28 August 2012

LESSONS OF A SORORITY HOUSE: THE PRICE OF BEAUTY


So one thing I've already gotten from sharing a bathroom with six other girls is that everyone has a different beauty and makeup routine.  It's been fun looking at the different products girls use and getting to test them out, and after just one weekend of straightening hair and spritzing perfume and batting eyelashes in front of the bathroom mirror, my shopping cart at Sephora had gotten a whole lot fuller.

ONE.  Moroccanoil.  Obvs a cult classic, but something that I never really considered investing in before until I tried my friend's.  It made all of our hair so soft and smooth, and is perfect for when you're not really styling it but need a little product to make it look good (i.e. everyday of my life).

TWO. Kiehl's Creme de Corps.  Disclosure: haven't actually tried this, but my friend Gracie's life goal is to have baby soft skin and she buys anything that might help her achieve that.  She got a sample of this once and absolutely loved it.  Unfortunately, when you go through body lotion at the rate I do, it's not the most financially savvy decision I could make....

THREE. Twistbands.  If you haven't heard of these yet, you've been living under a rock.  I've used them for over a year now and absolutely love them.  I've got super thick hair, and regular hair ties would sometimes snap when I tried to wind them around my ponytail.  These don't.  They also don't leave annoying creases in your hair.  They are also pretty. (My friend just got me a pack with the glittery one in it for my birthday this summer).  Also, all the girls here at school use them to keep their key fobs to their apartments/house on their wrist.  That way you never lose it!

FOUR. Mini Essie Nail Polish.  Obvs everyone loves Essie.  (Turquoise & Caicos was my go-to this summer).  My friend Mimi has a cute set of mini bottles that I've never seen before!  She got them at J. Crew, but Essie makes sets just for its own brand as well.  So cute and tiny!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR

IN SESSION



Today was officially the start of my junior year of college.  Whoop whoop!  

Things that have occurred since I last posted:
1. I moved into the sorority house (Sort of. There's still a few boxes to be moved and things to be hung up.  But I'm almost there).
2. I have gotten absolutely nothing done since I've moved into the house, because it's essentially living with 30 of your best friends and it's far too easy to get distracted.
3. Class started today and I haven't bought my books yet.
4. Copious amounts of cheap beer and liquor have been consumed in.
5. I've been to Target three times in this weekend alone.
6. There are so many little freshman running around and it makes me feel so OLD!
7. It's about 90 degrees and humid out and we have no AC, which means that I spend most of my time sitting in a bra in front of a box fan.
8. I'm back in one of my favorite towns with my favorite people!

Can't wait to get back into the swing of things for real, to settle into all my classes, and, of course, for football season to start!  And, you know, I wouldn't mind for it to get a few degrees cooler either.

24 August 2012

ENDLESS SUMMER









ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX

I'm heading back to school today.  It seems so crazy that this summer is already over.  As much as I'm glad to head back east and see all my friends, I can't say I'm not going to miss the sunsets over the water and the sand between my toes.  Here's 'til next summer!



22 August 2012

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: READ TO LEAD

 Disclaimer: I do not go to Harvard.  I do, however, occasionally peruse the Harvard Business Review. (Disclaimer #2: This is a lie. Someone linked to this specific article and I read it.  I think it's the first article in the HBR I've ever read.)  Anyway, I found this article - "For Those Who Want to Lead, Read" - a great reminder of how important it is to read. I know it's so hard to find time; I'm right there with you.  It took me a semester and a half to finish reading Freakonomics last year, which I should have been able to breeze through in a weekend if...well, if I had a free weekend.  But this summer I've spent a lot of time at the library, getting books to read by the pool and at the beach and at night when there's nothing good on TV, and I've been reminded of how much I enjoy reading.  And, if this article is anything to go off of, it's making me a better leader.  So next time my Mom tells me to get out of my room and go do something when I'm in the middle of an important chapter, I'm just going to inform her of a couple of the facts below.  Check out the rest of the article here, and go check out a book from the library while you're at it.  You can send me a thank you from your corner office later.


images, clockwise: ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR

21 August 2012

HAIRCUT

Got my hair cut today before I head back to school!  It feels so light and clean and straight and pretty.  Which will, of course, last all of one day.

images ONE / TWO.

