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This Week's Top 10


1. First things first: have you entered to win a pair of your choice Palm Beach Sandals?! Check out the giveaway in this blog post and in this Instagram for extra entries.


2. I scored this shirt on sale at J. Crew Factory on Tuesday for 13 dollars. What a deal! I am really in love with it... it's such a basic but I love the material. I might need to get it in white!

3. On the topic of sales: it's Memorial Day Weekend! What a huge surprise that there are INCREDIBLE sales going on ;) Most noteworthy: The Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale.



Memorial Day: Must Haves + Must Try



When it comes to being patriotic, I'll jump at any chance to sport a little red, white and blue. USA themed pre-games and parties at school? Definitely not staying in for those. Holidays with patriotism at the roots? You already know I'm planning my red, white and blue outfit and thinking of recipes of the same scheme. So, with Memorial Day on Monday and this weekend being the holiday weekend to celebrate,  I am so excited to kick off summer with a patriotic picnic with some of my favorite people.

If you're thinking of doing something similar to celebrate, I've rounded up some fun patriotic apparel and accessories, as well as yummy recipes to try!

3 Sandals You Need This Summer + A GIVEAWAY

I have been purchasing way too many shoes lately. Things are getting out of hand... but at the same time, I don't really have a problem justifying new shoe purchases at the beginning of the summer. I always wear down my shoes so much that new pairs are a bit necessary when the new season comes along. My favorite summer shoes? Oh, I'm so glad you're curious. It just so happens that I am sharing my favorites today, and you have the chance to win one of them at the bottom of the post!

Off-Shoulder Ruffle Dress




Okay, so I know I said it's been 40's and rainy since I've been home, but if you're new around here you might not be completely aware yet that I'm kind of a big complainer ;) Last week before the weather went downhill, it was actually pretty hot (like, almost 90 degrees! A big deal for Wisconsin in May!) and sunny. I wore this off-shoulder ruffle dress, which is only $15 (also love this embroidered version, and this maxi version) one afternoon and paired it with my new silver Palm Beach Sandals. (Stay tuned, there may or may not be a giveaway coming soon to a blog near you ;)

Life Update

It's been a whirlwind week since I've been home from school. In reality I haven't done much, but in principle I have had so much on my plate and my stress level hasn't seemed to go down at all! Let me fill you all in. It's been a while since I've posted... sorry for the unexpected break!

I had originally planned to spend the two weeks leading up to Memorial Day after finals in Long Island and the Hamptons with my family, but plans fell through and I ended up booking a last-minute second flight home just about a week before finals. I flew home about a week ago (Monday the 15th) and decided to use the opportunity to surprise Jack for his birthday the next day, Tuesday the 16th. Because of the surprise, I was super vague on social media and the blog. Sorry about that!


All day Tuesday I was so excited about surprising Jack that I couldn't even do anything. I didn't want to leave my house because I was so paranoid that someone would see me somewhere and just somehow I would ruin the surprise (overdramatic, I know). But...

This Week's Top 10: Life Updates (Done with Freshman Year!)


1. HELLO! I apologize for being MIA the last two days on the blog... I had exams on both Wednesday and yesterday, making extra time to blog a little hard to find.

2. In light of finals week: I only have one left on Monday morning, and then I am out of here! So crazy that the year is already over. I spent the entire day after my final yesterday packing up my room, and I really did not realize just how much stuff I have. Ugh, so overwhelming. Just a little over a year ago it was decision day, and here is what I wish I had known back then.

3. ...on the bright side, Jack is the cutest and he had flowers delivered to me to get me through finals! Love him.

iPhone Cases for Summer

Let me start off this post with a little backstory... Up until last week I had the absolute ugliest iPhone case, and stuck to it was one of those silicon pockets for cards. Funny story about the pocket, I stole it from a frat party one night and thought it would be so funny to have it on my phone because it was a pocket that a different sorority at Lehigh had made for their new pledge class on bid day. Um, it was pretty funny for about a week, but I left it on my phone case until like last week, totaling four months of awkward conversations and weird looks. Girls in that other sorority would be like, "nice phone case" or girls in my sorority were like "omg take it off!"In all honesty, I was just kind of lazy about it, but it was such an ugly combination of a bad phone case and ~ratchet~ (there is no other way to describe it) pocket situation that I needed to do something about it before summer rolled around. 

So, I got myself the most "me" iPhone case I have ever seen. See it for yourself: here.
Is it not just so me?! When shopping around for a new case, I actually found a ton that I loved (see below) but after forcing like 10 of my friends to vote on which one I should get, it was a pretty unanimous vote for this one. I mean, it's just so cute. I especially love the clear background because I have the rose gold iPhone 7 (but it also comes in a white/opaque background)! Now all I need is to fix my cracked screen...

Oh, and if you do enjoy the convenience of a pocket on your iPhone (I definitely did), this scalloped pocket is such a cute and easy option to add to your case. 
Shop them here:

What is your current iPhone case?
xoxo

What I Wish I Had Known On Decision Day

For seniors in high school, decision day for college is May 1. This past week was decision day and I felt so much nostalgia seeing the senior's announcements on social media of where they'll be headed in the fall. Looking back on this year, I never would have imagined I would find myself in the position that I am in right now. When people ask me if I'm transferring, I don't have an answer for them. When people ask me if things have gotten better at Lehigh, I definitely say yes, but something about my answer doesn't seem honest or complete. Since decision day last year, I have grown, changed, and experienced so much that I really never would have expected for myself. It's insane the kind of curveballs that college (and life!) can throw at you.

...and there are definitely things that no one told me before I got to college. There are so many things I wish I had known on decision day before I had my last prom, my last weeks of high school, and my graduation, final memories, and one of the best summers that I have had.

decision day 2016!

First: I wish I would have known just how special those last weeks are. For me, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I "peaked" in high school, but looking at pictures from my senior prom, my graduation and all of the graduation parties... I wish I would have known just how much those memories would mean to me. I wouldn't have done anything differently, but I could have appreciated those moments so much more. Those days and weeks leading up to the departure for college were some of my most fond times with my friends and at home, and I never ever realized how much I loved my life at home until it wasn't my life anymore. Of course, this isn't the case for everyone, because there are people packing up their dorm rooms right now probably near tears not wanting to leave. 

That's number two: everyone's college experience is different. I can't tell you a single one or two of my friend's that have had even remotely similar experience at school this past year. One of my best friend's hated first semester, and now she is more in love with her school than she ever would have thought. Another one of my best friends loved her first semester, and now she's transferring. Then, there are those people who have absolutely loved college from the day they pulled up. And, there are so many people in between all of those variations. No one has the same experience, and on decision day I wish I would have known that the college or university name on your shirt means so much less once you get there. There are so many girls who graduated with me and went to the University of Wisconsin, and a ton of them are having the best time. But, there are also girls that went and aren't loving it. Everyone's experience is different; it doesn't matter where you go, just what you make of your college experience.

So, I have exactly one week until I'm done with finals and I leave Lehigh for the summer. Or, forever. Honestly, I don't know what my plan is! I get asked about it at least once a day... am I staying at Lehigh or am I transferring, and I just don't know. I don't want to get into too many details because there is really so much up in the air right now, but I am kind of excited to see what happens. No matter what, things will work out! I am also so excited for all of the seniors heading into college in the fall. College really is a time of independence and self-discovery, and it's an amazing opportunity that we should all feel grateful to have.

Happy Monday, and happy finals week to any of the other peeps studying out there!
xoxo

This Week's Top 10 (it's a good one!)


Happy Cinco de Mayo!

1. I am in love with these flats. They are currently an extra 30% off and come in five colors, but I love them all and I can't pick. Help me choose! (Also probably going to order these sandals while I'm at it.)

2. I have been waiting to share this all week: 6 ways to top avocado toast. The eggs + herbs and tomatoes + pesto sound especially yummy to me!

3. Have you figured out what you're doing for your mom for Mother's Day? I created a gift guide that you can find here if you're in need of some ideas!

4. Today is the last day to shop the surprise Shopbop sale. I found so many amazing deals; you can look through my picks here.


6. We all love our white jeans in the summer, and everyone knows I love a good white dress. So... a denim white dress for under $50? Dangerous. It might get worn every single day.

7. 9 iced coffee ordering hacks that will save you money this summer... I usually already do #1 and #5 but #2 and #4 are so smart!


9. I always say I want to read more, and this summer I actually need to make myself do it. When is the last time I read a book for fun?! I couldn't tell you. I used to love reading and always made goals for myself to read 10-20 books every summer, and I really did it! I have heard Girls in White Dresses is very good, but I want to hear your recommendations!

10. Well... this is it! It's the last day of classes. It's hard to believe freshman year is really already over! I have exams next week Wednesday and Thursday, and my last one the following Monday. After that, I am done with school and off to Long Island and the Hamptons before returning to MKE at the end of the month.

xoxo

Shopbop Sale: AMAZING Finds

I didn't know there was a Shopbop sale going on until I was on the Shopbop website yesterday and saw a surprise sale taking place! I will be the first to tell you that I think Shopbop sales are usually way over-promoted by bloggers, but I personally found this sale to be full of amazing deals for summer that I couldn't just not share them.

I actually spent like two hours going through the whole sale (well, 90% of it... I got tired haha) and I was amazed at what I found. Um, avocado pool float for $20?! You can bet I have already ordered it. I'll be hopping in that when I'm at our Hampton's house for Memorial Day at the end of the month!

As for the rest of the sale... take a look for yourselves:

Tops //


Dresses //



Pants + PJ's //


Accessories + Etc. //



Shoes //


What are your favorites? Have you scored anything? Act fact because it all ends tomorrow!!!
xoxo

Recreating A Pretty Spring Space


How beautiful is this living room? I find myself dreaming of my future home, apartments, and even dorm rooms to come far more than I should... I wish I could decorate a new space everyday. Maybe I should follow in my aunt's footsteps; anyone else out there an Interior Designer?

It was so fun for me to try and recreate this space. I especially love the mint upholstered bamboo arm chairs and oriental rug. I think the palette of pastels and classic colors meshed with old hardwood floors, a clean mantel and modern accents like touches of gold, fur, and greenery all blend together to create an airy and welcoming ambience. The fur stools double as extra seating and the mismatched end tables add a quirky touch. Who else is obsessed?



I had so much fun with this post; let me know if you'd like to see more content like this! I am thinking of also doing a few mock dorm-room set-ups for anyone else already planning their rooms for next year!
xoxo

Mother's Day Gift Guide



I have said it before, and I will say it again: I love giving gifts. My roommate and I discovered the best website for getting chocolate covered strawberries delivered, and I used it to send a dozen to my BFF for her 19th birthday this past weekend. (It's this site if you're interested... they have so many gifts. I ordered these berries, which I knew to get because my roomie received them from her friend for her birthday a few weeks ago). Jack and I also have been surprising each other with Greetabl's, which absolutely are the cutest little hello note and gift in the mail that you could send someone. I definitely recommend checking out their site!