OOTD: What I'm Not Thankful For

I am thankful for so much. I am also pointedly not thankful for some of the things in my life.
Whenever I'm confronted with something inconvenient or difficult for me, my initial reaction is to be bitter and/or feel sorry for myself. Unfortunately, neither of those emotions help me or the situation.
It's important to acknowledge and validate my initial emotional reactions, but I don't need to give them any more power than they deserve. This is easier said than done, but it's true nonetheless.

My parents always told me that if I don't like something, instead of moping or whining about it, I should change it. Problem-solving is a useful tool to use when confronted with something that makes life more difficult, but it's not the only tool. Accepting that which you do not like is important both in situations when you can make a change and when you can't. 

When you can change what you don't like in your life, acceptance is the first step to acknowledging something is off in your life. From there, you can truly address the problem head-on.
When you can't change what you don't like in your life or the changes you can make are slow to take effect, acceptance can help you go through life without being bogged down.

When my therapist first started talking to me about acceptance, I had a hard time accepting (lol) this as a method for dealing with things that make my life harder. For one, it sounds like it means you have to invalidate your emotions. For another, it sounds a lot like giving up.
True acceptance is neither invalidating nor giving up. Society often preaches ignorance disguised as acceptance, but that is not true acceptance. True acceptance does not mean ignoring your feelings or the problem. It means openly acknowledging and validating your feelings, being honest about the problem, and accepting the reality of the situation. From there, you can start to live without being weighed down by the misery of a problem you can neither solve nor, in your mind, live with.

This was supposed to be my Thanksgiving week post. The Monday before Thanksgiving, however, I was put into a really difficult situation with the lease on my apartment. What it boiled down to was that I would need to move out the week of December 1st, a full month before I was expecting to have to move out. I'd been leisurely looking for roommates and apartments under the impression that I had until the end of my lease at the end of December, but I hadn't even so much as arranged to meet anyone or see anything yet. I felt scared, angry, and hopeless at the prospect of having to move out in 12 days without anywhere to go.

Luckily, this was a difficult situation I could change. I could (and did) look at a number of apartments before the real estate offices closed for Thanksgiving. I could (and did) arrange a fall-back option if I couldn't find a place to sign a lease. But before I could do any of those things, I had to stop wasting all my energy by thinking about how I didn't want to leave my apartment, how I wasn't ready to look for places, that I was scared I wouldn't have enough time to find the right place or the right roommates, that I was angry I had to do any of this in the first place. I had to accept the situation I was in so I had the energy and mindset to be able to find myself (and Luxe) a place to live. Even though I didn't want to, I had to move, and I had to move soon. Accepting that made it so much easier for me to look for a place in a time crunch and start packing up to move with so little time.

Acceptance is a tool I'm still working on. However, it's something I feel content to put the energy into, because it's a tool that really helps me so often.

This belt was provided by Top Tier Style. If you would like to purchase your own, use the coupon code BLOG15 for 15% OFF everything on their store!

OOTD: Wait For It

Tan cutout zip-up sandals - DIY high waisted light wash distressed denim from H&M - powder blue ruffle bell sleeve top - red bandana from Old Navy - silver and turquoise chandelier earrings from Forever 21 - DIY gemstone sunglasses

I can't tell you how excited I am about this outfit. Two of the items I'm wearing are actually brand new, and I've been wanting to buy them for what feels like forever. I recently mentioned that I've been looking for the perfect bell sleeve top for nearly a year, and I finally found it! Whenever I identify a specific trend I want to own, I go on Poshmark and save my favorite pieces to buy whenever I have the money. I've had this top on my saved items for a couple months and was waiting for them to restock in my size. They happened to restock toward the end of my fiscal quarter when I had a surplus in my shopping budget (I'm as surprised as you), so I pounced. I've also been looking for a cute bandana to wear this spring. I pass by the Old Navy window display every day on my way to and from work, and I've seen this exact bandana on the mannequins for weeks now. After continuing to pine after it, I decided to go in one day and buy it.

There are so many different approaches to shopping to create the perfect wardrobe. One of my biggest pieces of advice is to wait for the perfect piece when you're looking for something specific. I knew exactly what I wanted in a bell sleeve top and bandana, so I waited until I found just that. I found a couple similar items earlier on in my search that would have been more convenient to buy, but I'm so glad I decided to wait until I found exactly what I was looking for. I don't have any regrets and haven't found myself actively shopping for a better version of this piece, which I do when I buy something that I like but that I don't love.

This method isn't always necessary. These shoes, for instance, were a cheap pair of sandals that I bought when I needed a pair of sandals simply because it was a convenient purchase. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so it didn't matter whether or not I waited to find just what I was looking for. In the case of this top and this bandana, though, I'm glad I waited.

