My Summer Journaling Inspiration

*warning: this post may be very sentimental and cheesy*

As another school year comes to a close, I can't help but reflect back on how much I've grown this year - within my friendships, as a student, and through the discovery of who I am right now and who I want to be in the future. I am so blessed and I could not be more grateful for the constant support I received from my friends, family, and teachers. I truly believe that this was one of the best years of my life! That's not to say I was completely free of struggles - I just learned different ways of handling them. Looking back, it would have been nice to have something to look through and read to inspire me when I was feeling lost or stressed.  

That's why this summer, I plan to document one piece of inspiration every night - be it a quote, lyric, or thought to remember - that I can look through in the future. I can't wait to have an amazing summer hanging out with friends and traveling all over the world. As I look forward to next year, it will be nice to be able to remind myself of these experiences that I hope to embody with this journal.

Months ago, I received this journal in the mail for my birthday from my amazing best friend Stephanie (check out her website/blog at http://pinkdjewelry.com/), and I knew right away I wanted to use it for something special, I just couldn't decide on what to write at the time. When I decided to journal this summer, I realized that this would be the perfect use for it! I can't wait to see what inspiration I come up with by the end of the summer, and it will be great having a reminder of my best friend with me throughout all my travels!

How do you plan on documenting your summer experiences?  

xo, Sarah :)

Lipstick I'm Loving: Maybelline ColorSensational Vivid in "Shocking Coral"

 Hello beauties!

Memorial Day Weekend for me always highlights the kick-off to summer. It marks the beginning of fun-filled days of relaxing in the sunshine with friends and family! It's also my favorite season for clothes and fashion - I LOVE wearing bright colors and prints, rocking white dresses, and taking more risks in my make-up!

I've always been more of a conservative lipstick wearer, usually sticking to my staple light pinks and nudes while experimenting with color more on my eyes. However, when Maybelline released their new "ColorSensational Vivid" line, I couldn't resist trying out one of their beautifully pigmented and bright lipsticks perfect for summer.

The color I decided to try was "Shocking Coral" and from the moment I put it on, I knew it was my new favorite for summer! At first, I was shocked (get it? haha) by how bright and pigmented it was - the name "vivid" wasn't kidding! Being so fair, I usually don't like to wear colors that are so bright, but I found this lipstick to be very wearable. It may be a bit too bright for daytime classes or work, but it is perfect for a night out or formal event this season!

The formulation is also surprisingly very nourishing - it includes honey nectar as one of its ingredients! Because it is a lipstick, I wouldn't say it's "moisturizing" per say, but I loved how it prevented my lips from drying out like many other lipsticks I've tried. The honey nectar also helps add a hint of a sweet scent, which I loved!

The staying power is kind of what you would expect from a drugstore lipstick. Although I loved how perfect this lipstick looked with my dress and makeup look when I wore it on my prom night, I did have to reapply it. It did keep a bit of pigmentation throughout the night, but I reapplied it after eating and at other times during the night. 

      

                       

                         "Shocking Coral," with flash                            "Shocking Coral," without flash

As with any other coral color, it is really difficult to capture on camera its true color. I have included two comparisons with both flash and without flash, but I'd definitely say that it's best representation is in the picture that I included above - from my prom night! :) 

       

                      "Shocking Coral," with flash                                   "Shocking Coral," without flash

Overall, this is one of my favorite products I've bought recently. It's DEFINITELY worth the price at most drugstores (around $5-$7)! I can't wait to try it in other colors! Which color do you want to try? 

Trend I'm Loving: Statement Necklaces!

If there's one fashion trend I've noticed recently, it's definitely the statement necklace trend. They're literally EVERYWHERE and I couldn't be more excited! 

As someone who has always been a big fan conservative and understated jewelry, I wasn't taken by this trend at first. However, when I was shopping with my sister for one of her sorority events, I instantly fell in love! And the best part of this trend? They come in any style/color/shape/price range you could ask for. I personally prefer buying fun and funky jewelry at more inexpensive stores just because I don't tend to wear them on a regular basis, but obviously that it is a matter of personal choice. I love how statement necklaces allow me to be colorful and bold, like my favorite necklace shown above from Forever 21 (around $12)! 

However, when wearing such a statement piece, it's important to remember that less really is more. The necklace should be the central focus of the outfit, so other accessories and outfit pieces should be kept relatively simple (especially avoid large earrings - they can be extremely distracting). I wore this necklace on New Years Eve with a black peplum blouse, darkwash jeans, a simple chain bracelet, gold stud earrings, and gold ballet flats, and this was the perfect combination to feature such a statement piece. 

Looking towards the spring, I have noticed tons of styles for statement necklaces, especially in bright, neon colors. Will you try out this fun trend?

P.S. Check out my Instagram Page :) @SarahLindsey1

How I stay organized: My Lilly Pulitzer Agenda!

Hey there beauties! A few years ago, I made a New Year's resolution to "organize my life". This task can definitely seem daunting, but it has been one of the few resolutions I've managed to keep - for that year and beyond!

If you're like me, you love colors, patterns, and anything girly :) When I first decided to get an agenda, it didn't take me long to discover Lilly Pulitzer's line of cute, printed school supplies. I've been a huge Lilly Pulitzer fan my entire life (my mom used to dress my sister and I in matching Lilly dresses growing up!), so I went ahead and bought one of their "Small Agendas". 

The agenda I'm showing below is the one I bought for the 2012-2013 school year. It's in the print "Lilly's Pink Skip on It", which is one of my favorites that is available now (I love this print so much I also have a matching coffee travel mug in it). The size is 4-3/8" x 6-5/8", so it's fits perfectly into a handbag, purse, or backpack. They also have larger sizes, but I feel the small size is the most convenient for my life.


The agenda is so practical for its small size. Each month starts with a full month overview with important holidays, and then the following pages show breakdowns for each week of the month. Each date has 6 empty lines where you can write notes, appointments, or to-do lists. But my favorite part is that each month is printed with a different theme with cute sayings, pictures, and colors! I always get compliments from my friends about how cute my agenda is!  

The first few pages of the agenda has stickers you can use to decorate throughout the year, "Reasons for a Party" (a list of holidays), spaces to write contact numbers and addresses, as well as a few pages for notes. I use these note pages to write important to-do lists before vacations, inspirational quotes, as well as my summer and semester bucket lists! 

As a hyper-organized person, I color-code my agenda. I got a set of super-cheap and cute colored pens from Office Depot, and I assigned each color to a category. 


                    
           

Overall, I love my agenda so much. I repurchase a new agenda from Lilly Pulitzer every year and it helps me stay so organized! For only $16, it's definitely worth it. It's available online from their website or select stores listed on their website. Stay beauteous! :) xoxo

http://www.lillypulitzer.com/product/Accessories-Shoes/Agendas/entity/pc/61/c/219/4077.uts?swatchName=Lillys+Pink+Dirty+Shirley