Post-Run Meal

This morning I woke up and went right for a run. I only did a few miles because I had to get back and shower/eat/pack before leaving for the retreat! I had an apple, a stalk of celery, a slice of cheese, and some Wheat Thins, with a small glass of chocolate milk (because it is the best ratio of carbs to protein after a workout!) So far it has been a good meal to fuel me through the day.

xo



Nostalgia at its Finest

Bag: GUESS Skinnies: Joe's Flats and Tank: Nordstrom Cardigan: Macy's...? It's old Watch: Michael Kors Bracelets: Forever 21

This Thursday night I went over to a friend's house and we had pesto lasagna, wine, and tiramasu Italy style. I got together with my roommates in Italy (Nazionale room 6 forevaaaa) and it was great. So nice to catch up. I am so nostalgic about Italy it is crazy. I miss it so much. It was such a great experience and I will never forget it. I want to go back there one day, and it will be amazing, but will never be that same fantastic experience I had over the summer...and maybe one day I'll share the amazing pesto lasagna recipe, but for now it remains a GIF secret. :)

Tomorrow I'm going on a retreat with the dance team! We are going to one of the girls' cabins and will have no cell service or wifi for the weekend. So if I don't post before I leave, I'll post when I get back! It'll be nice to relax and be away from technology for a few days. At the same time, I haven't been without my BlackBerry in a while...so I guess we'll see. Haha.

xo



Hello Wednesday

Jacket: Vivid Collection Tanks: Nordstrom Shorts: Rock & Republic Shoes: American Eagle Stud Earrings: Claire's Headband: Barneys New York

I need to work on not cutting off my shoes in photos...at least I didn't fully cut them out like yeterday! These are my new lil' sneaks I got from American Eagle last weekend and so far they're pretty comfortable. I started with the blue color and white polka dots from the shoes and made my outfit from there. I added this peacock headband I got in New York a couple years ago at the beginning of the whole feather hype. I can't believe how strong the trend is still going!

Also, for any other lovers of Forever 21 out there, their free shipping deal (on orders over $21) ends tonight, so if you're thinking about a few items, now's the time to order them! I have my eye on a couple things but I can't decide if I really need them...I just went shopping...guess we'll see.

Time to do errands and write a paper. Fun...

xo

rainy days

Jeans and Tank: Forever 21 Flannel Shirt: Splendid Jacket: from a leather market in Florence, Italy

Oops, I accidentally cut my shoes out of the picture - I was wearing white lace-up Vans! I also decided to take today's outfit photo in my room instead of the dining/family room of my apartment. I still would love to take photos outside, but as I said before, I don't have much extra time.

Taking the photo in my room also allowed me to play around with the edits - I couldn't do much with the lighting and floor color with my previous ones! I'll probably continue to do my outfit posts in here for a while.

It rained this morning, so I wore this fantastic leather jacket that I got when I studied in Italy this summer. It hasn't gotten much wear yet because of the heat, but since it is waterproof (and fireproof apparently, according to the salesman), I pulled it out of my closet today. It also has a detachable hood...so basically it's the perfect jacket for me with weather conditions - warm, waterproof, has a hood to protect my hair in rain/snow, AND it's fashionable. I like the contrast of the black with the dark green of the flannel and pop of white.

So since it rained today ... can I get these yet? ;)

xo

Lazy Monday

Sweater: Tory Burch Tank: Nordstrom Boyfriend jeans: Rich & Skinny Shoes: Sperry Bangle: Forever 21 Watch: Michael Kors

Eh, I'm really not feelin' the photo today. I had probably about a minute of time to take it before a meeting I had to cover for journalism class. However, today was the first day I wore something other than a dress, skirt, or shorts (read: actual pants) because it was chilly and rainy this afternoon. I opted for boyfriend jean capris as to dip a toe in the cold-weather-clothing pool rather than dive in.

Today was a Lazy Monday because my classes today were cancelled! It somehow worked out that they were all cancelled on the same day. I got to sleep in and relax for a bit before having to actually do something. Long weekends are nice.

The meeting ran past 8pm, which is fine. Because the Gossip Girl season premiere started at 9pm. Oh wait, I mean, at 9pm when I turned on the TV, the end credits and commercial for next week's episode were on. I can't believe I missed it! I thought it was an hour later. Now I'll have to wait and try to avoid looking at my Twitter feed (since so many people are tweeting about the episode) till I can watch it online. Don't tell me what happened! :)

xo

Who doesn't love shopping?

After weeks of randomly lusting after clothes online, putting them in my shopping cart, but deciding not to actually buy anything, I decided to finally go to the nearby mall to get a couple things. It was a good way of celebrating finishing my first two exams of the year. I went to American Eagle first, then decided after spending all that money that I just needed to go home and hold off on shopping for a while.

I was really excited because after getting bored with American Eagle and not shopping there for the past couple of years, they seem to have gotten a style makeover and added a lot more urban-esque, bohemian, trendy pieces. This is what I got:

Patterned sneakers on sale for $14.99. I think they will be adorable with rolled up boyfriend jeans and a chunky knit sweater.

A wonderfully hippie-looking fringe bag for $39.50. I've been needing a brown bag for a while and finally found one that I really liked. I wore it Friday night!

The chevron stripes on the socks look like the ones seen all over the Missoni for Target collection. I got them for $6.50 and am going to see how they look with ankle booties.

I also couldn't decide on whether or not I wanted to get this black, floppy, boho hat, because I already spent quite the chunk of change. So I "justified" it by going back the next morning to get it...hey, I had to go to get my phone fixed at the mall anyway, and the hat was right there. They don't have a photo of the hat anymore on the website but it'll probably be featured soon in an outfit post!

Have you gone shopping recently? What did you get?

xo

beach day

Beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene...

So, I forgot my camera, and all these pictures were taken on my BlackBerry Torch.

Today was so much fun! We got to go to beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho for the day. It was so relaxing - about 90 degrees, perfect sunny sky, and an open beach area. I LOVE the beach...like really. Any beach is basically my favorite place in the world. The feeling of standing in sand with waves crashing against your legs is so calming to me. I am loving summer's duration this year, but at the same time I'm getting ready for fall fashion. Spokane - keep up the warmer temps, please! I can wear my fall clothes later. :)

xo

PS - I had a fantastic peanut butter frosted chocolate cupcake today. It was our dessert before lunch. And it was darn good, I tell ya.

it's friday!

Dress: Nordstrom Boots: Corso Como Bag: American Eagle Watch: Michael Kors Black bracelets: Forever 21 Beaded bracelets: Asos

I love Fridays! I don't have class on Fridays so I get to sleep in and enjoy my morning without rushing around getting ready for class. Today I had a nice, easy day of going to the gym, laying out in the sun and doing homework, going shopping, and now I'm about to get ready for the night.

This new bag is one of my purchases from today! I saw it online and I knew I had to go get one. The material is so soft and I love the fringe. I know it's trendy and probably won't be in style after a couple seasons, but for $39.50 it's not too bad!

xo



still sunny

Shorts: M2F Denim Tank: J. Crew Sheer Shirt: Subdued Firenze Necklace: American Eagle Sandals: my mom's closet Bracelet: Forever 21 Watch: Michael Kors

Okay, I'm starting to get sick of this backdrop...when I have the time I'd love to take outfit photos outside! (The fluorescent lighting and wooden closet doors aren't doing much for me.) Especially because it's STILL sunny! Not quite fall weather yet. I love it, because I get to wear shorts and don't have to worry about a ton of layering yet.

I just got back from Rockwood Bakery with a friend for some lunch. It was so nice to get off campus in between classes (cough, I mean 2 tests), to chat and relax. I had a chicken sandwich and one of the most amazing brownies ever. Every time I go to Rockwood, I always get one of the brownies. Chocolate is too temping to pass up. :)

xo



dailymile

I just signed up for DailyMile! I like to run, and keep track of my runs and workouts, so when I heard about it I thought I ought to join. It's kind of like a cross between Twitter and Facebook. You can add people as "friends" and see other people's posts. Seeing other peoples' posts who are maniacs (in a good way) that run 25 miles a day is definitely some good inspiration.

This is what it looks like. I guess we'll see how I like it and if I keep using it.

Does anyone else have one? If so, add me! Search for "Ally A".

xo



15 minutes

Jacket: Nordstrom White tank: Forever 21 Pink tank: Nordstrom Shorts: H&M Shoes: Sperry Scarf: Subdued Firenze Bracelets: Forever 21

Today I decided to go to the gym and go on an 8-mile run before my afternoon class. Little did I realize that by the time I got back to my apartment, I had 15 minutes to shower, blow dry my hair, and get dressed for class! Oops. So my hair is a bit of a mess and my outfit was thrown together last-minute, but I don't think it's too bad considering my time contraints :)

This is my third post in the row featuring Sperrys! Love 'em. I've had these pink ones for 6 (yes, six) years now. Classic shoes that you can wear forever are the best.

xo



rain boots

Rain is probably the last type of weather I'd ever want on a given day. But stylish rain boots can make it (a little) better, right?

That is why I love these Sperry black quilted rain boots:

Cue the choir and the shining light. These babies are beautiful.

I had been thinking of possibly getting a pair of black Hunter rain boots this year, but it seems like everyone has them. So I thought these would be a refreshing alternative and would match a lot of my winter clothing :) They also come in other patterns like preppy plaid, ditsy flowers, nautical stripes, and wild child animal prints. My faves are the quilted though, obviously.

Okay, it can rain ONLY if I am wearing these boots.

xo

blazer, yellow, gold

Blazer and tanks: Nordstrom Necklace: Forever 21 Shorts: Rock & Republic Bracelets: Forever 21 Watch: Michael Kors Shoes: Sperry

I bought most of my outfit about a month ago, but was saving it for fall-transition-season. I like how the gold in the accessories and shoes brings out the yellow tank and how the blazer makes me look a little more put-together for class. And, yes, I took this photo in my apartment...again. Haha.

I have multiple things on both my regular to-do list and my homework to-do list, but I can't stop thinking about some life goals I have and what I want to be for Halloween. Yeah, the two are very different and not really related...but even though Halloween is over a month away I still have to find the perfect costumes! (Oh, the worries of being a college student...)

xo

season transition

Shirt: Nordstrom Skirt: Forever 21 Shoes: my mom's closet Watch: Michael Kors Earrings: Nordstrom

I finally posted another outfit photo! Taken in my apartment...haha. I'd love to do the whole artsy-outdoors-cool-location thing, but I really don't have the time. If I did, I'd totally do it. It's all about the outfit though, right?

Today I am just beginning to dig through my new fall purchases (like this skirt!) because the season is starting to transition. This skirt is so 90s-revival and I am so loving it. And I ordered it online and got it in the mail last week. (Isn't getting clothes in the mail the best?!) Yesterday I wore a jacket for the first time in weeks and am beginning to think that soon I will have to put on jeans for the first time this school year.

I have two tests and a paper this week (eek!) so I have to go study. adios chicas

xo



I got moves like jagger

Dance Team initiation was last night! It is now my third year on the team (WOW how time flies) and I am loving it. Returners have to re-audition every year, and as usual, my muscles are totally sore. I think every part of my body aches when I move. But it is definitely worth it, because I love it so much! Our audition piece was to Moves Like Jagger (hence the post title) and I am so excited to perform it when basketball season starts up.

Cheers to a great season, ladies!

I was an Orientation Leader for Freshman Orientation, and my small group wrote me a note next to my photo before the initiation! It was such a nice surprise to see! I miss my small group dearly. They're all grown up now...

DT 4 Life :)

xo



Today...

If you can't tell by my writing, I'm someone who can talk a lot. I can talk a lot about pretty much anything, because I somehow seem to put so much detail into stories, etc. I try to tone it down on the blog, but occassionally I just keep going and going!

So.

I worked at the Study Abroad info fair on campus today to talk to people about Gonzaga-in-Florence. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be! There's something about just talking about some of the best days of my college career (thus far) that makes me happy. And I love answering questions. I miss nutella gelato and doner kebaps so much...

They gave us free Jimmy Johns and a drink (Diet Coke was my choice, as always) for free for working at the fair. I also got a free pen. Score.

Positano. Enough said.

Rome, how I miss you dearly.

 I actually started to get busy with class and homework. We had the past two Mondays off for holidays, and I don't have class on Fridays, so I've had 3-day weeks and long weekends with little beginning-of-semester homework to do. Now it's back to the real world and diving into assignments, papers, and extracurriculars.

I'm going to take another zumba class...starting tomorrow! I LOVE zumba. It is so fun. I highly recommend it for a fun way to sneak in exercise. It is so fun it doesn't feel like exercise (and I do like exercise). You sweat a lot, learn some sweet Latin-inspired dance steps, and burn up to 500 calories per class. And there's a lot of booty shaking, if that's your thing. Love. It.

We've had 90+ degree temps lately. And it's going to drop soon. :(

No! Not rain on Sunday! I'm not ready for fall quite yet!

