Kate Spade Collection

As a girl who loves all things that are glittery and witty, Kate Spade is one of my favorite designers. She always has cute and sassy sayings on all of her pieces that add an extra sprinkle of flare to an outfit. I recently fell in love with her new spring collection (spoiler: it’s to die for), but I’ve always been a fan of her classy and elegant aesthetic.

I’ve accumulated a few of her items in the past year or so, and I love them so much that I thought I’d share them with you! Kate Spade is a brand that will never go out of style, with timeless pieces that you can have for years. As my father once said, “Wow, I didn’t know Kate Spade was an actual person!” Well, Dad, she most definitely is, and a great designer at that!

1. Gold Scallop Gramercy watch: So watches may be a little old fashioned and kinda useless, but I always wear one not only for time keeping purposes but also for fashion! I picked gold because it’s what I wear most often, but I’m not opposed to mixing metals. The scallops are the ultimate preppy detail, and they’re not in your face and distracting from the rest of the watch. I like that the face is a medium size, not too small or too oversized. My wrists are unusually tiny, and taking out the links was really easy. One thing that I was a tad disappointed with was that the gold on the underside of the watch band started to rub off because of my hand resting on tables and such. It hasn’t gotten worse since I received it, but it’s just something to keep in mind. I couldn’t find the gold one on the website, but the silver one is still there. You could probably find it on Amazon, too, if you were set on the gold!
2.  In the Stars Capricorn Bangle: Oh my goodness this is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry! I got this bangle and the following one for my birthday this January and couldn’t be happier.I’m obsessed with my astrological sign, I have other jewels with the constellation on them too! I don’t really believe in all the mumbo jumbo that comes along with your horoscope, but I think the sign is a cool thing to accessorize your life with. I honestly wanted to buy all of the other signs because they were so pretty, but I think that’s bad luck (like wearing opals if you’re not born in October or something like that). Anyway, some minor details: on the website, the Capricorn bangle looks red, but in person it’s more of an orange-y color. Wasn’t expecting that, but was pleasantly surprised! It’s also pretty small, so look carefully at the dimensions on the website.
3. Take a Bow Bangle: Sadly, I purchased this bangle on sale, so I’m pretty sure you can’t get it on the website anymore, but with Kate Spade stuff, Amazon is your best friend. With the changing fashion seasons, items don’t stay on the designer’s websites for too long, but in almost all cases, it’s somewhere on the interweb! I got this bangle to stack with the other one, and they are so adorable together! Bows are classic and cute and a staple for any girl.
4. Walk on Air and Live Colorfully perfumes: I couldn’t decide which one I liked better, so of course I bought both! I don’t wear perfume that often so it takes me a while to go through a whole bottle anyway. These perfumes are quite fresh and floral. The rollerballs are so convenient to put in your purse or backpack, just be careful it’s not crushed by your books!
5. Gold Dots Insulated Tumbler: I got this for Christmas this past year and I feel so sophisticated when I drink from it, very posh. There’s one in black and white too, but I love me some metallics!
6. Candy Stripe Notepad set: I bought this on a whim in the Nittany Quill whilst doing my Valentine’s Day photo shoot and I’m not sorry at all. They’re so cheerful and make writing down my daily to-do list fun!

So, there you have it! My (slightly unhealthy) obsession with Kate Spade is out in the open now, so if you’re ever stuck with what to get me, you know where to look. @parents @ siblings @everyonetbh

What’s your favorite Kate Spade item? If she’s not really your style, what fancy brand do you like to treat yourself to? You know where to comment!

A Last Minute Halloween Costume at its Finest

BOO! Well, Halloween is over and I’m currently listening to Handel’s Messiah…don’t judge me! Halloween was really fun and as you may know, I’m a big procrastinator when it comes to these types of things. School, I’m always on the ball (or at least I think I am), but petty Halloween costumes just fall into the back of my mind. SO. That being said, here is what I put together in literally one minute.

This costume is literally one of the easiest costumes! Every preppy girl should have a white button down shirt, a plain black skirt, and a gray cardigan (mine was silver, close enough). Some over-the-knee socks complete the outfit. In the video, Britney wore a mini-skirt, but I wasn’t too keen on showing my whole stomach for obvious reasons, but I think the high-waisted skirt looked even better! I didn’t have little pink fluffballs for the hair so I braided my hair and used pink hair ties. I picked some plain black flats and I’m on my way!

