In case you missed it...

Happy Friday! I don't have class today and I'm taking a break from finishing up my new website. Instead, I'm getting my hair straightened! #NoHeatDecember officially ends today after 1.5 months of not putting heat on my hair! I can't wait to show you pictures :)

I wanted to share some funny/interesting/thought provoking/ridiculous things I've found on the Internet. recently.

Enjoy some of my favorite recent posts on the web!

6 Most Popular TED Talks

If you haven't watched a TED Talk, why not?! They're super popular among students at Georgia Tech. I love watching successful and inspirational people give powerful addresses about interesting topics. The Huffington Post collected the six most popular TED Talks from 2013! Take some time this weekend to watch a few (or all of them like I did). You will feel so inspired!

Amazing Photos of a Little Girl Growing Up Among Wildlife in Africa
This totally reminded me of Eliza Thornberry, remember that show? These photos are just plain adorable and the article is great too!

Selfie Olympics

This was just ridiculous but I couldn't stop looking! Selfie Olympics..people competing all over the internet to take the most outlandish selfies…I'll let you explore for yourself!

22 Signs You're Seriously Addicted to the Internet

This totally used to be me. But one of my 2014 promises..unplugging.

Disney Princesses…as Beyonce

If you've heard Beyonce's new album, or any of her songs, and you have a basic understanding of the Disney princesses..you will literally lol at this. 

Chicago covered in ice

I know I complained about the cold weather here in ATL, but Chicago has been dealing with some serious cold. Look at these photos of Chicago frozen over…insane.

Obsessed with this {LBD}

I love wearing black. If you could see my closet, that would be obvious. And I'm always on the lookout for a cute little black dress (LBD) to add to my wardrobe - the more unique, the better. I love this LBD because of the custom neckline! 

I do have a black dress with a pearl neckline, but this one has some rhinestones too, fab! Andddd, it's under $40, woo!

You can view and order this dress here.

What do you think?

You're only as limited as you think you are

My first week of grad school is complete. 

View from my new favorite study spot on campus :)

And what have I learned?

My schedule, policy theories, organization theories, business models, my professors names (kind of), where my classes are located, time management/how to have a flexible schedule/ (much different than working full-time like I've been doing for the past six months), and how to read hundreds of pages in one night

And last, but definitely not least:

You're only as limited as you think you are.

I learned this lesson in my very first class on Monday. A tall and frail man walked, well limped, into the classroom right before it was about to start. It was obvious that this man was at least 60 years old. Everyone in the class, myself included, kind of stared at the man with a puzzled look because we knew he wasn't the professor (the professor was already at his desk in the front of the room)…so who was he? 

Once the man made his way to a seat and pulled out a few pencils and pieces of paper onto his desk, our professor stood up and asked that we all introduce ourselves and share something about ourselves with the class. I shared my name, hometown, my undergrad information, and my ultimate career goals. I also shared how I'd heard grad school is much tougher than undergrad and that it's a rough transition. A few other people in the class made eye contact with me after that last statement and I knew they were in the same boat with the same emotions.

Finally, it was the mysterious man's turn to speak. He didn't tell us his name first though. The first thing he said? "You're only as limited as you think you are." I got chill bumps as soon as the sentence came to an end. And then he continued speaking. He shared his name, how he was an undergrad student at Tech 40+ years ago, has owned several successful businesses, made all the money he wanted to make, but has yet to accomplish one of his goals that always frightened him…getting his masters degree.

I think my mouth dropped (how embarrassing). But I was in awe of this man who could be enjoying retirement at home. Instead, he decided to come back to school "for fun" and to defeat a lifelong fear. He admitted that grad school and many goals in life are challenging. And the older you get, the more unrealistic those goals may become. But he said he finally started believing "you're only as limited as you think you are." He shared how he's aware of how old he is and the difficulty of the program. But he wasn't going to allow those barriers to prevent him from accomplishing something he's dreamed of for years.

Life is hard. And the obstacles, doubts, and setbacks will arise. But how do you face those?

