Put a Smile On

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Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to be mad at things, or annoyed. It's my life, I can choose whether or not I'm going to let something bother me. And if it does bother me, I get to do something to change it.

It can be so easy to just get so caught up in thinking, "Ugh, why me?" When, in reality, we have the choice to take control. Yeah, some things are out of our control, but there's still plenty of factors that we get a say in. If we don't like something, we can actively work to change it, instead of sitting around and complaining about it.

This is something I'm still working on a lot. Ask any of my friends, and they'll tell you I'm the queen of complaining. And I know that I definitely tend to get stuck in the mindset of being mad or upset or whatever and stewing over it, when I could be focusing all of that energy on changing it or something that makes me happy. It definitely isn't easy, but in the end, I think it's worth it.

I feel like I should say that I had a perfectly fine day (and I got to Skype a friend!), so specific event happened to inspire this post. 

I just realized this is my second post on the matter... Clearly, this is something I struggle with. XD

Ombre

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I've was obsessed with the idea of ombre hair when it first got popular a few years ago. I looked up tutorials and how-tos, and researched which dyes would be best for doing it at home. In the end, I was too afraid of messing up my hair, so it remained boring brown. Even now, when I come across a picture with ombre on Pinterest, I find myself wanting it all over again. 

I think my main attraction to ombre (aside from the obvious: it looks cool), is that it's a way of having blonde hair without having to be blonde. I've long since accepted that I can probably never pull of blonde hair because of my skin tone, but the allure has never left. Ombre gives you blonde, but it keeps it away from your face, so you don't have to worry as much about it. And, if you wanted, you can go with a darker color to blend it well. And it's a lot less drastic than bleaching all of your hair (which I would definitely have to do, since my hair is so dark to begin with).

The last picture is my favorite, by the way. I love how the ends are a darker, so they blend better with the dark hair.

Magical Monday

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1. My new jacket. I finally bought the jacket I mentioned the other day. Today was my first time wearing it, and I'm obsessed. And I never want to take it off, ever. It's so soft and I love the color and it's just perfect. The only issue is that it's the most versatile color, but I'll probably end up wearing it with everything anyways... XD

2. Big Brother After Dark. I just discovered last week that they air a few hours of Big Brother After Dark a couple times a week. I love Big Brother, but I've never wanted to get on a computer to watch it. I've been loving watching it. It's mostly them sitting around talking, but it's a nice change from the scheming and game talk that they usually show on tv. It makes them seem more real.

3. Candy. I've just recently started taking advantage of the candy bowl at work. I don't ever really buy candy, but it's nice to have a little bit every now and then. I'm particularly loving the Sour Patch Kids that are in there right now.

4. Justin Timberlake. I'm sure everyone's already heard about the VMAs last night. I've only seen the first half so far, but oh man. Eventful is a good word to sum it up. Miley's performance was awful, but Justin's performance made putting up with Miley worth it. He was amazing. He's so incredibly talented, I just really can't describe it. I think Jimmy Fallon's description afterwards about summed it up... :P I highly recommend finding Justin's performance online if you haven't already.

5. NSYNC. They were AMAZING. I was fangirling and freaking out the entire time. To be honest, they were the number one reason I watched the VMAs at all last night. I had heard they were performing and I didn't want to wait until today to watch it on Youtube. My only complain is that it was entirely too short. Also, I'm still upset that Lance Bass is gay. I was am in love with him.

The print was originally created by Union Press.

Just Keep Going

The last two runs I went on, I had such a hard time even running two or three miles, when every week prior I had added about a mile to my run. This time, I was determined to get back up to speed. I ended up running about 6.75 miles, which is kind of insane (to me) but I was so proud of myself. 

After the first two miles or so, I fell into a comfortable pace that I could keep for awhile. While it was by no means a fast pace, I was surprised I could keep it, because I often have problems where I get tired and start slowing way down. But this time I was running about the same pace for about four miles of the run. For the last .75 miles or so, my pace slowed way down again, and that's when the run started to hit me and I felt like I was dying, but that's beside the point.

For the four miles, it was wonderful. It was hard and I was tired, but keeping that pace didn't seem like an impossible feat. It was simply about putting one foot in front of the other, and looking forward. Once my mind wasn't consumed with worrying about how slow I was running or what route I needed to take, I was able to let my mind wander and enjoy the run more.

I'm so glad I didn't give up after those two tough runs. I have a habit of quitting when things get little hard, especially when I was younger. But this time, my competitiveness one out. My desire to outrun myself won over my frustration with not doing well. And that same competitiveness (combined with the fact I'm entirely too stubborn) is helping me to add distance.

Running can be hard. I've been trying on and off for the past three years or so to get to the point where I enjoy it, and where it's something that I'm good at. While I'm certainly not "good" at it in terms of speed, I think there's something to be said for my refusal to give up and the distances I'm starting to run. I do know that I'm to the point where I'm starting to look forward to it, which I never thought I'd be able to say. There's definitely something to be said for when you just keep going, even if you want to quit.

My legs are going to be so sore tomorrow, though. They're already pretty sore.

Obsessed: Catbird Lovecats Ring

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I stumbled across this ring today on Pinterest, and ohmygosh. As a crazy cat lady in the making, it's absolutely purrfect. See what I did there? I just really love this ring. I've said before that I'm not really a jewelry person, but come on. This ring is amazing. It's a quirky way of showing a little playfulness with your jewelry. I also like how dainty it is, so it's not over the top. It's just the cutest ring... 

Unfortunately, I am entirely too cheap when it comes to jewelry, and I can't justify spending $32 on a ring, when I don't even like spending that much for jeans or a dress (hello, $10 Forever 21 jeans and sales+cheap stores). Even if I did change my mind, I have no clue what ring size I am... Though I'd be happy to figure it out, if someone wants to buy it for me. :P

Comfort is Key

Lately, all I can think about it this super soft, extremely comfortable looking jacket at Fred Meyer. It's nothing fancy, just a zip-up jacket, but it's been on my mind for awhile now. I was so tempted to walk over and get it during lunch today... I think I'm going to just go ahead and buy it next time I'm at the store. I think I can handle spending $20.

Anyways, that just got me thinking of comfy clothes. Here are some ways to stay comfy that I'm loving:

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1. Slouchy. I love the easiness of a slouchy t-shirt. It's so simple, but it can look so good when done right. All I want to wear is t-shirts right now, but unfortunately they're pretty much relegated to the weekend for me. I mean, I could wear them to work, but I generally try to dress at least a little nicer than that.

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2. Oversized. This is one style that I absolutely love, but unfortunately, I have trouble pulling off without looking like a shapeless bag. But sometimes it doesn't even matter, because all I want to do is wrap up in a big cozy sweater. It's still not nearly cold enough to want to wear giant sweaters yet, but I have a feeling the cold weather is going to sneak up far sooner than I'd like it too.

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3. Sparkly. Just because something is super comfy, doesn't mean it can't have a little touch of glam. And sparkles are the perfect way to add that, no? I especially love the elbow patches, because it's such a fun, unexpected twist to an otherwise ordinary outfit. Plus, I just like shiny things.

Nothing to Wear

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I'm at a point where I kind of hate everything I own. There are a few things I love, but since I can't wear them every single day (without people at work thinking I'm crazy), I've got to wear other stuff too. This problem is probably made worse by the fact it's summer, so there are some things that it simply isn't practical to wear. But regardless, I feel like I have this problem a lot.

I know it's a problem a lot of people have, but it definitely makes getting dressed in the morning a pain, and a lot less fun than it should be. It's a shame it's not practical to go out and buy a ton of new clothes every time I get sick of what I already own. I need to start forcing myself to think more creatively about wearing what I do have. That's not something that I've really done before, since once I find an outfit I like, I tend to wear it to death. I'm definitely not known for my "remixing" skills.

Maybe this weekend or next? I've started a list so I can add ideas as they come to me, but it's still pretty small. Until then, this is why you aren't getting too many outfit posts right now-- the vast majority of what I'm wearing is extremely boring.