June 29, 2015

Desk Accessories



Whether you're preparing for college or just want to spruce up your desk at work or at home, there's always something you can do to make everything more inspiring.  My favorite way: adding a little bit of color! Although I don't have a desk at home (there's just no use for it in my room), my desk at school always has a few bright touches to make it more inviting. 

June 26, 2015

The Ultimate Throwback Playlist


I am obsessed with this playlist.  Back in May, I started putting together some of my old favorites (and some favorites before my time) after the Gonna be May meme circulating yet again.  Honestly these songs are just so fun to listen to on a long (or short) car ride with friends because who doesn't love some good Back Street Boys or Hilary Duff to rock out to? This playlist just doesn't get old.  Make sure to follow along with the full list on spotify

What are some of your favorite throwbacks? Let me know in the comments so I can add them to the playlist!

June 24, 2015

Recipes I'm Dying to Try

Eggs on Artichoke Spread Toast
While I'm not a huge fan of artichoke, I would love to try this with a white bean purée!




Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles


I love lobster rolls so much and would love to try making one myself! 



June 22, 2015

Mens Style with Will







Today I'm sharing one of my brother's outfits as a change of pace! I hardly ever do anything with mens style, so my brother, Will (northeast-proper on tumblr), kindly agreed to let me take some photos of his outfit a few weeks ago!

I love this outfit because it is simple and classic.  Button down shirts and nice shorts are staples for every guy's closet, and these two are just that but a little more fun with the stripes on the oxford.  I love how Will put together this outfit.

June 19, 2015

Favorite Wedges

Anytime I have to be wearing heels, I always try my hardest to wear wedges.  They're just so much more comfortable and easier to walk in.  Almost every time I dress up at school, you'll find me in a pair of wedges.  Summer is the perfect season for wedges.  Paired with white jeans or a sundress, it's the perfect shoe for almost any occasion.

Click through a few of my favorites available right now!


June 17, 2015

48 Hours in Positano


Last weekend, I had my first "free" weekend of my study abroad trip in Italy.  If you couldn't tell from my instagram, my friends and I headed down to the Amalfi Coast to spend our time soaking up the sun, which is a nice change of pace from the Umbrian village we are based in.



About a week before we left for our weekend my friends and I were searching for hotels to stay in with limited availability seeing as it was fairly last minute, which resulted in us turning to AirBnb instead of a hotel.  If you haven't heard of the website, AirBnb basically allows you to rent a house, or apartment, as a hotel.  We found the perfect place (Villa Lucia) in Praiano (the next town over from Positano) and booked it for 8 people.  It actually turned out to be a lot cheaper than a hotel room too.

Since so many people from our program decided to spend the first weekend in Positano, we arranged a bus to take about 40 of us down there instead of having to deal with numerous (and expensive) trains.  While I'm happy we did this, it became very chaotic but our host at Airbnb was so helpful and set up a cab to pick us up from the location that our bus dropped us off and brought us to the Villa.  It was so nice to be able to text our host and arrange for this taxi because we ended up arriving at 11:30pm and I can't imagine trying to navigate the streets to find a hotel or taxi on my own.

We woke up the next morning to the most amazing views.  Since we arrived at night we weren't able to see what was outside of our windows, so waking up the next morning was such a nice surprise.  I don't think I've ever seen such amazing views.

We rented a boat that day, which turned out to be one of the greatest parts of the trip! For eight of us, it was only $300 total to take a boat out for two hours, which wasn't a bad price at all.  We got to see a few caves, go swimming, and just relax on the water.  Later that day we also got leather shoes made at LKSJFA.  I knew Positano was known for it's custom shoes, but I was really blown away by how nice these shoes were.  You could pick any design, any color leather, size leather, etc to make a sandal that was truly your own.  Best part? They were only 64 euros each!

On our second day we went to the beach, which honestly turned to be more of a let down just because it was so rocky and it was hard to walk into the water without standing awkwardly.  Then, we had to head back to our buses to get back to Orvieto for classes on Monday!


While going to Positano was certainly a hike (and very stressful) it was definitely worth it.  I have never been somewhere more beautiful and still can't get over that such a beautiful place exists.  If you ever have the opportunity to head to the Amalfi Coast, make sure you go!



This weekend my friends and I are headed to Florence and I'm very excited! If you have any recommendations for Florence please let me know!




