the times they are a changin'

It's done. The diploma now sits on my mantle. It's done. And honestly it's freakishly weird and hasn't quite hit me yet. I think it'll slowly wash over me, or maybe it'll hit me like a thunderbolt and tears will fall uncontrollably. I'm not sure. 

The last day of school was weird. Being that close to everyone, the small class of 2015, in our tiny little senior locker area. The music was blasting. It's all surreal that its done. But as soon as the final bell rang, we were gone. I didn't sleep in my own bed for at least a week. I floated around, not ready to come home. I lived out of my LL Bean tote bag, slept on couches, on shared beds, on back-breaking floors. I became a beach bum. I found out that I really cannot bowl. I danced and danced and danced at the best concert I've been to. I reconnected with my favorite people. I've started and quit my internship. I've just begun to apply to new opportunities. I've turned my winter blues into a summer bliss.

Can't wait for what's coming next.

X.

THE END

I've spent twelve years at my school, which here I'll lovingly call simply "Academy." Now, my time is done. It's surreal to me that I have spent the majority of my life attending this institution. But it absolutely baffles me that I will never hear another senior speech; that I'll never play another intense rival game out on the varsity field; that I won't ever have another class. All of it.

My school is one of my favorite places in the world. We have a similar relationship as I do with my younger brother. I can insult it all I want--and trust me, I have--but anyone but an alum better not speak a word of contempt. I hold this place dear to my heart. The teachers who have supported me... oh my goodness. I cannot thank them enough.

 I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't gone to Academy, not even close. This school set me on a path, at the young age of 6, that has made me morally strong, enriched me to be academically curious, and pounded into me the highest level of respect.

_______________________

Things I've learned from high school:

Be nice: The simplest advice; the hardest advice; the advice that I need to remember for the rest of my life.

It's not easy (for good reason): It's not supposed to be easy. And trust me, it won't be. You will spend hours working on projects into the dark of night. You'll cry with anguish when someone you despise gets everything you've ever wanted. (It'll happen) Work hard and push yourself. If it was easy you would never learn anything, not about yourself or anything else.

You don't have to stay the same person you've always been: ... and you won't. Explore all of your interests, and recognize when something is no longer important to you. It's not a bad thing if your friends change because of it. It'll make you stronger, it'll make you you. 

It doesn't define you: High school is important; it's an important stage of growth. But high school will not define your future. Don't sweat the things that don't matter, because in the future they won't. You will always be changing and there is so much more to come. Revel in that. 

_______________________

A current college sophomore who went to my high school, inspired me to write this post on the end of high school. On her similar post, she featured this quote: 

"You get a strange feeling when you are about to leave a place. Like you'll not only miss the people you love, but you'll miss the person you are now, at this time and place, because you'll never be this way ever again." -Azar Nafisi, from her book Reading Lolita in Tehran

I'm scared for college. I'm scared to leave my comfort zone. I'm scared to see how college will change my relationship with my friends. But, I'm also excited. I'm ready to move on, because my school has ensured that. They've been preparing me to leave since I walked in the doors. Now, it's time to go.

All Dressed Up

Although October has now come to an end, I just had a probably obvious realization for this month: it is the month of dressing in costume. No, I'm not just refrencing Halloween. That would be a little bit too obvious. This month, practically half of my days were in costume. From spirit week to senior day to halloween itself, it's been a month of Kelsey in disguise.

SPIRIT WEEK: 

See an in-depth summary of my spirit week here.

HALLOWEEN:

At my school, seniors and freshmen all dress up for Halloween and seniors parade through the elementary school in the morning. 1st-3rd graders dress up as book characters and parade in the afternoon. This year, my friends and I dressed up as frat boys at school, and for a party on Nov. 1 (a delayed Halloween party) my friend fCw and I dressed goth. 

 

SENIOR DAY:

For the last home game of a sports season, it is a tradition at my school for the underclassmen to dress up seniors, bake them goodies, and make them posters with embarrassing pictures. My team dressed up the seniors as a holiday. I was christmas, my favorite holiday! Here are some highlights of my volleyball senior day...

 

 

Autumn

Even though fall technically starts on September 22, midway through September when the weather gradually starts to drop, the only thing on my mind is retiring my summer dresses! Autumn is an amazing season. When I was younger, I definitely did not appreciate fall as much as I do now. I am looking forward to days in comfortable sweaters and well-worn boots. I love the rustic vibe that accompanies this quickly-approaching season. (To the left are some of my favorite fall-inspiration shots from tumblr.)

Although this autumn will be a particularly difficult time for me, school-wise, I am still so excited with the fun events that coincide with this season.

Homecoming is just one of the many fall events. At my school, not only is there a football game and a Sadie Hawkins style dance, but there's also a pep rally where all of the senior members of the fall teams have a dance competition, in front of all the students in grades 6-12. I am so excited to finally be able to do this with the lovely ladies of the volleyball team. I am already starting to think about what songs we should dance to! (And I am trying to find a good Homecoming dress as well)

One thing that I love about my school is Halloween. On Halloween, seniors dress up in really well-put-together costumes, and parade in front of all the grades, showing off that perfectly styled superhero costume, for example. My friends and I have not yet decided what to do (we still have a month to think about it!) but we have lots of good ideas! Some of my favorites are frat boys, awkward school photos, and princesses.

The day after Halloween, I have college applications due. Hopefully I will not still be working on the apps that night...

Anyways, happy (almost) fall!

XOXOXO,

Saturday Six: Seniorness

1. Feeling stressed? You're not the only one, trust me. I get really bad anxiety, and I have learned over the years that stress can be unavoidable. If you are stressed, here are some of my tips to help relax.

2. I love my volleyball team more than I can describe. Although we need to fix some things with how we're actually meshing on a volleyball court, I love these girls to pieces and I am so grateful to play next to them everyday. Our team dynamic is really just amazing. This is one group of people I will really miss next year when I am off at college! I adore my princesses!

3. It's almost fall, and Williams-Sonoma once again has my favorite soup in the world available. Their pumpkin bisque starter is perfect for those brisk fall days. Find it here or in stores.

4. I read this amazing "This I Believe Essay" by a high school senior. Her quote, below, really resonated with me. 

5. My friend kAb's post on high school is perf. (here)

6. I have my fall music playlist on repeat. Missed the post? Find it here.

Y'all, it's almost fall! XOXOXO,

Beach Daze

After an extremely crazy second week of school, I was so grateful to be able to go to the beach and recharge for the week. However, I am just as exhausted as ever! It is so hard getting back into the swing of things school-wise. Senior year is kicking my butt!

This weekend I have been doing homework (ugh!), watching college football, and trying to simply relax. I have been debating over whether or not I want to ask anyone to my homecoming dance this year. A lot of my friends are not going to ask anyone, and I don't know if I really need to ask anyone. I guess I will just follow my gut.

I actually had a breakdown this weekend from all of the stress. I cannot wait until second semester, the time that is rumored to be so much easier! I'll knock on wood and cross my fingers, but meanwhile I have four months of crazy scheduling between school, volleyball, college applications, and yearbook! (Not to mention my other clubs!)

My goal for this semester is to be more concentrated, and I will work on that right now by finishing my homework! #seniorness

XOXOXO,

Last Day of August & Summer's End

On my mind this week: 

1. Adios to my good friend, summer two thousand fourteen. I have mentioned in previous posts that this summer I have traveled a lot. But, I have also been at home. And playing volleyball. And paddle boarding. And visiting colleges. It's been a great summer, a hectic summer. A summer of reflection, at times. I'm currently at the point where my first week of senior year is in the past. I have weeks and months left of the last year of my high school education, but I already know that this year will be over before I know it. I have a vision of myself looking at this post sometime after graduation, my eyes wet with tears, reminiscing over the past.

