Monday motivation

I hope your Monday is as good as a Monday could possibly be!

OOTD

Look at me, my first outfit of the day post! 

It still counts if it was yesterday's OOTD, right? 

I loved my casual Friday outfit so much I thought I'd share with all of you :)

I obviously need to Windex my mirror. 

Tangerine skinny jeans: American Eagle

Racerback top: Target

Cardigan: J.Crew

Tan flats: Target

A quick word about the AE jeans: I love, love the color, however, the fit is a little loose for me for a skinny jean. I've noticed that American Eagle jeans stretch a lot after you wear them, which gets really annoying when you keep having to pull your pants up throughout the day (even with a belt). Does anybody else have that problem? 

And if you follow me on Pinterest, you can see all of my other tangerine obsessions here. 

One OOTD down, many to come!

Happy Friday!

Guess what??

I'm off to class, followed by a lunch date with my lovely friend Kari! 

Then it's off to work for the night, followed by a weekend full of finishing final papers and projects. 

Whew. 

But I'm just trying to remember...

This mantra will be on repeat until all of my work is turned in.

Happy weekend, everyone!! 

Lead a colorful life

I have papers to write and homework to finish, so today's post will be short and sweet. 

Thanks Mom, for my cute new Lilly mug! 

Are you leading a colorful life?

Beach hair

I scooped up this little gem at CVS last week as an impulse buy, and I'm so glad that I did! 

Find it here.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

Simply put, it's amazing. 

I wear my hair straight 90% of the time. But there are some days when I just don't feel like doing anything to it. After having my hair short for awhile, I'm now trying to grow it out, and I know all of the blow drying and straightening is horrible for it. 

I'm always on the lookout for products that work for my naturally wavy hair, but it's hard to find something that actually does what it says it will. My biggest pet peeve is a mousse or spray that makes my hair crunchy or super wet-looking even after it's dry. 

Gross.

For those of you with naturally curly/wavy hair who have used those kinds of products before, you know what I mean, right? 

That's why I love this texturizing spray.

Here's what I do: 

After getting out of the shower, I don't comb/brush my hair. I leave it curly and messy and just spray this all over. Then I flip my head upside down and spray underneath. 

Then — and this is the hardest part for me — I don't touch it. 

No scrunching, no messing with it, nothing. Doing so only creates frizzy hair and flyaways, which no one wants. 

After my hair dries and my patience is rewarded, I have the most perfect beachy waves ever. The texture of this product is its best feature. Nothing else I've ever used has given my hair such a nice texture without making it feel either super crunchy or super limp. It really does feel like I've been at the beach, but in a good way. And it smells good, too.

Humid summer days are fast approaching (it becomes pointless to even try to straighten my hair), so I know I will be using this product all the time. And my hair does deserves a break from the blow dryer and straightener. Maybe then it will start to grow a little faster.

Here's to hoping!

Weekend recap

After a fun-filled weekend, this rainy Monday sure does stink.

Rachel's bridal shower was so much fun, and I'm so glad I was able to spend time with her and Elizabeth! 

And I swear, we didn't even talk about our outfits, but wouldn't you know, we wore the same dress. 

Thanks Urban Outfitters! 

And thanks Elizabeth, for sharing an outfit with me! :)

In other good news, I had a wonderful time at home with my mom and dad, and today is Steven's birthday (love you all!). And it's the last week of classes! 

Cue the sigh of relief. 

Can we fast-forward to Friday now?? 

Friday randoms

one

This song has been on repeat all week long. I love you Eric Church. 

two

In a month, I'll be celebrating the end of the semester by relaxing at the beach. Here's some vacation inspiration for us all.

All photos via The Perfect Palette on Pinterest. Check it out. 

three

Tomorrow, I'll be seeing Elizabeth and Rachel again! It's Rachel's bridal shower, and I'm so excited to see them both! I'll be sure to post pictures come Monday. 

via

four

Love this, especially after yesterday's post. 

via

"Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others...for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.” Albert Einstein

five

I'll leave you with this, which I'm stealing from Sara at Project Soiree. 

Happy weekend, everyone! 

Team Dennis

With my visit to Tech last weekend, and with it being the time of year for Relay for Life, it got me thinking about Dennis...

I met Dennis during my freshman year in college. His dad worked with my mom, and we finally met one weekend he came to JMU to visit a friend of his. 

I can honestly say Dennis was one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. We had just met that day, but it felt like we had known each other for a much longer time. 

Dennis was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma during his sophomore year at Virginia Tech. During his hard-fought battle with lymphoma, he maintained his studies at Tech and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Intensive Care Unit at Mary Washington Hospital on December 15, 2011.

 Dennis passed away two days after his graduation ceremony on December 17, 2011. He was twenty-two years old when he died.

Relay for Life takes place tomorrow night at Virginia Tech, and I'll be thinking about you, Dennis. 

I am lucky to have known you Dennis, and I am so happy you had your special day. You did it.

Below is a video of Dennis's graduation ceremony. 

Here's to Dennis, and to everyone else whose lives have been affected by cancer in some way. 

Wanna know a secret?

I love breakfast food. All breakfast food. I don't discriminate (Okay, maybe I do. I'm still a little wary of sausage. But that's all.), and even though I try to start off the day with a healthy, hearty breakfast, I sure do love the not-so-good-for-you breakfast foods. 

I'm talking bagels with extra cream cheese. 

[NOT low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, either. That stuff does not taste the same.] 

McGriddles. 

[I swoon over a bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle.] 

Pastries at Starbucks

[Coffee cake, scones, and muffins, oh my!]

I'm salivating while writing this. 

But really, while I love these yummy breakfast foods, the truth is, they're not great for you, and they should stay as occasional treats.

Lucky for those of us who love breakfast, I've found healthy and delicious substitutes for these decadent breakfast treats, and I'm going to share them with you. 

one:

Item: Special K Blueberry Fruit Crisps

Substitute for: Blueberry Pop-Tarts

I'm addicted to these things. I keep them in my bag as a snack, and usually pair them with an apple or a banana. And the best part, they taste just like the Blueberry Pop-Tarts that I loved as a kid, but only have a fraction of the calories. 

two:

Item: Quaker Cinnamon Roll Soft Baked Bars

Substitute for: Cinnamon breakfast muffin/pastry from Starbucks

I wasn't sure if I was going to like these at first, but I'm hooked. For only 140 calories, you get 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. They fill me right up. The best part? Stick 'em in the microwave for 10 seconds and enjoy them warm. 

three:

Item: Made-at-home bacon, egg and cheese

Substitute for: McGriddle 

It's easier/cheaper/healthier to just grab the ingredients you need for a breakfast sandwich (whole wheat English muffin, eggs, fat-free cheese and a dash of maple syrup) and make it yourself then it is to cave and get McDonalds. 

Have I made you hungry enough yet? 

Just know, if you ever need to bribe me, I'll accept payment in any form of the above bad-for-you breakfast foods. 

Happy Hump Day! 

A trip to Tech & neVer forgeT

On Saturday, my mom, aunt and I visited my brother at Virginia Tech for his early birthday celebration. 

It was my first visit to Tech, and it was so beautiful there. 

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life." — Albert Einstein

We picked the perfect day to visit. The weather was gorgeous, and we spent the day looking around, going out to eat, and doing a little shopping. We had such a good time, and I was sad that it went by so fast.

The Drill Field 

Happy (early) birthday to you, little brother! I can't believe you're finally 21!

I love you, and I'm so proud of you.

[Today is the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Let's all take a minute to remember the 32 people who lost their lives that day.]

neVer forgeT

4.16.07

CampusBookRentals.com and Operation Smile

For those of us who are still in school, it's around this time of the year that we start returning the textbooks we've used all semester. Don't you wish there was an easier solution for the hassle that is buying or renting textbooks?

For me, it was always a headache — during most of my undergrad career I had to purchase textbooks from my university's bookstore, and then try to sell them back at the end of semester. It was nothing to spend $400 on textbooks during each semester of my freshman or sophomore year. Then when it came time to return them, the bookstore would be super selective in which ones they bought back. Annoying, right?

Looking back, I wish I'd known about CampusBookRentals.com.

With this CampusBookRentals.com, you can:

• Save 40-90% off of bookstore prices
• Get free shipping both ways
• Get 30-day, risk-free returns
• Highlight in the textbooks
• Get flexible renting periods
• Receive live online support

For example, this book is sold on Amazon for $125.87. On CampusBookRentals.com, you can rent it for a semester (130 days) for only $27.25. You're saving nearly $100 on a book that you will only use for one semester. How great is that?

But the best part of CampusBookRentals.com?

For every book rented, the company donates a portion of its proceeds to Operation Smile, an organization that performs life-changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The long-term improvement in quality of life for the children who receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible. CampusBookRentals.com has committed to donating enough to cover a minimum of 1,000 life changing surgeries.

OperationSmile.org

So my plan for the fall semester? 

Not only will I be saving myself from the hassle of dealing with my university's bookstore and saving money by renting my textbooks from CampusBookRentals.com, but I will also be supporting Operation Smile. And that's something I can smile about. 

Liebster Blog Award

I woke up to an email this morning with a comment from Tiffany at The Coffeehouse who let me know she nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award! 

Woo!!

Thanks for thinking of me Tiffany!

