Packing Is The Worse

But vacation is the best so it is all worth it! I am only taking a carry on suitcase for my week long trip to Florida and Ultra Music Festival. Lets hope my headdress doesn't take up too much space! I am so excited to be flying for the first time by myself. Also just for the excitement of meeting a bunch of new people at the festival and reconnecting with my cousin Hailey who's picking me up from the airport and letting me stay with her for a few days.

I am going to show you how I packed everything I think I could ever need in this little suitcase! It saves time and money to not bring luggage with you when traveling, and lets be honest it's more fun to buy stuff when you get there. Also I'll be posting my outfit I'm wearing on the plane cause I always love to see the different way people from around the world dress while traveling.

Rolling up my clothes is a major strategy in this type of packing! As well as being smart about where you stuff certain things, like all my four pairs of shoes on top of the vans I'll be wearing on the plane are in the side packs. My cosmetics bag is in the very front compartment along with my camelback so that they can be easily checked at security. 

House Hippies

Happy Miami Music Week! I am so excited to be down in the Sunshine state for a week and being able to enjoy all the good music I will get to see this weekend. I wanted to start off the week by posting about a new up-coming brand down here in Miami called House Hippies. This is not only a brand but a lifestyle that is represent through music and fashion.

I was very excited to get in contact with the founder of House Hippies, Alex, and learn more about this awesome brand that comes to life through the EDM community. I am also very excited to be bringing back some House Hippies gear to show off to my friends in PA. If you're a fellow raver I suggest you check out this brand for yourself! There snap backs are to die for.

Buy this here! 

Beach Bummin'

Lord does this feel like the place I belong, I thoroughly enjoy Florida and believe I would love to live here one day. Just the atmosphere of the southern influence and all the different ethnicities combining in one place makes me feel like this is a place I could really evolve and meet some wonderful people.

Feeling Spring Fever

I feel confident to stay that spring is here to stay in Central PA and that is very exciting after the long winter we had! Time to start transitioning the wardrobe from winter to spring, so nice to have some bright colors popping up and flats being able to be worn.

Today I decided to break out an Aztec print maxi and layer it with a long sleeve to stay warm in the wind. Being so petite it is hard to find maxi skirts that fit well so I love the illusion of layering a maxi so people thinks its two separate pieces. The warm up in the weather is definitely been reflected in my mood lately, I am just so happy.

Simple and Sweet

Taking a break from my normal love of bold patterns and prints I wanted to push myself out of my personal comfort zone today and just go simple. It is very rarely I am not in some big print, bold jewelry piece, or crazy printed pants so it was a little difficult for me to even want to wear something plain. However, I was glad I did this cause it shows that it's easy to be simple and cute. It also showed me that dressing in "plain" clothes isn't always boring.

Today's Look:

Top- LOFT 

Jeans- Free People

Shoes- Minnetonka Moccasin 

Enjoy The Ride

My oh my is it hard to get back into a routine of classes after more than a week off. It's also been very hard for me to stay focused on school with the start of new classes, work with the busy retail season starting, and my new news of landing an internship this summer in Philadelphia! I need to get things together for what my future will hold moving to a new city for the first time in my life.

So while I'm busy trying to get things in order in my life and stay on track with my school work I am going to enjoy every minute of the next few months. I finally feel like I'm growing up and am ready to do so, which is scary and exciting to say at the same time. Let's see what life has in store for me.

Spread The Love

I prepared my first blogger swap box to be sent out this week to my partner Jen, who writes Innerworkings of the Female Mind. So Jen if you are reading this post STOP, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you but am too excited to share with my readers what I included in your box for the month.

Also I wanted to share the presentation of how I wrapped things in the box cause who doesn't love getting fun packages! I wanted the box to be a mixture of things that Jen would like and get use out of as well as things I wanted to spread the word about.

I included a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. This book is going to be my beach read for Miami and Jen loves to read so I decided to snag her a copy too. Everyone can have some more happiness everyday.

I wanted to help spread the word about Turtle Moon Gardens, my mothers growing business that focuses on holistic health and alternate healing medicine. Jen has a very long commute to work everyday and I figured she could use some Quiet Solace to relax when she gets home each night.

Lastly, I decided to include a CD of EDM music and a kandi for Jen and to explain to her the meaning of PLUR and help show her some new tunes. I hope she enjoys these things!!

DIY Ultra Outfit

Today I am writing to show you some an affordable way to create a really unique festival outfit. As I wrote last week I will be attending Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 11 short days and needed to get on the ball as to what I am going to wear!! Beautiful weather, beautiful people, and a hell of a good time.

I was inspired by many Rave Outfit post on Pinterest and decided to take to the craft store to create an outfit of my own. I used an old bra I don't usually wear and used that as the base of this creation. Other materials included fake flowers, a pack of sequins, and hot glue. After burning my fingers a few times I was pleased with what came out. I decided to go with a blue and orange theme because I had these awesome Bebe sport shorts I got on sale that I want to sport. Total cost of this project was $8.64. (Fake flowers can be expensive!)

One Girl, No Car, & Time To Rage

A play on my last chronicle of my journeys in Miami, Two Girls, A Jeep, & Time To Rage this is the description of how I will be spending my weekend in Miami at Ultra Music Festival. I am venturing the city on my own! I am so excited to embark on this crazy weekend ahead of me.

I will be taking a break from posting for the next few days and while I am traveling back home to chilly Pennsylvania. But cannot wait to update the blog next week with whatever experiences I encounter this weekend. I am also prepared with arms full of Carlita's Closet kandi's to hand out at the festival so hopefully some of the people I meet can reconnect with me through here!

VAMP- A New Spin On Fashion Magazines

I've heard lots recently about this VAMP magazine that launched last week! I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this wonderful read. I've been getting back into reading lately, when I can in my crazy, busy life, and have really enjoyed it. I forgot how wonderful it is to get lost in a book or magazine ad.

Back to VAMP this new fashion magazine that is published by David Vivirido and Francesco Sourigues the geniuses behind Hercules the popular men's fashion mag. This new publication focuses on shedding light to powerful women and their stories so that can inspire many. These men have put a twist on the normal editorial magazine and it's something all of us can resonate with, real people and real stories. Read more on the Business of Fashion.

Have Faith

We are all pushed to the point of questioning are faith in things sometimes but it's important to remember to never lose that faith completely. Even when it seems as though all things are going wrong these are the most important times to remember to just have faith, and that things will be alright.

Whether it's the stress of what you're going to do after graduation, how the hell are you going to pay off all these student loans, or simply why every door you've tried to enter today has fought you. It's most important to remember to have faith and to believe in a higher being. I am a firm believer that our life stories are already written when we are born, it's just up to us to follow the right path and go where makes us happy. However, it is hard to not get lost in these stresses and the opinions of others and what they think we should be doing. That is why when it comes to making really important decisions I decide to take a step back and just mediate to myself what the best decision is in my gut.

Today's look:

Hat- Nastygal

Necklace- Free People

Tee- LOFT

Slip- Free People

Shoes- Hautelook 

FP Bare A Bit More

Well it's not a very hidden fact I am a lover of everything and anything Free People. This is a brand that I truly just connect with and would love to be a part of someday. Today I am writing to share a new spring trend that will be popping up as soon as the sunshine decides to stick around for more than a couple days. This trend was wrote about on the Free People BLDG 25 blog, about FP Bare a bit more trend.

Why do they make bandeaus and bras so delicate and cute if we aren't meant to show them off? Free People's point exactly in this trend that why not flaunt a little bit of the lacey and patterned details in a tasteful manner. So I decided to try this trend out for myself with one of the lace bras that Free People has come out with. Below is my look, how would you style your barely there outfit?

Make The Most Out Of What You've Got

Well it was a beautiful day for a hike yesterday so I decided to take full advantage of that. My pup bruiser and I hit the Rothrock forest to start off spring break the healthy way. I've found he's the best hiking partner to just be able to get lost with in the simplicity of the afternoon. My nephew Jeremy also wanted to join us so that was nice I had a guest photographer on the trip.

Although I am not enjoying my spring break somewhere tropical (like I would like to be) I am definitely making the most out of everything here at home. For instance, just having the town to ourselves for a week and not having to deal with the traffic that Penn State University causes. It is important to appreciate all the little things that come with having a week off, whether you've got to go somewhere new and beautiful or you're just exploring the same old streets you have been your whole life.

Sprang Forward

Time to start feeling the positive vibes that spring has rolling our way. After setting our clocks forward this weekend we're able to enjoy a bit more of sunshine each day! And who could possibly complain about that. I am ready to take advantage of the sunshine and the warm weather while we have it in Central PA.

With the start of my break I am so happy to just be able to genuinely relax for a couple days. I feel as though I got so caught up the last couple weeks of ending classes I forgot to be making time for myself. So this week will be dedicated to doing things that make me happy! If I can't enjoy my week off somewhere beautiful and tropical I will most certainly make the most of it here in State College.

The Nittany Mall Isn't Dead Yet!

Sorry if you don't live around Central Pennsylvania this post will be pretty pointless to you. But for those of us who are stuck with the horrible shopping conditions here in State College, PA it is so exciting to hear when a new store is coming. 

With the recent closing of a lot of stores at the Nittany Mall there has been a lot of debate about how much longer the pathetic excuse we call a mall will be open. However, things are looking a little better with the recent announcement that we will be getting a Francesca's! It will be going in right next to PacSun in the mall and will be a great reason to check the mall now when looking for cute accessories for going out! 

Below I am wearing a sweater and boots I got from Francesca's in other places. It is a very unique, boutique like chain store.