this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
SWOON.

Glass Jar Photography via Style Me Pretty

• From Elle Decor, a summer camp turned eclectic home.
• Not a typo: a beautiful garden wedding in Las Vegas.
• At Style Me Pretty, a romantic military wedding.
• A summery engagement shoot via Heart Love Always.

SMILE.

• Happy Shark Week! Here's what to watch, from a scientist.
• I want every single one of these cheese boards from Anthro.
• Monica's on-trend DIY sequin phrase sun hat is just adorable!
• Get ready for Independence Day with last-minute ideas.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: a rustic wedding recap, my fourth Stitch Fix, my favorite aliens for #5FandomFriday, and a Literary Junkies post about summer reads and re-reads.
• 2014: a random Sunday Social, stylish patriotic picks, escort card ideas for romantic weddings, and my family's Williamsburg, Virginia vacation.
• 2013: a Sunday Social about movies, lemon yellow poolside essentials, thoughts about SYTYCD, my favorite mixed-berry cobbler recipe, and patriotic wedding inspiration.
• 2012: 4th of July wardrobe inspiration, party decor, desserts, and can't-fail side dishes.
• 2011: My last-minute wedding projects.

sunday simplicity

Kate Osborne Photography

"I love your feet

because they have

wandered over

the earth and through

the wind and water

until they brought

you to me."

-Pablo Neruda

#5FandomFriday: Make-Up Friday - My Comfort Films

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge for female geek bloggers hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. You can learn more about the Female Geek Bloggers group here, join in on our Instagram photo challenge for July, or write your own posts for Harry Potter Month! This week, I'm sharing yet another make-up topic for #5FandomFriday: my "comfort films." I don't re-watch movies often, but when I do it's usually one of these all-time favorites, which are my go-tos when I'm stressed, lonely, sick, or feeling down. I know them all by heart.

Clueless - Is there a more 90's movie than Clueless? This movie reminds me of elementary and middle school slumber parties and my eternal hope that colorful plaid will have a style renaissance. Cher Horowitz may make mistakes, but she's got a heart of gold (despite an occasional head of air). Plus, very young Paul Rudd!

The Breakfast Club - I watched The Breakfast Club my senior year of high school, which was such perfect timing! When my mom was in the hospital that year, I came home from school every day and watched the movie - I think having that routine gave the days a sense of normalcy and made me feel less alone. The dance scene in the library never fails to boost my mood.

Mean Girls - Mean Girls came out when I was in college and thankfully over high school drama. Y'all, Tina Fey is a genius who took a sociology text and turned it into a pop culture masterpiece. This movie is the perfect film for when I'm starting to get burnt out on teaching middle school - it reminds me that my students are still trying to figure things out. It's endlessly quotable, and I sometimes forget that everyone hasn't seen it so I might have to explain why I've just yelled "YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!"

Breakfast at Tiffany's - I didn't actually see Breakfast at Tiffany's until college, and was surprised to find that the glamorous-looking Audrey Hepburn character Holly Golightly is actually a hot mess. This is my go-to movie for when I have what Holly calls "the mean reds" and need to remember that even the most broken souls can be loved.

Silver Linings Playbook - Mr. Q and I saw Silver Linings Playbook in the theater and I fell in love when Pat had his violent nervous breakdown at home with his parents. I remember thinking it was the first movie I've seen that really conveyed what it feels like for someone with depression and anxiety, rather than just showing what it looks like from the outside. Plus it has one of the most fun movie dance scenes of all time, and it's about the best season of the year - the time between Halloween and Christmas. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Silver Linings Playbook probably is my generation's Breakfast at Tiffany's.

my late spring in instagram.

As y'all know, Instagram is my favorite form of social media. Lately, I've been striving for a balance of "styled" shots that help me practice my photography skills and real, un-posed memories of small town life that I know will serve as a diary for years to come. I'm really happy with the result! Here's what I've been up to since spring break.

Spring break photography practice with some blossoms from

the trees around our townhouse and a few of my favorite

antiques - this espresso cup is from my parents' time spent

living in Germany and I can't pass up a blue Ball Mason jar!

My jewelry organization situation was reaching crisis mode, 

so I ordered this cute arrow hook from Urban Outfitters and

I'm in love with it. It's the little things! Spring break = real 

lunch without having to supervise 150 kids or rush to eat!

One of my town's gems - the Grainery, which is home to an

art gallery/store and glass blowing school/studio. I love the

Van Gogh inspired mural outside. | Someone got my yoga

teacher this fantastic gnome as a gift at the end of term.

My mom is from the Kentucky and watches the Derby religiously

every year. This year we celebrated at my house with virgin

mint juleps - the colorful paper straws reminded me of the 

jockeys' racing silks. | This spring I taught three boys I referred

to as my Musketeers on their best days and my Stooges all the

others - all three were on the baseball team and I loved going

to their last middle school game, where they shone like stars.

         

My Bestie and her husband came in from Seattle to visit their 

families and their trip just happened to coincide with our 31st 

birthday (we were both born on May 29th!). We celebrated in 

true Roanoke fashion with a very indulgent brunch at Thelma's 

Chicken & Waffles, visiting a downtown event for a photo op with 

a mini horse, an adult big wheel ride on the Greenway with my tribe, 

homemade ice cream from Hits, and dinner at Beamer's 25 in honor 

of Bestie's love for Virginia Tech (as a Wahoo, this is true friendship).

Bestie and I both bought each other whale gifts for our birthday

in reference to an old inside joke from when we worked at

4-H camp together and our resulting catchphrase, "Whale please!"

Great minds think alike even when living on opposite coasts.

Finally, here's my chubby adorable cat, Scout, responding to being 

called "pretty boy." He is 100% awake in this picture.

Are you on Instagram? Let's be friends - you can follow me here.

{Linking Up with Weekend Snapshots at Her Heartland Soul}

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
LISTEN.

• Though this has become a surprisingly busy summer, I hope to spend as much spare time as possible in the next few weeks working on my writing - if you follow me on Pinterest, you may have put together the clues that I'm working on something inspired by the medieval period. I've been listening to a lot of soundtracks, instrumentals, and dreamy tracks like this one from Lawrence Greenwood, also known as Whitley.

SWOON.

Alicia Lacey Photography via Style Me Pretty

• A fairytale French-inspired lavender inspiration shoot.
• Taylor's Alice Through the Looking Glass inspired shoot.
• From Wedding Chicks, a pretty pink wedding in Arizona.
• Pinning all of the ice cream and frozen pop recipes lately...

SMILE.

• Book Riot rounds up 33 ways to have a bookish summer.
• Packing tips from Modish and Main and The Spiff...
• a summer vacation capsule wardrobe from Everyday Savvy...
• and while you're traveling, check out these literary city guides.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: retro gingham and aquamarine summer style updates, camp-inspired Pinterest faves, The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, and my favorite fictional wardrobes.
• 2014: weird faves, cute and easy washi tape home decor for Independence Day.
• 2013: patriotic fashion and entertaining picks, side dish recipes, my first Color Run, and early summer in IG.
• 2012: summer in the country, poolside essentials, and a special 4th birthday.  
• 2011: pre-wedding crunch time - dyed wedding shoes and Etsy garters, my veil and jewelry, and our menu, inspired by our favorite Southern comfort food.

sunday simplicity.

Britt Croft Photography via Southern Weddings

"I believe everyone is free to make choices, bad and good; I 

believe everyone is noble and full of potential; I believe in 

hope and the possibilities for happy endings." - Shannon Hale

#5FandomFriday: Make-Up Friday - 5 Broadway Roles I'd Love to Play

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. This week, I'm joining in with a make-up topic I missed the first time around that seems timely following the Tony Awards: 5 Broadway Roles I'd Love to Play. One fact about me that I haven't written about too much on this blog is that I studied dance from second grade through college - by high school, I was spending hours each week in ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern dance, liturgical dance, and clogging classes, with the occasional jazz or hip-hop workshop thrown in for good measure. I often wish I'd pursued drama classes but they didn't fit into my very academically driven schedule in high school and were almost impossible to get into in college. While I appreciate serious theater (I did take every Shakespeare course offered at UVa!), I'm a huge geek when it comes to musicals. Give me song and dance every day of the week (and twice on Saturdays!). Here are the 5 roles I'd really love to play in the alternate universe where I took voice and drama lessons along with dance classes...

1. Velma Kelly in Chicago - Chicago is my absolute favorite musical and my favorite character is definitely Velma - Roxie may be the protagonist, but Velma knows exactly what she wants and how to get it, and her fire burns hot from "All That Jazz" through "Hot Honey Rag." I probably first learned about Chicago when the 1996 revival was getting publicity on TV and Bebe Neuwirth was making the rounds on talk shows as Velma. The combination of 1920's style and Bob Fosse choreography is pretty irresistible for me. Plus, I'd love to have a good excuse to get that flapper haircut and blunt bangs.

2. Penny Pingleton in Hairspray - Going from a bad girl to total naïveté with a rebellious edge, Penny Pingleton is Tracy Turnblad's loyal best friend in Hairspray. I thought Penny was a cute character as played by Amanda Bynes in the 2007 film version (my introduction to Hairspray), but loved the nerdier/more awkward way the character was played in the 2009 traveling production of the play. Bonus: the verse "If they try to stop us, Seaweed, I'll call the NAACP" is one of the best lines in the whole play.

3. The Girl in the Yellow Dress - A Broadway role where I wouldn't have to sing? Yes, please. I was in high school when I saw this performance from Contact on the Tony Awards and I wanted to be the Girl in the Yellow Dress so badly. At the time, the choreography didn't look nearly as intimidating to me as it does now.

4. Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun - Clearly, watching the Tony Awards as a high school student had an effect on my life because I still sing "Old Fashioned Wedding" all the time. I want to be Bernadette Peters.

5. Éponine Thénardier in Les Miserables - Éponine is such a complex character - after being spoiled as a young child by her terrible parents, she is brought low by poverty and falls in love with the equally poor boy next door. Even though she now understands that her parents are the worst, she still tries to help her family while also mostly doing right by Marius. Éponine breaks my heart.

pinspiration: rose quartz + palm leaves

I've noticed two of the biggest trends for this summer coming together in a beautiful way lately, especially on Instagram and Pinterest. Social media seems to be loving the combo of green palm leaves and Rose Quartz, one of Pantone's Colors of the Year for 2016. It's a combination that feels classic and fresh at the same time, perfect for summer!

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
WATCH.

• I can't think of anything more beautiful to share today than Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance sonnet and tribute to the Orlando victims from last night's Tony Awards. Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love.

SWOON.

Apryl Ann Photography via Style Me Pretty

• An industrial-meets-boho home tour from Glitter Guide.
• Love this sweet Nashville brunch wedding with stripes.
• An elegant outdoor wedding with an NFL twist.
• From Wedding Chicks, romantic Southern inspiration.

SMILE.

• Desktops: Red Stamp, Paper Leaf, Design is Yay.
• The Syncopated Ladies' tap tribute to Prince.
• Currently compiling summer outfit ideas on Pinterest.
• From Ann Voskamp: June is the new January:

Let the world go ahead and get loud and large. There are fresh starts in quiet starts. There are small and hidden seeds that are growing into forests, that are growing into the greatest yield.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: travel-inspired berry/olive wardrobe updates, preppy coral wedding inspiration, and Instagrammers to follow.
• 2014: my summer favorites for Sunday Social, checking in with Literary Junkies, creating my ideal summer camp packing list, rounding up my Instagram faves, and recapping my early summer in entertainment.
• 2013: I joined Bloglovin' and featured a sunny yellow Sunday Simplicity.
• 2012: an Instagram round-up from my small town life, inspiration for a library-themed wedding, and Scottish wedding ideas inspired by Brave.  
• 2011: our plans for a sparkler send-off and reception sweetheart table (the best idea!).

sunday simplicity.

True Photography Weddings / Couture Events

“You dance love, and you dance joy, and you dance dreams. 
And  I  know  if  I  can  make  you  smile by jumping over a 
couple of couches or running through a rainstorm, then I'll 
be very glad to be a song and dance man.” ―  Gene  Kelly

#5FandomFriday: Fandoms I Couldn't Get Into

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. This week, we're being honest about the fandoms we just can't get into (don't hate me if I don't love your fave!)

• Dr. Who - A lot of people in the same fandoms I am (especially Harry Potter) LOVE Dr. Who - my friend Tiff owns a cardboard cutout of David Tennant as the Doctor. I think part of the reason I'm not a Whovian is because I am intimidated by a fandom that's been around for such a long time, and I have no idea where to start. I've liked the few episodes of the show I've seen on BBC America, but not enough to want to start watching on a regular basis, let alone watch every single episode ever or have an opinion about which actor makes the best Doctor.

• Hamilton - All of Tumblr seems to be obsessed with Hamilton, and while I'm sure it is awesome, I can't fangirl over a play I haven't seen. Lin-Manuel Miranda seems like an awesome guy, the songs are fun, and I love that the show has an intentionally diverse cast, but I don't think I'd be able to listen to the soundtrack and make sense of the story the way so many fans obviously have.

• DC Comics - I wasn't always the superhero-loving lady I am today; my "gateway drug" was the X-Men movies that came out when I was in high school with Anna Paquin as Rogue. Since then, I've pretty much only cared about the Marvel universe. While I have enjoyed the Supergirl television series so far, the big DC heroes, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman just do not hold the appeal for me that the X-Men, the Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Defenders, and the Guardians of the Galaxy do.

• Game of Thrones - Part of my absence from the GoT fandom is probably me not having HBO, but I haven't even tried reading the books despite several friends recommending them to me. A fantasy medieval universe with dragons does indeed seem like my sort of thing. I feel like I need to finish the Outlander books and the other series fiction I read before taking on another big fictional universe.

• Downton Abbey - I always wanted to get into Downton Abbey because it's pretty much my mom's #1 fandom. I love history, I love British stuff, I love Maggie Smith, so it should be a no-brainer, but I always seemed to be watching something else when Masterpiece Theater aired the episodes. I just haven't had the desire to go back to the beginning of the series and figure out the storyline. The costumes look really pretty, though.

lately in entertainment.

lately in entertainment - april/may 2016

movies.

Captain America: Civil War - Though it often feels like yet another Avengers ensemble film (only Hulk and Thor are absent from the lineup), the storyline of Civil War is driven by Steve Rogers' priorities coming into conflict with Tony Stark's values. Already under a microscope after the disaster in Sokovia (the end of Age of Ultron), the Avengers are basically grounded by the U.N. after Scarlet Witch accidentally sends an explosion into an occupied building. Just as he had to face the consequences of being an arms dealer in the first Iron Man movie, Tony Stark is confronted with the human collateral damage caused by the Avengers, and supports international oversight for the superhero team. Captain America doesn't trust the plan - as he puts it, "the safest hands are still our own." Where I thought I was going to clearly side with Steve going in to the movie, the film actually forces viewers to consider and understand both points of view - and to see the blind spots in each hero's vision. 

Steve's blind spot, of course, is his best friend turned supersoldier, Bucky Barnes, who is on the run from authorities after being framed for a bombing attack, and who the Internet has convinced me is a precious cinnamon roll. In pursuit of the real bomber, Steve teams up with Sam Wilson, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Scott Lang (Ant-Man), who is just thrilled to meet big-name superheroes, with sneaky help from Agent 13 (Sharon Carter). Tony teams up with Rhodey, Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther, and his ringer, Spiderman, who's freaking out even more than Scott. The resulting fight is the most comic book thing I've ever seen on screen, complete with a Spider-Man who is finally an actual teenager narrating his experiences the whole time. Obviously, someone's going to get hurt with that much muscle and power facing off, and the characters end up learning a lot of things they never wanted to know. I'd be fine with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely writing and Anthony and Joe Russo directing everything Marvel from now on - every character had clear, often conflicted, motivations that seemed completely believable.

The Huntsman: Winter's War - Since Thor isn't in Civil War, we also had to show our love for Chris Hemsworth by seeing his current film with "war" in the title. I was surprised by how much I actually loved Snow White and the Huntsman, but was a little skeptical about this prequel until I read a newspaper review that described it as the kind of movie that's so bad, it's good, and classed it with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Far from the gruff, silent Huntsman of the original film, Chris Hemsworth chews up the scenery and seems to love every minute of it. At the beginning of the movie, we learn that even though Snow White's kingdom is at peace, the mirror is driving her mad. She orders the mirror to be taken to Sanctuary so that the kingdom will be safe from its dark magic - but it is stolen along the way. Her husband, King William (hello there, Sam Claflin), and dispatches Eric, the Huntsman, to find the mirror, along with a couple of dwarves who insist on accompanying him (Nick Frost reprises his role from the first movie). This storyline allows the filmmakers to include Snow White in the form of a disheveled Kristen Stewart stand-on shown only from the back, then move the plot away from her kingdom so it's less strange that she isn't in the film. The threat to the mirror turns out to be Freya, Queen Ravenna's younger sister who basically turned into an evil version of Elsa from Frozen when she was betrayed by her lover. She's the one who kidnapped Eric when he was young and turned him and an army of other children into her elite Huntsmen, and the one responsible for the apparent death of his wife, Sara (if you've seen the commercials, you've surely worked out that Sara is alive). Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain all seem to have a great time playing badass women in this movie, and there are even female dwarves this time around.


books.

Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard - The American Revolution isn't a period of history I've done much reading about, but I got sucked in to this historical fiction novel. The main character, Eliza Boylston, is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and lives a charmed life in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While it's completely normal to her to visit homes staffed with stableboys, coachmen, footmen, maids, butlers, and cooks - all slaves - Eliza's one real quirk is that she feels most comfortable in the kitchen, and her family's cook Cassie is her one real friend. For Eliza, there has never been any doubt that Cassie and other slaves are human, but she has never had to question their standing in her privileged society. As the Revolution comes close to home, Eliza's parents can no longer pretend that concessions like wearing homespun fabrics instead of imported gowns are mere inconveniences, nor can they ignore their son Jeb's participation in the rebellion when he marries Elizabeth Lee and moves to Braintree, home of John and Abigail Adams and "the despicable Quincys." Eliza takes for granted her family's beautiful home and wealth until personal tragedies devastate her and Cassie, forever turning her against her family's idea of "society." In 1775, the Boylstons have to leave Cambridge to seek refuge with an uncle in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she falls in love with a slave named John Watkins and makes a choice that will change her family forever. Though the synopsis I read led me to believe Our Own Country would be a romance novel, I would classify it as a bildungsroman - Eliza's coming of age and transition from naïveté to independence.  Though the Boylstons are fictional, Daynard obviously conducted intense research to write this novel, and it made me want to learn more about the Adamses, the Quincys, and their pastoral home.

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - I'm going to try to keep up with Emma Watson's Our Shared Shelf book club picks, and luckily my local library has British journalist and feminist Caitlin Moran's book available in ebook format! As Moran's wry personal essays (with titles like "I Become Furry!" and "I Need a Bra!") make clear, becoming a woman is very confusing and happens, whether we want it to or not, without a manual. Moran's writing is reflective of her working-class British roots (the very first page had me Googling to find out what a Yob was), pop culture literacy, and intelligence. Raised in cramped public housing with five younger siblings by parents who were the only hippies in town, Moran's pubescent milestones were common knowledge. Her focus as a feminist, and the lens through which she presents the instances in her life when being a woman was most perplexing, is not "on the big stuff like pay inequality," but on "all those littler, stupider, more obvious day-to-day problems with being a woman," or, in other words, "All the Patriarchal Bullshit." Her response is to "look it in the eye, squarely, for a minute, and then start laughing at it."

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima - Finally got around to reading the second book in this series recommended to me by several of my students and I liked it even more than the first because the two main characters' storylines finally came together for good - at a magical school! Is there a better setting for YA literature? As the book begins, former streetlord Han Alister and his best friend Fire Dancer are headed to Oden's Ford, the campus that is home to Mystwerk House. Princess Raisa is masquerading as a cadet at Wein House, the military school, to escape themarriage her mother tried to force on her. Their mutual enemy, wealthy and powerful Micah Bayar, and his twin sister are also bound for Mystwerk House, meaning that Han and Raisa both have to keep their guard up. At Oden's Ford, finally surrounded by people from all walks of life, Raisa learns that she will need to understand much more than politics to be a good queen, and Han finds out that the Bayars aren't the only ones after his secrets. Chima combines effortlessly lovely prose with witty dialogue and action-packed suspense.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital ARC of Our Own Country free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Simple Photography from a Backyard Wedding

Mr. Q and I recently had the pleasure of attending my dear cousin's intimate backyard wedding. He and his wife planned their day around their favorite things: bright colors, dreamcatchers, rock music, and family. As our gift to the couple, Mr. Q served as wedding photographer and I lent my creativity to editing the images. Here are a few of my favorites.

Style: Yogi Surprise Subscription Box Review

It certainly does seem that there is a subscription box out there for every interest and hobby: as you all probably know, I'm a little bit addicted to Stitch Fix, and I'm mighty tempted by all of the lovely looking YA book and geeky subscription boxes that are out there. For a while, Mr. Q even got in on the action with a cycling subscription. When I started to see ads for Yogi Surprise boxes, I was intrigued - I've really become devoted to my yoga practice over the past few years as I've seen my mood become more stable and even my bone density improve (I can't prove that was because of yoga, but it certainly seems to be the case). I stalked the Yogi Surprise website and Facebook page for a while, but when I saw that a jewelry item I'd been coveting for a while was going to be included in the May box, I had to treat myself to a little early birthday gift. 

There are two Yogi Surprise boxes: a Lifestyle box and a Jewelry box, both centered around a monthly theme. The Lifestyle box is $44.95 each month and includes 6-8 full-sized items such as body oil, organic skincare items, a neti pot, yoga gloves, herbal teas, healthy chips, granola bars, and peanut butter cups. All products are GMO free and vegetarian. According to the website, the boxes have a $70 average retail value. The jewelry box, which is $24.99 each month) includes two handcrafted pieces, most often a bracelet and a necklace, and a seasonal chocolate treat. Yogi Surprise jewelry is nickel, lead, and cadmium tree, fair trade, and made with sustainably harvested materials. Subscribers are automatically charged on the 15th of each month and boxes ship out on the first week of the month (June boxes shipped yesterday). On top of my box, I found a card explaining the May theme and explaining the monthly giveaway - each month, one member can win $1000 cash to go on the yoga retreat of his/her choice by posting a photo with their box on social media.

The first thing I noticed about this subscription box was the cute packaging - even the outside of the box was well branded. Underneath the information card was a cute packet of chocolate candies and nice jewelry pouches that I'll definitely repurpose for traveling.

The flip side of the card gives information about each piece and the candy. My two jewelry items were a sandalwood, pearl, and amazonite mala (the yoga jewelry of my dreams!) and a labradorite and jade bracelet.

Here's a closer look at the 'Balance' Sandalwood, Pearl and Amazonite Mala. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that tassel jewelry, especially necklaces, is a major trend this summer. Until recently I didn't know that most of these pieces are actually inspired by the tradition of 108 bead malas (thanks to Kara from Boho Berry for the education!). 

While, as a Christian, I do not believe that stones or other natural materials have healing powers, I do think that being reminded of nature is a positive thing! I've been a little bit obsessed with minerals and gemstones since elementary school, when my truck driver dad used to bring me samples of rose quartz, pyrite, amethyst, and tiger's eye from the Southwest (just like this commercial that gives me major ugly cry face). I think that by associating a specific intention, like living a more balanced life, with a specific material, we can help remind ourselves to work toward those goals. Sandalwood is associated with calmness and mental clarity - and it smells really nice. I couldn't resist the combo of natural wood beads with pearl and amazonite when I saw the preview of this Yogi Surprise Box, especially when a mala alone can cost around $120 on Etsy or in stores. I like to wear this mala necklace with my chambray shirt (from last week's style post) or even a t-shirt and jeans to step up my "preppy bohemian" style.

Since the mala was teased on the Yogi Surprise website, the 'I Am Healed' Labradorite and Jade Bracelet was the real surprise for me. I wish this photo was a better representation of the beautiful gray-green color of the labradorite beads and how luminescent they are in the light! It's a stone associated with protection and strength. White jade is connected to focus and clear decision making. Featuring pretty silver beads, rhinestones, and a lotus charm, this bracelet is a great reminder to have faith in my choices, and looks great dressed up or down.

Finally, the chocolates, which went way too quickly during exam time at school! These  all-natural "Chocolaty Fudgee Rolls" by the Lovely Candy Co. were chocolaty indeed without the waxy texture associated with other rolls which shall remain nameless.

Overall, I really loved my first Yogi Surprise Box. My only complaint about this subscription box is that it follows a traditional subscription system - boxes are sent each month unless the subscriber cancels; there's no way to pause a subscription or skip a month. While I love yoga inspired jewelry, and Yogi Surprise is a great deal, I'm still not sure I could justify buying 24 new pieces each year - or find room for all of them in my jewelry box! The Yogi Surprise Box was a nice treat to myself at the end of the school year, and I also think it would be an awesome gift for a yoga-loving friend.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way by Yogi Surprise or asked to write a review - I just thought this was a cool subscription box worth sharing with my readers! I paid for my own subscription and this is my honest review. This post contains referral links for Yogi Surprise.

Linking Up With:
Mix it Mondays with Fizz and Frosting
Hello Monday with More Pieces of Me and Sincerely Jenna Marie
Style Sessions at Style Elixir
Let It Shine at Still Being Molly
Tuesday Fashion Party at Two Peas in a Blog
Confident Twosday at I Do DeClaire

Style Me Wednesday at Shopping My Closet
Ageless Style at Happiness at Midlife