The Sock Bun

Over the past few months, I have seen "The Sock Bun" pop up all over on Pinterest. I am absolutely horrible at doing hair, so I always thought it'd be too complicated for me to even begin to try. However, I tried it this morning and it was a success! It took me 2 minutes and I was so pleased with the turn out!! Literally, anyone can do this easy updo. Sorry about the cliche mirror pic, but I had to show you that I did try it myself! Ok so directions: 1. Cut the toe out of a dress or tube sock (make sure the color is somewhat similar to  your hair). 2. Roll in from one end of the sock to the other, making a "donut". 3. Slip your ponytail through the "donut". 4. Fan out your ponytail on top of the donut sock so that it covers it. 5. Then, from the back of the donut, start to wrap the hair around at the base of the bun. 6. Wrap all the way around  in a circle and pin up the ends underneath! This is SO simple and my photo doesn't even do it justice! It is so neat and stays in place all day long! Enjoy! Xo.

Tie-Dye Fun

There are only a few weeks left of summer for me, and one of the things I've been meaning to do was tie-dye!! I've had a plain white sportsbra that I thought would be perfect and also a ton of white Hanes V-necks. I finally decided I would try it out and went and got a kit from Wal-Mart. (I chose the Paradise Punch color kit, approx. $10). The picture really doesn't do the pinks/purples/blues justice.. It is a really pretty combination and not that dark. However, this kit was super simple and can last for up to 8 shirts. Tie-dying is so cool because you never know what the end product will look like. I was a little disappointed in so much white on mine, but I still like the swirl. If you're bored during these last few days of break, you should try getting a tie-dye kit. It's a fun project and only takes a little of your time. It would be so cool to do some white shorts! Enjoy! Xo.

Re-purpose old school supplies!

If anyone knows a thing or two about saving some money, it's me! I'm always looking for a bargain or a way to make the old, new again. I was school shopping the other day and opted for a few -cheaper- colored binders with clear slips in front for photos, paper, etc. After looking at my plain new binders, I decided to spruce them up a bit! I save all of my old binders that hold important notes, but the clear plastic on them is all tattered and worn. You can re-purpose your old cute binders by cutting the plastic off and removing the patterned cardboard inside. Then, I slipped the cardboard in the clear slip on the new binders. I'm not sure why I never though of this before, but it's genius! Why not take the cheaper route and just make them cuter with things you already have? The blue and white polka-dots on the binders are the cardboard from old binders. Another way to make them more fun is to fill the front with scrapbooking paper, or to buy glitter letters ($15 at Walmart for a big set of shapes, letters, etc.) and spell out the subject on the front. Although you can't tell in the picture, I used glitter letters to embellish my Med Terms binder. I find it easier to learn when I have cuter supplies;) Goodluck with this cute project and I'll have more back-to-school ideas soon! Xo.

Sour Patch Grapes!

Of course I get a lot of my foodie ideas from Pinterest, and this one is no different. Sour Patch Kids are my favorite candy of all time and this recipe claimed to taste just like the candy so, naturally, I had to test this extremely simple snack recipe for myself. Ingredients: green grapes, jello mix (I used watermelon and strawberry), and water. First, rinse all the grapes in a bowl and let the water drain, but keep the grapes moist. Put some jello powder on a plate and roll the wet grapes in the powder. Move them to another plate to sit until refridgerating. When rolling grapes in the powder, keep in mind that they are still wet from the water. This is key to picking up the powder. Let refridgerate for one hour and then enjoy!! These are so delicious and take about 5-10 minutes to make. So simple, so easy, and a great snack! Xo.

Bold Patterned Dresses

Ok, so I'm hardly a "teen" anymore, but I did catch a glimpse of the different fashions from last night's Teen Choice Awards, via People.com. I was going through the different dresses from last night, and I came across this one from Vampire Diarie's Kat Graham. (photo on the left). I love this outfit. It is so perfect for the summery occasion and everything about it is so put together. The print is perfect on her skin tone, the purple in the shoes tie into the colors of the dress, as well as the yellow in her clutch. Even the statement necklace adds some shine to the outfit. When you have a dress with such a bold pattern that is the focus of the outfit, the accessory should only play it up and accentuate it more. If you're looking for a cheaper dress with a statement  pattern, try the maxi on the right from Forever 21 for only $22! Photo credit given to People.com. Photo credit given to Forever21.com

(Modified) Rachel Ray Stir-fry

Stir-fry is one of my most favorite meals to cook, because 1. It's so simple and 2. it's delicious! Usually I use Birds-Eye frozen stir-fry, but we didn't have any in the freezer so I took matters into my own hands! Now I watch Rachel Ray everyday and love her recipes so I looked up her stir-fry recipe on rachelraymag.com. I definitely modified to make it simpler and use the ingredients that I had on hand. All in all, the stir-fry came out a succes! Xo.. Recipe below:

-Boil water in pot and put multi-grain pasta noodles in until al dente.

-In a skillet, mix assorted veggies and canola oil.

-Add flavoring using lemon juice, salt and pepper, basil, and Asian orange glaze.

-After veggies are cooked very well, add the noodles and a bit more glaze.

-Finish off with some soy sauce for a more Asian touch!

Simple Food Changes

I'm no Dietician, but I do pride myself in knowing quite a bit about nutrition and exercise, due to it being my intial major at WKU. I know that many women have a constant battle with trying to maintain their shape or lose weight. Of course, this can only be done through a proper diet and exercise. However, the hardest part can be switching to a healthier diet. Cravings, snacking, etc. can get in the way of getting healthy. I've compiled a list of easy food alternatives when it comes to changing up your diet. They are so simple, but can be very effective when beginning the weight loss process:
Switch from high-sodium and high-fat bacon to = leaner turkey bacon
Instead of using high calorie mayo, try = cream cheese (always good on sandwiches!)
Switch from eating white/wheat bread to = multi-grain and whole wheat (extremely effective)
Switch from 2% or low-fat milk to = non-fat, skim milk (extremely effective)
Eliminate soft drinks, fruit juices, etc. and add only = milk, orange juice, or water
Again, these are such simple changes in a diet but if kept consistent, can have amazing effects. Another thing I recommend is to never deprive yourself. I would literally drive myself crazy if I couldn't have some chocolate. I give myself a cheat day, or, if I'm having that craving late at night, I'll throw a few mini M&Ms into some vanilla yogurt and I'm all set! The key to staying healthy is to think before you eat. Hope some of these alternatives help! Xo.

Organization Station!

Keep with the theme of crafting, I thought of another practical way to keep busy. I was always digging through a bag to find different pieces of jewelry, so I decided throw in a little organization! This is SO ridiculously simple and is very practical. (You can also find many different ideas for Jewelry boards on Pinterest). Just take a few cork boards/bulletin board, and hang all your jewelry essentials by length, color, style, etc. I covered my bulletin board with some scrapbook paper and added colorful push-pins to make it cuter. You can always add personality to practicality :) It's so nice to get oranized and simply your life. Enjoy! Xo.

Pinterest-Inspired Craft

So today I was hit with a mix between my love of crafting and extreme boredom. I had repinned a how-to on making an iPod arm band for running a while back on Pinterest, which is perfect because I've gotten so sick of just holding my iPod and of course, the arm bands are overpriced. So I decided to try and make my own:) The directions/picture of the one I repinned on Pinterest was very plain, so I decided to jazz mine up a bit! All you need is some fabric, thread, and some sort of elastic headband or pantyhose for the band. It was really simple but took me a bit longer because I hand-stitched. After I stitched the pouch, I turned it inside out and sewed on the headband to one side. Lastly, I added some glue and glitter to monogram it! This is a great craft and very practical if you go walking/running on a regular basis. There are endless possibilites to monograms, stitching, and cute patterns. Even if you didn't make the armband, it would be a cute tech case. :) Xo.

Katy Perry 3D: Part of Me

So I'm a little late getting around to it, but I felt compelled to make a post about how awesome

Katy Perry's movie Part of Me was. Not only did the film chronicle her year-long tour of the same name, but it really showed her as a human being and just a regular girl. I had always admired her, but this really gave me a chance to see what she was truly like, and I was so amazed. She really followed her dreams to become a star and is so extremely talented and has FUN doing it. She is inspiring to so many, including myself, and really stands for being unique and yourself. If her costumes and antics are any indication, everyone can tell she is different from most pop stars. Her optimism and determination have made her one of the greatest pop stars of her time and her personality definitely shines through in the film. It's only and hour and half long, and I honestly wish it could've lasted longer. With enough footage from a few of her concerts, it feels like you're actually there yourself. I definitely recommend anyone see this inspiring and fun movie, but keep the younger kids away. Xo.



So today I packed up my bags from Atlanta and chugged on back home to Kentucky :( Sad, sad day. I was so upset about leaving this morning that I decided I'm gonna have to make another trip soon or move all together. I love Kentucky, but living in the same small town for your entire life? That's not getting out and seeing the world. Even if it's just for a couple years, moving away would be so exciting. Atlanta was an awesome place to visit, especially the quaint town of Acworth. There were excellent bars, like Center Street Tavern in downtown Acworth and excellent Cajun cuisine like Henry's Louisiana Grill. It even had some upscale boutique's. I really enjoyed my trip to Acworth and really wish it could have lasted longer. It's only about 25-30 minutes away from Atlanta, so if you're ever around the Atlanta area, I would highly reccommend visiting this small, beautiful town. I tried so many new things there: riding the bull at Electric Cowboy, my first Cajun shrimp meal, and first Sex on the Beach drink;) OK, and I may be a little biased because I have family living there. :) I had an awesome time sitting out on the porch with drinks and just talking. Those are some of the finest times in life. I hope to be back around Acworth sometime soon, again. Xo.

The photo above is from a small Presbyterian Church in Acworth, where scenes from the new Footloose movie was filmed!

Electric Cowboy

So last night was my first taste of night life down in Georgia and it was pretty great. We went out to Electric Cowboy in Kennesaw (where the new Footloose movie was filmed) and they had great drinks and great music! And for the guys, half-naked girls included. Even though it was a Friday, it was their slower night but we still had fun. I highly reccommend this club for anyone how likes country music with a mix of hip-hop, too. If you're ever in the area, it'd be a fun thing to go do on a weekend night. We got there around 8:45 and and then stayed until 12:30. All in all, it was a pretty fun experience that all ages would enjoy. Xo.

Welcome!

Hi everybody! So this is my first post & I'm still not sure how to work all of this, so bear with me. I just celebrated my 19th Birthday last Tuesday and I decided to make it more of a starting point than a milestone. I decided that I was going to make my 19th a whole year dedicated to trying and doing new things. This includes everything from recipes, workouts, traveling, and beyond. I have a serious love for different workouts, cooking, and traveling but never took time to do or see anything new. This is all about to change:) So if you wanna hang out and check out my journey through my 19th year, stick around and you'll hopefully see some exciting things! Also, I give credit to my getting a blog to Dalis Conell from MTV's Teen Mom. Lots of love, XoXo