Tag: grace not perfection

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Fabulous living

Summer Reads

Happy Wednesday! 

As we make our way through June, I always try to use these months as a time to slow down by keeping my schedule a bit more open. 

I like to try to have the flexibility to take a walk after work or enjoy a spontaneous ice cream date without having a packed schedule. I also like to use the summer to catch up on some of my favorite books. Since the start of 2021, I’ve made it a point to read every day, whether it’s a chapter of one book, of 150 pages of another. If you enjoy reading on the beach or having a few good books on hand for vacation, I have a few suggestions for you. This is a round up of my favorite summer reads. This list is a mix of different genres and authors. If you want to keep up with what I’m reading, you can check out my Instagram stories where I keep track of all my books.

Beach Read

If you are on vacation and on the beach, this is the book for you. Beach Read follows the story of a young writer who spends a few months at a little beach house that is left to her.  Her goal is to work on a new book and learn more about the cottage and how it came into her possession, but her next door neighbor proves to be a bit of a distraction. Will our protagonist find the answers she’s looking for  and what will from there cut boy next door? You have to read this fun book to find out. 

Paris is Always a Good Idea

If you are looking to escape, not just to Paris but Ireland and Italy too, this is such a fun read. After working nonstop for nearly a decade, a young professional decides to go to the places she traveled right after college in order to find herself again. She meets some old flames which brings up memories of the past in each of the cities she visits. While abroad, she makes peace with the past, but will it allow her to move on fully once she returns home? Pick up this book and find out. P.S. after reading this book, you will want to book a one way ticket to Europe-the description of the places is incredible!

Not a Happy Family

If you like suspense and mystery and a bit of who done it, here’s a summer read you won’t want to put down. After a large, Easter dinner, the parents of a well-known family are found dead in their home. But, who killed them and why? Was it one of their children? The maid who found them or a random home invasion? This book has so many twists and turns that your guesses will change all throughout the book. This story has a lot of suspense but it’s not too scary that you won’t be able to sleep at night. I do have to warn you, once you start, it will be hard to put it down. 

The Silent Patient

Sticking with thrillers and mysteries. This book tells the story of a doctor who works in a Psych ward and he tries to uncover the mystery behind his patient who is accused of murder but won’t speak. This may seem dark, but it’s much more suspenseful and mysterious than scary. When you start reading, you won’t want to finish until you have all the answers you are looking for. There’s so many twists and turns and the ending will catch you off guard. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

Grace Not Perfection

If you know me, then I have probably talked to you about my love for Simplified and Emily Ley. Grace Not Perfection is the first book she wrote and it is the perfect summer read. If you are looking for that push to have you slow down and be more present in the moment, this is the book for you. Emily has written other books, but her first book always holds a special place in my heart. This is the perfect book to read as the sun rises or sets or by the pool. Once you read this one, I guarantee you that you will want to read her other books.

Going There

If you are a fan of memoirs, then Katie Couric’s book would be a great option for you. Whether you followed her career for years or just wanted to get to know more about her, I found this book to be so insightful. From her childhood, big stories she’s covered, her personal life and where she is today, she covers a lot of ground. I enjoyed Couric before her book but I respect and admire her even more now. You will learn so much from this book. A must read for anyone who enjoys news, journalism or women being awesome!

If you are a big reader or looking to try some new books for the first time, I hope this list gives you some suggestions for summer reads. What books are you loving this summer? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

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Fabulous living

A Year of Grace Not Perfection

Hi All!! Happy Wednesday!!

For long time readers, you may have picked up on the fact that I love to journal! It’s my favorite way to start my day, having some quiet time and then time to write and reflect. I have been journaling throughout my time in college, you can read more about it here.

During my senior year in college and my first few months out of college, I journaled in the companion to Grace Not Perfection, by Emily Ley. This was my journal for 2019-2020. There were prompts every week, to give me something to reflect and work towards. But it also has enough open space to jot down you thoughts and feelings and emotions. 

Finding Grace in my senior year and first few months working

The phrase “Grace Not Perfection” has been a mantra that I have kept coming back to through the year, when times get busy or hectic, I remind myself to give myself grace and not everything is going to be perfect. It truly puts things in perspective for me.

