Now She's In Me, Always With Me.

Hi everyone!

So, as the dynamic duo, Jordan and I had to hit up thrift shops and secondhand stores, not only because we're broke college kids, but also because she was hunting for a flannel that was hopefully broken in and soft and extra cozy. I went in thinking I wouldn't buy anything because I'm very stingy and will not pay for anything unless I can find five ways to style the item with what I have at home.

And then I met this vintage seventies coat...

And I finally realized what it meant to fall in love.
Okay, that sounded very materialistic. But I was obsessed with the quality of the coat and how it has stood up to wear and tear that comes with age, and I have been looking for a statement piece that I can call my own and really make my own staple as I realize where I stand in style.

Putting the coat on, I became Penny Lane, and I had nothing to say. I smiled goofily, and I was even enticed to take a selfie- which if you know me, you'll know this never happens- and there's Jordan, watching me all amused as I take pictures of the glorious coat.

So, you're probably thinking, "Hmm, Sarah, did you buy this coat?"

Well, no. And it sucked. I had a moment of sensibility and put the coat on the hanger. But then I remembered that I've been trying to be more ethical when it comes to shopping since so many clothes are wasted every year and thrown out. Buying secondhand was cheaper, and here was the coat of my dreams (in my size, too. I'm slapping myself I feel so dumb), and it was a fraction of a denim jacket at the Gap. AND I PUT IT BACK ON THE HANGER AND LAUGHED IT OFF.

Bye, Penny Lane. Guess I won't meet the Band-Aids anytime soon.

Moral of the story: DON'T PUT BACK CHEAP STUFF THAT FITS YOU. Even less if its good quality, and comes from your favorite decade. Still slapping myself. 

Jordan offered to take me back and find my coat, since she saw how much it hurt me to leave the coat behind. See? I even referred to my coat as "MY" coat, haha. It's meant to be. Jordan, I know you're reading...Operation: Cool Off And Talk is still a thing. 

Anyway, since I was now walking lethargically due to the parting with my coat, we walked until we found an antique shop. We found a rather avant-garde shop, with items that are vintage but redone by local artists. The result was beyond awesome. I got so much inspiration by furniture and reupholstered love-seats that I'm now excited to get my own place in a few years and fix it up with secondhand stuff. 

Not sure what you could do with this large box, but I love that the inside of the box matches the red soles of Louboutin shoes. 

This has inspired my idea of what I want in my closet. The skirts are vintage too!

I still don't understand taxidermy, but this was another level of confusing.

vegan sandwich heaven at Empire Cafe.

Common Bond-ing. Ft. Jordan the Hipster.

Common Bond-Ing parte deux. She drank a latte, and I drank a chamomile tea.

We found the Biscuit Wall!
Outfit Details: Sweater: AE / Shorts: AF / Scarf: Gift / Oxfords:Steven by Steve Madden

Jordan and a really cool mural that we swear was not there last time. 

I liked this wall too much. It made me look vibrant. 

When you're a hipster but obvious to how hipster-y you look. 

There was my latest Montrose adventure! I hope you all learned to not give up what you want so easily for quickly ( ahem, my coat...*sniffles*). Thanks for reading!

xoxo

What the Semester Brought

Hey, What's Up, Hello (Imagine me extending the 'O' part)?

It has been an entire semester of college for me. If you are still here reading, then you know that I struggled a bit to post while I was bouncing between college and my house, where I took pictures. After a while, homework began to pile up, and I realized that I was standing at a fork in the road. On one hand, I could go all out and try to post all the time and just plan outfits to wear. But isn't that a bit, I don't know...fake? The reason I was inspired to blog when I was thirteen was because I saw that the bloggers I looked up to actually wore those outfits they captured in photographs. They woke up, and chose those flawless and chic outfits and ran errands. They didn't (hopefully didn't) take pictures and then fall back into sweatpants and lie around. In my imagination, my ideal blogger and style crush would go to someone who wore her pointy toed pumps with an obscene blanket scarf and bag and death grip skinny trousers and walked- YES, walked- to her destination, and sweat in her blazer and got blisters from her shoes but still did it anyway. She would walk to work and take the stairs and print papers and make phone calls and order coffee and maybe spill some, I don't know- the point is, I would hope she had a real life behind her awesome outfit. So her Rag and Bone jeans wouldn't be fresh out of a shipment box and worn once for five minutes for the sake of a picture, they would be those jeans that got sriracha stains on them that she had to secretly scrub for twenty minutes in her bathroom.

End rant.

