Hello everyone! Sorry there weren’t any posts for a couple of days. I took a little break around Christmas. My Christmas was fantastic! I loved spending time with family and celebrating Jesus’s birth with them. I received some great gifts this year, and I am so thankful for the presents and the people who gave them to me! I wanted to show my thanks by writing them a thank you letter telling them how grateful I am. I loved my stationary and decorating the letters with my new art supplies!
Month: December 2015
Christmas Eve
Wow. It’s Christmas Eve. One day before Christmas 2015. Time sure has flown by! I can still clearly remember everything that happened last year. It definitely doesn’t seem like 365 days have gone by since then! Christmas is the best time of year. Sure, there are some great presents. But it’s also is about family, giving, and most importantly, Jesus.
It’s hard to remember the real reason behind Christmas sometimes. We just get so wrapped up in making our Christmas list, decorating the house, traveling all over, and doing regular Christmas things. Those things are totally fine! But really, the only reason we can do any of those things is because of Jesus. He came into this world of pain, sorrow, and hardships, just to save me and you.
Fashion Feature- Plumrose Impressions
Key necklaces are becoming really popular lately, a lot of people are wearing them and finding new ways to style them. I found a great shop that sells some super cute ones, Plumrose Impressions. The necklaces are pretty simple, just a key on a gold chain. But what I love about this shop is that you can actually customize your necklace with whatever you want on it!
This way, you can make it extra special with a unique message on the front of the key. I got the word BELIEVE hand stamped on my key. I love it! The necklace length isn’t too long, but it isn’t a choker length either. Another great thing about it is that it’s adjustable, so you can choose the length! The necklace came in adorable packaging, it was taped onto a playing card. I had never thought of that before!
One of my favorite ways I could think of to style this necklace was with a simple, solid color sweater. I chose this dark green one from Target. It’s so comfortable, and I wear it all the time. It looked great with the necklace!
Fashion Feature- Southern Goods
I absolutely love comfy t-shirts. I wear them to bed, to school, to sports practice, anywhere! I found a great company that sells adorable and comfortable t-shirts, Southern Goods! I love how soft these are, they are made out of super comfy material that makes them perfect to slip on and instantly be cozy. Southern Goods sells all sorts of different shirts, but I got a few from the spring and summer line to try out, and I love them!
My favorite shirt they sell is the gray football tee. It’s pretty simple, just the star logo on the front and a football with the words “Southern Goods” on the back. But I love the color, because it matches with everything! I’ve been wearing this everywhere, whether I’m running around in it at soccer practice or putting it under a pullover to go eat supper. I definitely recommend washing this shirt separately before you ever wear it. I didn’t think to do this, and I regret it. After I took it off, there were all of these gray streaks on my skin. Definitely wash before you wear. Looking back on the website, it clearly says “it is best to wash separately before wearing”. Wow. Didn’t even see that!
Lunch and Shopping on the Square
Today was so fun, because I got to hang out with my friend Claire for the afternoon. We ate lunch, walked to the Square, looked around and shopped, then got ice cream from Holli’s Sweet Tooth. I loved going in some new shops I hadn’t been to in a while, and there were some great Christmas sales going on!
We met up for lunch at a restaurant called Big Bad Breakfast. Although they offer a lunch menu, Claire and I each got a waffle. They were humongous! I got a big Belgian waffle with whipped cream, strawberries, syrup, and a side of bacon. I had never been to that restaurant before, but it was really good! I loved the cozy atmosphere and the service was really fast.
5 Quick and Easy Hairstyles
There are some days when we are in such a rush there’s barely any time to do anything to our hair. At least, it always seems like that to me, so I usually swap out between a few select hairstyles that I like. None of these take more than ten minutes for me, and I have a lot of long, thick hair. Definitely try these hairstyles out if you’re ever in a rush!
1. Divide your hair by your part. Brush it all so it’s completely untangled. Take strands from each side of your head, then cross them over to the back. Braid them down the middle, and secure with a ponytail holder. I usually make the pieces I use pretty big, but you can vary the size. If you use small strands from each side, try braiding or twisting them for extra detail.
Christmas Break
Today was my first day being off for Christmas Break! It was a busy day, but I loved not having any school to worry about! I had two soccer games, a haircut, and dinner at Volta, a greek restaurant in town. I have a whole two weeks ahead of me with no school or sports to worry about! There are so many things I want to do! Read More
Decorating For Christmas
Around my house, we are pretty much as decorated as we ever will be. We don’t go all out on the decorations, but we always have a few Christmas trees and lots of ornaments! This year, my little brother Quinn was probably the most excited out of everyone about the decorating. He wanted to help me out and take some pictures with our decorations for this post!
We have three Christmas trees, a big one that goes in the living room, and two smaller ones that go in each upstairs bedroom. Quinn has a green tree with mainly red and white ornaments in his room, and he loves it! His favorite ornament is a mini snow globe that hangs by a red ribbon.
Fashion Feature: Sunkissed Earth Jewelry
I absolutely love pearl and leather necklaces. They have become really popular lately, and they are so cute! Since they are made of just a few pearls and black or brown leather, the design is pretty simple. They match with everything and can really add detail to an outfit! I found a great company that sells these necklaces, and for a great price too! The company is an etsy shop called Sunkissed Earth, they sell many adorable styles of necklaces!
This shop sells all sorts of cute accessories, but I was sent three of the necklaces from the leather and pearl line. The packaging was adorable, two of the necklaces came in a little woven pouch, while the other necklace came in its own gift box!
Giving Back
This holiday season, everyone is making lists, decorating, visiting family, and making lots of yummy food. While all of those things are very fun to do, there is a much bigger meaning behind Christmas. Some people don’t have enough money for Christmas presents or Christmas dinner. Others might be cold and without heat or blankets during the winter. There are so many things to do this holiday season to give back to your community.
Study Tips
For most people, it’s exam week, which means lots and lots of studying. Everyone will be cramming the night before, memorizing flashcards, and staying up until midnight. It’s very hard to try and manage all your studying and without being completely
exhausted. Here are some study tips to help you do the best you can on your exams.
Fashion Feature: Ashley Nicole Designs
It’s officially exam week, so that means studying, studying, and more studying. Thankfully, I didn’t have an exam this afternoon, so I got checked out before lunch and came home so I could have some extra time to study. I had been sitting at the table, taking biology notes and quizzing myself. When my brother went to check the mail, I had no idea what would be waiting for me!
He carried inside a box addressed to me, and he was so excited to help me open it and find out what was inside! The package was from Ashley Nicole Designs, a company that sells beautiful pieces of jewelry. I was so surprised to discover three leather and pearl items. There were two different styles of necklaces, and a beautiful knotted bracelet. It immediately brightened my day, and I was so happy to try everything on!
The first necklace that I got is the All Around necklace. What is really crazy is that this necklace was actually on my Christmas Wishlist, and I had no idea I would actually be getting one! I love it because it is a simple, choker style necklace with beads and knots encircling the entire necklace. It looks so good with pretty much everything!
Christmas Wishlist
Since Christmas is coming soon, everyone will be making lists of what they really want. I always make one list of things that I want, and then split it up to tell different grandparents, siblings, or my parents. Some of the things on my wish are a bit pricey, but others are some things I’ve wanted forever and just have never gotten. Read on to discover my Christmas wishlist!
- The thing I want the most is an ENO hammock. It was also on my Fall Wishlist, and I still haven’t gotten it! There are lots of trees and woods around my house, so I live in a perfect place for a hammock. I would love reading or looking at my computer in it in the fall and winter, hanging out in it in the spring, and in the summer. I would use it all the time! I have a humongous fluffy comforter that you could literally sink right into. I plan on filling the hammock with the comforter and sleeping out in it in the summer. I really hope I get it!
Christmas Morning Outfit
On Christmas morning, you’ll probably be around family, there will be LOTS of pictures taken, and it’ll be festive. You’ll want to wear something that is comfortable, warm and cozy, but also looks good. I’ve never worn an actual pair of Christmas pajamas, usually it’s just been some Nike shorts and a t-shirt with my hair in a ponytail. This year, I want to try doing braids or something like that. So I’ve put together and outfit that you can wear Christmas morning!