March 31, 2015

Summer Travels

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As some of you may know, I will be studying abroad in Italy this summer for five weeks! I am so excited to get to study in a place I've been dying to go to for as long as I can remember.  I've been to Europe before (Iceland, Paris, and London), but each of those trips were for one week.  I can't wait to be able to explore like a tourist and discover hidden non-touristy spots that the locals go to.  (If you have any favorite spots in Italy, let me know!)

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I've already started drafting up blog posts for the five weeks I'm gone seeing as I'm not sure what the internet situation will be like.  I would also love to be spending most of my free time exploring and making the most of my time in Italy, so I may not have as much time for live blogging.  I'll definitely be writing update posts though, probably about once a week, to keep ya'll updated on how my trip is!

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A few of my friends and I are thinking of staying in Europe a little longer than our program so that we can explore some other places.  Some of our brainstorms have lead us to think of Nice, FR, Barcelona, and Madrid. We want to stay about a week and a half longer, but aren't sure of what's reasonable to do in that amount of time.  If any of you have any tips for traveling around europe in that amount of time please leave something in the comments! Or if you've been somewhere amazing in Europe please let me know!

March 30, 2015

Outfit: Spring in Lilly








jacket (similar) / top (similar) / skirt (similar) / shoes (similar) / necklace

Texas has gotten so warm so quickly! I swear before spring break we were having snow days and now it's in the 80s almost every day! I wasn't expecting the weather to go from one extreme to the other without the gradual change that I'm used to from my springs up north.  I can only imagine how hot it's going to be by the time I leave school for the summer, and I'm not excited for it.  

I'm still obsessed with the She She Shells print from Lilly Pulitzer's collection last year.  While cleaning my closet last week I re-discovered this skirt and immediately knew I would be wearing it later in the week.  Of course, I paired it with my favorite denim jacket (I seriously wear this way too often), a Lilly tank top and one of my favorite necklaces from Fornash! 

I'm also so excited to be participating in a really amazing giveaway that'll be posted on my Instagram on thursday so make sure you're following so you can enter! (@dashofserendipity)

March 27, 2015

Friday Finds


Zevia I came across this drink two weeks ago at whole foods while shopping for some drinks to keep in my dorm room.  I love cream soda but usually don't buy it to have at home because it's bad for you.  This version is zero calories with no sugar and no artificial sweeter, and it's so good! I'd highly recommend and will definitely be going back to whole foods this weekend to get more!

Design Love Fest Print I usually have an evelyn henson calendar as my computer background but came across this print the other day and loved it! It's now sitting on my computer screen and I love how bright and cheery it is! I'd highly recommend their downloadable screensavers!

Lilly x Target Clearly I'm still not over the Lilly Pulitzer for Target look book that was released yesterday.  I can't get over how cute everything is and how inexpensive it all is! I'm so excited for April 19th and can't wait to get my hands on the products! Anyone else with me?

March 26, 2015

Lilly for Target Look Book

By now I'm sure you've seen some of the items that will be for sale at target on April 19th, when the Lilly Pulitzer collaboration launches.  Highly anticipated (and criticized) the line brings all the fun of Lilly Pulitzer with a more reasonable price tag.  (A shift dress for $38!).  I was so excited when I came across the look book they released for the collection detailing everything that will be sold and the price.  I'm still not sure how purchasing will go, but I am very excited.  If ya'll know anything about whether there will be preorders, etc, let me know!

Originally I planned on including this as part of my friday finds tomorrow but I realized I would need an entire post to share my excitement.  Everything is just so cute.  







 See everything that's for sale by at the Lilly x Target page!

Easter Sunday Dress Options



Easter is just around the corner! I'm getting so excited because this will be the first time I will be home since winter break! I can't wait to reunite with my bed and my dog! A little over a week leaves just enough time to find a perfect dress in time! Passover is just around the corner as well, and all of these dresses work perfectly with the jewish holiday as well!

