Dorm Diaries //Freshman Year Bucket List

18 days till I'm BC bound! ❤

 1. Attend college
2. Meet 10 new people & continue to be friends with them
3. Take at least 1,000 pictures
4. Get an A on a test
5. Dance in the rain
6. Stay up for 24 hours
7. Join a club
8. Go to at least 5+ football games and other sports
9. Stay organized
10. Stick to a prayer schedule
11. Avoid the Freshman 15
12. Go on a road trip
13. Lose 20 lbs
14. Surprise someone
15. Spend a whole day sleeping (I don't think this will happen)
16. Have someone come visit me
17. Explore all the buildings on campus
18. Go to office hours!
19. Participate in big campus events
20. Take an early morning walk on a Saturday morning
21. Make friends with a foreign exchange student
22. Don't procrastinate
23. Visit the rec center 3x a week
24. Have a picnic
25. Participate in a campus wide tradition
26. Stay classy
27. Learn a another language (Take Italian while studying abroad in Florence)
28. Pass all my classes
29. Grow even deeper in my Catholic faith and relationship with Christ.
30. Have a girl's night in
31. Don't give up
32. Thank those who normally don't get the gratitude
33. Call Mom & Dad ♥
34. Blog.Blog.Blog
35. Go to Adoration frequently and daily Mass
36. Spend time in the library
37. Consider "study abroad"
38. Send a letter to a random person
39. Live in a dorm
40. Remember why I am at school
41. Write a letter to myself and save it for Senior year
42. Leave notes in library books
43. Participate in residence hall events
44. Thank a professor
45. Keep room clean
46. Attend a "theme" party
47. Make a difference
48. Receive a care package from Mom
49. Vote in student government elections
50. Chalk dye my hair red for game day
51. Have a  picnic on the football field in the off-season
52. Have lunch with my favorite professor
53. Donate blood
54. Make friends with one person in each class
55. Take a selfie with the mascot (Rocky the Raven)
56. Attend concerts that take place on campus
57. Try to challenge myself daily so that I may become the best version of myself
 

How I Edit My Insta Photos

Before I even take the picture and start editing it, the most important step to the perfect picture is LIGHTING. You want to make sure there is enough light in the picture, that way the editing is easier AND you get a consistent Insta theme. Thumbs up for an "on-fleek" Insta. Hehe, sorry I had to say that. ;) Okay now on to the editing steps. I use an app called Afterlight for ALL my editing. I believe it's 99 cents.

 Step 1 || Saturation. I usually turn the saturation up a tad to make the photo look a little more alive.

Step 2 || Brightness. Love this part! I will almost all the time do it to 100% and sometimes a tad more. I like my pics bright and fresh looking.

Step 3 || Sharpening. This is an important step if you want you pictures looking clean and fresh. It will do exactly as it says, sharpen the picture surface.

Step 4 || Light clouds. This (like all the others steps) is super important to getting that bright fresh look to your photos. I always use filter #4 & 12 on my photos. Adjust it to whatever softness you want.

Step 5 || White frame. The last step that in my opinion will enhance your already bright and fresh photo is adding a white frame. You don't even have to leave the app because Afterlight has that ability as well. Pretty snazzy I know!

Okay so those are the steps I do all the time for my Insta feed. I hope you enjoyed getting to know the secrets to my feed. Just kidding there's not really any secrets. ;)

Summer Whites + Floral

Happy Summer!
Since I just got my first pair of white jeans I had to do a fashion post showing them off. ;) They are SOO soft and comfortable, seriously who knew they could be so comfy. Needless to say I love them. They are perfect for the warm summer weather and are really fun to come up with different ways of styling them.

Jeans // NYDJ

Blouse // Lauren Conrad

Flats // old

Watch // Amazon

Belt // from another dress

Black sunnies // Charming Charlies

Aviators // Amazon

Lip Stain // Revlon in Just Bitten Kissing

Preppy Girl Tag

What's your definition of preppy? Classy, put together, and mature!
What's your all time favorite brand? J.Crew! Though I rarely own any J.Crew pieces. Kate Spade is another brand that I adore! 
What is your favorite Lilly print? Lets Cha Cha and First Impression

Favorite preppy YouTuber? Sarahbelle93x, of course! I first learned of the "preppy lifestyle" from her! Also I adore Brooke Miccio! 
Jack Rogers or Sperrys? I don't own either BUT I would have to choose Jack Rogers. 
Jeans or Khakis? Jeans for sure. I just got myself a pair of white jeans.
Duck Boots, Riding Boots or Hunters? Ah it's so hard to choose! I'm just going to list them in order of my favorites. First is Hunters, Riding Boots, finally Duck Boots. 
Navy or Black? I'm honestly not much of a navy girl. I think black is much more classier.

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love J.Crew? Umm like 11!!!
Favorite Ralph Lauren clothing item? I actually don't own anything from RL, but I guess the Oxford shirts are my favorite.

Pearls or bows? Pearls all the way! I love wearing pearls with everything, from dresses to exercise clothes. 

I would love to see some of you do this, so I'm going to tag a few people!

Shannon - Prep Avenue

Mandy - The Quirky Conservative

Emily - Miss Emily Prep

Sophia - California Belle

Samantha - Preptista

Maggie - MaggieRoyce

Katie - Chic in Carolina

Caroline - Caroline Grace Prep

Cathleen - Classy Cathleen 

Gracie - Gracie In Prep

10 Tips to Being a More Confident Person

1 // Stop comparing
The first step to being more self confident is to stop comparing your hair, you clothes, your weight, your smile, e v e r y t h i n g! I know this is very difficult to do because lets be honest, everybody does it, I do it to. You can have fashion inspirations and role models, but that's just what they are, inspiration and role models. You now have to go out and be who you are created to be and to stop trying to be a copy of someone else. The only way to stand out is to be uniquely YOU!

2 // Stay positive
It is so easy to get down and be stressed out over anything and everything. But remember that you aren't given anything you can't handle. Find your inspiration. Find that something that gets you motivated and makes you happy. Maybe it's an upbeat jam or your best friend. Maybe it's surfing Pinterest for inspiring quotes or watching that video on Youtube that makes you think, "Wait, why am I wasting time and my life siting here worrying and sulking about petty things when I could be out there making my life count and changing someone else life in the process. Every time you wake up in the morning you have the choice to make that day a positive one. Don't wake up thinking oh it's Monday and I gotta go to school and it's just going to be horrible. Of course your day is going to stink when you start thinking that. Instead, start waking up thinking that if today was your last day on earth what would you do. I highly doubt you would be complaining that it's Monday and you have that test today and have to babysit your brother later. You automatically start living out what you keep telling your brain. So let's fill our brain with uplifting positive thoughts. It will not only help you be more positive but also send positive vibes to those around you. 

3 // Don't let others define your happiness
 You can't let others create you. You are who you are so let yourself blossom. Don't go changing yourself just because somebody else doesn't think your good enough. You ARE good enough! You have been created with such infinite love that you couldn't possibly be anything but B E A U T I F U L. If those people can't see that unique beauty inside you then they don't deserve to be your friend. You deserve so much in life and in people. So do something for yourself and don't settle in friendships. You will find that group of friends that accepts you with your quirkiness and everything.

4 // Surround yourself with positive people
If you want happiness and positivity in your life then let those negative friendships go. Yes it might be hard but in the it is whats better for your peace of mind and soul. You deserve so much more than jealousy and negativity. Look for friendships that you can lift each other up, draw inspiration from, and feed off each others encouragement. You deserve to be surrounded with people that have your best interest at heart and have your back in the good and the bad. And realize that you might not know who your friends are until you hit that think and thin period.   You are who you surround yourself with. Surround yourself with positive people and you'll be a positive person.

5 // Dream B I G
It's so healthy to dream and dream big. Step outside yourself and realize there is more out there than what may seem possible. Whether it be a small goal of waking up at 7AM for two weeks to studying abroad for three weeks. Make a 5 year plan for your top 3 goals. Seeing what you want to have completed in 5 years will make you motivated and force you to start thinking of what is truly important to you. So what are you waiting for, go create that bucket list!

6 // Dress to impress
Putting a little effort into your makeup and outfit can do a world of good for your self confidence. When we put some effort into the way we look we begin to respect ourselves and feel motivated to get things done. Being fashionably put together shows others that we respect not only ourself but others as well. Give a girl a pair of heels and she can conquer the world!

7 // Do something that makes you happy
Sometimes we just need some good old-fashioned me time. This isn't being selfish, sometimes we just need to take some time to regroup and work on ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. In order for you to love yourself and be truly confident in who you are, you have to first find some happiness. Go get your nails done or go on a picnic by yourself. Get a new haircut or maybe some highlights. Do something for you.  

8 // Know who you are
In order to be happy and confident you have to know everything about yourself. Start trying to daily journal. By doing this you are staying in tuned to your feelings and what is going on day to day. You are able to reflect on what made you happy that day and what triggered some irritable feelings. Learn to figure out your limits. How far can you push yourself. You would be surprised on how tough you really are. Be purposeful in your decisions and understand why you are doing something.

9 // Carry yourself with dignity
People will treat you differently when they see you mean business. Sometimes people may not really accept you because they are intimidated by your confidence and dignity. But don't let that change who you are just because they are on a different level. Being confident is different then trying to be a cocky diva. Don't try to hard to be confident because then you could come off as conceded. 

10 //Understand the beauty you posses 
Beauty is so much more than curly hair and white teeth. Beauty first starts on the inside and shines through for everyone to see. The most beautiful people are the ones who make others feel beautiful. Because they understand that beauty involves all areas of our lives not just the ones we choose for others to see. Beauty is a combination of faith, intellect, the joy we posses, and what our life mission is. You have the choice and opportunity to be truly radiant. Inner beauty lasts for longer that external temporary beauty.

"Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud."