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

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

Hello again! I hope you all are having a wonderful year so far. I don't want to jinx it, but this Midwest weather is slowly becoming wonderful. Come on, Spring! Come here! Come here! Come here!

This month was a weird one for me. I'm slowly starting to become happier and realizing the most wonderful things that life has to offer. Given how I've looked at and experienced the past few years, this feeling and revelation is different and new and I'm welcoming every bit of it. In this new light, these are the things I am currently experiencing.

Making : life improvements. I'm starting to change my way of thinking about everything and being more positive and more happy. This time I'm trying to improve my ways of thinking, it's working and I'm liking it.

Wanting : my room at home, but for a weird reason. Back home, my room is in the basement. I've been wanting to do more exercise that has to do with cardio and jumping and whatnot, but I don't want to disturb my neighbors downstairs.

Needing : to find a new church. Mine went through some major pastor changes and the new one are changing the way that it's always been done. I'm more of an old fashioned church service type of person and I don't like where the pastors are taking the church. Words cannot explain how sad this makes me.

Thinking : about graduation from college. It's so close, yet so far away.

Feeling : Peaceful and happy. The new outlook that I have mentioned many times is helping with the anxiety and depression. I haven't felt like this in years.

Smelling : flower scented candles. I am more than ready for Spring to be here.

Cooking : Baby bella mushrooms. My favorite thing to fix into everything that I make.

Drinking : Cherry Coke Zero. I can't seem to kick the soda and I am obsessed with this stuff.

Reading : Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It's like a paper Pinterest. I can't stop.

Giggling : at the cute little old people and children who come into work. they make my heart happy.

Wishing : for rain. Bring on the rain.

Enjoying : my pets. Addie and Quinny are so cute. Hedge and Puppy have been eating dinner at the exact same time every night for over two weeks.

Wasting: time. The end of my school quarter is coming up and I have a million things to do. I don't know where to start

Waiting : rather impatiently to move home. I just want to be in my home at my work with my friends. I need stability for a little while.

Liking : crafting. I don't have much time to do it, but enjoy it when I have time.

Loving : worshiping and praying. I think becoming closer to God is making my shift for a happier and healthier life a lot easier. Loving me some Jesus!

Knowing : that I get to go home this weekend makes my day all that much better.

What are you currently up to?

Have a blessed day!

              Kristina

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

Here's to starting off the new year! Sorry I've been absent. Being a working person in college with other obligations gets the best of a person from time to time. But anywho. I've been seeing these " Currently " posts going around and absolutely love them, so here I am posting one myself. I will try to get one up at the beginning of each month, but I obviously can't make any promises with those curveballs life has been throwin'..

Making : goals and hopefully this year, I'll be better at sticking to them. I like to say I'll do things, but then other stuff comes up, attention is shifted, and the original goals go on the back burner for a little while. It's something I'm trying to improve on.

Wanting : to move home. I haven't really made a post on how living in Sioux Falls is going, but it's not going the way I hoped it would.

Needing : to buy groceries. My apartment has like, almost no food. I'm living off spaghetti and Pibb Xtra at the moment.

Thinking : about the future. I'm trying to figure out where I want to live and what I want to do after I graduate in about a year. My brain is on overload.

Feeling : Frantic, yet calm. There is so much going on in my life right now that my mind is like the energiser bunny, but I've also been doing yoga almost everyday to try to level out everything and it has seriously been helping when I need it to.

Smelling : Target's Autumn Harvest candle. It's my absolute favorite for the fall and winter time and stock up when it goes on sale. This candle needs to stay in my life.

Cooking : Healthier food. I've been wanting to be healthier for a while now and so far this year, I've been doing pretty good. Woo hoo!

Drinking : Lots of water, both regular and infused. This goes with that healthy thing I was talking about.

Reading : books for school. This quarter, I'm taking the most classes I have ever taken in the history of being in college. Reading too much for school burns me out for free reading.

Giggling : at Addie. That dog is just about the funniest little thing. She keeps my spirits up.

Wishing : for spring. Oh, how I love the springtime.

Enjoying : the quiet of my apartment. I'm moving back home with my family in March and with my siblings, Lord knows I won't get this much quiet till I move out again.

Wasting: way too much time watching CSI: Miami on Netflix.

