Cheeky Quote Tuesday

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Happy 2016 | A Quick Update

Hello lovely reader! I hope you are having a good start to 2016. Today's post is more of a chatty post one, which I don't do often but in some ways I see this blog as a bit of a journal and a place to share feelings that other bloggers or readers may be able to relate to. Like most people, I have made a few "New Years Resolutions" one of them being to post more when I have the time which I already seem to be failing at. However, another one of them is to be more optimistic, focusing on the positive side of situations, and not stressing out about unnecessary things. I absolutely love blogging but sometimes I'll hit a bit of a wall as far as things to post, it then spirals into worrying because I haven't posted something in a while, and questioning my content and whether or not I should just quick whip something up in order to have a new post, even if the content is not superb, or if I will loose the traction that within in the last few months I have been quickly gaining (Thanks to you!). I then step back and remind myself of why I started blogging and think about how quality over quantity in the blogging world is one of the most important aspects. (It is also one that I very much value and practice day to day) I also realize that the only person creating this pressure is myself and that it's okay to do something else for a little while.

If I wake up in the morning and feel like creating a post, great I'll do it, but if I wake up and would rather bake something and not document it, that's okay too. Sometimes I feel like blogging and social media in general can keep us from being present. We become so wrapped up in "capturing the moment" with a phone that we miss the actual experience. Staying present is another resolution I have for this year, and while I know it will be one of the hardest ones, I think it will be the most rewarding.

I believe that this cycle can be applied to a lot of things in life, questioning yourself, self doubt, and loosing sight of why you began something. Feeling like your fire within has become a tiny match, and wondering where that massive bonfire went. But with a new year comes a fresh start, and the perfect opportunity to start searching for things that fuel that fire once more, taking time and not rushing, doing certain things when it feels right and not feeling like you must force yourself to do something if your heart isn't fully in it. So after all this, may you be optimistic and present in the coming year! I also want to say thank you to everyone who has continued to or started reading "Not Exactly Plain Jane" this past year. The growth within the last few months alone has been amazing and it makes me so excited for what's to come. I have been given some great opportunities and cannot wait to see what 2016 will bring!

Happy New Year! Xx

No FOMO, Live Your Own College Experience | College Life

Hi lovely readers! Today's post is the first of it's kind and hopefully not the last. I want to think of these posts as an open journal all about "college life", both for me and for you. I would love this to be a space where we can share advice and experiences to help each other out, as I am sure that many of us have gone through and are going through many of the same things. "Sharing is caring" and I want to use this platform to do just that.

So the topic I want to talk about today is FOMO otherwise known as the "Fear of Missing Out" in relation to focusing on yourself. This may not make sense so let me explain, I feel like for many college students FOMO is ever present and affects the way they live their lives. People feeling like they have to go to this party or join that club because if they don't they're going to be missing out on something, even if they're not actually interested. If this sounds like something you are experiencing, I would like to encourage you to do one thing, think about if what you are doing is because you want to do it or because it is what everyone else is doing. Within the last year, being on my own for the first time, I have become a lot more self aware. I know what I like, what I don't like, situations I am comfortable with, and situations that I am not. I have realized that it can make a world of a difference if you simply focus on yourself and what makes you happy, what you enjoy and are passionate about, rather than just going along with everyone else. I want you lovely lot to know that putting yourself first and not worrying about what other people are doing is okay! In fact it is more than okay, it is a key to one of the sometimes many locks of your own personal happiness. You are the only person who gets to live your life! So why not make it the happiest and the best it can be? Everyone has a different idea of how one should live out their college experience. But you need to live out your own college experience, not someone else's.

