Blog, Style

Winter Beanie

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I’ll be an intern for the next eight months of my life (with Friday’s off of course!) before I finish my master’s program. I have one week to live it up before buckling down, and I just want to snuggle with my dogs and scrapbook. Am I crazy?! It’s strange to have all this time off when everyone I know is working their 9-5. Don’t get me wrong, I love having nothing to do, but I’d like to have at least a little something to do to keep me busy during the day. That’s where scrapbooking comes in!

Even with a wimpy winter in Texas, running to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s for materials with a bare head is a no go for me. Maybe I’m not creative enough, but I feel like the only way to keep your head warm is with a beanie.  I got the one I’m wearing from a street vendor a few years ago, but I was able to find a very cute and similar knitted one. My crossbody is from an in-store purchase at Zara just a couple weeks ago and I can’t find it online (I’m sorry!), but I found a couple similar ones linked below.

XO, Vivian

Shop My Look

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Blog, Lifestyle

Celebrating the Season of Love with JORD

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This week I made my usual Target run (let’s be honest though, I go to Target at least twice a week!), and guess what I saw! I started seeing bits of pink and red in the aisles which means the season of love is upon us! I love Valentine’s Day and I couldn’t wait another month to pick out a Valentine’s card, so I went ahead and chose the most mushy one I could find.

A lovey dovey card pairs well with a thoughtful gift and I knew a Jord wood watch would be perfect for the occasion. The sleek Hyde series men’s watch was neatly packaged in a smooth, minimalistic wooden box. With the consumer in mind, Jord sent the watch with a microfiber cloth to clean the black face, and a finishing oil brush to preserve the watches beautiful walnut wood.

The men’s wooden watch itself is so gorgeous and unique as is, but I really outdid myself this year. Jord offers caseback engraving on their wooden time pieces and with the season of love in mind, I just had to take them up on that! Personalizing a gift is always sweet, and I love the idea of having something personal on Prashi’s wrist as he goes about his day.

I know first hand how difficult it is to shop for a man. To make it easy for you, I partnered with Jord to offer ya’ll an amazing giveaway! Everyone who enters HERE will have a chance to win a $100 gift code to use on a men’s or women’s wooden watch from Jord. Though there will only be one lucky winner, all participants will receive a promo code for $25 off any purchase from Jord. Good luck!

XO, Vivian

 

This post is sponsored by JORD wood watches, but all opinions are my own. 

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Blog, Lifestyle, Style

Talking Resolutions in Jeans & Sneaks (+ 1 year UPDATE)

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Happy New Year! It’s time to make resolutions for ourselves. Here’s what I had in mind:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The women in my family recycle. Everyone has a recycling bin in their garage to toss plastic, paper, and glass. Me? I’ve moved in and out of tiny apartments for years and I don’t have the space to have a bin designated for recyclables. Believe it or not, it really bums me out! Watching people use an excessive amount of paper towels hurts my heart. I literally think to myself, “the trees!!!”

With my current routine,  I go to the grocery store and mall A LOT. Steve Madden provides you with a reusable bag every time you purchase a pair of shoes. Quite a few of my shoes are from Steve Madden, so as you can imagine, I’ve built up a collection of reusable bags. I use them for everything! Rather than getting a plastic bag from every store I shop at (even though it looks cool), I place all my purchases in one reusable bag. I’ve also learned to keep a couple bags in my car for groceries (1 reusable bag fits ~3 plastic bags worth of groceries). In either of these situations, it feels SO good to know I’m doing my part in taking care of Earth.

What can I do in 2018? I’d love to use less plastic from water bottles and water gallons. I only drink water, but I’m a little picky and I refuse to drink tap water. For a while now, I’ve been drinking a lot less water than I should be drinking because I don’t know what to do with my water bottles since I don’t have a bin at home. It’s a terrible situation to be in and I’m tired of it, so I have a plan. I’ve decided to dust off my water cooler, change the filter, and have two 3 gallon jugs in rotation to keep my hydrated. I really think this will quench my thirst!

UPDATE: (Jan. 2019) Well, I never dusted off that water cooler and never cleaned out the filter. This was the probably the biggest flop for me this year! I ended up getting a Brita filter and I refill it every other day. I carry around a stainless steel water bottle to reduce plastic consumption. I’m proud to say that I only purchased about a half dozen water bottles this year! I don’t drink Starbucks or order sodas from drive thru’s, so my to-go consumption was also fairly low. I’m proud of this!

