What to Buy: Her

1. Whether you are planning on buying this for your best gal friend or your girlfriend, she is sure to love this Kate Spade phone case. Order it online from Kate Spade's Website. ($35)

2. Personally, I love this gift. The presentation speaks for itself. You should buy this gift if you know someone who loves to do her nails. Your local Sephora store should have because it is a Christmas special, but if not you can order it online here! ($60)

3. What girl wouldn't love to open Marc Jacobs earrings on Christmas? I don't know one! I love these simple disc earrings. They're simple enough to wear on a day to day basis, but would also be easy to dress up for the upcoming Christmas parties. Check them out at Nordstrom! ($48)

4. Every girl needs socks. I love these because they would look perfect with my bean boots! You probably wouldn't only gift a pair of socks. Order these socks from J.Crew. ($12.50)

5. I love this gift. I love Philosophy. I love the gift sets they come out with for the holidays. This set has a couple of different hand creams (aka lotion) in all different scents. Try it out if you haven't before. Order directly from the Philosophy website! ($20) 

6. & 7. I included both of these items together because they both come from one of my favorite monogramming sites. Recently, Marley Lilly sent me the scarf pictured above in a hunter green color with my ANK monogram. I am absolutely obsessed with it and want to by one for every one of my friends. Not only is it super easy to style, but also easy to wear with many different looks. The first time I wore it was with my school uniform! If you want to order this scarf, look here! The scarf is $22.99. Also, if you're looking for a good deal, follow ML on their social medias and look out for flash sales!! The hat is also an awesome option, I have a monogrammed hat from them as well, its super useful in the summer at the beach and when I am having a bad hair day! Order the hat here. ($24.99)

8. I love this gift. I think it is so cute for your selfie loving friends. Unfortunately, this gift isn't available online at the time, but I have seen it in the C.Wonder store at the Avalon. This gives you the perfect excuse to go to the Avalon! C.Wonder is right next to Vineyard Vines! 

9. I am the girl that never sleeps in matching pajamas. I would buy these just because they are adorable, but I would also buy them for a friend. These are from Gap, which they also have at the Avalon. Gap has lots of other cute PJ options in the Body Section. Check them out and buy these pjs for people like your mom or sisters. ($59.95)

10. A gift couldn't get much sweeter than this. Alex and Ani is always a win, but once you put the UGA G on it than I'm certain I have to have it. I will be buying something like this for my UGA friends. Love the message that Alex and Ani comes with as well. Unfortunately, this is sold out online which means you'll have to go the store to buy it! Von Maur has all kinds of Alex and Ani. ($32)

11. This bag is awesome for two reasons; one it has a monogram and two it stores all the makeup you need. Mark and Graham has done it again. Order this bag here for your sister, best friend, or girlfriend. It is too cute and a perfect multipurpose bag if they didn't want to use it as a makeup bag. ($28) 

12. Easy shops are too cute, this necklace is adorable. They have a lot of other options like ones that say stuff about great friends. Plus, the packaging is adorable. Order it from Easy here! ($28)

13. This is so cute. We all know girls use makeup brushes (well girls know girls use them) and this is so cute to sit on your bathroom vanity holding all your makeup brushes. If I don't buy this for a friend, I will buy for myself. Check out Anthropologie for this cute gift! ($34)

14. The last gift, a girl can not have enough tshirts. I promise. This one is so cute. I tend to be attracted to tshirts that are somewhat related to GA or the South. This is a cute on for sure! Order it here! ($32)

What to Buy: Him

Happy Holidays Y'all! 

I know this might be kinda soon, but I wanted to start talking about Christmas. It's never too early to shop, and who knows maybe you'll be out searching on Black Friday! 

