1.29.2016

Heart on my...Hosiery

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| sweater: Urban Outfitters | dress: ASOS | belt: vintage from Finland | tights: Old Navy | socks: knit by my great Aunt Maila :) | booties: Target |


Guys, I have some GREAT news!

But first, a little backstory. 

For my day job in operations/talent at an email marketing company, one (of many) things I do is manage our event space (p.s. if you're in Nashville or otherwise and interested in booking, email me! Might be able to give you the blogger discount :) 

Recently I got an email from a co-worker who was interested in booking the space for a portrait session. I immediately messaged her and said "You're a photographer?! I'm a blogger!" 

let's get together, yeah yeah yeah 

Adriane is a darling who I've worked with for a couple years, and chatted with in passing; but our friendship really hit it off when I really hit her off the sidewalk at our holiday party. Ridiculous heels + imbibery + you fill in the blanks. Besides that, our party went off without a hitch, by the way. 

She is seriously the most creative person; besides photography, she makes jewelry and all sorts of crafty goodies! Adriane has a new lens she'd been wanting to try out, and I happily obliged. We've been doing super quick shoots outside the office, and so far, it's worked out perfectly!

So HOORAY for wonderful photos, with a lovely & talented photographer, in the daylight, on the day I'm actually wearing an outfit! When I told Hunter he may never have to take photos for me again :) he said, "oh good, now we can spend more quality time together." Ha. 


I picked up these tights for super cheap at Old Navy recently, and can't help but be in a good mood when I wear them. The nice thing is, though they're printed, they're neutral, so I don't look completely "Candyland character" when I wear them. Not that I'm opposed to that. I actually think Queen Frostine or Lolly would make excellent Halloween costumes! 

I have to tell you really quick that my mom's aunt Maila, who knit these socks and gave them to me when we were in Finland, is 80 years old, with a sparkling personality, and quick as a whip. My mom & I walked to her apartment from my grandparent's house, in that precarious slot of the day after coffee time and before dinner. Maila set out a beautiful fruit tart she had made, my mom whispered "Don't stuff yourself with cake before dinner!" and Maila retorted (in Finnish) "Don't listen to your mom, eat as much cake as you want!" My. Kinda. Woman! Oh, here she is:
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Mom, Maila, Vieno, Jaana, Leena


So I'm actually in Denver right now, spending the weekend with my friend Rachel (I know, this post is even more all over the place than normal!) Have a wonderful weekend, be back Tuesday! 
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1.27.2016

Chartreuse.

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| blouse: H&M | necklace: J.Crew (gift) | jeans: Old Navy | heels: J.Crew via Carina | lipstick: Pacifica in "Tender Heart"
*photos edited with VSCOCam*

I'm so passionate about my favorite color (guess. Purple!) that I refer to it as a "lifestyle." But recently I've decided I have a strong runner-up: chartreuse. 

This is a good time for me to break the news that my favorite coat has completely disappeared. Like...I'm almost more upset that I don't know what happened to it, instead of being upset because it's gone. Thank you, favorite coat. You were a bold choice that never let me down, and always kept me warm. Sorry I am such a dork about the sentimental value of apparel (like these shoes or these boots.) 

The point of all of this being- this coat is where my love affair with chartreuse began. It's a statement color that's somewhere between yellow and green, but not entirely either. 

I picked up this blouse at H&M in Helsinki over the holidays, on super sale. I've been pretending that this is the Banana Republic one I've had my eyes on for SO long (at a fraction of the price.) I thought it begged to be paired with a punchy statement necklace and leopard print!

Oh- and the story behind this "up-do"? I use those big claw clips in my hair, daily, (mostly while I'm brushing my teeth/doing my make-up), and somedays, they stay in my hair for work! This ended up looking like a chignon in the front, just don't look at the back ;) I was pretty pleased with it and it was SO nice having my hair out of my face for work!

So this is my second outfit post of the year? I'm feeling pretty good getting dressed these days. I'm constantly editing my closet (Poshmark is helping with that SO much!), I'm using a garment rack (I need to write a whole blog post about that, seriously) and when I get stumped, I'm turning to my "outfits to try" board on Pinterest. 


Where do you turn for easy inspo when you're feeling stumped with your closet? 
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1.25.2016

Current State of the Union, 1.25.15

HI. I'm starting a new series today! Though I dropped my monthly resolutions and ipsy vs. Birchbox reviews, I wanted a spot where I could keep up with that kinda stuff; along with bite-size bits of things I'm into but never blog about. Sometimes I feel like between outfit posts, I miss other little things, and skip over what's actually happening now. The beauty in this series is that it could go in literally any direction (like maybe someday I'll craft or cook, but don't hold your breath :) 
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Currently / life:
+ Last week was rough. On Monday I found out I have to move out of my apartment, (long story...) amidst emotional upheaval (more like --> which resulted in emotional upheaval.) Finally on Friday the snowstorm arrived, and Nashville got the most snow its' gotten since 1966. Pretty sure my neighborhood got close to nine inches. I spent three days watching 80's movies and eating carbs. As of today, the snow has melted, and I get the keys to my new place tomorrow. It's ALL good.
+ I'm also getting ready to leave for Denver on Thursday afternoon, to spend a long weekend with Rachel. New city, old friend, I am so pumped!

Currently / pop culture: Ok, surprise! I'm actually really into music though I never mention it. P.S. Follow me on Spotify!
Rainy Girl- Andrew McMahon, my favorite artist since 7th Grade. On his recent tour he opened with this track, a lullaby to his unborn daughter. It's now my favorite track on his new album. I'll keep going to see him, as long as he's performing.
+ Green & Gold- Lianne La Havas is really freaking talented, and has the coolest sound. I whole-heartedly recommend her entire album, Blood, but this is my favorite track.
+ E*MO*TION- Carly Rae Jepsen, who you may know from Call Me Maybe. I wasn't necessarily even a fan of hers, until this album changed the game. 15 tracks of pure, pop goodness, sometimes you will think you hear a saxophone. Don't roll your eyes until you listen to it. Also I'm going to her show in March !!!
Two- Liza Anne is a Nashville artist, who I first heard on our alt radio station, then learned we have several mutual friends (#Nashville.) I can't say enough about this album. It was perfect for Fall, it's perfect in the Winter, it's just kinda perfect.
+ The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates- Daryl Hall & John Oates, who everybody loves anyway, but did you know every track on this album is actually fantastic? I've been spinning Wait For Me and Kiss on my List at least once/day.
+ Making a Murderer- like you, I spent about two days of my life binge-watching this show. The whole thing made me sad, all the characters made me insane (minus Allan Avery), and I don't know what to think. I feel a little ick laughing at the expense of the situation, but this Making a Murderer Hairstyles tumblr is just too good.
+ RuPaul's Drag Race- I watched this show all weekend long. No tea, no shade, no pink lemonade, it is a feast for your senses.
+ John Mulaney The Comeback Kid- Hunter is obsessed with stand-up comedy, and this might be my favorite comedy special I have ever seen (definitely the one that made me laugh the hardest.) John Mulaney is just my PERSON.
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Currently / beauty:
+ My girl Andrea gifted me one of these lip treatments last Christmas, I think? I leave lip stuff everywhere, then forget about them, then re-find them, and this stuff is theee best. It's more like a balm, with a tint of color (I have Sheer Dawn, a barely there pink) and the pretty paper tube makes me happy every time I see it.
+ I'll never tire of a colored lip, but recently I've gotten into various "neutral" lip colors (" " because, you be the judge.) The red-brown shade of this Pacifica lipstick (LOVE this brand!) feels very 90's to me, but I've been enjoying it!
+ I work with some pretty fab beauty junkies, so among other things at my job, I've learned much about make-up! I saved up my Birchbox points for a long time to buy the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. I'm still a total newb so I can't post any tips yet, but I'll say- I'm not getting any worse! Here's a post where I used this palette and did a decent job, imo.
+ The mascara I'm using right now is Smashbox Full Exposure (via ipsy.) It has a lustrous inky black color, and the cone-shaped brush makes for some awesome volume.
+ In November, I got two matte red lip crayons (one from ipsy, one from Birchbox.) Well, the LOC Matte Lipstick via Birchbox wins by default because the Trestique one broke in the tube. I love the bright blue-toned red, and the easy application. Fantastic option for a red lip! Wearing it here.

