Sprinkle Cake

In high school, I was definitely always a "stress baker". All my classes would want to have parties at the end of the semester right before finals. While I should have been studying, instead I was whipping something up in the kitchen to distract myself from all my schoolwork anxiety.

At college, I didn't have access to a full kitchen or baking supplies for most of the year. Now that I'm home with my full kitchen, I'm excited to be baking again and trying out new recipes! 

I have always loved sprinkles and my best friend, Jenni, can attest that I used to eat plain sprinkles straight up-- not on a cookie or cupcake or anything! I was so inspired by the beautiful sprinkle cakes on Pinterest that I knew I had to make my own. 

After reading a bunch of food bloggers' suggestions on how to get the sprinkles on the cake, I jumped in. The rolling method definitely wasn't going to happen and simply placing the sprinkles on wasn't working. 

Then, inspiration hit. Jenni and I used little baby spoons to shovel the sprinkles and splat them on the cake. Be warned: you will get sprinkles all over whatever your cake is sitting on. It's ok! 

All things considered, I think this was a fun way to mix it up with a boxed cake mix! 

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Tina

Desk Style

Whether it's in the office, cubicle, or dorm room, a desk is probably the place 90% of my work gets done. At school, I decorated my desk area with a little bulletin board, lamp, pictures, etc. At my internship this summer, I haven't been so stylish. I have a Vanderbilt pennant, but that's about it. Since I'm only here for a few more weeks, I'm not super motivated to bring in a bunch of cutesy stuff now, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Next summer, I'll definitely be putting personal touches on my desk wherever I intern.

This is sort of a "dream desk" with everything I think is cute and functional for a desk. Because I'm not super good at making collages yet, it looks a little cluttered, but in real life I think it's really important to have a clear surface to work on. I spend my last few minutes at work every day cleaning up and putting everything away. It's so much nicer when I walk in the next morning and don't have a mess waiting for me.

Cubicle Sweet Cubicle Sign:: How fun is this?! I think it's so cute if you're in a cube. It also has chevron on the yellow part that you can't see in the little picture I have. It's a printable, so you can get it right now and hang it up! I have my own "room" (it isn't really an office but I am enclosed) at this internship, but last summer I was at a bank of desks with all the interns. Maybe next year!

Business Card Holder:: To be honest, I'm so excited to be a tour guide at Vandy because you get a really cool magnetic nametag and your own business cards! I'm such a nerd. If you're further along in your career than I am, or already have business cards, it's obviously a great idea to have them out on your desk. What I love about this business card holder is that it has design to it and is a little girly, but isn't too crazy for your office. It is still definitely professional.

File Folders:: A Kate Spade classic. These are pretty and will help you keep everything organized. Gold stripes look a lot nicer on your desk than a stack of papers!

"Don't Steal My Pencil" Pencils:: SO fun! Love the pink color and the engraved Clueless quote. If you know a fan of the movie starting her first job, I think this would be such a fun "just because" gift to surprise her and give her a confidence boost!

Owl Lamp:: One of my favorite items on my desk at school was a little table lamp I bought at Hobby Lobby. It was nice to have a softer light source if I was reading and a lamp just makes your desk feel homier. This lamp from World Market has a cute little owl on the base, which I think is a great way to have a little fun but stay professional. At $24, it's definitely a wise choice. (#sorrynotsorry for that pun)

Plant:: My room at my current internship has no windows, so I think a little plant would be a great way to perk up my desk and get more life in the room. I love the geometric wooden pot that this store has, and it includes the plant so you don't have to worry about buying one somewhere!

Water bottle:: My #1 must have on my desk. I'm a big believer that if you have water accessible, you will drink it. I bring my Camelbak every day and drink it in the car and while I'm working. I can fill it up easily at our water cooler and stay a little bit healthier. 

Do you have a desk essential that I left out? Let me know!

Best,
Tina

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Shoes

Only a few more days of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale before it goes public! Today, I'm sharing some shoe favorites to help you get over hump day ;)

Splurge

I am in love with this navy suede. First, because of the song "Blue Suede Shoes" but also because I think it is a very classy and sophisticated way to incorporate some color into your footwear.

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These booties are definitely more casual for the workplace. That being said, if your office is more casual, these booties are really on trend for fall. I love the western feel because cowboy boots are really big in Nashville. I would love these for fall with a dress for the office or with jeans for the weekend or for going to class.

Steal

These flats are a unique gray patent leather and have an adorable scallop/zig zag on the front. I think they're professional but youthful, and I love flats!

I can't believe that I'm almost finished with my internship! I only have a few weeks left and I'm getting ready for my lunch and learn to demonstrate to the company my projects. Excited but nervous!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Jewelry

Yesterday was the first post in my series about this year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Today, I'm featuring some of my favorite pieces of jewelry from the sale. As a college student, I often don't want to spend a fortune on jewelry, but I like to have nice pieces to wear at school and at work. There are some high-quality, youthful, and affordable options in the sale this year that you can wear for years!

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I featured the pendant necklace trend a few weeks ago in this post, and now the Kendra Scott Rayne necklace that started it all is on sale! I love this navy because it is so versatile and can dress up a variety of outfits. If you love the shape of the stone, it is also available in earrings and a variety of other necklace styles.

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I think this Kate Spade bracelet is a fun twist on a traditional monogramed bracelet. It's light and simple but still fun for a young woman. I have a "C" bracelet that I wear every day and love!

Steal

To be quite honest, I'm not the biggest fan of earrings. That being said, one of my mom's biggest pet peeves is holes in your ears without earrings. I personally think that in an office, small earrings are the most professional option. These earrings have a cool texture but are close enough to neutral gold that they will go with a lot of styles.

I also love shopping for jewelry because it can be worn more easily when I get back to school and I'm not dressing business casual every day :) I made myself a rule that I can only buy clothes for work this summer to try to curb my spending, but buying jewelry and accessories is my little loophole!

Hope you get some new "bling" in your wardrobe!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Dresses

Nordstrom's anniversary sale is their biggest of the year and it gets pretty crazy. My roommate works at her local Nordstrom store, and while she loves the deals, she doesn't enjoy all the chaos in the store!

Right now, only Nordstrom cardholders have access to the sale, but others can "Sneak a peek" at everything on sale. If you don't have a Nordstrom card, it's a pretty good idea because you get access to the sale, free alterations, and a variety of other benefits.

I love wearing a dress to work because it's simple, easy, and looks professional. A lot of the styles in the sale are for fall, but I've tried to pick some that can work now in the summer, too. Another great feature of the Nordstrom website is that you can filter by occasion and "workday" to find more options than what I feature. Here are some of my favorite dress picks from the Nordstrom anniversary sale.

Splurge

This dress is a fantastic way to incorporate this summer's eyelet trend in fall. It's a sturdy fabric and the color is bright enough for summer but also appropriate for fall. I love the scalloped hem! It would look great with a long necklace and a light metallic bracelet.

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This color is the Panetone color of the year, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of it this fall. This dress is definitely simple but I think the color adds a little pop. Also, it's a classic silhouette that will last you a long time. If you want to make it more exciting, consider adding a shoe that goes beyond a basic pump, like the mary jane style shown here, or a fun bangle.

Steal

I just love this dress! It has a classic silhouette, long sleeves for fall or a chilly office (like mine), and a fun pattern. I'm not the biggest fan of yellow, but I think it works really well in this pattern. I also like that it has black in the pattern so you can wear it with simple black pumps. This dress does have a lot of pattern, so I would keep hair and accessories simple.

Enjoy shopping the sale and have a great week!

The Running and Fitness Event for Women 2015

This week, I attended The Running and Fitness Event for Women at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago. It was my first time at a conference/trade show like this, so while it was a little overwhelming at first, I enjoyed the experience.  It was tons of fun and I loved getting to meet a huge variety of different companies and see new products.

How badass is their logo?! 

On Monday, my two bosses and I attended a session called "The Future of Shopping." Tom Flierl and Sarah VanElzen, from Hanson Dodge Creative, spoke about the most effective ways to your brand to millennials. The theme of their presentation was that millennials follow brands whose beliefs they agree with. For example, they discussed how Patagonia has experienced success because they represent a rugged, outdoorsy lifestyle. This makes a lot of sense to me because especially with the growth of social media, brands are more visual and prevalent than ever before.

The example that immediately comes to mind is Kiel James Patrick. The brand sells bracelets, belts and other accessories, but from the beautiful Instagram posts and Snapchat stories that Kiel and his finacee Sarah post, you wouldn't know that. The brand represents their young, fun and wealthy lifestyle. Obviously we all want to spend our summer travelling around the coast and partying and KJP brands that lifestyle.

At the trade show portion of the event, one of my favorite new products was SleepPhones. I am arguably the lightest sleeper in the world and need essentially silence to sleep. My roommate always sleeps with earbuds in to block out sound, but I can never get comfortable.

SleepPhones allow you to use music, white noise or other sounds to block outside noise while you sleep. The headband is super soft and doesn't feel hard like wearing earbuds. I think this product is genius, especially for college students (my dorm can get pretty loud!)

Also, I have to give a shoutout to the Buddie Bra ladies. My mother is constantly putting her phone in  her bra and it drives me insane. The Buddie Bra has two built in pockets so you can hold your phone without it getting all sweaty and gross. The founders at the event were nice enough to give me a pink one and I absolutely love it! I've already worn it once and can't wait to again. I'm not a big runner, but I wore it on a bike ride to hold my phone, which was so much nicer than when I usually try to hold it in my hand.

Throughout the event, they were offering quick fitness classes in the festival hall. Our booth location had a perfect view of the space and I knew I would be missing my normal Pure Barre classes because the conference messed up my whole schedule, so I stopped in for a few of the sessions. It was so fun and a great way to break up sitting at the booth!

One of my bosses took my picture at one of the classes. I look way happier in the picture that I actually was. Working out in a polo and dress pants isn't easy!

Throughout the event, I was wearing variations on that outfit. My company wanted us to wear our logo and look professional, so picking out outfits was pretty easy!

On Wednesday, my mom and my best friend came downtown to have dinner with me!

In all, the Running and Fitness Event for Women was a success! I had a great time learning about new products, networking and talking to people about my company. 

PS. SHOUTOUT TO MY BOSS KATIE WHO GOT ENGAGED THIS WEEK YOU GO GIRL!!!

European Fashion Choices

One of my best friends, Colleen, was on the same trip to Europe with my brother. The both absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back. Since I know a lot of college students spend a summer studying abroad in Europe, I asked Colleen to put together some things to consider when dressing for a trip.

The Thursday morning before I left for Austria and the Czech Republic  my Google search history was filled with multiple articles titled "what to wear to Austria" and "what Europeans wear."  I had been to Europe once before when I was in 7th grade and was too young and frankly to unfashionable to care. But this time was different, I was going to Europe with a choral group, and the last thing I wanted was to stand out as an American tourist. Although packing for a vacation to another country is never easy, I've collected some tips to help you in the process! 

1) I can not say this with enough conviction, but if you own a jean jacket BRING it! If you don't, a jean jacket is a great investment that adds warmth to an outfit while still being trendy and cute. Austria and Prague were about 15 degrees cooler than at home and I was so happy that I could pair a jean jacket with any of my ensembles (they match nearly everything!)  

2) Pack a rain jacket and umbrella. It rained nearly everyday we were there. Most Europeans had more neutral colored rain jackets, but don't feel required to go out and buy a new one in a different color.

3) If you are going to do a pattern, keep it simple. A big difference between American and European fashion is that they try to conform to a crowd rather than stand out in it. Even if you are dying to wear your new Lilly Pulitzer shift dress, save it, it will be much more appreciated in America.

4) Leave the crop tops at home. You will have many other opportunities to wear them, such as music festivals. 

5) Although everyone says not to wear jeans, they are perfectly acceptable if worn the right way. Most Europeans wore a pair of dark wash jeans with a cute shirt. Jeans are comfy and keep you warm, so never be afraid to wear them. 

6) Pack a scarf. I've always loved scarves, they can spice up any outfit and keep you warm. I always am afraid that when I wear my hair up my neck will look too bare, so if you are having a bad hair day throw if up in a pony and put on a cute scarf! (Also they can be a great blanket on a bus ride!) 

While the big cities (Prague & Vienna) are a shopaholics heaven, make sure that your purchase is something unique and authentic. Avoid shopping at the big name brand stores that we have here I'm the US. Research what the area is famous for (jewelry, chocolate, clothing) and indulge in that. While in Prague, I stopped at a store called G&S famous for its traditional Czech jewelry. I bought a ring for a reasonable price that has a garnet stone in it from the eastern Czech Republic. Now every time I wear this ring I am reminded of my wonderful trip! 

All in all, do not stress too much about packing for Europe. Although your dress may help you look European your American accent will ruin it in a heartbeat! Just have fun with it, because remember you are going to Europe, and what can be more fun than that! Bon Voyage!