Categories
Travel

Chicago in the Summer

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and to our favorite dad’s I hope you had a great Father’s day on Sunday.

Oh hey there Chicago!

This past weekend, my family and I took a weekend getaway to Chicago! I had been to the Windy City a year and a half ago and I loved my time here. You can read all about it here! I was so excited to be going back with my family to share the city with them.

We left around 6:00 am on Friday morning and made our way out to the Midwest.

Once we arrived to the city, we started our time  with a boat ride with a tour of the river and Lake Michigan. It was incredible to see all the buildings and get a bit of a history lesson on the area. It was amazing to see all the the city meet the sea. Ironically, all of my favorite cities, including my hometown are all by the water. I’ve always lived by the water and near the city, this is a feature I hope to have when I move in a few years.

Out at sea
The City from the River
Can it get any more beautiful than this?

After our tour on the river, we headed to Millennium Park and the iconic Bean.

Millenium Park
The Bean

We then took a stroll on the Magnificent Mile, where there were hundreds of stores, everything from Brooks Brothers, Tiffany’s, the Disney store, Nike, Nordstrom’s and more.

I was loving Nike’s decor!

We picked up some sweet treats at Dylan’s Candy Bar. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have the biggest sweet tooth, so this was definitely a highlight!

Dylan’s…YUM!

One of my favorite things about Chicago is how it is a walkable it is. We were able to walk to most of the sites, meals, and other attractions. It was also a beautiful weekend, cooler and cloudy at some points but definitely summer weather.

A beautiful day in the city

We headed to dinner at Rosebud, a delicious and intimate Italian restaurant, just a few blocks from our hotel. I had a delicious pasta with Bolognese sauce. Incredible! We ended up calling it an early night, with an early wake up call, full day of travel and sightseeing, we were ready for an early evening!

Such a delicious pasta

Day 2 had us up bright and early, we ventured out of the city to head to Brick World, a lego comic con event. One of my brothers is a big fan of legos so we went to check out this event. Let me tell you, I was very impressed with the creativity and design work at Brick World.

Here are some of my favorite designs!

This Harry Potter display was so cool!
Another Harry Potter display
And who doesn’t love Mister Rogers?!

We spent the day at Brick World before heading to Portillos for lunch, this 50’s diner setup had sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and fries. I opted for a southwest salad which was delicious and so filling.

Portillo’s
I loved this Southwest Salad, it was such a good combo

We made our way back to the city for the evening, we did some walking around near our hotel before venturing out for dinner at Devon’s a seafood place. I had some spicy shrimp for an appetizer, which was so delicious and then Lobster Roll for dinner. The lobster roll was so flavorful and filling. It hit the spot!

The Lobster Roll was to die for

We got dessert at our hotel while overlooking the city at night. This rich chocolate cake that I split with my mom and brother completed a delicious meal.

How good does this cake look?

Our final day in Chicago began with mass at the Holy Name Cathedral.

Gorgeous Cathedral

After we finished with Church, we planned to go to the top of the Willis tower, however, it was VERY foggy and there was 0 % visibility.

The Willis Tower
The view from the bottom

We then opted to go to the Field Museum down by the water and see a few exhibits. The museum was huge so we only saw a few sections. I would definitely recommend going back and doing the whole museum, just make sure you have enough time to see everything the museum has to offer.

The Field Museum
Sue the Dinosaur

After we finished at the museum, we made our way out of the city. Although we were only there for a weekend, we packed a lot in. I was so happy I got to go back to Chicago. I know I will be back for sure.

Goodbye Chicago

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and great week ahead!

See you on Thursday!!!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #107

LOTD

Hi All! It’s Thursday, one more day until the weekend!!! We almost made it. What fun things do you have planned for the weekend ahead? I hope it’s filled with relaxing and time spent doing something fun, it is summer after all!

I’m changing up today’s look of the day. The past few weeks have been filled with lots of business casual clothes, but I do have a few cute summer outfits for the weekends and evenings. 

I went shopping last week and put together this outfit featuring different shades of blue. The weather was in the 70’s but overcast and this outfit did the trick for the different weather. 

All blue everywhere

I opted for a pair of jeans with the ankles cuffed for more of a summer look. I wanted to wear denim, but I didn’t want a full leg of jeans, therefore I cuffed them, and they worked perfect! My jeans are from my go-to place for jeans, Old Navy!

 I decided to wear this light-almost sky-blue t-shirt from Gap. I love how the top made the jeans feel lighter. Since this is a short sleeve top, I threw on a navy-blue sweater to tie in the two shades of blue. I got this light sweater from Target a few years back. It’s perfect for those cool mornings or evenings. 

Since I have three different blues being worn here, I wanted to have an accessory that tied them all together…enter this scarf/bandana/headband. I got it from Old Navy at the beginning of the season. You may recognize the pattern from my dress I wore for Easter.

I love how it ties the whole outfit together, you can wear this accessory as a scarf, tie it to your purse, or wear it like a headband. I opted for the headband look and was so happy with how it turned out. 

I decided to wear a simple pair of sandals to accessorize my outfit.

Lastly, I’m using my Longchamp bag to hold everything I need when I am out and about. This is my go-to purse for everyday use. It is big, holds everything I need and is durable. Although pricey, I think it’s totally worth it.

Strolling into summer

That’s a look into what I am wearing a bit of a break from the professional clothes and it shows different outfits you can wear in the summer. 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

XOXO

Categories
Fabulous living

21 Birthday Celebrations

Happy Tuesday!

I’m back to the grind after one of my best weekends, I’ve had in a long time! I headed to the Pittsburgh area to celebrate my 21stbirthday with many of my college friends.

I had the absolute time, it was such a good time that I didn’t take any pictures. Haha!

Heading to Pittsburgh to celebrate!

I headed out on early Saturday morning and got brunch with my friend Bailey before the festivities began. It was a cute breakfast cafe where we got the best breakfast tacos! YUM!

My friends and I spent the day hanging out by the pool, playing games, eating, and drinking and catching up. We all met and became friends through work, it’s amazing how one job can bring so many people together. It was so good just to relax and spend time together!

In the evening, we got dinner and went out for the night. It was so good to be with my friends and have a good time. The next morning, we got brunch and relaxed for the day before I headed back home. 

Lots of memories were created during the weekend, it was so good to see all my friends and be together since we don’t see each other all the time.  The weekend also showed me how important it is to stay in touch with friends and make an effort to see one another. 

Me and my girls!!

My amazing friend Bailey hosted and helped plan the whole weekend which was the best gift I could ask for. We have been talking and planning this weekend for over a month and I’m so glad she made it happen. I’m so blessed to have her in my life and call her one of my best friends. There will definitely more memories made between us this summer and in years to come. 

Huge shout out to this girl for planning a fantastic and memorable weekend!

Sorry for the shorter post, but sometimes it’s best to just be present in the moment and turn the phone off for a while, especially since my friends and I don’t get to see each other that often.

Moral of the story, pick up the phone and make plans with your friends whether they are near or far, you won’t regret it.

Have a beautiful week ahead!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #106

LOTD

Hi All! 

It’s Thursday and finally June! Today also happens to be two of my closets friend’s birthdays, my first and only roomie from college, Danielle, and my best friend from high school Madeline are both turning 21! I can’t wait to celebrate with both of them soon. I seriously don’t know where I would be without these gals and their unconditional love and friendship!

  • Danielle and I at college
  • My sweet friend Madeline

This weekend I am also going to be travelling to Pittsburgh to celebrate my birthday with all my college friends! I can’t wait!!! But before, I head out for the weekend, I have a few more days of work ahead of me. Today’s look of the day is another business casual look for the office. I spend 90% of my day in the office so I am always putting together professional outfits and today is no different. 

Let’s break down this professional look of the day!

For starters, I got these straight legged black dress pants from Old Navy, I was on the hunt for months for a nice dress pant that didn’t look like leggings, although I do wear leggings, the workplace is not the place for them. These dress pants are straight legged, professional, durable, all qualities I am looking for in a dress pant.

I opted for a simple pair of Mary Jane pumps from the Kelly and Katie collection at DSW. They do have a slight heel but very professional for the office, and VERY comfortable. I can wear them for 8-10 hours a day and have no serious pain.

Since I wore black dress pants and black shoes, I wanted to brighten up my look, I chose this pink/white/black blouse from Marshalls to wear with my outfit. It looks professional but also adds a pop of color!

A black blazer or white or black sweater would also be a great accessory. I added simple silver jewelry to polish off my look.

That’s a look into what I am wearing today at the office. I’m off to wrap up these few days at work before my weekend away begins! See you all on Tuesday!

Categories
Fabulous living

Summer Goals

Hey guys!

I hope your week is off to a great start. It has been so nice to settle into a new routine for the summer months.  Every summer I try to set realistic goals for the summer months. They can be anything from activities, projects, trips, and small tasks. I start out with a basic list as summer begins and will add things if necessary as the months go on. At the end of the summer, I love to look back and see everything I accomplished and all the memories I created.

Summer 2019…you are just beginning…let’s take a look and see what my summer goals are:

Get license renewed

                  -A small but necessary task and I got it done right when I got home! 

Work/Internship

  • Although summer is for relaxing, I plan to work through the summer. I like to stay busy and working through the summer will definitely keep me busy.

Make College photo album 

  • Through my college years, I have been saving photos and organizing them into years. This summer, I want to get them all printed and organized since my time in college is coming to a close.

Celebrate 21

  • I’m really looking forward to celebrating my 21stbirthday this summer. I’m so lucky I get to be home to be with my family, but I’m looking forward to celebrating this milestone with my friends in Pittsburgh!

See friends from college and high school

  • Speaking of friends, I am making seeing my friends both from college and high school this summer, whether it’s coffee dates or day trips, friends are so important and I want to make them a priority this summer.
We didn’t even say goodbye at graduation because we knew we would be seeing each other through the summer

Portfolio (BLS)

  • Another requirement for school that I need to get done before school is back in session for 2019!

Work Study

  • This summer I will be working remotely for a job I hold back at school. There are a few projects that I will be working on that I am excited to get started on.

Read 12-15 books

  • I am an avid reader and I am really looking forward to reading a lot over the summer. I already made a stop to my local library to check out a few books to get a start on summer reading.
First book of the summer…

Download pictures to laptop

  • Again, another task, it won’t take long but I want to make sure I have all my photos from this past year saved to my laptop.

Spend time with family 

  • Since this is my last summer home I want to make sure I soak up as much family time as I can, whether it is family dinners, soccer days, or pool days. I can’t wait to get some quality family time in.
Looking forward to a full summer with the fam!

Day Trips

  • I love taking day trips, whether it is to the city, in the country, or to see family and friends. I’m hoping to spend a few days going to new places this summer. 

Start Healthier habits

  • I have gotten into good routines while I am at school and I want to continue those routines at home, whether it hitting the gym several days a week, eating healthier foods and meals, or just setting time aside to relax. Getting into a good routine is something I’m looking forward to this summer.

Go to a concert

  • I have a concert planned for September with one of my best friends, but I want to try and hit up another summer concert. Anyone with suggestions, please let me know.

Beach days

  • I may live close to the beach, but that doesn’t mean I spend all summer there. Last summer, I went to the beach on the last day I was home. I want to make more of an effort to go to the beach, whether it’s for the sunset, sunrise, or a day in the water.

Family Vacation

  • I have been reflective in the past few months with everything that has been changing and I’m looking forward to getting away with my family for a summer trip. Where and when that will be is still up in there air, but none the less, I’m looking forward to making some memories.

Find a new show to Binge watch

  • Every summer, I always am on the look for new shows to binge watch. I’m currently finishing up Dawson’s Creek-an oldie but a goodie! I’m now on the hunt to find a new show to watch this summer. Any good suggestions?

Take more walks outside

  • In an effort to spend more time outside, I want to take more walks, whether it is at sporting events, at the end of the day after work, or around lunch. I’m looking forward to enjoying the outdoors more.

Weekly facetime calls with friends

  • Back to the friends…can you tell I miss my college friends?!  A few of my friends from school and I have suggested doing weekly facetime calls to keep each other in the loop with what’s going on. It’s a weird feeling going from seeing your BFF’s all the time to going weeks without seeing each other.
You mean I won’t be seeing my friends every day….thank gosh for FaceTime!

Try something new

  • Leaving this one up in the year. I want to try something new and pushed from my comfort zone. We will see what happens and what I try.

Try new recipes 

  • I love to cook and bake. This summer I want to try some new recipes and even come up with a signature dish. I am into salads right now, so I have a feeling I will be making lots of different salad combinations this summer.

Entertain Friends/family

  • I love to host people at my home and I learned it all from my mom. In the summer, we love to have friends and family over and I’m looking forward to doing some entertaining this summer.

Do something spontaneous

  • This goes along with trying something new, even though I love my schedules and routines. I want to be spontaneous and more flexible. I’m hoping to accomplish that this summer.

Be Present

  • After a stressful and busy semester, I want to be present and just live this summer. There will always be things to do and tasks to accomplish, however, I want to make an effort to just be happy where I am at.
Made this my background for my phone to only focus on the positive things in life

That concludes my summer goals. It may seem like a lot, but overall, I think it is a good mix of realistic and mental goals. Overall, I want this summer to be one filled with happiness, love, laughter, friendship, purpose, and maybe even a dance. 

Have a beautiful week! xoxo

Categories
Fashion

Look of the day #105

LOTD

Hi friends! Happy Thursday!

