September Favorites

I can't believe that September is over. This month flew by, and I'm happy that we are getting closer to my favorite months of the year (November and December, where you at?). Here is what I've been loving this month!

one: Sea-shell Shorts

Here in California it has been 90 degrees (and hotter) for the majority of September, meaning that shorts are essential, even though it is no longer summer. I purchased them at Old Navy towards the beginning of the month, and  I featured them in an outfit post, and have been wearing them non-stop!

two: Fall Candles
Bath and Body Works has a 2 for $24 candle deal going on right now, and I snatched up this one! Most of their fall collection is so sweet smelling, but I like this one because it is sweet, but it also smells like cinnamon and pumpkin, which tones the sweetness down. 

three: Neutral Nails
Lately I have been obsessed with this nail color. It's Jenna Hipp's "Oh La Latte", and is a light mocha color. It goes with absolutely everything and I will be re-painting my nails with this all throughout fall!

What have you been loving in September?
xoxo,
Alyssa

What I Eat In A Day

{unfortunately, I can't eat this everyday ):}

Hey gals! For today's post, I'm going to be sharing what I eat on a regular school day. For some (strange) reason I love reading these posts- I find them so interesting! Typically, I try my hardest to eat healthy and fuel my body to perform at it's best, so this is what I usually eat during the day. 

Breakfast- 6:45 am- Cheerios and almond milk + fruit (banana, grapefruit, etc)

or
toast and peanut butter + fruit
or
pumpkin muffin + fruit

Lunch- 11:00 am- peanut butter sandwich + 2-3 sides (almonds, applesauce, granola bar, etc.)

Snack- 3:00 pm- fruit (watermelon or an apple)

Pre-practice Snack- 4:00 pm- a piece of bread with peanut butter

or

a Clif bar

Dinner- 8:30 pm- a chicken, veggie, and rice bowl

or

a salad with tomatoes, carrots, cheese, mushrooms, dressing and chicken

or

pasta + a small salad

Dessert- 8:50 pm- a few pieces of dark chocolate
or
a bowl of ice cream

Throughout the day I drink water. It's pretty much the only thing I drink, aside from the occasional cup of peppermint green tea!

xoxo,

Alyssa

My Top 5 Books

Growing up, I was an avid reader. Then all of a sudden. I got busy and time that I spent reading was pushed to zero. For me personally, I need a good book to make me motivated to read, so today I'm sharing my favorite books!

1. Paper Towns by John Green

The best combination of adventure, mystery, and romance is right here. And if you saw the movie, do yourself a favor and go read the book. Trust me, it's better. 

2. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

I'm a big fan of John Green (Looking for Alaska is another good book) and this book is just as well-written as his other books, but seems to get less recognition. It features dynamic characters, adventure, and romance. It definitely deserves a read!

3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

My mom read this book for her book club and thought that I would enjoy reading it as well, I brought it on our camping trip back in June, and finished it in a day! This book is so interesting. It's about a wealthy family that has their own island that they vacation on each summer, and the events that occur there. Let's just say that this book holds the biggest plot twist ever and had me crying in our tent. Please read it.

4. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
I am a Potterhead meaning that I have read all of the Harry Potter books and watch the movies whenever I have time. Although I read the books back in elementary school, I highly encourage anyone who hasn't read the books to read them (and then watch the movies after)!

5. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
This book is about a special needs girl whose brain functions perfectly well, but she can't speak. It talks about her daily struggles and how she wants to communicate, but can't. It definitely opens your eyes and lets you see what living with a disability could be like.

Please leave me book recommendations in the comments!

xoxo,
Alyssa

Top 3 Fall Nail Polishes

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the colors that are associated with fall (maroon, tan, oranges, any neutral) and I love matching my nails with the season. During fall there are three nail polish colors that I switch off using, and I think that every girl should have these three colors!

 mocha, maroon, and cream

 Jenna Hip- Ohh La Latte- a light, neutral brown/grey

 Jenna Hip- This is My Jam- a deep maroon

Jenna Hip- Life is But a Cream- an off-white/cream

These are my favorite nail polishes for fall (they're also great for winter, too)! Every nail polish brand has similar colors, so check your favorite nail polish brand! 

