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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Ten little things (that I love about halloween)

Happy Halloween!  There are oh so many things that I love about this day.  Scary movies is not one of them, but the following ten things are.

1. Autumn leaves are continuing to fall.

2. Memories. Like my 9th grade Halloween when my best friend and I dressed up in inflatable sumo suits. At school.  We were pretty bold freshman.

3. More memories.  Halloween blizzards.  Laying all my candy out on the living room floor, separating it and then deciding how many pieces I was (graciously, if you asked me) going to give to my parents.  That was of course prior to them stealing candy from my stash on a daily basis thinking I didn't know.  I also loved the year I was a soccer ball and my brother was a basketball.  We were two classy kids.

4. Halloween candy.  Mainly twix.  I almost bought some at Target this morning until I realized I would have had to walk all the way to the back of the store to do so.  I settled on the ghirardelli that was conveniently located at the front of the store instead (although really that's not settling at all).

5. One last pumpkin spice latte.  It's just as good at this very moment as it was at the beginning of the season.

6. Haunted trails and houses.  Really, this is so uncharacteristic of me.  I greatly dislike scary movies and haunted houses aren't my favorite, but they're just festive enough for me to want to go to them.  I'm a sucker for anything that's considered festive.

7.  Halloween movies!  This week has been incredibly busy so tonight I wholeheartedly plan to sit on my couch, paint my nails and watch the first Halloween movie that comes my way.  I sincerely hope it's Hocus Pocus.

8. Wearing orange.  Yes I'm that girl.  The festive one.  I have this orange sweater that just never seems to work.  But today, it gets to have a shining moment.

9.  PUMPKIN SCENTED CANDLES.  I am so passionate about these.  Can you tell by the all caps?

10. Little kids in Halloween costumes.  Is there anything better, really?  This morning I saw the cutest little boy with his mom picking out a shark costume for the big day.  Have you ever felt your heart melting?  That's literally what happened.

In all honesty, I was going to post a 'ten reasons i'm looking forward to the holidays' list this week.  I wrote it a week ago in approximately two minutes.  That's how excited I am about the holidays. But I restrained myself.  Because its Halloween and Halloween deserves to have a moment of it's own.

And P.S.  In case you didnt know, you all are wonderful, awesome people.  I loved your comments on yesterday's post.  Every time I read a new one, I thought to myself, "People are so nice! And they give such amazing advice!"  Because you are.  And you do.  And I appreciate it. 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Life after college


Have you ever noticed how everyone seems to have an opinion about everything when you're a college graduate?  And have you noticed how their opinions all seem to contradict each other?  You should go to grad school.  You should take some time off.  You should get a job, any job that comes along.  You should fight hard for your dream job.  You should travel the world.  Traveling the world is a waste of money.  You should get married.  You're too young to get married.  And on and on it goes.  I usually just nod my head or listen politely while people give me these speeches.  But hearing everyone else's opinions does make it difficult to listen to your own sometimes.

Ever since graduating from college in May, I've felt slightly lost.  It seems that this is considered the norm among recent graduates, but it’s still slightly unnerving.  I spent all summer job hunting, interning a few days a week and blogging, blogging, blogging.  Then in late August I was offered and accepted the position I currently have.  Although it’s a steady job and my co-workers are wonderful, I know and have known since accepting it that it is the wrong job for me. 

On the bright side, I’m lucky that when I come home at the end of the day I get to work on the other niche of my life that I love so much.  That little niche includes blogging right here and interning for The Everygirl.  I can't even tell you how fulfilled these things make me.  My days may get long sometimes but it's so nice to know that I get to work on something that I'm actually passionate about at the end of each one.

I just wanted to throw this topic out there for a day, mainly because it is on the forefront of my mind so often.  Posts about budget finds and fashion essentials are all lovely, but sometimes it's nice to write about what's actually going on.  Is anyone else in the same position right now? Is anyone else still just trying to figure it all out?  Hopefully I'm not the only one.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend was slightly exhausting, but so much fun.  My roommate and I had a few friends stay with us and we played intense games of catch phrase and went to Halloween parties.  All my grand Halloween costume plans were thrown out the window as the holiday snuck up on me yet again this year.  I dressed up as a ballerina, which was slightly underwhelming, but that's okay.  I did see some amazing costumes on other people so that made my day a little.  My favorite was a group of people dressed as Santa & Santa's reindeer running through the streets of Minneapolis in formation.  

On Saturday I went to a bridal shower for my brother's fiance.  And Sunday was
cleaning/organizing/laundering/Everygirling day.  Overall it was a wonderful weekend.  The only problem is now I want Friday to be here again.  Is anyone else with me?  Here's to this week going by as quickly as possible.

A rainy day in the city. // My new favorite. // Festive candy jar.
 Halloween. // New wedges. // Pre bridal shower shoe shopping. 
Green tea latte. // Afternoon sunshine. // Kashi goodness for dinner.  I'm A okay with that.

I hope you have a great start to your week!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Dreaming of the Holidays

Yes I'm one of those people.  I like to start thinking about the holidays as soon as possible.  Holiday pinning in September?  You betcha. Holiday shopping in October?  Sure thing.  I don't know what this says about me, but Christmas is officially less than two months away and that means the holidays are at the forefront of my mind.  Bring on the gift shopping, present wrapping, tree decorating and hot cocoa drinking.  What are you looking forward to about the most wonderful time of the year?

Images via

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Thursday Trends

{bold patterns...especially on capes}

Pinning is an instinctive activity.  I don't think about anything too much, I just pin what strikes me as beautiful or interesting in the moment.  I think my boards on pinterest display the most accurate reading of my style preferences at any given point in time.  These are a few trends I'm currently coveting.  What are your favorite trends?

{metallic details}

 {a statement piece to complete an outfit}

{sparkle} 

{a pop of color}

{kelly green}

Images via: 123456

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Ten Little Things

Here is a lovely little list of ten things that have made me happy lately.  For other lists you can go here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.  Woah.  That's 80 little things that have brightened my day.  Here are just a few more...

1. When you wake up, think it's a weekday, realize it's the weekend and go back to sleep.  I had heard of this phenomenon before, but had never ever had it happen (shocking, right?) until this past Saturday.  I woke up at 6am, checked my phone, saw that it was Saturday, smiled and went right on back to sleep.

2. The smell of the candle aisle.  I got a whiff of the one at Target last week.  It was wonderful.

3. When the barista at Starbucks messes up an order and you get a delicious beverage fo free.  When I was at Starbucks all day Sunday I saw this happen to other people approximately 7 times.  I'm thinking I should hang out at coffee shops more often.

4. Listening to a brand new album beginning to end (i.e. Red).

5. Fall leaves swirling around you on a windy autumn day.

6. Seasonal movies.  What's my favorite movie this season?  Hocus Pocus.  Hands down.  Brings me right on back to my childhood.

7. Presidential Debates.  And SNL recaps of presidential debates.

8.  Puppies and kittens.  Can we all just generally agree that puppies and kittens make people happy?

9. When you come home after a long day and realize that your roommate/significant other has made you dinner or some sort of delicious dessert concoction.  Happy times. 

10. That feeling on Fridays just as work or class ends and the weekend begins.  I love that moment. 

P.S. Another feature that I designed is up on The Everygirl today! (Yay!)  Head on over to check out the very talented, extraordinarily motivated (she begins every day at...prepare yourselves...2 am!) woman behind the brand Ali Ro.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Think Pink

As most of you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I think there are very few people, if any at all, who haven't been affected by cancer in some way.  Yesterday The Everygirl posted a feature on the topic that is definitely worth a read.  To donate or learn more about the cause, visit here.  And in the meantime, wear pink all through the month of October.
J. Crew Factory Top // Nine West Heels // BaubleBar Necklace 
Michael Kors Wallet // Ali Ro Anorak Jacket // Gap Pants
J. Crew Ballet Flats // H&M Dress // J. Crew Purse

Monday, October 22, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend was another incredibly relaxing one in my life.  I got about 21 hours of sleep.  Does it sound excessive?  Okay, it's a little excessive, but I was exhausted after a crazy busy week last week.  Minneapolis also outdid itself this weekend.  It was seventy beautiful degrees out yesterday.  Despite the fact that I spent most of the day working inside Starbucks, it was still nice to have the wonderful season that is fall stick around a little while longer.  What did you all do this weekend?


On another note, I'm actually excited that it's Monday.  Or rather, I'll be excited after work today.  Taylor's new album came out today and that is reason enough for excitement in my world.  I hope you all can find something to brighten your Monday, too.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Happy

I place a great deal of importance on being happy.  It's a constant goal of mine every single day.  So last week when I saw Emily publish a post about a documentary titled 'Happy,' I naturally had to learn more.  Last night I watched the documentary and, of course, I loved it.   The film explores the variables that lead to happiness.  It also profiles a diverse group of people from around the world about the things that make them happy. 

