What I'm Loving Wednesday

1. rompers // 2. color block wedges // 3. striped anything // 4. girly detail // 5. this simple-laid back look // 6. stacked bracelets + chunky watches // 7. fringe // 8. these flirty pants

Run, Run, Run

I finally got off my lazy butt and went on a run tonight. I had lost my motivation as of late and just could not will myself to get up and get moving. Perhaps it's the long work days, or the upcoming move, or general distractions and stresses of life-- whatever it was I found myself hitting snooze. every. single. morning.

Well that changed tonight! I put on my running shoes, leashed up my dog, and hit the pavement. It felt good. I hope that I can keep this going and get back out there tomorrow morning.

For now I will enjoy my glass of red wine and keep these words of wisdom on my mind.

Case of the Mondays

Happy Monday! The weekend came and went far to quickly. I had a lovely weekend soaking up the sun and helping my parents prepare for their 3 week vacation to Europe {jealous}.

However, now Monday is here and I find myself already planning next weekends adventures..

Here's hoping this week flies by! 

For now I suppose I'll just dream about far away beautiful places like this:

How do you get through Monday blues? 

Cross Continent Style

With each day ticked off my calendar I am slowly but surely mentally checking out from the less interesting things in my life (specifically work) and devoting my time and energy to enjoying my last days in California while simultaneously shopping for Europe. 89 days from today I will be boarding a plane and moving away from sunny CA.

My top priority right now is wardrobe. Tomorrow I am taking a day off to head to the North Face outlet and hopefully I will find the perfect winter coat at a price that won’t break the bank. In case you missed it, I will be moving to Ukraine (exact destination within the country unknown) where the winter lows can hit -30 degrees on a rather frequent basis. Therefore a perfect winter coat is a must!

Aside from the obviously necessary winter coat I am also brainstorming easy, casual, wardrobe staples that will help me stay stylish thousands of miles from home.  I am joining the Peace Corps and will be spending 27 months in Ukraine teaching English and I am allowed to bring 2 bags.  Dilemma. On the one hand, I recognize that I am heading to a 2^nd word country to devote my time and energy to improving the lives of the children I’ll be privileged to work with and therefore I should not expect to flaunt my usually flashy wardrobe of summer dresses and bright patterns. However, at the same time I want to bring the person I am, style and all, with me to this foreign country so that I may maintain normalcy. Second, I do plan to travel- a lot; which is why I want to make sure to bring fabulous outfits to sport in London, Croatia, Greece, Amsterdam, etc.

I believe I can strike a happy balance and bring with me timeless items that will help me adapt to both situations. Now the issue is space. Or lack thereof. Which brings me to my current wish list. I have decided to keep it simple and classy with the opportunity to always dress down or dress up. 

Here is what I am lusting for currently:

Any season Steve Madden Boots: 

Casual but stylish dress: 

Timeless colored Blazer (and the shirt is perfect too):

Maxi Dresses galore: 

For a daring night out:

Dress down for class/ dress up for the market:

There are so many simple yet elegant choices for quick outfits on the go. I am definitely getting back to basics and remembering that a staple top with black slacks and a simple necklace can look absolutely stunning. 

Lately...

Wow. I have been MIA for quite a while! Sorry about that. What have I been doing lately? Preparing, preparing, preparing—and by preparing I mean shopping. Today marks just about 3 months until my departure for Ukraine, and while I still have quite a bit of time to prepare I am trying to begin my shopping and planning now so that I may avoid any overwhelming shocks to my credit cards.

Plus I figure it is best to space out my purchases and planning rather than leave it all to a mad dash in September. 

Packing is proving to be a more daunting task than I originally imagined. It is just now really starting to sink in that I will be gone for 2 years and may end up in a rural village. The fact that I am joining the Peace Corps reminds me to pack modest; however I still plan to travel through other parts of Europe and want to look flirty and fun for those escapes. Therein lies my dilemma! What do I bring and what do I donate?

How do you prepare for a trip abroad? What are your staple items which you simply must pack? 

Successes so far:

1. London Fog Oxford Collection Luggage—50% off (Tan)

2.  Black Hunter Boots:

3. 3 Pairs of long underwear, 2 thermal shirts, 3 pairs of uber warm and comft socks (Hotchillys.com 50% off)

Coming soon

 -Winter Coat (on sale)

      -Dell Laptop

      -Gloves and Hats.