Falling for Stripes on Plaid

One of the best parts about fall is the innate ability that it gives you to layer and flexibly change your outfit as the weather changes throughout the day. Sometimes this can be a hassle figuring out what to wear in the morning, but it’s always fun figuring out how to mix and match the seemingly mismatched items in your closet.

    Button Down Altar’d State Oversize Hi-Lo Plaid Shirt  |  Dress Altar’d State Striped Tunic  |  Booties JustFab Lace-Up Blue Booties  |  Purse Tory Burch Clutch to Crossbody 

This look is my go-to for a casual day of running errands during a day when the weather can be quite unpredictable. I love how easy it is to tie a flannel around your waist with just about any outfit these days!

The mixing of these two patterns give this a gurney-vibe that has been really effortless and in style for this season. I love this dress and it’s funky take on a basic black and white stripe (not to mention, it’s on super sale!)

I believe that everyone needs a staple flannel in their closet for running around or sitting by the fire. There is nothing cozier than a flannel that’s 2 sizes too big. These from L.L. Bean are absolutely classic.

Booties are essential in practically every color for fall. I have the blue lace-up’s and my tradition cognac’s, but black is a must have for the cold weather. After a friend of mine bought these babies in black, I have been obsessing ever since. Michael Kors, you have outdone yourself. They go with everything.

This purse has been my go-to for the last…3 years? That’s crazy. Every girl needs a simple black purse that they can throw over their shoulder and run out the door with. Tory is queen of all things beautiful and simple, which is why I need this Robinson Adjustable.

I hope you enjoyed this look in on my life this week! I’ll see y’all soon.

xoxo Sassy Sarah

Autumn Tartans

Long time no see? Okay wow, I have been so neglectful of this blog recently. But, I am back! And now with a new partner in crime and photographer, Anna Kogoy. I am so thankful to have her to take pictures for this blog! She is an incredible photographer. Although, apparently I suck because I forgot to zip up my booties for this shoot. Oops. Also ignore my pale-ness.

Dress Altar’d State T-Shirt Dress |  Fur Vest American Eagle  |  Scarf Altar’d State Blanket Scarf  |  Booties Aldo Ankle Boots (the original suede booties that I bought are no longer available, but the ones I linked are even cuter!)

This is one of my most effortless looks for fall. I was so excited when the weather started cooling down because that means one of my favorite things…autumn is upon us!

If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m absolutely obsessed with autumn. Chunky sweaters, over the knee boots, warm drinks, it’s all so cozy to me. I am absolutely in love with blanket scarves for fall. Here’s a black and white scarf that is so wearable.

One thing that is essential for my fall looks is comfort, so of course I wouldn’t buy booties that are anything less than clouds on my feet. I have been absolutely lusting after these Jeffrey Campbell’s.

The more I settle into my college years, the more I realize that neutral colors are really the way to go. Hunter green is one of my favorites, and the t-shirt dress definitely goes along with my comfort rule (or buy this lookalike here for just $15!).

Obviously fur vests are always a must for fall and winter. I own 3, but that’ll just be our little secret (don’t tell my mom). The one pictured is sold out because I bought it more than a few years ago, but here’s a new and improved one that they have!

Thanks for stopping by, friends. I am so excited to be more active in my sassified life. See y’all soon!

xoxo Sassy Sarah

Fall Wishlist

Sandals Jeffrey Campbell Dola Sandals (or buy these lookalikes that I got here for just $16!)  |  Phone Case Flawless Aqua Faux Gold by Monika Shigel  |  Sunglasses Ray-Ban Blue Aviator Flash Lenses (check out Overstock for a discounted pair!) |  Eyeshadow Palette Lorac Pro Palette |  Purse Tory Burch Robinson Triple-zip Satchel

Long time no talk, friends! A lot has happened since my last post and I am so sorry to neglect the blog for a little bit. I got so excited and pumped about my list of 101 things in 1001 days (read it here) that I totally went off the grid for a little bit! I am proud to announce that I have been a vegan for almost an entire month now and I feel better than ever! On with the fashion!

So, with all this time off from the blog, I have been shamelessly lusting over a few pieces nonstop. I swear, I can’t even think straight without thinking about these items that I want so badly, it gets to be an issue for me at times.

So for the Jeffrey Campbell jeweled sandals, I really didn’t have that kind of money to spend so I went for an equally cute, more casual and less expensive pair from Missguided, one of my favorite new places to online shop! They have such unique pieces and I got a million compliments on the sandals when I wore them to work the other day!

The Monika Shigel phone case is absolutely me. I originally stumbled upon the pink version of the same case, but fell in love when I saw that they came out with one in aqua! Her cases are so glam and unique, I definitely see myself buying one in the near future. The aviators are also a must! Every time I think of or plan an outfit idea in my head, those blue flash lenses complete any outfit. Overstock here I come. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m loyal to my original Naked Palette for like 3 years strong, but I’m ready to invest in something a little different. The Lorac Pro Palette has been a beauty favorite for quite some time and I love that it offers a full row of matte colors as well as shimmer colors that bring different tones and hues that the Naked doesn’t necessarily offer. There’s something about the warmth in this palette that really attracts me to it, plus I’ve been wearing my eyeshadow almost the same exact way for 3 years now. It’s time to spice up ya life, Sarah (Spice Girls reference, anyone?)

Lastly, my beloved, beloved Tory Burch Robinson. I have wanted a Tory Burch purse for as long as I can remember and I have finally managed to hunt down the perfect one for me. As a broke college student, I have come up with a master plan to get this baby clutching to my arm. Now, the money I make at Altar’s State is actually all going towards my schooling. But I do quite a bit of work on the side (nannying, babysitting, dog sitting, housesitting, what can I say? I have a back for “sitting” all day long, lol). All of that money goes into a separate account for my personal use. My goal is to save up enough money to buy this bad boy by the end of the summer and I am so close to my goal! I have even been selling some items out of my closet! I know that if I work super hard to get this beauty, I will appreciate it more than anything and honestly, I will probably treat the thing like my child. Tory Burch offers 10% off on your first purchase so I’m pretty pumped that I’ll receive almost 50 dollars off! I’ll let y’all know when I have this pretty thang in my possession and I’m certain that you will never see me without it in tote.

As you can see, expensive taste is kind of like, my thing. But I’m super excited about becoming a responsible adult and figuring out ways to budget these pieces into my life. What do you think? Can I manage to save enough to score all of these by the end of the year? Lets do this, sassy friends.

xoxo Sassy Sarah

101 in 1001

I am so excited to share with you that today marks the very first day of my goal to achieve 101 things in 1001 days. I was inspired to do this challenge by Mackenzie Horan, the blogger in charge of Design Darling that I have followed and adored for quite some time. Check out her list here. This equals out to about 2.75 years if anyone was wondering so it kind of sets up my goals for the rest of my college career! Eeeep. It’s crazy that I will have accomplished all of these amazing things in that time! I know that if I stay determined and keep my eye on the prize I can do anything my heart sets out to do. I’ve dreamed up some incredible things that I may have never thought were possible before. Lately, I’ve realized that the world really is my oyster and I have to soak it up! So here’s my list of sassy goals. I’m ready to conquer.

101 in 1001

Personal

1. Reconnect with people from The Crossing Church

2. Donate anything I don’t wear for 6 months (went through closet June 30, 2015)

3. Go one month without shopping

4. Go 6 months as a full vegan (Start: June 8, 2015)

5. Reconnect with my high school field hockey team

6. Volunteer at least 25 times

7. Read 3 intellectually stimulating novels

8. Read at least 10 new books (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kaling, Second Chance Summer Morgan Matson, Twenty Boy Summer Sarah Ockler)

9. See 3 concerts

10. Go to bed at 10pm every night for two weeks

11. Wake up at 5 am every night for two weeks

12. Unplug completely for a day (no internet, tv, or phone)

13. Learn how to tie a tie

14. Fall in love with someone who makes me happy

15. Read for 30 minutes every night for one month

16. Donate blood at least 6 times

17. Donate plasma twice a week for a month

18. Read scripture once a week for 6 months

19. Join and become involved in the MAT club

20. Become Purchasing chair for AGD

21. Meet/introduce myself to all of Fall ’15

Professional

22. Establish credit

23. Buy my own domain for the blog

24. Get a nice camera for the blog

25. Get an internship in a big city

26. Study abroad for at least 3 weeks

27. Save $1000 in my own bank account

28. Get 3k shares on an article

29. Write for the Odyssey for at least a year

30. Move up in the Odyssey

St. Louis

31. Go to a Cardinals game

32. Go to a Blues game

33. Visit the top of the arch

34. Bring a friend from college home

35. Go to the Lemp Brewery

36. Try at least 5 new restaurants

37. Spend a day in Forest Park

Kentucky

38. Attend Oaks/The Kentucky Derby and wear a fancy hat

39. Go to the Louisville Zoo

40. Spend an evening in downtown Cincinatti

41. Go to Bobby Mackey’s

42. Ride a horse in the horse capital

43. Find a church that I love

44. Visit the historic spots in Lexington

45. Try at least 10 new restaurants

46. Visit Mammoth Cave

47. Go to Kings Island

Family/Friends

48. Plan a day/trip with my brothers

49. Crochet Hattie a baby blanket

50. Visit my grandparents graves

51. Mail care packages to my brothers

52. Send my mom flowers out of the blue

53. Go on an adventure with my dad

54. Get a really thoughtful gift for a family member

55. Paint a friend a special canvas just because

Fitness

56. Work out 5 days a week

57. Run a 5k

58. Run a 10k

59. Do a juice cleanse

60. Go to a hot yoga class again

61. Be caffeine-free for a year

62. Be soda free for a year

63. Take a self defense class

64. Go a week eating raw vegan

65. Drink 8 glasses of water everyday for a month

Travel

66. Travel to 2 new states

67. Travel to a new country

68. Visit Cape Cod

69. Get my mom to ride an airplane

70. Lean how to water ski

71. Visit Jackie in Chicago

72. Visit my brother in Colorado

73. Go on a trip with my mom and sister-in-law

74. Go on a relaxing trip with my friends

75. Attend New York Fashion Week

76. Have macaroons from Ladurée in New York City

77. Go to a vineyard

Just for Fun

78. Leave 100% tip for great service

79. Learn calligraphy

80. Go to a pottery studio

81. Go to a painting class with friends

82. See a play

83. Watch the sun rise

84. Acquire a signature drink

85. See a drive-in movie

86. Go to a Cards vs Cubs game

87. Send snail mail to 5 friends

88. Invest in a Tory Burch handbag

89. Dress up everyday for a week

90. Watch 10 French films

91. Get a massage

92. Host a brunch with mimosas

93. Spend an entire day reading

94. Go strawberry picking

95. Cook a meal for friends

96. Go to an outdoor market

97. Spend an entire day reading

98. Find 10 new artists/bands that I love

99. Watch 5 documentaries

100. Invest in a nice gold watch

101. Save $10 for each complete task

So let the adventure begin. I’m starting this grand list of tasks on June 8, 2015. I shall complete all 101 things by March 1, 2018! I can’t wait to get started!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain

xoxo Sassy Sarah

The Palm Leaf Trend

Good evening, sassy friends. I have been absolutely fan-girling over the palm leaf trend over the last couple of weeks. One of my co-workers at Altar’d State actually came into work wearing the cutest palm leaf romper I have ever seen. It’s just such a fun print for summer and I cannot wait to get my hands on a couple pieces for the season! Whether it’s called the palm leaf, the banana leaf, or just those bluish, green, leafy things everybody’s obsessed with lately, one thing is certain. It is beyond trendy. Today, I decided that I wanted to share with y’all a few of my favorite palm leaf pieces for summerThis is a look that I absolutely drooled over when I saw it. Annabelle Fleur of VivaLuxury styled this teal palm leaf smock perfectly with her white purse and contrasting pink and orange mirrored aviators (I am obsessed with these from Ray-Ban!) I was sad to discover that the dress is no longer in stock, but I did find an amazing new online boutique. Annabelle got this dress from Pixie Market, a kind of eclectic and edgy boutique with colorful pieces.

Carlos Swing Shorts from Show Me Your Mumu

These shorts are way cute. And I mean like, really cute. Right up there with Liam Hemsworth and a golden retriever puppy. Ever since SarahBelle93x, one of my favorite YouTubers and fellow Kentuckian (okay, I’m not really a Kentuckian, but I can pretend), started wearing all of these insanely adorable fashion pieces from Show Me Your Mumu, I have been absolutely in love. They are just so flowing and free and I can’t get enough. I’ll take 10 pairs in every pattern you’ve got please. Below are a few more pieces that I adore!

   

Sleeveless Romper Topshop Palm Print Notched Neck from Nordstrom  |  T-Shirt Dress Second Song Dress in Lilly Palm from Revolve Clothing  |  Romper Green Palm Leaf Asymmetrical Hem Romper (this one is only $28!)   |  Cosmetic Bag Milly Banana Leaf Cosmetic Case from Bloomingdale’s  |  Short Sleeve Formiga SS Sweater from Weekday  |  Shorts Wakeman Palm Green from Ivyrevel  |  iPhone Case Tropical Glam Banana Leaf Print from Society6

There were about a million other cute palm leaf things that I wanted to include, but for the sake of my readers, I figured I would keep it fairly short! I hope y’all appreciate this trend as much as I do. I often love this print when it is a little less realistic, the whole bluish take on is soon pretty to me. Anyways, stay tuned for another post from me soon! Au revoir mess petites amies.

xoxo Sassy Sarah

When I Brunch

I had the most delicious post-workout brunch today! I told myself that when summer started I would start better taking care of myself. Eating better, working out more often, the whole nine yards. Well as it turns out…almost a month has past and I really haven’t done those things. So I decided better now than never! I had a lovely morning, went to the gym with my roommate and came back to shower and make one of my favorite new meals! Avocado toast with egg. I figured this was a recipe that I should share because it’s simply too delicious not to. I got the original recipe from Laura in the Kitchen who has an amazing website and millions of YouTube videos showing you how to replicate her delicious dishes. Get the original recipe here! I decided to make my own version because I haven’t quite mastered the art of poaching an egg. Here’s my take below.

Ingredients:

-1 slice of the bread of your choice

-2 eggs

-half an avocado

-a few leaves of baby spinach

-2 tsp butter

-half a lemon

-2 tsp cilantro

-salt and pepper to taste

-Nonstick cooking spray

How to:

First, I go ahead and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I butter my bread and bake it in the oven for 8 minutes or until golden and crispy. I mash up my avocado and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the mixture (some people might think this is too much for half an avocado but I really like the lemony taste. Go ahead and adjust to your tastebuds!). Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and combine.

Beat your eggs into a bowl until the yolk is fully broken up. Spray your pan with nonstick cooking spray and set on medium-high heat. I slowly add the eggs to the pan and let them start to form for at least a minute before I touch them. Then, with a spatula of some sort, I start to move them around a bit before they form into somewhat of a scrambled egg. I prefer scrambling my eggs without milk because it saves on calories!

Obviously, when yours eggs and bread are both done, top your buttery bread with the avocado mixture! It is going to smell soon good, trust me. Then top it off with a few leaves of baby spinach and add my egg over that. This part can be tricky sometimes, especially if you scramble the egg too much. Try to keep the egg in one piece for the most part when preparing this dish. I like to top it off with a little bit of additional salt and pepper. I believe this dish is best served with some yummy fresh fruit! You could even add some hot sauce if you like the heat.

Brunch has never been better, and when you can have something that makes you feel as fancy as it looks from the comfort of your own home, how can you resist? I seriously love brunch and the best part of this meal is that it’s completely nutritious! I can guarantee that you will start to crave it around the 11 am hour every weekend! Happy brunching and stay tuned for my next post, sassy friends!

xoxo Sassy Sarah

What I’m Wearing: Makeup Edition

Foundation Benefit Bigger than BB Big Easy (mine is in Fair 01)  |  Foundation Urban Decay Naked Skin (I use shade 5.0 and often mix the two foundations!)  |  Concealer Boi-ing (again, I’m using 01)  |  Concealer Maracuja Creaseless  |  Bronzer Palette Urban Decay Naked Flushed (mine is in the shade Strip!)  |  Blush Stila Custom Color Blush Self-Adjusting Coral  |  Blush Nars Orgasm  |  Sponge Beauty Blender  (I am in desperate need of an upgrade and want one of the adorable micro minis for the under eye!)

Eyeshadow Palette Urban Decay Naked (I’ve had this forever and I really want to invest in the second one) |  Mini Palette Naked Basics  |  Eyeshadow  Primer Urban Decay Original Primer Potion  |  Eyebrow Powder E.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit (mine’s the light shade!)  |  Eyeliner E.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner (in love with Coffee and Copper!)  |  Mascara Estée Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting (surprisingly, I use black!)

Happy Monday, y’all! I am so excited for my very first “real” post on this blog! Today, I have been cooped up in my house due to the rainy weather that seems to be never ending. With little but Harry Potter and the Hunger Games to keep me entertained (lol), I have decided to share my current makeup products! These are the products that I’m trying out and I have really been loving them all!

