45 in 45: Day 8

I absolutely love this dress and would wear it everyday if you let me.  It's incredibly flattering and it the only maxi dress that I have found that was the perfect length for my short little body.  I love how the coral and the navy look together.  Paired with my fresh lake hair do and glittery sandals, this is really the perfect summer outfit.

45 in 45: Day 7

As much as I tried, I could not drag myself out of bed this morning.  It was truly unfortunate when I finally rolled onto the floor 15 minutes before I had to be at work.  I went for the classic New England Prepster look, which is my go to look.  I love it.  Simple, but elegant enough for casual workplace.  What do you think?

Dear Hair, You're Just a Little Bit Cruel...

Last night, I meandered onto a pier with three old friends to watch the sunset.  What resulted was three very wet, very cold alums and a girlfriend looking on in horror to see if she was next.  It was a blast.  I haven’t had that much fun in a very long time, until Jimi lost his class ring in the lake.  Luckily, we went out with a metal detector and found it.  Phew!  Last night left me with an extremely limited amount of sleep and lake-washed hair.  I expected this morning to wake up with a terrible bird’s nest hair and throwing it up in a careless ballerina bun before rushing off.  What I actually found were perfect ringlets, evenly distributed volume, and no frizz.  I added a small barrette and left five minutes early because of my luck.  This turn of events is making me wholly reconsider all hair-regimens I have developed.  Towel-drying or no towel-drying, plopping, no poo, spending way too much money on a flat iron, and any spray developed.  Why spend all this time and dedication on your hair when all it really needs is a dip in the lake?

Internship Update!

Since I've only been posting my daily outfits, I thought I'd take this time and update everyone about my fabulous internship.  :)

I'm still doing a lot of grunt work, but now it's mixed in with a lot of brainstorming, social media, and I'm even writing a business proposal!  I've learnt a lot about wire frames and what goes into remodeling a website.  There's a surprising amount of thought, effort, and careful studying to decide how a page is going to be laid out.  During bouts of brainstorming, my opinion is actually solicited and valued, which wouldn't happen if I was interning at a big firm.  The second coolest part about this internship is that, since I'm working with the Communications department of my high school, they are constantly asking my opinion on things about when I was a student, and a lot about now that I am a recent alum.  The absolute coolest part, is that it's halfway through my second week and I'm already writing a business proposal which I am going to present to the deans of my school and could possibly change Culver, do a lot of good in the world, and look awesome in my portfolio.  I don't think I can talk about it yet, but if I get it approved, I will definitely tell you ALL ABOUT IT, because it's pretty flipping sweet.  Tomorrow, I get to sit in on a conference call about Culver's brand management and brainstorm on how to alter the brand and raise awareness.  I wish I had taken my Brand Management class this past semester instead of the semester coming up so I could add valuable feedback on the call tomorrow, but now at least I will be able to bring experience into my class in the fall!  All in all, I'm absolutely loving my internship!  Even the cabin and the woods and the little kids are growing on me.

45 in 45: Day 6

After a particularly late night and a particularly cold morning (isn’t it supposed to be summer?!?) I hurried up and threw these on before I died of hypothermia.  I was planning on wearing black flats (although my new black boots would be even better!) with this, but it was down pouring, again (isn’t is supposed to be summer?!?! again), so I reached for my go-to “rain boots” and threw the belt on to tie it all in.  I think it’s supposed to be raining for the rest of the week, so I’m pretty stoked about that, NOT.

45 in 45: Day 5

I'm a day late, I know, I know.  Busy day yesterday...

Another freezing morning where I could barely get out of bed.  I picked out my clothes the night before though.  This outfit usually looks better with a brown or green cardigan, but those aren’t part of my 45 in 45, so I had to make do with this navy Ann Taylor.  It actually turned out to be a really nice day, so after work I ran back to my cabin, threw on my bikini and caught some of the last rays of the day.  Success.

45 in 45: Day 4

This morning it was impossible to get out of bed.  It doesn’t help when the alarm clock on your phone is being twitchy and doesn’t really work.  Luckily, I woke up on time anyway.  But then the actual process of pulling myself out of bed was extremely difficult as it was FREEZING in my cabin.  I was wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a t-shirt and curled up under a thick comforter and a doubled-over blanket and still shivered most of the night.  It also didn’t help that I did not pick out my clothes the night before, so there was even less temptation to get out of bed.  Finally, I wrapped a blanket around me and shuffled out of bed, once again reaching for thick wool socks, black pants and boots.  In order to keep my outfit looking summery I paired a lightweight flowery eyelet tank with a short sleeve grey sweatshirt blazer.  This blazer was the seat of all impulse and extravagant buying, I shelled out an entire paycheck at Lucky Brand for the blazer and a pair of jeans.  FYI, this was part 1 of Christy and I’s matching outfit habits.  Even after I shimmied into my layers of clothes, I was still freezing, so I pulled on a hoodie over the whole thing, grabbed my backpack, and rode my bike to work.

I should have walked through the gym sooner, I bumped into about 10 people I knew, all staying in woodcraft cabins.  Looks like I won’t be so lonely after all. J

And you really can't beat the sun setting over Culver while your feet are dangling in Lake Max.  I wish these pictures did justice, but they don't.  I've resolved that I will try to watch the sun set every night, and maybe tomorrow I will bring my real camera to take pictures, or maybe I'll just take a friend.

 

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.