Photo-A-Day :: April

Do you participate in these photo-a-day challenges? I can't believe how quickly these months are flying by, and I couldn't be happier to have these little memories from the past thirty days. Here's what April looked like through my eyes!

your reflection // color

 mail // someone who makes you happy

 tiny // lunch

 shadow // inside your wallet 

 younger you // cold

 where you ate breakfast // stairs

 something you found // how you feel today

sunset

You should jump on board! Are you on Instagram? Leave your username in the comments below!

Friday's Fancies #28 :: Date Night

Happy Friday! I'm especially excited for this week's Fancies since it's the first Friday to see Case Study's new design :) I put together an outfit that I would wear out with T this weekend to celebrate the end of classes + our last week in Blacksburg. Wouldn't it be marvelous if we could snap our fingers and have these outfits appear in our closets? A girl can dream ;)

1. I'm in love with fedoras + dresses right now! Have you seen the ones at Banana Republic?
2. Subtle, beautiful, and screams springtime...at $1,600, this ring deserves to be shown off!
3. Grab some playful undies from VS. If you decide on a bold color, keep it classy and wear a slip ;)
4. Sweet + sexy, this dress would be perfect for date night...
5. Playful + inexpensive, a perfect combo found in this Hearts in Bloom necklace from Modcloth...
6. These sky-high wedges are also from Banana Republic - aren't they beautiful?
7. Nothing makes me feel prettier than a fresh manicure. This Essie color perfectly matches that ring!

Check out {Long Distance Loving} for more Date Night looks!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend filled with sunshine, smiles, and a date or two ;)

{He's DONE!}

{For my new readers, Thomas and I got married last October. You can read all about that here!}

He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! He's done! 

That's right. Today marks the very last day of T's undergraduate classes. 
Take that college, my husband's undivided attention is officially mine again! Not yours! 
He graduates a week from Saturday. I couldn't be more proud :)

This upcoming week will be spent wrapping up exams, moving boxes, and getting ready for graduation The Avengers premiere! As for tonight, you'll find us at the pub downtown celebrating until we're too tired to stand. We'll be the ones with the beers. On days like today, it doesn't matter if one has a fever.

Gosh I love that boy.
Be sure to swing by tomorrow for an extra fun dose of Friday's Fancies!

{Music Swap}

 {via}

In the mornings, I listen to Spotify while I get ready, then the radio in the car, and more Spotify at work. 

If I'm home for the day, I find new favorites on Pandora and keep a massive ongoing list of songs that I will purchase for my iTunes just as soon as I have a steady income.

T and I have always had songs, and we especially enjoyed choosing our first dance song, {That's All} ...

I can't wait to play music for our babies + hope that they {like me} have perfect memories associated with certain songs.

My absolute favorite CD's are ones that have been made for me by ex-boyfriends, old friends, and newer friends.

Sharing CD's is my favorite way to hear classic favorites + discover new tunes! So that being said,

Do you want to swap CD's with me? 

Just leave a comment on this post, or shoot me an email with your address, and I'll make you a CD filled with the songs I'm loving right now! Then I'll send my address along, and you can mail me a CD with the songs you're crushing on right now :) 

I hope you will!

{Case Study}

Hello! You'll have to forgive me for my absence. I decided at the last minute to take a little trip home to visit my sister, and somehow got so caught up in our wonderful time together that I didn't get a chance to blog. I'm back now though, so don't you worry :)

I have an announcement to make ::

You can now consider yourself a beloved reader of Case Study! 

Big blog changes have been in the works, and I'm excited to share the first few with you. A new name and a new design! What do you think? {If you're reading from a reader, you can click here :: Blog :: to see the changes! Expect to hear more about the changes + see a new URL in the next few days.

I definitely have to share a huge thank you to Joelle for all of her hard work! She redesigned my entire blog, and I'm so impressed by all she's done. Thanks again, my dear! :)

Stay tuned!

{Friday's Fancies #27 :: Spring Picnic}

Today I'm dreaming of a picnic with {av}!

