{Friday Five: Southern Influence}

My Lilly for Target stuff started coming in yesterday and I absolutely love my pineapple serving dish. While I did order some clothes and such, this dish was the thing I coveted the most out of the sale. I might actually be returning some of my Lilly clothing because I am facing that harsh reality of job hunting and needing a professional wardrobe, my cute summery clothes just aren't going to cut it next year. Reality is tough, man. Also, if you could think happy thoughts for the Charlottesville weather going into Foxfield tomorrow, I would really appreciate it. My dress is cute, but not cute for a high of mid-50s with afternoon showers.

One:  The Dressing the South Forgot
Garden and Gun is one of my favorite magazines. I have found so many great recipes in the magazine, including my favorite Sangria recipe. They also have great feature pieces, a personal favorite was their story about hunting dogs a year or two ago. This article features some recipes that have been in Southern cookbooks dating back to at least 1900. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Two: The People You Meet
Speaking of great things Southerners brought to the world, this article in the New Yorker is about Joseph Mitchell and his legacy in the journalism world. To be honest, I had never heard of him, but that's one of the great things about a biography, you get insight into the life of someone you may otherwise pass over. It's not the shortest read, but it's well-done.

Three: Striped Separates 

How cute is this shorts and top combo? And guess what, it's just over $30 for both pieces. I have really started to like the separates trend and while I don't own any of it yet, I am seriously considering this little outfit.

Four: L.A's Most Popular Haircut 3 Styles in 3 Days
This article is reminding me that I really need to get a hair cut. I love this hair length and these are such great ways to style your hair if you are running out the door without time to wash it (hey, we've all been there). I don't know how much I'd use the third style, but I definitely have opted for a sock bun to hide dirty hair a time or two.

Five: Potting Sheds and Green Houses

Is anyone obsessed with pinning houses and interiors on Pinterest? I find myself doing it all the time and a couple of days ago this was one of my pins. This time of year gets me so excited for flowers, and while I may not have a potting shed (yet), I can definitely admire these ones. 

Friday Five: Empowering Women

Today is the day we've been working towards all year...RELAY FOR LIFE AT UVA! I am so blessed to be a part of such an amazing organization for such an incredible cause. Together, we are finding a cure for cancer and helping those who already have cancer. If you go to UVA, come out to Carrs Hill tonight for tons of entertainment, food, and to support the cause, and don't forget, walking a lap is on the 115 Things to do Before You Graduate list! You can register at the event, and if you want to donate to my personal fundraiser, here is the link to my page!

Today's Friday Five is themed to women empowerment. This is not the first time I have talked about women leaning in (thank you, Sheryl Sandberg) or going after what they want, and it won't be the last. I believe in gender equality and empowering each other. I hope y'all enjoy these links as much as I did!

One: Vote for Kayleigh Roy
I don't normally do these, so you know it's a big deal that I want you to do this, but please take a quick minute to vote for my friend and sorority sister, Kayleigh in the Challenge Detroit  Fellowship. She is a talented Urban and Environmental Planning major who has been interning for VDOT since last July in the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation. Here's a quick word from her on the challenge and why she deserves to win it (which she does):
"I was recently selected as a semi-finalist for the Challenge Detroit Fellowship which is a program that brings professionals into the shrinking city of Detroit to promote positive social and economic change and development. I am so excited about this opportunity. I even halted my job search for next year to solely pursue this fellowship. Please take the time to go to this link, like this page, and then make sure to click VOTE for my video! The voting runs through this Sunday, April 12 at 11:59pm so please take a second to help me out. It would mean the world to me to have your support and vote of confidence in showing Detroit how passionate I am about bringing about change in their valuable community."
Also, she has a great post on LinkedIn about this, so check that out, too! On that note, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!

Two: Ladies Who Laptop
Here is another inspiring woman who started a business I am really interested in. I love their phone cases and other accessories. It's always so interesting reading about entrepreneurs and how they got started. Does anyone else want to be an entreprenuer? I seriously cannot think of a better career than starting my own business. #Ask4More

Three: 10 Steps to Executive-Level Confidence
First of all, you know this WSJ post was going to be good because it uses a picture of Miranda Priestly, which is one of my all-time favorite Meryl Streep roles. I found this article to be really great and not too corny, which tends to happen in a lot of these articles. Don't get me wrong, I still read articles about stuff like this to reinforce those ideas, but I really liked this one and am leaving it bookmarked.

Four: Here's What Happens When Women Choose to Call Themselves Beautiful
Say what you want about Dove and their campaigns, but I think they are wonderful. It can be so hard to remember self-worth in a world where photoshopped models plaster billboards and magazines every day. Yesterday I got a text from a co-worker that totally caught me off guard that said "You are so beautiful, you also need a beautiful toe." Obviously, the toe comment was in reference to my surgery, but I was so touched by her sweet words. I am not great about remembering my self-worth and value, but it's something I work on and these campaigns really remind me to do that. #ChooseBeautiful

Five: Notorious RBG on Women in the Supreme Court
First of all, I really want one of those shirts. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a powerful woman who anyone can look up to. I believe that young women should look to women in power as inspiration regardless of political parties. Being a republican does not mean that I am not inspired by her journey to her position. Think about it, she was a woman going through Law School in the 1950s, that was no small feat at the time. 

Friday Five: Going Forward

Well the week is finally over. I keep dreading how long the weeks are, and then I realize that my weeks of being in college are drawing to an end. The job search is in full swing and my time with friends seems more important than ever before. Instead of getting down, I want to get inspired. This week, one of the Friday Five links is a list of destinations to go to in 2015, and while I can't go to them all this year, it does remind me of all the possibilities ahead!

One: 10 Habits of Highly Organized People
Lauren Conrad delivers again. I consider myself to be highly organized...normally. Sometimes I slip up and everything seems to be falling apart, but I love thinking about these 10 tips to get me back on track. It's only human to slip up every once in a while.

Two: The Inspiring Spaces of Five Female Creatives
I love interior decorating and seeing how people make a space their home. This is so cool because they are all different personalities with different tastes, in different cities.

Three: 52 Places to Go in 2015
I doubt that anyone will make it to all 52 places this year, but there are some beautiful pictures in this article. Some of these places are actually in the United States so maybe a road trip is in order?

Four: 25 Finds for a Nautical Summer
I love all of Mackenzie's posts on Design Darling. Her obsession with blue and white is one that I share and what better way to express that love than through nautical style. Personally, I don't think you can ever have enough nautical pieces in your wardrobe, but maybe that's just me. We actually carry Saint James shirts at the store I work at and I cannot wait to finally get one (can you say employee discount?)

Five: Curious Case of Men and Women's Button Downs
Everyone knows that the buttons are on different sides of the shirt, but I doubt people know why. This article doesn't answer that question, but it does offer up some cool reasons for why it might be the case. It's possible that I love this because I am a total history nerd, but I definitely think it's interesting.

xx
erin

The Friday Five: White and Gold

Guys, the dress is definitely white and gold. Actually, this little debate that is blowing up the internet is pretty funny and there finally seems to be an explanation for the science behind seeing the different colors. Quite frankly, when I turn down the brightness on my laptop I can see the dress as blue and black. Regardless, it was pretty funny to hear what everyone thought last night!

I am loving this bucket bag. Sign up for Sole Society here!

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I love this optimistic phone case...and it's on sale!

These Hollywood women stole the show at the Oscars.

We all know how I feel about organization, so this list of apps is definitely a bookmarked article on my laptop.

xx

erin