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Gift Guide: Under $50


Another gift guide! I love coming up with the "Under $50" gift guide every year because I am always amazed at the fun things you can find at a great price. There really is no shortage of goodies and great gift ideas for under $50, so it's kind of exciting to see what you can find for such a deal.

Our Thanksgiving


I hope you all had a lovely weekend with your family, friends, and loved ones! Heading in to the holiday, admittedly I was both sad not to be home yet eager to visit Texas for the first time. However, after returning from my trip Sunday night I feel nothing but gratitude for the weekend I had in Dallas with my dad and my brother celebrating one of my favorite holidays and at my most favorite time of the year.


I mentioned that I was excited to be able to cook a lot this weekend, and that's exactly what I did. I spent a ton of time on Thursday in the kitchen and the dining room, both cooking and setting our table. My dad and I picked up two colors of tulips at Whole Foods, along with mini pumpkins for our decor, and the 10-pound turkey that headed the table. I made my brother and my favorite traditional sweet potato casserole, caramelized green beans with shallots and almonds, roasted potatoes with sage, a delicious autumn salad, and our grandma's oyster stuffing. We had brioche buns on the side and pecan and pumpkin pies for dessert! Everything was delicious, and I'm so happy with how our celebration turned out!











Expect a few recipes coming up, and if you're sharing your Thanksgiving table on your blog/Instagram/social channels, comment the link below!! I'd love to hear/see what you ate and how you decorated and celebrated.

Happy Monday,
xoxo

What I Bought: Black Friday

Because I went to UT Austin on Black Friday for the football game against TCU, I spent my day exploring Texas rather than exploring their shopping scene. However, the sales this year were too good to pass up and I scored a few things that I am super excited about!

Be sure to check out this post to shop the sales that are still going on today, Cyber Monday! The good stuff isn't over yet!!


Pink Sweater (Reg. $70, Got for $35) // A pretty in pink classic cut sweater! I feel like all I wear anymore is neutrals, so I felt like I just needed this little pop of color!

Plaid Wrap Top (Reg. $58, Got for $29) // I hadn't shopped at Abercrombie since middle school, but lately they've been coming out with the best stuff, and the entire website was 50% off with free shipping on Friday. I saw this top and fell in love, and for only $29 I had to have it!

J. Crew Cocoon Coat (Reg. $350, Got for $210) // J. Crew having 40% was a dream come true! I've wanted the cocoon coat forever, and this was the perfect time to get it. I've been wearing a navy duffel coat from ASOS for the last few years (worn in this outfit post, one of my favorite outfit posts to date) but I knew it was time for an upgrade, so I'm really excited to add this classic coat to my wardrobe.

Flannel Shirt (Reg. $65, Got for $25) // So... this is a men's flannel. But doesn't it look cozy?! I don't know why I wanted it so badly to be honest, but I feel like I'll easily be able to dress it down with bean boots and jeans or dress it up with a black skirt and pearls for a holiday party. Kind of an essential/closet staple, ya know?

Skinny Jeans (Reg. $68, Got for $39) & Black Jeans (Reg. $88, Got for $39) // Like I said, I haven't shopped at Abercrombie in many years, but I used to love their jeans and I know a few friends who still wear them. Since these styles were exactly what I needed (a classic dark wash pair for everyday wear and a ripped black pair for going out) I decided it wouldn't hurt to order them for just $39 each. 

MANGO Velvet Booties (Reg. $80, Got for $64) // I posted about this sweater last week in my Thanksgiving Style Guide and almost purchased it on Black Friday because MANGO was having 20% off site wide. But, I was browsing the site before checking out and I ended up discovering this pair of booties and decided I wanted them more than yet another sweater. Since I was in the market for booties (did you see this post with the best pairs under $200?) and I love anything and everything velvet, I ordered these for what I think is a really great deal. I'm crossing my fingers they work out, and I'll keep you all posted... I'd never ordered shoes from MANGO before, have any of you?

What did you score at the sales this weekend?!
xoxo

BLACK FRIDAY ULTIMATE GUIDE!

Before we get down to all of the sales and steals going on today and this weekend, I hope you all had a very delicious and blessed Thanksgiving. If I say so myself, our meal was pretty delish, and I'm thankful for that because I didn't know if I'd be able to pull off all of that cooking, especially since I have never done something like this before. An added stressed that I didn't even think about beforehand: we only have one oven! At least now I've got this Thanksgiving experience under my belt and I can hopefully make this a tradition; I really do love cooking that much!