My favorite quote and a college throwback

After reading “Grace Not Perfection” during my sophomore year of college and now spending a year journaling with it, I’m much more aware and better with implementing it in my daily life. It’s no longer a matter of remembering to do it, rather it’s always in the back of my mind and I apply it without realizing it.

Maybe “grace not perfection” is not your mantra, but whatever you believe in or focus on, be sure to keep it in your mind on the good days and the not so good days. 

I also believe that these past few months have put my grace not perfection to the test, so many things in life have gotten cancelled or post-poned and in those times of uncertainty it’s even more important to allow ourselves that grace and knowledge that it will all work out. 

What are some of your mantras that you live by?!

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Fabulous living

Book and Planner Review: When Less Becomes More and the 2020 Simplified Planner

Happy Wednesday! I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite ways to unwind after a busy day at work or a great way to start my day is with a good book. I am looking to make more time for reading in my day to day life. I always start my day by reading a devotional and journaling. Now, I want to start incorporating reading a bit every night to wind down. 

Last November, Emily Ley launched her third book, “When Less Becomes More”, If you have been following for a while, you know that I love Emily Ley, her planners, books, and her mission. I have really made an effort to bring simplicity into my life and it has ultimately made me more balanced, calmer, and I lead a more purposeful life with it. 

My new favorite heading into 2020

Now, onto the book review. I remember Emily sharing with her followers the process of writing her new book and I couldn’t wait to dive in. 

The whole book is about how sometimes less is more and we can be happier in life when we aren’t distracted all the time and pulled in different directions. She breaks the book down in 10 areas where we can make the choice to live simpler lives and not be stretched so thin that we aren’t living fulfilling lives. 

I started reading the book right when it came out, which coincided with my upcoming college graduation. I was at a time in my life where I was balancing classes, being very involved with school and campus, working, applying and interviewing for jobs and ultimately being spread too thin. Emily’s words about being overcommitted and not overwhelmed resonated with me. Like me, she loved everything that she was doing but felt burnt out. As I made my way through her book, I came to the realization that we have the power to make changes in our lives to lead happier and purposeful lives and that’s something I’m working on in this new stage of my life. Making time for things that matter to me and cultivating friendships and relationships that bring me only joy and allow me to grow. 

Without fearing of being too dramatic, reading Emily’s new book came at the perfect time for me and it changed my life. I strongly recommend reading this book and Emily’s other books as well. You can see my reviews of A Simplified Life here or what I learned about Grace Not Perfection here.

This year, I also decided to buy one of Emily’s signature simplified planners. I purchased this one here. When I started a new job, I wanted to start on the right foot with getting organized. What I love about the Simplified planner is that you can use it however you want, for classes, meetings, to do lists, meal planning. There are so many ways to use it. 

New 2020 Planner

I’m going to break it down for how I use I best for my schedule and life. 

I first use the month calendar for when I work, have appointments, events. I have it colored coordinated for work and personal, the same colors for the calendar on my phone. 

Full month calendar

For the day to day set up, I have what days I work, the times I work, and what things I worked on each day, then I have a to-list for each day. My days off is when I have longer to-do lists but I still like to see what I need to do every day. 

Day to day calendar

I like having all my information in one area that I always have with me and not in several different spots. 

Having a planner saves me time and makes my life run smoother, two things that Emily Ley is a big advocate for. 

That’s just a quick look into how I am starting off the new year and the mentality for the upcoming year.

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Fabulous living

My College Career in Four Journals

Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday. I hope you all had a great and restful weekend. With only a few weekends left in college, I am trying to soak up all the time I have left being with my friends, I have been taking advantage of going out to brunch with my buddies, having good conversations with friends, and always being down to do something. 

That brings me to my new series of blog posts. I started this blog when I was in my freshmen year of college and a lot has happened since I started it. The next several weeks, my posts will be dedicated to reflecting on my time in college, my favorite memories, what I learned, a final semester recap, and a thank you to a place that I have truly grown in so many ways. 

Four years of memories, moments, and happiness

Today’s post is something that I have talked about through the years, but I am ready to really talk about it more. Let’s talk about journaling! I can successfully say that I have journaled through my entire college career. Yes, every single day of college, is documented and written about. I can tell you what I was doing on November 29, 2016, or April 16, 2017, or January 25, 2018, and even on August 26, 2019. I can tell you how I was feeling, what I was struggling with, what sparked joy that day because I wrote it all down. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions I made while I was in college. Writing about my feelings, what I was going through, what things caused me stressed and what things made me happy was such a good way to unwind and reflect. It also put things in perspective for me. I never had a full day where I complained, I always found something positive or good about the day, whether it was getting a good grade on an exam or catching up with an old friend. Journaling every day made me realize how good life is, and all the things I have to be grateful for. Every year, I had a different theme for my journaling.

Freshmen year, my mom gifted me this journal when I moved into my first day of college. I journaled about every single thing that happened, what I ate for breakfast, how my classes went, what I did for fun and when I went to bed. I was so detailed with my journaling. It was a great way to unwind at the end of the day and reflect of everything I got done. This method really worked during a year of adjusting to a new place and new people. It was a form of comfort to me. 

Sophomore year-my year of YES

Sophomore year came and it was all about yes saying to everything. I started a new job, met new friends, tried new things and stepped out of my comfort zone. I had read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes and I made my sophomore year my year of yes. I started every day with my Years of Yes journal. The journal was set up with a topic each month to say yes to things. There was a goals section where you can map out where you want to see yourself by the end of the month. Each day is split up into three sections where you can write about the things you said yes to. Inspirational quotes by Rhimes are spread throughout the book to give you motivation if you need it. I spent 5 minutes a day on this and it was such a positive way to start the day. I loved seeing all the things I tried and said yes to through the year. 

Junior Year JOY

Junior year brought JOY. I decided to journal about all the joy in my life. I found myself getting negative about the small things in life, whether it was a long day or friendship troubles. I decided to find joy in every day. I would write down three good things or three things that brought me joy. After doing this for a full year I got to change my mindset and see all the good things in my life. It also made the small annoying things in life seem nonexistent. I’m so glad I found the good in every day. 

Finding Grace in my Senior Year

For senior year, I wanted to try something new. I have always been very involved and balancing a lot of things in life, which I do very well at. For senior year, I decided to give myself the gift of grace. I was inspired by Emily Ley’s Grace Not Perfection and, journaled every day from prompts in the book, A Standard of Grace as well sharing the highlights of my day. It really made me focus on what was important in life. 

Four years later

Although, my college career is winding down, I will continue to journal, it has been a great stress reliever, and a beautiful way to reflect on my time in college and see the beauty and good in every day. Journaling has brought me so much joy and happiness and I am so glad I have four journals full of thoughts, memories, and happiness from my time in college. 

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Fabulous living

Three Favorite Things

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday. I found this fun quiz/ survey from Mix and Match Mama’s Blog. I love learning things about other people, especially fun or unique facts and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do one for myself. I borrowed some from Shay’s blog and made up a few on my own. Let’s get to my three favorite things!

MOVIES (This one is soooo hard-but current favorites)

A Star is Born

Such a good movie

Life Itself

Again, another life changing movie

Love Actually

One of my favorite movies of all time especially around Christmas time.

           BOOKS

                                     Year of Yes 

Another life changing book

                                     Grace not Perfection

Grace Not Perfection- an inspiring book for all

                                     Pride and Prejudice 

A romance that never gets old

                                     TV SHOWS (OF ALL TIME)

                                     Bones

One of my favorite shows of all time

                                      Grey’s Anatomy 

Old photo but I can’t get enough of this show

                                     This is Us

Another fantastic show

                                     RESTAURANTS (FAST FOOD-ISH)

                                     Chipotle

                                     Panera

                                     Chick-Fil -A

                                     PLACES I’VE VISITED

                                     Rome, Italy

                                     Hershey, PA

Getting away for a bit at my favorite place-Hershey, PA

                                     New York City, NY

One of my last visits from NYC, can’t wait to go back soon

                                     PLACES I WANT TO VISIT

                                     Paris, France

                                     London, England

                                     Dublin, Ireland

                                     FAVORITE HOLIDAYS

                                     Christmas

Christmas morning spent well, the tree all lit, a warm cup of hot chocolate and time spent with family

                                     Thanksgiving

Forever thankful for family on Thanksgiving

                                     Fourth of July

Rocking my Red, White, and Blue for the 4th

                                     THREE THINGS I ALWAYS HAVE IN MY PURSE

A closer look at what’s in my purse

                                     Earbuds

                                     Phone Charger

                                     Wallet

                                     FAVORITE DESSERTS

My favorite fall dessert made by my mom

                                     Warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies

                                     Chocolate cake

                                     Apple Crisp

                                     FAVORITE WAYS TO MAKE TIME FOR MYSELF

                                     Read

I always like to read after a long day

                                     Do my Nails

Nothing makes me feel better than a fresh coat of polish

                                     Watch a movie/latest tv show I’m binge watching

Such a good mini series that I just finished watching

Well there you have it, some of my three favorite things. If you guys liked it, let me know and I will do it again, this was so much fun and it really made me think about my favorite things. Pick a few things and add your responses to the comments below! Have a great start to your week!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Simplicity Challenge 2019

Hello All and Happy Tuesday and an even Happier February.

I love the month of February! Not only is January over…it’s such a long month, but I love Valentine’s Day and all the red, white, and pink that goes along with it. Not to mention the chocolate and just the good feelings that come along with it.  It’s the perfect month in the middle of a long winter.

For those of you who follow me on instagram, you may have noticed for the month of January, I participated in the Simplicity Challenge through Emily Ley’s company, Simplified. I love everything Emily Ley does from her books, to planners, and simplified ways. If you aren’t familiar with her already, check her out here.For the past few years she has done a simplicity challenge for the new year and this year I knew I wanted to participate in it. 

Every day for the month of January she will assign a task around your home that takes 15 minutes or less to accomplish, it can be anything from cleaning out your car, making a grocery list of easy meals, taking a trash bag and getting rid of stuff through your house, and setting goals for the new year. You can see the full list of challenges on Emily Ley’s Instagram page here.I posted myself doing the challenges every day and saved them to my highlights reel on instagram.Not only did this old me accountable for doing the challenge but it also showed you all how easy the tasks can be. Here are a few examples of my favorite tasks. 

I loved starting the challenge by going through my room and getting rid of all the clutter
My car can always get so cluttered so I loved being able to get it cleaned out
I use my notes app all the time and I loved that I was able to get it organized with all the important things
With the new year just beginning I took the time to clean my camera roll and save my photos and delete random ones
It felt so good to organize my purse and get it all prepped for a new semester and replenish things that were out
I cleaned out my emailed and unsubscribed from a bunch of stores that I don’t shop at. Nothing better than an updated inbox
Last but not least, I made sure to set some time aside for myself. We all need self care in order to take care of others

These are just a few examples of my favorite tasks. I was so happy I was able to accomplish the challenge, if you didn’t get around to it, no worries. You can always start now. It doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the month or even the year. This challenge really helped get me in the right mind set for the new year. This year I want to be more intentional and only focus on the important things and this challenge really helped declutter my home and my mind. There are some tasks that I know I am going to continue to incorporate in my life every day especially when it comes to lists and organizing and there are others that I know were helpful in the moment, but I may not continue to use them in my life.

Have you tried the simplicity challenge?

What ways do you want to get simplified for the upcoming year?

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Fabulous living

Book Review: A Simplified Life

Hello All!

Happy Tuesday! I am wrapping up fall break this week. It has been so nice to be home for a long weekend. The extra rest and relaxation was well deserved. It’s crazy to think that the fall semester is almost halfway through! This year is moving very fast.

Getting some reading in

One of my favorite hobbies is reading, I have always loved to read a child and I still try to read as much as I can as a young adult. However, being a college student, I don’t have a lot of time to read the things I want to read. Right now, my amazon cart/list is full of books I want to buy or read. I am serious book worm. This summer I was able to read a lot. You can check out my book reviews here. Throughout the semester I have been able to read one book in my free time and I’m so glad I did. I am a huge fan of Emily Ley, she is an author, planner maker, and lives her life to the simplest. If you haven’t heard of her, please check her out, she is such an inspiration and a girl boss!

Grace Not Perfection

I read her first book, Grace Not Perfection, last year and absolutely loved it. I wrote what I learned about it here. When she came out with her second book, The Simplified Life, I knew I had to read it. I am so glad I did. She breaks down ways to simplify your life chapter by chapter. She talks about simplifying your home, your faith, your finances, you family, and so many more areas. Her book is interactive, so you journal as you read. I learned so much from reading and it really encouraged me to simplify more areas of my life, not just with material things but also commitments.  I would recommend this book to anyone, the busy mom, the single gal, the college student, or the grandmother. I think everyone can learn something from it and make a few changes in their lives whether it is big or small. I read the book over the course of a month but it can be easily read in a sitting or two. Once I finished her book, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle areas of my life. I felt inspired and empowered.

A Simplified Life

If you are looking for a good book that will make you want to make changes in your life, this is it. Overall, I would give this book an A-. Have you heard of Emily Ley? What changes would you want to make in your life to make it more simplified?

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Fabulous living

Love the Season You are In

Hi Everyone!!

These past few weeks have been super busy and have flown by. Right now, I am in the midst of finals week and finishing up work before it’s officially summer. And by summer I mean, I finish my one job on Saturday and start my summer job and internship on Monday. Yes, I am busy. But, I am loving these last few weeks of school, classes are finishing up and I’m saying some hard goodbyes to a lot of my friends who are graduating. Needless to say, it’s a bittersweet time.

I did want to take a moment to reflect on enjoying where I am in life. I was recalling a passage from Emily Ley’s book, Grace Not Perfection…she spoke about the importance of loving the season you are in through life. I think that is so important. Whether you are a senior in high school, a college student getting ready to take on a career for the first time, or a mom balancing three different spring sport schedules, enjoy the season you are in.

There are often so many times when I find myself remembering past memories or getting excited about the future that I forget to live in the present moment and enjoy where I am in life. I also find myself sometimes wishing away stressful moments or long days only to find that I will miss the days of the past. It’s funny sometimes the days that I dread or I get overwhelmed about, I end up making the most memories. The same goes for moms juggling different spring sports and graduations, yes it is stressful but at one point, there will be no more carpooling or graduation parties and the house will be quiet once again. Same goes for college students, finals may be taking over your life but don’t let that stop you from creating memories with your true friends. You are only in college once.

What is the point of me saying all this?! Enjoy where you are in life. Yes, it may not be perfect, it may be messy, exhausting, and overwhelming but it’s life and it only happens once. Embrace the disorder and chaos and live for the moment. Instead of taking selfies of the exciting moments, be present for them instead.

Life is all what you make of it. Make your life memorable.

Sorry for a shorter post, but these past few weeks have been busy. Looking forward to writing more this summer.  Until then…

xoxo

Ending this post with my favorite Office quote that I remind myself of daily. Live for today.

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Fabulous living

Top Things of 2017

Happy day after Christmas. Have you recovered from all the sugar? Is wrapping paper still all over your home? Grab a cup of coco and settle in for the top things of 2017.

2017, is coming to an end. Where has this year gone? Today, I’m wrapping out the year with my top 5 things of 2017.  These include my favorite books, tv series, movies, and fashion trends. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we…

  • Favorite Book: “Grace Not Perfection” I read this book this past fall and it really made me appreciate the simple things. I found it very relatable and it was easy to read. It gave me tips to stay organized and embrace simplicity. Emily Ley, the author, has a new book out called “The Simplified Life”, I am already planning to read it next year. “Grace Not Perfection”, is a terrific book to kick off 2018 with, I highly recommend it.

    Must read especially going into a new year.
  • Favorite TV Show: 2017, brought a lot of new shows. My personal favorite was SEAL Team. It’s a military drama about life both in the warzone and coming home. Each episode takes the team on different missions, but once they get home, the struggles are still the same. Plus, can we talk about what a good looking cast that is?! It returns January 3, 2018 on CBS. Wednesdays at 9:00.

