my workday routine made easier

happy thursday, everyone!

i hope you had a great week--the weather has

been seemingly perfect in seattle (70+ degree

temperatures), and i cannot help but want to spend

as much time as possible outdoors.

you may or may not know this, but

blogging is a hobby for me. i have a full-time

job in finance, working in our operations department

(specifically, in client information).

i have been with my current company for

almost two years, and despite my utter lack of

experience in the field, i have come to love

my position. i enjoy the challenge of learning

something new (and learning on the job

is prominent in our industry as we adjust to ever-

evolving regulations). i am proud of how much
i have learned in the past two years,
and i have to admit, i have been blessed
with some pretty amazing (and very patient)
coworkers.

disclosure: a special thank you to panera bread for providing
me with a credit to purchase the food items in this post. (they were
delicious.) as per usual, all opinions are my own!

between working full-time, babysitting,
blogging, and staying on top of my freelance projects
(while also completing a certificate program), meal
planning has taken a backseat. well--to be honest--
meal prep has never been a big priority
for me. i'm a grab-and-go kind of girl, which is
not typically healthy or affordable.

working in the heart of downtown, seattle,
is also less than ideal if you're trying to
conserve money, as the coffee and food options
are seemingly endless! tacos? pizza? soup?
sandwiches? thai food? we have it all and then some.

when i learned panera bread was planning to offer

delivery at select locations, i had to give

it a try! (you can see if a panera near you delivers

here.) i am fortunate to work within their delivery radius,

and i had a salad, soup, chips, and of course, a

chocolate chip cookie, delivered to my office

in 40 minutes. i was then able to fully enjoy my

lunch break while eating outdoors.

my office is located near several amazon-

owned buildings, so navigating nearby restaurants 

during the lunch hour can be tricky. many delivery 

services charge a ridiculous amount in fees, but

not, panera bread!

^^^ watch out for that wind ^^^

i ordered the seasonal greens salad and

added chicken for a small up-charge. i must confess,

i ordered from panera bread twice within the

same week, and for my second order, i opted

to try the green passion smoothie. ordering a 

smoothie to be delivered may sound risky, but my

smoothie arrived still frozen, and it was 

refreshing to enjoy with my salad!

photos by sarah wolfe photography

blouse: topshop, pants: zara, clutch: aldo,

shoes: qupid, bracelets: something silver

overall, i was incredibly impressed with panera

bread's delivery service, and i look forward to placing

future orders. anything to cut down on stress (who has

time for that?!) and provide a convenient,

healthy lunch. thank you again, panera bread!

xoxo.

dressing for spring in the pacific northwest

spring has finally arrived in seattle.

while summer is my favorite season (i love,

love the sunshine), spring is a close second.

the blooming flowers, increasingly long days,

and warming temperatures, i can't help but feel excited.

i also enjoy seeing fellow seattleites exploring

our city!

the key to surviving spring in the pacific

northwest, however? dressing in layers! keep

that sweater, sweatshirt, and/or rain jacket

close at hand because the weather can (and will) 

change quickly. if you're like me, you may

conveniently forget said sweater or jacket and find

yourself caught in an epic spring storm.

^^^ quick aside--i recently had my eyebrows microbladed,

and these were the first photos taken after my session

with amanda at eastside microblading. i have my touch-up

session later this weekend and cannot wait to see her again! ^^^

one of the ways in which i add versatility to my

wardrobe, while dressing appropriately for spring, is

to throw on a crew-neck sweater over a dress. 

don't get me wrong, a cardigan over a dress or a skirt +

sweater combination is just as fun, but there is something

to be said about a this crew-neck sweater and dress. perhaps 

it makes me look (or feel) taller? i have been on a 

sweater kick as of late, and this fuzzy cream sweater

is one of my favorites!

i also love pairing my booties with skirts, dresses, 

and denim come spring. hello, bare legs.

this pair of dolce vita pointed-toe boots is perfect

in the pacific northwest. whether rain or shine,

my feet are dry and look stylish. i can't wait to pair

these booties with cropped and/or white denim!

layers are seemingly essential in the

pacific northwest. regardless of the season, 

be sure to wear (or pack) layers. i am 

almost always cold, so having a sweater

or jacket nearby is very important. in warmer

climates, a light scarf or sweater can also be helpful.

