If you've been browsing through Pinterest the last couple of months, I'm sure you've noticed the latest trend, striped pants. They are quite the rage right now. I wasn't searching for a pair, but I happened to stumble upon these while thrifting this summer. I found them with a broken zipper, but they were only a $1.50 and I knew that the zipper would be an easy repair. I absolutely love them. I've been able to wear them dressed up for work or down for a more causal everyday look. Below are some photos I found on Pinterest for inspiration. 

I've loved these types of caps for a while now. I did a blog post wearing a smilier Brixton cap last year, before they were super trendy. I was debating on getting this Brixton cap in red or mustard, but the black goes well with everything I own. 

To keep the outfit minimal and curated, I styled it with this tan off the shoulder top from a local shop in Long Beach. I also paired it with my current everyday heeled slides I found at TJ Maxx.  

Yesterday, the cashier at Trader Joe's asked me what I did all day. And I replied, "I had work!" and he replied, "what do you do?" and for the first time in my life, I said, "I'm an Interior Designer!" It was such a surreal feeling to actually say that, because I've always replied that I'm still a student, which I still am, but I just got a job as an interior designer! I'm working at a small high-end residential firm and I'm so excited to get experience in the field. I'm actually filling in for one of their current interior designers that is on maternity leave! It has been the biggest answer to my prayers, because now I can get experience in the field and understand how the real process of building projects ground up really work. If you follow me on Instagram, I'll probably be posting more stuff about it on my stories, especially when I get to go check out job sites. 

When my grandpa passed away, my grandma sent me a box full of his vintage cameras that he collected through the years. I cherish them all and I wanted to feature this one on my blog. I don't know much about film photography, but I'd love to learn someday. 

Get The Look: original links and similar below
Brixton Ashland Cap 
Striped Pants -similar here, here and here 
Off the shoulder top- similar here, here and here
Heeled Mules- similar here, here and here

or shop your local thrift store and find unexpected treasures!!

Thanks for checking out my blog

xoxo, 
Jill 

Life has been moving as if someone is firmly pressing on the fast forward button. The sun has gone up and down before I've even had time to blink, but I'm trying to soak it all in and pause to thank God for His blessings, the big and the small. I'm coming to the end of a three week temporary job at my extended family's business in Laguna Hills, junior studio is well into the second project and house churches are launching at my church this week. Commuting to Laguna Hills from Long Beach has been quite the trek and since this commute was only planned for three weeks, I've been in a 'treat yourself' kind of mood for making that drive. This has lead me to leave early to explore new coffee shops for added reading and coffee time. 

I recently started the book, Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. If you feel spread too thin and constantly find yourself striving for perfection, while neglecting important things like rest and saying no to people in order to find time to rest, you will love this book. This book is teaching me the importance of simply being present and honest with were I am in life, even when life isn't as pretty and perfect as I'd like it to be. 

If I feel lead, I might do a full review on the book once I finish it and include the quotes that spoke to my heart.

Below are some photos of clothes I put on my body and me talking about it, enjoy. ;) 

As school and fall kicks into full gear, I like to wear simple curated outfits that are stylish, but not over the top. My best friend Maddie has the connections in the Brixton world. Her cousin Mike is the head of U.S. sales and sends her stuff all the time. While we were in Sedona this summer he asked what Vanessa and I wanted from Brixton. I picked two items, this hat and a pin pack. Needless to say, he went over the top and sent many more items, which was so generous! The hat, shirt, bag and pins on my waistline are all Brixton. The cropped wide ankle jeans are from Target and the suede block heeled sandals are Free People, but found at TJ Maxx. If you're uncomfortable with the cropped, wide pants that are showing up at every store, throw on some block heels for added height and interest. You can style these pants any way, but for this outfit I kept it simple with neutral colors I will be wearing all fall. 

Personally, I can't find any logic in spending the full price sticker on clothing items. That's why I love Tj Maxx, Marshalls and hunting thrift stores. Plus I find no creativity in putting together an outfit that is already styled off a manikin. When I found these shoes at TJ Maxx, I was actually pretty shocked because I had been eyeing them on the Free People website for a while. I stopped in my tracks and looked them up, where they were still being sold for $130?! Like come on people! Don't throw away your money. I found these shoes for $40, which is a fraction of the full price cost they were still being sold for. There is no need to break the bank to curate your own style, remember that. 

Thanks for reading!
Everything is linked below! 
Brixton Hat
Brixton Top
Brixton Bag
Free People block heeled Sandal- Nordstrom Rack & Free People 

Finding quality denim can be difficult; especially when we live in a world of fast fashion, where everything is cheap quality and expected to not last anymore than a few years, sometimes not even a few months. That's why I love living against the grain of society and searching vintage/ thrift stores to find quality pieces that will last and have lasted through someone else's life-time. Also, it's my favorite thing to say, "sorry, it's vintage," when people ask where I got something. 

This Levi's pair was a vintage find in Long Beach. I love the light wash and the loose fit. I've styled them quite a few different ways, but this approach is a classic, everyday look. I wore this to a shoot I went to with Kristen. She was photographing family photos in Oak Glen and I tagged along and helped her out. Since this was an outdoor shoot, my high-top converse were perfect for all the dirt we walked through and the red ants. The fitted black tee balanced the loose fitted Levi's and the bandana was an extra touch to bring it all together. Like always, I topped it all off with a new hat I got at thrift store in Palm Springs this week. 

Kristen was sent this Fossil backpack recently for their fall ad campaign. It's perfect for photographers because of the separate zipper pocket for safe storage of your camera and it also has a laptop sleeve. Kristen has raved about it since she got it, so I know that this bag won't disappoint for any everyday use. 

Shop at your local thrift store or vintage shop to find vintage Levi's.
Hat: Thrift store find
Sunglasses: Crush
Backpack: Fossil 
My Summer Spotify Playlist
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog!
​Kristen took all of these rad photos! Here is a link to her blog.
xoxo,
​Jill 

Is it possible to love an outfit any more than I love this one?

Probably not.

I'm not one to gravitate towards T shirts with writing on them. Especially anything with a cheesy quote. But this one spoke to the season of life I'm in. Plus I love the simple lettering & the shade of red they chose.

This denim embroidered blazer was a thrift store find.

Ryan and Emma tried to talk me out of buying it and I'm so glad I didn't listen to them. They obviously didn't see the potential it had! At first glance it's a little funky, but I knew that if it was paired with the right outfit I could make it work. It also helps that embroidered denim is pretty in right now. 

Kristen and I went garage sale shopping this last Saturday and I found this basket/purse for $3. Score.

The clearance section of target blessed me with these cropped wide legged pants. Thanks Target for the bless, you're the real MVP.

And of course I had to wear my new black mules that are perfect and so versatile. I found these at TJ Maxx, but you can find them about anywhere right now.

Since it's summer and I have more time on my hands than I usually do, I decided to set a reading goal. Six books by August 28th.

I know it doesn't sound that hard, but a lot of the books I've picked up aren't books you get sucked into and read in one afternoon, like Harry Potter. Instead, they're slow moving, take your time and absorb 'type' of books. Which I like, but often have a hard time staying dedicated to finish. Aka I have about ten books on my shelf that I've half-way read. But I'm proud to say that I'm three books in and I have three more to go. I should be able to make my goal and maybe add another book to the list. 

God has a name, by John Mark Comer is my latest read. Connecting to it was quite easy. The wisdom is so profound, yet very tangible and straightforward. I definitely recommend you buy it on amazon and start reading it as soon as possible. I mean if you have amazon prime, what are you waiting for? Here is a direct link to the book. 

I underlined a lot of the book, but I didn't want to get carried away and spoil the book for you. Here are few key points that hit home for me. 

• "God is more concerned with your long-term character than your short-term happiness. And he's more than willing to sacrifice the one to get the other."
• "Jesus takes all our failure-millennia of broken promises-and he drags it to the cross, absorbing it in his death and then breaking its hold over humanity through his resurrection."
• "But we all have a gap.

           Between who we are and who God is.

           Between the way we live and the way of Jesus.

           Following Jesus is about closing that gap, one step at a time."

• "In a secular society, the "gods" become nonspiritual-money, sex, power, more followers on Twitter, flatter abs, anything that "takes the place of God in your heart."
• "Prayer can move the hand of God. Prayer can get God to change his mind- think about the gravity of that." 
• "God's promise isn't that you'll marry your dream spouse, get famous, make a ton of money, and retire at forty on a golf course in California. 

        
         God's promise is that he will bless you, so you can turn around and do the same for
         others. He'll put you to rights, so you can put the world to rights. And one day, in time,
         he'll return to finish what he started and set all the crooked straight."

I might keep this book review segment going in future posts. I'll let you all know about the ones I enjoyed and recommend as I slowly move towards finishing my half-read collection on my shelf. That's if I actually finish the books I set out to read. Fingers crossed. 

