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?