Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Urban Outfitters

My sister is probably the biggest fan of Urban Outfitters, even though she's never bought anything from there. She and I both love to scroll through their website and dream about buying everything they sell. It's all about #aesthetic, isn't it? Haha :) We went road trippin' one Saturday, and stumbled across an Urban Outfitters store. As you can imagine, my sister completely freaked out. We've never even stepped inside an Urban Outfitters store before, so everything was brand new to us, and we loved it! I hate that there's not a store closer to us :(


YES


Everything's so pretty!


Books galore!


You can have any letter/symbol you want on your coffee cup :)


Aren't these terrariums awesome? I really want one for my room..


Who doesn't love a good Polaroid?!


The dressing rooms are one-of-a-kind :)


Love these! 


I'm a big fan of any coffee table/inspiration book :)

Have a great Tuesday!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Friends Are The Family You Choose

I'm pretty happy with my chosen family.
They're the people who just 'get' me, who make me a better version of myself..
I'm lucky to have so many sweet friends :)
Whether it's talking about our day or eating dinner together, I'm thankful for the people who I'd consider family!
So..with that being said, thank you!

Thank you for letting me rant to you (via text)
Thank you for helping me study!
Thank you for bringing me Chickfila when I'm sick
Thank you for being weird with me (in public)
Thank you for watching Harry Potter with me
Thank you for stopping me from buying everything in Target
Thank you for sharing your food :)
Thank you for planning our journey around Europe!
Thank you for sending encouragement when I need it most
Thank you for giving me hope when I'm feeling down
Thanks for singing along to the radio with me when we're roadtrippin'
Thank you for bonding with me over Downton Abbey and Grey's Anatomy
Thank you for hanging out and loving me even when I'm in a bad mood
Thank you for texting me before a big test and wishing me luck
Thanks for not letting me go to social functions by myself
Thank you for your support and understanding

Thank you for helping me get through these four years at college. I couldn't do it without you guys.
I love you!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Studying Tips From A College Student


Studying. The word itself is student and dying combined..
Anyway, today I received two assignments back and I couldn't be happier with my grades!
And..-drum roll please- it's all thanks to studying!
I hate studying as much as the next person, but it's something that is necessary in order to succeed at college. The problem is I never really learned how to study! I've had to figure out this "studying" thing on my own, and I've definitely learned what does and doesn't work the hard way aka almost failing a class. I hope a few of these tips will help you when you're trying to study :)

Turn your phone on silent, not vibrate.
Silent and/or all sounds off are the best possible options for your phone when you're trying to study.
It's tempting to want to text back your friends or check social media if it keeps vibrating or ringing during your study sessions.

Take study breaks.
Referring back to the previous point, if you want to text your friend back or check Instagram, do it! But only look at your phone at the specific times you've decided on beforehand.


Figure out if you can study with music or not.
I can work on math problems and listen to music, but I can't focus on science or write a paper when music's playing at the same time. Understand when you can and can't study with music.

Stretch.
Get up and move around every now and then!

Make flashcards (if you need them).
I've realized that this is a great way for me to study, so I'm trying to do this more often!

Don't study on your bed (unless absolutely necessary).
My friends fall asleep while studying on their bed all the time, so that's why I added this one, even though I study on my bed most of the time..but anyway, do what I say and not what I do..haha :)


Don't eat and study at the same time.
I know you probably never would have thought you'd hear me say that, but I've tried to eat and study simultaneously on multiple occasions, and it doesn't work.

Study in a room with lots of light (or outside!)
If you can manage to study outside and not get distracted, then go for it! I love studying outside with the fresh air and sunshine :)
I go to a beautiful school and studying outside is one of the many privileges that go along with this campus in the first few weeks in the fall and last couple of weeks in the spring :)
If it's too cold or too hot, study inside, but in a room full of light. If it's too dark, it will make you want to fall asleep!

Try to get a good night of sleep the night before.
Even though it's "only" studying and not the actual test, it's still very necessary to be alert and ready to study! Sometimes just getting "in the mood" for studying has a lot to do with sleep the night before.