A little less about me, moving on to the gooooood stuff for the weekend! The sales this year are incredible!!! Here are all of the ones I could find and then below are my personal picks!!! At the bottom of the post you'll find my other shopping guides too, which you can just click the graphic to be taken to that post. 

Happy shopping!

TUCKERNUCK: 20% off site wide, 25% off $500 and 30% off $1000+ with codes GIVE20, GIVE25, and GIVE30
*I basically live in my Barbour. It's a staple! Tuckernuck also carries Jack Rogers and Loeffler Randall, both included in the sale.

J.CREW: 40% off everything in stores and online with code HOLIDAY 

J.CREW FACTORY: 50-60% off everything, prices as marked

MADEWELL: 25% off your entire purchase with code THATSALE
*If I were you, I'd just buy everything in their gift guide #hearteyes

ABERCROMBIE: 50% off everything

KATE SPADE: Surprise sale, up to 75% off

TORY BURCH: 30% off $250 or more with code THANKS
*Most shoes and bags are at least $250, so this is the best time to pick up a more expensive gift! You'll hit the $250 mark before you know it and that's $75 off right there!

NORDSTROM: Up to 40% off men's, women's and children's, no code needed

BLOOMINGDALES: 15% off $100 and 20% off $200+, no code needed

SHOPBOP: 15% off orders of $200, 20% off orders of $500 and 25% off orders of $800+ with code GOBIG16

ASOS: 30% off everything with code THANKFUL30

OLD NAVY: 50% off almost everything, discount applied at checkout

GAP: 50% off everything with code TGIF50

DOGEARED: 25% off site wide with code SHINE25

BAUBLE BAR: 30% off site wide with code THANKS30
*I wear this necklace every. single. day.

FRENCH CONNECTION: 40% off site wide with code F40BLF
*They have an incredible shoe collection, which includes my prom shoes (only $50 after the discount!) and this pair that I really want...

SERENA & LILY: 20% off site wide with code THANKYOU

URBAN OUTFITTERS: Buy one, get one 50% off all apparel, no code needed

MARK & GRAHAM: 25% off site wide + free monogramming with code FRIENDS
*You all know that I'm crazy about M&G. In particular, I love my everyday leather tote and my little leather zip case (both are simply essentials!)




 

Gift Guide for the Traveler // Gift Guide for the Hostess


 


 

Thanksgiving Style Guide // The HOLIDAY SHOP!

I'm heading to UT Austin today from Dallas for the UT-TCU football game, which I am really excited about! I've only heard great things about how fun Austin is, so I'm eager to visit!! I won't be shopping in stores today as a result, but I'd rather just shop online later, miss the lines, and enjoy family time and the warm Texas weather!
xoxo

Thankful

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to reach out and say how thankful I truly am for each and every one of you, not only today, but everyday, for making blogging a wonderful part of my life and something I'm so lucky to enjoy. Without you, blogging for me may have stopped a long time ago, but it's the amazing experiences that come from blogging that keep me going. All thanks to each one of you, of course, because each and every blogging milestone I've reached no matter how small is as a result of you reading everyday, tweeting at me, liking and commenting on Instagram, and responding to emails and posts that are so personal. You each make me feel loved and valuable even on my tiny corner of the internet! That is something I can not thank you enough for.

I say it all the time, but when I started my blog, I had no idea what I was doing; I did it as a competition with a friend! It was totally a joke! I would never have imagined myself where I am now with blogging, because I didn't even think I'd keep it up over a week. And now, I can't imagine myself without blogging, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Blogging has become a incredible piece of who I am; it gives me a reason for all that online shopping ;) But in all seriousness, it has helped me discover my passions and it has led me through so, so many networks that I'm truly grateful for. 

On a day of being grateful and giving thanks, I wanted to thank you, and share my thankfulness for each of you, because every singly one of you contributes to one of the things in my life that I am most grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving and eat lots of food!
<3
xoxo

Sales Currently ON!

