MOVED TO LR! — BLOGGIE MAGGIE

Happy June *two weeks in! As you probably saw on my Instagram, I am interning this summer in person at Dillard’s home office in Little Rock, AR in their merchandising departments, as well as interning remotely with NYC located brand, SayloryNY, with product development and design!! I am EXCITED! I am only 1 week into my 9-5 life at Dillard’s, and so far it is the best experience yet! I’ve learned so much, and cannot wait for the rest of the summer. I have also been remotely editing and writing product descriptions for SaylorNY for two weeks now. I was able to start while I was still on vacation in Colorado the first week of June, and able to continue working with them with my 9-5 in person internship as I just allocate my time during some evenings for SaylorNY projects, whenever I get sent projects!

For Dillard’s, I had to move to Little Rock, Arkansas for the duration of the internship, about two months. I have been to Little Rock maybe two or three times in my life, and it’s all been pretty spread out and when I was much younger. Either for baseball tournaments, or we stayed at the Peabody hotel to see the ducks when I was really little, I knew nothing of the capital, really. Thankfully, I know of a couple older girls I either went to school with, friends with my brother, or who I had worked with in previous jobs. I actually used to work at the BCBG MaxAzria pad in the Fayetteville Dillard’s, where I met one of my friends Tatum who now works at the Dillard’s home office as an assistant buyer. It worked out where she had a lease but was wanting a different place, so I am subleasing from her for the two months I’m here. I really don’t know what I would have done w out her, haha. A few of the other interns found a place together, and some are at home commuting in.

With the Dillard’s internship, we will each get to learn from different departments for about a week at a time, and then get to switch to the next, as to get a really good concept of how they work apart and alike. This past week I have been with luggage, trim a home, and pet. I’ve gotten to listen and be apart of vendor meetings, writing new orders, seeing the whole process of picking new merchandise to filling an order and selecting amounts for stores, shipping calendars, come up with ideas for merchandising new pet products, and work with a lot of glittery Christmas pieces for 2021. I got to attend a sample sale for the men’s department, set up (and take home a few pieces) Trim (Christmas) sample sale, go on a store visit, and visit in work with a distribution center. And it’s only week one! Each day is really different and I just love getting to really see what buyers do, as I have always wanted to be a buyer and haven’t gotten the chance to fully see that position before.

Trim!!! Christmas! ROY G BIV tree that will be in my apartment this holiday season!

As far as Little Rock goes, I’ve barely left my apartment (during the first part of the week) haha. I got back from my family’s trip to Colorado late Saturday night, I packed up my clothes, an orange afghan blanket, and a thrifted vase (Tatum left me her furniture and bedding for me to use), and moved to LR at like 3pm Sunday afternoon.

My humble abode. Lamp from my boyfriend’s sister storage (I forgot a lamp), orange afghan blanket from Fayetteville’s Boho Boutique, vase from Dolly Python thrift store in Dallas.

My parents followed me down to help me move things in and to take me to the grocery store. Reminder that this is my first time for real for real moving out and away, I’ve been on multiple trips of course and have moved to Fayetteville for college the past three years, but there I’ve always been 20 minutes away from their house. And Little Rock is only 2 1/2 to 3 hours away, so it’s really not bad at all. But it was sad, I’m not gonna lie to say a for real goodbye for the first time :(. Tatum’s roommate, and now mine for the next few months, unexpectedly had to go home for the week, so I was alone in the apartment this past week. I really didn’t venture out besides finding the Starbucks en route to work, just to get used to my new schedule. I did try Cantina Laredo while out for a store visit with one of my buyers, it was delicious. On Thursday, one of my best friends Gracie who doesn’t live too far out from Little Rock met me for dinner, and we were going to go to the Heights Taco’s and Tamales (which I have heard from all around to eat at) but the wait was too long, so settled for sushi then tried Loblolly’s ice cream after — very cute and yum.

Made it to my first Friday of the corporate world, which happened to be jean day at the office too, and at my lunch break my boyfriend was in town to take me to the River Market to eat— all different cultures of food in a market set up. So cute and fun! We got Boba wontons and chicken fried rice. An artist drew us without us knowing, and said he “saw a couple getting along” and gave us the drawing <3. He showed me the bridge and the river market area before I went back to work. That night, we just made dinner in and caught up on Cruel Summer. We went back to the River Market Saturday morning for the farmer’s market, I knew I had to go! I stopped at Nexus coffee to get a matcha, and the pastries and coffees looked so good I think I’ll have to come back to try. We then went out to Lake Hamilton for the rest of the day to visit with his step dad’s family on the boat. Was so fun and relaxing, and got some much needed sun. Sunday, went to church, brunched with Tom’s grandfather at South on Maine (I got the peaches and cream cheese French toast), tried out my apartment pool, went to Trader Joe’s, and got ready for a fresh new week.

An artist saw a “couple getting along” at the River Market, and gave us the drawing of what he saw :)

I still have a lot of things to try and see and do, and I can’t wait to visit with some girls I haven’t gotten to see in a while that now live here!

OUTFITS!

Anne Klein blazer + pants Half of Half in Springdale, bejeweled ribbed collar shirt Zara.

First day fit! Pink cropped flare Zara pants, cropped red Zara blazer, white ribbed tank Mj the Label, white buckle Sam Edelman flats.

Of course, leading up to my 9-5 life to start, I frantically purchased business casual to business formal attire pieces. I have had very few business pieces saved over the years if I were to ever get this type of internship, and from my tiny wardrobe I had started I headed to Zara, then Zara, then Zara again. Majority of my summer wardrobe is Zara and it’s probably a good thing there isn’t one located here. My first day, I wore Zara pink cropped flare business pants with a Zara cropped red blazer and a ribbed white ruffled tank I got from a collab with MJ the label a while back, as well as white buckle Sam Edleman flat sandals. Tuesday, I wore a Zara scarf print button up dress, with Forever 21 pale lime quilted heels. Wednesday, I wore an Anne Klein light blue blazer with light blue business skinny pants, which I found both at Half of Half in Springdale, and paired my made up set with a yellow green ribbed short sleeve bejeweled collared top from Zara. This top was my first purchase back when I interviewed for the internship because I really hoped I got it, and knew this top would be so cute for it, haha wishful thinking. Thursday, I wore a purple utility collared dress gifted from boutique Unruly and JSlides gray platforms from my internship with boutique Masons last summer. And Friday, I wore an old reliable Zara pink ruffled sleeve button up top I found at TJ Maxx for like $6 3 years ago, with my Levi jeans and old reliable Free People Coolway Platforms.

For the weekend! I painted my nails each a different color of bright red blue yellow orange and green. I finally was able to find an Aviator Nation trucker hat (after months of looking) and for 20% off during their Memorial Day weekend sale. Saturday was the perfect day to bring it out, and with my subsequently matching green terry cloth midi dress I found at Half of Half in Springdale for I think $13. I meant to fix the dress and make it smaller, it says it is a small but fits like a large, but didn’t have time so I just added a sash from a Zara dress to tie it up at the waist. And paired the neon green look with my gladiator styled platform Teva’s I’ve really been loving. I lost my quay round sunglasses, so I found a pair of $6 walmart round sunglasses that if I don’t lose or Tom doesn’t steal, will I think be my staple. For the lake, I wore my Forever 21 blue floral Frankie’s d upe bikini, and lots of rainbow beads of course.