covered in snow

This is NOT new

It's an absolute winter wonderland here in East Lansing. We got quite the snow storm yesterday creating a snow filled fun-land perfect for sledding, snow ball fights and wintery frolicking. Okay, so maybe I did hate on the snow on my walk to class this morning, but I do love how pretty everything looks. I recently started my own account on 8tracks, and I found it the perfect opportunity to showcase my favorite winter playlist, covered in snow. It's filled with cozy songs to revel in the perfectness that is snow. Sit back, and relax, and enjoy take the snow in with these songs.

sing it right back, i like it like that

Happy Monday! When I was home over the weekend I made the most divine brownies ever. It was so nice to be able to bake up a nice treat to bring back to school, and obviously I loved being able to eat them as well. They were super easy and they are nice and festive. Here's how to make them:

 I used a box of peppermint Oreos that are super holiday festive

 I prepared a box of brownies as directed on the box

 Next, I dipped an Oreo in the batter.

 And used a fork to take it out and make sure it is covered all around.

 Then, I placed it in a cupcake holder.

 Fill the leftover batter in the containers to cover the cookie completely.

 Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

 They come out the perfect size for a little snack, and the Oreo gets soft on the inside from the brownie.

Mine came out a little gooey because I only baked them for 17 minutes, so I would suggest keeping them in for the full 20. They were absolutely delicious!

lost in your eyes, but i am safe

Winter is definitely the greatest time to be as cozy as possible. There's that chill in the air that just calls for warm nights spent by the fire under a warm blanket with some hot cocoa. Okay, so I might be a bit of a cuddly person who loves being cozy a little bit more than the next person, but doesn't everyone need a little festive time in their life? Here are some of my favorite cozy things for this winter:

1. My sister showed me this website that is similar to Pandora but better, 8tracks. I'm obsessed with the playlist called Let's. Snuggle.. It is pure music gold.
2. Pulling on fuzzy slippers and a massive sweatshirt for a lazy Saturday at home catching up on the DVR.
3. Baking treats and devouring them while they are still warm from the oven.
4. Cyber Monday... who doesn't love getting great deals without having to leave their house?
5. Lighting tons of winter scented candles, especially evergreen scented ones!
6. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, etc. I love to pile them all on, even if it's not completely freezing they are always so heart warming.
7. Christmas socks to brighten every day.

going back to get away after everything has changed

Happy belated Thanksgiving. This has been a year filled with millions of things to be thankful for. Last year, I created this list of things that I was thankful for. As a yearly tradition, here is my 2011 list of thanks in my life:

1. Spending the holiday with my loving family, and any other day that we have spent together this year for that matter.
2. The delightful end of high school activities with my best friends, and of course my high school diploma!
3. My new life at school and all the new relationships that I have been able to build. Moving away from home has been such a life changing experience, but I have been able to learn and grow so much from it.
4. Nights spent relaxing with loved ones.
5. The 19 years of my life that I was able to spend with my grandpa before he passed away this September. He was truly one of the greatest men I will ever know, and I will always be thankful for the time we were able to spend together and how much he affected my life.

this one's for the lonesome

I've recently reconnected my love for This is NOT new. I might have spent over an hour pouring through the pages and pages of new pictures of which I have fallen behind. I always end up saving quite a few pictures on my computer to use as a background to spice up my laptop. Here are some of my current favorites:

merry happy

Happy birthday Lavender Delight!! It was one year ago today that I made my first post, crazy right? What started as a school project evolved into the perfect creative outlet for me, and I must say I truly love being able to put out my posts for the world to see. I've learned so much about myself through my baking excursions, photo taking, and my search for new musical favorites. So much has happened in my life over this past year, and Lavender Delight has been with me through it all. Here's to more years of blogging, and to the future of being truly delighted with the things that I love most.

christmases when you were mine

I am so excited that a week from right now I will be homebound for the Thanksgiving break. I plan on getting much of my Christmas shopping done, and obviously I would love to browse the stores on Black Friday for something for myself. I've been compiling my list for Santa, which hopefully he does bring me because I have been oh so good this year!

1. A rose gold watch to pair with my daily accessories. I love that it will match both gold and silver!
2. Leopard print flats to jazz up any outfit.
3. A hedgehog coin purse.... doesn't every girl need this? (my best friend bought a fish one from Kate Spade earlier in the year and I love hers!)
4. This top that I've been lusting over each time I go into American Apparel.
5. A new pair of Uggs, in black, to keep my toes warm on my treks to class.
6. A fun iPhone case... and an iPhone to put in it.
7. Lululemon leggings because let's be honest I only ever wear leggings to class now, and these would be perfect.

they call it the season of giving; i'm here, i'm yours for the taking

Happy Monday! I can't believe the weekend is already over. Luckily, I only have 1 and a half weeks of school left before going home for Thanksgiving. I'm so excited! I'm still loving listening to my favorite Christmas music lately, but I have also added in a few new ones this year that are quickly making it to my list of favorites. Here's my current list of favorites:

Only Thing I Ever Get For Christmas, Justin Bieber
Boxing Day, Relient K
Miss You Most (At Christmas Time), Mariah Carey
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Death Cab for Cutie
What Child Is This, Matt Wertz
Christmas Song, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
Christmas Must Be Something More, Taylor Swift
Cold December Night, Michael Buble
Mr. Winter, The Maine
Home This Christmas, Justin Bieber featuring The Band Perry
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Frank Sinatra
All I Want Is You This Christmas, 'N Sync
Last Christmas, Jimmy Eat World
I Celebrate the Day, Relient K
Winterlove, Parachute
Christmases When You Were Mine
O Come All Ye Faithful, Katharine McPhee
Silent Night, Ron Pope and The District
Christmas Eve, Justin Bieber
All That I Want, The Weepies
O Holy Night, Tracy Chapman
Ho Ho Hopefully, The Maine
Lonely This Christmas, KT Tunstall
Jesus Born On This Day, Mariah Carey

you're my one and only christmas wish

I'm so happy that the Christmas season is finally here! I've been known to be a major Christmas fanatic because I literally love all things to do with the holiday. I always listen to Christmas music starting November 1 because I just love the holiday that much. Here are some of my favorite things about the Christmas season this year:

1. Red cups at Starbucks, along with the holiday inspired drinks
2. The first snow fall
3. Time off from school to go home
4. Watching Christmas movies, especially Elf, The Holiday, Love Actually, and The Family Stone
5. Picking out gifts for my friends and family
6. Twinkling lights in the trees around my hometown
7. Wearing lots of red and green, and of course tons of sparkles
8. Spending lots of time with my family
9. Justin Bieber's new holiday album, "Under the Mistletoe"

we found in love in a hopeless place

I just watched a the cutest proposal video ever. I'm not even kidding. I'm literally speechless with how amazing this video is. Why isn't this my life?

Enjoy.

unpretty

In my English class we just started our poety unit. In the recent years I've actually started to enjoy poetry, so when we got our reading assignments for the next few classes I looked forward to diving into the poems. Today we discussed a slam poem by Katie Makkai that is definitely one of my new favorite poems. It's entitled "Pretty" and it is so empowering, especially when heard from her reading it aloud, found here. I hope you love it as much as I do, especially this section:

"This is about the self-mutilating circus we have painted ourselves clowns in. About women who will prowl 30 stores in 6 malls to find the right cocktail dress, but haven’t a clue where to find fulfillment or how wear joy, wandering through life shackled to a shopping bag, beneath those 2 pretty syllables.

About men wallowing on bar stools, drearily practicing attraction and everyone who will drift home tonight, crest-fallen because not enough strangers found you suitably fuckable.

This, this is about my own some-day daughter. When you approach me, already stung-stayed with insecurity, begging, “Mom, will I be pretty? Will I be pretty?” I will wipe that question from your mouth like cheap lipstick and answer, “No! The word pretty is unworthy of everything you will be, and no child of mine will be contained in five letters.

You will be pretty intelligent, pretty creative, pretty amazing. But you, will never be merely ‘pretty’.”