Winter Break in NYC

break
I went to New York City over Winter break with my family. Here are some pictures of my trip! You can also click here to see the outfits that I wore while I was in NYC. 

Thanks for reading!

Thea
xx

Tips on How to Eliminate Stress in High School

healthy
Hey everyone! It's been a busy school year for me so far. I'm a junior in high school and I've had to learn how to manage my time and eliminate stress that school, extracurriculars and other activities bring. I'm part of the International Baccalaureate program, and I am currently taking 8 IB classes. I'm also the leader of clubs; I am one of the officers of DECA and I am also the co-president of a human trafficking awareness club at my school. I am also a member of National Honor Society, IB Council, and an IB Leadership Group. I play recreational soccer and basketball with my friends, and I babysit and tutor kids to make money. I also like blogging obviously! My plate has been super full this year. A big change from my Sophomore year has been having 8 classes at a time instead of 4 or 5, that would change after one semester. 

Here are some of my tips for eliminating stress if you are in high school! 

First off, make a list of all the activities you have going on in your life and prioritize them. When prioritizing, think about what activities and aspects of your life are most important to you. If you have a lot of things going on in your life, than most likely cutting down will decrease stress. Figure out which things on your list aren't as important as others or are causing you this stress and cut back! I quit my job in September because I had too many things going on and not enough time for them all. I would leave school at 2:15, go to work at 4 and then come home as late as 10. Then I would start all my homework and studying. I also had certain days that I couldn't work because of clubs or sports. I decided to quit my job because it took up way too much time and wasn't as important to me as school and clubs. Lucky for me, I didn't need the money and I quit early enough that I my job never got too much in the way of my school work. Once I quit my job, a lot of time opened up for other things that I wanted to do.

Another tip I have for decreasing stress is to exercise. It's scientifically proven that your brain releases endorphins (think of it like happy hormones) while you exercise that make you feel calmer and happier. If you aren't a sporty kind of person, than try yoga. There are many different types of yoga, yoga that deals with more breathing exercises and yoga that is more focused on flexibility and strength. You also don't have to go to a studio to do yoga, you can just do it in your house and follow a video on YouTube. My favorite channel to watch for yoga is YogaWithAdrienne. 

This next tip goes along with exercising and it is to eat healthy food, drink plenty of water and spend time outside. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables can put you in a better mood than eating unhealthy foods like chocolate or fries. Healthy food will give you energy and will overall make you feel more positive. Also, drinking a lot of water can reduce stress. It clears your mind and can have a restorative effect. It helps you to think more clearly and gives you energy. Spending time outside, whether it's reading a book or taking a walk will also clear your mind and is better for your overall well-being. It can definitely help if you are feeling overwhelmed of anxious about school or anything else you have going on.

Something that I struggle with is turning off screens. Everyone can get wrapped up in their technology at times and it's important that we power off. Reading is a great way to get your mind off of things and feel less stressed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, checking out a book at your local library that interests you and reading it.

My last and most important tip is to take time for yourself. Relax and spend time doing things you enjoy. Maybe make your room nice and cozy and listen to music or create a peaceful playlist. I make my room feel cozier by turning on fairy twinkle lights and throwing a bunch of blankets on my bed. You can also get a fireplace app on your laptop that will set the screensaver to a fireplace. You can also change the settings to make it crackle and sound like a really fireplace. I also write in a journal to feel less stressed. I constantly juggle things around in my head so putting my thoughts to paper makes my head feel clearer.

Those are my tips and tricks on how to feel less overwhelmed and stressed about high school and life in general. I hope you found this post useful!

Thanks for reading!
Thea
xx

Week in Outfits: September | School, Football Games + Party

2016
Hey everyone! Here are some of my favorite outfits that I have worn throughout the month of September. School is now in full session, which means lots of homework, studying and tests. I can't even begin to believe that I've already been back at school for a month... and I've still got 8 months to go. I hope you enjoy these outfits and find some inspiration from these outfits!

Outfit 1
Shop My Outfit
Shirt- Deletta
Necklace- Brighton
Jeans- Ann Taylor Loft
Sandals- Franco Sarto
Bracelets- Target

Outfit 2

Here's a more zoomed in picture of my outfit!

Shop My Outfit
Shirt- Basil Lola
Jeans- American Rag
Sandals- Franco Sarto
Bracelets- Target

Outfit 3
There was a football game at my school and the theme was a purple-out in honor of the Isabella Santos Foundation. 

Shop My Outfit
Shirt- One of my soccer shirts
Shorts- Nike
Sneakers- Asics
Necklace- Party City

Outfit 4

Shop My Outfit
Necklace- Brighton
Bralette- Urban Outfitters
Shirt- LA Made
Skirt- Zara
Bracelets- Target
Shoes- Old Navy

Outfit 5
I went to my friend's dinner party today, and we decided to all dress up nice. 

Shop My Outfit
Necklace- Brighton
Dress- Urban Outfitters
Shoes- J.Crew

Thanks for reading :)

Liebster Award

answers
I was nominated by Alex from iBeauty123 and Nira from ItsNira for the Liebster Award! You should definitely check out their blogs, because they are so amazing. Thanks so much for the nomination guys! If you didn't already know, the Liebster Award is an award given to small bloggers by other bloggers. 


Rules

1. Post 11 facts about yourself.
2. Answer 11 questions from your nominator. (Since I was nominated by 2 people, I have 22 questions!)
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers.
4. Ask them 11 questions.
5. Let them know you nominated them.

Facts About Me

1. I have 5 pets: 2 dogs, 2 cats and a guinea pig.
2. My favorite ice cream flavors are salted caramel and mint chocolate chip.
3. I am currently a junior in high school and I'm also part of the IB program.
4. I play recreational soccer and church basketball with my friends.
5. I also do yoga about once a week.
6. I love watching YouTube and Netflix.
7. I have traveled to China, Mexico, France, Italy, Spain and England.
8. I love makeup and fashion!
9. I am an officer of DECA and I also have a human trafficking awareness club at my school.
10. I love reading books about dystopian societies.
11. I live in North Carolina.

Questions From Alex

Q1. What is one thing you would save in a fire? 
A1. I would save my pets!

Q2. If you were stranded on a deserted island with only three items of your choice, how would you stay alive?
A2. I would bring food, water and a book. I probably wouldn't stay alive with only these things because I would eventually die of boredom and isolation!!!

Q3. Favourite book/film?
A3. My favorite books are Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, and Pride and Prejudice. I can't pick just one film but I really enjoy Bridget Jones' Diary.

Q4. Are you a jewelry person?
A4. Yes and no. I think jewelry really adds to an outfit but I sometimes forget to wear it.

Q5. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A5. I would go to the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Q6. Favourite animal?
A6. Dogs

Q7. What are your hobbies?
A7. I really enjoy blogging, yoga, watching YouTube videos, and being a part of clubs at school.

Q8. Do you like school? Why/Why not?
A8. I do like school, except for the fact that I have to wake up at 5:45 every morning. I like seeing all my friends and learning really interesting things.

Q9. One food you couldn't live without?
A9. Pasta and rice.

Q10. Who inspires you?
A10. Emma Watson.

Q11. Why did you start a blog?
A11. I had watched a bunch of bloggers' videos on YouTube and really got inspired by them to start my own blog. Blogging is a great way to get creative and share information.

Questions From Nira

Q1. What is your favourite quote?
A2. "And so, she decided to start living the life she imagined"

Q2. What is your favourite thing about your blog?
A2. The layout and color scheme

Q3. If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?
A3. I would want to be able to fly so that I could go anywhere I wanted around the world super fast!

Q4. Who is your favourite disney princess?
A4. Ariel because I love swimming.

Q5. Who is your favourite youtuber?
A5. I have so many... Zoella, Danielle Carolan and Sarahbelle93x

Q6. What is your favourite subject in school?
A6. Math and Science (specifically Physics and Chemistry)

Q7. What is your favourite word and why, if you have a reason?
A7. I don't have a favorite but I like the word "loquacious" because it rolls of the tongue nicely

Q8. If you could buy any 3 things in the world what would they be and why?
A8. A mint blue VW beetle, a Chanel flap bag and a pool.