Oh, and on the other hand I neglected in the analogy earlier, there was the option I chose; I decided to rise to the occasion and act like a mature adult. Let me explain my thought process:

• "My parents are paying for a large chunk of my college career. It goes without saying that they expect the best grades from me as a sign of my undying gratitude."

• "Writing for my blog is great, yeah, its the best, BUT I don't actually get paid or get any college credit/recognition for it. So I can't show up at home with an amateur blog and expect them to give me a standing ovation."

• "Ultimately, I want to be a professional with an office job, and to do that, I should probably get a degree in something..." *chuckles dryly*

• "All jokes aside, I want to go to college and do well, and this blog is kind of in the way of that."

• "Looks like I should postpone this until I have more time..." 

*Accidentally waits two months*

So here I am, saying sorry to you, bloggy friend. I've left you hanging. I'll pick this back up while I'm home, and try to figure out when I'll post at school. Because it really is a shame to refuse your hobby (mine is writing, if I had not made that clear before). After a while, the creativity dies if its not nurtured. And this is embarrassingly narcissistic of me to say, but I had some great outfit ideas that came to me during the past two months and I hate when bad ideas are not shared. Because when I'm on the run some other day, I might be out of outfit ideas because I forgot the cute idea I had before. 

So because of that, I'll use this time to throw some photos at you, because after reading this far, your eyes deserve a break from all this text filled monotony.

Let's catch up, since Texas did not get much colder. 

So on this nice day, I came to the conclusion that jumpsuits were the sugar to my tea. Once you experience choosing an outfit in 0.0004 seconds, you cannot possibly go back willingly. 

I deleted the one where I was smiling. This was a second later, when I was going to talk. Sorry about that strange face. 

In the case that I cannot wear a jumpsuit/romper, I love maxi dresses more than words can describe.

My hair has grown since then, you'll see it soon. *Serene smile* or *indigestion smile*

And then I went to the library with my brother, who I then blackmailed into taking a picture of my outfit. 

Wow, I feel terrible saying that. 

Canvas tote bags for the win. Who needs designer bags when you have a solid and reliable conversation starter? 

I found another more 'artsy' shot by my brother, who seems to be best at candids of me. Especially of me talking or grimacing while the sun blinds me. 

Oh trees. I had nothing else to say about this photo, as crazy as that seems. 

Now that I've given you a crazy amount of text and adequate visual aids, I think I'll sign off for today.
If you somehow found me, or have been here all along,

THANKS. Fifty points for Ravenclaw House for being loyal to their fellow Ravenclaw's blog!

If you don't hate me yet for such a cumbersome post and still want more visual aids and awkward rambling, you can check out my Instagram! 


XOXO- but I'm giving you an intense bear hug for reading, seriously.  Okay. See you soon!

C'est La Vie

I was at home this weekend, and I had a lot of homework to catch up on, so I wore a pretty basic outfit. You can tell I was doing homework by my bun/ponytail hybrid. Here's to hoping these shorts can come out again before autumn starts! Up until now, I have avoided wearing anything remotely 'cute' while at college- I'm an incredibly messy eater, so I have labeled all of my white bottoms 'off-limits' until I feel like I will be able to control the weather, food, and drinks in a ten foot radius around me.

On another note, since this blog is primarily for me to remember certain things that happen to me that I feel

1. are important
2. were funny and will probably make me laugh forever
3. are inspiring
4. are surprising

...And so, I feel the need to share a story so you all can find some solace in someone else's sad/funny sorry.

Storytime! 
It was a hot and humid Thursday afternoon. There were, admittedly, some clouds in the sky, and the weather in the area had been for the most part rainy and stormy. Nevertheless, stubborn Sarah wanted to do some exercise that day. So off she went to eat lunch, and then to class. When she left her classroom, she noted the increase in clouds, so she ducked into another building, figuring that she would stay dry inside while the storm subsided. After almost an hour, she decided that the rain was much slower than she had expected, and so she supposed she would simply bike back to her apartment faster and get (at most) a few drops on her. Fast forward to halfway home. The clouds parted, and buckets of water decided to fall. Realizing that she was going to get wet no matter what, Sarah tried to bike faster. She saw one corner stood between her and the straight road that would lead her straight home. Upon turning the corner, the bike slid in a puddle. Attempting to brake, Sarah leaned slightly over onto her left side, and she felt her stomach drop. She was very well aware of what was about to happen. She stuck her leg out and bent it and squatted unevenly and dug her hip into the concrete. She was on her side, her bike jammed into her right shin, and her flip flop a few feet away, the stupid slippery thing. Angrily, Sarah got back on her bike, and started pedaling again, reminding herself that no one saw, she was fine. She was drenched now, and sore in a few places, but she was fine. Somewhere behind her, tires squeaked and there was the noise of water splashing about. Oh NO. NO NO NO NO NO. Sarah turned ever so slightly. Right behind her, in the same lane as her, the bus going back to her apartment stood, full to the brim with fellow students. Now furious and embarrassed and getting cold from the water in her clothes, Sarah pedaled harder- and within a matter of minutes, she was angrily locking her bike in its spot,and then squishing her way, step by step up the flight of stairs into her apartment, where she sat shivering for hours, her teeth chattering with anger over her unfortunate bike ride home, and her lack of sound decision making. 

