I did it.

I know this is a cute face. It's actually my favorite face to make and the obvious choice for a "I'm a college graduate" photo.

Hi Friends! 

Long time no see. Sorry that I've been so absent from the blogging world these past few weeks. Which means that we have A LOT of catching up to do!

Most importantly, I am officially a college graduate! 18+ years of schooling behind me and for the first time, I am no longer a "student". I'll admit, it feels a bit strange to be done with school for maybe, forever. But at the same time, I love the freedom that it brings to go anywhere and do anything. 

I also moved out of my house in Seattle this past week. For those of you who don't know, I willing be moving to Australia in January! Packing up my things and moving out of my house was a bittersweet experience. Living in Seattle with my closest friends has been such a wonderful part of my life. It has changed me and molded me into an adult and I'm sad that this part of my life in coming to a close. But there is MUCH to look forward to and it is time to move on to the next adventure. 

And as I am no longer in school, I have lots of exciting ideas for this little blog of mine!

Thank you, again, for sticking around and encouraging me these past few weeks. I am beyond ready to step back into this wonderful community just in time for the Christmas season!

So stay tuned for the next chapter of On A Whim!

Much love,

Buckle Down

Doing school this week...be back soon!

Much love,

PS. Please excuse the immense amount of smudges on my computer screen.

PSS. The next time you see me, I'll be a real life graduated woman!

PSSS. Want to know who won last week's giveaway? Ok then, click here.

Friday's Letters

Dear turkey who sacrificed your life, thank you for feeding my family. Dear family, holidays are always a joy to spend with you. I couldn't be happier to be a part of our celebrations and traditions. Can't wait til Christmas! Dear sister, I wish you could've spent Thanksgiving at home. But soon, school will be over and you will be back on my side of the country :) Dear Target, you rock and you always give me great deals. But not enough to excuse the line weaving in and out of every aisle you have. UNREAL. Dear school, in one more week and you and I will be but mere acquaintances. Dear Breaking Dawn, I love you. You are the perfect way to end such a captivating story. Dear 5-day weekend, teach all other weekends how to be like you. 

Much Love,

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THIS WEEK'S GIVEAWAY!!!! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY YOU CAN ENTER!

Linking up with Adventure's of Newlyweds

Once a year...

...we are given a day dedicated to remembering all of the blessings in our life. 

Have the most wonderful Thanksgiving, my friends.

Much love,

PS - Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! 

For real, go enter.

A Sweet Treat

Today, I have a special treat for you!!! My sweet blog friend, Joanna, will be sharing one of her favorite recipes. Joanna blogs over at I Love... and I am so excited for you to get to know her a little better! She and her blog are adorable you would be silly not to head over to I Love... and say hi!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone!  My name is Joanna (Jo for short) and I blog over at I Love...  I am a Christian who, love to live life to the fullest, who bakes a ton of sweets, and who takes too many pictures.  Today, I thought I would share my recipe for "Almond Joys".  Yes, that famous candy bar that we all know and love.  I first started making them by dipping the coconut in the chocolate, but that took too long and I couldn't get the chocolate layer thin enough.  Even though these "Almond Joy" bars don't look a lot like the candies that you buy in the store, it is easier to make them this way and they still taste like the real stuff.  I hope you take the time to try this recipe!

Almond Joys

recipe by moi  

You will need:

2 1/2 (17 1/2 oz. all together) bags grated coconut (you want to make sure that you get the grated coconut because that is what they use in the candy bars.)

3/4 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

6 oz. milk chocolate chips (if you would like it to be more like mounds, use dark chocolate.)

Almonds

The difference between flaked and grated coconut. 

Start by mixing the coconut, powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

Keep mixing until the coconut is all compact together, like this.

 Spread the coconut mixture in a 9'13 pan using your wooden spoon.  If you have a problem with the coconut sticking to the spoon, dip the spoon in water then spread.

Melt the chocolate in a sauce pan on low heat.  Spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the coconut mixture.  Place the almonds on top.  Put them in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let them set... it might be the longest 20 minutes of your life...

Enjoy!

Thanks, Joanna! Those seriously look like the most delicious things I have ever seen.

Happy Wednesday!

Much Love,

Touch of Serendipity {Giveaway}

Happy Monday!

It's the week of Thanksgiving, which means it's going to be an EXTRA good one.

Today, I'm so excited to be featuring one of my wonderful and adorable blog pals, Ragan. She blogs over at Touch of Serendipity and is seriously the cutest! She always has the most adorable clothes and has an exceptional eye for putting together the perfect look for all different occasions. 

So, here's your first thing to be thankful for this week. 

A chance to enter to win this beautiful necklace from Touch of Serendipity.

Isn't is absolutely adorable? 

And would be perfect for almost any occasion ;)

Giveaway winner will be announced on Monday, November 26th. 

Much Love,

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 4: Cozy and Warm

Shirt: NRack Jeggings: NRack Vest: The North Face Boots: Steve Madden Headband: Homemade Watch: Marc Jacobs

And finally, an outfit for those days when you don't really want to get dressed (I know you all have those). This look uses pieces 1, 2, and 3 and is usually my go-to ensemble.

Also, jeggings might be the best idea EVER. These are actually the first pair that I've ever owned and I am never going back to real pants again!

Congratulations for making it to another weekend. One of my best friends from high school is visiting me this weekend and I am so excited to spend time with her.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Much Love,

THANKSGIVING COUNTDOWN: 6 Days!!!!

Day 3: Out 'N About

Shirt: NRack Sweater: Target Jeggings: NRack Scarf: Forever21 Boots: Macy's Earrings: Gifted

Outfit #3 uses pieces 1, 3, and 5(the sweater is a little different than the one pictured). The look is cozy, trendy, comfortable, and perfect for a day out and about!