What helps you study?
Good luck and happy studying (if that's even a thing!) :)
P.S. Good grades make studying totally worth it!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Don'tcha Wish You Had A Roommate Like Mine

Happy early birthday, roomie! I know your birthday isn't until this weekend, but I wanted a (valid) excuse to talk about you on the blog :)

Here's a list of reasons why you're awesome..
You understand my love of food and will happily give me your leftovers.
You catch my references to movies/TV shows/whatever..even when I'm failing miserably.
You help me decide between flats and Keds when I'm getting ready for the day.
You sing along with me to Les Mis late at night while standing on the chairs that tip over, just because you don't want me to procrastinate..alone :)
Thank you for loving me when I'm not lovable. Thank you for forgiving me when I'm in a bad mood. Thank you for watching movies and tv shows with me when I'm sick and/or on my birthday. 
I am so thankful for you! I couldn't ask for a better roommate :)
You get me and for that, I'm forever grateful. I couldn't do college without you.
So thank you for laughing at my jokes, loving Downton Abbey and fangirling over Disney with me as well as appreciating my never-ending craving for pizza.
Love you! :)
Thinking back to a few summers ago when I met you on our university's Facebook page (yay technology!), it's so funny that pizza was (and still is) the basis of our friendship.
And, thanks for being the Chandler to my Joey.
Happy early birthday again :)

Check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Favorite Apps

Someone on Tumblr recently asked me what my top 3 apps were and honestly it took me forever to limit them to just three. I use my phone for just about everything..it's embarrassing. I make folders for each category on my phone, so I can easily click on whichever app I need at the moment :) I text, I call, I reblog/comment/like/tweet, send e-mails, blog (occasionally), and go on the Internet.


College
CamScanner
(Seriously wouldn't know what to do without this one! Scans papers and documents!)
QR Reader
Wells Fargo
(A college student barely has enough money as it is, so keeping track of how much I spend when I go out is a good idea.)

Games
TsumTsum (Disney)
(My roommate introduced this game to me a few weeks ago. It has a weird name, but it is so addicting! You can buy a cute Disney character with the coins you earn!)
Ticket To Ride
(YES; I played this all summer. Such a fun virtual version of the game :)
1010!

MISC.
Bible
DayOne
(For those that journal..it's password-protected too!)
IMDb
(It's not social media, so I'm not sure why I put it in that folder..but I love seeing what's new in theaters.)
Spotify
Studying is 1000x better with Spotify (I sound like a commercial..)

Photography
Aviary
Fragment
Layout
(I have way too many photography apps, but I only listed the top 3 I use.)

Social Media
Blogger
Gmail
Instagram
Messenger
Snapchat
Twitter
Tumblr
(What's a blogger without her social media? ;)


Most of the folders on my phone have other apps in them that I didn't want to include in this post, so here are all the apps that made the list(s)! I wanted to have a picture for you to reference if you wanted to download one (or all) of them and were wondering what they looked like.

What are some of your favorite apps?
Have an awesome rest of your Tuesday! :)

Friday, September 11, 2015

Friday Favorites

TGIF, right?!
It's so weird that whenever there's a long weekend, the rest of the week feels so much longer!
Anyway, I'm off on a road trip this weekend..I'm going to support my sister at her XC meet :)

Age Of Hufflepuff: Yes! So, I took the Pottermore quiz again, and apparently, I'm now a Hufflepuff..so I'm gonna support my (new) house!
GO BADGERS
Famous Instagram Doctor: A guy who is passionate about helping people and loves his dog..what's not to love?
Foldable Microscopes: SCIENCE IS COOL
Lea Salonga: Whoa. Real-life Disney princess + her daughter is adorable.
Serena Williams: Athlete + confidence #goals
Skateboarding Fairy: You go, girl!
This Town's Name..YOU try to spell it :)
Travel Inspired Nursery: #BornToWander (perfect hashtag!)
Treat House: Adding to NYC Bucket List
Yoga Joes: Love these!

Thinking of those affected by 9/11 today..
Sending love + prayers your way!

Have a great weekend :)
P.S. This baby sloth says "Good job! Keep it up!"

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Music To My Ears

I always listen to music when I study, and this year has been no exception.
Earlier this week, I couldn't stop listening to The Band Perry + Bastille. What a combination! :)
Taylor Swift is a given, and is always my go-to, no matter what I'm feeling.
Fun fact: I have every Taylor Swift CD, minus her Christmas album, on my phone.