I am not a partier, I go to a school where many people are. I don't have a problem with people who are or aren't, you do you and I'll do me. Does everyone else look at others this way? No, I know some people look at me differently because I don't choose to live my life in the stereotypical "college kid" way. They don't understand it because it is different from their "ideal college adventure". "Aren't you afraid of what your missing?" No, quite frankly I'm not, what you are doing isn't appealing to me and I'm happy with what I am doing. In relation to partying specifically, I will say this, just because other people are going out and partying on a Friday night, and you would rather stay in does not make you "lame", "a loser", or a "goody goody". All those things are other people's perceptions and if that's what they want to think than their opinions aren't worth worrying about and they shouldn't care in the first place because it doesn't rock their world one bit. I don't really have FOMO because I know that I am doing what I want to do, living my life how I want to live it! Yes, it can be hard at times and feeling like an outsider may happen, but just step back and think, "If I could mute everyone else's opinions, am I happy with my life right now? Am I enjoying the things that I am doing?" If so then you're on the right track, living for you.

I wanted to share this because I know it can be hard if what you're into or not into is different from what most people around you are. I have been in school for almost a year and a half, and I have just finally met someone last month who has a lot of the same views on things as I do and it's great! Having someone you feel like you can totally relate to makes you feel so much better and way less isolated. So don't give up hope that you're the "only one", you may happen upon someone who feels the exact same way as you, just when you least expect it. I know it sounds cheesy but it literally just happened to me.

I hope this post was beneficial and I'd love to hear your thoughts. That's what I hope these types of posts can be, a space for relating and sharing. Hopefully if you have struggled with similar situations or are currently, the comments can be a place to share advice and tips. Also, if it's not something you want to put out there, my email is up in the contacts or even if you want to DM me on Twitter, please feel free! It may seem a bit odd and I know I'm no expert, but I'd love to be of any help that I can. Have a great week everyone! Xx

Accurate Signs and the Perfect Manicure | iPhone Snaps

Hello lovely reader! Another week is here, let's make it a good one. Last week I did a fair share of fun things so naturally I took pics here and there and wanted to share them with you!

One day my mom and I enjoyed the nice weather and spent some time shopping outside. Of course sitting on a park bench enjoying a donut is also necessary when given the opportunity!

I love little signs like these, especially if they're accurate! (Which these are)

I've been curbing my afternoon sweet cravings with this greek yogurt. A perfect sweet treat that keeps you on track!

I absolutely love this! 

Most accurate. 

I've been wanting to get white nails for a while now, and if you follow me on tumblr, you will know that the other day I went and got a manicure. I'm kind of obsessed with how they turned out!

What have you been doing? Xx

Sweet Simplicity | Naked Carrot Cake

Hiya lovely reader! Happy Friday! Today I wanted to share a recipe with you for a delicious and pretty cake. Now if you saw my post from "World Baking Day", you will know that I mentioned wanting to try and bake a "naked cake", more specifically a one for my mom's belated birthday. Well, yesterday I did just that and am quite please with how it turned out. First a little background though about what a "naked cake" is because if you are unfamiliar with this term, it could sound a bit scandalous (I promise it's not). So, basically it is a layer cake that is only iced on the top and in between the cakes. They can be filled with anything and everything from fresh fruits to chocolates and candy bars. The cake I baked was a carrot cake with brown sugar cream cheese icing. The recipes are below. Enjoy!

(The recipe listed below is for 9" pans, I used two 6" pans so I just divided everything in half and it worked perfectly)

Carrot Cake Recipe: 
3 cups of grated carrots
4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

-Pre-heat the oven to 350º
-Pour the oil over the chopped carrots
-Add the eggs and sugar and then mix
-Add the flour (gradually), salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and the pecans
-Mix well
-Pour the batter into baking pans
-Bake for 40-45 min. (if you use smaller pans like I did, it will take less time, I set the timer initially  for 20 minutes, and then checked them in increments of 5 minutes)

(I also halved the icing recipe and still had some left over, so if you like a bit more icing and make smaller cakes, you should have enough)

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cups of margarine
4 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Brown Sugar

Mix all these ingredients together and then add the brown sugar in increments of tablespoons until it is to your liking.


Have you baked any naked cakes? What recipes do you like? Xx

World Baking Day 2015!

Hello lovely readers! I hope you are having a nice Sunday. Today is "World Baking Day"! This day is meant to be all about reminding someone who matters how much you care about them. I personally love baking! My mom is an amazing baker, so I try to pick up tips from her and definitely have grown up loving baking. Now that I am older I am more into trying out new recipes that I see in magazines or on blogs. I also like the artistic side of it, decorating cakes and cookies (not to brag but I can create some pretty on point gingerbread people). So in honor of this sweet day, I thought I'd link all my baking posts in one so that if you are looking for a recipe to try or just wanna have a scroll you can! Even if you don't consider yourself a baker, even a simple sugar cookie can go a long way! The World Baking Day website has tons of recipes! Happy Baking!!!

The Best Cookies

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies Christmas in June?

Gingerbread Cookies

"California Granola"

"Pumpkin Bars"

The next thing I really want to try and bake is a "naked cake"! I think they're so pretty and dainty! This one on DesignLoveFest looks amazing!

What do you like to bake? Any recipes you'd like to share? Xx

Sweet Treats & Style | iPhone Snaps

Hello lovely reader! I hope you are having a nice weekend! As mentioned in my "Lovely Weather" post from a couple of weeks a go, I would like to make this a regular thing! I love seeing snips and clips from other people's lives so hopefully you do too. It's fun for me to look back on them too. I realize that the majority of these pics are of food, so if you are reading this late at night....sorry! (I am not held liable for any late night snacking)

My friend and I went to this cool little donut shop last weekend, we each got two and then shared them. I chose peaches and cream (cinnamon sugar glaze filled with peach pie filling) and apple cinnamon (cinnamon and sugar outside, filled with apple pie filling). Amazing!

Just a little FWIS pic:)

Vanilla ice cream with a warm brownie and hot fudge on a Saturday night? I think so!

My morning routine, makeup and a bowl of cheerios (no milk).

Every time I eat these delicious chocolates, I am reminded how much Cadbury is my favorite.

A sunny day called for some outside studying and a Cliff Bar. My fav are the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Oatmeal Raisin.

Finally a nice treat to end the week!

What have you been up to? Take any nice pics? Did we do any of the same things? Xx

Oh My Days! | My Fabulous 2015 Calendar

Hey lovely reader! 2015 is in full swing and with each new year comes the need for a new calendar! This year I am particularly fond of this lovely calendar that I found on Etsy. I was on the hunt for a fashionable and unique calendar that wasn't super expensive. I chose this one and am extremely happy with my decision. Emily Brickel is the lovely lady behind these fashionable prints and her Etsy shop is full of different prints, cards, and notebooks. I didn't want to give them all away but just give you a taste, so have a look at the pics and check out her page! 

On this Valentine's Day Eve...

Hiya lovely reader! First off I hope you had a good Friday the 13th! So tomorrow is Valentine's Day and whether you're single or all loved up, have a lovely day. I will be spending the day with friends and then getting "dolled up" and going to dinner with some close girlfriends. I've always loved Valentine's Day and all the decor that comes with it (typical...maybe). Anyway, no matter who your spending the day with or how you're spending it I hope it's lovely. I saw this post and thought these cards were so perfect and reminded me of me and my friends so hopefully it does the same for you. You can by these cards and many others here. and are made by a fantastic lady named Emily McDowell. 

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Xx

Delicious "California Granola" Recipe

Hey lovely reader! Today I wanted to share a recipe that I tried last week and thought was delicious. It is Bobby Flay's "California Granola". The recipe is simple and the end product is super tasty. I had said in my New Year's post that I wanted to focus on eating healthy, as many people do, so this granola is a great thing to have with breakfast in the morning or as a mid day snack!

You will need:

• Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 pure clover honey
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin California olive oil

• 1/4 cup packed light-brown muscovado sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins or dried cherries

DIRECTIONS

For the granola: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or brush lightly with canola oil. 

Combine the oats, almonds and walnuts in a large bowl. Combine the honey, canola oil, olive oil, sugar, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until combined. Turn the mixture out onto an 11- by 7-inch jelly-roll pan, and spread into an even layer. 

Bake, stirring and re-spreading the mixture into an even layer every 5 minutes, until the granola is light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Immediately turn the granola out onto another jelly-roll pan to cool and stop the cooking process. Stir in the apricots and raisins and then spread the granola evenly in the pan. Set on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Loosen any dried granola with a spatulaand store in an airtight container. 

Cooking Channel

Did you give the recipe a try? Are there any healthier alternatives that you have been implementing into your diet? Xx

Lazy Sunday Morning & Over 3,000 Views

Hello lovely reader! "Sunday morning, rain is falling" Not the prettiest day here today but it makes a perfect reason to wake up, put on your fuzzy slippers, and stay inside all day. 

I wanted to say a massive massive thank you, because just after NewYears, I logged on to see that there have been over 3,000 page views! That is absolutely insane to me! Looking back on my first ever post, I am extremely satisfied with my design to start a blog. So thank you for reading and following, and continuing to do so. It has grown faster than I could have imagined and I can't wait to see it continue to progress. I have fallen in love with blogging and the blogging community. I love reading blogs and being inspired by what other people are doing. So if you are reading this and are on the fence about whether or not you want to create a blog, as I was, do it, give it a shot! But make sure you are doing it for yourself. It is easy to get hung up on the numbers. The "Oh, only one person has read that post today" or "Why aren't I getting more followers??" is something that you can't focus on, post about what you want to post about and people will find your blog, it's amazing how quickly five followers can transform into one hundred and fifty. I really do enjoy blogging and am always trying to think of new posts so if you ever have a question or suggestion, please feel free to leave a comment or send an email! Thank you again to those who read and follow!! Mwah! Xx

Post Christmas Sales | Haul

Hello lovely reader! How are you on this mid-week Wednesday? It is absolutely freezing where I am, so I hope you are warm wherever you are! Today's post is a roundup of the wonderful things that I bought at discounted prices (love it) for after Christmas sales. (Sales on Sales!!!) 

First, are these awesome earrings. As I have stated before, I love the ear cuff trend as well as the double sided earrings. I thought these were cool and different, and would go with a lot. I got them at Nordstrom Rack. 

I love a bit of sarcastic jewelry, it's subtle yet adds personality. I ordered this sassy little bangle from Nasty Gal and I freaking love it! It's not on Nasty Gal's website anymore, the Ettika website does have it, however,  the price is a lot more than what I paid through Nasty Gal. 

Continuing with the online shopping, I had to check out Zara's sale! I love love love Zara and especially their sales. I ended up purchasing these three tops. The first one is a casual t-shirt, I love fashion and thought it was cute and different. I also love the quote "treat everyday like it's a runway" so I had to get that shirt. Next is a nice oversized long-sleeve tshirt. I think it will be cute with black leggings and black slip on shoes or even black Nikes to make it sportier. The last top I ordered from them simply because I thought it was really cool and different. I also like it because it has a pocket in the front. Zara's sale is still going on so definitely check it out!

This top I purchased is from Urban Outfitters. I think it is so cool and again, different! It is also a tad longer in the back which is always nice. 

Probably my favorite item that I purchased were these black boots! I have been looking for black ankle boots for forever and hadn't been able to find exactly what I was wanting. I got these at Saks OFF 5th and they are perfect! 

Finally, a fun little purchase never hurts. I got these from Urban Outfitters for $10 regularly $39...how could I not! Sherpa slippers are perfect for the winter and are what I am wearing as I write this.

Did you get any amazing after Christmas sale deals? Xx