Switcharoo!

Ignore the photo color on these images, I didn't feel like fooling with the settings!

My room was rearranged yesterday, due to having a new desk!

For like 6 years I have been doing my homework on my bed or on the floor (but most of the time I just go downstairs to the office.) I fixed my hair on the floor, did my makeup on the floor, painted my nails on the floor, well..I basically did everything except SLEEP on the floor of my room.
I just recently took interest in getting a new desk. I had one in my "old" room. I spent a lot of time at it, but I didn't want another one.

Until recently.

I just decided that it would be beneficial for me to have a logical place to do my homework, charge my computer, do my hair & makeup, etc.

That proposed turning my entire room around! I'm okay with change in my own room. I like this type of changing! Here are some photos, like I said -- disregard the hue.

(previously)

(now)

(before ANY of that occurred.)

whew. 

by the way, the photos show 4 different greens, but my room is closely like the last photo. 

In case my mad photo skills (kidding) had you fooled.

I have a "vintage"-y lamp ordered from none other than Amazon! 

This was the last one, but here's a preview..

I don't know what it is about it, but I love it. It's somewhat strange, but ya'll know me...

.........................

Last, but not least, I didn't post this when it happened! 

Daddy's weird buck he killed right at the end of the season!

Congrats, Daddy! 

January Favorites!

This is my favorite part of the month! I love reading "Favorites" entries! 

They are so much fun.

Although the month isn't over, early next week will be a tad busy for me, so I decided to go ahead & show y'all. 

Enjoy!

I'm sorry. 

He's not going away for me any time soon. 

I have listen to his music every. single. time. my vehicle has been cranked since around 4 weeks ago. 

I'm hopelessly in love. 

Not only OPI, just polish in general, but OPI has my attention this week. 

Their names for polishes are so unique & cute, and they have the most amazing colors. 

I love the formula, and I love the quality. 

with that being said, this is my favorite color right now. It's from the Katy Perry Collection. 

The name? "Teenage Dream". 

How original, Katy. Good job. 

I haven't always been a fan of glittery polishes, but this collection won me over, and other brands (aside from OPI) seem to chip really quickly, but these glitters are packed so thinly that I have faith that it won't be as bad. [maybe].

Ok, remember my comment about my Chi serum? 

Yeah, well, this little guy has found his way up to the SAME position as my Chi.

 I will say that Chi still holds number one because I am infatuated with its smell (this smells like fruit, and i'm not sure how I feel about running around with my hair smelling like a can of mandarins.) 

Since my "New Years Resolution" was to not straighten my hair [as much], I just went all out & decided not to straighten it at all, so this really calms down the lion mane once I dry it, and it doesn't make my hair feel heavy at all.

Was this a favorite last month?

 I've got to stop.

 I need rehab.

I am not a huge perfume person. 

I usually only keep one & don't get another until it's been empty for a week, but I got a wild hair for some new perfume, and this one was my favorite. I smelled a few, got a headache, found this one, and bam. Bought it & left. I love it when that happens.

I was given a candle for Christmas, and the scent is "Creme Brulee". 

I love sweet smells like that for fall/winter-time. 

Sound gross? Try it. 

It taste like the Mint Green Orbit. (I can't think of the name).

It last forever, and it's not like chewing a Hershey chocolate chip because if it was, I wouldn't like it either. Who wants to CHEW chocolate for longer than 10 seconds? Not this female.

This is EOS lip balm. 

Alone it sells for 23.00 (in select places).

I got these 3 scents (Sweet Mint, Honeysuckle Honeydew, & Pomegranate Rasberry) for 9.99 on Amazon. Click here to get it yourself! Love. Love. Love. 

I keep one in my car and one by my bed. The other? I'm savoring!

Ok, this is not a favorite -- yet! 

I am definitely listening to these guys daily as of the past week.

They are so great with lyrics, and I love their style of music.

So, we'll say this is a "potential favorite"

If you do a favorites post, please comment with your blog link so I can check it out! I'd love to see what you're enjoying! 

Music Monday.

 I don't really have a certain topic for my blog today, but I have been doing some heavy writing here lately, so I decided to just share my current playlist with you.
 I try to keep 10 songs under "mylist" on my iPod, but I can't get enough of these 15 songs, so consider this a bonus?
Yay for bonuses?
High five!
Anyway, I'll post them for you, along with my favorite lyrics from each.

Tell Me I'm A Wreck, Every Avenue

"When you tell me I'm a wreck, you say that I'm a mess, how could you expect anything less? You latched onto me, then cried that I strung you along." 

Grenade, Bruno Mars

"If my body was on fire, you'd watch it burn down in flames. You said you loved me. You're a liar 'cus you never, ever did."

Little Miss, Sugarland

"Little miss checkered dress, little miss one big mess, little miss i'll take less when I always give so much more. It's alright, it's alright, it's alright. Sometimes you gotta lose 'til you win."

Heartbeat, The CO & Tyler Ward

"I don't wanna leave this heart alone. I just wanna go wherever you go. I just wanna come back, pick it up - it's love that we're fightin' for."

What She's Doing Now, Garth Brooks

"There's somethin' about this time of year that spins my head around, takes me back, makes me wonder what she's doin' now."

AND

"Just for laughs, I picked up the phone & dialed her old number; no one knew her name. I hung up the phone and sat there & wondered if she'd ever done the same."

Guinevere, Eli Young Band

"She carries memories around like souveniers down in her pockets. She shoulda let some go by now but came seem to drop it. Says forgiveness ain't nothin' but a lifeless tire on the shoulder of her soul that never rolls."

Kiss Goodbye, Little Big Town

"When you lose someone the first thing that goes through your head is if you run fast enough, you just might catch up, but it don't work like that. You just gotta watch them fly, stand there in the spotlight. You wanna swallow up your pride, you know it's gonna be alright. Wish it well & close your eyes with a kiss goodbye."

Best I'll Ever Be, Sister Hazel

"So I wait and I wait, and I run old scenes through my tired head of the days we laid by the school and said 'forever'. Is that the best I'll ever be? I miss you. I miss talkin' all night long with you, and I need this to find a way to your home. My love, can you hear me?"

Beaches of Cheyanne, Garth Brooks

"They say she just went crazy, screamin' out his name. She ran out into the ocean, and to this day they claim: if you go down by the water, you'll see her footprints in the sand 'cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyanne."

She (For Liz), Parachute

"How can only thing that's killin' me make me feel so alive? I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe to save my life. All of my chances swim like sinkin' ships. This time is it."

Heaven, Warrent

"The memories are gray, but man, they sure are comin' back. I don't need to be the king of the world, just as long as i'm the hero to this little girl."

Secrets, One Republic

"Amazing that we got this far, it's like we're chasin' all those stars."

Kiss Me When I'm Down, Gary Allan

"It's been a year since last weekend when you swung by."

Angels on the Moon, Thriving Ivory

"Don't tell me if i'm dying, 'cus I don't wanna know. If I can't see the sun, then maybe I should go. Don't wake me 'cus I'm dreaming of angels on the moon where everyone you know never leaves too soon."

Right on Back to You, Keith Urban

"I don't know where i'd be without you. I guess I get scared, and that's why I act like such a fool 'cus you're the one thing I can't lose. I feel the tears comin, and I wanna cry. I think of us, and all the love comes shinin' through. It always leads me righ on back to you."

Happy Monday, friends. 

if not for those i've loved along the way..

A lot weighing in on my mind today, but the main thing would have to be understanding just how precious life really is, and just how often we take people for granted.

Looking back on people I've loved throughout my lifetime makes me wish I had done things differently sometimes. Of course, when we're younger we're always "on the go", and as I "age" a little more - I find myself trying to grasp at most any opportunities to spend time with the people I love.

Today I went through every Facebook message that I had sent since 2006, and I realized just how much things change in only 4-5 years. Friends change, people change, relationships change, life just changes. It's not always an "all-the-sudden" thing. Sometimes, it's a gradual change in character. Other times, it IS sudden.

My fondest memories of people who have made Heaven their home are a tad foggy, but I try my best to keep them in a corner of my mind. I don't want to lose a single ounce of memory that involves those precious people.

I can feel the wind in my face as we raced down the gravel road with no destination in mind, but I always felt so alive and free, yet safe & sound when I was with you. You would let me guide the four-wheeler all around, and you always made me laugh. I have so many memories of fishing with my daddy, ones that I'll never forget, but your fishing trips are also unforgettable. I could be downright discouraged, and you would give me a little push to keep on fishing. "There's a joe-darter right there..just wait", you'd say. I think I spent most of my summer's on the pier with you, and I wish we could fish one more time. You meant (and still mean) so much to me and your family. Your legacy lives on in the lives of my brother, my three cousins, and your children. You showed us all how to love the outdoors with our whole hearts. Your laugh was contagious, and it filled the entire room. People couldn't help but smile if they heard it, and the same goes for your tales of hunting.

I always loved coming to your house and exploring through your jewelry. You definitely had an eye for uniqueness. Your love for America astounded me. I wish I could share so many things with you. Like, for instance, how I now find myself looking for unique things. My friends even sometimes say, "it's very unique..it's you." I like to believe you had a take on that. I'd like to share with you how I am in love with America. I can remember swinging on your side porch and the crystal bowl of candy you kept in your living room. I loved your back yard, and I remember helping with your garden. You were such a sweet & gentle woman, but your beliefs were stern & strong. You didn't let anyone talk you out of believing in something, and I loved that about you also.