1. Cuff links are a great option for boyfriends or dads. These monogram cuff links are a timeless gift for men of all ages. I love these and  want to purchase them for my dad this holiday season! ($40)  

2. Bowties are a great gift for boys. If you want your beau or dad to be stylin' this holiday season, check out this bowtie at Onward Reserve. ($50)

 3. The FitBit is so cool, I even want one of these! A gift that will be remembered for a long time. Read more about the FitBit here!! This is a relatively pricey present, but come on any boy would be excited to open this on Christmas! ($99.95)

4. I feel like Key Fobs are thing that everyone wants, but never wants to spend the money on them. I see boys carrying around keys all the time, this flag like fob would be a great addition to the keychain. If you want another idea, try a key chain from their college of choice. Check this American Flag key fob out here!! ($28.50)

5. A boy is not going to buy himself a phone case, lets be real who is gonna buy themselves a phone case? More likely than not, no one wants to spend real money (as opposed to fake?) on a phone case. This wooden case is super trendy, order it online here!! ($40)

6.  I know exactly what you're thinking, "The Man Can" is lame and so weird to gift, but personally I think it is such a cool concept. This is the best selling item on their website. Check it out for yourself at Plum Island Soap Company!! ($48)

7. Every boy needs a wallet, and how nice is this one? This is super affordable and so stylish. Order it from Nordstrom! ($45)

8. What boy has an mini old radio? This is such an adorable gift. It is currently sold out (I know!!) on the website, but keep an eye out and maybe it'll come back just in time for Christmas! ($100)

9. Boys love socks, classic athletic socks, but they could use some nice socks to wear when they decide to wear the flannel bowtie and monogrammed cufflinks that you've already purchased! Order these socks online here! ($33)

10. This might seem like such a grandpa gift, but these are awesome!! Vineyard Vines has awesome slipper options. Boys always need shoes to wear around the house. Check these stylin' slippers out here! ($88)

11. These are without a doubt some of the coolest tennis shoes I've seen recently. Buy this for your beau, guy friends, whoever. They are awesome. Nordstrom has what you're looking for here! ($110)

12. Everyone thinks this gift is so lame, or atleast everyone I have asked. I've always been one to buy some what practical gifts, but also something someone will love. I think that this is super practical, but so stylish. How many boys do you know with well accessorized rooms? This would help!! Check it out here! ($30)

13. Saved the best for last, every boy would love this spikeball game set. You can buy here at Brookestone! ($59.99)

Although I hope these suggestions help you to figure out what to purchase for the man in your life, these are only 13 things out of a billion possible options. I am sure you will pick a great gift and you're boy will be more than happy with whatever you choose. 

Happy Shopping!! 

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

I so wish I would've found this thankful jar prior to a week before Thanksgiving. I think that oftentimes we forget how thankful we should be and often take things for granted. I know personally for me, I forget how thankful I am to go to school the place I do and how much my parents sacrifice for me to reap the benefits of King's Ridge.

With all of that being said, I'm encouraging you to sit down and think about the things you're thankful for at the start of this holiday season.

Top 5 Things I'm Thankful For: 

1. I am thankful that I'll be spending this holiday season with my family. Not to toot my own horn, but I have hands down the greatest family there is. We'll all run in different places for Thanksgiving, but I am so excited to spend it with the ones I love. 

2. I am so thankful for friends this holiday season. This week I facetimed with a friend who went to college this year. So thankful for her and the way this she still manages to pour into me. Not to be little my other friends though, because you rock! 

3. I'm incredibly thankful for KR in the start of this holiday season. I'm thankful for the faculty and staff here that make me feel so in the right place. 

4. Thankful for the so many seasonal events that will start to take place. I can't wait for Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain to open, Ice skating at Centennial Olympic Part, and The Light Show at Lake Lanier Islands!

5. Finally, I'm thankful for this week long break we're about to take. It couldn't come at any better time. I hope you use this time off to spend time with your family and catch up on sleep! 

High Five

Happy Wednesday!!

You can survive, there is only 2 days left until thanksgiving!

My High Five #11-15:

11. Surround yourself with friends who are interested in you.

I talked about this in a blog at some point, but I can never stop talking about. I've said it before and I'll say it again, quality over quantity. They say this when talking about clothes and other materialistic things, but it directly relates to your friends. Choose friends who stay involved and interested in your life regardless of how their or your circumstances change. Everyone wants a friend or friends who stick around, show up to cheer them on, and ask about life. My strongest friendships are with friends who ask a lot of questions. Lots of questions, trust me!

12. Challenge yourself.

I talked about this in my high school myths yesterday. Challenging yourself in different aspects of life is so important. If you never challenge your self with new goals. If you want to be successful than you have to set goals even higher than ones you've already accomplished.