If you guys ever have a bad or embarrassing moment, just know its okay, and that tomorrow will be better.   

That blogger pose where you crouch and look away because you're self concious of your under-eye bags. 

"I wasn't ready yet, I was trying to stretch."

"Wait, I can't see with the light in my eyes-"

If you cared to see what I was wearing without the shadows...


Top: Gap//Shorts: Lauren Conrad//Sandals: Ivanka Trump//Jewelry: bought in Colombia

Thanks for reading!! xx

My Sunday Sendoff feat. Ruggles Green

On Sunday, my sister invited my family to eat lunch and walk around a bit and mainly enjoy each other's company. The point was to have family time and send me off with a vegan meal. Obviously I was estatic all of a sudden when they told me I could choose a vegan friendly restaurant, so I almost immediately responded with Ruggles Green in City Centre, even though I was silently hoping someone would ask to go to an Indian restaurant, because I have wanted to go try Indian food for a very long time.

**Disclaimer**

All pictures on my post today were taken with an iPhone six, so don't be alarmed by the drastic change in the quality of the pictures! 

Carry On! :)

I got the veggie wrap and a side quinoa salad, both vegan! And I grabbed some pickles that were prepared in-house. 

I think now would be a good time to also mention that I am a huge fan of food-porn, also known as a pre-food ritual of being grateful for the food -- actually, I just really like taking pictures of food. There's no legitimate way of justifying it, just that I like looking at food. So just expect more food posts in the future!

After somehow destroying the wrap ( I hate being such a messy eater) and being joyful and staring at my vegan feast in awe, we all ended up walking around City Centre and staring at macarons- I need to find a place that makes vegan macarons...does that even exist?- and not getting them because I couldn't find vegan versions. In the end, we packed up and moved our sunday party to Starbucks, and I decided to take pictures because I honestly don't have casual candid pictures of my whole family, and I figured this was a great time to record in pictures.

Aww, look at the kids. Behold the closest people I have to me, genetically speaking. 

My mom is so classy that she refuses to cover her coffee with the plastic covers and prefers to drink her beverages as if they were tea-cups. 

And Dad loves the covers. 

Behold!  My sister MP drinking what appears to be snow. (Vanilla bean frap FYI)

I had a Mango Black tea lemonade...I'm really predictable. 

Behold! My brother/photographer, contemplating the simple things in life, like his mocha frappuccino. 

He requested a selfie. And it looks like my straw is up my nose. 

The family who drinks Starbucks together stays together.

Thanks for reading, and have a happy Tuesday!

Diary of a Vegan: Month One

Today, I complete one month as a vegan.
I wanted to talk about this journey- not to sound preachy or force this idea upon anyone, but also as a way to keep track of the little things I have accomplished for now. I also know many people who don't actually know as much as they think about this lifestyle, and while there are quite a few vegan food bloggers/vloggers I can name off the top of my head right now, the majority of the people I personally know are still a bit in the dark. To give an example, I know a few people who think vegans are radical vegetarians who fight for the rights of animals...which I guess could be plausible, but is still off the mark.

How I define the vegan lifestyle: When a person decides to cut meat and dairy out of their diet, and any food that contains an animal byproduct.

One thing I learned quickly was that food companies tend to sneak animal products into food that normally shouldn't have. This is mostly in canned or boxed goods, so I don't plan on continuing that anytime soon. For example, I was going to eat some falafel that my mom made last night, and then my sister decided to tell me that the box clearly listed gelatin as one of the ingredients. Sigh.

Here is where I would like to amend the title of this blog post. I have been a vegan about 99% of the time, which is why I'm calling this my vegan diary. Because the truth is, this is a process, and a trip to Vegantopia. And I'm still miles away. But, I have taken major steps by completely cutting out dairy and meat.

So far, I have felt healthier, and lighter- compared to when I used to eat meat, and I would feel heavy and drowsy. And as for energy, I feel full of energy all the time. What's nice is that I feel great so far, and that's a great way to start!

Thanks for reading!

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!!