45 in 45: Day 3

My romper.  Oh, the love for my romper is immense.  I have been looking for a romper for over a year now, but never pulled the trigger on actually buying one.  A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Tess, and I went shopping and she convinced my to give this one a try.  It was only $10, so really how could I go wrong.  Since then, I've barely taken in off.  The fabric is so soft and comfortable.  It's navy so it goes with everything and flattering on my skin tone, and the elastic on the top keeps it up.  It can be worn strapless, but I usually tie the straps into little bows so I can wear it with a bra.  Later in the summer, it will make for the perfect beach cover up.  I absolutely love it, and if I wasn't in a "no buy" month, I'd be constantly searching for another one.  Today, I'm making my way back to the shack by the lake, and reached for the romper because it's an effortless travel outfit.  Our journey will also include going to another lake in Indiana to our favorite fried-food restaurant where you eat fresh fish on a picnic bench overlooking a lake.  At sunset, it's to die for and a summer staple in my family.

This is my dog Scooter, although I like to call him Mr. Tinkles.  Don't we look alike!? :)

No Poo Challenge: Day 29

Another update on my No Poo challenge.  It has now been 29 days and I have used Baby Power to dry out my roots 3 times, used baking soda once, and apple cider vinegar once.  I have noticed that my hair is noticeably softer and shinier.  It has been three days since I have used the baking soda and vinegar and my hair is not greasy at all.  I have noticed though, that my hair has been falling out.  Every time I run my fingers through my hair or brush it, several hairs fall out.  I don't know if this is normal or not.  My best guess is that I'm getting rid of the dead and damaged hair, but I'm really not sure.  Does this happen to anyone else?

45 in 45: Day 2

I went home to Chicago last night, and slept for 13hours.  I didn't realize how physically and mentally exhausting it was to live in a tent while starting a new internship.  I woke up at 1:30pm today and proceeded to lay in bed and watch tv and movies all day, so I did not actually get dressed.  This leaves me one more original outfit in my arsenal for the next 42 days of this challenge.  If you must know, today's "outfit" consisted of navy blue mesh shorts and a black and pink long sleeve tee (both courtesy of Culver).

45 in 45: Day 1

Today started absolutely miserable.  It poured and poured and lightening-ed and thundered all night.  It woke me up several times and I’m determined I have a leak somewhere in the cabin, but I have yet to locate it.  I’m sure it will emerge in time.  It did not let up an ounce this morning.  I had pre-planned my outfit for “casual Friday” with jeans, but decided to dress them up with a cashmere sweater, bow headband and hot pink ballet flats.  But after waking up to a damp room with pouring rain, I reached for warm wool socks and leather boots which I use as fancy rain boots.  It finally stopped raining around 10am  and brightened up outside to the point that my office had a lunch excursion and ate by the lake.  I’ve decided to go home for the weekend to pick up some more essentials, so when I got back to my cabin I immediately adjusted my clothes for the warm weather, and am now wearing navy mesh shorts, a light blue button down, and a grey cardigan.  I promise it actually looks a lot cuter than it sounds, although the shorts and shirt are both pulled from my Culver uniform…

Communications Internship: Week 1

After June 7, 2009, I never thought I would return to Culver, Indiana ever again.  But alas, two years exactly from the day I left Lake Max I started my new internship.  I am now officially a Communication Intern at the Culver Academies.   I was not sure what this would include exactly, but I knew I would learn a lot of valuable experience and I would have a good time.  As someone once said, “Culver is a cross between summer camp and a high security prison.”  As a student, this is absolutely true.  Except it doesn’t really feel like a summer camp in frigid January weather with the Lake effect snow and wind constantly blowing your skirt up.  However, I am not returning as a student, and thus am no longer locked into my room at 9:45 at night and not allowed to wear shorts and tank tops.  So I thought, maybe this won’t be so bad.  In fact, I was almost excited to return “home.”  Although my cabin is “rustic,” it’s actually growing on me.  It’s been very rainy, so the bugs aren’t around and it’s pretty cool to the point of cold, so it’s not that bad. 

