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    8 Feel Good Things to Love this Friday

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    Oh Friday, we meet again! I always think it’s a bit hysterical how we all count down till the weekend. I have a job I love, filled with people I love, but still I can’t help but get the undeniable itch of a middle school child waiting for the final bell to dismiss 6th period. Weekends are just a refreshing break to re-focus and claim your creativity in new ways. This weekend in particular is an exciting one since I had not expected to have off for Columbus Day, so a little celebrating is in order. There’s nothing more disheartening than waking up to find crushing headlines. Fires, robberies, shootings, war… to put it bluntly, it all sucks. We can’t ignore that bad things happen everyday, some of which we cannot change nor control. Rather than feel helpless, we can counteract and try to acknowledge some of the great things and progress being made. So let’s highlight some of the good things to love on the internet this week, shall we?

    Like…

    This assistant principal who sings and dances during school drop-off. How adorable is this? I never had the chance to Cha Cha Slide into homeroom, but given the opportunity I might have. (via Upworthy)

    These Elon University students who raised money to send a coffee shop worker to Disney World with her family, a long-time wish of hers. Prepare tissues. (via HelloGiggles)

    My boyfriend turns 31 today, but more importantly QUIDDITCH TURNS 10. Thanks you for the best imaginary sport, Harry Potter. (via HelloGiggles)

    This emotional Craigslist ad is too much to handle. Beautiful. (via Huffington Post)

    These sweet photos of Down Syndrome children loving life. It reminds me of my nephew Jaeden, who I miss SO much. Here’s a pic of us so you understand the cuteness factor. (via Huffington Post)

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    This great Levo League article on how *not* to find a mentor. I’ve had some really amazing mentors in my life, including creative genius and self-help author Nikki Novo and my badass editor Maria Tettamanti (of The Wordy Girl). (via Levo League)

    Speaking of Nikki, her article on remaining focused on your dreams is a must-read because straying can certainly happens… I’ve been there. (via NikkiNovo.com)

    This shirt from Sevenly, an organization that gives $7 of each item to a new charity each week. This shirt happens to go to NO MORE, my favorite organization to end domestic violence and sexual assault. This cause is near and dear to my heart, so join me in rocking this adorable tee. 

    Now go off and have a great weekend!

     

    October 9, 2015
    Style

    25 Years of Sole: Interview with Steve Madden

    Ashley Madden, Steve Madden, Mary-Kate Olsen

    Ashley Olsen, Steve Madden, Mary-Kate Olsen

    “It’s been one interesting journey,” shoe designer Steve Madden (pictured here with designer Betsey Johnson) modestly says. The design virtuoso and business mogul is celebrating 25 years of footwear fame. In a little over two decades, Madden has become one of the most influential artists of his time, turning his $1,100 investment into a multi-billion dollar company. In the midst of a typical workday, brimming with excitement and murmurs of cognac-colored suede, Madden filled us in on the story behind the shoes we each knowingly have in our closet.

    What’s your favorite memory from the last 25 years? My first store in SoHo. Selling my first pair of shoes was a wonderful memory. I remember they were a pair of brown suede ankle boots. I was so delighted that someone would come into a store with my name.

    How does it feel when you see other people wearing your designs? That’s the greatest feeling of all. That’s better than money. I want to brag, but I keep my mouth quiet these days. Fifteen years ago, I would have told them the shoe was mine.

    What made you pick up a pencil and start sketching in the first place? Honestly, I was just trying to pay the rent. I love what I do, but this is what I do to feed my family. I’m a shoemaker, a cobbler.

    Did you have designers that you looked up to when starting out?  I looked up to artists, moviemakers, actors and musicians more than shoe designers, such as Spike Lee and Peter O’Toole.

    Describe the Steve Madden woman in three words. Confident. Feminine. Tasteful.

    What Steve Madden shoe style best fits the Miami woman?  I have a new style called the Slithur, which was inspired by my trips to Florida.

    You boldly started your business little in your bank account. What advice would you give to current start-ups? Find the right people to help you. A lot of times guys like me are perfectionists and sometimes it can paralyze you.

    How do you balance commercialism with creativity? It’s a total struggle. You want to stay current and take risks, but you also have to ring the register — it’s a challenging paradigm.

    Rumor has it that you’re making a documentary…dish! Yes, it will be on my story. There’s a line in the Grateful Dead song, “Truckin,” that goes “Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been” and that sort of applies to me.

    What are your plans for the next 25 years? I’m interested in growing, getting better and working on new platforms — literally and figuratively.

    Favorite spot in Miami? I went to the University of Miami so I have a lot, but my favorite is my store in Aventura Mall.

    Last show you binge watched? Bloodlines and Mad Men. I’m so sad that Don Draper character is gone.

    What is your most cherished album? Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder.

    How about your guilty pleasure? Listening to country music.

    A little tidbit: I just about died when I learned that I had the opportunity to interview Steve Madden. He was witty, honest and absolutely hysterical. From our joint-love of Don Draper to his music quotes, I instantly understood why everyone can’t get enough of the successful shoe scion. As a growing writer, this interview took the cake.This article originally ran on Miami.com.  -XO Jillian

    October 6, 2015
    Social Good Style

    5 Handbags to Help Humanity

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    Despite popular belief, baggage isn’t always a negative thing. We drag the idea of baggage with us like an all consuming burden the moment life gives us a reminder that things don’t always go as planned. It makes its way into budding relationships, rears its head when you’re all alone and taps you on the shoulder every time you trigger an old memory. “Hey, remember me? I’m still here. Don’t you love obsessing over me?” So rather than acknowledge these conjured weights that mentally strain us, let’s drop the metaphorical baggage and focus on the literal kind for a change. Sometimes the things we carry can be light-hearted enough to lift you up. In honor of scratching the “baggage” blues, I’ve rounded up the top five charitable handbags you need in your closet.

     

    Angela Roi 

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    The Bag: V Chain Crossbody in Pink

    The Cause: How cool is this? The color bag you choose controls the cause you donate to. In this case, 5% of this pink crossbody goes to breast cancer research and awareness partners. Other featured causes include diabetes (gray), childhood cancer (yellow), HIV/AIDS (red), and depression (green)… just to name a few.

     

    FEED

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    The Bag: Waxed Canvas Go-To Bag

    The Cause: Hunger is a daily reality of 805 million people in the world and FEED is fighting to end that stark statistic. FEED products go toward improving access to nutritious food in vulnerable communities around the world.

     

    TOMS

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    The Bag: Saffron Seamed Leather Cadence Crossbody

    The Cause: TOMS contributed to health and education for impoverished children around the world through the Buy One, Give One model and more.

     

    Matt and Nat

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    The Bag: Acadia in Chili

    The Cause: Being inspired by MAT(T)erial and NATure, the brand focuses on using only sustainable materials.

     

    Market Colors

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    The Bag: Polished Medallion Clutch in Teal, $36

    Cause: Market Colors main focus is to provide poor families in Africa with work through craftsmanship

     

    Loved the bags? Comment below with your favorite! 

     

     

     

    October 1, 2015
    Style

    Pageboy: An App to Abolish Bad Hair Days

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    Bed head, helmet hair, and “flat as a board” tresses…there are a LOT of things that can go wrong with a woman’s hair. Take it from me, the girl who can write a memoir filled with the uneventful tales of my lifeless locks. As someone who rarely has time to fidget with round brushes and curling irons, I find my hair to be vapidly flat and a little sad. If you’re reading this and nodding your head in agreement, hope is NOT lost. Meet Pageboy, the app to end all bad hair days.

    Phone apps are life savers — think hard and read on before you call me totally hyperbolic. Uber provides a safe form of transportation to get you home in the instance of having too much to drink. Find My iPhone tracks down your precious, lost cell phone (as if it even leaves your side). Now let’s talk Pageboy, a Houston-based app that is the quintessential fairy godmother of phone apps. With just a few simple taps, you can book a stylist to come to your home and provide the ultimate blowout at only $65.

    I was beyond excited when I learned that Houston would be getting a beauty app as convenient as Pageboy. Having just moved “into the loop” of Houston, a.k.a. the heart of this massive city I now call home, I’m constantly finding events to attend and new places to see. So what’s the perplexity of striving to become a budding Houston socialite? Having to look put together for starters. I’m usually running around frantically or glued to my computer screen — on most days I’m lucky if I remember to put on lip gloss. Pageboy’s wonderful stylist, Anna, didn’t know what she was walking into the day she pulled up to my apartment. Cue Operation Hot Mess Express, which she handled oh-so-gracefully.

