Author: elspeththeblogger

My name is Elspeth. I'm young professional living life one day at a time. I have a passion for fashion, a love for living a clean and healthy life and I can organize anything.

Categories
Fabulous living

Valentines Day Q&A

Happy February! How was your weekend? I spent my weekend working so I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine this week.  Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays! I love the colors, the love, and most of all the chocolate! Today, I’m answering questions posed by The Blended Blog: Valentines Day edition. Let’s get down to answering. Feel free to answer along and post your answers in the comments below!

-Hugs or Kisses?

Hugs, I feel like you can give out more hugs, when you are happy, sad, excited, scared, anxious, even overwhelmed, a hug can make it all better. The best kinds of hugs are the ones you get and didn’t know you needed.

-Candy or Flowers?

As much as I love flowers and they can brighten up a room, I have a HUGE sweet tooth and I will never pass up an opportunity for chocolate.

Here’s a sneak peak of some Valentines I’m giving out to close friends.

-Baking or Cooking?

Baking, I love baking cookies, cupcakes, and any new desserts. Also, the best part of any meal is the dessert, did I mention I have a thing for sweets?!

-Do you remember your first crush?

Yes! from my first child crush, to celeb crush, to serious crush. Most will never happen but it’s still nice to dream.

-Favorite color of roses?

Red!!!!

-Conversation Hearts. Yes or No?

Yes, for decoration. No for eating.

-Do you leave love notes?

Yes, I love leaving notes for others. Whether it’s a love note, a good luck note, or an I’m thinking of you note. They are an easy way to show someone you care.

-Do you decorate for Valentines Day?

Absolutely!!! Here’s a peak into how I decorated for Valentines Day in my dorm room.

I got this banner at Target for $3!! It looks great on an empty wall.
I got this filled with goodies last Valentines Day and this year it makes the perfect decor piece.

-Red or Pink?

Red, I love how bright, bold, and powerful it is.

-Milk, White, or Dark Chocolate?

Milk chocolate, and to take it a step further. Dove chocolate is my weakness.

-Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yes, but not for everyone. I think it’s definitely possible but I also believe in relationships starting from friendships.

-Do you give humorous or serious Valentine’s day cards?

Always serious. There is nothing wrong in telling someone how you feel, whether they be a spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend or even a best friend. Give anyone you care about a card.

-Favorite Chick Flick or Romantic Movie?

This is so hard because I love movies but my favorite ones are: Pride and Prejudice, Valentines Day, Sex and the City. All different genres but I love all them in their own ways.

Well, there you have it.  My favorite things about Valentines Day, which after reading this over, my greatest love is chocolate. Oops. That’s what the gym is for! What do you like about Valentines Day? Pick a few questions and answer them in the comments. Have a great Tuesday!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #37

LOTD

Hi friends. Happy February!!

February is one of my favorite months. From the reds and pinks, to everything heart shaped and who could forget the chocolate?! I love everything about the month.

Last week we had a couple of warm days, and when I mean warm, I mean in the high 40’s low 50’s. I’ll take what I can get for January. I took advantage of the warm days with a few layered looks. I love to layer clothes for both style and comfort.

Today’s look of the day!

Here’s what I threw together. I love these brown shoe boots. I got them from Bass a few years ago and I love the style and the character it brings to any outfit. I have worn them previously with a dress and a skirt but wearing them with a pair of boot cut jeans are my favorite.

How cute are these brown shoe boots?! Did someone say character???

The jeans I am wearing are from Old Navy, which by now you probably know how much I love their jeans and all the styles they come in. This plaid flannel is from GAP, I love to wear flannel in transition weather. I love how pink and navy blue look together, so when I saw this flannel I had to get it. This blue vest, which I got from Francesca’s Boutique matches perfectly with my blue jeans and pink and blue flannel.

Pop of pink to add to this outfit

As for accessories, I am wearing my favorite matte lipstick from Bare Minerals. I love shopping with Bare Minerals, its excellent quality and long lasting.

Simple but statement pieces to add to this layered look.

I wanted out bring out the gold detailing in my vest by wearing this bold gold necklaces and these gold dangling earrings.

This outfit is perfect for college students heading to classes or for a Saturday excursion. If you still want to wear this outfit and it is chilly out, no fear just wear your heavy jacket when you are out and when you get inside sow off your layers, it will also keep you warm inside.

That’s a peak into what I am wearing today. What are your favorite accessories to add to any outfit? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy weekend.

Categories
Travel

Saturdays are for the Souls

Happy Tuesday!

Today I’m sharing something that I’m trying to incorporate more in my life: self-care. Whether it’s a quiet night in with a good book or a girl’s night out with friends, we all need to take care of ourselves.  This past weekend, my best friend, Shay and I took a day trip to the city. We both have a heavy course schedule this semester and we decided to take some time before the semester got crazy to adventure and relax.

Walking through the streets of Pittsburgh on a rainy Saturday!

We left mid morning and got to Pittsburgh around 12:00, our first stop was the National Aviary. I had never been there before, but Shay had and assured me it would be an enjoyable time. It was a smaller, interactive place. We spent an hour there but, there were a lot of activities geared towards children that would be great for families.  There were lots of exhibits and it was very colorful, most importantly, there was a wide variety of birds.

Flamingo’s hanging out at the Aviary.
Can you spot the bird in this picture?

After we finished at the Aviary, we headed to Burgatory for lunch on the North Shore. It was a 10-minute walk, so we opted for the exercise rather than an Uber.

Although, I have eaten the delicious make your own burgers at Burgatory, I opted for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich was their fresh cut fries. I love their burgers but, they are huge and since we had more things planned I decided to go with something more manageable. I couldn’t leave without getting one of their famous milkshakes. I got the cookie monster and Shay got the S’mores milkshake.

I love grilled cheese, but grilled ham and cheese is even better!
Treating ourselves and our sweet teeth to a milkshake!
Checking out some artwork in the Warhol exhibit.

After a delicious and filling lunch, we walked to the Andy Warhol museum. It was a first for both of us. It was a 10 minute walk from lunch to the museum.  The Seven floor museum took us an hour and a half to get through. Tickets for students were only $10, which was a great deal for a few hours of entertainment. There were great displays of Warhol’s pieces as well as a great history of Warhol’s life. I personally loved his bright pieces of portraits of different well-known figures.

A few of my favorite pieces from the Andy Warhol exhibit. All photographs of Jackie Kennedy.
I love the bright colors in these flower paintings
We have to talk about the elephant in the room…
Warhol’s famous Campbells Soup artwork

Before, we headed back to school, we grabbed smoothies at Crazy Mocha. A cute café in the North Shore.

Smoothies at Crazy Mocha!
Definitely a must stop if you are in the North Shore area

Many memories were made during our fun Saturday excursion. We get wrapped up in our busy lives that we often forget to take care of ourselves. My challenge for you this week is to take some time out of your busy day/week for yourself. Have a great week!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #36

Blue is the word today.

Happy Thursday friends!

This week has flown by, before we cruise into the weekend I have some outfit inspiration that would be perfect for a Saturday look. I wore this comfortable yet fashionable outfit to class, I loved how I looked put together and chic but I was still comfortable. This outfit would be great to wear out with friends, running errands or to class. I love to find clothes that I can wear on more than one occasion.

Blue, blue, and blue and how it could work for YOU!

Some snow has been melting (but it won’t be for long.) so I took advantage and wore these cute suede shoe boots. The wedge is just the right heel. I wore these soft jeggings from Target. I love going to target to pick up some extra leggings, they always have fun patterns and styles, plus they are made from good material which makes them last long. Although I love to be bold with fun tops, sweaters, and vests, there is nothing wrong with just wearing a solid shirt. I got this turquoise blue shirt from GAP and it is made from the smoothest, softest, silkiest material. It is so lightweight but so comfortable. I love wearing it when I have long day.

I wore pretty neutral colors, so I had to dress it up with some accessories. I wore my favorite bracelets from Francesca’s Boutique. I dressed my fingers up with gold rings from American Eagle. I am wearing my monogrammed bar necklace which I absolutely adore.  I wore a pair of gold studs to finish off the outfit.

You have to dress up your hands too!
So simple, but so personalized and elegant,

I’m sure we all have a pair of jeans or leggings, a solid shirt and simple jewelry in our closets. Try new pieces out and mix and match your outfits you never know what will work. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to take some time for yourselves.

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

How to Keep Yourself Organized

Hello Friends!

We are halfway through January, finally. I don’t know about you, but January always seems to drag for me. Today, I’m sharing my tips on how to organize for the new year. Whether you have everything colored coded like myself or can barely remember when you have a doctor’s appointment these tips can help your life run smoother for you.

  • Have a planner or calendar or both. As a college student staying organized is a priority. I have a large desk calendar for my room and a small day planner that goes wherever I go. I like the layout of the big calendar, so I can look ahead at things but it’s always convenient to have a small pocket planner with me. I typically write most of my assignments in the smaller planner since I refer to it throughout the day. Although it takes time at the beginning of every semester, I write every test, assignment, meeting, and due date in BOTH my pocket planner and desk calendar, so I am always on top of things. Hard work at the beginning pays off later.
My big desk calendar with all the important information written down, from assignments, meetings, work. It’s all in one place and color coded.
My planner goes wherever I go and once again its color coded for every class
  • Color Code. I can’t stress the importance of color coding. I have a colored pen for every class I take, typically I have it match my binder as well. For example, my advertising strategies binder is blue, so I take my blue pen and write all the assignments and projects in both my planner and big calendar. I do this for every class. I typically reserve a bright color like red to write down important meetings or unexpected thing that may come up. Not in school anymore? Not to worry this system works great with kids, have a separate color for each of your children and write all their activities out on the calendar in that pen. It makes finding things on the calendar easy.
Post it notes and colored pens are crucial when it comes to organizing.
Matching a colored pen to the colored binder makes it easy to spot things on the calendar.
  • Post It Notes. Post it Notes are my best friend. Whether its for little reminders, a to do list, or just marking a page in a book, I always have post it notes handy. A trick I have used to college is to write everything I need to get done each weekend on a post it notes and cross stuff off as I go, at the end of the weekend, throw it out.

    I write everything I want to accomplish on a post it note and cross it off as i complete it each weekend.

I work best when I am organized, and these are just a few ways that have worked well for me. What ways do you keep yourself organized? What are your favorite products you use to stay on top of a busy schedule? Let me know in the comments below!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #35

Happy Thursday!

Today, I’m sharing another one of my favorite monogrammed looks. I always try to dress with a purpose, there have been times when I am planning on running out to the store to get something and I’m wearing sweats and I end up running into someone I know. There is nothing worse than seeing someone you know and feeling undressed. When I am out and about I always try to dress as if I am planning on seeing someone. So even if I am running to Target for a quick run, I have my hair and makeup done along with a cute outfit.

Keeping warm while running errands

I love the simplicity and the added detail a monogram gives to an outfit. I get a lot of monogramming done through a local boutique, but I also have gotten gifts from MarleyLilly and Etsy with monogramming accessories. I wore this while I was running errands and heading back to school. I opted for my favorite pair of black leggings from GAP. I also stayed warm with my favorite cabin socks. This year with freezing temperatures and lots of snow, I always wear my heavy duty boot socks, both warmth and fashion. I do love high boot socks but when I wear a shorter boot, I tend to wear cabin socks. When I wear a higher boot, I wear high boot socks.

I am loving this tunic top from Etsy, Take It Personally. It’s long enough to wear leggings or jeans and I adore the monogrammed in the bottom corner. It’s simple but sophisticated and the detail is perfect. The sunglasses are great when I am driving, and the snow and sun cause a lot of brightness. I got them on sale from American Eagle. Since I was running errands, I put my hair in a half up/half down top knot and it worked great especially having shorter hair.

Fun sunnies have me wishing of warmer times!

Well, that’s a recap of what I’ve been wearing. I cut my hair short for the new year and I need suggestions of what I should do with it. If you have short hair, let me know your favorite styles and products in the comments below.

Happy Weekend Friends!

Categories
Fitness

2018 Fitness Goals

This year, besides my new years resolutions, I came up with some things I want to work on when it comes to my personal development. One of these goals deals with fitness. Last year, I made a point to go to the gym five days a week. I successfully accomplished that goal with the exception of summer when I didn’t go as frequently.

This year, I want to challenge myself more when it comes to my work outs. For example, instead of just running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I want to change it up with jogging, walking, and adding an incline to challenge myself more.  I want to make my workouts more meaningful. I want to have a purpose of what I’m doing. Here are a few other things I want to improve with my work outs.

  • Walk 10,000 steps a day. This may seem like a lot but with all the walking I do at school to get from building to building, it shouldn’t be too hard. This will also encourage me to take more walks when I have down time. I’m also looking forward to using my Fit Bit Alta HR to keep track of my steps. After just using my phone to track my steps for years, I have finally got a Fit Bit, be on the lookout in the future for why I love my Fit Bit. But, for now, I recommend getting one.

    I always wear my fit bit wherever I go.
  • Work on my Weight Training. When I go to the gym, I tend to focus on Cardio, however, this year I want to work on weights training to add tone muscle to my body. I’ve been searching online and on Pinterest for ideas, but I would love to know your favorite workouts. Let me know in the comments below.
  • Get my time down for running a mile. As much as I love to work out, I hate running! Typically I jog or walk on the treadmill with an incline. This year, I want to work on my speed when it comes to running. I plan to spend one day a week just focusing on running as part of my workout.
My latest fit bit stats.

Whether you are a workout enthusiast, or you have never stepped foot in a gym, don’t feel intimidated.  I try to set realistic goals when it comes to fitness, I KNOW I’m not gonna run a marathon anytime soon. I set these goals to motivate myself. What areas do you want to improve in your life? Organizing? Fitness? Eating? Let’s all work together to achieve our goals of 2018 together!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #34

LOTD

Hello and happy Thursday!

I don’t know about you, but January always drags on. The fast pace of the Christmas season is behind us and we look forward to warmer weather. With snow continuously falling and frigid temperatures, I try to mix and match a few pieces to bring some excitement to my wardrobe.

Staying cozy and fashionable on a Thursday!

 

I wore this outfit out for dinner this past weekend and I got lots of compliments.  I wore my favorite pair of regular cut jeans from Old Navy. I prefer dark jeans opposed to light jeans. I love going to Old Navy for jeans since they come in many different styles for every body type. I decided to go neutral with a black cow neck sweater. I love this over sized sweater from GAP. I have it both in black and fuchsia pink. Since both sweaters are bold colors, they can go with any outfit.

My statement piece is my faux fur vest. I got this vest from Target, believe or not. I love Target, but I don’t always have luck there for clothes. However, this was a great find. I have worn it with leggings, jeans, even a simple black dress. It’s a great piece to dress up an outfit.

I wanted to highlight two accessories I’m wearing. First, I got this gold bar necklace for Christmas and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. It’s a simple necklace but I love how it can go with anything. Also, I have my initials on it so its personalized which makes it all the more special.

So simple, but so personalized and elegant,

I also am wearing this fun collection of bracelets and a watch. It matches my outfit with the brown but it is also a statement piece. I got this from Francesca’s Boutique  and I can;’t wait to wear it with other outfits.

Fun wrist accessories!

Sometimes it can be intimidating to wear something out of our comfort zone. But, I suggest to be BOLD. Try new pieces you may not normally pair with an outfit. You may never know you like an accessory unless you try it first. Have a great warm weekend. Stay warm!!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Planning for a Trip (or Planning to Come Home)

Hello! Hello! Happy Tuesday friends!

As the holiday season winds down, college students, like myself are heading back to school. Back to school means bringing lots of your belongings to your dorm room. Everyone hates packing whether you are in college or not. We worry if we over packed or if we forgot something. My school is a few hours away, so I don’t travel home often. I tend to go home just on breaks. After traveling to and from school for two years now I have a system that works for me when packing. This system would also work when packing for business trips, family vacations, or weekend getaways. Here’s what works best for me.

  • Make a list. Make a list of everything you need to bring and how much you want to bring of it. For example, 5 t shirts, 4 shorts, 1 sundress. Be specific with your list as well, instead of writing jewelry, write gold necklace with hoop earrings. This makes it easier to identify what you are packing and its easier to organize your belongings when you are coming home. I write out a list when I’m planning what to pack and use it the whole trip and when I am leaving to come home to make sure I have everything I came with. *Tip for college students packing to go home*: make a list of things you need to buy or bring when you are at home. It helps to get all your shopping done at home and come back to school with a stocked dorm.
My latest list of things I need to get while I’m home
  • Only bring what you need. Whenever I plan to come home, I plan out exactly what outfits I want to wear. I also have clothes at home, so I try not to over pack or pack doubles. For example, I don’t bring sweatpants and hoodies home since I already have them. Also, when you are planning your winter vacations, prioritize what things you want to wear. Don’t forget to check the weather to make sure you plan accordingly for whatever Mother Nature has in store for you.

 

  • Plan what you want to do. Whenever I come home, I have a separate list for things I want to get accomplished. Things such as doctor appointments, seeing friends, or activities are all examples of things I write down. Whenever I come home, I try to space things out, so I’m not waiting till the last day to do my shopping, seeing friends and getting everything done. The same goes for when you are traveling. Make a list of everything you want to see or do while you are away.

    A list of everything I want to accomplish when I’m home!

As I plan to head back to school this week, I always keep these things in mind. There will always be stress in our lives, but if we can plan ahead to avoid these stressful situations it makes all the difference.

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #33

LOTD

One of my favorite Christmas gifts. Definitely will be used with the snowy weather

Happy Thursday! How has your week been? Getting adjusted to being back to work after the holidays? Ready for the weekend?

Snow has been falling nonstop for the past few days. Life these days has been filled with snow covered streets and below freezing temperatures. Welcome to the East Coast!

I’m sharing a fresh look of the day. For those who live where snow falls more than half the year, or if you are used to more temperatures in the 30’s rather than the 80’s then this post is for you. Planning a ski trip to the mountains, keep on reading.  I’m giving you a peak into my favorite winter essentials.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts. It will be keeping me warm in the snow

No matter the weather, a heavy coat is crucial. I got this coat for Christmas and it is not only stylish but warm. I got it from L.L. Bean. It can keep you warm from 0 to below 50 degrees.  It is well insulated and well keep you warm walking to class or heading into work. Plus, who doesn’t love a big fur hood to keep your head warm.

Favorite boots and cabin socks

Another winter essentials I can’t live without are snow boots. We all love our Uggs but they can get ruined after constantly walking through the snow. These boots from Sperry, but I got them for sale at DSW, not only keep my warm but are stylish. Add a pair of warm cabin socks and you have yourself a stylish outfit. I love pairing boot socks and short Sperry boots together. These cabin socks are another favorite winter essential.

I wore a pair of hounds tooth leggings with this outfit with a black blouse. I wanted to dress up this print leggings. Be on the lookout for that outfit in the upcoming weeks. This outfit kept me warm on a day with freezing temperatures. Also, I couldn’t end this post without a shout out to my cousin, Grace for taking these fantastic photos. She did phenomenal especially in the freezing cold. What are your must haves when it comes to winter fashion? Happy Thursday friends