Rompin' Around

Okay when rompers made a comeback when I was probably in the sixth grade I seriously was obsessed. I remember buying this "super cute" hot pink romper from Abercrombie and thinking I looked totally adorable in it when I wore it to the pool to hang out with boys. Wow, good times.

But actually I'm obsessed with rompers. I love them because they're seriously so comfortable, but also can be totally dressed up with a pair of wedges and worn out! I have one favorite that I purchased last summer and have worn it so many times. A blog post is in definite need because I never actually took pics for the blog of it! With that said there are some super cute rompers out right now that I just need to get my hands on. Shop my favorites!

Rompers under $100:

Rompers under $50:

Xoxo

Old Navy Obsessions

Alright, tbh I've never been a huge fan of Old Navy. I seriously love Gap and find so many awesome pieces there that I have worn to pieces. Not to mention practically all my jeans are from Gap because they fit like a glove. But, Old Navy has really been stepping up its game and has released some super cute pieces for this spring season. I think it was Caroline's influence that got me really liking Old Navy because I swear she finds the best things ever there! Here are some of the things I'm loving currently and may just have to pick up before the warmer weather hits. The best thing of all is that Old Navy is super affordable so it's easy to find fun, trendy items for a fraction of the price!

On the top of my list are those adorable lace up sandals. Seriously to die for. I'm also so in love with that tassel scarf. I think it'd be so fun to pair with white jeans! And who can resist an adorable pair of tortoiseshell sunnies?

Shop my obsessions below!

Xoxo

My Carry On Essentials

Umm...hey. I feel like a student who hasn't been at school in two weeks and is just now coming to get the assignments. So clearly I haven't been blogging consistently recently and trust me, it's been bothering me too. This year has probably been the most difficult to blog consistently just because I feel like there are constantly so many things going on. This week I'm leaving for Ecuador on Thursday, have to finish a health class I legit just started last week, and am also still deciding on my college. In the coming weeks I'm really going to strive to actually post consistently because I miss it just as much as I hope you guys miss me. 

Okay so I'm so excited to go to Ecuador on Thursday. I've left the country before but only for Jamaica, Mexico and Canada which isn't really going that far. I also feel like I'll never get another chance to go to South America so I jumped at the opportunity to go to Ecuador with my school for a Spanish trip. The flight isn't too bad, totaling a little over six hours in the sky with a layover in Panama. The longest flight I've been on was nonstop from Chicago to Oahu which was a little over eight hours and truly it wasn't even that bad. But, if you're sure to pack smart it makes the entire flying experience that much easier--especially if you're afraid of flying. 

Here's what I pack in my carry on!

For pretty much every trip I either use my North Face backpack or expandable Longchamp. I find my backpack super easy to carry and it has loads of compartments for everything I need. My Longchamp is a little more stylish however so I use this for shorter flights.

The plane is actually the coldest place ever so I'm always sure to pack and extra sweatshirt (even a blanket sometimes) and some warm socks. For napping this trip I'm packing melatonin so I can pretty much just snooze for the duration of the flight.

I always bring gum on planes because when I was younger and terrified of flying I used to always bring it. Now it's sort of just tradition. I also bring a book to occupy the time if I'm bored and feel like reading a bit.

As far as tech goes I typically just listen to music/sleep so I'm sure to bring my phone (fully charged), headphones and an extra charger. My dad has a solar charger that comes in handy because you legit just need the sun to charge your phone.

I also travel with my passport/ID if I'm going international. That is not something you want to forget! Typically I'm headed towards tropical destinations so I like to pack a pair of shades so I can wear them once I get off the plane and step into the sun!

Now I have two questions for you...

What are your plans for spring break? & what are your carry on essentials?

Xoxo

My Go-To Healthy Foods

At the start of the year and lent too I attempted to begin to eat healthier. I truly strive to eat healthy most of the time, but find it super difficult to resist chocolate chip cookies and pretty much anything else sweet. I've come to realize that when I'm heating healthy I truly feel so much better, my skin is much more clear, and I have so much more energy! I recently stopped drinking soda too and I have truly noticed a world of a distance in my energy and overall mood. Not that I really drank soda all that much anyways, but it's so bad for you and especially your teeth so that seemed like enough of a reason to stop drinking it. 

Although I've been trying to eat healthier that does not mean eating less. I'm a girl that will forever love food and now I choose that when I snack (which is often) I like to have something more nutritional. These are my go-to foods that I'm constantly eating!

Oatmeal // For the longest time I loved the smell of oatmeal (mmm maple & brown sugar), but hated the texture. Now I've gotten it down. A little bit of vanilla almond milk and a whole lot of blueberries makes for the perfect breakfast.

Avocado Toast // I used to strictly eat this for breakfast, but now I'm totally open to eating this at all times of day. I just slice up an avocado, spread it on some bread (my fave is ezekiel) and add a wee bit of salt and pepper. Seriously, to die for.

Peanut Butter & Apple // For this I love cutting up a ripe honeycrisp apple and scooping a big tablespoon of peanut butter. Then I just grab a fork and dig in!

Berries // Berries will always be my thing. I absolutely love all fresh berries. They make for a perfect snack and are so sweet! If I'm feeling extra sassy I like to sprinkle a little sugar on my strawberries.

What are your go-to healthy foods?

Xoxo

3 Hairstyles to Embrace Messy Hair

This past week has been pretty rough for my hair. I'm the type of girl who sticks to a consistent styling routine which for me is straightening my hair on the daily. I've never been a huge fan of my natural texture just because I find it super difficult to work with and also super inconsistent. It's wavy, but not pretty beachy waves. It's current length is also my problem. I don't mind my natural hair when it's pretty long, but it's mid-length currently and I'm really just not feeling this whole natural look.

The reason I'm addressing this is because I have morning practice for badminton at 6 am. We get out around 7:15/7:30 to go shower and in past weeks I've just sprayed a bunch of perfume, put on deodorant and was good to go. These past few days the gym where we practice has been seriously so hot and humid that it's now impossible for me to go to class and function without showering afterwards. And, let's be honest it was pretty gross of me not to in the first place. Ok but since I have to shower this means that I have to go with my hair wet to class--I'm not one of those people who can just not wash their hair after a workout--my hair is too gross! I've been attempting to embrace my natural hair and it's messiness, but I've also been looking for different ideas of styles to try that could look cute with my beachy waves. Here are three styles to try!

 Two braids // I've always loved the braided look and two braids is a classic twist on the regularly solo braid. I love french braids, but regular braids can be super cute too! Fishtails are also cute! There are so many options with this style and if you have a friend in your first period that is good at hair it will make your life so much easier!

 Half up half down // This is a super easy go-to look for wearing natural hair. Especially if you do a half up half down top knot it's super messy and natural looking and doesn't need to be perfect. Whenever I wear my hair down I like wearing it half up half down just because it keeps my hair out of my face--my pet peeve. I like this particular look because it's easy and fast and practically fool proof. 

The top knot // This is a hairstyle I absolutely love but have yet to master. Pretty much every day I try and recreate a loose, top knot like the example above, but for some reason it just never turns out. Or if it does it ends up falling out within the first 10 minutes of it being in. I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing wrong, but I definitely need to solve this issue because a top knot is the perfect way to wear your hair when you want it out of your face and all up!

What are your go-to hairstyles for wearing your natural hair?

Xoxo

College Visit // What To Wear, See & Do!

I've done my fair share of college touring. I definitely should have started the entire process earlier on than junior year, but there's no changing that now! In total I have set foot on 15+ college campuses, and I think I've figured out pretty much what to do to make the most out of your experience there! I was just at the University of Missouri and was thinking about how much I wish I had found a post like this before embarking on college tours last spring break!

1. Take a tour

This seems pretty obvious, but even if you think the school already isn't for you, it's worth it to take the time to fully see the school. The tour is chock full of information about the campus and student life, and your tour guide is sure to know pretty much everything. Also, tours allow you to visit areas that you wouldn't get to see otherwise such as rec centers, classrooms and even real/mock dorms. Also, if you're visiting a campus on a whim and didn't have time to book a tour just try asking the tour guides because most likely there was a no show and you can take their place! That happened to me at UCSB and I was so happy we were able to take a tour!

2. Dress practically

No one wants to be walking all around a college campus and be super uncomfortable. Be sure to wear something practical while during a school. For me this means leggings, a cute top (sweater or tank--weather depending) and a light jacket. For shoes I've worn comfortable sandals or boots. FYI many of the schools I visited were on the west coast so the weather was much warmer while touring! An example for warm weather is leggings, sandals, loose t-shirt and jean jacket. An example for cooler weather is leggings/jeans, sweater, vest/winter coat, and boots!

3. Do your research

Do your research before you get to campus so you have questions on anything that the website didn't answer for you. This is a regret I personally have because I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for when I was visiting schools and now I regret not asking specific questions or asking for more information regarding different programs.

4. Visit a friend

If you're lucky you know someone at the campus you're looking at. Talk to them ahead of time and ask them if they'd be willing to show you their dorm, take you around campus or even spend the night with them to see what the social scene is like. If you happen to know someone that goes to the school your visiting they can also answer any other questions that the tour guide may leave out about sorority life, making friends and the transition from high school to college. 

5. Eat on campus

Do a bit of research and see if there are any student favorite restaurants or any famous local restaurants to visit. While you're on campus it's important to try and experience the life of the college students that go there. While I was visiting Miami University we visited a delicious bagel shop that is a student favorite!

Oh and be sure to hit up the bookstore and get some super cute college apparel! It's so fun to collect college gear even if you don't plan on going there!

What are you sure to do while visiting a college?

Xoxo

This Week's Lesson

I received a lot of positive feedback regarding this style of post so I thought why not continue with it?! Honestly, I thought last week was definitely a week of learning and that the next week I'd probably have nothing to talk about, but low and behold, I have a lesson I definitely learned this week.

So last week I skipped Friday to go skiing with my cousins. I returned to school Monday, but definitely not prepared for the week ahead. I did little to no homework over the weekend because I simply forgot, but also was definitely putting it off to have a relaxing weekend. After going to school on Monday I ended up leaving eighth period because I felt super sick. I had to stay home from school all of Tuesday too because I still had the stomach bug. Which, by the way all of my cousins and aunts/uncles that I was with over the weekend ended up getting too...talk about contagious. 

So Wednesday happened and I had to go back to school. I realized that I missed so much work and that I was way behind in most of my classes. Normally if I miss a day of school I tend to catch up pretty quickly, without stress. But for some reason I missed three quizzes and plenty of assignments by the two days that I was absent. 

As I returned to school I honestly contemplated leaving on Thursday because I felt so swamped with make up work. I also was still recovering from being sick and having 6 am morning practices was not helping. I also was supposed to go on a field trip Thursday, but decided against it. I ended up hustling and getting everything done that I needed to on Thursday and felt so relieved once I had finished all of it.

Basically, my lesson of the week is if you must miss school for some reason, stay on top of your assignments. It's much easier to make up something if you have already done the prerequisites, aka me studying for a quiz the night before that I should have taken a week ago if I hadn't missed it.

School at times should be stressful, but it shouldn't consistently stressful and my situation could have totally been avoided! Lesson learned.

What did you learn this week? & have an amazing weekend!

Xoxo

Gallery Wall Inspo

Oh hey there. I have no excuse as to why I didn't blog the past two days aside from being sick in bed all day (why I didn't use this time to blog? I'm not sure) and having 6 am tryouts this week. Well, let's just say blogging wasn't a priority the past few days and I technically shouldn't even be writing this post right now because I have so many other things to do, but well, this seems the most bearable lol. 

Anyways, I'm a huge fan of wall art and especially motivational and cute prints. Each month I used to print out my recent favorite pins that all had a similar theme to them and paste them on my wall using washi tape. This honestly looked so cute until they all fell down because the washi tape was not very durable. 

I've been wanting to create a print wall for the longest time now and I'm really hoping to in the near future. I already have a wall full of strung photos that I think is super cute and has some of my all time favorite candids. Not to mention whenever friends come over they always love to look at all of the photos. Evelyn Henson has always been my go-to when it comes to adorable prints so a few of her pieces may be essential to curating the perfect gallery wall. Here are a few other prints I'm loving including my favorites by Evelyn. Also, a little inspo into the design I'm thinking of!

+Los Angeles map print by Evelyn Henson

+Treat Yourself print by Evelyn Henson

+The Best is Yet To Come print by Holly Casto

+Pineapple print by Coco and James Home

+She Believed She Could So She Did print by Yassis Place

Do you have a gallery wall? Any other prints I should check out?

Xoxo