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Primark skirt and shoes, Free People socks, H&M sweater, Juicy Couture bag

You know when you get a rad outfit for super cheap and you become slightly obsessed with yourself? That’s how this outfit made me feel. Between Primark and H&M, I got this off the runway ready look for under $100. Even the bag was over 50% off at a Juicy Couture sale last year!

I landed early this morning in North Carolina for a shoot with Fox tomorrow morning, and surprisingly, it’s not much warmer here compared to Boston! I’ve never been to Charlotte, so I’ll be exploring the city after my shoot ends tomorrow morning with a few friends who are in town. Since I am Alexa after all, I definitely didn’t pack any outfits that make me obsessed with myself this time around (lol) but I’m thrilled to show you guys the two outfits I have prepped for Fox tomorrow. Between a stunning Adrianna Papell dress and a skirt I purchased at H&M, dressing stylish for less has never felt better.

Colorado seems like years ago since I’ve been to about 3 states over the past 2 weeks. I’m missing the beautiful mountains, the crisp air, and waking up to a cup of homemade brewed coffee with nothing specific on the agenda for the day. Can vacation be everyday?

Catch Nate and I on Fox 46 Charlotte tomorrow morning!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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BCBGeneration via Charlotte’s Closet dress, Primark heels, Dara Senders jewelry

Hair and Makeup by Tamar C, a crazy beautiful and kind licensed artist in the DC area. If you’re in need of wedding, event, work, date, etc, Tamar is your gal. I will be coming back to DC for her expertise every time I have work in this area.

I just wrapped up a super fun shoot with Fox 5 DC, yay! I’ve been on a decent amount of Fox segments across the country, but this set and team is probably my favorite so far.

Since the holidays are right around the corner, I’ve been discussing holiday gift guides for my past few shows. I’m obsessed (to say the least) with finding rad new items to show you guys and inspire you to buy for your friends and family. Since I’m a teen, almost everything I feature on my blog, and wear myself, is under $100. On a college budget, who has the money to spend on overpriced gifts and high heels? Not me!

A few of the products you need this holiday season, for under $100: 

Sabon: The luxury bath and body store, perfect for those with sensitive skin. With 12 NYC stores and a major online presence, Sabon has something for everyone. From your boyfriend to parents, pick a sentimental item from Sabon this holiday and expect your loved one to fall head over heels in love with whatever you gift them. I’m a huge fan of the Gentlemen’s Box, and their cute ornament stocking stuffer is a must on the Christmas tree!

Birddogs:  No, I’m not a guy, but it is my duty to figure out what both girls and guys love to wear, since working in fashion enables me to dress men and women! That’s where Birddogs comes along: designed by an ex-Lulemon executive, Birddogs solves an issue that most guys are too lazy to solve, but find themselves dealing with on a daily basis: underwear. With a built-in liner and comfortable lining/ fabric, a pair of shorts from this brand will save you from changing after the gym or swimming, and you won’t feel afraid to wear them out to dinner afterwards.

Superbowl 50 Book: I’m pretty lucky because most of my girl and guy friends aren’t huge sports fanatics, so I’ve never had to endure an entire Sunday devoted to a sports game (just yet) but I know many girls who do it for their guys, or because they love the game. My dad is a huge fan of sports, and frequently spends his Sunday switching the TV from game to game. I wasn’t sure what to get him for Christmas, so I did a bit of research, and decided to invest in a book he’d be sure to keep forever. With over 650 pictures of Superbowl games, in fantastic and clear quality, this book is a steal for under $50. Buy it for your dad, boyfriend, or grandfather, and get prepared to be showered with gifts in return because they’ll be so happy with theirs!

Nutrafol: Hair thinning/ loss isn’t something I’ve had to deal with at my young age yet, but many older people that I know have complained about hair loss as they grew older. That’s why I decided to solve the problem, and feature a product that will make the (older) loved one in your life feel as beautiful and confident as they felt when they were younger. Filled with tons of vitamins and minerals, Nutrafol is an effective and beneficial product to keep on hand.

Boot Rescue: What’s something every lady deals with in the winter? Boots ruined by the snow and sleet. Instead of putting up with boots that are ruined, or attempting to buy a new pair, purchase Boot Rescue. For $10, Boot Rescue is the product of the winter. You’ll escape trying to repair those Uggs or suede boots by simply using the product every time you walk out of the house. Saving money is as simple as that, am I right?

10th Avenue Tea: Notice the warm weather outside on the East Coast lately? We can thank global warming for that. A brand I adore that’s saving the planet and saving your body is 10th Avenue Tea. A totally reusable and recyclable brand of tea, 10th Avenue has gained major traction in the industry for offering healthy, nutritious tea without the plastic waste aftermath. If your mom is a tea lover like mine is, she’ll adore 10th Avenue Tea, and can sprinkle it in her oatmeal, smoothies, coffee, and MORE!

That’s a WRAP! I’m going to go explore DC and eat a croissant now. Have a lovely day!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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BCBG via Charlotte’s Closet dress, Zara blazer, Kohl’s shoes

I wrapped up Jingle Ball with Instax yesterday, and boy. am I tired today. I arrived in NYC late on Thursday evening, and had just enough time to prep for a busy day. I attended the pre-event and concert a few years ago with Girl’s Life Magazine, so I was familiar with the setup. Not much changed either over the past few years, which made my job 10x easier!

The day was spent working at the Fujifilm booth and taking tons of snaps of everyone posing in the booth. There were lots of vendors as well (like Clean & Clear!) so I gave my business cards from Moo out to tons of different people. I watched Shawn Mendes, Hailee Seinfeld and DNCE (hello, Joe Jonas!) perform LIVE twice yesterday, and not many people can say they’ve seen Joe Jonas twice in one day. Yep, I’m impressed with myself.

Inside Madison Square Garden, herds of screaming teen girls screamed when Selena Gomez and Zedd came on stage, and I used my Instax to capture all of that exciting action. All I know is that everyone needs an Instax Mini 8 in their life to capture every sentimental moment. Buy it here. 

Until next year, Jingle Ball! DC, see you tomorrow for a fun segment with Fox 5 airing on Monday!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Knocking out 2 posts in 1 day- woo! If you tuned into River City Live this morning (in Jacksonville, FL) you saw me discussing some of my favorite products for holiday gifting. I’ve got 2 more segments coming up this month on holiday gifting, for Fox 5 DC and Fox 46 Charlotte. What’s more fun than gifting during the holidays!?

For this segment, I had some great products I got to feature.

Atlas Coffee Club: a subscription coffee delivery service that brings you coffee from around the globe every month. I featured them in my Guest of a Guest guide this month too: Atlas is perfect for any girl or guy in your life that adores coffee. 

Air Repair Skincare: As someone who rarely does anything specific to my skin, I have to say: Air Repair has changed my life. For under $100, you can have a portable collection of skincare products that are handy for traveling and your daily skin regime. The moisturizer and eye serum are totally amazing: and perfect for a girl or guy!

DenTek: Since we’re on the topic of beauty, I included a product most of us use on the daily. Remember when you were younger and your parents would try and convince you to floss every night? The only way they got me to floss was if I was using colored flossers that looked cool, and those were by DenTek. What’s a better gift than one that’s colorful and under $5!? 

180Pro: I’ve spoken highly of my favorite haircare brand, 180Pro, that I included in the guide. This brand is so affordable and accessible, at all Sally Beauty stores, and has a range of products suitable for all different types of hair. 

Pandle Handle: Do you ever go to the gym or jump on the train and instantly feel dirty? I always do, especially since I spend the majority of my time at the gym or traveling. That’s where the Pandle comes into play. Instead of catching tons of germs and sicknesses this winter, let the Pandle protect you from all of that. Simply take the handle and put it anywhere you plan on touching, and you’re instantly clean and sanitized! 

Hope you enjoyed, and catch the segment HERE!