1. Regardless of who is or isn't seeing them, you should always start an outfit with unders that make you feel amazing!

2. Odds are good you'll be sitting down on a blanket on the ground, passing plates of food, or otherwise moving around more than usual! Keep yourself covered up with a slightly longer and roomy top like this one.

3. Stay frisbee ready with a comfy pair of slip-ons!

4. Feel like playing with the colored denim but don't want to commit to a longer pair? Shorts would be the perfect way to try on a trend without overwhelming your look!

Thomas and I went on picnic dates all the time my senior year of college! We would pick up take-out, grab a blanket, and head to the park for an hour to get away from the stresses of school + work.

When was the last time you went on a picnic?

Stay tuned for some big changes happening on the blog!

xoxo,

Eliza

{be careful what you wish for...}

I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging yesterday. It was an insane day. 

Backstory: T and I have a lease in our current place that lasts until the end of July. We've been interested in moving out early, since we won't be needing the apartment {obviously} once T graduates. Well. Be careful what you wish for, kids, because as Daughtry says...You just might get it all. And get it all we did! 


Wednesday morning we got a phone call from our leasing office, saying they had found someone to take-over our lease. As long as we could turn in our keys by 8:00am on Friday!! Yowza. After a few moments of panic, I realized I could definitely handle the packing + moving in two short days. Especially if it meant we wouldn't have to pay thousands of dollars for uninhabited rooms. And hey, saving $$ on rent means there's a higher chance T will randomly send me away for a week at the spa. Luck favors the prepared.

With a little more caffeine than usual + the most generous in-law's on the planet, we've just about managed to pull this off without missing too many hours of school + work. Not only are they helping immensely with the move, but they're also letting us live there until T graduates. Rent free. Great in-laws can make or break a relationship. Of this, I am sure.

Forgive me for my absence, and prepare yourself for some major exciting changes that are about to happen on this little blog!! Like I said earlier this week, if you don't follow via Twitter or GFC, now would be a good time to email me {or leave a comment!} and let me know so when the URL changes you aren't left behind! I'd hate to lose ya. 

Keep your fingers crossed moving + cleaning goes smoothly for us tonight! 

See you lovelies back here tomorrow :)

xoxo,

eliza

{OBX Love :: II}

As you may have noticed if you've been reading for any amount of time, I'm in love with the OBX! My family gets a house down in NC at least once a year and I manage to get down there for a few days each time. The food on the island is amazing, the relaxing family time is always needed, and the scenery combines for the perfect vacation.

That's my beautiful Momma. We ducked out for a little while {just us} + soaked up the aforementioned food + scenery ;) While I was visiting, I spent an afternoon shooting my sister Olivia's senior pictures. Isn't she stunning?

xoxo

Eliza

{I'm in LOVE with the OBX :: Part I}

While I spend my day unpacking, fixing my tire {that attracted a screw...} and uploading all my pictures from vacation, you should enjoy these shots from the OBX taken by my Momma + Olivia. Happy Monday!

{changes}

Hello wonderful and beautiful readers!

I wanted to let you know that there are going to be some changes around here in the next week or two ... The blog is getting a new name, new URL, and new design! I can't wait to share it all with you : ) If you follow my blog via GFC/Google Reader, then there's nothing you need to worry about. If you have my blog bookmarked, then you should follow by GFC or Twitter this week so you don't miss out on any changes. 

I'd hate to lose any of you in the transition! If you don't use GFC or Twitter, then you can email me at stclair{dot}eliza{at}gmail{dot}com and I'll be sure to write you and let you know when the URL changes and what it changes to. 

Thank you all so much for reading, and stay tuned for the new design!

xoxo, eliza

{Friday's Fancies #26 :: OBX}

Happy Friday! These last few days have been filled with amazing food, giggling sisters, and lots of fun. I'm excited to share an extra special Friday's Fancies with you this week, brought to you by the lovely {av} herself! 

