Coffee & Honeycomb: August 2013

J & E TURN THREE!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Isn't this card hilarious? It's also a really accurate picture of the dynamic between E and I. [ Him being the annoying one, of course.... ;) ]

Today we are celebrating our three year anniversary. (!!! I know. Time flies.) The actual date is September 3rd, but that's on a Tuesday this year and I'll be at school and he'll be at work. Three years ago, the 3rd fell on Labor Day Weekend, which is when he picked me up from school and we became "official." So the weekend is what is sentimental to us, more so than the date.

I am taking the day off to enjoy this wonderful, wonderful man I do not deserve. :)
Happy 3 year anniversary, E.

STARTING MORE LOVE LETTERS

Friday, August 30, 2013

I mentioned briefly in my "Journaling in July" post that I had discovered the organization, More Love Letters. (If you don't know what that is, start here.)

*And if you don't feel like going to a 3rd party site, More Love Letters is basically founded on the idea that this world has too many websites, too many apps, too many networks, and what it really needs is more love letters. The mission is to lift, empower, and mobilize individuals through tangible acts of love.

I fell in love with the mission and wanted to carry that same kind of heart onto my campus as well. I had been searching and praying about starting an RSO (registered student organization) since last year, and brainstormed different ideas... I thought about different things I was interested in: networking, sharing, working... So I considered creating a space and network for Christians in the marketplace, or women in the marketplace, or connecting non-Christians with Christians, all things that were close to my heart and real life topics I struggled with as an underclassmen. I liked the idea of them, but never felt equipped to be the person to start something like that.

I was interning at that time and struggling with the office culture which was very negative and hostile. Agency walls felt suffocating. I initially reacted by complaining and contemplating even quitting, but as I prayed through it all, God really gave me a heart for the people in the office and pushed me to respond with a heart of thankfulness. I started desiring to bring smiles and encouragement and positive energy that permeated throughout agency walls. One person at a time, one project at a time, and it had to start with me. So I prayed for an attitude of thankfulness and love. That's when I stumbled across More Love Letters. It was the PERFECT tangible way to spread that love, and in a way that I really resonated with. (My love language being words plus my enthusiasm for crafts/stationary.)

I ended up being way too shy to leave random notes everywhere, so I just wrote random letters — thank you letters, good luck letters, 'just because' letters — on post-it notes and left them on peoples' desks. It seemed a bit more reasonable and a lot less creepy. I wrote them to people I talked to earlier that week mentioning something from our conversation. I wanted my co-workers to feel known, acknowledged, and remembered. It was so fun — and it definitely made me more attentive during conversations.

After I left, I still felt so connected to More Love Letters. When I shared the idea to my roommate, she encouraged me to go for it. Her positive response gave me the confidence I needed, and we partnered together to make it a real thing. :) Over the last week. we've recruited a few people and have already started writing/dropping love letters! I get really excited thinking about it because its such a powerful idea with so many legs and the potential to grow in various directions.

I'm really excited to see how it will actualize itself throughout the upcoming year. :) Here are some letters that have already been made.

*So tell me, would it make YOUR day if you found an anonymous love letter? :)

XO.

INSPIRED : APARTMENT

Thursday, August 29, 2013

(image : pinterest)

It's been exactly ONE WEEK since I moved into my apartment!!! Woohoo. And no, that image above looks nothing like what my real apartment looks like, but isn't it so cute? I really like how the windows let enough light seep throughout the entire living area.

Things I love about my apartment:

I'm a 10-minute walking distance from all my classes so I don't need to rely on a bus schedule to get to where I need to be. The weather has also been extremely nice lately, so the morning walk just puts my day to a great start. :) I think over the past year I grew really accustomed to walking everywhere because of Europe and my Chicago commutes.
There is a Starbucks conveniently located three blocks away. (which is where I am right now typing awaaaay)
My parking spot is LITERALLY as close as it gets to my apartment complex. (PTL for that because I definitely waited to the last minute to buy a parking pass.)
The huge amount of space. There is so much room my roommate and I plan on having many spontaneous dance parties... And one of my roommates plan on doing many spontaneous cartwheels... Which is kind of weird... But she can! Because there is THAT much space.
The hardwood floors. Lurv it.
The kitchen bar. It's spacious enough for all three of us to sit and do work at the same time. There's also a nice light fixture right above it which makes the area feel brighter than it really is. The best part? It's an arms reach to all the food. #winner

^ Maybe I should have made this a 10 things I love about my apartment... Whateva.

The whole place isn't quite fully furnished yet, and we don't have an entertainment center or a kitchen table. I think that's what makes the apartment still feel so new each time I walk in. It doesn't look lived in. It doesn't feel really cozy either. Maybe I should I throw in a welcome mat...

My room isn't fully furnished yet either, but I'm really enjoying having a room to myself. :) This is the first time in four years I'm not sharing a room with someone, and while I LOVE having a roommate, it's nice to have absolute control over every inch and corner of your space. (i'm a wittle bit of a control freak.)

Anyway, the room didn't come with a desk, so I'm planning on picking one up from Ikea when I go home this weekend. I really appreciate a solid work space because I tend to do a good amount in my room. I need a lot of desk space for books, the laptop, writing utensils, and a big mug of coffee (of course.) I also like to have different bits of inspiration around me to keep me motivated and productive. I try to throw up different bible verses, encouraging quotes, colors combos, photos, etc. Once the desk comes in, I want to make a montage of different wall art to keep that area inspiring.

Here are some things on Pinterest I found that I want to replicate...

^ Aren't these spaces just INVITING you to create something?

What does your workspace area look like? I'd love to see more inspiration.

XO.

HELLO AUGUST!

Monday, August 26, 2013

I'm saying hello and goodbye to August in the same week. Time is moving so quickly for me right now and it is all too confusing. So, let's just simplify it and start by saying hello...

Hello. :) Today was my first day back at school and I just wanted to get back into the swing of blogging. A lot of things happened this month. I served at J-GEN (a midwest youth retreat) as a security guard, wrapped up my internship at HAVAS, turned 21, moved into my first college apartment with my best friends, became a small group co-leader, and started Campus Cursive. In between all that, Coffee & Honeycomb fell to the back burner. However, I've been dying to share all the GOODNESS that happened, so stay tuned... :)

I know it's nearly September so I'm very late to update on all things August, but it was a month I wanted to acknowledge because it is not only my birthday month, but it is also this wittle blog's birthday month! I started blogging August 2012 when I turned 20 to document bits & pieces of my life.

(Travel back in time with me and read my very first / 20th birthday post here! Or read about my very first day last year here.)

What about you? Have you started school yet? I hope you're having a great first week. :)

HAPPY DOWNLOAD / 2

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Hello! This is week two of my "happy download" series.

How did you like the first one? Did you download any?

( If you missed the first post, click here. )

Since I already shared a desktop in my "let's talk about beauty" post, which is the one I'm actually using right now, I only have one for you guys today. But I promise it's a good one!

Featuring : "Be in love with your life. Every detail of it."

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS: Right click on the image below and click on "open in new tab." This will give you access to the image's full size. Once you are there, right click + save, or directly drag it onto your desktop. Then, make it your wallpaper! 1, 2, 3! (:

XO.

TUESDAY TEN: THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Hello there! Happy Tuesday!

It's time for another "TEN THINGS," inspired by lovelyindeed. Today's a VERY special one because I am linking up with my dearest, dearest friend and fellow blogger ellyse @ with love, ellyse. Due to our shared love for blogging and making lists, we've decided to tackle this series together! Besides, it's more fun in pairs.

Ellyse and I became best friends in high school junior year. We met when we both joined the school yearbook's executive staff and then the following year, we ended up having countless AP classes together. Although we didn't exactly instantly click (hehe oops) the moment we realized we were basically the same person, we connected over buffalo pretzels, Lauren Conrad, and frozen yogurt. A solid foundation of a friendship if you ask me.

"I thought you were Asian me, but now I realize I'm just Caucasian you" — New Girl anyone?

Post high school, her and I went to different colleges, but we always kept in touch keeping each other updated on all things inspired. Because we've been each others motivation for so many things, I'm so excited to be doing this series with her. So! Without further ado, I present to you this week's list. (Be sure to check out Ellyse's list, as well.)

Cheers!

XO.

What's on your list?

HELLO MONDAY

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hope your day has been filled with bottomless coffee, fulfilling work, and obedient hair. (:

This is the first Monday in awhile that I didn't wake up early and go to work. In fact, I did quite the opposite — I woke up at 2:30 p.m. and started my day from there (Yikes.) The night before, I attended a farewell BBQ for one of our church friends who was moving back to Korea and got home pretty late. It was a really good time, complete with grilling, sushi, and cake! YUM.

His flight was this morning and he wanted to pull an all-nighter so he could sleep during his 14-hour flight (and aid the jet lag once he arrived,) so after the BBQ started to fade out around 10 p.m., a bunch of us non-working friends went to do Korean karaoke in Niles! It was a blast. If you've never tried karaoke Korean style, I encourage you to put that on the top of your bucket list. They rent out private rooms, ranging in sizes to accommodate your party, decked with a tv screen, tamborines, and microphones so you and your friends can sing your hearts out — without stage fright! They're usually open really late at night (like, 3 a.m.) for the night owls. After we sang three hours worth of Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and FUN., we made our way over to Steak & Shake to grab some late night milkshakes! I ended up coming home when the sun was rising, 6 a.m., and passed out into the late afternoon. (I'm still feeling pretty lethargic.)

When I woke up, I headed over to Starbucks to clear out my inbox and of course, blog. I wanted to share with you guys new arm candy that the bf bought me for an (early) birthday gift! Over the weekend, we decided to go eye shopping at Tiffany's and passed by J.CREW along the way. And of course, I made us peep in. I spotted these colorful, bold bangles there that immediately caught my eye and I fell in love! I thought I'd treat myself to one, so I grabbed the colors that I liked and contemplated which one to get. The bf asked me if I liked all of them and said, "don't choose. Let's get 'em all. Birthday present part one." I, gladly, did not oppose. (What a guy. This is why I keep him around. He keeps me smiling for days.)

Here they are! They are beautiful! Gold on the rim and gold in the inside. That makes me happy. Very Kate Spade-esque, no? Happy early birthday to me! :)

#jcrewproblems

XO.

LET'S SHARE LOVE

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Yesterday, we talked about beauty and how to be more confident and forgiving of ourselves. We also looked at the bible to see what it had to say.

How are you feeling today? (If you missed yesterday's post, click here.)

In the spirit of our discussion, I thought a fun application would be to share some love and beauty to the people around us! I mentioned the power of affirming words — so let's tell our friends how beautiful they are. I whipped up some "you are beautiful" cards you can print out and give to your friends.

The printable includes two 3.5 x 5 inch cards total, with the ability to print off as many copies as you like! They also fold in half so you can include a little note inside. (:

HOW TO DOWNLOAD: Right click the image above and click on "open in new tab." You will then have access to the full image. From there, right click and save to your computer. It should save as a .png file. Then, click print! Easy peasey.

Have fun!
Will you be sending love & beauty to someone today?

XO.

LET'S TALK ABOUT BEAUTY. (plus free desktop!)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

I often hear my friends get into conversations about body image. That conversation in "Mean Girls" is NO JOKE.

It's a poke at society, but it's an honest one.

I hear my girlfriends declare new diets, complain about their love handles and blotchy skin, and marvel at Jennifer Aniston's beach bod. Those are my concerns, too. But these thoughts are toxic — toxic to us and toxic to those around us. More importantly, they are not from God.

This summer I worked 50 hours a week. Any time outside of that was sacred for catching up on sleep or just doing things I love. (AKA watching Netflix and eating. Sometimes at the same time.) There was no time to stare at a mirror for an extended period of time or for obsessive self examination. There was barely time to curl my hair in the mornings or pluck my eyebrows. (Do you know how many episodes of "Lost" there are?! Just kidding...) Let me tell you though, it was liberating. I've never felt so free and dare I say it, beautiful.

Without that extra maintenance time, I still liked who I saw in the mirror. On the days I didn't, I just shrugged it off. I would tell myself, you'll get 'em next time, and proceed to scarf a chocolate bar down my throat. (Point of that odd story - I wasn't obsessed with my looks anymore, not that I solved my problems with denial and chocolate. I'm talking about freedom, people.)

Some days I feel like a million bucks - there's an extra skip in my step and I even wink at strangers when I pass them. (Hey, we're being honest right?) On other days, I feel like I'm in debt a million bucks. Make it two million!!! My eyes stay glued to the floor and I fear of being rejected. So why do our moods swing so fast and why can't we feel like a million bucks everyday?

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. - PROVERBS 31:30

If our confidence is in our beauty, then our moods will swing daily. We will never feel like a million bucks everyday. Why? Let me reiterate: Beauty is fleeting.

But that's not all... ~~(If you call right now, you can get 3 for the price of 1!)~~

God gave me (AND YOU) so many stories and gifts and talents to share with the world, why limit ourselves to our outer appearance?!

If I was given two minutes to talk about myself (who I am, what makes me come alive, what I'm proud of) I would never, ever talk about my looks. Whether it be a job interview, a talent show, or some random hypothetical situation that I just made up to kind of prove a point, I wouldn't. I don't think you would either. What would you even say? My skin is super poreless. And my facial features? Oh, they're symmetrical. I can already see the people scheming to egg your house while you're asleep. But the reason I wouldn't is not just to avoid an egged house, or because I don't think it's true, but because I have so many other great qualities and stories that I have to talk about. I hope you do, too! And if you don't, start there. Start grabbing onto things that make you come alive and make you proud, and let go of that ridiculous voice in your head pressuring you to look like someone you're not.

Because that's all it is. RIDICULOUS. Tina Fey said it best.

