Feeling Dramatic






This skirt is one of my absolute favorites because you feel ultra dramatic every single time I
walk anywhere. I immediately knew I needed to play up the dramatics and walking through
some vines seemed like the perfect place. I also like how this shows an older approach
to wearing a crop top. They don't have to be just for high schoolers! 

Do you have that one piece of clothing that is fun and adds a little bit of drama to your outfit?

{here's the facts: skirt (old from anthropologie-this one is fun!), shirt (nordstroms)

Sister Outfit Post!





Meet my sister Colie! 
She likes pugs, the ocean and indie music. She goes to 
school in San Diego and I am envious of her beach lifestyle. 

I thought it would be fun to take some outfit shots of what she would wear back
at school in San Diego and this is what she threw together. I also liked the idea of showing
how different ages can wear crop tops so today is her version and tomorrow is mine! 

 fun fact: I dyed her hair the other day and am pretty proud of the color. If this Speech
Pathology gig doesn't go through, maybe I'll go into hair... (so totally kidding). 

Thanks for humoring me Colie! Maybe next time ya'll can meet the other sister, Sammie!



{here's the facts: top (American Apparel), shorts-(little boutique in Santa Cruz), plaid-( similar here), shoes (Zappos)


Write It Down

 Journaling has been a major part of my life since I was in elementary school. I'm
not always consistent with keeping daily tabs but let's be real, day-to-day life
isn't always that exciting, but I try to have a journal for every school year. There is 
nothing better than reading about past experiences and laughing at yourself. 
Every overly dramatic moment seems so silly in retrospect! 

 This is the journal I have had since the beginning of my Junior year, so beginning in 
August of 2013 and it will end on the first day of school this month. I love how the
title perfectly describes how this past year was for me.

 This is the journal that went with me on the biggest adventure of my life thus far when I studied
abroad in Italy! There are some great moments in here and some amazing memories
locked tight. 

And now this is the journal for my upcoming senior year and the beginning of my 
post-grad life come January! I picked it up from Tiny Prints and I love the leaves and flowers mixed with the personalized touch. I'm also a huge fan of spiral notebooks because they're easier to write in.

Do you keep a journal? If so, when did you start?

To You, From Me

 

I am a huge fan of snail mail. There is nothing better than the excitement involved in receiving
mail and vice versa when you place that letter in the mail and hope it gets to the 
recipient as quickly as possible. When you receive a 'Thank You' card, a 'Just
Because' card, or a 'Happy Birthday' card, you know that person put thought into picking 
the perfect card, carefully writing it, and sent it out to you personally.
My new stationary and my custom stamp are from the Tiny Prints Gift Section and they are perfect to continue my stationary love and needless to say, I'm obsessed. I love that I can use the stationary
for professional endeavors but at the same time, it is still pretty and true to who I am. 
And don't even get me started on the stamp because it has been a dream of mine to own one
of those and the design is gorgeous! There is a picture of it below from a distance for
security reasons. :)
When I graduate from college in December I can't wait to send letters to all of my 
friends back in Tucson as a sweet way to correspond. The map hearts are all the places I like to call home and all the places I will write to. With all the obsessions with phones
and social media, it's nice to step away every once in a while and give a personal touch.

Are you a fan of snail mail?

My Favorite Documentaries

I love watching documentaries because they are never too long and give you just enough
insight into other peoples lives. My roommate and I are always down to watch a good 
documentary on HBO or Netflix and are always sharing recommendations. 
I decided to compile a little list of my favorite documentaries and also some that I am 
hoping to watch soon!

Favorites:
 I love, love, love this documentary because it was done by family and for family.
It gives you an inside look into one of the most famous families in American history.
Plus Ethel Kennedy is just the coolest. 

 I had heard about Banksy but did not know much about him other than that he puts
very cool images up around New York City. This documentary was fascinating and I am 
such a fan of his work.

 Every girl has a little part of them that wishes they could move like a ballerina and this 
documentary made me wish I had pursued ballet a little harder. They are incredibly
graceful but it also provides insight into the rigourous life of a ballerina. 

 I watched this in my chemistry class in high school and it really made me reevaluate what I 
eat and where the food is coming from. There are definitely disturbing images but I think
it's a good way to wake us up a little bit.

 This documentary was the absolute sweetest. My roommate and I watched it somewhat 
recently and absolutely adored Sam. Learning about Progeria was also fascinating! 

Can't Wait to Watch:
 My friend told me about this documentary yesterday and I can't wait to watch it!
This seems like the ultimate adventure documentary.

  My roommate recommended this one to me and it seems like something right up my alley.
It's about reading old diary entries to the public and as someone who has had a diary since
about elementary school, I can relate with making fun of some of the things I have written. 


I'd love to know what some of your favorite documentaries are!! 
I am always up to recommendations!

