10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. good grocery store finds, like finding fancy juice for less than 2 bucks
2. having 3 days in a row off this week and catching up on sleep and relaxation
3. the first thunderstorm of the season
4. spending time outside on campus relaxing in my eno that I won for free at a basketball game
5. venti iced green teas
6. the sun stays up until almost 9:00 now(!!!)
7. the best adventure partner & roommate ever
8. open windows
9. getting really used to basic adult routines like grocery shopping and laundry
10. summer reading

parkway adventure.

I mentioned in my last 10 things post on Friday that Lonnie and I spent the day together up on the parkway when we both had a day off. Today I'm sharing photos from that trip. The weather was beyond perfect, so we originally decided to make a trip to Skinny Dip Falls. But when we got to the overlook where the trail was, it was super crowded so we decided to just keep driving until we found another trail. The day ended up being even better than expected because we were able to explore a completely new part of the parkway.

In the summer when I'm out of school, I tend to be kinda a homebody, so getting outside and taking little trips like these is so important for me to stay happy and healthy. I had such a great time spending the day in the sun, getting exercise, and bonding with my guy.

moodboard monday.

tassel necklace | tote | 70s style | salted chocolate chip cookies | DIY wall hangings | hand dish

Feelin' a little bit of classic Americana on this Memorial Day. Lately I've been inspired by and obsessed with deep indigo hues, tassel anything, and natural elements like gemstones and wood grains.

To better feed this obsession with all things found in nature, I'm trying to spend more time outside this week since the usual hot and sunny May weather has seemed to stick around for good. I have a nice chunk of time off from work this week, so I'm planning to spend those days outside either reading in the park or taking another small hiking trip up on the parkway.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. spending my day off with Lonnie exploring and hiking up on Blue Ridge
2. Trader Joe's wine(so cheap and always so good. also, if you haven't noticed, I live practically right down the street from a Trader Joe's now and I like it.)
3. taking a moment to admire the light in Lonnie's(our? my?) bedroom.
4. these earrings I bought from work(I also picked up a tiny pretzel necklace the same day. If it's fun and different, I have to have it.)
5. having time to actually keep my nails painted instead of letting them chip away until I give up and go bare
6. Both Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes are on Netflix right now
7. basically, summer break is the best thing ever, and I'm feeling it this week
8. I also bought this dress from work and I've grown completely obsessed with it. It's the perfect thing to wear on these springy, breezy days.
9. my favorite blog
10. forcing myself to make this post a day late(sorry, guys!) and after an 8 hour (SATURDAY!) shift at work. To be honest, this took me a while to write cause I was just not feeling it(why do I keep using this phrase???), but as always, I feel better now that I've done it and grateful once again for these weekly practices.

moodboard monday.

metallic sandals | pineapple earrings | marble surfboards | popsicles | confidence quote | beachy style

I feel like the dust has finally settled after the stress of school, exams, and then moving in to my boyfriend's apartment, as I'm falling into a decent summer vacation routine which consists mainly of sleeping in, working a lot, and relaxing a lot. And since this past year has been my first one of juggling both work and school at the same time(I've only had summer jobs before now), I have a complete new appreciation of classes ending for the summer. Last summer, I spent a lot of time complaining that I didn't have a break between full time school and full time work, but this summer I'm just thankful to only have one full time to focus on.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. finding a dresser and not living completely out of boxes (this was one was pretty much EVERYTHING.)
2. going home for Mother's Day weekend and spending a lot of quality time with family
3. leftover pound cake that I made with my dad and took back to Asheville with me
4. $3 cacti at CVS
5. getting plenty of hours at work and not having to worry too much about making money
6. realizing that the Walmart is Weaverville is WAY better than the one in Asheville and that the distance is pretty much the same(this is just a comfort I can't live without on my college student budget, even if I am currently making money)
7. summer break and having actual free time that's not filled up with homework
8. finding the perfect foundation that's full coverage yet super lightweight and doesn't wear off after a few hours. It pretty much meets all of my oily skin needs, and I'm super impressed.
9. OPI polish in Cajun Shrimp(aka, my power shade)
10. going to my school's gym in the summer cause it's never crowded, like ever.

moodboard monday.

breakfast in bed | reminder | plunging neckline | ikea hacks | poolside sandals | bedside table

I went home this weekend for Mother's Day and to bring home some college things to try and maximize space in the apartment. I had a great time catching up with family, relaxing, and spending time in the kitchen with my dad. The mini vacation was just what I needed to reset and refresh before starting my first official week of summer in Asheville. I feel so much more prepared for the work week ahead, and excited to finally settle into both a new home and a new routine.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. officially living so close to the parkway and the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains
2. also, Asheville parks, especially the one beside the French Broad river because it is AWESOME and so peaceful
3. Mr. Clean magic erasers
4. waking up next to my favorite person every day
5. Trader Joe's grocery bags(this seems really irrelevant but for a college student moving with limited boxes and luggage, they are a Godsend)
6. getting all A's and only one B this semester and realizing that hard work actually can pay off, even for those really, really hard semesters that seem to never end
7. facing my fears and doing adult things like going to the laundromat all by myself(this so wasn't as scary as I thought it would be)
8. Hopey and Co., a super discounted mainly organic/all natural food store in Asheville where I can get tons of good snacks and groceries for cheap
9. $1.50 Shock Tops on Thursdays at my boyfriend's new job
10. finally some warmer weather complete with tons of sunshine

our place.

I mentioned on Monday that this week, I'm making the big move into my boyfriend's apartment. Now, my boyfriend and I have been together for about 5 years now, and luckily that means that I've gotten to know the differences in our style pretty well. Not so luckily, I've learned that he and I are pretty much polar opposites when it comes to style. I'm very much modern glamour meets pops of color, and he's very much rustic minimalist. My boyfriend is very much a guy's guy, and I knew moving in I'd have to immediately tone down my over-the-top glitzy style (he also has a weird aversion to anything painted white, and I have the strong desire to paint everything white, so...problems).

Because of our differences in style and also because of my need to visualize and pre-plan everything, a while back, I made a private Pinterest board to try and find some kind of middle ground between our two styles. And I found that our styles mixed together is actually a pretty awesome mix of rustic, quirky, and modern. Lots of found objects(we'd always enjoyed thrifting and antiquing together), mixed in with modern furniture with clean lines, add in some natural elements, and then bring in cool art with warm, energizing pops of color, and somehow we have a meshed style that's all our own.

Now the Pinterest board I created was totally just a dream of sorts; I have much more realistic home decor expectations for the first apartment we share. However, I feel so much better going into this move knowing that our two styles can coexist successfully, and having a set visual in mind helps me organize what to bring in to this new shared space and what to leave out.

"our place" Pinterest board

moodboard monday.

pattern mixing | doing the work | perfect pink polish | salt air margaritas | blue bathroom | orange chocolate cake

Well, I finally made it through all my finals! I finished up a video project today, and all I have left is the presentation tomorrow. The quote featured above is my new favorite mantra. It's just so true that nothing really compares to the feeling of accomplishing massive amounts of work.

I'm now currently trying to maintain a sunny, lighthearted, and springy attitude as I pack up my dorm and face the (almost as equally stressful as exams) big move into my boyfriend's apartment for the summer. Thankfully, I've moved from home to dorm and back home at least 4 times since I started college, so I'm pretty used to the moving process. I'll share more details about this big transition later this week once I'm all settled.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. Making it a new weekly tradition to journal goals for the week and then share them with my bff, Whitney
2. Finishing up classes and exams(I'm almost done and it's best feeling ever!)
3. Mexican food
4. the month of May
5. the lady who works at my school's sandwich shop, who is always so sweet and asking how I'm doing. On Monday, she asked me about exams and what my day was looking like. I explained to her that I had a meeting with my boss to talk about a possible promotion, and between the stress of exams and all of that as well, I was struggling a little bit, to which she replied, "Honey, take your time. Breathe. And be good at it. Kick ass at it!" It was the best and most-needed pep talk ever, and I'm so thankful for seeing her almost every day this past year.
6. closing the chapter on my first New Media internship, and the experience I gained during it
7. the app, Evernote, because as an avid list-maker, without it I would probably lose my damn mind.
8. not putting too much pressure on myself to stick to my workout schedule during this busy week, but choosing to do some cardio anyway as way to relieve stress
9. making summer goals and plans
10. buying a new purse and consequently re-organizing all the things I carry around on a daily basis(this seems so lame, but I swear buying a new purse for me is like hitting life's re-do button)