Roll My Windows Down and Cruise.

I'm a firm believer in thinking that a cruise is the best vacation you can take. Seriously. You visit multiple countries (or multiple parts of the same country), you get to eat all the freaking time, there's always something to do and you don't have to worry about drinking too much because you don't have to drive anywhere. I went on a cruise with my family when I was a junior in high school, and that was fun and all, but I didn't fall in love with cruises until I took a trip with my Tech Fam, aka my best friends in college. We traveled with Carnival on the Triumph (yes, that's the one that got stranded in the middle of the ocean for five days. It was fine when we went though, obvs) to Cozumel and Progreso in Mexico. We went two days after graduation, because we weren't playing around. We were ready to celebrate.
It started with a road trip. I love road trips. I especially love them two days after a college graduation. The first day was a blur. We ate a lot. Explored the boat. Did lots of the random activities that the boat plans for everyone.

That night we got all cute and did some karaoke. I'm not talking about the karaoke that happens in smoky bars and gross bathrooms. We're talking legit karaoke with a band (yes, a band). We also got back-up singers. Y'all, I can't sing at all, but man, I had a blast. The first night, my fellow Swiftie and I belted out some "Love Story." Don't hate.

It was ladies night at one of the clubs onboard, and all the girls got a free glass of champagne. Couldn't miss that. It wasn't that hoppin though, so we just got our free drank, danced to a couple songs, and left. 

The next day was a lot of random. We did a bunch of stuff on the boat. We played some games in the library. Okay, that sounded really nerdy, but y'all just have to understand that we love us some board games. There was some pool  and water slide action on the boat too. 

Winners of the game being too cool to look at the camera.

Losers of the game being awesome.

That night, we got all fancy and ate expensive food that wasn't expensive to us because you can eat as much of it as you want! Seriously, if you're thinking about going on a cruise, don't diet beforehand because you'll just gain all that weight back. You can't not eat all the time. Plus the food is good. When were we not eating? The answer is never.

The next day was the first port - Progreso! We didn't make any plans for Progreso. We just thought we'd see what would happen. We started with a beautiful sunrise on the boat. So gorgeous. Then we walked through the shops. We decided to wait until we were about to get back on the boat before buying anything. We got a comfy spot on the beach, and all these people kept asking us if we wanted massages. One of the people I was with talked these people into letting us get super cheap massages, which led to Jon and I having our very first couples massage.

We ate lunch on the beach. It was fabulous. I don't like Mexican food, but apparently I like Mexican food in Mexico. It was so good, y'all. So good. 
We couldn't leave Progreso without doing something exciting, so we decided to go on a banana boat! Omg! Y'all. I just can't even describe how fun this was. We met these two guys after banana boating that were pretty cool, and they were on the same cruise as us. I mentioned them in one of my first blog posts way back when. 

When we got back on the boat, we all showered and got dressy-ish. We took some pictures on the deck because the sunset was just absolutely gorgeous. We also went to a magic show that was a little risque and then we went to a Burlesque show. Then of course we went back for some more karaoke. 

The next day - COZUMEL! We booked an excursion not through Carnival and pretty much ended up having our own private beach (with just a few stragglers, but they don't count). We got some snorkle lessons (which I really struggled with. The whole mouth-breathing thing is a lot easier said than done. For me anyways). We also got to use the snorkle gear as much as we wanted, plus -- we had an Open. Bar. Yeah. Open. In Mexico. 

We also ate some lunch somewhere in there and did some shopping.

The rest of our time on the boat was spent doing a lot of random - mini golf, pool, hot tub, meeting people, dancing, karaoke (can't get enough), eating (duh), seeing magic tricks (table side), going to a comedy show (where I got called out because he couldn't figure out what my race was. Don't remember what was said, but I do remember laughing), drinking, going to the arcade, wasting money at the casino (I broke even though), playing board games and just a lot of overall randomness, including playing a murder mystery game. Yeah. We all share a special kind of friendship. I wish I could afford to go on cruises all the time.

