Gingham + Pattern Mixing

When I moved home and started my new job, I decided to buy myself some new work clothes. I’ve always been a huge fan of colorful pencil skirts for work, so I finally bought a few (blue, green, red and navy polka-dot).

I’m also a huge fan of pattern-mixing, even though I don’t do it very often, so I decided to go with gingham + leopard today.

Shirt: J.Crew, Skirt: Forever 21, Belt: Vintage Shoes: Target Watch: Fossil

Pinspiration..Frugal Fashionista Edition

We all find inspiration somewhere. For me, I love looking for outfit ideas on Pinterest. Often when I buy a new piece of clothing (especially if it is unique), I go to Pinterest to look for ideas about how to wear it, then try and put my own spin on it.

I’ve decided to start sharing my outfit, and the inspiration photo:

I got this skirt at a local vintage shop in Athens over the winter, and am so excited I can finally wear it.
Skirt: Vintage T: Khols Belt: Gabriel Bros Shoes: Payless

While today was a bit more casual than normal for me at work, I still tried to dress this look up a bit so I paired the top and blazer with slightly dressier jeans.
Blazer: Express Top: Marshalls Necklace: C. Russe Jeans: J.Brand Shoes: Steve Madden

It seems like there are countless ‘budget-friendly’ fashion blogs out there, but so many of them provide items that aren’t realistically affordable, especially for college students. While I’m no longer in college, I like to keep my fashion realistically budget-friendly.

One of my favorite blogs, J’s Everyday Fashion, does just that. She takes inspiration photos and creates outfits from them, much like I do everyday. Like J, I think that reading magazines and looking at sites like Pinterest can sometimes make us forget that there are real women out there who enjoy REAL fashion. I, like most women, have a small budget for fashion each month, and I like to make it go a long way. Unlike what seems like every fashion blogger out there, I rewear clothing, a lot, and try to find ways to remix my closet to make each piece feel like new. Keep checking back for more outfits!

Job Searching 101: Tips to finding your first job!

As someone who is graduating (round two, but for real this time!) in May, the job search has been in full swing for me for the past month or so. Here’s what I’ve learned: the job search is scary. Especially for us ‘PR people’ who are planners. We don’t like not knowing what we’re having for lunch today, much less where we’ll be in two months.

A couple weeks ago, I attended the OU Alumni Association’s first annual DC Networking Week with fellow MPA Crescent Gallagher (he did a great post about job searching, check it out here!). The trip was highly informative and gave some great perspective on job searching, from where to begin to the questions to ask once you’ve gotten the offer:

1. Decide where you want to be. Your search will be MUCH easier if it’s narrowed down to 2-3 cities. But do your research. Utilize your network and talk to people who work in and out of your field in the cities you are potentially interested in. What’s it like to live there? What’s the job market like? Rent, salary and cost of living expectations are important to know but it’s also important to know what it’s like to live there, especially if you’re young!

2. Utilize your networks. Because of my previous internship and work experiences, when I went to DC I was able to set up informational interviews through previous employers. No, they weren’t formal job interviews, but informational interviews are just as important. Not only are you getting your name out there for when a job may be available in the future, but you’re expanding your network and gaining knowledge about your industry and the job market (utilizing my networks led me to some awesome job listing websites that REALLY helped me). Even if you’re just meeting for a friendly coffee, getting your name out there, and doing it early on, is important.

In addition to utilizing your networks, it’s important to stay in touch with previous employers. Whether it be grabbing coffee or stopping by to visit the office when you’re in the area, or volunteering to do some ‘freelance’ work for free after your internship is over, it’s important to stay on the radar.

3. Get your social media in line. It should be a no-brainer, but make sure your Facebook and Twitter accounts are not only clean (Read: ‘something you would be ok with your grandmother reading’) but also reflect your personality and show your knowledge and insight of the industry(ies) that you’re job-searching in.

So you got an interview… now what?

4. Do your research. I have made the mistake of not doing enough research going into an interview, and when asked questions about the org/company I didn’t feel I knew enough. So, do your research! While you’re not expected to know everything, you should demonstrate that you’ve done your homework.

5. Make sure to ask questions. It looks bad if you don’ ask questions in an interview, even if you’re not sold on the company you’re interviewing with. Asking your interviewers what their day-to-day responsibilities are, favorite aspects of their job, or how you will be able to grow if you work there are all great questions of your potential employer.

Hopefully, if you take these steps, jobs searching won’t be too stressful. What are your job-search tips?

Make the world dance…

The last few weeks have been insanely stressful for me. It’s officially 2013, which means in just a few short months, I will be finishing grad school and will officially be thrown head first into the “real world”. So, I’ve started applying for jobs and trying to decide where I’m going to end up (Pittsburgh, DC and Charleston are my top choices).

Everyone has been posting this video on their pages lately, and it really hit home for me:

“This is life people! You got air coming through your nose! You got a heart beating! That means it’s time to do somethin!”

“Keep going, keep going, keep going. What if Michael Jordan had quit? Well, he did quit, well, retired. But BEFORE that, in high school, what if he had quit when he didn’t make the team? He would have never made Space Jam! And I love Space Jam. What will you create thaat will make the world awesome?”

“We can cry about it, or we can dance about it. We were made to be awesome. It’s everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance. So get to it. Create something that will make the world awesome.”

I’m inspired.

Staying on Task

I’m baaaaaack! After a brief blogging hiatus (really I’ve just been preoccupied, I know I’m terrible) I’ve returned to S&S! Believe it or not, my stress level prompted my return to blogging. As you may or may not know, my university made the transistion from quarters to semesters this year. This means we transistioned from a 11 week quarter to a 16 week semester (a pretty significant difference if you’ve been on one or the other for four years). It was all going pretty well until around Thanksgiving.

Under the old system, we took our finals before Thanksgiving and didn’t return until after New Years (a blissful six week break from school). But this year, like all other semester schools, Ohio students had to come back for two more weeks of classes and one week of finals before a month-long break for the holidays. Let me tell you, I’ve been running on caffine the last few days.

One thing I can say is that I’ve never really had to manage a school workload during the holiday season, so this is all pretty new to me. It’s tough because not only is this an adjustment for students, professors are adjusting as well. This means some of my classes are… let’s say – less than organized. This, coupled with the fact that I’m ready to be relaxing by a fire with a book has given my stress levels a major boost. So, I’ve come up with some tips to stay focused and organized during the holiday season:

1. Make lists and deadlines for yourself. Even if your classes or job give you deadlines, make your own as well at least a day ahead of the due date, and write them down. I personally feel there is no greater feeling than crossing something off a to-do list, especially when you’re getting things done in a timely manner. Also, allow yourself a day to let your project or paper sit so you can go back and proofread with fresh eyes.

2. Allow yourself some time for things that make you feel relaxed. Oftentimes for me this is talking with loved ones, catching up on shows (thank goodness for DVR!) or doing some online Christmas shopping. Budgeting yourself this time daily or weekly will help you chill out under the pressure.

3. Sleep! Eat healthy! It’s hard to come home after a long day of class and work with a huge amount of homework looming over your head and cook yourself a meal, but it’s important. Giving your body fuel it can use to help you focus is crucial. Also, while it can be difficult, try to get enough sleep, you’ll feel so much less stressed.

Foods to combat stress.

What are your tips for staying organized and on top of work during the holi-DAZE?

This doesn’t help you at all, but it’s still pretty funny.

We made a deal ages ago, we’re soulmates.

Tuesday, I was fortunate that my amazing friends Mallory and Katie came to town for ‘Sushi Tuesday’ (a tradition for us when we were all in school at OU) and a few drinks. This wasn’t just any visit, though, because Mallory and Katie have both moved on from OU and started their new lives one in Columbus and one is stationed in Germany in the US Army.

I’ve posted before about how my core group of friends from college has scattered across the country – California, Oklahoma, Illinois and various places in Ohio. When my final year at OU started in August, it really hit home that I would be having to spend the year that’s supposed to be the best without some of my very best friends. It was a tough idea to swallow.

Drinking our signature drink in one of our favorite places.

As I caught up with two of my best friends, I couldn’t help but smile because it was like no time had even passed since we’d been sitting in our favorite bar, drinking our favorite drinks talking and laughing and being ridiculous. When I had to say goodbye, I kind of lost it. Mallory is flying across the world to where she’s stationed in Germany, and won’t be back anytime soon. Yes, we talk, but it’s just not the same sometimes.

After all this I couldn’t help but think of the Sex and the City episode, when Charlotte suggests that the girls are each others soul mates, and men are just these great, nice guys to have fun with.

Doesn’t it make life just a little bit easier knowing that your friends, no matter how far around the world or across the country they are, are your soulmates? That no matter what you do or what happens, you’ll always be friends? It certainly makes my days a little better.

So here’s to you, my amazing friends, no matter where you are. You’re my soulmates, and you always will be.

A Reminder of What’s Important

This morning as I browsed through the blogs I follow, I came across one post that I really enjoyed from Bows and Sequins. She posted this on her blog, and I thought it was a great message, so I wanted to share:

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things–your family, your children, your health, your
friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else–the small stuff. “If you put the sand
into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles
or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time
and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to
clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls
first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is
just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

A great way to help you remember the important things.

Happy Monday!

xoxo