A very happy Friday to each of you! My name is {av} and I'm the blogger behind {long distance loving}. I'm filling in for Eliza while she is enjoying the Outer Banks of North Carolina. To say I'm jealous of this trip is an understatement: though I live in coastal Rhode Island, there is a soft spot in my heart for the dunes of NC. Here is a little outfit I pulled together, without worrying about my budget, for a night out on the town in the Outer Banks...

1) Lace is one of my favorite feminine details, so it is no surprise I gravitated toward this simple but beautiful Cotton-Blend Lace Top from Tibi. It is ideal for a late spring day along the water.

2) These Linda Farrow for The Row Leather Round Sunglasses scream glam. The tortoise shell is light-hearted and happy, making them the perfect pair for Eliza ;)

3) Colored denim is everywhere this spring, so these Gap 1969 Skimmer Legging Jeans were an easy choice. The vibrant yellow offers a heavy dose of cheer!

4) Versatile and sweet, this Gorjana Laurel Bangle would be a fun option to wear all vacation long--it would work with just about everything!

5) For a little touch of preppy, these Jack Rogers Marbella Sandals do the trick. The slight wedge makes them great for a date night!

6) A nice contrast to the yellow pants, this Milly Mina Mini Bag puts a nice bow on the whole ensemble. It may not be a conventional color combination, but I'm loving it.

Thank you again for having me, Eliza! I'm so fortunate to have you as a part of the Friday's Fancies family. Enjoy the Outer Banks for me :) xoxo {av}

A huge thank you to {av} for guest posting for me! If you don't already read her blog, you're missing out on a daily smile. 

xoxo, Eliza

{While I'm Away :: IV}

Hi again! I'm having an amazing time in the Outer Banks, but I have to take a minute to introduce you to my next guest blogger :) Allyson is the voice behind Mimosas in the Morning, a beautiful blog that will keep you going back for more. Enjoy!

Hello! It's Allyson from the lifestyle blog Mimosas in the Morning and I am thrilled to be here today to give you a peek into my daily life! When Eliza asked me to guest post, I was super excited to show readers into my personal life because I don't usually highlight it in my blog. 

First off, let me tell you a little about myself. Apart from being a daily blogger, I'm also a full time student and supervisor at a plastic surgeon's office. Needless to say- my days are jam packed. Especially since by the end of this year I will have graduated college and be expected to move and get started on my career. And that's among everything else on the ever growing "to do list". Yikes, so lets take it one day at a time.

In a perfect world I would be able to start every day with a large Starbucks coffee. Since my bank account has different thoughts, I try to keep my coffee addiction to a minimum. My current drink of choice is iced coffee with Splenda and half n half.

Most days I spend half a day at work and the other half in class. Pictured above is my survival bag (part backpack part life holder).

The day doesn't feel like it has really started until I check my favorite blogs. It's my own personal version of reading the paper in the morning (the feeling that inspired my blog name). It motivates me and gets the creative juices flowing.

For my own blog I'm often experimenting with different recipes.

Although to keep up with my weight loss goals, I have to try more health conscious recipes unless I plan on giving the cookies/brownies/delicious-but-horrible-for-your-thighs items away immediately.

I also love experimenting with my new camera (as you can tell) but the best pictures are made with natural sunlight and that's a burden when you are working/schooling from 8 to 5 (i.e. the best light), so I try to capture some photos whenever I can.

I've recently gotten obsessed with Zumba and have been trying to make myself go four times a week.

There also has to be some time fit in for my sweet pup, Lilly. She was a rescue dog that I fell in love with while volunteering. She has, by far been my greatest impulse shopping decision.

And maybe a DIY project here or there for my blog.

I love relaxing at night with some television (usually anything on Bravo) or a good book. I'm almost always multitasking by surfing the web for inspiration at the same time.

Since my sweet boyfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, we try to fit in some Facetime every day (usually right before bed). 

A huge thank you to Eliza for hosting me today. I hope she is having a wonderful week off! Don't forget to stop by Mimosas in the Morning to see what else I'm up to- I can promise you there is always something in the works.

Stop back by tomorrow - I can't wait to share a very special edition of Friday's Fancies with you all!

xoxo, Eliza