4.30.2014

April In Retrospect...


I don't know about you, but April was pretty good to me! Here are some special things that happened this month: 


1. I opened up about my struggle with anxiety.  

2. I turned 22!! 

3. I shared a few of my favorite things for the month of April.  

4. I put together a playlist of my favorite songs for Spring.   


I'm excited for May! My last month of college, the start of summer...it's going to be so good. 

Peace and Love, 
Em 

4.27.2014

10 Things I LOVE...


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 

1. Fresh baked.  2. Summer bun.  3. Dreamy outdoor getaway.  4. Dressed in denim.  5. Fresh cut flowers.  6. The Grand Budapest Hotel.  7. Big windows with green views.  8. Free People takes Portland.  9. Wiled eyeliner.  10. Tulum.  

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.25.2014

Songs for Spring...

 


I always love hearing what other people are listening to. I especially love playlists. In my eyes, there is nothing greater than a mixed tape and I guess playlists are as close as we are going to get in this day and age. I've put together a small play list of some of my favorite songs for this time of year. Some of them are new loves and others are old favorites. I hope that you like what you hear and that it reminds you of fresh flowers and warm days spent frolicking outdoors.  

Spring by Emma Kate on Grooveshark 

Also, let me know what you are listening to! I love music recs and I've been on the hunt for some new music :) 

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.23.2014

Here and Now...


I am so happy that Spring is in full swing. The blossoms are out, the sun is shining, and it's warm- I am in my happy place. In other news, I have eaten entirely too much chocolate this past week ( I will blame it on Easter ) and it's showing in my complexion. I've also kinda hit my breaking point in the school year. In just a few weeks I will be getting my AA and all motivation to study or do homework has gone out the window. I'd much rather spend my days listening to my favorite vinyl, reading outside, or browsing at beach houses on the web ( a girl can dream, can't she?!). 

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.20.2014

Happy Easter...



"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.' "  
- Matthew 28: 5-6 

Wishing you a very happy Easter! He is Risen!! 

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.19.2014

10 Things I LOVE...


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 

1. Such fun Easter eggs!  2. Pink lips.  3. Cute jeweled sandals!  4. Every nail.  5. Pretty spring flowers.  6. The perfect little Easter basket.  7. "That's my Jam".  8. Bike rides and Springtime.  9. Lavender Lemonade.  10. This looks SO refreshing.  

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.18.2014

A Few Favorites...


As we are finally heading into Spring and warmer weather I have found that I have a few new favorite things. Today, I thought that I would share some of the stuff that I have been obsessed with. For starters, Benefit's perfume in Laugh With Me LeeLee is my absolute favorite for Spring/Summer. It's a woodsy, floral scent that is so perfect for this time of year and the great thing is that the scent lasts for a long time. I'm so happy that I can start wearing this again! Next are some stackable rings that my mom got me for my birthday. I am a huge fan of the stacked look and I can't stop wearing these. They are gold and sparkly and perfect. Another favorite is this LUSH giftcard that my sister got me for my birthday. It says "Better than Cake" on it and I can't wait to have a little shopping spree and stock up on bath bombs. Number four on the list are KIND bars. These things are amazing! My favorite is the dark chocolate, almonds, and sea salt and guess what...it only has 5 grams of sugar! It's delicious and right now it's my go-to snack. My favorite lip product at the moment is from Stila's spring fling collection and it's the gloss in Fairy Dust. It's a lovely pink shade with just the right amount of sparkle! Finally, I couldn't forget the latest issue of Domino Magazine. I have loved this publication for years and the most recent "color issue" was not a disappointment.  

I hope you enjoyed reading through a few of my favorites right now. Is there anything in particular that you are loving at the moment? You know I want to hear! 

Peace and Love,
Em

4.16.2014

Back In Time...


There's something so dreamy about old black and white photos! A few weeks ago I went to visit my grandparents and my grandmother had tons and tons of old black and white photos laid out on her table that she was going through. I came across these photos of my grandparents a few days ago and I fell in love with them. They remind me of picnics in the park and warm Summer days. I'm looking for a few photos that I can frame and hang on a gallery wall. I love the idea of having sweet memories like these hanging around my space. 

What about you? Do you have any old family photos that are particularly special to you? 

Peace and Love,
Em

4.13.2014

10 Things I LOVE (Coachella Inspired)...


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10   

A list of 10 things I love this week inspired by the most wonderful music festival in all the land: 

1. Desert land.  2. Amazing beaded moccasins.  3. You can't go wrong with a scarf head wrap.  4. The most perfect look for Coachella.  5. Daisy crown.  6. Festival drinks.  7. Getting there in style.  8. War-paint.  9. The perfect Coachella playlist.  10. Such a darling tee-pee.  

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.10.2014

22...


I want to start off by thanking all of you who sent sweet birthday wishes my way on Tuesday! Each and everyone of them put a smile on my face and I feel so blessed. 

I had a fabulous Birthday! I started celebrating a little early on Saturday when I went out with my best friend for dinner and shopping (and salted caramel pudding!). Then on my actually birthday I woke up to balloons and a card from my parents. My sister also bought me a whole slew of LUSH products that I am beyond excited to use! Later that day my family and I drove out to Reston, VA to do some shopping and have dinner. We ate at Coastal Flats and it was absolutely delicious! The day ended on a perfect note as we enjoyed cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop. 

Everyone says that we you get older birthdays aren't fun anymore but I still love birthdays. It's not about big gifts or parties but it's more the little gestures that make the day special. So thanks to everyone who made my birthday special. I am excited about this chapter in my life (I mean c'mon, it's my Taylor Swift year!). 

Peace and Love, 
Em 

P.S. Ignore how ghostly white I am in the pic above. All photos were taken with my instax camera and I am still playing around with the settings :)

4.07.2014

Currently...


Reading: "Crash the Chatterbox" by Steven Furtick. I am about halfway through this book and it is fabulous! It contains so much encouragement and the messages are all scripture-based. I definitely recommend it! Next on my reading list is this little gem.  

Listening To: Coldplay's latest single, "Magic". I could listen to this song all day long. It's simply perfection. 

Feeling Thankful: For girl's nights out, conversations with good friends, and netflix binge-watching marathons. All just some of life's little joys! 

Thinking About: Furniture! Ha, I'm starting to pick out things for my future apartment so I constantly have interior decorating on the brain. But honestly, I love it and am having so much fun with it all! 

Eating: Chocolove's dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt. This stuff is heavenly! Lately I've been treating myself to a square or two at night and it is definitely satisfying my sweet tooth. There is nothing better than dark chocolate and sea salt in my opinion! 

Watching: Modern Family. After the first season of the show I short of just drifted away from watching it but now I am back at it and loving it -it's so darn funny! 

Bummed Out On: How often I let negative thinking get the best of me. I think it's something that everyone struggles with to some degree but some of us more so than others. I'm working on it though! 

Loving: The sunshine and warmer weather that we are starting to get around here! I cannot wait for sundresses and sandals!! 

That's it for today! I'm wishing you all a very fabulous Monday!  

Peace and Love, 
Em

4.06.2014

10 Things I LOVE...


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10  

1. Yoga on the beach.  2. Pink blooms in old apothecary jars.  3. We simply are.  4. Love this picture of  Chris & Gwyn.  5. Really loving statement necklaces these days.  6. Pink and coral are the perfect combination.  7. So whimsical!  8. A box of happiness.  9. Smell the roses.  10. I know I've posted this before but um, Sam Palladio. Oh, and that pink door! 

Peace and Love, 
Em


4.03.2014

Think Pink...

 

You might remember that it's on my list of things to do before I die to dye my hair pink. Lately, I have been stumbling upon some pretty rad dye jobs. There's also a girl in one of my college courses who has bright pink hair and I kind of love it! I don't see myself doing this any time soon but one day, when the time is right, I promise you it will happen. In the meantime I'll just gather up as much inspiration as possible :)

Peace and Love, 
Em

*all photos can be found on Pinterest*

4.02.2014

Finding Peace...

 

I was thinking about my sign-off the other day: "Peace and Love". "Peace" can be such a cliche word and sometimes I think it can be used out of context. Peace is something that I am always seeking- peace of mind, peace in my heart, all of it. For about a year now I have been struggling with anxiety. I had never really had trouble with it in the past. Sure, I have had my struggles with perfectionism and ocd but I was never the type to get anxious about things. It started off where I would just notice it occasionally; I would feel my stomach start to hurt before big outings or projects at school. Then in December things started to get worse. I was having trouble with my heart racing where I couldn't breathe and I was getting horrible headaches. That's when I really started to worry. My anxiety had moved from the occasional event to me thinking that I was going to die every time I got into a car. Leading into 2014 things only went downhill: I was making myself feel sick every day to the point where it was debilitating. I won't go into the gritty details but let's just say it's been a big struggle and something that has been very hard for me to fight.  

While on Spring Break a few weeks ago I had a lot of time to think. And it kind of just hit me: I can control this! I didn't want to have to rely on medications and deal with the horrible side-effects only to hope that at some point my anxiety would get better. It was all that was in my head that was making me sick and I have the power to choose and listen to that voice or to silence it. Another thing that has really been helping me is to realize that God already has a specific plan for my life; He has already written my story. When God says it is my time to die it is going to happen and there is nothing that I can do about it. I can't live life in fear of things that will most likely not happen. Like my therapist told me, we face risks every time that we get out of bed in the morning. Life is full of risks and we can't escape them. 

I am happy to say that the past couple of weeks I have been doing really well. I have stopped taking my medication for now and am really working on fixing myself on the inside. I thought I would share a few things that I have been doing that have really helped. These are tips that I think would help anyone who deals with anxiety or even just the occasional stress. 

1. Yoga- This is such a great way to get in touch with your body and to calm and relax yourself. I do yoga breathing every morning when I wake up and it puts me in a great place to start my day and has made a huge difference. 

2. Diet- There are entire books on eating for anxiety and which foods help prevent it. Cashews and Blueberries are two foods that are pretty powerful in preventing anxiety. I have been snacking on both of those a lot recently! 

3. Positive Thinking- Positive quotes or verses really help when it comes to negative or anxious thinking. I have alerts set up on my phone throughout the day so that I am constantly reminded of God's plan for me and the fact that he is always in control.  

This isn't to say that my anxiety is completely gone. It's hard work but I am on my way to finding peace. It's also not to say that life will never be stressful but I want to get to a place where I am not constantly worrying and having that worry effect me physically. 

If you read this whole post you deserve something special. Thanks for sticking by me and listening to me ramble on. I don't often get this honest on the blog but I felt like sharing something that has played a big role in my life lately. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful Wednesday and I will be back on Friday with a more light-hearted post! 

Peace and Love, 
Em