H&M T shirt 
Wide-leg pants- similar here, here and here
TJ Maxx mules- similar here, here and here
Embroidered denim- here, here and here 

Thanks for stopping to read this post and check out this outfit!
xoxo,
​ Jill 

​

On Thursday I went to the Orange circle with my mom and Grandma for brunch and some shopping. We explored various antique shops and went to one thrift store with specific pieces in mind. Like always, I ended up leaving with unexpected treasures. My favorite find was these Madewell jeans for $4. Score! If you're familiar with the brand, you know that their jeans averagely run around $130!  I also picked up this classic striped button up top for $10 at an antique shop. 

Since it's summer, I'm crossing my fingers that I'm going to have more time to dedicate to thrift store shopping and blogging. I also have photos from New Hampshire and San Francisco that I want to share on here. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. 


xoxo Jill

Welcome back friends,
 
The last 19 days of this new year have been full of some much needed R&R. Sadly, that will all come to an end with the hustle of design school continuing on Monday; PLUS I have to compile a portfolio this semester of the major work I’ve done the past year and a half to move on in my program. I’ve temporarily left my job as a server to put all of my energy into my portfolio and all the other hours that come with being a design student. I've become accustomed to the 12-15 hours a day spent at a drafting table or a computer working on project after project and pulling all-nighter after all-nighter. I've basically sold my soul to design and if that can’t help paint a picture of how much work this major is, nothing will. But seriously, creative majors are exhausting. Thankfully I love every sleepless minute of it. My professors are rad, my classmates are inspiring and extremely talented and I love pushing myself towards an exciting future. If I can pull off these next two months of working my butt off for my dreams and get into my program, maaaaybe, hopefully I’ll intern at a firm this summer. And then after two years in studio interior architectural design classes and graduation, I can work for any number of firms. Our program is very reputable, which will make it easier to find a job in the field. I don’t think I could work so hard for something without so much passion and love for it pulsing through my veins. Okay, I’m sure I lost half of you in all of that. Enough about my sleepless design life. 

I’m drawn to muted colors and neutrals. This top was pulled out of the sale section at Anthropologie in Atlanta by my best friend, Maddie. She obviously knows me so well. I love the lace details and the bell sleeves. Also, I’ve been wearing these cropped, release hem jeans every single day, paired with my new favorite mules. I don’t think I’ve been stopped more for questions about shoes ever in my life. Which I totally understand, because look at them. They’re simply magical. If you don't own any mules, what are you doing with your life? Clearly this whole mom jeans/ shoes trend is here to stay because I swear my mom owned these shoes before. I'm sure she didn't have them in this snake print, but something similar to it. To pull it all together I tied my white bandana around my neck, threw on one of my over worn thrift store hats, my new favorite ray bans and grabbed this black purse. It’s so simple, yet so Jill. ​

Shop this look:
Matisse mules: Here
Anthropologie top: Here
Similar cropped denim: Here
Ray bans: Here
Hat and bag were thrift store finds

Thanks stopping by my blog. 
xoxo, Jill 

LIFE!! Life man. I haven't had the time to blog much this semester, nor the energy or spare money to go shopping. I've also been more conscious of the money I've been spending on clothes, especially since my church has brought to our attention the horrendous working conditions for the people fabricating our clothes. This has made me look at the items I consume differently, which I might add, has been painfully hard. So hard. Fashion is a way I express myself. I love piecing outfits together, making something old, new and rummaging through thrift stores for that one golden find. Ethically made clothes are really hard to come by and usually expensive. Thankfully thrift stores are considered ethical because you're recycling clothes and your purchase is not directly supporting companies that are exploiting people. Any clothing from big name stores, like Forever 21, H&M and Target are unethically made in other countries. Basically, if it's really cheap then someone who made it isn't getting paid a fair working wage. With this in mind, I've been trying to recreate outfits from pieces I already own in my closet and buying items that are timeless and classic. Which includes neutral colors and ageless prints.

And yes, these photos were taken on an iphone, in front of a muddy field, by my mom. Thanks mom! 

I scored these Matisse leather heeled sandels from Marshalls recently. They are honestly SO comfy and perfect for dressing up or down. The perfect neutral for my wardrobe. 

I'm leaving on a trip soon to Atlanta and my California wardrobe doesn't quite include a coat for the weather I'm going to experience. I stumbled upon this coat at Nordstrom Rack. It's the perfect length, can be worn with so many different outfits and I will get so much use out of it for years to come. 

I decided to style it with these ripped jeans from Pacsun, a scarf that came from my mom's closet and a beanie I bought 2 years ago for my trip to Europe. The top that you can't quite see under the coat, is a Free People top that I blogged about previously. My sunglasses are the gold framed round raybans that I'm sure you've seen everyone wearing lately. The heeled sandals gave the outfit more height and brought the perfect warmth to tie everything together.    

Thanks for stopping by my blog! 
xoxo,
Jill

Hello and welcome back! That was for you and me because I've neglected this blog for quite some time this summer. My second summer class has come to a close and I have this quick week to relax and enjoy my one week off before life gets crazy once again. I've spent the last few days down in Oceanside exploring the shops, going on walks and laying on the beach. I live so close to the beach during the school year, but it's still nice to get away and actually have time to fully enjoy it.

Going into this next semester I'm praying that I can find time to rest and spend more time in Gods word. I've been inconsistent in doing that and I know in these next two semesters I'm going to have to fully lean into God and trust in Him more than I ever have. These next two semesters are the most important in moving forward in my program and setting me up for success in my career. My program and path is different and kind of confusing so I'm going to do a post on my major and the details to my program. Keep scrolling for details on this fun summer dress that I'm currently obsessing over. 

Neutrals are my thing. I'm not sure when this exactly happened, but I've noticed that I always gravitate towards a neutral color palette. Since it's summer I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone and wear different colors. Which I found out is actually really hard for me to do. I picked up this dress at Nordstrom Rack for a wedding this summer and I got so many compliments on it. It's a Free People dress and it's just as cute in person. It even has pockets! I love the tie up detail and the long sleeves. It will definitely be a dress that I'll easily be able to carry over into fall and winter since it's not too vibrant and bold. Red is a color that seems to work in every season. Since the print on the dress is full of grey and sandy tones I paired it with these Dolce Vita booties. The block heel makes them easy to walk in and wear all day. These are my favorite shoes that I've picked up this summer. They're also from Nordstrom Rack and they're still available online right now. Get yourself a pair before they're all sold out. You won't regret it. I would wear them every day if I could.  

This bar necklace is my everyday go to. It's beautiful, simple and goes with everything. I'll link a few similar ones below. Since they're so popular right now you can find them basically anywhere. 

Since I bought the dress at Nordstrom Rack, it's not available anymore so I tagged a few dresses that I think are similar and perfect to carry you over into the fall months. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your summer and make the most out of every day. 

xoxo,
​Jill 

Get the Look: 
Similar dresses: Here & Here & Here
Shoes: Dolce Vita from Nordstrom Rack 
Similar necklace: Here

My last blog post was about spring and here we are on summer break. If that doesn't explain how busy life has been lately, then I don't know what would. Spring semester has ended and after pulling countless all nighters, staying at school working on projects into the wee hours of the morning and slaving over project after project, I can proudly say that I finished another semester with straight A's. eeeeeep! Seeing those grades roll in after all that hard work is an indescribable feeling. God has been so good, as always. I know I wouldn't be here today without putting all my trust into His plan for my life. Time after time He has remained faithful to the promise that His plan for me is better than any plan my heart has dreamed up.

This past semester I got connected with my church in Long Beach and joined a community group. I never knew the impact that it would have on my life. Taking that leap of faith and joining a community group has been the most incredible thing for me. I look forward to seeing my new friends weekly and I always leave community group smiling ear to ear and thanking God for bringing these amazing beautiful souls into my life. There's nothing like having a group of friends that you can share your faith with and be encouraged to pursue God daily. I've grown so much this last semester, it's crazy to look back to who I was a few months ago and see who I am now. I've never been happier and all the glory goes to God.

Spring semester is over, but school continues on for me. I'm taking two summer sessions that are 12 weeks long, which basically is my entire summer. The first class that I'm taking is DESN 255, it is a computer class where we're learning Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign. I'm more than half way through my first summer class and I'm having a blast learning these new programs. I must say that it's pretty cool pursuing a degree that you're passionate about, because I love going to school and learning anything and everything that will make me better at what I do. That's why I signed up for this first summer class. I enjoy being busy and productive in every season of life, even if it's summer break. The second summer class was a requirement to take in order to stay on track to submit my portfolio next spring to get into the program. DESN 232 will be more of a challenge and take up more time than the class that I'm in right now, but I'm still looking forward to it. I'm just going to say that it's a rapid sketching class to explain it quickly and easily. I'm up for the challenge.

I'm still working and going to school this summer, but I've also been busy with weddings, vow renewals, bridal showers, and wedding rehearsals. I actually got to take pictures at a lot of these events, so I might make a post featuring my favorite shots. Well that's enough about my life, I hope your summer is going great with whatever you're up to. ​