Friday, September 26, 2014

Friday Favorites

Week 4!
I've been writing these posts for almost a month, which is so exciting! :)

Pentatonix's new album came out Tuesday!
Their Spotify playlist has been on repeat for me!
Listen to it here.
On My Way Home & Standing By are two of my favorites!
Papaoutai is also extraordinary! They sing this song in French!

Emma Watson's speech as UN Goodwill Ambassador #heforshe
Inspiring! Watch it here.
A list of famous male celebrities tweeted about supporting Emma and what she talked about in her speech (here).

I'm obsessed about what my future dream home could include and pinning ideas on Pinterest further fuels that thinking, so I thought I'd share what I'd like to have in my home (probably apartment) in possibly the next few years!
I'm a big fan of yellow in the color scheme for a kitchen like this, loving the seating in-between the staircases, and everything about this room. This picture makes me long for a kitchen exactly like this one. Two things that I want: a banquette for a brunch seating area and a gorgeous flight of stairs.

I'm hoping I'll be able to travel abroad sometime in the next few years of college!
London is definitely at the top of my list!
My British best friend sent me a mug that showcases a few of London's top attractions & it's awesome!
I was thrilled when I received it in the mail! I would like to buy this 3 pc. set so I can start a collection of London-themed souvenirs!

It finally hit me that fall is here so I can begin planning outfits for the cooler weather!
Here are 3 ways to style plaid that I want to re-create this season: LayerAccessorizeStatement

My Friday class was cancelled, and last night I was given the privilege of watching a movie at midnight, the day it would premiere! So fun!
I am obsessed with the soundtrack of the movie, The Song. A couple of the songs from the movie are free and available for download here.

A wonderful weekend is just beginning..make the most of it :)
Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up on my sleep and I might take a day trip tomorrow to somewhere not too far, more details to come & possibly pictures!
P.S.  I'm going to try to recruit a friend to photograph some #ootds, so I can post more photos on the blog! :)

Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday Favorites

Week 3 :)

This isn't new, but a friend brought it up this week and reminded me of how much I love this commercial!
I am a Princess, Long May I Reign (here)
Inspiration for girls everywhere.

Mackenzie Horan's blog is one I happened to stumble upon one day, and ever since, I've thought of her as a role model and absolutely love her posts! She revamped her website recently, and I am obsessed with it. (The title of her blog is written in her own handwriting! LOVE)
She wrote earlier in the week that it would be tough for her because of some personal issues and that she was feeling down, so I thought I'd shoot her an e-mail and remind her how wonderful she is. She replied to my email and her words were so kind.
Thank you! It made my day! :)

I love being able to send random notes of encouragement to people in need of it--probably one of the main reasons I created my Tumblr and this blog..
I am so thankful for all the people I've been able to talk to and become friends with because of social media. If you're reading this, know that you rock & life wouldn't be the same without you.
Your presence in this world is one-of-a-kind. I'm so happy you exist!

Even though according to Taylor Swift's archive on Tumblr, she's been a member since April, she officially started using Tumblr more regularly this week, enough so that people were talking/reblogging/commenting about her use of the social media site. Check it out here. Her additions to each post she reblogs & the tags she adds are hilarious. So TSwift.

What's not to love about Ed Sheeran?!
He's British & he's ginger!
And his music! It's probably some of the best out there..time and effort was put into these tunes and they deserve every bit of recognition they've received thus far. His mash-up that he sang live the other night is really something--check it out here.

And another ginger guy who is so precious--Prince Harry!
Happy (belated) birthday to you! He turned 30 on Monday!
What a kind person; he turned out to be this little girl's Prince Charming! (Check it out here.)

Nothing like a good ole care package to cheer a college kid up!
Here's a list that you can adapt and change based on your personal preferences, but a few of the suggestions are ones I'd love to receive!

SO. MANY. SALES.
not. enough. money.
It's the beginning of fall, and many stores are trying to clear out their summer inventory, which means HELLO, SALES! I'm going to try to take advantage of as many as I can!
Nobody does fall like J. Crew. I already purchased a couple of sweaters from them this year and I love them!

Reason #189371466 why I love fall: season premieres of my favorite tv shows!
THIS SUNDAY (9/21): DOWNTON ABBEY--S5 starts!
Less than a week to go! NEXT THURSDAY (9/25): Grey's Anatomy--S11!

