on a rainy day...

it's chilly, puddles everywhere...

but the leaves are starting to change color

and it's just brisk enough for hot apple cider

i truly cannot get enough of the 

FALL 

Quote of the Day!

"Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, or someone you're afraid to love, or somewhere you're afraid to go. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt because it matters."

-John Green

{via @hathawayhannum}

Sometimes all it takes is reading something so out of this world your left speechless...

PostSecret

...ever heard of it? If not, your in luck because I just happen to love this ongoing project- and hopefully soon you will too!

What is it? 

Post Secret is the name of a continuous community art project. 

How do you participate?

People from all over are invited to create their own 'postcard.' This can be as simple as a photograph, magazine clipping, movie ticket... essentially anything that you can fit a mailing address on. The idea behind the postcard is that the sender is anonymously mailing in a secret, something that he/she has been bottling up, something that he/she has been wanting to tell someone, a part of this persons past or present that they are not proud of, or something they are incredibly proud of. There really are no rules when it comes to what you write, where you write it, or what you write it on- it is just anything and everything that crosses your mind as a message you want to put out there for the public to know, all under a safe anonymous umbrella. 

Who Started this?

This miraculously popular idea started with Frank Warren. 

"The concept of the project was that completely anonymous people decorate a postcard and portray a secret that they had never previously revealed. No restrictions are made on the content of the secret; only that it must be completely truthful and must never have been spoken before"

 Warren felt that by revealing theses secrets to the public, the action is not only meant to be an empowering experience for the author, but in more ways than one can imagine- empowering to those different people who read the secret. Warren claims that;

"the postcards are inspirational to those who read them, have healing powers for those who write them, give hope to people who identify with a stranger's secret, and create an annonymous community of acceptance"

 The project kicked off on January 1, 2005 and has had steadfast participation and involvement ever since. 

The project has been so successful that there have been four books published- a compilation of impacting, surprising, or seemingly normal secrets for those who have not followed the project weekly- to have the opportunity to experience. I personally own both "A Lifetime of Secrets" and "Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives" and they are absolutely incredible. The novelty of owning a book like one of these, is that you can always come back to it, flip through the pages filled with immensely creative and uniquely decorated postcards presenting secrets, in some cases that you might never even be able to fathom. 

I can say that since learning about PostSecret back in high school, I have actually participated in this project, and I have mailed in 1 secret. From my own experience, the most intriguing part of mailing in a secret... is wondering who in the world could be reading it. 

I highly suggest checking out the website www.postsecret.com and checking out some of the newly posted Sunday secrets- you can always check there if your looking to read something new! 

PostSecret has also expanded into having their own twitter handle @postsecret.

If you end up getting hooked like I did, keep an eye out because within the year the project should be releasing an all new PostSecret app!

Do you have any secrets?

Mail one here and your anonymous secret could end up in the next publication!

13345 Copper Ridge Road

Germantown, Maryland 

20874

Quote of the Day!

"imperfection is beauty; madness is genius; and its better to be completely ridiculous than absolutely boring"

-Marilyn Monroe

for the love of peonies

Favorite flowers...do you have one? 

This post is quite obviously more catered towards the female readership, but you guys can definitely take note, because knowing a girls' favorite flower can come up huge if/when you think your inside the 20-yard line... 

For the longest time my favorite flower was the gerber daisy, I can't really put a finger on when I first started loving the gerber daisy. All I know is that for as long as I can remember it has been my favorite! 

My dad is an extraordinarily spontaneous guy, and there are so many times over the years that I can remember him, completely out of the blue- bringing home a bouquet of flowers for my mom, and every now and then on those same nights that he walked in from a day at work with a bouquet for her- there would be a baby bouquet for me. 

They weren't always Gerber's...but any elementary school, middle school, high school, hell every college age girl is going to have a smile spread across her face anytime she receives a bouquet of flowers, but being the daddy's little girl that I am, flowers from dad were always the best "just because" surprise you could get. 

While I'll always love Gerber daisies, lately they have somewhat lost their charm on me.

My new "favorite" is without a doubt, the peony!

Receiving a bouquet of flowers, or even just a couple of flowers, in my opinion is your best bet if you want to make any girl smile :)

Do you have any great stories of romantic gestures all starting with a simple flower?

 I've got some great ones- from a bunch being left on my car, to my front porch, to being surprised with them at work, and every time is just as memorable as the last. 

Do you have a favorite flower? I'd love to hear!

What a Weekend!

As per usual my weekend started bright and early with Saturday morning practice on the Charles River. This weekend, my team raced up and down the Head of the Charles 3 times against ourselves, trying to beat our times clocked from last weekend- and we succeeded! We are making huge gains on a weekly basis, and can't wait to crush the competition at HOCR in less than a month!

As exciting as it was to beat our times, when we got off the water- the excitement was taken to a whole new level when Natalie Dell, bronze medal winner in the Women's Quad from the 2012 London Olympics was at practice awaiting to speak to the team! Towards the end of the summer I posted a blog  about Natalie- and a little bit of her back story, but to meet her- and hear her story in person was absolutely incredible. I stood in the back, covered in goosebumps, tears streaming down my face at times-as I watched all 68 of my teammates sitting in awe listening to this olympian tell us about her journey. It was without a doubt one of the most inspirational moments not only for me, but for Boston College Women's Rowing as a whole, as we are just on the edge of what can and will be our most successful year yet. 

Boston College Women's Rowing 2012/2013 with Natalie Dell, Olympic Bronze Medalist

Natalie Dell, her bronze medal... and me!

Following practice, and Natalie's speech- we all came back to campus and had team breakfast back at school! This was the first "official" team breakfast of the year, as our Freshman/Novice team was just named this week- adding to our large group of returning varsity members to officially top off the roster at 68! Once breakfast was through, the long and tiring practice of racing 3 Head of the Charles pieces began to wear on us- so we snuggled in for a nice nap. The rest of the day was filled with the usual; homework, groceries, and a little bit of lounging around! 

Come night time though-we were ready for some fun. It was a pretty low key night, but one of my favorite parts of Saturday night was getting to finally spend time with some of my best friends. These guys are the best, they're always there for me, and not to mention I always have such a blast whenever we're all together. It's my senior year now, and I can without a doubt say that I am so lucky to have such incredible people in my life. Friendships and relationships, and the people you surround yourself with in life is really all that ever matters when it comes to your own happiness. 

                              

Sunday was a day filled with work, but not your typical reading for class, or writing papers. Sunday I spent the first half of my day applying for jobs . . . OMG can I just say that I can't believe I am actually at the point in my life where I am not just looking for a summer job, this is real life job status we're talking about? CRAZY! It's kind of terrifying, exhilarating, exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time- but I love it! 

 Last but MOST CERTAINLY not least, this girl was in Boston this weekend!! My absolute best friend from home Cate! Cate and I have been friends for what seems like forever, there is no better way to describe our friendship other than to say she is truly my sister. Cate attends Michigan State, however she flew back home this weekend for some less than exciting time spent bouncing from hospital to hospital to see her doctors here. Cate has a condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, she has undergone two surgeries in the past three years to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort associated with TOS- and for a period of time, the pressure and discomfort had subsided to a certain degree. However lately, within the past 1-2 months while she has been back in Michigan, things for a little while there spiraled out of control and the discomfort sparked right back up again. Thankfully, Cate was able to schedule some last minute appointments with her doctors here, and after a weekend of tests she is flying back to Michigan today with what hopefully are some answers that can lead her closer towards a plan where she wont be forced to worry about this on a daily basis. Although I did not get to see Cate this weekend, I wanted to mention it because I am just so proud of the way she is handling what probably has been her most intense year academically, on top of all this TOS business, and managing her social life and friends with such grace. I have known Cate for a long time, and we have experienced things together that even friends who have known each other for decades can't say that they have gone through. She is my rock, and my person- and I will be here for her forever, and I know no matter what she would do the same. So fingers crossed her doctors found some real answers this weekend and she can take this giant weight off her shoulders!

Quote of the Day!

"friendships make the little things in life beautiful"

-unknown

I am so lucky to have such amazing friends in my life.

A little perspective is invaluable. 

Have you heard of...

Blog | The Everygirl

If you haven't, then you should definitely take a second to check it out! 

The Everygirl, manifesto;

"whether she is searching for her dream job or a new city to call home; 

is saving up for a down payment or a trip to Europe;

is learning to cook or speak another language,

she wants little guidance. She wants to be inspired"

This blog is one of my favorites to follow and check in on daily. The blog itself, is just part of a greater project which is the main site- but the information and knowledge you can gain from spending just a few minutes browsing through the different categories- is invaluable. 

ALAINA KACZMARSKI and DANIELLE  MOSS are the two editors who we have the wonder of being able to thank for this artfully designed and thoughtfully informative blog. The two co-editors met through their own individual pursuit of lifestyle blogging. Alaina is the creator of Live Creating Yourself ; and Danielle is the creator of Breakfast at Toast.

I found "The Everygirl" blog, because of my interest, and pursuit of a career in graphic design- and it was through my avid following of 'Live Creating Yourself,' that I meandered my way to "The Everygirl," and consequently... "Breakfast at Toast."

The first thing that I am drawn to by a blog, characteristically are it's aesthetics (hence the name of my own blog.) As most people tend to say, first impressions are everything- and being a girl who is so caught by beautifully pristine design and photography- the look and feel of a blog is what initially grabs my attention. 

Retention however, is a greatly different story! Below you will find links to the variety of main topics featured regularly on The Everygirl.  

In my opinion, the aspect of this particular blog which is in part responsible for it's extraordinary success, is that there

is a little bit of something for everyone!

Blogwatch

Budget Finds

Coffee Talk

Editors Shop

Finance Tip

Giveaways

Job Postings

TEG Updates

The Book Club

This or That

Use Fancy Words

Quote of the Day!

"i swear to you-there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell."

-Whitman

photographs never fail to make me happy :)

what types of things make you smile?

Quote of the Day!

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

- Maya Angelou

Dress Dilema!

Too indecisive for my own good... any opinions on these dress options! I have a few events coming up and am looking for a dress or two!

ASOS happens to be my quick and affordable go to when I'm looking for a dress in a short amount of time, they're are tons and tons of options- and you can sort by practically every option imaginable which makes finding the perfect dress easy.....

Except when you fall in love with more than one! 

I'd love any suggestions, or rankings of these dresses!

1. Forever Unique Bandeau 2. Embellished Waistband 3. Sequin and Floral Bodice

4. Rare Embellished Waist 5. Oasis Red Skater 6. Embellished Bustier Dress

Kate Spade Fall Faves!

I spent a little time online shopping through the Kate Spade store and here are a few of my top picks! 

STRIPED CELINA DRESS :: ALL THE TRIMMINGS IDIOM BANGLE :: POST STREET SONIA CROSS BODY BAG :: FELICE BALLET FLAT

Be sure to check out the Kate Spade blog;

 Behind the Curtain!

Quote of the Day!

"Opportunity is missed by people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

- Thomas Edison

sometimes things fall apart, so they can fall back together the right way

Quote of the Day!

"and this is the wonder thats keeping the starts apart; I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)"

-e.e. cummings

Seasons Ahead!

In the spirit of fall! A few cute ideas for the upcoming seasons!

It's almost cool enough for hot chocolate! A sweet treat, made sweeter by home made marshmallows! Take a 1-2" deep sheet pan and spread approximately 2 containers of cool whip in the pan until it is filled. Make sure it is evenly spread! Place the sheet pan in the freezer and when your ready to serve- cut out any shape of your choice!

Another seasonal snack! All you need: 2 bags of chocolate chips- these can be dark, milk or semi-sweet (whatever you prefer), one bag of Hershey's Kisses, and a bag of Nutterbutter Cookies! First, take the time to unwrap the entire bag of Hershey's Kisses and set them aside in a bowl. You will then need to melt 1/2 of one of the bags of chocolate chips. Once the chocolate is melted, set up your bowl of kisses, a bowl of Nutterbutter Cookies, and the chocolate chips. Start by taking a kiss candy, dip the flat side into the melted chocolate, place a Nutterbutter cookie on the flat side, the melted chocolate will allow for the cookies to stick. Do the same with the chocolate chips- and set the finished product aside on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Continue until all Kisses are used. Then place sheet in the refrigerator to solidify the melted chocolate. 

Looking for a quick and easy fall gift? Follow this recipe to make your own Apple's and Carmel dip set :) Perfect to bring to a dinner party or small get together!

Mummy Jars! Such a cute way to line your stairs, or path for trick or treaters, not to mention a great seasonal decoration!  Here are some tips on how to make this cute Halloween decoration!

Strawberry Mimosas! Replace the orange juice normally found in a mimosa... with strawberry puree. This is not only a delicious drink, but the color is so rich and vibrant it is perfect for December holiday parties and dinners!

Quote of the Day!

"Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing."

-Hunter S. Thompson

A Few Etsy Finds!

1) I Love You From Here to Boston- An adorable wall accent!

2) White Enamel Milk Can- perfect to use as a flower vase!

3) Monogram Tray- One of my favorite ways to display my perfumes!

4) Enamel Bangles- Because you can never have enough bracelets!

5) Gold Brass Necklace- Affordable and unique!

Quote of the Day!

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

- Dr. Seuss

Monochromatic Reds :)

Be sure to see the links for more details!

Southernly Stated / Raspberry Champagne Cupcake / Fruit Rollups

Quote of the day!

"Serendipity: (n.) finding something good without looking for it"

-Good Old Webster

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Honoring those who lost their lives, the family members and friends who miss and think about their lost ones endlessly, and the brave men and women fighting for our freedom and safety relentlessly every day. 

Remembering September 11, 2001

on the 11th Anniversary of the terror attacks...

Always remembered, never forgotten

About a Blogger!

Time for something new! This week I am going to introduce a blogger that I happen to know and love. Introducing to you my best friend Cate, and her incredibly successful blog Catamaran. Cate began her blog during the winter of 2010 and gradually has become more and more popular among the blog world. This past summer Cate, who like myself is from just north of Boston, spent the summer months living in New York City working as the Social Media Intern for J. McLaughlin. 

Be sure to check out Catamaran and get to know Cate a little bit better! 

just because :)

I saw this while scanning through pinterest this morning and couldn't help but think of my two best friends from home <3 

Cate & Nora, what would I do without you two...

sunday am pinterest faves

and your always in my heart, your always in my mind.

Quote of the Day!

"If you love something let it go, if it comes back to you it's yours forever"

-Unknown

spoken to me by one of my truest friends {ewh}

Fashion's Night Out!

"Join editors, stars, models, fashionistas, and designers on September 6, 2012, as they flood stores in cities across the country and around the world for fashion's most iconic extravaganza." 

"Fashion's Night Out (FNO) is an unprecedented global initiative originally created in 2009 to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence and boost the industry's economy during the recession. On Thursday September 6, 2012 in response to overwhelming demand, Fashion's Night Out will return to New York City, and cities around the country, to highlight fashion and support retail with exciting events that include designer appearances, celebrity guests, fashion shows, and musical performances. Purchase items from the 2012 FNO collection and a portion of the proceeds will go to the New York City AIDS Fund in the NY Community Trust. In the united states, the program is a collaboration among American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company, and the City of New York."

If you have any interest in planning your evening tonight around Fashion's Night Out! There are many ways to find out which events you can add to your evenings itinerary! 

1)  Visit, http://fashionsnightout.com and view the "Event Listings." The site will ask for you to specify your location via city or state, and will then reveal the wide variety of shops and locations around your city which are hosting Fashion's Night Out events! You can even create a list of events you want to attend at some point during your night out that is available to be printed! Events can be filtered by neighborhood, category, or specialty.

2) Check out the Fashion's Night Out Facebook Page for any new updates and information!

3) Follow @FNOnyc on Twitter for live updates from the single largest shopping event of the year!

Other information available to you via the FNO website; event listings, collection, and retailer/designer information.

If you choose to partake in Fashion's Night Out, be sure to snap a few pictures and instagram your shots and tag the post with, #FNO for your chance to be featured on FNO Live!

Quote of the Day!

"Sometimes letting go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on"

- Eckhart Tolle

It all starts with just one idea...

Another brilliant idea brought about through the power of rowing, more reasons why I love my sport. 

Check out the November Project Website for more information, or check out their Facebook Page.

Scroll through the blog to see what kinds of workouts they've done and the 150+ bostonians participating!

If your interested in being one of them, follow their twitter to get exact meeting times and locations, as they change on a weekly basis.

My brother, my best friend

Can't believe Drew will be graduating high school this year, and I will be graduating college.

I wouldn't trade the relationship I have with my brother for the world, through thick and thin we've been through it all together. I can count on my brother for any and everything and I am so thankful to have him as my brother. He might be bigger than me now, but he will always be my baby brother. 

Crazy how time flies...

Music on My Mind; Luke Bryan "Do I"

Mini Fashion Bio of the Month: Thomas Carlile Ford

:inspired by the "Quote of the Day"

Name: Tom Ford

Occupation: Fashion Designer, Film Maker

Education: Bard College, Parson's School of Design

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Tom Ford is an American fashion designer and film director. He grew up mostly in Santa Fe. At the age of 17, he found his way to New York and fell in love with the environment. After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1985, he went on to work the fast paced fashion industry. He is most well known for turning around the Gucci fashion house and creating his own label.

Tom Ford Website

...for a more comprehensive biography please visit this page! 

Quote of the Day!

"So I realized, fashion was balancing art and commerce- and that was it."

-Tom Ford

Last First Day of School Tomorrow?

Where did the time go?

Freshman Year

University of Alabama 2009/2010

Sophomore Year

University of Alabama 2010/2011

Junior Year

Boston College 2011/2012

Can't wait to see what....

SENIOR YEAR

BOSTON COLLEGE 2012/2013

has in store!