Waiting : to do my homework. I have specific times to do it and don't like to do it any other time. My down time is very important.

Liking : Green peppers. I n e v e r liked them when I was younger but a few months ago, I tried them in a stir-fry dish my mom made and now I can't get enough of them.

Loving : Better Homes and Gardens magazine. That magazine is like the paper Pinterest for home decor and recipes. How could you not love it?

Knowing : that 2015 will be a pretty big year. I get to move home (which I'm obviously happy about), me and my family are finally going an a big family vacation which will result in my very first airplane ride, and my estimated graduation date is December. Be awaiting those posts, my friends.

What are you currently up to this year? I love to know how you guys are doing!

              Kristina

#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 18 // Share a Secret...

This prompt is super hard. I tend to be a pretty open person, so coming up with a secret is really hard. Without further adieu, here is my b i g secret!

I'm thinking about launching some kind of homemade product. Details aren't for sure and I'm not even certain if I want to do it or not..

I'd love any sort of feedback on what to do or if you have your own products or business!

Tomorrow's prompt: What Makes You Happy

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

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

5 Positive Things for Mondays | September Week 1

Mondays. Everyone seems to hate Mondays. Something I want to and will. I will guys, I will. Is to write down 5 positive things on Mondays to start the week off right. The positive things will consist of anything that makes me happy or things I'm looking forward to. Personally, I absolutely love Mondays. Monday is my favorite day of the week. So I guess we better get to it.

1. My dog, Carter.

Seriously, I love this dog. He is my first dog and the biggest sweetheart. Not only do I love him unconditionally, but today is his 13th birthday. Happy birthday, my beautiful boy. I love you.

2. My job. The new one.

Usually, my job kind of sucks. I work at a Hy-Vee in the gas station in my hometown before I move. A couple days ago while at work, I got a call from a Hy-Vee in Sioux Falls that I applied at so I could try to transfer. The scheduled an interview for today, September 1st. 15 minutes later, they called back and told me that I didn't have to come for the interview and they were just going to go ahead and hire me. I'm so thankful for not having to travel and having a job for when I move.

3. Living at home.

When I decided to move home from being in Ames, I was scared for how it was gonna go. I was sacrificing a lot of my freedom and it made me uncomfortable to do so. Now that I've been home for 3 months, I've come to appreciate a lot of things back home such as free food, free rent and utilities, and being around my family, childhood friends, and my family pets. I'm going to miss it all when I leave again.

4. My job. The older one.

I've worked at Hy-Vee for 3 years. I've worked at 2 stores: my home store and Ames #1 C-Store. Right now, I'm back at my home store since I'm currently living back home. I'm loving seeing all the familiar faces of my managers, coworkers, and fellow town folk. I'm definitely soaking it all up.

5. My hometown.

Growing up, I hated how small my hometown was. Not even kidding, I grew up in a town of less than 10,000 people with surrounding towns with much less people. It was beyond boring in my middle school to high school years not having much to do besides go to Wal*Mart and driving around since we were obviously "too mature for the park." Now, after living and travelling to much bigger places, I've come to appreciate the small-ness, the safeness, and the friendliness and the citizens. Hospitality is becoming much harder to come by and I'm glad to be living in a place where most people still have it.

So there you have it. Take a moment to think about 5 positive things in your life. I challenge you. Start your week off right.

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

            Kristina.

My Transfer College Career.

I think I finally found my calling. The place where I'm supposed to be. On Valentine's Day, instead of spending time with my boyfriend, I went roughly 4 hours away to go to Globe University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to go on a college visit. Although I'm already in college, Ames just isn't feeling as right as it used to. The energy is off and it's bringing me down, so I decided a change is in order.

As soon as I stepped in Globe University's doors, I knew the atmosphere was for me. It was small and homey. It was welcoming and had that close-knit atmosphere that I absolutely love. I signed in and patiently, nervously awaited meeting the Director of Admissions. Charlie is a laid-back, friendly, and talkative guy. He greeted us in blue jeans, a sweatshirt, and a friendly smile. During the informations
 session and interview, he was very thorough and helpful with any question my mom or I had and left no ends untied. He made sure I was comfortable and accommodated. No other college had ever gone through that much trouble.

My one and only semester at Iowa State started off horrible and ended horrible. I contacted my Academic Advisor in March to get signed up for classes before the incoming freshman and she didn't bother with helping me get signed up for classes until the beginning of August and didn't even ask my input on which classes I'd like to take for the semester. I got signed up for 15 credits of strictly core classes with no electives. I went stir-crazy before midterm hit. My boss had me still at 25 hours a week until midterm when  requested no more than 15. I was swamped and my anxiety kicked in. Hard. I had no time for myself, let alone any time for my boyfriend and my dog.

After the informations session and interview at GU, Charlie took me and my mom on a tour of the one-building campus. It is a new, two-story building with multi-purpose class rooms. The biggest class size is maybe 20 people with only around 200 people enrolled at the Sioux Falls campus. Large groups and pressure to do well set my anxiety off. This place is very small and very open to my creative, hands-on learning style, which is wonderful. After the tour, Charlie helped me fill out the "application," which is basically the personal info for your student file. The interview/question session a the determining factor on admission as well as high school diploma/GED, minimum standards on either SAT or ACT or bachelor's degree from another college, and immunization records. They get to personally know you and not worry about your past experience at other schools.

After midterm at ISU, I decided that I was not meant to be there. I suppose that the main reason I transferred to a big university was because it was the cliche thing to do; Graduate high school and go to a big university. I found out the hard way that big universities are not for my learning style or anxiety. I can't sit in a 500 person lecture hall and retain any information. I can't wait in a huge line waiting to take an exam. I had an anxiety attack. Every. Time. I've been a test-nervous person since elementary school, so I wasn't surprised, but how else was I supposed to take my exams? My GPA suffered tremendously.

After the meeting and tour with Charlie, I decided that Globe University in Sioux Falls was where I should've gone to begin with. It just took some experimenting and learning about myself to get there. I'm not saying that Iowa State is some horrible University that is out to get everyone and you shouldn't ever go to Ames or shouldn't consider an education there. My experience was just horrible and I'm glad I found where I need to be.

I know this was long, but the point is that you have to do what makes you happy. Don't do what the cliche thing is or do what others think you should do. If it makes you happy, then do it. Don't just settle for something because you don't want to trouble anyone. Go to school where you want to. If you want to. There is a school, job, whatever that will be perfect for you.

Bucket List

So, yet again, I've been neglecting my blog. Oops. I'm honestly trying to get better at it. Swear. But anywho. People are always like, "Oh, I wanna do this!" And then never proceed to do it. Or people on their death bed are like, "Oh, I wish I did this." I don't want to be that type of person. I actually sat down a couple of nights ago and made out my bucket list. I have a whopping 214 things and out of that 214, I've done 48. I'm on a roll so far. Tonight, I'm gonna share my bucket list. I'll be updating from time to time to show, "Hey, I'm following through!" So here's some inspiration. I'll put up 25 at a time.The bolded ones are completed. :)

1. Watch all the Harry Potter movies in one day
2. Try sushi
3. See Big Ben
4. See the Eiffel Tower
5. Kiss underwater
6. Watch "The Ball" drop from Times Square
7. Visit all 50 states
8. Take a kissing picture in a photo booth
9. Be a part of a flash mob
10. Meet Demi Lovato
11. Attend a gay wedding
12. Graduate college
13. Perform on stage
14. Volunteer at an animal shelter
15. Learn to play piano
16. Learn to play guitar
17. Go to New York
18. Go to California
19. Adopt a pit bull
20. Go to Hollywood
21. Visit Walk of Fame
22. Shop in New York
23. Go ziplining
24. Overcome depression and anxiety
25. Find and return someone's lost pet

 The view from our hotel room in Anahiem, California. Will definitely go back here.

 In New York:) I'm going back here too. Mark my words.

Backstage in the Auditorium before performing for Madrigal. Seniors! I'm lower right in the magenta dress

Introduction

I guess I'll start off by introducing myself. I'm Kristina. I turned 18 as of December 1st. I absolutely adore anything to do with music. Or Harry Potter. I aspire to be a nurse at a children's hospital. And a wife and mommy. As of the moment, I'm a single mingle starting a blog to tell all you folks about life. This won't be a place full of lies and bull shit stories. It's about the ups and downs of a young adult. It's a blog about life.