2. Set a Schedule

In 2017, I set out to “have the most active year of my life” and I did it! How did I do it? I used a flexible definition. I didn’t tell myself lose X amount of inches, workout X amount of days, or anything of the sort. Since I was 17 I’ve had 3 month periods where I am dedicated to the gym, but then go back to being a couch potato, and I flip flop like that. In 2017, I said no more of that! Whether it was walking, running, or weight training, I wanted to be active and I stuck to it. I am not in the best shape I’ve ever been in, but that’s not what I was aiming for in 2017 and I’m ok with that.

What can I do in 2018? I’d be happy to run 3 half marathons this year! The passionate runner in me wants to do more, but I need to be realistic with my schedule. Fitness is important to me, and I plan to reach this goal by being consistent with myself. Writing down gym dates with myself is nice, but my planner isn’t always on me and it’s easy to overbook myself when I’m having a conversation with someone. Creating a calendar invite using iCal on my iPhone might be the kind of reminder I need to show up for my run (or Orange Theory!).

UPDATE: (Jan. 2019) I failed this one pretty miserably. I PR’d in my first half marathon of the year with a time of 1:41 (more on this day here). In my mind, I still had 2 races to go, and I was certain 2018 would be year I run a sub 1:40. Big ole NOPE. I started yoga in July to cross-train my runs, but I liked yoga much more than I thought I would and my running fell off to the side. I only ran one more half marathon and it was physically and mentally exhausting due to my unpreparedness.

3. Be a Better Friend

Of my resolutions, I know this one will be the hardest. Between school, personal goals, family, and spending time with the SO, it’s so easy to let friendships slip up. I broke up with a friend recently and it made me want to be a better friend to the gals that are supportive and care about me.

What can I do in 2018? Conversations via text quickly go stale, so I hope to call up my friends more often. Every time I call a friend, it’s been way too long since our last conversation and I insist on getting caught up on all the time we haven’t talked. I’d like to have more frequent conversations for shorter periods, and feel like I’m part of my friends’ lives, listening to stories as they develop rather than listening to everything at a later time. I just think life things will always come up and it will only get harder to create and maintain friendships. I’m making this a priority this year to take special care of the connections I have right now.

UPDATE: (Jan. 2019) Me and people just didn’t work out in 2018. I lost two friends this year for no specific reasons other than miscommunication and lack of caring. I’m not big on “one door closes, another door opens,” but the big man upstairs came through for me. He blessed me with two new friendships in 2018. I couldn’t be happier! Me and Prashi had quite the heated arguments in 2018 too, but we survived and settled our beef (or lack thereof!) for 2019.

Can you relate to any of my resolutions? Above all, I’d just like to be healthy and happy! Let’s make it an incredible year, ya’ll!

XO, Vivian
UPDATE: (Jan. 2019) Yes, I failed ALL my resolutions this year. They were so simple too, I almost cant’ believe it! Cooling it with the resolutions this year though. Thanks for reading my updates!

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Blog, Style

New Years Eve Sequins

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New Years Eve is one of the few occasions where it is acceptable to wear sequins as an adult. Obviously, I’ll be taking full advantage! No plans are set in stone for NYE, but I know I want to feel as festive as possible. Whether I’m singing karaoke or sipping bubbly at a house party, it’s only appropriate to welcome 2018 with big Texas hair and some shimmery sequins.

From what I remember (but I also have terrible memory), I have never worn sequins outside of ballet recitals, pageant dresses, and halloween costumes. It’s basically a tragedy! So, I decided to grab this skirt off the rack and pair it with some black patent leather heels that are just as fabulous as my rose gold sequin mini skirt. I’m completely aware that it’s not mini skirt weather across the country, so I’ve linked a few other sequin pieces in the widget below, like this blazer that’s the exact same pattern as my skirt. Either of these pieces are sure to make a statement and are perfect for any NYE plans you have!

This is my last blog post of the year. I can’t believe it! I usually say that little has changed from year to year, but 2017 was a year like no other. 2 second recap: moved across the state, graduate school, long distance relationship, 2 half marathons(!), new lifelong friends, and the start of A Chance of Charm. It was really hard in some ways, but the year is just about over and I survived. I more than survived, I thrived!

Thank ya’ll for reading and hanging around these past 4 months, I appreciate you so much! There is much more to come in the new year and I hope I get to share all the big moments with you. See you soon!

XO, Vivian

Top – Bebe
Skirt – Forever 21
Heels – Steve Madden

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Blog, Style

Over the Knee Boots

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Just five more days until Christmas! I feel like a total grinch this year for not putting up a tree. I moved back to Dallas from Kingsville on the 15th and it didn’t make much sense to me to hunt down a good tree and decorate it so late in the game. What’s even worse is that I didn’t put up not ONE item of decoration. Not even festive pillows! I’ll be on it next year though, will all sorts of Christmassy things.

OK, I need to brag about these boots. I’ll start by saying that I have a couple problems with the majority of boots. 1) I’m 5’0″ and I swear it’s like every boot out there is made for someone with wonder woman-like legs that reach the sky. 2) Fine. I find a boot that’s not too long on me, but then it’s too wide around my small calves and I just feel silly walking around in ill-fitting shoes. But don’t worry, this story has a happy ending. In walk these Steve Madden OTK boots and they’re perfect! I was a little unsure about ordering them until I read “narrow calf circumference” under sizing info. I was so excited that I bought the boot in Grey and Black (though I decided to only keep the Black pair). Styling them has been so much fun and it makes me wish I had more places to go to other than the grocery store. I highly recommend the “Isaac” for fellow petites out there who, like me, always wanted a pair of OTK’s but never bought a pair for sizing reasons. Also, just a couple days ago I picked up this quilted crossbody as I was passing Forever 21. I’m so sad to say that it’s sold out in black (they still have red), but I linked a similar one down below if you can’t make it in store. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

As always, thank you for stopping by my corner of the internet 🙂

XO, Vivian

Top – Target
Skirt – Bebe (similar)
Boots – Steve Madden / Nordstrom (more sizes here and here)
Crossbody – Forever 21
Watch – Kapten & Son

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Blog, Fitness

Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon San Antonio

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I crossed the half marathon finish line at Rock ‘N’ Roll San Antonio! My race day alarm woke me up at 5:40 am and I was up in a second. I’m already a light sleeper, but when I’m nervous or excited I wake up at the first sound of my alarm so easily. I struggle waking up at 7:20 for my 8:00 am class, but 5:40 am on race day? Piece of cake! I chilled my hydration flasks in ice and let them get cold as I ate my usual: honey nut cheerios, yogurt, banana, lots of water. Before I knew it, it was time for me to make my french braid and head out.

The Hilton I stayed at was basically 2 feet away from the start line so I walked to my corral number (4 out of 23!) and patiently waited for my wave to start. And then go time! I struggle finding a pace, so I decided to follow this woman. She was at least 60 years old and hauling a** as my brother would say. To my surprise, I kept up with her until I lost her around mile 3 (she probably knew I was following her!). I managed to hold the woman’s pace throughout the race, which was awesome! I felt physically strong, yet weak as I was overwhelmed with emotion. It is one of the most incredible things to see strangers, volunteers, families, just standing along side the course or outside their homes cheering you on. They probably only know a runner or two and are not there to cheer me on specifically, yet the crowds make me feel like a superstar!

It was so foggy when the race started and I could feel a drop here or there, but come mile 6, the rain fell so hard! Ya’ll, I was NOT prepared for this turn of events. The majority of my training is on a treadmill, so in my mind, rain was not even a possibility. I went with it (not that I had a choice) and I had so much fun running in the rain. The leaves were falling, I was in a beautiful park, and I was smiling so big, everything was perfect! My heart was so full that I couldn’t help but thank our creator for allowing me to present in that moment. Then, the moment was over and the rain stopped just as quickly as it started. I was kind of relieved since my contacts were starting to dry out, and that’s when I noticed my shoes and socks were drenched! There was not a dry spot on my body and all I could see on the road ahead of me were giant puddles of water. Somehow, I didn’t let it bother me and I kept on running the last 7 miles with heavy shoes (again, I didn’t have a choice).

The run went by SO fast, at least in comparison to all the time I spent thinking about it. Every few miles there was a mile marker saying we were at (for example) 9 miles. Well, I misunderstood those mile markers. To my understanding, the number of miles meant I was going to start mile 9, but it really meant I had already finished mile 9. I know what you’re thinking, “it’s only a mile, why does it matter?” Trust me, I agree with you! BUT, I saw mile marker 13 and I was prepared to start sprinting for the last mile but the race was over. I was so disappointed! It was so anticlimactic, and I felt so silly for misunderstanding the signs. The disappointment quickly turned into excitement as I realized I beat my personal record by 9 minutes!!! I ran 13.1 miles in 1:50 (1 hr 50 min) and I could not be more proud of myself. I LOVE running and I can’t wait for my next half marathon!

Thank you so much for reading and stopping by! I know today was a long one, but I appreciate you following along!

XO, Vivian

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Blog, Fitness

Pre-Race Thoughts + Running Playlist

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Post-race at Rock ‘N’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon in March 2017

My week:  It’s been A week. I was off to a great start and then I got hit out of nowhere (literally!). A vehicle hit me on Tuesday and it hurt enough to give me whiplash. And if you’ve never had whiplash, let me tell you that it’s no joke. The original plan was to run everyday this week, but I decided not to run on an injured neck that afternoon. I woke up the next day and it hurt to turn my head left and right, and it was even more painful to tilt my head back like in hair washing motion. A few headaches, ibuprofen pills, and warm compresses later, I’m just about fully recovered! My mom said I won’t recover as quickly later in life, so just this once, I’m glad to be a twenty something!

The city: I’m so happy to be writing to ya’ll from San Antonio! I lived here for 2 1/2 years during undergrad before transferring universities. I’m sad to say I didn’t spend any time in the downtown area when lived here. However, I’m back and I’m happy to be getting to know this city even better on a beautiful 13.1 mile run!

Training: I have been extremely hard on myself the past couple of months. It’s natural to want to compare ourselves to a different time in our lives when we were “better” at something, but it’s not such a good idea. I kept thinking back to January (when I was training for my first half marathon) and couldn’t help but think that I put in significantly more time and effort back then than I did preparing for this race. It was causing stress and I couldn’t take the personal guilt of knowing that I didn’t try as hard this time in comparison to last time, so guess what I did… I counted every single training run from my first half marathon, and counted every single training run for this half marathon, and I couldn’t believe it!!! I’ve trained more this second time around compared to my first time and it was a total shocker! Graduate school has taken over my life for the past year, but I am so incredibly proud to have made myself a priority and pushed my studies aside to take care of my health and accomplish my personal goals.

Of course, no run is complete without a few jams. I’d been running with my iPod from middle school for years, but I finally decided to retire my iPod to use Spotify on my phone. I’ve put together almost 4 hours of some of my favorite songs that pump me up and remind me of good times. I hope you find something you like, or use the playlist during your runs! Happy Sunday Runday!

XO, Vivian

 

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Blog, Lifestyle, Style

Riding Boots + Christmas Playlist

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Hello, friends! How was your Thanksgiving? I got to spend a few days in Dallas and it was just what I needed! I had a paper due over my break and of course I waited until the last day to get my thoughts together, so I ended up working and submitting my paper on Thanksgiving day. It was terrible! Even with the paper in the back of my mind, I got to spend the holiday with Prashi and his family and it was a lovely afternoon. I even got Prashi to take a few photos of what I wore because I just had to show ya’ll my riding boots! I always walk around the shoe aisles at Target even though I never have luck finding shoes I like, but I fell in love with these boots. Could it have been because they were only $39? Possibly, but they’re also so comfy and pair well with nearly everything. A pretty pair of riding boots can be so expensive so I wasn’t in the market to purchase a pair, but these boots fit my narrow calves so well that I couldn’t say no to such a sweet deal. If you’re looking to splurge a little, I linked another beautiful boot that looks similar to the ones I’m wearing. Either way, I can’t wait to get more use out of these boots!

Also, the struggle of find the perfect Christmas playlist is REAL. I know from experience! I made this playlist last year around this time and I’ve added a few songs since then. I grew up in a religious home and had little to no exposure to Christmas music until recently. Because I discovered the magic of holiday music so late in life, I LOVE all the classics! In my “Christmas in Texas” playlist you’ll find over an hour and a half of all the Christmas classics. Enjoy!

 

XO, Vivian

Sweater – Banana Republic (cute and cuter)
Handbag – Louis Vuitton
Watch – Kapten & Son
Necklace – Tiffany & Co.

 

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Blog, Lifestyle, Style

How to Clean Out Your Closet

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I didn’t realize how hard (or hot) it is to layer clothes. I mean, no wonder mock layers are a thing! They’re total time savers and it looks just as cute. I’m still experiencing 85+ degree weather down here in Kingsville so I’ll be sticking to mock layers until it starts to cool down. Both my v-neck sweater and button down shirt were pieces I hadn’t loved on recently. It was one of those things where you have so much in your closet that you being to lose track of even the good things! So, I did the unthinkable and finally cleaned out my closet. Though I’ve tossed out a lot, I feel like theres so much more for me to get rid of. I finally move back to Dallas in a few weeks and it makes me giddy knowing I’ll have less to pack and drag along with me. Getting rid of stuff was SO easy, ya’ll! I can’t believe I avoided it for so long! Black Friday and Cyber Monday are days away and I know you’ll need to make space for all the clothes you bought, so here are some things to consider to help YOU clean out your closet:

1. Tags

How long have the tags been on your clothes? This happens to me! For example: I bought something to wear for some made up occasion and the occasion never came, so this new piece just hangs there for X amount of time. It’s too late to make the return, I don’t know where the receipt is at, and I’m still hopeful the occasion will come. Sell it!

2. Old

Things don’t fit me. I never gained the “Freshmen 15” (or at least not all of ‘em!) so a lot of old clothes technically fit. Yeah, buttons close, but some pieces just aren’t as flattering as they once were. Be honest with yourself here. I personally don’t like putting clothes on that show a pudge here or a roll there, or that doesn’t make be feel good about myself. Toss it!

3. Fit

Also in my closet are a lot of pieces that are big from the moment I buy them. I swear to myself I’ll take my dress, jeans, or whatever it is, to go get hemmed but I only get that far 50% of the time. This leaves me with a pile of clothes that fit awkwardly! Set this pile aside and determine if these pieces means enough to you to spend $50 getting them tailored. If not, sell it!

4. Unwearable

I’m embarrassed to say that have this one sweater that has a giant hole in the arm. I just wore it last week! I only wear it because I can roll the sleeve up and completely cover the hole. BUT, when the time comes (hopefully soon), I’m going to toss it. If theres a hole or a stain in a spot that you can’t hide, toss it!

5. Undergarments

Undies get stretchy and wearing a pair that bunches up in your jeans is not flattering, toss it. Women are strange and own upwards of a dozen bras, yet we only wear 4 of them. I get it! They’re the most comfortable! It’s important to have a couple black ones, nudes, strapless, plunge options. But if it’s bright yellow and shows through everything, toss it! Also, you’re never going to wear a bra with a million rhinestones stuck to it, so toss that one too!

6. Shoes

Boy did I get rid of shoes! Shoes go out of style SO quickly! It’s really crazy what these designers come up with to keep me spending money, but it works. If your shoes are hanging on by a thread and you love them, take them to a cobbler. I did this over the summer. I desperately wanted to save a pair of wedges and the sweet man said he couldn’t save them. As much as it hurt me, I tossed the shoes in the trashcan he had and walked away. If it can’t be fixed, toss it! I think I got rid of 5 pairs of tennis shoes. I wear tennis shoes every single day to school. And if I didn’t have school, I’d wear them to workout. And if I didn’t workout, I’d wear them with an athleisure look to run errands. As you can see, I wear a lot of tennis shoes! They all fit differently, they’re all different colors… Believe me when I say I had a million excuses not to throw out my shoes. BUT, I’m getting older and I need to take care of my feet. All the shoes I tossed had over 400 miles on them and zero cushion, so I tossed them!
I hope this helps ya’ll find the strength to toss out clothes! What are your best tips to cleaning out your closet? Leave a comment down below!

XO, Vivian

Sweater – Forever 21 (similar)
Button down – Abercrombie and Fitch
Jeans – Banana Republic (and a lighter wash)
Booties – Vince Camuto / Nordstrom ( and similar)
Handbag – Louis Vuitton

 

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Blog, Style

Bat-Wing Sleeves

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Look, all I’m saying is, if batman were a woman… This would be her MO (you know, with the bat sleeves and all!). I love trends and watching how other people style them, but I’m currently a little overwhelmed with all the types of sleeves out there are lately. What do you think? I just find it’s easier to dress yourself and head out the door when you stick to basics (i.e. a simple grey top) and I’ll usually save fun/trendier clothes for the weekends when I have a little more time to think about what I’m wearing. On cooler days, tossing a scarf around my neck is the easiest way for me to add a layer and look a bit more put together! How is it that a little piece of fabric around my neck makes me feel like I have it together? I have no clue, but it seems to do the trick for me! This scarf is definitely an oldie but I linked similar (and warmer) styles down below.

Also, I’ve seen so many friends putting up their Christmas decor. I’m having these mixed feelings where I’m kinda jealous and want to put up my tree, but at the same time I’m still not over Halloween. Please tell me some of ya’ll feel the same way! I think I just might’ve had way too much fun on Halloween with my cohort playing games, apple bobbing (which I highly recommend!), and just bonding with each other. We rarely give ourselves a night off and I know that night is one that I’ll remember for a lifetime. After all, I only have 4 weeks left with this great group of people and I’m trying to make every second count!

Thanks for reading, see ya on the gram!

XO, Vivian

Top – BCBG Maxazria (cuter and cuter)
Jeans – Abercrombie
Scarf – Express (cuter)
Booties – Sbicca / Nordstrom
Crossbody – Louis Vuitton
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