Wanderlust

I'm not sure whether it's the time of year (read: I'm sick of snow) or just the fact that school is starting to pile up, but lately I've been really jonesing for a vacation. I'm not usually a huge beach fan. The sand gets everywhere, I burn really easily and I get bored just lying there. But for some reason, a beach sounds particularly good right now. Especially if there's a cabana boy to bring me frozen cocktails. But I digress. One of the beaches I'm dying to go back to and others that I can't wait to visit:

One // Hawaii

Junior year of high school, I traveled with some of my best friends to Honolulu for a band trip. It was seriously one of the best weeks of my life filled with laughter, beautiful sunsets and amazing memories. I cannot wait to go back one day and soak up that Hawaiian sunshine again.

Sunset from Waikiki Beach

View from the top of Diamond Head

From left, my friends Kristin, Katie, me and Julianne before we went snorkeling

Two // Los Angeles

One of my best friends from high school, Arianna, lives in Los Angeles and I visited her briefly (aka for about an hour) last summer before I left for my Contiki trip. I really want to go back and just lie on the beach for days. And squeeze in some shopping, of course!

Malibu (source)

Three // New Zealand

New Zealand was never on my list until I met so many Kiwis on my Contiki trip this summer! Now it's pretty close to the top. From the gorgeous beaches to the lush landscape, there seems to be so much to see there. Can't wait to show NZ some love and visit ASAP!

Piha Beach, Auckland (source)

Four // Australia

The Land Down Under is also high on my list after meeting so many amazing Australians this summer. I was surprised that many of them live incredibly close to the beach and it made me tremendously jealous. Although that proximity would probably make getting work done even more difficult! I'm especially jealous that it is summer down there right now. 

Adelaide (source)

Five // Greece

To be honest, Greece is always the country that is at the top of my list to visit. I love Greek food, the beaches are gorgeous and the architecture is just beautiful. I want to save this one for a special trip but when I make it, I know it will be so worth the wait. That blue water? Breath-taking!

Zakynthos (source)

Mikonos (source)

If you could go on a vacation, where would you go?

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

I have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day. I love being able to eat copious amounts of chocolate without judgment. On the other hand, I'm not the biggest fan of being reminded that I'm single. Regardless, Valentine's Day is a great reminder to share your love with others. Plus, considering pink is one of my favorite colors, it's fun to be able to wear it head to toe with no shame. Whether you need a gift for one of your best girlfriends, your mom or just want to treat yourself, below are some festive ideas that even cupid would approve.

One // For when you just need to smell a little bit special. Plus, this rose-colored bottle will look adorably chic on your vanity. // See by Chloe

Two // Show your couch a little "love" with this sweet pillow. // Levtex

Three // These dainty flats are the perfect accompaniment to any outfit. Even better? The blush color elongates your legs so you will look tall, tall, tall. // ModCloth

Four // This infinity scarf is covered in a fun rose-petal pattern which just might be the perfect substitute to an actual bouquet of roses. // Front Row Society

Five // What's more Valentine's than hearts and glitter? Answer: absolutely nothing! // Wildfox

Six // Show your best gal pal how much you care with a cute snapshot of the two of you. We are each other's true soulmates anyways, right? // ModCloth

Seven // This is the perfect dress for a fun Valentine's date. Nothing is cuter and shows your confidence more than a little red dress. // Francesca's

Eight // Everyone "hearts" their iPhone. Show your technology how much you care this Valentine's Day. // Francesca's

Nine // This structured bag is the perfect crossbody. Plus the coral color will look great for spring. // Coach

Ten // A pop of pink for your watch? Yes please! // Michael Kors

Eleven // Finish off an outfit with an adorable pair of simple studs in a peach shade. // BaubleBar

Do you have any exciting plans for Valentine's Day?

Wear-to-Work Boots

Hands down, my favorite winter trend are boots. They are especially great to wear to work with tights or when the weather gets warmer, with bare legs. They look cute with skirts or dresses or even under slacks. Whether they are casual, (like the fun buckles on #6) dressy (I'm looking at you, #5) or super functional (right, #3?), boots are the perfect staple in any work wardrobe. Just make sure you keep them clean - white salt marks aren't very professional - and pick styles that are sleek. Now your biggest decision is brown or black. Lucky for you I rounded up three of each.

Brown // 1 // 2 // 3 

Black // 4 // 5 // 6

What are your favorite boots to wear to work?

January Favorites

These posts are easily becoming my absolute favorite to write. I love reflecting on the month and remembering my favorite things. It's always interesting to see what stood out the most and I can't wait to look back on these posts to see what my favorites were at a particular point in time. Without further ado, let's kick off 2014 with my favorites from January.

Casual // I never thought that I would long for the day when I only have to wear one pair of pants. But here I am. It has been freezing lately which in my book definitely necessitates leggings under jeans. Seriously these things keep you so warm! Plus, they are great to work out in. But really, who is working out in this weather anyways? // Underarmour Leggings

Fun // It's Juan-uary! This is definitely my guilty pleasure and my roommate, Carmen, and I have a standing date Monday night at 8 p.m. to watch together. I'm still not convinced whether I like Juan as the Bachelor, but regardless, the ensuing drama (not to mention the tears!) keeps me coming back each week. // The Bachelor

Beauty // This is super boring, but has really been a necessity this month. My hands and face have been super dry in January, and no surprise there because the winter wind really zaps everything of moisture. I don't think I need fancy face cream, so I've just been using Cetaphil, and it does the trick just fine! I slather it on a couple of minutes before I put on my BB cream and powder (usually when I am doing my eye make-up) so that it dries enough that I'm not greasy. // Cetaphil

Professional // I know I've blogged about these shoes before because they really are the perfect flat. I already have them in red, but they are just so comfy and simple that I had to invest in a black pair. Because I have huge feet, I couldn't find them at Nordstrom but then snagged them at the Sam Edelman store in SoHo a couple weeks ago. The store was amazing and I was so happy they had them in my size. Plus I felt a little bit like Carrie Bradshaw buying shoes in New York City. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?! // Sam Edelman Felicia Flat

Wildcard // These are seriously delicious! I discovered them at the little convenience store on campus and they have easily become my favorite breakfast. The combination of cocoa roasted almonds, granola, mini marshmallows and honey-roasted peanuts is the perfect sweet treat in the morning. And they are easy to toss in your bag to eat on the run. Also, because they have almonds in them I can convince myself that they are a tad bit healthy, right? // Emerald S'mores Nut Mix

PR Advice // One of the most stressful parts of applying for internships and jobs is compiling your portfolio. I never know what to include and I'm constantly paranoid that there is a grammar or spelling mistake in there that I inevitably missed. If you are putting together your portfolio, check out these tips to make sure that your work shines! // PR portfolios: Putting your best work forward in the new year

Book // So being back at school has really put a damper on my reading time. This month I'm including a favorite that I really want to read. People have raved about this book and I really want to give it a try when I get a chance. I know they're turning it into a movie soon and I want to make sure that I read the book first. If anyone has read this one already, let me know what you think! // The Book Thief

What things got you through January?

The Last Bite

I'm going to take a brief break from my typical fashion and public relations posts and talk about something very near and dear to my heart, FOOD! A couple of weekends ago, I traveled with the Media Living-Learning Community to New York City for a networking trip. While we were there, we had many journalism events planned, including tours of the Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated and MSNBC. But the free time we did have basically all revolved around food for my roommate and me. No surprise there, huh?

I love, love, LOVE New York City. I've visited a few times before and fell in love with the energetic atmosphere, the gorgeous sites and of course, the food! The last couple times I went, I even took a few food tours and those were seriously the best thing ever. It's so much fun to sample the different restaurants while also seeing different neighborhoods. I would highly recommend the one in Greenwich Village!

This trip, I had a few old favorites and new places I wanted to hit up. While dragging my roommate around to all these different restaurants, she pointed out that at the end of a meal I always pause and leave just one last bite on my plate for a while until I finally finish it. I never knew I did this but the more she pointed this out, the more I found myself doing it again and again. I think I do this because I usually don't want the meal to end and really want to savor the last bite of food before it's gone. So here's a round-up of all of my "last bites" in New York City. Bon appetite!

Nizza // This Italian restaurant is an old favorite for my roommate and me. I first went there three years ago and recommended my roommate try it when she visited. Suffice it to say, she fell in love with it as well! My favorite dish is the pappardelle al pesto aka wide noodles slathered in creamy pesto sauce aka HEAVEN! Basil is like catnip to me so pesto just makes me deliriously happy. Because this was our first meal after we got off a 15-hour bus ride, I devoured the whole plate. It was a lot richer than I remember it being last time. If (more likely, when) I go back, I would probably split this dish with someone else as the creamy sauce is a tad too heavy if you eat the whole thing on your own.

Serendipity 3 // Ok, so this is admittedly super touristy, but Serendipity has been on my list every time I go to NYC. The line is always hours long and my family often doesn't have the patience to wait. But because this was a must-do, my roommate and I invested the time in waiting for the delicious frozen hot chocolate. And let me tell you, the hour and a half wait was well worth it! I wasn't sure what frozen hot chocolate would be like, but it tastes just like it sounds. It's not smooth like a milk shake and tastes just like hot chocolate but with icy pieces in it sort of like a slushie. As if you need any more convincing, check out all that whipped cream!

Dominique Ansel Bakery // When I first heard about the cronut (a hybrid between a croissant and a donut) from a few of my favorite bloggers, I knew I had to try one! My roommate and I hit up the original cronut bakery owned by French pastry chef, Dominique Ansel. Unfortunately by the time we got there, all the cronuts were sold out for the day. Insider's tip: get there about an hour before the bakery opens to snag a cronut. They are often sold out within an hour of opening! Of course, I was able to bounce back with this delicious eclair. Yum!

