12 gratitudes with sammydress

July has been really, really good so far. Not sure whether I've been cashing out my good karma, or something about my horoscope, but it's just been one great thing after the other!

I thought I'd repay the universe by sharing what those have been:

1 | I spent a lovely day in San Francisco with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. We found an adorable, although expensive, coffee shop to sit in for a while.

2 | Read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Cried a lot. Watched the movie. Cried even more.

3 | Halfway to hitting my goal of clearing out 80% of my closet. Sold a couple of bundles to some sweet girls!

4 | Scored very well on an Art History exam - validating the hundreds of flashcards I made.

Wearing: V Neck Floral Maxi Dress c/o Sammydress, Converse High Tops in Optic White

5 | Finally received my license! My examiner was the kindest and most understanding person; we chatted the whole time about dogs, and she really calmed me down.

6 | Stumbled upon some really cute clothes on sale - snagged them immediately of course!

7 | Was able to find $10 parking for Carmen at the SF Opera. Ended up being late though, and had to stand in the back for the first two acts - 85 minutes in heels!

9 | Found a local ceramics class for affordable classes, planning on making some cute vases!

10 | Started listening to podcasts while at the gym, especially Serial and 99% Invisible.

11 | Took advantage of Spotify's $.99 Premium trial. No regrets and no scary commercials to startle me while I'm showering!

12 | Am still interacting and talking with lovely people through the blog <3

Sammydress Review
I've already worked with Sammydress in the past, but this time, the quality of the clothing seemed better! It fits as pictured on the model, and though the seams weren't perfect, they don't seem in danger of falling apart either. The fit and shape remind me of something from Revolve.

Shipping as usual, is a bit slow, but the items arrived in decent shape. The website is easy to navigate, though the wide variety of images can create a bit of an illegitimate feel.

Customer service was manageable, sometimes a bit difficult to explain throughly.

Until next time (with a break from sponsored material ;))

What's been good in your life lately? How do you feel about sponsored content? What's your favorite brand to work with/in general?

xx
Angelina

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spring break: santorini + mykonos

Though it's been more than 2 months since I returned from the Mediterranean, I never get tired of looking at pictures, or planning what I'll be doing next time.

I visited Santorini and Mykonos, as well as Cairo and Istanbul!

A sweet cat near the windmills in Mykonos; walking through Mykonos Town.

Thoughts + impressions

• Greece is very tourist friendly, especially in comparison to Egypt. Not in terms of people, as I found locals who were very interested to talk to us in both countries, but in ease of navigation and how many people spoke English. 
• Both islands are navigable without a tour guide, and the locals are used to giving recommendations.
• People are taking pictures everywhere! It's definitely a bloggers' heaven, as everyone is used to it, and you'll be comfortable if it's your first time shooting in public. Still important to relax a bit though!
• Santorini is quite the leg workout! Especially on the caldera side, it was all steps and our luggage would've been impossible to transport if we hadn't had our Airbnb hosts helping.

Watching the sunset in Oia, apparently world famous!

Must know

• Stay on the caldera side of Santorini, if possible. It's more expensive, but worth it. We saved some money by looking on AirBnb!
• In Oia, there aren't street numbers or names for any of the stores. We met our AirBnb host by the bus stop (there's only one), and they led us there.
• Even shoulder season is crowded! We went in April, and Santorini was still packed. I can't imagine trying to do anything in the summer. On the other hand, Mykonos was a bit too quiet; it doesn't start to fill up until after Orthodox Easter.
• Mykonos is known for partying and bars, and is also apparently very gay friendly - as a cab driver in Athens told us!

Views of Oia.

What to do + where to go

• Sunset in Oia is a must! Try and grab a spot on the castle ruins if you can, but seats fill up fast. We had dinner during, and it was a great view.
• Fira and Oia Village are both great for shopping, though they have more of a touristy vibe. I didn't see any shops that felt very authentic.
• The Oia to Fira cliff walk is said to be worth it, especially at dusk or before sunset. I didn't get a chance to do this, but supportive shoes would be a must, especially as there are many steps and cobblestones.
• Our host also recommended Kamari Beach and Perivolos Beach, which are known for their black sand, but being from California, we weren't as interested.
• Dinner at Amoudi Bay was also suggested, though I couldn't make it down the steps because of a fever and headache. I believe you can go cliff jumping as well.
• Nearly all the restaurants we ate at were amazing! To be able to keep running in such a competitive environment, they would have to be, so it's hard to go wrong there.

Windmills of Mykonos - it was actually quite windy, and much colder than Santorini.

Mykonos Town on the left, and Oia Village on the left. Both were touristy and gorgeous for photos.

Of all the places I visited, Greece was the most picturesque and relaxing, Egypt the most shocking, and Istanbul the most stimulating. I can't wait to hop on the next plane somewhere!

xx

Angelina

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life lately: back in the game

I'm finally out of school for the summer, and I'll be back on the blog weekly now! It's been a while, and I'm feeling a little bit rusty, but I'm looking forward to getting back in the routine.

I tend to shy away from writing posts about what I've been doing, because I'm never really sure whether people find my life all that interesting (sometimes I don't), but it has been a while:

Going: to the beach (-each)! We've had a heat wave the past week, and headed out the minute the last class ended. NorCal beaches are always a bit chilly in the water though, so we just tanned and took (lots) of photos.

Watching: a fashion show at Stanford! It wasn't as big as I had expected, but it was still fun to see. I was surprised at how fast the looks went by, especially since we'd gotten there earlier for seats.

Listening: BFD at Shoreline Amphitheater! It was my first music festival, and I absolutely loved it. It was sweltering and humid, but hearing the bands live and being able to feel the bass vibrating was amazing. My favorite was Lucius, and Finish Ticket also had great charisma and energy.

Doing: Being more fit! We took the dogs a couple times up to the mountains, and they loved it.

Seeing: The new exhibit, Living Digital Space and Future Parks, at the PACE Gallery in Menlo Park. We went on a weekend, so it was quite crowded and hot, but I enjoyed seeing the works. Crystal Universe and Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together are great for photo ops.

Trying: Lush! I went to the grand opening of the store at Stanford, and they gave out some free goodies! I've been working my way through Roots and H'Suan Wen Hua, and both are amazing (though pricey!)

Visiting: The Oscar de la Renta Retrospective at the de Young. I went almost the last weekend, and it was packed! I was glad that so many people were interested in fashion, but it also made it difficult to really appreciate his work. I also wish they had models, so you could see the fabrics in motion, rather than simply on mannequins.

Reading: Always Pack A Party Dress by Amanda Brooks. I can never get enough of fashion biographies, and have already reviewed and read a handful!

I've had a great time out there not worrying about driving traffic to the blog or coming up with new ideas to write about, but I'm excited to be back and creating more content. With that said, I'm still a bit dry on things I want to discuss, so let me know what you'd like!

xx
Angelina

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6 ways to stay heathy for lazy people

Like most people, I strive to be healthy, and somewhat fit. Unlike most people though, I expect my fitness to come naturally, and without sweat à la Taylor Swift exiting her ballet class looking more perfect than I ever have been. 

But as Taylor and I do not share the same gene pool, and therefore the same ability to not sweat, I've developed a few tactics for staying healthy and fit when you're as lazy as I am. 

1. Daily workout videos

I originally found Cassey Ho through her The "Perfect Body video, and I've been doing some of her videos every day. I typically do a couple on the same day, call it quits, and go back to my Netflix marathon. Baby steps right?

I also try to incorporate yoga as well - and no, that's not just because I want to be able to do those funky poses to post on Instagram. The idea of a form of working out that doesn't emphasize speed, lifting weight, or endurance is so appealing to me, and we all need to take it slower on some days. 

2. Stretching everyday

I try to stretch in the morning after I get up, and before I go to bed. I've stayed flexible enough to put my palms flat on the ground (this is my one somewhat impressive athletic feat), meaning I'm completely capable of picking things off the ground in my tight skinny jeans. 

On a more practical note, stretching minimizes the chances of injury, especially tearing muscles and tendons. It's helpful for getting rid of tight spots, which I'm sure we all get from crouching over our laptops or desks. 

Although honestly, what's more practical than not having to bending your knees to pick up things?

3. Drinking lots of water

Yes, you will have to pee a lot. And if you are in tight knit environment, your teacher/professor/boss may check in to see if you have bladder issues. But, you'll have shiny hair, clear skin, more energy, and better metabolism. Definitely worth it!

Frequently, when you feel hungry, you're actually thirsty. I've developed a habit of drinking a glass of water whenever I think I'm hungry, and if I still feel those pangs after a few minutes, I eat something.

Disclaimer - I do this because I don't have a very active lifestyle, if you're one of those types that runs for fun, disregard this. Also why do you do things like that?? I simply don't understand.

4. Snacks and small meals

I love my sleep, and I'm terrible at making real breakfasts - especially in these cooler months when I'm up before the sun. This leaves me hungry long before lunch, and these gluten free snack bars are the best. The company behind them, Natural Balance Foods, has a great philosophy - bringing you Whole Foods quality 100% vegan bars at prices the average student can actually afford. 

I've eaten more Nakd (*) bars than cookies this week, and that really says something! The flavors are surprisingly true to the names;  my favorites were Ginger Bread and Apple Crunch. 

5. Exercising with friends

The majority of the times when my friends and I get together to workout, we do something low intensity, so we can talk, or just enjoy each other's companies. Hiking and yoga are favorites, especially a trip to Yogurtland or Pinkberry afterwards. 

6. Rewarding yourself

I'm not naturally athletic, and I can't imagine working out purely for the fun of it. For me, I workout because I have goals I want to accomplish: being able to run a mile in under 8 minutes, being more toned, and being able to do the splits. To help me reach these goals, I reward myself with small shopping trips, being able to sleep in, or watching another episode of How To Get Away With Murder (thanks May for getting me hooked!)

The best reward is being happy with what you've achieved, whether that be a qualitative accomplishment, or a generally better self image. 

An Update:

Apologies for the slow post! I feel like I'm beginning to sound like a teen YouTuber with all my excuses as to why my content has been slowing down. 

I've been a little up and down emotionally this week, and it seems the more I pushed myself to come up with some amazing long form post about a deep topic, it just wouldn't come. My inner monologue is just one long string of "AAAAA!!!", yet I didn't want to do a roundup post, as that just doesn't seem to fit my blog. 

I'm also considering starting some sort of short weekly podcast, where I just ramble and talk about my day, because I feel like my posts seem to focus largely on huge events. I'm not sure if that would be odd though - listening to a stranger on the internet ramble on. Maybe short of a "coffee break post" column instead?

What are your tips for staying healthy? What's your proudest accomplishment (athletic or not)? Podcast - yes or no?

xx

Angelina

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a little bit of self love

The Bay Area has been having one of those mood swings, weather wise. It can't make up its mind whether it's summer or fall, and as a result, it's sweater weather one day, and the devil's armpit the other. 

I've been caught between two feelings lately as well - sometimes I love my body, and other days I don't. 

I feel like body image is such a relevant thing that most women (and men) experience at some point. We are just bombarded with images and ideas of what the ideals of our time are, and it has been in the media for quite some time now.

For me, I've always accepted and known that celebrities or models are airbrushed and have a giant makeup team as well. I know that they're not "real". Of course, I still wish I had Emma Stone's amazing green eyes, or Alexa Chung's messy chic hair, but for the most part, I've accepted they're pretty unattainable for the average person's budget.

What's really difficult for me, is that many people I know in real life (who definitely do not have makeup teams or limitless budgets) have the body shape that I'd love to have. It just seems like they can wear whatever they'd like, and not have to worry their "flaws". I would spend so long in the mirror every morning, looking from every angle if this outfit made me look fat, and how I could make myself look skinnier. I remember I would sometimes run out of time to eat breakfast, because of how long picking an outfit took.

On the flip side, sometimes I'll just be so happy with how I look and I'll fall in love with how my hips are wide and my thighs are full, how I can get away with not wearing a bra because I have basically no boobs, how tight and firm my waist is (thanks Netflix workouts!).

Wearing: BDG grey tank (similar), Kimchi Blue turquoise bralette, Bullhead boyfriend jeans (similar), BP. white cardigan (similar), Converse.

