Sunday Song :)

Yoü and I by Lady Gaga

Not sure how I feel about the video, but I've loved this song ever since I saw her perform it at a random concert in a youtube video. SO glad she decided to record it :) It's so personal, and that's one of my favorite things about Gaga. She doesn't withhold anything from her fans.

Say what you will about Lady Gaga, but she loves her fans. She supports equal rights for others and isn't afraid to be herself - even when it causes controversy. She's so out of this world, and I think that's why people are so drawn to her. She's comfortable in her own skin, and that allows her fans to escape reality when they're listening to her music, at least for a little while.

It's like my mom's always said. Being yourself gives others permission to be themselves as well. Any other Little Monsters out there?

Have a lovely Sunday night!

Business casual? No problem!

I really like being involved on campus, but that involves a lot of interviews, dinners and events that require formal (and professional!) attire. I was thrilled to get an interview this week for a campus organization I'm interested in, until I realized that all of my business casual things were at home! Luckily one of the perks of being in a sorority is having 40 closets to borrow from, so I was able to scrounge something up pretty easily. Anyway, this is what I came up with:

I decided to go with the simple button-down (in KU blue!), black skirt and black pumps look. Here's some foolproof rules about business dress that I've learned throughout the years and from the career-focused honors society that I'm a part of:

-When in doubt, go more formal, not less formal. Showing up a little overdressed isn't too big of a deal, but showing up underdressed tends to be embarrassing and unprofessional.

-Think simple. No big jewelry, no dark make-up and no crazy hairstyles. You want to stand out from the crowd, but not so much that it detracts from the most important thing - you! Try spicing things up with lip color or a subtle pattern.

-Invest in a portfolio. It can hold your resume, keys, cell phone, money and lip gloss - what more does a girl need? This way you won't have to carry around a huge purse.

-Finally, be modest. If you would wear it to a club or party, it almost certainly is not business casual. Avoid cleavage, short skirts or sky-high heels! Save it for the weekends :)

Do you have to dress business casual very often?  I'd love to hear some of your go-to tips!

Labor Day Weekend fun

Whew! So I was definitely planning on doing a weekend update (it was a good one!) on Monday night but this week has been absolutely crazy. Anyway, here is a little bit of what I've been up to the last few days:

Friday: Toga Party!

My toga didn't end up being quite as artistic as some of the other girls' (at least it was better than the boys' outfits! They were ALL in white bed sheets), but I thought I did pretty well for my last-minute trip to Hobby Lobby.

Saturday: Game Day!

I gave a campus tour in the morning, and right after that the tailgating activities began :)

These are pictures from last year (I'll be sure to get some more this weekend!), but KU earned a 42-24 victory over McNeese State. It was so good to get back in Memorial Stadium!

My family comes to tailgate every weekend, and I love seeing them! We're kind of a tightknit group if you can't tell...

My cousin is on the KU volleyball team, so we went to her game also. They won and she was named MVP!

Sunday: Some much needed R & R + wedding shower

I was at home Sunday and most of Monday just hanging out with my family, which I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I talked to my grandparents, who are in Florida living at The Villages right now (Have you guys heard about this place? It sounds amazing!) but who I will see in about a month when we go to New York for my uncle's retirement from the military!

Sunday night my mom and I went to a wedding shower for my cousin David's fiance. I hadn't seen some of my extended family in awhile, and we had a nice girls night. I wish I had some pictures, but I left my camera at school :(

Monday, Tuesday and today: Busy busy busy!

I'm currently in the middle of about a zillion applications, meetings and events. PLUS I started my campus job this week. Twelve hours a week doesn't sound like much, but fitting that into an already busy schedule has been quite the experience for me.

What did you guys do over the long weekend? I'll leave you with the only picture I took this weekend:

She's looking a little scruffy these days :)

Holiday Hunks

Just to make sure you're all enjoying your day off, I thought I'd give you some extra eye candy on this Labor Day holiday! Here are some of my favorite leading men to get you through the first day back in class/work:

Source: google.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Anderson Cooper. Sexy AND smart!

Source: google.ie via Emma on Pinterest

Hugh Dancy. Loved him ever since Ella Enchanted with Anne Hathaway :)

Source: lovely-little-things.blogspot.com via Mary on Pinterest

Colin Firth. An obvious choice with my love of all things Pride and Prejudice or Bridget Jones-related.

Source: thehollywoodgossip.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Ryan Reynolds. Even though he's a huge star now, to me he'll always be the fat guy from Just Friends.

Source: lee-pace.net via Luann on Pinterest

Lee Pace. I was so sad when Pushing Daisies got canceled!

Source: google.com via Bailey on Pinterest

Justin Timberlake. Everyone loves a funny guy. Friends With Benefits was one of my favorite movies of the summer!

Did I leave out any of your favorites? 

Happy weekend! See you all tomorrow :)

Lazy Sunday

I don't know about you guys, but Game Day wore me out yesterday! I'm enjoying some down time today to relax (at home!) with my family. I also got to see little Annie and my brother for the first time since I went back to school a month ago!

There's a little animosity between the two of them...

You can expect a full post on Tuesday about the long weekend, but until then I'll just leave you with some Labor Day inspiration.

Happy Labor Day, lovelies!

Dress to impress?

Over the years I've learned that I almost always have a better day when I make an effort to look nice. Rolling out of bed, throwing on some Nike shorts and putting my hair in a messy bun may let me sleep a little longer (definitely one of my favorite things), but I spend the entire day in a slump because of my lack of effort in my appearance.

Today's ensemble (or at least it would be if money were no object!):

 
Going to Class by lindseyyylove featuring a long sleeve cardigan

Not everyone has this inclination, however, since most everyone in my classes wears the standard t-shirt and flip-fops combo. I have my casual days too, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I feel like an idiot for making an effort!

Do you dress up for class, or are you more of a shorts and t-shirt person? I'd love to hear your tips for staying cute on campus!

Monday Morning Must-Haves

Mondays aren't anyone's favorite, but this semester's Mondays will be especially rough for me since I have an 8 a.m. class and a jam-packed rest of the day. Luckily, I have a few tried-and-true ways of making it through the day, like..

I'm not a fan of brewed coffee in this Kansas heat, but I can still get my caffeine fix by grabbing an iced coffee on my way to class. I may be an amateur coffee drinker (I got hooked during finals week last year - go figure), but I love my vanilla and soy combo. What's your coffee order?

I'm definitely not a morning person, so I like to squeeze as much sleep out of my night as possible. What I don't like is going to class with that squinty-eyed, "I woke up ten minutes ago" look. That's why I love Clinique's All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage. Long name, but it's a godsend on those early mornings. It helps wake you up, brightens your face and feels like a cool cucumber on tired eyes.

As a journalism major and avid reader, I love picking up my copy of the University Daily Kansan each morning. Not all universities have a daily newspaper, but my school is blessed with a great product that is entirely uncensored and student-run. Even if I only have time for the Opinions page and the Free for All (think campus Twitter feed - but anonymous!), the UDK always puts me in a good mood.

I usually don't wake up early enough to make breakfast, and most of the time I don't feel like eating a huge meal at 7:30 anyway! I like to grab one of these Breakfast on the go! packets. They're filled with walnuts, granola, yogurt-covered raisins, and dried fruit - and they're perfect to snack on in between classes.

Finally, I love checking Pinterest throughout the day for some eye candy! If you're not familiar with Pinterest, it's basically a visual inspiration board where you can share all of your favorite things with friends, and discover some of theirs as well. It takes a while to figure out, but I love to scroll through when I'm having a creative block. Follow me at lindseyyylove!

What kinds of things get you through your long days? I'd love to get some more suggestions for conquering the Monday blues!

Take it easy :)

It's official..

I have my very first campus job! I've known for awhile that I want to earn some extra money this year, but getting a part-time job is much easier said than done. I applied for eight positions and only interviewed for a couple, but I am officially a transcriptionist for the Department of Anthropology!

Maybe not the most exciting job in the world, but I'm a pretty good typist (it must be all the blogging) and I'll be helping them with a project that will hopefully improve the lives of local farmers, so I can't complain. Plus the pay is decent and I can wear my pajamas if I want to - major bonus!

Have you ever gotten an on-campus or part-time job? Any tips for how to juggle it with schoolwork and having a social life?

TGIF :)

One of my favorite trends right now...

We all know that styles tend to resurface long after they've gone out of style (high-waisted pants, anyone?), but what I've noticed lately is that fashions that were in style when I was a kid are coming back as well! On campus I see Chuck Taylors, stone washed jeans and - my personal favorite - bows!

Hair bows, bow patterns and bow jewelry are one of fall's hottest trends. Just check out some of Kate Spade's fall selections:

 

I especially love all the bow patterns that I'm seeing on clothes. I just found this cute top at Forever XXI which I love. The best part is that it can be dressed up to wear out at night but also dressed down to wear to work or class - and it was only $16!

 

Anyway, here are some of my other favorite bow trends. Enjoy!

I'm baaaaaaack!

Whew! My first year of sorority recruitment was certainly a whirlwind. No sleep and being with 100 other girls all the time can really take it out of you. BUT our efforts were rewarded with an amazing new pledge class. We're obsessed with them!

Now that that's all over though, it's nice to get back to the real world - school, non-Greek friends and costume parties! In the next few weeks we have a toga party and an America party, any suggestions for costume ideas?

But now, without further ado, it's time to get back into one of my favorites: Pinteresting Wednesdays!

Source: s-u-r-f-e-r.tumblr.com via C on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via C on Pinterest

Source: wwwcastlescrownscottages.blogspot.com via MorgenStern on Pinterest

Source: herdofblack.com via C on Pinterest

Source: blog.thebecker.com via Kim on Pinterest

AND I just may have found myself a campus job. Aren't Wednesdays great?

Happy Hump Day everyone!

In 9 short hours..

I will be off to school!

Can't wait to be back with my sorority sisters and back in the city that I love. Let's just hope I can stay relaxed during work week and recruitment :)

To everyone who's moving back to school this week or next - good luck!

Sunday Obsessions

Today is turning out to be quite the lazy Sunday. It's been a crazy week and with move-in day on Thursday, next week promises to be just as busy, so I'm appreciating a little R & R. So, here are some of my favorite things this Sunday afternoon:

Etsy

 

I needed a red accessory for sorority recruitment, so I turned to Etsy to look for a cute bow! What I found was the cutest shop called KatiebugBows. I ended up buying white, navy, AND red (they'll be perfect for campus tours!)

PostSecret

 

I discovered this site about a year ago, and now I live for the Sunday Secrets. It's such a refreshing idea, and I love that Frank (the site's creator) doesn't use advertisements or donations to keep the site running. PostSecret also works with the National Hopeline Network for suicide prevention which I think is really cool. I'm dying to buy the book!

Say Yes to the Dress

Is it just me or is TLC introducing some really interesting new guilty pleasures shows? Say Yes to the Dress is definitely my favorite though - it makes me want to go out and buy a wedding dress, despite the fact that I'm still years away from walking down the aisle :) Not sure how my boyfriend would feel about that one, haha.

My furry best friend!

I've really enjoyed spending some time with my shih tzu, Annie, this summer. She's always been my best friend and partner in crime, and I'm going to be sad to leave her behind when I go to school next week!

What are you loving on this Sunday afternoon? Enjoy the last few hours before it's back to the grind on Monday :)