OOTD: Bicycle Shorts

I am late to the bicycle party because I'll admit, I though they looked stupid. It just looked too much like shape wear to me. Then, I saw some photos of the late Princess Diana rocking them and I was inspired. Princess Di rocked athleisure like nobody's business!

blazer & belt bag: Boohoo, shorts: Forever21, shoes & tee: Zara

I decided to wear mine with a loose fitting blazer because I just feel weird about having my crotch exposed and plus I didn't want the look to be so form-fitting.I added another trend as an accessory, le fanny pack (or belt bag for you Gen Zers). With some kitten heels, the look was polished, yet comfy. 

I would probably wear them more often as a layering piece. I was feeling the retro vibe it gave.

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Vivrant Thing

This outfit is one of those instances where you pair random items and end up loving the results. I originally wanted to a monochromatic look using a lighter-colored top but then I saw the yellow t-shirt and I liked how the colors looked next to each other. Luckily, the outfit looked as good as I visualized it in my head. Don't you just love when that happens?

top: Zara

pants: Pretty Little Thing (get it HERE)

shoes: Topshop

A tip for color-blocking is to pair colors that are opposite from each other on the color wheel. These color have the strongest contrast and go well together. In this case, purple and yellow. Technically, I have lilac on, but still works nonetheless.

Photos by: Milli Stephania

90s Nostalgia (Cute & Cheap As Outfits)

This is a fairly simple OOTD. There was some 90s nostalgia with the tube top and mules. I remember both being fairly popular when I was a kid. I paired my tube top with some linen pants instead of high-waisted jeans though.

Crystal Lens (@crysxlens on instagram) took the photos for this post. She was amazing to work with and captured some great shots. I am definitely looking forwards to working with her again. 

The pants in this post are sold out, but there are alternatives that you can shop below. I would like to mention how Amazon is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to shop for accessories! I make sure to always read reviews though, because some of their items can look a little off. The purse featured in this post was under $30!

top: Shein (get it HERE)
pants: Forever21
bag: Amazon (get it HERE)
shoes: Ego Shoes (get it HERE)

Shop pants similar to the style in this post: HERE and HERE.

Rainbow Bright (Cute & Cheap Ass Outfits)

I saw this dress in this buzzfeed article and I immediately fell in love. Since it is pretty loose fitting, I cinched it with a belt to give it some shape. Otherwise, I would've looked like I was wearing a sack. I accessorized with some block heels and this super-cute bag. I was on the fence about getting a bamboo bag and then I saw an affordable option on Amazon, so I definitely took advantage. The bag comes in two sizes. The one in this post is the small size.

Lately, I've been wanting to express myself with bright colors. Perhaps it's because I've been feeling so happy lately. I've been putting up a good fight against the Big D (Depression). Coming clean and writing the post about Depression helped a lot. I used to be ashamed and hide it but it just made me feel worse. I'm glad that I can be honest with myself now. Removing toxic people and relationships from my life has also helped immensely on my self-love journey. While I know depression will always come and go, at least I know that I can now manage the symptoms. 

While this outfit was not under $100, it was still super cheap. Below are the links for the items featured in the post. Everything totals up to about $105.00 USD. That's not too shabby.

dress- Amazon (buy it HERE)
bag-Amazon (buy it HERE)
shoes-Public Desire (similar style HERE)

Photos by: Milli Stephania

Hav & The City

The flower brooch made another appearance. I wore it again with the asymmetrical bodysuit I had on in this post. This time, I paired it with a ruffled skirt that I received from Chicwish. I've been into mixing patterns lately so I accessorized with my leopard clutch. The stripes in the skirt were sublte enough for the outfit not too look too busy.

I'm loving this skirt. I love the ruffles and the romantic feel it has to it. The skirt is not made with a stretchy material so it cinches the waist making you look extra snatched. So far, I've only worn it with heels to elongate the leg. I will try wearing it with flat shoes to see how it looks.

top: Forever21; brooch: Zara; skirt: Chicwish; clutch: eBay; shoes: Topshop

Once again, I collaborated with the lovely Milli Stephania. It is always a blast working with her. Her keen eye and attention to detail is like no other. If you ever need a photographer, you should definitely check her out!

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So What's Therapy Like?

A couple of months ago, I decided to briefly share my struggles with depression. I was deeply touched by the amount of support I received from readers and friends as well. I was terrified when I first published that blog post but now I feel so much freer. It is wonderful to finally be able to be honest with my myself and if I helped someone do the same then that is even better.

For those that do not know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. One of my twitter friends (@MacnMahalia) had tweeted about not seeing enough people share their experiences with therapy. Therapy is always thrown out there as a way to treat mental illness but nobody ever talks about what it's like. 

Admitting that I needed help was definitely a hard pill to swallow. I had stopped going through therapy as a teenager because I felt like I didn't need it anymore. I still suffered from depressive episodes but I held it all inside because I couldn't understand what was happening and I also didn't want to admit that something was wrong with me. It was when I was about 25 that I decided to find some help once again. I just couldn't deal with it anymore.

