Showing posts with label lovely things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lovely things. Show all posts
Sleep. Everybody does it. Why not make the most out of it? I'm a true believer in bed-time routines and regimes to make sleep a hundred times more relaxing. That said, it's funny I've never really talked about it before. I love doing masks and pampering myself so much because it makes me so comfortable and ready to take on the next day or week.
I don't have a complicated routine or anything, but I do a couple things before I hit the hay just because it makes me feel good.
Usually, at night I have already taken a shower and gotten my PJs on which consist of a t-shirt and Nike running shorts, nothing too glamorous. I'll do a mask or paint my nails on occasion, but I always make sure to clean my face after the long day and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
It may be weird, but I literally cannot sleep with dry hands. When they're cold and dry—I just can't. I've heard some people who can't sleep with dry hands which makes me feel better. I have been using my Kiehl's Creme de Corps lotion and it really gets the job done. It hydrates and leaves my hands smooth and soft the next morning. My lips also have to have some sort of balm or treatment on them, too. The Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is one I've been using and I like it. It is hydrating and refreshing on my lips!
I can't forget some eye cream either, I've woken up with dry and red under eyes and it is not something anyone should have to wake up to. I use the Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter eye treatment and love it. Creams before bed just make my skin feel good and warm. I hope other people feel the same way, too.
Most nights, I listen to music, watch movies, read, or write. I write for the blog and I have recently really gotten into journaling. I write about my day or just how I'm feeling. I would really encourage it because it's great to reflect and just let go with a pen and paper. We get so distracted and forget our days as they fly by. I try to take in moments before bed when I can to just decompress and think about what I did that day. What's your sleep-time ritual like?
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The hot months can be intimidating for a lot of people when it comes to wearing less clothes and exposing yourself a bit more during this season. We're always trying to achieve a "beach ready body," when in reality, we're all ready for the beach anyway. It's too hot lol. No matter what you think, body positivity during the summer decreases because we're obviously wearing less clothes than normal.
I don't think I've specifically stressed about finding body positivity or honed in on it in a post before. Lately I've felt pretty good with my body; I do regular exercise and try to eat healthy (I just baked puppy chow, cookies, and brownies—it's so hard).
My yoga instructor said something that resonated with me: "We're more than just numbers on a scale, the price tag on our clothes, a salary, likes on Instagram...we have substance and we are so much more than that". I know it may seem cheesey, but it's true.
I have my fair share of insecurities like most people: my pudgy stomach, acne, broad back, my big nose, and round face all bother me sometimes. On occasions, I just feel like shit and I'm sure a lot of people can relate. Now more than ever I've been focusing on the good and pushing away the negative thoughts when I get to that low place.
Taking photos like these for example, makes me hesitate sometimes because of the way my body looks or how I'm posing. All of these pictures are unedited and raw, because I don't believe in photoshop, but also because I want people to see me.
We can get distracted when we try to see ourselves as other people see us. Throughout middle school and high school, I would say I worried a fair amount about what I looked like. Heck, I used to wear curlers in my hair every night. As I've grown into college, I haven't been as high strung about looks and will normally just roll out of bed, no makeup, and a high bun.
I am wearing makeup in these photos, but my normal day is only moisturizer, primer, and maybe mascara if I feel like it. My beauty posts and makeup reviews have really declined because I just don't wear much anymore and I know the minimal makeup is becoming a trend. It feels better without it and I can actually breathe and do things.
I do wear makeup on occasion and have a pretty good collection still, but I don't see myself collecting more than I need or any fancy highlighters or palettes anymore. It feels good to be comfortable with my bare face and I think a lot of people should be too.
I know it's not easy for everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin because it's different for everybody. It was definitely not easy at times for me and I will still have my low moments. The person I want to be is someone who can live their life not having a care in the world about what other people think. If only it was that easy. I think it's achievable and I have to keep telling myself that no one can define who I am, only me, myself, and I.
I want to encourage body positivity everywhere, especially to my fellow readers and bloggers. It can be hard to not filter ourselves online and get distracted by how many likes or views we have. I also know that this all may sound clichéd, but I genuinely believe that a lot of people may need to hear this and their's no harm in boosting someone's mindset. We need self love and positivity more than ever nowadays.
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One of my goals this month was to improve my blog and that I did. I totally re-designed it (with the help of Themxpose) and am really happy with how it looks now. I think it is more visually appealing and balanced.
It is definitely refreshing to have a new look and new vibes all around. I hope you guys enjoy the new look. I really want to change the way I take photos and write posts, so little by little it will evolve throughout the summer. It's a well needed change and something new to revamp my mood.
To be honest, lately, I've been in a slump. It's May and that's a very promising month. Yet, I've felt like I've been so focused on other people lately and what other people are doing, that I've honed out of my routine and have been slacking on taking care of myself. I was doing so well doing my own thing, but when I wanted to be more social and "out there," I was so worried about what other people thought of me.
Since it is the beginning of summer almost, I'm confident that I will eventually get back to my yoga-doing, blogger self. I have many trips planned and places to go or things to do this summer, so I am excited and looking forward to it. I will be doing an end of freshman year post, but college has gone by incredibly fast. I'm going to be a sophomore in college and it doesn't even feel like I should be in college right now. Time truly flies and I am trying to make the most of it the best I can really.
This year has been a year to find and reinvent myself. There have been highs and lows, but I would say that overall this year has been an extremely positive adventure. I survived my first year of college and all of you newbie freshman will too. The most important part of college and especially growing up into a mature adult is finding yourself and knowing who you are before anyone or anything else.
The Buddhism class I am currently in has a lot for me to think about. Specifically, the idea of mindfulness. Mindfulness has been the topic of my self-care and reevaluation. In my Caveman, anthropology class, I have also learned that we are all human beings making mistakes and carrying on through struggles. Great classes amirite? It's time for me to focus on myself and I hope this inspires you to do the same.
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It's been one heck of a couple weeks and April is gone as I speak. May is so promising and it's that inch closer towards summer. I can finally wear shorts and get my hammock hung to chill out and enjoy this weather that Chicago finally gets to see. I have a lot of goals for this upcoming month and this I really want to accomplish during my last month of freshman year. I still cannot believe how fast this year has gone by.
01. I have been planning on a total blog revamp and would like some tips or ideas on how I can make my blog a bit better. I took this past week off for midterms and have realized that my blogging game is not what it used to be. I think I would like to change my template or the aesthetic of my blog a bit, but that'll be a night of finding inspiration and reconfiguration. I think it'll be a fresh start into the summer.
02. Last time this year it was a month full of events for me: prom, graduation, trips, etc. This month really isn't as packed as it was last year. That said, I need to make more time for myself. I don't know if it is the warmer weather or the spark of the social atmosphere, but I've been feeling very high strung recently and always on edge about things. I'm going to finally start up yoga again and I cannot wait.
03. Since the school year is coming to a close, I would like to start getting back in touch we people I haven't seen in so long. Everyone leaves for college and it's like you cut off all communication with them because you get so busy with your life. Yes, I've kept in touch with some friends, but not as much as I would have liked to.
04. I do want to plan a road trip with some of my best friends this summer because college is the time to explore and go on adventures. I want to make plans, but also not make plans and go with the flow this summer. I have hopes of getting out of my comfort zone, too.
05. I have plans on going to a few more Cubs games this month and possibly this summer. I can always find really cheap tickets and Wrigley Field is literally a stop away from campus. It's always a fun time at Wrigley. I would also like to try and see more bands play around the area. I have been to a comedy club called Annoyance Theater off of Belmont. It's a really fun place to go late at night when you just want to laugh at dumb sketches.
06. I've been really into astrology lately and reading my daily horoscope to see what my day has in store for me. I don't think I believe everything it tells me, but I've been liking this app called Daily Horoscope a lot. It gives you your daily horoscope, weekly and monthly horoscope, sign meaning, compatibility, and more. It's just something fun I like to do when I wake up every morning.
I don't like to be too ambitious with my goals for the month because things change, but I am going to try and stick to these for now. The sun is shining and everybody's mood is uplifted this time of the year. What are your plans this month?
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It has been almost 8 months since we got this beast and I have to say, he's still growing and growing. I thought it was time to update you all on our not-so-puppy dog. It's been a wild few months having him in our family and we all love him very much.
There are things that we've noticed in him that remind us of our old dog, Rigly, and he brings us so much joy. When he's not tearing up a shoe or drinking out of our bathroom toilet, he's honestly one of the sweetest pooches out there.
Cooper is probably 70-80 pounds of mischief and dirty socks. I swear he's gotten into almost all of our laundry baskets and garbage cans. We've also had to puppy proof our home and get him baby gates to keep him in the kitchen when we can't watch him 100% of the time. It's funny because I call it his exhibit because you never know where he's hiding or sleeping: under the table, on the carpet, or behind the counter.
He's at that awkward stage in his life where he's still very much a puppy, but his body is growing at an odd rate. His head is still pretty small for his body, as well as, his legs. His torso is probably all fully grown, but he's still very low to the ground. He reminds me of a mini pony.
He does this really cute thing when you come home, he gets all excited and nose dives into your lap then does some tap-dance sort of thing before it's too late and he's already happy-peed on your foot. In order for us to tame his excitement all the time, we take him to our nearby park and run him on the baseball field until he gets extremely tired and sleeps all day—you know, what a puppy should do.
He's still a bit teethy or mouthy, so we have been keeping an eye on him when he gets really riled up. Every now and then he will just start attaching to your sleeve and will whip his head back and forth. I know he just wants attention, but sometimes it hurts...a lot. There are other times he wants our attention and he'll go to his water bowl and start kicking the water out of his dish just for someone to notice him, I've never related to something so much. I just wished he had another way of showing it.
Cooper will remain a mystery until we learn and he learns that not every single item he sees is a chew toy. I guess that's what comes with raising a pup. They're unpredictable but insanely cute, so I guess he's okay. Other than that, he's fitting nicely into our family and I'm excited to bring him on more adventures during the summer.
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Reading has always been a hard commitment for me. Once you pick a book, you read the whole 800+ pages and are tied down to turn the page after page. Over this spring break, I was motivated to try it again. I'll be honest, reading books that I do not know of or have heard of always makes me a bit nervous and I simply avoid them at all costs—especially nonfiction.
However, my elementary and middle school mindset on reading has really changed and I am finding myself in writing as well as what I prefer to read. It's funny how a writer could despise reading because when I was little, I was never good at it. The motivation was never there to sit down and read a good book until I've realized that it's just as important as writing.
Just recently my best friend Alyssa gave me this book called Thanks, Obama written by Obama's former speechwriter, David Litt. No matter what your political standing is, this book is nowhere near an obnoxious preaching of President Barack Obama (while there are subtle hints here and there), anyone can read this who is mature—and also immature—to discover the "salmon in the toilet" at the White House.
I have always been curious about what goes on in the White House and how the President's entire executive system functions. Litt puts everything into perspective when it comes to actually trying to get a job at the White House, the struggles that come with it, the rewards, the weird and unexpectedness of it all, his relationship with "P" (Obama), and a little bit of humor and realness. He was just a kid writing at his parent's house and then one day ended up in the Oval Office producing a 90th birthday message with the President for Betty White.
I personally loved how David would switch back and forth between his personal thoughts and understandings of what it's like working with the Commander in Chief to what snack he was going to have next on Airforce One. Little breaks like that make the story so much more relatable and playful to read. This book gives you a sneak peek into another side of the White House staff and how much support and work goes into all of a president's speeches and addresses, even if they aren't planned.
While I do have to confess, some technical parts of the story were slow (when he talks about the elections and campaigning for Obama), the mix of uplift and utter nonsense that occurs keeps you engaged and wanting to know the whole story up until the end of the President's term. While I read this on the beach in Miami, I was pinned to certain chapters because I find this topic so interesting; knowing just a little more about what goes on in the Big House is so cool to know. Such as how much investigation goes into hiring staff at the White House and walking through the halls knowing that you can legally be killed by the Secret Service at any given moment.
You do not have to be a history or political buff to explore the life of a "hopey" speechwriter. I would recommend this to people who are simply interested in what it's like to work at the White House, or maybe even figuring out the secret to great speech writing (because there really isn't one). This is definitely a beach read and a good read at that.
We walk along the city streets knowing nobody or what they do—it's amazing that a lot of people that walk by us all have different stories to tell and I think that's what makes biographies really interesting to me. That one person who looks like an average Joe literally wrote speeches for the President. For all of those average Joes or Sally's out there, I've learned that anyone can pretty much achieve anything if the work and persistence are there. As Litt says, "The cost of living the dream, I was taught, is the responsibility to expand it for others. It’s a more than fair price". As he explained it, working in the White House was and was not at times the best job ever. It came with its own reins, if you pulled it the wrong way, you were destined in a totally opposite direction.
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Part of me is still kind of in shock, it was only two weeks ago when I thought about getting a tattoo. Never did I ever think I would go through with it at this young. I'm 18, so it's totally legal and up to me, but part of me still can't believe it happened. I texted my best friend and told her Miami was when I was going to get it and that's it. It was only going to go down then and there. At the time only my roommates and my two best friends knew. I was not planning on telling anyone in my family, partly because I didn't want their opinion to sway my thoughts or decision on it.
When I was thinking of what to get and where to get it and how I was gonna get it, I knew I wanted my first tat to be small and minimal. Excuse my arm hair haha. I ended up picking out a waning crescent and just a simple black outline. I was going to get stars, but the tattoo artist and I decided we just liked the moon. There's no specific significance of it, I just liked it a lot. I think that's a very viable reasoning for getting something you like and won't regret later.
I'm interested in space and I read online that the waning crescent symbolizes getting rid of the bad stuff in your life, so I guess I'll have that on my wrist as a reminder. As for where I wanted it, I originally thought my ribs would be a good place, but my best friend suggested a place like my wrist so the pain wouldn't be so bad. And it wasn't for the most part. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I described the pain as a pen vibrating and scratching your skin for like two minutes.
I would recommend for other people who are getting their first tattoo to find a quality place that knows what they're doing. I had a great experience at this place called Oriana Tattoo in Miami, Florida and my artist's name was Ruben. Super sweet and made my whole tattoo experience relaxed and comfortable. He was open to ask me about designs and help me with taking care of it after that.
I know that tattoos can be a controversial topic for some people and put permanent ink on your body is something that should not go unconsidered and well thought out. They're basically wounds in your body so I would make sure that it's something you really want and talk to people who have experienced it and are knowledgeable about the process.
My whole family was not extremely surprised. My mom thought I was joking and my dad was like, "whaaa", but they all seem to like it and where I put it. My sister has a couple tattoos, so I guess they weren't as new to it as I thought they would be. This might be my eye-opening to getting more tattoos in the future, who knows. Getting it will be a moment I will have forever.
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St. Patrick's Day is always a fun and vibrant holiday. I will be in Florida living it up in the sun, but I thought it would be nice to make a post as I usually do about what to wear. I love being festive and adding some subtle touches make the celebration a bit more exciting.
Show some bronze and gold for this holiday with a few sweeps of bronzer and highlight. I always love the Rimmel Natural Bronzer that I have been using since highschool. It is the perfect bronze shade and isn't too orange. It blends really nicely into makeup, too. Using some white and green facepaint to add some cute shamrocks is a nice touch!
Show some bronze and gold for this holiday with a few sweeps of bronzer and highlight. I always love the Rimmel Natural Bronzer that I have been using since highschool. It is the perfect bronze shade and isn't too orange. It blends really nicely into makeup, too. Using some white and green facepaint to add some cute shamrocks is a nice touch!
Decorating your nails is always a must. This orange and gold is perfect for showing a pot 'o' gold off on your fingers! I'm a fan of Essie and OPI products as you all know. You can't go wrong with a vibrant nail color for a holiday celebration. The OPI Gel shades are long lasting and my now go-tos.
Go all out with these huge and oversized "Irish" glasses! I know I'll be bringing these along with my shamrock beads on my trip. Add some touches of green and you'll be good to go for any parade or party! Mix in some gold and silver bangles or rings. These pieces and touches are festively tamed and everyone can get in the mood, I know I will be! How do you celebrate St. Paddy's Day?
