Memories Made

Wow what a year 2017 has been, especially these last 5 months! People have always said that your Junior year of college is the hardest and man were they right. Not only was the work load a ton, but I was always so busy. I felt like sometimes I had to make it a priority to even fit meals into my day or plan out when I could make time to do laundry! Even though I was stressed for the majority of the semester, I did make so many good memories!

As always, the Grove did not disappoint!

Bid Day - Glow Kappa

My best friend turned 21

Clark came to visit!!!

My family came to Oxford for parents weekend

Thanksgiving break was much needed

My family went to the Christmas tree farm

Clark and I did some fun things...

...and we went to Helen, GA! See our pictures here!

Fall Favorites with Warby Parker

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's starting to look a lot like fall y'all! Here in Oxford, it's getting a lot cooler and that means I can finally break out some of my favorite fall styles! I am collaborating with Warby Parker as they release their new fall collection today! That's right TODAY!! I'm so excited to share this new collection with y'all!

First off, for those of you who don't know, Warby Parker sells affordable yet stylish eyeglasses and sunglasses! They are high-quality frames that don't break the bank, it can't get much better than that!! AND for every pair of glasses they sell, they donate a pair to someone in need. What an impact this company makes! To browse their site, you can find the glasses here and the sunglasses here.

Now that you know a little bit about this awesome brand, I want to share with y'all some of my go to fall styles and how you can pair them with the new Warby Parker fall collection!

The Hadley sunglasses and eyeglasses are probably my favorite frames from the new collection. Tortoise is my absolute favorite so these definitely caught my eye. The tortoise and rose gold contrast each other so well! I personally have never seen rose gold featured in any glasses and it's my new obsession. It goes with just about anything! Not to mention pink is my favorite color! I also love love love the round lens shape. I have recently been trying to get my hands on a good pair of round sunnies and I have just found the ones! YAY!! I would pair these frames with this rose shirt from Tobi. The color matches the frames perfectly and it's nice and flowy for the cool air this fall. Whether you're wearing the sunglasses outside or the glasses inside, they can be worn dressed up or dressed down.

Some more of my favorites from the collection are the Mona glasses! I love how thin these frames are and the color options they come in. The tortoise and gold are a classic look that I love and are very feminine. I would definitely wear these as an everyday glasses. The black and rose gold really spice things up! I would never think of these two colors contrasting so nicely together in a frame but it works perfectly. I would pair these with one of my favorite fall styles...the fur vest!! One of my essential fall styles that I adore! The Luis Vest from Show Me Your MuMu would look absolutely fabulous. I need this frame and fur vest combo and I need it fast!!!

The first thing I thought of when I saw the Tansley frame was sophistication. There's something about these sunglasses and glasses that would make me feel so empowered while wearing. The nude tones make for a cute yet classy style and you can never go wrong with a pop of classic gold. I would most certainly pair these with something a little more dressy. This sweater dress from Revolve looks great! It's super comfy but can easily be dressed up. I think the blush color would complement the nude frames, keeping the outfit dressy and sophisticated!

There is so much more in the new Warby Parker fall collection, these are just my absolute favorites that I needed to share! There are frames of all shapes to fit anyones preference. Not to mention a ton of more colors and options for males as well as females! I don't know about ya'll, but I'm going to snag a pair of these while I can! Happy shopping!!

Thanks to Warby Parker for the images of their 2017 fall collection.

A Guide to Freshman Year

Freshman year is an exciting yet nerve-racking thing when you're first coming to college. You don't really know what to expect or what your particular experience will be like. You most likely don't know that many people at your university, if anyone at all. No matter what you do, you don't feel prepared for what you're about to take on. This is how I felt completely, and it's how most all freshman feel. I had to experience a lot of things in order to fully master my freshman year, so here are some tips that will hopefully help you master yours:

GO TO CLASS, DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND STUDY
Obviously this is pretty important, but I can not stress it enough. Doing ALL of these three things are the only way you will get an A and do well in college classes. Lucky for me, I had done this my whole life so this wasn't a big change for me.

MEET YOUR PROFESSORS OUT OF CLASS
Meeting your professors outside of class during their office hours allows you to build a relationship with them. It's important for you to make sure your professors know who you are, especially in a 200+ lecture hall. From this meeting, they will know you are going to make an effort in their class since you took the time to come get to know them.

