Gift Guide: Hosting Gifts!

It's officially that time of the year! Holiday decorations have taken up residence in every store, holiday music has been playing in CVS since the day after Halloween, and Starbucks even switched over to its red cups!

I was raised to never go to someone's house empty handed. That could mean bringing a pan of brownies to a super bowl party, a bottle of wine in a cute canvas tote to a Halloween party, or small gifts picked out especially for the host (or hostess)
for Holiday parties!  Something I firmly believe is that, as long as it's something that show a little extra thought in, the cost doesn't really matter.

So, in the spirit of getting ready for Friendsgiving and Holiday gatherings, here's a quick run down of ideas that would be a little more than a bottle of wine but sure not to break the bank!

So Much Hustle, So Little Time

I've truly been the girl on the go for as long as I've been at college. 

My freshman year, I walked on to crew and joined a sorority in addition to school work and my attempt at a social life. It went really well...for a semester. The spring semester, I absolutely fell apart. There were a lot of tears, calls home, and asking for extensions on work to accommodate for the breakdowns. To save my sanity, I left crew at the end of the year. 

Spending the next fall semester getting back in the swing of things, I did my first internship during my sophomore spring and was hooked. Did I run out of time to have a consistent social life? Yep. But I devoted my heart to doing something that would provide me with an amazing future. From there, the internships never ended. Proof: I'm currently in my last semester of college and took an internship I simply could not pass up instead of spreading out my classes and enjoying myself.

Running from one thing to another has actually become my life this semester, with classes, my internship, sorority events, and trying to work fun things in to all that when possible. 

But it didn't hit me how bad I had become until I was speed-walking from the metro station to my office in the rain at 7 p.m. that I really thought about it: is the "hustle" helping or hurting?

To be fair, I'm not sure I have the answer to my own question. I've spent so much of my life thinking this was the dream: to be spread thin and juggling things I love with the more monotonous activities (school work, I'm looking at you). 

Doesn't that sound ridiculous? This was my goal, to be overworked and exhausted every night, to the point where I regularly fall asleep having half done my reading for the next day. 

I've long lived the motto of holding myself to a standard of "grace, not perfection" but I never paid attention to the fact that what I was doing was completely unsustainable. 

While this may be my last semester of this particular balancing act, I'm certain there will be more balancing to come in the future. So, my goal for November is simple:

Enjoy the things I get to do more, instead of constantly worrying about the next thing on my list. More time spent doing life and less time spent planning it. 

Don't get me wrong, I'll never lose my type-A personality but I'm aiming to be more focused on the puzzle and less so on what to do after the puzzle is all pieced together.

So y'all ever notice too much hustle and not enough heart in your life? How do you work to get yourself back on track? Let me know in the comments!

Columbus Day Sales Galore!

Since it's Columbus Day weekend, there are tons of sales going on, both online and in stores. To make sure y'all don't miss out on any great ones, I've compiled a quick list of them for you all to browse through!

Kendra Scott is doing an additional 15% off marked down jewelry

Neiman Marcus' Last Call has 30% off everything on their website

Tibi is having a sample sale of up to 80% off select items

Urban Outfitters is doing 30% off all sale items

Bloomingdale's has 20-50% off all permanently reduced items

Lord and Taylor is doing free shipping in addition to a variety of sales within each department

Madewell has 30% off their Fall essentials

Use the code "WEEKEND" at J.Crew for 30% off full-price items and 40% off sale items

J.Crew Factory has 40% off most men's and women's clothing items

LOFT is doing 50% Fall items as well as their sale selection

Ann Taylor has 40% all full priced items

Are there any great sales I happened to miss? Let me (and everyone else) know in the comments!!

RocksBox Loving

Hey y'all, happy fall!

This last month has been INSANE so blogging and social media in general have both been on the back burner. But I've (kind of) settled in to a routine and finally have time to sit down and write!

Now I'm sure you've heard plenty of bloggers talk about RocksBox and, to be honest, I was a bit skeptical to try it out. I was a Birchbox lover for a few years until I started to realize I was getting a lot of the same samples and I wasn't getting the same quality I used to get.

