Red Skirt + Booties

It feels rather appropriate that the moment December started here in Orange County, it began to look like fall. Ah, well, I'll take it, I guess. This weekend was a busy and exciting one, but I can't believe that it's already over. After having dinner with my good friend Casey on Friday night, I went to Temecula on Saturday morning for a very special event — my brother's engagement! He and his girlfriend have been together for six years, and he's been planning his proposal for some time now. He gathered her family and ours at a winery under false pretenses that her mom had planned the whole get together. She was in complete shock when he popped the question, and I think it goes without saying that she said yes. I've known her since jr. high, and she's been a good friend of mine since before they started dating, so it's doubly exciting for me to get to welcome a good friend into the family. 

The rest of the weekend wasn't nearly as exciting, but enjoyable nonetheless. There was cake involved, not to mention breakfast with family and friends. We also saw Arrival in theaters last night, and it kind of blew my mind. I'm a fan of sci-fi in general, but this movie was far more beautiful than I ever had expected. I can't stop thinking about it.

Striped Shirt + A-Line Skirt

I know I start many of my posts with a story about the magic of thrifting, but today is no different. This skirt was sitting in a Goodwill a few months ago, and I'm sad to say that I keep forgetting about it. It's such a beauty, though, and I almost can't believe how good of condition it was in for $7. I always drool over the skirts my Instagram friends wear from Pinup Girl and Unique Vintage, but I can't justify spending that kind of money right now. I'm lucky to be able to find some stellar alternatives in second hand stores, but I have to admit, I also just like knowing that I have the ability to recreate similar looks for so cheap. It's just one of my many talents.

This weekend was so wonderful that I'm having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it's over. My brother Lucas and I left for Oceanside on Friday afternoon to meet our parents for the night. My parents are cyclists and rode a 50 mile bike ride on Saturday, and Lucas and I were lucky enough to join them at the beach. We cheered them on, grabbed some pierogis, and then visited two breweries in the area. It was some really wonderful sibling time, and it was great to learn from Lucas' beer expertise. After such a nonstop couple of days, Jon and I just had an extremely lazy Sunday. I really just wish every day was a lazy Sunday.

Cutout Top + Red and Blue Skirt

As per usual in Southern California, it's February, which means that it's basically summer. I've regretfully become re-acclimated to the idea of west coast "winters" since I moved back from the Midwest, so I can't say that I'm sorry to see those 40 degree mornings go. I know, I'm weak. But warm weather means finally getting to break out this fun skirt that I thrifted last fall as tights weather was nearing and becoming reacquainted with this black top. I'm never quite sure about it, but every few months or so I decide that I like it enough to keep it. This outfit isn't my absolute favorite, but hey, it'll do.

This past weekend was so jam-packed that I didn't get a chance to write this post until now even though I took these photos last week. I spent Saturday in LA with Erica and my friend Julia, who I met from the newspaper in college and was in town visiting. Erica suggested we meet at Grand Central Market, and we braved the ridiculously long line for Eggslut. I must say, I get why it was so crowded. It was delicious, and it was totally worth the wait to enjoy breakfast sandwiches outside on a beautiful day with great company. That night, I braved the 91 shutdown (freeway shutdowns are a living hell) to go watch Kiefer Sutherland play in his band. I know. It's a weird thing that I did, but Jon and our best friend Adam are slightly obsessed with Sutherland. I got us tickets for an anniversary present, and even though I'm not nearly as big of a fan as they are, I had a ton of fun seeing Kiefer Sutherland rock out. I was even willing to ignore the fact that he was three and a half hours late to the show. Like I said, freeway shutdowns are the worst.

The Return

So...that was the longest hiatus I've accidentally taken from blogging. Things have been so crazy busy lately that taking outfit photos hasn't really been option. After the first week (of the three I took off), I kind of just stopped worrying about it and decided that a break from the Internet was a good thing. I got my apartment the week after I last posted, and I just moved in last weekend. As you might have guessed, the last couple of weeks have been filled with Ikea and Target trips, packing up boxes, unpacking boxes, leaving unpacked boxes sitting on my floor, building furniture watching my friends build my furniture for me, and stressing out until the move was complete. Now that I'm finally settled in (with the exception of those pesky boxes that just won't unpack themselves for some reason), I'm ridiculously happy. I love having my own space to decorate finally, and I especially love the location I'm in. After driving 45 minutes to work every day, it's nice to have a drive that's about 12 minutes AND closer to where all of my friends live. I can already hear my gas tank and bank account thanking me. It's also nice to know that I actually set a goal for myself and made it happen. My brother and sister-in-law were incredibly nice to take me in, and I had told them when I moved in that I wanted to stay no longer than three months to save money. Somehow I actually stayed true to my word, and I was able to give them their house/office/guest room back after so long of taking advantage of their generosity.

Other than moving, I've been working a lot (I worked two 6 a.m. shifts last week) and writing articles for my freelance job. I've been spending time with my friends and boyfriend, who have all been wonderful in helping me get settled in. My brother Lucas also just moved back to Orange County, and I now live only 10 minutes away from him and his girlfriend, so that's been great as well. Plus, I've been wearing all of the same dresses I always wear, so I can't say that everything has changed. This is what I wore to celebrate Father's Day with my family on Sunday. We had a really nice dinner, and my parents gave me a bunch of stuff for my apartment that they didn't need anymore, so it was a pretty successful holiday if you ask me.

A Light Jacket and Spring Floral

Here's another work outfit that makes me not only grateful for spring, but for the fact that I don't have a dress code in the office. It was raining off and on the day I wore this, so I went with different shoes, but when I took photos in it, some sandals felt necessary. That's right, it actually rained in California, and even though everyone forgets how to drive when it happens, it's pretty wonderful. It was the rain that reminded me that I own this jacket, which is perfect for spring days and my favorite floral skirt. I really need to wear it more.

This weekend was wonderful and much-needed. I've been insanely busy with my full-time job, the one day a week I've kept at the restaurant, and freelancing for a local paper that assigned me two extra stories this month, so good friends and relaxation were appreciated. Most of my friends were in the mountains for my friend Jeremy's bachelor party weekend, so for the first time in a long time, I found myself with just girls to hang out with. My friends Whitney, Casey, and I had a great night getting frozen yogurt on Friday, and Whit and I decided to be productive at a coffee shop on Saturday. Yesterday, I went over to my parents' house after work, and if you've seen my Instagram feed at all, you know that I got to see their new puppy. He's a silver lab, his name is Samuel Adams, and he's adorable. I'm going to steal him. Or maybe I'll just be making the drive to my parents' house a little more often than usual. 

Office Space

Oops, I didn't mean to take that little blogging hiatus. I'm finding it difficult to figure out when to take outfit pictures with my new work schedule, but I finally was able to snap some this weekend. 

Today marks week three of my new job, and I'm loving it so far. I never imagined I'd like customer service, but considering I get to deal with e-commerce and designer shoppers, I'm enjoying. I love there's a lot of problem solving involved, and mostly, I love the people I work with. All of my coworkers are wonderful, and the office is such a supportive, encouraging environment. I also just love having an office to go into in general, complete with the schedule and routine that I had been missing in post-college life. I feel like a real adult finally, and I'm loving it.

I also was extremely busy last week since a group of my friends from Illinois road tripped out here for their spring break. It was wonderful, and I'm so sad that they couldn't stay longer. Some of my friends and I took them to The Pantry in LA their first morning, which is a famous breakfast place with some of the best pancakes and bacon I've ever had. We also made a trip to The Last Bookstore, walked around Sunset Boulevard, and took them to Balboa Island later in the week. It was fun playing tour guide for a couple of days, and it definitely made me feel like I need to plan a trip back to the Midwest soon.

Cutout

Is it Monday already? These weekends (and just weeks in general) have been flying by too fast. But anyway, here's a fairly simple outfit I wore yesterday. I got this top recently, and I love how the cutouts are done in a classy way. It's such a good, versatile piece that will go with everything, but is completely unique. It makes for a perfect "winter" piece right now while I'm living in 70-80 degree weather. I guess tights weather is gone for good, but it was nice while it lasted.

