Life Lately | Fall

While I do enjoy November, October is arguably one of my most favorite months of the year and I am a little sad to see it go. But then again, I have a tendency to say that about most months from about May through December (yes, this means that in my books, January through April generally suck. Except the parts in January where we celebrate my birthday).

This year, I sadly haven't been up to many "fall-ish" activities like usual. Sure, I've had my fair share of pumpkin spice iced coffee and I did stop at a pumpkin patch for about a total of 5 minutes, but other than that...we haven't done much celebrating of this favorite (ok, probably second favorite) season of mine. Don't fret! There is still time to light the fall candles, sip tea in my favorite chair, and awe at the changing leaves.

Fall has a tendency to make me nostalgic for some reason. Anyone else? Maybe it is life generally slowing down from the busy-ness of summer fun, but each time late September or early October rolls around, I find myself being reflective about life and wanting to watch comforting shows that I have loved for years (like Gilmore Girls and How I Met Your Mother, my go-to's).

Here are some things we have done/that have happened so far this fall:
- I went out to the Sacramento area to visit my animal-loving aunt
- Someone rear-ended me in my beautiful new car (all is well now though!)
- We went to San Diego for my dad and uncle's surprise 65th birthday party
- Dai and I played on a new co-ed softball team together, our second team we've been on together
- I got into a great workout/healthy(ish) eating routine that I love
- Dai's kitchen flooded and is in the process of being repaired/remodeled/AKA everything is chaos
- I finished some cool projects at work that I am pretty proud of
- We went to a live show of the My Favorite Murder podcast (my fave!!!)
- Dai and I went on a mini weekend trip to Sonoma to celebrate a close family friend's birthday
- At work we had a week of workshops/meetings where we got our whole team together in one location (we all work across the country) and had lots of fun going to dinner every evening
- I discovered I love sheet masks
- We went on some nice dates
- I've read some good books
- We went out for a wine tasting day with my friend Nathalie and her boyfriend
- I've hardly slept in my own bed
- I forgot to go to jury duty and had a small panic attack about it (it all worked out though!)


We technically still have nearly two months of fall left, so we shall see what else happens :)

How has your fall been?

Outfit | Blue Dreams

It is no secret that here in California the summer weather drags on long after your heart is ready for the cooler fall weather... I think I mention it every year! Well, this year has been no different and was have had mannnny warm days that I wish were, well, not so warm. Sometimes it makes it difficult to know what to wear and even a little disappointing because the photos on Instagram have you thinking it is time for booties and sweaters, and it sadly isn't! This outfit is from one of those days! I have since cut my hair since these photos and that fun blue dye has faded, but I still wanted to share this outfit because it is perfect for that fall transition weather we have here.

My roommate Laura had gotten some temporary blue dye and asked me if I wanted to dye my hair too, so I figured why not?! It was a fun little pop of color to change things up a bit without too much commitment haha. It has since faded, but I enjoyed it while it lasted!
I got this floral print shirt on sale at Old Navy (pretty much where I buy alllllllllll my clothes!) and I love it! The fit is great and I really like how dainty the floral is. It is just a nice subtle print.
I think that this shade of blue will forever be one the best colors on me! I think it goes well with my hair color and makes my blue eyes pop. I always seem to gravitate towards this blue when I am shopping! I guess if it works then just go with it?
We are still having sunny days here, but things are getting a bit chillier and you can bet that I am taking advantage of it by pulling out all my cute fall clothing! Hopefully I can convince Dai to take some outfit photos so I can share :)

I hope you all had a great week! I am enjoying my usual Friday off from school and am really happy it is the weekend! We don't have much going on, which is really nice! We are planning to go for a hike most likely, have dinner with family friends, and just chill :)

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo

Jess

Top // Old Navy

Pants // Uniqlo
Necklace // h&m
Sandals // Target
Watch // JORD
Bag // Madewell

Currently // In November...

Well, it's November now. How did that even happen?! There's only one more monthly page left in my blogging calendar and there's a fresh calendar waiting for me to tackle the new year. I haven't blogged all that much this fall, but things have been good and I am still proud of this little space of mine. I have big goals and dreams for this blog, and am already so thankful for where this year has taken me.

