11.27.2014

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am spending this day stuffing my face and falling into a food coma while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show. Following my food coma, I will be bundling up and heading to the mall for Black Friday! 


My friend Lecie, has challenged me to post 10 things I am thankful for and I am ready to take the challenge. I want to start by saying that this year has been one of many ups and downs. From transferring colleges to leaving my kiddos, and from having to leave my sorority to figuring life out at a new place I have been faced with many challenges. However, I can, without a doubt, say that I am oh so incredibly happy with everything in my life right now. 

  1. Dylan. aka: boyfriend. He is my rock and my number one fan. He is a pretty awesome photographer as well :)
  2. Mommy. She is my best friend and I could not ask for a better supporter in my life
  3. My dad and my brother. They keep me laughing and are always there for me when I need a little assistance. Whether it be rent money or fixing my computer, I can count on them!
  4. The Center for New Beginnings. I was lucky to find this wonderful place that fills my heart with joy. I am also so blessed to call it my summer job. 
  5. My co-workers. Though I do not work at the center during the school semesters, I still count the ladies that work there as my co-workers. They have become some of my best friends in my hometown and I am so thankful to have met them. 
  6. Georgia Southern University. I am happy to call this place my temporary home. Though I am not a huge fan of the town it is located in, I am in love with the campus and the classes here. It is a great temporary home until I move on to bigger and better things!
  7. Exercise Science, for being an awesome major and getting me excited, once again, about college and my future!
  8. My blog friends. I never expected to make connections with people I haven't met, but I love the blogging community and have definitely make some lifelong friends. 
  9. #fireworkpeople, for being an awesome group of ladies that support me and light a fire inside my soul and inspire me to chase after my dreams! 
  10. You guys! For supporting me by reading my blog and leaving sweet little comments.



Pants: New York & Co. // Boots: Old (similar) // Necklace: A Southern Memory

11.26.2014

Stained and Sheer


In my hometown there are many beautiful landmarks that often go unnoticed. This old church has been one of my favorite buildings in my town since I was a little girl. We used to pass this church on the way to my grandma's house and I have watched over the years as the condition has gotten worse. The beautiful stained glass windows have began to become shattered and the nature has nearly taken over the past few years. Despite nature winning this church is still beautiful in its own way. I was so glad to have a chance to take some pictures at this location because it made the perfect setting for this wonderfully holidayish outfit! 




Tank: Old Navy // Pants: Forever 21 // Sheer Top: H&M // Necklace: Rocksbox // Boots: Ross (similar) // Bracelet: c/o Southern Three // Ring: Gift from Boyfriend (similar)

I had intentions of sharing my the Black Friday sales that I am most looking forward to yesterday, but due to a touch of food poisoning I did not leave my bed. I am planning to do two rounds of Black Friday! My first round will be after supper with my boyfriend followed by a nap and a 6am round with my mom!

  • Express - 50% off everything (I have my eye on a New Years sparkly dress!)
  • Old Navy - 50% off everything (I need more yoga crops)
  • Target - Multiple items on sale (I am going mostly because I have an obsession with Target)
  • H&M - up to 60% off (I am obsessing over this oversize sweater)
  • Bed Bath and Beyond - 20% off (I plan to stock up on soap)
I will be stopping in other stores as well (yay for inside malls) but these are my "must go" places!

Where will you be shopping for Black Friday? 


Linked up with: WIWW, Thursday Favorites, Whims Wednesday, Tucker Up, Pretties, Style Me Wednesday, Lisa A La Mode, Style To Inspire





11.24.2014

Holiday Gift Guide for Tweens

*BrandBacker provided me with the One Direction make up. All opinions are my own. 


I can not deny my love for fun, "kiddy" items! My mom is constantly telling me I have the style of a 12 year old girl, which I am oddly ok with! While I realize that one day I will have to "grow up" in my style, for now I will continue to love and want all the kid things. I noticed that this year I have a large number of younger girls on my Christmas list and deciding what to get them has been difficult because the current generation of tweens is far different than I was at that age. 

One my list for these girls is: 




What are you getting for the tween on your list? Be on the look out for his and hers gift guides, coming soon!

11.21.2014

Cotton and Curls

* BrandBacker provided the KISS InstaWave curling iron for me to try out and review. All opinions are my own. 


I am officially home for the holiday. I have returned to the land of "Georgia Snow" for a week full of family and good food. 





Top: New York and Co. (similar) // Skirt: Old (similar) // Shoes: Old Navy // Scary: H&M

I can't deny my happiness at having a week of no classes. I am looking forward to catching up on sleep and eating some delicious, home-cooked food. I am also ok with putting up with my family for a week in exchange for the peacefulness of this break! 

I was excited when I noticed there was still one field left with cotton growing in it, (the rest had been harvested) so I had to stop to take a few pictures! I wore this summer skirt (actually a dress) with fall colors as a transition piece and curled my hair to top off the sweet look. My hair was curled by the KISS InstaWave curling iron and I was actually impressed by how long these curls held in my dry, damaged hair. I have definitely found my new favorite curling iron. 