I wore this yesterday to hang out with two of my best friends. I'll be honest, having everything change in my life suddenly isn't getting any easier. In addition to my parents selling the house I grew up in and dealing with potential buyers coming in while I'm home, I also have to deal with one of my closest friends, Jon, moving. He's moving to Washington today, so I pretty much spent my entire weekend with him, putting off saying goodbye for as long as possible. It was tough. I'm not a particularly emotional person, but goodbyes always seem to get me. I can already tell that I'm going to be a wreck when I have to say goodbye to this house this month. Is it too much to ask for everything to just stay the same forever? That's a reasonable request, right?

Happiness Through Striped Dresses

If I've learned one thing recently, it's that a cute outfit is an easy cure for feeling down and dealing with change. While I'm freaking out about my childhood home being sold and moving to a new place while I struggle with starting my career and whatnot, at the very least I can put on a striped dress, a collar, and a cardigan, and I can feel like myself. I suppose that's the beauty of fashion, isn't it? I'm sure everyone is tired of me moping (and trust me, I appreciate the kind comments of encouragement I've gotten), but I can't lie, things have pretty rough for me lately. I think I may write an honest post soon to give you some more insight into what I've been feeling, more for myself than for anyone reading it. The point that I'm trying to make today, though, is that I'm more appreciative now more than ever to put on clothes that make me feel good. It's hard to be in a mad mood in a fun dress and fun colors, and this outfit in particular makes me happier than most. I'm a sucker for a good striped dress, and I just adore how this collared top looks layered under pieces.

Nothing helps more than having a group of fiercely loyal friends, though. As 22-24 year olds, we've all been struggling with adulthood and post-grad life in different ways, and we've all been there to distract each other, support each other, and to make each other laugh. This week has mostly been filled with us all doing our part to be there for each other, whether it be driving to LA on a moment's notice to offer comfort, going shopping for retail therapy, or watching funny TV shows and eating ice cream as a distraction. This outfit makes me really happy, but nothing compares to making an impromptu trip to the grocery store at 9 p.m. to get Ben & Jerry's with three guys. If it's sickening to hear me talk about how in love I am with the people in my life, well, deal with it. 

The Aftermath

I haven't posted in a week, but where do I even begin? Things have been pretty crazy lately, but in the best way possible. My Christmas was great and filled with family, friends, good food, wonderful gifts (and maybe a shot of whiskey or two that I was forced to take with my family). I really could not have asked for a better day. The next day, my brother, sister-in-law, and their three kids flew in from Illinois, and my whole family met them at the airport. They're staying with us until Saturday, and I'm ectastic I am to have them here. I got pretty used to seeing them once a week while I lived in Illinois, so it's been tough not having seen them since May. Since they couldn't be here on Christmas, we had a second celebration on Saturday when we ate more great food and opened more presents with them. You can only imagine what it was like having five kids and babies (all under the age of 5) opening up presents and playing together. 

Things got a little crazier yesterday when one of my coworkers got hurt at work, and I had to drive her the ER. She's fine other than a minor concussion, and I was happy to help her, but I was pretty bummed that it meant missing out and meeting Kristian while she was in LA. Hopefully she'll be back though since it's always a treat getting to meet a blogging friend in person who you've known online for as long as I've known Kristian. 

As for the outfit, this is what I wore on Friday to get coffee with my friend Alena, who's visiting from Austin, and to the airport later. It's been much colder than normal here (even though it's still considered nice in normal parts of the country), so I got to put on this sweater that I haven't worn since I was in the Midwest. I don't know about you, but I'm really loving winter whites and grays at the moment.

Haircut

Is that a haircut you see? Why, yes. Yes, it is. I hadn't gotten it cut since early summer, so I figured I was due. Fortunately, my friend Casey works at a salon (which also happens to be owned by best friend and her boyfriend Adam's family) and gives me a major discount. And by major discount, I mean that she cuts my hair for free and I bring her Starbucks. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to hair (and make-up, nails, and all things girly other than clothes for that matter) so I pretty much just let her do whatever she wanted to it. She ended up going shorter and a little fuller on the bangs, cutting off a couple of inches, and giving me more layers. My hair grows ridiculously fast, but I'm hoping it stays like this for a while since I'm extremely happy with the result.

If I seem a tad more dressed up than normal, it's because this is what a wore to a wedding reception a couple of weeks ago that I finally got around to taking pictures of yesterday. A family friend had a tiny wedding ceremony over the summer with just family, and they finally had a bigger reception at a restaurant recently. It wasn't super fancy, but it did give me an excuse to put on heels, which is a rarity. I should add that it's definitely too cold to be going sans tights at this point, but it's still not too cold to do it for a little while for photos. California is weird.

Rad in Plaid

I'm tired, so I'm actually going to make this post short. And I actually mean it this time. I've always loved Fleet Collection, but I usually never have the money to afford the gorgeous pieces. Fortunately, everything on the Fleet Collection site was 40% off on Cyber Monday, and I took a break from buying a massive amount of Christmas presents to grab this plaid crop top and a matching skirt. They look wonderful together as a two piece set (that looks like a dress) and just as great paired with items. The possibilities are endless, and I already plan on wearing the skirt for a post next week. I can't lie, I felt quite classy in this outfit. Fleet Collection, I love you.

Also, I'm seeing Jenny Lewis again tonight. I actually got these tickets a while ago (long before I bought the tickets for her show a few weeks ago), and I'm so pumped to see her do a longer set and open for Ryan Adams. This year has just been the best for music.

Leather Jacket

Despite the fact that I didn't do too much of anything that was Halloween-related, I still had a great Halloween week and weekend. I was mostly just excited to go to Disneyland the day before Halloween, especially since it had been a while since I had visited during this season. As I've mentioned before, my best friend, Whitney works at Disneyland, and her friend, Jessie, visited from Kansas last week. Jessie had never been to Disneyland before, so Whit got both of us in so I could tag along for her first visit. I will never outgrow that place or get tired of it, so any time I get to visit my second home is appreciated. It was the perfect day to go as it wasn't too crowded or too hot, and we were able to catch the Halloween decorations before they left. The lovely company didn't hurt either.

This is what I wore to see the movie "Birdman" last week with a bunch of my friends. I borrowed this dress from Erica, and like most Flock Together pieces, I don't want to give it back. This print is so unique, and it's incredibly light and airy. It paired almost too perfectly with my new leather jacket that I picked up at Buffalo Exchange. It's from Forever 21 originally, but it was only $14 (bought with store credit) and had the tags still on. I have a feeling you'll be seeing this beauty a lot. As for "Birdman," it was one of the best movies I've seen this year by far. The film was more imaginative and captivating than I ever could have imagined, and Michael Keaton and Edward Norton turned in career-changing performances. It's getting Oscar buzz, so I highly recommend checking it out once it's in wide release.

Polka Dot Addict

At this point, I think we can all agree that I have just a little bit of a polka dot obsession. I have too many items with the pattern, and I am fully aware that I need to stop buying pieces of clothing with it. Of course, if someone were to say, gift me a polka dotted item, I would have to generously accept it, wouldn't I? It's pretty well-known that Lisa of Lala Faux Bois is great (I met her in person in May, so I know this for a fact), but she proved it once again by sending me this lovely dress recently. I was a little confused when I opened a package from her and not only found a piece of her's that I had asked to borrow (which you'll see on Wednesday), but another item in there as well. Had I asked to borrow something else and just had forgotten about it? No, Lisa is just wonderful. Turns out, someone had gifted it to her, and since she already owns something just like it and knows I love polka dots, she thought I should have it. And yes, I also own something exactly like it, but it would be rude of me not to keep it. Well, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

So, as previously mentioned, the most exciting thing to happen to me since my last post is a thing that I am absolutely giddy about, but most of you won't care about it at all. Quick recap of the event again: Dan Harmon is the creator of the TV shows "Community" and "Rick and Morty." Harmon got fired from "Community" for one season before he was hired back, and during his time unemployed, he took his podcast, "Harmontown," on the road to 20 cities while a documentary crew filmed it. On Thursday, I attending an LA screening of the documentary, also called "Harmontown," which was followed by a Q&A and a podcast taping. Not only was the documentary incredible (it's a seriously well-made piece of film that can be enjoyed even if you're unfamiliar with Harmon or his podcast), but everything after was as well, especially since I got to actually meet and take a photo with Harmon. He was extremely nice, and he stayed in the lobby after until every fan had gotten the chance to take a picture with him and talk to him. "Community" has been such a big part of my life since it first aired, so to get to meet the man behind it was thrilling for me. As an added bonus, I also got to meet Kumail Nanjiani, who moderated the Q&A and whom I'm a huge fan of. I pretty much love everything he does — he's a main character HBO's amazing "Silicon Valley," his stand-up is hilarious (watch his special, Beta Male), his weekly stand-up show turned Comedy Central show with Jonah Ray ("The Meltdown") is fantastic, and most importantly, I'm a giant fan of his podcast, "The X-Files Files." Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. We actually saw Nanjiani out on the street before the show, but I was too nervous to approach him because I'm a wuss. Fortunately, my friend Adam stopped him for me after the show, and I got to tell him how much I love his podcast and take a picture with him. I totally understand that these a very obscure celebrities who most of you don't care about as much as I do, but oh, well. This was a pretty big deal for me.  

Flock Together: Sooner or Later

If you're looking for daily dose of my face, let me direct your attention over to Flock Together, where I'm posting about how I wore this gorgeous Mitla Moda top. I borrowed this top from Dus, who sells this one and plenty like it in her shop, so I highly suggest checking it out and getting one for yourself. They're all fair trade and handmade in Mexico, on top of just being beautiful. See you at Flock Together!

Top: Mitla Moda, borrowed from Dus

Skirt (dress worn as skirt), ring: Forever 21

Sandals: Threadsence

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Clubmasters

Mint & Burgundy

I almost didn't post this outfit because of the wind, the weird lighting, and the strange things my hair is doing in them. However, I decided that this outfit isn't all that bad and that it deserved to be seen on the Internet. I borrowed this mint dress from Katie right before I left Illinois, and I fell in love with the color and the flattering cut. After pairing it with a burgundy cardigan, I realized that this outfit kind of matches my blog layout because I'm cool like that. That's a thing people do, I hear. I'm also pretty crazy about this Mata Traders necklace that I picked up at local boutique while in Illinois, but hopefully I'll get some better detail shots of it soon. I wore this on one of my last days in Illinois for my work's end-of-year party, which means that you've already seen this outfit if you follow me on social media. It was a fantastic night, and a great way to end a great year. 

To be honest, the past couple of weeks have involved too many goodbyes for my liking. Even my recent trip to Arizona, where I was for a few days to celebrate my brother's graduation from ASU, ended with sad goodbyes to two of my brothers and family. While in Arizona, we did our best to beat the heat, ate some good food, toured the campus, and saw my brother graduate with honors. It was a great trip altogether, especially since it was the first time I had all of my brothers in one place in a year and a half, but it was bittersweet to say the least. 

So that's why, among the sea of goodbyes, it felt like a breath of fresh air to spend part of my trip getting to say "hello" to a familiar face, as I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa from Lala Faux Bois in person. We met over coffee on Friday night, and she was just as sweet and funny in person as she is online. She was incredibly easy to talk to, and it was so nice to have someone to talk about blogging, Flock Togehter, photography, and the like, who actually understands what I'm talking about. Thanks again for meeting up with me, Lisa! This makes the third current Flock Together girl who I've met, and fourth if you count former members. I'm determined to meet everyone in person eventually, and I feel like I'm making decent progress so far. Check out my Instagram to see proof that Lisa and I actually hung out. 

Flock Together: Sans Comic

I'm posting over on Flock Together today, so head over there to read more about my love affair with Lisa's blue skirt and my Marvel comic strip tank. I put together a look involving a feminine skirt, a comic book cropped tank top, a moto jacket, and sandals — and I think I somehow managed to make it work. See you there!

Skirt: Borrowed from Lisa

Marvel tank: Forever 21

Jacket: Dry Goods

Sandals: UO

Belt: Thrifted

Blossoms

Easter weekend is always kind of strange for me. Since most people on campus are actually from Illinois, unlike me, a majority of the student body goes home and my school becomes a ghost town. On one hand, as someone who just generally doesn't like most college students (we can all agree that most people my age are obnoxious), it's nice to have a little peace and quiet. On the other hand, being thousands of miles away from Califonia, I don't even have the option of going home. Even though I'll be back there indefinitely in three weeks (holy crap), it's still difficult to not get just a little homesick. Fortunately, most of my friends were still in town on Friday night, so I wasn't completely alone and had people to hang out with.