What is your favorite nail polish color for fall?

xoxo,

Alyssa

My Favorite Healthy Snacks

I am definitely a snacker, between eating when I'm bored (guilty) and trying to subside my hunger between school and soccer. This can lead to chips and unhealthy snacks sneaking into my daily diet just because they are convenient, but there are tons of super yummy, healthy snacks! One of my favorite combos is hummus and baby carrots. I also love any kind of granola bar. If you are bored of food or feel kind of full but still need energy, try a smoothie! You can whip up so many yummy different ones. Apple slices are perfect for dipping in peanut butter (and Trader Joe's Cookie Butter for dessert)! Trail mix is super tasty because it fills you but satisfies your sweet and salty craving. Clementines (or oranges) are super easy to throw in your backpack for a snack later! I love Clif bars and they are great breakfast replacements if you are running late!

What are your favorite snacks?

xoxo,
Alyssa

Preppy Fall Fashion Essentials

sweater | vest | shirt | skirt | flats | glasses | socks | boots

In honor of today being the first day of fall, I thought I would share some fashion essentials for fall (basically my fall wishlist... ). I tried this sweater on because I thought the color was so pretty, but the cut is super flattering and it's so soft! I also recently bought this vest and I'm super excited to wear it when it cools down. I think that this popover from J. Crew is so cute- you can never go wrong with navy and white. Flats are the perfect fall shoe, especially if you live somewhere where boots aren't needed, but you can't wear sandals. I wear eyeglasses whenever I can't see during class, but during fall (and winter) I find myself wearing them more as an accessory as well as to help me see. If I didn't already have a pair, I would be snatching this pair from Warby Parker! So cute. These socks are super cute for lounging around in or for wearing with boots! Speaking of boots, how cute are these? Seriously considering purchasing a pair for myself!

What are your fall fashion essentials?
xoxo,
Alyssa

#DOOTD: Stripes and Shades of Blue

So I have no idea if this is going to become a series on my blog or if this is just a one-time thing, but today I'm sharing one of my dad's outfits with you guys! I created a new hashtag- #DOOTD- Dad Outfit Of The Day. This should be interesting.... here we go!

shirt | shorts | shoes | hat

I took these pics before dinner on our last night of our East Coast trip. My dad wanted to be on my blog, so that's what happened. He wanted to make sure that it was known that he always wears a watch, but it broke on the first day of our trip, so he went without it for the trip and survived (barely). 

I hope you guys enjoyed this different post!

xoxo,

Alyssa 

Life Update

A few posts ago, I shared the link to a survey (if you haven't completed it yet, I would love if you did!) and got requests for more lifestyle posts, so today I'm sharing what has been going on in my life lately!

(*takes artsy pic during football game*)

Soccer season started up again last weekend, which means that every weekend will now be filled with soccer (which is okay, because I love it). I'm super excited to see how my team does this season!

I have been trying my best to post more lately. Over the summer I posted 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and this past week I did 4 times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). I want to post 5 days a week, but school and soccer both come before blogging, so please bare with me as I try and figure out what posting schedule works best for me! If you ever see a sudden lack of posts, just know that school and soccer have gotten the best of me, but I will be back soon!

I had try-outs for my school's soccer teams last week, and I'm super excited to announce that I made varsity! I am beyond ecstatic and can't wait for the season to start!

It has been hot here lately (it was 101 degrees yesterday... ugh) and it definitely doesn't feel like fall outside. I have some fall outfit posts planned that I want to shoot, but it needs to cool down first! So once Mother Nature gets her act together, expect some fall outfits to come your way!

I went to my first football game as a high school student on Friday, and even though we lost, I had a blast! All of my friends and I sat together and I can't wait for our homecoming game Friday!

Trader Joe's has officially received their fall baking mixes! You should've seen my smile when my mom came home with the pumpkin muffin mix as well as the pumpkin scone mix. You guys have to try them!

xoxo,

Alyssa

Fun Things to do in the Fall

{via}

Fall is by far my favorite season and just thinking about it gets me so excited! Although fall in California is not "traditional" (weather-wise),  I have been pinning like crazy to my "fall" board on Pinterest, which has given me some new ideas of what to do in the upcoming months!

