31 Things Friday: What to Wear to a Wedding

Happy Wedding Season! I'm at a point in life where it seems that every weekend there's someone getting married. Just last weekend I attended a lovely celebration and was inspired to do a post on what to wear. It can be super tricky to decide what to wear, especially sans a dress code on the invite!

There are a few rules to follow no matter how dressy the occasion: no white, when in doubt go modest and accessories are key! You can dress up or dress down with accessories. Black is okay - just pair it with some color in either your jewelry or shoes so you don't look like you're headed to a funeral.

Clockwise from top left: wine, royal (also available in black), floral, teal, blue, orange (also available in black), pink, lime (also available in coral), cobalt

Clockwise from top left: navy, red, black & pink, red (also available in blue), purple, mint, black, pink, red, cream, blue (also available in purple), pink (also available in bright pink, black, coral, mint, orange & yellow)

Clockwise from top left: navy, magenta, blue, coral, pink, green (also available in black), blue, olive, blue, ocean

Are you headed to any special events this summer? What will you be wearing?



P.S. The missing links are asos dresses. The site was down at the time of writing/publishing (I'm a procrastinator, what can I say?) but will be updated as soon as possible!

Five on Friday: Frozen

I finally got to see Frozen last weekend and along with the rest of the world, I loved it! With the return of the polar vortex and it being Valentines Day, it seemed only appropriate for this week's five on friday. Every time I get on tumblr, I run across a cute gif, so here's a compilation of my favorites!

via 1, 2

I thought about writing some commentary to go with - but I think they speak for themselves! Frozen serves as a great reminder of all the different paths a love story can take! If you haven't seen it - you need to get on that, asap.

I'll leave you with an awesome mashup of Let it Go & Let Her Go!

Happy Valentines Day!

Five on Friday: Surviving the Polar Vortex

Since the Polar Vortex had so much fun the first time around & has decided to make a second appearance, I've been bundling up and staying indoors as much as possible!

It seemed necessary to pull together five essentials for surviving the bitter cold.

Cetaphil Lotion | Of course the first thing on my list would be moisturizer. I quickly realized that my regular day-to-day face lotion just wasn't going to cut it when my face was in pain from the cold wind. I stopped by CVS and picked up some super heavy duty Cetaphil lotion to keep my face moisturized.

Aquaphor | Another moisturizer. You have to take care of your skin! My lips have gotten to the point of cracking multiple times, I layer on Aquaphor like it's my job recently. 

Kleenex | Winter inevitably brings along a runny nose while you walk outside! I hate sniffling my entire walk to class. I always have tissues with me to combat this (bonus points if you have a travel pack!)

Gloves | Keep your fingers warm! I've seen more tweets than I can count about wanting to retain all of our fingers & toes during the bitter cold recently. Sometimes it's best to pair gloves & mittens together. 

Instant Chocolate Cappuccino | When all else fails, curl up under a blanket with a warm cup of coffee. My mom brought a package of these back from France and I absolutely love them! The right amount of sweet, without overpowering caffeine. 

What's getting you through this extreme cold?

p.s. This post was supposed to go live on Friday... Bid Day got in the way a little bit. Let's just pretend it actually went up on Friday!

Five on Friday: Fresh Start

How many times have you read/heard "new year, new me"? If you ask me, just once is too many! But there are some things you can do to give yourself a fresh start and on the right foot for 2014!

One | Unsubscribe from unwanted email lists. How many times do you go through your inbox and archive 75% of the emails without even opening them? Such a waste of time! If you're getting emails that aren't worth the effort or time to open, they're worth the effort to unsubscribe from. Your inbox will be such a happier place!
Can bear the thought of not having access to all the deals? Create a new gmail just for email lists & online shopping. You only have to log in when you're going to buy something & aren't overcrowded with unnecessary emails.

Two | Clean out your phone. I have 830 photos on my phone right now. How many of those do I actually need? Probably less than 50. Find your USB and download your photos. Then go to town deleting them! You'll want lots of space for 2014 memories.

Three | Organize your apps. Read: folders are your new best friend. Carly from The College Prepster inspired me to condense and rethink all of the apps on my phone. It's been life changing! (Okay, maybe not life changing, but pretty awesome!) Having the apps I use the most on my home screen & keeping everything else to the second screen saves me so much swiping! It also helped me prioritize the apps I have on my phone. Haven't used it in the last 3 months? Away it goes.

Four | Get prepped for the upcoming semester. Now is the perfect time to set up folders, write down assignments & don't forget to buy books! It's also a good time to go through all of your papers/notes from last semester to determine what is worth keeping and what can go.

