Blouses Lovin'

one // two // three // four // five // 

One thing I've always had a hard time with, when it comes to my summer wardrobe, is blouses. You want something that's loose, but not too lose, cute but practical, and preppy but functional.

One thing I've found is that short sleaved shirts work really well in summertime. I'm all for a good tank top but short sleaved shirts tend to be more flowy which allows for air flow {which is really important}

So do you have any favorite summer tops? Share in the comment section below I'd love to see!!

What I've Learned From Blogging So Far

I always love reading these posts from other bloggers. Learning from others is the best way to get good at your craft and I can definitely attest to that.

I've been blogging now {consistently} for about 4 months. I started a blog {this blog actually} in the summer of 2014 and I really enjoyed it but with starting my freshman year at college I just wasn't sure I could commit such a big part of my time to this blog. So I shut down the blog and left for college.

One of my classes that first semester, though, was a Writing for the Media class and one of our assignments was to start, and keep up with, a blog. I decided that instead of using my current blog, I wanted to create a new and "fresh" blog. I had always wanted to try out Wordpress {I've always heard how it's so different from blogger and the features are amazing} so I created a Wordpress blog. I kept up with it throughout the semester but I mostly focused on fashion.

As I kept blogging throughout the semester I wasn't really trying to grow my audience I just wanted to get better at writing for a blog. I really enjoyed that time. It was a really great learning process for me and my professor was really able to help me get better at writing for my blog.

Once the semester ended and my brain returned back to normal after finals {which let me tell you, took longer than I had anticipated...} I started to miss blogging.

I had a super long Christmas break with nothing much to do so I decided to bring back my old blogger blog {I wasn't a huge fan of Wordpress, you can read why here} and get back at it again.

This time, though, I really wanted to focus on growing my blog. So I started creating content, things that I was interested it, and seeing what posts my audience liked best.

I love writing for this blog. It's my passion, my biggest time eater, and so much fun. It's definitely a labor of love, though, and whenever I get in slump about my pageviews being down or not getting a favorite on a tweet, I just have to remind myself that I'm not doing this to be successful {not that I don't want to be successful...} I'm doing this because I love writing and I want to share my passion with the "world."

I have so much more to learn, that I know for sure. But in these past four months I have learned so much and I have made so many great connections and "blogger friends." I can't wait to see what these next few months have to hold and where these experience takes me.

I do want to thank you, though, my readers for embarking on this journey with me. I wouldn't be where I am without the constant encouragement I get from your comments, pageviews, emails, and more. You are all truly amazing people.

Happy blogging and have a wonderful day!!

Coffee Cake Muffins

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a fan of boxed foods. I'm not the best cook in the world {I'm better at photographing food than I am making it...} but I love to bake so boxed recipes are a great option for me!!

I've always loved coffee cake but sometimes the "cake" can be inconvenient. Usually when I'm eating coffee cake, I'm having it for breakfast. And most of the time when I'm taking time to eat breakfast I don't have a ton of time. So these muffins are the perfect option!

The box that I use {Krusteaz box} has directions on the back as to how you make the muffins. I follow that recipe to the letter and the muffins turn out perfectly.
 

The only tip I have is that if your oven can be a bit "finicky" {like mine} you should keep a close eye on the muffins and how long you bake them. The way mine go is one minute I think they need a bit longer and next they're done and ready.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe/tips. Do you have a favorite box recipe? Share in the comment section below!!

5 Tips to Ace Your Finals

Finals. I really hate whoever came up with this "concept."

Towards the end of last semester I started feeling very unmotivated. It was kind of ironic (kind of... but not really) that I started to lose motivation just when I needed it the most (think 5 finals in four days). I really had to push myself to stay motivated and I tried a lot of different "techniques" to do so. I thought I'd share the top 5 things that helped me stay motivated during finals week.

1. Failure. This is going to sound a little obvious but I the possibility of failure really motivated me not to fail. Often times I put myself in these positions in classes where the final is difference between a letter grade. While I wish that would not be the case, it really motivates me to study for my finals. Now I'm not saying you should be failing all of your classes so that you will study really hard for your finals, but, reminding yourself of what the final could do for your grade (positively not negatively... don't focus on the negative because that gets depressing) will help you stay motivated to study.

2. Study at Different Places. When I was studying for finals the "big thing on campus" was to wake up super early so you could to an academic building when it opened to reserve a room. It was like Black Friday people! Thankfully I had a wonderful friend who reserved a room and said I could join her. So I ended up studying in a classroom, in my room, and a little bit in the library. I noticed, though, that if I stayed in one place for too long it was easy to get distracted in bored. So try studying at a few different places.

