Why, Hello There

Just wanted to let you know that I love you all and I promise that I will be around, but my posting will be a bit sporadic in the next few weeks. Finals are coming. In less than 2 weeks to be exact. And I am FREAKING out.

I wish you all luck as the semester comes to a close! I just keep reminding myself that Christmas break is only just around the corner. Got to have something to keep me sane. (:

Winter's Here (Finally!)

Winter's officially here, down here in Missouri! The summer-y fall weather seemed to last forever and a day, but when I woke up this morning, it was a goregous thirty four degrees outside. I know this is too cold for many people, but I love cold weather! Now, if only it was snowing...then it would be perfect! (:

A girl can dream, can't she?

Oh, Darling - It's a Music Monday

The song I could not stop listening to over the weekend and all last week over Thanksgiving break was "Oh Darling" by Plug In Stereo. Give it a try - I guarantee you'll fall in love! I know I did (over 100 times).

Back at the Zou

Today, Thanksgiving break ended and I headed back to CoMo to finish up the semester and study (all right, let's be real here, cram) for finals. While it really really sucked to leave Milwaukee (I love my home friends and my family and...everything about the city), I am glad to be back with my school friends. Plus, I keep fixating on the good news -- I'm going to be back home again in 17 days! Fantastic, right?

How were your Thanksgiving breaks?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello all,

I hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! I have so much to be thankful for this year, and one of those things is this blog. (: I'm so happy to have a place to share my thoughts and my experiences (and my love for all things fashion!) with likeminded people. I could go on for days about how thankful I am about everything in my life, but I'll let you get back to your family and friends and that delish pumpkin pie.

Have a great rest of your Thanksgiving! And if you, like me, are getting up at the crack of midnight tomorrow to go shopping on the best holiday of the year (Black Friday!!), I wish you much luck and hope you have a fantastic time. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Home for the Holidays

Now that I've been home for a couple days, I can't stop thinking about the holidays! Thanksgiving on Thursday, of course, and Christmas which comes shortly after! I love love love the holiday season, and part of it is dressing the part. What are you wearing this holiday season? Have you started to contemplate the many options yet?

These are four options I've been considering...but I have yet to make a decision! (:

Musical Mondays

I love this song -- it brings me back to middle school...just a little bit. I feel like I should be wearing Aeropostale and a newsboy cap while wearing black and pink Pumas. Oh yeah, can't you tell I had great fashion sense?

Cable Knits and Christmas Spirit

So...I'm HOME! I'm HOME! I'm HOME!

I'm still pinching myself a little bit and I am so happy that I'm back in Milwaukee. It's so good to be home...in my own bed...with my own room...with a shower where I don't need to wear shoes...where I can drive my own car.

What are your favorite parts of going home? Fill me in!

Here we are a travellin'

While you read this, I will be on my way home for the holidays! (ee!) This is an ideal "travel-home" outfit - the perfect mix of comfort, warmth, functionality, fashion and holiday spirit. Jeggings and a sweater provide comfort... Suitcase and a large hobo bag provide functionality... Peacoat, boots and a beanie provide warmth... and a goregous brooch and a pair of earrings provide the perfect amount of holiday spirit.

I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! Next time I blog, I'll be home!!

What are your plans for the weekend?

FBFF: What I'm Thankful For

This week for Fashion-Beauty Friend Friday, we're thinking about thankfulness - how timely as Thanksgiving is less than a week away (ee!). Here's the prompt: As tradition... for the Friday beforeThanksgiving. What are the things you are most thankful for right now?

I am thankful for many things, and this post definitely made me think about all the blessings I have -- which I narrowed down to a top ten list of things I am thankful for. So here we go:

Top Ten Things I am Thankful For This Year

10. Shopping and Fashion (:

I love clothes and fashion and shopping. I am so happy it's my passion and that I know what I want to do with the rest of my life. (:

9. Nature

Nature is goregous, and it makes me so happy that we live in a world where it can be seen everywhere. I know it sounds silly, but I always have nightmares like that one Carebears episode where they coat everything with concrete and the Care Bears have to undo it... (Wow, I can't believe I just admited this.)

