last week [photos]

It was a nice week indeed in good ol' DC! Here are some photos to recap the past few days:

I was beyond excited to get my new pink Hunter boots in the mail!

Love the view of DC out my window. There's the Washington Monument, the Capitol building, Pentagon, and Air Force Memorial. :) 

 So, I've been waiting a while to get a 2014 agenda. So long to the point that it became February, and then March, and most stores had stopped selling them. Even the Jonathan Adler store didn't have their agendas! However, I went to this cute little boutique in Alexandria called 3 Sisters, and they had a few left! I picked this one up. The above photo is the July 2014 divider, isn't it cute?

I visited the Botanical Gardens for the first time. It was gorgeous and made me forget about the cold, windy day outside.

My other purchase that I got the same time as the the Hunters. A spirit jersey! I had my eye on a similar one for a while, and then finally decided to take the plunge. I love it. It is so cozy. I've already worn it out once with skinny jeans for a casual look, as well as to bed a couple times.

It came personalized with an adorable, silver monogram. :)

Working 15-17 hour days means multiple coffees. For me, it's usually 2-3 per day. You gotta do what you gotta do.

 This eggs benedict for brunch during our break at Graffiato, Mike Isabella's (of Top Chef) restaurant in Chinatown. I really enjoyed it. I mean...look at how thick that slice of ham is!

While I normally don't enjoy waking up at 6am, seeing a different sunrise every morning makes it so much better. Photos cannot capture the beauty of these sunrises. Some days it looks more red, some days more orange, and one day it looked like the opening scene of The Lion King. So pretty.

Andddd we got hit with another snowstorm...boo.

xo-ally

back to this place for a little bit :)

Today I'm going back to DC and I could not be more excited. I was working in the city for the first time last summer. I didn't think I would really like the city all that much, but I happened to fall in love with it. Hopefully I'll still enjoy it just as much even in the (freezing cold) winter!

xo-ally

summer white on white

J. Crew skirt (no longer available, but this one looks breezy and perfect, and is on sale!) | Subdued sheer top (from Italy, similar here) | Stella & Dot necklace | Forever 21 green bangle (similar) | Report flats | Ray-Ban sunglasses | Longchamp bag

Today's post features a lovely, summer outfit I wore on my last day of work, which was also my last day wearing "relaxed professional." This look is more laid back than a typical pencil skirt and a blazer, but with the 100+ degree temperature in New York the thought of wearing a black-on-black pencil skirt and blazer seemed a little daunting. The white-on-white kept me cool while also allowing the bright pops of color to really stand out.

Whether it's for work or for play, an all white outfit creates a clean, pretty palette for other colors to stand out and is a refreshing switch-up from basic black. If you're thinking of adding a LWD (little white dress) to your work wardrobe, I'd recommend this one or this one (of course this depends on office dress codes). I also think this collared top would look lovely tucked into this white J. Crew skirt, with this gorgeous, colorful statement necklace underneath the buttoned up collar. 

xo-ally

to explain my absence (what I've been up to)

I can't believe I haven't blogged all week! My schedule has been filled with finishing my internship, preparing for dance camp, and spending time with friends. 

Getting ready for this! Super excited because I haven't been to UDA since high school and since this is my last summer ever as a student, this is my last chance to go to a UDA camp!

Exploring my English roots at camp. I helped out with one of the big events for my internship at camp and got to do archery! SO fun. Like I actually try to find a place to take archery lessons...haha! (But really).

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I am teaching my own Zumba class this fall! I've been subbing all summer so I'm excited to have my own class.

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To get class credit for my internship, I had to write a 5-page paper. It felt so weird doing homework in the summer....

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Speaking of homework, my last year of school EVER begins soon. I cannot believe how fast summer - and college - are going by. 

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Anyways, I need to get some rest! I have a busy day/week/month ahead! Enjoy the start of the weekend :)

xo-ally

#tweetups #meetups

I went to a PRSA social media event this evening, and it was awesome! The people there were smart, wonderful, and - like me - love social media. The event had its own Twitter hashtag #SummerSocialMedia (which I tweeted quite often), and the menu was filled with a number of Twitter-themed items.

Enjoying this event makes me even more assured that being a public relations major is the right path for me.

xo-ally

chambray & sperrys

Shirt, sunglasses: American Eagle Shorts: H&M Shoes: Sperry Watch: Michael Kors Tank: F21 Ring: Kate Spade

I've been wearing my gold Sperrys so much lately! What can I say, I guess I am loving the Sperry + shorts combo this summer. I wore this outfit to work today, and even though the dress code is very casual (and shorts are allowed), I thought I'd keep it clean and put-together with a comfy chambray button-down, white shorts, and muted metallic boat shoes. I wore a watch and ruby red ring with my gold aviators. Overall, it's a pretty simple outfit, but one can never go wrong with classic pieces and vintage-inspired photo editing!

xo

highlighters

I am a visual person when it comes to organization. I like to have all of my lists laid out and color coded if possible. Each of my classes has a different designated highlighter color in my planner, and the same goes for work and other activities outside of school. Color coding is a visual way to look at how much needs to get done for certain things.

Here are some great highlighter options. My preferred brand is Sharpie, but there are some other good highlighter brands too!

shopping link

Simple. To the point. Extra colors in case the first one dries out. I bought a pack of these this school year and they are wonderful.

shopping link

I got a 2-pack of these recently. They are great for highlighting notes! The small Post-It flags are very convenient and I am currently sticking them in some library books I am using for a research paper. The Post-Its will bookmark the page and won't leave a rip when I take them out to return the books.

Lilly Pulitzer (left) and Jonathan Adler (right) brand highlighters! The fun prints will brighten up the un-lively task of taking notes.

shopping link

I found these Dylan's Candy Bar highlighters on the same website as the Pulitzer and Adler ones above. These highlighters not only come in fun prints, but are scented too! It's like the grown-up version of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.

Highlighters are a great way to color code notes, lists, calendars, and schedules. They're also fun to have on hand if you go to a neon or black light party! ;)

Enjoy the rest of the semester!

xo

#internship

Last week I got some good news! I was chosen to be one of the three summer interns for the Spokane Marketing Communications Association internship. They matched me up with Camp Fire, a non-profit organization, where I will do public relations work for them. I wonder if any MarCom people are reading this post right now...haha...if you are, thank you so much! I really appreciate being chosen!

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I'm excited to see what this summer has in store. :)

xo

PS - Sorry for the short post - I've been really busy lately!

michael jordan quote

I was browsing Pinterest recently (new addiction...) and came across this quote by Michael Jordan:

"I don't do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results."

This can apply to multiple areas of life.

School.

Work.

Fitness and health.

Relationships.

Leadership.

Sports and other teams.

     If you go to every class but BS that big final paper, you will probably get a mediocre grade. Take time to double-check spelling, grammar, and facts.

     If you show up for work every morning hungover from the night before, you will not be as sharp and can miss your shot on that promotion. Have fun, but know where to draw the line.

     If you go through the motions at the gym and refrain from challenging yourself, you will not be any closer to your goals. Listen to your body, challenge yourself at the gym, and give it the proper fuel it needs to live long and strong.

    If you wait two months without picking up the phone to call a family member, you may find yourself drifting. Two months can turn into 2 years, and then 20 years. Call them now.

You get the picture! Do things whole-heartedly - it's a lot harder to look back thinking you could have done something better and put more effort in when you could just look back and have no regrets.

xo

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