Shopping like my life depends on it...

Ok, well maybe my life doesn't depend on it but I need to shop till I drop at the Gap, because yesterday I gave my 2 weeks notice.  I wish I could say I gave my 2 weeks because I got this amazing big girl full-time position, but sadly that is not the case.  However, I finally decided that I needed a major change in my life.  I needed this because I needed to make a change that would improve my attitude and outlook on life.  Lately, I have been miserable at my job.  I thought it as only because I've been closing a lot but that wasn't it.  I was miserable there all day, everyday.

I sat down with a few of managers and discussed my options with advancing within the company.  My main manager was not as supportive of my decision as I originally expected, which was upsetting.  However, I finally made the decision to go to another store where my friend is one of the managers.  When I went to talk to her I was shocked that even the other managers, who I've never met before, wanted me to work there. With that being said, all good things must come to an end!  I enjoyed my time at the Gap over the last 4 years.  I've had some good and even some bad times (more then I would have cared to have).  I'll miss some of the people I've worked with and I'll definitely miss my employee discount.  However, I know it's my time to leave.

With that being said, here's the mini shopping spree I went on today!!!!

 Since my photos didn't turn out to good I decided to include the pictures from the Gap's website for some of the items.

Polka Dot Seam

LS Camo Epaule

A super soft off the shoulder sweater... it's called the Drop Shoulder sweater

FT Slim Crop Pant

Slim Crop Cash

Blouse from Old Navy

Ok this isn't from the gap but I found this bag at Marshalls the other day and I absolutely love it.  I was going to splurge on a Rebecca Minkoff or a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag but I'm actually really happy with this no name bag.   I paid $40 for this genuine leather bag.  It's bigger then the typical cross body and is dual toned, which I love about it.  It has tons of compartments to store the countless crap I put in my bag.

 Closer look at the lovely color of the bag

Love the inside detail of the bag... is this not absolutely perfect for fall!!!!!


Well I'm sure I'll be back in a few day with more stuff that I bought with my discount.

Until next time!!!!!!!!

What a TERRIBLE Day

Well today has not been my day.  First off, I made the very big girl decision that I need to make a major life change.  Currently, I feel like my life is so boring that I need to try something new.  I think graduating has finally hit me and I feel like since I don't have a full time job I need to do something else.  I can't continue in the position I have now.  With that being said, I've decided to apply for jobs elsewhere, both retail and non-retail positions.

I was hesitant initially about my decision but after the day I had today I feel completely justified in the decision I made.  I never thought in a million years that the company/store I've worked for the last 4 years would be so bitter and rude to me when I told them I was looking to advance my career and move elsewhere.  I should preface by saying 2 of my 4 managers are very supportive of my decision and understand why I need to leave but my other 2 managers are just being hurtful.  It's not fair! I've worked my ass off for this store and they feel me leaving just doesn't make sense.  I'm sorry I've practically done your job and your "sad" to see me go.   One of the stores I'm considering working at is actually excited to have me as an employee.  It's going to be so weird to work for people who actually appreciate me and want to encourage me to move up through a company.

I explained to another employee that I'm exhausted and defeated with where I work.  I wake up every day and dread going to my job.  I use to like what I did and where I work but after seeing how I was treated today, I know I made the right decision to look elsewhere.

Oh well, you know what they say... It's their LOSS!!!!!

On a positive note, I felt like I needed to reward myself with a pick-me-up gift so I finally decided to get the New iPad.  To be honest, I had a $300 gift card to Best Buy so in order to make me feel a little better, I decided to finally buy it and I have no idea how I ever lived without it!!!

Well tomorrow's a new day and hopefully it brings good news and new opportunities.

Seriously... When did I become a grown up?

I get that I graduated college, oh like 3 months ago, but does that mean I have to have a job already.  In an ideal world, I would love to be working a full-time job that provides me with benefits and paid vacation days, but lets face it; the economy sucks.  Every person I know seems to ask me "Do you have a job, yet?"  I really want to come back with a witty response and say, "Actually, it's by choice that I don't have a job right now!"   NEWSFLASH, people that don't have full-time jobs that utilize their degrees don't really want to be asked about their job searches.  It's so annoying, if I want to update people on my job search process I'll let you know.   Whatever happened to "hey how's it going?" or "how have you been?"  Nothing like angering the person your about to have a conversation with!

Literally every person I know has asked me what I'm doing.  Currently, I'm working nearly 40 hours a week at my retail job, so it's not like I'm sitting at home doing nothing all day.  But when you tell people you don't have a "real" job they assume you're doing nothing.

Yeah, working in retail is not my ideal career path but I'm trying to make it work and trying to figure out what my next move is if I am to stay in this field.


HERE'S SOME ADVICE:
STOP ASKING RECENT COLLEGE GRADS IF THEY HAVE A JOB!!!!!  IF WE DID, WE'D BE SCREAMING IT FROM THE ROOF TOPS.

As Christian Grey would say... these are shouty capitals.

quote from http://alittledashofash.blogspot.com/2011/10/just-saying-steve-jobs.html

My pandora bracelet

I figured I'd post something about my pandora bracelet because it's almost completely full.  Here's an overview of the bracelet.  As you can see I can probably fit one or two more charms on this bracelet but thanks to Pandora's most recent promotion I have another bracelet waiting in the wings once this one is finished.  

 Ok, so each one of these charms means something to me.  As with most charm bracelets they tell a story.  So the first bead is a chevron pink bead that I believe you can see better in another picture.  The second one on the left is a clasp that I got with the bracelet.  The third charm is a turtle.  The reason I got a turtle charm is because my grandmother, who passed away 2 years ago loved turtles.  She lived on the water and every year turtles would come up on her beach and lay their eggs.  Once they laid their eggs, she would mark where the eggs were laid and we would patiently wait for them to hatch.  Once they hatched she would make sure they would make it to the water but sometimes the turtles would get a little turned around and would wind up in her garden.  If that was the case she would keep it in a bucket and give me a call and I would come over and play with the turtle then eventually release them back into the water.  I have 2 heart spacers that fill the empty space, no great story there.  I have a V pendant for my first initial and last initial.  The next bead is from their most recent collection.  It a white bead with pink ribbons around it.  It's their newest breast cancer charm, which I got in honor of my grandmother, who conquered breast cancer twice before she passed.  The next charm is an owl, which is the only kind of bird I like.  I named the charm Earle, after the owl that lives in my neighbors tree.  The last charm you see in this picture is a cat with a little heart pendant.  Needless to say this charm represent my little tinks, who I love dearly.

I was having a little difficult photographing the bracelet in it's entirety so here are the charms broken up a little.  The dice charm I got in Atlantic City in Harrah's casino with my other grandmother, who loves to gamble.  After I bought this charm I won $50 on a slot machine.  The next charm is a sleeping cat which I got because of Tinks because she always sleeps on a pillow.  My mom bought me my next charm which is a present.  She wanted to buy me a charm that represented my christmas birthday so this was the one we chose because she said I was her best christmas present ever! The last charm is a baseball.  I absolutely love baseball, in particular the Yankees, so this is my charm for them!

The charm you can't really see is a stack of books with an owl in a graduation cap on the top of it.  I got this charm when I graduated college.  The third charm is a seashell with a starfish on it.  I got this because I consider myself a beach kid because I've lived right down the street my whole life.  The last charm here is my cupcake charm and I got it because i love cupcakes!!!

The theme of this bracelet was silver and pink.  I'm thinking my next bracelet will be black and white!!!

I Came, I Saw, I Shopped....

Well another week has come and gone and my shopping addiction lives on.  I figured maybe if I blog about how much I shop and posting what I bought these posts will some how curve my shopping addiction.  To my credit, I did go through my closet the other day and decided to get rid of all the pants I don't wear and decided to donate them to someone who could get more use out of them.  I'm also starting to transition my closet from summer clothing to fall clothing, which is depressing.  I'm not quite ready to take all of my neon items out of my closet at this time so you may catch me wearing my neon hot pink pants sometime soon.  I'm thinking come October, I might need to put the neon pink broken in khakis away until spring...

Ok so on to the good stuff, the things I bought in the past couple of weeks:

Infinity scarves are my favorite fall/winter accessory.  I don't normally wear them casually but I'm hoping to use these two to help dress up a plain outfit.

Silver scarf from Express (Left) and sea foam green one from Nordstrom BP

 Chevron, Chevron, and more chevron.  I have a slight obsession where I buy everything that has a chevron print on it.  As you can kind of see I bought 3 chevron pieces all in the black/grey family.  The first dress is a Nine West dress that I got from Marshalls for $29.   It has 3/4 sleeves and is so cute on.  The next dress is a black sleeveless dress with a chevron print going down the middle of the front of the dress.  My favorite piece is the chevron shirt I got from Nordstrom (not entirely sure of the brand but it was included in the Anniversary sale!)

 Polka dots.... not just for little children and Dalmatians.  The polka dot shirt on the left is from the same designer as the chevron shirt from Nordstrom.  It has little white and sea foam green polka dots all over it.  The next sweater is from Old Navy and I can't wait to pair it with some colorful jeans.  It'a an off white color with black polka dots all over.  I love it because it's 3/4 sleeves which is my personal favorite because I have a weird phobia of long sleeves.

