Put down the North Face. Seriously.

That overly priced piece of fleece has been cramping styles of college chicks nationwide for way too long. Not only is it boring and blah (and yes getting it in bumble-bee yellow still makes it blah) - but its making you that girl. You know who I’m talking about: The one who walks around campus in her big sunglasses, tight stretch pants, boots and… NORTH FACE FLEECE.

I’m not saying it’s horrible to be one of those girls - in fact I think these girls get a bad rap for being bitchy and spoiled when that isn’t the case (note: I was one of them). What I am saying is that if you’re going to spend the money on a piece of outerwear there are so many, MANY cuter, warmer, more original, not fleecy things to buy!

Trust me, I understand the “I’m hungover and want to wear sweats to class” line of thinking, I really do. But at least fool the outside world that you care…even a little… and switch up your NFF for an actual jacket or coat. This fall there are just so many cute styles that it’s simply a waste to not wear one of them!

Here are some options to consider when trading in your beloved North Face Fleece: Read More »

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading!

In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

Jumper dresses and jumpers are going to be go-to pieces for many fashionistas this fall. The trend is sweeping the nation from runways to hallways. It combines playfulness (remember how you used to wear the little kid versions in grade school?) with high fashion to create a perfect look for the new season.

Since layering is always big in the cold weather months, and they are so perfect for layering, this is definitely a piece you will want to incorporate into your wardrobe.

But what on earth do you wear with this trendy piece? Here are seven ways you can rock this look. You can work em alone, or try combining them for the ultimate in fall fashion: Read More »

Ah yes. The First Day Of Fall.

That’s what today is. Officially.

Someone figured it out a long time ago, just like they figured out the strange tradition of daylight savings (which, okay, had to do with crops a long time ago, but really just annoys the hell out of everyone now). While a lot of us are probably clawing at the windows in fear of the impending winter, fall remains my favorite time of the year. You can walk for miles and not get sweaty, apples and pumpkins are all around, and those cute neck scarves we’ve all been trying to wear all summer are finally appropriate.

If you heart fall as much as I do, you’ll probably agree with these Top 5 Reasons Fall is Fantastic.

5) No. More. Sweating: Remember when it was 80 degrees and you tried to walk down the sidewalk or across campus and by the time you got to where you needed to go, your hair was sticking to the back of your neck and your face was all red and your armpits were soaking through that BTS shirt? Well, fear the heat no longer, because now that fall has arrived you can jaunt across campus in a cute scarf, hat, or light coat and get to class feeling fresh-faced and sweat-free (unless you’re late and have to book it). Your feet will no longer slide around in mushy sandals — you can break out those boots and sneakers and not feel like your feet are suffocating. I hate sweating. I really, really hate it. So the idea of walking to work in a light jacket and not having to pack extra deodorant makes me smile from ear to ear. Read More »

It’s about this time of year that I start to get a little crazy. I start to get a little obsessive and over-indulgent. This is the time of year I start my annual hunt for all things orange. More specifically, I start looking for and eating every pumpkin-flavored food I can get my hands on.

This year, on the day Starbucks started serving their pumpkin spice latte (also known as the best day of the year), it was 88 degrees in Boston. Not exactly pumpkin-eating weather. But did that stop me from ordering a large steaming hot pumpkin spice latte and sipping it in the sun? Obviously not.

Don’t let the all too short pumpkin-eating season pass you by! Indulge. Just don’t indulge so much you start to turn orange. What? Trust me, it happens.

There is more to pumpkins than pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Coffee: Of course there’s the classic pumpkin spice latte that almost every coffee shop (worth my business anyway) serves. But lots of coffee shops are also coming up with other pumpkin-flavored drinks. All are worth trying, but if you’re concerned with the calories and fat in a latte, just ask for a regular coffee with a little bit of the pumpkin-flavored syrup. It’s perfect when you just want a cup of coffee with a smidge of flavoring. And it’s usually much cheaper than ordering a latte too. Read More »

Can you think of anything that says fall more than pumpkin? I can’t. And if you can, shut up.

Because here, for your reading pleasure, is a delicious recipe for pumpkin pancakes.