Well, I was going to jump off the bridge into the river next weekend (campus ritual-thing-to-do-before-you-graduate) buuuuut now that it's going to cool off, I might use that as an excuse and do it next year. Haha. On the plus side, I can wear some cute new outfits with the fall shopping I've done recently. ;)

I really have been wanting to do more fashion posts! I've liked a lot of my outfits lately, thought they would be good to post up here, (and were waaayy better than my previous ones) but then either didn't have my camera uploader thing, or a person to take the photo of me...anyways. Hopefully I'll get on that soon and be posting more often!

xo

The Saturdays

Everyone loves Saturdays...sleeping in, relaxing, doing random things you need to do, going out at night...but there is one more good thing about Saturdays.

Or shall I say, The Saturdays. As in the British female pop band that's gaining more and more popularity by the second.

I started this post back in July to write for later, the only notes being "fashion in the music video 'Higher.'" Since then, I've seen numerous street style posts on blogs showcasing their sense of fashion without having a glam squad choosing their outfits and doing their hair and makeup. Which makes me wonder if they did a little styling themselves in their music video?

 

Either way, I like the fashion in the video for "Higher." The song is pretty catchy, too. You can check it out for yourself here.

My favorite outfit is Mollie's (the black and white outfit with the fedora). What is your favorite?

Also, how adorable is Una's headband?! And the gorgeous, green eyeshadow?

This is a street style photo of two of the girls shopping in LA. Love the shoes, girls.

xo

It's been weeks!

It's been weeks since I've posted! And I'm sorry for being absent to those of you who read my blog, since I actually ran into a few people around campus who say they do! (Makin' me feel good! Haha). Sometimes I feel a little "blah" about social media, and then when I get back into it, I'm firing off tweets left and right and think of multiple things to write about on here. Anyways. I feel like there's so much to catch up on. This may turn out to be a random list (since I love lists) of things bouncing around in my head.

1. Classes have started! Eek, it's back to homework, papers, and those darn 9:25AMs. Which really aren't all that early. I've switched one of my minors from advertising to promotions, and it was a hard step! Because I've been an advertising minor since I started college. But they're basically the same thing, promotions is less credits, and it fits in my schedule since I have a major and two minors.

2. It's my first time, ever, living in an apartment. Goodbye, dorm life. Hello, almost-the-real-world. I'm an upperclassman now. And that means I have to cook for myself, and try to do something more than just eggs or toast. Or eggs on toast. Or an egg sandwich. Or toast and peanut butter. So, last night, I tried my hand at cooking a real, almost-grown-up meal: Pasta with Ragu alla Bolognese sauce, the same recipe from my pensione in Florence. It wasn't bad! I completed the meal with toasted French bread (cause I'm a pro at toast now), salad, peanut butter cookies, and a few good friends. I was going to take photos of this accomplishment and post them up here but I forgot. Fail. (Win for the dinner though.)

3. I got a pretty Michael Kors watch for my birthday :)

4. I also got wayyy too many varities of chocolate baked goods from friends surrounding my birthday week. Yes, they are so tasty, and I can't resist some good chocolate, but I've had to amp up my runs an extra couple miles. :)

5. It's been sunny and hot every day back at school, except for one. It is quite fantastic, and I am spending as much time outside as I can - even if it is doing homework.

6. I bought cute two 98 cent nail polishes the other day. One is white, which I am going to mix with a dark color to make ombre nails, and the other is glitter. The downside is that they're tiny bottles and I cannot open them...

7. I love love love these feather earrings I got a couple weeks ago at Forever 21 and have been wearing them quite often. 20 years from now, when I look at photos from the good ol' college days, I'll probably be like, "What was I thinking?!" I also got a couple 90s-revival skirts, a la Cher from Clueless, and some 70s hippie-inspired accessories. So in 20 years I might actually be like, "Whaaat decade is this chick going for?"

8. Random things I forgot from home to bring back to school: the free Xbox that came with my new laptop, nalgene water bottle, printer, desk organizer thing (my desk is currently a mess without it), my other sleeping pillow, and some winter coats...maybe my mind? Oops.

9. My roomie got a fish! For the bathroom. And named it Wally Blue. It's cute.

10. My friends threw me a lil surprise party-get-together-sorta-thing for my birthday...it was fun. It was a good first weekend back at school. And I got brownies. And a pink princess crown. :)

11. I went to Pig Out in the Park, a little festival-food-booth sort of event put on every Labor Day Weekend in Spokane. Got a pulled pork sandy and chocolate (what else?) ice cream.

I think that's enough for now, haha. Adios amigooooss

xo