{Weekend Update}...Settling In

After a whirlwind week of finals, packing, and moving, I took this weekend to enjoy the very beginnings of summer vacation. We started off with a dinner and movie, followed by a bonfire with family and friends. It was incredible weather, and we chatted for hours about our favorite parts of Star Trek (Chris Pine's eyebrows), past vacation stories, and our recent move to a new church. And on the day of rest we stopped for lunch and frozen yogurt (I know it's kind of a fad, but I'm obsessed!) before picking up all our flowers for planting! Glorious sunshine, a heavy rainfall, and friends and family was a pretty great way to start summer.

When you come home, what is the first thing you want to do? I crave s'mores and bonfires, and afternoon patio reading. 

Photo via @classickitsch Instagram

Do You Work Alone?

Often time when I'm writing, I'm completely alone. During my internship this semester, I found that I was spending hours and hours researching in my bedroom, typing up drafts at a secluded table at Starbucks, or working at my apartment while everyone was at class. While I was extremely productive, it was lonely, and the creativity that I got from being around others vanished! Plus, working in my bed got to be really weird, because it became a place where I worked and slept.

Today I'm going to a "workspaces event" in my hometown. It's being hosted by our local publication Volume One. It's pretty rad, so I'm going to see how it feels to work in an office style. It's a bunch of freelancers, writers, home-office workers coming together to make a hodge-podge office!

Do you prefer to work alone? Are you someone that needs the occasional personal distraction with office buddies? 

Photo via @classickitsch Instagram

The Facebook Family Phenomenon

Facebook is a pretty interesting animal–something that has fascinated me for quite some time. I really noticed its uniqueness this past weekend with Mother's Day. It has increasingly become the norm for Facebook users to change their profile picture on special days, notably on Mother's Day, people post an endearing photo of them with their mom. It's traditionally a childhood picture that implies sweet memories and parental doting of the children. The captions give "shout outs" and words of gratitude to their hard-working moms. It's affectionate, but it's so incredibly public.

And I partake in the public displays of affection, too! (My mom even posted the photo above.) But I think it's a little bizarre.

In the big picture, it seems as though if we really cared about our beautiful moms, we would call them and actually say the things we post on Facebook; we'd go home to spend the day with her; we would make it personal, not public.

For the record, I give my mom a ring and let her know how much I love her. And the funny thing is, she appreciated the little note on Facebook. I wonder, though, how these holidays would be different if Facebook remained the social media platform, leaving us to do the human things, like saying I love you.

(P.S. Facebook gifts are also weird.)

{Weekend Update}...Final(s)ly!

A summery treat to get me through studying. 

Despite some weird, but gorgeous weather this weekend, I spent a significant amount of time indoors as I studied for my finals. Luckily, as an English major, I don't take many sitting exams.
(These days I have lots of papers to write and edit.) I'm also working on my last article for my semester internship with The International. Let me tell you, I'm really sad to say goodbye to such an awesome experience. I never thought as a sophomore I'd get to work on such exciting projects! I'm also in the process of packing up all of my belongings, which is exciting, but our apartment is looking really bare and has gotten very echoey. Only a few more glorious days left in Minneapolis for the school year! Wishing you luck on finals, graduation, or simply a wonderful week ahead!

P.S. Yesterday was Mother's Day. I couldn't spend it with my Mom, but I gave her a call to tell her how much I love her. I think we can all agree: moms are great.

Photo via @sarahcarlsonetc Instagram

The Golden Touch

Would you wear metallic gold nail polish? This NARS nail lacquer is really beautiful! With a shimmery summer tan, you'd look like a bronzed goddess. 

Here are some my favorites: NARS, OPI, Deborah Lippmann (Glitter / Metallic)

Photo via

The Sound of Summer

Today is the last day of instruction for me, with a week of finals to follow! Needless to say, I'm dreaming of summer and craving a sunny heat wave. In the spirit of lemonade, hammocks, and sundresses, I've started making my first summer playlist. After all, every good party requires a soundtrack, and summer is just one long, leisurely party. You play music on road trips, as you have a barbecue, sing songs on bike rides. Often times, I hear a song from a previous playlist (I have many for many occasions–some random like an entire playlist for a fun weekend) and think of memories from that summer, or week years ago. Every time I hear this song, it takes me back to spring/summer of high school. So this summer. . .

I've got lots of bubbly tunes to compliment the (hopefully) blissful weather, featuring She & Him, Zee Avi, Mika, and Feist. All classics.

What do you have on your summer playlist? Does your taste in music change with the season? Mine certainly does. 

Photo via @sarahcarlsonetc Instagram

Mom: My Biggest Cheerleader

My high school graduation with a proud and awesome mom. 

Who's your biggest cheerleader? My mom has always been the one encouraging me to do my best, but never be too hard on myself. She sat through all my dance recitals, show choir competitions, and cheered when I got my college acceptance letters. And when I have chaotic days, the ones when I'm pretty sure I just can't do it all, she's the one to tell me that I can do it. She brags for me, and reminds me that success is not necessarily the same as being the best. Thank you, Mom! You're the one that makes me feel invincible in the face of challenges!

Bonus: she was a cheerleader in high school! How perfect.

Who's your biggest cheerleader? What does your mom do that no one else can top?