Five years ago today, I published my very first post here on Bowtiful Life. Today, I'm publishing my 627th!!! If I'm being 100% honest here, I seriously just typed that out and then had to read it out loud to myself. 5 years?!? 627 posts?!? That's crazy! It feels like it was just yesterday that I was sitting in the computer lab in my high school during one of my free periods messing around on blogger, creating the first design layout and drafting my first post. …
personal
2016 – Year in Review
2016 flew by in a blur and 2017 has sounded so far away, until recently! This year was a bit crazy for me. I met some amazing people, had opportunities to partner with some super cool companies and brands, traveled outside of the USA for the first time in my life, started my last year of college, was the busiest I've ever been in my life, and so much more! I'm truly grateful for all of the experiences that 2016 has brought me and I can't wait to see what 2017 has in …
Why I Chopped Off My Hair
Surprise, I cut my hair! I've wanted to cut my hair for a pretty long time. It had just recently gotten to the point where it was starting to get stuck in car doors and to be a little too Rapunzel from Tangled for me... but all of this was completely intentional! (The length I mean... not the car doors part.) You may be wondering... why on earth would I grow my hair so long? …
Four Years Later
On this day, four years ago, I published my first post on Bowtiful Life and I became a blogger! What I Wore J.Crew Sweater (Similar.) - Hudson Jeans (Same style, different finish & different style, same finish) - Kate Spade Purse (There's a similar one available here.) - BP. Booties - Vintage Burberry Scarf (Here's a more current version.) - Chanel Earrings - Kendra Scott necklace If you had turned to me and told me, when I was just a junior in high school, that …
Friday Five
Happy Friday, lovelies! It's time for a brand new Friday Five post to get you up to date on what I've been up to and to share some fun things that have been on my radar recently. Let's get started! 1. Maggie Daley Park - Ice Ribbon I visited Maggie Daley Park yesterday and went ice skating for the first time in Lord only knows how long! I've been wanting to check out The Ribbon ever since it first opened, so this visit was one that I'd been looking forward to for a while! I had a …
If Not Now, Then When? – 2016 Inspiration
Happy 2016, lovelies! It's a brand new year and that means that I'm going to have to remind myself for the next month or so to write "/16" at the end of anything I date, rather than "/15." Who else will be riding that struggle bus with me? 2015 was a year of ups and downs. My family experienced the loss of some beloved friends and loved ones, which was incredibly difficult, but the positives of this past year truly outweighed the negatives. It was truly an amazing year! I met remarkable …
Friday Five
Hey lovelies, happy Friday! I realized recently that haven't done a Friday Five post in a while, so it's time to share five things that are on my radar this week! 1. I'm so excited to announce that I'm a Teen Vogue Ambassador and that I'm going to be hosting a BTSS (Back to School Saturday) trunk party next weekend with Teen Vogue to celebrate school starting up again! I'll be posting a recap here on the blog after the event and you can check out the official event hashtag, …
Friday Five 05.15.15
Happy Friday lovelies! It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, so I thought I'd do a Friday Five today, sharing five fun, random, and/or relevant things on my radar this week! 1. I went to one of my favorite places yesterday, the Art Institute of Chicago! The AIC was recently voted the #1 museum in the world by Trip Advisor and every Thursday you can get in free from 5pm-8pm if you're an Illinois resident. (Loyola University Chicago also has a deal with the …
Friday Five
Five fun, random, and/or relevant things on my radar this week! 1. District Magazine I was featured in this month's issue of District Magazine as well as on the cover! I talked with them about Bowtiful Life and a few other things. My interview starts on page 16! 2. Scandal I've had friends telling me for months that I needed to watch this show and I finally started it last Thursday. Needless to say, I'm officially hooked!!! {Confession: I'm already on season three...!} 3. …
Saying Goodbye
I draw a line between my "blog life" and my personal life, but I needed to share this post. I've been sitting with this for the last few days, going through, editing, and re-editing and I've realized that there's no way to fully express exactly how I feel right now, or tell you just how amazing a person my godfather was, through my words alone. However, this post is something that I know I need to write and I'll just have to do the best I can. Loss. The word itself has such a hollow sound, but …