Anyway, I was sent my first box free and, let me tell you, it almost pained me to send back the gorgeous Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace in black. The only reason I decided to send it back was because of the color; I think I would have preferred one of the actual colored stones to the black.

I loved the idea so much that I subscribed myself and got my second box last Friday! I've definitely fallen in love with the square pave earrings I was sent. Perfect for a touch of shine when I need a little bit more than my simple diamond or pearl studs.

All in all, I definitely recommend it. The price was a little bit of a deterrent for me at first ($19 a month) but it honestly keeps me from spending way more than that on jewelry or other accessories, so it ends up being worth it in my eyes.

Additionally, if you click here and use the code "carolynbff100" when you make your account, you'll get your first month free! That way you can test it out for yourself and see if you love it as well!

Lessons of My Savannah Summer

Last Georgia sunset of (my) summer

So, as of writing this post, I'm sitting on my bed at home with my clothes (and all that stuff) in suitcases and I honestly cannot believe the summer I've had.

Rewind to late April, all I wanted was to be home. I was overwhelmed, unsure, and needed to run away. The best way I can sum up how I felt is from something a quote I found on Tumblr (of course haha) but was originally in an old letter written by Tennessee Williams:

Ask anyone; I'm type-A and have been for as long as I can remember.  So, while it was definitely a planned "retreat" in some sense (I knew in January I wanted to spend summer at home), I was completely running away from my life in DC. I needed a change, especially since my plan was to stay in DC after I graduate.

So I got my life figured out, finished the school year, and flew home (with 5 suitcases of clothes and accessories, obviously). I didn't have friends here, a definite job, or even really know my way around without Google maps. 

So, long story short, in the last three months, I: worked three distinctly different jobs, took online courses (Go Dawgs), made new friends, went on a family vacation to the Florida Keys, spent more time with my mom than I have in years, and fell in love with the state of Georgia. 

I'm 100% still that type-A kind of lady but I have a much better idea of who I want to be, even when I can't be in my newfound comfort zone. That's the main reason I'm okay with going back to DC; I get to be exactly the way I've been but in a crazy exciting city and figure out the next chapter in life!

Life's not about the plans and goals all the time. Sometimes detours are the most amazing gifts we can give ourselves. But you'll never know until you try :)

Coming soon...decorating my first (shared) apartment and adjusting to people looking at me funny when I ask for sweet tea!

5 Things I Learned in College

George Washington Campus
C/O: GW Media Relations

As my chapter of time in college comes to a close (this semester will be my last!) and I get a little overwhelmed with questions about what to pack for college/what to expect during recruitment, there's no better time to give y'all a quick run down of the top 5 things I learned in my three years.

So, here we go:

1. Bring half of what you think you absolutely need. You'll definitely end up buying new things that fit your college lifestyle a little better than your high school clothes would and your closet space is probably going to be very small.

2. Don't expect to be best friends with your roommate. Even if you are already best friends with them, keep hanging out with your other groups of friends so you don't get on each other's nerves!

3. Pick up after yourself as you see things that need to be cleaned but devote one set time a week to do a deeper cleaning (bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, etc.). Even better if you blast music while you do it :)

4. Go to class. If you are in class as often as possible and participate, your professor is more likely to understand when you have a family emergency and need an extension (yep, that happened to me) or a similar situation. 

4 (and a half). Take classes with less students in them when you can. It'll make you feel a bit more obligated to get out of bed when you know the professor will notice if you're not there :) 

5. Get in a little bit of trouble! This was something my dad always told me growing up (I have always been a rule follower) and it's stuck with me. Some of my favorite memories of my freshman and sophomore year were the ones where my best friends and I were a little wild and I'd hate for anyone to look back at this unique time with regret.

Leave a comment with something you learned (or want to learn) in college!

Playing With Humidity

This summer in Georgia has meant HOT. The kind of hot where shopping outside is deemed almost impossible without a drink in your hand and you're likely to get weird looks if you dare venture out wearing pants.

My solution to this has been embracing my naturally wavy hair, minimal makeup, and dresses!! Since a lot of dresses can easily be transitioned to different seasons or dressed up for work, I'm all for buying the ones I fall in love with.

This gorgeous dress was no exception! In fact, when it first appeared on Red Dress Boutique, it was sold out before I committed to buying it so I waited until it was restocked (I should be a little embarrassed as to how fast I bought it). 

Isn't that back just a fun little something extra? My hair would normally cover it but, with the crazy humidity, I've definitely been throwing my long hair up to a messy bun quite a bit!

Dress: Red Door Boutique, Sandals: Sam Edelman, Necklace: Vintage, Ring: Bellas Olas Baubles

Hope y'all are enjoying these last hot and humid days of summer!

P.S.: Aren't these pictures amazing? Ashlyn, a Savannah College of Arts and Design student, is truly a gifted photographer (especially given it was 95 degrees this particular afternoon and we were DRENCHED)! 

Tassels With Class

As someone who's not a huge fan of changes (fashion or otherwise), it takes me a little bit to get in to trends. And the tassel trend was no exception to that.

I'm pretty sure it's the over-doing it that makes me not a fan of it right away; everywhere you look someone put a tassel on the drawstrings or edges of a romper or made a tassel the zipper of an otherwise plain bag.

But...after a lot of window shopping (mostly online so I guess browsing?) I decided to buy two necklaces from Nordstrom that happened to be on sale for a price I could tolerate. I'm not a "trend" spender so this was exactly the push I needed. 

I LOVE them, especially with more plain t-shirts or dresses but unfortunately, they're not on the website anymore! Not sure I'd purchase any other tassel necklaces right now (except the one below, I love the wooden bead look with the tassel) but here's a few more items that will let you tie tassels in to your every day wardrobe!

Hope y'all are staying cool in this crazy July heat!

The Wonderfulness that is Emily Ley

Photo courtesy of EmilyLey.com

Have you ever felt just drawn to someone's story? Like for whatever reason you are supposed to know as much as you can about a person that you only "know" through social media (and her incredible company)? Well that's how I feel about Emily Ley. Her search for grace instead of perfection is something that my 21 year old self can only hope to achieve at some point in my life. Because of this (and her more than adorable three children), I simply cannot believe more people don't know about her. Don't get me wrong, I love having blogs and shops that few know about but I just feel a push to get  the "in-between" age group involved.

One of my favorite things about her (as well as Lara Casey, an author, blogger, and much more that I learned about by reading Emily's blog) is the involvement of their religion. I grew up pretty firm in my Christianity and have learned to love it, even as I'm at the age where it's more normal to pull away from than give in to God.

So, here's how I'm going to incorporate this inspirational woman in to my day-to-day, hectic as my schedule can be: For the next 30 days, I'm going to search my way through her blog and create my own personal "highlights" if you will. Things that ring true to me as I am now as well as the me that I hope to be.  Maybe I'll do check ins on here or just kind of make one giant "Emily Ley for the young twenty-something" post, we'll see!

In any case, her planners are also AMAZING and perfect for busy college students as well as wives and mothers. She has a bunch of different options so be sure to check them out! 

I'll undoubtedly be in line to buy myself one for 2016, a year that will include the beginning of my adult life and more life events than I'll probably be able to count. Need something gorgeous so I can look back on them all with a smile on my face :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Scuba Diving: Tips and Tricks for the Modern Woman!

For our get-away this year, my family decided to road trip down to the Florida Keys. The drive's not too tough but we definitely all needed a change of scenery and a break from routines!

Look at that gorgeous water after our afternoon dives!

The main attraction (for my dad and I anyway) was that our hotel has one of the best scuba programs in the Keys. We got Open Water certified (the first level of scuba diving certification) back in 2012 but had yet to test out our skills past that. My dad's obsessed with fish, boats, basically anything that involves being on or in the water. We decided to get our Advanced Open Water certification and I'm happy to say I'm officially certified after four days of diving!

However, it was during this week that I noticed the crazy lack of women in this recreational activity. I started wondering why and I decided to write up a quick guide to scuba diving for women! I mostly geared it towards people who are just getting their Open Water certification or going on their first dive without an instructor. Just some dos (and plenty of don'ts) for being on and in the water!

• Don't wear make-up or do your hair nicely. You'll see plenty of people but they're not interested in what you look like, only how you handle yourself on the water
• Take off all your jewelry and don't worry about having a nice cover up or anything like that. You spend most of your time in your wet suit anyway :)
• Make sure your comfortable in your bathing suit (I prefer one pieces when diving but it's totally your decision)
• Learn any and every thing about the gear your using. There are no stupid questions (I asked about mouth calluses today...with no shame at all)
• Be calm! Panicking at any stage is going to over-exert you, causing you to be tired and use more air from your tank once you get in the water
• Yep, you'll see sharks, some mean looking barracuda, sting rays, and much more. Focus on observing how they swim and they won't come anywhere near you!
• Don't be intimidated by anyone (other divers, captains, teachers, etc.). They all learned to dive at some point and love teaching as well as encouraging newcomers!
• Take the time out of each dive and boat ride to marvel in what you're looking at. Skills are super important but so is appreciating what you've worked so hard to be able to observe

Comment with any questions about scuba diving or maybe fun suggestions for where my dad and I should dive next! 

Hair and Face and Eyes, Oh My!

Since I had one day last week off from my multitude of jobs, it became errand day. Luckily, returning something in Ulta and trying to find things for Father's Day as well as my parents' wedding anniversary were just a few of those errands so I was able to pick myself up a few things on the way!

Since I went last week, this is both a review and "share what I bought" kind of post for y'all.
First thing I got was Kiehl's Since Micro-Blur Skin Perfector.  I'm primarily using it as a base layer between my moisturizer and my foundation but so far my skin's appreciating this light "buffer zone" idea. No word yet on how it's dramatically helped my skin but I'll let y'all know!

From there I went to Ulta. I went in with full intention of getting Covergirl's Lash Blast Fusion Water Resistant Mascara in Black, since Jennifer from Southern Anchors recommended it to me so I obviously grabbed that. Since being in Georgia seems to have made me into a bit of a crybaby, I went with waterproof, which necessitated the Almay Longwear & Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover Pads. These are great at getting right to the clean off but the oily residue is not my favorite. Saw ones that were oil-free from Almay but they weren't for waterproof makeup so oh well!

My last item was a bit of a wandering purchase: basically this Georgia humidity and I have been fighting a vicious battle over the state of my hair. The second I walk out to my car, the great silky hair is a thing of the past. So, in an effort to solve the humidity crisis of the South, I got a small size of the DevaCurl 'Set it Free' Moisture Lock Spray. My roommate freshman year used there products to keep her curls in line and it smells incredible (I totally still use that as my #1 deciding factor, who cares if I'm 21, right?).  So far, it has been able to stand Georgia heat, non-stop work days, and the Florida Keys so more products might be in my near future :)

As always, my future purchases are open to any (and basically all) suggestions so let me know your favorites, new or old!!

Weekends are for Wedges

There is no doubt that my favorite type of shoes are wedges. They're great for not only adding a little height (I stand at an all too intimidating 5 feet tall) but also for dressing up an otherwise casual outfit.

Here are a few of my favorite options for this summer and I think at least the first three would work really well in to fall as well! They're also all reasonably priced because well...I tend to do more walking in my heels than I probably should since I live most of the year in DC and wearing out the grippy part on the bottom of any heels means you're more likely to lose your footing.

The next four are on my "some day" list (also known as once I'm no longer an unpaid intern and student):

Also fun fact from someone who owns a lot of shoes: try not to buy wedges without some sort of platform on them, no matter how cute they are. They tend to end up super uncomfortable to walk or stand in for a long period of time!

Summer in Savannah

I do my fair share of bad decision making, something bound to happen when a 21 year old lives 500 miles away from her family and tries to be independent. However, deciding to spend my summer home in Savannah was not one of those bad decisions.

Not only do I get the great benefits of being with my family and beloved family dogs for four months but I also have an amazingly gorgeous setting with tons to do and always lots going on. Since it'll be my last summer break of college, I wanted to make sure I had the ability to relax a little. Well that doesn't count the time I spend at my two jobs, working on the online courses I'm enrolled in, or taking Pure Barre classes but I do love being busy! 

Below's a gorgeous sunset picture I took last year but this is absolutely how gorgeous Savannah is whenever it's sunny. Notice I did not mention the heat and humidity...thank goodness for central air in basically every building!

In any case, hope y'all got to know me a little bit!