    It returns Wednesday, January 3, 2018
  • -Favorite Movie: “Beauty and the Beast”, I love the remaking of classic Disney movies. From the music, to the actors, and the set design, I loved every aspect. Seeing this movie brought back many childhood memories, although I will always be biased to Cinderella. This was a great family movie that could be enjoyed by all.

    Loved reliving my childhood through this movie
  • Favorite Album/ Music: 2017, had a lot of good music. My personal favorites were Ed Sheeran’s Divide, I listened to his album nonstop especially when it came to writing endless papers for school. I loved Jessie James Decker’s second album, Southern Girl City Lights. I loved the message behind every song. And lastly, to end the year, Taylor Swift made her return with Reputation. The album got me going early mornings in the gym.

    Started 2017 with this album

    Loved the meaning behind all the songs.

    Ended 2017 in a bang with Ms. Swift
  • Favorite Accessory: This year I couldn’t get enough monogramming done. Whether it was a baseball cap, scarf or purse. I love the personalization of getting something monogrammed. I love my local monogramming boutique but Marley Lilly and Etsy are great go-tos.

    Clutch

    Hat

    Scarf
  • Well there you have it. My top favorite things of 2017. What were your favorites? What are you excited for in 2018? I’ll be sharing one last fashion trend on Thursday. See you then.
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Fabulous living

What’s Up Wednesday (10-25-17)

What’s Up Wednesday

Hello, hello! Today I am linking up with some of my favorite blogs: The Larson Lingo, Mix and Match Mama , and Sheaffer Told me To to talk all things Wednesday, hence why I am posting this on Wednesday and not Tuesday. Don’t worry I will be back tomorrow with a fall look then I will be back to my Tuesday/Thursday posting. Once a month I will answer some questions so you know what’s going on with me. Today I will be answering the following questions. Wanna answer them too? Let’s see how much we have in common.

What I’m eating this week

I’m loving these proteins packs for lunch. They are quick and have great combinations. They are perfect for when I don’t have time to eat a full lunch.

What I’m reminiscing about

Halloween as a child! I always loved dressing up and going Trick or Treating. It’s hard being away from home during a holiday especially when I have younger siblings still trick or treating. This year I will still be dressing up, but I won’t be getting any free candy…or maybe some. We will have to wait and see.

What I’m loving

I am loving that we are finally getting cooler weather. It is consistently cool which is perfect fall weather. Also, now it is acceptable to wear high boots and jeans and not get worried to will bounce back to 70 degrees.

What I’ve been up to

Lots of school work. We are in the middle of the semester so papers, quizzes, and projects are all I have been looking at. Between going to classes and my job I’ve been busy.

What I’m dreading

Scheduling for next semester classes! Ugh, a stressful time for all. One step closer to the real world. Scheduling is always hard especially when you don’t get into classes you want are struggling for a back up!

What I’m working on

School work all day. Every day.

What I’m excited about

After looking at my calendar, I have something planned for every weekend from now until the end of the semester. From Fright Nights, to Light up Nights I am going to be busy but, I am very excited for the upcoming weeks.

What I’m watching/reading

I’m currently watching my favorite fall shows: This Is Us, Seal Team, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder. These shows are my motivation to get through long and stressful days.

I’m reading Grace Not Perfection by Emily Ley and I’m loving it. I can’t wait until her new book comes out A Simplified Life.

What I’m listening to

I’m listening to Jessie James Decker’s new album Southern Girl City Lights on repeat. She is the only country singer I follow and I love her. This album has a great message filled with beautiful music. Get yours today!

What I’m wearing

Did someone say sweater weather?! I am wearing all the sweaters I can find. I can’t get enough. Also, check back tomorrow for my latest Look of the Day!

What I’m doing this weekend

Lots of Halloween fun! From a Costume Dance to a Fright Night, I’m excited. I’ll be sharing my costume next week with you all.

What I’m looking forward to next month

Thanksgiving and seeing some family for the holidays! As much as I love school and what I am doing, there’s no place like how especially during the holidays.

What else is new

Nothing much. Between classes, work, and the holidays I am always on the go.

BONUS QUESTION: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, love my mom’ s recipe.