April Showers....

The old adage of April showers bring May flowers couldn't be more true even when half-way around the globe from where I grew up. Spring has begun to show its face in Seoul and it has brought no shortage of spring showers in its wake.

Despite the rain I had an eventful and enjoyable weekend! For starters a good friend of mine spent his last weekend in Seoul and I had a great time celebrating with my friend Brady. I also got in a fun trip to scout out a couple of new vintage items and started working on a new book, The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin.

I am only a few chapters in so far, but I can tell that this little book is well worth the purchase. Already I feel like I have gained great knowledge, resources, and not to mention well needed inspiration. Kari Chapin's writing is really enjoyable and makes reading the book a breeze.


I am reading the book for the Roost Tribe book club that I just joined up with and I couldn't be more pleased with the sense of community that I am experiencing so far.

I am beyond excited about joining the Roost Tribe and I will share my final thoughts on this book in a future post. :)

  

Here are a couple of images I wanted to share from my weekend, and I hope that y'all had a restful and enjoyable weekend break. 

Sunset on my walk home through my neighborhood, Hannam-dong.

My friend Brady and I having fun at the Navajo bar in Sookdae.

 I know I was busy this weekend, but is there anything that you have started over the weekend and are excited about? 

P.S.Keep an eye out for some great vintage items and a new blog post on how to thrift successfully.

Goals are GREAT

This beautiful graphic was created by Always Rooney and you can find it and other great content, here.

Today I wanted to talk about goals. Goals are great and everyone makes a goal at some point in their life, but often we give up on our goals when they seem unachievable or we experience adversity. At first instinct we tend to shy away from difficulty in favor of the quick fix or instant gratification, and this is a gut reaction we must learn to overcome if we ever hope to get the very best from ourselves.

For years my life was bleak and I was utterly unhappy in my circumstances. I hated my body, suffered panic attacks when attention was given to me, and was failing nearly every one of my classes. I didn't think I had a future that extended past the city limits of the small town I was born in and expected nothing more than a job at the gas station.

But one day I got fed up. I woke up and rejected the life that I was accepting, and decided to create a life that I was proud of and fulfilled by. My decision wasn't easy and there were moments that I felt myself slipping back into my comfort zone, but I pressed on and kept my resolve.

The result is a life that I am excited by and in constant awe of, and it is evidence that hard-work and staying the course we set for ourselves is worth it. When I was younger I hated things that were hard or uncomfortable, but now I recognize a simple truth.

If it's hard then it's probably worth the trouble. 

Every trouble in my life has only made me stronger, and I have only discovered how much further I am able to go than I originally thought.

I thank God that I wake up everyday ready to embrace a new day with an open heart, and I am constantly asking him to show me more of the woman I can become.

Is there a goal that you have set for yourself that seems daunting? Have you accomplished something that you never thought possible, and did you ever want to give up along the way? How have/did you stay motivated?

I'm a joyful mess

Ok, lovelies, I wanted to share some really exciting news today about my future! 

Wait for it....

I'm going to GRADUATE SCHOOL in the FALL!!!

I EVEN GOT INTO MY FIRST CHOICE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA! 

Also,

It's going to be COMPLETELY FREE! POR GRATIS!

AND

I was awarded an amazing fellowship that will actually PAY ME to go to school, and I won't even have to work for it! (I'm a really weird person who thinks school is a treat, not work.) I am going to make the most money I have ever made and all I have to do is GO TO SCHOOL. 

I LOVE SCHOOL!

Sporting my new school's colors and I think I pull them off!

Ok, ok! Now, I can calm down and tone down the caps lock, BUT HOW STINKING AWESOME IS THIS NEWS?! I can't even tell you how excited and joyful I am. I couldn't even believe the news that I had been given such an amazing fellowship, which only 7 other people were awarded. (I'm still pinching myself to make sure that I'm not daydreaming)

I worked pretty dang hard concerning academia and now I feel justified in all my long nights as an undergraduate. Working 2 jobs to make ends meet and embracing life as a poor college student, while maintaining a competitive GPA was no walk in the park! I can't count the amount of times that I got home past midnight from work with a night of studying waiting for me and classes at 8 am the next morning. All the hard work I did hoping it would be enough to take it to the next level and earn a PhD, all of it feels worth it now, but I know the real journey and the real work is only about to begin. 