*If you are interested in signing up for ipsy OR Birchbox for $10/month, you can find my referral links here: ipsy // Birchbox. Loads more ipsy/Birchbox product reviews here. *


Currently / on the nightstand:
All The Light We Cannot See- Anthony Doerr. I've heard so many rave about this one, and finally checked it as an ebook. Per my 2016 intention, I've been in the middle of it since, slowly but surely reading almost every night. I normally love historical fiction, but admittedly, when it's a bit fluffier. 
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Currently / wish-listing:
+ These sparkly Keds! Of course the gold & rose gold are sold out (via Here & Now.)
+ This scalloped blouse has been on my list for a while. I bought something similar and I've been pretending it's the real one...
+ My big purchase this year is going to be some nicer black skinny jeans. Possibly some J Brands?
+ My favorite coat went missing, and though I'm trying to wear some of my older ones, I LOVE this J.Crew one that I see everywhere. It's a classic wool coat with a fur collar, completely luxe!
+ My faithful black booties have just about had it. Honestly this little pair from Target has exactly what I'm looking for, black on black, leather-y, nice heel (plus my boss has them so I know they look great.) And of course they're sold out.

There you have it! Would love to hear what you're currently into in life, pop culture, beauty, books, wish-lists, or otherwise. Thanks for reading! 
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1.14.2016

Scandinavian Layers

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| coat: Old Navy | sweater: Gap | blouse: secondhand H&M | necklace: gift from Jacqui | belt: Gap | jeans: gifted (7 For All Mankind) | booties: Sam Edelman | 

Welcome to my first outfit post of 2016! This is a great representation of what I wore the entire time I was in Finland over the holidays. I didn't take any other outfit pictures while I was there...but if I had, they would have all looked pretty similar.

I did a pretty good job at packing minimally (side note- anyone interested in a packing post? I don't have one planned for now, but could definitely pull it together if there is interest. Let me know!) and subsequently lived in this jacket, this sweater, and these booties. If you're wondering if I was cold in this (and the entire time I was there) the answer is yes. I was very cold the whole time.

As a Californian/Nashvillian, I have no idea how to dress for cold weather. This is my warmest coat, for sure, and was a real MVP on my trip. I've given it a break since I wore it every single day for almost two weeks, but usually it's the coat I reach for the most during the Winter. 

I've been contemplating a post about what I would consider my top 10 wardrobe essentials, and a neutral cardigan is definitely on top of the list. It is the perfect layering piece, and goes with everything- especially when you're traveling with a limited wardrobe. 

And finally, here's the debut of my Sam Edelman booties! If I'm being totally honest, I prefer booties with more of a heel. But these are undoubtedly excellent quality, color, and go with everything! 

To see alternate outfits with each of these pieces, just click the labels on this post! 

Happy little Friday guys. Have I mentioned lately how much I love January? I'm gearing up for the second weekend in a row with no plans, and I'm not mad about that one bit.  
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1.12.2016

#PappuJoulu2015

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Seeing as we're just about adjusted back to normal life, it's the perfect time for me to remember my holidays, right? Right. 

I spent Christmas and New Years in Finland this year for a few firsts- my first white Christmas, my first Christmas spent with my mom's family (or, any extended family, really), and my first New Years Eve in a completely different timezone than anyone else (no idea what it's called.) 

Putting this post together, I realize I took so many less photos than last Christmas- which I'm totally ok with. We spent the first half of the trip in North Karelia, in the small town of Nurmes, where my mother was born and raised. That's where the top snowy photos were taken; it was gorgeous and so peaceful. A note on getting to Nurmes from Nashville: I flew to Charlotte, and then New York, and then Helsinki, and then Joensuu, and then drove three hours with a cousin to arrive in Nurmes. So yeah, the journey there was a saga within itself, but I can't complain. And though I was delirious when I arrived, I can't help but think that it's kinda cool that it takes that long to get to where my Mom calls home. 

This is where we spent Christmas, with a lot of family time, including loads of extended family that I rarely get to see. It's fascinating to be able to see where these people, and the town of Nurmes, fit into my Mom's life. Spending Christmas with my Mummo and Ukki (my mom's parents) was, for the lack of a better description, something special that I'll never forget. 

Unplugging and spending time with family, even if we were sitting around doing nothing- was so perfect. And exactly what I was looking forward to after the go-go-go of how crazy last Fall turned out to be. 

We spent the second half of the trip in Helsinki with my uncle and his family. This part was a lot more active- we biked, ice skated, cross-country skied, went to a hockey game, and this culminated in: my cousin Otto taking us to his friend's DJ Khaled themed NYE party (SERIOUSLY.) What a hilarious, unique way to ring in the New Year. I wore sequin pants that I was SO excited about, and was comically overdressed. I'll let you fill in the blanks about how I felt on our trip back to the states on the first, the morning after NYE...

I think that's about it. It's always daunting to try and sum up a trip like this...but overall, it was so good to travel, wonderful and cozy spending time with family (immediate and extended) and really neat to celebrate the holidays in a different country. Finland has some pretty great Christmas traditions going on. In fact, the Helsinki airport is branded as "the official gateway of Santa Claus" - believe it! 


You can find some supplementary material for this post under #PappuJoulu2015- our official hashtag for the trip (Joulu being the Finnish word for Christmas. We kept saying "JOU-LU!" [in the spirit of YOLO], which my cousin Otto did not find amusing.) 
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1.08.2016

2015: What I Did

Though I've already reflected on my favorite outfits of 2015, and how my monthly resolutions turned out, I wanted to take a minute to round up my most memorable moments of the year. I saw some new cities, took on some new responsibilities at work, hung out in Nashville, and was perpetually a bridesmaid. Take a look (most of these have full posts to link to, if you want to see more!)
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was a bridesmaid in Amanda & Dustin's wedding in March (my pics / Caitlin Selle's pics & my speech)
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visited New Orlean via Florida with Carina in May (this might be my favorite photo of the year!)
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was a bridesmaid in Jenae & Daniel's wedding in June (my pics / haven't shared the wedding photos yet!)
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went on a lot of hikes. Visited several new (to me) state parks and otherwise. ^ This is Bowie Nature Park
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went home (with Huntee) for Jacqui & Matt's wedding in September (my pics / Eric McFarland's pics)
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was a bridesmaid (with Huntee!) in Ethan & Andrea's wedding here in town in October (my pics)
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met my family in Finland for Christmas & New Years (more photos & tales to come!)

I always worry that these recaps (and what I have photos for) document best the exciting parts of life, like traveling to different places, and completely skip over my normal life (and the fun things I do right here in town.) But, I guess that's how blogging is a lot of times?

Other notable things from 2015 that I don't have photos for:
- In August, Hunter and I celebrated our 5 YEAR anniversary! 
- In November, I started taking on some new roles at work (and working my butt off, and loving it.)
- In October, I was the co-chair of our volunteer Haunted House with work.
- I can't forget that Galina came to visit me twice- in April for the marathon, and in October!
- I celebrated my 24th birthday right here in town, and spent the day just doing ME. 

And worked on monthly goals all year long

2015- thanks for the good times. 
Thanks for following along with me! And with that, I am OFFICIALLY moving on to 2016 things on perfectly Priya. 

And if you have any kind of year end posts on your blog, I would love to see 'em!  
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1.06.2016

Monthly Goals, December & 2016 Intentions

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the "makeshift" Christmas tree in our Finland apartment; my grandpa legit cut down in his yard and brought it to us

I truly hope 2016 is finding you refreshed and inspired for a brand new year. Isn't it exhilarating to have the feeling of a clean slate? January may be cold and less sparkly than the month before, but I, for one, feel relieved. I have few plans and feel like I actually have time to think, and dedicate to things that were neglected all Fall (like, dusting! Organizing! All the exciting things.) I've been feeling just plain old good lately. 

Waaaay back in January 2015, I decided to take a slightly different approach to resolutions for the year. Rather than ideas that would (hopefully) stick all year, I made a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish monthly, and reviewed them monthly. You can read the years worth of reviews here, but quickly, looking back at December:


- Made my biggest trip of the year, to Finland, and saw nearly my entire family
- Focused on the one-word-motto of joy, which can be surprisingly difficult during the holidays.
- Huntee & I threw a holiday/house-warming party
- I read We Were Liars on the plane to Finland (after figuring out how to put library books on my Kindle!)
- I sent at least a Christmas card and package to my brother Sundar
- Amidst all the festivities, I didn't see any live music


That's 6/7 for December, which proved to be a pretty good mark for the year! 

I'm less interested in my overall "stats", and more into whether this format worked for me. It definitely kept things interesting, as they changed and re-set month to month. It also helped that these were mostly all enjoyable things I wanted to do. 

I went to a lot of shows, wrote a lot of letters, saw some new places, and saw a member of my family every month except January. More on this as I share some overall highlights of the year, in a different post! 

