Your Guide to Cyber Monday Shopping

As if the Black Friday deals weren't amazing enough you have the perfect reason to feel energized and happy this Monday! Last night when I got back to school I was in a full on Christmas mood listening to Christmas music while studying and you can bet this morning I am doing the same thing while shopping! There are so many good sales that sometimes it can be hard to know just where to start but don't you worry, I've got you covered! 

So start shopping now and check back often just in case you've missed anything! Also, I have tons of posts planned for December so you may want to start checking back a few times a day to stay in the know with lots of gift guides and regular posts! Enough with the distraction already, it's time to shop! 

Ann Taylor

50% off everything with code: EVERYTHING

Anthropologie

25% off sale items + free shipping with code: XTRAGOOD

ASOS

20% off everything with code: CYBER

Banana Republic

40% off everything + free shipping with code: BESTCYBER

Barrington Gifts

10% off everything with code: THANKS10

Baublebar

30% off everything with code: VIP

Country Club Prep

25% off + free shipping with code: PREPINYOURSTEP25

Design Darling

20% off everything with code: THANKFUL

Furbish Studio

20% off site wide with code: CYBER

Gap

40% off everything with code: BESTCYBER

J.Crew

40% off 507 styles with code: MONDAY

J. Crew Factory

50% off everything no code needed

Kate Spade

30% off everything with code: SHINE

Loft 

50% off everything + free shipping with code: CYBER50

Madeline and Company

10% off with code: THANKS2015

Nordstrom

25% off select sale items

Old Navy

40% off everything with code: BESTCYBER

Shopbop

15% off $250 with code: GOBIG15

Sole Society

30% off shoes and bags, no code needed

Tory Burch

30% off $250 + free shipping with code: THANKS

Tuckernuck

15% off everything with code: CYBER-15

Any favorites you've purchased? Happy Monday!

Festive Frocks for Formals and Holiday Parties

If you read my post from yesterday then you'll know that I went to my friends deb ball this past week which is what (or should I say who) inspired this post. My friend Macy, whose deb ball I attended, was eager to see some sort of post about preparing for a deb ball on the blog. Since I figured that a deb ball may be a little bit specific the holiday season is filled with plenty of occasions that constitute fancier clothes and dressing up for various parties and events. 

I know I have my sororities winter formal coming up next weekend and am sure that some of y'all may be in the same boat with school dances or cocktail parties to look forward to all throughout December. Finding dresses for these sorts of occasions can definitely be tricky and fortunately I already have mine for my winter formal but for my friends deb ball I actually used Rent the Runway. If you are interested in using Rent the Runway now is a great time since they are running 25% off their rentals with the code RTRBF15!

I think Rent the Runway is definitely the way to go when it comes to long dresses since chances are if you're wearing a long dress you're going to the type of event where lots of photos will be taken making it less likely for you to want to re-wear the dress (or at least that's my mentality with it). My dad was funny when trying to grasp how it worked and determined that it was Netflix for dresses which is pretty much the truth. My one recommendation when it comes to renting dresses from there is to be sure that you don't spend more to rent a dress than it would cost to purchase one. A common sense tid bit that I am sure you are all aware of! Here are some of Rent the Runways long dresses that would be perfect to wear for events this holiday season. 

navy and black // red // lace // periwinkle // two tone (this is what I wore)

Rent the Runway also has great short dresses although I tend to re-wear my short dresses pretty frequently as do my friends. I think my dresses go to more formals and functions than I do! Here are some of my favorite short dresses available to rent.

red // black // cream scallop // blue and black // foil

And since I do tend to buy short dresses here are some great options to purchase this holiday season from some of my favorite retailers! 

revolve // anthropologie // shopbop // nordstrom // zappos

My go to shoes for any of these dresses are on sale! I have them in nude (on sale half off) and black and know they will be used for many years to come! 

Step Into My Week

I hope y'all have had a fabulous Thanksgiving week! If you are hoping to shop all of the great Black Friday sales going on now then look no further than this post where I've rounded up lots of favorites from each of the best sales. 

Saturday I was officially installed as my chapter of Kappa Delta's president and we had an official visit test from Nationals that day as well. So from 10:00-12:00 it was all things KD. The lady visiting us from nationals was so sweet and actually stayed in our apartment which was cool. Saturday night our chapter adviser took our national visitor, myself, and a couple other girls on our new council to dinner downtown which was delicious! Sunday I took our visitor to the airport super early and then stayed downtown all day to study and work on assignments. 

My roommate and I have become pros at studying in our living room and have spent far too many hours working on our various assignments from the couches. Fortunately, it has caused us to make more meals together and even make breakfast foods for dessert, including cinnamon rolls! 

I had a lot due at the beginning of this week and finally got off for Thanksgiving break on Tuesday. Nell, my freshman year roommate, and I traveled home on Tuesday arriving back around 8:30. This break has been a bit of a whirlwind and not exactly as relaxing as one would wish since I still have a lot of homework and blog work to accomplish before heading back. Lately it seems like there is no such thing as a break as my teachers push new assignments on us and rush to get through material to test us on. 

Wednesday I was able to run a couple of errands that needed to be accomplished and then that night I went to my friends deb ball. Where I am from deb and Mardi Gras overlap and this ball was the kick off of that season. The debs wear all pink to this event and guests wear long dresses. It was fun to get all dressed up and put on a really formal dress since I don't think I've done that since high school proms.  The event was really fun and it was so fun to see so many old friends there! 

Thursday morning we were up bright and early to head to my grandparents house for Thanksgiving. It's always so nice to come up here where my grandparents have a lot of land to spend time as a family. Unfortunately my brother didn't come home for the break (something about Stanford law being hard…who knows) so I've been an only child this go round. We had our big meal and then I dove full force back into the blogging world. I feel like I've been so absent from it which I hate but I have lots of posts that I am hoping to get up this month so stay tuned! 

Yesterday was a lot of the same focusing on blogging stuff and now today I have all my stuff set up to hopefully complete a whole lot of homework while watching the football games. We shall see how that goes but I know it wold be nice to head back to school with some of my big assignments due in the final week and two days of school we have left complete as I prepare for my last few tests and then onto exams. 

I will be doing my best in the weeks to come to have more than one post up each day! I will be posting lots of gift guides to help y'all with your holiday shopping but don't want to sacrifice regular content by doing that. The goal right now is to have regular posts go up at 8:00 and then the gift guides to go up around 1:30 so be sure to scroll through and check back often so that you don't miss any posts! If you have any requests for the month to come be sure to let me know! 

Black Friday 2015 Sales + My Top Picks

It's crazy to me that Thanksgiving has come and has now passed. It is finally appropriate to play Christmas music and head into the holiday season full speed ahead. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves though and forget that today is the kick off for shopping all the best sales. As if you need a better excuse to in-store or online shop I think Black Friday makes it that much more acceptable to get into the gift giving (even if it is to yourself) mindset! 

I spent a lot of yesterday searching around for the best deals to share with y'all and am so excited to keep you in the know of the best sales to shop this weekend! Now is the time to charge those computers, prepare the leftovers, watch some football, and be ready to shop. I've done my best to make it as easy as possible by including the retailer + a link to the site as well as what deals they are hosting are and the code you'll need for the discount. And since everyone loves to do a bit of window shopping I've included some fun items from the various retailers in case you're not entirely sure what the store may sell! 

It's totally ok for today's mindset to be go big or go home. Be sure to stop back by this page frequently as I continue to update it to be your comprehensive guide for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and get excited for lots of new posts in the coming weeks! 

Where would I start? I would head to Nordstrom, Amazon, and J.Crew Factory to start my shopping as these sales seem to be the place to go to get the most bang for your buck! After looking around those sites be sure to stop back by here to check up on any other sales you may have missed! 

Amazon

30% off select clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and watches

code: 30BLACKFRI

Ann Taylor

50% off everything

code: CELEBRATE

Anthropologie

25% off Everything

code: SHOPTOIT

ASOS

up to 60% off casual looks for men and women

code: BLESSED

Athleta

20% off entire purchase online and in stores restrictions apply

code: WORKIT

Back Country

up to 50% off best brands + free shipping over $50

Banana Republic

half off sweaters and 40% off the rest of your purchase

code: BRFRIDAY

Barrington Gifts

10% off everything

code: GOBBLE10

BlueFly

up to 80% off site wide

Boden

30% off + free delivery and returns

BooHoo

70% off everything

Camilyn Beth

the more you spend the more you save

spend $50 - $100 and receive 10% off with code: THANKS10

spend $100 - $400 and receive 20% off with code: THANKS20

Club Monaco

25% off $150, 30% off $250, 35% off $400

Country Club Prep

25% off + free shipping

code: prepinyourstep25

Design Darling

20% off everything

code: THANKFUL

Furbish Studio

20% off site wide

code: CYBER

Gap

early access 50% off everything restrictions apply

code: BLKFRIDAY

Goodnight Macaroon

50% off store-wide

code: blackfriday2015

H&M

up to 60% off

Hayden Reis

15% off your purchase of $50 or more

code: INSTA15

J.Crew

30% off your purchase + extra 40% off sale

code: HOLIDAY

J.Crew Factory

50% off everything + free shipping over $50

code: SHIPGIFTS

Kate Spade

surprise sale up to 70% off

Lilly Pulitzer

presents with purchase + free domestic flight with purchase of $1500

Loft

40% off almost everything

code: BF40

Lulu & Georgia

20% off $250 with code: GIVEME20

Macy's 

extra 25% off clearance designer handbags, 50% off select women's coats and sweaters

Madeline and Company

30% off 

code: THANKS2015

Madewell

25% off your entire purchase

code: CALMDOWN

Modcloth

up to 40% off select styles

Neiman Marcus

take 20% off sale items for up to 50% off online & take $50 off select regular price purchases of $200 

code: THANKFUL 

Nordstrom

up to 50% off select styles for all + free shipping and returns

Old Navy

up to 60% off styles

Revolve

up to 50% off women's dresses and men's shirts

Shopbop

spend $250 and save 15%, spend $500 and save 20%

code: GOBIG15

Stella & Dot

take an extra 25% off for a total of up to 50% off

The Frye Company

receive $100 gift card for every $400 spent + free shipping

Topshop

up to 50% off selected lines

Tuckernuck

15% off with code: CYBER-15

Urban Outfitters

30% off sale, select women's and men's sweaters $39, all women's and men's flannels $29 

Waiting on Martha

20% off everything (excluding fine art)

code: SHOPSMALL

Fall Clothing Essentials

Holy cold. This morning I woke up to 27 degrees as I got ready for student teaching. Thank goodness for my parents teaching me to start the car and warm it up (and defrost the ice from the windshield) before heading off. I turned the car on and quickly headed back inside my apartment to make a warm cup of coffee for the ride. Once I arrived at the school (an hour earlier than necessary because I'm that thrown off with my scheduling and routine lately and need Thanksgiving break) the students kept asking if it was fall or if it was winter due to how chilly it suddenly got. 

Due to this cold snap I thought it was about time for me to share my fall essentials that are perfect to layer well into the winter.

short grey boots // lace up flats // riding boots // bean boots

comfy sweaters // vests // piko tops

cozy pullover // navy gigi pants // barbour jacket 

Want to watch instead of read? No problem, watch me ramble here! 

Step Into My Week + EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT

Happy Friday! What a week, lots of excitement over here lately but I'll get into that in a minute. On Saturday we had our last home tailgate of the semester. I honestly don't know where this semester has disappeared to and it's unreal to me to think that the next time I'll be tailgating at school I'll be a senior. This is when I wish I had a big remote for life and could pause and rewind as I see fit. 

 

I wore the most comfortable swing dress and got so many compliments on it that I couldn't not share it with y'all! The best part? It has pockets. This is every girls dream and it would look especially cute for Thanksgiving! 

Saturday night was one of everyones favorite parties of the year, barn party. Think of tons of college students in a large field with a band and a bonfire. The best part about this party is that even though a fraternity puts it on people from other fraternities and all students are welcome making it seem more social. It was so cold this year and I am still questioning why I didn't put on two pairs of socks but you live and you learn, right?

I wore: scarf // jacket // jacket liner // pants // camp socks // bean boots

Ok, so I've been keeping a pretty big secret from y'all and am thrilled to finally share it! About a month ago I applied to become my sororities (Kappa Delta) president. I obviously love the organization so much and have adored serving as Vice President of Public Relations this past year and couldn't imagine not being on our Executive Council again. Even though I hate applying for things that I don't know if I will necessarily get (bad habit, getting over it) I bit the bullet and did it. About two weeks later I was told that I was slated for the position meaning the committee voted on by the chapter decided that from the applications that I would be the best fit for the role. Now as reassuring as that sounds it still wasn't a done deal and other members were able to run from the floor for the position as well. I knew that someone would be running from the floor and while there were some circumstances during the time between slating and actual elections where I was very frustrated with how various things were being handled I stuck it out knowing that by not compromising how I felt that the elections should be handled  I was doing the best with what I had. Sunday was the night of our speeches and I was so nervous the entire day. I've decided that it was because I was in a position of vulnerability but regardless of how things went this was a good life experience for me. Thank goodness for parents who will listen to you talk about all your worries and be just as nervous for you (even when they don't tell you until afterwards). Well Sunday night somehow I got up in front of the chapter speech in hand and remained poised and confident while explaining why I would be a good fit for the position and where I would aim to take our chapter as a whole. The next girl gave her speech and then there was waiting. As if a month wasn't long enough that time when votes were being counted felt like an eternity. We were let back into our chapter room where it was announced that I will be serving as president of my sorority this year. I honestly couldn't be more honored and flattered and I am so excited to take on this role even though I have some big shoes to fill. My big has been serving as president of our chapter for the past year so I have a bit of an inside scoop on how it works but I still have so much to learn from her.

Always so thoughtful and encouraging, she brought me the sweetest prizes to help celebrate! My roommate also left me the funniest note after elections and sent me the sweetest texts during that waiting game. She must've listened to my speech at least 5 times prior to chapter and claimed that she felt like an excited mom when my name was called. Talk about a good roommate. Also, I've never felt so popular than I did that night with countless congratulations and encouragement that made me that much more excited and energetic to take on this role.

Conveniently enough my freshman roommate's sorority (tri delta) had their elections and Nell just became their president as well. Although our chapters are different it is so fun that we both have taken on these roles together. Who would've guessed that the roommates from Alabama, stressed about recruitment, would both become presidents of their chapters years later.

We celebrated Tuesday night as I took her flowers and then we went to get celebratory frozen yogurt!

The rest of this week has been pretty school work heavy with lots of assignments to complete before Thanksgiving break and I am finally feeling better after being sick all week. Hoping that my productivity and motivation last until I head home on Tuesday!