My insurance didn't offer me a whole lot of options, so I just the office that was closest to me. When I made the phone call, I was asked some questions in order to see if I qualified to receive services. Then, I was given an appointment to come in. At that appointment, I was assigned to a therapist, who will I refer to as Ms. H. I was lucky enough to find a therapist that I liked right away. Ms. H was great. The first couple of sessions were definitely awkward because I dislike talking about myself so there was a lot of silence. But, Ms. H was very patient and never pressured me to talk if I didn't feel up to it. Over time, we developed a rapport. Our sessions weren't just about talking, Ms. H helped me set up short and long-term goals as well as improve my self-confidence. She would give me little exercises to do in between our sessions to help manage my depression. I became more aware of things about myself, both positive and negative. But most importantly, I learned to accept having a mental illness. 

Therapy is definitely not a magical cure. And it is a process that takes dedication and patience. Like I mentioned before, it took several sessions for me to even say something. But once I started talking (and crying), the words just kept spilling out. It got easier to communicate.

Sadly, my time with Ms. H was cut short because she was transferred to another facility. And I did not like her replacement. Let's just say, she was pretty biased and was very quick to suggest medication (which I will elaborate in another post). So, I stopped going and found other ways to cope. But I do not regret going to therapy. I still struggle with my depression but I learned how to manage it. I can recognize certain triggers and it's gotten a little easier to ease myself out of those dark days. It helped me realize that my feelings are valid and that it is okay to receive help.

I Couldn't Help But Wonder...

I was doing some Spring shopping for Jeremy at Zara when I came across a flower brooch. It gave me some serious "Sex and The City Season 3" vibes. In that season, Carrie wears a lot of flowers as statement accessories. That and having my hair curly had me channeling Ms. Bradshaw.

top, pants & coat: Forever21; flower brooch: Zara; shoes: Lulu's

What is up with this weather? We had a little teaser this past weekend but it's back to "Sprinter", I guess. I took these photos with my good friend Daniel. It was a fun photo session full of jokes, which kept me distracted from how cold it was. Daniel has a photography page on Instagram (@luxure.jpg) if you'd like to check out his work. It's pretty awesome.

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SHOP FLOWER BROOCHES:

White Flower Brooch
Flower Brooch (Assorted Colors)

Generation Z Yellow?

sweater: Pretty Little Thing, pants: Boohoo, shoes: Lola Shoetique, bag: Zara

Te Molesta Mi Brillo?

sweatshirt: MMMerch, skirt: Boohoo, boots: Forever21, clutch: ebay

I collaborated with the incredibly talented Milli of Milli Stephania Photography for these photos. She has an incredible eye for color and I learned a couple of things about posing from her. It was freaking cold that day but we managed to get some pretty great shots.

OOTDs & NOLA Recap

top: Pretty Little Thing, pants: Forever21, sneakers: ADIDAS Stan Smith, bag: Louis Vuitton Florentine pochette

Last weekend, I went to New Orleans to celebrate my birthday. I enjoyed myself immensely.  I stayed in the French Quarter at the historic Le Pavillon hotel.  The hotel is very beautiful with antique furnishings and French influence in its design. Despite the rumors of it being haunted, I did not encounter any ghosts. The hotel was conveniently located by Jackson Square and Bourbon Street, making it easy to explore. The photos taken below were taken inside the hotel. It will give you an idea how pretty it was.

*At the end of this post, there are links to shop for my outfits. For items that are unavailable, I provided similar options. Hope you enjoy this post!

dress: @edyth_couture on instagram, shoes: Christian Louboutin Jonatina sandals

top (worn as dress): thrifted, shoes: Christian Louboutin Jonatina sandals

As expected, we had a blast on Bourbon Street. Tourists and locals alike were very friendly. I enjoyed dining in the Garden District (with the exception of Muriel's) a lot more as it wasn't so busy and you get more bang for your buck over there. We went to the Blind Pelican for lunch and had some fantastic chargrilled oysters. You get a dozen for about ten bucks. 

Garden District

For my birthday dinner, we went to Muriel's in Jackson Square. And there I had a creepy encounter. After dining, we went to have a look around. The restaurant is said to be haunted, and the restaurant always has a table set for its resident ghost, Pierre Antoine. The restaurant also has a seance room. While in the seance room, I went to open a door and felt as if the door was being pulled from the other side. I assumed it was a heavy door, so I pulled harder on the handle. All of a sudden, the handle was jerked away from me and the door slammed shut. We were all pretty creeped out!

seance lounge in Muriel's

table set for the ghost, Pierre Antoine

Besides stuffing my face, I also did a couple of tours. A Swamp Tour & a Ghost Tour. Both were very educational and very interesting. I was lucky enough to have guides that have a passion for their particular subject. Overall, I had a terrific time in NOLA. I can't wait to visit again!

baby Bruce & me 

a Hurricane cocktail

hot chocolate and beignets from Cafe DuMonde

Louis Armstrong Park

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