What I’m Reading: Still Alice pt. 1

Last night I got the idea to start a new series based on what I’m reading at the moment. I’ve always really enjoyed reading and I thought this would be a good way to get and give book recommendations.

During the school year I do not get as much reading done as I would like but I am trying to set aside time a few days a week to relax and catch up. Right now I’m reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It’s about a 50 year old woman who seems like she has everything going for her but the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are slowly creeping in. The summary from Goodreads says,

“Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman’s sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer’s disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University.

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what’s it’s like to literally lose your mind…”

Goodreads reviewers gave it a 4.3 out of 5 and you can read those reviews here.

I’m only four or five chapters in right now but I am definitely already emotionally invested. Genova goes into such detail when Alice loses her memory that I just want to jump inside the book and tell Alice what she is forgetting. I have only read three scenarios where she has a lapse in her memory but it’s one of those tricks that gets you to keep saying, “One more chapter…”

I’ll write another post when I finish reading but as of right now I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. It paints such a good picture of how terrifying early-onset Alzheimer’s is.

 

Thanks for reading! Drop me suggestions on what I should read next in the comments!

xox,

Marissa

Weekly Style 2

I had an exam yesterday so I was not able to make a Weekly Style post last week but I promise I’m back! This weekend I will be sharing items from Loft.

One of the hardest things about working for a Banana Republic Factory Store is that I want to buy everything… one of the other hard things is that I’m right next to a Loft. I just discovered them this summer and my wallet wishes I had never stepped foot in there.

The fist thing I love from the fall clothes is the Seamed Tunic Sweater:

I love the color and I love how it’s a little bit longer than a normal sweaters.

Next up is skirts:

The first skirt I fell in love with is the Geo Jacquard Wrap Skirt:

This skirt has such a fun pattern and also looks really flattering with the button on top with a little flair down the side.

The next skirt is the  Faux Leather Shift Skirt:

Do I need to say anything else it’s maroon! The website says deep cabernet but I think of it more as deep maroon 😉

The last category I have is dresses. I have Dressember coming up so here is a collection of dresses with fun details that would be perfect to add a little fun. (Also here is my link to donate to my Dressember page! Just $200 dollars helps a survivor of sex trafficking with the immediate needs after a rescue operation including food, shelter, and psychological help. Any amount is appreciated!)

Striped Ottoman Flare Dress: 

Mock Neck Swing Sweater Dress:

Cutout Bell Sleeve Flare Dress: 

Last up is my absolute favorite dress I found on their website, Lace Bell Sleeve Shift Dress:

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for next week’s style post!

And here’s another link to my Dressember page. I encourage you all to look through their website and see how wearing a dress can change the world!

Fall in New England

Last weekend one of my friends and I ventured off campus to celebrate fall.

 

 Friday afternoon we stopped by a farm in Wilbraham to get bagels to kick off our weekend. They also have homemade ice cream!

 

Saturday we went out to Ludlow for a corn maze and some pumpkin picking.

Two roads diverged in some yellow corn…

All about the photo ops…

You can check out my vest in my post on Fall Fashion here! My sweater is also from Banana Republic Factory Store. It is no longer online but you can find a similar one here!  The skirt is a consignment store find and it is originally from Loft. This is from awhile ago too but I found it online on Poshmark if you search “Loft black plaid skirt”.

If you’re new to Poshmark use the code “marissamoq” when signing up and you’ll get $5 towards your first purchase!

 

Finally found the perfect pumpkin!

We were near an Air Force base so we saw tons of huge planes flying over all morning.

Discovered my love for white pumpkins.

Ready to take my pumpkin home.

Finally home.

What makes the perfect pumpkin? Leave your ideas in the comments!

Weekly Style

Hello friends!

I’ve been wanting to start a weekly blog post for a while now so I decided I would do weekly series highlighting clothes from some of my favorite retailers! I’ll also be starting a series about my tips on saving money so stay on the lookout for that tomorrow!

I wanted to start out with Banana Republic Factory Store. I just went home of rColumbus Day weekend and I worked all three days I was home so I figured it would be a good place to start.

First up: the Sateen Skinny Pant. I bought these in maroon in August and I could not wait for the weather to get cooler so I could wear them. My college’s color is maroon so whenever I see anything maroon I needed it yesterday. They don’t have any in maroon online but they do have Taupe, Black, Gold Plate, and Nordic Blue. You can find them here!

Next up is the Elderberry Quilted Vest I featured in my post Fall Roundup! This is another thing that I have been so excited to wear! The color is so gorgeous and it is perfect for fall. When I wore it to fall fest I got so many compliments on it. This also comes in Oyster Taupe and Black. You can get it here!

My last maroonish item is the Wooly Wrap Skirt. There were only a few left at my store and the only size left online is a 6. Head here to get it before it’s gone! This also comes in Cathay Spice and that is only available online in a 4 or 8!

Now onto my favorite type of fall clothes: sweaters!

Since I was home trying to earn money I refrained from buying this sweater but it tool all of my willpower! Especially with the great Columbus Day sales. I think the tie back is so cute! My favorite color that this comes in is Purple Fog, but you can also get it in Cathay Spice, Heather Gray, Flurry, and Black. You can find it here.

The final item on my roundup is also something I had to stop myself from buying last weekend. The first time I saw this sweater on someone was when a customer came up to me and showed me this picture from Belle of the Ball 45 and asked me where she could find the skirt. Once I saw someone wearing the shirt I fell in love with the sleeves: hows and bell sleeves what could be better. This also comes in white. Unfortunately it is not found online but head to your local factory store to pick it up! I’m hoping theres a few floating around clearance when I am home for Thanksgiving Break.

Well that’s it for my roundup of all things BRFS! Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions for a post leave them in the comments. Right now I am planning on doing Loft, J. Crew Factory, and DSW!

Have a great Thursday!

Marissa

Apple Picking

I never truly appreciated three day weekends until I went to college. It’s so nice to have one extra day to relax and recharge for the next week. My family and I went apple picking so I wanted to share a few of my favorites!

My sweater is the ruffle-hem sweater from Old Navy and it is in the color Fir Ever. It also comes in Blackjack, Light Heather Gray, and Cranberry Sauce. You can find it here.

My jeans are a consignment store find! They’re from Lucky and I didn’t pay more than $20 for them.

I’ve been wanting to buy a pair of Hunter Boots forever now! I had a few hours between getting home and having to be at work so I stopped by Nordstrom Rack and these were there! I had always planned on getting the black ones but I fell in love with the look of the gray. The only color left online is blue (you can find it here) but  there were gray and navy in store so try looking at your local stores.

That’s it for this post! Comment below your favorite fall activity!

Marissa