Graduation

I'm back! I told you in my last post that I would be taking some time off from blogging as I finished my last semester of college. I really wanted to focus on not only my school work, but also experiencing everything that college had to offer before I left for the real world. I really loved my college experience and I would not trade it for the world.

My mom and I, college seriously would not have been possible without all of her support

Of course boyfriend and Bella made an appearance 

#tbt anyone? These are my two best friends from college. We lived on the same freshman hall and have been friends ever since. The picture on the left is from homecoming freshman year, we look like such babies. 

I don't have any pictures on my camera of what I wore underneath, but I kept it simple. I wore a navy and white stripped dress and my jacks. Maybe I'll try to track down a picture for an outfit post soon.

I'm glad to be back to blogging!

Essie Resort Collection

Sorry for the long absence but I'm back at school and I won't have much time to post with all the reading and writing etc. So, I'll be stopping in a writing posts when I can but I'm sure they will be infrequent and probably pretty short.

Anyway, I'm here today to share Essie's new resort collection. I am obsessed, but actually I want all of the colors.

Image

Aren't these perfect for that trip you have planned to the Bahamas this winter?! Haha just kidding, more realistically these summery colors will just help us all weather the polar vortex. 

Find Me an Oasis | Cocktails and Coconuts | Under the Twilight | Resort Fling

I especially love the dark purple color "Under the Twilight," I don't think it would look out of place during any season. Light blue, "Find me an Oasis," is the perfect way to work pastels into your winter wardrobe. Am I the only one that loves pastels in the winter, but thinks I can't pull them off? 

The Perfect Work Bag

For the past few weeks, I have been obsessing over Dagne Dover. They are a fab little company based in NYC and they make the most wonderful totes! I stalk their social media {Instagram} obsessively because everything they post is drool worthy.

I think their bag is the perfect work bag. I am completely, weirdly obsessed with having everything with me at all times (just me?) because a girl never knows what she's going to need away from home. Recently I've been loving the Hudson Blue version because I'm obsessed with this color remember?

In reality I'd probably opt for the Dagne Blue, their signature color, because its still a fun pop of color but a little darker. Knowing me I will get it dirty and this gorgeous light blue probably wouldn't handle it, sad. 

What I really love about this bag is the structure. There is a slot for your laptop, iPad, phone, anything you could imagine keeping in your bag could find a home. No more tote clutter! I love my Longchamp as much as the next person, but I hate searching hours for a pen or chapstick!

 My absolute favorite pocket is the water bottle pocket. I alway carry water with me, so this eliminates my constant fear of my water bottle leaking all over my bag. Game changer! 

Plus this bkr in boy, it seems like a match made in heaven, no?

As if it couldn't get any better, Dagne Dover makes the perfect clutch/wallet to match! This is seriously one of the most functional wallets I have ever seen. I love how everything is laid out. 

Something else I love about this company is that all their products are made in New York. I can get behind anything made in the U.S. 

Too bad, a Dagne Dover bag is a little out of my price range for the time being, but as I graduate college this spring, I will be looking for a big girl bag for work and this tote is definitely on the short list. 

Does anyone have any other suggestions for good work bags?

*All photographs were taken by Dagne Dover

Dog Days of...Winter?

The past week or so it has been absurdly cold, and it just seems to be getting worse. Needless to say, I have been holed up in my nice warm house for the most part. However, everyone has to venture out now and again. The other day it was relatively nice out, so we decided to take our puppy for a short walk to get out some energy. The boyfriend and I bundled up and off we went.

I have always thought dog coats were a little silly, what kind of dog needs a coat? I mean they have fur, am I right? I always thought it was about the owner showing off. Well, on this walk, I completely changed my mind. Poor puppy started limping from the snow and cold concrete on her paws and she was shivering from the wind. My heart absolutely broke, I made boyfriend carry her the rest of the way home.

Sad story aside, you need to think about your furry friend during this super cold spell we're having. Here are some picks for keeping your fur baby happy throughout the winter.

Waxed Jacked | A jacket to keep the shivers away. I think this one is actually tolerable and doesn't look as silly as some dog coats. I definitely think this is on Bella's birthday/christmas list for next year. 

Booties | These booties will keep ice balls out of her toes and her sensitive paws off the freezing pavement. After our walk the other day, I'm starting to see these as a must have. Not for every day of course but for those couple weeks a year where temps drop and theres a lot of snow, ice and salt on the ground. 

Musher's Secret Paw Protector | I've also noticed that lately Bella's paw pads are really dry, to the point of cracking. I want to get her something to soothe her feet. This brand has great reviews and its all natural. I was also reading that coconut oil works well too. I'll have too dry it and check back. 

Oatmeal Shampoo | Bella was born with dry skin, when she was really little she had crazy bad dandruff. So, we bought her this shampoo and I think it really helped to soothe her dry skin. This is also great to have when puppy skin starts to dry out in the winter. If your puppy starts to scratch a lot, it might be time for a bath. 

Gosh I hope this post doesn't make me sound like too much of a crazy dog mom.

Navy Peacoat

Ok, I'm super excited to do my first outfit post today! I mentioned a while ago that my number one gift request for this Christmas was a navy L.L. Bean peacoat. Let me tell you, its great! I was a little skeptical because I didn't necessarily like it on the L.L. Bean model, it looked too boxy in my opinion. After I tried it on, it was great, so I wanted to share! If you're looking for a classic coat, this is the one. I got the Thinsulate lining, so its super warm too!

Scarf (old), similar here | Coat | Boots | Glasses

Special thanks to my boyfriend for taking photos.