January in Favorites

Let me tell you, January has been pretty calm around here! I expected the transition back to school to be stressful, but between lots of days off (including snow days) + working a little less lately, everything has been peachy keen! I finished four new designs in January + started a fifth (my fave this month was for Hannah//The Homesteady). Plus, I totally rebranded my own blog and I'm so in love with the rad, but clean feel + the general Allie-ness that is oozing out of my computer screen (sorry, oozing's kinda a gross word #sorrynotsorry) every time I pull up my homepage. I feel like I'm really coming into my own as to having skills and a distinct style as a designer, which is just a super awesome feeling. :)

So I know I haven't done one of these monthly recaps in awhile (I think not since September!), but I'm switching things up around here + bringing some old stuff back!

So I've mentioned before that I totally go through phases of music? Where I'll have a week where I just want to listen to folk and then the next week I only want celtic rock or something equally awesome-weird? Yeah, this whole month was a giant phase dedicated to Elvis. Somehow, even though I feel like I know a ton of music, I had never really listened to anything Elvis before this month, which is just craziness. But relax guys, I've seen the light. I'm officially obsessed. So a few weeks ago, I shared some of my favorite Elvis songs and the story behind the first time I really sat down + listened to Elvis.

I'm so sorry, reading gods, I didn't read a single. book. this month. Not one. Believe me, I'm well aware of how pathetic that is. But I'll be getting back on that real soon, I promise! Every time I'm in the airport, I look at all those lovely books + I take pictures of all the ones I want to read. Needless to say, all those pictures are taking up way too much room in my iPhone camera roll. I've specifically had a hankering for some good, unconventional fiction books (like Where'd You Go, Bernadette). Any recommendations?

But as for non-book reading, I've done quite a bit (as in blog-reading). I'm still absolutely awful about commenting because I like tor read straight from the Bloglovin' app + it's a nightmare to try to leave comments on a phone. Is there a better way to comment on iPhones? Anyways, I loved Crystal's post on 3 Simple Stretches to a Calmer You, Bethany's Ultimate Email Tips and Sarah Von's post on the super easy, low-tech thing she does every night to stay happy + productive.

I'm really proud of my writing lately, I'll be honest. I absolutely love blogging, but I've never considered myself a genius writer. (To prove it, I just accidentally typed 'righter' instead of 'writer').  But I've been working on really developing core ideas about my blog + for the most part, I'll be sticking to writing about design, positivity + productivity. There will be music + science + randomness thrown in, but that's my plan.

This month, I was particularly proud of my post on my Word of the Year: 'Open'. I also really connected with a few other posts of mine: 4 Ways to Have a Productive Day Off, which has tips that I use every. single. Saturday so that I don't lay in my hammock and watch SVU all day + also, How to Create the Perfect iTunes Playlist, in which I show my method for creating a balanced, continuous playlist that I like to have on in the background while I design, blog + do schoolwork.

Oh man, do I love a good (preferably online) shopping day. If I had more money, this blog would be alll about fashion, makeup + good ol' home decor. But alas, I don't. But just for fun, I thought I'd share just a couple things on my wishlist lately.

Clockwise from top-left: Modern Wood Burned Sign // B+W Polka Dot Raincoat // Red Rope Knot Necklace // Mini Faux Taxidermy Elephant

If you have a month recap post, please share the link! I love reading a good recap! Now you help me--what books should I read in February?

Playlist #20: Elvis

Hi all! First off, I apologize for being a little absent around these parts the last few weeks. It's kind of odd to me how so many articles of "blog rules" say that you should never apologize for posting less than usual. And obviously rules are meant to be broken, but I really disagree with that. Obviously, no one needs to apologize with blogging if they don't feel they need to, but I feel like I do. 

As a blogger, I feel like my readers expect certain things from me. You expect a quality post, hopefully one that's interesting or useful. You expect me to answer your emails and comments. And if you're a regular reader, you've learned to plan on 3-4 posts a week. And I haven't been doing that successfully. I don't owe you anything, but I want to build a little relationship with each and every one of you, so in the spirit of community, I want to come out and say that I'm sorry. 

I've been doing lots of planning + mind maps + designing + I'm oh-so-excited about all the lovely-rad things I have planned for us in the coming weeks. So stick around! :) 

Today, I'm doing something that I haven't really done much recently (except at Christmas!): share a playlist! With my music tastes, I really go through phases. I'll have a couple weeks where I can't bear to listen to anything but acoustic or a few weeks where it's all 80s rock or opera or 20s swing or (fill in the blank). 

Lately, it's Elvis. Believe it or not, it all started at my internship last week. (Prepare yourselves, I'm about to nerd out.) I've been working with an environmental department of my county government that deals with the health of streams, rivers and lakes in my area. One day, I was with two guys installing a surveillance camera at a local creek that would basically enable us to watch the stream for flood conditions (overflowing). 

While we were doing that, there were a bunch of guys that would walk by and hang in the streets, just loitering. One guy even asked us if he could see the footage because a car had been stolen there the day before. And so I just casually made some comment about how much I love hanging out in the ghetto. In response to this, one of my coworkers, a big, burly fisherman type of guy responds with a falsetto "in the ghettoooo", just like the background singers in Elvis's song "In the Ghetto". So of course, I had the song stuck in my head the rest of the day, and now I'm on an Elvis kick.

Long story to say, I'm obsessed with Elvis at the moment. Listen away, lovelies.

Anyone else fangirl over Elvis like I do? What have you been listening to lately?