In mid-July this past summer, I came across a copy of Conscious Company Magazine with Eileen Fisher on the cover.  For those unfamiliar with Eileen Fisher, she is the namesake of a women's luxury brand.  Eileen Fisher has recently been making waves in the eco-fashion/slow-fashion sector by introducing many initiatives, including their Vision2020 plan.
 
Their Vision2020 plan states that there are "no excuses" for making a responsible supply chain.  I was lucky enough to snag a tour of the Eileen Fisher headquarters in Irvington, NY back in August.

Their headquarters had spacious open work areas and was so relaxing to be in.  I loved touring and learning about their production methods and color stories and everything in between!  The people who worked there were so nice as well!

What really made Eileen Fisher such an amazing company to tour though was their open commitment to bettering the fashion and apparel industry.  One such way they are encouraging slow fashion is through their "Green Eileen" program.  Customers are encouraged to bring back their lightly worn Eileen Fisher apparel to be cleaned, refashioned, and sold again.  You can find Green Eileen racks in some of their stores and also in some other boutiques around the country (like in Sew Green in Ithaca, NY!).  It is a fabulous way to get luxury quality items at a much lower price point, plus, you're reusing instead of buying new, which is definitely a more sustainable model!

I had an absolutely amazing time learning about a brand that I had never really known (due to their generally older and wealthier target market) prior to reading the article in Conscious Company.  Since I want to go into corporate social responsibility for a fashion company, Eileen Fisher is embodying what I dream of working towards with other companies.  It was a real honor to get to be a part of it for a day.

To read more about clothing companies trying to do their part to be responsible, check out this article by The Good Trade.

Anyone that knows me knows that I've been working towards becoming a Cornell University student since I was a seventh grader.  I fell in love with the town of Ithaca, NY in August 2009 when my brother came to visit Cornell University and Ithaca College.  From that moment on, I knew where I wanted to be.  I applied and got into a competitive magnet high school where I majored in Fashion Design & Merchandising, went to all the leadership conferences offered (anyone OUTSTANDING reading this?), played varsity lacrosse, won two grants, was President of a club for three years, was a Peer Leader, a member of National Honor Society, took plenty of AP classes, and more.  I got good grades in school, volunteered every weekend, and even had a job.  Everyone was convinced that I was a shoe-in for Cornell.  As was I.

I applied early decision and didn't want to apply anywhere else (but my mom forced me to apply other places so I applied to two safeties: Binghamton and Ithaca College).  When early decision day came in December, I had a sinking feeling that I was not prepared for a rejection, because I frankly hadn't thought about that as an option.  For me, it was Cornell or bust.

I was deferred.  I was heartbroken.  It wasn't a rejection, but at this point I had wanted to go to Cornell for three years already and everything I had done since visiting had been done with the knowledge that it would make me a good candidate for the school.  I had to wait three and a half more months for a decision after that.

I watched social media as friends got accepted to their dream schools, even Cornell.  Why hadn't I been accepted yet?

Finally I got my notification and it wasn't an acceptance.  I had been "transfer optioned".  A transfer option is an offer of admission that Cornell gives out.  They tell you that they don't have space to accept you the year you applied, but you have the option to complete certain required classes and obtain a minimum GPA at another college of your choice, and then apply again for the following year with a shortened application.  This transfer option gives you priority over other transfer students in the application pool and it is generally acknowledged as a "guaranteed transfer" if you complete the requirements that were asked of you and don't do anything stupid at your first school.  It used to be called a guaranteed transfer but apparently some kid committed a felony so they had to change the wording.

I was a wreck.  It didn't help that I thought I had been rejected because the wording of the letter wasn't very clear.  I grudgingly decided on Ithaca College for my first year.

*DISCLAIMER: My year at Ithaca College was very enjoyable.  The people there are the nicest and most supportive in the world.  I have nothing but respect for my old classmates and I think very highly of Ithaca College as an institution.  It was hard to say goodbye.*

Not going to Cornell was terrible to think about.  I had to take extra classes at my local community college in the summer to make sure that I had enough of the required classes completed, I basically had to spend my year working even harder than before to prove to Cornell that I belonged there.

My brother was going into his senior year at Cornell and it upset me that he didn't even want to go to Cornell in the first place!  He didn't get into his top schools and settled on Cornell…I had been working since I was thirteen to be there!  When we came up to Ithaca to drop him off for classes (they started before mine), we drove through Cornell's campus on our way to dinner.  I cried for the whole meal.  It wasn't fair to me.  Everything Cornell made me cry, especially seeing friends make their decisions to attend there seemingly out-of-the-blue.

I never bought anything that said Ithaca College on it.  My heart wasn't there.  I could see Cornell from my dorm room and almost everywhere on campus.  I wasn't where I wanted to be and seeing people be where they wanted to be was rough, to say the least.

Finally, after sixteen or so painful months of waiting for a decision from Cornell (since I originally applied in November of my senior year of high school), I finally was notified that I had been accepted.  It was April 27th, Charter Day on the 150th year anniversary of the university.  What a relief.

Fast forward a few months and here I am: A full-fledged Cornell student.  Cornell is known for having a lot of transfer students so I have met a lot of people in a similar boat to me.  I don't like admitting that I am a transfer student sometimes because in some ways I feel like I've been at Cornell much longer than current students but it comes up regularly because there's no way to get around it: I never lived on North, brunched at RPCC, I don't know where buildings are or how to navigate the libraries, and I don't have a solid friend group.

I am enjoying and taking advantage of every minute here though.  As my legs burn as I walk up the slope I find myself thinking about just how lucky I am to be here.  And don't try to have a conversation with me as the clock tower plays the Alma Mater, I'm too distracted by it to focus on anything else.  Just sing it with me as we sway back and forth high above Cayuga's waters.

If you don't own either of these classic pieces, you need to go buy some ASAP.  I own three of each, they are the backbone of my closet, and they all differ in style and fit.

Chambray is a lightweight woven fabric (generally cotton) comprised of colored thread and complemented by bleached horizontal yarns.  It tends to be indigo or light blue in color, and although it may look like denim, it's not.

Chambray shirts are blank canvases, meant to be accessorized, classic, and comfortable.

Great places to find chambray shirts include J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, Gap, Madewell, and pretty much anywhere basics are sold.

Once you own a classic button-up chambray shirt, experiment!  They have cute chambray tunics, dresses, and more!

PROTIP: Chambray is one of those *classic* fabrics that will be in style forever (or so it seems), so invest in a good quality product.  You'll definitely be wearing it a lot!

I love black blazers.  They have the ability to dress up any outfit and are SO easy.

Choose from suit blazers, cropped blazers, open front blazers, double breasted blazers, long sleeve blazers, and 3/4 length sleeve blazers: there's a blazer for everyone.

I've had luck buying blazers at Express, Macy's, and I even own one from last fall's Adam Levine Collection for Kmart.  A quick Google search will pop up millions of black blazers for you to scroll through and help determine your preferences.

Wear them open, closed, over dresses, with jeans, over a romper, with Converse or killer heels, or even as a jacket this as it starts getting more chilly this fall.

When purchasing the blazer, be aware of the fit.  Make sure the shoulders and back fit you well, think about what you'll be wearing underneath and how much thickness that will add and plan accordingly.

I stumbled across this recipe at the beginning of the summer as I Googled random ingredients from my fridge.

After tweaking it to fit my preferences and tastes, this is the recipe I ended up with!  It has easily become my favorite meal this summer and is very versatile.  I like having it on a roll with a little mayo or sour cream like a bean burger, while my mom likes it over salad with some lime mayo.  It works as a main dish or as a side, and makes enough to have for the next couple of days too!  Cooking time varies so it's not a real fast recipe to make, but it's really delicious and worth the wait!

Summer 2015 was looking pretty boring as I packed up my freshman year dorm back in May.  It turned out to be anything but that.

My summer had everything: internships, travel, jobs, friends, and chores.  When I was coming home from college though, I could only see chores in my future.

The week after I got home from school, I was asked if I would be interested in interning with Emzingo, a study/internship abroad company that focuses on social impact.  It wasn't the fancy internship I envisioned when I started looking earlier in the year, but it was virtual and although I wasn't going to gain any money by working with them, I wasn't going to lose any either.  Plus, it was good experience, networking, and the other team members were super personable and friendly.  Oh, and I really like their product!  They run awesome and educational trips to places like South Africa, Brazil, and Peru.  Hopefully I'll find myself on one of their trips soon…

Still feeling beat up because I didn't have a fancy (paid) internship like my brother managed all four year of college, I jumped at the opportunity to work with an event planner based in NYC.  Turned out that I worked virtually for her as well and she was super sweet, understanding, and overall: cool.  Again, this position was not paid.  But I got to make connections that I'm sure will pay off in the long run and the flexibility that came with unpaid, virtual internships allowed me some freedom with my schedule.

All year I had been planning on visiting France with family, but those plans weren't solidified until after I got home and finally purchased my plane ticket (after lots of saving).  In early July, I traveled with my aunt and cousins to visit my aunt's family who are from the Bordeaux region of France.  We explored Bordeaux, ate cheese, tasted wine (I'm not a fan), sailed, hiked, and spent a lot of time at the beach.

For the past five summers I've wanted to work at this summer day camp that I attended from age 3 through grade 8.  Disappointingly, those summers I dealt with the camp changing policies and changing the age minimum for counselors, followed by broken bones, surgeries, leadership conferences, summer courses, and this summer I assumed travel.  I was so excited when the camp director, who also happened to be my second grade teacher, reached out to me after I returned from my trip to France and asked if I wanted to work.  I literally started crying tears of happiness.  I had waited for this moment my whole life.  Long story short, one of their counselors was unable to work for a week, so I got to sub for her!  And I was kept on for the week that followed too, the last week.  It was such a fun experience to work alongside my old camp friends, those who used to be my teachers, and at the place where I have more memories than the thousands of days spent there.…and I got paid!

For a summer that I thought would be really boring, it turned out to be very exciting.  I got to do everything I wanted and more!

I move back to Ithaca next week and I couldn't be more excited to see what Summer 2016 has in store for me!