Dare To Dream Big.

Yes, I do love inspirational quotes. One of my favorite short sayings is the following, "Dare to dream big".  So simple, yet so inspirational.  When I think of this saying, I always imagine someone standing amongst the vast beauty of nature, spreading their arms wide, and taking in all the beauty.

Here are some iPhone 5 backgrounds incorporating the quote "Dare to dream big". Enjoy!

More inspirational quotes here : ) and here : )

More posts with free iPhone background downloads:

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This Week on Instagram

My "This Week On Instagram" posts have quickly turned into "These Weeks On Instagram" because of my lack of keeping up with it weekly. *slaps wrist*. Okay, let's not waste a minute -- onward.

Although this instagram picture was taken in September, it's most appropriate that I am posting it during the month of October -- since it is breast cancer awareness month.  See my short post on breast cancer awareness here. How you can help make a difference: here.

On another note, the weather here in Philadelphia has been gorgeous lately! We've been having clear skies and sunny weather. Here is a picture of Logan Square in Philadelphia on one of these gorgeous days:

And here is a shot of Philly from the LOVE park:

Although the calendar indicates it's autumn/fall time, the weather doesn't agree. 

Even though we did get some cool autumn weather for a week, we've been having random hot days here on the east coast. So it's that time of year where I can't put away my summer clothes yet, but I should get those fall fashion essentials ready. 

These are some of my favorite fall pieces to help me transform my summer outfits to be more fall-ready:

black leather jacket (Forever 21), 

olive utility jacket/anorak/parka (Forever 21), 

denim jacket (H&M), 

brown ankle booties (H&M), 

and a leopard scarf (eBay)

Here are some other fall fashion pieces I hauled from H&M. The colored flats were only $12.95/pair (see here)

I always have to have my gym selfies, don't I?
My day always feels more accomplished when I go to the gym. 

Drake's new album, "Nothing Was The Same", is great! Love it.

 Get strong.

I'll end this post with a picture of my banana cream pie while it was in progress: 

I followed this recipe here

I never seem to eat my bananas before they get extremely ripe, so I always end up making banana bread. I thought I'd change it up this time and make some banana cream pie. The recipe is simple and I think it came out pretty darn tasty!

That's it for today; see y'all next time. Have an amazing week!

Embrace Yourself

I'm going to be honest... I used to be extremely self-conscious about being a female with a more 'muscular' build. I started playing soccer at the age of 5, and in high school I participated in weight room training in the summer to prepare for the fall soccer season, ran indoor track in the winter, and played lacrosse in the spring. This probably explains why I have a more "bulky" muscular build than the average Asian female.

I remember people would often point out my "muscles". It was never directly malicious, but I can't say I felt complimented when people would say "Dude, you have really manly biceps!" or "Your calves are beastly!". It wasn't until recently that I started to embrace my more athletic build. 

I thank the wonderful fitness community on instagram for allowing me to find others who are just as excited about fitness as I am, and for embracing muscles and strength regardless of gender. To me, being strong and healthy is far more satisfying than being skinny and feeling frail. I love pushing myself to be a better version of myself each day -- both physically and mentally.

In my opinion, it's very important for your well-being to have self confidence and to be happy with the person you are. If you're not satisfied with the person you are today, I encourage you to embark on a journey to be that person you will be happy with. Set goals, map out a plan, create a timeline, and just go for it. You'll get there. This can apply to education, career, business, fitness, and pretty much anything in life.

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. However, the survival rate is 98% if it is detected at an early stage. This is why spreading awareness is so important! Women should try to do monthly self breast exams, and also schedule routine breast exams/mammograms.

Learn more about breast cancer here.

How you can help make a difference!