Loving the Crew ♥

Every time I walk into J. Crew during my breaks at work I am filled with euphoria. The brand is just perfection! The stores are marvelous! I love all the sequins, the stripes, the clean cut looks , the quirky little finds that I don't need. So here's a mini post dedicated to just a few of the things I am in love with from J. Crew right now.

Something I Need♥

Spring is fast approaching and the trends have been in store since the end of January. I always have a craving for a new bag right before the beginning of a new season ( and by that I mean all year) and this season isn't any different. While most are in searching for the perfect pastel or neon shade, I am searching for black. I purchased an orange Michael Kors Hamilton bag for my birthday, which is quite enough color for the year, so now I decided I need a good black leather bag.

Black leather bags are a great investment because black can be worn all year round and if the leather quality is great the bag will be able to handle the heat. Here are my top options (clockwise starting from the right) :

- Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC

-Marc by Marc Jacobs lil Ukita

- Tory Burch Amanda Hobo

-Marc by Marc Jacobs Hobo Hillier

Lace it on me ♥

A few of my friends have been asking me about the dress above. It's an H&M dress I purchased back during the beginning of the holiday season and wore recently on my birthday vacation. The picture doesn't do it justice, especially because it doesn't show the tiny gold detailing intertwined with the ivory lace! Since my friends are so fond of it I've been trying to find some other options. I have found an affordable look-a- like at Nordstrom, which I actually like better than my dress ( pictured & labeled below) , but here are some other options:

Free People

Diane Von Furstenberg

Soprano

This is the dress that came closest to mine. I love it so much more because of the back!

Sass & Bide

Now this is my FAVORITE! It's not the same full lace as the other options, but it's a great way to take the trend and make it more outstanding.

Resolutions & Such things

It's a whole New Year and although it is no longer the the first, my new years resolution list has not come to a halt . I don't neccessarily want to call my list of improvements "resolutions" , I'd refer to them as "improvements". Last year I told myself I would try to read more books and drink more water ( I also told myself I'd save more money instead of shopping all the time and well, you can guess how that went). This year my list is a tad more precise and longer.

1. Read at least ten books

- This is a challenge because not only am I a lazy book lover, but I'm really busy with school and work every single day.

2. Be Positive

- Last year my positivity meter went to a crazy low and I don't want that to happen again. I'm usually an optimist and happy even when my life is a drag ( which is has been the past year).

3. Learn to be alone

- I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, being by myself, and making sure I survive without much help. My problem is I depend on others for little things like helping me make decisions or going with me places. I can't make a decision on my own for my life. I become full of anxiety if I have to go somewhere by myself sometimes. I need to learn to just be, I'm 21 for goodness sake.

4. Yoga or such

- I am not Yoga master, but I have utilized Yoga OnDemand at home and love it. I've been on the hunt for a great Yoga place that might fit into my not always stable schedule. Yoga is known for its aid to health, relaxation and stress among other things & I need stress relief more than you'll ever know!

5. Follow Your heart

- This is not like the others, this one is a major life decision. I want to change my major from Nursing to something I've been contemplating for a long time. I don't want to really say because I have had this major epiphany at least 3 times each year in the past 3 years.

I'm unusually excited about this year and my ambition to just do ANYTHING! My list is not final and I will probably keep adding to it all year, which is completely fine.

21 & Full of Fun ♥

I'm finally 21!

At the beginning of the month I left for West Palm Beach, Florida with my best friend to celebrate my 21st somewhere warm. It was absolutely amazing and the weather was gorgeous! Being on the beach on my birthday is not the usual for me so I was loving every moment. I decided to name this year my year of Glitter, what can be better than glitter & sparkle?

In the first pic - Dress : H&M , Shoes: Aldo , Necklace: Forever21

Less is More

I have never, ever considered myself trendy. I know trends, I know how to make them work for other people, I know when they look good on other people, but I dive right in myself. But this fall I've been in love with all the trends! My favorite being "the minimalist", and mostly minimalist bags. Yes, this fall if you're not going for the super trendy, one season only bags try these all year , good for everyday bags! The key is keep it simple; Less logos, less pizzazz, less is more!

Zara Plaited Shopper

Michael Kors Hamilton Tote

Anya Hindmarch

Halogen Everyday Tote

I like to lean more toward the nice cognac brown color because of its great neutral & rich look without going to typical overly chic black. Don't get me wrong, black is a great color, but I personally prefer cognac ♥

Fall obsessions thus far ♥

I absolutely HATE when it begins to get cold out & summer begins to wind down. I also hate dressing for fall, I prefer less clothing, dresses & showing off my long legs. But for some reason this year's fall fashion has caught my eye (maybe because I realized I have no fall attire at all) . Here's the things I have already began to add to my collection for fall or am still on the hunt for!

Cable Knit Sweaters

Kourtney Kardashian, Her Celine luggage tote, and her boots!

Simple leather totes

Olive Green Pants ( or olive green anything)

Blazers & again Kourtney Kardashian

Leopard Flats

Elbow Patch Cardigans

Some other items I didn't include are: Chiffon & other lovely fabrics, riding boots, gold jewelry & Coats!