Jewelry uniform.

The amount of sales going on right now is absolutely nuts. My favorite? The Nordstrom anniversary sale! There are so many great items at hugely discounted prices, but act fast! I've already seen many things disappear, including a pair of Kendra Scott earrings I was considering (currently unemployed, I need to be responsible).

However, it did get me to thinking, how willing am I to change my jewelry routine? Does anyone else have a few pieces they wear every day no matter what the outfit? I certainly do!

1. My Michael Kors watch. I collect watches, but this has been my favorite for a while now. I love that it has gold, silver and rose gold elements and a big face. You can find a similar, cheaper one here.

2. My Alex and Ani Team USA charm bangle. I picked this up at my last internship and it has totally ignited my need to collect more of these charms.

3. My Marinette Designs 1" monogram necklace. This was a Christmas gift from my Dad and Stepmother three years ago. If I'm not wearing this (which is rare), I'm wearing another monogrammed or initial necklace. 

4. Stud earrings. In the winter I wear my pearls every day, so in the summer I like to change it up with different earrings from week to week. These are are a playful pair of starfish studs from Betsey Johnson. This particular pair is no longer available, but you can find a similar pair here.

Here's a few closeups:

What pieces do you wear every day?

Sunday inspiration.

I love seeing little photos on tumblr that make me want to travel and take an afternoon to go shopping.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from this week!

All photos were taken from Tumblr and are not owned by me!

What inspires you?

ps. you can check out my tumblr here!

The name game.

Anyone else have a name that people are constantly mispronouncing?

Summer crush.

Just a quick list of purchase to be made this summer - I'm seeing a theme here…

1. Kendra Scott Danielle earrings in iridescent tangerine // I have no Kendra Scott earrings, and every time I see them on Tumblr, it just makes me want them even more! They're bigger than I originally thought, but I think this color would look great with my dark hair.

2. Kate Spade cherry lane card holder in snapdragon // If I don't have to carry a purse, I don't like to. To avoid carrying around my wallet, I usually look for just a card holder to carry my license, debit card and cash. I love the color and size of this card holder!

3. Kate Spade insulated tumbler in petula stripe // I recently ran my old KSNY tumbler through the dishwasher by accident and it's effectively ruined. I love the colors of this cup for summer!

5. Tory Burch beacher flat espadrilles in bougainville pink and newport navy // These espadrilles have been on sale several times over the past few months, and I am out of excuses to keep from buying these.

4. Alex and Ani Team USA ice hockey charm bangle // I have one Team USA bangle from my previous internship and absolutely love it. Hockey is my favorite sport, so I've been coveting this bangle for a while.

What are you crushing on this summer?

To the maxi.

The thing I love most about summer is being able to throw on a dress and leave the house without a second thought. Short dresses are fun for events and getting drinks with friends, but if I'm running to Target or grabbing lunch on a rooftop patio, the first thing I grab from the closet is a maxi dress (also great if you are behind on shaving your legs!)

I'm loving the maxis below which range from $18-$298.

 

1. Women's Printed Crinkle-Chiffon Maxi Dress // Old Navy // $44

2. Biltmore Maxi Shift Dress // Lilly Pulitzer // $298

3. Silk Maxidress // J. Crew // $188 (30% off!)

4. Maxi Dress in dark blue stripe // H&M // $18

I picked up this cute, strapless black and ivory maxi last summer in Montreal and it's still my favorite casual dress to throw on in the morning.

Where's your favorite maxi from?

CK

Spring jewels.

Stores have been having crazy springs sales lately, and I finally took advantage even with my sad little intern salary.  My friend and I drove up to Denver last weekend to catch an NHL game, but stopped at our local outlet shops on the way.

J. Crew was having a 50% off everything in the store sale – 50%!

I finally caved and bought a necklace I had been coveting forever, the brass-plated crystal necklace.

 

You can buy it here (already discounted) with an extra 25% off with the code SALE25 right now!

The necklace was originally $54.50 - I got it for about $26.  I also picked up this printed linen scarf for $20:

I've always loved this print and the colors!  Unfortunately, you can no longer purchase it online through J. Crew.