Honestly, I've been a little worried about making the transition from college to grad school. I went into this experience completely blind and a little intimidated. All I've been hearing is that grad school is way harder than undergrad. And I let that limit my confidence before even starting school. But after my first week, I can proudly say that I'm only as limited to achieve in grad school as I think I am. And…I'm not limited. I've set my goals for the semester and have already found a time management system that works for me. I've been participating in class and doing the work and so far I feel great about all of my classes. It's all a mindset. And we have to remind ourselves of that.

For me, this applies to starting my grad school career. But I can think of so many other applications for this mantra. Applying for schools, applying for jobs, interviewing for jobs, trying to make new friends, trying to survive in a new city, trying to launch a new business, or just trying to be happy with yourself in general.

Before the doubt seeps into your mind, remember one thing: you're only as limited as you think you are. If you believe you can do it…you can.

My {BaubleBar} birthday wish list

Less than a week until my birthday and I'm having so much fun doing some online browsing for dreams birthday gifts :) I fell in love with statement necklaces last year and although they are typically a small investment, they do their job…make a statement!

Check out my wish list from BaubleBar:

Rainbow Starlite Bib

Deco Strand

Marine Contessa Bib Necklace

Fire Opal Bangle Bracelet 

Meals by my roommate {cinnamon turkey burger}

I stopped eating beef burgers a few years ago, but I still love a good turkey, chicken, or veggie burger. Something about the potential to add on toppings and mix in delicious ingredients is so appealing. 

So, my roommate got a George Foreman Grill for Christmas and she wanted to test it out by grilling some turkey burgers, yay! She totally switched up with this Cinnamon Turkey Burger.

First, some health benefits of Cinnamon

Minimizing menstrual pain

Natural food preservative

Reduces pain linked to arthritis

Works against ulcer-causing bacteria

Reduces LDL cholesterol levels

Contains calcium, iron, fiber, and manganese

Regulates blood sugar

So yeah, cinnamon is pretty wonderful. Plus, it tastes great! And it gave these burgers such a uniquely delicious, yet light taste..with a kick! Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients

Ground turkey (1 pack)

Cinnamon (1 tablespoon)

Cayenne (1 teaspoon)

Paprika (1 teaspoon)

Garlic Powder (1 teaspoon)

Dried Onion (1 teaspoon)

Basil (1/2 teaspoon)

Parsley (1/2 teaspoon)

Hand mix all ingredients then form into patties. Grill until cooked through.

Top with

Fresh Spinach

Red Onions
and anything else you'd like :)

Goes great with

Whole Wheat Buns

So. Good! And, much healthier than a regular burger.

What do you add to your burger?

First day of {grad} school recap

#gradschoolselfie

Growing up, my parents always took "1st day of school" photos of me. This year, my mom instructed me to "take a selfie" to serve as my first day of grad school picture. Sighhhhh. So that's what's above. Although I was kind of praying for a snow day, school did not get canceled and I had two classes yesterday. Good news though: I love my classes and my first impression of grad school! And thanks so much for all of the well wishes, I appreciate them so much!

I tried to dress casual but still nice for my first day. I wasn't sure what the dress code would be. Turns out, it's pretty similar to undergrad…anything goes. I've already started organizing, planning ahead, and taking the necessary steps to make this a low stress and successful semester. Being successful is all about your mindset, work ethic, and organization!

Wearing boots was a must because it was 25 degrees all day, burr!

Oh, and this is my current nail situation. Black with some gold glitter on the tips.

P.S. My birthday is in one week exactly, eek! I feel a giveaway coming up to celebrate :)

First week of grad school!

One of my favorite views from Georgia Tech's campus

Today is my first day of grad school, eek! (maybe?) We could possibly have a snow day because of the freezing temperatures and precipitation. And normally I'm indifferent about snow days, but I'm actually really hoping it happens this time. 

I'm officially a student again because I officially already have homework assignments! So I spent last night doing homework with one of my best friends and it was bittersweet…reminded us of the late night study sessions we had during our undergrad…but also reminded us of how hectic school can be.

I'm taking 12 hours this semester and also working as a graduate research assistant - should be a full and fun semester!

Wish me luck!!

P.S. this pin is spreading like wildfire on Pinterest. 

And I'm taking my own back to college advice!

1 Twitter account is better than 2?

New year, new…Twitter handle? I've been debating consolidating my social media for a while now. I know that some bloggers have separate Twitter and Instagram accounts for their blog and personal life. That used to be me! But then, handling two accounts became way too much to handle.

I was neglecting my personal accounts because the blog account has been so demanding. I'm also planning to use my newly merged account for my new communications consulting business. This new account has a whole new look, combining all aspects of my life and I love it!

I'm definitely a private person, so this was a difficult decision to make. But I hope that only people who are interested in what I share will follow my *new* (combined) Twitter account. With open and public accounts comes negativity and vulnerability. Pretty much every celeb account/largely followed account on Twitter or Instagram receives hateful and crazy comments. Not interested in that lifestyle. 100K followers is not worth my sanity and peace of mind. I think it helps that I'm only following my friends and some blogger friends. So far, it's been great having my social media all under my name.

You can now follow me at:

Twitter: @VettVandiver

Instagram: @vettvandiver

What do you think about this? Should bloggers have separate social media accounts or just one?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

My {Lifeguard Press} birthday wish list

My birthday is coming up in less than two weeks! So I'm doing a few posts from my favorite online shops, sharing my wish lists! Having a birthday in January has always been a little chaotic because it's right after the holidays and I don't get much time to plan or share plans about celebrating. But it always works out!

I love winter because I celebrate for months (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, birthday, new school semester, Valentine's Day!). So consider this a wish list for both my birthday and back-to-school! I hope you enjoy viewing this series as much as I enjoyed crafting it :)

Here's my Lifeguard Press birthday wish list:

Lilly Pulitzer | iPhone 4 Case - Lulu

Lilly Pulitzer | Mobile Charger - Lulu

Jonathan Adler | iPad Case with Smart Cover - Circle Ornaments

Jonathan Adler | Highlighters

Susan Wallace Barnes | Stoneware Cafe Mug - Beach

kate spade new york | Nesting Boxes - Neon

kate spade new york | Umbrella

kate spade new york | Coaster Set - Glitter

P.S. I'm also LOVING this kate spade new york agenda! Even though I'm still using my pretty Jonathan Adler one!

What month is your birthday in?

Food, food, and more holiday food

I told you how over this Christmas break my main hobby has been feasting. And here's the proof:

Parmesan Zucchini 

Baked Tomato Slices & Onions w/ Mozarella,

 Honey, and Vinegar (made by me!)

Sweet Potato Souffle

Mac & Cheese (made by me!)

Baked chicken in cream of mushroom & asparagus sauce

Zucchini and Asparagus 

Lobster Tail

Shrimp Pasta

P.S. doing this post made me SO hungry.

What was the best thing you've eaten over the holidays?

How to have a successful year

Since I posted my 2013 reflection (a collection of highs and lows from 2013), I've received many emails from people of all ages asking the same question:

What should I do to have a successful year?

Some of the people who asked are college students, some are recent grads, and some have been working for 20+ years. One thing that we all have in common? We all have dreams. And we all appreciate that 2014 is a clearly defined fresh start date. This new year means a new opportunity to out-do 2013 and everything involved in that year.

2013 was by no means perfect. But it was definitely a successful and happy year for me. The achievements outweighed the failures (in my eyes), and I grew so much as a person and blogger.

I'm sharing some of the tactics I used in 2013 to make it as great as possible, and I'll be using these same tips to make 2014 even better. I have really exciting, crazy and outlandish goals for this year (and I'm starting grad school next week) so I know that I need to organize if I want to make it all happen.

1. Believe in yourself
When it comes to confidence, we can be our own worst enemies. I used to scare myself into believing that an entire year couldn't be successful, happy, and enjoyable. But in 2013, I vowed to be my biggest supporter instead of my own devil's advocate. I thought of all of the good things that a new year could bring, instead of what could go wrong. Having others back your dreams and believe in you is meaningless if you don't fully believe in your dreams and plans for this year. I don't know what all I have planned for this year, but I do believe that I can do it all. Believing in myself was a major part of my success when it came to tasks such as graduating and starting a new job. Believing I could do all of the things I reflected on was the first step in succeeding in 2013.