Yesterday, I got a bit of a break to celebrate my 21stbirthday, but today it’s back to work and back to the daily grind! I have another outfit that is perfect for the workplace! I work in an office during the summer, so I am all about business casual outfits and outfits that are professional for the office. 

Cheesing because the sun is finally shining

Today’s outfit is more on the comfortable side of things, but still professional. Growing up, I wore khakis a lot, especially for school, hello uniform! When I went to college, khakis and I needed to take a break from each other, haha! However, khakis are coming back for outfits in the workplace. I got these khakis from Target, believe it or not. I had to borrow a pair of khakis from one of my friends when I was at school and I loved them so much, I bought a pair for myself. I don’t wear them every day, but they are durable, and everyone should have a pair in their wardrobe.

On this particular day that I wore this outfit, I had to run errands, so I opted for a cotton knit striped shirt from GAP as opposed to a blouse, I did however, have a cardigan since it can get chilly at work. 

I rounded off my outfit with my suede pumps from Shoe Carnival, I know, it’s May and they should be put away but it’s still chilly outside and I’m not ready to break out open toe shoes yet every day! Haha!

More than ready for summer!

That’s the full breakdown for this outfit, very simple and affordable. Most importantly, it can be worn in various jobs, whether you are teacher, working in an office or another place of business. Where would you wear this outfit? Have a beautiful weekend! Get off the computer and get outside!

Categories
Fabulous living

21 Wishes…

Another year, another birthday, another milestone…tomorrow I am turning 21! I am very excited not only to celebrate another year on Earth but also to join the big kids club. Haha! I’m the youngest out of most of my friends, so I am looking forward to going out with them to celebrate. If we are being honest, I think they are more excited than me. LOL!

I’ll be heading to Pittsburgh in a few weeks to celebrate with my friends, but for tomorrow, I am celebrating with my family. Last year, I shared 20 things I learned in my 20 years of life, you can read it here. Today, I’m sharing 21 wishes I have for this next year of life.

Cheers to 21!

1. Surround myself with people who lift me up and motivate me to be the best version of myself.

2. Make every moment a memory.

3. Live in the moment and don’t get distracted.

4. Stop dwelling on what happened in the past, and focus on the future.

5. Graduate College.

6. Get a job in my field.

Always looking to the future

7. Be happy where I am at in life and not where I think I should be. 

8. Travel somewhere new with friends.

9. Listen to more podcasts and learn from every opportunity I get.

10. Be spontaneous and try something I’ve never done. It’s okay to step out of your comfort zone.

11. Go to more concerts.

Finding the joy in the little things in life

12. Spend money on experiences, not material things. Those will create the real memories.

13. Truly enjoy and take advantage of my last semester as a college student. 

14. Be more vulnerable when it comes to opening up to friends and family about things that are bothering me. If you listen to your friends, they will listen to you.

15. Forget the schedule/routine and just see what the day brings.

16. Be more intentional with my time spent with family and friends. Put down the phones!

17. Pick up a new hobby.

I know I’m where I’m meant to be

18. Have more conversations with people instead of just sending a text. Quality over quantity.

19. Turn my passions and dreams into realities.

20. Show more appreciation to the ones I love. If you love ’em, tell them you love ’em!

21. Be open to whatever the future holds for me. 

A smile is the best accessory

Some are more realistic than others, some will get achieved while others will be things I’m constantly working on. At the end of the day, I want to make these days count. We often get caught in the day to day life that we forget to stop and appreciate the life we are living. Cheers to 21 and to living my best life!

Que sera sera
Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #104

LOTD

Hello All!

It’s Thursday, almost to the weekend. This week has been busy getting into a new summer routine, but the weather has been gorgeous and it’s starting to finally feel like summer. I’m looking forward to weekends spent outside and relaxing. This three day weekend will be the perfect time to kick off summer!

Today’s look of the day is perfect for a day at work. As much as I love neutral colors, I will never say no to a bold pop of color and that’s exactly what this outfit is all about. Everything from this outfit are all articles of clothing that I have had in my closet and paired them all together to create this look. 

This is one of my favorite t-shirt dresses for spring and summer, I got it from Marshall’s and I have talked about it a lot on here. I love being able to dress it up or down depending on the function. I decided to dress it up for work with this red blazer.

 I have had this red blazer for a few years and I wish I could tell you where I got it from, but I honestly forget. I typically wear it in the winter months, I have worn this jacket with black dress pants or a little black dress. I had never thought to wear it in the spring but it worked so well. I love how it really pops against the black and white stripes. 

I also decided to use a cherry red lipstick to complement the jacket. I don’t typically do a bold lip, but I felt it worked well with this outfit. 

Also, another favorite accessory is this new necklace…any Sex and the City fans out there?! We all know Carrie isn’t Carrie without her necklace. I found a website that you can get your own personalized Carrie necklaces and I love it. It reminds me of the strong and independent woman Carrie is and how we all should remember our worth.

Carrie’s own necklace
Got my own Carrie necklace

Lastly, I wore this dress sneakers to finish off the outfit. I got mine from Target, but they were very popular last year and I have seen them on display at many places so far this season. 

I love how this outfit came together, yes it took some extra time to match it all together, but I love the end result. I know I will be wearing this outfit again this season. 

What is your favorite bold color to add to an outfit? 

Have a wonderful and restful three day weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

TWO Years of Blogging

Two years…it’s amazing how much has changed since I started this blog after my freshmen year of college. Just to show how much I have changed, here’s my first ever post. I started this blog as a way to talk about transitioning and adjusting to college life along with fitness, organization and fashion and it has become so much more than that. I’ve become a better writer, more open, a stronger person and stepped out of my comfort zone with this blog.

 I’ve shared about the places I’ve travelled to, like Washington D.C., Chicago, andRome. 

  • Me in D.C.
  • Chilly in Chi-town!
  • ROMA

I’ve talked about ways to decorate your dorm room,organize your makeup, and prepare for college exams. 

  • Junior Year dorm room
  • Makeup Organization at it’s finest
  • Finals prep

I have shared over 100 different outfits, they have ranged from semi-formal looks, outfits for the office, clothes for thewinter, spring, summer, and fall.

  • Semi-formal
  • Professional
  • Winter
  • Fall
  • Summer
  • Spring

I have talked a lot about college living,summer internships, and the adjustments to living in college.

Getting in front of the camera too at my internship

Some of my favorite posts have been my semester recaps,summer recaps,and fun facts about me. 

  • Making memories with family
  • Many moments with friends
  • Trips Abroad
  • Time spent studying
  • Family trips
  • Trips to the city

That is just a look into my favorite posts that I’ve covered these past two years. I opened up about being homesick, getting used to college life, and home life, and back to college life. I have shared my friends, family, dogs, and favorite things with you- from tv shows, books, and ways to have fun.

This blog has been a great stress reliever, whenever I would be stressed or I wanted to share something new I learned, my blog was my go-to.

 I truly wouldn’t be here without you all! Thank you for your love, support and for reading my posts every day whether it is about fashion, fitness, or day to day life. I have had so many people and friends tell me they have read my blog, follow it, or make a suggestion for it. It means so much to me that you take the time out of your lives to read about my life. This next year of blogging will be different as I will be graduating college and entering a new phase in my life. There will also be some surprises in this next year, there will be new content, different types of posts, and so many fun things in the future so stay tuned!! But not to fear, the blog is not going anywhere. I’m going to taking it day by day as I start a new adventure and I hope you will come with me on this journey. 

Thank you for reading, the love, and support

Here’s to TWO years of ups and downs and taking it one day at a time. 

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #103

LOTD

Hey guys! Happy Thursday! 

Well, It’s been a almost a week since I have been home for summer and it is already flying by. I am very excited about today’s look of the day! I am going to try something different for today. I always talk about the importance of re-wearing an outfit in a different style or fashion to show you don’t have to be constantly buying new clothes. Last fall, I shared this outfit, a t-shirt dress with a fall spin on it with a scarf, boot socks, and short brown boots. Today, I’m going to show the same outfit, but this time with a spring/summer spin on it. 

Remember this outfit from last spring?!

I got this mustard yellow t-shirt dress from Gap last fall. I loved not only the color but how lightweight it is. This makes it so much easier when it comes to layering. This dress is the summer and fall, last fall I added more darker colors to it, this time I’m wearing it, I’m adding lighter colors to it. Another great transitional piece of clothing.

Same dress, different look

I also got this scarf from Gap. I love the small flowers and I also love how it matches the dress perfectly. This scarf can be worn in many different styles, in addition to the scarf, I added a light denim jacket to my look. Just in case it got chilly or I wanted to layer my outfit. The jean jacket I am accessorizing this outfit with is from Old Navy.

Up close of the dress and accessories

I opted for a pair of brown peep toe boots for the outfit. I grabbed these cute shoes from T.J. Maxx a few years back and they are such a good shoe for transitional weather. The weather is finally warm enough to wear spring/summer clothing I am here for it. I got a tease of this warm weather at school but now, I am ready to wear it all the time. 

Who doesn’t love a mirror selfie?!

Thoughts on the outfit? Would you be more interested in seeing content/outfits like this? Let me know in the comments below! Have a beautiful weekend!