Moving On Up

“Enough already! We get it. You had a perfect roommate in college. You became best friends. You didn’t want to leave her. We know!!!” complains everyone that follows me on any social media platform, or just knows me in general. And yes, I am sorry for the overload of love and sap, but these nine month sleepovers do not go as well for everyone, and I am just so grateful.

I won’t lie, in the beginning, there were times when I thought to myself, Is this seriously going to work? Living in such tight quarters with someone is not easy, and we will be the first to tell you that. We would also BOTH be the first to tell you that if someone had asked us if we’d become best friends by the end, it would have been a flat no. Madelyn and I went to grade school and high school together, so right off the bat we were breaking college roommate rule #1- Don’t room with a friend.

I do understand this philosophy of steering clear of strong relationships and branching out for the first year of college, but I am way too much of a homebody and creature of habit to be thrown into a brand new place with my bonus being a stranger to sleep in the same room with. Yeah, no thanks.

Fast forward from the worry and the secret Pinterest board planning our beautiful temporary home (which ended up as fabulous as we dreamed), Madelyn and I did not want to leave! Yes, we do understand that with a water bottle and a good playlist, we could walk to each other’s houses, but that just is not the same as spending late nights on our rug laughing about nonsense when we should clearly be studying. Or illegally making toast and grilled chicken on our forbidden grill. Or getting ready together while staying in our towel wraps for an excessive amount of time. Or knowing when we need a group nap with little lights. It just isn’t the same.

We were calm, cool, and collected about moving out until a friend had mentioned it took several hours to move out of her dorm. We looked at each other both thinking, we have sooooooo much more s t u f f than she does. We went home, turned on music, and got to work! We didn’t even know where to start, but we began by stripping the walls. Literally, paint, drywall, you name it, it came off the wall!DSC00731

We resolved this (not so) small problem like any smart girls would, a field trip to Home Depot with a piece of the wall that should have still been a part of the wall! They matched the paint, we returned, and the wall started looking better than before. No one could tell, and there was no way in heck we were going to pay fines for having cute decor.

All in all, our adorable 2409 became such a fun place where laughter and smiles came aplenty and homesick tears began to fade as the weeks went by. We have a million and one memories of our time that we made just about as fun as anyone could with plans to move on for a million and one more. That teeny tiny room gave us the friendship that we will forever be thankful for.

Next year will be much harder than I had anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, I am eager, anxious, and beyond excited to get to Mizzou, but I am sad that my best friend and roommate will not be coming with me. Instagram, we have many plans to reunite and annoy the heck out of everyone, so don’t you worry. She will be knee-deep in nursing school and I will be waist-deep in papers that I don’t know how to start, but we are moving on to bigger and better things to make our lives extra fabulous. This is my fab life, and I am oh so grateful that Madelyn is apart of it. 

DSC00749
Her smile was constant. Mine came after the constant flow of tears. Because I was sad? No, no I just checked my final grade in Econ. 

 

PS: we decided that we lived so well together as roommates, we shouldn’t let it go to waist. After we graduate, we will be coming at you Monica Geller and Rachel Green style until we meet our lobsters. Now THAT will be fun.

Nineteen Fab Gifts

My Fab life grows and grows with each gift, costly or not, that I receive. While April is quickly wrapping up and I am still in that birthday mojo, I have thrown together a few of my favorite things.

19 of the Most Fabulous Gifts I’ve Received: 

  1. A trip with my mom- these tend to come often. Business trip on your kid’s birthday? Problem solved.
  2. My camera- They don’t call me the #selfiequeen for nothing. I love me a quality pic.Processed with VSCO with b1 preset
  3. Alex and Ani bracelets– My arm candy wouldn’t be complete with out them! I mean, seriously these ladies have come in clutch for the gift-giving world. Every occasion in a gold bangle- BRILLIANT! {The pineapple is, of course, my fav}.
  4. S’well water bottle– The pink bottle that completes every day’s look and keeps my water c h i l l.  Due to my water bottle fetish, my mother has limited them to gifts only (or I would literally buy them all).

    FullSizeRender
    Peep: Simplified Planner (#18)
  5. Jesus Calling– The devotional my best friend sent me in the mail. Not only do I get to reflect on and with God every day, but I get to think of her every time I read it.
  6. Bags- If you’ve ever lost me at the mall, you know where to find me–> searching for my next clutch, tote, or every day-er that I most likely (100% likely) do not need.
  7. Luggage- for real. If you’re going to look cute when you travel, then little miss suitcase better follow your lead. I love that my suitcases have gotten me through my best trips. It’s like we have a relationship (too far?). Also, a very practical and much needed gift.

    Processed with VSCO with c1 preset
    Try to find me at the airport.
  8. THROWBACK: American Girl Dolls (+Bitty Baby)- only THE best gift a girl could ever ask for. When I was Little Lindsey, these dolls were my peeps, and I was totally THAT girl that brushed their hair, dressed them up, and then just looked at them. They’re so pretty! {Samantha will always have my heart}.
  9. Concert tickets- An event is always fun and GIVES those MEMS. My 15th birthday was complimentary of Taylor, herself. Swift, that is.
  10. The holes in my ears count for year number 8. Libby Lu (wow I am dating myself) pierced me forever with my first pair of pretty little pearls. Good thing they fit because this one is a no gift receipt kind of deal.
  11. FitBit Blaze– The ultimate “I don’t text in class and I don’t get 10k steps every day” electronic device. It may cause wrist radiation, but that hasn’t stopped me from buying more bands on Amazon.

    Processed with VSCO with b5 preset
    Soft smiles for FabFit!!
  12. Lip gloss & Perfume- All. Day. Long. If we’re talking lip gloss, the Stilas are my favorite!! My collection is unhealthy but, hello, all light pinks serve different purposes. As for perfume, I got Marc Jacobs’ Daisy for Christmas this past year, and I am honestly still trying to decide if I like the smell or the bottle better. Hmm?
  13. Cards- Not gift cards. And no, not the ones that rain money. Don’t get me wrong, those are fab, but the kind that have sweet words. Being the hoarder I am, every card I have ever received is in a hot pink box under my bed. (When you are writing your cards, remember that people DO read them!!)Processed with VSCO with f2 preset
  14. A playlist- Literally free. Literally the best. My “poor” brother (fo real, dirtttt poor) made me a Spotify playlist and, well, it made My Top 19, so that’s something. I love listening to it thinking about him adding songs that he knows I love, smiling at our favorites, and laughing at some of the funnies he snuck in. (He keeps me hip.)
  15. Shoes- ALL of them. The April birthday is perfectly times for those new spring flippies. My summer Havainas are usually thanks to making it another year older.

    Processed with VSCO with c1 preset
    Yes, all of my toes are the same length.
  16. Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones– Well, well, well I recently received my first pair of these magical buds and they have quickly become my best buds. (I even had to look the name up because I don’t keep up with new technology! Shhhh…)! They accompany me on every run, but my favorite part…I can squat WITH music WITHOUT holding my phone. Boom.
  17. Birthday donuts- When someone wakes up 10 minutes earlier for a donut run to give your birthday a few more sprinkles, keep them. I repeat, they are keepers!!

    Processed with VSCO with f2 preset
    I spy Alex and Ani. I spy a hat.
  18. A signed copy of Emily Ley’s, Grace Not Perfection– We all know my obsession, so there’s no need for an explanation. One question though: who else is counting the hours until Monday’s Simplified Planner release?
  19. Hats- I’m a hat girl, and tHAT’s a fact. I have a million of these lifesavers, and the majority have been gifts. My people know me so well (and by knowing, I mean they KNOW I wake up 5 minutes before walking out the door). Here’s my go-to STL classic.

Gifts are so special. We all know that gift card runs to Walgreens are sometimes the easiest option, but a well thought out gift can show how much you value the relationship or friendship. Like I said, I love love love wearing, using, or just simply having things that other people wanted me to give me. They DO NOT have to be expensive and some don’t even have to cost! I will be the first to admit that I like nice things, but who doesn’t? Gifts are all about thought, which is why simple HBD texts, tweets, instas, and FB messages go a long way. Everybody loves a birthday shoutout.

In all seriousness though, I don’t know what’s better: receiving a gift or being the GIVER. Sometimes when I’m on the hunt for that special gift, it’s hard for me to stop. Or or or isn’t it the best when you find the PERFECT gift? And you just have to give it to them unwrapped because they obviously need it. Right now. If you are in the gift-giving role anytime soon (or it’s just time to treat yourself), I hope this list helps you make someone else’s (aka your) life even more fab.

Our Darling Duo

St. Pete has been on the books for several months now. The annual business trip that we girls have conveniently turned into a mother-daughter trip was just fabulous enough to fill our love buckets until next year.

Now, I do know what you’re thinking. Skipping school for vacation? Is that necessary? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s 100% irrational, and I will be paying for it, but a trip with my mom? At a pink hotel? I’m. So. There. She really needs to learn how to say no. Like, “No Lindsey, you should not miss four days of classes for no reason!” But until then, vacation on.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset
Four days. Four bags. One gal.

We are absolutely those girls that take ALL the travel pictures, but we will take that into account the next time we book a 6am flight. “You’re out of chai?” Girl, it’s 5am, there is no way you’ve had a line around the corner for chai’s . Iced coffee it is, but not without an eye roll. Oh the bags (under our eyes!!). But also, oh the bags, as in luggage. Three words that will most definitely never come out of either of our mouths: “I travel light!” HA. To the people that can pack ONE outfit a day, how do you do it? All the cudos.

I went from pool to beach to pool to beach, waiting for the lovely lady to get out of her meetings. She’d order drinks and we’d repeat. Hers was the real deal, but if y’all recall I’m only 19!! After we turned our bodies into lava, the shower and aloe prepped us for dinner. Only to return and be in bed by 10, of course.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

It would have been easier to cover this absence up had I not gone from human to tomato on the first day. Y’all (I can say that, I’m still in FL), my skin!! People that pay for a peel at spas, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I got this one for a killer deal! Okay fine, it was free! This classic burn has left my skin fresher than ever, you know now that it has shed like a snake.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset
Save your breath. No, we are not sisters.

The highlight of our trip was catching up with family nearby. The sweetest cousins that just don’t live close enough were my dinner dates not once but twice. They are friends to my idol, Emily Ley, and my heart went from smiling to SMILING when I FaceTimed her. Yes, you can read that again, but it’s still going to say FaceTime. If you’re wondering (and I know you are), she’s as sweet as her book, planners, and hecka beautiful Instagram.

 

Well, that’s a wrap on our trip- back to reality! I just love our duo. I love the things I get to do with her, the places she’s taking me, and the smiles we share. I’m so thankful for this human. I’m even more thankful I get to call her mom. And I’m triple thankful I get to live this fab life with her.