let's enjoy this

Life is stressful. And sometimes, even if you're doing things you really want to do, you burn out. Your to-do list is terrifying, you don't want to talk to anyone, and staying in bed bingeing on Brooklyn 99 seems like the most reasonable way to pass your day. Or summer. Whatever. 

It used to hit me for weeks at a time, and I was really doing things I love. When you're looking for help pulling yourself out of your slump, it seems like every mommy-blogger and "fitspo" model is telling you all you need to do is pray, juice a lot of raw vegetables, and buy a SUV full of Lululemon and your whole existence will turn around. As someone with neither the inclination or the budget to do any of that, I sort of just bumped around and crashed into a lot of self-help books. Then, writing my advice column, I started to get a lot of questions from people on how just be ...better. I'll be honest: I don't always feel qualified to answer this, but I do believe strongly in leaning into your desire to better yourself. I make myself lists all the time, so here's one for you on how to make everything just a lil more joyous:

1. Fix the outside: Look, in the immortal words of my hero Tan France, "You'll feel much better when the outside matches the inside." I love overalls, sparkly makeup, and my wild curly hair, and I embrace that every day with the way that I dress and present myself. My aesthetic is fun, but can get serious really quick. I have a nose ring, and will probably eventually accumulate some tattoos, and that may affect future opportunities. Whatever judgements people may pass on me as a result of the way I look is on them, and while we're both going to have to live with that, it's an easy price for me to pay to unleash my personality.  Allow yourself to express the person you are, and you'll feel a lot more confident and comfortable in your day-to-day. It won't always be easy - budgets, judgement, and a host of other outside influences may discourage you. Ultimately, you need to make that call though, because you're the one walking around every day as yourself. 

2. Plan it out: I know, I know, this is a worn out soap box, but everyone needs to get their **** together and in order to do that, you need a schedule. Start light - write down when you need to go to work, what time you want to wake up, stuff like that. Then start adding in time for studying, family time, or date nights. Eventually, you'll be down to when you want to do laundry and the dinner reservation you made for your next anniversary. I used to be a MASSIVE procrastinator, because I knew the last minute was always there for me. Now, I like a two week lead on everything. Routine is SUCH a huge component of organizing my life and not only making sure that I stay on top of stuff, but that I know what I'm looking forward to when it gets done. You'll also start to see it in other parts of your life, whether it's what you do before breakfast every day, or how you budget yourself. As you become more naturally organized, you'll start to feel like you have more time - because you will. Go do something fun with it. 

3. Build a tribe: I will be the first to admit that I am a serial friend-maker. I am extremely interested in people, and will genuinely encourage you to tell me your entire life story. With that said, I realized about two years ago that while I was launching a lot of relationships, I wasn't cultivating them, and so I was essentially investing my time in dead stock. I had to take a serious look at a lot of my friendships and ask "How are either of us benefitting from this relationship? Do I genuinely enjoy spending time with you?" Too often when spending time with some people I would catch myself spacing out, checking my phone for the 4578238x time, or listening for an opportunity to speak. I became more comfortable with the idea that it wasn't selfish to bow out of those relationships, because neither of us were truly happy. As I began to thin the ranks, some people truly began to shine, and I could truly invest in them. I find myself today with a smaller, but much more solid front line of humans I am delighted to call family. 


These three things are the building blocks I've used to improve not just myself, but my life. I still get easily anxious, procrastinate, and find myself tearing through my closet because "nothing looks good", but it's less frequent now. I feel, well, not peaceful per se, because I'm pretty much always over-caffinated and under-slept, but happy. I hope that by sharing this, you get a little piece of that too. If we all do it together, maybe we can take over the entire planet and get rid of all the "juice bars" which are definitely just traps for people who go places solely to take Instagram photos.

Just checking to make sure you were paying attention. 

x Justina 

ps. if you read this and want to chat about it, email me: justina (at) abentpieceofwire (dot) com



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pack your bags kid

lil suitcase: delsey bastille lite
big suitcase: delsey bastille lite 29' spinner

It's no secret this time - we're going to Germany in a week, for a month. That's right, I'm packing up my brand new Delsey bags and hitting the skies again, headed for the land of pretzels and lederhosen. I'm really excited, and wildly underprepared. It's always like this with me - I make a plan, and lists, and schedules months in advance, and then about a week or so before, I abandon all of them. In this way, I almost ritualistically forget things. Important things. Like my-contacts-and-most-of-my-underwear things. 

But I'm trying to change my patterns - or at least pack a little earlier than the morning of.  Mainly because it's roughly 30 degrees everywhere in Europe, and my toes can't afford me leaving my socks at home. Also because I travel too much for this to keep happening, it's wildly embarrassing.  But (obviously) I need help. Packing tips? Send 'em. Techniques? Drop me a youtube link. 

Then all I have to do is make it on the plane.

x Justina


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what're you saying

bracelets // mantra bands 

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." - michael scott

I'm a big believer in the power of words. I think the way you vocalize your life has a huge impact on how you experience it. I like positive affirmations, and overused quotes, and having personal mantras. I also like gold jewelry that makes a lot of noise. I've had a couple of Mantra bands throughout the last couple of years, but this is my favorite stack. They're reminders, accessories, and make a very satisfying clank every time I wave my arms.

+ You're My Person.
I have a lot of very important people in my life, and this reminds me that as much as they're my person, I'm theirs too. I don't have a big crew, but we roll deep, and I will never stop appreciating them.

+  It Is What It Is
My dad says this all the time, and as frustrating as it is sometimes, he's right. I'm a type A straight laced perfectionist, and I always want everything to work exactly as I planned. I am also stressed 99% of the time.

+ You Got This
This is the big one: we've got this. Everything will get done, everyone will be where they're supposed to be, and this is gonna be fine. 

Do you have a personal mantra or saying? Do you just hum "Hakuna Matata" to yourself every morning? Tell me about it. Better yet, wear it.

But do not tell your mother I condoned tattoos.

x Justina 


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where to next?

  my new traveling sweatshirt: mnkr

I love airports. Especially empty ones, with only one or two lone people waiting for their best friend to get off a plane from somewhere far away. I like the feeling of being in a rushed limbo. In an airport, you're not quite here or there. You're just in-between.

I was raised by two people who love to travel, and have, between the two of them, been around quite a bit of the world. As a kid, I was obsessed with travel and cooking shows, and took my Rosetta Stone much more seriously than I did math. Consequentially, I speak three different languages fluently, but still can't do algebra properly. It wasn't about fun beach trips with my family either. (No, I've never been to Hawaii.) I was never taught that travel was something one did "for vacation" or "when you're older". It was more of a "go when you can, wherever you want". And so I did. I realize that to many this sounds or looks really flippant and privileged, but that's because I'm skipping over the hundreds of hours of working minimum-wage retail I put in to pay for the whole thing. It's a fun life, not an easy one.

What is easy is living in Germany for three months (I'm sure many of you remember that chapter), eating pretzels every day. Or driving to Joshua Tree in the middle of the night, and seeing the sun set over the desert. Or climbing up 10 million year old basalt rocks and nearly falling into the Irish Sea. I've run through the halls of the Met, the Albert and Victoria, and the Smithsonian's. I've been on Ferris Wheels in London, Vienna, and in two months, Las Vegas. I've gone on adventures that scared me to the bone (hello, Carrick-a-Rede) and taken the people I love to places that felt like home (high tea in a castle, anyone?). The world has so many cool things, and even though my bank account despises it, I feel obliged to see them all.

So no,
 I don't get air-sick.

x Justina

ps. ALL AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD HAVE THESE CHAIRS, RIGHT? I got really curious about where they come from. If you're interested in weird design things like I am, click here. 


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travel | side piece

all photos taken with a fujifilm instax + iPhone 5

Sallie and I are masters of taking the absolute longest route anywhere we go, sheerly because, like any good improv actors, we'll always say yes. Wanna drive through a tree? Yes. Want to take this side exit into a totally dark corn field to look at the Milky Way? Yes. Want to stop on the side of the road because you see a woodcarving of Bigfoot? Absolutely yes. 

As spectacular as our scheduled programming is, we do our best work, and have the best adventures/sing-a-longs/trademark one-liners when we're places we never planned to be. There's some strange stuff on the side of the road. Especially in California. So here's a short introduction to taking the long way:

1. Pre-load all playlists, and always make sure they're at least three hours longer than you'll need or else you'll end up listening to Rae Sremmurds "Come Get Her" 13 times. 

2. You're wandering, but your signal might not be, so update your family/stalkers/internet friends every once in a while so they know you're alive. 

3. Before any trip, stop at a grocery store, and buy these things: 
  - a loaf of real hardy bread, preferably sourdough
 - things to dip/smear/pile on this bread
 - large bottles of either tejava unsweetened tea (sallies), or orangina (me)
 - a salami
This will keep your nourished and friendly for your entire trip.

4. Take photos of everything, as many times as possible, just in case one of you is in a huge rush to free up space and deletes the only video proof of you squeezing a large truck through the aforementioned hole in a tree.

5. KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. Can't stress this enough - going off the beaten path is great as long as you know how to get back to it. Especially when driving, you don't want to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere with only that mysterious "GPRS" signal that is just a actually just a lie.

When it comes down to it, pack some snacks and just say yes...

.. and then what? 

x J


ps. Sallie dropped her phone in a toilet, and can't read this post, so she has no idea what I've said about her. 

pps. she really is an absolute party


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take care of yo'self

25 photos of my face that you didn't need in your life

Drake says he'll take care of me, but I'm an independent woman who don't need no man (unless Drake asks, in which case I definitely need him) and I can take care of myself.

It ain't always easy though. Not only is there no time in life to treat myself, sometimes I feel like I'm just patching up cracks when they get too big to ignore. That is no way to stay in the game. If you're gonna keep yourself and your instagram strong, you gotta be living your #blessed life. So I made a list of 25 easy ways to take care of yourself, inspired by this Friday night tweet.

1. Say "I love you" - to a dog, a plant,  a human. Sharing love makes you feel good.

2. Wash your face - a really good scrub or even a quick rinse will refresh your life.

3. Drink some water - if you're thirsty, you're dehydrated. If you're not, you're still dehydrated.

4. Coconut oil - on your face, in your hair, on your skin, in your coffee, on your problems.

5. Send a cute text - see no. 1. "Good morning sunshine" is my personal choice.

6. Laugh at something - even if it's yourself.

7. Smile for 30 seconds - there's legit internet science behind this, it makes you happy.

8. Do a BuzzFeed quiz - personal fave.

9. Read your horoscope - they aren't bible, but they are entertaining.

10. Make a list - it doesn't have to be a "to-do", but it will help sort out your day.

11. Daydream about an adventure - then make a change jar for it.

12. Keep your nails correct - chipped nails only seem like no big deal until they're fresh painted.

13. Do your hair - 30 extra seconds can take an actual bed bun to a cute messy bun.

14. Learn about the world - listen to NPR or This American Life on the way to wherever.

15. Listen to music - a good song can change your mood. Just ask Drake.

16. Get dressed - pajamas seem like a great idea, but real clothes are good too.

17. Make plans - not just with people, but with yourself. Go to a museum. Read a book.

18. Read something - whether it's Tolstoy or Elite Daily, read some real words.

19. Spend time - take five minutes for whatever your hobby is and do it.

20. Stretch - do some quick yoga or just reach for the ceiling, give your bones some room.

21. Enjoy your food - pay attention to how it tastes, and how it makes you feel. Eat meaningfully.

22. Clean out - I promise you that you don't need 3/4ths of what's at the bottom of your purse.

23. Dance - just one song. Get yourself out of the corner.

24. Do your work - you never have as much time as you think you do.

25. Do something you enjoy - something that really makes everything else worth it.


My life gets crazy easily, and I'm pretty prolific at procrastinating. If I don't start, I'll stagnate, and nothing gets done. I'll slip on one thing, then another, then suddenly it's Monday and I have no coffee, no homework, and the same outfit as yesterday.

And hey, I've already got #10 sorted for today.

x J


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bless (fly) up wit me

a selection of my plane pics from 2015

Traveling is always a Big Deal with me. I wish I could be one of those sleek, effortless people you see gliding through security with a book and a shoulder bag. Lets be honest though, those people have probably forgotten everything they need, and have no snacks. But over time, I've gotten better and better at it, to the point where I can now pack a week of outfits in a carry on. (It's the only kind of science I'm good at.) After the last year of being in tin cans every twenty minutes, I made you a list. 
From the gear to the good (advice), here is my ultimate travel cheat sheet: 

1. If it's short haul: Pack a carry on suitcase. Let me just tell you this: if it doesn’t fit in your backpack + a carry on, you probably don't need it. Roll up clothes, and put ya underwear in ya shoes. It'll work.

   - Long haul: DON'T TAKE A CARRY ON. I have decided that my life is too valuable to have it considerably shortened by all the stress of watching that many bags while I’m running around the terminal.


2. BUY THE BIGGEST BOTTLE OF WATER YOU SEE. In fact, splurge. Get the big Fiji water.  Regular hydration will keep you from feeling like you’re slowly turning into a California waterway (see what I did there). Unless you know you’re in the middle seat in which case don’t be an absolute pain and have to pee every twenty seconds. 

3. Don't wear tight denim. It is not necessary to bounce change off any appendages while in flight, and unless you are Beyonce, no one is expecting you to. You legs will swell, your seams will pop, and you will want to peel your skin off.

4. Know where you’re going. I like to schedule myself long layovers that give me plenty of time to find my gate, but if you’re working a quick turn around, take ten minutes before hand and find what you’re looking for.

5. Get yourself fed properly. While you’re researching your gate, do a little research on the food options your airline offers - re-microwaved airplane food is going to be gross no matter what, but  vegetarian or vegan options can be a little more pleasant. Orrr you can do what I did, and pull a Black Cindy - order Kosher.

6. Don't overplan yourself. I don’t sleep in cars, trains, or planes, so I need things to entertain me, especially on long flights. If you, however can’t even read a text in the shotgun seat of a car, don’t pack a library to occupy your time on board. 

7. Put it in a pocket. Passports, ID’s, boarding passes, phone chargers. Pick one pocket and designate it to hold all of the important things. That way when you are CONVINCED you’ve lost something, you won’t need to dump your whole bag upside down.

8. Pack ahead, even if only mentally. Leading up to your trip, every time you think "oh I should take", add it to a list on your phone. That narrows down our chances of forgetting something you'll actually need.

9. Bring a cardigan/scarf. I don’t care if you’re flying to Panama - just do it. 

10. Move around, before and during your flight/drive/whatever. Especially if you’re on a long haul flight - four hours of not moving and your legs become logs with blood veins.



Hopefully this is an actual thing that will help you.
and not just my over pressured brain spouting nonsense from 10,000 feet.

x J 




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the justina guides// Los Angeles

I love to travel. Seeing new places, trying new things, and meeting the people that pull it all together. So that you can follow my adventures better, I've decided to start making mini "Justina Guides", where I'll document my favorite places and the best things to do while you're there. 

Where else would I start?

 First things first: Los Angeles looks exactly like it does in the movies.

 All of the movies.

It is sunny, it has way more palm trees than is strictly acceptable, and the possibility of running into a celebrity in the latte line is always there, although I highly doubt you'd recognize them. Theres about three range rovers to every person, and no one will look at you funny when you're staging an impromptu photoshoot on the sidewalk.

