POST-GRAD

photos by Brittany Curran

I graduated! The two months of radio silence can be attributed to me trying to get through my last finals week EVER, spending lots and lots of time with my friends, and getting through the craziness that is commencement. Oh and starting a new full-time position. Life is moving pretty damn fast.

Grateful, I truly am, but I'm also a little lost in all of the hustle and bustle. Scared shitless and just trying to focus on the right now and todays, it's been a hard change for someone like me who is obsessed with planning out the future. Still realizing that I'm now a "grown up" and no longer have time for day drinking or netflix binges (during the week days anyways), it's been a tough adjustment. But if those are the biggest troubles in my life than I guess it ain't so bad after all ;)

A big congrats to all of my fellow 2014 graduates! Real life is harsh, ain't it? I finally understand the beauty (and necessity) of happy hour.

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WANDERLAND

wearing: Vintage striped top {22 euros/Kiliwatch Paris}, gray skater skirt {12 euros/H&M}, vintage leather purse {20 euros/vintage store in Paris}, vintage Longchamp purse {5 euros/flea market}

Life in Paris has been pleasantly, well, pleasant. It certainly has lost a bit of the rosy hue that we all came in seeing, but it is still a beautiful city that stuns and surprises me around every corner. Being extremely lucky, I have met some incredible people that fit into my life so well that I can't even imagine life without them. But even so, I've been stuck in a reminiscing mood and have been missing life back home in California quite dearly. Fortunately, the travel bug has surely remedied that heartache...at least temporarily anyways. Already visited London and Amsterdam (look out for those travel diaries soon!), I can't wait to hit up Italy next!

Here are a few snapshots from a day trip to Giverny, a town outside of Paris where Monet lived. Monet, or Mo-money as I say, lived among a floral wonderland. Seriously. His house and, more importantly his garden and pond, blew my mind. One of my favorite days so far, I can't believe I got to see a sight that has inspired so many great painters. We also stumbled upon a little flea market where I picked up this vintage Longchamp and a cute little black dress for only 5 euros each!

I promise, promise, promise I'll make an effort to update more. I'm more so just being lazy rather than being busy, I'll get back into the swing of things, like taking longer than 2 minutes to get dressed in the mornings #sorrynotsorrybutreallysorry. I'm excited to get a proper outfit shot up soon, stay tuned love bugs!

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NOTHING FANCY

 wearing: gray cardigan {giftcard/Modcloth}, geeky glasses necklace {gifted/ModCloth}, chambray button up {$9/Crossroad Trading Co.}, BDG ankle skinnies {$40/Urban Outfitters}, brogues {$35/ASOS}

These days, easy does it completely does it for me.  I can now get ready for class/life in under 20 minutes, and that's a huge feat for someone like me. I don't really care about re-wearing the same shirt or outfit as I did back home. It just seems to matter less, ironic isn't it? I came to Paris, the fashion capital of the world, and yet I care less about the way I look and especially the way I dress. As Audrey Hepburn once said, and my auntie so kindly reminded me, "happy girls are the prettiest girls." I believe it.

Life has been beautiful and the beauty comes from the smallest victories like ordering a crudité and café crème in French. Some days are definitely harder than others but I'm getting by. I'm just counting my blessings and enjoying a slower pace of living. No work? No club activities? Blasphemy! I have never had such a free semester before and I am completely loving it. What am I doing with all of my free time? Netflixing aside I am always trying to figure out what trip I want to take next. So far London and Amsterdam have been booked (which I am TOO stoked about) and now we're working on Spain and Italy. Life is still so unreal, the magic of Paris hasn't worn off yet.

These photos were taken a while ago, forgive me as I have been lazy and extra lazy. Just another day at Musée d'Orsay, admiring the paintings, pointing at sculptured penises, and trying to steal a french baby. Oh, and rocking a side pony. You know, the usual.

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THE HERE & THE NOW

{photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: Fashion Exchange crop top {$6}, yellow printed skirt {$12/Crossroads Trading Co.}, gifted Dolce Vita booties {ModCloth}, borrowed black waist belt, vintage Coach Satchel {$15/thrift store}

These were taken at the infamous Urban Lights at LACMA on my last night in LA. I'm always one to record different parts and pieces of my life, I like carrying around my memories with me at all times. It's comforting in a way, being able to think back on the good and the bad. Some may call me a romantic and others may think I'm a hoarder, but it's a big part of who I am. 

I fell in love with LA this summer, like really really completely head-over-heads in love with the city. 2013 hasn't been the easiest year for me, it has actually been one of the hardest year by far. Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you when you least expect it, but that's what great about life, isn't it? Being young and resilient, bouncing back is in our DNA. We're constantly being reminded how beautiful and transient life can be and is. 

That's a little backstory about my new tattoo. People have been seeing glimpses and peeks of it on instagram, and here it is, just two days after I got it done. I won't go into the long explanation and story behind it because I think it speaks for itself. I love looking down and seeing this beautiful lotus flower, it brings the biggest smile to my face. It reminds me where I've been and where I'm going; it keeps me grounded and looking forward.

P.S. A huge thank you to Craig J at American Electric Tattoo for making my second tattoo experience even better than the first! Completely obsessed with him and his chill shop, I am so looking forward to my next one.

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GYPSY ROSE

{photos by Laura Nguyen}

wearing: lacy Ladakh shrug {$25/Wasteland sample sale}, black Lucky Brand tank top {$3/sample sale}, American Apparel corduroy circle skirt {$24/Poshmark}, black flatforms {$30/Free People}, thrifted black one-shoulder bag {$5}, gold Lucky Brand necklace {$3/sample sale}

Traveling has always been my first love, with food and fashion tied for a close second. I've always had the attitude of calling anywhere I lay my head, home. Stemming from my rather nomadic childhood of bouncing around from house to house and school to school, I used to hate it but it's a bit of a blessing in disguise. I'm more fluid now because of it and I feel at ease almost everywhere I go. To see the world is my one running goal in life, it will always be #1 on my bucket list. For a summer, L.A. has been a home and soon enough it'll be Paris. Maybe I was a gypsy in a past life and the wandering heart is something that just never left.

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RED, WHITE, & BEER

{Photos by Laura Nguyen} 

wearing: H&M denim vest, red polka dotted dress and star button up from Taiwan, Dolce Vita boots, thrifted vintage Coach crossbody

Whats up lovers and friends? Miss me? Cause I've seriously missed ya dearly! Can't believe it's been more than two months since my last outfit post, I've been a very very bad blogger :( I'll try my hardest to change that! 

Hope everyone had an awesome fourth of July yesterday! Went for a laid back day this year to counteract last year's crazy festivities; steaks, fries, and beers at my besties' was exactly what I needed. The conversations were flowing as were the homemade mojitos, let me just say that we make a mean mojito! Passing out at 10PM and waking up at 4AM was the lamest/funniest way to end the night. Oops, guess this girl still can't hang!

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CATCH UP

Hello beautiful people! It's true, I'm alive! After finishing finals (hooray!), my life has been stuck on fast forward. From the graduations (don't leave) we attended and cried at to the constant packing, it was all a crazy blur. I had to move out of Berkeley, back into my home home in Concord, and then out again for LA, all within three days. Where's the pause button when you need it? 

The first weekend in town, I went to the Pasadena Music Festival and then saw Mumford and Sons the day after. I started my internship at Lucky Brand the very next day, I feel like I haven't had a moment to breathe.  But, then again, I don't really want the madness to stop. I am absolutely loving everything. LA is no joke, I'm completely smitten. So, of course when life is going too well, would be the perfect time for my MacBook to crash. Cue gasp. Pretty much the epitome of every blogger's worst nightmare. Silly me didn't back a single thing up so here I am, very very behind on just about everything.

So while I'm playing catch up with life, blogging has been put on the back burner until I either: a) find a photographer (hey photographers hey, holla at me!) or b) find a tripod. Until then, I have been, and will be, shooting lots of outfit shots on Instagram! So follow me on there to see what's up with me, myself, and I!

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TWENTY THIRTEEN

2 0 1 3. Wow. I can hardly believe that 2012 came and went just like that. Looking back on the last 365 days, it's hard to even remember what happened in January but I know that the last year has been an interesting one. Through all the tough times and the sad ones, I'm thankful to have survived another year with a little help from those I love most. 2012 had given me some of the greatest opportunities and memories thus far and I will forever be grateful for such a year. So much has changed and so much hasn't, I'm ready to take on this brand new year with a little more TLC than I normally do. With so many crazy changes coming my way, it's hard not to be a little scared shitless but I think I'm ready...I think.

Happy New Year loves! Make this one the best yet! Xo

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XOXOBLOOD

wearing: H&M men's burgundy elbow-padded sweater, Jason Wu x Target pinwheel dress, Dolce Vita Jamison booties, vintage Coach satchel

"You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every single day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and let the colours fill your mind."

Sitting here at 8:30 AM without a single thought to write, I was aimlessly scrolling through Tumblr when I stumbled upon this quote in big bold letters. And it struck a chord.

The closer I get to the finish line (aka graduation) the more I think about life: what it means, what I want from it, what it wants from me. And, to be honest, I'm at a complete loss like many other twenty-somethings. This has been a semester of procrastinations, distractions and avoidance. I have never been so unmotivated, unstable and not dependable. It's hard coming to terms with growing up, figuring out what the hell the rest of your life holds for you, and how to get where you want to be. I was reluctant to believe that I'm at a point where I actually have to care and think for myself.

But here I am. Hey, hi, what's up? I have a feeling that I'm going to be staying here for awhile.

I've been trying to tangle, trap, and saturate inspiration into my daily life. This is probably the most productive and active thing I've done in months. Something so simple and seamlessly easy can change what seems unchangeable- a stubborn mindset. The quote is a reminder to live, to truly live and not to merely exist. The things you choose to do, the people you choose to see, the experiences you gather from all of the above make up who you are. It's a gentle reminder to fill life with light and love, because, how else can you breed a happy soul?

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PORTLANDIA

wearing: thrifted H&M tank, Zara scarf-print skirt, thrifted black leather flats, vintage Coach satchel, Charlotte Russe sunnies

Although we visited over three months ago, it looks like I haven't quite gotten over you yet. Mason jars, Voodoo Donuts, food carts and more. Portland, get on with your weird self.

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