I'm going to Australia!

Get ready for new installment of Connie-travels-the-world-even-though-she-hates-flying. I originally started this blog to write travel diaries of my time in Europe (hence the name girlinafantasyland). And it's pretty hard to devote a blog to travel if you're a broke college student and not constantly traveling. But I am excited to share with you all who take the time to read my blog that I am going to Australia for 10 days.

I don't share too much about my family on this blog but I will say that most of my mom's side of the family lives in Australia (my mom is one of the few of her siblings who left to live in America). So I have three aunt's and their respective families living there that I haven't seen since I was 6.

I will be going to Adelaide for Christmas and Sydney for New Years. So be prepared for some daily posts in two months. And if anyone has suggestion for sights to see in Australia, let me know!

xx

Why I Don't Drink

Prude, boring, buzzkill, fun police....
Things that would perfectly describe me last night at a frat party. If there's two things that don't mix, it's me and frat parties. And yet, I found myself at one yesterday coaxed by my best friend (who will remain unnamed) of ten years. The aforementioned night occurred at a different university from m town (not that those type of parties don't happen at my university). So there I was standing in line at the open bar where my friend was getting me a "Swamp Frog" while I was discreetly spilling out the one I was already holding. We then proceeded to do jello shots. Or should I say, she did jello shots, and I quickly scooped it out and dropped it on the ground, swung my head back and then forward showing her the empty cup. At the end of the night, I had successfully fake-drank three cups of alcohol and a pair of jello shots with my best friend who had 5 very real cups of alcohol and was stumbling all the way home.

I know people are going to think I'm crazy for passing up free alcohol and partying away but honestly, I was not enjoying myself because I was not myself. I'm not the kind that just takes a shot and then grinds on the dance floor. That's not me. I'm not the girl that plays beer pong with a group of friends. That's not me. I'm not the girl that gets hit on and then proceeds to make out with any guy that gave her the time of day. That's not me.

So go ahead and call me a prude for following the law. Call me boring because I prefer to spend my nights watching Netflix or studying.  Judge me for not choosing to live my four years in college like you did. College is what you make of it. If you choose to experiment with alcohol and get embarrassingly drunk, you do you. But don't expect me to join you. That's just who I am.

That night was one that I would not want to revisit. That whole night, I was lying to myself. And I can't believe I was peer pressured by my best friend of all people. If you are ever in a position where people are pressuring you to drink, you can always say no. If they don't accept it, they're not your friends.  Be who you want to be.

xx

How To Save Over $100 on Swimwear Without Really Trying

If you haven’t realized yet, I am a major bargain shopper.  I rarely buy anything that is not on sale. You might as well call me Connie the Cost Efficient Shopper (because Connie the Bargain Hunter doesn’t sound as poetic).

I was window-shopping at my local mall one day and I wandered into JC Penney.  I was browsing around the sale sections since most of the clothes are above my price range. As I was looking through the racks a sign that said Clearance $2.97 caught my eye.  It seemed too good to be true so I looked at the price tags and sure enough there were $2.97 bikini pieces. Long story short I walked out of JC Penney with one bandeau top and a top and bottom swim set paying less than $10 for them.  So the shopping moral of this story is shop early (or late, it’s a matter of perspective) for swimwear in October and save a boatload of money.

ANA Bandeau Top $44.00 $2.97

This feels like a good quality bandeau. I couldn’t believe that this even retailed at $44. This came included with a removable strap in the same colorful print. I love the gap in the middle.

ANA Banded Hipster Bottoms $44.00 $2.97

Again, another $44 swim suit piece. It has the same colored lining. I love the crisscrossed detailing at each side.

Arizona Jeans Bandeau Top $28.00 $2.97

I love the pastel tribal print of this bandeau. My favorite part of this bandeau is the braided section in the back. It comes with a sewn in braided strap in the middle. It looks like it included a removable strap like in the ANA Bandeau Top but there wasn’t one in the empty plastic bag.

Retail Total $116.00

Sale Total $8.91

Total Discount $107.09 (92.3% off!!!)

Overall, I am very excited about this purchase.  I don’t have a lot of swimwear and the fact that I got these good quality pieces for $3 each.  I will be going to Australia in December where it will be summer so this sale came at the right time. Until next time!

Xx

GirlInAFantasyland

Charlotte Russe Haul/Review

Here’s the next installment of Connie shops too much online with her debit card. I’m in a current transition where I donate clothes I’ve had since high school and buy new clothes to fill the void.

Crochet & Chevron Print High-Low Dress $28.99  $11.60

I liked the mix of crochet and chevron, two popular trends. I wouldn’t say it is really crochet though. It’s just a textured white material. The thing I don’t like about this dress is that it is inadequately lined. The white part has a thin lining on the front and not the back, and even with it, I don’t think I would be able to wear anything but a nude-colored bra underneath because it would show through. The bottom part doesn’t have any type of lining under it either. It’s feels cheaply made and not something that should have been priced at $28.99. I did get it for 60% off so I won’t complain too much.

Neon Scarf Print Cold Shoulder Shift Dress $28.99  $11.60

This is one of my favorites purchases. I had nothing like this in my closet. It is one of three shift dresses from Charlotte Russe. I love the bright pink paisley pattern and the black piping on the top and the cold shoulders. This one does have a lining under it. My only gripe is that it is a little longer than I thought it would be.

Crochet & Chiffon Flounce Shift Dress $26.99  $9.49

This is one of the clearance dresses that I bought. Again, another fusion of two current trends: crochet and chiffon.  Coral is also a trendy color. The only bad thing is that it has a v-neck back which shows a little of my bra underneath.

Strappy Floral Print Cold Shoulder Shift Dress $28.99  $11.49

Another shift dress! I liked the straps on this dress. The print looked a little different than it did on the site but I actually like it a lot more in person.  It’s a more subtle print. Overall, I like this dress.

Lightweight Striped Scarf $9.99  $3.99

I absolutely love scarves. I was overdue for a new scarf and I didn’t have a striped one. I liked the color on this one and it was only $4.

Coral Metallic Bandeau $16.99  $1.99

I really only bought this because I was just under the amount needed to qualify for free shipping. I was also drawn to the fact that it was only $2. It has since been removed from the online store, which is expected when you discount a swimsuit bandeau to $2.

Retail Total $140.94

Sale Total $50.16

Total Discount $90.78 (64.4% off!!!)

So that was my Charlotte Russe Haul/Review. Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. My bargain hunter tip with Charlotte Russe and online shopping overall is to monitor sales (Charlotte Russe ALWAYS has some type of sale) and decide which one is best to pounce on. I made my purchase during a 60% off dresses sale. Two dresses had qualified for 60% off and the other two were already on sale. My order was shipped a day after I placed my order. Shipping took only four days; two days sooner than expected. Everything was individually packaged with the price tags on them. Five stars for Charlotte Russe.

Xx

GirlInAFantasyland

Forever 21 Haul/Review

Being away at college to me is synonymous with guilt-free online shopping. Maybe it's the distance away from my family that makes it easier to buy stuff online and get it in the mail so far away that they never know it happens.
That being said, I still have some cash on my UK card when I was abroad and seeing as I can't use it here without charges, it goes to feed my online shopping addiction.
The dangers of online shopping are that sometimes expectations fail to meet reality. I'm not super high maintenance so I can usually work around any mishaps I may come across.
Without further ado, let me give some feedback on the 6 (7, I'll explain down below) items I bought online at Forever 21.
Scottish Terrier Sweatshirt $15.80

A basic sweater at Forever 21. They have the same type in Boston Terrier, Horses, whatever suits your fancy. I bought a size M because I like my sweaters baggier. The design is cute and the sleeves go to my palms. I wish it was long enough for me to wear it with leggings without judgement but alas, it is not. The material is pretty thin, like a light cardigan. It won't do a lot of good on it's own during average winter day. Pair with a pop up collar and a skater skirt for a nice transitional season outfit.

Low Impact - Reversible Chevron Sports Bra $12.80

I loved the concept of a reversible sports bra. It's like 2 in 1 even though people's would even see it. This did not come with removable pads as they had listed nor did it have a sleeve sewn in to put ones in. First issue so far with this shipment. But what puzzles me more is what kind of sports bra doesn't come with padding? It's still a cute design and I pair it with a tank top that also has a sports bra without padding sewn into it. So I guess two wrongs make a right?

Power Mesh-Paneled Leggings $12.80

I tried to find them online again, but they have been taken off. Just picture black leggings with a mesh stripe down each side. Anyways, this is the one I was most excited for. I ordered a small because I consistently fit the small size. But with these leggings, I struggled to comfortably fit them. They were so skin tight I thought they would rip down the middle in yoga class. But I guess that will be my motivation to work out.

Low Impact - Cami Sports Bra $7.80

I bought this in purple. It's great. Nothing to really say about this.

Basic Cuffed Denim Shorts $7.80

If there's one thing Forever 21 is good at, it's offering affordable demin.  Sure, it's not the most high quality but for $8, I'm content. 

Crepe Woven Shorts $12.80

I wanted black shorts like this. However I will say after putting it on, the inseam is very low which makes it pretty easy to see what's underneath if you're not too careful. I don't really like the way they fit on me. This one is kind of a miss for me. 

Pleated Woven Top??

This would have been the 7th item but it did not come in the mail. This was one of their weekly deal items. I guess they ran out and couldn't give me one. Thankfully I wasn't charged for it so I won't pursue it more. However this did dampen my online shopping experience. But I have had favorable past experience with F21 so I will keep shopping here. Overall, I was happy with my purchase.

xx

My Thoughts on: Big Brother 16 and Frankie Grande

Disclaimer: I know this is so out of character for the type of posts that I have done in the past, but whatever, deal with it. I like a show and I want to talk about it. I know it is odd timing to do a Big Brother post so close to the end instead of periodically during the show or right after the show but I felt that an opinion post was due.

I should probably start at the beginning. Before BB16, I NEVER watched Big Brother. I never even really heard about it until the "Aaryn thing" made the news. I have since gone back and watched BB14 because I thought Ian Terry was adorable. Being an Ariana Grande fan and knowing that her brother was going to be a contestant (I really didn't know who Frankie was before the show), and the fact that there weren't a lot of new shows during the summer, I decided to watch it. Of course I went in thinking Frankie was going to be my favorite. Little did I know, this was about to change.

So the season starts and Donny catches my attention because he sticks out in a group of 20-somethings and I liked Nicole because she was pretty and nerdy.  And I absolutely hated Zach and how he would yell in the DR.  I'm not sure when the shift happened from me liking Frankie to disliking him, but I would estimate that it was around the time of the first double eviction.  It was at that moment when the big alliance of the season began to steamroll through the outsiders.  I began to like Zach, Nicole and Donny a lot more then.  If you are wondering who my favorites are, my views towards the houseguests pretty much fall in line with the Jokers Rankings.

Now to Frankie.

I don't want to make the assumption that CBS has somehow "manipulated" the competition in Frankie's favor. But I will say that there was no accident that he was casted. Casts aren't randomly chosen out of a hat. Every one has something unique to bring to the table. I can't say whether or not the production has rigged this competition for Frankie to win but I will state the facts.

The Team America stunt was unfair to the other houseguests. Had Frankie not been a famous-adjacent contestant (I know he has his own little following but I don't think it was big enough to influence public voting), we may have seen a Derrick-Donny-Zach or Derrick-Donny-Hayden etc. alliance. And let's not forget Joey was the first member of TA. The "normies" had a disadvantage from Day 1.

Now, the BOB competition that Caleb had intended to throw.
After watching BB14 I can say that the comp with the ropes is something that was done (albeit on a smaller yet more difficult scale) by one person. Logically, it would be easier to do with one person and one brain. I can't remember how far in advance the talks were about Caleb throwing it and how far in advance the competitions are planned. Even though I would prefer to believe that production somehow created/reintroduced this to help Frankie, I don't believe it was.

The BBRewind
I am a little torn about this twist. As someone who is not involved with the inner workings of the show, I have a hard time believing that this was something planned from Day 1. I think it was a last minute add-in that was introduced so late into the game that there was a relatively minimal fallout. And I get that it was a rewind, but did they really have to use the same competition that Frankie won. The only people who really benefitted from the twist was Cody and Frankie, if doesn't go home this week.  He would benefit by being eligible to play for next week's HOH and if he were to win that one, be guaranteed top 3. Although at this point, his comp wins have made him public enemy #1.

Final 2 Bonus
Recently, a new Team America development has surfaced. The details aren't 100% clear, but it seems as if the winner is either Derrick or Frankie, they would get an additional 50K which makes Team America that much more of a joke.  I doubt it is used to save Frankie since it doesn't affect Derrick either way. I'm sure Derrick is using it as a tool to calm the flames that the plan is to send Frankie home.

The Dreaded Bad Edit
Every season has one (or so I'm told).  In the only other season I watched, I don't think there was a clear villain. Possibly Frank, but in my opinion his actions were pretty justified (being put on the block except for the times he has HOH and couldn't have been on the block would be pretty frustrating).  Christine definitely got one for her scandalous relationship and cackle.  Frankie is definitely getting the diva edit.  Even Derrick said in his DR "don't make me guilty by association". In a video on RobHasAPodcast with Shane Dawson, Shane suggested that Frankie could possibly get Boos when/if he is evicted. I'm sure Big Brother will do their best to make sure their golden boy feels loved but if America and the populating rankings on Jokers are consistent, Frankie better be prepared for a very rude awakening. He's lower than Christine at this point.

BB Winner and AFP
At this point, it is the lesser of two evils (or five evils). I say Derrick because I like his gameplay.  As for a runner up, I'm sure Derrick would honor his final two deal with Cody. I would except him to be the runner up. For America's Favorite Player, I would cast my votes for Nicole/Donny/Zach.  Nicole is a BB super fan, a country girl with a heart of gold and was very aware of what was going on around her and if she was able to win a competition after the buyback, no doubt she would have made a big move. Donny was an underdog with a sweet heart.  He had the clutch gene. He saved himself when his life was on the line. Not only did he win a BOB comp by himself but he did it while his partner was sabotaging him (rather than just sitting on the sidelines). And Zach, the pot stirrer. We all know why this one was given a key to the house. Zach has made for some great entertainment this summer. His I-don't-care-about-anyone attitude put me off at first, but after the weeks passed I realized that wasn't the true Zach. There was a sweet moment when the house had learned of Frankie's grandfather's death and Zach took it very hard (he has only known Frankie about a month at this point).  It clicked when he told the houseguests during one of the speeches "I hate all of you" when I knew he had taken a page out of the Dr. Will handbook. Yes Donny has TA money and this would be nice for the guy but I would say I got a bigger kick out of watching Zach in the house so Vote Zach for AFP if not to see him 25K richer and blowing it on golf clubs, then to stick it to the Detonators/Bomb Squad (I love that Caleb believes this is still a thing).

I may do another post next week or after the winner is crowned so stay tuned.

Back to School 2014: What's in my Backpack

It's that time again! As we say goodbye to summer, we welcome (begrudgingly) the hustle and bustle of school time. I got a perfect 4.0 last semester of college (humble brag) and hope to continue the trend into a semester with 2 math classes, organic chemistry and physics. I thought I would share with you all what's in my backpack as I prepare for my sophomore year of college. Wish me luck!

This is my backpack. As tempting as it was to go for the floral, cutesy, neon backpacks, I don't trust that those types of backpacks would be able to keep up with all my binders, papers and textbooks. My last Jansport backpack lasted 6 years and could probably go 6 more. I went with this pattern because it was still girly and feminine and durable. The heart pattern reminds me of the bokeh effect in pictures. This bag was on sale at JC Penney for $45. It is the design with all the pockets. My last Jansport only had a main compartment and a small one at front so this is a definite upgrade.

In the main compartment of the backpack, I have two binders, each filled with dividers and notebook paper, two folders, my lab notebook (I only have this on days when I have labs), a green 3-subject notebook from last semester (so now it's more of a 1.5 subject notebook), a pink 1-subject notebook, my agenda and my Blogilates fit journal.

What I carry in my backpack depends on how each of my courses are structures. Last semester I had an English class where the prof passed out so much paper it needed it's own binder and on the flip side I had a Mass Comm class where I didn't get a single sheet of paper. Most times I would carry one binder and folder depending on what classes I have that day or what work I need to do outside of class. I would also have a textbook if I needed. Like I said, it depends on the course. Most times, the prof gives lectures so you don't need the textbook in class; you need it when you're doing homework.

And this is my Blogilates fit journal. I made a post about it earlier. I did 4 weeks back in February and then stopped because of some health issues so fitness wasn't my top priority. I have 8 weeks left on this so I may start it back up in September.

This is my regular school-related agenda that I got from Walmart for $8. There weren't many agendas I could find under $10 but Walmart surprisingly had a great variety with pretty designs.

In the thinner large compartment is where I would keep my laptop. I got this laptop case from Walmart a while back. Just goes to show you can find nice things at a Walmart. My lab coat is also in there. I also bring it on days I would have a lab.

In the thin zipper in the front (which I call my go to pocket), I keep some writing utensils for easy access. I have a pencil bag but when I need a pen/pencil asap I don't want to have to go through two layers of zippers to get one. That's just extraneous zipping.

I have a black Papermate pen which comes on a variety of colors other than yellow. I have 3 BIC colored pens. It came in a pack of I think 10 and with a green pen but it's hard to see green ink. I have a houndstooth mechanical pencil which in my mind is the MVP of writing utensils. First, it's a mechanical pencil. Then, it's shaped like a regular pencil (hexagonal shape). Then it's houndstooth printed. It came in a pack of 12 from Staples for $6 and it's still there if you want to buy them. Then I have a free pen I got because colleges give you free pens. And lastly, I have a highlighter.

In the small compartment I have my TInspire calculator and my pencil bag. It carries the other 5 designs from my collection of mechanical pencils, the remaining highlighter colors, extra free college pens, other black pens with different color plastics and some flags to use for bookmarking.

In the smallest pocket at the very front I keep things that I would normally carry in my purse like my phone and my wallet/keys. I would probably throw a lip balm and a granola bar in there too.

On the side I have a place for my water bottle. Honestly this was my favorite part of the backpack because my old Jansport backpack didn't have this and this was the one MUST-HAVE feature I needed in a new backpack. I always carried a water bottle in the main compartment of my backpack and sometimes it would get my papers dirty.

So that was everything in my backpack. Like I said before, the chances of ALL these rings being in my backpack at the same time is pretty low. Once I figure out how to efficiently stuff my backpack it will probably be lighter. And I can't guarantee I won't lose any pens/pencils in my go to pocket after the first week. I hope you liked this post. Keep following for more posts. I am pretty determined to keep posting at least one a week.

xx