bestie spotlight

It has been such an exciting time for my sweet friend, Ashtin. She was just elected PRESIDENT of our sorority! I couldn't imagine a better person for the job...she is loyal and a true representation of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I'm so excited for her! Not only will she be president and be moving into the sorority house with me (yay!), she will also have a full plate of Public Relations classes and activities. We became friends through our sorority, then we lived together last summer. Now we're inseparable...so here she is folks, my besite Ashtin Evans!

Here are some of my favorite memories together... 

ou/tx weekend

skit night at Kappa 

ou game day

big/little reveal at Kappa- this pic is the perfect representation of us...

She also turns 21 on Monday, so exciting! 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday & enjoying the cool autumn weather. 

m

a fall accessory: the floppy hat

While shopping in Dallas, I fell in love with a beautiful floppy hat. Ever since, I've been thinking about how fun and cool they are. I decided to research this accessory and share with y'all my favorite floppy hats. My friend and I even had a little photo shoot featuring the floppy hat. My hat (pictured) is from Savvy, a small boutique in Norman, and was only $30! I love it... 

Some of my fashionista besties are also rocking the floppy hat... 

rachelle's hat is from urban outfitters, $40

mady's hat is from free people, $56

Here are some more finds: 

• roxy autumn felt hat
• available in black or fireside (shown)
• on sale for $23 

photo credit: roxy

• bcbg lace-cut floppy hat
• available in black or merlot (shown) 
• $78 
• this is the hat I fell in love with in Dallas... 

photo credit: bcbg 

• charlotte russe heart-cut floppy hat
• available in tan (shown)
• only $15, major deal!

photo credit: charlotte russe

• nordstrom felt hat
• available in black, charcoal (shown), taupe, & wine 
• $38 

photo credit: nordstrom

I love pairing the floppy hat with a cozy sweater, a chambray top and fun necklace, or even a sassy cheetah top. Happy fall accessorizing! 

m

thank you to my sweet bestie, Katie for taking the pics!

m's holiday gift guide

The holidays are quickly approaching and it's time for caroling, eating too much, and gift giving. I LOVE giving gifts to everyone, so I thought I would create a list of my favorite gifts to give this holiday season. Enjoy! 

gifts that keep on giving

• birchbox 
• for the trendy person in your life (male/female) 
• $10/month or $110/12months 
• umba box
• for the crafty/trendy person in your life 
• $25/month or $23/month (12 months) 
• for the makers 
• for the fashionista in your life 
• $29/month (no obligation) 

gifts for him

for tech-savvy gentlemen: 

• byrd & belle leather iPhone wallet
• $32 
• available for iPhone 4/4S & iPhone 5/5S/5C

photo credit: byrd & belle 

• Laser Putter
• $25 
• clips on to any putter to ensure the perfect putt 

photo credit: restoration hardware 

• Opena Case
• $20 
• phone case with a nifty bottle opener 
• available for iPhone 4/4S & iPhone 5/5S

photo credit: opena case

for the book worm: 

• Monsters by Rich Cohen 
• $17 
• get it here
• A Long Way Gone- Memoirs of a Boy Solider by Ishmael Beah 
• $8
• get it here

gifts for her

for the girly girl: 

• Kendra Scott earrings
• $52 
• wide range of colors & styles 
• I love giving these earrings, they are so versatile and classic! 

photo credit: nordstrom

• alpaca infinity scarf
• $65 
• available in camel (shown), white, grey, & black 
• this scarf is classic and chic... I have my eye on it for myself. 

photo credit: cuyana 

for the book worm: 

• Love Does by Bob Goff 
• $12 
• get it here
• Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman 
• $17 
• I recently bought this, I'm obsessed. 
• get it here
• Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• $18 
• who doesn't love reading Andy's stories about crazy Miranda Priestly?
• get it here

for the kitchen & home 

• golden monogram mug 
• anthro
• $10 
• so cute & personal! 

photo credit: anthropologie 

• "made with love" cookie stamp
• anthro 
• $8 
• available in green & red 
• adorable gift for someone who loves baking...

photo credit: anthropologie 

• capri blue candle
• $19+
• different patterns & colors (how cute is this holiday metallic jar?!)
• my FAVORITE candles, ever. 

photo credit: capri blue candles 

• owl cookie jars
• $26 for a set of two 
• owls are my favorite animal to decorate with, love them. 

photo credit: world market 

for the flashy photographer: 

• Diana F+ mini camera
• $79 
• anthro 
• this camera is full of personality and flash, no pun intended. 

photo credit: anthropologie

• Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera
• $100 
• Fujifilm 
• available in fun pastel colors (my favorite is the pink), as well as black & white 

photo credit: urban outfitters

I hope this guide is helpful throughout your holiday gift search! I have my eye on a couple of items...as well as a few more. 

happy shopping & gift-giving! 

m

apps I love...

At the beginning of the semester, I got an iPad and I've been in love ever since. I do everything on it now...from emailing to editing pictures. It's wonderful. I thought I would share with y'all my favorite apps. Here's the apps I love... 

photography

• afterlight is my favorite photo editing app. There are numerous filters to choose from, as well as changing the shape of your picture. Here are some of my edits from a recent trip to the beach...

before...

with afterlight

before...

with afterlight

before...

with afterlight

before...

with afterlight

• a beautiful mess is a cutie photo editing app, where you can make a picture your own with fun text, graphics, and details. It's great for instagram. I used it to edit this photo when my older brother graduated from Baylor. It was a happy day!

• padgram is an awesome app for viewing instagram on your iPad. It's free and super easy to use! 

crafting & lifestyle

• Martha Stewart Craft Studio is a great app for making graphics and cards. I actually made my blog's logo on the iPad app. You can save your creations as a PDF, which is awesome! 
• Monogram is an app that you can create your own monogram design for your iPad or iPhone background image, or even to print off and use. There's so many options for the pattern, color, and font. Here's one I made for my iPad background image: 

• Makr might be #1 on my app list. It's an app where you can create your own brand essentially. You can design hip and trendy business cards, party invites, stickers, or holiday cards. Here's the sticker I made for holiday prezzies and treats: 

• bloglovin' is an app and website designed to easily track your favorite blogs. I follow cupcakes & cashmere and joy the baker to name a few. 

These apps have become my go-to's for many tasks on my iPad. I hope y'all are having a delightful Thursday. I'm craving a Starbucks treat...

m

starbucks' secret menu

I'm sure like many of you...you've always heard of a restaurant's "secret menu", but never thought about ordering an item. Now that it's red cup season, Starbucks outings are a must. So I've decided to research their secret menu and give y'all the details on ordering these yummy, festive, and creative drinks. The key to this secret menu is the names vary, but if you order by the ordering recipe, you'll have a delicious "secret" drink. Here are some of my favorites:

holiday apple spice ordering recipe

• start with gingerbread syrup (3 pumps for a tall, 4 for a grande, 5 for a venti)
• steam in apple juice 
• top with spiced whipped cream & caramel drizzle

chai cookie latte ordering recipe

• order a chai tea latte with:
• extra chai syrup (1 pump for a tall, 1.5 for a grande, 2 for a venti)
• extra hazelnut syrup (1 pump for a tall, 1.5 for a grande, 2 for a venti)
• add java chips 
• top with hazelnut syrup & cinnamon dolce sprinkles 

hot butterbeer latte ordering recipe (for those HP fans) 

• start with whole milk steamer
• caramel syrup (2 for a tall, 3 for a grande, 4 for a venti) 
• toffee nut syrup (2 for a tall, 3 for a grande, 4 for a venti)
• top with whipped cream & caramel bits 

cinnamon roll frappuccino ordering recipe

• order a vanilla bean frapp with: 
• white mocha syrup (1 pump for a tall, 2 for a grande, 3 for a venti) 
• cinnamon dolce syrup (1 pump for a tall, 2 for a grande, 3 for a venti)
• topped with whipped cream & cinnamon dolce powder 

cake batter frappuccino ordering recipe

• order a vanilla bean frapp with: 
• almond syrup (1 pump for a tall, 1.5 for a grande, 2 for a venti)

It's that easy! I encourage y'all to try these different "secret" items during this cozy, comfy, coffee-drinking season... maybe you'll come up with your own recipe.

m 

(credit to the daily meal) 

m's planner guide

I can't believe that I'm typing this...2013 is coming to close. It's been an exciting year, filled with growth and love. This morning, I looked back in my planner to April and I couldn't believe how much has changed. There were so many goals that I've accomplished, to-do's checked off my list, and assignments that were procrastinated until the last moment. Now that 2013 is wrapping up and 2014 is quickly approaching, I've been searching for a new planner. Here are some of my very favorite brands:

Erin Condren's Life Planner

I currently have an Erin Condren Life Planner, I love it. There are so many choices, like the cover design, labels & stickers, and add-ons. Condren has established a brilliant company filled with color and personality. Here's my planner (I even decorated it with some washi tape):

Emily Ley's Simplified Planner

I am obsessed with this planner...the design is adorable! You can purchase a pre-made planner complete with inspirational quotes on every page, or you can create your own by purchasing a binder and different fillers. I would definitely suggest the pre-made planner for students! She is a chic designer and I just love her. Here's some pictures of the Simplified Planner: 

photo credit: emily ley 

photo credit: emily ley 

the Day Designer

Whitney English's Day Designer can be classic or trendy, with covers ranging from a simple black-and-white striped pattern to a youthful print with a monogram. These planners are a little on the expensive side (monogrammed planners are $75), but totally worth it. Here are some of English's designs: 

photo credit: Whitney English 

photo credit: Whitney English 

photo credit: Whitney English 

myAgenda Day Planner

This planner is perfectly simple. It has a sleek cover design, weekly & monthly pages, and numerous resources. It would be especially appealing to someone who loves to create their own organizational style. Whenever I used this planner, I organized by pen color. Here's a look inside the myAgenda: 

photo credit: myAgenda

photo credit: myAgenda

sarah pinto's weekly planner

These planners are bright, funky, and inexpensive... three things I love! She has many different design options and the option of ordering a pack of three planners for an extremely reasonable price, hello holiday gifts! My personal favorite design is the "horseshoe": 

photo credit: sarah pinto

This planner searching made me think about creating my very own planner! I'll keep you updated on that plan... 

have a fabulous day, 

m

blogs I love...

I've been reading blogs for as long as I can remember, always searching for new inspirations and ideas. I love that each blogger displays their personality and style with every new post. I follow countless blogs and I feel like I know them personally (which is a little silly), but it's true! I thought I would share with y'all my very favorite blogs... 

Enjoying the Small Things is a beautiful blog by Kelle Hampton. She has an amazing story about her daughter with down syndrome and how to embrace the small things and to face life head-on. Kelle is also an amazing photographer and writer. Her kids are precious!

Hey Gorgeous Events is another favorite of mine...sharing a wedding planner's story, as well as her projects and events. She originally pursued a career in journalism...then took a leap of faith and dove into event planning. Now, she has her own brand. Truly inspiring! 

Lion Heart Image is a photography blog created by a husband/wife duo out of Fort Worth, Texas. Their style is sensational and their photos are so unique. They photograph weddings, engagements, and more.

Nancy Ray Photography is a beautiful photography blog out of Raleigh, North Carolina, where all things beautiful occur (like every Nicholas Sparks novel). She is absolutely adorable. 

Style Me Pretty is the ultimate wedding blog complete with featured weddings, vendors, DIY projects, fashion, and galleries. If you love weddings like I do, you will love this blog. 

take a bite is a blog by one of my very talented sorority sisters. Her take on fashion and food is fresh and exciting. My personal favorites are her "DIY tassel garland" and her daily "bites of her life".  Here's a picture of the tassel garland I made for my room, following her tutorial: 

The Glitter Guide is your guide to a fashionable, beautiful lifestyle. I love their "tiffany blue" layout and snapshots of each story. 

Since creating my blog, I've had a blast. I hope to become as successful as my favorite bloggers. 

happy monday, 

m