{RESOLUTIONS & AVOCADO TOAST}

I Have quite the love/hate relationship with New Years resolutions. There is too much pressure to become a better person at the flip of a switch and I for one, am not about it. On the other hand, I believe that, for myself at least, there is always room for improvement. So, instead of making one definitive resolution this year, I have decided to set a few goals for myself and I decided that this blog is the perfect place to document these goals and the strides that I make to reach these goals. Without further ado, here are my goals for 2015:

1. Start eating healthier
2. Continue to exercise regularly
3. Learn to better manage my money
4. Score my dream internship
5. Consistently upload posts to this blog

One final announcement before getting into the recipe; I have recently started an internship with CollegeFashionista as a Style Guru at my university. This interview will extend throughout my second semester and I could not be more excited. For those of you who have never heard of CollegeFashionista, it is a community of college students across the country who upload weekly posts about the style happenings on their campus. This internship has always been something that I have really wanted to do and I am overjoyed to finally have the opportunity to do so. That being said, if any of you think this sounds like something you would be interested in, I would definitely recommend checking out their website, collegefashionista.com, and sending in an application. But if being a Style Guru doesn't sound like it is for you, I would still suggest checking out the website for fashion inspiration because it is seriously awesome. 

Okay, so that was my spiel about what has been happening with me lately and now for the avocado toast recipe. This recipe could not be easier and it is one of the best (guilt-free) things I have ever tasted.

Ingredients:

One avocado

Bread (whole-wheat is what I prefer but you can use any kind)

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt 

Black pepper

STEP 1: Toast yo' bread. I actually toasted mine in a conventional oven on the broil setting. I toasted each side for less than two minutes and just kept an eye on it to make sure it didn't burn. Using a toaster will always work (plot twist).

STEP 2: Cut your avocado into large chunks after peeling it and taking out the seed.

STEP 3: When your toast is ready, drizzle a small amount, or more if you desire, of the of the vinegar and olive oil.

STEP 4: Mash your avocado chunks with a fork on top of the toast.

STEP 5: Top your toast off with some salt and pepper.

TOO EASY, HUH?

{Octoberfest-ivities}

How lucky are we to live in a world where Octobers exist...

This weekend my cousin and his lovely fiance tied the knot during a beautiful ceremony at my uncle's picturesque log cabin home.

Fortunately for me, weddings provide not only the perfect excuse to see distant relatives and family friends, but it also gives me the opportunity to shake up my college uniform of leggings and sweatshirts and actually get dressed up for a change of pace.

Rompers are the perfect piece when it comes to looking chic but also feeling comfortable. Typically, rompers are associated with the spring and summer months but it can also work as the perfect transitional piece if paired with tights and ankle booties.

I love this romper especially for the oversized floral print and the glamorous sleeves and am impatiently waiting for a chance to wear it again!


Also, here is a little list of music I've been loving lately:

• She Knows- J. Cole
• Sober- Childish Gambino
• The Palisades- Childish Gambino (Basically all of his Kauai album)
• Kanye- The Chainsmokers
• You Haunt Me- Sir Sly
• Bitter Sweet Symphony- The Verve
• I Try- Macy Gray
• There She Goes- Sixpence None The Richer
• Say You'll Be There- Spice Girls
• Never Wanna Know- MØ
• Say You'll Be There (Cover)- MØ
• Fred Astaire- San Cisco
• Bumper- Cults
• The Hurry And The Harm- City and Colour

Coat: TopShop

Romper: Nordstrom, Tights: Kohls

Boots: Nordstrom B.P. 

Necklaces: Forever 21

{Meanwhile In Lollaland...}

Long time no post...

This summer has absolutely flown by. I've spent majority of it working and whatever free time I've had, I spent with friends and family. But I'll be back at school in less than a couple weeks so hopefully I'll be able to update this blog more often! (Also, I cut all of my hair off and I couldn't be happier!)

Just over two weeks ago I headed to the beautiful city of Chicago to attend my favorite event of the year, Lollapalooza. This is the second year I've attended this music festival and it is far from being my last time!

Whilst the most important aspect of the festival is obviously the music, the street style (and street food) is amazing as well. People watching between sets quickly became one of our favorite past-times!

We saw some pretty incredible artists and I'm already having a hard time waiting for next year, but scrolling through the countless pictures and videos that were taken will have to suffice for now and I wanted to share some on this blog!

My Lollapalooza Favorites:

1. Play With Fire- Vance Joy
2. Houdini- Foster the People
3. Waste- Foster the People
4. Best Friend- Foster the People
5. Rollup (Baauer remix)- Flosstradamus
6. Mosh Pit- Flosstradamus
7. Bonfire- Childish Gambino
8. Fire Fly- Childish Gambino
9. Heartbeat- Childish Gambino
10. Freaks and Geeks- Childish Gambino
11. Roses- OutKast
12. So Fresh, So Clean- Outkast
13. Ms. Jackson- Outkast
14. ATLiens- OutKast
15. Talk!- The 1975
16. Settle Down- The 1975
17. M.O.N.E.Y- The 1975
18. Arabella- Arctic Monkeys
19. Cheap Sunglasses- RAC
20. Hollywood- RAC

(Phew, that was quite the list!)

