Weekend Snapshots

This weekend was one I'll remember for a lifetime. My brother got married! The ceremony was on Friday which meant I got to have an extended four day weekend. It was awesome. The entire wedding went off without a hitch and it was so wonderful being able to celebrate with friends and family. 

Saturday night was for relaxing and sleeping and I spent Sunday morning with my mom going out to brunch and finally seeing Les Miserables (which was amazing, by the way!). Sunday afternoon was dedicated to cleaning / doing laundry / catching up on life / watching movies on Lifetime. I'm headed back to work today but am looking forward to ringing in the New Year tonight!

Happy happy New Year's Eve! I hope you had a lovely weekend!

It's Wedding Day!

It's wedding day! Not my wedding, but my brother's. Obviously. I've mentioned it on here way too often lately. But if I were getting married, the above pictures are just some thoughts on how the wedding might look. In case you were curious.

 In other news, sorry some posts have been short lately and comments have been sporadic. I promise I'm not trying to ignore you and I also promise it will get back to normal next week. Pinky promise. Until then I'll be attending a wedding, enjoying the weekend and prepping for New Year's Eve. I hope you all have had a lovely holiday week and that you have a wonderful weekend ahead! Cheers!

images via

Ten Little Things (i'm thankful for in 2012)

As the year comes to a close, (only two more blog posts left until 2013! weird.) I wanted to do a little roundup of the things I'm most thankful for in 2012. As I was thinking of what I would put on this list, it shocked me to remember some of the amazing, wonderful things that happened this year. Sometimes life just speeds by so quickly and it's easy to forget all of the positive things that have happened. So in the spirit of remembering, here's a little recap of the things that made me happiest in 2012.

What are you thankful for this year?

Twas the day after Christmas...

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! What did you do? Did you get to spend lots of time with family and friends? That's my little Christmas tree in the picture. I think I'll probably leave it up a bit longer. Just because. I guess I like twinkle lights.

I'm off to work again today and then I'm ready for a marathon two days of all things related to my brother's wedding on Friday. My dress is good to go and I have a manicure and hair appointment set. It should be a good time and I can't wait to share pictures here! I'm also hoping to go see Les Miserables sometime soon. Has anyone seen it yet? If so, what did you think? I would love to know!

A Holiday Weekend

And with that, off to magical holiday land I go. I'm sure lots of you are feeling pretty excited that it's finally the weekend before Christmas and you get four + days off of work (unless you work in retail). I know. It's wonderful. I'm off to my hometown for the weekend and then off to see the extended family next Monday & Tuesday. One slightly disappointing thing for me this holiday season is that post surgery I still cannot eat food that isn't in liquid form. And my oh my it's a tough time of year to be on a liquid diet. Guys, let me be honest with you. The amount of food blogs I have discovered in the past few weeks is just ridiculous. And if you follow me on Pinterest (you totally can, by the way!) you've probably been starting to question why I've gone from pinning mostly clothes to mostly food. It's just ridiculous. Needless to say, I cannot wait for the day when I can eat whole foods again. Soon. In other news my brother is also getting married next weekend! Exciting stuff all around. 

Merry Christmas // Happy Holidays everyone!

What are you doing over the holidays this year?

images via

Holiday Attire

As Christmas gets closer and closer, I can't help but think of Christmas day and, naturally, what I'll be wearing. My family tends to be very laid back. Anything goes, really. I usually like to stick with something comfortable but cute (and okay maybe a little festive, too). When you know you'll end up eating way too much food and sitting on the floor helping the little ones open their presents, comfortable is key. These are some of my ideas for what I'll be wearing next week.

Madewell Chambray Top // Moto Jeans // Bibi Lou Loafers

Madewell Flannel Shirt // J. Crew Factory Denim // Steven Riding Boots

What are your go to looks for the holidays?

Midweek Thoughts

When I heard about the tragic events in Newtown last Friday afternoon I was at home and was just about to write the day's blog post. It took me hours and hours to finish the post because I couldn't focus. I felt like it would be right to skip the day's post and instead write a reflection on the events in Connecticut but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't find the words to match how I felt. And in all honesty, I still don't know if I can find the words today but I'll try. I feel like it would be wrong not to devote a post to that event. And to those teachers. And to those kids.

