Three years ago I created my blog. Unsure what direction I was heading in, I started posting and having fun with it. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, something I like to do and something I like to believe I am good at.
In the age of Tiktok, the Rundown, Instagram Reels, etc. blogging started becoming something of the past. No one wanted to spend more than 15 seconds to a minute on something – let alone read. Myself included, I became a victim of instant gratification on social media and scrolling endlessly.
Don’t get me wrong – I love TikTok and continue to post on there as well (@ me). However, I think it’s important to remember why I started. It was never about what was cool or popular but rather the obsession I have for style, fashion, beauty, pop culture, finding bomb ass deals, and writing all about it for those who might care too.
About five months ago, I made a new Instagram. I post fashion and lifestyle content that I deem necessary or just make me happy.
Today, I have *rebranded* my blog if you will, to be an extension of that Instagram page. Whether or not you have time to sit down and read a blog post, I invite you to follow my page. I am always open to new ideas, styling tips or recommendations, and anything else that could help you become vhighfashion.
Hello queens & kings, happy 2021! After a year tougher than any other I’ve experienced in my lifetime, we finally made it. Whether you spent the New Year shacked up with a group of your closest friends or, if you’re like me, on the sofa with your favorite pair of heels (had them on for a whole hour, can you believe that?), a champagne flute topped off with Veuve, while watching Bridget Jones Diary – I hope your New Years was a good one, a happy one, and a safe one.
Seems like just my last post I was talking about my 2020 vision board – oh wait yeah that’s because I was and I was a major slacker on my blog this year. My apologies, sincerely. But, if you miss me please feel free to follow my fashion TikTok; we have fun over there.
Either way, it’s time to make a new vision board, and this is your friendly reminder. This year I’m doing it a little differently. For those who don’t know, I moved back to the east coast this year. Although I am very happy about the move – the actual moving part made me realize how much s t u f f I have accumulated over the years. Coming from the girl who prides herself on her minimalism, psh yeah right Phil, think again.
Anyways, saving you from my moving saga, I decided to take after the sabotage queens themselves @Emma, @Nitsan, @Sophie, and make my vision board via the web this year. Taking good ol’ Pinterest and Canva by storm.
A few Nespresso’s, some cuddles with Marco (the family Golden Doodle and my New Years kiss), and an overcrowded desktop later, my 2021 vision board is complete.
Take a look for yourself,
What do you think?
I’ll be waiting for yours over on Instagram.
Once again, happy new year to each and every one of you!
And finally, thank you for taking the time to read this post, I appreciate you.
Truth be told, I first wrote this post in January 2020. Boy, have things changed. I juggled with the idea of posting about a vision board since I think we can all agree that our future feels very uncertain right now. I don’t know where I’ll be three months from now – let alone 3 days from now (probably still sitting in my apartment).
As things in LA start to shut down again and the thought of another quarantine circles my head, it’s been hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve realized as these long days and short months go by, that it is extremely important to keep a positive mindset even when you feel like the world is high key falling apart.
Having this extra time at home gives us all an opportunity to think about what we want to accomplish once all of this is over. Not to mention, we now have the time to make the first step. So without further ado, here is the tea on how I made my vision board + how you can too!
I first started making these boards in 2017 because my mom had the idea and made us all do them on Christmas. My siblings and I ~reluctantly~ agreed and it ended up being a super fun tradition (aka we haven’t done it again but I am going to make it a tradition) that I really enjoy. I like being able to look back at what I was hoping to achieve throughout the year and see what changed, what worked, and how far I’ve come since then.
So – today I’m going to break down how I like to do the vision boards and I’ll also share what my 2020 vision board looks like. I hope this motivates you to also make your vision board and inspires you to set goals for now and for when COVID is over.
1. Ask someone to do this with you
(Almost) everything is better shared with a friend, a significant other, or just anyone you enjoy spending time with. Ask someone, or if your friends are like mine, tell someone that they are going to make a vision board with you – it will be fun, it will be motivating, and they won’t regret it.
2. Gather your supplies
There aren’t many supplies but you will be needing some key ingredients to make the best vision board.
1 – Posterboard, I would recommend the type that isn’t flimsy so it’s easy to put up and doesn’t look like your fourth-grade science fair project… I should probably take my own advice because I got the flimsy kind.
2 – Scissors, you ever made a collage before?
3 – Magazines on magazines, from Vogue to Travel + Leisure to Time, pick up anything you can find around the house!
4 – Glue, stick, gun, Elmer’s, tacky – do what you want it’s not like I need a play by play.
3. Make a night out of it – cute drinks, snacks, etc.
Now that you’ve ordered supplies from Amazon or scavenged your house for old magazines, you’re going to want to make sure to get the more important, more caloric, supplies. Some wine and cheese, as we did, or whatever it is that you can order for take out – support your local small businesses!
4. Start tearing through those magazines
This is my favorite part. Tear out every and any page that inspires you, motivates you, or makes you happy. I like tearing through those magazines and not thinking too much about it. Pull out the whole page, you’ll come back to it later and decide what you want to keep and what you’ll toss.
5. Layout
For the layout, you’ll want to first start by thinking about what your goals and aspirations are in your life. Vision boards are a great way to be creative and you don’t have to follow any rules – you’re free to do whatever you want. For me personally, I like to separate my short term goals from my long term. I like to set it up so it reads like a story starting from the left and moving towards the right as my life goes on.
Start looking through everything you’ve set aside once you have an idea of how you want your vision board to look. Now, lay out all of your photos and play with them until they look perfect to you!
6. Paste
Once you’re ready to commit – paste those babies on.
7. Present
I always love this part because it lets you see what your friends are looking to achieve in their lives that you might not realize already. Also, it lets you speak about your vision board and hear what you want to achieve that year out loud.
8. Put it in a place where you’ll see it every day
I put mine up behind my bedroom door that way I see it every morning when I wake up and walk out of my room and every night when I shut my door for bed. I can’t explain how rewarding it feels to see something on there and realize I have accomplished that goal.
I hope you take this into consideration the next time you’re sitting on your couch telling your brother, sister, roommate, mom, dad, or pet that you are bored and you don’t know what to do. I know it can sound super cheese but I really believe taking the steps to acknowledge your goals is only going to make you feel better and help motivate you to achieve them. Times are tough rn, but it’s all about your mindset. So why not try doing something that will help you better it?? Asking for a friend.
Love you guys,
Phil
P.S. Send pics of your boards if you decide to give it a try!
Hello, beautiful ppl of the internet… we are back & better than ever. I was long overdue for a new blog post and update but that is okay because I’m here now.
While I was gone, the one year ~anniversary~ since starting my blog passed and I don’t understand where the time has gone. Somewhere in the past few months, I became so busy I lost track of time and forgot to do the things that mattered to me the most. Since I’ve been gone, however, a lot of exciting things have been happening!
I graduated from UC Santa Barbara (yasss), I signed the lease for my brand new apartment with my two best friends in Santa Monica (double yasss), I’ve landed amazing collabs with companies I adore, I celebrated my 24th birthday (holy shit), and time has been FLYING. It hasn’t been all rainbows & butterflies – shit has been stressful – but, I am back & I can’t wait to bring you all along in the next chapter of my crazy life.
Not only have I been going through changes but hello so has my blog. Shoutout to my big sister (@pboudes) for helping me make my #pfg banner a reality. Let me know what you think in the comments below + be sure to follow!
Valentine’s Day is coming in hot – dinner reservations are being booked, jewelry is being shined, and chocolate is being wrapped. But what happens if you don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend this year? I’ll help you think of the perfect things to do and gift this Valentine’s Day, that are both unique AF and under $100.
What To Do:
Chick Fil A Heart Tray $17.96
Honestly, Chick-fil-a might be the closest thing we have to heaven on Earth. Let’s face it, we all love a good Chick-fil-a moment. This year, instead of dropping hundreds on dinner, order a Chick-fil-a heart tray filled with your favorite mini chicken sandwiches and have a picnic on the beach or set up some blankets to build a fort and watch a movie! Hopefully, it’ll be as cute as this Mini Cooper set up Suzy Shattuck and her husband created in Malibu #majorinspo. Either way, it’ll end up being much more romantic (and probably taste better) than a fancy dinner and it’ll only cost you $17.
Take your date to an escape room where you’ll be putting your minds together to get out of a room by solving riddles and completing challenges before time runs out. This will be a fun and different activity to do that will be something you’ll both remember forever!
Note for the record – they aren’t all scary so if you guys scare easy there are fun and chill options at escape rooms!
