It's the little things.

Lately I've realized how much we take life for granted and how precious every day and ever moment. I've realized that sometimes it's the simplest things that can make your day or be something you truly enjoy. I've decided to compose my own list of the little, simple things that I appreciate and make me smile.

1. Sitting on a blanket with the sun shining down on you.
2. Talking with old friends.
3. Meeting new people.
4. The ice cream cones with chocolate in the bottom.
5. A breezy day.
6. Iced coffee.
7. Driving with the windows down and blasting your music.
8. Iced tea on a hot summer day.
9. Laying down in your bed after a long day.
10. Curling up in a mass of blankets on a cold winter day.
11. Lattes in winter.
12. Feeling loved.
13. Laughing til your stomach hurts.
14. The beauty of nature.
15. Cute animals.
16. Walks in the city.
17. Movies with happy endings.
18. Listening to your favorite song.
19. Sitting and listening to the ocean.
20. Reading a book that you can't put down.

It's always good to remember that these feelings often are more comforting and enjoyable to us than we think, and even when we're down they can lift us up.

The only constant thing in life: change.

Change is always inevitable in life. Sometimes we want it, sometimes, we don't. Sometimes it is voluntary, but most of the time, life changes due to things out of our control. This past year of my life has brought some of the biggest changes, and they only continue. I was looking forward to the change of college, and then I got comfortable with it. However, I quickly realized that even though I was in college, things were only going to continue to change as I began to build my own life. Then summer happened. I feel almost as if I started college over again with the summer. I have made many new friends, learned many different things, and have had my eyes opened to areas of life I had never truly encountered before. This change scared me at first,  but now it is one of the best things that could have happened to me. The people and environment I am in have made me come out of my shell more and be who I am to many new people. I like this a lot and enjoy the change. The funny thing is whenever I think about how much has changed, it all seems so weird. My life this past year was completely different than it was in high school, and now it is completely different than anything again. These changes have been hard at first, but so worth it. I have not only met new people and had many new experiences and shared many laughs, but have also learned a lot about myself and allowed for personal growth. I know my personal growth and change will only continue on in the coming years, but I just feel that for once I am finding who I want to be and not allowing others to define me, be it friends, teachers, or parents. I like the way things are going, and I'd like to think that even though there have been a lot of negative changes on the back burner, all in all, change is for the good, and life will always, always change.

" A day without laughter is a day wasted."

I am a firm believer in the title of this post. Laughter really is the best medicine, and the cure for anything. Personally, I laugh at everything, and feel that there is so much in life to laugh and smile about, that you should do it every day. Laugh at something online, a tv show, the odd things that occur in everyday life, or at best, with friends and those you love. Laughter helps to bring people together, and is the shortest distance between two people. If you can laugh with someone, you can have a great relationship. The sound of laughter can ease any situation. If your like me, your laugh might also make other people laugh too. This post is just a reminder to never take life too seriously, and to always laugh, as it will make you feel better, look better, and make you more approachable.

And now a few things that might make you laugh:

 

Rainy Day Movie: 500 Days of Summer

I don't know why, but whenever it's cold or rainy, it always makes me want to watch one of my favorite movies, 500 Days of Summer. This movie is less well known, but it's one of those movies that if you've seen, you either love it or hate it. I obviously love it. I won't completely spoil it, but it's an unconventional romantic comedy, as the happy ending isn't as perfect as you expect movie endings would be. It's realistic. It's witty. Most of all, it's real and relatable.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Tom asks Summer why her past relationships didn't work out, and her response is "What always happens. Life." This is so true and refreshing. It reminds us that people grow in life and may grow apart in relationships. It doesn't mean they ended badly, it just means that life changes and so do we, and it changes our feelings and decisions.

I find Summer's theories on relationships to be very similar to my own philosophies. She never really gets involved or falls in too deep, and I feel that I'm always afraid to invest myself in a relationship because they can be so time consuming and messy.

Finally, I love that Tom starts out the movie so invested in finding love, so hopeful on finding that one true person. This is how I often feel. However, through the course of the relationship/movie, he changes his mind, as does Summer.

So the point of this post is that this is a great rainy day movie(and great movie in general) and has a lot of important life lessons in it and a relationship/love story that you don't usually see a lot in movies. I think Hollywood should make more movies like this.

A New Direction

So while my blog has been fashion filled and rather cliché as of late, I think I want to change that. When I started the blog, my original idea was to be fashion based. I love clothes, fashion magazines, red carpet specials, shopping, Pinterest, and every other form of fashion. However, I lost inspiration somewhere along the way, and it hasn’t been all I’ve wanted it to be. I also had a moment that changed my thoughts on life, and wanted to share it to give me a new direction for my blog.

Over the weekend, my mother had her wallet and phone stolen out of her purse. I saw how distraught she was, and it made me upset, especially since it happened while she was in the city visiting me. It made me think twice about living in the city. Sure it’s fun, but how safe is it really? I’ve always been relatively cautious using common sense, but after what happened to my mom, it’s made me rethink some things. I think I was initially just afraid, and slowly I won’t be as afraid to go out alone or carry money with me anymore. I think the city is still where I want to be, I just realized that life is a lot more precious than we think.

The new direction of my blog will focus on enlightenment and building a positive new generation. Our generation is so filled with materialism and commercialism, that it’s hard to see what’s real. Money has become the all powerful tool and the only thing that seems to matter to people. We need to revert back to what’s real and what really matters. Friends, family, and happiness are far more important than Facebook, iPhones, and wealth.

So I’ve made a list for myself to make my life more positive, and I hope to inspire more people to do the same.

 1. Read. This seems to be a lost art in today’s world. I’m not saying you have to go out and read every classic novel or a book just because it’s on the New York Times Best Sellers; just read what you will enjoy. You’ll learn a lot and have an escape from the world. Reading gives your imagination a work out, as you will try to envision everything you read in your head.


2. Travel. This is one of the most important things to me, and something I always take the time and opportunities to do. Not only is it a vacation, but you get to see how other people live and experience another culture. I think it is best said by St. Augustine that “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” 


3. Find love. Now I’m not saying you have to go find your partner and settle down (I mean I can’t even do that right now), but just find love in life. Start with loving yourself. If you love yourself, than friends and a significant other loving you back will happen soon after. Also, love your friends. Find friends who love you back and don’t waste your time on those who don’t, life’s too short. Finally, when you do find that once in a lifetime love with someone, don’t let it go. Keep it and cherish it each day; appreciate what so many long to have.


4. Find meaning. Find something to live for, something you can be thankful for each day. Maybe it’s your family, your significant other, your children, your job, volunteering, or simply just the beauty in every day life. If you find something that has meaning and something to live for, you will never feel empty or alone.


5. Be less materialistic. Volunteer more. Go a day without technology. Remember that there is more to life than the materials that surround us, and that “the most important things in life aren’t things, they’re people.”


6. Be happy. This is the most important thing in life, and yet so many people can’t seem to achieve it. If you don’t like your life, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit it. Sure it may be tough at first, but at the end of the day your happiness is worth more than what’s in your wallet or how many people surround you.  Accept what you can’t change and appreciate what you have. Live your life for you and no one else. Lead a life that one day you can be look back on and be proud of all you’ve done. You are responsible for your own happiness. This is your life after all, live it how you want.

So on that note, my new blog will be filled with inspiration, pictures, life lessons, personal anecdotes, travel ideas, and still a little bit of fashion(I mean it is my passion). Let’s see how this goes, and if I don’t like it, I can always change it again, right? 

CMT Awards

So while the awards show was almost a week ago, I am just now deciding to do a fashion review. The Country Music Awards are always an interesting event for fashion, as they often dress down more and take less risks. There are also many less well known people there if you're not big into country, so it's a good event to be somewhat low key at.

I wasn't a fan of many of the outfits, and would probably have put many more on the worst dressed than the best dressed. Here are a few of the worst dressed stars:



Hayden wore a skirt/shirt combo, which only reiterates my idea that these awards are casual. This outfit may have been more acceptable for a date night, although it would look much better if there was no fringe from the shirt hanging out and the belt was to move a few inches down.


While Hayden's was bad, I think Scotty McCreery takes the prize for worst dressed. Not only is denim on denim a horrible combination, but the fact that he's wearing it with a t shirt and to an awards show makes it so much worse.

And now to the best dressed.

Jana Cramer wore a lace and embellished dress; two trends that are very hot right now. While an up do may have looked better with the dress, I still really liked the overall look.

And finally, the award for best dressed goes to....

Carrie Underwood! She always knows how to dress well, and has done it again. This embellished dress fits her very well, and the overall look is great.

Hot Summer Looks

So while summer hasn't officially started yet, the summery weather has already begun. Being in the city can be hot in the summer, but it's important to remember that you can still be stylish and stay cool too.

This bright blue dress is a great staple for summer. The flowy fabric helps to keep you cool, as well as the cutouts in the back. This is a perfect outfit to go from day to night, and would look great with a cardigan once the temperature drops in the nighttime.

In spring we saw colored denim as a big trend, and it is continuing on with colored shorts for the summer. These green ones look great with a simple white top and accessorized with brights and metallics.

This is a great going out outfit. The pink skirt and accessories keep it summery, while the fit of the skirt and flowy top make it great for those summer nights.

A great maxi dress is a summer essential. This one shoulder printed one would look great on all shapes, and the yellow clutch adds a great pop of color to make the look more summery.

This is always one of my go to summer outfits. A simple tank with a high-waisted skirt is always a great summer look, and works in a variety of styles and colors.