SOCIAL MEDIA

Friday, May 20, 2016

Adios High School + TGIF


Today was officially my last day of high school! It's actually crazy to think I am graduating in just a few short days. High school has been the longest/shortest time of my life. There have definitely been some endless weeks where I am living for the weekend and praying I make it through the week without another mental breakdown, but the past four years truly have flown by. It seems like so long ago that I had my first day as a high school student, but at the same time I remember it so vividly like it was just the other day. 

I am so grateful for all of the amazing people I have met throughout high school, especially the friends that have stuck with me over the course of four years. I'm gonna be real about teachers though, I did not meet as many amazing teachers as I had hoped to (honestly a ton of my teachers were whack), but my counselor was seriously one of the most amazing people that helped me with legit everything throughout high school. I cannot thank her enough!

High school was nothing like High School Musical, but then again that isn't real life. I am very thankful to the many experiences I had while attending high school, the good and especially the bad have helped me develop as a person and become who I am today. It seems as though my life is ending, but truly, the best is yet to come! I have four amazing years ahead of me and a new adventure ahead in California that I can't wait to embark on! I am hoping to spend a ton of time with friends this summer before we all part our separate ways in the fall.

It still hasn't hit me that we are all leaving but I guarantee you I'll be in tears as my friends leave for school and I hop on a plane to California. If you're still in high school, value the time you have with your friends and other students! It seriously flies by! TGIF & peace out high school!

Xoxo

Thursday, May 19, 2016

5 Things To Do This Summer

Summer begins tomorrow for me. And it feels totally strange to say that. This year really flew by and the final weeks of school completely snuck up on me. I feel like after school on Friday I will feel that it's just another weekend when really I've left school for good! With so much time on my hands now (besides hopefully getting a job...) I've rounded up a few fun things to try this summer that are so worth the time! I obviously love spending time by the pool, but I feel like doing that every day can sometimes feel like a waste. Here are five fun things to do this summer that are a little bit different than your typical summer activity. 

+1. Watch a sunrise/sunset
The closest beach I live near is in downtown Chicago which is only about 20 minutes away from my house. Taking the train or driving down to the city to watch the sunrise just sounds like so much fun! My friends and I are hoping to do this next week and then later hit up the beach for a picnic! 

+2. Do outdoor yoga
One of my favorite summer memories was when a group of friends and I opted to go to Navy Pier for a yoga class outside and then go out for breakfast! We ended up being the only ones in the class so it was basically like a private lesson for the four of us. Plus, we started our day off in a healthy way and then explored around the city!

+3. Explore somewhere new
The best thing about summer has to be the weather. I absolutely love being able to wake up with the sun shining and the warm heat beating down. Last year I explored a few new spots like Wicker Park, River North and the Gold Coast which I hadn't explored in great detail yet. Chicago is a super interesting city so there's always something new to find! Let me know if you'd like a Chicago travel guide!

+4. Cook @ Home
Probably most of my money goes towards eating out. It is seriously a habit I need to put an end to because half of the time I have plenty of food at home but am just too lazy to cook something up. Dining al fresco is probably my favorite thing ever so grab a friend and get cooking! Then enjoy your meal outside!

+5.  Go through things
For all the folks that are heading to college this fall I guarantee you're in a similar situation to me; you have hella clothes that you just don't wear and aren't planning to bring to school. California being so far I need to be fairly picky on what clothes I bring to school; if I'm not wearing it now I can guarantee I won't wear it at school. Go through your room and get rid of things you don't wear. Plato's Closet isn't the best, but you can get some money for your things so its worth a shot!

What are you looking to do this summer?

Xoxo
Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Links I'm Loving


+Chance's new album just dropped and I'm obsessed with All Night. Seriously my fave song right now!

+I'm totally feeling Maxie's post regarding 25 things to stop freaking out about. It seems so relevant right now as senior year comes to a stressful close.

+Kind of obsessed with Kate right now

+Someone please buy me these super cute wedges!!

+KJP has awesome grad gifts that I totally want #classof2016

+I can't keep up with Julia's travels! She's always off to somewhere new and so well dressed!

+Read this if you're dealing with leaving friends behind this fall. I'm so sad to leave all of my friends, but California will be a completely new adventure!

+A recent find of mine: Delphine du jour; I'm really feeling her style!

Xoxo
Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Prom Recap

This past weekend was prom weekend and I of course had to share with you my dress details, weekend fun and more! If you're a frequent reader you probably know I attended prom last year as well. At my school it's mainly a senior prom. Juniors can go, but most juniors only go if they're asked by a senior. Last year ended up being a nice way to test the waters out for prom to see how it was and plan accordingly for next year. Last year didn't go exactly how I had planned, but I was thankful that it wasn't my senior prom and I had a whole year to plan my prom to make it better. This year I went with a dress that was super similar to the dress I wore last year. I had a difficult time finding a dress I liked this year, and refused to wear the same one again (outfit repeater? hell no!), so I opted for a super similar beaded dress. I'm all about the glitz and the glam so this dress was perfect for me. Not to mention it wasn't super low cut or backless so I was very comfortable the whole night. I went for flat sandals again because 1. they were super comfortable last year--I had zero complaints, and 2. my date is relatively the same height as me so I didn't want to tower over him in heels.

