long time, no see

//dress: marshalls / jacket: jcp / tights: target / boots: thrifted / jewelry: gifts/vintage//

I've missed writing on this little blog, and now that I have a break from school, I'm excited to dive back into it. I had finals at the start of this month, then immediately after, hopped on a plane to Orange County with my boyfriend to meet up with his family for a week of Disneyland, Universal, and SeaWorld. I bunked with his little niece, and we all had a blast. Still...after I got back, I desperately needed to recover after a week of what seemed like almost nonstop walking, haha. I didn't take as many pictures as I normally would have, but I did get a few, which I will hopefully be sharing on the blog sometime soon! So that's what I've been up to during my blog hiatus (oh—and I also got my hair cut!), and now life has finally started to slow to a normal pace. I have so many ideas, and my boyfriend, whether he knows it or not, is an amazing source of inspiration...I can't wait to share them with you all on here. Here's hoping that I actually am able to get myself back into the swing of blogging. :) 

This dress was definitely an impulse buy, as were the boots. I found the dress by chance at Marshalls this past week—its pattern jumped out at me from the rack, and it just happened to be my size. It was more than I'd usually spend on a casual dress, but as I carried it around the store, debating whether or not I should buy it, I realized I would wear it a lot throughout the year, since it can be easily worn as a sundress or layered with tights and sweaters...so I had to get it. The next day, I was shopping at Goodwill where I found the boots, a super soft suede, almost brand new, for $5—usually boots are never priced that cheaply at Goodwill—so, of course, I had to snatch those up as well. :)

Oh, and the camera I picked up last summer on my birthday while antiquing with my aunt. It's from the 20s, and I think it's absolutely adorable. :)

I hope you're all having a fantastic day!

the red dress {eshakti review}

//dress: c/o eshakti (similar) / heels, cardigan: thrifted//

I always love red dresses, but red is a color that I'm not usually drawn to or inclined to wear, possibly because it's more bright than the colors I usually wear, or maybe it's just not the greatest with my cool, pale skin tone. However, when Eshakti offered me the opportunity to review one of their dresses, and I saw this gorgeous, retro sundress, I thought I would go for it. I really love it--it has pockets (always a plus!), it's figure-flattering, it can be dressed up or down, and the style is so fun. Eshakti always has such beautiful dresses, and I love that they can be customized to fit each person's own style and measurements. The one issue that I've had with the two dresses that I have from Eshakti, however, is with the straps being ever so slightly too big on my shoulders. This dress is also a bit longer than I usually like, since it's at that awkward length where I almost have to wear heels to avoid making my legs look stumpy. Other than that, though, I'm pleased with the dress and its quality. With this dress, when I first tried it on, probably because I wasn't being careful, I ripped part of the seam along the zipper. It was a small rip, though, and an easy fix.

I highly recommend Eshakti—they have such a great selection of dresses, skirts, and tops in gorgeous styles and colors! If you haven't already, be sure and check them out on their website and on their 

Face Book, Pinterest and Twitter.

a very happy easter

//dress, blouse, backpack: thrifted / sweater: kohl's / belt: old navy / tights: target / socks: JCP / boots: fred meyer//

Happy belated Easter, everyone! I hope you all had a great day celebrating. I was up at 6:30 am Easter morning for breakfast with my family before church, then after church I had lunch with my boyfriend and his family before we headed to my family's for a giant get-together, egg hunt, and of course, more food. There was a lot of food on Easter, and I ate far more than I should have...but I don't regret it one bit. There was also the traditional game of Scrabble with my uncle, which I roped Josh and my younger cousin into playing with us. I always love playing Scrabble at family gatherings, not so much for the game as for the laughs that we get from everyone trying to make up words and arguing for their status as a word. I know Josh isn't a huge fan (and it didn't help that he came in dead last), but I fully intend to convert him, because it's one of my favorites.

This is an old outfit, from a little over a month ago, for an especially cold, gray day. I had picked up this dress at Goodwill back in January and was determined to wear it before it got too warm. I had kept meaning to add on some fabric at the base of the skirt, since it is far too short for comfort, but never got around to it, so I added a super thick pair of tights and my long, black sweater over the top. I'm really happy with the final look—it just looks cozy and warm and wintery (despite the fact that it was supposed to be spring).