Q9. What is the weirdest thing you have ever done/said?
A9. I pronounce a lot of words wrong (ex: debris, Monaco, misshapen)

Q10. If you were the president or queen what would you do to make the world a better place?
A10. I would change the justice system and try to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor.

Q11. What is your favourite book?
A11. Gone with the Wind, Harry Potter, and Pride and Prejudice

Nominations


My Questions

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
2. Who is your favorite YouTuber?
3. What is your favorite show on Netflix?
4. Where is your favorite place that you have traveled to?
5. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
6. What are your favorite stores to shop at for clothes?
7. What are your top 5 makeup products?
8. Do you enjoy school? Why or why not?
9. Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
10. What is something that no one knows about you?
11. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about blogging?

Thanks for reading :)


Outfits of the Week: 1st Week Back to School | Week in My Life

accessories
I have survived my first week of my high school junior year! Yayy! One of the biggest changes from sophomore to junior year is having 8 classes all at once. Before, I would have 4 classes the first semester and then a whole new set of 4 classes during the second semester. Now all my classes are every other day throughout the whole year. Not only will this mean more tests, homework and studying, but it also means having to just remember my schedule... which is actually quite difficult. I keep forgetting what class I have next and whether the class is on an A-day or B-day. Hopefully my schedule will start to stick with me once I get more used to it! 

I liked all my classes for the most part, and I knew a handful of kids in each class which was great! 

Now on to my outfits for the first week...

MONDAY
I always try to look my best on the first day of school. I have many reasons why I like to do this. One reason being that I usually feel my best when I wear something that I like or look good in. When I feel my best, I am usually more confident and make friends easier than if I had worn an outfit I didn't like. I also like dressing up on the first day because it can be a conversation starter. If you don't know many people in your class but someone walks up and compliments you on your outfit, then you can always start up a conversation with them! A conversation about a shirt can easily turn into a conversation about your favorite TV shows or interests! 

My classes on Monday were IB Math, IB Spanish, IB History of the Americas and IB Business Management. I also had to go to homeroom for about an hour and a half every morning for the entire week. I didn't have much homework on the first day, besides signing a bunch of contact/information forms for various teachers.

SHOP MY OUTFIT
Shirt // LA Made
Bralette // Urban Outfitters
Skirt // Scarlett Begonia
Sandals // Old Navy
Bracelets // Alex & Ani
Necklace // Brighton
Nail polish // Essie

TUESDAY
As you can tell by the picture, a day has gone by and my floor is already getting to be a mess. Since my classes are all every other day, Tuesday was like my second first day of school. It was my first time being in my B-day classes. 

My classes on Tuesday were IB Biology, IB Theory of Knowledge, IB Psychology and IB English. I liked all of my classes and all of my teachers for the most part. 

After school I worked from 4 to closing. The store actually closes the doors at 8pm, but we have to do a bunch of work after. There were a few people that stayed in the store after 8, which was pretty annoying. One customer actually complained to us about how a lady at her store stayed until midnight. She ended up being the last customer in the store and finally left a little bit after 8:30. I ended up leaving the store at 9:20, which is pretty late for a school night considering I had to wake up at 5:45 am the next morning. I actually gave in my notice on this day too because I knew working and ding school would be way to stressful. I definitely think I made the right decision!

SHOP MY OUTFIT
Shirt // Tryst
Jeans // American Eagle
Sandals // Franco Sarto
Necklace // The Painted Mermaid
Nail polish // Essie

WEDNESDAY
Today was a very busy day! I had all the same classes that I had on Monday. In my classes, we kept talking about the classroom rules and syllabus... all the usual boring stuff that's covered in the first few days.

