April Photo Diary

1. Crates at the flea market

2. Fortune cookie message that turned out to be true

3. Perfect Southern California weather

4. Moccasins

5. Decorations around my room

6. My new Kindle Fire case 

7. Ice cream from happy hour at Tomikawa 

8. Reppin' my future school! I'm so excited to begin grad school in the Fall!

9. Tried out some melted crayon art and loved it!

10. Satisfied a craving for a chocolate chip cookie even though I'm an oatmeal raisin cookie girl most of the time.

Is it just me or has April really flown by? I can't believe tomorrow May will be here. Before we know it, Summer will be upon us! Other than a couple beach trips and getting into grad school, I honestly don't remember too much from April. From here on out, it'll be the home stretch. I need to keep myself motivated to push through the last few weeks of my Creative Development class, and I need to do the same with the kids at my center. I always get a little restless and antsy around this time of year.

Until next post,

Jasmine

Saved For Later

I originally had planned to wear a variation of this outfit to an event during NYFW last September, but as always, I overpacked and had too many options for that one (amazing) weekend. While getting ready, I think Jen and I concluded that this outfit wasn't formal enough or something to that effect. I miss having her around when I get ready and I miss hanging out with her. At the time, I didn't have a denim jacket, but I think it looks better with it on than with the cardigan I had planned to wear with it months ago. I seem to be on a prints high right now--stripes (always), animals, and sailboats to be more specific. While this outfit may not have been formal enough for NYFW, it worked out perfectly for a warm Spring day.

Until next post,
Jasmine

denim jacket - thrifted

fox print top - urban outfitters

belt - charlotte russe

skirt - gap

loafers - aldo

Go the Distance

Yesterday, I got off work really early so after taking Robert's dog to the vet, we headed to Balboa Island even though it was starting to sprinkle. I have fond memories of Balboa Island as a kid. My family and I would take the auto ferry across, and cross over to a land of arcades and fun. Although I didn't get to re-experience that yesterday, I'm hoping to over the Summer. Instead, Robert and I found a public dock to sit on, and watched the boats bob up and down in the water. We then walked along harbor--admiring or ridiculing the houses along the way. This outfit--cardigan, striped tee, skinny jeans, and flats--is usually what I wear to work and sometimes when I just want an easy day over the weekend.

Until next post,
Jasmine

cardigan - gap

striped tee - gap

jeans - gap

moccasins - minnetonka (via nordstrom rack)

bag - madewell

Dream in Color

Robert and I took these photos when we were waiting in line at Buffalo Exchange to sell some of my unwanted clothes from when I purged my closet last week. I love this pretty, colorful wall! I was able to get rid of half a trash bag of clothes, and gained $51! These are my first pair of moccasins and they are so incredibly comfortable! They are the best work shoes since I'm constantly on my feet. I got them when I went shopping with my mom and she even got a pair of moccasins too! I couldn't resist so I got two pairs! Now that the weather is warming up, I think I'll end up saving the black pair for Fall and Winter. This outfit was inspired by my other half in the blogging world, Jen. I loved this outfit on her and wanted to recreate it with the things in my own closet.

Until next post,
Jasmine

chambray top - urban outfitters

dress - modcloth (swap with nicole)

moccasins - minnetonka (via nordstrom rack)
watch - nordstroms

Somewhere I Belong

I'm on cloud nine right now! On Wednesday night, I finally received the news I've been so anxious to hear for months. I have been accepted into graduate school, and I really can't stop smiling! It looks like I'll be attending CSUF this Fall for the Combined Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters in Education program. I am excited to start this new journey in my life! I am so happy and so lucky to have found a career I love and am pretty good at. And I have my at-the-time lack of a car to thank for that! Because I didn't have a car when I was an undergrad, I had to choose a fieldwork (required by my major) that was on campus, and so I chose to complete my 100 hours fieldwork at the UCI Children's Center. I've been hooked on working with kids ever since. I discovered this during my last few months before graduation too! I can't even imagine myself doing anything else anymore. I'm going to be a teacher!

To make things even better--the weather has been so gorgeous this week too. I've also been waiting for this skirt to go on sale for months, and I found it on the sale rack on Tuesday. It was the last one in the store and in my size. I couldn't wait to wear it so on Wednesday, I reached for the first thing that came to mind when styling it: an old favorite striped tee and my trusty yellow belt. My uncle and aunt are visiting from Malaysia for the next few days so I'm not sure how much blogging I can get in while they're here, but I will try my hardest! We're taking them up and down the SoCal coast. I'm most excited to head out to the outlets to shop!

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far!

Until next post,
Jasmine

top - urban outfitters

belt - gap

skirt - francesca's collections

sandals - cotton on

Windswept

Last Friday, Robert and I ventured to the lake with two cameras rather than just one. He had just found his dad's old film camera so we took it out for a spin. I thought it looked cute as an accessory to my simple outfit. I must admit--it was a little unnerving when he would take a picture of me with the film camera and I couldn't check to see if it turned out okay right there on a screen. I'm almost positive I blinked in all of the shots taken on the film camera, but I'm a little excited to see how they'll turn out. As simple as this outfit is, I really did love all the colors put together--enough to withstand the pity looks from people when it started to rain after lunch and I was running to my car. I got this super soft tee from Gap last week for $7. I'm pretty sure this will be my new go-to tee to pair with any bottom on any given day. 

Until next post,

Jasmine

t-shirt - gap

cardigan - gap

skirt - urban outfitters

belt - cotton on

loafers - aldo

Breakaway

This is the outfit I wore on my day off last Thursday. Even though I'm currently in an outfit rut, this outfit came together pretty easily because I knew I wanted it to be non-fussy for the beach trip and shopping ahead. Robert and I started off the morning slow--staying a while in bed, snuggling, and watching a few episodes of "Friends." We then grabbed a quick bite for lunch and some snacks. Instead of driving south along Pacific Coast Highway to our normal beach, we decided to head north to Huntington Beach. We parked on Main Street, and walked the strip where there were little boutiques and restaurants. It was so nice taking our time so we could enjoy each others' company and the beautiful sunshine. Before heading to the beach, we grabbed an ice cream sandwich from The Scoop on Cookies. It was such a beautiful day to go to the beach. It wasn't too crowded, and the waves were huge. We spread out a blanket, brought out our snacks, tried to read, gave up on reading, and just ended up talking. Afterwards, we did a little shopping and had sushi for dinner. It was such a simple and carefree day, but to me those are the best days. I don't need a whole lot to be happy.

Until next post,
Jasmine

cardigan - gap

dress - h&m

belt - h&m

necklace - brandy melville

watch - nordstroms

sunglasses - raybans