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.

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