Trying Truvia (0-Calorie Sweetener) for Her Campus

Check it out-- 5 Reasons to Try Truvia [the HEALTHY calorie-free sweetener] 

With Sweet Love,

Dylan

Like we really all wanted to see another tan, blonde chicky...

While I didn't intend to promote stereotypes through this photo, I couldn't resist posting such natural beauty.  I mean, seriously!  And the funny thing is that she is portrayed to be some natural, exotic jungle girl who has been out swimming in saltwater, not bathing properly, and living off of leaves & berries (the last one is probably true-- i mean-- did you see her collarbones?).  

Maybe next I'll feature a beautiful brunette!

Love,

Dylan

Update on the Fabulous "Snake" in My Hair

These feather hair extensions from Misikko are GREAT quality.  I took my feathers for a ride on several water slides and they have not broken or become damaged at all!  Check them out here at Misikko on sale for $14.99-$29.99.  AND order now for FREE SHIPPING!

I'd recommend getting the ones that are neutral shades. 

What is YOUR opinion on feather hair extensions?  

Do you think feather hair extensions look better in curly hair or straight hair?

How long do you think I should I leave them in for?

COMMENT PLEASE!

Love,

Dylan

My Big Girl Room

Welcome to my bedroom!  Haha, I've finally come to the point where my room is somewhat presentable, so I thought I would show you the progress.  Here was my decor inspiration.  Let me know what you think!

Sheet set from Target, $25

White down comforter from Target, $80

Quilt from Target, $55

"Keep Calm and Carry On" poster from CafePress, $20

Frame on left from TJ Maxx, $4.00

Frame on right from Target, $8.00

Candle from Ikea (in Amsterdam), $2.00

Jewelry Box from Urban Outfitters, $49

I hope you like it!  I feel like it's fresh & feminine.  Let me know what you think I should do with the room!  I am open to ideas :)

Love,

Dylan

The 5 Personalities of a Girl Named Dylan

Call me a Schizo, but I think we all can admit to having different personas.  One day we feel like staying at home in our pajamas and watching Cupcake Wars.  The next day we feel like throwing on our hottest heels for ladies' night at Tonic Lounge.  No, I'm not poking fun at mental illness, nor am I promoting binge drinking.   I am simply highlighting that we all have different sides... good/bad/even worse/etc.  I also think that these different sides manifest in the type of music that we're "in the mood for" on a given day.  
Here are mine-- Lady D, the Performer, Sassy & Confident, Curly & Carefree, and the Humble Homebody. 

Lady D. This is the day when I'm either getting pumped up for a competition, a new adventure, or a simple trip to the gym.  I'm blasting the rap, wearing my sweatpants a little low on my hips, and poppin' that back to some Weezy.  If you text me on this day, you'll get a response like, "Ayo gangsta, what's good?"

The Performer. This is the day when I draw my energy from interactions with folks.  I say folks, because these people may be little children, or they may be old grannies.  The key is adaptation to the audience through stylized communication.  Geez, that sounds pretty fancy, huh?  These are the days when I have lots of "moments" with people where I know they feel like I connect and relate to them.  I call these days "shiny-eyes days," because I can tell people feel connected when their eyes start to sparkly and shine.  I often carry this persona when I work retail.  Just for kicks I threw in a video from dance team.  Excuse my boyfriend and his friend who are talking in the background.  Total guys, right?

Sassy & Confident. This is the day when you walk into the mall and make eye contact with fellow shoppers instead of looking at the ground.  You talk to the salespeople about their days instead of going through a robotic transaction. You throw a genuine compliment at the lady next to you in the fitting room.  After all, if her butt looks great in those jeans, someone ought to tell her!  Usually these are the days when I'll wear some strappy wedges and straight hair.

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Curly & Carefree. This is when the hair is au naturale, the makeup is minimal, and the outfit consists of orange Soffee shorts and a hot pink bro-tank.  Yes, I realize that orange and pink clash terribly.  And yes, I did it on purpose.  Why?  Because today is a wild day.  It's a day when I care to be carefree.

Humble Homebody. 

These are the days when I'm drawn back to my roots-- my "Minnesota girl" upbringing.  It's when you look at the sky rather than the people around you.  It's when you encounter familiar, comforting smells like homemade bread or the smell of a horse being being shampoo-ed.  Yes, those smells are engrained into every hair in my nose.  On these days I live-stream my favorite Christian radio station, 98.5 KTIS, and remember the things that God has brought me through.

What are YOUR different personas?  I know I can't be the only highly-functioning Schizo out there.   Come on, lay it on me. 

XOXO,

Dylan 

My 6 Favorite Child Photos

This trendy little hipster child looks extra mature through layering, ballet flats, long [stringy] hair, tanned skin, and seemingly shaven legs. 

She's never too young to be a Jackie O in-training.

There is something about the Mary Jane shoes, sunglasses on top of the head, and securely crossed legs... aging her in the cutest way possible.  Her hands suggest she's debating whether to invest in a new tech stock.

This is a really fun angle to shoot children from.... boy that sounds bad, doesn't it?

Anyways, I'm a fan of her lashes. 

This babygirl was definitely the target of a makeup artist.  A little  lot of bronzer along with a highlight on the cheekbone/forehead give her that sunkissed glow.  How inappropriate, yet pretty. 

This is a girl after my mom's heart. She's got the denim shorts, the muddy shoes, and a "girls-can-do-anything" attitude to boot.  Next she'll be sluggin' a softball and shootin' coons in her backyard.  Atta girl.  

Don't you adore these cute lil' babes?

I sure do. 

XOXO,

Dylan

Decor Inspiration for Last Year of COLLEGE

Holy buckets, time flies!!!!! It's already approaching my senior year of college.  Duh duh duh duhhhhhh.  That was supposed to be the sound of "doom." This coming year my class load is looking pretty heavy-- I'm talking clinically obese.  Regardless, I'm really happy about the living situation that I'll be coming home to every day.  Fantastic house, fantastic housemates, and fantastic dog!  And, oh, did I mention I love my room!??  It's my first time having a big girl bed (queen size).  In the past 6 months I've been confined to couches, futons, floors, air mattresses, and little plastic dorm mattresses.  Basically, I'm upgrading from the Super 8 to the Ritz.   Here is some of the inspiration for my interior decor.  I've been working on it for a few days, and it's still a work in progress, but I want to post the pictures soon!  Oh, and I'm trying to work some fung shui magic in this joint, so if you know anything about fung shui I would appreciate some tips!  Or even post links to rooms that you like.  I would love to see your inspirations, too!                                                                                                                                                       Love,                      Dylan the Decorator

Don't forget to leave me a cute comment! Tips/Ideas/Inspiration are all welcome :)

Something Annoying that MOST People Do

On a phone call with your friend, family member, or significant other... for this example we will call mom. 

Ring Ring Ring.....

Mom: "Hello?"

You: "Hey mom, what's up?"

Mom: "Oh nothing, I'm just here with so-and-so.  Would you like to talk to them?"

You: *Silence*.... "Well, um...."

Mom: "Here, I'll give them the phone."

This is honestly happens to me at least 1x a week.  

Why is this so annoying?  The person you are calling is basically throwing you under the bus.  See, the other person with your mom (or whomever you originally called) has already heard your mom ask if you'd like to talk to them.  If you tell your mom, "No, I don't really want to talk to so-and-so," then you might as well be rejecting this other person face-to-face.  Then, when your mom doesn't hand them the phone, they are left sitting there, knowing you didn't want to talk to them.  For the rest of the conversation you feel like crap. 

Solution?  It's 3 simple steps.  

1) Pretend you didn't hear your mom (or whomever you called) ask that question.  

2) Instead, move forward swiftly with the reason that you called.  

3) Keep the conversation short and to-the-point.  Then the "rejected person" will feel like it wasn't them that you were rejecting, but that perhaps you were simply pressed for time. 

Has this ever happened to you?  If so, how do you handle it gracefully?

Alright, off to get ready for the Harry Potter premier!  I'm bringing my boyfriend and two kiddies I babysit.  

Love,

Dylan

21 Ways to Be More Girly

1. Stick a bow in your hair.
2.  Offer to carry your boyfriend's wallet in your purse when you two go out.... without the intentions of spending his money.

3. Read tabloids.
4. Look at cute pictures of babies in tutus.
5.  Learn how carry a tune... even if you can only sing one song.
6. Stop swearing.
7. Kick your smoking habit.
8. Bake cupcakes for your man and his friends.
9. Put rainbow sprinkles on everything you eat.

10. Put all of your perfumes on a plate or tray on your dresser.  Instant Glamour!
11. Add a glitter topcoat over your nail polish.
12. Get a few fake flowers from the dollar store to put in a vase beside your bed.  Best part-- you'll never have to change the water.
13. Write in cursive for a day.  Bonus points if you use a gel pen.
14. Wear your CUTEST undies.... read more in my post on 20 Things People Don't Do Enough. 
15.  Buy new pajamas.  Just because.
16. If you have curly hair, define a few curls with a curling iron... If you have straight hair, smooth out the top with a flat iron.  You will look instantly more polished.

17.  One word-- pigtails.

18. Always offer gum to your friends when you reach for a piece.  Guys rarely do that.
19. Guys have their friends over for pizza, wings, and beers.  So, have your girls over for a dessert and tea-tasting party!

20.  Tie a ribbon bow around you cat or dog's neck.
21. Put umbrellas in all of your drinks.  Milk? Gatorade? Water?  Doesn't matter.

Clarification: I do not believe these things will make you more girly, but I do believe they can impact how you feel.  

LOVE,

Dylan

25 Things I'm Excited to Do in Virginia

1. Jamestown Beach & Virginia Beach

2. Baseball games

3. Lay out by the pool.

4. Peking Mongolian BBQ on Bypass Road!  Best. Buffet. Ever. 

5. Text people back.  Hey it's my first time really texting since January. 

6. Make a french silk pie.

7. Declare my International Emphasis 

8. Bring a pizza to the beach at night

9. Queen Anne Dairy Shack

10. Movie - the Lincoln Lawyer

11. Bowling!

12. Spend long mornings at the rec center 

13. Terracing w/ friends. 

14.  Make pancake breakfasts for my man 

15. Doing dishes.  Give me a break, I haven't had a chance to do them in nearly 4 months. 

16. Fold laundry!  Again, it's the simple things :)

17. Learn how to make a rainbow cake. 

18.  Crash the ballroom dance classes with Prof. Rushforth. 

19.  Write articles for Her Campus. 

20. List some of my furniture on Craigslist... anyone see Craigslist Killer?

21. Prep for grad school entrance exams

22.  Throw the football w/ Jes in the Sunken Gardens

23.  Study up on fashion designers for my summer internship

24. Research potential companies I'd want to work for 

25. Make macaroni & cheese-- the Rugrats shapes only :)

What else?

Love, 

A very American girl 

London College of Fashion Graduation!

After 3.5 months of managing 7 classes, making endless mood boards, creating a swimsuit range for Marks & Spencer's, producing a 15 page report on ethical fashion, and writing 3 separate 30 page marketing write ups on Topshop & Whistles,   I can now say that I've graduated from London College of Fashion!  All in all, it was a fabulous experience-- helping me get where I need to be.  Here are some highlights from the graduation ceremony, which encompassed speeches, a fashion show of corsets, grammy style awards, champagne, and champagne, oh, and champagne.  Check it out: 

Some friends from the program: Brittany, Kristina, Manuela, and Heather! 

These are the girls (and honorary guy) who I lived with at Vandon House Hotel: Hattie, Erica, Brian, Emily, and Nicole.  

I'm grateful for the experience, but I also remember that after closing that chapter, I'm moving forward into the next chapter.  And this one excites me even more!!! :) :) 

Love,

Dylan

How to Save Money While Living in London

I'm the daughter of two business owners (who were raised by depression-era parents)... aka... I'm frugal!  My first name is "Saving" and my middle name is "Investing."  I'm also pursuing a Finance concentration.  Before I came to the UK I was warned that it would completely swallow my wallet.  I took this on as a challenge.  And 12 weeks later, I can say, that I have totally won.  In fact, living in London for a semester has cost me LESS than living in the US for a semester!  How did I manage this?  Here are a few secrets:

1. RESEARCH your housing options.  I saved 1200 GBP or $1,920 by not taking the housing that the school offered.  And, no, I was not homeless.  

2.  Stretch the continental breakfast. This housing option (a hotel) ACTUALLY provided us with a continental breakfast 7 days/week (see picture)!  It had a full cereal bar (which included Frosted Flakes!), muffins, croissants, bagels, toast, apples, oranges, bananas, AND yogurt allowed you to fill up for the day... and pack your lunch from home.  Shhhh ;)  We easily saved over $10/day.   

3. Be your own barista.  My housing has a FREE tea/coffee/hot chocolate/mochas/cappuchino machine available 24/7.  Did you know that an average Starbucks drink here is about $6-7 (US dollars)?

4. Bat your lashes at the local dry cleaners.  This, ladies and gents, is how you get free hangers.  When you're living [temporarily] in a city, and you don't want to buy a bunch of hangers (that you'll just leave behind), the local dry cleaners are usually more than willing to give you a handful of hangers.  

5. Keep your own tab!  Writing down your expenses every day really DOES make a difference.  Somehow, I even went 13 days without spending 1p!  How is that possible?  Keep reading.  

6. Don't keep a real tab.  Alcohol is really one of the saddest ways to waste your money, especially when you can't remember where your money spent.   You might as well get pick-pocketed... or feed your money to the swans in St. James Park.    

7. Walk your butt off-- literally!  I live 1.5 miles from my main campus and 2.5 miles from other academic buildings.  By walking to/from class I save $8/day in transportation costs.  AND after walking 4-6 miles every day I don't have to pay for a gym membership!  Plus, it's a great chance to get some sunshine, take photos, and see all that London has to offer!  (Alright, stop staring at Kim's butt.  I know you were.)

8. Make your own exfoliant.  Instead of buying $10 exfoliating gels from The Body Shop, I simply washed my hands with a packet of sugar 1x a week.  Simple, free, and very effective.

9. Hand wash your clothes.  I probably sound a bit Amish, right?  Well, instead of spending the equivalence of $6.00 to wash/dry a SINGLE load of laundry, I spent $2.00 on a box of hand-washing laundry detergent in the beginning of the semester.  This easily saved me $100.   Best part-- my clothing didn't get damaged by a sketchy washing machine.  

10. Bottle your thirst.  After walking several miles around a new city, sometimes you need a little hydration.  And usually, I don't feel like spending $2 on a old can of Diet Coke from an overpriced hole-in the wall off-license store.  A water bottle is the perfect solution.

11. BYOB (bath and beauty products!) Before I came to London I brought with me enough conditioner, shampoo, hair products, soaps, toothpaste, and beauty products to last me until the end of the semester.  Since my products cost more than double in the UK this was a great money-saver.

12. Step on the scale.  Weigh your suitcase before you head for the airport.   If you are over by even 1 pound airlines can charge you upwards of $80.  Biggest. Rip-off.  Ever. 

13. 1 Pack a Week.  I'm talking about gum, people.  NOT cigarettes.  I'm one of those girls who could chew through 1 pack of gum in 1 day when school is stressful.  I'm convinced that it clears my mind.  Well, when my gum of choice-- Orbit-- costs $3.00 for a pack, I think again.  Just like my ancestors, I stuck to my weekly rations.  Like I was in a war or something.. pretty hardcore (JK).  GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!

On that note, comment below with YOUR $$ saving tips!

XOXO,

Dylan

5 Yummy Trends

Trend #1: Rainbow Brights 

Trend #2: Soft Stripes

Trend #3: Dainty Florals

Trend #4: Tribal Prints (I know the connection is a stretch).

Trend #5: Enthusiasm. 

Sorry if this made you hungry :) 

My Love,

Dylan