The hardest to keep? I didn't read as much as I wanted to, and though I loved the one-word-motto concept, those were a challenge. This might be a cop-out, but regardless of how well I "performed" according to my motto, I enjoyed having an intention that I knew was specifically on my mind for the month.   

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And my resolutions for 2016, if you're curious? Well, after the hard and fast structure of last year, I have goals in mind, but they are a lot more chill. By that, I don't mean "cool thoughts that I never accomplish" (like most resolutions, but that's the hard part, isn't it...) I'll share a few of them here, though it's just a skim off the top (of course I will chat in-depth, if you want!) 

I'm not even calling them resolutions. I chose the word "intention."

Intentions for 2016:
- be constantly in the middle of a book
- SPEND LESS
- save up to go to Paris
- train for and complete the San Francisco marathon in July
- develop and stick to a nightly routine, that helps me sleep better, and then,
- be on time to work
- go outside! Visit more TN State Parks than last year
- and overall, try to live simpler this year


If you've shared your 2016 resolutions or a re-cap of your 2015 goals, let me know! I'd love to check it out. 

Ok- if you made it through this post, thanks for reading! 
And thanks for making perfectly Priya a great spot to keep track of my goals. Onward! 
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1.04.2016

2015: What I Wore

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I've been in vacation mode nearly since my last post; and literally from the 22nd until the 1st, when I returned from spending the holidays with family in Finland. Obviously more on that later, 

but for now, I have some catching up to do!


So, how about 2015? More like, how about 2015 is over?? 

I love doing outfit re-cap posts (2013 // 2014). Not only are they a good way to see my "style map", they're very indicative of both the normal and notable moments over the year. Isn't that what makes blogging worthwhile, and what you wore, significant? 

Here are my favorite outfits from 2015, by month:
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And here's why each of them made the cut (with links to full posts!)

JanuaryMad in Plaid | Perhaps my favorite personal pattern mixing of all time. Plus bf jeans for Winter. *applause emoji*
FebruaryPuppy Love | Probably the definition of my style. Classic silhouette, made up of color and graphic print. 
MarchPost-Bach Brunch | I love that I wore this after a bachelorette party, and this is seriously my favorite t-shirt. 
April: Cherry Blossoms? Elementary! | Gingerly saying that this might be my favorite outfit of the year for every reason! 
May: Oh, jeans | My favorite jeans of the year + favorite shoes + a sweet but neglected thrifted top. 
June: Lemonade | Another older vintage find I hadn't worn in a while, PERFECT for this (life gave us lemons) date night. 
July: Money in the Bank | Don't ever let me get rid of this red skirt, ok? Color-blocking was a trend I really got into this year. 
August: Sisters Who Crop | Another sweet memory- family in town for the weekend, and Carina gave me this top! 
September: Coral + Cargo | Again gingerly, maybe runner-up for an ultimate favorite this year.  Dressy casual is my jam!
October: Game On. | A casual/slightly grungy deviant of my usual style that I loved. Also excited to wear a pin! 
November: That's a Wrap! | Cozy layering with a few favorite pieces, on a weekend spent with my little bro. (Packing list.)
December: Holiday Faves | A (conveniently, festive!) 'fit comprised of what might be my fav items in my closet right now. 


I may or may not have just re-read each of those posts as I linked them. It's been a great year! My best blogging advice is seriously: if you feel uninspired, or like you want to quit blogging- just go back and read some of your old stuff. Works every time (for journaling too!)

Now, I don't always love what I wear, but I really like each of these outfits. I don't know that I can pick an favorite favorite of the year. Can you just tell me what to think? 

After creating and looking back at this collage, I'm pretty pleased at where 2015 took my style. I can definitely say I moved toward some neutrals, and love classic silhouettes; but I must have color or print (or both!) to feel like myself. 

Blogger disclaimer: I spend plenty of time in running shorts, leggings, and sweats like any normal person. But I'm glad that the outfits that have made it on my blog are real outfits, that I put together and actually wore, and felt very comfortable and like myself in. 

Pick your favorite perfectly Priya outfit of the year, and let me know in the comments!
Also, if you've done any "best of" lists for 2015, I'd love to check them out!

Be back real soon to finish up last year, and with some new goodies! I hope your year is off to a fantastic start, and as always, THANKS for being a part of mine <3.  
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