Beau

Beau: noun /bō/
     1. A boyfriend or male admirer 
     2. A rich, fashionable young man; a dandy
     3. French for 'beautiful'

but most importantly, the name of my new obsession: 

Blog world, meet Beau: 

Beau loves photo shoots and mashed potatoes... 

His red bandana from the 4th of July...

 belly scratches, running in the sprinklers and rolling around in the backyard. 

Quick Story: we put the bandana on him for the 4th to make him look "festive". A couple of days ago we went to take it off of him and he had an absolute fit, biting at it and trying to put it back on himself.  I guess the bandana stays...(we think it makes him feel more permanent.) He is obviously living up to the "fashionable young man" aspect of his name... 

Moral of the story: I can't wait to put antlers on him at Christmas time!!!!

He is adorable and the calmest 17 month-old rescue dog I've ever seen. His biggest fault so far? He loves to snuggle in everyone's bed but his own...what a nightmare DREAM!

Projects

Whenever I come home to Dallas, I always get two things:

1. Spending Happy

2. Crafty

Sometimes, well let's be honest, most of the time, these come hand in hand. I view this as pure coincidence while my bank account considers it pure evil. 

For my birthday last year I got these great, white frames to hang on my walls at school. My original thought was to put photos of family and friends in them and make a frame collage like my sister did. But I have always loved fashion editorials, so what I decided to do was go in search of old magazines to see what I could put together....and VOILA! 

I found some old Harper's Bazaar magazines...

Tore off the covers

And fit them to my frames.

This one might be my favorite!
You can click on each of the photos to enlarge if you're having a hard time seeing them. 

I wanted to find vintage Vogue and frame those, but "vintage" started in about the 90s and let's be real, there aren't many high-fashion, frame-worthy looks from '91...

Another perk of using the Bazaar covers is that the older ones don't have all the junk on them... The "500 summer shoes for less!" or "Lose 10lbs in 7 days!"...no one needs that on their walls. Plus, it gives a much cleaner, more modern look while bringing out the beauty of the photos. 

A tip: go to your nearest Half Price Books or discount book store. 

You'll uncover some great finds for even better prices. Each of these magazines were under $2! (I may be a spender but I sure can save! It's a gift, I know) 

It's been one of my favorite projects so I thought I would share it with you :) My next project is putting a dried flower arrangement in an old Mint Julep cup! 

Things to look forward to...

Xx,

Lo. 

Having.

As my days continue in Auburn I catch myself wanting to be in Dallas so badly. I feel like I haven't been home in ages. (And then I realize that I haven't.) And, as most people do, when I start to harp on one thing, I suddenly can think of 800 things that I don't have or that I'm missing out on...

being home for the Mavs epic win against the Heat

watching the summer premiere of Pretty Little Liars with some of my oldest and dearest friends

a job to keep me occupied

time

money

sleep

"enough" clothes

my family in arms reach

Northpark mall 

home cooked meals

But then out of the blue, something as little as a "good luck on your test" text message or a spontaneous lunch date snaps me back to reality. And I realize that yes, I am missing out on things back home. And yes, my cash flow is more of a drip these days...but for all of the things I'm "missing" I have twice as many blessings ever so present right in front of me. 

So here's to focusing on what I do have: 

bragging rights on campus over the Mavs epic win

watching the summer premiere of Pretty Little Liars with a new crowd 

(but not for long Erin don't worry)

school: to one day get a job to fill my time

time: to spend with my beautiful friends

a closet full of clothes

my Auburn family. cheesy but incomparable. 

my friends' closets when mine is feeling bare

(the best kind of malls!)

a kitchen, to teach myself to make my own home cooked meals

 knowledge: to allow me to realize what I have and what is waiting for me when I get home :) 

How do I ever leave them? You tell me. 

she's fabulous. 

duh. she makes so many appearances on this thing...

she might kill me for this...but add in a LOT of food and turn on the Bravo network...
 this about sums up our relationship. 

Make the time where you are worth your while. Live and LOVE every minute of it. 

This was a cheesy one...but sometimes that's just what we need. 

Xx,

Lo. 

(Bitter) Sweet Summertime.

I feel like I start each post with an apology/ excuse for why I haven't posted in ages. But then I remember that I have like -5 readers and I feel a little less guilty. (Ok a lot less guilty)


As for the title of this post I do have an explanation....I can sum it up in two words. Summer School. 
These are words that should never EVER be paired together. And now begins my rant...


Studying in the summer should be illegal. Not only am I burnt out from the previous two semesters, I am learning what I would normally learn in 4+ months in 1. and BONUS...one of the two classes I'm taking is one of the hardest classes offered in my major-- Human Communication. Though interesting, this class has about a 40% failure rate and getting a C is considered a "great" grade. Music to my GPA's ears. ((not at all)) 


Anyhow, the first week or so I was not a happy camper. My summers are usually spent sleeping, shopping, and starbucks-ing-- Yes I'm a diva I'm fully aware. (see "Things I Enjoy" post for photographical evidence.)--not studying and rising with the sun for my 8 a.m class..


So how have I moved past my funk might you ask? Well...the majority of my dearest friends decided to spend their summer in Auburn as well, and we are all learning to make the best of it. It's hard to balance work and play but I have to remind myself that I'm 20 and it IS summertime...but I'm trying to make my time here a lot less bitter, with a lot more "sweet".

This was taken over  Memorial Day Weekend when we went to St. Augustine, FL.
Lovely place. Lovely ladies. It may be my favorite weekend of my summer in Auburn.  

Something that should have been mentioned a LONG time ago (and truthfully deserves its own post) is my sister's graduation from Texas A&M University. I am beyond proud of her. Not only for successfully graduating, but for doing it in 4 years. I now understand what a task this is and could not be more impressed with her grace throughout the years. The only thing I wish I could change is that I went to visit her more than just that summer. She has amazing friends and leads such a precious life. It's something I might always regret, but never-the-less, she survived. And I can only hope to do so with the same poise and excellence... 

Love you Sister :)   

YOU DID IT! WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!!

I had to add this photo in here! I love this picture SO much.  The hand on the left is my Dad's. He graduated A&M in '79,
and the right is Katie's, class of 2011. I get jealous (and a little sad) because I know I'll never have one,
but I love that they will always have this to share. 

The summer isn't even over, but I know this will be my favorite weekend.
So much laughter and tears. And a lot of reminders of why I  can't wait to get back to Dallas and hang out with them! 

I'll do my best to keep you updated...but for now, that's the lo_down.

Xx.