summer

Bathing suits + body image.

I remember the first boy/girl pool party I went to. I was in 8th grade, it was the summer of 1998, and I wore a navy blue two-piece from Limited Too. It was a halter top that had turquoise piping and the bottoms were little shorts. I don’t remember being particularly nervous or worried about […]

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Staycation Diaries: Day 1.

If we’re not counting the weekend, today was officially my first day of Staycation! But, I did have a good weekend – I went to two places in town that I’ve never been – Counter Culture and Capital City Bakery (both vegan). I also laid out at the pool, finished reading a book (and am […]

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Birthday goodies!

That’s right, I celebrated a birthday earlier this month. While I don’t like to make a big scene about my birthday, I was really excited to be surrounded by cakes, balloons, and I even got sung to, twice! Lucky, lucky girl right here. I usually spend my birthday with reflection heavy on the brain, but […]

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A sunless, summer glow.

That’s right, I’ve been trying SO many different kinds of sunless tanners and bronzers ever since I got home from Vegas. I’ll be honest, I have always loved laying out in the sun. Even in high school, I’d lay out in my backyard (no pool present), complete with Sun-In in my hair (which looked really […]

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Holiday weekend EATS.

You guys!! We are on the cusp of one of my favorite times of year – summer! In Texas, the later months of summer are waaaay too hot to enjoy much of anything, so this beginning part sure is something to celebrate. Before my Vegas vacation, I know I talked a lot about my efforts […]

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Ditching disappointment.

I’ve been thinking a lot about disappointment lately. I mean, do you ever get to that point where you’re just not even feeling mad, more just let down? Disappointment can come from anywhere. Speaking from experience, I’d say recently I felt disappointment when I couldn’t make it to Indianapolis to see the Dave Matthews concert; […]

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Guide: Say ‘okay’ to Rosé.

So… we are oonllllyyyyy a daaaaayyyy awaaayyyyy from the official kickoff of summer: Memorial Day weekend! I’m sure summer means lots of different things for you, but one thing it means for me is refreshing cocktails, and that includes a delicious bottle of cold Rosé. The sad thing is, I think Rosé gets a bad rap, and […]

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Never too old…for fairy wings.

It has been famously said that “Youth is wasted on the young” (it is still argued who said it and exactly how, between Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw). While I’ve heard this quote for years, I’ve never quite understood what it meant until now. As I write this, I’m sitting at my desk with […]

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College crash course.

Today is the first day of college for many students – this is something most people probably don’t pay much attention to, but when you live in a college town, it’s all anyone talks about. It probably doesn’t help that I work with mostly college students. But, hearing my coworkers’ stories often reminds me of […]

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Fresh Friday: Juicy Couture.

Howdy! I’m so happy that it’s Friday, per usual, but there’s something actually interesting about this Friday in particular: I have the weekend off! WHAT!? I’m really happy that my retail job is giving me the weekend off, given that I’ve worked my little booty off this week. So, once I get off work today, […]

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Pic of the Week.

So, it’s only been officially summer for… what… a week? But now that July 4 is right around the corner, I all of the sudden feel like the summer is about to end! Summers in my previous life — when I had a desk job that allowed for free weekends — meant hours at the […]

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Pic of the Week.

Whew! These last few weeks (okay, more like MONTHS) have been really rough. If I continue to be honest with you, I have to admit that this has been the most difficult time of my life. I’m overwhelmed with so much confusion, and emotion — there are days I feel fine, some days I feel […]

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Fresh Friday: Cote d’Azur.

Happy Friday, y’all! It has been an incredibly TOUGH week on my end, so if you’re really feeling it today — or if you’re not — I’m wishing you a completely blissful weekend! I’ve got to work a few shifts, but I’m hoping it’ll be sunny outside so I can pull out my beach chair […]

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Fresh Friday: Warm Cotton.

“Inspired by soap,” is what the package says, and that’s certainly what it smells like! Warm Cotton by CLEAN reminds of the way it smells outside, in the summer, when someone is doing their laundry. Very fresh, clean, and cozy, in a sense. As described by Sephora, “Cozy up to CLEAN Warm Cotton Eau de […]

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Get beach hair at home.

Spring is here… and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the beach! Living in Louisiana, “Spring” lasts about a week before we’re in the thick of the summer heat and humidity. What does this mean for my hair? It means I shouldn’t waste time with the straightener. Instead, I’ve been researching other […]

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Pic of the Week.

As I write this, I’m sitting in Native Cafe — one of my favorite spots along the Gulf, right in Pensacola Beach (I just ordered a stack of peanut butter pancakes, if that helps at all). This morning, I had to say goodbye to my two best friends, and goodbye to a vacation we’ve been […]

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Summer Lovin’.

Tomorrow marks the official start of summer, even though Baton Rouge has already been sitting in the 90-degree heat for awhile. When I lived in Indiana, I loved summer. Of course, I was in school, so that meant summers off from class, working shifts at the custard shop,  cool night drives on winding country roads, […]

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