Picked up these pretty, pink roses yesterday from Whole Foods! It’s been snowing here on the east coast so I’ve been staying in and keeping warm with my camp socks from jcrew. In the morning I fixed myself a yogurt bowl with fruits and included kiwi this time, it added a nice touch with honey. I wanted to share a bit more of myself so I answered some questions that I saw on youtube called the “tmi tag”.
1 | What are you wearing?
jcrew camp socks + PJs
2 | Any tattoos?
no but i’ve been debating for the past 3 years if i should get one
3 | Quality you look for in a partner
smile, humor, honesty, and someone who can lead me
4 | Favorite quote
“la vie est belle”
“everything you want is on the other side of fear” – jack canfield
5 | Favorite color
pastel pink, cobalt blue, and black
6 | Favorite dessert?
ice cream/gelato on top of a waffle, anything at chikalicious
7 | Love or career?
right now i would pick career
8 | How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
i want to say…7 minutes but depends
9 | Turn off & Turn on
ignorance | ambitious and passionate people
10 | Last thing that made you cry
american sniper
11 | Fears
spiders, scary movies (anything related to demons or exorcism), and the dark
The weekend is already over and a new week is ahead of us. I thought I would share some of my tips to recharge and be ready for the upcoming week. Although these are pretty obvious and straight forward it’s made a difference once I decided to make changes in my lifestyle.
SLEEP – This is on top of my list because I find that when I don’t get enough sleep I’m more likely to breakout and not have a productive day. My sleeping schedule has been irregular and I’m a light sleeper which has made it nearly impossible to get enough sleep.
EAT BREAKFAST- I don’t like to eat breakfast but will force myself to eat at least an apple or fix myself a granola yogurt in the mornings. I never knew how important it was until I noticed a difference in my energy level and mood. I’m happier when I have something in my stomach or else I’m hangry (hungry + angry).
SET GOALS – I find myself being unproductive and lazy if I don’t set goals for myself throughout the week. I set mental goals in my head but find it effective when I write it down on my planner or notepad on my desk. Some of my goals for this week is to go to bikram yoga, start a book, and to have another blog post up by the end of this week.
What do you do to recharge and prep for the upcoming week?
These days I’ve been a homebody because of the blistering wind and chilly weather. What I love the most about staying in is that I can wear my sweats and oversized pullover and have zero makeup on. These days I’ve been obsessed with bralettes, the ones pictured above are from honeydew x madewell and triangl (currently unavailable). I’ve also been a fan of VS Pink underwear it has a sporty look and I stocked up when they were having a sale during Christmas.
In the mornings I like to start my day light with a mix of greek yogurt, honey, and fruits. I’m not a huge fan of breakfast but I’m a sucker for McDonald’s sausage egg sandwiches…it’s so bad but so good. I’ve been trying to eat healthier and snack on fruits throughout the day. My recent go to fruits have been pomegranate seeds and berries! I’m also starting bikram yoga soon I’m excited but at the same time anxious, last time I went I was sore for 2 weeks. Hope everyone stays warm!
I picked up a few things over the past couple of weeks and thought I would share some of my favorite purchases. I’ve been eyeing the Nike roshes for awhile but never thought I would wear them, but bought them on a whim after I tried them on. Best purchase ever. They’re super comfy and light! I’ve been using Spring Eden’s hand cream on a daily basis and discovered it while shopping at Anthropologie, it has a lovely floral scent and I find myself reaching for it over my Aesop hand balm. My friend also gifted me this Marc Jacobs lip balm for Christmas and I was surprised how well it hydrated my lips and it also has SPF (a plus in my book). I’ve been on the hunt for an everyday candle and picked up a soy candle from Madewell from the brand PF Candle Co called sweet grapefruit. I love the sweet aroma it leaves trailing behind after I blow it out. I also found the perfect diamond stone that added a nice touch to my desk while browsing West Elm!
I got home yesterday night from Austin, Texas for my best friend’s bachelorette party and had an amazing time so I thought I would share snippets from my trip! I think I slept for most part of the trip and when I was awake all I did was eat…no surprise there. I’m honestly not a huge fan of doughnuts but the bride to be was raving about Gourdough’s so I thought I would give it a try and my tastebuds were blown away. Amazing. And what’s Texas without some BBQ? I had my first real bbq experience at Salt Lick! (Thanks Julia for the pic) For some reason our server told us that it was an 8 oz. prime rib when it was probably 18 oz. but I’ve never had anything like it, so tender and cooked just right. So many delicious places to eat but so little time, few of my favorite spots include Home Slice, Torchy’s Tacos, and The Backspace. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and thank you to everyone who read my previous Q + A post and for the encouragement :)
As promised here is my instagram story and how I got started. I thought it would be fun to have this post as a Q & A on some questions I got in the past so without further ado…
Q: How did you start Instagram?