Richer Poorer socks, Axel and Ash notebook, Primark blazer/ pants/ shoes, Juicy Couture purse

Threads 4 Thought scarf, J.Crew vest, Brooks Running sneakers

I labeled this post in a pretty appropriate manner, I think, considering I got home at 1 AM and I’m leaving at 3 PM for Manhattan. Bucket List item #300, Colorado. Check. Escaping to Colorado for a few days with my best friend was a banging decision, and I’m glad we had the experience. From hiking up a snowy mountain to meeting a few interesting characters (like a woman that sang a poem about rejections and macarons to us on the street), Denver and Boulder were memorable. Would I go back? I’m not sure, but one thing I do know is that no matter where you go, it’s always a chance to see something new, and get a fresh start.

We got to eat some AMAZING food, and I can’t wait for you to read my upcoming posts on some of the places we stopped at. Colorado does one thing right: food. And all kinds of it. The food above was a brunch we had at Sam’s in Denver, and I ordered the chorizo tacos on corn tortillas. Almost ALL of the restaurants use local foods or have a farm-to-table concept, which is totally up my alley. Even though you end up paying more for food, you know where your food is coming from, and that the animals were treated correctly.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Denver on the first two nights in town. Situated right in the heart of the city, this was the perfect hotel to stay at for the short time we had in town. My room overlooked the beautiful mountains, and the beds were comfortable and the room was trendy. We also had the chance to try out their famous restaurant- Gabe ended up getting sick on the night we were supposed to eat in the restaurant, so we ordered room service and watched a movie. The menu is extensive, and everything is delicious. Especially the french fries!

I wish I had the chance to eat at the actual restaurant, but sometimes, life just gets in the way. Another part of this hotel that I really enjoyed was the team. Molly at the concierge was nothing but kind and helpful, especially with my questions. She helped give us advice on renting mopeds, which we didn’t end up having time to do, but in the future, that’s something you’ll definitely see me doing in Denver!

Molly also suggested we eat at Snooze, which changed both mine and Gabe’s life. If you’re in Denver or Boulder, make SURE to eat at Snooze. Trust me. Out of everything positive I got out of staying at the Hyatt Regency, Snooze (thanks to Molly) was probably the most memorable.

I’m off to unpack and repack for Manhattan later today. Tune in on Instagram to catch me LIVE at Z100 Jingle Ball with Fujifilm!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Threads 4 Thought pants + scarf, Aeropostale top, J.Crew vest, Primark boots, Juicy Couture bag

I started traveling alone when I was 16. People used to ask me how I got my parents to let me travel alone at such a young (and fragile) age, but everyone around me, myself included, knew I was different. My parents got to a point where they had attempted to tell me “no” so many times that I rebelled in an attempt to just upset them, so they started saying yes in the hopes that my rebellious side would vanish.

Sadly for them, it didn’t. The more my career began to take off, the more traveling was necessary for me to succeed. Both of my parents work full-time, so they couldn’t chaperone me on every trip I wanted to take. Plus, why would I want my parents in business meetings with me?

The moral of the story is, traveling has made me the person I am. Learning to navigate a city, make new friends, adjust to time changes, lose your luggage…all in a foreign place is a terrifying thing, but doing it with absolutely no one to help you makes you grow up. As much as traveling with my friends is amazing and fun, I got to learn all of my necessary skills when I was younger. I’m grateful for that. No, traveling won’t teach me how to multiple X by Y, or how to add, multiple, and divide at once, though it will teach me how to handle my money, how to approach new situations, and how to adjust to basically anything. In my opinion, the latter is much more important.

People who say they never want to leave their state, or haven’t ever left the country: push yourself to be a little nervous. It’ll be worth it. Join a church group or a non-profit that travels to international countries and gives back, or grab a group of your girlfriends and road trip to NYC for the weekend. The gas will cost you less than $40! Sleep in Central Park (or a hostel). Eat $1 pizza for three days straight.

Life is too short to not follow your dreams, or do what you love. Just get up, and make the decision to do whatever you want. Don’t think twice: just do.

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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I’m writing at the airport before I board the plane to Denver, and I’m so excited to spend the next 4 days exploring Colorado with my best friend. I haven’t taken an actual, non-work related vacation since I went to Mexico with my family when I was 13, and that feels like a decade ago.

I was in Boston for the majority of this week to plan the next few months out. Denver, NYC, DC, Charlotte, and Montreal are all on the agenda between today and New Year’s. On that note: can you believe 2016 is less than a month away? During a major H&M haul last week, I picked up a sparkly black dress I’m going to wear in Montreal, and for $34, it was worth every penny. Next task: who to kiss at midnight…

The pictures above are an assortment of outfits from the past 2 weeks: the first one is a Primark dress that I’ve worn too many times, but this time I threw on a thrifted Trina Turk blazer from a thrift shop excursion in Portland over the summer. I was smiling a lot because it was the day I filed for my LLC, and received the paperwork stating I’m an official company! AH!

You probably recognize my wool Boohoo jacket too from last year, which I uncovered under multiple pounds of clothes after moving out of my apartment in Boston to my new one. I wore it out and about in Boston on Thursday, and I’m just happy I haven’t cleaned it once yet it still looks like new.

See you in Colorado!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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I’m quite disappointed to say I didn’t get to explore Small Business Saturday this past weekend. As a blogger, I know all about the ups and downs of running your own business. Deciding to go full-time is a very stressful and scary road to go down, but it’s also the most rewarding if you manage your time and resources effectively. I love going around CT and finding new small businesses, as well as supporting old ones that I’ve grown up going to.

My best friend Gabe has been with me through it all. He’s dealt with my meltdowns in airports over missed flights or stressful TV shoots, when I wasn’t making enough money to support myself, and even something as small as when a boy doesn’t answer my text (I’m still a teen) AND everything in between. He’s the closest person to me in the entire world, and there is no one I respect more.

The reason I’m telling you so much about him is because his mom, Kim, opened up a resale store in Willimantic, CT, the town next to where I grew up. It was a huge risk, especially in a market that’s not exposed to “nicer” brands like Free People or J.Crew, because of its size and location. But, over 2 1/2 years later, she’s the epitome of successful. As a teen that started a business at a young age,  I can relate to the stress and concern about beginning and wondering if all the hard work would pay off, but both Kim and I have success stories that show opening a business is one of the most promising ways to go.

One of her latest additions to Bliss is called the Bliss Box, and it’s basically the Birchbox for everything besides beauty. For $15 a month, the Bliss team curates a box according to your specific personality and likes. Once you fill out a profile, you can expect your monthly box to include jewelry with your name or initial on it, a cute t-shirt or skirt, and a bunch of other exciting products. I no longer have Birchbox because I found (after a few months) that the boxes became repetitive, but with Bliss Box, that’s never something you’ll have to worry about.

Buy your OWN Bliss Box HERE!

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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Forever 21 skirt, H&M blazer, Primark heels, Ann Taylor bag, Michael Kors watch

Sorry about the delay in posting- it feels like it’s been forever! I’ve had a really relaxing week at home, filled with amazing food, family and friends. I never take time off of work, so spending the week at home and writing no emails (okay, just one) on Thanksgiving was a big step towards being *normal* for me.

I didn’t plan on doing anything special for the holiday since I decided to host a Friendsgiving on Friday, but I ended up getting dressed up for lunch with my parents + grandparents on Thursday. After a shopping haul with my friend Megan who was visiting from Palm Beach last week, I picked up this sexy skirt from Forever 21 for $9. And, then the heels for $7 at Primark. Wow, sales make me so happy! For those who think you have to be wearing designer clothes to look stylish, you’re wrong. On a college budget, you’re probably not looking to drop hundreds on shoes and fancy sweatpants, which is why you should feel as fancy and beautiful in clothes from thrift stores as you’d feel in Chanel!

The next few weeks are about to be crazy: Denver, DC, Charlotte, Montreal, and NYC. Have any of you decided what to do for New Year’s Eve yet? I already bought my dress. 😉

Xo,

Miss Fashionista

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