June was rough. As I’m obviously mentioned before. Probably even worse than the super-terrible month that was February. #Woof.
The good news? July is and has been absolutely awesome. Starting off the month with a vacation in Florida was probably the best thing I could have done. I was clicking reset by the pool. Amazing.
Don’t you find that when you’re genuinely happy and not borderline miserable that everything you encounter seems better. Food… Movies… Jokes… Friends… Dating… Everything!
It seems like everything I see and do nowadays I find myself just head-over-heels about. This is great (but can be dangerous when I’m shopping!). I thought I’d share a few of the things that have made my list of current obsessions. (I also really want to know what you’re loving!)
(ONE) Humans of New York
Humans of New York is a crazy inspiring Tumblr blog. Brandon, the photographer, goes around the city and captures these amazingly beautiful and vulnerable moments on the streets of New York. He also documents their stories. It’s seriously amazing. When I’m walking around the city or simply waiting for a train, I play this game where I make up stories for the most interesting person I see. (It’s a really great exercise for writing actually!) I try to piece together who they are, where they come from, where they’re going. What makes them happy. What makes them angry. Have they been hurt before? I love that Brandon actually does this. Definitely check it out!
(TWO) Mangos
Maxie got me into mangos. I blame her for my addiction. Because it’s truly that… an addiction. I think about them all the time. Maybe I have some sort of vitamin deficiency that mangos solve. Because, literally, I could eat them for every meal. Mango smoothie in the morning? Sure! Dried mango during the day as a snack? Yes! Cut up mango in a salad? Yes, please! Plain mango for dinner? Yep!
I had been buying the dried mango from Whole Foods and pre-cut mango from the local grocery store, but it was getting kind of expensive. Every bodega on every corner has an amazing selection of fresh fruit and it’s so much cheaper. The only problem, I realized when I got home, was that I had NO idea how to cut mangos. It’s an art. Whole Foods showed me how!
(Guess what I’ve been eating for dinner every night!)
(THREE) Forever 21
Confession… I have zero patience for Forever 21. My sister has amazing luck with finding hidden gems, but I get overwhelmed. While I was home in Florida, I went shopping in the mall with my Mom. Right as we were about to leave, we popped into the F21 to look for cheap workout clothes. (Target was totally sold out of everything in my size!) I just cannot justify buying Lululemon. Love it, but ridiculous. I’d rather buy Kate Spade dresses and J. Crew shoes. These adorable workout pants are under $10. #Bam
(FOUR) Pretty Little Liars
Oh… I’ve totally become addicted to Pretty Little Liars. I mean, full on addicted. It’s the best thing for the summer. Super light, super hot guys, and a ridiculous absolutely-too-crazy-to-be-real-life plot line. What could be better? My favorite character? Spencer. I even braided my hair one night like her. And frankly, it’s the best hairstyle for the summer. Yep. Love it! (Please tell me I’m not the only one addicted to the show? WHO IS A?!?!?)
(FIVE) Anthropologie Wallpaper
I’m resigning my lease (eep!) for my apartment. This has re-inspired me to get my apartment in order. Frankly, I’ve been terrible about decorating it. Too tricky and I was afraid to do anything really if it wasn’t “perfect.” (Pinterest puts on WAY too much pressure! SHEESH.) The other day, I decided to rearrange my bedroom and it kind of got me going on a roll to start decorating. Now I have so many ideas. I can’t wait to start working on my #ProjectApartment. One hint… I’m choosing a wallpaper from Anthropologie for my bedroom!
Tell me! What are you loving right now?
xoxo
I'm so happy everything is going well for you. You deserve it! I am now obsessed with Humans of New York. It's breathtaking and inspiring. I also am a big fan of mangos. They're absolutely delish!
Xoxo,
Christine
What am I loving… I must say that the five things I am loving right now are tunics from Chez Shell, flip flops, my new fish, popcorn, and sleeping! I honestly haven't gotten good sleep in a while so it will feel nice when I can go home and sleep in. That Humans of New York tumblr is absolutely amazing by the way! So inspiring!
Hunter
preponabudge.blogspot.com
I bought those yoga pants the other day! They are so good for the price!! <3
Kind of, sort of loving this weather… I just wish it wasn't so hot in Cali haha. I seriously love the fact that it doesn't get dark out until late. It's the one thing I miss when it's winter time! The fact I can paint my toenails and wear sandals makes me happy, since I usually don't do that stuff like ever. Eek, I love watching Pretty Little Liars, and the way Spencer dresses reminds me of you!
Pretty Little Liars is so addicting! Spencer is my favorite too.
100% with you on PLL! Addicted too! Wish my hair was a little longer so I could rock the Spencer braid!
The first photo is just too precious!!! I also LOOOOOVE mangoes. They're too good.
🙂
Carrie
http://readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/
1. Instagram: I'm not a social media ninja like most of my peers, but love the daily dose of inspiration that I get on my phone.
2. Spinning: My love/hate relationship with exercise is constantly on the fritz, but I find myself actually looking forward to Heidi's Tuesday morning spin class at CSC.
3. Maxi skirts: Hello, comfort!
4. Rearranging my bookshelf: This is a weird one, but I find myself constantly restyling my bookcase. For a glimpse at my current color curated beauty, see my blog.
5. Buying books: Whether from Amazon.com or from my local bookstore, I can't seem to stop myself.
And yes, humans of New York is the bomb 🙂
I love Forever21 and Pretty Little Liars!
XO
http://www.livebowfully.com
I will admit I am obsessed Pretty Little Liars and Spencer's hair! When I saw you braided your hair like that, I just HAD to look up how to do that. Seriously in love with that braid.
xx, Julianna {sassdelsur.blogspot.com}
Yea I am LOVING Pretty Little Liars….my fav is Spencer… Im playing catch up on netflix and just finished season one…ok does anyone else get kinda freaked out when they are alone?!? I feel like someone is looking in my windows now! #suchadork 🙂
I need to give mangoes another shot. I always run low on patience when trying to peel them!
Suppose Anything Goes
I love mangos! The are absolutely delicious an make fantastic healthy treats! Right now I am loving:
1. Instagram: I have an Instagram problem. I want to Instagram everything!
2. Macarons: After recently trying these for the first time, I have to resist the temptation to go and eat some more!
3. Red: I love this color on clothing. I recently discovered that red is a good color on me and I'm tempted to buy every red article of clothing!
4. Crest 3D White mouthwash: As an avid coffee drinker, I feel the need to always brush my teeth so they won't get stained, but this mouthwash makes a huge difference!
5. Sticky Notes: I recently started to buy cute stationary and I love writing to do lists now!
Devi
The Growing Curve
i absolutely love pretty little liars!! check out my review of the latest episode on my blog!
annie
http://acollegeconfession.blogspot.com/2013/07/tv-time-pretty-little-liars-4×05.html
Love PLL. Spencer is my favorite, too! I've been watching it since the series premier. It's an addiction. Also love that you mentioned HONY. His photos and stories are amazing.
i am glad that you are having a better month! have you tried the mango sorbet from trader joes? seriously my favorite thing now. and i love pretty little liars! spencer is my favorite too! and i hope you are getting the peonies wallpaper from anthro! i love it!
I love love Anthropologie wallpaper!!! Definitely looking at it for my new apartment!
Seriously though, who is A?!
Mangoes are one of the things I really miss about South Florida. Everyone seems to have mango and avocado trees in their yard, so kitchens are overflowing this time of year. I usually pick up some sliced mango when I'm down at Union Square. There's always someone selling it and it's a great alternative to the long list of unhealthy things to nosh on while you're out and about!
Totally obsessed with PLL! If you're really wondering, there are definitely spoilers out there. The books have already said who A is and the whole Mona storyline was the same in the books and the show so it might be true for A. But be careful – you can't unread spoilers!
Wow! Humans of New York is amazing!!! The pictures are just breathtaking!
I love posts like these<3 I feel the same about F21! I always get so overwhelmed but those pants are cute.
http://www.crushedcandyy.blogspot.com
I absolutely love PLL too (I watch it religiously online from the UK) and I completely agree – Spencer is definitely the best! I need to learn how to braid my hair like that!
xx
http://takemetocali.blogspot.com.es
I love that you spotlighted HONY (not that he needs the publicity, he seems to be doing quite well for himself). In cities I find it is harder to see those you encounter without engaging as people. I think this is why cities are seen as less friendly, not knowing the person whose coffee you spilled without apologizing for makes it easier to brush off. Telling the stories of (often) marginalized people who we often brush off makes them more relatable and harder to judge. He certainly has a knack for reading people and finding stories.
Completely unrelated but TOTALLY important. Buy Lululemon. Seriously, just bite the bullet. I say this as a Vancouverite whom their products were built for. I have never had to rebuy a product, which is something I cannot say for F21. Their workout stuff is amazing and a lot of it can transition into stuff to run errands in or even wear to work. It was made for that. While it seems pricy, I promise you will save money because of the quality and versatility. Plus F21 does not have pockets for phones, keys, and money.