Happy Hump Day! I hope everyone has been having a great Wednesday. This past week has been rough waking up at 6 A.M. every day in preparation for my 8 A.M. classes. I have never been a morning person so this week has been rough. These posts are always a reminder of the blessings in my life.
I had my last “first day of school”. I am officially a senior college student. The past three years have flown by. It is bittersweet to think that my journey as a college student is nearing an end, but I am choosing to think of it as a the end of the beginning
Family flying into town for a few days.
Countdowns. If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I love countdowns. Countowns to birthdays, seeing a close friend, vacation, or the weekend – it does not matter.
Watching the T.V. show “Friends” withfriends. I highly encourage anyone who has not watched this to go watch it on Netflix. Warning: the show is highly addicting.
Free yoga classes. Enough said.
Family flying into town for a few days.
Making new friends.
Late night talks with new, amazing roommates.
Hearing a new song and immediately connecting with it. Check out some of my recent favorites here.
Cats.
Thank you for reading and I hope everyone ends the week on a strong, positive note! If you feel so inclined, please leave a comment in the section below about a positive point in your life this past week!
This summer is flying by for me. I have been working, going to school non-stop, and applying for internships in the fall. It is hard to believe that next month marks the start of my senior year of college. I am excited to see what happens in my life this upcoming academic year.
1. An amazing support system of friends who are there for you 24/7.
2. Live music and coffee.
3. Possibilities and opportunities.
4. Long hugs.
5. Finding time to read an inspiring book.
6. Birthday countdowns.
7. Choosing to see the glass as half full.
8. Late night talks at the river.
9. Someone singing one of your favorite song to you.
Sometimes, life does not go as planned. I have had a series of unfortunate events unfold the past few weeks but that will be an entirely different blog post in itself. About two weeks ago, I had an amazing opportunity to visit California. I traveled to a few different cities and embraced the Californian culture.
My adventure started in Sacramento, California where I was able to watch my younger cousin’s high school graduation. I was so proud when I was able to watch her walk the stage with honors. She is headed to college in the fall to pursue a degree in nursing. My time in Sacramento was spent enjoying moments with my family so there are no pictures.
After graduation, I went to Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is a beachside town in Northern California. The weather is breezy and beautiful. I found that capris and a flowy peasant top was the perfect outfit even during the summer.
Fun fact: Santa Cruz is the location of one of my favorite 80’s movies, The Lost Boys.
I spent the majority of my time in Santa Cruz enjoying the boardwalk. The sea breeze tangled my hair as my toes left temporary imprints in the sand. I chased seagulls with my cousin with the sounds of the boardwalk games in the distance.
By far, one of my favorite parts of the Santa Cruz boardwalk was riding on the ski lift. It provided an amazing view of the boardwalk and beach.
As I explored the downtown portion of Santa Cruz, I was delighted to see there was a trolley. For only 25 cents, the trolley would drop you off in various parts of the town.
Walking down the streets of Santa Cruz, I stumbled across a sign saying “Verve Coffee”. I am a huge coffee fanatic and I had heard of Verve Coffee before on different websites ranking the “best” coffee shops in America.
The morning I traveled to San Francisco, my DSLR camera decided to not work. Somehow on my trip, the camera was damaged and needed to be looked at. Unfortunately, my pictures from San Francisco are not high quality as all of the photos were taken on my iPhone.
Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco is a wonderful, strange, and unique place. It was crowded with attractions everywhere. My first stop in San Francisco was Haight and Ashbury which is known for its hippie vibes. I visited some vintage clothing and tie-dye shops before driving to my next location.
For lunch, I went to a restaurant called “Straw” which is famous for their carnival-inspired food. I sampled their two most famous dishes – the “Fried Chicken-N-Waffle Monte Cristo” and “The Ringmaster”, a hamburger placed in-between two doughnuts. Surprisingly, both were delicious and I gained about 20 pounds with each bite I took. (Just kidding…)
The Ringmaster
Fried Chicken -n- Waffle Monte Cristo
Then, I headed to a different part of the city. I found this cute French-inspired bakery and coffee shop called “La Boulange”. I am not sure if it was a coincidence, but I managed to bump into a couple of French people there and got to practice my French skills.
Nearby, I found an apartment complex made of shipping containers. Surrounding the apartment complex was an ice-cream shop, coffee shop, bar, juice stand, and bike rental store all in shipping containers. The minimalistic nature of architecture was unique and intriguing.
On Pinterest, I had found an image of a beautiful mosaic staircase. When I found out it was located in San Francisco, I was determined to find it. After searching the city, I finally found it and climbed to the top! The view was breathtaking.
Mosaic staircase in San Fran.
After climbing the staircase to top of the hill.
I ended my trip to San Francisco by walking on Pier 39 and enjoying the view of the bay, quirky shops, restaurants, and sea lions. This was also around the time my phone’s battery ran out of power so there were very few pictures taken.
My Californian adventure was short and sweet. I cannot wait to visit again and hopefully spend more time exploring. Until next time California…
It is Wednesday which means that the week is halfway over. As the hectic semester begins to draw to an end, I have endless amounts of exams and research projects due within the next couple of weeks. My blogging will more than likely come to a stop after this post because I need to fully focus on school. I will be back in May after my finals are over.
1. MY COUSIN GOT ENGAGED! I am so beyond happy for him and his beautiful fiancée. I have been waiting for this to happen for years. Congratulations!
2. IT IS APRIL FOOLS DAY. (And you can not not be happy about that.)
3. Tears of happiness instead of sadness.
4. Glorious, sunny days.
5. Planning for a vacation.
6. Floral dresses perfect for twirling and spinning.
7. Long late night drives to clear your mind.
8. Random phone calls from your best friend.
9. Realizing you how far you have come in the past 3 years.
This week has been nonstop going for me. I completely forgot to make time on Wednesday to write my “10 Reasons to be Happy” so I decided to write one today. Happy Friday everyone!
1. My best friend turned 21!
2. Unlimited salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden.
3. Great dance partners.
4. Laughing until your stomach hurts.
5. Being able to choose positivity over negativity.
6. Blasting music with the car windows rolled down on the interstate.
7. Singing on top of your lungs and losing your voice.
8. Bubble tea.
9. Friends who understand and accept you the way you are.
10. Dancing on a stage with some of your favorite people and jumping off when you’re done. And not caring that you may or may not have sprained your ankle doing so. Oops.
What made you happy this week?
“Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times. If only one remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
As my spring break comes to an end, I am reflecting on the positive aspects of the past week. My spring break was off to a rough start for a few personal reasons so getting away to the beach was a blissful opportunity for me. This trip was my escape from reality.
The U.S.S. Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas
My beach getaway started off with a trip to an aquarium. I love going to aquariums and seeing all of the amazing creatures. I have been fascinated with marine animals since I was a young girl. My junior year of high school I even took an elective marine biology class for the sole purpose of learning more about marine life.
One of my biggest fascinations with marine life: jellyfish.
The majority of my getaway was spent reading and writing. The relaxing atmosphere of the salty ocean breeze with the sound of seagulls crying was my muse. My old journal was filled so I was more than happy to purchase a new one before my getaway. I am excited to see what words will be filling these blank pages. While I brought some of my old favorite books, I also bought a new one. John Green is one of my favorite authors but I had not read his book Paper Towns. Since the book has been turned into a movie, I thought it was only appropriate to read the book before seeing it in the theater.
I fell head over heels in love with the story as I do with any book written by John Green. I am absolutely thrilled to see the movie when it comes out because it appears to follow the book very closely. If you have not read the book already, I highly encourage you to do so!
A quirky ice cream shop on the beach.
Coffee shake with caramel.
One of my favorite parts of going to small beach towns is that there are local places that are unlike anywhere else in the world. This ice cream shop is one of my favorites to visit. The place is filled with strange trinkets and decorations. Each table is decorated differently and to top it off – the ice cream is delicious. As a coffee addict, I love to drink their coffee ice cream shakes.
The majority of my beach getaway was not as sunny as I had imagined it being. Despite the cloudy weather, I made the most of it. My favorite part of going to the beach is that I feel free. Running around in the sand with tangled windblown hair and a makeup free face is liberating. The waves crashing on my feet as I try to outrun the tide makes me feel like a small child again.
Sadly, my spring break is ending. I must travel back to my college town and finish the spring semester. There is only a month and a half left so I have to keep pushing forward to get through it.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” – Isaiah 43:2
Life has been amazing lately. It is hard to even look at the negative aspects of my life when God continues to pour blessings into it. Spring break is here and I am currently on a short vacation with my family.
1. Road trips to the beach with accompanying playlists.
2. Getting a new car! My old car was as old as I am. Yikes. I am so blessed to have amazing parents who decided to help me get a new one.
3. Rewatching a favorite television series. I am currently binging on Gossip Girl. Blair Waldorf will forever be queen.
4. SPRANG BREAK! Enough said.
(I am literally laughing to myself right now and I kinda hate myself for even including this in my post. Oh well.)
5. Listening to seagulls crying on the wind as the ocean crashes onto the sand.
6. Finishing up an old journal and starting a new one.
7. Picking fresh fruit from trees.
8. Biking through sleepy, quaint beach towns.
9. Hugs.
10. Cutting 6 inches off your hair and feeling like a new person.
It is almost time for spring break for me. As the week wraps up, I am counting down the days, hours, and minutes until I leave for the beach. School is as hectic as ever with midterms and projects being due this week but it will soon all be over. Here are my 10 reasons to be happy this week!
1. Only 2 more days until spring break!
2. Discovering new music and sharing your favorites with others.
3. Spontaneous nights out with friends that keep you awake until 3 A.M.
4. Eating Chipotle with your best friend.
5. Getting an A on your midterm that you panicked about the entire night prior to it.
6. Rainy days spent writing in your favorite coffee shop.
7. Listening to a local band at a record store.
8. Thumbing through vintage records and finding hidden treasures.
This week has been hectic and busy with my school works as all of my midterms and projects were due this week. Yikes. However, this week has been filled with happiness and excitement for a multitude of reasons.
1. MY BIG GOT ENGAGED THIS WEEKEND! This was so exciting for me. I love love. I love seeing two people in love. I cannot express how happy I am for her and her fiancé as they have been together for 6 years. It is crazy.
2. Planning my spring break beach trip.
3. Midterms will be over for me after today.
4. Making new friends in class because all of you are tired of reading British literature.
5. Happy endorphins pumping through your body after a workout.
6. Rewatching my favorite foreign film, Amélie. It is strange, wonderful, and beautiful all at the same time. If you have not already seen it, I urge you to watch it as it is on Netflix.
7. Waking up late after my alarm did not go off and still making it to class on time.
8. Making plans for my to shoot my first college senior photo set for one of my close friends.
9. Advising appointments for my senior year of college. It is bittersweet feeling to know that I only have a year left before I enter the “real” world.
10. Letting go and moving on.
Right now, I am currently in the process of finishing a new piece for my “Life, Love, and Lessons” series. It should be done and published by this weekend!
Now I want to know, what made you happy this week?
Is it just me or did February zoom by faster than normal? It has been awhile since my last monthly favorites post so I decided to create one for all of you this month. Enjoy!
This new BareMineral’s product is ah-mazing. I use it almost daily now. The lightweight texture and seamless application of the product make it an easy favorite. I recently did a review on it so if you would like to know more, read about it here.
This month, I was under a ton of stress from school and my personal life. My face decided to rupture into numerous breakouts. I combated my breakouts with a variety of products but this one was the most efficient. It worked quickly to reduce the swelling of my pimples without irritating my sensitive skin.
These lip shimmers are not only moisturizing but leave a beautiful, sheer pop of color on the lips. The shade “rhubarb” leaves a lovely red tint on the lips without the overly dramatic flair of an ordinary red lipstick. “Peony” is a natural pink color that leaves provides a small amount of color.
A few weeks ago, I ran out of all my different mascaras. I made an “emergency” trip to Ulta to find a replacement before a big upcoming event. In my hasty decision, I grabbed a beauty blogger cult favorite – “They’re Real” mascara from the bin near the cash register. After using it for the first time in months, I do not remember why I ever stopped! It provides long lasting lift, curl, and volume to lashes while thoroughly separating clumps.
I have had the original Naked palette for almost 3 years now. It is staple “must-have” for anyone interested in beauty products. My younger sister, however, owns the Naked 2 palette. I was at home visiting my family one weekend when I noticed how stunning all of the eyeshadows were in the Naked 2 palette. I experimented with the colors for awhile before I fell head over heels in love with the Naked 2 palette. The colors in the Naked 2 palette made my green eyes pop even more than the colors from the original Naked palette.
This brush is a repurchase for me. My old expert face brush had been used so much that the wear began to show. It was a great, long-lasting brush because it lasted over two years before it needed to be replaced. This brush is perfect for blending foundation, tinted moisturizers, concealer, etc. I pair this with my BareMineral’s Complexion Rescue for a flawless application. I have even heard rumors that this brush is fantastic for contouring with creamy contour makeup. If you are looking for an inexpensive yet high-quality foundation brush – this is the one for you!
This face mask has made an appearance on my blog numerous times. This mask is amazing and keeps my skin in better condition than any face mask I have tried. If I forget to make a special trip to Lush, my skin will throw a temper tantrum and break out. The combination of this face mask and the Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatmentsaved my skin this month.
This month I also discovered one of my new favorite songs. I am obsessed with this song. The urge I have to break out dancing every time I hear this song in public is ridiculous. I have to contain myself walking around my college campus listening to it. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think!
What were some of your favorite things in the month of February?
Love, Larisa Rose 
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