(Belated) Five on Friday

I know, I know, it's Saturday. But I was on my feet moving, doing something from 6:30am until midnight yesterday. That doesn't leave much time for blogging!

So I'm doing it tonight. I'll try to exclude all I did today (which is a lot), you'll have to wait til the next Five on Friday post to hear all about it. ;)

This was my first week of work and it was amazing! It felt great working up early and getting to accomplish things throughout the day. While exhausted at the end of the day, I accomplished so much and had so much fun. I love summer camp. I can't wait to go to camp again! It's really different being a staff member versus being a volunteer, which I was for the past 4 years at the place where I work.

Without further ado... my Five on Friday!

1. Sales: J.Crew knows how to do sales. During its additional 30% off sale and additional 50% off final sale, I went crazy. Crazy. That's what not shopping in a couple weeks does to ya. ;) I spent over $150 online. In my defense, the retail value of all my clothes was over $625! That's a win in my book. Read about my haul here! Then I happened (honestly it was a coincidence) to go to the mall and went into my local J.Crew. In store, they were having an additional 50% off all sale! Score! I bought a pair of chino shorts and the most gorgeous dress (my new obsession). I will show those in a haul sometime soon. (PS: Madewell is having an additional 30% off sale items sale! It ends on 6/29!)
2. Camp: Obviously. It was my first week and it was awesome. I love my job! I was talking with my coworker, J and we talked about how much we love our job. J is studying to be a Kindergarten teacher and she's going to be an amazing Kindergarten teacher. J brought up the quote "If you love your job, you'll never have to work a day in your life." After my first week on the job, I couldn't agree more. I love going to my job and that's an amazing feeling. The kids say the cutest things and they notice everything! I was talking with my coworkers J and K about how much the kids notice about us (the counselors) that we don't even notice. J says "Co-cool!" often and she didn't even realize until one of her campers pointed it out. The kids truly are amazing. Yay for summer camp and Kidz Bop Spotify! How often do you get to Zumba to Frozen's Let It Go, kickbox with five year olds, and play in the museum version of Disney World with kids daily? I know that I have the best job... in the world.
3. Surprise parties: I'm not huge on big parties, but I love small, intimate parties. On Friday, I attended a surprise party for my sweet school friend, TD. She is a competitive swimmer and her two friends from swim organized the party. Although SS and me were the only non-swim friends at the party, we had so much fun! I knew one of the hosts from middle school and we were close friends. All of TD's swim friends were so sweet, and the two hosts were the best! SS and I had so much fun and we loved TD's friends. Silly string, a custom made Spotify for TD and homemade cake, I love small surprise parties and TD & her hosts. It was awesome of them to invite TD's school friends!
4. Driving: I've been driving to and from work all week practicing. I've got to say that I love it! Although when I make a mistake, I get really stressed and freak out, but I've gotten a lot better over the week. And I love driving with the radio on... which leads me to #5!
5. Classic: After watching all of Sarah Belle's videos, she's got me hooked to Classic. I'm always singing to it, which is convenient because it's always on the radio. (PS: I only listen to the radio while driving which is why this is one of the first times I've heard this song, haha! 5SOS' She Looks So Perfect is really catchy too. My Spotify plays Best Day of My Life often and I'm so glad the radio loves it too!)
6. Extra! Kidz Bop Spotify: because that's what we listen to in camp. Our kids love Katy Perry's Roar and What Does the Fox Say? The limit of times those kids will become tired of those songs does not exist. (Sorry for the lame pre-calc joke!)

PS: Remember my Sunnies post? Ray-Bans are currently on sale at Rue La La! The sale ends at midnight on June 29th!  

Major J.Crew Haul

If I wrote a book, its title would be "How To Convince Your Parents To Let You Spend $150+ on one J.Crew Purchase".

This never happens. My mom didn't like two items, which is pretty good seeing as I had 8 items. I ended up buying:

• 2 sweaters
• 1 dress
• 3 button-downs
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of socks

for around $150? (I think the end product was $152 something.) From J.Crew and J.Crew quality? I think yes. I caved and got a pair of lobster socks. I'm excited. I'm so excited for my purchase to come in - yay! 

I'll be sure to do a haul of all my new purchases, I'm super excited about all of them! And the best part? The retail value of all my items combined is... $628! I spent less than a fourth of the retail price. #ExtremeCouponingAllStar?

Two of my button-downs are from the men's section. I couldn't resist! I got them in an XS and I'm usually a S in women's. I expect them to be a little loose, just like I like them. We'll see.

Here are the items I got:

Merino Mesh-Sleeve Sweater

Review: I love this sweater! I got it in my normal size, a small. It fit perfectly. The sleeves are really cool because they're mesh! (Go to the link above to view a close up.) It's a really light sweater and so comfortable!

Merino Zip-Shoulder Sweater

Review: This sweater is a little thicker and still really comfortable. I really like it too and the zippers are a cute touch!

Classic Chambray Popover

Review: I was most excited for this purchase! A J.Crew popover for $15?! Even better a chambray popover for $15. (!!!) I just tried it on and it's so cute. It's going to look great with all my chino shorts.

Pleated Short in Cotton Pique

Review: These shorts are so cute! They also look great with the popover. They are going to match everything and they're a 3" inseam- yes, yes, yes.

Swoop Dress in Latticework Medallion

Review: I got this dress in a size 2, which is a size smaller than usual. I'm really short, so I was nervous the dress would still be really long. I got it today and it was perfect! Unfortunately I didn't unbutton the back and ripped a seam that was sewed together. It was a tiny seam though, and it's a quick, easy sew together.

Slim Secret Wash Shirt in Chatham Bay Plaid

Review: This shirt is actually from the men's section. I got it in a XS, and I'm a women's S. It was just the tiniest bit loose but it's perfect. I love it! It was only $15- can it get any better than that?

Secret Wash Shirt in Peacock Blue Plaid

Review: Another men's XS shirt. What can I say? I love menswear. And yes I love it. It looks great underneath the sweaters.

Lobster Socks

Review: Lobster socks. Enough said.

I got so excited!
The package wasn't scheduled to come until Monday,
but it came early!
Thank goodness it came early. :)

Mesh-sleeve sweater and plaid men's shirt.

'

Love this sleeve on the sweater!

I have another (much smaller) J.Crew haul to come! I've gone a bit shopping/J.Crew crazy lately. I don't even mind. ;) I spent over $150 on this haul, which means there probably won't be another haul for a while... it's all good.

Georgia Aquarium

Summer is the perfect time for me to catch up on posts I promised to type but never did. Here we go! This post is about the amazing Georgia Aquarium- the biggest aquarium in the US! If you get the chance to go, GO! It's an amazing experience and there is so much to see and do.

Everyone can pet sting-rays in the pool.
Don't be afraid, there's a staff member with instructions
over the microphone answering questions and
providing lots of information!
They feel really cool.

There are more touch pools inside the Georgia Explorer exhibit!
Touch sea urchins, starfish and more animals!

Loggerhead turtles are the cutest. Ever.

How cool is this lion fish? I think it's so pretty!

Crawl into a tunnel to see another view!
Don't rush through the exhibits-
The aquarium has tons of cool features for
an awesome experience!

The otters were so playful in the water and above it!
They stole everyone's hearts.

They're playing in an ice bath- too cute!

No zoom! You can pop up into a hole to be eye to eye with the penguins!

There are tunnels to crawl through to get close to the penguins!

Beluga whales are the CUTEST!

They're majestic animals.

So cute!

They were really close to the view I was at -
where there weren't any other visitors!
Find out the best hidden secret...

Jelly time.

My all time favorite animal.
I started tearing up during the beginning of the dolphin show
because I love dolphins so much.
I wish there was an exhibit just for the dolphins, but you have to enter the show to see them.

My tips for the Georgia Aquarium: 

• Take your time! There is a lot to see and learn; don't rush through the exhibits. The more popular exhibits (otters, beluga whales, etc.) have staff members standing there with more information about the animal and can answer your questions about the animal.
• Observe your surroundings. There are often tunnels and windows in the exhibits. Check them out! They lead to some awesome views! You can "jump" into the penguin exhibit, check out the other side of the water, etc.
• Timing is key. If you want to see feedings or a dolphin show, make sure to plan accordingly. Set an alarm on your phone, so you don't miss it! 
• Do everything the aquarium offers. If you're spending a long time at the aquarium, take advantage of all the aquarium has to offer! 
• There's an exhibit on the second floor, "Sea Monsters Revealed: Aquatic Bodies," so guests can see the inside of aquatic bodies. It's calmer and interesting.
• There's also a complementary 4D film on the second floor, perfect for children and just a relaxing, entertaining short film with songs about taking care of the ocean. 
• Get tickets for the dolphin show when you buy your tickets / enter the aquarium. It's worth going to! Make sure to go early enough to get tickets because it does sell out. The dolphins do awesome tricks, and there's a storyline to go along with the show. This is the only way to view dolphins, since you must have a ticket to enter and the dolphins' exhibit is near the show line.
• Visit the Oceans Ballroom. If you're eating at the aquarium, eat there. (If there isn't an event going on, the times I've been - there haven't been.) No one eats in there! The last time we went, there were just some staff members in there on their break. It's the best kept secret! The reason to eat there? It's not crowded and chaotic, like the rest of the eating areas for the aquarium. There's an amazing view of the beluga whales! That's where I've taken all my photos of the belugas. Eating and relaxing in a quiet area with your own personal view of the belugas? Yes please! It's the best kept secret because no one else eats in there! (We even asked last time, "May we eat in the Oceans Ballroom?" They said "Of course!") It is where people to pay to have their fancy events, so the view is great!

The Georgia Aquarium is amazing! If you get the chance to go, go!

Current Cravings: J.Crew Factory

The shopping bug has hit me again. It's time to fulfill it via Current Cravings: J.Crew Factory edition.

Because gold pineapples. Obviously.
Factory Pineapple Collector Tee

Peasant tops are so cute!
I could wear these everyday with chinos,
This one is on clearance right now for $29.
Factory Textured Dot Peasant Top

I might be the only person, but I love polo dresses.
I don't even love polos that much, but I love polo dresses.
Just me? Just me and J.Crew?
Factory Pique Polo Dress 

Seriously, LOVE.
Already thinking "What excuse can I use to buy this dress?"
Factory Scalloped Lace Stripe Dress

I've wanted this dress since the first time I saw it.
Thank goodness it's available in the factory store now.
Love at first sight is real, y'all.
Just ask this bae.
Factory Scalloped Shift Dress

My teacher wore this dress to this year's prom.
I was in love with it on her.
Then I found it on J.Crew Factory.
She has good taste.
Factory Printed Circle-Neck Dress

So jealous of everyone who can rock a maxi.
I'm just too short that even the smallest maxi is too long.
How gorgeous is this? I'd rock it every single day.
Factory Stripe Stretch Tank Dress

Pockets and stripes. Enough said.
Factory Stripe Pocket Dress

Favorite skirt in the world.
I'm determined to get this to be my new chino: one in every color.
How cute?! So cute.
Factory Linen-Cotton Mini

Pineapple lovin this season.
Anyone else want a photo of them eating pineapple
While wearing this skirt? Just me?
Factory Printed Cotton Sateen Mini

I'm a sucker for seersucker.
Hahaha. #jokes
Factory Seersucker Mini

Can I buy these shorts as an early bday present for SS?
She's tiny and can fit into the girls' section. #jealous
She finds it annoying that she can't fit into the women's section,
I see it as a blessing.
Because how cute are these shorts?
Factory Girls' Scalloped Eyelet Short

In my world, perfect jewelry is jewelry that matches everything.
This is perfect jewelry.
If only there was free shipping on everything...
This would be in a box on its way to me.
It'd look so perfect on a stack with my watch! (read here)
If there's one thing J.Crew is known for, it is its jewelry.
Factory Crystal Shapes Bracelet

Someone please buy this!
For me.
I meant buy it for yourself, in honor of me.
Or you could buy it for me. No complaints there ;)
PS: It's only $15!
Factory Dotted Hexagon Bracelet

J.Crew's most famous necklace as of recently.
It's now on sale! So when people ask if it's from Etsy or J.Crew,
You can proudly tell them J.Crew casually.
Factory Crystal Floral Burst Necklace
PS: It's white AND silver? Match everything or nah?

J'adore!
Factory Girls' Round Sunglasses
I hope the lens is huge, since they're made for girls.

Or these. Yes please.
Factory Round Frame Sunglasses

Cute beach towels: one of my many shopping weaknesses.
"But Mom! It has pineapples on it!"
Factory Printed Towel

PS: J.Crew Factory is having an extra 30% everything with the code BIGSALE! Hurry it ends on June 23rd at 11:59pm. Enjoy!

Taking Stock: First Try

Background: I was reading yes and yes about interesting blog posts. I found this one called Taking Stock where you can tell a little about your life through this list. I decided to give it a try after reading Meet Me at Mikes' stock list! Here we go.

