Fall Accessories

Continuing my post from last week, I thought I'd talk about a few of the accessories that can change up a few "lived in" outfits. Maybe I'm biased, but I think fall has the best accessories- navy and camel and gold. How can you go wrong?

Anyways, I think the image is pretty self-explanatory. And a few searches on google or tumblr will get you a million different outfit ideas when it comes to these few pieces. The rules I live by in the fall?

base outfit - vest/ jacket - scarf - sunnies - bracelets

It's the best way to be weather appropriate (so many layers to switch up if it's too hot or if it gets dark) and seasonably in-fashion. 

How do you style your favorite fall outfits?

Fall: Live in This

Is there anything better than fall fashion? No. The answer is no. 

The best part is that so many pieces can be styled differently to garner so many different looks. A tan v-neck sweater? Um you can wear that a million and two ways. If I wanted to do laundry twice a week, I could narrow my closet down to about 10 major pieces for the fall. With accessories and shoes, they'd be able to make it through at least a month without repeating the exact same outfit... and honestly probably more. 

Thus, I bring you the "live in these" pieces for the fall.

shop this post here

There are a few hints as to why I picked these pieces:

1) They're all lab-appropriate (minus the skirts). Silly, I know. But you'd be surprised how hard it is to look nice on days that I have 3 hour labs that require I dress like a nun... and I have labs three days a week. 

2) They all have some bit of "texture" to them. I hate just plain outfits. Whether it's the wrap style sweater or the patterns, these outfits are all just fine without any embellishments. That means that, if I'm running late and don't have time to think through jewelry and scarves and belts and what lipstick to wear- all thoughts that go through my head in the morning- I'm fine. Even if I put no thought whatsoever into the outfit, it looks complete and thought-out. 

3) They're all (for the most part) interchangeable. Isn't that the most important part? Getting the most for your money is important, and I think that these pieces can all be styled through fall and winter in so many ways!

The most important? They're all already in your closet!

Okay, so maybe not the exact items, but it's all stylistic interpretation. You don't have a DVF ballet wrap sweater (I don't either!)? Okay, belt a sweater, or wear a v neck sweater with a skirt to give the same effect. Layers are in, so play them up. Most importantly- keep your eyes out for inspiration! 

And, of course, make getting dressed fun!  

Vests & Boots & Sweaters, Oh My!

The best season has arrived!! 

The only downside is that we've entered exam season. No sleep, lots of stress. If the weather weren't so beautiful, I'd be living in my dorm room in sweats. Thankfully it's nice out, which encourages me to get out and study outside or at Starbucks- it gets me wanting to spend study breaks doing yoga or taking a walk. 

This season is such a stimulant, and I just had to share my excitement!

This week is jam-packed and I'm tired just thinking about it, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel- for me and you! Stay tuned for some fun little posts in the future :) 

Weekend Pretties

Exam 1: in the books. First "free" weekend of the school year, currently.

And the impending exams have yet to phase me. Life is pure bliss right now. The weather is great, the people I've been spending time with are great, and classes are... not great but interesting, kind of. ;) 

Anyways Anyways It's the summer-fall transition which is a fashionista's sweetest dream. Seriously, light scarves, sweaters and shorts. It's the one time where almost all of my closet can be utilized. Which would be great if I didn't leave most of my fall clothing at home............ *crickets* So, what I have are a few of my favorite little pretties to make this weekend (and every day) feel a little more glamorous.

1. Tory Burch Revas

I suffered from a recent crisis of sorts, and so I decided that retail therapy was the best therapy. Thus, I bring you my first pair of Revas. They're beautiful- seriously, I just look at them and think of how perfect they are for every outfit I could imagine. I'm in the breaking-in phase right now, so I haven't been able to fully enjoy them. But I'm thinking these will be making a regular appearance from not on.

2. Chanel Chance

Chance has been a longtime favorite of mine. It makes me feel so sophisticated and grown up, which is sometimes just what I need on the days I feel unmotivated. I like to think that it's my "signature" scent, and I love it the most during the fall.

