Monthly Favorites: May

This month's favorites are a bit of a haphazard mess, but here goes!

Milk Bottles –

When I saw this set of 6 milk bottles at Marshall’s I instantly fell in love. I was never able to get behind the drinking out of mason jars trend, but these give a similar hipster vibe while paying homage to the milk bottles of yore (does anyone still say “yore”?). The price couldn’t be beat either: $9.99 for a 6 piece set?! I was sold!

Glasses Cleaner –

Confession time. I’ve had this little gadget for years now, but I never leave home without it once summer (and sunnies season) arrives. I keep a heavily diluted mixture of Windex in the little spray bottle to give my lenses a quick clean with the help of my lint-free cloth. And, should a screw come loose, I have a small screwdriver to put it back into the place. The best part? Everything fits easily into my bag!

Colgate Optic White –

I’ve always been self-conscious when it comes to my teeth, for one reason or another. First, I had bucked-teeth, then braces, and now I’m always fixating on whitening them. I’ve definitely seen some change since I started using Colgate Optic White. I brush my teeth per usual and then apply the Optic White gel. It feels a bit gummy for a few minutes, but then I don’t notice it. Until I can afford professional teeth whitening, I’ll definitely keep using this.

Succulent –

Back in February when I did a design inspo post, I mentioned my love of succulents. Well, I finally got one! It’s a fairly large one that has now taken up residence on my book case, but if I can keep him (yes, I’ve decided it’s a him), then maybe I’ll get a few small ones for my desk.

Audrey Brooke Ballet Flats –

 I’ve been in desperate need of a pair of black ballet flats since my pair fell apart last August. I’ve tried to replace them since then, but each pair I bought ended up destroying my feet and left me hobbling down the sidewalk for days. I was having issues. What first attracted me to these flats was that the leather was soft which boded well for my feet (admittedly, they did end up requiring one good wear to be broken in still). I’m not a huge fan of pointed-toe shoes, but these looked so polished because of it. I’ve been wearing these to work non-stop and love how versatile they are. You can dress down in a pair of jeans or look smart in something a less casual. I'm loving Audrey Brooke right now!

Monthly Musings: May

May was a bit of a stressful month, so I fell a bit behind in my reading of basically everything (books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, you name it). I'm hoping that June will be a bit more relaxing and a bit more productive.  This month's picture is a shot of the Hudson River.

• 19 Burgers You Really Need To Make This Summer - Admittedly, I leave all the grilling to my mother (Brittany + Propane + Fire = Catastrophe), but I couldn't resist these burgers on Buzzfeed.  Since I don't eat beef, burger season can be a bit of a bust for me.  This list had some great vegetarian options though!  The smoky sweet potato one has my name all over it.
• Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is Royal Baby's Name - The moment most of the world was waiting for finally happened on on May 2nd!  The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a girl, who was officially named two days later.  I love the name, especially the fact that she is named after the People's Princess and her late grandmother.  
• Today Is the 151st Birthday of All-Around Feminist Badass Nellie Bly - I love reading about bad-ass women from history, and Nellie Bly was a new name for me. According to the Mother Jones' article, "she was a trailblazing journalist, an unwavering champion for women and the working poor, and a brilliant muckracker. One of her most famous assignments was for the the New York World where she posed as a mentally ill woman and exposed the horrors of a women's asylum on Blackwell's Island. [...] Bly also achieved worldwide fame with her 1889 trip around the world, which was inspired by Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days." I think someone needs to write a novel about her, if they haven't already.
• Every Best Picture Oscar Winner, Ranked From Worst to Best - I love movies and the Oscars, so this article was right up my alley. I've seen almost all of the movies on this list, but I was stoked to see some of my favorites in the top 10 (#8 All About Eve, #7 Gone with the Wind, #1 Casablanca). What do you think of the ranking?
• 50 Best Travel Quotes For Travel Inspiration - Quotes for people suffering from an incurable case of wanderlust, like me.
• #TIPSTUESDAYS: My Props and Backgrounds for Blog Pictures - Frock Me I'm Famous is one of my favorite blogs on the internet, and I love Hayley's #TIPSTUESDAY feature.  I got some great inspiration for props and backgrounds from this post!  Here's hoping I implement some of Hayley's ideas with half her success!
• “Game of Thrones” could learn from “Mad Max: Fury Road” - I've read a lot of articles on (warning: spoiler alert) Sansa's rape since the episode aired, but I thought this was an interesting look at the episode. I was horrified by the scene and agreed with many of the ire-filled rants immediately after the episode aired, but I liked the objectivity of this one.

New Month, New Goals: May

It finally feels like spring, although just barely.  I was able to go out bare-legged for the first time since October and stuffed my down coat into the deepest, darkest corner of my closet.  I’m seeing buds on trees, which means I’ve been taking allergy medicine daily, but I'll suffer through allergies gladly if I can put winter behind me though!

The fact that spring has finally sprung did make some disappointing things this month more bearable.  I don’t want to dwell, but there were a few speed bumps this month that I’m still working over as we head into May.  You’ve just got to take it one day at a time, right?

So, how did I do with my goals last month?

Start booking French excursions. Done! You can read about it all here.

Freshen my spring wardrobe.  I splurged on a pair of Vince Camuto pumps, but between booking things for France, bills, and buying a birthday gift for Dad, there wasn't much money left.  Maybe in May?

Freshen up my make-up bag. I've been testing out my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer but didn't buy anything else.

Watch the new episodes of Outlander. I'm already sucked in again.  I don't know what I'm going to do once the season ends.  Read Book 2?  Re-watch the first 8 episodes that I have on blu-ray?  Buy the second half of the season on blu-ray when its released?  Pine for the gorgeous Jamie Fraser?  All of the above, probably.

Watch the new season of Game of Thrones.  I am dying to see what Oberon's vengeful children are up to, and so far they haven't made an appearance.  The season is just warming up, but I do think it'll be a good one!

Start using MyFitnessPal again. I was certainly better about using MyFitnessPal this month than I was in March, but I think I could still do better!

MAY GOALS

• Read 2 non-work related books. I already mentioned how I'd love to start reading for leisure more in my first reading list, so I figured there's no time like the present!  31 days seems like more than enough time to read at least 2 books for fun, even if I get swamped with reading for work again.  Things slow down in publishing after Memorial Day, so that'll give me some more time to read too.
• Get some gardening done. I'm hoping that this spring weather sticks around so that my parents and I can plant some flowers.  After months of seeing nothing but white, it'll be nice to have some color around.  Gardening is also a nice way to spend time with the parentals, something I've started to appreciate more as I've gotten older.
• Attend BEA. BookExpo America is a huge publishing event that takes place in New York City every May. Publisher from all over come together at the Javits Center to network and publicize their big books.  There are always a lot of giveaways, author signings, seminars, and parties to attend.  I’m looking forward to getting myself some nice swag again this year!
• Buy some new clothes (for real this time). I failed last month when it came to this goal, but I’m really going to try this time.  I’m getting tired of the clothes in my closet, and it’s always nice to add a few new pieces to freshen up your look.  Plus, I do want some lovely outfits for France!
• Take photos for my first monthly photo challenge. Since one of my goals this year is to improve my photography, I’ve decided to give myself monthly photo challenges.  This way I'll be forced out of my comfort zone and get to practice new techniques and styles. This month I’m going to be working on macro photography, so stay tuned.

Do you have any goals for May?

Lovely calendar by Rifle Paper Co.