Some great quotations/reminders about believing in yourself:

“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I'm not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” 

― C. JoyBell C.

“Man is what he believes – believe in yourself” 

― Amit Abraham

“No longer will I doubt my abilities...I will give myself a chance.” 

― Stephanie Lahart

“There will be haters, there will be doubters, there will be non-believers, and then there will be you proving them wrong.” 

2. Define what "successful" means for you/be in competition with yourself, not others
As I said earlier, 2013 was a successful year in my eyes because I achieved goals that were really important to me and because I maintained my happiness and sanity throughout all of the ups and downs. Success, like happiness, is a personal experience and emotion that only you can determine for yourself.
Even when others would point out something I'd achieved, it felt irrelevant because I used to constantly compare myself to others. My goals never felt good enough. But in 2013, I stopped competing with others and started competing with myself. It was a game changer. While I do acknowledge and praise the achievements and successes of others, I don't allow those people to deter me from my own path to success.

Read more about this here.

3. Find a goal setting method that works for you

A goal without a plan is just a wish. People seriously underestimate the power of a goal setting method that works for their particular lifestyle. This year I listed out promises to myself, I'm working on a list of fun to-do's for being 23, and I also have a really personal list of goals that I keep written on paper. (I also believe in keeping a few goals to yourself). Different methods work for different people. You have to find a way to list, keep up with, and celebrate your goals in order to make them realistic. To-do lists don't work for everyone!

4. Learn from your mistakes
Little known secret: Mistakes come packaged with success. Before the success happens, the mistakes happen. Getting it right on the first try wouldn't be much fun, anyway!

Read more about this here.

5. Surround yourself with other ambitious & positive people
Every year I have fewer and fewer friends. Sometimes because we drift apart, but recently it's been by choice. If your friends aren't helping you grow, encouraging you, or challenging you to be a better person…what are they doing? Many people have everything it takes to be successful, but they're surrounded by "friends" who are secretly hoping for their failure. Weeding out the toxic relationships and negative people in your life is challenging and not always fun. I do miss some of the old friendships, but now I see why they had to end and I'm appreciative. And, I believe that my friendship alterations were crucial for my motivation, happiness, and success for the big and small projects of 2013. I now have a great set of really close friends who are all ambitious, supportive of my dreams, and positive sources of energy and feedback on personal and professional issues I may have.

6. Adjust your attitude
During my job in 2013, I quickly learned the importance of being flexible and capable of an attitude adjustment. Things happen. And sometimes things don't happen the way we'd like for them to happen. The difference between a successful person and unsuccessful person is how she reacts when unexpected "things happen." In 2012, I quickly got frustrated when something on my to-do list didn't get done, when another person interfered with my plans, or when my plans for something didn't turn out just right. But in 2013, I learned how to adjust my attitude - and quickly.
As you go through 2014, expect the unexpected. And be prepared to make an attitude adjustment. Dwelling in disappointment or failures is a waste of time and energy. Make this year a success by standing up quickly when life knocks you down. Adjust and readjust that attitude.

7. Take risks
The successful people who we all admire aren't just sitting around waiting for wonderful things to happen to them. They're busy making things happen and taking risks. I definitely took risks in 2013 by applying to jobs, by emailing sponsors requesting a partnership or collaboration with my blog, by going on a sort-of blind date that led to a relationship, by investing money for my company, by submitting my grad application to just one school, by choosing grad school over working full-time, and by writing some personal blog posts. But looking back on it, those risks are the reason why I count 2013 as a win. Those risks gave birth to the achievements. Those risks made 2013. I'm taking even bigger risks in 2014, and expecting even greater outcomes.

I'm already head over heels in love with 2014 because of its potential for a type of success I've never seen before.


What are you doing in 2014 to make it a successful year?

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Happy New Year!!!

I spent NYE day with my family, including my adorable nephew (in the photo above) and it was such a fun day! I spent NYE night in Atlanta and loved it! I'm so excited about 2014 and excited that it's finally January!

How'd you spend NYE?

Wishing you all a blessed and happy 2014, look forward to exciting things from RCSOATL this year!

P.S. Check out my 2014 goals and see how you can craft your own.

xoxo