People That You Miss

This is going to sound absolutely awful, but I cannot think of anyone that I miss right now. That is not always the case though. There are definitely some days when I am particularly lonely. Then there are days like today when I feel like I'm really busy and I am just ready for some peace and quiet. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I did have quite a long post mentioning every single person I could think of that I might have ever missed, but I have since decided it is best to just wish you all a Happy Halloween!


I will announce the winner of the $5 Amazon giveaway tomorrow! Yay!


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)
***The above pumpkin is not MY pumpkin. It is my picture though.

30 Things That Make Me Happy


I have no idea who the source is for the above quote, but I am reminded of it every day. No matter how little I feel I've gotten accomplished in the morning or how bad of a mood I am in, the kids I watch (specifically the spunky red head) always put me in a better mood. They are excited to be out of school, excited to get a treat, and excited to have a babysitter as awesome as me. (Well…most of the time anyway!)

The Daily October post for today (or rather, yesterday) was to think about what happiness means to you. Happiness can clearly be defined in a dictionary, so we are going to jump on ahead to my list of 30 things that make me happy. It is just a start and I'm sure if I sat here long enough I could come up with 100! …But I'm not sure anyone would want to read that many!
1. a warm sweater on a cold day
2. ice cream!
3. cuddling up on a sofa while watching a movie
4. popcorn and root beer floats while watching a movie (Justin came up with that one!)
5. sitting out on a front porch swing late at night talking
6. jazz music and swing dancing
7. the waltz is pretty awesome too
8. the smell of freshly baked cookies
9. a new outfit
10. compliments on a new outfit
11. finding a good deal on a purchase I was already planning for
12. finding a surprise deal I can't pass up
13. jumping on a pile of leaves on an autumn day
14. sharing popsicle time with a 3 year old
15. sleeping in on a rainy day
16. finishing a good book
17. not having to go anywhere on a rainy day
18. hearing my favorite song on the radio
19. getting an email/phone call from an old friend
20. getting something in the mail I've been waiting for
21. finding a surprise in the mailbox that I wasn't expecting
22. eating a delicious meal
23. a bonfire outside with friends
24. spending time with family
25. pretty flowers
26. a child's laughter
27. laughter, in general
28. a hug from someone I love
29. snow! (when I don't have to go anywhere!)
30. listening to the rain
What makes you happy? Do you agree with anything on my list?


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

What I Typically Wear

As Justin and I prepare for our trip overseas for what we expect to be 60/70 degree weather, I'm attempting to build my wardrobe. I like the idea of wearing things that are comfortable and make me feel cute. Sometimes I can find that feeling more dressed up and sometimes…more casual fits the bill. Luckily for me, Georgia weather is perfect right now for building my wardrobe for that 60/70 degree ideal. (Actually, it's been a bit colder this year for some odd reason.) Nevertheless, one of the October Daily challenges is to show you a typical outfit.


camisole: Aeropastle (old)
Leggings: Forever 21 black (old)
Boots: Skechers knee-high (old)
styling a side braid thanks to my favorite hair dresser!



(Also looks great with skinny jeans!)

As you can see, I bought the navy version of the Trapeze zip sweatshirt (even though I will most likely get it in wine as well). It's cute, comfortable, and most of all WARM. I get so many compliments when I am wearing it, but no one can really decide if it is a top, a dress, or a jacket. Least of all: me! Do I recommend you go out and purchase this outfit? Wholeheartedly!

On another note, look at how much my hair has grown from August (red) to October (blue)!!


And if you were interested in the Like A Virgin Dress from Free People, it's now on sale! Yay! :)

I just received a box full of goodies for another giveaway that will be coming soon! If you haven't already, today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a $5 Amazon giftcard! Go enter now!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Tuesday! :)


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

My Hometown – Dacula

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There are so many cute towns in Georgia, and I have lived, gone to school, and explored A BUNCH of them. I never get tired of exploring. So when it came time to document my hometown, I had a difficult time deciding which part of my life experience was "my hometown". Was it where I was born? Where I grew up? Where I went to college? I decided to go with the locale that has a particularly small special place in my heart as I remember what it was, rather than what it is currently – Dacula. (Pronounced duh-KYOO-luh not like Dracula.)

Over the weekend, I meant to get pictures, but…we found ourselves in Marietta instead visiting with the in-laws. That means no pictures. :(

So let me describe Dacula to you. It is this tiny little town (what you see above) that resides along side railroad tracks. If you continue walking to the left down this road, there is the high school, which has grown to enormous proportions since I was a child, and to the right is a little (now bigger) gazebo.

And that is how I want to remember my hometown.

Y'see as I grew older, so did Dacula. The population kept growing and growing and growing… The city now revolves around one VERY LARGE church known as Hebron. If you live in Dacula, you go to that church. There are other churches in the area, but Hebron is THE church. (Bad news for me since I disliked it!) Beyond that, the area has added a girnormous Kroger (to go with the ginormous high school I presume). There are also cute little restaurants in the area and a gigantic bowling alley, a park and a library. The post office even seemed to grow with the population!! Beautiful land with trees as far as the eye can see have been chopped down to make room for the growing population. Where fields once were, there are now subdivisions and lots of them!

While I understand that population growth is not necessarily a bad thing for a small town, I do miss having things the way they were. I tend to prefer trees, farms, and land to buildings, businesses, and restaurants especially when population growth makes it more difficult to see stars at night. :( I like to remember my hometown as being a small little place rather than the large expanded one it currently is.

