When exams roll around I try to stay super organized to lower my stress level. I make a lot of lists and double and triple check to make sure I study all the correct material. Don't you just hate it when you get to an exam and the questions look completely different then you expected!? We've all (well at least I've) had those times when we felt like we could've studies a little more... and the one part we didn't study was like 50% of the exam. That's why I've gotten so OCD about list making and boy does it help!
Each week I make a list of the homework, readings and lectures that I need to complete. When one is completed I highlight it. On Sunday night or Monday I go through my list and see what I may not have had time to complete the week before and I make my new list. I try to not let readings and online classes get piled up, but occasionally I let something fall out of my mind and get put off...
This time last year, I was waking up at 5 AM to watch Kate Middleton become HRH Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. It was over too soon, but it was a lot of fun waking up super early to watch history unfold!
Over the past year, HRH Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge has had a whirlwind new life with the Royal Family. Here are some photos from the past year.
Isn't this such a beautiful couple?
The new couple the day after the big day.
The Duke and Duchess meet President and Mrs. Obama.
Kate's wardrobe on her first trip to North America was amazing!
Don't you just love all of HRH Catherine's clothes?
I do love headbands. They are an easy way to complete any outfit. Vineyard Vines and J.Crew have great selections of preppy headbands. Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of collecting a million... I wear them all the time! I mostly wear the skinny ones (they don't seem to hurt my head as much as the thicker ones sometimes do), but I do love the way the thicker ones look. Headbands are a great way to add an extra spark of style to an otherwise plain outfit.
Lilly Pulitzer has some very cute spring jewelry this season. I love all of it. Anything with a boat or a lobster always catches my eye. Oh and have you seen the cute lemon and lime pieces!? Adorable!
Did you see Glee's Tribute to Whitney Houston last night?
#GLEEremembersWhitney
It was sooo good! I am downloading a bunch of the songs as we speak I type. Take a look at some of the clips from last night.
How Will I Know
Can I just say, this is the best opening to the show ever!!!!
I Wanna Dance with Somebody
So Emotional
Why am I not Rachel Berry?! Or at the very least, why are we not best friends!? I mean her style, her talent, her attitude... she's fabulous! I just love Lea Michele.
Finals are in full swing. If I didn't stay super organized during this time of the year, I would have a major panic-attack! During the semester I make a million to-do lists, but when midterms and finals roll around I make even more... if that's even possible.
Staying focused and organized is the only way that I survive school. I am just not one of those people who can wait until the last minute or pull an all-nighter and do well. That's just not me.
The Self Control app has been a lifesaver for me. I get so easily distracted by Facebook, Twitter, blogging and pretty much anything non-school related. There have been times that I have sat at the library for an hour before I've even cracked a book... not good! That's where the Self Control app comes into play and boy does it help.
Self Control
Self Control allows you choose how long and what sites you want to block. I typically turn it on for one or two hours, depending how much I need to get done and then give myself a 5-10 minute "reward" break and then turn it on again.
You can choose what sites to block by choosing Blacklist or you can block all sites, except ones that you select by choosing Whitelist. Although, I have never had the guts to choose Whitelist... that seems like way to much of a commitment.
A time clock on the screen and at the bottom shows you how much time you have left.
If you "forget" don't worry, it won't let you get on blocked sites... even if you try!
It's almost Mother's Day and that means it's time to start thinking about what to buy your fabulous Mom. I always have trouble finding the perfect Mother's Day gift. When I was younger I would sometimes make a gift or my Dad would simply buy her a gift and put my name on it. But, now that I am old enough to do my own shopping, I must search for a gift that my Mom will love and that I can afford.
Sometimes, it's hard to pick out clothes or shoes for someone else without knowing if it will work or not. But, if you know that your Mom wears the same size in a specific item, then you can be pretty sure that your gift will work. If you aren't sure about what size to get (or if your Mom wears different sizes depending on the item), then I would recommend getting an accessory item like jewelry or a handbag.
We can all make a difference, it's pretty easy. Just take a few minutes to think about the small ways you can change your day-to-day activities to help our planet. I have started taking green bags to Target, Publix and the drugstore (if I forget, I ask for paper or tell them to pack as much as possible into one bag). Lilly Pulitzer carries some adorable market bags. (With bags that cute, how can you not remember to use them!?) The plastic bags that do end up coming home with me are re-used as trash bags in my bathroom, which saves both money and plastic bags.
Another way to reduce your energy use is to get in the habit of turning your air up or off when you're not home. This seems like a no-brainer, but a lot of people forget to do this. I like sleeping with the air really low and I often turn my fan on too... but, I have gotten in the habit of turning my air up to 78 or higher and turning off my fan first thing in the morning. This has greatly reduced my electricity bill and I feel like I am doing a small part to help the environment.
Over the past few years, I have gotten super OCD about recycling. I recycle everything possible... papers I no longer need at the end of the semester, cereal boxes, soda cans, the plastic containers that fruit comes in... pretty much anything cardboard, paper or plastic can be recycled! Some cities are kinda picky about what they take and don't take, but if something has the little recycle logo on the bottom of it, then it usually counts! Do us all a favor and think twice before you throw something in the trash!
Lastly, a great way to help the world around us is to go see the Disney Nature film, Chimpanzee. If you go see it in theaters this week, Disney will donate to the Jane Goodall Institute in your honor. This is a great way to unwind and take a break from the craziness of the end of the semester and you can feel great about taking a break for a good cause.
I watch entirely too much TV. I record a bunch or shows and then when I have free time from school work and everything else going on, I sit down and watch a few shows. This year a few of my favorite shows are ending... so sad!
One Tree Hill
I have been watching One Tree Hill pretty much since it began. In recent years the show has lost of few of the main characters, but I have remained a loyal fan until the end. I loved the last few episodes, it was a perfect way to end the show!
Desperate Housewives
In a few weeks the housewives of Wisteria Lane will be no more. I am so sad! I have seen every episode of Desperate and really wish they could go on a few more years.
Gilmore Girls
Even though this show has been off for a few years, I still love this show! ABC Family plays re-runs and I love it.
Boy Meets World
How can you not love this show?! It never gets old.
Modern Family
I think Modern Family is the best show on TV right now. It is so funny and my whole family loves it. If you haven't seen it then you're missing out!
It's almost summer time, which means it's almost beach time! Even though I live in Florida and the beach is only a few hours away, I don't get to the coast very often. I wish I could spend every weekend looking at the beautiful ocean, but sadly that is not my reality... But, a girl can dream! One nice thing about living in Florida though, is the weather is typically perfect for the pool or sitting outside. Recently, I have been spending a lot of time sitting at a table under an umbrella at Starbucks or at my apartment doing homework. It has been so nice!
I love the Kentucky Derby. I have never been, but would love, love, love to go one day. When I was younger I road horses and since my Dad is from Kentucky... so it is only natural that I love the Derby. Plus, who doesn't want to wear a beautiful dress and big hat!
If I was going to the Derby this year... I would wear one of these outfits.
I wish Florida had a race that I could attend and wear one of these fun outfits. But, sadly there aren't any close by. I guess I will have to continue dreaming about the Derby for now.
Have you been to the Kentucky Derby or a related race?
Since my roommate and many of my friends will be graduating in about three weeks, I have had graduation on the mind a lot lately. Graduation is very bittersweet this year. Since I am not graduating until December I am going to be sad to see so many of my friends pack-up and leave Gainesville without me. I know most of them are ready for the next phase of their lives, but I will be sad without them next semester.
I posted a few weeks ago about a few black and white graduation dresses, but since we can wear pretty much whatever we want for college graduation... I though I'd post some more options, this time in color. Black and white dresses are so classic, but color is a lot more fun and personally, I think I will wear a colorful dress more often than a black or white one.
J.Crew has a wide selection of solid dresses in every color imaginable. They are a great source for classic dresses that you will get a lot of wear out of. I really love this blue circle eyelet dress... it is perfect since one of my school colors is blue. Plus, it's so classic and beautiful that I know I would want to wear it all the time! I also love the blue Teddie dress... it would be so perfect for me since I am graduating in December and it might (read: wishful thinking) be cool on graduation day.
Anthropologie is also a great source for graduation dresses. They are a little more fun and bright than most of the ones from J.Crew, but it just depends what kind of look you're going for. I know I would get so much wear of any of these Anthropologie dresses. If you choose to go with a solid color dress, like the ones above, you can always pair it with a statement necklace... Swell Caroline has some great jewelry options.
I love Pandora Internet Radio. I have the Pandora app on my desktop, iPhone and iPad. I listen to it in the car, at Starbucks and at the library. It is great to listen to Pandora while I'm studying or blogging. It helps me concentrate. There are so many amazing stations.
I cannot believe so many of my friends are graduating in less than a month. It's so insane! I feel like I'm still seventeen sometimes. When did we get so old? Old enough to have lives and jobs and get married... EEEK! It's not possible! I am so glad that I have an extra semester before the "real" world.
It has been four years since I was getting high school graduation presents and I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. It seems like yesterday.
Here are a few ideas for high school graduation presents.
1. Umbrella
It seems silly, but an umbrella is an essential for every college student. At most universities students have to walk a pretty good distance so it is very important to have a good umbrella. It's also nice to have a cute one. Old Navy, Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley and Urban Outfitters all have great (and adorable) umbrellas.
2. Vineyard Vines College Tote
It's always great to get college themed gifts for high school graduation. Graduates are very excited about the next phase of their lives and get very excited about anything in their college colors or with their university logo or mascot on it. I got a lot of orange and blue and Gator themed gifts for high school graduation and I still use them all today.
3. Kate Spade Spreading Good Cheer Letterpress Cards
Note cards are always a great gift for just about any occasion. People always need to write thank you notes or letters to friends. Note cards always come in handy and a new graduate can never have enough note cards.
4. Lacoste Monogrammed towels
Monogrammed towels are a great gift. I got some for graduation and I still love them. They are adorable and add a touch of style to what is typically a boring item. They are also great for anyone who will be sharing a bathroom, so they won't get their towels mixed up with another persons.
What is the best gift you got for high school graduation?
Wallets are a very important part of anyone woman's wardrobe. A wallet must be able to fit all the essential things that you carry with you on a day-to-day basis, but it is also important that it is fashionable too. I have a few wallets that I switch out. I have a larger Coach wallet that I use when I need to carry more cards. It is great for taking to the mall when I may need to bring multiple credit cards or gift cards with me. I have a long flat wallet from Urban Outfitters that words well when I'm using a smaller bag that cannot accommodate a bulky wallet. The third wallet I switch out is a small fold-over wallet that I got at the Coach outlet a long time ago. It is great to throw in my backpack or a small cross-over bag. It fits in just about any bag. I think it is very important to pick out the perfect wallet for your lifestyle.
"For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through
Him."
