Finals.

It's that fabulous time of the year again. Time for a week of sleepless nights, gallons of coffee, and cramming. It's finals week.

This year I'm fortunate enough to only have 3 more assignments during finals week-- 2 exams, 1 paper, and I'm out of here. I've packed up most of my room, I've got my ride home all figured out, and I just want summer to start.

Even though I'm excited to get this week over with, it's a bittersweet time. In 4 days time I'm going to leave the friends I see every single day for the summertime. Though I'm sure we'll talk all of the time, I'm going to miss them. And seeing my room emptying out, with boxes piling up, makes me nostalgic. It's been a fun year, full of wonderful memories, and I'm going to miss it.

So as you're stuffing your mind with seemingly pointless information, I hope you get some time to hang out with your friends. These are those years that everyone says will past by so quickly, so make 'em count.

Happy finals to you.

Beginning

Today, I wanted to talk a little about resolutions. This time last year I think I came up with 4 New Year's resolutions... and I successfully reached 2 of them. So, because of my imminent failure I've made the decision not to make any resolutions. There are still goals I want to achieve of course, but labeling it a "resolution" just puts that weird pressure on it. I haven't finalized what those goals are, but I'm sure I'll share some sort of list on here soon.

Are you guys resolution makers? Let me know them in the comments! And I'd like to officially wish you all a Happy 2014! Even though I'm still dealing with the fact that Christmas is actually over, I'm very excited for this new year.

Happy Monday.

photo via Pinterest

Blessings

One more project and I am done with this semester of college. It is such a relief. Tomorrow I'm headed to go camping with a few of my friends & then I'm headed home for the break! This past week has been a crazy one, and I am ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the Christmas season. Today I wanted to do something a little different for today's post. There's so many things in my life I have to be grateful for, and since we're so close to Christmas, I thought I'd share a few with you.

1. My friends. I have some of the most supportive, hilarious, wonderful people in my life and I couldn't live without them. Amanda turned 20 this week, and although I couldn't be there with her this week, we'll certainly celebrate once we're both back at home. We've been friends for 14 years, and I'm so thankful for our friendship.

2. My job. I work a few hours a week in a small office, and although most of the time I just sort of sit there, it's a great place to work. I do dread going sometimes, but honestly it's a really great place to be.

3. My mom. This past week I had a conversation with one of my friends about life & problems & all kinds of stuff that's happened in the past. It just reminded me of what a loving, strong, independent woman my mom is. I can't wait to see her on Sunday.

4. My bed. I had to throw a silly one in here. Really though, after dealing with finals all week there has been nothing nicer than hopping into bed and getting some rest. And after 2 all nighters, I've definitely needed it.

5. Christmas. This time of the year makes me so incredibly happy. A lot of the times we can get caught up in the stresses and the parties and everything that come with the holiday season, but it's important to remember why we're celebrating. I never want to lose sight of that.

Let me know something you're thankful for! Thanks so much for reading, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

 COUNTDOWN: 13 DAYS of CHRISTMAS!

image via Pinterest

Oh Monday.

We've come to the most challenging day of the week... again. Oh how lovely Mondays are.

The weekend is over, but I didn't even catch up on sleep.
Whyyy do I have to go to class.
There's so many things I still need to do.
Oh man, I forgot to do that one thing..
Work could not be more boring.
Is it nap time yet?
Is it Friday yet?

Basically Mondays are the worst. I'm sure though, there is someone out there who is having the most incredible day of their life. Even though that may not be you, there's going to be some amazing moment today. Maybe something made you laugh or smile or think or reflect. Whatever it is, remember it when the not so fun parts of the day roll around. Mondays are the absolute worst, I agree, but don't let that spoil your day. Have fun today. Enjoy!

Image via Pinterest

Dorm Decor Tips

First off, I want to apologize that I haven't been posting as frequently as I have before. I have a whole list of excuses, but basically I'm still trying to find time to balance everything now that I'm back at school. So, posts will continue! I'm just figuring out how to manage it all. Now that that's out of the way... Today I wanted to share a few dorm decorating tips with you. Like I said in my last post, a dorm room tour will be coming in the future, so look out for that.

1. Add color! Pick a color, any color. Dorm rooms usually look a little lifeless until you add some color. This turquoise color is one of my favorites, so I add it around my room where I can.

2. Bring a bazillion pictures. Whether it's in a frame, on a cork board, or just taped to your wall, a photo is going to add a personal touch. When you see your favorite pictures around your room, it'll make you feel more at home.

3. Take your favorite things. Whatever makes you happy. A guitar, a lamp, trinkets, flowers, a teddy bear (yes, I still sleep with my teddy bear)-- really any decor item that you love. This is another way to add a few more personal touches to your room.

 

4. Don't store everything away! Keep some of your makeup brushes and perfume bottles out of the drawers. Hang up a bright bag, scarf, or umbrella. Be careful, because too much can look a little cluttered.

5. Get crafty. The cheapest way to decorate your walls is to make it yourself. Plus, it'll give you something to do with all your free time (ha, rightttt). Paint + a canvas and you're good to go.

