c u r r e n t l y . . .

It's been so long since I've done one of these posts and I love to do them. Not only for others to read, but I find that they are wonderful for me to look back on to see what I was thinking or feeling a few months to a year ago. Has it been that long already?

Making : Lots of decisions. As my life progresses, i find I'm making more and more adult decisions and I'm not quite sure if I'm making all the right ones.

Drinking : More and more hot tea... mmm...

Reading : More and more blog posts! Leave yours below!

Wanting : A Kit Kat.... I'm a simple person.

Wishing : For a new pen. My favorite one just exploded.

Appreciating : My life. Way too many people take theirs for granted and lately, I've just been appreciating simply being alive.

Wasting: Money. I guess it's not really wasting. Paying for my CAT scans and my 'oscopies' is just starting to get very expensive.

Waiting : For answers. So many things need to be answered...

Liking : The new coffee mugs at Target. Seriously though. Have you seen them yet?! Go. Look. Now. Please.

Loving : My new car. Let me tell you. Going from a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am to a 2015 Kia Forte is a HUGE jump.

Marvelling : The leaves changing. Besides spring, this is my favorite time of year.

Needing : Honestly, some support. Something significant happened to me and there aren't a lot of people I can talk deeply about it to and it's been a struggle to deal with.

Smelling : The Tea Thyme melted wax scent from Wal*Mart. It is a wonderful scent to transition from summer into autumn.

Thinking : About how much I have to do before graduation in December. Woof..

Knowing: That I am one step closer each day to having the life I've been dreaming of.

Feeling : So many things. My mind is deceiving me at the moment. So confused!

Anything new going on with you? I'd love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

        Kristina

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

Hello everyone! April was way too busy for my own good. Lots of stresses come with moving, school, and work and finding free time and time to do homework is hard. I have to schedule both of those things for crying out loud. For any of you interested, here's what I've been up to and am currently doing for just about everything.

Making : Lots of DIY's. I moved home and my room doesn't feel like my room, so I'm always looking for more ways to spruce it up.

Drinking : A lot more of iced tea. Iced, unsweetened tea in the Spring and Summertime is my favorite.

Wanting : A bunny. Oh, how I would love to get a fluffy bunny.

Playing : With my puppy. She's the goofiest little thing.

Wishing : for a different cage set up for Quinn. The regular large-ish rodent cage just looks so tacky to me.

Enjoying : that I'll be done with college in December. Bring on graduation!

Waiting : for my month off of school. I'm in desperate need of a vacation.

Liking : being home. So much money has been saved just after this one month!

Loving : all of the blooming plants.

Marvelling : At how beautiful Iowa can be. Driving to and from home to Sioux Falls three days a week has really made me all the more appreciative of my home state.

Needing : An iced caramel macchiato. It's been way to long since I've had one and might be going through coffee withdrawals. 

Smelling : All of the wonderful flowers that are in bloom.

Thinking : About the weather. Spring weather is my favorite.

Knowing : That I need to get homework done. Come on, December.

Giggling : At customers. They've just been so nice and funny lately.

Feeling : Achy. I've been going to the doctor a lot lately, so we'll see what happens there

#Blogtober14 Day 22 // Only 5 of My Pet Peeves

I'm the type of person that can get easily annoyed. I've gotten good at holding it in, but deep down, it bothers the living daylights out of my. I'll be smiling and nodding while having a mental freakout.

1. When people tell me what I should and shouldn't eat. I have digestive issues, so this is something that is constantly mentioned.

2. Slow walkers.

3. When my personal bubble is being invaded. 

4. Tags sticking out the back of peoples' shirts.

5. People asking what I'm gonna do with my life. I'm 20. I still have time to figure that out. Asking me every time you see me isn't doing anything but making me angry.

These things really get to me and as you can see, I have an issue with space. I'm trying to work on it, but there are some things you just can't fix.

Much love,

     Kristina

#Blogtober14 Day 16 // Fall Fashion

First off, I apologize for my absence. I had a lot going on with moving, starting school, and not having internet, but not to fear! I'm getting back into regular posting! For whatever posts I missed for this link-up, I will make up in November since I missed some of my favorite prompts.

