market day

photos by jordan

shirt: charlotte russe

jeans: aeo

California is a fruit basket. 

No, I'm not talking about people from LA. We just really have a ton of fruit. and vegetables. and bread. and juice. looooots of juice. All of that adds up into some pretty fantastic farmers markets. 

One of my personal favorites is the one on Saturday mornings in Davis. From the still half-drunk college students to the frozen apple juice, it's just really cute. There's tons of dogs, and a woman who makes biriani, and lots of fresh flowers for me to sniff. But this weekend, I had a more important mission: PERSIMMONS. They're my absolute favorite fruit, and I wait for MONTHS for them to show up at the market, at which point I promptly buy them by the pound. There's an art to the whole thing, and I'm not going to divulge any of my secrets because I don't want any competition.

I keep waiting for some sort of sign (other than the presence of PSLs) that it's ~actually autumn~, but it's been 20 years, and California has barely turned a leaf.

x Justina 

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get stepping

shoes: vans

I cringe at being such a cliche, but I really do love shoes. I spend a lot of time on my feet, running around, and it's important to me that they don't just fall off. Sneakers, heels, boots, clogs. I wear them all, and will always buy another pair. That said, I moved with a swiftness when The Great Mall invited me to come check out their latest mall-wide sale - 

because a sale at an outlet mall is 2x better than a sale at a regular mall. 

I love to prepare for things as far in advance as possible, but yesterday, I just went with the flow - and tried on every. single. pair. of. shoes. That's not to say that I didn't predict my inevitable purchase of these pastel vans - I've been eyeing them for months - just that I wanted to be sure.

I remember as a kid being so done with shoe shopping that I literally just took them off and threw them as far away from me as I could physically managed. After being forced to walk the two feet to pick them up, I resolved that I would never make anyone go through what was clearly an act of torment.

Sorry Chloie.

x Justina

ps. this post was produced in partnership with simon malls, but remember the rules: 

no pair of shoes can buy my love. 

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starter pack

Okay, I know it's not cool but I am a creature of habit. It has to be admitted.  I will try anything once, but I like the things I like. That means I am literally the worst person to shop for ever.

(This has been pointed out to me multiple times (a day) by everyone who is trying to love me and give me a birthday present. That's right, it's that time of year again - October 2nd, I'm turning 20.
 Which is totally crazy in it's own way because that means you guys have been hanging out with me for seven. years. But that's another blog post.)

Unfortunately for my friends and family, I am a. indecisive and b. like to get second- third- fourth- opinions on everything. BUT I'M NOT ALONE. I know you have a friend like me. We're everywhere, ruining dinner plans and changing outfits three times a day. So I made a Justina Starter Pack - all the things needed to properly equip your everyday Justina.

1. Fjallraven Kanken Backpack //
I carry around too much stuff to put in a nice purse and also I'm in college so

2. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb //
Okay so I don't have this yet bc shipping is slow but it was blessed by our lord and
 savior Rihanna herself, so I'm sure it incredible.

3. 32oz Hydroflask //
I am from California and I was born dehydrated. I carry this bottle around the way normal people carry around their firstborn child.

4. Revolution Strobe Highlighter //
This highlighter costs $6 for a $6 million dollar glow and I am here for it.
(Note from Justina's boyfriend: it breaks if you drop it.)

5. ban.DO standard planner //
I bought this because it came with stickers and that intrigued me. It now holds all my secrets.

6. INSTAX SQ10 //
Square instant photos. What a revolutionary idea. *Wink*
(No but this one is digital and has filters INSIDE IT and is basically my favorite piece of retro tech.)

7. American Eagle Mom Jeans //
THESE ARE MY FAVORITE JEANS OF ALL TIME. I WEAR THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND THEY WILL BE GETTING THEIR OWN BLOG POST SOON.

8. Baby G-Shock BA110BE - 4A (whew) //
It's pink, pretty, and practically indestructible. Plus it tells me how late I already am to wherever I should already be.

9. MeUndies Monthly Subscription //
All I want out of my grown-up life is to be a MeUndies model. Since that hasn't happened yet,
I'll just settle for dancing around my house sans pants in the comfiest undies known to man.

10. Mantra Bands //
Speak it into existence, and if you're too tired, let your wrists do it for you.

11. ban.DO sticker book vol.3 //
If you're gonna get the planner, you're gonna want more stickers.
Trust me.

12. TOMS sunglasses //
I know some places experience the mythical season of Winter, but here we're permanently stuck in season one of Game of Thrones - they just keep telling us it's coming with no real proof.
Sunnies stay on deck.

13. Sebago Docksides //
The frat bros are onto something. These shoes are mad comfortable, and have a slightly more polished look than the average flip flops (erlack)


There you have it.
Pile all those things on top of each other, throw some coffee at it,
and you'll have a pretty decent replica of me.

x Justina

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fits like a glove

jacket: vintage
dress: tobi 'joleen' dress
shoes: converse
backpack: sunny dushanka

The older you get, the more and more "short and tight but also fancy" becomes this bizarre expectation forced upon your wardrobe. I've managed to avoid it thus far mainly by never leaving my house. I'm also fairly tall and have all of the curves of a highway in the desert, so finding a dress that fits is also a v difficult undertaking.  As you can tell, I have a well articulated excuse for every situation. But I decided it needed to happen, because I am only scared of rational things, like deep water and spiders, and will not be intimidated by a dress. At least not one this small.

You know in a sitcom, where the main character does something they were scared of, and the happy music plays, and they say something along the lines of "that wasn't that bad"? That was me, once I got accustomed to the breeze. This dress is super comfy, and not too much of a ~night out~ look for me to rock on my weekly trip to IKEA.

Speaking of IKEA: settle this for me, guys. Is it "I-KEY-UH" or "E-KAY-UH"?

Loser has to buy me another pillow for my fort,
so I'm heavily invested.

xx Justina


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dear oprah, a few of my favorite things

Dear Oprah,

I love you. I really do. But as a struggling college student, I have a want, but not a use for a poinsetta flower pot cake. What I do need are comfy clothes and caffeine and power. For my gadgets, I mean.

I know you don't have experience in this group. So I spent the better part of this afternoon fishing the landfill out of my purse, laying out it's contents, and narrowing down the things I actually need to live.

Here's a few of my very favorite everyday things: 

1. Sebago Classics ($60): I swear I've only had them six months and they've changed my whole perspective on the frat-boy look because I am COMFORTABLE and WATERPROOF and SLIP-PROOF. 

2. Aerie Bralettes ($26): When you don't have boobs, you don't need real bras. When you do have boobs, you still need pretty bralettes.

3. MeUndies Terry Joggers ($85): Tbh MeUndies can just have my wallet, my soul, and my eternal love. Their undies are a staple in my closet, but these joggers changed my game. Plus they have real pockets. 

4. Casemate Iphone 6+ Case ($35): I drop my phone a lot. This case saves it a lot.

5. Fujifilm Instax SHARE SP-2 Printer ($189): I currently have .... 1985 photos on my iPhone. I only really need to remember like 20 of those. 

6. Mophie Power station ($49): I decided to show you the battle scars my Mophie has weathered under my care - it still saves me every time with two and a half-ish charges. Think of all the tweets that may have not happened if not for it. 

7. Happy Plugs In-Ear Headphones ($35): Because my mum (and the people who sit next to me in Starbucks) do not want to hear Chance the Rapepr on repeat (I know, it's weird.)

8. TOMS Del Rey Sneakers ($79): Because sometimes (every day) I spend hours running (but actually walking) all over the place and these shoes are the only way to keep looking cool.

9.Starbucks Cold Cup ($12-$25): Okay, you all know I have a problem. And admittedly, this grande cup is more aspirational than actuality. I can usually be spotted with my clear venti "justina sippy cup" full of iced coffee/motivation.

10. Brush Naked Toothbrush ($5): I have this weird gag-reflex to plastic toothbrushes (and people). Idk man. These brushes are great, and you gotta take care of your teeth. 

11. TOMS Cosmopolitan Tote ($158): IT FITS ALL OF THE THINGS. ALL OF THEM.

12. LUSH Solid Perfume ($12-$19): I work at LUSH, so I usually smell like LUSH, but when I don't, I smell like LUSH's 'All Good Things'. Best thing about it? It can't spill in my bag.

13. NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator ($8): The secret behind my prolific highlight, is not in fact, as suggested by my brother "drinking the happiness out of unicorns".

14.  LUSH Hair Custard ($24): I have a lot of hair. I prefer it to all be soft and smell like fair-trade vanilla. 

15. Nuuna Large Notebook ($27): A big book for all my big ideas. And shopping lists. 

16. Field Notes Notebook ($10):  A small book for to-do's and half-thought out tweets. 

So there you have it. Cold cups and tooth brushes.
 That's the real secret.

x Justina 

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back to the great mall

Back to school shopping need not end after one has gone back to school, and thankfully the lovely people at Simon Malls understand that just as well as I do. They invited me back for my (now annual) trip to the Great Mall, and absolutely set me loose to find a back-to-school look for under $100. They have over a million square feet of shops, but this time, I knew what I was getting into, and I took Jordan to carry the shopping bags. 

THERE'S SO MANY STORES. AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE OUTLETS. I had an armful in no time. But I was on a mission for a very specific item, and though many people told me they were impossible to find, I was DETERMINED. I figured if they'd be anywhere, they'd be at the Great Mall.

LO AND BEHOLD - H&M HAD BLACK OVERALLS. That was all I really wanted. Pockets and sturdy denim. Overalls that say "I'm a confident adult who can pull off kindergarten trends". I was going to include them in this post but then decided that they're too great to not have their own, so...stay tuned.

