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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NEW YEAR & NEW YORK

/ photos by Danielle Ma /

{wearing}: Zara trench coat, H&M beaded t-shirt, Primark cardigan, 

Forever 21 flannel, plaid skirt, and studded combat boots

New Year, New York, new me? Isn't that what we all hope for with every January 1st? A nice clean slate that we can mark up with all of our highs and lows, our wins and fails for the next 365 days. And, with the next January 1st, to have it all just wash away. It's a nice thought, a great sentiment, although not a very realistic one. If only that was how it all worked. 

But with every new year, we get a new set of eyes. Some things clear up while other things blur. And that's why this is one of my favorite times of the year. I love feeling refreshed, renewed and ready to take on the world. It's all a head game really. Entering my last semester at Berkeley, I have a lot to consider, reconsider and figure out before May rolls around. After playing my way through Europe for the last four months, I'm looking forward to grounding myself and getting back to business.

And that future will hopefully lie in NYC. I love this city so much, from the entertainment to the neighborhoods to the amazing eats. This city is growing on me with every passing day. I can't imagine living anywhere else in my twenties and I can't wait to get myself back here as soon as I possibly can. That's one of my main goals for 2014. Since I'm so over resolutions (they're too easy to forget and ignore), I want goals that I can check off as the year goes along. And so, cheers to 2014, may the new year bring you, my loves, lots of happiness and joy :)

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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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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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ACID WASHED DREAMS

wearing: 

studded acid washed denim dress c/o PacSun

stone zip-back nubuck ghillie wedges c/o Charlotte Russe {buy here}

thrifted silver necklace ($1)

thrifted vintage Coach satchel ($15)

I've always been a dreamer and a planner but never been much of a doer. In our perfection-seeking society, it's easy to take a failure and let it ruminate into something much more than what it is. So I tend to let my dreams be just that; a dream. I'm sure this is a feeling that many of you can relate to as well. But I'm finally doing and it's a crazy, weird, and beautiful feeling having your vision become a concrete reality. I guess there's always going to be a time when it's necessary to trust your gut over of your head and take that chance, whatever it may be.

What I'm getting at is that I'm moving down to Los Angeles for the summer! I'm going to be interning at Lucky Brand in their new social media department. I can't imagine spending the last couple of months before I head off to Paris anywhere else; I have a new city to explore, a best friend in town to play with, and an amazing opportunity ahead of me. I am seriously one lucky lucky girl.

P.S. Since finals are right around the corner, I'll probably be pretty MIA for a quick sec. Maybe if I'm  procrastinating (as per usual), I'll do that video that some of you have asked for. My inarticulate self doesn't get why anyone would ever want to see me in a video but it'll probably make for some good laughs.

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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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TWENTIES

wearing: Dolce Vita blouse {via StitchFix}, AE black coated jeans, Too Neon pink pumps c/o Two Lips, Lush two-toned moto jacket {via eBay}, H&M pyramid bangle, F21 silver locket necklace, black leather bag {via Taiwan}

Over the weekend I turned the big 2-0. It was a beautiful day spent with beautiful people; I literally couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to my teens and hello to my twenties. From brunch at the sweetest little cupcake spot in the city to dinner in Berkeley with all of my loves, I am glad to say that this was the best birthday to date.

It's a weird feeling leaving my teen years behind and taking on a brand new decade. The past 20 years have taught me far too much and not enough. With so many exciting things planned for the next year, I can't even being to imagine what the next ten will bring. Here's to hoping, to dreaming, and to the adventures that come in between!

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MOMENTS THROUGH A FISH'S EYE

Sorry about the impromptu hiatus, I have not forgotten about any of you! School has been time consuming to say the least. Imagine the clingiest girl/boyfriend you've ever had, now multiply that by 10 and that's what school has been acting like. Clingy, needy, and all consuming, I've been tending to it's every whim. Life has been a whirlwind of changes and it has taken me a while to warm up to them. But now I'm super excited and can't wait to update you lovers on everything! I pinky promise that we'll be back to regular programming very very soon!

Until then, here are some fun photos that we took on my fisheye film over the last couple of months. Yes, I make my kissyface way too much when I'm drunk. And yes, we had a onesie party, jealous?

P.S. Don't forget to enter the $50 Shabby Apple Giveaway, there's only 2 days left to do so!

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TURNING ONE {GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

My blog is one! It's hard to think that my first outfit post was posted only 365 days ago because the amazing community that fashion blogging has introduced me to has become so integrated into my daily life that I honestly can't imagine living without it. This is the longest commitment that I have ever committed (!!) and I can not be more proud of what I have been able to produce. Not only has the blog given me some amazing opportunities, but it has also brought me some of the sweetest friends I could have asked for and I am truly excited for it to continue connecting me to likeminded individuals. On top of that, through each trial and tribulation, I have learned a little more about my style, my likes and dislikes, and, subsequently, more about myself. To show my true appreciation for you lovely folks, it's obviously time for a little giveaway!

Because it IS ze bloggy's first birthday, I have decided to make the giveaway a bit more up close and personal. I am giving away my favorite Jason Wu for Target blouse (size small)! This is the blouse that I woke up at 6 AM for, stood in the freezing cold for almost an hour for, stared down bitchy suburban housewives in sweatpants for, and I'm beyond thrilled to be giving it away to one lucky reader because I love you all THAT much. Oh yeah, I went there, I used the L-word and I mean it!

To enter:

1. Follow on GFC and/or Bloglovin'

2. Comment with your email!

& that's it!

For additional entries:

1. Follow on Twitter (+1)

2. Like on Facebook (+1)

3. Tweet about the giveaway (+1)

Giveaway ends on July 25, 12 am PST.

Thank you all SO much for all of your amazing support! You guys are seriously the bestest and I couldn't have gotten through the last year without each and every one of you! Each one of your comments, likes and tweets make me smile just a little bit bigger and just a tad sillier. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you, and here's to many more birthdays to come! Cheers! xoxo

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