If you're struggling to love your body, here are a few things that really helped me.

Accepting that the way you look is mostly out of your control

This was pretty important for me, as I always thought if I maybe exercised more, or ate less, I could get the body I wanted. Aside from the fact that not eating as much as you should is torturous and unhealthy, dieting is very hard and doesn't actually keep the weight off, as your body goes into a "starvation mode" and hangs onto every last calorie.

Of course, this doesn't mean don't exercise or eat healthy! Finding your personal balance is a difficult thing, and I'm still in the process of figuring out what works for me, as I don't have the patience to make traditionally healthy food, nor do I really like going to the gym.

Surrounding yourself with positive people
Most people have at least one friend who isn't happy with his or her body, and makes it very clear to everyone in the nearby vicinity. It can get really tiring to be around those types of people, especially because you may feel the obligation to tell them how wrong they are each time they complain about themselves. I'm always caught between wanting to be a good friend, and being slightly unsure if they're truly down about themselves, or just hoping for compliments.

In any case, it does nothing for building up my self esteem. When I'm around people that don't talk about their bodies negatively, or at all, we're much more at ease and happier as well, I've found. I don't completely cut those friends off, I just find myself changing the topic when it turns to lamenting the body they wish they had.

Find what you love about yourself
There is bound to be at least one thing you love about yourself, so focus on that when you're feeling down about other things! For me, it's my lips and my collarbones - I like wearing barely there lipstick, and boatneck tops. I've recently started appreciating my smaller chest - so I can't really dance in a strapless dress, but I can wear pretty bralettes and sleep on my stomach!

bralette, cardigan - bp, tank - bdg, jeans - pacsun, belt - a&f

All in all, I think being okay with who you are is on going process, and there'll be good days and bad days. Here's your cliché of the day - just enjoy the journey. Body image is a huge thing, and I didn't feel that the photos were right for a deeper, "throwing my thoughts out there" type of post, but maybe in the future!

On a side note, I feel as though my content has been a little lacking at the moment, and I apologize for that (especially as I just wrote my "relaunch" post)! I'm sure you've already heard my excuses, but school truly is a huge chunk of time. Counting down the days until Thanksgiving break!

What are your tips for dealing with body image? Do you struggle with it, or did you in the past? What's your favorite thing about yourself?

xx

Angelina

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P.S. I now have an Instagram! Check it out here or below (:

VISITING TAYLOR SWIFT'S HOUSE + la travels (iv)

Now that I've gotten your attention, I have to say, I've lied - I didn't go to Taylor Swift's house, but I did visit Greystone Mansion, so basically the same thing! I also went to a few places in Hollywood - Commissary at The Line Hotel, Griffith Park, LACMA, and Melrose Ave.

Greystone was such an amazing place to visit.

When I checked the hours online, it said they opened at 8, so we got there then, and realized they weren't technically open until 10! Fortunately, there are no gates to the grounds or anything, so we were able to wander around, and there weren't too many people aside from a summer camp that was just beginning to assemble.

The whole area gave off a Blank Space vibe, and I feel like it could have been the set from the music video! If Taylor Swift didn't have her New York apartment (and if Greystone were for sale), I'm 99% sure she would live here.

Since we were going to be surrounded by a lot of green, I decided to go with a simple white Alexander Wang tee, my (only) jeans, and t-strap sandals I wear in virtually every outfit. This time I'm glad I didn't wear grey!

It drives me nuts when shirts are see through, but only slightly, so when you first try them on, you think it's okay to only wear a bra, but once you're at home and in different lighting, they're a little too see through to wear to work or comfortably to school.

I'm forever on the search for a nice quality (and reasonably priced) white shirt that doesn't have to be worn with a bandeau or tank top. Though this one is super soft and comfy, it doesn't fulfill the latter requirement.

If you guys have any brands/shirts that work well sans more layers, please let me know in the comments!

Greystone has quite a comprehensive list of "don'ts" - they include: no dogs, no picnics, no sports, no personal training (???), no having fun (jk), and no photography/filming unless you have a permit. I looked it up, and a permit is somewhere around the lines of $300/hr for personal use. For commercial use, it's even more!