13. Say that you're wrong- it's hard trust me.

This might be the hardest thing ever for me at least. Admitting that I'm wrong is almost impossible. I like to be right about everything and I will fight for it even if it is wrong. Since this is the hardest thing for me, I want you to know that admitting you're wrong shows people character. Swallow your pride and admit you're wrong (practice what I preach, I know!)

14. Saying sorry still means something, don't jokingly toss it around.

The perfect win to follow #13, saying sorry is something that in today's time is just tossed around. When you say you're sorry, you have to mean it.

15. A smile can go a long way.

You consistently hear people tell you this, but let me tell you that we all have bad day (something you all know). I can't tell you how many bad days I've had where someone has walked by me in the hall and smiled at me. A smile goes a long way, always smile because you never know what other people are going through and how much a smile might help. Don't fake happiness, smile when you mean it.PS. Your smile is your best feature, do it more often!

High School is Easy

Welcome back readers,

Myth: High school is easy.

I don't know what to say besides high school isn't easy, or if it is than you aren't challenging yourself in ways you should. If you're signing up for classes in hopes that you can just show up and pass than you need to re-evaluate. I know that right now, it seems like my junior year is killing me. In this moment as I write this blog I'm taking a break from studying for an anatomy test. Even on my least busiest weeks, I'm still busy. I consistently have homework and am having to put lots of energy into classes. The reason I do it? 1. Because I know that in order to go to a good school that leads to a successful career, my grades now need to be good. 2. Because I had the choice to take classes this year that actually interested me (mainly my sciences). Mrs. Fedas, if you're reading this, I appreciate your passion for what you do. It leads me to be passionate about it too!

In the midst of the craziness, we forget how blessed we are in our circumstances. I'm sure you've heard the "too blessed to be stressed" saying & the more stressed I get the more I realize this. I hate being stressed about school, I don't like the way it makes me feel or the lack of sleep I get, but I love the sense of accomplishment I get from studying hard and getting a good grade on a test. Sometimes we have to sacrifice things like sleep and a Friday night with friends in order to achieve bigger accomplishments. Don't get me wrong, sleep is important. Take advantage of other opportunities for naps!

Another reason why high school is such a struggle these days is because of extra cirriculars, there are so many other things besides school that we want to be doing, trust me I know. Often times it's hard to balance between school, sports, and sometimes work. When you get stressed and think you need to give up, take a deep breath and realize that LIFE GOES ON. Although it's hard and you will be pushed until you want to give up, there is not a moment that goes by where you shouldn't be grateful.

With that being said, sometimes it's extremely hard to discipline ourselves in not only school, but other things. It's important to realize that all of our hard work is going to bring on great things for the future. It might be the immediate future affecting your grade or the long term future of college which leads to career sucess. Discipline now leads to success later.

Friday Faves: Big Butts

Welcome back,

There is a time and a place for everything and today is the time and this blog is the place to expose the truth behind how society is effecting the self image of teenagers all over the world.

I'm not sure who you follow on Instagram or if you're even a fan of the Kardashians, but Kim Kardashian West has made efforts to "break the internet." If you aren't sure what this means, it means that Kardashian- West has publicized some racy photos of her in Paper Magazine. I'm sure you're wondering what I mean by racy photos... Kim gave the go ahead to the photographer and magazine to capture nude photos of her to publish in the magazine. 

Since these pictures have been released, Kardashian West has taken a bullet for posting these, but also  since she is a mom. Naya Riveria commented on Kim's Instagram saying "I normally don't. But... you're someone's mother." 

If you asked me what I thought than I would say that it's embarrassing to be associated with a woman who isn't hesitant at all to nonchalantly post naked pictures of herself for the world to see. To her, apparently these naked pictures for the world to see are no big deal to her, but what teenagers and kids who get a peek of these photos see is a serious drop in self-confidence. Whether you think it's true or not, looking at images like that is seriously degrading your self-confidence. It also leads girls to think that when they take off their clothes, their butts are suppose to be that big, their stomach is suppose to be that flat, their skin is suppose to be that flawless, and your hair is suppose to look that good. The truth of the matter is your self worth is not defined based on what you see celebrities post on the internet. The real life in this situation is that no normal 16 year old girl is gonna have a butt that big, skin that clear, and hair that perfect when she's struggling day to day to survive high school. 