3. Take Study Breaks. This one was probably the most important for me. At one point I looked at the clock and realized I had been studying for over 5 hours straight. That was not good. I tend to make really good plans for studying, stick to them, but then freak out the day before the test because I feel like I haven't learned enough. I learned this past semester, though, that when you don't take study breaks those last 2 hours of the 5 did nothing for you.

4. Study Groups Aren't Always the Best Idea. Whenever I read articles online about "How to Study For Finals" they always suggested that you go to a study group. I tried it out two times (once at midterms and once for finals) and I didn't like it either time. And it all comes down to this: it depends on who you're with. Both times the groups that I was with weren't super focused on studying and they got distracted really easily. I would just suggest that you honestly assess your group of people and decide whether or not it can be beneficial. Even just saying you're going to go for an hour and then decide isn't a bad idea. You can use it as a study break.

5. Keep Everything in Perspective. I have a tendency (as I said above) to freak out at the last minute and stress about not knowing enough. The only thing that does is limit the amount of information that will enter my brain and shorten my life by 5 years. So keep everything in perspective. I remember telling my bible study leader about my stress and she said "Julia, what is really going to happen if you fail the final? You might get a D? Even if you fail the class, you can take it again." While I really didn't want to take any of my classes again, I realized that in comparison to the struggles of other people in the world, my Civilization final was not that big of a deal.

I hope this list helps and that you stay stress-free for your finals! Do you have any sure-fire ways to ace finals? Share in the comment section!

Wearing Pantone Colors

|| one || two || three || four || five || six || seven || eight || nine || ten || 

Pantone's color list is the ultimate list of "what to wear." While I've always been kind of skeptical {I mean how can you predict what people are going to want to wear?} they always seem to get it right. 

The thing to remember, though, is that these colors are meant to be the statement colors in your wardrobe. In other words, don't mix and match. Sure, a few of these colors go together but as an overall rule, don't try to combine {the Essie nail polish and the yellow top wouldn't exactly look the best together...}

While I was looking for items to go with Pantone's colors, I found that these colors are really popular this year. I saw a lot of dark blues, the sea green {the color of the flats} is very popular, and grey is always popular.

While Pantone's color list is not an "exclusive" list, these are definitely some colors to keep your eyes out for.

Do you have a favorite color on Pantone's color list? Share in the comment section below!!

Blogging 101: Do It For The Instagram

I've been using Instagram for my own personal use for a while now. I love posting "artsy" photos and seeing my friend's trendy squares. When I thought about using Instagram for blogging purposes, though, I really didn't know where to start.

So I decided to start at Pinterest. I've mentioned it before but Pinterest is one of the best places to find advice on all things blogging. Including how to use Instagram to grow your blog. So I read up on who to follow, what to post, what times to post, how often, how much, etc. And let me tell you, I've learned a lot. I still have a long way to go {I think my Instagram following is at a whole whopping 10 people} but I know that with time and penitence {as everything in the blogging world seems to require} I'll get there. So here are a few pieces of advice I've gathered over these past few months.

1. First comes your profile photo then comes your bio. Your profile photo is really important. It's the first thing everyone sees when click on your profile. The second most important thing is your bio. A bio says a lot about a person. Are you funny? Witty? Sarcastic? A little nerdy? What do you do? Why should someone follow you? My favorite bios are ones where I can get a sense for a person's unique personality. So don't be afraid to be yourself, that's the best thing you can do. Also, always include your website/blog link in your bio. Here are some of my favorite Instagram bios...

Emily Ley\\ "Designer, wife & mama to three sweet littles. Creator of the @SimplifiedPlanner & #ELBabyBook. emilyley.com"

Glitter Guide\\ "Flashes of (de)light | lifestyle website dedicated to inspiring you to shine bright. | Share your #flashesofdelight with us #GlitterGuidexThimblepress www.theglitterguide.com"

Lauren Elizabeth\\ "small biz owner (@elisabethashlie) || life + style blogger || cat lady www.thelaurenelizabeth.com"

2. Take Good Photos. This might seem extra simplified but it's the honest-to-goodness-truth. While I really like taking photos on my phone sometimes it helps when I take them with my Nikon, brighten them up in photoshop and then post them. Sure, it takes more time but those are the photos that I really love and they also get more likes. I also really enjoy getting photo inspiration from gramers {in other words, follow some really beautiful people with really beautiful instaprofiles}. Check out this link to see a great list of accounts to follow {click here}

3. Don't just promote your blog posts. This is the rut that I tend to get stuck in. It's so easy to just go down the line through your social media accounts and upload blog related content. The reason that people are following you {especially on Instagram} is because they want to get to know YOU! Sure, they want your post updates, but they mostly just want to see what a day in the life of {insert your name here} is like.

4. Don't feel obligated to follow back. This is a "debated" topic in the blog world. I know some bloggers that guarantee "follow-backs" and I know others that only follow 5 of their closest friends. For me, if someone follows me and I think I'd enjoy getting their updates, I follow them. If they blog about completely different topics than me or I don't connect with them, I don't follow them. The main point is that you don't simply follow someone to follow them. Remember the point above about getting post inspiration. You can't be "inspired" from people who aren't posting "inspiring" things.

5.Whiteagram. One word, one great app {it's available for IOS and Android} I really like using this app for all of my photos but I know some people just pick and choose. It really makes your feed look "hipster" {even if you're like me and you really aren't...}

Do you have any good Instagram tips? Share them in the comment section below!!

For more Instagram Tips, follow my ||Blogging for Instagram|| board on Pinterest {click here}

Follow ME on Instagram @touchofclassblg

Campus Voxbox

I love trying new products! A friend of mine told me about Influenster a few years ago and I knew I wanted to get on board. I've been receiving products for a while now and there's always something great in my box. Here is my review of the products I received in my voxbox this time.

{ Products are reviewed in the order that they are number in the photo}

St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub: 
My skin is super sensitive so I was very hesitant to try this {I usually break out after using any kind of "scrub"} I only used it once because it made me break out a little bit and that made me nervous. If I was really committed to using the product I might try using it again to see if my skin adjusted but honestly, I think I'll just stick with my "Clean & Clear."

Sour Punch Rainbow Straws:
 They same things basically apply to the straws as well. I liked them, they reminded me of licorice, and they were pleasant to eat. Enough said.


Jergins Natural Glow Instant Sun Tanning Mousse:
I'm not blessed with a "natural tan." My family always teases me because even in the summer I just don't tan. I don't even burn. Nothing happens to me {I have this theory that I was cursed with sunscrean sewn into my skin... it's a working theory...} So as you can guess, I've been using tanning lotions for a while. Jergins is always my go-to. They have great reviews, I like the color that it gives my skin {as in not orange} and it's easy enough to apply. My one complaint about the normal lotion application that I use is that it takes FOREVER to dry. I always apply the lotion right before bed and really can't avoid going to bed without feeling greasy and.... lotion covered. With this new mousse formula, though, it solves all of my problems. I still get the Jergins color that i love but my skin isn't left oily and "creamy." The only thing I will warn you about though is because the mousse is more concentrated, you should make sure to wash your hands ASAP... or you might be a little orange.

Sour Punch Punchies:
I won't go into super deep detail with these because I'm not really a "candy fanatic." I liked the flavor that they had, they were a good size, and they pleasant to indulge in. They were really sweat though and I could only eat a few at a time.

L'Oreal Paris Advanced Straight System: 
 I'm not a big "shampoo shopper." I've always kind of used the same thing and stuck to what worked for me {I do vary around a bit so my hair doesn't get "complacent but for the most part I stick to the same stuff} I'm always up for trying something new, though, so I gave it a whirl. Honestly I didn't really notice a huge difference. My hair is naturally really curly though {think afro style in the humidity} so that might have something to do with it. Honestly, I'm not sure I'm the best person to review this product because I my hair type but I will say that in my experience it didn't do anything for me. It smells good and I'll use it but overall nothing "dramatic" happened.

Softlips Cube: 
I love chapstick. There's nothing better than smacking on a good repair worker and letting it do its magic. I posted a review a while ago on what I liked/didn't like about certain chapstick brands {see that review here} If you saw the review, you know that I'm pretty picky about my chapstick. I'm not the kind of girl that wants something "glossy" and "shinny." I want something that heals my chapped lips and doesn't make them cracked. This particular softlips cube chapstick, though, didn't fit my fancy. I put it on in the middle of the day, just wanting to try it out. It went on very nicely and left my lips with a little shimmer to add some glam. That night, however, my lips started to almost burn and I had to apply an excess amount of my normal chapstick to get it to go away. Maybe that happened because my lips were already chapped, but I wasn't a fan.

I hope this review is helpful. I always tell people when reading reviews you should take everything with a grain of salt. Everyone is different, everyone's preferences are different and so their opinions are going to be different. What didn't work for me might work for you and what worked for me might not work for you. It's always helpful to read a little about what others think, though, so I hope this was helpful in some way. If you have any questions {about my reviews our about the Influenster program} contact me by email or social media. I love hearing from you!!


{Disclaimer: I received the products listed above for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way by any third party}