As you may know, I'm doing the #Blogtober14 link-up and today's prompt is 'Fall Fashion' and one thing that I've been loving for Fall is chambray! Below are three ways that I love to style chambray.

Outfit #1 is one is probably my favorite way to style chambray. It's super cozy and is full of basic staples that any and every closet should have. I love how the gold accents give the outfit a bit more of a 'pow' so it's not so neutral color based. I like to leave the chambray completely unbuttoned to show the white shirt as well as rolling up the sleeves. I wear this outfit more than I care to admit.

Outfit #2 is my runner up to the first one. It's a more casual outfit that I like to where going out shopping with my girlfriends or going on a coffee date. I love the pairing of the light and dark denim look and surprise, surprise, I paired it with gold accessories again. I can't help it. It's a serious obsession.

Outfit # 3 is a little more dressy, but still comfy and something decently warm to wear in the fall. I love the look of the skirt with the chambray. I'm not the biggest fan when it comes hats, but I can't help but make an exception for this outfit.

Seriously guys, I promise to get back to posting regularly.

Tomorrow's prompt: I'm an Expert at...

Much love,

           Kristina

Blogtober14 // If I Won the Lottery...

Oh my goodness! It's finally October! October is easily my favorite month out of the year. I don't like the cold, but I simply love watch the season change from summer to fall. It's so beautiful.

So I decided a while ago that I was going to find a link-up for October and write a blog post every single day since I don't like doing the typical "30 day blah-dee-blah" stuff. This month, the link-up comes from Taylor Grace Wolfe and HeleneInBetween.

The first prompt is "If I Won the Lottery..."

Since I work in a gas station, getting asked what I'd do with the winnings is something I'd get asked on a regular basis. One customer told me a story about how he put his numbers in 15 minutes after the drawing and wouldn't you know it, his numbers got drawn. Just his luck, right? But anyway it got my thinking. What would I do if I won the lottery?

The first thing I'd do is pay off all of my student loans. That is my biggest concern now and would still be my biggest concern when I won the lottery. Knowing that I wouldn't have to worry about them would be a huge relief.

Secondly, I'd buy myself a new car, a Ford Fusion to be exact, and a smallish-sized house that I can fix up and call my own. These things may sound lame to some people, but even thinking about someday being debt-free and financially stable gives me such a sound mind.

And lastly, I'd go on vacation; One place with my family and then travel Europe with my best friend. Travelling is something I hardly get to do at all anymore and I have so many things that I want to see and experience: London, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Australia. The list goes on and on.

What would you spend your lotto winnings on? A vacation? A house? Maybe even investing? Let me know below! I'm so curious to read your answers!

Here is the list of daily prompts!

Much love,
        Kristina

Pros and Cons of Being the Oldest Child

Being the oldest child has a lot of perks, but it also has a lot of downfalls. Having conversations with my friends who aren't the oldest don't seem to quite grasp what being the oldest child means. Here is my take on what being the oldest means.

Pros:

• You get ALL the new clothing! You have no one older than you to get hand-me-downs from.
• You get to embarrass them from memories of them being younger. You seriously remember most everything and they hate you for it.
• You get to help be the leader/teacher. Most older siblings tend to have more leadership skills and trust me, it's in the oldest's blood to be a bit more bossy.
• You have someone to blame things on. I got in trouble by myself for three years before my sister showed up. They always think the youngest at the time is always the angel so they deserve some of the blame too.
• You get to watch them grow. I love thinking back to when my brother and sister were cute little toddlers and when they used to be nice and super cute with all that adorable baby fat. My youngest sibling is now a freshman in high school and I still picture him as a two-year-old carrying around his Blue's Clue's notebook.
• They look up to you. It's a nice feeling to know that they will, do, or have looked up to you.

Cons:

• You automatically get blamed for everything. I don't know if this is true in every household, but every other oldest child I've asked will say the same thing. Parents go out and house isn't clean when they get back, they blame the oldest. You aren't just accountable for your actions while they're gone, but your siblings as well. Even if they are old enough to stay home by themselves. It's still your fault.
• You have to be more responsible. This one goes hand-in-hand with the "blamed for everything" one. The oldest is automatically presumed to be more responsible and because there's that pressure to be more responsible since your the oldest, it can get pretty stressful.
• They look up to you. This one has it's cons too. Knowing that someone is looking up to you is a lot of pressure. They are pretty much your shadow, so one mistake could cost them as well as yourself.

