10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. rewatching Silence of the Lambs on a rainy day
2. phone calls from home, and catching up with both my mom and best friend Whitney
3. finding the perfect pink polish at T.J. Maxx
4. also finding ready-to-brew iced coffee bags
5. convincing Lonnie to take down one set of blinds in the bedroom, and now having a nice view of a tree outside from bed
6. another spontaneous parkway trip (this one led us to a small southern town which was full of color and inspiration)
7. going so hard at the gym I've been sore for 2 days straight
8. starting to clean the apartment from top to bottom
9. staying in and ordering our favorite pizza; pepperoni and pepperoncini
10. looking at my school schedule for next year and realizing that most of my time will be spent creating (I have one new media class, one painting, and one photography class!)

Just a little note, I will most likely start posting these 10 Things on Saturdays instead of Fridays (but yes, I'm aware today is Sunday. my schedule has been a little off lately.) I'm hoping that this minor shift will give me enough time to gather pictures and really recap on the week in its entirety. 

moodboard monday.

popcorn party | YES to this | flamingo dress | tassel blanket | dream bathroom | rosé all day

This week, I'm feeling a lot better about my living situation. Simply knowing that I'll be staying put exactly where I am is enough to comfort me, and it definitely doesn't hurt that we've gotten many applicants interested in becoming roommates. This week will be spent cleaning and purging the apartment as we prepare for new people to take a look and move in, and I'm actually really looking forward to it. All summer, I've tried to make this place a home but it's been really difficult to considering the fact that I just came into the place as a 4th additional person. Now, Lonnie and I have a chance to clean the slate(literally speaking, in a way), and reorganize everything in the way that he and I like. I'm now feeling more excited than scared for what's ahead; new opportunities, connections, and memories are expected and welcome.

I'm feeling pink this week. Lighthearted, comforting, and fun. I find that I always waste time worrying about what's ahead or what I missed out on, instead of just focusing on being happy where I'm at. Pink is a very in the moment color. It is here. It is ready to party. I love pink. (I also watched Clueless yesterday since it turned 20 years old, and I'm probably just feeling super inspired by Cher's unbreakable spirit and can-do attitude. She's so fab.)

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. living so close to beautiful mountain views (that first pic was taken on the way to Walmart, lol)
2. spending a late morning in bed relaxing in the new robe I bought to wear during summer
3. taking my workout outside to Beaver Lake (such a beautiful place so close to me! I will definitely be returning sometime soon with my camera for a little photo excursion)
4. Starbucks' new cold brew
5. Grace and Frankie on Netflix (shout-out to my Aunt for the recommendation, I am OBSESSED with this show)
6. summer berries
7. summer sunsets
8. waking up to a thunderstorm one morning when I had an early shift (to me, nothing is more calming in the mornings than pouring down rain)
9. after exploring all of our options, Lonnie and I have decided to stay put in our current apartment and have several plans to fix the place up before we find new roommates, since it's the perfect time and excuse to move some things around and make the place feel more like home
10. one night after work this week, on a whim, Lonnie grilled me up a peanut butter and banana sandwich in the form of a quesadilla with two tortillas instead of bread, and it was the BEST EVER

moodboard monday.

avocado & egg toast | true self | simple southwestern decor | slushy coconut mint margarita | yoga with lily aldridge | summer style

This week is the week where my boyfriend and I have to buckle down and figure out our living situation. Our lease is up in August, and one of our roommates is moving out, so now is the perfect time to try to find a new place because our current apartment is very much less than perfect. However, it is super cheap and close to school and downtown, so there's a very big chance we may stay and just try to find a new roommate. The whole situation is super stressful, but I'm trying not to sweat things too much and to embrace the current season of life that I'm in.

After meeting two of my college besties for coffee(one of whom is about to leave for a semester abroad in Spain in August!), I realized how bittersweet this last year of college is and how important these challenging, crappy apartment, ramen for dinner days are to my overall growth and well-being. Absolutely nothing is certain or set in stone, and I'm trying to find both a comfort and an excitement in this ever-changing place. Sticking to what I know and focusing on simplifying is my go-to method for dealing with all of this change. This week, I want to try not to overthink things and to stay true to myself and what works best for me.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. going to Grandfather Mountain with my family for our annual trip to celebrate my dad's birthday yesterday (which is also the reason this post is a day late. Sorry, y'all!)
2. taking Blue Ridge home and stopping by Linville Falls
3. it's actually been rainy all week, but we were blessed with the most beautiful sunny weather yesterday
4. shrimp tacos
5. on a whim, decided to go to yoga on Wednesday evening (I needed those deep stretches so bad!)
6. having a quiet breakfast in bed just as it started to pour down rain
7. combating laziness/being a homebody with cleaning the apartment
8. getting a text from my college bestie saying that she will be visiting tomorrow!
9. colorful emojis
10. feeling strong and starting to really love my body

hike to crabtree falls.

Lonnie and I had a shared day off last week, so we decided to make another trip up to Blue Ridge. We drove until we got to the Crabtree Falls trailhead and decided to give it a shot. The trail starts out really easy since it's mostly downhill to get to the falls. The greenery was gorgeous and little light purple flowers seemed to follow us the whole way. The falls themselves are massive, the grandest ones I've ever seen. It was definitely an incredible tiny journey, and I'm so glad we went. Though the hike back from the falls was pretty strenuous, I enjoyed the workout and feeling sore the next day was a nice change from how lazy I've been feeling lately.

moodboard monday.

plant stand | lobster rolls | modern bathroom | printed skirt & chambray | july | summer shadows

Lately I've been feeling sucked into summer mode, where I've been giving into bad habits like sleeping in til almost noon and watching too much tv. Now that the 4th is over and July is in full swing, I want to start buckling down this week in order to spend my free time more wisely. I have a few tasks in mind I'd like to complete before school starts back in the fall, like finishing up an online portfolio and printing an album full of photos, so I'm hoping to wake up earlier and start making use out of every single day. I love summer and the magic that comes with beach vacations, fruity drinks, and travel adventures, but there's something to be said about the magic that comes with everyday summer, too. To me, this board captures that everyday summer magic, filled with late afternoon light, greenery, and soft, breezy fabrics.

10 things.

10 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. Lonnie surprising me with pizza and the best bottle of rum he could find (two of my very favorite things) to celebrate our 5 year anniversary
2. having a guy I can count on to always be loyal and loving
3. extra lime
4. hiking up to Crabtree Falls
5. My best friend Samm texted me to let me know she was in town for the day so I met her and her family for lunch at Early Girl and ice cream at The Hop
6. waking up slow with the late summer sun and re-watching Fried Green Tomatoes in bed
7. making brownies with Brandon on the rainiest day of the week
8. pressing flowers into sketchbooks
9. finally buckling down to achieve my goal of exercising 4 days this week instead of my usual 3
10. getting all dolled up for a date night out