The Band Perry:
I first heard of this band's unique sound in 9th grade when I listened to 'If I Die Young'. I've enjoyed listening to them ever since then. This sibling trio really know how to make music. They have songs that range from country to pop -- a little something for everyone.
If you listen to Don't Let Me Be Lonely and jump to Gentle On My Mind, then to their newly released single, Live Forever, you'll see what I'm talking about :)


Bastille:
I stumbled upon Bastille after hearing a few of their singles on the radio. I really like their sound and it doesn't hurt that they're British ;)
My favorite song of theirs is Flaws! I absolutely love this song, and their acoustic version is awesome! Also, I found their full show at Lowlands Music Festival on YouTube, so seeing them live is now on my bucket list!

Taylor Swift
A few of my favorites..I love too many to list them all!
Ours
We Are Never Ever Getting Bad Blood Mash-Up
Wildest Dreams/Enchanted Mash-Up
(Mash-ups are almost better than the original songs..almost)

P.S. I'm on Spotify -- username: smileshineinspire
Have an awesome Thursday :)

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Fall Festivities

Because Labor Day was yesterday, does that mean we can skip ahead to fall? And if so, is it socially acceptable to buy (and eat) handfuls of candy corn? Day trips to various fall activities on this list are in the works! Fall is the perfect season. It's not too hot and not too cold; it's just right.
P.S. I took a short trip to the mountains this weekend.
The weather there was amazing and made me even more excited for fall :)


Apple Orchard
Visiting an apple orchard is one of my favorite things to do during the fall. I love breaking out my flannel shirts and walking through the orchard. The trees smell absolutely lovely, and the views are incredible. Every time I leave the apple orchard, I immediately want to go back.

Bake
I love using seasonal fruits and vegetables in a variety of recipes during the holiday season.
Also, I make a mean pumpkin pie.

Candy Corn
I buy this seasonal treat multiple times each year.
#treatyoself

Corn Maze
I love the excitement and thrill of trying to find my way out of a corn maze.
Last year, I navigated through a corn maze at night, and it was the coolest/creepiest thing ever!

Leaf Jumping
Nothing says fall quite like jumping into a big pile of leaves.
I'm a kid at heart, and I embrace it every chance I get.

Local Festival
I love taking advantage of the activities in towns located not too far away from campus. Leisurely wandering through a local festival is no exception. I try not to buy too much (unless it's food, of course!).

Pumpkin Picking
So, I was going to pick a pumpkin last year, but that never happened. Let's see if we can make that dream a reality this year! I love the idea of picking and painting a pumpkin and I can't wait to experience that for myself soon!

Shopping
Sales galore! Because fall is on its way, stores are starting to promote their new collections more than ever. Summer is officially coming to a close, so many of those seasonal items will be heavily discounted. Take advantage of the many sales you are sure to encounter in the near future.

Watch TV Shows
Fall is when shows either premiere or start a new season.
I hate the waiting between a previous season and the one set to air sometime in the fall.
It seems like such a long time to wait!
Fortunately, there are only a few more weeks until Downton Abbey's Series 6 premiere!

What's on your fall bucket list?
:)

Friday, September 4, 2015

Friday Favorites

THREE. DAY. WEEKEND.
And I'm probably going to be studying for most of it!
But I will definitely try to eat a hamburger or hot dog Monday :)

Beagle Inspires Meme: Hang in there! It's almost the weekend!
Dairy-Free Pastas: Where has this article been my whole life?
Downton Abbey's S6 (And Final!) Trailer: I may or may not have re-watched this multiple times..song here
Google Changed Its Logo and I (along with the rest of the world) freaked out..
Krista's SF Trip: Looks like she had so much fun and love her outfit! Also, this house!
Masterchef Junior: Kids (way younger than me) cooking (way better) food than I ever could. I love this show and I don't care who knows it! I'm really excited for it to start back (Nov. 6)!
Meredith's Back To School Encouragement: I always love reading what Meredith's written. She always seems to know what many people are going through and is always so relatable.
Social Media Hinders Reality: I really loved reading this couple's blog + social media. Because we live in a world that is always so connected, it's easy to wish you were off adventuring like the person who just quit their day job..just know, it comes with a price.
Vanessa Hudgens' Advice: Some may only know her as Gabriella from HSM, but she's done so much more than that..inspiring!
Wildest Dreams: Don't read the article unless you want spoilers! TSwift always knows how to make a good video! Loved it + it's my favorite song off the album! :)

Have an awesome weekend! :)

Thursday, September 3, 2015

I've Got (Major) Problems

Calling all freshman and/or other college students who've recently switched majors + anyone else who wants to read what's been going on in my life lately.. first, this is going to kinda be like a diary entry, so if you want to be nosy (just kidding, obviously I'm sharing this with the world), read on! I really like my major (now). Way more than my previous one. And I'm really glad I switched. But I didn't think so at first. Never assume a class you're in is going to be boring or you won't like it, because chances are you haven't even given it a chance. (Life lesson learned!) Today will be the third time I've gone to my T/R (Tuesday/Thursday) classes, and tomorrow will be the fifth time I've gone to my M/W/F (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) classes. I think that after about a week of classes you can decide for yourself what classes interest you the most, if you like your major and what your goals are for the semester/year. 

