Morning Has Broken

6 AM

                                        Dream Explore Discover Mug: Shutterfly (personalized)
7 AM

8 AM

 Bonjour!

Well, the warm temperatures can only last so long. October was generally warm, stunningly beautiful, and pleasantly pumpkins, but now it's time to move on to Thanksgiving. And hooray for the time change! I can get up early and not have to stub my toes trying to navigate in the dark. I actually shot these photos on an early morning of late October and THIS is the one reason I survive 8 AM classes: I am a sap for sunrises. If I could take a picture of every one, I would.
     It's really hard realizing that this is my last Fall in college. I just can't imagine not seeing the beautiful bursts of Autumn color on campus, and considering UIUC is famous for its gorgeous scenery, it's going to be even harder to stay away. I will miss walking down the main quad and feeling the open air, seeing the tall, old-fashioned buildings presiding over the fringes of the quad. I'll miss the sound of the bells chiming in the distance and the taste of long john donuts just picked up from the Law Building. I will miss the peace and tranquility the solitude brought me while sitting in the woods with a book or eating lunch in the ACES library (which, coincidentally, was not actually allowed). So many memories make me regret not living every moment to its fullest in the present, but they also remind me of the many great moments I did have and continue to have. I'll miss the University and its superb seasonal campus, but you know what? I'll be back.

Mint Moto Vest: Forever 21 | Top: Thrifted | Skirt: Romwe

xoxo, Sara

Part III: Striped Pastels and Macarons

Bonjour!

The school year has officially begun BUT the fun is just beginning. This year marks my final one in college and represents how far I've come since entering as a Freshman. I have made more friends than I can keep track of, have been more places than I epected, and have done things that I would have been too shy to do before. In fact, I think one of the best things college has done for me is to break my shell. And THAT was something that has held me back all my life.

Anyway, these pictures are from Florida and the great times had there. I discovered a macaron shop (!!!) in one of the malls we went to and I FINALLY got to try macarons for the first time. That was huge. Like bucket-list level. Not only was the shop adorable (as you can see from the pictures above), but the employee had a FRENCH ACCENT and I had to catch myself from falling over in wide-eyed, limp-jawed elation. Once I recovered, I asked her how to correctly pronounce "macaron" and have been saying it in my struggling French accent ever since. When I finally got to have a macaron I realized I don't actually care for the taste as much as I anticipated, but whatever. It was the whole eperience that was WORTH it.
 
I am going to try to be diligent with my posting as I get my study schedule figured out, so we'll see how that goes. As usual,

Adventure awaits!

Top: Ragstock | Bow Skirt: Romwe | Shoes: Shoetopia | Hot Pink Crossbody: Thrifted

June Bugs and Puppy Hugs

Bonjour!

 It's been a beautiful summer so far, and I just can't believe that June is almost over! Only 1 1/2 months of summer left and then we're back to the sighs and slows of finishing college... Wow I can't believe I just messed up this post in just two sentences. FORGET school, it's summertime! Vacations and excessive hobbies and sun and flip-flops! No time for school here. Except summer classes, which really aren't that bad considering it's creative writing (WOOHOO).
    Currently I'm working on a mystery short called "Carpe Corpus" (seize the body), appropriately named for its constant relocation of a body that may or may not actually be dead. I've also got a sci-fi in the works which deals with the unexpected fate of a dystopian research team looking for survival in a collapsing world. Sooo excited to get these written and receive feedback from much esteemed colleagues (I hope). But until then...
fun awaits!

 Top: Pick Your Plum | Skirt: Old | Flip-flops: Gifted

xoxo, Sara

Be My Little Baby Bumblebee

       Be My Little Baby Bumblebee

Bonjour! It's been a whirlwind since Valentine's Day, but this week has been especially crazy. With a major assignment due every day and smaller assignments scattered throughout, it has been all I can do just to stay hygienically acceptable for public while making sure the work gets done.

One particular assignment I had to do was cultural research on my family genealogy. This turned out to be quite the event, involving a parent and grandparent and asking a lot of questions/ sorting through timelines. And what I found out was pretty interesting...

1. My family comes from a wide variety of European backgrounds, including England, Canada, and Ireland (as recently as the 1950s!) on one side and Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on the other (I am actually 4th generation German).
2. Many of my ancestors were teachers, preachers, farmers, or soldiers/captains. I must be following in the teacher trend, but none of the other occupations play out in direct or semi-direct relations.
3. My grandpa helped install the first ATMS in my hometown, and my great-grandma was a riveter (like Rosie the Riveter) during WWII.
4. We may have a Native American (Indian? Native North American?) line due to a possible marriage between a related Canadian trapper and a woman of a Canadian tribe.
5. One ancestor was the captain of a trading vessel who immigrated to Canada in the 1600s. A line would later immigrate from Canada to the U.S. in 1880.

Just having the confirmation that part of me was in Ireland (ok, a distant line of relatives, but still!) makes me want to break out the Celtic Thunder even more. And Irish Tenors. I've got a good excuse now, after all. :)

Isn't it fascinating how you can find out so much about the lives of people who are related to you, but who lived long ago in the past? What are your national roots?

Yellow Plaid Jacket/Dress/Purse/Shoes: Thrifted | Silver Chain Belt/ Silver Hairclip: Gifted | Sunglasses: Old
Wearable Heater: Imaginary. This was right before it snowed a few inches.

xoxo, Sara

Highs and Lows

Bonjour!

The school season is finally picking up speed as the first week passed. As such, I am finding it harder and harder to even have free time on weekends, let alone weekdays. The good news? 8:00 AM class comes only once a week, I have found my favorite course of the semester, and behold! Spring is coming soon! Well a little longer than soon, but you have to hold out hope somewhere. And, of course, I get to see old friends again and meet new ones.

The first week of school was a hectic one. The night before school started, my grandpa ended up in the hospital, a couple days later my brother-in-law and *adorable* nephew came up from Florida due to a passing in the family (top picture is at the airport), and on Friday my grandma fell while visiting her sick husband. It was a week full of visiting family, but one that I wish could have been avoided due to the circumstances. Despite the happenings, I managed to (somehow) survive the first week of school and get back into the routine I left off back in December, which brings me now to the end of the second week of the second semester of the third year of college. Ah, life. I've almost got the hang of you.

Outfit (Top)
Top: Thrifted | Skirt: Pick Your Plum | Gold Chain Belt: Gifted | Coat: Zulily
Outfit (Bottom left)
Skirt: Old | Shoes: Shoetopia

xoxo, Sara

january mornings.

 Bonjour!

And the snow finally fell. Not in time for Christmas, of course, but just in time for the heavy traveling that comes with the looming of a new semester. To be quite honest, I love snow. It's beautiful, it makes un-raked yards look cleaner, and it's sparkly. It also matches well with practically any outfit. But it also gets into shoes, boots, whatever, makes the weather colder by reverse causation, and commonly travels with its unpleasant friend, Mr. Ice. And Mr. Ice does everything in his power to make your winter a very unpleasant one.

That being said, I feel winter has finally come to January. Just in time for college to start back up. This morning as I was awakened by the sounds of a cat engaging in regurgitative behaviors, I was suddenly smacked with the realization that class starts next week at 8:00 AM bright and early. And not only does class start next week at 8:00 AM bright and early, but at the time which I will have to get up (ahem, 6:00) it is not even bright insomuch as it is early. In fact, when I finished hauling the afore-mentioned puking cat to her litterbox to dispel of unwanted inner ick, and looked out the window, I found to my gaping astonishment that the moon WAS STILL HAPPILY SITTING IN AN OVERHEAD POSITION IN THE SKY. At 6 in the morning. The sun was nowhere in sight.

I could have cried right then and there. I felt a heavy feeling of foreboding settle over my soul like a blanket of snow on the frozen ground. Or maybe it was my body's way of punishing me for having to leap out of bed so early in the morning on break. Regardless, I knew from that point forward that, for two days a week, I would be getting up in practically nighttime settings, leaving the house at the crack of dawn (if I'm lucky), and arriving at class with the sun on its way to a higher point in the morning sky. I cringe just thinking about it.

Then, another thought struck me. I have to leave at 7 in the morning only two days a week, which is three days less than normal public-school kids. I live in the same city as the university, so I have an even lesser distance to travel than some college students. Furthermore, most people who aren't even going to college have to leave the house just as early or earlier to get to work every morning. And I realized: I am a huge debbie-downer. I am having a pity party over LIFE. So now I am thinking, You know what? I hate getting up early and I hate being out early. But life happens. Some people have it better, but most have it worse. So you just have to make the morning love you, rather than the other way around. It may take a while, but carpe diem! Until then, I am going to make the most out of break and relax as much as possible.

And going to hope that the cat stops barfing while I am trying to sleep.

xoxo, Sara

April/May Flashback

Bonjour! School is finally out (until the summer semester starts anyway... :( ) and I finally have a chance to slow down and see what I have been doing with myself. April and early May were so busy that I didn't get a chance to post very often- bad blogger! Bad!- but hopefully I can fix that now that summer break has finally begun.

 Campus was a madhouse when a tv crew from the Ellen show showed up to film a movie costume contest...  Joker won. I personally would have voted for the Wilson ball, but  hey.

 Had a blast at my first Legacy Five concert...

 What my Package Pal received in the mail from a certain theme-crazy blogger/crafter

Mother's Day


Happy summer break!
xoxo, Sara