Free Fall-Themed Desktop Wallpaper!

Guys, its FAAAAALLLLLL! I know. I haven't posted in a while. I should be ashamed... But with GMM uploading 6 days a week, it makes it pretty hard to focus. But how can I focus when I also have this awesome desktop wallpaper on my computer???? I made this on Picmonkey with images off of Pinterest and Tumblr, and it's optimized for my Mac but it'll fit your screen just fine. I'm super happy with how it turned out and I'll be definitely be making a Christmas one as soon as Thanksgiving is over!

Friday DIY Roundup #76

Happy Friday! This was a looooooong week, so hopefully the weeks will be shorter as the year goes on. We're getting super close to Autumn, it's only a few days away, and Starbucks already has it's Pumpkin Spice Latte out (I even had a dream about the PSL???). I have so many fun Fall-themed posts coming up, but first, DIY roundup!

1. DIY Giant Tangram by Oh Happy Day!

2. How to Make Plaster Planters (as shown in photo) by Paper n Stitch

3. Inspiration Smashbook by Dawn Nicole

4. Balsa Wood Ring Holders by Fall for DIY

5. DIY Ombre Necklace by Enthralling Gumption

6. Spiral Mobiles by Oh Happy Day!

7. DIY Lucite Plant Stand by A Beautiful Mess

It's been a little while since we've featured A Beautiful Mess on the blog, so I thought I'd include one of their latest cute DIYs- and I'm in love.

xo Savannah

How to Motivate Yourself to Study

School is in full spring and so is homework- and I really didn't think there'd be this much homework this early in the year. It can be really hard sometimes to motivate yourself to study and do your homework and actually read a book once in a while, so here are some tips that I have found useful for high school in general.

1. Have a little homework station somewhere in your house. It can be portable, too, like a little carrier with pens and pencils so that you can work outside while it's still warm out and then maybe by the fireplace when it gets chilly? This is gonna help a lot, especially if it's cute (and pink!).

2. Set a timer/reminder for yourself so that you remember to study. I set a reminder on my phone last weekend to work on an essay, and since it was on my lock screen every time I opened my phone, I remembered to do it, and it definitely guilt-tripped me into working on it. Also, I have an alarm for 5pm every day so that I remember to do any homework that I have, and it's super useful.

3. Work with friends. Get to school a little earlier in the morning and have a get together with your friends in the library where it's nice and quiet, and you can all work on the homework together, or quiz each other if you have a test coming up. It's nice to be able to work with other people as opposed to working alone, even if it means getting up a little earlier.... *cringe*

4. Get the Quizlet app on your phone! I re-downloaded this this morning and every time I look at it on my home screen, I remember to study. Plus, if you don't have a computer nearby or if you're just bored during lunch, getting a little bit of study time in every day can help out a ton.

Gotta go to bed now, because I'll be getting up at 5am for the next four years. Toodaloo!

xo Savannah

5 Ways to Clear Your Mind After School

After school, I don't know about you, but all I want is a glass of iced coffee and a nap (two completely opposite things, I know). But sometimes, if you just have the worst headache from school, and you want to get your mind off of everything, there are a few more things you can do.

1. Like I said above, take a nap. Your sleep schedule has probably been completely been thrown off from summer, and a good nap can really throw everything back into balance. Plus, I took a nap in the car today (haven't done that in a while) and it was the best thing since shaved ice last weekend.

2. Blogging! If you're a person who takes pleasure in writing and is usually already on their computer too much already, then clearing your mind in the form of a couple of keystrokes can really help. Plus, it gives you something to do before and after school if you don't feel like doing homework but your parents are gonna yell at you if you watch one more episode of Grey's Anatomy...

3. Take a walk. The weather is getting colder, which is all the better to throw on a comfy sweater and a hand-knit scarf and just get outside. I don't get to go out much anymore with the 8+ hours I spend at school, plus the sun going down earlier, PLUS the homework, so try to walk your dogs as soon as you get home from school or as soon as you wake up in the morning. I like noticing the weather changing, and how the sun starts going down earlier- and it's good to take a break from my phone & computer for a couple minutes.

