What's up Wednesday

Happy Wednesday to you! Today I’m sharing a hodge podge post covering things from what I’ve been reminiscing about lately, to what I’ve been loving. Thanks for being here. :)

what I'm eating...

These little cucumber + triscuits are one of my favorite snacks in the spring & summer! They’re light & tasty & easy enough that even I don’t mind making them. ;) You can read my recipe by clicking here.

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what I’m reminiscing about...

As many of you know, a couple of weekends ago I graduated with my Masters of Science in School Counseling! I’ve been working as a middle school counselor this year with my provisional license, as well as finishing my degree, both full time. It’s a weird feeling having that thing you’ve been working on for so long be over, but I’m looking forward to finding new ways to spend my time — going on walks, reading more, & chatting with all of you! I can’t even begin to explain how heartwarming y’all’s encouraging comments + messages are! This platform truly is one of the coolest & most supportive communities & I’m so thankful for that. It was such a fun weekend & I’m missing spending all of that time catching up with friends + extended family members.

My sweet family members are my greatest supporters!! I’m so thankful for them!

We also celebrated our sweet sister’s high school graduation! Is she not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?!

My other sister, Avery, & I did her hair & makeup… something we’ve done for all of her high school proms & dances. We might actually miss this next year!

Bethany is headed to K-State for FACS Education! Yay for another sibling falling in love with Manhappiness. :)

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!!!

what I'm loving...

I’m always looking for new & affordable sunglasses, especially in the spring & summer months when I’m outside more! When they’re prices, I can get more pairs for my money which makes me happy! This pair is so fun with the gold bar across the eyebrow area. They come in a few other color options, but black & gold & browns are my go-to colors. These are $16!

Like sunglasses & jewelry, I love using my apple watch as an accessory. I saw these comfy ones & knew I needed to try them & of course I got the leopard one! They come in a whole bunch of other color patterns that are so fun for spring & are customizable by size which is really nice! They are $25!

Two weeks ago when I was packing for the weekend of traveling, I pulled out my jewelry travel case & haven’t shared it for awhile so I figured I should! My Mom actually got it for me for my birthday a couple of years ago & I’ve used it a lot! Now that I have my own place & have adequate storage, I mostly use it when I travel, but when I was living at my parent’s house, it was where I kept all of my jewelry. It folds up & actually stays pretty thin which makes for easy packing & traveling. My jewelry stays in place & there’s tons of slots so I can pack as much as I want. I’ll link to as much as I can below including the plants, coasters & jewelry. :)

what I’ve been up to...

Yesterday was my last day of school. There’s a part of me that feels like this strange year was SO LONG, but also flew by at the same time. By far, this school year was one for the books. I can honestly say that I’ll never forget my first year as a school counselor!

My family owns a sno cone shack that we open up during the summer months. I’m thankful that I live close enough to my parents that I get to drive in to work with my sisters a couple days a week this summer! This will be our third summer open & we were so ready & excited to see everyone! It really is a fun place to come ‘Chill’ if you’re ever in the area. ;) One of my go-to flavors so far this season has been birthday cake — it’s delicious & satisfies my sweet tooth!

what I’m dreading...

I don’t really have anything going on in my life lately that I’m dreading, but I am in kind of a strange place & figured that was worth sharing.

Have you ever gone through one of those seasons of life where you feel kind of lost or confused about what is supposed to come next? I’m feeling a little bit of that now that grad school is over. I’ve just been a “student” for so long that it kind of became a part of my identity. I keep reminding myself that all of the other seasons of questioning I’ve gone through, made sense eventually. My prayer for myself (& all of you who are feeling a little lost right now) is for acceptance & understanding. & to get comfortable in the waiting until those answers come.

what I’m working on...

I’ve got some super fun + exciting stuff that I’m working on for the blog for the next couple of weeks & I can’t wait to share it with y’all!!!

what I’m excited about...

SUMMER!!!

Honestly, just a chance to slow down, catch up a bit, enjoy the simple things, & just take it easy. It doesn’t get much better than that!

what I'm watching / reading...

Now that I’m done with grad school (or at least temporarily, who knows what the future holds!), I’ve been enjoying some free time reading & watching some shows. I’ll link to my most recent book review post here where you can see my reviews for the books I read in April — there were some goodies!! & I’ve been rewatching Jane the Virgin on Netflix because I stinkin’ love Gina Rodriguez & don’t think I’ll ever get over her.

what I'm listening to...

I hate to even admit this, but the 16 year old girl in me has been pretty obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, SOUR, on spotify lately. #sorrynotsorry

what I'm wearing...

Amazon…

Who doesn’t love a great basic t-shirt? This henley t-shirt is too cute! Super soft & almost like slouchy because it’s so comfy. I’m wearing a small & would say it fits oversized — you could size up one if you wanted to wear it with leggings & have it cover the booty! The buttons are functional which is nice because you get to decide how low you want it to go. It comes in other colors & is less than $20!

For some reason I’m really into embroidery, frill, & bright colors this spring & I have no idea why. This white embroidered top is everything I hoped it would be! The fabric is a little bit sheer, but not necessarily see through. I wore a black bra just to test it out & I feel like you can just barely see the darker color showing through, so just wear a nude or white one & you’ll be fine! I’m wearing a small here & it fits very much true to size. This one is also less than $20!!

