Pantspiration

I've taken a recent interest in pants, mostly for practical reasons. As a student teacher this year, I really want to be involved and interactive with the students, and I don't want to worry about accidentally flashing a third grader anything but flash cards. So while I'm on the hunt for longer skirts that are still flattering for my short frame, I think trousers will be the way to go. Robert thinks I look better in pants anyway. I've also found myself gaining a bit of confidence this year in trying new things, like my last post in which I wore something pink and sleeveless. I can feel a change in my style happening right now, and I really like the way it's going. I think I'm finally starting to dress more my age. You'll get to see more of my work wardrobe starting next week when school begins for the students.

What are you favorite ways to wear pants? 

For more on what I find inspiring or amusing, follow me on Tumblr! Have a lovely weekend!

Until next post,

Jasmine

picture sources:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10   

Unusual

I'm not usually one to wear pink or something sleeveless but I couldn't help myself when I saw this top at Forever 21. I'm a sucker for peter pan collars! I was on the hunt for solid blouses that I could wear while student teaching since I realized that most of my blouses were polka-dotted. I'm really liking how my work wardrobe is coming together. With a cardigan or blazer and tights, I can definitely wear this to fieldwork. But since I only had class yesterday, this outfit was perfect for a warm Summer afternoon. This week is going to be pretty easy since I don't need to go in for fieldwork so I'm going to try and stock up on outfit pictures this week. It also forces me to wear something other than t-shirts to class. For fieldwork on Monday, we did some decorating and organizing--two of my favorite things. Once the classrooms are completed I'll be sure to take some pictures and show you. Next week is going to be exciting, for me at least! It's the first week of school and I'm just so excited to meet our students and other teachers! I'll be student teaching in a 3rd grade classroom until March. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around having to arrive at 7:30 every morning though. I am a morning person, but not that early of one. I'm already trying to plan my outfits for next week, because I don't even want to know what my 6:30AM brain may think is cute at that hour.

Until next post,
Jasmine

top - forever 21

skirt - j. crew

belt - forever 21 (from jen)

shoes - aldo

ring - thrifted

Blame It On the Changes

First, I just want to thank all of you for being so supportive and patient of me in these last few weeks and months as I'm trying to make sense of my life right now, especially with my situation with Robert. It has been rather hard since he left last week. It didn't hit me until recently that I won't be seeing him for four months. Even though we talk daily, I miss him so much that it hurts. It is weird not having him physically around, but the sky is still over my head and the earth is still beneath my feet. I think I needed to realize that my world hasn't fallen apart without him. I'm not necessarily enjoying being without him, and yet, sometimes I feel that it's not so bad after all. I've just been trying to take it day by day. Some days are good and some days are bad, but that's just life right?

I started fieldwork/student teaching on Tuesday and I wore this outfit that day. I saw the school where I'll be for the next eight months and met my mentor teacher for the first time. The school is really big and pretty, and my mentor teacher is just amazing. I'll be co-student teaching with another girl, and she and I have been getting along great so far. I'm just so excited to get this year rolling! I can't wait to meet our students in a few weeks. So far, we've just been preparing the classroom for the year: getting things organized, arranging furniture, etc., but I can already tell that it's going to be a wonderful experience learning from my mentor teacher and working at this school. My classes start next week too so this journey has begun! I bought myself a planner to keep myself organized this year so once I settle into a routine I hope I'll be able to blog more regularly. 

Until next post,

Jasmine

cardigan - gap

top - forever 21

belt - topshop

skirt - american apparel

shoes - aldo

bag - madewell

watch - nordstrom's

Since You Been Gone

If you're sick of seeing this skirt on me, I'm sorry but it's just so easy to wear with any top. And on this particular day, I wasn't concerned with my outfit so much. I've been wanting to do a photo-shoot with Robert for a while so it seemed like the perfect time to do one a few days before he left. I wanted to wear an outfit that was simple and classic so I can look back on them without thinking "what was I thinking wearing that?!" The photo-shoot itself didn't turn out the way I wanted. It was way too hot, even at 9:30 AM. We were both getting restless in the heat but I managed to get a few good shots.

