Goodbye Summer

Writing the title of this post took every ounce of energy I have left after what seems like a summer of working. I know we all spend our summers working, but oh my gosh. This is the first summer in the history of, well, ever, that I've thought, "Wait, summer can't end." I am a fall baby all the way. I love it. But, the thought of classes starting and having homework on top of all the other stuff I already have to do kind of makes me want to throw up. Really, you should see my to-do lists.

There are some things you just can't change though, and the fact that I have my first class at 3:00 today is one of them. Did I mention it's three hours long? Jokes on jokes. And fingers crossed it doesn't actually go that long. This summer has some major highs and major lows; it's been by far the most beneficial summer for me. I've learned a lot, worked a lot, and laughed a lot. A good combination if you do ask me!

Anyway, I've seen a lot of "Hey, it's ok!" posts out there this summer. Inspired by Glamour and my favorite blogger, The College Prepster, I've decided to do my own as a kind of testament to this summer and all it's taught me.

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To eat a completely oversized bowl of stove-popped popcorn a day.

To kiss the boy you'll never in your life see again.

To color code your planner compulsively.

To wake up to a room completely destroyed by getting ready the night before.

To eat pizza at 2a.m.
To legitimately dream about Chris Soules from The Bachelorette.

To spend a rainy day holed up with your best friend watching Dirty Dancing, eating cupcakes, and ordering in.

To drink a bottle of wine on a Wednesday night while watching Love Actually.

To spend every spare moment (though few and far between) binge-watching HIMYM. 

To drop your phone in a toilet at a country concert.

To tell all your friends you dropped your phone in a toilet at a country concert.

To forget to check that all the members of the gym you work at are out of the building BEFORE you close it up (oops!).

To hang out with friends until 6am just talking about who knows what.

To go to Mexico and indulge in as many fruity drinks as possible (#judgeme).

To practically cry at a Disney fireworks show.

To force your family to watch every  fireworks show that Disney World has to offer.

To bawl your eyes out at the movies, tissue box in hand.

To talk to your dog like they're an actual person, because really, aren't they basically?

To not want to go back to classes because holy crap, you're graduating in May.

To not want to grow up.
To, at the same time, want to grow up.

To secretly like (gasp!) Mondays.

Happy Monday!

The Past 36 Hours

If there was a motto I've been abiding by for the past 36 hours it's this one:

That's actually all I can say about the past two days because they were, for lack of a better word, a shit-show. You know those weeks when everything is just going so bad/weird? But everything that happens isn't detrimental to your existence or long-term happiness? It's just when life is so random and awful and nuts at the same time that you seriously just have to laugh. 

Your recap, because sometimes my life can be slightly comical.

WARNING: Some of this information people would find inappropriate, but it's my blog and I'll be honest with y'all.

Things that happened when Emily and Paige left to go see Luke Bryan in New York Sunday morning.

Full disclosure here folks. You were warned.

We easily spent $200 between gas, food, beverages, parking, and coffee in the span of 12 hours. We're in college. We get stuck in traffic in literally the most tempting place on the planet. Outlets. The J. Crew outlet. The shoe sales. Sneak in a quick sing-a-long to "Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You" by Brooks & Dunn because duh. Get to the concert venue, spy cops. Just like that $30 worth of beverages is gone. Whatever, cops. Sit in car in wrong parking lot fuming about lost money and (eh, hem) beverages. The cops are gone! We're leaving and hitting the nearest gas station. Cops can't get us down! $20 later and a few white lies to the gatekeepers so we didn't have to pay for parking again and we're back in business! Let's find our friends and have fun! Can't find our friends. Decide to have fun anyways. I have to go to the bathroom. Phone is in back pocket. You see where this is going? Phone is in toilet. 

You needn't know the rest, but I am now using a great lil flip phone that the woman I work for gave me to use for the next week! Woo! Here comes the carpal tunnel. Still, I'm semi-connected to society so really, thank-freakin-goodness. 12 hours pass. Children I nanny consistently make fun of me for dropping my phone in a toilet. Roommates make fun of me for dropping my phone in a toilet. My old, previously undamaged iPhone is sitting pretty in a bag of rice.

I got back to my apartment last night and some stupidhead was parked in my parking space. #annoying And yes, I called for a tow. #sorrynotsorry #suckstosuck #atleastyouhaveacellphone Had to move my car back to my parking space once stupidhead's car was gone, and couldn't find my keys anywhere. Here's the kicker: they were in my car!!! Good.

I'm down a phone, about 17 notches of patience, and 30,000 units of sanity. The plus side? I'm up about three good stories and a s*** ton of laughing.

That's all I've got for you. Happy Tuesday.

Sundays In Bed

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I'm currently on my way to Saratoga, NY for a Luke Bryan concert with my best friend!! If you're wondering if I already saw him this summer, the answer is yes. In DC. But my motto is that you can never have too much Luke. And I will stand by that forever. But if you're relaxing all day and laying around (which is just what I did literally all day yesterday), then I've got your reading for you :)

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."

1. Monday was a hard day for so, so many people. We lost such a great actor and comedian. I love that Disney now recognizes the loss at the end of Aladdin, and of all the tributes out there, this one has been my favorite.

2. On that note, the profound quotes from Robin Williams that helped shape our generation.

3. An experience earlier this week really taught me that you can't let the little, stupid things break your happiness. Really, sticks and stones, my friends.

4. I fell in love with this print while shopping around on Etsy this week. Oh, and this one. And this one.

5. There are no words for how jealous I am of Rach Parcell's closet. No doubt about it, it's my dream closet.

6. Summer is coming to an end in (UGH) one week! Excuse me while I go cry. The 21 highs and lows girls go through when summer ends. Jeans and sweatpants = no shaving season (AKA the only good thing about summer ending)!

7. Loving these ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos! Have you been nominated?!

8. THIS IS HAPPENING TOMORROW AND I CAN'T WAIT.

9. Check out the latest post on my other (newer) blog, life, lemons & vodka (LL&V)! What is the perfect relationship?

10. A new playlist for the end of summer and a new school year!

Sticks and Stones

I missed Monday's usual post because I had a hell of a weekend and life just got in the way of things. And just when I thought my reign of bad luck was at an end, I met an asshole at the gym while I was working yesterday. Really, I kid you not.

Let me tell you what happened.

(p.s. can you tell I'm not too happy about it?)

DIY Sugar Scrub

So, last Saturday I was really struggling with just that "Ew I feel gross" feeling. I don't know if it was the stress from the week prior that did it, but my skin was a mess and I was in dire need of a relaxing/skin soothing remedy. Obviously, I took to Pinterest and found a sugar scrub that I thought would be simple enough to try on this site.

I. loved. it. 

My skin felt so smooth after washing my face with it, and it smelled good too! Win-win situation, right? Right. I highly recommend this recipe. It honestly felt like I had bought a scrub from Lush. The scrub I bought last summer in London clearly ran out within two months and I haven't made it to a store since.. and yes, believe it or not, that time in London was my only time in the store. #smalltownproblems

Sundays In Bed

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This week was really busy but really great! My Sunday is looking to be a bit busier than usual, but that's okay. Thursday night I drove down to MA with my friend Sara to see One Direction with my aunt and my cousin. Judge me, but it. was. great. I'm an official boy band fan, and I'm attributing it to the fact that I never got to see the Backstreet Boys in concert. Gotta get the boy band craziness out of my system, ya know? Anyway, when I wasn't listening to One Direction, here's what caught my eye this week.

Eat, Sleep, Be, Repeat

Alright friends. If I'm being completely honest with you, I sat down to write a different post at 12:30 last night and realized that I. just. could. not. The past four nights I've been up until 3am doing work and it's killing me. I'm exhausted. So exhausted in fact that Wednesday night after work when I went to my friend's house, I nearly passed out on her couch. Work ended at 9pm mind you, after starting at 10am. Hooray for long, summer days!

I really can't complain because my jobs are awesome and I'm incredibly lucky to have them, but you guys, I need a break today. I'm currently in MA (at the beach as we speak), and I want to enjoy every minute of the remaining five or so hours I have of this mini-break without being stressed or exhausted. It makes me act like a b**** to people I care about and easily irritated (which is saying something because it doesn't take much to irritate me in the first place.) Anyway, it's finally Friday and I seriously, seriously, challenge you to really take care of yourself this weekend. We all need a little TLC from time to time.

School in Style No. 2: Varsity Player

True story, I'm in love with the whole "varsity" look that's coming in for fall. Sports-inspired looks were all over the runways and I gotta say, I am so happy about it. I basically live in my sneakers on a day-to-day basis (I nanny and work at a gym.. okay?!), so this trend might seriously be the best thing to happen to me this season.

One of the biggest criteria for dressing myself in the morning is comfort. If my outfit isn't comfy, it is not going to be a good day. As a matter of fact, it's one of the quickest ways to put me in a bad mood. I'm a firm believer in the idea that comfort is key, and if you're not comfortable in the clothes you're wearing, how are you supposed to rock them in confidence? Bring on the boyfriend jeans, t-shirt dresses, and sneaks please!

My Go-To Beauty Products

I've taken years to perfect my getting-ready routine. I remember in middle school, I use to wake up every morning at 6 (school started at 8:40) so that I could do my hair and make-up and whatever else I did and make it to school on time. Looking back on those days, and even high school, I'm like, "Holy crap, what on earth did I do for two and a half hours in the morning?" It honestly blows my mind because now I wake up 45 minutes to an hour before I need to be anywhere, and I'm almost always ready in under half an hour. #thankgoodness

I attribute the improvement of my get-ready time to my go-to products. We all have our favorites, but these are the things that make my life easier. It will take a lot for me to stray from them. A lot.

3 Things to Know Before Getting an Internship

So a few weeks ago I landed a new internship! It's virtual so I can do it from here, but the woman I'm working for is based in NYC (!!!). I landed it on none other than Internships.com and it's been going really well so far. I've already learned so much in the few weeks I've been working with her, I'm actually amazed. Not only am I learning things that I will be using in my career, but a lot of the things I'm learning I can apply to my blog as well.

I waited a long time to get my first internship. I didn't land my first one until the start of last semester (er... junior year), and now I'm taking on my third internship! Come fall, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing three and taking a full schedule of classes. (*Insert panic attack here*) I may or may not have bit off more than I can chew, but what's new? The bottom line is, I feel like I've learned enough from my experience to give you a few pointers if you're starting on the hunt for an internship this coming semester.

Writing An Untold Story

I knew from an early age that what I should be doing would involve writing in some way or another. I loved reading as a kid, I loved the fairytales, and I remember sitting at my old computer in my basement attempting to write my own stories and poems. Obviously, all of them never really went anywhere serious. But they did end up going everywhere in my life. When I started keeping journals for example. Doodles, thoughts, poems, outlines for stories I wanted to write someday. They're all there, a little bit of my imagination and fantasies mixed in with my reality. In school, writing became a strong point for me. In college, I kept writing little tidbits on my phone here and there. And when I truly felt like I was about to explode, I started this blog. (For funsies, check out my first post!)

To me, writing is a go-to for processing emotions and life and my passions. It's undoubtedly my biggest passion (followed closely by out-of-my-price-range clothing), and I find it so sad that one of the things I love most is one of the things that is so overlooked nowadays. Why write if you can't fit it into 140 characters?

Sundays In Bed

Happy Sunday loves! I hope your day is relaxing and started with a delicious brunch! Enjoy relaxing before Monday hits, I'm not feeling so ready for this one...

Foodie Fridays: 5 Healthy Salad Recipes

This summer hasn't exactly been the healthiest of summers. If I'm being honest, there's been far too much wine (lol kidding there's no such thing...) and too many carbs. I attribute most of it to the fact that the last thing I feel like doing is spending money on expensive healthy food. Chopping up vegetables and lettuce for salad just doesn't appeal to me when you can cook spinach tortellini in four minutes. But chopping up salad will save me from burning my arm yet again (I'm going on five burn marks on my right arm). Plus, I haven't gained the freshman 15 yet and now that I'm a senior I really can't sink to that level. But the real bottom line is, ovens and I just don't get along. I can wholeheartedly say I wish I was kidding.

Anyone feel me?

Anyway, recently I've just been feeling so blah. Not "blah" as in like uninspired or I hate my life or anything, but "blah" like UGH WHERE ARE ALL THE NUTRIENTS I WAS GETTING WHEN I WAS LIVING AT HOME AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT HOW MUCH HEALTHY FOOD COST BECAUSE MY MOM BOUGHT IT? New goal for this year: learn to cook without burning myself because I'm seriously starting to hate pasta (the only thing I can cook). But in the meantime, I'll be turning to an easy, healthy alternative that for the most part does not require an oven. Salad. Yay! While salad doesn't always require cooking, it does require preparation. And I find preparation annoying. But I suppose it's time I get over it. So...

I give you, dear friends, delicious salad recipes that I might will actually eat

1. International Quinoa Salad via Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

2. Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad w/ Poppyseed Dressing via gimme some oven

3. Apple, Pecan, and Goat Cheese Quinoa Salad via greens & chocolate

4. Healthy Kale & Pomegranate Salad via Best Recipe Box

5. Healthy Chicken Chickpea Chopped Salad via Ambitious Kitchen

So here's my game plan:

It's the start of August. My funds are slowly starting to get back in order after an extremely expensive June (remember how I went to Mexico?). Time to start living like a real life grown up and prepping food for the week. Time to start figuring out how to properly use an oven in a manner that does not result in me burning myself. 

Final goal: Prep lunch salads for the week (Mon.-Fri.) each Sunday. #imhealthyduh

What's your fave go-to salad? Let me know in the comments below, as of today I'm on the hunt for new recipes :)

Side note: How come no one tells us how adulthood is simultaneously awesome and absolutely horrible??

xoxo