Swimwear Haul 2016

Summer Swimwear Haul

Swimsuit trends have become more and more prominent as celebrities come out flaunting the newest and trendiest bikinis all over our Instagram feeds. Acknowledging that my Florida trip was coming up, I went a little bit crazy and ordered over 10 bikinis! Contrary to what you might be thinking, I'm a college student {a poor one at that} and couldn't spend as much as my expensive taste was demanding. A friend told me about a website that has "designer-like" clothing, accessories, electronics, and even makeup! Contributing to my shopaholic tendencies, I decided to check it out. Below, you can view the damage... :-)

Orange bikini from AliExpress : $12
{Can also be purchased from GoJane.com for speedier shipping}

Green one-piece thong bikini from AliExpress: $14

Black strappy one-piece bikini from AliExpress: $6

"Mermaids Do It Better" blue one-piece bikini from Forever 21:  SOLD OUT ONLINE

{$20}

Tommy Hilfiger Bikini from AliExpress: $9

Green leaf print bikini from AliExpress: $10

Zingiber (Australian brand) bikini bottom from AliExpress: $9
L'Space bikini top from AliExpress: $5

Other Fun Things We Purchased for the Trip:

 Beach Blanket from Ron John Surf Shop

Ice Cream Cone Inflatables from Amazon

Marble Sunglasses from AliExpress

 Most of the swimwear from this haul is from AliExpress. Along with AliExpress, I get quite a few bikinis from Etsy, Amazon, and Forever 21. AliExpress takes the longest to ship, as it is coming from China. If you are going to order from them, I would recommend ordering about a month in advance! Sizing is always a little bit different in each country. I ordered a medium in all of my suits and didn't have much of a problem with any of them. The quality of material isn't as high because it is so cheaply made, but they definitely make for beautiful bikinis! Overall, I love AliExpress and have purchased sunglasses and makeup on this website as well. I have yet to be dissatisfied.

Happy swimming, xoxo

DIY: Maison Des Fleurs

We've all seen them. We've all fallen in love with them. But have we all looked at the outrageous prices of the famed "Maison Des Fleurs"? As you're scrolling through your Twitter and Instagram feed, you've probably seen them about a million times with a caption along the lines of "Future husband- take notes" or "relationship goals". Ladies, let's stop thinking about the boys we will never have and think of the amazing mom or mother figure already in our lives!

If you're anything like me, you've procrastinated and waited to pick out a Mother's Day present and are now too broke from pizza and online shopping. I've got you covered with a DIY for Maison Des Fleurs that moms will die over {hint-moms love handmade gifts}:

Here's What You'll Need:

 ~ 3-4 Fake Flowers (Dollar Store)
~ Gift Box (Savers or Goodwill)
~ Styrofoam Cubes or Tissue Paper (Dollar Store)
~ Black or White Spray Paint (Walmart)
~ Print-Outs of "Maison Des Fleurs" Label
~ Any glue that dries clear (Walmart)
~ Scissors

1. Spray paint your box of choice:

I purchased my box at a local thrift store (Savers) on sale for $1. Spray paint with color of choice (black is a typical Maison Des Fleurs box). Let this dry overnight, or at least a couple of hours in front of a fan.

2. Disassemble flowers from stems:

The flowers can be easily detached from the plastic stems. Pull off as many as needed! I mixed two different types of flowers for variety.

3. Fill the box with tissue paper or styrofoam blocks:

As long as the fillers reach close to the top of the box, flowers can be glued to whatever you have chosen to fill your box with. I started with styrofoam blocks, but they were pre-shaped and not large enough for my box. I filled the rest with tissue paper.

4. Print Maison Des Fleurs Labels:

Before gluing your flowers in, make sure to glue the label on the box. To make it look more attached, paint glue over the label as well and let this dry.

5. Attach Flowers:

Finally, attach your flowers to the fillers in the box by putting glue on flower petals and where the stem was pulled out. Mess with the arrangement until it has the desired look and mix your flowers up for variety! Let this sit overnight so that the glue can set.

6. Spoil your favorite woman even more:

Add a few little matching gifts! My favorite place for gifts is TJ Maxx. You can find so many unique gifts here like the rose bubble bath and oil and the peonies candle! This gift added up to be around $20-$25! The supplies for the flower box added up to around $10 but can be done even cheaper if you have these supplies around your home. 

Happy crafting, xo

Lifestyle

Going Places

 As much as we're all feening for Summer, we still have a week of endless nights {not the good kind} curled up in our incredibly uncomfortable library chairs attempting to make it through the study session without ordering Jimmy Johns for the third day in a row or killing our friends for gossiping too much. We've all been here. I'm actually "here" right now.. "studying" for "Bio"..

Stay Away From Social Media:

Taking "study breaks" is the perfect way to give your brain a break, but once you start looking through your Instagram feed, you're probably not going to stop. This goes for Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube as well. Follow a strict study schedule to keep you on track, taking 15 or 20 minute breaks every hour. This will keep you from becoming discouraged by the stack of books staring back at you!

Bring Snacks:

Nothing is worse than being "hangry" while you're in a long study sesh.. Or when it's midnight and no one is delivering anymore because it's a Tuesday {heard from a friend}! Always be prepared with healthy snacks that you can take on-the-go. A huge factor of the dreaded "Freshman-15" comes from ordering pizza late at night and not getting your full 8 hours of sleep {or even 5 for that matter}. 

My favorite healthy snacks include:

• Celery & Almond Butter
• Pita Chips & Hummus
• Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches
• Strawberries & Blueberries

Don't forget to bring some form of energy to keep you going! I prefer coffee with cream or organic Monster Energy Drinks!

http://food-ception.tumblr.com/

Draw Pictures:

As a Biology Major, I am faced with diagrams upon diagrams. Instead of simply looking them over and thinking you've learned something, recreate them! Using colors helps with memorization, and watching Youtube videos to further your understanding of the concept is HUGE. Nothing helps more than watching someone that isn't my professor explaining the class material. 

http://jon-snow-doesnt-know-much.tumblr.com/

Dress to Study:

My favorite thing in the world is feeling comfortable, but stylish at the same time. If you're uncomfortable, you're going to think about it the whole time and won't get anything done! My favorite thing to wear to the library is "vintage" looking crew necks, boyfriend jeans, and my converse. The look is trendy, but I feel comfy enough that I won't want to take a nap mid-session! The crew neck pictured is from a thrift store ($5.99), boyfriend jeans from Tilly's ($19.99), and I threw sea-salt spray in my hair before pulling half up!

Happy studying, kill those exams!! xo