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Outfit

    Outfit

    What A Steal!

    Photos by Ale Veyna

    Outfit Details:
    H&M Dress (Old)
    Forever 21 Clutch (Old)
    Seychelles Pumps (Old)
    This dress from H&M is one of the purchases that I’m most proud of. I bought it while I was studying abroad in Spain for about 5 euros, which is about $7. Black was very trendy during the winter months that I was in Spain, and I’m sure that the reason that this dress was on sale was because most people were turned off by the bold and colorful floral print. I, however, fell in love with this dress for that very reason, and was more than thrilled to get it for such a steal. Brown and black are great colors for fall and winter, but I also think that there’s no reason to be afraid to experiment with a little bit of color during these seasons. Even though I’m kind of saddened by the fact that not everybody shares my love for wearing colorful floral prints during the cooler months, I’m really glad that it led to me getting a great deal on this dress

     

     

    I wanted to take this post as an opportunity to share a couple of facts about myself, since I realize that those who don’t know me in person only get tiny bits and pieces about my life on this blog. Another reason why I’m sharing these facts is because Katherine, from the lovely blog Wander Hour, nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award. In order to accept the award, I’m required to list 7 facts about myself.  Doing this activity was very fun, and I’m so honored that Katherine nominated me for the award. If you haven’t checked out Katherine’s blog, you definitely should. She has a great sense of style, and is also an amazing photographer.
    7 Facts About Myself
    1. I didn’t really learn how to speak and read in English until I was 6-years-old, and in the first grade. I don’t remember having any trouble learning the language, and it’s probably because I had always watched English-language television and listened to family members speak to each other in English. But until this point in my life, I only knew how to speak and read in Spanish.
    2. I attended Scripps College, a small women’s college in Claremont, CA, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I’ve always had very feminist ideals, but I always felt that I was never in an environment where I felt safe and comfortable enough to express them. Scripps really changed that for me, because it finally gave me the opportunity to be in a space where female empowerment was really encouraged. I met some of my best friends and learned so much about myself while I was there.
    3. I was named after a small chocolate company called Helen Grace Chocolates. My mother couldn’t decide whether to name me Helen-the Greek form of her middle name Elena-or Grace, after my Grandma Graciela. She got the idea to combine the names after looking at a Helen Grace chocolate bar.  I, of course, did not realize this until I was about 5 and somebody was selling Helen Grace chocolate bars to fundraise money for a family member’s little league team. I was initially really excited to see my name printed on a chocolate bar, since I don’t think I completely understood what was going on at that time. However, it did lead to me slightly getting made fun of in high school.
    4. I started running about 3 years ago, and it quickly became one of my favorite activities. I used to hate running because I expected myself to immediately be able to run 6 miles, and felt weak and defeated when I wasn’t able to do so. When I graduated from college, I had a couple of coworkers who were really into running, and they encouraged me to pick up the sport. This time around, I went in with a different attitude, and decided to take it slow. My patience and hard work paid off, and I was able to run my first half-marathon 8 months later. Running has become one of my favorite activities because it has taught me to appreciate and really care for my body, and also serves as a way for me to relieve stress at the end of the day.
    5. I would describe myself as an introvert with an outgoing personality. I get anxious whenever I have too much alone time. Oddly enough, even though I crave being around people, I’m also really shy and don’t always have the energy to be sociable. I think the reason that I really love hanging around coffee shops is because it gives me an opportunity to hang out around other people, without having to actually interact with them. If you want to learn more about what it’s like to be introverted and have an outgoing personality at the same time, you can check out this article here.
    6. Coffee is my favorite beverage. I don’t really know much about coffee, but I really enjoy the taste of it. One of my favorite pastimes is exploring new coffee shops with friends, and there have been days when I’ve only had coffee and pastries for every meal of the day. I can’t say that is the healthiest diet, but it sure is yummy!
    7.  I love traveling and, although I have been fortunate enough to do my fair share of it, I wish I could do more. While I was studying abroad in Spain, I was able to travel to 6 countries, and more than 10 cities. I definitely want to make my way over back to Europe, so that I can visit more countries there. I also want to explore South America and, in the near future, I want to make a trip to Mexico so that I can visit my Dad’s side of the family.
    I hope you enjoyed learning a couple of things about me. I’m not completely following the rules of the One Lovely Blog Award, and tagging other bloggers. That’s only because it’s too hard for me to just pick out a couple of bloggers whose blogs I really enjoy. However, if you want to go ahead and tag yourself, you can check out the complete set of rules on Katherine’s blog. Definitely let me know if you do decide to share a couple of facts about yourself on your blog. I’d love to learn more about you!
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace
    Outfit

    Dressing for The Heatwave

    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

    Colorado Street Bridge

    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Forever 21 Sunglasses
    Necklace (Borrowed from my sister)
    H&M Crop Top
    Madewell Loafers (Similar)
    Bag (Handmade by my Grandma)
    MAC Lipstick in Twig
    I totally wore these jeans in one of my most recent outfit posts, but I love them so much that I just couldn’t wait a couple of more weeks to feature them again. I guess that I should just tell you know that they’ll probably pop up pretty often in most of my fall and winter outfit posts. After all, a good pair of jeans is hard to find, and these are super comfortable and they also fit me well.

     

    My sister Sarah and I headed to the Colorado Street Bridge to take these outfit photos. It’s one of my favorite landmarks in my beautiful hometown of Pasadena. Unfortunately, I hardly ever have any reason to walk across it, because it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere.  My sister Sarah and I decided to stop there on Saturday, on our way to Eagle Rock. While we were there, I had to also snap some pictures of Sarah. She is so beautiful and smiley, and has such a wonderful style. I can’t wait until she finally lets me get behind the lens to take some of her outfit photos.
    This weekend was also wonderful because I had the opportunity to catch up with my friend Carly, who was in town. We had a fun time on Saturday morning hopping around from one coffee shop to another. If you keep up with my blog, you probably already know that most of my friends have been slowly moving away to other parts of the country. Therefore, it’s always a treat for me when they are back in town.
    As always, thanks for stopping by. I hope you have an awesome week!
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace