Sundaze

A very rare and interesting thing will happen tomorrow- I will actually be excited for it to be Monday!  My first CollegeFashionista post will go live this week and I can't wait for y'all to be able to read it.  It is a Style Guru Bio, which is a post all about me, who I am, and my own personal style.  As you all know I am a very casual person who loves jeans, a plain tee shirt, and a pair of converse or booties.  Here is a little preview of the outfit I submitted to the post and I hope that you all will check out the post on CollegeFashionista and "RAD" your favorites (hopefully mine!)

On another note, I am leaving for a short trip to New York on Tuesday!  What better way to spend your birthday than in The Big Apple?  I absolutely love NYC and can't wait to be there for a couple days with my roommate!  If you have any suggestions of stores, restaurants, or sites to visit comment here or on my Facebook and I will do my best to dedicate some time to those places!  I'll keep y'all posted with different outfits in the city and any new purchases made.

xx

Welcoming the new year!

Well congratulations, you made it another 365 days into the year 2015!  This past year has shaped me into a new and improved person who has come so far in school, my sorority, my job experience, and my personal goals.  I love being able to share all of my achievements with y'all and I am so happy that you guys are extremely supportive of me by keeping up with my (very irregular) posts- I will try to be more consistent this year!  

Here is a little updated summary on what has happened over the past two weeks since I last wrote:

I have started my internship with CollegeFashionista (my very first Style Guru Bio blog will go live next week so keep a look out!) and I am so blessed to be a part of such a great organization.  I will be blogging about student's fashion styles on my campus every week and photograph their unique looks.  I am not a very experienced writer but with my personal blog and this fashionista blog I hope to learn a lot and find my niche.  

I have also started my 2015 running challenge, with my mom and a close friend as well, to run/walk 2,015 miles over the year of 2015!  I have always loved running but 2,015 miles is A LOT.  I am setting such a demanding goal for not only myself but my other teammates as well.  I will try to post regularly about our milestones and our monthly success!  Today I individually ran 2.5 miles and as a team we ran 12 miles- so only 2,003 miles to go…. 

Leaving 2014 behind and taking 2015 by the horns I am determined to be the best that I can be this year and really push myself to take on new challenges.  I will try to curse less because if you know me personally I curse like a sailor and I will try to be more kind.  I will also try to have more patience and really be cognizant of the people around me and how I affect them.  I hope that you all have some personal goals and that we can try and tackle them together!

Attached are some photos of my run today with my new Christmas gear: a white Under Armour headband and purple Nike pullover.  They were so comfortable on my run and kept me warm without making me sweat, which is also a great thing!

xx

Better late than never

I know I haven't written in a while but with finals, traveling home, and starting up with a job again I seem to have less and less time each day.  Even though it seems like the days are getting shorter, I think it is just that they are becoming more packed.  Last Friday I drove home from South Carolina back to Virginia for Christmas break.  I am 100% finished with the semester and can't wait to lounge around for a bit before picking up a few shifts at Nordstrom (YAY!).  Not only do I love to shop at Nordstrom during the holidays but I absolutely love to work there.  Between the awesome staff and cute clothes, I just can't help myself  but be happy about returning to make a little extra money over the break.  Before I start back up at work tomorrow I had lunch with a friend, Emily,  in Old Town Leesburg today.  One of my favorite things about Leesburg are the boutiques and antique shops.  Even though I didn't buy anything I still love to poke around and look.  We had lunch at a little coffee shop called Shoes, Cup, and Cork- it's the best!   It used to be a shoe store over a 100 years ago but it has now been updated to a cute cafe.  I feel very at home with the vintage furniture and unique style.  We finished up our day running a couple errands and called it a day.  As we drove around town running errands I had to keep this quote in mind: 

"There are 86,400 seconds in day.  It's up to you to decide what to do with them"

- Jim Valvano

Not a bad quote to keep in mind.

Today I wore my favorite black skinny jeans, casual white tee, a chambray jean shirt, and a long gold necklace with orange jewels.  They jeans are from Urban Outfitters, the tee shirts and chambray shirt are from MadeWell, and the necklace is from JCrew!

Sunday's Best

Nothing ruins a relaxing Sunday more than studying all day for finals but I found some time to dress myself up, hang with some sisters, and go to lunch.  If I can't feel great about studying I sure can make myself feel great about dressing up a little.  I mean, who doesn't love to wear the new top they just got? My favorite new top is this Mocha top with lace trimmings!  I love the fact that I can play it up with a cute necklace or dress it down with a soft cardigan over top.  It was the perfect top for today's 60 degree weather in South Carolina.

