October Favorites

Hello friends! It's that time of the month again... Favorites time! Let's get into it!

• Favorite Store: Kohls I love Kohls. That's it. They have everything and there's always some kind of coupon circulating or Kohls Cash going on. Everybody wins.
• Favorite Article of Clothing: Target Military Jacket Because fall is upon us in the Midwest, I have officially broken out all the cold weather clothing. This jacket is perfect for those days where it's cold in the morning but a little warmer in the afternoon. I also love how it adds a little something extra to any outfit.
• Favorite Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots (with inserts) I've loved my Hunters for a long time, but I recently got the inserts (fleece sock-type things that stick out the top of the boots), and they gave my classic favorites new life.
• Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation & Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes (Chamomile & White Tea) This foundation give nice coverage and looks very natural, and the wipes do a good job of taking it off at the end of a long day. They also smell incredible.
• Favorite Smelly Item: Bath & Body Works A Thousand Wishes Lotion Holy cow, this stuff just smells great. It's a little warm, a little sweet, but not too much. It'll be even better around Christmas.
• Favorite Music: Shawn Mendes' "Handwritten" Album (specifically "Stitches," "Never Be Alone," "Kid in Love," and "Aftertaste") / Kelly Clarkson "The Sun Will Rise" / James Bay "Let It Go" I'm a music junkie, and this was a great music month full of good finds. I also bought the new Pentatonix album, but haven't given it the time to fall in love with it yet because I'm so obsessed with the others.
• Favorite App: Township This is one of those games that sucks you in immediately but has no real point. I don't know why I find it so enjoyable, but I can't stop. If you've ever played HayDay, this is that on steroids.
• Favorite Activity: Getting Ready for Halloween That time of year is upon us at last! I love all things festive, and to me, the holiday season starts with Halloween. I love decorating, planning my costume, baking spooky treats, etc. (Stay tuned for a Halloween post) I'm so excited.
• Favorite Food & Drink: Scones & Starbucks Iced Salted Caramel Mocha Two weeks ago, I posted a recipe for scones, and I'm obsessed. I've been making them all month for everyone I know, and they're delicious. I also love Starbucks all the time, but I recently discovered iced coffee (super late on that bandwagon, I know) and I'm obsessed with this, too.
• Bonus Favorite: Dancing with the Stars The past few season haven't been very good in my opinion, but I'm loving this season. They have some good stars on and, once again, I'm obsessed. My favorites are Alek, Hayes, and Alexa, just in case you were wondering.

*I apologize for the lack of pictures on this post; I landed myself in urgent care this week to get stitches, and long story short, haven't done a whole lot since. Stay tuned for a monster (get it?) Halloween post next week! 

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Picture Pefrect: Kairos Retreat

Hello friends! Today I'm launching another series called Picture Perfect. This is a series dedicated to events in my life that really stand out to me, whether they have just happened or are from another point in time.

My first topic is Kairos, and my memories of Kairos have been brought back in full since my best friend came back from it this past weekend. For those of you who aren't familiar with Kairos, it's an overnight retreat that many Catholic schools and organizations have for teens and young adults, focused on strengthening their relationships with themselves, others, and their faith. I don't want this post to be too preachy, and I must stress that (at least the way my Catholic school did it) the faith side of things was not overwhelming. Yes, we talked about God at one point and we did go to mass, but nobody was there to convert anyone or preach to us. It was the greatest weekend of my life, and I am forever changed because of it.

If you're here to learn the "secrets" of Kairos, I won't be sharing them. I'm writing to share my experiences for the people who may be nervous about going, or deciding whether or not to go, or maybe who just want to learn what it's all about. I'm not sharing all the "secrets" to be mean, but because (if you've been on Kairos you know) the things you learn on Kairos are so life-changing that you want people to experience it for themselves; talking about it doesn't even begin to describe how wonderful it is.

The way my school does it, Kairos is a three-day, two-night retreat. This varies, but should always add up to four days. I left on a Friday morning, and came back Sunday night. Now I know I said it's supposed to add up to four days, but my school, instead of keeping us in that little bubble of wonderful for the fourth day, sends us out into the real world to "live the fourth." That means something different to everyone, but the basic idea is to live out what you learned on Kairos, which is easier said than done.