buying neutral colors, such as this sweater 

and bag can also extend the wear of your spring

wardrobe. both of these items can be styled

in a variety of ways. i wore this crew-neck

sweater with ripped jeans and converse last weekend.

cream and white are classics for spring, and 

they can be dressed up with accessories

or dressed down when unadorned.

light-weight fabrics are your friend.

unlike years past, this spring has felt

particularly humid in seattle. i am chilly

in the morning, yet sweating when racing to

catch my bus after work. fabrics such as

cotton, linen, chiffon, and hemp are

breathable when humidity is high.

photos by sarah wolfe photography

dress: lush clothing, sweater: nordstrom rack,

booties: dolce vita, purse: zara, rings: target

how do you dress appropriately for spring?

any tips for dressing in layers? if so, please

send them my way!

xoxo.

pacific northwest ballet :: emergence

two weeks ago, my boyfriend greg and i had the
pleasure of attending pacific northwest ballet's
performance, emergence! i haven't been to the ballet in several
years, and it was an incredible experience--from the beautiful

sets, live orchestra, and awe-inspiring dancing, it
was a performance i will never forget. 

disclosure: a special thank you to karya schanilec and

pacific northwest ballet (pnb) for providing greg and i complimentary

tickets to this performance. we had a wonderful time! 

as per usual, all opinions are my own.

although i grew up dancing ballet, as an adult, 

i have come to appreciate the immense talent required to put 

on a performance like emergence. the talent possessed by 

those dancers? oh my!

emergence is broken up into three performances: 

alejandro cerrudo's little mortal jump, yuri possokhav's

raku, and crystal pite's emergence. the trio is equally

amazing, but my favorite was yuri passokhav's raku!

based on true events, the story is contemporary 

and passionate, yet violent. to see this story choreographed

in a ballet was inspirational (and somewhat
indescribable). 

'the central theme of his score [...] is burning.

the burning of desire, of passion, of loyalty; the burn

of suffering, of jealousy; finally the burning of death--

emotions that are so strong that they overcome the

discipline of a zen monk and overcome the loyalties 

of a samurai.'

--cheryl a. ossola

i think greg was unsure of what to expect

when i mentioned attending the ballet, but he greatly 

enjoyed the performance (his favorite was also raku)!

greg and i went to dinner in seattle before heading

to mccaw hall. once there, we ordered drinks and found

our seats; we were fortunate to sit close to the stage

and popped by to see the orchestra during intermission.

 as an aspiring fashionista, what to wear

to the ballet was an important part of the night :)

i opted for a spring dress, patent boots, and a blush pink

crossbody bag. i love any excuse to dress up and the

ballet was no exception!

photos by karya schanilec photography

dress: parker (thrifted via seattle goodwill),

boots: zara, purse: nine west, rings: forever 21

thank you again, karya, for providing us tickets

to the ballet. we had a wonderful time, and i look forward

to attending future pacific northwest ballet (pnb) 

performances! 

you can watch the trailer for emergence here 

and see upcoming performances for the 2017-2018 

season by pnb here.

xoxo.

'give a sh!rt' :: celebrating earth day with value village

'you cannot get through a single day without

having an impact on the world around you. what you

do makes a difference, and you have to decide

what kind of difference you want to make.'

--jane goodall

did you know? it takes over 700 gallons of water to
make one new t-shirt!
source

 in celebration of earth day (april 22, 2018),

i have partnered with value village to support and

promote environmental awareness in the greater

seattle community! 

value village has more than 330 locations 

and is a for-profit, global retailer. they are

dedicated to keeping recyclable goods 

(including: clothing, shoes, and household
items) out of our landfills. in 2017, value village

recycled more than 700 million pounds of used
goods. additionally, last year, value

village partnered with 120

charitable organizations nation-wide!

disclosure: a special thank you to value village for providing

me a gift certificate to purchase items featured in today's post. as per

usual, all opinions are my own!

sadly, many people simply throw away

unwanted clothing and household items

when a large percentage of these items

could be recycled. the average u.s. citizen threw

away 81 pounds of clothing in 2017. this number is

alarming, particularly when you consider the

environmental implications!

source 

to further promote environmental
awareness, value village launched their 'give a sh!rt
campaign,' encouraging consumers to recycle unused

items of clothing and purchase 'new' items
second hand from value village (instead

of buying new at other retailers). with more than
10,000 items introduced in stores daily, the
selection of goodies (that could be yours) is
rather amazing!

