Wish-Fall Thinking

Hello and welcome back to those of you still reading whenever I decide to resurrect this little ol' blog! Yes, it's been some time, but I'm happy to say that I have officially survived Black Friday/Cyber Monday and am still alive and blogging occasionally. Working in e-commerce, the past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy, but it's finally (almost) over. Now, I have more time to focus on my own Christmas shopping and trying to not buy myself everything in sight. Actually, I don't really have a choice. I had to get my brakes fixed right before Thanksgiving, and it was not cheap, which means my shopping habits right now are more about trying to squeeze in as many Christmas presents as possible and less about buying those cute dresses I'm eyeing on sale. 

Regardless of car issues, I'm still enjoying with little fall weather we get and getting excited for the holidays. It's been getting slightly cooler here for the most part, and I am loving being able to wear tights and boots again whenever the weather allows. My favorite part though? Decorating for Christmas. Jon and I spent the other night blasting Christmas music while hanging up our Christmas lights and decorating our TINY tree. Believe it or not, Jon has a weird obsession with candles, so our place has been smelling extra comforting as well lately. My favorite scent by far is vanilla, which is why I was so excited to try The Body Shop's new vanilla pumpkin line as well. I'm not usually a big lotion person, but I can't get enough of this hand cream. It smells so good and like fall in a bottle. Even if we don't quite get fall weather, I can least pretend when everything smells so much like the season at home! 

Twenty Five

Why, yes, I did drive to an elementary school on a Sunday with a party hat in hand just to take birthday pictures in front of some colorful walls. That's what you do when you're 25, right? Adult things? Yep, I am indeed 25 today, and I do feel pretty great. I'm not doing too much to celebrate, but I'm fine with that. Jon and I are going to dinner with our best friend Adam tonight and watching Game of Thrones after, and tomorrow we're all getting together with a couple of our other friends to try a rolled ice cream (and ice cream taco!) place near my apartment. I definitely feel like I've outgrown throwing a party or doing something big, so just getting to see a few close friends over food sounds perfect to me. 

Just for fun, here are some differences between my once expectations vs. reality of being a quarter of a century:

• I'm not "enjoying my 20s" the way I once I thought I would, but I'm definitely enjoying them. I've never been very adventurous or spontaneous, so when I was a teenager, I always thought I'd use my 20s as an excuse to go crazy and do stupid things. I've never felt like that was really me, so I feel pretty good about being happy in my quiet life.
• On that note, I didn't expect to be settled down with a serious boyfriend. I always thought that I'd finally figure out how to date around and that I'd be casually dating while focusing on my career at 25. NOPE. I'm happily settled and living with Jon, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I was never going to enjoy casually dating, and thank goodness it didn't take me long to figure that out.
• I AM finally feeling like I'm on the right track in my career like I was hoping I would at this age. I was so afraid that I'd still be in the job I was in a year ago, feeling stuck and behind in my career goals. Over a year later, I'm in a job that I love and just got promoted!
• I definitely expected to be living outside of Orange County, and while I often do dream of finally moving elsewhere, I'm much more okay with it than I expected to be.
• Probably the biggest difference is that I prioritize my relationships more that I always said I would. I used to be big on believing that I would be career focused at 25. I actually used to say that I figured that I would break some guy's heart by putting my career first. Yeah, I was dramatic. Fortunately, becoming an adult and being in an adult relationship has made me realize what's important and also how lucky I am to be with someone who supports me in career so that I can have both. I also thought that I would be living somewhere else because I wouldn't care about living far away from my family, but now they're probably the biggest reason why I'm still here, and I'm good with that. What's the point of traveling and living in a new place if I don't have anyone to share it with?
• No, I am not a famous and successful blogger like I was once hoping to be at this age. I also don't want that anymore. Blogging has been my favorite hobby and I love the process of connecting with my community and growing my following, but I'm okay with not making it my job or being a big success. 
• I still haven't learned how to use chopsticks. I'm actually pretty embarrassed about this one, but you'd think that I would learned that by now. One day...

If anything, being 25 is much more boring than I once thought it would be, but I think this was all one long way of saying that I like boring. But that's what adulthood is all about, right? Just being boring and being happy with it.

Pineapples

I'm going to be honest with you here. I'm not really paying attention to what I'm writing because I'm watching the new season of Orange Is the New Black while I'm putting this post together. I've haven't exactly been loving the past few seasons, and I'm not sure how I feel about this new one, but I can't look away. So forgive me if this isn't the most eloquent post.

