Happy Place | Chicago Pop Up
Hey guys! Long time, I know. I’ve been adjusting to my new location and job. Every weekend I try to find something new to do in Chicago and this past weekend I visited the Happy Place. It’s a Pop Up exhibit with various rooms to take pictures in. Each room has a different backdrop for lots of great pics. I wore a red dress from Missguided and leopard heels from Steve Madden (of course).
It was a fun day full of pictures and rolled ice cream.
I hope you all enjoy these pictures I took at the exhibit and be on the look out for my next blog posts. There’s a lot in store for the end of summer!
Year-End Goal Setting
If you’re reading this, congratulations! You have made it to the 7th month of this year. Although August is my favorite month (because of my birthday, duh) I love when July comes around because it marks a transition. Everything you worked so hard to attain in the first half of the year comes into full bloom this latter half of the year. This is the time to measure the success of the goals you planned coming into the year and create new goals or add to your current goals for the rest of the year. In an effort to be a better me, I wanted this blog post to be about my year-end goals and a way for me to actually hold myself accountable.
As you all should know, I graduated from the Illustrious Howard University on May 11th and started my Full-Time job in the Chicago Area on June 11th (a lot happened within a month). I went from a carefree student to a grown adult with real bills in a matter of 30 days. While in school, I really let this blog fall behind as I matriculated. So one of my goals, which I’m about to list below, is to take this blog more serious. So let’s begin.
Goal #1: Blog
I started this blog a little bit over a year ago after years of telling myself I didn’t have the resources. What began as a project I was extremely excited to start, I realized was not as easy to keep up with. For the next 6 months, I plan to blog weekly, if my schedule permits. I have soooo many posts saved that I never posted simply because I forgot about them. So over the course of the next few months you will see a whole new food section #DietStartsOneDay, a journey with me into decorating my new home, scholarship and paying for college resources, and anything that gives you insight into my daily life. I hope that you all are still as excited about this blog as I am.
Goal #2: Budgeting
Since I am actually an adult with real bills (wow can’t believe this happened so fast) I have to be serious about my spending habits. I can no longer spend all of my money on shoes and clothes as I am making bigger purchases that effect my living arrangements. In a prior post Money Saving Tips, I discussed how I was changing my usual spend to be more frugal. I am still using those money saving tips and more as I learn how to budget as an adult.
Goal #3: Communication
I have always been pretty bad at communication whether it was my with friends or family so my final goal is to be a better communicator. Especially now that I have started my career, networking is key to my progression and I want to flourish as a leader and young adult. I am learning to be less shy when encountering new individuals and to put myself in uncomfortable spaces in order to improve. I hope to make new friends, meet potential mentors, and strengthen my relationships as I mature and grow through this new stage of life.
I’m always here to offer inspiration and advice as we all struggle to figure our way through this experience called life. Feel free to share your goals in the comment section below or on my social media platforms. I can’t wait to see what you all have planned for the rest of 2018.
I graduated!!
“Time flies when you’re having fun!”
On Friday, May 11th I graduated from the Howard University School of Business. These 4 years have been full of fun, memories, and experiences that have prepared me for the years to come. I still cannot believe I am a college graduate as the time passed so fast. What’s even better is I am graduating debt-free and I have many scholarship resources that I would love to share with you all (coming soon). For now, I’m enjoying my down time before I have to start my job in the Chicago area. I’m so excited for this new journey into adulthood and I am ready for you all to join me along the ride. There’s so much more in store so stay tuned!
Exploring The City| Style Files
Me and a couple of my friends, who also happen to be bloggers, decided we all needed more content for our blogs and wanted to take advantage of the beauty in Washington, DC. After researching popular sites, we found this beautiful wall in Hyattsville, Md. We were able to capture some great shots at the different colored panels. Here are a couple pictures I was able to capture!
Jacket & Skirt: H&M, Top: Forever 21, Boots: Steve Madden, Bag: TJ Maxx
Sweater: H&M (It was only $15)
Jacket & Leather Pants: H&M, Mules: Steve Madden
If you all are in DC, what are some of your favorite picture-worthy locations?
Ruffles in Grey | Style File
This past weekend, I got together with two friends to enjoy brunch in Georgetown at The Tombs where I enjoyed $3 mimosas and a wonderful sausage and bacon sandwich. We have all been so busy with finishing school and working so we struggle to find time in our schedules to have “girl time”. With me needing to be at work at 3, and the restaurant being on the same street as my job, we were able to squeeze in brunch and a quick photoshoot.
I purchased this shirt in December and had not had an opportunity to wear it out since I purchased it. The material is extremely light so I knew I would have to wear it on a warm day with simple pieces to pair with it. I chose to pair this beautiful shirt which is from Forever21 (surprising right? I know!) with black denim and a light boucle coat also from Forever 21. The booties I have on were a last season pick at Steve Madden.
I had an amazing day at brunch and an even better day at work. This was a Sunday well spent.
Money Saving Tips
Hey guys! I wanted to make a different goal every month this year to teach myself better discipline. My first goal of the year was to find a simple way to save money.
Refraining from Spending Habits
I took part in ‘No Purchase January‘. I only spent my money on necessities such as food and Uber rides (since that is my main form of transportation). This was a big challenge for me as I spend a lot of my free time shopping. I work in a shoe store located in an extremely busy shopping district, so I had to fight the urge to go browse the stores daily on my break. While it was challenging at first, I saved so much money and realized I still had everything I needed. I challenge you all to take a week or month away from shopping as well.
Mint
One of my favorite apps is the Mint budgeting app. This app connects to your bank account to track your spending. I made a monthly budget for me to follow based on my shopping habits. Mint then sends me a weekly update on how much money I have spent and whether I am within or over budget. This has helped me tremendously as I have not had to worry about checking my bank account to see how much money I am spending regularly. With this app, I can check my graphs to make sure I am spending within what I allocate myself monthly. Although I am in college and do not have major bills, Mint also shows you your bills summary and will remind you to schedule and pay. Another big reason I love this app is that it shows you your credit score and gives tips on how to improve the score! I would definitely recommend this app.
If you all have any money saving techniques, please share!
Happy New Year!
Almost a year ago I started this blog with so many goals. I didn’t know just how difficult my senior year would be and my blog fell victim to my lack of inspiration. I found myself struggling to find the happiness in anything whether it be classwork, friendships, relationships, etc. No matter how much I flowered myself with “self-love” nothing seemed to make Fall of senior year easier. It is now 2018, I am 4 months from graduation and I am happier than ever. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and I am so happy to finally have the inspiration to start blogging again.
I had the pleasure of spending my New Years Eve in Atlanta with my friends. I had such an amazing time bringing in the new year surrounded by love and happiness. So here’s to much success in 2018. I wish all of you the most and I hope that you all stick with me as I bring new content to my blog this year.
Travel Files: Napa Valley
While in California this summer, I traveled with my friends to the beautiful Napa Valley. Not only was the weather beautiful but I enjoyed some of the best wines and oils. In order to take advantage of as much as we could in a day, we visited 3 vineyards that served free wine, including the famous Sutter Home. We also visited and toured Castello di Amorosa which was one of the most beautiful vineyards I have ever seen. I encourage all of you to travel to the Napa Valley area to go wine tasting as a ladies trip or even a great date!
I know I said I’d be back a while ago…
…But this time I’m really back! Hey guys. I’ve missed blogging so much. A lot has happened in the past couple of months. I spent my summer in Cupertino, CA interning at Apple as a TMCF x Apple HBCU Scholar. Since I was away from home and school once again and had just finished my junior year, I really took that time to focus on self-love and happiness. I wanted to take that time to really prepare for my last year of college and to come back as my best self. Now that I am in my senior year, I can finally start blogging again and sharing more of my life. Thank you all for sticking with me and more blog posts will be coming soon!
SabriaJones 