Headpiece: Asos. Crochet Bralette: Forever 21. Shorts: Dry Goods. Shirt (tied around waist): Urban Outfitters. Sandals: Asos (These were lost to the music festival gods) 

Headpiece: ASOS. Top: Forever 21. Pants: Forever 21. Sandals: ASOS.

Sunglasses: Nordstrom BP. Bralette: Free People. Dress: ASOS. Sandals: Urban Outfitters.

Until next year Lolla...

{Good Vibes}

With finals coming up, this blog has fallen pretty low on the priority list but boy am I happy to be back. With only one week left of my freshman year of college, my stress level is at an all time high but I wanted to take a well-deserved break from studying to create this post!

Today I am wearing one of my favorite items in my wardrobe, a simple black romper. While my romper collection has grown over the past year the one I'm wearing today continues to be my favorite! I love how rompers are a top and shorts all-in-one because while it can be dressed up with heels and a jacket it can also be worn as a bathing suit cover up at the beach! Today I decided to go with a more bohemian feel pairing my romper, with some embellished gladiator sandals and a floppy hat. I also decided to wear this terracotta colored bralette I recently picked up from Free People. I love how the lace detailing makes the outfit look a little more feminine and delicate. 

Because of how busy I've been, I wasn't able to post my April Favorites but here are a few of my current song favorites. Also be sure to check out my Summer '14 playlist on Spotify!

• Riptide- Vance Joy
• Here Comes the Night Time- Arcade Fire
• Heart's On Fire- Passenger 
• XXX 88- MØ, Diplo
• Hollywood- RAC feat. Penguin 
• Agora- Bear Hands
• BTSTU (Edit)- Jai Paul

Hat: American Eagle Outfitters

Bralette: Free People,  Necklace: Forever 21

Romper: American Eagle Outfitters

Sandals: Sam Edelman

Salut Printemps!

Translation: Hello Spring!

Since today's outfit was inspired by le francais, I thought that the title of this post deserved some french influence! When I think of the fashion capital the world only one word come to mind, Paris! French style is characterized as being chic, effortless, and most of all, timeless. The French focus on flattering the human form rather than dressing for the trends, thus they create the trends!

One of the most iconic aspects of french fashion is Breton stripes. Breton stripes are when black/navy stripes contrast against a white, knitted fabric. The style is inspired by french sailors, and was first introduced into women's fashion by Coco Chanel. The Breton stripes began the breakaway from restricted fashion of the times into casual fashion.

Alright, alright enough of the history lesson, here is more about the outfit; The Breton stripe t-shirt dress I am wearing is a new addition to my wardrobe and I am obsessed to say the least (I have started dreaming about all the ways I can wear it!) Color is something I rarely incorporate into my wardrobe but I was feeling rather spring-y today so I decided to tie this bright fuchsia cardigan around my waist, giving a little bit of shape to this rather shapeless dress! Finally, I had to add some American style to my outfit so I threw on my go-to Chuck Taylors!

Dress: Urban Outfitters, Cardigan: J.Crew, Shoes: Converse

PJ's Everyday

As much as I love clothes and all things fashion, there is a special place in my heart (or closet rather) for comfy clothes. On the days when I want to be comfortable but not lose my sense of style, I like to wear soft, moveable pieces. In this outfit I am wearing my new favorite t-shirt. I recently picked up this cotton crop top at Topshop. Although the shirt is very basic it has nice cuffed detailing on the sleeves as well as a pocket on the front. 

I paired the boxy crop top with my go-to shorts! I got these black and white patterned shorts a little over a year ago and I wear them every chance I get! A major trend for spring this year is Pajamas for the daytime and I feel that these shorts are a great way to try out this trend.

Crop top: Topshop, Shorts: Khol's 

Shoes: Converse

Metamorphosis

Spring is finally in full swing here in the midwest and I couldn't be more excited for thin layers and bare legs. As the weather changes, so does my style. In the winter I am drawn to darker clothes (all black everything) and textures like suede and leather, but as the weather gets warmer, I can't help but reach for items with a pop of color or printed pieces. I also ditch the leather and suede for crochet and linen.

Another inspiration for my spring/summer style is music festivals! This past weekend was week one of Coachella, and the only thing that makes up for the fact that I was not there, is all the festival style inspiration on Instagram and Tumblr (as well as the live footage on YouTube). 

Here's a list of some Instagram users that I follow who have been donning some awesome festival looks:

@kyliejenner

@kendalljenner

@urbanoutfitters

@itsashbenzo

@shannonbarkerr

@caitbarkerr

In today's post I am wearing one of my favorite trends this season; kimonos! The one I am wearing today is covered in an incredibly realistic butterfly pattern (hence the title of this post)! I love kimonos because they not only look effortless with everything from denim shorts to rompers, but they also add an unexpected pop of color to a neutral outfit. Because the kimono is the focal point of my outfit, I decided to keep the rest of the outfit pretty simple with a white tank top and lace-trimmed shorts.

Kimono: Topshop, Shorts: Windsor, Booties: Steve Madden, Tank Top: Zara