My Month in Film | March 2018

First off I’m going to apologize for this post being so late. The end of March was super busy, as was the rest of the month. Even though it took me a little longer to finish this roll than it normally does, there were lots of exciting things to document this month. While it was an incredibly busy month, I had a decent amount of time off work both on the weekends and during the week to go on trips, see more of the city, and spend time with friends and family. It also helps that it finally started to feel like spring this last month, which had a huge effect on both my mood and motivation. 

Sézane Farrow Bag | A Review

Today's post is a bit different than the usual ones you see on here, as I usually don't do single product reviews, especially of fashion pieces.  I've waited a while to write this blog post because even though it was total love at first sight with this bag I wanted to give myself some time to mull over my thoughts in order to give a very thorough and honest review. I first saw the Sézane Farrow bag on Lily Pebbles' Instagram and was immediately drawn to it. I knew that was the first sign that I should think about getting it because I am almost never drawn to bucket bags. It just was never a shape that resonated with me. I also love Sézane and I think they produce some really amazing, high-quality pieces, without charging an insane amount. Even though seeing the picture of Lily with her bucket bag made me change my thinking about bucket bags I was not at all prepared to go out and splurge on what is perhaps the bucket bag, i.e. the Mansur Gavriel bucket bag. Even though I think that is the ultimate bucket bag, I wasn't in love with it enough to justify paying the several extra hundred dollars. 

Over Christmas I decided to take the plunge and buy the bag (with the help of some Christmas money) and have not looked back since. I decided that since its not a shape I'm necessarily used to I went for the classic black. First off, the ordering process on Sézane is great! The shipping was free, which was especially nice since it was shipping from France and since it shipped via DHL, it got to my house in about three days. As soon as I got the bag I knew it was going to be perfect. The leather is extremely thick and seems like it will age beautifully over time. For me, the size is the best thing about this bag. It's just big enough to fit everything I'd need either on a work day or a day out, which usually includes my little film camera, small makeup bag, phone, keys, water bottle, wallet, and the book I'm reading at the moment. However, because it's not nearly as big as something like my Longchamp Large Tote or my Madewell Transport Tote, its a much more realistic bag to take from day to night. The strap is also long enough for it to be worn over one shoulder or crossbody. 

Because it is a bucket bag I assumed the inside would just be one big cavity, but there is actually a decent sized zipper side pocket and an open pocket, which is about the size of an iPhone 8 plus, in the lining. Even though there isn't a zipper, because of the drawstring at the top, you can still close the bag pretty much completely and have it feel pretty secure. It is more time consuming to have ties on a bag rather than a zipper, but that just comes with the territory of owning a bucket bag. The only downside that I have come across with this bag is that it can get heavy if you really pack it with a lot of stuff. This is partly because the bag itself is, as I mentioned before, made of pretty thick sturdy leather. That being said, I would much rather have a slightly heavy bag that will be durable over years and years than a lightweight bag that'll wear out over time. 

The Importance of Self-Care & My Self-Care Routine

I recently talked about my journey with self-love and the more that time goes on I have realized how self-care is a necessary component within practicing self-love. Working full time and trying to get my freelance career going has meant that I have very little free time and the free time I do have is normally dedicated to seeing friends, being with my family, or spending time with my boyfriend, which means I have very little time to just be by myself.  As someone who is a true introvert, I need time to be completely by myself to feel energized and refreshed. I have learned, especially in the past few weeks, that taking time for myself and really being present for myself is absolutely essential for my well-being and feeling like I’m really taking care of myself. 

As I’ve become more and more aware of what exactly it is that I need to feel refreshed and energized, I’ve been able to implement a more solid routine for self-care. That’s not to say that it’s absolutely perfect, because it’s still definitely a work in progress and something that I will continue to hone in on. 

One of the most important elements of my self-care routine is unplugging. I am normally attached to some kind of device at all times whether it be my phone or my computer. As nice as it is to unwind by watching a load of shows on Netflix, it never helps me totally relax and feel like I’m doing something good for myself. The simple act of reading for an hour or so has a drastic impact on me feeling refreshed after a long day because it is done with a lot more intention. It’s also easier to stay present when I’m reading than it is if I’m binge watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram on my phone.

Another element of my self-care routine that I really need to work on more is excercise and being more rigorous with myself about sticking to some sort of a routine. Oftentimes the nights where I would benefit the most from doing exercise are the nights that I’m exhausted from work and convince myself that I can’t possibly excercise. I would like to get back into a routine of doing yoga especially because it is easily the most relaxing and enjoyable forms of excercise I have done.

Finally, there’s the pampering aspect of a good self-care routine. In some ways I kind of hate the word pamper night, because it sounds superfluous and vain, but sometimes doing a face mask and taking a long bath is exactly what you need to feel human again. Lately I’ve really been enjoying doing epsom salt baths because not only do they help to relieve muscle soreness, but the magnesium is really good for you if you have very high stress levels. Even the simple act of lighting my favorite Byredo Bibliothèque can have a huge effect on my mood when I’m trying to get into relaxation mode. I have also gotten in the habit of doing more face masks during the week, some of my favorites include the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, the Glossier Moon Mask, and the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack.   

What I've Been Reading This Winter

I feel like one of the most clichéd New Year's resolutions is to commit to reading a book a month, and while I'm not huge on setting resolutions for myself come January 1st, I really wanted to make a conscious effort in 2018 to pick up reading again as a hobby. Seeing as I was a history major in college, I did my fair share of reading for school (during my last year I was averaging about a book a week per history class) and because of that reading for pleasure fell by the wayside. Since graduating I've really craved the ritual of reading and I also have noticed that in my downtime my first instinct is to be enticed by a screen, a habit that I am trying desperately to break. So I set myself the goal of reading at least one book per month. Although I could easily be reading two or more books a month, I set myself the goal of just one book (at least) per month so that it didn't feel like too big of a goal to reach. I also have been writing down which book I have set myself to read in my planner at the beginning of each month to hold myself accountable. So far I've read some amazing books and I'm looking forward to this becoming a regular feature on my blog. 

The Night Ocean by Paul LaFarge ~ I had picked up this book several months ago and had yet to start it but I am so glad I did. The book is about a woman who's husband was researching HP Lovecraft, the famous horror writer, becomes obsessed with his work and eventually goes missing. At first I thought this book was going to lean towards a mystery, but it was much more about the research Charlie, the husband had done, and how his and his wife's marriage unraveled as a result. I had zero expectations going in with this book and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it was long, I kept wanting to keep reading more and the writing is absolutely beautiful! Definitely going to look into more of Paul LaFarge's books for the future. 

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman ~ Just about everyone and their mother has been talking about Call Me By Your Name  and now I completely understand why. I had been wanting to see the movie since it came out in the fall but was determined to read the book first since I had also heard a lot of amazing things about the book. This is easily one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching books I have ever read. I honestly think every teenager or twenty-something should read it because it so relatable regardless of you identify as straight, gay, bi or anything in between. I am so glad I read it before I saw the movie because I feel like I was able to get a lot more out of the movie. Also it should be noted that the movie, on its own is gorgeous and completely deserves all of the accolades its been getting. *Not pictured because my mom is currently reading and loving it!*

Bluets by Maggie Nelson ~ After I read Call Me By Your Name I wanted a bit of a break from novels. Bluets is a tough book to classify, its not a poetry or essay book, but rather short little vignettes about the color blue and how that color has permeated so much of the author's life. It's definitely something different for me, but I really enjoyed it and because its so short and fast to read, I think it'll be a good one to revisit again and again. 

My Month In Film | February 2018

To say February was a whirlwind would be a total understatement. Work was the craziest its ever been (albeit a good kind of crazy) and I had a lot of plans for the month, which made those 28 short days feel even shorter. Despite the craziness I had a few nice weekends off to spend with friends and family. A lot of the last month wasn't documented because it was mainly consumed by work, so most of these images from my days off. However,  I have a lot of stuff planned for March so definitely stay tuned!