Hello my dears! Can you believe it's already the end of April because I seriously can't. It's just about time for graduations and parties and all that good stuff so I thought I'd bring to you a gift guide for those high school/college grads in your life! I'm also having a hard time finding the perfect gift and figured that I can't be the only one struggling. Whether you have a lot of money or don't have much at all, here is a nice variety of items that may work for you.

If you have any other gift ideas, please let me know down below!

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UNDER $50: "I'm eating-from-the-dollar-menu broke"
(1) Magical Thinking Good Vibes Pillow (2) Personalized Tumbler (3) Inspirational Calendar (4) Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera Case (5) Brushed Steel & Leather Business Card Holder (6) Garden Custom Stamp
These gifts are great whether your friend or family member is dorming after high school or getting a new apartment after college. Fun pillows and calendars as well as any other general home decor item can be a wonderful gift. They'll think of you every time they use it! Items like business card holders can also be great for networking through clubs or through work. For the photographer in your life who wants to document special memories, a cute instax carrier is perfect! Last but not least, my favorite, personalized stamps are a beautiful present because he or she can use it to send letters and packages back home. It's also really nice if they have moved to a new city or place to add a personal touch to all kinds of mail and commemorate the move!

UNDER $100: "I make a few extra bucks on the side"
(1) Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Speaker (2) Cheero 6000 mAh Danboard Power Bank (3) Beats by Dr. Dre In-Ear Headphones (4) Personalized Rocks Glasses (5) Kate Spade Cedar Street Rose Passport Holder (6) Herschel Novel Duffel Bag
My sister actually has the Bose speakers and I can safely say that they were the best gift. She loves using it to listen to music in her dorm room, jamming out with her friends. Along the same lines of music, good quality headphones can be a great gift. It can be used in the library to zone out other students studying or used on the commute to work or school. And of course, if he or she is using it to listen to music on a phone or tablet, a power bank might come in handy! This cute one can charge two devices...perfect for tech savvy graduates and also great for making friends. Know a guy who loves drinking? Just graduated and now has his own place? Personalized glassware can be so posh (also useful so other people don't drink out of your glass). For those who are planning to study abroad or travel a lot for work, a passport holder can be a wonderful present. It's functional but also pretty! Duffel bags also make great traveling items (or double as a gym bag/laundry bag/weekend bag).

OVER $100: "I'm balling and flaunting it"
(1) Movado BOLD Watch 25mm (2) Vitamix Pro 750 (3) Salvatore Ferragamo Tramezza Bifold Wallet (4) Ted Baker Adira Colour Block Shopper Bag (5) Ted Baker Alanie Hanging Gardens Suitcase (6) Fitbit Blaze
There are certain accessories that can really amp up your professional game and watches are one of them. I like this sleek silver one because it's not too thick of a band and it's a color that works with every outfit. Next, a good blender is all the rage. Eating healthy is so important whether you are living on your own or tempted by the endless meals in the cafeteria. A fancy leather wallet can also be a great gift because it's something that can be used everyday and it looks so chic! Same with a good tote bag. Carry it to class with notebooks or to work with files...it's a staple. A suitcase can be a bit of a splurge item but having one handy makes traveling a breeze. I especially like carry-on sized suitcases because checking in luggage is a nightmare. Lastly...gotta work off those extra pounds put on by freshman fifteen or because you (or your graduate friend) has been binging on takeout food. A fitbit is great for the grad who likes working out or needs motivation to work out!

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Are you considering buying any of these for your friends who are graduating? Or maybe you are about to reach that milestone and would like one of these gifts for yourself. I'd love to hear your thoughts so leave it below as always :)

It's finally starting to cool down here in New England, which is awesome because sweaters and boots are coming back! I'm so sad that September is already winding down but it reminded me that it's still back-to-school season. In honor of that, I'm dedicating this post to my personal college experience and a tip that might help those who are unsure if they want to pursue a fashion degree.


Let's start with some background.

From a young age, I knew I loved fashion. I wanted a glamorous career. Mind you, this was 12-year old Jenn's ambitious thoughts. As I got older and I was about to graduate high school, many of my teachers asked me if it was wise to study such a specialized field like Fashion Merchandising rather than a broader field like Business. Truthfully, I was so stubborn and set in my ways that I went ahead and entered a school known for its fashion program.


The four years I spent there were great. I learned a lot about the fashion industry. I did many presentations covering fashion history, sustainability, economics, whatever. I participated in fashion shows. I learned how to draw flats and design clothes. Photoshop. Fashion photography. Everything was exciting and fun. I gained a lot of experience as a result. However, so did my friends. Those who went to bigger universities to study Business or Marketing landed amazing jobs as well. I realized by the end that it was not about what I studied but how I used that knowledge to my advantage. It was upsetting because I finally understood how limiting a specialized major can be, especially if you decide you want to do something else by the end.

So here I am now, going back to grad school to get a degree in Communications.

My lesson and tip to you isn't that all specialized majors are bad. However, as a high school student or even a college freshmen, research, research, research. Talk to someone you know who has majored in the field you're interested in. Get their opinion about how beneficial the degree actually is. Talk to some professors from various departments and listen to their personal life story...how did they get to where they are now? The more you know, the better off you are to make a good decision. Because let's face it...college isn't cheap. I wish I had done this when I was in high school but I was too busy focused on my own agenda. So if you decide you do want to pursue a fashion career and you want a fashion degree, make sure you are absolutely passionate about it.


I hope that was helpful to some of you. If not, pass the tip along to someone you know who might need the advice! Let me know what college/university tips you have down below!



Bye for now,
Jenn

BTS: 3 Looks by asmallbit featuring pattern high waisted shorts

I remember always feeling this sense of unbearable dread before the first day of school. Not knowing what to expect made me feel out of control. But the one thing I looked forward to without fail was planning my outfit. What would I wear to dazzle my friends and classmates this year...to show off the "new" me after summer had passed? Thinking back, it was pretty silly of me to be so concerned with that but it allowed me to gain some semblance of control so I rolled with it.

Today, I created three different looks to hopefully inspire you to take the new school year by storm!

The first look is an easygoing jeans and T-shirt combo, when you can't be bothered to sift through your closet. Pair your favorite ripped jeans and cropped tee for a comfortable but figure-flattering outfit. If your school has strict regulations, throw on a cool-toned flannel for subtle color and extra length! Throw on a playful backpack and your trusty sneakers and off you go!

The second look is for all the girly girls out there. I am all about comfort so I opted to mix a sleek, indigo/purple/blue tank with floral shorts. As much as I like wearing skirts, shorts will help you conquer the day without worrying about anyone looking up to see your hoo-hah. Jazz the whole outfit with blinging sandals and finish with a clean, white tote to balance everything.

The third look is a sporty chic, sweatshirt and leggings combo. Without fail, leggings are basically the better looking version of sweatpants. The adidas ones I chose have stripes on the side that help elongate the legs. Plus, it's a step up from plain black ones. If you're like me and you hate showing your crotch/butt, layer the sweatshirt with a longer tank top (I picked one that matches the color of the leggings and has a nice motivational quote). This way, you can choose to take the sweatshirt off if it gets too hot by the end of the school day and still look sporty chic! Amp up the casual look with metallic sandals, pearl studs, and a structured leather bucket bag. Boom. Done.


What are your go-to looks for school? I'd love to hear about it so leave it down below!


Bye for now,
Jenn

Can anyone else believe it's May already? I literally felt like I had just returned to school from winter break and now I'm already done with spring semester. Unbelievable.

In other news, our class is putting on the annual fashion show that our college has and I have the jitters and some minor anxiety about how it's all going to go down. Hopefully, everything runs smoothly and kind of works out but I am so paranoid right now that something is going to go wrong like missing bra straps or the microphone not turning on. Ack. Does anyone else ever have those weird paranoia moments?? Because I feel like I'm experiencing those all the time and it might just be due to me being crazy but it definitely can't just be me...

Also, the rare occasion when I actually dress up... all the people backstage are going to be in the finale of the show so I have decided to pull out my pleather skirt for all to see.


Top: H&M
Skirt: Marshall's
Shoes: Payless (from like centuries ago...)
Earrings: Forever21

Anyway, this post is probably super pointless and the photo quality is unbearable but I thought I'd just stop by to say hi. Thanks as always for taking the time to read this. I really do appreciate it!

If you like my posts, follow me on bloglovin!

~Jenn

Well, as predicted, I am back after a month (technically a little over a month but no one is really keeping track, right?). In the blink of an eye, I feel as though my spring semester as a junior has flown by and before I know it, it will be spring break. Professors aren't lying when they say spring semesters go by quick.

I have been keeping busy with school projects and papers as well as work but that's pretty much my lame excuse for not blogging. I sincerely wish summer would come so that I would have time to blog more often as I did the past summer!

Anyway, the shoe selection at my workplace has switched to sandals. I am (as most are) eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring and warmer weather to grace us all but oddly enough, I haven't been all that excited about sandals and such. Lately, I've been pining away at sneakers.

No idea why.

In the past shopping trip, I bought two pairs of sneakers, one right after the other. I seriously didn't even realize I had already bought a pair until I returned to the car with my second pair and discovered the bag sitting in the back seat...

{sigh} problems of a shoe addict. I'm sure some of you will understand.

The whole point of this post isn't to serve as a platform for my ramblings or to talk about my crazy shoe obsession! Today, I will be sharing loads of pictures of flatform sneakers that I have been craving since the Fall season. Apologies if I'm a little late in the bandwagon but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.

Aldo's Nezvalle
Aldo's Mutou
Urban Outfitter's Y.R.U. Merk Elevation Flatform Sneaker
Nasty Gal's Zomg Platform Sneaker in Cosmic
MissKL's Jeffrey Campbell Hiya Sneaker in White Chain
SoleStruck's Jeffrey Campbell Homg in Black Floral
SoleStruck's Jeffrey Campbell Homg Stud in Black Suede Black
SoleStruck's Jeffrey Campbell Tronic in Light Pink Croco White
SoleStruck's Jeffrey Campbell Kirk in Bone Black
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So this has somehow turned into a Jeffrey Campbell Appreciation Post...not that I have a problem with that (hopefully, you don't either).

If it so happens that I end up straying away from my blog again, I promise to come back within a month. Most likely, I'll be coming up with some outfits for the spring/summer months in the next post so look forward to that :)

Speaking of shoes, I know in my last post I wrote something about sketching shoes and while I still have great interests, I haven't made much progress. BUT!

Here is one of them. I don't take credit for the design. I was actually inspired by a project that one of my classmates did in a Visual Merchandising class last semester and decided to draw it because I loved it so much.


Please ignore the embrace-the-relaxed-college-student-lifestyle hairdo and my choice of attire (two thumbs up for Big Bang Theory fans!).

Let me know how you guys have been and what you think of these shoes. I honestly love them but I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea or coffee or whatever caffeinated beverage you choose to consume.

See you all soon!

~Jenn

Ahhhh. Why is this becoming my life blog?

Same old story. Busy with school. Work. and sleeping, obviously. I just haven't had any time to update. I feel so behind with everything and it's stressing me out. But!

I just added some magazine clippings to my dorm wall, which makes everything a little better, especially since one of them has llamas in it. or alpacas. I can't really tell. Either way.

Recently, for a group project, we did a window display for Goodwill. Admittedly, that's a pretty awesome thing to be able to say. Not sure if I'd ever have a career in visual merchandising but it was an experience, at least.

I also turned 21. Celebratory moment in my life. Except not, because I had work that evening.

I have a shirt with a bunny on it. Rabbit?



Another project for my visual class! This picture doesn't show the completed look but close enough. Yayyy for shoes and word puns.

Asian birthday cake! Because it's impossible to eat anything else on your birthday...

The best shirt ever. EVER.


I hope your week has been going amazingly! I'm getting sadder and sadder as the weather gets progressively colder. But no fear! This is the perfect excuse to go out and buy tons of boots :)

Let me know down below your favorite boot trend/boot you own!

-Jenn

Surely, I've mentioned on this blog on several occasions that I'm a college student and a fashion major. Blahblah, you know the drill.

This upcoming semester (in about 4 days), I'll be a junior! Yay, hurrah, finally.

I have no idea if any of my readers are just entering college or going to be in college or already in college. Maybe you just moved out and are living on your own. Or maybe this post is totally useless to you???

Either way, as with all things that I write, I hope you find inspiration and enjoy :)

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STORY TIME

Packing can be a complete nightmare, especially for college and if you live far from home. Luckily, my college was somewhat close so if I forgot anything or needed anything, it wasn't a hassle to get it.

My freshman year, I roomed with three other people. All of us pretty much packed our entire homes with us, just in case we had weird emergencies that required us to whip out ten extra blankets or fifty pairs of socks. Needless to say, our inexperienced freshman selves knew only to come prepared.

Only when summer vacation rolled around did we realize how much stuff, for lack of a better word, we had tucked away in every nook and cranny and crevice of our room. Sweaters that were never worn, lint rollers that were never used, tissue boxes that collected dust, and light bulbs that never saw the light of day. Packing it all away proved to be a more challenging feat than we anticipated.

I swear, one year, my roommate literally just dumped all of her junk into garbage bags and called it a day.

My greatest advice: pack what you need. and pack lots of undergarments.

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TIPS

1. Bras and underwear.
Pack a lot. Make sure they're ones you actually wear! I made a sad mistake of bringing many new bras that I had never tried before and they were so uncomfortable to wear that I left them to take up space for the rest of the semester. Same with underwear. The fun thing about this is that you can avoid doing laundry for longer (which is a godsend when you're too tired or busy to care about laundry).

Lion Roar Ankle Socks2. Socks.
Same philosophy, really. Especially for the winter, socks are a staple! You can never have enough.

3. Bring clothes that don't require too much fuss.
I hate wearing sweaters that need tank tops underneath because the knit is too loose or shirts that need to be hand washed. It takes up extra space in my suitcase/closet and it just takes up too much time.

4. Clothes that don't transfer color in the wash.
Personally, I wear a lot of dark colors anyway so doing laundry isn't hard for me, since I literally just dump it all in with no real concerns. I guess this depends on your style and how often you do laundry.

Good Cook EZClean Nonstick 3-qt. Sauce Pan5. Eating utensils/cooking stuff.
If you have a kitchen in your dorm or you like to make food, I recommend bringing a pot that can be used for multiple things. Something medium sized, nonstick, with a handle and a lid. You can make pasta, stir fry broccoli, chicken, ramen, whatever. It'll come in handy! Having a spoon, fork, and knife is useful too.

6. Emergency toilet paper rolls.
Sounds weird esp if your school has people cleaning and restocking the bathrooms but I've had a few occasions where the people don't come or there's no more toilet paper anywhere and it becomes a dire situation between your bladder and the inefficiency of the school's maintenance crew. So, having an extra roll will save you. trust me.

7. One thin and one thick blanket.
Depending on where you live, the room could be hot as hell or colder than your freezer so having one of each will be nice! Plus, if it gets super cold, you can layer both!

8. Two pillowcases and two bed sheets.
Remember to wash one set every so often to stay clean! All the bacteria build-up on the pillow can lead to face acne. and who wants that...

9. Scissors and tape.
If you like decorating your room with pictures or just have random threads in your shirt that you need to cut off, these things will be helpful :) plus, I'm pretty sure I went through tons of tape. I don't even know why...

Beginner's Sewing Kit10. Sewing kit.
Doesn't have to be intense or anything but it's good to have if you rip a hole in something or have a fashion catastrophe.

11. Hand sanitizer.
Do I even need to explain this??

12. Disinfectant spray.
Again. You can never be too safe!

Women's New Classic Flip-Flop13. Flip flops (Waterproof).
I pretty much live in my flip flops at my dorm because it's convenient and they're wonderful for when you get out of the shower to prevent the floor from getting wet and gross. Come on, let's be respectful of the people who get in the shower after you :/

14. Portable fan.
During the spring semester, it can get nasty hot so this will help combat it!

Blue Q Large Stand up Shopping Tote15. Laundry tote bag.
Does anyone know those 99 cent bags you see near the cash register of Marshall's or TJMaxx? Well, thanks to my mom, those are the only bags I'll use for carrying laundry because it's much easier than lugging around those pop up hampers. Doing laundry was a pain because the machines were all the way downstairs and if you're anything like me, carrying 2 weeks worth of clothes isn't ever a walk in the park.

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Those are my tips! I'm sure even if you aren't in college or uni anymore, they can be helpful in your everyday life :)

What was your college experience? Let me know!

~Jenn

How are you guys?? It's only been a few days but it literally feels like it's been forever since I've last written anything on here.

Just had my last day of classes as a sophomore and finished all my finals today. Kind of been relaxing and doing some last minute packing for the past few days, which is why I haven't posted anything yet.

Hmm.

What have you guys been up to lately? Spot any cool trends you want to share? Let me know!

As for when my next post will be, I will probably try to post something this weekend once I get home.

And maybe a little rant...fashion-related, of course. A little bit of my college life crisis, too. So that should be interesting.


Until the weekend,
{kiss kiss}
~Jenn