Hard to Explain

I'll be the first to admit--I'm a hopeless romantic and am a sucker for Valentine's Day. Gimme all the RomComs, all the flowers, all the sparkles, all the candlelight dinners, and all the moonlight walks on the beach! With all the Valentine's Day vibes out in the world, the idea of romance wandered into my natural thoughts this month. That combined with my recent wanderlust made me obsessed with the idea of wanting a romantic getaway, but Valentine's Day crept up on us this year. We racked our brains to pull together something last minute, but alas even those plans had to be put on hold when I got sick over the long weekend. I was bummed that we couldn't cheers to our love over mojitos and oysters, or window shop on Melrose Avenue, or peruse the Farmers Market in Larchmont, but in the midst of the fever and the food poisoning, I realized that Brandon was showing me the grandest gesture of all: He took care of me. And that's the best kind of Valentine a girl could ask for.

Journal: Intentionality

Maybe it's out of habit or just in my personality to over-apologize, but when I first sat down to write this post, I had every intention of starting this post by apologizing for our absence for the past ten weeks. Maybe it's because I'd like to think that people actually care about this blog and about what I have to say, but the truth is no one but me and Brandon really care whether this blog is active or not. And since I'm already being honest, the truth is that I'm not sorry for having taken this time off. The way events unfolded at the end of last year forced me to really reflect on and confront the consequences of my actions that I put into motion years ago. I needed that time off to step back so that I could move forward.

For those of who have been on this journey with me since my last blog, Transient Withdrawal, you will remember that after a five-year relationship had ended, at 22, I was desperate to reclaim my independence and discover who I was. I was bitter and panicked that I had let a relationship make me miss out on many critical milestones in my early twenties, and so I felt compelled to do a crash-course to catch up with my peers. I was finally able to do college the right way during graduate school where I found friendships outside of my hometown circle. I was finally able to have those awkward dates and quick flings--both of which quickly turned into funny stories I could finally share with my girlfriends. And last year, I was finally able to move out into my own space. I was so adamant to get a quick and easy claim to independence that I felt so strongly that all of these experiences and milestones would bring me up to speed with my peers. Looking back now, at 26, I was naive and impatient to think becoming independent would be so quick and easy. It has been neither. Just like with a plant, you can't rush growth, especially when it comes to personal growth.

Fall Uniform

For a girl who predominately wears black and various shades of grey, you would think that owning a leather jacket would be a given. For me though, leather was just one of those materials that was only reserved for bags and shoes--never for pants and most definitely never for jackets. As much as I had yearned for one, I lived my ideas of owning and styling a leather jacket vicariously on Pinterest. Every time I would try one that was ill-fitting or just didn't look right, I decided it was for the best. I mean who needs a leather jacket when it was still 90 degrees in Los Angeles in October anyway? Oh how very wrong I was.

Looking Forward

Have you ever had an out of body experience in the middle of a moment and realize that one day you're going to look back on this day and pinpoint it to the start of a new beginning? Well this weekend was just that kind of moment. I've been giving happiness a lot of thought lately. If money can't buy it and you're unhappy when you don't have money, then how are you supposed to "get" happiness in this consumerist society that we live in? If happiness is in the journey and not the destination, then what are we headed towards? There've been countless articles written on the "keys to happiness" or on the "secrets of a happier lifestyle," but I'm not sure anyone really has the answer to these questions, especially not I. But after this past weekend, I've felt happier and calmer than I have in months.

Giveaway & Review: Polette Eyewear

To get back into the swing of things here, we're going to kick off the Fall season with a giveaway with Polette! As California natives, we know that you can never have too many pairs of sunnies! I've been wearing my Jimini pair to keep my cool through this insane heatwave in LA. It totally allows me to channel the boho babe as we (sorta) transition to Fall. Brandon has also been enjoying his pair of Linosa. We've partnered with Polette, an online optician that offers customizable eyewear including sunglasses and eyeglasses at affordable prices (lenses starting at $9.99!). Polette is generously offering one of our readers and his/her friend a pair of any eyewear that you desire. It's super easy--just head on over to our Instagram to enter! All you need to do is to follow us and @polette and tag a friend! Good luck! Giveaway goes on until October 19th!