An Organization I Love

Ben's Bells is an organization in Tucson that is near and dear to my heart because of the
wonderful message it encourages and the way it touches upon everyone's hearts in Tucson.
The organization was founded by a local family who lost their son far too early and 
as a coping mechanism, began crafting with clay and making little bells.
They soon began placing these bells all around the town in the hope that they are spreading
kindess to others who may need it like themselves. The bells symbolize kindness and healing
and if you find one around town, it really is something special. 


 You can contribute your time to the cause by painting pieces of the bells and crafting them 
and it really is incredibly therapeutic. If you ever need an afternoon to relax and forget about
the worries of the week, heading to Ben's Bells is a great option. All of the paint and 
materials are laid out for you and all you have to do is get creative. 


It's one of my dreams to find one of the bells but for now I am content helping create them
and spreading the word on this organization and the act of spreading kindness.
I have the bumper sticker above on my car and I even saw one on a car in the Bay Area this 
weekend and it instantly filled me up knowing the kindness spreads far and wide. 
I firmly believe you find a bell when you need healing and a little bit of kindness in 
your life.

Check our their website here!

Have you heard of Ben's Bells? What's your favorite organization?

A New Obsession



 This is a PSA for all women of the world:
These pajamas I found at Target are to die for. I am not joking. Everyone should go out and 
buy a pair because this is something you would never regret. They are as soft as butter,
have short sleeves and shorts (because I'm sorry but sleeping in pants is not something that can 
happen unless you wish to wake up in a sweat) and everything is the right length. 


My mom got a pair too and she is equally in love with them! If you wanted an excuse to stay
in pajamas all day and still look great, then grab yourself a pair of this pajama set.
Oh, and did I mention it's only $20?? Steal!

Pick them up here! And hurry! 
(I really want the navy pair as well!)



*Not a sponsored post! I just really love these pajamas

So You're Gonna Be a College Freshman


This summer I worked at the College of Admissions at the University of Arizona and I called incoming Freshman every single day offering up advice, answering questions and concerns and ultimately making sure they had everything they needed before they start school. I decided it might be beneficial to some if I shared some of these tips! Every school is a little different in how they run things, but for the most part, the important things are all about the same. 

So let's get started::

1. Shop around for your books.
There is nothing worse than having to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for your books on
top of every other expense that first year. I wish I had known all of the different sites to shop around on
and it would have saved me quite a lot. There are some books that you will have to buy at your
school's bookstore but for the most part, you can shop around. Renting is also a great option
so you aren't lugging around textbooks as you move around every year. I recommend renting especially
for your gen ed classes.
Here are my favorite websites:
Chegg (for renting)

2. Use Bed, Bath & Beyond 
This might seem obvious but BB&B is the best for all things college. Need bedding? Done.
Need a fridge? Done. Need storage? Done. And speaking of storage, my freshman year
I bought the bins that open up halfway and they were wonderful. You put them under your bed
and you only have to open up half of the top to grab whatever you need and the other half
can have things on top of it still. A lot of parents would ask me about bedding for the dorms as well
and basically, the beds are Twin XL. You don't need fancy sheets that the school is trying to sell you,
you can go to Target or BB&B and they have Twin XL.

BB&B also has a great service for students going out of state! You can go to the store in your hometown and choose all the items you think you'll need, they'll hold them at the store closest to 
where you are going to school and once you get there, you can evaluate what you chose
while at home. This was great for me because I chose way too many things while at home and when I 
got to Tucson and saw how tiny my room was, I was able to go to BB&B and eliminate
quite a few items. 

3. Check your school email consistently
I know some incoming students are really good at this but the majority of students I called 
had not been checking their school email and were missing valuable information. This is a 
great habit to get into earlier rather than later. Most advisors (at least at the UA) only receive emails
from school emails and ensuring that your advisor is receiving your emails and that you are receiving the important ones they send to you, is crucial.

4. Get involved!!
College is the perfect time to join as many different organizations and clubs as possible and see what you are into and where you want to spend your time. I wish I had gotten involved earlier and perhaps
I would have found the service fraternity I am in, a lot earlier. Schools usually hold a club fair or some type of roundup of different ways to get involved so utilize it!! During a break from classes just 
walk around and leave your email with some clubs that interest you! You can always go back
and remove yourself from some email chains later on (hi, hiking club I thought would be interesting...). 

5. Have fun!
College is a mixed bag of new challenges, new adventures, new thrilling experiences and there will never be a time in your life like this again. (Sorry, the senior here is getting all nostalgic!) 
Meet as many new people as you can, get to know your professors, USE OFFICE HOURS (it can be awkward and weird but most likely extremely beneficial), and lastly, be safe and smart. :)

Good luck!!
If you have any other tips and tricks to share, please do down below!! 


{via}

A Whirlwind Weekend


This past weekend was spent at Outside Lands in San Francisco with several of my high school
friends and it was the perfect homecoming. My body is sore from so much standing and sitting
on hard grass but the amount of bands I was able to see in a short two day period cannot be beat!
On Saturday we saw Vance Joy, a little bit of The Kooks, Capital Cities (So good!), 
Death Cab for Cutie, a second of Duck Sauce, and finally ended the evening with Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis! Macklemore may have been my favorite because he seemed genuinely
excited to be there.

On Sunday we saw comedian Lewis Black, Ben Howard, Ray Lamontagne and 
closed with The Killers. What I love about music festivals is that you can see some bands
that you typically wouldn't see on their own plus about 2-3 other bands to tie all of it
up with a bow. The weather ranged from arctic to sweltering across the two days
but I would expect nothing less from a weekend in San Francisco.

Time for Vacation!

This entire summer, except for the extended weekend getaway to the Grand Canyon,
has been spent working every day, attending class at night, helping out at a summer camp
for children with Specific Language Impairment, and taking a GRE course. 
Needless to say, life has been busy around these parts but I wouldn't have it any other way.

My job that began in March and had gone on until yesterday was in the Office of Admissions
here at the University of Arizona and involved calling each and every one of the incoming Freshman
at least 3 times. I've loved being able to share my experiences here at the university with the 
parents and incoming students and also share words of wisdom along the way that I wish
I had known. I made my last calls yesterday and while I'm sad to be leaving that position,
I definitely learned an office job is not for me. I just cannot sit for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week!

Today I am flying home though for my two weeks off for summer to relax, prep for grad 
school applications, polish up on the GRE, and be with my family. I'm kicking off
the trip with two days to Outside Lands too so that will be a great way to get back into
California life. :) 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!


Out and About








 This past weekend I planned on going out to take some pictures when all of a sudden the sky
opened up and it began to pour. I obviously decided to go anyways and I'm glad I did
because I love how I now have some super rainy photos while living in the desert. Also,
how amazing is that purple wall? The cafe that I am standing in front of is
Tooley Cafe and it is the cutest little hole-in-the-wall place that instantly
feels a little like home. They were closed for their summer break but I plan on 
hanging out there a lot in the Fall.

If you ever need some brightly colored walls for your pictures, the southwest 
is the place for you!


It's Almost Time!

This post brought to you by Brita.  All opinions are 100% mine.


   

     It's that time again! With August comes the back to school shopping (which I absolutely love and 
    will probably continue to do forever and ever amen) and the first day of school outfits, and
    the general excitement in the air of something new about to begin. 

    Above are some of my favorite items for back to school shopping and everything 
    that I use on a daily basis. I love using my clipboard for when I want to do some homework
    on the couch, a white board to save some paper when working out some problems preparing for
    a test, a water bottle because you have to stay hydrated and this one is perfect because it
    also filters your water (my sister just bought one and loves it!), and of course you need
    pens and several notebooks for all your classes! I like having a notebook per class. :)


    And if your water bottle doesn't have a fancy filter on it, then I recommend getting a Brita®
    to fill up your bottle and stay hydrated! (Can be purchased here!)
     My roommate and I have been using this one for 3 years now and all you
have to do is switch out the filters every 6 months!
   
     There is too much plastic in the world as it is, so water bottles and some good ole
    filtered water is the way to go for 2014! 

     I'm picky about the water that I drink, so if I like this water, I think you might as well. :)


    Also, my roommate and I went out into a monsoon to capture these shots and needless to say, it
    was quite the adventure! I wasn't sure if my car was going to make it through the flooded streets
    of Tucson! But obviously we made it and I love how these shots came out! 


     
    *This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own and I really do vouch for the quality of Brita® products and I use them on a daily basis! :) available at Target
Visit Sponsor's Site

Monsoon Sundays


 I stole the name of this post from my roommate who wants that to be the name of her
future band but also totally works for this moment. We have been having the coolest
monsoons in southern Arizona and I have been soaking them up bit by bit!

I have finally introduced the short hair on the blog (besides in an instagram) 
and I thought it would be fun to do so in an outfit post! I apologize for the lack of outfit
posts and all around inconsistency of posts, but with summer comes an inconsistent lifestyle
and I love embracing that change in lifestyle away from the academic year.

This shirt is fun and playful for summer and can easily be worn with jeans to go out to dinner
during monsoon season with a pair of cute booties like mine above. (Jeans not during
monsooon season is a huge no-no!) Throw in a pop
of color, such as the clutch, and you are good to go! 

{the details: shirt-older from Anthro but similar here, jeans, shoes-similar, clutch-old from H&M}

(p.s. will outfit posts ever stop being awkward? the model life was definitely not for me)