I don't really have much else today.
A little swamped with school work...oh and I get to go see Wicked tonight!!!!! So obviously my mind is somewhere else at the moment.

Happy Thursday!

Much Love,

Day 2: Night Out

Shirt: NRack Jeggings: NRack Shoes: Forever21 Necklace: Express Earrings: H&M Headband: BP

For those of you who just hopped on, this week's posts are all a part of my Six Piece Challenge.
A challenge to take six pieces in my closet and put together four different looks.

Today's outfit takes yesterday's from day to night. Using pieces 1 and 6, it's perfect for a night out. It's amazing how the look of an outfit can change, simply by adding some flashy pumps. And what says "night out" better than a little cheeta print, am I right? ;)

If we're being honest though, I will NEVER wear these shoes out of the house. I bought them for a New Year's Eve party last year. After wearing them for about 10 minutes, I literally could not take another step. And the bone structure in my feet has forever been altered.

Happy hump day!

Much Love,

Day 1: Business Casual

Shirt: NRack Cardigan: 14th N. Union Jeggings: NRack Shoes: Gifted Necklace: H&M Bag: DSW

Today's outfit is made up of pieces 1, 4, and 6.
The look is business casual. A button up tank and cardigan give the outfit structure, making the whole outfit more professional. The black and white pearls dress up the outfit even more and a pair of black flats are the finishing touch.

Also, today starts my "10 days til Thanksgiving" countdown! Which means only 3 more days of class and 6 more days until I get to go home.
I CANNOT WAIT.

Hope the beginning of your week is off to a great start!

Much Love,

Six Piece Challenge

Ok, so I realize that I just posted about being a little absent these next couple weeks. However, with an extra day off this weekend, I had some extra time to put together a few fun posts for this week! 

(And, of course, I was already starting to miss you all so much!)

So today, I'm introducing the Six Piece Challenge. 

Putting together four different looks, using only six primary pieces. 

Here are the pieces I've selected...

#1: Classic black jeggings

#2: Black down vest (a pacific northwest must)

#3: Basic long sleeve shirt

#4: Basic cardigan

#5: Cozy tribal sweater

#6: Button down tank

Each post this week will be dedicated to showcasing a different outfit, drawing from these 6 pieces. It's amazing how much accessories can change the whole look of an outfit, whether it's from day to night or formal to casual.

So stay tuned...

Much Love,

For the time being...

Via

As some of you may have noticed, my posts have been a little sporadic these past weeks. Blogging has become one of my favorite hobbies and I have so enjoyed being a part of the blogging community. I continue to meet so many wonderful women and am continually inspired by their passion and creativity. I love getting to share my life and this space has become the perfect place to do that. 

With that being said, I am in a blogging slump at the moment. I find myself feeling overwhelmed with my final quarter's classes, work, keeping up with friends, and thinking of fun and creative blog posts. So, as much as I love this little blog and the community that surrounds it, I am feeling the need to take a small step back for the next few weeks. 

No, I will definitely not be gone forever. In fact, I'm not leaving entirely. It just might be a little quiet around here for the time being while I complete the final steps to GRADUATING COLLEGE. 

I will still be posting and hopefully some of my wonderful sponsors will be sharing here as well! And I am hoping that I'll be back in a few weeks, full swing, and ready for the holiday season in blog land! 

Again, it has been a pleasure to be a part of this community. And you have no idea what your kind words and support means to me. 

Much Love, 

Weekend with Mama

My wonderful mother came up to visit me this weekend!

I was beginning to feel a little homesick, so it was such a treat to spend some time with her!

Our weekend began with a little shoe shopping...

Obviously, we both bought a pair.

Our weekend also included much chatting, board games, exploring, and LOTS of yummy food. Saying goodbye was hard, but it'll be a quick three weeks until Thanksgiving!!!

And now we have, once again, reached Monday. 

Two more midterms this week.

Will they ever end?

What did you do this weekend?

Much Love,

WANTED.

Some fabulous bloggers to be part of my November Sponsor Team!

I am currently accepting swappers for the month of November.

If you're interested, check out the "Sponsor" tab at the top of my page.

Looking forward to getting to know you!

Much Love, 

Ghosts of Halloween Past and Present

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

In honor of today, I decided to compile my past four years' Halloween costumes. 

Because what's more fun then taking a trip down memory lane? 

And so, here we begin...

Halloween 2009

This year's theme was superhero's. I'm pretty sure we called ourselves "The Fab Four".

CLASSIC. 

Halloween 2010

HUGE Glee fans in 2010. Like religiously watched every episode and listened to all their covers. So it was really the obvious choice when brainstorming Halloween costume ideas. And incase you can't tell, I'm pregnant Quinn. 

Halloween 2011

Luckily, our roommate happens to resemble Justin Bieber. 

I actually felt a little starstruck...

Halloween 2012

E.T. phone home. 

Now this one was a party HIT! If you're looking for a last minute costume idea, look no further. 

And so, there you have it.

Hope you are having a fabulous Halloween!

Much Love,

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I don't know about you guys, but eating pumpkin seeds is one of my favorite parts of Halloween. Because, fresh pumpkins seeds are really only available once a year, at pumpkin carving time.

So, if you are planning on carving your pumpkin in the next couple days, SAVE THE SEEDS. And turn them into this delicious snack.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Seeds (obvi)
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Powder

STEP 1: Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

STEP 2: Remove excess pumpkin guts from seeds and place them in a medium sized bowl. Add in desired amount of olive and stir until all seeds are lightly coated.

STEP 3: Spread a thin layer of seeds onto a baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle salt and garlic powder over seeds.

STEP 4: Bake seeds in oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring the seeds after about 10 minutes.

Bon Apetite!

Much Love,