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Alli Santmyer

Things I'm Loving Right Now

My Bachelorette Finale REACTION: Becca’s Season

August 7, 2018

Hey hey hey, welcome back to another one of my Bachelorette finale reaction posts!  I’ve been writing about the Bachelor and Bachelorette finales for the last few seasons and I think it’s so fun.  Keep reading to hear what I thought of this season!

Starting off with Becca… I really like her!  I think she was a wonderful Bachelorette because she’s super sweet and serious about the process but she also didn’t keep contestants around just for the drama.  She got rid of the crazy ones right off the bat and was left with adorable guys who were there for the right reasons.  Go Becca!  I’m sure going from being a contestant on the Bachelor, winning and getting engaged to Arie, and then being dumped by him on national TV wasn’t an easy process so I’m glad she was able to move on and find someone she thinks she can spend the rest of her life with.

Moving on to the men… I thought Becca had one of the best groups of guys yet.  With the exception of a few, all her men were so, so nice and caring and were very dedicated to her.  The Men Tell All episode was really interesting as well because you could really see how they all just adored her – even after she sent them home!  I think her final three – Blake, Garrett, and Jason – were all especially wonderful.  Overall, I think she made the right choice in choosing Garrett but I honestly think she could’ve been happy with any of the final three men.  Who do you think will be the next Bachelor???  My bets are on Jason but I could see them choosing Blake.

Lastly, I want to chat about the destinations they travel to each season.  I’ve always been so intrigued by the places they choose because I don’t know if it’s all up to the Bachelor and Bachelorette or if the producers choose.  I feel like they would have to have some say in it, right?  What do you think?  If I was the Bachelorette, I would want to go to as many tropical destinations as possible!

That’s all for this season’s Bachelorette reaction post, I hope you loved it!  What did you think of this season?  Please let me know in the comments below.  Be sure to come back next week for another fun post!

Fashion

A Week of Corporate Job Outfits

July 31, 2018

Hey hey hey cuties, happy Tuesday!  Welcome back to another summer post on the Allison in Wonderland blog.  I started my first corporate marketing job about six months ago so I thought it would be fun to share some of my go-to outfits for those of you who are starting your first corporate job soon!  Let’s get started.

The first outfit I have to share is perfect for a Monday!  Mondays in my office are always hectic so it’s nice to start the week off strong with a fun look.  I’m wearing a white, light-weight tee from Madewell (click here) with a powder blue midi skirt from H&M.  My white sandal heels are from Old Navy (click here) and are absolutely perfect for the summer!

The next outfit is a black, patterned Target jumpsuit that I like to wear pretty often because it’s comfortable and keeps you cool while still being professional.  I paired it with some of my favorite nude heels from Kohl’s (click here) and the look is complete!  I think jumpsuits are so fun to wear, especially in the summertime!

My next outfit is a good one for the middle of the week because it’s still dressy but with a little bit of a fun, casual twist.  My black and white striped, strapless jumpsuit is from Urban Outfitters and is so light and airy for the hot weather months!  Since it’s strapless, I paired it with a light-wash jean jacket from American Eagle (click here) and a cute pair of black heels from Kohl’s.  This outfit is one of my favorites no matter the season!

My Thursday outfit idea is a classic in my book.  I’ve worn outfits like this ever since I was an intern in college because it’s so easy to throw together a skirt and a button down shirt!  Both my giraffe-printed, button down tank and blue, button down skirt are from Express.  Express has easily become one of my favorite places to shop for work-appropriate clothing!

Finally, my Friday outfit!  Luckily, the office I work in isn’t super strict with how the employees dress but some businesses will only allow you to wear jeans on Fridays.  Whenever I do wear jeans, I always pair it with a button down shirt or a blazer.  This week, I chose a light pink blazer!  This one in particular is from Kohl’s (click here), but I’ve found it fairly easy to find well-made, cute blazers at a lot of different stores.  I paired it with a v-neck white tee and my favorite pair of jeans from American Eagle (click here)!

That’s all for my week’s worth of corporate job outfit ideas!  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the pieces I wear to work.  Which outfit was your favorite?  Let me know in the comments below.  See ya next week!

Healthy Living

Being Content

July 24, 2018

Hello babes and happy Tuesday!  After spending the last month on a little blogging break, I’m so excited to be back in action, sharing some fun content with you all!  Before we get back to my usual posts though, I wanted to share about a topic that’s been on my mind lately… being content.  Keep reading to hear what I’ve been thinking about and to see if you can relate!

A few weeks ago, a family member asked me what was next in my life.  For the first time ever, I really didn’t know how to answer.  In my day-to-day routine, I have a lot going on.  I’m still settling into my new job, I’m constantly on the go, and I’m just busy in general being a 21 year old!  But as far as important life events, I’m at a loss.  Ever since I was little, I was always focused on the future, what was coming next for me.  Whether it was high school graduation, going off to college, summer internships, traveling, college graduation – it was always something big and exciting.  And now that I’ve moved out on my own and begun my career, my life is much more stable.  And while I was really looking forward to my schedule quieting down a bit, I’m realizing I wasn’t completely prepared for it.

In life, I believe that we adjust to the circumstances we’re given.  If we’re constantly busy and go-go-go, after a while it will become normal.  If we constantly have nothing to do, it will become normal.  So I think my hectic and exciting life became normal for me.  It became what I expect my life to continue to be but I’m in a new chapter now.  And it’s an exciting one!  It’s just exciting in a much slower, more grown-up way.

I think what I’m trying to say is that being comfortable and being content with the circumstances of your life isn’t a bad thing and it doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress.  Life is constant rotation of emotions and events and you’ll need to adjust to each and every one of them but just because you adjust doesn’t mean your life isn’t as fun and enjoyable as before.  You have the power to make your life just as you want it to be (busy or not) and when you realize that, you’re golden.

Can any of you relate?  I know in talking to some of my friends from school that this is something a lot of people go through after graduating college or moving out on their own.  Life is so, so fun and trying your best to find enjoyment in everything you do makes such a big difference in leading a fulfilled life.  Please leave a comment below if you’ve experienced this or if you have any advice for those who are experiencing it now!  As always, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next Tuesday for another post!

Home

My OFFICE Reveal

June 19, 2018

Hey hey hey cuties, welcome back to another one of my Allison in Wonderland apartment room reveals!  I’m almost finished showing you gals my entire apartment!  As you can tell from the title, today I’m sharing how I designed my office.  My office was the room I decorated last because, at first, I didn’t really know what to do with it.  I wasn’t expecting to have a second bedroom/office space when I began looking for apartments so I was a bit thrown off.  Once I got the rest of my space finished and I could focus on this room, I ended up loving being able to be super creative and have fun with the room!  Keep reading to see where everything is from!

Starting off with the walls, I bought speckled removable wallpaper from Target (click here)!  I researched a bunch of different wallpaper companies but every option was so, so expensive.  Eventually, I found this print at Target and I fell in love!  My favorite part is that it’s black and white so I can bring any other color into the room and it was pretty easy to install.  It only took my boyfriend and I about 2 hours to do the entire wall and it’s stayed up perfectly.  One tip that we realized when hanging it up was to use the plastic tube that the product comes in as a tool to press the wallpaper to the wall evenly as you apply it.

Moving onto the furniture in the room, my desk and chair are from Target as well (click here for the desk and click here for the chair).  I love this mid-century modern line at Target so much that I have the desk, coffee table, and dining room table.  It’s so cute and perfect for a first apartment!  The wooden frame on the wall is from Michael’s (click here) and the desert print is from Etsy (click here).  As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I definitely recommend buying frames and prints separately and putting them together yourself because it saves so much money!

Lastly, the adorable candles on the side of my desk are from Hamilton Wax Co. (click here).  Hamilton Wax Co. is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (super close for my Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania babes!) and their candles smell INCREDIBLE.  They sent me scents 04 and 05 and I don’t think they could of chosen better ones to send.  I think I like scent 05 a bit better than 04 but they seriously are some of the best smelling candles I’ve ever owned.

That’s all for this week’s blog post!  I only have one more room in my apartment and that’s my kitchen.  Would you be interested in seeing a room reveal for my last room?  Let me know in the comments below.  Thank you for reading and have a great week!

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Tuesday Tunes: Country Edition

June 12, 2018

Hey everyone, happy Tuesday!  Welcome to another post on the Allison in Wonderland blog.  Today, I’m going to quickly share the country songs that have been on repeat in my life lately because, after all, summertime is the best time for country music!  Let’s get started!

Drowns the Whiskey by Jason Aldean ft. Miranda Lambert

Up Down by Morgan Wallen ft. Florida Georgia Line

I Hate Love Songs by Kelsea Ballerini

Mercy by Brett Young

Criminal by Lindsay Ell

Tequila by Dan & Shay

That’s all for today’s post!  I know it was a short one but I’ve been liking mixing up my posts each week with some being longer and some being shorter.  Let me know in the comments if you like longer or shorter blog posts.  Thanks for reading and have a great week!

College

6 Month Post-Grad Update

June 5, 2018

Hey hey hey, welcome back to the Allison in Wonderland blog!  It’s officially been 6 months since I graduated from James Madison University so, for today’s post, I wanted to give you an update on my post-college graduation life.  Let’s get into it!

Starting off with how I feel in general, I’m thankful to say I feel incredible!  I’m so, so, so happy to not be in school anymore.  Although I miss seeing all my friends everyday, I don’t miss the classes or the extracurriculars at all.  Towards the end of my time at JMU, I was feeling very stressed because I was constantly doing a million things at once.  Now, although I’m still very busy, my free time is more filled with things I want to be doing instead of studying and attending mandatory meetings.  I also really like to have a routine and with working full-time, my life lends itself well to having a routine and sticking to it.

Moving onto how I’m liking where I’m living… I love it!  My favorite thing about living in my apartment and not in my college apartments/townhouses is I don’t have to worry about moving out a few months after I moved in.  I have the option to move if I want to but it’s not a constant rotation of moving my home base every few months.  I also am still living in a college town, so it’s nice to continue to have people around me that are my age.

Lastly, I’ll talk about how I like working full-time.  Overall, I really, really like it!  I definitely think I picked correctly when I chose the marketing and advertising industry and I’m so grateful for that.  It’s so important to enjoy what you do for a living because you spend everyday doing it.  The past six months have flown by and I can’t believe I’m already halfway through my first year at my first job!  Have any of you just begun your first job?  Let me know in the comments below.

That’s about all for this Tuesday’s post!  This week, I’m working on another one of my apartment room reveals so get excited!  Have you read my Living Room Reveal and my Bedroom Reveal?  Click here and here to get caught up on those before the new one comes out in a few weeks.  As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!

Travel

Being a Tourist In: Maine + Road Trip Playlist

June 1, 2018

Hi cuties, welcome back to my blog!  Today’s post is a travel post because I just got back from spending Memorial Day weekend in Maine!  Throughout this post, I’m going to take you through what we did while we were there and what songs I made sure to have on my playlist for the long drive.  Let’s get started!

We started out our drive around 3:30am.  That’s right, 3:30am.  It was way way way earlier than I was hoping to leave but we had about a 10 hour drive ahead of us so we wanted to get an early start to beat the traffic – especially with it being a holiday weekend.  Since we were driving from Maryland, we hit the outskirts of New York City just as the sun was rising and it was so beautiful!  We didn’t hit any traffic on the way up, which was a huge blessing.  The drive did take a bit longer than we had expected however because we decided to take a more scenic route and drive along the coast for most of the way.  It was the best decision!  We got to see a ton of adorable little towns and looking at the ocean all the way up was so much nicer than looking at a highway for hours on end.

