Tag: college life

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Fashion

Look of the Day #87

LOTD

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday! I hope you have had productive weeks and are ready for the weekend. I am working this weekend, so I hope I can get ahead on some school work while I’m working. Like I mentioned last week, while I was home for Christmas break, I had several events that I had to dress up for and I managed to get some cute pictures too! 

Once again, matching with mom for the holidays!

Today’s outfit is a very functional outfit. It works both for a professional look but also a dressed up look. I wore this on Christmas Eve while attending Mass with my family. It was a cold Christmas Eve so I opted for a warmer outfit. I have also worn this outfit while doing presentations at school and interviews. This outfit is not only functional, professional, and comfortable.

Excuse the mirror selfies but an up close look of the outfit

 I got this silver top from Francesca’s Boutique. I love the shimmer and sparkle and also the fact that it is light weight. It’s perfect for all seasons but goes great with black for the long winter months. I wore a matching necklace and earrings with it to bring out the black and silver colors. 

For the colder days, a light cardigan would go perfect with the top. I got this black on from Old Navy on sale. I have worn it with jeans and dress pants as well as dresses. It’s a wonderful, versatile sweater that is perfect for a grown women’s professional collection. 

A cute short black jacket to wear on a cold day out and about

Lastly, I have to rave about these dress pants. 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 so comfortable. For example, on Christmas Eve after I came home from Mass with my family I helped prep, cook, eat and clean up dinner, spending hours in the kitchen and moving around wearing this outfit and I was so comfortable. I have worn them a few other occasions and they are a must have for your collection. 

Last but not least I have to share my favorite black pumps. These are my go-to for dresses, skirts, and dress pants. Every girl should have a pair of black pumps in the closet. A timeless classic. 

I hope this gives you inspiration to look at other stores when it comes to looking for professional clothing. I will definitely be rewearing or mixing and matching this outfit a lot in the next few months. Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!

Categories
Fitness

Fitness Goals 2019

Hello All and Happy Tuesday!  

A new week is upon us. Week two of school is underway. Last week felt so long after getting into a new routine of classes, work, and homework. I’m hoping this week and the next few weeks move faster after getting settled into a new routine. With the start of a new semester and year, I wanted to set some new fitness goals. I have had this post planned for a few weeks and I’m finally getting around to posting it. Thanks for your patience. Working out and going to the gym has been a great stress reliever and activity to do while I’ve been in college. You can read my fitness journey part one, part twoand part three. 

Work (out) hard, play hard

At the start of every year I try to challenge myself in order to get stronger and feel better after a work out. Last year I shared my workout goals. You can find them here.My goals included getting in 10,000 steps a day, I lagged a bit in the summer with this goal due to working but since I came back to school in August 2018, I have been successful in getting in my 10,000 steps from the gym, going to classes, and running errands. I’m very proud of that goals. Another goal I set was work on my weight training, I did better at the start of 2018, but stayed consistent through the fall semester and didn’t increase my weights, I’m hoping to work on this more this semester.  Lastly, my final goal was to get my time down for the mile. I didn’t get my time down, but I have been running more instead of just jogging. 

Now, onto this year’s fitness goals. 

  • I want to increase the size and the amount of weight I am lifting in regards to my free weights. Even if it is adding an extra few pounds every month or so, I want to work on building up muscle, especially in my arms and legs. 
  • I know it may sound cliché, but I want to start putting in work for the summer months and that includes working on my abs more to start getting a flatter stomach, I’ve done research and I’m going to work on including healthier foods in my diet as well as my ab workouts. If you have found things that have worked for you, let me know in the comments below.
  • Run more. I love to use the treadmill especially when I have it at a high incline, I feel that I get more of a workout there compared to just biking or using the elliptical. I have started to jog and run more during my work out, but I want to continue to run and increase my endurance. 
new year, new goals

I’m hoping I can focus more on increasing my endurance in a lot of areas that I work with already. Taking care of my body and working out has been a great way for my to relax and feel good about myself. It is also a great stress reliever. Whether it is going for a run, doing yoga, talking walks, or doing weight training, I hope you find something that you can do to take care of yourself. I hope 2019 is a year we can all tackle our fitness goals. What goals do you have for this year in terms of fitness?

Categories
Fabulous living

Let’s get REAL: Transitioning from Home Life to College after a break

Hello Everyone! 

Happy Tuesday. I hope you week is off to a great start. Classes started back yesterday so I am in the process of getting into a new routine for a new semester. This semester is going to be a busy one, but I have lots of fun things planned, I’m looking forward to what the semester has in store for me. I always love putting everything on my calendar and seeing what things I’ll be doing. There is no better feeling than a clean and organized calendar. You can see my system for organizing my calendar and planning here. One thing I try to do with this blog is be open, honest and real with you all. The good, the bad, and the real life stuff.

Although, the start of every semester is new and exciting I always experience a few days of transition between going from home life to back to school life. When I am at home, I am constantly on the go whether it is at work, running errands, carpooling, or spending time with family. Although, it may seem overwhelming and a lot to manage, I love it. I’ve always been used to a busy home life, so it seems natural to always be on the go and taking care of others and pitching in to help.  After all, that’s the importance of family, always being there for each other. When I was home over break I got a lot of family time in which I love. But, when I come back to school after a long break it’s always weird to go from constantly being on the go and being surrounded by my family to just taking care of myself. It’s definitely a lot quieter and I have a lot more downtime. Although, this can be nice and relaxing, at the same time, I don’t always know what to do with all my free time before classes start. These days of transition are always interesting to navigate. Of course, I have commitments and meetings that keep me busy and I am catching up with friends, but these days are weird.

I was talking about the odd in between days with a friend and they felt the same way, they described it as the Sunday feeling, the feeling when you know you have a new week (or semester) in front of you and you have a lot to do and you want to get started, but at the same time you want to relax and not think about that long to do list. I was so happy to talk to someone who shared the same feeling as I did. It was encouraging to hear that my feelings and thoughts were shared with someone else. 

I started this blog to share tips and tricks I had with organization, fashion, and fitness but also to share about life as a college student. The good, the bad, and the real-life stuff. I hope if you ever felt the same about the transition days between home and school you find comfort that you aren’t alone with your feelings. Now, that I am back into the swing of classes and a new routine, the in between days are behind me.

Always remember that there are so many adventures to be had, but there is truly no place like home. See you on Thursday for new wintery look of the day! Have a great week!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #85

LOTD

Hi all! Happy Thursday! This past month has gone by so fast since I’ve been home. I’ve done a lot of running around, working, and some relaxing. Today, I’m on my way back to school for the new semester. I know this upcoming semester will be busy but I’m keeping and open mind and staying positive despite the unknown. Today’s outfit of the day is all about being comfortable and cozy in the cold winter months, plus I got a few pieces of clothes for Christmas and I couldn’t help but not share them. This outfit is perfect for running around and doing errands, doing homework, or heading to an early morning class. 

Cozy for the winter months

Sherpas are the hit and a huge fashion trend this winter season. I got this gray/brown Sherpa from Marley Lilly for Christmas. Although, most Sherpas on the market today are in three quarter zip style, but I love this alternative style from Marley Lilly. I love the high neck and long sleeves with the Sherpa. It is not only warm but also very fashionable. 

Keeps you warm both in and outside

I decided to pair my Sherpa with a pair of straight jeans from Old Navy. I love these jeans. They can be worn with boots, heels, and flats. For today’s outfit, I decided to pair them with Sperry boots and boot socks. I love wearing a warm pair of boot socks with my Sperry boots. My socks match my Sherpa. I hope this outfit gives you inspiration with your next outfit. Stay warm these next few weeks in January. See you next week as we talk about fitness goals for the new year!

Categories
Fabulous living

New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year!! 

Christmas morning spent well, the tree all lit, a warm cup of hot chocolate and time spent with family

It is good to be back. I have been posting a few looks to wear when you are out and about but today it is back to normal with blogging. I hope you all had a restful and relaxing breaks, whether you are still on break from school or you only got a few days off, I hope they were restful and filled with loved ones, good food, presents, and joy. It was so nice to spend some quality time with family, although I did work a bit over break it has been so refreshing not having to worry about school work and just be present in the moment. It’s crazy how fast my time home went by. I am headed back to school on Thursday, time to gear up for another semester. These past few weeks have been restful and rejuvenating and its time to get back to the school work. 

Today, I’m sharing my New Year’s Resolutions with you. These were my goals last year. For the most part I accomplished them well. I was busy during the day at school so that snacked way less than normal. I also tried to eat much better at school. I’m going to try to do the same when I head back to school. I got a lot of reading done over the summer and over Christmas break. My Christmas book review will be up next week so stay tuned for that! I was more flexible and spontaneous towards the end of the year especially when it came to going out with friends but I am still very much into my schedules and being on top of things.

Heading into 2019 with the right mindset

I’m calling this year-2019- “My senior year”. Since I will be graduating next December, I thought it would be appropriate to call 2019, my senior year of college, with only two semester left of college, I hope to make lots of memories, try new things, and live up my senior year. I also decided to pick a word that I want to center around this year.

After a lot of thought, I decided to choose the word… “Patience”. I want to try and be more patient this year with others, myself, and life in general. I have often felt being rushed with everything I do and getting stressed and overwhelmed by it. I want to strive to be more patient this year, everything will get done, it always does, sometimes we just need a little more patience in our lives. I will keep you updated this year with how it goes. 

My mindset for the new year….patience and positivity

Now, moving onto my resolutions. I have set three for myself, all pratical and easy to incorporate into my life each day. 

Be more positive– I have often found myself complaining about the trival things in life whether it be about too much homework, being busy or having too much on my plate. This upcoming year I want to focus less on the negative and more on the positive, and if there is stuff bothering not talk about it all the time rather just find a solution.

Don’t sweat the small stuff-This goes along with the first one, I want to try to not stress over the little things in life, rather focus on the big picture. I am going to not let the little things get to me since they don’t matter in the grand scheme in life, I really want to work on bettering myself this year and not get overwhelmed with the small day to day things. 

Be more social– This is going to be a more challenging one this year. One of the great things about college is making friends with people older and younger than you, however, it can also be really rough when all your friends graduate early/study abroad/ start work. This year will be an adjustment with so many of my friends leaving, I never thought I would have to make new friends as a junior in college, this year I am determined to step out of my comfort zone and still be social and see friends and do things on nights and the weekends. I’ll keep you posted on how this goes. 

That’s an update about what’s going on with me these past few weeks and what’s to come with this upcoming semester. As I embark on my senior year, I want to thank you all for being a part of this journey with me. See you back on Thursday!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #84

LOTD

Hello all! Happy New Year! 

I hope you all had a restful holiday! On Tuesday, I will be sharing my New Year’s Resolutions, but for today, I have a fresh new look for the new year. Today’s look it’s all about turning a simple black dress into a full outfit. 

A perfect winter outfit

I got this simple black dress from Old Navy. It is a great dress that can be dressed up for Church, or a formal dinner as well as dressed down in a jean jacket and boots. I wore this ensemble to Church over the weekend. I decided to dress up this simple dress with black tights and shoe boots. I love the wedge/heel that these shoes offer. 

A warm scarf and cute purse for the winter months

I didn’t want my whole outfit to be dark, so I brought in some pops of color. I got this scarf this past Christmas. I love the dark colors of brown, deep red, navy, and black. These are perfect winter colors to compliment the black dress. This scarf would also very nice to pair with a pair of jeans or a simple t-shirt or even with a more casual look of leggings and an oversized sweater. 

Up close of the accessories

I also couldn’t help but not share this new purse I got for Christmas. I love anything monogrammed and this is the perfect size to hold your cellphone when you don’t want to carry a big purse. I got this small purse from Marley Lilly. 

Perfect place to hold your purse

That’s a look into my closet for the new year. I have a lot of fun outfits planned for you these next few weeks. Stay tuned. See you on Tuesday for my New Year’s Resolutions!

All dressed up, ready to go out


Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #83

LOTD

Hello All!

How has your week been? Full? Stressful? Busy? Same here. I can’t wait to share this outfit for today. This outfit is perfect for traveling to see loved ones. Not only is it comfortable but it is also fashionable. Let’s start breaking down this outfit.

Casual and comfortable

I love this shirt. I got it from Marley Lilly last year. I love the tunic feel and the fabric is so comfortable. Plus, I love anything monogrammed so my initials in the corner is the perfect addition. Another great thing about this top is that its big enough that it covers your booty if you are wearing leggings like I am wearing in this picture.

Since I wore such a dark top, I wanted to break up the bottoms. I decided to wear these leopard print leggings with this top. I got these leggings from Old Navy, I had had them for a few years and they are still in great shape. The dark colors complement each other but it is not super overwhelming.

I wore a gray pair of boot socks to bring out the gray in the leggings. I also got these boot socks from Old Navy as well. You can wear these boot socks with leggings, a dress, or skirt.

My favorite fall boots

My boots are my favorite part of my ensemble. I got these boots last year at the end of the season on sale at DSW. I always  try to get new things at the end of season sales. I had the same boots for about four years, so I knew it was time for an upgrade. I love the heel on these boots, you can really dress up an outfit with these boots. I have worn them with leggings, dresses, and jeans. Besides, how good they look, they are also super comfortable. I was on my feet for 10 hours in these boots and my feet were fine by the end of the day. That’s a major win for my book.

That’s a peak into my closet this week. I have a fun weekend planned ahead that I can’t wait to share with you all next week. I hope you all have a relaxing weekend.

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #82

LOTD

Hi all!!

How has your December been? Mine is finally slowing down more now that finals are over, now it’s just prepping for Christmas. I’m getting in as much Christmas movies, baking, and holiday activities in before Christmas.

The outfit I have for you all today, has been a favorite of mine these past few weeks. I wore it for Thanksgiving, but I have also enjoyed wearing this out to meetings, classes, and out to dinner.

A perfect outfit for the start of winter

My fuschia turtleneck is a huge statement piece for me. I love the bold color that contrasts with the dark skirt, tights, and boots. I got this top from GAP, a few years back. GAP’s clothes always stay in good condition for the past few years. I have worn this top with jeans, black leggings and skirts. It is a very versatile top.

A black skirt is a must for you closet. You can dress it up or down. You can wear it to work, out to dinner or even Church. I got mine from Marshall’s. I love how it is cotton, so it can be easily washed, packed, and worn.

The black tights are fleece lined, they are perfect for chilly days when you want to look professional. I got my pair from T.J. Maxx. These are a must for me especially when it comes to dressing nice for work or professional events.

These are my new favorite high black boots. I love the heel and the style. I got mine from DSW. They are comfortable but also versatile, I have worn them with jeans, leggings, skirts, and dresses. A high boot is a must for my wardrobe collection.

That’s a look into my closet. Enjoy the next few weeks of December and good luck with getting all your Christmas shopping in. I will be off on Tuesday for Christmas but will be back for another look of the day next Thursday. Have a Merry Christmas, enjoy the day with your families and loved ones.

Categories
Fabulous living

Fall Semester Recap

What a semester it has been. That has been my catch phrase these past few months. Finals are over, I am home for a well-deserved break and I’m taking the time to reflect on this past semester. I was excited for the new semester to start back in August, I had interesting classes lined up to take, I was looking forward to spending time with friends and last year, I really felt that I had found my place and I was looking forward to growing more. For the most part, all those things came through. I certainly grew more this semester. This semester definitely tested me, I took on a heavier course load (18 credits) , took on a few more leadership roles (with clubs and Honor Societies and leading meetings) , got more involved with my school, and started a new job (I both work study for a professor and tutor). However, I quickly learned a new balance with all the new stuff going on and I really managed to get into a good routine that worked for me, I also made sure to take care of myself too. I managed to get all my classes done, work in, and still managed to have a social life. 

This was my reaction when I realized how much I took on…yep, I may have taken on too much. 

A few highlights of this semester include lots of fun memories, from inside jokes with classmates in classes, late nights at work, dinners out with friends, early mornings at the gym followed by breakfast, movie nights, staff bonding events, nights out in the city, and so many more. 

Staff photos with Sharon to kick off the semester


Early morning trips to the gym
An Ed Sheeran concert in the middle of the semester was much needed
This is how I spent most of this semester, work, work, work
Early morning walks to class
Trips to fall fests
Halloween Dances
More Halloween festivities
I seriously don’t know where I would be without this girl. We may have met through work but she has become one of my closest friends, and yes, I have no idea what I’m going to do once she graduates.
Another one of the many things I did this semester was help work on our news program at school
One of us was working and the other one was supposed to be doing homework…yet we still managed to hang out on a Friday night
Light Up Night in downtown with the best
I think this describes our friendship and semester in a nutshell


Well that wraps up my semester. I learned a lot, made so many memories, grew more confident as a person and with my decisions and really did my best to be social and step out of my comfort zone. Through my time in college, I have learned that it’s most important to take advantage of every opportunity, make memories, and step outside of your comfort zone. Next semester will be different as many of my friends will be graduating, studying abroad, or student teaching. It will be different but I am up for the challenge. I’ll have another look for you on Thursday, then I will be taking next Tuesday off for Christmas. Have a great weekend. 

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #81

LOTD

Hello All!

Depending on when you read this I am either in the middle of taking my last final or have already finished it. Yay!! I have to stay for work until tomorrow and then it is home for Christmas break, I can hardly wait. 

A little background about today’s look of the day. I wasn’t planning on sharing this outfit, but when I put it on I couldn’t resist sharing it. I apologize for the mirror selfie but this outfit screamed Christmas and with the holiday quickly approaching I think this would be the perfect opportunity to share this look. 

Festive for the Holidays

This outfit is fairly simple. I am wearing my suede wedges from Shoe Carnival for this look.

These are my favorite dark wash, boot cut jeans from Old Navy. The boot cut looks works great with a low wedge. 

This is my favorite long sleeve white t-shirt from Old Navy, I like how it is a simple V-neck so you can mix and match it with outfits. This may seem like a simple outfit of blue jeans and a white t-shirt but this scarf completely changes the outfit. 

This is a blanket scarf but I tied it up so it can be worn over my top. The plaid is perfect for the holidays, and I always love a good monogram especially when its right out front. I topped off my outfit with a bright lip. I got this scarf as a gift a few years back and I always love to bring it out during the holidays. 

I hope this look gets you into the Christmas spirit, we are getting closer and closer to the holidays. Good luck with all your last minute preparations for Christmas.