Fall Finds Under $50

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I love anything warm and cozy. I love all the neutral shades with pops of crimson and oxblood and listed below are my favorite cute (and affordable) finds for this upcoming fall season! I plan on buying a few of these must have items!

Harvard Sweatshirt // EBD Glasses // Lipstick // Blanket Scarf //

Monogrammed Hat // Choker // Booties // Fluffy Keychain //

Foundation // Tassel Crossbody // Eyelash Mug // Red Nail Polish //

Quote iPhone Case

Love how cute and simple this outfit is! I think it would take anyone from classes to going out to lunch or to your nearest Starbucks. I love pieces with multiple purposes and this sweater can easily be dressed up or down. This would look so cute with a pair of Lulu leggings and riding boots for a class and later on it would look super cute swapped out for a skirt and tights and some flats! I love graphic anything and I think it would be so cute worn with other different outfits as well!

Sweater // Skirt // Flats // Glasses // Scarf

I think this would be so cute for a girls' night out or anywhere really. I could see this worn on a cute little apple picking date or a date to a fall festival! I love florals and I love seeing them transition into fall and I think they would transfer so well in a cute little romper or dress. I love this sweater and I love how it brings this look into fall. The booties and the hat are seriously so cute and give so many fall vibes. This lipstick is seriously so on point for fall too - I'm obsessed with the color.

Sweater // Romper // Booties // Hat // Lipstick

This look would be so cute for going out with friends and I may end up stealing it. I love the color of this dress and the fact that it's off the shoulder makes it a must. I'm obsessed with vests of any kind and I love how they can take any basic pieces into fall. I love the booties and I think they would look really good with over-the-knee socks or tights. The tassel bag is also super trendy for this fall and I love how roomy it is! The choker adds a little edge to this look and I absolutely love it!
Vest // Dress // Booties // Bag // Choker

10 Ways to be Happy

If you know me, you would either think I'm the happiest person alive or the most miserable person alive. Truth is; I'm both. Some days are hard for me, like really, really hard. Simple things like getting out of bed or getting out of the house come as a challenge to me. I'm not ashamed to say I've struggled with anxiety and depression for years. Little things have always been such a huge challenge for me and I find myself sometimes too careless to do them. I'm not saying depression means I'm sad all the time - because it doesn't. But sometimes it makes simple tasks hard for me and sometimes I'm so unfeeling the it's hard to have motivation. I feel everything and nothing all at once is how it seems. Of course I am happy quite often but some days I'm just not. I want to be sad and lazy but I put in an effort to get out there and be positive. So to all those people in the same boat, I understand how you feel and I understand that nothing is wrong with you. You're just having a rough time and things will get better.

Lately, I've been really trying to be positive and happy and I've composed a list to get me on track. I feel like good changes are coming into my life and I'm trying to surround myself with good friends. The list below is specifically meant for me and things that I know will make me happier as a person but who's to say someone won't take some of these things and relate to them. 

1. Eat Healthier: I honestly eat like crap and I think that makes me feel like crap. I eat way too many sweets and I drink way too much caffeine. I of course can't cut out sweets from my diet or unhealthy stuff, but I think I can start choosing the healthier option more often. Lately, I've been snacking on granola bars and mixed nuts instead of chips and chocolate. I've also been trying to drink water more often even though I'm not the biggest fan. I of course like anyone, give into my cravings way too often, but I think that slowly changing habits has already made me a lot happier and a lot more energetic. 

2. Start a New Hobby: I feel as though sometimes I don't really have a good hobby. Whenever I have downtime I sit on my phone or I'm engrossed in The Profit or Shark Tank. It's not healthy to be so in love with technology and television that it consumes you. Lately, I've been reading much more and opting to pick up a book rather than playing on my phone. I also want to pick up a few more hobbies like possibly getting into Barre or maybe even learning how to edit videos.

3. Work Out More Often: I hate working out and I have little to no motivation to do it. I occasionally run a mile or two but I feel as that's not enough. I've been thinking about going to a gym and getting a personal trainer or starting a Barre class (a mix of pilates and yoga on a ballet barre). I think working out would 100% make me feel better about myself and just in general. 

4. Work Harder at Your Job: I just got a new job, and my work ethic has always been 50/50 depending on how I feel about the job. I want to start creating a better work ethic and working harder and picking up habits that will help me later in life. I want to go the extra mile and I really think that will help give me a sense of fulfillment and help me feel better about myself. I don't want to just skate by in life and work the bare minimum anymore. I want to be a hard and dedicated worker and be someone that is reliable.

