Tag: college life

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Travel

Spring Break Trip to Rome, Italy Part 1

Hello All! 

Happy Tuesday!! 

Itā€™s so good to be back to blogging. I got back late Saturday night from Rome, Italy where I was for Spring Break. I have been a part of a leadership program during my time at college. During the spring semester of our senior year, we travel to Rome to study abroad. Since Iā€™m graduating early I went as a junior, Iā€™m so glad I was able to go with this group since I have so many friends who are a year older than me, it made it so much more fun. There were 13 student that went with 2 professors and a few other chaperones, we had a great group. I had the absolute best time this past week.  I canā€™t wait to get into all the things I did while I was abroad. 

I was able to rest up on Sunday and get things done before starting back to reality yesterday. Itā€™s been a busy few days but they have been so good. Instead of having a huge post all about my time abroad, Iā€™m going to break it up into two posts. Part One will be today and Part Two will be up next Tuesday. Grab a cup of coffee and letā€™s get started.

Off to the airport

I left early Friday morning for Rome. After an early wake up call at 3:30, I think I got maybe three hours of sleep. We were off to the airport. We went from Pittsburgh to Newark and were in Newark by 10 am. We then had a long layover until 5:45 when we jetted off for Rome. During our layover my group and I hung out, grabbed lunch and did homework.

A look at my travel journey

We took off at 5:45 to take an overnight flight to Rome. It was about a 6 hour flight. During the flight I watched Crazy Stupid Love, ate dinner, and tried to get a few hours of sleep. ( I think I got maybe 2?) This lack of sleep is consistent through the whole trip. Haha! We got breakfast on the plane the next morning before we landed.

We landed at 8:00 am-super early. We were all pretty tired but we dropped off our bags, walked around the area near our hotel and enjoyed a mid morning coffee. 

Landing in Rome

We stayed at Via San Pio, it was near a Church, San Anselmo, which became our base. We were staying in a more residential area, therefore it was much more quieter and not as touristy.  We were 20 minutes away from the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. We walked everywhere on the trip. I think I averaged between 25,000-30,000 steps a day. Because we walked so much we became very familiar with this area, as long as I knew where the Colosseum was, I could get you to our hotel, the restaurants, and the shops. 

The view of the city near our hotel

After a mid morning coffee break, we got lunch at San Anselmoā€™s and we were able to eat with the monks and priests that live there. After lunch, we were able to check into our hotel, freshen up, shower and unpack. My friend Olivia, who was also on this trip, and I grabbed some gelato and and took a walk around the neighborhood we were in. 

Morning Tea
It’s amazing what dry shampoo, mascara, and lipstick can do…does it look like I got 5 hours of sleep in 2 days?!
San Anselmo’s…The Church we were staying near
First Gelato of the trip

Since this trip was with an academic, leadership program, every night we had discussions and assigned readings and toasts were given out. We went to our discussion then went to dinner at Bucatini, a delicious restaurant that was a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It was delicious.

Dinner night 1…Bucatini

In Italy, the biggest culture change besides the time difference (they are 6 hours ahead), was the meals. First, they eat much later, most days we didnā€™t eat dinner until 8:00 and there are many courses and it takes a while to eat. Most nights, there were four-five course (appetizer, pasta, meat, dessert) and we would be there for 2.5-3 hours eating. We werenā€™t getting back to our hotel until 10:30 or 11:00 and then going straight to bed since we had to be up early the next day. The days were long, I think I averaged between 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Long days and short nights, to put it in perspective, when I would be talking to people back home before I went to bed it would be dinner time back home, by the time I woke up, they were still awake. Crazy!

After delicious dinner, I came back to the room and went to bed, keep in mind I had slept about 5 hours in the past 2 days so I was very tired. 

On Sunday, our first full official day in Rome, we were up early for Mass and then we took a walk as a group to see a few sites such as the Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Novena, and the Pantheon. It was so nice to see what a Sunday morning was like, by simply walking the streets, seeing the markets and the locals. After a nice morning walk we got lunch at a small Italian restaurant where we had the best pizza and bruschetta. After lunch we stopped for gelato. The orange and chocolate raspberry was a favorite for me. We then took a long walk back where we passed a few Churches, my favorite was Saint Maria Della Vitoria. It was absolutely stunning. I couldnā€™t get over the beauty and the detail of the art work. We also passed the Colosseum on our way back. We had some downtime before we had our discussion and dinner. We had a big dinner with five courses, the pasta was delicious and I tried everything that was offered. The Arch Abbot of our school was in Rome for a few days and he joined us for dinner too which was an honor. After a lively dinner, we all went back to the hotel to get some rest before the full week began.

Walking around the markets early Sunday
  • St. Maria’s
  • Lunch- Bruschetta
  • Pizza
  • 150 flavors of Gelato
  • Gelato
First look
  • Dinner- Appetizers
  • Bread and cheese
  • Pasta
  • Pasta
  • Meat and Potatoes
  • Variety of Tiramisus and Desserts

On Monday, we woke up bright and early, grabbed some breakfast and were off to explore the Palentine Hill, Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The Palentine Hill was the residential area of Ancient Rome and the Roman Forum was the city area. We saw some amazing views from the Palentine Hill. The Roman Forum was quiet impressive as well, itā€™s amazing how well preserved everything is from hundreds of years ago. The pictures donā€™t do it justice. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant were we were served Panchetta (an egg/cheese pasta) and veal along with Tiramisu. We ate these same meals often, but every place they were different. In the afternoon, we spent time in the Colosseum, exploring the ruins and just imagining what life was in Roman Times, once again the pictures donā€™t do it justice. We took a scenic walk back to our hotel and went straight to our discussion and dinner. For dinner, we had delicious thin crust pizza (I donā€™t know how I can go back to eating American pizza) and a mushroom pasta. It was such a fun time to eat together and share our favorite moments of the day. After a late dinner we went back to the hotel to get to sleep since we had a big day on Tuesday.

  • Views from Palentine Hill
  • My two buddies for the trip. My roomie Marion and my good friend Olivia. We had so much fun!
  • The Roman Forum
  • Recognize this place?!
  • Lunch- Panchetta Pasta
  • Veal and Vegetables
  • Tiramisu
The Roman Ruins
  • Dinner- Pizza for an Appetizer?! Yes Please!
  • Bread and cheese
  • Meat and Pasta

On Tuesday, we woke up very early and took a bus to the Vatican and St. Peterā€™s Basilica where we had mass in the crypt next to St. Peterā€™s tomb, along next to where many of the other Popeā€™s in history lay. It was so amazing to be praying and have mass in St. Peterā€™s, it was one of my favorite moments. We had a fantastic tour guide of St. Peterā€™s and the Vatican. She was so knowledgeable and friendly. The artwork, the detail and the history behind this Bascilica was incredible. I was in awe the whole time even though I have been there before. I loved seeing the artwork and paintings and hearing how they all came to be. Without a doubt, the Sistine Chapel was phenomenal, no words can describe it. I could have spent hours there. After a full morning of touring, we went to lunch where we had Panchetta and Veal with Tiramisu. We then had the afternoon free to shop, see other sites around the Vatican and just relax. We spent most of our time shopping and getting gifts for people at the Vatican. We then made our way back to our hotel where we rested and got ready for discussion and dinner. We had dinner at one of my favorite places, we had a flavorful appetizer, delicious pasta and gourmet chicken. We decided after dinner to check out the Colosseum at night which was a must see in Rome. We then made our way back to the hotel very late and got some rest before the next day.

  • The Vatican
  • The Hall of Maps
  • Taking it all in
  • Pictures don’t do it justice
  • Looking out to the city
  • Stunning entrance
  • I was in awe the whole time
  • Some famous artwork you may recognize
  • Does this look familiar
  • So much detail
  • Lunch-Mushroom Pasta
  • Veal
  • Tiramisu
  • Dinner- Appetizers
  • Pasta
  • Meat and Vegetables
The Colosseum at night
  • We were a little excited to see it

Whew, thatā€™s a lot, for those of you stuck with it, THANK YOU! Part 2 will be up next Tuesday. I hope your enjoyed part one of my Rome recap, it was truly the best trip I have ever been on, from organized tours, free time, good food, shopping and downtime. It was the best time. See you Thursday for a look of the day! See you then! xoxo

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #93

LOTD

Hi All! I canā€™t believe my trip overseas is almost over! I will be sharing everything about my time away when I come back, until then I have an easy look of the day. I didnā€™t even plan on making this a look of the day but after I put it all together I couldnā€™t resist making this into a post. This outfit is pretty typical of what I wear to class on an average day. Some days, I dress it up, others are more casual but jeans, a fun shirt, sweater, and boots are pretty standard for the winter months. Letā€™s get to the details!

Casual and practical

In this outfit, I am wearing my go to straight jeans from Old Navy. I wear these at least once a week (one of the reasons I talk about them so much), they are long lasting, durable, and so versatile that I feel I can wear them with anything. For example, because they are a straight cut jean I can easily wear them with a high heeled boot with no discomfort through the day. I have been getting so much use out of these boots this fall and winter. The heel isnā€™t too high, so I can wear them often, but they also really dress up an outfit. I got mine from DSWand they were a total game changer. I highly recommend going at the end of season to get the best deals for clothes, shoes, and accessories for next season. 

Up close of the shirt and sweater

I always like to stock up on neutral long and short sleeve shirts for the seasons. I typically go with white and black but every once in a while I like to change it up with stripes or more colors. I got this V-Neck long sleeve shirt from GAPafter Christmas and it was on sale for $8-major score! I had an older black and white stripped shirt that needed to be retired so I was more than happy to get a new one in my collection. Lastly, anyone we knows me, knows that I am always cold, even in the summer I have a sweater with me. I saw this cardigan on sale at Old Navyand I knew I had to get it. It was also on sale and I have utilized it so much since I got it. I have worn it more with professional looks but I like how it looks dressed down. Also, although it may seem like this is a sponsored post by Gap or Old Navy, I swear it isnā€™t. I just really like their clothes and I wear them often!

The whole outfit put together

I was really happy with how this outfit came out, like I said I was not planning on even making this into a post hence the mirror picture, but once I saw it all together I knew I had to document it. I canā€™t wait to be back to blogging next week sharing all about my trip.

Until then, have a great weekend!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #92

LOTD

Hey guys!

Happy Thursday!

I leave tomorrow for Rome! Iā€™m super excited but a bit nervous too! I know it is going to go by fast, so Iā€™m going to soak up as much as I can while I am there! I will still have posts that will go up next week, but I will have a more extensive post about traveling abroad after I come back! Iā€™ll be posting on my Instagram all about my trip so be sure to be following alongĀ here!

Todayā€™s look of the day entails another pop of pink for the last day of February! This outfit is warm and cozy for these last few winter weeks, fingers crossed spring weather is upon us sooner than later. Letā€™s start getting into the details of this outfit. 

Full outfit. Contrasting colors of black and soft pink

I decided to wear these black faux leather leggings with my outfit as a neutral look to go with my top and scarf. I got these leggings from Target a few years ago, but I am on the lookout for a new pair, where do you get your favorite leggings from?! Let me know in the comments below!Ā 

This long pink turtleneck is my new favorite article of clothing for the winter months. I found it at GAP on sale after the holidays and it was the best find. I loved the turtleneck so much I got it both in light pink and gray.Ā Ā I love the silky, soft material and the color. It is light weight, so it is not a bulky piece of clothing, a great top for transitional weather. I knew it was the perfect piece to add to my collection, this was the first time I wore it and I was so pleased with how my outfit turned out.Ā 

Up close of the outfit without my scarf
Up close of the outfit with the scarf

This scarf is another item I got at Christmas that I added to my collection.  I wore it in a post a few weeks ago with a blue jacket and jeans and I loved pairing this scarf with lighter colors today. This scarf has colors of blue, pink, white, cream, and light tan. The light pink in the scarf matched the light pink scarf perfectly. These colors are perfect to pair with other outfits to mix and match them with. 

Up close of the soft pink sweater, scarf, and leather leggings

Lastly, I wore my high black leather boots to top my outfit off. I got mine from DSW. I loved matching soft pink and black together, they are the perfect combination of contrasting colors. I hope this outfit gave you some inspiration for your next outfit out and about.Ā 

Up close of the scarf and the turtleneck

Iā€™m off to finish packing for my trip before I jet off. I will see you when I get back. Remember to follow along on all my adventures. Have a great spring break!!!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #91

LOTD

Hi Guys!

Happy Thursday or TGIT, am I right?!

Iā€™m so ready for the weekend! Iā€™m heading home for the weekend for a much needed break and vacation. Iā€™m doing some traveling over Spring Break, so I wonā€™t be home then, therefore, I am taking a weekend off to spend time with family and relax. More on my spring break adventures next week! Not only am I looking forward to seeing family but also for the Oscars! Is anyone planning on watching?! Awards season is my favorite time of year! Haha!Ā 

Now, moving on to todayā€™s look of the day. The weather this month has been all over the place, some days itā€™s cold and snowy, other days its warm and rainy, it has been such weird weather to dress for. This outfit is perfect for these weird days, warm for cold mornings but cool for warm afternoons. Letā€™s get to the details. 

Warm and cozy for February

Iā€™m wearing my go-to jeans with this outfit, my regular straight legged jeans get so much use in the fall and winter. I love how you can wear them with shoe boots, heels, or flats. So versatile! I got my pair from Old Navy, no better place to get affordable jeans. I decided to pair them with my black leather shoe boots. These shoe boots are from Marshalls from several years ago, they are so comfortable and can go with so many things.Ā 

Cooler outfit for the warmer weather

This top is one of my favorite things to wear in my wardrobe when I need a change in the winter. I got this top from Francescaā€™s Boutique. I shared this top in a dressier outfit here. Todayā€™s outfit is more casual. I love how the top can dress up an outfit, also it works great for transitional weather. 

I decided to accessorize this outfit with the gold and blue drop earrings which are a simple accessory but add a lot to an outfit. 

Up close of the earrings and blouse

This blue wool coat is worn on repeat in the winter months. I got this coat from Old Navy and it is perfect to wear with an all blue outfit or for a more of a dressier outfit. This scarf is also the perfect accessory for this blue winter coat. I got this scarf for Christmas and I love how warm and soft it is and the colors of pink, white, and blue work great with the blue jacket. 

Scarf and coat details

I love how these are all unique pieces but they work together. I hope this gives you some inspiration for mixing and matching pieces for the transitional weather.

 I hope you have a great weekend. See you next Tuesday!

Categories
Fabulous living

Screen Time Feature: YAY or NAY?

Hi All!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your weeks are off to a great start. February is flying by, itā€™s crazy to think we are more than half way to the end of the month. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and were able to celebrate Valentineā€™s day with your loved ones. 

Today, I wanted to share my thoughts and get your thoughts on the new update on iPhones with the screen time feature. Essentially, your iphone monitors how long you spend on your phone from social media, to productivity, entertainment and more. 

The screen time feature is found under your settings

You can check your screen report by going under settings and then half way down you will see screen time. From there it shows you how long you have been on it for the day, how many times you pick up your phone per hour, and how many notifications you receive per day. For more of an overview you can see how long you have been on it for the week. Every week, your phone will give you a screen time report of how much time you spent on your phone for the week compared to past weeks. 

It shows you how much time you spent on your phone per day (Note: I wrote this post in the afternoon so it’s not a full day, but you get the idea)

If your amount of time on your phone alarms you, you can schedule time away from your phone or app limits, so you can control how much time you spend on your phone. 

This breaks down screen time hour by hour and you can see your notifications and how much time you spend on each app

When I first heard about screen time, I was intrigued. The first day I checked my screen time at the end of the day, I spent over five hours on my phone, I couldnā€™t believe I wasted so much time on my phone when I could be doing other things. Now, granted some of the time was listening to music, talking on the phone, replying to emails and social media but I wasnā€™t scrolling through Instagram for 5 hours straight. HAHA. Now, thanks to screen time I can monitor how much time Iā€™m on my phone through the day and I can see when I need to put it down and away. After using screen time for a few months, I average being on my phone for about 3.5 hours a day, I wish it was lower but Iā€™m glad itā€™s gone down since Iā€™ve been aware of screen time. I have liked using the screen time app to be aware of how much time Iā€™m spending on my phone. This is not an advertisement nor a sponsored post, I just wanted to share my thoughts on screen time and get your input from about it too!

Look at the full week-this week it was higher due to a number of interviews I was doing over the phone

What are your thoughts on screen time? Have you tried it? Did you love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments below! 

See you Thursday for a new look of the day!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #90

LOTD

Hello All! 

Happy Valentineā€™s day! Whether you are celebrating with a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, the girls, or even if you are single like myself I hope you take some time to enjoy this holiday if you celebrate it. I also hope you can spread some love to those around you and you get some love sent your direction.Ā 

Todayā€™s outfit is perfect for Valentineā€™s Day with the perfect pink top. I love this outfit because it is perfect for a job interview, or day at the office. While I was home for Christmas break, I did some job shadowing and I wore this outfit.

I also got my headshots updated last week and I wore this outfit which was perfect for a professional photo to hopefully jumpstart my career. Letā€™s get into the details about where you can find this outfit without breaking the bank. 

New headshots for senior year
Close up head shot-so happy with how they turned out
All dressed up for a day at the office

I got these dress pants from Old Navy believe it or not?! I was on the hunt for a pair of straight cut dress pants and after looking all over town, I found them at Old Navy at a great price. Last summer I was on the hunt for black dress pants. I was searching in stores and online but everything that kept coming up were tight and looked more like leggings. I really was looking for a more professional look and a straight leg. After numerous searches, I finally found these dress pants at Old Navy believe it or not. Not only do they fit to size and look professional, but they are also so comfortable. I have worn them a few other occasions and they are a must have for your collection.

I also wanted a nice sweater to go with my dress pants and I knew a light cardigan would go perfect with the top. I got this black one from Old Navy on sale. I have worn it with jeans and dress pants as well as dresses. Itā€™s a wonderful, versatile sweater that is perfect for a grown womenā€™s professional collection. It not only keeps you warm, but it also looks put together.Ā 

My statement piece for this outfit is this fun pink top from Francescaā€™s Boutique. I know I have shared this top on here before, but I love the color and how you can truly dress it up with dress pants or a skirt and you can also pair it with jeans or leggings for a more casual look. 

Lastly, my shoes are my favorite shoe boots that I wear all the time since they are comfortable and reliable. 

I also have to share about my Michael Kors purse. I got it for my 16thbirthday. I use it for any job interview or shadowing as well as big meetings. It looks professional and it has a lot of storage to hold everything you need for a day at work. 

A perfect look for job interviews and shadowing

I hope this inspires you to look outside of the box when it comes to shopping for professional clothing. Have a sweet and love filled Valentineā€™s Day. Sending you lots of love today and every day!

XOXO

Categories
Fabulous living

Choosing to Look on the Positive Side of Life

Hello! Hello!

Happy Tuesday! Itā€™s crazy to think we are halfway through February, this month is flying by! With Valentineā€™s Day this week, I wanted to focus on a more light-hearted post for today ( no pun intended). For all my single girls out there, check out my post from last year about Galentineā€™s Day and fun things to do with your girlfriends! You can read all about it here.

Today, I wanted to share about the importance of looking on the positive side of things and turning a bad situation into a good one. One thing that I try to do is see the good things in every day, we all have tough days, whether itā€™s a long day of classes and meetings, or if you are having relationships issues or family troubles, I firmly believe there is always one good thing that can come out of a bad day. 

I started to really make an effort to find one good thing about every day during my senior year of high school. I got a Mason Jar and a stack of post it notes and at the end of every day I wrote the date and one good thing that happened each day. At the end of the year I had a whole jar of good memories and good things that happened every day of senior year.Ā Ā I was so happy I had all those memories to look back on.

My Jar through my senior year of high school
All my good moments dumped out
So many good things happened during my senior year of high school, Iā€™m so glad I kept track of them

My freshmen year of college, my mom gave me a journal to write all about my experiences about my freshmen year of college. I loved having an account of everything that happened and I made sure I wrote down the best part of my day. 

Last year (2018) started out rough but I didnā€™t want a few challenging weeks to determine my outlook of the entire year, I was already journaling in Shonda Rhimesā€™ Years of Yes journal but I wanted to add something new, so every day I took a post it note and wrote one positive thing that happened. To read about my Year of Yes, you can find it here.

The Journal of my Sophomore Year-Year of YES

I called my junior year, my year of Joy. My sweet friend Danielle, gave me this journal for my birthday and I write in it every day. I write down three good things that bring me joy every day.

Junior Year of JOY

I have found journaling every day for the past few years very therapeutic. I also found it helpful to be intentional about seeing the good things that happened every day, whether it was having a good conversation with a friend, going on a spontaneous brunch and shopping day, celebrating a holiday, or getting in some quality family time or self care. By writing down one or more good things that happened every day, it really puts things in perspective about how good life can be and how we should always look towards the positive things in life. When you have class from 12:30-8:30 straight and nothing is going your way (yes, this has happened to me) I always know there are definitely good things that happened through the long day. I hope this post encourages you to look on the positive side of things when life has you down. There are so many good things around us if we are willing to see them.

I hope this week brings you nothing but good vibes, wonderful moments and love (whether its from a significant other, best friend, or parent). Spread some love this week!

XOXO

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #89

All ready for a day at work

LOTD

Hello All! Happy Thursday! These past few weeks have been going by so fast. I canā€™t believe we are already done with the first full week of February. I have the weekend off of work, so I am looking forward to relaxing, catching up on sleep and hanging out with friends. I have a feeling itā€™s going to be a good weekend. Just one more day until the weekend. 

I am so excited to share todayā€™s outfit with you. It is such a versatile outfit. Itā€™s a staple that I wear a lot when I am home for work since itā€™s appropriate for the workplace but it also works great for school since you look put together while also being comfortable. These photos are from when I was home working over Christmas break, but since I have come back to school I have worn this for classes and meetings. Letā€™s break this outfit down. 

Comfortable and professional, the best of both worlds

I love the faux leather leggings. I got them a few years ago from Target.Ā Ā They feel like leggings when you are wearing them but from a far they look like a pair of skinny dress pants. I like to wear these when I know I have a busy day ahead of me and I know I am going to be on the go. I paired them with my high black dress boots from DSW for more of a professional look, but I have also paired this outfit with Uggs which worked just fine especially with the winter weather.Ā 

This blue top is a staple of mine in the closet. I got it from GAP. I adore the material, it is a luxe shirt meaning it is so soft and silky. I couldnā€™t have asked for a better combination. I love that this top can be dressed up or down. I decided to top this outfit off with my long winter white sweater from Scandal Style from the Limited. Once again, this outfit looks professional but also comfortable.

Up close of the details

I topped the outfit off with gold jewelry and my gold bar necklace, a simple yet elegant piece of jewelry.

I know I am going to be wearing these pieces on rotation for the next few months with the cold weather.Ā  I hope you all have warm and productive weekends and you make some room for some fun in there too!

What pieces do you constantly wear in the winter months?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #88

LOTD

Hi All!

Happy Thursday! Itā€™s almost the end of the week. This weekend is my last weekend working so Iā€™m super excited to get this weekend started and over to finish up work and then I have many exciting things in the upcoming months. Todayā€™s look of the day is perfect for the winter weather and the freezing temperatures.Ā 

all warm for a day out in the snow

This outfit is perfect for the cold weather and I am highlighting several pieces. To start off this is a simple and casual outfit that can get dressed up with accessories. I started my outfit off with a simple pair of blue jeans from Old Navy. I love these straight legged jeans. They are perfect for high black boots or uggs in the winter. I got my black boots on sale from DSW. DSW is my go-to for great shoes at a low price, my tip is stock up on shoes off season for the best deals.Ā Ā I paired these jeans with a simple long sleeve black t-shirt. Old Navy is also my go-to for black and white t-shirts that are good quality and long lasting. Jeans and a black or white t-shirt is the perfect simple look.Ā 

This scarf is the perfect accessory

I decided to add this carmel, black and red scarf to add a pop of color and texture to my look. Not only does it keep my warm but it is also stylish and a great accessory to change up a simple look with.Ā 

Staying warm in the frigid temperatures

Lastly, my favorite accessory is this black winter coat. I got it from L.L. Bean. It is not only super warm and durable but great quality. Since I live up North itā€™s crucial I have a warm and long lasting winter jacket.Ā 

My little pup Milton had to interrupt the photo shoot and I was more than okay with it…my favorite

This week were are supposed to get near freezing temperatures so I know I will be wearing this outfit os something similar to it to brave the cold.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Categories
Fabulous living

Winter Break Book Review

Happy Tuesday. How is your week looking? Hectic? Calm? Too early to tell? The past few weeks have flown by for me, I think between getting into a new schedule for the semester and working the past few weekends the weeks have gone by much faster. 

Today, I am finally getting around to sharing my Winter Break Book Review, I know itā€™s way overdue, but better late than never right? During my month home I read two books. I wish I read more but time got away from me. I read ā€œMy Oxford Yearā€by Julie Whelan and ā€œThe Biggest Lie in the History of Christianityā€by Matthew Kelly. Both were very good books but very diverse in the subject matter and genre. Letā€™s dive into these tales.

My Oxford Year

ā€œMy Oxford Yearā€ tells the story of a young American student, Ella Duran who is studying in Oxford. She meets Jamie Davenport, a handsome date who turns out to be her lecturer. She has high dreams and aspirations and doesnā€™t want to be derailed by a romance abroad. There are many unexpected twists and turns, especially the ending. There were so many times when the book changed directions that I never would have expected. Overall, this book tells the story of hard work, pursing your dreams, making friends with people who never expected and putting your goals on hold for those you love. I had seen this book on many book reviews over the summer and I was so excited I could finally read it, I was not disappointed at all.

One thing that was different about my experience with this book is that I tried the audiobook of it instead of reading it. Iā€™ve heard many people make the transition from reading books to listening to them, and at this point, I hate to say I am not one of them. It was nice to listen to the book while I did other things such as clean, wash, or computer work, but I still like the feeling of reading for leisure. Now, I know people listen to the books while they drive and I havenā€™t tried that yet, so I plan on giving it another try soon but for now I think Iā€™m going to stick to the reading of books.Ā 

The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity

The next book I read was ā€œThe Biggest Lie in the History of Christianityā€ by Matthew Kelly. Last summer I read ā€œPerfectly Yourselfā€by Matthew Kelly and I loved it so I couldnā€™t wait to read this on and it didnā€™t disappoint. Hereā€™s my book review with Perfectly Yourself.ā€œThe Biggest Lie in the History of Christianityā€ is all about living life to the fullest and doing things and making choices that truly make us happy. It also shows us what things we can do to make our lives happier and be more content and not be overwhelmed by so much noise. I found this book to be therapeutic and relaxing. I read a chapter or two a day and I loved the positive message that it spread. I loved it so much I went on to gift it to two other people. I read this book as opposed to listening to it and I preferred it much better, especially when I was reading it with a candle burning and a warm cup of hot coco, can you think of anything better?!

One of my favorite quotes from Matthew Kelly’s book

Thatā€™s a bit of a recap of two great books I read over break. Although, I am back to school and in classes, Iā€™m trying to carve some time every day to read, even if it is just a chapter. 

What are you guys currently reading? I love new suggestions? Also, do you guys prefer to listen to books or read them?

See you on Thursday for warm and toasty outfit for the winter months!