My May Faves!

FAVORITE TIME OF THE MONTH!

..because I love watching my favorite YouTube people talk about their favorites, and I love reading my favorite blogger's posts about theirs as well! 

Here

we

go!

Nail Polish:

Pirates of the Caribbean Collection:

I've said that I'm falling away from OPI, but I don't HATE it. I just don't love it as much as some do! The POC Collection released a week or two ago, and I've been waiting because I want the silver shatter SO bad, but unfortunately everyone else wants it too. :( I didn't get it, but I did get "Skulls and Glossbones" (second one from left) and "Mermaid's Tears" (far right). 

L.o.v.e.

They're very opaque and don't require too many coats, and that's usually where I encounter problems with OPI, but nevertheless - I love these, and I have SO many to try thanks to Ashia. 

I love when she cleans her makeup/cosmetics out.

Also love the America nail art I picked up at Sally's (excuse the phone quality photo). I just painted my nails with Finger Paints "Easel Come, Easel Go", added the art, and painted a Sally Hansen top coat! Viola!

*I will say that I haven't gotten any of Essie's Brazilliant Collection, though, so look for them in my June Favorites, I'm sure! :)

Song:

Leather & Lace - Stevie Nicks (ft. Don Henley)

Since I heard the guy & girl from The Voice sing this, I have had this on "My List" in iTunes. I love, love, love it. LOVE it.

I see myself becoming more of a Nicks fan than I already am.

Face Product:

The Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel came in my Birchbox this month, and I hate the smell. It's horrible, but the result from using it has been great! I'm not way into organic stuff, but for my face I've discovered that you REALLY can tell a difference. 

Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara - it's probably not fair to say that it's a "favorite", but I know I do already. I've tried it out today, and it's phenomenal. I have a love/hate relationship with mascara because I am SEVERLY picky, and I believe in the Mabelline Pulse Perfection, but Rimmel may have outdone Mabeline this time. We'll see! 

Hair Product:

This stuff is a dream come true (also from Ashia - Thanks again!) I usually wash my hair at night and can go at least 2 days without having to wash it again, but since I'm not straightening it much, the curls tend to get OVERLY messy. This whips them back into 1st day shape. I really recommend it if you have issues with frizz! :)

Food:

Yeah, I'm not sure why... But I'm kind of loving these things. 

Never been a Ham & Cheese fan, that is until now!

Movie:

It looks completely sketch from the cover, and I guess the plot sort of is - but the moral behind the movie is what I love. Of course I pay attention to the small quotes that no one would ever recognize, and I loved so many from this movie.

Phone App:

Barcode Scanner! 

You can scan anything, anywhere & search it online for a cheaper price. Wonderful, don't ya think?

..and for all you Samsung Galaxy users - it comes on your phone already installed.! Bam! :)

New Discovery:

The Hard Candy line has some awesome stuff! I love the names they have for things. I've had some of their nail polish for awhile, but I hadn't tried their makeup until recently. 

I bought the "Hide & Glow Cheek" cheek tint which is basically like the Tarte creme blush, but it's in a stick. I like it because it's light, and I can throw it on quicker than a powder blush! 

I also have the "Fox in a Box" blush in Smooth Talker, and I like it as well!

Random:

My baby-tee from Old Navy (on sale for $6 today!) 

Well, do I have to explain why? I mean, isn't the flag a dead giveaway for my patriotic self?

:)

Comment with your favorites! I'd love to see!

SUYL: Desserts!

Brownie Trifle 

You will need:

1 package of brownies (of your choice)

2 chocolate instant puddings

2 8 oz. packages of whip cream

- bake brownies according to instructions on the box, and let them cool. (be careful of the crust on the sides and try not to let them get TOO crisp)

- after the brownies are cool, break apart a section into bite size pieces and place them in the bottom of our serving dish.

- next, place a layer of pudding on top of the brownies (no certain amount, just make sure the brownies are mostly covered).

- then place a layer of whip cream over the pudding.

- start again with the brownies on top of the whip cream, and repeat until you are out of ingredient! (ending with whip cream on top.)

If you want to add a "creative" touch, grate some chocolate over the top of the whip cream in the center! 

Quick, easy, and DELICIOUS!

My First .... GIVEAWAY!

CLICK HERE to enter the FIRST (of a series) Giveaway on my photography blog in honor of Memorial Day! 

I hope you all will join in! 

:)

phonetoblog 2!

