you are my reason why

I've finally started my packing for school! I went on a random packing spree last night, and now I'm feeling good about getting it all done. I have no idea how I'm going to narrow down some of my clothes, but here are my current packing for college essentials (not including my clothes):

1. Scarves to throw on for the cooler days to come in the fall (eeeek!)

2. Shoes for all occasions, I have 15 pairs packed. I have a few pairs of boots that look cute with shorts, dresses and skirts (and pants when it gets cold); two pairs of booties for going out; sandals for the last warm days; slippers for hanging out in my room; flats to wear with my daily outfits; and of course my work out sneakers so I don't gain the freshman 15.

3. Jewelry, including about ten pairs of earrings. It's no secret that I love earrings more than any other kind of jewelry, so of course I needed to bring my favorite pairs.

4. A bathrobe for after my shower and for getting ready in my room.

5. Bags, from totes to wristlets. I have a few totes for going to class, and a few smaller bags for other occasions.

6. Lots of socks so I don't have to do laundry as often. Although it saddens me (it means cold weather is coming), I did have to include knee socks to wear with my boots.

all by myself in the morning

Over the school year in my English class, we watched an excellent short film named God of Love. It won the Academy Award for best short film this year, and I must say it was well deserved. I purchased it over the summer, and I've watched it multiple times since; each time I watch it I love it. I love that it's black and white, and the film is just so well done that it makes me smile every single time. My favorite quote comes from the end, as follows:

"You can't control who you love. You can't control who loves you. You control how it happens, or when it happens, or why it happens. You can't control any of that stuff, but I can... I guess that why love doesn't make as much sense as it should, because well, I'm the god of love."

i need you boo

How do you cure insomnia? I was in major need of some coffee before work, so before my 5 o'clock shift I drank a nice tall glass to give myself a caffeine booster. Now, at 1 a.m. I am completely wide awake. Okay, so I do know that if I hadn't have had that afternoon coffee I probably would at least be a little sleepy right now, but honestly there's no way I'm falling asleep right now. To add to this problem, I can basically only think about moving in to college... and thoughts of the ending summer are rushing through my head without stopping.

For now, I'm stuck wasting hours on Le Love, watching the top 100 songs of the 2000s on Fuse, and randomly browsing my favorite stores online. I know I don't want to wish these last days away at home, but honestly I just need a new beginning, or maybe a change of heart.

summer is gone

My countdown to college is officially in the single digits! Two of my best friends have already moved in to school, so it's making this change feel a little bit more real with each goodbye. I can feel fall approaching rapidly with the chillier nights and the cool breeze, but for once I'm actually really excited for fall. I obviously need a new playlist for the upcoming season, so here are some of my favorite soon to be fall songs:

Summer is Gone, Ron Pope

Age Six Racer, Dashboard Confessional

Landslide, Glee Cast

I Love College, Asher Roth

The September of My Years, Frank Sinatra

You're So Last Summer, Taking Back Sunday

Please Don't Go, Mike Posner

Standing on the Edge of Summer, Thursday

September, Earth, Wind & Fire

St. Patrick's Day, John Mayer

Franklin, Paramore

Take Care (acoustic), Copeland

Summer Wind, Frank Sinatra

Going Away to College, Blink-182

Dusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional

Hometown Glory, Adele

Grand Theft Autumn, Fall Out Boy

i hope that he turns out to be someone to watch over me

My baking excursions normally come from random fits of boredom mixed with a combination of the assortment of food I find in my pantry, and today was no different. I decided to try my hand at cookies made from a boxed cake mix, similar to these that I recently made.

The cookie is made from one box of chocolate cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and enough flour to make the mix no longer sticky.

 Next, swirl the cookie dough with peanut butter, keeping the peanut butter still intact

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.

I might have sampled a little because how great does this look?

These turned out amazing, and they tasted even better with a glass of milk!

looks like morning in your eyes

I've recently came to the realization that I enjoy a different playlist of songs for my mornings than I do in the evenings. It still holds the same amount of ease and relaxation that my sleep playlist holds (which I blogged about here), but the songs hold a new lightness to them. I'm currently obsessed with this new playlist of songs; here are some of my favorites:

Sunrise, Norah Jones
Someone to Watch Over Me, Ella Fitzgerald
One For My Baby, Frank Sinatra
Star Mile, Joshua Radin
I Wish You Were Here, Al Green
I Found A Boy, Adele
Till Tomorrow, Don McLean
Come Back To Bed, John Mayer
Answer, Sarah McLachlan
Moonglow, Benny Goodman
Stumble, Zack Berkman
Take It All, Adele
Danny's Song, Kenny Loggins
I've Got a Crush on You, Ella Fitzgerald
Michicant, Bon Iver
You Still Hurt Me (feat. Rosi Golan), William Fitzsimmons

you made a fool of me

It's finally the perfect weather here in the mitten, not too hot or humid. It made for a perfect day to be spent at work (haha), and although it did make the time go by a little bit faster. I was waiting all day for my housing email for school (which never came), and I can't believe that that day is already here! Summer is almost over, but here are some of my current summertime obsessions:

My songs that are currently being played on repeat, "Leave the Light On" by Grace Weber Band, "Best Thing You Never Had" by Beyonce, "Easy" by Rascal Flatts & Natasha Bedingfield, and "Fool of Me" by Me'Shell Ndegéocello.

I bought two records (this and this) and these frames for my dorm room. They look great together and I can't wait to see them on my wall!

Glamour magazine, seeing as I've bought every month at the store for the past few months. I'm planning on getting a subscription for school so I don't waste money buying it full price each month.

This bag from Kate Spade... if only I could afford that on my college student budget...

The show Teen Wolf on MTV. It may be a little bit cheesy, but I'm completely smitten with the main character. I just started watching it last night, but I already want to watch every single episode without stopping.

COLLEGE IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!

leave the light on

My friends and I had our final dinner date before one of my best friends leaves for college at our normal favorite place, Noodles and CO., tonight. Can you say bittersweet? I can't even believe the summer is basically over. I made my summer to-do list in the beginning of the summer, with some expectations, but even though some of these plans have changed, I've loved every random moment of this summer, even the unexpected ones, as follows:

1. Trying all of the sundaes on the menu a 24 hour diner in Plymouth, Zack's, with my sister. We have three left!
2. Power walks with my sister's best friend, without my sister. We had never really hung out just the two of us until this summer, but now we spend a lot of time together. I'm going to miss her when we go to school!
3. Getting invited last minute to the Katy Perry concert, and singing/dancing to every song at the concert.
4. Actually enjoying my summer reading for school.
5. Late night drives with my sister jamming out to "Someone Like You" by Adele and "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj.
6. Searching with my nana for her wedding dress in her basement, and looking at all the forgotten treasures along the way.
7. Staying in my pj's all day being lazy,
8. And changing out of them in the evening for an intense workout with my best friends.
9. Bargain hunting for dorm room decorations with my mom.
10. Growing up.

you can't make your heart feel something that it won't

The fact that we are four days into August is still mind blowing to me. The summer is flying by and I feel like I haven't really done anything (except for getting lots of college stuff). I am now trying to enjoy my last few days of summer with my friends (one of my best friends leaves in a little over a week!), along with the following:

1. For lugging my school stuff around campus, I bought a backpack, in the kelly green. Okay, I admit that it might be a bit too Spartan ready, but the green is just such a happy color that I couldn't pass it up.

2. I went into the Lilly Pulitzer store today, and obviously the preppiness rekindled my love for Unabashedly Prep, an adorable preppy blog.

3. On a hangout session with my friends the other day, they had disbelief that I like country music, even though it's one of my top favorite genres. Promptly after this, I had to confirm my beliefs that I in fact do love country, so I've been having some jam seshes to "Heart like Mine" by Miranda Lambert and "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. Nothing beats summer drives with the windows down and country music blaring.

4. It's been cooling down a bit here in the mitten, so I've been throwing some summer weight sweaters with shorts (I can't bring myself to wear pants in the summer). I would love to add this to my collection.

5. I want to get in lots of baking in before I leave for school (although I might regret it later once I eat all the treats). In the cookie world, I would love to make these.  For some delicious brownies, these and these need to be in my oven right now so I could devour them. I just might have to make them all in the next few weeks, along with some of my classic favorites.

i wanted love, i needed love

How is it already August??? I move into my dorm in 26 days... that is so unreal. I recently went on a mini online shopping spree and as an impulse buy I bought myself some adorable purple headphones (clearly necessary for studying at the library, walks to class, and other collegiate occasions). As a prelude to all the excellent sound quality music listening I will be doing, I've created a precollege playlist for all of the random music occasions, with some of my favorite songs:

Don't You Remember, Adele
Killing Me Softly With His Song, Fugees
Danny Boy, Kenny Loggins
Rewind, Diane Birch
Making Love to the Camera, The Starting Line
You Don't Miss Your Water, Otis Redding
The Underdog, Spoon
Super Bass, Nicki Minaj
Mr. Brightside, The Killers
The Long Day is Over, Norah Jones
Two Days Old, Cash Cash
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Crossroads, Don McLean
It Wasn't Me, Shaggy
My Stupid Mouth, John Mayer
Chinese, Lily Allen
Crazy For You, Shwayze
Nowhere's Fine, Zach Berkman
Armistice, Phoenix
Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy), Al Green
Santeria, Sublime
Tighten Up, The Black Keys
Still Not Over You, Mike Posner