August 2018 Favorites + Happenings

August slipped away with the blink of an eye and suddenly I’ve been approached by the final days of summer. The days seemed slow but the weeks went by so fast this month and despite all the chaotic days the month brought, August treated me well.

The final day of August only means one thing… my favorite post of the month! Sitting down to ramble about my monthly favorites, life lately, and all the happenings. Sit back and relax; it’s going to be a long one!

STYLE

: this top on repeat

: the friends lookbook >

: can’t wait to wear this dress

: my go-to for hanging around

: the cutest romper

Let’s be honest, I didn’t get dressed in real clothes much this month due to my day-to-day activities but when I did, I found myself reaching for dresses as they are the easiest to style. I wore 90 Degree By Reflex tank tops and tee shirts like crazy, whether it be to cheer practice or for a night of editing on the couch. I found myself in comfy shorts and my faux plastic Birkenstocks constantly. I was hesitant to purchase them for $10 during my trip to Wisconsin but I’m so glad I did because they are the easiest shoe in the world to throw on and go. Oh, and I, of course, had to throw in some of my favorite looks from blog shoots this month!

BEAUTY

I’ve finally started wearing makeup again, lol! I went almost all of July without wearing makeup but in August I found myself leaving the house and attending things that required me to look presentable. I took a trip to Ulta in early August to spend a gift card and purchased a lot of new products. These products totally made me excited to do my makeup which is what I needed.

I purchased the Morphe 9B Eyeshadow Palette and the warm tones of it are so stunning. Every time I wear it, I receive tons of compliments. (No seriously, when Connor and I were on a dinner date the waitress told me she loved my eyeshadow and wanted to know what it was before taking my order!) The Mac Fix Plus has done an awesome job with making my shadows even more pigmented and gives metallic shadows the most amazing sheen. My only other makeup favorite was the LA Girl Pro HD Concealer. It’s super affordable and has amazing coverage. I now know why so many beauty gurus rave about the product!

My last favorites fall under the hair category. The first being the Invisibobble Clear Hair Rings. These are a different kind of hair tie that doesn’t snag your hair. I love using these when I’ve curled or straightened my hair and want to put it up because there are never any creases afterward! I’ve also been loving the Dry Bar Velcro Hair Rollers. These are the best at giving my thin hair tons of volume and lots of body. These work so well on making your second and third-day hair look good!

FAITH

The end of August has brought a lot of change and I know that this will continue to be a reality for me throughout September as I enter my senior year of high school. I have found myself turning to God and trying to trust his timing. Understanding that God has a purpose to his actions has been something I have struggled with but am trying to remind myself of daily. I am thankful for the uncertainty I have been feeling as it has drawn me closer to God after weeks and weeks of straying away.

I’m praying for a September of constant reminder that faith is found in walking blindly alongside our God! What a wonderful feeling it is to see him working in our lives from day-to-day.

ENTERTAINMENT

I finished Friends within the first week of August and that’s the extent of TV I’ve watched this month. I spent most of my days going to bed early because of cheer the next morning or spending time with Connor. I found TV unnecessary this month which I’m not complaining about. Once the school year starts I tend to not watch TV until like November; I’m just too busy for that kind of relaxation, lol!

I’ve listened to the Taylor Swift Fearless album at least 107 times this month due to it being the only CD in my car that I want to listen to. On top of that, I’ve listened to tons of country and I’m not complaining… something about it reminds me of the good ole days of summer.

LOOKING AHEAD/GOALS

Every. Single. Day. That’s how often I blogged in August. Like July, the month was a lot of work. But it was work I was excited about, work I was passionate about, work that never felt like work. Back to school season is really easy for me to curate content for and I thoroughly enjoyed the month of content as per usual for August.

Similar to July, I saw more faces consistently popping up around here. I saw more engagement. I saw more posts I was proud of. Nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment I have after setting a goal, working towards it, and accomplishing it.

Today marks 66 days straight of blogging. I am proud of myself. And I don’t care if that sounds cocky, selfish, or anything of that sort because I worked my butt off this summer and it has paid off in every way imaginable. I hope you took time this summer to appreciate all the content I have been putting up; I have had the best time doing so.

Throughout September, I hope nothing more than to maintain consistency across all of my platforms. I know that this school year is going to be the busiest for me, and I want to enjoy it while continuing to do what makes me happiest.

LIFE LATELY

August was a month that I talked about for weeks and weeks and once it came it felt so fast.

: fourth times the charm

: back to banner

: swimming with my cheer girls

I had cheer over twenty-hours a week for a majority of the month which left me hot, sweaty and trying things out of my comfort zone. However, I am in the best shape right now, so I can’t complain!

: the last supper

: my people <3

: four more days with my guy

: connor’s first youtube appearance

I spent a lot of the month soaking up my last few weeks with Connor before he left for college. I’m not going to lie, as a teenager, life has not felt like sunshine and butterflies since he’s been gone and I miss being able to tell my best friend everything good as soon as it happens. However, I’ve come to enjoy the positives like more time devoted to the blog, time to be independent, and weekends spent shopping at TJ Maxx with my momma (what used to be our Saturday usual).

Either way, I had the most amazing summer and I am so thankful for that. I have grown not only as a person but as a friend and as a blogger. There are many things I didn’t get accomplished that I wish I could have but in other ways, I did so much more and took so many opportunities that I could not be more grateful for.

At this point I’m usually so excited to go back to school, itching for the routine in my life to come back. However, something in me is feeling a little different this time around. The summer before senior year… it has come and gone just like that; I’m really sad to see this one go. It’s weird knowing that this time next year, life will be so completely different, and yet something about it is so exciting.

Once September comes, the rest of the year all seems to blend together, flying by right before my eyes. It will be Christmas shortly and all of a sudden we will ring in 2019; where has the time gone?!

Well, it’s time for me to stop rambling and sign off for the day. I’ve got a football game to get ready for! How are you feeling about this season of change, the last days of summer, a new school year?! It feels like I’m the only one with these ‘all over the place’ thoughts so I want to hear how you’re feeling! Drop your thoughts below along with any other questions, comments, or requests you may have for me.

Thank you for sharing the most amazing summer with me! Talk to ya soon.

With love, McKenz