How do you feel about population growth in rural areas? Did the population in your hometown grow with you? Do you feel the same sense of "home" when you revisit your hometown years later?


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Relationships & Handling Belief-System Clashes

Justin and I have been together for a very, very long time, but when we first started dating our belief systems really clashed. There were many tear filled nights when I was absolutely certain that our relationship simply would not work due to our conflicting beliefs. What we had to decide was how important those beliefs were to us as individuals. Could we deal with the fact that sometimes our significant other would disagree with us?

Of course, that state of mind spilled over into other areas of our lives as well. All of a sudden, it wasn't just a question of which dress I liked the best, but it was a question of…

1. How much did I like it? How much did he hate it?
2. Was it worth it's cost? In my opinion? In his?
3. Could we afford it? How much would it affect our finances?
4. Could I buy it, take it home, try it for a week, and return it if I changed my mind?
5. If I decided to hold off on purchasing for a day or two, did I still want it when I returned to the store? Did he?

And so every decision thereafter has been made in a similar matter (though the questions may be slightly altered to fit the decision we are trying to make).

We use this system with finances, feelings on religion, whether or not we could or should go on vacation, how we should spend our weekend, and more. Sometimes the answers to our questions results in a change of mind, and sometimes they don't. Justin and I frequently choose to "pick our battles", decide who cares the most and go with that person's decision. We have found that, in marriage, our decisions not only affect us as individuals but also us as a couple, so it is very important to include both of our insights into the decision making process. Our questions allow us to really consider our options and the other person's opinion before jumping in full force with a decision we might regret later.

I think in essence, we have found through problem-solving in such a way that we trust one another's opinions more and find ourselves happier with the outcome of these thought-through decisions moreso than if we had just gone with our gut and not talked about the decision prior to making it.

Now that you know how we respond when approached with problems, I'd love to know how you conquer belief-system clashes with others? Is there a time you can think of when our approach would not work?


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Hanging With A Celebrity

First of all, if I had the opportunity to hang out with a celebrity for a day, the likeliness of me actually doing it is probably nil. I'm shy and have a hard time coming up with things to say to my friends let alone people who are actually known for something. Furthermore, I'm not really a tv show/movie watching fanatic. I watch things occasionally, but…not really.

So if we assume I have to pick a celebrity, I would choose either Audrey Hepburn or Zooey Deschanel.


Audrey Hepburn was a fashionista who worked for the good of others dedicating much of the end of her life to helping out at UNICEF. She grew up during World War 2 suffering from anemia, asthma, and malnutrition making it difficult for her to live out her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. Instead, she studied modeling which eventually led to a strong acting career with lead roles in movies such as Sabrina, Roman Holiday, and, one of my favorites, Breakfast At Tiffany's. A wife and mother of two, Audrey Hepburn, unfortunately, died in 1993 suffering from colon cancer at the young age of 63. Her legacy lives on through her children's fund making a difference in the lives of children around the world.


Zooey Deschanel is an awesome young actress, singer, and songwriter with a flair for vintage attire. She traveled the world as a young child going wherever her father had work. After graduating a private high school in Los Angeles, Deschanel attended college for approximately 9 months before dropping out to follow her dreams of acting. She sings and performs in the group She & Him, as well as in many movies and television shows. Currently, she is appearing as the main actress in The New Girl, a comedy on the Fox television network. She is known for her crazy thrift store vintage outfits and cute attitude.

I think both of these actresses would have stories to tell. And oh the shopping! Vintage and feminine, I know these women would only influence my wardrobe for the better!

Which celebrity would you hang out with for the day? Are you a fan of either of these beautiful actresses?

P.S. If you want to dress like Jess from New Girl, check out this site.


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Look Up!


On Monday night I went to a talk with Lindsay Adler for the Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival at Creative Circus. During her talk she mentioned how she took her portfolio to a magazine editor while she was in London and came out crying. The editor told her that her work was "not memorable" and that he would forget her the second she walked out the door. He told her that nothing was technically wrong with her work, but that there was nothing that piqued his interest. He wondered why she would even come to a meeting like that with him if she had nothing truly amazing to show him.

Sometimes hearing that we are not exceptional or amazing is exactly what we need in order to grow and improve. The key thing to remember is to not give up. (i.e. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.)

One of the most difficult things I've struggled with in photography is getting my color right. You've heard me say over and over again how every little detail makes a difference… Editing in a room with different lighting, placing an image over a blue background (like on this blog) and even viewing on a computer screen versus viewing a print.

I have tried sooo many things! I have calibrated; I have used a variety of different printers; I have learned to use Photoshop actions; I have played with my cameras color functions in camera. Currently, I am learning to adjust color in Kelvin as well as using the histogram and practicing shooting completely in manual. If I had given up or if I were to give up right now, I wouldn't have learned (or be learning) as much as I have about color.

If Lindsay Adler had not taken that guy's advice she would not be a spokesperson for Sigma lenses, and the teaching she does on Creative Live wouldn't exist.

I don't know if my readers follow or understand "camera talk" but let me just say… "If you cannot find a way out, look up!" Be positive! When things seem to be at their worst, try, try again! Don't believe the people that tell you that you cannot and won't ever be successful. You can do ANYTHING you set your mind up to do.

(And yes, I am one of those millennials who was taught that I am special a'la unicorns barfing rainbows style. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!)

 What do you think? Are you a special unicorn barfing rainbow millennial like me who believes anything is possible if you put your mind to it? Have you ever outdone yourself in a surprising and exciting way? Share with me! I want to read some inspirational stories! :)


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)