I think one of the reasons this is so difficult for me, and for everyone, to grasp and to deal with, is because we all know someone who makes us think of those children at Sandy Hook Elementary. I have a cousin who is in first grade. To even imagine the possibility of something like that happening to her is just too awful. You may not have a cousin, but I'm sure you have a niece or nephew, a grandchild, a daughter or son, a neighbor, or someone who you thought of that day. Shootings in the United States have become far too common in recent years. But the shooting at Sandy Hook crossed an entirely new boundary because children were involved. And children are supposed to be safe. They're supposed to be full of happiness and innocence.

As the days go by it's hard to know what will come of this. I'm hopeful that legislation will finally be passed to increase gun control across the country. But it's not just the guns. It's people who are mentally ill and never get proper access to treatment. It's the stigma attached to being mentally ill. But even that is only a part of it. Our country has deaths from gun violence that are staggering compared to the rest of the world. I'm no expert, and I don't know what the solution is. But I do know that this event has shaken me to my core, and it's made me think differently about the world. And I just wanted to take a moment to say that.

Your thoughts, please

I once again need to extend an open invitation to all of you for your thoughts and opinions. I'm in the market for a solid, quality pair of winter boots. I've been trying to escape the fact that it's the coldest, snowiest season of the year and that I walk everywhere. But it's time..I just can't ignore it anymore. Here's my issue with winter boots. They all seem so..ugly. Is it just me or are most winter boots just really unfortunate looking?

The four options below are those that I'm thinking of buying. I would love to know what you think of them and whether or not you have any better suggestions.

Sorel // Hunter // Sperry // Ugg

First up: Sorels. Sorels are really popular, at least amongst my friends. But here's my problem with them. Guys, be honest. Are Sorels..ugly? I asked my roommate this question and she said a very hesitant, "..no..but I can't see them on you." I'm still trying to figure out what that means.

This leads me to Hunters. My roommate followed up that statement by saying that she could, however, see me in Hunters. Hunters would probably be suitable for those rare 40-50 degree days when the snow is melting and you don't want your feet to get wet. But for the rest of the winter I know they probably wouldn't do. I just love them so much, though!

Next are the Sperrys. I don't think I love the style that much, but I do love the hot pink. Thoughts?

And lastly, the Uggs (that thankfully don't really look like Uggs). My last pair of winter boots were Uggs and they held up for four solid years. I think they're the most sleek, modern of the winter boot options, but the price tag is by far the least desirable. Hmph.

Anyway, thanks for reading this long (and super exciting) dialogue about winter boots. I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much everyone!

Snapshots of Late

How was your weekend?

Holiday Wish List

Let's all pretend that I'm a little kid again and it's actually acceptable for me to be posting my own Christmas wish list. Okay, good. Glad we did that. Now that we've decided this is acceptable, please take a look at the items on my holiday wish list this year. 

J. Crew Pumps // Tory Burch Wrap Bracelet // Gorjana Necklace // Stella & Dot Bracelet

Tory Burch iPhone Case // Essie Polish // J. Crew Coat // Cupcakes and Cashmere Book 

YSL Perfume // Sarah and Bendrix Print // Guitar // J. Crew Factory Headband

Marc by Marc Jacobs Percy & Natasha // Hunter Boots

What do you want for Christmas this year? Let's hear it.

Hello! And Happy Holidays!

Hi! Today I'm taking a cue from my lovely editor Danielle over at The Everygirl. Yesterday she did a 'get to know you' post on her blog. The intention was simply to get to know her readers a little bit more. I feel like I already know many of the people who read my blog pretty well (and you're all wonderful, by the way). But it's the holiday season and this time of year I would just love to reach out and get to know everyone a bit more. Tell me - who are you? Where are you from? What are your goals? Your dreams? Your plans for the holidays? Your favorite things? And leave me your social media links, too!

Okay, I'll start.

I'm Jackie. I work at a non-profit by day. I blog here & intern at The Everygirl by night & weekend.
I currently live in the lovely (and freezing at the moment) city of Minneapolis.
I love working out. Yoga sculpt is my addiction and I run marathons whenever I can.
I am a dreamer. I have the biggest imagination of anyone I know and the biggest goals, too.
I love everything about the Christmas season, and I usually start that season way too early every year.
This year the holidays will be even more special because my brother is getting married on 12/28.
I still have a Christmas party with my best friends from high school. I look forward to it every year.
Twitter @jackiesaffert
Instagram @jackiesaffert
Pinterest

Stay tuned tomorrow for my holiday wish list. Because I don't talk about things I want on this blog enough. Kidding. But still, it should be fun. See you then!

And lastly (just because I like to ramble) I have a feature up on The Everygirl today! Finally. It's been far too long of a hiatus for me and I'm so happy to be back. This one is a studio home tour and it's b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. Check it out!

Salina v Esther

It's the holiday season. It's the time to give gifts to others. It's also the time to get bombarded with e-mails from your favorite retailers that make it a requirement to buy gifts for yourself as well. Exhibit A. 

I was looking for inspiration for today's post, when - BAM! - I got an e-mail from ShoeMint that some of their best sellers were back in stock. Usually I would make myself delete such an e-mail before ever opening it, but this best seller just happened to be on my wish list. Darn you, ShoeMint. THEN I headed on over to Piperlime (just because) and saw that they were having their annual lime sale plus an extra 20% off everything on the site. Somehow I found myself clicking on the boots sale link which led me to this gem that I've had my eye on for quite sometime. Salina. And now after rambling to you about that series of events, I ask...which do you prefer? Salina or Esther?

Note: In case you were wondering, this post is not sponsored. I just happen to get really excited when Piperlime has sales and want to share all the details with you. 

Top Five

Tis the season in my apartment. The tree is up, (some) presents are ordered and there is an almost unnecessary amount of snow building up on our little balcony. There's just one more thing needed to make this season complete. The holiday movie. We all have our favorites. And it doesn't quite feel like the holidays until these movies have been watched. These are my top five, with a few favorite quotes selected by yours truly to emphasize why.

5 // 4 // 3 // 2 // 1

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Snapshots of Late

This weekend was once again devoted to lots of recovery time and I don't have enough photos to make a 'weekend snapshots' post worth your while. Instead I decided to show you a few snapshots from the entire week. Some of these have already been posted on instagram, so sorry to those of you (Elana & Clarissa) who have seen them there.

Life is slowly but surely returning to normal for me. I'm not well enough to go back to work yet but I was well enough to get back to interning for The Everygirl on Sunday. It felt nothing short of amazing to return to the internship that I love so much. Did you guys know how much I love The Everygirl? Okay, good. Just wanted to make sure. If you didn't, you can always read about it here. Again, thank you all so much for you sweet comments and well wishes as I recover from surgery. They mean the world.

How was your weekend? I would love to hear about it!

The Themed Gift

I can't decide whether or not themed gifts are outdated. Maybe it's because themed gifts are the only things I gave to people between the ages of 'when I started giving gifts' and 20. Why? Because some part of me felt like a whole package of things gave people more bang for their buck than one nice quality item. My thoughts on that have changed and I now prefer to give gifts that are higher quality but less quantity. Because really, that's what I would want to receive.

But sometimes the mood still strikes and all I want to do is hand over a themed gift. Maybe I'm feeling extra creative or I know a certain person who fits the bill. And when the mood does strike, these are a few ideas I have up my sleeve.

Coffee Date: Coffee mugs via Anthropologie & coffee. I feel like I've seen these mugs all over the blogosphere since I started blogging. And guess what? I love them. Maybe I'm just a conformist, who knows. I actually read this idea on a review on Anthropologie.com so I can't take all the credit. Here's how it works. Gift someone a few of the mugs with letters that mean something to them (their initials, the initials of their business, the letters of their name, whatever) and add a bag of their favorite or your favorite coffee. It's cheap and simple but I think it's absolutely adorable.

Movie night: This idea is just as old as the books, but I still love it. Again, it's relatively cheap, and it's an easy gift to personalize. Take a few of the gift receivee's favorite movies (that they don't already own!), add a container of nice popcorn, some boxes of candy, (preferably tied together in a bow) and voila! Movie night. You could add a pair of slippers in there, maybe a blanket, maybe a candle. Take some liberties! Movie nights are what you make them.