I wish I could remember more about my time spent with you. I know that from what I'm told we are the exact same person. People who knew you & know me always say that. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches were only good at your house, and coming to your home in the country was always a joy for me. Your house had a distinct smell, and I can be anywhere today - smell that particular smell, and I automatically think of you. About a year ago, we went through many of your things & I found so many pieces of yours that I fell in love with. You were also a unique person, and you were so strong willed. You raised my most favorite man in the whole entire world, my number one man, and you raised him to treat people with his upmost respect. You showed him strength that he has displayed for my family well - especially over the last few years. You taught him that doing things for others is the only way to live, and I can't thank you enough for that.

These are just a few people who have touched my life. I know this was a heavy post to read.

Take advantage of the time you're given to spend with the people you care about. Remember those times, and don't take one single second for granted.

:) 


I remember waitin’ by the curb with Mr. Murphy
When daddy picked me up from school his eyes were red
We drove to the hospital in a hurry
Where my family gathered round my Grandpa’s bed
He was my best friend
He taught me how to fish
And I cried listenin to my daddy pray
For one of those I’ve loved along the way

She had a ribbon in her hair the day I met her
That whole next year we couldn’t get enough
And after graduation she took off for Denver
And for awhile we both tried to keep in touch
She was my best friend
And it broke my heart
But I don’t regret the day that she became
One of those I’ve loved along the way

And I hope they know
I never woulda made it this far on my own
Where would we all be without those
Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers
The friends I’ve made, the long lost lovers
I wouldn’t be who I am today
If not for those I’ve loved along the way
Along the way

Now I’m just a country boy with a guitar
Lookin’ back down this old road I’ve been travelin’ on
It was never about tryin’ to be some big star
For me it’s always been about these songs
You see they’re my best friends
They’re the life I live
And I hope they put a smile on the face
Of those that I’ve loved along the way
‘Cause I wouldn’t be the man I am today
If not for those I’ve loved along the way


-Those I've Loved, Eric Church

firsts, lasts, deer, cats, & upcoming tasks...

There's no doubt in ya'll's mind that I have a love affair with the outdoors, right?

So, when I tell you that, "this week (particularly today) just might be the most depressing day of the year" you'll understand why, right?

Does that clear it up for those of you who were confused?

You're welcome. :)

I feel like I cheated myself this season. I didn't take full advantage of huntin' like I would most of the time. There seemed to always be a reason why I wasn't going although my reasons only ever made sense to me: Matt wasn't going to be close incase I ended up needing help loading a deer, Daddy was working or decided to go somewhere I didn't want to go, I was tired, it was cold, I had "things to do".. etc, etc. 

Well, this weekend I just sucked it up & decided amongst myself that I was going regardless of who was doing what. I went every day from Thursday 'til today.

I honestly go through a slight depression era at the end of rifle season, and it sparks back up around June.  I can usually keep myself occupied until September to go dove huntin', but it's a challenge. The good thing about this era is that it ends sooner now since I'm bow huntin'. That starts up in October here, for all you non-Mississippi readers!

(glasgow, montana, 2010)

Sunday I got a fairly early start considering my habits for being fashionably late for everything (including huntin' most of the time, can you even BE fashionably late for huntin'? Anyway..) I chose to sit in a stand that I don't normally sit in, just to see what was going on down there. There is one lane and a box house at one end. 

(this is the lane, box stand beside me..minus Marlee, of course)

I sat there for around 2 hours, and I saw 2 deer. The deer were in no mood to stop & graze, though. They simply walked out, checked to see if they were seen, and walked back into the other  side of the lane. I love watching them & they have no idea :) So, later... I decided that I would have no chance to shoot one if they were moving through there so quickly.

(first bow kill)

I relocated back to "MY" stand. I feel at home there. I know the trees that "turn into deer" at a certain time of the evening, right before dark (I have a problem with that..hallucinating that there is a deer at one end of the field when really - it's a stump or tree limb that has been there for 45,676,402 years.) Anyway, once I got settled I looked down my right lane (it was 5:20). Something, I didn't know what, but something was creeping towards me. I was unsure of what it was (but I was VERY sure that it wasn't a person..just so you know), I just knew it was an animal that didn't belong (alive, anyway) in my field. 

So, I shot it.  

Now you're thinking I am an irresponsible hunter, right? One who doesn't fully think through what she's doing with an automatic rifle? Well, you're wrong. First of all, I had a gut feeling that I knew exactly what it was by its slyness and the way it walked towards me. Secondly, when your very worst fear is (aside from clowns) a coyote... and something walking on 4 legs is headed your direction -- you would do the same. Plus, I had been seeing a bobcat in that area for a few days. Excited, I left my stand to check it out, and in fact - it was a bobcat! My first bobcat! I was just as thrilled as I would have been if you told me I had killed the Boone & Crockett record. 

Yeah, that was pushing my excitement a little. But nevertheless, I was excited. :)

Monday, I went back. I vetoed going to the "new" stand, and I just went to mine. I knew I'd end up there anyway, so I waited until around 5:20 (again), and here comes little teenage doe! Well, I whacked her too, and without assistance I loaded her onto the back of the four-wheeler. I was quite proud of myself for not needing to call in backup! My dilemma? I drive a Honda Pilot now. Incase you didn't know, they have no room for bleeding animals in the trunk. My other dilemma? I drove my Honda Pilot to hunt. My next dilemma? My daddy was hunting in a different county & Matt was at home.

Lucky for me I had a volunteer to go with me to get my deer & take Daddy's (eight point) to the processor, help me unload it then load mine & unload it again. I also had help cleaning it, not that my Daddy wouldn't help me, but anyway. I could do it alone, but I'd rather have someone out there to critique me. As it turned out, I didn't need critiquing Monday, I just skinned the deer and the rest of the time I held the rack steady. I also had help learning that my little teenage doe was, in fact, a little teenage BUCK. Oops. In my defense, his antlers had not broken the skin, and either way -- "my help" told me that they would have shot him too. My daddy said the same thing, and I feel no remorse about it. :) 

It must be all of this "end-of-the-year excitement" that's got my brain shifting gears. The year as a whole (hunting wise) has been unforgettable. I won't ever forget these times i've spent with my daddy. I've experienced a few firsts this year, and I am so grateful for that. I thank God for allowing me to have the opportunity to hunt the outdoors. It is truly a privilege.  

ONWARD!!

I wanted to let you all know that I am going to start doing monthly favorites at the end of each month, and when I post one you can comment on the entry with a link to your blog if you want to participate! I think it will be fun to see what we've been enjoying each month. This can include anything you like: clothes, food, hair products, makeup, movies, books, websites, photos, other blogs, whatever you have discovered or been drawn to during that month. I hope you will all take part. I love seeing what everyone is interested in! 

falling in love...with words.

I am a lover of words. Truly, I am. I enjoy blogging for that very reason. My love for words far exceeds any words that I could ever say, though. I oftentimes get "in trouble" with my friends when they have me listen to new music because I don't listen to the beat or "music" of the song at all - the first time is always about the lyrics for me. The same thing goes for when I make them listen to a new song, I basically demand that they hear the lyrics & what the song is actually trying to say. If they aren't listening, we simply start the song over until they "convince" me that they've heard the words. :) I know, I'm a terrible friend/person. The truth is, they probably really have me fooled most of the time!
 During my high school career, I kept notebooks full of "collages" of words. Quotes, lyrics, phrases, excerpts from speeches, things people said, text messages, anything that caught my eye & made me think or related to me at that present time was on a sheet of paper squiggled into the collage.
 On the first day of my Senior year, we walked in to our English class, sat down, and our teacher began to speak abut her expectations for the year. She told us that she wanted us to "fall in love with words". At first, I thought that was completely impossible because there is no way to fall in love with a word, and words can only mean so much said by some people. Right? Right.
Glad we agree.
 The thing is, there have been many times through the last few years of my life when I wanted to fall in love with words that a person has said to me, believing they are true, injecting me with hope, taking them for all that they are and mean, analyze them to the core & be right about the outcome, but in reality -- sometimes those words leave us heartbroken, empty, and feeling alone. Sometimes words are built up to mean so much more than they actually do, and you are left to heal yourself, to fix yourself, to un-break yourself. It's sad, really, that such beautiful words can be broken down to nothing in our age in time, but it is happening.
 Now that my teacher said that to me, I am still understanding what "loving words" is truly about. I love words for the same reason that I hate them, if that makes any sense. Words give me hope. They allow me to believe. They inject me with hope. I take them for all they they are & mean, and I analyze them to the core. I long to be right about the outcome of most words said to me, especially coming from the mouthes of the folks who speak them.
 I don't believe we should love ALL words. I think that loving them is something you have to train yourself to do. You don't love words spoken by people who speak poorly of you or the things you believe in or stand behind. You don't love words people use in vulgar or offensive ways, but if you understand what my teacher meant about "falling in love with words", you will more than likely know which words to love - and which ones to leave alone.