The film really made me think about the ways in which I live my life.  And it make me realize there are a few things I would like to change to ultimately reach the goal of becoming more happy. 

1. Small acts of kindness.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve thought of doing something nice for someone without actually doing it.  I often think of buying a meal for a homeless person I see in the city or treating a friend to a latte out of the blue.  But it’s rare that these ideas actually turn into actions.  I am going to start incorporating more small acts of kindness in to my everyday routines.  Relatedly, I plan to start sending more handwritten letters and care packages to friends.  Many of my closest friends have recently moved across the country (and internationally, too).  I know how extraordinarily happy I am whenever I get something in the mail so I want to pass that on. 

2. More me time.  One idea that is discussed in the film is that of flow.  Flow is described as something that makes you so content and so fulfilled that you completely lose yourself in it and it becomes your sole focus.  It could be gardening, cooking, working at your job or anything, really.  I took some time to think about some things that makes me feel this way and I think two of them would be yoga and playing guitar.  I know I am far from perfect at either of these activities, but I also know that I completely forget about all my stresses and worries when I am in the midst of them. 

3. Devote more time to friends and family.   As I was watching the film last night, I realized that I have been completely taking my friends and family for granted lately.  Even though I don’t like to admit it, my work has been my first and foremost priority and those closest to me have come last.  I am going to make a much greater effort to commit time to those around me.  I think in order for this to work I will have to create (and follow) specific timelines in which to complete to do lists.   

I highly suggest that you take the time to watch this documentary.  It made me think differently about things and it might just make you think differently, too.  In the meantime, I’m so glad it’s Friday.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Image via

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Home

As a college student and recent graduate, I've been moving in and out of various apartments for over four years.  I just counted and I've lived nine different places since starting college in the fall of 2008.  That includes relocating for summer jobs and studying abroad, but still, it's a heck of a lot of packing.

When you move that much, it can be difficult to establish a home in the perfect design that you've always dreamed of.  Not to mention, it's also difficult to design a dream home on a college student's budget.  But someday when I do live in my dream home and someday when I have a more permanent address, I hope it looks a little something like this.

Clean lines, simple, open, and slightly eclectic.  Necessities include: an inspiration board, lamps all over the place, vintage elements (distressed wood) mixed with modern elements and lots of frames and mirrors.

Images via: 123456, 78910

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Costume

Halloween.  Oh what a lovely time of year.  I don't like scary movies and I don't like haunted houses but I love a good Halloween costume.

Unfortunately, I have a problem.  I am extraordinarily indecisive (my mom and good friends can attest to this).  I'm so indecisive that last year I didn't pick out a Halloween costume until the night of Halloween.  And would you like to know what I was?  I was...autumn.  As in the season.  As in fall.  As in the worst costume idea of my life.

So this year, for obvious reasons, I need to be a bit more proactive and decisive in picking out my costume.  Want to help me with this?  Okay, awesome.  I've listed a few thoughts below.  And please let me know if you have any other ingenious ideas, too.  I would love to hear them!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

The big day is officially only two weeks away!  What are you all going to be for Halloween?

P.S. Another Everygirl feature designed by yours truly is up today.  Go check out Macala Wright if you have the time!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Mary-Kate & Ashley

Anyone who knows me is going to be completely unfazed by the title of this post.  Or maybe they will be slightly shocked that this topic hasn't come up yet.  Either way, it is common knowledge among my family and friends that I love Mary-Kate and Ashley.  

But now that they've grown up and I have, too, I love them for completely different reasons.  It used to be for their books, movies, fan club, (oh yes they had a fan club) magazine (they had a magazine, too) and their initial clothing line at Walmart.  Now I'm in love with all of the wonderful clothing lines they've cultivated. Elizabeth & James, The Row and of course my beloved StyleMint.  The duo were also named Womenswear Designers of the Year by the CFDA in June.  Impressive stuff.  Here are a few of my favorite picks from Mary-Kate and Ashley.  

Pant // Sunglasses // Tote
Bootie // Jacket // Ring
Dress // Tee // Jean

Did anyone else grow up watching Full House and every single one of their straight to DVD releases?  I hope I wasn't the only one!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

One night in, one night out with good friends, nineteen hours of sleep and lots of relaxing later, I feel like a new woman.  This weekend was so needed and I'm glad I finally got to take a little break.  It's not often that I can sit and watch a little tv without doing any work on the side or go to bed without setting an alarm.  But when it happens I soak it in and I do not question it.

