Agendas are Here!

The wait is over (well, almost).  Lilly Pulitzer has finally released her 2014-2015 agendas online and are available for pre-order with a ship date of June 23rd.  You can check out my previous blogpost here with all of the prints and order the agendas from here.
I highly recommend pre-ordering because these will sell-out extremely fast and only a few prints will be restocked.  Re-stock last year didn't ship until late October/November, so grab them now so you don't miss out!



My pick: Large Agenda in Tropical Pink Lilly Lovers

Feeling Lucky in Lilly

To me, the color pink screams warm weather and happiness.  Throw it together with an A-Line, flowy skirt and its perfection.  The tea-length, a-line skirts started trending in the fall and I believe will continue popping up in the spring and summer.  I'm keeping with the full skirt trend with this one from Lilly Pulitzer.  I picked it up last summer during their Endless Summer Sale.
Here's what I pieced together for a presentation I had to give.

Hoots to Freshman Year

Well, year one is done! I couldn't be anymore grateful for everything I have experienced and the people I have met.  I have to say, I enjoyed second semester more than first because there was no longer the fear of the "unknown" or feeling like an "awkward freshman".  It may have also been because I joined Kappa...
But regardless, I learned so much about myself and how to approach life.  So I thought I would compile a list of things I've learned throughout my freshman year, enjoy!

1. Family is everything.  Biological or not, they mean everything.  They are your backbone, your support system and your inspiration.  Never ever take them for granted.
2. You are stronger than you think.
3. Don't stress the small stuff
4. Don't doubt that others, especially new friends, will be able to see your true self & will accept you for you.
5. Its okay to be close to your mom.  And you should call home.
6. Be involved on campus. You meet new people & get to feel apart of something
7. College flies by.
8. Its okay to not have everything figured out.
9. Have a few different friend groups.  You get to experience so much & you have so many bonds and memories.
10. You won't be best friends with everyone.
11. You have to be very coordinated to shave in shower.
12. Embrace what makes you unique
13. The true friends you leave in high school will come back.  Those that aren't true friends won't come back and that’s okay.
14. Reputations spread through a campus quickly.  Make yours a good one.
15. Group projects are not any better in college than they are in high school. 
16. Get out of your dorm room from time to time.
17. Despite being accepted to college, girls still cannot understand the concept of flushing the toilet.
18. You will not sleep the first month of college.
19. Its okay if you have a ton of stuff on move in day.  Don't be self conscious.  Because while you may feel like that nerdy freshman on move in day, but know one will remember you as the girl with all the stuff.  They are thinking the same thing.
20. Don't let the negative opinions of others effect you.
21. Go to games and athletic events.
22. Participate in class.  Even if its an 8am, because professors will notice. And you will need their help landing jobs and networking.  They can't advocate for you  if they don't know your name.
23. Be proactive.  No one is holding your hand.  You have to do everything for yourself.  And if you let others, like your mom, do everything for you, you'll be at a disadvantage.
24. College flies by. Enjoy every moment. (Notice I said this twice).
25. Stay true to yourself.
26. If you aren't happy, transfer.  You are paying so much that you do not deserve to be unhappy.  Several of my peers have chosen to transfer, and I respect them for it because they are making decisions to be happy and to get the most out of the four years before they are out in the real world.
27. Make friends with upperclassmen.  They have so much advice to give.
28. Don’t try to be just like everyone else.  Its not cool and very boring.
29. Be friends with your RA.
30. Stress is inevitable.  Just smile and have a 30 second dance party

Met Gala 2014

While Award Season is always exciting, the Met Gala takes the cake.  This annual event is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museam of Art's Costume Institute.  It is a highly exclusive social event and is considered the premier red carpet event.  With that being said, celebrities and artists arrive in their gowns, often outreageous but all trying to make a statement.
Here are my picks for best and worst dressed.

So, so in love with Blake Lively's Gucci gown.  The champagne/blush color on her is so elegant and the form-fitting silhouette is sexy and glam.  She took my breath away.

Fashion Google

The internet is completely saturated with all kinds of content, especially when it comes to fashion.  There are so many search engine style websites that have been popping up & allow you to search for a specific item or for hard-to-find designers.

 

Shopbop is an online boutique specializing in hard to find, high end designers.  It was acquired by Amazon in 2006, and has continued to grow and has recieved recognition for its fashion forward ways by Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle.  While the site is great, I personally don't goto Shopbop because it only features designers with price tags too high for my college budget.  However, I think its great to keep in mind for when you are looking for a one-of-a-kind piece for a special occassion.

Shop Style is actually formatted like Google.  You can type in anything you want, and it will come up with a long list of products matching your search.  From there you can refine your search through color, brand, price, sale & size.  I found Shop Style to be more relevant to my shopping habits because it includes the high-end designers and more affordable options.  There is even an app available in the iTunes Store.  Since discovering it, I am kind of obsessed with it.

Zappos, an oldie but a goodie. Zappos has been around since 1999 and has grown into a national favorite when it comes to online shopping.  It was built on the premise of customer service, and they certainly uphold to a very high standard.  If you haven't shopped through Zappos you haven't lived! For whatever reason I always goto Zappos for shoe shopping, sometimes the prices will be a few bucks cheaper, and there is free shipping, its a win-win.

Maybe in the future there will be an actual Fashion Google, where all kinds of brands, companies and designers are represented in one search engine.

Coral is Calling

For some reason I have been drawn to the tropical, bright color of coral.  I've been wearing it on my nails, through my make up and of course my clothes!

Monday, I went for a striped maxi skirt from Target and made the coral pop with a solid coral tee.

Thursday, I wore this great dress from Target, it is available in plus sizes only online.

If you are a non committal kind of girl, add some coral into your beauty routine.  These are some of my favorite products.

Nail Polis OPI Toucan Do It If You Try - This is more of an orange rather than a peach.

Benefit Cosmetics Coralista Box-O-Powder

Maybelline Color Sensation Color Whisper Lip Color - Coral Ambition or Orange Attitude

This orange based hue is going to be refreshing against the neutrals we've been chained to all winter!

Defining Your Style

Today I decided to do somewhat of a reflective post about fashion and style, and how we determine our individual voice in the matter.  We live in a world saturated with style magazines, fashion blogs, trend report websites, and apps giving us the latest in industry news.  There are so many types of influences when it comes to picking out what to buy when we cash in our paycheck...  Do you look at what is trendy? Do you buy what your style icon was just spotted wearing?  Do you buy that Kate Spade bag you've been eyeing? Or do you feel completely lost?

Why is this so difficult? Why do we struggle picking out an outfit every morning?  I fall victim to this every so often.  Just the other day I changed my top three times, after spending fifteen minutes deciding what kind of pants to wear...

I think I found the answer to this question.  I watched a documentary about Tom Ford and one of the statements he made really resonated with me.  He said:

Style for me is some one who figures out who they are. What works on them. What they feel good in and develops that. Develops their character. And the outer expression of their character is what is style.

We have such a hard time with picking out what to wear because our clothes represent our character, and misrepresenting ourself would lead to a disaster by today's social standards.  Our culture has evolved to be extremely image driven making us all judgmental.  Because of this standard, I believe that women either have a hard time staying true to their character or are reluctant to define their character.  I'm sure we all can agree with at least one part of that statement.

I am writing this post to give you a different perspective on style.  If you feel the pressure to dress like everyone even if it isn't your style, then don't! You are an individual with special traits that contribute to your stand out character.  Be proud of who you are and let your character shine through your actions and your clothes!

I apologize if I sound sappy, but I was just so inspired by Tom Ford's quote that I had to share with you my thoughts on the subject.