So, uh, these photos...

(update: I checked on Yelp, and photos are okay if they are unprofessional! Plus Chiara Ferragni did a blog post there, and I don't think she paid $300 for 5 photos)

I've also been playing around with presets in Lightroom! It took me forever to figure out why certain people could get such amazing colors with their cameras, and why my colors always looked flat and dull.

I've been looking around a lot for free ones (mainly for portraits), so if you know of any, please link to them in the comments! <3

Time spent here: ~2 hrs, you could spend more just sitting in the gardens.
Things to note: You can't go into the mansion unless you arrange a tour (not completely sure how to do that). You can peek in the windows though, which we would have done, had we been able to figure out how to get from the gardens to the mansion - it's on a hill above. Also, Beverly Hills has city wide free wifi!
Cost: Free.

For lunch, we went Commissary at The Line Hotel. It's located in Koreatown, and has pretty good Asian fusion food! I'll admit, I mainly wanted to visit because of an amazing Instagram photo I saw on @discoverla, but it was worth it. 

I just had avocado salmon toast, since we weren't very hungry. Their aesthetic is something along the lines of "quirky and mismatched, while still somewhat upscale". The quirky would be their mismatched dining ware (the dishes, glasses, and napkins were all different), the upscale would be their prices. 

Time spent here: It depends on how fast you eat! The service wasn't particularly fast, nor slow. 

Things to note: They have a pool right outside, and I think you'd probably be able to slip in even if you don't stay at the hotel if you act nonchalant. I love the hotel vibe, and the prices aren't too bad. Their lobby also plays really nice music (think Flume and Lorde remixes), and the people watching is great - everyone is so stylish!

Cost: Somewhere between $$ and $$$. I think the toast was around $20, and it wasn't too big. 

We went back to the Line Hotel a few days later, and tried the other restaurant downstairs - Pot. I would not recommend it. It was more expensive (though to be fair we went for dinner instead of lunch), and the food was eh. We ordered a pot of kimchi, given the name of the restaurant we thought it would be good, but it was basically $50 worth of kimchi floating around in watered down soup. 

After heading back to our Airbnb room for a bit to relax (LA was hot!), we headed out again to Griffith Observatory for sunset. We obviously weren't the only people with this idea, and it was crowded both for parking and while there. 

It was definitely worth it though! The sunset was spectacular, and I loved watching the lights slowly turn on. The best part of the sunset is always right after the sun dips below the horizon, and the pastel colors appear. 

I would've loved to see it at sunrise, probably much fewer people, but no way would I have been able to get up then. 

Time spent here: ~1.5 hrs. We didn't go inside the observatory though, only admired the views from the outside.
Things to note: When we went, lots of people were clamoring to get the same coveted photo spots, so please do try and be courteous. I had to wait an absurd amount of time (to be fair, I'm pretty impatient) for this girl to take her 100 selfies from different angles. Although we didn't try it since we weren't dressed for it, there's hiking available too!
Cost: Free.

This trip was full of museums, and I really wanted to get photos in front of Lacma's famous Urban Light exhibit - I did, but unfortunately they didn't turn out very well.

I did really enjoy this museum though - it's huge, and has a very wide variety of art!

No trip to LA is complete without some shopping! We were living quite close to Melrose, so we spent an afternoon there (mainly for the photo ops). I was prepared to take tons of outfit photos, since everyone's probably used to fashion bloggers, but at the last minute, forgot my camera. Oh well.

There are a few affordable shops, but the majority are for window shopping. Some must sees would be Fred Segal, Paul Smith (the pink wall!), Resurrection, and Creatures of Comfort.

For stores in which you can actually afford more than a clothes hanger, I would go to Crossroads and Wasteland. The latter is much more expensive and high end, but both are significantly pricier than the secondhand stores back home. Apparently celebrities go there to clean out their closets!

This is the last post in my SoCal road trip (you can read the other ones here). Summer truly is over, though it's hard to believe I've already been back in school for a month! 

What would you guys recommend to for activities and must dos in LA? What's the best restaurant there? Any affordable boutiques? Let me know in the comments!

xx

Angelina

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