IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE

{It's a Jungle Out There by Randy Newman}

Target lace sleeve top, swapped denim vest, H&M pink jeans, 

thrifted "old man" loafers, thrifted granny floral purse

{photo credit: the creepy one of the top of my head was taken by Joshua)

After linguistics lecture one day, I found this quote in one of the bathroom stalls of Barrow Hall:

"You have to stop waiting for the next thing to magically 'make you happy' 

and just make your own happiness. We are surrounded by beauty. Wake up!"

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment but it definitely is much easier said than done. Between my classes, work schedule, internship and activities, it's extremely easy to simply lose myself amongst my constant complaining. I can't help it, I have always been and will always be a grade-A complainer. Because of this, no one, not even I, will ever realize how happy I am. I am truly the happiest when I'm busiest, rushing from place to place, constantly on-the-go, which in return, is when I complain the most. Confused? Yeah, So am I. I'm a complicated mess of nonsensical gibberish. Especially after reading Chanda's Wisdom Wednesday post about having your cake and eating it too, I realize how I'm never fully happy with what I have in the moment, I'm always looking ahead at the future. Only when I look back do I really see what I had. I realize that, 20 years from now, I'll cringe at the very thought. It has definitely been a year of change and growing up, let's hope this productive activeness and feeling will stay with me, if only for a little longer.

This was my little slice of heaven. Last Saturday I spent a whole day, 12 full hours, with one of my favorite people ever, Joshua! I've known him for what seems like forever and he is seriously one of the only people who will tell me how it is, no sugar coating, just the plain simple truth. Since he's leaving the Bay for UCSD in a matter of days, we spent the day at the SF Zoo, galavanting from animal to animal, making weird, loud noises, staring at cute kids, getting lost, not seeing elephants (my favorite animals!) and just being our awkward selves. It's always nice to act like silly little kids again, especially with the high stress lifestyle we've become so accustomed to, it reminds us that life isn't always a big pile of smelly shit. Afterwards, we dined...okay, feasted at a little Chinese restaurant somewhere on Mission, which was good but not 4 1/2 star good like Yelp claimed. Chinese food is Chinese food though and it always makes me miss home. After the self-induced food coma, we decided to head back to Berkeley and watch Contaigon. With two hours to kill before the movie, we made our way over to Berkeley Marina. Beautiful it was. Windy as hell it also was. It really is going to suck not having one of my closest friend close by but, whenever we get the chance to hang out, it's as if nothing has changed and no time has even gone by. These are the friendships I cherish.

After seeing pink jeans in the Urban Outfitters fall catalogue and on the legs of Alexa Chung, I just HAD to find my own. After searching high and low, I finally found an affordable and comfortable pair at H&M, and it's integrating itself into my wardrobe quite well. To tone down the cuteness of the pink and lace, I paired it with my tassel loafers and denim vest. I fell in love with the grannyesque floral print of the purse but was hesitating against it, knowing that I have a dozen other purses at home. But, thinking ahead, I knew that if I didn't get it, 80 year old me would be purseless and sad. It's an investment, both fashion-wise and for my future happiness.