Becoming a Savvy Shopper

One of the things that Bailey, Mary, and I all love to do is search for great fashion steals and deals both in stores and also online! In the past, we have all gotten some AMAZING deals on some high end items, and over the years we have all become savvy shoppers in our own ways!

As we have discovered, there are many great places to look for great fashion deals, and with a bit of time, patience, and knowledge of the clothing market, you can really become a smart shopper! Here are some of our favorite stores and websites and a bit about some of the amazing finds we have came across in the past!

1. Twice-
I have discussed my love for Twice in an earlier post, but have to mention it here again! Twice is a great place to find designer clothing in excellent used condition for great prices! Though some of their stuff is definitely dated, if you really search through their items they sometimes do have some really great, on-trend clothing and handbags! One cool feature on their site is that you can sort by your size and specify which brands you like/are looking for and this information is saved each time you visit the site. Another thing I like about Twice is that they were frequently have promotions and coupon codes which make their prices even more attractive! When you first sign up, you receive a coupon code for 40% off your purchase, and you can also invite friends to join the site and receive a $20 credit for each friend! As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite steals from Twice was when I purchased a Fossil foldover crossbody bag for only $17! After using some $20 credit and applying a coupon, I couldn't believe that I got such a beautiful bag for that low of a price! I have seen the bag in a few department stores and online for around $250! Mary and I have also gotten some items from J Crew, Anthropologie, Lily Pulitzer, and other brands, and each time they have been in great condition and such nice pieces of clothing!

Tips: Pay attention to the promotions going on and take advantage of the occasional 30% off coupon codes! Another crazy thing Twice is doing now is buying your unwanted gift cards from select retailers and giving Twice credit for the gift card's face value! I have had a gift card for a few years that I have not used, and recently traded it in for Twice credit which I know I will be using soon!

Some great Twice steals I have recently purchased!

2. TJ Maxx
Over the years I have definitely turned into a "Maxxinista!" I used to think that TJ Maxx didn't have the nicest things, but once I had the patience to actually look around the store, I fell in love! TJ Maxx is now one of my favorite stores to browse for hidden treasures and great fashion finds! Any time I see a TJ Maxx I always have to stop and look around. One thing I love about TJ Maxx stores is that each store is unique and has different merchandise and brands depending on the state/area/time of year! Coming to Boston from the Chicago area, I have noticed some different brands and unique finds  in the stores both here in Boston and back home! Here are some great deals I have found from TJ Maxx:

•  A few years back I purchased a  Fossil medium-sized leather crossbody for around $80 (originally $180) and I have gotten tons of use out of it!

• Some other great deals I have found from TJ Maxx include two EXACT J Crew Excursion vest look-alikes, one in the herringbone pattern and one in the navy and cream striped pattern! When I saw the vests in a store in the Boston area, I had recently purchased the real J Crew Excursion herringbone vest, and immediately bought the two vests for $30 each and sold the real J Crew vest on eBay! I am not usually one for look-alikes, but if they look exactly like the real thing, quality and style-wise, then why not save on the money! I still can't believe I found those adorable vests in my exact size!

• This past summer I purchased a pair of Jack Rogers sandals for $30 that are great summery shoes! I love checking out the shoe selection at TJ Maxx!

• I was also able to find a darling tortoiseshell Fossil watch at TJ Maxx for only $40! It has since become one of my fashion staples.

Tips: Make sure to check out the handbags, shoes, jewelry (sometimes they have adorable Kate Spade jewelry), athletic-wear (they have Lululemon-look alikes that are really great quality!), women's clothing, and don't forget about the craft/decor section and the clearance section! I have scored some adorable cards, journals, gift wrap/gift tags, and many other cute accessories from these  often-missed sections of the store!

Though I have do not own the Kate Spade Gingham tote, I have seen it at two stores recently!

3. Nordstrom Rack- 
Another great place to find great fashion finds is Nordstrom Rack! If you really take some time to look throughout the store and in the clearance sections, you can find some great items at amazing prices! In the past, I have found the best deals on shoes, outerwear, and jewelry! This winter, Nordstrom Rack had a "Clear the Clearance" deal of 25% off clearance items including shoes, and they really had some high end designer items for deep discounts! One of the items I found during the "Clear the Clearance" event was a pair of Frye Jenna Disc boots that were part of the 30% off promotion! I was able to purchase the boots for around $120, which is an incredible deal for Frye's! Some other great deals I have found in the past were on a pair of summery Sperry Anchor Espadrilles for $15 and a pair of cute New Balance tennis for $20! The shoe section is really a gold mine, and has tons of great brands for prices much lower than original retail price. This past year, Mary has also found some great deals on outerwear from the Rack! She found the North Face vest pictured below for only $30 and the beyond adorable Soia & Kyo black and white wool jacket for only $99 (originally around $400!) During this Christmas season, Nordstrom Rack also had cute initial necklaces in gold and silver for $15! I snatched an "H" gold necklace, and wear it very often!

Tips: Make sure you check out the clearance sections of the store and really take advantage of occasional discounts they offer! You can truly get excellent deals with the additional percentages off the already lowered Rack prices.

4. Ebay
Though I do not buy as much from Ebay as I do from some of these other retailers such as Twice or TJ Maxx, I have gotten some great deals from Ebay in the past and have sold many things on Ebay! Bailey is the "Ebay Queen" and manages to find the greatest deals on Ebay, and gradually I am learning some of her wisdom on how to navigate the huge Ebay marketplace! One Ebay seller that Bailey recommended to me in the past is Linda's Stuff! I have ordered a Lululemon Jacket for $40 and a pair of Lululemon workout crops for $30 from Linda's Stuff, both of which were in excellent used condition and I wear all the time! Sometimes Ebay can definitely seem overwhelming and can take a lot of time to find great deals, but the things I have found in the past have been great buys! Soon Bailey will be posting about how she finds the greatest deals on Ebay, and I can't wait for her to share her knowledge!


5. 6pm.com
Another website I love to browse for deals is 6pm! 6pm is a sister company of Zappos, that is aimed at selling designer brand clothing, shoes, and accessories for up to 75% off retail prices! 6pm has a variety of great brands, some of which include Fossil, Kate Spade, Frye, Sperry, Patagonia, Cole Haan, and HUNDREDS of others! In the past I have ordered a few pairs of Sperry's and some running shoes from 6pm, and I check out their site relatively often! About a year ago, I purchased a pair of leopard printed calf hair loafers, and I get so many compliments on them whenever I wear them!


6. Flash Sale Sites- Ruelala.com, ideel.com, gilt.com, hautelook.com
I also love checking out flash sale sites such as Rue Lala, Gilt, Ideal, and Hautelook!  Occasionally these sites can have sales from great designers, including Kate Spade, Longchamp, Tory Burch, Ray Ban, Cole Haan, Lily Pulitzer, among others! This year I ordered a Longchamp Le Pliage Large tote from Gilt in a pretty olive green/brown color for around $30 less than the normal price! Mary ordered her senior Prom dress from Ideel which was a gorgeous blue pleated long gown from Haltson Heritage for only $180 (originally around $650!) Though I don't tend to use these sites as often as some of the others listed, I love checking them out once in a while to look for great deals.

Tips: Check out these sites at the beginning of the week and peek at the calendar of designer sales for the next few days! That way if you see any brands you like, you can know to check back, and if nothing fits your fancy, you don't have to visit again!

        Hope you enjoyed this post and please share if you have found some great steals and deals from any of these places, or any others! 

xo, 

Hannah 

5 Things I'm Loving This Week

I'm so excited that I'll be headed home in two days to spend some time before heading off to California! Since I'm in the spirit of excitement, I thought I would share some things I am loving this week!

