Graphic Tees

J.Crew and J.Crew Factory always have such a great selection of graphic tees, but I am especially loving their options this season; that is probably because they are Paris and NYC themed-- two of my absolute favorites!  What is great about graphic tees is that they are so easy.  You can just throw one on with a pair of jeans or shorts and you already have a really cute look.  I also think graphic tees are super fun to add accessories or a great pair of shoes to.  Here are a few graphic tees that I am loving!

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My favorite, of course, is the New York, New York tee.  It is so perfect and I really hope I will be adding it to my wardrobe this fall!

 

Do you love graphic tees?  Which is your favorite?

 

Fall Essentials

I cannot believe it is already going to be fall soon!  I feel like everything is going by really fast this year, probably because I'm senior, but it is still so weird.  Anyway, since fall is right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my fall essentials.  

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Fall, by far, has to be my favorite season for fashion.  I feel like there is just so much great stuff going on and there is a lot more versatility in the way I can style my pieces-- plus I can wear jeans, which are seriously one of my favorite articles of clothing!  They are so, so comfortable and they look great with almost any top, including-- my favorite-- sweaters.

Also, if you couldn't tell, I am a little bit of a fanatic when it comes to shoes, but there are so many pairs you can wear in fall!  I personally am loving the Mary Jane and T-Strap trend I have been seeing lately.  It reminds me of the uniforms (well our school didn't mandate them, but I thought it looked cool) I wore when I was a kid.  They are such a great way to add a little playfulness to any look!

Lastly, I recommend a good jacket, a tote, and a clutch for the fall season.  I have a military jacket I bought from Target last year that works great for nights when the weather gets a little cooler.  I am also finding that my black Michael Kors tote is perfect for the fall season.  With a lot more going on, it is nice to have a big, roomy tote that I can carry everything in.  The clutch is basically just for fun, but this fall, I have a lot of formal events and I think my GiGi clutch is the perfect accessory to dress up some of my outfits with!

What are some of your fall essentials?

 

Getting Over a Cold

Of course I have a cold within the first five days of school.  Honestly, being sick is one of my least favorite things, I mean is it really anyone's favorite anyway?  Luckily I have been able to come up with a good routine for getting over a cold, and pretty fast too.  It requires rest for the most part, but I have some other tips and tricks that really help me kick my colds.  Check out my advice below!

Following these steps always help me get rid of my cold really fast!  The one tip I abide by the most is drinking water and eating healthy.  That seems to help me the most in kicking my cold!

How do you kick your cold?

 

International Princess Project

After a few months of getting all of this set up with my mom-- I swear we are never on the same schedule-- I am finally bringing Punjammies to you!  When I noticed International Princess Project asking bloggers to style their Punjammies, I just had to be in on it.  My mom and I have been huge fans of the company for years and it is so great to watch it grow and change over time.

For those of you who don't know what International Princess Project is, it is an organization that helps get women in India out of the sex trade.  They do this by helping women to pay off their debts and then have them come learn how to run their own business through making Punjammies.  Around 3 million women and girls are forced into the sex trade in India.  Many of them come from India; however, a good percent are also from Nepal, Bangledesh, and other Asian countries.  This is a devastating trade that, sadly, makes around $32 billion dollars a year, but one women wanted to change that.  When the founder of IPP, Shannon Keith, went to India in 2005, she was appalled by the amount of women forced into prostitution and she knew she had to do something.  After returning to America, Shannon and a few of her friends got together and created IPP, an organization that would help free the women of the sex trade.  Ever since, IPP has been working hard (and succeeding!) in saving women from the perils of human trafficking.

Do you have a pair of Punjammies?  If not, you should definitely get some :)

 

Little Eloise

Sorry for the short blogging hiatus, but I have had such a busy start to the school year.  It seems like it was just one thing after another and I thought it might be best to take a short break from blogging.  So, what have I been up to you ask.  Along with school, Seth, and the usual, I have been enjoying time with little Eloise.  Eloise is the newest member to our family, a kitten my dad found out in a field.  It seems like my dad always finds these deserted animals; however, this time we are keeping her!  She is just the cutest little thing, and I am so happy to call her mine.  Here a few pictures I snapped this weekend.  She was quite interested by the camera!

She is just such a cute kitten!  I can't wait to share some more pictures on the blog.  You can definitely expect constant updates haha!

What have you been up to?  Has anyone else started school yet?
 

Book Review: Little Princes

This year, we had to read a school wide reading book.  I believe everyone from 6th grade forward had to read the novel, and trust me, no one was happy about it.  The book our school chose for us is called Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children on Nepal.  I was just about as excited about everyone else to read this book, but once I started reading I fell in love.  The thing that makes Little Princes different, is that it is kind of like an auto-biography; however, it is told like a great adventure novel.  

If you haven't heard of Connor Grennan, the author of Little Princes, he is truly an amazing and inspiring man.  What he originally did out of guilt, he found his life passion doing: helping the lost children of Nepal.  The story centers around Connor's journey to help the "oprhans" at Little Princes find their families and creating his non-profit, NGN (Next Generation Nepal), and later his own home for trafficked children in Nepal.

Little Princes was such an inspiring read and I recommend it to all of you.  You won't regret reading it and you will love the story and bravery of the many people who fought and are fighting for the children of Nepal.

Have you read Little Princes? What did you think?

My First Day Back

Honestly, it is so weird that I am starting the first day of my last year in high school.  It seems like as I have gotten older, everything has started going faster.  I imagine college will be even more fast paced than high school, and then I'll have a career, and, oh my gosh it is getting crazy to even think about this haha.  Anyway, after a quick summer (expect a recap soon!), I am back in school and somewhat ready to go haha.  Since it is my first day back, I thought I would share a little first day outfit inspiration!

I will make sure to fill you in on the first day later on this week.  Wish me luck!

What are you wearing for your first day?

Lilly After Party Sale

Normally, I have issues finding pieces at the huge Lilly sales, but this year I completely scored.  Ever since Carly Heitlinger posted pictures of her in the Thompson dress in I Herd You, I have been obsessed.  The only problem, I didn't want to pay full price; however, I got lucky because the After Party sale had it in stock, in my size! I was super excited and I thought it would be a great way to celebrate my 201 followers (thank you for all the support by the way, it means the world to me!!).  Besides the dress I bought a necklace that will be a great staple for my wardrobe.  Sadly, everything I bought is sold out, but you can see the pictures below and few other items I love that are still in stock!

 Currently Unavailable

 

 Currently Unavailable

Originally $178, now $89!

 Originally $188, now $49!

There are so many great pieces at this years sale!  If you haven't checked it out, I recommend you do, everything sells pretty fast!

Have you shopped the sale?  What pieces did you pick up? 

 

My Favorite Books

Since I am almost done with high school (I honestly can't believe I'm a senior!!) I thought I would share my favorite reads.  Honestly, some of the books I have read for school have been so life changing and I will be reading some again down the road.  So, here are a few of my favorites!

1. The Poisonwood Bible: This is such a great novel!  It is super long, but the author has great points that she makes on many topics throughout the book, including women's rights.  Yay for feminism!  I also think Kingsolver is a great storyteller.  Every detail is described so beautifully and I seriously love taking it all in.

2. A Farewell to Arms: I was never a huge Hemingway fan till I read this book.  I think the story is great and there is a lot of symbolism, which is really fun to point out.  It is also a love story, so I was automatically hooked haha!

3. The Bean Trees: Another Kingsolver read, this book is great.  Kingsolver talks a lot about women's rights in this novel and it is another great, descriptive story.

4. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen is such a classic author and this is, by far, my favorite book of hers.  I really relate to the protagonist, Elizabeth.  Honestly, she has the same personality as me and I completely see my life being that way.  

5. Native Son: Definitely different from all the other books I have listed above, but definitely just as good.  This story centers around the issue with racism in Chicago and racism as a whole.  It is a story of fighting for rights that should be given to everyone and has such a deep moral meaning!

What are some of your high school reads?

 

Friday Links

I haven't done a Friday Links post in a while, but there is just so much I need to share with you this week!  I have had such a great week blogwise and personally.  I am almost done with all my summer reading (finally!) and, if you didn't notice, I almost have 200 followers via GFC!  How exciting right?!  It is crazy to see how fast this little blog has been growing and I can't thank my readers enough for making it all possible.  That said, here are some links I have been collecting this week!

1. I was so excited to be this weeks featured #ProjectBlogger on Pubslush!  You have to check it out, it was such an honor!

2. Another feature from Preppy Girl in PA.  It was so sweet of her to include me in her favorite bloggers list!

3. We are doing this song for our schools A cappella group and it is seriously so much fun!  I can't wait to perform it!

4. I love my new handbag.  If you are looking for a new work bag, this one is definitely worth the investment.

5. I bought these journals to keep in my purse, and they are great.  They are the perfect size for taking notes and the perfect thickness for my purse!

What are some of your favorite links this week? 

Lavender

It seems like there isn't anything I can't find at Nordstrom Rack!  Last weekend my parents and I went to our local Nordstrom Rack to shoe shop and find my mom a dress.  We found my mom a dress, but, of course, I also picked one up for myself.  It was on the clearance and I can't wait to wear it this fall!

Such an awkward smile in the second picture (Seth, however, is determined to make me know it's cute haha!).  If you noticed I paired the dress with my Badgley Mischka heels that I bought from Nordstrom Rack a few weeks ago.  They are both such great finds that pair perfectly together!

What have you found at Nordstrom Rack? Is anyone else dress obsessed? 

 

Changing Stereotypes

There is some great stuff happening in the music industry as of late.  Women are changing the stereotypes we have been used to forever through their music, and I love it.  It is so great to see women stepping up for an issue that, even though we don't see it all the time, is still a big issue.  Women everywhere face the stereotype of skinny, skimpy, and sex.  Its hard to admit, but it's so true.  We grow up thinking we need to be like the women we see on TV, beautiful, but we aren't always told that who we are IS beautiful.  No matter what size, race, religion, or belief you have, just remember, you are beautiful, and these artists think so too :)

 

What empowering music are you loving lately?

The Best Snacks: Soul Snacks

I'm guilty for not posting this sooner haha, but I really wanted to introduce you to Soul Snacks.  Soul Snacks brought some yummy (like, actually the best though!) samples to the Smart Girls Conference, and let's just say I had more than my share!  They snacks they brought were my favorite, cookies, and they were good.  My personal favorite is the Down Home Double Chocolate; AKA the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had in my life, and I'm not kidding.

Now, about the company.  Soul Snacks was started by Ralph Rolle in 1996, when he started giving his grandmother's cookies to his friends as a gift.  They all thought they were so great that he needed to start a business making these wonderful treats... and he did!  The company was immediately successful, as everyone who tried the cookies was amazed with the great flavor and melt in your mouth taste!  Now, Soul Snacks is trying to expand and even open store fronts in NYC!

 They deliver pretty much everywhere, including internationally!  Although shipping can be a little pricey, you won't regret it.  I know that I will be gifting some of these cookies over the holiday season!

Have you tried Soul Snacks?  What is your favorite cookie?