February Favorite Things

happy thursday sweetie rockstars!

Today I'm linking up with the beautiful and sweet Ashley over at Dancing With Ashley for Favorite Things!

Now, I've more than likely mentioned all of these things at least once already on this blog,

because when I love something, I need the entire world to know it and love it with me.
Attention seeker of a youngest child, much?
Shake your head a little and then read on, my friends!

#1: Kind Bars - cranberry & almond version

I'm the kind of girl who, if you tell me that a health bar can be my meal, will hold a grudge against

you for the rest of my life because you just personally offended my religion. I believe in food. But these babies

are so filling & so chock-full of almonds and macadamia nuts and other crunchy bits of goodness with

sprinklings of cranberry throughout. And they're amazing. I highly recommend them. (They save me when

I'm running late & need to skip our chef's famous breakfast quesadillas... which is... Every day.)

#2: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

I've been trying to figure out why I've been so into lip colors lately because it's a complete 180 from

last year and before's lipstick-is-the-LAST-makeup-item-I'd-spend-money-on me. Here's my theory -

I want to maximize the amount of time I spend in bed, so when I am forced to leave for work/school/

social life (the horror!)... I can just pull on sweats + lipstick and still look put together! It's like, if you had time to

put on red lipstick, the rest of this MUST be intentional! So chic! Revlon Just Bitten Kissable

stays on forever, has the prettiest colors, and goes well under other lipsticks. Stamp of approval acquired.

#3: Playdate by Essie

I don't think I've ever gotten more compliments on my nails than this week & I practically beg for them all the time by bedazzling my nails with Christmas tree stickers, trendy ombre colors, and polka dots. And sparkles.

This week was just plain-Jane lilac-purple. It's that pretty. Or maybe people just see it as a sign of

the coming Spring. My nails. The Groundhog. Tomayto-tomahto.

#4: These Steve Madden Swaret ankle boots

My sister keeps on sending me surprises & if she wasn't already my favorite person ever, she would

be now. I swear she is psychic and can read my need/want right-now mental list. I think "oooh, short

boots would be great right now" and guess what appears at the package center the next day? These

are so cute, makes me think I'm western-bohemian-hipster-indie-cool, and I wear em' with everything!

#5. Feta.

Bruschetta w/ feta ... perfect nighttime snack.

What is it about feta that makes it and its associates seem so fancy? Cheap college tacos? Sprinkle on 

some feta and call yourself a foodie. That's what I do. Pasta? Chicken? Dirt? Do as I do, people! I don't

think my feta kick will be ending anytime soon and I don't mind that one little bit...

I had fun sharing my February Faves with y'all today -

here's to hoping March starts off on a good note!

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Help Me, I'm Poor*

source unknown
(a trip to the caldera might also help. might. funds, anyone? anyone?)

Help a sistah out here, friends-

what do you guys do to get un-stuck from a rut?

I've been drowning in work and a lack of sleep lately,

and have a couple of days off to play 

until the next crop of finals/suck-y stuff comes back.

The hot cocoa (make that a gigantic vat of whipped cream with a tiny side of hot cocoa)

and magazines I've surrounded myself with at this very moment is helping.

What else?


*Ooh that reminds me... maybe watching Bridesmaids on repeat would do the trick?

9

Likes of the Week

As an addendum to this week's Likes,

I'd just like to say thank you

to my wonderful friends,

many of whom find my obsession with celebrities/

love of the entertainment world very strange and unhealthy,

but who would still post Jennifer Lawrence videos on my Wall,

would watch the Oscars with me and stay calm

as I literally nearly passed out when she won

(cue: shaking, sobbing, shushing, falling, being numb, and more crying),

would bear with me as I chanted 

"TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT OF THE JENNIFER'S

AND BEN AFFLECK,"

(when Aniston was on stage, someone next to us asked

my friend if I might actually have a heart attack...)

and who would stay on the phone with me as I panicked (Skyler and Cassandra, you're angels)...

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for believing that outside of awards season,

I can be fairly normal.

This week, I liked...

+ one more: those very ordinary nights that are the most special,

when everyone comes to our common room to study and goof off.

It gives my heart warm fuzzies ten times over.

Here's to a great one!

xo caroline

15

The Closest I'll Ever Get To Being An Athlete

Once upon a time, way wayyyy before college, I was on the track team.

But after a couple of early morning practices, 

running in the Texas heat, and having nap time taken away,

I decided participating in sports (as opposed to merely being a spectator) 

wasn't all that it was cut out to be.

And then on the first day of college when I walked into my dorm room for the first time,

my stranger of a new roommate casually threw in "...and I'm on the softball team."

Softball.

I know basketball, football, soccer. Swimming. Heck, even ice skating.

The most of an experience I've ever had with softball was Googling 

"how to play baseball" my junior year of high school so I could write an article for the yearbook.

...and yet, here we are today:

I live with three varsity softball players.

I've gotten to know the entire team through them,

and I love and admire every single person on it.

I'm so proud of everything that they do -

being a scholar athlete here is hard.

Harder than I've ever imagined or realized,

and I'm only a bystander.

But seeing them do what they do best on the field,

is an incredible treat.

Sometimes, we joke that I'm so obsessed with the team,

that I should become the softball team's manager.

I mean... I'm not opposed.

I just still don't really know anything about the actual sport.

Whoops.

I went to see them play a home game this past Sunday,

and then they had an autograph session right after.

...and you betcha I was there and got my very own

calendar that's signed by the whole team.

Good luck this season, all of you!
I'm so proud!

19

My Valentine(s)

By now, you guys are pretty well-acquainted with my roommate Cassandra,

and know that we spend almost every waking second together.

You guys probably also recognize Lauren,

mostly because I do absolutely everything with her.

I've also mentioned my other best friends at school - Karen and Kylie,

but they aren't as willing to take photos, so... here - get re-acquainted!

(Cassandra couldn't make it due to softball... athlete problems, we've all been there.

Just kidding, I've never been there.)

Together, we polished off food (it was a lot more than just that bomb-diggity flatbread),

and finished off every last bite of those three huge pizookies.

Afterwards, we indulged in some photo booth fun at the movie theater,

and watched Safe Haven, which was really good, 

but a lot more dramatic and scary than we expected. 

For my future boyfriend/husband:

if you could...

• be my other half, my soul mate, my sit-in-the-car-on-our-way-to-our-next-big-adventure-while-talking-about-nothing-and-everything-at-the-exact-same-time partner-in-crime, the yin to my yang, my I-get-you-and-accept-you-no-matter-what person, the one with whom more than anyone in the world I can simply be totally myself with, the person who may know me better than I know myself, like Cassandra,

• be the person who shares my most loved interests, who is the sense and sensibility to my all-over-the-place-don't-really-know-what-I'm-doing chaos, the person who will come to me no questions asked from fifty miles away if I so much as ask, who I'm constantly planning the future with, and the person who will never ever judge me at all no matter what I say or do because she just gets me, like Lauren,

• be as fiercely loyal and good-hearted to the core, the person with whom I can argue for hours but who I know without a doubt has my best interests at heart, who encourages me and supports my every decision if I sincerely believe it's the right one, and who puts up with my obnoxious tendencies with not much more than inner commentary and a couple of eyerolls like Karen,

• and be the person who I can tell absolutely everything to under any circumstances, who can give me sound (and practical) advice always, who is unfailingly calm when I start freaking out, who I trust will protect me from any harm, and who I can spend two hours just chilling in a room watching TV with but then have the most insane, fun times with just hours later like Kylie...

then without a doubt in my mind,

I'd be the luckiest girl in the world.

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Likes of the Week

Midterm-heavy weeks are not good weeks,

but this past one had some memorable moments!

All I can say is - thank the Lord for three day weekends!

I liked...

Have a good one!

xoxo

10

Today...

Today, I want to give you a little peek of my Valentine's Day:

(roses & chocolate from our residential staff... so sweet!)

(Thursdays are my busy days. My 30 minutes of freedom = dinner [& chocolate!] + People.com)

Today, I want to tell you that I wear my rose gold watch with everything,

and that I'm obsessed with my semi-new Anthropologie bowl.

Today, I am extremely proud of one of my best friends who did something that was very, very brave.

Today, I am still having warm fuzzies in my heart thinking about my dinner & a movie date with my three besties - more on that later!

Today, I chowed down on Chobani and an orange, am about to head out for a run, and then will walk to Sprinkles and Sephora to treat myself.

Today is a good day!

12

College Room Decor: Sophomore Year Edition

Let's pretend that I was actually on top of my game,

and started decorating my room way before halfway through the school year.

Let's pretend that I didn't say I was going to show you my room months ago,

and then didn't. My walls were bare until just a few weeks ago - sorry 'bout it.

Let's pretend that I didn't make my bed so darn comfortable,

that sometimes I refuse to leave.

Class? What's that? Work? What?

Nope, sorry, I'll just stay here and cuddle with my army of pillows.

...aaaand let's pretend my room is bigger than the size of a postage stamp.

Welcome to my room!

There are a few things that didn't make it in the pictures,

such as my other place to store clothes

(you seriously didn't think that measly little wardrobe was enough for me, right?)

and most notably, my secret snack stash.

(Can't have my sneaky friends knowing where I keep my Nutella...)

Have a wonderful day!

xx

23

Likes of the Week + Weekend Snaps

Nothing could make a better weekend than:

shopping all day with my best friend,

an indulgent dinner + dessert at Macaroni Grill,

and a comfy sofa in which we watched Harry Potter!

Happy Chinese New Year's to all of you who celebrate,

and I hope everyone has fun Valentine's Day Week plans to look forward to!

This week, I liked...

xo,

caroline

16

All-Nighters

source

i really just want to snuggle in my blankets,

is that so wrong?

It's almost 3AM in the morning,

(just kidding. finishing time: it's now close to 6AM!)

and all I have to say is:

I've never felt more like a college student.

I'm in ratty sweats,

struggling to finish this computer science assignment,

and amped up on the caffeine that I never knew existed in chai.

This brings me back to last year.

I suffered from a severe case of

"I-need-to-be-part-of-every-social-happening,"

and that's a terrible disease to have when

you live in a dorm full of your closest friends.

Basically, last year, I would scurry to and fro

from all of the (fun! exciting! meaningful! hilarious!) events

going around me in the various dorm rooms,

and wouldn't end up sleeping until 4AM.

Every single day.

This is my first (and hopefully last) all-nighter of sophomore year.

It's just not the same when you're doing it for schoolwork.

I am so looking forward to sleeping all day tomorrow.

I apologize if this post sounds kind of delirious.

It's from the lack of sleep.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Was it for fun or not-so-fun stuff?

11

Product Rave: Tazo Chai Concentrate

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.

You may or may not already know about this secret,

but I can't go nap peacefully until I double-check that you know.

source

Are you obsessed with chai as I am?

Can you not go a day without having hardcore cravings for it,

and so you can only make a pit stop at Starbucks every time you walk by?

No?

You just mildly appreciate chai?

That's okay. This is for you too.

This is Tazo Chai concentrate and it tastes exactly like Starbucks chai.

It's so easy peasy. You just pour milk or any substitute into your cup,

pour in an equal amount of this concentrate, and just heat it up. Or pour it over ice.

It's same kind they charge you around 4 whole dollars for.

This baby is just about $9.00 for a pack of three at Costco,

and each container lasts you around eight servings.

(This is the point where I should tell you that I was doing the math

for this out loud the other day and I came up with:

"Wait... that's still $3. You're not saving much at all.")

Sometimes I wonder.

But no, then I really figured it out and it's only about 38 cents a serving.

Think about that for a second.

And then go buy this,

curl up in bed with a nice book,

and just sip to your heart's fancy.

Disclosure: No one paid me to say any of this. 

I just really like delicious drinks & products that make it easy for me to have some.

16

The Weekend Forever Known To Me As "Bay Area Sports Weekend"

How about that Super Bowl, folks?

I was actively engaged with this game for a few reasons:

A. Jim Harbaugh used to coach for Stanford.
(A1. Stanford's in the Greater Bay Area.)

B. 49ers wear Gryffindor colors.
C. Beyonce. Need I say more?

And although it was a tough loss,

that comeback is one that's going down in history,

and BEYONCE. OH MY. She took the power out with her,

that's all that's needed to be said.
(There may have been some couch-jumping and tears involved.
Tom Cruise, I will never judge you again.)

As if that wasn't enough Bay Area sports for the weekend,

my sister Sarah, my bestie Lauren, and I went

to support the Golden State Warriors this weekend when they played against the Phoenix Suns.

Correction: I was there to support my men Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall,

who both played for the Tarheels and are AMAZING.

Kendall Marshall - purple jersey #12 & Harrison Barnes - wearing the navy shoes.

Yes, there were puppies at the half time show. Yes, they were amazing.

When Kendall and Harrison hugged at the end, I cried. Literally teared up.

...

You didn't think I wouldn't post about food, did you?

We had dinner at Nopalito,
and I apologize for the blurry photo -
but those carnitas were so delicious!

Mini cupcakes at DeLessio's for dessert!

And after a sleepover
on my sister's couch(es),
for breakfast/brunch, Sarah treated us to...

superb breakfast sandwiches at the nearby Farmer's Market!
Food like this is the reason I wake up,
and if you're doubting me in the least...
don't.

(Runny eggs make everything wondrous, don't you agree?)

Before heading home, we stopped at La Boulange for chai.
I think I had the idea that it would make me incredibly productive,
but... I just went to Costco and Target,
and bought myself more chai and a body pillow.
Homebody much?

16