AREN'T DAISIES JUST THE FRIENDLIEST FLOWER?

K, first off, sorry for the overload of photos. I seriously couldn't help myself! My friend Sarah and I went up the canyon a few days back and had ourselves a little adventure. Needless to say, it was a blast.

Sarah and I met in London on our study abroad, and guys, she's my soulmate. We are the same person I just absolutely adore her. And I absolutely love taking pictures of her, cause duh, she's gorgeous! I've kind of been hooked on taking pictures lately so I love anyone who's down to come with me when I get crazy ideas. I'm sure Sarah will be by my side next time around :) Love you dear.

And also I love my little caterpillar friend that I made. Isn't he the cutest? (I'm such a girl omg #sorrynotsorry).

REASONS WHY THIS WEEK WAS A-OKAY

• I went a total of 3 consecutive days without diet coke and let me tell you, this is quite an accomplishment. Go me!

• I memorized all the lyrics to Ni***s in Paris by Jay-Z. My life is a success.

• My boss wrote me a nice email to tell me how much she appreciates me and that all the work I've done so far has been awesome. Two thumbs up to that!

• I went to the pool and hung out in a donut pool floatie. How could life get happier? I'll tell you, it definitely can't.

MY CURRENT OBSESSIONS

So friends, I thought I would share with you my current obsessions as of now. I am quite fickle, meaning these obsessions will no doubt change in a month or two...so I'll probably have to do another one of these posts in just a few! But here are 10 things I currently can't live with out!

| 1 | Kettle Brand Chips - Salt & Vinegar

So these chips are without a doubt the absolute best potato chips in existence. They have a bunch of different flavors besides this one (Sriracha is probably my #2 fave), and they're all good, but this one has long been my go to. Don't open a bag unless you're feeling in the mood to eat the whole thing cause I promise you won't be able to eat just one.

| 2 | Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter

GUYS. This stuff is too good to be true. If you've never had it, get on it PRONTO. Basically it's like peanut butter (ya know, same consistency) but it tastes like gingerbread cookies. And holy, it's heaven. I eat it with everything, fruit, toast, a spoon....judge me now but the second you try it, you'll be doing it too.

| 3 | Gilmore Girls

This show has long been in my top five, it seriously is so funny and so addicting. Once you start watching it you can't stop! My family has all seven seasons on DVD and we've been binge watching them the past couple weeks. I don't think I'll ever get sick of it.

| 4 | Sin-Min Horchata Lipbalm

So a blogger I follow posted about this on her Instagram a couple weeks ago and I ordered some on a whim. And I have to say, best decision I've made lately. First off, it tastes AMAZING, which is always a plus. Second, it is one of the best lipbalms I've ever used. It has an amazing consistency and it makes my lips softer than they've ever been. Do yourself a favor and order some here.

| 5 | Dried Apricots

I don't know why but I've always loved dried apricots? Like I crave them...One of the few healthy things I ever crave. So hey, there's that.

| 6 | Umberto Dry Shampoo

To whoever invented dry shampoo: you're a genius and I love you. As a gal with naturally curly hair, when I actually get around to styling it, I will do anything to not have to wash it for a couple days. I've tried a couple brands and I have to say this is definitely my favorite. It's a wee bit pricier but it's worth it!

| 7 | Cherry Wine - Hozier

So I've been listening to this song nonstop the past week, it's so freaking good. I know this is will be on my list of favorites for quite a while. There are several songs I'm obsessed with right now, I was having a hard time deciding which one to share, so! Check out my Spotify playlist to see what else I'm listening to. 

| 8 | Dirty Diet Coke

It seems that this flavored soda thing is a trend that's taking over, and I have to say I'm right on board. I will shamelessly admit that Diet Coke has been my weakness for quite some time. And now that they've added coconut and lime to it...it's turned into something like an addiction. They try to make me go to rehab but I say no no nooo (really my mom and sister beg me to stop drinking the poison on the daily...one day it will sink in).

| 9 | Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

My sister Sara had these at her house a few months ago and the second I tried one, all other peanut butter cups were ruined for me. They are SO good. I've started making special trips out to Trader Joe's just for them. 

| 10 | Hawaiian Sandals

So guys, I know these sandals are not really much of a fashion statement...but I'm obsessed with them. They are. So. Comfortable. I wear them more than I should probably admit with outfits that I probably shouldn't wear them with, but I don't care. They are my new faves. 

Well friends, there you have it! Share your favorites and link them below, I'd love to check them out!

LET THE LIGHT IN PEOPLE

On the Fourth of July, this is how my family and I celebrated. And dude, aren't sparkler pictures fun? It's pretty hard to take a picture of a sparkler and it not be pretty, but still, I'm pretty proud of how these babies turned out! Anways...On a completely different note...

I've just been thinking so much lately. Like I just feel like I have so many thoughts floating around in my head and I just don't know how to get them out. It's like my brain is full of all these sentence fragments and incomplete thoughts and I'm struggling to put them together...does that ever happen to you?? It's weird haha. So this blog has sort of turned into my brain litter/a bunch of word vomit that doesn't really make sense. Bear with me people :)

One of the the common things going through my head though is trials. What they mean, how to handle them, all that jazz. It's so easy to get lost in our hardships sometimes isn't it?? Even if they're just little, insignificant ones. And especially if they're big ones. 

For me, often times the hardest part is deciding how to deal with them, because trials can be dealt with in so many different ways, you know. Every moment in our lives is a decision and sometimes it overwhelms me...how will I know if I'm choosing the right solution? How am I supposed to know how to handle this situation so it has the best possible outcome?? It's so hard to know sometimes...and that is why we are surrounded by so many people who are here to help us.

Someone said to me recently that she feels like sometimes she has gone through hard things because later down the line she's met someone who needed help with that same thing. Since she'd been through it, she was able to know how to help them out more effectively. How cool is that to think about? That our trials could be the ticket to allow us to love others better and help people out a little bit easier. And how cool is it to think that there is someone out there that has gone through something just for you. We are all connected guys, it's awesome. God loves us, the end (not really the end there's more lol). 

Because of this, we must remember that we are not meant to handle trials alone. Of course we have Christ to turn to in times of hardship, but we must remember that more often than not, Christ works through the other people. It is our job to let others in so He can help us. So often I will be working hard to solve a problem on my own that I start to feel like I'm drowning in it. The blackness of the situation just takes over me. I will be hesitant to reach out to others for help because I don't want to bring the darkness into their lives too. But in reality, bringing out the darkness and showing it to another human being saying, "help me!" allows for them to bring in the light. Keeping dark things tucked away for too long only allows them to remain in blackness people, remember that (there's a fun little analogy for you). 

Every time I have turned to good friends or loved ones with my struggles, things always feel at least 7x better afterwards.This world, although often times seems cruel, is one filled with love. There is love in everything. Trust me, if you look for it you'll find it. So don't be afraid to let others help you and love you. The end (yes, it's really the end, you can get on with your life now).

HAPPY FOURTH

Aren't we so blessed to call this beautiful, free country our home?? I've been around the world just a little bit and I've absolutely loved everywhere I've visited...but there's nothing like the good ol' USA. This place will always and forever be the place that holds my heart, and the place I call my home. Happy Birthday America! I sure love you!

DEATH BY GENIUS MUSIC

So this new Bon Iver song came out just a few days ago. I already love pretty much everything by them so I was excited of course. But seriously??!!! This song blew me out of the water. I've been listening to it nonstop for the past 4 days. It's one of those songs that gets better every single time you listen to it, ya know? So plug in your headphones and blast this baby and just let the musical genius wash over you. It'll probably be the best thing that ever happened to you.