Categories
Currently

Currently #22

Hey guys! We are almost to my favorite time of year; all the holidaysā€¦from Halloween to Thanksgiving and rounding things off with Christmas! I love this time of year. I have been embracing the fall with all the leaves and the cooler temps. Hereā€™s a look into what Iā€™m currently into. 

What Iā€™m up to:  Iā€™ve been enjoying all the fall activities, Iā€™ve been trying to go on long walks every week. Whether itā€™s near or far, I love a good walk. To read about some of my favorite walks, check out my latest post. Iā€™ve also been spending lots of time with family. Iā€™m also slowly getting ready for the holidays by decorating for Halloween and fall! 

A rainy day and a nice walk was the perfect combination for a Friday

What Iā€™m wearing:Ā I hate to say it, but my wardrobe hasnā€™t been too exciting. Iā€™ve been wearing hoodies and sweaters and jeans on days off. For work days, Itā€™s been a mix of long sleeve dresses and pants with blazers too. Layers has been key when it feels like winter in the morning but summer by the afternoon.Ā 

Jacket in the morning…
Not needed by the afternoon…hello fall weather!
Long sleeves and straight hair for cooler mornings on the desk

What Iā€™m reading:Ā Reading every morning has been the best way to start my days. I really enjoyed The Silent Patient, it was the perfect mix of a mystery and a psychological thriller.

Here’s what I started my month with.

For romantic mystery, What if You and Me was a great pick. Thereā€™s also a spooky twist to it, which makes it perfect for Halloween.

Another cute one story with a cute twist

I just finished reading The Last Mona Lisa, it was one of the best books I read in a long time. I loved the historical mystery and the two different time period parallels.

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Iā€™m currently reading, Nantucket Threads, which is a summer beach read, itā€™s definitely lighter compared to my past few reads.Ā 

What Iā€™m Watching: Besides my weekly shows like Greyā€™s Anatomy and A Million Little Things, Iā€™ve been watching Community, which is perfect to watch in the mornings when Iā€™m getting ready or at night if I want to watch something to unwind. The all-star cast makes it so fun to watch! Iā€™m also on the to watch season 3 of You on Netflix. Iā€™m hooked on it. 

What Iā€™m Loving: Iā€™ve been loving fall walks, seeing the leaves falling, doing lots of  reading and warm mornings and nights. I have been starting my mornings between the gym and work by lighting a candle and sipping some hot cider while I get ready for the day. I do some reading and meditating before I head out the door. Itā€™s the best way to start the day. 

Another fall walk in the books.

What Inspires Me: Iā€™ve been inspired by the slow and steady of daily life mind you, not every day is slow and calm, I have plenty of busy days but I savor the calm ones. Iā€™ve also been doing lots of baking to which satisfies a sweet tooth and it gives my family a sweet treat to enjoy.

A fall trail mix on a day off

What I accomplished:Ā Iā€™ve been getting things done on my fall bucket list, from walks to fall treats, cider, and cozy nights in. Iā€™ll be sharing my full bucket list recap in the coming weeks.Ā 

Fall pumpkins for some pretty decorations.

Goals Accomplished from Last Month Iā€™ve done a good job at slowing down. After a busy summer of travel, itā€™s been nice to have more lowkey days off. Last week, I spent the day reading, watching some shows, baking, meal prepping and running a few fun errands. It was the perfect mix of balance on a day off.  

First Time making s’mores cookies,

Goals for the New Month: Did someone say holidays?! I canā€™t wait to start getting ready for the holidays, between gift giving, seeing family, treats and decoratingā€¦.I canā€™t wait

Thatā€™s a look into the past month. What have you accomplished in the past few weeks?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #125

LOTD

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday! I canā€™t believe it is already Thursday. This has been a shorter week for me due to fall break. It was so nice to get home for a break and family time, but now itā€™s back to work. I had so many fun fall activities over break and I got to break out all the fall clothes, which brings me to todayā€™s look of the day. 

I went to a fall fest over break and it was the perfect occasion to wear browns and burgundy. I started out my outfits with these maroon/burgundy pants from American Eagle. I love how they are pants but are made from soft material and are easy to stretch and move around in.

I love to pair these pants with a neutral top, I often go with a cream, black or white. Today, I went with a white. Due to chillier temps, I matched a brown leather jacket from Francescaā€™ Boutique with it and wore a gray infinity scarf also from Francescaā€™s Boutique as well.Ā 

I kept the brown consistent through the outfit with brown boots that I got from T.J. Maxx a few years back. I love the shorter boot and how well it matches with the outfit.Ā 

This ensemble would be great for a fall day with temperatures in the 50ā€™s, not too chilly but not super warm either. I love to layer in this season, so this outfit works out even better. The colors give you all the fall vibes and itā€™s in style too. Whatā€™s your favorite part about fall fashion?!

Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Categories
Travel

Packing for a Trip Overseas

Hi All!

Happy Thursday! I hope you had a great weekend. I had a fun weekend full of hanging out with friends, going to a semi-formal dance (my last one in college), and volunteering. Overall, it was a well-balanced weekend full of lots of fun. More about that on Thursday.Ā 

Are you tired of my posts about traveling and Rome?! Well, I have one last post for you today about travel and then it will be back to my regular posts about college living. After traveling over Spring Break, I have definitely got the travel bug and I am eager for my next adventure. Iā€™ve already made a list of places I want to go and things I want to see and in order to travel more you need to pack smart. Todayā€™s post is all going to be about travel must haves. This post is going to be geared more towards traveling overseas, but a lot of the things I will talk about can be used when traveling by plane, train, or car. Here are my top 5 tips for traveling abroad. 

  • Leave Extra Space

No matter the size of your suitcase or the length of the trip, leave extra space for souvenirs or things you may bring back with you. When I left for Rome, I only had half of my large suitcase packed, I knew I would be buying gifts for people when I was away and wanted to make sure I had the space to buy what I wanted without the stress of not having enough room to bring it back. Also, be sure to weigh your luggage before you leave, you donā€™t want to pay extra or be forced to move things to other bags. Thankfully, I didnā€™t buy too much stuff that this was a problem but I had friends who had to put things in their carry-on or other peopleā€™s carry-ons since they didnā€™t have enough room in their own luggage.Ā 

My organized suitcase-half the suitcase is open space
  • Put Important Things in Your Carry-On

If you have a long trip planned and you have a checked bag, be sure to have the essentials with you in case your luggage gets lost. I have never had to deal with lost luggage and I hope I never have to, but just in case I always pack a few essentials in my carry-on.

These essentials include an extra outfit (Just a simple t-shirt and leggings-but when we arrived we didnā€™t have access to our luggage before we headed out so I was glad I could put on a fresh shirt), my tooth brush and tooth paste (you can call my crazy but yes, in order to make sure I got some sleep on the plane and in order to do that I went through my nighttime routine, which included taking off my makeup-yes I reapplied the next day, brushing my teeth and wearing an eye mask to get some shut eye on the plane) make up wipes (to remove my makeup), my basic makeup (I had all my stuff in my suitcase but I had my mascara and concealer just to brighten up my face when we landed), some medicine (just in case I got a headache or needed help sleeping-I wanted to make sure I had it with meĀ 

Up close of my Suitcase
  • Dress in LayersĀ 

This is a must have when traveling on flights, if you are a frequent flyer or flying for the first time, you never know how hot or cold the plane will be especially if itā€™s a red eye or international flight. Dressing in layers also saves spaces in your luggage too. For this trip, I wore a blanket scarf when traveling and it was the best decision. We left Pittsburgh when it was snowing so I wanted to dress warmly. I also wore a three- quarter zip sweatshirt and had a north face jacket on. Yes, it may seem like a lot but I was comfortable when I tried to sleep and I wasnā€™t too hot, but if I did get a bit warm, I had layers which was helpful. My blanket scarf could also double as a blanket or pillow when I tried to sleep. Layers is best when traveling. 

My Purse-All Organized
  • Be Clean

I am a neat freak and when it comes to traveling and planes, I try to be as clean as possible. I made sure I brought wet wipes with me to make sure I could clean my seat, tray table and arm rest on the plane. This gave me comfort that the area I would be sitting at for the next several hours were as clean as possible. Germs are everywhere so having hand sanitizer is a must too. There are so many germs in an enclosed space. 

My Carry-On all packed
  • Necessary Items

I hadnā€™t thought to pack these things at first but when I did, they were a game changer. First, plastic bags were a must. Not only are the great for storing shoes to make sure they didnā€™t get on your clothes, but they were super useful for separating dirty clothes with lights and darks. I had a few plastic bags and had them separated with lights and darks so when I got back I just had to pop them in the washer. Ziploc baggies are also super important to have on hand especially when storing small items like jewelry or makeup in your carry-on.

All Packed for my Next Adventure

I am by no means a professional traveler and I donā€™t have all the answers, but these five tips did wonders for me and were so helpful when I traveled abroad. What are you must haves or tips for traveling? Leave them in the comments below! See you on Thursday for a fun look of the day!