When is my next cruise you didn't ask? BLOGCATION! I can't even describe my excitement. I can't wait to meet my three roomies and go to my first bloggers conference. Plus, I get to go to the Bahamas, which I've never been to before, and I'm freaking excited. There's potential Mary-Kate and Ashley movie remake possibilities here. Can I just go to Atlantis? 
Anyway, the point is - I love traveling, and cruises are the best way to do it because you get to see multiple places in one vacation. Plus, you don't have to drive. Cruises just make you feel like royalty even though there are hundreds of other people on the boat feeling like royalty with you. My next cruise is going to be way too much fun - meeting people that I never ever thought I would get the chance to meet. It's gonna be a blast, and if you're a blogger and haven't signed up yet, what the heck are you waiting for?!
********************************************************* Meet one of my March sponsors, Neisha!

Hi, I'm Neisha, the girl over at Neisha's View. Over on my little space I talk about all (read:most) of the happenings in my life and all the crazy little thoughts that run through my mind. I love God, positivity, green tea binges and I'm a firm believer that our big world is still filled with genuine little people.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

My favorite thing about blogging is being able to interact with so many different people. I think that this is the coolest part about being a blogger, there are so many different people in the blog world. I just love it!

What motivates you?

Hmmmm I'm often motivated and inspired by people who have defeated the odds and achieved their biggest dreams. My heart becomes so full of joy for these people. It makes me feel like I can do anything!

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Ohhhh man, I don't know. This question is hard for me. But I'll choose Bob Goff; many people don't know who he is. He wrote a book called Love Does. He is such an amazing man. His life is filled with adventure and leaps of faith, it's almost unreal. He's also very personable and kind...the man has his very own personal number in the back of his book for gosh sake.

What song are you currently obsessed with?

There is no song.....sorry. I love everything, well almost everything. I just like good music. I am obsessed with Regina Spektor at the moment though. She's great.

What makes you awesome?

This question makes me wish I did some cool trick like tying a cherry stem with my tongue or putting out a hit album without any marketing or promotion but no....I'm just ordinary. Not plain, but ordinary. But I'll say I'm awesome because I stay true to who I am.

To learn more about Neisha, follow her via the links below:

Blog | Bloglovin | Instagram | Twitter

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TV Shows That Ended Too Soon.

My last two blogs posts mentioned watching TV, so why not make it third? Really, I think that this is a sign that my television watching is getting out of hand. I need to read more. I've only read three books so far this year. That's sad. 
Anyway, I don't know how the TV show making world works, but I do know that some of my most beloved shows don't get a real chance. We have dumb shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Secret Life of the American Teenager and Teen Mom that last for several awful seasons. Meanwhile, all of the shows that are actually awesome are just shoved under the rug. It makes me angry, because some of these shows are left with no ending. Everyone is just left wondering where the crap was this show going, unless the show ends up being based on a book or something. Even then, the show and book end up being vastly different. 

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Dollhouse

I can't believe this show only got two seasons. My theory is that it was aired on Fridays, and people usually go out on Fridays, so no one cared to watch it. This show was created by the same person who made Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Marvel's The Avengers, so you know the elements of the show were creative and made you think. Dollhouse was about underground establishments populated with dolls, which were people that chose to give up a year of their life, usually due to a tragedy they weren't ready to face. During this year, they live in the dollhouse and are imprinted with different personalities for clients who pay large sums of money. The dolls are used for whatever the client needs, such as being imprinted with the personality of a loved one who has passed away, being used as a spy or as a temporary mother. It was just such a fascinating concept to me. The show did have an ending of sorts, but you can tell that the last few episodes were rushed because they had to think of a way to end it. 

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Lie to Me Jon and I watched this show together on Netflix on a whim. We both ended up really liking the concept of the show. It's about a man who is essentially a human lie detector. He is hired by many people to read faces and body language to figure out if people are lying. It was a crime series that made me wish that I could read faces. The last episode leaves you hanging with some romantic episodes, and it would have been the perfect segway into another season.