IHOP Unlimited Pancakes $4.99
Um, need I say more?
Ok, I will.. IHOP is offering UNLIMITED pancakes. You can go with your date, order a stack of pancakes, and stay until you physically can no longer eat pancakes.
Um hello is this not the most original and cutest idea ever? This is such a heartfelt gift that anyone would be lucky to receive! You can either order a print and frame it yourself or have it printed onto a canvas to put on display.
Not only is it adorable – but this gift works as a gift for your BFF, family, significant other, and anyone that is special to you! Who says Valentine’s Day is just for couples??
So – we know about the box of roses that lasts 365 days but we also know those cost around $200. Did we know that instead, we can get a REAL ROSE DIPPED IN GOLD FOR LESS THAN HALF THAT PRICE? Well now we do, and we are very intrigued.
Have you ever gotten a golden rose? No really, pls let me know.
Weighted blankets are known to help with anxiety, and being someone that experiences anxiety on the reg – I think this would make the perfect for anyone (even someone without anxiety). Not only that, but weighted blankets help you sleep better, reduce insomnia, helps with ADHD, relieves stress, and has a ton of other benefits that could help your partner. Not to mention – you’ll probably be sleeping next to them and you can benefit from it too ;))
Okay, so maybe jewelry isn’t the most unique but honestly, you can never go wrong with a little sparkle. Also, there’s no need to gift jewelry that is hundreds of dollars – there are a ton of choices out there that can be unique & very affordable.
One of my favorite jewelry companies is C&C Luxury, made by my favorite Youtuber Toni Sevdalis and her sister Allie! This talented sister duo design and hand make every piece. They just dropped the CUTEST new pieces just in time for Valentine’s Day like the sweetheart eternity bands that would make her MELT. Since Allie & Toni are the best, you can use the code ‘SWEETHEART’ for 10% off on top of their already amazing prices. #notanad #ijustreallyloveit
Here are a few of my favorite picks that make for the perfect Vday gift:
Skincare is a girl’s best friend. And chances are if it isn’t her best friend yet this set will make her fall in love with taking care of her skin. This Kiehl’s Hello Hydration set is packed with great products that will clear her skin of dirt and dryness and leave her feeling refreshed and dewy.
This Glam Glow set has all of their best selling masks that she will love. These masks are perfect for everyday use and will give her the self-care she deserves.
If you want her to smell amazing this would be a great scent to pick up. If Alien isn’t your favorite, go to Sephora and test out the different scents. Pick a perfume that you enjoy and you’ll think she will like – she can always exchange it if you pick horribly wrong. Just kidding that won’t happen..
This card case is definitely my favorite pick (CJ are you reading this??). Not only do the hearts make it perfect for the occasion but she can store her cards conveniently and in style. A wallet or card case is always a great gift that you know she will use!
Pair this affordable record player with a few records of your guy’s favorite band and you have a thoughtful and awesome gift that he probably wouldn’t expect. Unless he asked for one then, in that case, he probably will expect it…
Hello Mr. Bartendeuur. This aesthetically pleasing mixology kit comes with everything he will need to feel like a bartender, impress his friends, and mix up the perfect drink.
This map will allow your traveler boyfriend to scratch off the countries as he goes. This is a cute idea that can also be motivating to travel more and satisfying to see where he’s already been!
Hello, cute Valentine’s Day gift of a sentimental picture of you and bae. Except it’s so much better than just that – it will also charge. his. phone. And what is more important than you and his phone? Probably not much.
Gag gift but it’s likely he will actually use this puppy. Make sure he’s entertained at all times by buying him this golf putty putter – it’s both fun and improves his put. I really don’t know if I’m kidding anymore…
Alrighty, kids, I hope this gift guide has helped to give you some ideas on what to do this Valentine’s Day without dropping mad cash. I’d love to hear what you do end up doing and getting – so don’t forget to let me know in the comments!
If you want her to smell amazing this would be a great scent to pick up. If Alien isn’t your favorite, go to Sephora and test out the different scents. Pick a perfume that you enjoy and you’ll think she will like – she can always exchange it if you pick horribly wrong. Just kidding that won’t happen..
This card case is definitely my favorite pick (CJ are you reading this??). Not only do the hearts make it perfect for the occasion but she can store her cards conveniently and in style. A wallet or card case is always a great gift that you know she will use!
vhighfashion 