Birthday: Musings + Wishlist

In case you missed the end my last post- my 23rd birthday is this Friday! *salsa dancing emojis galore* I've always loved birthdays. Having an entire day to slow down, celebrate your life (while surrounded by the people who make your life worthwhile) and "treat yo-self" is kind of amazing.

This year my birthday is even more special because I'm sharing the day/weekend with Good Friday and Easter- I honestly can't think of a more amazing reminder of the reason I have a life to celebrate in the first place. I'm always humbled by God's timing and I don't think the up of these events is a coincidence whatsoever. On a day when the world encourages us to be self-centered, He's telling me to bring my focus to Him and the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. Pretty powerful stuff.

As someone who is overly nostalgic and sentimental, I definitely take every little celebration seriously. I love the idea of your birthday being a day to both meditate on who you are/what you've accomplished thus far and to look forward to a brand new year ahead. In my mind it's like having your very own personal New Years Eve. (Am I the only one who thinks of it this way?)

This birthday will definitely be different since a few key people in my life (namely my boyfriend and most of my best friends) can't be here (#postgradprobs), but I'm still determined to make it a great day! It's supposed to be sunny/warm in Charleston *praise hand emoji* so I'm definitely going to try to spend as much of the day outside as possible. Bring on the rooftop drinks, sweet treats, and fun with friends + family!

On a related note, I've pulled together a few fun wants/needs on my birthday wish-list! Take a look:

tech:

50mm lens // iPhone 6+ // hair dryer // iPhone 6+ case

style + beauty:

rice beads // essie polish // rose gold cuff // oribe mousse // eberjay bralette

home: 

turkish towel // marble cutting board // gold foil print // coffee mug // bkr water bottle // flowers

-Lanie W.

Bridge Run Fun

A lot of weekends go by without anything particularly remarkable happening, but this weekend was not one of them. On Saturday morning I completed my first official 10k (6.2 miles) - The Cooper River Bridge Run! It was easily one of the top five coolest experiences in my life. I'm super proud to say I finished it with a PR of 58 minutes and a 9:22 pace overall!!

A little background: I've wanted to do this race for years but honestly didn't think I would be able to actually accomplish it. You see, I have never been a runner. For most of my life it was my least favorite form of exercise and I was dedicated to avoiding it at all costs. However, last summer I didn't have access to a gym and running was one of my only options to keep active. Long story short, I fell in love with the huge sense of accomplishment and competition finishing a long run (without stopping) gave me.

So, Saturday morning bright and early I lined up with 40,000 of my closest friends to check off an item on my 2015 bucket list!

Heres a little photographic peek at the experience:

SO. MUCH. FUN! I had so much adrenaline and excitement running through me from the energy of the other runners around me, peppy bands playing along the route, and people cheering us on along the sidelines that I felt like I could have easily kept running. (I honestly loved it so much I kind of want to start training for a half marathon now? #whoops). Huge thanks to my parents for coming to Charleston to cheer me on - seeing them as I was running the final mile gave me a huge boost of energy/speed that definitely helped me accomplish my sub-hour finish time. It was the perfect way to spend my last Saturday as a 22 year old and kick off my birthday week!! Cheers to turning 23 on Fridayyyy! xo

-Lanie W.

Hit The Links | No. 8

I'm back with another edition of iPad internet tab round-up! I swear, Facebook is just a dangerous link-filled black hole these days. It's impossible to get on and not click on at least one link that someone/multiple people have shared. This constant wheel of creation, posting, and sharing simultaneously exhausts and interests me. Sometimes I find myself scrolling through feeds wondering what value I'm actually adding to my life by doing so.

I get to the point where I just want to throw all my electronics away, move into a shack on the beach, and live a pre-digital age life... then I see a funny Buzzfeed post and it pulls me back in (#thestruggle). So, since I'm not going to abandon the internet just yet, I've pulled together my favorite links of the past week below- enjoy!

LIFE

1 // I've never lived with a significant other, but these 10 house rules from Cupcakes and Cashmere seem super logical and will be helpful to keep in mind for the future.

2 // It's no secret I <3 Lauren Conrad. Her post about 10 things every woman should know in her 20's is spot on. As someone who's managed to live a relatively normal life as a 20-something, post-reality tv fame, I think we can take her advice seriously.

STYLE

3 // This list on how to get a head start on the trends for next season from Man Repeller is so clutch. I love reading about what's going to be popular in the coming months and how to incorporate those items sooner rather than later.

4 // As someone who totally has a "uniform", this post on how to build a capsule wardrobe from The Everygirl is like getting a cheat-sheet for a really hard exam (aka putting together daily outfits). 

FUN

5 // Did anyone else forget about Cadet Kelly/Lizzie McGuire Hilary Duff? She was my girl in the 00's, and I'm stoked she's making a comeback! Her funny/revealing Cosmo interview made my girl crush come back in full force!

6 // This video of a sassy 4 year old and her mom dancing on Ellen  is so stinking cute/fierce. I can only hope my daughter will dance to choreographed Beyonce numbers with me one day. #fresherthanyouuuu

HEALTH

7 // I found this article about 6 nutrition tips that are worth breaking from Nutrition Unplugged really interesting. As someone who really tries to eat clean, it was eye opening to see this nutritionists point of view on what "bad" foods or ways of eating are actually not so bad in moderation.

WORK

8 // As a someone who works in social media I'm always looking for ways to do my job better. This post on 10 simple tricks to improve your Instagram (via Bustle) is a great read if you're looking to refine your Insta aesthetic.

That's all I have for today! Happy Thursday! xx

-Lanie W.

Kate Spade Spring 2015

Happy first Monday of spring! I felt like this season would never arrive. It's strange and wonderful to be able to leave my apartment without a jacket (even though it still makes me feel like I'm forgetting something). To celebrate the warmth and sunshine I thought I'd share my favorite ad campaign of the spring season - Kate Spade!

As someone who works in the retail/marketing world I can definitely appreciate all the work and details that went into this adorable campaign. They took a seemingly simple scene - an unassuming park bench - and made it come alive with their cheeky clothing and buzz-worthy models.

Serious snaps for whoever suggested the Karlie Kloss + Iris Apfel combination- it really allows KS to appeal to a wide age range of customers (which is always the goal of retail). The blend of ages makes them appear all inclusive, as if to say "Kate Spade is adorable on everyone no matter their age!". Brill-i-ant.

While the ads are definitely lovely, the spring line itself is just too cute. Such a great balance of ladylike silhouettes, bold colors/patterns, and touches of popular trends (a la the matching set and sporty chic looks). Here's my favorite styles from the Spring 2015 lookbook:

I'll take one of each please! :) What lines/ads are you loving for spring?

-Lanie W.