Ruffled.

My love of the ruffle skirt started when Blair of Atlantic-Pacific rocked hers, a bold red-on-red  ensemble that was genius (as is everything she does, in my humble opinion). After that, one of my other instagram favorites, Pretttylittlelayers, was also killing me with her ruffled, gingham number. So, when I saw this beauty on the sale rack at J. Crew...I almost ran to it! Seriously. It was definitely a fast walk. I paired the embroidered lace top with it, channeling some Dolce & Gabbana vibes, and I couldn't be happier how it turned out! Thanks to my boo, Jenna, of The Nourished Vibe for snapping some pics for me as I twirled around Fort Langley. Thanks girl! Now I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for inspo from other fashionistas, and see what other outfits I can dream up with this skirt.  Tell me, what would you pair with this skirt??

 Skirt: J. Crew (also cute). Top: Forever21 (thrifted) (similar, cute). Shoes: GoJane (so many cute alternatives! one, two, three, and these would have been cute too!). Purse: Vintage (similar, this would be cute too). Sunglasses: random market purchase (similar).

Maui Fever

Oh man. It's been a minute since I last blogged! School and work have been keeping me busy, but my husband and I were able to get away to Maui in April for the most wonderful family vacation. I had never been to Maui (or Hawaii) before, but I left with a deep love of the tropical scenery and laid back island vibes. I was crazy inspired by all the lush greenery and bright flowers - it really re-ignited my passion for photography. I was really feelin' the porch of the beach house we rented and I knew I had to shoot a blog post out on it. It had a jungle-esque vibe so I reached for my khaki skirt to start. I love pairing khaki with my striped button up so that was an obvious choice for me - the lightweight cotton did great in the heat and kept my arms and shoulders free from sunburns. I paired the look with a simple pair of flat, black sandals for comfort and ease. The fringed, black and white clutch was the perfect accessory - it was fun and detailed but still had an earthy texture. I wore this outfit out to breakfast with the family where I enjoyed my 50 millionth smoothie bowl of the trip. Haha. Just writing about it makes me wanna go back sooooo bad! I'm hooked. I might have to do another blog post featuring the rest of my Maui pics just to relive the memories. Thoughts? Would you like to see more pics from my trip? Lemme know in the comments below :)

Skirt: H&M (similar) // Button-up: Smart Set (similar) // Sandals: Forever21 (similar) (also cute) // Clutch: Mango (cute) // Sunglasses: Can't remember (cute) (also cute) // Necklace: Sam Moon (similar) // Ring: Stella & Dot

Becoming me.

When there’s a lot I want to say in a blog post, I get overwhelmed. The more information I want to put down, the more intimidated I get to write it down. I’ve been sitting on these photos for a few weeks and I feel like a part of the delay in posting them was me putting off writing about them. I often ‘fantasize’ about getting rid of the writing in my blog, and only posting photos and links. I tell myself that this will ease my procrastinating about the blog, and in turn I will be more willing to post and increase my output. Every time I have this particular fantasy, I think about a yoga quote, “the places where you have the most resistance are actually the places that are going to be the areas of the greatest liberation.” I won’t deny it’s immediately perceived hokey-ness…but I also can’t deny it’s truth. It’s here in the writing where I struggle the most, but it’s also where I find such satisfying achievements. Sure, the blog is a great motivator for improving my photography and to push my fashion creativity, but these things do no scare me as much as putting myself and thoughts out there in writing. And if I didn’t feel the need to get personal beyond the images, then that would be fine too and I wouldn’t…but when I look at these pictures, I have so much I want to say about them. A small, nagging, doubting voice in my head whispers, “people don’t come here to listen to you wax poetic about something as silly as fashion” but it’s more than that and that’s what I really want to share. 

First, the new hair! What do you think? I LOVE IT! So, happy I pulled the trigger at the hair dressers. I was super nervous, my heart was pounding while I sat in the chair with all the bleach on my hair. I couldn’t be happier though. I really wanted it done before my birthday. It was kind of a celebration of the more confident person that I am becoming, and I really wanted it to show on such a milestone occasion. Birthdays are such great times to reflect on your past and get excited about the future. I have never felt as good as I do at this time in my life. I contribute it to a combination of better physical and mental health, largely aided by a daily yoga practice (or so I think). It’s fun to look back (in life and on the blog) and see how far I’ve come, but what’s more exciting is to look to the future and to anticipate where this upward trend will take me. I hope it will see me mastering more of my yoga and photography. Which leads me to the second thing I wish to share, I got a new camera lens for my birthday. It was a gift from family members, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Not only for such a generous gift, but more importantly for the show of love and encouragement towards my passion for photography. It’s such a great feeling when loved ones encourage your passion and growth. I loved how the photos turned out with the new lens and I can't wait to shoot more blogs and pictures with it. 

