Happy Friday friends! Its the big day! No, I don't mean my nursing pinning ceremony, or graduation tomorrow, but finally the day we have all been waiting for...the new Star Wars movie! I know Star Wars isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I am sincerely sorry that you have had to hear so much about it everywhere you turn. But at 8pm tonight, know that I will be SO happily sitting in a movie theater, waiting for that opening music to play! And, I guess happy that I will have had my nursing pinning... just kidding, I will be super excited about it I'm sure! For now I am just nervous that I will trip walking across the stage. Onto favorites for the week!

Favorite Article: Even though I apologized before about talking about Star Wars, I should've said that it would be mentioned again in this post...so sorry again! Earlier in the week, I came across this article from Vogue, that gives insight on how to go about watching the Star Wars series if you've never seen it before. Personally, I subscribed to the 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 theory..but with 1 added in as well. So I guess 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6! If you are a Star Wars fan, let me know what you think about this! 

Favorite Lust: I used the ABH dipbrow pomade, but want to try this out for my brows too...I get the impression that it is easy to use and more natural looking than the pomade! 

Favorite Blog Post: This post about holding onto that special holiday feeling from Taylor on the The Daily Tay. It was so touching and really resonated with me! 

Favorite Funny:  I was scrolling way too far back on funny Instagram videos and came across this Justin Bieber one...I seriously think I have watched it 500 times this week and laugh out loud every single time! 

⠀ 🌱Justin Bieber Is A Savage! 😂 ✅By Unknown

A video posted by @bestvines on Oct 20, 2015 at 3:09pm PDT

Favorite Moments: 

1) Getting emails from my professors saying that all my grades have been finalized and sent off to the registrar for processing (spoiler: I passed everything). 

2) All week long getting to say to myself, "This time next week, you'll be a full-time resident of Maine!" Nothing against Virginia though, I have LOVED my college experience here. I am just tired of the back and forth between states and living spaces...I just want to be in one place full time for a while! 

3) Rewatching a few of the Star Wars movies so that I would be refreshed and ready to go for tonight...okay, that was really the last Star Wars mention for this post! 

I cannot wait to share on Monday what ends up happening over the weekend (ie. Did I trip or fall?) I will definitely be taking a lot of pictures for family members that couldn't attend and to share on here of course! Also, so many of you have said congrats on graduating and your sweet words have meant so much to me! I hope you all have the best weekend!

Linking up here and here today! 

*This post contains affiliate links*

Christmas 2015 Wish List

Happy December! I know its the second day of it now, but since I didn't have a post yesterday, I still wanted to say it! I always try to make December first extra Christmassy to kick off the whole month, so last night my roommate and I watched Love Actually with Christmas lights and a pine-scented candle.

Kicking off December with Love Actually, a Christmas candle, and pretty lights. Plus some cookie dough but it didn't fit in the picture...🎄🎁🎅🏻⛄️ #myholidayspark #hellodecember #holidaycheer

A photo posted by Meghan Farrell (@mfarrelll14) on Dec 1, 2015 at 4:23pm PST

We thought we deserved a chill night since we spent most of the day studying and working on our online classes (while listening to Christmas music, of course!) Since I am now fully in the Christmas spirit, I thought I would share what I am wishing for this Christmas.

Here are the items in the picture (working from left to right-ish): 

Old Navy Classic Plaid Flannel Shirt

Sorel 'Joan of Arctic' Boots in Tobacco/Sudan Brown

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop

Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC Crossbody Bag in Black

Old Navy Cozy Socks

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

Soma Luxe Marble Long Robe in Ivory

Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace

Santa, if you're reading, I have been really good this year!

Too soon?! via

What do you have on your Christmas list?

Linking up here today! 

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Instagram Favorites: Fashion

I know that most of us here in the blog world appreciate Instagram...its my favorite social media account and I don't care what Essena ONeill says about it. Not only do I follow my friends and fellow bloggers, but I follow a lot of accounts for laughs, for their makeup/clothing inspiration, and for their cute animals. I did a post back in the spring about my favorite cat and dog Instagram accounts, and I thought I would continue that series today with my favorite fashion accounts.