A : I first started Instagram about 3 and a half years with my personal Instagram when Instagram wasn’t as popular as it is now but shortly closed it. About a year later I opened a new account under the name the pink diary, which was actually a placeholder until I found a different username. I started browsing the popular page on Instagram and saw pictures of bloggers. I only knew one blogger at the time and that was Cupcakes and Cashmere because my friends would talk about her blog. Shortly I found there was a blogging community after googling and discovered blogs such as Song of Style, Sincerely Jules, and Atlantic Pacific. I was inspired to start my own Instagram and share items that I liked and pulled outfits together and decided to post it. Instagram was also an outlet for me to post something that was bright and happy because I was depressed and unsure of my purpose in life. I didn’t think anyone would care to follow and what started as a hobby became my passion. I was motivated to post photos but wasn’t consistent until about a year ago. I realized I enjoyed styling and was the happiest when curating images and pushed myself to post at least 1 photo a day that was a reflection of my style.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
A: I get this question a lot and honestly 95% of my photos are from every day life as cliche as that sounds. I get inspiration from everywhere whether it be from pinterest to an outfit I see on a person walking by. I used to be an avid Tumbler-er but am now hooked on pinterest, but one rule of thumb is that I try not to stay on Pinterest no longer than 15 minutes and tend to not look at blogs. Why? I feel that often I compare myself and don’t want the content that I produce to be an imitation of someone else’s work. I feel like I lose my creativity and am just like any other blog or instagram. I try to be original and have content that sets me apart from everyone else. It took a while to find my niche but I found it through trial and error.
Q: What’s the meaning behind the pink diary?
A: Honestly I don’t know haha. My favorite color is pink (pastel pink) and thought that Instagram could be a platform where I could document my style and look back and see how I’ve evolved. There is no real explanation for it but I did change it once and got some backlash so I decided to keep it. Thank you to those that told me to not change my username!
Q: What are some of your favorite brands and do you consider yourself a girly girl?
A: This might come as a shock…but compared to what I post I don’t consider myself very feminine. I consider myself a tomboy and don’t like to dress up and would choose comfort over style any day. But there are days where I do want to pamper myself and dress up, but I’ll pick sweats and an oversized tee any day. I wouldn’t say I fit into one category because my style and taste is always evolving. I don’t have a favorite brand at the moment, but I tend to buy what catches my eye rather than the brand when shopping. If I had no spending limit and could pick from any clothing brand I would choose Acne, Alexander Wang, UNIF, Supreme, One Teaspoon, Zoe Karssen, and Wildfox. I like pieces that are minimal and casual, but also represent my current style and mood. Some brands that I often buy from are Madewell, J.Crew, Top Shop, Obey, Alternative Apparel, and ASOS. Key is to buy when it’s on sale! I typically don’t pay full price unless I can’t part with it or know it won’t be there next time.
Q: Have you met any bloggers?
A: I’ve only met one blogger and it’s because I went to her book signing a couple years back, Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere. She was really sweet and although we didn’t have time to chat because of the long line she commented that she liked my outfit. I think that was the one of the moments I realized that maybe I do have style.
Q: What’s the name of the watch and why do you always have 3 rings in your photos?
A: I think this is one of the top questions I get haha! The watch that’s in my photos is the Nixon Small Kensington in Rose Gold. I love it because it goes with 99% of my outfits and is the perfect size, I wasn’t a huge fan of wearing watches until this one. I don’t really have a reason why I have 3 rings in my photos but I think it balances out the photo and three is my favorite number. But it is somewhat sentimental because I have an older sister and a younger brother and each ring represents us.
Q: Why do you never show your face?
A: This is probably another question I get asked the most and my reasoning is because I think it takes away from my photos. My photos don’t require for me to show my face and to be truthful I am insecure and don’t know how I would feel being judged constantly. The internet can be quite brutal and don’t know how I would be able to handle it, but also partly because I do want privacy. Eventually I will show my face (perhaps this year?) and would love to meet you all personally!
Q: What’s your advice on someone who just started an Instagram account?
A: Set yourself apart and be original! If you’re passionate about something it will show through your photos and people will appreciate it. I’d be lying if I’m not inspired at all by other Instagram accounts, but don’t blatantly copy and instead make it your own. Creativity will last longer and it’s also refreshing to see something different :) It’s also OK to post things you used in a previous post. For me it would be my watch, rings, and beauty items such as my YSL glossy balm and Chanel nail polish. I think there’s always that pressure to constantly have something new in a photo. I think it’s important to make use of what you have and know that having style doesn’t mean how much something costs. Also take as many photos until you’re happy with the outcome, sometimes I’ll take as little as 5 or up to 200 photos until I finally post it. I was told before that my photos looked sloppy and that it was getting repetitive so I used that to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. Take constructive criticism and let it help you grow and mold you!
Q: What do you use to edit your photos?
A: This is probably the #1 question I get and the answer is really simple – good lighting! Luckily I have a lot of light coming through my window when taking photos and always take my photos in the morning. I do use apps like Afterlight, VSCO, and Instagram to adjust with the brightness and contrast. Also, having a white background helps bring out the colors and brighten the photo.
Thank you to those that read the entire thing and sorry if I bore you mid-way! Hopefully this helps you get to know me a bit personally and answers some of your questions :)