We actually ended up taking pictures at the same place we did last year because it's a super pretty venue, and open to all. It usually attracts a wide group so it's fun to be able to take pictures with all of your friends there in addition to your date *I think last year I literally only took two pictures with my date, lol*. I went for a spray tan again (don't hate) because I just love the way it makes my skin look, especially with a more pastel colored dress. I had a little bit of a glow from when I spent some time in the sun in Ecuador, but not enough to where I was legit tan. This year I opted to get my hair done at where else but Drybar just so I didn't have to stress about trying to make my hair look good. It's such a relief when you know that you can walk into a place and have your hair look crazy and come out and it looks perfect. Plus, I've had my hair done at Drybar a few other times (for senior pictures & homecoming) and have always loved the results.

I had a few gals get ready at my house and then we headed to pictures! I was so pleased with my weekend as well because I went to my friend's lakehouse and it was seriously so much fun. Such a great group of kids! Here's a look at my night!







Xoxo
Monday, May 16, 2016

The Final Days of High School



This is officially my last week of high school and it feels totally surreal. It seems like not that long ago that I first walked through the front doors, braces and all, not ready to face the next four years. After four years of going to the same school I still feel like there are so many people to meet and so many things to do, but I'm happily satisfied with my high school career. During the first few months of high school I actually almost transferred to the school I was going to go to originally. After sticking it out for two years I realized there was no reason to switch because I had plenty of friends here and so many reasons to stay.

I'm very glad I ended up staying at my school because it's where my dad and all his siblings went, where my sister when and where my brother goes. It just wouldn't seem right to transfer to a private school in the same town when my family has been going to this particular schools for years.

With all that said I am so grateful for the amazing experiences I have had at this school in particular drill team and badminton. I honestly will never understand how people go through high school without joining at least one club, sport or extracurricular activity. It seriously makes the high school experience all the more enjoyable. I think what I'll miss most are the Friday night football games under the lights and performing at halftime. And the hardest thing is that I'll be so far away that I can't even come home for a weekend to come see my brother play at his football games. Although I'm leaving some things behind there is so much to look forward to in the future. California will for sure be an entirely new adventure and one that I am so incredibly excited to embark on. It's a daunting thought at first, flying 2,000 miles away from home to live on your own where you know no one, but it's thrilling as well. There's something so enticing about an entirely fresh start where you can be whoever you like and no one knows who you were in high school or what town you're from.

As these final days dawn upon me I am eager to finally end the school year (and be free from calculus that has killed me the entire year), but also feeling nostalgic to my first years here and also the amazing people I have met here. By the end of my senior year I feel like I have found who my true friends are and I'm happy to say I have spent so much time with my best friends this school year I can't wait to spend the last summer before college will all of my best friends before we all head to college in the fall.

Cheers to the teenage years, but the best is yet to come!

Xoxo


Monday, May 9, 2016

Misericordia Fashion Show Recap

Have you ever checked out my 101 in 1001 list? I don't think I ever posted about it, but I was inspired by Mackenzie Horan to write my own list of 101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days. I kind of forgot about it, but thankfully rediscovered the list and was determined to cross a few off the list. On Friday I ditched school and got to attend the Misericordia Women's Auxiliary Fashion Show hosted by the women's auxiliary and sponsored by Bloomingdale's. I was so happy to attend with my mom, great aunt and aunt! It was such a lovely morning/afternoon event complete with the cutest decor, mimosas and a luncheon. Here's a little recap for you. I ended up wearing a navy eyelet fit and flare dress, Tory Burch wedges and putting loose waves in my hair. Btw, Misericordia is a home for adults with developmental disorders. My dad's cousin is a resident there and they do so much fundraising throughout the year to fund their amazing mission. Click here to donate! 

 Me and my great Aunt Bern at the event! She seriously always has the cutest accessories ever! I am in love with her earrings in this pic! 



 The venue was so pretty. I've been to a previous event at this location before, but the hotel is so much prettier during the day!
Omg, this salad. Seriously so good. Bib lettuce, smoked gouda cheese, fresh oranges, macadamia nuts & a citrus dressing. To. Die. For. 

Oh, and I ended up buying a dress from the fashion show. Literally the first dress in the show was a midi eyelet white dress that would be perfect for graduation. Fingers crossed it works out!

Xoxo