The Truth.

I am not the prettiest.

Not even close. 

I never have been and I never will be.

I have been told I was undatable due to not being pretty enough to have the sports knowledge I do and for being too sarcastic.

My brothers are more attractive than me. They know it, I know it, people who see us know it.

Sometimes I don't want to post a picture with them because of that.

I am the least athletic in my family and my klutziness is a running joke.

I am not a size zero. I have hips and a butt and they aren't going anywhere.
This isn't going to change because I like to eat...and it isn't always healthy food.

My head is big, as is my nose.
My smile is crooked.

My hair is flat (no matter what I do) and I hardly know anything about makeup.

I am beautiful.

Just the way I am.

I have amazing friends and family who make me feel this way.
Sports are the best. I won't stop loving them just because it emasculates somebody. Trust me, you'll have me beat on car knowledge...oh, and soccer. As for my sarcasm, it's humor, and you not liking it doesn't mean it isn't funny.

My brothers love and support me. They know it, I know it, and people who see us are envious of our relationship.

I still post photos of us because love and happiness is beauty.

Last year I ran a 17.75k and a half marathon, the rest of my family didn't. My klutziness makes my family and friends laugh and provides for some great stories.

Some girls wish they had my curves.
I have learned to appreciate and cook good food, so of course I am going to eat it.

Maybe my head is big because I have so many ideas? I'd say Barbra Streisand is amazing, big nose and all, and Jenna Lyons is absolutely inspiring.
My smile makes me unique and I won't hide it because smiling can improve even the worst of days.

My little cousin says I have "princess" hair and not being proficient at putting on makeup saves time and money.

I am beautiful, just the way I am.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

This post probably seems a bit out of the blue, but on Tuesday I became really self-conscious about how I look. It was one of those instances where my friends were commenting on a guy I know and I realized just how much more attractive he was than me...in like an "he's out of your league" kind of way. I don't really know why this particular case bothered me, it's not like I had been thinking of him as a potential date or anything, but it happened all the same. I try really hard to not worry about stuff like that. I believe beauty comes from within, but sometimes this feeling of insecurity sneaks up. It is okay to be self-conscious and worry sometimes, but at the end of the day, you have to think up a list like this to see your value. I started this list laying in bed that night, wide awake because I was so down on myself.
I am not going to pretend that I am suddenly the most confident girl in school. In fact, I am pretty shy around people I don't know. This feeling of being insecure with my image is still here, but eventually it will fade. It will start to disappear because I am aware of it and I have the ability to tell myself that I am better than that. I have other things to offer. I may not look like a model, but I have a good head on my shoulders, a sense of humor, and, I'd like to think, good fashion sense. And you know what, some guys want the girl next door.

xoxo,

SSP

just a note: This post is not meant as for a pity party for me. In fact, I hesitated to post it because I didn't want it to come across that way. I wrote it because it is how I feel and one of the things that I have learned from these last couple months of blogging is that I am not alone in my experiences. Thank you to Bry, K-Soms, and Kyle for encouraging me to publish this. Insecurities are fine and they are normal, but let's not let them define us...we deserve better than that.
Oh, and don't forget, all y'all are beautiful, because beauty is about more than a pretty face. Looks fade, happiness endures. 

with my two favorite guys, crooked smile and all

Nailed It: Cold Weather Nail Polish

Thank the lord Momma is coming down with my winter gear tomorrow because this weather has definitely taken a turn for the colder. This is the perfect weather for cozy socks, hot chocolate, a fire, blanket and Netflix. While I can't actually have a fire in my apartment, I can curl up with everything else with the ambiance of a fire-inspired wax melt. Cold weather also means changing out the nail polish! Personally, I am loving Cashmere Bathrobe from Essie's Fall Collection and my go-to cold weather color is always a deep red, like Essie Bordeaux.

details of these colors on the polyvore set: nailed it by sugarsnappearls

I am a firm believer in seasonal nail polish. Unless it is for a particular event (i.e. purple for Relay for Life), I have turned my collection over to the rich, deep colors for winter. I am a huge fan of Essie nail polish and while there are other brands, in recent years, this is the one I have become more familiar with and therefore I feel most qualified to recommend to you. I also recommend Amazon, you just can't beat a $5 bottle of quality nail polish.

Now before you go and paint the town your nails red, keep a couple of things in mind about these colors:

1) darker polish=longer drying time: it's not exponentially longer, but be careful to use thin coats so that it dries in a reasonable period of time (my biggest struggle!)

2) base coat is your best friend: these colors will stain your nails if you aren't careful. Really, all colors will stain, but these especially. I often cycle a dark color out with a round of Essie Sugar Daddy to minimize this because sometimes it even gets through the base coat!

What are your favorite nail colors this time of year?

xoxo,

SSP

Do It Today!

There aren't enough hours in the day. If I had a nickel for every time I thought that or had a friend express it to me, I certainly wouldn't know what college loans feel like. The sentiment is true though, it is so easy to overcommit ourselves, especially in college. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is real, and we want to capitalize on everything, so how do we do it? 

I have expressed my love of to-do lists before and I stand by it. Without a list, I would get nothing done. As much as my lists helped me though, I still found find myself getting distracted. A list really is no good if you spend 3 hours watching Netflix or take a nap that results in 10 things left on your list at 9pm. There are ways to overcome this though. Recently I have really started to schedule my day in my head, sometimes even writing a time next to an item on my to-do list just to help me schedule it. Oh, and the Pomodoro Technique is awesome...definitely helping my productivity!

I made a sample daily agenda for this post, so feel free to use it. And if you have any other motivational quotes to include on it, email or comment with them! I'd be happy to make ones with different colors and quotes! Let's be productive together!

Also, this post is a part of a new series that I am going to be starting on College and Beyond. I know that I am not alone in trying to navigate my life as a 21 year-old with a broad range of interests and a liberal arts degree! More on this later...

xoxo,

SSP

Happy Birthday, Lilly!

I'm sure many of you already know this, but today is Lilly Pulitzer's birthday. While she may have passed away, her legacy is carried on through her colorful frocks, memorable quotes, and inspiring life. She was a trailblazer and lived the life she wanted to live. It all started with a juice stand, then Jackie Kennedy making headlines wearing a kitchen curtain dress, and the rest is history. So thank you to "the barefoot queen of pink and green" for reminding everyone that life is a party and giving us the clothes to dress for it.
Oh, and these are a couple of quote images I made. I am trying to figure out Gimp because I don't want to pay for photoshop and I think I am starting to get the hang of it!

xoxo,

SSP

Time for Tights

Cold weather and skirts are not my favorite combo. However, hours of class spent in jeans doesn't exactly scream comfortable to me either. I think I've mentioned it before, but I am really not a fan of pants. I mean I wear them regularly, and I am starting to think that Ponte pants are the best thing since sliced bread, but I prefer a skirt or dress. So, since I am not willing to give up my skirts just because of the weather, tights are the next best thing. Some people think that tights are a nuisance or reserved for the office or for grandmas, but that is not the case at all! Tights allow you to change up parts of an outfit with colors, patters, and prints. Most importantly, they save your legs on a cold day walking around campus allowing you to keep those adorable flats in rotation. And they aren't just for fall, trust me they can keep you warm in the winter.When the weather gets really cold, I double them up or I throw on a pair of Under Armor leggings under them. Yes I know this is more bulky, but it's warm, and college campuses are cold so I think that is pretty self-explanatory.

time for tights by sugar snap pearls (links to tights on site)

Also, make sure you buy a good, quality pair of tights, especially for those classic solids. A cheap pair will have to be replaced constantly and often loses their shape, even if they don't pullpolyvor. Oh, and the thinner they are, the colder you are. I was talking to my friend who religiously wears tights and she reminded me of the best brand, one that can seriously last years, so I highly recommend Hue tights. 

xoxo,

SSP

p.s. I hit 30,000 views on my blog this week. Thank y'all so much for loving this blog as much as I do. Your sweet comments on here, email, and instagram are the highlights of my week!

Smile!

-Truvey in Steel Magnolias (aka Dolly Parton in one of the greatest movies ever) {via}

Just wanted to share a bit of Wednesday inspiration with y'all. Smiling is the best. Sure there are days like today where I have so much to do and get overwhelmed by that I just can't seem to think straight, but a simple smile can go a long way. Studies show that even forcing yourself to smile can actually improve your mood. I know that it seems silly to want to smile when everything is piling up and becoming overwhelming, but attacking it with a positive attitude helps. 

I recently watched a Ted Talk about smiling and remembered this technique I actually had been using when I worked long hours over the summer, especially when I finished a long day with grumpy customers at my retail job. Try it, I promise it will work. And smiling is contagious, so spread the joy!

Here is the link to that Ted Talk. If you want a link to any others I have dozens saved on my iPad now for 20 minutes of study break inspiration or knowledge.

Also, while looking for an image that had this quote I was reminded of how much I love this movie and need to watch it this weekend...seriously, so many fabulous, sarcastic one-liners, I love it!

xoxo,

SSP

Study Strategy: Pomodoro Technique

Happy Sunday! I have had a crazy couple of days with Halloweekend and other stuff and now it is definitely catching up to me. Sometimes I struggle to find the balance between school and social life, as does almost every college kid I know. There are weekends I don't see anyone because I am locked in the library, and then there are weekends where I never see the library. Now that I am back in full swing school work mode, I have a busy day and a long to-do list that is going to spill over into the week. I decided that I needed to work more efficiently a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to figure out exactly what that will entail.  

woohoo...studying in the stacks last year! {original}

College is all about management, it is all on you. Anyone who was that busy kid in High School with sports and/or a job had almost their entire day planned out and that included a block for studying. Now, if I want to take a nap at 3 and then spend the rest of my day watching Netflix, I can, and no one will say anything...my grades would definitely do the talking if I ever did that though!

sometimes I paint my nails while studying... {original}

Well, today is the day, I am starting a new efficiency tool. Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? I had heard of it before, but never really considered using it until I saw it on HerCampus the other day in a great post with a bunch of different study strategies. You commit yourself to 25 minutes of uninterrupted work or study time and then you reward yourself with a 5 minute break. Then, after 4 blocks of 25 minutes, you take a 15-30 minute break. It makes you work more efficiently, and studies show it is easier to focus and retain information if you break it up into blocks. If you want to know more about it, they have a great little video on the website.

For the timer, you can get the cute little tomato timer or use this website, which is probably best if you're doing it in the library where you have to be silent. If you aren't on the internet, just use the timer on your phone, but make sure it's set to vibrate if you're in the library!

A tool like this is perfect for me because my biggest struggle with working is staying focused. Emails, texts, and random website hopping always seems to cause me to waste my time. With a technique to make myself more efficient, I will have time to pin all the things and feel more relaxed about doing it because I will have my work done! The reviews for this technique are really promising, but most people says that it takes a little while to get used to. I am going to start trying it today and for the rest of this week and then next weekend I will post a recap of my experience with it.

Oh, and I actually used it while writing this post. The early results show that hiding my phone would probably be a good idea because I am very tempted to look at who the texts are from!

What is your favorite study tool?

xoxo,

SSP

P.S. Update: the 5 minute break is basically the perfect amount of time to send out an email or two! Yay for efficiency!