Things You Need to Know About College

College is a weird time in life. Everything is changing and you have so much freedom that you've never had before. So here are some of my tips on how to make the most of your college experience.

1) Roll with the punches. College throws a lot at you at once, and most of it is stuff you have never had to deal with before (like your roommate never showing up, or having to power walk your butt off to a class that's 15 minutes away when you only have a 10 minute passing period). You just have to relax and not stress out about things like this, there will be plenty of other times to stress out in college. Chances are almost everyone there is dealing with problems of their own and problems just like yours. Just roll with the punches and take on these challenges when you come to them, you will find out that you can handle a lot more than you thought.

2) JOIN CLUBS. Everyone tells you this over and over and over so I know it gets old, but it is the truth. Take it from someone who kind of ignored this advice, joining clubs or groups or sports on campus is SO WORTH IT. You meet so many people and have a lot of fun with the groups you are involved it. Now don't overstretch yourself and join 15 clubs your first week, but test a few out and find ones that are really fun/beneficial/interesting for you and go for it. Be outgoing and go to a few meeting without a wingman, meet new people and make new friends. It's worth it, I promise.

3) Visit home. Sometimes it's hard to find a time to go home because you're having fun at school and you don't want to miss out on any awesome parties on the weekends, but it is important to find that time and go visit good old mom and dad. Your parents and siblings are going to miss you (and you will probably miss them) so it's important to go home every once in a while. On the other side of the spectrum, don't go home every weekend and miss out on some fun opportunities at school!

4) Drinking is not mandatory. Drinking is a big part of college life for a lot of people and that may be something you enjoy doing and I'm not going to tell you not to do it (as long as you're safe), but there are also plenty of people who don't want to participate in that or those that just like to go out every once in a while. People may try to pressure you into it or make you feel lame for not partaking in the "festivities", but it's your life, tell 'em to shove it. There will always be people that will be willing to have a movie night with you or a late night at the library, just like there will always be someone for you to go let loose with on the weekends. So whether or not you enjoy taking shots of Burnett's or would rather take shots whipped cream straight out of the canister, just remember that it is YOUR CHOICE and don't let people pressure you into doing things you do not want to do.

5) Try to stay organized. College is a hard time for disorganized people like me. Your professors may not remind you 16 times that you have a paper due at midnight on Tuesday that's worth 40% of your grade (they probably will but you never know) and you don't want to go to class the next day and want to throw yourself down a flight of stairs because you forgot to turn it in. You are completely responsible for keeping track of your assignments and while most of those assignments are small, they add up if you consistently forget about them. For the sake of your grades and your sanity stay as organized as possible, because nothing is more frustrating than rushing to finish an assignment and missing the online deadline by 1 minute.

Most importantly, college is a time for you to experience new things, discover who you really are, and learn a lot. College has been a really enlightening time for me so far, and although I've spent entire nights drinking red bull and coffee to cram for a test and felt like death the next day, had to deal with some inconsiderate and shitty people, and had no idea what I wanted to major in for the first 3 semester of my college career, I figured it out. And that is what it is all about.

I'll probably think of a lot more advice as time goes on, I'm still learning as well.

A Day with My Niece

I took a short trip home this weekend to pick up all of my winter clothes and spend a few much needed nights in my own bed. Yesterday I spent the day with my two year old niece Fiona. She is the BIGGEST rascal and it was definitely a fun day. So if you were dying to know more about my life, here's your chance! haha

A yummy start to the day.

French fry break after a trip to the bank (she insisted)

Bath and Body Works stop. She insisted on smelling all the candles and then she spotted this tiny one and carried it all over the store. Needless to say she was not happy when we had to put it back.. (notice the bandaid she made me put on her imaginary owie)

I bought some refills for my air freshener and I picked one called "flannel" and it smells SO GOOD. I would describe it as a mix between laundry detergent and after shave. My whole room smells amazing.

This nap was short-lived and followed by some serious screaming.. but she looked adorable.

This little shopping cart was another thing she was NOT happy about putting back.. 

How cute are her little motorcycle boots?! She loves them and wears them all the time, usually on the wrong feet.

So I am ridiculously lazy about dressing up for Halloween anymore.. So I spotted this at Target for $10 and was so happy because I was already planning on dressing as Waldo! It was a great find for a lazy costumer like me.

She was loving these headphones, and so was I. Next time I have hundreds of dollars to spend on headphones, these will be at the top of my list.

Model material.

NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER THAN PIZZA BEING DELIVERED.

Like most little girls, Fiona loves to try on shoes, even her Uncle Billy's (and hats)

Well here's a glimpse into my life. 

Good Books - The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

This is a best-selling young adult novel by James Dashner, and let me tell you.. it is INTENSE. It follows a teenage boy named Thomas during his time in a place called the Glade, which is surrounded by a large and complicated maze (hence the name of the book). It took me a while to actually get in to it (it is interesting right off the bat, but I just wasn't in the right mood I guess) but once I picked it up again I could not put it down. It is a young adult novel but I think it would be enjoyable for any age to read. There's drama, action, thrills, overall it is very entertaining and very engaging. It is the first of the series and I am DYING for the next book, definitely a cliffhanger! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a little adventure in their reads.

BONUS: This book is going to have a movie adaptation out in fall 2014 I believe! And Dylan O'Brien (who plays Stiles on Teen Wolf - and is totally crush-worthy) is going to play Thomas!

My Fall Essentials

Here are some of my favorite items from my closet for the FALL SEASON!

I got this sweater last Christmas and I am OBSESSED with it. I have gotten a lot of compliments on it this fall so far and who doesn't love compliments?!?! It makes me feel like I'm curled up in a cozy cocoon all day and I LOVE IT.

From: sheinside.com

Price: Under $40

 If you haven't heard of this website before GO CHECK IT OUT NOW! It's an amazing site for cheap trendy clothes and if you're a college student like me, that is all that matters. 

I have recently fallen in love with Old Navy, which is where I got this chambray dress. It is a great dress year-round I think (I wore it for Easter) and is great to pair with tights/a scarf/cute boots. It's also great for layering.

Old Navy always has AMAZING sales, I am constantly getting emails about deals both in-store and online. Definitely worth checking out on a shopping trip.

From: Old Navy

Price: Around $30

Another great find from Old Navy. Everyone needs a Chambray button down in their closet to pair with black skinnies or colored jeans. This shirt is a bit of a different shade from the typical chambray shirt, but they also have those at Old Navy.

From: Old Navy

Price: $25-30

This scarf is definitely a staple of my fall wardrobe.. I mean, it goes with everything. I have paired it with basically everything else in this list.. and it SPARKLES, if you don't like a little sparkle you are doing something wrong!

From: Express (a few years ago.. but I am pretty sure they still sell it, or one similar.

Price: $30

Their stuff runs a bit expensive, I would suggest buying it on sale like I did :)

This is literally my favorite piece of clothing. I wear is ALL THE TIME. I bought it on clearance like 4 years ago at American Eagle and it has withstood the test of time and is still in style (I actually feel like it's more in style now than when I bought it). It is just a light weight layer that goes with a lot. Perfect for Fall. I'm actually pretty sure they started carrying something very similar to this at American Eagle again.

From: American Eagle

Price: I have no idea, I bought it forever ago.

When you find an adorable (faux) leather jacket in the store for only $15, you cannot pass it up. I had been looking for a cute cheap motorcycle-like jacket for a while and Forever 21 did not disappoint. It makes me feel way more badass than I really am.. but it's nice to feel like you could take on the world.

From: Forever 21

Price: $15 (!!!)

These boots are my obsession. I saw them at DSW and decided I didn't need them, after months of thinking about them, I decided I DID need them. I found them online for cheaper and scooped them right up! They are perfect for every occasion (maybe not every occasion..) and they are REALLY comfy! 

From: GoJane.com

Price: $40

I had searched and searched for a maxi-skirt that was long enough for me (being 5'10'', all of them hit me at the awkward mid-ankle). This skirt was actually an empire waist dress that I just snipped right at the elastic waist. That made it long enough for me to wear a little high waisted. It is so comfortable and feels like you're wearing a cozy jersey-knit blanket all day. Given that this was a dress that my sister gave me that I made a few... alterations to, I have no idea where it is from or how much it cost.

I would never survive Fall (or Winter) without these items!

Sunday Smiles

I just thought I would share some funny stuff to brighten everyone's day!

 Zoe and Joe are the best and if you don't watch their videos you are seriously missing out. I almost peed my pants laughing at these videos.

Getting Crafty: Origami Stars

Mini Origami Stars Tutorial

One of my friends taught me how to make these little mini stars out of paper and I think they are just the cutest thing so I thought I would share!

Okay so all you need for this is some paper, a pair of scissors, and some patience!

Start by cutting strips of paper along the width of the piece of paper. The strips should be half an inch wide or less and 8.5 inches long.

I decided to use one of the colored pieces of paper I had for this. It was a little easier to handle throughout the folding but was more difficult at the end because it's thicker!

Fold the strip into a ribbon shape

Tuck the end of the strip through the loop. This part takes a little tightening and situating of the loop to get it even. Just be patient and gentle, try not to crease the paper or it will be harder to make into the star shape later on!

You will start to see a pentagon shape at this point, trying to get the sides of this shape even is the frustrating part. 

Fold the extra tab down behind the tightened loop.

You can clearly see the 5 sides of the shape now (see how they are all roughly the same size and there are no gaps at the corners)

Take the long tail of the paper and fold it up so it makes the fifth side of the pentagon. Make sure to gently crease it so it stays but don't press it too much.

Wrap the tail around the next side. It should be obvious which side you should go to next because of the flow of the wrapping.

Keep wrapping! 

Eventually you will reach a point where you can tuck it in and finish or you need to trim it up a little bit!

To trim it just take the minimal amount off the end (just take enough off so when you are done wrapping it does not hang over the edge)

Once the tail is the right size, tuck it in to the folds at the center of the pentagon.

Push the tab in so it looks like this and crease it enough that the tab won't slide out if you are not holding it.

Use your nail to push the center of each side and form the star shape.

TA DAAAA! An adorable little paper star!

REMINDER: It may take a few tries to get this right.. I know it took my like 3 failures before I made a good one. Don't give up on it, it's kind of fun once you get the hang of it. I made all of these while watching a movie on TV so if you're just looking for something to do with your hands, this is the craft for you!

I am using mine as a filler for this vase I keep on my desk.

What other uses could you see for these little guys?

Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 Favorites

Need some fall fashion inspiration? Here are some of my favorite looks from the Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 fashion month.

Dolce & Gabbana

I have a slight obsession with Dolce & Gabbana runway looks. I love the gems, the classic shapes, and the over-the-top accessories.

Felder Felder

Look 1: I love this leather trend! This skirt is edgy and classic combined and who doesn't love a little edge.

Look 2: Oversized sweaters are the glue of my fall wardrobe and I am in love with this bright color. Not to mention how freaking cute this hat is.

Look 3: All-black, flattering, edgy, adorable hat, WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE.

Matthew Williamson

Look 1: You can't go wrong with a simple silhouette, an adorable pattern and a bold statement neckline.

Look 2: THIS PATTERN IS TO DIE FOR.

Look 3: I have a weakness for maxi dresses, especially in a trendy print with a flattering waistline.

Topshop Unique

Look 1: Love this sequined skirt. It's the perfect length, the perfect amount of glam, and hits the slimmest part of the waist. The pairing with the crop top shows just a bit of skin and ups the sexy factor.

Look 2: Not sure I could wear this jumpsuit in my everyday style but man oh man is it HOT. 

Sass and Bide

Looks 1, 2, 3: BRING ON THE MINI DRESSES!!

Look 4: I am in love with this yellow pop of color.

Look 5: The white geometric design on this perfect LBD make it POP and give it an updated look.

Look 6: I think I actually drooled on my keyboard when I saw this beautiful white number.. It is just perfect.

Oscar de la Renta

I am just a huge fan of this pattern. It is living proof that mixing bold patterns can work! 

BE BOLD.

Valentino

FLORALS!! 

This dress reminds me of fine china, but it totally works.

Paul Smith

Deep red is a staple this season and this is how you do it right!

All photos courtesy of glamour.com