9 Things No One Tells You About College



1. You'll walk a lot.  Campuses can be big, even if you go to a small school.  Chances are you'll be walking from your dorm to classes everyday, so get used to it! This was difficult for me at first because temperatures in Texas in August are in the 100s, but you quickly get used to it.

2. Your phone will always be dead. At first my phone was dying all the time.  I ended up purchasing a mophie case (I highly recommend) because I hardly ever had enough battery on my phone.  Now, anytime I am around a charger, I plug my phone in!

3. You'll be playing dress up.  You'd think things would be getting grown up now that you're in college, but it's not true.  At my school, and many others, themed parties happen all the time.  American Apparel skater dresses can be your savior and a few colored beads to pass as any theme.

4. Naps will become your best friend.  Even when you get 8+ hours of sleep in a night (there won't be many of those though) you'll still feel like you need more.

5. You're friends become your sisters.  You and your friends all live within walking distance of each other so you'll be around each other a lot.  They know everything you do, you eat every meal with them, you may even live next door to some of them.

6. Delivery food is a god sent.  Apps like postmates and favor (TX only) are the most amazing thing.  You can get ANY food delivered to you for a small fee.  Craving chipotle but don't want to leave your dorm? This app is perfect.

7. Everything is dusty.  Living in a small room with two people causes everything to get dusty.  I swear I clean and a few hours later every surface is dusty again.  I still haven't figured out a great solution to my dust problem, so if you know of something let me know!

8. You'll have the most stressful week then have nothing to do the next.  Since you only have a few tests a semester in most classes it may feel like you have no work for a few weeks then are suddenly piled with everything.  A lot of classes end up having tests within the same week or even the same day.

9. No one cares if you eat alone. Going into college, this wasn't a big deal to me but it was to some.  I think working at the mall got me used to this because occasionally on my breaks I would go to restaurants and ask for a table for 1.  I really don't mind eating alone.  In the dining halls, no one judges you for eating by yourself.  Sometimes your breaks won't match up with friend's so you have to grab something to eat when you can.  Luckily, my school's dining halls have a sort of "bar" looking area to eat so it's less awkward to eat alone for those who don't enjoy it.


June 15, 2015

6 Things About Me



1. I have to be early for everything.  I think this stems from the fact that my mom is always late, so growing up that meant I was late for everything.  I swear it used to make me sick when we would get to my tennis clinics the minute they started because I would be the last one to walk in and I felt like everyone was staring at me.  Now I get to most places about 10 minutes early.

2. I used to be terrified of dogs. You might know this if you saw my post about my dog, Riley, for his birthday.  Before we got him I would be frightened if I saw a dog from across a road!

3. I was on the cover of two magazines. I'm the oldest child, so when I was about a year old my mom was a little bored and decided to take me into NYC and try some modeling.  She thought no one would ever want me for any of the shoots because I had no hair at that point, but a few photographers ended up liking me! It's cool to say that I've been on the cover of Parent's and Child's magazines as well as in a few Baby's R Us catalogs!

4. I have a slight fear of cheese.  This may seem really weird, but I do have a fear of processed cheese.  I like cheese on pizza or mac and cheese, when it's cooked, but blocks of American cheese or string cheese just completely freak me out! Is anyone else like this?

5. My hair turns really blonde in the summer, but is pretty brunette in the winter.  So many people think I die my hair, but it's actually natural! The sun really effects my hair so that it gets really blonde by the end of the summer but in the dead of winter will be fairly brunette.  I really like this, but hate that people think I dye my hair because of it.

6. I went to an all girls sleep away camp with no electricity for 3 summers.  I spent three of my summers growing up at a camp in Maine where white and green (like the Parent Trap) without electricity for three weeks at a time.  For some this seems crazy but I loved it! It was awesome writing letters home, using flashlights at night, and making great friends.



June 12, 2015

Summer Wishlist

Summer is here!!! (for most of us at least!).  In middle school, we used to go through the end of June before starting our summer break, so I hope none of ya'll are on that sort of schedule! Summer is everyone's favorite because of warmer, longer, days and an escape from school work for just a little bit.  I always find that in the dead of summer I find a lot of things to add to my wishlist.  In the dead of winter I'm so uninspired and forget everything I've ever had my eye on.  So, today I've decided to share some thing that are on my wishlist! I get a lot of questions asking about things that I have my eye on, so here ya go!


June 10, 2015

Father's Day Gift Guide



Father's day is coming up and it's time to get your Dad a little surprise to thank him for all that he does! I've linked some of my favorites for Dad this season.  Some of my favorite places to look for gifts for my dad are Tuckernuck, Brooks Brothers, Williams Sonoma and Vineyard Vines.  I think that this silver drink shaker is such a great find because it is only $25 and it's PERSONALIZED! Be sure to check that one out! 

June 8, 2015

The Perfect White Dress













I'm in love with this dress from J.Crew factory.  It's the perfect white dress for summer.  I love the dotted fabric and the fluttered sleeves.  It's very flattering and screams summer to me.  I paired it with my Mad Jewels necklace and a pair of Jacks for the perfect summer look.  I can't wait to be wearing this dress on repeat.

My hair looks strangely very blonde in these photos and since I know I will be asked, no I didn't dye it! I have never colored my hair (and never will).  My hair is very sensitive to the sun so it changes with the more time I spend outdoors!

June 6, 2015

Blogs I've Been Loving

It's been awhile since I've posted about some of my favorite blogs, so I thought it was time to do another one of these posts! Some of my favorite blogs have stayed the same, but I've also found a few new ones!

via 
Gal Meets Glam 
I think I mentioned Julia, Gal Meets Glam, in my last post, but since then I've fallen in love with her blog all over! I love following along with her on snapchat to see some behind the scenes of her outfits shoots with her husband.  All of her outfits and photos are impeccable so I'd highly recommend reading her blog.

via
Covering the Bases
I've been following Krista on Instagram and Twitter but I didn't get into reading her blog daily until recently.  I am constantly finding myself wanting to buy the things from her outfits posts.  I would say this happens the most with her blog than anyone else's! Check out her travel tips post, here! I love it!


via
Yep It's Prep 
I know I've mentioned Isabella on here before but since then she has literally been killing it with her outfit posts! I give her major props for posting so many of them (even during the school year).  It's hard to get an outfit together, get ready, and go shoot, but Isabella makes it look effortless and is clearly a natural in front of the camera!

June 3, 2015

How to Have a Great Experience Living with a Roommate

Living with someone else can be difficult.  Especially when you're living so close to that person.  College dorms squeeze two people (usually strangers) into a tiny room for a year.  I was lucky enough to have an amazing experience living with my room mate this year.  I know that many of you will be going into your freshman year and are anxious about living with another person, so I am here to share my tips on how to have the best roommate experience possible!

I was so lucky to find such an amazing room mate my freshman year.  I wasn't too nervous going into the year about the whole room mate situation, but looking back I couldn't imagine not getting along with my room mate.  I've heard some horror stories, so I'm sharing my tips on how to (hopefully) have an experience like mine! 

Fun fact: my room mate and I met on tumblr actually! You can see her fun outfit post I did on the blog over spring break, here!

Be Honest 
This is something that is super important to do from the very beginning.  A lot of people find their roommates on Facebook so make sure you're in your school's Facebook group for your class! It's a great way to find possible roommates, but it can get a little awkward.  You're basically doing some online "dating".  While talking with possible room mates, remember to be honest with yourself.  If this girl looks really cool but seems like she's into things you might necessarily be cool with, don't room with her.  Remember that this person will be living with you so if there into things that you're not comfortable with, or there's something a little off, that could affect how you feel about being in your room next year! There's a few people I know that avoid their room at all costs because they're room mate isn't the greatest.  I can't imagine wanting to avoid my room.

Communicate
Move in day can be stressful, but it can go smoother if you and your room mate communicate with each other before hand.  How will you decide who gets which side of the room? Communication is key in living with another person.  Asking if the other person doesn't mind if your desk lamp on after they've gone to sleep can go along way.  Just by asking before you do things that your roommate may find inconsiderate can prevent uglier situations in the future.

Share
It's unnecessary for you and your room mate to each bring a printer and a fridge so offer to purchase a few things and share them with her.  My room mate bought the fridge and I bought the printer and a small bookshelf that's between our beds.  We both use them and at the end of the year we can take our own items back with us!

Be Considerate
If your room mate has a big test the following day, don't come back into your room late at night and make a lot of noise.  You wouldn't like that so you can guess that neither does she.  If you're considerate about what's going on in your room mate's life chances are she'll do the same for you!




June 1, 2015

June Playlist


Enjoy this month's playlist! What's your favorite song of the moment?

 

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