friday favorites

It's been a hot second since I popped onto this space! I'm hoping with a little extra time now that school is done, I'll be able to be more present here! We finished school on Monday and it already feels like an eternity ago. Now, I will soak in summer :) 

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girl wash your face ++ I'll be honest, this book was on my bookshelf for quite sometime (long before it was popping up all over social media ;) Well, I finally cracked it open. What took me so long?!!? This book is pure gold!!! If you haven't heard of it, run to the nearest bookstore or prime it! I love this book because I feel like reading each word is like talking with a close friend. Rach's words are so real + raw. I have recommended it to every girlfriend...more than once. 

zac brown band ++ My bestie + I are crossing another concert off our bucket list tonight!!!! I'm so excited to see ZBB LIVE!! I heard they put on an amazing show. Have any of y'all seen them?!

essential oils ++ I drank the essential oil juice and I'm obsessed. I ordered a starter kit about a month ago and want to add to the collection already! Currently diffusing lavender at night- I can't get over how much better I'm sleeping. So if you use EO's...send me your favorite blends, roller bottles, diffuser combos! 

fresh flowers ++ Am I the only one that wishes Peony season lasted all year long?! 

old navy ++  I must live under a rock because I had no idea how comfortable Old Navy's workout gear was!!! During one of their sales a few weeks back, I purchased a few items (HERE and HERE). I imagine they will be on repeat all summer! I also stocked up on their knit dresses. I have loved living in these dresses the last few spring/summer seasons. They're sooo comfortable and easy to throw on. Add some jewelry and you're done! Another plus, they come in a TON of colors. ($12 with code "OHYES") || similar style HERE 

FRIYAY

Happy March!! It's birthday month! Two weeks from today to be exact :) This week went surprisingly fast, which I have no complaints about! We have a pretty low-key weekend which I'm excited for! I also realized as I was writing this post it's definitely longer than expected. Ooops. More of a life lately post :) 

weekend vibes via

ONE || the most exciting thing this week.... I BOOKED MY FIRST WEDDING!!!!  I'm so so grateful for this opportunity! It's going to be a small intimate wedding at the cutest venue. It was such a God wink because this was dropped into my hands when I least expected it! So I will be practicing all of the night photography until then ;) Wedding photogs- send me all of your rec's! Rent a camera? Flash? 

TWO || y'all know how much I love gel mani's! Last week I found my all time fave neutral color: Lisbon Wants Moor OPI. It has a touch of pink but definitely a neutral/white/tan. It will be a repeat offender this summer! 

THREE || monthly goal time! This month may look pretty light in terms of "goals" but I really want to continue focusing on daily goals the most. There are a lot of fun things planned this month #hellobirthday so I want to celebrate and spend time with loved ones! I'm also going to try new apps for tracking + I'm excited to report back. Hopeful that this month is full of recharging and really digging into what matters most! 

FOUR || last weekend we celebrated a birthday at one of my new favorite venues. Todd (the birthday boy) renovated this barn and actually rebuilt and restored these spaces. It is gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, I didn't snag as many pictures as I would've liked! But you kinda get the point ;)

FIVE || so a little disclaimer first *i am NOT a crazy rae dunn fan* I had seen it so often in Marshalls/Homegoods but didn't think anything of it until my friend repeatedly told me about it and it finally all clicked. Well, I saw Rae came out with a beach collection and that had my name written all over it! The only thing I wanted was the "sea" mug. Lame, I know. I stopped into Homegoods on Sunday morning and they had them!!!!! In fact, they had 4 so I snagged them for my friends and family It was so exciting!! Not to mention it's my favorite color :)

SIX || check out Kate's blow drying tips! This post was life changing for me!

Linking up with April + Erika today! 

HAILEY'S SENIOR PICTURES

In 2018, I'm committing to share more of my photography here in this little space. So here's the first of a few posts to come!  ++ It's hard to believe I'm writing this post. The baby of our fam is graduating this year!!! Grab the tissues! Seems like yesterday we were at my high school graduation saying "before we know it this will be Hailey!"......and here we (almost) are! (insert the sobbing emoji)
Last August, I took my youngest niece's senior pictures. Luckily, the weather decided to finally cooperate because the entire morning and into early afternoon it was storming like crazy! I was so nervous we'd have to reschedule. But, you never would've known that was happening an hour before we started by the gorgeous, dreamy sunlight in these pictures--answered prayer for sure! 
Hailey is an amazing equestrian and her love for horses runs deep. She started riding English at age 6 but recently switched to Western. Her favorite spot to be is in the barn or working with animals. So it was only fitting that we spent our time at her boyfriend, Will's farm. There's something special about getting away to open fields. Everything happens at a slower pace...you can truly soak in all of the moments. It's so good for the soul! Hailey is so laid back and I love that these photos represent her in her element. I loved getting to spend this time with her!! Although, note to self- don't wear flip flops after a summer storm when you'll be walking through fields #somanybugs! 
Hailey, I'm so proud of you and I cannot wait to see what you'll do next! I know whatever school you choose, it will be the perfect fit for you! Xo

monday vibes

Happy Monday! It's a gloomy morning here in eastern PA, but I have a good feeling about this week! Professional Development days at the end of the week might be giving an extra pep in my step. Or the fact that I'm also feeling back to myself after getting hit with the flu/bronchitis/pneumonia for half of January. Oh and The Bachelor is on tonight. #getsmethroughmondays 
Cheers, y'all! Hope your Monday is fantastic, too!

january favorites

Whew! I can't believe January is already coming to a close. Looking back it seemed to be a blur. Between snow days + delays and being sick, it felt like an extra long winter break ;) Although the last 10 days have been spent getting better from the flu, directly followed by bronchitis. Literally in bed 24/7. Today is my first full day back to work. The bugs going around this year are no joke!!! Take it seriously, friends and go to the doctors! Anywho-- off the sickness soapbox. ;) On to sharing some of my favorites from January!

L.L. BEAN BOOTS- Last week L.L. Bean was having a 25% off sale- including all of their duck boots! So I knew it was time to jump on the bandwagon. I ordered the 8" tan/navy in size 8M. I normally wear a 9.5 in regular shoes but know that these boots run BIG!! They arrived earlier this week and I instantly tried them on. My initial thought: why didn't I buy these sooner?!? I could've totally used them at college. I also ordered their wool socks. Perfect addition to the boots. I'm so excited to wear these. I may or may not be hoping some snow in the near future as an excuse to break them in!

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JANUARY GOALS- This post wouldn't be complete without my #powersheets goals. I forgot to snag a picture of the filled in tending list. It was a little spotty this month with all of the sickness, but I'm constantly reminding myself that you can't do it all and do it well. So I'm giving myself grace. This month I also really dug into reading Cultivate (by Lara Casey). Guys. It is SO good. It is filled with so much goodness and nuggets of truth. It's a perfect place to turn when you need a pep talk about your goals: setting or refining.

CURRENTLY READING- I have been reading a ton lately. Definitely bit by the reading bug and I don't hate it! Maybe it's the combo of the days off + cold weather, but I'm loving it. Can we be honest, I have a hard time picking a book because they all look good! Full disclosure: I'm a slow reader soooo getting through 3 books a month can be tricky! And some of these books have been on my "to read" list for way too long. It's a work in progress ;) If you have any book rec's...send them my way! 

HYDRATION- One of my goals for 2018 was to drink more water. Sounds easy, right? However, it was something I really struggled with last year. So, I bought myself a new water bottle for motivation. My HydroFlask has been my best friend. It keeps my water cold allll day which I'm loving. To track my water I'm also using the MyWater app!

RECENT RECIPES- It's been a fun month trying new recipes. Hands down favorite was Pioneer Woman's   Pasta Primavera. So good but so indulgent! Also made  healthy peanut butter cups. Those were a total hit at work!! Next time I make them I think I'll make minis. A slight #pinterestfail was  this recipe. Let's just say it wasn't my favorite. 

VILLANOVA- My bestie and I drove down to VU a few weekends ago to visit campus and make a purchase at the bookstore. It was so much fun to be on campus since it had been awhile. We also almost crashed a wedding! AHH! #wrongplacewrongtime But that's totally expected on a Saturday at the chapel! A lot of laughs were had :)

This post was so much longer than expected, so if you made it this far- woohoo!!! 
Linking up with April + Erika today! 

FRIDAY FAVORITES

TGIF! This week went rather fast but no complaints here! ;) I also blogged two other times- who am I?!! It has been so much fun to be back in this space. 

ONE | HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR HER This week I shared the first gift guide of the season! If you're looking for ideas check it out HERE!

TWO | STARBUCKS ON A TUESDAY  My sweet friend Maggie was home for work this week so we were able to grab a little bit of girl time sitting at Starbucks enjoying the fireplace and peppermint mochas. Heaven! I always love catching up with her. Side note: did I ever mention how much I love the portrait lens on my iphone 7 plus?! Sometimes it's almost enough to make me not carry my camera. Which is super impressive :) 

THREE | THANKSGIVING OUTFITS I am the only one that can't believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away!? It caught up to us so quickly. Of course I turned to pinterest for my style guide! The best holiday to be comfy and cute.  

one / two / three / four / five

FOUR | WATERCOLOR LOVE
Over the last few years I've wanted to try doing calligraphy/ lettering. A fun creative outlet paired with my love of handwriting and paper goods seems like a good fit. Well life has happened and I haven't been able to practice as much as I'd like. But I just ordered a watercolor lettering kit from Taylor Jones Calligraphy and I AM SO EXCITED! I think it's going to great to learn using the media of watercolor! If you're interested maybe I'll do a post about my progress? Let me know!

And that's a wrap on my faves this week! Happy Weekend!!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2017 | FOR HER

I saw the other day that there are only 6 more Friday's until Christmas....what the what!!? I better start making my list and checking it twice! I always love putting together gift guides and I think this was one of my favorites to create! I love shopping for my family and friends to find unique gifts for them, but I also love sitting in the comfort of my own home and ordering online without the lines and crowds! It's the best of both worlds. Here you will find some of my tried and trues for the wonderful ladies in your life! *This post contains affiliate links.

for the...PHOTO LOVER  wifi camera card// These two products have been game changers for me! The wifi camera card is so simple to use. Insert it into your camera, snap your photos and then connect the wifi to your phone and bam! The photos are now on your phone :) Love using this feature (especially) on vacation!  canon 50 mm lens// If you're wondering what my favorite lens is, I'll let you in on the secret....it's my 50 mm f/1.4! This lens takes gorgeous pictures and you will always find this lens on my camera! If you're not ready to splurge, there is a less expensive version. 

for the....BEAUTY GURU drybar curling iron // This curling iron has changed my life and made curling my hair so much easier because the barrel moves with YOU! My blowouts also last a second day, sometimes even a third!  it cosmetics moisturizer // Hands down my favorite moisturizer. Ever. My skin is the driest on earth and since using this moisturizer consistently 2x/day I haven't had any problems!! Even in the cold, fall weather we've been having! featherweight t2i luxe // Is it possible to love a hair dryer so much?! Because until I purchased the t2i luxe I didn't think it was. My hair is super fine and this dryer has kept the moisture in my hair leaving it full and soooo soft! Also takes about 10 minutes to get the perfect blow out without burning my hair!  fresh lip treatments// These lip treatments always leave my lips feeling so soft and hydrated! Love that this set comes with a variety of colors too! Great for every occasion.

for the....HOMEBODY  slippers // blanket // pajamas // apple tv + netflix subscription Who doesn't love to be cozy while at home?! 

for the....GAL PAL scarf // Our friend group (myself included) love a good scarf. When I came across this one I knew I had to have it and all of my girls too! The colors are perfect for every season.  roller ball // Another group favorite! Perfect to throw in your purse and go.  book // Every friend deserves this book. I laughed, smiled, and cried throughout this book and read it  in two days. Chances are, you will too!  coffee mug// Is it possible to ever have too many coffee mugs? The answer is always no! Paired with a starbucks or dunkin donuts or your favorite coffee shop gift card and you are good to go! (Perfect for teachers too!)  photobook// Making a photo book is definitely a labor of love and one of my favorites to create because they are always so unique. I also enjoy watching them opening it- there's always a lot of crying and laughing!

for the....CULTIVATOR  2018 powersheets // You can read all about my love for powersheets here + here. Powersheets have helped me to really focus on what mattered in 2017.  day designer planner // 2018 will be my first year using the Day Designer. This past year I used the Simplified Planner and loved it. Powersheets + planner = the best of friends ;) stickers // I mean life is better with stickers, right?! Best part is, you don't even have to use them with just your powersheets or planner. The options are endless!  write the word journals // There are many products I love from the CWM shop, but these write the word journals miiight be my favorite. They have helped me get into the word + not feel overwhlmed with reading the bible. Their latest collection includes a different season of life. Perfect gift for any and every lady in your life!! 

for the....FITNESS GAL  leggings // Best.Leggings.EVER. I snagged a pair during the Anniversary Sale and now that it's getting colder out, I've been wearing them on repeat.  water bottle // Having a water bottle that will keep my drinks cold all day is a winner in my book! Especially being in and out of classrooms, I think I tend to stay more hydrated when my water is cold.  apple watch// I love being able to answer calls and texts on my watch. I can track my water + steps too! I've been looking at my phone a lot less which has been awesome too!  for the...TEACHER As an educator and (slightly) recent college grad I love a good tote! I've had my Longchamp for years. Stuffed it with textbooks, my computer, notebooks, etc. and it has held up so so well! Now that I'm in the workforce, having a nice leather tote is great for job interviews and carrying anything you might need into work! 

Linking up with Owen today!