Two Ways to Wear: Knitted Sweater

So I am currently in Oregon for my university's choir tour, and I brought one of my new favorite sweaters along with me from Macy's mstylelab! As part of week 3 of #macyscampustour, I'm styling the knitted sweater I got from my Macy's haul in a dressy and casual way today.

To Dress Up: Most skirts dress up any kind of top, depending on the fabric. Unless your sweater is cropped, the top can normally be rocked untucked, just like I did for this outfit! Even when dressed up, one could still wear this for a casual setting depending on how their own personal style is. 

Perfect for relaxing. 

All Photos by Catherine McGrath Photography

Knitted Striped Sweater: c/o Macy's mstylelab

Pleated Midi Skirt: Fallas Paredes // Gray Booties: c/o Macy's mstylelab

To Dress Down: It is really simple. Just switch out the skirt with leggings and as long as your sweater is long enough, then I say it's appropriate to wear! The outfit is just easy and comfortable. Simple as that. 

Knitted Sweater: Same as above

Leggings: Borrowed from roommate // Booties: Same as above

I love sweaters! Since I'm currently in the Pacific Northwest for choir tour, this is basically all I'm wearing: sweaters and leggings. How would you style this sweater?

Here are what other bloggers are writing about this week!

Go Free with Gaufree! + GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

Disclosure: I was provided a meal courtesy of Gaufree for a media tasting event/review. All opinions are my own. 

Hey, everyone! I meant to post yesterday but my school's wifi was down for about twelve hours, so I wasn't able to post! However, I am back today with a restraurant review and exclusive giveaway for Southern California residents (If you're not from Southern California, I apologize)!

So I recently went to a media tasting event in Irvine, California at a new artisan waffle shop that just opened up--Gaufree: Artisan Waffle Sandwiches.

In French, Dutch, and Hungarian, Gaufre means waffle! The founder of Gaufree, Paul Hortobagyi, decided to play on words and add an extra "e" to play on the words "Go Free." The name and pronunciation of Gaufree also has to do with Hortobagyi's desire to "Go Free" from corporate America and to be an independent entrepreneur.

So, when you walk into the restaurant, it has a very cool vibe with its main colors being red, yellow, and gray. I really like the squares on the wall and how the layout of the restaurant is, mixed with benches, booths, and normal tables. On the tables they have cards to break the ice with people sitting at the table, entitled, "Do You Know Me?" Which I thought was a fun and simple way to get conversations started and to get to know someone!

We were given a sample menu to choose items from, and since I had my boyfriend, Darell, with me, we both decided to get different entrees. I decided to get an Organic Eggs & Applewood Bacon waffle sandwich while Darell got the Philly Cheese Steak. The Organic Eggs & Applewood Bacon sandwich also came with garden herb pesto sauce. The Philly Cheese Steak also comes with sautéed peppers, sweet onions, and melted Swiss Cheese. We also got a side of their Belgian Street Corner Fries and Gaufree's Homemade Pure Cane Sugar Natural Lemonade. The food came with two dipping sauces: homemade ketchup and garlic aoli sauce--the last container in the picture below is a side of peppers.

Two Ways to Wear: Blush Pink Embellished Tank

Remember last week when I posted about all the cool stuff I got from Macy's mstylelab? Well the next three weeks (including this week) of the #macyscampustour I'll be spotlighting one of the tops I got and two different ways to style each top: dressy and casual. Those cute boots I got? Don't worry, they'll be featured in all of my outfits!

This week I wanted to style my pink tank top with embellished pockets! It's a simple top that has one element that stands out, which is what attracted me to it. Because of its simplicity, it's also really easy to dress up or down. 

To dress down: I'd say that it's pretty simple: add jeans. In any outfit, adding denim in any form (jeans or jackets) will automatically make that look more casual. 

In the case of this outfit, I used some gray jeans that I cuffed with a cardigan and my booties to keep the outfit simple. 

Tough girl pose. Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

Blush Pink Embellished Tank: c/o Macy's mstylelab

Black Knitted Cardigan: Target // Gray Jeans: Forever 21 // Gray Cut-Out Booties: Macy's mstylelab

To dress up: Most skirts can do the trick, depending on the fabric. I've used a chiffon hi-low skirt with an elastic waist to accentuate my natural waist. I added some blush pink platform heels to elongate my legs and to keep the flow of the outfit going. Whether you want to tuck in the top or not is up to you--I have done both with this outfit--but I prefer tucking it in for this. 

Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

This top looks just as good in black & white photos! Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

Blush Pink Embellished Tank: Same as Above

Black Chiffon Hi-Low Skirt: Amazon // Blush Pink Platform Heels: Payless Shoes

Which look did you like best? Where would you wear either outfit? 

Don't forget to download the Macy's mobile app for a chance to win prizes during their Spin & Win Sweepstakes!

Check out what other girls are posting about Macy's mstylelab this week!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Macy's, but all opinions are my own.

Being A Christian is Hard

My post is saying exactly that.

When you become a Christian, there are so many things that come along with it--God's will, spiritual gifts, spending time in the Word, fellowship with other believers, and so much more.

For someone who didn't grow up around that stuff, it can be quite daunting to come into when you first decide that you want to follow Jesus. You would think that if you spent most of your life surrounded by this kind of language and around church that you would get it and have it all figured out by now.

Well, it turns out, that's not the case.

Even as someone who grew up in the church and now goes to a Christian university, I still don't have it all figured out. Not even close.

With so many things going on in my life and as I prepare for my junior year (and last full year) of college, it can get so easy to sit there and tell God you're scared or that you don't know what to do next.

We're all still humans trying to figure out life and what God desires for our own, but sometimes it's so hard when you're in a tough spot.

