Lately

Transitioning back into school mode is one of the hardest things for me. I've been ridiculously busy; between taking 6 classes, starting my internship, and training for the beginning of my spring season, I've had little to no time for breathing room.  This is what's been going on in my life...

SPA DAY:

One of my best friends, Annie, and I were gifted a day at the spa from one of our friends at the incredible Nemacolin Woods Resort & Spa. It was the absolute best way to spend a Sunday, especially after such a tough week. What girl doesn't want a day of pampering? I'm absolutely obsessed with cucumber water now because of it. We both got swedish massages and pedicures, which eventually lead to this... (this is what happens when you wear your Bean Boots to the spa, and aren't allowed to wear closed-toed shoes for an hour after your pedicure.)

Not to mention that it was one of the coldest and snowiest days we've had in a while. 

How gorgeous is this place? I never wanted to leave. And if you look closely, you can see the statue on the widow's walk on the roof (I think that's awesome)

The spa itself (the best picture I could take while standing outside with only one shoe). I love the architecture of the entire resort, since each building has its own character. 

ALEX'S BIRTHDAY:

January also brought one of my favorite person's birthdays! My roommate finally turned the big 2-0! 

Her entire immediate family flew up from Florida for the weekend! To celebrate, we went to Buca di Beppo which was absolutely fantastic.  The restaurant is set up with a family-style dinner, so you order large serving sizes to share with your group. Plus, who doesn't love traditional Italian restaurants? 

I love my city. 

COLLEGE FASHIONISTA:

This semester I was so extremely lucky to get an internship working as a Style Guru for College Fashionista. This includes photographing students who are implementing different fashion trends into their wardrobes, and writing a weekly story about their fashion while sharing ideas about what would be considered the biggest trends in collegiate style. I love everything about it. If you have any interest in writing or fashion, even social media, I definitely recommend applying to be a Style Guru for your school. 

Some of my favorite posts...

"Dressing Fur Comfort"

"Military Chic"

"Winter Whites"

If you like what you see, create a College Fashionista profile, follow along, and don't forget to RAD posts you think are cool! (it's like a like on Facebook!)

Also, to see a complete list of my posts, view my profile HERE 

Follow me on my new Instagram! 

@pittsburghandpearls

WEEKEND READING

It's the middle of a lazy weekend day. You're "watching" another episode of the show you've been binge watching, and you find yourself zoning out a bit more than usual. The word boredom pops into your head. But are you really? Well, regardless, I've decided to start a new weekly post, called Weekend Reading comprised of my favorite articles, videos, blog posts, and other miscellaneous things that catch my fancy during the week. They'll be posted every Saturday morning, so stay tuned! 

ONE // How To Be Pretty 

"Everyday you wake up with air in your lungs and a pulse, there is purpose for you. There is purpose for your life."

It's no secret that these past few weeks are some of the most stressful I've dealt with in the entirety of my academic career. I've found myself finding a lot of fault in my actions, my appearance, and criticizing myself a lot more than usual. I found this video by YouTuber HelloKaty this weekend, and I'll tell you what. It gave me the biggest confidence boost I'd had in a long time. You are so much greater than the validation you fight for from others. Everyone is beautiful; they all shine in individual ways. You are more than your appearance. Start accepting that.

TWO // 36 Questions that Lead to Love

You've probably seen this everywhere. It started as a popular psychological experiment, to see whether "the intimacy between two strangers could be accelerated" through a series of deep questions. And it definitely leads to a much deeper level than your normal old small talk. Vulnerability is the key to the experiment, so if you choose to replicate it at home (with your S.O., a friend, or even as a way to reflect upon yourself) make sure that you are being completely honest with yourself about the questions and the way you choose to answer. The final task of the experiment is to stare into someone's eyes for a few minutes, which apparently "leads to falling in love". I've tried the experiment before, and it is so much fun to try. (Don't forget to let me know about how it works for you!)

THREE // Five Rules for Pretty Winter Skin

It's no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with winter. I love winter fashion, bringing out my Bean Boots, and curling up with some hot tea or cocoa, but cold weather makes my skin feel extra damaged. It gets extremely dry, and no matter what I've tried I feel like it just doesn't help. I exfoliate and moisturize regularly, so why doesn't it feel better? Bonus: it emphasizes the beauty of pale skin, which is pretty refreshing to hear, after growing up in a time where "paleness" was almost viewed as sickly and unattractive.

FOUR // Vying for a Seat in 'School of Rock'

If you're like me, this movie was one of my absolute favorites growing up, and probably still is. It was recently adapted into a Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is one of the most exciting things I've heard all day. Check out the auditions from January 24 at the Winter Garden Theater. It's set to start performances in November so plan ahead! If you aren't jealous of these insanely talented kids, then there might be something wrong with you!

FIVE // How to Create Your Own Starbucks Frappucino at Home

Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm addicted to Starbucks. My go-to order is an iced grande caramel macchiato, but I'm always up for trying new drinks. Especially if they involve caramel, whipped cream, or anything relatively sweet that doesn't taste like coffee. One of my incredibly talented friends, Autumn, recently wrote an article for College Lifestyles, which allows students from different universities to write life and style pieces about the college experience. It's full of DIY's, health and fitness tips, fashion tips, and even tips on how to ace your interviews for the dreaded job search! The whole website is definitely worth stumbling around. This recipe is for a Vanilla Coffee Flavored Frap, and I can't wait to try it myself with a few of my friends at school when I find my blender. Let me know if you try it! And be sure to check out some of Autumn's other work! (Including one on how to deal with winter weather in Western PA!)

SIX // Dove Hair: Love Your Curls

It's incredible how many little girls don't love their hair, themselves, or the way they look. I have always been a huge fan of the Dove commercials, since they convey a reoccuring theme of self-love and self-acceptance. Only 4 out of 10 girls think their curly hair is beautiful. They say they don't want it, that they'd rather have it be straight, and that it makes them sad to think about their hair. Little girls thinking so lowly of themselves sickens me. This actually made me cry. I am a huge advocate for breaking beauty standards set by past generations, so little ones can love themselves for how they are and not wanting to change how they look. It takes the childhood out of being a child when they are too fixiated on their appearances to really live like a little girl should. I love the #LoveYourCurls campaign... After watching this video, who's with me?