Whew! Recently, life has been busy in the best possible way. I don’t know about you, but I do find an eventful calendar energizing.

Now, when I say eventful, I don’t mean jam-packed. Instead, I mean to describe a schedule that has a fair balance of productivity and play. We all deserve (and need) some breaks and downtime to unwind.

In the past couple of weeks, my unwind time has been spent just binging Ozarks, so I won’t bore you with those details. But, what I do want to chat about is some of the more exciting things that have been happening lately.

First off, I had the opportunity to create some on-site content with Goodwill NCW. As you may already know, I work as an ambassador with them. Not only do I love thrifting, but I love what the Goodwill organization is all about. It’s always fun to get the chance to work with them in person.

As soon as I can share what we shot, I will! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the final product.

Also recently, I went to the Eric Church concert in Green Bay. I am thankful to have concerts back in action at my local venues. It was such an amazing Saturday night show. It started at about 9:00 pm and wrapped up at midnight. If another Eric Church tour comes to town, I’ll be there!

Lastly, I’ve been working a lot on the goals that I set in a blog post early this year:

• I’ve been sharpening my photography skills at one of my day jobs.
• I’ve built a few new relationships with brands, and I’m continuing to have those conversations behind-the-scenes (stay tuned!).
• I’m prioritizing movement as much as possible. But, I’m not hard on myself when a workout doesn’t happen.
• I’ve made some decor upgrades to my apartment, and I’ve even added a coffee cart. I think I owe you a blog post soon with some updated pictures of my place!
• I’ve been getting out and exploring more of my local area. In upcoming blogs, I want to share more about Green Bay and my local recommendations.

For almost a quarter of the way through this year, I’m feeling good!

What has been going on in your life lately? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

New season, new wallpapers!

This past fall, I published a blog featuring some minimalistic phone wallpapers (you can check it out here). So, with spring quickly approaching, I thought a refresh was in order!

In this blog post, I’ve compiled a few different options to spice up your lock screen. You may recognize some of these designs from my Instagram. Lately, I’ve been sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my design process via reels. If that sounds like something you want to see more of, be sure to follow along.

Feel free to download the images and let me know what quotes/designs you may want to see next!

Bettie Page Inspired Wallpapers

Framed Quote Wallpapers

Kacey Musgraves Inspired Wallpapers

Which design was your favorite? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

Over the past two years, I’ve shared a couple of vision boards on the blog. I like to create these every so often to visualize my goals. It’s always interesting to look back on old boards and see how my wants have stayed the same or changed. It also allows me to visually see progress.

When I most recently reflected on my old boards, I noticed a lot of change. I think this is a result of my life changing a lot. For example, this year is my first in a while that I’m not in school. Now, I have my degree and am working in my field. My priorities overall have shifted, and now I have more time to create the life I want.

With that said, I felt it was time to create a new vision board that more appropriately reflected my current goals and attitude. Here’s how it turned out:

Let’s break it down:

• My new vision board is loaded with some words and quotes that really speak to me. I love quotes that relate to individuality and taking control of your life. They are on my board to remind me to always be intentional and always stay true to who I am.
• You may notice the b&w picture of the extra fringe jean jacket. TBH I want to recreate this jacket for myself. I’ll update you with a DIY project if I do. Also, I love the quote on the back: “Ain’t My First Rodeo.”
• I put some dollar signs on the board because I want to focus more on saving. I’ve always been a saver without thinking much about it, but I want to get more intentional about how I manage my money.
• There’s a lot of pink. This wasn’t really on purpose, but *surprise* it’s my favorite color.

Overall, this new vision board feels very me. I also feel like it gives off a very romantic vibe, which is what I wanted. I believe it’s important to romanticize your life and everything you got going on! In the words of Novalis:

“To romanticize the world is to make us aware of the magic, mystery and wonder of the world; it is to educate the senses to see the ordinary as extraordinary, the familiar as strange, the mundane as sacred, the finite as infinite.”

What’s on your vision board? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

Apps can make your day-to-day life easier rather than simply clutter your home screen. For example, they can help you automate tasks, get things done in a pinch, and even explore. You just have to find the right apps for your lifestyle.

I occasionally work from my phone and create content from my phone. So, I like to have apps that assist accordingly. I’d say that my must-have apps each fit into one of three categories: Lifestyle, content creation, and organization/work. If you’re looking to get things done more effectively in any of those areas, read on for some helpful tools to download!

Lifestyle

OpenTable: This app is great for making local dinner reservations, and it comes in handy when you’re traveling too. When I was on my Nashville trip, I used OpenTable a lot to search for spots to go and manage reservations.

Obe: As you may already know, I subscribe to Obe for at-home workouts. I’d recommend getting the app and joining if you’re looking for a fun way to move.

Starbucks: I use this app on at least a weekly basis. If you frequent Starbucks too, getting the app is worth it!

Fetch: This app gives you rewards for scanning your receipts. Seriously, it’s as simple as that. I’ve gotten a few free Starbucks runs from using this app. Here’s my referral link.

Content Creation

Lightroom: If you need to edit photos on the go, this app is perfect for you. I like to use the “bright” and “natural” presets for quick edits.

InShot: This is my favorite app for editing video content for Reels.

Canva: I love using Canva at my day jobs and for personal design work. I’ve been having fun keeping up with the #CanvaDesignChallenge each week on Twitter.

Organization & Work

GoodNotes: I use this app on my iPad with my Apple Pencil. I appreciate the organization of the app and how easy it is to backup my notes to my Google Drive.

Google Drive Apps: While I regularly use Google Drive on my MacBook, it comes in handy to have the apps on my phone. It makes sharing files and making last-minute edits convenient.

Gmail: I understand that not everyone is a fan of having their emails on their phone, but I like having it to keep up with my freelance work. I also have a more manageable inbox when I periodically check it throughout the day.

What are some of your must-have apps? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

If you keep up with me on the ‘gram, you already know my love for a beachy hair look. Since I started working with Beachwaver last year, I’ve learned a lot about hair care and styling. I have to credit Sarah Potempa for being an amazing teacher.

Here are my top 4 tips for achieving beachy waves:

Prepare your hair with a heat protectant. This helps to keep your hair nice and healthy. When you use a heat protectant, you can get the waves without the frizz! I like heat protectants that also add a bit of shine to my hair.

Clamp your hair a couple of inches from your ends. When you go to curl, don’t start from the bottom. Starting a little further up helps you to get an effortless and beachy look.

Rotate your curling iron away from your face. This is what gives you gorgeous volume. This also allows you to frame your face with your hair.

Brush out your curls. Trust me on this. Allow your hair to cool and use some hairspray, then brush it out. This will loosen up your curls just a touch which helps them to look more beachy.

What are your best hair-care tips? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

As you may already know, I’m a big fan of planning. I believe it can add value and purpose to your days as well as keep you on track and organized. I find that when I create a schedule for my day and list my to-do’s, I have a better and more productive time. When I don’t plan, I lack direction and motivation.

In my previous blog post about becoming “That Girl,” I touched on goal setting and planning. In this post, I want to give you some tools to do just that! Below are three different planners I created to assist with daily, weekly, and monthly planning. You can open them with Canva to download and/or edit how you like.

Here are a few things to note about each planner:

The Daily. In this planner, there is space for work-related items as well as life-related items. I believe it is important to see both your work and life plans on the same schedule. This can show you exactly how balanced (or not balanced) your work and life are.

I intentionally left space under the schedule for “tonight’s plan.” I want that to serve as a reminder to either take some time for yourself or make time to go out and do something. Of course, we don’t always have big events happening every night, but I think it’s important to have something to look forward to (even if it is just watching a new episode of your favorite show).

The Weekly. This planner is less structured and allows you to simply layout the week ahead. I personally like to view my upcoming meetings and important appointments in a weekly layout. It helps me to visually see which days have more flexibility than others.

The Monthly. This is where you can set your bigger goals and view the full picture of your month. Monthly, I always like to write in when bills are due, work deadlines, and plans with family/friends.

I’d love to see you putting these planners to use, so tag me on your Insta stories if you do!

Do you typically plan on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis? Let’s chat in the comments below!

“That Girl” wakes up early, works out, eats healthy, has an organized schedule, is productive, and lives aesthetically. Basically, she’s doing the things that we all strive to do. When I think of “That Girl,” I think of someone that has intention, motivation, and confidence.

The only issue “That Girl” has is the fact that she’s not real. She’s simply an idea that was popularized on TikTok. In case you’re not familiar with the trend, here’s a Pinterest board that sums up who she is.

While you can argue that the “That Girl” trend is idealistic, I believe the idea of “That Girl” can provide a lot of inspiration for enhancing our day-to-day routines.

