OOTD: Graduation Day

Back with another post! This was the outfit I wore last Saturday to my alma mater's Graduation. I woke up late and only had 15 minutes to get dressed and get my hair and makeup on.  It was so weird coming back and watching my babies graduate. I didn't take a lot of photos so there is very little evidence of what I wore that day but here it is:

This is a dress from Papaya Clothing. I was deciding between this and a peach lace dress and then I was thinking "Okay, you already have so many dresses like this. Time to switch it up?" So I went with this dark floral dress with the lace in the middle. It almost makes this dress look like a two piece outfit. I love the neckline because it is something that I don't have in my closet. This dress is different, but still has the floral print which seems to never go out of style. It is that stretchy cotton type material. For me, it hit to the top of my knee (and I'm 5ft6in) so it is not too short. The best part is that it is only $15.99 and with the gift card I had, I only had to pay like $7 for it.

Dress Link: http://www.papayaclothing.com/shop/goods_detail_v1.php?goodsIdx=30875

The shoes I got from Payless back during Easter weekend when they were having a sale. They were originally $35 and I got them for $20. They are very tall but not too uncomfortable. Although the area around the ball of my foot was beginning to feel uncomfortable after a few hours. But I love the mint color and the look. They don't even look like I got them from Payless.

I loved this look and I hope the have the opportunity to wear this dress again. It is such a nice addition to my closet.

Nightmare

Sometimes I like to pretend I'm Taylor Swift and write about my feelings. Someone turn this into a song so I can get royalties. I have not polished this to make it perfect. This is pretty much raw, one-take kind of writing. On a side note, I have this weird recurring dream that someone is holding me and my family at gunpoint. Is that weird? xoxo

It's half past twelve and I'm sitting alone
Not the first time it's happened
Not the last time I'll know
It wasn't meant to be this way
This wasn't the life I planned for myself

But I'm here all alone
Trying to avoid the stares
I bet they know it too
How miserable I feel
To be stuck in this place
Where I can't find my way
It's my own little nightmare
I can't seem to escape

But I carry on because I know it won't last
Put on a big smile and fake it 'till it's real
Things will change and I will survive
I'm a fighter by day and a believer by night

Until then I'll be sitting alone
Writing about how good life will be
Watching the clock tick by and by
Good things happen to good people
Isn't that the truth?

So don't you worry about that girl in the corner
She's gonna be alright.

#SB2014

You have seen it in movies. Half-naked girls, unlimited flow of alcohol, scandalous and possibly illegal activities. For many college kids and young adults, this is the usual Spring Break experience.

But not me.

I have never thought of myself as the "party girl". Maybe one day I'll discover what it's like to be one, to wake up not knowing what you did the night before, to do things you never thought you would but did for the hell of it being Spring Break, to be reckless and carefree; but this is not the day.

So I spent the week glued to my electronics. I got to relax and spend 50% of my day in bed. I watched an unhealthy amount of old Law and Order: SVU episodes. I was somewhat productive in buying a new internet modem/router and fixing my family's wifi and going shopping at the mall. I scored a gorgeous new clutch purse, some tank tops, and a couple of spring/summer headbands.

If anyone is still concerned, my hair issue is still an issue. I think that is how I phrased it the last time. You would think there would be a point when my hair would stop shedding, but my body continues to prove me wrong. My dermatologist prescribed iron supplements so I think that a stupid iron deficiency was the root to my entire problem. I'm really nervous because at this point, two months after I started seeing the signs, it's pretty obvious that I have lost a ton of hair. I have to wear a hat/headband/beanie everyday now.

So life is pretty terrible right now but I'm trying to stay positive. I don't have a life-threatening illness. I haven't lost any limbs. I'm not in a hospital bed. And I will get better. I will get through this.

A Month in Review: February 2014

Happy End of February Everyone. I think it's safe to say that we have now all gotten used to the fact that it is 2014 and that 2014 is already 1/6 over. I started my Blogilates Fit Journal and I will be honest, it was been a rocky start but I'm working on it. I've got midterms coming up. So to celebrate, here are some of my favorites.

Music
BASTILLE - Bad Blood album
Bo Burnham

I chose the entire Bastille album because there are too many songs that I like.  I first heard Pompeii in September before it was cool when I studied abroad.  They are a British band so it would make sense that we Americans were behind the 8 ball with this band. I listed Bo Burnham as an artist because I discovered him in February and listened to his albums. He is a musical comedian. Some highlights include: Words Words Words, Repeat Stuff & Sad.

TV
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Chicago PD
Parks and Recreation

If you didn't know, I absolutely adore Seth Meyers and I am so glad that I can see his face 5 hours a week.  He is such a natural. The comedy bits are a little shaky right now, but I know he will hit gold soon. Chicago PD is relatively new. I never watched Chicago Fire but one of the creators is an alum of my university and he came to give a talk. I went for the extra credit and I stayed for the amazing show that is Chicago PD. Parks and Rec is a netflix find. I had finished all 7 seasons of 30 Rock and I figured it was the next logical step.

Books
...
...
...

Ahem. Yeah. I got nothing. I really shouldn't force this. I will read when I have the time to read. But Spring Break is this week so maybe I can read a book this month.

2 months down. 10 more to go.

Blogilates Fit Journal: Week 1

"Train like a beast, look like a beauty." -Cassey Ho

(photo: property of ogorgeous.com)

Fitness is an important part of my life. I ran cross country for three years and for about 2 and a half years I swore off soda. Cassey Ho is a pilates instructor who has a YouTube channel called Blogilates. I discovered Blogilates about two years ago (around the time her Call Me Maybe workout came out) and I haven't looked back. Although I am not an avid POPster who does all her videos, I still stuck around because she is so positive and enthusiastic about living a clean, healthy lifestyle and that is the kind of motivation that I need in my life. People probably don't think I need to lose a lot of weight (I'm 5'6" and weigh around 110-115) but I have a pretty unhealthy diet and I don't really exercise that often. I want to be able to run long distance and do an entire pilates workout without stopping.  I want to say that I ate clean for a whole week. And I want to have fun doing it.

Enter, the Blogilates Fit Journal

I bought this at Cassey's online shop for $30 (http://www.ogorgeous.com/product/blogilates-fit-journal-1). It's is a 12 week journal that you use to record EVERYTHING about your diet and fitness routine. I started this on February 10th so I have finished my first week. 

I love everything about this fit journal. The color, design, art, layout, EVERYTHING!!! As you can see in the picture above (yes, it's my journal) I listed some weekly goals, none of which I had accomplished...but I have 11 more weeks to redeem myself. It lists all the days of the week to which I wrote the actual day and any holidays. I wasn't sure what else I could put in the space but I really want to utilize all the blank space (any ideas??). It has a place where you write your weight and cute smiley faces that you color in when you ate a healthy meal/worked out. 

Each week starts out with an introduction, the photos vary week by week but the overall layout is consistent. The colored pages are made of a cardstock-like material and these white pages are like computer paper. As you can tell, I am definitely the kind of person who uses and abuses colored pens. Be thankful they only came in 4 colors. But they came in a pack of 10 and so far none of them have run out. The last time I bought colored pens they lasted me all through high school and there were only four of them. Aside from that little story, this is what the inside of the journal looks like. As I said before, I absolutely love the layout. Cassey definitely thought of everything. I didn't even think about things like water consumption and sleep. She has outlined everything so well that I'm forced to write weird things in the notes sections like what the weather was like outside or maybe my moods and feelings (Internet-High-Five for cat calls, gotta love college life). Meals are a priority and writing out what I eat and when I eat it has definitely made me more aware of what I'm putting in my body. You can also tell when you overeat when you can't fit everything in the lines provided. I also love the workout section. There are different ways to get your daily fix. It's actually kind of perfect because I have 3 ways to workout: running, which is my cardio, yoga, helps my flexibility, and pilates, which gives me a strength workout. You can see that on Valentine's Day I did some strength workouts by doing some of her pilates videos and on February 15 I did a 30 minute run.

At the end of each week there is an evaluation page which I think is really important (another reason Cassey is a genius). It is almost like a school worksheet. I basically looked at my daily pages and decided what grade I should give myself based on my performance.  I think that is crucial. And after evaluating my week, I then list some pros and cons.  Week 1 acted as a baseline to see where I currently was and now that I have looked back and analyzed my habits, I can work on improving myself. Thanks Cassey! You have taken away the chore of healthy eating and exercise (well...some of it). You are so amazing. I don't know if you will ever see this post but on the off chance that you happen to stumble onto this blog, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I never thought I would have so much fun with this. I get to be a 13 year old and play with my colored pens and relish in the accomplishments of writing down my workouts. 

After I have gone though all 12 weeks, it won't stop there. I want to buy another fit journal and do it all over again. I can imagine it takes a lot of work to put these together and to get the art made, but if you could release another edition of the fit journal with new designs and colors that would be the cherry on top. Maybe a year or two from now I would have a collection of fit journals, like diaries. I probably wouldn't go back and see what I ate on my birthday, but I think I would use it as a symbol of the hard work I had done all those weeks. But I understand you are a busy busy person so I guess this one will do for now. 

Eleven more weeks to go.

A Month in Review: January 2014

This post will be sort of a hybrid of a monthly favorites post and a summary of how the month went for me.  One of my New Years Resolutions was to keep up with my blog more often. I'm still trying to update my daily entries for my 2 week vacation in Europe. Hopefully by the time this blog goes up, I will be all caught up.  I know my blog doesn't get a lot of hits. And honestly that doesn't matter to me. I don't care if 5 or 500 people read this. Though, 500 hits would be really cool.

I wanted to continually keep making posts because I want something that I can look back on when I'm older. I was never good at keeping a diary, unlike my brother who has somehow documented everyday of his life since middle school (he's 22 now!). I figured at the end of every month I could take a step back and see the progress I have made thus far. So without further ado, here is my review of January 2014.

I reigned in the New Year with my best friend.  We made New Years Resolution and cooking videos that I'm almost positive will never see the light of day.  I came back to visit my old high school and see some people I haven't seen in months.  I started my new life at my new college.  It's been a struggle but I know I just need to give it time.  The dining hall food is spectacular.  Let it be known, the freshman fifteen is real.  I find myself forcing to eat a salad for at least one of my meals every day.

So that was basically January 2014 for me. Now for some January favorites. Basically any tv shows, music, books, etc. that I discovered (or rediscovered) that I thought were worth mentioning.

Music
Happy - Pharrell Williams
Happily - One Direction
Afraid - The Neighborhoods
Take Me Home - Midnight Red

Gotta weird mix of music here. I'm pretty sure I heard half these songs in 2013 but they have been some of my favorite songs this momnth.

TV
Teen Wolf Season 3
Vampire Diaries Season 5
Law and Order: SVU Season 15

No new shows this month. Just a lot of midseason premieres. These are some that I have kept up with on my laptop since I don't have a tv to watch them on.

Books

I made a resolution to read at least one book every month. And I failed miserably. So I'm going to aim for 2 books in February. Wish me luck.

One month down, eleven more to go. And yes I do realize we are halfway through February.

Europe: An Overview of St. Andrews, Amsterdam, Rome, Madrid & Barcelona

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." - Aldous Huxley

After traveling around Europe I think it is fair to assume that you can indicate how tourist-y a city is by a few things: the number of businesses on wheels, homeless people, international groups tours led by a person holding a flag, tourist shops on a given street, people who approach you and the overall vibe of the streets. These are my own personal opinions. Obviously every traveling experience is unique to each person.

With this criterion I would rank all the cities I visited in this order, from most touristy to least touristy:

Rome

Barcelona
Madrid

Amsterdam

St. Andrews

St. Andrews obviously has an asterisk because it was where I lived for a whole semester. But I figured since I lived there for four months that I would give my input on this town.  It's the birthplace of golf so it does that have that element of tourism.  It had a very homely feel. Everyone is nice. It is a small tightknit community.  There is the Old Course but other than that, very minimal tourism.

Amsterdam

A lively city both day and night. Amsterdam is one of the more chill and laidback cities you will come across.  I don’t even think I saw a homeless person in Amsterdam, at least not in the city center.  The pungent smell of weed was a turn off to me personally but there are definitely other PG-rated places to see.  The trams are an easy and efficient way to minimize the amount of walking you had to do.  I live in a city with no public transportation and even I was able to figure out the trams after a day of riding them. There are an abundance of museums to go visit by some of the greatest artists.  I read that it has one of the highest concentrations of museums per unit area. I would recommend going in December when the Amsterdam Light Festival is going on.  What is so great about Amsterdam is that it is a place I could actually imagine people living in. The tour guide told me that it is the 3^rd best non-native English speakers who speak English. Translation: they speak English amazingly well. Tourism levels are moderately high but not overwhelming at all. It’s a place where you can just lay low and go where you want to go. Overall, I loved this city and I would love to come back.

Rate: 8.5/10

Rome

I have very mixed feelings about Rome. It is a city with a rich history that has been tainted by excessive tourism.  I know it is just business and people need to make a living, but by the end of my first day, I simply ran out of patience for anyone who tried to stop and sell me things.  It’s not the easiest or cleanest city to navigate, ironic because they were the ones who built roads in the first place and the traffic is a nightmare.  Honestly, besides Vatican City, there wasn’t much to do in Rome. It was mostly you would walk to a site, look at it, take a photo and move on. Walking to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica and going to the Vatican Museum were the highlights of my time in Rome. The gelato and pizza were overhyped. That’s not to say that they were bad, it’s just that I could find something that resembled it back at home and for half the price.

Rate 5/10

Barcelona

Everyone sees the city in a different way depending on how they go about travelling through the city.  I don’t know if I could give as accurate an impression of Barcelona as I have done with Amsterdam and Rome seeing as how we took a safer approach.  Barcelona is notorious for pickpockets, so be wary of purses and pockets.  I never came across a pickpocket but you never know what could happen in Barcelona.  I never went out to walk the streets at night but from what I could see, it is a pretty walkable city, some places will require a taxi but most places are easily accessible.  Don’t expect them to be well versed in the English language. You should know some basic Spanish/Catalan phrases or take a guidebook.  There are many interesting exhibits to see.  I will say that a lot of our money went into admission fees to different exhibits so if you are short on cash or want to save money, I would recommend visiting La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo.  We came in December but I’m sure the beaches get very busy when it warms up.  It’s a great shopping city as well, everything from quirky street markets to high-fashion boutiques. I didn’t do enough research to consider getting the Barcelona Tourist Pass but if it benefits, I would say take it.

Rate: 7/10

Madrid
We sandwiched Barcelona between two trips to Madrid so we got to experience it twice, and in two very different ways. The first time around we visited Retiro Park which is a very nice place to relax.  In the afternoon all the street vendors and miscellaneous street performers started to pop up.  There are a lot of tourist hotspots like Palacio Real but also a lot of high traffic areas like Puerta Del Sol. That was a major one.  The streets were full of people.  Between Barcelona and Madrid, I would say that I personally liked Barcelona more. There were more entertaining things to do there but Madrid is also a very vibrant city full of history that you shouldn't miss.
Rate: 6.5/10