5. Try New Things: I'm the type of person who has a black and white personality, I either love something or hate something. No in-between. I want to break out of my comfort shell and try more new things and try to expand my horizon. I don't care whether its with food, clothes, or travel. I just want to try new things and be a little more brave when it comes to things that scare me. 

6. Say No: I don't usually stick up for myself often and I usually have a hard time saying no to certain things even when I know they aren't good. I feel as though I need to start saying no or leaving when a situation starts to get negative or if it doesn't benefit my happiness in anyway. I've been working on it more often and the few times I've actually done it, I've left feeling a lot better about myself. I feel like everyone needs to take a little lesson on this and say no to anything that doesn't excite your spirit or make you happy in some way. Life really is too short to do anything that doesn't interest you. 

7. Treat Yourself: I feel like I take this way to seriously and every time I want something I picture Tom Haverford saying "Treat yo Self". I feel like this is a good motto to live by to a certain extent. It also brings me into something else I want to learn to do better, I want to start being able to save money. I 100% treat myself to often and I need to tone it down a little and start saving for rainier days.

8. More Girls Nights: I feel like I need more nights with my friends. It's of course fun to go out but sometimes you just want to hang out with one of your best girlfriends and eat a shit ton of tacos and just gossip about shit. I always feel happier when catching up with a friend or doing something with them and I think I need more of that in my life. I have amazing friends and I'm just so lucky to have them and I need to take the time to appreciate them more.

9. Dance More Often: I LOVE DANCING. Like I actually love dancing around even if I look stupid. However, I'm not saying it as to seriously start dancing, I'm using it as a metaphor to live a littler and loosen up which is something I need to do. Sometimes I feel like I can get uptight and I can freak out when things change in a way that I'm not comfortable with. I'm working on being better about that and going with the flow. 

10. Have a Closer Relationship to God: I feel like lately I've been falling away from my relationship with God. I'm not saying it was strong, but it was there. Lately I only find myself praying when something is wrong and I need help. I want to start praying when I'm happy too and praying just because I'm thankful for everything he's given me. I will never be the super religious church type again but I would like to still have a strong bond with Him that makes me happy. I want to start reflecting more and I think trying to learn a bible verse a day and trying to pray before I go to sleep or wake up would be a good step in the right direction to getting to where I want to be.

These things may not make you happy, per say, but they make me happy and they'll help me to be the best person I can be. If you're having trouble with your anxiety and/or depression or something similar, just know there are people who understand and seek help if need be. I know seeking help can be taken as asian of weakness, but only strong people put aside their pride to ask for help.

Until next time!

How to Improve Your Resume

Okay, so personally for me, resumes have always been really hard and I always used to use resume builders and even with those I felt as though my resume wasn't strong enough. So one day, I took the time researching how to put together a strong resume that would stand out to almost any employer. I'm not saying my resume is the "best" but I am saying it's stronger than its ever been and I've gotten more interviews since changing it and updating it. 

1. Take the time to create your resume and update it often: I think I weak point I used to have was only taking a minimal amount of time to create a subpar resume and I think that has hurt me in a lot of ways. Employers look at your resume very briefly (sometimes only for a few seconds) before deciding if you're qualified or not. Keep in mind they look at hundreds of resumes a week and they will toss out your resume if it's not relevant and littered with errors. It is their job to look for qualified candidates and little mistakes like that seem to make their decisions a lot easier - you could be the perfect candidate but it doesn't look good if someone is reading your resume and notices that you were's able to use the correct form of "there". Also, a side note to this is that I HIGHLY recommend continuously updating your resume and it's actually even better if you create a different resume for every job you apply to. It doesn't have to be super different but making the work experience as relevant as possible is always an A+. Keep your resume on focus and make sure it has a purpose.

2. Make sure it looks professional: I'm not going to lie and say I haven't added colors to my resume.  I've gone through phases where I would make headers certain colors and make the body of the font gray in hue. That is a huge no for the most part - I believe there to be some exceptions depending on the job. I think sticking to black and white is the best and cleanest look. I always use a template to help me start my resume and from there I will change around things such as sizing, fonts, maybe adding in bullet points, etc. I highly recommend using a 12 pt font in something that looks clean and professional (I like to use times new roman, avenir next, or garamond quite often), I tend to always use the elegance template on my mac but I'm sure there are really great templates all over google. Also I always try to keep my resume at one page but it never happens even when I only list a few jobs (employers don't tend to care about your whole job history so I tend to leave out irrelevant stuff but not everyone is like that or willing to do that). If you're going to make it longer limit it to 2 pages and please make sure your contact info is on both pages just in case they get separated and also using resume paper is also a bonus.

3. Avoid information that isn't important: This is such a given but sometimes it's even hard for me to remember this. Jobs don't care that you played a sport in high school or that you took some painting classes in college. Unless it's relevant to the situation and job you're applying DO NOT mention it. It wastes space and it's just an annoyance for anyone to have to read. 

4. Highlight your skills (especially ones you feel you excel in): I feel as though I have many skills especially random little skills that pertain to jobs but I feel as though some are very minor and don't need to be said. I tend to focus on skills that happen to pertain to the job. So if I was applying to work at a store - I would highlight key points that would make me valuable to them. Another thing is when writing your resume, keep out pronouns. Refer from using I, it doesn't look good and it's already clear that you do those things no need to use the word I in every sentence. Change up "I am able to work well with others" to something simple and direct such as "team player". Keep it short and sweet and to the point. 

5. DO NOT LIE: Please do not add or falsify any information in your resume. I know for most that is a given but some people tend to lie to embellish and impress an employer. It's always best to stick to the truth and keep everything 100% honest. Not only is it morally correct and right, it also can get you into a lot of trouble in the future. Most companies HR departments do background checks and catching you in a lie could ruin your credibility in the near future. I always joke that since I've taken pictures that I should put "photographer" on my resume but it's not true nor is it really relevant to anything. Just please, DO NOT LIE. I know sometimes it's easy to want to make your experience and schooling sound a little bit better and to put things onto your resume that you think will help but in the end it will come back and bite you in the butt. 

It's really shitty to say this but it honestly is true that first impressions are everything especially when interviewing because employers are already interview hundreds of candidates, so if you were to slip up in some simple way it just makes their choices much easier. Here are a few things I like to do that always end up benefitting me.

+ Dress for the Job: This goes without saying 100%. Dress for the job you're applying for (and if you're not sure how to dress, dress better than you think you should!) I always tend to dress well in my regular life so I tend to do that with interviews. Dressing well will make you stand out. I hate going  to interviews seeing candidates wearing jeans and tees, it's not professional and I think it does say a lot about your character.

+ Be Friendly and Outgoing: I know personally I have anxiety so I tend to be pretty quiet in situations where I know a lot of pressure is on me. I live by the "fake it till you make it" motto because it really does work. Even when nervous I put on a fake smile and I show that I think I am suited for the job. Interviews are so stressful and lots of employers understand that, I know whenever I go into one I'm stressed but usually when I start the job I feel at home and I start to feel exactly the way I presented myself in the interview. Stress is a huge factor and it's 100% understandable but go in with open mind and just do your best!

+ Be prepared: I always tend to bring my resume to interviews even when not specified of even when an employer says they have a copy. I feel as if that's polite to do, if you have a business car also feel free to bring that and attach it. I also highly recommend researching the company before you go in, it's always really uncomfortable to have them ask you a question that you do not understand. They interview you because they want to see if you can fit in with their company, don't give them reason to not want to hire you.

+ Ask Questions: At the end of the interview they always ask "do you have any questions for me?" I always used to say no and nervously walk out after saying I thought I understood. I've started asking questions and preparing out interview questions and lately it seems to impress employers, a lot of them have told me they expect questions to be asked. There are also things I want to know about working there so it's nice to get it over with in an efficient and professional manner. I tend to look on google or sample questions and reword the ones I think are best. I tend to either write mine down in a notebook and bring that or bring my laptop. 

The Cutest Ankle Booties for Fall

Since yesterday was the first day of fall, lets talk ankle booties! I love ankle booties and I have quite a few pairs put away for this fall. I personally only wear them in the fall and winter but I think they really are a year round staple depending on how they're worn. I personally love suede booties and boots but suede is hard to maintain so I often opt for leather or faux leather booties. Below are a few ways on how I would style some of the boots linked!

Buckle Bootie (on sale!) // Slingback Bootie // Black Bootie // 

Oxblood Peep Toe Bootie // Gray Cutout Bootie // Brown Bootie

I love a cute lil brown bootie and I think they're a good staple in any closet. I hate wearing heels in the cold because my toes get cold - I made a mistake of wearing open toed shoes during a snowstorm and I literally had to be carried via piggyback. I'm clearly obsessed with chokers and I love how easy and edgy this look is and the pop of color in the bralette is so cute! I think this would be a fun look for going out with your girlfriends or even on a cute day. It's casual and fun without being over the top! 

Bralette // Off the Shoulder Top // Jeans // Boots // Choker

 I love a good black bootie and I love monochromatic looks! Lately I've been obsessing over black and white anything and I think this look would be so cute when it's a little chilly and if you were going on a date. This look would also look super cute in the office if you lose the choker and swap in some kitten heels or flats (maybe even in a pop of color)! If you're feeling a little more bold I would opt for a plain LBD and a utility or leather jacket.

Blazer // Dress // Boots // Bag // Choker

 I love everything about this look from the clutch to the off the shoulder top to the bootie. I think this look would be cute for almost anything besides just a day look. I think this would be cute for a concert or going out with friends to the mall. It would work with literally anything. I love the bohemian/western vibes of this. The top is so fun and flirty and I love the denim skirt! Adding a choker would make it even more fun (and yes, I am choker obsessed!!)

Off the Shoulder Top // Denim Skirt // Booties // Clutch // Bracelets

How I Edit My Pictures

Believe it or not, I don't heavily edit my pictures at all not that anyone can tell. I usually just add a filter and maybe brighten the picture a little. I tend to only use three apps and the occasional Instagram filter (however I think their selection is kind of small). Below are the apps and websites I use to edit my pics and as a bonus I listed how I make headers and whatnot. 

After light is and always will be one of my favorite apps. I believe it's a few dollars in the app store and I think it's highly worth it. It's super user friendly and it's really fast to use. When I use after light I tend to brighten up my picture a tiny bit and then I use only one of two filters. I go under the "Guest" category for filters and I almost always choose "Russ". If I'm not feeling that I often opt for "Leila" which like completely adds a kind of fog over the picture. But lately because of VSCO I'm obsessed with blue tones and hues and I think the "Horine" filter would be cool too. I also love how easy it is to crop stuff and if you're a huge fan of adding borders to your photos you can also do it in the app so there's no need for a border adding app. You can also make in-app purchases and purchase more filters which I believe I did at one point but I mostly use the free ones.

Edited on Afterlight

I just started using VSCO this summer and I'm obsessed. After light used to be my go to and now I find myself going to the VSCO app more and more often #vscosawitfirst. I love how you can also post and share your pics - it's totally a social media and editing app all in one and I'm a huge fan of that. It's almost like a better version of Instagram. Like stated, I absolutely love the blue toned filters VSCO has to offer and I find myself gravitating towards the same ones. My favorite filters are "C1", "P5", "Q9", and "T1". Luckily these happen to work perfectly for me so I don't feel the need to buy more filters but VSCO offers tons of options if you want to have more filters in different themes and color ranges. I tend to lighten up my pictures a little and filter and I'm usually done. The only thing I don't like about this app is the cropping of photos because you usually have to use the given ratios - but it's not too much of a hassle, just the occasional inconvenience. Overall VSCO is a 9/10 and my absolute favorite.

Edited on VSCO

I really do like the Layout app. However, I don't usually use this app, but I do for the occasional outfit post where I want my outfits to be side to side. It's really self-explanatory and it's super user friendly. I love how easy it is to use and I love how many collage options it has. I think it's a really handy app to have and I really like using it whenever need be but I try not to over use it. There's not too much to say about it because it doesn't do anything special but it is pretty handy so that's really cool. 

Edited on Layout

I don't really edit pictures on here per say as much as I just fool around on this. I really like it for making things for my blog such as headers and whatnot and I find it really fun to use. I love doing overlays (which you can find a tutorial on almost anywhere) or just adding my favorite quotes to backgrounds or whatever. They have a really great premium option for like $5 a month which features tons of cool fonts. I use the free version and just download my own fonts from websites like DaFont or whatever website offers cute fonts. If you have time to play around with this website I would, I totally love using it and I think it's actually really fun. 

Made with a free font download

Made with a free basic font and
a picture from google

White After Labor Day (Two Looks)

Today I had a fun day having what should have been a mini photo shoot (which turned into 2 hours but hey not complaining) with my best friend (btw follow her on insta bc she's literally goals) around my hometown! I had a fun time messing around with her expensive camera and finding places to take visually interesting photos! There were definitely more candids and blurry shots then wanted but I had a great time and the photos for this post came out perfect, so thanks Chris! 

Styled below are two looks featuring my favorite white jeans from Target (I think I have 2 more pairs somewhere packed away!) These jeans are super cute and I loved the cropped 28" inseam on them and if you can find a pair I would highly recommend getting them - the material is also really comfy and stretchy! I chose to style these jeans last minute instead of doing a game day post and I'm so happy with how it turned out! Read below for more info on these cute looks!

This look is super casual and perfect for any outing or a casual day at the office (minus the choker and sub a full length top!) I love the black and white look and the way the jeans stand out against the dark colors of the other pieces. Absolutely love these basic pieces and these trendy flats! Adding a pop of color would also be super cute - maybe a in a shoe or piece of jewelry!

Blazer // Top (similar) // Jeans (similar) // Flats (similar) // Choker

I absolutely love black and white together as you can tell. Taking these pics reminded me of my senior pictures I had taken in high school and I can't believe I've been out of high school for two years already (like what). I love this super casual look and how simple it is. I chose to dress up this loose shirt (knotted in the front) and white jeans with some classic flats, a lace bralette, and my favorite suede choker! This look would easily transition to a fall look with riding boots, a scarf, or even a vest!

Top (similar and on sale!) // Bralette // Jeans (similar) // Flats // Necklace

My favorite sandals

Summer isn't over just yet and for some people it's practically all year round! I'm obsessed with sandals because they're so light and airy and the perfect shoe for literally any outfit. Below are my favorite sandals all are in a variety of prices as well.

1. Steve Madden "Rella": I love sandals that tie up your ankle and these are perfect. I love the blush color and all the cutout details they're super cute and versatile. I also love the quality of Steve Madden sandals, they're super durable and comfortable for running errands. FYI THESE COME IN 6 COLORS AND THEY'RE MARKED DOWN FROM $60 TO $30!!

2. Elina Linardaki "Ever After": These are for sure a splurge at almost $300 but they're just so cute and funky! I absolutely love these for making a statement and I think they would look so cute with a loose white tee and some boyfriend jeans. I just discovered her shoes and they're all so cute and are all made in Greece!

3. Jack Rogers: I can personally vouch for Jack's because I'm literally obsessed. I've had 6 pairs and I really love the quality of them. They're similar to Palm Beach Sandals but I can personally say that I like the Jack's a lot better. The band on the PBS is weird and ill fitting (at least on me). These are pretty expensive for sandals (but Nordstrom is having an amazing sale on most of the pairs they have!) but I feel like they're so worth it! My favorite ones I own have to be the gold glitter Navajo sandal (btw these are on sale from $140 to $97 !). I also really love the Lauren sandal, the Georgica Jelly, and the Original Georgica sandal!

4. Tory Burch "Miller": These are super cute and so many girls I know have them. I can personally vouch that Tory Burch makes high quality leather products and I personally don't own these but they're super cute and come in a variety of colors and patterns! So cute and perfect for any simple outfit. They are a well loved sandal - they have super high reviews on Nordstrom's website and they seem like a great staple sandal to have in your closet in basic colors.

5. Lotti Sandal: Absolutely love how cute and simple these are - especially in the rose gold color! They're 50 euros and translate to about $90USD. They are pretty pricey but for a sandal like that I feel like they're so worth the price! I love the scrappy detail because it's not over-the-top but it gives you a little bit of edge to any outfit. BONUS: These come in 4 different colors and they're also different prices if you're wanting to check them out!

6. Yoins Espadrille: I've never personally shopped at this company but all their stuff is so cheap and cute. I personally love the espadrille style sandal. I think they embody summer style and I can't get enough of these. These would look so cute with white jeans (if you're feeling frisky after labor day) or a denim dress and a floppy hat!

7. Steve Madden "Werkit": I'm just going to start off by saying these are on sale for $36. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Steve Madden but lately I've been loving all his shoes. These are super cute and I'm absolutely obsessed with how simple they are! These have been featured a ton on Yep It's Prep and Mackenzie Kendall's websites. Both have put together some really great looks featuring these cute sandals!

8. Antik Batik "Mila": These are another splurge at almost $300 but they're so cute! I love the rhinestone and gem detailing - they're beyond gorgeous and sparkly. I think these would be worth the splurge and their are mostly likely a ton of similar pairs if you're not willing to splurge! Anything sparkly is my weakness and I think these are a must have for anyone living somewhere in a constantly warm climate.

I'm obsessed with cute sandals and below are a few more options all under $100!