Good morning from the airport!! If you're thinking about gifts, make sure to start shopping some of the great sales that have already started! Don't miss out, I've compiled them all below for you right here:

TUCKERNUCK: 20% off site wide, 25% off $500 and 30% off $1000+ with codes GIVE20, GIVE25, and GIVE30

J.CREW: 40% off everything in stores and online with code HOLIDAY 

J.CREW FACTORY: 50-60% off everything, prices as marked

MADEWELL: 25% off your entire purchase with code THATSALE

ABERCROMBIE: 50% off everything

KATE SPADE: Surprise sale, up to 75% off

TORY BURCH: 30% off $250 or more with code THANKS

NORDSTROM: Up to 40% off men's, women's and children's, no code needed

BLOOMINGDALES: 15% off $100 and 20% off $200+, no code needed

SHOPBOP: 15% off orders of $200, 20% off orders of $500 and 25% off orders of $800+ with code GOBIG16

ASOS: 30% off everything with code THANKFUL30

OLD NAVY: 50% off almost everything, discount applied at checkout

GAP: 50% off everything with code TGIF50

Happy shopping!

Gift Guide: The Traveler



I'm heading to Dallas! It's going to be quite a travel day for me... My Uber is scheduled to pick me up around 9:15/9:30 from my dorm and take me all the way to the Philadelphia Airport, about an hour and a half away. Gonna be quite a long ride... But, I couldn't take the bus because I need to be at the airport early on a day like today. Did you know that Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday of the year? Today is one of the busiest days at the airport year in and year out, and Philly is quite a hub for travelers being such a bigger international airport.

Best Boots Under $200

So... I'm starting to feel like I have a shoe problem. Or, at least a shoe problem is definitely developing. I think about shoes, like, a lot. I really, really like shoes. I keep thinking about how I need more shoes, I want more shoes and shoes, shoes, shoes...

I'm convinced the source of the problem is that it's simply genetic; my mom is a total shoe person. A few seasons ago her and I sat down to go through her shoes and stopped organizing/shamelessly counting once we hit 150 pairs because it was time for a break. And, probably a snack. I remember when I was really little and we lived in Chicago and on the weekends I would feel tortured sitting on the chairs and wandering around the shoe sections of Lord and Taylor and Neiman's and Nordstrom while my mom shoe shopped. And then, I remember around fifth or sixth grade when suddenly my feet were big enough for women's shoes and then I was the one who never wanted to leave the rack of pretty things for my feet. 

But now, this thing called college is happening to me and I really shouldn't be buying shoes. I should be saving my money and spending it wisely, etc, etc. BUT, sometimes you just have to treat yourself, right?! That's why I rounded up my favorite boots for the reason, and they're all under $200. So, that's not that bad, is it? Someone, agree with me.


heeled booties: grey // leather // suede // brown
flat boots: black // suede
winter boots: tall sorel's // bean boots // navy

You can probably tell that I'm in the market for new booties. I got these tall boots for Christmas last year, and I already have a fabulous pair of trusty LL Bean Boots, but my ankle boots are getting beat up and need to be replaced. It's sort of dawning on me that I'm entering the age where wearing a pair of shoes with a heel for a daily shoe wouldn't be that weird, which is nice because this pair is definitely my favorite of the above. But, would I really want to do that? I feel like if I really added them to my closet I'd never actually pull them out and try to pull that off. Thoughts?

What are your favorite pair of boots in your closet?
xoxo

Gift Guide: The Hostess



It's Thanksgiving week, it's Thanksgiving week! Two days until I'm hopping on a plane to head to Texas for the first time, and three days until we'll all be having a feast and enjoying the company of our friends and family... Who's excited?!

Getting Intimate


I'm going to come out and say it: I love a pretty bra and nice underwear. I mean, don't we all? What's not to love? I'm definitely the kind of girl who hangs out at home in just a big t-shirt or sweatshirt, but when I go out I love knowing that what's underneath my outfit is just as fabulous!





When I saw this bra from Thirdlove, I knew I needed it for the holidays. The dark berry color is gorgeous for this season (it comes in 6 colors too!) and the lace is incredibly high-quality in person. The feel of the bra is really soft and silky and unlike most bras, it feels smooth and not so bulky with extra padding or a thick band. I love how the straps sit a little wider on the shoulders too, making the bra adaptable for a variety of necklines. 

Really, this bra emulates Thirdlove's mission: "a good bra is one you never think about," because it's so subtle and comfortable and the whole strap thing makes it so you don't need to worry about your straps shifting or showing throughout the day. I just love how it really keeps everything in place while being incredibly high quality, and so soft... I can't get over that part. It's like a silky cloud on the underside! 

I think I might need it in a few more colors... and I'm definitely going to be trying another bra from Thirdlove soon! The website has a cool feature too where you can "try before you buy" by using their fit finder. I personally didn't use the tool, but I ordered this bra in my usual size and it fits perfectly true to size.

Where do you find your favorite bras? Is this type of post something you'd be interested in seeing more of on the blog? It's always exciting for me to post new kinds of content!

Shop some of my other favorite bras and undies in the holiday shop.
xoxo

*Thank you to Thirdlove for the bra! This post, however, was not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

THE HOLIDAY SHOP IS HERE!


You. Guys. I am so excited.

THE HOLIDAY SHOP IS HERE!

As I was adding the Holiday Shop (!!!) to the blog last night, I slipped on my HTML coding a little bit and wound up deleting my navigation bar. Long story short, I was up until 4 AM trying to put it back together as best I could, and even after all of that, I realized I messed up a few widgets in the sidebar during the process, ugh.

But, it was all worth it because my holiday shop is live! You can check out the goodies right here.

This Week's Top 10


1. This weekend is gonna be a fun one at Lehigh! Lehigh and Lafayette (another university ~20 minutes away) have the longest played football rivalry in college football (or something like that) and the hype has been so huge all week. Tomorrow is the big game, and it's going to be rowdyyyy! I'm so excited to celebrate the grand finale of Le-Laf!

2. ....and when we return on Monday, only two days of classes! As I mentioned yesterday, I head to Dallas for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. Did you see my Thanksgiving style guide and healthy recipes?

3. I bought this bag in New York last weekend and I'm obsessed with it. It's the perfect size and color!

4. Also, I have yet another new favorite pair of pajamas... This time, holiday inspired! How cute are these?! I can't wait to wear this season!

5. My Dad (and anyone else cooking their first Thanksgiving dinner!) needs to read this Vogue article.

6. This pullover looks so comfy and pretty chic for a sweatshirt. Maybe I could start stepping up my attire for class...


8. I just switched to this mascara and so far I have no complaints!

9. Pretty, pretty, pretty Thanksgiving table inspiration


xoxo

Thanksgiving Outfit + Recipe Ideas

How is Thanksgiving just one week away?!

I'm heading to Dallas on Wednesday, which means we are celebrating the holiday at my Dad's new house for the first time! It's going to be a small one, just my brother and I are flying in. I've actually never been to Texas before, so this whole trip will emulate a lot of "firsts" for me.

Thanksgiving specifically will also be the first time that my dad has hosted for just us, so my aunts and my grandma won't be there to take charge of all of the cooking. Don't be fooled, yours truly is probably going to wind up doing most of the work, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super excited about that. I've missed cooking a lot, and having a chance to cook whatever I want now that I'll be away from school for a few days is really giving me something to look forward to! I've already started looking up recipes and getting excited to be back in a real kitchen with real ingredients all at my fingertips... 

This is just a taste of what I'm thinking of doing for our Thanksgiving:









How yummy do all of these recipes look?! I'm so excited just to eat healthy foods with clean and real ingredients again... ugh, my mouth is watering!

Another fun part of the holiday is having the whole family look festive and cute at the table in fall outfits. I pulled a little Thanksgiving outfit inspiration today as well:

thanksgiving



Omg, I want. it. all. The velvet trend is killing it right now, and imagining those pretty lace-up velvet flats with corduroys and a gorgeous bell sleeve sweater sounds like the most chic outfit ensemble you could do! That outfit is also a dressier way to wear pants if your Thanksgiving is nice but still on the casual side of things. 

Of course, with all of the eating to be done, oversized sweaters are the way to go. I love both the funnel neck / mock neck style, and a good, classic slouchy v-neck .. I definitely have overdone it in my wardrobe when it comes to cream colored sweaters, but I just need to conclude that the limit does not exist for those babes. Pair with casual ripped denim and booties or over-the-knee boots  and you've got an easy combo. Everything also would be so, so cute cozied up with a plaid wrap and that sleek velvet watch... I need!!

What are you planning to wear on Thanksgiving?
xoxo

NYC Weekend Recap


First of all, my apologies for being MIA for the last two days. Funny story, while I was in New York this weekend with my best friend from home, she accidentally took my laptop charger back to school with her and I didn't get a chance to charge my laptop until last night! Anyways, aside from that, we had the best weekend together. Caro is one of my best, best friends from high school and I could not have been more excited to see her and spend a few days together in my favorite city!! 