1. Rifle Paper Dogs Greeting Cards-
For the past few years I've been obsessed with anything and everything from Rifle Paper Co. Their art prints, greeting cards, journals, notebooks, and phone cases are just too cute! I've had two Rifle Paper phone cases (which are both darling and ultra protective) and purchased a few of their greeting cards, and I definitely have my eye on some of their notebooks and desk pads! Aren't these greeting cards just the cutest? I love giving and receiving cards in the mail, and Rifle Paper cards are the cards to send in my opinion!

2. Lyfe Kitchen-

Lyfe Kitchen is one of my favorite "real food" restaurants! They have delicious, reasonably-priced food that is locally and sustainably sourced as often as possible! They have locations in Illinois, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and a few other states as of now, but I wouldn't be surprised if they came to more states in the next few years! Mary, Bailey, and I have visited a location downtown Chicago, and one in Evanston, IL, and both times we have all had wonderful experiences and amazing food. I love their fish tacos, salads, flatbreads, just to name a few items I have tried. BUT, my favorite thing of all on their menu is their Chocolate Budino made with pomegranate soaked chia seeds and toasted almonds! There is a location about an hour from Palm Springs (where Mary and I will be headed for spring break) so we are hoping to go!! 

Chocolate Budino. YOU MUST TRY.

3. Lily and Val Chalk Art Prints-

I am a sucker for chalkboard designs, and when I stumbled upon the Etsy shop of Lily and Val, I fell in love with the beautiful art prints! There are so many great quote and Bible verse prints, and I ordered one for my dorm room during the summer! The prints are so cool as they really do look like they are written on a chalkboard! Since the time I ordered mine, there are so many other cool prints and I hope to order more in the future! 

image via Lily and Val Etsy Shop

4. Raw Samoa-Inspired Cookies-

Lately I've been finding some great recipes on different sites and unfortunately without a kitchen have been unable to make many things! Though I just found out this week that I'll be having a room with a kitchen next year (woop woop!) I still miss cooking and baking this year when at school! One of the recipes I recently found is for Raw Samoa Cookies (or Bars) from Cookingalamel.com! They are inspired from Samoas Girl Scout cookies but made with healthy, wholesome ingredients such as a "shortbread" base out of walnuts and unsweetened coconut and a "caramel" drizzle with dates and coconut milk! The cookies look beautiful and I can't wait to bake them! 

      image via. cookingalamel.com

5. Kitten Therapy- 

Cuteness overload. I saw this video a few months back and recently came across it again! Every time I watch it I can't help but smile and wish I could be in a room surrounded by cuddly kittens! It is hard being away from my pets at home, sometimes it's just great to have a furry friend to curl up on your lap or cheer you up if you've had a bad day. Pets are definitely proven to improve one's stress levels and even perhaps one's lifespan! 

Hope you're all having a great week!

xo,

Hannah 

DIY Dorm Edition

Throughout high school, Mary and I were always so excited at the thought of designing our dorm rooms in college! We had both seen so many Pinterest pins that showed complete transformations from drabby, boring dorms to fabulous, cozy rooms, and we definitely wanted to make our rooms very comfortable and feel like home. 

During senior year, both Mary and I visited probably every TJ Maxx and Home Goods within 50 miles of our house and were able to come across some great finds! Though it seemed like we were going "over the top," in the design process, decorating our dorms proved to be beyond worth it, as it has been so nice to have a "home away from home" to relax, study, and hang out with friends!

Decorating our dorm rooms was also a great experience to start with a clean slate and design rooms of our own! We were both very budget conscious in the process, found some great deals, and did lots of DIY projects! 

Here were the design boards Mary and I came up with when beginning the design process! I chose a soft color palate of lilac purple, navy, and some light blues. Mary went with a fun and bright combo of navy, coral, and aqua!  

I ended up choosing the patterned fabric to use for my DIY headboard and it has become the focal point of my room!

                 Mary color coordinated with her roommate with bedding from PB Teen! 

After shopping around and finding some cute items online, Mary and I both couldn't be happier with how our rooms turned out! Here are some "after" pictures! 

Lessons learned: Designing a dorm, or any room, doesn't have to be a stressful and expensive process! Starting with ideas boards really helped us both organize some of our favorite colors and decor pieces. Visiting Home Goods stores and searching for treasures was such a fun process and starting early in our senior years allowed us lots of time to find just the right items! 

Hope you enjoy!

xo, 

Hannah & Mary

Places to Visit- Palm Springs Edition!

Spring break at Boston College is only a week away, and I am beyond excited to be headed somewhere beautiful and WARM! Every year, my grandparents travel to Palm Springs for the month of March, and my sister and I have been going to visit during spring break for many years! Each time I visit I am in increasing awe of the beauty of the California desert.

After many visits to Palm Springs and the surrounding areas of Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Indio, I always have a list of "must visit" restaurants, shops, and hiking trails. Each year it is so fun to revisit the old favorites, yet there always seems to be a few new and exciting places to add to the list every time I visit! Here are just a few of some of my Palm Springs favorites!

1. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway- I have been to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway twice, once when I was very young and once last year. It is an unbelievable experience and gives you a whole different view of the desert! Though the tram takes you up to an elevation of a little over 8,000 feet, it is a short and quick ride! The ride actually feels a bit more like a roller coaster than a scenic tram ride, it is quite thrilling! Once you exit the tram at the top, one strange thing you'll notice is it's cold! Instead of the typical palm trees and colorful flowers, there is actually a bit of snow on the ground and some evergreen trees! The view is incredible and great for taking pictures! Just one tip- bring a jacket! Last year I forgot to pack one, and was definitely cold when I reached the top!

View from the top of the tram! Such a different perspective!

2. San Gorgino Pass Wind Farm- Depending on which airport you fly into, you may be lucky enough to see the San Gorgino Pass Wind Farm on your way into Palm Springs! The wind farm is actually very close to the aerial tramway, and you can see the windmills from the top of the tram! Driving past the towering windmills is a very cool and unique experience. There are around 3,000 windmills, and the sight is definitely not something I am used to seeing in either the Chicago or Boston areas! It's crazy to think of how much energy the windmills must generate!

image via conservativepapers.com

3. El Paseo Drive- Shopping on El Paseo Drive is definitely on the "must-do" list when I visit Palm Springs! El Paseo is known as the "Rodeo Drive of the desert" and has so many different kinds of shops ranging from high end designer stores, art galleries, small boutiques, and great restaurants! I love visiting the "J Crew in the Desert" store, as well as many other unique smaller shops! Another reason I love El Paseo is for the Cruise Night that happens the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month! During Cruise Night, owners of classic cars are invited to drive their prized vehicles down El Paseo Drive, and it is such a fun event! The cars are all very colorful, in pristine condition, and there are some very expensive and luxurious vehicles! My grandparents both love classic cars, and seeing their reactions to the fancy cars is priceless!

El Paseo Drive

4. Palm Springs Thursday Night Street Fair- One of my favorite things to do downtown Palm Springs is attend the VillageFest, the Thursday night street fair on Palm Canyon Drive! At the VillageFest, hundreds of vendors sell food, sweets, fruits and vegetables, artisan jewelry, art, among many other unique crafts! It is always such a fun, lively event and Palm Canyon Drive has so many unique shops!

Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

5. Hiking Trails- One thing I discovered relatively recently about Palm Springs is the great hiking and variety of hiking trails in and around the Palm Springs area! Last spring break, many of my family members went on a big family trip to celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday, and we discovered many neat trails that I definitely want to visit again. One of the trails we visited was Tahquitz Canyon, which was a 3.5 mile hike to a beautiful 60ft waterfall. Another trail we hiked was the Thousand Palms Oasis. The Thousand Palms Oasis is a very unique trail, as there are many small creeks and ponds surrounded by massive shaded Fan Palm Trees. Standing amongst the large, shaded trees was an incredible experience, and a nice break from the hot desert sun!

Thousand Palms Oasis

6. Restaurants- These are some of my favorite restaurants in the Palm Springs area!

LuLu California Bistro- A delicious new bistro we discovered last year in the heart of downtown Palm Springs! There is a wide variety of items on the menu, and the atmosphere is very hip!

Bouchee Cafe and Deli- This little hidden gem in Palm Desert is a must visit! They have very fresh and delicious sandwiches, salads, prepared foods, and desserts! They use very high quality, organic ingredients, and their European-inspired cafe atmosphere is very inviting!

Las Casuelas Quinta-  I love good, fresh Mexican food, and I can always count on Las Casuelas for a delicious meal! Las Casuelas has four locations around the Palm Springs area, and I have been to the La Quinta location numerous times! They have a huge menu with a wide variety of fresh salads, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, burritos, and many other items! The portions are great for sharing and the salsa and guacamole are both delicious. Not to mention the colorful, Mexican decor and the lively atmosphere!

Image via lascasuelasquinta.com

I am so excited for my trip to Palm Springs and hope I can enjoy every moment of the hot sun, the beautiful mountains, and most importantly spending some quality time with my grandparents! If you ever plan to check out Palm Springs, make sure you visit some of these fun places, I promise they won't disappoint!

                                                                                 xo,
                                                                             Hannah

5 Things I Love this Week

1. This Article- Photo Evidence That America Might have the Worst School Lunches
When I came across this article last night on Brit and Co's website, I was absolutely amazed. Growing up, I had always packed a lunch to bring to school, I never wanted to get anywhere near the cafeteria food. In elementary school, junior high, and high school, so many students ate food from the cafeteria and over the years cafeteria food doesn't seem to have improved either health or variety wise! Looking at some common school lunches from countries around the world really changed my perspective on exactly how far behind America is in terms of promoting healthy, nutritious, and also great tasting school lunches! Looking at the American lunch plate filled with processed foods makes me want to gag... and wish I lived in Italy :) And this article makes me love Sweetgreen all the more! Such a great initiative!

Image via Brit + Co.com

2. The Target Dollar Section
When most people walk into Target, they tend to pass by the little dollar section towards the front and  look for their Target treasures elsewhere throughout the store. I have often done this in the past, yet every time I take a minute to venture into the dollar section I always seem to find the cutest things! A few weeks ago, I received a picture from my friend Bailey with a basketful of adorable patterned pens, pencils, notebooks, sticky notes, and other cute things! When I asked her where she found it all, I was shocked to hear that everything was from the dollar section of Target! Since then, I have ventured to many different Target stores and have made sure to check out the dollar section in each store! I have gotten some really cute stationery/scrapbooking items, all for $1 each! Bailey, Mary, and I are all obsessed! Next time you head to Target, check it out!!

3.  Designlovefest "Dress Your Tech"
One thing that helps me brighten my day and think warm thoughts in this cold weather is a fun, colorful, desktop wallpaper! I LOVE the free desktop wallpaper downloads from Design Love Fest, they have such great artist collaborations and such fun patterns and prints! They are also so easy to download and set as your wallpaper, and always make me smile whenever I open my computer!

4. Theo Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
This past weekend before the 3rd major snowstorm hit, I managed to make it to Whole Foods to stock up on some fruit, vegetables, and other things for the week! While browsing through the store, I saw some Organic Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups made by one of my favorite chocolate companies, Theo Chocolate! Theo is such a cool brand that sells the most amazing organic and Fair Trade chocolates, and when I saw they now also sell Peanut Butter cups, I was sold immediately! They came in a pack of two and were very reasonably priced, so I grabbed a pack and put them in the freezer! They didn't last too long, they were just too good! I will definitely be grabbing another pack next time I'm at Whole Foods!

5. Twice- liketwice.com
Due to the incredible amount of snow Boston has received in the past few weeks and the frequent shut-down of Boston's public transportation, I have been on campus/in the dorm for much more time than usual! Because spring break is quickly approaching and I have wanted to purchase a few new things, I have been doing lots of shopping online! One of the sites where I have found some great deals in the past few weeks is Twice! Twice is a site where you can both sell your used designer clothing and also purchase clothing from many top name brands at great prices! Though I was originally hesitant about purchasing from Twice, I have learned from experience as both a buyer and seller that Twice only sells clothing that is in great condition! In the past two weeks I have ordered quite a few things from the Twice website (all from either Anthropologie or J Crew) and with some great promotions each item has been $15 or under! All of the items are too cute and such great buys! On another note, Twice also sells handbags, and at the beginning of this year I somehow managed to get a Fossil Foldover Crossbody bag in a pretty metallic pewter color for $20! (I still can't believe it..) The bag looked practically new and since then I have seen the same bag in department stores for around $200! Check out liketwice.com and grab the good deals while you can!

Some of my great Twice finds!

Boston Bites

When coming to college, one of the things I really looked forward to was having another city to explore! Every time I visit a new city it is so fun to look for the best sights, shops, and of course restaurants! I'm lucky to attend a school that's so close to an amazing city- the city of Boston really has so much to offer!

Something I have loved exploring so far is Boston's food scene! From amazing seafood to beyond delicious Italian cuisine, there is something for everyone! While I've only been living in Boston for about six months now, I've gotten to try many different restaurants, cafes, and bakeries in and around the city, and thought I would share some of my favorites.

1. Flour Bakery- this bakery/cafe is just the cutest and their pastries/bread selection always looks and tastes amazing! Their banana bread is a personal favorite and it is the recipe I always make at home! (can be found here) I love their steel cut oatmeal, french toast, and egg sandwiches, just to name a few favorites from the menu! I have visited the locations in both Back Bay (a larger location), and on Washington St. multiple times! My aunt even gave me one of the Flour cookbooks as a Christmas present!

Love the breads and baked goods at Flour! (Washington St. location)

2. Sweetgreen (Chestnut Hill and Boylston St.)- I LOVE this place! I could honestly eat at Sweetgreen every day! Sweetgreen has seasonal salads, rice/quinoa bowls, soups, and my favorite custom salads! They have all the ingredients you could want, and many ingredients are both organic and locally sourced! My kind of place! They have locations in Boston, New York, DC, MD, and a few other states! They need to come to Chicago, stat.

image via sweetgreen.com

3. OTTO Pizza (Brookline/Cambridge)- OTTO pizza is the best! I've been twice and both times I have LOVED their specialty pizzas! OTTO has both typical cheese/pepperoni/margherita and more creative/adventurous pizzas such as Carrot Cauliflower Sage, Chicken Carmelized Pear & Fontina, and even crazy combinations such as Meatloaf Mashed Potato & Herb! (I have tried the Carrot Cauliflower/Chicken pear and love them both!) Though the combinations may seem weird, everything I have tried has been so delicious! They have locations in Brookline and in Cambridge. I can't wait to go back.

image via savvy-inc.com 

4. The Paramount (Beacon Hill)- Paramount is another one of those must-visit restaurants in Boston! I remember when I was touring colleges with my dad in Boston a few years ago, we were looking for a breakfast restaurant and saw a place with a long line out the door so decided that must be the place- it was Paramount! Since then I have been three times, including breakfast and dinner, and each time I love the quaint atmosphere and the delicious food even more! I'm not a big pancake/waffle eater, but their fruit topped pancakes are just delicious (and definitely big enough to share!) Dinner at Paramount was just as good as breakfast, I went when my aunts came to Boston to visit and we were all very satisfied with our meals! Just one tip, if you're going for breakfast, go early! The lines can get really really long and there isn't too much seating inside! But it's definitely worth a bit of a wait...

Strawberry pancakes- so good! You can get fruit topped or fruit baked
in the pancakes, either way you can't go wrong!

5. Paul Patisserie (Somerville)- I randomly found this place while shopping at the Outlets at Assembly Row in Somerville,  and am so glad I decided to venture inside! The french decor inside is too cute and the pastries are beautiful! While I sadly didn't try any of the pastries, I shared a Caprese sandwich with my sister which was on freshly baked olive bread! They also sold mini loaves of their bread, and I purchased a wheat loaf to bring back to my room! Délicieux! Now I want to venture out to Somerville just to eat at Paul again!

Doesn't it all look lovely?

These are just a few of the many great restaurants I have tried throughout my time in Boston thus far! I am so excited to have 3.5 more years to explore more of the best Boston bites!

xo,

Hannah 

DIY Not?

One of the things I love doing is looking back at all my photos and seeing all of the cute DIY projects my sister and I have done in the past! Some of the more difficult, hands-on projects bring back great memories of spending time in my grandpa's workshop or staying up late spray painting with my dad. Though some of the projects we've attempted over the years were a little ambitious and didn't quite turn out as planned, (like the time my sister and I tried to make this light fixture and ended up with a mess of sticky yarn and two popped exercise balls) for the most part I am in love with the results! I can't wait to share them with you!

Succulent planter, both succulents and planter purchased from local garden center!

DIY Dorm Headboard with fabric from here, spray painted monogram from Etsy,
and DIY gallery wall with spray painted frames!

DIY re-finished dresser, (found on the side of the road) made with the help of my grandpa!
Spray painted, and new cute knobs from Anthropologie added!

Well, there's a snippet of a few of the projects I have done in the past! I have many more fun ideas up my sleeve and can't wait to experiment with lots of DIY projects this summer! The thought of summer seems surreal when I think about how Boston has gotten six feet of snow in the past month...    Thinking warm thoughts!!

xo, Hannah

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since Valentine's Day is one of my favorite of the smaller holidays, I thought I would to post to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and share a little Valentine's spirit! Of course, my dorm is decked with cute Valentine's decorations (including the adorable heart wreath made by my mom!) and I know I won't want to take any of the decorations down, so they will probably be staying up until the end of the month!

Last night while babysitting, I made some festive Valentine's cupcakes and love how they turned out! The cupcakes are made with Trader Joe's Vanilla Bean Cake Mix (I'm usually not one for boxed mixes but this mix is just too good!) A few weeks back when I had a chance to go home for the weekend, I made some Valentine's cookies with two other sweet girls I babysit for, and thought I had to share some pictures!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day and got to spend some time with loved ones! Today I had  the awesome opportunity of watching my roommate perform a Korean Fan Dance in a cultural performance on campus- it was beyond beautiful! I went out for a nice dinner with my sister afterwards, and luckily the heavy snow started just as I was about back to my room! Tomorrow all Boston Public Transportation will be closed because of the expected 12-18", so looks like I will be snowed in! I'm thinking of making a post sharing some of the cool DIY projects I have done in the past!

xo,
Hannah

An Introduction

Hi, I'm Hannah!

I'm so excited to enter the world of blogging! I've always wanted to combine my love for writing and for food/fashion/design/crafting, and now seemed like the perfect time! To start, forgive me for the rough aesthetic state of the blog. I wanted (to try) to make a blog all on my own, and have realized pretty quickly that it's not as easy as I thought. For example, I never thought I'd have to learn another language in this blog-making process! Computer code? It has been a learning experience for sure! I am trying not to let my frustration get in the way, knowing that I have to start somewhere! I have learned so much in just the three days I have spent putting together the rough design of this blog!

 A little about myself- I am a freshman at Boston College and originally from a Western suburb of Chicago. I'm not sure if my heart will ever leave the city of Chicago, but I've realized I'm falling in love with Boston rather quickly! Though maybe not the 40 inches of snow we've had in the past few weeks...

 I come from a family of cooks and craftsmen/women and have inherited both a love for good food and an knack for DIY/design! I share many of these interests with my twin sister Mary, who will be making frequent guests posts, along with my BFF Bailey, who will also be making many appearances! Together, we are Three of a Kind! (In the picture, Mary on left, Bailey in middle, I'm on the right!)

 I hope you'll continue to join me in my blogging adventure and enjoy the various DIY projects, delicious recipe posts, and various other fun blog posts as much as I do! I'm so excited to watch this blog grow!

 xo, Hannah