Monday Morning Coffee With Alyssa No. 4


I just scheduled my classes for my last semester of college and it didn't hit me until I finalized everything with my advisor. It's so crazy how time flies! One minute you're trying to decide what you want to do after you graduate high school and the next you're preparing to enter the real world. I always wished time away. Wished for graduation, wished for moving out, wished for having my dream job, but there's no point in wishing time to pass. Honestly, sometimes I wish I was still a little kid with no responsibilities but it's nice to look back on how far I've come and all that I've accomplished. I'm so blessed to have a loving family who supports everything I aspire to do and pushes me to never give up. Even when I was a rebellious high schooler, they never lost hope that I'd go off to college and chase my dreams. It's definitly been a rocky road and I thought about giving up a lot, but I never lost site of why I started in the first place. Chase after your dreams, even if they scare you and don't doubt your ability to achieve them. 

I'm excited to enjoy my last semester as a college student and to see where the future takes me and to share my journeys with all of you! Xoxo

Must-have Sweaters For Fall


When it comes to the colder weather sweaters are my absolute favorite. They're comfy, keep you warm, and are easy to stylewhat more could you ask for? So I rounded up a few of my favorite sweaters to share with you all. 

Enjoy! 

1 (have and love!) // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 (wishlist!) // 7 // 8

The Perfect Suede Jacket


Going to Express with the intentions of not purchasing anything is never a good idea. I saw this gorgeous suede jacket and just could not resist. I'm always on the search for perfect fall accessories and this is IT--It's comfortable and has enough room to wear a sweater underneath. I decided to style it with a simple white cami, flare jeans and black booties which made for a perfect everyday look. I think I can manage to overcome the cold weather with this jacket in my wardrobe. 

Jacket // Cami // Jeans // Booties 

Last Minute Couples Halloween Costumes

Halloween weekend is always a weekend college students look forward too and yes, dressing up in costume is still fun! But honestly, who really wants to spend $50+ on something they're just going to be wearing for a few hours one night? I know I don't. So I threw together a couple of my favorite costumes that you can do with your significant other and the best part about them, you most likely have all of these items already in your closet.

Hope everyone has a fun Halloween weekend and stay safe!

Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski

Forrest Gump and Jenny

The Great Gasby


Update On My Absence

I just wanted to update everyone on why I have been MIA from the blog this past week. I did a lot of planning last Sunday and was so excited to finally stay on track with my blog, however my lovely computer charger did not have the same plans. It decided to die on me Sunday morning and my computer was already dead before I could get any posts on the blog. Being the cheap college student I am, I did not want to spend $80 on a new charger, so I had to wait for a new one to come in the mail. BUT, it's here and I'm excited to have a fully charged computer so I will be doing lots of blog planning for the week. Stay tuned!

Corduroy Mini Skirt


The weather in State College these past couple of days has been absolutely beautiful. It's such a tease though because it's suppose to get cold and rainy again starting tomorrow. 

When I first saw this corduroy mini skirt I was really hesitant about it, but the PacSun at my mall was closing so everything was buy one get one freeI mean come on, I HAD to buy something. To my surprise, I ended up loving this skirt and it's the perfect item for fall. I decided to keep it simple and pair the skirt with a black long sleeve and baseball capit's no surprise that I'm wearing these over-the-knee boots again. I can't wait to eventually try this skirt out with some heels and a sweater!

Shop This Look: Skirt // Long Sleeve // Hat // Over-The-Knee Boots

Monday Morning Coffee With Alyssa No. 3

For today's coffee date I'm going to talk about something new and exciting, and I'll keep it short and sweet! Before I came to State College I was the biggest workout freak ever. Seriously, I would be up before classes/work to hit the gym or I would go late at night--But I always made sure I got my workouts in. Then I moved into my own apartment, away from home, and things got hectic (or what I defined as hectic.) I stressed myself out over bills and school when I had nothing to even be stressing out aboutI'm a drama queen, I know. So for the past year or so I haven't been active, I would always tell myself "tomorrow I will start," and never did. But guess what I did this morning?! Drum roll please... I got my lazy butt up at 5:30 and hit the gym and it felt so good! Getting back into the early workout routine is always the hardest, but I knew if I didn't start today I would have just kept pushing it off. 

I forgot how energized I become when the first thing I do is workout. It's so healthy and important for your body, even if all you do is go on a run or do some yoga. I'm still debating if I want to include the fitness aspect into my blog, so if that's something you'd like to see let me know! 

