Hello, hello! It is most definitely past midnight here in California, but alas, I am awake. This weekend, my parents came to visit me in Northern California! We had a wonderful Saturday biking the Golden Gate Bridge with friends, exploring Sausalito, and enjoying sushi. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I am so grateful that my parents got to finally come visit me this summer, and we had such a blast in San Francisco!
My family friend, Sheryl, ‘photo-bombing’ my picture
Golden Gate Bridge
*Trying not to crash the boat*
“On Saturdays, we sail”. Okay. Maybe not eveerryy Saturday (though a girl can dream), but on this particular Saturday morning, a few friends and I sailed off from Berkeley to the beautiful, dreamy island of Angel. Angel Island is a charming, seaside destination with the most breathtaking views. When I think of the perfect morning, I would definitely picture this one. Wind in my hair, bay water breezes, and good friends. I don’t think it gets better than this. Today, I realized how incredibly grateful I am. How grateful I am to have amazing friends out here in California that are so encouraging and inspiring. How grateful I am to have the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place that allows me to embrace God’s beautiful creation. Life is incredible and wonderful, and so often, we take it for granted.
“Can you believe we have about a month left here”, my bestie since 6th grade asked me today as we our sail boat pulled up to the shores of Angel Island. “I am in denial”. I am not ready to leave Northern California in August. Not even a little bit, and I tear up thinking about the fact that this perfect summer will have to come to in an end. For now though, I am taking full advantage of every day and every second. My goal this summer has been to ‘break out of my comfort zone‘. I am a creature of habit, and I love the familiar and the comfortable and the safe. It can be scary to do things that are ‘out of your comfort zone’, but those bold and daring adventures are what provide us with the fullest experiences and the most unforgettable memories.
*End emotional diary entry*. Long story short, friends, California rocks.
Hi friends & happy Monday! My sister, Allie, flew into San Fransisco on Saturday. We’ve had such a fun weekend stumbling upon a food truck festival, snapping fun pictures, and exploring the city. I wanted to share some of our photos from the weekend!
Hello everybody & happy, happy Friday! Can you believe the weekend is finally here?
Today I wanted to share my summer favorites from the past almost-full month of living in California. I’ve had so many favorite things lately that I just had to rave show y’all. As no surprise, there are tons of shoes. Shocker, I know. Without further ado, friends, here are some things I have been loving lately:
Yesterday, I went to my very first music festival. I also tried to ride a Google bike, and as noted above, failed miserably. I have been living in the Bay Area for two whole weeks now, and to be completely honest, I couldn’t be more in love. My two weeks here so far have been incredible. The friendships and memories I have made already in just this short period of time are far greater than I could have ever imagined.
A semi-last minute, semi-spur of the moment decision to go to the BFD music festival in Silicon Valley created the most perfect Saturday filled with good friends, good music, and good beer. I got to see a bunch of my favorite bands, along with discovering a few new ones. I literally picked out my outfit seven minutes before heading out the door to pick up my friends for the festival. I threw on my favorite white shorts, a solid colored crop top, huge sunglasses, and my go-to fringe booties. I was really glad I opted for shorts and a tank because it was way hotter than we expected & my cold, post-festival shower was definitely much needed after the long, but fun, day. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect Saturday! I am beyond excited for the future weekends ahead in the Valley.
After getting off work today, I walked to my car and a crazy, spontaneous idea hit me. “I am going to go find a succulent farm”. I searched on google for the closest succulent farm and found one about fifteen minutes from my office. Score. So I headed off on a journey towards Half Moon Bay in hopes of finding some new babies to add to my cactus collection.
As I pulled up to the Highway 92 Succulents farm, I knew off the bat that I had found heaven. Immediately as I walked into the cactus-filled nursery, I was greeted by the friendly owner, George. I am going to be 100% honest when I say this, I have never experienced more incredible customer service in my entire life. George helped me pick out some incredible cacti, and he even helped me plant and arrange them in a terra-cotta bowl. We chatted for about thirty minutes about everything and anything Cali-related. I left so incredibly happy, my new cactus garden riding shot gun in the front seat. To finish off the day, I, of course, headed to Chipotle.
Sorry this post is a little random, just wanted to share my fun adventure and the gorgeous cactus nursery I discovered today! In the morning, I will be up bright & early for a long hike in San Francisco with a friend. Couldn’t be more excited for this three day weekend ahead.
“Hey MTV & welcome to my crib”. Lol. Jk. I kid, I kid.
Hello, friends & happy Thursday [unless you are on the west coast, like me, then happy Wednesday evening]! I’ve been settling into my new -and very first – apartment these past few days, and I am so happy that things are finally coming together. The apartment hunt was not easy, by any means, whatsoever. After weeks and weeks of searching the depths of the internet, I finally found the perfect home, nested in Redwood City. Because living in California is crazy expensive, I kept the decor very affordable. I found the majority of the pieces at Target, and I found several little gems at thrift stores around the city. Living by myself in an apartment for the first time has been such an exciting adventure so far, and I am looking forward to these next three months in Cali! I am so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to live & work in one of my favorite places in the entire world.
I wanted to share with y’all my new home for the summer! Without further ado or continued rambling, here is my new apartment:
*Inserts cute picture of myself with a balloon*. HAPPY ONE YEAR. It feels like just yesterday I was dabbling around on WordPress, possibly cussing under my breath at the computer in a haze of technological confusion. I can’t say blogging made a whole lot of sense at first, and to be honest, at times it still doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean I love it any less. Blogging has given me so much; it has given me confidence, and joy, and the most magnificent creative outlet. Most importantly, blogging has taught me such an abundant amount. Over this past year, I have grown so much and I have learned more than I could have ever imagined. It’s absolutely crazy to think back at who I was a year from now and how life was in general. Things change so much, but that change can be so beautiful.
I wanted to take the time to thank you. Thank you for supporting me, loving me, and encouraging me- through my flaws and mistakes and all. Last May, I started this blog as an almost ‘transition’ from Tumblr. Thank you to the many that have followed my life over the past three years through Tumblr. Thank you to the new friends that have recently joined this journey [I am so glad you’re here!]. And thank you to those that have somehow stumbled upon my tiny corner of the internet over the past twelve months. I can’t even express in words how much it truly means to me. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I really, really am. So cheers to one year of ‘official blogging’ and to many more incredible years to come.
Happy Wednesday! When you were in middle school, did you ever take photoshoots for fun with your friends? I definitely did. No shame, no shame at all. We always had a blast [and now as a college student, I love to look back at the photos from my awkward middle school stage and LOL]. Fast forward nine years… definitely still having photoshoots for fun. My excuse this time? I got a new lens! After saving for months and months, I finally splurged on my dream Canon lens. So of course after leaving Best Buy, I had to play around with my new lens right away. My sister, friends, and I headed to the city to snap a few fun pictures in the heart of Dallas. Our favorite location to shoot? Trinity Groves. SO cute. My kind of perfect, summer afternoon.
Hello friends! Guess what? Tomorrow is my birthday & I am officially going to be twenty-one twenty-fun!! I feel old. A few weeks ago, my mom called me & surprised me with a birthday trip to.. you guessed it.. Vegas! This afternoon, my grandma (aka my bestie!), my mom, and I will be jetting off to the ever so fabulous, Las Vegas! After a stressful few weeks of school, I am beyond ready for a girl’s trip to the ‘City of Lights’ with my favorite people. My fingers are crossed that we win big & make some good memories!
I’m going to be honest, I have a total love/hate relationship with packing. As an avid procrastinator, sometimes packing just gets put off until the very last minute. Here are some of my go-to tips for packing:
1. Check the weather
The first thing I do before last-minute packing is checking the weather for the week on my phone. If it’s going to be chillier than anticipated, I pack long sleeves and sweaters. If it’s suppose to rain all week, I make sure that my rain jacket pullover goes into my suitcase as well. Knowing the weather for the trip will definitely help you pack!
2. Plan accordingly for each day
The second thing I do when I begin to pack is to figure out what my specific plans for the trip are. Two nights = two dinner outfits. One day at the pool = one bathing suit. Know how many nights you will be staying and what you will be doing each day so that you can pack & be prepared. It can be helpful to make a list of the things you need to pack: one bathing suit, two dinner dresses, one pair of wedges, one pair of sandals, one pair of denim shorts, etc.
3. Pack layers + things you can mix and match
Layers, layers, layers. Layers are a huge lifesaver when it comes to packing, especially if you are cold all the time like I am. I usually pack a few things I can layer up like a chunky cardigan or a soft pullover. It’s always good to be prepared. Also, bring pieces you can mix-and-match. It will save room in your suitcase and give you tons of outfit options for the trip.
4. Be frugal with shoes
We all know by know that my shoe obsession is slightly out of hand, it just is. I love shoes more than anything (okay, except for maybe Chipotle). However, they take up a ton of room in your bag and can make things extra-heavy. I’ve learned that less is more when it comes to packing shoes. Wear your heaviest shoes on the plane, and try to keep it down to 2-3 (max) pairs of shoes for the trip. It’s fun to have options, but it’s important to try to pack lightly when it comes to shoes. [tip: if you’re packing boots, fill them with pairs of socks, bras, etc. to help fill even more space].
5. Keep important things in your carry on
I learned this gem the hard way this past summer! Make sure you always carry your most important belongings with you on your carry on, just to be safe. Medications and toiletries included!
I also wanted to share with you guys some of the things I packed for my trip to Vegas. A few weeks ago, I texted my sister, asking for her help to find the perfect b-day outfit. I finally decided on this gorgeous two piece from Show Me Your Mumu. I love this set because it can easily be mixed-and-matched all season (picturing the crop top with denim shorts + sandals for summer concerts & that midi skirt with a chambray button down for church + work). Here are some of the things I packed for Vegas:
