Friday, February 27, 2015

Step Into My Week {2015 #8}

Hooray for Friday! Although I ended up having two days worth of class canceled for the snow this week seemed semi long. Maybe that's because I felt like I had three Mondays because of how confused my internal schedule was.


This past weekend I was supposed to go skiing but because of the crazy winter weather happening where we were supposed to be headed I opted out at the last minute. My sorority had a function that I had been excused for due to skiing and since it was too late to go and I didn't want to see all of my friends go and not be able to join I decided to spend part of my weekend in Athens, GA visiting two of my very best friends! They are sisters and Macy goes to Georgia while Bowen was just stopping through at the start of her FEB Break (she goes to Washington & Lee). I was so excited to get to hang out with them and we all had such a great time! We ate at such yummy restaurants, cooked a meal, and explored which was absolutely perfect. I also got to see 3 of my good friends from camp in the short time I was there! Now that I've been away from school for two weekends in a row I am so glad to be staying put this weekend especially since we've been in the middle of midterms!

 




This week was an exciting one in addition to the snow because it was Big / Little week! For those of you unaware about what that is, in a sorority (or at least Kappa Delta at Furman) new members are paired with a sophomore who is considering their big sister (most of the time just referred to as their big). I know y'all will probably hate me for this but I want to save all of my gifts and pictures for a post next week so get excited for that but for now here is a peek!

This is what I gave her the first day (I'll go into details when I do the full post)!


Here we are at reveal last night, so much fun!


Now onto what has been on my radar…

Since it has been so cold I've been having to bundle up just to workout. I instagramed my favorite long sleeve workout top and many of you were curious as to where it can be purchased! The site can be found here and they have some of the most fun workout gear!



This dress has gotten so much attention just about everywhere in the past 24 hours. I was at dinner with my KD family after big / little reveal and saw it for the first time and only saw blue and black. Two of us saw it that way with the other two seeing white and gold. Now it has gotten to the point that every time I look I see it differently which is so bizarre. Already perplexed by how this happened I was freaked out even further when I got a text from my brother solely saying "I see white and gold." We hadn't once discussed this picture so the fact that he sent that while I was so confused had me even more weirded out! What do y'all see? Like I said I've seen both and it continues to alternate each time I look. In my pledge class group me we were all debating this but my favorite comment had to be "Can we all just agree that the dress isn't that cute to begin with."


I love Design Darling! The combination of aesthetically pleasing home goods with organization items is perfection in my mind. Well, to celebrate three years Mackenzie has released a 20% off coupon code. It's a very fitting one too… use the code CANTSTOPWONTSTOP and shop all of your favorites here and at the bottom of the post! Now is the perfect time to stock up on hostess gifts and happier for your friends and snag a few things for yourself while you're at it!

Kate Spade just released a ton of fun new arrivals and the addition of a kids line which contains all of the perfection from the adult pieces shrunken down into a mini form. I am still bitter that Kate Spade forgot to send me the coat they named after me (Dorothy Coat), ha if only that were the case. But now they even have it in itty bitty form!

Lastly, Target has had some amazing pieces as of late! With their always great prices but impeccable designs you could have people fooled especially with these sandals (which I own and wear all the time) and this purse!

If you haven't seen them already then be sure to check out the posts that went up this week!

Shop tons of pieces that have caught my eye this week below!


Thursday, February 26, 2015

The Best Ways to Brighten Your Winter

I never really knew what people were referring to when they said that winter months can put them into such funk until this year. I definitely had a funky January and beginning of February. I wasn't exactly thrilled to come back to school with the stress of recruitment (all consuming) and a new schedule that wasn't going to be as easy as I had hoped. I was borderline dreading it but once I got back things were ok. I've talked about this before but I absolutely hate goodbyes, and leaving after winter break was especially hard since we were able to spend so much time together as a family. One of the first nights back I felt extremely stressed and overwhelmed with what was to come for the semester and felt like I was having a panic attack. I tend to be a worrier and stressor and I let it all build up which is never good. Also, with recruitment going on I was surrounded by people all day for many days straight and didn't have much time to do anything I wanted to. I was overwhelmed and with good reason (or so I'll tell myself). Fast forward to recruitment being finished and the excitement of bid day (and good weather) and I felt a bit out of my funk. Then friend issues, changes in plans, and a hectic schedule that I am still trying to mange made the remainder of January feel rough. Things have leveled out now for the most part but at the time I was definitely in a funk. Add in really cold and icky weather where we didn't see the sun for weeks on end and I wasn't the happiest I've ever been, fortunately thug hI found some ways to combat this and change my attitude to find the positive in the situation. 

I called home and cried some a lot and my mom was my number one cheerleader and was always making suggestions. The one that I had to take to heart the most which was the hardest was putting myself out there. For whatever reason (probably due to my perfectionist nature) I attempt to make myself seem really together in whatever ways I can and only open up to certain people. I am not sure if that is in order to maintain that facade or what but I had to very actively reach out to other people and be in charge of the situation. It's a great learning experience but something no one ever wants to have to do especially when they aren't at fault in a situation. Now that I am reflecting on the situation and for the most part out of the funk I have a few techniques I used in order to escape that mindset that may help any of y'all feeling the winter blues.


Fresh Flowers

Not only did this make me feel more like I was at home but it genuinely brightened my spirits. I have always loved flowers and think they are so bright and cheery. My mom always has fresh flowers waiting for me in my room at home so the combination of that and the fact that tulips are my favorite served as a great reminder. Just like any season, situations will change too and that was something I had to keep in mind. Also, in my mind flowers scream spring which is in its own a perfect escape from winter. 

Calling Home

While sometimes this made me wish I were there more, my parents were always more than willing to chat with me and distract me. Whether it was my dad and I talking about golden doodles or my mom talking about a new recipe she tried I could get my mind off of things while being reassured by their advice. 

Blogging & Pinterest

My favorite escapes! Two things I absolutely adore that were the perfect distractions I needed. A lot of the time I keep myself busy by doing school work but when you don't feel all that happy you aren't going to be that motivated to complete tedious assignments and work. Most of the time when scrolling through Pinterest my feed is filled with bright colors, a nice change from the dreary and dark skies outside!

Coffee with Friends

Honestly should refer to these as Venti vent sessions but that makes it sound like we spend the whole time gossiping which we don't. I love coffee and coffee dates with friends are always more fun. If I needed a mid day pick me up I always knew who to turn to and we would quickly depart for Starbucks or our local favorites. What's better on a warm winter day than hot coffee?

(I hope y'all don't take this post as a pity party because it is definitely not intended in that way. I know a lot of people probably felt the winter blues in a similar way I did so this was more so about sharing my tips but I felt like some background information was only fair for y'all to know.)

If you have any other tips leave them below!!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Red Carpet Season {Q-tips Precision Tips}



Award Season is in full swing and that means I can't checkout at the grocery store without lusting over the beautiful dresses and drooling over the makeup looks of the celebrities that grace the covers of just about all of the magazines that span the aisles. Granted celebrities tend to have their own team to ensure they are Red Carpet ready it's hard not to lust over their looks. And although most of the time I am more into the dresses than the makeup I think that it can really complete the look.

While my beauty arsenal is far from that of a makeup artist I do find myself reaching for one specific product that can help me to achieve a more flawless look. Enter Q-tips Precision Tips. The ultimate beauty tool, with tapered ends specifically designed for precise application and touch-ups for nails, eyes, lips and more. As a perfectionist and a makeup novice I find myself in desperate need of a tool that can give me a quick fix and that's exactly what these provide. They are gentle and soft to use on delicate areas of the face, including around the eyes where I tend to need the most help, especially if I am using eye liner. I use at least 2 when getting ready every day!



Thus far from the photos I've seen on the red carpet (too much school work to actually watch the entirety of it, unfortunately) it seems to be all about a more natural and fresh looking face, subtle "your lips but better" colored lip products, and a more dramatic eye look. Most days I don't even wear eye liner or eye shadow but I was inspired to do something a bit different than my everyday look and I am shocked by how much it made my eyes pop. Eyeliner is without a doubt the hardest part for me, I have no idea how people can have perfectly symmetrical winged liner on either side with just a swipe of their product. Me, on the other hand… I'm all about application and then correction but mainly correction. For any other makeup novices out there attempting this then fear not because I have discovered the easiest correction process all due to my Q-tips Precision Tips. I used to use the original Q-tips cotton swabs but now I find myself gravitating towards the Precision Tips more and more!

Here is my best attempt. For my eye look I opted to apply a shimmery nude eye shadow. Then came the tricky part, applying the eye liner. I always gravitate towards pen formed eye liners to ensure optimal control and the one I used in this look has a felt tip. Regardless of how effortless commercials make the application process look I always find a way to get it all over my eye lid. Once I have applied eyeliner to both eyes and am semi pleased with the outcome (meaning I don't stop halfway across the eye) I begin the touch up process. Personally, I like to dab my Q-tips Precision Tips into water before I attempt to perfect any of the lines. By the time I finish running the Q-tips Precision Tips near my eye liner I am left with a really straight line that I am pleased with.



These Q-tips Precision Tips also work incredibly for touching up lipstick and even creating a unique nail look all because of their tapered ends. 

You can find all sorts of awesome ideas for use on Q-tips Pinterest page!

But even cooler than a makeup look is what Katie Rodgers used Q-tips Precision tips to create!
She painted some amazing red carpet looks using these and I wish I had an ounce of that skill! They are absolutely incredible!





Pardon me while I attempt to paint something half as cool!

(I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. I would not promote something to y'all that I don't personally use and back so I hope you enjoy!)

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Lilly Pulitzer New Arrivals

Lilly Pulitzer recently released some of their new prints and styles for spring. While this seems a bit premature considering I am currently experiencing a snowy day the fun prints and colors can't help but make me smile. I haven't purchased all that much from Lilly as of late since nothing has really stuck out to me and my collection is already more than sufficient. I like a lot of the styles released in this collection but so far there isn't anything that I just HAVE to have.

If you haven't checkout the new arrivals yet then be sure to shop them on your own here!



These would make great pieces for Easter and Spring Break!
Which are your favorites?

Monday, February 23, 2015

Letterpress Cards

This past weekend I went into the most precious stationery store ever and fell even more in love (if that's possible) with the pretty paper goods they offered. My friends and I spent close to 30 minutes picking up and putting down countless cards that we found aesthetically pleasing. It wasn't hard to convince myself to snag a few and I found myself looking online at some cute card shops last night. One day I want to have a drawer full of cards for every occasion that I can whip out and send whenever I feel so obliged. 

There is just something about a handwritten letter arriving in the meal that makes me so giddy and I know the people that I send cards to feel the same way. Although sometimes it is incredibly difficult to remain a consistent pen pal with all of the things going on in life, a fun card in the mail never fails to make my day. Although letterpress cards are on the more expensive side I can't help but love all of their witty saying and beautiful designs. If I were a millionaire I would open up a cute little bakery that was filled with tiny shops inside one of which would HAVE to include stationery (although I probably wouldn't make much money because I would be tempted to purchase all the cards). 

Here are a few of my favorite places online to find pretty paper products that would be proudly displayed on my desk. 










If you know any great place to purchase letterpress cards I would love to know!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Step Into My Week {2015 #7}

This week has been quite the cold one! As most of y'all know from some of my posts from this week I spent the weekend in Auburn and had an absolute blast (read about it here)! Coming from Auburn back to Furman was a bit frigid. We had a snow day here on Tuesday which was a nice break from reality aside from the fact that I had to watch 6 hours worth of documentaries about global warming. Aside from that I have been spending a lot of time in the library and unfortunately it seems that that will be pretty typical for the next few weeks until spring break.

Furman looked absolutely beautiful covered in the snow (as it always does) and even today when I was walking to class I noticed that there is still a ton of it left on the other side of the lake which even happens to be frozen!


 

I was supposed to be going skiing this weekend but unfortunately the weather is looking kind of terrible for that. I am not so sure how fun skiing in frozen rain would be for anyone.

Lent started this past Wednesday as many of you are probably aware and instead of giving something up I decided to take something on. This year I decided that each day of lent I would read a different psalm. I thought this could be a fun way to ensure that I have some quiet time each day. When I was still at home my mom always came up with really cool ideas of what we should do as a family for lent. My favorite was when we decided to have Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Wednesdays. It forced us to try out some new recipes and was really cool to do.

Next week is Kappa Delta's big / little week so I will finally be getting a little! I am super excited and am dying to find out who I have already (we find out on Sunday). I remember this being so much fun last year and I know this year will be just as much of a blast since I'll get to be the one sneaking around and leaving gifts! I'll try to remember to take photos of what I give and share them with y'all next week!

As for what's been on my radar…

I saw this scarf on Pinterest yesterday and immediately repinned it. It's cashmere and wool and looks so cozy and warm! 


The best reminder you could need for tomorrow courtesy of a snow day watercolor attempt by me.


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Auburn Recap

So as some of you may know, I spent my weekend pretending to be a "big school" kid. My best friend goes to Auburn so I made the trek that way to stay with her for the weekend. This weekend was the perfect one to escape because it didn't really seem like anything was going on at school and Valentine's Day with your best friend is always the best!

We spent the weekend exploring, eating, and enjoying our time together. It is so crazy how someone you see daily in high school can become someone you see for short spells of time when you're both home for breaks. Fortunately, with best friends you can flawlessly pick right back up where you left off. This was the first time in about a year that Kate and I have gotten to spend an extended amount of time together, that's what working at summer camps many miles away will do to you! It's so refreshing to venture outside of the Furman bubble and I loved getting a taste of what it is like for her at Auburn.



I arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately insisted we do something semi active (sitting in a car is not my fav) so we wandered downtown and did a bit of shopping. Auburn has a lot of fun stores specifically geared towards college aged girls clothing so there were plenty of fun things to look at. We also went to Toomers Corner and got lemonade. Y'all may not know this about me but I adore lemonade, Chickfila is one of my faces but fresh squeezed is even better. Fortunately, it lived up to the hype although if I had known ahead of time that you could get it flavored I definitely would have!

Friday night we also ate downtown at a restaurant called Hamiltons. It was so good and fortunately our wait for a table wasn't too lengthy. We were both really hungry so we ordered their spinach artichoke dip appetizer and I got blackened chicken pasta with seasonal veggies (I don't know how they cooked their veggies but they were so good) and Kate got shrimp and grits which was equally as tasty. We then ventured back to her precious house and made puppy chow and watched a movie. We also spent LOTS of time catching up and just enjoying being together.

Saturday morning Kate was dying to take me to a restaurant called The Hound and I am so glad she did. We got there right at 10:00 when it opened for brunch and it was absolutely delicious! I ordered hazelnut coffee and homemade granola coated french toast which had a caramel-esque glaze that acted as syrup. Probably one of the best breakfasts I've ever had! I also met a reader while we were there which was so cool! I've only met a few readers over the course of my time blogging but it definitely makes it feel like I am not just sitting on my bed writing posts for myself.



Kate's friend Taylor joined us for our excursions all of Saturday which was so fun and I was excited to meet some of her friends at Auburn! After brunch we went to Opelika (super close to Auburn) to explore and go to their favorite coffee shop, The Overall Company. This place was too cool. They had the most delicious looking treats, including macaroons, yummy sounding coffee, and popsicles. Naturally on a cold day I went for a popsicle! Mine was salted caramel and they dipped it in a chocolate shell and covered it with graham cracker crumbs, delicious! When I walked in I met another reader which was unreal! Two in one day, that never happens! The Overall Company was so cool on the inside and had a really neat upstairs balcony and outside area! Kate had brought her camera so we definitely took advantage of the neat scenery!


  



This picture was too funny not to share, we joked that if we were in a band then this would be our album cover. 

  


Then we went into downtown Opelika which seemed basically deserted which was bizarre for it being a Saturday. We wandered into some shops and explored the area with camera in hand!


I thought this awning and storefront was just the cutest and had to snap a picture!





 

The 2 images above and the image below were all from this really cool cafe, the Cottage Cafe, which happened to be closed. I am definitely hoping Kate tries it out because if the decor was any indicator of the food then it is bound to be perfect!



After our excursions we headed back to Kate's house and ended up taking a nap. I was probably out for an hour and a half which felt so nice. For dinner we went to Chipotle (so yummy) and then we went to a movie. We saw Kingsmen which I hadn't even seen commercials for but it was entertaining and action filled. The night ended with us going back to Kate's house, me packing up, then crawling into bed and watching another movie (I fell asleep about 15 minutes into it). I woke up Sunday morning and got ready to depart and then it was back to Furman and the world of studying for tests. I had such a great weekend and was so happy to get to visit Auburn for the first time!

Anyone reading this attend Auburn?

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Piko Top Loving

The weather I experienced this past weekend to the weather we are having in Greenville today is so drastically different. This weekend in Auburn I got a taste of spring with super comfortable temperatures and now I am walking to class hoping to avoid slipping on ice. I am definitely now dreaming of spring and clear days and the wardrobe that accompanies the season. 

Year round I adore Piko tops but not having to layer it with scarves, a vest, and a jacket reminded me of how great these tops really are! I know this summer when I am in Paris I will be wearing these constantly. So if you don't know what Piko tops are basically, they are a brand of basics that are made out of bamboo and are the softest, most comfortable, and versatile shirts I own. I have three different colors already and still want a few other colors because of how frequently I wear them. The only downside is they can be a bit pricey, some boutiques charge around $28.00 for these shirts. I can honestly say they are worth that amount but when I find a bargain I know I have to share it with y'all! What if I told you you could get these tops in just about every color for only $20! Yep, the website Piko Shirts sells them for just that! When I discovered that I immediately ordered two and I can promise you that these are the exact same tops you would be paying nearly $30 for at other stores and better yet shipping is super reasonable!

My favorites are the long sleeve tops and I adore that they are a bit longer than normal tops (especially great if you want to wear them with leggings). Like I said earlier, the weather was super nice in Auburn so the way I was wearing it this pat Saturday is probably how I will be wearing it in the spring but for now I love throwing mine on with a scarf or vest!
(Some of you may remember me talking about Piko tops in my favorites video here).









Lilac Piko | Necklace (similar) | Jeans | Boots | Bracelets (1| 2) | Sunglasses

PS, Piko shirts run true to size!

I am more than ready to force Kate to come to Furman and become my official blog photographer! She was so into it which I found to be really funny but I love the way these turned out! Be sure to read all about my adventure this past weekend in Auburn tomorrow on the blog!

Are any of y'all as in love with Piko tops as I am?

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