Well this blog has been a little long winded, so if you made it this far… thank you! And now for the super cute birthday outfit I rocked! PS. the cashier at Sephora said I looked, “hipster…but you know…in a good way.” I laughed because I had the exact same thought when I looked at myself in the mirror that morning. All joking aside, I am in love with this hat - hipster or not. I saw it at Dynamite and I allllllmost walked out without it. Thankfully, I had a moment where I told myself I would probably regret it if I didn’t get it. Oh man, I was so right. 

Hat: Dynamite (on sale!). Top: Forever21 (also on sale!). Jean shorts: Opening Ceremony (thrifted) (similar). Shoes: Spring (similar). Purse: vintage (thrifted)(similar). Sunglasses: Urban Planet (cute).

A case for thrifting.

The evolution of this blog post is a bit long winded, but here it goes...it all started with a jacket. Not just any jacket, an adorable cropped denim, moto jacket that I scored for $15 at a local consignment store, Unika. I styled a cute look (see below) around the jacket, and it turned out even better than I had hoped. I was so happy I had pulled the trigger and bought the jacket, and that got me thinking about the reasons why I bought it and what helps me decide when to get pieces when I am thrift shopping. Sometimes thrifting can be overwhelming, there are so many clothes..how do you choose what will actually benefit your wardrobe? I have a few go to tips that help me find and decide what pieces to buy, and I thought I would share them with you guys :) But first, the outfit! I paired the cropped jacket with a high waisted white lace skirt, and it begged for this graphic striped cropped sweater. Something about the sweater made me crave a bold pink lip - such an easy way to make a statement with your makeup. The white, perforated purse had the same cute summer vibe, so it was a perfect addition and then I went for casual comfort in my shoe choice with a neutral leather flat sandal. I loved the result, it's fun and fresh and easy to wear.

Classic Pieces: not a necessity, but I think you get the most bang for your buck with classic pieces, simply because they could be in your wardrobe forever. A blazer, denim jacket, a trench coat - these sort of things will stand the test of time. The denim moto jacket I am wearing in this post, the inspiration for this whole idea, is a perfect example. A moto jacket will always have some place in fashion. It’s iconic. The fact that this one was in denim just gave it a little twist that I loved. And it was 15 dollars, people. Hello.

See with your hands: That sounds totally cheese, but what I am trying to say is…quality clothes will be made with quality fabric and I believe that you can feel the difference. I will touch the clothes on the rack as I scan through. It’s like a little game - when I feel like an item is quality, I check the tag and if it’s a more expensive brand…I win :p This very technique picked me out a gorgeous grey Aritzia wool sweater for $3 and a silk Alice + Olivia dress for $7. 

Shop outside your “size”: Never, I repeat, never shop only in your known size section! For me personally this is most obvious in the jean section. In different brands, my size can fluctuate wildly, from 25-28. In my experience, vintage clothing is usually a size larger than what I would wear currently (ie. I am usually a dress size 2, in something vintage…maybe a 6?)

Patience, my friend, patience. Thrifting is not quite as easy as strolling into a store at the mall: there isn’t multiple sizes in the same piece, not every piece is on trend, you might not find anything you like. Thrifting does involve extra effort - extra time and patience, but when you find that great piece…it’s like winning an exciting treasure hunt!

Do your homework: know the trends before you head out shopping. Unlike stores at the mall, the stuff coming into the thrift store isn't all the latest and greatest and you will need to know what you're looking for as you sort through the masses.

Value Village has a great page on tips for all different aspects of thrifting, from furniture thrifting to how to clean vintage clothing. 

Hope these tips help! Happy thrifting!!

Denim moto jacket: American Eagle (thrifted from Unika) (similar). Striped cropped sweater: Forever 21 (old) (cute). White midi skirt: Forever21 (old) (cute). Tan sandals: Aldo (old) (similar). Purse: Indigo Chapters (on sale!). Sunglasses: Winners (old) (cute). Lips: Wet 'n' Wild in Dollhouse Pink.