Cheers to Champs!

I haven’t blogged in a while, and it feels good to start again. Writing has always been one of my favorite things and I definitely want to prioritize it as an important part of each day.

And since this is the first post in a while,why not make it something totally fun?

Champagne is my favorite beverage (by far) and I love that it is a symbol of celebration. Lately in life, there has been so much to celebrate! Hellos, goodbyes, new experiences, special days, regular days…they’re all worth celebrating! So why not do it in one of the best possible ways?

I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to this bubbly drink, and it’s so fun to pin cute finds to it…whether they be champagne drink ideas or champagne quotes or just cool pictures of the cocktail. Super fun to pin, look back on, and find uses for. Definitely one of my most exciting boards!

Some of my favorite finds:

I hope that you have been finding many, many reasons and ways to celebrate! Cheers.

 

DIY: Lilly Collage Phone Background

So I recently got an iPhone 5 because the lock button on my iPhone 4 mysteriously stopped working (annoying!) and I happened to have an upgrade. Being that I have a new phone, I went for new wallpapers, cases, and so on…which is actually pretty fun.

As I was searching Pinterest for a really cute background (something Lilly, of course) I stumbled upon a cool collage with Lilly prints on the sides and a monogram in the middle.

So, I wanted to make my own. It was super easy! Here’s how I did it:

I already had my monogram made on my computer (I have a bunch of them), but you can use this tutorial to make an awesome one in word.

I set my monogram in a scalloped border and saved it as an image. Then, I emailed it to myself.

Next, I saved a bunch of Lilly print pictures on my phone (found them on Pinterest). I just picked my faves.

Then I used the ProCollage app (it’s free!) to make the actual collage. I used the template and put the Lilly patterns around the sides and the monogram in the middle. So simple!

Here’s how it turned out:

Cute, right? I can’t wait to make more!!

Craft Craze: Ribbon Wreath for the 4th

In honor of the Fourth of July, I did a really fun craft over the past week.

I found it on Pinterest (obviously!) and it was super easy and very, very cute. Although mine did not come out exactly like the one on The Suburban Mom, it was still a success. All in all, I was happy with it. The directions were very clear and this was a cute and simple idea.

This was a Fourth of July wreath. (In case you’ve never noticed, I’m really into wreaths)

It was made with a styrofoam wreath and ribbon. That’s it! So simple.

I love that this is a really great craft to know because you can change it to customize it to almost any holiday or occasion. For instance, if you know someone having a baby, you can make them a pink or blue one or something like that. All you need to do is find cute ribbon and there you go! The other best thing about it is that you can keep it forever and use it year after year.

I really like the one on this site, how it’s set up like an American flag. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the ribbon I was looking for (we have only Walmart here for craft supplies, which is annoying. Thankfully a Michael’s is opening soon!). So, I improvised.

All in all, this was a really fun craft! I highly recommend trying it for any holiday!

Thanks, Suburban Mom!

Words of the Week: Friends

Graduation is coming so soon! I actually can’t believe it. All year I’ve been very excited for graduation. Almost rushing it along. Very ready to move on to something…new. But now that it’s happening, it is actually really sad. Overwhelming. Unbelievable!

Anyways, since the end is so rapidly approaching, it’s had me reflecting upon my years here at Quinnipiac. It’s been a crazy time and definitely one with a lot of memories – good and bad (more good than bad though!).

I have made some really, really, REALLY awesome friends here. Friends that I know I will stay close with forever and ever. I’ve never been a person to believe in needing a ton of friends to be happy, and that’s stayed exactly the same here at QU. I know so many people here, but I’ve always kept the ones that I know I can count on no matter what extra close, and I am so thankful for those people. I love all of our memories and cannot wait for the many, many more to come. What would life be without friends?! Especially without the ones that turn into family along the way.

Dream Home: Chevron

Since graduation is coming, and by extension that means beginning to become a real person is starting (wait, what!?), I am obsessed with looking at what I like to call, “someday houses”. I definitely will not have houses anywhere like this in the near future, but it’s totally something to work towards!

This “dream house” post is different than others where I focused on specific rooms. This one, instead, is all about accents. And the accent that I’m currently loving in chevron.

I never knew you could do so much awesome stuff with chevron in your house. For me, it’s always been more of a fashion and accessory design. But, thanks to Pinterest, I now know how great it is for your home design and decor.

Check out these awesome chevron inspired home decorations and design features:

Which do you like best? Isn’t this something so cool and new?

Words of the Week: The Present

Lately I am completely obsessed with the future yet feeling anchored by the past. Is that normal for a senior nearing graduation? I like to think it is, but at the same time, I sometimes feel as though I’m totally getting in my own head. Do you know what I mean?

I spend shuttle rides and walks to class obsessing over where I’ll work and end up living. In the moments before I fall asleep, I find myself recalling everything from the past four years here at school. I feel as though I am caught in between two very, very different worlds and completely undecided over which one I’d rather be in, so instead of choosing, I have one foot in each.

I am also someone who gets extremely anxious. About almost all things. When I was younger, I used to get very anxious and nervous about paying for things at a cash register by myself. I would always ask my mom or even younger sister to do it for me. While I’m over that anxiety (thankfully!), I have recently been facing much anxiety about the future. I spend phone conversations with my mom in a near panic – Will I ever get married? Where am I going to end up living? How many children will I have if I even have them at all?! – Thankfully, my mom always knows the right thing to say. But still, these anxieties have come to haunt me at times of change, like, well…right now.

I also feel a magnetic pull towards the past. I have a hard time letting go. I feel, again, caught between my yearn to move on and my irrepressible yearn to hold on with all my might, scared of forgetting the things that have happened to me, the people I’ve met, the lessons I’ve learned, the sights I’ve seen, and the places I’ve been.

With all of these desires, pulls, thoughts, and (sometimes) full-on battles I have going on within my own head, I find myself so often letting moments pass me by. All too frequently, I find myself missing out on what’s going on right now: the present.

This past weekend I saw this quote and it brought me to a full reflection of how I’ve been battling with myself over the past and future:

After reading this, I felt really…inspired. I realize that because of the way I am and who I am, I’m never going to stop planning for, wondering about, and dreaming of the future. I also know I will never fully be able to let go of things that have happened to me in the past. But, like I said, when I read this quote, I felt an irresistible pull to live more in the moment. It made me realize that if, in moments of past/future distress, I reassert my focus on what’s going on right now, I can not only allow myself to calm down but also enjoy life more.

Graduation is less than a month away, and these last days here at Quinnipiac are definitely going to be pretty special. Monumental, even. I want to look back at them and realize I enjoyed them, that I remember these last QU moments with my friends and sorority sisters, in my dorm, around Hamden, and at the library. I am thankful that this quote shall serve as a reminder to actively do so.

Craft Craze: Mod Podge Obsessed

Lately I am totally obsessed with mod podging! I don’t know why. I’ve always loved crafting, so I guess it’s natural.

There are so many fun mod podge crafts on Pinterest. I already showed you my Lilly Easter wreath, which I think is really cute (and it was really fun to make!).

But here are some other really cool Pinterest inspired mod podge crafts:

See the directions here.

A cute and easy gift for any occasion!

A great home accent!

Fun, right?! I can’t wait to try more of these over the summer!

Words of the Week: Moments vs Things

A few weeks ago, my dad and I were talking about people we know that spend ridiculous amounts of money on totally unnecessary things. It turns out those people are all around us.
During our conversation we touched on the fact that having things, at the end of the day, does not make you happy. At least, it doesn’t make us happy. No matter how many Lilly Pulitzer accessories I have or no matter how many nice watches he has, it doesn’t truly fulfill us.
Instead, what remains at the true base (and top, bottom, middle, and means) of our happiness are the people we love an the memories we make and share with them.
Don’t get me wrong, I love things. I love shopping and having nice clothes and accessories. I love having books on my shelves and makeup in my purse. To be honest, I have more things than any one person probably ever should.
Despite my love for and abundance of things, though, they’re not what shape who I am nor do they make up my happiness. I’ve never gone to bed with a smile on my face because I got a new pair of shoes, but rather because I spent the whole day being silly with my sister. I’ve never felt uplifted from a new scarf like I have a hand written card from anyone I love. And I certainly have never laughed so hard I had tears running down my face from having a new iPod or purse or cardigan or new anything. Those moments of pure joy that inevitably turn into memories are the moments I spend with the people I love. The moments I’m giggling over anything and everything with my best friend. The holidays I spend with my family. The nights I’m in the kitchen cooking dinner just chatting with my mom. The car rides home from school I have with my dad. The sleepovers I have in my sisters room where we laugh into the night.

Those are the moments ill always remember. Because at the end of the day I can have a closet, a room, a house, or even a mansion filled with the very best things. But if I didn’t have those moments with my friends and family my life would not mean anything.

As Seen on Pinterest: Coffee, Coffee…Buzz, Buzz

I’ve posted about if before, but I can’t say it enough…I love, love, love coffee.

I don’t know how people don’t love it. It’s just the perfect start to each and every day.

I drink tons of coffee and it really doesn’t even keep me awake anymore. I could drink a cup right before bed and get to sleep just fine. Yup, I’m addicted.

I love iced coffee and hot coffee. I love coffee in the morning, at noon, and at night. I love coconut flavored coffee and even Dunkin’s new Butter Pecan flavor (surprisingly yummy!). I love coffee that’s fresh poured or coffee that’s microwaved at the end of the day (gross, but…whatever). I love coffee ice cream and I love it even more with chocolate chips mixed in. I love coffee in every way, shape, and form.

That being said, it’s only natural that my Pinterest boards are filled with coffee posts. Here are some of my favorites:

All things coffee:

how darling

every day…

A great idea:

I love this idea of filling your ice tray with extra coffee and then blending it later to make a homemade frap! Amazing!

What are your best coffee recipes/pins?

Words of the Week: Navigating Life’s Problems

I’ve been seeing this quote everywhere, and I think it means a lot, and is really…powerful:

I think everyone has times in their lives where they are deathly afraid of something going wrong. I know I definitely have. And then, when things do go wrong, you come to realize that it wasn’t actually as bad as you envisioned it, and that it was so much easier to just face it, deal with it, and move on. Much easier than worrying about it day after day.

Navigating through life’s problems is a good way to become a stronger person. Let’s face it, everyone is going to run into some kind of issues throughout life. Whether they be little or small, you’re going to need to know how to persevere through them.

I’m getting to the point of not fearing my problems but rather embracing them, because I find that to be the easiest way of solving them. Life’s “storms” aren’t ultimately meant to make us unhappy, but rather to teach us a valuable life lesson – even if that lesson is only how to get through them.