This weekend worked our perfectly to get together because we were both free, and an added bonus was that it was just after exams for me so I didn't have to worry about coming back to a heavy workload. In fact, I usually have five classes on Friday and one of my afternoon classes was cancelled this time, so I was able to leave Bethlehem a little early and meet Caro in NYC around four.



The bus from Bethlehem dropped me off in the same spot as Caro's bus dropped her off and I got in a little before her so I popped into Dean and Deluca across the street to admire all of their pretty sweet treats while I waited for her. When she arrived we trekked through Times Square a little bit before making our way up to my aunt's place on the Upper East Side where we stayed for the weekend.

I got in around 4:30 and Caro closer to 5 so by the time we made it through the crazy Friday evening Manhattan traffic we were definitely ready for dinner. 





We went around the corner to the Penrose where we split a fish taco loaded with avocado, Caro had the grilled cheese and tomato soup, and I had the mac and cheese! So, so good. The taco was definitely the winner for me. Fun fact: avocado's are my favorite things, and since I never ever get to eat them at school I always over-indulge on them whenever I have the chance to. The whole restaurant was really cute and fit the vibe we were feeling... a little dark, kind of small, but busy and buzzing just like the city!

The rest of our Friday evening was spent watching movies and just hanging out since we had the apartment to ourselves. We were both exhausted and wanted to make the most of our day on Saturday, so we were in bed pretty early.



Saturday morning we got acai bowls around the corner at Juice Generation and then walked down quite a few blocks until we stopped to eat them and grab coffee at Shakespeare and Co, a really quaint bookstore and coffee shop. Seriously the yummiest way to start off your day on a healthy note!





Following breakfast we just spent the majority of our day shopping and wandering around the city. Of course, no trip to NYC is complete without a stop at Bloomingdale's, the Plaza, avocado toast, and Central Park, all of which we were able to pack in.



We got avocado toast for lunch in Midtown at Little Collins, which was seriously incredible. I was so beyond full after even just half my slice but couldn't not finish it, because it was incredible. Oh, how I missed avo toast!!



After our lunch break we continued our exploration downtown where we passed a crazy big protest going on outside the Trump tower. The whole weekend was non-stop sirens and protests because of the election, and it was really interesting to be there when it was actually going on. As much as I wish there could continue to be a peaceful transition of power, I understand how influential and controversial this election is and I am only going to continue to trust in God and pray that things don't become too out-of-hand.

After we made it more downtown we wound up at Bryant Park and stopped for a coffee break. We hung out there because it was bustling with people ice skating and enjoying the pop-up markets and shops, which was just a really cute ambience to get into the holiday spirit. We sat at the cafe which was designed by Crate and Barrel, so it was obviously had the coolest interior design. Eventually we hopped in a cab and went back uptown to meet my aunt for dinner!


My aunt was out of town on Friday night, as I mentioned that we had the place all to ourselves, but she returned Saturday afternoon and took Caro and I to dinner with one of her girlfriends at Sarabeth's Saturday night. Because I'm an avocado addict, as I claimed before, I couldn't just not order the avocado toast... two in one day can't be that bad, can it?! I don't care, no regrets at all. The burrata on the side just made it so delicious I wouldn't have enjoyed anything else more!!



After dinner the four of us (me, Caro, my aunt and her friend) went back to my aunt's to hang out for a little bit before going out Saturday night. We had a ton of fun and just enjoyed the city!


Sunday morning Caro's bus left at 11:30 so we slept in until 10 before grabbing coffee and splitting a ricotta, avocado, and egg white croissant sandwich a la The Petite Shell, which was super yummy. I then went with her to drop her off at the bus station and say my goodbye's!! It was so weird being all alone in the city for a little bit, but I made my way back uptown for fun lunch plans with Amy Stone.


Amy and I met for lunch at Pizza Beach on the Upper East Side which was just as delicious as it was fun and beachy and a really quaint restaurant. Amy and I wound up spending the whole afternoon together just walking around, popping into shops, exploring the park a little bit, and just hanging out! She is seriously the best and such a great mentor. I loved getting to see her again and spend a few hours together with someone who I truly look up to.


I ended up taking an 8:30 train back to school Sunday night and returned to my dorm around 11.

Overall, it was an incredibly full weekend packed with people I love and missed and whom I'm so, so glad I got to see even if just for 48 hours!

xoxo