Christmas List

Christmas is one of my absolute favorite holidays! When I was a little girl, I used to make these elaborate and extremely long Christmas lists with a ridiculous amount of toys, games, and even animals on them (In my defense, didn't everyone ask for a pony once or twice?)
Here's an image to help you imagination:
Eloise at Christmastine has forever been one of my favorite holiday movies!

Now that I'm older, I know that Christmas is about so much more than presents. It's all about family, Jesus, and spreading holiday cheer here in my neck of the woods. 

With that being said, we still exchange gifts and every year my grandma, aunts, and uncles discreetly call my mom asking what it is that I'm in to since they don't know what to buy. I usually put together a list for my mom incase she does't know what to tell them. 

Here's what made the cut this year! 

This one is actually already under the tree. I bought it with my mom at Macy's when she had a coupon so that she could save a bit of money and I could have a link taken out. I can't wait to wear it on Christmas day!

Audrey Hepburn movies are my favorite! When I had a Netflix subscription, they were all that I watched. Now I get them from the library, but this DVD includes three of my favorites: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and Sabrina.

I love my EOS eggs, and I really want to try this mint flavored one! It's really the perfect stocking stuffer. 

I've been looking for a good pair of all-white shoes to wear for sorority ritual events, and I think these Jacks would be perfect! I think Jacks are one of the best summer shoes around! I have a pair in platinum and I love them! (They're a little dangerous before they're broken in, though)

5. Pink laptop case
There's no link for this one because I don't know where the best place to buy this is. I want a pink hard shell case for my 13" Macbook air, but buying one for $10 from Amazon seems sketchy and buying one for $50 from the Apple store seems so expensive. I'll just wait and see. 

6. Macarons
I'm not asking Santa to bring me macarons, but I included these on the list because I think they make the best gifts! I plan on whipping up a batch and giving some to my big and grand-big sisters in my sorority (Fingers crossed they aren't reading. Katie and Raleigh, if you are, just act surprised! I promise they'll be tasty!).
p.s. the picture for these Lauduree macarons is from this blog

Christmas Card!

I've wanted a sibling for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I still wish that my parents would have a baby. Around the holidays, I especially envy the girls with big families and little kids around to get excited about Santa. 
I also get a little jealous about the fun Christmas card shoots that some families have *cough cough-College Prepster*

When I was a baby, my parents sent out cards with just me on them, and while it's cute when you're little, it would be pretty awkward to send a picture of just me at age 19. For the past few years, we've been sending a family photo card, but we didn't get around to taking one this year!  

I was pondering this situation yesterday and came up with the perfect solution to my dilemma! 
Yes, that is the same hair bow :)

I designed it myself with Adobe Photoshop Elements because I couldn't find a template on any photo card websites that worked with my vision. 

It still has the little baby cute factor along with the fun of a throwback! 
I couldn't be more excited with the final product! 
They're being addressed and sent off tomorrow! (Yes, I know it's sort of last minute. Welcome to my life.)

What do y'all think? Does anyone else send out fun holiday cards? Any other exciting holiday traditions?

A Night with John Mayer!

It's the middle of finals week for me and I may or may not be going a little crazy with two finals tomorrow and two Tuesday (this post = #procrastinationstation). However, yesterday I took a study break entire day off from studying and went to New Orleans with my mom to see John Mayer in concert! 
We had such a good time! We spent most of the day shopping, had dinner at Acme Oyster House (yum!) and then made our way over to the New Orleans Arena for the show! 
And what a show it was!! Phillip Phillips opened and did an awesome job! I absolutely love the sort of folk/rock/pop combo thing he has going on. You should definitely take a second to check out some of his music (his two big hits are Gone, Gone, Gone, and Home)

As for Mr. Mayer, there was no doubt in my mind that he would put on a spectacular show. He didn't let me down. His guitar skills alone are incredible, and I loved every song he sang. 
Our seats were pretty decent, too. (The last concert I saw at the arena was Taylor Swift and our seats were terrible in the very back and at the tippy top) This time, we were in the first level off the floor and off to the side. 
I'm pretty sure it sounded just as good from where we were as it did in the front row, too ;)

I apologize for the less-than-sub-par pictures. I'm still mastering the art that is iPhone photography and I took mostly videos anyway. 
But pictures don't really do that stage justice anyway. There's no way to capture the way the lights all came together to make your feelings from the songs feel stronger. The images in the background of the night sky and the desert just added so much. I loved the hippie vibe and I think it really matched his two newest albums, but I was over the moon that he played so many of his oldies too! 

Here's a clip of a video I took of John singing Gravity (one of my absolute favorites!). Again, apologies for the terrible video quality. At least it sounds amazing :)


On My Bookshelf

I've always been an avid reader (I cried on the first day of pre-school when I didn't learn how to read), and I've read some really good books this summer. 



It's set in New York and quite funny. Highly recommend.  

She's one of my favorite authors. This one had a tie-in story that took place during the Holocaust and Night by Elie Wiesel was one of my favorite school-required books. I got emotional reading it, but good books will do that to you. 

I loved the Great Gatsby (book & movie), this one helped me get over my post-Gatsby depression. 

I think reading children's books from time to time is perfectly acceptable. I'm not usually a huge science-fiction fan (except for Harry Potter), but this one was so well written. I felt what the characters felt the whole time, and that's what should happen when you read a properly written book. 

My guilty pleasure books. I've read almost the whole series this summer. I loved watching the TV show, and though it is different, I still love the New York vibe.  

I'm still reading this one, but it's really really good! When I was in New York, we saw the musical Wicked, and I fell in love with Elphie, Glinda, and Fiyero (along with musical theatre in general)! 


Did you read any good books this summer?

Summer Favorites

Summer is drawing to a close, and soon this fabulous summer will be a distant memory.
Unfortunately, here in the South, the summer heat won't be going away any time soon. It will probably stay in the 80s and 90s with 100% or so humidity well into September and October.

I've mentioned that this was a summer of adventure as well as relaxation, and here are some of my favorite things for you to store in the back of your mind (or your Pinterest page!) for next summer.
But, all of these goodies could definitely be used throughout the year, too! Why limit them to one season? 



Kindle. I've used my Kindle so much in the past few months! I found out that my library offers e-book rentals, and that was definitely a top-ten moment of my summer. (You can check here to see if your local library does, too!) I got mine a few years ago, and Amazon has updated them since, but you can buy new versions like this and they're probably even nicer than the one I have! I also love my Starry Night skin

Ray Bans. These sunnies were a gift for my mom that found their way into my Jeep and they've been there pretty much ever since. These are big and have a sort of vintage vibe, which I love! 

Instagram. I've "grammed" so much this summer. You can follow me if you'd like to see what I've been up to. 

Lifeproof Case. I wish I could have pretty iPhone cases like this one from Tory Burch or a fun sparkle case but my poor phone has been known to take tumbles. My lifeproof case has definitely saved the day on multiple occasions, although I'm scared to death to purposely put it under water. No mermaid pictures for this girl, but it was free of sand at the beach! And it comes in pink :)

Lipton Tea & Honey. I could never make myself like sweet iced tea. I've felt like I was missing a special southern gene or something for my whole life, but I could never stomach plain old sweet iced tea. Just the other day, though, my mom had a coupon and brought home these Dragonfruit Peach packets since she is a tea-drinker. I'm so glad I decided to try one! It's sweet and refreshing and only about 10 calories for a whole bottle. And fewer chemicals than my usual diet coke, which is a plus. 

Chaco Sandals. Every time wear these sandals, I feel like I'm gearing up for a great adventure even if I'm only going to the library. I usually wear mine with nike shorts and tank tops, my go-to summer errand-running outfit since it's too hot to wear anything else. They're super comfy and come in a bunch of fun color and strap combinations. 

Eos Lip Balm. I can't get enough! They smell so good and I don't lose these eggs like I usually lose tubes of lip balm. I've mostly used summer fruit but I also love lemon drop because it has SPF. 



What were some of your favorite things this summer?


College Wish List

So I've always been the nerd girl that gets super excited when school is about to start. This year is no exception. In fact, my pre-school impatience this year is probably the worst it's ever been. 

The end of August means a new place to call home (yay dorm life!), new friends (I'm hoping to join a sorority!), and a whole new routine! And what else could help prepare for a brand new life than fun new accessories?

Here's what I plan on picking up before school starts:





Monogrammed Rain Jacket - Sweet Sarahs

My countdown is on! 15 days, 16 hours, and 43 minutes until I can move into my new dorm, and then another three days before classes start!
I better order these soon!

What are some of your 'can't live without' back-to-school picks? 

DIY: Monogram Wallpaper via Photoshop

One of my more popular posts on my Tumblr was this picture of my laptop. I love monograms and I think Lilly Pulitzer prints are super fun and summery so this is perfect for my summer wallpaper!


I had lots of requests for a tutorial, so I made a video and posted it to YouTube! 
If you have Adobe Photoshop and want to try to make one of these, it's your lucky day!


Please excuse my voice and my mispronunciation of Lilly Pulitzer... 

If I'm not clear enough, or you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! 

And if you'd like for me to make a monogram wallpaper for you, I'd love to! Just comment below :)


Top Five Tunes

I'm always listening to music, and it's always different (presets on my satellite radio are The Highway-country, Hits One-pop, Coffee House Rock-acoustic/indie, Sinatra-jazz, and Broadway-show tunes). I've amassed a pretty large iTunes library since I got my first iPod on my twelfth birthday. Seven years and two iPods later, I still love Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney, but my musical horizons have broadened. 

My Top 5 Right now include: 






Honorable Mentions: Florida Georgia Line and Ed Sheeran.

Do yourself a favor and check out some of this music if you haven't already. 

What are some of your favorite songs right now? 

Dorm Excitement!

I've been living the lazy girl's dream this summer. Even though I love going on adventures and doing exciting things (trips to NYC and the beach were particularly fun this summer), I'm also perfectly content to sit on my queen-sized bed and watch movies all day. Side note- The only thing I'm not looking forward to is switching to a twin-sized bed.

via Instagram

But all good things must come to an end, and, between you and me, this summer is starting to get a little boring anyway.

So in exactly 18 days, 16 hours, and 35 minutes, I'll be moving into a little dorm room, meeting my roommate for the first time, and starting the next chapter of my life. My goodness, that sounds rather exciting, doesn't it?

These last few days have been filled with dorm shopping, too! I've already bought a bedspread (seersucker, my favorite!), sheets, towels, a hamper, a shoe organizer, and some other neat essentials.


via Instagram
 I've even painted some cute pictures to hang (with command strips I guess?)! My city love is showing again...

The dorm I'll be living in is fairly new, private (as in my roommate and I share a bathroom and a hallway, but have our own doors to separate rooms) and it even comes with a mini fridge and microwave right in our room! Another plus is that my house is only ten minutes from campus so I can visit home as often or as little as I want.

I follow Carly of TheCollegePrepster.com and she's got some great tips and stories, plus her site is so cute!

Is there anything that you think I should get to make dorm life a little easier or more fun? Any advice?