June 30, 2014

PALMISTRY & THINGS

I strongly identify with being a Scorpio and I have always enjoyed reading my horoscope. I don't necessarily really believe in them, but I definitely think they are fun and that horoscopes often offer good advice for dealing with problems in your life. Recently, I have been back into reading my horoscope daily and on a recent visit to one of my favorite wine bars in San Francisco, I saw a giant piece of art that shows a palmistry guide in black and gold. I am completely obsessed and have been searching for a similar one for weeks. I have yet to find one, but between my horoscopes and that art, I am completely infatuated with all things mystical. Getting my palm read is next on my bucket list!

PALMISTRY & THINGS

Earrings, BCBGeneration $7.50 - Tarot Cards, Catbird NYC $40 - Zodiac Necklace, Need Supply $20
Fortune Telling Book, Amazon $10 -Palmistry Jewelry Stand, Urban Outfitters $20 - 
Poster, Wolf and Bird $16 - Sandles, Mystique $125 - Sweatshirt, Opening Ceremony $85 
Evil Eye Pillow, Urban Outfitters $34 - Triangle Pillow, Urban Outfitters $54 
Palm Pillow, Urban Outfitters $44 - Evil Eye Bangle, C. Wonder $34
Moon Phases Art, Etsy $5 (Digital Download) - Charm Bracelet, BooHoo $12

June 26, 2014

FREE PEOPLE TANK

I spotted this Free People tank and knew I had to have it for the summer. It is great for wearing on hot summer days, and could also be used as a beach cover-up or layered over a dress.


TANK

Tank, Free People $48 - Jeans, Topshop $48 - Necklace, Luv AJ $33
Sunglasses, Shades Daddy $30 - Bralette, American Eagle $15 - Ring, BaubleBar $24 
Clutch, Witchery $50 - Slides, ASOS $38

June 20, 2014

FRIDAY LINKS

You guys, I am proud of myself. I have been experimenting in the kitchen lately and have not burned down my apartment yet. Lolololol but real talk, I am trying to eat a healthier diet and therefore eat less processed food, so I have been doing a lot of home cooking. Tonight, I made freaking excellent sweet potato burgers (the recipe link is under the "Healthy Living" tab!), to which my boyfriend bit in and said "Wow" with a lot of emphasis. A very impressed "wow". My cooking usually warrants a shrug with "Yeah, it's pretty good", from whoever is eating it (including myself), so I am very happy that I made something healthy AND tasty. If you have any other great, healthy recipes, please send them my way!  


I hope you have a rad weekend

June 19, 2014

LOOK FOR LESS: KRISTIN CAVALLARI

"STTTEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEEN" 
Never forget.

Some days I still can't believe that Kristin Cavallari is the girl from Laguna Beach that wore a choker. Every time I see street style photos of her, I am impressed with how far her style has come. I really loved when I spotted her in fancy sweats (woop woop!), and I dig how she kept the whole look really simple.

Also, has anyone watched her show The Fabulist? I actually really like it. Not in the same obsessive way that I watch Orange Is The New Black, Housewives, and Mindy Project, but when I happen to see it on I like to watch it. I think she's a great host.

LOOK FOR LESS

Tank, TNA $25 - Pants, Monki $29 - Bag, Scotch and Soda $50
Hexagon Bangle, Downtown by Lana $23 - Thin Bangle, Kate Spade $32 - Shoes, Joe's $95



June 18, 2014

HEALTHY BREAKFAST ON THE GO

For me, one hard thing about transitioning to working full time was making breakfast and lunch ahead of time. I am absolutely not a morning person. I sleep in until the last possible minute, slap some makeup on,  toss my hair in a top knot, and scoot out the door. I've got this down to a science, it takes 12 minutes. This left me no time to prepare breakfast or lunch, so I stopped at Starbucks everyday on my way to work. Buying breakfast and lunch every day is not only expensive, but unhealthy. I started looking for recipes I could make ahead of time in bulk and grab when I am running out the door. Trader Joe's salads have been my savior for lunch, but breakfast needed some work. Here are some of my favorite fast, healthy breakfast recipes.


1.Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake from The Messy Baker - For this recipe I just sub in chocolate almond milk instead of plain almond milk and cocoa powder. This seriously tastes like a treat, and it's easy to make ahead and refrigerate. Also great post-workout for protein.

2. Two Ingredient Banana Pancakes from Blogilates - These are literally mashed up bananas and eggs, nothing else. Sounds super funky, but give them a try! Just make sure to mash the banana up really well. I make these the night before, keep in a Tupperware in the fridge, and just eat them plain on my walk to work. 

3. Homemade McMuffins from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs - For these bad boys, I sub in turkey bacon and light cheese for regular bacon and mozzarella in the recipe. Another good tip is to toss them on a whole wheat english muffin for an on the go sandwich. Make sure to also load up your eggs with veggies! You can freeze the egg cups over night and pop them in the oven while you are getting ready in the morning.  

4. Overnight Oats from Lauren Conrad - I've seen a lot of overnight oats recipes with seemingly endless ingredient lists, but this recipe from LaurenConrad.com sticks to the basics. These "cook" overnight, and in the morning all you have to do is grab the jar on your way out. Overnight oats are served best with fresh fruit on top, so I keep sliced fruit in a separate Tupperware and assemble at work.


As a bonus tip, if you forgot your lunch (like I do at least once a week), check out Itsy Bitsy Indulgences Guide to the Healthiest Fast Food Lunches.  They have tons of health tips on their blog!



June 17, 2014

WHAT I LOVE LATELY PART 2

After putting together the graphic for this post, I realized I have been making some sporty purchases lately. Kinda funny, cause when I would play Spice Girls when I was younger, I was always forced to be sporty spice, since I played soccer and have brown hair. I always wanted to be Baby Spice since she had a cool swing on their tour bus in Spice World (best movie ever), but my blonde friend never let me. Siggggghhhh. These days though, I am embracing my inner Sporty Spice. Maybe I'm being influenced by the World Cup, or my subconscious is freaking out about the half marathon I signed up for... who knows!

Lately

1. Old Navy Tank ($17) - I bought this in stripes and white because I like it so much. It's loose, but not too slouchy, and has a nice high neckline.
2. Italy Poster (Free!)  - I spied this poster in an apartment on a home tour and have been searching for it ever since. Brittany over at Brittany Makes made a free printable version in a size for Ikea frames. Ikea frames an insanely affordable, but the sizes are European standard frame sizes, so rarely do they fit any art I buy. Thank you Brittany!!
3. Olay Fresh Effects Dew Over Moisturizer ($12) - I switched over to this gel moisturizer for the warmer months. The gel feels cool and is very hydrating without being greasy. It smells really nice too! The container looks small, but I use it daily and have gone through half in about two months.
4. Nike Flex Experience ($60) - I believe in buying a good pair of sneakers for running, so I don't like to wear my nice running shoes for walking around the city. I decided to get a less expensive pair of Nike's just for walking, and I have worn these almost every day since I got them. They are SO comfortable.
5. Gap Legging Jean ($35 - On Sale!) - Denim is an item I believe is worth the investment. That being said, I have tried a lot, a lot, a lot of luxury brands and many of them were not worth the price. I still love Citizens and Hudsons, but holy moly, these Gap legging jeans are probably the most comfortable jeans I've ever purchased. They are a sturdy denim, but also very stretchy. I was worried they would stretch too much, but I have worn these 5 or 6 times and they have stretched out very minimally. I legit could probably do the splits in these jeans, if I could do the splits to begin with.
6. J. Crew Sweater ($15 - On Sale!) - Summer in San Francisco is sort of a joke. It is one of the foggiest times of the year, so lightweight sweaters are necessary. I like the 3/4 sleeve on this J. Crew one, and the athletic stripes on the arms. Plus, the sale price is AMAZING.

June 13, 2014

FRIDAY LINKS


Anyone else watch Orange Is The New Black? I only have the season finale left, and I'm waiting for my boyfriend to catch up so we can watch it together. I love and hate that Netflix releases the entire season at once, because it makes the wait time between seasons so long. But holy cow, this season was awesome.  


June 11, 2014

FLOWER BEARDS

I was scrolling through Tumblr and came across these photos of beards decorated with flowers. I found them oddly beautiful. 



(Image 1, Image 2, Image 3)
 All of the photo credit links have even more great photos from the original sources. Image 1 comes from a blog called "Will It Beard", where he puts a variety of object in his beard and sees if they stick. It's pretty funny, but also aesthetically pleasing. The second is from a professional photographer named Carissa Gallo who takes BEAUTIFUL portraits. The third image is from a florist named Sarah Winward who has made tons of amazing flower beards for her husband. It was hard to choose just these photos for the post! I wanted to include so many, but that would have left you scrolling for quite awhile.

June 10, 2014

SLEEK SLIDES

I cannot get behind the Birkenstock trend for the life of me. Especially knock off versions? What the fuck? I personally think they just make peoples feet look huge. But what I can appreciate the clunky orthopedic shoe for is bringing slides back in to style. A pair of sleek slides is a nice upgrade from flip flops, but less complicated than gladiator sandals. And hello, now you don't have to waste time at the pool and beach unbuckling and rebuckling your sandals.

POSTGRAD LOVES: SLIDES

Under $50
BDG $39
Ecote $39
BC Footwear $45
ASOS $38

Under $100
Joie $95
Sol Sana $80
Dolce Vita $98
Jeffrey Campbell $65

June 9, 2014

POSTGRAD LOVES: VELVET FURNITURE

Interior decorating has always been a bit intimidating to me. I like a lot of very, very different styles, so it's hard for me to stick to one theme in a room (let alone a whole house whenever that happens!). It has been a lot easier to find my style through my wardrobe instead of my home, because I could have a different look everyday. Interiors just seem so... permanent. My interior item du jour is velvet furniture. It does not fit in at all with my current room, but I absolutely adore jewel tone, velvet furniture. Especially tufted if you couldn't tell. To me, velvet furniture can easily look modern or vintage and adds such a rich texture to a room.


POSTGRAD LOVES: VELVET FURNITURE

1. Target $799
2. Armen Living $660
3. Pier1 $17
4. Target $35
5. Hayneedle $330
6. Macy's $699 (Extra 10% off today!)
7. Urban Outfitters $110


June 6, 2014

FRIDAY LINKS

Wowowow, Friday again already? This week freaking flew by. After having visitors the last two weekends, I was ready to have some quiet time with Netflix and Eat24 this weekend. Until I realized one of my friends is moving here on Saturday and another is coming to visit for the night. I don't mind losing sleep though. Every time I get to see my friends, especially those that don't live in San Francisco, I cherish every minute of it. My friends are the greatest.



June 5, 2014

7 MINUTE WORKOUT

I've been reading a lot about the 7 Minute Workout lately. Basically, you do 12 body weight exercises for 30 seconds each with a 10 second rest between moves. I personally loathe lifting weights, but I love body weight exercises. Weight lifting feels so isolated to my body, while doing body weight exercises feels like I am usually working more than one area. All that said, I'm pretty intrigued by the 7 Minute Workout. My gym is pretty far from my apartment, so I don't make it every day. On the days I skip the actual gym, I like to do pilates or yoga in my apartment and I think the 7 Minute Workout is a great addition to my apartment fitness regimen. Plus, you can download an app or use this website to time the workout so you stick to that 10 second rest!

Disclaimer and semi-spoiler alert: You are actually supposed to do the workout 2-3 times, so it's really 14-21 minutes, but that is still very short for an effective workout!

7 minute workout
Graphic via The New York Times

June 4, 2014

FANCY SWEATS

Last Fall, I expressed how excited I was that track pants -- or fancy sweats as I like to call them -- were becoming trendy. Because really, I thoroughly enjoy any clothing that maximizes laziness and is acceptable in public (see yoga pants, sneakers, and oversized sweaters). Track pants are basically the Holy Grail. I think that they make people look fucking cool but not sloppy. And on top of that, they are perfect for when you are going out to dinner and just know that you are going to stuff yourself. Which I did multiple times last week. Fancy sweats for the win.

Usually, I like to buy multipurpose items to get the most bang for my buck and the longer fancy sweats stick around, the more possibilities I see. This mostly means items I can wear dressed up for work, or dressed down on the weekends. I used to only picture track pants as casual weekend wear, but now I wear mine casually, out to bars, and to work. Obviously if you work in a conservative, professional office, the fancy sweat pants ain't gunna fly. However, if you work in a creative job, or San Francisco, you can definitely make them work by polishing them off with a blazer, collared shirt, and structured bag.


FANCY SWEATS

Pants, Madewell $75

Work Look
Necklace, Baublebar $40
Chambray Popover, J. Crew Factory $40
Blazer, H&M $25
Bag, H&M $35
Heels, Spurr $35

Weekend Look
Red Tank, French Connection $48
Cardigain, H&M $35
Necklace, Madewell $35
Sandals, ASOS $42
Bag, Mix No. 6 $50
Sunglasses, Necessary Clothing $10
Hat, ASOS $42



June 3, 2014

INTERIORS: NEUTRAL BEDROOM

I know I posted not too long ago about updating my bedroom decor, but I can't help but want to overhaul my whole room. I'm starting to jump on the neutral train -- along with everybody else! -- but I still love pattern and interesting pops of decor. I also have been thinking of how great it would be to have a vanity/dressing table. Right now I sit on the floor to do my makeup (classy and mature, right?) so having a vanity that could both hold my makeup and be a comfortable place to get ready would be wonderful. I don't have enough space for one in my current room, but I definitely want one in my next apartment.Unfortunately I'm not redecorating my room just about yet, but quite frankly it's really fun just to mock up some cute rooms.


BEDROOM

Headboard, Target $180 -Side Tables, J. Hunt Home $121 - Stool, Safavieh $136
Shelves, Target $25 - Lamps, Lamps Plus $15 - Rug, Serena and Lily $195 - Duvet, Nordstrom $198
Ikat Pillows, West Elm $30 - Wave Pillows, West Elm $15 - Bolster, Ebay $18
Flower Vase, Mikasa $15 - Hand Jewelry Holder, Urban Outfitters $20 - Vanity, Wayfair $210
Urchins, Dwell Studio $25 - Candle, Paddywax $20 - Ginger Jar, One Kings Lane $40
Moon Phases Poster, Etsy $25 - Italy Poster, Brittany Makes Printable