My Favorite Products of 2017

As the holidays wrap up, I feel obligated to talk about my absolute favorite products, entertainment, clothing, gadgets, and accessories from the past year. I tried to link everything I could below, a lot of the clothing items are currently sold out. Similar items are available and linked though!

It was hard to determine how many products I wanted to share in this post. I looked though my Instagram and through my few favorite blog posts. I picked through my most mentioned and most worn items so you can get another chance to shop them. I also looked through my Spotify to see what I listened to the most over the past 365 days.

Shop my Favorite Clothing and Accessories

As far as clothing and accessories go, I expanded my shoe game the most this year. Target killed it this past fall on everything from boots to flats and trendy mules. I talked about my over the knee boots, Lulu block heels, and slip on mules in more than a handful of blog posts. I also loved two pairs of sneakers this year as well. Although not the most fashion forward, I got plenty of wear out of my white high top Converse. I purchased them back in October for College Game Day and have since worn them all over campus, with jeans, leggings, and basically any casual outfit. I added very first pair of Vans to my shoe collection too this December. I typically wouldn't go for a pair of Vans but these Old Skool (yes that is how they spell "school") lace up Vans are perfect all covered in gold glitter.

My go to swim suit this summer was my navy one shoulder ruffle one-piece I purchased back in February from Old Navy. I was a little nervous that in the surf and sand that the side without the strap would slip down as the beach days went on but it stayed right in place, which helped earn it's spot in my favorite products from this past year. I am already hunting down similar suits for this upcoming summer -- only five months away y'all!

When it comes to clothing, J. Crew styles seemed to reign true all year long. My navy excursion vest from J. Crew Factory one again, was one of my most worn items in my closet. I can wear it with everything from dresses to jeans and leggings. My favorite sweater was this modern classic bow sweater. The mock turtleneck is classic and adds a bit of detail to any outfit. I also loved their front ruffle blouses so much this summer that I ordered two of them. I am still finding myself reaching for them in the wintertime. I'm praying J. Crew comes back with more in the Spring.

One of the items that I styled with my navy vest was the grey Boyfriend Sweater from Marley Lilly. This pullover was a gift from the company and I loved it so much, I gave all of my sisters one of their own for Christmas. I wear this thing everywhere. To the gym, chapter meetings, class, and out for errands. Sadly the grey is all sold out, but the heathered sand is still available.

My favorite dress of the year was the Callista Shift from Lilly Pulitzer. This is a take on their classic, flowy Jane Shift, but transformed with a cotton kit fabric. I loved this all Summer long and finally pulled the trigger on purchasing it. When I wore it to work, sizes would fly off the racks so, I know I wasn't the only one who was head over heels for it. I even bought my mom one so we could match.

Finally, there were a few accessories that I couldn't stop using in 2017. In March while in NYC, my dad sweetly gifted my the Kate Spade Isobel bag in Guava. I love this purse so much -- it's my only Kate Spade and I take such good care of it. It is my Spring/Summer bag for sure. When it comes to bags I need at school I stick with my St. Anne tote from Barrington Gifts. It's my go-to bag for photoshoots and weekend trips. My large Le Pliage Longchamp in Red has been a staple for me at school this past semester. I bring it with me everywhere. My Katie Dean crystal choker is a surprising top fave of mine just because of how modern it is. It looks great layered with my monogrammed necklace and I loved the sparkle it adds to any outfit.

You all saw them all over Instagram in November, but felt berets were so in and was my favorite trend this past year. I wanted to wear mine everywhere. My inner Frenchie girl was living her best life whenever I wore my beret. I also wore my knot pom pom beanies from Pink Pineapple Shop all winter long. Even in my apartment when I'm cleaning, watching TV, or doing school work I would still be wearing my pom pom hat. I can't wait to start wearing my navy one when I get back to school.

Shop My Favorite Products & Gadgets

My favorite gadget of 2017, even though it was late to the game is my Series 3 Apple Watch. This little thing is so cool! I am still learning how to use it and haven't mastered all of it's features yet. I cannot wait to get back to school and to the gym so I can see how the fitness apps work. I also loved my Solo 2 Wireless Beats. I got these in 2016 when I purchased my MacBook for school, but never really used the bluetooth feature until this semester. I love these. The sound it great and the battery life is incredible. I charge them on Sunday night and it lasts all week long. They also connect to my Apple Watch so I can use them while working out and not have to worry about my phone. Another little gadget I ended up loving was my tassel keychain phone charger. This little toy was found in the Target dollar section of all things. It has a little iPhone charger hidden in the tassels and is cute enough to have hanging off my purse or keys 24/7.

I loved using my monogrammed weekender bag this year. It traveled with me to New York, Chicago, the beach, school, and back home for breaks. Mine is from Carolina Dandy and it's so classic and extremely durable. Similarly, my Madeline and Company slim backpack has the same durable and timeless qualities that the weekender does. I love the lightweight pack with the same preppy design as her classic totes.

Three things I have loved using in my day to day life are my agenda, headboard pillow, and calendar magnet board. My Erin Condren hourly agenda keeps my on my game all the time. I love customizing each week and getting myself organized for the days ahead. I sync my agenda with my magnetic U Brands board. Each class has a color, along with work, personal, sorority, and the blog. It has made my life so much more organized. I love getting home and laying in my bed for 30 minutes and relaxing after a long day at school. My Leigh Deux headboard pillow had continually been a favorite of mine and the fact that the makes them for full sized beds is so awesome. It polishes off my entire room and makes my apartment feel a little more like home.

I'm not an expert on beauty products so I only have three items to share with you. The first is my new fave makeup remover. I used to use the Olay face washcloths but the Neutrogena makeup removing wipes have been great on my skin. I buy them in bulk at Costco and they last me for a pretty long time. I have loved using the Marc Jacobs mascara as well. My sister gave me a sample tube of it over Thanksgiving and it's just as good as the Better Than Sex mascara from Urban Decay. My favorite nail polish of the year has been Essie Penny Talk. This copper shade is modern and girly and looks great in the Fall and Winter. In fact, I have it on my nails right now.

2017 was the year of entertainment for me. I started (and binge watched) a lot of new series and expanded my music palette this year. I watched 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things on Netflix and both were so good. I especially loved Stranger Things, seriously the kid who plays Will needs an Emmy. 13 Reasons Why, although a captivating story line wasn't a show that I love sitting down and watching. It was a show that had incredible acting in it but told a really sad story. If was emotionally exhausting to watch, but one that I think people should see. If you need a great comedy to watch, you must watch VEEP on HBONow. I can't get through an episode without laughing out loud. Julia Louis Dreyfus was stellar on Seinfeld and brings a little bit of her Elaine Benes personality to D.C.

I also started and finished Game of Thrones this year. It took me a lot of convincing, but my sister, Leslie, finally pushed me to join the GOT fandom. I finished all seven seasons in about three weeks #oops. I had to force myself to get used to the more graphic scenes and deaths because the storyline is so intriguing. I think the real reason I love this show is because no character is safe. In almost every TV show you can predict what's going to happen or at least know without certain characters the story couldn't go on. In GOT, literally nobody is safe. The creators have no problem killing off main characters or turning someone over to the dark side. I'm not kidding you, I texted Leslie for an hour raving about my favorite character and in the next episode I watched, they killed him, his wife, his baby, and his mom -- like come on, leave me someone to love!

As far as books go, I read the Red Queen series. I have talked about it a bunch, but seriously it's extremely well written and has a very enticing plot. It's a combination of Game of Thrones, Gladiator, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter. Seriously, my favorite books and movies all combined into one epic series. The fourth and final book comes out in May and I cannot wait! I might reread the series in preparation for War Storm. Another book I loved reading over the Summer was The Heiresses by Sara Shepard. It's based on a group of wealthy cousins trying to figure out who killed their cousin in search for their family fortune. It's Gossip Girl meets adult Nancy Drew. It was a great beach read.

Two podcasts I loved were the ever-hilarous Lady Gang and the always informative Influencer Podcast by Julie Solomon. The Lady Gang has been a fave of mine since a coworker at Lilly suggested it to me. Seriously it is my Tuesday afternoon pick me up. I listen to it while on the bus on my way home from campus. Becca Tobin is absolutely hilarious and the "Good Week, Bad Week" segment always has me laughing. If you're a blogger you need to listen to the Influencer podcast by Julie Solomon. She shares incredible tips about monetization, management, collaborations, media kits, and literally anything and everything you need to know about the industry. She's also sweet as can be, and is darling to talk to on Instagram.

Finally I have a few favorite movies to share with you. One of the year's biggest blockbuster hit was Beauty and the Beast and for good reason. Emma Watson never fails on screen and went above and beyond as Belle. I also recently saw The Greatest Showman which is still in theaters. Everything in this on screen musical is perfect. I can't stop listening to the soundtrack on Spotify and I need to go back and see the movie again. The casting also is fab with Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, and Zac Efron 😘. Finally, one of my favorite movies this year was I, Tonya. I love the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding scandal and this movie was incredible with Margot Robbie as the leading lady. The directing and writing of this film was so good! A must see, for sure.