Imagine this: It’s Sunday morning and you’re snuggled in to have a nice “me” morning. Sound pretty good? Well, sure. But add pumpkin pancakes–and now you’re in frickin’ heaven.

So, pumpkin pancakes! Enjoy!

Stuff You’ll Need:

1 cup of pumpkin puree
3 tbsp of brown sugar
1 1/2 of milk
2 tbsn vinegar
1/2 tsp of ginger (ground
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of allspice (ground) Read More »

Aside from the night after you’ve taken your last final, the first week of school is generally the best time of the whole semester. The weather is great, you’re reunited with all of your friends, and the school year has returned just when you were starting to feel like you had too much free time.

The campus is buzzing with returning students, eager to see what the new year has in store. Even if you anticipate your hardest semester to date, there’s still a feeling of excitement in the air during the very first week.

1. You Get to Scope Out Your New Classes

Maybe I’m a dork, but I was always excited to see what my new classes would be like. In certain classes–the must-take courses taught by the professors with the best reputations– it was great to see what all the buzz was about. Other classes might have sounded intriguing in the course catalog; reading through the syllabus on the first day, I’d think the class sounded interesting, and hadn’t been assigned 500 pages of reading to prove me otherwise. I would also look through the syllabus and see what the course requirements looked like, so I could estimate how little effort I could put into the class, and still walk away with an “A.”

Of course, it’s also fun to see who else has signed up for the class. Whether you walk through the door and see five of the girls from your freshman dorm, or right into the eyes of your new insta-crush, it’s fun to find out who you’ll be taking the class with. Read More »

I used to joke that I could measure the amount of fun I had at a party by how many bruises I woke up with the next day. I’m not trying to sound sadistic, but I bruise easily and am incredibly clumsy; I party hard, and I fall even harder. I haven’t even been too out of control in the past few weeks, yet my legs are still littered with black and blue marks that seem to have appeared out of nowhere.

I’ve seen a lot of drunken injuries in my day. Some are funny; some not so much. You really shouldn’t need to wear hard hats or protective armor to a party, so here’s a brief list of some potentially painful injuries, and how to avoid them.

Injury: Cigarette burns.
Avoid them by: Not drunkenly smoking your cigs all the way through the band; not giving someone with a lit cigarette your hand; not putting the wrong side of your lit cigarette into your mouth.

Injury: First, second, or third degree burns.
Avoid them by: Being conscious of where the bonfire pit is at a keg party on a cool autumn night; not attempting to walk through said pit in an effort to reunite with your friends after peeing in the woods.

Injury: Stitches on your scalp.
Avoid them by: Not jumping up and down on your lofted bed and cracking your head open on the ceiling; not falling out of a lofted bed after sloppy, drunken, sex, and cracking your head open on your f*ck buddy’s desk.

Injury: A shiner the color of an eggplant.
Avoid it by: Not chugging straight Bacardi and proceeding to faceplant your nightstand. These actions may or may not also have a negative effect on the nightstand, which may or may not break apart from the impact of your face. Read More »

Let’s face it, when you’re a college chic on a budget it’s hard enough to afford the actual fashion and celeb magazines (what are they these days $4.95?), let alone the glorious, “I will be poor for the rest of my life if I actually buy that” fashions that are inside.

It’s like that boy you love that you know has a girlfriend and yet you flirt with him anyways…a major tease that you knowingly setting yourself up for disappointment only to be left without the boy (or in this case, Jimmy Choo’s).

So what’s a girl on a major budget to do (aside from salivating all over this month’s Vogue)?

Consider me your new best friend (or personal shopper). Your own Rachel Zoe, if you will. Each week, I’ll take a new celeb or couture look and do all the leg work for you. I’ll find a similar style on a real girl’s budget. Now all you have to do is order it, throw it on and go.

This Week: Jessica Simpson’s Red Wrap Dress

Red Wrap Dress from Victoria’s Secret. A wrap dress is such a great wardrobe staple. This one is a little bit of a longer sleeve than the one Jessica is wearing, which is a great piece to take you from summer to fall. Wear it now with a wedge and in October with tights and a great boot… and if red isn’t your color, it comes in Black and Blue too! Read More »