As much as I try to get myself to study for finals, I find myself procrastinating way more than I should.  I get very overwhelmed when I sit down with all the material that I learned throughout the semester and I can't seem to remember everything. What I do try to remember though is 1 Peter 5:7- "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"and Proverbs 3:5-6- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight."  I know that I can't always handle everything on my plate but I also know that I'm not alone.  The best way to tackle finals, in my opinion, is to try your hardest and do your best.  No one can ask for better than your best.

I hope that y'all remain sane during finals week and if you are feeling down, dress yourself up and take a study break by grabbing a quick lunch with some friends!

xx

Thursday, why are you not Friday?

Not only is the weather wearing enough grey for the both of us today, but it is also only Thursday!  I was so happy it was Friday this morning until I realized that it was only Thursday but I didn't have class today so I guess it's not too bad.  Since the weather was so gloomy outside I decided to add a little color to my outfit today and wear one of my favorite styles- A classic Piko shirt.  Go to Piko.com and get shirts and dresses for less than $25!  I find myself wearing them daily, whether it be with leggings and flip flops or jeans and boots.  Today I took the more casual route and wore it with jeans and converse.  I was lucky enough that I didn't have classes today so I ended up spending the entire day with one of my roommates.  We grabbed lunch and shopped around a little.  It took me out of reality for a little bit but I know I have to start up with studying again tomorrow.  Maybe I'll put it off until Monday- I always have been a little bit of a procrastinator.

I hope y'all enjoy your weekend ahead and find something to do on Saturday because weather is calling for rain!  I happen to love the rain though because it gives me an excuse to curl up with a big comfy sweater and watch my favorite holiday movies.  "Love Actually" is always a top pick for me.

Just a little quote reminder of the day:
"A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself."

xx

Focus on the good

As finals week approaches, I know I am not the only student feeling overwhelmed with tests, papers, and presentations.  However, I do know a few things that relieve my stress and thought I should share!  One my favorite ways to relax is taking a short run between study sessions.  Even if you don't like to workout, getting your pulse up doing any sort of physical activity is a good way to get your mind going and for you to overall feel better.  I feel so much more motivated after working out and it makes getting school work done a bit easier.  I also feel that a short 30min-1 hour workout will not only help your mind, but your body as well. I mean who likes to study while feeling like a slug and guilty about eating pizza the night before? Not me.  Getting your blood moving releases endorphins and can improve your mood almost instantaneously!

Another way to relieve stress as finals week approaches is to sleep better.  Students with packed schedules are notorious for missing out on sleep.  Going to bed earlier and waking up a bit earlier to study will make it easier to pay attention and to retain more information!  Staying up until 4am, although you seem like you are getting more studying done, will not really benefit you at all.  Operating in a sleep-deprived state puts you at a great disadvantage. You are less productive and and find it much more difficult to learn.  If you are a night owl though and love to stay up to study then make sure to take a quick power nap to recharge!  Plus, who doesn't love a nice cat nap? I know I do!

Finals week is the hardest time of the semester and it will never get any easier, so taking any extra steps to relieve stress is always good idea!  Not only are working out and getting a good amount of sleep good ways to relieve stress but eating healthier, staying organized, and some good old positive thinking will help too! 

It was such a beautiful day out that I HAD to take a run!  I ran 2.5 miles in 22 minutes (not my best but it's better than sitting on my couch).  I wore my favorite Nike Pro running pants with a dry fit tank and Brooks running shoes.  I can't workout in anything but Brooks and I highly recommend them (however, my roommate will stand by Asics)!  Either of them are great!  Remember, even a 10 minute walk is better than sitting on your couch stressing about everything in your life.  Try and set a personal goal for yourself and stay motivated!  Take a break from studying and get your blood pumping.

"A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure" -Henry Kissinger

Even if you don't work out or get more sleep, at least you procrastinated studying for finals by reading this post just like I procrastinated studying for finals by writing it!

xx

Turkey Day Treats!

I know it has been about a week since I have posted but that's because I have been home from college on Thanksgiving break!  I can't believe Thanksgiving is already over!  Black Friday was actually a great success this trip and what made it even better was that I got to spend it with one of my best friends.  We found some deals, such as the floppy hat and Kate Spade bag below.  They have both become my two favorite things and I can't leave the house without them.  I loved shopping for these items but I loved that I saved 70% on both of them!  This Kate Spade purse was originally $355 that I got for about $130 (I almost bought 2 because I the prices were so great). This bag has been on my radar for a while now and I'm so excited to finally have it.  As you can probably tell, I am obsessed with grey lately.  I seem to buy everything in grey or charcoal!

I am thankful for a lot this year. My health, my amazing family, my great friends, and my wonderful boyfriend.  I am extremely blessed with what I have and I'm so lucky to be where I am.


P.S-

Keep a look out for awesome Cyber Monday deals that start tomorrow!  xx