My loneliness is killing me” could not be a better lyric to describe my life! I decided to channel my inner Britney Spears and be her from her “Hit Me Baby One More Time” video. When I was younger, like three or four, I was obsessed with her and would sing her songs all the fricken time!

As Halloween crept closer, I kept googling “last minute Halloween costumes” and was very disappointed. I guess my definition of the term “last minute” is not as urgent as others. Last minute to me is like saying, “Hey, I literally have to have a costume in two hours and can’t go shopping, so SOS!” I definitely think that next year I will try and make more of an effort with my costume and be more proactive. Everything worked out and I’m surprisingly happy with the outcome this year.

For next year: of course I have like twenty ideas for costumes now, but come a year from now I won’t remember them. These are NOT last minute, in my mind at least! I was thinking about maybe being Audrey Hepburn from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. That would be easy, just get a black dress, add some white gloves, pearls, a tiny crown, and one of those cigarette holder thingys that she has. Maybe just paint a straw black? I haven’t done much research on this, sorry. Something that would also be cute is being Minnie Mouse! The big thing with this is polka dots and her ears, and you can pretty much wear anything black or red to go with it. Also being a mermaid is another cute option. I think I would wear a blue maxi skirt with a sparkly top and tons of blue and glitter. So maybe I’ll do one of these next year, maybe not. Odds are I’ll end of being a witch or a cat (cliché, I know).

What was your costume for Halloween this year? Have any ideas for next year? Let me know in a comment below!

Autumn in Happy Valley

So, as I have stated before, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! There are so many things that make it great, but the main attraction is the changing scenery. Side note: I’m currently watching the Nittany Lions take on the Terrapins as I’m writing this, probably not the best thing to do, but it’s happening anyway!

Now back to Fall! Not only does Fall bring a change in fashion and weather, but also a beautiful change in scenery (PSU just put the back-up QB in and he did a great impression of Hackenburg by getting sacked, ugh). University Park is sprinkled with a vast array of trees that offer a multitude of colors to make walking what feels like miles everyday a little more pleasant. I decided to take a stroll with my friend Liz and capture the beauty that is Happy Valley during October. We’re amateur photographers, but I think we did a pretty good job!

We started at West Halls, aka the most beautiful residence hall on campus. Every time I make the trek to the library, I always get lunch or dinner at West. There’s just something about West that makes me feel like I’ve traveled back in time or something! I love the architecture, it feels so collegiate. It was designed by the same dude who designed Harvard, so we’re in the big leagues here! The layout is like it’s its own little village with big lawns and old lamps. Especially at this time of year, I feel like I am walking through a prestigious university. Oh wait, I am!

Update on the game: Maryland just scored and I’m stressing out right now.

Next we went to one of the most recognizable landmarks of Penn State, Old Main. I walk past Old Main everyday and admire the tall columns and stone walls. There used to be classrooms and stuff there, I’m not totally sure and I don’t really feel like looking it up right now. Now, there are offices there. I walk through it sometimes, it’s really pretty inside! I went up to the bell tower on the annual Lantern Tours here and lemme tell ya, the view was gorgeous! It’s a pretty impressive building and the lawn is a great hangout for a picnic or for studying.

So that’s all for this week. Oh, btw PSU narrowly beat the Terrapins by one point!

Also, have a GREAT Halloween! I didn’t really think that far in advance to do a Halloween themed post, but keep an eye on my social media to see my costume! Maybe next year I’ll feel creative and do something fun, we’ll see.

Books and Boots

Ahh, fall. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it but, I LOVE FALL. My favorite season is winter, but Autumn is a close second. I love walking around campus at this time of year, it’s so colorful and bright!

With Fall comes school, and with school comes exams. It’s about midway through the semester(wow), and time for more and more midterms and tests. I find that the only place I can go to study is the good old library here at University Park. Whether I’m cutting through the library to get to my next class, or heading to the creepy stacks to write an essay, I’m there pretty much everyday. It’s always bustling with students, but there are some really nice places to study. The first place I went to was the Paterno Family Humanities reading room on the second floor. People call it the “Harry Potter” room because is has lots of tables with little green lanterns reminiscent of Hogwarts. It has a very classic, collegiate feel, and I love studying there. It is a designated quiet area, so noise isn’t an issue when I’m writing my essays.

Another area of the library that I love is the Pattee Stacks. There are aisles of books everywhere and it’s a cozy area to be in. There are carrels right next to the windows; I often find myself people-watching whilst looking onto Curtin Road. I found this place one day during the summer session when I was in desperate need of getting out of my sweltering hot dorm room to do my homework. I texted my sisters Elise and Rosemary, PSU grads themselves, and asked them where I could go to study in the library. They said, “Just explore, there are tons of places!” I walked around and found myself in the stacks on the second floor. There was nobody there, and I really enjoyed just finishing my work in peace. I told my sisters that I was in the stacks and they said, “Don’t let the ghost bother you!” That’s when I got a little scared. I spent a few minutes googling “penn state library ghost” and sure enough, I read some things that I should’ve read in my room, safe from any spirits. Long story short, someone was murdered in the stacks, and I high-tailed it outta there after I read that!

So, finally on to my outfit(I just really love the library and couldn’t stop talking about it)! For a day of studying I want to be comfy and warm. It’s chilly in the library and it’s getting chilly outside, so I went with this big gray-brown-taupe-icantdescribethiscolor sweater. It’s a hand-me-down, the best kind of clothes, in my opinion! I wore a thermal shirt underneath it and was very comfortable. Next, I wore my green army jacket, or as Rosemary calls it, my “Luke Coat” named after Luke from Gilmore Girls. It was her idea, not mine, but it stuck. I was on the hunt for a military jacket for the longest time and found this gem at Forever 21. It’s long in the back with a nice hood to protect me from the elements. As for pants, well, who has time for pants when you can wear leggings! I picked a plain black pair I’d had for ages and wore some over-the-knee socks with them to keep warm. And finishing the outfit, I wore one of my favorite pairs of fall shoes, my riding boots! I’ve had these since sophomore year of high school, and they’re still going strong. I really want a pair of Tory Burch riding boots, but I ain’t made of money so those’ll have to wait.

Happy Studying!

Fall and Flannels

Ahh, the fall is officially here! Now is the time for scarves and boots and sweaters and everything fun! I love being outside and walking to class in the crisp fall air, it makes my 9am class a little more bearable. In the mornings it’s a little cold on my walk to class, so I finally get to wear my cute jackets and gloves! One piece of clothing that I love to wear for the fall and winter time is a festive flannel shirt. I think they are so classic and preppy!

There are so many ways to wear a flannel shirt in the fall and winter; the options are endless! You can wear it with sweaters and layer it with others pieces of clothing to add warmth in the cold months. I enjoy wearing flannels underneath sweaters and letting the collar peep out to add a classy vibe. Another way I like to wear them is with just a plain old pair of jeans and riding boots to look cute and casual at the same time! My favorite flannel is a classic red one, with a green, white and blue pattern on it, I feel very Christmas-y when I wear it (my sister has a similar one, and we wear it during Christmas together, don’t judge me). To get away from the lumberjack look, I make sure I add some cute accessories like a sparkly belt or a pair of statement studs. As for shoes, really anything goes for flannels, it’s such a classic piece that it’s hard to go wrong with something like this!

You can find flannels just about anywhere now, they are so in style that everyone has one! If I’m being honest, I got mine at Wal-Mart, in the men’s section…no knows (well, I guess you guys know, but it’s a style secret I’m willing to share)! The buttons are on the other side, which kinda confused me in the beginning but hey, it’s for fashion. As for matching sweaters and other articles of clothing with flannels, it may be intimidating because there are so many colors that are on them. The safest bet is to go with something neutral like white, black, or gray. If you want to be a little more daring, pick a color in the striping of the plaid and match with that! I think a red shirt with a dark green sweater would be so cute and perfect for the holidays! Wow, I’ve talked so much about Christmas and it’s legitimately not even Halloween, well you can never be too early to prepare for Christmas!

Leave a comment telling me your favorite way to wear flannels and any tips and tricks you have when you wear them!

Canvas and Lace

There’s nothing more relaxing than walking around a quaint little town on a weekend, getting away from the work and stress that comes with college. I traveled to Boalsburg, a small town just outside of State College for the weekend to enjoy the last few days of warm weather before Penn State turns into a frozen tundra. Boalsburg had so may cute shops, I wanted to buy something in every one of them! I really liked just walking around and looking at the pretty houses and scenery that flanked the streets. It alleviated me of stress and allowed my mind to relax and recharge for the week ahead.

For this outfit, I wanted something comfortable, yet stylish (I feel like I say that about every outfit, but it’s honestly so true). I picked my high rise jeans and rolled them up a little bit because I liked the way it looked with my shoes. Speaking of, my black ballet flats are my go-to shoe when I know I’ll be walking around a lot. I wore this dusty rose knit shirt with a lace trim to stay cool, but warm enough if it gets cold at night. It’s important to have balanace in an outfit, that’s why I picked a flowy top with a tight bottom. As for my accessories, I wore my silver hoops and my gold sunnies. I picked a silver ring to spice up my outfit. Also, my little gray hair-tie on my wrist was so cute I wore it as a bracelet! I love those hair-ties, they don’t leave any bumps in my hair, which every girl knows is QUITE annoying. Wow, I just talked about a hair-tie as part of my outfit…well whatever, it looks cute! For my makeup, I wore a pretty neutral eye look and a soft lip color that kinda matched my shirt, now that I think of it (I didn’t plan that, but it works).

I told you that the green bag would be featured in one of my outfits! Just a refresher, I bought it at a White Elephant sale at my church for $5! What a steal! It’s the perfect size for a weekend trip, holding just the essentials. I take it with me whenever I go home for a weekend, and it’s not too bulky to fit under a seat on the bus. I absolutely love the color, it’s so fall. I feel very, I don’t know, New England-ish when I use it? It’s very classic, I can see one of the Kennedy’s using it back in the day! It’s a perfect staple for anyone lookin to add a little “prep” in their step. You’ll here me say “staple” in probably every post, my friends always say that I say it too much, but it’s so true about fashion! It’s classic and sturdy, made of canvas and leather. It’s surprisingly spacious, I could almost fit my whole shoe collection in there! Just kidding, we all know that I have too many shoes to be allowed, how I fit them all into my tiny closet in my dorm is a mystery to me.

 

Rain boots and football games

Though it doesn’t feel like fall is approaching, it’s really only a few short weeks away! Fall means participating in all of the cliché activities: pumpkin picking, wearing cute scarves, and getting soaked at a football game (more on that later).

With fall also comes a transition in clothing, which is honestly my favorite part of the season. Autumn is the time to break out those cute jackets and sweaters that’ve been sitting in your closet calling your name all summer. Another great part of the colder months is the multitude of shoe possibilities! The sandal days are over, which means I don’t have to worry about painting my toes anymore, thank goodness. There are so many different options from riding boots to oxfords, snow boots to ballet flats, and this week’s focus: rain boots!

Fall and spring are notorious for the sporadic bouts of rain, and being caught in a storm without an umbrella or proper shoes is devastating to say the least. That 20 minute walk across campus for my 9 am econ lecture felt like an eternity when it was raining one day last week! I was secretly excited when I looked outside to see gray skies because I could finally wear my Hunter rain boots. Having a good pair of rain boots makes life a little easier when it torrentially downpours for hours. Though I was tempted to buy the aqua blue ones, I decided on a practical black pair. They go with anything, casual or not-so-casual! Hunters are on the pricey end of the spectrum, but they are just one of the many options of rain boots out there. You can get them at almost any store. Buying staples like rain boots is a good idea, even if they are a tad expensive because they will last for years, never go out of style, and, let’s face it: you need them! Trust me, sneakers can only take you so far when it comes to keeping your feet dry.

Now, here’s where my football tale comes into play! For the whole of last week, I kept checking the weather for Saturday, my first Penn State football game as a student! I was beyond excited, and then I saw that it was supposed to rain for literally 12 hours, right through the game against Buffalo. UGH, why can’t Happy Valley get some nice weather for the first home game? Anyway, the weather report didn’t fail us (s/o to AccuWeather), and it rained throughout the whole game. I’ve never seen so many Hunter boots in my life, let me tell ya. Tall ones, short ones, some as big as your head (just kidding)! I had to make do with what I had, so I wore my rain boots, of course, some leggings, and a big blue rain jacket. Maybe this is just me, but having navy blue and white as my school colors really grinds my fashion gears! They are both great colors, but I always end up wearing navy blue and black together, looking like a bruise or something!

Though the rain may have dampened my pompom, it didn’t dampen my spirits! The game was great, the highlight being Saquon Barkley’s hurdle over a defender and nearly scoring a touchdown. So, next time it rains, be sure to don a pair of cute rain boots to be dry and just plain practical!

 

Hunter Green and Cream

When I think of September, I think of back to school, of course! I love this time of year, a time for new beginnings and learning experiences. I spend the latter part of July August thinking about what to wear for the first day of school (don’t lie, you do it too). Though this outfit may be a tad too warm for the basically summer days in September, it’s still wearable for back to school and you can definitely adjust it to fit your needs. For this post, I ventured to an empty classroom on campus and felt like I was in a scene from Dead Poet’s Society, one of my favorite movies! The focus in this outfit is the plaid skirt. It’s a classic staple for any girl looking to revive the old 50s and 60s style.

The key with wearing a piece such as this is to be careful with the top you pair with the skirt. The last thing you want to happen is to make your outfit look like a school uniform, unless that’s what you like! I tried many different combinations of tops with this skirt to find the perfect look. I tried a white oxford shirt, but I automatically looked like I was heading to Catholic school… not what I was going for. I ultimately picked a dark green tank top to bring out the green in the skirt. The tank top is also fitted, which helps to add some shape to the outfit as the skirt is pretty boxy. To stay warm, I added a cream knit sweater that was super soft. I especially love the tortoise buttons!

Going along with the green theme, I wore my absolute favorite accessory for the autumn: over-the-knee socks. They are not only adorable, but also warm for the chilly fall days. If you don’t have any over-the-knee socks, I highly suggest you buy a pair! They come in all sorts of colors and textures, and they’re so versatile. I’m pretty sure I wear them at least once a week in the fall. Gray, cream, or black would look very nice with this outfit, but I thought that the green would tie the whole outfit together. For shoes, I picked my brown riding boots. The fit my style perfectly and are another staple for fall. As for accessories, my gold Kate Spade watch was essential to this look and my life! I wear this watch with every outfit, everyday. I often find myself at the end of the day looking at my wrist to check the time, only to see that I’m not wearing it. With the mother of pearl face and gold scalloped detail, it matches everything! It truly is one of my favorite jewelry items that will last me a lifetime. I kept the other jewels simple; a pair of small gold studs and a gemstone bracelet to add some sparkle. My hair and makeup was casual and simple. So when going back to school, be excited and strut your stuff!

Simple and Elegant

Saying goodbye is hard, but summer cookouts make it easier! This was the perfect outfit for one last summer party with my friends from high school. Everyone was supposed to wear their new school colors, and I couldn’t be happier to sport blue and white. I chose this nautical white sweater with thin navy stripes and paired it with my favorite navy scalloped shorts. For some sparkle, I slipped on these sliver glittery flats and carried a metallic purse. I wanted a simple and elegant make-up look, so I wore a light pink lip with a clean black wing on my upper lash line. I brought some blue and white flowers to show my school spirit and a few of my favorite granny smith apples! I’ll be sad to leave my friends, but I’m excited to start school next week. We Are… Penn State!

Comfy and Casual

For my first post, I thought I would travel to my local church and see the annual summer festival. I love going to this event, there is always yummy local food, raffles, and a white elephant sale that I can always count on for fun knick-knacks and the occasional hidden treasure. This year, I found a hunter green Polo duffel bag with leather straps in near perfect condition for only $5! I’m sure I will use it all the time when going home for the weekends during school. Stay tuned, it will probably find its way into a future blog post! For this outing I wanted to be comfortable and relaxed; looking through piles of old books and playing carnival games can be tiring! I chose a pair of black leggings as it was not too hot on this day and paired them with a soft V-neck tee and a blue striped button down shirt. I wore my favorite moccasins for the late summer and early fall, and I brought my black tote to carry any goodies I found!