Pals, picnics, and puppies

So beginning this past January I continued my French adventure by packing my bags and moving to Bordeaux. It was a very big change from Paris, and I'll admit that the beginning was a bit rough. It rained all the time, it was freezing, I had no friends, hated my living situation, basically all the ingredients to dislike a place. 

As time went on and I fixed all these problems (made friends, moved into my own apartment, bought an umbrella) I began to appreciate Bordeaux more and more. It may not be my favorite place that I've ever lived, but I've grown to see a more authentic French side of life. Paris is beautiful, but it can be a bit to magical at times and a bit out of touch with reality. By living in Bordeaux in an apartment and attending an actual French university I've been able to expand my cultural capital in ways I never imagined. (Even if there was a bit of a learning curve...) 

This weekend, I got to show my favorite french pastimes and favorite Bordeaux spots to a friend currently living in Madrid as an au pair. Both being 20somethings on a budget, we did the best with what we had in one of France's bougiest cities. 

My friend Jade arrived Friday mid-day, and as we were both hungry the first necessary stop was definitely lunch. Dropping her bags off at my house, we headed over to one of my favorite tiny kebab shops, right next to the historic Marché des Capucins. Ringing up at 4.50 for a huge falafel wrap with fries inside, its my favorite budget friendly way to fill up (and also extremely tasty.) We continued the day by strolling through the city, stopping buy my favorite wine bar, going to the public garden, checking out historic buildings, and ending the night with a vegan Jamaican meal(It was a good day for food) a lot of wine, and a few quick dance sessions out on the town. 

Saturday was finally sunny *yay* so I took the opportunity to take Jade to the public gardens for my favorite french activity- picnicking! We spent the morning at Marché des Capucins, starting with strong coffees inside the market and then moseying our way around to buy delicious fixings for the picnic. As I can't indulge in the normal french picnic fare, I settled for a hefty baguette, a ripe avocado, and a carton of homemade hummus. Jade picked up a fancy tiny goat cheese and a basket of beautiful strawberries and we headed off to the park. 

  It was a beautiful way to spend a sunny     french day, especially with the added aspect of mimosas. (Which aren't a normal  thing in France btw.. tragic) 

Ending the day with more wine, more sightseeing, shopping, and more laughs, I finished off the weekend so grateful to live in a beautiful place that friends wanted to visit, and especially thankful for beautiful friends. 

If you'd like to follow my adventures visually and not listen to me babble, check out my instagram @mandeemc! 

Much love, Mandee 

Sunday Funday

I think I know I'm getting old because Sunday's are starting to become one of my favorite days of the week. Even if I have work or homework, I always manage to fit one relaxing thing in even if its just an hour and a half yoga class or a trip to the beach. 

This Sunday was spent at my parents house in Southern California eating all the yummy food I could stuff in my mouth, playing with my pups, and floating around in on my new toy. 

My sister took this quick picture (ignore the bruise) wearing my favorite bikini bottoms and my new top that I got a few days ago. 

Outfit Details: 

Underwire bikini top - Urban Outfitters 

High waisted bikini bottoms - American Apparel 

Pizza Floatie - Urban Outfitters 

All black and simple, this suit is a good pick for days where I'm not feeling 100%. Plus, black looks good on everybody! I hope you all had a great weekend and I'm planning on being back soon with another post, so stay tuned! :) 

XOXO - Mandee 

Blissed Out

Hello friends! School just started and I've been really busy lately trying to work out my schedule between school, two jobs, and other things that life throws at me. With that said, this new year has been starting off fantastically, and for the first time in a long time I feel genuinely happy :)  

But enough about me, you're here for the outfits. Yesterday was my first training day at my yoga studio to be a desk yogi! Having this amazing opportunity to be able to work for my yoga classes (which are very expensive) I was feeling super happy and grateful! My mood tends to come out in my outfits, and yesterday was no exception. I chose one of my favorites, a floral daisy print dress that is both comfy for a long day and versatile. Since I was going to be out of the house all day, I added a shawl for the cooler weather in the morning and evening. Keeping it simple with the shoes (unusual for me) I slipped on my one pair of boho sandals. 

Big thanks to my roommate for waking up to take these! 

Outfit Details: 

Dress - Thrifted 

Shawl - Zara 

Shoes - Urban Outfitters 

Since this outfit was very simple, I wanted to add some little touches to make it feel more unique. By adding some jewelry and a fun hair-do, I think I accomplished my goal! 

Rings - Forever 21

Hoops - Urban Outfitters 

Hair - I think this might be hard to see, but I covered my ponytail holder with a chunk of braided hair so the ponytail holder was hidden. It was really easy and I got a lot of compliments :) 

Sorry for the low quality of this post - unfortunately I left my camera at home and won't have it back for a few days! But thank you so much for checking my post out, it makes me really happy anytime I see someone viewed my page. You're all wonderful and I hope the new year treats you well!