Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Doodling

Last week I was a little bored, so I watched some Arrested Development and pulled out an old sketch book. I feel like I used to draw & doodle all the time... mostly when I was bored in high school. Some great doodles were born in my History & Chemistry classes. I feel like that's been happening a lot lately... I randomly get the urge to draw or write or create something. I guess that's why I have this blog! So I hope you enjoy this doodle of me & a few of my favorite things.

Monday, July 29, 2013

"Camping" Adventures



This weekend my friends and I packed up our tents and headed out to go camping. Amanda's grandparents were kind enough to let us use their farm as a campground, but the humidity, mosquitos, and rain forced us to stay in the cabin. The air conditioned cabin with an accessible bathroom... really roughing it. We're all heading back to school soon, so it was nice to get away and have some fun. We spent the night playing cards, sitting by the fire, and almost sinking the golf cart in a mud puddle. Definitely a weekend I won't forget.


















I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! & Happy Monday!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Photo Friday

Well, another exhausting week has passed! I've just been staring at my calendar the past couple days wondering where summer went. It seems like it's flown by! I do have about 2 weeks left though, so I'll be sure to enjoy it while it lasts. Here are a few snapshots from the past couple weeks for you to feast your eyes upon. I hope you have an absolutely wonderful weekend!



Waiting for Amanda to finish in the dressing room at Urban Outfitters. Fun fact: 10 minutes later we were drenched from head to toe by the rain.

Did a bit of Alpha Gam crafting for my future little!

Anna finally returned from studying abroad all Summer. We went to the Macaroni Grill with her mom & dad and I drew her on the table. 'Twas a lovely time.

I took a moment to stop and smell the Cone Flowers at work. Such pretty little things they are!

Although her stay was short, it was great to be reunited with one of my best friends.

Did a bit of monkeying around at work! Haaaaa. (So sorry.)

My first throwback on Instagram, such a momentous occasion. Many family photos were taken in that Sunflower field. I miss it!

A future DIY project! I was too excited not to go ahead and share it.

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Thursday, July 25, 2013

DIY: Sea Glass Frame

Back in May my family and I went up to Maryland for my brother's graduation. We were staying at a house right on the water, and spent a lot of time walking on the beach looking for sea glass. I've been wanting to do something with it for a while, and just recently gave an old picture frame a makeover.

I picked up these 2 frames at Goodwill. I think they were even on sale, and my total came out to be 75 cents or something crazy cheap like that. I ended up using the one on the right for this project!

I painted the frame first with this acrylic paint -- huge mistake. What was I thinking? I got this because it is usually the cheapest paint I can find. It took a million layers, but it turned out just fine. I used tacky glue to adhere the sea glass on, which worked very well.


A few of the pieces we found while collecting.


Waiting for everything to dry! It was a night of crafting, so I was making this while watching Identity Thief. Fun times.


I've yet to print any photos from the Annapolis trip, so until then this photo is hanging out in the frame. A throwback to one of my mission trips with my best friends.

I hope you all enjoyed this DIY! I like to keep things simple when it comes to these projects. In the next couple weeks I'll be sharing a few DIY ideas on how to spruce up your dorm room, so stay tuned!

You can check out my last DIY here!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Summer Trends

Every season there are a few trends I absolutely love. I don't always think I can pull them off, but I guess it's the overall idea I'm intrigued by. Last winter I remember envying the oxblood lip colors, but never ventured out to try it myself. Now, it's the flower headband that I know I couldn't pull off. Are there any trends you've been a bit scared of? Here are a few I've been eyeing lately.






Graphic print: on sale at Zara!
Peplum & Chevron: back in sock at ModCloth
Flower Headband: via Urban Outfitters, of course
Neon, Neon, Neon: from TopShop
Hi-Lo Hem: found at Forever21

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

On My Nails: Orly Artificial Sweetener

I've been doing a bit of shopping lately, and I came across Orly's Artificial Sweetner for $4 at Marshall's. Quite the steal. I used to overlook Orly in the store, but after using this one, I knew I wanted to try some more. This color in particular is a great neutral pink. In the sunlight it looks a bit brighter at times, but it still isn't overwhelming. You may be able to tell in a few of the pictures, but it can look kind of mauve-y at times as well. I gravitate towards pinks anyway, but I love that this one is a bit more neutral. I think it's going to be a great everyday color for me.


Not crazy about the name, but I see where they're coming from.

I love the formula of these polishes, as well as the brush! The handle has a nice rubber grip, which doesn't make for the cutest packaging, but it's really practical. Although I'm a fan of the bigger brushes for painting my nails, this one doesn't bother me at all. It applies the polish very well.

Thanks to Marissa's advice on my last nail post, I think I've solved the bubbly nail issue. I think I might do a whole post dedicated to how I fixed the problem. It's a simple solution, but I'm very happy that it worked!

I always love hearing your nail polish recommendations! Are there any more from Orly that you think I should try?

Monday, July 22, 2013

It Could Be Worse

Sometimes toilets overflow and water seeps into your closet so you have to move everything and dry it with the noisiest of fans. It happens. You might have to climb over things to get to your dresser. You might have to sleep on the couch. But hey, it could be worse. I found a wallet I'd been looking for, so that's a plus. As frustrating as it is, I think this is one of those moments where you just have to sit back and laugh because really, accidents happen... and toilets are funny.


Happy Monday.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Photo Friday: Summer Camp Edition

I've mentioned it a few times on here before, but I wanted to share with you all what I've been up to this summer as far as work goes. When I got home from school, and even while I was there, I started applying for jobs. Nothing really worked out until I sent in an application for a Summer Camp at my old school. I got pretty lucky-- I get to do crafts all day, get paid fairly well, and only work 7-12:30. Getting up early stinks, but I usually just end up napping all afternoon anyway. It's crazy how draining working with kids can be. I have a new respect for all you teachers out there.

I've been pretty impressed with my crayon coloring skills ever since starting camp. One of our activities was to draw a movie poster, and I drew Finding Nemo as an example. I also drew Spongebob.


Every Tuesday and Friday the kids get to go on the water slide. It's always a big hit.

A little boy named Matthew has become one of my best buddies at camp. He's only 3 and suffers from light-sensitivity (he's legally blind), so he does need a lot of help. Although he can be a handful at times, he's a pretty awesome little dude. He always wears sunglasses, plays with the wooden trains, and has PB&J for lunch. I helped him draw this life-size version of "Matt-Lightyear."


Another activity was to make super hero masks. I thought this one was too cute not to share. So so silly.

An older boy named Vangelli is probably one of the most interesting/annoying/sassy kids at camp. He puts on a show with action figures called "The Hard Life." For the first week of camp he brought a Vanilla Ice cassette tape everyday and just carried it around. I think that has some connection to why he wrote "2 Chainz" on his soccer ball instead of his name like all of the other kids. Oh goodness.


Yesterday we watched Robin Hood to prepare the kids for a play we're going to see today! I'm actually pretty excited about it. Field trips are the best.


Just a typical day at the office.

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Throwback Thursday

I'm interrupting the normal Thursday Theme schedule to share a fun little video I made last summer. It was my last summer before going away to college, and it was a bit of a bittersweet time for me. I was excited for college, but just not ready to leave home yet. My plan was to film a little bit of each day and put together a couple videos so I could remember it. I ended up just making this one, but I love going back to watch it. It just makes me a very happy girl.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Pamper Time

First, please excuse the faces... I got a little bored while I was waiting. Second, my skin has been giving me a little bit of trouble, so it was time to pull out the face masks. I have struggled with acne in the past, but for the most part I only get a few big spots every now and then. My biggest issue is blackheads (I don't mean to gross anyone out), and I have a lot of 'em.


The first mask I use is the Mario Badescu Silver Powder, and let me tell you, this stuff is awesome. It helps to clean out your pores and combat those nasty blackheads. I love that it is affordable, and it will really last you a long time.

To use, wet a cotton pad and use that to apply the powder onto your skin. The one downside to this product is that because the powder is so fine, it starts to flake off when it is drying, so it can irritate your eyes and nose. Recently, I've just applied it to my nose and chin so it doesn't fly everywhere.

The second mask I use is the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, which I use to apply to the rest of my face. It has a nice cooling effect, washes away blackheads, and like the other mask, it won't cost you a fortune.

This mask is very thick, but does go on easily when you apply it. It starts out as this green color, and when it starts to dry lighter, you know it's time to rinse it off.

I use this Sea Breeze Astringent  with a cotton pad to remove the Silver Powder. To get rid of extra residue, as well as the Mint Julep mask, I just rinse my face with warm water.

Finally, I use this little tool to help get out all the gunk that's trapped in my pores & then I'm all done!

I'd love to know some products you all use to treat your skin! Any masks I should try? I hope you're having a splendid day.