#NoFilter

Saturday isn't over yet. I still have time to post so I can continue with the Blog[everyday in Oc]tober14 thing. (See what I did there?) What was I talking about? Oh yeah Insta Blogtober - your favorite photo posted on Instagram.

One of the best things about Instagram (aside from the fact that you can use pictures to make your life seem a lot more interesting than it is) is that you can make almost any photo look great by adding a filter, or five, to it. You can kick our blemishes, make the room seem brighter, or make yourself look like you're in a film noir. I had a really really difficult time picking one out of my 811 Instagram photos so I picked two.

The reason these are my favorites is that I didn't even need to add a filter - there was no light adjustment, no saturation boosting, no contrast toggled. They're just pure and beautiful shots. One is sunrise and the other, sunset. The serene early morning and the smooth transition to night - the bookends of the day.

I think this will go down in (blog) history as one of my favorite posts.

Hot Bloggers and Best Friends

Hey all, I've been slacking in the blogging department for the last few couple days so it's time to get back on track. I'm behind on the August Blogging Challenge so I'll abbreviate this post and give you a two-fer.

Day 11: Today's prompt is: Your 5 Favorite Blogs (a.k.a. blog crushes!)

Lord, I crush on everyone in Blogland. How can I pick just 5? Alright first, I love all the ladies on my sidebar. I click over to their blogs all the time. Go check'em out! 

Here are the five blogs I can't go a day without reading.

1. Erin at Two Thirds Hazel makes you feel like you're one of her friends just by reading her blog. She's so down to earth and her tweets make me laugh out loud all the time.
2. Erin's best friend Whitney blogs over at I Wore Yoga Pants to Work and this chick seems like so much fun to drink with. She probably has Fireball and Miller Light running in her veins and that's fine by me. Also, every Friday, you can #backthatazzup with her.
3. Adriana at Dog Hair is an Accessory is also hilarious (see a theme here?) She has a ton of awesome tutorials that helped me out when I started getting serious about this blog.
4. Sarah at Venus Trapped in Mars is like "ESPN for girls." Get your education on. Also, check out her Saturday Sessions. THEY'RE GOLD.
5. Shane at Whispering Sweet Nothings is adorable and I love that she understands the "not being able to gain weight" thing that I also deal with. And she writes a lot of lists! 

Day 12: Today's prompt is: What 5 words would your best friend use to describe you?

I asked 5 of my best friends to get some variety for this post. (And because I need some reassurance that people actually like me sometimes)

The most in-depth response I got was from my gingery cousin Greg so his gets the spotlight.

1. Compassionate - you're always considering others' feelings in situations 
2. Scholarly - you take school very seriously and are amazing at it (shut up, you are) 
3. Tenacious - you're so strong in your beliefs and what you want 
4. Spunky - you're very spirited when it comes to blogging and books 
5. Delightful - there's nobody else quite like you, definitely a pleasure to know

Peggy said I am musical, caring, giving, fun, and loving.

I had to drag an answer out of the boyfriend, go figure. He said beautiful, nerdy, smart, sarcastic, and loving.

Sarah said intelligent, supportive, thoughtful, goofy and fun. I'm hoping she means the good kind of goofy though.

Last but not least Amy said beautiful, smart, fashion-forward, silly, and (absolutely) lovely.

AW YOU GUYS MAKE ME BLUSH. I love them.



XO - Monny

Spring Things!

It's finally that time of year! The transition from Winter to Spring has ended. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and people are sneezing. The long-awaited Springtime is here! Before Spring Fever hits and professors assign massive end-of-the-semester projects, I thought I'd get my first actual blog post out of the way.

To celebrate the end of Winter, I compiled a list of my favorite things about Spring.

Warm Weather | Goodbye snow and biting cold air! The prodigal sun  has returned. Spring means it's time to trade in the wool socks and heavy flannel for flip-flops and cotton tees. Now I can come out of hibernation to sit outside and read a book (...or ten). You can always tell it's getting warmer when Beury Beach is packed with students trying to soak up some sun while they study.

a) pretty hyacinths  b) first flipflop day c) trees in bloom d) Beury Beach from above posted on TU's twitter

Cold Beverages | Along with warm weather comes cool drinks. Once the temps hit 50, I'm ready for Frappuccinos, Coolattas, and ice-cold sweet tea, not to mention frozen adult beverages (mango margarita, anyone?). There's nothing more relaxing than sitting on the back patio with a cold drink and my favorite people.  

a) Sand in Your Shorts from Red Robin b) Iced Chai Latte c) Frozen Mocha Coffee Coolatta d) fruity drink I made at the beach

Baseball | There's been a void in my heart since early November that can only be filled by the sounds of the national anthem playing, followed by the starting lineup on Opening Day*. I can't wait until I get out to the ballpark to see the Phillies play. After all, there's no place like home. 
*Seeing Chase Utley's butt in tight pants also helps fill the void.

a) Phillie Phanatic b) Citizens Bank Park  c) Chase Utley d) me at the game

Outdoor Activities | The best part about Spring is being able to do things outside...like actually do things. I love when it gets warm enough to go on bike rides and take walks along the river. Outdoor concert seasons start and you can do touristy things in the city because it's nice enough to walk everywhere. I'm hoping for a couple picnics in the park and  I can't wait to go mini-golfing. I just love Spring weather!

shenanigans from last Spring

What are your favorite things about Spring ???

XO - Monnny