June 18, 2014

UCLA.

I remember the first time I walked around the campus at UCLA like it was yesterday. Some of the things that immediately stood out were: the pristine palm tree-lined walkways, Bruin-Walk’s never-ending flight of stairs that led to some gorgeous views of Los Angeles, sorority houses similar to some of the mansions I’d seen on that MTV show, Cribs, large iconic brick buildings that seemed to take up even more space than the small New Hampshire town that I grew up in, and a lawn that was suitable to layout on in between classes. It certainly was the most beautiful campus I had the opportunity of visiting during my college search, and although I eventually acclimated myself to my surroundings, I really never quite got used to it. Perhaps it was simply because it was so different from the world I had grown up in, or because it’s the college that I’d seen depicted in so many movies growing up- either way, UCLA was a place that was and always will be very close and dear to my heart. I’m a proud Bruin and always will be!

That being said, while pretty buildings, warm weather and tall trees certainly make the living easy, the real beauty of college, aside from the world of knowledge you are intending to gather, of course, is the friendships you make. While I was at UCLA, I was lucky enough to meet the beautiful, talented, and brilliant ladies pictured in today’s post, and I’ve been even luckier to call them my friends. All UCLA alums, we each have unique stories and backgrounds, but this campus has unified us all. Since graduation, while we remain close, we’ve continued to follow our own creative paths: Alisha is a wildly talented singer and is well on her way to stardom (her EP just dropped a couple days ago- check it out here!), Lauren is about the tie the knot with her longtime love in a couple months, Espi just got back from staring in a film in New Mexico last month, and Sylvia, a fellow fashionista, is the creator of one of my favorite fashion boutiques and blogs, Mickey’s Girl!

It has been way too long since we have been back on campus and we figured, in honor of UCLA’s graduation weekend, we’d make this a perfect excuse to finally get back to our old stomping grounds, pretend we were new graduates, and pickup some leftover diplomas. Ha! I’m kidding about the diplomas, but it was really great to get back there. And the best part was that because everyone else was graduating, they thought we were taking an obscene amount of photos because we were graduates too! People walking by congratulated us, cheered us on, and I think we even got a couple high fives, which only added to the fun of the day. Who doesn’t love a little time machine action, right? We just took a quick ride back to our heydays of college graduation and we enjoyed every second of it. Can you blame us?!

Mickey’s Girl is an adorable boutique with clothing and accessories that stay ahead of the current trends. Today for our UCLA reunion, the whole gang is dressed almost exclusively in clothing and accessories from our pal, Sylvia’s shop. Like our differing personalities, we’re each able to exude our own personal style, which shows the versatility of these pieces from her latest summer collection. Collaborating with Mickey’s Girl for this shoot was a dream. Not only was it great to work with a dear friend, but I also love how the clothes maintain a touch of Sylvia’s Southern California vibe, one that represents where we all met, and a place that we’ve all come to love.

Sylvia's Look:

Blooming Jumpsuit: c/o Mickey's Girl

Neon Tassel Necklace: c/o Mickey's Girl COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this new summer item!)

Alisha's Look:

Slit Chiffon Skirt : c/o Mickey's Girl

Sun & Moon Crop Tank: c/o Mickey's Girl
COMING SOON! (Similar tank here)

Espi's Look:

Pocket Button Down Tank: c/o Mickey's Girl

Black & Neon Print Pants: c/o Mickey's Girl COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this item!)

Lauren's Look:

Neon Embellished Bib Necklace: c/o Mickey's Girl

Chambray Crop Top: c/o Mickey's Girl

Ivory Lace Wide-leg Pants: c/o Mickey's Girl

Kelly's Look:

Peach Baby-Doll Dress: c/o Mickey's Girl

COMING SOON! (Keep an eye out for this new summer item!)

Photos taken by: Courtney Locks

Courtney, who usually takes all of the photos for my blog, is our dear friend and fellow UCLA alum, and even though she insisted on remaining behind the camera for today’s shoot, I managed to steal this quick shot of her. She too is clad in Mickey’s Girl, sporting this adorable grey and white striped maxi-dress from behind the lens.

June 10, 2014

LA --> Boston & Back.

Whenever I travel, I usually have great big lofty goals of keeping up with the blog- it seems so easy in theory- but then attending events, catching up with family, loved ones, friends, and ya know all the other real purposes of my vacation get in the way and so I’m often left wondering, as I am right now on this Virgin America flight headed back to LAX, where has all my time gone? I'm wondering that and if I'm being totally honest, I'm also wondering why the lady next to me thinks it's a good idea to blast the movie, Gravity, so loud that I'm also being forced to follow along with Sandra's every panic-filled moment. I don't know about you guys, but I like things that put me at ease when I'm flying thousands of miles above land in a plane, not things that remind me of just how real it can get when the machinery taking me up above the puffy beautiful clouds- malfunctions. Ok but anyways back to my point. Vacation time just has a way of moving at a glorious yet all too rapid pace, and this past getaway back to my home of New England, was no different.

While the trip was packed with catching up with close friends and family and some highlights included an overnight trip to the beach on my parents boat, a late night BBQ and an afternoon stroll through my favorite little town, Newburyport, the main event of the weekend was Eric’s graduation. At a beautiful ceremony at the Wang Theatre in Boston, MIT honored its MBA graduates. Equally impressed and so very proud, I was reminded yet again just how quickly time slips by. It feels like it was just a couple months ago that he was beginning classes over at MIT, walking me around campus, and introducing me to all of his new friends. And now, while it will certainly be wonderful for us to be in the same city, it was a bit bittersweet (even for me) to say goodbye to the fun little town of Cambridge, the local bars and delicious restaurants we’ve frequented and made our favorites and above all, Eric’s roommates who’ve become like family. While life will certainly take you in all kinds of directions, with different cities and great pubs to get you by along the way, great friends are the finds you get to hang on to forever!

These photos were actually taken last week on the day that we took off for our trip back east but they represent a great travel day outfit and so I figured it was fitting for today. With longer flights, time changes, and also changes in weather to account for, you have to make sure that you can wear something that is casual, light, and comfortable. I also really love this look because it covers my face and hair- ha! When you are rushing to pack and get to the airport on time, it’s nice to find a look that requires little to NO effort, while still maintaining a bit of your fashionable cute self. I don’t know, you might be one of those people who travels in heels and a full set of makeup- but I have never been that skilled so I go with the covered look and it works pretty well. Keep this in mind for your upcoming summer travel & let me know what you think!