    My stylist was prompt, sweet and willing to offer her hair recommendations. Prior to meeting your stylist, you’re able to select your look within the app. A few of my favorites are “The Bouncer,” “Controlled Curls,” and “The Straight Wave.” Not feeling a blowout? There’s also fishtail braids, messy buns, and ponies to explore. One of the best features is the ability to create your own look with the “Yours Truly” option. Lastly, the “Pagette” caters to customers 12 and under — fantastic for women planning a mother-daughter date. (This does not apply to me, as I’m a proud dog mom struggling enough to give her 3-year-old corgi the world.)

    After hearing “oh my god, your hair is amazing” for 12 hours straight, I was deeply saddened when my blowout finally caved and my locks reverted to their “meh”-mentality. The compliments were like a drug and I’ve suddenly become addicted to this beautiful, on-demand beauty commodity. Must. Have. Volume.

    Skip a trip to a Dry Bar and take a page from my Lazy Girl’s Guide to Life. Do yourself a favor and download the Pageboy app here.

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    A special thank you to Pageboy for providing me with such a stellar surprise. This was truly a sweet way to spend my 26th birthday.

     

    September 23, 2015
    Style

    Back-to-School Style With Office Depot

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    College always seems to be that four-year stretch of time we all wish to play limbo in for just a tiny bit longer. From football games to rush week, college is filled with rich moments that soon transform to glimmers of nostalgia. I’d hate to break it to you, but I was never in a sorority and I once thought football had “innings.” I may have not mastered the game of corn hole or mingled with the Greeks, but I lived for weighty to-do lists and planning for the next best thing. College was four years of Red Bull-induced all-nighters, piles of index cards, hours of club meetings and countless trips to Office Depot — a true hustle before I even knew how to. As F. Scott Fitzgerald would say I was “within and without” the inexhaustible variety of campus life.

     

    No matter how bogged down I became, surrounding myself with fresh new office supplies, color-coordinated folders and sharpies always made me feel a surge of productivity. My level of organization and love for sparkling day planners soon entered some odd symbiotic relationship and fed off of each other. I was always energized by the treasures I’d pick up from Office Depot and OfficeMax every semester. As a 26-year-old business professional, I can tell you truthfully that my obsession with aesthetically pleasing to-do lists and glittering binders has not subsided one bit since college. During my post-grad years, I’ve come to find that back-to-school season applies to office life as well. It’s as if we’re wired to need a recharge after the long summer months. Lately, I’ve been feeling the end of summer blues myself, so I decided to reinvigorate my work life with a trip to Office Depot.

    Being a freelance writer, blogger, and full-time social media manager means a few things: 1. I’m in a relationship with my phone. 2. I’m a to-do list freak. 3. I need to be as organized as possible to get by. 4. Real talk: Everything I own needs to be Instagrammable. My office supplies keep me on task, making life controlled rather than chaotic. On my recent trip, I was looking for supplies to reinvigorate my workspace — if I’m going to stare at a desk all day, I want it to be one that keeps me smiling. Office Depot and OfficeMax have styles college students and professionals want at prices they’ll love.  I’ve lived on the college budget and speak from experience, trust me. 

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    Being a fanatic for all things gold and mint, there were a few key items I couldn’t leave without. I combined Divoga and See Jane Work products together to give my home office a much-needed makeover. The results? Adorable, affordable and filled with charisma. If you’re looking to gear up for a picturesque college all-nighter or just another day at the office, you can shop my picks in the slide show below. Find your own back-to-school style at your local Office Depot and OfficeMax store or online at officedepot.com. Keep on hustling, dreamers!

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    This is a sponsored post in partnership with Office Depot, Inc. and Her Campus Media. All words and opinions are my own.

     

    September 6, 2015
    Uncategorized

    Unboxing Scent Trunk

    Photo by Sarah Zimmerman, AYearofBoxes.com

    Photo by Sarah Zimmerman, AYearofBoxes.com

    The evolution of subscription boxes continues to amaze me. In an age where snail mail has been abandoned, it’s gratifying to find a small box of treasures waiting on your doorstep. From beauty boxes and jewelry boxes, I thought I had seen it all. When Scent Trunk approached me, I was completely caught off guard.  Continue Reading

    August 30, 2015