Friday lunch / arguably the best veggie burger I've ever had. // Catching up on Modern Family. 
Homemade veggie wraps are my favorite. // Peplum top & leopard loafers.  // Trying out a new smoothie recipe. // Recipe via The Everygirl & Joy the Baker. // I finally had time to practice guitar again. // My favorite part about my new apartment is the little balcony. // Sunday to do lists on a cute notepad.

And now another Monday is upon us.  Here's to having a wonderful week and to the weekend being here before we know it.  Sound good?  Okay, awesome.  What did you all do this weekend? 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Zara Home

I remember the first time I walked into a Zara store.  I was seventeen and I was in France on a trip with my French class.  I walked into the store and fell in love immediately.  I also remember going to Zaras in Mexico City and Spain as well as Chicago two weeks ago.  I remember when I found out Zara had opened an online store in the US.  I ran into class the next morning and discussed it with some friends excitedly.  Case in point, I have a long history of loving everything and anything Zara related.  And now Zara Home has come along and I couldn't be more thrilled.  These are a few of my favorite picks from the home collection.

Tumbler // Pillow // Tray
Stool // Rug
What do you think of the Zara home collection?  Hate it?  Love it? And of the course the most important question to ask, who the heck doesn't need a metallic hamper?  I know I sure do. 

Happy Thursday everyone!  It's almost the weekend!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ten Little Things

Another week, another Ten Little Things list.  This past week I actually managed to keep track of these moments when they happened.  I was pretty impressed with myself.

1. Wearing new shoes for the very first time.  New shoes also always remind me of this song.

2. When you're listening to pandora and your favorite song comes on.  Those folks at pandora just know.  How do they do it?  

3. Re-watching your favorite childhood tv shows.  It's The O.C. for me.  Takes me back every time.

4. Opening a dove chocolate wrapper and reading the little note inside.

5. The smell of the coffee aisle at the grocery store.  It's the best.

6. Wearing your favorite pair of heels.  They just give you that extra boost of confidence.  Does anyone know what I mean?

7. Big piles of fall leaves.  Especially when I have time to obnoxiously walk through them and kick them all over the place.

8. That moment when you finally find what you spent five minutes looking for at the bottom of your bag.  Chapstick.  Keys.  Cell phone.  It all magically seems to get lost down there right when you need it!

9. National Mean Girls Day last week.  Twitter just lit up all day with Mean Girls quotes.  Regardless of the fact that it wasn't an actual holiday, it made a very happy camper.

10. Discovering that along with The Book of Awesome (which is like these posts except much more in depth and much more hilarious) there is also The Book of (Holiday) Awesome.  I literally don't know if I can handle it.  It makes me too happy.

I hope you all find the little things in your lives that make you happy on a daily basis.  Write them down.  Remember them.  Be thankful for them.  It's good stuff, I promise.

Oh!  And I designed the feature over at The Everygirl today so please head on over to check it out.  There will be more to come in the next few weeks!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Girl on a Budget Part II

I did it again.  Two weeks in a row.  Guys, I'm trying hard not to repeat post ideas multiple weeks in a row but this little series is too hard to pass up.

See I have a problem.  I have a problem with expensive brands and investment pieces.  The pieces I want rarely match what my bank account wants.  Solution?  Browsing more budget friendly pieces online as opposed to the super expensive pieces that I usually love to look at.

So I give you Girl on a Budget Part II.





J. Crew Factory Purse $58 // BaubleBar Necklace $28 // Collective Concepts Top $44.50
H&M Jacket $30 // Mumford & Sons Babel $13 // H&M Pants $35 
J. Crew Top $34.50 // Gap Flats $45 // Zara Bag $50


A mix of some of the items I'm loving for fall.  Peplum.  Structured jackets.  Sweaters.  Ballet Flats.  Oh, and Mumford & Sons.  Because I'm loving their new album.  And I love this video, too.

P.S.  Get an extra 25% off final sale items at J. Crew through Friday (i.e. that sweater above! Yay!).

P.P.S. Happy Tuesday!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

I wish my weekend had looked a little more like this...
























Instead it looked like this...









