Follow:

Style

Travel

Home and DIY

Browsing Category:

Outfit

    Outfit, Travel

    Cathedral Park

    July 2, 2014
    Photos by Laura Nolan
    Outfit:
    Free People Top
    H&M Trouser Shorts
    Target Tights in Black
    Madewell Stacked-Heel Loafers in High Shine
    Madwell Bag
    In my Portland Photo Diary, I had mentioned how much I loved spending time in Portland’s beautiful parks; that is probably why I ended up taking all of my outfit photos at the parks that I visited during my trip. These photos were taken by my best friend Laura at Cathedral Park, which is located beneath the beautiful St. Johns Bridge on the east shore of the Willamette River. Since I was looking to relax and spend more time outdoors during my trip, I really liked that Cathedral Park was so close to the river and that there was so much open green space all around. However, it’s the bridge’s beautiful arches that give the park so much character and make it truly breathtaking. Laura took my photos on a stage at one end of the park where, as you can see, the view of the arches was simply amazing.

    I had to make the last photo of this post a silly one! When Laura sent me the photos that she took of me, I couldn’t stop laughing at some of them because I came out making the funniest faces and poses. All my Portland friends were standing around looking at me as Laura was taking pictures and, since I’m not used to having an audience, I started to feel extremely self-conscious and doing silly poses. It’s truly thanks to Laura’s awesome photography skills that I even managed to look decent in some of these photos.

    While I’m on the topic of taking silly photos, I have to say that working on this blog has served as an opportunity for me to practice self-confidence and self-love, and to learn to not take myself too seriously. I used to hate how I looked in pictures to the point that I would avoid taking any at all, and would dispose of any that I didn’t like. It kind of makes me sad that I’ve missed out on documenting so many memories because of such a silly insecurity. As funny as I look in that last photo–and trust me when I say that it’s not even the most laughable picture of the set that Laura sent me– it does make for great comic relief and it really portrays the fun mood that I was in at the moment.

    I’m really sad that this is my last set of photos from Portland. I’m so glad that I was able to have such a fun vacation, and I hope to make a trip down there again soon. Are there any fun places that you have visited or are planning to visit in the near future?

    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit

    Laurelhurst Park

    June 30, 2014
    Photos by Kelsey Yocum and Laura Nolan
    Outfit Details:
    H&M Sweatshirt
    CottonOn Leggings
    Madewell Stacked-Heel Loafer in High Shine (Similar Here)
    Madewell Bag
    During my visit to Portland, I had the pleasure of visiting Laurelhurst Park with my friends Kelsey and Laura. I have to say that Laurelhurst Park is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen because there are so many trees and green space, and you feel so close to nature. Many other people at the park seemed to agree, since there were several wedding parties taking pictures in the area. I was lucky enough to snag this staircase to myself, where Laura and Kelsey took some of my outfit photos.
    What I also loved about Laurelhurst Park was how peaceful it was. It’s the type of place where you can go and relax, and just get some fresh air. I could have easily spent my entire day here reading a book, or working on some sort of project. It’s spaces like this that make me seriously want to move to Portland in the future. Again, don’t get me wrong–although I do love Los Angeles, it is lacking in green spaces in comparison to Portland.

     

    I’m happy to say that I had a fun and busy weekend, which made it easier to transition to being home after coming back from my trip to Portland. On Saturday, my friend Summer and I went to Underwood Family Farms, which is located West of Los Angeles, to go berry and vegetable picking (basically, we went grocery shopping). The farm was pretty huge, and we had such a great time roaming around and picking out different crops.
    Sunday was also super fun and eventful. I spent some of the morning watching the Mexico vs. Netherlands game with my family. I started feeling super anxious while watching the game, which reminded of why I don’t often watch sports. I stopped watching the game before it was completely over, because I had to meet up with my friend Sara so that we could drive to Abbott Kinney in Venice Beach for Brunch. I think it’s needless to say that I was a nervous while driving there, but I was quickly able to relax a little once Sara and I started walking around and exploring the area.
    I’m really grateful for these past few weekends because I feel that I’ve really had time to focus on self-care, and find ways to relieve some of the stress and anxiety I deal with on a daily basis. I’m glad to have people around me that are more than willing to help me do that by joining me on fun activities.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit

    Flowers in My Hair

    June 24, 2014
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Free People Lace Dress
    Belt (Borrowed from my sister)
    Seychelles Pumps in Beige (Old)
    I featured parts of this outfit in my DIY Floral Fascinator post a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to give the whole ensemble the attention it deserves. After looking for a white lace dress for the longest time, I finally settled on this one from Free People when I found it on sale about a year ago. What I love the most about this dress is that the fabric has beautiful peach-colored embroidery which gives it a very romantic feel. When I originally bought this dress I had planned to wear it with a floral crown to give it a bohemian look. But, let’s be honest, boho chic is not exactly my style. Wearing a floral fascinator with this dress gave my outfit a girly and vintage vibe, which I think better reflects my personal style.
    My sister took these pictures about a week ago because I went to Portland this weekend, and didn’t want to be bothered with having to post pictures from my adventure immediately after I got back. I’m still letting all that happened on my trip sink in a bit before I try to piece it all together on this blog. I am planning to post a couple of pictures later this week, but in the meantime you can catch glimpses of my adventure on Instagram.
    I had been planning my trip to Portland for months, and I’m so glad that it finally happened. Lately I’ve been feeling very unsure about how I want to grow these next few years, and taking a vacation gave me time to really give the matter some thought and gain some clarity. I’ve been feeling very bored and stuck in one place for the past year, and spending time with friends and exploring a new place gave me the opportunity to think about what really makes me happy. In that vein, my weekend adventure also gave me the opportunity to start considering other things and be open to big changes such as applying to grad school, and possibly moving somewhere else. I don’t know what my game plan is just yet, but that’s just what makes new adventures even more fun.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace