The "Bean" aka Cloud Gate. Look at that reflection!

Eating on the patio.

I was sitting 2 inches away from a bee, it was adorable - yes, I'm weird and like bees.

My mother "not posing"!

My hamburger from Shake Shack sin shack sauce.

A very delicious looking portobello mushroom burger.

The title? Oh, I had to. Hey lovelies, how's it going? Last weekend I took a day trip downtown Chicago to spend a nice day doing nothing but walking. It's always nice to visit the city, albeit I do go to school down there, but it's nice to not be carrying around a backpack or notebooks whilst taking in the beauty of the city. I admittedly do hate on my city, but I do have to say it is a gorgeous one. I mean, look at that bean (Chicago lingo for the Cloud Gate sculpture)! I tried Shake Shack for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised. I hoped I could've tasted the special sauce, but sadly it contains dairy. It was a gorgeous day out, and I'm definitely glad I made the 40 minute train ride down to the heart of the city. Love ya (sometimes), Chicago!
x Alicia
BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

As you can see, I took a trip to Sephora today. This is actually only my second time purchasing anything from Sephora like, ever (cue gasps)! I went in there to purchase a cream lip stain after marveling over the color in this blog post by Allison from Mercuteify (check her out!). I swatched this color, and immediately fell in love. It's the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in the color #1. I will definitely feature it in upcoming posts so you can see how the color looks on my complexion. I've also been thinking about picking up a tinted moisturizer because I hate wearing foundation everyday, and all I want to do is even my skin tone out a tad. I did the color IQ matching system for the second time today, and was matched to the NARS tinted moisturizer in the color Cuba. This is my first NARS product, and I'm hoping it will live up to all of the hype, and be worth the $43 spent! I will let you know how I feel about it after a few weeks of wear. Fingers crossed both products are going to be new staples for me!
Until next time. x Alicia 
BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

Hey lovelies! Long time no...post. Sorry 'bout that. I'm back today with a quick little 'what's in my bag' post. I wanted to do a 'what's in my makeup bag' post, but realized I don't actually carry a makeup bag like, ever. Go figure.
We're going to start from left to right. First things first: headphones. I can't leave the house without them. I usually take the train to where ever I'm going, and boy is it lonely on there without music.  Next we have a pair of sunglasses, which happen to be my favorite pair that I own. Often times I switch out the pair I'll be wearing for the day, but sometimes I get lazy and just have this one laying in my bag.  Onto the next; there is a flash drive. I honestly don't know why I carry a flash drive everywhere, maybe I'll need to download a file while I'm on the go? Ha!  And next we have a trusty hair tie. I like using the ribbon ties because they don't rip my hair out every time I use them. I also don't like having a hair tie on my wrist (when I can avoid it), so I keep one in my purse at all times.  A travel-sized vile of Advil remains in purse always. You never know when you'll get a headache so bad the pain can only be dulled by a "pain killer", or when mother nature decides to bestow her curse gift on you, and you need to stop the cramps!  A pen is pretty basic, you always need one. You never know when you're going to have to endorse a check, ya know?  Next I have my favorite lip balm, the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in the shade Unique Pink. It's like magic in a tube. I might have to dedicate a separate post it it.  Next is a mini emery board, just in case my nail breaks and it has to be filed down.  In the middle there, we have a cute little kitten compact that I purchased from Forever 21 a while back. You always need a mirror, even if you're not wearing any makeup that day. Who's to say an eyelash won't fall off into your eye? How else will you get it out?!  Then we have my trustee iPhone 6. Love that thing.  Lotion is always a must to carry around. We all get a little dry and ashy sometimes, and we need to handle it quickly.  Now we have my little wallet, which is a business card holder. I love it because it doesn't allow me to carry more than I need to. My wallet helps me not overspend, woo!  The last thing in my bag is a snack. You may have seen me feature Clif bars in my last favorites video. I love them more than words can describe.  Finally, we have the actual bag itself! I carry a handbag from Zara that also comes with a long strap so I can wear it as a shoulder bag. It's really great. Until next time. x Alicia BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

Background Image via Tumblr

Goals. We all need them, and we love to make them. But we rarely achieve them. Why is that?

I know a few people that have no goals in their lives. If you have no destination, why are you taking a journey? I shared a few of my goals for this year with you all in my "Things I Want to Accomplish by Age 22" post. I believe it's important to set goals so you have something to work towards, and a destination to reach.

I'm a "make a to-do list for every occasion" kind of girl. My to-do lists are also like mini-goal lists for me. Once I check off a thing on my list, I feel great about it. One of my favorite productivity apps is called Wunderlist. I'm sure you've heard of it at one point in time (if you haven't, download it ASAP!). It's available in the Mac App Store as well as the App Store on your iPhone. It's great because it syncs up between devices, and you can also share lists with other users. I made a grocery list on the app and was able to share it with the other members of my household so they could add onto the list, and I could see their updates in real-time while I was shopping. It's great!

I set a goal for myself when I first started college - it was to maintain a 4.0 GPA. So far, I have two years under my belt, and a very strong 4.0 GPA. It makes me feel great that I can set my mind to something and accomplish it.

When you set goals for yourself, you are able to have a visual and see your goal written down. This way you are putting it into the universe, and chances are you will actually focus on accomplishing it. My suggestion for setting goals is to start small, and make a list. Whether you post it on your blog, write a note on your phone, or write it in your personal journal, make it so that you can see it. Look at your goal everyday until you have achieved it, then cross it off of your list and move onto the next one.

Good luck!

x Alicia
BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Major home decor inspo!

The outfit I wore to the exhibit.

BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

Marble Print | Striped T-Shirt | White Off-The-Shoulder | Striped Split | Blue Floral | Striped Spaghetti Straps

Hey lovelies! If you couldn't tell, I have stripes on the brain. Yes, stripes are definitely having its moment. These are a few summer dress picks I have from the Shein site. They are all super affordable, so don't be surprised if you see a few of them in a coming blog post! If you're familiar with Sheinside, you should know that the website has changed to Shein.com!  If you loved my dress picks as much as I did, make sure you check out more dresses here, and pick up some cute shorts while you're at it!  If you want to join the Shein publisher program click here. You can earn commission on orders made from your blog, or make money by getting others to sign up. Check it out!  x Alicia
Summer Season 3rd Week!

Decorate Your Summer With SheIn Clothing!

Enjoy SheIn Fashion Styles!

Take US$5  OFF Over US$49  Code:third5

Take US$10 OFF Over US$99  Code:third10

Ends: July/2 *All links are affiliate links. BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM

BLOGLOVIN' / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM