Life: Goings On

My most sincere apologies - having a real job is taking a lot out of me! Surprisingly, I'm much busier than I ever thought I could be - it's unbelievable!

Truth be told, I'm still trying to find my perfect balance of how to do this whole "adult" thing correctly. I'm still trying to figure out the perfect bedtime, what time I should wake up at to be ready for work on time, how to balance after work dinners, appointments, laundry time and time to lay around and relax. It'll take a while, but I'll get there. And I'll get back to blogging regularly - promise.

In the meantime....

 || Wisconsin - wide open spaces ||

 || peanut butter and banana ||

 || favorite girls ||

 || Saturday night bowling || 

 || Mill District || 

|| Friday afternoon at Barrio ||

Style: A Little Aqua

One of my favorite summer colors? Undeniably aqua.

Bright and beachy, aqua is the perfect summer color. From clothing to jewelry and even interior touches, aqua is my go-to summer color - in fact, I just bought a pair of aqua capris today!

Here are some other aqua accessories I'm craving!

set || hat || top || rings|| earrings || mug || shoe || polish || belt || bracelet || pants || bow || pillow || necklace

Life: Going Home

It's almost Memorial Day weekend, and that means one thing - I'm heading home to Wisconsin for the weekend!

In very small doses, Wisconsin is growing on me. This is weird because I spent the first 18 years of my life there. How is that possible? 

I think the reason why I never loved Wisconsin originally is because I grew up there, in a very small town which, at the time, was limiting for me. A graduating high school class of 120 in a town of only 3,500 people was too small for this girl. 

At 18, I moved to Minneapolis to go to the University of Minnesota. And I couldn't be happier here. The rest, really, is history.

But now that I'm far enough away from my hometown of Omro, Wisconsin, I do enjoy coming home for the weekend. Being at my cozy, perfectly decorated house (my mom is an insane decorator - honestly the best) is so enjoyable now that I'm gone. Home-cooked meals, dinners out with family, Friday fish fries at hole in the wall bars, rummage sales, glasses of wine or old fashions in the afternoon and morning coffee with my mom is perfect. Not to mention my handsome black lab Boone - he's almost reason enough to move right back home to Omro ASAP.

Ever since moving to Minneapolis, going home for long weekends has kind-of been my thing. The five hour drive by myself after work on Thursday, followed by an adventuresome weekend is more exciting than ever. As I look around my room, my bags are (almost) packed, my iPod is loaded with songs and I have the biggest smile on my face.

It's time to go home....(but only for a little while!) See you soon Wisconsin!

Style: Hairspiration

Change is good. And in my opinion, seriously good when it comes to hair.

I've had just about every hairstyle under the sun - from a short bob to bangs to long locks, I've had it all. In constant need of a change, I'm always trying something different. 

My most recent hairspiration? The middle part.

This look has far evolved from the "popular" middle school look, and even beyond that as the "in" hairstyle of the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the middle part says a few things about you:

Free-spirited, bold, stylish and confident. I'm loving my middle part so far!

Here are some of my favorite looks!

|| olivia ||

 || lily ||

|| gwyneth ||

Career: Time to Celebrate

Pop the champagne bottles everyone, today is the day was offered my first big girl job!

FINALLY! Screams, laughter and tears of joy. Naturally, I accepted.

I'm incredibly excited to retire my intern badge and finally become a working woman. Starting today, I am an Assistant Account Executive. I'm so excited to begin my professional PR career!

Today, I celebrate.

 || cupcakes ||

|| champagne ||

Career: The Graduate

It's time for the working world. Time for mugs of coffee, alarm clocks, consistent paychecks, early mornings at the office and weekends free of homework. It's also time for a grown-up wardrobe.

I've been accumulating certain wardrobe staples for some time now. But as a recent graduate, I've got to step up my game a little bit.

It might take a little bit of time, but I think spending a little more money for well-made classic pieces of clothing and jewelry are worth every penny. If you can wear something for more than a season, you're getting bang for your buck.

Here are some of the pieces I'm buying to build my wardrobe! 

set || planner || blazer || bag || belt || bracelet || top || skirt || earrings || flats

Life: Goings On

It's been a busy week of graduating from college, spending time with my family, beginning my big girl job and enjoying the first days of summer.

Here's a look at what I've been upto!

 || lilacs on campus ||

|| mimosas before graduation ||

|| mom and dad! ||

|| sushi || 

|| finally finished my desk ||

|| homemade red velvet cake ||

|| happy hour ||

 || summer breakfast ||

|| new manicure ||

Style: Simply Striped

I don't know when or how it happened, but I've realized I am obsessed with black and white stripes. 

Seriously.

From bedding to home decor, skirts, curtains and jackets, these stripes are perfect anywhere. Understated yet incredibly bold, their look is classic chic. And I can't get enough.

Just yesterday I purchased a black and white high-waisted skirt, and a duvet cover and pillow set is next on my list.

What do you think of this timeless look?

 || bedding ||

 || curtains ||

 || skirt ||

 || jacket ||

|| chair ||

Soaking Up the Sunshine

Lately, I've been inspired by the sunshine - so much so, that it's begun to effect my music. 

And voila! A playlist all about sun? What could be better? 

Here are just a few of the songs from my sunshine playlist!

1. In the Sunshine - A B & The Sea

2. Sundress - Ben Kweller

3. Sunshine - Matt Costa

4. Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung

5. Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

6. No Sunlight - Death Cab For Cutie

7. Sunset Soon Forgotten - Iron & Wine

8. Hello Sunshine - Super Furry Animals

The Best Thing I've Ever Eaten

As a wannabe foodie, I'm a little obsessed with The Food Network. One of the shows I frequently catch myself watching is The Best Thing I Ever Ate. This weekend, I had one of those 'ah hah' moments as I ate the best thing I've ever eaten.

To celebrate graduation and Mother's Day, my family and I went to the Loring Pasta Bar. After carefully perusing the menu, I decided on the seafood spaghetti. And let me tell you, it was AMAZING.

|| seafood spaghetti ||

Made with squid ink spaghetti, the dish is packed with scallops, shrimp and assorted shellfish in a saffron cream sauce. Absolutely delicious. I could not have been more satisfied or impressed. Check out the Loring Pasta Bar ASAP. Here's a look at their menu!

Fin.

So bittersweet - today, I graduated from college.

After four short years, today was the day I walked across the graduation stage at Mariucci Arena. And just like that, I'm an alumna of the University of Minnesota. And a true adult. 

And it's all just beginning...let's see where life takes me next!

Looking Ahead

As a newly graduated Twin Cities dweller, I'm excited for the upcoming summer. Shopping for furniture for my future studio apartment, attending summer weddings, catching up on my reading, building my wardrobe and broadening my cooking knowledge. It'll be a fun summer ahead, indeed!

This summer, I'm looking forward to:

1. Sleeping in on Saturdays. And Sundays

2. Attending local farmers markets

3. Going to garage sales in search of the perfect apartment furniture

4. Attending summer weddings in Wisconsin and Minnesota

5. Heading to the lake with the family

6. Catching up on my reading - The Gospel According to Coco Chanel is next on my list, followed by The Anthropology of Turquoise

7. Taking a weekend trip to Boston

8. Going out to romantic patio dinners

9. Trying out new recipes

10. Shopping. Lots and lots of shopping

It's going to be a great summer!

Like Crazy

I have to admit, I'm a helpless romantic and an indie-film junkie. So when "Like Crazy" came around, I knew it would be a must-see.

After seeing the film and shedding more than a few tears, it's clear I'm obsessed. With its raw acting and honest storyline, “Like Crazy” is the love story of the modern generation. So subtly and emotionally, the film dismisses cliché happily ever afters and shows love as it is: real. 

If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you do!

|| movie poster ||

Getting Healthy

With this newfound time on my hands, I've decided it's time to get serious about getting healthy.

As a college student, I had my fair share of eating Easy Mac, ordering pizza, drinking endless amounts of alcohol and only occasionally working out. But as a soon-to-be graduate with more time on my hands and a regular schedule, I have no excuse to not get healthy.

So here it is: day 1.

Firstly, while getting healthy is a priority, being realistic is equally as important to me. I've met too many health nuts who are miserable to ever want to be in their position. As a 22 year-old with an addiction to chocolate and a boyfriend with an addiction to pasta, only eating vegetables and salads just isn't going to work for me. My plan? Little changes that will make all the difference.

Here it is:

Exercise 5 days each week

Drink more water

Drink more tea

Eat the low fat/sugar version of foods (I firmly believe they taste virtually the same)

Eat more fruits and vegetables

Eat whole grains

Smaller portion sizes

Not eating an hour before bed

Not binge eating after a night of drinking

Loosely counting calories (the Lose It! app is perfect for this)

This is my plan! It's easily implementable and realistic, which is perfect for my lifestyle. We'll see how this works!

Goings On

I'm so excited and relieved to be able to breathe and relax after the crazy week I've had. But I'm not a fan of relaxing too long - the busy life suits me. Thankfully a weekend with family, graduation, the working world and wedding season are right around the corner!

Just a few snapshops of what I've been upto! 

Enjoy!

 || Boyfriend || 

 || Favorite ice cream from Sebastian Joe's || 

 || Sushi at Wasabi || 

 || I'm a bridesmaid! ||

 || My guilty pleasure || 

 || Sushi from Seven || 

 || Minneapolis || 

 || Newfound loafer love || 

 || Tulips || 

 || Sunday mimosa at Maynard's || 

 || So French || 

|| Girls on a rooftop || 

The Finish Line

After four short years, I finally reached the finish line. At 11 a.m., I handed in my last final. And as soon as I got outside of the classroom, I jumped for joy. And then called my mom (as always!)

It's a bittersweet feeling to be done with college. Knowing my days as a collegiate undergrad student are over makes me want to shed a tear or two. But knowing that this really is just the beginning is absolutely exciting and is something I've been waiting for. 

Now it's off to graduation this Sunday! 

Oh So Close

It's almost official - by Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., I will no longer be a college student. Having (hopefully) just aced my last final and completed my final paper, I'll be able to sit back, relax and breathe a sigh of relief.

However, it's not quite Tuesday yet. So for the next day, it's study time for this girl. And that means studying the only way I know how - prepared, with coffee in hand.

Here are my essentials to having the perfect study sesh. Enjoy!

set || mug || pens || slippers || water bottle || notebook || planner || energy bar || lotion || tote

Night on the Town

Every girl needs a night on the town. Dinner, drinks and dancing - always a perfect combination!

Here are just a few pictures of my night out last Friday!

 || Girls || 

 || Gents || 

 || Happy girls || 

 || Love these dresses || 

 || Handsome date || 

|| Love this ||