1. @galmeetsglam //  Julia is the gal behind Gal meets Glam and she has a beautiful wardrobe. She also does so much traveling and does photo shoots in amazing locations...you have to check out her latest posts from Colorado! I feel like I talk about her a lot...both with friends and on here. She tweeted back at me a few weeks ago and I might have fangirled (a lot).

Hop on over to galmeetsglam.com to see today's post from Colorado🌨 #colorado #gmgtravels #duntonhotsprings #snowdays

A photo posted by Julia Engel (Gal Meets Glam) (@juliahengel) on Nov 9, 2015 at 12:08pm PST

2. @carly // Carly is a blogger and creator of The College Prepster so you can guess her style is...yup, preppy! I think I tend to dress fairly preppy, so I love going to her account for inspiration.

One thing I LOVE about Connecticut?! Having so many great hiking trails around. (Seriously, who am I? Hiking?! I hardly recognize myself!) I've been tracking my activity with the @garmin #vivofit! 🍂🐿🍁🐶 more on thecollegeprepster.com this afternoon!

A photo posted by Carly A. Heitlinger (@carly) on Oct 28, 2015 at 1:32pm PDT

3. @emilyanngemma // Emily is the blogger behind The Sweetest Thing and I am obsessed with her style! If I could be half as trendy as she is then I would be more than happy!

This dress is 🙌🏼🙌🏼.. It's the perfect throw on & go dress and it is under $50!❤️ Details: @liketoknow.it www.liketk.it/1WGyI #liketkit #ootd #wiw #fallready

A photo posted by Emily Gemma (@emilyanngemma) on Nov 7, 2015 at 7:00pm PST

4. @maine_blonde // I found her while searching for Maine Instagram accounts and I couldn't get over how stylish she is!

I can't believe it's November! Time for #octoberfavorites. Pictured are all my favorite things - the red clutch you all loved (under $30!!), blanket scarves, capes, and my "You had me at pumpkin spice lattes" sweatshirt. I get so many compliments on all of them.🍁🍂🍁 @liketoknow.it www.liketk.it/1VGmw #liketkit

A photo posted by // Maine Blonde // (@maine_blonde) on Nov 1, 2015 at 5:48am PST

5. @inthefrow // Victoria is a British blogger/YouTuber who has her PhD in fashion, so how could I not include her on this list?! She has gorgeous style and hair that I could never even dream of pulling off, but she does it perfectly!

Over on Inthefrow.com, I'm talking how to style the sleeveless coat 💙 www.liketk.it/1UQkq

A photo posted by Victoria (@inthefrow) on Oct 27, 2015 at 12:05pm PDT

What are your favorite fashion Instagram accounts? Let me know who I need to follow!

Fall 2015 Fashion Picks

With fall approaching quickly, I have been gearing up my wardrobe for cozy fall nights that are perfect for warm sweaters and neutrals. Now, I haven't been great in the past about buying neutral colored clothing, because I just love wearing purples, greens and pinks...but lately I have just felt so chic in black, white, grey and tan clothing. I thought I would share some pieces from my top three favorite stores that I think would look fabulous this fall!

Shut Up and Dance! (And Read This Post)

What a slow week! I always underestimate how slow the week goes by when you have fun plans for the weekend. Does anyone else notice this? It drives me crazy! Anyway, for this five on Friday, I am sharing five links to videos, articles and such that I loved and/or found interesting this week! 

1. Lilly for Target

The new Lilly Pulitzer for Target look book came out this week and I had been so curious about what they were going to feature in this collection, and also, I was curious about prices! I poked around the website this week and unfortunately...I want everything. The collection screams the beach, the sun, whimsy and all the other good things about summer. The gorgeous dresses and jumpsuits are around $40, which is a pretty reasonable price. The bathing suits are all around $24 for separates, so $48 together. I am surprised that a bathing suit would be more than a dress! I marked my calendar and I'm counting the days until April 19th!

2. How To Get the Perfect Winged Liner // But First, Coffee

As some who has been struggling with winged linger for a long time, I learned so much from this video! But First, Coffee is a beauty channel and blog, and it is one of my favorites to watch/read. All of Kallie's tips, reviews and tutorials are so helpful and to top it off, she is so funny and sweet! 

3. Dance Scenes in Movies Compilation

I am a sucker for a good dance scene in a movie. All of my favorite movies have at least one in them! This video had me dancing along with it, and I swear, whether you are having a good day or not, this video will brighten it! Plus, its set to my favorite song of the moment, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Its so catchy and I love that it sounds like an 80s pop song...it will most definitely make you shut up and dance too! (also, you win if you can guess how many times I listened to this song while writing this post)

4. The Myth of High-Protein Diets // New York Times

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with opinions on diets and what is good/bad for us to be eating. Anyone else?? I just found this article to be interesting because of the statistics that were given relating premature deaths and the high consumption of animal proteins. What confused me was that leaner animal proteins were never really mentioned specifically in the article. I do try to stay away from red meat, indulging in a burger or steak every once in a while, so a major source of my protein intake comes from lean chicken and turkey. I am curious if these animal proteins also cause such bad effects on the body, like red meat does? 

5. Photos of 11 Women Who Are Redefining Beauty // Cosmo
I loved this slideshow! I am all for changing beauty standards and these women are beautiful examples of this redefinition!

What links are you loving this week?

Linking up today!  

Fall Fashion 2014

Here are some picks from my favorite stores for this fall! 

What are some fall trends that you like? 

Afternoon at the Vineyard

My best friend from college paid a visit back to JMU this weekend to celebrate her birthday and I was SO excited to see her! She arrived Saturday and we tailgated a bit before the football game, then went out to an Irish pub for dinner! On Sunday, we went to campus for brunch and then decided to get ready and spend the afternoon at a local vineyard. 

I didn't take any pictures of the rows and rows of grapes...but I got a picture of these hydrangeas!

I had no clue that such a beautiful place existed just 15 minutes down the road from me! I guess western Virginia is known for its wine as I learned that there are many vineyards around JMU! My friends said that the wine they had was good, but the snacks they got were even better! I chose not to have a glass of wine because it always makes me so sleepy and I didn't get a great sleep the night before so I didn't want to be falling asleep at the table! 

One of my favorite pairs of boots!

 I wore a red and navy striped dress from J.Crew Factory, a short sand booties from Macy's, and a dark jean jacket from Old Navy. The day was quite overcast and a tad cold...a dress might not have been the best choice for me. However, the company was great and to make the afternoon even better, there was a musician playing reggae music.

Who knew reggae music would fit so well with a vineyard??

I would love to go back on a day when it is more sunny and warm, and also I'd like to bring John next time! We finished off the night by going to a local Italian restaurant...can you tell we like to eat?!

What did you do this weekend?

PS I swear I wasn't here alone... Since this blog is a little secret of mine, I never include pictures of my friends since I would have to ask for permission to post pictures of them! Maybe some day I will tell them!

Baseball & Brunch ~ Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday

Fortunately, I was not training at work on Friday so I got the chance to sleep in a bit (if 8am is sleeping in to you)! I kind of had a bum day...took the dog for a walk and wrote a blog post (click here to read it)! My favorite part of Friday was that John and I had planned ourselves a little date night out. We did the classic dinner and a movie date. For dinner, we grabbed Thai food (yum!) and for the movie, we saw 22 Jump Street! It was SO funny, and John said he wanted to see it again because the theater was laughing so loud that we missed a lot of movie dialogue! Before the movie started, I had my doubts because of it being a sequel and they can obviously be hit or miss, but this movie was a hit. Definitely go see this if you get the chance! If you need more convincing...Channing Tatum. 

Saturday
Saturday was another bum day (so lazy, I know), but on the brightside, it gave me time to play around with a new blog layout and color scheme! What do you guys think? I'm really loving the colors...perfect for summer! I took the dog for a walk, which I love doing because I swear she smiles the entire time and it makes me so happy. Finally, that evening my brothers had a Little League baseball semi-final game, which was a stressful one! It was a close game, but luckily they pulled through in the end to win the game! The town championship game is tomorrow...wish them luck! Also, I didn't take any pictures at the game like I planned because it started to rain and I was afraid my camera would get too wet!


Here's another gif of 22 Jump Street to make up for lack of Saturday pictures!

Sunday
John and I met his parents down in Kennebunkport for brunch at the Nonantum Resort!

It was such a lovely day, and we got to sit in a sunny, window-filled room that looked right out onto the cove. The food was delicious, although I mostly stuck with the breakfast side of brunch! Helloooo made-to-order omelette station! After we were finished eating, John and I stuck around Kennebunkport for a bit, just to explore!

View from the back lawn of the Nonantum!

We pulled over at this little empty stone chapel to explore and take some pictures! 

 It looked right out onto open ocean!

Top is Banana Republic & Pants are Gap

This is the chapel's view!

Later that day, I celebrated Father's Day with my family with a nice dinner out! It was perfect family time that I really cherished! 

What did you do this weekend?

Lilly Pulitzer 2014-2015 Agendas

"Hot Spot"

Yesterday while eating my breakfast, I received a very exciting email...It was from Lilly Pulitzer saying we could now preorder their new agendas for the 2014-2015 school year! For the past couple years, I have bought myself a Lilly Pulitzer agenda and loved their whimsical patterns and fun stickers on the inside! As a busy nursing student, I absolutely live by my planner as it is essential to my time management. If it doesn't get written down, it doesn't get done! Since I bring it with me everywhere, I like that its a good size (I like the large size) and its cute! 

If the large is too big or too small for your needs, they also have small, medium and jumbo sizes as well. I've included some pictures and print names of the agendas that I like the best this year...I hope you like them too!

"Tripping and Slipping"

        

    

"Biggest Fan"

                                                                                 

What is your #1 organization tool?

Washington D.C. Adventure! Day 1

One of my favorite buildings that we saw...The Treasury Department!

Over Easter weekend in April, John (the boyfriend) and I went for a weekend trip to Washington D.C.. I go to school about two hours west of D.C. and we wanted to do something exciting since we both had long weekend breaks from school. I did some searching around the internet and found a good hotel deal at the Grand Hyatt right in the center of everything. It was a beautiful hotel and we ended up with a corner room with huge windows to look out over the city with (SCORE!). Once we arrived at the hotel, we were eager to get our tourist on-- and where would you go first if you were in America's capital?? The White House of course! I had been so excited to get up close to the fence of the White House and spend a while taking pictures there, but unfortunately, it did not work out like that! There were police everywhere that wouldn't let anyone up close and it was so crowded that we did not feel like staying very long. BUT we were able to snag a few pictures!

Me outside of the White House!

 Then, we headed to the American History museum. We spent hours here just obsessing over every exhibit. John's favorite was the transportation exhibit because it had old cars and even an old camper! He is in love with cars so it was right up his alley. My favorite exhibit featured some of the First Ladys' inauguration ball gowns. I loved this exhibit because I just could not stop thinking about how these women must have felt on the nights they wore these dresses! Also, another favorite thing I saw were the ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz!

After leaving, we had about an hour until closing time at all the museums so we hurried next door to the musem of Natural History. Although I like this museum, I wasn't overly excited to visit it because I had already been there a few years ago. Since we had a limited amount of time to spend there, we decided to just stay around the dinosaur and fossil exhibit!

This T-Rex was huge!

Once we had to leave the museum, we had a little photo shoot while hanging out around the National Mall. The weather was perfect, not too hot or cold, so there were so many people outside! 

These are my favorite pants---awesome color and so comfortable for lots of walking! 

After I had sufficiently bugged John by begging for selfies with me, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before dinner. For dinner, we ate at an American-style restaurant called Clyde's. The food was okay, but my cosmo was delicious so the meal was balanced! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to call it a night, but on the way, we saw a giant rat in the street. GROSS. We nearly ran back to the hotel after seeing it! 

Overall, I would call our first day in D.C. a success because I got to see the American History museum which I was sooo looking forward to going to. Check back soon for a post about the second and final day in D.C.! 

This was my favorite picture of the day! 

If you've been to Washington D.C., what was your favorite part?