It is also dirty, dangerous in some parts, 

and has some unbelievably unsavory characters running around. 

You're as safe as you act. 

I think it's a great city to visit with friends, and if you're looking to live for a week like life is an 80's beach movie, you've found your town. Alternately, if you feel like stalking Marilyn Monroe's life (not like I've ever done that or anything), you're in luck too. 

Note about LA: you can ask for directions, and people will try to help, but barely anyone knows where anything is unless they have their GPS. 

My dad and I were on Melrose, and we didn't realize,
 so we asked for directions,
 and the people living there didn't know how to get there.

And now, my breakdown of everyone's favorite city to have a breakdown in.

see what I did there

TO DRINK:

Alfred Coffee

 8428 Melrose Pl

what I drink: caramel iced coffee

I don't even really like coffee. 

My starbucks order is one of those typical, 

oversweetened monstrosities where coffee has very little to do with anything.

But Alfred has converted me. To Alfred. 

I visited on my last trip, expecting it to be one of those over-hyped, over-hipstered coffee houses where people stood in line for far too long to order a coffee whose that was far too long. 

It was just the opposite. Everyone working was really friendly, and even though the line was a bit long, they completely kept up, and I got my coffee within five minutes. IT WAS DELICIOUS. 

Not too pricey either, coming in at about the price of your average tall sugar rush from starbucks.

 The atmosphere is very open, with people sitting next to complete strangers and just talking about how life's going. You can stay if you want, or leave if you have to. 

Not to mention that every corner of the place is ridiculously instagrammable. 

TO SEE

The Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory Rd

 I don't care how many times I go, the view from the Griffiths observatory blows me away every time. If you told me it was the top of the world, I'd be inclined to agree. There's a little bit of everything here. You can see the Hollywood sign (although if you really want to get up close, you'll need to take a bit of a hike. I'm fine from here.), but the real stunner is the view of Los Angeles. The whole city spreads out below you, and you can see it all, from the traffic on Sunset to the houses in Beverly Hills. You must resist your temptation to re-enact that scene from Titanic. Don't do it. Getting to the actual observatory takes a skilled driver, because it is ALWAYS jam packed, but we've always managed to find a parking spot at the top. If you can't, just hop out, snap some photos, and jump back in while your driver attempts to turn the car around. 

The The Tar Tar Pits, or The La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd

Fun fact #1: "La Brea" means "The Tar" in spanish
Fun fact #2: basically all of LA is built on an oil field. Oil makes tar, which is a kind of natural asphalt.

Fun fact #3: Some thirty odd million years ago, a ton, and I mean a TON of prehistoric animals got themselves stuck in the tar at the bottom of the drinking hole.

Fun fact #4: They now bubble to the surface like boba.

The La Brea tar pits is cool. That's the only word for it.
 I don't care how uninterested in natural history you think you are, 
a million perfectly preserved pre-historic fossils is cool.  
There are 400 dire wolf skulls in one exhibit alone. 
You would never know from looking at the calm, gated pond out front that it's actually a murdurous black hole that still spits up random extinct animals every day, but it is. At the La Brea museum, you learn all about L.A.'s start, the mammoths that roamed Rodeo Drive, 
and just how it is that the highschool has their own oil pump.

To Wander

Sunset Boulevard

This is universally acknowledged as the sketchiest street in LA. Some really weird stuff goes down after dark around here. But in the sunlight, it's the coolest place to poke around. Besides the gigantic ads, it's home to three of the coolest and most Hollywood historical hotels around, including my dream home, the Chateau Marmont. I do not recommend stalking around outside of it. If you want a photo, stand across the street. Best angle anyway. Sunset is also home to The Roxy (legendary) and the gateway to Beverly Hills. It's the street that connects everything. 

ps. if you're driving, there's an in n out down east of the Chateau. 

Hollywood Boulevard

It's kinda tacky. It's really cliched. It's pretty fabulous. 

Hollywood Boulevard is probably the realest thing about Hollywood. If you go east or west of the main tourism section, around Graumanns, it gets grimy fast, but is definitely an interesting walk. If you decide to explore, check out Iguana Vintage. I previously described it as a vintage loving drag queen's paradise, and that stands. Hollywood Boulevard is also home to the Dixie Hollywood, which is a pretty cute place to stay if you're on a budget or just looking for a place with Avatar murals. Of course there's a bunch of famous people's stars and footprints and whatever but I don't like to think about that because Marilyn's star is outside a McDonalds and that still upsets me.

To Eat

In N Out. 

Where ever you are baby girl

Honestly, there are so many fancy restaurants and lovely places to eat amazing food, but if you're in L.A,. and you really just want the full California experience,

 a number #2 with a vanilla milkshake is where it's at. 

If you're gluten free, ask for protein style, 

and if you're adventurous, ask for your fries animal style. 

In writing about L.A., Daniel Pinkwater said "It's the perfect mix of glamorous and crummy."

He was dead on. 

I think the reason I keep returning to this city, and the reason I love it so much, is because it's a complete mystery. You can't ever know everything about it, and it's...vibrant history. There is always something to see, and someone creating a new story to tell. If we're being totally title accurate, we should call this "The Justina Guide to Los Angeles, version one", 

because I feel like we'll be updating it sooner than not.

I hope this has inspired you to go on an escapade of your own. If it does, I'd love to see photos, and hear how it goes! Is there somewhere specific you'd like me to visit? Let me know. 

Let's get our adventurin' on. 

xx,

Justina

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flash and pants

 \\ necklace c.o dogeared \\

subtle

I felt you clutching your sequins at the s word,

 but bear with me.

This post was inspired by a three things.

1. my adorable new Dogeared necklaces,

2. My friend Gabrielle,

and 

3. a woman in the library

Lets start at the start

I am big and blingy 

and I stack necklaces like Mr. T, 

but when a small box from Dogeared showed up at my house, 

I actually took fifteen minutes to take off everything else I had hanging from my neck.

I then put on just this tiny little wishbone necklace. 

If you know me well, you know I'm a big believer in good luck + karma, 

and something about this delicate little necklace made me feel very happy and lucky.

 It's itty bitty, but has a big impact, because people need to focus to see it,

 much like other important things and people.

sorry if it hurt when I juST DROPPED THAT LIFE LESSON ON YOU

Gabrielle is one of my very important people. 

You may have seen hints of her around this blog or,

 if you've been here for much longer than I expected anyone to be, 

remember her from The Great Teen Vogue//Aeropostale spree of '12. 

She's literally Martha Stewart but 500x better. Her cupcakes are legendary, 

and I felt a need to get a professional photographer to come in 

and document my birthday basket (thats right, basket) from her. 

She's basically Pinterest in a person. 

In other words, totally opposite from my admittedly more Tumblr self.

 She's also a pretty subtly sparkly person, in a manner I have yet to master. 

She's the most elegant person I have ever met who wasn't seventy two.

And finally, the woman in the library. 

Yesterday, I was in the library in my Trollied Dolly dress (not gonna lie, I wear it always) 

and fave B.C. Footwear heels (they are actually the most comfortable things ever) 

when an older woman came up to me and said, and I quote:

 

"I just need to tell you that you look absolutely lovely. Reminds me of when I was a teenager. The girls all dressed nice back then, cute dresses and heels like yours. Now it's all flash and pants."

Flash and pants.

While I am rather partial to my flash and my plaid pants, I sort of see where she was going, and it helped me put a point on a thought that had been rattling around for a while. I feel like with a lot of things, like my necklace stacking, we lose the message. I mean, SURE I have lots of little gold necklaces and they're all really great, but when I wear three at a time, they aren't very noticeable anymore. When I wore my single gold wishbone, it was a direction.

So, I suppose I am trying to say this:

Sometimes, a subtle sparkle is just what you need.

Also lots of little gold necklaces.

xx,

Justina

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