Tenue du Jour - Black Maxi

Today I'm bringing you a proper outfit of the day, or tenue du jour in French. I was on a wee job hunt today, so I thought this comfy but elegant maxi would be just the right balance. I love the job I have now, and I'd really like to keep it, but I need some more income to throw in a savings account! If I want to move to France next January (oops! spoiler alert!) then I gotta start saving! Plus, I want to fill up my time, and a second job would be a great way to do that.

In about an hour, I'm gonna venture out to a French-speaking meetup, so hopefully others will be there and I can pratiquer mon Français.

This is me attempting to show you the side slit of the dress... I apologize for the intense whiteness of my thigh.




I've been using a new, more luminous foundation for a while now. I really love how healthy and easy it makes my skin look, although I do have to blot it with some powder periodically, or it can end up looking a little TOO shiny. I love that the freckles on my nose show through.



I ended up getting an interview scheduled for tomorrow! Luckily, I know three people who work at this place, so my BFF Natalie is gonna give me some coaching in order to ace the interview.

Until next time! À bientôt mes amies!

Maxi: F21
Sandals: Steve Madden at TJmaxx
Necklace: F21
Belt: Thrifted
Bag: Thrifted
Nail Polish: Covergirl Outlast in Peaches & Cream
Foundation: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow!
Lips: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charm
Mascara: Benefit They're Real

Purple Trees and Summertime Sadness

It's only two weeks into summer vacation and I'm already going crazy with free time. And I don't mean crazy in the good sense. I was supposed to take a French conversation course this summer, but it was cancelled last minute unfortunately. So, with my 15-hour-a-week job, and nothing else on my plate, I've had a lot of time to lounge in bed...and lounge in bed some more.

I used to enjoy doing nothing! But I'm so eager for the future to get here that long, empty days really annoy me. But more on that future in a later post!

So today, I decided to change up the routine a bit and attend a free yoga class on the bluff. Which reminds me: I don't like free time because I have very little money to make the most of it, I just never have enough! (But doesn't everyone feel that way?) I also did some power walking, while listening to Swedish House Mafia, and ran up and down a huge flight of stairs to increase the workout. Because I refuse to gain weight this summer.


Lately, these trees have been blooming with the most gorgeous purple flowers. They rain down blossoms and it's breathtaking. Who doesn't love spring/summer?!



You know you're growing up when being on summer break no longer excites you. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?! Anybody else having this dilemma?

To continue with the theme of my post title, here's a little Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness.


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Happy Flowers

Just thought I'd keep this post simple, and share with you some photos I took of this lovely floral arrangement my mother threw together from the left-over flowers of a bouquet. The colors are so bright, they cheered me right up!

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Have you seen any bright floral-themed photos/products/blog posts? I'd love to see them, post a link!

Also, which would fit the best with my Etsy shop? I need some new images!

The Future Looks Bright

I feel optimistic about the future. I'm excited for the easy freedom of summertime, and moving back home to share it with some of my best friends: I've sure missed them. These images and the playlist below really express my constant feeling of anticipation for the end of May. Enjoy :)




Photo by September Wren on Etsy


Photo by Aeropagita Prints on Etsy


Photo by Mayan Soffia on Etsy

H&M Dressing Room

My best friend informed me about the dressing room on the H&M website, and I can't believe I'm just now discovering it! It has sucked up more than an hour of my evening so far, and I'm pretty much okay with that. You can change the model's face and hair, but I was a bit disappointed that you couldn't change the body type. I want to see how these clothes would look on my short curvy body! But anyway, here are a few outfits I built.

Summer Escape + Playlist

This summer I really want to visit Portland, Oregon, and with the days starting to get longer and warmer, I'm itching for a summertime getaway. Although Portnd is a bit too far away for driving, I put together a playlist perfect for a road-trip, accompanied by a photo I took in San Francisco. Enjoy!

The Beach

I've lived five minutes away from the beach for almost a year now, but despite the fact that sunshine, sand, and the soothing sound of waves are at my fingertips, I've been to the beach only a few times! Something about that isn't right. Warmer days are just around the corner, and I should spend more time enjoying the beach.

Three things I want this summer:
(1) Spend more time outdoors
(2) Go blonder
(3) Feel confident in a bikini

Here are a few photos from my little beach outing last week:





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Anybody else excited for warmer weather?

What sort of outdoor places do you prefer to spend time at?

Old Subject, New Eyes

It's always interesting to return to a place you've been before with new eyes, a fresh perspective, especially for a photographer. It's amazing how a little change in mood, weather, time of day, or creativity can result in completely different images from the same source.

This second time around at Rancho Los Alamitos, I brought my zoom lens and got MUCH closer to my subjects. I absolutely love taking photos of nature, and capturing a separate, magic little world. I love searching for and finding the tiny universes within large spaces like gardens, zooming in as far as my lens will go and swimming through depths of focus amid a sea of blurred color. There's really nothing else like it - except maybe walking through dense fog, the fog being an unfocused image, and my journey through the fog being finding the perfect focus.








The only issue I've run into is that my zoom lens doesn't auto-focus (it's broken), meaning I have to manually find the exact focus by turning the dial. I mostly enjoy this aspect, it feels more organic, fluid, and creative. The downfall is, it's really difficult to see such tiny details in the viewfinder, that I often don't get things in perfect focus. At times this can be a bit frustrating. Am I the only one who has this problem? I'm not sure what I can do to fix it, and I can't even remember when the auto-focus broke! It's like it's always been broken!









Which one(s) do you like the most? And since I'm always trying to improve, how do you think your least favorite images could be improved? I can always use honesty and constructive criticism :)

Bicycles and the Breeze

Today we had some beautiful weather, and the cool breeze brought thoughts of bicycles and summer road trips to mind. I gathered up some items on Etsy which all have to do with bicycling. Click here to see these handmade items more closely!

Sunny Sunshine

In honor of the overcast day I enjoyed yesterday, I have made a playlist to encourage sunny days. Call it a modern-day rain dance, without the dancing.




I've also gathered some of my favorite items on Etsy that feature sunny yellows in their palettes. I feel happier just looking at it!

Huntington Gardens

It is time to beautify this blog! I visited Huntington Library & Gardens near Pasadena a couple weeks ago. For the ticket price, you not only get to roam wistfully around the themed gardens, surrounded by statues, you also get to go inside the old Huntington mansion/Art Museum as well as an old library where you can see extremely old books and even a Gutenberg Bible from 1455! If you're going to be nearby (when gardens typically are in bloom), you MUST go. Plus, they have a stellar gift shop. Being there makes me feel like I'm in an older, grander part of the country. It is harder to come by places like this on the west coast, so when I find them, I savor them.

Here are some shots of the gardens and beautiful statues.