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So, I don't remember if I mentioned this, but I planned a St. Patrick's Day trip to Miami, Florida with my best friend. It was such a spontaneous idea and we both have spring breaks off together. It will be my first trip alone and I am so excited for it. We are headed to the beach and my list has gradually gotten bigger. Today, I have a few carry on items specifically for the beach or tropical vacations!
I get really excited for trips and packing is one of my favorite things to do. I know a lot of people think it's tedious and annoying, but something about planning outfits and packing only the essentials seems really fun to me. This trip will only be a carry on trip because it will save me a lot of money and I won't be there long.
I'm not one to have an abundance of swimsuits just because I don't see the point of having a ton of cheap ones. I've always been on the lookout for nice and quality bikinis and to my surprise, Target came through yet again.
I only really buy tops because I just have one nice pair of black bottoms that go with everything. I bought this extremely adorable embroidered halter neck swim top and have fallen in love with all of Target's new swim range. I would highly recommend checking it out. They have a large variety of trendy styles, colors, and styles.
These green and gold round Raybans have been on my wishlist for quite some time lately and I finally found the perfect pair on Poshmark. Poshmark is a buy and sell fashion website/app and it has been an addictive obsession. These are the most classic pair of sunglasses and give off 70s vibes for real. I'm putting these babies on as soon as I land in paradise.
A few beauty products might be essential on a carry on a flight. I always make sure I have some type of roll-on perfume to freshen up and the Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Now roll on that is fresh and fruity. Perfect for a beach vacay. Then I always pack some sort of lip care because I need to have moistened lips, especially in a dry and stale aircraft. The Kiehl's Lip Balm is an unscented goddess of a lip saver.
As a hair refresh, dry shampoo is always a go-to. The one I have been loving the most recently has been the Herbal Essences Bio Renew and it smells so fresh and clean. I never like cucumber scented anything, but this combination has my hair smelling so nice and doesn't weigh or leave oil around when I wake up.
I went ahead and made an investment purchase. I bought the new Apple AirPods and I am in love with them. I was hesitant at spending my money on a small pair of wireless headphones, but I caved and I do not regret it one bit. I can switch between devices, make calls, use Siri to text, listen to music and videos, exercise better, and the charging life is so great. I considered Beats, but not having any cord at all is great. I haven't lost them and I've had them for a good three months. These are great for travel.
I am so excited for my trip and will definitely be taking photos. I don't plan on bringing my camera, but my phone can do just fine. I know this isn't everything I need to bring on my trip, but just a couple little gadgets and essentials I find make the trip worthwhile. What are your spring break plans?
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This month closes a second quarter of my freshman year of college and big things are happening this month. First off, spring is already on its way and I am so excited. It's that time of year when spring cleaning is coming and a refresh is on its way. Everything is brighter, greener, and cleaner. Hopefully, Chicago will keep getting warmer and warmer. We've already have some really nice sunny days.
The winter has honestly been kind of a drag: a lot of people were sick, it was constantly snowing, it was very dark at four o'clock, and a lot of people's moods were not great (in my experience anyway). There's more to do when it's warm, so here's what I have planned and plan on doing this month!
01.
This month I plan on decluttering every single thing. I'm already a master at this, but I want to declutter my mind more than anything. I haven't been terribly stressed lately, but sometimes there are little things that I still worry about and need to let go of. Especially things like my grades or future goals. I know that things will eventually work out.
02.
My best friend and I have planned a spring break trip in a couple of weeks to go to Miami, Florida and to go straight to the beach! This will be the first trip I have gone on completely alone without my parents, so it will be a fun learning experience for the both of us. I've been to Florida, but never to Miami and I will definitely be taking lots of pictures, so stay tuned.
03.
I hope that this month I will write more and focus on this blog a bit. Since the weather is going to get nicer, that means more opportunities for lookbooks and adventure type posts. I really want to explore the city more this spring and share it with you all.
04.
I have been really wanting to change my look up a bit and I've been really loving the look of balayage on people. Balayage is sort of like ombre, but more subtle and natural looking as the color is blended more into your hair. I'd like to have a bit more blonde in my hair for the warmer months. I've never dyed my hair before, so recommendations would be appreciated!
