so here we are

photos by bailey mingo //@bailey mingo

whewwww child that was a break, wasn't it? 

It's not you, it's me. It's always me. I'm the one signing up for too many classes, spending too much time watching Netflix, and running low on good reasons to write these posts. But I'm going to keep doing it anyway, because I like hanging out with you guys. Plus, unlike my Italian, I don't think I've completely lost the touch just yet. I do think I'll be going in a new direction with the blog - but let's be honest, there wasn't that much direction here to start with. I'm the creative equivalent of a preschool finger painting, multi-colored and with bits of cheerios stuck on. 

 Living in Los Angeles has been life changing - not just because I now add 2 hours to my estimated driving times, or because a smoothie can run you $15, but because for the first time ever my surroundings match my goals. It definitely isn't always easy, and sometimes it's laughably difficult, but I'm so proud of Jordan and I for making it work. It has definitely pushed me to be more aware of my actions, and how I spend my energy. I've become better at saying "no" to things I don't think will serve me, and saying "yes", even if there isn't a whole plan (that was honestly way harder for me). I do a lot of things that *marie kondo smiling peacefully* spark joy for me, and I've seen a massive improvement in how I engage with the world around me. 

Honestly, that's what brought me back to my couch tonight, logging into this blog for the first time in five months to write real words. Over the last eight years, this little piece of the internet has brought me so many good moments, and we aren't even close to the end yet. Moving forward, I'll still be wearing cute outfits, bright eyeshadows, and a loud mouth, but I'm also going to extend on my advice column, talk about pop culture (better than that one time I tried it in 2013), and let you guys in on the bigger parts of my life happening *points into the distance* out there. 

Stick around, this is going to be fun.

x Justina 

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a touch of primania

all photos taken with fujifilm x30 

I'm going to miss a lot about Europe, especially London, but Primark is up there in my top five. 
The amount of money I spent there is incredibly embarrassing, but British pounds look like Monopoly money to me so I can almost pretend it wasn't twice as bad. Primark, for their part, recognized and rose to the challenge with an invitation to their Spring/Summer collection press preview. I was more excited than if I'd gotten an invite to Princess Mia's slumber party (still down for that though, if anyones offering). So with my new BFF Ellie in tow, we walked (terrible idea) across town Thursday night.

As Ellie put it, this is what Primark should ALWAYS look like. Beautifully lit fabrics making up collections with a clear aesthetic. The womenswear was adorable and the "California" collection wasn't the usual cringe affair I expect when people draw inspiration from my home state (there was even a pair of overalls ayeee). It was heavily 70's influenced on one end, and a little more floral pixie on the other. Nice.

I spent the majority of my time really aggressively investigating the menswear collection, because it was actually sO GOOD. Usually, guys clothes is where a lot of retailers drop the game, mainly because they think guys just...don't care. Judging by the way my guy friends run around, they've probably got a point. But I was impressed by the evident love that went into making pieces that went beyond the standard graphic tee and board shorts. My favorite was a blue cloud printed button down that was paired with this rad denim jacket. It was a clean look that wasn't overly complicated. My hypothesis is that if pieces like this were seen more often, it'd lead to better dressed guys. Science.

Primark, I'm going to miss you.

x J


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