that's so last year

everything I loved about last year

A year in review: Last year was all about mental fortitude; a roller coaster that challenged both my mental and physical health. It started off with the stress of waiting to hear back from law schools, learning how to walk again, and moving out of my childhood home. I found substack during one of my many depressive episodes last year and cannot be more grateful for the community and inspiration you have all created here.

In doing so, I rediscovered my love for writing and creativity. I didn’t anticipate that anyone would actually read what I wrote and yet, here we are. I am endlessly grateful for all of you. Thank you for making me feel like my words are worth reading no matter how random they may be.

<3 you

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Highs:

1. meeting lover boy (FINALLY)

2. moving out

3. getting accepted into law school (after being rejected the yr prior)

Lows:

1. breaking my knee

2. stressing over exams

3. getting a flat tire

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Lessons:

1. time passes you no matter how spend it

2. say I love you more, you don’t know when it will be the last

3. it will all get done, just breathe

4. go to sleep, your to do list will be there tomorrow

5. hug tighter, kiss longer

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Everything I loved:

1. just bc flowers

   

   

2. getting accepted into law school

   

3. a cutie little apt & space to call my own

   

   

4. coffee table books

   

   I am the self proclaimed queen of curating the perfect chic coffee table. I have several books in rotation and little trinkets that I love moving around my space to give it a fresh feel with minimal effort. My current faves are: Dior Catwalk, CBK Fashion, and Porsche 75th.

5. my vogue subscription & special ed from France

   

   I grew up during the era of devil wears prada and always dreamed of having my very own stack of Vouge. Being gifted my very own subscription last year was such a heart warming full circle moment. I wake up every morning with breakfast and Vogue. Little me would be so proud of the life we are living. (also can’t get over the archival France edition featuring Jane Birkin. I aspire to collect more archived editions from around the world¹).

6. lots of cozy at home dates

   

   In between studying and crying about studying, making time for loved ones has been my favorite way to escape. While we may not always have time to go out on fancy dates, I have come to find that I prefer staying in for a cozy little dinner and movie night.

7. new jellycats

   

   yes, I am an adult. yes, I collect cute little stuffies.

8. soft robes & slow mornings

   

   

9. cutesy matching pj sets

   

10. a downsized closet

    

    Now having the luxury of two closets (one in my childhood home) I have come to realize that I don’t actually need a overflowing closet, nor do I like half of the clothes I have (at home). Last year, I mixed a lot of staple pieces to make various outfits out of the same few items. This year, I am going to embrace outfit repeating. What’s wrong with wearing it again??? I also plan on doing a massive closet clean out and purchase a few quality items in neutral colors.

11. new perfumes

    

    

    I am really picky with my scents as they often leave me feeling nauseous. I spent last year sampling a lot of perfumes and am really excited to hone in on my daily signature scent. The current contenders are ysl libre, maison margiela matcha meditation, and le labs another 13.

12. chic hand cremes

    

    If there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s dry hands. I always keep a mini hand creme on me so I decided to splurge on something that feels a little more luxurious. My current faves are: chanel la créme main, byredo gypsy water, salt & stone black rose and oud, and typology unscented hand balm.

13. classic movies

    

    

    

    nothing beats the angst, the cinematography, the musical scores, and the drama of classic films.

14. silence

    

    Visiting home for the holidays left me feeling overstimulated and even more appreciative of the comfort I find in my own silence.

15. setting my own routines

    

    

16. croissants: praline, chocolate, matcha, strawberry creme (ranked in that order)

    

    

17. lavender matcha lattes

    

    • 2 scoops ceremonial matcha powder

    • 1 tbsp brown sugar

    • 2 tsp torani lavender syrup

    • 1 tbsp hot water

    • whisk in zig zag motion until bubbles form (about 1 min)

    • pour over hot or iced oat milk

    • (add syrup to a splash of milk before frothing for lavender cold foam)

18. floral sheets

    

    I have never been one to stray from the classic all white bedding, and now here we are. I absolutely love waking up feeling like a little princess.

19. healthy natural nails (thx to manucurist)

    

    After spending the year rehabbing from constant gel manis with the help of manicurist’s easy to remove natural polishes, I can finally say that I love my nails again.

20. rhode blushes & saie loose powder

    

    I did a lot of experimenting with blush colors that were far out of my comfort zone last year. Rhode’s creamy formula made it easy to diffuse striking colors seamlessly into my skin. My current faves are: freckle (perfect peachy bronze for the summer), sleepy girl (mauve berry for winter), and toasted teddy (burnt sienna for year round). I love the soft glow look of dewy makeup but as an oily skin girlie, finding a powder that doesn’t completely dry me out was near impossible. Saie has the perfect powder to balance out shine while providing a soft glow (bonus points for the no-spill packaging).

21. a good lash curler

    

    I can not leave the house without my lashes curled. Investing in a good quality curler keeps my stubborn and stick straight lashes lifted all day without the fear of ripping them out (trust me. been there, done that).

22. the best bday ever & going to see the nutcracker with my lover boy

    

    for the first time in my life I felt loved and seen

    As a girl that hates her birthday and spends it crying in bed, my bday weekend was/still is everything and more. I pray that every one finds someone that makes them feel special on their birthday.

23. lots of baking and new healthy recipes

Some of my favorite eats² from last year: apple crisp, brown butter choc chip cookies, greek chicken with dairy free tzatziki.

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Everything I am leaving behind:

1. people pleasing and overextending myself

2. picking up the phone when I can’t talk

3. being convinced to buy things I see online

4. hustle culture

5. competing over hours of sleep lost

6. checking in on those that do not check in on me

7. losing sleep over worrying about tomorrow

8. using emojis and “lol” to make texts feel less serious

9. responding to people right away

10. wearing a different perfume every day

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1. send me a postcard and vogue while you’re out on vacation please

2. my goal has been to find easy/healthy recipes leave a comment if you want me to post my fav recipes or have some you would like to share!