OOTD: Holiday greens.

Dress: Francesca's || Cardigan: Kohl's || Tights: {old} || Shoes: Isola Shoes {bought at a Maine discount store} || Sunglasses: KMart || Necklace: Rugged Outfitters {NC discount store} || Purse: Chanel {vintage} || Lips: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink Velvet

      TGIF! Goodness does it feel good to say that! This has been the busiest school week of my entire life, no lie! And the sad thing is it isn't even final exams week yet (that is next week). I have barely gotten any sleep this week or even felt like I have had any time to breath between every assignment that I have had to submit. This weekend I have a lot of studying to do, but I am excited to be able to catch up on sleep and to start packing for my Christmas break at home in Maine! I can't believe that I will be home in a week. This semester was stressful but went by so quickly! 

     Anyways, this was my outfit for church last weekend! This dress from Francesca's is one of my favorite summer sundresses, but one of my favorite things fashion-wise to do is to try and take my favorite spring and summer pieces and transform them into fall and winter ready outfits. These dark green tights and the coordinating statement necklace add a perfect pop of a darker holiday appropriate green, and I decided to pull out one of my most prizes possessions, my vintage Chanel purse, to finish the outfit! 

     Do you ever turn spring and summer clothes into fall and winter outfits??

     Don't forget to enter the $25 Amazon.com gift card giveaway from Wednesday's blog post! 

     xoxo Miss ALK

#PostGoodness Breakfast Bowls + Amazon.com GIVEAWAY!

      This post is sponsored by Post Cereals and Sverve.


     If you're a busy college student on the go, then making time to eat breakfast everyday can be quite the struggle. I always make sure to eat at least a little something, as I will have a terrible headache if I don't, but with my busy schedule and the fact that I'm not a morning person at all it is often hard for me to have enough time in the morings to eat something that's both nutritious, tasty and quick.

     I am also a very picky eater when it comes to breakfast foods! Fun fact: I actually don't like most cereals. Instant oatmeal is one of the few types of ceral that I will sometimes eat in the mornings, but I find a lot of typical oatmeal (like Quaker packets) to not be very filling.

     So I was very excited when I was selected by Sverve, a blogger influencer group, to review and write about a new line of hot cereals to arrive in the breakfast aisle! Meet the Post Goodness Breakfast Bowls:

     These breakfast meals are made with pre-cooked steel cut oats, and come in a ready-to-go bowl that you can just pop right into your microwave! Perfect for convenience for dorm room living, or for anyone working a busy work schedule. The Post Breakfast Bowls come in both sweet and savory flavors! I was sent one of the sweet flavors, Apples and Cinnamon, to test out, but some of the savory flavors include Sausage and Cheddar Cheese and Maple and Bacon. And the best part is the health benefits! One of the main reasons that I often don't like to eat many cereals is that I feel a lot of cereals are very unhealthy and overly sweetened. (Like if I'm going to eat that much sugar I would rather just eat a cupcake! Haha.) The Post Breakfast Bowls have 26 grams of whole grain, and 8 grams of protein.


     If you want to try out the new Post Breakfast Bowls then you can do so while saving money at the same time! Click here to find a money saving coupon for $1 off you Breakfast Bowl purchase at your local Walmart.


     And lastly, Sverve was so kind as to sponsor a giveaway here on my blog! They are giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader! I think that this is coming at the perfect time to get some last minute holiday shopping done, so you will definitely want to enter!! This giveaway will run until Wednesday, December 10th, 2014.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


     xoxo Miss ALK

Guest post: The Southern City Appeal of Charlotte

     Today's post is sponsored by Henderson Properties


     I have said for a long time on my blog that coming to the South for college was one of the best decisions of my life. But I have realized more and more lately that transferring colleges after my freshman year and coming to school in Charlotte was also one of the best decisions that I have ever made. A little recap of my college journey: I started school at a Christian university in a rural part of North Carolina. Once I realized that I wanted to transfer, I knew that I wanted to stay in the state of North Carolina, and wanted to be closer to a city. I got more then I could have ever dreamed and ended up right in Charlotte! I absolutely love living life in North Carolina's largest and most metropolitan city, and today's guest post highlights some of the things that I love about the Queens City!

The Southern City Appeal of Charlotte

     For those of us who have lived in Charlotte for at least a little while, it comes as no surprise that our beloved city is finally getting the recognition that it deserves.

     There are many outsiders who got a glimpse into Charlotte life when they watched Emily Maynard star on both the Bachelor and Bachelorette television shows. Others were tipped off to this city with the growing popularity of the Charlotte Panthers and Charlotte Hornets athletic teams.

     Regardless of the reason, Charlotte is definitely becoming one of the top spots and fastest growing cities in the South. As people flock here for school, work or family life, they are quickly finding that Charlotte has a lot to offer.

Booming Real Estate Conditions

     When making the move to Charlotte, the first priority that needs to be tackled is finding a place to live. Whether you are single and looking for an industrial loft apartment or you have a family that needs a large backyard, there are options for everyone. Unfortunately (for buyers), Charlotte area home prices have been on the rise. But that doesn’t mean a great deal still can’t be found!

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

     One of the biggest reasons people are flocking to Charlotte is for the new jobs that are constantly coming to the city and surrounding areas. State figures show that around 22,400 jobs have been added over the past year. That is a lot of jobs, and potentially a lot of new residents too! Job security is something that everyone is looking for these days, and Charlotte is making that a reality for many workers as companies are continually expanding and relocating to the area.

So Many Things to Do!

     If you are looking for a fun and active place to live, Charlotte should surely make the list. From professional sporting events to music concerts, local breweries to a buzzing art scene, there is something for every taste and interest in the Charlotte area.

     Truly, Charlotte is the best of both worlds. You can work in a skyscraper in the heart of the city, and then drive just a few miles on the weekend to get away from it all. It’s pretty clear why Charlotte is becoming one of the fastest growing cities in the South. I think the bigger question becomes – why wouldn’t anyone want to call Charlotte home?

     A few of my personal favorite things about Charlotte that I would add to this would be the great variety of malls in all parts of the city (something for all shoppers- from the luxurious SouthPark mall to the bargain friendly Concord Mills outlet mall), how clean, safe and beautiful the Uptown area is, the plethora of churches, the weather, the close proximity to lots of areas in both NC and SC, a great airport, all of the different, diverse neighborhoods throughout the city, and the friendliness and southern hospitality of the residents!

     If you live in Charlotte or have visited, what are your favorite things about the Queens City? If haven't had the pleasure of traveling to the Queens City yet, tell me your favorite thing about your own city or town! 

    

      xoxo Miss ALK

Thankfulness + Black Friday preview.

     Happy Thanksgiving blog friends! I hope that you all are enjoying your day and taking a moment to think about all that you have to be grateful for. I am spending this Thanksgiving here in Charlotte at school (as I instead traveled home to Maine for October break last month), but I am looking forward to being home in a few weeks for Christmas vacation.

     Truth be told, Thanksgiving has never been one of my favorite holidays. I don't really like the weather during this time of year (everything just looks so dried up and dead), I don't like most traditional Thanksgiving foods, and football is of no interest to me... but, I still take the time each year to reflect on things that have happened during the past 12 months that God has blessed me with and that I need to be thankful for! Here are some highlights for this year:

• My incredible internship with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, and all of the opportunities and experiences that it has brought me in 2014. 
• Having a job back home in Maine that I enjoy working that and that provided me with lots of hours this past summer.
• Spending summer 2014 back home in Maine meant that I got to spend another summer living near the ocean- and I am always so thankful for that!
• For my mom and dad, who always encourage me to do my best in everything and support my dreams.
• For finally feeling at home at the college that I transferred to. 
• For my best friends back home in Maine who continue to prove the fact that distance means nothing to a good friendship. 
• Another great year in blogging- 2014 meant meeting more of my favorite bloggers and doing more great things with my little corner of the internet! And I am always SO thankful for all of my followers and readers! 