It has been an exhausting week, but I have really loved getting to hang out with all of my friends, including some who I haven't seen in more than a year (junior year abroad). One thing that I love about my school is all of the senior privileges, one of which is the senior lounge. All of the seniors get to choose their lockers, so you get to be near some of your friends! The lockers surround a lounge filled with second-hand couches and leather chairs. During any free time, it will be packed with people. We blast music. BLAASTTT music. I love the way that the music sets the mood. I am so excited for this year, and college of course. But I will mention that I already have an immense load of homework, which is quite nerve-wracking. One thing that I think is interesting is that I have a teacher that I also had in the sixth grade. I have such vivid memories of that class six years ago. The teacher is surely intrigued by the differences of her students and how we have all changed in the years since taking her class.

2.

3. I recently read some of Blake Lively's Vogue cover story. One part that I found really fascinating:

[Lively] tells me a story about talking to an actor at a party, one who sounds very much like Warren Beatty. “He’s an older gentleman, infamous playboy, very, very, very famous actor. I asked him, ‘Why did you marry your wife? You could have married anyone. Why her, finally?’ And he said, ‘There were plenty of women I could have married, but only one I couldn’t have divorced.’ ” She laughs, then stares off for a moment. “I find that applies to so much in life. Because there are so many choices I could make, but only a few that I can’t not make.”

I love the point she makes. I think the huge thing about senior year is that there is a big decision to make about your future. College is a big deal. It is the first major decision most people make. Where you go to college will define which friends you will end up making, and really set the course for the rest of your life. I hope to make a choice that is very clear to me. I hope not to get my heart broken in the college process, but if I do find disappointment, I hope that I will learn more about myself and what I truly want in the process. 

4.

5. "Don't tell me our youth is running out / It's only just begun" and "There are many among us / And we're changing all the time" are two brilliant and provocative lines from the song Youth by Foxes. Another solid parallel to senior year. I'm just killing it with these analogies, am I right ladies?

 

Sorry for such a random kind of sad and downright wordy post? That's just my mood at the moment, I guess.

Love,

Last First Day

Monday was my last first day at my school. I really cannot believe that I am already a senior and it's really strange. This is the year that I have always looked forward to (as most people do). This year is the year of "lasts" it seems, with every event being the last one we will ever experience as a high school student. The last pep rallies, the last game, the last... everything. I have been thinking about so much of what I want from my future, and I can definitely see myself moving back to my area and teaching the little lower school angels at my school. Today I met a little first grade boy with my friend, and we walked hand-in-hand with him to an all-school opening ceremony. I shared with him my memories of the first days of first grade, and it just made me really aware of how quickly my years of school have passed. There is no doubt in my mind that I will miss the school that I have grown up in for over a decade. College, get ready for me, but I am not quite finished leaving my mark on my school quite yet.

This year I am taking the hardest math class at my entire school (last night I actually cried about it, it's already that overwhelming). This year I am more in control of the yearbook than I have ever been, and I am so excited to build an amazing book with literally some of my favorite people in my school. This year I hope my grade really bonds, because I have always thought that my class has been abnormally cliquey, and I hope we all cherish our last year at our school together as friends. This year I get to eat in the library... yay? This year I get to give my senior speech in front of the whole upper school, and I am so nervous. Public speaking has always been a challenge for me. This year I will plan a major change in my life: where I will go to college. 

Senior year is the end of living at home with my family, driving my younger brother to school, playing sports (or sitting on the bench) beside my friends, and so many other things. I am so grateful to go to a school that I whole-heartedly love, and I am so lucky to have met all the people who have made my time here so special.

XOXOXO,

Spring Summer Happiness

Every year as soon as the weather is nice, you cannot keep me inside. At school, it becomes so difficult to be able to concentrate! One day during our shared study hall, my friend kHr and I decided to have a little photo shoot for a project we had to do for our English classes. I am a very awkward model person, it's something that I need to work on...

Dress: Urban Outfitters  | Flower Ring: Forever 21

This summer I will try to post more pictures of my everyday clothing and more of my own photography. If you have any ideas for blog posts, or any questions, leave a comment or email me!

THREE MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL!

XOXOXO,

Kels

Summer's Gradually Approaching...

I cannot believe that I only have a little bit over a week left of school! The seniors are gone, and it's really strange that I am about to be a senior myself. The scary world of college applications is almost around the corner. I think that I will be applying early decision to my favorite school, but nothing is set in stone. I recently finished this English class-wide project where all the students have to make art projects and write essays about themselves. My favorite essay (I had to write 4 essays) talked about the importance of siblings: it's something I really believe in. The second part of my project, where I had to make 2 additional free writing pieces and an art piece, I did by making a magazine. In the magazine, I talked about Nantucket (and used my Nantucket Guide that I posted on this site during August), my time at my school, selfies, Paris, music, and me! I am so proud of my magazine, but I am scared because I have to present it on Tuesday.

I can't wait until summer, because that's when I have so much time to write blog posts.

XOXOXO,

Kelsey

My Junior Spring

Tonight I can finally catch my breath. Since coming back from France, every night has been hectic and stressful. Honestly I have been stressed out of my mind, and seeing all of the seniors getting into colleges has been both motivating and at the same time really freaky. Next year, I won't have any seniors to look up to, no older people at all. It's really strange to think about.

I have finally made up all of the things that were pushed back from my trip to France. HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders, but I also have two huge projects that are literally right around the corner. But I just have to keep working my hardest, and eventually it will all be finished!

Everyone in my school right now is deciding what courses to take next year. Its kind of stressful and kind of exciting at the same time. (I keep saying that. I feel like that is basically my life at this point) I can't decide which science I am going to take, but I am pretty sure that I will be in the highest level math that my school offers, because I was recommended for it and I trust my teacher's judgement pretty soundly.

Recently the little amount of free time I have had has been completely wasted. I really want to stop wasting my time scrolling through Facebook and tumblr and actually doing something a little bit more concrete, like working ahead, reading a good book, writing a blog post, or baking!

Oh and prom is in like 10 days or something. I am going with my best guy friend, and I am really happy about it all! I have honestly no idea what to expect going into this! I am wearing an "erin erin fetherson" dress that's not mind-blowing, but I like it! Not too showy or anything.

Another thing that has recently come to my attention is that I have barely any clothes for this spring! I need to get on this ASAP. Literally all of my dresses are too short which is bad considering that I am like 5'9" or something so that makes it even more noticeable. I have been looking online for weeks but I have not found many cute, affordable, and unique options. #constantstruggle

Plus, since coming back from France my style has changed yet again. I have such random outfits everyday people probably have a very hard time defining my style. One day its preppy, one day its literally "what is she wearing??" Sorry, I honestly need to decide what my style is and just stick to it!

I really want to buy some cute rompers for the summertime! Thats one thing that I keep seeing and I am getting so inspired! I have the cutest outfit ideas picked out for when I go to Italy and England this summer!

And on top of all that, I have early dismissals from school at least two days every week until mid May. So busy, but I can't wait for my birthday thats coming up and OMG SUMMER.

Oh and if you are in the mood for some really good music to listen to, check out this full set of "Of Monsters and Men" from Coachella last year. I wrote this blog post with it playing in the background. I love listening to concerts on youtube. So entertaining.

Later peeps,

Kelsey

What We Said in France

France seems like forever ago and just a few days ago at the same time it's actually really hard to describe. School has been not so fun, and I have been exhausted 24/7. But hey whats new.

Here is basically 99% of the words that we said in France:

• Oui
• I literally almost fell asleep on this tour
• OMG Taken 3
• I want a crepe
• I want a French boy
• That's like _____ in US dollars. I can't even.
• Un peu
• Is there WiFi here?
• Why is the toilet not in the bathroom...
• eco ecNo (long story short, this hostel we stayed at this hostel that had lights that went out every 2 minutes because they were trying to be eco-friendly. We got really mad becuase we had to run to the light switch every 2 minutes, so we said NO to eco. Therefore ecno was born.)
• Oui
• We're going to a cafe later
• Moi AUSSI
• I have the nicest corres
• I just want to go to sleep
• Can I just say I lost my passport so I don't have to go home

 Here are some random pictures from my trip! I had such a great time and I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel to France with my friends, stay with an amazing family, and have great weather!

It's kind of depressing to be back home but it's good to be playing lacrosse again and finally catching up with school work.

Prom is in less than a month. #askme? #pleez?

XOXOXO,
Kels

La Vie en Rose

Coucou! Greetings from PARIS. Oui. Paris.

I have been in France for fifteen days and I leave tomorrow. This trip has gone by absurdly fast and I honestly am really sad that I will eventually have to leave this place and at the same time I am excited to once again experiences the comforts of home. One thing that I am really dreading is going to not only school but also lacrosse practice THE DAY AFTER I GET BACK. And did I mention I will get home late at night? Did I mention the 5 hour time difference? Oh I didn't? Yeah so there's that...

So what have I done in France you ask? For starters, Eat. Eat a lot. Basically 90% of my food intake has been bread and nutella. I love both, but even for me it is becoming a little bit absurd.

I feel like this represents my time in France perfectly. (I took this photo as a French woman was yelling at me "NO PHOTOS". I agreed with her, and ran out of the store.) Literally this country is obsessed with their bread, cheese, and wine. But hey, why not?

 

I have had so many different amazing French desserts. This country knows how to bake. Like I can't even. Crepes are amazing and literally so easy to find in France. I find it funny that there are literally so many cafes and boulangeries in France.Tonight (my last night!) someone in their family went to a bakery and literally got every kind of dessert they had. I had an amazing cheesecake with berry topping and this berry mouse/cake. SO GOOD. Some of my other favorite desserts have been macarons (which I ate sitting on the steps of the Opera), and the macarons filled with ice cream that I got at a restaurant with my corres, her sister, and my French mom. Also, something that I love in France is that they have these refrigerated creme brulee in little glass containers that you can buy. (Kind of like how you can buy jell-o in america). I have had, well let's see..... 6 of them here?

And literally I am so happy that I went out on a limb and ate a falafel. We went to the Marais district just to go to L'As Du Falafel, the "best place for falafels". I really had no idea what to expect, but now I am obsessed with them and I have been researching where to find them at home!

Every morning and practically every afternoon, my corres Hannah and I eat a baguette with nutella or occasionally jam and butter. When I get back to the good old US of A, I think I will try to do this more often. I will definitely try to buy more bread from bakeries and less bread from the grocery store. I know that some of the bread we have in America is just as good as the bread in France, but its just not as convenient. However, I definitely will try to make this a priority.

SO many people told me that I needed to try the best ice cream in Paris, from a place called Berthillon. One of my chaperones lived in France for about a year so she knew that she had to take the whole group. We really were all so excited, and it was amazing! I had salted caramel and vanilla in a cone and I wish I had gotten more! So amazing. A great memory.

My host family was so amazing to me in so many ways. I cannot express my gratitude enough. My corres let me sleep in her room for 2 weeks, while she either slept in her brother's bed (when he was away on a class trip) or shared her older sister's bed. They made all of their meals vegetarian. They only had a small meat side dish twice. TWICE. I cannot believe how good their homemade food was, either. Literally tonight we had this great radish and potato soup, french cheese, and later caprese salad. For lunch it was this absolutely amazing Oriental dish that was made from carrots, raisins, onions, and apricots. Literally their whole family are amazing cooks.

One of the most random things that happened to me here in France was that I met someone from my state the first day in France at Mont St. Michel. He said, "Hey UVA", as I was walking, because I was wearing my camo UVA hat. Turns out he goes to VMI (right near Washington and Lee), and is in the middle of studying abroad. I love when things like that happen.Its such a small world!

