Share a snapshot

(Picture by me, taken August 30, 2015)

This past Summer was so much fun! I loved how busy I was all the time, dressing up for work and then coming home and changing into comfy clothes, eating, hanging with friends, painting my room. The days were so long, but also went so quickly! Towards the end of the Summer I was so busy all the time, taking my days off to re-do my room and pack for school. I've been thinking about how sad I am that we moved and I'll never get to see that room again.

I worked so hard doing it and ended up loving it. I should have re-done it years earlier so I had more time to enjoy it, but I kept putting it off. Once I thought we were taking our home off the market, I figured I'd really make my room my own, and I did. This picture was done the day I finally finished the whole project and it really brings back a lot of thoughts and emotions for me. 

I'm missing my room, my job, and my house a lot right now. Hopefully we'll find a new place to live by the time next Summer comes. I feel like I don't really have a "home" right now. I'm still getting used to Boston and in PA we don't really have a permanent place. It's a little overwhelming and sad.

PS. What are you doing with your extra day of the year?! Happy Leap Day!

Boston strong

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” 

Jane Jacobs

**

I took this picture the other day at the top of the Prudential Center and I'm completely in love with it. I just stare at it in awe. Seeing this view in person was so surreal as well! I sat at the top with a friend and we just stared out and talked for about 2 hours. I'm so, so grateful to live in this beautiful city.

Currently

Loving: The weather! Well, maybe not right at this moment, because it's cold and rainy, but the weather this past weekend was amazing! We didn't get that much snow this year, which is kind of a bummer, but I'm so ready for Spring weather. Not Spring allergies, though! Ugh, Spring kind of kills me because of the allergies I get, but I'll take the risk for the weather.

Watching: REALITY. There are so many good reality shows on right now! I've been watching The Bachelor, American Idol, The Amazing Race, and my favorite, Survivor. My favorites on Idol are Jenn, Mackenzie, and Dalton. Are you watching the farewell season?

Reading: I've read 3 books since I last posted! Right now I'm currently reading One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. I really love it! I got it because a friend had some great words for the author and the book also says it's kind of a twist on Little Miss Sunshine, which I love! I'm going to do a post about the books I've read lately so you can check them out if you'd like. 

  

Anticipating: Spring break! Well, actually... there's a lot I'm anticipating. My friends from PA are coming up here to visit me in a week and I'm really excited! I have a lot to figure out before they come, but it'll be so fun to show them around and just have them here. But I also can't wait to go home and see my puppy and family!

Listening: So, most recently, I'm listening a lot to Formation by Beyonce. I love it, I'm not really hip on why people hate it! I just think it's super catchy! Also Kanye's new album. Wow, I have a weird taste in music this month. I've been playing his song FML on repeat!

 Working on: Balance. I want to go out and explore the city, get all my homework and studying done, have time for friends, and time to myself. It doesn't sound like that much, but it's actually a lot to balance! I really want to do well in school this semester because I've done really well all my past semesters. There's so much to see and so little time before Summer, which sounds nuts, but the semester is already halfway over!

The photo is from my Tumblr - I've been drinking way too much coffee lately with all the cute coffee shops around here! Thanks to Dani from Sometimes Sweet for the post idea. Tell me what you've been up to lately!

Columbia River Gorge

**

How gorgeous is this photo by Danielle Nelson, on Flickr?! I was scrolling through and this one really caught my eye. It's Dog Mountain in Washington state. Have any of you been? It looks so beautiful. Definitely on my "must see" list now. She also took it with a Hasselblad 500 film camera! That's a nice camera!

Polyvore: Outfits around the world

Remember when I posted this Reykjavik outfit a week ago? And I said I was going to do another post about outfits I'd wear in other countries? Well I've done it... I've been on quite a Polyvore kick lately. It's kind of de-stresses me and calms me down after a long day. Next I'll be doing a post about outfits around America!

Seafolly beach wear / Marysia Swim red swimsuit, $325 / Billabong strap sandals / Cartier gold bangle bracelet / Sans Souci hat / Christian dior sunglasses, $730 / Essie nail polish


Brown turtleneck, $23 / Wolford tight, $56 / Ballet tutu, $72 / Lipsy pointed flat, $36 / Chanel handbags purse / Cartier rose gold jewelry, $1,725 / Black glasses / Nars cosmetic



Étoile Isabel Marant pink sweater, $185 / Alexander McQueen skirt, $495 / Black sandals, $50 / Mulberry backpacks bag, $1,430 / Watch / Wrap shawl, $14 / Urban decay eyeshadow / Nars cosmetic



Topshop strappy maxi dress, $69 / Roman sandals / Miss Selfridge bangle jewelry / Round earrings / Crown hat / Clarins lipstick



Miss Selfridge crop shirt / Purple skirt, $2.15 / Genuine leather shoes, $50 / MICHAEL Michael Kors leather shoulder handbag / Chamak by Priya Kakkar adjustable bangle / Tom ford cosmetic



Blumarine cashmere pullover / H&M low jeans / Aquazzura flat pointed-toe shoes, $485 / Michael Kors black leather crossbody / Kate Spade cluster necklace / Yves saint laurent mascara

Have an awesome Tuesday! I have 1 class and then a friend and I are going to walk around a little bit. Hopefully it won't be too chilly!

ELEVATE

Probably none of you will know what I'm talking about, because I spend a lot of time looking at "pointless" things. But did any of you watch or hear about ELEVATE? Shia LaBeouf and 2 others stayed in an elevator for 24 hours and had people come in and out asking questions and discussing life.

I started watching it around 8 pm and could not stop. I watched/listened to it until about 1 am last night and I just loved it. Some people came in and were funny, just asking questions for Shia, others came in and had deep conversations and take about beliefs, and some came in and just wanted to talk and let out some feelings. I thought it was simply amazing.

I just love when people do things like this for the art. It's interesting to hear what happens in the elevator, as well as outside with the people standing in line. People are so fascinating!

Happy Sunday!

Currently: Sipping tea, munching on an apple, waiting for my laundry, and working on a paper for my internship class (also dreaming of Spring weather!). Oh, Sundays.

Hope your day is just as relaxing and productive!

Photo by Randy P. Martin, on Flickr

2016 goals

I'm a little late in the game, but I was thinking about how happy I am in this new environment. I feel like I want to change my life for the better all together. I found this picture and I thought it was awesome:

So here are just some goals I want to set for myself for at least the rest of the school year...

Food: I want to eat healthier. Not that I want to be insanely strict about anything, but the food at my school is super healthy, but I always find myself getting burgers, pizza, and fries. Even at the dining hall, I usually get multiple servings and then too much desert. I just want to portion myself better and make better choices. Oh! And I want to drink more water.

Exercise: I've only been to the gym a few times, but whenever I go I feel so good. I want to go more! I also want to go to the yoga classes they offer on Thursdays. And that's pretty much that!

Mind: I'd like to read more! I've actually been doing well with this one. I used to watch Netflix all the time, but now I'm trying to replace that with a book. I've been watching all of my reality shows, so I haven't really had time to watch anything else. I try to read everyday at some point.

Friends: This year I really need to focus on just being around positive people. My mistake last year was that I was around too many negative people and it really effected me. I'm trying to do better with this, but I'm finding it hard. I'm still finding friends here and I also need to find some people to live with next year. I'm a little challenged with this, but i'm working on it.

Life: Basically, I just want to experience more. I've been giving myself the excuse that it's cold out, so I don't want to venture out too much. I think I've been doing well with going out when I'm bored and everything. I want to take more pictures, go on more walks, and spend less time behind my computer screen. When I am on my computer, I want to sit at my desk and not lay on my bed. The little things!

How about you? I'm sure you wrote about this in the beginning of the year, so send me your links! I'd love to have a read on your goals as well.

Amélie (2001)

I watched Amélie for the first time the other day, and it was great! It kind of reminded me of The Grand Budapest Hotel, a movie I'm quite fond of, just in the way it was filmed and some of the humor behind it. I thought it was so beautiful! I definitely need to watch it again, just because it's in french and I'm sure I missed some subtitles every here and there.

Have you seen it? What are your thoughts? The music was fantastic as well.

Harvard Square

I took my camera out today because it was nice! I've been wanted to do it for a while and since I have no classes today I thought it would be the perfect time. I also got an editing app on my Mac, so I've been playing around with it. You can also check out my Flickr!

I think I should start my homework now though...

Polyvore: Reykjavik fashion

I just got all my studying done! So I went onto Polyvore because I haven't been on there in a while and created this look that I would love to rock someday in Iceland! It will happen. We were actually just talking about study abroad opportunities in my internship class today and it sparked my love all over again. I think I'm going to go on and create more looks that I would wear in other countries too! If you need me I'll be on Polyvore...

J Crew slim fit shirt, $80 / Majestic Filatures turtleneck shirt, $205 / WithChic parka coat, $105 / Max Studio stretch pants, $25 / Topshop destroyed jeans / J.Crew j crew socks, $22 / American Eagle Outfitters tan boots / Gray beanie, $8.23

Hope your day was awesome!

Boston

I found this pretty picture of Boston on Pinterest today! Isn't is so great? I love that you can see all of Beacon Hill. All the heart eyes!

Moon phases

**

I was browsing through Flickr and I came across these beautiful photos of the moon by Sarah and Simon Fisher! Check out more of their photo stream, because it's super impressive. I wish they had a blog or something to talk about their photos - their profile just says that they're very interested in Astronomy and Astrophotography. That's awesome!

Obsessed with

It's been SO long since I've done one of these posts! So here we go...

{SoundsToSleepTo.com}

I love websites like this where you can listen to rain or wind. Rain is so comforting and sometimes I wish it did it more, so it's fun to turn this on. Also, I recently got an app called Sleep Well and it gives you sleep therapy. I turn it on when I wake up during the night and can't fall back asleep and it works magic!

{Devon Werkheiser's Life Survival Guide}

Have you heard of this? "Ned Bigby" is coming out with a little YouTube show where instead of showing us how to survive middle school, he's giving us life tips! I've watched the first episode and it's pretty god actually! I miss this guy - I'm glad he's doing something else with his childhood career ;)

{Nikon DSLR Accessory Kit}
I've had my Nikon for a while now, but I just came across this kit and I WANT it! I've wanted the tomography lens for quite some time, but all of these other accessories for $70?! Yes!

{Drop the Game by Chet Faker}

I've been playing this song over and over and over.

{Cambridge, MA}

(Photo by me - Nikon D3100)

I still can't believe I live here! Every time I have a hard day or am stressed out, I just remember where I am and I get so happy! I can always (well, usually) set aside whatever I'm doing and head over into the city for a day all to myself. It feels good!

{Primark Scarves}

They're so cozy and I love the pattern. They're huge and you can wear them so many different ways! I also recently got a sweater from Primark and I've worn it 3 days in a row...

{Peaches by In The Valley Below}

A friend showed me this song because she became obsessed with it when the movie Endless Love come out (great movie!) and ever since then it's been on repeat for us. It's a great song to play when the weather is warm and you can roll down your car windows and just blast it. I love it!

{Formation by Beyonce}

OBSESSED. Can we talk about how I memorized all the words in about 1 day? I've been listening to this non stop and hearing her sing it at the Super Bowl... yes! My friend and I are trying to get tickets to see her in June. Fingers crossed!

{Flannel Feeling, on Flickr}

The simplicity is so beautiful. All of her pictures are amazing, but I wanted to keep it short. I'll post more another day!

{Troye Sivan}

I really loved his song Happy Little Pill when it first came out and then I kind of forgot about him. Recently my friend re-introduced him to me and I love him and his music!

{Ayydubs on YouTube}

You guys! This girl is so funny. You have to check out her videos about dating strangers online. I laugh so hard! She meets up with people from Tinder and OK Cupid and all that and films her dates. Agh, it's great. I really love this one:

Sorry that was a lot of videos and music! I've been online a lot :P What are you currently obsessed with? Send me the link - I'd love to read up on it! I'm always looking for something new to obsess over ;)

Soul mates

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. 

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. 

A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master...” 

― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

This movie! I've been wanting to watch this for a really long time, so over Winter break I rented it from Netflix and sat down with it one night. My dad fell asleep while watching it (he falls asleep during pretty much everything, though), however, I LOVED it. I thought the cinematography was perfection. It was filmed like no movie I've ever seen and I thought it was fabulous. It was also funny as well as a love story. It had everything and I really enjoyed it. Possibly a new favorite!

Have you seen it? Did you love it or fall asleep?

1,000th post

This is my 1,000th post! I can't believe that! 1,000 thoughts, memories, photos, quotes, links, rants... I've done a lot on this blog. I love writing on here - even more so recently. There's always something on my mind and whether it be sharing a 4 paragraph rant or just a few pretty pictures I find on Flickr, I love posting it all out on here. This blog is almost like my safe-haven. No matter where I am, coming on here and reading some blogs or posting about my day makes me feel so happy. I love that I can write whatever I feel because it always makes a weight lift off my shoulders.

I'm going to keep going with this for as long as I can just because it's fun. Even when I take really long breaks from blogging, I always want to come back to it just because it makes me feel good. It's like my online journal. That's also why I want to start taking more pictures and posting them on here! I love looking back through my archives and seeing all the memories and thoughts I had from years ago.

(Photo from my Instagram)

Anyway, thank you to anyone that reads this blog or even checks in! I used to do it because I wanted a lot of followers (self-centered much?!), but now I do it because it makes me happy. I like to make this blog look beautiful and put care and time into it just because I want to, not because I have to. 

Here's to blogging! I love you all! Happy 1,000th post!

"The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

-Audrey Hepburn

Beautiful photos by Brooke J, on Flickr

Snow day #2 here... I think today it'll be a Hart of Dixie day because I still haven't seen season 4. I think I'll even walk over to Starbucks later to get some coffee and take some photos of the snow. Yay!

Mini currently

**

I was going to title the post currently, but I thought that would be confusing :P Anyway, today it's snowing cats and dogs (?) in Boston and I had one 8 am, but my second class today was cancelled! I've been so out and about lately, busy with homework and scheduling problems, I think I'm going to take today to completely chill out. Gilmore Girls and hot chocolate all the way. Snow days are great! I'm just not looking forward to the 15 minute walk back to my house...

And how pretty is this picture by wildheather, on Flickr? My roommate loves hot tea and makes a pot of it usually every night. It's so sweet, I love her!

Moleskine party

I've done a lot this week and I'm going to try to document more! So here's one thing I did about a week ago that was really exciting.

My friend and I were walking around Cambridge, shopping and drinking coffee. As we were walking, we noticed a Moleskine store and I forced her to go in because I love them. We went in and looked around and made a lot of conversation with the lady that works there. It turns out, that Moleskine store has only been there for a couple weeks and she was handing out invitations to select people to come to their opening party from 6-9!

As you probably guessed, we were invited. We went and had a great time! They had drinks, raffles, local artists, a handwriting reader, and the whole store was 20% off. It's really rare for Moleskine's to be on sale, so of course I took advantage of that deal. I got myself a small notebook and then they gave me a free pen. (I'm still a broke college student, so I couldn't exactly go all out.)

I didn't take any pictures of the actual event, but here are some things I got and the invitation.

I love that, living here, I have so many opportunities all around me. Just walking through town and I was invited to a Moleskine party. Pretty cool!