UPDATE, UPDATE!

I know you’ve heard me say this all before, but this time the plan is for the transition to be  permanent! I am no longer A CUP OF J or JKFACEE, but COFFEE AND HONEYCOMB.
(You like the new name? Me too. A lot.)

Curious to see what the fuss is all about? Click (www.coffeeandhoneycomb.blogspot.com) to check, check, check it out! Please say hello and share some love once you’re there. (:

Also, be sure to follow the new blog on BLOGLOVIN’ as well. You can do that in one really easy-peasy step here!

Thank you to my 100 consistent subscribed readers for following along as I ranted on my daily musings, my receding hairline, traveling through europe, and transitioning back home this summer. You are all pretty wonderful.  

Ps. Did you know we hit the 100-mark?! I know that is nothing extraordinary in this massive blogosphere, but it’s pretty impressive in my book.

Pps. Did you know this month also marks the 1-year anniversary of this wittle blog? Read my first post here. It was when I turned 20. Soon, I’ll be 21.

Ppps. Did you know when I type in “jkfacee” on Google it asks me if what I meant to say was “jerkface?” Nope, that’s not what I meant. Do you see the needed name change here now… 

Just kidding. Okay, stop reading now. I’ll see you over at the new hot spot. There’ some free goodies waiting for you!

Cheers!

XO.

JOURNALING IN JULY.

One of my favorite aspects about journaling is that afterwards, you are left with a collection of all your old thoughts, agendas, and insights. Our ability to retain information and memories is slimmer than we’d like to believe, and a record of old words serve as a time portal back into the yesterday’s. Past journals offer perspective: a better understanding of where you are going and an attitude of thankfulness for how you have gotten there.

I looked back at all my journal entires of July on the train one day, and I was shocked of how eventful the month was without even realizing it. As I knew it, another month had just came and went. Weekends seemed too quick and workdays were too long, but as I read through my prayers and recollections, I was reminded of both little and big things that had taken place. I was filled with thankfulness and inspiration. It was cool. (:

Here is a peek at some of my journal entries: (click to enlarge)

If you don’t journal already, I encourage you try it for the month of August! If you have ever asked yourself if God’s hand is  present in your life, this might help you. Journaling forces you to slow down, and in those moments of reflections is when God’s presence is evident.  You see the promises the Lord has declared over you, and how they are personally manifesting in your life! God is always, always working, slow down or you might miss it.

Journal about anything and everything. (: Talk about the highlights of your days and your weeks, and even vent about the worries that consume your heart. Share your blessings and express your wishes. God hears all of it. I believe that putting language to your emotions has the ability to pull them from the depths and hidden corners of your heart, onto the surface where it’s accessible to be touched, processed, and communicated. And when you are able to communicate it with yourself, you are more able to communicate them with God.

Good luck! (:
I’d love to hear your journaling adventures, please share below.

10 things I learned in June

HAPPY JULY! 🙂

Each month, my favorite blogger, emily @ chatting at the sky, shares on her blog some of the things she learned that month. Some things are significant and impressive, and others are small and light. For this past month, she invited all of her readers to join along and share the new knowledge June has personally brought them!

So today, I am linking up with Emily and sharing the bits and pieces of things I recently learned. (:

10 things i learned in june

1. Always, always check the expiration date. When I first came home from Italy in early May, it took me a really long time to unpack. I left my suitcases untouched for weeks, and along with it, my sacred face wash. So I just used a random face wash I found under the bathroom sink, and I noticed that within days my face started to break out uncontrollably. IT WAS BAD. LIKE WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THE WRONG SQUARE ON MINESWEEPER AND SUDDENLY THE WHOLE SCREEN IS FILLED WITH RED X’S AND IT MAKES YOU SQUEAMISH. DO YOU KNOW?

I could sit still for two hours, minding my own business, and next thing I know, new raging red bumps are invading my chin. So what did I do, used that effing face wash even more. I attributed the breakout to the fact that the US doesn’t recycle and my new Italian skin couldn’t handle the polluted air and water. (No, I’m just kidding, I just feel like I haven’t said any pretentious European stuff in awhile.) Anyway, but after about three weeks, I noticed one day six digits engrained on the bottle cap. And it read: 03/13/07…… THE FACE WASH EXPIRED IN 2007. Lesson learned, Biore. Lesson learned.

2. Pic-tap-go is the best photo editing app out there. It was the best $1.99 I have ever spent.

3. The OT is great and changed my June. (see why grace is so sweet)

4. Running isn’t that bad. I mean, it is in the sense that it hurts different parts of your body before, during, and AFTER the run, but it also releases a wave of endorphins and changes the way one perceives themselves in the mirror. So, I guess it’s worth it?

5. I have a bottomless stomach for Mexican food.

6. Everything, and I mean everything, is all about perspective. An experience is not innately “good” or “bad,” it’s how you look at it. And YOU have the ability and power to choose how you want to look at it. EREGO, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND POWER TO MAKE A SITUATION GOOD OR BAD. So, how is today? Is it good or bad?

7. Good coffee, good handwriting, and a good journal affect my mood. Like, a lot. It is what helps my soul BREATHE and if I go for too long without it, I grow anxious, frustrated, and out of touch with myself.

8. Home videos are so cool and I really want to get into them. My inspirations: lovetaza

9. God is my boss and no one else. (there’s a story behind this one.)

10. Tina Fey is great. That’s all.

—

see what other women learned this month here.

look book: the maxi skirt

    

In other news,  The Life of the Party chose me as last week’s fashion informant. The Life of the Party is a great fashion blog with weekly link-ups. Head on over to check her out, as well as see yours truly. Thanks again, Sherry, for the feature. (: Cheers!

XO.

reading the ot : why grace is so sweet

[ exodus and leviticus ]

Since last month, I’ve been going through the OT. Started in Genesis, now I’m almost done with Numbers. (< to be read as “started from the bottom, now we here). Just kidding. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was learning a lot and I decided to share what the Lord is revealing to me as I read each book. Starting with exodus and leviticus. (:

in a nut shell: (exodus) God declares the ten commandments as well as a very extensive code of conduct by which the people must obtain in order to keep the promise land pure and pleasing to Him. (leviticus) God explains the practices and rituals that must occur in order to abstain from and compensate sin. And the harsh consequences if they were to disobey. And boy, there’s a lot.

After reading 7+ chapters a day about which part of the animal is pleasing to the Lord, how many times to flicker blood at a curtain, and the specifics of what a robe should look like, I was EXHAUSTED. Exhausted and exhausted — and pretty bored. There are several instances when God strikes down people because they disobey, and each time I read that, I make a face. “No, my God would never do that…” I got this impression that God was petty and difficult, and I didn’t see why this was relevant to me. So, I wrestled… and wrestled, and wrestled. I would read, wrestle, read, wrestle. Rinse and repeat. (I could have just said I wrestled a lot, but I didn’t think that quite hit the mark of what this wrestling looked like.)

Then I realized I was asking myself the question: is sin really THAT big of a deal? Is it that bad that God would just cold knock out people… because of a, because of a technicality foul? And I think the moment that phrase formed into a complete sentence and left my mouth, I knew my answer. And I knew why I couldn’t see the relevance. And I knew I needed to repent.

Reading those chapters was exhausting because God exhausted every code of conduct and ritual… because sin WAS that much of a big deal. It was so much of a big deal that He needed to send his only son to save us all from it. And I didn’t see that.

If you’re like me, then at the first glance (and maybe the second and third, too) the OT seems outdated and stale. And you’re right, your walk and growth is not of the OT, but it is certainly not void of it. In order to appreciate and understand Jesus’ crucifixion, and why the grace came out of it is so sweet, you need to know what it looked like before grace. How can you call news good when you don’t know what news bad looks like?

And this, this is surely good news.

A friend of mine once painted this illustration about a baby eating really good food. Let’s call the food steak because I really like steak. Sure, the baby can enjoy the steak (because it’s steak, and who doesn’t enjoy steak), but the baby doesn’t know just quite how GOOD that steak is, because he hasn’t acquired a palette to appreciate and discern yet.

In a similar way, I am like that baby. I live and walk in grace, but do I fully know what that costed? Am I thankful for freedom because I “like” it the way the baby likes steak, or am I thankful because I understand what I am free from? God struck down those people in the OT because He HATED sin. And God is a God who doesn’t change, He STILL hates sin. But what did change was that He didn’t want us to just compensate and cover our sin with sacrifices and practices, but He sacrificed his son so that he could cleanse our sin. Once and for all. Now God looks at me (and you!) and sees someone pleasing to His eye.

Each day, the gospel is meaning a little something different for me. I pray daily that the cross will be relevant and real, and not just in my faith and growth in an arbitrary way, but specifically and exactly for what THAT day entails. Both the little and big.

More gospel, please.

Look Book : Wearing Chambray

The chambray shirt is a classic  — and for good reason. It can be dressed up or dressed down, and matches nearly anything. Tuck it under a pencil skirt to go to work, or pair with distressed boyfriend jeans and a statement necklace for a GNO.  You can expect to find them sold anywhere from Target to J.Crew, varying in wash, fit, style, and to mention, price.

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect chambray shirt for quite a long time now. I wanted one that was light, fitted, and not too stiff. And you’ll never guess where I found it. Plato’s Closet. Macklemore would be proud. 🙂 **Note: I am actually selling an old AERIE chambray shirt. I’ve worn it maximum two times and it is still in great condition. You can find it (as well as some other gently worn items) here. Site is updated daily.

{ Top: Plato’s Closet | Belt: Forever 21 | Pants: Old Navy | Necklace: The Limited | Purse & watch: Italy | Shoes: Dolce Vita @ Nordstrom )

CollegeFashionista News

I’m not sure if I shared it here or not, but I am now a style guru intern at the website, http://www.collegefashionista.com. The site is more or less a digital magazine showcasing the current street style on the nation’s different campuses. The whole site is written by and features only college students, so readers can trust and engage with the content.

 

I write for the ACCESSORIES REPORT column which comes out every Friday. My first report will go live this week. In the mean time, you can read my bio post right here:

Here is a sneak peek of the photo shoot for this week’s article:

 

Spring Cleaning.

The month of March was a fun one. Traveled with new friends, caught up with old ones. Visited five different countries. Played in the rain, played in the sun. Got my phone stolen (twice). Watched an English musical, watched Spanish flamenco dancers. Rode a gondola in Venice, rode an ATV in Greece. You know, the usual. (:

Now, it’s starting to look a lot like spring around here. Flowers have started to bloom and patches of dirt have been newly replaced with fresh green grass. My favorite part? Looks like flip flops are out for good.

But a change of season means more to me than just pretty nature. Like fresh laundry and new sheets or a clean page in the journal, spring is the opportune time to turn a new leaf in my own personal life. A total spring cleaning.

New priorities, new goals. This month of April, I want to actively start adding healthy habits and good decisions into my daily life. And it will look a bit like this…

• Get back to the heart of worship. Recently I heard that what we know about God is, and will be, the most important things about ourselves. That is a very strong claim, but I am an absolute firm believer in it. With all the travels and craziness that consumed my life in the past four months, my pursuit to know my maker fell into the backseat more times than I’d like to admit. But, Jesus has reminded me of his infinite grace and love; and in response, I am shaking the dust off my hands (again) and fixing my eyes back on Him.  What will that practically look like? Fill my brain with more truth, less garbage. I would be kidding myself if what I read, what I watched, or what I talked about didn’t influence my thought process and eventually, actions. I know alllladat is very closely interlinked. So, I want to start spending more of my free time reading encouragement and truth, reading the word, listening to sermons, and enjoying/pursuing interests the Lord has placed on my heart.
• Take care of my body. I never had a healthy eating habit. Most of my meals were consumed in the car ordered from the drive-thru, or past midnight, or purchased from the bakery of the grocery store. Now that my body is decaying and my metabolism is slowing at an uncomfortable rapid rate, I need to start taking care of myself better. What will this look like? Eat less carbs, more veggies. Stop snacking or eating out of boredom. Eat more meals at the table, not on the couch. Pour less sugar in the coffee. 
• Work out every day. I picked up pilates this past month. Nothing extreme, just some youtube videos I found online, but I’ve actually noticed difference in toning and posture — and body image as well! I dread Insanity and I dread running even more, so it’s nice that I’ve found a work out I enjoy! (:
• Read two books. I don’t work too well without a deadline, so I’m going to add some pressure and try to read two-three books each month. This month I plan on finishing two books before the calendar turns.
• Journal. I come home in exactly 26 days. Before I know it, life in Europe will only be a memory, and the only thing real I’ll have left are these blog posts, photos, and faded memories I manage to retain. And to help that retention, I want to journal each day — feelings, funny moments, interesting foods, lessons learned — to really make the days count.

Polka Dots in the Water

When we arrived to Barcelona, we were greeted with brisk wind and abundant sunshine. After all the rain and fog Italy had been receiving, it was a nice change of pace. We embraced Barcelona’s sun with open arms and decided to capitalize on its perfect weather by staying outdoors. We walked along the main streets, took a short boat ride gaining an incredible view of Barcelona gems, and then relaxed with cold cider on the beach.

To dress for the occasion, I wore bright, bold colors and paired them with equally bold prints — a polka dot collard tank and a cheetah print belt. Take a look:

 

XO.

Friday Five

Magical dusk at Barceloneta Beach.

This week was filled with several special moments, including celebrating a friend’s birthday, visiting Vicenzia, finding a new favorite cafe, and appreciating time for rest. I leave for Rome Saturday and friends of friends have graciously welcomed us to stay at their home for the night and even offered a ride to the airport. On Sunday, we leave for Greece where we’ll spend the rest of the Easter Break. Hopefully I’ll return with some color on my skin! It actually feels a bit strange that I won’t be celebrating this Easter at home. My church hosts a “passion week” revival and an extravagant Easter dinner each year, and although I can’t join them, I will keep this holiday in mind and be joyful nonetheless. Jesus has risen, people! Hallelujah! (:

Here are my five favorites of the week. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Sail boats were everywhere in Spain and it ignited a new desperate desire in me to find a sail buddy. Where’s a Nolan when you need one? (“Revenge”, anyone?)

Coffee gelato + girl talk @ Amorino.

We celebrated a friend’s 21st birthday with 21 gelato pops! (Scoops of gelato dipped in chocolate, then frozen) I tried the custard and mint — both were delicious. Now I’m looking for a reason to make my way over there and try more flavors.

A new store has opened in Verona; it’s comparable to a Nordstrom or Whole Foods. The first floor is a sophisticated eatery complete with an oyster bar, sandwich counter, fresh produce, and more. The design is phenomenal and I found myself equally enchanted by both the food AND branding. I plan on copying this hanging clipboard design to showcase print in my future apartment. 

Happy Friday!
XO.