Tag: college

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Fabulous living

10 Fun Facts about ME!

Welcome! Welcome!

For those who have followed my blogs for months or whether this is your first time stopping by, Iā€™m going to share some fun facts about myself.

– I am sophomore in college. I am majoring in Communication with a minor in Creative Writing. I plan to graduate in 3 and a half years

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-Following graduation my ā€œdream jobā€ is to work in broadcast journalism. Iā€™ve grown up watching the news from local, to national, and entertainment. I hope to follow in the footsteps of some of my favorite journalists.

Fun friday night working on a project for one of my favorite classes. Could this be the start of a career?

-I am a morning person. I like to get up early and I feel most productive in the early hours. On the other hand, I get very tired by night so Iā€™m not a party animal. This is one of the harder aspects of my job since I work late hours.

6:15 the alarm goes off and it’s time to start the day. Rise and shine

-I am fortunate to live in a place where I get to experience all four seasons. Spring is my favorite season, I love the smell of grass, fresh cut flowers, and it doesnā€™t hurt that my birthday is in Spring either.

One of my favorite pastimes is watching the sunset

-I love to read. As a young girl I was always happiest with a book. As I have grown older, I love to read autobiographies and memoirs. Some of my favorite books Iā€™ve read are: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, Going off Script by Giuliana Rancic, and Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush. As an avid book lover, I prefer the hard or soft cover rather than reading them online.

-I love movies. Romantic comedies are my favorite genre. I always love a good ending but some of my favorite ends are the ones that are most unexpected.

-Besides watching movies, I am also a lover of tv. Iā€™m a die hard TGIT fan-thank you Shonda Rhimes, This is Us has been my latest obsession, and SEAL TEAM is my freshmen favorite series

Thursdays 8:00-11:00 (ABC)
Tuesdays at 9:00 (NBC)
Wednesdays at 9:00 (CBS)

-One of my favorite things to do when Iā€™m home is to shop, whether am looking for something in particular or Iā€™m just window shopping. I love to shop. You can most likely catch me at Marshalls, Home Goods or Francescaā€™s.

-I am an avid dog lover. I have three dogs at home and I am constantly counting down when I can see them when Iā€™m at school. My youngest dog, who I still think of as a puppy is one of my greatest joys.

My two older dogs. They are brother and sister
I still picture him as a 6 pound pup but he has certainly grown

-Lastly, I couldnā€™t go through this crazy experience we call life, if it wasnā€™t for the support of my family. My family and I are very close, we share lots of laughs, and smiles whenever we are together. They truly are my biggest supporters.

FAM BAM

And thatā€™s a wrap! 10 (fun) facts about myself. I hope you learned something new about me or it was a bit of a refresher for you. Whatā€™s one fun fact about yourself? Let me know in the comments below!

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Fashion

Look of the Day #40

LOTD

Hello and Happy Thursday!

February has been flying by! It’s crazy that next week is March! Where has the month gone?!

Last week, I shared a professional outfit, today I have an outfit that would be perfect for date night or a night out with the girls. I wore this ensemble last weekend out to dinner and I got lots of compliments. I mixed a few pieces to pull this outfit together. Both my top and bottom are from Francescaā€™s Boutique.

Look of the day (and night)

Letā€™s start from the bottom. I am wearing my favorite shoe boots for a night on the town. They are comfortable, sleek, not too high, and they keep my feet warm with the snow. Ā Once again, I got these shoes from DSW.

I am wearing my favorite skinny jeans. These black and ripped at the knee jeans are from Francescaā€™s Boutique. I have worn them previously in the fall with a short sleeve top, but since I was going out, I decided to dress these jeans up. I got this Michael Kors belt from Marshalls on sale. You never know what you will find at Marshalls. They always have great deals.

I am obsessed with this deep red, lace top. I also got it from Francescaā€™s Boutique. It has open shoulder sleeves which are very much in style this season. This top is very versatile. It cane be worn with a pair of blue jeans, a black skirt or how I am wearing them tonight, with a pair of black jeans. I have many more outfits planned in the future with this top in mind. It was a bit chilly out, so I wore a short black jacket to top the outfit off.

Curly hair for the win

Since I was going out at night, I wore darker makeup. I also had worn simple accessories to make sure it didnā€™t take away from my statement piece, my top. I always feel better about myself and life when I am feel comfortable and confident in my clothes. Your clothes can truly change your mood. Thatā€™s a peak into my closet. Have a great weekend. See you on Tuesday!

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Fashion

Look of the Day #39

LOTD

Itā€™s Thursday!! We are halfway through February! This month is going by too fast. This was a very busy week, but I got a lot of fun things planned for the weekend.

Today, I have a different out for you look of the day. Last week I had a lot of meetings which meant a lot of dressing up. Hereā€™s an example of a business casual look I wore for an interview. I had a lot of these pieces already in my wardrobe it was just a matter of putting them all together. I wanted to look professional for my interview, but it also was the last thing of the day following a full day of classes with not enough time to change. I wore this outfit to all classes and then to an interview and dinner. I was comfortable the entire day and felt good about what I was wearing.

A more formal look for today.

I wore my simple black shoe boots from DSW. I chose these since they were comfortable, professional, and simple. I wore a pair of black tights to go with my simple, black cotton dress.

I got this dress from Old Navy a few years ago just to have as an extra dress and Iā€™m surprised how much Iā€™ve worn it. I have worn it to Mass, Work Interviews, Class Presentations, even Funerals. I have gotten a lot of wear out of this dress and it was one of the smartest purchases Iā€™ve made.

In order to break up the all lack of color, I wore a winter white sweater from the Scandal Style from The Limited Collection. I also paired a long necklace and pearl earrings to top off the look.

I am always looking for new ways to pull outfits together. When it comes to solid colors, you can mix and match them. Thereā€™s no better feeling than pulling a new outfit together with things you already have. I hope this draws some inspiration for the next time you wear a little black dress out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Fashion

Look of the Day #38

LOTD

Happy TGIT! Another week in the books. Today, I have another layered look for you! We have been going through a heat wave and Iā€™m taking advantage of it by layering my outfits. Now you may see some similarities between this weekā€™s outfit and last weekā€™s outfit, but this one is more professional. Letā€™s get started.

I’m loving this heat wave and I’m taking full advantage of it!

Iā€™m wearing my simple black shoe boots. Not only are these shoes comfortable but they are simple and donā€™t draw a lot of attention to your shoes. This is helpful when you are working in a more professional setting. They can be worn with dresses, skirts, and jeans.

Speaking of jeans, Iā€™m wearing my favorite boot cut jeans from Old Navy. I love how they fit comfortable and fashionable. I have had them for a few years and they have held up very well. I would rather pay more for jeans and have them for a while rather than pay less and have to get new jeans every year.

I layered my top for my outfit, I am wearing a pinstripe button down from GAP, I have worn it previously with white capris or white shorts in the summer, but it can also be layered for a fall or winter look. I wore a deep yellow sweater from Forever 21 over my button down. I love how the blue and white match with the mustard sweater. I finished my top off with a blue vest from Francescaā€™s Boutique.

A close up of my accessories and the layering of my top.

When it comes to accessories, I wore this deep purple, yet simple necklace to tie my outfit together.

I love to dress preppy and this outfit is a perfect example of a college prep look. This outfit is perfect for fall and winter. I love to layer especially when its cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Hereā€™s to hoping we get more warm weather sooner than later. What are your favorite things to layer with your outfits? See you next week. Have a great weekend!

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Travel

Saturdays are for the Souls

Happy Tuesday!

Today Iā€™m sharing something that Iā€™m trying to incorporate more in my life: self-care. Whether itā€™s a quiet night in with a good book or a girlā€™s night out with friends, we all need to take care of ourselves. Ā 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. Ā 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 couldnā€™t leave without getting one of their famous milkshakes. I got the cookie monster and Shay got the Sā€™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.Ā  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 Warholā€™s pieces as well as a great history of Warholā€™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 cafƩ 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!

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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 wonā€™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 Francescaā€™s Boutique. I dressed my fingers up with gold rings from American Eagle. I am wearing my monogrammed bar necklace which I absolutely adore. Ā 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,

Iā€™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 donā€™t forget to take some time for yourselves.

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Fun Ways to Organize

How to Keep Yourself Organized

Hello Friends!

We are halfway through January, finally. I donā€™t know about you, but January always seems to drag for me. Today, Iā€™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 doctorā€™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 itā€™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 canā€™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!

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

How to Study for Finals and Prepare for the Holiday Season

Itā€™s the most wonderful time of the yearā€¦.or worst if you are a college student like myself. Finals week is upon us. Time to grab those note cards, pull out the highlighters, and make those study guides. Whether you are studying for finals, or if you arenā€™t a college student, making your Christmas lists, here are some tips to stay organized this time of year.

Studying for Finals:

-Prepare in advance. – Look to see when your finals are scheduled and plan out of when you want to study for them.

Here’s my day planner. I write down every assignment, meeting, and final down so I don’t forget anything.

– Prepare on your own. – Read through both your notes and textbooks and make your own study guide so you arenā€™t going back and forth between book and notebook.

-Seek help. ā€“ Although we donā€™t always like to admit it, we sometimes need help. Go to a tutor if you need help in a subject. See your professor with questions you may have while studying. Organize study groups to make sure you are covering all the information.

-Take Care of Yourself. ā€“ Finals and the end of the semester are stressful. But donā€™t forget to take care of yourself. You wonā€™t do well on a test if you are half a sleep or if you are sick from not eating healthy. It may be tempting but try not to skip meals and allow yourself for enough sleep or take a nap if you need to.

Preparing for Christmas:

I am always on my laptop, these post it icons make it easy for me to remember what things I have going on from finals, homework assignments, and extra things I need to get done. Like my Christmas gifts. I like to have it all in one place

-Make a List (and Check it twice). ā€“ Make a list for everyone you want to buy gifts for. Think relatives, coworkers, friends, any gift exchanges. You donā€™t want to leave anyone out on your list.

-Plan out your Gifts. ā€“ Do some research and plan what gifts you want to purchase and for whom. This saves time walking around a store waiting for the perfect gift to find you.

-Buy then Wrap. ā€“ Get all your purchasing done then wrap your goodies. Put on a Christmas movie and wrap while you relax. Itā€™s easier to wrap everything at one point rather then wrapping things separating at different times.

-Enjoy the Christmas Season. ā€“ The holidays can be stressful but Itā€™s important to remember what really matters; family, friends, Jesus. Take time for the family traditions and make memories.

I hope these tips help with preparing for your finals or your Christmas shopping. Itā€™s the most wonderful time of the year, be sure to spend it well with friends and family.

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Fabulous living

Simple Christmas Decorating

Hello! Hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. I know I spent my break seeing family, eating, and sleeping; refueling before its back to school and finals are upon us. While I was home, I did some decorating for Christmas. Today I am going to showcase some easy and affordable Christmas decorations that can work in a dorm, at home or even in an office.

Here are some home ideas:

These glass jars filled with bright and colorful candy and sweets and make a great centerpiece. They also make a great discussion piece. The jars are in different shapes and sizes. In my jars, I have peppermints, ribbon candy, marshmallows, red hots, and candy canes. Fun and colorful!
This sleigh was from an old floral arrangement but I am reusing it for decoration. I got these colorful ornaments from Target. Put them together and you have a great table decoration. The book behind it adds a child aspect to the arrangement.
I love making a home feel cozy. By pairing together a candle with a candy dish and a floral arrangement turns a house into a home.

Here are Dorm Ideas:

I got this stocking for sale last year and it was perfect to bring some Christmas Cheer in to my dorm room. I have it hung on my bed so it’s one of the first things my guests see when they enter.
I love dressing up a room with festive pillows and blankets, I got this pillow as a gift last year and it goes perfect on my chair.
Gel clings are inexpensive and can dress up a window. Not only does it dress up your window but people passing by can get a taste of Christmas Cheer!
I got both the Christmas Lights and Santa’s sleigh from Target for $1.00 each!

These are a few easy and affordable ideas for Christmas decorating. All these decorations can work at school, work, and home. What are your favorite places to decorate? What decorating tips do you have?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #23

LOTD

Happy Fall to All!

Todayā€™s look is another perfect fall outfit. I wore it for a presentation in class and it worked great serving its purpose.Ā  This look is more on the formal side but can be dressed up or down depending on what accessories you include.

Letā€™s start at the top. This cropped black jacket is a favorite of mine for fall and winter. It is thicker which works great for the upcoming cold months. It also has a bit of a sporty look to it which can really change and outfit.

I have worn this silk top before from Francesca’s with a pair of jeans but Iā€™m wearing it again to show it in a different look. The pinks and purples add a pop of color to the outfit. The top is Ā¾ length sleeves which is great for fall.

I got these faux leather leggings from Target. They have an Aztec print on them and are super comfortable but my favorite part is that they donā€™t even look like leggings. I love the faux leather look and they addĀ  a new dimension to the outfit besides wearing just a plain pair of blackĀ  leggings.

These are the first time you are seeing these high black leather boots on me but it wonā€™t be the last. These are my favorite fall/winter boots. The look great with jeans, leggings, even a cotton dress or skirt. Throw on a pair of over the knee socks and you got yourself a complete outfit. In the winter i wear boots all the time. Having cute boots, really complete an outfit.

Well, there you have it my look from head to toe. I hope you find some inspiration with it. Happy Thursday!