   

Attending and organzing the #BloggersTakeBoston meet-up in June was a highlight of my summer and something that I'm so thankful that happened! :-) 

      In other news: tomorrow is my second-favorite day of the year. BLACK FRIDAY! (Clearly I have different views on this then I do about Thanksgiving.) A whole national day dedicated to shopping?! Count me IN! I Some people are turned off by the crowds and craziness of the stores on Black Friday, but that just makes me love the whole experience even more! This will be my 8th straight year going Black Friday shopping, and my first year doing so in Charlotte. I am so pumped, and plan to do a recap of some sort next week here on the blog. 

      Anyways, for those of you who prefer to do your shopping from the comfort of your own home instead of braving the masses (or for you super shoppers who do both the cyber deals and the in store deals!), I wanted to list below just a few of my favorite stores that are already having some great early online Black Friday deals! 

• Forever 21 - "7 days of Pre-Black Friday Deals" sale leading up to Friday with a different deal online each day. Big deals expected on the website on Friday as well!
• American Eagle Outfitters - Take 40% off and free shipping with code "GOBBLEUP" (through Nov. 30th). AEO is my favorite place to buy jeans from so I know that's what I would use that deal on!
• Express - Take 50% off everything through Nov. 28th. 
• J. Crew Factory - Take 50% off the entire site plus free shipping with code "THANKS."
• Kate Spade - "Black Friday Surprise Sale", up to 75% percent off selected merchandise.
• Ulta - (Lots of deals in store and online! This link takes you directly to their Black Friday sales flyer.)

     And a couple great deals from two wonderful businesses that I have worked with here on my blog:

• The Mint Julep Boutique: 50% off the entire website through Black Friday! 
• Pink Bubbly Jewelry: "Pink Friday" sale, 10% off 1 item with code PF10, 20% off 2 items with code PF20, 30% off 3 or more items with code PF30. Sale runs Nov. 28th-30th. 

     Have a wonderful Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend!

     xoxo Miss ALK

OOTD: The perfect sweater dress.

Dress: Forever 21 || Boots: Tory Burch || Sunglasses: LOFT || Purse: Michael Kors || Earrings: J. Crew Factory || Bracelets: {gifts} || Watch: Aldo || Lips: Essence XXL Shine Lipgloss in Hibiscus 

      I guess that I do wear my fair share of sweater dresses during the fall and winter seasons, but I actually don't really like shopping for them! Everytime that I buy a sweater dress, I just think about how I would rather be using my money to buy a sundress for warmer weather... see where this is going? Haha! I also think that so many sweater dresses tend to look very similar, and it's hard to find unique looks. 

     Enter this gorgeous sweater dress from Forever 21. It actually has a unique story behind it! A little over a year ago, I found almost the same exact dress in a Forever 21 store here in Charlotte, tried it on, and loved it. I even took a picture on my phone! But I didn't end up buying it because it was priced at $37.99, which I thought was a little expensive for Forever 21. 

      Fast forward to one year later, when I was at home in Maine this past October for Fall Break. One of the nights that I was home I went to the Maine Mall with two of my best friends. We went to Forever 21 (there's a surprisingly good one at home), and low and behold, I found almost the same sweater dress! I tried it on again and fell event more in love. Sadly the price hadn't changed at all, but I decided that I had to get it. It takes a lot for me to love a sweater dress, and I am just obsessed with the fun graphic print on this one! (The material is also so soft and comfortable, yet still form-fitting and flattering.) 

  

      I actually took these pictures for this post a couple of weeks ago (with my friend Olivia from Olivia Miller Photography on my beautiful college campus!). It was still warmer then, but this dress is something that could definitely be transitioned as the weather continues to get colder. I would love to pair it with a fancy winter coat, a cute pair of tights, and some nice dark heels for a dressy winter outfit.

      In other unrelated news to this outfit, I would appreciate any prayers for my day tomorrow! I have two presentations to present in two seperate communications classes, as well as a huge French test. It isn't even Finals yet and I don't know how it is possible to have a day this busy and this stressful,  but somehow it has happened. I am very nervous about doing well on everything, so I am going to try and get a good night's sleep tonight! 

      xoxo Miss ALK