thankful.

It's that time of the year, to step back and remember what we are thankful for (it actually should be every day, but honestly, it never seems to take special importance until this season.)
With that said, I have compiled a small list that all of us should be thankful for... things that often go unnoticed until we are without it. 
1. Pillows. 2. Hot tea.  3. Expresso shots.  4. Heating blankets.  5. Nail polish.  6. Love.  7. Being able to gather with family during the holidays.  8. Fluffy dogs.  9. Kittens. 10. The look in a babies eyes when he/she see's there mother after a nap. 11. The smell of an evergreen.  12. School.  13. Our health.  14. All of the color in the world. 15. PASTA 16. The way if feels when you take out a high pony after a long day.  17. The way it feels when you peel off a face mask.  18. Being able to have hot water so you can actually enjoy a shower.  19. Fuzzy socks.  20. Shoes that you don't have to wear socks with. 21. Bobby pins.  22. Our safety.  23. When someone randomly buys your Taco Bell order and just says "Merry Christmas." 24. The night sky in the country.  25. Candles.  26. Free birthday meals from restaurants.  27. Cozy fires.  28. Cuddles from your love.  29. Hugs from your mom.  30. The overall love you feel everyday. From that text making sure you made it home, to those thoughtful Christmas gifts you are about to receive. 
Just remember that we are SO BLESSED. If you have the ability to be on the internet right now, you are so blessed. You have a roof over your head, food in your belly, a family that loves you. It's so important to lose sight on what is important to you in the hustle and bustle of life, but we all are truly SO BLESSED in so many ways. 
This is just a small list, and surely there are so many more little things that we should be thankful for, but hopefully it is a little reminder as to how much we need to take a step back and thank God for the life he as given us. 
What are you thankful for? 
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last minute gift ideas.

WHAT? There are only 4 days until Christmas?! 
Well if you are anything like me, you have bought some of your gifts, but lets be honest...you still have quite a few to buy. 
I'm sure some of you are in the same boat as me, so here are some ideas for gifts to get for your loved ones! 

1. Cookies. I always make cookies for last minute gifts, because, lets be honest. Who doesn't like cookies? 

2. Knit something. Don't know how to knit? Literally Youtube it. So easy. Make a cup coozie or a ear warming. Literally takes no time at all and it's handmade, and believe me, everyone appreciates something homemade! (I am planning on doing a post on teaching you guys how to knit, stay tuned!

3. Make a recipe basket. Have a yummy recipe you like to make? Well, head over to Walmart and get all of the ingredients and put them all cutely in a basket, tie a bow around it, and leave the recipe card. BOOM. DONE. 

4. Make your own coupon book. Have a mom who is overworked? Make a coupon book for her with coupons saying "Good for one free dish wash", "Good for one home cooked meal cooked by me", etc. A Boyfriend that deserves the best? "Good for one massage" "Your chance to pick the date" "Date's on me tonight." It's so cute, cheap, and so thoughtful! 

5. Make a homemade mug. Go out and buy yourself a plain mug, decorate it with a sharpie, bake it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then you're done! You're left with a super cute gift that will be used all the time. 
What are your go-to last minute gifts?! If you like this post, please make sure to follow me via GFC  or Bloglovin' to stay up to date with posts. 
DEAL ALERT I'm also offering HALF OFF all of sponsorship opportunities for the month of January! That means you can sponsor for as little as $7.50 for a month! Great deals. Check out more about it on my sponsorship page. 

Also, I apologize for the lack of posts for the next few weeks. I am home for break the the internet is ABSOLUTELY horrible. I have a lot of posts in my back pocket, I'm just waiting until I get enough internet connection to make them as perfect as they can be! :) PS: Photos from weheartit.com

fall faves.

Fall is definitely my favorite season BY far. The crisp smell in the air, the brisk wind, pumpkins, apple cider, I mean what can get better? 
With that said, I have compiled a list of what we need (yes, you) to do this fall before the season is over and winter begins (bluck). 

You're welcome lovelies.

college is...

 What is college you ask? Well it is a short time in life where you will be able to do whatever you want... however you want... and potentially grow as a person, hopefully in a positive way. Not to mention there are a couple of odd things that happen only during this time in your life. 

To get a better understanding of what I mean I have compiled a little list of what I believe is synonymous to what I now know as "college." Enjoy. 

1. Coffee addiction. 

2. Falling on your butt every time there is snow. 
3. NAPS
4. Staying up until 1 in the morning on a school night talking about smelly feet. 
5. Wearing leggings...every single day.  

6. Thinking "Why am I even here?"
7. Thinking, "Wow, this is why I am here. This is where I need to be."
8. Midnight Steak and Shake runs. 

9. Eating healthy all day but ruining it by eating a pint of ice cream at 10 pm.
10. Looking like a Gremlin in your 9 am class. 
11. Forever editing your cover letters to apply to the 1000 jobs you are interested in. 
12. WAITING FOR YOUR TEACHER TO POST A GRADE. 
13. And then having your teacher grade you incorrectly and having to fight for points back.

14. Calculating the worst possible grade you can get just to graduate. 
15. Watching "your shows" with all of your roomies. 
16. Jimmy Johns after a night out = nothing better. 
17. Paying to graduate. Paying for transportation you don't use. Paying for that kid's socks over there... 
18. Teachers you cannot understand. 
19. Information you cannot understand. (Physics? What is viscosity again? Gamma?)
20. Realizing that you can use Greek letters somewhere else other than when referring to the sororities. 

21. Making memories. 
22. Having 14 reminders on your phone so you can successfully live life. 
23. Going back to your hometown on the weekends and feeling like a superstar from all the attention. 
24. Group chats. 
25. Avoiding looking at your bank account after you pay for tuition and books. 
26. Spending 600 dollars on a book and then only reading one chapter out of it. 
27. Watching Netflix for 14 hours straight on sunday. 
28. Wishing you had a scooter to ride around campus like everyone else. 
29. Wishing you would have used your meal plan so much more Freshman year. 

30. Adventures. 
31. Teachers forever pronouncing your name wrong. 
32. When the people in the apartment above you are rhino's and crack your ceilings. 
33. Awkward moments in the elevator. 

34. If at some point you don't dislocate your knee... you aren't doing college right. 
35. Facebook stalking professors. 
36. 19237 emails a day that do not pertain to you, or your major, or your career, in anyway whatsoever. 

37. Staying at work that extra 3 minutes to get an extra $1.23 on your paycheck. (Shout out to minimum wage)
38. Having mental breakdowns once a week.
39. Helping your roomies realize that everything will be okay when they have a mental breakdown. 
40. Free stuff. 
41. Asking for groceries and paper towels for Christmas and your birthday. 
42. Stealing groceries and paper towels from your home when you visit. 

43. Missing your dog. 

44. Halloween 

45. And lastly, but most importantly, how to take a BOMB picture with your BFFs. 
Let's all just be honest. College is just weird. Enjoy it peeps. 

nail trends i'm loving.

STOP. Enter this giveaway.

So here's the deal.
I'm obsessed with painting my nails. I haven't had naked nails in probably 6 years.
I'm not joking, either. 
So that means that I am also a fan of different nail trends and colors.
So, I decided to show you guys some of my current nail loves. 
First up we have the bright colors. So fun for summer and it looks wonderful on sunkissed skin.

Second is sparkles. Sparkles are year round awesomeness. I mean, I love them so much when people ask me what my favorite color is I answer with "Sparkle". I'm a loser, I know.

And thirdly, a nail art trend that I have yet to try out but I will soon is the chevron look. It's so cute! I am loving chevron lately. These are perfect.

What are some nail trends you are loving?

fashion for the fourth.

Well hello there. Long time no see! 
Before the post goes on let me explain a little something to you guys. We had a big storm. Powers out for awhile, maybe even until the 17th. Soooo, with no power comes no internet comes no blog comes a sad Rachael and sad So, hi readers. But I have good news! I have been surfing around houses (4 in 4 days, I feel like a gypsy.) and occasionally I get some wifi, which is obviously the case now. So I am loading up on posts tonight so...hopefully that will work out.
Anyway, now that you know what is going on I can get on to what you really want to read.
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Man, I sure do love America. 
I also love fashion and summer. So, put that together and we get some fun USA inspired outfits to rock while watching fireworks tomorrow for the fourth (if you aren't banned from them because of the lack of rain like I am, bummer, I know.)
Here are some idea's to work the red, white and blue fashionista's. 

Want something simple and cute? Try chalking your hair red and blue. I feel like white might make you look a little old, but hey, if you want it go for it. I might just do this, maybe not so drastic as in this picture, but streaks for sure.

Flag shorts with a simple top, so cute. 

Flag tank?

Rock some patriotic nails.

Not going to be outside in the hot weather? Partying inside? Try a navy striped blazer with some red accents. So cute. 

Flag scarves are the bomb(.com)

You could always go crazy patriotic with the make-up too.

If all else fails you could always just wear a flag. NBD.

Keep calm and party on. 

my birthday wishlist.

So, my birthday is in a week. So I am going to post a little wishlist. 
I don't know why, exactly. I just kind of want to.   

 Oh my gosh. I love these. Lace is so cute! I think I'll DIY these this summer. :)

I cannot find these shades annnywhere. If you happen to find them, leave a link. I NEED them.

I'm so into mint green lately. My Mac can get a makeover.

Duh.

FIRST. I need an Iphone, THEN I need that mint green leopard case.

Too bad I'm allergic to this cute little thing. :(

 Minnetonka + Leopard = OH MY GOSH. I NEED THESE.

Whatever color this is. I can't figure out the name of this, again, if you know...leave a comment telling me what it is. lol

I also really want to get into different colors of eye-liner. Bright, fun, spunky colors...to be exact.

Anyone who knows me knows that fringe is my thing. If I had this purse...it'd fit in perfectly with the rest of my clothing. :)

So, that is what I want for my birthday. I probably will not get any of it. But hey, a girl can dream, right?

PS: The winner of the giveaway is Kelly Elizabeth! Congrats girl!