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I’ve wanted a red plaid skirt for sooooooo long, and thanks to this great find on SHEIN, I finally own one!

It’s SO comfortable and cozy; perfect for the cold winter days ahead! ❤️

Who else is a fan of plaid? ✋🏼❤️

Felt like being a cat today…

MEOW!!! 😸🐾

🍿 Major spoilers ahead!! 🍿

So, I decided to take myself on a movie date and see the new religious horror film with Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East: Heretic. I rarely ever go to the movies, but I felt drawn to see this one when I saw an ad for it on Youtube; in a nutshell, it’s about two young Mormon missionaries who knock on the door of Mr. Reed, a reclusive man who ends up embarking them on a dark journey within his home that tests their faith to the ultimate limits.

Why did I feel drawn to see this film? I actually went to a Mormon church for three years, from 2015-2018! My doorway into the religion was two young missionary women who I met on a walking trail in the spring of 2015. I’m pretty familiar with the Mormon religion, and while I didn’t continue going to church, I still feel I learned a lot of things that helped me spiritually in the long run! 💖

So, how did I feel watching this movie?

Psychologically and spiritually destroyed.

Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed is diabolical, methodical and maniacal. Truly.

Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton talk with Mr. Reed about their faith, and then slowly as the conversation continues, he completely disassembles religion as a whole, further emphasizing his point by throwing the Book of Mormon on the floor after comparing world religions to variations of the board game, Monopoly. You then realize the warm and fuzzies of faith have long left the building and you’re about to go through a maze of Hell.

The film’s tagline, Question Everything, is exactly what you do throughout the film. It makes you feel as if you’re going crazy, questioning each and every thing that occurs, and at one point, I wasn’t sure my mind could take it any more. But I held through!

This is no easy film to watch. If you have faith in a higher power, Mr. Reed dismantles it in a surprisingly effortless way with arguments that hit you in the face like a brick. The movie had me so shaken up that in one instance, I thought my seat was shaking, but it was actually my body trembling!

But, the unexpected thing about this film…is it actually embraces faith, in my opinion. There are little acts of warmth and kindness from the missionaries that give you hope and it feels so human.

A line by Sister Paxton stuck with me, and I’m just remembering it off the cuff here:

“We pray because it’s beautiful, even if it doesn’t work. Because we want to believe in something bigger than ourselves.”

No lie – when I got home and tried to explain the movie to my mom and sister, I ended up breaking down crying! I don’t think a movie has ever shaken me up so much. (No more scary movies for me!)

Later that afternoon, I went to the end of my apartment complex to take out the trash, still thinking about the movie. It’s a horror movie that makes you think long after it’s over. Another tagline for the movie poses the question, Do you still believe? Lost in my thoughts, I noticed a car was parked next to the dumpster, and my attention was caught by something in the passenger seat.

It was a seat cover with an image of Jesus Christ on it. Eyes closed, heavenly rays of light all around.

A line in the movie came to my mind as I stood there staring at it, feeling the chill of the autumn air around me. “If that’s not divine confirmation, I don’t know what is.”

As hard as it was to watch this movie, I’m glad I saw it, because it shook me to my core, and unexpectedly made me realize that I do, in fact, still believe. 🦋💖

Happy (almost!) Halloween!! What better way to celebrate the spooky season than by dedicating this post to my very own ventriloquist dummy, Eugene? ❤️

Remember how I made up the idea of him being haunted by the ghost of a Yale student from the 1950s who studied himself into an early grave? Too much time in the library with his nose buried in his law books was just too much for him.

But he’s got his ivy league groove back, let me tell you. Decked out in his fresh ball cap and Yale pin (an antique find from the 1920s/1930s!), he’s a brand new man. Er, ghost/dummy.

Also, Eugene’s discovered that his favorite movie is The Skulls (2000), with a fresh-faced cast of Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, and Leslie Bibb. It’s not hard to guess why either; the storyline is about Caleb McNamara (Joshua Jackson) who gets accepted into a secret society at an Ivy League college (which is never given an actual name, but you do see the letter “Y” painted on the walls and plastered on athletic uniforms. Hint, hint!). All heck breaks loose once Caleb’s in this secret society called The Skulls (which is a nod to the actual secret society at Yale called Skull and Bones!).

I say it’s Eugene’s favorite movie, but it’s actually becoming one of mine! 😉 It’s action-packed and a real thriller, and an added bonus is that the music is a blast from the past (Collective Soul, Creed!). I was totally into it and watched it twice when I rented it on Amazon Prime!

And now here we are in a spooky photoshoot. Happy spooky season!! 🍂🎃

Today, I’m looking forward to going on an autumnal walk at a local park with my friend, and the outfit I picked for today felt spectacularly fall-like: a cardigan, chunky boots, and something new I’ve been trying – half of the back of my hair pulled up in a bun!

I don’t know why having the back of my hair pulled up half way into a bun feels like a fall style??? I don’t know, but it does! And I made sure my hair clips matched the My Melody Purse! 💝

Hoping everyone’s October is going well, and that you’re able to enjoy some fall scenery! 🍂 Time for me to go enjoy some nature! 🧡💛🤎

Stay tuned for my next post featuring Eugene, my ventriloquist dummy! 🎃

I think the older I get, the more I seem to appreciate things from my childhood, which is why I’m thankful I held onto some really amazing things from the ’90s! Such as these Lisa Frank folders, a notebook, and pencils (I have way more than I photographed!). 💜💙💛💖

My sister recently gifted me a custom-made Lisa Frank purse with – my favorite – the Ballerina Bunnies on it!

Do you love Lisa Frank’s artwork? If so, do you have a favorite? 💝🩵💜💛

I thought it would be a fun idea to do a fall-themed post to kickoff the start of the early fall season!

Over here in California, it was a brutally hot summer overall, so for the first time in a long while, I actually was looking forward to summer being in the rear view mirror (that says a lot since I enjoy the heat!)

But time for a cool down. 😌 So let’s go!

I began by adding some faux paper leaves to my bedroom window, so it looks like they’re falling every time I look out my window! The pumpkin and candy corn jack o’ lanterns peek at me between the blinds. 🎃

Cozying up with my current read and drinking some homemade coffee is always a cozy thing to do (it feels cozier in the fall), and my mom made us CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN PANCAKES! Oh my gosh, they were so good. 🤩

🧡 Outfit time! 💛 I tried something a little different and opted for black leggings under my skirt and…wait for it…TENNIS SHOES.

This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it’s a huge deal! I’m used to wearing either boots or Mary Jane platforms. I decided to test the waters and try some tennis shoes…and wow! My feet are the happiest they’ve ever been (I have flat feet, like basically duck feet), so I’m over the moon with comfort.

And even though they’re more comfortable, I find them still very fashionable and sort of ironic with my fancy long skirts! 😍 This look gave me quirky fall vibes with the pumpkin purse:

Are you getting in the fall mood, too? Let me know in the comments! 💛🎃🧡

Hello, all!! I thought I’d post two outfits I wore this past week. I loved both of them! 💘

I wore the Kuromi outfit to go to Starbucks and the Hello Kitty outfit on an afternoon walk with my friend. 🦋💕

See ya next time! 💖

What’s new lately?! I’ve been enjoying the ending days of summer with…*drum roll* fashion fun and reading. So buckle up for some fashion goodies and diving into a new read!

Lately, I’ve been really loving to wear dark outfits paired with really bright accessories! These two skirts I’m wearing were both handed down to me by my mom, and I really love how they fit! 💗💙💚

💖 Fun side-note: This little notebook is something I’ve had since I was a kid, and I still use it nowadays as an adult to write my daily to-do lists for work-related stuff! The Ballerina Bunnies have always been my favorite Lisa Frank illustration! 🐰

I’ve always admired the idea of being in a book club. I’ve never been in one, and it’s always seemed like a really cute idea! What’s a gal to-do? Well, I sort of devised my own “sense” of a book club – it’s not a club per se, but I can view it as one!

I subscribe to Harvard University Press and Princeton University Press, and they’ll email me sometimes with new political science book releases. I can browse them and if I’m ready for a new book, I’ll pick one and order it! So, it feels like my own kind-of book club. 🥰

When I spotted The Chevron Doctrine: Its Rise and Fall and the Future of the Administrative State by Thomas W. Merrill in the new release list, I decided on that one. Boy was I in for a surprise when I received it and started reading it – it’s WAAAAAAAY beyond my intelligence level, LOL! (I also picked up a bargain book at Barnes & Noble for supplemental reference!)

I swear I started reading it and I heard…

…PING!!!

The last thread holding my brain in place. The ol’ gray matter couldn’t handle it. BUT!!! I kept going, and I still keep going, letting myself take the book in slowly. I have heard The Chevron Doctrine referenced in the news lately, so I wanted to understand what it was.

I won’t try to explain it because I can’t explain it sufficiently enough, but I’m hoping by the end of the book, I’ll have a better understanding! 🥰

Thomas W. Merrill, who is a law professor at Columbia University, definitely knows this subject matter inside and out and goes above and beyond in explanation and perspective. Good job, sir!!! I salute your intelligence and you inspire me to keep on truckin’ through this book, no matter how hard my brain gears are turning as I do so.

And shoutout to my brain for trying to keep up! You rock! 👉🏼🧠💕

I let my imagination wander and I came up with some great biographies for the two of them!! 💗

Eugene holds the spirit of an Ivy League student who had high hopes for his law studies at Yale back in the 1950s. Spending long evenings with his nose buried in books at the university library, he tragically met his end when he studied himself to death. 

Charlotte holds the spirit of a gossip-loving Southern belle from the 1930s who loved Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers flicks. A sassy Georgia peach, she met her demise when unrequited love drove her to drink one too many mint juleps. 

Because we all have a story, right? 😉 These two deserved their own!

I love butterflies, and always have!! 🦋 I wear them every single day in my hair. Lately, I’ve been pairing the butterfly hair clips with colorful snap clips for that ultra nostalgic feel! (Because even if I’m approaching my late thirties, my accessory choices will forever remain in my ’90s childhood).

Needless to say, this butterfly skirt from SHEIN was a must-have for me! I love, love, love it!

So!!! I thought I would show you guys a sample of a journal I keep, which I use to write down notes from books I read, new words I’ve learned, or quotes that have stuck with me. As of lately, the pages have been filled with lots of constitutional law jargon, since I’ve been reading books on that topic for fun!

As an artsy person, I can’t refrain from making it look pretty! 🦋

It’s nice to look back on my writing and get a pretty visual with it! 💜 Do you enjoy journaling and if so, what kind of journal(s) do you keep?