According to “That Girl” content, here are a few positive and actionable things that we can all do:

• Set goals and have a plan. Determine what you want and what you need to get there. I like to do this in the short-term and long-term. Each day I try to create priorities and have a to-do list that aligns with that. Yearly, I create a top three to five goals that I work towards.
• Make time for movement. Move your body in a way that feels good to you. For example, you could find movement by going for a walk or following along with a yoga YouTube video.
• Drink more water. Seriously, this is a basic yet very important bullet point. Feel free to sip while you read the rest of this blog post.
• Dress in what makes you feel good. Whether it’s athleisure or a blazer, wear something that you feel confident in.
• Try journaling, meditation, or listing gratitudes. Find time in your day to just focus on yourself and your mind.
• Challenge yourself to wake up earlier. Even waking up 15-30 minutes earlier than you usually do can have a huge impact on how you start your day. This extra time allows you to work movement or journaling into your schedule.
• Create a skincare routine. Personally, I view my skincare as a daily act of self-care. It’s something that I always make the time for, and I enjoy the calm it brings me.

What’s your take on the “That Girl” trend? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

Let’s catch up, shall we?

It has been a while since I’ve done “Monthly Recaps” on the blog, and I’ve recently brainstormed a new blog series to replace it: “Shines & Wines.” This new series will be an opportunity to chat about recent happenings, as well as an opportunity to try something new.

I consider “Shines” to describe things that have happened that I’m excited to share, things I’m grateful for, and/or wins! “Wines” are just that, wine. I want to share some wine recommendations so we can share a cheers no matter where in the world you’re reading this blog from.

You can expect a new “Shines & Wines” on a quarterly basis, but I may publish more in addition to regularly scheduled content. It just depends on what’s all going on (and how many different wines I have to recommend). Let’s jump in:

Recent Shines

• I finally updated my professional portfolio! Honestly, I haven’t touched my portfolio website since I graduated in May. It felt good to get the website revamped and updated with current projects. If you’re ever curious about my day jobs, feel free to check out my portfolio here. Also, shameless self-promo: If you have a business and you need help with photography, digital design, or social media, feel free to reach out! I’m always excited to explore collaboration opportunities.
• I made an outside-of-my-comfort-zone clothing purchase: leather jeans. As it turns out, I absolutely love them. While getting a pair of shiny pants isn’t the most groundbreaking thing, I’m happy that I tried something new. Here’s your sign to challenge yourself to a new style statement piece!
• My life feels different than a year ago. One year ago around this time, I was stressed. I was approaching graduation with a very vague plan of what life would look like after. I was applying for a bunch of jobs, and I didn’t know what city I’d call home. Now, one year later, I am happy and grateful for where I ended up and what I do. If you’re approaching college or even high school graduation, know that things work out in interesting ways (and no one else knows what they are doing either).

Recent Wines

• Naughty Girl by Von Stiehl. I’d be lying if I said the name wasn’t the reason I tried this wine. But, hey, it has become one of my favorites.
• Growlers’ Reserve Merlot by Trader Joe’s. This was a staff pick at the Trader Joe’s I went to in Milwaukee, so I tried it. It’s perfect if you want a good and cheap merlot.
• Pink Door from Door 44 Winery. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I enjoy rosé. This one is not too sweet, and not too dry.

There we go; the first Shines & Wines is on the books (or on the blog, I suppose). Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram! What are your recent Shines & Wines?

Happy New Year! It’s that time again to reflect, reset, and move forward with a plan. While new goals can be made anytime during the year, around the beginning feels like the perfect time. For 2022, I created a list of five things that I want to accomplish:

Continue to learn and grow in my career. I primarily work on marketing efforts and social media management between my day jobs and freelance opportunities. Sometimes I wear the hat of a content creator, and other times I am a brand manager. I want to continue to improve my graphic design skills, photography skills, and my knowledge of SEO.

Expand brand partnerships. I want to continue to collaborate with brands that I love and share them with you! When I say expand, I don’t mean quantity over quality. I still only want the best things for us.

Prioritize movement. I’ve chatted about my Obe obsession on here before, and it’s only continuing. I love the feeling of starting my morning with a cardio or sculpt workout. In 2022, I want to continue prioritizing movement.

Create a beautiful home. The apartment that I am currently in is absolutely the favorite that I’ve had. The location and the aesthetic are perfect for me. I’m looking forward to decorating and customizing it more. Hopefully, I will be able to host more in the new year!

Seek new adventures. I mean this in a big and small way. I want to plan some trips, and I also want to explore more locally. It’s reasonable to say that I could try a new thing each month in my city whether that’s a new local restaurant or attending an event that’s happening downtown.

What are your 2022 resolutions? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!