On Saturday, Mary and I were left as two of the only people still here, so we decided to get out of town for the afternoon. We went to Quincy, a town about an hour away. Quincy is certainly not the most exciting place in the world, but it has Starbucks, Panera, and TJ Maxx — basic luxuries not found in the town I live in.We did a little bit of shopping (mistake), and explored downtown a little bit to take some outfit pictures. I'm in love with this set, which is why there are so many in this post. It finally looks like spring is here to stay, so I felt like polka dots, mint, and sandals were appropriate. I was also slightly obsessed with these trees, and I decided to include a few of Mary's photos of them as well. What am I ever going to do with Mary and her photography when I move? Actually, I don't want to talk about it. 

Iowa City

You may have noticed from my lack of posts last week, but ever since returning to Illinois, things got busy real fast. Between classes, work, and hanging out with friends (those Firefly and Futurama episodes can't rewatch themselves), there hasn't been much time to take outfit photos. Fortunately, I not only got to get some outfit shots yesterday, but I did so while having a pretty fantastic weekend. 

On Saturday, Mary and I made the two-hour drive to visit Jenn in Iowa. She lives right outside Iowa City, so we spent the weekend walking around downtown, visiting shops, trying new restaurants, and drinking plenty of coffee. I would've had a great time with Jenn and Mary no matter where we were, but I found myself falling in love with Iowa City, which I never would have expected. I had heard that it was a great city, but I had no idea just how, well, hip it would be. I've always made it clear how much I love supporting small business, so I couldn't get enough of the local boutiques, vintage stores, and shops stocked with items made in Iowa. Iowa items were abundant everywhere we went, but it came across as pride rather than a way to trick tourists into spending money (like I don't know, say, California). Plus, we found a coffee and wine bar that just opened about a month ago. Need I say more?

Fare Thee Well

Well, apparently this is my first outfit post of 2014. I think I've told myself every day this week that I would take outfit photos, but somehow it just hasn't happened. It's really just because I'm lazy in the mornings and don't actually get in the shower until noon, and then I'm busy doing something with friends until it gets too dark to take photos. I'm pretty bummed that I haven't been able to make much time for blogging, but I guess that means that I actually have a life/friends who are willing to spend time with me, so at least that's something. As for the outfit though, something about it feels a little different for me, but I love it. I've been looking for a new utility jacket for a while now, and my good friend Alena bought this one for me as a Christmas present while we were out shopping. I love it that it's slightly more unique than most of the other ones I see due to the multiple shades of green. Plus, this cropped sweater is kind of the best.

Enough about my clothes though (what is this? A fashion blog?), I want to talk about entertainment. I've been spending most of time seeing movies, and they've dominated most of my conversations as well. Last week, I saw American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street, both of which I enjoyed (More so American Hustle, though). This week, however, my friends and I went to a theater a little out of the way that shows limited release movies, where I saw possibly my two favorite films of the year (since they both technically came out in 2013) — Inside Llewyn Davis and Her. I'm a big fan of the directors of each (the Coen brothers and Spike Jonze, respectively), and both were like breaths of fresh air after what felt like a lackluster year of movies. I can't stop listening to the soundtrack from Inside Llewyn Davis, and Her just blew me away. I can't recommend either of them enough. 

While I'm on the subject of entertainment, I should also mention the important matter of Community returning last night with Dan Harmon finally at the helm again. My life is complete again.

December in California

From first glance, it probably looks like these photos were taken over the summer. For starters, they're taken in the un-creative spot of my backyard, where all of my photos over the summer were taken. Most importantly, though, is the very obvious detail that my legs are bare. Forgive me for talking about the weather again, but I didn't just go from snow to palm trees; I went from snow to 80 degrees. I have to admit that I wasn't all that prepared. I packed tights and boots, figuring I could just forgo a coat, but bare legs? It's getting a little more difficult to remember that it's Christmas time here in Orange County.

Obviously I can't complain too much, seeing as I'm in beautiful weather with next to no responsibilities for the next few weeks. It was a busy semester (aren't they all?), which makes sleeping in and bumming around all day even sweeter. I wish I had more to write about other than weather, laziness, and Christmas shopping, but that's basically my life right now. I'm supposed to attend a special screening of a movie in L.A. today with my best friend who works for a marketing firm, but I'll wait until after to fill you all in. I'm still convinced that it's too good to be true, and there's no way I'm actually that lucky to get to see one of my favorite actors in person. We shall see.