New Year, New You!

Instead of making New Year's resolutions, I've created a vision board with what I want to manifest for this upcoming year. 

Have you noticed that a lot of your resolutions are the same year after year? When you write down goals or habits to incorporate, they're typically different. You intend to achieve a goal or to obtain a new skill. You're moving forward. 

A vision board is a collage with words and pictures that represent your goals and dreams. To create your vision board, start with a theme. The theme can be a word or phrase to describe your intention. I chose balance. 

You can include anything that inspires you. Think about your goals for the upcoming year in regards to your personal growth, relationships, career, anything you want to see grow & change. 

It's best to hand write your intentions. The physical act of writing, stimulates your brain. You are welcome to type these goals as well, but for your vision board it is preferred if they're written out. Your intentions will be more impactful. 

The more personal your vision board is, the more likely you will be to stay with your goals and actually attain them.  

When you're thinking about the new year, think about what make your heart light up. What you get excited about. Make those your goals, but balance them with things that you know need to be accomplished. 

Your goals and your vision board are your friends. They shouldn't be looked upon as a grueling list of tasks that you are dreading. Hang your vision board where you will see it daily.   

Remember to enjoy the process! Make this year about creating the best version of yourself and achieving that which will make you happy, proud, and fulfilled! 

If you end up making a vision board, I'd love to see it. 

Also, if you'd like to follow my blog, all you have to do is go the top right hand corner of the page and type in your email. If you're on a mobile device, change to the desktop/web version. 

You can also just give me your email, and I'll sign you up myself. :)  

I now have an email dedicated to this blog : TheZenFashionista@Gmail.Com

Happy new year! 

XOXOTheZenFashionista 

Victoria's Secret Holiday Photoshoot

Hi everyone! 

With Christmas being this week, I thought I would do a fun photoshoot with my new holiday pajamas from Victoria's Secret! I also got a super cute hoodie and a new pair of leggings. Thank you to my best friend, Ashley for taking these great photos! 

Each holiday season, I love to see all the new styles Victoria's Secret comes out with! They always go on sale, making them affordable and a great gift! They are also very comfortable!

Here is a picture of me in my new fleece, angel hoodie and leggings! 

                      

P.S. Thank you Taryn for the adorable panda socks from Forever 21! 

What are your holiday plans? I'm hosting a create your own "ugly" holiday sweater party this week...so stay tuned for a blog post on that! 

Until next time,

XoxoTheZenFashionista

5 Times Taylor Swift Slayed In 2015

In honor of Taylor's 26th birthday being yesterday and, it almost being the end of 2015, I thought I would dedicate a blog post to Taylor Swift and her amazing journey this year! 2015 has been seriously epic for her. Whether it was getting all of her amazing friends together and creating a record breaking music video, or just being truly generous to her fans and surprising them with so many wonderful little things, Taylor has paved the way this year for so many artists and people alike.  I for sure can't get enough! 

Five Times Taylor Swift Slayed In 2015:

1. Her fashion sense

I mean who wouldn't want her clothes?

2. Student Loans

Taylor is known for doing thoughtful things for her fans. In addition to sending a girl named Rebekah, a personalized painting and a piece of jewelry, she sent her a check for $1989.00 to go towards paying her student loans. 

3. Bad Blood music video 

This music video was epic. Taylor Swift showed us what #SquadGoals really meant when she got her closest celebrity friends to appear in her music video. 

4. Surprise guests on tour

Taylor's 1989 tour certainly didn't disappoint. Each concert had surprise musical guests and friends of Taylor's popping up on stage to perform.

My personal favorite had to be Idina Menzel and Taylor performing Let It Go from Frozen. The fact that Taylor dressed up as Olaf was pure dedication.

5.  Valentines Day for her fans

In February, Taylor sent out personalized, hand painted cards to some of her fans for Valentines Day. She also invited one of them to spend the day with her. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what T-Swizzle does in 2016!


Any blog post ideas? I'm open to them...Leave a comment below!

Until next time,
XOXOTheZenFashionista

Holiday Shopping Haul

Happy December! I can't believe how close we are to the end of 2015!  With the holidays coming up, I've certainly been doing a lot of shopping...I surprisingly already got something for everyone on my list and almost have all the gifts wrapped. All that's left to do is to finish the holiday cards...I only have 75 more. :O Anyone want to be my assistant? Just kidding. 

