There are a few pieces that I always gravitate towards in the spring - florals, utility/military jackets, and cropped denim. I wanted to re-create a similar look I did last year - they key to transitioning into spring is layering with light pieces and adding color! In my opinion, spring is the season for pulling out all those "staple" pieces in your closet and re-creating them year after year. Whether you are adding a new floral scarf, updating the jewelry you pair with the look, or adding a new texture (this season is all about velvet) this is a fairly easy season to transition into.

I'd like to say that I can afford Chanel handbags, Joie skirts, and Yves Saint Laurent shoes, however, my budget doesn't allow for that. I love fashion, but that doesn't mean it has to come at a hefty cost. Let's face it, just because we are broke or stretched thin for money, doesn't mean we should have to sacrifice everything! I work certain things into my budget when I can (and sometimes, you just can't!) and I always try to buy budget-friendly pieces.
The Who What Wear brand is still at Target and they have released their spring line! Floral prints, utility jackets, and stripes - all inexpensive! I pulled out this pleated skirt from last year (see look a-like here) and paired it with this floral blouse.

Being a dancer for all of my childhood and teenage years, I grew up wearing tutus, ballet slippers, tights, and leotards. I would have dance classed every week starting in August in preparation for our recitals in June of the next year. I always tried new dance classes but one that was always on my list was ballet. While I am by no means a great dancer, I loved the graceful movements and the beautiful music. It's probably why to this day I sing and dance around the house constantly - not much has changed as it drove my parents nuts when I was a child.
More and more I am seeing styles emerge inspired by ballet. Whether it's a tulle skirt, lace up ballet flats, or a wrap top - I can't help but love the looks and remember all about my years growing up. A lot of pieces are rather expensive but I combed through the web and found pieces that are affordable and ultra feminine.

I apologize if the puppy craze is getting to be too much, but I just cannot get enough of her! Keetna (nickname: goggles) is probably the sweetest, most fearless, adorable pup you will ever meet. At almost four months she weighs in around 14 pounds, will jump onto and off of everything, and will greet you with kisses. As I've had puppies before I know what a challenge they can be and although there are things about Keetna that make life very difficult (i.e., potty training) she really is the more independent and carefree pup.
 Fun Facts:
1 // She loves other people and dogs. I was worried at first when she started barking (not a usual husky thing) at other dogs and people, but one evening, three big dogs and their owners approached and she licked each of them!

2 // She is extremely vocal. Huskies are known to be vocal so most people don't think much of it - but my previous husky rarely made a sound. Keetna on the other hand will talk to you for ever! She was with me in the car the other day for about 20 minutes and talked to me the entire time, it was adorable.

3 // She loves food and water. This is the dog that will lay in front of her water bowl and drink all the water until it's gone. Don't worry, I checked to see if she was sick and since she has done that since day one, the vet said some puppies just love water. Even more than water, she goes crazy for food. In the morning when I'm putting her food in her bowl, she is twisting and jumping and twirling in the air - talking the whole time!

4 // She loves nylabones. These are probably her favorite toy - she is obviously still a puppy and will soon lose her puppy teeth but in the interim she loves to chew on bones. She is perfectly content, laying down (wherever I am) chewing on her bones.

5 // The circles around her eyes have gotten much darker - it's known that huskies coats' change significantly throughout their first year. Below you will see a photo of when she was 10 or 11 weeks - the grey and black on her coat is becoming much more defined, but she still hasn't lost the brown or white. I'm curious to see how she will look in about six months!

Keetna and I moved into a new home just a few weeks ago. It's over twice the size of my previous place, has a dog park, swimming pool, and washer/dryer in the unit! While I'm smitten with the new place - I have no furniture and no decor. I went from living in a mouse house to now having to fill up a small family home.
One of my favorite things about the place is the natural light. I hate turning lights on, the yellow color of a normal lightbulb makes me cringe - so this new exposure is a welcomed change. With the new brightness, you can tell by the photos below that it is completely bare! The key pieces I have: couch, tv stand, bed, and bar cart will all stay; but that's all I have.
Over the course of the next few weeks I will be putting together inspiration boards to help me find the right "style." Don't get me wrong, I can usually find pieces here and there to decorate with but I want this place to be different - I really want to put some thought into it.

I'm in the industry of staffing - thus, I know all there is to know about searching for jobs, writing your resume, and interviewing. Finding a job is definitely no easy feat. The process can take months, with first finding jobs to apply for to multiple rounds of interviews to finding out they offered it to someone else. I wanted to share some helpful tips and tricks that are useful through the process and hopefully help you find your next career!

• Must have relevant skills listed and list everything that is applicable! Most people do not have this on their resume and I cringe every time. Why? 9 times out of 10 when you upload a resume and apply for a job, it goes into their Applicant Tracking System and will score you based on keywords in your resume! Not only that - this is hands down the easiest place for a hiring manager to scan and see if you have the skills they are looking for.
• Be detailed with job descriptions. It's not okay to have a job listed on your resume then give no details. If you are at a loss on what to put - go find that job online that you applied for and take bullet points from the job description (if you performed these tasks of course). 
• Include volunteer work and organizations. These days, companies love candidates that will add value and something extra to their workforce - it makes them look good. Add all your volunteer experience and organizations you're apart of (such as Women's Leadership Group). 
• Choose a resume style that is applicable to the job you are applying for. If you're a graphic designer, you better not have a boring white resume with black Times New Roman font. That doesn't speak to your creativity. If you're a scientist - you should have a boring white resume with black Times New Roman font - they look for skills and techniques of candidates, not who has the most creative resume. One of my favorite places to get resume templates is Creative Market, they have a wide selection and most will open up right in a Word document. 

Happy Valentines Day! I wouldn't say I'm big into this holiday, but I can't get enough candy hearts and it gives me a good excuse to wear pink. I had heart palpitations when I saw these sneakers - there is something about the color pink that I just can't get over. While these aren't shoes that I would wear to workout in, they are a good "lifestyle" shoe. Whether I'm running errands, walking Keetna, or traveling, having a cute sneaker is a must :).

The weather over the weekend was absolutely beautiful. This week and weekend is supposed to be even warmer - spring must be near! I have always been a winter gal but this warmer weather has me itching for a tropical vacation, swimsuits, and plenty of sunshine. One of my favorite things about the warmer temps is the clothes. Light-weight sweaters and coats, cropped jeans, and breezy blouses are making their way into my closet.

I have recently moved...again...into one of my favorite apartments yet. For the last six months, I had been living in a very small (ok, extremely small) studio apartment downtown. It was certainly a test of my patience and organizational skills but I learned how to live more efficiently and organized.

My new place is over 2x the size of my previous so it will be a work in progress trying to decorate and make it feel like home (I'll touch on decorating ideas in a later post). For now, I want to unveil some tips and tricks on how I stayed organized - and didn't loose my sanity!

Swimsuit season - this hasn't always been my favorite season. I have joined an amazing gym this year though and I'm actually excited to try on swimsuits! The one year I am excited for swimsuits - my go-to place Victoria's Secret no longer sells them. It's a shame they got rid of their swimwear to sell athletic clothes. I don't think the mall needs more athletic wear - the trick is finding decent swimsuits! I have been scouring the internet in search of quality suits that are cute yet still affordable and I have found a few that I think will suffice.

Missguided:
I rounded up some more cute summer pieces below - I am so excited or summer this year! I am hoping to plan a couple of trips to either Palm Springs, Florida, Charleston, or New Orleans. I've been bit by the travel bug!

Do you have any summer trip planned? Share below!

Can you believe it's already February? The start of a new year is always rejuvenating - this year in particular, I started a new gym, started eating cleaner, moved into a new apartment, and got a puppy!  You know my love for mail, I was excited to see how POPSUGAR put together the first box of the year - the Must Have Box!