I've been looking forward to Fall 2015 since about March of this year. About 95% of it had to do with the fact that I was switching majors. I liked various aspects of my previous major, but I really think that my new major, Marketing, will be so much more useful for the career I want to pursue (which to be honest, I still have no idea what I want to do). I'm looking forward to all the opportunities/possibilities that a degree in marketing will open up for me in the future. I think that a degree in this field will be much more applicable (for me) than a communication degree would have been.

I decided to jump right into my new major in the College of Business and take 3 business classes -- marketing, accounting, and economics. Those classes cover a variety of important topics in the business world. They're all so different, but each of them relate in some way or another and are also required classes for my degree. The first day of class, I went in with a positive mindset, but came out a little discouraged. I had no idea what these classes would be like, so when I finished my first day as a business major, I was feeling a little confused. Accounting and economics weren't anything like what I was expecting. After the first day, I thought I wouldn't like accounting or economics, but those are actually two of the most interesting classes I'm taking this semester, and I'm learning a lot.

Of course, since I switched my major to business, everything I'm learning is brand new to me, but I'm embracing it all and I haven't looked back. I thought I had problems with my major, and I guess last year I did, but this year, my major solved (almost) all my problems, and I'm so thankful for all I've learned that has helped me get to the place where I am now. So far I'm loving this semester, and I'm really excited to see where the rest of this semester and sophomore year takes me.

To help me not stress and freak out over my new major, what I need to do to in order to succeed is stay organized and keep up with my assignments. I'm trying to plan out my schedule, use my agenda more, blog a little (I'm probably not going to devote as much time to this blog as I want..), try to have more of a social life than I did last year (working on my goal to not watch as much Netflix and so far that's going well!), and of course, study more + earn good grades! Wish me luck! :)


What's the point of college if you don't take a study break to eat Brownie Batter Oreos? They absolutely live up to the hype! SO good!

Have a great Thursday!
Check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites :)

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Dorm Details

Hey! It didn't take me a whole year to publish a dorm post this time!
I really like how my roommate and I decorated our dorm this year :)
It's the perfect combination of last year's dorm and this year's.. it shows just how much we've grown in a year!
This year was less stressful and for that, we were super thankful. We had to do way less packing/getting ready, because both my roommate and I had about everything we needed. We kept a lot of the same items we used last year, and found new ways to rearrange/use them this year in the dorm :)


I bought my comforter from Sears, received these plastic bins from my cousin to use for clothes storage, and bought my bookbag from either Ross or T.J.Maxx (I can never remember).

The hamper you see in the picture is the one my roommate and I use (bought from T.J.Maxx, I think). What makes it unique is that it is a dual hamper so there are two sides and we each use one side so our clothes won't get mixed up. It's very helpful on laundry days! I also use the drawers (you can barely see them pictured on the far right) for additional clothes storage. They are provided by the school I attend.


Bowl: Anthropologie


Q&A 5 Year Journal
Downton Abbey calendar and DVDs

I have a bookshelf/side table-ish thing beside my bed which holds this bowl (first picture) and these items (bottom shelf=above photo).


I put this magnet on my fridge, because I promised my friend I would put it somewhere in my dorm, and I love it! I think it's adorable and I love seeing it each morning.


I love this trashcan my roommate and I found at T.J.Maxx last summer!


My closet's divided into two sections and so the right section (pictured above) holds my dresses.
Pictured below is a hanging organizer I bought at Target which holds some of my shoes and other various items.
I use the top shelf and the space below (on each side) for additional storage.


Hanging storage: Target
Shoes (from top to bottom, clockwise): Nike, Off Broadway Shoes, Rack Room Shoes



Lotion + Body Mist: Bath & Body Works


Storage container: K-Mart

Hope you enjoyed my dorm!
Have an awesome Tuesday! :)