A Week in Review... Interviews and New Jobs

Hello lovelies,

Well another interesting week has come and gone.  This week was filled with tons of highs and some lows, naturally.  This was my first official week at J. Crew and I absolutely love it there.  Sure, you probably think I'm on a new job high but I love the people I work with.  They're all super friendly (something I was missing at my other job) and actually want to work (which is shocking!!).  I'm still in the training phase so it's interesting to learn all the different aspects of the job, something I didn't get to do at my other job.  I actually like where I'm working which is a feeling I haven't felt in awhile, so it's very refreshing.

Now onto the big interview!!!!  Today, I had an interview at the organization I use to intern at.  I was excited for the interview until I had to actually go because then naturally my nerves kicked in.  I feel really comfortable at the organization and love the people I worked with but I'm afraid that my lack of experience may hold me back compared to the other applicants.  I believe the interview went well but there were definitely times where looking back I wished I said something different.  It was extremely intimidating to interview with the Executive Director of the organization, someone who is so influential and has done so much.  He had some tough question but he seemed to like some of my answers.  I hope that my past work with the organization will speak for itself and help me stand out compared to the other applicants.  Well, unfortunately we shall have to wait and see what happens?

Now for some inspiring quotes that I stumbled upon on pinterest......

Is it sad to admit that I kinda want a big girl job so I can dress up everyday and post pictures of my outfits on here?  Plus, a new big girl job means a new big girl wardrobe, which of course I'll post on here! I think it's a win win for everyone!

Shopping like it's going out of style

Well, in my last post I mentioned that I was going to post what I've bought and here it is.  Keep in mind with a new job comes the need for a new wardrobe.  I love, love, love to shop so any excuse to shop is always welcomed, even if I don't actually need any new clothes.

This lovely navy stripped dress is from Gap (surprise!!!).  I originally had passed on this dress because I liked it but I didn't LOVE it, however I kept thinking about this dress.  I would find my self day dreaming about how I would style it, so I figured I had to go back and purchase it.

                        

This next dress looks terrible on the hanger but it looks super cute on (I'll be sure to take a picture the next time I wear this).  Below is a lovely chunky sweater from Gap which is a great way to transition the neon trend into the fall.  

 The next few things are what I bought to be compliant with my new dress code at my new job!  I bought a simple basic sequin tank that I plan on layering with a blazer or cardigan.

 A super cute long v-neck cardigan which I think will look cute with an oxford under neath it.

 Speaking of oxfords here are a few I picked up from Banana, Old Navy and J.Crew.

Banana Oxford

J. Crew Oxford

Old Navy

Banana

Love this beaded bib collared tank from The Loft.  I want to try and pair this with cable sweater or a simple crew neck sweater so that beaded bib can hang out. 

 My favorite purchase of the last week has been these gold Cece flats from J.Crew.  I've wanted these forever and when they went on sale I knew I had to go get them.  So far they've been super comfortable and I actually want to get a few more pairs of this shoe!

Cheetah pencil skirt that I plan to wear to work this Saturday. 

 In case you wondering, that is in fact a Derek Jeter cardboard cut out that I have rocking a tutu behind my closet door.   I love Derek Jeter and mean no disrespect to him but a scary life size cutout can frighten you in the middle of the night, so the tutu makes it a little less threatening.

On another note, I decided to reorganize my closet by switching the placement of my pants and my shirts.  Not sure if I like this better then how I had to originally but we'll try it out for a little.

How I originally had it

New way

I'm leaning towards changing it back to the original way but in my defense I did buy a lot more clothes so that's why it looks a little messy the new way! Oh well... more time to reorganize my life and closet!

A Week in Review.... Jeter, shopping, and a NEW JOB

I feel like I should start this post with the depressing news that has upset my week: Derek Jeter has fractured his left ankle and will be out for the rest of the post season.  Derek Jeter is my all time favorite athlete and I am literally on the verge of tears every time I see the replay of him falling to the ground.  No one wants to see their favorite player injured let alone him withering in pain on the ground.  As Joe Girardi stated Derek Jeter is one of those players that even if he's injured he insists that he can still play. To see someone on the ground and not getting up you had to know that it was a major injury.  I'm praying for a speedy recovery for you Jeter but if you need anything I'm only a phone call away!!!!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Derek Jeter from some of the games I've been to:

Jeter from his rehab stint with the Trenton Thunder last year

Not my picture but it was the background of my phone for awhile... how ugly is that uniform?

In a more positive twist I finally had my last day at the Gap on Saturday and started my new job at J.Crew yesterday.  I probably had one of my worst days at the Gap but I didn't mind because I knew that it was my last day (thankfully).  On the other hand working at J.Crew was a complete change and I actually enjoyed working there.  I went shopping today there so I'll be sure to update you on what I purchased on my next post because I got a few things from the Gap in the last couple of days and bought a few things to J.Crew up my wardrobe.  I'm also trying to transition my wardrobe into Fall weather and am going to be putting away my summer clothes.  Whenever I do this kind of cleaning it's always a process that spans a couple of days.  I'm thinking of rearranging my room which could be a process in and of itself.

Until next time.....

Boston

Hello Lovelies....

I just finished uploading my pictures from my weekend in Boston and I figured I'd write a post about all the fun I had.  Now, as a Yankee fan I never thought I would ever like the city of Boston.  I was brought up thinking "Boston fans are the worst" and everything from Boston is "evil."  Unfortunately or maybe fortunately I know love BOSTON as in I kinda sorta want to move there.

