If there is one thing to explain my life lately, it’s that this post was saved in my drafts for May 1…it is in fact May 20. It’s the thought that counts. I’ve been a little busy bee lately with finishing up MY LAST DAYS OF HIGH SCHOOL EVER, and graduating this coming Sunday. I am SO ready for summer time and all it’s adventures don’t worry. But for now, here’s what I’ve been loving.

1// Man Repeller pronounces famous designers  the right way…and boy oh boy do I feel silly.

2// 7 secrets of confident people written by my all-time favorite guest writer on TCP

3// this asparagus/egg/salmon dish literally is making my mouth water mid-sociology class. oops.

4// I feel like I insert some sort of cheesey recipe in here every week, but when its vegan AND gluten free…why not?

5// Frannie’s black puffer coat and distressed jean look has me craving winter in NYC all over again

6// I’m all about strappy styles for this spring and summer, and this sassy swimsuit is no exception to that love

7// tell me this doesn’t make you wanna take a run in the jungle. because that’s totally something I can do in my free time here in the Midwest /:

8// I’m sneaking this in as #8 so it’s sneaky but my little sista Shan’s 16th birthday is Sunday and i figured she deserved public blog recognition for making it in the world for this long! xoxo love ya kiddo!

9// Amy has been one of my go-to bloggers to read for the longest time and this post about her new internship actually brought me to tears. congrats gf, all the love to ya!

10// Kate’s Latest&Greatest list for this start of summer will literally have you drooling over all the pretty colors and prints for the upcoming season!

Until next time, xoxo, ally

wowza. hey there internet followers. followers? readers? friends? heyo to ALL of ya. life is crazy, hecka crazy lately, and I’m loving every ounce of it. I promised myself when I first started blogging that I would never be too focused on it to let it get in the way of my real life and months like this prove it to be all too true, but I’m really alright with it if it calls for more adventures. So today I wanna sit and chat with all of you and do what I love to do, write about me. lol, as silly as that sounds, i love letting you all in on my life so you can share some happy moments as well! now onto the good stuff:

//my school life has been filled to the brim with fun lately. if this is what being a second semester senior is like, I don’t ever wanna go to college. (don’t quote me on that @KU, i really really wanna go to college.) My school has this crazy tradition called “Surprise Day” that myself and the rest of student board plan for the whole school. Basically its a day that no one else but StuBo knows the date of that we don’t have school and have a dance party and inflatables and cotton candy and face paint. I told you, crazy. Here’s Andie and I enjoying our last one!

//cotton candy aside, I also competed in districts and state of speech for my school these past few weeks. My high school speech career is now over and I can’t thank any single one of my teammates enough for the amount of love they’ve given me over the past four years, and for the amount of confidence the activity has given me overall. I’ve met some of my best friends through speech and even my ‘adopted lil soul sister’ shannon (who i’m sure some of our silly adventures will be posted about soon)

not sure what in the world this crazy soph is gonna do when this senior graduates

//senior year just seems to be absolutely full of endings, and my end of dancing is one of them as well. I finished up my last dance team season and even though I’ll miss the girls and the craziness we concoct whenever we’re together, don’t even doubt my smooth moves will be left behind when college comes. you should see me whip.

how cute is this blanket these little freshmen created for me!

my pal Meg and I who share far too many laughs during practice…

my mini me! Allie and I are the best of buds!

//moving!!! AGAIN!!!! When i first started this blog back in ’14 I moved and here I am again doing the same thing. crazy how life repeats itself. I’ll be moving down to Lawrence come August but for now my fam is moving homes and I’m constantly busy packing or planning new room ideas (Pinterest boards finally coming to real life usage!!!) I can’t wait to show you guys pics when my dream room is complete!)

//okay this last one may be silly but I am seriously obsessed with grocery shopping. I’ve mentioned it before but I have a new therapeutic love for it. I recently have been picking out the best topping for smoothie bowls , my new fav treat, and it is seriously more fun than you would imagine!

well that’s all for now! thanks for letting em get chatty!

xoxo, Ally

So I promised you all via my insta feed (@xoxoallisonnicole) that you would all get to hear from my buddy Emma today, and oh I am SOO excited for you to get to do so! Emma is a sophomore at my school and has the absolute biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. I’ve been struggling writing blog posts lately because I have this weird vision of what I want my blog to be when people click on my site. I have huge big city dreams of being a fashion blogger in the most stylish outfits and coolest hairstyles in the most daring setting shooting candid pictures. But, I also adore actual writing, things that make people feel, so I decided upon both. 

Emma and I share one huge thing in common, and that’s our faith lives. Which is a pretty darn cool thing to share if you do ask me. Not only has it deepens my own faith, but having Emma so comfortable to openly discuss it, makes me ten times more confident. It’s hard to find people now who are confident enough in their faith to openly have a conversation about it. Emma and I are learning to be those people.

Every Sunday, Emma and I are going to talk about our faith in a different aspect. Each of us having a few words on the same topic. Today I figured you all could just get to know Emma before we jump right in. 

If there’s one thing you need to know about this silly gal that just sums it all up, it’s that she emailed me this final draft after already sending me one earlier this week last night around 12:30 am ending the email with “I’m nuts”. Yeah, you are Em. But I love it. So here ya go world, Emma’s words:

{{Hi there friends,

My name is a Emma Roth and I am 16 years old. I love my life and the people in it, because God has blessed me with His unending grace. My faith journey is a never ending roller coaster. I strive to enjoy the ride everyday, but sometimes it isn’t fun. There will be days or even weeks where I question if God is present in my life. Having a personal relationship with Him requires all the same tools as having a personal relationship with a friend or parent; it takes patience, compassion, and the ability to stop and listen to the other person. Though it might be considered “work” to keep a relationship with Him, I recommend it fully, 10/10. It took me quite a few years to understand how to hear God’s voice and how to completely understand what He is trying to get across to me, but when I finally did, it was worth all the alleged “work”.

Today, I realize that God is always with me, whether I feel His presence or not. I know He is constantly guiding me to wherever His plan leads me next. In grade school, I would get embarrassed and frazzled when people asked me about my faith. Since freshman year, publicly talking about my faith is a completely new ballgame. Being confident in my beliefs was a big weakness of mine, and since I realized that, overcoming it has become easier and easier throughout the years. Everyday I am learning more and more about who I am, how to hear His voice, and how God plays a part in my life.

Thanks for listening to my many typed out words and I hope at least some of them spoke to you,

xo em}}
Check back next Sunday (Easter!) for more chat with us both! Xo, ally