MANAGE YOUR TIME AND DON'T PROCRASTINATE
Manage your time is one of the most important things in college. There is so much going on all the time and you need to make sure you get done the things that need to get done before having fun. Planning out your day allows this and you will end up having a lot more free time. Procrastinating is an easy thing to do, but don't do it. It will end up hurting you in the long run and you'll probably be pretty tired. But again, if you manage your time wisely, you will have no need to procrastinate.

STAY ORGANIZED
Keep all of your school work organized because in college you usually don't get another important paper that you end up losing. Also, use some sort of agenda or planner to organize all your school work and important events so you can visually see your due dates and not miss a thing.

VOLUNTEER AND JOIN CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
This is not only a great way to get involved on campus but also a great way to meet people. When I joined my sorority, I met so many new people. This is also a great way to find your different passions alongside people like you.

SAY YES

Say yes yes yes!! (to most things). College is for learning but it's also for making memories and meeting new people. If someone on your floor asks if you want to eat with them, GO! If someone asks you if you want to take a day trip to somewhere cool, GO! You never know the people you'll meet or the friends you will make. One of my favorite quotes! 

“I've learned one thing, and that's to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here, relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember the time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late. Go out with your friends on a Tuesday when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does...” - Tom Petty

CALL YOUR FAMILY
You don't realize how much your parents do for you until you're on your own. Calling my parents always fixes everything. Whether I'm super happy or having a horrible day I know they are only a phone call away. It means so much to them just to hear your voice, because gosh do they sure miss you.

EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE
It's easy to fall into bad habits, but let me tell you the freshman 15 is real. Well, maybe not completely but if you let your good eating and exercising habits go out the door it will happen to you. Choosing to eat foods that are good for you more often are very important. You definitely
don't want to be eating fast food for every meal. Take advantage of the free gym you have right there on campus. You'll be mad at yourself for not using that when you had the chance.

KNOW THAT EVERY FRESHMAN IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING
Freshman year comes with highs and lows and no matter what you're going through everyone is going through the same thing. I remember thinking I was never going to make any friends but I eventually did, and now those friends are my very best friends!

Lastly, don't forget to have fun!!! College is only 4 years and man does it go by fast...

How to Make Yourself Actually Want to Workout

Whether you workout everyday or are trying to find the motivation to stick to an exercise routine, sometimes it's just not that easy to get up and at it all the time. I know from years of trying to get my own self to want to actually work out and now I love working out! It's fun for me and it's not just good for my health but my overall being. I have found that it clears my head in stressful times and leaves me feeling great afterwards and with a lot more energy. Here are 6 things I did to improve my fitness goals. I hope these will help you, no matter what stage of exercising you are in!

MAKE TIME FOR IT
Scheduling where and when you will workout is the biggest step in getting yourself to workout. When you make time for it in your day and have a plan, you will do it just like all the other things you do that day. It won't be as much a chore but just another thing you need to get done.

FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY
Working out with someone who enjoys the same exercises as you will help you stick to your workout routine. Having a friend will make you more accountable and give you more of an incentive NOT to hit the snooze button on your alarm, because you know you're meeting them at a specific time.

DO EXERCISE(S) THAT YOU LOVE, OR DON'T HATE
Finding the right exercise(s) for you that you enjoy doing will make working out a lot more fun.
This goes for where you work out too. If you don't like other people around when exercising, workout at home. If you don't mind other people around, find a gym or exercise class you love.

MAKE A GOOD PLAYLIST
Creating a playlist of your favorite songs that pump you up and make you happy are a great addition to your workout. You'll be singing along to the songs in your head and you won't even think about the fact that your working out.

GET SOME NEW WORKOUT CLOTHES
Treating yourself to some new workout clothes can really give you some motivation. It will make you want to wear your cute new outfit and will also help you feel more confident when working out. Fabletics has been my favorite brand lately. They have so many cute outfits to choose from and when you become a VIP member, you get a new outfit each month!

MIND OVER MATTER
I've come to realize that for me, the hardest part about working out is the 'getting myself to go do it' part. A lot of the time I'll know I need to exercise, but dread it for no reason. Once I start, I enjoy it and feel great afterwards! I've really had to use this mind over matter mentality to get myself up and just do it.

What do you do to get yourself up and exercising?

Binge Worthy TV Shows on Netflix

Summer break is the time when us college students can really binge watch our favorite tv shows. I'm guilty of watching a show all day and finishing the season within about 3 days...but who isn't. I just have such a feeling of accomplishment when I do this. HA HA just kidding but really, I LOVE tv shows, and I have a passion for so many. So I thought I'd share my favorites with y'all and give you a little idea of what each of them are about and why I love them!

Oldies but Goodies

These shows I watched awhile ago or are waiting for a new season to come out.

Gossip Girl - My absolute FAVORITE show. It's basically all about the lives of privileged teenagers living in the upper east side. The drama, the gossip, the relationships...I just love it.

Grey's Anatomy - This show literally made me want to be a surgeon. It follows the lives of medical interns and how they grow in their careers and relationships. Also a lot of drama in this one!! *Patiently waiting for season 13 to come out on Netflix*

Dexter - Crime? Mystery? Thriller? Not sure which category this one fits into but whatever it is, it's my guilty pleasure. This show is probably not like what you're thinking. Sure the main character solves murder crimes, but he's also a serial killer, who only kills the guilty...

New Girl - My sense of humor in a show. Jess (an awkward teacher) moves in with three random guys. Everyone is so different and has their own uniqueness, which makes them one big crazy family.

Friday Night Lights - This show took a few episodes to get into it because it's a lot about football (Clark recommended it). But I quickly began to love it! It mainly focuses on a high school football team in Texas, along with all the families and high school teen drama within the town of Dillon.

Recently Watched

These shows I have just started and finished or are currently finishing up. I already can't wait for more seasons to come out!!!

Jane the Virgin - The third season just came out a few days ago and I only have 3 episodes left. I can not stop watching. The first episode of this tv show will have you hooked! The storyline is not what you expect...I don't want to say too much so you'll have to watch for yourself!

13 Reasons Why - This is such an intense show. It keeps making you want to know more and there are tons of unexpected twists and turns. It follows the life of a young girl who takes her life and leaves something behind for her friends, which explains why she did what she did. *Another season to come in 2018!*

Quantico - Here's a thriller for ya! This show follows the lives of young agents training to be in the FBI. However, all of them have secrets, which makes for a lot of drama! *Season 2 coming out June 14*

Limitless - Only a few more episodes to go on this one! It's based off of the movie "Limitless", but the tv show is all about the life of Brian Finch. Basically he takes the drug NZT which helps him get hired by the FBI to solve difficult cases. Can you tell I like mysteries?

Should I Watch?

I'm always up for trying new tv shows and seeing how I like them. I've been thinking about starting some of these shows:

Gilmore Girls

Scandal (started it, but thinking about picking up where I left off?)

Parenthood

Prison Break

What do ya'll think? Have any more suggestions?

That's a Wrap ~ Sophomore Year

Hey there! It's been a hot second since my last post... which means we have a lot of catching up to do! Here's a recap from my Sophomore spring semester:

I turned 20 years old, yay!

Clark and I celebrated our four year anniversary (from afar of course)

My parents came up to Oxford for parents weekend

Spring means baseball season, so of course I went to a lot of Ole Miss games at Swayze field

I went to Perdido Key, FL for spring break with my roommate, Rebecca

I came home to Tally for Easter and got to spend time with Clark and my family

I taught my FIRST real lesson to my second grade class that I had been observing this year 

(I'm an education major for those of you who don't know)

I got to visit Clark at TCU for his spring formal; we went to the Fort Worth Zoo and a Rangers baseball game while I was there

   

I made him a "Goodluck on finals" care package

and to wrap up the semester, I made all A's and made the Chancellor's Honor Roll! 

This has been a crazy year and it has gone by so fast. I can't believe I'm going to be a Junior this upcoming fall. And the craziness doesn't end there! I've got a lot going on this summer too... So far I've been at my beach house a lot and have spent some time with my girl friends!

But soon I have to take the Praxis exam so I can start Phase II of my Elementary Education major this fall, my family and I are going on our annual Fourth of July beach trip, I'm going to visit Clark in Fort Worth, he has a job and is taking some classes this summer, AND my family is going on a CRUISE!!! Cruises are my absolute favorite so I can not wait! We're going to Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk. I am so excited for all the adventures I have planned this summer. I like to stay busy because being bored is well boring... and I can only binge watch Netflix for so long (see my favorite shows here). What are your plans this summer? I'd love to hear!

XOXO,
The blonde behind the blog

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