Not so much fun in the sun

I come from a very fair background. I have some Irish, British, Scandinavian and German all mixed in. I've got naturally blonde hair and light blue eyes.

So naturally, you think I would know a thing or two about sun safety... but you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink, right?

Essentially, I've gotten some tough burns in the past. But recently I got a such a bad burn that I vowed never to tan ever again.

Now I've said this before... but after a trip to the ER and lots of misery from itchy, blistering, red and purple skin, I'm serious this time.

Ouch!

So now I have a challenge: to accept my fair skin, protect myself, to learn more about and educate others on skin safety and finding ways to enjoy the sun without damaging our skin.

So welcome to my first series, "Skin I'm In." Every Friday, I'll be discussing facts and figures, fashions, society and sun safety for the modern southern belle.

How sun savvy are you? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

1 skirt, 3 ways!

It's easy to underestimate the basics... like a black pencil skirt! I have tons of cute tops and dresses, but very few "business bottoms."

I had an interview for a big girl job the other day... and I was baffled with what to wear! My classic suit was at home and the attire at the office was business casual. I wanted to fit in, look cute but also look pulled together.

I thought about buying a whole new outfit, and then I stumbled across something at Target that made my day: the simple, black pencil skirt.

A wardrobe classic that I just happened to be missing! It'd be perfect- I could wear it with almost any color and any top.

I thought I'd share my frugal find and some of the outfits I tried on for my interview! I ended up choosing a peach blouse similar to the dotted blouse.

1 skirt, 3 ways! by alysonnnnnnn featuring brooks brothers shoes

Mossimo® Women's Pencil Skirt -Black

Plus, there are SO many more outfits you could create with this... add a blazer, a button down or a simple top with a statement necklace. I can't believe this was missing from my wardrobe!

What's your go to basic piece? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson

A true legend never dies

In the past two days, we lost three great women!

First, Sunday morning, Lilly Pulitzer passed away at 81 years old. She was surrounded by family and passed away peacefully.

I found Lilly inspirational because she refused to be bored. She was an heiress who married rich but she still went door-to-door to sell fruit from her citrus grove! She didn't intend to do anything special, she just wanted to have fun.

Via

Second, Margaret Thatcher passed away Monday morning. She was 87. She was the first female prime minister of England in 1979 and also was Great Britain's longest serving prime minister.

She was nicknamed the Iron Lady... she was inspirational to me because she stuck to her word and never backed down.

Via

Finally, Annette Funicello passed away Monday afternoon. She was 70. Annette was a beautiful dancer and singer and got her start on the Mickey Mouse club. She was a favorite Disney star in the 1960's and starred in several movies.

She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1992, but she never gave up on hoping for a cure, even though she had to succumb to a wheelchair. I found this quote of hers summed up why I thought she was inspirational: "When I wake up in the morning, I like to imagine, 'This is the day I'm going to hear about an MS cure on the news.' I know it may be a long way off, but what a glorious morning that will be."

Via

The big thing I value in all of these women is that they stayed true to themselves. The legacy they left behind was not to please people - it was to live life they way they wanted and to follow their hearts.

Which of these women inspire you the most? Who else inspires you? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,

Alyson

Thesis Update: This is WAY harder than I thought.

So, I'm still working on my thesis and it still makes me want to die a little on the inside.

I know I've worked on papers this long or longer before, but man this takes a lot out of you. I'm one of those people who likes to accomplish a task in one sitting, or at least a segment of it, and senior thesis is not a place to do that.

Part of the reason I'm so stressed out about my thesis is I feel like I don't have enough time to work on it and get involved. I've been setting my alarm every day to make sure I spend at least 1 hour on it a day, but once I piece together all of those pieces, I feel like I'm just stringing thoughts together, with no rhyme or reason.

That's what frustrates me the most... there is absolutely no way I could sit down and write this paper in a day and come back to it the next day and edit and move on.

This thesis is like a wedding cake. You can't just throw it together and carve down, you have to build it up.

First, you create a strong and steady base - your literature review. Then, add a few more cakes on top of it to make it hearty and proud - like your methodology, observations and findings.

Then, lay down some icing- an intro, conclusion and transitional paragraphs, pipe the edges with your format and finally at your cake topper- the abstract- at the very end.

Lord help you if you think you can just toss this together!

Via

As much as I want to do this project all at once... there is no way I, or anyone, could. That's why it's a semester-long class - you need ample time to complete it.

This last semester has been a total work out of large, continuous projects, which I think I'm no good at. So you can imagine my frustration! And with the due date quickly approaching, it's time to make sense of all my segmented pieces.

Wish me luck! Are you better at longer, drawn out projects or quick and efficient tasks? Share with me in the comments below!

Stay true to yourself,
Alyson