1. Baby hogs!
Megan & I were riding one day as we waited on our next class & we ran across these little babies. I am not a fan of hogs, though. Honestly - I hate them. BUT it was neat to see these.
2. Cows....
In the road! The same day! Ha! I love riding down the road & BAM there's a cow. Bet y'all city folk can't say that's ever happened to you! Ohhh, it's a natural occurrence around these parts. ;-)
3. Sunset on the Flag:
I just love America. I the huge flag at the end of town, and I love sunsets. This just seemed like too good to pass up. Plus, I think it was the first picture I took on my phone!
4. Senorita!
My "godcow" instead of godchild. :-) I named her. And I document her grow through photos, thanks to her godfather.
5. Organization:
I just recently got some shelves for my nail polish, and this was the day we ordered them. I was trying to organize them by brand, but now I'm kind of wanting to organize them by color. Opinions?
6. Baby A:
Well, apparently she was hungry! :) or maybe she just couldn't get enough cheese dip (aka chisdip on the ticket) on her fork?
7. Nail....stickers?
Oh, yes! And for those of you who despise waiting on your nails to dry, this is the perfect solution! You don't have to get a wild color - I just prefer them. They have some matte shades, shimmers, and designed ones. I love them. The only issue is they're around 8 dollars.?
8. Snake....catching?
Ah, the adventures of Ferris & I will probably make a few of these photo blogs this summer. We were just riding & happened upon this little guy! Once we got out, he started towards me, and i ended up with a death grip on ferris' shirt (because we didn't know what kind he was), but it wound up being totally harmless. I love snakes. I told a friend of mine that we were "snake hunting", but I had to retrace my steps because we weren't harming the snakes! :)
9. Peacock Nails:
I am into doing actual design on nails now, and the one on the left (of the strutting peacock) is my current favorite. I have a lot of nail arts that I want to do, but I've gotta get some things to do them!

Ah, that's my phones story for the moment! :)

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Ode to the Realization that "Life Happens".

For an entire year, I have been caught in a haze of stillness where life happened all around me, and I just followed behind it. I moved where it moved, I saw what it let me see, and I became okay with the things taking place around me.
 With all the talk of graduation happening this week for so many people, including my small town high school where my feet walked the same row in the same building this time last year - I have been reflecting back on so many memories I had during my time there. It only feels right to write this now, a year later, because my thoughts are finally coming together. Disregard anything you've read about "growing up" from me up until this point. It is void. This, my faithful blog readers, is the honest truth.
 Just in the past week, I have taking a walk - a run - a stroll - a drive - down memory lane. People that made up so much of my high school career have fallen back into my heart the same way that they were for four consecutive years. They have reminded me of the feelings I felt during phases in my life, feelings I hold onto even now. The same people have been there for me through thick and thin, and they have never left my side. The girls that I call my best friends are still true to me by holding my hand through every rough patch I come to, and the others - well, they know their place.
 You see, I haven't thought throughout my first year of college that this is a stage in growing up. I have let myself believe that it's just another year of memories that I will wrap up and call off later. The truth is, this is a new season in my life. This is where LIFE truly begins. But the beautiful thing is that I've caught myself letting life happen instead of living it. I've just recently been slapped in the face by reality as it screams, "you are growing up. your friends are growing up. things are changing, and they won't always be here."
 How true is that? My womb-to-tomb friends are moving on with their lives, and I am too - but recently it's seemed like I have been watching them move forward while I ask myself, "What will I do without them?" Let me state clearly to you that I have no regrets. I have lived and loved more than you would possibly understand. That is NOT what I'm saying. And granted, I know I am moving forward in my education, and I am by no means doubting my future because I know Who holds the plan in that, but it has become so real to me that after this year the things that have really always been a constant will no longer be. 
 I have started dwelling on this because I have learned over the course of the last few days that this is my last summer with them, and I wish I had taken more advantage of last summer because even then things weren't so different. You were still here, and life seemed right most of the time. Changing isn't a huge issue with me when dealing with paint colors, moving furniture, and transitioning to different atmospheres, but when you throw change into my relationships - we have a totally different case on our hands.
 As I sit here typing this with tears in my eyes, I want you to know that this is a change that will take more than a "pep talk with myself" to get over because in some sense of the situation - this change is permanent. This all has to happen in order for our lives to begin, and I could NOT be happier for the people I love and the accomplishments they've already achieved. I would NEVER try to hold them back from doing their best, seeking their passion, and I will be the first to stand up and cheer them on as I watch it unfold - but only having the memories of our time together to reflect on seems so overwhelming and difficult at this very moment. My last 5 years of life have been basically the same. Sure, I've had some who have entered for a season, but for the most part I have kept you all in my own way. 
 I feel like everyone goes through this "crisis" (and I really emphasize the quotes here) at some point when they realize that life is happening to them. I am, by no means, unhappy. I am blessed, thankful, and appreciative for the people I know, places I've been, and things that are left in store for me. Please don't tally this up as a "poor pitiful me" post. I don't mean it in that sense at all. 
 I just felt like I should write about the way some of you may have felt in the past, or some of the feelings that are to be felt in the future. This isn't easy, yet it isn't horrible either. This is the way things go, and I know the ones who have truly been there for me all this time won't stray after distance brings us apart, I am not naive to the fact that it will be difficult. I just believe this summer is the epilogue to the rest of them as we wrap up our last few summer night drives down dirt roads, singing to songs that make us feel happy, walking barefoot around an old pond dam, and sitting in the back of trucks with the sound of locusts squealing in the background. All of these things have happened, all of them I've looked forward to with each last day of school. 
 Now? I will cherish every moment I have like that this summer.  I look forward to the times that we can take advantage of the little things I hold onto. I will try my best to better understand the connections that have bonded us for so many years. I will hang on to every second of the time spent with each of the special people I have in my life. I will continue to remember the summer's that have molded me into the individual I am today. I will not let go of the love that radiated the night's of three consecutive months for basically all of my teenage life. Those nights that turned into those mornings that were really afternoons will always be ours. 
 I can't let my mind wander back without remembering the impact you have left on me. In this second right now, I can't imagine forgetting you & letting you walk away as if nothing ever happened. You are the main ingredient to the reason that the smell of a late summer night reminds me of you, and you are the icing on the cake of the afternoons we spent together. You are the voice of the past that rings in my ear as I playback the days that I thought would never end. You have taught me a lot that I know about myself, and we've stood beside each other as we have grown up. Throughout every season of my life, I've always found you amongst a crowd of people. You have made me happy; you have made me sad. You have forced feelings of weakness, and encouraged moments of strength. You are beautiful to me, and no one - not even you when you think of yourself at your worst - can change my opinion. You are more than one chapter in the book of my life. NO one knows me like you all do. No one tries to understand me like you do. And no one, no one could ever love you more than I do now, have in the past, or ever will. No one can take that away.

SUYL - Fave Vacationing Spots!

This will probably be a fairly short post for me because we always vacation in the same spot, so I guess that's a sure sign that it's a favorite, huh? :-)

Gulf Shores, AL

Ever since I was younger we've gone to the same beach. 

Even though we leave for a vacation, it feels like a second home once we get there. 

Glasgow, MT

This very well may be the last place you'd want to find yourself: Sitting by the Milk River on snow laden ground at sunset, but for a girl who loves Winter, sunsets, and seeing deer - it is exactly where I want to be. 

I don't know if this can be a "favorite" considering i've only been once, but if saying "I'd pick up and leave right now to go again" counts for anything, consider it SAID!

Where are your favorite places to be?

guess what I use as a bean bag chair? a raisin.

This video sincerely cracks me up.

PLEASE allow yourself 3 minutes.

It is so dumb, but I love the voice & the 1 liners.

HA!

April Favorites!

I love sharing what I love with you and giving my take on each thing! 

Here we go.... 

Nail Polish: Orly: Crush on You

                        Essie: Lapis of Luxury

I couldn't choose just one. Orly is quickly taking over OPI for me, although I love their new collection that's fixing to release in tribute to the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. 

Anyway, these colors are both springy & bright. They last forever on my nails, and while they're definite shades of orange & blue - they have a unique tint to them. I love that!

Face Product: Mabelline Fit Me Foundation

I know I'm way behind most of you, but I had never used liquid foundation before now. I trust Mabelline with everything (except eye shadow), so I grabbed some of this not knowing what to expect. I love it. Hands down. It is so weightless, it doesn't run, and it covers well enough to even out my "blemishes" under my eyes & my permenantly red nose I seem to always keep! It also has 18 SPF, but it doesn't make my face oily by the end of the day!

Food: Honey Bunches of Oats (with fresh strawberries)

I have been adding strawberries in, even though they're a fruit - they still have a lot of sugar in them. Oh well, I'm just telling myself they're a FRUIT. That means something, right? :-)

Hair: Feather Extensions!

If you read my "phontoblog" you saw the extensions in my hair, but I am loving them still! I can see myself enjoying these all summer. 

Random thing: Burts Bee's with Milk & Honey

Some say this smells like sunscreen.......I like it! Maybe it reminds me of my childhood when I wore 3 coats of it just to walk from my house to the car in hopes that I wouldn't get burned on the way! Nah, it does smell a little like sunscreen, but I love that it isn't a thick lotion that makes my hands greasy.

Phone App: Tweetdeck

If you have an android or an iPhone, are an active user of Twitter, & need a good app - check it out. I love it. I also overuse it. ;-)

Movie: Red Riding Hood

Was it this month that we went to see that?? Um... Anyway, I enjoyed trying to figure out who the "wolf" was the entire time. Megan & I would whisper back and forth "ohhh.. it's her... no, it's him.. wait... I don't know! No... it's definitely her..", but seeing the end was fun & exciting. I liked it a lot.

Website: Bands for Arms

B4A is an organization that takes military servicemen's donated uniforms and transforms them into bracelets. These can be any type of uniform. I have 2 ordered now - one from a sailors uniform that served in WWII at Pearl Harbor, and the other is actually made from a Navy uniform, but I liked the look of it, so.. ;) This organization's proceeds go to:

- Marine Toy for Tots Foundation 

- Project Little Spirits

- The USO

- Japan (Tsunami victims)

- The National WWII Museum

Song: Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars

Disclaimer: ONLY listen if you like "weird" music. 

It's extremely singer/songwriter/alternative-ish. 

Jewelry: AE Freshwater Pearl Bracelet

because it layers well, and it goes good with the necklace I mentioned last month. Now, if I could just find some earrings....

*********

Did you post your favorites? 

I want to see!

Leave a comment with your link.

Have a good week!