reminiscing 2015 & embracing 2016

Happy New Year!  I know it's said a million times, but this year truly flew by.  It was an interesting year to say the least.  A year of many ups and downs, good times and hard times.  Life definitely represented itself as being "life" this past year.  However, no matter what, life goes on.  One thing is for sure, even if you're encountering a time that makes you feel like it's impossible to get through, if you surround yourself with the right people, you'll always get through it.  Number one in my life is my relationship with the Lord, but without my family and friends, this year would've been ten times worse than it was.  My 2015 in a nutshell story may not be how you want to spend your next five minutes and I'm totally okay with that, but sometimes it's better just to write something down and then move on.  So that's what I'm going to do, say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016.

Everyone told me 2015 was my year, it was my high school graduation year, and what 17 year old wouldn't be excited about that?  The entire second semester of senior year, my mind was set on one thing, graduation.  Of course in between all of that was the fun stuff like prom.  However, as I sit here typing, like any other time I think about graduation, I realize that it's all kind of a blur.  I remember the ceremony, but I don't remember the feelings or anything of that sort because I was numb.  The weekend before graduation, we were given the news that my grandmother didn't have long to live.  Anytime you lose a loved one it is an incredibly hard time, but this seemed especially hard because she was one of my two grandparents left, and my grandfather had severe Alzheimer's so in a sense she felt like she was all I had.  Graduation was Thursday and she passed away Tuesday evening.  I remember that day like it was yesterday, but everything else is foggy.  At 17, having already witnessed two deaths can really take a toll on you.  There's nothing that can shake that type of memory, but it's also part of why I chose my major as nursing because I found it so incredible to watch the human body work in its own natural ways.
I missed my last two days of senior year and high school altogether besides maybe a class or two the last day, but I honestly don't remember.  The only thing running through my mind was how did this happen and making sure that my dad was okay.  I lost my other grandmother years ago and so knowing that there will never be another day where you can talk to one of your grandmothers is a really hard pill to swallow.  Grandparents have so much wisdom to share and there's no one else in the world that can compare.  My grandmother was one very special lady and everyone who met her knew that, which is why I felt compelled to share my thoughts about her at her funeral.  I graduated Thursday night, and I spoke at the funeral Friday morning.  I never in my life thought I could get up and speak in front of a large audience, but when you're remembering someone you love, it's like everything else in the world disappears.  Plus, like I mentioned earlier about surrounding yourself with the right people, as I got up to the microphone I looked into the audience and saw one of my best friends sitting in one of the back pews giving me the smile of encouragement that she knew I needed.  With God, family, and good friends, you can get through anything.

Soon after this, I had my college orientation which was when everything settled in that I was weeks away from moving out.  Now that's a scary thought when you're already emotionally vulnerable, but just like anything that's stressful or what seems to be scary at the moment, you just have to take a deep breath and relax.  We definitely did the relaxing part when we took our family trip to Turks & Caicos to just get away from everything we had just been through.  It was exactly what we needed, family time and some beautiful, crystal blue water.

Not too long after the trip, we were taken back into the reality of life again.  My grandfather entered the last phase of Alzheimer's and we were told he had about 10-14 days to live.  Within that time span, me and my best friends had planned to spend a whole day together just doing fun things like taking pictures and going to cool restaurants because we knew that in eleven days I was leaving for college.  That morning, my friends were supposed to meet me at my house.  Interestingly enough, I slept through my alarm and was woken by my mom telling me that one of my friends was already there so naturally I sprang up realizing I had overslept and needed to get ready asap.  Unfortunately, my mom told me to sit back down and she broke the news to me that my grandfather had passed away that morning.  I just sat there numb again.  I had known that at some point it was coming, but I hadn't allowed myself to accept it.  However, once again, with God, family, and good friends, you can get through anything.  And boy did I need my friends that day.

There's no words to explain being 17 and losing your last two grandparents within 10 weeks of each other and attending the last funeral five days before moving away from home for the first time in your life.  Those first couple weeks of college were extremely difficult.  Watching my parents leave me at my dorm was nearly impossible.  I was emotionally vulnerable and I knew they were hiding how much pain they were feeling just to help me out.  When you're that emotionally vulnerable and you're in a new location, you have to make a decision for your life right there because otherwise people can get wrapped up in the wrong actions.  Throughout everything that happened, my faith only deepened, and I knew that nothing within me had changed, I still had no desire to give into things that might make the pain go away.  It's only temporary, and that's how I've always looked at anything like that.  Even taking a Motrin for a headache, it's just masking the pain for a short period of time until it rubs off and you're back to reality.
I wrote about my first semester in a previous post so that pretty much takes over the last few months of 2015.