05.
I'm changing classes next quarter and I can't wait to start learning new subjects. I'm going to be taking a Buddhist Experience class and I've always been interested in that religion as it has contributed to my experience with doing yoga. Also, I'm taking this required focal point class and I chose "Real Cavemen" as my topic. I have no idea what made me gravitate towards it, but when do you get to tell people you took a class about cavemen?
These are just a few things that I am looking forward to this month and I love starting out fresh and taking a step back to reorganize and plan a bit. Time goes by so fast and it's nice to know what's going on! What are your plans for this month?
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I sort of missed writing update posts and giving just a reflection of my week and what I've been doing. I love reading other people's weekly todo's and it's a nice reminder that we all have more things to do during the week and my life on the blog goes beyond the subjects I normally talk about. This week is actually very busy for me, so I've decided to limit myself to one post for the week to just focus on some priority work and school stuff. Here's my week recap:
I got to go home for a day and visit my pup! Normally, when I can make it home during the week on a Thursday because I've been blessed with no Friday classes, I get to take care of Cooper and hang out with him while my family is at work or school still. Which is fine by me!
Before I went back to school, I wanted to spend more time with my best friend and her little sister, Alyssa and Emily. My sister Emily and I are on the left. We went out to a "Sunday dinner," we call it. My favorite moments are when I can get together with all of my dearest friends and just catch up or chat about our lives. It might sound a bit sappy, but they're probably the best moments I have with them. We went to a place called HB Jones which is a hamburger/grill joint. I had a really yummy pulled-pork sandwich with tater tots! Nom.
One of my Christmas gifts this year was concert tickets to go see The Killers at the United Center downtown. I was super psyched when Brandon Flowers announced the Wonderful Wonderful tour, so this was a really memorable experience for me and my sister, who also tagged along.
I've listened to the Killers since middle school and remember using my little iPod Nano and skipping all of my songs just so I could listen to the Battle Born album whenever I was on the bus or in the hallway.
If the Killers ever decide to go on tour again or if they are coming to your area, I would highly recommend it because they put on an unbelievable show. Not only does Brandon clean up really well in an all gold tux, there was so much color and his voice live and high energy was so much fun to dance to.
The last day was a spa night in with one of my really good friends at school, Haley. We decided to go out to a really nice Sushi and Ramen place. This ramen was not your below-average college ramen. She got a spicy ramen and I got miso ramen, which was both a great meal to start the week off with. I usually treat myself to at least one good meal while I'm at school because our cafe food gets a little boring.
We went back to the dorms, ate chocolate, painted our nails, masked, and started watching my new binge-watched show, Teen Wolf. This show is so cheesy and the graphics are only semi convincing, but Tyler Posey and Dylan O'Brien eat my soul. Also, speaking of Dylan, is anyone going to see the new Maze Runner movie? I never read the books, but am really interested in seeing how it all ends. I thought the first one was good and the second one really surprised me with how intense it was. I guess I'll have to find out! How was your week?
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I am still in the reflecting type of mood and thought it would be a really fun thing to write about all the good that has happened to me this past year. Time flies incredibly fast and I still can't believe it's already 2018. It's bittersweet and I am really happy with how 2017 went. There were a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups. I want to list 17 things that have happened and won't go into much detail, but maybe this can spark inspiration for all of you to do the same!
01. I got accepted into my first choice college
02. I went to my senior prom
03. I graduated high school
04. I went to Disney World with my marching band
05. I visited some family friends in Virginia
06. My best friends and I slept in my parent's shed
07. My best friends and I went to Indiana Dunes State Park
08. We picked out Cooper and brought him home!
09. I went to Missouri to visit some family friends
10. I moved to College
11. I got to see Nick Jonas live
12. I was able to go to a new Ugg store opening event in the city
13. I made high honor roll my first quarter of college
14. I made my first solo trip out to Michigan to visit my family
15. I continued to post on my blog twice a week
16. I joined an all-female run campus blog called Her Campus
17. I made a ton of more friends and have met so many amazing people
I have a feeling this year is going to be even better than last. I encourage you all to make a list of some positive things that have happened to you this past year! It's always nice to acknowledge the good.
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