Why pay attention the writing anyway when this dress does all the talking? I took advantage of Modcloth's Memorial Day sale (as well as possibly a few others...) and finally got my hands on this pineapple print dress. Emily and Fin's newest collection is seriously the cutest, and I have my eyes on a few other pieces as well. I ended up stopping at my favorite thrift store, Saver's, on Saturday and picked up this cardigan, which will probably be making plenty of appearances soon. This may just be my new favorite outfit.

Other than a Saver's trip, this weekend was pretty uneventful, but nice. Some friends and I had a movie night on Friday night, and we had dinner with Jon's parents on Saturday night. The most exciting thing to happen, though, is that my work treated me to a Disneyland pass! I've been wanting one for ages, and my whole family is getting them so I can't thank my bosses enough. Despite the fact that I live right around the corner from Disney, I actually haven't been in three years. Those tickets are expensive! I'm so excited to start going all the time now. Well, as much as my pass allows. There are a ton of blackout days, so I might not be going all the time, per say. But hey, better than nothing.

Warm Tones for Warm Days

Did I mean to write this last night? Did I instead end up falling asleep while rewatching the first season of Community? Yes, and hell yes. Since I'm writing this real quick before starting work, let's just keep this short and sweet. This dress is one of my "ol' faithfuls" that never fails to look flattering. I wore this to explore old town Tustin and take pictures with friend/photographer extraordinaire, Hanna over the weekend. I lived in Tustin a while back (when I lived with horrible crazy roommates), but only explored the area a little bit. It's adorable, and we had amazing pastries from a shop there as well. Hanna brought her dog, Sol, so he is once again the star of my photos. How can I compete with him? 

The only other thing of note in my life is that my car battery died yesterday while I was at a gas station, which is never fun. My dad was nearby, fortunately, so he let me use his AAA card and got me help. So all is well now. I also made a ton of mac and cheese for dinner last night, which let's face it, is the true highlight of my week. 

Mint Florals

And just like that, it's spring. I know that we don't exactly have real winter here in Southern California, but it was getting quite cold for my weak bones for a while there. Don't get me wrong, I so look forward to layering up each year, but I was ready to put my tights away. Luckily, I sold some stuff on Poshmark and used the earning to get this sweet Kling dress just in time for California spring to start. It has been in the 70s every day for the past week, and it looks like it's here to stay. I figured that the arrival of spring begged for an appropriate outfit, so I decided to go all out. We're talking a bright cardigan and a floral headband with an equally floral dress. Oh yeah, I went there.

This weekend was fairly uneventful, but relaxing. I baked some peanut butter cookies, saw Get Out with my brother and his fiance, and visited my other brother's family. I normally hate horror movies (I'm a giant wuss), but knowing that Jordan Peele was behind Get Out and seeing the stellar reviews convinced me to give it a chance. I can't say that I'll start watching horror movies now, but I am glad that I took a chance on this one since it was excellent. Highly recommend.

Blue Door

I had to travel pretty far to get photos in front of this door.

Okay, not really. I've been driving by this apartment complex every day for a while now, and I just recently noticed how photo-worthy this door is. I was hoping to take pictures in front of it last week, but when it rained, I had to postpone. Luckily, I planned ahead this weekend and when I saw that it was supposed to rain on Sunday, I convinced Jon to help me on Saturday instead. He normally works Saturdays, but as luck would have it, he happened to have part of the day off this weekend. The photo gods were on my side. We actually went on a nice little walk to get here (read: I misjudged how far it was), and there happened to be a nice little walkway in front of it and zero people coming in and out. Like I said, the photo gods showed mercy. I may not be religious or be a big believer of fate, but come on. Good blog photo circumstances aren't always easy to come by. 

I scored this dress in the Ruche sale recently, and while I'm bummed that I didn't put on a belt before taking these, I'm really excited to add this to my wardrobe. I may or may not be impulsively shopping more than usual lately. Don't tell my mom. I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I can't help myself. There are too many cute things on the Internet, too many sales, and too little time. ...seriously, don't tell my mom. If she asks, tell her that I'm being a responsible adult and putting all of my money in savings that's not going toward my rent or student loans. It's kind of true, I promise.

Also, a big congrats to Taylor and Maggie for winning the Feminist Resistance Giveaway! We raised over $600, mostly for Planned Parenthood, and many people set up monthly donations. It's so wonderful to see how many people are making a difference. 

Modcloth Popsicle Dress + Thrifted Cardigan

I have to be honest with you. I don't...love popiscles. Don't get me wrong. I like them, I really do. They're great on hot summer days, and I can't deny that they're refreshing. That said, when it comes to dessert, I prefer chocolate. When it comes to frozen treats, I prefer ice cream. And when it comes to refreshing things on hot days, iced coffee is my jam. So I'm not quite sure how I ended up not only in love with this dress, but with multiple popsicle art prints on my wall. They're so cute and colorful, I suppose I just naturally gravitated toward them as "art" despite them not being my favorite. It's even more surprising considering that my friends had a joke in college about me revolving around popsicles. As you might remember, I went to school in Illinois, and questions about me being from California came up immediately and often. So immediately that one friend asked if my "popsicles melt" the moment I met him. You know, like the Katy Perry song. I'll never live it down, but I'll embrace it with this dress. 

Other than thinking and talking too much about popsicles, life is great right now. Work is busy, and I just found out that I'll be going to Palm Springs for a conference in a couple of weeks. My parents and Jon's parents are meeting for the first time this weekend, so I'm a little nervous. Fingers crossed that they become best friend like they have in my imagination.

Also, there is something VERY exciting and wonderful coming to the blog on Monday! If you like women's rights, free things, and doing good, keep an eye out.

Teal Dress + Gray Cardigan

Excuse me while I cough all over this keyboard as I write this post. Yes, it is true. Like practically everyone else you know at the moment, I am sick. It would be a bit more bearable if it didn't happen right before I left for Vegas though. I lost my voice from coughing the day we got there and I had to stay in and go to bed on Saturday night while my brother, his fiance, and my boyfriend all went out. I'm usually pretty lame when it comes to these kind of things, but never this lame. Still, I managed to have a really good time, despite barely being able to talk. I still drank what I could without overdoing it and walked the strip with them. We also saw Love before I passed out on Saturday, and it was one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever seen. Mostly though, it was nice to get to spend time with my favorite people and to see Jon bond with my brother. Oh yes, I'm that kind of sap.

Needless to say, these photos were taken about a week ago when I was healthy and able to speak. Ah, those were the days. I got this dress from Schoola recently, and while it's a little on the short side, it's the perfect layering piece with tights. It was of course made for putting a collared shirt underneath it. Well, at least that's what I tell myself.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway with Copious Fashions for your chance to win an adorable sweatshirt with floral elbow pads!

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.

Sugarhill Boutique Dress + Gray Cardigan

I apparently never actually finished writing this post, but I'd still like to share it. Because I still have an actual post to write, I'm keeping this one short. Let's just bask in the glory that is this Sugarhill Boutique dress and how perfectly it pairs with my Luella pineapple pin.

Collared Dress + Yellow Cardigan

In both good and bad news, this will be my last set of photos taken at my parents' house. It's always beautiful vising them at the lake, but the drive is at least an hour long, and it's tough to see them as much my siblings and I would all like. Fortunately, they're moving back to Orange County in a few weeks so the drive will be much easier. I'm a little bummed to be losing one of my favorite photo locations, but I'll manage.

I put this outfit on in a hurry before Jon and I left to have breakfast at our friend Adam's place. We were running late and I knew I'd be taking outfit pictures, so I grabbed what I knew would work well. I wear this dress pretty often so I was convinced I had taken pictures in this exact combination before, but I think I actually haven't somehow. It feels familiar, though, right? I guess I can't be surprised. Any combination of a collared dress and cardigan feels like something I've worn before. Or pretty much every day.

ThredUP Skirt + Thrifted Cardigan

For part two of my collaboration with ThredUP, I wanted to get a staple piece that I knew I would get a ton of use out of. I'm committing to shopping smarter, and buying versatile pieces that will last me is a key part of that. So instead of getting yet another polka dot skirt or another cream lace dress (though trust me, I was this close), I went the safe route and got a gray skirt. Some may say boring, I say smart. Turns out, it was a great decision, as this gray H&M skirt fits seamlessly into my wardrobe. It goes with virtually everything I own, and its a-line shape makes it ideal for fitting with my vintage-inspired, feminine aesthetic. It also was a good excuse to bust out this Modcloth burgundy top and thrifted cardigan, both of which I've neglected for quite a while. Thank goodness for (affordable) basics, right?

It was raining the day that Jon and I took these photos, so we improvised on our deck. Luckily, our apartment as at the very end, so we didn't have to deal with people walking by us, and we somehow managed to take two sets without any nosy neighbors coming out to shoot us weird glances. I'm surprised at how well this location ended up being for a last minute fix, and I wouldn't mind using it more often for days when we're too lazy to walk any further than our front door (which, let's face it, is all the time). It's nice to be able to enjoy the rain AND take outfit photos.

Don't forget to use the code HANDM50 off first time orders up to $50 on H&M pieces at ThredUP. If you're lucky, you'll score a skirt just as cute as this one.

Remix Friday: Thrifted Mint Cardigan

Something Creative and Witty // Thank Goodness for Goodwill //  Mint Cardigan + Polka Dot Dress // Ice Cream and Oranges

I'm going to be honest. I almost didn't share this post. When going through old outfits, I tried to look for items that I had featured in at least five or six looks, and I thought it might be fun to do an extremely versatile item -- a cardigan. I wear cardigans in probably 60-70% of my outfits, so I figured that it would give me a wide range of looks to share. 

Wrong.

The first cardigan I thought of was this mint one that I thrifted a long time ago, and I was pleased to see how many outfits I had worn it in it. I started going through posts and saving photos into a folder, only to be a little embarrassed when I looked at them all next to each other. In the eight outfits I had found, I had managed to style it almost the exact same way in most: with something blue, something white, and/or something polka dotted. So much for versatility. 

I started looking through other posts to find another item to feature, but ultimately, I thought this was pretty funny -- and insightful. I think we all often struggle with defining our personal style, but embarrassing as it may be, it's a little comforting to see that I've kept it so consistent over the years without even really trying. That's okay in my book.

Blossoms // We Used to Be Friends //  Two Headed Boy // That Moon Song

Which of my (very similar) outfits featuring this mint cardigan is your favorite?

Head to Toe Remix: Dresses

I'm so sad to say that we've reached the end of the Head to Toe Remix series, my weekly remix post with Priya of Perfectly Priya. So far we've styled accessories, outwear, tops, bottoms, and shoes. We've saved the best for last, though, and we're ending on a high note with dresses. 

You'd think that styling a black dress would be easy or perhaps even a cop out. You'd be wrong. I actually tried hard to tackle one of my more difficult dresses that I haven't worn in ages, but I ended up struggling so much with the ones I was considering that I decided to get rid of them. I guess in that sense, this series has truly completed its purpose of helping us make the most of our closets.

But back to this seemingly basic dress that I'm wearing here. Like most pieces from TJ Maxx, it's just slightly...off. The neckline is a little off center and can sometimes be a little too revealing if I don't watch how I'm moving, and the handkerchief hem has never been my favorite. I've actually worn it as a top more than anything (as you'll see below), but I really don't wear it as a dress often. As obvious as a choice as it seems, I'm actually really glad that I used it for this since I truly was considering get rid of it and this post changed my mind. I honestly threw this together quickly before leaving for a friend's house because I spent too long struggling to style of on my other dresses, and I couldn't be happier with how this turned out. I'm starting to think that headbands are really the key to making anything work.

Mint Cardigan + Polka Dot Dress

Okay, so maybe this isn't your standard outfit to wear on a boat ride around the lake. However, when your parents live on a lake, it's not really a special occurrence. My brother, his girlfriend, and I headed out there for a visit on Sunday afternoon, which concluded a relaxed weekend. I've still been feeling uninspired with my closet lately, but this polka dot dress is an easy favorite that never fails. Some cute pins were an easy way accessorize it a little differently than I normally do, and I was happy to finally break in these BAIT flats that I got a little while ago. I had been looking for a new pair of black t-straps to replace my pair that were falling apart, and this pair was just perfect. I'm a sucker for a good t-strap.

While everything with work has been going great, I did just have to shell out $400 for my car. I walked outside last Wednesday only to find that someone had broken my rear window. It looks like it could have been done with a BB gun, but however it happened, no note was left. Isn't that fun? I love people. 

Modcloth Floral Dress + Madewell Cardigan

I'm officially a working girl again. That's right, no more faux summer break for me. I am now doing project management and digital marketing for an e-commerce consulting firm, and as you might have guessed, I'm thrilled. This week is my first week, which so far is consisting of training and meetings. I get to work from home for the most part, which also presents its own benefits and challenges. I worked from home during one of my internships so I'm not new to it, but it will definitely be interesting. I can't say that I plan on living in sweats though. Even if I'm just in a coffee shop or at home, I still plan on breaking out the dresses every day. Old habits die hard.

This Modcloth dress is a beauty and doesn't make it out often enough for my taste. One of the great things about working from home is creating my own hours, which meant that while I didn't have a ton to do yet yesterday, I took a short lunch/thrifting break with my best friend. We went to our favorite downtown area and had a little trouble finding a spot for photos that wasn't bright and/or surrounded by people. We finally settled on this shaded area outside of an antique store. Antiques: getting the job done however you need it.

Yellow Cardigan + Plaid Collared Dress

Hello again from the west coast! My impromptu business trip eventually came to an end, and I'm back to the real world. My trip was truly wonderful, though, and a nice change of pace. I was in Connecticut most of the week, where I worked out of our office there and bonded with my co-workers. I also got to go into New York City a couple of times, which was a real treat. I went in once on "business," which meant visiting the boutiques of the stores I do customer service for and feeling the clothes in person. I then went in on my own over the weekend, where I met up with my friend Callie. Callie came in from Washington DC, and we spent the weekend wandering around without a plan. It turned out to be perfect, as we had a blast walking the Highline, visiting an SNL exhibit full of costumes and props from the show, and eating delicious Italian food. Callie and I only get to see each other every few months or so, and it was wonderful getting to spend the weekend catching up. I also had the pleasure of meeting up with Jen of JennifHsieh, who was seriously the best. I've never had a bad experience meeting a blogging friend in person, and this was no exception. If I lived in New York, I would force her to hang out with me all the time. She's that cool.

Apricity Sunday Dress + Red Cardigan

Will I ever get over this Apricity dress? No. No, I won't. It's one of the most perfect things I own, and I just may have bought another Apricity dress. I may have also sworn that I wasn't going to buy anymore clothes in an effort to save to save up for a new apartment. But hey, when one of your favorite brands offers a 50% off flash sale for one day, you don't pass that up. I would be doing a disservice to dress-loving girls everywhere if I passed up that deal. I don't want that responsibility, no sir. So I did it. And I stand by decision.

Of course, I wish I were happily wearing this dress and hanging out in my brother's neighbor's rose bushes while they're not looking, but I have to face the real world instead. I recently started applying for new jobs, and it's a hell hole out there. I've made my current job aware that I'm looking, which I was able to do so because my bosses are wonderful and understanding about me wanting to get out of customer service and into a more creative position. I only wish I could bring them with me to a different industry. The job market, as I'm sure you all well know, is the worst. I'm struggling to find something in my experience-level that pays more than $0, and even more so, I'm struggling to get anyone to respond to emails. So if any of you would like to hire me to write bad jokes and talk about pretty dresses, please get in touch with me. I will also accept payment in sandwiches and iced coffee.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a feminism-inspired pin or piece of jewelry from Ectogasm. You have until 04/11!

Lavender Turtleneck Dress

This weekend could not have been more perfect if it tried. I got to spend time with most of my closest friends, including my friend Kyle who is in town visiting a few month stint in Texas for the Air Force. I also tried a new coffee shop, ate a lot of junk food, spent time with Jon, played board games, and saw my family. The best weekends are the ones that feel like they lasted forever, but still feel gone too soon once Monday comes around.

One of the my favorite things that I did was do a photo shoot with my best friend, Whitney, at a nearby park. Whit is finally starting her own blog on nerd culture, so we took some adorable photos of her in her best geek attire. I'm still a novice at photography, but I love getting to practice and be behind the camera occasionally. I do think the pictures turned out great, but that could just be my ego talking. We also carved out a little bit of time for my own outfit pictures, and I made sure that we ventured into the deepest part of the park to do so. It's a giant park with a lovely lake, but I loved how this lavender turtleneck dress looked against the mess of tall trees and overgrown plants. 

Leaf Print Dress + Gray Cardigan

I don't think that I'm overexaggerating when I say that this dress is all kinds of good. It's a Modcloth piece that I bought from Schoola not too long ago, and I've worn it far too many times already. I've already spoken about my love of Schoola, but I don't think I could ever do it justice. Not only does the website have great used pieces that can be purchased to donate money to schools in need, it also has a selection of brand new pieces that were donated by Modcloth. I knew that I needed this dress the moment I laid eyes on it, and my decision was made that much easier by knowing that I would get to help schools by purchasing it. I love when buying dresses is about more than a selfish need to look cute. P.S. I have no shame in linking to my referral code for Schoola so that we can both get $20 off. You would do it too.

As I mentioned in my previous post (Red Dress + Gray Lace Cardigan), I'm set on digging up old pieces in my closet to make them work while I stay true to my shopping ban. If you've been reading Room 334 for a while, then this cardigan is nothing new to you. I wore it often during college, but it has seen much less light in the past year or two. It's one more item that I'm very glad to rediscover because truly a wonderful staple piece. There is no such thing as too many versatile cardigans.