One of my favorite sayings is "Good things are worth the wait." Such was definitely the case for my favorite graduation present, which just arrived to me a few weeks ago! It was such a special and priceless gift for me to receive that I had to dedicate a whole blog post to it. My high school best friend, Julia (who I usually call Jules here on the blog), has spent the better part of 2016 working on this beautiful t-shirt quilt for me! Isn't it incredible?!
I like to think of myself as a crafty person, but Jules's DIY abilities pretty much blow mine out of the water. A couple of years ago, she took a quilting class over the summer and made her first beautiful quilt. She had been wanting to try a t-shirt quilt, and I had been dying to have one made with my college and sorority t-shirts, so the timing of this worked out perfectly! I had saved all of my favorite college t-shirts. The quilt begins in the top left corner with a cute Southern themed t-shirt that I bought on my college orientation trip for my former university in summer 2012. The last shirt is one that I bought at the Carolina Cup this spring when I went with Cara (attending this event was a bucket list item for me during college!). In between are shirts from countless memories of two college orientations, homecomings, Bid Days, Greek Week, sorority formals and college semi-formals, and everything in between. The whole last four years for me is represented in this beautiful quilt! (And amazingly- I still have PLENTY of t-shirts left to wear from college. #sororitygirlprobs)
If you're thinking of doing a t-shirt quilt with your college or sorority shirts, or any t-shirts for that matter, DO IT!! If you don't have an incredibly crafty friend in your life, then fortunately there are lots of small companies online that will make t-shirt quilts for you. This is such an incredible way to preserve special memories, and to keep something alive for years to come.
Here's throwback picture of Jules and I - this is the night before I moved to NC for college! When we see each other at Christmas when I go back home to visit Maine, it will be the first time in 2016 that we've seen each other! Long distance best-friendships are the worst.
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend! Soon I'll be posting more holiday gift guides.... what types of gift guides specifically would you like to see? Next week I am also planning to share a post about my favorite cookbooks so stay tuned for that!
No matter what your political views are - there's nothing political in this post today! I do have some good (neutral) memes on my Twitter from last night though.
Ramblings:
A Hoppy Halloween: Above you can see what I went as for Halloween this year! A few months back, a Kmart location here in Charlotte went out of business. I went to browse around during one of their last weeks in business to see if I could find bargains on anything for my apartment. While I did find a few household items, they also had a bunch of last year's Halloween costumes that were majorly on sale, including this bunny suit! Rabbits are my favorite animal so I immediately scooped it up. I didn't do anything crazy for Halloween, but I enjoyed dressing up as the Easter Bunny for broadcasting school and my internship on the day of!
A little overwhelmed: The last couple weeks of October felt like an absolute whirlwind for me- especially the weekdays. Throughout the summer I felt like I was able to be pretty productive- I did fairly well with managing broadcasting school, work, blogging, and things around the house like cooking and chores. Anyways- over the past few weeks I have felt constantly like there aren't enough hours in the day. I feel like I haven't been able to give my blog the time and attention that it deserves over the past few weeks. I'm hoping to be much better at time management in my days or evenings off from school and work leading into the holiday season- any tips for me? :-)
THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE IS ON NETFLIX: ...I really don't need to say anything else other than that!!! Major PSA!
Purchases:
My mom recently surprised me and sent me this beautiful winter coat in the mail! With temperatures getting colder here in NC, I can't wait to wear it soon!
Speaking of holiday party dresses... I already have my NYE dress! I actually bought it before Halloween- how bad is that?! I found mine at the Limited Outlet, but this one is almost identical.
Thanks as always for reading!! Stay tuned for a more personal and special post on Friday. :-)
Mixing it up a little bit for today's outfit post! Instead of just talking about what I'm wearing, I wanted to share something else tooP. I bought the flowers that I'm holding in today's photos specifically for this photoshoot, and I as I was purchasing them at my local Trader Joe's, I started thinking about how much treating myself to a little bouquet of flowers makes me happy. Sometimes blog post inspiration can hit at the most interesting times, and hence how I got the idea for this post: 10 Ways to Brighten Someone's Day. Because who doesn't love a little surprise encouragement every now and again?! All ideas are under $10, and many don't cost any money at all.
1. Surprise someone with flowers: Obviously the inspiration from this post came from the fact that I sometimes treat myself to little bouquets of Trader Joe's flowers (#doitfortheblog), but honestly- flowers are such an easy way to brighten a friend, family member or co-worker's day as well! Flower companies often charge crazy expensive prices for large arrangements, but I've found lots of gorgeous bouquets at Trader Joe's, or other local grocery stores, for well under $10! I used to enjoy treating my college roommates to flowers from time to time, and recently did for my current roomie as well.
2. Write a handwritten note or letter: I love handwritten notes. There is just something so special about expressing a thought, emotion, or word of encouragement to someone through old fashioned means! Write someone a note today- whether by leaving them a post-it note or mailing a card to someone for a "just-because" reason- you'll be amazed at how much they love it and also how great it makes you feel!
3. Bake someone a special treat: I absolutely adore baking- it's one of my number one forms of stress relief! It is always a delight for me to share the things that I whip up in my kitchen with classmates, coworkers or friends. Who doesn't love receiving a yummy and baked-with-love surprise?! (And much better for my own health for me to share what I make - ha!)
4. Send a personal text: This one is great for out-of-town friends or loved ones who you can't see all the time and it might be harder to get a small present to. Since I both grew up in Maine and also attended two universities while in college, I have friends all over, many of whom I don't see on a regular basis. Sometimes a very easy way to brighten someone's day is just to send a personal text- by that I mean something that is more than "Hi- miss you!" but instead refers to an inside joke or a special memory, or maybe shares a link to an article or a funny picture that made you think of that person. Modern technology makes it so easy to keep up with our friends and family who live far away- take advantage of it!
5. Do an extra chore for the person(s) that you live with: I'll be the first to admit that I am not a neat freak. Doing chores usually brings me more stress than comfort. However, my mom is definitely more the neat and organized type, as were a few of my college roommates, and my current roommate now! I've learned that sometimes going out of your way and going above and beyond with doing things around your living space that you wouldn't normally do can go a long way with who you live with! I honestly wish that I had done this more growing up with my mom.... thanks though for putting up with my messy ways Mom! ;-) I'm trying to be better about stuff like this now with Ciera, my current roommate!
6. Invite someone over for dinner: This one is kind of along the lines of baking someone a surprise treat- but if cooking is more your thing, go for it! Nothing beats a little hospitality and a home-cooked meal. When my schedule allows, I love having people over and cooking for them.
7. Pay for the person in front of you at the drive-through (or toll booth): A few weeks ago, the car in front of me paid for my Chick Fil A order, and it seriously not only made my day, but my whole week!! That is such an easy way to make a stranger's day, and sometimes the people that we don't know need encouragement most of all. And for those of you who live in states with toll roads (such as my homestate, where almost all the highway is a toll road!), another idea is paying the toll fare for the person behind you.
8. Offer to drive when you're going somewhere in a group: If you're going somewhere in a group type setting and someone needs to be the one to drive, offer to do it! Or if you're not the one driving, offer to cover parking costs if you're heading to a place where there is a fee to park (aka a lot of places in Charlotte). Sometimes even small gestures like that can be enough to make a transportation situation less stressful.
9. Go old school and post on someone's Facebook timeline: Back in the day when I was in high school (gosh I feel old now!), posting on the Facebook walls of your friends was an almost daily occurrence. Nowadays, the purposes of Facebook have changed, and it's not used as much for this type of communication. Anyways, sometimes it's nice to show a friend a little bit of public love and appreciation- especially on a day that's not their birthday- everyone knows that we all get a little overwhelmed on FB on that day!
10. Let someone know that you're praying for them: No cost at all, and possibly the best gift or encouragement that you can give someone. :-)
Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography
I have been so excited to share this beautiful dress on the blog with y'all. My parents were visiting me in Charlotte a few weeks ago, and on the last day of their trip we went shopping at SouthPark, Charlotte's best mall. I fell head over heels in love with this dress that I saw at Belk! It's what I think is the ideal dress for any special fall occasion that you might have- a special date night, a girls' night out, or even a less formal wedding (or a rehearsal dinner!). Totally modest while still being on-trend- my favorite type of outfit to wear! My sweet parents bought me this dress for me to wear to a special celebration night out that I had with college friends and broadcasting school classmates a few weeks back. Now whenever I see it in my closet- I think back to that special night! :-)
Have a great start to your week, and thanks so much for reading!
One thing that I've started receiving through the years as I've been blogging (and is definitely a huge "perk" of the job) are PR packages from different brands and companies. Bloggers are often sent previews of new collections to sample and test. These types of packages are different than ones received for sponsored posts. PR packages are "gifts", which means that there isn't a direct agreement between the blogger and the brand to share the content, and also that the blogger isn't being compensated financially to share their views! So all views can be 100% honest, and at leisure of the blogger.
Over the past month, I've received some really awesome health and beauty packages! I thought it would be fun to do a little round-up of what all I've received, and share what I've liked and disliked. Those that blog full-time often receive tons of these packages every week, but I feel like PR packages aren't talked about that much, despite for the occasional Snapchat share. I want to change that- because I think they're awesome gifts, and you do get to test out some very cool products! :-)
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Exclusives gift: IT Cosmetics is a brand that I got to know after attending the Blog Societies Conference in Charleston this summer. I had seen their products at Ulta before, but hadn't gotten a chance to try any until all conference attendees were sent home with a bunch of goodies. It's safe to say that I'm now in love! Since the conference, the great team at IT has sent everyone a few fun packages, and pictured above is one of the fall packages.
IT Cosmetics recently launched at Sephora, and they have a whole slew of new skincare products in their line to celebrate the launch. I haven't gotten a chance to try everything in this package yet since there are so many items, but so far I am LOVING the Bye Bye Makeup Cleansing Balm. It is so hard to find a good makeup remover, and this stuff actually does the job, even for waterproof makeup! One of the best makeup removers that I've ever used. I am also really enjoying the Bye Bye Pores Primer. I've been wearing it under my foundation for the past few weeks and I'm definitely a fan.
I have also tried the Bye Bye Undereye Concealer, but I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. It goes on extremely thick, and I think that I still prefer the concealer stick from essence (more on them below!) that I was using before. :-) I can't wait to still keep testing more of these products though!
*Aveda Hair Products gifts: Aveda has sent me a couple different packages of their hair products over the past few months, which has been very fun! The first package that I received contained mostly products that are meant for color treated hair. I used to highlight my hair a few years ago, but haven't colored it now for quite some time, so most of these products weren't anything that would benefit my hair. But I have been able to use some of them! The only that I've been using the most is the Shampure Dry Shampoo. I think that my favorite dry shampoo is still this one, but the Aveda one isn't half bad, and does add some decent texture.
*label.m Diamond Dust hair gifts: label.m haircare offered to send bloggers NYFW themed haircare gifts after September's Fashion Week. I was very excited to get mine, as I had never tried anything from this brand before. After the shampoo and conditioner arrived, I used it on my hair for awhile and really gave it a try on my hair. I loved the way that it smelled, but unfortunately this shampoo and conditioner were not good fits for my hair. My hair is extremely naturally oily, and clarifying shampoos are best for my hair type. I think I'm just going to pass these products on to a friend with different hair type than mine, since I still liked the way that they smelled and I do think that they are well made.
*Olly Goodbye Stress vitamins: Olly, a vitamin company, reached out to me and asked if I would like to test some of their products. I said absolutely! I've heard great things from many bloggers about the Hair and Nails vitamins, so I couldn't wait to try some of them for myself. Olly sent me a few packages of their Goodbye Stress vitamins, which I don't think could have been more perfect for me, since October was a bit of a stressful month for me, and I have a crazy schedule on weekdays right now. They are adult gummy vitamins and taste delicious. I can't vouch for the specific chemistry of the health benefits since that's not my background or expertise, but I have been taking them and enjoying them and hopefully they're helping with my stress levels! I have stayed pretty healthy this fall and knock on wood I've not gotten very sick so far this year.
*essence cosmetics gift: essence is my FAVORITE drugstore makeup brand! They're a European makeup brand that used to be available for purchase only at Ulta stores. Earlier this year, they finally launched at Target stores nationwide as well! I've tried all types of essence products. A few of their mascaras and the eyebrow pencils and gel are amongst my holy grail beauty products. essence products are high quality and extremely affordable, just about everything is under $10 and many items are under $5! essence recently sent me a blogger package, and in it were some great items. One item that they sent me was one of my holy grails- the I Love Extreme Volume Waterproof Mascara. I've been using this for a few months as my top coat mascara, and it's an awesome way to finish off your daily last look. It also removes fairly well for a waterproof eye product.
Another item that I loved in this package was this blush. The color is gorgeous and it's very pigmented! I've tried essence blushes before and I think they are amazing quality for the price.
I haven't tried this nail polish that I was sent yet, but I can't wait to soon! The color is so great for fall.
*Estee Lauder The Estee Edit Influenster Vox Box: Some of you might be familiar with Influenster, which is an awesome service for influencers that lets you sample and test different products that arrive in packages called Vox Boxes. The Vox Boxes always have different themes, and they can contain everything from food to office supplies to makeup products- Influenster works with all different types of brands. Anyways, a couple of months ago I received a makeup related Vox Box. Estee Lauder recently launched a new and more youthful makeup line called The Estee Edi through Sephora. I was sent a few of the skincare products to test, but I've seen from other bloggers that other Vox Boxes contained some of the eye makeup products.
To give a totally honest review- I did not like these products! Maybe it was because Influenster didn't send me the best shades for my complexion, but I'm even talking about the way that the products were made. I found The Pore Vanishing Stick to do nothing for my face and pores (it just felt heavy to wear), and The Flash Illuminator- which is supposed to be a highlighter- was WAY too dark on my face and made me look orange.
I apologize that this post was so long- but I wanted to give all of the products that I've received recently a fair and honest review! Did y'all enjoy this post? If so, I can try and continue to review my blogger gifts more often here on the blog (and do more than just sharing pictures of them on Snapchat ;-) ).
Just a short and sweet post today with another fall outfit. All of these outfit pieces are items that I've had for awhile, but I've never paired them like this until now! It definitely turned out to be a re-styled look that I'm quite a fan of. I always forget that I have this faux leather jacket- I really do need to wear it more, especially in fall.
Did everyone have a happy Halloween yesterday? I had a very mellow one this year, but I did dress up yesterday in a bunny rabbit suit (think full on Easter Bunny look!) for broadcasting school and my internship. My classmates and and some of the staff all dressed up too... it was quite the day! Later last night, my roommate and I watched this week's new episode of Jane the Virgin together. The show is definitely getting really good- does anyone else watch?
Similar items to everything that I'm wearing are linked! :-)
