Friday Five - August 5th

via

Happy Friday friends! The weekend is finally here and I have decided to start a new series on my blog called "Friday Five". Each and every Friday I will be posting about five things that are currently present in my life. This is a good way for me to recap my week and share with you all what I am loving and doing! Hope you enjoy!

I have been reading Strong Looks Better Naked by Khloe Kardashian and I have been loving every word of it. I got a lot of flack from people I know because I was so excited about reading this book, but I don't care because I think it is very inspiring. Khloe talks about her health and fitness journey, as well as other personal things in her life. Although I am far from being a Kardashian sister, I felt myself relating to a lot of the things that she talked about. This book definitely gave me a push to get out there and live life, be productive, and be healthier. 

My taste in TV definitely shows that as far as certain facets of my life are concerned, I am the stereotypical 20 year old girl. The Bachelorette ended this week followed by the return of Bachelor in Paradise and let's just say that it is incredibly entertaining and hilarious. 

If you don't know where I am between the hours of 2 and 6 pm, chances are you can find me in the Dunkin' Donuts drive up line for their signature "iced coffee happy hour". I having been getting caramel flavoring in my iced coffee for as long as I can remember, however this week I opted for vanilla and I don't think I'll ever be going back!

I have been pinning a lot of new recipes to try! I don't think I've ever shared this on my blog, but I have been vegetarian for about 4 months now. Since I have a lot of time on my hands right now, I am looking to make some new and more creative meatless dishes. I'll link below some I am dying to try out.

one

two

three

four

I have been all over the place with the clothing I have been wearing, but I have been consistently wearing a high ponytail all week and I love it. I like my ponytails really high, kind of wavy, and very voluminous at my roots. It looks cute and keeps the hair off of your face in 90+ degree weather. 

What have you been loving?

Gallery Wall Inspiration + DIY Tips

One of my personal favorite ways to spice up any space is by creating a gallery wall. No matter the amount of space you have or the decorating budget you're working with, I believe that a gallery wall is attainable for everyone. There are several different ways one can go about creating one, so in this post I will be showing you different variations of gallery walls that you can use as inspiration, as well as some easy tips on how to easily achieve the look you want! 

P.S. I am supposed to be posting everyday, however blogger has been giving me technical difficulties, so you may be seeing multiple posts today.

1. The Coordinating Gallery Wall

via

via

via

If you're someone who likes a more matchy, cohesive look, I'd recommend taking some inspiration from the photos above. Pick all matching frames as well as prints that all coordinate in either style or color for a polished look. If you are looking for great gold frames, I highly advise purchasing them from the Dollar Tree.These frames are what I use to create my own gallery walls. They look really nice, but only cost a dollar making it super affordable to create the wall of your dreams. If you don't love gold, they offer a plethora of different colors and sizes of frames. 

2. The Shelf Gallery Wall

via

via

via

Mixing up the typical gallery wall with shelving is great if you have a lot wall space to work with. The shelves add dimension as well as height. 

3. The Mixed Media Gallery Wall

via

via

via

via

This is by far my favorite type of gallery wall. I love the idea of mixing up frame size and color, print color, and other types of decor. To make your wall a bit more eclectic and fun, try adding various canvases, wall fixtures, garland, and frame styles/sizes. By doing this, your wall will look more personalized, creative, and unique! Switch up the colors and types of prints you use to add some color and personality.

4. The Washi Tape Gallery Wall

via

via

via

via

The washi tape gallery wall is perfect if you live in a dorm and can't put holes in the wall (or don't want to put holes in your own wall). Plus, it adds more color and you save money that you'd spend on frames!

Prints 

You can find fun, quality prints at places like Hobby Lobby (many are already framed + matted), Michael's, various paper/stationary stores (i.e. Paper Source), and at online shops. My personal favorite way to get prints is just finding ones I like on Pinterest and Tumblr. Whether it's a real photograph that matches my aesthetic, a colorful drawing, or a saying printed in fun font, it is so simple to just print and save the image. I will post some of my favorites that I have found on the internet, below. 

via

\

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

You can also find a lot of links on Pinterest with free printables, including some that you can customize with things like your initials. Some of my favorites are this and this. You can also use the create feature on PicMonkey.com to make prints with various fonts. Another idea is to use a smaller frame and add colorful postcards to the mix! I have a beautiful Santa Monica sunset in a gold frame.

What's your favorite type of gallery wall?

The Bachelorette Fashion Recap + Get The Look For Less

On Monday night, the most boring and predictable season of ABC's The Bachelorette came to an unsurprising end. Although I caught myself zoning out a lot during the weekly episodes, the one thing that did keep me interested was Jojo's fashion choices. And I'd be totally lying if I said I haven't been taking a lot of fashion inspiration from her wardrobe over the past couple of months, because I totally have! Since I am in love with nearly everything that she wore on her quest to find a former athlete husband, I thought I would share some of my favorite ensembles with you all. Many of the exact pieces that Jojo sported are incredibly pricey, so I shopped around and found items that give the same look for the fraction of the price (with the exception of two items that are exact). 

I also wanted to announce that starting today, I will posting here on my blog everyday (Monday-Friday) for the month of August, so I will see you back here tomorrow!

via

Tie Up Tank  

(similar)

via

Fringe Sweater 
 (similar & on sale!)

via

Choker Dress 

(similar)

via

Scalloped Dress 

(similar)

via

Tweed Jacket 

(similar)

via

Romper One   Romper Two 

(both similar)

via

Dress One  Dress Two  Dress Three  Dress Four 

(all similar)

via

Blue and White Dress 

(similar)

via

Orange Dress

(similar)

via

Open Shoulder Dress
(exact-sold out)

Sweater One  Sweater Two

(both similar)

Trapeze Dress 

(exact and on sale!)