Here's how it works: 

The Liebster Award is for up-and-coming bloggers (200 followers or less) that you think deserve recognition for their fabulous blogging abilities.

Here's how this award process works …

Each nominee should:

Choose five blogs to give the Liebster award to.

Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award
by linking back to them.

Post the award on your blog.

List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.

Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.

Share five random facts about yourself.

Here we go!

my facts

I could eat sushi every day. 
(Only certain kinds, though. Maguro or salmon sashimi, please.)

I have worked in the restaurant biz for more than five years.

(On and off, now on again. Let me tell you, I could write a book about all of my experiences.)

People tell me I look like Sandra Bullock.
(All the time. I've heard it since I was 17.)

I'm a grammar nerd.
(If you use poor grammar, I judge you a little.)

If I could blog for a living, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 
(Like Emily, Kelle, Keiko, or Blair.)

Now for you awesome bloggers: 

Julie @ True Life: My Roaring Twenties

Jasmine @ Jasmine's Reality

Lauren @ Wayfares & Worksheets

Laura @ Beauty & the Beard

Aimee @ Off the Rails

If you’ve already received this award? 

You get it twice! Congrats! 

And for everyone else out there, I love each and every one of your blogs too! (Same goes to those of you who I couldn't choose because you have more than 200 followers.)

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

I've been eyeing these bad boys during every trip to the drugstore recntly,
and I finally gave in a bought the leopard pattern. 

Some of the patterns are a little wacky (pink camo, anyone?) but I was really into this animal print. 

I put them on Friday, and they are still intact almost a week later. 

So far, so good — and so many compliments!

If you buy these, be sure to follow the instructions closely! They're basically just like a nail sticker — press on, hold for a few seconds, fold over the end of your nail and voila! 

It will take about 20 minutes total to put them all on (you have to choose the correct size for each nail) and the result is so cute! 

The best part is there are extra strips for mess ups (which will probably happen a few times at first). 

I like this design because it's such a change from how I would normally have my nails painted. And who doesn't love a little animal print in their life?

Target Tuesday

Today I'm linking up with Tara at fabulous but evil for Target Tuesday! 

Merona Womens Blousy Top Value Dress

Merona Womens Smocked Waist Woven Dress

Merona Womens Grecian Drape Front Dress

Mossimo Womens One Shoulder Ponte Dress

Mossimo Womens Pleated Neck Sateen Dress

Silver and Turquoise Bamboo Bracelet Set

Gold Caste and Stone Necklace

I could go on forever!! 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

All things J.Crew

Please excuse me while I fill my imaginary shopping cart with EVERYTHING from J.Crew.

How cute is that bow??

Hello, bright green shorts!

And you adorable red seersucker shorts!

And mint-colored denim!

Question: Are the Matchstick jeans worth the investment? Are they true to size? (They're on sale right now and I'm debating about getting them!)

This adorable eyelet top comes in red or white!

And I want need this tunic for the beach.

And let's talk about their incredible assortment of ballet flats!! 

I'll take one of each! 

But seriously...

Here's to wishing!

Monday randoms

random thought #1

Could anyone else NOT wake up this morning?? 

6:30, you came waaaaay too early! 

And on top of my sluggish start to the day, I left my phone at home.

Commence the panicking once I got to work and realized I didn't have it. 

I hate that feeling.

....

random thought #2

In other news, I had such a nice, relaxing weekend. 

On Saturday, Marilyn and I set out to a little locally owned shoe store in search of the perfect running shoe. I had been wearing my beloved (but worn out) bright pink Nike Air Max shoes to run in (come to find out, they aren't running shoes), and they were starting to cause all sorts of problems for me. My toes would go numb while I ran, and I was beginning to have some knee pain. My feet just felt heavy.

First, one of the store's owners watched the way I walked without shoes on (my ankles tend to roll inward), measured my feet (my right foot is a half size bigger than my left), and then watched me run on the treadmill that they had in the store to see which shoe worked the best for me. 

In the end, I chose a pair that felt so amazing and light on my feet. See ya later clunky Nikes. 

I went on a short run with Marilyn after the rest of our errands that day, and I instantly felt better. Talk about great motivation: a friend and new workout gear always have that effect on me. 

So my advice to you: Do your research. Take the time to be properly fitted for a pair of running shoes. I would not have chosen this new pair of shoes based on how they look, but in this case, it wasn't about getting what looked the prettiest. 

....

random thought #3

On Friday, I bought new tangerine-colored skinny jeans and paired it with this cute black shirt of Marilyn's and leopard-print wedges. Marilyn's cute shirt is from Target. I wish I had gotten a pic of our whole outfits!

Marilyn and I on Friday night

....

random thought #4

I'll leave you with today's food for thought: 

"Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

—Frank Outlaw

Here's to being one day closer to Friday!