What I've been up to...

I thought Spring Break would be filled with cute outfits, cute food, tons of pictures, and tons of productivity.  Well, at least I got one decent outfit out of the mix...

Recently I've been living in dark skinnies, some sort of plain (preferably white, cream, or striped) top, and a jumble of bracelets and watches.  Oh, and sandals.  Because summer decided to show up early this year.  

Again, the absence.  Somehow blogging and life just haven't been blending well lately. However, that's for some really good (and a few really bad) reasons.  

1. Good grades in classes- heck yes!  This is thanks to many late nights, and a few wonderful and intelligent friends.  I knew there was a reason I was doing that stuff...

2. Summer Internships!  I don't want to jinx this one before it even works out,  but I've been in contact with three awesome companies about doing some marketing work this summer.  I don't know what will end up happening, or even if I'll get an offer from any of the three... But one company is located at a beach, one is a global firm with some killer networking opportunities... and one company is flying me to New York City to interview in person.  Excited? Beyond words.   

3. I'm really involved in our school's chapter of Women in Business, one of the most active clubs here at SVC, and I recently got the position of President for this upcoming year!  I can't wait to work with our executive board- one of our first events is to plan and pull off the TOMS Day Without Shoes!

I hope you all are having a wonderful springtime!

When you feel down- Dress up.

Outfit Details

Skirt: Thrifted, $3

Top: H&M, $15

Belt: Gap Outlet, $5

Boots: Gift from Mom

Tights: who knows...

Jacket: Superrrrr Old

I've always sworn by dressing up when you're just not feeling awesome.  Regardless of the reason you might not be feeling perfect, putting on a nice outfit and a smile will totally turn your day around.

I kept it fairly simple- no need to go all out- but stuck to things I feel good in: a skirt, tall boots, and a simple color palette.  

What do you do on your down days?

Some Days are just Mom Days

Sweater: Old Navy, gift 

Top: J.Crew, gift

Jeans: TJ Maxx, $15

Boots: Francesca's, gift

Bracelets: Spain

Glasses: 7 for all Mankind

The day I wore this outfit I realized that my top, sweater, and boots were all from my mom.  Granted, I picked them all out, but as my Aunt says, "Satisfaction over surprise..."  And then today, I finally got my Valentine's card from mom- with a picture of us at the airport the day I left for study abroad, and also a super sappy mom note.  

I'm close to my dad too- like, ridiculous "daddy's girl" type close.  But some days, you really just need your mom.  Whether its a sad breakup, a need for some instant motivation, or advice on the tough stuff, Moms can be the biggest blessing- and I can say that now that I don't live with my mom anymore ;) 

Alright, I'm done with the sap for now.  Just had to get that out there.  

Thanks mom.  

Greg's Swearing In

You may have noticed the contemplative tone on life and the future in my last blog.  Those thoughts are mainly thanks to this past weekend.  

Greg was sworn into the US Army Dental Corps as a Second Lieutenant.  This means that he'll be attending dental school in Memphis, TN for the next 4 years.  After that, he'll apply for a residency on an army base in the US where he will learn how to be an Oral Surgeon (he's interested in facial reconstruction, but he also learns how to do wisdom teeth surgeries and things like that.)  The residency will take another 4 years, and my fingers are crossed for the Hawaii location ;)  After that, he owes the military 4 years as an oral surgeon- Although he can request particular locations, nothing is promised.  So he could be put anywhere, but again, my fingers are crossed- Germany for that one.  After that (a total of 12 years down the road) he will decide whether to stay in the military or to go back to civilian life as a private practice doctor.  

Now that's quite a few super big decisions- but most of them are pretty far down the road.  

Although it really is an awesome deal for Greg, I am so super proud of him.  He's worked super hard to get into dental school, and just as hard to get accepted into the Dental Corps- He's one of only 40 in the entire country to be chosen.  So of course, I made the trip home this weekend to watch the swearing in and to celebrate afterwards.

The end.

I spent almost 5 years looking forward to study abroad.  I've always loved to travel, and ever since I knew what study abroad entailed, I knew I wanted to do it.  Looking back I realize exactly how excited I was for it.  The closer it got, the more I honestly could not control my excitement.  Now that it's over and it's time to find something else to look forward to, it feels kind of bittersweet.  When I look at my facebook pictures and see a jumble of my travels- Paris, London, Ireland, Italy, and the amazing town I lived in, it just hits me how incredibly blessed I am to have had this experience.  

But now it's time to move on to something new.  I've blogged through it, recounted stories to my friends, and shown pictures to literally anyone who will look at them.  

I'm really excited to see where my life is headed, and I know there will be great things- both here and abroad.  So until then, here is one last post on my experience from this past semester.  After this, it's back to business as normal- outfit posts, stories of weekend trips home, and a little bit of catching up.

The post below I wrote in the middle of my final journey home.

~~~

At this moment, I’m sitting in the airport, waiting to board my final flight home to Tennessee.  It’s been a tiring 24 hours of travel (so far) and I’m having so many feelings about Malaga, and this semester in general.

The entirety of our trip, I tried REALLY hard to constantly remind myself how incredibly blessed I was, and to soak it in as much as possible.  Although I know I did that, leaving Malaga was SO sad.  Tears were shed as I said goodbye to my friends and host family- maybe even for the last time ever.  

I miss my family, friends from home, and of course Greg, and I truly cannot wait to be home and celebrate Christmas with them.  Spending three months apart from those you love really makes you realize just how much they mean to you.  So although I'm really sad about leaving my trip behind, I don't want anyone to think that I'm not 100% ready to see my loved ones.  

I never even considered the impact study abroad would have on my life.... but oh my gosh, has it had an impact.  This semester I left home, alone, to travel to a foreign country that had a language, culture, and norms so different than my own.  I branched out, met so many incredible people from across the globe.  I navigated my way around 10 different international airports, sleeping in 3 of them.  I tried crazy foods I never thought I could have (helllllo snails and squid.)  And perhaps most importantly, I became more self aware, more confident, more independent, and more appreciative of absolutely everything I am blessed with, both at home and abroad.

I’m hoping (and praying) that I will be able to remain close to some of my new Malaga friends, because goodness knows I love them to death.  As my host mother said during our tearful goodbyes- I’ve truly gained a bigger family, that will be with me wherever I am in the world, and in life.  

As for where my journeys will take me next, I don’t yet know.  But if I have anymore adventures, I’ll be sure to keep you updated. 

Good Day

Top: Loft- thrifted, $2

Jeans: Old Navy, $4

Jacket: Old Navy, $4

Necklace: Forever 21, $3

Shoes: Toms, gift

Today was a good day.  I found my memory card and am slowing beginning to catch up on missed outfit posts; I finished my religion paper a full day ahead of time (coming from a 100% procrastinator, this is a big thing); I got THE cutest nail polish as a mid-week pick-me-up (my first non-essentials purchase in almost 2 months.  Record?  I think so.); I'm hopefully ready for my finance exam tomorrow; I get to go to a lecture tomorrow... a fashion one; ANDDDD I get to go home this weekend to dress up my little sister for her prom.  I'm excited.  It's seriously almost like it's me going to prom.  But anyways... classes were cancelled today due to the Seniors' honors convocation, which was nice.  I spent the day working and studying though, and this simple but incredibly comfortable outfit was just the fit.

Speaking of fit, this jacket is pretty odd, which is probably why I got it so cheap and haven't worn it before.  But for some odd reason I really really like it.  Perfect for throwing on a casual layer when the weather just. won't. cooperate.

Alright, that's all for today.  I'll post tomorrow, promise!


OH. P.S.  I just learned how to fishtail braid.  It was a little messy today, but I'll be improving on that in the near future.

Over the Weekend

(L-R: Colleen, Sadie, Rachel, and me- for once in my life I'm the tall one!) 

Normally I don't have pictures from an exciting weekend to share, but I do now!  This past weekend Greg drove up from Tennessee and we went to Spring Cotillion with a couple of my friends.  I didn't want to overload you with pictures, but here are a few of my favorites...