I also picked up these darling earrings from Banana Republic:

Originally $19 that I snagged for $8!

My parents and brothers recently came back from France.  My brother had as how in Paris, so my family flew out to see some of his performances.  Though I wish I could have gone with, I had big projects at work that I couldn't walk away from for three weeks, so my parents made sure to bring me back some wonderful souvenirs.

The one direction I gave them?  Pearls.

My Dad did a great job.  I adore this ring, they almost match a pair of earrings my brother gave me perfectly.  The bracelet and earrings are stunning in person and I'm waiting for the perfect occasion to break them out.

Have you picked up anything you've been wanting with all of these spring sales?

CK

Making a dorm work.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I currently live in a dorm.  Many members of the intern class that the organization I work for come from all over the United States and even overseas, so I am fortunate that they offer on-campus housing for those of us who live 1,000+ miles away.

The unfortunate part, is that this housing is former Air Force barracks.  Very thankfully, I do not have a roommate.  I did briefly (4 days) when I first arrived, but for the past six months, I have been lucky to be one of the interns with their own room.  My main objective when I moved in was to hang as man things on the walls as possible to off-set the stark white.

These photos are by no means up to College Prepster par and were taken with my iPhone, but I finally felt like my room was as complete as it would get (I am moving out in a month, after all).  Check out how I tried to make my room cozy and age appropriate below.

 

The view when you first enter the dorm.  It's much larger than it looks, roughly 14x14.  Yes, those curtains are atrocious, but they can keep the room blacked out all day long.

The spare bed on the far side of the room.  I love having a spare bed in case other interns want to come in and watch a movie or just hang out.  It's nice to have an option for them other than my desk chair.

My dresser where I get ready each morning.  I love that little "blah" sign I found at Target for only $4.  The mirror was also a Target steal, something I picked up for $6 when it was originally $30.

My desk and closet are areas I always need to stay clean.  Candles are strictly prohibited in the dorms, but it's one thing I just can't give up no matter how hard I try.

I can't imagine how much harder it would be to live in a dorm without this sink.  It's nice to have just a little bit of privacy in the morning when I don't want to walk all the way down to the bathroom to style my hair, brush my teeth or wash my face.  I was also fighting a bit of a cold, hence the day/nyquil bottles.

No, a twin bed is not ideal, and it's roughly 4 ft. off of the ground, so it's always a little adventure getting in and out, but I love my incredibly soft, white Threshold blanket (Target, of course).  I also adore my little "queen of offing everything" pillow, which my brother describes as "frighteningly accurate."

So there you have it, home sweet home since Thanksgiving.  It's hard giving up little luxuries like my own bathroom (a round of applause for community bathrooms), a microwave and a bed that doesn't instill a fear of falling in me every time I try wake up in the morning.

I can't wait to get out into my own place – wherever that may be!

Did this stir up any college flashbacks for you?

CK

Pink-a-boo.

I've never been the type to wear a lot of pink or have a lot of pink around the house (or in this case, dorm), but this spring I've been drawn to more and more pink when I hit Target. Even though it's essentially summer in Colorado Springs, I definitely have spring on my mind!

                                    

Has anyone else noticed how fantastic Target's dollar section stationery has been lately?  This pen and notepad have been just a few of many amazing finds I've come across the past few weeks. 

I also finally added Essie's 'Fiji' to my collection. While I love the spring look, it is the wrong color to use if you aren't a salon-quality nail painter. I try my best, but those light colors show off every imperfection. 

Also, while my dorms don't allow candles, I've decided to ignore that part of my dorm agreement and snagged this perfect little spun sugar candle. It completely warms up my room and the smell is just strong enough without being overwhelming.  

CK

A change of pace.

So I just finished up a ten day stint house/dog-sitting for my boss, and though I recently redecorated my dorm (yes, you too can graduate from college and live in a dorm at 22 years old), I am absolutely itching to go shopping for new spring clothes.  It's already spring here in Colorado!