So there you have it. I love being the oldest, but at the same time, it's one of the most stressful positions you will ever be in. Are you the oldest? Youngest? Middle child? Let me know!

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

           Kristina

5 Happy Thoughts for Monday | Week Four

I've come to love making these posts. Listing things that makes me happy helps me to reflect on when times weren't so crazy and hectic and help me be a whole lot more thankful for what I have.

1. Space Heater.
With the colder months being right around the corner, I am thankful for this nifty item to make sure my hedgie is always warm and not on the brink of death from being too cold. Thank you, space heater. You will be saving my exotic animal from hibernation for yet another year.

2. Fall.
Fall is my runner-up favorite season, coming in close on spring. I love the deeper colors, feeling all snuggly, the lovely feeling of switching from iced coffee to warm coffee, and of course, playing in the crunchy leaves.

3. High School Friends.
Over the weekend, my best friend from technically middle school came into town. It was so wonderful to see her. With most of my friends not being home and being alone most of the time, I've come to re-appreciate my friends. Especially the ones that have been around for a long time.

4. Mini M&M's.
I've been obsessed with these things for months now. I bought a tube of them awhile ago and rekindled my love for them. I like to buy the large bags of them so they are always handy if I'm feeling slightly munchy for something sweet. I kept the tube and use that to serve up my serving size. Without that tube, I'd demolish half of the bag in one sitting.

5. My daddy.
Tomorrow, on September 23, this man will be aging another year. He's always been a fun-loving, rather involved parent and always has your best intentions in his mind and heart. It only seemed fitting to mention him this week. Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you.

Circa 1993. One of my favorite pictures ever.

5 Favorites YouTubers.

If anyone truly knows me, then they'll know that I love YouTube. I'm obsessed with watching videos, have made a few myself, and am subscribed to almost 200 people. This past year to six months is really when I got super hooked. Since YouTube and Bloglovin' take up most of my free time, I thought it'd only be fit to share with you my top 5 favorites of all the favorites when it comes to YouTubers.

1. Zoella.
I only discovered Zoella about 6 months ago. I was instantly hooked. She's an honest, silly, gorgeous, british person that I can connect with and relate to on so many levels. Zoella makes beauty, fashion, and lifestyle videos and also blogs. She makes videos that I genuinely enjoy and always look forward to her uploading whether it be on her main channel or her blog channel. She's so lovely. She also has the cutest little guinea pigs.

2. Shaytards.
There are so many things I can say that I love about the Shaytards. Shay, his wife Colette, and their 5 children make vlogs Monday-Friday. There's just something about their family that is funny and amazing to watch. Shay has this very outgoing and creative personality so it's always exciting to see what kind of content he'll put out. FUN FACT! Shay and Colette have been making daily vlogs going on 6 years!

3. Meghan Rienks "Meghan Rosette."
I've found Meghan through a collab that she did with Eleventh Gorgeous about a year ago and honestly, I like her more than them. She's only a couple months older than I am. She's got this hippy-esque, free spirit vibe and is super down-to-earth and silly that it would just seem absolutely wrong not love her, so she definitely deserves her spot in my top 5. She makes beauty and fashion videos and has helped me to understand makeup so much more. Thank you, Meghan.

4. Aspyn Ovard.
Aspyn is a YouTuber that I found through Meghan, funnily enough. She makes beauty, fashion, and DIY videos. I love her sense of fashion and how she edits and puts her videos together. Like Zoella, Aspyn is a person who I can relate to in a lot of aspects and since I can relate, it makes her videos that much more enjoyable for me.

5. Brittney Lee Saunders.
Most of the other YouTubers that I mentioned are quite mellow compared to Brittney. I enjoy her videos for their hilarity and her 'tell it like it is and I don't care what you think' personality. She is so spunky and outgoing and I just love her. I found her only 3 months ago and I'm so happy I did.

So there you have it. My 5 favorites. Quite frankly, I don't see this list changing much soon. These guys are much too fantastic. I love you all.

Much love, laughter, and happiness,
                 Kristina