Dress: Forever 21, $25

Shoes: Paris Hilton via TJ Maxx, $20

Earrings: Cato's, $2

I actually got my dress while I was in high school (and hadn't put it on since then.) A few weeks ago I got slightly nervous that maybe I underestimated my almost zero weight gain during college (Yay for no freshman fifteen!)  But luckily it still fit pretty perfectly.  And how perfect does Greg match??  We stopped by Macy's during a quick break on Saturday and picked out his shirt and tie in about 10 minutes time. Bonus points 'cause they were both on sale ;)

This is my friend and neighbor Sadie.  Every time a formalish event comes around she claims to be 100% helpless with doing her own hair and I usually volunteer to take over.  Although you would never be able to tell, her hair is a lot thinner than it looks.  Last cotillion she wanted a little bit of a poof with some volumous curls and we actually had to build a poof around a half up bun on the top of her head because it absolutely refused to be teased.  Surprisingly, this was her first up-do.  I thought the braid and curls looked pretty awesome though!

And on top of that awesome weekend- today is Greg's 21st birthday.  Yeah, I'm a little scared.... Just kidding ;)  Even though I'm almost 500 miles away and 100% broke, I have a few little birthday surprises up my sleeve.  As soon as I don't have to keep them a secret from him anymore I'll be sure to blog about it.  Hopefully everything turns out good!

Happy 21st Birthday Greg!

Nine.

{Top: GAP Outlet}{Skirt: Target}{Heels: Target}{Cardigan:Old Navy}

{Tights: WeLoveColors.com}{Necklace: Lucky}

To any of you that blog about outfits: Do you ever have a day where you just LOVE what you wear- only to take blog pictures and just not be satisfied? Well, today was one of those days. All day I felt great in what I was wearing; I loved the mix of the black and cream with the red maroon colored tights, the mix of shapes with the tight pencil skirt and flowy layered top, it all just felt like it "worked."

But later on when I was getting blog pictures, nothing really made the pictures show what I was feeling. Seriously, what I saw on the camera was not what I felt like I was seeing in the mirror. Idk, maybe I'm just overly confident until I'm faced with film. Ever have one of those days?

Where its from.

{Pants: Old Navy, $4}{Top: Walmart, $1}{Pink Belt: J.Crew, $14}{Oxfords: Urban Outfitters}

{Bracelets: Forever 21}

Although my outfits aren't always super put together and trendy I do try to look nicer than the average college student. This leads people to often ask me where I purchased something I'm wearing. If it's from Urban Outfitters or J.Crew or some cool vintage find I usually excitedly tell them from where, how much, and usually way too many more details they probably never wanted to know... But if I get something from somewhere not as "cool" I usually just mutter the details.

But surprisingly, I know a lot of people that are the same way. We're so proud of our "cool stuff" but not as excited to show off our cheaper things.

Personally, this all started in the 9th grade for me. One day one of the popular girls told me she loved my skirt and asked where I got it. I was new, and floored that she liked my outfit, so I replied that I had gotten it from walmart. She wrinkled her face, and as she turned to walk away replied, "ew, nevermind." For the rest of highschool if someone asked where I had gotten a Walmart item I always replied, "Thanks! But I'm not sure where it's from; it was a gift."

I know this isn't the case for everyone, but I still think it is sad that anyone at all would be ashamed at where they buy their clothes. Of course not all of us can afford the "popular" expensive brands, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be proud of our great deals!

I got my shirt for $1 at Walmart, and I got my pants for $4 at Old Navy, and I'm proud of it!

I'm in a deep sort of mood...

disclaimer: This is a somewhat long post that (with the exception of pictures) has pretty much nothing to do with fashion ... My attempt at being deep and inspirational actually. If you have an extra second, I'd love for you to stick with me!

{top:Forever 21, $7}{shorts:Gap Outlet, $10}{Cardigan:Gap, $10}

{Necklace:Urban Outfitters, $10}

Have you ever had one of those days that are just completely carefree and happy, and it just makes you SO happy to be alive? Haha, well that was my day today.

Without going into too much detail at the moment, a few months ago I was having somewhat of a hard time. I was depressed about classes not going as well as they normally do for me, I was upset about a long-term break-up, about my parent's pending divorce, about lost friendships, and to top it all off (among other things), my dog contracted a life threatening disease (another disclaimer, I'm one of those super mushy people whose pets are considered one of the family.) So, needless to say, it was a rough couple of months. I constantly saw happy people who seemed to "have it all." The perfect relationship, a close family, a huge circle of friends, and seemingly everything else that I thought I didn't have. I kept comparing my life to what I saw as theirs, and I would get sooo upset thinking about everything I had lost.