OOTD: Walk to Work

Black Steve Madden Chelsea boots - White palazzo pants - Black Forever 21 ribbed sweater - Black Banana Republic peacoat - Black Forever 21 tote bag - Olive green scarf 

Surprisingly, I don't actually mind my 50 minute commute to work. I spend my time on the train listening to podcasts (if anyone has any recommendations for psychology podcasts, please let me know!), which is a great way for me to wake up. My favorite part of my commute, though, is the 4 blocks I walk every day on my way from the subway station to my office. Twice a day every day, I get to walk through the middle of the greatest city on the world. I am inspired every single day by the outfits of those walking around me, the architecture of the buildings looming above me, and the general hustle of the city. I love working in Manhattan.
I'm not new to the business casual dress code. In fact, I kind of pride myself on being able to dress myself stylishly and appropriately. Dressing for work in Manhattan is a little bit of a different story, though. I'm out of the house for 11 hours a day, so I have to be comfortable. Plus, it's FREEZING in Manhattan right now, so I have to be cute, comfortable, professional, and warm. Luckily, I have a closet full of coats and I've been stocking up on comfy business attire, so I'm feeling pretty good. I do wear a lot of the same items to work, but that's part of being broke.

OOTD: Farmer's Market

On a surprisingly sunny November day, I ventured into Ballard to check out the farmer's market. It was an excellent excuse to check another place off my bucket list, and to do so in an outfit I've been eager to wear since the end of summer. It took me at least fifteen minutes to figure out how to tie this scarf: it's the only square scarf I own, and I haven't worn it in the two years I've owned it.
 Full disclosure: this eucalyptus is Emily's, but she was kind enough to lend it to me for the picture. My farmer's market purchase, a block of cheese, wasn't exactly the perfect prop.

OOTD: Almost Home

With two weeks til graduation, I am incredibly grateful to be home for a couple days. I know I should be spending this time prepping for my finals, continuing to apply for jobs, and looking for post-grad housing, but I'm having a hard time tearing myself away from family card games and movie nights to be doing anything productive. My family has been able to spend some really great quality time together. All five of us are together for the first time in six months, and after December, we won't be together until my graduation ceremony in June.
This scarf is my go-to this time of year: it's warm, the colors are perfect for autumn, and easy-to-wear. A bodycon was not my best decision for a day centered around eating... At least it was stretchy!

What to Wear: to the Airport

Of all the occasions I dress for, dressing to travel is one of the most difficult. Balancing style with comfort and practicality is a hard line to walk. Luckily, I've been flying since I was 13 days old, and have picked up a couple of tricks to doing so in the appropriate clothing. 

Photos via: Vanilla Extract, Cara Loren, Thirty Something Fashion, Seeking Sunshine, and The Teacher Diva.

Whoever said leggings can't be pants just didn't want you to be comfortable. Leggings are ideal to wear when traveling because they're the perfect layering item and are simply comfortable enough to spend an otherwise uncomfortable day in.

Photos via: FIGTNY, Southern Curls & Pearls, Fashion Me Now, and CollegeFashionista. 

If you're traveling somewhere a little chillier, a scarf is a must-pack. Save room in your suitcase and give yourself a built-in pillow by wearing a scarf on the plane.

Photos via: The Fox & She, Creators of Desire, The Quarter Life Closet, My Style Vita, and Prosecco & Plaid.

No one likes airport security. Make the process a little easier on yourself by wearing shoes that are easy to slip on and off. Just don't forget to pair them with socks: you definitely don't want to walk barefoot through the metal detector!

Photo via: By Olina, Creators of Desire, Looks by Lau, Lindsay Marcella, and Somewhere, Lately.

Layering is essential when traveling for two reasons. First of all, wearing as much as possible leaves that much more room in your suitcase. Second of all, layering will help you adjust to the temperature changes from one place to the next; especially if you're traveling somewhere cold or if you get chilly on airplanes.

Photos via: Natalie Dressed, Mimosas and Manhattan, Lucitisima, Brooklyn Blonde, and Sweet, Short & Stylish.

This is essential when dressing comfortably to travel. Lightweight and loose-fitting clothes let you look cute without sitting in a seat for hours on end with your clothes digging into you.

OOTD: On the Grid

This skirt is one of my favorite purchases I've made in 2016: I've been looking for the perfect grid-print skirt since the start of the school year, and I just happened to come across this at my local Crossroads. I'm still thoroughly enjoying wearing all my layers; my mom gave me this scarf for Valentine's Day and these boots still have plenty of wear left in them. That being said, I'm looking forward to the warmer weather that's supposedly on the horizon.

OOTD: Wear 1 Scarf 6 Ways

One of the things I asked for this holiday season was a blanket scarf. It can get pretty cold in Seattle and it's so nice to have an extra-large scarf to help me keep warm. Plus, there are so many ways to wear a blanket scarf. Check out 6 different ways I wore my favorite blanket scarf below!

1. Straight & simple.

2. Wrap-around.

3. Cape.

4. Tied cape.

5. Over-the-shoulder.

6. Tie-through.