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Life Unexpected This series isn't as intense as the two aforementioned series. It's about a girl who has grown up in many foster homes. She wants to file for emancipation, but she needs her parents to sign these papers. She ends up living with her biological mom, and a lot of drama ensues. I wanted to watch this show because Roswell was one of my favorite shows when I was younger, and Shiri Appleby from that show is also in Life Unexpected, and I just love her. This show was canceled after two seasons, and it does have an ending; however, the last five minutes just transport you two years forward. Even though everything I wanted to happen happened, it would have been nice to see how it all folded out. You can tell that they just kind of threw together this ending because they had to, and a couple of elements in the last scene just didn't make sense. I was disappointed.

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Firefly Another series created by Joss Whedon. It was set in 2517 and followed a group of people aboard a ship called Serenity. This show literally just ended. There was so much they could have done with it. Even though it was eventually made into a movie, Serenity, a movie that I love, I really would have liked to see the more important elements play out slowly on TV. I don't think the show got a fair shot.

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Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Okay, I know this show was just a silly little sitcom, but I think it's much better than a few of the sitcoms they have on TV now, like Two Broke Girls. I can't even sit through an episode of that show. This show followed a girl from a small town who moved to New York City and became roommates with a party girl. This show was laugh out loud funny, and the perfect show to watch over dinner after a long day at work or while brushing Molly.

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The Secret Circle This show only lasted for one season, and it was based on a book, so maybe I will end up reading it. It's about a girl who moves to Washington after her mother dies, and she finds out that she's a witch. She and five others create a secret circle, and after doing so, they're faced with lots of supernatural challenges that they have no idea how to face. I recently watched this show on Netflix because it recommended it to me. I thought it was excellent. The season finale made it look like the next season, if they would have made one, was going to be amazing. I'm sad that I'll never get to know what happens.

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It saddens me that there are so many shows out there that don't get a real chance. It could be because of marketing or because they play while other popular shows are on TV, so they don't get as much exposure as the creators would have hoped. What are some cancelled TV shows that you wish were given another chance? 
********************************************* Meet one of my March sponsors, Emily! Emily and I are rooming together for Blogcation, so I'm excited to get to know her better. She does blog designs and she's really awesome, so you should definitely check her out!

I'm a recent college graduate trying to find her place in life. I currently have a part time job and blog in my spare time as well as design blogs and other things! On my blog, you'll find out things all about my life, see some DIY projects, printable, and learn some things about design.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Connecting with people, I know it's kind of a cliche answer but it seriously been so much fun getting to know people from around the world. Also, all the opportunities from blogging like going on Blogcation (Tiffany will be one of my roommates!).

What motivates you?

Oddly enough, watching YouTube vloggers really motivates me. Just watching all the things they have accomplished in their lives and all these things they dreamed about actually happening.

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Jennifer Lawrence, she just seems super awesome and if she's still filming the next Hunger Games movie I'd get to kiss Josh Hutcherson.

What song are you currently obsessed with?

The Fire by Kina Grannis, I heard it on youtube and bought the song on iTunes before it was over!

What makes you awesome?

I guess the fact that I'm super creative and a good listener? That's all I can think of right now!

To learn more about Emily, follow her via the links below:

Blog :: Bloglovin :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Instagram :: Pinterest :: Google+

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Motivated Mondays: 5 Little Grins

Oh hey. New blog layout. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below! For today's Motivated Mondays post, I'm excited to link up with one of my March sponsors, Raewyn from Be a Warrior Queen. Every Monday, she and two other bloggers created the "5 Little Grins" link-up to help remind us of the little things that I make us smile. Each week, they share 5 things from the week before that made them smile. For more information on the link-up, visit Be a Warrior Queen, and don't forget to link up your own 5 Little Grins!  
1. I helped plan another event for my job. Our intern and I planned a Hollywood-themed luncheon for the entire hotel staff to celebrate our hotel winning two awards - one for each hotel - from the corporate brands. The food was delicious. The decorations looked awesome. We even had a step and repeat, which I just learned is the thing that people stand in front of to take pictures at movie premieres and red carpet events and such. Sorry about the awkward white splotches in the pictures below. I can't reveal the secrets of my mysterious workplace, so you'll just have to take my word for it that the step and repeat looked awesome.

