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Madewell

    Outfit

    Dressing for The Heatwave

    October 6, 2014
    Photos by Ale Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Jewel Mint Necklace
    Thrifted Sunglasses
    Madewell Leather Bag
    Ruche Chiffon Top
    Old Navy Chambray Shirt
    Madewell Walker Mini in Safari Khaki (On Sale!)
    B.Makowsky Caged Heels via Ideeli
    Just when I thought that the weather was going to cool down, and I was going to be able to start wearing sweaters and jackets, Southern California got hit with another heat wave. Dressing up for extremely hot weather is always challenging for me, because I don’t want to sweat through all my clothes. On days like these, I tend to gravitate towards comfortable clothes made out of breathable fabrics. In an effort to stay cool in this hot weather, I’ve been wearing tons of chiffon tops, such as this one. This mini skirt from Madewell has also become a staple in my closet, because it goes so well with many of my summer tops. I have to say that although I’m ready for this heatwave to end, I’m not done wearing most of the items in this outfit. I’m actually excited for the weather to change, so that I can come up with different ways to transition these pieces into my fall wardrobe.
    If you read my last post, you probably already know that last week kind of sucked for me. I was feeling so drained, and it was really nice to finally have some time to breathe and relax this weekend. I caught up on my sleep, went out for coffee, watched a couple of baseball games, and even had the time and energy to make it to my friends birthday party and spend time with friends.
    Although I didn’t quite have the time or the energy to work on creative projects, I did find my old art portfolio from college. Looking through all of the projects I had worked on a long time ago, made me feel nostalgic about how much time I used to be able to dedicate to making things. I feel that at some point in time along the way, I really started to doubt my ability to be creative and just gave it up all together. Those kind of thoughts have kind of been creeping up on me lately, especially when I try to plan tutorials for this blog. Looking through my old projects, both finished and unfinished, has allowed me to remember that creativity is a skill that I need to practice. I’ve also realized that it’s hard to cultivate my creativity when I hardly spend time in environments where I feel motivated to come up with new ideas. For that reason, I need to put serious effort into visiting and spending time in places that inspire me to create something new. I also need to make it a long-term goal to seek opportunities, both professional and recreational, that allow me to use and grow the skills that I have. I think applying to grad school will help me with that goal, but I’m also interested in seeing what else is in store for me in the future.
    Anyway, that’s my little rant for the week. As always, thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you all have an amazing week!
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit

    Cleaning Up The Clutter

    August 25, 2014
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Forever 21 Round Sunglasses (Not Available Online)
    H&M Striped Tee (Old)
    Cropped Paper Bag Trousers (Old)
    Madewell Loafers (Similar)
    Madewell Leather Bag
    (Click on the GIF!)
    I have to start off this post by saying that I desperately wanted to be at FYF this weekend, and I am kind of jealous of everybody else who got to go. How many times do you have the opportunity to see both Phoenix and The Strokes–two of my favorite bands–play on the same weekend?  I went last year and had a blast, but I didn’t have the money to buy tickets when they went on sale this year. I also couldn’t justify putting that purchase on my credit card because I’m trying to be a responsible adult (trying is the keyword in this sentence). But I can’t complain about missing out on a music festival when, this year, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to new cities to visit some of my most beloved friends. It is also easier to fight the urge to buy concert tickets with my concert buddies no longer around–you know who you are, and I miss you all!
    While I wasn’t at FYF this year, I managed to do some much-needed organizing. I spent most of Saturday cleaning out my closet and reorganizing my room.  The main reason that I wanted to organize my closet is because I keep trying to convince myself that I need new clothes, even though I have more than plenty of things to wear. Sometimes it seems much easier to go out and buy something new instead of taking the time to look through what you already have. But, in cleaning up the clutter in my closet, I’ve realized that I have a habit of doing that with many things in my life. I have a tendency to ignore matters that are pressing simply because I don’t want to deal with them, and take the easy way out by looking for a new and temporary solution. That is why I feel like I’m making progress when I actually make the effort to have some sort of structure in my workplace and in my home. Even if clutter manages to reappear a few weeks later, I at least have a moment where I feel like I somewhat have my life together.
    I didn’t spend all my weekend cleaning, though. Sunday was a great day because I went out for lunch with my Mom, my sister Sarah, and my brother David. After lunch, we spent some time walking around Old Pasadena and it was really fun. My Mom and I kept trying to take family photos, but Sarah and David just weren’t having it. I had to beg my brother until he finally agreed to take ONE picture with me. I guess the rest of the members of my family aren’t as obsessed with documenting every second of their life as I am. But, you have to have a way to remember all the good times you’ve spent together, right?
    As always, thank you so much for stopping by my blog and letting me get away with not talking about my outfit. I hope that you all have an amazing week!
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    —-
    Don’t forget to enter my Raina Roo Giveaway down below! I’m giving away the two headbands below to one lucky winner.

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    Outfit

    Gray with Gold Accents

    August 11, 2014
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Crocheted Dress
    Ruche Earrings
    Jewelmint Bangle
    Madewell Purse
    Target Belt
    Lotta from Stockholm Peeptoe Clogs
    MAC Lipstick in Twig
     As I was digging through my closet about two weeks ago, I found this dress that my aunt gifted to me about 3 years ago. I had never worn it because I usually don’t feel very comfortable wearing clothes that are very form-fitting, and I also thought that it was very plain. As it turns out, this dress is actually one of those items that looks better on than it does on the hanger. The fit was more flattering on me than I thought it would be. I also really love the simplicity of the dress because it makes it easy for me to experiment with different accessories. On this particular day, I wore this dress with a couple of gold accents.
    This weekend was so fun and rejuvenating for me. I was able to schedule a couple of hours of much-needed alone time, and relaxed with a latte and a book at Copa Vida, my favorite neighborhood coffee shop. I sometimes forget that it’s necessary for me to carve out time to recharge, since I’m always trying to catch up with everybody in my life and am afraid to miss out on something important. However, I also need to keep in mind that I’m much more enjoyable to be around when I’m not tired and cranky.
    I also spent a great amount of time working on making items for the Etsy shop that I’m planning to open up in a couple of weeks. I’m currently making packs of notecards with block print designs on them (which you can check out on my Instagram). Although I spent a great amount of time this weekend carving out linoleum blocks and making prints, it was a very fun and therapeutic project to work on. I don’t really know what will happen once I do open up the shop, but right now I’m really enjoying the whole creative process of making and packaging items. At the end of the day, the most important thing to me is that I’m having fun.
    Speaking of having fun, I seem to be having more of that these days. When I started this blog earlier this year, I was going through a “quarter-life crisis,” and many of my posts seemed to revolve around me feeling lost and stressed out. Although I’m still trying to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life, and have even started the process of applying to grad school, I’ve been less stressed about it these days. I realized that part of my anxiety stemmed from me trying to fulfill other people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be doing with my life at my age. At the moment I’m content with focusing on what makes me happy.
    I hope you all had a lovely weekend. As always, thank you for stopping by my blog.
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace