Tag: college life

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Fashion

Look of the Day #80

Looking professional on the go

LOTD

Happy Thursday!!

I can’t believe we are already in December!!! This year and semester has flown by. I honestly feel the older I get, the faster life goes by. Anyone else feel that?

The holiday season is in full swing which also means final season is right around the corner. I will be happy once finals are over so I can really enjoy the holiday season.

Today’s outfit is more for the professional.  I wore it a few weeks ago, I had classes, a few meetings, and I needed something that was professional but also functional.

Looking professional on the go

I got this blue top from Francesca’s Boutique over the summer but it still works great in the fall and early winter. I love the dark navy color and it goes great with my dark jeans.

Speaking of my jeans, these are my favorite boot cut jeans from Old Navy, the jeans I had worn for years, recently had to go, but I was able to pick up a new pair from Old Navy on sale. They fit just like the first pair, that’s something I love about Old Navy, they are always consistent with their fit and style.

I am wearing my suede shoe boots. I got these a few years ago from Shoe Carnival. The low wedge is practical for a busy day but it is also cute to top off an outfit.

Lastly, although it is hard to see in the picture, I decided to wear a long gold necklace to tie the whole outfit together.

I decided to pull my hair up in a high bun, I keep my hair down 90% of the time, but sometimes I like to change it up and pull it up with a high bun.

I hope this gives you some suggestions of an outfit to wear when you have a packed full day.

Have a great weekend and do something fun especially with the holiday season just beginning!

Categories
Fabulous living

Christmas Prepping and Gift Giving Tips

Hello! Hello!

Happy Tuesday! It is finally December, bring on the shopping, gift giving, cookie baking, and decorations. I am so ready for Christmas but first I have to make it through finals. The next few weeks will be busy with classes, papers, meetings, and wrapping up the semester. Stay tuned for my semester recap and best of 2018 in the next coming weeks.

For today I’m sharing my tips for when it comes to buying gifts, staying organized and being on budget. Here are my three tips for making it through the holiday season as stress free as can be.

  • Make a list (and check it twice 😉 )

Whenever I start my holiday shopping I always make a list of who I need to buy for, whether it is family, friends, gift exchanges etc. if I don’t write it don’t I wont remember it. I always keep a running list in the notes section of my phone so I always have it with me. I write down who I need to buy for and what I am buying/bought, the status of it and where I bought it, I do this to keep track of everything. Since I am still in school for most of December this helps me keep track of everything no matter where I am at. With that being said, I always set a budget for myself and try as hard as I can to stay on budget.

Just to preface, this is a FAKE Christmas gift list. None of these gifts are real, I just made this up to show you how I set up my gift list-who to by for, what I am buying, where it’s from, and the status of it.
  • Shop when it works best for you

I always love going in the stores to browse and get all my gifts but with school being super busy I have done a majority of my shopping online. Amazon has been my best friend this Christmas season. I have really utilized the Shopping list in Amazon. I have been able to put things that I like or am interested in in my list throughout the whole year and have it in one spot. For example, I was on Amazon in October and saw something that was a perfect gift for someone, I put it in my shopping list and ended up buying it a few weeks ago. The shopping list is private so only you can see it and no one else can see what you are buying. Since I have done so much online shopping something else that has helped me is sending gifts that I am buying to school or home. For gifts that I am buying for my friends I send it to school. For gifts for family, I ship them to my home. This way I’m not bringing things back and forth and all the gifts are in the right place.

Once again, another fake look at my shopping list, this is actually my list of things I want. Haha. But it shows the things you can add and when you added them. Super helpful!
  • Take Advantage of Sales

I am a sale lover and I have utilized sales so much this year. I did a lot of my buying depending on what sales were going on. I always try to keep my eyes open for discount codes, flash sales, and cyber Monday sales in order to stay on budget and keep my costs low.

I did a lot of shopping with sales from Cyber Monday. I always love a good sale

Whew, that was a lot. Overall, my tips are: Make a list, set a budget, take advantage of sales, and stay organized. What are your favorite tips or tricks to staying organized for shopping for the holidays? I would love any insight you have! Have a great week and wish me luck on a last week of classes before finals!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #79

Transitioning from fall to winter.

LOTD

Hey guys! Happy Thursday!

I am really excited to share this outfit with you today. I pulled this look together with different things in my closet. I love pulling outfits together and mixing pieces together. I wore this outfit when I was recently home. I was out running errands and I wanted something that was that both cute but also comfortable since I knew I was going to be busy.

Transitioning from fall to winter.

Due to my lighter hair (especially in the summer) emerald green is a color that I love to wear, it compliments my light hair and skin tone. I got this sweater for Christmas a few years ago. It’s from Polo Ralph Lauren. This sweater is so warm and thick. I also love the collar, it’s so unique and really adds to the outfit.Normally, I wear it with jeans, or a skirt, but today since I knew I was going to be out and about, I opted for leggings.

Speaking of leggings, these are my favorite black leggings from GAP. I love GAP’s leggings. They are thick, so they keep my warm and are also long lasting. The green and the black compliment each other well.

Lastly, with cold weather quickly approaching winter boots are a must. I got these Sperry boots from DSW a few years back. They were the best decision. I wear them in transition between the fall and winter and I always wear them in the winter. They are warm and durable. I like the shorter boot since I can wear them with jeans or leggings.

Overall, this outfit was put together with all things found in my closet. I love when I can wear a new outfit and not have to spend a penny on it. Sometimes, it just takes some creativity to put together a new outfit.

What fashion trend are you most looking forward to with winter approaching?

Categories
Fabulous living

December To Do’s

Hi All!

I hope you all had enjoyable Thanksgiving’s at home with your families. I know for me it was so nice to be home for a few days, relax, see family and enjoy the holidays. I always love Thanksgiving, from the food, to the family, and the relaxing day.

I also had some fun getting a start on the holiday baking. I had a few events that I had to bake for at school for Christmas and I was happy to make some for family too. I made some double chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter kiss cookies.

My favorite recipe for everyone’s favorite cookies
Peanut butter kiss cookies
The finished product

Now, that Thanksgiving is over, I can finally get into the Christmas season. I know December is going to fly by, so today I’m sharing the things I hope to accomplish this month.

  • Finals 

All college students can agree that once we make it through finals, we can truly enjoy the holidays. My finals week doesn’t look too bad, it will mostly be papers, portfolios and a test thrown in the mix. Hopefully it shouldn’t be too painful. Thanksgiving break definitely gave me the rest I needed to get through the next few weeks.

It may look empty now, but this finals week will fill up fast
  • Christmas Shopping

I have to give myself a pat on the back. I have been killing it at the Christmas gift game this year. I have done a lot of shopping online with the help of Amazon. It has been so easy to browse when I am free and add things to my shopping list (for others) or wish list (for myself) when I see something that interests me. Next week I’ll be doing a more extensive post all about Christmas gift system, but for now I hope to get all my shopping and wrapping done early on, so I can enjoy the Christmas season.

A look into my Amazon wish list, you know you are an adult when your list consists mostly of books…no shame!
  • Enjoy the Christmas Season

This is something I want to work on both at home and at school. I really want to enjoy the Christmas season and not rush it, I’m hoping to get in some gift giving nights with my friends at school, I have gifts for all my friends, and I am involved in some gift exchanges too. I want to also take it slow after the semester is over, that means watching Christmas movies (the classic and the Hallmark ones), making Christmas cookies (YUM), and listening to Christmas music (not going to lie, I have already started to listen to Christmas music. Haha)!

I already got some Christmas spirit in with Light Up Night a few weeks ago
My Go-To Christmas Playlist

I really want to be more present this Christmas season, that means trying to take it slower, be more intentional and fit as much Christmas stuff in as possible. What are some of your Christmas or December goals? Enjoy the last few days of November and bring on the Christmas jolly and joy!

Categories
Fabulous living

Light Up Night 2018

Hi guys!

Today, I’m sharing about my trip to Pittsburgh Light Up Night last weekend. I went with my good friends Bailey and Olivia and a few other friends from school.  Bailey and I met last year through mutual friends and work and the first time we hung out was at Light Up Night. Last semester we spent a lot of time together through work and this semester we practically spend every Tuesdays and Thursdays together since we have a lot of the same classes and schedules. I’m so glad we have gotten so close the past year. She has been the absolute best person to have in my life this past year.

We decided to get into the holiday spirit by going to Light Up Night together to not only celebrate Christmas but also out friend-aversy.

Here’s a look into our fun night together in Pittsburgh!

We started our night with burgers and shakes at Burgatory on the North Shore It was so good, Friday was definitely our cheat day and we took full advantage of it.

I got the Cookie Monster shake. So delicious
This burger was heavenly

After we ate we took the T (Pittsburgh’s subway system over to Market Square, we looked at all the little shops and stopped to see all the decorations.

So many Christmas decorations all over the city

Once we finished in Market Square we headed over to the PPG skating rink where the tree was and we stopped to get some pictures.

The tree all lit up around the skating rink
Our whole group
This was Bailey, Olivia and I last year
And this is us a year later…Love these ladies
Liv and I
Happy Friendaversay Bailey!!

There were concerts going on all around the city so we stopped to listen to some live music and got some drinks to keep us warm. We made our way back to the North Shore via the T and we watched the fireworks.

Beautiful fireworks

It was a 15 minute show and the fireworks were gorgeous over the water with the city in the background. That concluded our night in the city, we headed back to school with Christmas joy filled in our hearts.

I love the city at night

I love going to Light Up Night, I’ve gone for the past three years and it is my favorite way to kick off the holiday season. The city is gorgeous with all the decorations. I can’t wait to start decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving.

If this doesn’t get you into the mood for Christmas then I don’t know what does

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I’m going to be taking Thursday off to spend some time with family and enjoy the holidays. I’ll be back here next Tuesday! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #78

LOTD

Hi Everyone!

Another week is coming to an end. I don’t know about you but I am so ready for Thanksgiving. It can’t come soon enough. I am ready for some time home to relax, see family, and most importantly, eat some delicious food. It’s crazy to think it’s only a week away. When I think of Thanksgiving, besides food I always think of family and traveling to see family.

I have a double dose of fashion for you today. So, I’m not even kidding when I tell this story. One of my closest friends, Bailey and I showed up to class in the same outfit and didn’t realize it until our professor told us. It wasn’t until he said we both looked like prison guards that we realized we were wearing the same outfit. Don’t believe me? Here’s the picture for proof.

Crazy right?!

I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to break down both of our outfits.

I’ll start with mine first, everything is pretty affordable and classic. I got this black and white striped top from Old Navy, I love stripes and black and white are such neutral colors that can go with any outfit.

I decided to match this striped top with a pair of black leather leggings from Target, I like that they are more durable than regular black leggings, not to mention warmer too!

The weather has been colder and colder, so I wore this long black sweater from Tillys.

I topped my outfit off from my go-to boots for fall, these new ones I got from DSW. Not only are they cute, but also affordable and comfortable. This is a simple outfit but it’s perfect for colder months.

Now, moving onto Bailey’s outfit. She got her dark jeans from American Eagle, another place that I always have luck finding jeans, especially one sale after the season is over.

Her black and white sweater is from Old Navy as well as her puffer vest. What can I say, good friends shop at the same stores!

Lastly, she got these cute high boots from Nordstrom’s. Not only are the stylish but also comfortable.

Whew…there you have it, two look of the days for the price of one. This weekend is going to be a fun one, Bailey and I are heading to the city to get into the holiday spirit with Light Up Night which well be fun and then Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Stay tuned for a post on Tuesday all about our Light Up Night adventure.

Have a great weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

What I am Thankful For #2

Hi Everyone!

Wow, November is flying by…I can’t believe we are almost halfway through the month. I hope you have been able to enjoy these days of fall before the holiday rush is in full swing. I’m enjoying the changing of leaves and crisper weather that November brings before the snow settles in.

I know Thanksgiving is still a several days away, but I wanted to share with you what I am thankful for today. Next week I have a fun post for you all so that brings me to the things I’m thankful for.

Let’s begin!!

My Family

I wouldn’t be anywhere without my family. They constantly support me in all I do, I know I can count on them for advice, laughs, love, and support. Some of my favorite memories are made at home with my parents, brothers, and dogs. Family over everything.

Family over Everything
Sibling goals or Squad goals?!

My Friends

I am so lucky I have great friends both at home and at school. Next semester and next year will be a huge adjustment for me as so many of my friends are graduating. I never thought I would have to make new friends during my last few semesters of college. Haha! I’m so thankful to have good friends that support me, take me as I am, and are genuine.

My best friends from Home
Gonna miss this girl when she graduates in a few weeks!
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 Im going to do once she graduates.
Thankfully, I wills till have these girls by my side once all my friends graduate next May

My Faith

I wouldn’t be here or be able to do half the things if it weren’t for my faith. I make time every day for my faith and it is so important that I make it a priority for me. I can truly do all things through God.

Good Health

I couldn’t be more thankful for good health not only for me but also my family and friends. In a world with so much sickness and suffering I am happy I am healthy and I can do everything I want.

Good Education

The older I get, the more appreciative I am of getting a good education. Although, college can be stressful and challenging I am so lucky to be able to go to such a good school that is a perfect fit for me. I have truly come into my own at school. I am so thankful for all the opportunities that have been presented to me while in school. I only have two more semesters left and I am going to make the most out of them.

Can this campus get any more beautiful???

Good Job

I am so thankful that I have a good job at school. Although, it is stressful, I have learned so much not only about others but also myself. I have become more confident in this role and I have made some of my best friends through this job. It has been one of the best things that has happened to me at college.

Staff Photos round 2

 

This Blog

I am also super thankful for all of you who read my blog every week. I love sharing parts of my life with you and I am so thankful you are all on this journey with me. This has been such a creative outlet for me through college and I love being able to have this community with all of you.

Always working on my blog

That’s just a few of the top things I am thankful for, there are so many more. While you are eating delicious food and catching up with family over Thanksgiving dinner be sure to keep in mind what you are thankful for.  Have the best week!

See you on Thursday!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #77

LOTD

Hey guys and Happy Thursday!

I don’t know about you but when I think of November, I automatically think about Thanksgiving and football season. It’s no secret that I am a Steelers fan. I’ve been to a game and I will watch a game when I am home, or I will follow along with their games with social media when I am at school. There is nothing better than eating snacks with your family on a Sunday watching the game. When I was home a few weeks ago, I had the perfect Sunday with football, family, and food.

Today’s outfit is all about how you can dress cute while still supporting your favorite team. For girls, it may be challenging trying to figure out how to dress cute for a game, here’s my suggestion to you, you can wear this outfit tonight when you watch the Steelers vs. the Panthers at 8:20 tonight.

This is my go-to outfit for game days.

Let’s Go Steelers

I got this jersey for my birthday a few years ago. This jersey is special to me for a few reasons, First, James Conner is my favorite player this season and he has had incredible season so far. Second, I met him twice, once for a meet and greet and the second for a work event and I got my jersey signed.

Here we are meeting at a Meet and Greet
And here we are when I met him while working an event for him

Lastly, we are from the same hometown. Small world. Although, jerseys can be pricey, I would recommend getting it in a children’s size if you can. I’m wearing a children’s XL and it fits great.

Some hometown love for James Conner

When you have a big jersey, you can pair with so many options, from jeans to leggings, or even shorts if it’s hot out. I decided to keep it casual at home and just wear leggings.

Wave those towels for a touch down

Lastly, if a jersey isn’t for you, get a terrible towel if you are a Steelers fan, or a hat, or hoodie that shows your team spirit. Fun fact about my terrible towel, the Steelers host their training camp where I go to school at Saint Vincent College, so this terrible towel not only is for the Steelers but also SVC.

Also, I couldn’t help but give a shout-out to my pup, Milton who crashed the photo shoot. He is ready for game day too.

My favorite photo bomber

Whoever you are rooting for this season, be sure to support them in style.

Let’s Go Steelers!

Categories
Fabulous living

Dorm Room Tour

Hello all!

Happy Tuesday and welcome to the new month of November, the semester is flying by, I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. I had intended for this post to go up months ago, but a funny thing called life happened. But, better late than never, right?!

Today, I’m going to be giving you a peak into my dorm room this year, one of the perks of my job on campus is getting my own room and bathroom, and let me tell you, after sharing a bathroom for 20 years…having my own bathroom has completely changed my life. I have lived in the same building for the last three years so if the rooms look similar, that’s why.

I have used the same room décor from year to year, with adding a new piece or two each year.

Here’s a peak into my room from freshmen year, I had a roommate freshmen year and we coordinated our colors. It was average sized, we each had our own dresser, desk, wardrobe, and bed. It was nice to have a roommate since I never shared a room with anyone, we are still best friends to this day, but I have to admit it’s nice to have my own room again.

Freshmen Year

Sophomore year was my first year solo, so I had more freedom with the layout of my room. With my own room, I had more space so I got two chairs from Bed Bath and Beyond. They weren’t too expensive but they will last me through college. I enjoyed the layout of this room, but I didn’t have a bathroom, I was okay with that since I still had my own room.

Sophomore Year
Sophomore Year

Now, here we are with junior year. I decided to had more portraits and posters to cover up white space. I went with a Paris theme for my bathroom. Teal, Black, and White are my colors with pops of gold mixed in. I love my set-up with this room, from the placement of things, to the view, and bathroom, it has been my favorite space to decorate thus far.

Junior Year
Junior Year
Bathroom
Love my view and this cute little corner
Some of my wall decor, I love this print of Paris at night
Another wall with the New York City skyline

This year has been my favorite set-up so far. I love the way the room flows as well as the space I have, it’s almost like a mini-apartment, it also give me great practice and ideas for when I have my own space one day.

I’m so glad I was able to finally show you all my dorm room for the year, considering I spend most of my time here, it’s about time you see my space. I’m looking forward to see where I am living next year and how I will decorate that space.

What are your best memories from decorating your first place on your own?

Have a great week!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the day #76

LOTD

Hello All!

Happy Thursday. We are hours away from the weekend. I hope you have something fun planned for your weekend. I’m looking forward to relaxing and getting ahead on some work this weekend. As much as I love to relax on the weekend I also use the weekend to be productive and work ahead for the upcoming week.

Today’s outfit is perfect is perfect for a day filled with classes and meetings. This past week, I had a few days where I went between class and meetings, I think I had 5 meetings in a day, it was chaotic to say the least, but at the end of the day I felt truly productive. This outfit would be perfect for a day like that. It was both professional but also casual.

Ready for a day on the go

I got these jeggings from Target, they are my favorite, go to jeggings. They are comfortable and casual, perfect for a busy day at school.

These little brown booties. I got mine from Shoe Carnival. I love that I can wear them in fall and winter.

I got this light tan blazer from Talbots, I’ll let you in on a secret, I stole it from my mom’s closet. I love the fit and it is the perfect light jacket for Fall and Spring. I only have a few more weeks to wear this jacket, then it will be time for a darker, heavier jacket.

I decided to have some fun with my shirt for under my jacket. I will admit I have a guilty pleasure for Keeping up with the Kardashian’s. I had the opportunity to go to their New York City store and got a shirt. I love the simplicity of the black shirt with the white writing.

I decided to accessorize with a black choker necklace and some tight French braids for my hair. I needed an outfit that was professional and also comfortable and this outfit did the trick.

What is your go-to for dressing professional? What are your plans for the upcoming weekend?