Look I Love: Poncho

Let's talk about how excited I am that ponchos are back in style. I remember buying brightly colored ponchos and middle school and being so excited that it was socially expectable to basically be wearing a blanket in class. When I started seeing ponchos for sale at some of my favorite stores, I realize I never really grew out of that phase! After searching around, I finally found one I loved at Nordstrom Rack.

I styled the poncho with legging and boots, to keep it comfy while running around. This look could also easily be changed to a cute fall look if I had worn jeans and some brightly colored loafers.

14th & Union Poncho / J. Crew Leggings 

December Favorites

Staying Full

My favorite taste of the winter is peppermint, and I could not get enough! Since I'm in school in northern Maine and going to Starbucks is a commute, I was so happy to find a ready-to-pour peppermint mocha latte at Target this season. I also munched on my favorite winter snack from Trader Joes, which I found in early December and it was sold out when I went back looking for more!

Staying Warm

Another favorite part of winter: being able to light candles all day! They add a cozy feel to any room, and my favorite flavors are the "mochanut latte" and any holiday cookie scent.

Staying Healthy

I have always been terrible at keeping my skin hydrated and healthy during the winter, when skin tends to easily dry out. These are my two moisturizers I use absolutely every day. The Body Shop's Vitamin E eye cream is amazing at making your eyes less puffy and hydrating skin during the winter (and finals season!). Trader Joe's A Midsummer's Night Cream is my favorite body moisturizer I've tried in so long - you can actually feel it working.

Christmas Cookie Link-Up

I have a secret that I've kept almost my entire life... I don't really like sweets! Just like my mother and father, I enjoy a cookie or a treat every now and then - but I don't look forward to the holidays just to indulge myself in tons of sweet holiday treats. They tend to make me feel a little sick, and if I'm going to indulge with some extra carbs for the day, I'd rather just have a salty snack! This could explain why my favorite Christmas treat is Holiday Bark. With the layer of Saltine crackers underneath, it satisfies my tiny sweet tooth, without having to overdose on the sugar. Here's the recipe I use:

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

Package of Saltine Crackers (enough to line a tray)

2 sticks of Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

A bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooking:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees

2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with non-stick spray. Line the sheet with Saltine crackers.

3. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and boil until it looks like caramel, then remove from the heat and pour over the crackers to cover them.

4. Bake the butter & brown sugar covered crackers for 3 to 5 minutes (it will start bubbling).

5. Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. They will melt a little bit, so spread them over the crackers with a knife.

6. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Break into chips and enjoy!

For more holiday recipes from some of my favorite bloggers, check out the #BloggersBakeChristmasCookies hashtag on Instagram, to see who else participated!

Sorority Formal

One of my favorite nights every winter has to be my sorority formal. It's an amazing excuse to dress up, and get to look pretty with all my closest friends and their boyfriends. Normally, I order my formal dress months in advance because I'm so excited to plan my outfit (I've been known in the past to order multiple dresses just to have options on the night of!) This year, I ordered a dress using Rent the Runway, but I got a phone call THREE DAYS before formal saying that my dress was not going to be delivered!! After a minor panic attack, a pint of gelato, and an exasperated phone call to my mother that there are no shopping centers in northern Maine, I pulled myself together and had to move on.

With a lack of options on northern Maine, I got a dress at.. drumroll... Target! I never saw that one coming. But this one ended up being so cheap, very cute on, and perfect for the formal theme: The Roaring 20s! I jazzed it up with a ton of gold and silver jewelry to keep it formal.

But of course, the dress doesn't really matter. The best part of every formal is getting to spend a special night with all my best friends, and my boyfriend! Blessed

Thanksgiving

I think it's a crime that Christmas gets all the hype, when we all know that Thanksgiving is the actual best holiday of the year. It's always been my favorite because you get:

1. More food than Christmas

2. None of the stress of buying (and receiving) presents

3. You still get to see your whole family

4. Stuffing

Despite Thanksgiving always being my favorite holiday, I always try and keep a relaxed look on for the day. This is mostly because the outfit needs to revolve around pants that can stretch, and it would look a little weird to wear a sequined shirt with some jeggings. This year I paired my favorite J.Crew jeans with a lace overlay shirt to keep my outfit a little more polished.

My outfit: Lace Overlay Shirt (similar), J. Crew Jeans, J.Crew Statement Necklace

Sister outfit: J.Crew Sweater, Midnight Blue Hunter Boots

Keep a look out for my blog post later this week on how my post-Thanksgiving juice cleanse goes!

It's going to be an interesting week!