4. Take up a new hobby. I started knitting March 2015, and it's so relaxing. Just curl up in your bed with a season of your favorite show and start knitting, crocheting, drawing, embroidering, etc! Sports aren't the only option. Don't give up on your hopes of art because you're "not good enough"- there's no such things as "not good enough" in art. I highly recommend knitting, if I haven't made that clear enough!

5. Adopt a new pet. This is a very difficult thing to do when school is starting, especially because you won't be able to care for it very much when you won't be spending a lot of time at home, but it's something to look forward to when you wake up and get home from school. And besides, who can't resist an adorable little puppy or kitten? I love my cat and dogs more than anything, they help so much when I'm sick of reading for two hours straight.

Good luck everyone, students and adults alike, who are being weighed down by studying, homework, work, etc. I hope these help, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram @savannahbby_14 :)

xo Savannah

Friday DIY Roundup #76

Okie dokie, we made it through week 1. Now there's just a few (dozen) more weeks left and we'll be right back into summer! Oh wait, I forgot something there... CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone knows that's the best holiday. Although of course, there still is 106 days between now and Christmas morning, so you might as well fill them with DIYs from today's roundup.

1. Himmeli Table from Copper Pipes (as shown in photo) by The Vintage Rug Shop

2. DIY Flamingo Ring Toss Yard Game by Sugar & Cloth

3. Moon Phase Piñatas by Oh Happy Day!

4. Finger Knit Rope Trivet Tutorial by Flax and Twine

5. DIY Painted Geo Pots by Tell Love and Party

6. Painted Patio Tiles by A Beautiful Mess

7. DIY Watercolor Flower Bouquet Wraps by Alice and Lois

Ahhhh, these are so cute, especially those painted geo pots! I'd love to get some little pots from Michael's and paint them like that soon.

xo Savannah

Songs to Listen to In the Mornings Before School

School has officially started for everyone across the country by today, some people on the East coast have been in for over a month, meanwhile most kids in Oregon don't start until today. Getting up for school is a struggle, especially when you have to get up at 5:30am just to have enough time to get ready and eat before you have to leave the house. It's really helpful to have some upbeat music playing so that you can both stay awake + have fun doing so.

Here is my Spotify playlist, and it says summer vibes because some of us just don't want to have to deal with the fact that Autumn is literally only two weeks away- some of us like to live the sunny life. Although that can be hard to do when you're sitting here and the sun still hasn't even risen yet...



I hope you enjoy, and try to have as much fun in the sun as you can before it starts getting chillier outside!

xo Savannah

10 Recipes for Labor Day Weekend '16

Yay, it's LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!!! AKA the best weekend of them all. It's the most notorious weekend of the summer for being filled with shaved ice, BBQs and just chilling. I don't know about you, but where I live we have a small (and I mean SMALL) Labor Day festival for the whole weekend at a local park and it's something to look forward to. But if you're staying home today, then here are a couple of recipes to make this summer holiday even better!

1. Hawaiian Chicken Bacon Pineapple Kababs by FIRST for Women

2. No-Bake S'mores Cheesecake (as shown in photo) by Cooking with Cakes

3. Summer Fruit Salsa by Homemade Interest

4. Mac and Cheese Muffins by DIY Joy

5. Chocolate chip Cookie Dough Flag Dip by Mom on Timeout

6. Patriotic Pies in a Jar by The Nerds Wife

7. Patriotic Popcorn by Stagetecture

8. Key Lime Pie Dip by Wishes n Dishes

9. Loaded Baked Potato Dip by Baked Bree

10. Grilled Blooming Onion by Diethood

Alrighty, now I have to face the fact that I have school tomorrow- and the only good part about that is cute locker magnets and school supplies. BUT 5:30 IN THE MORNING? No.....

xo Savannah

Pins I'm Loving #6