so i've been horribly depressed, stressed and anxious lately =/ but! my birthday is coming up next month, and i figured it would be more fun to post a wish list than to whine about everything, lol.. even when i don't have money (which is usually the norm), i still like to check tons of clothing stores and different websites online just to see "what's new" ..i guess that just makes fashion a passion of mine :) ha! mind you, this is in no way a list of things i want people to get for me at all, i don't expect that, i just like to share things i'm loving.. so here goes! :)
1. ADORE this bedding set from target! and i've been in pretty dire need of a new one for a while now! lol.. i have some black and white zebra pillows that have been sitting in my closet for forever.. i think they'd be cute with this set and some black satin sheets :) ...i'm also thinking about making the switch to satin sheets/pillow cases, ha! much better for your hair and skin! lol anyway, i love the pleating detail and little buttons! the dusty violet color is cute, too! violet comforter set from target
2. omg!! this has to be THE cutest dress i've seen in a while!! ahhh!! if you know me, you know dresses are just about all i wear in warm weather.. and warm weather it is! this would be so cute with a pale yellow cropped cardigan or something :) floral dress from windsor
3. it's been said that every girl needs a pair of nude pumps, and i couldn't agree more! preferably nude hidden platform stiletto pumps ;) hahaa! i love these to death! they go with just about anything and make every one's legs look long and sleek! nude pumps from urbanog
4. i'm pretty much OBSESSED with this blue/lilac color! it's so flattering and spring/summer appropriate! i also really like the off-the-shoulder style shirts! they're my favorite comfy shirts that can also be dressed up easily! tunic from victoria's secret
5. i know it's summer, but i think light weight cardigans are essential year-round! i love the length of this one! it'd be cute over a patterned dress or skirt on a windy day or cool night, aww :) and i really like 'oatmeal' colored anything! i guess i'm a neutral kind of person, my favorite wardrobe colors are all boring colors like taupe, gray and cream! lol cardigan from aerie
6. ..pretty sure i NEED these tan ruffly flats! perfect with the above mentioned sweater/dress combo! :) they are simply adorable, 'nuff said! flats from charlotte russe
7. could i possibly have a wish list without nail polish?? i think not! recently, i've discovered a new love for pink polish.. however, i don't seem to be satisfied with any of my pink colors! boo! so i've done some research, and decided i'd pretty much love the following pink colors! and this pale blue is awesome! i have a 'tiffany blue' that i love so much, so i think this would be a hit, too! :) ha! from left- 'borrowed and blue', 'knockout pout', 'need a vacation', and 'haute as hello' all from essie! essie polish from ulta
8. holy bananas! i have been DYING for this palette for over a year! this thing is impossible to get your hands on, and a must have for every beauty freak like myself! :) urban decay made a limited quantity to begin with when this 'naked' palette was released and the demand for it was so high, it was sold out in weeks! they've decided to make more and they're finally back in stores! eeee!!! these colors are perfect, every eye shadow color you need for every look! love them! edit: i have the best boyfriend ever and this palette is finally mine!!! :D
9. an epilator.. yeah, i said it. you don't know what that is? i didn't either... it's this super scary looking 'shaving' device! seriously! it's got a ton of tiny tweezers that pluck the hair and apparently leave your legs smooth for pretty much forever... sound painful? yeah, doesn't bother me! lol.. anything to keep from shaving every day during the summer! ugh! i have no idea how it works, but i've read/watched reviews and it's all the rage! haha! :) epilator from sally's
10. splurge- this BEAUTIFUL ring!! i'm in love with it!! 3.5 carat cushion cut green amethyst, with pink topaz and diamond accents set in white gold! gorgeous! :D i'm beyond excited that i actually AM getting this ring for my birthday from my sweet jake!! it'll be an early birthday present.. maybe i'll post pictures when i get it soon! yay! :)
okay i "stumbled upon" this list, and it's really long, but hopefully it's worth it to you :) ..but before i get to that, you should know what 'stumble upon' is.. www.stumbleupon.com - you can pick interests (fashion, photography, humor, dogs, religion, food, health, ANYTHING) and hit this little "stumble" button at the top of your browser and it'll take you to random websites from alllll over the interwebs that have to do with your interests. you can either check out the websites, or hit "stumble" over and over like i do and sample them all :) it's awesome for when you're bored! good times!
right... so i love lists for some reason(??), some of my stumble upon interests are psychology, psychiatry, sociology, people, life, whatever i don't know! so i always get these lists and articles about life and living and being happy/successful/etc etc... this list is super long, but it's pretty worth it :) it's 100 little ways to "uncomplicate your life" ..no, it's not some checklist or race to complete all of them and be 100% the shizz at living life, but i found it interesting and refreshing, maybe you will, too :)
1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds 2.Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired 3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly 4. Stick to your budget 5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare 6. Balance your checkbook 7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people. 8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them. 9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years 10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others 11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish 12. Kiss and make up 13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market 14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month 15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full 16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad 17. Pay your bills on time 18. Get an annual physical examination 19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day. 20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are 21. Give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years 22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended 23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is. 24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities 25. Tell the truth 26. Don’t cheat 27. Don’t steal 28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go 29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore 30. Do your best at work, or at school 31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry 32. Eat when you are hungry 33. Be yourself 34. Say no unapologetically 35. Cook simple meals 36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses 37. Pay off your car before buying a new one 38. Organize your desk at the office 39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when it falls back 40. Organize your important paperwork 41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday 42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers 43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached 44. Spend your time with nice people 45. Avoid drama 46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving 47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers 48. Don’t engage in office politics 49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs 50. Do the dishes right after dinner 51. Never go to sleep angry 52. Ask nicely for what you need and want 53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart 54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger 55. Leave work at work 56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy 57. Don’t envy others 58. Have your oil changed 59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold 60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day 61. Weed your garden weekly 62. Wash your car weekly 63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time 64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships 65. Don’t drink and drive 66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each. 67. Be friendly with your neighbors 68. Return emails and phone messages promptly 69. Schedule in free time 70. Don’t procrastinate 71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it 72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be 73. Forgive and forget. End of story. 74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity 75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose 76. Take care of any health issues or concerns 77. Have your tires rotated 78. Have your brakes checked 79. Have your eyes checked 80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you 81. Let go of perfection in others 82. Let go of perfection in yourself 83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves 84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work 85. Have an allotted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by 86. Drink more water 87. Eat more salmon 88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill 89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style 90. Finish what you start 91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style 92. Create a daily routine 93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals 94. Slow down 95. Eat out less often 96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one 97. Allow your children to grow up 98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year 99. Stretch every day 100. If a relationship is over, let it go
yeah, it's colorful, haha... i wanted to emphasize the green ones for myself :) our lives can get extremely complicated, stressful, unhappy and even agonizing. i think it's important to keep at least some things in check, to keep some things simple and easy. most importantly, i think it's a must to have some kind of faith and some kind of trust that things are all happening to you and around you for a reason. don't try to nitpick everything, or find the 'reason' for everything, but instead see the good in what you can, and when you can't, just let go and have faith. here's a few i think i'd add to the list :) --
101. breathe. 102. spend time everyday dreaming about the future. 103. watch silly/stupid/funny movies. 104. soak up some sun. 105. pray. be thankful. ask for forgiveness. 106. tell someone a story. 107. wear a pair of cute heels, if you're a woman, of course ;) 108. read a good book. 109. take a nap. 110. set a few small goals for yourself every day, and pat yourself on the back when you accomplish them.
i feel defeated and completely lost. not lost like i don't know where i'm going, but lost like i have no idea where i am, how i've gotten here, and i have no idea how to get out. it's horrifying. difficult. exhausting. painful. intense. it's a nightmare. my worst nightmare.
more than anything i need courage, strength, faith and confidence. and i feel like those are the things that are the most out of my reach. you have no idea how impossible it can be to face a fear. a stupid, tiny, completely irrational, intense, crippling, terrifying fear. i pray and wish with all of my might that i can have the strength to feel the fear and do it anyway, but it's like i hit a brick wall and literally cannot move past it. my entire life is put on hold, stopped. it is ruling me and controlling me, and i can't overcome it.
"for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." II timothy 1:7
well, as my first (and let's be honest, possibly my only) post for april, why not throw together a springtime wish list, just for the fun of it! :D i have to admit, i'd do a lot more favorites/wish list posts if i felt like anyone would really appreciate my adoration for current fashion and accessories, haha! anyway, a few weeks ago, the lovely/yucky maconga decided to give us all a preview of a beautiful spring! ..the sun and 70 degrees got me all kinds of excited for floral print dresses, espadrille wedges and over sized sunglasses, and then the weather turned right back to cold mush! so here's hoping springtime will come back soon and welcome lots of sandals and sundresses! ;)
1- some sort of cutesy straw hat.. i know, i know.. i have no idea with what or where i would ever wear one, but maybe i'd be gutsy enough to pair it with a casual dress and wear it out one day, ha! they're just too cute! these are both from charlotte russe for around 12 bucks..
2- dresses, dresses, dresses! oh my goodness the floral dresses this year! flowers, silk accents, ruffles and chiffon! how precious! i'm loving the idea of pairing them with a waist cinching belt and cute cardigans! eeee! :) forever 21 is always on top of the trends and they're so affordable it's ridiculous.. we neeeeeed one here in town!! these four are from f21.com
3- nude strappy wedges! holy banana sandwich! i am in LOVE with these wedges from target! they're from the dolce vita for target line and are less than $30! dolce vita shoes are wayyy pricey, so i love that designers like them and cynthia vincent make lines with target for cheap! i feel like nude shoes are really starting to jump on the scene.. i love the ankle buckles on these, they'd be so cute with a cute top and some rolled up skinny jeans! ahhhh!
4- destroyed skinnies... ever since my hollister destroyed "cali flares" totally self destructed in the ass region (aka- ripped right up under the butt when my sister put her ghetto booty in them! ha!), i've been wanting a good new pair of old jeans.. ha! i know, "why would you buy such messed up jeans?!" ..well, just because i like the way they look! and you can't make holes look that good with some scissors and sand paper! haha! anyway, i've always hated skinny jeans.. because they are meant for "skinny" people, hence the name, which is often confused with jeans that make you look skinny (that's a big NAH AH!).. anyway, they look best on those tall slim girls with twig legs, but they are comfortable, and i like cuffing the bottoms for a simple cropped look :) ..and like i said before, these jeans from wet seal would look cute with those strappy wedges to dress down a nice top! :D
5- brown high waist belt look how cute with the little floral cutouts! i'm a sucker for any light brown/cognac colored accessory! by now, i think every girl should own at least one high waisted belt to cinch those tunics and flowy dresses! this one from charlotte russe is just under 10 dolla!
6- little bow jewelry! ahhh the bows! i love anything with cute little bows! earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets.. adorable! these few are from charlotte russe and forever 21 ..where else?! :)
7- leather flip flops! i wear flip flops all year 'round.. and sometimes you just need more than your standard rubber old navy havaiana knock offs! american eagle always has the best leather flip flop selection! love them!
8- spring nail polish! you know i had to put nail polish! :D i'm loving the spring 2011 "french affair" collection by essie! i love the nudes, light pinks and the sky blue! omg! essie makes the best polishes ever! i'm so glad ulta came along so i could find this brand!
aright, aright.. i could probably go on! but i'll be done for now! hopefully you enjoyed my fashion blabbery and excitement and maybe now you look forward to spring that much more! :)
sometimes, you get a chance to find someone who just gets you. you find someone who knows all the right things to say and just what to do. someone who knows when and how you hurt, and what you need to hear to make everything better. someone who loves seeing you laugh, and knows exactly how to make it happen. someone who knows how to hold you when you're happy, and when you're sad. someone who knows just when to turn to you and smile at dinner. or when to lean over to kiss you randomly while the movie is playing. someone who knows exactly how to hold your hand in his, and how to kiss you just right. someone who must know just how much you love his sweet touches. someone who knows when you need to be squeezed tight. and when you need to hear "i've got you" whispered into your ear. someone who knows when you need a listening ear to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, or a friend to laugh with. someone who is the absolute best at being all three. sometimes you find this someone. you find that being in their arms is nothing like you've ever known. you find that their smile is incomparable to anyone else, and their laugh is the best you've ever heard. you find someone who thinks all the same things of you, and just how to show you they care. sometimes they may not even know they can do all of these things. sometimes they are this way because that's just how they were meant to be. for you. :)
i almost managed to make it through february without a single post! oh noes! ha.. :)
to say the absolute least, a lot has been going on lately... i've had just about every possible emotion running through my head at all times, and i can't seem to hold on to any of the good, positive feelings. welcome to depression. i've been struggling a lot with my anxiety for the past month or so, and it's pretty much consumed me. i get lost in thoughts and worries about the past, the now, and the future. what am i doing? what do i want? am i doing the right thing? it's been pretty much impossible to shut my wondering mind up and relax- enter sleep. lots of it. which means dreams. lots of crazy dreams! which i do love.. recently, i have had a few violent dreams, which basically shows that i'm struggling with control and power in my waking life. ding ding ding! enter faith. lots of it. haha :) i have to know, trust and believe that 'this, too, shall pass', so i suppose that's the main thing i've been working on... i'll have to update soon when i have something more up beat to write about.. :) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
man, oh man do i have a ton of updating to do! the end of 2010/beginning of 2011 has been highly eventful to say the least! and i've been loving it!
love is in the air, ladies and gentlemen! the new year has brought new engagements! one of which being miss heather stephens and her longtime sweetheart, kyle sears! :) i couldn't be happier for sweet heather! and i have to say i'm very lucky and honored to be a part of their big day! :D between her and jamie, lots of wedding planning talk has been buzzing and i'm freakin' loving it! this makes wedding #2 i'll be in this year, so i've got some serious gyming and tanning to get to!
so since i've spilled that, i guess i can backtrack to Christmas ..which was fabulous! i always get more than i ask, and i'm truly thankful for some of the sweet and thoughtful gifts i received! :) ..i spent Christmas eve with family and into the night/wee hours of Christmas morning with my handsome man :) jake left on Christmas day with heather, kyle, zach and her family to go on a holiday cruise for a whole week, so i high tailed it to tennessee to spend time with mom's side of the family through to the new year! we had such a great time, as usual! ..that is, until i caught some deadly effing stomach virus on new year's eve! holy puke batman, it was 12 packed hours of absolute miserable HELL! and i've been whining and complaining about it ever since! HA! so yeah, i rang in the new year posted up in bed watching the ball drop on TV with a cold wet rag and trash can nearby! needless to say, it was definitely not one of my best times, ugh! haha...
ANYdamnway! i guess april[new years eve] showers bring er.. may[new year] flowers? haha! i've really enjoyed 2011 so far! like i said, i've been so excited for heather/jamie and the wedding planning, work has been awesome and so has my jakey! :D i'm thankful to be surrounded by such uplifting friends and family, and thankful for what is happening in their lives and my own :) i feel like i've seen a million different turns of events lately and it's kind of been amazing to watch.. i know i'm sounding like some kind of peace, love and kindness hippy, but having awesome people to share a little happiness with here and there ..is the shit! ;)
so as far as resolutions go.. i suppose, most importantly, this year i'd really like to become who i really want to be, who i know i can be. i want to be selfless, loving, kind, and generous ..and mostly, i want to be fearless, brave and courageous. i want to live a life i can enjoy. i want to live without doubt and fear. i want to push forward and not hold back when i'm afraid. i want to be excited instead of nervous. anxiously awaiting instead of dreading. i want to live. plain and simple. :)
"there is no cure for birth and death, save to enjoy the interval." -george santayana
so, wishing you all a happy 2011, here's some happy music that makes me smile..... :)
