Little Discoveries

Happy Friday, lovelies!

In case you don't follow me on Instagram (sorry, shameless plug: Follow me!), this week I went to the eye doctor to have my eyes checked! This is typically the time that a lot of people get themselves checked out for their yearly physicals and exams because it's right after a lot of relaxing and right before we jump back into the daily grind once more. This is just a friendly reminder to take care of yourself because y'all are WONDERFUL people and deserve to live HAPPY and HEALTHY lives!

Here are a few things that have been going on this week in case you didn't know!

I hear we have a few birthdays in the house?

It's the Queen and the Prince's birthdays! Oops, I meant J.K. Rowling, but she really is a Queen in her own right! The author of my favorite childhood book series (I grew up reading them like so many other people!) may be a bit older, but she is just as fabulous! I loved reading some of the HBD wishes from everyone from "Umbridge's" (Imelda Staunton) sweet message to Luna Lovegood's (Evanna Lynch) amazing letter! Also, in case you haven't checked the date, it's July 31st - it's not only J.K.'s birthday, but her "son", Harry Potter, birthday as well!

Summer in NYC? Yes, please!

Malia Obama has been Carrie Bradshaw-ing it up in New York this summer, from her internship with HBO's "Girls" to popping around different sites in New York. So jealous! I still haven't been there, but it's definitely on my list of places to go!

Marketing Advice a la the Kardashian's

Say what you want about the Kardashian's, but the bottom line is that they have done a pretty good job at keeping themselves relevant and in the public eye. From a Business student's perspective, that's amazing. I may not be a Marketing major, but I really enjoyed reading this more 'academic' way of analyzing them!

The Zuckerberg's Newest Addition

Just in case none of these other stories have made you smile, this one should! Mark Zuckerberg, the wonderful founder of Facebook (currently the most widely used social media in the world), just announced that he and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan are expecting a baby! The couple has chosen to share their amazing story of their struggles with pregnancy and miscarriages, and I wish this couple all the best!

What have you been up to this week? Are you excited for the weekend?

xx

Catch you next time.

J'adore Paris

My favorite place I visited while traveling all around Europe was definitely Paris. The atmosphere was amazing, I felt completely safe walking down the street no matter what time of day or night it was, every sight was a beautiful one exuding charm and history, and the food had us girls eating our meals in complete awe and silence.

Unfortunately, I don't have as many pictures as usual to share - I hadn't been expecting that! I would have thought that my loving Paris so much would have resulted in more pictures, but as I reflect back, I'm starting to realize I don't have as many because I was too busy staring and "Aww!"ing at everything!

We took an overnight train from Nice to Paris to take advantage of the long distance and save on a little money from another night in a hotel (in case you didn't know, decent hotels in Paris can get pretty pricey!).

Ahh, I love the Louvre. I loved its architecture and the energy exuding from it.

 Unfortunately I did not have enough time to wait in line and go inside to see the museum, but the girls tried to cheer me up by suggesting that it's a reason to make sure I find my way back to Paris!

You will not believe this, but without even looking for it, we stumbled upon the famous Love Lock Bridge, or at least what is left of it. Three weeks before arriving in Paris, the story about the locks being removed went viral and we had been hoping that we would've been early enough that most of the original bridge walls remained, but that luck just wasn't in our favor.

We were still very lucky, however, to even see and take pictures with parts of the bridge, and for that we were extremely grateful!

Oh, you know, just taking a quick break from walking to admire the Tour de Eiffel from afar.

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris: Our Lady of Paris, she truly is one of the city's brightest gems.

Notre Dame is an absolutely breathtaking cathedral. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to visit it, not only as a Catholic, but as an admirer of architecture and history.

Shirt: NY&Co. (old) Similar: NY&Co. (On Sale for $20!) | Shorts: Hollister (old) Similar (Super Cute, on sale for $12!) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Necklace: Charming Charlie (old) Similar: Betsey Johnson and Belle and Clive | Shoes: Espadrilles (street vendor in Nice) Similar: Nordstrom

Paris is a beautiful city, and I am just dying to go back as soon as I can! I'll be sharing photos from my trip to the Eiffel Tower soon (when you spend almost 5.5 hours at and on the Tower, it really reinforces the idea that it deserves its own post!).

xx

Catch you next time.