After school, I went with my sister to her hair appointment. After that, we went to Target to find school supplies, which they were out of. We ended up just going home without any supplies because I was late for tutoring. I tutored my neighbors, who are in elementary school for about 30 minutes. Then my sister and I went back out to pick up dinner and scrounge around for school supplies. We looked in Walmart, and I bought some binders, paper and pencils. I need binders for every class, so my backpack is going to be soo full and heavy during the year!! Walmart didn't have composition notebooks however, so we had to go to Harris Teeter. There was only one composition notebook left, and my sister and I both needed one, so we had to take one that was on their school supplies display. Next we picked up dinner at Five Guys and brought it home. I love Five Guys and it's one of my fave fast food places by far. 

After dinner, I had to call a student that is in the same club as me and work on some club presentations and projects. Then I helped my parents ready the house for my sister, who was going to have a major surgery the following day. 

SHOP MY OUTFIT
Shirt (similar) // Free People
Bralette // Urban Outfitters
Jeans // American Rag
Sandals (not shown in pic) // Franco Sarto
Necklace // Brighton
Earrings // Studs
Nail polish // Essie

THURSDAY
On Thursday I didn't feel like dressing up for school, so I decided to stay comfy in a t-shirt and shorts. I usually dress down once a week for school, especially when it's super hot outside and I don't want to wear jeans. Today I had all my B-day classes again. During homeroom I worked on a video for my club that we will be airing over the morning announcements next week. 

After school I tutored the kids in my neighborhood. It rained a lot this day so my soccer practice was canceled. My sister stayed overnight at the hospital because of her jaw surgery. She only had to stay overnight one time, and then she could come home.

SHOP MY OUTFIT
T-shirt // Southern Fried Cotton
Shorts (similar) // Nike
Sneakers // Asics
Nail polish // Essie

FRIDAY
Today was the last day of my first week back to school! I finished my club video in the morning and then I went to all my classes. My teacher actually brought me and another club officer coffee! I noticed my car tires were looking a little flat this morning so I checked on them between classes. They got worse throughout the day and the huge tropical storm that was coming our way didn't help. I don't know too much about cars so I didn't really know what to do. My teacher actually gave me quarters so that I could get my tires pumped at a self-serve gas station. I went with my friend after school, and we (attempted) to pump air in the tires. A really nice lady actually helped us and told us what to do! Without her we definitely would've been stuck at the gas station for a long time trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully I made it home safely!

SHOP MY OUTFIT
Shirt // Urban Outfitters
Pants (similar) // Paige
Sandals // Franco Sarto
Earrings // Studs
Nail polish // Essie
Bracelets // Target

Thanks so much for reading!



The Top 10 Highlights of My Summer | 2016

2016
Summer break is officially over for me, and today was the first day back to school. I am a junior in high school, and it feels like summer went by soo fast! I honestly wouldn't have remembered to wake up for school today if it wasn't for my trusty planner and my annoying alarm clock. Today I am going to be sharing with you a recap of my summer break. I was super busy this summer with working, but also found time for myself.

I worked at a resale clothing store this summer, and it was my first job- besides babysitting and house sitting. I've wanted a real job for a long time, because in the summer I'm always extremely bored and just sitting around the house all day when I have nothing to do. I really like being busy and having a purpose for my day. Working really got me out of my bed and pajamas. I'm still working as a sales associate at this store, and will try to balance school with my part time job. 

Another one of my favorite things this summer was volunteering at Camp Invention at an elementary school near my house. Camp Invention is a camp all about thinking and learning. I worked mostly with the 2nd-3rd graders and I absolutely loved it! The kids were so sweet and the counselors all got to think of fun activities and games for the kids. I volunteered as a camp counselor for a week and was sad when the camp ended. I hope I have time to volunteer next year with these kids!

I really enjoyed watching the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople! If you are looking for something super funny to watch, then definitely go watch this! You will definitely have more than a few laughs.

This summer I have tried to blog more. I got to work with my first company at the beginning of the summer which was super cool! It was such a great experience! I have also tried to better my photography and editing skills!

Practicing yoga was another highlight of my summer break. I practice with my mom and her friend, who is a yoga instructor. I also watch videos on YouTube and practice by myself in my room. I like to watch Yoga with Adrienne, because she's really great at guiding you through the poses with her voice. I hate when I have to keep looking over at my screen to see what the instructor is doing. I took a yoga class at a studio near me as well, which I also found very rejuvenating and awakening. Stretching is so great for you, and I think that yoga is great not only for the body, but also for the mind.

Since I got my license in May, I got to drive by myself this summer. I got to hang out with a lot of my friends which was super fun. We went to the pool and went shopping a lot (there really isn't much else to do where I live).

A small highlight was reading the Mortal Instruments book series. I love these kinds of books that take you into a whole new world where the unimaginable is real!

I watched Grey's Anatomy this summer as well, which I would definitely classify as a highlight. I have watched all the seasons on Netflix, and I'm waiting for the next season to come out on Netflix. I'm watching the sister show called Private Practice, which is all about Addison Montgomery instead of Meredith Grey.

I also went to the beach for a week near the end of the summer. You can read more about my beach vacation here. My family and I stayed at Caswell Beach on Oak Island. It's super close to a bunch of other beaches in North Carolina. The beach trip was a super relaxing way to end my summer!

A week ago, I went to the Gay Pride Parade in Charlotte. I marched with the Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety Group. The parade was packed which was so awesome! There were a lot of other organizations supporting their causes and the parade lasted a few hours. There were some really cool floats, and I also saw my first drag queen!

Thanks for reading!

Thea :)

Week In My Life: Beach Vacation at Oak Island ♡

beach
Hey everyone! I just got back from the beach with my family on Sunday and wanted to share some of the fun things we did! I stayed at Caswell Beach on Oak Island for a week (from July 31-August 7).   My aunt stayed with my mom, sister and I from Sunday to Wednesday and then my dad came and joined us on Thursday. We rented a condo with a great beach view and access. Oak Island is an old fashioned little beach town on the coast of North Carolina. It's also close to a bunch of other beaches like Bald Head Island, Holden Beach, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle and Myrtle Beach. It's also about a 15 minute drive away from Southport, which is a great town for shopping and eating. 

The drive from Charlotte to Oak Island was about 4 hours. We stopped along the highway at a produce stand that was selling delicious peach ice cream. 


While walking along the beach, we saw many turtle nesting spots. We noticed that at this spot there were a bunch of cracked and opened eggs, some with yolk inside. The people from turtle rescue told us that many of the turtles had already gone to sea and that a dog must have come at night and eaten the rest. A majority of them did find there way to the ocean which was great news!

Typical hair at the beach was either a messy bun or a ponytail. I hate when my hair gets all sticky and gross from the humidity so I like to keep it up and out of my face. I'm wearing a blue sports bra from Lululemon and a grey tank top from Champion.

We went to the Provision Company at Southport which had great seafood! If you are ever near Southport then you have to go to this restaurant. Don't be scared off if there's a really long line of people waiting, because they turn the tables over extremely fast. 

I got a new bikini top at Evita Swimwear Boutique! It's a white crochet halter top and I love it. It was only $15! The blue bikini bottoms went with a matching top but I thought it looked really cute with this new top too. 

Here's a picture of me in the bikini out on the balcony of the condo we were staying at. You can see the beautiful ocean view in the background! I was scared that this top wouldn't hold up in the water but it did! It withstood the rough waves like a champ.




This was the beautiful view from the Fish House restaurant that we ate dinner at. 



We kayaked around marshes and the intracoastal waterway. We also kayaked near Holden Beach which was really fun and great exercise. There were also other people paddle boarding around us and sailing around.

We ate lunch one day at the Flying Fish Cafe and we had a great view of the beach and the pier. The food was excellent and it was so nice to see everyone having fun out on the beach.


Here are all the bikinis I wore while I was at the beach. I bought the top left floral bikini top from a brand called Yamamay in Italy while shopping in Positano. The white bottoms, blue floral bikini top, light blue bikini set (top & bottoms) and pink striped bikini set (top & bottoms) are all from Target. I got the crochet bikini top from Evita's and the blue bikini bottoms from a brand called Cupsay. 

My trip to Oak Island was a nice, relaxing little getaway before heading back to school on August 29th :( I had a great time and thought the island was very charming and sweet! 

Thanks for reading!

Thea ♡

Popular Posts

Popular Posts

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images