Go to  a pumpkin patch

Besides a field trip that I took in 3rd grade, I have never been to a pumpkin patch. Instead, I just pick up a pumpkin at my local Trader Joe's, which is super convenient, but is not the same as going to a pumpkin patch. It's so fun to try and pick "the chosen one"!

Go apple picking.

Apple picking is the perfect way to spend a crisp fall afternoon. It's super fun, and you end up with tons of apples that are perfect for this apple pie or these caramel apples! Yum!

Carve a pumpkin.

I'm pretty sure that everyone carves a pumpkin each year, but have you ever tried a design other than the typical face? How about a Vineyard Vines whale? Instead of carving a pumpkin, you could decorate it- with glitter!

Bake

I don't think that there are enough days in fall for me to be able to make every recipe that I want to! Seriously, there are so many yummy recipes that are perfect for fall. I have a bunch of recipes pinned here- most of them involve pumpkin, so yum! Trader Joe's (is it obvious that I love that place?) makes a super easy and yummy pumpkin muffin/bread mix that I always make each fall!

Listen to "fall" music.

When I was in elementary school, everyone would dress up on Halloween and we would parade around the playground by grade level and show off our costumes. In the background, they had Halloween music; the song that I remember is The Monster Mash (classic). So whether your fall music is The Monster Mash or Taylor Swift's Red album (it sounds exactly how fall feels!) play your fave songs that remind you of autumn and jam out.

What is your favorite thing to do in the fall?

xoxo,

Alyssa

Outfit: Olive Among the Oaks

Over Labor Day Weekend, I was trying to think of cool places to shoot outfit pictures. For some reason, I always forget that I live 15 minutes from the mountains, so my dad and I scouted out places to take pictures, and I'm excited to use the locations during fall and winter!

*plays with necklace awkwardly*

shirt | shorts  ($10!) | sandals (old) | bracelets 

I purchased these shorts on major sale at Old Navy a few weeks ago (less than $3!) and I love them. They're basically socially acceptable pajama shorts, but they look super cute! I love the color of them for fall- it's perfect!

xoxo,

Alyssa

My Bathroom Tour

After cleaning my bathroom, I thought that it would be a fun post to give you guys a tour of my bathroom, so that you may be able to get organization ideas. I hope you guys enjoy!

I'm an only child so I have my own bathroom which is very nice. It's a short walk from my bedroom.

My color scheme for my bathroom is brown, pink and white.

My favorite soap is the Bath and Body Works foaming soap. This one is Japanese Cherry Blossom and it smells so good!

In the mirrored cabinet I keep things that I still reach for, just not daily. I have nail polish remover, detangler, Sun In, dry shampoo, a little jar of makeup, and a few other miscellaneous items. 

In between my two sinks I have a vintage tray where I keep all of the products that I use on a daily basis. This way they are easy to reach and I don't have to dig through drawers to find stuff. 

Below the counter-top, there are three drawers where I store even more. 

The top drawer is my hair drawer. I keep all of my brushes and combs in a container. I also have a mini curling iron, pre-wrap, and hair-ties.

This is my nail drawer. I store all of my nail polish in a plastic container and I also have tea-tree oil (for your cuticles) and a nail art pen.

In the bottom drawer I have my straightener and my curling wand, empty Lush containers (you can take them back to the store and recycle them!) and all of my travel size products.

In my bathtub/shower, I keep shaving cream a razor and a loofa (pink, of course!).

In the other corner of the tub I have my favorite scrub ever! I use it every time I shower!

I keep my shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask in a pink "tub" from Bath and Body Works on the edge of my tub.

I keep an assortment of loofas in a basket between the tub and the shower.

Here's the view of the shower/toilet section of my bathroom from the sink/cabinet section. I love my shower curtain!

I hope you guys enjoyed this "behind-the-scenes" type of post!

xoxo,

Alyssa

10 Cute Pajama Sets

If you think about it, we spend a lot of time in pajamas, probably more than any other outfit, which is why it's super important to have cute ones! I love having super cute pajamas because it makes me feel happy and put together. I usually have a problem finding cute pajama sets, so I thought that it would be helpful to link some super cute ones!

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{top | pants}

I hope this post was helpful! Where's your favorite place to buy pajamas?

xoxo,

Alyssa