This morning I applied for graduation… what?!? I graduate college in May, which is just insane to me. I still don’t think it’s fully hit me that this is my last semester, because I still feel like I’m a sophomore in my head, haha. I just had my first week of classes of spring semester, and I’m really looking forward to the next few months! I always enjoy spring semester, with the weather starting to warm up, baseball games, and new classes. I just want to make the most of it and soak it all up! I need to schedule senior pictures soon, and I know people usually wear white dresses for pictures/the graduation ceremony. I found so many cute dresses on Revolve that I’m trying to decide between- all for under $100!
recent skincare/makeup favorites
I never used to really be into skincare, and I just washed my face with water in the shower or some random face wash from years ago. But over the past few months, I’ve really gotten into trying new skincare and makeup products, and I love having a morning and night skincare routine each day! I’m still no skincare expert by any means, but I like to find products with simple ingredients that are gentle on my face. I also have so many more items on my wishlist that I’ve heard good things about and want to try in the future!
2023 goals + intentions
I know I’m over a week late with this post, but I always love reflecting on my goals and having these posts to look back on! It’s still crazy to me that we are in 2023, I feel like last year flew by. I finished up my junior year of college, went on a family trip to the mountains, nannied in New York all summer, started my senior year and a new internship, and finished my capstone class- it was a big year! I have a feeling 2023 will be even more exciting tho. I’m studying abroad over spring break, graduating in May, and (hopefully) finding a job and moving to a new city…scary but exciting at the same time. I always like the idea of a new year and a fresh start, and I’ve been trying to stay motivated to start new habits and add some new lifestyle changes. Read on for some of my top goals of the year!
my top 22 books of 2022
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love reading, and I think 2022 was my biggest reading year ever. I didn’t even intend to read as much as I did, but I read 110 books throughout the year, and found some new favorites! I love how reading has become part of my daily routine, from finding 20 minutes to read between classes to reading a few chapters before bed. I tried to explore some new genres this year, and I read fantasy for the first time in forever. I also re-read some old favorites, some great Christian books, and found my new favorite duology! This was hard to narrow down, but today I’m sharing my 22 favorite books I read in 2022!
october recap + november goals
fall 2022 reading list
It was 55 degrees on my walk to class today, so I feel like fall is finally on its way here! I have been pretty busy with school the past few weeks and haven’t had as much time to read as I hoped, but I’m trying to be better about making more time for it! One thing that has helped me knock a few books off my list is listening to audiobooks, which I usually check out on Libby from my library for free. It’s nice to be able to have a book on in the background while driving, walking to class, or even cleaning/laundry. However, nothing compares to a physical copy of a book, and I think fall is the perfect time for cozying up with a good read! This list is a mix of thrillers, fantasy, and “dark academia” genres, which I don’t usually read. I feel like fall is the perfect time to try new genres and experiment with books that may be out of my comfort zone!
photo diary no. 4: summer recap + start of school!
It’s been so long since I’ve done a photo diary, but these are so fun to make! I basically just go through my photo album or VSCO and choose some of my favorite photos throughout the past few months, then give a caption about what I was up to! I feel like I’ve been so busy the past few months that this blog has been pushed to the backburner, and I haven’t really updated on my life as much as I used to. The summer seriously flew by, and now here we are almost to October… it’s insane. I was home for a few weeks in May, but I actually lived in New York all summer as a live-in nanny. I got home mid-August and had a few days with my family, and now have been in school for about five weeks now! I thought this would be a fun way to catch up on my life and share some fun pics too!
on my watchlist: tv shows and movies I want to see!
I’ve always loved getting sucked into a good show, but with college getting busy again and having more homework, it’s been hard to find time to watch much Netflix. I also feel like I’ve seen all the “good” shows (the popular ones) and don’t know any other shows to watch. However, last week my friend and I decided to start a show together, and it became a nightly routine to go over to her apartment, eat a quick dinner, and watch an episode or two on her cozy couch. We watched The Undoing on HBO Max, a who-done-it thriller/mystery show! There’s something so fun about watching a show with a friend, instead of just alone in my room. We would react to the show together and have a debrief after. Now that we’ve finished the season, I’ve been finding lots of other shows I want to watch, and we’re already planning our next movie night! Today I thought I’d share lots of shows and movies I want to watch, plus a few of my favorites that I’ve seen recently!
summer 2022 recap
Hi everyone! It’s a gloomy August day as I’m writing this, and I think it’s finally hit me that summer is over (cue tears). It honestly feels like yesterday that I moved out of my apartment and back home for the summer, I can’t believe that was almost four months ago! Summer is by far my favorite season, and I got to have so many fun experiences. I was home for about three weeks in May, but spent most of my summer in Southampton, NY as a live-in nanny! It was something super out of my comfort zone but that I’m so glad I did. Today’s post is a biggg summer recap: everything I did, what I read, and lessons I learned!
august 2022 goals + intentions
How is it already August?!? This summer seriously flew by. I’m not ready to go back to school and start classes again. It feels like summer literally just started! I’ve been nannying in Southampton all summer, and will head back home in about a week. I’ll have the long weekend at home to recharge and pack, then move back into school a couple days later. August is kind of a weird month because it’s half summer, half school, and it’s filled with a big change of routines and settling into the school environment again. I honestly haven’t been super motivated or inspired, like I usually am at the start of a new month. Writing these goals helped me get a little more inspired, and I hope it’s a good month ahead!
current amazon wishlist
I don’t know why, but I’ve been in such a shopping mood recently. I haven’t even bought very much, but I feel like I’ve been browsing a lot on different websites and looking at people’s Amazon storefronts to see their faves. Amazon is one of my favorite places to find sunglasses or jewelry for good prices, and recently I’ve been seeing cute clothes on there as well. I love hearing about other people’s current favorite products and wishlists, so today I’ve compiled twenty products on my Amazon wishlist that I’ve been eying recently!
my top 15 summer/beach read recommendations!
There’s no better time to read than during the summer- to lay out by the pool, cozy up under the shade, or have your toes in the sand while reading a good book. I love reading in the summer too because I have a lot more time, since I don’t have school. I’ve been fairly consistent with reading during the school year, but I haven’t had as much time as I’d hoped, and I would feel guilty for reading instead of doing homework. My reading taste is pretty all over the place, but when I think summer reads, I think of thrillers, books set at the beach, or rom coms. A lot of these I’ve recommended in other book posts before, but some are new, that I haven’t talked about yet! Here are my top fifteen recommendations for your next summer read!
summer 2022 plans
I finished my last exam this past Tuesday, and I am officially done with my junior year of college and on summer break! It feels crazy that I’m about to be a senior; I feel like college has flown by way faster than high school ever did. I was talking with a friend the other day about how this is technically our “last summer”, before we graduate and (hopefully) have jobs we’ll be working at over the summers. Which is kind of sad to think about, that there won’t be any more summer breaks like we’re used to during the school year. I’m super excited for this summer though, and to have a complete break from school. I had such a busy and stressful past semester that I’m so glad to not be worrying about grades or exams or projects anymore. I actually have a really exciting summer ahead, and today’s post is all about my plans and goals for the next few months!
april favorites
How crazy is it that it’s already May? This year is flying by, and April was a blur. I only have a few more days left of my junior year of college, with just two more exams. I’ve had a good semester, but it’s been very busy and stressful, so I’m so ready for summer break. I want to do a whole post dedicated to my summer goals and plans, but I’m so excited to soak up all the free time from classes and do all my favorite things back at home over the next few weeks. I will be home in Oxford for the rest of May, but starting in June, I’ll be moving to New York to nanny for the summer! I’m so excited, and I think it’s going to be such a fun experience. Be on the lookout for that post coming soon, but today I wanted to share some of my favorite products, activities, and food from April!