Birthday Jumpsuit
Hello world! Today I turn 26.
To treat myself, I thrifted this little jumpsuit. (My birthday ‘suit, if you will.) It’s a versatile piece of clothing, as it can be dressed up or down for a range of seasons. Fitted and feminine on top, the pants are loose and playful on bottom. It’s from one of my fave brands, and 100% linen. Natural, durable, and sustainable. And I think it perfectly represents who I am and what I’m feeling at this stage in my life: aging but still very full of life, comfortable in my skin, confident in my identity but open to exploration. 😊
Aging is a beautiful thing. You find an inner peace built upon a foundation of self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-love. That foundation gets stronger every year. The identity crisis from your high school and college years has faded away and you learn to revel in your flaws, imperfections, and vulnerability. This is who I am, this is what I’m good at, this is what I believe in, and no one can tell me otherwise.
When I was younger I was obsessed with self-help books. There is so much advice in the world and I was a sponge, soaking in every guru’s “secrets” and promises of a transformed life. I used to journal about milestones I wanted to hit at certain ages in my journal, based on what other people recommended. But real change requires time, energy, effort, and commitment to myself. I realized that if I just stopped absorbing outside influences and listened to myself and I’d know exactly what I wanted to do.
In the past two years of my life I honestly just stopped following. I used to follow influencers, recipes, diets, workouts, teachers, people older than me, even the lives of fictional characters. When we’re young and impressionable we are taught to follow and evaluate our self-worth based on social expectations. How do I be the best in class evolves into How do I keep up with the Joneses? Then suddenly you hit 22 and you’re out on your own. There is nothing else to follow. You’re forced to think critically about your priorities and define what a life worth living is, in your own eyes. It’s easy to get distracted by society’s expectations, but ultimately you learn to allow yourself to forget the rat race and find your own truth — the things you like to do and your definition of happiness.
Life is meant to be enjoyed. If you’re always working all the time, what’s the point of living, you know? Sure you have to hustle a little to get started, but from there, enjoy the ride. Spend money, splurge on quality food, pay for your hobbies. Spend time, invest in relationships, and seek education and learning over entertainment. Play. Love. Do all the things that are unique you. Find your joy.
That’s a life worth celebrating. 🎈
The thrill of amassing cute clothes on my own dime was addicting. I overconsumed, convinced I was winning because I saved so much money.
Trusting my body, becoming a mother, and rebuilding myself during a long, transformative year.
I insisted on directing and editing my own wedding film, and one year later, it’s finally done.
Pregnancy is a magical moment in your life when you discover the extent of womanhood, something that connects you to all the generations before you. Depicting the essence of maternity had to be done against the backdrop of the natural landscape.
This website has seen all the twists and turns of my career, mirroring my journey in all its messy splendor. I’m proud of that.
I’ve been working and grinding so much in life that it’s surreal to be like oh… I’m here, I’ve arrived.
Grateful to be at an age where my beliefs are more steady than they’ve ever been, shaped by my own lived experiences rather than outside influence.
Simon and I got married at an Italian villa in the beautiful hills of Southern California, and Studio Sophy gets the exclusive inside scoop.
We planned our entire wedding doing what we wanted rather than listening to what other people thought we needed. And it resulted in one of the best parties ever. Come behind the scenes.
Photos albums are highlight reels of our lives, where I get to tell my story through my own eyes.
I’m happy to be growing into the self I was always meant to be — an unapologetically ambitious, gut-listening, calendar-jamming, relentlessly curious, introspective, and solitude-loving eternal optimist.
Learning Photoshop, buying a domain name, getting laid off, and other failures that defined my life and turned it for the better.
Simon and I always joke that we act like we’re in our late 30s: paying mortgage, taking care of ourselves, and honestly just working towards things we truly enjoy.
I recently sold my first car, and even though I really don’t care what I drive, I’m a little sad to have lost a piece of my early adulthood.
I get so lost in where I want to go I forget that the place I'm in is already quite magical. - Rupi Kaur
In my early adult life, I bounced from one sublease to the next, trying to get through the days on the cheapest place I could find with the least commitment required. This was the journey to our first home.
I ran 13.1 miles this past weekend. That’s 12.1 more miles than I thought could ever do.
Exactly 20 years ago, on this very day, I landed at LAX. My dad packed my luggage into a rickety Toyota Previa, drove us home to our one-bedroom apartment in East LA, and I started my new life in America.
Not doing it all doesn’t mean I failed. Instead it just means I am really good at a few things.
It’s easy to convince myself that an entire year of my life has been wasted. But in retrospect, lots of stuff happened. Because even though you’re at home, life goes on.
They enrich my perspectives, expose me to diversity and new opinions, and allow me to look at life and the human experience in new fascinating ways.
In the digital age, everything is so easy that nothing feels meaningful anymore.