What's in My Bag?

bag (similar) / headphones / wallet (similar)

I have been obsessed with the Madewell Transport Tote for quite some time, but as a new professional who just moved I cannot currently justify the high price tag that comes along with it. So I went searching around the internet and found this reversible bag in black and cognac (now sold out of that color combination) that would serve as a great tote for traveling. It feels sturdy, but light, and I don't feel like I have to worry about the straps fraying and breaking if I over stuff my bag.

Along with my phone, wallet, and headphones I have a lot of little pouches I carry. I prefer to keep all the things in my purse in little pouches to make it easy to find things as easy to switch the bag from black to brown. I also have a chronic case of "just-in-case," so I end up carrying a lot more than I actually need. Here is a quick glimpse into what I carry in my pouches on the daily:

Pouch One: Toiletries

You never know when you are going to want a quick refresh, so I carry a small vinyl pencil pouch filled with a few essentials to get me through those days where I feel particularly hot, humid, and gross. The vinyl helps ensure there are no spills in my purse and it being clear helps me see what I need a little better.

Pouch Two: Makeup

While I always do my makeup at home, having a little bag makes touching up a breeze. My on-the-go makeup bag has makeup products I don't care for enough to use on a daily basis, makeup I am close to finishing but already bought a replacement for, and makeup I bought that isn't necessarily the right shade-but could work if I needed to. I don't like to waste makeup (either by not using or returning), but sometimes products just aren't great enough for everyday use so they get rotated to the travel bag.

This is great to have if you end up unexpectedly staying at a friends house or if you try to pick up Panera for a work event and end up stuck in a torrential downpour which washes off all your makeup and makes you feel like a drowned, harassed rat (speaking from personal experience).

Pouch Three: Miscellaneous 

The bag I bought actually came with two smaller pouches (one black and one brown). In one pouch I keep random items I couldn't find a space for, like Pamprin, chapstick, Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs Rollerball, more Altoids, and my phone charger. In the other pouch (not pictured), I keep receipts for my expense reports, business cards, and spare change. I really like that these totes have a strap that can be attached to the straps of the bag to make them easier to find.

Depending on where I am going, I will also throw my Macbook or my iPad in my bag and a quick snack like a granola bar or a bag of Goldfish crackers. I am hoping that this bag will serve as a great carry-on tote on my trip to Cleaveland next week. What are some of your favorite things to keep in your bag?

Friday Roundup 8.18.17

higher ed happenings //

• If you’re not staying up-to-date on the events unfolding in the aftermath of the hateful “alt-right” rallies last weekend at UVA in Charlottesville, you really should be. It’s is absolutely despicable that there are people spouting such hateful, racist rhetoric and committing such heinous acts of violence.  Bustle has written two articles about how to support the anti-racism groups in Charlottesville and how to support the victims of the violence.
• The Chronicle posted an interesting article that discussed the differing responses between professors and head administrators in the wake of Charlottesville.
• Inside Higher Ed took a look at college’s responses to the rising requests of speakers, such as Richard Spencer, who look to further spread the white power movement. Universities such as Texas A&M have refused to block the visits of these speakers, stating that they have obligations to uphold First Amendment rights on campus.

wishlist //

• I’m ready for fall weather, but I live in Georgia, so I probably won’t actually see fall weather until January. This open-cardigan with faux-suede elbow patches is just making me crave cooler weather even more.
• I have an empty corner in my apartment and I think a bar cart would be the perfect way to fill up that space.
• Mornings are not my favorite and more days than not I find myself having a lot of trouble waking up. I really want to get this alarm clock to try and make my morning wake ups a little more pleasant

hallthatjas updates //

• It's been a long week, y'all

Friday Roundup 8.4.17

higher ed happenings //

• After terminating their relationship with campus fraternities following policy disagreements between students and administration, UC Boulder is bringing back fraternities to its campus. The disagreements stemmed from administration's proposal of policy changes that would put fraternities under increased watch following the death of Lynn Gordie Bailey, Jr. in an alcohol hazing activity. This is creating an interesting dynamic because essentially there will be two Greek systems on UC Boulders campus--the two new campus-affiliated fraternities and then the fraternities who cut their ties with the university in 2005 but continued to operate around campus. It'll be interesting to see if these chapters choose to reaffiliate with the campus fraternal community.
• Trump donates his second quarter salary to the Department of Education which some are praising as an act of good will. However, Trump's donation is $100,000 while calling for cuts of $9.2 billion to the Department of Education's budget.
• I love this piece about The Placement Exchange, also known as TPE. TPE is a huge conference where a lot of second year higher education graduate students have dozens of interviews all in the span of three days in the hopes of finding a position in the field. However, TPE is only held in one location each year and typically they are relatively expensive to attend. I have attended as an employer before, but I chose to forgo it when I was job searching this year because of how extremely cost prohibitive the conference and travel was for my graduate assistant salary--a decision which puts many graduate students at a disadvantage each and every year.

wishlist //

• My jewelry collection is seriously lacking in necklaces. I've been seeing Audrey from Putting Me Together rocking a large gold locket and I have been in love with how much it made her outfits look more cohesive. I am not a big fan of gold jewelry, but this silver locket from Etsy seems to be a perfect fit!
• I'm seeing more and more of these types of skirts pop up around Georgia and I love the way they look. I am not the biggest fan of the way that pencil skirts fit on me because I always feel like if I get them to fit right in the hips, they don't fit right on my waist which means they twist and turn all day. The elastic waistband on these skirts seems like it'll fix that problem!
• I'm not a fan of carrying a large purse around when I am going anywhere that is not the office, but I also love to carry around a bunch of things that I don't need while I am out and about. I am considering making the switch to a mini-backpack which seems to be becoming more and more popular. Target, Topshop, and Nordstrom Rack have some cute options to consider.

hallthatjas updates //

• It's been a busy week at the office as school's begin to start their Fall semesters. Right now, I am preparing materials for National Hazing Prevention Week September 18-22nd, and I could not be more excited to contribute to this important week and hopefully encourage some great discussions with collegians.  
• I'm starting to plan my Fall conference schedule and I am so excited to get the opportunity to meet new people within the field and receive some professional development!
• I'm walking in my local Walk to End Alzheimer's in September. If you would like to make a contribution to the Alzheimer's Association, you can do so here!

What I've Been Doing for Two Years...

I did some traveling.

I met amazing people and made great friends during my time completing my graduate work in Virginia.

I supervised some phenomenal student leaders as a Graduate Assistant.

...and after two long years, I graduated with my Masters of Science in Education (M.S.Ed) in Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Now, I'm starting my next life stage (and my first time not being a student). I've moved from Virginia to Georgia to accept my dream position as a student affairs professional who gets to support the fraternal community each and every day.

Since I'm finally done with being a student (at least for now) and have a lot more free time, you will be seeing more activity around these parts. I have a huge revamp plan for this place and I can't wait to get the party started!

Who Has a Bachelor's? I Do

As of Sunday at 3:00pm, I am officially a college graduate. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and I am going to be leaving this city in a few months to attend graduate school to receive my M.S.Ed in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Affairs.

It's been a wild four year ride, and I did many things that I never though I would do like become a Resident Advisor, join a sorority, and officially feel like an adult. I know that I have a lot more to learn before I can officially call myself a Student Affairs professional, but I am excited for all that is to come.

Senior Year

My graduation cap! It only took two hours to glue everything in place and cut out the glitter states.

In a little over a month it will be time for me to graduate from undergraduate with my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education! This semester has been a long semester of student teaching, working on my teaching portfolio, having multiple positions in my sorority and sorority council, finishing my graduation cap, and trying to squeeze in as much time planning for my future as I can.

Recently, I found out that I have been accepted to graduate school and beginning in August I will begin working towards my Masters of Education in Higher Education - Student Affairs. I also found out that I was accepted into my dream assistantship and I am very excited to begin my the newest chapter of my life in an entirely new place.

This last month of college is going to be crazy, but then I am finally going to get some time to relax and visit family and vacation and basically do what I want before graduate school captures me and I am so ready for it to begin. However, part of me is also sad to let undergraduate go and I have been spending a lot of time reminiscing about my time in undergrad; my RA experiences, my friends, my sorority sisters, and all of the wonderful and influential people I have had the honor of working with or beside these past four years.

But even though I am anxious about what is to come in the next two years all I can think is...bring it on!

Reasons Why

It's been quite some time since my last post, and while I hate to make excuses here are a couple of reasons why I have had such a quiet blog lately:

1. I was on vacation in for a week in August. I did not really have a lot of relevant things to blog about so I took the week to enjoy just laying around.

2. School started at the end of the month. Since I am now a senior things are getting pretty intense for me so I have been trying to keep up in these first few weeks so I don't fall behind on anything and mess up my semester. It is vital that everything goes perfect this semester so I can start student teaching in the fall and graduate on time in May!

3. I moved! I finally moved off of my college campus and into my very first big girl apartment. It has been a huge adjustment since I have spent so long being a Resident Advisor, but it has been exciting nonetheless. I finally have all of my furniture and I even managed to put some stuff on the walls.

4. Sorority recruitment took over my life. Guys, this is no joke, recruitment takes a lot out of you. It is a lot of long nights and practicing songs and preparing beautifully elaborate rooms and spending time with your sisters while also trying to find new women to add to your wonderful sisterhood. I am very happy to say that after all of our hard work Sigma Kappa took in a wonderful pledge class of amazing women tonight.

However, while it might take another week of getting everything settled, I should be back to blogging regularly within the month and I am looking forward to the next items to swatch. I am eyeing some of the newest holiday sets that are beginning to preview so look forward to that!