Enjoy the weekend & make some amazing memories! :)

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Catching (A) Cold

The seasons are changing, the air is chilly and I am in love.
 In love with this time of year. Words cannot describe how much I love this season.
Autumn is simply wonderful. I love every single part of it, even though the changing weather causes colds more often than I (or anyone for that matter) would like.

Being sick is a college kid's worst nightmare. You have to go to class and pretend like you're great and don't mind sitting through an hour and a half lecture. When in reality, all you want to do is curl up in a blanket, eat chicken noodle soup and watch Netflix.
At the beginning of this week, I was sick. Probably your everyday common cold, but I usually don't catch them thanks to my (don't mean to brag) great immune system. I just wasn't prepared..I didn't have cough medicine or even tissues. It's a rough life for this freshman girl.
(I've been editing this post throughout the week..since the idea behind the title was because I've had a cold..get it? [I tried to make the most of it and write a blog post!] Anyway, I'm recovering quite nicely and feeling much better! Thank goodness. It's almost the weekend, so that's another plus! Bring on fall + cold weather!)

I think that the weather where I am has to be the most perfect transitional weather.
Lately, it's been just right, neither too hot or too cold.
I even brought out my sweaters and started to incorporate them as well as my boots into my wardrobe.
I can start wearing button-downs with riding boots and that in itself is one reason my heart is so happy!
At the end of last season, I picked up a really awesome discounted pair of boots and that made me anticipate fall more than ever before.

Oh, fall. I'm falling so hard for you!
I cannot wait to immerse myself in the annual seasonal activities fall brings such as: apple picking, baking, hayrides (sure doesn't help the allergies!), pumpkin carving, eating candy corn (because yes, that is a fall activity!), and so much more.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!
(HALLOWEEN
THANKSGIVING
CHRISTMAS
NEW YEAR'S
YES YES YES YES!)

Fall is such a beautiful season. With the leaves turning different colors, the orange of the pumpkin patches, reds and greens of apple orchards, various shades of yellows in the corn mazes, the white-yellow-orange pattern of candy corn..I love how fall looks. Breathtaking. I can't wait to take pictures, even though they hardly do justice to the real thing.

And to end this post..one of my favorite quotes about this marvelous season!
I stole this picture from my British best friend's blog, sorry Rebecca! Love you!
Go check her out here. She's a beautiful person!

Have a great day! :)

Friday, September 12, 2014

Friday Favorites

Week 2! 
Writing this post is the highlight of my week! 
I hope this week was as exciting and productive for you as my week has been--so much happened! 
A typical week in college flies by so fast that I barely even have time to think (or sleep)!
Here's some of my favorite articles/links I happened to come across over the course of this week. Enjoy!

Who doesn't love ballerinas? Check it out here. I danced for a few years and I loved ballet!
It is so beautiful! I love the way they carry and present themselves with grace and dignity.
And then there's Taylor Swift..who is adorably awkward..or awkwardly adorable?
Either way, she makes you realize that the important part of dancing is just having fun :)

You can have your cake & eat it too!
I would love to have this billboard appear in my city!
Watch this awesome timelapse!

"I think everything about Downton is beautiful."
So do I, sir.
Watch the trailer for S5 of Downton Abbey!
I may or may not have watched this trailer multiple times since it's been released..
My favorite tv show premieres September 21, 9pm, ITV.

I want a husband that will enjoy spending time with his kids, have fun, make videos, dance around..this is the kind of guy I'm waiting for. How precious are they?!

Learning another language is difficult. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school, yet still can only say a couple vocabulary words. I wish it was easier, but one thing I've found that can be enjoyable is..singing songs in Spanish! For example: Taylor Swift!
You can find various videos on YouTube of popular songs in different languages. Most of the time, it even has subtitles so you can learn as you sing the all-too familiar chorus of 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' like I do when I'm alone in the dorm. Start "learning" today! ;)

Watch this! Isn't her face so cute?! It must have been hard for her to come back to the spot where nightmares became real. Her courage & bravery amazes me in that she was so young at the time. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the first responders who arrived at Ground Zero and I cannot even imagine what they must have been feeling when they arrived at the scene. 9/11 will always be a difficult day in our nation's history. Prayers go to the families who lost loved ones on this horrible day, 13 years ago yesterday.

Sorry, another link about dogs! Totally worth it! This video makes my heart happy.

Have an amazing Friday & weekend! :)

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

I Donut Know What I Would Do Without You

I am so thankful for the invention of the Krispy Kreme doughnut. I know this is super random, but I just had to say it. I ate two tonight, yet I don't think I could ever be sick of them. Whoever came up with this delectable treat, you rock! Sorry, I just really wanted the name of my blog post to be punny ;)

Two things I could not imagine life without: my mom and food. Seriously.
I love them both so much! Obviously, two different types of love, but love nonetheless.

This afternoon, I had a major meltdown. I have two tests coming up soon, and I was freaking out.
Tests 40 %, hunger 10%, and 50 % sleep deprivation. I guess that's college for ya!
I was able to talk to my mom and she calmed me down and helped me work out what I was dealing with. She gave of her time and I'm so lucky to call her my mom and also my best friend. Thank you for always supporting and encouraging me!

I went grocery shopping this afternoon, and as I was standing in the checkout line, my mom offered to pay. S/O to you, Mom! The total came to a little under $100 and whoa, who knew food was this expensive until you come to college and are on your own and have to pay for it yourself?! I am so very grateful for my mom and all the many things she does for me. Thank you for being your wonderful self, helping and giving so generously!

I'm off to sleep, because college is slowly draining me of energy, and when morning comes, I want to pull the covers over my head and go back to dreamland. Let's hope I'll be able to get an adequate amount of sleep, so I will wake up ready to conquer the day!

Have a wonderful rest of tonight & Thursday! :)

Carpe Diem--Seize the day!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Friday Favorites

This semester, I only have one class on Fridays! How lucky am I?! YAY!
So, instead of doing something more productive with my time (aka probably should be studying!), I've decided to try to blog more regularly and Friday mornings seem to be the perfect time for me to do that.
I cannot wait to come up with inspiring posts, and hopefully, they'll cheer you up and make your Fridays (which is already most people's favorite day of the week!) even better! It's almost the weekend!

*My only class that I was supposed to have today was cancelled!
HERE'S TO MY AWESOME PROFESSOR WHO MADE MY WEEKEND ONE DAY LONGER :)
Now I can finally get around to everything I needed to do earlier in the week!

Every Friday, I'm going to try to compile a list of webpages that have been brought to my attention at some point in the week, and I'm sharing them with you!

Here's Week 1 of Friday Favorites!

Virtual Barbershop--Such a cute concept yet weird, because it feels so realistic..I have this irrational fear that the person who is cutting my hair will mess it up and my hair will be way shorter than what I was aiming for. Anyone else feel this way? I can't be the only one.

Instagram Accounts You Should Follow ASAP--Please do! I just followed all of them, if I wasn't already! The pictures they post on their feeds are gorgeous!!!

I am a big fan of almost every song Pentatonix comes out with! They released another track off their new album and I am already addicted to it! This group's songs are on repeat! I didn't really like either song until PTX remixed it and made it so addictive that I HONESTLY CAN'T STOP LISTENING. Check it out here.

I'm going to my first bonfire of the fall season tonight! & I. CANNOT. WAIT. #iheartsmores

College Update:
I just want to say that I think college is probably the fastest and slowest part of your life, ever. The classes are too long, yet the weekend doesn't last long enough. I love the activities they offer, but never have enough time in the day to do everything I want to! This Saturday, I will have been at college for ONLY 3 weeks. Like what?! How is that possible? I feel like I've spent at least 6 months here. So much has happened, and we haven't even been here a month! Whoa. I'm so fortunate for every opportunity I've had that has enabled me to attend the university I do. I love my college with all my heart, and I hope that across the country, others in the Class of 2018 are as happy as I am.

I'm off to the mountains for a much-needed break from stress and schoolwork. Fresh air will do a world of good. I hope I'll be able to snap a few pictures for you! I'll probably upload a snapshot to my Instagram faster than I will to the blog, so stay updated by following me here.

Oh, and So Worth Loving posted a quote this morning, and I absolutely adore it! I thought I'd share:
"Love's plan is pretty simple: everybody, always." -Love Does
Thank you so much to the best brand in the world for reminding me of my purpose here on Earth. I was sent here to love others, because what's life without love?

Have the best weekend. Enjoy every day you're given. Much love!