8. Books

Books...such a great escape from reality.

7. Music

I don't know what I'd do without music, it does so much for me. No day is complete without it and it does miracles with my mood and such.

6. New opportunitiesI'm so excited about my opportunity with the Disney College Progam -- and I'm so lucky to have so many blessings on the way. (:

5. Good health

I'm so happy that my friends, my family and I have all been blessed with good health this year, in the past, and (hopefully) well into the future. I say thanks everyday for this.

4. Education

I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to pursue a higher education, especially at Mizzou. I love it here and am so happy about the knowledge that I am gaining.

3. My school friends

I've met some great friends here in CoMo and I'm so lucky to have them! I would trust them with anything and I know that they always have my back. Always. Sometimes even when I don't necessarily deserve it. Not all are pictured here, but those who aren't know who they are.

2. My home friends

My friends from home... words cannot describe how much I love them. This is only a few of them but I know that they will always be there for me and I have so many great memories its ridiculous. I can't wait to see them over break!

1. My family

I love my family. Here's a photo of three of my cousins at my sister's wedding reception, but I love my entire family - extended to insular - even though I can't seem to find a huge picture of all of them on my computer. They're always here for me, no matter what, and can always make me smile. I love them soooo much and I can't believe I get to see them tomorrow! I'm so excited!

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

Holiday Spirit

Remember when yesterday I was in a Spring state of mind? Well that's far gone now, thanks to a lot of talking with my family on the phone last night and 26 degree weather today! Now, I am even more excited to go home (ee!!) and for the holiday season.

I've been listening to Christmas music all day on Pandora and have been packing and getting work done so I have as little homework to do over break as possible. I can't believe its almost Thanksgiving!

How excited are you for break?

Spring State of Mind (in 40 degree weather)

I know its November, and next week is Thanksgiving, but right now I am in such a Spring state of mind. The weather is freezing but I've been doing some Spring cleaning, both in my life and in reality, so my brain's been set on the warmer months.

Maybe, perhaps, when I go home for break on Saturday (ee!) I'll go back to the Christmas spirit I am meant to be.

Sparkle and Shine

Today, all I felt like was sparkle and shine. I wanted glitter and sequins and rhinestones and all that sparkles with the elegance of blush and flowers and pearls. This is the outfit I felt like wearing.

But, alas, in reality, I setteld for glass beads, polka dots and black cutout flats. Same idea, not nearly as fun.

Maybe these items will make it onto my Christmas list....are you listening Santa?

Music Monday

A song to get you through your Monday. I love this song and my roommate and I have been listening to it nonstop all weekend.

Stylish School Spirit (Say that 3 times fast)

Mizzou-RAH! Mizzou-RAH! Mizzou-RAH!

One of the quintessential college activities is football games, and early in the semester it is easy to get dressed for them - college tee or tank, shorts, sandals. But, as the weather cools down, it is harder to still be stylish and warm - while showing school spirit! This outfit, which I put together on Polyvore (I am SO addicted to that website), balances school spirit and warmth perfectly. A longsleeve tee under a college tee will keep you warm while mascot earrings and a bag/shoes in school colors show your spirit!

As for me, yesterday I attended my first college football game. I know, blasphemy as it is the end of the season (last game is next weekend), but I got sick during the first game of the season (I didn't even see kickoff) and I never got season tickets so I didn't really think about it. My friend Brittany dragged me to this one and I was convinced that I was going to be bored out of my mind (I'm not really a football person, I greatly prefer college basketball) but I had a GREAT time. It was so much fun and now I'm strongly considering getting season tickets for next year!

I didn't get any pictures at the game, but here is a pic of me and my friends Brittany and Travis after we WON the game!! I say we, you know, because Britt, Trav and I were directly responsible for the win (haha just kidding). But don't you love our noodies?! (hoodies with no hood - aka, a sweatshirt)
Aren't we too cute?

How do you show school spirit at games? Do you even attend them? Fill me in!

Promotions and Winter - They CAN mix!

I love my school's radio station. I love working for it on the promotions team and going to events and talking to people -- which is what I'm doing tonight! While most promotions events are inside, requiring a cute top and jeans, the event is outside -- in the nice chilly 38 degree weather.

The layering is one the most important parts of this outfit - sweater than jacket - and some cute winter accessories top it off! A beautiful beret and mittens will keep it cozy while I'm mingling with guests and pearls keep it classy. Matching boots and coat keep it cohesive and the sweater is a goregous gold, a beautiful pop of color!

How will you be looking cute this winter season? Any big events coming up?

Jeggings: Yay or Nay (I vote YAY!)

Thursdays are a busy day for me, starting with a (painful) 8am Chem Lab and continueing onto two other painful classes, last of which lets out at 4:45pm. Not only does this busy day call for so must-needed steam letout afterwards (can you say too many episodes of Gossip Girl and a LOT of time on tumblr? cause that's what I accomplished this evening!), it also calls for comfy clothes that are structures but still easy to toss on after too few hours of sleep, when all you want to do is crawl under the covers and hide from the world.

This means Jeggings.

Yes, I know that Jeggings are not only old news (and so 2009), but my little blog hasn't been around too long so I feel like I need to do a short writeup about this brilliant invention. 'Cause I love them...a lot. Leggings...that look like pants...with pockets!

Yeah, they're the best.

What day? Wednesday!

Sorry for the brief hiatus yesterday -- I had a HUGE Chem exam this morning so I spent the prior 36 hours in the law library and general library with my nose stuck in the text -- no internet, no phone, no nothing. Luckily, I think the test went pretty well (here's hoping!). But, now that the exam is done, I have a couple minutes of breathing before onto the next thing...

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But Thanksgiving Break is on its way (I just confirmed my ride today!!) and that's one of the things getting me through the next ten days. I'm sure I'll gush more about it in the coming days, but I CANNOT wait to be home. In my own bed. With my own friends. And my lovely family. And all my favorite places in the whole world. Gahh - is it November 19th yet?

via Polyvore

As for the fashion front, Pinterest and Polyvore have become two of my favorite time wasters -- ahem, I mean, research outlets. The outfit inspiration and beautiful clothes are endless...my Christmas wishlist is a mile long!

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More later, I'm sure!

Countdown to Disney

Disney College Program. That's where I'll be in just ELEVEN WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeupp, that's right, in 77 days, I will be paid to be in the Happiest Place on Earth. I will be a PhotoPass Photographer in Walt Disney World for Spring 2012, and I can hardly contain my excitement!

Wouldn't this outfit be the CUTEST for movein? I think so!

Lazing 'Round in the Lounge

Every once in a while, you need a lazy Saturday when all you do is stay in your loungewear and hang out in bed or in the room all day. I had one of those today, and it was fabulous!

I just hung around the room all day, listening to Christmas music and surfing the web. I also watched a lot of Friends and Gossip Girl and spent too much time on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Facebook. All in all, it was a good day. However, tomorrow I gotta be productive!

How was your Saturday?

FBFF: What a Novel Idea!

I love to read. So, the fact that my first FBFF post is about reading is a great coincidence and I've had a lot of fun with this one!

The theme (via Modly Chic): "November is the national novel writingmonth, and since I've been working on my next young adult book for thelast several months with very little progress it got me thinking...what's everyone reading? Let's keep this one basic and fun... name your top five favorite books, or the last five books you read."

The last five books that I've read:
1. Please Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain - This book was an excellent interpretation on the punk movement. It was fascinating and I definitely consider it a must read, whether or not you're interested in the music genre.
2. Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg - Howl is a classic for a reason. The prose and poetry in this series of poems in beautiful, it really makes you think.
3. Don't You Forget About Me: Contemporary Writers on the Flims of John Hughes - A series of short stories and essays about the eighties films which caused a major shift in film history and pop culture. A definite must-read if you even remotely like/love the films.
4. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsch - The book which turned into one of my favorite British films with the same name. This novel is written in dialect, which makes it a little difficult to read, but it is definitely worth it!
5. Dubliners by James Joyce - a series of short stories by classic Irish writer James Joyce. A definite must read in studying British literature, if you're interested in Ireland or if you even remotely like classic lit.

