New Orleans is relatively small in size but they packed a lot in the “Crescent City.” It’s brimming with beautiful architecture, great music, amazing food, and cute shops so it can be a little overwhelming to plan a trip there. Fear not, friends! I’ve got you covered. The research scientist in me did plenty of research before making my first trip to the Big Easy. In this guide I’ll be sharing some recommendations for lodging, what to do, where to eat, and what to wear in NOLA. First up, I’m talking about my stay at Sonder in New Orleans’ Central Business District.
We got a sneak preview of fall weather last week. When I stepped outside in the morning and the crisp air hit my face it felt so good. Mother Nature has truly spoiled us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Fall is the best season – for food, fashion, travel, and life in general. Happy Monday Guys! I’m all smiles because Thanksgiving is almost here. I’m really looking forward to spending some quality time with my family (right up until the point where they start to get on my nerves), and of course eating some good food.
But before my food coma, I wanted to share the details of my birthday trip to Chicago – Chi in Chi! Get it?! I couldn’t resist lol. This week I’ll be talking about where we stayed and what we did.
I found my apartment guys!
And let me tell you it was no small feat. We drove down to Atlanta on Monday and stayed overnight so we could check out more places on Tuesday. We went to 11 different places in total before I decided on where I would live. As it turns out #11 turned out to be my lucky number. 
When I packed for Clearwater my suitcase was full. I had no intentions of doing any shopping. When my sister met me there she told me she didn’t have a bathing suit. You can’t come to a beach town without one so we ended up at Ross. Long story short, you no where this story is going. I ended up buying two tops, a pair of shorts, a maxi dress, and a really cute cocktail dress for a combined total of about $50. Crazyyyy! In fact I’ve already posted outfit pics of the gray maxi dress.
Together the shorts and the top in these pictures were about $16. You can’t beat those prices.
The combo was so cute that I opted to wear it instead of one of the other outfits I packed. 
I loved wearing this. I’m always down for a little print mixing:) Plus it was super lightweight which was my top priority for anything I wore in Clearwater.
While I loved everything I bought, it definitely presented a challenge when it came time to pack up my suitcase. You should have seen me at the airport! Between the extra clothes and some of the leftover food, my bags were stuffed. I survived though. With my chicken wings and the new cocktail dress I got at Ross in tow!
I couldn’t leave Clearwater without finding some colorful wall to take some outfit shots against. As we were driving around town we spotted this beautiful lavender wall. My sis was kind enough to put on her photographer hat and snap some shots:)
Hope you’re having a sunny Sunday wherever you are:)My comprehensive exams are two weeks from tomorrow. Ahhhh! I’m nervous but it’s an excited kind of nervous. I’m feeling pretty good at this stage. There’s still more articles to read and more practice writing sessions to complete, but I feel like I’ll be prepared come August 8th. Pray for me though!