I'm one of those weird people that needs a great sassy shirt to help motivate me to work out. If you're one of those people that is the same way when going to whatever exercise class you take (individually or in a group) here are a few exercise looks for yoga that you can try today. Adding a sassy bra, funny t-shirt, or funky pair of leggings can really have a positive effect on your work out. Let me know which one of these looks is your favorite in the comments below!

Working in retail has it's perks. One of the glories of working in the retail industry is understanding women's bodies and finding outfits that look best on them. When it comes to shopping for myself though, it can sometimes be a struggle finding something that looks cute. Fortunately I have a great group of friends who were ready to help me find some great summer steals. So we went to the mall with a mission in mind to find cute summer dresses. Now mind you finding a summer dress has been a challenge for me this summer. As we walked around the largest mall of america trying on dresses from pretty much every vendor possible, I become more weary that I would actually find cute summer clothes. As I was just about to give up on finding dresses for my summer extravaganzas, we turned around the corner to Forever 21.


Let's flashback to when I was 13 years old, I could actually fit into Forever 21's clothes and had pretty much the whole store as options to purchase. Fast forward to when I was actually 21 years old; when the store's merchandise selection became smaller for my adult shaped body . Suddenly the dresses became too short, the maxi's became too snug at the hips, and the pants only rode up to the bottom of my butt. Suddenly becoming 21 didn't seem to have it's perks in the fashion world.


That's when my friends showed me to the plus size section. I had shopped previously in the plus size section once at the store when I had gained a few extra unwanted pounds. After having fluctuated sizes for the past year, I rebelled against staying in the plus size section. I work out, eat (moderately) healthy, and am size 12. Naturally I questioned their sanity. Could I really be plus size? I groaned and put on a dress. Suddenly I looked at myself in the mirror and was in shock. I looked good. The material of the dress hit right on me and the length of the dress. I thought it was just a fluke, so I tried on a couple more. All of a sudden I was at the cash register with four dresses and a beaming smile at how good I looked in the dresses.

So over all I guess you could say that I had a great time finding summer dresses after all. Though it was at an unexpected place and in an unexpected department, I was able to find some great summer finds (at an unbelievable price). Though the plus size department seemed bleak at times I've learned that size doesn't matter, and that maybe a friends advice isn't the worse thing to have in the world. So get ready for me Forever 21, because this girl will be coming back to shop in your fashionable plus size section too.


Until next time,

The other night my friends and I decided to take advantage of the time that we had together and become tourists in our own city. Seeing the city you live in a different city is refreshing. Suddenly the city that you work, play, and live in becomes refreshing. It allows you to try a restaurant that you would have never seen before, tried a new drink, and woke up to a different window with  a view that is sure to make you feel happy. Being a tourists in my own city allowed for me not only to get excited for my future travels but to appreciate what I have right in my own hometown. Even though I was only a city away, I felt as if I was miles away from home (just without the price tag).


Have you ever staycationed? Comment below!

Until next time,

The infamous movie that proved that blondes do have brains turned 15 years old this week. Here are just a few snaps of my favorite looks from the movie that showed that you can be professional and still wear a lot of pink and sparkles. So here's to you Elle Woods and showing people all over the world that you can fulfill your dreams, and look bad-ass cute while doing it too ;)

Room #1

Room #2

Room #3

If you're a wine drinker like myself, you have had a slip up or two with your outfits every now and then. Usually I just let it slip and out of sheer laziness buy another outfit. Then, as I was taste testing 20 different types of wine, I spilled red wine on my favorite dress. I was devastated and was clueless on the process of how to eliminate wine from my cute summer dress. Fortunately my inner Martha Stewart came to the rescue (with the help of Google). Here's what I did in order to eliminate wine in less than 30 minutes.

1. Blot, don't rub. Dab at the stain with a damp, white cotton cloth to absorb any excess wine,
2. Pull the fabric taut. Slide a bowl under the fabric, centering the stain over the bowl. ...
3. Sprinkle salt.,
4. Add boiling water,
5. Machine-wash,
6. And voila! You have your favorite piece of clothing back :) 

Right now the big topic of conversation in the celebrity world is Kim Kardashian exposing Taylor Swift. Though I want go too deep into the topic of these two going at each other (I'll just let you know I'm team Kardashian), Kim's actions have opened up a tidal wave of important conversations within the celebrity world, including what duties celebrities have to the public. Here are five important conversations that this epic celebrity feud has created that are important to shed light on, regardless of what side of the argument you are on.

#1) Learning about the definition of feminism

On January 11th, I packed my bags and moved to Paris for a semester abroad. As my parents said there goodbyes to me they gave me there last words of advice: to stay safe, and to especially stay away from the area of the recent attacks. I shook my head and boarded the plane. Flash forward to 12 hours later. I'm in a taxi cab and my driver asks if I want to see where the attacks where. As someone who was studying international journalism it was an obvious choice for me to see where the horrific attacks took place and pay homage to those who had passed. Throughout my time in Paris I studied on the attacks and the motives of the attackers. I attended talks, visited the graves of those who passed, and snagged a copy of the next edition of Charlie Hebdo. The city that I had love had been attacked. Suddenly in the midst of couples making out on the Seine river banks where police guards with large rifles walking around the streets, ready to attack at a drop of a hat.

Many of my relatives and teachers asked if I ever felt uncomfortable in Paris. My answer to this day is still no. Others have questioned my sanity about going days after the Hebdo attack to live in Paris and even return to France after the numerous attacks have happened in the country I love and its neighbors. My answer is simple. I still intend to live in France. Yes, I was worried at times for my safety. Yes, I am worried now for my safety, but these attacks could happen virtually anywhere.

The unfortunate reality is, I could be killed tomorrow by ISIS in my hometown. I remember last year when an ISIS leader sent out of video giving ideas of attacks to other members. There were four places he listed, all of which where shopping malls. Three where ones in Europe, specifically in the Paris region which I frequented during my travels. The other was in my hometown. I was angry. WHY WOULD SOMEONE SUGGEST TO OTHERS TO KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE? I wanted to show that their bullying didn't scare me.

I ask those who question why I am returning to France, even after all these attacks, if they truly feel safe in their hometown. The answer for them is the same as mine. No. This is especially true for people of color who do not of the same privileges that I do as a white female. There are many more battles to fight against than terrorism. In 2016, we still are fighting for equality for people of different socio-economic, sexual orientation, and race. So no, I don't feel safe for myself or for others. This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop perusing my dreams and let this fear rise over me. Having the opportunity to be a teacher, especially during such as difficult period, will be a challenge. In the same manner, having the opportunity to speak to young people about these issues will be extremely rewarding as well. These horrific events need to be used as learning opportunities for young ones.
It is important to know, regardless of who you are and where you come from, that everyone deserves to be treated equally and with compassion. So call me crazy or whatever you would like for deciding to still commit to moving to France. I want to be able to change the world in a positive way, and this is what I know how to do best.


Until next time,

In honor of the infamous 'Devil Wears Prada' movie turning 10, this fashion friday is dedicated to the movie that helped first shed light on the high end fashion world. It not only showed the ins and outs of the magazine industry, but also helped show the evolution of style with Anne Hathaway's character 'Andy'. Throughout the movie viewers  get to see first hand what life would be life working with Editor and Chief Miranda while staring in awe at the haute-couture pieces that the characters wear while stating witty lines.

Here are just a few pictures of my favorite looks from the movie. Enjoy, and happy 10th birthday!

Look #1

Look #2

Look #3

Staying in the city for the 4th of July can be tough. All of a sudden the hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities dwindles down for three days. Streets such as Grand Avenue and Downtown Saint Paul become deserted, almost zombie- apocalypse, style towns.

So what do you do? I decided this year to be proactive about the 4th of July. As someone who's family chooses to stay in the city rather than going up north to the cabin, it can be hard to find something fun for the whole family to do. With the whole family loving baseball, especially my dad, I thought it would be a great Farther's Day treat to buy tickets for the family to the Saints game. Now I have to admit- I was a bit hesitant about going to the game. As a Twins fan, I have been in love with Target Field since the new stadium broke ground. I had heard mixed reviews about the Saint Games in their new stadium. Some loved the proximity of the stadium to downtown, others complained about the proximity to the highway and the amount of noise it can create.

I decided to keep an open mind about the Saints. I had gone to several games in the past at the Midway Stadium and had enjoyed myself, and wondered if a Twins fan could enjoy themselves as much at the minor leagues. Right way when I walked into the stadium doors I was impressed. The new stadium is a medium size stadium that pockets nicely into downtown Saint Paul. Just minutes away from the Green Line, it was fun to get a change of scenery and get a fresh perspective on the other paternal twin city.

The stadium does a great job of showcasing Saint Paul and what it has to offer. You can see this most in the food that the stadium has to offer. Compared to the Twins in Minneapolis, the Saints has a variety of food vendors that you will most likely recognize. With food trucks and booths scattered about the perimeter of the stadium you are bound to find something tasty and affordable at the stadium. It is also important to note that the stadium has an extensive beer collection, but if you don't want to break the bank the stadium does have a picnic location so that you and the family can enjoy a home cooked meal onsite.

My mom and sister at the game

Compared to many sports games, CHS Field prioritizing entertaining guests. In addition to having a baseball team, the Saints have hired quirky actors to liven up the mood and make the game as enjoyable for baseball fans and spectators alike. From Gert the Flirt to Karaoke Hour, each inning is bound to be entertaining.

Overall the game at CHS Field was by far more entertaining than at the Twins. Though the minor league team doesn't have as much hype compared to the Twins team, they do deserve a winning shot at getting at least one visit from you this summer.


Until next time,

One of the reasons that I created this blog was because I wanted to feel as if I had the capability of writing whatever topic I wanted to write about. For many fashion and lifestyle blogs, content can seem superficial when the world around us is dealing with serious matters.

I'm a huge fan of gun restrictions. When I say this a lot of people shutter at the thought of their guns being taken away. This isn't the case, well for almost everyone. But gun restrictions isn't where we should even start this debate. The real problem is race relations. Being an ally I can only say so much about this. I have no personal experience of ever being discriminated against, and probably will never be. If you looked at a description of me on a sheet of paper I would be the definition in the dictionary of white privilege. Luckily I was taught about this privilege in high school in a social justice program I took in theater. Like many others, I resisted the idea of my white privilege. I hated being uncomfortable when my peers would talk about being discriminated against. I hated when they spoke about feeling guilty for slavery because of the color of my skin.

And then one day I finally understood what it meant to be an ally. Being uncomfortable meant that I was understanding my privilege and that sometimes I need to listen rather than speak. So that's what I will be doing as an ally. The more that I listen to my friends and community members stories of discrimination, the more angry I become. Call me naïve, but I never believed that Minnesota would be a place where racism would occur within our civil workers such as police

I'm not going to say that all police men are bad. I'm not going to say that everyone with a gun is bad. What is bad is the fact that groups of persons in America believe that they are greater than others. What is even worse is that these groups believe that they can use scare tactics and use power to harm others. It is this want to hurt others, stemmed from racial tension, that creates  situations like the ones that we are experiencing today.

But I am only witnessing this second hand. If you can learn anything from this situation, especially as an ally, is that this is the opportunity for us to listen and help when needed. In order to have peace within our community and further out into the world we must first understand each other and have common ground, and in order to do this we need to hear others stories first.