Laur’s Truly

WIAW: Flashback to Finals

Posted on June 4, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Well, it’s that day of the week again, which means it’s time for another “What I Ate Wednesday“ post!

This week’s WIAW features some of the foods I feasted on during finals just about a month ago. I can’t believe it’s already been a month! Phew, so glad those stressful study days are over!

I haven’t taken as many foodie pics lately as I was hoping to, so these are basically all the photos I had on my phone from the past month or so.

Anyway, enough explaining…let’s see the eats!

These are amazing with peanut or almond butter, nutella, or really any form of chocolate. Long story short, these are an awesome snack!

Another awesome snack? This yogurt flavor! Tastes like dessert, but can be eaten any time of day!

It’s safe to say that I am beyond obsessed with pop chips. I literally ate a bag every. single. day at school. I had extra dining bucks left at the end of the year (as most students at my school do) which meant I could stock up on tons of my favorite chips so I can enjoy them this summer!

No matter where I am – school, home, traveling, wherever – I always crave bagels for lunch. My faves are cinnamon raisin, whole grain/wheat, and blueberry!

We all know I like to have dessert pretty much every day, but it is a necessity when I’m studying/ writing papers all day long for weeks on end! Cookies, candy, ice cream, froyo, you name it, I want it for an after dinner treat!

Obviously, I was a little too busy studying to take tons of pics of what I ate, but that gives you a good idea of just a few of the extra snacks and such I ate during finals this past semester!

Now that I’m home for the summer, I’m back to most of my typical at-home eats, which have been featured on my blog ever since I started it almost a year ago(!!!)

Nonetheless, here are a few pics I’ve taken recently.

My fave wrap and sweet potato fries (I’ve shown this baby so many times on the blog… Such as here, here, and here – just to name a few!)

Some of my favorite protein and soft baked snack bars as of late.

And lastly, one of my favorite summertime salads from one of my favorite restaurants! The new Cosi Peruvian Palm Salad – “Peruvian peppers, hearts of palm, avocados, tomatoes, diced cucumbers and romaine with white balsamic vinaigrette”. Oh my gosh, I’m obsessed.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back soon with more fashion shtuff!

PS – Feel free to follow me on Twitter @fuelingalife! I’m also considering creating an Instagram account for the blog. Butttt, I’m still contemplating changing the name of the blog. Hmmph, I just don’t know! Decisions, decisions (not my strong suit).

Any feedback/ opinions on all of that ^ are welcome! 🙂

Hope you have a very happy Hump Day!! And as always, thanks to Jenn for hosting the fabulous WIAW link-up!

xo’s

OOTD – Dress Up a Sundress (Work Day 2)

Posted on June 2, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Mine was great! Lots of fun with friends and fam, a couple awesome workouts, good food (hopefully a WIAW post soon!), and bright, sunshiny days 🙂

I worked on Sunday (I talk about it in the mini vlog below), and as I said I would try to do – here is an “OOTD” for my second day of work!

The reason I point to my glasses and shake my head in the video is because I filmed that part (and took the following pics) the night before when I planned the outfit (and had no make up and my glasses on). The part when I’m not wearing glasses is right before I left on Sunday, and obviously the car part is after work.

Oh, and the little clip at the very end is from a sunny Sunday walk through a farm in my town! So beautiful, right?

Anyway, I’ve already shown most of the parts of this outfit in this post, but here are the links you can check out if you’re interested!

Navy Old Navy blazer.
White Old Navy sundress (Not available online, but somewhat similar to this maxi dress version).
Nordstrom elastic belt sort of similar to this one (I think I got mine 2 years ago, so I couldn’t find a link to the exact one – mine is thinner and all brown, but this is the closest I could find).
St. Christopher necklace (My mom ordered mine online a few years ago).
Gap wedges. I ended up wearing flat American Eagle sandals. (Again, I got mine ~2 years ago, so I can’t find the exact link).

Sarcastic snapchats (I didn’t actually mind working yesterday, just felt like being sassy – shocker)!

Home from work selfie! My summer freckles are coming in…

Still working on the maxi skirt fashion post, and I’m thinking I will do another WIAW this week if I have enough foodie pics! And an OOTD for the next time I work, as well 🙂

That’s it for today, but I will talk to ya soon!

xo’s

Fashion Friday: OOTD – First Day of Work!

Posted on May 30, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Happy Friday!!!

Today I’m sharing with you my first “OOTD” aka “outfit of the day”!

This is what I wore to my first day of work, which was 8 hours of training.

I also trimmed my hair about 4 inches so the split ends are gone!! For some reason it looks a little uneven in photos. I miss the length and my hair takes forever to grow, but I needed to clean it up a bit.

Anywho, I made a short vlog. Sorry the music is a tad loud, and that I look like I have no shirt on in the first half…I’m wearing a cami, which I do show at one point, so don’t get the wrong idea ;).