Journos in SD

I haven't done a personal post in a while! It's not that I don't like to anymore, it's just that there have been lots of things coming up that I've been writing! I've especially been doing many more review posts lately, which isn't always a bad thing.

So if you didn't know already, I am the Living Section Editor for my university newspaper, the Vanguard Voice. If you'd like to see some of my work, click here.

Every year, the Associate Collegiate Press (ACP) holds multiple conventions, and on the west coast each year, there is a national journalism convention. Last year (my first year), it was in San Francisco, and this year it was in San Diego, about two hours from where I live. 

We stayed at the Catamaran Resort, which is a Hawaii-themed type of resort. I don't have very many pictures of it, but I must say that it was pretty nice and fancy if you ask me.

After the worst of the rain! It still looks beautiful. 

The only problem was the rain. There was a rain storm here in Southern California over the weekend, so everyone was panicking as if they were about to die. I, personally, love the rain, but I definitely underestimated the power of the storm this weekend, so I came unprepared as far as extra clothes went. I only had just enough for the three days. The hotel was outdoors so to get to our hotel room and get our clothes from the cars, we had to run through a few puddles in the pouring rain, and everyone around me was screaming, which probably didn't help much.

Most of what I learned at the conference were things I learned last year in San Fran, but I learned a lot about the importance of utilizing your site for mobile and other things about photography. All in all, there were some pretty good sessions.

Macy's // American Rag Haul!

Spring is coming soon, and usually that means spring cleaning and time to update your wardrobe! It's time to put away coats and thick layers and time to bring out bright items, just in time for spring and #macyscampustour!

Thanks to Macy's, I recently had an opportunity to check out their mstylelab, which is their juniors section, catered to young adults both male and female. Some of the brands they carry are Marilyn Monroe, Levi's, Jessica Simpson, XOXO, Material Girl, and so much more!

I shopped in-store and picked up these great pieces! I used the Macy's mobile app to look at what I wanted and plan out my trip. I prioritized the pieces I have below, and if I had extra money, that would've been when I'd get other things. My favorite investment is in the ankle booties. They have cut-outs on the sides and I could not be more in love.

Another thing I love about Macy's? American Rag! All of the products featured below are from American Rag, one of the many brands that the mstylelab offers. There is just something about the style of all the clothes together that is totally my style.

All products courtesy of Macy's

Knitted, Striped Sweater // Blush Pink Tank with Sequined Pockets // Tribal Print Crop Top // Gray Ankle Booties

Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

Source: Catherine McGrath Photography

Everything is comfortable and essentially a basic with little details to make it different! All the pieces are easy to style, and next week I will be featuring a few looks and ways to style these pieces. 

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If you want to go check out these pieces or anything else from the mstylelab? Head over to your nearest store or download Macy's mobile app after entering Macy's Spin & Win sweepstakes!

Throughout the month of March, Macy's is giving students a chance to win up to $500 in gift cards by playing the Spin & Win game! To play, download the Macy's App on Google Play or the Itunes App Store to get the link to play. Students will be able to play up to five times a day from March 5th to March 30th, 2014! You automatically get a 20% coupon just for playing!

http://macyscampustour.com

What do you want from Macy's for this spring?

This post was sponsored by Macy's, but as always, all opinions are my own.

Check out some other bloggers and what they got from Macy's this week!

Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Shows with Jerica's World

Hey everyone! So today, I am currently out of town and am at a journalism convention in San Diego with my university's newspaper. If you want to keep up with me this weekend, follow me on Twitter and Instagram to stay updated!

Until then, meet Jerica! She's a sweet girl that I met in the Her Campus Blogger Network, and she is an entertainment blogger! She's taking over my blog today and talking about her top 5 guily pleasure tv shows. Come on, I know you all have them. Read on and see what she likes!

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Hey everybody!  I'm Jerica and I blog over at Jerica's World.  I blog about mostly pop culture but I talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind.  I'm honored that I was chosen to guest blog on Livin' and Lovin'.  Today's post is about guilty pleasures.  We all have them so don't try to deny it.  One of my biggest guilty pleasures is television.  I literally can spend hours watching TV.  So I thought I'd share my top 5 guilty pleasure shows with all of you. What show can you not survive without?  Let me know!  Enjoy!

Source: collider.com

5. Friends

This show is just a classic.  No matter how many times you've seen the same episode it is still hilarious.  You are always pulling for Ross  and Rachel even though you already know how it ends.  You'll just never get tired of it.  I bought my mom all 10 seasons for her birthday a few years ago and now we'll just have binge sessions.

4. One Tree Hill

It took me awhile before I actually watched this series but once I did I was hooked!  I had bought seasons 1-4 for super cheap one black Friday.  After season 1 I just knew it would be a new obsession.  I now own all 9 seasons.  It has drama and love and more drama.  The storyline is just insane!  Even my grandma who is 71 loves it.

Source: aris-dance.com

3. Dance Mom's

I've always loved watching dancing shows.  Plus I love reality TV.  So when I saw the preview for this I knew I must watch.  It's just a show about dance moms, their kids, and the dance teacher Abby Lee Miller.  There is always TONS of drama.  The dances are beautiful too.

2. Revenge

This show is just AMAZING!  Every episode tops the next.  My grandma actually got me hooked.  It kills me to wait a whole week to see what happens.  It can be a bit intense at times but I highly recommend it.  You can watch seasons 1-2 on Netflix.

Source: Pretty Little Liars Wiki

1. Pretty Little Liars

If you aren't watching this show then you are missing out!  I can't get enough!  I feel like I'm one of the girls on the show trying to find out who A is even though we know.  It can get very creepy too.  The acting is a little cheesy but still convincing.  Every time you think you have it figured out something else happens!  I just love it!