This may be a silly post, but I am in love with the idea of "essentials" or "must haves."
In an attempt to de-clutter my life, I like finding my absolute favorite things and sticking with them. My mom texted me this morning and asked if there was anything I wanted my dad to bring up that would help get me through exam week when he comes to visit on Tuesday, and without hesitation I told her "Whole Grain Cheez-Its and Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey Granola Bars." (I already have 1 and a half Dove Dark Chocolate bars stashed away under my desk, shh.)

And I thought about it, and I decided that if I was stuck on a deserted island and had to live off 3 things, these three would be it (not exactly the healthiest choice, but you know.)
Deciding what kind of snacks to keep in your dorm room is kinda like decided what minimal things to take with you on a deserted island. Or at least it is if you have as much other stuff taking up precious space as I do.
It's kinda the same thing.
Kinda.

I know I don't normally ask for follower participation, but if you're actually reading this: What are your go-to snacking essentials? I'd love to hear.

As a side note, I'll probably do a couple more posts like these. I definitely want to do a "Makeup Essentials" one later.

pinterest favorites.

from this week:

this agate, because the colors are absolutely insane.

this beauty inspiration, because there is nothing I don't love about it. This look is so classic and the head wrap and jewelry make it feel so unique.

this bedroom, because warm tones are my favorite and I have been in love with honeycomb prints lately.

this DIY pinata, because how much fun would this be for a summer fiesta? Also, the gold/hot pink combo makes it look so chic.

this typography quote, because this week has been all about focusing on each day at a time.
these lemon meringue pie s'mores, because I love food that's a spin on a classic. And I love lemon meringue pie. Yum.

I know this is a day late, but this week has been crazy busy. I'm obviously feeling some summertime this week as I look forward to summer break which is just around the corner.
I'm not quite sure how much I like being restrained by what's on my Pinterest each week. I might do some of these which are restrained by a specific theme rather than a weekly review. We'll see.

my Pinterest

lazy sunday afternoons.

Sundays are tough. Sundays are the days when you know you have work to do because you've been putting it off all weekend, yet you don't want to do it because you just want to relax before the hectic week ahead. Maybe the sun is shining and beckoning you outside. Maybe it's rainy and you just want to crawl in bed with a big cup of coffee and watch Netflix. Maybe it's a beautiful spring day and you're too distracted and inspired by the beauty surrounding you to write a paper for Humanities or crunch numbers for Statistics.

Today was like that last one. At least I was inspired enough to blog. Productivity is productivity, right?

I spent some time in the Botanical Gardens again. Spring is in full bloom here and I love it. I tried to get some homework done while I was there, but I couldn't help but go off on a miniature photo walk.

I know macro flower pictures are so cliche, especially for me. But I will stop taking them when I stop finding them so pretty. Which will most likely be never.

Giving myself a break today was actually the best thing I could've done. This week is going to be the craziest of them all, and I could really use the relaxation in preparation for it. This week is the week before exams, and I have a billion things due. My desktop looks currently like this:

A giant list of things to get done (organized and broken down by day of the week, one thing at a time works best for me) and some serious motivation.

pinterest favorites.

from this week:

this gorgeous hair and makeup inspiration on Natalie, because I love the balance between dramatic glamour and natural, hushed tones.

this reminder, because I truly believe this with my whole heart and searching for happiness has been so important these last few days.

these donuts, because I have been craving them so much lately.

this floral arrangement, because I love these colors and the citrus makes it feel so fresh.

these bridesmaids dresses, because they are so classic. (and sparkly!)

this laundry room, because it feels so bright and clean, which is exactly how a laundry room should feel.

I'm clearly feeling spring this week: pink, pastels, weddings, sweets, flowers, cleaning.

my Pinterest.

the end is near.

Every class that I've attended, every phone call from my parents, every time I throw on a pair of shorts and everytime I can't believe how hot some days can be, I am reminded that summer is going to be here before I know it. I will be done with my first year of college before I know it.

I keep flipping my calendar forward weeks at a time. I'm pretty sure everything is planned out from here on to the end of exams. Crazy.

Time is flying and I have so many deadlines that it's not even funny. Yet at the same time, I am starting to think that I might actually survive this semester. The light at the end of the tunnel is now visible, so to speak.

Taking a break from my crazy, stressful, end of the year marathon that I'm currently running, I look back at these snapshots from a quick trip my hallmates and I took to the Botanical Gardens on an April day that could've been mistaken for July. I am reminded to slow down, even at the busiest of times, in order to relax and take in this most beautiful time of the year.

A year later, and I am more in love with this beautiful place and my school than ever before.

dorm light.

....which I don't completely hate.

(as opposed to what I mentioned here.) 

1. Brandon and Corey's room is the go-to hangout spot on our hall. This is Brandon tumbl'ing on his bed as the first storm of the season rolled in. Everyone gathered in their room and ate McDonalds(but we won't talk about how I cut McDonalds out of my diet. shh.) and talked late into the evening. It was a simple but nice night.

2. Some rainbows playing on my lamp and bulletin board in the afternoon light. So dreamy. (my Springtime list is making an appearance on the left there.)

pinterest favorites.

from this week:
this hummus, because I can't ever get enough of hummus and avocados make everything better.
this outfit, because this warmer weather makes me want to wear every color imaginable.
this quote, because this week it proved itself true.
this kitchen, because yellow and grey is a flawless color combination.
this earbud holder, because I could really use one and the wood makes this one so pretty.
this birdhouse, because birdhouses are magical in the spring, and DIYs involving recycled objects are the best.

This little segment was a lot harder to put together than I thought it'd be! I pin soo much stuff. (Lonnie always makes fun of me when he looks over my shoulder and sees that I have a billion tabs open, all of which are solely Pinterest.) It's hard for me to pick favorites. But I had a lot of fun with it, and breaking things down like this gives me the chance to really "evaluate" the stuff I'm (at times) mindlessly regurgitating all over the internet. I'm very guilty of the ol' "pin now, never look at again" habit, yet I honestly think Pinterest has the potential to be very useful in daily life, especially for mere inspiration.

Anyway, to sum this rant: I like this and I'll keep doing it. I'm planning to do a set every Friday, as a way of summing up each week with online finds.

my Pinterest.

target faves.

mirror | swimsuit | tote | frame | crab | heels | clock | bottle

I got a summer job at Target, and to celebrate I compiled together some things I am really loving from Target right now.

I know that a summer job as a cashier at a store is nothing to really be celebrated, but it's no secret to anyone who knows me how much I love Target. I could spend hours and billions of dollars shopping around at my local store. Therefore, I am making this post out of my pure love for Target. Especially their Threshold and Nate Berkus collections. I am drooling.

I am also, clearly, craving some summertime. Bikinis, nautical pieces, neon, glass water bottles, giant beach bags. Yes, please.

I am partly making this post because I've been doing some serious thinking (and post-it note making, my desk is a mess of ideas) about the direction of this blog and where I'd like it to go. I would really like for this blog to be a bit more follower-friendly. I love blogging about personal things which matter to me, and posting pictures and updates regularly, but I'd also love to give this blog more of a direction. I'm kind of all over the place, and I think by narrowing down posts to a few central ideas/segments, I could give myself a way to regularly cover everything I would like to.

I'm thinking my blog will consist of something along the lines of:

personal posts (regular blogging and pictures of the everyday)

creative life inspiration (art and design, and thoughts on being an artist/designer)

products and style (like this post: favorite products from specific themes, brands, or stores)

college life posts (tips and reflections from a college student)

latest faves from pinterest

Some of my favorite blogs (http://www.elephantineblog.com/, http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/, http://www.skunkboyblog.com/) manage to cover so many topics flawlessly. I will definitely be looking at ladies like these for inspiration, and hopefully you will see a few minor changes around here.

let's take a drive.

Spring suddenly appeared, so Lonnie and I took a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway to eat lunch and drive around a bit. We packed a picnic of sorts and then went to the Visitor's Center and the Folk Art Center. Photography wasn't allowed at the Folk Art Center, but there was so much cool art for sale which I wish I could've taken home with me. The weather was absolutely perfect outside, and it has actually stayed warm ever since! A miracle. Students are doing their homework in The Quad and tanning in the Botanical Gardens, I've welcomed shorts and sandals back into my wardrobe, and smoothies from the cafe in the Library are tasting better than ever.

I feel like all I ever blog about is the weather, so I really loved seeing this post on Ashore the other day. Sam's writing is beautiful, and I absolutely agree with what she said. I definitely associate the coming and going seasons with the seasons of my own life.

I can actually see that summer is not too far off, and I am becoming increasingly happy about it. We registered for classes for next semester on Monday, and I really love how my schedule turned out. I have no classes before 10 a.m. and only one class on Mondays. It's starting to get to that time of year where things are looking ahead and I can't help but want to speed everything up. Hopefully, I can remember to slow down in order finish out this semester with full days brimmed with adventure like this one.

a long winter.

I took a trip to the Botanical Gardens with Brandon in order to get some pictures for Photo. It was snowing and there weren't many flowers, but there were a lot of other gorgeous, lush plants. I've never been to the Botanical Gardens before, so going my first time in the middle of winter wasn't the best idea I've ever had. But on the other hand, it was perfect because even in the dead of winter, it was beautiful. It made me so excited to go again when all sorts of different flowers and plants are in bloom later in the spring.

This winter has been a long one, but things are finally starting to warm up here. Finally.
Spring will hopefully be here to stay after next week.

self.

“One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.”

- Gabourey Sidibe

I am absolutely in love with the above quote. As I've grown, I've grown to really love my body and cherish it. When I stop to think about the human body and all the magical, wonderful things it can do, I'm amazed. When I'm feeling down about myself or when I'm picking out all the flaws I may have, I find it's important to remember that I've been blessed with a healthy, strong body and that is all I could ever ask for. I was lucky to be able to do dance for 13 years and to have a body that never failed me once (besides a wobbly knee, but that's a story for another time.) I definitely think of my body as a machine and I'm a big fan of the concept that my body is "my home." I mean, my body is the only one I'm getting, so I might as well embrace it, right?

I took some self-portraits to play with light direction for Photo. I also really needed a new Facebook profile picture. I used to hate black and white images, but I've been going through this phase where I am really drawn to them. I'd love to get my hands on some black and white film. I think that film grain on a black and white image is just so yummy. I love it.

Also, this song has been playing on repeat these last couple of days. I can't get enough of it. I am so excited to see what Andrew McMahon has up his sleeve in the future.