baseball tees

During the early teen years, I used to always like it when guys wore baseball tees. I thought they looked so attractive - Chad Michael Murray and Zac Efron? Two of my celeb crushes during those years, and they both knew how to rock a baseball tee and jeans! Haha.

I've been seeing baseball tee-inspired shirts for girls lately, and I think I might add one to my fall shopping list. More casual than a blouse but more detailed than a plain t-shirt, a baseball shirt would be a fun piece to wear with jeans on a casual day, or even a skirt if it looks right.

ASOS

Free People

Nordstrom

What's your take on baseball tees for girls? Will you be wearing one this season?

xo-ally

PS - weren't Chad Michael Murray and Zac Efron adorable back in the day? I loved when they wore baseball tees. And, well, they're both still pretty cute nowadays :)

photos one, two

straw hat and orange flats

Sweater, colorful bracelets: Nordstrom sweater  bracelets Shorts: Rock & Republic (old) similar Flats: Target Hat: H&M (old) similar Watch: Michael Kors Ring: Kate Spade (old) similar Sunglasses: Chanel 

Belt: American Eagle Black bracelets: Forever 21 Nail polish: O.P.I. "DS Glow"

Still warm. Still wearing shorts. :) Going to go lay out in the sun in a bit to read and relax - should probably do some homework, too... short post today!

xo-ally

post-workout snacks

I realized it has been a while since I had done a post related to health/fitness, so I want to write about some good snacks to eat post-workout! Depending on the amount of calories burned, different things will be good for your body. Yesterday I taught a Zumba class and had a 2.5 hour dance team practice with a workout - according to My Fitness Pal app, I burned over 1,200 calories! That day I burned a LOT more than a usual workout day, but when I got home, I needed to replenish my muscle tissues and glycogen stores!

Here are a few post-workout snack ideas (note: I'm not a professional; I just enjoy learning tidbits about health from class, magazines, online, etc.) From what I've read and heard, the key is having food that contains carbohydrates and protein.

Water

Water isn't food, but some H2O is especially important after a sweat session to remain hydrated. To me, there's nothing better than an ice-cold glass of water after a long run.

Chocolate Milk

One of the Gold's Gym trainers told me that chocolate milk has the best ratio of carbs to protein to repair your body. If you're working out at a high intensity for 60 minutes or longer, chocolate milk is your friend. AND an excuse to have chocolate!

Whole Grains

My nutrition professor said that if you're going to eat starchy carbs (like whole grain bread or pasta) that the best time to do so is between 45 minutes and two hours post-workout. That is when your body will really take advantage of the nutrients and use it to its benefit. A slice of whole grain toast (my favorite brand is Dave's Killer Bread) with an egg or spread with natural peanut butter is one of my go-to snacks.

Protein Smoothie

Many gyms or smoothie bars often have deceivingly unhealthy smoothies that are loaded with sugar, artificial fruit, and excess protein and carbohydrates. By blending your own at home, you know exactly what you're putting into your body! Check this post for my protein smoothie recipe.

Fruits and vegetables are always another smart choice for low-calorie carbs, and adding hummus or natural peanut butter is a healthy way to make a snack with both carbs and protein. -- And YES, fruits and veggies are carbohydrates too! Carbs ARE good for you! (Well, natural fruits, veggies, and whole grains...)

Eating the right food is crucial after a workout, but more importantly, a healthy lifestyle! Let me know what other healthy snacks you like to eat!

xo-ally

camano island, washington

Cardigan: Madewell Headband: Lacoste Tank: Forever 21 Shorts: Rock & Republic (old) similar pair Flip flops: Havianas Sunglasses: Chanel

Dance Team retreat at Camano Island

We turned off our phones for the whole weekend

Already loving this year's team

Haha haha haha

My Dance Team initiation sashes throughout the years (and my bday one!)

xo-ally

puget sound preview

I just got back from a weekend retreat on Camano Island, WA on the Puget Sound with dance team. It was beautiful and we had a lot of fun.

Posting my outfit and other pretty pics tomorrow (because I have a LOT of homework to get back to tonight).

xo-ally

saturday morning smile

The Despicable Me 2 movie teaser trailer. Makes me laugh every time.

xo-ally

friday's fancies: game day!

This is my first Friday's Fancies! I've been wanting to link up my Friday's Fancies with {long distance loving} and thought today would be a great day to start: the theme is game day! (I was going to start last week, the theme was fall lust list, but while that is an awesome theme I am resisting fall and cold with every ounce of my body. Haha.)

My school doesn't have a football team (at least we haven't for decades) but our basketball games are awesome. The Kennel Club experience is one like no other. I put together something I would typically wear to a basketball game:

shirt jeans hairbow tutu sperrys

The student section is very casual. (Especially compared to those in the south - sometimes I wish I had an excuse to wear dresses and heels to a game!) While heels would look nice, however, we do a ton of jumping during Zombie Nation ;) - see video below - comfortable shoes are a must. I usually wear my Sperrys. Everyone wears the same red t-shirt (I don't have an image for this year's exact shirt) and then face paint or even accessories like tutus, bows, or beaded necklaces. If I'm performing with dance team, then I'll stay in my dance team uniform!

source-facebook

A pre-game tradition is always Zombie Nation. This video shows the whole student section from the other side of the stadium. So cool.

I can't wait for the kickoff of basketball season this October!

xo-ally

yay or nay: leopard hair streak

Okay, first off - I can't believe I haven't blogged in days! I felt like I had finally gotten back into the swing of things, but right when that happened, a TON of homework hit me. Darn that PR campaign class....

Anyways, I was perusing Pinterest recently and saw this pin of a girl with a leopard printed streak of hair.  The article it links to explains that the hairstylist uses permanent hair dye to freehand the spots on that section of the hair.

I think that is actually a really unique idea. There could be so many colors and patterns to choose from! And with the colored-hair craze going strong, I have an inkling this trend might continue to grow.

Or, at least, we'll see Snooki sporting the look.

While this I think this is creative, I personally would not want this done to my hair. It looks a little 13-year-old to me. Though I'm sure there are older girls who could rock the style if it fits their personality.

What do you think? Yay or Nay on the leopard-streaked hair?

xo-ally

the summer reading books I actually read

Back in May I wrote a post on the books I planned to read this summer. I did read all the C.S. Lewis books and The Fame Game, but never got around to The Kite Runner or The Alchemist. The six weeks of the C.S. Lewis class was a whirlwind - we read 500 to 1,000 pages per week through his books and essays. I loved it and learned so much. Luckily, The Chronicles of Narnia books were easy reads and were mixed in with the tougher reading. (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favorite Narnia book!)

[photo]

I certainly did need to wind down with a light summer read after that class and did read The Fame Game. I really liked it. It was a great book for the summer and helped my brain chill out. I want to read the next one (I think there will be a sequel soon?) on my next break from school.

[photo]

Since my local public library now offers book rentals for e-readers I downloaded a few books on my Kindle. I could download books without having to go downtown! Plus, I like to read my Kindle at the gym :) The library doesn't have the best selection of e-books, but considering I'm renting for free I don't mind at all! I started with the classic The Age of Innocence but couldn't get through it.

I went back to my light summer reading idea with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I never read it when everyone else did growing up, but since it was my best friend's favorite book back in the day, I gave it a chance! I thought it was well-written and enjoyed the story. I was able to get through it pretty fast.

[photo]

Another series I never read growing up was Harry Potter! (My parents wouldn't allow me or my brother to read it.) Now that I'm older, I gave it a chance! I am almost done with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and I really like it. It's very well-written and a cute kids' book. I can already see why the series is so popular and have a feeling it will get addicting....

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Looking through this list seems like a bunch of kids' books, haha. (Well I guess they are...) At least it was a nice break from heavy textbook reading?

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This is my 200th post of 2012! I marked my 100th post of 2012 back in April and can't believe I've already done another hundred! It's crazy how fast time flies through blogging. Here's to another hundred - possibly before 2012 is over? We'll see! 

THANK YOU for reading my blog!

xo-ally

turquoise on turquoise on turquoise

Shirt: Free People (similar) Shorts: Paige Denim (similar)Sandals: Dolce Vita (similar) Sunglasses: Chanel Earrings: New Look (London) Watch: Michael Kors (newer version) Bracelets: Forever 21

Turquoise high-low shirt. Turquoise Sandals. Turquoise toenails.

It's been a turquoise kind of day.

Fall seems to be heading our way sooner. It's really chilly in the shade but hot in the sun. I've seen quite the mix of outfits these past couple of days - some people are still wearing shorts and sandals (like me) and others are in tights, boots, scarves, and jackets.

When it's 75 degrees and sunny, it's a little cooler than summer...but I know frigid winter temps will be here sooner than I know it. So I'm easing into the fall transition with my long sleeves and sandals.

xo-ally

9/11

God bless America. I love this country with all my heart.

[photo]

Never forget.

xo-ally

tory burch animal print reva flats // new blog design

I've been seeing these flats ALL over Pinterest lately in Polyvore-style outfit images. I love them so much! The gold logo piece on the toes even seems to bring out the gold and darker tones within the animal print. A great way to add interest is to add animal print flats - this pair by Tory Burch is versatile and would liven up any outfit.

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Also - do you like my new design?! I kept the layout the same but changed the header and side buttons. I was starting to get bored of my old header and wanted to add some color. Let me know what you think!

xo-ally

neon high-low dress

Dress, necklaces: H&M (similar material, different color/style) Sunglasses: Chanel Bracelets: Juicy Couture Sandals: Tory Burch (similar)

High-low is super trendy this season, and to be honest, I'm not that much of a fan. I have two shirts that are high-low that I like, but I don't think high-low skirts or dresses are really my style. I did, however, pick up this dress at H&M earlier this summer and it has a high-low hem. I don't mind it too much - mostly because I LOVE the color and material - and figure that when high-low exits trendiness, I can have a tailor even it out for me.

I really like how there's a solid slip built in underneath the outer layer. I can see the pattern from the longer part of the outer layer in my shadow when I'm walking around :)

xo-ally

BLAST from the PAST: reflecting on a post written a year ago

First of all, I cannot believe I've had my blog for over a year. I started it in March 2010 and didn't really pick it up semi-regularly until last September. I was looking at old posts, and came across from one a year ago today! It explained that I rarely had posted on this blog since I started it and what I had been up to those days.

It's so crazy how much has changed and how much has remained the same. I'm going to fill you all in on what is similar and what has changed since I wrote that post last year. [Click HERE to read last year's post!]

1. SIMILAR: Yup, classes just started again! Back to homework, tests, and papers. I'm still a public relations major, and am happy that I made the decision to switch to a promotions minor so I could have a double minor along with my major.  CHANGED: I'm a senior...my last year in college! Sad moment.

2. SIMILAR: I'm in the same apartment and my cooking habits have not changed. Eggs, toast, eggs and toast, peanut butter toast...those are still my regular meals. If I called myself "pro at toast" last year, then I must be a master at toast now. CHANGED: I remember to take photos of stuff I do more often if I want to post it on here. Win.

3. SAME: I wear that watch almost daily. :)

4. SIMILAR: My friends were so generous on my 21st birthday! They made me a cake, birthday cup, and birthday sash. Thank you friends!

5. SAME: One thing I love about Spokane is its hot, sunny, summers. Summer is still going strong and I have a trip to the pool planned this weekend!

6. SIMILAR: I still have those two nail polishes. CHANGED: I eventually got them open, but rarely wear them. It turned out that the white doesn't mix well to make different shades (the ombre nails idea) and the glitter is just a typical top coat. At least I don't feel bad about spending $1.96 on them, haha.

7. SIMILAR: I still have all of those mentioned items! CHANGED: This was one of the skirts, and it ripped near the waist (darn you Forever 21!) I also don't wear feather earrings or hippie-inspired accessories much anymore. My personal style has evolved a little; my look these days seems more put-together and girly.

8. My desk is still a mess because I forgot, again, to bring that desk organizer thing back with me. I ended up selling the Xbox to a friend because I never used it ... I felt bad about getting rid of it but I don't have any video games nor do I have the time to play them.

9. CHANGED: Wally Blue The Fish died five days after. Then my roommate got a new fish named Lady and it died two days after that. We decided to steer clear from pets for a while...

10. SIMILAR: My friends threw me a birthday party again!! That was so nice of them. They also gave me a crown again, but instead of pink, it was silver with sparkles.

11. SIMILAR: I went to the annual Pig Out in the Park festival again, and got ice cream, again. As well as an overpriced, $4 strawberry lemonade. Crazy to think that that was my fourth time at Pig Out in the Park and it hasn't changed one bit. It's one of those random college traditions that you don't realize became a tradition until years later. #nostalgia

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I also have changed my blog design (and am thinking of switching it up again sometime in the near future), began tweeting/pinning/tumblr-ing regularly, posted over a hundred outfit posts, and started teaching Zumba classes. Plenty of other things - big and small - have changed so much. But I am still in the same apartment, still eating toast for most of my meals (I had it for both breakfast and dinner yesterday), love to dance, and walk around on the same campus every day.

What will things be like next year? I have no idea. I have many ideas of what I would like to happen. But next year I will be out of college. Everything will be so new. I will be in the "real world." On my own. Living somewhere completely new. With (hopefully) a "big girl job." While some things stay the same, life can be so unpredictable.

Cheers to the future! Even if it scares me a little.

xo-ally

hues of blue, and a bow

Shirt: American Eagle Tank, belt: Nordstrom Shorts: J. Crew Sandals: Tory Burch Watch: Michael Kors Sunglasses: Chanel

Happy Thursday-almost-weekend-day!

Short post because I am about to leave to start horseback riding classes. I'm so excited :) I haven't taken riding lessons since I was 7 years old so this will be interesting. And (I hope) fun!

xo-ally

labor day

Shorts: J. Crew Checkered shirt: Forever 21 Headband: Lacoste Shoes: Sperry

This post is going up so late because I was debating whether or not I wanted to put my outfit photo up! I'm kind of squinting and my shirt looks funny...whatever. I am wearing patriotic colors complete with my new glitter Sperrys so I thought it was deserving of a post!

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy the last few minutes of the weekend!

xo-ally

happy september

Wow, it's September 1st already! Summer went by SO fast. Considering it was my last "actual" summer, I don't know how to feel. As long as it's sunny and warm and fall doesn't hit quite yet, then I'm okay with that.

A few things I like about September:

That fresh feeling at the start of the school year

Trips to the lake or river on the last days of summer

Laying out around campus to tan/study

Season premieres of my favorite TV shows (except Gossip Girl doesn't start until October! Come on!)

Long weekends for holidays

xo-ally