Santorini is honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to so if you are looking to add a vacation or honeymoon spot to your bucket-list, Santorini should be close to the top! Pictures do not do the city justice so you will just have to see it in person yourself.
Reaching Oia (pronounced with a silent 'o') was a bit of a trek from the port because it is all the way at the top of the cliffs but it is a very scenic route and a tad scary if you are afraid of heights. Oia itself is a small town where you can pretty much walk to everything. The white houses and blue domes are beautiful to look at during the day or night, and you will never get tired of the ocean view overlooking the island of Thirassia.
Santorini is pretty much the place to relax so spending a little more money at the place you decide to stay at is the good way to go. You can visit most of what Oia has to offer in two or three days, then spend the rest of the time enjoying the peacefulness and laying in the jacuzzi. Santorini is popular among tourists so you will find many souvenir shops and restaurants may slightly be on the expensive side. There is also a fish spa if you are into that!
If you want to make plans to head to a beach, there are several of them around the island of Santorini but make sure to plan ahead because you will need time if you are coming from Oia, especially if you are taking a public bus. Other than Oia, I spent a day in Fira with my family where you can find plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants, churches, monasteries. Fira is also where I took a ferry to do a day trip to the volcano and Thirassia. I could create another post for this day trip because this post is long enough as it is. Overall, I hope to visit Santorini again in the future.
Photography by me and my family.
Click to view either:
[TRAVEL GUIDE] | [TRAVELOGUE]
The holidays are not over yet! Although Christmas Day has passed, I am looking forward to the new year. Furthermore, the holiday season technically is not officially over until January 6th because of the 12 Days of Christmas. I wore this outfit while I was in the city with my family for Christmas and no, I do not wear a thick jacket, gloves, or scarf. On record, it was the warmest Christmas we have ever had so I wore a skirt with tights, a green chiffon blouse, and thin long coat. It is so strange to have such warm weather in the winter! Are you experiencing this strange heat wave?
FEATURING
SAMMY DRESS GRID PRINTED COAT
FOREVER 21 COLLARED BUTTON-UP BLOUSE
MARC BY MARC JACOBS MESSENGER BAG
BLONDE AND BLONDE ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Christmas is almost here and I am so excited! The holidays are the time to spend with the ones you love. I will be spending Christmas Eve and Day with my family in the city. The weather is currently in a crazy weird state right now because it is so foggy and warm despite it officially being the season of winter. Last night, my boyfriend and I were driving on the road and you could barely see five feet in front of you. It has been cloudy all week too so I am hoping the sun will decide to change its mind and show itself soon. I am throwing it back to the time I went out with my family for Restaurant Week in the city. We all dressed up for a dinner reservation at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. I must say, we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
My outfit consisted of a little black dress I scored back when I traveled to Tokyo. It was such a sweet deal for $2USD that I did not believe it was real until I went to the cashier to pay for it. I thought there may have been a price error as there was a sale going on. It was the only dress left of its kind and happened to fit me perfectly. I think this style of dress is great too if the weather is warm and you are looking for that perfect little black dress during the holidays.
FEATURING
H&M ASYMMETRICAL LACE DRESS
MICHAEL HILL TEARDROP NECKLACE
COACH EMBOSSED CROSSBODY
PERSUNMALL COLORBLOCK SANDALS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
I am excited to introduce to you the new blog,
The Mel Division. Please make sure to change your bookmarks to http://www.themeldivision.com! Aetherlily.net will still be around for a while longer but I would like to redirect everyone here now. It has taken me some time to finally make this decision because I would have to revamp everything but with the new year arriving, I believe it was time for a change. Aetherlily will always be in my heart; it has been my longest running website and blog I have ever own. However, I wanted a change. I wanted a name that was appealing to a larger audience and easier to pronounce. The name came to me after trial and error until I found a suitable one.
The Mel Division also represents a broader horizon of categories I may introduce to this blog. I no longer want to speak only about fashion. I want to share my personal experiences, travel tips, beauty finds, and tech reviews. Although the blogosphere is a highly competitive world now, I am determined to maintain this website. I would like to continue doing love despite the opinion of others. I may not be an expert or the most popular, but I do think that having some form of creative outlet allows me to enjoy an activity outside of my career. I hope you will continue to follow me on this road. I felt unsure of this decision but I feel more confident now. Furthermore, I wish to make The Mel Division a more interactive website. Being able to share my thoughts with readers and bloggers alike is such a great privilege in this generation. Please let me know your thoughts about the layout and what you think about the blogging world. Signing out.
