My Favorite Christmas Movies

Yesterday it hit me that it was only 11 days till Christmas and I had not yet watched any Christmas movies. Naturally, I spent last night and tonight snuggled up in bed playing catch-up ;-) I realized I don't actually love as many Christmas movies as I thought I did but here are my favorites! I try not to watch these throughout the rest of the year so they end up being extra special around the holidays.

Definitely my favorite Christmas movie and quite possibly my favorite movie of all time. I know it's not a traditional Christmas movie but I feel like a lot of the movie takes place around the holidays. This is the movie that made me fall in love with New York; I still have it on my bucket list to be there in the snow! Probably the best love story of all time.

Heart-warming and hilarious. My only qualm with elf is that it is not on Netflix :-(

Technically not a movie but I am a huge Friends fans and I really love all of their holiday episodes. You just can't beat a Christmas Armadillo!

Another classic. I don't think it's possible to watch this and not be put in a good mood. I just finished it tonight and I'm already ready to see it again! I can never decide who my favorite character is because they are all so lovable and real! Bonus: Snape and Lily are married!

Probably my least watched Christmas movie but a favorite none-the-less. Jimmy Stewart can melt any girl's heart.

What are your favorite Holiday films?

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Christmas tree at the Bodleian Library in Oxford

I don't know about you but I always feel like the holiday season goes by much to quickly. I try not to think about Christmas much until after Thanksgiving (a BIG holiday in my family) but then it feels like there is not enough time to really enjoy the pre-Christmas season!

Last year George and I surprised his family for Christmas in England (SO glad we did!) and it was one of the most magical Christmas' I have ever had. The whole holiday feel is much more intense there and I absolutely love it. This year, we will be spending Christmas with my family in Costa Rica, a totally different experience but one I am almost equally excited for none-the-less.

Christmas with George's family!

I had planned on doing a few gift guides for the holidays but then I got caught up in a million things - new job, family visiting, planning for Costa Rica, etc. and decided I would skip those this year. Also, my family does a big Secret Santa Exchange (and this year George's is too!) so I don't end up shopping for a ton of gifts. I usually get gifts for whoever I picked, George, and maybe a couple others I notice on the way.

This year I got got a MontBlanc pen for the person I picked (When I was a kid we were in NYC and saw Shaq outside his hotel. I asked the person I picked to borrow his pen for an autograph, it was a MontBlanc pen and he warned me not to lose it because it was expensive. Well, as my lucky would have it, Shaq's security guards made him go back inside before he could sign my autograph and he took the pen with him!).  I got George this watch and am going to get a couple pairs of Kate Spade earrings for my sisters and best friend.

It's finally gotten colder here in Southern California, which I love! I definitely day dream quite often about living somewhere where it snows but unfortunately I am not sure that is in the cards for me:( For now, I will have to live vicariously through those of you who do and who post beautiful pictures of it on Instagram!


I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season! What are your holiday traditions?

Job Searching - Part I

I've mentioned a few times that I just started a new job (LOVE it!) but I haven't talked at all about how I got my job or how I prepared for my interview (crucial). I spent a couple months off-and-on searching for jobs and I have to say, I had forgotten how tiring and stressful the search can be! I know that job searching is a big part of life for most 20-somethings so I wanted to do a series of posts on different aspects of it. I know I spent a good amount of hours scouring blogs and articles for all kinds of tips from updating my resume to what to wear to the interview.

If there is anything specific you want to know about, let me know!

To start off, I like to research companies in my area that I think seem interesting or fun to work for and see if they have any openings in my field. I know that it seems like "fun" should not be a part of the job search but I cannot stress enough how important it is to enjoy your workplace and what you do. I have worked at jobs where I didn't enjoy one or the other (or both...) and it just did not work out. There are things you can sacrifice short-term but if you are looking for a long-term job you need to be a bit picky to make sure that you will enjoy what you do, and where you work, for years to come.

I highly recommend signing up with a temp agency (OfficeTeam is my favorite). This is especially important if you are not currently working as they can find temporary jobs for you so you can earn some money while you are looking. In my opinion it is very important to have a good relationship with an agency because they often come across temp-to-hire or even direct hire positions and they will do all the work of marketing you and presenting you for the position. They will often coach you with tips for the interview which is hugely helpful because they really know what hiring managers are looking for.

While the temp agency will help you to make you resume as presentable as possible, it is also important to work on this on your own before meeting with them. I am going to do a full post on resume writing but some critical points to keep in mind are that your resume should be simple and succinct, you should have no more than two pages and should keep the design fairly classic and elegant unless you are applying for jobs in a creative field (even then, I wouldn't go to over-the-top with this.) Remember, your resume is just to get your foot in the door, you don't want to show up to your interview and have nothing to add to what is on the paper!

Stay tuned for Part II of my Job Searching series!

Warby Parker Winter Collection

I first came across Warby Parker this past summer when I decided it was finally time for me to take the plunge and get some corrective glasses. I didn't want to spend a ton of money because I didn't exactly need glasses - I have good eyesight but sometimes when I am on a computer for too long (everyday), I get headaches and I am pretty sure it's because I am straining my eyes. One of my best friends had a similar issue and she recommended Warby Parker to me because of their cute styles, affordability and their home try-on feature. Not only does Warby Parker offer an affordable and stylish option for prescription glasses, they also partner with some pretty cool non-profits like VisionSpring and have provided glasses to over 1 million people in need as well as trained over 18,000 people to give eye exams and sell the glasses . As someone who doesn't have a huge amount of disposable income I try to be a bit picky about the brands I choose to support and I am always excited to find brands who pay it forward and I think Warby Parker definitely fits the bill.

You can imagine how excited I was when I was contacted by Warby Parker to write a post announcing the launch of their Winter 2014 Collection. The collection features both eyeglasses and sunglasses in confident and classic silhouettes. These classic shapes have been reworked and redesigned to fit in to any Winter wardrobe, from polar vortex and fleece to frost and plaid to chilly sunshine and a cozy sweater.

I'm loving the Keene in Beach Glass but not sure if I can pull them off!

Loving the Laurel Tea Rose in eyeglasses and sunglasses.

There are so many great options; it's going to be hard to choose! Let me know what you guys end up going with:)

Splurge/Save - Fall Basics

The first of November is when it finally starts to feel like fall to me. I know all you east-coasters have been enjoying the colder temperatures for a bit now but over here in Southern California it has been pretty toasty. This past weekend we got our first (much-needed) rain and the temps have dropped a bit which is amazing. For someone who loves cold weather and cozy sweaters I sure do live in the wrong climate. 

Now that the weather is getting a little chillier I have started swapping out my summer clothes for some of my warmer clothing. I can't justify purchasing any of the really amazing coats I've been seeing everywhere for California weather but I definitely do need to make some wardrobe changes (I pretty much live in riding boots and cozy sweaters from now until Spring). I've highlighted my favorite fall items below and included pricier, as well as more affordable, options for each. I started my new job last week (!!!) and having a paycheck again is definitely tempting me to do some shopping! I may treat myself to one or two items but I am really trying to save for the holidays so most of these will just be going on my Christmas wishlist;)

1. Waxed Jacket


2. Chelsea Boots 

3. Comfy Sweater

4. Jogger Sweats

5. Classic Trench

6. Leather Backpack

7. Riding Boots

Sorry some of the images are a little wonky! I've been having some issues with Blogger but will be making the switch to WordPress and my own domain soon!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

The last Halloween I dressed up for was the night I met my husband three years ago. I haven't been into dressing up the last few years but my team at my new job(!!!) has matching superhero costumes which I think will be really fun! We went to the craft store on our lunch yesterday and then spent the afternoon GLITTERING everything!!!

Tonight I will be skipping the parties and staying in to watch my favorite Halloween movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I hope you all have a very fun and safe holiday!!!!

Saying Goodbye

I've sat down to write this post a few times and haven't been able to get it into words. To be honest, it wasn't something I was certain I wanted to blog about but then I found that other, less personal posts just didn't feel right to post without acknowledging that I'd been going through a rough patch. Over the summer we found out that my Mother-in-law was no longer in remission from cancer. We new that it was bad and that we didn't have much longer with her but it all happened much quicker than I ever could have expected. At the end of last month George and I flew to England and were lucky enough to spend her last few days with her and the entire family.

I've been home for a few weeks now and I have been struggling to let the reality sink in. Because we lived on different continents I was used to being far away from her and not in daily contact. Sometimes it feels like this is still the case and everything is just as it was. I can only imagine how difficult this is for George and I know we are both lucky to have each other and the rest of our families during this time.

As sad as this time has been, I have been lucky to have wonderful, kind and caring people to turn to. It seems so many of us tend to get Having to say goodbye to someone you love is incredibly painful but I feel so appreciative to have known her.

Goodbye Claire, you are very, very missed.

xoxo,
Elena