backpack – Mackenzie Billington

Senior year: What’s in my Backpack

August 22, 2016 by Mackenzie

Hi friends & happy Monday! Today is my first day of school, and I have seven classes left before I graduate college (!!!). Time seriously goes by so quickly. It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman- walking into the wrong classes and getting completely (key word: COMPLETELY) lost on campus. Senior year is something so bittersweet.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten so many requests to do a back to school/what’s in my backpack post. I recently picked up some new school goodies like this amazing floral planner. Going back to school shopping always gets me started to begin a new semester. I hope you can find this post helpful! Let me know what you keep in your backpack.

[P.S. My college apartment room tour will be up soon this week! I am so excited to share my new apartment.]

xoxo,

Mackenzie

August Favorites

September 6, 2015 by Mackenzie

Now that August is over, it’s time to share my favorites from the past month with y’all! August was such a busy month between moving out of my dorm in London, to moving back to Texas, to finally moving back to the sorority house at college. I am so glad life is starting to finally slow down a little, and that I am getting into the routine of things once more. Here are some things I have been loving this past month:

The Beauty Faves:

I picked up this gorgeous coral blush back in London. I purchased it previously a few years ago, and I remember really loving it. It’s that perfect blush for the end of summer because it looks nice with a tan. When I saw that Too Faced released a new eyeshadow palette called ‘Star Dust’, I ordered it right away (and even picked up one for my sister as well). The color selection is just stunning and the shadows are so pigmented and easy to blend. The palette is only sold on the Too Faced site and on Ulta. It also comes with a small size of their popular ‘Better Than Sex‘ mascara, which I’ve been using and loving. Another favorite eye product of the month has been the Jumbo Eye Pencils by NYX. I now have three, and I really enjoy using them as an eyeshadow base. My current favorite is ‘Pure Gold’ as I find it looks beautiful layered under gold and bronze powder eyeshadows. I also repurchased another La Creme lipstick in the shade ‘Naughty Nude’. I’ve always struggled with finding that perfect nude lip shade that won’t wash me out, but I finally discovered this holy grail product at Sephora last fall. I also ordered the lipstick in another shade called ‘Juicy Melons’, and I am super excited to try it out. As for skincare, I have been obsessed with this Clinique moisturizer gel. My skin has been very dry and angry because of my topical acne creams, but this gel based lotion has really helped clear up all of my dry patches without breaking out my skin. It can also be used as a moisture mask, which I think is really interesting. I will definitely repurchase another bottle when I run out!

The Fashion Faves:

I am in love with the brand Show Me Your Mumu, which I’m sure is not a surprise to y’all. I recently purchased one of their tunics in this gorgeous map print called ‘A Whole MU World’, and it such a unique piece (with a super cute name). The print couldn’t be any more perfect especially because I love travel! I usually pair this bold tunic with white shorts, but I think it will look awesome paired with white jeans and denim when it starts to get a little more chilly. I also picked up some more shorts and a co-ord set recently because they had an online sale- I just couldn’t resist! As for shoes, I have been living in these super tall, metallic wedges. I get so many compliments every time I wear them (and they are only $30!). I’ve also been loving my rockstud sunglasses. My mom found them at Nordstrom Rack a few months ago and gave them to me. They are super sassy, and I really like the cat eye frame! Speaking of sassy- I recently got some white tassel earrings that I’ve been wearing all the time. They are on the heavy side, but they are perfect for any nice occasion, gameday, or night out with the girls. My final fashion favorite for the month of August has been my Daniel Wellington watch. I love the classic look of this watch and the great quality. It matches any outfit! Y’all can also use the code ‘MACKENZIEKENN’ to get 15% off any Daniel Wellington product (but only for the first 50 customers)! If you’re looking for that perfect, classic watch, definitely check out DW.

The Random Faves:

Now that school has started again, I’ve been loving my new backpack and my planner. In the past I’ve always had Lilly Pulitzer and Kate Spade agendas. While I did love them a ton, I was dying to try something new. I discovered the Day Designer earlier this summer and knew it was ‘the one’. Target also sells the Day Designer, which is super exciting and affordable! It’s perfect because I can plan out every single hour of my day, and it helps me make my goals and stay on task. A school related post will be up later this week featuring my new planner, so keep your eyes out for that!

Honorable mentions:

For the month of August, I’ve been obsessed with the show True Detective. I finished the first season earlier this summer, and I am now on the second. It’s definitely a ‘must watch!’. I also recently finished Sex and the City, and I can’t remember the last time I loved a show so much. I know it’s a little late, but I’ve been reading the Lauren Conrad Beauty Book that my friend, Miranda, gave me to borrow. Lauren Conrad is one of my hugest inspirations, and I love everything that she does.

Now that I am back in the states, I have been trying to get back in to working out. I’ve been doing yoga for the past four to five years, and it has always been my passion. I took a break from yoga due to a hip problem, but now I am back doing what I love most. When I was in high school, I went to Sunstone Yoga Studio and loved it. Lots of the other members there used these yoga mat towels called ‘Yogitoes‘, and I always thought they looked super cool. They are quite pricey, so I always hesitated splurging. But I finally decided to buy one, and I really, really love it. They also come in such a fun variety of patterns and colors. I would highly recommend the Yogitoe towel mats for any yogis that love hot yoga.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog. Let me know what your August favorites were!

London Life

July 21, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals (similar) • Backpack • Earrings • Bracelet (from Old Navy – but similar)

Hello friends! It’s a beautiful day in London, so I thought I would fill y’all in on my week. I am not going to lie- my first two weeks here were not easy. Moving to a foreign country by yourself is terrifying, but completely exciting at the same time. This has really been a time for me to reflect on life, my goals, and myself, as cliche as it sounds. It’s been nice to learn independence from a completely new perspective, and I’ve honestly learned a tremendous amount. I finally feel completely like myself, and it is truly the best feeling after being so sick. It’s crazy how fast time goes by. It feels like just yesterday I was arriving to this amazing city, and now I am marking my calendar for week four. It’s crazy! I am having the best time of my life though, and I don’t ever want to leave!!

This has been one of my favorite dresses of summer. I kinda wear it weekly because it is so easy and versatile. Y’all may remember it from my previous post ‘Little White Dress‘ because yes, I own it in two colors. I feel like whenever I really, really love a piece, I buy it in every color. No big deal. And guess what- it is on sale! Yayyy! I paired it with my favorite white & neon sandals and a glamorous backpack (hah). A lot of y’all have been asking about which backpack I will be using for my junior year of college, and this is it! Northface backpacks are seriously my favorite, and they are so durable. I also paired this dress with some white earrings (which are now on sale here!) and a simple gold bracelet for a casual look. However, I think you could definitely dress it up with some bold turquoise statement earrings and neutral wedges!

My little sister, Allie, is coming to visit me in London this week, and I am beyond excited to see her. We are going to take a weekend trip to Paris with my friend! If any of y’all have any Paris recommendations, please, please let me know! I would love some fun suggestions!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!

Check Out my LSE Dorm

July 7, 2015 by Mackenzie

My lovely view haha

Hello hello! I have finally moved into my dorm, and I absolutely love it. All of the rooms for my dorm are singles, so I do not have a roommate. However, we do have a community bathroom/kitchen. I have finally moved everything in (though I could use some more decorations/color in my room). Our room came with pillows, linens, and towels, which was very nice. I actually just ordered new bedding and pillows for my room in the sorority house this fall, and I can’t wait to post pictures as soon as I get those in the mail. For this fall, I’ve decided to do a solid colored bedspread with fun & bright pillows!

As a lot of y’all know, I actually spent yesterday in the emergency room. Two nights ago, I woke up around 3:00 am with the worst pains in my right side. They were so excruciating that I could not stop screaming. I went down to the front desk of the dorm, and I collapsed on the floor. The staff at the front desk called the ambulance, which came almost three hours later. When I arrived at the hospital, they had to hook me up to morphine, which still didn’t completely fix the pain. After several blood tests, they found out I had a very severe stomach infection/bug that I most likely picked up in Tanzania. I had to miss my first day of classes yesterday, which honestly was a bummer. I hate getting behind in school and missing assignments. I was able to make it to class this morning, but I still don’t entirely feel like myself yet. I hope I start feeling better so I can start enjoying my time here at LSE. Sorry if this post was a little bit of a downer, but I just wanted to let you all know what’s been going on in my life! I am just very fortunate that I am recovering and that I don’t have to surgery or anything crazy like that. Things could have definitely been worse, and I know I will appreciate my good health in the future. But thank you all so, so much for your love and support on tumblr. Y’all’s encouraging messages made my day!

I went to Lush Oxford Street again a few days ago, so I will be posting about my mini haul later today (or possibly tomorrow).

Thank you for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having an awesome, awesome week!