So on Friday, my friend Amy and I flew to Boston from New Jersey.  I know a few of you may wonder why we chose to fly. Well, if you had the option of flying roundtrip for $120 and getting there in under an hour, driving for 5 hours paying for gas, tolls, and parking, or taking a 6 hour train ride.  Seems pretty easy right.  We flew JetBlue and thankfully we had an absolutely gorgeous pilot.  In a moment of bad judgement I tweeted JetBlue and got a lovely retweet with a creepy winking face.

So once we checked into our lovely hotel, The Boston Marriott Long Wharf we set out to discover Harvard.  Unfortunately, we missed the guided tour of the university but we did pay $2 to get a guided map of the university.  I don't know what I was expecting but Harvard was not as prestigious as I was expecting.  Don't get me wrong, it has a beautiful campus but I was expecting more.  After wondering around Harvard for a few hours we decided to head over to Fenway Park.  Like I mentioned above I am a die hard Yankee fan and never imagined I would want to tour Fenway Park.  Being that this year marks the 100 year anniversary of the park I figured it was an appropriate time to visit and I'm glad I did.

You probably can't see it but on the scoreboard it said "Kelly and Craig save the date 11-9-13"

The Yankee fan in me LOVED this sign

 After spending the day in Cambridge and at Fenway Park we decided to head back to our hotel and rest for a little.  After resting we decided to head to the "Little Italy" of Boston in the North End.  This strip of restaurants are all amazing.  It's really difficult to decide which one to actually go to.  We had a recommendation to go to one restaurant but when we got there we couldn't even decipher the menu so we decided to walk around.  Eventually we settled on this great restaurant that was packed.  The food was delicious and honestly I don't think there would have been a bad restaurant on that road.  After dinner we headed to Mike's a famous pastry shop.  Mike's is known for their cannolis but we decided to get their cupcakes.  I'm really boring when it comes to cupcakes but this vanilla cupcake was delicious.  We actually went to Sweet's cupcakes on Sunday and it was good but not as good as Mike's.

 On Saturday we started our day going on a Segway tour.  We decided to do the 2 hour tour with Boston by Segway.   Our tour guide Jay Arr was funny, he randomly would play music over the walkie talkie we had to wear and I'll admit it I danced occasionally.  We saw so many great sites and it was a lot of fun.  Although, my only complaint with the tour was that our captain would some times lead us into oncoming traffic.  Now being from Jersey I am use to bad drivers but Massachusetts drivers are in a class of their own.

After Segwaying we went to eat at the Barking Crab.  Now from the looks of the restaurant it wasn't too impressive but the place was packed.  The food was really good and it was a great atmosphere.  After eating we decided to head back to the Back Bay area of Boston.  This is home to Newbury Street which hosts all the expensive stores ever made also where Tom Brady lives.  This trip was filled with a lot of window shopping because frankly I couldn't afford anything on this street.

Other highlights from the trip include touching a stingray at the New England aquarium and seeing the cute little blue penguins.  

cutest little penguin I've ever seen

 Never in a million years would I ever want to admit that I'd love to live in Boston but I actually could see myself living there.  It's not too big of a city yet it does offer a diverse amount of people and experiences.  Who knows maybe in a few years I'll be blogging from Boston!!!!

Packing for BOSTON!!!!

Hello lovelies....

How has everyone been.  I'm taking a break from posting about all the things I've been buying (and let's face it, there's been a lot) to post about what I'm packing for my trip to Boston this weekend.  Now, I've never been to Boston before, mostly because I have a strong hate for the sports fans that reside there (I'm talking to you Red Sox fans)!!! However, I'm writing this post while watching the Yankees annihilate the Red Soxs and clinch the American League East championship and figured what better way to pack.

So onto packing.  This was a issue for me.  I am a self proclaimed over packer.  I pack things and then don't ever want to wear what I pack so obviously I need options.  I will be in Boston from Friday to Sunday so normal people don't need to pack a lot but I'm anything but normal.  This is also my first experience of packing a bag and carrying it on the plane without checking it.

The packed bag... which I swear looks bigger then any carry on I've ever seen.

My super cute luggage tag from Paper Source

An overview of the finished bag

As you can see I have my makeup bag right on top with a head band and a silver sparkly scarf from Express on top of my suitcase.

 The bottom layer of my suitcase consists of my shoes and pants.  The top left pair of jeans is a pair of boyfriend capris from Gap, a pair of black skinny jeans from Urban Outfitters, and pair of black workout pants from Gap, and my lovely navy and white polka dot Gap pants.  On the right side I have a pair of sneakers and belt and some tan ballet flats from Banana Republic (oh and some colorful socks).

The next layer are my tops and pajamas.  On the left hand side I have my leopard oxford from Gap, my loft blouse, a cream peplum tank from Banana, a cream polka dot sweater from Banana, and a black and white cardigan.  I'm not really sure what the weather is going to be like so I wanted to bring a lot of pieces that I could layer.  On the right hand side I have my owl pajamas from target, a plain blue shirt from Gap, a baseball tee, a pink burnout tee, and a black sweatshirt.  

Overall, I don't think I went too overboard but I'm sure I'm bringing a lot more then I actually need.  

In addition to these clothing, I'm wearing a pair of chestnut riding boots and a cream sweater to the airport.  I've also packed my windbreaker in my other carry on.  That bag has my umbrella, iPad, camera, purse, and wallet in there.  

I can't wait to go to Boston.... I'll try to update this blog on Sunday with what I did while there!

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.