Hair Affair

images via here and here, edited by SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

I go to school with girls who have really great style. And on top of that, they always have really great hair. They've inspired me to start styling mine once again (I got into the habit of ponytails, from being so carefree over the summer).

In honor of the renewed relationship I have with my hair, I decided to pull some pictures from Pinterest for inspiration.

images via here, here, and here. Edited by SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

Small Spaces

Tip #832: Sometimes, you'll be like me, and with 2 other roommates, will have no choice but to keep your shoes in your room. To reduce the amount of dirt tracked on to your carpet, store your shoes on a pretty mat. This one pictured above is from Ikea ($4).

P.S. Congratulations to T.S. for winning Artist of the Year last night at the AMAs! I'll be at your concert in spirit, tonight!

Take Care

image via sundayinbed.tumblr.com

As human beings, we can be greatly impacted by even the smallest stressors in our lives. In class yesterday, several of my classmates presented on ways to take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I thought I would pass what they had to say on to you guys, because after all, too much self-care is never a bad thing.

Physical

• Take a walk, or ride a bike.
• Exercise and stretch at the gym.
• Sit in the sun for 15 minutes.
• Change one thing to improve your diet.
• Take a nap.
• Get a massage.

Emotional

• Take a deep breath and think, "I am calm and peaceful."
• Sing or listen to music you enjoy.
• Hug someone, or ask for a hug.
• Pet your dog or cat.
• Notice what you are feeling several times a day,
• Write a letter to someone who has hurt you, but don't send it.

Mental

• Say an affirmation aloud.
• Read a book or magazine article.
• Express your thoughts or feelings in a journal.
• Make a to-do list.
• List your traits, needs, and wants.
• Make a list of short-term and long-term goals.

Spiritual

• Practice daily quiet time.
• Pray or meditate.
• Write about your spiritual purpose.
• Practice unconditional love with yourself, and others.
• Join a church or support group.
• Study with a spiritual teacher.

The Dollar Store

Dollar Store Pumpkin Wreath image via granvillehouse.blogspot.com

As a kid, and even now, one of my favorite places to shop is the dollar store. It's always fun seeing what cool things you can find for cheap. Beware, though, because even though many dollar stores are stock full of the items that allow you to maximize your dollar, occasionally, you'll run into questionable things like food, and eyedrops.

After R showed me this shoe article from Yahoo, I've been obsessed with keeping up with their front page news section. Here is what I found a few days ago:

• How to Tell the Deals From the Duds at a Dollar Store

Birthday Gift Guide: Boyfriend

Don't know what to get your significant other for his birthday? I didn't either, until I realized I had the ideas in front of me all along. In case anyone else ran into a similar problem, I decided to convert my thought process into a post. 

When looking for a gift for your significant other, consider the following:

• What is his favorite thing to eat? If you can cook/bake this thing, you've already got half of a romantic night in, planned.
• Does he have a favorite clothing brand? I read somewhere that guys don't like getting clothes because that's the job of a mother, but you have to remember that every guy is different. I ended up getting my boyfriend a shirt from his favorite brand, Obey, and he loved it.
• A lot of guys enjoy receiving things they need. Does he shave? I recommend Jack Black's 'Beard Lube' via Nordstrom.
• On a budget? A fun idea is to make him a card or scrapbook. Personalized coupons are always great too (ex message: "this coupon is good for a 30 minute back rub").
• Tip: When conversations about materialistic items come up, take note whenever he says "I've been wanting ____ for a while", or anything up that alley. When you give him his gift, he'll be flattered that you listened, which is a gift in itself.

*An important thing to consider is the length of time you guys have been dating. If your relationship is fairly new, I wouldn't recommend making a scrapbook, as that can get very personal. For new relationships, stick to less serious things, like a home-made card, going out to a movie he's been wanting to see (your treat!), or a book/dvd.

Red Hot

I've always been a sucker for red nail polish. It's the only color I wear year round, which explains why this shade dominates my nail polish collection. Here is a list of my best picks for each season:

• 'Valentine' Revlon
• 'Conquistadorable Color' OPI
• 'Broadway Burgundy Frost' N.Y.C.,
• 'Ruby Pumps' China Glaze

• 'Big Apple Red' OPI
• 'My Chihuahua Bites' OPI
• 'Thimbleberry' Sinful Colors

Ultimate Wish

It's 11:11 on 11/11/11. Make a wish, and ultimate wish.

image via http://www.imonline.nl/PAPERCUTx

Outfit For Outfit

image via http://tasteofcountry.com/2011-cma-awards-performance-pictures/

I have always adored Taylor Swift for her music... and style. At the CMA Awards earlier this week, she performed 'Ours' in a cozy cable knit sweater, jeans, and oxford shoes. I tracked down where she got her sweater from, and found that it was by Ralph Lauren (click on the link if you dare to see the price tag on that baby).

This blog started on the foundation of trying to save college students, like myself, a little bit of money. I thought I'd go back to my roots, by putting together a "look for less" replica of Taylor's outfit from that night.

sweater (link here): J.Crew $80 //jeggings (link here): AE $45 (Kind of pricey for AE, but they have sales all the time. I got my pair for $20) //oxfords: F21 $25

Fremont Farmer's Market

Seattle is really lucky to have a lot of things: the Space needle, Kerry Park (as seen on Grey's Anatomy), The Original Starbucks, and amazing farmer's markets. This past weekend, I was able to visit the Fremont Farmer's Market for the first time. I couldn't have chosen a better way to spend my afternoon with friendly people, fresh flowers, vintage treasures, and the aroma of brick oven pizza and gyros.

XO, SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

P.S. A big congratulations to Taylor Swift for winning CMA Entertainer of the Year, for the 2nd time!

Sparks Fly: A Nail Tutorial

While thinking about new ideas for this blog, I decided to combine what I do best, with what I love the most: painting my nails, and Taylor Swift. One of my favorite songs of hers is called 'Sparks Fly'. According to Taylor, it's about a forbidden love, with a whole lot of chemistry.

After seeing her on tour, and listening to her songs more times than I can count (only because I love them so much!), I thought about how I could most accurately translate this song into nail art. This is what I came up with.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Nail polish in gold, glitter, and black. The black nail polish should have a thin brush.

STEPS:
1. Paint your nails gold.

2. For extra pizazz, add a coat of glitter polish. I used 'Only Gold For Me' from SEPHORA by OPI.

3. Now for the fun part: the starbursts. Pick a point you want the lines to come out of. Similar to how you would draw the tail part of a check mark, with a quick swiping motion, make a hash mark. Tip: use minimal nail polish, as you want the tips of each line to be pointy and kind of faded.

XO, SWEATshirt DRESSshirt

Click here for the 'Better Than Revenge' nail tutorial.

Chocolate Factory

I've decided to start a sight seeing guide for Seattle. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the first post:

My boyfriend's birthday was earlier this week. He has a big sweet tooth, so I knew there would be no better place to take him than to Theo Chocolate: a fair trade, organic chocolate factory. We spent time hearing about how Theo came to be, saw the premises, and of course, sampled a bunch of chocolate. Tasting the chocolate was probably our favorite part, because they had so many different kinds to offer: 91% dark (not my favorite), 70% dark, milk, peppermint-toffee, chili, coconut curry, mint, and a ton more. My favorite was probably the burnt sugar confection.

The tour was pretty cheap for what it was ($6 a person). I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, because we didn't get to see the entire factory (a portion of it was under construction), and our tour guide seemed impatient with us at times. But overall, it was a good experience.

10 Shoes Every Woman Should Own

image via http://endless-harmony.blogspot.com/2011/06/danke_03.html

I've never been much of a shoe person. But my BFF, R? She is. While on the phone with her the other night, she told me about a cool shoe article that was on Yahoo. I just had to share it with you guys.

• 10 Shoes Every Woman Should Own

Tribal Nails Tutorial

Something I haven't done in a while is nail art. I wanted to try something new, so I decided to browse the internet for ideas. After a while, I found myself on Refinery29.com. They had a slideshow with nail art from around LA that contained several inspiring looks. I couldn't help but to recreate one of my favorites.

YOU WILL NEED: White, coral, and black nail polish

STEPS:

1. Paint your nails white.

2. Using a coral nail polish, paint horizontal lines close your cuticle, leaving a section of white polish visible.

3. Using a black polish with a brush designed for nail art, paint 3 dots on to the lower white half of your nails.

4. Finish the design by painting 3 thick vertical stripes on to each of the upper white sections.

Dr. Master Bachelor

While procrastinating my 12 page paper today, I decided to research the salaries of professionals who are currently in the field that I want to be in (you know, for inspiration). I came across a website that allows you to type in a profession, along with a city of your choice, to generate the average income for that career (along with job openings).

One of my favorites parts of this website, though, is the diagram showing a clear comparison between the "average salaries for jobs containing the keyword of Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D. or MBA" It gives me hope that being in school forever will soon pay off...literally! Oh, and they even have a section for bloggers! Ch-ch check it out:

• Job Search
• Bachelors, Masters, PhD, MBA Salary
• blog writer, Journalist, Reporter Salary

I know that money isn't everything, but sometimes, knowing how much you're going to make, along with how much fun you're going to have doing what you love, makes school that much easier to get through.

*No, I was not asked by this website to mention them on my blog, nor am I being paid to mention them.

P.S. I hope everyone had a great Halloween!