my senior ball dress

Today I took a quick little trip to a local boutique in between classes. Little did I know that I would find the perfect dress for my senior ball! Every year Gonzaga has a formal dance called the Senior Ball for everyone to enjoy a nice dinner and night with the awesome class of 2013. I got a sleeved, black and gold dress. It is super sparkly (would I get anything less?) and it is pretty versatile year-round. It was on the cover of People Style Watch in November :)

[source]

This dress is formal but still young, and I feel like I will get a ton of use out of it in the future. Yay for sparkle!

I also got this necklace today. I had my mind on it a few weeks ago when I bought this necklace, but decided to wait. Luckily, they had one left today! When I got the dress I loved it right away, and with the necklace I had actually been thinking about it for a while - those moments are the ones where you know you will not experience buyer's remorse!

^Expect to see this in an outfit post soon ;)

xo-ally

PS - this is also my 100th post of the year! Which means it is the 100th day of 2013. WOW, does time fly! And, that's a lot of posts. Haha. Happy 100!

statement necklace

Necklace Swank Boutique Tank Chaser Jeans DL 1961 Flats Nordstrom (similar) Watch Michael Kors (new style) Sunglasses Nordstrom (very similar) Earrings Nordstrom

We finally saw the sun for the first time in at least a week! There was no excuse to not go outside and take photos. (Don't worry, I was wearing a coat in the sunny-yet-still-36-degrees weather.) However, it was SO windy! I could not get my hair to cooperate for even one photo....

xo-ally

21st birthday - I need ideas!

Hello all, so next week I will be 21 AND a senior in college! I have a general plan of what I'm going to do, but my friends are being a little secretive, so I'm not totally sure of what will happen. Basically the general plan is to have a little party the night before my actual birthday and go to the bars near campus on midnight. The next day we might go out to dinner - or so I've been told, haha.

I've been talking about wearing a birthday sash instead of a sign with "challenges." A lot of girls will wear a big poster board with challenges to do throughout the night but I really don't like the idea of wearing a giant rectangle...it sounds...silly. (And it would cover up my outfit.)

This is where you come in! I have been thinking of ideas for a sash, and I was going to make one, but my friends said they'd do it for me. I want to give them an idea of what it will look like though - I'd love to hear any ideas of what it should look like (Pinterest only has so much...) something with glitter, or just sparkly...if you have any ideas please link up to a blog post or pins or whatever!

I'd like it if there is glitter on my sash :)

[photo-pinterest]

Then for Labor Day weekend I've been entertaining the idea of going out to the lake. It will still be really hot, and of course to celebrate being 21, I thought it would be fun to take a cooler for drinks. I want to DIY a cute one, preferably 21-themed, in the same realm as these:

[photo-etsy]

[photo-pinterest]

A lot of girls seem to do Lilly prints. Any other ideas for prints or colors?

What about....

Crafting/Painting tips?

Rhinestones vs. Glitter?

I'd love to hear your tips! Please help a girl out here :) This post sounds extremely tedious but hey - you only turn 21 once! And I plan on celebrating BIG!

xo-ally

chocolate jeans

Jeans: DL 1961 Sweater, flats: Nordstrom Jacket: Gap Watch: Michael Kors Feather earrings: F21

Okay, so my jeans aren't actually made out of chocolate. They're just this deep, rich, dark brown hue that is the same color of my favorite sweet treat. They're by this brand called DL 1961, and what's great about them is that they have a four-way stretch so they'll stretch to fit, but won't get baggy over time. I got these jeans last Friday and have already worn them three times!

I pulled out my bronze glitter flats, which I haven't worn in ages! I love anything that sparkles, and it's nice to wear them with other brown pieces in my outfit. I kept the rest of the outfit pretty fall-casual with a beige sweater, cozy cotton jacket, and feather earrings (earring close-up attempt is above. Haha.) I also curled my hair, giving it a much-needed boost of volume.

I just got back to school after a very relaxing Thanksgiving break, and I am so busy! There are so many things to finish up before the semester is over. I was in such a "home" mode last week, just relaxing, watching TV, and going on runs. Now it's all go-go-go for the last couple weeks of the semester. It's crazy how fast time flies!

xo

playing with proportions

Shirt: H&M Jeans: F21 Ankle boots: F21

Closeup of the bracelets:

Circle and chain bracelets: Tiffany & Co. Love, flower, and heart bracelets: New Look (London)

Today I decided to wear a baggy tee with skinnies for comfort to study at a coffee shop. It's actually my first blog post away from my desk at home! I am bedazzled to the max with the butterfly on my shirt, stack of bracelets, and glittery eyeliner (though you probably can't see the eyeliner in the photo.)

I just ate a mini pulled pork panini with provalone and shared a peanut butter cookie with my friends. Now it's time to get back to actual work and study!

xo