Ten Swoonworthy Accessories for Spring

So, I'm pretty much IN LOVE with any types of accessories. It's a bad, bad obsession. You name it, I probably own it. But there are some things I'm currently swooning over that I have to get my hands on one way or another. With Spring officially here, I think it's a perfect time to blog about accessories that would be perfect for the season and one's I'm sure I'll end up purchasing before the season is over.

1. Feather Earrings

 

Ever since I saw huge feather earrings on Pretty Little Liars, I've been obsessing over them. It is now my mission to find the perfect pair and I love that these (found on Etsy) are the perfect amount of edgy with the skulls but still have a bohemian feel to them. How cute are they?

2. Fabric Flower Necklace Bib

Talk about a statement necklace. I must find out how to make this. Also found on Etsy.

3. Watches that are also Bracelets 

Found on Urban Outfitters. I love the pastel color of the watch too. So perfect for Spring. I don't have a watch which is terrible considering I'm in my 20's and I still have to take my phone out to see what time it is. I should probably look to invest in one. Definitely wouldn't mind investing in this beauty. :)

4. Floppy Hats

I already own a floppy hat in black, but I love this natural colored one found on Forever21. 

5. Bright Plastic Bow Rings

How cute is this coral plastic bow ring? The color reminds me of Spring and it's a steal on ASOS right now.

6. Bright Bags

Perfect compliment to the bow ring! Wouldn't you agree? :)

7. Quirky Twist on Headbands

Adorable headband made by Ilene of Much Love, Illy. She makes GORGEOUS headbands that you can find on her Etsy shop.

8. Nautical Themed Jewelry

Okay, so technically I already own an anchor necklace, but I need more nautical themed jewelry like this baby above found on Etsy. Plus, the necklace I currently own is navy blue, this is more of a aqua? Haha (I can pretty much justify anything I want and turn it into something I NEED haha, bad habit).

9. Anything with a Mustache

How cute are these Etsy studs? It's a perfect, subtle way to add some quirkiness to your outfit. 

10. Charm Bracelets

One of my best friends gave me a charm bracelet on Christmas a long time ago. Unfortunately, the charm bracelet has since rusted away and I've been recently feeling a little nostalgic and it didn't help when I stumbled upon this charm bracelet on ASOS. 

And there you have it, are you guys swooning over any accessories lately?

I'm so excited to have SUN tomorrow. It was gray and dreary all day and tomorrow will be one of the few days with sun as the rest of the week looks dreary too. Yay for 56 degree weather and sun. I already have my outfit planned. Happy Tuesday loves! :)

Ten Lovely Things For The Home

So while this is primarily a fashion and photography blog, I have a dirty little secret (maybe not so dirty), I'm obsessed with interior design. It all started when I stumbled upon this channel HGTV (some of you may have heard of it). Well, it's safe to say I was hooked after 10 minutes. My roommates make fun of me because I watch it that often. It's even DVR'd. Yes, my obsession has come to the point where I have to record House Hunters and I'm genuinely disappointed when there aren't any new episodes. With that said, I love finding awesome things for the home so for this Ten Things Tuesday, I decided to round up a few of my favorite etsy/ikea finds.

1. Chalkboard for the Kitchen

This is going to be really weird but when I was younger (aka really in high school), I loved it when I was able to write something on the chalkboard. I really don't know what it is about chalkboards but I love them and I love the idea of hanging one in a kitchen letting everyone know what's for dinner or leaving a note for someone. When I saw this lovely one on Etsy, I literally ooh'd and aaah'd.

2. Ottoman

How cute is this ottoman?! Unfortunately it doesn't open up to store stuff, but it was so cute I could not resist posting about it. :)

3. Wooden Blocks

I love how quirky these wooden blocks are. I could see them looking perfect on my bookshelf.

4. Calendar

What else is there to say? Keep calm and carry chocolate. Everyone should abide by that rule.

5. Living Room Storage

I love the shape of this bookcase/storage system. Two of these on either side of a TV would look perfect in any living room.

6. Room Divider

I know you've all seen the scene in a movie where a girl is usually talking to someone else on the other side of the divider (usually a guy) and she's undressing and you only see her shadow and the guy really likes her so you can read his nervousness on his face, etc. No? Just me? Well, that is what this room divider reminded me of. It looks so pretty and would be perfect for dividing a bedroom area in a studio from the rest of the space.

7. Organizers for Drawers

It's green and it organizes stuff aka I love it. 

8. Nightstand

I love that it's such a simple nightstand but looks like it has tons of storage. Best part is, you can clutter up the nightstand because no one will have to know what's in there.

9. Kitchen Cart

City apartments usually have small everything and that means limited counter space in kitchens. With a kitchen cart, not only does it add some counter space, but it also doubles it as storage. And, you can also roll it around if you need to. I would say a win, win, win.

10. Chandelier

This isn't much a chandelier as it is a candelabra but I love how elegant it looks. It could warm up any room.

I want to buy all of these things. I might have to start with the drawer organizer and the chandelier, which one(s) is your favorite(s)? :) Happy Tuesday!

Also, a much needed prayer goes out to Japan. May those affected find some peace in a terrible, catastrophic time. I read on Oh Hello Friend that there will be a blogger's day of silence for Japan on Friday March 18 so I will not be posting on Friday and I hope you'll join me for this day of silence as well.

Mission: Organization

Now that my time at my college is coming to an end, it seems like everyone around me is talking about a new place they are going to get or how they're going to decorate this new place. Unfortunately for us, city apartments are not necessarily big so the more organized and simple they can look, the better. Though I'm dorming my first year of law school, I'll be starting somewhere new in a (small) room that I'm going to have to decorate and organize as well. As a girl who has too much of well ... everything, I love anything that can make my life simpler by organizing the random things I accumulate. Because of this, I've compiled my ten favorite things I found online that act as organizers.

1. These green boxes would be so classy and simple. And they can act like archives by putting labels on them.
2. I have WAY too many shoes and this box would be perfect for me. I hate having shoes in the back of my closet that I end up forgetting about. With this box, you can stack them up and even see what shoe is inside of the box. 

3. I have a love for books so naturally I have a love for bookshelves. This bookshelf offers a lot of room and for $24.99, you can't go wrong. If you've noticed from some of the outfit pictures that I've taken in my room, I have a bookshelf that isn't quite your ordinary bookshelf. It's easy because it is hung on the wall which means it doesn't take up space and holds a good amount of stuff. We also have two other bookcases in our room for extra storage.

4. My desk is one of the first things that gets messy. I practically live on it. It's where I do my homework, it's where I watch shows online, I even eat on it sometimes! (which I probably shouldn't do so much). So I love things that can organize random office supplies that are always lying around on my desk and this stack-able organizer is perfect for those random things that are too small to put anywhere else. My roommates and I went on a craft frenzy last year when we first moved into our house and went to Michael's to buy things. I bought wooden little organizers and painted them.

 

The yellow heart holds studs, the blue star holds paper clips, and the green octagon holds my thumb tacks that are used to hold up my syllabi on my corkboards.

5. Living in a house with 5 other girls and 6 boyfriends, there are many keys always roaming around. This key hook would be perfect for having all of your keys in one place. How cute is the bike on top of it? :)

6. During the winter time, I hate wearing big earrings because they get caught on coats and scarves. I usually alternate between four pairs of studs and love having them handy but hate having them where they might fall. This trinket dish would be such a cute addition for my desk. Given my obsession with owls, it's no wonder I chose that dish above all others. :)

7. Ever since I saw an episode of Zoom (yes, I obviously grew up in the 90's) where a girl painted a old wooden trunk to have at the foot of her bed, I always said that I would get a wooden trunk and do the same thing. Unfortunately, I haven't purchased one as of yet but I definitely intend to at some point although I'm not sure that I would paint it. This wooden trunk is beautiful and would add charm to any room.

8. Baskets are always a must for magazines that carry daily inspiration. This wicker basket is adorable. I own green crates that hold random junk. They're not big enough to hold magazines but they do the job.

9. Cork boards are absolutely amazing. I get a syllabus for every class and I love having them handy on top of my desk if I ever need to see what's due.

 

10. Glass jars are so cute for those every day things. They allow you to see what's in them while still being organized. What's better than that?

And there you have it, ten wonderful things every chic organizer should have. :) How do you guys organize your rooms? I'd love to know.

Ten Things I love

1. Pocketwatch Necklaces

Image Source

I recently purchased a pocket watch necklace and I love it. There's something so timeless and classy about a pocketwatch. This beauty above is from Modcloth. It's too bad it's sold out.

2. Vintage Keys

Image Source

Okay sooo story time. When I was a baby, one of the first gifts I ever got was a gold key pendant from my godmother. At the time, (I'm not entirely sure if this is some type of Dominican myth or not buttt) the key was said to stop nosebleeds which I used to have quite often as a child. I was later told that it had two purposes. It's first purpose was to stop my nosebleeds but its second purpose was to be given to the love of my life on the day of my wedding. I still have the key (obviously because I'm not married) but I think it gave keys a whole new meaning for me. Ever since, I have been obsessed with keys, especially old vintage ones. I already have like two key necklaces but I love this one pictured above. :)

3. Bohemian Handbags

Image Source

They just look so pretty to me. Perfect for summer strolls and if you get a messenger, they can fit just about anything. :) This beauty can be found on Amazon.

4. Bright Red Lipstick

Image Source

When it comes to make up, I am a minimalist. I hardly do anything besides eyeliner and because my lips are so small, I like drawing attention to them and bright red lipstick is definitely the way to go if you want to draw attention to your lips. The lipstick I love and use is #127 by Inglot.

5. Love Letters

Image Source

Love letters are definitely underrated. With technology advancing as much as it has, people rarely take the time out to write anything anymore as there's texting and emailing so readily available. My boyfriend and I are big on cards and we give each other cards for every occasion. I think that's nicer than looking back on a saved text personally. It isn't exactly a love letter, but at least it's handwritten.

6. Polaroid Hearts

Image Source

Now that I have my polaroid camera, I cannot wait until I have enough pictures to make a whole heart. Isn't the idea of having the heart where your headboard is supposed to go adorable? I love it. :)  

7. Pictures taken with Fish Eye Lens

Image Source

I think I might need to invest in this for my camera. I love how the pictures come out.

8. Quirky Decor for your Home

Isn't this adorable? I, personally, have an obsession with owls. I have three owl necklaces and even an owl bookend but I don't have an owl to hold my mail. This quirky thing is from Urban Outfitters.

9. Old Pictures of NYC

Image Source

It's no secret that I love all things NYC, but I especially love being able to see how it was 20, 50, even 100 years ago. 

10. Jewelry Organizers

If you remember from my accessories post, I have A LOT of jewelery and I'm always looking at ways I can organize and reorganize them. This wooden organizer is perfect because it has so many compartments and even some hooks for some necklaces. It can be found on Etsy.

And there you have it. What are some of the things you guys love? I'd love to know. :)

Ten Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Have you entered my giveaway yet? :) Only 3 more days!

It's disgusting out, as usual. I know you're all probably tired of reading my whiny complaints with regards to the weather but it's so easy to feel the winter blues when everything is gray and gloomy. Because of this, I have decided to dedicate my Ten Things Tuesday to ten ways to get rid of the winter blues; simple, easy ways to make that gray and gloomy winter a little more enjoyable. :)

1. Cook more.

Now I know this one may not apply to people who actually cook all the time but as a college student, I find myself grabbing a quick bite to eat ALL the time. I basically survive off of fast food. It's really difficult to find time to actually make something but my boyfriend and I are starting to make a habit out of cooking a little more often (which for me means once a week). Granted, we recently started this habit but I already like it. We went to the supermarket and bought stuff for meals we can make together and cooked that same night. (On a side note, I apologize for the quality of this picture. It was taken with my Itouch). I LOVED this dinner. It was simple and I just love how my boyfriend thinks he's a chef when we cook together. He cut up all the vegetables and even searched through all my cabinets to find matching bowls for the ingredients as if he were on a cooking show. What a dork.

We bought sirloin beef from the supermarket, orange peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers and baby carrots and prepared the meat with soy sauce, a little bit of salt, and a little bit of pepper. The rice came from a GOYA box where I added the rice to a pot of boiling water and let it simmer for 25-30 mins. Quick, easy, and delicious. I definitely cheated on the rice but hey, I'm a college student. If there's an easier way to cook rice, I'm definitely not taking the harder route.

2. Do winter activities
(Who says summer is the only season for fun? Go skiing, snowboarding, iceskating, have a snowball fight!)

Image Source

While I was in DC last winter, we had a HUGE blizzard. They had names for it like Blizzaster, Snowmaggedon, I wish I was lying but it's true. I was stuck in my apartment for an ENTIRE WEEK because everything was shut down. Word spread around that Dupont Circle was having a snowball fight and 5,000 people showed up. Sadly, I was not one of them as I was stuck in Arlington, VA but I could only imagine how fun it must have been. 

3. Enjoy lots and lots of Hot Chocolate

 Image Source Unknown

Winter is the one season where having a ridiculous amount of hot chocolate is perfectly normal. Why not take advantage of it? I found an awesome, easy recipe online.

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1/3 cup boiling water

3 1/2 cups milk

 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions 

o   Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature. 

Only 310 calories, serves 4 people, and it's ready in 5-7 mins!

4. Catch up on some trashy TV or watch a marathon of your favorite TV shows.

Image Source

I love love LOVE Criminal Minds, Law and Order SVU, or any show that deals with detectives so when it's freezing out and I have a free Saturday, I love just being in bed watching these shows for hours on end.

5. Give yourself something to look forward to

Image Source Unknown

For me it's B's Birthday, Valentine's Day, Spring Break, and Graduation! And I just planned a trip to visit my friend in Pittsburgh at the end of the month. I'm so excited to go. :)

6. Get more color into your wardrobe

Image Source
If you're anything like me, the winter blues have me wearing black and gray. I guess I feel like my clothes need to match the weather. I think it's underestimated just how much simply wearing a bright, happy color can impact how you feel.

7. Bond with those around you

(I apologize for how blurry this picture is. It was the only picture from that day where we weren't throwing paint on one another or making silly faces).

My roommates and I make excuses to hang out and see one another because we all have conflicting schedules. Because of this, we have designated days for hanging out and enjoying each others company like Wine Wednesday. With all this time you're going to spend indoors, you might as well catch up with the ones you hold dearest. Better yet, you can bond outside of your house as well. Do something like community service where you’ll feel good helping others and thus get you out of a funk. Sophomore year, my roommates and I participated by painting murals (our mural pictured above) in a school in Newark, NJ and it was so much fun. Granted, we had to wake up ridiculously early on a Saturday but it was well worth the trip.We got the gig through Jersey Cares, an awesome website where they tell you about all the community service projects that are going on. I believe every state has one but I'm not entirely sure. 

8. Enjoy as much light as you can

Image Source Unknown

Because of my hectic schedule, there will be days sometimes where I only see daylight for 2-3 hours. I now make myself wake up a little earlier and actually enjoy the day. It leads to more productivity as well. 

9. Snuggle/Cuddle

 Image Source

 Let's face it. Snuggling/cuddling is awesome and apparently, it's good for stress! Win, win.

10. If all else fails, put on a feel-good song and jump around! .... or retreat to your happy place if you're a little shy.

Image Source 

Hey, Soul Sister by Train has to be my favorite feel-good song. I can't help but dance when I hear the song.

Even compiling this list made my winter blues seem to go away a bit. What do you guys do to beat the winter blues?

Ten items I recently purchased ...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!

It seems like the best sales always happen after the holidays are over and done with and for my Ten Things Tuesday I thought I'd share with you guys my ten recent purchases.

1. Canon Rebel XS 1000d
This beauty came in the mail yesterday and I'm in love. I can't wait to start using it!

2. Olive Green Anorak from AE
I was on the hunt for the perfect olive green jacket for a while now and when I saw this on AE's website, I knew I had to get it. The only thing it's really missing is a hood, but I can live.

3. Nude colored buckle strap heels from F21
I usually stray away from the shoe section of the Forever21 website but I saw these and swooned. I love the chunky heel and the buckles and for $25.80, I was not about to let these lovelies go.

4. AE Striped tube dress from AE
How perfect is this dress?! I can picture summer picnics or walks along the beach already. They had it in white and grey and white and navy but I decided to get the white and olive green.

5. Boyfit Jeans from AE
I've always wanted boyfriend jeans but was afraid they would look too loose on me because I'm so petite. I love that these still offer that same feel but don't fit as loose so that I don't feel like I'm wearing parachute pants.

6. Lace Dress from F21
I love how girly this dress is.

7. Grey Flats from F21
These remind me of my ballerina days.

8. Black top from F21
I love how flowy this shirt is. I can't wait to wear it out.

9. Striped cardigan from F21
I'm obsessed with all things stripes.

10. Striped skirt from F21


After actually listing my purchases, I realized I bought nothing suitable for winter. This may be because I'm tired of the snow and the cold already and subconsciously and well, consciously, I am wishing for Spring/Summer, longer days, and warmth!

I hope the weather has been treating you guys a little better.