For the first time in my working life I called out from work because of snow. Portland got over a foot of snow and Oregon Department of Transportation said chains were required for any state roads. I have had my car less than a year so I do not have chains. The buses were all messed up from the snow as well, so I got to have a snow day as an adult.

Annie’s Donuts was open today, and they had plenty of room to park you skis. Also, they make the best classic donuts in town.

The snow makes everything so pretty. I just wish it wasn’t so dangerous. Portland is not equipped to deal with this much snow. Hopefully everyone stays safe and finds a way to enjoy the snow.

Every year I buy myself a pair of boots. This year I decided to buy a pair of boots that are waterproof, and it was also my first pair of Sorel boots. At first I was not sure about the purchase because they were $100 (any purchase over $50 requires serious thought for me).

After the first time wearing them I was in love.

Recently Portland has gotten snow and ice, which I do not like. However the wedge heel on these boots it perfect for cracking through the top layer of ice on snow.

The boots make me feel extra sassy because of the wedge. They are also extremely comfortable. I am very impressed with Sorel’s quality so far.

Finding a balance between work and regular life has been a struggle for me for quite some time. After taking a management position my work/life balance only became worse. 6 weeks ago a friend of mine invited me to a Giant’s game in San Francisco. After realizing there is a serious lack of fun in my life I said yes and bought a plane ticket. For me flying to another state with only 6 weeks notice is super spontaneous. As it turns out, my 24 hour trip was super fun.

Taking chances is important in life, and sometimes they work out even better than planned.

I was blessed with beautiful weather on my 24 hour vacation.

This trip made me realize I need to embrace fun, and enjoy life a little more.

Sometimes I day dream about what it would be like to live a fancy life, where you had reasons and occasions to wear beautiful clothing and make up . If I lived a fancy life  I would definitely buy this dress.

The dress is part of the Spring/Summer 2017 collection from Michael Costello shown at New York Fashion week

I love summer clothing. Normally I don’t spend much on these items because I don’t get to wear them often in Oregon. If I didn’t have a strict budget my summer wardrobe would consist of the items below.

Young Fabulous and Broke Noel maxi dress $116.

Young Fabulous and Broke Carla jumpsuit $99.

Young Fabulous and Broke Alva maxi dress $202.

Gingham J. Crew sundress $138.

J. Crew stripe maxi dress $110.

Sabo Skirt Botanical dress $79.

Free People play suit $290.

Stone Fox Banana Leaf Bikini $188.

Seafolly Boyleg one piece $148.

Citizens of Humanity shorts $168

Frye Rachel T-Strap sandal $188.

Jimmy Choo Pallis Wedges $329.

Alexandre Birman Sandal $595.

Men’s accessories are not talked about enough. They can make a man’s outfit more individualized, and look much better. Living in Oregon has made me really appreciate men’s ties, because unfortunately lots of men are opposed to them.

I pulled this image of Andre 3000 from Pintrest because he has very bold style, and he is one of my only celebrity crushes. His tie choice here is bold, but the pattern is a different enough size from the pattern on his shirt that it works.

I pulled this from the GQ website, the article was best shirt and tie combos of the week. This entire combo looks great, and it shows how good it looks when your tie and pocket square perfectly match.

People seem to be afraid of patterned ties, don’t be. This black floral one is from tie bar. They offer a huge selection and at reasonable prices, most I found (including the above) are $19.

Emerald green is my favorite color, so unsurprisingly I love it as a tie color. This option from Tie Bar is only $19.

This is the perfect alternative to a novelty neck tie, especially in our technology obsessed society. The circuit board tie above is $39. Scatterbrained Ties is an Etsy shop with very unique and beautiful ties.

Paisley is seen as old fashioned by many, but I love it. In a world of people that want to blend in with the crowd this pattern will stand out. This John W. Nordstrom tie would go great with a charcoal suit.

Ties are a great way to have fun with men’s fashion.They make a man look better, and more put together. I hope some day they become vastly popular again.

Money is a very taboo subject in the United States. It is important to talk about sometimes even if it makes people uncomfortable. A friend of mine asked me to write a post about saving, so hopefully others find this helpful as well.

I love to shop and even though I have self control now, I am a shopaholic. I mostly window shop now, but in my early 20’s I spent far too much. In spite of this I have always been a saver. Ever since I was a kid I have had a savings account. As an adult I have two savings account (one is strictly travel). Last year I put 10% of my income into my personal savings accounts, I have my retirement savings taken directly out of my paycheck. I like the feeling of safety that comes with having money in savings.

If you constantly feel tempted to shop and spend money here area few tips.

1.) Evaluate your wardrobe

Knowing exactly what is in your closet can help you shop less.  Ask yourself when you are about to buy something “Do I really need this? Do I have something similar already?” Some people might argue about needing clothes, a certain amount is necessary for work and everyday life. Another reason to evaluate your closet is if you have too much or things you have not worn in a long time you can sell it at a resale shop. Normally that wont make you much, but it is nice to have extra pocket money.

2.) Make a list with a budget

It is important to set spending limits on your wardrobe. When I realize there are things missing from my wardrobe I make a list of the items and next to them write the maximum price I will pay for it. I also limit myself to one article of clothing or pair of shoes per paycheck, unless its a special occasion like a holiday or tax return season.

3.) Don’t go places with shopping temptation

Not spending money on clothing and accessories is so much easier if they are not right in front of you. Avoid places you know will tempt you, like pedestrian shopping districts or malls. Also try not to look at websites that tempt you to online shop. I used to have Revolve Clothing, Nordstrom, Shopbop, Sports Authority, and Victoria’s Secret on browser so I wouldn’t even have to type anything to go to their sites. Once I got serious about saving and paying off college I deleted them and removed them from my bookmarked pages as well.

4.) Save money every month before bills

This tip can make the biggest difference. I know so many people who spend excessively the first 3 or 4 days after they get paid because there is extra in their bank account. To avoid doing that I started the practice of transferring money to my savings account the moment my paycheck was in my account. The amount you save varies of course, but if you put it in savings before you pay anything else you won’t miss it as much.

5.) Set a 24 hour rule

If you a re shopping and unsure of an item, don’t buy it. Wait on it for 24 hours. If you are still thinking about and want that item 24 hours later, it is probably worth getting.  Often times however, after 24 hours I don’t feel like I need the item or anything would be missing from my life without it.

Saving money is a very personal thing, but if you area shopaholic like me this tips could help you save money. Saving money with a purpose always makes it easier, so have a goal in mind. Paying off my student loan is a constant thought, and the bachelor’s degree on my wall reminds me. I also have pictures of places around the world I want to go, so it encourages me to save. Hopefully this helps some of you save money and reach new financial goals.

This last week I felt incredibly blessed. I had 6 day off in a row, and I got to spend it with family that I rarely see. I had Aunties visit from Hawaii (and one from Seattle) so my Mom and I showed them all around Oregon. Family is the most important thing in the world to me, which is probably what made this the best vacation I have had in the last few years.

Oregon is so incredibly special, and showing if to others only makes me appreciate it even more.

Hood River and the Columbia Gorge are a must see for anyone visiting.

My Aunties from Hawaii were very shocked and how inexpensive and delicious produce is in Oregon.

Wine tasting is always a good plan in Oregon.

Multnomah Falls is the most visited tourist attraction in Oregon (and it is ADA friendly) so we had to go.

Lunch at Alameda Brew House.

Blue Star donuts as a snack during shopping. The Aunties wanted to try Voo Doo Donuts but we went here because they have better donuts, and very unique combinations.

The Oregon Garden is beautiful.

I was very excited for the sunshine, and the chilly temperature so I could wear my new sweater.

An evening stroll through the Portland Rose Garden.

This rose smelled especially pleasant.

Josephine loves meeting new people but she gets a little over excited at first.

I think having vacations to look forward to makes it much easier to get through anything difficult going on in life. Now my batteries are recharged so I can go back to reality.

Trying new things in fashion is one of the fun things about it. Some new items are easier to incorporate into a wardrobe than others. One item I think anyone can add to an existing wardrobe is colorful or pattern pants. Any fabric type is possible with this fashion statement as well.

Bright solid colored pants are the easiest in my opinion to seamlessly add to your wardrobe. if super bright colors like yellow are too much color, try something like a jewel tone purple or an emerald green. Red can also pair easily with any neutral colored top.

Gap is a good place to get colored pants for a good price. These are $59.95 regular price but go on sale often for around $40.

J. Crew Martie pant $89.50. Certain colors are on sale currently for $59.99. Red is a very bold color, it makes for a striking pair of pants. I love to pair red pants with white tops, or polka dot blouses.

Pants with subtle pattern are the easiest to pull off when it comes to patterned pants.

These pants from the Gap are a favorite of mine, only $35.99. They are light weight material which makes them very comfortable. The neutral colors in the pattern allow these pants to be pair with any other neutral color or bright color.

Pants with bold patterns are quite possibly my favorite.

These pants are from J. Crew and I love the bold use of color in the floral pattern. If it weren’t for the $288 price tag they would be living in my closet.

Shoe pairings become even more important with bold pants. Of course the shoe type depends on the occasion. I love flat sandals with pattern pants. When my outfit is high maintenance I like the shoes to be simple. Classic black pumps or black flats will go well with any bold pant as well.

If you have ever thought about bold pants but couldn’t pull the trigger, try some on again. Try on the craziest pattern you can find, and then try on something a step down.  They can be so much fun and it nice to spice up a wardrobe.

~Caitlin Malia~

patterned/ distressed denim.

I have noticed a disturbing  trend amongst women during my last 4 years working retail. Every day at my job I hear women saying negative things about their body, or another woman’s body. I find this incredibly sad. If you look on any social media site you can find disturbing, negative comments. This issue is really important to me, which is why I decided to write this post.

It took me until I was 23 years old to truly love my body.  Like many women I felt like I wasn’t attractive because I didn’t fit into the cookie-cutter mold. Also because I was bullied all of middle school and early high school. But eventually I accepted that I am a curvy woman and always will be. Having a big round butt is all the rage now, but 10 years ago that was not the case. Going through a journey of weight loss and improved physical fitness starting my Junior year of college helped me greatly. I whole heartedly believe that working out can help anyone’s body image. You might not love your body, but if you make it through a boot camp class or run a race you feel proud of your body. Finally learning to love my body was a huge accomplishment for me. If I can do it, after my self esteem issues and negative thinking from childhood, any one can do it.

This picture of me was taken in February 2015.

I want to put it out there that body shaming of any kind is wrong. People come in all shapes and sizes. Different people are attracted to different things. Phrases like “Thin is in” and “Real women have curves” both are detrimental to how women think. Being a real women happens in every shape. Real women don’t tear down others or make negative comments about anyone’s body. Real women are confident in themselves, even when they don’t think their body is perfect. I don’t think there is a single person alive who thinks their body is perfect, but you understand the point I am trying to make.

Criticizing women who get plastic surgery is also a form of body shaming. Plastic surgery is a personal choice. Unless the plastic surgery is getting done to your body, or you are taking care of the person, then it is none of your business. Plastic surgery is controversial, but I think there are many circumstances where it makes complete sense. I also think anyone getting any type of plastic surgery should meet with a shrink before hand, to make sure they aren’t doing it for a possibly detrimental reason. I have thought about getting a breast reduction and lift after having children, but that is far, far away.

There is a serious need for more positivity towards our bodies, and the bodies of other women. Positive self thought is a really important part of this. Learning to think positively about your life, and to banish the negative thoughts, is a priceless skill. Surrounding yourself with positive people is also incredibly helpful for body love and positivity. Below are some of my friends who also believe female body love and positivity is important.

Mataya

I call Mataya my little sister even though we aren’t related. We grew up across the street from eachother our entire childhoods. She is such an inspiring young woman. I asked her to say a little bit about her body image, favorite feature, and the journey.

“Favorite body part is my butt. I’m curvy and proud of it! I’ve also been an athlete my entire life and have worked hard for my shape. I will never be a size 2, but I am happy and healthy. “

Tabitha

I met Tabitha years ago when I started working at retail. We have always been able to talk openly about our bodies and the struggles of being curvy. Tabitha is the only women I know who openly admits having breast augmentation. I love that she talks about it! When I asked about her journey and favorite body part she responded:

“I do love my legs, cellulite and all. Honestly not shaving my armpits has also gone a long way in helping me embrace my body the way it is rather than trying to fit into society’s mold of attractive. It was weird for me at first but now I’m proud of the fact that I had the balls to challenge the stereotype that women have to be body hair free in order to be pretty.”

Elisabeth

I also met Elisabeth while working in retail. She is such an amazingly kind woman. One of the sweetest people I have ever met. She is always positive. Whenever we talk about body image topics she is very positive, and fully acknowledges not being the cookie-cutter image and still having the “I am awesome” attitude. When I brought up the idea for the post months ago she brought up “Why wouldn’t someone love their body? Its the only one you get.” I think that is something everyone could stand to be reminded of.

Lydia

I meet Lydia through Mataya when we were all kids. She is so free spirited and fun loving. I can’t help but bear hug her every time I see her, that’s just the kind of energy she has. Lydia has done dance for much of her life and is very outdoorsy and active. She has always inspired me to create healthier habits in my life. I asked her to tell me a little about her body image journey and she said the following:

“Favorite feature is my calves. The only woman who has ever made me feel insecure about my own body is me. Loving your body is the best thing you can do for it!”

I choose these women because I know all of them well and know they all truly love their bodies. Every person, man or woman, can finds flaws with their physical form. It is important to not dwell on it. Nobody is perfect. Love your body, its the only one you have. It is important to take care of your body because it takes care of you. Living a healthy lifestyle (balanced diet, exercise, etc.) is always a good plan.

I hope this post helps some people, because it took me a long time to learn all of this. I hope everyone who reads this will give themselves a compliment, and compliment another person. There needs to be more positive energy surrounding our bodies. Small changes can make a big impact.