I truly can't believe it's (almost) June. On the one hand, I'm excited about all the new music June is bringing (Hello, new Father John Misty!) but on the other hand, I'm incredibly bummed. Mainly because I feel like much of my time is being wasted by situations out of my control. It doesn't matter what I try that feeling just doesn't go away. Rather than keep harping on it, I'll get to the point of this post: my current playlist. Ultimately I try to make playlists sparingly. The more you make, the more mediocre they become sometimes. I know that is a bold statement considering my mission to create a monthly themed mix for this blog.

I know a few weeks back I threw a little shade about Grace Kelly being the true American Princess, but I drank the Royal Wedding Kool-Aid (so to speak). I had plenty of jaded thoughts about love and weddings leading up to the Royal Wedding. I couldn't stand the television coverage and the onslaught of Taylor Swift songs in their advertisements. But somehow, someway, I woke up at 4am on May 18th to watch the big event.

Happy Memorial Day fellow Americans. It's the unofficial start to summer and that gave me an idea. There has always been a "song of the summer" every year since they began tracking songs way back in 1959. The Song of the Summer is chosen every year based on chart performance data. Usually, by the 3 or so week of summer, the song is usually apparent whether we like it or not. Just think about how many times Despacito was played last year. Of course, throughout nearly 60 years of keeping track, there have been good ones, bad ones, and annoying ones.

Ah, Memorial Day. The first long weekend in a while. I'd love to say I plan to relax and just chill out for the next 3 to 4 days, but knowing me that won't happen at all. Of course, I'll probably enjoy some rosé and pool time. On the other hand, I'm sure I will find plenty of things to catch up on like cleaning. My one true goal is to stay off my phone as much as possible. It's the unofficial start to summer so regardless of what is on tap, it's important to have something stylish to wear.

Real Talk. For the past few weeks, I've been feeling like a Debbie Downer. It's a funk I just can't seem to get out of. Part of me knows some of it is being caused by general stress and life situations I can't always control. You know, those crazy life situations that wreak havoc on my anxiety. On the other hand, part of me knows that some of the feelings have been caused by my digital consumption. There is always something going on that is upsetting, plays into anxious feelings, or just becomes completely overwhelming. I feel like I've studied social media so much throughout my time in school that I should know better. There is something to be said about the effects digital consumption has on us especially when it comes to social media.

I am not a card-carrying member of Bachelor Nation. In fact, the only reason I began subjecting myself to this show is that my friends LOVE it. So I have given it a chance. There are typically two stages when it comes to watching an episode of any Bachelorette/Bachelorepisode. First, the "what is going on? What am I even watching?!" first hour. Followed by the "suddenly feeling really bad about myself" second hour. Now it seems counterproductive to ever compare oneself to reality television contestants but those slurpy, sloppy kisses start to get really...irritating. One's mind can't help but wander at that point, right? 

I feel like every time it gets above 85 degrees outside I instantly start thinking about every blog post I could possibly do involving warm weather. Sometimes I feel like I constantly repeat myself. But at the risk of repeating myself, there are just some necessities when it comes to summer style. I think that having a set of trendy and classic staples really makes getting dressed in the summer easier.

I forget where I saw these brownies first, but the second I saw them I knew I needed to make them. There are a couple reasons I was really excited to try these brownies. The biggest one being I had never made brownies or ganache from scratch before. Crazy right? I love to bake, but making brownies and ganache seemed daunting. Luckily, these brownies have completely changed my mind about that!

Denim shorts are a warm-weather staple. Of course, everyone knows that. Truth be told I have a love/hate relationship with shorts. They are either too long or way, way too short. But unfortunately, there's just no way around them when it comes to summer. The goal ultimately becomes finding the shorts that work the best and sticking with it until September.