ALTERNATIVE TO HUNTER BOOTS PLZ

Tradition and Expertise. Classic and French. Handmade. 

Aigle tells their story best: http://www.aigleboots.com/about-us

In the winter months I trudge across campus in my L.L.Bean Shearling-lined boots (which have been amazing). In the spring...I wing it. Not really, but apparently that is what I had done for the past 19 years of my life. It was time to invest in a pair of rain boots.

Call me a Yuccie (http://www.whowhatwear.com/yuccie-fashion), but I really did not want to look like every other Trinity girl in her Hunters and North Face rain coat. After some research, I discovered Aigle.

Praises: Comfortable. ACTUALLY Water Resistant. Fitted, Flaterring & Bulge Resistant (rubber hugs the calves). Details. #OutfitUpper.

Problems: None.

This summer I braided

While attending "Arts Night Out" in Northampton one Friday night, my mother and I fell in love with Julie Hogan's gypsy inspired necklaces. The local artist from Hadley, MA showcased the whimsical collection at Ode Boutique on Main Street. Because the leather braided necklaces were slightly out of our price range, we decided to put on our DIY hats. So much love to Julie's creations! Check out her shop JulieLillian on Etsy.

Top: Clear Quartz- known as the "master healer" of all physical, emotional, and spiritual planes

Bottom: Green Fluorite- clears negative energy from environment and promotes renewal and healing

Slouchy Vegan Tote

One of the best purchases I ever made was last summer in Cambridge, Mass. I will take this tote to my grave. It looks and feels like real leather, but its vegan (so cow friendly)! Free People must have known that I was on a budget that summer because $68.00 felt like a bargain when I learned that I got two bags for the price of one. The reversible quality made the purchase well worth it and versatile for all seasons. 

It even came with a detachable wristlet and a large pouch perfect for a laptop. The large pouch functions as an slouchy clutch purse too. 

 An added benny is the large adjustable leather strap.

Lastly, this tote is durable. After a full year of carrying heavy college books and a laptop, my favorite tote will go into its second summer with zero wear and tear.

The Things I've Learned In One Month:

In honor of Independence Day, I decided to reflect on the lessons I've learned this past month living in Boston. I have learned a lot from being on my own, even things that my mother has been trying to teach me for years, i.e #1. I'm certain this list will grow as July progresses and this unforgettable summer commences.

I've Learned: 

1. Why my mom gets upset when the family lets the dishes pile up in the sink…It is a pain. If you wash your dishes immediately after using them and put them directly into the drying rack, washing the dishes will only take one minute. Waiting to clean an entire day’s worth can take at least 15 minutes (if you’re as meticulous as I am). 

2. The power of Clorox wipes. They make cleaning quick and easy! I never noticed how gross a counter top can get until I had my own apartment. I've even used them to wipe down my dusty dashboard in the car. 

3. Eat the food you buy and buy less of it. This seems simple. Emily and I went from living in a house with three other people to just one other person. The food doesn't go as quickly. Last week, I threw out an entire half a pound of turkey, a bag full of lettuce, and three heads of broccoli. 

4. Read street signs or be towed. It is truly an out of body experience the morning of street cleaning when you notice your street has been swept of dirt, debris, and your car. 

5. Do NOT whip out of a gas station (especially when your flustered, stressed, anxious, crying, angry etc.)...you WILL hit the gas pump's guard rail and wreck your bumper. 

6. How to deal with neighbors. If it's not our showering that produces an "active" leak below, then it's the simple act of walking that annoys the neighbor below us. When your neighbor visits you for the fourth time, tell her that you will not spend your own money on area rugs or on a plumber. These are issues she needs to take up with the landlord because you simply will not stop walking or showering. 

Speaking of Tan Lines

Contrary to what you may think, a sunglass's tan line isn't always a bad thing. This is the tan line you want. Forgo spending stacks on a brightening bronzer or a luminizing stick. Forgo the inconvenient monthly trips to Sephora. Embrace the natural. I realized that my $12 pair of 90's round sunglasses, a product that has not dried up on me like my makeup does, gave me the most natural glow around my eye and brow area. I've only owned one pair of these sunglasses (which are on the smaller side like the third one in the first row of the collage above), but they have lasted me two summers. This natural eye brightener works all summer long and made my eyes pop 10x more than any NARS or Benefit product. Now you never have to take your sunglasses off to avoid a tan line. Plus, you get to pull the trendy card.

No. You do not need to make that sacrifice.

  

Only one week of vacation. That's a scary reality. What's scarier, is realizing you only have one week to lose those bad tan lines, or at least gain a pity base coat so that it doesn't look as though you spent your entire summer in a basement without windows. Soon it'll be hasta la vista summer sun and you will be back in your office or classroom.

So when you begin packing for this one week vacation (of which you deserve much more than a mere 7 days out of 365), it makes sense for you to want to pack your skimpiest bathing suits. Whether you're packing two of these skimpy bathing suits or five of them, choosing the ones of similar shape and structure to avoid creating overlapping and bad tan lines is crucial...or so you think.  What about that wicked cute b-suit top you purchased for $59.99... (even though you aren't a surfer but you told yourself you were gonna wear it all the time because the neon coral color was to die for and the tank top style with its cropped overlay ruffle was a style you wanted to trend)? It provides more coverage than you want on the beach, edging on a tankini but IT IS WICKED CUTE.

It's all about gradually skimplifying...

You can still wear your favorite bathing suit without wearing its tan lines. If you're anything like me, you are a bathing suit hoarder. This makes telling yourself that you are only going to wear this medium coverage cropped overlay ruffle top on Monday less painful because you have others you want to wear that week too. And yet, you still get one more wear out of that suit than you would have. And if you aren't like me, and only have three bathing suits, that's even better. Give yourself Monday and Tuesday in your medium coverage wicked cute bathing suit top and then spend Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday split between the other two bathing suits, making sure to end in the skimpiest one for two days. Not only do you get to wear your favorite bathing suit, and still end the week with little to no tan lines, you can also avoid burning those Elmer's glue white areas under the edges of your bikini by not wearing something too skimpy, too soon.