Since we were driving for so long, a killer playlist was a must.  I’m the type of person who likes a lot of different types of music so I thought I’d share a few songs that were on repeat to get us through the drive…

Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard

Re: Stacks by Bon Iver

No Diggity by Blackstreet, Dr. Dre, and Queen Pen

I Still Wonder by The Chain Gang of 1974

Should’ve Been a Cowboy by Toby Keith

Once we finally made it to Maine, we checked into our Airbnb.  We could tell from the photos that it was going to be a nice place to stay but the property was more amazing that we could have hoped for!  It was a little cottage that was located right on the water and it was so, so peaceful!  If you’d like to check it out, click here.  This was my second time using Airbnb, the first time being when my boyfriend and I visited Nashville in December.  I really like staying in a house rather than a hotel room during vacations – it’s so convenient!  If you’re going to book with Airbnb, go to www.airbnb.com/c/allisons3280 to get $40 off your first trip!

The next day was our first full day in Maine.  The main reason we were there was to go to Acadia National Park, so that’s what we started off with!  The largest part of the park is called Mount Desert Island and it was about an hour drive from our Airbnb.  We got there pretty early in the morning and began exploring on the Park Loop Road.  It’s basically just a long road that goes all the way around the park.  Driving it took up the better part of the day but it was so scenic and so incredibly beautiful!  After we had driven all around, we ended up in Bar Harbor – a little tourist town on Mount Desert Island.  We grabbed lunch at a place called the Side Street Cafe and then made our way down to the beach.  We happened to get there during low tide and, if you haven’t heard, the tides in Maine are insane!  There’s about a 15 to 20 foot difference in low tide and high tide.  Because the water dropped so low during low tide, we were actually able to walk out to an island called Bar Island.  It was the coolest thing!

The next day, we started off at a different part of Acadia National Park called the Schoodic Peninsula.  It was a lot smaller than Mount Desert Island but just as stunning.  We had gorgeous sunny weather and were able to stop at a lot of the lookout points to take it all in (and to take photos, of course!).  Once we were done, we headed up to Quoddy Head State Park, which is just below the Canadian border.  There’s a lighthouse there and, when you’re standing by it, you’re standing on the easternmost point in the US.  How cool!  After spending some time at the lighthouse, we headed into a little town called Lubec for some lunch and then made our way back to the Airbnb.

The next day was filled with a lot of driving.  We split up our drive on the way home in two days.  The first day, we drove from Maine to Connecticut.  Since we had the entire day to only do half the drive, we drove the scenic route again but this time we stopped in some of the towns.  Our first stop was Freeport because we wanted to see the L.L. Bean flagship store.  It was humungous!  Since it was actually Memorial Day on this day, there was quite a bit of traffic and it took us a lot longer than expected to get to Connecticut but don’t worry, we still made it to the hotel in time for the Bachelorette premier. 🙂

Where we stayed in Connecticut was right by Yale so we began our last day by walking around the university.  I’d never been there before and it was the most beautiful campus!  There’s so much history in that town and it was cool to be back on a college campus again.  From there, it only took us about four hours to get home so it made the last leg of the trip very bearable.

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time in Maine.  I would definitely go back!  Have you ever been to Maine?  Let me know in the comments below.  Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next Tuesday for another post!

Healthy Living

3 Ways to Get Into Shape for Summer

May 22, 2018

Hey everyone, happy Tuesday!  Who’s ready for summer?  I know I am.  I live on the East Coast and it’s finally starting to feel warm everyday and I’m so thankful.  The warmer weather always makes me want to get outside and enjoy the fresh air so I thought I’d put together a few of my fitness tips for getting back into shape for this season.  Let’s get into it!

My first tip is to get into a routine.  Personally, I thrive when I have structure so a routine is really, really important for me to have in place to be able to stick to it.  The gym that I go to is right on my way home from work, so it makes it super convenient!  I go to work, go to the gym, and then go about the rest of my night.  I’ve noticed if there’s a day that I have to stay later at work or if something comes up where I can’t go to the gym, I won’t want to go the next day so I know my routine of going consistently is what keeps me showing up everyday.

Another tip is to watch Netflix or Youtube videos when you’re doing cardio.  I just started doing this recently!  Even though I really enjoy going to the gym, I can get burnt out pretty quickly.  I do similar workouts everyday and, honestly, the elliptical just gets really boring after a few weeks but watching a show or a video while you’re doing it makes it so fun!  You’ll get distracted so you won’t focus on how tired you are and I’ve noticed it’s a lot easier to go at a quicker pace because you’re getting so into the show.  I highly recommend trying this out!

My last tip is to find workouts that you think are fun.  Even though I go to the gym most weekdays, I also like to switch it up every once in a while by doing other active things like playing tennis.  I played tennis all throughout high school and it’s a nice way to get a workout in while having fun and interacting with other people.  You can also get a nice tan while you’re doing it, too. 🙂

That wraps up this week’s post.  Thank you for reading!  If you have any specific post ideas you’d like to see from me this summer, please let me know in the comments below.  Have a great week!

Fashion

Packing Your Bag for Your First Job

May 15, 2018

Hi babes, happy Tuesday!  Welcome back to my blog!  Today’s post is going to be all about items you’ll want to have in your bag for your first corporate job.  Let’s get started!

Starting off with my bag itself, the one I’m carrying is from Fossil.  It’s called the Camilla Convertible Backpack (click here) and it’s so nice for work!  You can carry this bag as a regular purse with the two smaller handles or use it as a backpack or you can detach one of the backpack straps and make it a shoulder bag – it’s so versatile.  My favorite way to carry it is as a backpack but it’s nice to have the other options available!  It’s also super roomy so you won’t run out of space if you have to fit a lot inside.

The top personal items I always keep handy at work are my planner, headphones, hand-sanitizer and hand lotion.  Your planner is nice to keep with you, especially if you have a job where you may need to travel.  You can easily jot down when you need to be somewhere and it makes it so you don’t have to keep so much information in your head.  Headphones are also nice to have with you for business calls.  I have a desk phone at work but sometimes I need to take calls from the road so it’s helpful to have your headphones within reach.  Hand sanitizer and hand lotion are also perfect in a pinch!  My office is dog-friendly and, unfortunately, I’m allergic to dogs so if one comes up to me, I always like to  quickly clean off my hands if I can’t wash them right away.

That’s all for this post, I hope you enjoyed it!  Do you have anything fun planned during the next week?  If you’re a Bachelor fan, the Bachelorette comes on on Monday.  I’m so excited!  See ya next Tuesday for another post!

How To

How To: Work with Photographers

May 8, 2018

Hey hey hey cuties!  Welcome back to another post on the Allison in Wonderland blog.  Today’s topic is how to find and work with photographers.  Over the last few months, I’ve gotten some questions about how I find the photographers I work with so I thought I’d share my best tips with you today.  Keep reading to find out what I look for!

Tip #1: Start with Instagram

Fun fact: I’ve found every photographer I’ve ever worked with through Instagram.  Instagram is such a wonderful tool to help you connect with local creatives.  When searching for photographers, I typically begin by searching for specific hashtags.  I’ll first look up photographers by state (example: #marylandphotographer) or by city, if I’m looking to shoot somewhere in particular (example: #annapolisphotographer).  This narrows down the playing field to only those who are “within reach,” so to speak.

Once I have the results from my hashtag search, I’ll scroll through until I find someone who has the specific style or aesthetic I’m looking for.  If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen that my editing style is very warm, so I look for photographers that edit similarly to me so that my Instagram and blog feeds will stay consistent.  This method of finding people is also a really cool way to connect with those who live around you so you can support one another!

Tip 2: Be Ready for Anything

When I say be ready for anything, I mean be prepared to meet any type of personality.  On Instagram, people don’t always end up having the personality you would expect from viewing their feed.  I’ve been really lucky that I’ve absolutely loved every photographer I’ve ever shot with but at the end of the day, you’re still meeting up with someone you met on the internet and you don’t know everything about them.  I typically make sure that I shoot with photographers in a public space (such as shooting in a downtown area) and that I leave the tracker on on my phone.  Sometimes I’ll even bring a friend with me to be extra safe.  Even though I totally understand wanting to get cool content, you can never be too careful!

Thank you for reading this week’s post on how to work with photographers!  Did you find it helpful?  If you have any tips of your own, leave them in the comments below, and be sure to come back next week for another brand new post.  Have a great week!