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Massive changes are going to occur soon and I am looking forward to sharing it with you all once it is official! It is still a work in progress so I will need more time. Sweater dresses are amazing in the winter because they are so easy to wear. I love this one because of the laces that form a plunging neckline. These dresses can really be paired up with anything, no matter if it is leggings or denims.
FEATURING
SAMMY DRESS SWEATER DRESS (C/O)
DEB FLORAL PRINT LEGGINGS
MARC BY MARC JACOBS BAG
SAMMY DRESS DANGLING EARRINGS (C/O)
CARLO PAZOLINI BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
I can officially say, I am done with the semester! Despite the fact I still have one more online examination due on the weekend, I am pretty much almost done with it so it does not count. I am so excited for this winter break because I will be going on a cruise. I shed light on more details about it later but I am looking forward to documenting it with my GoPro! I am learning the ways of video editing so check out
my videos on Youtube when you're bored. Today's look is one of my more casual outfits because when you are on study mode, there is not much time to think about looking pretty. I just want to be comfortable all day every day. During Black Friday, I had to snag this jacket from Uniqlo! Although it is not a long jacket for colder nights, it definitely keeps the top half of my body warm and it has that super soft fur inside. I wore it with a textured blouse, default black leggings, and favorite over-the-knee boots.
FEATURING
UNIQLO JACKET
CNDIRECT PULLOVER SWEATER (C/O)
LOFT LEGGINGS
MACYS LEATHER BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Today's review is 1byone's portable turntable. I hope you do not mind me sharing another one of their products because they sincerely are great and provide amazing quality gadgets. I love working with them! The brand 1byone never ceases to amaze me with their products. They come up with the best portable music players, and I continue to use their other products today.
REVIEW
1BYONE PORTABLE TURNTABLE WITH BUILT-IN SPEAKERS (C/O) - First off, I am sorry to say I do not own any vinyl records so I can not speak of the audio quality with them (which is why I have to take off one star). This turntable allows you to play a 33, 45, or 78 RPM record, and comes with 45 RPM adaptor. However, I can still talk about their speakers as you do not need to own a vinyl record to use this turntable. What is neat is that you can connect an audio cable from the turntable to a smart phone, iPod, MP3 player, or laptop. The quality of the sound is similar to any other portable speaker by 1byone. The turntable closes up with a briefcase style when you want to put it away, and comes in turquoise or black. The speakers are located in the front and can be used whether the briefcase is open or closed but there is a difference in sound when doing so. In my opinion, it sounds a little fuller when the briefcase is open as there may be an internal speaker. I am looking forward to enjoying this turntable more by buying myself some records!
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)
Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well. I managed to get through the first two weeks of December, meaning that I survived the heap of end of the year workload. I just have a few more this week, then I am done and ready to celebrate the holidays. I seriously can not fathom that next week is already Christmas! It does not help that the weather has been oddly warm for the month of December. I put together this on-the-go look and I think this may be the first time I have featured my phone. I consider it an accessory as I tend to carry it around if I do not have a bag with me. I feel I am missing something if I am not holding anything. Do you ever get that? To keep myself warm, I paired this attire with a
long coat that matched perfectly with the skirt. I really wanted this coat because I think it is great for casual or more formal wear. It definitely comes in handy when the weather drops in the evening.
FEATURING
CNDIRECT LONG COAT (C/O)
LORD & TAYLOR STRIPED TOP
TOMMY HILFIGER PLEATED SKIRT
SKECHERS ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
This will be the last time I head out bare-legged! I am being serious this time, haha. Every time I make a post, I always think, this will be the last time but it never is. It really has gotten chilly over the past month but every once in a while, the temperature is in the 60s to 70s with sunny skies. I recently purchased several pairs of pants from Uniqlo so I will be covering up soon. I am wearing the coat jacket again from Dressin again because I am just very in love with it and I must say the same thing for this
Lucluc crop top.
FEATURING
DRESSIN COAT JACKET
LUCLUC GREY CROP TOP (C/O)
NASTYGAL GEOMETRIC NECKLACE
ZARA ASYMMETRICAL SKIRT
CLARKS LEATHER ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
I have to be honest, this is not the most ideal outfit for the season. I was freezing try to take these photos but it is a great casual dress for those lazy weekend. I will probably pair it with a pair of tights or pants next time. I will be out shopping for Black Friday by the time you read this and I hope I can score some great deals. Where do you guys go for Black Friday??
FEATURING
DRESSIN CASUAL SLIM DRESS (C/O)
MICHAEL KORS WATCH
CLARKS LEATHER ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
This beige coat jacket definitely keeps me warm during those wind chills. For today's outfits, I paired a minimal top with my favorite pencil skirt. I like to wear skirts despite it being cold but what I try to purchase are long skirts such as midi or pencil skirts. The extra length in fabric honestly makes a huge difference. Hope you all are staying warm for Thanksgiving! I will be keeping warm and eating tons of food with family and friends for the next few days. I am so thankful this Thanksgiving for all the people who have given me so much support this year and have allowed me to be where I am today.
FEATURING
DRESSIN WINTER COAT JACKET (C/O)
CNDIRECT BLACK SLIM CROP TOP (C/O)
ZARA PATCHWORK PRINTED PENCIL SKIRT
ZARA STRAP HEELS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
If you are looking for that flirtatious outfit for a fun night out, check out the dresses at CNDirect. They have all types of dress from club wear to cocktail parties. My obsession for the color grey and flowers tempted me into getting this dress. It is a bit short at the slit so you may want to pin it before wearing it out. Otherwise, it is a great dress for the winter because it is not sleeveless. What do you wear when you go out at night?
FEATURING
CNDIRECT INK FLOWER PRINTED DRESS (C/O)
TBDRESS GREY HEELS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Looking for the perfect dress for the holidays? I am! EXPRESS has some great party looks for yourself or for a friend. From sequin to lace to fur. They are just some of the in-trend styles EXPRESS offers to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, or to welcome the new year. EXPRESS has several deals occurring for
Black Friday and
Cyber Monday so be sure to check that out. They also have an awesome sweepstakes happening right now! If you click on either those links to the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, you can also find details on how to enter the #EXPSWEEPS New Year's Eve in NYC contest where you can win the chance to ring in the New Year with three of your friends (including airfare and hotel) AND receive a shopping spree to EXPRESS.
The contest runs until November 30th so enter soon! New Year's Eve is such an experience in NYC and definitely a memory you will remember forever. Winners of the contest will be notified by December 1st. (This is not a sponsored post.)
FEATURING:
SEQUIN PARTY WEAR
COCKTAIL DRESSES
LITTLE BLACK DRESSES
Wearing professional attire to conferences is crucial for those first impressions and job opportunities. I wore this outfit when I was in Colorado and loves how the blazer complimented the dress. Currently, I am in the process of recovering and catching up with all my school work. I can not believe Thanksgiving is already next week! People always say that time flies once Thanksgiving comes along and there is so much I need to do academically and personally before Christmas arrives. Wishing everyone the best of luck if you are still in school like me!
FEATURING
FLARED BLAZER FROM HONG KONG
DRESSLINK COLORBLOCK DRESS (C/O)
ZARA STRAPPY HEELS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Hey, everyone! I am back from Denver and happy to be home. I can not wait to sleep in my bed tonight because I pretty much no bed beats the feeling of sleeping in my own bed. I thought I would bring back these printed leggings because they just went so well with the outfit. Just goes to show that it is okay to repeat clothes. As a student, it is important to budget as much as possible. I love this cozy sweater from Dresslink and topped it off with Dillon's jacket. Sometimes, when I am too stubborn to bring my own jacket, the boyfriend jacket comes to the rescue! Haha.
FEATURING
UNIQLO BOYFRIEND JACKET
DRESSLINK LOOSE TURTLENECK SWEATER (C/O)
MICHAEL KORS SELMA BAG + LEGGINGS QUEEN PRINTED LEGGINGS
SKECHERS SUEDE ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Who would have thought print on print on print would be such a great combination! I thought this look would clash at first but it actually looks great in the photos. This is totally my style when I dress up professionally for school at work. If you do not already know (which I have also probably said before), I love wearing black and white. It is just so easy to achieve that business casual look in. Dressin has been so kind as to let me select several pieces like this skirt so check them out! They come out with new selections every week.