My actual internship is very cool.  By the end of day one, my work was featured on the front page of culver.org (the PhotoShopped commencement photo).  There is some grunt work of copying and organizing every page of the website into files, but once I put my headphones in, I’m in my own little world.  I have gotten the chance to sit in on team meetings and brainstorming sessions, where my opinions and thoughts were actually listened to and valued.  Next week, my boss said we can have a meeting and talk more about social media and brainstorming.  He told me that he wants to utilize my viewpoints as a student and now as an alum.  The Communications department’s general goal is for more Culver people to be involved and in touch with the school.  For all the Culver readers, do you ever look at the Culver website or their Facebook/Twitter?   Do you want to know more about Culver and how do you want them to contact you?

I’ll keep posting updates on my internship and what I’m doing, but so far, my first week is a total success.

45 in 45

This is becoming my summer of challenges.  First it was No Poo, then 101 in 1001, and now it’s 45 in 45.  That means I have 45 articles of clothing (including shoes, not including belts, jewelry, under-things, or workout clothes/pajamas) for 45 days.  I can only wear those pieces.  This will be interesting.  This challenge is inspired by the blog Kendi Everyday who is doing 30 in 30.  At Culver, I wanted to pack lightly and only bring the necessities while I’m in my interim housing in the forest, and was planning on bringing more later when I move into my actual dorm.  Now, I plan on skipping the extra load of clothes and rethinking my current collection.  Luckily, I am an expert packer and have a diverse mix of light summery pieces, neutral work clothes, and a few basics (do hot pink ballet flats with rhinestones count as basics?)  Anyway, I have these clothes and these clothes only until July 25.  I will try to post pictures everyday to keep track.  I’d love your feedback on what you think of this latest challenge as well as feedback on any of my outfits!

These Boots are Made for Stunnin.

There are essentials that every girl must have in their arsenal of clothes and accessories.   I think it’s safe to say that one of these essentials are black boots.  I had a pair of black Uggs back in the day, but they weren’t dressy, and definitely were not waterproof.  But I was in high school, so they sufficed.  Since they retired two years ago, I have been on the constant lookout for the perfect black boot.  I had general requirements I wanted them to be knee high, leather, flat, with a zipper for ease on taking on and off, and possibly a buckle (like Fyre boots).  Most importantly, I didn’t want to blow my entire savings account on one pair of shoes, so at most I would spend $100.  I found a pair from Urban Outfitters that I fell in love with, sort of.  There were black with a flat heel which was good, but they were suede, which definitely would not survive a New England winter.  They didn’t have a zipper and UO listed the height of the shaft of the boot at 18inches, and my shin is about 14inches, so I was a little worried about where it would hit me.  Plus, it was $68, with shipping it would be over $80, and I was hesitant.  Luckily, my slow-to-buy ways (first time for everything!) paid off.  I was scanning my Facebook news feed, like any other day after work and noticed that Amoire Boutique had posted pictures of shoes on sale.  Amoire Boutique is a small New Orleans shop with reasonably priced, adorable clothes (think Urban Outfitters but smaller and less hipster).  I found them in a Lucky Magazine article about where to shop in New Orleans.  I looked up their facebook and fell in love.  I didn’t know they had an online store, so I was pretty crushed that I couldn’t shop there.  I scanned the pictures they posted and saw a pair of black leather boots, last pair, size 6, for TEN DOLLARS.  I tracked down their website and called them inquiring about my potentially perfect boot.  They were really nice and took a bunch more pictures and sent them to me.  Immediately I called back and placed my order.  They are everything I wanted and more.  They have an exposed zipper in the back, which adds a stylish edge that side-zip boots lack.  Also, the zipper is electric blue.  I was nervous about this at first, but after thinking about it, the blue accessory fits perfectly with my nothing-is-ever-too-much outlook on accessories, the bigger, the better.  I cannot wait to get my hands on these babies and put my boot-search to a close.  Below are the pictures:

No Poo- Day 26

Today is day 26 of my No Poo challenge.  And a challenge it has been.  Last week was the worst week, by far.  When I left my hair curly, it was completely greasy, unmanageable, and disgusting.  For most of the week I simply threw my hair up in a bun.  When I brushed my hair out and straightened it, the roots looked greasy, but was not too bad.  After straightening it, I rubbed baby powder into all of my roots, and then it was all good and fine.  Tuesday night, I used the baking soda + water = shampoo method during my shower and although kind of a pain in the butt to work through all of my hair, it felt clean.   Ya know that feeling when your hair feels squeaky clean?  It was just like that, but better since I haven’t felt that way in a month now.  Afterwards, I used the apple cider vinegar + water = conditioner method.  It was not as difficult to work through my hair as the baking soda, so maybe it just requires practice.  I was really worried about the smell though.  Apple Cider vinegar definitely smells better than regular vinegar, but it definitely still smells rank.  Luckily, once diluted with water then rinsed out, my hair didn’t smell like anything. Phew!  I wore my hair curly on Wednesday and straightened it Wednesday afternoon.  My hair was not greasy at all and looked like fresh, clean hair.  It was awesome.  I asked my friend if it smelled, and they said that it smelled like my perfume (I spray it in my hair, the scent lasts longer) and hair; neither of which were bad scents.  I will probably only use the baking soda/vinegar method once a week or as needed and then wean myself off of that too.  My goal is to have no hair products when I study abroad next spring.  I’ll keep you updated, but I strongly recommend the baking soda and vinegar concoctions, they really definitely are worth the trouble.

Irrational Fear of Bugs.

On Monday afternoon, I made the trek down to Culver, Indiana to start my fabulous Communications Internship at Culver Academies.  I moved into my new abode, a "rustic" cabin that usually sleeps 12 youngsters during the summer camps.  Good news:  I have the cabin to myself.  Bad news:  No air conditioning, a mile and a half from work (my boss brought me a bicycle luckily), super dark at night, and a million bugs constantly swarming.  Even though I've been careful not to open any windows with holes in the screen and am super quick to shut the doors when I go in and out, some bugs have made their way in and haunt me while I try to sleep.  Through this experience, I have re-discovered my irrational fear of bugs.  It started as an irrational fear of spiders after watching an episode of Xena:  Warrior Princess where a half-woman-half-spider ate a bunch of people (I was about 6 and still have nightmares).  Now, every time I think about a spider it sends shivers down my spine and gives me the heeby jeebies.  I'm convinced that any bug, of any size, is either going to eat me alive or plant eggs in my brains.  Therefore, the woods is not a great place to reside.  It's also not great when it's 96degrees, no air conditioning, and one fan.  But, I am only in this cabin for two weeks, until I move closer to work into a dorm, hopefully with air conditioning.  Unfortunately, there I will have a roommate.  I'll have to make the best of it.  Until then, I consider this a "spa vacation" and getting back to nature.  Psht.  One thing is for sure, this is nothing like my friends paying $$$$$$$$ for a closet-sized apartment in New York shared with 6 other girls.  Below are some pictures of my new home.

This is the view from my room/balcony:

My Summer Uniform

In the past few days I have done exactly nothing.  Sitting around the house, packing for my impending internship, reading blogs and magazines and books.  Because of this, I have been gravitating towards lazy summer outfits.  My "summer uniform" has become white short shorts and loose tank tops.  I'm usually barefoot, but when necessary I throw on my favorite broken-in flip flops I got from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2004.

After tomorrow, I will unfortunately trade these casual items for more polished dresses as my summer internship in the Communications department of the Culver Academies begin.  Although I am super excited to return "home" to Culver and learn all about website design, I will miss laying out in the sun (note:  this is possibly the tannest I have ever been in my entire life), my shorts and tank tops, and most of all reading 24/7.

au revoir sweet summer vacation, I'll miss you; but I miss working more.

101 in 1001

In my month off of school and working, I have a lot of time on my hands.  So I've began to read feverishly, everything.  I have read 2 of the 3 Lauren Conrad books (as many of you know I'm obsessed with her), and the 3rd should arrive in Monday's mail.  I have re-read the Princess Diaries series for the millionth time.  I have even read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and A Separate Peace by John Knowles, so it's not just easy beach reads.  I have also taken up blog reading.  I used to read only 2 blogs everyday, and now I'm up to 11, plus 2 YouTube channels.  And that list is growing quickly, for every blog I add to my daily repertoire, I read at least 10 others to see if they make the cut.  In one of the blogs I have recently added, I came across an entry about The Day Zero Project.  You make a list of 101 things you want to do, and you have 1,001 days to do them.  I thought this was fantastic.  So I'd like to share with you my list of 101 (although I only have 88 things, so comment any suggestions you have!!)

What do you think about this challenge?  Would you ever want to do something like this?

       101 in 1001

 Body
 1.   Workout 15 times in one month
 2.   Wear no makeup for one week
 3.   Stay up all night
 4.   See a chiropractor
 5.   Get a Brazilian wax
 6.   Walk, run, or jog a 5k
 7.   Take vitamins daily for 1 month
 8.   Get a massage
 9.   Get a facial

 Compassion
 10.   Spend under $10 on a meal and leave a $10 tip
 11.   Leave notes in a Post Secret Book
 12.   Send flowers to my mother
 13.   Buy something from Etsy
 14.   Donate to charity
 15.   Buy an original piece of artwork
 16.   Donate to a homeless person

 Finances
 17.   Complete a no spend month
 18.   Pay off my credit card
 19.   Save at least $2,000
 20.   Put away $5 for each completed task Food and Drink
 21.   Go to a restaurant by myself
 22.   Try absinthe
 23.   Give up pop for 1 month
 24.   Give up meat for 1 month Fun
 25.   Attend a Post Secret Event
 26.   Skydive
 27.   Go to a museum
 28.   Go to a farmers market
 29.   Apply for a reality tv show
 30.   Go berry/apple picking
 31.   Create a scrapbook of Babson
 32.   Go horseback riding
 33.   Go to a concert
 34.   Go on a picnic
 35.   Attend the midnight premiere of a movie
 36.   Go ice skating
 37.   Go skinny dipping
 38.   Go to a zoo
 39.   See a drive in movie
 40.   Carve my name in a tree
 41.   Sing karaoke
 42.   Go barefoot for 1 day
 43.   See a horse race
 44.   Write a message in a public bathroom
 45.   Go to see an opera
 46.   See a play/musical on Broadway
 47.   Perform a Chinese fire drill
 48.   Go to a football game
 49.   Own a pair of Louboutins
 50.   Visit an amusement park
 51.   Swim in an ocean

 Future
 52.   Get a real job
 53.   Get a drivers license
 54.   Live alone
 55.   Graduate college
 56.   Start my own business

 Hobbies
 57.   Go to a movie by myself
 58.   Go to a mall for two hours and don't buy anything
 59.   Shoot a gun
 60.   Watch 26 movies I've never seen, starting with each letter of the alphabet
 61.   See 10 classic movies
 62.   Go fishing
 63.   Take a photo of the same place every month for 1 year

 Reading/Writing
 64.   Read 1 book a month for 12 months
 65.   Write a cookbook Spirit
 66.   Attend mass every Sunday during Lent
 67.   Be single for 2 months
 68.   Send a secret to Post Secret
 69.   Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011
 70.   Learn a poem by heart
 71.   Dance in the rain
 72.   Answer the "50 Questions that will Free your Mind"
 73.   Don't swear for a whole week
 74.   Say yes to everything for 1 week

 Technology
 75.   Give up Facebook for one month
 76.   Write in my blog 20 times in one month
 77.   Print my digital photos and organize them into albums
 78.   Buy a watch

 Travel
 79.   Go to Europe/ Austria
 80.   Go to Mexico
 81.   Fly first class
 82.   Go camping
 83.   See LA
 84.   Visit New Orleans
 85.   Sleep under the stars
 86.   Go on a road trip
 87.   Ride a gondola in Venice
 88.   Attend the Kentucky Derby



The blog I got the idea from is Suburban Sweetheart, I got a lot of my ideas from her. :)

Road Trip: Day 4

Start point: Cornell University Ithaca, NY

End point:  Cornell University Ithaca, NY

Clothing:  Bakers sandals, 344 dress, Zara cardigan, Bracelet from Chile, necklace from Nigeria, sunglasses Ralph Lauren.

Today was Katie's convocation, so we sat in bleechers for two hours in the 80degree beating sun, we were all completely dehydrated and miserable.  The brightside was the Rudy Giuliani was the speaker and he was fantastic.  After the commencement we had some time to kill before our reservations at a winery restaurant, we walked around the campus a bit to see everything, stopped at the bookstore for some "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirts, and hung out at the student center terrace for some pops and some beautiful vistas.

Road Trip: Day 3

Start point: Niagara Falls, Canada

End point:  Cornell University Ithaca, NY

Distance: 167 miles

Travel time: 3:30

Route: I-90 E

Stops: Thirsty Owl Winery (to see Dubie the Donkey)

Clothing:  Bass boots, Mossimo dress, Culver Girls Academy Blazer, Express belt, Four Winds necklace.

We left Niagara Falls to make the final leg of the trip to Cornell.  I went to Tim Horton's for breakfast and for the third time in a row, it's been pretty disappointing; but at least they have peppermint tea, which I am in love with.  On the way to Cornell, we stopped at one of the many wineries around the Finger Lakes to see the winery's (Thirsty Owl) pet donkey, Dubie.  Dubie apparently is famous at Cornell and I had to meet the infamous donkey.  He was surprisingly cute.  When we finally got to Cornell, we ran to my sister's award ceremony, which in typical Halpin fashion, we were late.  After we got settled into the lovely dorm-rooms-turned-hotels, we went out to dinner at Ithaca's famous Boatyard Grill, which was delicious.  Afterwards we went to an Irish Pub for drinks.  It was nice to have the entire family back together, it doesn't happen very often.

Road Trip: Day 2

Start point: Erie, PA

End point:  Niagara Falls, Canada

Distance: 116 miles

Travel time: 6:30

Route: I-90 E

Stops: Presque Isle Casino (blackjack and lunch), Seneca Casino Niagara (blackjack)

Clothing:  Bass loafers, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Ralph Lauren t-shirt, Zara grey cardigan

Today was my Dad's birthday, so we had a vacation day.  My dad loves playing BlackJack, so we stopped at 2 casinos on our way to Niagara Falls, where we went to 2 more casinos.  We love Niagara Falls because it's such a fun town (plus the drinking/gaming age is 19).  My dad, mom, and I drove from our home in Chicago and met my sister and her boyfriend in Niagara.  We went to Margaritaville for dinner because it was absolutely down pouring and the restaurant was right across from our hotel.  It was a pretty low-eye, very Halpin-esce birthday, but it was good. :)

Road Trip: Day 1

Start point: Olympia Fields, IL

End point:  Erie, PA

Distance: 445 miles

Travel time: 8:30

Route: I-90 E

Stops: Angola, IN (Lake George) for dinner

Clothing:  Bass loafers, Citizens of Humanity jeans, 344 neon tank, Truly Madly Deeply (Urban Outfitters) sweatshirt

The road trip to Cornell for my sister's graduation as begun. In usual fashion, we started 4:30 behind schedule. But that didn't stop our fun. In my family, we don't go on roadtrips, we have "adventures" that usually lead us to unexpected places like Tijuana, a store called "The Pickle Factory," or mostly frequently sneaking into casinos.  Today was pretty tame, but I look forward to tomorrow, destination: Niagra Falls for my dad's birthday.