Finding a dress for easter usually slips my mind until the very last second.  Most years my family and I will go to church and then brunch but this year it seems like the holiday will be very casual.  I don't know if I'll be dressing up 


March 25, 2015

Rocksbox

I mentioned that I just signed up for Rocksbox in my most recent friday finds, and my first box has already arrived! I was so excited to pick it up from the mail room yesterday to see what's inside. If you don't know what Rocksbox is, it's basically a monthly subscription box service that sends you jewelry for a month for just $19.  You sign up, take a survey, and from there your stylist at Rocksbox picks out jewelry pieces you would like.  There inventory ranges from brands like Kendra Scott, Loren Hope, Gorjana, and House of Harlow (and so many more)! This service is so great because it allows you to try new jewelry pieces without the commitment.  It gives you the opportunity to go outside your comfort zone with your jewelry.  At the end of the month you have the opportunity to purchase things from your box or send them all back.  Then, the next month you have a brand new collection of pieces to choose from.


But, maybe your skeptical about whether Rocksbox is really for you.  Well, you're in luck! If you use the code "dashofserendipityxoxo" while signing up you can get your first month FREE! This way you can try the service for a month and see if you like it (which you will).

Here's what was in my Rocksbox this month:

Perry Street Jane Necklace


Gorjana Twist Cuff


Perry Street Elise Earrings


I would say these items are probably not pieces I would normally pick out for myself, which makes me really excited! I love that I get to try out jewelry that may be out of my comfort zone for the month!

March 24, 2015

Outfit: I Just Came to Say Hello







Now that I have my tripod, I've been searching for places to shoot outfits where I have a lot of room and won't get weird looks (not sure if I'm ready to do it on campus...).  In my research I found a gorgeous park and decided to check it out yesterday.  I am so happy that I took the time to drive and see the park because it is absolutely gorgeous!! Centered around a huge lake, it's a gorgeous place to take some photos.  I will definitely be heading back with friends to go walking! 

This outfit has been one of my favorites as the spring weather is quickly making it's way in.  I bought this t-shirt with a few other j.crew items earlier this month.  It particularly caught my eye because whenever I am doodling in class or when I'm bored my go-to is to write "hello" over and over in script! Paired with this white city mini from j.crew (probably three or four years ago so it's not available any more), I feel like this is the perfect spring outfit.  In the warmer months I can hardly go anywhere without my denim jacket so I just had to throw it on! 

What are some of your favorite go-tos for Spring?

March 23, 2015

Outfit: Meet My Roommate!

Today is an exciting day on the blog because ya'll finally get to meet my roommate, Colleen! While in Florida last week Colleen agreed to let me take some pictures of her adorable outfit for the blog! I figured it will be fun fun to see one of my friend's fashion senses too!








How cute is Colleen's outfit? She found the tunic at a boutique near where we were staying.  Paired with white jeans, this is the perfect beach outfit! I'm so lucky that I found a room mate that I was able to become friends with! I think freshman year would've been dramatically different if I hated my room mate! I don't know how some people live with someone who they can't call their friend.  

Colleen just made an instagram account to document her brunch endeavors so ya'll should go give her a follow (@brunchaholics_).  Dallas is full of amazing restaurants, so if you want to follow along, check her out!





March 20, 2015

Friday Finds


photo 1 / photo 3

March Madness
Well, the madness has started.  I am a huge fan of basketball and of course made my bracket, which is turning out decently so far.  I can't wait to see which teams make it to the end and if I'll win the family bracket tournament (fingers crossed!) I have Kentucky and Villanova in the final with Kentucky winning the championship! Who do ya'll have in your bracket?

Tripod
Earlier this week I took a trip down to Best Buy to purchase a tripod and remote for my camera.  One of the biggest troubles I've found since starting college is that I can't get as many outfit photos posted as I'd like.  I have a very generous room mate who doesn't mind taking pictures for me, but I feel bad asking her to take time out of her day to do it.  It's also tough because are schedules don't match up very well to give us time to do it during the week.  I've been doing my research and finally decided to make the purchase! My first shoot with it was a little difficult (and awkward), but I'm really happy with how things turned out! You can see my first post with my tripod here! 

I am a huge jewelry lover (but, I'm sure ya'll can tell).   When I came across Rocks Box I knew it would be right up my alley.  With Rocks Box, you pay $19 each month and in exchange get sent amazing pieces of jewelry based on a quiz you fill out while signing up. Then at the end of the month you ship everything back and get to try out something new.  If you like something, you can purchase it and keep it.  This is such a great idea because so many times I find myself loving a piece right after I buy it but then moving onto other pieces.  Some of the things I have I don't necessarily wear all the time, so I would've loved to have gotten them through a service like this! They'll send you jerwelry from designers such as House of Harlow, Kendra Scott, and Lauren Hope.  And guess what?! Ya'll can get your first month for free if you use the code "dashofserendipityxoxo"!

March 19, 2015

Ikea DIYS

I was browsing Pinterest yesterday after recalling a DIY desk project that I saw a little while back.  I've been thinking about my room at home a lot lately.  I got rid of my desk about a year or two ago because I just wasn't using it and it was taking up too much space.  I've realized now that I might like having a small desk in my room to be able to blog at while I am home.  On my Pinterest search I found so many amazing DIYs that involved Ikea products that I just had to share them with all of you.


How perfect are these "built ins"? I'm obsessed with how these were placed together to look like they were custom made for the wall.  I am now dying to try something similar with a wall in my bedroom that currently houses my dresser.  I feel like if I did something similar with more closed storage I could easily remove my dresser and store my clothes from there in baskets on the shelves and have a nice area for a TV! I also love the addition of the picture lights to the top of the bookshelves! 


Can I just start off by saying this table easily looks like it could be $500+? The table itself from Ikea retails for around $60! It's so easy to buy gold spray paint and cover the frame that this hack is so worth it.  

This isn't the desk I was originally looking for when I logged onto pinterest, but I really love it.  It's perfect for me since it is pretty small and doesn't have too much storage (I don't need a lot).  Clearly I'm obsessed with the gold additions, I think because it gives the piece a more expensive look.  Honestly, this DIY is so easy because all you need to do is spray paint and add some handles! 


I love how just some cork board, tape, and paint took these frames and turned them into really interesting cork boards! The average cork board can really dull up an otherwise exciting office space. These keep everything exciting and fun with the stripe pattern.  


My obsession with this DIY is maybe a little too high.  Bar carts are so popular.  You can find them at a ton of different retailers usually priced upwards of $100.  However, Ikea sells a "utility" cart for just  $29.99!!! With a touch of spray paint to the framing and it looks just like the ones sold at Target or Society Social.  The major plus about this one is that it's a little smaller than most bar carts which makes it ideal for smaller places like apartments, and even dorm rooms (if yours is spacious enough).  

These DIYs have got me looking forward to this summer when I can hopefully try some of them out for my room at home.  They've also gotten me excited already to be living in an apartment my Junior year (still have another year of living on campus).  I can't wait to be able to decorate with some more space! 





March 18, 2015

Outfit: Fresh Kicks + Stripes











This outfit is one of my new favorites.  I purchased this dress from nordstrom on a whim because it looked cute and easy to wear, and I had no idea how much I would love it.  It's made of a thick fabric so it's really flattering, but not too thick that it is hard to wear in warmer weather.  I threw on a new pair of converse to give this a sporty and comfortable look.

I am definitely planning on wearing this during finals because it is just so comfortable.  I'm one of those people that hate dressing in a t-shirt and leggings to class.  I love dressing up and putting outfits together, even during finals.  Dressing up makes me feel more awake and ready to focus on a big exam.  

This Tory Burch York tote is my favorite for carrying books around campus because it is so well designed for that purpose! There's a pocket that runs along the inside that perfectly fits my laptop (and it zips so I don't have to worry about it if it's raining).  I can fit all my books and notebooks perfectly.  

Can we just take a second to note that is my second outfit post in the past two days? Hopefully I'll have a lot more outfit posts coming because I just purchased a tripod and clicker so that I would be able to take photos by myself.  It's such a pain to ask someone to take them for me, and I figured this way I would be able to take them on my own time! Fun fact: while I was taking these photos there was a swan lurking over towards me.  Considering I hate birds I considered running back to my car a few times.  

Do ya'll have any go-to comfy yet cute outfits that you gravitate towards for tests or finals?



March 17, 2015

Outfit: White and Blue









top (brand: la cera boutique) / pants / sunglasses 

Spring break near the beach called for a few photo shoots on the beach! I love getting photos on the beach because it's relaxing and the photos always come out looking great! Nearly half the photos from this outfit were of me flipping my hair or pushing hair out of my face, which is something I've realized I do a lot.  

I bought this top at a cute little shop called Morley in Delray Beach, Florida however they don't have it listed on their website.  The tag says "La Cera Boutique" which I can't seem to find online but I did find another shirt of theirs that looks a little similar (here).

I love how simple this outfit is.  White on white provides an instant beachy look and this top gives the look a casual vibe.  This top is so light that it would be perfect for traveling over the summer and could also be paired with a denim jacket for warmer nights.
 

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