Coffee & Honeycomb

I love my kindle. I love that it weighs hardly nothing in my purse and that I can read before bed without additional light. But I more than that, I love folding corners to hold my spot and underlining really good quotes (like those hauntingly eloquent descriptions that give you chills) and most importantly never having to remember to charge it.

We have a winner.

Which is why I decided to stop buying e-books and start buying good old-fashioned physical copies again. I recently finished Scary Close by Donald Miller (which I  highly, highly recommend. I have always been and will always be a Miller book fan. His writing is brilliant, authentic, and this one in particular is a thought-provoking gem.) And so many times I wished I had a hard copy so I could flip to a page and share it with a friend or put it on my coffee table.

Here are the next four I have been curious to dig into and will begin with! Let me know if you've read any of these yet and what you think - or any other recommendations you may have.
The Status of All Things by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
A narrative following 35-year-old woman, Kate, who discovers she has the power to control her life and rewrite history by posting Facebook statuses. Excited to read some chic lit, but also curious how social media influences literature today.

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
Because Mindy Kaling is a comedic genius and this is the closest I can get to being friends with her. Two years ago when Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? was released, I read it cover to cover. Twice. And then read the audio commentary. Slightly obsessed, maybe, but totally warranted. IMO.

Wearing God by Lauren F. Winner
I love narratives and tropes and metaphors - especially when they help us deepen our understanding and imagery of Christ. Can't wait to gobble this one up.

The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner
I first learned about Jessica Turner when she was a guest on The Lively Show and completely admired her confidence, vision, and business savvy-ness. Her book empowers empowers women to let go of comparison, perfection, and busyness and add more self-love in their lives.

I think this round up is going to be a good one. What books are you currently reading? 

xo.

I discovered Elle & Co recently and have been poring over archives and archives of her blog posts each night before bed (#nerd). Her posts are so inspiring and motivating — and all so beautifully designed. Elle's business model and personal vision has changed the way I think about blogging, and I want to start taking her nuggets of wisdom into action! Hence the re-brand. My goal is to slowly move Coffee & Honeycomb from a hub of scattered personal posts to one that is more purposeful, resourceful, and inspiring! Here are some practical and simple tips I'm going to start implementing around here and ones you can leverage today, too.

DEFINE YOUR READER 
When you write to a large, faceless crowd, it's easy for the quality of your content to become dull, scattered, and pointless. It's important to define exactly who your reader is — or who you want your reader to be. How old is he/she? What are his/her dreams? Why is he/she coming to your blog? Taking the time to wrestle through these questions will give you more clarity as you write each post moving forward and may even give you more ideas of what to blog about.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
One of my favorite pieces of advice I learned in college was that when you are trying to communicate a message, whatever the medium may be, is to ask yourself three critical questions. What does my audience currently know? What does my audience need to know? How can I bridge that gap? Asking myself those three questions has always helped when writing papers, delivering presentations, and I'm realizing now it's just as important when writing a blog post. Make sure that every piece of your post answers and addresses these questions. It will take more thought and time at first, but it will make the message effective, engaging, and relatable.

SELECT YOUR CATEGORIES
What are the main topics you talk about? How would you group or categorize your blog posts? Is there any sort of similarity or consistency among them? Ask yourself these questions and start just listing out everything that comes to mind. Now look for any pattern or consistency within your list and use that as a starting point for your categories. To take it one step further, identify categories that you are most passionate about, most knowledgable on, and most importantly, add some sort of value to your reader.

DISSECT YOUR CATEGORIES
FREQUENCY: Once you have your categories identified, consider the hierarchy of importance. How frequently do you write about each category per week/month? Does that reflect how important they are? The two should correlate.
  
TIMING: Make yourself an editorial calendar and select the exact days you will write about each category.
  
POSTS: Brainstorm up to 10 possible blog posts for each category so you have a pool of posts to choose from.

TAKE ACTION
You've read my tips and are now hopefully itching to start brainstorming and re-branding your own blog. I created a free printable that you can use to help as you begin that process. There is space for defining your mission, reader, and categories just like we discussed! Click the button below to download the free printable and use it as a guide. Scribble all over it and may it get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to pin, share, and print as many times as you want!

XOXO,
JENNY

Is anyone else losing sleep over this?! Oh, just me...? :)

Yesterday was the launch of the Coffee & Honeycomb's (exclusive) Dream Kit on Etsy, and I've been having so much fun packaging, promoting, and of course, selling these babies! It's only been one day but already a handful of orders have come through(!!!) Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for joining in on my excitement and belief in this Dream Kit, supporting this project, and tolerating the tons of posts on my Instaflow.

Creating a planner has been a long dream of mine, but it really started to come alive recently when I began to think about new years resolutions. I thought about what intentional living could look like apart from just efficiency and accolades. Purpose, joy, contentment. How can we be a people who rush less and breathe more, do less and think more — and was there a planner for that? 

Thus the 2015 dream kit was born!
This is the mantra:
Because you were made for more than to-do lists and errands. More than a crammed schedule and a life measured by the amount of boxes checked off. You were made for big dreams, big prayers, and an even bigger purpose. For passion, laughter, community, and the peace to be present. And it's about time you had a planner that empowered you to believe it. #2015dreamkit

Kits are still available in the shop, but there is a limited amount available so I would act fast!

If you're not following me on Instagram or Facebook, join along now to stay up to date on all things Coffee & Honeycomb - including sneak peeks, inspirational quotes, and even free giveaways.

Click on over to see the product yourself!

This month I pushed myself to carve out time after work to exercise my creative muscles and actually dive into the projects I've been wanting to do for so long. I practiced modern calligraphy, digitized my handwriting, launched a holiday line on Etsy, and took on a couple of clients for logo creations. Let me tell you, it was so much fun — and not as hard as I thought it'd be! Starting always seems to be the hardest step but it's one I never regret.

Take a peek! Hopefully this will become a regular thing and I can share my designs frequently.

I'm sorry all of my posts have been on my Etsy shop lately — it seems like that has been the one thing consuming my mind. I'll try to lay off a bit and write more life lately and faith posts, especially with it being passion week and all. :) Thank you for holding tight and I hope you are having a lovely passion week thus far! 

Don't forget to like Coffee & Honeycomb on Facebook! :)

I'm a serial list maker and I probably have been since someone first put a pen in my hand. (Or more accurately, a Crayola crayon.) I know this is true because not only am I a list maker, I'm also a hoarder, (oh, winner winner) and STILL have these lists stored away.

(Confession: These notes consist of all the boys in my class I consider "cute", what I want in my house when I grow up, and my favorite colors at the moment... Real deep stuff, of course. End confession.)

Anyway, my lists have gotten a little bit more substantial over the years. Just a little bit.  And I can't function throughout the day with out a good list made with pen and paper.  It's as if my brain is in constant info overload, and the only way to digest and comprehend anything new is in the form of lists. Complete sentences and grammar is totally pushing it.

One of my favorite bloggers, LOVELY INDEED, started a recent installment, "ten things." And yes, it is EXACTLY what it sounds like. She shares the lists she makes in her journal of ten random things. She is a lovely woman after my own heart, indeed. (See what I did there?)

Most recently, her list was of ten words that gross her out. And you know what, you should check it out because they weren't so obvious. MOIST WASN'T EVEN ON IT. By the way, have you read this hilarious suicide note from the word "moist"? If you haven't, you must click this and read now. (Oh, and that was probably the only appropriate time I could use the word "hilarious" and "suicide" in the same sentence. I don't know how I feel about that.)

But I digress...

Being able to completely resonate with LOVELY INDEED and her addiction to lists, I decided to share mine as well! (: Except it isn't gross words, it's my to-do list.

*Also, for all you list makers out there,  is it just me, or do you also have MULTIPLE to-do lists occurring at the same time? For example. I have a list for things that must be done that day, a separate one for the month, and a separate one for things that should be done eventually. Sometimes the lists break up even further based on the role -- student, work, church, etc. Is there a better way to do this? Please do tell.

HERE IS A PEEK INTO MY LIST LIFE (+ doodles from my journal.)

It's half way through October and that excitement of being back on campus is starting to wear off. The snooze button gets pressed more often, the effort to attend office hours dwindles, and you're counting the days until Thanksgiving break. (46 six days to be exact). Trust me, I'm right there with you.

But we can't stay in this slump forever. It's all about finishing strong; and it will be good practice for the future. And I'll practice what I preach by sharing a few tips that help keep me sane...

Plan your semester out. Pull out your syllabus— yes, those two sheets stapled together, crumpled up at the bottom of your book bag— pull 'em out!  Locate all the important dates your professor so kindly gave to you as prior knowledge. No sarcasm there, professors who plan assignment and exam dates in advanced give you the luxury of planning out your schedule and deciding whether or not you should drop it. So, find those dates; assignment due dates, no lecture dates, exam dates, etc. And mark all of them in the calendar so you never show up to class one day in a panic that you completely forgot to study for that exam.

Fill out your Google calendar. Wondering where you can jot down all those important due dates? One step ahead of you. In that handy Google calendar of yours. I do and it has changed my life (for the better). This is what mine looks like for this following week:

- It allows you to color code all your future engagements from class to nap time.
- There's also a section to place your "to-do" list; both as a side-note or on top according to their days.
- If there's certain appointments that happen on a regular basis such as class or church, it allows you check a box and will then automatically place it on those particular dates for all following weeks. This is really handy so you don't have to sit there placing the same thing week after week.
- It gives you reminders based on your preference: 1 day before, 1 hour before, 30 min before, etc.
- It syncs to your smart phone and reminders pop up there, as well.
- It's digital. So it's easy to rearrange or delete events as needed, so don't worry about your flexibility.

Go to professor office hours. I have three midterms coming up this week and as I've (kind of) started studying, I'm realizing there's a chunk of material I don't understand or I didn't quite write down in my notes. Yes, I can email my professor to get a quick response; but personal interaction is always more preferred. Professors like to put a face to a name, and when they can, they're more likely to bump you up when you have a borderline "A," as well as write you a recommendation later in semester. Go to office hours as often as you can; whenever you have a question regarding lecture or just their study of academia. It'll only benefit you and flatter them.

Find a friend. Find a friend in that class.First, going to class will be more enjoyable because you have someone to share material with, as well as complain with. Complaining isn't always bad; if class material is at the point of discussion, it just helps make the content tangible and easier to digest. Also, if you ever oversleep and miss a lecture, having a friend will secure a set of notes. And like most people, they're competitive when it comes to grades; another person in the class can stir up motivation and push you to work hard. A little friendly competition is a good thing.

Type up your notes in class.  My professor gave me this advice freshman year and I've been (trying to) keep it. Your professor probably talks fast. Faster than you can neatly hand-write each bullet point before Professor changes to the slide. (the entire class groans and slams their fist on their desks). When your professor is a chatty cathy, bring your laptop. Most people can type faster they can write. Then after class, open up your notes and rewrite them with by hand; studies show that muscle memory helps your brain absorb the info. If your professor is not a chatty cathy, stick to old school pen and paper. You will be less distracted to just "quickly" check Facebook or shoot an email; then after class, type up on your laptop. In case you only wrote a word down, you can elaborate on Word and neatly organize it.

What are your tips on fighting mid-semester slump? Share here. And good luck with exams, everyone!

XO.

It's that time of the month again!

GOALS:

• Again, blog 4x a week. But this time, set a schedule.


• Do my homework earlier during the day, not the night before.


• Be healthier— get an adequate amount of sleep, drink more water.


• Do not buy clothes.


• Meet up with at least 2 professionals in the advertising industry.


• Apply for MAIP.


• Learn to discern when to say yes, and when it's alright to say no.

This is what October is already starting to look like...

Hello! That's my excited face. And I'm EXCITED to share on this blog my goals for the upcoming month, September. :) This week has been an awkward one because we're in the middle of transition— from summer to fall, from a lazy bum to a (kind of) diligent student, and from being blog-less to blog-filled(?). You get the point.

Starting this Monday, I will be a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Advertising, with a minor in Communication. That's a mouthful. That's what she said. I joke.

But this year is exciting for several reasons:

• My roommate is one of my best friends.


• The two of us are sharing a room meant for three people. Hellllo, extra closet space!


• The class load for this semester is solely concentrated on media/communication classes, meaning I'll be studying the stuff that (I think) makes me passionate.


• The following semester, my roommate and I will be in... wait for it... BELGIUM! Aw, yeah. (Side note: I JUST watched, "Taken," this past week, and every time I think of the words, "studying abroad," my anxiety level starts rising and I may or may not want to crawl back into my mother's wombs where it's safe and prostitution is far at bay. Ignorance really may be bliss. Welp, good thing I'm serving on the Executive Board for the organization that faces the reality of prostitution/sex trafficking.)


• And yup. This will be my first year on the exec board for the organization, International Justice Missions (IJM). The org. is all about raising awareness and money for the social injustice currently happening in the world, helping victims of the social injustice, and doing work through prayer, because even an issue like this is the in the Lord's hands. My official title is called: Fundraising Director; I'm basically in charge of bringing in all the cash money for the campus organization and coming up with all the clever ways to do so.


• Lastly, not to sound like a total nerd, but this is one of my favorite times of the year. Notebooks are fresh, pens are fully inked, the planner is just waiting to be filled with appointments and meetings, and ambition is at its peak.

I'm determined. And my determination usually materializes itself in a form of goals.

Fun fact: I'm a goal setter and a strong believer in "to-do" lists. I think time is meant to be spent with productivity, and personally, I NEED a vision of some kind of finish line; whether it be getting an A on an exam or checking off the box on the "to-do" list. (Come on, I know you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. It's awesome and liberating.)

But rather than making a year-based resolution that I'll probably never even get close to finishing, I'm making goals based on the month. That way, the goals are more appropriate for the time, it's easier to envision, and much easier to accomplish.

So, without further ado, the goals for September 2012 are as follows:

• Read a book. (Or two.)


• Save up to purchase the Adobe Suite.


• Blog at least 4x a week for all four weeks.


• Study during the day; do not pull a single all-nighter.


• Find a Zumba workout video. And then do it.


• Keep the closet organized.


• Do not skip a single class.


• Make it to office offer for each professor.


• Go to morning prayer.


• (under construction)

And there you have it.

You may or may have not noticed that the "goals" are vague and definitely not measurable. There are no numbers or dates or anything. And that's the point. Goals aren't meant to be daunting shadows hanging over your heads forcing you into waves of guilt and hiding; they're meant to guide, inspire, to keep you on track. At least that's what I'm telling myself. So yes, my goals are vague, but one thing that is NOT on my list is perfection, and THAT'S intentional. I'm not aiming for perfection, but progression. So, so what if I only make it to MP once or read only half a book? I will rejoice because it's all about the progression.

What are your September goals?