I am not normally one to buy makeup a lot. Just because I don’t wear it everyday so it typically lasts me a pretty decent amount of time. After wearing Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream for lord knows how long, I finally decided to change it up a bit back in February. As much as my love continues to flourish for the CC cream, it is quite pricey and I wanted to try something a little more affordable that would be better for my  sensitive skin! I have absolutely loved using the Benefit Big Easy foundation because it’s liquid to powder finish completely eliminates the need for any sort of powder! One thing that I have been doing recently is mixing that with my Naked Skin foundation! I just so happened to buy the Big Easy in the midst of a pale streak and the Naked Skin when I was super tan (I don’t really know when that was…). For some reason, these two work really well together and give me a shade that is decently normal for a Kentucky summer.

I have been absolutely obsessing over blushes these past few weeks because, well, it’s spring! Eeeeeep! I’ve been wearing Nars Orgasm for as long as I can remember (I am coveting Gaiety for spring!) I am also in love with the Naked Flushed palettes because they are a three-in-one wonder. They come in four absolutely gorgeous color combinations, fully equipped with a bronzer, blush and stunning highlighters (this one is a must have for the season).

Most of my eye products are pretty much the same staples you see in most girls makeup collections. I’m fairly basic as it is, and my eyeshadow palettes enforce that even more. I’ve had the Naked Palette for a couple of years now, and I’m not sure that that Naked 2 or 3 would suit my fair skin and red hair! The Lorac Pro Palette has been on my wish list for quite some time now, so I’m really hoping I can get my hands on it sometime soon!

As far as mascara goes, I’ve been using the Estée Lauder one since my mom gave it to me. Growing up, I never thought I could wear black eye makeup after a mishap with a babysitter and a “fun” game of Extreme Makeover, but recently, I learned the tips and tricks of the trade for mascara and eyeliner and realized, if done right, I can actually pull it off! Yay for gingers wearing makeup!

Be sure to stay tuned, I’ve got lots of ideas coming your way and some of them might include some of my coveting looks for the spring or maybe even some of the delicious Pinterest meals I’ve been cooking’ up!

xoxo, Sassy Sarah

Welcome!

So as it appears, I am FINALLY fulfilling my dream of starting a blog! I’ve wanted this ever since I started becoming an avid reader of some of my absolute favorite blogs years ago. Shout out to Krista Robertson of Covering the Bases, ultimately she was the one who inspired me to go on this endeavor and is even the inspiration behind me going to school at the University of Kentucky. I have always loved the cohesiveness of style and color, so naturally blogging has always been an interest of mine. My main roadblock on this journey to start a blog was a lack of knowledge and resources. I had little I mean NO idea what I was doing, I’m still really struggling to figure out this whole blogging thing. After years of enviously and obsessively following these internet fashionistas and blogging gurus, I decided to put my all into this thing this summer and see what happens.

If you really want a laugh today, listen to this. The other day I got really tired of not having a blog, so I decided to take matters into my own hand and buy my own domain. So naturally, I went through Blue Host, which is a highly trusted, decently affordable hosting company for websites. I decided to go with the $5.95/month plan, figuring that I could at the very least spare 6 bucks for something I’m extremely passionate about. When I went to check out, it read that my debit card has insufficient funds. I thought this was a little weird because I knew there was at least $6 in my account (I am in college, being broke is not uncommon, but I had just checked!). I ignored it anyways and decided to go through PayPal. After completing my purchase I received notifications both on email through my computer and the PayPal app on my iPhone that read “Blue Host thanks you for you $321.60 purchase!” My jaw dropped. I have never been more scared in my life. Not only was my mom going to kill me, but she was probably think I was an actual idiot for spending that amount on a blog. Hence the selfie, it shows how much of a straight goon I am.

Long story short, I waited on hold with the company for about 15 minutes before tearfully explaining that I am a college student and could not afford to keep this blog. They were extremely understanding and helpful in getting me my refund, but I probably sounded insane. You’re probably wondering why this $5.95/month blog costed me $321.60. Well as the nice lady explained, for some reason I had been signed up for 36 months which was meant to pay on the spot and I had somehow added some sort of special features to my blog. Oh well, I’ve been refunded and it’s all over now. Crisis semi-avoided.

Anyways, I’m just proud of myself for getting this far on my blog! Hopefully some of y’all will end up liking enough to come back and visit me here on the blog. I plan on sharing my style, specifically outfits that I wear,  brands/pieces that I absolutely love, and maybe occasionally you’ll see a gourmet meal or two (by “gourmet” I mean Pinterest meals that I’ve been obsessively making since living on my own). Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo Sassy Sarah