Making : Snapchat videos of me lip-syncing to Arctic Monkeys and Frozen.
Cooking : in my Pinterest, not in my actual kitchen. Check out my Pinterest for some mouth watering recipes!
Drinking : water, lots and lots of it. Well, I'm trying to with my Camelbak aka best friend.
Reading: various Wall Street Journal articles that stick out to me. Recently read: How to Own a Vacation Home- With Someone Else.
Wanting: to do something. Go kayaking, camping, something. Anything. Thank goodness I'm going to work next week. I need to make some plans though!
Looking: rough. My face is so oily and I don't know why. I need to work out more.
Playing: with kids next week is going to be awesome! (Camp lovin or nah?)
Deciding: what to eat while watching your carb intake. It's hard. A lot harder than I'd ever expect. It's going to be hard at camp with the kids next week too. It's hard to eat celery sticks when you see others eating chips... But I'm doing this for myself.
Wishing: I could drive well. I get really close to other cars/the curb. Freaked out my mom and myself today.
Enjoying: my midday naps.
Waiting: for Ed Sheeran's new album to come out. 2 days!!
Liking: conversations with friends you haven't talked to in a while.
Wondering: WHEN WILL MY LIFE BEGIN?! (Tangled reference, anyone?)
Loving: my watch on my wrist. Read about it here! (#2!)
Pondering: whether or not it's possible for me to find a job where I'm as happy as I'm as a summer camp counselor. I sure hope so.
Considering: what time to go to sleep tonight. It'll probably be 1.5 hours later than my prediction.
Watching: One Tree Hill. #guiltypleasures That show is addicting! I'm in Season 7. I strive to be Brooke Davis.
Hoping: for good grades next year (I know, I always worry about school) and to be less stressed and lower cholesterol (just found out today it's bad. I eat a lot of carbs. I'm scared and sad.)
Marvelling: at how a little silliness can make my day.
Needing: some company now and there. It can be kind of lonely watching Netflix and napping all day.
Smelling: the smell of summer boredom. If that's a smell. It is.
Wearing: my tie-dye shirt everyday. It is a little loose and it's so comfortable.
Following: unregular sleep patterns. Waking up at 6:30am on Monday will be hard.
Noticing: how my mood changes when the weather changes.
Knowing: I should relax- it's summer! But I don't.
Thinking: that next week is going to be awesome!
Feeling: excitement. For next week. You already know.
Admiring: J. He's in Hawaii on vacation and still texting me about student council! He's one of the best persons I know, and I'm so honored to work with him. He keeps me sane and doesn't tell me to "Calm down!" (which does not calm me down), but actually calms me down.
Sorting: out my feelings about relationships- mainly friendships and what's worth it.
Buying: dinner with my own money will be awesome/not awesome.
Getting: excited for camp next week! It's honestly my happy place. I couldn't be more excited.
Bookmarking: pins. pins. and more pins! Check out my Pinterest.
Disliking: pessimists. They don't do anything but put me in a bad mood.
Opening: my Snapchat constantly. I love Snapchat and sending goofy videos to my friends.
Giggling: at MS' snapchats to me. He always knows how to make me laugh.
Feeling: glad that I did this post. Cheesy, I know, I know.

This was fun! I had to really think about some of these. I'm probably going to do this again soon!

Five on Friday

I've lost track of the days of the week, now that it's summer! But yay for Fridays!

Yay because my first day of work is on Monday. I'm going to be a summer camp counselor and I'm so excited! It's at a local kids museum that I've volunteered at for the past 5 years. I know the museum really well and I couldn't be more excited to work there now! It's been my dream since I've started volunteering there. The people, the place and the overall atmosphere are great!

My cousin's bridal shower is this Sunday so yay! There isn't anyone my age there, but it's fun to play with my baby cousins when everyone isn't surrounded by them! They're the first babies, so it's really exciting!

Without further ado... a long awaited Five on Friday!

1. Ultraviolence: Lana's new album came out this week. It's amazing. I love Lana Del Rey's voice and her latest album does not disappoint. I personally love Brooklyn Baby and Black Beauty. Honestly I've probably heard each song once and I've just been replaying my favorites. If you use Google Play, the single Ultraviolence is free for a limited time! I love listening to new albums, and I've been waiting for Lana's for a while. I fell in love with Lana Del Rey the first time I heard her in March 2013? It was pretty recently, but her voice is out of this world! Her lyrics are pretty controversial, but she is expressing herself and her past through the music, which I think, is really great. There's a good chance my July Playlist will have some songs from Ultraviolence. (#1.5) Shout-out to Spotify for letting you make playlists of all your favorite songs and giving you recommendations. I'm officially #TeamSpotify.)

   

   Image from Lana Del Rey's website

2. Watches: You'll always hear me say "What time is it?" or check my phone for the sole purpose of checking the time. I'm the type of person who loves itineraries and schedules, and I mean love them. I'm that 10 year old who asks "What's the schedule?" when we're on a trip... at the beach. Yep, at the beach. I memorized my fifth grade Washington D.C itinerary because I like to know what we're doing and what we're going to do next and after that. When the watch trend caught on, I'm surprised I didn't jump on board immediately. I personally am not a huge fan of Michael Kors watches, and wasn't about to drop $200 on a watch. I did love the Kate Spade watches, (what can I say? I'm biased.) but again- not about to drop $200 on such a small accessory. I can buy another pair of Torys with $200! [Tangent: I'm a shoe girl. I learned this after I bought Jacks and then Torys. I want these Sam Edelman boots for the fall! That's probably what the money I make this summer will go towards. When I was younger, I was a purse girl. Obsessed with Coach purses, (Coach was the thing in sixth grade. I still have about five Coach wristlets, and a couple that I still use to this day!) and planning to save up for a Chanel. Still not there...] Back to watches: at work training, I learned that part of our dress code was a watch so we weren't checking the time on our phones. I was delighted! I started searching for Kate Spade watches during the surprise sales and Nordstrom's website. Then my mom told me I'd have to buy a watch with my own money if I didn't want the ones we had at home. Annoyed, I looked through the watches we had at home. There was one Fossil watch that I was like "Wait! I didn't know we had this!" So now it's my baby. Again- not about to drop $200 on a watch. It turns out I really like this Fossil watch, and whenever I wear it, I feel the need to be more productive- totally a great thing. I love wearing it now. It's probably going to be my new thing! ;) Watches look great with chino shorts, which is all I wear in the summer anyways. 

   

   Starting a stack!
   (L to R) Bracelet H gave me as a birthday present,
   Fossil watch (old, similar here & here), pearls my uncle gave me.
   J.Crew catalog in the back ;)
   Image via my Instagram

3. Pelican's Snoballs: Snowcones got nothing on snoballs. They're soft and delicate, and not crunchy and hard. Snoballs, for real, are like eating snow. And the number of flavors they have is INSANE! Pelican's even has crazy flavors like dill pickle and toothpaste. I'm not daring enough to try them. You could go every day of the month and not run out of a new flavor to try. And the best part? They're cheap! It's $1.50 for a small. (pictured below) I love it! My favorite flavors (of the flavors I've tried) include orange pineapple, sweet tea and margarita. 

   

   Margarita snoball with my favorite newspaper in the background-
   Wall Street Journal.
   Yep I pick out my backgrounds too. This is real life.

4. Tumblr: I took a break from Tumblr for a few months because I was bored of it. I recently got back on and fell in love with it again. Tumblr is best at night. The posts are the best and everyone's on. It makes you feel like everyone else is there with you and we're all fighting against the world together. You feel like a part of something. It's a great feeling. Follow me on Tumblr! Here are some of my favorite queued posts and posts: 

   

   Best complement ever!
   Why can't a cute boy send me that?
   Tumblr: setting my expectations higher than John Green did.
   Well that's debatable.

   
   

   

   So cute!

   
   

   

   HAHA.

   
   

   

   I'm cheesy.
   Tumblr is cheesy.
   We are meant to be.

    I love this! It was too long to screenshot & include. (Follow me on Tumblr!)
5. Working out: Just because I forgot how good it feels when after you work out. And I watched the Season 3 season finale of Sherlock while working out- AH! It was so good. If you don't watch Sherlock, go work out and watch it. You'll be sweating by the time you're done because a.) the episodes are 1.5 hours, pretty much a movie's length and b.) the episodes are so AH! so good, full of surprises and "I never saw that coming!" moments.
6. EXTRA! I found this on Tumblr this week and fell in love. You might be happy that it's Friday, but are you happier than this puppy? Cutest video EVER! (Confession: The photo below may or may not be my new computer wallpaper...) 
   
7. EXTRA EXTRA (Read all about it!) Just kidding. But another free Google Play song for a limited time - Step by Vampire Weekend. You're welcome, Android users. You're welcome. I've been blasting Step and Ultraviolence on repeat lately. ;)