Flannels Three Ways

If I could wear a flannel everyday for the rest of my life I would totally be ok with doing so. They're comfy, come in a variety of different colors, and you can style them however you want. Since flannels are basically a hit for fall, I figured I'd share a few of my favorite ways to style them.




The simplest way possible, with jeans. The best thing about this look is you can substitute and add whatever accessories you want. I took a casual approach to this look and went with a pair of white jeans and lace-up flats. However, you could switch out the flats for Converse, booties, or even sandals if the weather is warm enough. Sometimes I'll even add a vest to make my outfit more cozier! 
Shop This Look: Sunglasses // Plaid Shirt (Under $20!) // Jeans // Lace-Up Flats



This is my favorite way to style a flannel during winterwith a sweater/sweatshirt. For this specific flannel I always go with my pullover monogram sweatshirt because they go together so perfectly and it's a nice lazy day look. But putting a sweater over your flannel works just as great and it keeps you extra warm!
Shop This Look: Monogram Hat // Plaid Shirt // Monogram Sweatshirt // Jeans // Sunglasses (These are old, but I linked another pair from Juicy)



Whenever I wear an outfit with one color scheme I like to go for my flannels to add some color. It's a simple look that doesn't require a lot of thought and you can either put it around your waster, like I did, or actually wear it. Either way, you can never go wrong with a flannel!
Shop This Look: Fedora // Dress // Flannel // Over-The-Knee Boots (Under $40!) // Crossbody Bag

Current Old Navy Favorites

I have and always will love Old Navy. Every time I go shopping there I never fail to find something I lovewhich isn't always a good thing. But, you can't beat their awesome prices and they usually always have a good sale going on. Now that it's getting close to me using my super cash, I'm browsing items I'll potentially purchase and thought I would share some of my favorites.

I can never decide if I want to purchase dresses during fall season because it gets extremely cold in State College and I like to keep warm. But this lace-up swing and the suede shift dresses are to die for and they seem so perfect for fall. 

Flannels of all sorts are my absolute favorite. I have the gingham one shown above and it's one of the most worn items in my closet. There are a few colors I like and they're under $30 so I might have to snag those!

I'm always on the look out for a good sweater and Old Navy has so many that are on my wish list right now. The grey and white layered sweater is probably #1 on my wish list along with the cream boat-neck pullover. I also highly recommend the plaid poncho! I have one from Old Navy that I bought last year (different print) and I love it. I actually wore it today and it keeps you so warm and cozyperfect for your lazy days and it's currently on sale for under $25. 

All of the vests I own are from Old Navy-minus one that's from Gap, but they're basically the same place right? I love the style of their vests because they have such a perfect fit. I own two of the quilted vests, expect in white and blue, and I'll be honest this style is not meant to keep you warm. They're super thin, but I'm also aware of that when I purchase them. I mainly wear mine before it gets too cold out and if the weather is chilly I'll just pair it with an oversized scarf and/or sweater. 


Over-The-Knee Boots


The weather in State College has been so annoying lately. One day it's freezing, then it's raining, and then it'll become randomly warm(ish) like please make up your mind. I am happy though that the weather was bearable enough for me to style my favorite jean skirt with these over-the-knee boots. I've been searching for a new, inexpensive, pair for the upcoming fall season and I'm so glad I found these for under $50!

There are tons of ways you can style over-the-knee boots, which I'm excited to do throughout the season and share with you all. For this look I decided to go casual and bring in some fall colors. So I paired my jean skirt and boots with a favorite oversized sweater of mine in maroon. I wanted to go with minimal accessories to finish the look off and bring it together, which overall worked out great!

Shop This Post: Jean Skirt (the one I'm wearing is sold out, so I linked a similar option) // Sweater // Sunglasses // Over-The-Knee Boots (On sale for under $40!)

Monday Morning Coffee With Alyssa No. 2

Happy Monday everyone! I don't know about you, but I most certainly did NOT want to leave my cozy bed this morning. But I did anyways because that's the adult thing to do, right?


I had such a nice and relaxing weekend! I work a lot, so I haven't been able to attend any of my schools football games until this past weekend. The rain held off for the game, which was awesome, and I tailgated a little too much (oops!) However, afterwards I went back to my apartment and just relaxed all night because why not?! One thing I've learned from being a college student who works a lot is that your body needs a break. Last year I was a full-time college student working two jobs, yes TWO jobs. I never gave myself a break until one night I came home and had a mental breakdown all due to my body being tired and stressed. So take a weekend off work and go hangout with your girlfriends or simply just spend a day watching movies and drinking wine by yourself, there's nothing wrong with wanting some alone time! You can pick up the following weekend with work or whatever you consume your time doing and your body will thank you for the break. 

Also my newest article for CollegeFashionista went live today. So if you're interested be sure to check it out! CollegeFashionista Article


Fall Essentials For The College Girl


Although summer will forever be my favorite season, I love being able to bring out my fall clothes. There are so many options when it comes to styling your fall items which makes getting dressed in the morning fun (even if you're up at 6 am.) Above I decided to share some of my favorite fall items that I think every college girl should have in her closet. All of these pieces are under $100 and some are currently on sale!

Scarf (On sale!) // Over-the-knee (Under $60) // Booties // Lipstick // Sweater // Fedora (Under $15) // Flannel



Shopping For Petite

Something I’ve always struggled with was finding clothes that fit my body type. I’m 21, but people never fail to think I’m 16 or under and my petite body image does not help. I simply don’t enjoy wearing baggy clothes—unless it’s certain items like a sweater, because who doesn’t love snuggling a warm over-sized sweater when it’s cold outside? I love wearing items that make a statement, but at the same time makes me look mature. So I’ve gathered up a list of my favorite places to shop for those of you who have a hard time finding clothes that fit your frame!

Banana Republic: This is the best place to shop if you’re searching for dressy items to add to your closet. They also have a designated petite section which I love, however I only really shop petite at BR if I’m looking for dresses and/or bottoms. Their clothes are pricey, but the sale section always has amazing deals where you can usually get an extra percentage off.

Gap: I am a loyal Gap customer, so it seems only right that I include this on my list. I own everything from Gap, from sweaters, to shorts, to dresses and even shoes. If you’re into the more casual style then Gap definitly is the perfect place to shop. Gap does have a designated petite section, but I’ve only ever purchased about two or three items in petite from Gap because the overall fit of their clothing is perfect. Like BR, Gap is on the pricey side but they never fail to have some good sales.

Old Navy: You will pretty much find the same types of clothes at Old Navy that you would at Gap, but for lower prices (which I know is something every college student loves!) Old Navy is usually a hit or miss for me, but the items they have for fall are all so pretty, I literally want it all.
Shopping tip: If you’re in an Old Navy store check out the kid’s section. I’m so serious, I’ve purchased tops in the girl’s section in sizes large/x-large and people were so surprised when I told them it wasn’t meant to be an ‘adult’ top.

Forever 21: If you’re willing to take the time to search through the racks you will find so many cute items. I’ve realized though that mostly all of the pieces they have fit differently than others so it can be a struggle sometimes. However, you can’t beat the prices Forever 21 has to offer!


While you’re shopping, if you come across something you like but you don’t think the fit is right for you still try it out. There are always different options for styling your over-sized pieces into a more fitting look. For example, try finishing your look off with a belt around the waist or pair your over-sized shirt with leggings and a vest. Don’t always limit what you wear to what fits best because some of my favorite items in my closet are my boyfriend jeans and over-sized sweaters. I hope this makes your shopping a little more easier!

Monday Morning Coffee With Alyssa No.1

Hi everyone! So as I continue to improve my blog I'm brainstorming more post ideas that I can repeat weekly. One I just recently planned was 'Monday Morning Coffee with Alyssa' where I'll be talking about my life and things going on, so I can connect with you guys more personally instead of my typical fashion posts. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy your first coffee date with me! 

The reason I started this blog was because I wanted a space where I could further talk about fashion besides my Instagram. I also wanted to work on getting my name more out there since I have dreams of working in the fashion industry after graduating college, so why not? However, I haven't been posting on here over the past few weeks as much as I would have liked to. I'm in my last year of college and my classes have just simply gotten the better of me and I keep reminding myself that it's okay. I came across this quote one day on Pinterest and saved it to my computer because I noticed myself constantly going back to read it. Life gets hard and it will always throw obstacles at you, you just have to remember to stay positive. You'll have bad days and stressed days but that doesn't mean you have a bad life and should just give up. When something goes wrong, work harder towards achieving whatever goal your mind is set to. 


I'm working on better time management and planning skills so I can make blog posts more often. When you're passionate about something, you always find the time for it in your schedule, so I'm excited for all the things yet to come on asmalltownfashionista. Hopefully this post was a little pick-up for your Monday and enjoy the rest of your week!