Spring Training

 

From Left to Right

Pants: 1 // 2 // 3

Hats: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Shoes: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6  

 ...

My senior year of high school I may or may not have fallen victim to wearing workout clothes nearly 24/7, and that may or may not have followed me into college...

Luckily for me and other lazy Sporty Spice girls, our laid back look is right on trend this spring season! Think athletic wear with a feminine twist...silk track pants with floral print, wedge sneakers, even ponytails with a baseball hat! And all in pretty pastels!

What are your thoughts on the latest fashion trend? Are you going to hang up your heels and dive on in, or will you be a spectator happily watching from afar?

- Meagan

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list"

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert - See more at: http://exploreforayear.com/inspiration/55-quotes-travel#sthash.xwsRvVUr.dpuf

 "Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken." - Frank Hebert

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert - See more at: http://exploreforayear.com/inspiration/55-quotes-travel#sthash.xwsRvVUr.dpuf

 

It's hard narrowing down the places to travel when there are so many amazing places you haven't yet visited! 

While I haven't traveled much in my 23 years of existence, I believe it is important for enriching your life and for opening your eyes to the ways of the world and I certainly don't plan on this trip being my last major adventure!

(Images 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 )

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert - See more at: http://exploreforayear.com/inspiration/55-quotes-travel#sthash.xwsRvVUr.dpuf

On the Banks of the Grand River

Coat - J.Crew // Shirt - J.Crew Factory // Pants - Hollister // Boots - Report // Purse - J.Crew // Gloves - C. Wonder // Necklace - C. Wonder // Sunglasses - Steve Madden // Beanie - Target

My parents and I made the weekly commute to Western Michigan to visit my sisters and watch the littlest one race. The campus where my sisters go to school is divided by this deep ravine and the students pass over this bridge to get from one point of campus to the next. The blend of nature and campus reminded me so much of my alma mater and made me miss it dearly. I can't believe it's nearly been a year since I graduated! It kind of scares me how fast time went by...so much has changed since graduation, it only makes me wonder where I will be this time one year from now. The thought is frightening and exciting!

Where and what do you imagine yourself doing one year from now? 

For me, my dream has been to live and work in DC. I don't know what I'd be doing for employment, I just want to be living in the nation's capitol. If in one year I am sitting in an apartment in DC reading this post, I'll be one happy girl :)

Get the Runway Look: Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli Runway (Source)

Which "Starbucks Size Budget" are you?

Vest - LOST Wallace, $44.99 // Jeans - Boohoo, $40 // Heels: Dorothy Perkins, $39 // Bag - Dorothy Perkins, $49

 Vest - Abercrombie & Fitch, $70 // Jeans - 7 for All Mankind, $189 // Heels - Nine West, $99 // Bag - Topshop, $150

Vest = Proenza Schouler, $395 // Jeans - Genetic Denim, $231 // Heels - Saint Laurent Paris, $585 // Bag - Prada, $1890

Ever since I saw this picture of the lovely Cara Delevingne strutting her stuff, I've been wanting to "recreate" Roberto Cavalli's runway look. Once again, I am in love with the wedding of feminine and masculine details that is currently trending. I'm planning on rocking a similar ensemble come springtime and throughout the summer!

As a newly recent working girl, I don't exactly have the money reserves to go buy this exact outfit sadly. Because of this, I came up with three different outfits inspired by the look for people with different budgets. And since my blog's name is coffee-inspired, it was only fitting to label the budgets after different coffee sizes. :)

What I Wore Wednessssssday

Jacket - Mango // Shirt - J.Crew // Pants - Paige Denim // Shoes - Calvin Klein (want these!) // Necklace - C. Wonder // Sunglasses - Urban Outfitters (eyeing - hehe get it? - this pair)

Snakeskin is having a moment and I'm loving every second of it. A little bit here and there goes a long way in adding some edge to your look. I think my favorite use of the reptilian look is when it is juxtaposed with dainty, feminine items such as these shoes. I can't tell you the number of times I've found my mouse hovering over the "Add to Bag" button ;)

What are your favorite trends for spring?

Hail to the Chief

Hat - J.Crew // Purse - Milly // Arrow Cuff - Baublebar // Shirt - Equipment // Jeans - J Brand // Blazer - Prabal Gurung (obsessed!!) // Bracelet - Stella & Dot // Ankle Boots - MANGO

Happy Presidents' Day to all my fellow Americans! I was a little bummed to be going into work today since I technically could have had the holiday off. Working in the mortgage industry, business operations rely on the Federal Reserve so that loans can be funded. While the Federal Reserve was closed today, we somehow were still able to be open for business.

However, that soon changed when the power went out 2 hours in to work! Without our computers and internet access, there was virtually nothing we could do and were thus sent home. Hurrah! So I technically did get a free holiday :) Thank you, George and Abraham! 

Xoxo, Meagan

Winter Whites & Florals

Outfit details: Coat - J.Crew // Shirt - Ann Taylor // Pants - J.Crew // Heels - Madewell // Necklace - LOFT // Sunglasses - Marc by Marc Jacobs // Purse- Vintage, unknown

 Sundays may be my favorite day of the week: it's a day to recover from the events Saturday held and a day to relax and prepare for the upcoming week. The time on Sundays just seems to move a little slower and I love taking full advantage of that.

The best way to cap off the weekend is sitting down and cuddling up in a blanket to watch Downton Abbey. Such a good, juicy show! I can't believe it's the season finale already :( I guess I'll have to find another show to get wrapped up in for the time being!

Red

 Outfit details: Coat - J.Crew // Vest - J.Crew // Turtleneck - J.Crew (on sale!)  // Shirt - J.Crew Factory // Pants - Ralph Lauren // Shoes - Madewell // Sunglasses - Gap // Purse - Coach

Today we made the drive across the state to visit my sisters and watch some track races (of course). While it wasn't anything different than we have been doing the last few weekends, it is always just nice to be with my family. It also didn't hurt that we brought home some Tom's Mom's cookies that were delivered to my sister's apartment! Mmm :) the best cookies money can buy.

You may have also noticed that I updated the layout and design of my blog. I am not the most tech savvy person and am not quite sure if everything looks correctly when I switched over, so please if you see anything weird let me know! :)

(Photos taken by my lovely sister, Eileen)

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 (Images via 1 // 2 // 3 )

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all! I celebrated the day by taking a math exam after work...romantic.

Whether you go big or small on this day of love, I hope everyone had a lovely day and at least enjoyed some festive treats! My favorite are the cinnamon hearts with the sugar crystal coating and chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious!

Xoxo,

Meagan :)

Bangs or No Bangs: That is the Question

(Images via 1 // 2 // 3 )

I'm getting the hair itch again - no, not because it's dirty (Okay maybe it is a little bit dirty) but because I want to change it up. My hair has been blah and underwhelming to me as of late and bangs seem like a fast and easy solution. When I started my desk job I picked up this bad habit of pulling at my hair while working and in doing so broke most of the hairs surrounding my face, so by getting bangs it would help mask the frizzy short bangs as I painfully and slowly let them grow back.

Now the only problem: what style of bangs? Side swept? Blunt? Long and flowing or short and dense? Maybe bangs aren't such an easy solution after all!

Fit Thursday: Total Body Workout

Image via SELF

This past weekend I spent both days carrying and moving furniture for my grandma that by the time Monday rolled around it felt like I missed the weekend entirely! I took the first few days of the work week to recover with some adequate sleep. This meant I missed out on my Fitness Tuesday series, so I guess Thursday will have to do. Lucky for me there are two days in the week beginning with the letter T ;)

The class of choice this week was Total Body. I arrived 15 minutes early to class and there was already a group of 10 or so people waiting to go in to the exercise studio. The instructor showed up 5 minutes later and greeted most of the people by name. It was obvious by their conversations and interactions that there was a strong following for this course with this instructor. By the time the class began, we had exceeded the studio capacity by 2 or 3 people!

Within the first 5 minutes of class I could tell I was really going to enjoy the workout. My heart was already starting to beat fast and I had a good burn going. What made everything even greater was how helpful the instructor was to me and other newbies. Since there were a lot of regulars, us newbies stuck out quite obviously since we didn't know the usual order of exercises. Each time we started a new exercise, the instructor would come around and tell us if we were doing the exercise correctly and if we weren't he would work with us individually until we mastered the move.

Total Body class worked literally the total body as you would guess by its name. The description from the gym's site read: "Upper body, core, and lower limb workout using dumbbells, resistance bars, stability balls, steps, and bands. Arms, chest, and shoulders get a thorough workout here and your entire body will get the benefits of greater strength and flexibility." I think what I worked the most in this class was my core/abs, since many exercises for legs and arms you need to engage your core for proper technique. That's not to say the other parts of my body didn't get worked out. I felt like Jello by the time I was done! 360 degree squat jumps followed by spider push-ups are no joke!

Verdict: out of the classes I've taken thus far, this one definitely takes the cake. The personal attention from the instructor combined with the toughness of the workout took this class to another level. Plus it was really fun! This class is definitely a repeat, especially with Instructor Bob!

The Neutral Zone

From left to right:

Jackets: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Shirts/Cardigans: 1 // 2 // 3 (need this t-shirt!) // 4 // 5

Jeans: J Brand

Shoes: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

From left to right: As soon as I purchased my plane ticket to Europe, I immediately began searching on Pinterest to see what sort of fashion and clothing Europeans wear. I'm one of those people who does not want to stick out like a sore thumb in places unfamiliar to me, so serious the clothes I pack for my trip. 

The first thing I noticed right away was the color choices in clothing, or lack thereof is more like it. Nearly every picture I found featured a tall, leggy girl dressed in layers of neutral colors and a scarf or statement necklace to complete their look. If they were wearing a more playful color it usually was used as an accent, like with the scarf or their shoes or purse.

I've always been more drawn to wearing brights (which is probably why I'm drawn to J.Crew...I'm like a moth attracted to the light in that sense), but there is something about wearing all neutrals that feels cool, edgy, classy, and glamorous all at once. After looking through those pictures, I felt inspired to come up with my own ideas on how to pull together a neutral ensemble. *p.s. Can you tell I'm obsessed with moto jackets as of late? ;)*

Jetsetter

( Via )

It's finally official: I will be joining my best friend over in Europe for a crazy adventure this summer! We will both fly into and reunite in Frankfurt and fly home from London. Now the question is...where do we go in between?! We both agree Italy will be a stop on our trip (The shopping! I am drooling over the thought already), either Geneva or Zurich in Switzerland, and places in Spain and France.

I also have started researching travel tips, such as how to smartly pack for a large trip and how to not look like a tourist (this is really important to me, for appearance and safety sakes!). It's pretty overwhelming and daunting right now with all the planning there still is to do, but this is the sort of planning that I'm not upset about tackling :)

What are some European destinations that are absolute must see's in your books? And what travel tips have you learned that you absolutely swear by?