Polka dot shirt from Nordstom (left) polka dot sweater from Old Navy.

 As I mentioned before I can't wait to wear some fun colored jeans.  I have a slight obsession with neons so I can't wait to carry over some of the fun colors into the Fall.  The turquoise pair is a jean material but the other two are corduroy chords wich are not my normal style but these fun colors make them a little more me!

Indigo and Magenta chords from the Gap Outlet and Turquoise jeans from Old Navy

 Sweaters, my fall staple.  I love really comfy sweaters for the fall.  The one on the right is an oatmeal and navy stripped wrap sweater which I picked up from Marshalls for a great price.  It has a super cute hood which I can't wait to rock once it gets a little cooler here.  I'm thinking of pairing it with some dark denim and a pair of chestnut riding boots!  The sweater on the right is from the Gap and I think I got it for like $6 (it was more expensive but there sale was an additional 50% off.)  I love the color blocking of this sweater so I can't wait to wear this too with some chestnut boots!

 I'm a firm believer that if something looks nice on, buy it in every color.  Case in point the next two photos.  The first shirt is a cute oxford type shirt from Old Navy.  I originally got it in the pink and navy combo but I loved how it looked so I decided to get it in the rusty yellow color.  These shirts are very versatile because you can dress it up or dress it down.

These shirts are from Marshalls and I bought the blue one first because I don't really have any blue in my wardrobe but when my mom saw this shirt she was generous enough to buy me the grey version too.  These are a cute animal print style shirt with a neck tie bow thing  They are from Michael Kors and I think were $39 but they are made beautifully and I know I will get a lot of use out of these shirts.

Shirts from The Loft, guilted into buying because it was 40% off

My two purchases from today.  I originally saw these magenta broken in khakis from the Gap a few weeks ago but they were full price.  Today, I stopped by the Gap and they were on sale for $25 and an additional 30% off.  I have about 4 other pairs of these broken in khakis and I love the fit of them.  I seriously have to hold back from buying them in every single color but these are nice because they are a little less neon and perfectly acceptable to be worn in the fall.  The next shirt is a white and blue polka dot oxford shirt from the Gap.  I've been looking for things to pair with my new navy pencil skirt and this shirt is perfect.  I don't like dress shirts because I have a hard time finding ones that fit my chest but this one was a perfect fit and I'm considering buying it in every color, which is probably overkill.


Ok, after seeing all of these items I realize I do have a shopping problem however these were what I purchased over the last couple of weeks.  I'm trying to buy things that I can help build a professional wardrobe while still having fun clothing that I can wear for fun.  To my credit I did get rid of a lot of things and donated them and I'm in the process of losing weight so I can justify buying new clothing!

Until my next shopping spree.....

Never Forget... 9-11-2001

Today marks the 11th anniversary of 9/11.  With traumatic experiences we tend to remember exactly where we were on the day in question.  For me, I was in 6th grade.  I can remember kids being called to the main office and asked to gather their stuff because their parents were there to take them home.  It was alarming because by the end of the day there were only a few people left in school by the end of the day.  I went to a very small school but the hallways were never quiet except for this day.  I remember walking down the hallways to go to the bathroom and seeing a bunch of teachers huddled together crying.  I had no idea what was going on.  I was finally in my math class with Mrs. Stig.  She was called out into the hallway and when she returned she mentioned that if any of our parents worked in the city and we couldn't reach them that we needed to call the school right away and someone would pick us up.  Looking back at that I'm shocked that the school didn't feel that we should know what was going on.  We later found out that the elementary school actually found out what happened but how could they comprehend what was happening.  I remember getting home and seeing the planes hit the building over and over on every single channel.  I remember calling my mom and just crying because I didn't understand what was happening.  My mom told me to turn the TV off and put a movie on because I shouldn't be watching this.  My poor mother did not know what to do in this situation. I remember being mad at her because she didn't come pick me up from school but my moms a nurse and she couldn't leave because some of the injured people were being boated over to her hospital for care.  While watching the replay of what was happening it was the first time I can remember realizing that there were evil people out there that were capable of killing innocent people.

Later when I was a junior in high school I had a student teacher who told me that while she was teaching in St. Louis the children didn't even know what happened on September 11.  They watched the news cast from the day and thought it was a movie.  I was shocked, maybe it affected me a little more because where I live is directly across the water from lower Manhattan but this was a major event in our countries history.  As I'm writing this I'm watching the news coverage from the memorial and can't help but feel sympathy for all the families that lost someone that day.  Although, I did not know someone that perished on 9/11, I remember the sense of community the country felt after these events.  We need to band together as a nation and support each other and NEVER FORGET those who have lost their lives on 9/11 or fighting for our country.

Surfing for Autism Awareness

Hello all!!!

I just got back from an amazing day of volunteering with the Autism Family Services of New Jersey (AFSNJ) at their 8th annual Beach Bash.  The Beach Bash partners with Surfers Healing, a non-profit organization that seeks to enrich the lives of people living with autism by exposing them to the unique experience of surfing.  Founded by Izzie and Danielle Paskowitz, Surfer's Healing provides children with Autism the opportunity to enjoy something that maybe they wouldn't normally get to do.   

Now, AFSNJ's Beach Bash is a day for the whole family to enjoy.  Vendors from various organizations setup tents and share with the families the many great services they provide for the Autism community.  I had never volunteered for the Beach Bash before but I had heard so many wonderful things about the event that I just had to work it this year!  I am so glad I was given the opportunity to watch this fantastic event.  I was amazed at how patient and caring the surfers from Surfers Healing were.  Many of these guys come from California and are professional surfers who volunteer their time to work with these children.  Not only are they surfers but they are activist who believe that Autistic children have the same right to do what every other kid is doing.  Many of these children are a little hesitant at first but with the coaxing of the surfers each one of kids leaves the water with a huge smile on their faces.   What truly shocked me is these surfers are able to balance on the boards and lift children up and have them stand on the board as well (which I don't think I'd be able to do).  
Here's a video from a different Surfers Healing event from California that truly captures what an amazing event this is!    

I don't want to tell you what to do but I think everyone should please consider donating to this OUTSTANDING cause.  The Surfers Healing events are completely FREE for the children and with 
contributions from generous donors Surfers Healing can provide more surf camps each year. Here's the link to the organization if you want to get a little more information or if you would like to donate to them! http://www.surfershealing.org/index.html

Check out this link for a great clip on Izzy and his family: http://paskowitz.com/

Now here are a few of the pictures that I took from my phone... I was busy volunteering so I didn't get to take as many photos as I would have liked though.  

Early morning surf session for some of the surfers

Some of the Surfers Healing Surfers

Some children out surfing

Am I Insane... Insanity Day 1 and 2

Well I've decided to jump on the crazy workout bandwagon and "try" Insanity (keyword:TRY).  Umm... holy hell these workouts are hard but you immediately feel the results.  I instantly felt my core muscles tightening and my leg muscles strengthening.  For someone who doesn't have a lot of time to go to the gym or needs a set of guided workouts these are perfect.  What I love about these workouts is that there is a 2 month schedule that tells you exactly which workout you need to do that day.  I'm someone who will workout more if I don't have to guess what to do.  By all means this workout is not something that is easy... in fact the people in the workouts need to take breaks because it is that intense.  Don't feel guilty if you can't do the workout in it's entirety.  What Shaun T tells you is to take a break if you feel like you are sacrificing form.  

I'm hoping that after the 60 days of insanity I'll walk away with a slightly better body and an appreciation for this boot camp style workout.  I know these workouts won't be completely beneficial if I don't change my eating habits.

Wish me luck because I'm going to need it!!!!

Labor Day Shopping

Hello Everyone...

I hope everyone is enjoying your final week of summer, I certainly can't wait for school to start (not for me obviously) but for everyone else.  Work has been ridiculously busy with back to school shoppers.  Today I decided to run to the mall to visit Old Navy for their Friends and Family event.  I didn't do so well there but I did do AMAZING at the Gap.  The Gap's clearance was an addition 50% the lowest ticketed price.  I think I got 7 things for under $50 (not too shabby).  I wanted to get this pair of pants but my mother didn't think they were too practical.

Gap's Slim Fit Crop

These pants are absolutely gorgeous but again not exactly Fall weather friendly or practical.  Keeping up with the Gap brands, Banana Republic had amazing clearance finds as well.  Banana has a promotion going on where you either get 30% or 40% your entire purchase.  I got an adorable lace peplum blouse for $9.75 (umm are you kidding me???).  I also FINALLY found the navy pencil skirt I was looking for $23.09.  I was willing to splurge on a navy pencil skirt but this one is absolutely stunning and perfect!!! For $9 I got the same pencil skirt in a nice tan color.

Lace Peplum from Banana

Even Express had a pretty good sale going on with 30% off everything for women.  I only bought an infinity scarf but they had some cute things if you're looking for a good sale.

I love everything I got and didn't really spend a lot of money.  Overall, I'd say it was a successful shopping trip!