2. I won a giveaway! Jasmine from The Jasmine Maria held a giveaway for a $25 Sephora giftcard, and I won, and I'm so excited. I browsed the site for a bit, and I'm so indecisive about what I want to buy. 3. I had dinner with the girls at a local restaurant called Marilynn's Place. We call ourselves TASK (Tiffany. Amanda. Sarah, Katherine.), and I've talked about them on the blog a few times before. The four of us get together about once a month, usually for a festive party. This time, we just caught up over dinner and chatted about our upcoming roadtrip to Gulf Shores to celebrate, Sarah's graduation. Last time we went to Gulf Shores, it was a blast, so I'm excited to see what surprises this trip has in store.  4. I started watching Hart of Dixie. I had watched a few episodes of the first season when it was on TV, but then I just stopped. I started watching it on Netflix, and I don't understand why I stopped. So funny. I laugh out loud. By Myself. Alone. In my room. In the dark. I don't live a sad life or anything. Rachel Bilson is freaking adorable. Netflix watching means lots of Molly cuddles. 

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5. I did more research for apartments and  houses for rent for May when Jon graduates, and we will finally get to live together! Woohoo! What made you smile this past week?  ************************************************** Meet one of my March sponsors, Raewyn!

Hi guys! I'm Raewyn and I blog over at Be a Warrior Queen - a lifestyle blog that is one part being positive and one part making a difference in the world! I've always been one of those people who is filled with the passion to do good and make others smile. I especially want to see women empowered to have true self-confidence and self-worth! 

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love the connections that I've made with other bloggers - both online and in person. I've met some beautiful and truly giving souls. 

What motivates you?

I'm motivated by the people I talk to in my life every day, the news articles that I read about society and my cousin Gregory, who died of complications after having cancer the majority of his childhood. 

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

This is so tough! I'm usually pretty adamant about not wanting to be anyone but myself. I would make an exception to live a day in a couple of people's lives; namely Audrey Hepburn, Mother Teresa and while it may sound odd, my fiance. It would be wonderful to see how these ladies overcame their hardships and had the heart to give back so much - something I always strive for. It would be wonderful to live the day in the life of Iman because I think it would give insight into our relationship and the way he thinks! 

What song are you currently obsessed with?

I'm pretty much always obsessed with "Plant Life" by Owl City. 

What makes you awesome?

My heart!! I have a super big heart and try to be more understanding and less judgmental every single day! I have a passion for empowering everyone (but especially women) and making a difference! 

For more from Raewyn: Bloglovin | Facebook | Facebook | Etsy | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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The Effects of Netflix on My Personal Life.

Seriously, what did I do before Netflix? Probably had an actual life. Maybe I took walks outside or cooked more or actually went to bed at a decent hour. Those days are behind me though. Nowadays, it's all about Netflix. It's a surprise that I even have time to blog anymore. 

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It all started when my co-workers got me an Apple TV for my birthday. I no longer had to sit uncomfortably to watch Netflix on my computer; I could lay in my bed and watch it on my TV. Then Jon told me that I could use his account, and he made me my own little sub-account on his account, meaning I could rate movies so Netflix could give me better recommendations, and more importantly, I could create "My List" of movies and TV shows that I wanted to watch. It's become an addicting habit. Not one that I'm proud of, but also not one that I'm willing to give up. 
The Negative(ish) Effects of Netflix I mean, can Netflix ever reallllly be a bad thing?

Casual pic of me dressed as a Ravenclaw.

Sleep? Not tonight.  It's gotten to the point where I'd rather watch "just one more episode" of a show rather than get a full eight hours of sleep at night. I'm lucky if I make it to bed by midnight. Netflix has become a part of my night routine.
What social life? Oh, you want to go out and have drinks? Sorry, I'd rather lie in bed with Netflix and sip on some wine by myself.
Just stressed. If I'm watching a really stressful show like Scandal or The Secret Circle, I get stressed out at work thinking about what's going to happen next. The stress is elevated when no one I know watches the show (or has even heard of it), so I can't talk to anyone about why I'm stressed out. It's a problem. 
Anger. When I'm through watching a Netflix show, I usually get a little upset. Why? 1) Either the show is still airing new episodes, meaning that I either have to wait for the current season to be on Netflix or I have to catch up on the current season and then wait a week (or more) between each episode. Or 2) the show got canceled meaning there is no real ending to the TV show. Truly tragic.
Overall laziness. All I do is lie in bed and watch Netflix. Oh, and sometimes I blog.

The Positive Effects of Netflix

Just to give you a visual of what I usually look like while watching Netflix. Oh and there's my roommate's dog.

More puppy cuddling. Molly loves to cuddle. She doesn't like to play with toys or anything like that. Netflix is the perfect activity for both of us to enjoy together. I get to watch a ton of TV, and she gets to cuddle with me. Win-win. 
Always comfy. Since I'm always in bed watching Netflix, that means that I'm always comfortable and warm under my blankets. The only bad thing is having to get up to do inconvenient things such as figuring out what to eat for dinner and using the potty.
Discovery. There are so many shows and movies on Netflix that I never would have heard of, let alone watched, if it wasn't for Netflix. I usually don't go out seeking things to watch, and now that I have Netflix at my fingertips, all of the things that I could potentially be interested in watching come straight to me. 
This post may seem like the bad outweighs the good, but in all actuality, that's so not true. I think all of the positive effects should count as two. Actually puppy cuddling should count as three, because, I mean, look at this face:

I would have come up with more things for the positive effects, but I think I'm going to go watch Netflix instead.

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Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

Even though I've lived in Louisiana for nine years, I've never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I still like to celebrate the holiday in north Louisiana though. Last year, I went to the parade with my friend, Sarah, her Mr. Right Now, and my little sister. That parade was a bust. I got barely any beads because all of the little kids in front of me got them. Boo. For those that have never experienced the thrill of a Mardi Gras parade, you may not understand the significance of catching beads. To be honest, I don't get it either, but what I do know is that I want them all. What will I do with them later? Doesn't matter.

Anyway, this year, one of my co-workers had a party at his house. I had so much fun getting festive.

Molly loved her cowgirl hat and sassy boa... Actually, she hated both of them, and I ended up taking them off, but at least she looked adorable in them for a little while. She did have fun at the party though because she got to be outside for most of it, and she loves being outside. Jon and I also had fun. We ate, drank, had a blast. I also Snapchatted way too much:

When it was time for the parade, I was pumped. I was determined to get more beads than last year. By the end of the parade, I was weighed down by beads, to the point where I just didn't even want to catch anymore. I even told Jon (who was giving all of the beads he caught to me because he didn't want any) to not give me anymore of them. I also caught a tambourine that I had way too much fun with and other randomness.

These pictures were taken mid-parade, and the amount of beads around our necks doubled...except for Jon's. The only setback: my ring and middle fingers on my right hand were both sore the next morning because I idiotically tried to catch this massive bag of beads. I mean, really? What made me think I would be able to catch a gallon-size bag of beads? Dumb.

After all of the Mardi Gras fun on Saturday, on Sunday, Jon and I went to brunch at Panera Bread. I wanted to eat that everything bagel forever. It was so tasty.

I hope everyone has an awesome Fat Tuesday. Hopefully I'll get to eat some king cake and crawfish. Except crawfish is ridiculously expensive. Maybe I'll just eat some shrimp. Happy Mardi Gras!

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Also, meet one of my sweet March sponsors, Anna from Flawlessly Flawed!

Soon to be college grad, I am a freelance marketing and design consultant. Other than working I like to spend my time blogging on flawlesslyflawed.com. My blog is an outlet for me to reach out to others by creating, sharing, and inspiring.

What is your favorite thing about blogging? 

The energy that it gives you and also knowing you have helped or inspired someone.

What motivates you? 

I am motivated by my passion for creativity and entrepreneurship. A lot of my posts are about entrepreneurship and your career. I like to think that everyone should enjoy the work they do and I want to help inspire people to do that through my blog. Knowing I could be helping someone be happy motivated me.

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Well this is a tough one. I honestly have no idea. Do I have to answer this one? lol

What song are you currently obsessed with? 

Happy by Pharell is my number one song right now, hands down.

What makes you awesome? 

Haha I wouldn't to call myself awesome, but I really try to help as many people as I can when it comes to helping themselves brand themselves or their business, start a website, blog, etc. I am even planning a conference in September that will help people do all that and more. I guess people might say I am awesome for that?

Want to hear more from Anna? Be sure to follow her blog and any or all of her social media outlets!

Blog | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin

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Motivated Mondays: Keep Calm and (Job) Search On {Guest Post}

Happy Monday! I'm so excited to share a post written by one of my sweet blog friends that I met through the Her Campus Blogger Network! Her name is Katrina, and she blogs at The Making Of: Katrina Owens PR, and she's chock-full of awesome advice for job searchers!

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We’ve all been there – searching for a job is stressful, a true test of patience, nerve wracking, and quite honestly, can bring out the worst in all of us.

“I don’t have enough experience”

“They’re going to hire someone internally”

“I accidentally spit on my interviewer”

Aside from the last one (I hope), I’m sure these are all thoughts that have crossed your mind at some point during the job search process. And although it can be difficult to stay positive when your bank account is dwindling and you’ve almost watched every movie on Netflix due to an overwhelming amount of free time, there are ways to stay optimistic during this trying time. And trust me, it’ll make the process a whole lot easier too.

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1. Remember your Star Stories: Star stories are the small stories you’ll tell during an interview that really make your skills stand out. However, making a mental collection of these tidbits before you even land an interview can definitely help you maintain a positive outlook, since they’ll force you to think about all of the times you succeeded. But here’s the best part: when you finally get that interview, you’ll already have your star stories memorized and ready to go!
2. Keep on Smiling: It’s a natural known fact that people are more attracted to visibly happy people. So although you may be feeling extremely stressed out during your search, keep a smile on your face, and more importantly – stay social. Though you may want to stay cooped up in your room, applying to as many jobs as possible, don’t! Put yourself out there, attend networking events, show off your personality and…who knows, you might just meet a potential employer that can make all of your unemployment woes disappear.
   
3. Don’t Take it Personally: We all work extremely hard to pump up our portfolios and write the best cover letters, but sometimes our application can still get lost among the hundreds of others the company receives. If you don’t land an interview, or sometimes even more disappointing, if you don’t land the job after having an interview, it’s human nature to think critically about what we could have done better. But sometimes there’s nothing you could have done – you can’t control your competition after all. So chalk it up to a learning experience and keep your eyes peeled for the next opportunity.
   
4. Find a New Hobby: Instead of drowning your sorrows in the latest season of House of Cards, use your free time to try something new and make a hobby out of it! The people you meet, the skills you develop, as well as this new interest, will keep your mind occupied while at the same time, giving you new resume material! And remember: you never know who you’ll meet.
   
5. Treat Yourself: A new haircut, a fresh manicure, a slick new outfit – all of these things can give you a confidence boost when you’re feeling like the cards are stacked against you. Remember to keep your budget in mind when springing for these little luxuries, but a new blazer or killer blowout will give you the push you need to be confident enough to deliver an application in person, or ask that CEO for an informational interview at Starbucks.

Katrina Owens is a 3rd year Communications student at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She’s passionate about all things PR, and takes pride in being a young and fashionable professional who can’t live without a good yoga sesh. For more of Katrina, check out her blog trineowens.wordpress.com, and follow her on twitter at @KatrinaOwensPR.

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