Girls around the world pressured by society and feel the pressure to be perfect, what we have to realize (myself included) is that the perfection we're all seeking will not exist as a 16 year old girl. 

I'm not sure how to say it better than the quote at the top does. Your self worth is something that can't be questioned by someone's inability to see your worth. In Proverbs 31, it talks about a woman of character and a wife of noble character, the line that stands out, "She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." The point to be made is that God designs you in a perfect way, a way that is worth far more than rubies, for you to be valued by someone who has full confidence in you. You lack nothing because you are designed perfectly by the greatest creator there ever was, that enough should give you all of the confidence in the world. 

With that all being said, you cannot question your worth because someone else does, what they think does not matter. You are created by someone who makes you enough.

High Five #2

Welcome back!! 

I wanted to go over my next 5 life wins, I'm really excited about this series. I know you're thinking that there is a lot going on withasunnyside right now between high school myths, life wins, and Friday faves. If you have any suggestions on what you wanna see next, please let me know. I'm open to all ideas! 

6. You are your biggest critic

I think this is such a valid argument. You have to realize that when it comes to things like school or sports you are gonna critique yourself more than anyone else ever will. Especially for your self image, girls!! You are the only one that cares what you walk out of the house in the morning with. Wear what you want for you, no one else judges it as much as you do! 

7. In order to succeed, you have to be willing to work hard.

You've heard this and it is engraved in your brain, I'm sure of it. For repeated emphasis I am here to tell you that if you want to succeed you have to be willing to put in the work. Think, why do you go to sports practices? Because you want to win. Why do you study for a test? Because you want a good grade. Continue to work hard and you'll continue to be successful in different aspects of life. 

8. A mani/pedi can fix all problems.

I don't think I can say it better than Coco Chanel. Treat yourself, girls. A mani/pedi can temporarily solve every problem you have, and if it doesn't you can at least have good nails while dealing with the problems .

9. Go to bed early the night before a big test.

I feel like this is the easiest one to explain this week. As hard as it is to finish up studying early in the day and go to bed early, lots of sleep the night before a test is so important. I'm not just saying this because I want you to go to bed early, there is actual testing on students who perform better with 8 or more hours of sleep! 

10. Don't settle for someone who makes you feel trapped.

The most obvious examples  I can think of this are friends and boys. Any situation where you feel trapped or forced is one that you don't want to be in. You should surround yourself with friends who celebrate you right now, not trap you in the past. 

AK's Declassified School Survival Guide

See what I did there?? Basically Ned from Ned's Declassified...

Welcome back y'all,

I'm so so happy you're here to read what I have to say about HIGH SCHOOL!!

I'm so excited to be starting this new series on myths in high school and whether I think it's true or not. While reading this, please remember that we will not agree on everyone of these myths and we don't have to. If you have a different opinion so be it, I commend you for your ability to defend it..

Myth: The friends you start high school with aren't the same you walk out with. True? False?

False, I'm not sure if this is a King's Ridge thing only or what, but I feel like this myth is false. You walk into your first year of high school with literally NO IDEA of what is going on and who you are friends with. Chances are you lost some friends between the switch from middle to high school and are feeling like you have to start over.

For me, I've had a pretty consistent friend group since 9th grade and I think that's why this is so false. People leave your school, two of my really close friends left KR at the start of our junior year and you'd think that it would've rocked my world. Honestly, it did, I didn't know how things would change for my obviously much smaller friend group. People change as you go throughout high school, you grow closer with some people and farther with others and it all depends on how your personalities grow and change and the situations that happen while in high school. I think that is honestly the most important lesson and the only way that this myth will stay false. It's important and almost vital to know that people you want to be forever friends with will change and a forever friendship doesn't happen overnight. And don't get me wrong, friendships (especially ones you want to last) are hard work. If you want to maintain a friendship all 4 years you have to stay committed to each others lives thru breakups, family struggles, and growing up. I've found that my strongest friendships are the ones that start with honesty, laughter and open communication.

As much in my own life I want to believe this myth is false, I know that in some situations it isn't. We never want to think this actually happens, but girls choose boys over their friends and girls choose new friends over the old, reliable, trustworthy friends every single day. Unfortunately, this is where the myth goes from black and white to a little grey. You have to value the strong friendships you have  worked for and remember who those friends are and why you called them friends in the first place. Quality over quantity, y'all.

Lessons Learned (so far):

1. Petty girl drama will always exist, you gotta choose your battles. Can't fight 'em all.

2. Never abandon your girlfriends, regardless of their stage of life.

3. Sisters before misters, I thought this was girl code, hello!! 

4. Surround yourself with friends you want a forever friendship with, it'll help with all of the above. 

5. Make sure the friends you choose are ones that are there to benefit you.

I couldn't do high school without the friends that stand with me today. I hope to be the friend that stands by your side regardless of the situations.

Friday Faves!!

Hey yall, happy Friday and happy weekend!!

1. I've been counting down to kickboxing for a week now, I was so excited. Kenna and I had an absolute blast last night. Serious hard work, trust me. I thought I was gonna die, but looking back it was so fun and it makes me feel awesome. 

2.  I was also really excited about Lil's 15th birthday! 15 years of having a baby sis, weird to think she'll be out on the roads soon. Eeep, scary!!

3.  I'm also really excited about the avalon, most everyone has probably been already, but if you haven't you should go. It is so so nice. It doesn't even feel like you're in Alpharetta. I think that's what shocks me the most that there is this luxurious shopping spot in Alpharetta. Be prepared to spend your money. 

4. This goes with the Avalon. I'm really excited to test out the dry bar. I've heard amazing things about it. $40 for a blow dry seems expensive but from what I hear it's worth it! 

5. Lastly, I'm super excited about my new instagram. Follow me @withasunnyside. I want to shoutout and thank Lucy for running this. She has that instagram ish that I don't have and I'm so glad she offered to run it. I wouldn't do it without her. Check it out!

My High Five

I'm back y'all!

I hope you enjoyed the guest appearance from Kenna yesterday. I'm so happy to have welcomed my best friend to my blog! I loved having her here and I hope that you enjoyed what she had to say.

I wanna go over why I picked my life wins last week. This are completely random and make no sense together. These follow the exact list I posted last week (find it here!) Thanks Lu for the smart thinking on the blog title, love you!!

1. Ice cream is always a good idea.

I don't even know how to expand on this one. Ice cream is good for crying over heartbreaking movies, or celebrating a birthday. It's always a good idea. Snap an artsy pic of your ice cream before you eat it!

I hate that you can't see the whole picture, but doesn't that look SOO GOOD?

2. Your best friend should always tell you the honest truth, regardless of if it is good or bad.

This is a lesson I continue to learn everyday, mostly when I'm struggling with telling a friend something. I constantly remind myself that I need to be honest with a friend if I expect that friend to be honest. If you tell the truth with friends than you are more likely to avoid stupid girl drama.

3. Always try to filter what comes out of your mouth, you never know, it might come back and bite you in the booty.

The picture I think sums up all I have to say, you don't always have to comment back on something someone says. I realize this is hard because often times it is hard for me to close my mouth and walk away from the situation. This is also true when it comes to gossiping. I know in high school it is one of the hardest things to avoid, but if you filter the words and thoughts that come out of your mouth then you will avoid drama and have a better reputation. Gossipers are never well thought of!

4. If you love the outfit, wear it again. Even if it is the second day in a row, just make sure you won't run into the same people!

You obviously buy clothes that you like, so that gives you the reason to wear it a million times. Wear what you love, it doesn't matter what other people say. They aren't the ones wearing the outfit. Your outfits are on your body and you have the right to dress yourself however you want.

5. Your instagram is for you, post what you want when you want. - Lucy Martin

This might be my favorite for the week. This line sticks with me whenever I think about social media or anything like that. Lucy knows the truth and I appreciate her for teaching me this. Your instagram is for you, it has your user name on it. What does that mean? It means that it doesn't matter what you post on instagram as long as your like it or how many likes you get (trust me, I know we want likes!). You are not valued based on the likes you get on your instapost or the favorites on your tweets. You rock and are not defined based on what you post. I also think of my instagram as an online scrapbook, that means that its real and its your life and you love it. Don't be phased by the negative crap people post on your posts or any of that. You do you!!