T-Minus 10...9...

With only nine hours left of 2013, I feel like I should make one last entry here before the end of this year and the start of the new one.  This is likely to be a huge mishmash of anxiety-ridden ranting and nostalgia.

Does anyone else have bipolar and bittersweet feelings towards New Years Eve?  Every year, I feel like I need to spend the night thinking about the year I'm leaving behind and what I want for the coming year.  I feel like I need to plan and I need to figure out what I'm going to do for the next twelve months right now.  Then, as someone who has always hated change in a way, I feel like I need to mourn the year I'm leaving and the person I was through the last twelve months as it comes to an end.  I realize this sounds crazy, but that's just always how I've felt about it.

Through 2013, I've had some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my, and I can only say thank you.  Thank you for picking me up, thank you for kicking me while I was down, and thank you to everyone who has been there for me along the way.

As for 2014, I don't know what it holds for me.  I know I'll be turning 23, I know I will have a nephew arrive shortly after that, but other than that I'm incredibly uncertain of where I will be or where I'm going. I have hopes, but at this point, I can only have that.  Just hopes.  As far as my goals, I have a ton of plans for this blog for the next year.

• 1st of every month - Monthly goals list 
• 1st Tuesday of each month - Monthly playlist
• 15th of every month - Today I believe...
• 20th of every month - Featured blog(ger) *Email submissions here.
• Last Monday - Outfit of the day/month
• Last Friday - Makeup of the day/month
• Every Saturday - My week in instagrams

There are several posts in there randomly as well, but these are the core posts I want to make each month.  Let me know what you have planned for the night or any resolutions and goals you've made for yourself as the new year approaches!  

I hop you all have a happy New Year, stay safe!

2014 Goals

Last year I made a list of goals for myself that I kind of, sort of followed...  This year, I'm hoping that I can at least kind of follow my goals again, but hopefully be a little more realistic this year.

I realized when I was writing my Recap of 2013 post that I had given myself a TON of things to try to follow all at once, and maybe that's how it ended up failing.  I had set twelve goals for myself, which just seems insane to me.  This years list more like five items long, and will hopefully keep me on track without feeling overwhelmed.  Here's my own list for 2014, let me know if you've made and goals or have any suggestions on how to follow my own!

Goal 1: Keep a blog schedule.  I've tried to do this before (like last year with the Random Acts of Kindness posts) and had it fail slowly but surely.  I bought this calendar and literally went through the entire 12 months and filled in blog post plans.  It took a whole sleepless night, but that happened.  Now I have to stick with it.

Goal 2: Stop eating like crap all the time.  Seriously. Put down the cookies.

Goal 3: Start jogging again.  I used to go jogging every other day when I was living with my parents and I honestly felt a lot better during that time.  I stopped because I got really sick for a couple weeks and I physically couldn't bring myself to go out like that, then I never got back in.  I'm hoping once the weather warms up a little bit I can go out again and start.

Goal 4: Budget.  No, really. Stop laughing.

Goal 5: Read more.  I said this would be on the list.  I feel like I never read enough and now I have a huge list of books I want to read and hopefully finish by the end of next year.

If you know of any good budgeting apps or motivation to work out and stay positive, please let me know!  I'm really hoping to start on these goals sooner rather than later so I can just make them second nature habits as opposed to daunting tasks.

Looking Back on 2013

I can't believe that 2013 is just over a week away from ending.  This year went by so quickly and I'm both happy and sad to see it end.  2013 was one of the most interesting and difficult years of my life and I wanted to kind of recap everything that's happened through the year and how I've tried to stick with the goals I made at the end of last year.

I went to a casino for the first time!

And made some amazing cupcakes.  Still keeping the bakery dream alive.

I bought a new car, which I ended up leaving in Connecticut when I moved.

I got a puppy, who is now living with a very nice family that has a few other dogs for him to play with in a huge yard.

My little brother graduated high school!

My older sister got married and is now expecting her first baby in February!  I'm so excited to be an auntie.

Over the course of 2013, I've had five different jobs... Which is a scary thought with tax season coming up.

My youngest sister and I went on a date for her birthday (with her boyfriend and our mom in tow) and had a really fun trip to the zoo and the beach.

I went to an apple orchard for the first time this fall, even though I've lived a half an hour away from one my entire life.

I also made some questionable fashion choices (I still regret not buying this some days).

I went to New York City for a Makeup For Ever special effects class, which was so much fun to do.  I love New York.

And closer to the end of the year, a lot of things started to fall apart one way or another.  I'm in Oklahoma now for an undetermined amount of time.  I left 90% of my life in Connecticut, and yes it's insanely upsetting, but I've been trying to make the best of it that I can.  Don't get me wrong, I love being with my sister and brother in law, but I do miss driving and having a car.  I miss knowing where I am.  However, I have made some friends here so it makes it a little less hard to be so far away from everything I know so well.

(If you'd like to see my original list, this post is where I originally posted it)

Goal 1: Keep better track of money (possibly save some..)

~This was a huge..huge fail on my part.  I'm still broke, and have been all year.  To be fair, I moved twice this year and bought a car...

Goal 2: Get organized~This goal seemed to have gone a little better for me.  I'm still a messy person, and I'm sure I always will be, but I've bought a few organizers (and used them!) for the majority of the year, especially after moving out.


Goal 3: Get in (better) shape~Although I haven't actually worked out of gone on huge, crazy diets, I feel like I've definitely lost a little bit of weight.  Not a huge amount, but enough to make my face a little less round-shaped.


Goal 4: Manage my time more wisely~I've done alright with this one.. I won't say I've managed a total 180, but I've gotten better at not being late and managing to get things done when they need to be.  I slacked for a while over the summer, but who doesn't?


Goal 5: Eat as well as I can~Hahahaha. Well.. Kind of.  My older sister told me once that I'm like an old woman and I live off of coffee and baked goods, so I obviously don't eat the best I possibly can.  However, this year I've been eating a lot better for actual meals than I have in the past and I can honestly say I have Pinterest to thank for that because it makes healthy food look amazingly delicious.  And it is. 


Goal 6: Go back to school~This didn't happen... I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to go back to school for a while, but everything will work out someday.  If the whole hope and dream of owning a bakery works out, a degree isn't exactly necessary anyways, just helpful.  We'll see how this goes as time goes on.


Goal 7: Keep a jar of good things~I kind of half-assed this goal.  I started doing this in the end of March, I added a handful of handwritten notes of good things/events that happened into the the jar, then I moved and threw them out...and never started again.  Maybe I can try again this year?


Goal 8: Move out~I did this! Twice, to be honest.  I only really intended to go through it once, but circumstances come up.  Goal: accomplished.


Goal 9: Be positive~I've been trying very, very hard to stay positive this year.  These past few months, it's been a little harder to keep up with it, but I'm still trying.


Goal 10: Take a REAL vacation~Nope.


Goal 11: Keep my room clean~Also, nope.


Goal 12: Read more~Kind of.  I've read a couple of books this year, and I'm finishing up David Sedaris's Let's Discuss Diabetes with Owls. Amazing book.  This will continue to be a goal, and I have a list of hopefuls here.

I hope you've all had a safe holiday! Do you have any goals for 2014?  I have a list of my own coming up in a couple days, let me know what you plan to do through the new year!

Instalife

Have you finished your holiday shopping?  I thought I was done shopping about a week ago, but have managed to buy more and more through out this week.  I never feel like I'm actually done shopping before the holidays, but since it's now the 23rd, I think I need to be.

This past week was pretty busy between work, a holiday party, and holiday prep.  Here are some pictures of what I've been up to:

I was asked by my brother in law to be a photographer for his squadron's holiday party.  I used my sister a few times to test my camera settings, and got a few cute pictures of her.

My sister at the holiday party (she doesn't look very pregnant until she turns sideways!)

Hybrid ice.

We had an ice storm, everything is still encased in it.  All of the plants look really interesting, though, and luckily none of the roads have frozen over.

Capitol of Oklahoma

Bright makeup!

I also broke out my Sugarpill products this week.  I haven't really played with them in a long time, so it was fun to rock a bright look for the day.  A lot of people told me it was very 'Hunger Games'.

Then, I used some cranberry and gold shadows to get ready for the holiday season.  Unfortunately, this isn't the best picture.  It's the only decent one I took that day.

Sorry I've been slacking a little bit this week, but I do have a lot of posts coming up between now and the end of the year, and I've put together a posting schedule for the next year that I really hope to stick to (which I will show you soon!)  I hope you guys are having a safe holiday season and 

Book Wishlist December 2013

I've realized lately the amount of books that I want to read has grown incredibly over the last few months.  I'm not sure what exactly made that happen(probably cold weather), but since the end of the summer I've started finding more and more books that I've added to my Amazon wishlist and I would love to hear any feedback you guys have if you've read these!  Also, if you have any suggestions or favorite books, let me know =)

(All photos from Amazon.com)

1. Paddle your own Canoe by Nick Offerman
2. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
4. Paper Towns by John Green
5. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
6. Egghead by Bo Burnham

(All photos from Amazon.com)

1. Adulting: How to become a grown up in 468 easy(ish) steps by Kelly Williams Brown
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
4. Bitches on a Budget by Rosalyn Hoffman
5. The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
6. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Holiday Countdown: Hair and Makeup Ideas

With Christmas coming up in 10 days  (Hanukkah and other winter holidays coming up quickly as well!), I was thinking of doing a few makeup and hair posts for those of you who may be going to any parties in the next week or so, or if you plan on going somewhere that requires clothes that aren't pajamas for the holidays.

Personally, I'll be spending the holidays at the house with my sister and brother in law, so I probably won't get to use these myself except for going to work, but I still look forward to showing you guys the ideas I have!

Here are a few things I've already done for inspiration and if you have any events or specific requests, let me know and I will do as many as I can! =)

Black and silver

Twist your hair up with a long hair ribbon or scarf on each side, tie into a bow under or over a messy bun!

Greens and golds are always holiday appropriate!

Glitter!

Things I've Learned: Living in Oklahoma

So after a month of staying in Oklahoma, I feel like I have a fair assessment of how I feel about this place.  Here's a short list of things I've learned living in Oklahoma:

• Oklahoma is a flat state.  Flat states mean an insane amount of wind because there's literally almost nothing to block it.

• That being said, if you're a girl, you better be good or get good at doing your hair in an updo of some sort or carry a brush with you at all times.  Or just cut all of your hair off completely.  There's literally no point in trying to leave it down.
  
  

  

  I was outside for about 4 seconds to take this...

• If you live in the area I do, airplanes are a part of every day life.  Every day, all day.  Even if you can't see it, you're sure to hear it.                                

  

                                                                             

• Whether it's considered a Southern state or a Mid-Western state, apparently there's almost no such thing as 'southern hospitality' around these parts.  I don't know if it's just the time of year, but most people I've encountered down here are grumps, too.
• The Bible Belt is almost literally visible through Oklahoma City.  There's a line of hospitals with gigantic, lit-up crosses on the sides of the buildings. 
• People in Oklahoma have NO idea how to handle snow and ice.  The schools were literally shut down for 3 days because of an inch of snow.  Also, this is what they consider a snow plow...
  

December Playlist

I can't believe 2013 is almost over already.  This year has gone by so quickly, and it feels so weird to be hearing Christmas music when it feels like Halloween was just last week.  I've been putting together this playlist since last year because, for some reason, a lot of traditional Christmas songs are really depressing for me.  Hopefully you guys enjoy this playlist as much as I do or at least find a new song you haven't heard yet.

Click here to start listening!

There are a few solid classics in there as well as a few people I've found through the web of YouTube, so let me know your favorite song on the list!

Rockefeller Tree!

Testing out the app

Hey! I downloaded the blogger app today and just wanted to test how well it works blogging on the go from my phone. 

Project 365

As this year creeps to an end (already!), I have decided that I want to take on another project this coming year.  I had attempted a 365 day project back in 2011, which sadly only ended with a mere 179 photos in the set.

This year, I feel like I will get a better outcome due to the fact that I have a phone with a better camera (that I use almost daily as it is) and have my new(ish) Canon camera that I've been in love with for a little over 2 years now.

The Canon also has some fun filters, like this fish-eye option.  Sorry dad, I made you an alien.

The only problem right now is figuring out which one to start.  I've had an ongoing search for which challenge will fit my lifestyle at this point (and if you've seen any good ones, let me know!).  Some people seem to be able to pull it off without any sort of prompting, but personally I feel like I need ideas to help me out since no one wants to see 200 pictures of my face in one spot, nor do I wish to bestow that on the public.  This may also help me keep up my goal to update this blog more than once every week (or longer).

Honestly, I've been considering the idea of making my own list compiled from all of the lists I've found through Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google searches, and maybe I will, but I feel like I have a little more searching to do.  What do you think?  Should I make my own list or go for ones I've found from other sources?

So Very Thankful

Here are the final letters of thankfulness for the ABC's of Thanksgiving.  I know I'm a couple days ahead of myself, but if I leave off the last three or four, I'll totally forget about it.