FALL SHOPPING

clockwise from top left: ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX

I hit up the mall with my mom yesterday to do some back-to-school shopping, and I was head over heals for all the new fall clothes out on display.  Everything was big and soft and warm and in shades of browns and grays and greens and reds.  It made me long for crisp fall days, which seem so far in the future right now considering I'm wearing a tank top and a skirt.  Still, I can't help but crave leather and chunky knits and suedes - all the textures of fall.   These were some of my favorites! (It helps if you close your eyes and imagine falling leaves and a crackling fire, especially if it's still summer where you are like it is for me!)

16 August 2012

NICE TO MEET YOU


Hit me up on Bloglovin, mi amigos.

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15 August 2012

OH LA LA

all via kate spade.

Love love love the new Kate Spade x Garance Dore collection! All the French-inspired pieces have that je ne sais quois that epitomizes both the blogger and the brand.  I'm loving the Peter Pan collar details, the abundance of polka dots, and the prints that feature Garance's beautiful handwriting - all in the oh-so-chic palette of black & white. Oooh la la is right.

14 August 2012

BLACK + TAN

ONE + TWO / THREE + FOUR
I can't believe I'm already posting something about long sleeves and boots, but as August creeps on, I'm getting more and more into Fall mode.  I mean, I go back to school in 10 days - if that doesn't kill the summer mood, nothing else will.  Plus, the new fall clothes in all the windows of my favorite stores doesn't hurt either.  I've got a whole list of back-to-school buys, and one of the big ones is a cute pair of booties. And, well, you can never have too many striped sweaters!  I'd wear either of these combos with my skinny jeans on the reg - perfect for fall!

13 August 2012

09 August 2012

08 August 2012

SO CLUTCH

So I was looking at my pins and realized two things.  One, I awkwardly have pinned the same image once and then again days later, not remembering that I'd already pinned it.  Also, this has happened on more than one occasion.  Well, at least my taste is consistent, yeah?  Two, I noticed that I pin a lot of image with STATEMENT CLUTCHES.  Yes, it must be capitalized to get the full effect.  Anyways, I'm the type of girl that carries the same brown bag every.single.day, so the idea of having a STATEMENT CLUTCH that really doesn't go with more than two outfits in your closet, tops, is kind of appealing to me.  These options below are cheap enough that even I can afford to indulge in the trend - even if I only carry them once.

images clockwise from top left: ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT
clutches: GEOMETRIC / YELLOW / BEADED / FLORAL / CLEAR / ENVELOPE / COLORBLOCK / TRIBAL / OVERSIZED

06 August 2012

MADE IN THE USA


So I'm still riding the wave of patriotism that's come from these Olympic Games.  I'm such a sap when it comes to stuff like this, but the thought of everyone in the country sitting around their TVs, cheering on athletes - some of which they've never heard of before in their lives - simply because they're representing the good ol' US of A, makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.  (Yes, show me those inspiring Nike, P&G, and Visa Olympic commercials and I will tear up.)  

On a completely unrelated note, I also like awesome typography and Jack Daniel's.  So this is like - BAM! The trifecta of awesomeness.  Check out these sweet letterpress posters made by the dudes at Yee Haw Industries for Jack D.  Awesome lettering, Jack Daniels, and 'Merican pride.  What more could you ask for?

02 August 2012

SUNSHINE SEAT

image via pinterest.

Such a colorful chair! If I had a home of my own, this would be going in it.

01 August 2012

BOOKMARK

 Raising The Perfect Child Through Guilt And Manipulation 
By: Elizabeth Beckwith
Designer: Jeff Miller

I love the retro image of the mom and daughter combined with the pop of blue 
(it echoes the little girl's eyes) and the sans-serif type.


The Informationist
By: Taylor Stevens
via amazon

A fast-paced thriller about a woman hired to track down a Texas oil tycoon's daughter who went missing in Africa - 4 years ago.  A definite page-turner (I finished it in one afternoon at the pool), with a strong female protagonist who has garnered comparisons to Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you like your books action-packed, this one's for you.