Linked up with: Style to Inspire

11.20.2014

Confidence is Key


Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. - Thoreau

When I was 16, I attended my first yoga class. Before this class yoga was just a way that people stretch and put their bodies in awkward positions. However, when I left my first class I felt stronger somehow. I continued to practice at home and attend classes sporadically over that year. What I learned is that yoga is a way to find confidence in yourself as you move from pose to pose and attempting (sometimes failing) at harder positions. I learned self acceptance through partner poses and through the asanas that I just could not conquer. (To be honest, I could point out so many issues with my form in the above image but I am happy with those issues.)


After about a year of practice, I knew that at some point I wanted to have to opportunity to teach others the importance of self acceptance through yoga. The opportunity never came about until recently. Today, five individuals and I are trying out for one yoga teacher position at my college. I have less than a 20% chance of getting the position; however, I am not letting that hinder my confidence. Whether I get the position or not, I am so grateful for the confidence and support I have found over the past three years in the yoga community. Though I hope to be able to secure the position, I will not let "failure" stop me from continuing to go after my goals of becoming a yoga teacher.


Top/Pants/Bra: Old Navy // Necklace: A Southern Memory


What are your goals and how are you going after them?



I am linking up with Let Your Light Shine Thursday!

11.19.2014

Combat Plaid











Jeans: Old Navy // Tank: Old Navy // Top: American Eagle (similar) // Boots: Charlotte Russe // Hat: Gift (similar)


For cool, fall days my go to outfit is skinnies, boots, and a button up. I love the fit of this old boyfriend button up from American Eagle and pairing it with my combat boots created a perfect casual edgy look. I wore this on a weekend trip home to see my family and it was perfect for both the driving and the shopping that took place.



11.17.2014

5 Ways to Give Back This Season

The holiday season is coming up which means it is prime time to give back to the community or those in need. Whether you are a year-round giver or only give during the holidays, it is essential that at some point in your life you humble yourself to give away some of your time or fortune.

1. Pack an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox


Operation Christmas Child is one of the simplest charities to support this time of year. I am sure that you probably have plenty of empty shoe boxes in your closet, so grab one, wrap it and fill it with goodies for a child in a third-world country. Then drop it off at a local drop-off destination and it will be off to a child in another country.


2. Serve Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner


Many homeless shelters will serve a Thanksgiving of Christmas dinner for the community. Call your local homeless shelters to see what volunteer opportunities are available and make it a new tradition to serve on the holidays.


3. Support Your Local Giving Tree



Most cities have at least one "Giving Tree" located in it. The concept of these trees is that families that can not afford gifts will apply for tags on the tree. Each tag will have a child's wish on it and the local community can pull a tag and purchase the wanted item on that tag. This is a fun way to get younger kids involved because they can help purchase a gift for someone else their age.


4. Donate Outgrown Coats


When it gets colder outside many places will host coat drives for families that can not afford new coats or for homeless individuals that are without them. If you have coats that have been sitting in your closet for over a year without use, it is likely that you will not use it in the future. It is simple to help out by donating it to someone who could use it.


5. Do Random Acts of Kindness


You do not have to be extravagant this season to give back. Giving back to the community can be something as little as giving an extra dollar for tip or being patient and smiling at a young mother who is struggling with her kids while trying to check out of the grocery store. Just remember to humble yourself this season and be more aware of people. Everyone may not have it as good as you do and if you start humbling yourself now, you will be more aware year round.

11.14.2014

20 Facts About Me

My dear friend Emma, ItsEmmaElise, tagged my in the "20 facts tag" where I am to share 20 facts about myself and then tag 20 friends to also share! Here goes...


1. I have been dating the kid in the picture about for almost 3 years now. He is pretty cool

2. My goal is to be a fashion blogger but I love to ramble on about pointless things a little too much

3. I am a pen a paper type of person... which contradicts with my "blogger status"

4. I live out of my agendas (yes... plural)

5. I love to create things and my most recent creative adventure has been jewelry making. I am falling more and more in love with it each time I sit down to create!

6. I am a transfer student at my current college and I love it!

7. I have only stayed in my apartment two weekends since August. I have been either gone home of to visit friends every other weekend.

8. Shopping is my vice. Target, more specifically, is my vice.

9. I don't believe in eating small round pellets of candy coated chocolate, aka: m&ms.

10. My current obsessions are UNC at Chapel Hill and Texas... I have grad school on my mind.

11. I never drank coffee regularly until this semester. The sophomore slump hit me hard, and I combated with a Mr. Coffee.

12. I did that stereotypical thing where you hang Christmas lights in your room and I have zero regrets!

13. I really just want a puppy in my life right now.

14. I believe in happiness and that everyone deserves to be happy in their life.

15. I love #fireworkpeople! These ladies motivate me every single day and I can not thank them enough for that.

16. I am social media obsessed. It's bad.

17. I load my silverware "up" rather than "down" in the dishwasher and anyone who does it "down" is wrong.

18. I believe that candy (except m&ms) is a way of life.

19. My favorite color is gray, don't judge me.

20. I love Christmas and Thanksgiving! They are my two most favoritest holidays ever!


Now, rather than tagging 20 individuals to list 20 facts, I want to encourage all who read this to do so! If you write a post about it, leave the link in the comments so I can casually stalk you! Let's all get to know each other!

11.10.2014

Mid-Afternoon Ramblings


When my best intentions fail, you are left with this... A post full of ramblings about my life lately. 



 - I spent the past three days in three different cities and have zero regrets about the travels!

 - Yankee Candle had a sale this past weekend and I got two car jars for $1 each!



 - I am currently in the middle of an application process to become a yoga teacher at my college! (fingers crossed)

 - I am currently obsessing over Rocks Box (and the necklace that came in mine)

 - I would give anything to be back in Atlanta right now!


 - I have fallen short to the common cold and am in the middle of an uphill battle. 

 - I will be selling my jewelry at a local Christmas festival on December 5th!

 - I took myself on a solo date to Panera and it was nearly magical


 - In two weeks I am off for Thanksgiving break! It will be my first time ever getting the full week off. 

 - Black Friday is almost here! :)

 - I have been jamming non-stop to T-Swift 1989 (well two songs off the cd at least!)

 - I went to my school's botanical gardens for the first time ever this past week (no, I do not go to Oak Grove School... it was at the botanical gardens though! 


 - I am about three minutes away from making coffee...

 - While my coffee is brewing, I am going to go enter this giveaway! You should too (you can win one of my necklaces!)

11.07.2014

Weekend Inspiration


Happy Weekend to you! You have made it through another week! Time to celebrate, right?!





I am off to Savannah to visit with some family but I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 
Be back Monday!

11.06.2014

DIY Pumpkin Scented Bath Salts

I am a firm believer that DIY is good for the soul. When you add in fall scents and beauty to DIY, it is a match made in Heaven. Today I have my new friend, Jenna, sharing this wonderful pumpkin scented bath salt DIY. Jenna is an 18 year old blogger from Slovenia that blogs at Sparkly Kid. She blogs about crafting, cooking, and traveling and has a passion for journalism! Show her some love and enjoy this post!




In one of my previous posts I stated how much I love fall and all kinds of crafts that come with it, so today I’m excited to bring you a DIY project tutorial – Pumpkin scented bath salts.
I adore all kinds of bath salts because I don’t have a lot of time on my hands to just relax so when I do get some free time a bubbly bath always makes me feel better.

  


What you need:
-       Salt (This can be either kosher or fine ground salt).
-       Fragrance Oil (For this project I chose the scent of pumpkin, but it can be whichever one you like  – I’ve also made it with orange scent and it was amazing).
-       A Bowl (The size depends on how much bath salt you’ll make).
-       A Spoon (For mixing the salt).

What to do?
Put the salt in the bowl and add the fragrance oil (for one small 0.5dl glass I added 2 drops). Stir this for a couple of minutes and watch out for any clumps.
When the oil has dissolved nicely you can store it in a mason jar.
You can store it for a long time in a jar, just avoid keeping it in humid places.
The bath salt can be done very easily and quickly – 10 minutes of free time is enough to make a couple of small glasses you can later give to your friends and relatives as gifts!


What are your favorite scents for fall?

11.05.2014

Botanical Gardens



What a wonderful Wednesday it was! My boyfriend stopped by my apartment for a bit today and as we were heading out for lunch we passed by the local botanical gardens. A spur of the moment decision was made and shortly we found ourselves walking among the flowers and nature. Because it was spur of the moment, we made the best of what we had (iPhone 5 camera...) and I think the result is great.







Jeans: Old Navy // Top: H&M // Boots: Dan Post (similar) // Necklace: A Southern Memory // Bangle: Southern Three



11.04.2014

Ten Guilty Pleasures

1. Doughnuts - A box of warm Krispy Kreme? Yes Please!


2. People watching - A terrible habit, but I love looking at people that seem strange to me! The mall is definitely the best place for this!

3. Naps - You know those power naps that turn into mini-comas? Those rock!

4. Yik Yak- Let's face it, we all have an evil twin that loves to browse gossip sites! What better way than with a local site?!

5. Candy - Remember when I went on a Candy Date?


6. Impulse shopping - My wallet hates me for it, but I love purchasing nail polishes and packs of gum just because!

7. Day-Dreaming - We are told to not think about the "what-ifs" but who doesn't like to indulge themselves with what could have happened if only you had...

8. Starbucks drinks with nearly 1,000 calories - Grande PSL w/ whip?! Go ahead and add a scone too!

9. Binge watching Netflix - I could easily spend the next six hours watching The Fosters without any regret!


10. Entering giveaways - Once upon a time TLC had a show called Sweepstakes something (think Extreme Couponing but for sweepstakes/giveaways). I watched this show religiously and thus my love for entering giveaways began!

Now its your turn! What are your top ten guilty pleasures? If you are like me and love entering giveaways, then be sure to enter the one below that my fellow blogger, Emma, is hosting!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway