Hello, beautiful - and welcome back to Haley Marie Blog!
Something I want to start doing with more regularity on the blog is posting my goals for the upcoming months/semesters/weeks/etc. As a content creator, not only do I feel like it's inspiring to read about other people's goals, but I also love that you guys can help hold me accountable for achieving them! After all, once I've put them out there on the Internet, there's no escaping the concrete reality of what I've dedicated myself to accomplishing.
Hence, this post is exactly what it sounds like: a massive dump of all my goals, big and small, for Summer 2018. From the style I hope to cultivate, to my apartment decor, to my academic and career goals, consider this post my virtual vision board for the upcoming summer months. (And please, please, please hold me to everything I write here!)
If you're at all interested in achieving anything for Summer 2018 - whether that's getting a 4.0 for the summer term, landing your dream internship/job or simply making over your Instagram aesthetic - I encourage you to do the same by writing down all your goals on the free Printable Goal-Setting Worksheet that's available for download at the end of this post. After all, writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them ;)
That being said, here's the breakdown of everything I hope to achieve this summer - and stay tuned until the end of this post to download your own copy of my free worksheet!
Style & Beauty
Wear more bright colors.
Maybe it's the New England in me, but most of my wardrobe consists of black, white and gray, with some hints of burgundy and navy blue thrown in there. But since it's summertime, I'm hoping to start incorporating more colors like hot pinks and bright reds to get me psyched for the season. I've already revamped my wardrobe with pieces from thredUP - my favorite affordable place to shop online! - so now the next step is simply planning outfits that have me excited to wear colors.
Buy a pair of white jeans.
White jeans are one of those fashion trends for Summer 2018 that I'm dying to hop on board with. As nervous as I am to wear white jeans (you know, being the kind of gal who spills her coffee on everything the first time she wears it), I love the way they dress up a casual look. Nothing speaks to my Summer 2018 style quite like white jeans, a pink off-the-shoulder top and a pair of summery sandals! I have a feeling that once I try this trend once, there'll be no going back.
Go blonde with dark roots.
Last but not least, I'm excited to dye my hair again for Summer 2018! Last winter, spring and summer, I had ash blonde balayage. Then in January 2018, I cut off nine inches of hair and donated my ponytail to a local organization for cancer patients (which, unlike Locks of Love, takes dyed hair!) - which also meant coppery red highlights. Now, I'm excited to go blonde again for Summer 2018, but even more excited to embrace my dark roots. After all, there's nothing I love more than a low-maintenance trend that doesn't require upkeep!
Apartment Decor
Adopt a pink-and-gray aesthetic.
I'm one step closer to my goal of my dream pink-and-gray room from Pinterest: after collecting some Amazon gift cards from surveys and studies, I finally gave in and ordered a brand-new blush pink comforter with dark gray sheets. I'm planning on carrying this aesthetic throughout the rest of my room with gray throw pillows, a gray faux-fur rug and copper accents (see below for details). After years of an ultra-femme dorm room that screamed "sorority girl," I'm thrilled to adopt a more laid-back aesthetic - hopefully accompanied by a more minimalist attitude toward what needs to come to my college dorm room!
Get rid of clutter, Konmari-style.
There's nothing I love gawking at on Pinterest more than pictures of ultra-organized, super-minimalist closets. I tried to use the Konmari method for the first time not too long ago, as you might remember from my blog post on the subject, but quickly found myself falling back into bad habits again once the school year started getting busy (and as I began to adopt new articles of clothing for the new seasons). So, this summer, I'm making it my goal to donate and sell all the old items in my closet and bedroom as I go through them Konmari style. Not only do I want to cut back on clutter, but I also want to pare down my possessions before I graduate from college and move in with my boyfriend in May 2019. (The plights of shared closet space - am I right or amirite?)
Add copper accents.
As I mentioned above, copper accents are an essential part of my dream aesthetic for my new, more "adult" bedroom in 2018-19. So, obviously, I've already started shopping around on Amazon for accents I want to add to my aesthetic in this upcoming school year. Namely, I'm excited for copper wire storage bins for things like blankets and towels; copper drying racks and sponge-holders for my sink and copper picture frames to decorate my desk and walls. Bonus points for geometric/crosshatched patterns like the one pictured above!
Buy a storage ottoman.
One thing that I think sets adult bedrooms apart from college students' or teenagers' rooms is their clever use of hidden storage space - and, since one of my major goals for the 2018-19 school year is to keep my space organized, I love the idea of having an ottoman that doubles as storage. When a guest looks at a piece of furniture like this, he or she would never guess that there are textbooks, blankets or all manner of knick-knacks hidden inside - but to me, that is the beauty of it, and that's why I love storage ottomans so much. Catch me scoping them out on Amazon until my next paycheck arrives....
Travel
Explore Cleveland's food scene.
I have several trips scheduled for this summer (which is a HUGE change from my years and years of stagnant summers), but one of the trips I'm most excited for is visiting David on his birthday this July. (In case you aren't following me on Instagram and haven't heard my mushy rants yet, David is my long-distance boyfriend from Ohio who's busy studying to become a doctor. Sorry, ladies, he's taken!) Anyways, we've been making a list for the past couple of weeks of all the restaurants we want to scope out in Cleveland over my next year of visits, and I'm super excited to get a head start on exploring the food scene with him this summer. Follow me @haleymarieblog for all the food porn pics starting July 27, 2018! I'm counting down the days already :)
Drink a German pint in Munich.
My second trip this summer? Verona, Italy! But first stop is Munich, Germany, where I'll have a 12-hour layover to explore the city. Being a total foodie, I'm obviously more hyped for the food and drink more than any other part of this trip - and number one on my list is to enjoy a pint of German beer in Munich, since I'll (finally) be legal abroad! (That, and a plate of spaetzle, which are traditional German egg noodles/dumplings best enjoyed with butter and bacon...mmm, I can feel my arteries clogging already....)
Wander cathedrals, castles and palaces.
Another must on my German to-do list is exploring all the beautiful architecture Munich has to offer. If you haven't seen pictures of St. Peter's Church or Nymphenberg Palace, look them up and you'll see what I mean! I can't wait to not only take gorgeous photos in these beautiful locales, but also soak up the feeling of being surrounded by so much beauty and art. There's nothing quite like wandering, especially when the sights are as gorgeous as these!
Visit Juliet's balcony in Verona.
Next stop on my European world tour? Fair Verona, Italy, where Shakespeare's famous play (you know the one) took place. The balcony that inspired it all is located in Verona, and it's one of the first places I hope to visit when my plane from Munich lands in the little town. Keep an eye on my Instagram this late August and you might just catch me snap a pic! Caption: "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"
Leave a note on the Wall of Love.
Verona is a city of romance - so what better sight to see than the famous Wall of Love? Romeo and Juliet's Wall of Love is a place where lovers leave notes to their beloved taped to the wall (pictured above). One of the items I hope to check off my travel bucket list when I'm there is writing one of those very letters. I can't wait for my words to become part of this living work of art - but for surprise's sake, I won't tell what I'm going to write just yet ;)
Enjoy an espresso in an Italian cafe.
Fun fact: my grandma and grandpa told me that in Italy, if you drink your coffee standing up as opposed to sitting down, you'll actually get charged less. (Who knew, right?) Regardless, I'm still making it a goal of mine to sit down in an Italian cafe - and pay the extra dough - to enjoy the ambience of sipping a cappuccino on a quiet summer day. It might seem like a silly goal to some, but for the coffee-addicted like me, you can see why I'm prioritizing this during my time in Italia.
Treat myself to a wine and pasta dinner.
Last but not least, what better way to celebrate being in Italy than with a big plate of pappardelle and a tall glass of roscato? I plan to treat myself to at least one fancy dinner during my week in Verona, to celebrate myself and how far I've come. Because #selfcare is important, ladies! (And wine and pasta totally qualify as self-care in my book.)
College & Career
Achieve a 3.6 GPA in my summer classes.
My target GPA for the next four semesters (between two summer sessions and two normal semesters...then graduation, baby!) is a 3.6. After a rocky semester following a monthlong bout of penicillin-resistant strep (don't ask...), I ended last spring with a 2.8 semester GPA and a 3.4 cumulative GPA. If I want to get into my dream law school - aka Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University - and earn a full tuition scholarship, I need to bring that up to at least a 3.6. As Type A as this probably makes me sound, I'm committed to working hard all summer long to make my long-term dream of becoming a lawyer and children's advocate come true - and if that means studying my ass off, then so be it!
Register and study for my LSATs.
Along those same lines, I want to take the September 8th LSAT. Even though I probably won't start law school until 2020 (whether that means deferring admission this year or applying next year), I want to start getting myself acquainted with the test so I can get at least a 165 out of 180 when I apply to Moritz. Lately, my life has been all LSAC prep books, practice tests and flashcards, all the time - but I know it will be worth it when I get my LSAT scores back and see that 165 or 170 staring back at me.
Dress professionally for class.
It's my opinion that you should always dress for the job you want, not the job you have - and seeing as my job is "student" right now and I want to be a lawyer, I figure I should probably step up my game a little bit this summer by dressing to impress! To me, wearing a professional outfit to class shows your professors you're committed and take your studies seriously - in fact, in grad schools, dressing up is often required. So, it's my goal to start treating my schoolwork like my job (because it is, at least for the time being) and dressing professionally when I walk into class. Sorry in advance to all my BU sweatshirts and sweatpants...
Content & Creativity
Land a beauty partnership.
I strive to take my blogging seriously - and sometimes that means accepting sponsorship deals. I've done plenty of sponsorships in the past, but since I've gotten back to school, it's been a long time since I've partnered with a brand I love to bring you awesome sponsored content. This spring, I've had my eye on a bunch of beauty companies who are popular on Instagram. I won't reveal their names, just in case I do end up partnering with them in the future - but just know that sponsored beauty content is definitely on the Haley Marie Blog horizon for Summer 2018 ;)
Learn to hand-letter with brush pens.
Staying creative is just as important to me as keeping up with my studies, as it's a major form of self-care and de-stressing in my life. One thing I've been wanting to do for a long time now is learn to hand-letter - and while I've tried my hand at it with some of my favorite products (like Coptic sketch markers and Stabilo fineliners), what I really want is a set of watercolor brush pens that I can start using to make calligraphy. I was inspired by a girl at my school who started an Instagram account called @calligraphybymargo showing off her amazing designs - so if you get the chance, you should definitely follow her and thank her for the creative inspo!
Update my bullet journal for Summer 2018.
Last but not least, I have been bullet journaling on-and-off for close to two years now, but I've never actually gotten in a consistent habit of it that's lasted more than a few weeks. I want Summer 2018 to finally be the semester that changes! So, my goal is to upgrade by #bujo layout for the Summer 2018 semester and start using my bullet journal to keep up with all my schoolwork, goals, hopes and dreams for the 2018-19 school year.
As a reward for reading...click to download your free goal-setting printable!