The winter coat and boots came out for a freezing Saturday event. // Working working working.
I took a little break to catch up on my very favorite show. // Runners at mile 21!

I know.  The fun of my weekend is almost too much to handle.  Please try to contain your excitement.

It was one heck of a busy weekend.  I worked a lot on Everygirl features and had a work event for my day job on Saturday morning.  On Sunday morning I watched my friends run the Twin Cities marathon and I ran 9 miles myself to and from my cheering spot.  They both did an amazing job on a chilly yet beautiful fall morning.  After the marathon I went grocery shopping, did laundry, cleaned the apartment, worked a bit more and caught up on some New Girl.  Needless to say, I'm already looking forward to next weekend when I have absolutely no plans as of yet (so excited!).

How was your weekend?

Friday, October 5, 2012

This Weeked

This weekend is going to be another busy one.  I have a work event on Saturday from 8am until noon and I need to work on a few Everygirl related things.  I will also be sneaking in some time to catch up with friends at some point.  And Sunday is the Twin Cities Marathon.  This portion of the post makes me a bit nostalgic.

Most of you probably don't know that I am an avid runner.  I started running small town summer races when I was 6 or 7.  I ran cross country all through high school and right before my freshman year of college I decided to sign up for my first marathon.  I had always wanted to do one and decided that if another runner could do it, why the heck couldn't I?  Since then I've ran three marathons.  Three of my very best friends have also run marathons (and another will run his first this weekend!) and others have run half marathons.  I do not want to flatter myself, but sometimes I like to think that perhaps I inspired my friends to sign up for these races.  It would mean a lot if I played a role in that.



Marathons 1, 2, & 3

But this year I chose not to sign up for the marathon (I'm trying so hard not to regret it) and therefore this weekend I'll be cheering on my best friends from the sidelines.  I miss running marathons so much, and I can guarantee you that it will not be long before my weekend recaps start to contain marathon training.  A year is far too long for me to be away from it.

Regardless of whether or not you're a runner, I hope everyone can relate to this post in some way.  Has there ever been anything you really wanted to do but weren't sure if you could?  Perhaps you took the leap of faith and did it anyway.  After all, the best, most rewarding things in life usually require that initial leap of faith.  Those things aren't easy, but they're so worth it.

Good talk.  If you read all that, you get a gold star.  Or two.  Now go have an amazing weekend!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Lulu & Georgia

Have you all heard of the new home decor site Lulu & Georgia?  If not, you should consider going to check it out...right at this moment.  All of the pieces are completely lovely and beautiful.  I'm not going to lie to you all, this post is going to be the exact opposite of Tuesday's budget post (meaning there is no budget).  But every once in a while it's okay to dream of things that are a bit out of my price range, right?  Okay, awesome.  Glad that's settled.  So go take a peek at the incredibly curated site and let me know which pieces are your favorites!  These are mine.





1. Pune Rug // 2. Tray // 3. Mirror // 4. Gunner Chair // 5. Lana Lamp
6. Fairmont Coffee Table // 7. Vase // 8. Lamps // 9. Pillow // 10. Rug

Apparently blue is where it's at right now. A bit of a contrast from my entirely purple bedroom at my last apartment.  I wish there was an apartment fairy that would give all of these pieces to me for free.  Here's hoping.

P.S. All beautiful home furnishings aside, did anyone watch the presidential debates last night?  I sure did.  They were a bit dry at times, but it was still great to catch up a little on the current status of the election.  For someone like myself who minored in Political Science in college, I have been completely lacking in the political arena lately.  Does anyone else have opinions on the debate?

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Ten Little Things

Those of you that have been reading my blog for a little while have definitely heard this before.  I think it is so important to focus on the little things in life.  If you focus on all of the tiny little things you have to be thankful for instead of focusing on all the problems in your life, you are going to end up with more things to be thankful for in the end.  These are some of the lovely little moments in my life lately.

1.  When the barista at Starbucks gives you a venti instead of a grande.  This happened to me on Monday.  It made my day.  I don't know if she did it on accident or was just trying to be nice, but whatever it was, it made me so happy.

2. Drinking an ice cold glass of water when you're really, really thirsty.

3. Getting into bed at night.  It's one of my favorite parts of the day.  Sleeping is wonderful, don't you think?

4. Writing letters to friends and knowing they will put a smile on their face.

5. Getting packages in the mail, like these shoes that I got today.  I knew the package was coming.  I'd been tracking it online.  But when I saw it in my apartment lobby it was still a day-maker.

