Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones!  My family and I had a very nice Christmas Eve, complete with a candlelight service at our church, as well as a fun yet relaxing Christmas Day.

Wishing you all a continued joyful Christmas and holiday season.  Let's not forget that Jesus is the true reason for the season!  Without Him, we are nothing.

Xoxo!

Christmas & Winter Bucket List

If you haven't noticed, I am quite eager about Christmas break!  I've been thinking of so many fun things I want to do, and decided I would share my list with y'all!  I have completed a few things on my list already, but who knows, maybe I'll get to do them again! 

Christmas & Winter Bucket List

*The cute graphics are from Evelyn Henson!

What's on your list?! I will keep y'all posted on whether or not I complete my list!

Enjoy today, xo!

Finals Week

Finals week is here! I put together a list of some tips that might help you succeed this week:



1. Pray - God cares about you fully, and he cares about every single detail of you life, including your exam week! Pray and ask God to help you and calm your stress, and you will be glad you did!

2. Organize - I personally don't get anything done unless I organize everything.  Organize what you need to study and the process is bound to go much easier!

3. Eliminate distractions - Yes, this could even mean leaving your phone at home when you go to the library!  It's so easy for me to get distracted by social media, Pinterest, and Netflix, but when you're able to focus you'll feel much more accomplished!

4. Take breaks - If you think you don't have time for a break, make time.  You deserve it!  Whether your idea of a break is getting coffee, taking a nap, or even making a quick trip to the mall, you'll find that when you return to studying that your brain is refreshed and ready to go again!

5. Workout & Eat healthy - This makes such a difference, especially in the way you feel.  Unhealthy food and an inconsistent workout schedule make me feel bogged down and even affects my mood.  It's crucial to feel your best during finals week so you can do your best!

6. Do your best - This may be an obvious one, but it's important to put in some effort and try hard.  Remember this verse:

7. Relax - Finals week can be stressful if you let it be, but relax! It's not the end of the world if you don't ace an exam.  There are much more important things in life.

I hope these tips help & good luck on your finals!
Xo,

Christmas Cheer

I can not wait for finals week to be over so I don't have to be distracted from the Christmas season by school any longer! Half way kidding, but I really am excited for Christmas break.  I've been loving being able to hang out with friends lately and get to do some fun holiday activities, such as ice skating, drinking Starbucks' holiday drinks, and looking at Christmas lights, but I thought I would put together a list of even more things to do to help anyone who needs a little boost of Christmas Spirit! 

How to get into the Christmas Spirit

source

1) Many parks put up beautiful Christmas light displays & it'd be a shame not to make a point to look at them.  Grab your friends and make it a night full of fun!

2) I absolutely love Hallmark movies, and they have the BEST ones at Christmas time!  Although they may be somewhat predictive, they're still absolutely adorable.

3) Starbucks. Peppermint. Mocha. My favorite holiday drink!  Or the gingerbread latte - yumm!  It's my goal try all of the drinks on the holiday menu at least once this season.

4) Decorating is a simple way to get in the Christmassy mood! Tis the season for trees, ornaments, lights, glitter, and all things red and green!  

5) Holiday baking is my favorite and there are so many wonderful recipes out there - don't be afraid to stick to your old favorites but also have fun and try something new!

6) Christmas caroling can be intimidating maybe, but also super fun.  As buddy the elf says, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" 

7) Tis the season for giving and caring, donating a Christmas gift to someone is bound to cheer them up and bring you cheer too!

8) Pick out your favorite wrapping paper, find some glittering ribbon, and get wrapping! Turn on some Christmas music too and you're bound to get into the Christmas spirit!

9) Planning parties is so fun - my grammy and I absolutely adore throwing themed Christmas parties! This year we're planning an "Elegant Seaside Christmas," and we couldn't be more excited!

I hope these tips help bring you some Christmas cheer!  

Xo,

Winter Nail Colors

It's difficult for me to want any color other than pink on my nails - whether light pink, dark pink, bright pink, glittery pink, or any shade of pink in between!  But now that the holiday is upon us, I'm trying to broaden my horizons and try some new colors!  Currently my nails are painted a cheery Christmassy red color.  Here are some of the other colors I think would be perfect for the season:

Double Breasted Jacket | Virgin Snow | Private Weekend | Rock at the Top | Pretty Edgy

All of these Essie colors are so fun and festive! You could even add a accent nail (or party nail, as I like to call it) with the gold glitter, while using a solid color on the other nails.  The opportunities are endless, really! 

Enjoy today! Xo,

Holiday Baking List

December is here and I could not be more excited for the Christmas season! I absolutely love this time of year, and one of many, many reasons I enjoy it so much is because holiday baking! Can you say peppermint everything?!  I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to Christmas and winter so I can pin ideas all year long.  I do admit, almost half of the board is full of sugary baked goods.  Here are some of the treats I can not wait to make soon:

Peppermint Puppy Chow

I am already planning on making this for a Christmas party that I have next week.  I told my friends about it and they're looking forward to me making it too!

Gingerbread Reindeer & Santa Cookies

I can not get over how cute these are!!!! I love the pink noses that both the reindeer and santa share, and the gold antlers are so precious (not to mention the cute eyelashes, too!)  I might have to order some new cookie cutters just to make these cookies!

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

While some people do not like eggnog, I happen to really enjoy it.  That's probably why I think these eggnog snickerdoodles sound perfect!  Snickerdoodle cookies are so easy to make anyways, and there are so many seasonal variations - such as pumpkin snickerdoodles which I made this past fall (they were delicious!!!)

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

I can just imagine how yummy this must be! My best friend and I love making homemade hot chocolate - we will have to put this recipe on our list.  Would go perfectly with a Hallmark Christmas movie!

Let me know if you have any other yummy holiday baking ideas!

Xo, happy December,

Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!

I hope you have enjoyed today as much as I have.  After a fun day full of family, food, and fun times, currently I am curled up on the couch with hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course!) watching a Hallmark Christmas movie!  I  love Thanksgiving day, but giving thanks is something to do every single day.  There is so much to be thankful for, God has blessed us immensely, and especially by giving us Jesus Christ through whom we are given love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and the gift of salvation.  Let's raise our hands in thanksgiving to the One who deserves all the praise and glory!  

Love you all! Xo,

Monogram Cupcake Toppers

How cute are these monogram cupcake/muffin toppers from United Monograms?!

First of all, thank y'all so much to all of those who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! I had such an enjoyable day, full of love and encouragement from all those around me.  I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!  

My mom and grammy surprised me yesterday morning with flowers and delicious muffins with my monogram on them! I can not get over how cute the monogram toppers are.  I definetly plan to make some cupcakes this weekend just to use them again!!!  

Xo, thanks again for the birthday wishes!!

Monday Motivation

Today I want to share some quotes that I recently added to my "Inspiration" board on my Pinterest!  I love what these say, and how they make me feel!  Also, they're definitely pretty enough to be a great phone background or lock screen.  

It's as simple as that | source

And of course we always want to be fashionable, right? | source

 All you have to do is believe | source

For when you need some patience | source

And lastly, when you're about ready to throw in the towel and be done with the semester, just remember that you're almost there, you can do it, and:

source

Enjoy today! Xo, 

How to...

As the semester is dwindling, it seems to be getting more difficult to stay motivated.  Everything seems to start piling up and due dates and exams are likely going to hit hard within the next few weeks!  It can be easy to want to give up and become complacent with mediocre work and grades, but Colossians 3:23 tells us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  We are called to do our best as if we are doing it for God!  I thought I try would put together a list that helps me stay on track, complete everything to my best ability, and keeps me sane as well!

1. Stay Organized

I usually write down to-do lists, assignments, and upcoming deadlines in my assignment book, on a pad of paper, and also on a piece of notebook paper!  It helps me to know what I need to do, as well as prioritize the importance of each task.  It is probably embarrassing how much satisfaction I get when I complete something and get to cross it off my list!  Another great way to stay organized is to color code everything (which makes everything prettier too)!  I use a different color of pen for each subject, meeting, and other tasks I need to complete (such as workout, run errands, etc.)

2. Workout

Working out gives you energy and helps you feel accomplished, which can give you an extra push to get other tasks done.  It can also help you focus and put you in a happier mood to!  If you're feeling boggled down with school and homework, I suggest taking a break to workout.  I promise you'll feel better and ready to conquer your next assignment!

3.  Do or Plan Something Fun

It's so important to take breaks every once in a while.  Go grab coffee with a friend, get a mani/pedi, treat yourself to some ice cream!!!  Or even plan something to look forward to - such as a shopping trip, a weekend getaway, or a fun girls night.  Doing or planing a fun activity can help put everything into perspective and help you realize that there is so much of life to enjoy.

4.  Keep the End in Sight

The semester is almost over and then we have a nice long Christmas break!  We are so close y'all, keep going and keep working hard!!  I can't wait for all the holiday baking and cozy nights of drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies.  Looking forward to a nice break can help keep you motivated and working hard.  You'll know you earned the relaxation if you keep doing your best!

Enjoy today!  Xo,

Weekend Fun

This weekend was full of fun! My mom came to visit me on Friday night and Saturday for Girl's Weekend with my sorority.  We went out to eat, got pedicures, and went shopping (of course!)  I always love hanging out with her and am thankful that we have such a good relationship!

On Saturday night I went to semiformal with my big, after we had a delicious supper of sushi. I can't even explain how much fun and how much laughter too place!  I usually don't wear outfits that don't include pink (haha) but I loved this dress from J. Crew!  I paired it with wedges and pearls and went for a pretty red color of lipstick!  It was so good to see friends and catch up.  Needless to say, not much homework got done this past weekend!

I don't know about y'all but I can not wait for Thanksgiving break ~ it's coming up so soon.  Power through these next couple weeks, and then we get to relax and have good family time for a whole week! 

Xo, 

Lilly New Arrivals

If you have the Lilly Pulitzer planner, you would have been informed that new arrivals came out today! And if you're anything like me, you checked the Lilly website as soon as you woke up this morning.

Here are some of my favorite new arrival items!! (Links at bottom of post!)

I think I love this bangle mostly because it in Pink First Impressions, which is my absolute favorite print.

This vest would be so perfect for fall, winter, and even early spring! The inside pattern is so cute too. I've been wanting a pink vest for a while now, so this might be on my Christmas list! 

How. Cute. Are. These. Pants?! I can foresee myself wearing them everywhere! They'd definitely brighten up any outfit and every day!

This print is so cute! I don't have a popover yet and have been waiting for a print that I would be able to wear every season.. This one might just be the one!

Bangle | Vest | Ankle Pants | Popover

Let me know some of your favorites!

Xo,

My favorite month!

It's NOVEMBER and I could not be more excited.  Is it just me or did October seem to fly by? I can not believe how fast this semester and year is going... November is my absolute favorite!  It is such a great month that includes my birthday, thanksgiving, FOOD, thanksgiving vacation, FOOD, and lots of time with family!  I am so excited for all the fun and blessings this month will bring.

Thankful!

P.S. Here is a picture of some fun cupcakes I made this weekend!

Xo, Roxanne