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Outfit

    Outfit

    September Goals

    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Crocheted Top (Handmade by my Grandmother)
    Asos Tank Top
    Old Navy Black Skater Skirt
    Lotta from Stockholm Peeptoe Clogs in Tan
    Madewell Black Leather Bag

    It’s been so hot lately that I struggle with deciding what to wear because, honestly, all I want to do is lay around in my bathing suit all day. Since I can’t do that, I’ve definitely have a couple of warm-weather pieces that I’ve been religiously wearing all summer. This black skater skirt has become one of my go-to pieces because it’s very light and it goes well with most of my summer tops. This weekend I wore it with this crocheted top that my grandmother made for me a while back; the open stitches are perfect for when you’re trying to beat the heat.

    I can’t believe that it’s September already, and another month has come and gone. I want to start off this month by establishing some monthly goals. The reason that I want to do that is because I always have all of these long-term goals, but I hardly ever stop to think of what it is that I can accomplish at the moment. I’m also hoping that setting short-term goals will enable me to reflect on my immediate needs and priorities. That being said, these are some goals that I want to work towards accomplishing during this month:

    • Last week I blogged about how I’ve been toying with the idea of giving up shopping for a couple of months, and focus on making on my own clothes instead. Well, I’ve decided to take on that challenge for the next six months. I want to do this because it will help me work towards becoming less materialistic, which is something that I struggle with when I’m under stress; I always have this idea in my head that a new top or dress will solve all of my problems. It will also help me cultivate my creativity and improve my sewing skills, so that I can finally move past only making things that are square-shaped such as tote bags, pillows, etc. Plus, almost everybody in my family has amazing sewing skills, so I feel the pressure to also perfect that skill.
    • This month, I also want to start working towards being less of a perfectionist and people pleaser. Over the years, I’ve made a great amount of progress in this area of my life and I’ve started to learn how to roll with the punches whenever something unexpected comes my way. However, I still struggle with self-doubt and feeling guilty for doing things simply because they make me happy. Since I’m currently working on several long-term goals, I want to make sure that I’m in the right state of mind and am able to be my own cheerleader whenever a challenge comes my way. I have to remember that I need to do what’s best for me, and not let other people’s perspective affect my decisions.
    • Although  I want to be less of a perfectionist, I realize there are certain responsibilities that I tend to completely ignore. Therefore, I want to become more organized to ensure that I’m making progress towards my goals. So what I’m saying is that starting this month, I have to stop procrastinating on studying for the GRE.
    • I also want to set the goal to read more often. Since I was an English and Spanish major in college, I used to read 4-6 books a week, and completely gave up watching television during that time. Nowadays, I spend most of my time online and watching television, because it’s so much easier to find the energy to do those things when I come home from work. However, I miss learning and want to make that a priority in my life again.
    That’s it for my September goals. I’m hoping that keeping the practice of implementing short-term goals will help me learn how to better live in the moment, and give me a better sense of accomplishment. Do you all have any monthly or day-to-day goals? How do you manage to stick to your goals?
    xoxo,
    Helen Grace—

    Thanks to all who entered my giveaway with Raina from Raina Roo Etsy. Ashley S. was the lucky winner!

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    Outfit

    Cleaning Up The Clutter

    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

    Queen of the Fairies [Raina Roo Giveaway!]

    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    ASOS Leather Belt (Old)
    Raina Roo Queen of the Fairies Headband
    Floral Dress (Old)
    Seychelles Pumps (Old)
    Forever 21 Clutch (Old)

     

    As you can probably tell from all of my recent posts, lately I’ve been doing a whole lot of shopping in my own closet.  I’ve made a personal goal to really work on paying off my car and saving up some money in the next year, so I can’t splurge on clothes as much as I used to. Although it’s been a extremely hard to fight off the urge to indulge in some retail therapy, I’m determined to practice some self-control. As I’m working towards my goal, it really helps me that the joy of rediscovering a piece that I forgot that I had in my closet is just as satisfying as purchasing something new.
    My latest closet find was this floral sundress that I purchased a couple of years ago. Upon rediscovering this dress, it really blew my mind that I hadn’t worn it at all this summer. The cutout in the back and the breathable fabric make it perfect for the intense heat that we’re experiencing in SoCal. I decided to pair this dress with my new Queen of the Fairies headband from Raina Roo’s Etsy Shop, and it totally made me feel like a magical nymph.
    My younger sister Sarah takes most of my outfit photos for my blog, and it’s been a true bonding experience for us. Thanks to these outfit shoots, we both manage to get dressed and out of the house every weekend. This weekend we took my outfit photos by a pond at Caltech in Pasadena, and we decided to take a break by taking some nature shots. It was a good way for both of us to get some practice photographing different subjects. I can only hope that one of these days, Sarah will  finally allow me to photograph her outfits.
    Putting together this post was very exciting for me because this is actually my 50th blog entry. I started this blog a couple of months ago as a New Year’s resolution, in hopes that it would serve as a creative outlet and give me a reason to be more socially active. This blog has definitely served that purpose, and has even turned into part of my weekly self-care routine. When I’ve had a tough week and all that I want to do is lay around and watch T.V. on the weekend, it helps me to have something that motivates me to actually get out of the house. I’m also very grateful that this blog has helped me keep in touch with friends that are far away, and has even connected me to other amazing people with similar interests.
    In celebration of my 50th blog post, I’ve teamed up with Raina Roo to offer you a chance to win the two beautiful, handmade crocheted headbands pictured below. I’m very excited to collaborate with Raina Roo because I have been a huge fan of Raina’s shop for a long time, and I love that she makes beautiful handmade items that fit a variety of styles. You can enter to win some of her wonderful creations below! I will announce the winner here on September 1st.

     

    a Rafflecopter giveaway