You all knew this was coming. You had to know this was coming! Thank you to one of my best friends for turning me on to this AMAZING, truly life-changing musical. If you haven’t heard it yet, go listen to it right now — you don’t need to see it on stage to get the full story and appreciate Lin Manuel Miranda’s genius, I promise. I know almost every lyric and turn it on almost every morning on my way to work. I have a problem, but I think there are worse problems to have. I can tell you almost anything you want to know about American history from 1776…
I Am Thankful For…
Happy Thanksgiving 2017! I hope you are all enjoying some wonderful mashed potatoes and get to take that glorious post-Thanksgiving nap you’ve been dreaming of all year, but for now, I’m happy you’re here, and I want to tell you a few things I am thankful for this year. Sometimes I think we can forget what Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about amidst the mountains of food and tempting Black Friday sales, so here’s the little angel on your shoulder reminding you to be thankful for all that you have in your life and all that is to come. I love you all, and I wish you the happiest…
Books I am Thankful For
It’s not quite yet 2018, but I’ve still got a handful of books that I am incredibly thankful for this year. Maybe they were just entertaining, or maybe they taught me an important life lesson — either way, 2017 wouldn’t have been the same without these page turners on my nightstand. Photo from Amazon 1. “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes I’ve probably already talked about this book too much already, but Shonda Rhimes truly crushed it with this wonderful piece of work. This is one of my favorite books of 2017 (so far) for two reasons: 1) It kept me sane and entertained for seven hours of a 13…
Everday Drug Store Makeup
I love doing my makeup everyday. I know a lot of people only like to spend the time getting ready on special occasions or only pop on some mascara before running out the door, but I love putting on a full-face. It’s like putting on a cute outfit — it makes me feel like my best self and I wouldn’t know a better way to start my day than at my desk with my mirror and eyeshadow brush in hand. Below are my favorite everyday makeup products from the drugstore. As a preface, I enjoy using cruelty-free products (that’s why you’ll see a lot of NYX and some Essence), so…
OnePan Ranch Pork Chops
I love to cook. Well, let me be clear. I love to eat, so therefore, I love to cook. But I don’t always love how long it takes to make a meal. That’s why I absolutely love 5-ingredient recipes, one pan wonders, and one pot and you’re done concoctions (crockpots are my godsend). When I found this One Pan Ranch Pork Chops recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it out. My mom loved it, it fed us for more than one meal, and it only took about thirty minutes. What’s not to love? Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 4 Pork Chops (You can get…
The Circle: A Review
Title: The Circle Author: Dave Eggers Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia Quotation: “This was a new skill she’d acquired, the ability to look, to the outside world, utterly serene and even cheerful, while, in her skull, all was chaos.” Would recommend to: anyone who questions the role social media plays in our lives. An all knowing, all powerful global corporation with unlimited access to your personal data, running the gauntlet from your fingerprint to your first kiss? To many, this dystopian scenario conjures up thoughts of Google, Amazon, or Facebook gone rouge. In his dystopian novel “The Circle,” Dave Eggers takes us to what many will say is our not-so-distant future. The Circle is a…
Top 10 Tips to Landing Your Dream Job
Looking for a job can be one of the most exciting, or stressful, times of your life depending on how you look at it. I recently graduated from Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications and minors in Business Administration, Literature, and Professional Sales. My degree did not get me a job, but working my butt off applying to companies, saying “yes” to every opportunity that came my way, and asking friends and family for help when I needed it got me a full-time job in my dream city fewer than four months after I walked across the stage. Whether you’re still in college looking for the…
Fall Crafts: Pumpkin Painting
Happy Fall! Okay, I know I’m pretty late to the game, and I could give you every excuse in the book (moving, starting a new job, having friends visit, etc,. etc.), but basically I am just now accepting that it is fall and starting my fall festivities for the year. Last weekend, I had a fall-filled adventure day visiting a farm, eating yummy pies, and picking pumpkins out at a pumpkin patch and carving them with my brother and his girlfriend. While picking out pumpkins to carve, I also saw these adorable baby pumpkins for a dollar and couldn’t resist picking them out. I decided the best way to kick…
Top 5 Books to Read on Halloween
Happy Halloween! I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the spooky holiday (I blame my introvert side), but I definitely love getting in the spirit of the season with a good book (as any good bibliophile should). Here are five recommendations of books to read this Halloween to get you feeling in the ghosty, ghouly mood . Photo from Books About Books (booksaboutbooksblog.com) “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson I am actually currently reading this short story, and I have to say I am highly impressed with it (as one should be with Robert Louis Stevenson). I’ve owned the book…
Man Booker Prize: My Short List
Last week, the Man Booker Prize was announced. More commonly known as the Booker Prize, this award is given each year to the best novel written in the English language and published in the UK. This was the second year that the prestigious award went to an American author (originally, the award was given to British, Irish and South African citizens, but in 2014 it grew to include any English-language novel). There is a Short List and a Long List for the award (check out both here). Here is my Short List from the Long List nominees. (Image from Amazon) The Winner: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders Of course…
