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 :)

Back to school!

I leave for school on Thursday, and while I'm sad about leaving my friends, family and boyfriend, there are some great things about the school year!

New classes: Call me a nerd, but I love taking interesting new courses each semester. This fall I'm taking Intro to Public Policy, Western Civilizations, and my first real journalism class!

Going to home football games: My school is big on traditions, so home football and basketball games are big events!

My pledge mom and I at a home football game :)

Sorority functions: I always loved dances in high school, even though they were always considered kind of lame. Now I love going to my sorority's formals and date parties!

A group of my sorority sisters and me at our annual
80s wedding themed date party!

Fall fashion: Fall is my favorite season, and I can't wait to start unearthing the boots, sweaters and jeans from the depths of my closet!

What are you most looking forward to this fall?

Take it easy!

Dream Outfits: Sorority Recruitment Edition

It's back to school time, and for me that means sorority recruitment! This will be my first year being on the "inside" of the process, and I'm definitely excited to get started. First, however, I have to put together my outfits for each day, according to the guidelines given by our recruitment chair. My actual outfits are a lot less glamorous (think recycling things from my closet, Forever XII purchases, etc.), but here's what I would wear if money were no object:

Sorority tee + white bottoms + brown sandals by lindseyyylove featuring a white skirt

White oxford + navy bottoms + red accessory by lindseyyylove featuring summer skirts

Solid, bright colored dress by lindseyyylove featuring pave pendants

I could not choose between these two dresses - what do you think? I also couldn't resist the Kappa Kappa Gamma key and fleur-de-lis jewelry :)

Black Cocktail + Pumps by lindseyyylove featuring one shoulder short dresses

Do any of you have to get specific outfits for your sorority rush? My chapter is pretty flexible, but I know some houses are super strict!

Thanks to Sweet Confessions for following!

Happy Friday Eve, everyone :)

SO excited to be joining up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple for Pinteresting Wednesdays! I haven't been pinning for very long, but here are some of my favorite pins from this week:

Can't wait until I get to see France for the first time! Study abroad, anyone?

How perfect would it be to get married in this little chapel?

I'm loving the trellis pattern right now - it's all the rage in home decor.

The SelfControl app: the BEST study tool for college students

I usually have good intentions when sitting down to study - whether it be in the library, the classroom or in my dorm room. What often happens, however, is the inevitable: distractions from Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (of course!), and other non-academic sites.

My greatest weapon against procrastination is the SelfControl app for Mac. This little device is a godsend for warding off temptation when trying to make a deadline or finish an assignment. It allows you to create a "Blacklist"of sites you want blocked from your computer for a specific amount of time - anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours.

One thing to consider is that there is no way to override the application once it's been activated, so make sure you're ready before you hit start! Nevertheless, this app has helped me to plow through all of my tough assignments and to really knuckle down during finals week.

How do you stay focused when studying? What do you think of the SelfControl app? Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

The Trendy College Girl's Must-Have List

I’ll be moving into my sorority house for the first time this August (only 11 days away!), and I’ve been compiling a mental list of things to bring with me on move in day. There are plenty of college checklists out there (like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond), but somehow I don’t think I’ll need blackout window panels or a bookcase. Here’s my list of must-haves for the trendy college girl:

Shower/Bathroom caddy: Perfect for the trek to the communal bathroom each morning! These from Pottery Barn Teen will hold everything you need.

Hanging organizers: Whether you need to organize an excess of purses, shoes or jewelry, shelf space is limited in dorm rooms and hanging organizers can save you a ton of space. This one from Bed Bath and Beyond can hold up to 26 pairs of shoes and is great for other accessories too.

Drink tumbler: This all-purpose drinkware will serve you well through long hours of studying, whether it’s filled with water, soda or coffee! I like this one from Amazon because it holds 24 oz. and the design is super cute.

Rain boots + a cute umbrella: Look sharp on your way to class – even when splashing through puddles! I love all of Target’s rain boot and umbrella designs.

Strands of lights: Whether you hang them along the ceiling, bed frame or mirror, some twinkle lights can add ambiance to a bland dorm room. Surviving College Life has a cute idea for sprucing up a bedroom with accent lights.