A Glimpse of Heaven

Have you ever stopped and thought about what happens next? What happens after this life on earth? Death, heaven, reincarnation, elsewhere...? Where do we go? Who do we become?

Every once in a while, I feel I catch a glimpse of heaven in the sunset...

On my way home from volunteering tonight, I saw this beautiful sunset and caught a picture of it. Something in me feels that there is something more behind this sunset than gravity and the laws of the universe. I feel like I see a glimpse of heaven...

#1 In my heaven, I would curl up with this super comfy IKEA blanket (it actually is my favorite blanket) with a cup of coffee and books. I love whip cream, so I would put some on my cup of coffee or my hot chocolate. I am in love with Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate. Oprah released the recipe: check it out! It is sooooo delicious and just perfect for a comfy night in.

#2 I only pictured 2 books, but I have three books on my heaven book list:

1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - a classic Mitch Albom novel about the people who teach you life lessons in heaven. This is a tear-jerker that will pull at your heartstrings, and make sure you check out the movie!
2. Life's Golden Ticket - one of my favorite non non-fiction novels (BTW: a non non-fiction novel is a novel that deals with real life non-fiction advice in the form of a fiction novel). It is an amazing must-read novel about second chances and the circus.
3. Elsewhere - probably my favorite books as a teen about what happens after life. A teen girl dies and goes to Elsewhere, in which the author tells an interesting, unique, and witty depiction about heaven and life after death.

#3

(Peace T-Shirt, Leggings, Face Scrub, Nail Polish, Slippers)

Comfy, comfy, comfy clothes are my ultimate favorite things to wear after a long, stressful, and tiring day/week. I love to unwind in leggings and a comfy tee. To have a relaxing and cozy night pull your hair up in a cute top knot, wash your face with this awesome face exfoliating scrub, and paint your nails with this cool mint color (Essie's Mint Candy Apple). After you throw on fuzzy sock slippers, your night will be complete.

Take a break every once in a while - you deserve it :)

P.S. Play some soft, calming music. My favorites: Jack Johnson, Amos Lee, Colbie Caillat, Adele, Mumford & Sons, The Script, Florence & The Machine, Fitz & The Tantrums, and The Goo Goo Dolls.

Friday I'm In Love

Oh the joys of Friday! Cheers to the freaking weekend!

To celebrate the weekend and end of summer (it is labor day weekend, after all), I compiled my favorites of coffee, books, and clothes from the summer. Take a look...

1) Mmmm.... I love summer coffee. Blended drinks are by far one of my favorite coffee drinks and I love the caramel flavor :) I also love iced coffee (it tastes so good on a hot day) and I added smoothies, because they are soooo delicious.

2) Summer reading has come to an end :( No more reading, while soaking up the sun. But, here's some of the books I read this summer...

Harry Potter series - a classic favorite of mine that I had to reread this summer, for the last movie came out

The Beautiful & the Damned - a book I had been wanting to read, and I finally got around to it during the summer

Things Fall Apart - a sad, classic novel that I read for school

Sophie's World - this *required* novel for school was equally philosophically intriguing and confusing

Flipped - one of my favorite books in middle school that I wanted to reread this summer (see the movie too!)

Something Like Fate - it wouldn't be summer, without a little teen romance novel... :)

Whatever Happened to Goodbye - ah yes, Sarah Dessen, a guilty pleasure of mine (see this post)

Wuthering Heights - a novel I have always wanted to read, and finally got the chance to this summer for school summer reading

3) Check out my favorite pieces from summer...

1. Jean shorts... enough said

2. I wear cute sundresses all summer long

3. Neon nail polish is really in right now, and I love these two shades

4. Another cute dress, perfect for a summer night out

5. Tees - a summer basic

6. This cute tank is easy and cute to throw on with some shorts

7. Another cute printed tank

8. It wouldn't be summer without flip flops, but these flip flops are extra cute and meaningful to me. These are J*Flops, a brand my cousin started and is currently running. J*Flops are extremely adorable flip flops, and get this, there are wedding flip flops! I'm serious - they're so cute and perfect when you're heels are hurting your feet at a wedding. So hop on over to J*Flops to take a look at the fabulously fun flip flops!

9. A cute braided belt to wear with shorts or a sundress

10. Classic aviator sunglasses

11. A cute, colorful pair of shorts

I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend and bask in the last few days of summer goodness :)

P.S. The title of this post is the name of a great song by The Cure (an amazing oldie band).

Autumn Anticipation

The clock is ticking... Days are being crossed off calendars... The air is clouded with anticipation and fear... School is about to start.

Unfortunately, the summer days are coming to a close. Though autumn brings new class schedules and the end of a stress-free and careless era, it also brings my favorite season.

I love everything about fall: the colors of the leaves on the trees, the sound of pencil writing on paper, the smell of books being cracked open, the dark autumn hues, tights being worn under skirts and dresses, new shoes, candy corn, the smell of cold and crisp air, Fashion Week, and hot coffee in cute thermoses.

1) I love drinking a hot cup of coffee on a cool fall day. Red, yellow, green, purple, and orange leaves fall around me, and I click my brand new Me Too nude patent leather flats together. My fall drink: fresh roasted coffee, from the local natural foods store, with 1 tablespoon of creamer. Classic, a little boring, but strong enough to keep me awake for classes and get my homework done so I can watch NBC's fall line-up! Just because my coffee is boring, doesn't mean my thermos has to be. Check out my brand new back-to-school coffee travel mug.

I lovelovelove Curly Girl Designs. They are whimsically cute and come in everything - mugs, calendars, ornaments, clothes, cards, and more!

2) As summer season comes to a close, so does the fluffy, chick-lit beach reads that every girl totes around in an oversized beach bag. Fall brings serious reads with actual literary meaning. Sooo... I haven't gotten around to get a jump start on my fall reading (college apps take priority!), but here's a list of books that are on my fall reading list that I pinky-swear promise to read and review:

Started Early, Took My Dog - I've always loved mystery novels, but haven't really read many. This novel looks like a good mystery novel for adults, with an intriguing plot line, leaving me wanting to know more

Unfamiliar Fishes - I am a big fan of Sarah Vowell. Though she's not that well-known (except for The Incredibles - she played Violet), her writing is phenomenal. Vowell is a history buff, like me, and this novel is about the Americanization of Hawaii.

The Age of Innocence - A classic novel that is sitting on my shelf... Yeah, I should get started on it. I seriously do want to read it. It is one of Edith Wharton's most famous novels about the privilege, elite society set in the 1920's in New York City.

The Help - This book is literally sitting next to me on my nightstand, while I type this post. I bought it at Costco after hearing raving reviews from everyone, but I haven't started it yet. The movie just came out with Emma Stone and I really want to see that, but I want to read the book first, so maybe that will get my butt into reading-gear.

Room - This book is like the fiction version of Jaycee Dugard's story. I decided I could possibly read this one first, because her novel seemed too intense for me (I get reaallly into novels and I would probably be sobbing throughout A Stolen Life).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I know that everyone and their mom has read Stieg Larsson's trilogy, but I'm not sure if I would like it or not. I'm going to read it though, to give everything a fair chance.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - I started tearing up just reading the review about this novel. It's about an African boy solider from Sierra-Leone who tells his tragic and heartbreaking story about war and what it's like to fight as a kid.

Alice Bliss - This is a coming-of-age novel about a girl who grows up while her Dad is fighting in Iraq. A newer novel I came upon at Barnes & Noble, but I am anxious to start reading it.

Turn of Mind - This a newer release novel about a murder of a woman's best friend and her Alzheimer's disease, preventing her from remembering the truth about the murder. This is dear to my heart, because my grandmother has Alzheimer's, so I definitely want to read this soon.

The Hunger Games - Yes, I know, I think it's just another Twilight-esque fad that will soon fade away, collecting dusts on millions of teenage girls' bookshelves. But, I think that (just like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) I must give it a chance. Though, making kids fight against each other for survival sounds barbaric, disgusting, and sickening to me (I hated Lord of the Flies).

Check out The Staff Recommends for great book reads!

3) FALL FASHION IS HERE! I seriously cannot wait any longer to put on my favorite jeans, a sweater, and my UGG boots and be able to walk outside without feeling like I am going to die of overheating. So, today I did 3 things: I raided J. Crew's catalog and website - check out my fave fall pieces, I found my favorite fall hues in Essie nail polish, and I picked a few trends that I want to try this year.

Sooo... I'm basically obsessed with J. Crew... I really love everything in their store, except the prices. Those make it really hard for me to walk out of the store with more than 3 items. Anyways, I love the leather hobo bag, navy blue trench coat, plaid blouse and navy skirt, mustard cardigan (something I've been wanting to try for a long time), leopard print scarf (I'm actually freakishly obsessed with leopard print), tortoise glasses (even though I don't wear glasses), and chiffon dress.

My favorite Essie fall nail polish colors are (from left to right): Luxedo, Going Incognito, Alligator Purse, and Midnight Cami.

Above are a few fall trends that I want to try, but I'm a little bit apprehensive on how they will look on me.

I want to wear plum and mustard colored tights under a black skirt.

I want to wear tights under shorts and knee-high socks (it looks adorable on Blair Waldorf and Serena Van der Woodsen).

I want to try that cute black lace dress from Forever 21 for a night out with friends.

I want to wear skirts more often, like the green chiffon one ($10!) and the burgundy corduroy skirt.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!