Hello there! ♥

I hope your week went well, whoever is reading! Mine was nice; on a cool note, I have even more secondhand skirts I’ve been wearing. 🙂 My mom went through her old clothes, and she held aside some skirts she thought I’d want. They’re from the 1980’s, and I’m so in love with them!

The little top is actually from Forever 21; it looks secondhand though, doesn’t it? 😉

I’ve been in a choker mood, so my black velvet one worked out great with my matching velvet headband. Definitely gives the whole outfit an interesting look!

Annnnnd, here is the worm statement ring I mentioned, what, maybe two blog posts ago??

I love worms. They’re cute!!! Thus, a worm statement ring was created. I really love how this ring turned out…note that the hearts are fuzzy! It’s such a fun, playful ring to add to an outfit.

Here is the other secondhand skirt I was given – blue! ♥ Lucky for me, I had a light blue headband that matched perfectly with the ensemble. Light blue really is a pretty color!

The most comfortable pair of shoes I own!!! I call these my ninja shoes, because they are so silent. They make no sound at all when I walk…it’s pretty cool!

Overall, I felt really happy and confident in these two outfits! They’re my new favorites. I can’t believe how comfortable and soft the skirts are. ♥

 

Mindfulness…what is it?

So! Here’s a topic I’ve been really interested in lately! Mindfulness; essentially, it is being present and aware of the moment you’re in, to put it very simply. Most of us find our minds wandering into the past or the future, no? There are a ton of articles online about it, but here, I’ll just be simplifying it and describing how it helps me daily! 😀

There are many ways to practice being present, and here are the ones that help me:

• Walking. I really don’t do this as much as I’d like to this time of year (it’s extremely hot where I live) but when I do go for walks, it’s the easiest way I am able to practice mindfulness. I may or may not be listening to music, but either way, I’m very attentive to my surroundings and being present. I notice squirrels, dogs, plants – basically, life all around.
• Journaling. Ohhhhh boy, where would I be without a journal?! Journaling helps me sort through my thoughts and feelings, which I otherwise am not good at expressing verbally. Plus, the mindfulness comes in by focusing on the feeling of writing on paper. I find it soothing. I focus on writing each letter, which you can’t really experience typing on a computer.
• Being still. Typically, I’ll do this technique when I sit in my backyard sometimes and just listen to the wind rustling through the leaves in the trees, or before work when I stop for coffee. I will just sit still and take in my surroundings. There is beauty in stillness; it’s like taking a moment to realize that you’re here, you’re breathing, and you’re alive.

I am writing this in Starbucks and Wham! just randomly started playing on the radio in the store. Now I am envisioning Zoolander, and orange mocha frappucinos.

Shoot; I’m getting distracted, aren’t I?

BACK TO THE POINT, mindfulness is a useful tool we can utilize daily to stay focused (which I’m clearly not doing right now), and to stay present in the exact moment we’re in. It’s very relaxing! I highly recommend trying it out, in some form. 🙂

Last but not least, I wanted to share this neat photo I took the other night. Beautiful sky, but bad circumstances; a little over an hour or so away from the city I live in is the fiery Ferguson fire near Yosemite that’s been on the news, here in California. It’s definitely wildfire season…the other day, everything looked orange and the sun could barely be seen!

Until next time! See ya!