Back in the Saddle/A New Direction

Well, it's been a while again. I was having a great year, but then life threw me a couple of curveballs having to do with my family, and I needed to be away for a long while. Things are all right now, just hectic and scary and sad for a while. First, we found out in January that my mom had breast cancer. So thankfully, they found it very early before it spread, and in a whirlwind month, we went from diagnosis to surgery after which she was declared cancer free! She is doing very well now (:
Then, in February, my grandma passed away. She is the first one of my grandparents to die, and I don't think the realness of the situation has quite hit me yet. It catches me off guard every once and a while, and I'm sure it'll really hit me next Christmas, which was her favorite holiday and is always a grand family gathering. She had been struggling for a long time with lymphatic cancer and had a hard past six months or so. However, I'm so glad that now she's finally her whole self again and out of all of the pain. I have so many happy memories of her and I know she's watching over me now. Again, it still hasn't fully hit me, and it feels strange to type those words, because to me she's still just an hour and a half from me, bustling around her huge old house. But, the last time I saw her she was happy and doing relatively well, and I'm thankful for that.

So, with that news out of the way, back to the blog! In January I made a great list of resolutions which I promptly forgot about and ignored for a month and a half. Then, a couple weeks ago, at the start of my spring break, I decided to get back into exercising and was doing really well! It's a little harder to remember to do it now that I'm back in school, but it's still in my mind and I'm trying to be consistent about it! I love the way I feel after and during a workout. I'm working to get myself in good shape after four years of a life without consistent exercise, and while I am strong naturally,  I want to be in better form and lose some weight before I go away to a different college in the fall! I can't remember if I ever mentioned that or not, but I finally decided to go away to university next fall, and I am already so incredibly excited for it. The girls I'm going to live with are great, the campus is so much fun and so busy, and I think the environment and being away from home will be so good for me. I haven't quite decided what I'm going to add onto my current Spanish major, but I'm giving it some serious thought and I will decide very soon (scheduling starts tomorrow, eek!).

In January, I felt very lighthearted and happy, but as life got crazy, the old sadness and disappointment crept back in. However, over spring break, I was able to really let go of things and just enjoy myself and busy myself with whatever I wanted, and it was absolutely wonderful.

 

While, as you can see, spring break wasn't very "springy," I enjoyed staying inside and hanging out.



Finally, I wanted to talk about taking my blog in a new direction, which ironically is actually the original direction I intended for it!

One of my resolutions was to create something each month and blog about it. This is mostly because I wanted my blog to have more of a lifestyle feel to it than previously (sorry for all the rants in the past, last year was angsty).

First, I want to talk about makeup.
I never used to care much about makeup to be honest, so long as my eyes could be seen (my eyelashes are very blonde).
However, over a year ago, I found this amazing YouTube channel called "Pixiwoo." (Youtube.com/Pixiwoo). Suddenly, I was tearing through their tutorials and learning a whole lot about not only different types of makeup and their uses, as well as techniques to apply to different shapes and colors of features. Nic and Sam (the two sisters behind Pixiwoo, both makeup artists for around a decade and a half) feel like those super cool young aunts who chat with you like an old friend and give you a good catch up and life tip with every visit. Their videos are helpful and the looks always come out beautiful--even if I begin to question a look halfway through. So, on the rare chance that one of my sisters is up for modeling, I jump at the opportunity to try a look on them!

My older sister Anne modeling as Cleopatra a la Elizabeth Taylor. All done because she had twisted her scarf into a turban while being silly and I said she looked Egyptian and I wanted to do a look!

While I am by no means perfect at makeup, I love practicing and I've been trying out different styles and looks on myself, and I'm slowly amassing a collection of products to work with! It's one of my favorite creative outlets these days (:

 Next is another creation that I wanted to share, even though it's unfinished.

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (2005).

 I loooooove to draw. I've been drawing seriously since elementary school, and it's one of my favorite things to immerse myself in. Usually, I like drawing portraits, and have been meaning to draw Lizzy Bennett by Keira Knightley since, oh, about forever. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books and the 2005 movie is my favorite, ever. I've had it memorized for years, and I just love it.
This image is from a favorite scene of mine ("The Secret Life of Daydreams" by Dario Marianelli plays in the background during a series of rainy and sunny days while Lizzy swings alone and silent), and I've always thought Keira looked absolutely beautiful in it.
My drawing isn't finished, and it isn't perfect, but I'm very proud of it, to be honest. I love getting face shape and proportions right, especially since I just draw freehand, looking off an image on my phone, usually. I love it and I can't wait to finish the whole thing!


Finally, I want to begin talking about fashion. I love fashion as well, and I read multiple blogs and watch multiple YouTube users about fashion/lifestyle.
I've been in serous need of some nice, dark leather boots since forever, as the pair I had previously are slightly reddish in tint and do not go with everything.  Finally, the other day in DSW I found these babies.

Boots, Ralph Lauren. 

 I have to admit, at first I was a little skeptical of these because they are a little looser around the calves than I'm used to, and the foot part seemed to either be too big or too small, and I couldn't find a good pair of socks to fit in them well. However, I decided to take the plunge and buy them, and I'm already so glad I did! They were more than I usually pay for (anything) boots at $85 (I'm poor, in college, stingy, etc.), but I used a $20 off coupon to get them to that price, and I knew I was buying quality with the brand. The gold detail on the side is a little strangely bright yellow in color, but I don't notice it much and to me that's fine. I just love these boots! I love the look of them the more I wear them and I'm sure once they're all broken in, they'll be a great pair to hold on to for many years. I'm so glad I have them!

Well, this was quite a lengthy one, and as I've come down with a wicked cold, sleep is calling my name. I would love to know any opinions you have on my creations and how you feel about the expansion of my blog theme! I'm so glad I'm finally heading in the direction I set my course for when I began. I'll do my best to stay consistent and stick to my April resolutions in the future.
Thanks for reading and, goodnight!! xx