I just wanted to take a moment to savor this month and season a bit with a little list of what I have been up to lately... So here it is!
Reading... Mostly blog posts! These days, I don't have much free time to read in general, so I feel pretty lucky when I can get in a few posts from my favorite blogs. Maybe soon I will be able to carve out some time for the books on my to-read list.
Playing... Catch up! It feels like I am always a few steps behind where I need to be. I'm working on it though!
Watching... The Mindy Project (not as good as it used to be), Casual (dark, but funny), Jane the Virgin (hilarious), 
Trying... To be productive! Lists help me, but I find my mind wandering and getting distracted to easily. Not great for a girl with lots to do!
Cooking... Chili! My favorite and the very best when it is cold out.
Eating... Plain Greek yogurt with honey & chia seeds.
Drinking... Caramel Brûlée Lattes! They are by far the best holiday drink. Happy they're back, controversial red cups and all! 
Calling... My mom a lot lately.
Texting... My girl Abby because she just gets me <3
Pinning... Things about blogging/business and design inspiration.
Going... Home to San Diego for Thanksgiving to spend it with my dad and other family!
Loving... My new, cozy winter coat that my mom got for me when I went to visit her last weekend!
Hating... How cold it is in my house/room at night and in the mornings. Getting out of my warm bed is the worst!
Discovering... My love for hand lettering! I just wish I had more time to practice. I suppose it will be one of those things I focus on during winter break! (Along with finally making a scrapbook)
Thinking... Of planning a blogger event in the Bay Area for early next year... We shall see! (if you live in the Bay Area and would be interested in a blogger brunch or something, let me know!)
Feeling... Nervous for my portfolio review coming up in two weeks. There's still so much to do and perfect, and I'm a bit of a wreck about it all. Also, feeling ready for a break!
Hoping (for)... Time to actually plan/photograph/write a real blog post! I've been overwhelmed this semester and hate it.
Listening (to)... The Gilmore Guys Podcast. I'm obsessed. It's like re-watching each episode in my head! Plus, they make my commute/grocery shopping/homework way more entertaining :)
Smelling... Coffee as I sit here in Starbucks.
Ordering... Nothing unfortunately because #brokecollegestudent.
Thanking... God for taking such good care of me always, but especially this past year that I've been on my own. Feeling very thankful for all the ways I have been blessed.
Considering... Cutting my hair. I consider this very often, but never act upon it... Hopefully soon I will actually do something! I desperately need a trim at the very least.
Starting... To realize that the semester is so close to being over and that the holidays are just around the corner! It's exciting!
Finishing... This post so I can get started on my school projects. Wish me luck!

What have you been feeling, listening to, considering, etc? Share with me anything you'd like, friends! I hope you all are well :)

P.S. We went to Yosemite earlier this month and I am so excited to write some posts about that! So look out for those in the near future! I only have 1,200 photos to sort through first... :D

Outfit // Falling into Fall

Hello, hello! Here we are, starting a new month already! I can hardly believe it is fall and that 2015 is on its last leg. I'm not ready for it! Nevertheless, I do love fall and have especially been trying to soak it up as much as possible this year. Cute clothes, pumpkin carving, Halloween costumes, time with friends, mountain adventures...I just want to do all the things!
We have been getting small tastes of cooler weather here in California, but things flip-flop back and forth so often that it is hard to tell when fall weather will be here to stay! Which also makes it difficult to know what to wear each day. As we transition, though, I've been finding myself enjoying light layers and flats, rather than strictly sandals and tank tops like I have been wearing since spring!
Last weekend while shopping with Dai, I found this 3/4 length sleeve dress and knew that it would be the perfect fall piece. Once I tried it on, I loved how comfy and easy it was. Navy blue is one of my go-to colors and I have always had a thing for stripes, so it was a given winner. Plus, even Dai said it was cute and if the boyfriend says its cute, then you buy it ;)
This dress even came with a belt, which I appreciated since it adds even more to the easiness of this piece! Want to know something kind of funny about this purchase? It came from Sears! I never go into Sears for anything really and was only cutting through to get to the main mall when several things caught my eye. One thing led to another and I found myself in a dressing room with armfuls of things to try on! In the end, I came out with this dress and another dress (that I got for only $8!) to wear out to a club that evening. I must say, in the future I just might find myself at Sears more often and will change my view of it since I found some pretty cute stuff at great prices.
On the same shopping trip, I snagged these Mary Jane style flats and have been loving them ever since! So far they are pretty comfy and I like the classic look they have. I may have bought two other pairs of black flats on this shopping day too, but I just couldn't resist the great prices I found and figured I might as well get them since they were on my list of things to eventually find.
Since it is now fall, I feel like it is time to bring back the red lip and hats! To me, summer is for baseball caps and floppy sun hats. During the fall, a black hat and a dark colored lip add a perfect touch to any look.
Besides our latest shopping adventure, life these days has been consumed by school and work, which has led to the obvious silence here on the blog. School is tough and requires so much of my time and focus, as it should! It is not something I am used to, though, since in the past I have juggled more units in community college and work a bit better than I am now. I think I will have to start working less to devote more attention to my school work, but I will have to figure out ways to compensate that income somehow, even if it means taking out a student loan. It won't do me any good in the future if I only learn to be a mediocre designer when I am in college to learn to be an excellent one so I can have a great career!
In other news, this past weekend we ran our first 5k! It isn't very fun getting up at 5am, but once we were out and about and the sun started coming up, it was definitely worth it! Plus, when we were finished with the race, it was only 8:30am and we had the entire rest of the day to enjoy! I would usually be just getting up at that time haha. Anyway, the whole experience was a lot of fun and even though we did have to walk some of it, I am pretty proud of my small accomplishment. We even got a medal! This may be one of our new little hobbies, although next time we will train more so that we can run the entire time! I'm not going to lie though, I still don't like running very much, but maybe I will learn to love it!

Alright, well that's all from me for today! I have to get back to a paper I am writing and a design project I am working on. Hopefully I will have time to pop back in later this week to say hi! I do have some fun things planned for this month, including a giveaway! So, look out for that! Also, I have been posting on Instagram pretty regularly in case you are wondering what's up with me when I am not posting here :)

Have a great week, friends!!

Dress // Sears
Hat // Forever 21

Shoes // local store
Necklace // H&M

Welcome Fall! + Season To-Do List

Hello, hello! I promise I am still here and haven't quite abandoned this space! I do know that things have been quiet around here the past month, though, and that has been due to me trying to find a new balance with work + school responsibilities. It has been a bit crazy! I am enjoying school though, despite it being challenging, and work has been alright for the most part. Hopefully I will get the hang of my new schedule soon and figure out where I can fit some blogging time into it!

I just wanted to check-in, say hi, and take a moment to celebrate the official beginning of fall today! I love this time of year so much! The changing leaves, cooler weather, cute layers and boots, and coziness! It is simply wonderful. While I am excited for fall to begin, California hasn't quite caught up and it has still been in the 80s and 90s the past few weeks. Hoping things will cool down soon, but for now I will live vicariously through the lovely photos above :)

Since this is one of my favorite seasons, I thought I would make a little list of things I would like to do to enjoy this time to its fullest!

+ Visit a pumpkin patch
+ Host & organize a "Friendsgiving"
+ Bake pumpkin bread
+ Go on a mountain or nature adventure, hopefully to Yosemite
+ Treat myself to a new pair of boots
+ Make chili
+ Have a pumpkin carving party
+ Dress up for Halloween
+ Do something to celebrate Halloween (have a party, go to a party, or something!)
+ Have a reading + coffee date with myself or a friend
+ Stay home, make a cozy meal, and watch movies one night

What do you want to do this fall? Do you have any traditions for this time of year? Is fall your favorite season or do you prefer a different one?

Outfit // Punk Rock Princess

Hello, hello! Happy Monday! Here we are with yet another week. I really don't understand why it feels like time is flying so quickly! The end of my semester is in sight, although I still have a lot of work to do before it is over. Studio art classes can be difficult because everything requires so much time and there is project after project. Sometimes I wish I could just study for a test and move on! In the end, all the work I have been doing is really rewarding and I am learning so much. It just feels so good to be creating again! Hopefully at the end of the semester I will share what I have been up to :)
Things have definitely been cooling down here in CA and I can still get away with wearing dresses and skirts without tights, but I don't think that will last too much longer! I will soak it up for as long as I can though :)
Since this past summer, midi skirts have been on my radar. I always strayed away from skirts in general and never felt like I knew how to style them very well or that they were very flattering on me. That all changed after I found this skirt and I have been hooked ever since! I have added four new skirts to my wardrobe since then and am having a great time playing around with all the ways I can wear them.

This particular tulle ballerina-ish skirt is probably my favorite addition to my collection! I came across it on a shopping trip at Kohl's and just knew I had to have it. I love the neutral color of it, which makes me feel a little more grown up while wearing it, rather than feeling like I should be playing dress-up with my four-year-old little cousin. 
I have only worn it a couple of times so far, but when I wore it for the first time while out and about shopping in Santa Monica with Dai, I got 5+ compliments on it! While waiting in line at Starbucks, a girl who works at Anthro told me she loved it and that they just got a $200 one in their store that looks just like it. I assure you that I definitely did not pay anywhere near that much for it, so I must be doing something right :)

I also recently purchased this necklace to wear to a wedding and I really love it! It is the most unique one I own due to the fun shapes and multicolors. This has been the year of statement necklaces for me and I plan on adding many more to my collection since they are such a nice touch to any outfit!
Just a last little note on this skirt: I really love how it can be dressed up or down. Add some heels and a fancy hairdo and you're ready for an elegant party! Or, dress it down with some flats and your favorite t-shirt to add a little flair to an otherwise ordinary day. Plus, in all honesty, I feel like a grown up princess (or maybe a punk rock princess... SoCo anyone?) when I wear this skirt and what's better than that? :)

Hope you all have a great week ahead and that you're able to add a little fancy to your day as well ;)

Skirt // Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

Shirt // Kohl's

Shoes // ModCloth

Necklace // Nordstrom Rack

Belt // Macy's

Clutch Wallet // Hobo Bags

Outfit // Falling into Fall

Here we are again, another Monday, another week... As far as Mondays go, this has actually been a pretty good one since I stayed home sick and Dai only worked a half day. We had more hours in the day to play hooky together and even got to sneak out for a coffee date :)
I originally planned to shoot these photos on Saturday evening, but after I got all prepped and dolled up, I discovered I had a high fever. So, those plans were nixed pretty quickly in favor of an evening with NyQuil and Netflix instead. I spent most of Sunday resting, but did make it out for a little trip to Golden Gate Park with Marly to see Dai play in a baseball tournament and quickly snap these photos. For a sick person, I think I look alright ;)
It has been a while since my last outfit post, but I am so excited about this new change of season in life and weather. I get bored with summer outfits, so I welcome fall with open arms! Layers, layers, and more layers! And boots! And all the good colors! My favorites. 
I fell in love with this skirt over the summer and wanted to find a way to transition it into fall wear as well. I decided to pair it with these ankle boots I recently snagged to replace a pair that had been ruined, and with a chambray button-up that I also recently purchased to replace one that I lost somewhere in Japan. I have always loved the look of statement necklaces worn over a button up, so I gave it a whirl for the first time! Also, I think my Madewell bag's best season is fall, although let's be honest, this bag is fabulous any time of year.
Speaking of fall, I think it becomes more apparent every year that I am simply in love with it. I don't know what it is, but fall just makes me feel warm, cozy, and happy. There's just something about it! I am pretty hopeful that this new season will be filled with adventure, relaxation, creativity, and a lot of blogging :)

Top // Ann Taylor Loft

Skirt // H&M

Shoes // Crowne Vintage via DSW

Necklace // Forever 21

Bag // Madewell