Since, I can't show you some of the great gifts I bought (wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for any of my family or friends), I thought I would do a shopping haul blog. Below are 11 items I've purchased in the last month (BTW I got all these items for about $200. Retail they would have been over $400). 

I also linked you to the items :)

                       

Kohls- The Big One Super Soft Plush Throw
The blanket that the items are laying on and the one that was used as my backdrop in my pictures, were on sale at Kohls...They are such great quality and who doesn't want a pretty blanket during these cold months?

Nine West It Girl Large Tote- Mulled Berry                  
I have a bit of an obsession with purses and I've been eyeing a purple Kate Spade purse for a little over a year now. The price of the Kate Spade bag is over $300, I ended up finding this Nine West Tote on sale for only $30! I just got it a few days ago and I absolutely love it. It's definitely my new purse when traveling on a plane...It has a lot of room inside. If you click the link, you'll find an image of the interior. Super cute pattern! 

Nasty Gal- Skinny Scarf
I love scarves...When I go out of town, I like to find a scarf to bring back. Most of my scarves hold a memory of a place I've been or tell some story. Skinny scarves have been my new favorite look. I was shopping on Nasty Gal for the first time (I've been admiring their clothes for some time) and saw this polka dot scarf. It went perfect with the blue cape dress I was buying and so I just had to get it. 

Heart Eye Emoji Pillow
What's not to love about an emoji pillow? These pillows came in three different versions, and I went with the heart eye emoji pillow. I bought mine at Rue 21, but they are no longer available there....I did find them at Sears and attached that link. 

Ugly Sweaters
With the holidays coming up, how could I go wrong with an abominable snowman sweater? I got the sweater from Rue 21 and they're sold out of this item too! The link above is to Ugly Sweaters at Kohls...They have a pretty good price compared to other places I've looked.

Humans of New York
If you aren't familiar with Humans of New York...A man began taking photographs of strangers walking the streets of New York. He then began adding a quote or short story from them which was a glimpse into their life. The Facebook page currently has over 16 million likes and the book above is a New York Times bestseller! The book came out in October and would make a great holiday gift. The book retails for $29.99, but it can be purchased through Barnes and Noble for $17.64.

                          

                                                                       Elephant Necklace
I've come to find elephants as lucky symbols in my life. I wear an elephant ring and have elephant apparel, but I have been looking for an elephant necklace for a long time. While Black Friday shopping, my best friend found this necklace. It's exactly what I have been looking for. It was on clearance for $12 and then with other discounts I bought it for less than $8. I don't have a link to my exact necklace, but I did attach another cute elephant necklace that I found on their website.

American Eagle- Sateen Jeggings

American Eagle- Crew Knit Sweater

One of my friends gave me a gift card for American  (Thanks Ilana!!) Eagle...Honestly, I had been in there a couple times, but never bought anything. I ended up finding some really great stuff and it's one of my new favorite places to shop. I admit to wearing a lot of leggings in the wintertime, but I also love a comfy and stylish pair of jeans. These jeggings that I got from American Eagle are super soft, stretch, and I would highly recommend trying a pair on if you haven't already. They come in a variety of colors and are on sale currently for $37.46. 

The knit sweater is really flattering and I love it. I might have purchased it in three different colors....They retail for $45 and I got each sweater for about $15! If you buy one on their website, you can get it for $17.50. You have to add the sweater to your cart to see your final saving.

                         

                                                 Nasty Gal- Fly Girl Asymmetrical Cape Dress

Here is the cape dress I mentioned earlier. Doesn't it look nice with the blue dress? I've become a fan of the cape dress and cape coat look. I had wanted this dress for a while, but hesitated because of the price. A week ago, I was listing an item on Poshmark to sell, and the dress popped up. The person was selling it for about half the retail price. I then decided to see if the item was still on Nasty Gal's website and much to my delight, it was marked down even lower than the one on Poshmark. So, of course I had to get it! Happy Hanukkah to me! 

                      

TJ Maxx- Silver Dress

I was at TJ Maxx and saw this adorable silver dress! They had a bunch of silver and gold juniors dresses....All metallic, shiny and sparkly! Perfect for the holiday season and how can you go wrong at $16.99? I didn't find the exact dress on their website, but I linked you to a similar one. The brand of the dress I have is Rolla Costar.

Did you go Black Friday shopping? Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Let me know what you think of this blog post!

P.S. Thank you Ashley for taking such awesome pictures of me!

Until Next Time,
XOXOTheZenFashionista

Thanksgiving Gratitude

With Thanksgiving being this week, I thought I would write a post on gratitude. 

During the holiday season, we usually feel closer to others. We celebrate the holidays by sharing a meal with family, we pick out presents for our friends, and we give back to our communities through donations and volunteering. 

My challenge to you before the end of 2015 is to enhance you attitude of gratitude. Let's not just be thankful on Thanksgiving and during the holidays, but each and every day. 

Gratitude is a two way street. Have you ever noticed that when you pay someone a compliment or do something nice for another person, that you feel good afterwards as well? 

Studies show that practicing gratitude daily makes us happier. It makes us more optimistic and improves our self esteem and well-being. Being grateful positively impacts the people around you and has the power to improve your own life. 

I'm planning on writing handwritten letters expressing my gratitude for the important people in my life and including the letter in their holiday cards I send out each year. 

Here are some interesting and thought provoking ways that you can show gratitude:

Smile at a stranger in passing. 

Speak kindly to yourself - Look in the mirror and give a compliment. 

Pay for the person's coffee who is in line behind you. 

Begin a gratitude journal- Each night, before you go to sleep, write down five things you are grateful for. 

Make eye contact- When interacting with someone, if you make eye contact, you'll show that you are present and paying attention. 

Volunteer your time- at a soup kitchen, nursing home, a veteran's hospital, library, etc.

Start your day happy- When you wake up, find something positive in your life that you are thankful for.

Embrace your mistakes- We are not perfect. Instead of criticizing, allow yourself to move on and grow from the experience. Ask yourself what wisdom you attained or the lesson you learned. 

Spend quality time with friends and family- Put down the electronics and be present to what's going on around you. 

Help the elderly- Offer to carry their groceries, shovel their driveway, invite them to join you for dinner, pump their gas, etc.

Give compliments to people you hardly know- such as your waiter or someone in the checkout line. And of course, compliment those you know too!

Give a belonging away- Have you ever been complimented on something you were wearing or had an item in your possession that someone admired? A piece of jewelry, a scarf, a writing utensil, etc? Next time that happens, consider giving the item away. It will make their day. Being selfless can enhance your well-being. 

Spend less time speaking negatively and gossiping. Instead, focus on sharing something positive. 

Make a donation- Help those in need or give to those who have made immense personal sacrifices to preserve our freedom. Some examples are: Toys For Tots, Salvation Army, Wounded Warrior Project, The Friendship Circle, a local food bank...The list is endless.

When you become stressed during your holiday dinner or when you're part of the chaos on Black Friday, remember this....Make the best of a "bad" situation. Make the conscious choice to live in gratitude! 

What are you thankful for today? Have you performed a random act of kindness yet this week?

Have a lovely holiday weekend!

XoxoTheZenFashionista

Duct Tape Creations - My Parsons/Teen Vogue Assignment

I'm currently enrolled in a fashion program through Parsons School of Design in collaboration with Teen Vogue. The unit I just completed, "Think Like A Designer," had numerous assignments that got me out of my comfort zone and challenged my creativity. My last project was to design an accessory and clothing piece using an unconventional material. I chose duct tape.

 

The tote bag I created was made from duct tape, with lace on the sides and a few pieces of cardboard. It took a little over two hours and I was happy with the end result. You could totally use the bag to store magazines or cosmetic supplies, etc. 

  

I thought it would be fun to show you the progression of the dress. I assumed it would take hours upon hours, but it only took me two to complete my project! 

After doing some research, I learned the company that makes all these really cool patterned and colorful duct tapes, has a contest each year in the springtime. They challenge high school teenagers to make a dress/suit for their prom entirely out of duct tape.  Check out the link to see some really cool creations: http://stuckatprom.com/  

P.S. Thank you Ashley (my best friend) for volunteering to be my model. 

Would you wear a duct tape creation? What do you think of my dress? Any DIY ideas for me to try out for my blog?


Until next time!
XOXOTheZenFashionista