Happy December 26th! The day after Christmas is always a little sad because all month long, we've been counting down until the big Day, it comes and goes so quickly, but I'm not ready to stop talking about it just yet...

I looove plaid, so naturally I love Tartan! So this year's theme for my Christmas decor was Tartan everything!

Did you know that all Tartan patterns are plaids, but not all plaids are Tartan? I'm crazy enough that I spent 20 minutes googling the difference!

Tartan is one of the most classic patterns during the Holiday season! It looks great in scarves, dresses,shoes, and Christmas decor! In  Christmas post a few years back, I wore a red Tartan Dress from Kohl's and this year I'll be sticking to tradition!

Skirt- Nasty Gal

Matching PJs- Macy's

Parchment Paper- T.J. Maxx

Plaid Ornament- Old Keepsake

Plaid Button Down- Old Navy

Plaid Plate- Hobby Lobby Believe Plaid- Dollar Tree Gold Charger- Dollar Tree

But remember, everything in moderation... you don't want to end up like Charlotte's apartment after her mother-in-law Bunny got a hold of it!




I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas filled with Happiness Joy and Gloss!

Fall 2018's IT fabric has got be the corduroy! A popular fabric for the 70s, has become a modern trend in a big way this season. I love this fabric for the cooler seasons like fall because it's so thick and durable, it just makes me feel cozy and most of the time the fabric is dyed in fall hues like browns, mustard yellows, greens and rusty reds. Lately, whenever I go shopping, and I spot something in a corduroy print, I instantly fall in love with it and I've already stocked up on a few pieces so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Corduroy keeps trending for a while! In today's post, I'm sharing a few of my favorite cord pieces and how I style them!


Outwear: Dark Orange Corduroy Jacket- Target $29.99

I love the color of this jacket so much! It was the perfect burnt orange for Fall and when I noticed that it matched the gorgeous changing leaves in my neighborhood, I had to snap a picture! Corduroy jackets are the perfect outwear for fall because the jackets themselves are light, but the heavy fabric of the corduroy keep you warm. Plus, they're perfect layering.

Jacket- Target Boots- Charlotte Russe Beanie- Windsor Store

Dark Green Corduroy Dress- Charlotte Russe (Sold Out)

I bought this olive corduroy dress at the end of summer, when I was starting to get a hint that corduroy was going to be a hit for fall, but unfortunately it's now sold out, but Forever 21 has a great selection of similar styles and corduroy dresses that finding a cute one definitely won't be a problem!

Dress- Charlotte Russe Mock Neck Top- Forever 21 Boots- Charlotte Russe

Brown Corduroy Flare Pants: (old)

I've literally had these flare corduroy pants since I was in high school and I've been patiently waiting for their comeback. To be honest, I am a clothes hoader, and I do this with many of my favorite pieces, I always justify keeping items by saying "well, you never know when they'll come back in style" and because fashion is a revolving door... and I've seen corduroy pants in every color and cut this fall, so I'm glad I kept mine!

Top- Lulus $35

Top- Lulus $35 Pants- Old Beret- old but similar (Target $10) Nails-  OPI " Como Se Llama"

I've been wearing tie-waist shorts and pants for years. WHY?! Because they look amazing on just about everyone. The tie-waist belt cinches in your waist, and you'll look chic in wide-leg pants or have legs for days in shorts. I'm so excited the "paper bag" style has been a trend this summer! Most styles have been made in light materials like linen so they're perfect so staying cool and breezing throughout the year's hottest months.

In this post, I'm styling a linen pair! I kept these outfits neutral, but I've seen this shorts and pants in so many fabrics and prints, I've especially loved the striped prints.

Outfit #1

Shorts- Charlotte Russe  T-shirt - TJ maxx Necklace- Forever 21

 Outfit #2

Hat- Forever 21 (sold out) Shoes- Target (sold out)

Years ago I watched a movie "Elvis and Annabelle" starring Max Minghella and Blake Lively and in it, Blake Lively's character, Annabelle plants this large field of sunflowers. Ever since I saw that amazing field of larger than life flowers, I wanted to see a sunflower field in person! Luckily, sunflowers love sun and bloom throughout the summer. Sunflower fields photos are also popular in the summertime so it was something I definitely wanted to do this summer. And fortunately in you live in Charlotte, NC or close by, there are two sunflower fields relatively close.

Brattonsville, SC/ McConnells, SC/ Draper Wildlife Management Area

About an hour's drive from Charlotte, are fields of sunflowers hidden off a backroad in SC near Historic Brattonsville: Draper Wildlife Management Area. This is where I took my photos. I went on Fourth of July and surprisingly had the whole Sunflower field to myself and there were so many beautiful sunflowers! You can also go fishing and hunting there (if that's your thing), I simply went for the sunflowers only!

Button Front High-Low Dress - Charlotte Russe Hat- Charming Charlie (old)

Raleigh, NC/ Dorothea Dix Park 

If you saw the Sunflowers along the Neuse River Greenway Trail in Raleigh last year, you'll be disappointed in you go searching for them again in the same location, but no worries, they're blooming in the Dorothea Dix park this 2018! And they are quite popular and currently in peak bloom and expected until July 17, so now's the time to visit!

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2018 was to read more for leisure. I've always been an avid reader since I was little, but during my years of college, textbooks and required reading assignments ate into most of my time for pleasure reading. Now that I'm out and waiting to hear back from medical schools, reading new books has kept me occupied and I didn't realize how much I missed getting lost in a book!

In today's post, I'm sharing a few of the new books I read this year so far! When I was younger, I was really into Young Adult novels (especially paranormal romances... I'm not ashamed to admit I love Twilight when I was 15), but now that I'm older, my tastes have changed (thank goodness) and I've really fallen for the Thriller/Mystery genre, but I still love a good Contemporary Romance for a quick read!

My Favorite Reads of 2018:

The Wife Between Us (2018) - Thriller/ Mystery

Synopsis: 

A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

If you read Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train (or watched the films), and loved a story that keeps you on your toes, this is the book for you! Throughout the book, I was never really sure of the story I thought I knew...this thriller kept me guessing at every page! And it was an NY best-seller and a Major Motion Picture deal is in talks!

The Hate U Give (2017) - Young Adult/Activism

Synopsis:

Emergency Contact (2018)- Young Adult/Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him. 

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

Dress- Charlotte Russe (sold out online, but check stores) Shoes- Forever 21 (old) Bag- Thrifted from Goodwill Hat- Forever 21

It's April 30th and for many people, it's simply just the last day in April, but for hundreds of Pre-Medical Students, today holds a different significance. Today is what is known as "Traffic Day". According to the rules of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), admission officers and advisors are able to finally see Accepted Applicants and Accepted Applicants that have multiple acceptance should release holds at other schools. For students that have been accepted, the time to finally choose the school they will be attending next fall has arrived. For waitlisted students, like me, the hope that a released spot might become an acceptance is a possibility.

This was a long year for me. The Medical School Application cycle is LONG, and there is a lot of waiting. And after waiting for so long, I was waitlisted at 2 of the schools I interviewed at and told to wait some more... It happens. My first post-interview decision was a waitlist, but I kept hope... and then a rejection (it hurt, but again I stayed positive and optimistic for my final school to decide), and was waitlisted again. I am a glass-half-full kinda girl, but this medical school application process can cause even the most confident person to take a blow to their self-esteem. I told myself  I had 1 day to feel sorry for myself, and I took it... 

Perseverance and Passion, "Ariel, you have to have Perseverance and Passion, and if you have those, you will be a doctor", one of my interviewers told me. And I told him "I have them both". Although I am still waiting, my journey is not over. The day after my sulk day, I got busy! NO DEFEATIST ATTITUDES! I e-mailed my advisors and asked about next steps. Many schools even offer exit interviews for unsuccessful applicants, so if you're like me and you aren't sure where the weaknesses lie in your application, your best bet is the schools that told you "no". This is a unique opportunity...accepted students just get accepted so in truth, they never really know "why" they were chosen, but knowing why you didn't, gives you an opportunity to improve and strengthen.

This is exactly what I did for the one school I was rejected at... and it sucked to know that I was so close, but didn't have an awesome interview, but also helpful because interviewing skills is something that can DEFINITELY be improved (also it was my very first interview at one of my top schools, so I'm sure nerves got the best of me... but something I can work on)

My number one tip you're going into an application cycle is to always be prepared to re-apply. The sounds like you accepting failure before trying but, last year 51,680 applicants applied to medical school and 21,338 matriculated. As optimistic as I try to be, I am a realist so until I have an acceptance e-mail, I will continue strengthening my application and myself with more volunteering, clinical experiences and any opportunities that help will help me grow as a person and hopefully succeed as a medical student and eventually a Doctor!

**My number two tip is to take really take the time to improve your application, it's tempting to get the ball running again, but make sure that you not only discover your weaknesses but correct them!

My interviewer spoke to me of Passion and Perseverance, which I knew I had both, but more importantly, I knew I had Purpose, a true feeling of what I'm meant to do with my life. I know my Purpose (the reason behind it all) is to help and heal others, and my Passion (my drive and desire) for science and medicine fuels it, but my Perseverance (my strengthen and will to carry on in times of adversity) will get me through all!

Thanks for following along with my journey and hope to share good news soon!