Shopping is exhausting, and boys get fidgety when they're hungry (But not me, of course. Never.) so we stopped at Dave & Busters for a snack halfway through our journey. I'd never been before, and was throughly delighted by how sticky everything was in this "frat bros designed a bar-arcade"  establishment.  I thought it was fun. The loaded tater tots were a+.

We then resumed our traipse through the neighborhoods (that's right, this place is so big it separates it's sections into "neighborhoods") and I finally acquired the holy grail of fashion blogger off-duty shoes: the low-top white converse. Yes, I do have high tops, and yes, they are also white, and no, that is not redundant. It's a different LOOK, okay.

It had been six hours, and we were fading quickly, so we slid one more stop into Columbia to pick up a cozy fleece, because I'm determined to go outside at least once this winter. 

Last note: next time,
bring more snacks.

x Justina


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merry meundies

undies / joggers

GUYS CHRISTMAS IS IN EIGHT DAYS

Do you feel sufficiently panicked? Are you considering buying people underwear for christmas just to avoid the mall? GOOD. You're in the right headspace now.

 I wrote about MeUndies a while back, but when I was settling on what I really wanted for Christmas, (other than loads of sriracha) I decided to be real with myself. Makeup trends will come and go, but I'll need underwear forever. As will literally anyone you're shopping for. So here is my official christmas gift of 2015: a MeUndies Design of The Month subscription. That's right. Give the people what they actually need/didn't yet know they wanted: a new pair of snazzy underwear every month. Especially if they're college students. Trust me. 

I would also like to talk about these joggers they've got (that I am currently wearing) because of their pockets. If you have been reading this blog for a while you know of my issues with pockets. They're rarely existent on girls clothes, and are never deep enough/in a proper spot/practical at all. Yet, in the spare time they had between releasesing crazy new designs and styles every month, MeUndies decided to make ridiculously soft pants for women with proper pockets. Revolutionary.

The moral of this all is, as my brother so eloquently puts it:
"You can't buy my love, but you can persuade my butt."

x J



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let me guide you to christmas: a gift guide

see more handpicked-via-the-internet gift favorites here

I sound like a liar but I promise it's the truth - I love giving gifts, even more than getting them. Finding someone that perfect thing.  It's usually something they didn't even realize they wanted until they saw that you had it and tried to steal it. That's how you know it's perfect.

In the spirit of proper gift guide making, I did what Oprah does it -

 I had a bunch of other people suggest things they love. Then I veto'd them all and picked things I love. It got pretty long, but let's have a little breakdown:

1: Dogeared necklaces are the fastest way to show the love, 

and this Buddha brings some extra happy karma.

2: DOCS DOCS DOCS HOLOGRAPHIC SNAKESKIN DOCS.

3: If you live on the Best Coast, you can buy friendship with sunglasses.

4: My pink Casio is a statement piece, but gold is a perfectly matching classic.

5: Stella & Bow studs are the perfect basic to build an ear party with.

6: Girl Boss = girl (and boy) bible.

7: Minimergency kits are the perfect gift for that person whose entire life is an emergency. 

*cough* me *cough*

8: You know that one friend who refuses to get on twitter but comes up with perfect one-liners?   

Get them a Leuchtterm 1917 notebook.

9: The greatest gift you can give anyone is a good set of earbuds. Trust me and Happy Plugs. 

10: Boring sneakers are boring, get leopard print Vans instead.

11: Sunny Dushanka backpacks are the solution to style vs space.

12:  Benetint is always a benefit. (I'm sorry)

This list actually goes on for ages, you can check it out here.  I'll also be updating it constantly until Christmas, because fresh finds ya know.

Don't forget: the best gift you can give the people you love is a happy loved one, 

so get yourself some presents too. (Airtight logic)

x Justina, Santa in Training

       

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video//after school is where the party is at

 

 featured pieces l-r:

knapsack c.o. BAGGU//tshirt c.o MNKR//flannel: arizona jeans//overalls: calvin klein//

headphones: c.o. skullcandy//dress + jacket: romwe//dr. martens c.o. asos//heels c.o. bc footwear

on me:

rings: c.o. stella & bow// shirt: forever 21//pants c.o. living doll LA

I may not go to school,

 but I know a thing or two about what to wear once it's over.

Football games, parties, the occasional mass mud fight...

wait, does your school not do that?

Never mind

The point is, 

out of uniform doesn't need to mean Uggs and sweatpants. 

In fact, no situation ever should mean Uggs. 

So make like Selena Gomez and shake it up a bit. 

Okay that was bad.

In my defense,

 I'm packing and writing this blog post at the same time.

LA,

 I'm coming for ya.

But mainly you Alfred.

I know I said this last time,

 but make sure you're following me on allllll of the platforms (including huffpost teen) 

to witness what will definitely probably maybe 

 be the most epic livetweeting you've ever seen.

And lots of photos of palm trees, 

which we both know is definitely more exciting than red carpet selfies.

xx

Justina

 

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