FEATURING
FOREVER 21 ASYMMETRICAL KNIT CARDIGAN
LORD AND TAYLOR PRINT SHIRT
VINTAGE FEATHER NECKLACE
DRESSIN ASYMMETRICAL STRIPED SKIRT (C/O)
ANNE MICHELLE STRAPPY HEELS
Photography by Dillon.
I apologize for not being as active! This academic year has kept me on my toes so I can not update as much as I did during the summer. On the website of Dresslink, the blazer I am wearing is considered a coat but I see it as a blazer and it is honestly the most comfortable and softest blazer that I now own. I have been wearing it constantly and I actually wore this entire look while flying back to Jersey from Florida. It is seriously my go-to travel look. My flight for Colorado is already tomorrow morning so hopefully I will have a pleasant flight. Let me know if any of you have suggestions while I am in downtown Denver!
FEATURING
DRESSLINK SWEATSHIRT BLAZER (C/O)
MICHAEL KORS SELMA BAG
DRESSLINK PRINTED JUMPSUIT (C/O)
NASTYGAL SLIP-ONS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Back from the short weekend trip to Florida! I had such a wonderful time with family and friends. Now it is back to the work grind because midterms are here so I have to make this quick. I have so many things I need to accomplish this week before I have to fly off again next week for a conference in Denver. The weather is constantly shifting up and down so you will probably see a mix of seasonal styles in my upcoming posts. For today, I am sporting one of my favorite leggings with a cozy knit jumper to keep me warm. You know winter is coming when I start taking out my jumpers. I wanted to get myself a new leather jacket so I chose this fringe one from
Sammydress. I think it works well with this outfit as I look to style edgy, eclectic style every once in a while.
FEATURING
SAMMYDRESS FRINGE LEATHER JACKET (C/O)
MACYS KNIT JUMPER
LEGGINGS QUEEN PRINTED LEGGINGS
SKECHERS SUEDE ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
Finally got a haircut last Friday so I believe this is the last batch of photos you shall see of me pre-cut. I have been wanting to get a haircut because my hair has been getting too thick and heavy. I did not have it cut short. Just thinning and a quick trim. My hair feels so light and thin now when I put it up in a ponytail. Forgot to add some layers but it will grow and I will get another cut again.
For today's outfit, I style a look with earthy tones. I have been into beige tones, which has influenced my wardrobe. It may not look like it, but the skirt felt more revealing than I expected despite it being a maxi skirt. However, it could also be because I happen to wear this skirt on the windiest day of the week. The skirt has slits that are very high and accentuates the curves. I admit I was pretty cold. I think I am still in denial that the cool weather is sticking around. By the time you read this, I have probably just arrived in Florida as our arrival time is midnight. Will be sharing some photos if you follow me on Instagram @aetherlily! Hope you enjoy your Halloween and get to enjoy some candy and costume fun!
FEATURING
ADIDAS LEATHER JACKET
ZARA STRIPED TURTLENECK
DRESSIN SLIT MAXI SKIRT (C/O)
STEVE MADDEN SUEDE ANKLE BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.
So I spent the past weekend recovering from being sick but that did not stop me from attending BeautyCon! I am so happy I was able to go with my sister because it was our first time attending and we just took turns with each other waiting in lines while checking out other booths for all the free products being given away. I am feeling much better now too. I think BeautyCon also helped me de-stress, haha. I honestly can not afford to be sick because I have been so busy the past few weeks with school and interviews. I know I always say this but time flies way too quickly. There are so many things I want to accomplish still before this year ends.
Speaking of time flying, fall is coming and going very soon too.
Fashion designers are always coming up with new trends, and one of my continuing favorites are maxis. I love wearing maxi skirts during the fall because the weather is not too cold for a long skirt and not too warm for you to get sweaty in one. This one is a sheer polka-dot print from
Dressin paired with my favorite plaid top and a statement necklace from
Yoins. I went for a more grunge look and found a quaint alley to shoot at.
Shop maxi dresses too other than maxi skirts if you are looking for an easy, comfortable yet stylish look.
FEATURING
PLAID TOP (OLD)
SNAKE CHAIN CHOKER NECKLACE (C/O)
DRESSIN POLKADOT SKIRT (C/O)
CARLO PAZOLINI ANKLE HEEL BOOTS
Photography by Dillon Lee.