Quick Update on Me

Just to let y'all know why I'm not posting: I've been admitted to the hospital for monitoring of my Crohn's disease and I'll be staying through the weekend. I've got my laptop but I'm honestly so exhausted that I haven't been able to post! Sorry I'm not posting! I'll be back soon!
Thanks!
Hannah

Etsy STEAL: Monogrammed Necklaces

Just wanted to bring you a great deal today! 

I know y'all are huge fans of monogrammed necklaces, and I've bought some for friends and family members and even have one myself. So when I saw this on Etsy I knew I had to share it with y'all. It's two monogrammed necklaces for the price of one, and they're adorable!

$30 Acrylic necklace deal Via Vitabravo1 on Etsy

The seller has lots of color choices, and you'll get TWO monogram necklaces for $30,  which is a pretty good price for an acrylic monogrammed necklace! I say run and grab this deal RIGHT NOW!

Oh, and if you've been wanting to get a monogrammed necklace in silver or gold instead of acrylic, this Etsy shop is running the same deal for $50 on metal cut out monogrammed necklaces! This is such a great deal for these necklaces, and you can't go wrong with silver and gold, right?

$50  necklace deal Via Vitabravo1 on Etsy

Are you going to jump on this deal? Let me know if you do!
Have a great Tuesday!
-Hannah

Monday Motivation- Find the Good

Happy Monday, y'all. Anyone else finding this Monday a little extra... Mondayish? I think it's Daylight savings, ain't nobody got time for that. Seriously. Well, I mean, I guess I technically do since I'm home, but I don't enjoy it either way. So I'm definitely needing a little motivation today.

This week I've been struggling a bit with finding the good.  We all have our struggles, and that's just mine. Whatever you may be going through right now, I think it's important to take time to step out of your head and your life for a minute or two and remind yourself of all the incredible, beautiful, wonderful GOOD that is out there.

This video does that for me. It's another one from Soul Pancake (remember the Motivation Monday when I featured Kid President? Love that kid!) and it just reminds me how cool people are and how much we all have in common. 

Would you have sat in the ball pit and opened up to a stranger? What helps you find the good when you're down? Share with me!

Hope you're happy and healthy y'all!
Love,
Hannah

Saturday Instagram Recap

Happy Saturday! Hope y'all are having a great weekend! Let's jump in to the link up with Sara! 

Missing my OM team from back in the day!

New background

My fave game

Gracie attacked my heating pad

Puppy Snuggles.

Bath and Body Works Candle Haul

American Idiot today! We were literally first row, touching the stage haha. 

Encore at AI! I got a pic from St Jimmy :) 

 A good week overall. Hope y'all are doing great and you're happy and healthy!

Love,
Hannah

Creating a Sanctuary

Whether you're just surviving midterms or about to come back from Spring Break, you're no stranger to the concept of stress. I'm still dealing with stress on a daily basis and I'm not currently in school. Stress is known to have all sorts of negative impacts on the body, from chronic illness to anxiety and more!

But it's not as easy as saying "Don't be stressed out". Uh, thanks. I'll work on that between all the other stuff I have going on.  

Lately I've been working really hard on wellness as a whole concept. Medicine is not enough to cure my Crohn's, and I'm turning to alternative medicine, diet, meditation, and more. One thing that has been particularly effective for me lately is having a safe space in my home that relaxes me. I like to think of my room as my sanctuary.

Making your living space comfortable, safe, and relaxing is so important. Knowing you have a place that is a go-to for relaxation can help you relax when you're sick, stressed, or just need sleep! Here are my ideas to transform your room from stressful to sanctuary.

• Make sure spaces are functional: If you have a lot of bookshelf space being used for books you haven't read anymore, clear them out and donate, then buy boxes to store things you'll actually use and enjoy. The less there is on your floor and cluttered on shelves, the more comfortable you'll feel! 
• Cultivate collections of things you enjoy: For example, if you love nail polish like I do, bring that into your room and make that a focal point in the room. Put it on display instead of hiding it in bins.

My nail polish collection is a point of pride for me, so having it on display is a great reminder of something I really love! 

• Bring in things that help you relax: For me, it's scented candles. I have a whole table of scented candles I light while I'm in bed and not feeling so great. If that's not a possibility for you, try music, or whatever works best for you!
• Keep it clean: I know it's a pain, but a clean space is comforting AND relaxing.
• Hang things that inspire you: I made these canvases for my dorm this spring and I really love having them in my view every day. 

• Surround yourself with positivity: That means pictures, good memories, cards whatever helps. 
• Bring in material that is both stimulating and entertaining: I've really enjoyed my Kindle lately, and keeping that by my bedside has been great. On the other hand, it's just as important to me to read my favorite fun, lighthearted blogs. Just being in touch with others is important! 

What do you do to make your space a sanctuary? Do you have any other tips?

Hope you're all happy and healthy!

Love,

Hannah

Pick A Pair: Mani-Pedi Combos You'll Love

I got the idea for this post when I was doing my last mani-pedi. I always try to come up with chic, unique, and eye-catching combos for my mani-pedis. It's easy to pull two polishes from the newest collection and have them go together, but it's much more fun to mix and match old favorites and watch them come to life in a new way.
This Spring's collections from Essie and OPI were a little disappointing in my opinion. There were definite winner polishes amongst the bunches, but I didn't end up purchasing much at all, which y'all know is unusual for me! So I've actually really been enjoying shopping my collection and rediscovering old favorites. These are just suggestions, and feel free to look at your collection and change the combos based on what you have. There are no rules when it comes to mani-pedi combos in my book. If you think it works, it probably does! I also want to say that I've set these up so that you can wear them with either polish on your fingers OR toes, so there's no right way to read this!

The combo that inspired this post! I love these polishes together! I think they work with either polish on fingers or toes. I'm currently wearing Ole Caliente on my fingers and Bikini So Teeny on my toes. It just feels more unexpected to have the baby blue on the toes, which I love. Plus, the hot coral on my fingers is to die for! But I'm thinking I'll reverse this one soon! 

This combo is a little cooler in nature. If you don't have Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue, you might have Essie's Butler Please. I like the idea of these two together because they both have purple tones to them. Also, I like to add the Revlon glitter in Radiant as an accent to Pacific Blue sometimes, so that's a fun addition if you're bored! Again, it's up to you which is for fingers and which is for toes!

Zoya Elodie is such a gorgeous color, I feel like it just looks like the inside of a grapefruit! I had to pair it with something equally dynamic, so I chose Essie's Boxer Shorts, which is a blue with shimmer and purple shades to it. This combo will feel really fresh as we head into spring. In a more conservative setting, Elodie works well on fingertips, but I think this combo works well both ways. 

I wanted to do a combo that felt like it would work for someone who had to be in an office setting. This includes a really gorgeous nude shimmer for fingertips from this January's Mariah Carey collection, and my favorite glossy hot pink shimmer from the Minnie Mouse Collection. The shimmers pair well together, and it's a good balance of grown up and girly!

Last, but not least are Where's my Chauffer and Pink Friday! I like these two together because they really bring out the true pastel tones in each other and they were both big sellers in their own collections. I think combined they'd look incredible and feel like Easter came a little early. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes! 

These are just a few of the combos I came up with this week while I shopped my collection. What are your favorite color combos for spring? Do you shop your collection, or do you have to have something new to keep inspiration flowing? Share your favorite pairs with me please, I'm always looking for a new duo!

Hope you're happy and healthy!
Love,
Hannah

Time for a Staycation!

What, you're not lucky enough to be headed somewhere exotic and fabulous for Spring Break?

Me neither! So I'm having a Staycation and you're invited! 

Here's the plan:

Got any other ideas for a fun little staycation? Share with me, because I'll be home for a while!
I'm using my student ID to seeing American Idiot (the musical) this weekend! I got front row tickets with my best friend and I'm super excited! I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Hope y'all are happy and healthy!
-Hannah 

Kickin' It With Keds Collaborations

Ok, I have a teensy tiny confession. I am not a shoe girl. Don't throw your heels at me, ladies! I've never been all that coordinated and I have difficult feet. So I live for cutesy, comfy kicks. I'm the girl who wears out her pair of Jack Rogers and will rock a pair of classic black ballet flats probably too often in the winter. Whatever.

When it comes to the awkward Spring weather in Charlotte (y'all, it snowed this weekend?) I'm loving fun little sneakers. Keds is throwing out some seriously chic collaborations too! Can you say Kate Spade and Taylor Swift? Yes please!


I'm loving some of Taylor's Picks for Keds. Then again, I'm a fan of her style in general. Lots of girly flair and cute dots. I also love the way she's wearing the little tennis shoes with dresses and skirts. I'm not sure I'd be able to pull it off, but I so want to try, don't you?

via MTV Style

Also, can we talk about the Kate Spade collaboration? I think it's very much in the same vein as the new Kate Spade Saturday line--- a more affordable, accessible Kate Spade. Still bright, still sweet, and still CUTE. These are limited edition and a little more pricey at around $75-85, but I love the patterns and colors! I think they're a great tribute to both Keds and Kate Spade!

Via Keds site

What do you think of the Keds spring line? Would you wear these fun shoes this spring? Are you loving the collaborations with Kate Spade and Taylor Swift?

Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Monday Motivation: A Season For Everything (Also, I'm BACK!)

I'm back y'all! Hopefully for good this time! If you didn't know, I took time off from blogging because my life got a lot overwhelming. My health has been a constant source of difficulty for me over the past five years since I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I tried to go back to college this Spring after a major surgery (in October), but it turns out a major Crohn's flare was just an insurmountable obstacle and everything became incredibly difficult at college. I withdrew from school last week and now I'm back at home unfortunately. I'll be taking time to work with doctors to improve my health, and doing whatever I can mind, body, and spirit to heal. I'm also hoping to do a lot in terms of advocating for Crohn's and other chronic illnesses.
 The way I look at it, this experience is just a speed bump. I'm on a great path. I have a great future. I'm doing great things, and I'm excited about that. There's a season for every thing, and right now I KNOW I need to take care of myself and my health.

I know God would never steer me wrong. I spent so much time before I withdrew last month crying and stressed out. Praying for an answer that all along was right in front of me. Let me just say, my health is already improving now that I am home and taking care of my body and spirit. I know this is what I need right now.
I encourage everyone to listen to themselves and God more, because even when it seems like you "can't" you probably can and need to.

Ignore anyone who tells you you're not good enough. Even that part of yourself that sometimes wants to call you a loser. Because I dealt with that girl a lot last month, and let's face it, she's not helpful! God is on your side and he has a reason and a plan for everything you're going through.

Hang in there. Keep praying and keep going.


Oh and bear with me if I'm a little all over the place with posts. I'm hoping to be back to this but I really don't know what the next few months will be like now that I'm home. Glad to be back though!

Hope this finds you happy and healthy,
Hannah