Unfortunately, my bank accounts are frozen for the moment as I await new cards in the mail because I was a victim of the Target hack and my accounts were - as Chad from US Bank specified - compromised.

So for now, I window shop online, and once those cards arrive, they're going to get a serious breaking-in.

I recently splurged and bought 4 new pairs of Chinos in all sorts of colors, so the need for new spring tops is real.

How perfect is this salmon peplum top?  And from Old Navy no less?

I'm loving these blue-hued tops from Gap & J. Crew.

You can find them here, here, & here (sale)!  I think all three would look great dressed up with a statement necklace or down with a pair of Sperry's.

What are you most looking forward to with the change of season?

CK

Colorado Kara

So, it's been a while.  A long while.  In all honesty, I've managed to neglect almost every aspect of my life for work.

Since you've last heard from me, I moved home from school after graduating. I worked briefly for a professional sports franchise in Minneapolis before taking a once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity out in Colorado.

(The mountains are gorg, but I need a lake).

I have just about passed the halfway point for my internship period, and am back to searching and applying for new opportunities (preferably back in the midwest).

I've decided to give another go at blogging 1) to keep my sanity as my internship is very demanding and often enough I am not spending enough time on me, and making sure I'm happy and 2) because I miss it!

I love hearing from all of you and I definitely miss the blogging world.  So here's to run number #2 (3, maybe?).

Let's see how this goes.

CK

Back in (anything but) Black.

I know, I know.  It's been roughly six months since I've been able to peruse and update College Kara.  I have since graduated college!  Do I still get to be called College Kara?  For now, why not.  If The College Prepster can do it, so can I, right?  Here's what you missed:

           

1.  I went to Chicago to visit my best friend and to take in some outdoor puck!  It was freezing!

2.  I had my last day as an intern with our D1 hockey team.  It was heartbreaking.  I cried.

3.  Two of my intern friends and myself went to our senior athletics banquet!

4.  I turned 22.  

5.  I graduated!

And that brings us to the present!  Remember Meghann?  My roommate and photog throughout the school year?  She got married!  Isn't she a gorgeous bride?

This is my other roommate and I before the wedding, my dress is Michael Kors and I paired it with nude wedges and gold bow earrings from Francesca's.

So what is College Kara doing now?  She's enjoying her funemployment while it lasts and carefully considering job and internship offers.  I can't wait to get settled back into the routine of updating College Kara.  Thanks for sticking around!  New posts coming soon!

CK

Pea coats, please.

I know that pea coats are hardly a new trend but one thing I love to see every winter are all the great colors!  Anyone can rock a classic black peacoat, but sometimes it's great to find a fun, colorful one to best suit your personality!

Savvy: MICHAEL Michael Kors Double Breasted Pea Coat in Orange Spice // 295.00

Save:  Madewell Sidesaddle Riding Jacket in Bright Berry // 148.00

Splurge:  Brooks Brothers Wool Pea Coat in Grey // 598.00

What color is your pea coat?

CK

Essie giveaway!

Hi everyone!  I know I said would be posting a giveaway on College Kara this week and it's finally here!  For my first giveaway, I decided to go with one of my favorite products for this season which is Essie's nail polish Scarlet O'Hara!

This is a gorgeous ruby red that would be wonderful for the holidays!  It has just a hint of shimmer to it and looks gorgeous both in and out of the bottle!

You can get a closer look at this color on Essie's website here!

There are only two rules for this giveaway and they are both very simple!

1.  You must be following College Kara's blog.

2.  You must be following College Kara on twitter.

You can access these options through the Rafflecopter widget below (which is how I will randomly select a winner!)

This contest closes on December 11th, so you have plenty of time to enter!

Best of luck to all of you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks(giving) a bunch.

Hey everyone!  I know it's been a while since I've been able to blog, but I will have more time now that the semester is winding down!  I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I had to stay up at school for work this weekend, but lucky for me, my parents and one of my brothers came up to celebrate with me!  Here's just a few shots from my turkey day!

My brother Matt and I at dinner this afternoon.

Snowing on Thanksgiving over Lake Superior - gorgeous!

