On My Radar { 06 . 27 . 14 }

This week was super chill, which was just what I needed. In just 9 days I head off to camp for two weeks, so this next week is going to get hectic, between writing multiple posts for my time away and getting packed, rehearsed (I have to perform the first day I get there!), and finalizing the last few details. 
ONE :: The Fault in Our Stars + Anne Frank Kiss I LOVED The Fault in Our Stars (crying one minute and laughing the next, what's not to love?!), and soon after I saw it with my friend Cathie, this article from NBC News popped up on my Facebook News Feed. I don't necessarily agree fully with what the reviewers and critics are complaining about, but it was interesting to see their point of view and to see what made them cringe halfway through the movie.  After Hazel and Gus climb 3 flights of stairs to see Anne Frank's home, Hazel (with her terrible lungs) is out of breath. One of the most culminating moments of the book/movie is when Gus and Hazel share a memorable (and adorable) kiss in Anne Franks' living room. But, critics aren't so happy with the scene because they don't approve how such a happy moment can take place in one of the saddest moments in history. (I'd like to hear your perspective, comment below!) 
TWO :: JacksGap Collaboration I love Jack and Finn Harries (#mcm forever and always) and their very creative videos and daring adventures. One of Jack's recent videos is a challenge/collab with his viewers/readers of his blog and videos, to make a short video stating the following : What Do You Fear and/or What Do You Love? The boy's goal is to create the largest YouTube collab, and I definitely want to take part - and would love it if you would join me! 
{ via this post }  THREE : Eveleyn Henson Free Downloads A while back, Carly from the Chicago Prepster blogged about Evelyn Henson's adorable tech wallpapers! Since then, I've been obsessed and have so many saved to my phone to change at different times! Eveleyn makes lots of the quotes/wallpapers you see all over Pinterest and Tumblr which I am in love with. 
FOUR :: Gentle Ways to Take a Break Summer is the perfect time to take a break, especially between camps, jobs, internships, school, and chores! This post shares 55 ways to take a break - some are easy to think of and others are more creative. I am definitely going to continue referencing this throughout the summer and into the school year! 
FIVE :: 10 DIY Projects from Design Darling Summer also means lots of free time, and I am always looking for fun projects to do instead of blogging or reading (or watching Netflix, no shame)! I really want to try painting the inside of my door, creating a porcelain jewelry stand, or the gold leaf frames before summer ends! 
What links are you loving this week? 
Have a great weekend! See you girlies on Monday! 
xoxo

On My Radar { 6 . 20 . 14 }

This week has flown by! I can't believe it's already Friday. This week was such a great week, since I finally got back into the swing of blogging, finished up my collab with Tiny Prints and Julep, and felt very productive each day. I also started working out with my dad, (we bike 6.5 miles 5 days a week) and we have shaved 4 minutes off since our first ride last Friday! I also spent some time this past week with some girlfriends downtown for the first time since school got out which was super fun and it was nice getting to catch up with them. 
I have so many links I want to share with you these next few weeks! I wish I could share 20 each Friday but I think that would be too overwhelming! 

ONE : Smart Girls Group - June Magazine I've been a Smart Girl Blogger for quite a few months and have always enjoyed their emails that appear in my inbox. They are filled with inspiring articles, links to new bloggers, and headlining blog posts that lead me to find many websites that are "bookmark worthy" (guys, this is why I have so many links coming at you this summer. they've all piled up and I finally have time to share them all). While scrolling through these emails, I have always noticed the Smart Girls Magazine each month, but have never taken the time to sit down and read it. OMG. I have been missing so much motivation and fun articles that I wish I knew about sooner! I've left a few (read : 8) of my favorite articles.  pg. 21 - Smart Style (insanely gorgeous pictures!)  pg. 29 - "Blogger Lookbooks" (lead me to find Amy V. Norris and read more about Sydney Carver - interview to come next month!)  pg. 51 - How Your Period Affects Your Health (a must read! what's actually behind the PMS and cravings and what you can do to help during that time of the month!)
pg. 53 - Fun In The Sun (5 Ways to Get Active outside!)  pg. 63 - Interview with the blogger behind Corals and Cognacs!  pg. 81 - Smart Reads (I am always looking for books to add to my reading list, and #GirlBoss is no exception!)  pg. 85 - 10 Ways to Look (and Feel!) Like Sunshine (so inspiring and perfect for summer!)
pg. 99 - Welcome to Cornell University (as a sophomore, I have so many colleges that are on my radar, and after reading about Cornell I definitely want to look into it even more!) 

TWO : Blogs I'm Loving Corals and Cognacs and Amy V. Norris - I found both of these blogs while reading Smart Girls Group emails but I am so glad that I followed them on Bloglovin' and added them to my "Blog Bookmarks"! I cannot wait to add them to my daily reads.  Essie Button - I've been watching Essie's YouTube videos for quite a while and when I finally realized that she had a blog of her own I had to add it to my list as well - and I am so glad I did! I love her blog design and her posts are so so fun! 

{ via post }

THREE : How To Flirt It's summer ... so why not try some new techniques before school comes back around? LOVE this post from the sisters behind PopCosmo! 
{ via } FOUR : Summer Bucket (and Reading!) List I've been out of school for almost 2 weeks and I am constantly looking for things to do and books to add to my (LONG) list of summer reads. So many of my favorite bloggers have been publishing Summer Reading posts and it isn't helping (you can look at my liked list on Bloglovin' and view a few of them!) Below I've listed a few of my favorite Summer Reading Lists and fun things to pass the time on those days that you're super bored!  1. Summer Reading List from Smart Girls 2. Summer Projects 3. 5 Fabulous Ideas to Kick Off Your Summer 4. Summer Reading List from Create

FIVE : 8 Things That Reveal a Woman's Character As a daughter of God, this list of eight qualities is eye opening and very intriguing. I am thinking about making this list on a sticky note to hang above my desk as a constant reminder! 
I'm going boating this weekend and then I'm planning to hang low Sunday and get some blogging done for the rest of the week! Come back tomorrow for a special post to ring in Summer with my essentials! 
What links have you been loving? 
xoxo

On My Radar

It has been way to long since I last did a link roundup, and in the past few weeks I have made a long list of links that I've wanted to share with you all. In the next few weeks, I'll make sure to share them all with you on small scales. 

1. I haven't ever really thought about joining LinkedIn, but when Smart Girls published their 5 Networking Tips for LinkedIn, it seems like it is time to try it out myself. 

2. If you've every contemplated whether or not to start your own blog, Anna shares the Benefits of Blogging no matter what your age or occupation. 

{ image via } 3. Later today I am sharing my personal summer reading list, but Smart Girls have shared some of their own personal favorites (They've all been added to my own list!). Plus, they've also discussed how to handle the unbearable required summer reading from school!   4. Fathers Day is this Sunday, so here's some ways we can show more appreciation to our Fathers on a daily basis! 
5. I tend to set daily and monthly goals for myself and so trying another way to approach goal setting is always refreshing! 
6. I've started to watch what I eat a little more and put some daily exercise into my routine, so finding the Live Free Be Fit Blog came at the perfect time! Her posts are inspirational (not to mention her perfect Instagram!) and she has a great writing style. 
7. Pretty Little Liars started their fifth season this week and it was a great episode that was terrifying at times! Conde Nast published a quiz to determine which Pretty Little Liars character you are and I got Spencer Hastings! (She's always been my favorite)
What links have you been loving this week? 
xoxo

Friday Five

Happy Friday!

I (again) cannot wait for the weekend. I don’t have anything super fun planned, but I can’t wait for another weekend wishing for summer!   I am planning on getting some homework done tonight so that I don’t have to worry about it all on Sunday night, and I want to get out and read this weekend since the weather is so nice.

ONE :: 10 (Not So Obvious) Blogging Tips

My sponsor (and mentor) Ashleigh shared this article with our Facebook Group and it really is worth the read for every blogger. The points that Bonnie makes are fantastic - making sure you’re sharing other people’s posts, creating consistent content, the importance of pictures, etc.

TWO :: Sailing the Sea of Style

Kira showed me Sloane’s adorable blog the other day on the bus ride home and I fell in love. Her pictures are fantastic, her content is on point, and did I mention her perfect Instagram?

Also, go and show my best friend Madison’s blog some love! She just started out and she’s on a role!

THREE :: Ashley Brooke Designs Blog May Wallpaper

I have been a follower of Ashley Brooke’s blog for a while now, (and I am in love with her shop!) and each month I fall in love with the wallpapers. This month is no exception!

FOUR :: Alex and Ani

With Mother’s Day coming up, I am scrambling to find a gift for my awesome mom! Alex and Ani has some great options - I love the monogrammed option (which I want myself!), the hand in hand bangle (perfect for any Mom’s!) and the American Cross is great because my mom is an amazing example for me in my walk with Christ! What would you choose?

FIVE :: Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore

I just finished this book by Robin Sloane and I really enjoyed it. It was quite different from what I am used to reading, but I really enjoyed it. This book is the story of a desk clerk at a 24 hour book store in NYC and his journey to help Mr. Penumbra (the owner) save the store. It’s quite a fun and easy read, perfect for summer and calming down at night! I started Gone Girl yesterday and I am IN LOVE. It is so good so far and I am only on page 30.

What links are you loving?

xoxo

Friday Five

Happy Friday! 
I am so glad that this week has come to a close. I am super excited for this weekend and I leave Monday afternoon for Italy. Surprisingly, this week flew by and I found myself having a lot on the free time in the afternoon (read: time to explore the internet!) 
I planned on having 2 posts today (to complete my mini-series), but I got home from a rehearsal yesterday and couldn't write another post. I will post it Monday morning, along with my last post ("farewell" post!) until the 19th of April - there will be 11 guest bloggers taking my place each day with some great posts. 
ONE : Spotify Playlists I've started using Spotify more and more and have come to find that I love it even more than Pandora. I love that you can choose what songs you want to listen to and can create playlists for any occasion - and listen to other people's! Pop Cosmo has a great "Happy Songs" playlist and Kiel James Patrick just published his first playlist, which are some of his favorite songs for April! 
TWO : The Lion King For an event in 8th grade, the vocal department sang The Circle of Life from The Lion King, so seeing this awesome video with the Australian Cast put a smile on my face! I wish I could have been on that plane. (Maybe the group of vocalists going to Italy will be this group on the plane!) 

THREE : Reading With some downtime these past few days, I've gotten a lot of reading done. I've read 3 non-fiction books lately (don't let that scare you!) and have really enjoyed them. A House in the Sky is a story about Amanda Lindhout who was taken into captivity while reporting in the Middle East. She survived over a year and this book tells her true story about what her experience was like. Night, a true story from the Holocaust, has been on my reading list for a long time and I finally got around to reading it. I really enjoyed it and found it to be an easy, simple read that was still enjoyable! Lastly, I just finished These Few Precious Days, a memoir about the Kennedy's. After finishing this book, I'm not going to lie when I say I am officially in love with JFK and Jackie O. I want to read any book I can about them. 
FOUR : Giveaways There are some awesome giveaways happening on my favorite blogs! Southern Curls and Pearls has 2 giveaways this week with Nordstrom and Swoozies + ban.do. This week, Caitlin did a collaboration with ban.do and I want every product from their line. They are super cute items that are perfect for any age! A Preppy State of Mind is giving away a Needlepoint Belt that is perfect for summer outfits and pictures on the beach! Lastly, The College Prepster has partnered with Studio-C to giveaway 2 iPhone cases, a laptop bag, and a laptop case! Run on over to each of these giveaways and enter your name, because they're ending today/tomorrow! 
FIVE : Spring Break To-Dos With Spring Break on its way, and not everyone traveling, you have to keep yourself occupied and keep your mind off of school. These 2 posts, 5 Things To Do Over Spring Break and 8 Things to Keep You Occupied have some great and easy ideas of how to keep yourself away from laying in bed all day! I know that I'll be reading a lot in the airport/on the plane/when I get home! 
What links have you been loving? 
xoxo

Friday {Four}

With this week over, I am solely focused on getting through the next week. (which shouldn't be too much of a struggle) A week from today I am traveling to Carowinds with my freshman class to learn more about Physics, as we are currently discussing that unit. 4 days later, I will be embarking to ITALY and I am SO EXCITED. I have a countdown and I am super pumped. I'll be discussing more in detail what I'll be doing (as a continuation of my Spring Break Mini-Series; don't forget to send me topic suggestions!) and how I'm planning on packing. 
I've been surfing the web in between homework tasks (more like procrastinating) but I've found a few great links (only 4 today!)
ONE :: Falling Plates I found this video in my friend's instagram bio and I am so glad I watched it. It's such a thought-provoking and a well put together video. 

TWO :: History in High Heels

While "researching" for my Italy trip, I found the blog History in High Heels who knows so much about traveling to Italy! She has some great tips under the "travel" section of her blog. 

{via this post}

THREE :: Marley Lilly App

Marley Lilly, an online monogram shop, just launched their new app which has a feature so that you can create your own monogram (say what?!) It's such a fun app, especially getting to mess around with the colors and backgrounds. 

Marley Lilly is also sending out free stickers, so sign up to get yours here! 

FOUR :: New Blogging Friends

In the past 2 or 3 months, 2 girls from my school have started their own blogs. It is such an inspiration to see other girls that I know and love blog for themselves and do such a great job at it. 

Here, you can find my friend Carly (Through My Lens). She's a creative writer with a passion for God. She has such motivational posts and you can learn a lot from what she writes. 

You can find my friend's Natalie and Daphne's blog here (Cozy Sweaters). Natalie started this blog as a photography blog, but it has now grown to share some of their favorite artsy things and great DIYs! 

And I can't forget my friend Sarah, who blogs at Southern Charleston Class. I love all of her outfits and her posts are a joy to read! 

What have you been loving on the internet this week? 

xo

ps. don't forget to email me/comment below of ideas you have for my spring break mini series!