Life, Lately: Pre-College

As I write this, I'm sitting in my dorm room, facing the semi-crooked tapestry I illegally hung with pushpins. I've been at school for about a week and a half, and it feels like I never left. It's good to be home. As per usual, I'm behind on posting (how am I constantly busy? What am I actually doing with my time), so here are a few photos from the week before I left, and there will be many more photos to come from 'Berg :)

This is what I miss most about being away from home. At least I got a little cuddling in before I left!

Product of the Week

When it comes to doing my nails, I can be quite lazy. I regularly make vows to myself to either stop biting my nails, get them done every week, or take off the polish once it starts to chip, but I never follow through with them. That's why when I do actually paint my nails, I have one product that I absolutely adore. Besides waiting for the polish to dry, my least favorite part of doing my nails would be attempting to remove all the polish with nail polish remover. I have an affliction to cotton balls, so I would try to use paper towel, and it would end up shedding everywhere. Enter e.l.f. nail polish remover pads. I randomly picked them up one day at Target, since they were only two dollars. When I used them, I was amazed by the product. They come in a set of 12, and I can use one pad to clean off all ten nails. Although they have a little bit of a weird smell, it's nothing compared to acetone. They also don't sting, which is a problem that I would run into a lot (I may or may not bite my cuticles...). I would highly recommend these, because there's really no better way to remove nail polish. The pads are mess free, and way more inexpensive than other nail polish removers. 

(e.l.f. professional Nail Polish Remover Pads)

Hunky Dory

My other big birthday present this year was a new pair of sneakers. I have a pair of Nike Frees that I wear to the gym, and I wanted to get another pair that I'd wear on a more daily basis. They weren't at the top of my list, but when I saw that Nike was doing a collaboration with Liberty of London, I knew I had to get a pair! I was able to customize them on the Nike website, and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Although they're a little bit more blue than I thought they'd be, they're super comfy and I know I'll get some good wear out of them! I forgot to take photos the two times I've worn them out so far, so some photos of just the shoes will have to suffice :)

Naturally, when I found out I could customize them, I had to add my favorite phrase to them!

An Inevitable Change

 A new school year always brings change. This year, the big change was getting glasses. Bad eyesight runs in both sides of my family, so it was pretty inevitable that I would eventually have to get glasses. Although I can see pretty well, they'll be helpful for seeing the board and driving. I'm just lucky I don't have to wear them all the time! I had to quickly find a pair before I left, and I decided on these Oliver Peoples. It's a frame I never would normally have chosen, but I'm glad they got them (and I think they make me look smarter!). So far it's been an interesting experience, and I hope I adjust to them soon!

(belt: grandmother's; dress: love)

Birthday Bag

One of my favorite ways to procrastinate is by online shopping. I love hunting for deals, and have been known to cross check items across many different websites. :) I'm also signed up for websites like Gilt and Hautelook, and when I'm really putting off work, I check my email for their daily deals. Awhile ago, I randomly checked Gilt and saw that they were having a Marc by Marc Jacobs sale. Never one to pass up an opportunity to get a Marc Jacobs back, I immediately checked out the sale. When I saw this bag, I fell in love. I've been looking for a nice camera bag for ages, and haven't had much success. Although this is still a little tight for my T3i and lens, I couldn't be happier! Even though this sale was months ago, we decided to put it away until my birthday. And I have to say, the wait made it that much better :) I can't wait to start using it, and my 19th Birthday is off to a very good start!

It's the prettiest dark blue leather!

I love the detailing - I can't stand when bags are over the top!

Life, Lately: Vacation Edition

In less than 12 hours, I will be back in Pennsylvania, moving into my dorm. It's crazy to think how fast this summer has gone, and I'm still not quite ready to let go of my summer mindset. For the most part, it was a great summer - I got to go to the beach for the first time in years, and I was kept busy with seeing friends and work. I'm dreading the idea of going back to organic chemistry and calculus, but I'm hoping that the transition won't be too bad ;) and since I just love Ocracoke so much, I can't resist sharing some photos from the trip! More can be found on my instagram, too :)

I will never, ever, ever get sick of these sunsets!

One of the best feelings ever: doing yoga on the beach in my blackmilk R2D2 swimsuit!

Maxed Out

I know I've been terrible lately with keeping up with my blog. I'm pretty sure everything I've posted lately a third grader could write, and I apologize for that. Coming back from vacation, I've plunged head first into the week-before-college chaos. My days have been filled with doctors appointments (some good, some bad), packing, seeing friends, and of course, some birthday celebrations :) It's been crazy, and when I come home I usually last five minutes before I pass out; which means that there has been little time for blogging. Hopefully I'll get back on track soon, and have a couple fun posts up. 

In New York, it's already starting to feel like fall. I've worn jeans the past few days, and carried around a heavy cardigan. Between the rain and the cooler temperatures, I feel as though summer is slipping away from me. And the weather is going to be even worse in Pennsylvania. So for now, I'll try and hold onto the memories of sitting and reading on the beach, and try to get some final uses out of my summer wardrobe. 

(hat: goorin bros; necklace: gift; tank top: brandy melville; skirt: brandy melville; shoes: saltwater sandals)

Basic with a Twist

A while ago, FACE Stockholm sent me a couple products to review. I wrote about the nail polish here, and the other product they sent me is their latest Dream Cream Eyeshadow. Overall, I was very happy with the product! It glides on like a dream, and the color stays all day. I was sent the color Siden, which is an opalescent grey-pink. Since Siden is such a light shade, it did require some building up, but the end result is a beautiful neutral that can be paired with anything.

Ocracoke

This week I'm finally back in Ocracoke, North Carolina. As much as I'm a city girl, there's still a part of me that feels most at home on the beach. My family and I used to go to Ocracoke every year, and this is the first year since 2009 that I've been able to go back. Whether it's taking a walk to the Pirate's Chest or Albert Styron's Store (abbreviated ASS, of course), buying my groceries at the Variety Store, or going out on the porch to find, gasp, actual constellations in the sky, I am so happy to be back here. I've been spending my days taking photos, reading on the beach, catching up on Orange is the New Black, and boogie boarding. More photos and posts will be up soon, but for now I'm enjoying my little bit of vacation before I head back to school! 

Not pictured: the lovely burn I got after one day at the beach!
(Sunglasses: Ray-Bans; Shirt: Urban Outfitters; Pants: borrowed/H&M Kids; Shoes: Tevas)

Holographic

When it comes to nail polish, I'm usually a creature of habit. I frequently fall back on my trusty bottle of Essie's Tart Deco, and if I'm not sporting that, it's usually a similar pastel shade. However, FACE Stockholm recently sent me one of their newest Holographic Nail Polishes to check out. I chose the shade Athena, which is a silvery shade reminiscent of holographic sticker sheets. At first I was a little nervous about trying such an eye-catching shade, but after trying it out, I am head over heels in love. 

(Nail Polish: FACE Stocholm's Holographic Nail Polish in Athena [c/o])
Apologies for the messy manicure - I was in a hurry!