Looking Up

In the midst of my postgrad funk (which I very well could still be in the middle of, but things are definitely looking up), I decided to sign up for a photography class downtown. Ever since I got my DSLR a few years ago, I've managed to teach myself some of the basics but have generally avoided the big scary "M" setting on my camera. M = Manual—pretty obvious, but figured I'd add that in to avoid any confusion. Signing up for the class was kind of a big deal for me. When you're working full time, it's very easy to constantly make the excuse that you're "too busy" or "too tired" to pursue other hobbies outside of work. I can't tell you how tempting it is to come home every night after a long commute, eat dinner, and veg on the couch watching SATC reruns while drinking wine and speed-Tindering until I'm 100% sure I accidentally swiped 3-5 future soulmates left due to careless error. (I know my life sounds pretty glamorous right now, but please hold all judgements until the end of this post slash don't ask me how I managed to go from photography class to Tinder...)

Anyway, I'm really enjoying the class so far and already feel like I'm using twice as many settings on my camera than I have in the past two years. Our first class assignment was to take photos that represent one of the 5 elements of photography (composition, light, color, the moment, and atmosphere), so it was fairly open ended. I wound up with a bunch of night photos taken during my last class session and after work. I wouldn't call them any sort of series, but I do like how light plays into each of them in a different way.

P.S. prepare for more photography posts like this each week :)

Unplugged

So, I've been thinking a lot lately—now's your chance, leave before it's too late!—and this whole working full-time and blogging thing is well...hard. And it's not necessarily because I don't have the time for it. It's just that lately, I haven't been able to find the energy or motivation to do it. I think my main hold up is due to the fact that I work in an office for 8 to 10 hours a day sitting behind a screen. And, honestly, when I come home the last thing I want to do is spend even more time behind a screen.

I've been making a conscious effort to "unplug" as much as a can at night after work. This can just be little things, like sitting and eating dinner with no TV or cell phone to distract me. And I'll tell you, it's amazing how many times in a 20 minute period I find myself unconsciously reaching for my phone just to refresh my Instagram feed. But, believe it or not, I'm slowly but surely learning that the Instagram of donuts that was posted 2 minutes ago is in fact the same photo 20 minutes later...

The truth is, there's a learning curve to this whole work-life balance and I'm only just starting to figure it out. Although I do think I'm doing an okay job at balancing my work and social life (I use the term "social" very loosely), finding a way to fit in my personal hobbies—like this blog—on top of that has proved more difficult than expected. While this is probably just a temporary blogging funk, I've always told myself to never blog when it begins to feel like a chore (which is why I could never become a full-time blogger, aside from the fact that you can't pay rent in free clothes) hence my lack of posts the past couple weeks.

Honestly, I'll probably be back shortly. Even writing this post is getting me back into the blogging mood. I just figured I'd send a little update on this public diary of mine :)

The Swing

Get the look:

For some reason I haven't had the motivation to blog lately. I've seriously been writing bits and pieces of this one post all weekend. Plus, I have like seven un-blogged outfits photos just waiting in the wings (which never happens). I guess I can blame my lack of posting on adjusting to a new schedule. This was my first official week working full-time after the holidays and I just felt like I had a million things to do every night. Then this weekend, I spent most of Saturday in bed. I wasn't sick, I just literally could not bring myself to do anything except completely veg out. And the highlight of today was taking a field trip to a laundromat in Santa Monica and running errands. So please, don't for one second think I'm living some high-roller-LA-life over here!

These photos were actually taken an embarrassingly long time ago. A month ago maybe? My best friend from home came to visit me, and we decided to have a little photo shoot since we hadn't taken a picture together in who knows how long. I had just bought this plaid blazer and decided to pair it with my go-to striped top for some simple print mixing. I've worn this combo a ton since then, and am becoming pretty keen on plaid.

Okay, here's to being back in the swing of things and hopefully blogging more this week! P.S. Who here is as excited as I am for GIRLS!?

____________

Outfit Details:

Plaid Blazer—Madewell (similar)

Top—H&M (similar)

Boyfriend Jeans—AG (similar)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Bag—Fossil (shop)

Flats—Anthropologie (similar)

Fresh Start

Shop this post:

I tend to wear casual ensembles like this a lot, but often neglect to document them. So, here's an example of what I wear on most normal weekends. Also, I've been on a big jewelry-kick lately. I really like the look of mixing a bunch of different delicate pieces together. It somehow feels fancy (but not overdone) and I like to use it as a way to dress up a simple combo like this.

In other news, tomorrow marks the first day of winter quarter for all my friends still in school, and unofficially my first week working full-time since I took a little time off for the holidays. When I really think about it, nothing much is going to change. I've been working in the same office since June and am still living in the same apartment with all my best friends. But still—this feels like a fresh start. While the 8 to 5 grind takes some getting used to, I'm excited for this year and the beginning of my postgrad life. Also, I've made a mental note that I probably need to change my blog header and About Me soon. Baby steps.

This was a relaxing weekend spent running errands and tying up loose ends (getting new sneakers was the most exciting thing that happened). But honestly, sometimes it's nice to not really have any plans and just lounge around for a couple days—something I constantly need to remind myself.

Anyway, I'm excited for this week. Oh and also, The Bachelor.

____________

Outfit Details:

Sweater—Nordstrom BP (shop)

Skinny Jeans—Madewell (shop)

Sunglasses—Ray-Ban (shop)

Wishbone Necklace—Etsy (similar)

Gear Necklace—craft fair (similar)

Bracelet—Coordinates Collection (shop)

Watch—GUESS (shop)

Bag—vintage Dooney & Bourke (similar)

Sandals—Target (similar)