Winter Break in Pictures

Today my five week winter break comes to an end. My bags are packed and I'm headed back to CoMo! I had a great break, filled with precious time with family and friends, the opportunity to work and make a little money, time for crafting and blogging, and of course, snuggle time with my dogs!

I'm ready to get back to a routine though, and I am very excited to get second semester started! 

Here is a recap of my winter break in pictures:

Reunited with my sister, Hannah! (via Instagram)

I started my break by celebrating Christmas with my dad's side of the family in Chicago. Here we are with my grandpa!

I enjoyed lots of errand running and shopping with my mom, including a stop at a cute little cheesecake bakery that opened up in Uptown.

I baked gingersnaps!

I got together with and caught up with my friends from high school. It was so great to hear about everyone's first semester!

I enjoyed pretty Christmas decorations around my house.

I made delicious confetti crisp!

Christmas Eve with my sisters

I got the chance to flaunt my red pants and blackwatch plaid shirt.

I made New Year's resolutions and reflected on 2013.

I went skiing with my family in Colorado

I went with my mom to pick up our new puppy, Norbert

I treated myself to many a sweet treat

Leaving these two is going to be hard! 

I'm all packed up and ready to get back to Miz!

Can't wait to get back to this beautiful place!

How was your winter break? How did you spend it? Was it hard returning to school?

Here's to a great second semester!

Stay Stylish. Stay Classy. Be Creative.

Emily

Colorado

My family and I returned from our ski trip to Colorado late Sunday night. We had a marvelous three days of skiing, apres ski lounging, delicious food and spending time with some of our close family friends.

I have been skiing since I was seven years old. We have skied in both Colorado and Utah, but for the past six years we have skied at Beaver Creek. We have a routine down there, it is easy to get to, and we absolutely love it!

We spent the days on the mountain, and the evenings enjoying delicious cuisine at dinner. It's honestly the perfect combination! Skiing is one of my favorite activities to do with my family. My mom doesn't ski, but my dad does, and it is great bonding time!

The snow was good, and it wasn't too cold. We got a powder day on the last day! A foot of fresh snow fell overnight, and continued to fall during the day. It was absolute perfection!

Here's some photos from the trip:

We finally skied Grouse Mountain this year. #allblackeverything

My brother and I before the first run of the day

POWDER DAY!

Natalie in Larkspur bowl, getting ready to ski some pow.

My dad and I on Rose Bowl Lift

Natalie and I 

Here we are with our friends before loading the sleigh to Beano's Cabin

WHAT I WORE IN COLORADO:

Outfit #1: Ralph Lauren sweater ( I got mine at TJ Maxx!) (similar here) | Tommy Hilfiger blouse (TJ Maxx!)  | Zara Jeans | Fossil watch (TJ Maxx!) | L.L. Bean boots 

Outfit #2: Forever 21 sweater | H&M denim shirt (similar here) | HUE leggings | L.L. Bean Boots | Made by me headband

Outfit #3: Patagonia jacket (similar here) | Charter Club sweater | TJ Maxx leggings | Kate Spade "Air Quote" mittens (last season from Nordstrom Rack) | SmartWool socks (similar here) | L.L Bean boots |

If you plan on visiting the Vail/Beaver Creek area, here are some awesome restaurant recommendations:

Agave 

Located in Avon, the Mexican restaurant is home to live music, delicious homemade tortillas, and one of the biggest margarita offerings around. My favorite dish is the Enchiladas Suizas. Reservations accepted. 

Blue Moose Pizza

Another family favorite! Blue Moose has locations in both Beaver Creek Village and Vail Village. Guests can dine in or carry-out. Reservations are not accepted, so this place can get pretty busy during peak times. Besides pizza, the restaurant serves salads, pasta, and sandwiches. Our favorite salad is the Greek, and for pizza we usually make our own, with original hand tossed crust, basil, tomato, and goat cheese.

Montauk Seafood Grill

Seafood lovers, this one is for you! Located in Lionshead Village near Vail, this eatery serves delicious fresh seafood. My favorite is the ahi tuna. Reservations accepted.

Russell's Steakhouse

Another one of our favorites, located in Vail Village. (Maybe we like it so much because it bears our namesake!) This upscale eatery offers seafood, soup, salad, and juicy steaks. Reservations accepted.

The Dusty Boot

If you are looking for a casual spot to take in the football game, or unwind with your buddies after a day of skiing, make your way to The Dusty Boot. They offer traditional pub fare. If I were you, I'd order a burger. So good. They do not accept reservations, so it can get pretty busy during peak times.

Beano's Cabin

Beano's is truly a one of a kind dining experience. Beano's cabin is located at the edge of Larkspur Bowl, up Larkspur Mountain. How does one get there, you may ask? Beano's guests are ushered into a snowcat-pulled sleigh at the base of the mountain, and cuddle in blankets as the sleigh makes its way to Beano's. Upon arrival, guests enter into Beano's spacious coatroom, and are offered slippers to wear during dinner. The cabin itself is spacious but rustic, with a large hearth and live music. The menu is amazing, featuring freshly caught game (think rabbit, hen, and quail) and fresh fish. Guests enjoy a five course meal, and then ride down the mountain in the sleigh. So good, and so fun! Reservations are required.

8100

8100 is the restaurant inside the Park Hyatt, located in Beaver Creek Village. It is a great place for apres ski apps and drinks (they have a gorgeous outdoor patio with blankets and heaters), or a nice lunch before heading back to the slopes. My favorites include the endive and pear salad with salmon, the french onion soup, and for apres ski apps, the bacon and gorgonzola tater tots. Reservations accepted for lunch and dinner.

Larkburger

Larkburger has locations all over Colorado, but we usually stop at the one in Edwards on our way from the airport to the resort. An upscale burger joint, Larkburger serves gourmet burgers and delicious fries. I always order a "Little Lark" with lettuce and tomato, and you just have to try the truffle parmesan fries!

Have you been skiing before? Where is your favorite place to ski? Any fellow Beaver Creek devotees?

If you have any questions about Beaver Creek, please don't hesitate to comment below,

Stay Stylish. Stay Classy. Be Creative.

Emily

2013: What A Year!

2013 has definitely been one of the more eventful years of my life. From graduating from high school in May, to moving to Columbia to start college at Mizzou in August, I've definitely had a year of milestones! 

I'm so thankful for my family and friends (new and old!) who have been by side during the events of the last year. I couldn't have done it without them, and having them with me makes things extra special!

On this last day of 2013, I thought I'd do a quick post with the three biggest highlights of 2013.

NUMBER ONE | High School Graduation

I graduated with honors from Central Catholic High School in May. I had a great four years at CCHS, and can't imagine spending my high school years anywhere else.

Here are some blog posts recapping my high school experience: 1/2

NUMBER TWO | Our Bike Trip to The Netherlands and Belgium

Each August, our family always goes on vacation before school starts up again. This year, we decided to hop the pond and spend ten days cycling around Holland and Belgium. It was my favorite vacation yet, hands down. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and there was no better way to see it then by pedaling through the countryside. We met great people, ate delicious food, and spent precious time together as a family. It is a trip I will never forget!

Delicious pannenkoeken

Biking by the seashore in Holland

Windmill in Kinderdijk

Canal in Amsterdam

Cruising the Amstel River in Amsterdam

Beautiful Brugge at night

To-die- for macarons in Brussels

NUMBER THREE | M-I-Z-Z-O-U

I moved to Columbia, Missouri in August to start my college career at The University of Missouri. I couldn't have made a better college choice! I absolutely love it, and had an amazing first semester. I met so many great people, learned a lot, and definitely grew as a person. I am so proud to call myself a Missouri Tiger, and to study at the best School of Journalism in the nation.

To read a more in depth reflection of my first semester, click here.

My awesome roommate Erin, and our adorable dorm room.

Beautiful campus!

I met great new friends!

Love my Mizzou Tigers football!

2013 has been a successful and unforgettable year! 

Bring it on, 2014!

What were your favorite 2013 events and memories?

Stay Stylish. Stay Classy. Be Creative.

Emily

The First Few Weeks of College

I've been attending college classes for two weeks now, and I've been living on campus for about three weeks. The time has flown! I feel like I've been living in Columbia for a year.

The past three weeks have been amazing! So much has occurred in this short time span, and many of the experiences I've had have reinforced that Mizzou truly is the right place for me.

1. My Honors Learning Community

I am so glad that I chose to live in Schurz Hall. Schurz is a traditional style hall, and a majority of the floors are reserved for students in the Honors College. As a member of the Honors College, students are required to maintain a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and take at least one honors course each semester. This makes for a dynamic community within the hall, and most of the individuals are very focused and driven. This isn't to say that we don't like to have fun though! I've met some really great people from all over the country, who are majoring in a variety of subjects. The community style of the hall ensures that there's always people coming and going, and the lounge on the floor is always buzzing with activity. I love Schurz because the people are fun-loving, well-rounded, yet serious. Most people have a major picked out and are on a path to achieve their goals. It's so great to be surrounded by individuals who share your interests and values, as this is a motivator. Our hall is a little bit further from the center of the campus than some of the other halls, but I find this to be great. We can escape the craziness of some of the other parts of campus, and don't have to deal with crazy partying and excess noise.
I'm also a member of a journalism FIG (Freshman Interest Group) within the Honors Learning community. This has been a great way to "shrink" the size of campus and connect with people. We have a one credit hour class per week where we explore all the J-School has to offer. Most of my friends are from my FIG, and so far it's working out great!

My new friends and I at Tiger Walk, a Mizzou tradition where all the incoming freshman run through the historic columns on the quad.

2. The Missouri School of Journalism

It's no secret that one of the driving factors behind my decision to come to Mizzou was because of the excellent journalism program. The program was the first of its kind when Walter Williams founded it 1908. There are 6 emphasis areas, and over 30 interest areas within those emphases. After sophomore year, I will need to declare an interest area. At this point, I am not exactly sure what emphasis area I want to declare, but I am exploring all that the J-School has to offer. I am currently enrolled in J1010, which is an introduction to careers in journalism. We have had some very interesting faculty members speak about their fields of expertise, and several more are scheduled to lecture throughout the course of the semester. The J-School has so many connections both domestically as well as internationally, and this aids in getting jobs and internships. The program offers its students real life experience (called "The Missouri Method") and depending upon your interest area, you will have the opportunity to work at The Columbia Missourian (newspaper), Vox (magazine), KOMU (television) KBIA (radio), and AdZou and MOJOAd (strategic communication). This gives students valuable real life experience to make them more appealing to employers after graduation. The faculty at the J-School are some of the best in the country, having been published countless times, and the majority of them have worked at major publications, media outlets, or television stations. In addition to taking courses in journalism, I am also going to try to write for The Maneater, the student newspaper at Mizzou, and I've also joined the Mizzou Chapter of the American Copy Editors Society.

Beautiful, Wonderful, J-School.

3. The Campus is AMAZING!

When I took college tours in high school, the physical campus was often what stood out to me the most.  I'm not advocating making your college decision based off of the campus alone, but it sure is a bonus if the campus is nice. MU's campus has a tons to offer, is gorgeous, and is in walking distance of downtown Columbia. We have everything we need right at our fingertips, but Columbia is never far away if we feel the need to escape the everyday.

Some of my favorite spots (so far):

Ellis Library

Ellis at night

I have done all my studying at Ellis. I am one of those people who requires near silence to study, read, and digest material. Ellis has been my second home these first few weeks of classes. The first floor is great for when I have work that I need a computer for, as there is a big study space with plenty of computers (that way I don't have to lug around my heavy laptop.) The upstairs is perfect for when I need a little but more peace and quiet to study or do a reading assignment. I haven't ventured to the third floor yet, but plan on doing so soon. 

From my Instagram: The second floor of Ellis. So tranquil! 

 Memorial Union/Lowry Mall

At MU, we are lucky enough to have two student unions. Memorial Union is the older of the two, and from what I've observed tends to be more calm. There is a small cafe inside run by Campus Dining Services, as well as a Starbucks. There's plenty of tables and couches to eat or study at. I've gone on a Sunday morning when the library wasn't open, and it's the perfect place to get some studying done. During the week, it's a great place for me to grab a quick lunch of snack between classes that are on Northeast campus. Right in front of Memorial Union, across Hitt Street, is Lowry Mall. Lots of fairs and markets are set up here, and its always bustling with activity during the day. The benches and low concrete walls on the side of the mall make it the perfect place to take a break and eat a snack between classes. 

Jesse Hall and Tiger Plaza

Jesse is one of the most photographed buildings on campus. It's shining dome can be seen from around Columbia, and it's often featured on literature and websites promoting Mizzou. It houses the admission office for the University, among other uses. Directly in front of Jesse, to the South, is Tiger Plaza. Tiger  Plaza consists of a bronze statue of a tiger, as well as a fountain. It's such a pretty sight at night, when Jesse is lit up as well as the fountain. My goal is to "ride the tiger" and swim in the fountain at least once before I graduate.

Mizzou has been so good to me during these first few weeks, and I can't wait for the adventures ahead. Stay tuned!

A few more shots from the first couple of weeks:

So lucky to have a Newman Center on campus

Lucky to have my friend Hanna here with me!

Blessed to have such a great roommate! We get along so well!

Yes, I successfully did my first load of laundry

New Mizzou swag for game day

Football is a culture here. Faurot Field on opening day.

First Mizzou football game with the gals!

Are you a college freshman? How have the first few weeks treated you?

Stay Stylish, Stay Classy, Be Creative.

Emily