And I am so ready for it start.

Things I love: Inspiration

Today I wanted to share some beautiful inspiration in the form of three lovely desktop wallpapers. I constantly have my mac open and I always appreciate a fresh, monthly background to help keep my creative side happy. Here is a little round-up for my top 3 desktop wallpapers/designers for April. I can always count on these ladies to deliver and I am a regular user and fan of their work!

Oana Befort is a talented designer, photographer, blogger, and all around crafty lady! Whenever I need a little inspiration I can hit Oana's blog and find something to get me feeling creative. Plus, she is wonderful at sharing her talent in great freebies! I am excited to share her April background with all of you and I hope you all fall in love with her work just like I have.

My current background!

August Every Month is a stunning blog run by Samantha August, a very talented designer with an eye for photography and fashion. August Every Month has a special place in my heart and I make sure to swing by regularly to see what new pretties Samantha has shared.

Going Home to Roost is a new favorite of mine and since finding it I have happily spent more than a little time (HOURS) going through all of the great content on the blog. Bonnie runs Going Home to Roost and she has a definite talent for design, crafting, and food! I recently joined her Roost Tribe, and I beyond excited to see what I will learn and who I will meet as a result.

I hope that you all enjoy this sample of my favorite internet inspiration, and most of all I hope that you take the time to swing by each of these talented ladies' blogs and fall in love just like I have.

Take Your Measurements

Today we are going to go over how to take proper body measurements, and I am beyond excited about this blog post! I have a small vintage shop on etsy, Seoul Sold, and I never fail to get questions about the fit or how to take proper measurements. I got so many questions about achieving the perfect fit that I decided to share how I went about measuring the clothes in my shop.

Initially, I grew interested in mastering the skill of measuring because of moving to South Korea, where there are untold amounts of pretty clothing, but you are usually not allowed to try ANYTHING on before you buy it. Not being allowed to try clothes on before a purchase is a nerve racking ordeal especially when you are not used to judging how the clothes will fit your body. Thankfully with a bit of practice and an inexpensive tape measure I am well armed in the Korean clothing stores.

When I look at a piece of clothing there are a few major categories that I initially assess and they are:

Everything else is just details because if these 4 major areas don't fit then the clothing item goes back on the rack! Non-negotiable! I have to be this strict because I am quite the clothes lover, but I once had a closet full of ALMOST right clothing. I have vowed to never again have a lackluster closet plus I save money and feel good about being thrifty. Hooray!

I got the body diagram from Modcloth, and you can find it, here.

Here's how you do it:

Bust: Measure from the fullest part of your bust and around your back.
Flat Measurement: Measure from armpit to armpit and double for the total measurement.

Waist: Find the smallest part of your waist, this is your natural waist and measure from there. I repeat find the smallest part of your waist above your belly button. The small of your waist is generally 2-3 inches above your waist.
Flat Measurement: Find the smallest part of the garment's waist and measure from end to end, double for total measurement.

Hips: Find the fullest part of your bottom and measure from there around your hips.
Flat Measurement: Look for the fullest part of the garment below the waist and measure from end to end, double for full measurement.

Length: Measure from the top of your shoulder to the bottom of the garment.
Flat Measurement: Measure from the top of of the garment's shoulder to its bottom.

Ever since I took a little bit of time to get acquainted with my tape measure I can honestly say that my understanding of my body and how to properly dress it has grown by untold amounts. In fact, I have grown so comfortable with measuring that I can even eyeball clothing with great accuracy, which is an invaluable skill in South Korea where you are often not allowed to try on clothing at all!

I hope this post helps you understand how to get the most out of your tape measure and achieving your perfect fit and closet.

Have a wonderful day and and keep shining bright all you beauties!