& this t-shirt is what I meant when I mentioned loving frill earlier! This top is from Amazon & is also less than $20! I’m wearing a small here & would say it fits true to size. The fabric feels kind of like a soft cotton t-shirt so my assumption is that it will shrink. It comes in some other color options as well. My favorite part about this top is the details on the sleeves! I’ll share some close up pictures of them below.

Y’all know how much I love color block options, so of course I was smitten over this t-shirt dress. Plus the subtle frill sleeves are darling & so feminine! It’s really light & thin, but not see through at all. I’m wearing a small & would say that it fits true to size. It comes in a few other colors, I just loved this one the most! It gets a little bit longer towards the back which helps with modesty. I’m 4’11” & the front hits right at my knees.

Forget hot girl summer. I’m going for cool girl summer instead! This facial drawing t-shirt & these glasses make me feel so hipster & cool & I don’t even know why lol both are really subtle so they’re not far out of my comfort zone. This t-shirt is super soft & fits great — I’m wearing a medium (which I usually wear in t-shirts so they’re not tight). These denim shorts have been my favorite pair that I’ve found all spring! I’ve already ordered them in other colors because I love how much they fit. I sized up one so that they wouldn’t be tight which was a great decision for me. I just love this whole outfit!

Walmart…

I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of denim shorts & while on my search, I found these comfy ones in a light acid wash. They are AMAZING! They’re incredibly flattering & so comfortable! I’m wearing a medium & would say that they fit true to size. They have a functional drawstring as well. I paired them with this “do good” muscle tank from Target. I’m wearing a medium, but could’ve done a small. It’s incredibly soft & I love that the letters are completely filled in. It’s just such a fun & different look!

& drumroll please… I found my 2021 summer denim shorts, y’all!!! Surprisingly, they’re from Walmart. Like I said before, I’m incredibly picky about how my denim shorts feel & look. I sized up to a 6 in these because at the end of the day, the size shouldn’t matter — how I feel in them is what matters!! I love the subtle fringe at the hemline & how stretchy & comfy they are! 10/10 would recommend. They are $24. You can see that the distressing goes all the way around & that I have some extra room to move in my thigh area! * insert praise hands here *

This choral crewneck is from Target & has matching shorts, but I thought it was cute on its own! I love the raw hemline on the bottom & that it’s split on the sides. It’s $20!

Target…

This top is my favorite out of all the ones I’ve shared today & might just be my favorite for the whole spring season!!! It’s from Target & I’m wearing a medium for a little bit of a looser fit (fits true to size). The details in this top are EVERYTHING! The back is completely plain which is cute & different. It’s not see through, but I would say it’s a little bit sheer so plan to wear a white or nude bra. I just love how feminine & cutesy this one is! You’ll find me in this all spring & summer long!

Next up is this floral graphic t-shirt. I always size up in their t-shirts, but I definitely didn’t need to with this one. It is incredibly soft & thin so it’s perfect for spring & summer. The seafoam green color is darling & has been one of my fav colors this spring! Great price & a great t-shirt! My denim shorts are from Walmart & I actually really love them! I pretty much always hate denim shorts because I’m incredibly picky in how they fit & look. I sized up to a 6 in these because at the end of the day, the size shouldn’t matter — how I feel in them is what matters!! I love the subtle fringe at the hemline & how stretchy & comfy they are! 10/10 would recommend. :) & it even looks cute cozied up with a cardigan, too!

I’ve shared about this before, but I typically find dressing cute in the summer to be a big challenge. I’m incredibly picky about my denim shorts, so I often times am searching for comfier options. These are from Target & they are BOMB! I had heard that they were fairly oversized, so I sized down to a small & I still have quite a bit of room. They’re very light & airy, so they’re perfect for spring & summer. They have nice deep pockets & a cute rushed waistline. They come in a few other color options & are $17.

Okay I have to be totally up front & honest when I say that I was straight up #influenced by the whole thing, all the way down to the belt. I’m wearing a small in this dress & it definitely fits oversized, I could’ve gotten an XS or even XXS if they made that size! The neckline isn’t too deep which I appreciate. This color is like a mix between bright coral & red & it’s so vibrant — I love it! The belt was actually a lifesaver because it helped create more of a figure in this dress. I’ve seen lots of other bloggers pairing belts with dresses & didn’t really think it could work for me, but I’m loving it with this one! This belt is actually part of a pack of three — it comes with a black one & a leopard one as well — & I thought they were too cute to pass up!

I’ve shared a couple other dresses that have this same square neckline & each time I’m surprised by how much I like them! The same thing goes for balloon sleeves. Maybe it’s the young girl in me that loves them, but regardless, I’m here for the new trend. I’m wearing a small in this dress, & again, could’ve sized down one or two. The smocked chest is super cute, but it was really big & actually gaped on me (& I do not have a small chest). It has pockets which I love & I think the pattern & color scheme is so darn cute!

I’ve never been much of a skirt-wearer before, but since branching out this spring & trying some, I’ve become hooked. This one is my stinkin’ fav! At first I got it in a medium because I don’t like when the waistline is tight, but actually had to trade it in for a small because the medium was just too wide. It has quite a bit of fabric because it’s lined on the inside so that it’s not see through, so the medium was just too much. The dalmation dots are a deep dark grey, almost a black, & I love the subtle pleating. So cute! I actually wore this outfit for a middle school concert & paired it with the brown belt from above for an added pop of neutral color.