There's no doubt that relationships in life are a very difficult thing.  I am truly blessed to have had my grandparents as role models for how they lived out their marriage.  I can only only hope that one day I will have a marriage like theirs.  It was love at first sight for my grandfather and he loved her until his very last breath.  Over ten years with Alzheimer's and within ten weeks of my grandmother passing, he left to be with her the week of her 90th birthday.  They couldn't be without each other, and there's nothing more reassuring than knowing that they're together again.  Faith and family was what was important to them and they did an incredible job at living out those two things.

Always treat people with respect because you don't know what they're going through.  Love your family and friends and make sure they know it.  And remember, with God, family and good friends, you can get through anything. :)

Needless to say, I am so ready for this new year.  Here's to the many new memories that are to come!

pumpkin cheesecake dip for the holidays

Yesterday I went to a holiday "Friendsmas" and everyone was asked to bring a food or drink item so naturally I went straight to my Pinterest to find a good recipe.  I came across a Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dip and I am happy to say it was a hit.  I didn't have a whole lot of time to make it and it was a quick and easy recipe that anyone can whip up in under ten minutes.  I just used plain graham crackers to dip as well as someone else's ginger snaps that they brought, which was a great combo.  I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try!

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
graham crackers or ginger snaps

Full recipe here.

beautify

I thought I'd post the products I use on a daily basis as well as the makeup I use.  There's so many beauty products out there that it can be confusing sometimes on what to get.  Plus, beauty is not cheap, so knowing that a product is good in advance is always a bonus before you drop your money on it.  I love all of these products so I definitely recommend them!

I'm convinced I have some of the most sensitive skin and I must have tried a thousand cleansers before I found one that didn't irritate my skin, but prevented breakouts.  I've been using this cleanser for almost a year now and I still couldn't be happier with it.  It's made by the brand Soap & Glory, which is a brand from the U.K. and it is amazing.  It's called the Peaches and Clean 4-in-1 Wash Off Deep Cleansing Milk - it's gentle and it does the trick.  I use Burts Bees facial cleansing wipes before I wash my face to remove any makeup.  After cleansing, I use bareMinerals purely nourishing cream to moisturize.  If I feel a breakout coming, I just started using e.l.f.'s Acne Fighting Gel, and so far, it has proven itself to work.

Onto makeup.

     

Pictured in the top left are two products made by the company pür.  The larger bottle is a setting spray and the smaller bottle is a primer.  The setting spray says to use before applying makeup, but I personally think it works best to use after applying your makeup.  The primer goes on before any makeup and after any moisturizers if you moisturize in the morning.

On the right are two mascaras that I have fallen in love with.  I have tried many different drug store brands and I could never find one that seemed to do the trick.  I was recently given a sample of Urban Decay's Perversion mascara and really liked it so I decided to give in and splurge on a bottle of mascara.  I have really enjoyed using it, but it did seem to get flaky rather quickly.  I had always heard about Too Faced's Better Than Sex mascara and a friend of mine ever so kindly gave me a bottle for Christmas and I can't say I have a single complaint.  For someone who has pretty short lashes, it makes them look longer and it stays all day.  If you're looking for a good mascara to splurge on, I definitely recommend both, but I'd probably have to say go for the Too Faced!

The bottom left are three of the products I use for face makeup.  My friend gave me a MAC foundation which I absolutely love because it's really light.  If it's a super casual day, I sometimes use Maybelline's Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation instead.  The two concealers I use are wet n wild's CoverAll Stick and pür's Disappearing 4-in-1 Concealer and which one I use depends on my breakouts.  On a regular day, I usually just use foundation or the cover stick and foundation, but if I'm breaking out, I'll use the pür concealer.  I also use Neutrogena's mineral sheers loose powder foundation to top it off, along with the setting spray.

The bottom right shows the products I use to get the perfect eye.  I start with cargo's HD Picture Perfect Eye Shadow Primer and then use Urban Decay's Naked 2 and Naked 2 Basics Palette.  For eyeliner, I use Maybelline's master precise ink pen.  I have a scar in my eyebrow from stitches years ago, so for an eyebrow pencil to fill in the scar I use Clinique's Super Fine Liner for Brows.

And there you have it!  All of my favorite products.

life

It's been awhile since I've written a blog post so I've decided to "relaunch" fashion & fitnition.  I just finished my first college semester, so life has been slightly hectic the past five months and I never found myself having much free time.  However, I learned a lot, so I thought I would share.