"I think the first real change in women's body image came when JLo turned it butt-style. That was the first time that having a large-scale situation in the back was part of mainstream American beauty. Girls wanted butts now. Men were free to admit that they had always enjoyed them. And then, what felt like moments later, boom - Beyonce brought the leg meat. A back porch and thick muscular legs were now widely admired. And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes were beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I'm totally messing with you. All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. [...] The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes. Everyone else is struggling."

End quote. (P.s. That book is on Amazon for $4.99 right now! Do yourself a favor and read it. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey. You're welcome.)

Anyway, I hope you hear what I'm saying. I think beauty is great. I think it's human to want to be beautiful and to want to be seen. I'll take it even one step further. I think it's from God that we want to be beautiful and we want to be seen. But it was also a need that is meant to be filled by God and God alone.

And what does God says about beauty?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - PSALM 139:14

God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (: Do you believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that the only eyes that matter are the Lord's? I hope so because it's true. It's a truth that I'm still digesting and praying for more of each day.

You are the object of his affection. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Declare that truth today and allow yourself to believe it! And watch that truth transform your life.

* I whipped up a desktop so we can be reminded of this daily. I just made it mine! (:

HOPE IT'S A GOOD ONE, FRIENDS.

Friday, August 9, 2013

I love weekends. And this one in particular is special because today was my last day at HAVAS — not that I am happy about not working, but the fact that every minute of the day now belongs to me. And you know what else?

I DON'T HAVE TO COME HOME EARLY AND SLEEP LIKE AN OLD PERSON! I CAN PLAY! WHO WANTS TO PLAY? ~~NOTHING~~ EVERYTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER 2 A.M.

This weekend, I plan on...

- Getting a much needed haircut. Right now, it nearly brushes my belly button. Yikes.
- Shopping. No explanation needed.
- (Finally) talking to a doctor about my balding problem.
- Playing in the grass. The weather looks promising. Picnic, anyone? Frisbee?
- Designing. I only have 11 days left of my Adobe suite free trial, and you bet I'm going to MILK it.
- Cleaning my room. You're welcome, mom.

What are your weekend plans?

XO.

OLD MINIBOOKS

Thursday, August 8, 2013

If you're following me on Instagram, then you know that I recently spent a portion of my evening rummaging through a heap of scrapbooking supplies, trying to make some order in that mess. (Order, order, we must have order!)

And boy, was it a mess... Strings were all intertwined with each other and little scraps of paper got caught in the web. Old tape had somehow stuck to EVERYTHING forcing me to discard many unused sheets of card stock and fresh photos. Saaaad beeeeans.

Two episodes of "White Collar" later (My favorite Netflix show at the moment), you could finally see the floor of the room. (#littlewins!) I found an empty storage box that wasn't being used and kind of ~~neatly/messily~~ threw it all in there.

During the untangling and unsticking, I came across an old minibook that I had started my sophomore year! That was the year I first discovered diy-extraordinaire, ELISE BLAHA, and her collection of minibooks. I made my own, kind of stopped, never binded it, and left it alone... (Fun fact: I am AWFUL at finishing things I start. Probably the biggest lie I tell during job interviews.)

Thought I'd share what they look like.

And there you have it. :) This one was themed something along the lines of "firsts" via instagram photos.

Do you have any minibooks/scrapbooks/project life albums? Or do you have any advice on finishing crafts that you start?

XO.

HAPPY DOWNLOAD / 1

Thursday, August 8, 2013

My favorite part about following design bloggers (besides the amount of inspiration it exudes) is: THE FREEBIES! Anything from fun greeting cards to organizational printables and especially new wallpapers are always a joy to come across as a reader. (: A few bloggers who always spit out designs that I enjoy and appreciate are DESIGN EAT REPEAT, DESIGN LOVE FEST and BREANNA ROSE. All the great work has inspired me to start creating and sharing my own! Starting today, I aim to create two new graphic and inspiring downloads for you each week. I think wallpapers are the perfect way to get my design fix when I'm itching to create, as well as share with you some of my favorite quotes and verses.

Today I'm kicking off the new series "happy download" with 5 super simple desktop wallpapers! I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear if you chose one to download!

TO DO SO: Right click on the image and click on "open in new tab." This will allow you to access the image's full size. Once you are there, right click + save, or directly drag it onto your desktop. Then, make your wallpaper! 1, 2, 3! (:

Secret - sometimes what I do with desktop wallpapers I find is I print it out and tape it to my wall. I call it wall art. :) Feel free to do that with these, too.

^ Those four are my own original creations. Hope you like! I also wanted to share with you the desktop I am currently using which I found from DESIGN LOVE FEST. (below)

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* ALSO! This is my FIRST original post exclusive to this blog. (YAY!) Please continue to follow along by subscribing to the email list on the right OR via my personal favorite, BLOGLOVIN. (:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COFFEE&HONEYCOMB ON BLOGLOVIN.

xo.