P. S. Want 10% off the cutest stuff at Sugar Spice & Sparkle?! Use "SWPREP" at checkout!

Under Slight Construction

Hello lovelies!

With TSP's first birthday coming up in a little over a week (and with me moving back down for school around the same time), I decided to play around with a little coding and whatnot to give TSP a little birthday facelift.

I love TSP and hope that I can make sure it grows with me over the coming years - right now I'm hoping to make it slightly more mature, classier, and sophisticated to reflect my changing attitude towards the world.The majority of the changes are simple and aesthetic, but I'd love to hear YOUR opinions!

Did you like the previous header or background better? Do all of the colors look okay together or do they hurt your eyes? Do you like the Instagram widget on the sidebar or at the bottom of the page better? Also, if you happen to be viewing this on any media/platform other than a desktop, I would love your opinion on how the site views!

I am grateful for the support y'all have showed me over the past year. I really value your opinions and suggestions are always welcome! I am far from a professional coder/graphic designer and I can only hope my GoogleFu is strong enough to help me not make a fool of TSP (and myself) in the process!

Also, be sure to check out the Rafflecopter giveaway for a Day Designer from Target in my most recent Little Discoveries post! It closes on Sunday, August 2nd, so be sure to check it out and enter to win this beautiful planner - may the odds be ever in your favor!

xx

Catch you next time.

Little Discoveries and Day Designer Giveaway

Hi lovelies! I have a bit of a short Little Discoveries this week because SURPRISE: I'm giving away a Day Designer from the Blue Sky Collaboration!

We are getting really close to TSP's first birthday and I wanted to thank y'all so much for your support, from your super sweet comments to just reading the newest post I put up - it really means a lot to me!

Professional Third-Wheeling 

Just dropping in to hang out with my two #bestfriends !! Happy July THIRD!! #getit #beachday #bbq #4thofjulyweekend #wheresaldo #bff #love #july4th #summer #nantucket #ack #yacht #kanye #tripleblessed #tripod #thirdwheel #thirdwheelin #friends

A photo posted by Trip Od (@imnotathirdwheel) on Jul 3, 2015 at 2:54pm PDT

Have you ever been a third wheel? I have! I've honestly been a third, fifth, seventh, and even ninth (yes, that's possible) wheel. But Peter Alden takes the cake for professional third wheeling - he has pretty much been the third wheel between his brother and his own best friend. For three years. While this situation really does make me slightly internally cringe (and laugh a little!), Alden has found a way to make it HILARIOUS. He's been keeping an Insta account dedicated to photos of him photobombing the couple's photos. Why didn't I ever think of something like this?!

Updating Your Favorite Sneakers

I love my Chuck Taylor's. I know they are a little outside of the realm of 'fashion', but they're simple, fun (I mean, have you seen how many colors they come in?!), and now they're getting an update for the first time in 98 years! Don't worry the classic style we all know and love isn't changing, but they are being made to be more comfortable and support arches better - who can say no to that?! I'm so excited to try on a pair - as much as I love the pairs I own, I could use a little more support for my ankles.

Epic Patty Cake Song

It's FRI-YAY! But are you feeling a little down? Watch this video and if you're human, you may just feel a little tickle in your heart after listening to this song. It's catchy, cute, and I absolutely love it! Plus, you may recognize Alyson Stoner in the video - oh, you know, from Cheaper by the Dozen, Phineas and Ferb, the Step Up movies, etc.

Need Fast Cash? Seek Solutions Elsewhere. 

Those of you who have been around for a while (by the way, I love you guys!) know that I love The Broke and Beautiful Life, a personal finance blog by an amazing woman named Stefanie. From time to time I share a post of hers that I find not only insightful but something I consider helpful and that I think others could benefit from. In this particular post, Stefanie explains why certain money-making methods may not be practical/viable.

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This is the gold striped "Daily" planner which includes Daily Calendars, Monthly Calendars, Yearly Reference Calendars, and Notes Pages.

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Day Designers are stylish planners that make organizing more fun and less chore-feeling.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below - I know everybody has different preferences on media, so I decided to just put them all on here to give y'all more entries as well as more choices on how YOU would rather follow TSP.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xx

Catch you next time.

Freshman Five: Preparing for College and the End of Summer

It's summer, and you've probably been having a lot of fun. No more classes, open roads, sandy beaches, and as much Netflix as you can watch until you fall asleep in the middle of an episode of Gossip Girl.

Thinking about going back to school can be hard, but oftentimes the idea of starting anew can make things exciting - if you're preparing for your freshman year of college, you're probably all sorts of nervous and excited.

There are *typically* two types of people: those who can't wait to leave for college and others who would rather summer find a way to extend itself. College is exciting. And a little scary. Some people absolutely flourish the minute they step on campus and other people need a little time to adjust, and that's perfectly okay.

Despite whichever type of person you are, there are a few things that you should keep in mind to begin preparing for the upcoming school year.

Actually Talk to Your Friends | This one is a biggie! You wouldn't really think it, but so many people go into denial about going to a different university than their friends that they just hang out with their friends without really talking. Actual talking means connecting with someone on a deeper level, and in some cases, giving yourself a bit of closure.

I don't mean talking as in gossip, but talking as in "What are your plans for the year?" or "What are you excited about?" or "Are you okay?". Absolutely spend time with your friends, but don't act like college isn't happening - it'll only make you feel bad and have regrets when you're all moved in to your dorm and they're not there to explore campus with you.

Begin Dorm Shopping Little by Little | Okay, the countdown is officially on the clock and your Mom has already begun reaching for the tissues every time one of her friends asks "Are you excited to move away?!". Do not, I repeat, do NOT binge shop when you're nerves are everywhere about college starting soon. You'll either not buy anything because you can't make a decision or you will actually buy everything because you don't know what you want or really need. Shopping little by little is the best strategy - do you already have an idea of what you want your room to look like? Buy that accent pillow that matches the bedspread you already bought. Maybe next time you're at the store, pick up a lamp.

Now I know you might be thinking "Why make so many trips?", "Why not knock it all out in one go?", or "I just want everything to match!". Honestly, you'll probably end up making a whole bunch of back and forth trips to exchange things that don't work with the room or that you just don't like anymore. This little-by-little strategy may not be necessary for those of you who have the "I know what I want and that's what I'm getting" personality, but sometimes taking the time to feel and plan it all out is therapeutic. Shopping little by little allows you to slowly acclimate yourself to the idea that "Hey I'm moving to college in a few weeks".

Consider Your Goals for Everything | This sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Simplify this. What is something you would ideally accomplish this semester? Are you going to be open-minded about joining extracurriculars or do you want to wait until partway through the semester, or even next semester? Do you want a gym membership? Your answers may change when you're moved in and classes start, but the idea here is that you're actually making yourself think about it. Once you get the ball rolling, it's a lot easier to change your mind when you aren't overwhelmed by the idea that you haven't figured out this long, theoretical list of things you're supposed to think about.

Start Interacting With Cohorts | We are living in the Digital Age, the odds of there not being a Facebook group or page for your cohort class are extremely small. And if there isn't one, then make one and start inviting anybody you already know! These people are your potential roommates, hall/building buddies, lab partners, study groups, etc. and it's not a bad idea to interact on posts, ask questions, and make conversation. Who knows, you may find out the person living across the hall is in your 7:30am Biology lecture and you can make sure the other is awake and walk over together.

Enjoy Every Moment | You probably already know this, but here's a healthy reminder! Hug your bestie who randomly brought you coffee on their way to work 'just because'. Organize a movie night with all of your best buds. Go on a random road trip, just keep driving until you see the name of a city you've never heard of. Swim at the lake and have a picnic. This isn't just any summer, this is the summer: one filled with excitement because you are about to embark on an adventure that will change you and You. Can't. Wait.

Hope these tips are helpful! If you're starting college soon, good luck!

xx

Catch you next time.

P. S. Want 10% off the cutest stuff at Sugar Spice & Sparkle?! Use "SWPREP" at checkout!

Versailles

I was so glad that the girls had agreed to taking a day trip to Versailles! For those of you who may not know, Versailles is where the French Royals often summered, and it's where Marie Antoinette deigned to make her own mark as Queen.

The day was a bit overcast, but it was all for the better because the tour we decided on took us through Marie Antoinette's addition and the gardens before we walked (well, slightly hiked) our way all the way back to the Palace.

Here are a few quick pictures I took throughout our time in Versailles, although the pictures just don't do it justice, you can still see the surreal beauty in the surroundings!

