glitter top | best phrase ever | geometric heels | DIY marble tray | surfboard gate | taco party

Today was my last day of classes for my junior year of college. Exam week is now in full swing, and I am trying to maintain focus. I don't have a whole lot left to do, and I know as each day goes by my plate will become less full. However, it's hard to finish strong after I feel like I've already given this semester my absolute all. I really do feel like this is the home stretch of a marathon, and I'm tired and running out of energy. But I know all of the hard work will be over soon, and that I will be stronger and better because of it. Despite those feelings of exhaustion and dread, I am also feeling grateful for this year and how much I've grown and learned.

Maintaining perspective will be what helps me finish this semester strong. In between exams and deadlines, I will be dreaming of summer days, tacos, tan skin, margaritas, and the free time to focus on the things I want to do rather than the things I have to do.
I'm officially a week away, and I can't wait.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. a spontaneous parkway trip on a rainy Sunday spent with Lonnie. He wanted to show me this house he discovered which was built on the water. It seriously looked like something straight out of a movie, and we had such a good day roadtrippin' together.
2. having three classes cancelled throughout the week, which means I had plenty of time to conquer my giant to-do list
3. a much needed phone call from my bestie, Whitney
4. finishing up all of my classes, which included turning in a paper that I've been working on all semester long; I can finally see the light at the end of the proverbial academic tunnel and it feels amazing.
5. the stop motion project I'm working on(which I'll eventually share, if all goes well), and the way that it challenged me to photograph myself in very different looks outside of my comfort zone. Long story short, I parted my hair down the middle for the first time since elementary school, but the way that I styled it actually convinced me to maybe give it a try a this summer. I've had the same hair for FOREVER, and I'm so ready for something a little different and I think this is an easy, noncommittal way to shake things up. My favorite blogger actually made a whole post about this same thing.
6. getting back into the natural swing of creating, and realizing once again how importance this daily practice is. Maya Angelou knew what was up, y'all: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
7. having a go-to maxi dress to layer with a comfy sweater on these unseasonable chilly April days
8. dogwood blossoms
9. getting a workout in early in the day, and then spending the rest of the day feel that much more accomplished and prepared to take on anything
10. these weekly practices of gratitude

tennessee road trip: memphis.

I mentioned in the first part of this two part reflection that the main goal of our little road trip was to go to Memphis and visit Graceland. None of us have ever been, including my grandmother, who loves to tell the story about how she was on her way to pick up my uncle from football practice, when she heard the news of Elvis' death on the radio and had to pull over to compose herself due to the amount of shock which followed.

With that being said, Graceland did not disappoint us or my grandmother. There was way more to the estate than just the tour of the home. We saw his planes, all of his cars, and what seemed like countless mini museums with photos and belongings. The whole experience was definitely surreal and entertaining for all of us. For me, it was inspiring, as well. I can totally get behind Elvis' "go big or go home" style and over-the-top taste, and spending the day surrounded by a whole new level of glitz and glam was a dream come true for me.

That night for dinner, we ventured into downtown Memphis to eat ribs at Rendezvous, which was recommended to us as a must-visit, and that did not disappoint either. They were easily the best ribs I've ever eaten, especially the lamb ribs my dad and brother ordered, which were insanely delicious.

Other than Graceland, the highlight of Memphis for me was also seeing the Mississippi river for the first time as we briefly crossed the bridge which borders Arkansas. I've never been that far west before, so seeing a completely different part of the country other than the southeastern part I'm used to was really quite the experience for me.

moodboard monday.

perfect ponytail | queen anne's lace | vegetarian sloppy joes | mason jar dish | unstoppable women | denim lace dress

This week is going to be hard one for me, because it's the week before exams. As a New Media major, most of my "exams" are assignments and projects that I've been working on for a while. On one hand, having at least 4 different deadlines in one week can be super stressful, but on the other, it feels great to knock out project after project on my own time and terms. Lately I've been struggling with allowing my responsibilities to consume me when in reality, they are just that: my responsibilities that only I am responsible for and that only I can control. Instead of letting this power scare me, this week I want to focus on letting it fuel me.

This moodboard is reflecting some serious country vibes which could be due to the fact that I just finished the season finale of Hart of Dixie during my lunch break, but I'd like to think it's my inner "Steel Magnolia" country-strong spirit coming out during a time I could really use it. In my experience, southerners(especially southern women) aren't afraid of hard work because we're born with the confidence that we can do anything and everything. In channeling that confidence, I'm hoping to take on my responsibilities this week without fear or worry and with the knowledge that I have everything I need within me to achieve my goals.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. the incredible amount of confidence I've gained since starting college
2. knocking things off my to-do list like it's my job
3. Everlane Ryan Tees (I know it's silly to be thankful for a t-shirt, but seriously, these things are the BEST solution to the reoccuring "I have nothing to wear!" crisis. I love them and swear by them.)
4. taking advantage of the free resources at my university by going to counseling.
5. self-awareness, and my constant search for more of it
6. having time off this weekend to look forward to
7. deep breathing exercises to help me deal with stress(thanks again, counseling!)
8. spending time alone in my bed on rainy evenings
9. all of M*A*S*H is now on Netflix
10. living a room away from one of my best friends(also, thanks to that best friend, Olivia, for taking a beautiful and current picture of me! I've been needing a new profile pic on Facebook for a while now.)

tennessee road trip: nashville.

Back in March, my dad, sister, grandmother, and I took a road-trip to Tennessee. My brother, an officer in the Air Force who's currently training in Mississippi, met us in Nashville, the first stop in our two-night adventure. We spent the 2nd leg of our trip in Memphis, but since I have so many photos, I'll be covering that portion of the trip in a separate post.

As you can see through the photos, Nashville was pretty rainy, but nothing too unbearable for walking around. What made things extra difficult, however, was the flood of blue-clad University of Kentucky fans that you can see can in the last picture. Without realizing it, we timed our trip perfectly with the SEC tournament. We all couldn't help but just laugh at our luck, because these kinds of things seem to only happen to the Robinson family on big trips and vacations.

Fortunately, this didn't change much of our plans because our main goal was to get to Memphis and see Graceland. Nashville was just a fun stop along the way for us, and it still was despite the weather and the crowds. We were able to go to the Johnny Cash Museum, which is probably one of the biggest highlights of the trip for myself, since I'm a huge fan.

Nashville was a colorful town glittering with neon lights, and it shined bright even in the rain. Walking around, smelling barbecue and hearing familiar country songs, it felt like home and Hollywood all rolled up into one. I'd definitely like to go back sometime when I have more time to truly explore the city, but I'm thankful for getting a small taste of what it's all about.

moodboard monday.

candles | boho cuffs and jewels | butt and thigh workout | simple, sexy hair | feelings | light play

Warm weather always makes me want to embrace my messy hair, stack on gold accessories, and dress in loose t-shirts and dresses. I'm inspired by the freedom that seems to naturally follow the spring season. I've also been super busy lately juggling school, work, and an internship so I've found myself craving the freedom of summer vacation that is only 2 weeks away. I'm very excited for the season ahead, but currently struggling to enjoy the season I'm in. I'm hoping to create moments of light and freedom in the week ahead, despite how busy I get.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. relaunching this blog!
2. real spring weather
3. getting back in the gym and sweating out stress almost every day this week
4. Trader Joe's coconut green tea
5. FINALLY finishing the rough draft of a paper that I never thought would get done
6. texts from my bestie, Whitney
7. finding out that I won Charmer of the Month for March at my part time job at Charming Charlie's
8. finally finishing the entire series of Gilmore Girls on Netflix (I put this one off because I thought it would make me sad, instead it made my heart swell ten times in size. SO GOOD! also, does anyone else procrastinate watching the finale of a good series because they don't want it to end, or is that just me?)
9. the key to Lonnie's place that he surprised me with
10. the magic that I always find within myself when I run head first towards hard work instead of running away from it (or worse, stressing about it)

and we're back!

honey dispenser | tips on how to GSD | tassle manolos | indigo eggs | creativity takes courage | lemon drop cocktail

I had big plans to completely revamp this layout and switch over to Wordpress, but found that the simple template I've been using on Blogger works best for me so I decided to just freshen it up and keep it for now.

However, I did think long and hard about where I'd like this blog to go and how exactly I'd like to start using it as a tool and a creative space for not only me to be inspired, but also to inspire others.
And so I created Carolina Honey.

Carolina Honey to me is the sweet, the simple, the familiar. I struggled with this blog for so long because I was trying to make it something big and grandeur and trendy, when in reality, my favorite posts are the ones which feel the most genuine to who I am and what actually is important to me.

And what's important to me is gathering inspiration through art and design, taking personal photos in order to capture memories, reflecting on health and happiness, and maintaining a pared down, "simple is best" attitude toward all those important things in order to incorporate them seamlessly into daily life.

Therefore, with Carolina Honey, you can expect 2-3 posts per week.
The first I call 'Moodboard Monday,' where I create mood boards from my Pinterest Favorites, which will help inspire me and set the tone for the week ahead.

The second I call '10 Things,' where I list 10 things I am thankful for that week, and reflect a little bit about the challenges I faced and how I overcame them.

And the 3rd post will come and go organically as inspiration strikes. It will most likely be run on a biweekly schedule. It could be a feature post where I give advice about design, college life, health, or relationships. Or it could be a personal photo post where I share an adventure I went on with my camera or a holiday I've recently shared with family.

I am feeling super inspired by this new method of blogging where I stick to what I know, and try to post what I'd like to actually read myself. This is the only way I know to create genuine work that inspires me, so I'm sticking to it and allowing the rest to just fall into place.