For starters, your first college semester is a time of new experiences.  You're officially on your own for the first time so you learn a lot about yourself as well as life in general.  For me, I chose a college where I only knew enough people personally to count on my fingers so it was a whole new start.  Between Rush and the first few weeks of classes, I met an overwhelming amount of new people, but I loved it.  As nerve-wracking as it is, everyone is in the same situation and are just trying to meet as many people as possible.

Beyond the people, college is an adjustment.  It's your first time away from home for a long period of time.  I depended on my faith to get me through those first few weeks.  I lost my last two grandparents before I went to college so that was a struggle in itself to leave my family as we were still in a period of grieving.  I don't think I would have been able to get through Rush and the stress of starting college without my faith.  My guardian angels were definitely watching over me as God blessed me with some incredible friends within the first month of school.

College is an incredible place to meet some awesome people that you quickly realize will be lifelong friends.  Every experience you're presented with, take the opportunity because it creates some unbelievable memories.  I understand that Greek life isn't for everyone, but if you're at the age where you're about to go to college and you're trying to make the decision of whether or not to go through Rush, I definitely recommend it.  It's a tiring experience, but you meet a ton of girls that are in your college class and it gives you a week to adjust to being on campus before starting classes.  Plus, being in a sorority is something that you really can't describe until you're in one, but you're placed in a family of a couple hundred girls who are immediately called your sisters.  As a new freshman where you feel so small on a college campus, that's a pretty comforting feeling.  And over the months of your first semester, those sisters become some of your closest friends.

And beyond the adjustment, college is hard.  Classes are hard.  It's not really something that anything can prepare you for and it's definitely a learning experience.  It takes awhile to determine what study methods work best for you, how much time you need to designate to each class and assignment, and when to say no to the social life so you can study, study, and study some more.  This is all a part of your first semester - figuring out what works best for you, and what doesn't, like how your body can't run off of caffeine without sleep.  You'll learn that one the hard way, trust me.  I can't deny that I pulled some all nighters, but they're really not the best method if you can avoid it.

College is definitely a whole new world as cliché as it sounds, but it's amazing.  I wouldn't trade any of my experiences for the world, and just after being home for a week for Christmas break, I already find myself missing my college campus and the people.  As far as classes, it's a stressful time, but the experiences make up for it and definitely prove why people tell you that college is the best four years of your life.

coffee craze 07.30.15

If you enjoyed my previous post about my coffee shop hopping day with my friend in Atlanta, I have another one for you!  Today's post is on coffee shops in downtown Roswell which I took on with one of my closest friends to have a girl's night.  I'm happy to say we had no complaints, so I'd recommend every place I'm about to comment on!

Our first stop was Coffee Bianco which is a little down the road from the historic downtown area, but it's delicious and adorable.  It's owned by the sweetest family and the atmosphere is very calming.  We ordered medium soy caramel macchiatos, and they are probably one of the best if not the best I've ever had.  So tasty that I wished I had ordered a large!

Our next coffee shop was one that I recently blogged on, but it's so adorable that I had to bring my friend, Land of A Thousand Hills!  We ordered their iced dragon well green tea and it was pretty good!  I'm not a huge plain iced tea drinker and it's flavor was a bit interesting, but my friend liked it as well as the place.  It was a packed coffee house which is always a good sign.

We decided to go to dinner after this and my friend recommended a cute restaurant called Greenwood's.  First off, it is adorable.  Despite the heat and humidity, we sat outside to enjoy the scenery of the porch overlooking the garden.  All of the vegetables served are grown fresh in town!  The staff is super sweet, the food is good southern food, and the portions for the price are incredible.  I ordered a vegetable plate and my friend ordered the meatloaf, plus they serve complimentary cornbread which is amazing.  We were too full afterwards for dessert, but apparently they serve homemade pies which I'm sure are to die for.

Our final stop of the night was a bakery and coffee shop called Sugar Shack in the Back located directly behind The Fickle Pickle.  It wasn't too crowded, but it was also late in the day on a weeknight.  It looked like most of their baked goods had been picked over so I didn't read too much into that.  They had everything from fresh baked croissants, cookies, and cupcakes to banana pudding to ice cream.  They also had coffee!  My friend ordered an iced chai tea latte and I ordered an iced nonfat latte.  They weren't the best we've had, but also not the worst.  Overall, it was probably our least favorite place, but it was still adorable!

change your step

If you have a gym membership, chances are they have a class called Step Sculpt.  I recently discovered this class at my gym and instantly became obsessed with it.  An entire hour of a choreographed routine stepping up and down from a step platform.  It's an amazing workout.  Just a warning, if you go all out your first class, I guarantee you'll be sore the next day...I certainly was.  No other workout makes me sweat the way this class does and once your body adapts to the muscles you use in it, you actually begin to feel refreshed after the class.  The hour kills, but it's so worth it.  Plus I think it's fun!  If your gym offers a class, I definitely recommend you give it a try!

At my gym they finish off the class with arm weights and ab exercises so those are pretty well worked.  I do some basic things on my own after class now, but it's not necessary.

• Leg Press Resistance Machine - break it into intervals: 15 at 150 lbs., 15 each leg at 135 lbs., 15 at 135 lbs. 
• Torso Rotation Machine: 10 each side at 90 lbs., 15 each side at 70 lbs. 
• Cable Rows: 2 sets of 10 at 60 lbs.

twins take the town: coffee craze 07.20.15

This will probably be my longest post ever, but it might just be the best one as well.  My best friend and I decided to plan an entire day this summer to go coffee shop hopping in Atlanta.  A whole day of coffee.  Now maybe it's because we're coffee addicts, but we were extremely excited for this day to come.  Unfortunately, it has now come and gone which is sad, but it was honestly the best day ever. We drove through places in Atlanta we had never been before so we had a cultural experience and we went to coffee shops that we also had never been to before.  Obviously we needed food as well, so I'll also include the delicious places we ate at.  It was a full day - 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. - but every bit of it was worth it.  I mean who wouldn't want to spend a day with their best friend trying out cute coffee shops and restaurants?

The first place we went to ended up being our favorite place, Corso Coffee.  Not only is it in such a great location - a luxurious shopping plaza - it had the most unique coffee and a great atmosphere.  If I lived closer I would definitely bring my laptop and stay a few hours.  They have indoor seating as well as outdoor seating.  It was so crowded that we had no choice but to sit outside!  My friend tried an iced soy vanilla latte (which in her words was the "best latte she had ever had") and the oatmeal (also good) and I ordered an iced soy cappuccino.  This cappuccino was incredible.  They pour it into a (real) glass with perfect proportions, soy milk, espresso, and foam on top.  This foam was unlike any other foam I have ever tasted on a latte or cappuccino.  They use skim milk and somehow it magically tastes like whipped cream.  Plus, they top it off with a few chocolate shavings which adds a perfect touch.  It's delicious.  So delicious that both of us actually went back today to bring our sisters for them to try an iced cappuccino.  My only two cons would be that the employees weren't super friendly and it is a bit pricey; however, based on the fact that it's not a coffee shop I'll be able to get to on a regular basis, it's worth the price because of how unique it is.  I give Corso a thumbs up!



 

           



Our second stop wasn't planned, but while we were at Corso we realized there was a Georgetown Cupcake - which neither of us had ever been to - so while we were there, we figured we'd give it a try.  My friend ordered the chocolate coconut cupcake and I ordered the salted caramel cupcake.  We both loved ours.  The cake is fluffy and there's not too much icing.  Plus they're only $3, which for a cupcake sounds pricey, but compared to other bakeries, isn't bad.  It's a super cute setup as you can see into the kitchen; also, the employees were friendly and helpful when we asked about the best flavors.  Thumbs up for Georgetown as well!

Our third stop wasn't originally a part of the plan either, but it was around the corner from where we were so we figured we'd give it a try.  Quite honestly, we could've gone without it...not to be harsh, but it was definitely our least favorite.  The location is inside a strip of restaurants, but it's also next to a Marta station, so the walk to the door is a bit noisy.  The coffee shop is called Sip The Experience.  We walked in to find that we were the only customers.  The decor is cute, but the employees were not helpful at all and not very lively.  We decided we didn't want to spend much money at this one so I ordered a cafe au lait and my friend ordered a macchiato.  Both were extremely bitter.  Needless to say, neither of us finished them.  By the time we left, a couple people came in, but definitely a different vibe from Corso.  Would I suggest it based on my experience?  Not really, but I guess everything deserves a second chance, so if your heart desires giving it a try, go for it!

The fourth place we went to was Chattahoochee Coffee Company.  This place overall is incredible.  I don't think I have one con about it.  If Corso's coffee hadn't been so unique, this place probably would have been my favorite.  The employees were super friendly and helpful - we wanted to try something we had never had before so we decided on the cortado, which is exactly half espresso and half steamed milk.  It was strong (which I love) so I thought it was really good.  Plus they put a design in the milk which you already know is my weakness when it comes to coffee.  The location is beautiful.  It is placed in the back of an apartment complex sharing a log cabin styled building with the leasing office and overlooks the Chattahoochee River.  We sat outside to enjoy the view, but indoor seating is also available.  It's pretty large so you can pretty much guarantee you'll find a spot to sit (it was very crowded though).  There are even chairs and hammocks placed right along the river!  Definitely a thumbs up to this one as well!

Next stop?  Food.  We went to Kale Me Crazy and were amazed.  It didn't hurt that we're both lovers of acaí bowls, but theirs was probably the best I've purchased from a restaurant.  The employees were nice and the building was small, but calm and cozy.  The bowl itself just tasted fresh, plus it's super healthy!  The presentation was great, which is always bonus points in my mind.  It was a bit pricey considering I can make my own for way less, but it makes for a good splurge every once and awhile.  Thumbs up!

          

Our next stop was down the street from Kale Me Crazy, Inman Perk Coffee.  I had been there once before and loved it (I got a hazelnut latte and the hummus and pita, both super good).  We both ordered an iced decaf - we decided we needed to start easing out the caffeine - nonfat cappuccino.  Once we got our drinks we both had a mini crash.  We could barely get ourselves to look at another cup of coffee at this point let alone drink another one...even though we drink tons of coffee on a daily basis.  I think it was the combination of being on the go from one place to another as well as the wonderful hotlanta heat.  We allowed ourselves to rest for a bit and finally drank about half of our cappuccinos.  Not because we didn't like them, (we did!) but because we still had more places to go and we didn't want to feel sick the rest of the day.  Overall, the employees were very sweet and helpful and the atmosphere is adorable.  It's exactly what you picture a cute coffee shop in downtown Atlanta to look like.  A lot of people go there to work so it's very calm and quiet.  I give it a thumbs up!

                 

The next place we went to was Urban Grind.  We decided to get a pot of tea here because we figured we needed a break from coffee.  I'd definitely like to go back sometime to try their coffee because it looked like they had some unique house specials.  The worker was super sweet and the atmosphere was adorable with great oldies tunes.  I couldn't help but take a picture of the seating because I was hoping that one of the places would have couches like the one in the show Friends (my favorite) and this one did!  We lucked out with this on the timing too because we were able to kill an hour by resting on the couches while drinking our tea (which by the way, was a great deal - about $4 for at least 2-3 cups each).  Thumbs up again!

        

Our next stop was right down the street, Octane Coffee.  My friend had been before, but I had not even though I had heard wonderful things about it from many people.  We were told that they used homemade chocolate in their mochas so we decided to split one.  It was good.  It wasn't sweet like most mochas so you could actually taste the coffee flavor as well as the chocolate flavor.  Plus it had a design!  Octane has an awesome vibe.  It's rustic and hipster.  I loved the first wall you see when you enter the coffee shop, a white background with bold black lettering of all sorts of espresso drinks.  The employees weren't the best, but definitely not the worst.  Overall, definitely a thumbs up!

                              

The next place was for dinner, bartaco, a Mexican restaurant that I had heard great things about.  We have a weakness for tacos because, well, tacos are life.  We walked in and automatically loved the atmosphere and decor of the place.  It's a super unique restaurant as their tacos are bite sized...about 2-3 bites per taco.  We ordered a guacamole to start and trust me we've tried plenty of different guac recipes, and we loved this one.  It had a strong lime taste, just enough onion, but not too much, and a hint of jalapeños, which when I heard it had those I had a mini panic attack because I have the weakest mouth ever when it comes to spice.  However, I could handle it as long as I didn't eat a chunk of jalapeño.  It came with baked tortillas instead of chips which we thought was a really unique idea.  My friend is vegetarian so she ordered the three vegetarian tacos, falafel, portobello, and roasted cauliflower, and she loved all three!  I ordered the chicken taco and a chicken quesadilla and enjoyed both, but I definitely recommend the quesadilla because it had cheese and I'm kind of a cheesehead.  Our waiter was extremely friendly and everyone else that stopped by to answer a question or deliver our food was nice as well.  I definitely give this place a thumbs up!

Our final stop was Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop.  We both ordered decaf nonfat honey cinnamon lattes and they were incredible.  It's not on the menu, we just asked if they could make it.  Based on the beverage, it was probably our second favorite place.  We also ordered a slice of their chocolate mousse cake and it was delicious.  The atmosphere was cute, quiet, and quaint, similar to Inman Perk.  The barista was also very nice.  It was a great place to end the day.  Thumbs up!

Overall, if I had to rate the coffee shops, I'd say it would go like this:

1. Corso Coffee

2. Chattahoochee Coffee Company

3. Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop

4. Octane

5. Urban Grind

6. Inman Perk

7. Sip The Experience

I hope this post gives you an idea of how incredible this day was as well as some insight on some of the popular coffee shops in Atlanta!