6. Things my friends say.  Like when one of my friends gets really excited about something and says he needs to press his life alert button.  Or when another calls sunglasses haterblockers.  Gets me every. time.

7. Argan oil.  I tried a sample of it a few days ago and my hair was in heaven.  So shiny.  So soft.  So much less frizzy.  I just might have to buy a full size version sometime soon.

8. Christmas things in October.  I might get some criticism for this one, but I love starting the holiday season early.  It puts me in such a good mood.

9. Mondays. Why?  Because Taylor Swift is releasing a new song from her upcoming album every Monday this October.  Yep, you should probably know that about me.  Taylor is one of my favorite musicians.  Judge away.  Or agree away.  I'm sure there's a mixture of opinions about that. 

10. Getting e-mails from bloggers.  Maybe they wanted to say something super nice or maybe they had a question or maybe they just wanted to talk beyond commenting.  I love em all.  

So go indulge in the little things.  And notice them when they happen.  You'll start to realize there is a lot more to be thankful for than you thought.  

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Girl on a Budget

The title of this post describes me perfectly.  I'm always on a budget and have been even more strict with said budget since starting college four years ago.  Do my style posts always reflect this budget?  Heck no.  Why?  Because this blog is about dreaming and being inspired and believing that someday I will be able to afford all of these things I have my eye on.  And why else?  Because it's my blog, and I post what I want (I promise that is the only time I'll ever say that on here. I felt obnoxious just typing it!).  The moral of this rambling story is that sometimes I need to scale it back and focus on things I would actually buy and could actually afford.  So here we go.  Budget finds $77.99 or less.





H & M Bag $17.95 // J. Crew Factory Shirt $54.50 
BaubleBar Necklace $26.00 (-$10 for new members) // J. Crew Factory Skirt $59.50
 Costa Blanca Trench via Ruche $77.99 // Zara Jeans $35.90
 H & M Necklace $12.95 // StyleMint Cardigan $59.98 // ShoeMint Flats $39.99


Also, a few magical tips that I've discovered along the way.

-Sign up for those pesky mailing lists!  I know, I know.  It's everything your mother told you never to do.  But guys, as long as you have the self control to resist things you don't need and to only open e-mails when you're in the market for something, it's such a good idea.  Most of my favorite sites have sales every. single. week.  I rarely buy full price anymore.

-Don't even get me started on Gap and Piperlime right now. 30% off at Gap & 20% off at Piperlime all day.

-Invest when you can, and only in classic pieces.  I only ever really invest in accessories (handbags, jewelry, shoes) because I can wear them multiple times every week.

-Pull out your trusty Student I.D. as often as possible.  So many stores have student discounts that aren't necessarily advertised.  Just ask.  J. Crew? Student discount.  Banana Republic? Student discount.  It's good stuff.

-Outlets are your best friend.  Nordstrom outlet?  All over it.  J. Crew Factory?  So wonderful, and it makes me so happy that it's all online.

Happy shopping!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

Oh what a lovely weekend it was.  Mine officially started on Wednesday night with an amazing, wonderful Ed Sheeran concert.  He was even better live than I thought he would be.

I left bright and early Thursday morning for Chicago and attended The Everygirl Contributor's Party on Thursday night.  On Friday I worked with the entire Everygirl team.  It was so fascinating to see behind the scenes of the site and I loved working with the team in person instead of from Minneapolis.  On Friday night I explored the city and did a bit of shopping and relaxing, which was just amazing.  I woke up early on Saturday, ate a delicious breakfast, explored the city some more and left in the afternoon.  I've come to the conclusion that weekends in Chicago never seem to be long enough.  I love that city way too much.

Sunday was a day of catching up.  I caught up on laundry, went grocery shopping and painted my nails.  I worked on some Everygirl related things, worked a bit on the blog and finally caught up with one of my very best friends in the world.  We usually only manage to catch up every month or two and she just recently moved halfway across the country to LA so there was lots to discuss.  Don't you just love phone calls like that?


































Colorful gifts at the party. // Dusk. // Contemplating things from my (beautiful) hotel room. // New xo ring. // Chicago by night (have I mentioned how much I love this city?) // Even the grocery stores in Chicago have loads of charm! // Saturday morning: a waffle & a latte. // All I think of when I see these boats is the movie The Breakup. // Airplanes never fail to fascinate me.

What did you all do this weekend?