A Few of my Favorite Links {#22}

Hello friends! I can't believe today is the last day of May. We are already nearing the halfway mark of 2016. HOW?! Brett and I have been enjoying the slow down in our schedules lately - spending more time with family and we were even able to venture up to New Hampshire over Memorial Day weekend and spend time with my parents and pups! We were lucky enough for it to be nice and hot enough for a MAY SWIM (always a big deal when that's able to happen!) and, of course, we made our usual pilgrimage to La Festa!

I have a handful of amazing links to share with you all today, and each one reflects a different interest of mine or part of my life! I hope you all find something in this post that you're able to enjoy, and don't forget to share your favorite links of the moment in the comments so I can check out some more internet awesomeness! <3

The #SAgrad Development Theory

This is a cute little Zine created by a fellow member of the Student Affairs community! It's a student development theory for Student Affairs grad students that include vectors like "You've eaten cold, old, leftovers over your kitchen sink at midnight AND you didn't cry this time." Super adorable and painfully true!

Kittens vs. Thugs

This is a hilarious video where a adorable puffball of a kitten has a staring contest with some tough looking dudes. I was giggling the whole way through this video and needed to share!
6 Reasons You Need to Run the Utah Valley Marathon

I always have an eye out for new races to add to my race wishlist. I have a life goal of running a marathon in all 50 states, and so when different marathons get featured on race websites it always grabs my eye. This race - the Utah Valley Marathon - seems like the perfect 26.2 for my Utah stop. Beautiful scenery, fast, and downhill - it seems like the perfect formula for a PR and, more importantly, a wonderful experience!

Mint Julep Popsicles

I know we're a bit past the perfect time of year for a Mint Julep, but this article was posted right around the time of the Kentucky Derby and I think this would be the *perfect* summertime treat. Take a refreshing drink, freeze it, and put it on a stick - who wouldn't love to enjoy something like that on the beach?!

Doug the Pug TV Show Compilation

It wouldn't be a Favorite Links post if I didn't include SOMETHING that has a dog in it, right? This video made me laugh so much I needed to share it with my friend Erin who loves pugs. Have a favorite show? It's likely that Doug the Pug parodies the intro to it in this video. If you need a smile or some sort of pick me up then press play on this amazing video and get ready to be cheered up! :)
What links have you been loving lately?

25 Memories from 25

Two weeks ago I celebrated my 26th birthday! I always really enjoy my birthday and this year was no different. I started out the day with a birthday run in the crisp morning air while listening to my favorite tunes from Hamilton. Once I got back I had the pleasure of opening up gifts that my parents had sent to me and they totally nailed it! Exhibit A:

I spent the day at work which I didn't mind at all because my staff is awesome. They greeted me when I walked into the office wearing party hats and with a coffee and a breakfast sandwich with a candle in it! They also gave me other fun treats like a card, some flowers, and a tiara to wear. It was all super adorable! We ended the work day with a trip to our favorite local ice cream joint - Cindy's - YUM.

I also got to spend some time with Brett in the evening. We got Chinese food, Mai Tais, and Brett gave me an amazing birthday gift - a Garmin Forerunner 230! I love it and have been wearing it along side the Fitbit my parents got me ever since. Now I'm forced to be the most in shape person in the world - I have no excuse!

25 was a really great year for me. A lot of big things in my life happened and I thought with a great start to 26, it's a wonderful time for me to reflect. So, without further adieu, here are 25 memories from being 25!

1. Graduated with my Master's Degree! This is something that had never really been in my life plan, but is something I am extremely proud of.

2. I was offered and accepted my first full-time job at Mount Holyoke! 

3. I ran and completed my third marathon, and even better - PRed!

4. Road tripped to Canada with my two awesome friends Erin & Cullen!

5. Paddleboarded for the first time!

6. Went to my first Patriot's game and had a blast (even though they lost)!

7. Taught Paint n' Sip classes for the first time, and loved it!

8. Cheered on my mom as she completed her first triathlon!

9. Completed my 2nd Orientation at Bridgewater and made a great new friend, Kacie!

10. Moved into my first honest-to-God-rent-paying apartment as a real life adult.

11. Tried bubble tea for the first time.... I'm not a fan, haha. It tastes like flowery perfume for some reason.

12. Saw New Found Glory live with YellowCard!

13. Celebrated 3 years with Brett!

14. Flew to sunny Florida with Rob for a mid-winter getaway!

15. Saw Brett walk at his Graduate Commencement! We both have Master's degrees! Woop woop!

16. Went to see Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens on the premier night with Cullen, Erin, and Brett!

17. Started to be a lot more conscious about what I eat and very recently made the decision to stop eating pig meat. This diet change is a bit of a journey for me and I'm curious to see where it goes.

18. Got to see Brett's Aunt and Uncle get married literally in Lake Ossipee - one of the coolest weddings I've seen!

19. Road tripped with Brett to New Jersey for New Year's!

20. Had Christmas on Thanksgiving with my family!

21. Had dinner with both Brett and my side of the family at Patriot's Place - the first time all of us getting together!

22. Discovered and fell in love with Hamilton. Seriously. Can't. Stop. Listening.

23. Went on our annual trip to Cape Cod!

24. *Officially* changed my residency to Massachusetts... my Granite State Heart died a little inside...

25. Started to think more creatively and seriously about my YouTube channel and set goals to grow my viewership and subscribers. I have a lot of fun with my YouTube channel and I would love to continue to see it grow overtime! (I have a goal of reaching 500 subscribers this year - fingers crossed that I can make it!)

Here's to another great year! <3 

Hand Lettering Play

I've been trying out new hand lettering techniques in my planner lately. I've been really inspired by bullet journal Instagram posts and YouTube videos and have been pushing myself to try new designs each time I sit down to make my pages for the week. Part of using a bullet journal system is having the freedom to be as creative as you'd like, and I've found that many of the bullet journals I'm drawn to are extremely artistic and aesthetically beautiful. I'm a big fan, and have been challenging myself to try out some of the techniques I admire! Here are a few videos of bullet journalers that have handwriting and illustration styles that I'm a big fan of:


Kara (aka Boho Berry) is really popular in the bullet journal world right now and rightfully so because her spreads are gorgeous! This is a video of her practicing banners and headers that she can potentially use in her bullet journal in the future. (Which is also a great point - practice, practice, practice! Skills like the ones I admire take time, patience, and practice and do not come over night. Keep working at your style!) Check out her YouTube and Instagram for more inspiration!

Fran (aka Frannerd) is a freelance illustrator and has been someone I've been LOVING over the last few months. Her illustration style is so whimsical and wonderful and her personality keeps me coming back to watch all of her videos. (I not-so-secretly want to be her best friend.) I love her handwriting and her style, and while I don't really try to emulate it myself, I still come away from all of her videos feeling super inspired and motivated to create, so I thought that this video showcasing her planning method deserved a spot on this post! If you're interested in seeing more of her artwork check out her Instagram, and for more behind the scenes stuff check out her YouTube! 

Anna (aka Pixel Pearls) is another artist who makes polymer charms and (surprise!) uses a bullet journal. Her style is very similar to Kara's, but I love this video because it shows you a different technique of creating headers and banners for her bullet journal. This video shows that it's okay to use tools to reach the look that you want to get to and, like Kara, it's important to take time to practice! Her YouTube shows more of her planner page development, and her adorable charms can be found on her Etsy shop!
I'm going to leave you with a few of my favorite hand lettered banners in my planner that I've made in the last couple of weeks. I'm always looking for more inspiration, so if you have any bullet journalers you think I should check out, please leave them in the comments!

Happy planning! <3

Freebie!: A5 Day on a Page Inserts Download

Hello planner people! Today I'm here to share with you all some free downloadable daily inserts! I created these inserts using Microsoft Word and used them in my own planner for a few months before I switched over to more of a bullet journal system and I LOVED them. I've been a day-on-a-page kind of gal since grad school and my schedule became the insane monster that it is today, and they are so handy when it comes to planning out my day down to the hour! Feel free to download them and cut them down to size for your own planner*!

Here's what the inserts looks like (without the watermark):

Featuring:

-a blank dates section

-an early morning section

-appointment slots from 8AM to 7PM

-a late night section

-a notes section

-a to-do section

-a top priorities section

-a personal section

-a hydrate section to get your 8 glasses a day!

And here's a few shots from my planner Instagram of them in action!

A photo posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Dec 14, 2015 at 11:35am PST

A video posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Dec 7, 2015 at 5:24am PST

A photo posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Feb 15, 2016 at 6:31am PST

Download Here!

*To print in A5 size, make sure you select "Actual Size" when the printing window pops up, then cut down to size (5.8 x 8.3 inches)! Here's what you should be looking for:

Happy planning! <3

Wanderlust: Kenya

It's been a big dream of mine for a while now to travel to Kenya. I don't think that this country is the top of most people's bucket lists, but Kenya is beautiful. It has so much wildlife, beautiful landscapes, amazing beaches, and most important of all, ELEPHANTS. I would absolutely love to stay a few nights at Giraffe Manor, spend a day visiting the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and tell them how amazing they are (though to be honest they probably already know), lie on the beach and swim in the Indian Ocean, and go on a sunrise safari or two to see amazing creatures in their natural habitats. If you do a quick Google search you can find so many cool things about Kenya and it's my dream to be able to travel there one day!

What's your top dream travel destination?