Right now I'm cuddled up in the hotel suite with my brother watching We Bought A Zoo.  This is my first Thanksgiving away from home, but I'm so glad my family is here with me!

There will be a giveaway for College Kara posted this week!  Eep!  I am so thankful for every single one of my wonderful readers!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Care packages.

One of the best parts of going away from home to school is care packages!  The best part of having an amazing best friend is having her mother send you care packages full of homemade goodies!

Today I came home from the longest day ever on campus and I was absolutely exhausted.  After making a quick dinner I decided to check the mail just in case no one else had that day - and they hadn't!  We had lots of mail and two boxes and one of them happened to be for me!

My best friend's mom sends us the coolest stuff and this was by far my favorite box!

Pictured above there is a an adorable necklace, a mug with it's very own cute sweater, and a pair of knitted slippers (which I am wearing right now and they are so snuggly)!  My best friend's mom is a knitting guru and she always sends us the best and most creative stuff!

She sent my newly engaged roommate a pair of mittens that is meant for couples, where each person gets a single mitten & then they have one they can both put their hand into as well as matching hats - too cute!

I absolutely adore the necklace she sent me:

I love the colors: a warm mauve-y taupe and maroon details - I can't wait to wear!  

What do you like to get in a care package?  Can you knit something great?

CK

Bust, it seems.

One of my first posts here on college kara was entitled "Bubbles or bust." and talked about the pros and cons of bubble necklaces.  I decided to take up an offer I saw on Facebook from a store called "The Poke a Dot Shop" based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I also spoke about this purchase in another post.

I placed my order with them for a wine red bubble necklace on August 21st while I was on vacation in Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately, I have yet to receive my order even though I paid for my necklace just over two months ago.

I'm especially saddened because due to posts on their Facebook, it sounds as if they've completed and shipped their orders placed since mine, and I have yet to receive my bubble necklace.

I have contacted their customer service via email twice already and have also called their provided number, but have yet to hear anything back other than an automated response.

This is both disappointing and disheartening because I would like to receive the item I have already paid for, and the event I purchased the necklace for has already come and passed.

Have any of you purchased something from The Poke a Dot Shop?

CK

Guac, guac, guac.

So I know this isn't the usual college kara post, but one thing I wanted to share with all my lovely readers is a new recipe I tried out this past weekend (I love cooking for people)!  Last week, one set of my parents came up and with them they brought me a bag of avocados from Costco!  So now I had seven avocados and needed a way to use two of them right away seeing as they were ripe!  This weekend, my other set of parents came up, so I decided to buy the other ingredients for a new guacamole recipe I had found.

The recipe went something like this:

2 avocados, cubed & mashed with a fork.

1/3 a tomato, the insides removed & cubed.

1/3 cup of gold corn.

1/3 cup of chopped purple onion &

the juice of 1/2 lime.

Salt to taste.

I ended up really enjoying it and so did my parents.  It took just about 10 minutes to whip up and if you don't finish the whole batch with your guests, the lime juice in the recipe keeps the avocado from browning for a day or two!

Are there any easy recipes you like to share with others.

Little things.

The other day my sorority was invited to a private shopping event at Francesca's.  For those of you who don't have a Francesca's near you, or perhaps have never heard of it, Francesca's is a chain of boutiques that sell jewelry, shoes, limited apparel and other knick knacks.  I wouldn't say that it's expensive per-se, but it's important to watch your spending because the little things do add up.  At our event I purchased the following:

1.  Coral leather clip-in hair bow.

2.  Gold bow ring

3.  Multi-colored chandelier earrings.

I also purchased another little turquoise ring but unfortunately after falling in love with it and wearing it nonstop for 5 days, the gem on it broke off & was lost on my walk home from campus.

Like I said earlier, it's not quite pricey, but with a 20% discount, my four items still added up to just about $40.

This weekend I was also fortunate enough to have my parents up and they spoiled me with lots of groceries, free meals as well as 2 new dresses and a new pullover fleece!

As you can see (kind of), I am wearing my new earrings with my fleece!

Have you purchased anything from Francesca's before?

CK