On My Radar!

There are always a million and a half things circulating around the internet, right? I find it a little bit overwhelming... but I do love getting lost in Buzzfeed posts and Youtube videos and other articles that I find. Twitter and Facebook are always great sources for finding new gems.

The internet is full of some pretty amazing things... it just takes sorting through most of the junk to get to it. 

Hehe, I just love this from Moonrise Kingdom!

So what's on my radar?

ONE // Great Gatsby Monogram Maker. I found this randomly and it's quite fun to play with. I haven't seen The Great Gatsby quite yet, but I'm planning on seeing it this weekend!

TWO // Ice Wave. Have you seen this video? I don't even have words. This is incredibly scary and just.... honestly, out of this world.

THREE // Eesha Khare is amazing. The 18 year old invented a device that can charge a cellphone in seconds. Seconds. You want to know how I feel about this? #GirlsRunTheWorld

FOUR // StrikingTruths.com. This is the most inspiring site, um, ever. The beautiful visuals and the amazing quotations are the best! I spend way too long going through pages and pages of these inspiring manifestos.

FIVE // You define your 20s. So many messages. Too sexual. Too lazy. Save a lot! Save nothing. Get experience. Lean In. Don't worry about marriage. You have to find your husband now. It's confusing!!! Who should we really be listening to? I love this (and I'm definitely the mysteriously quoted co-worker).

Let me know what else should be on my radar. Leave a comment!

xoxo

PS I couldn't forget about Zach Sobiech.

#SignsOfSummer

Memorial Day is the unofficial official start of the summer. I, for one, am super excited. I've seriously been counting down the days since... hmm... December for the arrival of warm (actually hot) weather. Long days and later nights. Sweating drinks. Short shorts. White jeans. Seersucker.

There are some telltale signs of summer. I think we all have some of these moments that remind of memories of summer past. Maybe it's wearing your white jeans for the first time. Or breaking in a new pair of Jack Rogers. Is it iced coffee on the porch? Or picnics in the park?

Last night, I instagrammed one of my favorite #SignsOfSummer... frozen yogurt. I had a walking meeting with a co-worker and by the time I made it to the subway, I was practically melting. (Don't get me wrong though, I loved every single humid second of it.) When I got uptown, I beelined for the Pinkberry around the corner from me. Strawberries. Blueberries. Chocolate chips.

Now that definitely falls under the #SignsOfSummers category.

Join the fun on Instagram using #SignsOfSummer! Can't wait to see what signifies this season to you!

xoxo

Spend + Save

As you know, I've been loving shirt dresses. It's gotten to the point where I think it's all I want to wear. They're perfect for work and transition very well into dinner and drinks with friends afterward.

Now that Memorial Day (yay!) is right around the corner, I've been going through my closet to sort through some favorite white dresses and white sandals and white jeans. But I think I definitely need to just bite the bullet and get a white shirt dress!

I love both these options (Diane von Furstenberg and GAP).

SPEND // Diane von Furstenberg 

SAVE // GAP

What do you think?

xoxo

Little Indulgences

Lately, I've been feeling kind of off. Nothing terrible, but I think it's just one of those mini-funks that come with the changing of seasons. I have my health and my family and my friends... and, frankly, that is a lot to be thankful for. When I find myself feeling like my head is about to bob under the water, I remind myself of how full my cup is.

On particularly rough days, once I've accounted for everything I've been blessed with, I remind myself to just kind of slow down. To take a step back. To regain perspective. And to give myself some space for myself.

Sometimes I feel guilty about carving out that "me time." I either feel like I have something that I should be doing... or maybe I feel like I don't deserve it that day... or... I could honestly come up with forty different excuses why I shouldn't. But I really must make time for myself in order to do my jobs correctly and to the best of my ability. I need personal space so I can open up with my friends and family. I am much better after taking time for myself and as a result, which helps everyone else. (No one wants to deal with a cranky, stressed out Carly!)

Taking time for myself is always a little bit of an indulgence and it comes in different packages depending on how I'm feeling and what the circumstances are.

A few of my favorite indulgences:

Coming home from work and slipping into pajamas for a quick cat nap.

Sitting in a café by myself with a book.

Watching a few episodes (in a row) of a show on Netflix.

Doughnuts, ice cream, or macarons.

Window shopping for things I will never buy.

Picking out (yet another) bottle of nail polish.

Eating (only) chips and guacamole for dinner.

Watching as many movie trailers as I have the time for in iTunes.

Throwing in the towel on my to-do list and going to the movies.

Getting my hair blown out at The Dry Bar.

What are some of your favorite indulgences?

xoxo

Madewell | New Arrivals

The Madewell new arrivals are perfect for summer. I'm lusting over just about every single thing. But especially this Silk Bow-Back Tank!

Honestly, I'm considering buying one in every color to get me through the summer. I've been looking for good tops to wear out at night on the weekends and I think that this tank is the winner. It's not too revealing in the front, but the back is super fun!

Surprise!

Scroll through to find my other favorites from the new arrivals:

What tops do you wear out at night?

xoxo

College Prepster Book Club | Firefly Lane

I've been really, really enjoying my reading time lately. I've finally gotten myself back into the reading groove. Now I look forward to every quiet (or even not-so-quiet) twenty minute window I can scrape together. Sitting and just being engrossed in a book is the best.

I love to read all kinds of books, but it's not always the case to find a book that I absolutely don't want to end. Sometimes I'm indifferent about an ending and other times I'm ready for the next read by the last few chapters. Certain books have really captured my attention, like Harry Potter, The Help, Hunger Games, The Power of One, The Age of Miracles, and Divergent. (Ugh I really tried to keep the list short, but honestly... now that I think about it, I've loved just too many books!)

Firefly Lane is up there. Leslie and Maxie recommended it to me and I'm so thankful that I read it.  

Firefly Lane balances so many important issues in one book. I can't even begin to describe the emotional rollercoaster (in a good way) that I went through while reading this. Friendship, family, work/life balance, careers, spouses, love, sickness (and health), ambition, mothers... daughters, lost dreams... and just about everything in between.

I can't remember the last time a book had me so engrossed in the characters and the stories. Amazing.

What is on your reading list?

xoxo

PS Warning, be prepared to cry.