I put on a happy face and pretended that, as a strong person, none of these things bothered me. That I could handle anything thrown my way, with poise and confidence. I went to work, I smiled for blog pictures, I went through all the motions- but inside I couldn't help but feeling a constant sense of sadness.

Then one day as I was pitying myself, again, it just hit me- it didn't have to be that way. Sure, I had gone through ALOT, and I had the right to be sad for a small time... But when I looked at how much I was/am blessed to have, it suddenly seemed so much more manageable. I have a family that, despite now divided, loved me, great scholarships to a school I LOVE studying at, an internship with people I absolutely adored, a small, but close-knit group of friends who could make me smile with ridiculous antics at any time of day or night, etc. So, I made the decision to accept things that had happened to me, and to move. on.

Moving on is part of life. And to add a cheesy saying,

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall into place.

Since opening myself up to happiness, I have been so blessed. Sure, some of those sad things from months back still linger... But when I start to let them get to me, I just have to stop and remind myself at all of the better things that HAVE fallen into place.

Life Today

I feel like the above picture looks like I'm getting ready to do the "Walk Like a Man" Dance thing from the group The Four Seasons, haha.

About the Outfit

Top: Rue 21, $3

Skirt: Department Store, $4

Sandals: Payless, $3

Clutch: Target, $5

Bangles: Old Navy, $6

Necklace: Caire's, 50¢

About the Day

This was one of those outfits you kind of just throw on when you wake up several minutes AFTER you needed to leave your house to get to work on time. It's not anything special, but luckily it's not anything terrible either. I was having a kind of off day; the kind in which you delete important documents by accident, and all kinds of lovely things like that... But as I type this blog I'm watching my rabbit and Golden Retriever play in the front yard, and I must admit, it's making my day 100% better. Despite all the random little "bad things" that pop up, I love life.

Busy Day

About the outfit

Dress: Charlotte Russe, $15

Belt: Charlotte Russe, $8

Sandals: Payless, $3

Scarf: Vintage from my mom

Sunglasses: Rue 21, $5

Ring: Charlotte Russe, $4

About my day

Today was one of those days I just needed to get out of the house. right. now. So I threw this on and left with sunglasses and no makeup, something I havent done since probably middle school. Then I got to chickfila for lunch with my sister and realized why this is something I normally don't do... Because once you get inside somewhere, you're expected to take off your sunglasses, or else appear hungover. Coincidentally, this is also when I ran into pretty much everyone I know. joy. Anyways, here's to a better week to start.... now :)

Just a Little Message

Sorry, no cute outfit posts today :( It's honestly just been a lazy Sunday in which I'm desperately trying to finish the unpacking that should have been done weeks ago. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. But today is special because.... It's my friend Sara's 19th birthday! So

Sara, Happy Birthday. I hope you have an awesome day and if I wasn't 9 hours away I would jump out from a random corner, oreo in hand, and scare you (inside joke, sorry everybody!) But in all seriousness, thank you so much for always being there to listen and give advice, even when I know you're tired of hearing the same stories over and over. Now, let's plan a weekend rendezvous somewhere between our own states :)

Smalltown, USA

What

Dress: Rue 21, $2

Vest: TJ Maxx, 50¢

Heels: Rue 21, $2

Belt: Old Navy, $4

Earrings: Puerto Rican Market, $12

Sunglasses: Rue 21, $5

Where

Work and just a tiny bit of shopping. Usually it's physically impossible for for me to use "tiny bit" and "shopping" in the same sentence- but for $26 I got 2 dresses, 2 tops, a cardigan and a green cargo jacket at Old Navy. Gotta love sales :)

Why

So this isn't even the post office I use, but sometimes I pass it on the way to work, and I love how little and cute it is. It's alot like the town where I live. You can count on your neighbors for anything, and friends are as good as family. I have to admit, as much as I love traveling and going to school up North, at the end of the day nothing is better than my good ol' Southern home :)