So on that Friday, I went to my first two classes, and then everyone going on that Kairos met in the chapel in the school. There, we met our roommates and our six leaders. {The six leaders run the retreat along with one lovely lady who has put 118 retreats together and two faculty/staff leaders. The three adults oversee everything, but it's the six leaders who run the show. They spend anywhere from a few weeks to several months planning out the whole retreat, from roommate pairings (always the most unlikely people paired up) to the witness talks they give. They're chosen because they emulate what Kairos is all about, and I haven't ever heard of anyone having a bad leader.} After a quick reflection to start our weekend of unknowns off on the right foot, we gathered our bags and boarded the buses. After that, my story gets pretty vague, as I can't give anything away. To say the least, we're all given notebooks to document the weekend, and somewhere on the covers are written the words "Doubt, Cry, Love, Live." {There's one word for each day of Kairos, and they are as accurate as could be. The idea is that you're doubtful about the whole process of Kairos the first day, you cry a ton on the second day, you feel the love the third day, and on the last day, you live the fourth.} The first things we write in the notebook are "trust the process," "you only get out what you put in," and "don't anticipate, just participate" as words to live by that weekend. As they said, I was definitely doubtful that first day. We got separated into small groups {essentially of strangers} that we were supposed to form this insanely tight bond with in three days, and I was so unsure of how that would work. But, as it turns out, it happened and I still love them to pieces a year later. And it all started that first day.

That Saturday, cry day, I did just that. This day is the one I can't really talk about, because so much happens this day; it's crazy how the dynamic of the whole retreat changes in just a few hours. It can be really scary to trust the process through everything that goes on, but it's so worth it. I did, and I couldn't be happier. There's also a ton of bonding this day, both as a whole retreat group and in the small groups. Again, so much changes this day. People are so moved by everything that happens in those few hours that the emotion just overtakes you, and that leads to a whole bunch of crying. {Let me also say that I went to an all-girls school, which didn't help the whole emotionally-charged sobbing thing. It was great.} By the time Saturday is over, you're on your way to being a totally changed person, definitely for the better.

Oh, Sunday, love day. Sunday was great. You truly do feel the love all around, and it's crazy. I still don't know how a group of strangers bonds so intensely and so genuinely, but it happens, and it happens fast. I actually cried more on Sunday than I did Saturday, simply because the love was so overwhelming. It was the best feeling ever, and I wish I could go back to it. There's a lot that happens before you go home on Sunday, and it's all so wonderful, but the best is still coming.

Live the fourth! We all went to school that Monday, exhausted as all get-out, but it was incredible. It was like that really warm, fuzzy feeling you get when it's cold outside but you're cozy in your bed, nowhere to be, just enjoying being there. We dubbed that feeling "Kai-high." It had been maybe twelve hours since we had been together, but you would've thought it had been weeks. It was the first time we were all together in the real world, realizing that, just because we weren't in our little love bubble, the love we have for each other can still go on, and it did. It still does.

So to close this long post up, I'd like to tell you what I learned:

• You are more loved than you'll ever know. People really do care about you, and those are the people to keep in your life.
• Surround yourself only with those who lift you higher.
• You are worth all the love you give others. Show yourself that same love. You'll thank yourself for it. It may be hard, but it's worth it.

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Sweet Spot: Scrumptious Scones

Hello friends! This is the first of the recipe series I'll be doing here, aptly named "Sweet Spot." Our first endeavor is scones. I'll be giving the basic recipe (I can't take credit here, it's a great Pinterest recipe I found and will link somewhere in this post), some photos during the process, as well as what I put in these delightful little treats.

The Lineup:
     1 cup sour cream
     1 tsp. baking soda
     4 cups flour
     1 cup granulated sugar
     2 tsp. baking powder
     1 tsp. salt
     1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small cubes
     1 egg
     2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
     1 cup mix-ins



The Play-by-Play:
     1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment
         paper.
     2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.
     3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
     4. Incorporate cold, cubed butter into flour mixture using pastry cutter (or 2 knives)
         until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces in the flour.
     5. Beat the egg and vanilla into the sour cream mixture.
     6. Mix the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture (you may want to use your
         hands). Add milk if the dough is dry, but you don't want it be too liquidy. Mine came
         out to be moist and slightly tacky, but still held its shape.
     7. Add desired mix-ins, folding gently with hands.
     8. Divide dough into 3 circles, cutting each circle into 6 triangles (I do 8 triangles, as I
         tend to be  heavy-handed with my knife).

 

 

 



     9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. Be careful- they
         go from golden to burnt very quickly!
    10. Serve and enjoy!

Alternates:

• Blueberries
• Dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins
• Chocolate chips
• Canned pumpkin (start with 1/2 cup and add as desired) and pumpkin pie spice (1/2 tsp.)
• White chocolate chips and cranberries
• Orange or lemon zest
• Pumpkin pie spice (1/2 tsp.) and walnuts or pecans (I used this in half my batter)
• Cranberries and orange zest
• Dried cherries, pistachios, and almond extract (1/2 tsp.) (I used this in the other half of my batter)

Quick Play: This recipe halves beautifully, but keep the egg at 1 whole egg- makes the scones extra fluffy! (Perhaps try 2 in a whole batch...?)

Pro Tip: I also tried freezing the batter after I cut it into triangles (the pictures on the pans are what they looked like pre-freeze, so if you're going straight to baking you'll want to spread them out more.)

The Playmaker: http://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/the-best-scones-ever/

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Forever 21 Haul & Style Guide

Hello friends! As promised, here's my Forever 21 haul. I thought I'd include the ways in which I'll more than likely be styling these things, which are mostly sweaters because it's fall, aka sweater weather. Yay! Just for reference, I'll be listing every top in the haul portion, and will style each top accordingly with pieces that may or may not be from other stores. (All tops will be pictured in the order they appear in the haul list. -- You'll notice I use a lot of the same basics, but that's the limited wardrobe of a college kid for you.)

Tops:

• Colorblocked Knit Sweater in Seafoam/Grey ($12.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=sweater&productid=2000099308
• Striped French Terry Sweater in Cream/Red ($11.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=sweater&productid=2000099027
• Classic Crew Neck Sweater in Oatmeal ($8.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=sweater&productid=2000101158
• Stripe Textured Sweater in Taupe/Black ($15.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=sweater&productid=2000172775
• Colorblocked Knit Sweater in Cream/Grey ($19.80) (link not found)
• Colorblocked Chevron Pullover in Mauve/Ivory ($19.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?
• br=LOVE21&category=contemporary-main&productid=2000173708
• Classic Cable Knit Sweater in Cream ($19.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=sweater&productid=2000083976
• French Terry Raglan Sweatshirt in Hunter Green ($10.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=PLUS&category=sweater_sweatshirts-hoodies&productid=2000173019
• Floral Graphic Sweatshirt in White/Multi ($19.90) (link not found)

Accessories:

• Faux Gem and Rhinestone Necklace in Antic Gold/Navy ($10.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=ACC&productid=1000179911
• Classic Knit Beanie in Cream ($4.90) http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=ACC&productid=2000097553

 

 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Merona) 

Necklace: Charming Charlie

 

Sweatshirt: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots (I found mine at Nordstrom) | Jacket: Target (Merona)

 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Merona) | Scarf: Kohls (Mudd)

 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Mossimo)

 Necklace: Charming Charlie

 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Mossimo)

Necklace: Forever 21

 

Sweatshirt: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Mossimo)

 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots (Nordstrom)  Necklace: Forever 21

 

Sweatshirt: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Mossimo)

Scarf: Charming Charlie

 

Sweatshirt: Forever 21 | Jeans: Kohls (Levis) | Shoes: Target (Mossimo)

Jacket: Target (Merona)



 

I wish you all the best,

Erin

College Tips & My College Story

Hello, friends! Today we're talking college (yikes!) and I have some pro tips that might be different from what you've already heard. Without further ado, here's my college story so far.

I've know for about five years (since the beginning of high school) what I want to do with my life: I want to be an interior designer. Every time I said it, people would look at me and say, "Oh, really? Can you even make a career out of that?" And every time someone doubted me, I wanted to show them that, yes, I could do it, and I was and still am determined to do so. And this, my friends, is Tip #1: Yes you can. You can do anything you set your mind to; don't let people convince you that you can't.

Fast forward three years to my senior year- I've already taken the ACT (the test that tells colleges you're capable of doing their coursework, and also the basis of many scholarships), and learned Tip #2: Do not stress about the ACT, SAT, or any other test you take in preparation for college. Do your best, but know your life doesn't depend on the outcome. Where there's a will, there's a way. I had already filled out my transcript forms, asked for recommendation letters from my teachers, and submitted my applications. Tip #3: Start everything ASAP. Many colleges open applications on August 1st to give prospective students a head start, so take advantage of that, and request your rec letters and transcripts from your school as soon as they become available. You'll save yourself a ton of stress a few months down the road. Then it was decision time. I made my decision early on, and was set in it before most of my classmates. I was feeling calm amid all of their stress, and I felt like I was ready for the next step.

Graduation came and went, and then it was official: I was a college kid. I bought all kinds of stuff for my dorm, had my roommate set, went to orientation... Remember that part where I said I was ready for the next step? Boy oh boy, was I wrong. Even though I live close to my school, I would be using public transportation if I commuted, which would have me on trains and buses for some six hours a day, so I (and my parents) decided I would live on campus. I didn't think this would be a problem, and to say the least, I was wrong again.

Move in day was the most difficult day of my life. I sobbed all day long, and went home the first weekend, only two days after moving in. I sobbed when I had to go back, and sobbed by myself in my room every day that week. I was inconsolable. I've come home every weekend since, and believe me when I say everybody and their mother has told me I can't do that. Tip #4: Do not, under any circumstances, let other people tell you what you're "supposed" to do or what's "best" for you. It is absolutely none of their business. You decide with your parents/guardians what's best for you. As my mom always says, "Everyone else can go piss up a rope."

Now besides my utter hatred for being away from home, I have other reasons for hating school. I feel like, because I'm taking so many core classes, I'm getting nowhere in terms of classes toward my degree; it feels like a waste of my time. Additionally, I don't necessarily love my roommate. I've known her for years, but we're just different people, and it makes living together hard. Really hard. And to top it all off, I have terrible anxiety, so the very idea of going to a party or even sitting in the cafeteria alone makes my breathing shallow and my heart race, which ultimately means I spend my days by myself in the confines of my room. I think of myself as a more severe case, but please note Tip #5: It is perfectly normal to be anxious, not click with people right away, and want to go home. This is a totally new experience, so don't get down on yourself when things don't happen right away. It takes the average college student three months to adjust to college life.

That said, it is absolutely crucial to identify when something is wrong as opposed to just different. Tip #6: Know yourself. Trust me, if something is wrong, you'll know. It's important to identify problems with whomever is helping you through this process. I knew something was wrong that first week, and so did my parents, but they let me feel out college life a bit more before intervening. I knew I hated school, but I'm so ridiculously stubborn that I wanted to stick it out because I didn't want to be a failure or disappoint to my family. I was putting the imaginary expectations of my family before my own well being, and that's a serious problem. We had always discussed alternatives to going away to school, but there's so much pressure to go away that I felt I had no other option. Tip #7: Going away to school is not for everyone. There are so many other options, and not one of them is bad. There is absolutely no shame in or problem with going to community college, commuting to a local school, or getting an online degree. I cannot stress this enough. Do what's best for you, not what others tell you do.

And at one month into my freshman year of college, I've decided to transfer to a college to which I can commute and live at home. I know I'm going to take so much crap from so many people, but I don't care one bit. This past month has been the worst month of my life, and I hate school, which was a key red flag in this decision; I have always loved school, and now I can't stand it. I finally realized I needed to step back and look at what was really important- my own mental health is far more important than the false expectations in my head. As I'm writing this post, it has been twenty-four hours since I made the decision, and the amount of relief and happiness I feel is unreal. I was talking about it with my mom and started crying tears of happiness and relief, and if I didn't know the decision was right before, I did then. I'll admit, I feel bad that I wasted the time and resources of so many, and my last tip isn't mine, but my mom's. Tip #8: Nothing you do while trying to find your path is wasted. Everything you've done is an experience; some you'll learn from, and some will take you down the right path. Never feel bad about that; it's part of your story, and you may not have gotten where you are now if you hadn't been there before.

After all that, I'm happy to say I'll be transferring at the end of this semester, and I couldn't be more excited. Sometimes it's hard to see where you're meant to be, but eventually you'll get there. I promise.

I wish you all the best,
Erin