Fall Jackets Under $100

Fall is my favorite time of year, hands down. Mostly because of all the cinnamon-y, delicious, apple-y food. But following in a close second place, are jackets. I've always had this weird fetish with them, and am constantly on the look out for more. But you'd be surprised to find that my collection is actually really pathetic. I think I just have a hard time splurging on things when I know they're seasonal. Actually, I kind of just have a hard time splurging on things in general (except, of course, on Black Friday or Cyber Monday... but even then, they're on sale.)

Tough Love

Have you ever been venting to someone and when it came time for them to give some much-needed advice, it just... wasn't what you wanted to hear? Or if you get a double whammy, it wasn't what you wanted to hear and it just downright hurt. I'm right in saying we've all had those moments, right? Am I also right in saying that often times, friendships take complete turns after someone is just completely honest with you? Whether it be about where they're at, or where you're at, the raw truth can have serious impacts on friendships.

Sundays In Bed

Anybody else need an extra dose of caffeine this morning?

It seems like this weekend flew by. I've been fighting this brutal cold for about a week now and yesterday I finally just took a day to rest. Unfortunately, that resulted in a lot of catching up on TV shows and not so much work... So while I'm swamped today, I've still got the things that caught my eye this week!

Good Reads

I've been battling this rotten cold since Sunday, and it legitimately sucks. All I want to do is curl up in bed forever and read every book imaginable in between naps. Like, how nice would that be? But guess what. Life must go on and I can't wait until this weekend when I hopefully have some recovery time (most likely to occur whilst procrastinating on writing a paper and studying for an exam...). 

Yesterday I may not have had classes but I did work 13 hours straight. So that was fun! Safe to say I climbed into bed and passed out, after attempting to read for 15 minutes.

I went to write the summaries/synopses (is that even the right plural for synopsis?), but then I realized I was exhausted and had only read four of the ten books on the list. So in my complete and utter laziness, I looked up the summaries. Turns out the internet is a lifesaver for bloggers who don't feel like writing summaries of books they want to read. Click away!

What To Do This Fall

Fall is my all-time favorite season. Where I live, people come visit for the foliage. And I can't say I blame them because it's all just so gorgeous around this time of year. We got a taste of fall this past week, and while we seem to be getting one more heat rush, I still find myself dreaming of apple picking and hot cider.

Fall has always been the best of seasons for me because it's when my birthday is (less than three weeks to 21 people!!), but it's also a favorite amongst a lot of my family members. My parents always made it special growing up by carving pumpkins and making pies and doing all that fun stuff. To this day, the smell of apples is an instant mood-booster (although, that might just be because I love apple pie.)

Emily Ley Designs

Okay, so I've known about Emily Ley for a while now. I'm not sure how Emily's Simplified Planner didn't make the cut for my top 5 planners for life list, but wow, am I regretting that! I'm also seriously questioning how I overlooked that.

The Simplified Journal / 2015 Simplified Planner / Grace Not Perfection / Do What Matters Art Print / Notepad-To Do / Magazine Box / Memory Box

Making the Cut

We all reach a point in our lives where we're just sick of the bulls***. We're sick of fake smiling at people we don't like, sick of holding onto friendships that don't serve us in a positive way, sick of trying to be somebody we're not to please those around us. Sick of feeling like we're stuck in this never-ending bubble of scrutiny from every which way. In case you haven't gathered this, I kind of learned a lot of life lessons this summer, so buckle up-- because they're all starting to really hit me.

I feel like I've always been the girl with a wide range of friends. I could hang out with different "groups" in high school and get along fine, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I really found my inner circle. I'm a firm believer in the idea that every girl needs a close, tight-knit group of friends.

Growing up, I had a lot of great friendships that came and went-- some that even still linger. But when life gets busy, and your best friends move to new cities, and they find new friends to have amazing adventures with, it gets hard to stay in touch. I think a lot of us have a really hard time grasping this, the idea that it's okay to move on. Some friendships aren't meant to last forever, and there comes a point where you're just not willing to give up some precious free time for people who ultimately don't mean that much to you. You were friendly acquaintances once upon a time, but now you want to spend your weekends with the girls who have been with you through it all. To hell and back. And then back again.