Five | Financial management. Now is a great time to gather all your information for your taxes & start a folder for your 2014 taxes. I highly recommend a mint account to track your money. Also a great time to set a budget for January!

How are you regrouping for 2014?

Five on Friday: Telling Time

I feel like I've been spending a lot more time browsing Shop It To Me recently thanks to the new iPhone app (which you should go download, right this second!). It's perfect for browsing on the go and finding gifts!

Yesterday, I came across a bunch of watches on sale (thanks to Nordstrom!) and I had to share! A watch makes a great gift (even a gift for yourself!).

(Clockwise) Betsey Johnson, Kate Spade, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Fossil, Anne Klein

I absolutely love the tortoise shell accents on the Betsey Johnson one and you really can't go wrong with a classic gold watch.

Some people might tell you a watch is an outdated accessory but I couldn't disagree more! It is a perfect piece to look more pulled together and intelligent. I will admit - when I first got mine, it took me a week or two to retrain my brain to read analog time. But it's such a critical skill! What happens when you have a meeting or an exam where you can't have your phone? You'll thank me!

Five on Friday: Things I'm Loving

Doing something a little bit different this week. 5 things I'm seriously loving this week!

theSkimm | I've been a subscriber to the Skimm for a while now & it's my favorite email newsletter I receive! The Skimm and a cup of coffee is the perfect way to start the morning. You'll never be caught unawares with the news again.

Thought Catalog | Sometimes you need a reminder about what's important and some inspiration to readjust your priorities in life. I'm especially loving 18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again

Tiffany Olive Leaf Band Ring | I saw this on Pinterest this week & fell in love. My name came from Olive (my great-grandmother's name) and it means peace. This would be a great reminder to keep the peace and not freak out over the little things. I also (still) love the Love & Kisses Ring.

Source

I love this quote from Mark Twain. Such a simple concept, but oh so important to remember.

Source

I'll be attempting a french twist for semi-formal tonight. Hopefully it goes well! I love this messy one that is still sophisticated without being super stuffy.

Happy Friday!

Five on Friday: Vineyard Vines New Arrivals

The other day I stopped by Vineyard Vines to check out their new arrivals. Oh my gosh. So dangerous to my wallet! Now that the weather has gotten colder, I'm on the hunt for some new sweaters. One can really never have too many. Vineyard Vines is spot on with their sweater this season. Paired with layering and statement necklaces - I'm sold. Check out my favorite below:

Plaid Shep Shirt | Whale Isle Yoke Sweater | Holiday Tartan Shirt | Loberster Crewneck Sweater | Cashmere V-Neck Sweater

I really love how Carly (thecollegeprepster.com) styled hers. She looks like she stepped out of the pages of a catalog! 

Also - I'm all about the sock bun. So easy & so chic! It looks super great with the button up under sweater look too. I may or may not be recreating this look tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

P.S. How perfect is the new Vineyard Vines weekender? I've been on the hunt for the perfect one & might have just found it!!

Five on Friday: Think Pink Edition

In case you missed the memo - October is breast cancer awareness month. Which means a giant influx of pink! I've gathered five of my favorite pink items to show support for this great cause.

Komen Candle Holders: These remind me of the candle I got when I was a part of Teens for the Cure in high school. Such a cute way to show your support & even better when you put a yummy smelling candle inside.

IZZE Soda: I love IZZE! It comes in so many delicious flavors & I like to pretend it's kind of good for you soda.

J. Crew Sweater: The other great thing about October? Sweater weather! I love being able to pull out all my sweaters for fall, but this bright hue still brings a reminder of summer.

MayDesigns Notebook: I love May Designs & their entire Think Pink collection donates to breast cancer awareness! Shopping for philanthropy - what could be better?

Nico & Lala Acrylic Tray: I blame Psych for my obsession with pineapples. How cute is this acrylic tray? It would be a perfect catchall for keys, change, you name it!

What are you favorite pink things for October?

Five on Friday: Recruitment Survival

Greek life at MSU can finally do a happy dance - formal recruitment is over! But for anyone who hasn't had recruitment yet, here's five essentials to surviving recruitment whether you are a potential member or an active.

Bobby Pins | Because you never know what could happen to your hair! 

Iced Coffee | For the mid-afternoon (or lunch time) slump because you got barely enough sleep the night before. 

Blister Block | You never know when a blister could strike and this stick is a lifesaver! 

Cough Drops | Recruitment means hours on end of talking. Have a cough drop in between houses to keep your voice!

Mentos Mints | If you choose a chewy mint you never have to worry about crunching on one a minute before the next event starts.

What's in your essentials for sorority recruitment?