6. Must haves. First, get yourself a storage cube. It adds a pop of color, you can store random junk in it, and it'll keep you from ninja jumping into your bed every night. Second, get twinkly lights. They instantly add a homey/ cozy feeling to your room.

I am all out of tips for now, but I do hope you enjoyed. Comment below if you have any dorm decor tips! I'd love to read them all.

Pinspiration: Dorm Life

Everybody loves Pinterest right? I go back and forth with it-- sometimes I'm obsessed, and sometimes I don't go on it for weeks. Since I've been at college, I've loved looking at dorm room inspiration. People on Pinterest are so clever. Tomorrow I'll be sharing a couple ways I've incorporated some of these ideas into my own room. I haven't quite finished decorating, but a full dorm room tour is definitely in the future. Stay tuned for all the dorm room goodness!

 

 

 

Do you have any fun dorm room tips? Also, you can follow me on Pinterest here!

Begin Again

Mondays and I have an interesting relationship. Usually I despise them, because that means I have to head back to school/work. There are those rare occasions though, when I see them as a new beginning, and that's when I start to think Mondays aren't so bad. I start my Sophomore year of college tomorrow which is just crazy to me. I know there are many crazy & exciting & tiring Mondays ahead of me, but I think I'm ready for it. To those of you who are starting back at school, or work, or really anything.. I wish you the best of luck! I think it's going to be a great year.

Back to School Thoughts

This month's Thursday Theme is all about going back to school. Since I head back tomorrow, I wanted to share a couple thoughts that I've been having with you all... I feel like I haven't done that in a while. It seems like yesterday I was headed to college for the first time, really not knowing what to expect. Although I've made some good friends and I sort of know what to expect from classes now, I have a bit of that same feeling. Sometimes we're just thrown into things and it takes a while to figure them out. You're in high school and all of the sudden you have to pick a college and a major, and once your there you have to think about a job, and money, and your future... and it can be really scary. I'm going into my Sophomore year though, so I do have some time to figure things out even if the thoughts are always in the back of your head. But, despite all the stress about future and all of that confusion, my goal for this year is to not worry too much. To just relax, have fun with my friends, find out where I fit into this crazy world... and of course get good grades. So I'll leave you with that, and with a few snapshots from my Freshman year.

DIY: ♥ Collage

For this Thursday's Theme, I want to share a few back to school tips with you all. This DIY would be perfect to fill up an empty dorm wall, or add a little life to any room. About a month ago I rearranged my room and took down what used to be a big, fluffy, hot pink headboard. Oh, it was glorious, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely time for a change. I've been wanting to do this in my room for a while and finally got around to doing putting it up. Here are the steps I took:

1. Find yourself a nice open wall. I chose the space above my bed, but anywhere will work! (& yes, that is my teddy bear...)

2. Gather a bunch of photos & something to hang them with. I had some painter's tape, which isn't the best option, but it works. I used 19 photos in total-- 5 portrait & 14 landscape.

3. Lay out your photos in the order/arrangment you'd like. Add more or less photos depending on the wall space you are filling.

4. Apply tape to the back of each photo.

5. Recruit a cute puppy to help you hang them up. I'll admit.. I didn't do any proper measurements & just eye-balled it. I had to move the photos around 2 or 3 times before I was happy with it.

6. Voila! A fun, super inexpensive way to decorate your walls.

Be sure to look out for another Back to School post next Thursday! Have a lovely day & happy August!

Photo Friday: Summer Camp Edition

I've mentioned it a few times on here before, but I wanted to share with you all what I've been up to this summer as far as work goes. When I got home from school, and even while I was there, I started applying for jobs. Nothing really worked out until I sent in an application for a Summer Camp at my old school. I got pretty lucky-- I get to do crafts all day, get paid fairly well, and only work 7-12:30. Getting up early stinks, but I usually just end up napping all afternoon anyway. It's crazy how draining working with kids can be. I have a new respect for all you teachers out there.

I've been pretty impressed with my crayon coloring skills ever since starting camp. One of our activities was to draw a movie poster, and I drew Finding Nemo as an example. I also drew Spongebob.

Every Tuesday and Friday the kids get to go on the water slide. It's always a big hit.

A little boy named Matthew has become one of my best buddies at camp. He's only 3 and suffers from light-sensitivity (he's legally blind), so he does need a lot of help. Although he can be a handful at times, he's a pretty awesome little dude. He always wears sunglasses, plays with the wooden trains, and has PB&J for lunch. I helped him draw this life-size version of "Matt-Lightyear."

Another activity was to make super hero masks. I thought this one was too cute not to share. So so silly.

An older boy named Vangelli is probably one of the most interesting/annoying/sassy kids at camp. He puts on a show with action figures called "The Hard Life." For the first week of camp he brought a Vanilla Ice cassette tape everyday and just carried it around. I think that has some connection to why he wrote "2 Chainz" on his soccer ball instead of his name like all of the other kids. Oh goodness.

Yesterday we watched Robin Hood to prepare the kids for a play we're going to see today! I'm actually pretty excited about it. Field trips are the best.

Just a typical day at the office.

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

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