Athleisure Lovers Rejoice!

The Gods have opened up the gates and have granted the one wish we  women have all been praying for: athletic wear is now socially acceptable to casually wear in public (yes, this includes yoga pants!) Add these two topics of discussion together and you have one of the fashion industries’ most talked about topics, #Athleisure – and man oh man am I loving it!

If you have ever been to college, had a full-time job or just naturally enjoy being comfortable, yet presentable, your level of excitement is probably just as high as mine. Coming home from your daily grind, rolling out of bed to head to class or if you ever left the house thinking “I’d rather not wear colored jeans, a blouse and heels to run to the grocery store” then you know exactly what I am talking about.

So let’s break this down. First and foremost, this isn’t a new concept. Women everywhere have turned to this style daily, at various times of their life. However, what makes the whole idea even better is that yes, that fashion industry is indeed turning it into something to talk about, but we no longer have to rely only on those “sporty” brands to make our athleisure purchases (Nike, Reebok, Adidas etc.) That’s right, casual-wear brands and more are turning to athletic lines that we females have turned in to something more than just articles of clothing to wear while we burn those cals. Brands like Free People, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie even Lilly Pulitzer, are all trying to work their way into this market to fit the needs of athleisure lovers everywhere. We also can’t forget about the the brands that have already been in the game for quite some time like, Lululemon, Athleta, Patagonia and more, while also remembering that for every great athleisure outfit comes a cute pair of sneaks, try these or these. And like every other clothing trend accessories are important; watches, headbands and other accessories are all necessities.

So athleisure lovers rejoice! If you loved it before, you’ll love it even more now.  The market for this trend is continuing to grow – which from my perspective is phenomenal! Women of all ages embrace this look and I hope this is a trend that never goes out of style (if it does I will carry it on!)

Personally, I turn to athleisure quite often. Obviously when heading to a workout, but now even to run errands, hangout with friends or lounge around the house. I am not afraid to admit that I am also very jealous of those who work in an environment where athleisure is acceptable – at my office, not so much, but a girl can dream. So once again athleisure lovers, rejoice! We can live a cute, casual and comfortable life in our athleisure clothes and enjoy every minute of it!

For related articles check out: this, this, this, and this.

June Necessities

The necessities of June revolve entirely around by busy schedule and a month full of travelling. This first week of June I am in Michigan for work, following a brief weekend vacation in Washington, D.C. Throughout the rest of the month I will also be traveling to Pittsburgh, Minnesota and possibly Baltimore.

With a month this jam packed of spending little time at home, I have declared each of the following a necessity for any girl’s traveling routine.

1. With a mix of travelling for work and for pleasure comes along some tricky packing situations. Even on work trips, while almost every outfit is instructed and scheduled, there still leaves some time for casual ensembles to be worn. After purchasing this Printed Cutaway Top from J. Crew not too long ago I have found that it is a great piece to transition from a casual to business look. For work and other business occasions, I pair it with a pair of khaki or blue dress plants, a blue blazer and nude heels. It is then as simple as losing the blazer, changing in to a pair of white skinny jeans, while keeping the top and nude heels for a bright, yet casual look. Whether for work or play this top is versatile, a statement piece and the perfect traveling outfit choice.

2. My Lilly Pulitzer Tumbler is a great companion while travelling. The tumbler is obviously adorable and does a fabulous job of keeping my drinks icy cold. It provides a cute way to carry your drinks, withstands the heat and allows for easy refills; which is also eco-friendly! These large tumblers are an easy clean-up and like I mentioned, THE perfect companion for traveling.

3. For comfort and style I turn to my Luck Brand Platform Wedge Sandals. A total inspiration from my mom, these heels are the shoe for comfort, height and complete summer fashion. Whether you are driving or flying, maintaining a stylish look is a must. If you are one of the few that choose heels for travel may I recommend these cork sole wedges by Lucky. The wedge provides total foot comfort and the natural stretch linen straps hug your feet so it feels like you are wearing nothing at all.

4. No matter how much you use your phone, it is something we all rely on, yet we all seem to be running on a low battery when we need it most. My fourth must-have to travel is this all white Power Bank portable smart phone charger. External battery chargers are becoming more and more popular; coming in many color, sizes and prices. This sleek 4 inch charger is very inexpensive and comes with an attachment making it easy to keep track of. For an inexpensive tech gadget it preforms rather well; supplying two dead smartphones with two 100% batteries.

5. There is one thing that I can’t stand about travelling, and that is missing my workouts. With crazy agendas, early morning or late night flights, and other unexpected situations, getting in a solid workout is somewhat challenging. However a recent discovery in the app store has solved this problem. The 7-Minute Workout App is a series of workouts that last only seven minutes. If you follow the plan exactly it really gets you moving and provides a great increase of your heart-rate.

A Graduation Celebration

Just as fast as I could blink, the graduation celebrations are over. The past few weeks have been nothing short of incredible, and what made it even more special were the friends and family that were around to share it. From the day of graduation to the graduation party held at my home and everyday in between, I have realized how truly blessed I am with great family and friends and all of the support they provide.

The graduation party came during a whirlwind of events; beginning my new job, memorial day weekend, out-of-town family and friends visiting, and transitioning from college to the normal everyday routine. However, a night of yummy food, drinks and friends was exactly what I needed.

Of course, the night was a success. Through the craziness, laughter and enjoyment of everyone’s company, it was a great way to kick off the summer. Not only was the company delightful, but I received a few adorable gifts that, although simple, were something I totally cherished. Some of my closest friends gifted the following that truly shows just how well they know me.

With beginning my new job and currently sitting in a very bland office, these Sarah Jessica Parker memo pads were an amazing gift to spice up my desk. Given to me by one of my best college friends, who clearly knows my style, tastes and love for all things cute, this small gift was a perfect one. Thanks Jess, love you!

Another best friend of mine from college gifted me Lilly Pulitzer’s perfume, Squeeze. Not only does she always gift me something Lilly, but she chose this scent that is absolutely ideal for the summer. If you are looking for a summer scent, I HIGHLY recommend! Thanks Liv (Olivia) love you! 

Finally, another favorite of mine, were these bracelets from a very close family friend. A best friend of my mom’s and a woman who has become a great friend to me over the years, knows how important my style is to me. Along with a few others, she gifted me these versatile bracelets from Chicos. Thanks Cath!

April Obsessions

April was a beautiful, yet stressful month, to say the least. However, the wonderful signs of spring were a great distraction from the amount of work that was piled up as the semester winds down. As it quickly comes to end and I have recently realized that it was throughout this month that I stumbled across a few of my current favorites.

Each spring I take part in the Estee Lauder free gift promotion and it is absolutely perfect that the gift is always a Lilly Pulitzer makeup bag. This year however, running low on cash and no real reason to purchase makeup, my mom made her $40 or more Estee Lauder purchase and re-gifted the Lilly bag to me. Perfect!

Another of my new favorite products are Luna Bars. Spending years in college I really have found a love for delicious on-the-go snacks, and protein/nutrition bars have become quite a favorite of mine.  Currently I am obsessed with the “Chocolate Dipped Coconut” flavor. So delicious!, and tastes just like a Somoa Girl Scout cookie!

Two of my previous posts have discussed the next few items on this list; my Donald J. Pliner Malibu wedge heels and Sally Hansen’s INSTA-DRI Petal Pusher nail polish. Both of these products are wonderful for the warm weather, and great to accent the feel of spring.

A last favorite is a blue and white striped Marin Dress by Tabitha from Anthropologie. I wore it to an event I had to cover on social media, paired it with the Malibu heels and added a colorful necklace; the look was to die for.

Each of the products and purchases not only were marvelous purchases for myself but, complemented the incoming warm weather. One thing I love about the changing of the seasons is how the weather is not the only transformation we see. Wardrobes, snacks, polish, activities and more all adapt to the season and temperature outside. Bright colors, easy snacks and floral prints are great signs of this transformation!

“The Next Big Thing” – Vine

Have you tried it? The newest, most explosive app on the market, Vine. Tech Crunch posted yesterday that “Twitter’s Vine Hits #1”! But, let’s take a few steps back to when I got my first glimpse of this #1 app.

I can recall it was exactly two and a half months ago that I first discovered this app because I posted my first video that same day. I was waiting to enter my Consumer Behavior class when I came across a tweet from Lilly Pulitzer. It looked like a normal link to click to view a video on Twitter, however I saw the word ‘vine’. I clicked the link watched the video and immediately downloaded the application and explored it even more. At this point of time there were very few people that already had access to the application, so only people I had the ability to follow were large companies like Lilly Pulitzer and Birchbox.

I was totally intrigued by the application the minute I first looked at it, however, it took quite a while until people really got into it. Like I mentioned, I initially followed large companies and brands but when I got the notification from my first follower that actually knew who I was, it really blew up.

Ever since its initial “blow up’ I have been able to do greater research on it, because all the blogs and tech news I read were continually posting articles about the application. According to Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo Vine is “the next big thing”. And just like we saw Facebook purchase Instagram and it take off as the newest and best app, I believe Vine will do the same, but with the help of Twitter.

As I read more articles about the new app, I realized that thanks to Jack Dorsey, one of the co-founders of Twitter, that Vine was purchased because Dorsey wanted Twitter to purchase it. With the constant pushing and “‘the know” that Vine was going to be a hit, Dorsey got the purchase he wanted.

The application is a video sharing app that allows users to share brief (about six seconds) videos that are produced onto a feed, just like we see on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. There is no better explanation then that, a video sharing application in the same format as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Just like Costolo said, “it is the next big thing”. To my knowledge, that is all this generation is about. We always talk about how this generation is totally intrigued about what is coming next and always looking to develop and/or create a new great idea. In the year 2013, here it is, Vine. We are seeing what everyone talks about play out right in front of our eyes.

Once Vine got the startup help that they needed from Twitter, the application sold itself. It brings two great features that all people like to see in social communication; accessibility and community. The Vine app is as simple as it gets when to it comes to recording and sharing videos. Hold down on the screen to record, lift your finger to stop. Not only is it simple, but it brings the community feel we get from other social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. With Vine’s direct connection with Twitter it makes it even easier to connect with friends we already have a social connection with.

I am receiving new friend notifications daily and have been noticing myself urging to post more videos. The application brings a whole new element to social media and social connections, one that can now be considered “the next big thing”.