Jumping Into 2015

Happy 2015! I can't believe it is a new year already, I blinked and 2014 was over - it's going to take me months to get used to writing 2015 on things ;) I started to look back and reflect on the year I've had, 2014 has been an incredible year and I have so much to be excited and thankful for.  2014 was a year of firsts, a year of discovery and growth, a year of recovery and strength. I have been tested in ways I did not know possible and I have come out stronger and ready to take on 2015 and all it may bring.  

I have been recovering over the last week from back surgery I had the day after Christmas - I know, crazy right?! It is still pretty insane to me too.  It was nothing too major and waking up pain-free after the surgery made it so worth it.  I struggled for 8 months with intense pain from 2 herniated disks in my back and I am so thankful that it is finally behind me.    

Taking things easy and letting myself heal has given me a lot of time to think, in between binge watching Gilmore Girls and The Office.  2014 was not only a great year but it was also one of the most challenging years I think I have ever had, and if I am being honest I did not realize how difficult it was until I took a step back.  It was a year that made me grow and helped mold me into the person I am becoming.  I had great moments and I had some very low moments but I believe I can learn from every single one of them. Life is all about change and growth, it is amazing to think about where I am now compared to just a few years ago.  I am so lucky to have an incredible support system behind me every step of the way.  And lucky to have the faith and strength necessary at times to take a deep breath and keep moving.  

I know that 2015 will be amazing! Every moment may not be perfect but it's the imperfections that make life what it is.  Happy New Year to all of you - I can't wait to see where this next year takes us! 

♥ Caro

Halloweekend

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. You get to dress up in a fun costume and eat guilt-free candy, how could you hate it?! When I was younger Halloween was all about the Trick-or-Treating and finding the best costume possible.  I can remember thinking about my costume options for weeks and wracking my brain in the local Party City trying to chose between a pretty vampire or a pretty witch *I never wanted to be scary on Halloween* This holiday is great in college because you never have just one night. It becomes Halloweekend, and gives us "old folk" a chance to run around in costume without too much judgment.  Basically, when you grow up, Halloween changes from being all about Trick-or-Treating to all about how many Instagram pictures you can take or how sexy you can make a Disney character.  The toughest part about Halloweekend is that you now need 3 costumes instead of one.  This year on Wednesday I got this red dress at Express that I am obsessed with - it’s so pretty and flattering! I decided to dress up as a devil on Thursday night (soooo creative, right?) and, instead of letting a great dress go to waste on a good weekend, Friday night I scrounged up a crown and was the Queen of Hearts.  All of these outfits were last minute and, while I would like to pretend I am creative and can plan far in advance, sometimes it’s easier to just look cute and throw on a headband! Overall Halloweekend 2k14 has been a successful one! We will see if I can squeeze another costume out of my red dress, but maybe tonight will be a Gilmore Girls night in – with half priced candy corn, of course! 

{Baby Caroline as a bunny - ready for some candy!}

♥ Caro

Rainy Day Reads: Jodi Picoult

I've always loved Jodi Picoult books, especially the most recent one I read entitled The Storyteller.  I started reading her books per my mother’s recommendation.  I have been in love with reading since I was younger and it was always a struggle for her to find books I hadn’t already read.  I started with My Sister’s Keeper (the book is SO much better than the movie) then I went on to read everything she published. She is an author I have continued to read over the years, as I have grown up and years later I still thoroughly enjoy her stories.  I love her writing because she knows how to keep you guessing.  Every book has some sort of twist ending that catches you by surprise. I also love that she deals with intense and poignant topics, relevant today. 

The Storyteller is about a shy baker, Sage, who befriends an old man, Josef, through a grief counseling group she attends after her mothers death.  When Josef unveils a dark secret, Sage must decide the right path to take and the mystery begins to unfold.  A moral dilemma, historical fiction, and many exciting twists and turns, this book kept me on the edge of my seat.  I loved reading it – it was one of those books I couldn’t put down and I could not wait to recommend it to you! Happy reading! 

♥ Caro

Sorority Secrets: Bid Day

{The theme was Pi Phi Phest ~ hence the flower crowns}

Recently I had Bid Day for my sorority! For those of you who aren’t familiar with sorority lingo, Bid Day is the last day of sorority recruitment when girls who have been accepted into an organization get an official Bid to join a chapter.  It’s a mutual selection process that typically lasts a week, or 4 rounds. Through out this process potential new members meet with each sorority in rounds to talk to the sisters and learn more about the sororities.  Each night choices get narrowed down and you go to fewer sororities for longer periods of time (in order to allow for deeper conversations!) After a long recruitment process I am excited to welcome the new members home to Pi Beta Phi! We were very lucky and had a beautiful day in the park for this special day. My Bid Day was a bit different, the way the schedule fell it was at night and it happened to be in our sorority house, as opposed to outside.  It was a great night but I was happy to have this year’s celebration in an area with more space – especially since we have 54 new girls! I know based on Southern sorority standards this isn’t much, but for my school and chapter it’s huge! I was so excited on my Bid Day to get my top choice sorority and I remember being thrilled to see the familiar faces of the sisters I had spoken to during recruitment.  This year, being on the other side of recruitment, I was so happy to welcome the girls I spoke to throughout the week and on Preference Night with a hug and a halo! It is such an exciting time for everyone.  I know that joining Pi Phi is one of the best decisions I have ever made and I have a feeling our new girls will feel the same.  I am happy to be apart of such an amazing sisterhood and I am SO excited to have more girls in our incredible chapter! 

{Pi Beta Phi}

{Bid Day isn't complete without cute crafts}

{Me, Emily, and Bailey}

{YCP}

{Roomies take recruitment}

♥ Caro

Just A Little Update

{Guess who's back, back again...}

This week has been #crazy. First, and most importantly, I am back in NYC! Over the weekend I moved into my new dorm room.  I can’t even explain how great it is to be back and see all of my sweet friends.  Our classes don’t start until next week so we are taking this time to unpack, settle in, and catch up with each other. We flew up Friday and my mom and Aunt Karen were here to help me move in, they stayed until Tuesday.  We had the best time shopping, sight seeing, and (obviously) eating a lot of great food. 

{The Bluebell Cafe - great food and it's super cute}

{Central Park}

My dorm room is AMAZING. We have such a great common space and views of the Empire State Building.  I’m so excited that we are in such a great location and there are a lot of friends in the building, which will make for a very fun year. I still love blogging and it is something I am going to continue throughout the school year.  I have so many fun ideas for posts and I appreciate everyone who has been so supportive throughout this journey.  With over 1300 views now I am so excited to continue, I never thought people would read this and I hope to continue posting fun things to keep y’all interested ;) Stay tuned! And let me know if there is anything you would like to see on Handbags & Heartbeats this year. 

{Oh hey, Empire State Building, fancy seeing you from my room...}

♥ Caro