if i had to guess, i would estimate
more than 50 perfect of my clothes, shoes,
and accessories were purchased second hand.
this is partly an effort to spend
conservatively, but also due to environmental
considerations. why purchase new when
i can find the same (or close to the same) recycled
at value village for a fraction of
the cost? when cleaning out my closet, i
enjoy donating items, allowing them to
find a second-hand home!

i purchased this ann taylor dress,
bb dakota faux leather jacket, and target
cross-body bag all for less than 40 dollars--
talk about savings!

photos by karya schanilec photography

dress: ann taylor (c/o value village),

jacket: bb dakota (c/o value village),

purse: target (c/o value village), necklace: topshop,

shoes: franco sarto

 how do you celebrate earth day?

are you a thrift shopper, and where do

you typically donate unused items?

i may have to celebrate earth day with a shopping

trip to value village :)

30 years strong :: setting new health and wellness goals

happy monday, everyone!

my 'out-of-office' reply is on, and

i am officially on vacation. i write to you

from kona, hawaii, where i am relaxing in

paradise--with family--for the next

week. however, i couldn't stay away from blogging

and wanted to share a few health and

wellness goals i have been working toward

over the past several weeks.

disclosure: a special thank you to brooks running for providing me

the jacket, top, sports bra, running tights, and shoes pictured in this post.

i am grateful for the opportunity to be a brand partner of brooks running.

as per usual, all opinions are my own! 

i celebrated my thirtieth birthday

in march, and over the past year (or two), i have

noticed significant changes in my body.

no longer can eat french fries and pizza and

chocolate chip cookies without 1. getting

a terrible stomach ache (gluten and dairy products

are not my friend), and 2. adding quick

weight to my arms, thighs, and stomach.

additionally, i have prominent laugh lines--which

i am 100% okay with--but

that furrow on my brow--eh, i could

live without it.

staying up late, not drinking enough

water, a few too many glasses of

wine at happy hour? sheesh! my 20-something 

self would laugh and seemingly be horrified at how 

poorly i tolerate these! in an effort to feel great, both

physically and emotionally, during my thirtieth 

year, i have made a conscious effort to practice better 

self-care. this includes finding activities that 

support my overall health and wellness.

i should preface this by stating that
i am happy, healthy, and eager to see what
this new decade (hello, 30!) has to offer.
i simply want to document the personal
goals i have set as a means of holding myself
accountable :)

1. exercise, exercise, exercise.
(and no, not extra fries, unfortunately.)
whether going for a walk, visiting the gym,
or running stairs, i am determined to
exercise five days a week. getting in 30
minutes of cardio is one of my favorite
ways to alleviate stress. while i don't mind
going to the gym (i belong to a local
la fitness), i prefer to be active outdoors!

believe it or not, i greatly enjoy running
the stairs. seattle has several scenic staircases
worth visiting; my favorites include the
howe street stairs (capitol hill), thornton
creek water channel stairs (northgate, seattle),
the staircase over western avenue
leading into pike place market (downtown
seattle), and of course, the stairs featured
in today's post on upper queen anne!

^^^ i cannot get enough of these shoes! 

i'm wearing the purecadence 7 road running shoe,

and the purple is my absolute favorite. ^^^

2. breathe. stretch.

you may or may not believe this, but

i have never practiced yoga. stretching

has never been a strong suit of mine, but

with increased stress and back pain (again,

hello, 30), i think it may be time to make

stretching a priority. i think the best way

to do this is by attending a yoga class so i can

learn the introductory-level poses!

my gym offers complimentary classes

as part of my membership, but if you're 

local to seattle and have a studio you love,

please send recommendations my way.

3. prioritize my skincare routine and

accompanying products.

i have always been diligent about

washing my face (i never sleep in my makeup),

but until recently, i would skimp on skincare

products. affordable and easily

accessible washes and moisturizers were

my go-to products, but i have realized that 

i am not only skimping on cost, but

also on the quality of the ingredients. in

the past few months, i have been

better about reading labels and ingredient

lists in order to know what it is i

am applying to my face. 

and unlike my teenage self, apply

spf and eye cream daily!

photos by karya schanilec photography

ghost short sleeve top: c/o brooks (exact here),

uprise crossback sports bra: c/o brooks (exact here),

canopy jacket: c/o brooks (exact here),

ghost high-waist mesh crop tights: c/o brooks (exact here),

purecadence 7 road running shoes: c/o brooks (exact here)