Shake Shack // Burgers and fries and milk shakes, oh my! If I could live off only these three things I would be a happy woman (although I would also probably weigh 500 pounds). It was a must to stop by the Shake Shack in the theater district after seeing Avenue Q on Sunday night. The perfect end to a NYC night. I got a peanut butter milkshake and I just about died. So delicious! The burger was cooked to perfection and the crinkle-cut fries were just the right amount of salty to contrast the sweet milkshake. I'm getting hungry just typing this!

Pret a Manger // Ok, so this sandwich chain isn't really unique to New York but I just had to go! I first fell in love with Pret two summers ago when I lived in London. Practically everyone on my trip was obsessed with Pret and I would often get it multiple days in a row for lunch. Although in the States they don't have my favorite sandwich, the pesto mozzarella bloomer, they do have something very similar (surprise, surprise, it includes pesto!) that is actually toasted. The perfect warm fix on a chilly New York City afternoon.

Honorable mentions // We had an alumni dinner at Garlic New York Pizza Bar and the slices were so delicious! Huge, cheesy, gooey pizza goodness. The quintessential New York City slice. We also had lunch at Zucker's Bagels & Smoked Fish. If you go to New York, you have to get at least one bagel. Unlike any other bagel you've had. I got "The Tribeca" sandwich on an everything bagel. The sandwich was amazing and almost too big to bite into. Mmm, mmm, good!

I'm counting down the days until I can go back to New York. In the meantime, follow me on Instagram to keep up with everything I'm eating, wearing and seeing!

What are your favorite places to eat in New York?

Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break

This post is long overdue, as it is now the end of January. Seriously, when did that happen?! But earlier this month over winter break, I completed a brief, two-week internship (lovingly called a "winternship") with GT Universe. Even though I was only with the agency for a couple weeks, I learned a lot about multicultural marketing and really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues. See below for a full post on my experience, as originally seen on GT Universe's blog.

When I posted a link of the blog post on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago, one of my friends jokingly commented that both she and I have an inability to take breaks. Which, regrettably is very true. But the sad part is when I accepted the internship, I didn't even consider that by doing so I would be giving up days spent lumping and watching Netflix. It was just a no-brainer that I would accept the internship and expand my skill set. Hello, my name is Christine and I'm a workaholic.

I think a lot of college students are guilty of burning the candle at both ends. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the importance of taking time off and, you know, breathing every once and a while. But when the opportunity presents itself to grow, network and learn new things, you take it! No questions asked.

And while I could take a lesson in slowing down, working hard made me appreciate the free time that I did have. It was special to go out to dinner with my parents or spend time with friends, which made it that much more enjoyable when I did have a free moment.

The lesson here? Take advantages of opportunities when they present themselves and appreciate the breaks that you do have. But don't burn yourself out too much. Smile. Breathe. Relax. Oh, and I had a pretty awesome "winternship."

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My brief, two-week “winternship” at GT Universe soared beyond my possible expectations! Aeronautical puns aside, I had an amazing experience and was really immersed in every aspect, from helping at client events at Jewel-Osco to writing content for the re-launch of the agency website. 

When Tracy first offered me this internship, I was thrilled. But I wondered what I would be able to accomplish in two short weeks. At previous internships, after two weeks I had just learned what I would be doing at the agency. I didn’t know that I would get to contribute so much! There was never a dull moment and I loved it.

At GT Universe, I was truly a member of the team from the start. In fact, on my first day I got to sit in on a client call and visit a Jewel-Osco store to do a walk-through for an upcoming event! By the time my internship was over I had drafted pitch emails to garner vender participation in Jewel-Osco’s demo program, researched non-profit partners for upcoming events, developed an editorial calendar for GT Universe’s social media accounts and so much more!

Not only did I gain great professional experience, I also learned a lot about multicultural marketing in Chicago. There are so many different market segments in the city from Hispanic to African American to kosher. It was really interesting to learn how to target those different groups through various events or product offerings – things I had never thought of previously.

And on top of all this, I had a lot of fun (yes, you read that correctly!) at GT Universe. Everyone was so friendly and really cared about each other. Whether it was team lunches or car rides on the way to store visits or sharing cupcakes in our cubicles, I could tell that GT is a family and I felt welcomed from the very start!

(Last) First Day of School

I can't believe it's officially my (last) first day of school. Ever. I know these kind of posts are super cliche, but I just couldn't resist. For most seniors, their (last) first day of school was yesterday but because my yoga course was canceled, it's today.

Ever since I was younger, I always loved having a great first day of school outfit. It set the tone for how I wanted the year to go and I could switch up my personal style however I wanted. I can still remember some of my "first day" outfits.

One of the best ways to make an outfit pop, no matter what the day, is to accessorize. I love how a new necklace or earrings can really change up a look. I rounded up some of my favorite accessories that can switch up an outfit any day. And if you need any more inspiration, check out my #30DaysofJewels recap posts (here and here).

Belt // Scarf // Earrings // Ring // Watch (I'm rocking this today!) // Necklace

What did you wear on the first day of school?