M - Mom, music, motivation, Modest Mouse, The Mountain Goats.
N - New ideas, my nephew.
O - Obligations, optimism, opportunities, the Office.
P - Patterns and prints, people (the good the bad and the ugly), Parks and Rec.
Q - The queers and the queer movement.  (I love them all.  Is that insensitive?)
R - Red Robin, relations (to people, songs, movies, etc), reliability, Ruby Tuesdays, reading and being able to read.
S - Siblings (because where would I be without them?), sunshine, seasons, simplicity, spontaneity.
T - Time, taste buds, telephones, Tom.
U - Umbrellas.  Seriously.  Also, uno.
V - Variety,
W - The Walking Dead, wigs, women's rights.
X - x-rays and medical technologies.
Y - all of my yesterdays, yearnings, and yes-moments.
Z  - Ze Frank (zefrank on YouTube).  Seriously, sometimes I get weirded out by some of the things he says because that's exactly how I feel.  Sometimes, that's the best feeling in the world.


I'm a little late, but I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

November Playlist

Over the past two weeks, I've noticed myself listening to a lot of the same songs over and over again in a loop.  As I was putting together this playlist, I realized they only sort of belong in the same category, but not really, so it may be worth a look no matter what music you like.  The songs are in no particular order, so feel free to skip around as you see fit.  Here's a list of the songs on the playlist, as well as a link for your listening pleasure.  Happy Monday!

Click here for the YouTube playlist!

1. Greg Laswell - Not Out

~I've had this song on repeat over and over again on its own...  I can't stop playing it.

2. Beirut - Mimizan
~This one I used to listen to all the time when my boyfriend and I first started hanging out.  It's pushed its way back into my music cycle.

3. Ben Howard - The Fear
~I've heard this song a couple times through Pandora, but I hadn't really connected with it until a few days ago.  It came on during a walk through the trails in the area.

4. Bon Iver - Holocene
~This is my 'beach song'.  Seriously, if you ever go for a walk on the beach by yourself, play this song.  Perfection.  I haven't tried it in any other situations, I just really love this song.

5. The Decemberists - Sons and Daughters
~Where do I start...?  I found this song through the Office (season 9, The Farm) and my boyfriend had it on his iTunes playlist.  He looked at how you play the song for both guitar (for him) and ukulele (for me) and we've played it together a few times because we can.  And it's adorable.

6. Katy Perry - Unconditionally
~A very recent addition to my iTunes library.  I hadn't heard this song until I ended up in Oklahoma, and now I can't stop listening to it.  I also watched the Katy Perry movie. Three times so far.

7. Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful
~This song is beautiful.  I really, really wanted to not like her because she (in the way I saw it happen) got famous because she was so vintage and old school and made her way around tumblr like wildfire.  Then, I heard this song on the radio and instantly had to know who was singing it.  Now we're here...

8. Miike Snow - Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)
~I first heard this song when I was working at Sephora and a coworker switched the music from the store's channel to her Spotify account.  I think it's the drumming that's so damn catchy and I warn you, it'll be stuck in your head. For forever.

9. The Mountain Goats - So Desperate
~This one reminds me of Tom sooo much.  I won't go into detail, but it's weird how much we can relate to this song.

10. Radical Face - Always Gold
~Out of all of the Radical Face songs I've heard (which, let's be honest, is only 4) I think this one is my favorite.

11. Skylar Grey - Coming Home Part II
~I could listen to this girl's voice all day.  Just beautiful.

12. Sufjan Stevens - Christmas in the Room
~Christmas is coming!  He has a ton of great Christmas/Holiday songs, and I could seriously listen to him for weeks without hearing the same song twice.  He has recorded an insane amount of songs.

13. Walk off the Earth - Wrecking Ball
~Yes, I know what you're thinking.  Yes, this is a Miley Cyrus cover.  Yes, "wrecking ball" is secretly my jam right now.  I'm over it. This cover is brilliant.

14. Zedd ft Hayley Williams - Stay the Night
~Love.  This is my ringtone.  I haven't heard a Zedd song I didn't like yet.  Again, love.

15. The Weepies - Nobody Knows Me At All
~One of the only songs I can kind of, sort of play on the guitar.

16. The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather
~Randomly heard it on Pandora one day and the next day it was a huge sensation on the radio.  I don't know anything about it or the band besides it's catchy as hell and I love legitimate sweater weather.

And if I could suggest another song... It apparently isn't on YouTube at all, but it's come up on my Pandora stations once or twice and I love it.  I did manage to find it on iTunes, but nowhere else.  The song is called "Fond" by A Weather.  Check out the preview through iTunes!

Today I Believe...

• Too much coffee isn't a bad thing until you start to seriously get dehydrated.

  

  Welcome to the midwest, where everyone drinks from mason jars (this is only sort of true).

• Songs are addicting.  I've been listening to the same few songs on repeat for days.

• The mixture of coffee, familiar songs, and being stuck inside because of an ice storm actually make things seem a little more cozy.

• Missing someone makes you realize just how important they are to you.
  

• The holidays aren't made by what you give and take, but the time you can spend with the family you have.  This Christmas is going to be very different because of far away most of my family is.

• Living in a flat state gives you a reason to chop your hair short or always rock a ponytail.  The wind just makes you eat any loose hair it can blow into your face anyways.

  

  I've been playing around with some ideas...

• Sometimes buying clothes you normally wouldn't helps you find new wardrobe staples.

Through time and space...

• Not a lot of things can boost your confidence like a good hair/makeup day.

• Goals are important, and I'm starting to get serious about mine.

Catching Up

I've made it to Oklahoma.  Today was my first full day living in a new state, which started off with a job interview at Target.  Run of the mill, holiday hire, I should start next week.  

Anyways, I have a few pictures from yesterday and today that I wanted to share.  The traveling was fairly uneventful.  My boyfriend and I woke up at 4 in the morning Sunday to drive to the airport, sad goodbyes and no pictures from that (because who wants to see that?) and I forgot to get a real breakfast before I boarded the first flight south.

Found this is the Dallas airport. I want one for my house.

Welcome to Texas

I went on a little walk around part of the base, and found some semi-sketchy buildings.  

 I've decided this place would be great for shooting a horror movie.  It's got the very quaint feel to it while still managing to be super creepy.

And, I just remembered I'm a day late on my Thankful days list so here is D through L to cover tomorrow, too:

D - I'm thankful for my dad for being so helpful through the moving process and everything else in my life.

E - Elephants for being so damn cute I could die.

F - Friends and family for being there when the shit hits the fan (and when it doesn't, but mostly when it
does) and distracting me when I need to be distracted.

G - Grandma! I'm so thankful I got to spend time with my grandma before I left.

H - I'm thankful for Hannah and hamburgers and having hands.

I - Ice cream, ice, iced coffee (if you know me, this is no surprise), iPhones, aaaand instagram.

J - Jeans that fit well, justice, Jones soda.

K - Kevin Hart, Katy Perry (I just watched her movie, soo good), and kindness.

L - Love, lazy days, lessons, learning, Lindt chocolate.

This list may have seemed a little less deep than some people on Facebook, I was just trying to think outside the box a little more and I'm totally serious about all of them.  Happy Monday (which is really Tuesday for a lot of you) and I hope you have a good week!

Coming Up Quick!

So, as we close in on my last 48 hours in Connecticut, I figured I should post something considering I said I'd try to post daily while I had the time off and obviously haven't been keeping up with that promise.  Here's what I've been up to in the last two days.

Wednesday, I did a whole lot of nothing... Like, laid in bed all day kind of nothing...

But today, my grandma and I went on a lunch date to Nunu's Bistro in Colchester.  It's an adorable little bistro tucked behind another building.  It was a house at one point, but they renovated it into this cute little business space. 

 After my date with my grandma, I took my younger brother and sister out to Denny's one last time.  That was always our special little spot if we just wanted something to do and get away from the house for an hour or two, or a stop on the way home from a day out.

They decided to fill my cup with all of their ice...

..and we drew on our place mats.

 This picture was from the other day, before I had a phone interview.  I was playing with my camera waiting for the call.  I am really loving this lip color right now, it's a really pretty terracotta red by Nars.

And a little peek into the makeup I did for Halloween.. My sister was zombie Pinkie Pie and her boyfriend was just zombie Devin.

Tom and I went to a bonfire at his aunt's house.  I didn't get any decent pictures of my makeup, but here's a picture of him in his costume.  The face is really what pulls the whole thing together.

Tomorrow, I get my tattoo and see my family for the last time before I leave, so hopefully there will be plenty to show you tomorrow night/Saturday morning.  Also, Saturday plans are still up in the air, but hopefully Tom and I do something together on our last day before I go.  Until then, have a great Friday!