I can't even type this post out without laughing at what I'm about to share. '
So here's my thought process. I love watching YouTube videos. It's actually been my main source of TV since I canceled cable. So, I was inspired and decided to make a favorites video for May as a little Friday Five special edition.
BE EASY ON ME GUYS. This is my first video I've ever filmed like this and the first video I've edited literally since senior year of high school (shout out TV production class coming in hot). I definitely want to play around with different editing features and programs in the future but I figured I should start out simple :) If anyone has any suggestions for editing programs or anything like that, definitely let me know! I don't take myself very seriously and had so much fun filming this and I hope you can tell!
Some things I learned after filming this video:
-My dance moves are those of an 80 year old doing Thriller
-I may have scoliosis - are my shoulders actually that crooked?!
-Speaking of my shoulders, I was reminded of my linebacker shoulders
-I never knew how much I unintentionally rolled my eyes - sorry everyone!
On another note, I wanted to include some favorite moments of the month too because I seriously had so much fun in May!
Every year in Nashville there is a Steeplechase and everyone gets dressed to the nines in big hats and spend the day tailgating. If this event wasn't made for me, I'm not sure what was. A big hat, a Lauren James dress and tailgating. I'M IN. I laso had to share this pic of the back of my dress too because it's just too good not to.
Weekend with my mom
My mom came down in the beginning of May to help me get my life together and decorate my new apartment. We had a great weekend and I am so in love with how my place turned out!! I do want to share the whole thing soon, so here's just a little sneak peak.
New friends
I'm going to be honest, making friends as an adult in real life is hard. Obviously I moved to Tennessee with one of my best friends and luckily I found a couple of good friends shortly after moving here and I am so thankful for that, but I missed having different groups of people to hang out with. Enter Bumble BFF. Guys. If you're in a new location or are just looking to expand your friend group, use this. It's seriously the best. Kinda awkward at first but it's nice to know everyone is in the same boat and in my case, it was also mostly other girls who had moved to Nashville recently and wanted to meet people! Genius. I wish I thought of this app.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am probably flying home to CT as you are reading this to celebrate one of my friend's wedding! I'm so excited to spend a long weekend home and hopefully get to the beach.
I am visiting one of my best friends and college roommates this weekend and cannot be more excited! That being said, this week got away from me (you know, with work, wine....) and didn't plan out a Friday Five. I actually had every intention of writing it while I waited for my flight yesterday. Turns out that's hard to accomplish when you're running through the airport with your shoes in your hand and your name being paged, sweat dripping down your face and security yelling step by step directions on where to go so you don't miss your flight. But, those are just details, really...
However, I will leave you with the only thing you need to watch/listen to this week below. And if you kind of wish the cameras never moved off of Justin Timberlake, I won't judge you.
Happy almost Halloween! It may just be me and my dislike of pumpkin flavored things, but Halloween is just not my holiday. A valid excuse to buy candy, finish the bag, and buy more for trick or treaters? Absolutely. Otherwise, let's get on to Thanksgiving.
This week seemed to be the longest in all of history and I have no idea why, but I'd appreciate next week to pick up the pace a little! I have a half marathon tomorrow which I'm oddly so excited for. Training for it has been so fun for me this time around (and way less blisters and no missing toenails - win!) and I'm hoping to finish with a new PR.
BFFs.This article made me smile. I can definitely relate after moving a plane ride away from home.
Devon Baer Tunic. I think I originally saw this tunic from Sydney at Summer Wind, and now I'm getting retargeted by Facebook ads and it's like Facebook is begging me to purchase it! I am obsessed. Now if only the price would drop...
In the News. This weekly installment of "Sh*t You Should Know" on Velvet's Edge has me laughing out loud every week. One of the contributors, Lori, posts it every Wednesday and I look forward to it every time! Lori, I don't know who you are, but I think we would should be best friends.
I'm pretty positive Tim McGraw hand crafted this song with me personally in mind, but I could be wrong. I can't wait for his album! And this song is pretty fitting for my trip to the Best Coast next week! :)
Also, I will be listening to this playlist pretty exclusively tomorrow morning for about 2 hours (hopefully under!) during my race.
Happy Friday! It's been a pretty boring and uneventful week that consisted of working, running and sleeping. Exciting, I know.
Kate Spade Home. If you missed my post on Wednesday (check it out here), you'll know that I am obsessed with the new home line from Kate Spade. Pink and polka dot furniture?! I'm in.
Workout Leggings. I'm running a half marathon next weekend, and got these leggings from Old Navy on sale for next to nothing. These are my new favorite leggings to run in. I get 99% of my workout clothes from Old Navy and the other 1% from T.J. Maxx - Lululemon who? This particular pair is awesome quality and so cute, and they are on sale right now! Get. Them. Now.
This Article. Speaking of Lululemon, you need to read this post. It's no secret that I am mildly obsessed with Nicole from Pumps & Iron and I was laughing out loud reading this. I have this thing against $100+ see-through pants that I will do nothing but sweat through (weird, I know), so I especially enjoyed it.
Chicwish Skirt. How perfect is this skirt for the holidays? It's currently sitting in my shopping cart. To pull the trigger or not...
Happy Friday, people! Somehow this 4-day week seemed to be the longest week ever.
UConn Homecoming. While I may have worn inappropriate shoes and not enough layers to last year's homecoming game, I'm sad I'm going to miss it tomorrow! And, we've actually won games this season, which is new! So, to all my husky homecoming goers tomorrow, have a drink (shotgun a beer - sorry mom) for me!
Buffalo Check Hat. I love buffalo check, and I love a good hat. If I still lived in the north, I would absolutely snatch this guy up, especially for under $35! But I have a feeling it may be a tad aggressive for Tennessee...
Burberry in AdWeek. Since I work in advertising, I'll scroll through sites like AdWeek to stay current on industry happenings. I love when brands like Burberry pop out at me while I'm browsing titles and headlines, which is exactly what happened a couple of weeks ago when I saw this Burberry scarf ad (an item that has forever, and most likely will forever be on my wishlist..). Not only did it make me realize just how much goes in to this beautiful accessory, it made me miss Ireland so much (yes, I know it was in Scotland)!
This Quote. One of my favorite bloggers, Kerrie at Rarely Taken Seriously, also happens to be one of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow. When she posted this a few days ago, I laughed out loud, because it is so true. The power of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie is real...
Be sure to follow me on Spotify (username: Colleen O'Flynn) and check out my constantly updated monthly playlists!
Reading: There's Cake In My Future - Kim Gruenenfelder I just finished this last night and immediately downloaded the sequel, which I can't wait to start! This is a really easy beach read type of book, but completely addicting!
Also, the Kate Spade Friends & Family event started today and ends Sunday! Enter INDULGE at checkout for 25% off your purchase!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Happy Friday! In light of today being September 11th, a special shoutout going to all of the first responders across the country. Let's all go a little above and beyond on this Friday and do something nice for someone.
History of Rap. I. Love. These. So much. I think Jimmy Fallon is one of the funniest guys on TV and I mean, JT, that's self explanatory (bragging rights: my sister took me to a JT concert when I was a teenager and we got to meet him!). This duo never fails to disappoint.
Plaid on Plaid. Call me basic, but I love everything and anything plaid. Even if it is reminiscent of my uniform days of grade school (said uniforms are also the reason I don't think I will be able to get on board with the turtleneck trend this fall. #traumatized.. I should really talk to someone...). When I saw the plaid kitchenware line (I think it's Threshold brand) at Target, I stood there for about 10 minutes figuring out how I could incorporate every piece into my life. I haven't figured that out yet, but I will! If I had all of the money in the world, and did things like hosted dinner parties, I would absolutely buy every piece. I cannot find the line anywhere online, but you need to run to your closest Target and look (aka drool) at them!
Downtown. This song is pretty much all I've listened to for the past 2 weeks. Well, that and the new Justin Bieber song (insert monkey covering eyes emoji). They are both below for a Friday musical snack (name that movie!).
Suede. I picked up this suede skirt at Nordstrom Rack last weekend and I cannot wait to wear it. I'm still unsure of the whole 70's trend happening this fall, although it totally justifies the flare jeans I never got rid of... from high school, but I can get down with some suede pieces. Tops, shoes, skirts.. I'll take it!
Foam Roller. So, this is not new, trendy or innovative in any way, but I finally decided to buy a foam roller at T.J. Maxx a couple of weeks ago and I wish I bought one years ago. I'm training for a half marathon in October and my body has been a giant knot lately. This thing has been a life saver. But, boy, do I miss going to my chiropractor back home...
I hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for reading!
Happy Friday! I can't believe we are nearing the unofficial end of summer. The weather in Nashville has been amazing and it's felt like fall all week. Which, is totally skewed now that I live down south. Low 80s is what I consider "fall weather", but it was so nice to have the windows open for a few days and get some fresh air in the apartment! I will not miss the humidity when it decides to go away for good, that's for sure. I also have no idea what to expect for fall and winter down here. I was told that people don't usually wear scarves and gloves - maybe for a week or two in February. What? I have 3 extra pairs of gloves in my car console and a shovel and can of sand in my trunk.... year round.
Ponchos. I have been a little too eager for fall fashion (girl sweats a lot - I'm ready for some cooler temps) and have been scouring my favorite sites for some fall deals, and the one thing I keep going back to are ponchos. Which makes me laugh because I've had an unfortunate history with rain ponchos and one would think I would steer clear of any sort of poncho for the rest of my life. But, needless to say, I love them right now! My favorites are these from Nordstrom, H&M and this J.Crew cape.
Shep Shirt. I love a good Shep Shirt, but have never bit bullet and actually bought one. I just can't justify spending over $100 on essentially a sweatshirt. However, I always browse the Vineyard Vines sale section, especially when they have an additional percentage off sale items. When I saw this one I was seriously about to buy it, but they only had and XXS and XS. Maybe it's being down south for almost 6 months or all of the hype around the upcoming Olympics, but.. 'Murica.
Dr. Brandt. I received a BirchBox subscription for my birthday and was so excited to try it out (a little late to the game on this one). One of the first products I put to the test was this Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Exfoliant. I had heard of Dr. Brandt before and read great things about the products, but it's pretty pricey and never tried anything. This stuff is amazing. My skin has been a mess for some reason and I notice a different as soon as I use this stuff.
Healthy Frozen Mocha.I can't wait to try out this recipe this weekend. I usually treat myself to a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee on Saturday or Sunday but I want to try this guy out instead with wayyy less sugar! P.S. Chocolate Covered Katie has the best healthy desserts.
Blue Bandana.I'm always surprised when this song comes on the radio and I like it, I've never been a huge Jerrod Niemann girl, but I love this song. I feel like it's a good end of the summer song. Follow me on Spotify to see what else I'm listening to!
I hope everyone has a great weekend! If you missed yesterday's post, I teamed up with Spongelle to try out some of their skin products! Thanks for reading!
Since I apparently gave myself a little summer vacation from blogging, I figured it would be appropriate to make this Friday Five back to school themed! Between being nostalgic (aka sad to have real life responsibilities) at the now dwindling "back on campus!" posts I've been seeing on social media and the slight hint of fall in the air, I thought I'd put together the top 5 things I learned in college. Also inspired from one of my favorite bloggers, Nicole, over on Pumps & Iron who recently did a similar post :)
Make Your Assignments Fun. One of the best things I learned in college was when the opportunity was given, mold your assignments and projects into something enjoyable for yourself. Especially with a Communications major, we were given a lot of open-ended projects with a lot of room to be creative. I did an entire presentation on the Real Housewives of Orange County and wrote a 20+ page research paper on Ellen DeGeneres. I learned to be creative and stretch the boundaries a little which my professors really appreciated. Since I was working on something I enjoyed researching and learning more about, I ended up getting great grades and excelling in my classes. Plus, any paper where People Magazine is used as a legitimate reference is good in my book.
Go Out On Weeknights. I think my greatest memories from college come from Thursday nights and a little thing we UConn alums refer to as Nickel Night. Don't be afraid to go out on weeknights - in fact, DO IT. Because while I've had my share of fun weeknights post-college, more times than not I am in bed by 9pm and completely regret it the next morning if I went out the night before. Or stayed up past 10pm for that matter. So, enjoy it while you are somehow invincible to hangovers and ready to do it all over again in a few short hours.
Work Out. Staying active is way more popular now than it was when I was in school (a whole 3 years ago..), but I went from playing sports and going to the gym to not really working out my first semester, mostly because I was unfamiliar with the gym on campus. Don't be afraid to explore or take advantage of on-campus group classes. I definitely wish I took more advantage of the free classes, because those are completely unheard of anywhere else!
Find Your Bridesmaids, Not Your Husband. This saying is so cheesy, but so true. I was talking to my best friend the other day, who I met in college, and were talking about how there have been so many weddings this summer and joking around saying we did something wrong where we didn't meet the loves of our lives in college. Luckily, we came to our senses rather quickly and came to the conclusion that we in fact did college right, and had so much fun spending every waking hour with our friends, which is something we would never get to do again. Don't worry about finding a guy, enjoy your time essentially being young and dumb ;)
Can you tell bodycon skirts with the thing to wear?
Intern.I was fortunate enough to have three internships throughout college, and I started interning early - during sophomore year. There is no doubt that these internships helped me land a job right out of school. Take advantage of your school's resources as well as your own resources and connections. Even if you end up interning in a field you realize you don't want to be in, you will learn professional skills, and help pave the road to figuring out what you do want to do!
Well, that's enough of me thinking I'm wise and insightful. But it sure was fun going through old college pictures! I hope everyone has a great weekend, and thanks for reading!
We're bringing it back to an old school Friday Five with just a bunch of random things I've liked this week. I have serious plans to shoot a bunch of outfit looks this weekend, so fingers crossed I actually follow through and don't get sucked into things like all day brunches :)
PS22. These kids never disappoint. Also, this will more than likely bring you to tears. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Punny Jokes. I love a good corny joke (ask any of my past and current coworkers) and Buzzfeed nailed it with these.
S'mores. I mostly just love that these are Troop Beverly Hills inspired s'mores. That was, no, still is, one of my all time favorite movies.
Smile & Wave. I've been living in this t-shirt from Banana Republic. I always say, just smile and nod and act like you know what you're talking about. This shirt is SO comfortable, too.
Kelsea Ballerini. This 90s mashup of all the best songs of my childhood is the best way to start your Friday.
Today marks the start of my 3 day weekend (Happy #NationalTequilaDay) and I have absolutely nothing planned and I can't wait!
Hope you all have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Surprise, surprise! Another Nordstrom Anniversary Sale post! While I seriously contemplated opening up a Nordstrom card so I could access the early access sale, I refrained and waited for this morning to snag some items from my (growing) wish list. After all, today kicks off my birthday weekend, so I couldn't not, right?
Above are my top 5 (plus a few extras...) picks from the sale. In reality, I have about a top 50, but I narrowed it down for the sake of this post. Looking through the sale for the past week has gotten me so excited to dress for fall! Although it's a long ways away, and I am more than okay with that, fall is one of my favorite seasons to dress for.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am excited to celebrate turning a quarter of a century in Nashville! With 100+ degree weather headed our way all weekend, I have a feeling the majority of my weekend will be spent by the pool with a cocktail or two in hand :)
In honor of my travels back home to Connecticut for the weekend, I thought I would round up my top 5 carry-on must haves. Which is kind of ironic, because I got taken aside to have my bags checked because the size of my lotions and shampoos were too big. Thank goodness for the nice TSA man who appreciated the fact that they were all less than half full.
I travel with a massive Michael Kors bag I scored on major sale a couple of years ago and it is perfect to fit everything from my laptop to an extra pair of clothes (my mom taught me to always travel with an extra set of clothes, underwear and your toothbrush in case something happens to your luggage. As usual, moms are always right). Mine is cloth so it's nice to shove everything in, but I love the structure of this bag to keep everything in place throughout your trip. Everything I need somehow always falls to the bottom of my bag by the end!
I am such a sucker for all the snacks at the airport stores - hello sweet tooth - so I always try and have a healthier option with me. I love the Kashi Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt bars and they are much better for you than the peanut butter cups I probably would have eaten instead :)
I have a list of about 20 books I want to read, and never take advantage of my downtime by reading, but I always read in airports and on planes. I'm currently reading This is Where I Leave You, which is actually being turned into a movie! I had no idea when I started reading it. I was laughing out loud on the plane reading it, I highly recommend it. And having a trusty People StyleWatch with you can never hurt!
My flight kept getting delayed yesterday (which led me to meet Garth Brooks' band, but that's a story for another day...) and the terminal kept changing. Luckily Nashville is a small airport so it didn't involve a lot of walking, but comfortable shoes are a must in airports. I love wearing my Jacks. They are easy to slip on and off at security and super comfortable for walking (or running) around the airport.
By the time I get off the plane, my hands are always so dried out (yet my face is always so oily! Does this happen to anyone else?). I bought this CocoMagic Coconut Oil lotion at T.J. Maxx not knowing anything about and absolutely love it. It literally makes my hands feel like silk after I use it! I have a small version for my bag that I keep with me at all times.
I am so excited to be home this weekend, I can't believe it's been since March and there was still snow on the ground! I feel like I just moved yesterday. I can't wait to see my family, friends and hopefully squeeze in a little time at the beach! Enough of this living in a landlocked state business.
I hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!
In honor of National Donut Day, today's Friday Five is all about the donut! Quick funny backstory behind me and donuts. I noticed at the beginning of the year that donuts were popping up everywhere (see above!) and tried to seriously tell my coworkers that donuts were trendy. Now, imagine sitting in a conference room and there's me, dead serious, talking about trendy donuts. As you can guess, I still haven't lived it down. In fact, before I moved to Nashville, my coworkers got me a going away cake.... in the form of a donut. I rarely even eat donuts! Maybe once a year, if that! (Munchkins don't count :) ) But, my grandparents used to bring over donuts every Sunday, so they hold a little special place in my heart.
In other news, my friend from home is in town this weekend and the countdown to CMA Fest is down to less than a week! I'm pretty sure I'm more excited to see my brother and friends than CMA Fest itself! It's already been a busy June and we're barely a week in, but I'll take it!
I hope you all have fun weekend plans! Thanks for stopping by!
Happy three day weekend! This weekend is supposed to be beautiful here in Nashville and I have my very first visitor coming tonight! I'll be doing some touristy things this weekend showing my friend the honky tonk scene and probably making a trip to the lake. Because now that I live in a landlocked state, I have to resort to lakes and man-made beaches :)
Last weekend was one of the most fun weekends I've had in a long time. It was full of unplanned events, which I think makes the most fun days! I spent it dancing, laughing, making new friends and ended it on a spontaneous boat trip. It may have also involved two brunches in one day and a few cocktails. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to another fun weekend just like last weekend!
This Friday Five (or... nine) are some of my Memorial Day essentials. And, almost every single item up there is on sale! I'm all about dressing for the occasion and on weekends like MDW and 4th of July I try to dress in red, white and blue all weekend long. It's just more fun that way! I plan on wearing those sunglasses (only $5!!) and bathing suit pretty much all weekend.
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