1980’s Ray-Bans

So…

My birthday was last Sunday and I am officially 22. And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I still have no idea what I am going to do with my life.

I wish that when I woke up Sunday morning there would’ve been a magical card with details of which path to choose and where I would end up, laying next to my head. But instead I woke up with my sticky bra half on/half off and a headache that would have stopped Marlin from trying to find Nemo. (Had a little too much fun at a wedding the night before.)

Anyway, the day really turned around when I went to meet my family for lunch. Everyone was there, which is a birthday present in itself because they are my favorite people on the planet.

After lunch my dad came to my car and handed me his pair of 1980’s Ray-Ban sunglasses and said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”. I had told him that I wanted them awhile back, but I never thought he’d trust me with something of his that was old and valuable.

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Cool right?? (My other accessories are pretty on-point today as well)

It makes me feel good that I have people who care about me and want to spend time with me on my birthday, even if I feel like I don’t deserve it sometimes.

They’re just sunglasses right? You’re probably wondering why I am so happy about them. I don’t really know how to answer that, but I do know that I will cherish these sunglasses forever and ever. Even when they go out of style again I will hold onto them and remember the day, my 22nd birthday, that my dad gave me something of his to keep.

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Firefly Lane

I am not much of a reader, but at night when I am having trouble falling asleep I can read a few chapters in a book and sleep like a baby. (Seriously, it works every time)

I started a book called “Firefly Lane”  by Kristin Hannah a few weeks ago and I REALLY like it. It takes a lot to keep me interested, especially when it’s something like reading. But this book has kept my interest and actually WANTING to read it!

The story is based around a family that has lost their mother and how they are dealing with the struggles that losing her has brought.

I would recommend this book to young and old (my mom is actually the one who gave it to me!)

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What to Wear: Shark Week Party edition!

So, your boyfriend is obsessed with Shark Week just like the other 80% of the male population. Or maybe you are the one with the passion for those great white beasts! Either way, Shark Week viewing parties are a fun, and a great way to get your friends and your significant others’ friends together!

Drinks and snacks such as the “Shark Attack” and “Great White Shark Cocktail” will of course be involved.

But the most important part of this day is hands down going to be the outfit. You could of course go the cliche way and wear something with a shark on it. OR you could wear an adorable styling outfit INSPIRED by a shark.

1. Tiger Shark:

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Wear a blue colored maxi (get one with some thin stripes to make it even more dramatic) Add some sea-colored stack-able bracelets and your favorite necklace.

2. Great White:

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Some adorable grey denim and a grayish-blue top will do the trick for this one! And how could you ever go wrong with those sandals?!

Shop lovecocos.com for these looks and have a GREAT SHARK WEEK!

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Breaking bad habits

Seriously, the amount of bad habits I posses are annoying. Eating too fast, touching my face, spending too much time on social media, etc.

So, I have decided that I am going to pick one bad habit that I don’t like that and work on breaking it.

I did some researching and found that it only takes 21 days to break a habit. 21 days in the scheme of life is NOTHING. I also read that if you become conscious of that habit, then switch it with something else (like gum if you bite your nails) then it becomes a lot easier to break.

I wrote myself a post it note of all the habits that I want to break and I am going to work on a new one each week! I will keep you updated on how it is working, but I already feel better just acknowledging what I want to change. If you feel like you have habits that you want to break, I definitely suggest writing them down!

If you have any suggestions for me, leave a comment and let me know what they are!

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Stacking your bracelets

Okay, so I am a little biased because I work for the wonderful ladies that came up with this bracelet line, BUT even if I didn’t I would still be obsessed with them. They come in sets and they are literally to die for.

Each bracelet set is a few single bracelets stacked together:

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(Me wearing Erimish)

This is a HUGE trend right now and Erimish honestly has the cutest sets I’ve seen.

Check out all their bracelet stacks if you are looking for this style!

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How to achieve good college graduation photos

So you’re graduating from college? It has become a trend to put your photo on/with your graduation announcement but you don’t know what will look good without being cheesy like your high school senior pictures.

Well, here are some tips on how to achieve a mature, appropriate graduation photo to add to your announcement!

1. Include the school mascot in the background:

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Most schools have a statue, large painting, etc. Taking your picture in-front of one screams school spirit and also has tradition written all over it. I love this one by Creations by Kelsie. (Go check her out!)

2. Pose with a funny sign/or decorated graduation cap.

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Another by Creations by Kelsie that is cleaver and gets the point across. “I’M DONE!” is exactly how I felt, too!

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How cute is this photo of this graduating couple and her decorated cap? That is actually the cap I decorated/wore at my graduation! Although I didn’t get near as cute of a picture!

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(No one kissed me…)

3. Go simple and just use the school colors:

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Every campus has beautiful features, incorporate them! Pitt State always has red and yellow flowers (their colors) in the spring and they went perfectly with Haleigh’s girly outfit.

4. Use props:

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How adorable are these balloon pics!? Nothing says “Come help me celebrate” more than balloons!!! (Okay, maybe alcohol but I don’t think grandma would appreciate that.)

Creating a unique, fun graduation announcement can be quick and easy if you incorporate a photo! Show some examples to your photographer and they will definitely help you achieve the look you’re going for.

(Please feel free to share on your Facebook and Pinterest pages!!!)

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The “Facebook” effect

So you think that girl/guy you’re so jealous of and stalk on social media has the perfect life right? They seem happy 24/7. They are beautiful, smart, funny. Everything YOU want to be. And to top is off, their boyfriends/girlfriends seem even more perfect.

I catch myself doing this a lot. Looking at other people’s lives and finding myself disappointed with my own. Yesterday I was looking at a fellow bloggers Instagram upload where her boyfriend had gotten her Gerber Daisies (my favorite flower) “just because.” At first I was all like “What the hell Austin, you suck!”

Then I realized him not getting me flowers for no reason doesn’t mean he’s a bad boyfriend to me. There are plenty of other things that he does for me that make me happy. People (including myself) mostly share the good things and rarely share the bad.

The point is, don’t be so quick to get unhappy with your own life. Think of all the shitty things that happen to us in REALITY. Do we share those things? No. Neither do those that you are jealous of.

I’m mad at myself for even comparing my life to others’s based off of social media. Sure, some of the stuff shared on social media is genuine, but ask yourself, if someone is THAT happy with their life, why do they have to share it and let everyone else know just how happy they are? I’d say at least 50% of peoples posts are pretty sugar coated.

We share our “Ideal” selves on social media, not our REAL selves.

We ALL have something beautiful to bring to the table. It may not seem like you have the perfect life, but no one does. Just remember that.

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Favorite Items for Spring

There are MANY reasons why I want warm weather and sunny skies to hurry up and get here. Most of them being because I want to wear cute clothes and actually enjoy being outside again. Since I started working for a boutique, I have seen a TON of cute items coming in and out of the store and it’s making me even more anxious!!

Here are my favorite things for spring:

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1. Stacked bracelet sets from http://erimish.com. Their summer sets are AWESOMEEEEEE. I got a white set and a rose gold single so that I can basically wear them everyday.

2. Graphic tees and tanks. There are so many funny/cute sayings to wear around about how you’re feeling about life.

3. Cut-off jean shorts. Now that I have been working on my fitness and learned how to walk in heels, these are going to be my best friend. All day errday.

4. Heart shaped sunglasses. They speak for themselves. Adorable.

5. Bootcut/Bell Bottom jeans- Ahhh! Wore these the other day with a pair of wedges and they made my short stubby legs look SO long!

6. Not Rated “Blue Sea” heels (find them here http://lovecocos.com/products/bluesea-bronze) When I first saw them I thought “ew those are so gaudy”. But once I put them on my feet I fell in love. SO cute and they are neutral and can go with a ton of outfits and they are also comfortable.

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April Fools!

In the spirit of April Fools day, which is also my best friends birthday (HAPPY 22nd Haleigh!), I am going to tell you about the best April Fools joke I ever played. It was my junior year of high school and my mom still woke me up for school every morning. I had a habit of falling asleep on the couch, which really ticked my mom off, so I knew it needed to be incorporated into the plan.

I laid out two pillows from my bedroom and covered them up with my comforter. (I froze that night but it was TOTALLY worth it.) Then, I laid out my hair extensions in the perfect way to make it look like it was me that was laying out on the couch.

I wrote a note (which I have no idea how she didn’t see it first) that said “April Fools Day Mom!!” LOLLLL. When ACTUALLY she woke me up (in my bed) that morning, I asked her if she thought it was me. Her reply was awesome and exactly the reaction I was after. “I thought that you were dead when I felt a soft pillow which I expected to be you, and I jumped back for a second! Then I saw the note and laughed to myself.”

Of course I start cracking up. She then said that she not only did it once but when she walked through the living room after fixing her hair she tried waking the fake Taylor up AGAIN! HAHA. I was so pleased with myself.

This plan went much better than the year I told my sister that our dog died…

Whats the best April Fools Joke You’ve ever played on someone?! (leave a comment below! Seriously, I love April Fools so much.)

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