Shirt: MonogrammedIsBetter (Sale: 2 for $30) | Pants: Hollister (Similar) | Shoes: Converse | Bag: Michael Kors (Similar)

Can you imagine living in such a large palace? I feel like I would get lost in there!

xx

Catch you next time.

P. S. Want 10% off the cutest stuff at Sugar Spice & Sparkle?! Use "SWPREP" at checkout!

Surrounded by Sales: Weekend Sale Guide

Hi lovelies!

Earlier this week I wrote about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which just opened up to the public, so you can shop my first round picks of coats, business dresses, and shoes here - go check it out!). I just couldn't help myself from going back in and looking at what else they had to offer, and thought I just had to share some of these other great accessory and beauty finds I found!

Accessories - I just about died while making this list. So much Kendra Scott jewelry is on sale!

Watches - Okay, I know these are technically accessories, but they really do deserve their own time to shine in the spotlight!

Beauty - Everything from perfume to curling wands to those skincare must-haves! I've had my eye on the Clarisonic and I may just finally give in this time around!

Last Minute Finds Under $100 - These are just a few extra things I found while re-browsing the sale that I thought some of y'all might like!

On top of that, J.Crew is having a huge sale too, and y'all know I couldn't resist browsing the site, hoping some money would just magically appear in my account so I can buy, well, everything. Everything I've linked below is under $80 - I mostly went for staples that you can use this Fall as well as well into next summer!

You know the only thing that makes a sale sweeter (aside from more money to spend, of course) - use promo code GOSHOPPING for an extra 30% off!! There you go - sort of, technically, you now have more money you can spend on either sale!

Go forth and shop! Can't wait to hear about everything y'all purchase!

xx

Catch you next time.

Dealing With Little Things and Big Things

How I Met Your Mother is without a doubt one of my favorite TV shows. On top of being super long (hello, Netflix marathons) and hands-down hilarious, I love how the show is so diverse in tackling everything from social issues to day-to-day mini traumas.

The other night I was flipping through some TV channels and found HIMYM playing, so naturally I set the remote down and settled into my blanket. It turned out the episode playing was one of my favorites: the shattering.

As I laughed my way through the episode for what may admittedly be the hundredth time, I stopped mindlessly watching the show while scrolling down Facebook and actually started to think about the actual concept.

You never really noticed that Molly grinds her teeth when she eats until Bill points it out to you. You never really get annoyed by Todd’s persistent pen-clicking until Sarah complains that she can’t concentrate. You never realized that Mary constantly blew you off until Nick told you that you don’t deserve that.

There are so many little things that we do (out of habit) and don’t even think twice about. I consider myself a very detail-oriented person but I never realized that I tore apart small hamburgers (think: McDonald’s), until one of my friends brought it up.

People may say not to sweat the small things, but sometimes you just can’t help it! Sometimes the small things are big things in their own right. But that means you need to be able to tell the difference when something really matters enough for you to get upset over it.

I am one of those people who puts their heart and soul into everything they do, and while that’s great for my projects that succeed, it means I take my failures to heart that much more. I know I can’t be the only one out there who deals with this, so here are a few quick things to think about when deciding whether something is worth being upset over:

Is this something that will fundamentally change the course of your life? // This one is fairly obvious. Not winning Homecoming royalty isn’t going cause you to fail in life. It’s fine to be upset that you put in so much work for something you really wanted, but you shouldn’t get upset just because the cards weren’t in your favor.

Will this still be a problem tomorrow? // I don’t mean this in an avoidance or procrastination way, I mean this in a “Will this still matter tomorrow morning after you’ve had some sleep” kind of way. If you’re an over-stresser, you’ve probably had a fair share of incidents that were easily fixed by food in the tummy and a nice rest.

What can you do to solve the problem? // Last month I published a post about the Serenity Prayer. My, oh my, the number of times I have been upset and have had to think about it. When you want to change the world, every venture that doesn’t work out feels like a sandbag in the way of your river of Hope. But sometimes we can’t do something, sometimes we can’t make situations directly better.

Who do you know that can help you? // It’s okay if you can’t solve a problem by yourself every once in a while – that’s a lesson quite a few people I have met in college seem to have had a problem with. Learning how to ask for help when you need it is almost an art: you need help, your pride says you don’t need help, and you don’t want to seem weak. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; having someone to help you often takes a huge burden off of your shoulders – it takes a village, right?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with even the smallest of things? Any advice on how to deal with it? 

xx

Catch you next time.

Česky Krumlov

Imagine a beautiful little countryside town - rolling hills, peaceful river, tall towers, and a picturesque little castle. That is Česky Krumlov. I know everybody's talked about small towns, but this is the epitome of a small town: we walked across the entire thing in 25 minutes!

If any of y'all happen to make it to Prague (only a three hour bus ride away - even faster by car!) or the Czech Republic in general, I strongly suggest checking out this little town. It's a historical site, absolutely beautiful, and a great place for a little hiking and rafting! The girls and I had an absolute blast - and we were there for only 24 hours!

This was our last weekend trip of our Summer Study Abroad - so crazy to look back on it and think about how I was across the globe only a few weeks ago! It was nice to end the program in a more relaxed and nature-y area - where do you like to go for weekend trips?

xx

Catch you next time.

P. S.  Want 10% off the cutest stuff at Sugar Spice & Sparkle?! Use "SWPREP" at checkout!

Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale 2015

Earlier today, my best friend came over so that we could begin catching up on everything we'd missed out on over the past few weeks that I've been gone and she's been working. It was great catching up with her, but next thing we knew, I was going on and on about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to her and the site was pulled up on my laptop!

This is one of the sales of the year, especially because it comes at just the right time - it's still hot and summer-y, but certain areas of the country are starting to gear up for Fall. You can shop early if you have a Nordstrom's card, but if you don't want to do that, the sale opens up to everyone on Friday! {Fun Fact: If you do decide to get the card, you'll earn double points if you use the card!}

If you're like me and like to plan a little early, here are some of my favorites that I picked out!

Coats | Finding the perfect coat for Fall/Winter can be So. Hard. Some are super cute but too light or too heavy. Others are great statement pieces, but just that: they have to be statement pieces. Well, whatever the occasion you need it for, here are some of the coats that caught my eye!

Business Dresses | I am a huge advocate of bringing color into the workplace! I have regular suits, but dresses and blazers and my favorite to mix and match for any number of professional events - from events with my Fraternity to the internship I had this past Spring!

Shoes | Okay, no real theme for this one because, well, SHOES. Who cares what the weather is like?! Even if you can't wear them now, this is a great time to get that pair you've been eyeing - you can always wear them next year!

Oh and by the way? If you're searching for accessories, I'm dying over this Kendra Scott necklace and this Kate Spade watch. Happy shopping! Do you know what you're buying?

xx

Catch you next time.

P. S.  Want 10% off the cutest stuff at Sugar Spice & Sparkle?! Use "SWPREP" at checkout!

Little Discoveries

Happy National Piña Colada Day!

Okay so this series is supposed to be every other Friday, but so much has happened in the past week that I couldn't just let this post sit in my queue! This past week has been fairly nice in terms of getting to stay at home, try to relax a little, and starting to make my way through the mountain of 'stuff' I've accumulated in one of the corners of my house.

"Shut Up and Dance" Pregnancy Announcement Parody

This song is amazing and this parody is absolutely hilarious! I was honestly laughing so hard at some points that I just had to stop the video and call my sister. Watching this makes me think that I'd better start thinking of other fun, creative ways to announce things like this - though I'm definitely not thinking of needing any of these ideas for a long time!

#SheBelieves - USWNT Got a Ticker Tape Parade!

Last week I pretty much begged y'all to watch the Women's World Cup Final - did you?! BECAUSE WE WON! Not only did we win on the pitch, but the USWNT is the first women's team to receive a ticker tape parade. Ever. A little history: ticker tape parades have been reserved for THE milestones of our country, from our famous landing on the moon to the end of WWII! If you weren't watching it this morning, I definitely recommend looking up some clips from the parade - the speeches and pep rally were amazing!

ESPN Body Issue

Absolutely love this - I love celebrating our top athletes for who they are! I was really happy to see that there will be some women on the cover of the magazine (there are six different covers and this article talks about all of them!) - and having three men and three women cover stars, all of not only different sports but different body types and perspectives, really helps to show the slow but surely increasing respect for gender equality in athletics.

Hallelujah, A Music Video Release!

Y'all know I love Panic! At The Disco, so seeing their new video just made me really happy! You might remember this song being listed in one of my playlists from earlier this year! This song is great for getting your energy up and feeling ready to take on the day.

What have you been up to? Anything exciting happening this weekend?

xx

Catch you next time.