Orange you glad...

The 11th of June on a typical quiet evening marked a series of emotions for me and my fellow Netflix lovers out there - specifically, Orange is the New Black fans.

So let's just say you spent the past few hours watching something on Netflix. For me it happened to be the last episode on season 2 of Orange is the New Black to refresh my memory in prep for season 3 to come out. But, to my surprise, Netflix had other plans for us. Much like when Beyonce dropped her album during finals week, the world experienced everything from:

"What the heck is that new little icon of Piper's face doing on the side of my show...doesn't Netflix know I can't be distracted from what I'm already watching?"

to...

"OH MY GOSH, IS THIS REAL LIFE *screams for the next six hours*"

Or maybe I'm just the slowest person in the universe and didn't get that the little icon of Piper was ACTUALLY advertising that the brand new intensely anticipated season 3 had dropped about two hours early. Yeah, that took me about ten minutes to figure out. Thanks twitter ;) But I basically had to abandon all socials for a few hours while I tried to watch the season premiere/ wrap my head around what was even going on.

I'm gunna keep it real with you guys and say there's a couple spoilers in here, but nothing too big. Just a gif or two on the new season 3 (Which I haven't even finished yet. Oh well, life gets going and there's no stopping it). But I did want to share with you all why now is a great time to start the show, or even catch up. There is so much I love about it and with the new season I've really been getting into it more and more with each episode. So without further ado...

Here are the reasons why I think Orange is the New Black is one of the best series out there!

Let's start with the two best friends you wish you had.

Not only are Poussey and Taystee so different from every bff pairing that I've seen on tv, they prove to each other that a person's flaws do not define who you are. They love each other unconditionally despite their mistakes. And that to me is true best friendship.

Okay imma cry from these two haha so moving on.

The cast is diverse with a million different perspectives and experiences. So each character has completely different strengths and quirks.

Then out of literally nothing we get introduced a new character and the world stops.

So when people ask you who your one favorite is, the answer goes something like...

You wish you could hire Sophia to be your own personal stylist. And life coach.

The back stories are performed with a shocking rawness to them it's hard to not get emotional.

And then there's the ones where you can't help but cry from laughter.

(Replay, replay, replay. This scene never gets old. But your lungs might hate you if you stop breathing.)

Which brings me to this: There is a perfect amount of serious make-you-think content mixed in with pure hilarity that is so hard to achieve on a show with such a simple concept.

(tbh I have to watch some scenes twice to make sure I got it all. Again, slow mind)

You really see such intense character growth as the show progresses. Everyone's story changes. Everyone's actions change. Your perspective changes. A lot. Which keeps the story line interesting and unpredictable.

Making it okay to binge watch for days straight. Cutting off all human interaction in exchange for the funniest most down to earth cast you could ever ask for right on your lap. Right?

Alright fine. But you've gotta admit all the dancing makes life just a little bit happier.

But, the good news is OINTB makes you feel like if you ever went to prison, you totally got this.

Ha, don't worry mom.

And that's a wrap people. I hope I was convincing enough to get you to believe all the hype out there lately!

Haha oh well =) thanks for reading people! Check back next Tuesday for another blog post!

If you need me, I'll be chillin' with my ladies in orange.
XO
Amanda

Welcoming summer

Hey my lovely readers!

Guess who's back... back again...

Amanda please!

I am so happy to be back to writing more blogs this summer. If you didn't know, my last blog (cough cough check it out here!) was a big countdown from 100 days up until my college graduation. Which I am incredibly proud of. But now that school's out I had to take a short break before hopping back on that blog life. I mean come on, you gotta give a girl credit for sticking to it when my attention span is like four seconds. I also wanted to kind of collect my thoughts after such a crazy ending to the school year and really figure out what I would want to write about. So now that I got my month off, I felt it was time to start writing again.

Soooo about this blog. I'm not really going to make it a set in stone theme like the last one. This is more of a weekly update of positive vibes, figuring out how to adult in time for the fall, discovering new happenings, and just good things. I want to keep reminding myself and others that there is a lot more to love than to hate.

So let's get on with it and wave hello to the start of summer break! I'd like to start off with something simple and easy to jump into: my May favorites!

This May has been a mish-mash of cool things in between apartment hunting, starting my two online classes, and completely overhauling my room, giving it a much needed makeover. I have managed to pick out a few things though that I've been absolutely loving. Here it is - my first round of monthly favorites!

1. Sunnies from Aldo - 2 for $20
Nothing says summer more than a pair of new shades, or two! I love the two-tone on both pairs. Can't go wrong with black and an accent color!

2. PUSH Fitness Center gym membership - $99 college special for the summer months
Sadly I've been seeing a trend in healthy things being more expensive. But you can't put a price on health...right? Right. Sure. Anyway, I've spent literally every day at the gym working on staying healthy. Not all days are perfect, but hey- every effort is a step in the right direction. I think we do things like eat healthy and go to the gym because deep down we know we love our bodies and we know we deserve it...not because we hate ourselves. Look into spending even a few hours a week at your local center. If you're lucky and staying in Pittsburgh over the summer, I'm so jealous of your free membership!!

3. Printed Shorts from Forever 21- About $13/15
Any pair of Forever's new prints are super cute and breathable for summer air. I've been living in these and they are such a cool pattern.

4. Little Mix's Black Magic music video
It's cute. They're cute. We're all cute. Haha but really I don't think this song has left my head since they dropped it. Pretty sure we have all been dancing along to this third album's teaser. Catchy af and definitely #squadgoals.

5. Flashcards - you can't put a price on knowledge. Lol they just cheap little guys that save your butt.
Studying in the summer is so much more lax than any other time of the year. You can do it outside all day long! So sit back and take your sweet time with studying if you have classes this summer like moi.

6. Beauty Rush Matte Lip Crayon in Orange from Victoria's Secret - 5 for $15
When an offer like this comes up, I pounce. This sale is most likely done for now, but it felt like a steal splitting beauty products with my mom for such a low price. She got a few favorites too, but this one was my top. I love wearing it with bright blues and whites. The orange tone is a nice switch up from my usual bold red, and it's absolutely stunning.

7. The LinkedIn Jobs app - free!
Because of graduate school, I won't need to seriously start applying to my big girl job for a couple more years. But I'm honestly on this app all the time. I want to see which cities I could live in and have a world of opportunities. Play around on it for a bit, and you'll be excited at what you find - whether you are serious about applying or not!

8. Necklace set from Charlotte Russe - 2 for $10
Naturally my best friend Hannah and I couldn't pass up this deal. She got an adorable earring pack and I decided on this unique set of gold necklaces that I might be a little obsessed with. Edge factor, check.

9. Frozen yogurt from Menchie's - can't put a price on food either. FOOD IS LIFE.
Pile on the toppings, because this summer treat cannot get any better. Our local froyoria (new hip slang?) boats the best variety of yummies to satisfy every sweet tooth.

10. Workout playlists from Songza - also free!
My favorite music streaming app out there, Songza has amazing playlists for hitting up the gym. "Today's School Dance," "Alt-Pop Workout," and "Pick Up Your Feet" are some of the best :)

And there you have it! My first monthly favorites. Thanks for reading. Catch ya on the flip side babes!

XO
Amanda