanx to look decent in the dress, but even so, it's the length of the skirt that I'm not too fond of. It stops and mid thigh, and all my other stuff is knee length. I'm debating whether to just detach that skirt and wear it with a regular black pencil skirt.

So what do you think? Good loot, yes? Shipping to the US is also $6-7, which is a lot cheaper than some of the US-based sites. Orders take about a week to 10 days to arrive, which is also reasonable, and they cannot expedite shipping to the US, but whatever.

Please also excuse the wonky layout. I couldn't get the spacing right (help from veteran bloggers will be much appreciated!).

Guess who's back...back again?

Thank you so much for all your kind compliments on the last haircut :) However, I was a bit horrified to see that that post was from December. I haven't written anything in three months?? Bad, bad Robo.

So, the past three months haven't been very eventful, which is both a good and bad thing. I rang in the New Year uneventfully by keeping my friend Liz in Michigan company as she wrote up a paper to present at a conference. The perk of doing that celebrating the New Year in two different time zones. I also went to Atlanta for the first time in January for work, and it was far from "Hotlanta" -- 20 degrees + windy = BRRRR! The plus side was that we got to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead (Bulgari toiletries?? Score!).

February is always a busy month because of a bunch of birthdays and anniversaries. My sister's birthday was on the 9th, my parents' anniversary is on the 10th, and mine is on the 19th. I managed to find some cute stuff to give my sister for her birthday, all from the fabulous UK site http://www.asos.com/. Seriously, there are some great deals in their clearance section, even with the pound/dollar exchange rate. There was a cute, sort of bling guitar necklace and an "I <3>

My parents were much harder to get something for, and it was their 30th anniversary to boot. They went to Vegas for the weekend, and in the end, with the help of my friend Amierah, I decided to get them tickets to Mama Mia! when it comes to town. They seemed to enjoy Rent when they saw it in New York, and they love songs from their college days.

And then my birthday rolled around. It was actually a really good one, and I just found it funny how everyone was like "OMG you're one step closer to 30!! Isn't that terrible?!?!" No, it isn't terrible actually, because my 20s were HARD. I say bring on 30. It's the new 20 anyway, isn't it? My parents took me out for lunch and dinner on my birthday and then that Saturday, I went out with the boyfriend and friends to dinner in LA. We went to Katsuya, which has some of the best sushi I've ever, ever had. On top of that, my friend Reshma, who organised the festivities, managed to get us a sectioned off, private dining area. Sadly, she couldn't make it to the party because she became very ill that day, but homegirl did good.

AND I feel compelled to tell you all, especially the ones who loved my last haircut, that I cut my hair again on Saturday. This time I went for the Pob/Katie Holmes first foray into short hair. What's funny/ironic is that Jonathan Antin (of Bravo TV's "Blow Out" fame) happened to be at Katsuya, and I was dying to ask him what he thought of my hair. But he was with a bunch of friends, and that would've just been a country bumpkin thing to do.

A picture (probably the only one where I don't have crazy red eye, but unfortunately, no one got the side or back view):

That top is also from Asos, and it's a cross between a tunic and poncho, but very pretty. They may be sold out of it now though...sorry! I'll show you all the stuff I got from Asos in the next post.

Oh, I'm also on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/rabzz), so feel free to follow. I'm usually better about updating that than my blog :)