Pool Day!

After so much waiting, it is FINALLY pool time!!

In case you couldn't tell, I'm pretty excited.
I'm not exactly what I would call "bikini ready," but right now I don't even care!

This is my favorite swimsuit and, while it doesn't entirely match, I love to wear this sunhat anytime I go to the pool. I mean, how cute is it??

















As you can obviously tell, I'm pretty fair. And by fair, I mean downright pasty. (Look at me glow!)
Which means I'm a huge advocate of sunscreen.
And reapplication.
And aloe vera.
And also cute sunhats. Duh.

But aaahhhh, finally some pool time.
Things you always need to have at the pool, besides yourself and your sun screen:
A good book
A good drink
A good towel

I love this towel my mom got me last year; it hooks onto the pool chairs so that it doesn't get blown or slid off and it has a nice little pocket where I can put my phone and my book when I'm not reading it.

All-in-all, I'd say today was pretty successful!
I may have even gotten a little tan!
But probably not. (I can be a wishful thinker, right?)

I hope everyone else has gotten the chance to get out and enjoy the warm weather, whether it be at the pool or anywhere else!!

In Case You Missed It!

For all of you who live under a rock (or just don't happen to be as obsessed with Kate Spade as I am)

TODAY is the last day of the Kate Spade Surprise Sale!

It ends at 11:59pm PT, so GET ON IT.

I currently do not have the funds to feed my addiction, so I'm relying on you guys to get some fabulous stuff so that I may live vicariously through your purchases.
Thanks very much.

Going Insane, Going Maaaad

Today's post title is brought to you by the musical RENT!

I am so tired of sitting around my apartment, just trying to come up with something to pass the time (yesterday I honestly spent all day watching The Big Bang Theory. How exciting.)

All of my friends are either working or travelling, so I'm basically all on my own for the moment. Which I do not like one bit.

I hate being alone. Yes, I like my alone time, but I like my alone time to be brief, like those 20 minutes right before bed; not eternal. I love to be around people, so when I'm not I get a little stir-crazy.

I'm already caught up on Game of Thrones, I've finished 2 (almost 3) books, my apartment is (almost) spotless, and every time I try and go to the pool it's insanely crowded; What am I to do?

I would take a walk around Charlotte, but...what fun is that alone? If I had my puppy, I could walk him but sadly, he's with my parents (maybe I'll steal him way when I visit this weekend!)

So I'm just sitting in my apartment, trying to figure out ways to entertain myself, and I have to say: it is a lot more difficult than I initially anticipated.

So help a girl out!!

Does anyone have any tips for what to do when you're bored? Anything will help, honestly.
I'm going to go insane if I don't find some way to occupy my time soon!!

Dream Life

I don't know about you, but Carly over at The College Prepster basically lives my dream life.

I mean a perfect job, an adorable apartment, and an even more adorable dog? (I mean, LOOK AT HIM!)
Definitely living my dream.

Her whole life just inspires me, really.

If I could up and move to New York right now, I definitely would.
If only I had money. Or a job. You know, those silly things.

But that is certainly in my life plan.
I honestly don't plan on staying in SC for more than 5 years (if I even have to stay that long)
I'm hoping to build some experience in my field, save some money, and then make my way to the Big Apple.
It'll be sad to move away from my family and friends, but I also can't wait for the possible opportunities.

It's always been my dream to move to New York (and perform on Broadway, but that one is a little less likely) and seeing someone who has actually made it happen is so exciting for me.
And it gives me hope!

I know I'm not ready to move quite yet, but I dream every day and night about the day that I one day make my dream move to the big city!

If anyone has any tips for moving the NYC or preparing to do so, I would greatly appreciate it!

Passing the Time

I actually went running today, guys!
Since I've planning on starting that for, y'know, 4 days, I'm really proud of myself for actually getting out there and doing it today.

And, okay, I didn't actually get out to run, really. It was raining again, so I journeyed over to the complex gym and hopped on a treadmill. (Let's not even talk about the interesting characters that I encountered)

And if I'm being completely honest, I didn't run the whole time.
Like I mentioned in my well woman post, I downloaded the Couch-to-5k app, and I did the first day's workout today. Basically, I walked for 5 minutes and then alternated between running and walking for 20 minutes.
Which means I exercised for 25 minutes today! Woo! Slowly making my way to being almost healthy. Almost.

And tomorrow I'm going to the Riverwalk with one of my friends to run (walk) some more!
We're both pretty out of shape, so we know neither one of us will feel inferior during our run (walk) haha

And River Walk is so beautiful.
It's an "outdoor community" that recently opened--and by recently, I mean like a year ago--but I haven't actually had a chance to go!
My roommate has taken her dog there and talks about how great it is, so I cannot wait to go tomorrow!

I'm probably going to try and take tons of pictures, so I'll have those to show you. Pictures of the beautiful scenery of course, not my friend and me; I don't want to scare you away with my post-workout redface.

Post-Grad Stress

It is driving my absolutely crazy.

I'm in the awkward limbo between graduating and finding a job and I am about to die of anxiety and boredom!
I hate being bored, so I've been having to find things to entertain myself.
Well, maybe it's more things to occupy my time rather than to entertain myself.
Yesterday I actually reorganized my bathroom.
I mean WHAT?
It's a bathroom, what could I possibly reorganize? Apparently ever single item in every single drawer and cabinet. Which I did.

And let's not even talk about how many hours I spend worrying about the fact that I don't have a job yet.
I never had any issues getting an internship, so now the fact that none of the places I've applied are calling me back is really freaking me out.

But I just need to realize that there are a lot of potential employees on the market right now and that when the perfect job for my current situation comes along, it'll well...come along.

But that doesn't help deal with my seemingly eternal boredom!
My go-to time waster is to go to IKEA or Concord Mills, and my wallet really doesn't appreciate it--especially since I'm currently unemployed! I need to worry about saving for my future rent, not spending for my current wants! It's just so hard when I don't know how else to spend my time.

I've been trying to get into some new hobbies, but those cost money too!
So basically, I'm just trying to occupy myself in my apartment with books and television which, honestly, is not very thrilling, but it's working. For now!
I'm just a little afraid about what's going to happen when I run out of books to read and shows to watch!

I've actually been thinking maybe I'll start taking strolls around my university or even Charlotte (kind of inspired by all of Carly's beautiful pictures from her walks that she posts up on The College Prepster.)
I mean, I'm not in New York City, but I'm sure I could make some great finds!

What do you think? I'm thinking casual strolls through the city might actually entertain me more than organizing my bathroom.

Change of Plans

Okay, so I still didn't get to go to the pool today.

It is nice and clear, but it's only 65 degrees. That is entirely too cold to be laying out by the pool, if you ask me. I'm actually a little chilly in the outfit I picked out today.

What's with the stank face?

Prime example of why you should check the weather before leaving your apartment, ladies!

So instead of the pool, I'm spending time at my favorite cafe/bakery!!

It's called Amelie's and I used to have to go all the way to NoDa in Charlotte to enjoy my favorite treat, but just this past December they built one near my university and, in turn, near my apartment! It's an adorable little "French Bakery" with a fabulous atmosphere. I haven't been to France in about 8 years, so I couldn't tell you how accurate it is--but it's so good!

This is good and bad--good for indulging my sweet tooth; bad for my wallet.

I almost always get the same thing: Chocolate Petit Gateaux. It's a delicious little chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. Mmmmm.
This time I paired it with an iced lavender mocha, which is probably the most delicious coffee I've ever had in my life. And I love coffee, so that's pretty impressive. The hot version is also delicious, but the iced one seemed a bit "springier" to me! This was my first time trying it iced, and it was most definitely a success. I will be getting it again!

So, I'm sitting at this adorable little table with my delicious treat and working on my blog, reading, and looking into some jobs!

It's not an afternoon by the pool, but it's still a great way to unwind on a Friday afternoon. 

If you ever stop by Rock Hill or Charlotte, you just have to visit Amelie's. 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It's raining.
And it has been all. Day. Long.

Now, I'm not usually one to bash the rain. A rainy day is the perfect opportunity to curl up and read a good book or catch up on some of my shows (I'm 3 episodes behind on Game of Thrones!)

But I had so much I had planned to do outside today, and I didn't get to do any of it because there was a storm! And let's not even talk about the power outage. Life gets especially difficult when the only light you have to read by is a tiny little book-light and that is dying.

Thankfully, the power came back on before I lost my sanity. (And before my book-light died!)

But I'm still upset at all of the things I missed. I was supposed to start my plan to become a "well woman" today! I was supposed to run (ahem, walk) a mile! And I, my friends, am certainly not doing that while there is thunder and lightning outside. It's enough of a struggle to get me to run when the weather is clear.
I've been trying to figure out an indoor activity to do today instead, but I haven't found anything that really suits me yet.

And the pool.

I didn't get to go to the pool! The pool at my apartment just opened for the summer this past weekend, but I haven't been able to go because of graduation, Mother's Day, interviews, cleaning, etc, etc. And now because of the rain.

Yes, curling up reading a book on my bed is nice.
But reading a book while laying out by the pool so much better.
Not that I would know, since the lovely storm ruined my plans.

I spent all day lounging around, reading a book (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, if you're wondering) and playing QuizUp on my bed.

I am an ADULT. That is not how I should be spending my time on a rainy day!! 

(In all honesty, I should be working. But I have two interviews coming up, so hopefully that'll be remedied quickly!)

I should be lounging by the pool, enjoying my mindless novel and sipping something fruity while I try and develop some sort of tan.

See that white blanket on my bed? Yeah, it might be darker than I am right now. It's that bad.

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be nice a clear, with just a few clouds, so hopefully I'll just be able to enjoy myself tomorrow.
And I have an interview tomorrow morning, so already I'm excited!

I'll enjoy a nice run (walk) in the morning, go to my interview, treat myself to lunch, and then spend the rest of the day (or until I feel myself turning in Sebastian) by the pool! Sounds perfect.

Be a "Well Woman"

In case you haven't heard, this week is the National Women's Health Week!

It's almost over, but it's never too late to make a pledge to yourself to become healthier!

I myself have pledged 2 things:

1. Pay attention to my mental health
2. Get active

I hope to pay more attention to my mental health by getting more sleep and by trying to better manage my stress. 

The sleep one is probably going to be especially difficult for me, since I've got moderate insomnia and usually only get about 4.5 hours a night. Sleeping more is going to really throw off my schedule. But that should, in the end, help with the managing stress thing!

I'm also going to be constantly reminding myself that I cannot possible do everything and that is okay. I'm going to make a manageable to do list and if, somehow it does not get done, I will remind myself that it is not the end of the world!

As for the get active part, that's going to be quite a struggle. I'm not going to lie to you: I'm pretty lazy. I used to do at least 10 minutes of blogilates every morning, but it's been a while. And I tried to running thing, but I'm not really a fan.

But I'm going to try it again (okay, maybe I'm going to try walking first.)

I've downloaded the Couch-to-5k app from RunDouble, I have my alarm set for my usual 5am, and I am more motivated than ever! 

I want to look good in my bikini for my cruise in July (Eeek, so excited!) and so I'd like to lose at least 5 pounds. I have 2 months and some determination, so I know that I can DO THIS! 

And the two pledges/goals will apparently help each other out, too!

I've been told that getting regular exercise actual reduces stress levels AND can help you sleep better, so I'm excited! And sleeping obviously helps build energy for exercise, so there's that.

Let's just say that I am super excited about these pledges I've made and the changes I am making in my life! I can't wait to see what I can do and the person I can become. 

Has anyone else made a pledge for Women's Health Week? Or just a general goal you've set for yourself? I'd love to hear about it, and it would be absolutely fabulous to get some inspiration!!

Liebster Award!

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Gwendolyn over at Lavender Mud!

The Award
The Liebster Award is an award given to new bloggers as a way to recognize them and to discover other new bloggers and welcome them to the blogosphere.


The Rules
1. Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Display the award on your blog
3. Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.
6. Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.
7. List these rules in your post
8. Inform the blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)


The Q&A
1. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Eclectic, energetic, and eccentric (The fact that all 3 start with an 'E' is completely unintentional, I swear!)

2. What is your favorite way to unwind?
I love to take a hot bath a curl up with a good book! (Currently reading I've Got Your Number by Sophia Kinsella!)

3. If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Move to New York and fill my wardrobe with Kate Spade! If there's anything left, maybe I'll save it.

4. If you could have lunch with anyone (alive or dead) who would be be and why?
Idina Menzel: She's my idol. If I could be her, I would, but I'll settle for eating lunch with her!
Audrey Hepburn: She was a talented, beautiful, and wonderful human being. Basically everything she did with her life was inspirational.
Darren Criss: I have been inspired by Darren Criss since I first saw him in AVPM and he continues to amaze me. And of course, if lunch led to a marriage proposal, I wouldn't say no.

5. What's on your summer bucket list?
Find a job! That is literally the only thing on my mind right now!!

6. What is your favorite song of the moment?
This is a really hard one for me, since I go through songs faster than anything. Right now, I guess I'm loving Find My Way from Legally Blonde the Musical because it's reminding me that everything will work out the way it needs to.

7. What is your favorite book and why?
I'm gonna do favorite series, because it's too difficult for me to pick a favorite book! I love the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin (aka Game of Thrones for all of you HBOers) It has action, revenge, love, lust, everything. It's also particularly nerdy, which I love.

8. What one piece in your wardrobe can you not live without?
This is really tough, but I'm going to have to say my "sailor shorts." I mean, they're comfy and adorable, plus they're perfect for basically any summer vacation, especially cruises. They are great for cruises.

Me, my shorts, and Grand Turk! 

Ignore my horrible posture, please.

9. What is your favorite snack?
A bag of Munchos and a Mountain Dew. It's probably going to lead me to an early grave in an over-sized casket, but it's worth it.

10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why.
New York City. Because it's New York City. I love fast-paced life and big cities and Broadway and cute restaurants and basically everything about NYC. Well, everything except for the winter, but we all have to make sacrifices.

11. What is your favorite thing about blogging? The worst?
My favorite thing about blogging is being able to talk about whatever I want and occasionally there is actually someone there who feels the same way!
What I'm not a fan of isn't really blogging; it's me. I have the attention span of a small rodent, so sometimes I forget to post and I get kind of stressed out about it!!


The Facts
1. I just graduated from Winthrop University with my B.S. in Business Administration (Concentration in Marketing and Minor in Visual Design Studies!)
2. I love pepperoni pizza.
3. I want to perform in a Broadway musical.
4. My favorite TV shows are Doctor Who and Game of Thrones.
5. My favorite color is green.
6. I've been to more foreign countries than I have states.
7. I wake up every day at 5 am.
8. I am an alumna of Chi Omega women's fraternity
9. I was born and raised in the South, but I don't have an accent
11. I read at least one book a month


The Nominations
1. Kylie at dress in sparkles
2. Alyssa at from campus with love
3. Deanna at Designing Gal
4. Elyssa at Miss Manhattan
5. Miranda at Mermade Moments
6. Allison at allisonleighann
7. Amy at Champagne and Pearls
8. Brittany at Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich
9. Annie at A College Confession
10. Liza at Classy and Curly
11. That University Girl


The Questions
1. What one word best describes you?
2. Why did you start blogging?
3. Who is your blogging inspiration?
4. Cats or dogs?
5. Favorite memory of 2014 so far?
6. What's your dream job?
7. What is your favorite way to spend your leisure time?
8. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
9. Who is your celeb crush?
10. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
11. Do you have any special talents?


Make sure you check out Lavender Mud as well as all of the blogs that I've nominated! They're such fabulous blogs, so if you don't you'll seriously be missing out!

Pet Sick

I don't know any other way to title this post. How else can I get across the fact the I miss my puppy!!! So, it's like I'm home sick, only...for my pet!

 

I mean, look at him!! He's adorable. He's my little Snickerdoodle (his name is actually Snickers, but doesn't he look more like Snickerdoodle to you?) and I haven't seen him in soooo looooong and I miss him like crazy.

He' a Yorkie-Poo and a ball of sass and energy (sometimes I call him my little Satan puppy. He can be mean!)

But he's still my puppy! Well, my parents puppy. And he's not exactly a puppy anymore, since he turned 2 this past December. But I will forever call him my puppy.

I love when I get to "pet sit" for my parents and he comes to stay with me! My roommate has a dog, but he isn't my little Snickerdoodle, so it's not quite the same. So when I get the chance to love and snuggle my puppy, I get so excited! He gets even more excited, though. Remember, I said he's a ball of energy. I'm pretty sure he could win a Nascar race sometimes.

Like I said, he's actually my parent's dog, so I don't get to see him as much as I would like. That's why recently, I've been contemplating getting a dog of my own. I wanted to adopt, but I can't find what I'm looking for at the shelters around my apartment. I want a small dog that doesn't shed (like Snickers!) because my roommate already has the position of "large dog that sheds like nobody's business" filled with her dog. I don't think I can handle anymore dog hair around the apartment. And I want something small because I feel bad keeping a larger dog in an apartment, where he doesn't have a yard to run around in =(

Since I can't find anything at the shelters, I actually started looking at Mi-Ki's. 

They are absolutely ADORABLE.

But also absolutely expensive. If I do decide to get one, I'm going to have to wait a while. 

BUT LOOK AT HOW ADORABLE IT IS! They're small, and there's a type that doesn't shed, so they are the perfect dog for me!

If I get one, Snickers might get a little jealous when he comes to visit.

But nothing could ever replace my precious little Snickerdoodle. 

(Snickers before and after getting his summer cut...a little closer than usual)

Bonus picture! Snickers when he was actually a puppy!! How freakin' cute was he?

Weekend Round-Up

This weekend was probably the most eventful one of my entire life, but it was SO EXCITING!

First of all, I graduated college! Eeeek! I've spent the last 4 years of my life working toward this moment, so the fact that it finally happened is so unreal to me.

I mean, I am a college graduate. WHAT? I'm so excited, but also a little nervous. I'm totally not ready for the Big Girl World.

I think I'm just going to miss being able to catch up with my friends whenever I want. Not too mention the option to sleep through a class once or twice. (That definitely won't fly at a job)

Like I said, I'm excited though.

I just can't believe that I'm a COLLEGE GRADUATE!

Diploma Time!

The fam

My Big and one of my best friends!

Some of my sisters! (What is going on with my feet????)

It's official!

This week was also Mother's Day!! So, after my graduation on Saturday, I headed to my parents house on Sunday!! We didn't really do much. My sister and I took my mother to see The Other Woman. It's absolutely hilarious and I definitely recommend it!

I'm a poor (recently graduated) college kid, so I didn't know what I would get my mom for Mother's Day. I actually ended painting her something.

It's the cruise ship we're taking in July for our family/friends vacation! I'm really proud of it, and my mom loved it!

Did anybody else have a fabulous weekend? I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day Weekend!!

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I've jumped on the Bloglovin' bandwagon! I mostly did it so I can keep track of all of the blogs that I follow (there are a lot), but I also thought I'd go ahead and "claim" my blog, so if you want to follow me on Bloglovin', you can! How exciting.

If anyone else is on Bloglovin', let me know so I can follow you! I love reading other blogs so pleasepleaseplease let me know!

May the Fourth be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day everybody!

This should honestly be a national holiday (even though today is a Sunday, so it wouldn't matter...)

I'm stuck inside right now, trying to clean up my apartment. With all of my finals (my final finals!) I have let my apartment become a complete mess. Which, if you've read basically any other post here, you'd know that I am most certainly not okay with it.

I hate messes. But I also hate cleaning. Which is why usually I just tidy up as I go along. But I haven't had enough time! Stupid finals!!

So today, instead of wandering around my apartment complex, enjoying the lovely weather and beautiful flowers in bloom, I'm stuck inside cleaning my apartment and watching QVC.

Which is also bad. Because now I really want this laptop...despite having just bought a new one last July!! 

So this is basically a struggle in every single way. 

I mean, look at how beautiful it is outside!!

I need some motivation, I just haven't found any of it yet!!

Does anyone have any suggestions for motivating myself? Or some quick cleaning tips? 

I would really appreciate it!!!

Life is Good

I posted at the beginning of this week about how hard life is.
And yesterday I posted about making your own happiness.

So today I'm going to kind of mix the two!

Yeah, life is hard. But it's also good.

Today I had an interview. A real-life, big-girl job interview.
And I left that interview feeling the best I've felt in a while. I felt happy; I felt confident; I felt good. So good.

I can't remember the last time I left an interview feeling that good. You see, typically when I have to endure stressful situations like that, no matter how well I think they went, I leave feeling jittery, nervous, and unsure.

But today, I only felt good. I knew I did well in that interview. And knowing that I have my second interview on Monday just makes me feel even better.

This is such an exciting opportunity for and I cannot tell you how excited I am!!

Has anyone else had something else in their life recently that just made them feel so fabulous??

The Sun'll Come Out

In my Look Back post about 2 weeks ago, I mentioned our national consultant that visited and directed you to her page (Lauren at The Sunny Girl, if you missed it).

Well, this week has been such a struggle and I've been having a hard time focusing on anything but the negative, which reminded me of something she told us.

We make our own happiness.

It seems so obvious, right? If we make a conscious decision to be happy, we're probably going to be, you guessed it, HAPPY. We all need to stop focusing on the negative aspects of our lives and try to focus on the good. It's hard, especially with disorders like depression and anxiety, but it's possible.

Stop worrying about that exam that you just failed and instead think of the opportunity you now have to improve yourself; instead of moping around and complaining about all of the work you have to do, get it done so you will actually have time to do something you enjoy; instead of constantly telling yourself that you can't, just once tell yourself that you can.

It's not all in the way we look at things, but about 95% of it is.

If you tell yourself that you're going to be happy and put forth the effort to be happy, then I am certain that you will be happy! And if by some unfortunate series of events you aren't happy, you can only go up from there!

Lauren also introduced us to something she calls, "The Sunny Set."

This is basically a bucket list, but instead of focusing on things you want to do before you die, you focus on all of the things you want to do while you live.
Sure, it's basically the same thing, but which one sounds a little bit more optimistic? I'm a big fan of living, you know.

Here are the top items of my Sunny Set:

• work for Kate Spade
• sing on Broadway
• meet (or, y'know, marry) Darren Criss
• meet Idina Menzel
• Move to New York

Sure, some of them don't seem that likely, but if I don't dream it, can it ever really happen?

Honestly, I think everyone should make a Sunny Set. Even if it's only a list of your short-term goals, I think it will help you feel much more accomplished and, in turn, a lot happier in your life. 

Here are a few words from Audrey Hepburn that I think everyone should consider.

And these wise words from my favorite President: