My January Favorites

Hello! I am currently writing this from my history class, as my professor drones on about the French Revolution. He gives us a ton of readings for homework, but he actually explains things really well and it is very much appreciated. It’s the third week of the spring semester and my days are jam-packed. I am taking 18 credits again this semester because I have a lot of stuff to get done with two majors and a minor, but I am learning a lot of new things. Since only about a week and a half of my January has been spent at school, this post will be a relaxing look back and the things I did and used during my lovely month at home.

Art

Recent inspiration/things that tickle my brain:

Fashion

CROCHET HATS. I am a FIEND. I am obsessed. I’ve known how to crochet since I was probably 10, but I didn’t consistently do it for a while. I made one hat one time last year and then didn’t revisit that pattern again until December. And then somehow I whipped out 8 hats while I was home. It is so much fun. It is such an easy pattern, and it is a good mindless activity while watching a show. Acrylic yarn with a 5mm hook works the best for me, I found. My favorite is the one I made myself in a really pretty kelly green. I also made my boyfriend one in a navy blue that I love. It feels so cool to make something I can wear and elevate an outfit.

I have succumbed to the trend of the cable knit/pullover sweater. A lot of the sweaters I owned were cardigans or turtlenecks, but I made it my goal over break to add to my collection with pullovers. And I did great! I collected three more pullovers and I can’t get enough of them.

I also thrifted my newest favorite thing in my closet while visiting my friend in Evanston. This flannel was only about $8, but it has brought me immense joy. It is perfectly oversized and fleecy and it is just the best thing ever.

Body

If you ever want to feel like a fresh baby, or perhaps a snail, use shea butter immediately after shaving and/or a shower. I put it on and I swear I was slightly slimy for the next four hours but in the best way. Seriously. I felt so incredibly moisturized, and like I’m doing everything right in my life. Shea butter also generally has natural ingredients that aren’t totally horrible for your body.

I have been using the same pan of blush since my sophomore year of high school. Tarte Cosmetics’ “Papa Don’t Peach.” My tried and true. But sometimes I don’t want a powdery look. I want a dewy look, a fresh look. Enter liquid blush. Everyone has already heard of this, with the emergence of Glossier and their Cloud Paint. My personal go-to is shade Spark. But sometimes I just need to switch it up. I need a different color or a different applicator. Finally the point I’ve been trying to get to: try tinted chapstick as blush. I got a pack of a few different shades and scents from my sister for Christmas and fell in love with the formula. It creates a softer blend and soaks into the skin more while still leaving a nice pigment. It also is easier and less messy than Cloud Paint. I love both, but it’s always exciting to mix them up. It’s also kinda fun to match your lips to your blush.

Media

TV/Movies

I am now obsessed with Community. That’s it. That’s the story. I want to be friends with Danny Pudi. And I want to hang out with Donald Glover. I finished all six seasons in about a month. I think they sort of stretch it out by the middle of the fifth season and the entirety of the sixth season, but I couldn’t get enough of the characters so I just had to keep watching. It all closed up and ended really well and it of course made me cry. But that might have just been thanks to the Lord Huron song.

Music

Some favorites from this month:

True Blue- boygenius

Little Bit More – Suriel Hess

Davy Crochet – The Backseat Lovers 

Paint – The Paper Kites

Decimal – Novo Amor

Go In Light – Marcus Mumford and Monica Martin

Hercules – Sara Bareilles

Other

I HAVE A STANLEY WATER BOTTLE AND I DON’T CARE HOW BASIC THAT MAKES ME. I don’t have the one with the mug handle that everyone else has, though, because it wouldn’t fit in my backpack pocket. I have a 30oz one with a flip straw lid and a bucket handle. It is a beautiful color and it keeps things so cold. It also fits in a cupholder!!! I will willingly succumb to many of the water bottle trends that circulate, and I don’t care. As long as it’s cute, practical, and keeps me hydrated, I’m happy.

I love to travel because sometimes I need a break from the Midwest. But for some reason over break, I left Minnesota…to travel to Illinois. My best friend lives in Evanston, Illinois, and I think it is one of my favorite places ever. To have such an amazing friend that I get to take the train to go visit is just cool in itself. But the fact that she lives in such a cute little town is also a plus. Evanston is all that you could ask for in a Midwestern town. It has gorgeous old neighborhoods with stunning old houses. Tree-lined streets. A quaint downtown. But it also has access to Lake Michigan, with beachfront and beautiful parks. You are also within driving distance of a large metropolis area, but it is not suffocating. I just always feel more like myself there and it is always a breath of fresh air.

Thank you so much if you read this far :’). Leave me a comment and share this with friends you think would like it! Also, feel free to message me if you have any ideas of what you’d like to see from me!

-a.g.l