Ready. Set. Glow.

Ready. Set. Glow.is a 5k I am organizing at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. It will be held during our Spring Fever week and will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The date is quickly approaching and I thought I would share a few details!

On April 12th starting at 8:30 p.m. our campus will be full of runners ready to take on our glow in the dark 5k route. Our runners are made up of men, women and juniors from the community and also ULM students! 

Last year we raised over $9,000 for St. Jude and this year our goal is to raise $16,000!! That is a large chunk of money that we are excited to give to such a great cause. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a place for children to seek treatment for life threatening illnesses. Families never pay St. Jude for anything while they are there seeking treatment. Louisiana is the second state, behind Tennessee, that sends the most children to St. Jude. 

Last spring we had our first ever 5k and it went over great! It was a color run that runners were thrilled to run in. The racers were blasted with colored powder while they raced through the course. We gave awards to the top ten racers in mens, womens and juniors. 

It takes a lot of work and many volunteers to create an event like this. I am so excited to see all of the runners and volunteers have a blast on April 12th! So Ready. Set. Glow...we are comin' for ya!

xoxo J

Boutique styles with Target price tags!

I am a huge fan of Target! Basically, the majority of my wardrobe comes from Target. The prices are affordable and all of the clothes are usually great quality. They even bring in designers to create special lines for the fashion forward women of today! One of my favorite sayings is "Don't dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want." Here are a few items that are boutique quality, but super affordable. 

AMBAR Ponte Leopard Print Dress, $34.99

labworks Zip Up Vest, $38.24

Merona Crepe Shift Dress, $24.99

Xhilaration Tribal Tank, $19.99

Xhilaration Soft Short, $17.99

Mossimo Supply Lakitia Sandals, $19.99

Whether you are headed to the office, to a meeting or spending the weekend outdoors Target has something for everyone. Don't forget the Target also has accessories including purses, jewelry, hats and scarves. Now let's go shopping!

xoxo J

HIMYM Memories

HIMYM or How I Met Your Mother has been apart of American television for nine incredible seasons. The sitcom has only two episodes left until the series finale. I would like to share my favorite episodes and a few series ending theories with y'all! 

I began watching this series quite late in the game. This past summer I spent most of a month watching the past 8 seasons. Throughout this time I fell in love with the characters. Lily's shopping habits and ways of teaching people to be nice. Robin's tomboy Canadian persona and her ability to drink scotch at anytime of day. Ted's lust for love and the way he pronounces encyclopedia. Marshall's sweet marshmallowy ways! And last but not least, Barney and his parade of expensive suits and endless shenanigans. 

So what are a few episodes I like to look back one? In season 5 episode 11 "Last Cigarette Ever" shows the gang trying to quit smoking. What makes this episode amazing is Lily's smoking voice. Enjoy! 

Another great moment in HIMYM was when the group opened the episode up by playing the theme song. 

Or recently when Lily made a friend named Linus!

Now for the theories on how the series will end! Some are wacky and some are plain out of this world. But will any of them become reality. 

The two main theories I have enjoyed reading about are that The Mother eventually dies and the theory that both Robin and Ted end up together. Now both are a bit out of the both but nevertheless they are both quite interesting. Why has Ted been storytelling to his children about their mom for such a long time? Could it be because their mother isn't alive anymore? The other theory is that if The Mother does die, that Ted will end up with Robin. Therefore he has been telling this long drawn out story to his children explaining why he ended up with their Aunt Robin. 

Two more episodes left to see if these theories pan out. Will you be watching?

xoxo J

Let's talk neutrals!

Louisiana is finally getting some spring weather! While we transition our wardrobes from winter to spring, I'd like to chat about something that has been on my mind...the new neutrals. 

What are you talking about?! Yes indeed! Two new neutrals have joined the family of navy, black, brown, beige and gray. Now not everyone will agree with me on the two new neutrals, but give them a chance. 

The two I am talking about are military green and cheetah! These two are all over fashion and aren't seeing a decline. They have made a place for themselves in almost any outfit. This is why I think we should consider them the new neutral. 

This is the exact jacket that I wear too many times a week! It is from Old Navy and around $50 regular price. The great thing about this color is that you can wear it with those other neutrals and give your outfit and edge. It can also be paired with feminine things to give you a bit of a rocker vibe. 

Seeing how the weather is getting a bit warmer this is always a great go to outerwear because it is a lot lighter than most jackets. And if you are from the south you know our weather can change almost instantly from cold to hot or vice versa. 

Oh cheetah print, how I adore you! This is the bag I bought myself for my birthday in January. It is actually furry! I call cheetah a neutral, because if I am going to wear this bag around for at least a good year it better be something I can pair with almost anything. 