3. Kendra Scott

Anything KS is a win for me, but these feathery earrings were a Labor Day sale purchase. They were such a good deal I just had to buy them. They're not my typical style, but I've been styling them a lot more than I expected I would. For plain sweaters that need a little spicing up, these do the trick!

4. YSL Volupte Lip Stick

*New Favorite Alert* Okay, so I will be the first to admit that I took an interest to these because of the tube design. It's so fancy and luxurious that I felt the need to check out the actual product. I was happy to hear the raving reviews on all the different types (lipstick, gloss, and shine) available. The lover of lip products in me was overjoyed at the idea of build-able color with moisturizing formula; the college student in me silently cried at the price.

I reasoned with myself that a nice, raspberry/rose color would be really pretty for fall... and I don't already have colors like that. So I went for it and, trust me, I am so in love!! My lips are so soft and the color is subtle enough for daytime but can be built up for night wear. I am so, so in love.

Happy weekend, Stay Pretty! 

p.s. that shag carpet is horrible... it will not appear again. 

Fall is Rebirth

Fall is my favorite season- for all the cliche reasons.

Sweaters and coffee and the joy that comes from the season. The colorful leaves and the fact that it's cool enough for sweaters but not freezing... and let's be real, who doesn't love their sweater collection? It is the New Year for many. Students have the chance to come back to school with new experiences from summer. The fashion world is on fire in the fall: Fashion weeks and the September Issues. And music? Well, music is my absolute favorite in the fall. Some of my greatest memories are tied to music that has been released in these fall months.

I take this opportunity for re-birth as seriously as I can. Last year, it was 100% jewelry. I took the opportunity (and amazing fall fashion) to begin accessorizing more. Now, I make sure to accessorize no matter what I'm wearing... and my Kendra Scott obsession has become so unhealthy. As I was reflecting on last year's "rebirth" I started to think about what it was that I wanted to do this year.

Being Bold. That is my rebirth this year. It was actually an idea from my mom- she has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone already this year, and I'm really enjoying it. Then, I had an assignment for one of my classes that required I make a few personal/ professional goals for myself. Being bold and getting myself out there more was one of my goals. From joining new clubs to making a point to meet new people, or just show kindness in a setting where most people don't, is so exciting to me!

I've talked about just how much I have on my plate this semester. My days are sleep - run (workout) - keep running (school, meetings, study sessions) - homework - sleep & do it all over again tomorrow! I'm hoping that my schedule calms itself down but I'm thinking the only thing to be dropping will be my average hours of sleep per night, unfortunately. The beauty of this goal is that I can't interpret it in so many ways that fit into my regular schedule- wear bright lipstick, audition for a new part, make a bold move to show someone I care about them. The time consumption is up to me, and is also not necessarily related to the level of boldness. I think that's the coolest thing.

Of course, there are a few bold places I'd like to take this blog, too. I'd like to upload more outfit posts. I'd like to get a better layout (which, at a school with thousands of engineers and computer science majors, shouldn't be that challenging) and I'd like to get into a routine. I always, always go through a slump when it comes to getting back on schedule or moving back to school. The semester always comes in full-swing and the blog takes a back seat. In the past, I've apologized. But I won't this time. It's a fact of life and it's something that I've come to accept- the things we love, though they are the things we love, must sometimes lose priority over the things that have to be done in a timely manner. 

This blog is a hobby, though one that keeps me sane. So bear with me as I get into a routine- I'm going to shoot for at least Tuesday and Thursday- with all of life... and bear with me if I don't fulfill all the bold things I'd like to do here. 

Much love,

Sarah

Putting Out Good

I don't have much to say, except that life works in unexpected ways day in and day out. I feel a whirlwind of emotions every single day, and I don't know how I'm doing it, but I'm staying positive. I'm trying to treat others better than they treat me and to make an effort to remember names, faces, and conversations.

Because after everything, I believe that the world is good and smart. It just needs a little help- but don't we all? So, here's to positivity and self-confidence and self-love!

College + Technology

Week one of Sophomore year is done and out of the way.
And, believe me, this semester is going to be insane. It's exciting to think that about how different my life is going to be in a matter of months: PUDM 2.0, going Greek, the most challenging semester of my life, the PCAT, and Pharmacy school admissions... This semester is equivalent to junior year of high school. Actually it's not at all like junior year of high school but that's the best comparison I could make. Hah!

Anyways, being the nerd that I am (and knowing what to expect for this semester) I took some time this summer to organize my thoughts and prepare myself. This included trying out multiple apps for success in school. And- okay, disclaimer- I know there are a billion and one posts about what apps to get for school. Trust me, because I looked at many of them to figure out how I could use technology to my benefit this semester. Now trust me when I say that 9/10 of the apps recommended were obviously not recommended by college students because I couldn't think of any reason to use many of them other than to take up space on my iPad. Not kidding. So, after days of searching I was able to add two, yes only two, actually useful apps to my "school" file. But those two apps are going to make all the difference, which is why I want to share them.

 I already had the Blackboard app, which is Purdue's program for every class. It's nothing too special, but it allows me to access all assignments, powerpoints, notifications, etc for my classes while I'm on the go. This app does cost, but it's worth the money to not have to take my laptop with me to class. Just my ipad, a notebook, and some pens do the trick- talk about lightening your load! I had this app last year but didn't have the supplemental apps necessary to make it fully functional. Now that I do, everything works together seamlessly and has made learning much simpler.

One thing that I did buy as an accessory to all of this was a nice stylus- the Adonit Jot Pro. It's a more substantial stylus but still pretty inexpensive, and it makes taking notes (keep reading) on my iPad much more enjoyable.

So, now for the apps that I use daily:

Notablility
I don't remember who recommended this app to me (I truly apologize because I'd like to give credit where credit is due) but it has been life-changing. It's like carrying 5 notebooks and their corresponding powerpoint slides, all in my iPad mini. The app integrates with Blackboard so that I can download my notes directly to the app and write on the slides. It's easy to insert images or blank pages for extra pages and references.

It's really the best because I don't have to carry multiple notebooks or worry about grabbing the wrong pages. No matter the class, I have the notes. And, if I forget to download the notes I can just hop on Blackboard once I get to class and send them to the app.

The way I work this is that I take the notes in class, then come back to my room and make flow charts of my personal reading notes, to vocabulary, and the class notes in a notebook. So, I'm not completely paperless. But last year I occasionally took notes on my laptop and it was so easy to open pages on the sides or even have a side-by-side view which wasn't a good use of my time in class... at all. The smaller iPad screen makes it less tempting to have other pages pulled up.

It's also been proven that typing isn't as beneficial to learning and memory as the writing motion. So being able to physically write the notes and pictures down, then repeat it again from memory and the notes once I'm back to my room, makes sure that I'm learning in different forms- audibly and tactually.

So far, I have 0 complaints about the way this app works. I'm sure there are other, more complex apps but this one does the job and it's cheap- $2.99 has made this year so much easier already.

Quizlet
The free app for any vocabulary-intensive course. This thing is going to be great, I can already tell. I can say goodbye to stacks and stacks... and stacks of index cards. So environmentally friendly! This app is really nice because it has games that help to learn the words, and it will read the words and definitions to you- that auditory learning thing again!

This is a pretty self-explanatory app, so I'll leave it at that.


I can't stress enough how important it is to find what works for you. These apps work for me, but maybe not for someone else. It takes some trial runs to figure it all out, but Iv'e found that less is more when it comes to technology and school. Unless you're a computer science major and know how to work with different platforms, finding something that does what you need it to- nothing more and nothing less- is really the most beneficial. It makes learning more fun and less stressful, which we could all use!