A Glimpse of Glam

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all doing well! I’ve been gone for the past couple weeks because I was away on vacation. My family and I took a trip to New England on a cruise. If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen a couple pictures where I mentioned it. I had no cell service and very little internet access the entire time, so I didn’t get a chance to blog about it during the trip. However, I took a buttload of pictures and I have plenty of interesting stories to share with you all. Like the fact that I spent a night stranded at the airport worrying that my luggage was lost, and freaking out about getting to our destination in time to board the cruise ship. Plenty to share with you all. But I’m saving that for a bit later. So just hold on tight for now.

Today, I’ve got some outfits that would hopefully lend some inspiration for your fall wardrobe. These feature items I got from Fashion Mia. Fashion Mia is a site that has a vast variety of clothes, accessories, and other wonderful products to choose from. Everything is at a reasonable price, and of great quality as well. I highly recommend it. 

Their service is really remarkable too. Fashion Mia first contacted me back in May, and we hit a few bumps along the rode because of items being out of stock and such. However, they are super easy to contact, and were very helpful. They quickly responded to any and every email I sent, and provided great customer service. I received the packages without too much of a wait, and I am definitely satisfied with what I got. 

The first item I chose from Fashion Mia is this lightweight camel colored jacket. This is the perfect jacket to wear in the fall. Dressing for the fall can get finicky what with the cold mornings and sunny hot afternoons. This jacket helps with transitioning not only summer outfits to fall, but cooler mornings to afternoons. 

I’ve got a multitude of compliments when wearing this jacket. It is a gorgeous color that styles nicely, and is the image of fall. Here I styled it with the black top I got from Banggood I posted about a while ago, black jeans, and tan booties I’ve shared as well in my country concert post. Just by pulling on this jacket, I was able to transition those ankle boots from a summer look to a fall outfit. 

You can wear this jacket with shorts, skirts, dresses, or pants. Jackets with a lapel like this that cinches at the waist are the best style to go for if you want to look chic without having to do too much. I’ve been reaching for this jacket a lot since I’ve gotten it.

I also love this black jacket I got as well. At first glance it looks like some kind of thin leather jacket, but it isn’t. It’s made of a thin synthetic material. There are shoulder pads that also add some oomph to your look, giving it a bit of a retro spin. I actually quite like the shoulder pads. At first, they really bugged me. But after trying out the jacket for awhile, I notice how the shoulder pads almost make me look taller in a way. They also lend the appearance a blazer can give, making the jacket look fitted. I can see why shoulder pads were trendy back then. Though I wouldn’t wear ones too extreme. That would be too much.

I chose to pair this jacket with black jeans and the tan booties as well, but I wore this with a black and white tribal print shirt. I chose the tan booties to add a bit of color and interest to the otherwise monochromatic outfit. I also felt like this jacket asked for some additional height that heeled boots lend. I could have gone for a plain solid colored top instead, but wearing a printed top that isn’t too overwhelming helps keep the shirt from looking too much like an undershirt. Plus, the tribal print also compliments the tasseled boots, and ties it all together.

Wearing this outfit definitely made me feel a bit kickass. Gave me some Quantico vibes. I just recently started watching this show! Binge-watched an entire season in 3 days. It’s sooo addicting! Do you guys watch Quantico?

This beige printed romper I got is an example of a way to transition outfits from summer to fall. You don’t have to lock away your summer wardrobe just yet. You can easily find ways to incorporate hot weather clothes in October and possibly November if you style them right. Depending on the colors of course. 

Because this romper is neutral-hued, this goes perfectly for the fall. Fall is all about neutrals and warm colors like reds, oranges, yellows, browns, so on and so forth. Here I chose to keep the color focus on the romper, wearing a black lace jacket, grey opaque tights, and black combat boots with it. 

This is a great outfit you can wear to school, or when you are out and about. The romper is slightly on the longer side in terms of how long the shorts are on me. The black jacket is cropped and balances that out. Perhaps it’s because I’m rather petite, which is why this romper falls lower on me than I expected. I chose grey tights rather than black to make the light colors of the romper work. And black boots because why not? 

The last couple outfits I wore during my cruise to New England. On on of those days it was a bit cooler out, so I threw on a slate grey leather jacket on with the romper outfit. Thus another example of how to transition rompers to the fall.

When on vacation I like being comfortable, so I can have my attention on what to do rather than how to adjust my clothes. Because these work for vacation, they definitely work for other occasions like school or whatnot.

The first outfit was from when I visited my grandmother in Canada. During my stay, we went to the town of Chemainus. Chemainus is famous for their huge murals on the sides of there buildings. It’s quite remarkable to see the murals and the beauty of this small town. It’s the kind of town that reminded me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. It didn’t help that the soft guitar music played by a local was so reminiscent of the town troubadour. Seriously, I adore small towns like this. Speaking of… the four-episode special of Gilmore Girls is so close! Only two months away!

I love how small towns give me this sense of peace, and make me want to just sit in a local cafe and just read. They just have this really nice wholesome feel to it. Which is so different from the hustle and bustle of cities, or even chatty neighborly suburbs. Do you like visiting small towns? 

If you are still looking for ways to update your wardrobe for the fall, definitely browse through the Fashion Mia website. I really love what they have to offer. Their service was really great, and I am definitely thinking of getting something else from there. 

Thank you so much to Fashion Mia for their patience despite the few issues we came across like with products being out of order. Though that was not their fault. I like how they were very helpful and provided great service. So definitely check out this site!

I hope you are all having a great week so far! I will definitely be spending time catching up on all your blogs, and seeing what you’ve all been up to lately. I feel like I’ve missed a lot!! Being cut off from internet is super relaxing, yet I do feel some FOMO from it. How do you guys feel when you go internet-free for a period of time?

How do you update your wardrobe for the fall? What’s your favorite transitional piece? 

Thanks for reading!! And as always, have a fabulous day!

Til next time,

~A

How are you all doing? I hope September’s been good to you guys so far. I swear the day after Labor Day, the weather shifted right to autumn. It’s crazy. This morning when I walked outside, I could feel that fall chill in the air and smell the undeniably crisp autumn scent. I’m pretty happy bout this change in weather because I can’t wait to break out my boots, leather jackets, and scarves again. Though, I gotta admit I do wear boots when it’s warmer weather too. But, it’s obviously not the same. Are you guys excited for the impending fall?

The one thing I’m not entirely looking forward to this autumn is my soon-to-be stressful fall schedule at school. I’m sure those of you who are still in school have already started. UW is one of those schools that starts later, so I’ve still got a few weeks left. With school starting up and the relaxing summer coming to an end, we all gotta remember to still maintain a healthy diet to keep up with our busy lives. I already eat a healthy diet on a normal basis, but there are a few specific superfoods that I count on the most.

I’m sure you are all very familiar with these already. They’ve been all the rage in the past couple years. Chia seeds are packed full of health benefits. They can help keep you fuller for longer because they are a great source of fiber. A good balance of fiber, protein, and fat is what can help keep you sustained between meals and chia seeds are good for that. Because they swell up in liquid, they also provide some nice bulk to foods that can help keep you feeling full too. 

Some people like to just sprinkle them on top of salads or other foods, BUT I highly recommend pre-soaking them in liquid before doing so. Just a mere 5 minutes makes a difference. If you just sprinkle them on, they don’t have the time to absorb liquid. Pre-soaking can also help you eat less calories because chia seeds can be caloric dense. By allowing them to swell in size, that one tablespoon of chia seeds can become three times that. Trust me, it works better that way.

I can’t believe these are so popular these days. I’ve been eating these for YEARS now. My mom would make teas with these for my sister and I every once in awhile. Guess mother does know best. She was on top of this trend before it even was a thing. My mother has always told me that goji berries are really good for your eyes because they have a ton of vitamin A. Goji berries are full of antioxidants such as zinc and iron that can benefit your skin, eyes, and just overall health. I’ve also learned before that they can help balance hormones. However, don’t eat a bucketload of them every day. You can’t make up for anything by overdoing it on goji berries. They may be good for you, but so is sleeping and you can’t “pre” sleep a week in advance. 

As they generally come dried, one great way to enjoy them is to soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes before adding them to other foods. I usually soak them in hot water, stir in a spoonful of raw honey once the water has cooled slightly, and add a splash of lemon juice for a delicious drink. You can eat them dried, but I don’t really like the texture like that, they stick to teeth too much.

Apples are SO underrated!! People don’t usually see these as healthy foods because apples are so attainable. BUT, they are because they are full of healthy nutritional benefits. I have apples at least a couple times a week (or I try to) because they are so good for you. They have soluble and insoluble fibers, one helps clear out your system if you know what I mean and the other provides necessary bulk to help keep you fuller longer. Apples also have a ton of vitamins and minerals that would do your body some good too. I love slicing some apples to eat with greek yogurt, dipping them in like a “chips and dips” kind of ordeal. Apples taste pretty good with cottage cheese as well, if you remember from one of my food posts last year. You can eat apples in so many ways, and their versatility is what makes them even better.

I drink tea literally every day. Sometimes even several times a day. I have a bunch of different types of teas in the pantry to the point where my mom complains that I shouldn’t buy more until I finish some first. I like having variety to choose from. We all know of green tea being good for you, what with the catechin and antioxidants and whatnot, especially in matcha green tea. But, I also love drinking roobis tea too. Roobis is a red tea that has no caffeine. It is from South Africa from a red bush or something like that. It doesn’t have as strong or bitter of a taste as green tea can have. Roobis has this nice warm richness to it that I really like. Roobis tea is so good for you, and can help clear your skin, prevent cancer and viruses, and is anti-inflammatory. Most teas are really good for you in general. (That is, teas that aren’t processed with sugar and preservatives and whatnot) Teas generally provide caffeine in a way that doesn’t harm your body, has antioxidants, can boost your immune system, and is a calorie-free way to drink something other than water. I like sipping on roobis, green tea, earl grey, or peppermint teas. I know that loose-leaf teas are better than the bagged kind, but teabags are definitely more convenient. I literally carry around teabags in my purse. You don't need to say it, I know I'm weird. Either way, just drink tea. 

They aren’t the most aesthetically appealing, but they taste pretty good. I once learned that walnuts are good for you brain, which you can remember by their shape. They sort of resemble a brain. Weird, huh? Walnuts taste good sprinkled on oatmeal, salads, yogurt, in trail mix, or just on its own. BUT don’t eat too much at once because walnuts are very calorie dense. I usually like to take a couple and crush them into tiny bits to sprinkle on my oatmeal. That way, I feel like I have more because I have some in every bite, but I’m not actually eating too much. Walnuts have healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are good for you skin, brain, and overall body. The healthy fats help keep you full because they balance the protein and carbs in a meal. Walnuts don’t have a super strong taste, so they complement things pretty nicely. 

There are other superfoods I really love eating too like blueberries or almonds, but these are the ones I’ve been into more lately. I eat frozen blueberries quite often too (I learned before that there are these antioxidants in blueberries’ skin that is better released when frozen, plus it’s easier to guarantee sweetness when you buy frozen because of issues with berries not always being in season). Almonds are a definite go-to for me when it comes to snacking on the go. But, recently these are the ones I’ve been eating more. 

They say “You are what you eat”, and that’s pretty true. How you eat can really be reflected by your skin, mood, energy levels, etc. Yeah it’s convenient to blitz things up in a blender to make a nutrient packed smoothie, but I find that eating healthy foods in different ways that brings out their unique flavors helps me develop a liking for the foods themselves. In smoothies, foods with a more overwhelming flavor tend to drown out all other ones and you don’t actually taste each unique food. Plus, I just generally like eating foods rather than drinking my calories anyways. 

I definitely recommend reading up on common super foods like goji berries, cacao nibs, matcha green tea, or chia seeds to find out what health benefits they provide. It's always easier to motivate yourself to integrate superfoods into your diet if you know how they actually effect your body. Plus, it helps you find ways to eat them to maximize health benefits. Like adding lemon juice to teas to maximize the antioxidants they provide. Or not using super boiling hot water on raw honey or else it kills the good stuff. 

How do you eat these superfoods? Which superfoods do you like to eat? Lemme know in the comments below some ways you prepare superfoods!