 The majority of people I love the most I speak to every day--partially because I live with two of them, partially because I like to annoy a select few of them with random texts consisting of solely emojis, and partially because a girl's best friends aren't going to leave her alone ever (even when you sometimes maybe want them to!) But then I also have the best friends I talk to once in a while, but when we're together everything is the same.

It's these friendships that I value the most. The girls who have made the cut. A lot of us spend a fair majority of high school (and college, even) trying to figure out where we belong. Who will be the ones holding your hair back and letting you cry over everything and anything? Who will be the ones coming into your room on Sunday morning to go over the night before? Who will be the ones standing next to you on your wedding day? Who will be the ones that the boy who broke your heart is down right terrified of?

It's okay to make the cut. It's healthy for people to move on as they grow older. Every friendship we've ever had has taught us something special, and that's the point of some friendships. You acknowledge what this person taught you, and you go on with your life. But the girls who made the cut? There's a good chance that once they've made it, they'll stay there. Forever. And that's all that really matters in the end. We all know who said our best friends are our real soul mates, right?

xo

Autumn Feels

Truth be told, the Fall 2014 runway shows were not my favorite. There were a lot of out there trends that I just can't pull off and don't really care to. When it comes to fall, I'm all about being cozy. Boots, long sleeves, pants, scarves, jackets. Give me all the layers!

The only problem with the layering situation is that usually by the time I get to class I'm sweating buckets. Love the look, hate the feel (but we all make sacrifices, right?). I've been doing a bit of online shopping here and there, and while I don't have my fall wardrobe down just right (as a matter of fact, it's not even close), at least I have an idea of what I'm looking for! The top of my list? A comfy pair of sneakers. Not only do I love the ones below, but I'm obsessed with these ones in particular.

Check out my top picks for fall below!

Red dress, $24 / Tory Burch slim fit sweater / Boohoo aztec print top / ONLY cream top, $45 / MANGO cotton shirt, $49 / Uniqlo t shirt / Paige Denim slim fit jeans, $315 / J Brand super skinny jeans, $245 / Paige Denim skinny jeans, $270 / Circle skirt / Tory burch boots / Sole Society high heel boots / Vans grey shoes / Converse shoes, $84 / Kate spade wallet / Sole Society scarve

I'm trying to get myself to invest in a good pair of jeans. Any thoughts on Paige Denim? Help a girl out! I'd love your input!

Saying No

The one thing I hate more than anything in this world is disappointing people. It absolutely destroys me when I let people down, so I obviously do my best not to. But there is a line that gets crossed when you forget how to say no for fear of disappointing those around you. Whether they be employers, friends, or family, sometimes you just have to say no. And I suck at it.

In late July/early August, I found myself saying yes to every opportunity that came my way. I didn't realize that in doing this I had also bitten off far, far, far (far) more than I could chew. When classes started, it became even more apparent that I was not only essentially losing my mind, but my work was suffering too. If anything, this summer has taught me that I by no means want my entire life to be work. It also taught me that by saying yes to so many things, I was basically sabotaging myself.

In the past week, I finished up an internship, I dropped two shifts at the gym I work at, and I spent two whole days worrying about nothing work or school-related whatsoever. I changed my days at my other internship to Mondays and Wednesdays so that I could have Fridays all clear. And last Friday I slept until 11. I made myself a healthy breakfast, watched some TV, did some serious Pinterest-ing, and then went to get my first manicure in months. There were a few moments here and there where I found myself worrying about this or that, what assignment was due, or whether or not I was going to get this project done for my internship. But for the first time in what felt like months I pushed those thoughts from my mind. I just couldn't afford them.

I was so busy all summer that my happiness was on the line. One minute I'd be on cloud nine and the next thinking the whole of the world was out to get me. I've been feeling so incredibly off balance lately that I forgot what just living was like. I realized that it was okay to take a day to do the things I enjoy doing. I baked an apple crisp, I drank some wine, I spent quality time with friends, and I did a whole lot of nothing. It was down-right amazing.

When I was younger, I never had a problem saying no to people. I think I saw growing up as a sort of end to that freedom. The freedom to say no. But if there was anything younger Emily had going for her it was that she always knew what was best for herself. And now I guess I'm just trying to get back to that. I don't have to do it all. I can say "no" to people. I can do what's best for me, unapologetically.

And that's 100% okay.