**these pieces are part of brooks running's spring

collection. items run true to size, and i love how supportive

the sports bra and running shoes are, whether i'm exercising

outdoors or at the gym.

a few others goals i recently set?

read! instead of scrolling through instagram

or watching tv before bed, i choose, instead, to read.

dedicate time to family. cherish time spent with

friends. and lastly, be happy! this last goal

may seem silly, but at times, i can be a 'glass half

empty' kind of gal. i am working to be more

positive and have a better outlook on things, especially

when i feel stressed.

do you enjoy setting goals for yourself?

how do you like to document these goals?

and most importantly, how do you

hold yourself accountable?

xoxo.

little letters :: ready for spring edition

** inspired by this blog post **

dear spring, please bring the sun (and warmer 

temperatures) around soon.

dear white boots, while somewhat impractical, i can't

help but love you. you'll be on major repeat this spring.

dear midi dresses, i can't stop buying you. you're

perfect for work, brunch, a night out, and seemingly

any (and every) other event i can imagine.

^^^ aforementioned white boots--see what i mean?! ^^^

dear clear umbrella, how did i survive

six years of blogging (and subsequent rainy day 

outfit photos) without you?

dear iced coffee, it's been a while! welcome

back, and please be ready to be consumed (by me)

on the regular.

dear easter weekend, i can almost taste

the brunch, copious amounts of chocolate, 

and homemade chicken dinner that will be consumed

in the presence of family. i can't wait!

dear zara, when is your next end-of-season

sale? i'm in desperate need of shoes. and jeans.

and perhaps a few new dresses. 

dear gym membership, oh how i've neglected you.

and what great timing with spring in full swing

(minus the sunshine) and a beach vacation right around

the corner. let's get reacquainted! 

dear eyelash extensions, how i love you! 

and the amount of time you save me each morning.

but you've depleted my bank account.

photos by karya schanilec photography

dress: zara, faux fur: forever 21,

boots: franco sarto (similar here), ring: charming charlie,

clear umbrella: target (exact here)

you can read my last 'little letters' post

(fall edition) here.

happy wednesday, everyone!

xoxo.

shop local :: handmade jewelry from exquistry

 jewelry is the perfect way to transform

any outfit--add a necklace, bracelet, 

earrings, broach, and/or rings to elevate the look of

your clothing. incorporate a statement necklace

and you instantly change your look. 

jewelry is a wonderful way to re-style

items in your closet and express your personality

by adding a unique 'pop.'

while i own a decent amount of 

jewelry, the majority is inexpensive, costume-

like jewelry that i could take or leave.

i have a few sentimental items and several

gifted pieces that i wear daily (including

a necklace passed down from my grandma,

charm bracelets from my mom, and a new

friendship ring from one of my girlfriends).

over the past few years, i have enjoyed finding

local designers that craft quality, handmade

jewelry that i can mix and match with 

other pieces in my closet.

disclosure: a special thank you to amisha, owner of exquistry jewelry for

providing me with the beautiful, handmade necklace in today's post.

i recently met amisha, designer and creator

of exquistry jewelry, online. amisha is

based in seattle, washington, and her sweet and

genuine personality radiate via email :) i hope

to someday meet amisha in person!

amisha is incredibly artistic and was

born into a family of creatives. she learned

to sew at a young age and began making jewelry in 2011.

 amisha feels most inspired by her indian heritage

(she was born in and spent most of her 

childhood in india) and vibrant colors.

she strives to combine fashion with color

and art, and i think this is prevalent within all

of her hand-crafted pieces.

 today i am styling exquistry's peach rose gold

swarovski pendant necklace. this bohemian-inspired 

necklace has hand-sewn beads and a light-weight clasp

for ease of wear (i often struggle with getting

clasped necklaces on and off--this clasp is great!).

because of amisha's passion for color,

i was inspired to pair my necklace with one

of my most colorful dresses. i think the two

work well together!

photos by jenn from hello rigby

dress: j.crew, jacket and heels: thrifted (via value village),

purse: halogen (thrifted via seattle goodwill), bracelet: nordstrom,

necklace: c/o exquistry jewelry (exact here)

happy friday, everyone! 

if you're looking to update your jewelry, 

i highly recommend visiting amisha's website.

she has several other necklaces and bracelets

that i am lusting after.

xoxo.