- these are a few of my favorite things

There's nothing more interesting to me than what people choose to collect. I can't say mine are very unique or gross, but I am pretty consistent with them and I do get super excited when I add another piece to one of these collections. There are a few not pictured (such as my collection of owls) because they're pretty spread out throughout my room, but these are nice and neatly placed for your viewing pleasure!

I started collecting vintage brooches about a year ago and now every time I go to a thrift store or antique shop the first thing my eyes search for are the glass cases that hold them. I love the worn look of rusted metal mixed with the pastel colors and florals. Cameos are my all time favorite. I have about four or five of those alone. Not including the one permanently inked on my thigh - but that's for another post! :) 

My strangest collection out of the three listed here probably has to be the fact that I'm kind of a perfume hoarder. I think I have about twelve different kinds of perfumes/body sprays. I alternate which ones I wear depending on my mood, but my favorites are probably Daisy by Marc Jacobs and Bohemian by American Eagle. The bottles are so pretty, I can't help but buy one every time I smell one I like!

Disney! I used to have every single Disney movie on VHS but sadly my mom thought it would be a good idea to sell them in a yard sale years ago, so I decided to take it upon myself to build up my own Disney DVD collection and so far it's coming along pretty nicely. The only original princess I'm missing is Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I can't wait to pick up Toy Story! Soon enough I'll have to dedicate a whole shelf to just Disney movies.



There are my collections. Nothing too outrageous, but ever-growing and probably something I shouldn't spend money on (but do anyway of course!) Do you have anything you like to collect?  I'd love to hear about it!

- currently

I know I haven't posted much in the past few days and I can't honestly say that I've had too much going on. But I thought I'd share a few of the things I've been loving lately. Somewhat of a 'Things I love Thursday-esque' kind of thing, but on a Monday. (All of these photos were found via tumblr/Google)

This quote, forever.

Story of my life every time I read anything.

If someone would buy me these pencils I would definitely be more motivated to write. 

Succulents are at the top of my list to plant this year. So pretty and unique.

I would love to make this to hang in my house. But I feel like the song would permanently be stuck in my head if I did that.

This cute couple on the beach and that swimsuit? Give me!

Such a painfully honest sentiment to remember. 

Can I can an AWWW for baby Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling?

                                             And a few links for good measure:

Emma Blackery's YouTube I've been watching her for a month or two now and I have seriously fallen in love with her. Weird? Probably. But whatever. She's hilarious and her new series Feel Good 101 sends an awesome message.

Why Do You Stay Up So Late? A friend sent me the link to this website a while ago and I recently rediscovered it. Such a beautiful interactive poem that really makes you think.

The Official Catching Fire Teaser Trailer OKAY I MEAN CAN WE EVEN?! Excuse the fangirl, but really. November 22 is not soon enough.

Oh and most importantly, this little boy turns two years old tomorrow! (Cue puppy mama tears) It's so crazy to think he's growing up so fast and getting moodier by the minute. But I love him all the same, even in his cranky moments.

So, there you have it. A few of the things catching my attention as of lately. I'm going to work on getting better at scheduling my posts so I don't have to be scrambling at the last minute!

- blast from the past

I'm a sucker for nostalgia and there are so many things from when I was younger that I completely forgot about. So I decided to take a trip down memory lane and relive some of the popular stuff from way back when!

Nothing tops the original 150 Pokemon.

Would you believe me if I told you Mary  Kate and Ashley were my idols in the 2000s? I had their makeup, shampoo, clothes, and even their dolls (complete with a crimper for their hair).

Kids these days have it easy with their fancy Easy-Bakes. I was forever making round desserts that all somehow tasted exactly the same and getting the little tin baking sheet stuck in the middle of the oven.

All the fooooood! But really, Blue Pepsi was probably the nastiest thing ever.

I may or may not still buy the Dr. Pepper flavored Lip Smacker because it smells and tastes amazing.

And honestly, what is better than shows from the late 90s - early 2000s? Clearly a rhetorical question.

Obviously I could go on and on and post hundreds of pictures of things from the past, but that would be an extremely long post and Blogger is already being uncooperative enough (hence the reason my last caption font will not change to match the others). I hope seeing a few of my favorites warmed the child in your heart, because it definitely did mine!

- my nerd is showing

It's no secret to those who know me that I love to read and previously being an English major left me with barely any time to read on my own. So this new year, I made the resolution to read at least one non-assigned book per month and I thought I'd share the ones I've read so far!

January: Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. If you're a fan of the Hunger Games, this book is definitely one you should pick up. My boyfriend's sister recommended the series to me and I finished the first book within a few days. It's centered around a country that is divided into factions based on certain virtues. Among them are Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the fearless), Euridite (the intelligent), and Abnegation (the selfless). At the age of 16, boys and girls take an aptitude test to determine which faction they belong to and then decide whether or not to stay with the one their families are from or move to a different one. The novels follow the life of Tris, a girl who (much like Katniss in the Hunger Games) is strong and out to change her sheltered world. Veronica Roth is releasing the third book in the series this October called Allegiant while Divergent is in the process of being made into a movie.

February: The Long Hard Road out of Hell by Marilyn Manson. Anyone who knows Marilyn Manson knows he is a unique individual (understatement of the year?) and I had no doubt that his autobiography would be as well. I had heard some horror stories about what I'd find between the pages of this book. I was warned it'd be graphic and disturbing but I mean really, considering the author I couldn't be surprised at whatever was inside. In this book, Marilyn Manson starts from childhood describing the crazy things he witnessed - like his grandpa's basement with a chest full of sex toys and friends who would kill animals and burn them - to his teen and adult years as a rising star in the world of music. I'd be lying if I said there weren't times I had an odd look on my face while reading, but the depth of emotion and sincerity Marilyn Manson put into this book made me feel as though I knew him after I reached the last page.

March: I didn't have a book for March, and since I read two in January, it counts as one for this month.

April: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I heard so much about this book and had seen pictures and quotes from it floating around Tumblr so when I came across it in the bookstore one day, I had to buy it and am I ever glad I did. The story itself is powerful enough, about a young girl who goes through a traumatic event the summer before her freshman year of high school and loses all of her friends because of it, but the way Anderson writes makes the novel all the more beautiful to read. Her use of metaphors and vivid descriptions sound true to the characters and by the end of the book I just wanted to go back and read it all again.

May: Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous. If any of you have heard of or read Go Ask Alice, this book constructed the same. This novel is supposedly the diary of a teenage girl who became addicted to drugs and the fact that it says it's written by Anonymous is said to be to protective of the girl's true identity. While this was a good book, I have to say it was predictable and I have a hard time believing that it was a real diary found randomly by someone and then published. There are three books written in this style. Go Ask Alice, Jay's Journal, and then this one. The fact that there are that many random diary occurrences seems a bit fishy to me, but the story was entertaining nonetheless.

As of now, I'm searching for some more books to read for the following months. What are your favorite recommendations?

- welcome!

The time has finally come for me to get this blog up and running! I've wanted to start my own blog for years now, but for some reason or another I never got around to it. Now just felt right, so here we are. My hope for those of you that will (hopefully) be readers is that I can bring you something new every time you come to this page. As someone who is an avid blog-reader, I can say the most frustrating thing is seeing the same types of posts over and over. I want to share all different things with you - from music and crafts to the books I'm reading and maybe some vlogs here and there. There are certain features I want you to be able to expect, too, so my main goal is to be consistent but unpredictable all at the same time. Boring has never been a word to describe me, so when you log on and scroll through, I hope what you see is entertaining and interesting.

Oh and a note to self: When curling your hair, be sure to avoid touching the curling iron to your cheek. Come take an adventure with me.