It's weird writing about something that Robert and I did because he's not here anymore. I was lucky to get two extra days with him. We watched a movie in the park on Saturday night and after sitting on a blanket on wet grass, I've been sick since Sunday. I'm glad towards the end I was feeling well enough to cross off a few things before he left. We visited the coffee shop where we had our first date and got the same drink we did 5+ years ago. We went to the beach together one last time. We watched movies and talked a lot. We ate at our favorite restaurants. Even though he's there now, it still doesn't feel real. School resumes today so I'm grateful to be busy and I'm excited to start fieldwork and student teaching. It's going to be an interesting year to say the least.

Until next post,
Jasmine

t-shirt - gap

skirt - urban outfitters

belt - h&m

sandals - h&m

Back to School Basics: Grad School Edition

1. gap grey legging jeans ($9) / 2 and 3. forever 21 skinny jeans and maroon polka dot blouse ($15 bogo deal) / 4. gap blue t-shirt ($15) / 5. francesca's collections red and yellow polka dot blouse ($15) / 6. h&m black trousers ($17) / 7. forever 21 navy tank ($16) / 8. brandy melville orange tank ($14) / 9. h&m black trousers with belt ($25)

In the span of a week, I managed to do a lot of swiping of my credit card. I haven't shopped this much in a long while, but most of these things were necessary buys and I really tried to make sure that nothing went over $25--even the nicer clothes for fieldwork. I also tried not to bring home any t-shirts since I really don't need anymore of those, but of course one had to slip through the cracks and it would be a Gap t-shirt too. I got really lucky with good deals: I had a coupon for 30% off my entire purchase and I had $40 in Gap rewards so I was able to get the $70 Gap legging jeans for $9! I also scored two polka dot blouses that will be perfect to wear with the trousers from H&M.

Cardigans, v-neck t-shirts, skinny jeans, and ballet flats are usually my back to school must haves, but this year, I can't be so casual all the time. I went in shopping for this year's basics after assessing what I already had and what I actually needed in my closet. Looking over my closet inventory, I knew that I had more than enough cardigans, skirts, dresses, shoes, and t-shirts to get me through this next year. I had to really focus on replacing my jeans, and on getting some pants and blouses for fieldwork. Since I don't have an income right now, I had to get things that could be reworked many ways but I also wanted to get things that would last me longer than my grad program. I think I accomplished what I set out to do. I'm definitely less worried about not having appropriate clothes to wear now. The only things I'm still looking for are a pair of navy blue trousers and a few button up blouses. With school resuming in five days though, I'm pretty sure shopping will have to take a back seat until Black Friday especially with my full course load of seven classes. My bank account is probably screaming for joy at the mention of this. I think it will be the season of pants for me. Usually in the Fall, I live in skirts and tights, but I'm just not sure how practical skirts will be in a classroom setting. Wearing more shorts and pants was one of my style resolutions this year so it looks like I'll be keeping it! I think my closet is slowly become more well-rounded.

What are your back to school basics? Or if you're not in school anymore, what are your Fall must haves this year?

Until next post,
Jasmine

One More Night

Last Wednesday, Robert and I made a trip up to LA to spend the day in Santa Monica. It used to be a yearly tradition to spend a day walking along Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Pier, but as time went on and as we got busier, it got harder to take a day off. We have spent a few anniversaries there so it was really nice to be back there together before he leaves. It finally started feeling like Summer last week weather-wise, and since I knew I'd be doing a lot of walking, I went for a super casual and comfortable outfit. I had planned to wear a dress, but I feel more free in shorts than in a dress. I've been really moody lately, which I guess is understandable with everything going on right now. Robert leaves tomorrow morning and I'm dreading having to say goodbye to him at the airport. Though I always choose comfort over style, it is especially so when I'm moody. I've just been filled with so much anger, frustration, sadness, and anxiety lately. Maybe I should get back into yoga, but I really just can't wait for school to resume so I'll be kept busy. Everything is just so complicated right now and that's not how I like any aspect of my life to be.

Until next post,
Jasmine

t-shirt - gap

shorts - j. crew

belt - cotton on

watch - nordstroms

Citrus

Robert and I visited The Great Park on Tuesday to have a picnic and to explore. It turned out to be a failure of a trip: Within minutes after setting up a picnic in the grass, the sprinklers came on; and all the attractions weren't even open (they're only opened Thursday-Sunday). But we still managed to have a lot of fun. Since nothing was open, the park was really deserted and it was nice to have the whole place to ourselves. I wish it wasn't so hot out so we could've walked the entirety of the Walkable Timeline, but Robert and I have agreed to come back in the Winter and on a day when the museum and The Great Balloon are open. The day wasn't a total waste though! I was able to check off two things from my Summer Bucketlist this week: I baked a cheesecake, and I wore something orange. Also since it was so hot out, we retreated to an indoor mall where I was able to find two pairs of trousers from H&M that didn't make me want to gag or pull my hair out.

I didn't mean to wear so many citrus colors together. It sort of just happened. This cardigan has been waiting for about a year now to be worn during a hot Summer day. I randomly bought it one day last Summer at a Gap outlet because I thought I "needed" a yellow cardigan in my closet, but I'm glad I got the chance to wear it. I kind of love it again though. It's such a happy yellow that you can't help but feel like happy when you wear it. Hopefully it'll inspire me to start wearing bright colors again. I know my style was always simple and casual, but I don't know why I've been gravitating towards so many neutral and solids this year. I think a part of it is because I want to be taken more seriously as a grad student (don't want to be mistaken as a middle school student again). I even changed up my blog layout to match. Another reason could be that I really just want my life to be simple and clutter-free. Whatever the reasons are, I just hope that I'm still able to have fun with clothes.

Until next post,
Jasmine

cardigan - gap

tank top - brandy melville

skirt - urban outfitters

belt - gap 

tote - etsy

sandals - h&m

sunglasses - raybans

Can't Hurry Love

It's only been a week into August and I already know that I'm not going to stick to my budget this month. I'm going to try my hardest, but considering that I've already bought three tops, it's really unlikely. This is definitely going to be the most expensive month since I need to replace all my jeans and buy appropriate fieldwork clothes. I need pants, but I hate pants shopping, which is probably why I've come home with three new tops and zero pants in my recent shopping trips. This easy, basic, breezy tank is one of my new tops. It doesn't look like much, but it takes a lot for me to want to go sleeveless and so if I find a tank that makes me feel comfortable enough to do that then it is coming home with me.

Robert surprised me by taking me to this cool underpass to take outfit pictures yesterday. It's deserted enough for me to come back here on my own to take self-pictures once he leaves for school in Hawaii, which is next week. I've become quite the emotional wreck since I've been able to count down our days on my two hands. Everything is becoming so sentimental, and I just can't handle all the emotions I'm experiencing: anxiousness, nostalgia, vulnerability, excitement, sadness, loneliness, fear, etc. We're visiting all of our favorite places and some new places we didn't get a chance to go to in this last week together. One of the last things we'll do is go back to the coffee shop where we had our first date and order the same drink (a white chocolate mocha) to bookend this chapter in our lives. I know I'm going to lose it at the coffee shop. I just keep telling myself that this is for the best, that we both need this time apart to grow as individuals before/if we are to ever get back together. The worst part of this whole thing is that I'm losing my very best friend who won't be able to comfort me the only way he knows how.

I'm usually the one with the plan, but I don't know how I'm going to do this...It's going to be the hardest yet most exciting year of my life. I don't think I'm ready but it's all about to start very soon.

Until next post,
Jasmine

cardigan - gap

tank top - forever 21

shorts - gap

belt - h&m

necklace - brandy melville

shoes - j. crew