Portland

Top: PinkBlush, pants: UO, shoes: thrifted

These pictures were taken last week on my birthday in Portland. I cannot think of a better birthday — traveling with my boyfriend, eating donuts, ducking under pagodas to avoid the rain, drinking pints, followed by an intimate dinner at a hip bar. I think 24 is going to be a good year for me! It's off to a great start — traveling to the Pacific Northwest was a dream. Two days in Portland, followed by a road trip down to the Redwoods, sleeping in a tent, then back up to Eugene to stay in a converted school bus on an organic farm. It went by so quickly and it was impossible to truly capture the beauty of it all. It really felt like a magical place. Stay tuned for more photos from my travels!

School House Rock

Dress: Forever21, shoes: thrifted, slip: thrifted, necklace: target, sunnies: Forever 21

I am beyond excited to be heading to Oregon and the Redwoods for a couple days with my boyfriend tomorrow morning. It's been a while since I've taken a long vacation and it is overdue. My birthday is on Monday (pi day), so I celebrated in Philly with friends on Friday. This is the outfit I wore to dinner with roommate, followed by BYOB minigolf and one too many liters at the beerhall with friends. I am so grateful for the wonderful support group I have in my life. Can't wait to spend my birthday in a new city with my love. Make sure to follow my adventures on instagram!

Turn up the Volume

A couple blog posts back I talked about giving my hair a little TLC with HASK. They just sent over their new line of Mint Almond Oil which smells just as good! I rarely ever straighten my hair, but after using these thickening products, I wasn't worried about my hair getting brittle and limp. The root thickening spray works on wet or dry hair. I used it here on my dry, straight hair to give it a little bit of that extra volume. While I like the Monoi coconut oil for everyday use (seriously, I've already gone out to buy more), this product is great for getting a little volume before going out for drinks or dancing. Basically, anytime I want to give my hair a little boost. Their products came in the cutest bag that sports the motto "sure, life isn't perfect but my hair is." My life has been chaotic lately with lots of things up in the air. Though I can't have complete control of my life, I can at least have some gorgeous locks! 

What products do you guys use? Are there any hair items you can't go without?

 

*this is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Brocade

Pants: Forever 21, Shirt: h&m, Boots: Dirty Laundry

These photos were taken last weekend in Vermont. I love this little barn at my parents’ house. I thought it would be the perfect backdrop for these photos. Especially for the style Vermont brings out. Greens, browns, chunky socks, a beanie to top it all off. I'm smitten with these brocade pants I picked up from Forever 21 a couple weeks ago. They're so comfortable!

In other news I just booked my flight to visit Oregon in two weeks! I am beyond excited. My boyfriend and I have booked some great places to stay and I can’t wait for another adventure. If anyone has advice for things to do, places to visit, or things to eat in Portland, Eugene or Northern California, let me know!

Healthy Tips Featuring Nakd Bars

I'm usually a pretty active, fit person. The problem is I don't really like going to the gym. I prefer being doing outside activities, which isn't really possible in the winter. In an effort to get healthier, I decided to make a couple easy lifestyle adjustments. When Natural Balance Foods offered to send me a sample of their Nakd Healthy cereal bars, I thought this would be the perfect time to get my healthy lifestyle back on track. It’s amazing what a difference a few little changes can make. Here are some tips I'm working to adopt into my daily life:

1. Drink more water! I cannot emphasize this one enough. I recently downloaded the app Plant Nanny and was amazed with how little water I was drinking, compared to what my body needs. Having a reminder (and a cute plant to take care of) has been so helpful. I can already feel the change in my body and especially my skin, which is usually so dry this time of year.

2. Basic exercise. Getting to the gym is a hard thing for me to do, especially when the weather is cold. Just because you don’t want to run on a treadmill, doesn’t mean you can’t do some basic exercises in your own home. I recently started participating in this 30-day plank challenge. It’s only been a few days and already I feel stronger. Other exercises that are great for doing at home are jumping rope, headstands, tuck jumps and squats.

3. Stretching is a great way to increase strength and flexibility, without needing to log hours at the gym. Butterflies, touching your toes, or any of these full-body stretches are great for doing first thing in the morning or while watching TV. It can really make a difference!

4. Healthy snacks.  I'm the type of person that gets hangry. If I'm hungry, I will eat anything and everything in sight. It means that even if I'm making a conscious effort to eat healthy, the second the hanger sets in it's all out the window. During my lifestyle shift, I've been making sure to grab a healthy snack on my way out the door. A piece of fruit, or recently these Nakd bars. They're the perfect thing to throw in my purse or gym bag (for those few times I can get my butt on a treadmill). They're small, but are perfect for curbing your appetite for your next healthy meal. My favorite flavor? Strawberry crunch! Be sure to check out their website to see all of their delicious flavors.

*this is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Vermont Photo Diary

Vermont is a very special place to me. Though it’s not where I grew up, my parent’s house in Woodstock, VT feels like home. Drinks by the fire, my dog at my feet, always a meal on the stove. It’s a place where I sleep better, feel healthier and breathe better. Working a full-time job means that weekend getaways are usually as tiring and they are relaxing. Sleeping 5 hours, going on a 2 hour snowshoe, hitting the sauna. Spending the afternoon tracing my fingers over vintage items at the antique mall. Learning how to shoot a gun, teaching Chloe how to drive manual, followed by cocktails and burgers. Vermont is just so peaceful and serene. My lungs felt better after spending time outside, hiking around the national park in my parent’s backyard. Here are some snapshots from my short, sweet, and wonderful weekend!