This bag is by Antonio Melani and I found it on sale at Dillards for around $140 regular $300+, so it was cheap if you looked at the original price tag. ;)

The Cheetah Print Rule

The only thing that needs to be known with this new neutral is the cheetah print rule. The rule goes that if you are to wear cheetah print you may only wear ONE piece of cheetah print. Therefore my new bag is the only cheetah print I can wear. If I want to wear these crazy adorable loafers pictured below I would have to change my bag. 

Now I am not being crazy...most would agree with me. Too much of a good thing can go bad, right? The cheetah print rule is simple and there for a reason. Too much animal print and the others around you may start seeing cat like qualities coming out of you. Want to wear the shoes? Change the bag, it's not being high maintenance to do so. 

xoxo J 

Graduation is coming!

I am almost finished with my college degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Come May 10th I will no longer have exams, have to register for classes or spend so much money at Starbucks on campus. It is coming to an end pretty quickly. I wanted to take a moment and reflect on my favorite things about ULM and what I need to do before I cross the stage in May!

Other than the gorgeous campus there are a lot that ULM offers. One of my favorite things are the free planners given out at the beginning of the fall semester. Inside you can find 50 things to do while at ULM. I have marked through the ones I have accomplished, but the main one I am lacking is running through our campus's fountain!

Who wouldn't love to run through a fountain on a hot, humid Louisiana day! I will definitely have someone with a camera ready. It is a way to celebrate all the hard work put into getting your degree. 

The crazy, scary part about graduation is what comes next. I have no obligations to my previous life anymore. The four years spent in college was filled with part time jobs, internships and campus organizations. I will have so much free time now, but it will be focused on starting a successful career in communications. I put this last picture up to remind everyone of how cool Harbor High's graduation was in The OC!! Peace, Love and Lots of Laughs.

xoxo J

Oscar's Best and Worst Dressed!

As award season comes to a bittersweet end, it is time to gab! Gab about what? Fashion of course. My favorite awards is the Academy Awards. It is the most glamorous of them all! Another reason I love it the most is the fashion, great fashion you won't see again until the Met Gala Ball in May. Here are a few of my favorites and not-so-favorite looks from Sunday's Oscars. 

Who doesn't love Sarah Paulson A.K.A. Cordelia Goode from American Horror Story: Coven?! She, along with countless other beauts, strolled the red carpet in a nude-toned embellished gown.Hers is one of my favorites because of the sleeves and belted waistline. 

And though I am not a huge fan of one, Angelina Jolie, no one can attest to her being off her game. She always looks flawless and this gown truly compliments her natural beauty.

Just like Cate Blanchett's character in Blue Jasmine, she adorns this gown in a true socialite manner. Blanchett looks picturesque in this flowing gown which makes her look like a million bucks! Can you see a pattern of what I loved about the gowns this year! Embellishments, coverage, comfort and nude tones really did well for the women this year. 

Now for my not-so-favorite looks of the Oscars!

First off Margot Robbie...your hair!! Why in the world would you do away with your gorgeous blonde locks?! Not only do we see this new hair color but she paired it with this drab strapless number. With the addition of the dark lip, this look is just too dark and blah. It takes away from her fun personality. A very Wednesday Adam's look. I must give a hand to her amazing '50s style hollywood hairdo. 

Can we say prom night from 1996? This is another gown that should have stayed home from the Oscars. I love Penelope Cruz, but this dress seems too old for her. The colors seem a bit outdated and the sash-like draped sleeve isn't doing it for me. 

The picture says it all. She almost looks like something from Dr. Suess's The Lorax. This is just too much for the Oscars. Jennifer Garner did something similar to this, but in a much subdued and glamorous way. This feathered gown is sadly a flop. 

XOXO J

Stay classy San Diego!

It's that time of year again...journalism conference time! This year The Hawkeye is traveling to sunny San Diego for the ACP National College Journalism Conference. We are ready to compete with the best of the U.S. but we aren't quite packed just yet! The southern California drought has come to an end and our weekend will be filled with 60 degree weather and a whole lot of rain. 

I hate to say I am a last minute packer, but I am. However, I do pack light. So what am I suppose to pack for a cold and rainy weekend in San Diego? My answer is layers! Layering allows me to stay comfortable and cool inside the sessions and warm for night life. 

As far as shoes go flats are always key to traveling. I want to be able to pop them off while going through airport security and have a comfortable shoe while seeing the city. 

Finally, what are some items that are always in my carry on?! My Macbook is always with me. It is my baby and who would ever let their baby leave their side? I always bring my favorite Burt's Bees lip balm, since I always seem to have chapped lips when it's time to travel. A book is always a must no matter how long your flight is. I will have Divergent by Veronica Roth in my bag. Since the movie will release in March I want to get a heads up before seeing it on the big screen. 

Wish the team luck at our conference!! We hope to bring ULM many awards to add to the bunch. And as Ron Burgundy says, "Stay classy San Diego!"

XOXO J