PRETTY IN PINK - an uncharacteristically "girly" outfit

I just got back from Thanksgiving break and let me tell you...I did not expect to miss home as much as I did.

What no one really tells you is that sometimes, no matter how much you think you're ready to leave home, be insanely independent, and just get away from everything and everyone you associate with your hometown, you'll never really be as ready as you think you are.

I definitely wasn't.

Toward the end of the summer, I was more than ready to leave home, my family, and friends (I love you all, but I was ready for change). The first two and a half months of school went by smoothly, but for a couples times when I got sick. Otherwise, I was having the time of my life and didn't worry too much about my family or what I had left behind. Then all of a sudden, November came and it was like I couldn't get home fast enough. I got super sick the week before Thanksgiving and spent a good 48hrs with a scarily high fever - I was convinced I was on my deathbed. I literally did nothing but sleep, then cry while I was awake, for 2 days straight. It was absolutely pathetic.

I just needed to go home. As much as I had convinced myself I wouldn't break down, I was overwhelmed with homesickness. I would much rather be sick at home, where I could ask my mom to get me Baja Fresh Mexican rice and a Cold Buster from Jamba Juice (Weird combo, I know. It's been a thing since I was little. Just don't ask). Instead, I was stuck in my dorm with a depleted supply of Nyquil. It was honestly horrible.

So what did I do? I maturely (not at all) decided to leave for home an entire week earlier than I had originally planned. I spent my first couple days back sick, then proceeded to enjoy a glorious nine full days back in LA, during which I did an insane amount of shopping, eating and driving (I missed my car so much). I really needed that time to recharge and just be back somewhere familiar. 

And now that I've bitched enough to completely turn off anyone who's reading this from ever visiting my blog ever again, I can go on to this outfit post. I apologize.

So one of the things I was super excited about when I went home was realizing that I would be able to get my instagram game back on track. Not going to lie, I'm a little anal when it comes to my instagram feed, and I will be the first to admit that my feed has been looking less that subpar as of late. I made it my mission to get it together and return my feed to its former glory (as you can tell, I'm a little obsessive about it).

Of course, this meant that I forced my brother and mom (my dad is absolutely horrid at taking pictures, even though he's convinced that he's great at it) to take pictures for me to post on my blog and instagram. The pictures in this post are a result of me begging my mom to take pictures of me on a cold and rainy morning. She was not happy about it, but look at what a good job she did!

But I digress.

I've never been a huge Black Friday person, or even a Cyber Monday person, for that matter. Nevertheless, I ended up hitting the shops on Friday evening. In between dinner and a movie (we watched Interstellar and I am still confused and tripped out and just....) I made a pit stop at Zara, where the entire store was 30% OFF and picked up a few items (the others of which you will see in subsequent posts). One of my finds was this great A-line houndstooth skirt. I usually go for body-con style skirts, so I love the shape and structure of this one! Also, I'm not really a houndstooth kinda girl - it always seemed too prim and proper/just not really my style. And yet...look what can happen when you step outside your comfort zone. I mean, I at least like this outfit, so I'm happy with my choice.

I paired the skirt with a plain black long-sleeve from American Apparel, and some chunky-heeled cutout boots I picked up from Steve Madden last fall (which I can't find online anymore :( ). 

Also, I really don't know why I titled this post "Pretty in Pink." There's literally only one item in this outfit that's pink - my MiuMiu wallet. I think it's because between the houndstooth A-line and the pink patent leather wallet with bow included, this felt like a very "feminine" outfit to me. My style tends to be more tomboy-ish, I guess, so while this black-and-white-with-a-hint-of-pink ensemble still fits my minimalistic style, it felt a bit on the "girly" side. I dunno, man.

Also, I got my hair cut while I was back. And I got it curled. Maybe that's another reason why I felt especially put together, which makes sense since I spent the last few days before flying home curled up in my bed in nothing but a t-shirt and granny panties, my hair in a disheveled bun that resembled a rats nest.

It was just great being home. And now that I'm back at school, I have to figure out how I'm going to pass all my classes this semester. The next couple weeks should be interesting, but I'm motivated by the fact that this is my last week of classes, next week will be dead week (yay!!! I love studying 24hrs/day), and the following week is finals week, then I'm home for CHRISTMASSSSSSSSSSSS.

I aggressively love the Holiday season.

Here's a bonus picture of me doing God knows what. I literally give up with poses. Life is hard, and half the time I just look like an idiot.

Oh and here's another thing that's motivating me to do well in school so I can go home and enjoy my break instead of worrying about graduating on time - GOOD FOOD. I got this amazing Acai Bowl at Freshly Squeezed Juice Bar on my last day at home. And I can't wait to get another one (or 30) during my next trip back.