THE TIMES TUMBLR MADE MY DAY (PART TWO)

As the seasons are transitioning, I've been on a huge search for inspiration and motivation everywhere. What better place to start than Tumblr, the database of pretty pictures and witty quotes?

The last Tumblr-themed post I wrote received lots of positive feedback, and writing that post was an absolute blast, so I've been eagerly waiting for the perfect time to reintroduce it.  As in the spirit of that charmingly colloquial proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

1. These are the essentials for a blissfully and beautifully lazy morning.


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BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 9/20/15 -- 9/26/15

Where has all of the prep gone?

I want to apologize for the lack of posts these last two weeks (specifically, this series of posts).  I've been on a blogging hiatus because my life's been a bit of whirlwind.  Besides, homecoming was this past week, and that was a nightmare in itself--although my escort and I were immaculately dressed, if I may say so.

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
This Q&A book is the perfect questionnaire for sentimentalists and thinkers alike.
While we're on the subject of books, the newest piece of reading material that I've added to my wish list is the classic Audrey memoir, How to be Lovely:  The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life.  It's chock full of facts about Audrey's life, and best of all, Audrey's most memorable and captivating quotes.

LAUREN CONRAD RUNWAY COLLECTION

Lovely.  That's the first word that comes to mind when I think of Lauren Conrad.

Unlike many other fashion designers of today, Lauren Conrad designs light, airy pieces that can easily be incorporated into an everyday wardrobe (as opposed to those frightening shoes you saw during New York Fashion Week).  Plus, her clothes are hanging on the racks of every Kohl's in the country, so shopping around and trying them on isn't a huge scavenger hunt.

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PREP FOR A DAY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

A year ago today, I made a spontaneous decision (which is a miracle in itself because I've never loved spontaneity).  That spontaneous decision changed my life more than I ever thought it would.

Prep For A Day has slowly evolved into one of the best aspects of my life.  Blogging has given me a new purpose.  It's given me a goal, and it's given me the courage to do some pretty amazing things.
I will admit that my preconceived notions of blogging were so adverse to the reality.  I ran into some unexpected hassles, but I'm all the better because of them.

PAGEANT MISCONCEPTIONS

One of the biggest pageantry events held annually is the Miss America pageant;  not only is it practically every pageant girl's dream to make it to that stage, but it's also a chance for the rest of the country to participate.

Being a pageant girl myself, I am definitely aware of the misconceptions that many people tend to have about pageantry and those who pursue it.  I still cringe at that Miss Teen USA onstage question debacle, but that's a rather extreme case.

The purpose of the onstage question portion of the pageant is not to express your opinion (sometimes on rather controversial topics) and be judged on it, but rather to convince your audience of why you hold firm in your beliefs.  In the same fashion, I'd like to tackle a few of the biggest pageant misconceptions--along with the realities of those situations.

1. Pageant girls have low IQs.

If you pay close attention during the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, you'll be able to hear and see some facts about each of the contestants.  By doing so, you might have discovered that Miss Hawaii USA studied at Oxford University when she was sixteen, or that Miss America 2015 is trilingual.  The majority of pageant girls have very high GPAs (in fact, the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant gives an award to the girl with the highest GPA).  I think we can all agree that the expression "intelligent pageant girl" is not an oxymoron.

BLOGGING ON A SCHEDULE

It's no secret that most bloggers live rather hectic lives.

From the professional blogger whose day is littered with meetings and events to the full-time student blogger, we're all pretty busy.  When I started blogging as a high school freshman, I wasn't accustomed to having a jam-packed schedule.  Now that I'm a sophomore, the homework level has skyrocketed, and I'm involved with several more clubs and organizations;  to put it simply, my free time has been reduced drastically.  At the same time, this blog plays a crucial role in my life, and I can't go without devoting some of my time to blog posts.  Anyone else in the same boat?

Since I no longer have time during the week to blog, I try to spend some time during the weekend writing two to three posts for the week ahead.  That includes everything that goes along with them (the pictures, the emails, the Instagrams, etc.).

KATE SPADE FALL ARRIVALS

If I had an unlimited shopping budget for a day, I would most definitely be dropping by Kate Spade.

No other brand can nail that quintessential whimsy and charm like Kate Spade does.  I'm in love with the feminine dresses, killer shoes, and the little hints of winter that have traipsed into the newest arrivals. Confession:  I wouldn't be able to successfully wear about fifty percent of Kate Spade's items, but a girl can always dream, right?

PRETTY LITTLE DESKTOP WALLPAPERS

I am, by no means, a tech-y person.  In fact, I completely surprised myself by starting a blog and delving into HTML and coding.

I'm not very picky about my technology, either.  I just want it to meet two criteria:  a) it functions properly, and b) it looks pretty.  Seems like a rather simple combination.

A few days ago I decided to change around my computer's wallpapers (something I haven't done since April), and I fell in love with about twenty different backgrounds. Since I can only use one, I'm sharing the rest with you, in the hopes that you can give your technology a little update!

1. Design Love Fest Wallpapers


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This website has a plethora of wallpapers (watercolors and quotes included), and they're pretty hard to choose from.  My personal favorite is the "Go For It" print.  Some other beauties include this classic gold print, the light blue "Hello" print, and this stunning motivational quote print.

BEING A PREP FOR A WEEK: 8/30/15 -- 9/5/15

Hello, September (and more importantly, hello long weekend)!

My own little corner of the universe was pretty mundane this week, so I'll hop right into some of my favorite links that I've found over the past few days.

One extremely exciting part about being a blogger is being able to join blogger communities, and so I'm excited to announce that I'm a writer for the Undeniable Report!  My first post recently went live, and I cannot wait to start writing my next one. P.S.  UR's web designer gets an A plus from me!

Now, on to some of my favorite links from the past week:
How beautiful is this Parisian-themed wedding (and those gorgeous chandeliers)?
This Audrey Hepburn-inspired wedding shoot is absolutely stunning.  Plus, they have Audrey quotes plastered everywhere, and that's definitely a good thing.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

In today's society, most teenagers have a larger problem with understudying than overstudying--most, but not necessarily all.

I am one of those oddities of the teenage universe that tends to overstudy;  whether this is due to the fact that I am a huge nerd or just because education is extremely important to me, I'm not quite sure.

Although not knowing the material is going to hurt your grade, reviewing the material so much that it starts to run together is just as bad.  There's nothing worse than sitting down to take a test and having your mind become as blank as the sheet in front of you (trust me, I know from experience).

Besides the ordinary schoolwork, there are quite a few aspects of our lives that we tend to overemphasize and worry about.  Practice does make perfect, but that doesn't mean you should practice kicking the ball until you break your toe, and if you sing a song one thousand times over, you'll be so hoarse that you won't be capable of singing in front of a live audience.