PS While studying for my last exam, I have found an EVEN BETTER study station…. Stephan Moccio. Brilliant. Inspiring. Beautiful.
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Carly A. Riordan
a little bit of life, a little bit of style, and everything in between.
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Get a jump start on your health goals with @onepeloton’s amazing deals this holiday season! Having a Peloton Bike in our home has made getting a good sweat in on my own schedule so convenient. From sweating it out while moving my body during an interval and arms Peloton class to unwinding with a needlepoint canvas, I’m a better version of myself when I find little windows in the day to do something just for me. #sponsored. Save up to $500 on Peloton Bike or Bike+ Purchases. Terms apply.

Just want to go on record to say that I have loved bows and worn bows in my hair before it was cool 🎀
…. and I’ll still wear them when the trends move on 😜
📸 by @carterfish

📌 Save this post! Can’t get over the MAGIC that is @backtonature.nj’s Christmas Market during the holidays! 🎄🌟🎅🏻🧣The decor this year is on a new level. If you need to get into the holiday spirit (or pick up speciality gifts or more decorations for your home), 100% recommend making the drive! It’s worth it ❄️

When you don’t actually feel cute but then kind of end up feeling cute because you put a bow in your hair, slipped into a dress that fits, and swiped on your favorite red lipstick 💋 @hillhouse @annmashburn 🎥 by @carterfish, maybe I’ll post the video without music so you can hear her hyping me up, because you can’t imagine the crowd the bore witness to the making of this Reel 🫣

And then there were three ❤️❄️🎄🌟⛸️ Needlepoint stockings are a huge undertaking… they take hours (and hours and hours) of stitching. The final results are more than worth the effort though. These will hang on our mantle every Christmas and I can’t think of anything more special than that. I finished Mike’s stocking at the end of the summer after stitching almost every night for seven months. I am taking a little break and then I’ll start on the baby’s stocking for next Christmas!! 🥹
#needlepointstocking #needlepoint #ndplt

FROM THE ARCHIVES ❄️⛸️🌲some of my past favorite winter looks mostly because I miss real pants and being able to button my coats

This tree feels extra special this year. 🎄💫⛸️❤️🕯️ Jack is fully embracing the magic of Christmas (“kiss miss”) and his enthusiasm is downright contagious!
Not one of my best qualities, but I typically feel immense pressure trying to make things feel extra special and perfect and then I get disappointed when the reality doesn’t live up to my (unrealistic) expectations. I wish I could blame social media for this.... but I know the call is coming from inside the house.
This tree seems perfect to me, though, just the way it is. It was a true group effort getting it here. Another one of my not-so-great qualities is that I’m terrible at asking for help when I need it.... this year, I can’t ignore it though. I needed help, and a lot of it. Mike got every holiday storage box up from the basement (no small feat) and hoisted the into the house and got it up in the stand within minutes (then redid it twice to get the angle of the tree just so); my mom and I took multiple trips to the hardware store and drug store for the “right” colored lights (in case you’re wondering, “bright white” is warm yellow and “warm white” is actually bright white... make it make sense); my mom wrapped the tree in lights a second time when we learned the hard way that when the box says you can’t plug in more than five strands together they mean it; and Jack was there to help and hype us all up to say how “boo-full” the tree and lights are– and keeping us in line by scolding and reminding us that we aren’t allowed to touch the ornaments 🤭
I feel a little pang of sadness that we aren’t celebrating a first Christmas with a baby who was supposed to be here, while also struggling through a third trimester (just feeling physically tired and exhausted), while also cherishing our last Christmas as a family of three, while also getting excited knowing our baby will be here before we know it. Sure, it’s a lot of pressure to put on one single tree, yet here I am. ⭐️

Good luck on the rest of your exams!
I keep a multitude of stations, rotating between Summertime (Kenny Chesney), The Shins and these days, Swingin Christmas!
Some Pandora recommendations:
For studying:
Canon in D Major (if you enjoy violins)
Clair de Lune (if you enjoy piano)
For everything else that life throws at you:
Sufjan Stevens (this one is actually pretty good for studying if you don't mind words- great mellow background music)
Vampire Weekend
Sweet Disposition (the Temper Trap)
I Want You Back (the Jackson 5)
The Twist (Chubby Checker)
Here Comes the Sun (the Beatles)
Sweet Baby James- James Taylor
Turn! Turn! Turn- The Birds
Simon & Garfunkel
There's a good mix for you! Haha. Have fun with your Pandora 1, and good luck with all of your exams!
enya is great for studying.
good luck! xoxox
pandora+wifi at the gym is amazing….download the app to your ipod and use it at the gym!
My fav fav station is Armin Van Burren! It's great for studying because most of the music doesn't have words or singing, but the melodies are just great to relax to, while at the same time being uplifting and motivating. Also great is Tiesto and Dance 2 Trance, to name a few.
Oh, I love Pandora!
For studying, I always listen to Explosions in the Sky – they're an all-instrumental band out of Texas, and they make some of the most sonically appealing and gorgeous music imaginable.
My favorite Pandora station is Hall & Oates "You Make My Dreams Come True"– it always puts me in a good mood 🙂
I love the Country Christmas station on Pandora!
Believe it or not, our littlest black lab is obsessed with the Michael Buble station. Whenever she's being super-hyper, we turn that on, and she calms down and blisses out. I guess you'd just have to see it to believe it.
I've been all about the Louis Armstrong "Cool Yule" station lately; a very sort of hip, jazzy holiday sound! 🙂
I really liked the "Peaceful Holidays" station for studying this time of year 🙂
I always listen to my Frank Sinatra station when I study and Backstreet Boys for my study breaks. Being introduced to Pandora was the best thing to ever happen to my studying
Right now anything Christmas on Pandora warms my heart, when I'm getting ready to go out, their Gaga station works wonders!