Yesterday was our last time riding the metro as a group, two days ago was the last tour we took! Today I took my final bus and metro ride I am so sad this is all coming to an end I don't even know what to do with myself. I really need to finish packing, but all I want to do is reminisce about my amazing and exhausting time in this country. I am crying because I don't want it to end. Now all that I can do is be thankful that I was able to go to this country and meet the people I did. 

Bisous,

Kelsey "Kelsea" (my new name according to Starbucks in the quartier latin)


P.S. In the upcoming days I will try to share more pictures and thoughts about my trip.

College Testing

I might have mentioned a little while ago that I took the SAT in January. I took it at a public school nearby, and it was interesting seeing so many people that I knew from my area! I recently got back my scores, but I have decided not to tell people my scores. I might let a few details slip to some of my friends, but honestly its very personal and my future rides on it. I don't want to feel bad because one of my friends did better than me, and I wouldn't want someone else to feel like that either.

Luckily, I did well enough on my SAT that I will be able to apply to some of the schools on my list with relative confidence. However, I definitely will take the SAT again and try to improve my scores!

I also took the ACT in February, which was interesting. I thought aspects of it were a lot harder for me than the SAT. I am not sure when I will hear back from them with my scores!

 

I studied for both the SAT and the ACT with the official prep books. I studied a good amount for the ACT, but I studied much more for the SAT. I wonder if that will be reflected at all in my scores, even though they have relatively similar material and I only took them 2-3 weeks apart.

For those who do not know, the SAT and the ACT are both tests that seniors and juniors in high school take. Most colleges will require a student to send in either their ACT or SAT scores. You can also send in both of them if you wish. The ACT material is only different from the SAT material in that it has a science section. Also, the ACT will not deduct points if you miss a question. They add up how many you get correct for your score. For the SAT, no points are deducted if you leave a question blank, but if you get a problem wrong they will remove points.

College is really stressing me out right now! I am in a really hectic part of my junior year. I have three or four major projects going on right now, as well as a lot of work for the yearbook.

I cannot wait for summer!

XOXOXO,
Kels

Snow Day #2

I cannot believe I have gotten snow two weeks in a row! School is cancelled today, and probably tomorrow as well. Fingers crossed there is no school until Monday, but who knows!

Here are some pics of our snow!

It's been so nice not having school today! 

XOXOXO,

Kels

Bubble

At my school, we constantly refer to the "bubble"; we are shielded from the reality of the outside world in our little community. I have been at the same school since I was six years old. Most of my grade has been with me for 11 years. Its so strange to see how relationships develop, and how people change. I love my school, and I am thankful for the amazing people and experiences I have gained from attending. I can whole whole-heartedly admit that there are people at in my grade that I have never had a long conversation with, but I think the seemingly magical thing about my school is that we are just a relatively small group of people with a lot of things in common, and a lot of differences, and we are thrust in this same situation together daily. I know that everyone in my grade knows things about me. They know my name, and probably a lot of other things as well. Today I talked to people that I wouldn't say that I am close with, but we smiled and laughed and were nice to each other. I proposed to someone today in my French class (it was a strange, but fun game my teacher created) that I am not close friends with, but we laughed and had fun. I don't know if I would get the same experience at some other school. Maybe another school would be a better fit for me, but honestly, there is not much about my school that I would change. I love how I can laugh and joke with my friends and my teacher in my Physics class. I love my dysfunctional yearbook family. I love how we gossip and vent and discuss worldly issues. I love getting close with people on sports teams, and I have a cycle of sadness towards the end of a season, knowing that: "this is out last game", "we won't be together everyday anymore", etc. I love my English class, where we sit in a circle and have discussions on books, led by questions that we create ourselves.

I am shielded from a lot in my school; in the real world, you aren't able to leave your bag sitting around, with money, electronics, and books. I love my school's honor code. I feel safe knowing that for the most part, I am with people who will not steal from me, and we have an understanding that we will respect each other. I wish there are people in my school that I could be closer with, but at the same time I love walking into school in the morning and seeing a familiar face.

High school is a tough place. But at my school, in our little bubble, I'm having a good time.

-Kelsey

It's So Cold! Winter OOTD

It's freezing! Here is the gist of what I wore yesterday around town to keep me warm.



I recently got my red L.L. Bean vest (find it here!) and I have been wearing it everywhere! I recommend it to fans of J. Crew's excursion vest, for sure! It's a great pop of color in the winter. I have a green coat that I also love to wear from L.L. Bean that is great. I highly recommend their outerwear!

I love putting baseball caps on when I am having a lazy day (or a bad hair day)! I have been eyeing this J. Crew hat for a while now. It comes in a lot of great colors, I might get it with some of the money I received for Christmas!

I didn't have a lot of time tonight (school night woop woop) to link everything. If you have any questions about where things are from, just put them in the comments and I'll help you out!

Hope everyone is staying warm in this national FREEZING week! I am in the process of receiving my midterm grades and semester averages! Very stressful few days. Only three days left!

XOXOXO,
Kelsey

2014 Resolutions & Organization

Hey everyone!

It's my first post of 2014 (on the first day of 2014)! Last night was pretty low-key in my house. I had some of my favorite Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Bisque, which is only available in the fall (but luckily my mom found one and gave it to me for Christmas). I watched the ball drop, and whoop there is was... 2014.

I actually really liked 2013. It's been a really good year, but I am so excited for this year! In 2014, I will go to France with my school, the Dominican Republic on a service mission, hopefully to Europe with my family, and I know this summer I will be visiting tons of schools in preparation for my SENIOR YEAR (how am I already this old?!). I'll be applying to colleges this year. It's something that I cannot really wrap my head around!

I know that most people make resolutions for the new year, and almost always they are about diet, losing weight, and exercise. Although, like everyone else, I have those kind of goals for 2014, I think my main resolutions aren't going to be about those things. Here are my 2014 resolutions:

1. To try to be more outgoing, and more eager to take advantage of my final years at home with my family, and in high school!

2. Not mess with my hair. It's kind of a gross habit, and not something that I want to do.

3. Spend less time trying to impress people on social media. Who really cares if I lose a few followers or something like that? I shouldn't, and that's what I am going to work on!

4. Keep my room more organized, and not procrastinate as much!


Although my room is often what my mom calls "a disaster zone", my planner is very organized, and I thought that people may want to improve on their own calendar's organization for the new year!

Even though my school gives every middle and high school student planners, I prefer the Lilly ones much more. I have a Jumbo Lilly Pulitzer Planner. Because I have relatively large hand writing, and this is the perfect size planner for me. A lot of people at my school have the Large planner as well, it just depends on preference.

 

I use my Crayola magic markers religiously, and the main place that I use them (as you can see in the pictures above and below) is in my planner. I use them to bring attention to special days, and to box in any reminders. The pack that I got has gorgeous colors, they really brighten up my planner!
 

I mark the week with a K magnetic bookmark that I got as a gift. It makes it a lot easier, so that I can just flip to the week, instead of searching for it. Another thing I do is that I write all of my subjects (even days when I do not have that class) and highlight them in the same color. I highlight to separate them from the assignment. I put a box to the left of every subject, and put a check in it when I have finished that subject. I have done it this way for over 4 years now, and it really works for me!
 

Another little piece of advice I have about organizing is to use a backpack with different compartments, which helps me to be more organized than if I we're go use a tote bag. 

 (That's my backpack, from North Face... and my SAT book and new blanket that I got for Christmas from my mom!)

Another great thing to use are sticky notes! I use them to mark pages in books for English, where my notes start for a new test in History class, and countless other places! I just got new ones for Christmas! 

I hope this helps, and I hope your 2014 is going well so far!
 

XOXOXO,

Kels