Know When To Take A(n Extended) Break

One thing I pride myself on is not sticking it out through something when I'm not inspired and not happy. That doesn't mean that I give up on things, it means I know when to step away and take a break. Sometimes the break is an hour, sometimes the break in two weeks, and sometimes that break is five years. It's important to know when taking a step back is actually going to propel you forward.

In School
If it's a school project that got you down in the dumps, take a couple of hours off. If you have the time a few days is even better. If it's school in general that is dragging you down, take a semester off. Reevaluate what you're going to school for. If it's really that dreadful, maybe you're not going to the right reasons or are trying to force yourself into the wrong field. When you find the thing you love, you'll love learning about it.

In Relationships
An extended break from a relationship is probably not going to work in your favor. Step back, take a weekend to yourself. Go on a solo vacation or spend time on your own for the weekend. Though you may think your friends give amazing relationship advice, make your own decision. They're not in the relationship - you are. If after a couple of days you aren't feeling it still - break it off. Don't tell him that you're taking a relationship break when you take some time to yourself. Breaks are not good news. And do you really want him thinking he has a free pass for the weekend? I think not.

At Work
If you don't have money in the bank, start looking for a new job before quitting. If you have a couple months worth of rent/bills saved up. Just up and quit. Find a job you love or move across the globe for a few months. The world is at your fingertips. Don't waste your time working a job that you hate. If it's just been a few bad days, take a sick day. Binge watch some Netflix, enjoy a bubble bath and a glass of wine. You'll go back feeling refreshed and better than ever.

Blogging (or Writing...or Art)
When it comes to anything somewhat creative if you're feeling blocked don't force it. I recently found myself uninspired and in a blogging rut. I took a few weeks off and I'm back with a totally new set of eyes. I'm ready to change my branding and switch up my content. I now know what I'd like to share with the world. Taking a couple months off between seasons of my podcast is also amazing. We get to discuss where we want to go and how to make our format and content better. It doesn't have to be a long-term break, but if you feel like you don't know what you want to draw or write or say, step back for awhile and breathe. Go do something else and come back to it when you're ready.

Taking a break isn't a sign of failure, but if you force yourself to do something that you're not proud of you can easily become one. Listen to yourself and know when to stick it out, when to take a break, and when to know you're done for good.

How I Became A Celebrity Fashion Stylist

Growing up I would look at photos of celebrities on the red carpet and swoon. They almost always look impeccable. A hair was rarely out of place and their outfits were something out of a dream. I would find myself googling how to become a fashion stylist and realized that unless I moved away and went to school for fashion, interned for a decade, and got lucky that it wasn't in the cards for me. I lived in Northern California and there weren't many opportunities in fashion where I was from. One day, I took it upon myself to research different entertainment PR firms and who they represented. I would look up teenage stars that hadn't been in much (yet) but had big projects in the works. I spent days and days collecting information before I started reaching out to the publicists directly. I told them I was an up & coming fashion stylist and that I could style their clients free of charge (for the first event). Out of about 40 e-mails that I sent out, about 5 were a hit. I started dressing stars from the CW & Disney Channel for awards shows and NYFW events. The more girls I styled, the more publicists wanted to jump on board. I would go around to showrooms around LA and pull dresses, shoes, and jewelry. I would meet the girls on the sets of their TV shows and at their houses for fittings. I would find hair stylists and make-up artists and explain in explicit detail how I wanted them to look. At a certain point, I knew that the traveling back and fourth was too much for me and was hard on the relationship that I was (& still am) invested in. On occasion, I will still dress people for award shows and movie premieres, but I've come to the point where I'm pickier. I work as a fashion stylist for Stitch Fix and dress real women for everyday life. I guess the moral of my story is, just because everyone tells you that there is only one way to get the career of your dreams doesn't mean that's true. You can pave you own path to success and get there on your own terms. If any of you want advice on how to make it in the industry and don't know where to start, feel free to message me. I'm always here to help! 

Bumbershoot 2016

It's official! Andrew & I will be heading to Seattle next weekend to cover Bumbershoot for the blog + our podcast. Qualifying for media passes is always exciting and I'm especially excited because several of my favorite artists are performing this year. I've been dying to see both Halsey and JoJo in concert and am thrilled that I'll get to see both during the same weekend. I've started working on putting together outfits for the weekend, but Seattle makes it so difficult! It's going to be in the low 70's at the hottest part of the days, but most of the performances are in the evening. I need more cute jackets! At least my cute military inspired cargo jackets will be receiving their fair share of wear! What would you wear?! Share your festival fashion inspiration with me! Are there any performers on the line-up that you'd love for me to cover on the blog and a special vlog post?! Let me know! 

Portland Update

We've been in Portland for a couple weeks now & I am loving it! We're finally figuring out furniture and how we want to decorate everything. We went to Cost Plus World Market yesterday and picked up a new rug, pouf, some wine glasses, and a tray. So cute! Postmates has been our best friend since moving to the new spot since all of our kitchen stuff is still back in Napa. Today we got donuts delivered and they have been a real treat. I hadn't had a donut in ages before coming here!

Our new mattress is taking forever to arrive which is a pain...mainly in my back! We borrowed an air mattress from Andrew's aunt who lives in Portland, which was great for a couple of days. Not so great now. 

We do have an extra long/extra deep bathtub though...which is heaven!!! I have been taking a bath every single day & the fact that I know live close to a LUSH makes things even better! 

When we first got here I made an appointment at a place called Finger Bang for a mystery gel manicure and this is what they did for me. They're even more gorgeous in person! Light pink with holographic mylar and edged all the way around with white. I have my second appointment there tomorrow and look forward to seeing what magic they come up with!