For the home: Anyone can receive a 'for the home' gift. Sure, it helps if said recipient has recently moved or redecorated. But if they haven't, that's okay, too, as far as I'm concerned. A for the home gift can include oh so many lovely little accessories, depending on your price range and depending on that person's taste. I happen to love frames, (preferably with thoughtful pictures in them) candles, trays or a fun print.

What do you all think of the themed gift? Thoughtful? Tacky? I see both sides but I would love to 

hear your thoughts!

P.S. Thank you thank you for you kind words on Monday's and Wednesday's posts. You all are SO nice and even though I know that already it still takes me by surprise sometimes. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Gallery Wall

Ah, the gallery wall. One of my very favorite elements of home design. Although, really, gallery wall is just a fancy way of saying a bunch of frames clumped together in a unique way. I've had one gallery wall in my bedroom for the past four years in four different apartments. It's a mix of varying frames in a neutral color palette with mostly pictures of friends. This is what it looks like at the moment.

In my apartment there's also this wall between the kitchen and the living room. It's literally screaming out to me that it wants to be a gallery wall. I mean, how could it not be? Just look at it, in all it's beige glory. It currently holds a lovely little mirror but has so much more potential.

Here's some inspiration for what I'd like to do to it, gallery wall style.

Thoughts? Comments? Have any of you ever done a gallery wall before? I'd love to know!

Images via

One Fifty

Today marks my one hundred and fiftieth post. What? How did time fly by so quickly? It seriously feels like just yesterday that I sat down at my computer and pressed publish for the first time. To commemorate, I thought I'd do a little round up of some things I've learned from blogging over these past seven months.

Put a Cap on It

Last week I highlighted some lovely bags from the magical land of J. Crew. Guys, I love J. Crew. Have you noticed? But the thing about J. Crew (and some of you seem to agree with me) is that I never actually buy most of the things I want. Sure, I could afford the lovely Edie bag if I really really wanted to, but it would take me forever to actually commit to the purchase because I consider it to be an investment.

Point being, this week I wanted to highlight a few other things I've been loving lately, and at more reasonable price points. Enter cap toes. I love cap toes, especially these versions via Target & ShoeMint. And hey, on the bright side, Target is also a place that I would consider to be a bit magical. Wouldn't you?

ShoeMint Koko Flats // Target Viveca Heels

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm off to drink protein shakes and take short walks around the neighborhood. Exciting day? Absolutely.

Life Lately

No weekend snapshots for the first time in the existence of this blog. A little update from my end of the world is in order. I had jaw surgery last Monday morning, hence my absence from staying in touch with all of you last week. It has been a tough recovery to say the least, but the very best part is that I am finally starting to feel better. Every morning I wake up and the healing is a little further along and that's amazing to see.

Surgery is an interesting thing, really. I have been so blessed to be free of health issues all my life so I didn't realize all of the things I've been taking for granted over the years. I am generally a pretty optimistic person, but having surgery and being in the early stages of recovery was scary and it was sometimes difficult to keep the positivity going. I realized that in my everyday life I complain so much, I stress all the time, and about the tiniest little things. I have so much to be thankful for and there is just no excuse anymore for me not to see that on a daily basis.

Also, a note on your comments. A few days after surgery I finally had the energy to check my e-mail and blog and I was literally floored. Just floored by your continuous support and attention even though I wasn't there to respond and hadn't given any explanation for my lack of response. Every once in a while I question why exactly I blog. Do any of you question it, too? Why do we spend so much time and energy on it? But then I see your constant support, I remember just how much I am learning from blogging and how much fun it is and all of my doubts are swept aside.

So that's a little update from my end. I just thought you should know. As always, thank you thank you thank you for following along. I hope you have a lovely start to your week!

Holiday Gift Guide: The Little Ones

Babies and little kids need to just STOP IT.  They need to stop it with their cuteness because it is just too much to handle.  I'm assuming the vast majority of you have a cousin, child, sibling, niece or nephew that is somewhere under the age of 7 or so and that is just too. cute.  And guess what their cuteness is going to get them?  Whatever they darn well please for Christmas.

Minnetonka Booties via J. Crew // Zara Coat // Gap Hat // J. Crew Overnighter // Gap Dress

Ikea Bed Canopy // Zara Sweater // Zara Sneakers // Nature Baby Booties via J. Crew 

American Girl Doll // Land of Nod Elephant // Land of Nod Quilt

On Always Learning

I love to learn. I love learning new things and I think it is so important to constantly expand your knowledge of the world and of yourself. I love learning about architecture, history, other cultures and countries, the list goes on and on. But one thing I am thankful that I am learning right now is the guitar (yes the above photo is how I learn guitar - notecards and youtube). There's something so magical about developing a skill and seeing yourself get better at it (slowly slowly slowly but surely) over time. I started teaching myself to play guitar about a year ago and I am nowhere close to where I would like to be but am constantly improving. I appreciate every tiny little accomplishment because I know those tiny accomplishments all contribute to bigger improvements over time. What are you learning at the moment? 

Meet Edie

J. Crew has done it again.  They've created yet another look that I am just slightly obsessed with in the Edie bag.  And because J. Crew knows we all have different preferences, the Edie comes in small, medium and large sizes and approximately one million different colors.  Good work, J. Crew. Good work.

little // medium // grand

Ten Little Things

This time of year always brings up more and more reasons for me to be thankful.  Here are ten little things that are making me happy lately.

1. Freshly cut hair.  So shiny, so perfectly blown out, so free of split ends.

2. Seeing a movie on opening weekend. Like Lincoln.  It was so good, you guys.

3. Getting a manicure.  There's just something so perfectly girly about it.  I rarely spend the money on manicures but I did splurge on one this weekend and it was so nice.

4. The classics. Like 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' which is playing at the coffee shop I'm at right now.

5. Pumpkin Bars. Like these ones that I made for a Thanksgiving themed work party.  They were just the biggest hit ever, if I do say so myself. 

6. Gangnam Style. Mainly this performance of the song. I was so late to jump on the Gangnam Stye bandwagon, but now that I have I love the song.  How can you not be happy when listening to it?

7. That moment when you finally finish a project. Be it a paper, a design project or something for work, it is so wonderful to finally  be able to cross it off your to-do list.

8. Finding the perfect Christmas present. I love shopping for Christmas presents, but I'm a pretty picky shopper, so when I find the perfect one it's so rewarding.

9. This quote: "An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail."

10. Laughter.  It's the very best medicine.

Weekend Snapshots

I had a lovely holiday weekend full of relaxing and seeing friends & family. I had two Thanksgivings to celebrate (one on Thursday and one on Sunday) and took full advantage of the delicious food. I also treated myself to a haircut and manicure, did a bit of work and spent lots of time playing with my parents little puppy.

How was your weekend?

Holiday Gift Guide: For Him

Happy Black Friday! In honor of one of the biggest shopping days of the year, here's another gift guide.  This time for him.  Oh, the elusive man.  If any guys read my blog, take note: when it comes to buying presents for you, you are elusive. And confusing. But I'm still taking a stab at this whole 'buying presents for guys' thing. This is what I came up with. Please let me know if you have any suggestions as well!

J. Crew Plaid Top // Ray-Ban Wayfarers // Nike Running Shoes // Lacoste Watch 

Target DVDs // North Face Jacket // Apple iPad // Sperry Top-Siders 

Lands' End Slippers // Jack Spade Wallet // Tickets // J. Crew Sleep Pant

I'm off to see the movie Lincoln with my mom.  Enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Friends & family, a job, a wonderful internship, my health, the list goes on and on. But what I would really like to say here is that I am thankful for this blog and for all of YOU. Seriously. I know it's cliche to say it but I'm going to say it anyway because I mean it. I started this blog right before graduating from college last spring. I had very little direction and no job to speak of and I wanted to find something meaningful to fill my time. Enter blogging. I've learned so much these past few months and I am so grateful that you keep following along. Thank you thank you thank you.

I'm off to my aunt and uncle's house to eat lots and lots of food now. I will be back tomorrow with a Gift Guide for Him if you feel so inclined to stop by. But in the meantime, be thankful and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Image via

Statement Pants

Statement trousers (or fancy pants, as Erin calls them) are my favorite thing right now.  See, I'm not quite used to this whole 'working 9-5 in an office and not being able to wear jeans anymore' thing. Many of my coworkers are actually quite fashionable which always inspires me to spice up my outfits.  But unlike my coworkers, I haven't had decades to build up a proper working wardrobe.  I've only had a few months.  And here are a few things I've found out in that time:

A) I despise dress pants.  I will never ever feel cute in dress pants.

B) Point A is no longer valid if said dress pants are fancy pants.

These are a few of my favorite fancy pants.

Gap // J. Crew // Zara

Michael Kors // H&M // J. Crew

Anthropologie // Tory Burch // Anthropologie

Ten Little Things (i'm looking forward to about the holidays)

The holidays are coming up. In fact they're just around the corner. Snow falling, Christmas shopping, holiday parties, baking sessions and other festive activities are coming up oh so soon and I am so. excited. These are a few of the things that make me most excited for the holidays.

1. Decorating the tree. It's your call whether you prefer white lights or colored lights, mismatched or matching ornaments, homemade decorations or store-bought. But either way, decorating the tree is one of my favorite activities of the season.

2. Driving around my hometown to look at Christmas lights and (if I'm lucky), finding the people who hand out free candy canes.

3. Drinking excessive amounts of hot chocolate.

4. Buying holiday gifts. And wrapping them, too. Buying gifts is an art in my mind. The amount of thought that goes into these purchases is borderline ridiculous.

5. Snow days. Maybe? Okay, probably not, but maybe. I now have a 'real person job' so the chances of an impromptu snow day are much lower. But I still have hope that maybe, just maybe, it could happen.

6. Christmas music all day everyday. I have no shame about how early I start listening to festive holiday songs. And the holiday stations on Pandora? Perfection.

7. Baking, baking, baking. Cookies, cookies and more cookies.

8. Annual Christmas parties. My best friends from high school have a Christmas party every year. It's amazing being able to catch up with some of my closest friends who I only see once or twice a year.

9. Getting to see family that I haven't seen in awhile. Even though the vast majority of my family lives in Minnesota, I still don't see any of them very often at all. The holidays are the perfect time to get together and catch up.

10.  A wedding. My brother is getting married three days after Christmas, which means I get to extend the festivity of the season for three extra days this year. I love weddings. Like a lot. And I get to be in this wedding, which is just excessively awesome.

What are you all looking forward to most about the holiday season?

Weekend Snapshots

A movie night. Sleep. Brunch. Birthdays. A suprise party. Noodles. A Christmas tree. Everygirling. The AMAs (please tell me someone else saw the Gangnam Style performance).

That's a little idea of what happened throughout my (lovely) weekend.  I'm not super excited that it's Monday but I am definitely excited that it's almost Thanksgiving. Three more days...

Those are a few snapshots of my weekend.  How was yours?

Holiday Gift Guide: For Her

We're going there. The holidays. I know some of us (myself included) are more excited about the holidays than others. BUT with Thanksgiving six days away and Black Friday (a holiday in itself) seven days away, I am officially starting a season of holiday posting. Don't worry, not every day. But rest assured that from now on there will be a holiday post (or two) sprinkled into the fun every week. Can you handle it? Awesome. First up: a gift guide.

J. Crew Factory Blouse // Design Darling Bracelet // J. Crew Factory iPhone Case

Gorjana Necklace // BaubleBar Red Stud Wrap // Madewell Flats // J. Crew Factory Purse

Rifle Paper Co. Cards // J. Crew Factory Sequin Tee // Kate Spade Tote

Kate Spade Bow Ring // Illume Heirloom Pumpkin Candle  

Which are your favorites? Do you have any other gift ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Also, it's Friday. Have a wonderful weekend!

Comfortable

Image via

Sometimes you need a simply drawn diagram to get your point across. And this one fits the bill for me just perfectly (thanks to Miss Kendi for pinning it!). I feel like I'm getting too comfortable in Minneapolis.  Usually when I tell someone this, they will look at me, nod their head and pretend to understand. I know it may sound ridiculous, and I know it's not the same for everyone, but when I get too comfortable I feel like I'm just at a complete standstill in life.

When I'm just far enough outside of my comfort zone, I learn something and I grow. And sometimes I might fail, but at least the experience will have taught me a thing or two along the way. I wasn't exactly comfortable going to Madrid alone for one month to do research. I wasn't initially comfortable flying or staying in hostels by myself. But that experience forced me to meet more people and to rely on myself. And I learned that I am far more capable than I ever thought. Going to Chicago this summer to meet Alaina of The Everygirl was also slightly nervewracking. But guess what?  I got to know her and after a few more emails and a test run on a feature, I got an internship with a website that I admire so much. 

Is this making any sense? I hope that soon I will have another opportunity to step beyond my normal boundaries and to try something new. Life here is just starting to seem a bit stagnant and I am not a girl who likes stagnant. I miss that feeling when I am in a slightly uncomfortable situation but I know all the while in my heart that it will lead to something amazing.  

Just a bit of food for thought. Advice? Comments? You all seem to give wonderful advice and as usual, I would love to hear it. I hope you all have a lovely, wonderful Thursday!

Winterizing

It's time. It's time to winterize my life. I'm one of those girls who often finds herself dressed completely inappropriately for the weather. Ballet flats when it's below zero? And snowing? Done it. And regretted it. No hat in the middle of the winter? All the time. Somehow my mind always tricks me into thinking that my hair will do the trick. It's like my common sense shuts down in the middle of the winter. But this winter I'd like to be prepared. And maybe, just maybe, if I had an insanely stylish coat in my closet I would be more apt to wear something sensible. Like maybe one of these J. Crew numbers...thoughts?

1 // 2 // 3

Snowy Days

Yesterday was our very first snowfall of the year in Minneapolis. And it most definitely will not be the last. The snow didn't stay very long but it was just enough to get me thinking.

Do you remember the first snowfall every year as a little kid? It was quite possibly the most magical thing ever. Waking up, looking out your window and seeing big giant snowflakes falling? Best. moment. ever. Because to your childhood self those snowflakes actually meant snow angels and sledding and snow men and (if you were incredibly lucky) snow days. 

But now that I have deadlines and places to be and nice boots that I don't want to ruin, I've become slightly less excited about the first snowfall. When I see snow now I think about delayed commutes and extra hassle.  Slightly less magical, right? So this year I am going to do my best to enjoy the little moments that come with this time of year.  The first snowfall.  Being with family and friends that I haven't seen in awhile. Because don't you think it would be better if every so often we viewed the world through the eyes of a child again?  

Image via

Weekend Snapshots

So my brother is getting married in December. I can't even explain to you how happy I am about this. I LOVE weddings.  So much. On Friday night I came home to their wedding invitation and an invitation to a holiday party. It made me quite a happy camper. I spent Friday night in relaxing and catching up on my favorite shows, mainly New Girl. Is it sad that sometimes that is my version of a perfect Friday night? I just needed to relax.  And I did.  And it was wonderful.

Saturday night was spent with some of my best friends, catching up and then going out. It was a much later night than I had wanted but it was definitely worth it. On Sunday I went grocery shopping and worked on this feature for The Everygirl at a lovely little coffee shop in my neighborhood.

After such a wonderful weekend, I'm preparing myself for a very busy week ahead. I hope you all have a lovely week!

Dreaming of Madrid

Two summers ago, after my junior year of college, was awarded a research fellowship to Madrid, Spain to study walkability and urban design.  I went on the trip by myself and stayed in Spain for four and a half weeks.  The experience was absolutely amazing.  I learned a lot about myself and and I learned that I was much more capable and independent than I thought I was.  Traveling, researching and staying in hostels alone resulted in a few flaws and there were definitely bumps along the way but overall the trip was wonderful.

Madrid itself is one of the most welcoming, lively, fun cities I have ever been to.  It reminds me a bit of New York City in the sense that it is a city that never sleeps.  There are people walking through the streets constantly and there is always something going on.  I love that about the city.

I sincerely hope that I can make it back to Madrid someday.  It is definitely one of my favorite places in the world.

What is your favorite city in the world?

And PS, happy Friday!

