Animal Print Trend For Fall

Is anyone else super excited that fall is almost here? Or is it just me? Honestly, I can’t be the only one. The weather’s becoming more cool and crisp, the leaves are turning into a beautiful palette of red, yellow and orange shades, and the idea of sitting next to a bonfire on a October night while drinking hot apple cider sounds SO delightful! What’s not to love about fall? I do get bittersweet saying goodbye to warm and sunny summer days, but autumn - especially in the Midwest - is too good to resist!

I do have to say that I believe fall is THE best fashion season! With the temperature being more mild, there’s more options for styling and layering. I also love all the colors, as well as the warmth and coziness of sweaters, scarves, hats, and boots. I’ve been noticing that with this upcoming fall, a big trend is animal print; particularly leopard and cheetah. I love clothes with animal print, I think they’re so chic and spunky! (Disclaimer: Faux clothes of course, not from actual animals! I’m not like Cruella de Vil, I promise 😂)

I got this onette leopard button down blouse from Francesca’s a little over a month ago (it’s now on clearance for only $14.98!). It’s a really delicate and chic blouse. I especially love the flowy short sleeves, the V-neckline, and of course, the leopard print! Along with the blouse, I also got these really cool animal print accent booties from Francesca’s as well. I love how they’re half black suede and half animal print. They look so unique and glam! Though I don’t always wear the blouse and shoes together, they give off very spunky vibes when worn at the same time! I also got this super cute adjustable crystal bar bracelet at a boutique called Grit & Grace Studio during my trip to Charleston last month. I love it so much, I’ve been wearing it almost every day since I bought it! It goes with basically with every outfit, and that’s definitely a perk!

What’s a current fashion trend that you’ve been loving lately? Comment below and let me know so I can stay in the know! Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

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Click here to check out the adjustable bar druzy bolo bracelet I got from Grit & Grace Studio in Charleston!

Leopard Print Bikini Outfit

Hey, y’all! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

I can’t believe summer is almost over. It feels like the beginning of June was yesterday! It’s honestly crazy how this year has felt so slow and so fast at the same time. 2020 has certainly been a year of weirdness! However, I still enjoyed this summer considering it wasn’t a very normal one. My family, sister’s in-laws, and I actually went on a trip to Isle of Palms in South Carolina last week, and it was the absolute perfect way to close out this summer! Though fall is still another month away and it will still be warm and sunny for quite some time, going on a beach vacation was just what we all needed!

The best part was that the majority of our time was spent relaxing on the beach and in the beach house we rented, along with two day trips to Charleston. I was especially excited about going to the beach because I got a really cute leopard print bikini top and bottom from Aerie to wear! It’s currently my favorite swimsuit outfit of mine. I’ve worn it a few times over the summer and have gotten quite a few compliments. What I love about it is the white leopard print, as well as the strapless top and high-waisted bottom. It’s a sexy look, but still is modest. I also hardly got a lot of sunburn while wearing it, so that’s another pro! The swimsuit also went hand in hand with my SEE Eyewear leopard print sunglasses 😎

Unfortunately, the strapless bikini top is no longer in the market. However, there are still a lot of cute tops that have the exact same print! Honestly, Aerie has a variety of super cute swimsuits that you can’t go wrong with.

Thanks for reading my post! Have a blessed Monday, y’all! XOXO

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Coffee Date Outfit

Hey, friends! I hope you all are having a blessed week!

I spent this past Sunday going on a lovely coffee date with my even lovelier friend/roomie Abby! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE going on coffee dates! I find so much joy in spending quality time with a good friend or more while sipping delicious lattes at a cute coffee shop. Abby and I spent the afternoon exploring Downtown Hudson, taking pics of each other and enjoying some good coffee from Open Door Coffee Company, one of our favorite coffee shops in the Summit County area. It was SUPER hot out that day, but we had such a good time together! By the way, I just have to say that whichever barista at Open Door made my iced butterbeer latte with almond milk … 1,000 points to whichever Hogwarts house you claim to be sorted in! 🙌🏻

Though I don't dress up for every single coffee date I go on, I do enjoy having an excuse to wear a cute outfit. After all, you and your friend(s) may end up taking some fun pictures for Instagram! My go-to outfit for a coffee date really depends on my mood that day (I’ve definitely worn sweatpants countless of times), as well as the time of year and outdoor temperature. Since it’s now officially summer and it was very warm outside when we went to Hudson, I decided to go for a chic and summery look to go with my latte!

My taupe velvet chenille hat is from Anthropologie and is currently my favorite hat, especially for the summertime! I actually got it back in January when they were having a big New Years sale, and I happened to find it in the clearance section for only $12. That’s a pretty good deal for a cute floppy hat such as this one, especially at Anthropologie! As for the rest of my outfit, my black crewneck tank top is from Target, my denim skirt is from Madewell, my gold cuff bracelet is from Francesca’s and my white croc mule heels are from Nasty Gal. It’s one of my favorite go-to outfits for a day out, whether it may be for a trip to the farmers’ market, a night out at dinner with the ladies and of course, a coffee date!

What’s your favorite coffee order (or beverage if you’re not a coffee drinker) and go-to outfit when going on a coffee date? Comment below and let me know!

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Click here to see the actual pair of Nasty Gal mule croc sandal heels in black!

Quarantined Easter Outfit

Hey, y’all! I hope everyone had a very blessed and safe Easter this past weekend! It certainly felt weird being stuck at home all day for a special holiday like this, especially during springtime (even though the weather for Easter wasn’t that nice in Ohio). Typically, an Easter Sunday celebration for me and my family would consist of attending church in the morning, driving to my aunt’s house for lunch/dinner, egg hunts (mostly when we were kids, but sometimes still fun even as adults!), and spending time outdoors playing a family baseball game or simply enjoying each other’s company. Of course with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, all of those major festivities were not an option this year for the sake of everybody’s health (especially the grandparents). It certainly felt different and gloomy to not be able to have a normal Easter celebration.

However, that didn’t mean that I couldn’t celebrate my Savior for His greatest victory. After all, that’s the whole point of Easter is to praise Him for what He did!. My praise for Jesus’s resurrection certainly ain’t quarantined, that’s for sure! Church buildings may be empty, but guess what else is … Jesus’s tomb! I’m just so grateful that I have the opportunity to praise Him and all His glory not just Easter Weekend but every day. Every breath I take each day is a reminder of His amazing love and sacrifice. As John 19:30 says, “It is finished.” Simple as that. We are saved by His grace and can be with Him throughout all eternity! How amazing is that?! Even through all this craziness and having to practice social distancing, He is still glorious. I give Him so much praise and worship for that!

Instead of our normal Easter festivities, my parents, sister and I ended up getting Starbucks in the morning (my mom and sister gave it up for Lent, so now they can have it!), walking around the neighborhood, watching Elevation Church’s Easter service online, eating lamb for dinner, eating peanut butter and chocolate chip fudge and vanilla ice cream for dessert (I gave up dessert for Lent, so now i can have it!), Zooming with both sides of the family, and watching a few episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. And even though we didn’t leave the house all day, I still wanted to glam up a little bit for one of my favorite holidays! I originally was planning on wearing a lavender lace dress before quarantine happened, so instead I went for a casual but still delicate look.

I get a lot of compliments on this floral contrast long sleeve top, which I bought at Francesca’s as soon as it arrived in shipment back in February. I love the sheer white, blue and purple sleeves as well as the floral details. I also love the white thermal material, too. It’s so cozy but still light enough to wear in a warm temperature. To keep the look casual but cute, I paired the top with my skinny denim jeans from American Eagle, my gold crystal hoops from Francesca’s, a few rings, and I painted my nails in fun pastel colors from Olive + June! I didn’t wear shoes with this outfit simply because I did not feel like wearing them around the house all day. We’re stuck in quarantine, so no shoes = no shame!

What did you guys do for Easter in quarantine? Comment below and share! Happy Easter, y’all!

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Nails by Olive + June (Superbloom Set)

Day and Night Pants

Ever have two different pairs of colored pants that you want to wear but can’t decide which? Well, what if I told you could wear BOTH colored pants in one pair of pants at the same time?! It’s your lucky day because I have the perfect solution thanks to … Day and Night pants!

Please excuse my cheesy infomercial intro 😂 But in all seriousness, these pants by Choosy are actually perfect when you can’t decide on a color. And the two sides combined into one pair makes the pants look so funky and cool, and that’s what I love most about them. They fit right in with my spunky and bold sense of style and personality! I like to call these pants my “Day and Night” pants because one side looks like daytime and one side looks like nighttime. It’s actually very relevant because they are literally referred to as “Day and Night” pants on Choosy’s website. It also made it a lot easier and convenient to title this post!

I originally found these pants through Instagram when an ad for them came up on the stories. I thought, “Wow, these pants look so fun. I need to check them!” And so I did, and it struct me that they were only $75. For funky pants like these? Honestly, not that’s one damn good deal! But instead of buying them right away, I decided to put it on my Christmas gift list and see if I would get it. I actually was a little surprised when I opened it on Christmas morning. I did not think my parents would actually get them for me!

Y’all, I couldn’t even believe how many compliments I received from wearing them. I was on a shift for my job at Francesca’s a few weekends ago and a few guests and my manager, said they looked so cool. I also went to my Great Grandma’s 104 birthday party (yep, she’s still thriving!) later that day and I received even more compliments. I didn’t even think they would like them that much, so that was definitely a feel-good surprise!

You can bet your boots that I’ll be wearing this pants for more family events to come 😉

My favorite top to wear with these pants is my black bodysuit turtleneck from Altar’d State, which actually matches the funky style of the pants thanks to the long bell sleeves! I also saw on Choosy’s website and Instagram that a lot girls wearing the pants wearing military combat boots with them, so I like to stick with the trend and wear my black Steve Madden military combat boots with them. Adds even more of a spunk to the look!

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Pants: Choosy

Bodysuit Turtleneck: Altar’d State

Boots: Steve Madden - similar boots

Necklace: Francesca’s - similar necklace

Are you a fan of funky two-sided pants? Comment below and share your thoughts on them!

Pink Leather Jacket for Spring

Hey, y’all! How’s everybody doing today?? Not to be dramatic, but it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve digitally crossed paths … or more like forever since I’ve last posted technically. These past month have been super busy with classes, work, Delight, and all the other things that keep me occupied during the semester. A lot busier than I anticipated. But I’m not done making content, I can promise you that! And now I’m very happy that I have some time to spare and can show you one of my latest favorite fashion pieces: this faux ruffle pink leather jacket from Francesca’s!

Leather jackets always make a bold fashion statement no matter what, especially when they come in a bright pretty color like this one. It’s a delicate yet fierce combination. It’s like if Sandy Dee was a member of both the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies! I first saw this jacket this past December when it came in the shipment boxes for the Christmas and Valentine’s Day seasons. At first, I thought I should wait till after Christmas to use my discount or till it goes on clearance so that I could get a better deal. However, I couldn’t resist it. I tried it on and I immediately became obsessed with it. And I also figured that if I bought it and wear it to work, I could inspire customers to buy it themselves. That’s how marketing works, y’all! It was originally $54.00 full price and I got it for $27.00 with my employee discount, so I still saved a good chunk of money in my bank account. Thank goodness for my employee discount, one of the many benefits of working in retail! And now it’s officially on clearance for only $14.98! So if you’re looking for some cute new fashion items for spring, I definitely recommend checking out this jacket. It’s such a perfect way to transition from a cold winter to a mild spring. And nothing screams spring more than pastel pink!

For a fashion piece that’s made on of chic leather material and pops in pink, I like to wear a simple black top with a pair of casual jeans and cute shoes with a bit of a heel. A few of my go-to pieces with the jacket (when the weather or occasion is appropriate) are my black knitted crop top from Knot Sisters, high-waisted mom jeans from American Eagle, top knot mule heels from Francesca’s (also got those for a good deal with my discount!), and a cheetah print crossbody bag from American Eagle. I went to Cincinnati a few weekends ago with my friends, and it was mild and sunny enough to wear this outfit. It was quite the treat!

