Cranberry Turtleneck

Happy Wednesday! 

Top: Urban Outfitters

Jacket: H&M

Booties: Winners

Bag: Kate Spade

Bottoms: Sirens

Sunnies: Forever 21

Thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely,

School Survival Guide: Study Tips

Happy February! To continue with my post about staying organized (School Survival Guide: How to Stay Organized), today we will discuss some tips about how I study.

Through my years of schooling, I've had a strategy that I've stuck with that really helps me. Some say how I study is a lot of work, but who doesn't need to work for the results? I'm not naturally gifted, so I have to do the additional work to get results.

1) Staying On Top of Assignments: If you have supplementary readings, consistently do them instead of saving it until last minute and having to do it all at once. This decreases stress during examination, and makes life a lot more relaxed. 

For me, I do not like to do something that does not effeciently uses my time. In other words, with all that I have to do, I don't like to waste my time reading something that might not be useful. Therefore, I like to read after a lecture so I know what is necessary and what is not. 

As I read I like to take down the key points and make notes on a separate piece of paper. I file these notes next to the coordinating class notes. 

2) Staying Organized: When it is time for studying, the consistency of being organized and doing your readings will really benefit you. 

3) Break-down What You Have to Study: I talk about this in detail on my post: School Survival Guide: How to Stay Organized. 

Instead of puling an all-nighter, I like to break down what I have to study. I normally set aside a week before a exam so I can put together a study guide (the first 4 days) and review my study guide the following 3 days before the exam. 

4) Make A Study Guide: When I study I like to create a visual study guide. This is normally the step that takes the most work, but the results are worth it. 

Using the class notes and coordinated reading notes I cross-examine them:

• I read my class notes and related reading notes. (Sometimes you do not catch everything in class, the readings help to provide additional information that will help to understand the class theme)
• I interpret them and on a blank piece of paper I 'dumb it down' and put it in my own words.

I do this because it puts all of what I need to know in one place. I'm not disorganized and have 50 pages of notes, everything is in one place.

Writing it down in your own words really helps to understand the given information. Instead of memorizing, you will do better if you understand the concepts.

5) Review: I like to set aside the 3 days before the exam/test to review my study guide. Through making your study guide, you have learned the information because you had to interpret and understand the lessons. Writing things in your own words allows you to understand the concepts in your own ways. Reviewing your study guide everyday for 30 mins or so, it will engrave the lessons in your head. 

I hope this helps! Study hard and thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely, 

Vegas 101

Hello everyone! Happy Friday! 

I love Las Vegas, it's like my second home. Not only is it a tourist hotspot, it is one of the most beautiful and extravagant cities in the world. The food, shopping and sightseeing are one of the many things this city has to offer. It's renowned style for making an over-the-top experience is the reason why we continue to go back. I have been fortunate enough to travel to this glamours city 3 times now; thus, I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve! (BTW, this is not sponsored, I just want to share with you why I love this city and why it is a must visit)

Eat: So one of the main reasons for returning to Vegas is because of its variety of foods! From buffets, cheap eats and luxury dinning, Vegas really has it all. 

Sprinkles Cupcakes: If you have never tried the cupcake bakery that started it all, Sprinkles is my favourite and they have the best red velvet cupcake I have ever tried in my life. (Located at the Linq)

Serendipity 3: Is a must! They are famous for their frozen hot chocolate, so obviously thats what I got!

Shake Shack: When in Vegas and not in New York, I love opting for the options unavailable to me. As a New York lover, Shake Shake is an obvious choice. 

Luxury Buffets: It's the experience, I'm not a hug eater and buffets can be a hit or miss for some people. However, when in Vegas a must try is one of their luxury buffets! (The buffet at the Wynn, Aria, Cosmopolitan and Caesar's Palace are one of the best) My personal favourite is the Bacchanal buffet and Caesars palace and the buffet at the Wynn.

Do your research and plan ahead: Vegas has to offer many of the most extravagant eats and when in Vegas, its all about the. Many of the most well-know eats are located in the city and its good to make a list of the spots you want to go to. 

Shop: Who goes to Vegas and doesn't return home with a bunch of goodies? I love Vegas for all of their resort hotels. Built-in malls are one of the many things the hotels have to offer. My favourite is the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, with stores ranging from the top designers to everyday causal wear these shops suits all. 

Vegas also has two Premium outlets, where visitors can find discounted merchandise as well as a Town Square Mall (an outdoor shopping destination).

The Fashion Show Mall located across from the Wynn, is one of the biggest malls located on the strip. Home to hundreds of brands and several department stores, you are bound to find some good deals.

See: Sightseeing is one of the free and most fun things the city has to offer. I love going into every hotel and seeing their decorations and differences in themes. Here is a list of my must-sees:

• The Bellagio Fountains at night
• Downtown Las Vegas at night 
• Walk the Strip at night
• Fireshow at the Mirrage
• A Cirque du Soleil Show (Ka or O)
• A Music Show (Britney Spears, Celine Dion)
• An Old Vegas Show (With showgirls)
• The flower arrangements at the Bellagio and the Wynn
• Walk from The Venetian to the Palazzo 
• Walk to the Linq at night

     

Things to note: 

Vegas is a very dry city, both in the winter and the summer as it sits in the desert.

During the summer months, Vegas is exceptionally hot and sometimes walking the strip during the day is difficult, for that reason I like using the (free) tram from the Bellagio to other destinations. 

During the winter time: Don't let the blue sky deceive you, it can get very chilly and windy.

I love Planet Hollywood for a variety of reasons, Not only is it a really nice hotel, the Miracle Mile shops offer a many conveniences. With 2 ABC conveniece stores, if you forgot something or want to buy water, they are there to support you. They also have $6.99 specials at Planet Dallies. 

I hope this sparked some interest or provided you with some tips if you travel to this city.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely, 

Living a Happy & Positive Life

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! I thought that a Monday would be a suitable time to talk about positivity and how I live a happy life.

We all go through hardships in life and sometimes at the time they may feel like the worst thing in life. No one chooses to go through them, life just throws them at you.

I'm normally credited with being one of the most positive people. Why? Because I choose to be. Here are some of my tips and tricks to live positively:

1) Surround Yourself with Supportive People: Having a support system on all days not just rough days is important because those people help remind you of the joy and the great things going on in your life. They are a constant reminder of your value, strengths and nothing is better than having a great group of people to help celebrate achievements with!

2) Let Go of Negativity: You may be positive, but being around someone who pushes you down or holds you back is not going to bring you joy nor push you further. It's not easy to drop a friendship, a relationship or even quit a job, but life is short and time is limited.

This is sometimes harder that it seems, and for me especially, I don't like to think of anything as negative or burn any bridges. One thing I have learned in the past year is that at the end of the day you are the most valuable thing in life. You come before anything else, and your negativity can negatively impact others.

3) Take a Moment to Realize the Great Things In Life: Look at what you have, the things that you are grateful for. Be humble of your experiences and look at the glass half full. There is always something good that can be taken from something bad. What did you learn? What can you change for next time?

4) Enjoy Life One Day at a Time: Be excited for the little things, and treat yourself. Create a space where you are at peace.

I love nothing more than coming home from a long day and just seeing my room and how its decorate to reflect me. The soft white blankets, the textures, soft socks the fairy lights. Ending the day with a great read or a great Youtube video.

5) Make Time for Yourself: Enjoy that very second and those moments you have for yourself. As a young adult, my life is constantly on-the-go and sometimes I'm so busy that I neglect to make time to just relax. Recuperating and finding a zen place is important because staying happy will allow you to be more efficient and do a better job.  Sometimes you just need to stop and chill.

6) Choose to Be Happy: because I see how my happy vibes bring happy vibes to other people. As a little girl I always felt like my time is valuable, and in my life time I can do great things. I can touch and change the lives of others.

I hope these tips help!

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

School Survival Guide: How to Stay Organized

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is having a good day! Today we are talking about how to plan and be organized for school. As a fourth year student in university, I have had much experience of studying and preparing assignments. Luckily for me I'm a very organized person, which helps a lot in my studies. Here are my tips to help you become a better student:

1) Keep a Calendar: My biggest tip for students is to have a calendar, a large calendar where you can see all the dates of a given month. This gives a visual of the time in between assignment deadlines and can help you keep track of when to start an assignment. 

2) Make lists: Lists help to stay organized because it reminds you of what you need to accomplish. I love making daily lists because it gives me a visual of what I need to do that day. This prevents you from forgetting outstanding tasks.

3) Do assignments early: Doing and finishing an assignment early is essential component of staying organized as a student and I have found that this really helps me to maintain my stress levels to a minimum. 

My idea is that when you finish an assignment early, you have more free time because you don't have the weight of an outstanding assignment. Procrastinating not only creates more stress, it limits your time doing more enjoyable things.

4) Break down an assignment: When you have a visual of the time frame of an assignment, you can plan ahead. You know what's due, when to start and it can also help you break down an assignment. What I like doing personally is to have daily goals or what I must achieve everyday (making lists).

For example when writing a paper: I normally would plan a two week timeframe and within that timeframe I would dedicate the first week to reaching for my paper. My daily goals would be reading 2 journals a day (And I would write this on my calendar). My second week would be dedicated to writing and proofreading. Each day I would set a goal for one or two paragraphs. 

When I'm studying: I break down what to study and set daily goals on what to cover each day.

When you break down an assignment, it turns the larger project (which can seem overwhelming) into small managable segments.

5) Planning ahead: This is one of the most important components of staying organized. When you plan ahead it creates room for flexibility and less stress. You know what to do when to do it. This also gives you time to balance your everyday life, and sometimes you just want a day to relax. Planning ahead and knowing when to finish your assignments enable you to do so.

I hope these tips help! How do you stay organized? Do you have any tips or tricks for students out there? 

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

A Cold Winter's Day

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a great day!

Jacket: Forever 21
Top: H&M
Bag: Kate Spade
Tights: H&M
Booties: Forever 21
Skirt: Banana Republic
Rings: Forever 21

Thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely,

How To Wear Monochromatic

Hello everyone! Today we are going to talk all about the trend monochromatic. I am obsessed with this trend and for many reasons. 

One reason why I love is trend so much is because anyone can pull it off. Using a neutral pallet, this modern look is easily pulled off using staples already in your closet. 

For starters, black is a staple for many and an all black look does not look dull, pairing the correct structures and textures together makes this contemporary outfit look effortless and very sophisticated. This is easily done with a pair of black booties, black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. Top it off with a black jacket of choice and you'll look super chic (and it will look like you put more effort into your outfit than you actually did).

If your feeling a little more risky try using a white or a nude pallet. It's risky enough to look different, but not too eye catching. Whoever said that you can't wear white pants after Labor Day has really got it all wrong. White pants pair very nicely with winter coats, but maybe white should not be worn on rainy days. Pairing camel colours has been very popular lately and is very classy when paired right.

If you are feeling bold and you want to stand out, I'd personally would go for a pant-suit in a jewled-tone colour. A royal blue blazer and royal blue pants paired with a white bow-tie blouse are sure to turn heads.

Thanks for stopping by! What which way would you wear it? I'd love to know!

Sincerely,

Stripes and Cranberry

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone is having an amazing day where ever you are!

Jacket: H&M

Top: H&M

Bottoms: Forever 21

Booties: Forever 21

Bag: 3.1 Philip Lim

Hat: Old Navy

Thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely,