Hey everyone! I was debating on what I should write for today’s post and really wanted to write a lifestyle post today. I decided that since I had a pretty busy day today, I would share what I did with you all. I was lucky enough to to have a very relaxing weekend after a hectic week.
Today, Ryan and I went to a lighthouse in Sea Girt, New Jersey. This is something that both Ryan and I love to do. Lighthouses are extremely interesting and usually have unique historic stories behind them. This lighthouse was right on a major beach and the area has a gorgeous surrounding community. We took a stroll around the beautiful neighborhoods of Sea Girt, went on the beach and then toured the lighthouse.
Today, I wore the pair of cropped light wash, flared jeans I got from Gap. I also wore a casual pink boyfriend t-shirt from H&M and an olive green sweater from Target. For shoes, I wore a pair of slip-on canvas Airwalks that had a colorful tribal design on them.
We went to a local bar for dinner and drinks. I am not much of a drinker but I decided to keep track of drinks I do like. So far, my favorite is a Bay Breeze (the orange drink) and I also like the Blue Hawaiian as well (the blue drink). For food I got a buffalo chicken wrap which I later realized didn’t pair well with a fruity drink but I dealt with it. I had a ton of fun at the local bar listening to live music and having great conversation.
I hope you enjoyed this synopsis of my day today. Please remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content. Comment down below what your favorite drinks are so I can try them out!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Hey everyone! I have an interesting topic for y’all today. I have recently become a commuter to the college I go to. If you’ve followed my blog for quite some time you knew that I lived on campus for the past 3 years and needed a break. So my last year I had decided to commute. This of course comes with pros and cons but in a way I feel the need for meal prep for commuters is a pro. Let’s discuss:
Being a commuter I don’t get to take out a meal plan with the school. This means I have to pay out of pocket for any food I purchase there. If you’ve seen college food prices, you know that it’s way overpriced and not worth it. So, I think of this as a pro mostly because it saves money in the long run. I also think of this as a pro because you can force yourself to eat healthier! I feel a lot of times when someone hears meal prep they run the opposite direction screaming. But it’s easy if you follow some of my tips on How To Successfully Meal Plan:
Tip 1:
Get yourself food that you know you’ll like and that you will definitely eat. For example, don’t assume you’ll like kale if you’ve never had it before. Bring dishes you know you’ll enjoy.
Tip 2:
Make sure you bring food in a lunchbox with an ice pack or only bring food that won’t go/taste bad after sitting out. I suggest getting a good size lunchbox that you can put your food in as well as an ice pack to keep it cool. If you can’t, don’t bring foods that will go bad like salad, anything with dairy or cream.
Tip 3:
Make sure if you are bringing hot food– also bring in a microwaveable container. You don’t want to be stuck eating cold food that’s meant to be hot because you forgot to bring one. Side note: don’t bring hot food if your school doesn’t have a microwave for you to use at your leisure.
Tip 4:
Bring everything you need in reusable form. Repurchasing containers, utensils and water bottles will get pricy. Bring ones you can just wash and reuse without hassle. Also– HUGE ADVICE– make sure you actually clean out the containers.
Tip 5:
My last tip is to make sure you cook almost every night. All of your food should be cooked for the week on one designated day. Also, make sure to pack your meals the night before so you aren’t rushing. You don’t want to rush and forget to grab your lunch or you just don’t have enough time to make the food and you fall into purchasing overpriced food.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I know it’s different from what I usually do. Let me know if you want to see more posts like this. Please remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content. Comment down below what your thoughts are on meal prep.
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Hey everyone! I wanted to do a really fun post today about things that I love. I will be using my own pictures for each thing that I love.
1. My Family
My family has grown bigger since this picture but this is one of my favorite pictures with my family.
2. My boyfriend
He absolutely has my heart.
3. Being an aunt
Being an aunt is so fulfilling and I love my niece and nephew so much.
4. My best friends
I honestly believe that I was blessed with the most amazing best friends on the earth. They are so amazing.
5. My puppies
I love my puppies, they are always make me smile.
6. Disney
Honestly, there is no other place I love more than Disney. It makes me so happy when I’m there and I feel like a kid again. I can’t wait to go back.
7. School
As much as school is stressful, I do love it. Knowledge is power.
8. Going On Dates With Ryan
I absolutely love spending quality time with my boyfriend. Living life together is the best thing in this world.
9. Blogging
This is probably one of my favorite hobbies ever and blogging has honestly helped open so many new doors for me. It’s helped with my self confidence and finding a passion in writing.
10. Vlogging
I am fairly new to the vlogging community on YouTube but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I really enjoy it.
11. Helping Those In Need
I helped save a cat that was dumped by their owners. The cat was very malnourished and I took her in and found her a forever home. I will be the first in line to help someone or something in need.
12. Music
Music has always been a part of my life since a very young age. I love watching live music, listening to music on the radio or through iTunes, or even making my own music.
13. Being Pampered
One thing that I really enjoy is being pampered. I am very much high maintenance so I love to go to the hair salon to get my hair done, I love to get my nails done, I love doing my makeup, getting facials and the list goes on. Anything that has to do with being pampered is 100% my cup of tea.
14. Decorating A Room
When it comes to decorating my or any room for that matter, I can’t get enough. I love turning something from drab to fab.
15. The Beach
I will always love the beach. This is where I am completely relaxed. Listening to the waves, soaking up the sun rays and laying in the sand is one of my favorite places to be.
16. Sweets
I am a sucker for sweets, I have such a sweet tooth. I love all sweets like candy, cake, cookies, brownies, pie, ice cream, whipped cream, Cinnabons etc. I can’t resist sweets.
17. Halloween
One of my favorite holidays ever. I’ve always loved Halloween, I love getting dressed up and going trick-or-treating, going to Halloween parties and doing spooky stuff like going to a haunted house.
18. Easter
Easter is definitely another favorite holiday of mine. I used to just love waking up and finding that the easter bunny left us baskets. We would eat candy for breakfast, draw with our new chalk all morning, and get dressed up for our family to come over. Now that I’m older, my niece and nephew give me a whole new reason to love easter!
19. Fashion
Something I am very passionate about is fashion. I love putting together new outfits, creating fun and innovative looks.
20. Quality Time With The Besties
There is nothing better than spending time with your besties! I love making memories with all of them.
21. My Boyfriends Family
I absolutely love my boyfriend’s family. They have always made me feel welcome.
22. Makeup
Makeup is another passion that I have. I love doing my makeup, giving makeovers to others and collecting makeup.
23. Golfing
This is a sport I’ve always enjoyed playing and I have beautiful memories of playing this game with my grandpa, my father, my sister, my best friend, my cousins and even Ryan.
24. Shopping
If I didn’t like to shop I wouldn’t have to many haul posts! But this is something that I love to do and it honestly is like therapy for me.
25. Myself
Not in a narcissistic way but after a really long time of others telling me that I’m not worth it, or that I’m ugly I started to believe them. It took a long time for me to be comfortable with myself and to love the skin I’m in. Self-care and self-love is very important.
I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content.
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Hey everyone! I wanted to share an aesthetic post about my 21st Birthday! I’m not that big into partying and drinking but I obviously couldn’t get a virgin pina colada and sit by the pool for my 21st (as much as I wanted to)! I went out to a night club with my best friends and we went to dance and enjoy ourselves.
We started the night off with Polaroid pictures. I’m just such a huge picture person this was something that was a must for my birthday! We all took pictures and laughed so hard while doing it.
I really loved the outfit I got for my 21st which was from TOBI and the shoes were from Lulus! I got the Birthday Girl sash and 21st Birthday tiara from a gift from my best friend! They were both hot pink and sparkly which encapsulates my style perfectly.
I was able to have my first legal drink and honestly the rest of the night we were just dancing and having a good time. I just wanted to enjoy my time and remember it, which was important to me. It was definitely a successful night with no drama or shenanigans happening (which is very rare for a 21st Birthday I hear)!
And the one really fun thing we did was have a picture scavenger hunt at the club! So I met a bunch of really cool people and just asked them to take a picture with me! It was equally cool and funny. My 21st Birthday was a success and I was happy to have a chill night with my best friends (another plus side to not being a big drinker, no hangovers)!
I hope you enjoyed this aesthetic and remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content! Comment down below what you did on your 21st or what you plan on doing when you turn 21!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Hey everyone! So, a very short while back I had posted a very fun photo challenge for this month of August. I explained how the photo challenge worked which was to take pictures or use pictures you have from the month of August and throw them together to make an August Aesthetic in itself! You could have done this by taking one photo a day or if you are adventurous you could take all of the photos in one day! The rules were not strict. Here were the photo requirements:
All I asked was to be given credit by linking my blog, @ing me, and hash tagging #NotTooShabbyChicFashion #AugustShabbyPhotoChallenge! I made this photo challenge myself so I am super excited to share with you all my Completed photo challenge! I’ve never done this on my blog before so here it is:
1-15
16-24
25-31
I hope you enjoyed this photo challenge and make sure to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content! Since I’ve never done a photo challenge aesthetic before let me know if you want to see more of these in the comments down below!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
I am 21 as of today and I couldn’t be more excited! I have to go in for my license picture because my license will now be sideways instead of longways. This is a milestone for me and I really wanted to share my license picture!
I made sure to do my makeup and wear something cute on my way to the DMV. I also wanted to dress for my whole day since right after I come back from the DMV I will be going to New York City! I did a natural makeup look and I made sure to straighten my hair so I’d be ready to just quickly go over it when my friends and I go out later!
This is how my photo came out! I thought it looked super cute and I was able to sneak a small smile in there (even though they told me you can’t smile)! After I got my photo done at the DMV I went and claimed my free Cinnabons at my local Cinnabon and I picked up my free Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee! We were then on our way to NYC!
I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content! Comment down below how old you’re turning/turned this year!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
If you love to read at the beach or by the pool I have a list I personally made of recommended books you should read on the beach or by the pool. Here’s the list:
Recommended Beach Reads-
For The Literature Lover:
⁃ A Tale Of Two Cities
– Huckleberry Finn
For The Adventurous:
⁃ Into Thin Air
– The Hobbit
For The Poet:
⁃ The Sun And Her Flowers
⁃ Milk And Honey
For The Romantic:
⁃ Safe Haven
– Fifty Shades Of Gray Series
For The History Buff:
⁃ Between Shades Of Gray
– The Devils Arithmetic
For The Drama Genre Lover:
⁃ Looking For Alaska
– Gone Girl
For The Trilogy/ Science Fiction Lover:
– Brave New World
– Harry Potter Series
For The Thriller Lover:
– IT
– The Girl On The Train
I hope you enjoyed this list of beach/pool reads! Remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content. Comment down below what genre of book you like!
– Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Vacation is going great so I wanted to share a tropical vacation aesthetic to get everyone in vacation mood. I complied a ton of pictures I have taken over the years of the tropical vacations I’ve gone on. These are all my own original pictures so please enjoy this fun aesthetic post:
I hope this aesthetic got you in the vacation mood and you enjoyed this post! Please remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content! Comment down below what tropical vacations you’ve taken.
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Since I recently was on a plane, I wanted to share the pictures I took and experience I had with my plane ride. This is definitely a plane and travel aesthetic post, so I hope you enjoy the photos I took and feel a little wanderlust while looking at these pictures!
The plane ride was absolutely gorgeous. I love sitting in the window seat because I have an obsession with taking plane pictures. There’s something about flying in the air above the clouds. The sights out of that plane window were so amazing. I also loved that I got to watch sunrise from the plane (top left and bottom right photos).
What was even more amazing about this plane ride was that I was able to sit next to Ryan. I usually don’t sit with Ryan on the plane because we just buy random tickets since it’s cheaper that way. Sometimes I want to sit first class with my family and Ryan wants to get the cheaper ticket so he randomizes his ticket. We only sat together once on the plane before other than this time. But I had a ton of fun sitting with him on the plane and we watched a Billy Joel concert on his phone together!
I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
Hey everyone! I wanted to do a really fun post and have you guys follow along with my morning by the pool. Ryan and I were just hanging out today catching some sun and relaxing. I thought it would be a really fun idea to have you guys see our relaxing morning!
8 AM- Sunscreen:
Once we woke up this morning it was time to throw on some sunscreen! Going out in the sun for a long day definitely calls for sunscreen when you want to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. So we applied SPF 50 and I made it into the shape of a heart.
9 AM- Hanging Out:
Ryan and I were hanging out talking to family for a bit and then went to lay out in the sun for an hour! I tried to make sure I wasn’t getting burnt because my skin isn’t used to being this close to the equator.
10 AM- Photo Fun:
Ryan and I had some fun taking artsy pictures using the portrait mode on my iPhone! I love this Setting because the pictures look so clear and professional. I don’t use it often but I had fun playing with this camera mode during our pool day! As you can tell we got a little burnt already so…
10:30 AM- Sunscreen Again:
…We had to re-apply sunscreen just so our sunburn didn’t get any worse than it already was! After this, we took a few dips in the pool and hung out with family in the shady areas of the pool!
11:30 AM- Appreciating My Natural Beauty:
Since we were in the sun for a while, my Irish freckles came out and I had to appreciate them for once. They are unique and beautiful, and even though growing up I hated them, I have come to love them.
I hope you enjoyed coming along with us during our morning by the pool! Please remember to subscribe for email notifications for when I post new content. Comment down below what you like to do most when you lounge by the pool!
-Stay Chic,
Stephanie Russell