Who else is ready for spring?! Although I don’t like it when time flies, I would sure love to fast forward to springtime. I’m just ready to see the flowers begin blooming and for the weather to be not too cold but not too hot. That may have sounded like I was competing in a beauty pagent, but I’m speaking 100% truth!

Comment below your favorite thing about spring! 🌷

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Jacket: Francesca’s

Jeans: American Eagle

Crop Top: Knot Sisters - similar top

Shoes: Francesca’s

Bag: American Eagle - similar bag

Faux Real

Hey hey hey! I hope everyone is have a fabulous weekend so far!

Just a quick clarification, the title of this post is pronounced as “FO real”, not “FOX real”. I can promise you that this sweater is NOT made out of fox fur. In fact, it is completely all fake and artificial.

I’m going to be really honest with y’all for a second … for the longest time I thought “faux” was “fox”, as in the animal 😂 I’ve been pronouncing it that way over a million times until my sister Lauren finally told me that it was pronounced “fo”, and I was like, “Wait, seriously?!” As a fashion merchandising major and fashion blogger, you can imagine how silly I felt. And it’s not even hard to pronounce!

Oh well, you learn something new every day.

Speaking of new, my cousin Emmy got me this super chic faux fur sweater from Zara for Christmas. Y’all, words cannot even express how OBSESSED I am with it. I’ve worn it so much ever since I unwrapped the gift! I’ve been wearing it to work, to classes, to nights on the town with my friends, you name it. I love the extremely soft material and how it’s not real fur, but still super chic. The only thing though is that the inside material is more crisp unlike the outside material, but it’s still very cozy to wear. Plus, I’ve gotten so many compliments on it! People want to feel the texture and how soft it is 😂

You can style basically anything with this sweater and it’ll look super cute. My go-to pairings with it are my black ripped leggings from American Eagle, black high-knee boots by Steve Madden, coin rhinestone necklace from Francesca’s, and spiked gold hoops also from Francesca’s. I think the whole outfit together looks so spunky and glamorous.

Words to live by: life is never perfect … but you’re outfit can be!

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Sweater: Zara

Jeans: American Eagle - similar jeans

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: Francesca’s - similar necklace

Earrings: Francesca’s

What do you think about faux fur material? Have you also mistakenly pronounced the term as “fox” instead of “fo”? There’s no one I can be the only one. Comment below and share with me!

2020 Vision: My Experience With SEE Eyewear

2020 Vision … SEE what EYE did there?!

Over winter break, I had the wonderful pleasure of having a personal style session with SEE Eyewear at their location in the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, OH. It was my first time getting personally styled for my blog, so it was a super fun experience. And the employees, especially Charles who manages the store, couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful! And I absolutely LOVE the brand and the unique glasses they have to offer. They come in so many different shapes, colors and style, and they’re all so funky and cool! They have been voted "Best Eyewear" and "Best Optical Shop" in readers' polls from coast to coast. There are as well a few celebrities who wear SEE Eyewear frames, including Howie Mandel and Chris Sullivan. So basically, they’re pretty dope!

But not only did I get a free style session and free new glasses, but I also got a free eye exam as well. I actually haven’t had one in three years. I just never had any major issues with my eyesight, nor needed to get a new pair of glasses. The other two glasses that I own have a light prescription to help me when I’m looking at a technology screen for quite some time (like right now as I write and edit this post). So it was about time! And the eye doctor who worked me with and gave me the exam couldn’t have been any more friendly and helpful, so that was a bonus!

As for the styling session, Charles was so awesome to work with. He gave me a selection of different frames and allowed me to try them all on. I ended up getting rectangle-shaped glasses with a red shade on the top and spotted tortoise on the bottom. I also actually ended up getting a free pair of cat eye sunglasses with cheetah print (how convenient) because he liked how the shape of the frames looked on me, but couldn’t decide if that or the red/tortoise ones looked better. So instead, he took out the vision lenses of them and replaced them with polarized lenses. And they look even more chic and funky as sunglasses! It makes me feel like an old-fashioned glamorous movie star, and I can wear them with pretty much any outfit. So thank you Charles for that nice treat and little addition!

The store itself was so funky and hip as well. They have so many vintage portraits that give off a really fun vibe, and of course they variety of chic frames on display. And they playlist consisted of a lot of R&B songs, which I thought was so catchy and fitting to the vintage and hip theme. I definitely had to take a few pictures while I was there to show y’all! And you’ll definitely have to stop by in person to see how cool it is. You may even find yourself a pair of new glasses or sunglasses while you’re there!

I just want to give a big thank you to all the employees at SEE Eyewear who helped make this experience happen, especially Charles. He was an absolute treat to collaborate with and definitely one of the coolest dudes I have ever met. He’s so kind, thoughtful, hilarious, and his style is ON POINT! Y’all would be so lucky to have the chance to have him style you with spunky glasses and sunglasses!

Be sure to check out the variety of funky and chic frames they have to offer at a location near you on their website, as well as their Instagram page! And use my discount code “SWEET20” (can be used online or in-store), to get 20% off any prescription eyewear for your first purchase! (Disclaimer: restrictions apply, see store for details).

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Classy, Sassy, and A Little Badassy

“I only work in black… and sometimes very, very dark grey.”

One of the greatest quotes by Batman from one of the greatest movies of all time… The LEGO Movie. This all-black outfit gave me the perfect excuse to use that quote for the post.

Do any of you have one particular outfit in your wardrobe that instantly makes you feel like a badass when you wear it? Those kinds of outfits that make you feel like you can conquer the world simply just by putting it on? From a chic leather jacket to a pair of boss lady high heels, there’s nothing better than a classy but sassy look that makes you feel badassy! There you go, that’s the title for this post!

Just call me Dr. Freaking Seuss 🤓

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I have quite a few outfits in my wardrobe that boost my confidence, but the one that definitely makes me feel most badass is my crisscross cropped turtleneck from Zara combined with my faux leather leggings from Target. I’m not going to lie, this outfit makes me feel like a spy with the all-black tone 😂I’m not complaining about that though, spies are pretty badass! Even the ones who look like Nicholas Cage and steal the Declaration of Independence ... ANWAYS, to accessorize the outfit, I paired it with little gold drop earrings, a gold rhinestone coin pendant necklace from Francesca’s and my black combat boots by Steve Madden.

This OOTD was inspired by one of my three girl crushes: the lovely and amazing Emma Watson (Anna Kendrick and Candace Cameron Bure being the other two). She wore this outfit a few years ago while she was a promo tour for the live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast and shared it on her fashion Instagram account The Press Tour. I love how she paired the black cropped turtleneck and black pants to make it into an elegant yet killer fashion statement. Emma is one of our generation’s biggest fashion icons (in my opinion, but definitely very obvious). She has a modestly chic yet FIERCE touch to her style that never fails to turn heads!

One thing I love most about this look is that it’s a spunky type of glam and makes me feel fierce when I’m wearing it, but it still has a modest touch to it, just like Emma’s outfit. It shows a little bit of my skin, but not too much of it. And I’d rather be modest like that rather than try to show off any more of it. I think there’s something kind of sexy about modesty, which I hope can become a bigger trend as time goes on. I actually saw a quote about modesty by Emma Watson herself, who I think sets a good example when it comes to dressing with a purpose. The quote came pretty convenient for this post, if I do say so myself! She said:

“My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal, the more people wonder.”

~ Emma Watson

Very wise words from a very wise woman that I highly respect and admire. Way to be classy, sassy and badassy all at once, Emma!

What’s your idea of classy, sassy, and a little badassy? Comment down below and share with me!

Photography by my wonderful and talented friend Alex Stevens (go follow her and her work on Insta: @asteve05!!!!)

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