Ten Little Things

It's November, the month of Thanksgiving, and therefore the month when people all over realize exactly what they have to be thankful for.  As many of you know, I do these ten little things posts fairly often.  I promise I don't write them so I can drone on and on about all of the little seemingly insignificant things that happen in my life.  I write these posts because I constantly try to find the good in every single day.  And even on the most stressful days, I have found that there is always something to be thankful for.

1. The right to vote.

2. The cozy-ness of my room.  And my new lamps.  They're pretty wonderful.

3. The first snowfall of the season.  I definitely don’t look forward to snow as much as I used to when I was a kid.  But there’s still something so magical about waking up one morning, looking out your window and seeing the first snowfall of the season.  It’s even better if you have nowhere to go that day.  Here’s hoping that happens this year. 

4. Singing in the shower when you're home alone.  It's a good time.  I sincerely hope I'm not the only one who does this.

5. Perfectly toasted toast.

6. Midnight movie premieres.  The energy is just unbeatable.  Sex & The City.  Twilight.  Harry Potter.  Hunger Games.  You name it, I’ve been to it. 

7. Free food.  I clearly still have the mentality of a college student.  And this morning when one of my coworkers offered me some homemade pumpkin bread, I accepted without any hesitation.  And it was so. good.

8. The first sunny day after a very cloudy week.

9.  One of those weeknights where you decide to relax and go to bed early.  Every once in a while you need to just put aside blogging, e-mails, projects and just unwind.

10. Making plans for the weekend on Monday.  Or on Sunday night.  It gives you  something to look forward to all week.

Happy Thursday everyone!  It’s so close to being the weekend!  Awesome.

Midweek Trends

{cashmere sweaters and with tweed skirts - the perfect fall pairing}

True to form, I stayed up (way too) late last night watching the results come in with friends.  This led to the following sequence of events this morning.  1) I woke up thirty minutes late.  2) I had to skip breakfast in order to make it to work on time.  3) I ran to the bus stop in four. inch. heels.  It wasn’t fun for me but I’m sure it provided great entertainment to anyone passing by.  4) I forgot my breakfast and lunch on the kitchen counter.  What could make today better? Pinteresting, of course.  Pinteresting always helps.  These are a few of my favorite trends from good old pinterest as of late.

{chambray - perfected by olivia}

{studded heels}

{jewel tones in violet, blue, green & red}

{make a statement in colorful pumps}

Images via

Vote vote vote.

I have one thing for you to do today.  Get out there and vote!  This will be the second presidential election in which I get to vote and I am so excited to have a say.  

There are a lot of important topics at stake in this election that I hope you will consider when voting today.  The economy.  Jobs.  Funding for college.  Abortion rights.  Global warming and climate change.  War. Human rights and the GLBTA community.  I hope that you make an informed decision and that you all take the time to vote.  It's so important.  My roommate heard a coworker say that she wasn't going to vote because "she didn't have the time."  As far as I'm concerned, that's just not an excuse.

 For me personally, having lived in the United States all my life, I've found it all too easy to take my freedoms for granted.  Just the fact that I can post my opinions on this blog is a right that I sometimes overlook.  But I am so thankful that I have these freedoms and that I have a voice in the election today.

So please get out there and vote.  And if you need to reach me tonight, I will be on my couch glued to CNN waiting for the results.

Weekend Snapshots

I had a lovely weekend.  I got plenty of sleep and saw lots of good friends.  I had brunch on Saturday morning with a very good friend.  Later in the day I went shopping for apartment things with my mom. And at night I had a reunion with some of my best friends from high school.  On Sunday I cleaned, organized, decorated and put together ikea furniture all. day. long.  And at night I had a long phone call with my best friend who now lives in L.A.  Now the weekend is over and the week has begun but that's okay. I'm well rested and I have a countdown to Thanksgiving (17 days!) to keep me motivated.  Bring it on, Monday. 

At the State Theater downtwon. // Brunch with a good friend.  So. delicious.  // At an adorable cafe.

Learning a new song on guitar. // Afternoon shopping at ikea. // Such a fun place to shop.

A strawberry margharita at dinner. // Finally got around to decorating my room. // I love candles.