ANKLE BOOT ADDICTION

Every time fall rolls around, I start falling in love with ankle boots.

I love riding boots as much as the next blogger, but there's something about a pair of ankle boots that makes me want to buy thousands of them (or, more realistically, just one pair).

Now that school has begun and most of us are back on a budget, I tried my utmost best to find stylish but budget-friendly boots--all under seventy dollars!

BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 8/16/15 -- 8/22/15

I know what most of you are thinking:  another one of these posts?

My first full week of school was a tad bit more hectic than I had hoped, and that translated to less time spent with the Blogger interface.  However, now that I'm getting into the groove of things, a myriad of posts should be coming your way!

There has been much candy consumption and laughter in my end of the world;  there was also much remorse about my not-so-lovely outfits...

Via

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
I have to take school pictures next week, and so while I was hunting around for a dress, I rediscovered my love of Lauren Conrad.  Some of my favorites are this Lilly Pulitzer-esque fit and flare dress, this adorable shirt dress, and the perfect pair of scalloped flats.

BEING A PREP FOR A DAY: A DAY IN MY LIFE

You might be familiar with my weekly series "Being A Prep For A Week" in which I share highlights and tidbits from the past weeks, but I'm excited to also be able to put together an in-depth post about a typical day of my sophomore year.  I'm a self-proclaimed sucker for routine posts and videos;  plus they're typically one of the most enjoyable posts to write (and read)!

6:00 AM:  I've risen this bright and early since I was in kindergarten.  Now I can hardly sleep past this time during the summer!

6:30 AM:  After I've showered, I waltz into my closet and change into my (hopefully) pre-planned outfit for the day.

BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 8/9/15 -- 8/15/15

Drum roll please...I just finished my first "week" of sophomore year!  Hopefully you'll all be happy to hear that everything went much better than expected!

Some of the highlights of this first week were seeing old friends, attempting to dance choreography in show choir (that was comedy at its best), and meeting some great teachers.  I also started a very exciting online class--and found that that expression is not always an oxymoron!

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
This isn't exactly a link, but a fun fact I discovered about my wonderful history teacher is that she has the ultimate crush on Theodore Roosevelt.  So, now I know that while Teddy was preparing to give a speech, a would-be assassin shot him.  Teddy then proceeded to inform the crowd of his wound, and then he went on and delivered a ninety-minute speech with a bullet lodged in his chest!  And I thought that I'd been through some hard times!

WHENEVER I FEEL AFRAID...

Picture this:  a young girl sits at her desk, her forehead creased in concentration.  She has every ounce of her energy focused on a single piece of paper.  Her hands are fidgeting, her knee is bouncing up and down, and her breath is less steady than usual.

I just described myself as I will most likely look tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow is my first day of sophomore year, and that piece of paper in my hand is my schedule--which, I pray, is accurate.

Perhaps it's the perfectionist in me, but when I'm not precisely sure about the outcome of things, I tend to get nervous.  As you can imagine, I'm nervous quite a lot.

We're all nervous quite a lot.  We all tend to be afraid of the unknown, and a new school year is a perfect example of an unknown territory.

GOLD SWEET GOLD

I've noticed that my school supplies are following a "hints of gold" theme (or they're trying their utmost best to establish said theme).  Social media really has coerced me into becoming a fan of gold, and now I'm thinking that a gold themed dorm room would be just beautiful.  However, that vision can't become a reality for about three more years, so for now I'm dreaming about some smaller golden finds.

BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 8/2/15 -- 8/8/15

This is my last weekend before school starts up (cue the organ).  I've really enjoyed shopping for school supplies thus far, although it's been a bit hectic.  Plus, the school messed up my schedule, and you know how that goes...

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
I love this beautiful mint planner from Anthropologie.  Just the calligraphy takes my breath away!

QUOTES FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Since I'm a professional quote hoarder, I've started adding more prints to my gallery wall.  Surprising? Not really.  As a result, I've been spending even more time on Pinterest, and I've stumbled across some quotes that are just exquisite.

Getting back into the school groove takes motivation, whether you're a teacher or a student.  When you're moving to a new school, it's even more draining.  One million questions are probing your mind: What are the people like?  Will all of the upperclassmen hate me?  What if I can't make the sports team? The list goes on and on. Forget about those little questions, and focus on the meanings of these quotes. As they say, "We are what our thoughts have made us;  so take care about what you think."

Via

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.  They went out and happened to things." -- Leonardo da Vinci

"Opportunity is missed by people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison 

HOME OF MY DREAMS

I've been frequenting Pinterest a bit too much lately, and I've noticed that one of the boards I pin to the most is my "Home Of My Dreams" board.

Six months ago, if you had asked me any questions about my idea of a dream home, I wouldn't have known what to respond.  It's not that I hadn't thought about it (my mom was a realtor and we watch HGTV religiously), but I just didn't have any idea what my style was.  Now I have a definite idea in mind, and thinking about it just makes me giddy.

If you're wondering what my home style is, just read the description of the board:  "I'll take one extra-nice Cape Cod/ Southern Plantation home, with all-white interiors, a lawn covered in ivy and hydrangeas, and a Tumblr-worthy front door.  A home with a view is preferred but not essential."  To add to that, I'd also like everything to be in corresponding colors of white, navy, and gray, and I'd love one of those driveways that's lined with trees.  I'm definitely branching out, right?

1. Oh, the rafters...


Via

BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 7/26/15 -- 8/1/15

It's August, and I'm still wondering where June went.  Perhaps summer decided to go on a long term vacation.

My week consisted of spending entirely too much time on my computer working out blogging deals and trying (unsuccessfully) to understand angular velocity.  On the bright side, I did manage to wrap my head around radians, so it's all good and well.


Via

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
If you didn't hear, I was recently interviewed by the lovely Katelyn from The Yellow Spectacles.  That was pretty surreal;  I mean, who would've thought that I would be getting interviewed by a fellow blogger? Not yours truly, I can assure you.
On the subject of blogging, I think I've found another of my favorite bloggers:  Julia from Gal Meets Glam. Apparently I'm the last person in the universe to discover her blog, considering her following, but I'm not that concerned.  Her travel photos are giving me a major case of wanderlust!