Tuesday, July 28, 2015

too lazy to come up with a decent title

Hi everyone! Today, I wore the best ventilated top I have ever been lucky enough to come by.

My heat stroke face. I can't smile when I'm melting, unlike Olaf. Hey, look how flexible I'm becoming!:)

I found this tank by running into it. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. And then these leggings- proof that I really am becoming a lazy bum. Even my hair is lazy! Everything about this outfit screams lazy! Lazy hair (air-dried, which I have to force myself not to blow-dry and straighten, so maybe my hair will be healthy again), lazy leggings, lazy tank with strategically placed vents and massive armholes and practical hook closures so I can customize how windswept I look...laziness. I'm even working the lazy beauty look, also known as no makeup, also known as everyday of my life.

See? Still not smiling. 

But the laziness has a justifiable cause. It's summer, and it is burning outside. The thermometer outside says 102° but I don't believe it for a second. Fall...where are you? 

My brother wanted me to post this picture, so I could prove that I smile sometimes. 

Top/ Bralette: Aeropostale (I know, I forgot that place existed too!)
Leggings: AE
Sandals: Ivanka Trump
Accessories: Colombian boutiques

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
         Desperately Seeking Autumn

Monday, July 27, 2015

Blisters Ruin Everything.

So school starts in less than one month for me now. But not just any school. I mean C.O.L.L.E.G.E. Which is a huge deal. And I think now more than ever I am wishing I could go back to traveling, where it felt as if I were escaping the future and 'adulthood' in a way. And now, I feel like I'm clawing the ground like a frightened cat when the time for a bath comes. But anyway, I guess I'll figure it out eventually. On a lighter note, I've started to try to pin down my personal sense of style. But more on that later. And I also have been trying to eat healthier, though I have to say my mom already had my family eating clean for a long time now.

But back to personal style, I got new shoes whilst in Victoria, and they are my souvenir, even though nothing about them screams OH CANADA!!!- I love them to bits and I plan on wearing them out to bits as well. 






Note to self: buy band-aids. These photos were taken more than five days ago and I am sitting here with blister scars on my feet, which are unfortunately a new addition to my collection of blister scars, courtesy of my longtime penchant for uncomfortable shoes.





Top: H&M
Trousers: American Eagle
Shoes: Call It Spring
Bracelet/Earrings: Gifts

Thanks for reading! xx


 P.S. Stay tuned for more posts about me ruminating over my summer trip! :)

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Trekking About the Pacific Northwest: Seattle

Recently, I was lucky enough to travel up to the Washington area for a little bit. My parents and my brother tagged along (just kidding, actually I tagged along for this trip) and so we all fled the stifling Texas heat in search of a change of scenery and relaxation. Cue the alarms going off at 4:45 A.M. around my house and a half hour of insanity in which we all shoved suitcases and bags into my dad's car and piled into it like sardines. Within two hours, we were power walking into the airport and I was moping about my back pains courtesy of my crappy packing skills- or lack of any packing skills at all- and then, moping because I was the lucky passenger who was blessed with the seat in front of the toddler with hyperactive legs. 

**Fast forward four hours of Symphony of "Pummeling Sarah's Seat into a Pulp No. 1"**

Yaaaaaay Seattle! You have no idea how wonderful your weather is compared to the kind around here in Texas. That being said, you all cannot possibly complain about it being hot right now up there. I just can't process that, sorry.







On to the cool stuff, like the places I went to! And feel free to take this as a fellow tourist's advice on where to go in Seattle that's worth going; take this as my gift to you...a 'no-frills' list of places to go to. 

Pike Place Market: Just do it. Its got food, and a cool market where you can find great vintage products, watch people toss fish around, buy miscellaneous items that you will stare at for a solid hour, and it has the first Starbucks EVER. Lost in Pike Place trying to find it? Just look for the ridiculous line. You have a 99.99% chance of finding it. 


Hi mom. Hi glasses, and post flight hair and expressions of exhaustion. 

Starbucks Downsides: its always crowded, so you may have to elbow some people to get a picture in front of the sign that proves you were there. 
Upside: the workers are really nice! They entertain you while you wait in the long line, and basically reel you in and keep you from giving up on them. 


This plaque meets you when you walk in.
I spelled it out for them too. What does the world have against the letter h? :D

Photographic evidence. 

If you are in front of this sign, you came to the right place.



Seattle Space Needle: I'll just mention that I've been to the San Antonio Space Needle, and while it was beautiful, I imagined something different when we got to the Seattle one. So you can imagine my apathy when we stood in an equally extensive line, and went up a similar elevator. But the view this time was totally worth it. Seattle is gorgeous from up here, so its great for a bunch of photos. I went the cliché route and posted about it on my Instagram. So go up the thing. Its worth the view. 






The Piers!!!: I walked down to the Waterfront with my family, and we just walked along the piers. I believe we walked from Pier 62 to Pier 52, and we popped into the Seattle Aquarium, where I saw the cutest otters i have yet to see, and then took some embarrassing photos of the wind attacking and defeating my hair and sunglasses and map that I had been using to shield myself from the sun with. Finally, we ate dinner at Ivar's, where I had to surrender and eat seafood because nothing vegan or vegetarian was available. (Ooh, quick recommendation for Ivar's- my dad praises them highly for their paella) 


I got grilled salmon at Ivar's. It came with a cool mustard infused sauce and mushrooms. 5 out of 5.



And now...drumroll please...the food.

Because I already threw so much text at you today, I will go easy on you and keep this as brief as I can. Oh, and you can find all of these on Yellow Pages if you need to locate them:

'Biscuit Bitch' aka Caffe Lieto: breakfast spot that was recommended generously by locals. Not vegan friendly, just so you know beforehand.

the Crumpet Shop at Pike Place: crumpets. I think that was an easy decision for breakfast as well. Also very recommended. Psst...psst.. get strawberry preserves. Thank me later.

le Panier: one word. Macarons. Okay bye.

Japonessa: Near the Seattle Art Museum aka SAM. Its delicious sushi. I got a vegetarian roll, but then my inner foodie had to taste a tempura spicy tuna roll with avocado...it was delicious too. Definitely perfect for sharing.

And now some places where I was told to go but Alas!- I ran out of days and money to keep it up. {Also, I was gaining weight, so as a family we decided to go the healthier route and just get coffee at Starbucks instead for breakfast. Except for me. I'm a die hard tea fan.}

Morsel: for Breakfast. Sorry, I have no suggestions here!

Toulouse Petit: I think I heard they have good etouffee?? And tasty grits. I also overheard a hotel concierge telling other tourists that its veggie-friendly. As a southerner it sounds pretty cool. and anything 'cruelty free' gets my attention.

Paseo: I was told to get a Cuban sandwich here with pulled pork.

Pike Place Chowder: besides being easy to locate due to its name, they have apparently the best chowder in Seattle. And fellow vegans- they have VEGAN chowder. Whoop whoop!!


And oh the coffee shops! Be still my beating heart. The amount of times I had random and creative infusions of fruit and herbal teas stuns me. Some names off the top of my head; Storyville, Caffe Vita, Caffe Fiore, and TopPot Doughnuts. And no, I didn't have a doughnut there. And only my parents got coffee. But they stared at their cups longingly when they finished it, and I know that's a good thing.

Seattle, thanks for being so great! And keep up the good food! And Starbucks, just keep on keeping on. Clearly you get it right all the time.

My view from the Space Needle.


Hope I helped anyone else who is flirting with the idea of visiting Seattle as well but is also a martian like me and is overwhelmed by the places to go and by the rich culture! I cannot wait to go back!

PS. the metro-rail rail is your friend.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, July 17, 2015

For Good.

When I left my blog this time, it wasn't because I didn't care about it, or that I didn't want to write anything, because I did. What freaked me out was that I just didn't have anything to say. I used to be very shy- school projects that involved my vocal participation led me to veer on the edge of trepidation and inner chaos, but writing never scared me, because I could always say what I wanted to say when I felt like it if it was written down and unspoken. And when I realized I could write things down and that that altered how people saw me or the fact that they judged me exponentially less than they did normally, the words would flow like water. So it only made sense for me to stare into the heavens like a forsaken beached whale when I realized that my waterfall of words was gone.

I would like to blame it on the AP exams I took recently. I would love to blame it on lack of sleep and malnourishment (that's a major stretch, though, since I eat when I'm frustrated). It could easily be all those things. Unfortunately though, I think it came to me questioning my motives about this blog. I even made YouTube videos (you already know that, though) that I abandoned because I doubted that I had things to say worth listening to. While I didn't feel very bad or guilty about that endeavor, I was amazed at the effect not writing had on me. And I think that matured me in the sense that I'm not as afraid as I was before to write what I think here and live with the fact that I won't be a famous New York Times Bestselling author or the next Tavi Gevinson or Anna Wintour, or face the realization that I will probably wait a long time before I get to write for a kind and dedicated blog follower.

So, what happens now?

Well, I'm going to be back here writing, and yes- I did change the blog name. No, that doesn't mean that I am any less fascinated by the French language, or any less pretentious about speaking a few words. It stands for me being the second child. It is something that I will let define me on a surface level, and something that I bring up more than you'd think- well, when I'm with my siblings, of course, and in jest. I figured that if I titled this blog something that was closer to my heart and something that represents me much better than a phrase I liked, than I would feel more comfortable writing more often.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” 

-Sylvia Plath


Thanks, Sylvia.
Starting today, I will be back to posting, and I'll try to open this page up whenever I get those writing moods, which are happening more now that I've gotten my summer 'flow', haha. And be prepared for posts about everything, be it style, food, travel, or me just ranting about things, or even just talking about my neighbor's new dog that sits in my backyard. 

If I haven't lost you yet, hooray! You get a cookie. And a high five. And this jar that is filled to the brim with air. 




Thanks for reading!!