Internship Wardrobe Essentials

This summer I have an internship at a local Country Club, as an Event Planner’s assistant. I have worked in the retail world my whole life, so professional clothes never needed to be a part of my everyday wardrobe. Finally starting out in the professional world is a little scary and intimidating. A simple way to make your first day a little less stressful is to feel great! To ensure you have the best first impression outfit options, there are a few closet essentials every professional needs before starting in the big world.

Here is what I bought to start out my summer internship, along with where I found these items and approximately how much they usually go for:

1. A plain black blazer or sport jacket. A stereotype I’ve seen proven wrong, is that all blazers are formal and stuffy. If you find one in the right store, blazers can be more modern and fashionable. I would suggest finding one with cinched sleeves or a shorter length, it makes it look younger and less formal (Dress Barn $45, New York and Company $60)
2. Plain colored dress pants. I chose a grey pair and a black pair to start out with, and also found a cheap bright pink pair on sale. I decided to splurge a little on the pink pants since the environment at my internship is a little more relaxed and modern (New York and Company $20, Target $30)
3. Solid colored shirts that flatter your body type. You probably will want to stay away from super tight shirts, as they are usually not the most professional option. I chose a few shirts that were flowy but still fun and youthful (New York and Company $20, Target $20, Kohl’s $15)
4. Solid or neutral colored sweaters. You never know what the temperature is going to be like in your office or when you’ll have to run out for coffee or to run an errand. Light cardigans are the perfect thing to throw on over any top (New York and Company $20)
5. 1 or 2 pairs of comfortable flats. Shoes are extremely important to find a pair that are both comfortable and will last a year at the job. I found a black pair and a nude pair that are comfortable for a job that requires you to be on your feet all day and also won’t fall apart in a few weeks (Payless $20, DSW $30)
6. Jewelry to jazz up your outfits. This can vary depending on  your work environment, dress code, and the activity level you’ll be doing at your new job (Charming Charlie $10)

  

I found that once I had some closet essentials, I felt much calmer and more prepared about starting my internship.  I found that if you buy neutral and solid color clothing, you can easily mix and match the pieces for more outfit options until your wardrobe has time to grow!

Here are the websites to the stores I went shopping at for these few wardrobe essentials:

• https://www.dressbarn.com/
• http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/
• http://www.target.com/
• http://www.kohls.com/
• https://www.payless.com/  
• http://www.dsw.com/  
• http://www.charmingcharlie.com/

If you are nervous for your first day, check out my “First Day Jitters” blog post (http://carolinemerr.blogspot.com/2016/05/first-day-jitters.html)

First Day Jitters

Stressing over your first day at a new job? Stop where you are and check out these easy steps to end your first day jitters!

• First things first, take a deep breath, you are going to be ok! You already did the hard part and got the job, now it’s time to show them they made the right choice.

• Make sure your alarm is set, earlier than you normally would. Getting a fresh start in the morning is important to start your day off right. For more information on this check out my earlier blog post “My Morning Ritual” (http://carolinemerr.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-morning-ritual.html)

• Get a good night sleep the night before. That includes going to bed early and trying to sleep through the night. I know your anxiety might kick in, much like mine does, but try turning off the tv and putting all electronic devices away. If you still can't fall asleep, I find that counting down from 100 slowly usually works well.

• Eat a healthy breakfast. Fruit, juice, and something filling, like a bagel or granola is a great filling breakfast. Try to stay away from greasy foods, they’ll make you feel bloated and lethargic all day. Just make sure you eat something! Breakfast is the best way to kick start your day, preparing you for a long day ahead!

• Make sure you pack food accordingly, whether it be snacks or a full lunch. You never know what types of breaks you might get so be prepared for anything. Easy snacks are things like trail mix, granola bars, grapes, or celery sticks. Things that don’t make a mess and can be eaten on the run if needed. Also, make sure you pack water or Gatorade, so you can easily stay hydrated while busy.

• Make sure you look the part! If you're entering the professional world, make sure to check the dress code so you don’t show up over or under dressed! Check out my previous blog post “Internship Closet Essentials” to help you get ready (http://carolinemerr.blogspot.com/2016/05/internship-wardrobe-essentials.html).

Good luck!!! You will do great!!

My Morning Ritual

Hey everyone!

With the spring season beginning and the warm weather right around the corner, I thought this was a great time to post this blog! 

Tricks to start your morning off happier and healthier!

I have always been the type of person who wakes up 15 minutes before I had to leave, rushed getting ready and grabbed breakfast on the go. I soon realized that it was making me more miserable and cranky everyday!

Here is how I overcame that problem…

1. Wake up an hour and a half, or more, before leaving the house. I now wake up at 8:00 AM and leave the house at 9:40 AM.

2. Don't dwell in bed, get up and open all the blinds!!! I live on the first floor and my room faces the parking lot so I can't open the blinds but I do open the curtain and let in some natural light! When it is warm out, I open the window for some fresh air.

3. Minimize your technology usage.This is especially hard for me, I like checking the daily weather, Instagram, Snapchat, Timehop and Facebook in the morning but I limited myself to only the weather until breakfast 

4. Drink a glass of water! Hydrating in the morning is important. I used to go straight to coffee but now that I drink water first, I feel more awake throughout the day. 

5. Morning yoga. I started this about 2 weeks about and I have to say, it is the best thing i have ever started! I do between 5 and 20 minutes of yoga every morning to wake me up in a calm relaxing way. Here are my favorite videos:

          - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX6I6vs1EFs 

          - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnIC7dFeGO0 

          - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wx_S6wiqOI 

          - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ3O3HSaKXI 

          - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVO7L3AQuc

6. Dress to impress…..yourself! My motto is “when you look good, you feel good”. Simply wearing jeans and a nice shirt can make you feel better all day. So, do your hair, put on some make up and get out of those sweatpants!

7. Reward yourself with a cup of coffee and a good breakfast! This is also the perfect time to catch up on social media. 

Changing your daily ritual may be hard and feel almost impossible to begin, but once you get the hang of it you will really see the results. My professor once said, it takes 20 days to create a habit, so stick through for about 20 days and this morning ritual will become second nature.

I hope this helps you feel happier in the morning and more awake throughout the day! 

D.I.Y. Sharpie Mug

Sunday is craft day!
Today's craft is a simple DIY mug.

Things you will need:
- A plain colored mug (I used white so the Sharpie would show up)
- Sharpie
- Letter shaped stickers
- An oven







Instructions:
1. Make sure all the price tags and stickers are off the mug.

2. Place the letter sticker where you want it on the mug. I chose to place it to the right of the handle. Since I am right handed, when I drink everyone can see it.






3. Start with the lightest color of sharpie and dot around the letter. My lightest color was red.












4. Next, add one of the darker colors over it, placing more dots near the letter and less as it gets farther way.  My second color was blue.










5. Last add the final color, this step is optional. I chose to do a 3 color mug, some people may like it with just the 2 colors. Dotting the third color the same as the second, closer to the letter and further as you go out. My final color was purple.






6. Once the dots are as you like them, peal the sticker off. If the sticker gets stuck to the mug, use a X-acto knife to scrape if off. I had this problem and the X-actos knife works perfectly (Warning, X-acto knifes are sharp, be careful with children). Be careful not to rub off the Sharpie seeing as it is not set.





7. Once the sticker is off, go back and add dots as you please.









8. Last is to bake the mug. I baked it for 1 hour on 300 degrees. Let the mugs sit for about another hour so it can cool off.

TADA!!! As simple as that!!!
I made 2 mugs with "C" (one for me, Caroline, and one for my sister, Caitlyn) and a "What Would Blair Waldorf Do?" mug.

Just The Beginning

So here it is, the first official blog of my "A Little Bit of Everything" blog. That is exactly what it is going to be. I will be blogging about adventures I take, DIY projects, food and drinks, fashion and everything in between!

To start my name is Caroline! I am a college student in Pennsylvania but I was born and raised in New Jersey! I am a Communication Studies major with a minor in New Media/ Electronic Communication, Women and Gender Studies and Entrepreneurship. Very random, I know! Still don't know exactly what I want to do with my life but I am thinking event/wedding planning!

So I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I am enjoying creating it and making it my own! Cant wait to continue to post all different kinds of things!