My top five favorite books:
1. Writings from Prison by Bobby Sands - The smuggled poetry and prose of IRA revolutionary Bobby Sands. Heartbreaking and intense, this is a must read which sheds new light on the Struggles in Northern Ireland.
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Plath's tale of a woman going insane in New York City in the 20th century. I can read it over and over and never get sick of it.
3. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - Hemingway's interpretation of the Lost Generation is riveting. I love his writing style and diction -- the characters and plot line of this novel are phenomenal.
4. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen - Similar to the Bell Jar, Kaysen's bio-novel of going insane and being in an insane asylum. Riveting.
5. Anything by Janet Evanovich or Sue Grafton - Fluffy and light, both Grafton and Evanovich write great murder-suspense literature with a twist of humor and romance.

I'd recommend any or all of these if you're looking for a good read! (:

All Time High

Last night I got to see one of my favorite bands, All Time Low, play at the Blue Note in Columbia. I am still shocked that they played in such a small venue, but it was a great show! Me and two of my friends, Molly and Tess, waited outside before the show (me, from 10:30 am, them, from 11:30am) so we would be really close to the stage. Even though we ended up two rows back (ughh -- hate the preference meet and greets get), it was definitely worth it! It was so much fun hanging out with my friends all day, getting all dressed up and having a blast.

I wore a black bandage skirt with a cute lace tank top, paired with my favorite converse (black in the front, leopard print in the back. I'm on the left, Tess is in the center, and Molly is on the right.
We got to meet the keyboardist and vocalist of Paradise Fears before the show, and the keyboardist kept coming back both before and after the show to hang out.

All Time Low always puts on a great show, and the two openers (The Ready Set and Paradise Fears) were amazing too.
All Time Low played some of my favorite songs - Lost in Stereo and Six Feet Under the Stars but I was disappointed that they didn't play Jasey Rae. ):

They played Therapy as well, which made me cry my eyes out. I felt a little ridiculous, but that song has gotten me through so much.

After the show, we waited for over two hours in the FREEZING RAIN to meet them, and they didn't even make an appearance! That was disappointing, but I tried not to let it ruin the night -- the experience was definitely worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat!
Can't wait until their next tour...

*All photos are courtesy of the lovely Tess*

It's the Holiday Season...

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Now that Halloween has come and gone (I hope yours was just as fabulous as mine was!), it is NOVEMBER FIRST!!!!!! Do you know what that means? Yes, besides it being Tuesday and the Day of the Dead in Mexico (Thanks to my roommate for these two guesses...haha), it means it is the first day of the Holiday Season -- which means, CHRISTMAS MUSIC STARTS TODAY!!!! I am so excited!!

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Are you as much of a Christmas junkie as I am? I'm already decorating our dorm room for the holidays, sipping on a Peppermint Hot Chocolate (in the seasonal red cup) from Starbucks -- the first one for me for the season (ftw)--, and listening to Christmas Radio on Pandora! I love this, and my roommate has been giggling through my dorkiness. Me and my friends on the floor are already planning Secret Santa for the floor and getting ready to decorate the lounge -- we bought a Christmas Tree on Saturday at Walmart.

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Not only do I love every aspect if the Holiday Season (get ready for a LOT of pre-Christmas posts on every topic imaginable!), I also love the fashion that Fall and Winter brings - thick sweaters, boots, coats in every type imaginable and scarves, just to name a few! It thrills me just to think about it...

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A few songs to get you started in your holiday spirit -- some classics and some remakes by a few of my favorite bands:

1. Let it Snow! Let in Snow! Let it Snow! - Bing Crosby

2. White Christmas - Frank Sinatra

3. Silver Bells - Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald

4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Coldplay
5. Holiday Road - Matt Pond PA

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What do you love most about the holidays? Got any recommendations for Christmas music for me? What about your favorite fashion that's hitting stores for the holidays? Let me know!