Finals Survival Guide: Essentials

This semester has flown by. I'm currently in my last week of classes and gearing up for finals- eek! I know most of you in college are too, so I'm going to be starting a series called my "Finals Survival Guide." First off- the essentials!

NIKE hoodie / Vera Bradley Forget-Me-Nots / Home Elemental Poppy Mug

1. Comfortable clothes | I could care less about looking fashionable during finals. It's all about the comfort when you're spending long hours in the library or at your kitchen table like me! Hoodies are perfect for this.

2. Coffee (or tea) | I'm absolutely guilty of overdoing it on the caffeine when I'm studying. At least I hate cute mugs! Lately, I've been making my own vanilla chai- it's super easy and tastes just like Starbucks!

3. Your favorite pens | If I don't have my favorite pen, it's really easy to make more excuses to not start making notes, so I always have several on hand.

4. Study Blue | Y'all know how much I love Study Blue. I'm going to be glued to it for my Anthropology and Weather and Climate flashcards.

5. Sticky Notes | Perfect for marking readings that you need to review!

6. Pandora | I love music, and Pandora provides good background study music. I love studying to either my Alabama Shakes or Avett Brothers station. Or you could check out my playlists for suggestions!

7. Snacks | I'm an awful snacker when I'm studying. I concentrate better when I'm crunching on something like Chex Mix.

What are your finals essentials?

Love and hugs,
Blake
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." -Vincent Van Gogh

Movie Season

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! I know mine was spectacular. I ate way too much, but that's what you're supposed to do! I must confess though, I never participate in Black Friday. Crowds are certainly not my thing. Also, my sinuses have been very mean to me lately and I was not feeling leaving my bed! I did look for some deals on Amazon and a few online boutiques, but then realized how soon rent is due...

I also saw Lincoln with my family yesterday! I love seeing movies. My roommate works at a movie theater, so she can get in free and get in another person, so we see a lot of movies together. Another reason I love Thanksgiving because it marks the beginning of prime movie season.

I thought Lincoln was amazing. For a history nerd like me it was so fascinating to see this point in history come alive. Daniel Day Lewis was an amazing Lincoln. He captured everything I imagined him to be: witty and kind but fierce and determined. I also loved how the plot kept you on the edge of your seat even though you knew what was going to happen.

I want to see this movie so badly it's not even funny. It looks ridiculously good, plus I just love Jennifer Lawrence. Look up the trailer if you haven't seen it already and try to tell me you don't want to see it. The bad part? It's a limited release and the closest theater to me playing it is almost an hour away. 

My inner musical nerd is about too pee her pants waiting on this movie to come out. I'm so excited. The trailer I saw in theaters really gives me hope that this will be an excellent adaption. I also really appreciate the choice to have all of the actors sing on set instead of dubbing over like most musical movies. Only 32 more days...

I also still haven't gotten to see Argo or Wreck-It Ralph which I have been wanted to see. There are just so many movies and such little time!

What movies are you looking forward to?

Love and hugs,

Blake

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve y'all! Though I know we all love stuffing our faces with mom's cooking (I know, my mom is a GREAT cook), I really think it is important to remember what it stands for. Everyone has something to be thankful for, and I feel like I am abundantly blessed. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the little things going wrong in our lives that we miss the good.

The Big Stuff:
I am thankful for my faith. God is the one that has blessed me beyond belief. None of my accomplishments would have been possible without Him. My faith is incredibly important to me and I would be lost without God.

I am thankful for my family. My parents and brother are seriously the most supportive, wonderful people in my life. I'm also thankful that I only live fifteen minutes away from where I grew up and can go home anytime I want!

I am thankful for my wonderful friends. I have the best friends anyone could ask for. They are so much fun and always have my back.

I am thankful for my job. I absolutely love my job at the barbecue place, mostly because of my wonderful coworkers. I'm also thankful that I have a way to pay rent!

I am thankful for my health. I feel as though this is something we all take for granted a lot of the time. I'm thankful that I wake up everyday happy and healthy.

I am thankful for my education at the amazing University of Georgia. I'm so lucky to have this opportunity and to not have to pay any money out of pocket (thanks, scholarships).

The Small Stuff:
I am thankful I spent today painting, watching Sherlock, and spending time with my family.

I am thankful that my mom picked up a pecan pie from work and I get to eat it tomorrow!

I am thankful that I came home to my roommate making cookies tonight.

I am thankful that everyone is gone this week so I can always park right next to my building.

I am thankful for my Dawgs being number three in the nation and SEC East Champions!

What are you thankful for?

Love and hugs, 

Blake

"Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you." Elise de Wolfe

You're making me blush!

Oh my gosh! Thanks so much to SHF over at The S Chronicles and Belle at The Life and Times of Belle for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! It really means a lot to know that people are reading my blog and at least kind of appreciate what I'm doing. Having two people nominate me? Well I'm just terribly flattered. 

Rules

If you are nominated, you've been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

Thank the person who gave you this award and include a link to their blog.

Answer the 15 questions the nominator left for you.

Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly.

Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award with a link to their blog.

Ask those bloggers 15 questions.

SHF's questions:
1. What are your beauty must-haves?
Moroccan Oil for my hair. Seriously this stuff works miracles. It smooths out hair so well and you only need a little to make dry hair look healthy!

2. If you could go anywhere  for a holiday, where would you go?
I can't pick just one country, so how about a continent?  I would tour around Europe! There are so many historical sites that I want to visit and I want to experience the different cultures! 

3. What's on the top of your Christmas wish list?
This Fossil Watch!

4. Why did you choose to start your blog?
I had been reading blogs for about six months and pseudo-blogging on tumblr for years, but I wanted to start something where I could actually write to share my thoughts and ideas.

5. Name one class you wish you would have had taken or want to take in college/university.
Call me a nerd, but I'm super excited for my multicultural women's studies class next semester! :)

6. What's your favourite way to relax after a busy day?
Catching up on my TV shows while drinking a cold Diet Coke. 

7. Which part of the holiday season are you most looking forward to?
Getting to spend Christmas with my family! Granted, I see them all the time (the perks of living fifteen minutes from my parents) but I'm still excited! 

8. If you could go to any game, which sports team would you see & who would they be playing against?
If we're talking a completely hypothetical situation here, I would love to see my Dawgs in the BCS National Championship :) Start your prayers now folks, it's possible this year but we've got a while to go!

9. What is your favourite quote?
I have so many (obviously) but my absolute favorite is probably this one-

10. Which blog(s) do you make a point of reading every day?
College Prep! It's the first blog I started reading and my favorite.

11. Who would you have lunch with if you could choose absolutely anyone?
If we're going dead or alive, I would choose Oscar Wilde. I think we would be best friends.

12. What's your usual order at Starbucks?
Skinny Vanille Latte with a pump of caramel

13. If you've volunteered before, what was your favourite volunteer experience?
I lead a bunch of high school 4-Hers around UGA for Georgia 4-H's annual Weekend in the Classic City, and that was too much fun! That's probably tied with being a teen leader at Rock Eagle 4-H Camp for two years before I worked there as a counselor. I've actually really enjoyed any volunteering I've done with 4-H!

14. Where do you order stationery from? 
I don't actually own any currently...when I've had to write Thank You notes and such in the past I just got plain cards from Target...

15. iPhone, Android, or Blackberry?
LOVE my iPhone!

Belle's Questions

1. What's your favourite perfume/scent?
Right now I wear Gorgeous by Victoria's Secret. 

2. Christmas or birthdays?
Christmas!

3. What's your favourite fast food/take out to have?
Zaxby's. I could eat it every. single. day.

4. Do you want a tattoo? If so what would you have?
I don't really want one; the thought of something that permanent scares me!

5. What is your favourite band?
Such a hard choice, but I guess I would have to go with The Avett Brothers!

6. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
See above :)

7. What's your fave Disney movie?
Hercules. Best movie, best soundtrack, best "princess."

8. If you were granted three wishes - what would you wish for?
For enough money to pay my bills every month, to have the ability to Pin something and it shows up in my life, and a way to travel the world!

9. What is the radio station you automatically switch on when you get in the car? 
It's usually a country one!

10. If you could only wear one nail varnish for an entire year what would it be?
Probably a nice nude color like "A Crewed Interest" from Essie!

11. What is your all time favourite book?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, hands down.

12. What is your mantra or a quote you try to live by?

13. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A Night Owl! Any time before 10 am is too early.

14. If you could live in any era what would it be? (I'd go back to the 80s :P)
I would love to be in college in the 80's or early 90's!

15. Do you re-read books or just read them once?
I love re-reading books!

Now, for the lovely blogs that I nominate-

Rachel at A Preppy State of Mind

Christine at A Midwest Collegiate

Dayna Leigh at Pearls, Curls, and All Things Southern

Kelsey at The Capital Barbie

My questions for these ladies-

1. Who is your biggest inspiration?

2. What is your favorite season and why?

3. How do you eat an oreo?

4. Do you have a Twitter? If so, what is your most recent favorited tweet?

5. If they were to make a movie of your life, who would you like to play yourself?

6. What is your most visited website?

7. What's your favorite class you've ever taken?

8. What is your favorite Lilly Pulitzer print?

9. How do you plan to spend Thanksgiving?

10. What is your can't-miss TV show?

11. What state would you live in if you had to move?

12. What is your most-played song on iTunes?

13. Is your room usually messy or clean?

14. What is your favorite meal?

15. What is the best concert you've ever been to?

Love and hugs,

Blake

"Happiness is only real, when shared." -Into the Wild

Quick Complaint

Here's a little update just to tell y'all that I'm going to be up pretty late writing this paper and I'd just like to ask one question.

Why can I write blog posts quickly all the time and love it but it takes me so long to write for school?

...now back to work.

Love and hugs,
Blake
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Thanksgiving To-Do List

Notice some changes? How do you like the new blog design? As I expressed in my last post, I'm anxiously looking forward to Thanksgiving break. My assignment list has now dwindled down to two essays and a quiz, and it's hard not to imagine all the wonderful things I plan to do over my week-long break, so I'm taking a quick break to give you this post.

Sleep | I cannot express how excited I am to sleep when I please for a whole week. Lately I've been going to bed before twelve and waking up before ten on my own (which is a MAJOR change for your girl that used to sleep until one or two with no problem), but it will be nice to have the option to just lie in bed.

Read The Casual Vacancy | I've had this book since it came out and I am dying to read it, but I haven't had a large chunk of time to devote to getting invested in it. I'm such a big Harry Potter fan and I'm really excited to see how J.K. Rowling writes a different story. She's so immensely talented.


Make Cornbread | Lately this has become my Thanksgiving meal responsibility and let me tell you, I can make some deliciously moist cornbread. I can't remember the last time I had any and this Southern girl is craving it! That also means I get to spend time with my wonderful family!

Clean my Room | Right now the only words to describe my room are "hot mess." It is ROUGH.

Think (a little) About Finals | I know this is a break, but I need to get my ducks in a row if I'm going to not kill myself during finals. After all, after break that's all I have to worry about this semester! Maybe I'll make a few flashcards and go over a couple readings, just to get a jump start.

Do a Craft Project | I have a Pinterest board full of great ideas and it's been a while since I've had a nice crafternoon. I absolutely love to craft but haven't had time to lately! Any ideas about what I should do?

And here's a short list of things on my TO DON'T list:
Lie in bed eating and aimlessly browsing the internet for hours | Enough said.

Though one thing I have found while aimlessly browsing the internet recently that really cracks me up. It's even funnier than Rebecca Black's "Friday." I present... "It's Thanksgiving."

What are looking forward to for your time off?

Love and hugs,
Blake
"Where you invest your love, you invest your life." -Mumford and Sons

She Works Hard for the Money

Hey y'all! I realized today that we have less than two weeks until Thanksgiving, which means just one more week of class until Thanksgiving break! Unfortunately, that means this week I have two (and a half) papers, a project, and a lab due, plus a math quiz. BUT I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! The only thing I have to worry about after Thanksgiving is finals, then my first semester at UGA is over. It FLEW by.

I have had a pretty awesome weekend, and what made it so great is that, after months of searching, I finally found a job! I'm going to be working at a local BBQ place two days a week. I started Friday and, to my surprise, I love it. It's a small, family-owned place that serves great food. Seriously, I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about it. My co-workers are great, my bosses are great, and it's a great first "real" job.

Before this, I had only ever worked as a camp counselor the past two summers. While I loved that more than anything and hope to do it again, I basically got payed to act like a loon and play with kids. It had it's challenges and rough days, but it was way more play than work. Everyday this past summer, I got to teach kids how to sail and watch a few nervous faces turn into big smiles as they set out. I spent my days chilling in the lake listening to campers truly say the funniest things. "Are there sharks in the lake? What about alligators?" "Are you sure I can't take my shoes off? These are Nikes!" And my favorite, "Can I just stay here all day?" I loved spending time with the kids in my cabin too. Every night I would read them a quote as a devotion to hopefully give them a little inspiration. Some of the responses to these have honestly changed my outlook on life and I think instilled my love of quotes! (One that I used a lot and is one of my favorites is at the end of this post!) I also got to work with some of my best friends everyday. Nothing makes sure a friendship will last a lifetime like working long hours and living in close quarters together! There's no way any of us could get through the summer without leaning on each other. I love my camp friends with all my heart.

Words can't even describe how lucky I am to have had this job. The past two summers have held great memories and taught me so many valuable lessons. I would have never knew how much I was capable of without my camp counselor job. I'm sure I will have days when I'm up to my eyeballs in Brunswick stew where I wish I was swimming out to the island in the middle of the lake to rescue a rogue sailboat. But really, I am lucky to have my first jobs be so awesome.

What was your first job? How about your favorite?

Love and hugs,
Blake
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."-Roald Dahl

What I'm Listening To

I feel like I always define time periods in my life by the music I listen to during them. For example, early high school sounds like Boys Like Girls and other rather crappy "alternative" bands. I know, I'm shuddering too. Lil Wayne's Tha Carter 1V always makes me think of my first semester of college. Right now, my fall is sounding like a nice mix of country, old rock, and a little indie. I've put together this playlist to give you a sample of what I'm listening to!

What are you listening to? Is there any particular music that makes you think of a specific time?

Love and hugs,

Blake

"Funny how a melody sounds like a memory." -Eric Church, Springsteen

Things I Honestly Suck At

I feel like the blogging world is so often a platform for people to brag about how good at everything they are at how together they have everything. "Look at my perfect crafts, wardrobe, organization skills, recipes, blah, blah, blah. Here's how you can be as put together as me!" As you probably all know, (to put it quite bluntly), I don't BS around, and neither do those running my favorite blogs. You guys keep doing you; I appreciate it. So to combat this stereotype of bloggers only ever putting their best, perfectly natural-looking make-up face forward, I've compiled a real list of real things that I honestly suck at. Don't get me wrong, I'm also pretty good at a lot of things, but who wants to read about that?

1. Paying attention in class when I have my laptop out
...I was in class when I first started this post, y'all. I just like blogging and reading other blogs so much more than Weather and Climate!

2. Replying to texts/e-mails
I'm awful about reading a text message or email, deciding I need to think about what to say back, and forgetting to ever reply.

3. Being flirty and outgoing
I assume that, naturally, everyone hates me and doesn't want to talk to me. I recognize that this is completely stupid, but I do!

4. Eating vegetables
I've bought so few since I started buying my own groceries that it's embarrassing.

5. Procrastinating
As I've said before, I am a horrible procrastinator. I put off EVERYTHING until the last minute. I'm a lot better about it than I used to be, but I'm still struggling.

There you are. Five things I honestly suck at. I feel like writing that out was almost therapeutic. If you can't pinpoint your weaknesses, how will you overcome them?

So let's have a nice, quick honesty hour. What's something you're bad at?

Love and hugs,
Blake
"Find joy in your frustrations."

Sweater Weather

Now that it's finally feeling like fall, it's time to curl up in some cozy sweaters! Here are some of my favorites- I love a good big and obnoxious sweater!

J.Crew fair isle sweater / H&M jumper sweater, $32 / Quiksilver top /  Diamond Printed shirt / Embroidered sweater

Love and hugs,

Blake

"Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too"