Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #47

LOTD

Happy Thursday!

This week has been packed full and I have a busy weekend ahead.

It may be spring but it hasn’t been acting like it. Yes, it is mid-April and its still snowing. I’m SO ready for Spring and warmer weather. I tried to brighten my wardrobe with hopes it will make spring come faster.

That brings me to today’s look of the day. I brighten up my look with a bright color and bold necklace. I had a few meetings but a long day, so I wanted something that looked professional but also comfortable for a 10-hour day.

I wore my favorite shoe boots from DSW, I am ready to transition out of these shoes but it’s not time for peep toe shoes yet. I wore these in Chicago and they were very comfortable for walking around the city.

I wore my faux leather leggings from Target, they feel like leggings, but don’t look like leggings. Win-Win!

I brightened up my dark outfit with a bright blue flannel button down from Old Navy. It is made from soft material but also holds up well with washing. I have had it for a few years and have paired it with numerous outfits.

I changed my look up with a bright, bold necklace from Old Navy as well. I love necklaces that can change an outfit as well as dress an outfit up. My bright lip color is from House of Color. I try to keep my lips neutral, but I was feeling the bold color to brighten my mood.

If you know me, then you know I am always cold, therefore it was crucial that a long sweater was necessary. I got this sweater from Tilly’s. I wear this so frequent, with jeans, dresses, leggings or skirts. It’s so versatile and its so easy to throw on.

Here’s to hoping warmer weather is around the corner. I need it, you need it. We all need sunshine in our lives.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #46

LOTD

Hello All!

Happy April!

I hope your April’s are all off to a good start. I am back to school for the last leg of the semester. This semester and year has flown by!  My April is jammed packed, if I survive this month, I think I can tackle anything. Haha.

Today, I am sharing the outfit I wore on Easter. I spent my Easter Sunday by attending mass and spending time with family. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.  I think Spring is finally upon on, I wanted to get in the spirit with this bold print floral dress. I don’t often wear these colors, but I saw the dress a few years ago and couldn’t resist.

I actually purchased this dress two years ago from Nordstrom’s . Unfortunately, it is no longer in stock.  I wore it for my high school Baccalaureate Mass. It was held at the end of the year and I love the bright colors. I love to buy things that are very good quality so i can wear them on numerous occasions especially as I will be heading into the real world soon. I love the dark blues and greens, but I love the pop of yellow even more. I decided to bring out the yellow with these light-yellow heels from Kelly and Katie, I got them at DSW a few years ago as well. I added some simple but classic to go along with the dress and shoes.

I don’t often wear bold dresses like this, but I decided to change up my look for Easter. I often choose to wear simple colors and add bold jewelry or accessories as my statement pieces. Today, however, my dress was my statement piece.

I can’t wait for Spring to get fully underway for all things spring fashion. What trends are you looking forward to this spring/summer season?

Also, I will be out of town this weekend, to follow along with my adventures, check out my Instagram for all things travel @elspethsdaybyday

See you next week!!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #45

LOTD

Happy (Holy) Thursday!

I am home for a long weekend for Easter Break. Not only is it a time to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection, but It’s great to be home for one last long weekend to refuel for the end of the semester.

Last weekend, I had a semi-formal dance at school, it was an exciting time to dress up and have a good night with friends. I am sharing what I wore along with the accessories. Unfortunately, I got this dress a few years ago, so it’s not sold anymore but hopefully, this inspires you to try a new bold look the next time you are shopping.

Throughout high school, I attended all my homecomings, proms, and semi-formals. I loved getting dressed up for a night with friends to make memories. However, it can add up with everything you need, and most of the time you only wear the dress once and it goes up in your closet. Lucky for me, for every formal or semi-formal occasion I have had in college, I was able to rewear something I wore in high school. This saved me money from buying new dresses, and it allowed me to wear the dresses I wore in high school again. Thankfully, dresses I wore in high school still fit and are in style.

FRI-YAY night out

Now, let’s get down to the details of this dress. I got this dress from Francesca’s Boutique a few years ago on sale! I was drawn to it’s bright color and how fun it looked. The ruffles made the dress so unique. At the time in high school and last semester, I was rewatching Gossip Girl (definitely a good show to binge watch!) and I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between my dress and the iconic dress Blair Waldorf wore in Paris in season 4.

The kinda look similar, right!?
Up close of the dress, shoes, and nail polish

I paired this bright red dress with a pair of red heels I got from DSW this past year. I wore them with a black dress for Christmas, and the red from my dress matched the red shoes so I had to pair them together. I dressed up this look with some fake diamond studs to add some bling to the outfit along with a red sparkle nail polish, it is called Pretty Pout from Chrome Girl Nails.

Nails- a red sparkle from Chrome Girl Nails

I used the KoKo Kollection face palette from Kylie Cosmetics along with the Burgundy Eye Shadow palette for my makeup.

Eye Shadow
Face Palette

When I first saw this dress a few years ago, I wasn’t sure I would like the dress since it was very bright and bold, but now it is one of my favorite dresses. Don’t be afraid to wear something that is bold. You may end up loving it.

If you celebrate Easter, I hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your family, if you don’t have a  great weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

DIY Dorm Decor

Hi friends!

I’ve got something fun planned for today. Like any college student, money is tight for me and Pinterest always tempts me to try new things.

I have two fun DIY crafts for your dorm room, apartment or home. I’m also collaborating on these crafts with my good friend, Olivia. We met through our job and classes and I’m so glad I got close to her this year. Give her blog Liv Simple a read for all things from fashion to college living. After you are done reading my blog, head over to hers to see how she put her own creative spin on these DIY crafts.

Now, onto the DIY part. The worst thing that can happen to any college student (or adult) is to lose their keys. Now, we can always say we are going to put our keys on our desk or in our purse, or even buy a plastic command hook to stick them on. But, let’s be honest, dorm rooms are kinda sterile if you don’t have decorations. So why not kill two birds with one stone and make a place to hold you keys and have it decorative. I made this cute key hook for $11!!! And here’s how you can too.

First, I got all these supplies from Michael’s Craft Store, but I’m sure you can find them or similar ones at your local craft store. I got paint, a hook, and wooden decorative pieces to make my key hook more fashionable. I spent a while on Pinterest finding what I wanted to do, but once I did I was happy with it.

Here’s your materials: a hook with a plaque (already assembled), paint, a wooden letter, and some other decorations,
Plan out how you want your key hook to look, play around with it before you paint it.
Now, comes the fun part. Paint it. Choose colors that will go nice in your room. My room is turquoise with black and white so the colors were easy to choose. Having a hard time deciding colors? You can never go wrong with neutrals.
After I let them dry over night, I assembled them the next day using a hot glue gun, wood glue would also work.
The finished product

Now onto DIY craft number 2. I am a huge fan of candles, I love how they can change to mood of a room but unfortunately, they are not allowed in my dorm building. This is a great alternative to making it feel you have a candle burning with worrying about the fire. Also, not a fan of the smells but love the look of a candle, this is another great idea. Olivia found these mason jars at Pat Catans and they were on sale for $1!!! Buy some tealights from any craft or home goods store and pop them in to the mason jar. Another inexpensive way to decorate a room. When you turn the tealight on, it will make you feel like you are burning a candle when you aren’t at all. These could go in your bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, even living room, where ever  you like to put your candles. This is another inexpensive way to make your dorm, apartment, or house a bit more cozy.

You can style it on your desk
Here it is all lit up at night

These are two inexpensive and DIY ways to make your dwelling more cozy and functional. Overall, a Pinterest success. Have you had any Pinterest successes or fails!?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #41

LOTD

Happy March!!!

February has flown by and I really hope Spring is around the corner. I am hoping this is the last winter outfit I get to share with you all. This outfit would be perfect for any Spring Break traveling or for running errands on the weekend.

Staying cozy and comfortable.

I have shared this statement piece poncho before with a more dressed up look, but today’s outfit is all about being casual and comfortable. I got this poncho from the Scandal Style the Limited Collection. It is from the show Scandal, one of my favorite shows. Olivia Pope wore a look alike sweater like this in the series. It is both comfortable and chic, two things you want in the things you wear. The sweater is a big statement piece that changes my whole outfit.

I am wearing a simple pair of black leggings and a long sleeve black shirt under the poncho. They are both from GAP. I like to wear simple and neutral colors when I am wearing a bold, statement piece like this sweater.

These boots have been a lifesaver for me this year. They are from Sperry. They keep my feet warm and dry from rain, snow, and everything else in between. They are one of my smartest purchases. I got mine from DSW.

Favorite boots

I’m wishing, hoping, and praying that this is my last winter fashion post. I am beyond ready for floral, pastels, and not more winter coats. Who else is with me!?!? Happy Thursday friends! See you on the flip side!

Categories
Travel

Saturdays are for the Souls

Happy Tuesday!

Today I’m sharing something that I’m trying to incorporate more in my life: self-care. Whether it’s a quiet night in with a good book or a girl’s night out with friends, we all need to take care of ourselves.  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.  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 couldn’t leave without getting one of their famous milkshakes. I got the cookie monster and Shay got the S’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.  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 Warhol’s pieces as well as a great history of Warhol’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 café 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!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #23

LOTD

Happy Fall to All!

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

Let’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 I’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 ¾ 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 don’t even look like leggings. I love the faux leather look and they add  a new dimension to the outfit besides wearing just a plain pair of black  leggings.

These are the first time you are seeing these high black leather boots on me but it won’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!

Categories
Fashion

Fourth of July Recap + Look of the Day #8

 

Well, the celebrating has come to an end and we are at the halfway mark of summer. I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. Mine was shared with family, friends, LOTS of food and fireworks. It’s always nice to take time to spend with family and relax.

My pinterest treats weren’t a complete flop. Granted, they didn’t turn out just like the pictures (but do they ever?!). Overall, everyone loved them from snacks, to desserts and displays. If you follow me on Instagram I showed preparations throughout the day. Down below I also share the before and after of all the goodies. Almost all the snacks were easy to make and devoured. To read more about the treats feel free to follow me on pinterest to see the full recipes. I got in the patriotic spirit with my outfit and nails as well.

My outfit is from Francesca’s. I loved the one shoulder top, it was also lightweight which was perfect for a warm day. The blue and white got me in the holiday spirit

My scalloped shorts were also lightweight and matched my top perfectly. You can’t have blue and white without red!

I did my nails in red and silver to celebrate but I didn’t want to do anything too crazy since I had to be at work the next day! Haha!!! My nail polish is from Chrome Girl Nails. The sparkly red is called Pretty Pout and the silver is called Party Star.

Well, that wraps up my Fourth of July. I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing day! Check down below for my outfit and dessert details. Happy Thursday!

Outfit details!

Rocking my Red, White, and Blue today!
Up close view of my outfit!
Sporting my Chrome Girl Nails for the day. The red is Pretty Pout and the silver is Party Star.

Here come the sweets and treats!

Gonna give this one a shot!
Here’s how it turned out!
Some yummy desserts!
The finished product!
Red, White, and Blue snacks.
How the snacks turned out
Easy dessert cake?
Surprisingly pretty easy!
Fun fruit salad
HUGE hit
Something fun to snack on
Looks as good as it tastes
The finished product of Pinterest treats!
Centerpiece idea
Successful centerpiece
Categories
Uncategorized

Fourth of July Favorites

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying time with your family and loved ones celebrating America’s birthday. Before I hit the pool and picnics, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things to have on the 4th.

  1.  Whether you are taking a dip in the pool, heading up to the lake or just tanning in the sun, a bathing suit is a must. I found this Red, White and Blue bikini at Target for under $20! It was a steal. I can’t wait to wear it! No outfit is complete without your nails so be sure to sport some red, white, and blue nail polish!

    Got to love sporting some Red, White, and Blue
  2. Decorations are a must for any holiday. I love buying little American flags to decorate the gardens with. They are patriotic, affordable, and are easy to decorate with.
  3. Lastly, nothing screams 4th of July like tasty food. There is nothing better than grilling and having everyone bring a dish to share. I have a few of the desserts saved on Pinterest and I’m gonna give them shot. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
    Gonna give this one a shot!

    Some yummy desserts!

Now, enough reading my blog and get out and celebrate our nation’s birthday. Be sure to thank a veteran while you are out. I’ll be back on Thursday to share my fourth of July look along with how everything turned out! Happy 4th of July!