Here goes!

The full ensemble:

Target Merona Emily Sandals in Navy

Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Body Splash

Relic Rose Gold Watch (similar to this one), and Alex and Ani Bracelets (silver “L” similar to this one), gold “BC“, silver “endless knot“, rafaelian silver “Jordan Beaded Bangle“)

Gap Always Skinny Jeans (not sure what this color is called, I got them about two years ago)

J.Crew button-down (similar to this one)

J. Crew woven belt in navy (sort of similar to this one)

Old Navy gold necklace (not available online), Nordstrom Stone Stud Earrings (both are featured in my massive mall haul post!). And unfortunately, I’m not sure where the white dotted studs are from.

Before work selfie…

During work selfie (in the stock room, but I cropped out the shelves just for privacy reasons!)…

After work selfie!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this OOTD from Tuesday!

Get ready for more posts like this! I’m going to attempt to do these every day I work, but sometimes it gets a little stressful getting out the door in time. I’ll do my best, though 🙂

Let me know if you guys like OOTD posts, and if you like having all the links to the items I wear!

I’m still working on that fashion post for the maxi skirt. I have all the outfit pics taken and ready to go, but I still need to take a few photos in the whole get-up. Hopefully it’ll be all set and ready to post within a week.

Oh and some exciting news – After trying on 11 dresses, I finally found one I love. I brought it to the tailor today since the shoulders are way too big (I was shrugging in the pics so it looks like it fits here).

I think I’m going to wear these heels, but I need to figure out my jewelry. I’m torn about this necklace – thoughts? I love it but I’m not sure if it’s too much and hides the gorgeous neckline. I have to see what I can find, but I’ll either wear a necklace and small stud earrings, or no necklace and bigger dangly earrings.

Phew – please excuse the rambles!

I hope you all had a great week, and that you have a fabulous, summery weekend! I cannot believe it’s already (almost) JUNE!!

xo’s

Massive Mall Haul

Posted on May 29, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Well hello again, and happy Thursday!

Today I decided to do my very first “Thinking Out Loud” link up post!

I absolutely LOVE reading what Amanda, and all the other link-ups have to say each and every week. I’ve done quite a few other random thought posts (aka rambles about the glory days, life, throw back thursdays, hoping you haven’t forgotten, being back in the blogosphere, regrets, a breakfast vlog, and sunburns – to name a few), but today I decided to link up!

While this isn’t exactly random rambles, it is some recent thoughts and things I want to share with you guys!

So, without further ado, here is my “thinking out loud” about my latest shopping sprees!

A few weeks ago, I went to the mall in search for a few “essentials”. Let’s just say, I ended up with a whole lot more than my summer staples.

Then, this past Memorial Day Weekend, my mom and I ventured out to get a few pieces for my new job at J.Crew!

Here’s the low down on what I got!

Old Navy

Gold necklace. This was part of my first day of work outfit – stay tuned for that post!

Gold bangle. I love that this has elastic in it so it actually fits my tiny wrist – but you would never know it’s stretchy!

Nude block-heel sandals. I may wear these to my cousins wedding (that I’m doing a reading at) in two weeks! It all depends on my dress. I’ve ordered and tried at least 10 dresses by now, and not one fits me well! Most are too long and have lacy / intricate edges that would be hard to hem. So wish me luck – I’ll let ya know what I end up wearing!

Pixie skinny-ankle pants. These are so J.Crew, but only cost $33!

Drapey tuxedo pants. I need some courage to wear these, but I love how comfy (you know me, I’m a leggings girl), yet chic they are!

Patterned 3/4 sleeve shirt in blue windowpane plaid. Again, another thing I can wear to work (tucked in with a blazer), or anywhere, really!

Fit & flare ponte-tank dress. I ordered this in “electric youth” and “absolute blue” too! It fits me like a glove and can be dressed up or down depending on accessories / layering pieces. LOVE.

White dress. I cannot wait to wear this on vacation with sandals, OR under a navy blazer! It’s so versatile – either a fun, lightweight sundress, OR part of a fashionable businesswoman ensemble!

Navy ponte-knit blazer. Throwing this on can dress up a knit tee, laid back dress, or casual pants, without looking like you’re trying too hard! I am alllll about that.

Forever 21

Bodycon dress. Sorry for the awful pic! By the way, this looks more scandalous in the photo. It’s actually just the right length and tight-ness that it doesn’t look slutty whatsoever. And trust me, that’s a good thing, ladies…

Floral tank. Perfect for a hot summer day with white or denim shorts, or a high waisted skirt.

Long gold necklace. This will be featured later on in my fashion post to come!

Blue tunic (video below). I intended to make this short video into a longer vlog, but I waited too long to edit and upload, so what I said before and after this footage is no longer relevant. I did my best to cut it, but my apologies about the abrupt start and end!

Multicolored scarf (video below).

Nordstrom

This statement necklace. Depending on what I end up choosing to wear to the wedding, this necklace may just be the finishing touch! We shall see…

These studs. Somehow I lost one of my tiny ‘diamond’ studs at school, so I finally found a cheap pair to replace them!

Gap

Navy stripe foldover maxi skirt. I’ve got an entire fashion post centered around this skirt coming out soon!!!

These wedges in brown. Unfortunately, they don’t appear to be available online anymore. I’ve been looking for classic brown wedges for about a year now, so once I spotted these, I couldn’t resist!

A dark wash chambray blazer similar to this one. The one I got has a white cuff with tiny navy stars that look like polkadots. So cute!

J.Crew:

Factory airspun baseball sweater in solid tan. I couldn’t find the exact one I got online (and it’s currently in the wash so I couldn’t take a picture), but it’s super loose, especially in the neckline which I love for a laid-back look for summer.

Factory keating boy blazer in linen. Yes, I know, another blazer! But all three that I got can be worn so many different ways, and since they’re classic pieces, I can wear them for years to come!

Factory ponte peplum top in stripe. As you may know from previous posts, I love stripes. And, I also love peplums, so I could not say no to this. I’m already dreaming of all the ways I can wear it…

Factory gigi pant with pockets in navy and black. They fit and feel just like leggings…but look much more professional and grown up 😉

And that’s all she wrote! As you can tell, it was quite a hefty haul (well, it wasn’t allll purchased at once). Now I’m all set for summer and my new job!

I have two exciting posts coming your way – a fashion post (on that amazing GAP maxi skirt!) and my first day of work OOTD vlog!

Oh, and be sure to check out the update vlog I posted yesterday. It’s from last week, but I’d love to get some feedback!

Thanks to Amanda for hosting this link up, as always!

Have a great rest of the week, and I will talk to ya shortly!

xo’s

Well This is Going Well…

Posted on May 28, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

I’m just such a great vlogger!

Not…

I meant to upload a few videos last week, including this one!

Since I filmed this, I got a job at J.Crew! (The one I had just interviewed for in my very first vlog).

I vlogged before my first day (yesterday) which I will share with you guys soon!

Sorry for the sporadic posts…I’m working hard on new ideas so hopefully I’ll have it all figured out (including that fashion post I’ve been working on) ASAP.

Happy hump day! Enjoy the rest of the week!

First Link Up!

Posted on May 21, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

It’s Wednesday, and time for my very first link up post!

Thank to Jenn for always hosting “What I Ate Wednesdays”!

Since the day is half way done and I haven’t been taking food pics, I decided to just post a few recent summer eats I’ve been loving! I’m thinking next week I will try to do a full “What I Ate” post…but we shall see.

Anywho, here goes!

Klondike Mrs. Field Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich. Classic summer treat. Amazing combo – doesn’t get much better.

Clean, easy breakfast! I made a vlog about this one, so be sure to check it out!

Love me a nice big, fresh cinnamon raisin bagel! Especially with peanut or almond butter, and a perfect banana!

Cara Cara oranges are soooo good. And yes, I like to slice them up and eat them with a fork to keep my hands clean when I’m on the computer. No one likes a sticky keyboard!

So. much. chocolate. I’m obsessed with Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Almond Milk. And these Balance bars!

I guess I like chocolate?

You guys know I love Carvelanches! Last night was my first of the season, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Vanilla soft serve with oreos, chocolate crunchies, and rainbow sprinkles! No words.

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Well unfortunately that’s all the foodie pics I’ve taken since I’ve been home from college, but I plan to take many more this summer.

I’ve been planning a lot of fashion ideas for the blog, and I’m currently working on my biggest fashion post yet! Be sure to keep an eye out for that!

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Hope you’re enjoying the day, and I will catch ya later!

Sunshine & Sunburns

Posted on May 21, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Howdy!

Here is a super short vlog from yesterday.

I’m hoping to do a fashion post (and possibly video) soon, so stay tuned for that!

Another Day, Another Vlog?!

Posted on May 19, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Well I tried it again! Excuse the messy hair and no makeup look. Oh, and the sweat… And the bad form on the renegade rows…

Anyway, it’s not professional looking whatsoever, but hey, it’s the only way I’ll get better.

Hope you had a great Monday and I will catch ya later!

Am I Going to Regret This…?

Posted on May 16, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Well hello there!

It has been way too long, my friends, but….I’m finally home!!!

PHEW. My papers (one was 25 pages….), final exams, and all the other stuff I had to do is behind me, and let me tell you, it feels AMAZING.

I’m really sad to be away from my best friends and my school, but it feels great to be home with no (school) work to do for months!

I have a ton of pictures and even a few half written posts ready to be finished one of these days, so I will definitely catch up at some point.

In the mean time….

Here is my very first (very short) VLOG!

I had zero plans to do this today, but I suddenly felt the urge to whip out my camera (aka iPhone). I had no idea what I was saying, and only did that one take.

Not sure why I feel so inclined to post it, but it is kinda nice to just say what I could type in an entire long blog post in just a couple minutes.

I would apologize for the awkwardness, but that’s just me. So on second thought, no apologies necessary!

Let me know what you guys think! It’s my first but could very well be my last….

Have a great weekend and see you soon!

Back in the Blogosphere + Too Many Pictures

Posted on March 16, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

How’s that for a little running motivation to get this post started?

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HI GUYS!!!!

I feel like I begin almost every post with “it’s been way too long!” But it totally has and I hate that this is the way it always is. That being said, it’s how it’s got to be until at least summer time.

I hope you all have been good and enjoying more daylight! It’s amazing how much happier the ‘longer’ days and somewhat ‘warmer’ weather (aka two days of above 50 degrees woohooo) has made me. And how much it distracts me from school work…uh oh.

Two weeks ago I had my spring break, so I have some pics from that, as well as tons of pictures from school after getting back from Christmas break (which was when my last post was…ahhh!)

Without further ado, here are some pics that I want to share with you (and erase from my phone since they’re taking up a ton of room…whoops!).

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These are insane. Buy them. Try them. You’ll love them. Screen Shot 2014-01-05 at 3.15.43 PM

Throwback to Christmas break. Miss this. Sweats all day.

Another throwback. Like my nerdy slippers?

Classic combo.

Panera “You Pick Two” for dinner at my grandma’s house. I would pick this everyday if I could.

Dipping pear slices in greek yogurt is one of my favorite snacks.

Target, you just get me.

Cara cara oranges are perfect. (Yes, I did slice them and eat them with a fork to keep my hands clean so I could look at magazines.)

And so are giant mint oreo Carvelanches.

J.Crew phone case for my new (back in January) iPhone 5. Got it for 7 bucks. Bargain hunter.

Vanilla Chex tastes like sugar cookies. Just sayin.

One of my all time favorite take-out meals when I’m home. Those sweet potato fries though.

Has anyone else tried these new Special K Nourish bowls? They’re pretty good!

Also pretty good? These popcorns. The kettle corn is my latest obsession.

Winter wardrobe = scarves and vests. And stripes. Always stripes.

Hot cocoa.

Wraps on wraps. On wraps.

If you’re ever in Boston and want unique pizza, go to Ottos Pizza.

Pizza 1: Butternut Squash, Ricotta & Cranberry. Pizza 2: Pulled Pork & Mango. Pizza 3: Eggplant, Ricotta & Basil. Pizza 4: Roasted Chicken, Caramelized Pears & Fontina Cheese. Pizza 1,2,3,4: Heaven.

Dining hall, I (kinda) missed you. I guess.

Back in January, I was sick for 2 weeks with flu like symptoms (I got the flu shot in October though). It was hell, but let me tell ya, vanilla froyo is a great sore throat remedy.

First Thai food experience. This was when I was super sick so I got the Tom Yum soup. I actually loved it and it was perfect for a stuffy nose.

Massive veggie burgers. You can’t really tell but it was ginormous.

Pass the cheese, please.

Long runs on tready, I actually do not dread thee.

Try these. Like now.

Fast forward to back at home for “spring” (aka 30 degree) break the first week of March. Some typical at home eats.

We took my great aunt and grandma out to dinner. I decided to get something different, so I got tilapia. I also decided I do not like capers.

A few J.Crew purchases.

Nike Frees that were practically free. $28 at the outlet. Again, call me a bargain hunter.

Eat fresh. With avocado.

Eggs, fruit, and yogurt with a side of artsiness for breakfast.

Another long run on the treadmill.

Delish.

Also delish.

I’ve been guzzling down this 32 oz baby multiple times a day. Water for the win!

Back at school- goat cheese and grilled veggie flatbread sammy and veggie soup. Not too shabby.

Me and one of my roommates. Well, half of her face anyway. Still want to protect my friends/family’s privacy – at least for now!

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Well, wasn’t that quite the hefty photo dump?! Random thoughts and pics on a Sunday gets the week off to a good start, eh?

Hopefully I will be making a visit back to my little neck of the woods in the blogosphere again soon, but as always, who knows. I’ll be sure to pop back in as soon as I find the time (and have more fun pics!).

Have a great last few days of winter, and enjoy the start of SPRING!! It’s almost here – we can do it!

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A few questions for you:

What are some of your recent obsessions? Fun snacks, fitness routines, fashion trends?
What are you most looking forward to about Spring?!