Lovely Findings

I'm going to introduce a new section to my blog, called Lovely Findings. I've come across some great sites online lately and I wanted to share them with you! 

Found these free downloadable desktop wallpapers recently...aren't they gorgeous? I'm currently using the "You got this" one. It's a great affirmation to keep me motivated and positive!

This site is surprisingly accurate...if you put in your birthday, it tells you some major traits of others born on that date! You can also check relationships with other people. I don't completely believe in these, but I find them fun to read and ponder about! 

I've been meditating everyday for the past few months and it has been great for me. I feel more calm and less anxious. I like to meditate twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, before bed. I found this website and its guided meditations have worked wonders. If you're new to meditation, I would recommend giving this a try!

I hope you enjoy these suggestions. Have a beautiful day.

Camp Style and Swiss Miss Braids

A typical day at camp for me begins with deciding how to wear my hair. This is usually dependent on the weather forecast for the day. Today's forecast was a high of 82 degrees and sunny. That meant an updo! I decided on this style by The Beauty Department, but also found online in many places. The Beauty Department has a great tutorial. I modified it by making a side part in the front and Dutch braiding the first two inches of hair behind my hairline. I have some short hairs by my hairline and the little front braid helps keep them out of the way. The shirt says Summer Super Stars, the name of the camp. 

Outfit details: Shirt: Old camp shirt / Shorts: American Eagle / Sandals: Merrell / Earrings: Anthropologie 

Here's some inspiration for your day.

In high school, I changed my mindset. I learned to enjoy the process of the events in a day, instead of always focusing on the destination. That's really helping me feel more fulfilled each day. I hope you're having a wonderful day. 

Recipe of the Week: Watermelon Feta Salad

This week's recipe features a summertime staple in my house - watermelon. Always refreshing and always delicious, we love watermelon here. I decided to mix it up and add feta cheese, cucumber, and tomato. 



Ingredients:
1 cup watermelon
1/2 cup tomato
1 cup cucumber
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme 

Recipe:
Chop watermelon, tomato, and cucumber into small pieces. Mix together with feta cheese. In a separate bowl, combine Greek yogurt, thyme, and olive oil for dressing. Combine with the salad and sprinkle chia seeds on top. 

I enjoyed the mix of sweet and savory flavors in this summery salad. The colors look great together too. Salads are so easy to make - I can take almost any combination of fruits and vegetables and mix them together. Great for lunch or snacks! 

Have a fabulous and fun weekend.

There's Always a First Time for Everything

With this outfit, worn to a picnic last weekend, I debuted my first maxidress! So I've worn long dresses before, for prom, but those have been on the formal side - this is a casual maxi dress that I'm loving. One of my favorite parts is the sheer skirt. There's a black skirt underneath a sheer panel covered with brilliant blooms. I love the colors of this dress - they're what initially drew me to it when I spotted it at TJ Maxx. 

Since I started working at summer camp, I've gotten a lot more creative with my hairstyles. I spend time poring over hair tutorials online and in magazines, trying to figure out the best ways to keep my hair off my neck and out of my face for work. One technique I've discovered is braiding and pinning or clipping my hair up into buns. This is one of my favorite updos, and it's deceptively simple and foolproof. I've written out the steps below!

Outfit details: Dress: W118 by Walter Baker via TJ Maxx / Sandals: Franco Sarto / Earrings: Shop in China / Sunglasses: Target 

Hair Tutorial: Braided Side Bun

Make a deep part to one side. Separate 2 inches of hair in the front. Begin Dutch braiding hair, starting from the part, toward the other side of the head. Keep the braid close to the hairline. 

 When you get to the side of the head above the ear, begin to gather more hair into the Dutch braid. When you get past the ear, gather up the remainder of the hair into a braid and continue to work around the head until you get to the other ear. Continue to braid until you have a side braid. 

 Tie off the braid with a small elastic (I used black ones because my hair is black, but you can use clear ones as well). Twist the braid up toward the front of the head and insert a bobby pin to secure. Continue twisting the braid around and tuck the end of the braid behind the first part of the braid that was twisted upward. Add more bobby pins until the bun feels secure. 

Good luck with the hairstyle! I'm so glad last week's heat wave has passed. I'll still be trying new hairstyles and showing them on the blog. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of milder summer weather - lovely!

Have a great day.

Duke Farms

Recently, my family and I went to the Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. It was great to be able to share a meal with my grandparents, parents and brother followed by some amazing natural beauty. Here are some of my favorite shots from the gardens. Aren't the flowers and plants just gorgeous? Nature is one of my favorite sources of inspiration. Enjoy :)

Have a splendid day! 

Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Caprese Bites

This week's recipe is stuffed caprese bites, which are essentially bites of pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella, basil, and tomato. They were easy to make, and were devoured within minutes. It helped to pop the pizza dough in the freezer for 10 minutes before making the bites, which helped make it more pliable. I found the recipe here.  

Fresh out of the oven! 

They tasted divine drizzled with balsamic vinegar. 

I loved how they were melty and soft. I'll definitely be making this recipe again soon!

Hope you're having a lovely week. The first half of summer camp is over, and I'm ready for the second half! Enjoy your weekend. 

Three Braided Buns

Today's post is a hair tutorial inspired by this look, found here. I wore it for an awards ceremony for an essay contest about women in science. It was very warm that day, so it was important for me to keep my hair up and out of the way. My hair right now is the perfect medium length to try all sorts of hairstyles - one of my favorite styles for camp has been a braided side bun (tutorial coming soon!). 

Here's a photo of the hairstyle. I like how all the braids played up the texture of my hair nicely! Having hair that is all the same color, it can sometimes be hard to achieve dimension. Braiding is one of my favorite techniques to create more texture. 

And here's the photo of me at the awards ceremony.

Outfit details: Dress: Lush via Nordstrom / Wedges: Franco Sarto via T. J. Maxx / Earrings: Urban Outfitters 

I went with a summery look with the cream lace dress (one of my favorite dresses - it's so versatile!), nude wedges. I accessorized the otherwise neutral-toned outfit with gold and jade earrings. 

A heat wave is hitting my town right now, making it very warm - wherever you are, please stay cool! Have a fantastic day.