10 things I've learned in 22 years

This blog post is inspired by Jenna Marble's 29 Life Lessons I Learned in 29 Years video. I limited this list to 10 things - 10 things that came to my mind first. Of course I've learned more than 10 life lessons in 22 years, but I could probably talk forever if no one stopped me! I will probably kick myself later for neglecting to add something or stating something oddly, but I will leave this list as is. Feel free to agree or disagree with anything on this list, or comment with your own life lessons or input. I'd love to hear it.

So here's ten things I have learned so far in my 22 years of life:

Taking care of yourself is important. I think your early twenties are a really important time to break bad habits and replace them with good or better ones. I like to believe your twenties are a time to have fun, but also be responsible enough to think long-term. I quit smoking, started exercising regularly, and developed healthy eating habits.

Your parents are human too. When I was a kid, I looked up to my parents very much and thought they could do no wrong. When I started really thinking for myself, I realized how toxic some of the thinking and interactions within my immediate family are. Emotional and verbal abuse are not normal. I strongly believe family is important, but if a relationship is only toxic to you and your life, then some space or distance can be a good thing. 

You might think you know what you want, but that can (and will probably) change. When I was 18-19 years old I thought I knew everything, including how I wanted my life to go. Yes, this was only 3-4 years ago but a lot has changed in just a few years time. I am wise enough now to know that life can change in an instant and that it's important to be flexible in your plans, and I also realize I have a lot left to learn.

Others will not always have your best interest in mind. People can be selfish. Oftentimes other people will do things and make decisions that will hurt you. And I guess that's the way the world works sometimes, sometimes you have to do things that make YOU happy. It becomes a problem when you are intentionally doing things to hurt other people. At the end of the day, you have to be an advocate for yourself.

Knowledge is power. I feel like a lot of people view college/university in a bad light nowadays. It is an investment of time and money, and no one is guaranteed a job after he/she graduates. I highly value my education and what I have learned so far. I strongly believe that continually learning and growing (no matter how you do this, it doesn't have to necessarily be a formal education) is important to becoming the best human you can be.

Change is uncomfortable, but necessary. I think this can apply to a lot of things. "Change is the only constant," is a saying that I try to keep in mind whenever I am going through a major change in my life (like changing jobs, ending relationships, etc). Change can be very scary, even if you know that it is a change that will be good for you in the long run. I just try to remember that the process is temporary and that I will eventually become accustomed to whatever change is happening, that that will become the new "normal" eventually, and that I will become a stronger and better person because of it.

It's important to be able to laugh at yourself. I think a sense of humor is a very valuable tool. Life is too short and goes by too quickly to take yourself seriously. I remember reading somewhere that a person is perceived by others as more friendly if he/she is able to admit when he/she is embarrassed and laugh about it (I'm paraphrasing here!)

No one really knows what they're doing, but most people are really good at pretending. Life is a crazy, scary, and beautiful experience. I think the sooner people realize this, and realize that we are all in this together, the kinder people will act towards each other. I've realized that all you can do is do the best you can with what you have. You don't have to be rich or famous to have an impact on people, but you can have a positive influence on people in your immediate environment - your neighbors, co-workers, clients, friends...

You will encounter people who have starkly opposing beliefs and opinions from you, and that's okay. If everyone thought, believed, and did the same things, the world would be boring. Not only that, but I think balance is essential (in politics, work/life, nature, everything!). Without balance, we would be going from one extreme to another. You don't have to agree with what someone else thinks or believes, but empathy and genuine understanding of another person's lifestyle is powerful.

There is still a lot left to experience and to learn. I feel I have already learned and experienced a lot as a 22 year old, but I have a lot of life left to live and I am looking forward to continuing to learn and to grow!

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Christmas gifts.

NARS Laguna bronzing powder and a mini Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight.

A Marilyn Monroe calendar, gift cards - TGI Fridays, H&M, Wendy's, Forever 21, Big Apple Bagels, Pacsun, gas card, and cash maaaney.

Vampire Diaries Season Two, gold band from Forever 21, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (returning to Amazon & getting a copy for my Kindle instead!).

Aztec-print top with pocket, gloves, fuzzy socks.

Lush goodies! (going clockwise) Magic Wand bubble bar, The Comforter bubble bar (one of my all time fave Lush products!), Phoenix Rising bath bomb, Candy Mountain bubble bar.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 Instant Camera.  This was the gift i was probably most excited to receive!  If you haven't heard of it before, it's basically like an old school Polaroid camera, but since Polaroid stopped making the film for its cameras, Fujifilm came out with an alternative.  It's lightweight & really cool looking (imo!), and the photos it produces are really cute and vintage looking.  (You can see one of the images in my Merry Christmas post, it's in the last photo!).  Although the film is quite expensive, i'm so excited to bring this on nights out & such!

What did you get for Christmas this year?

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Five things.

The last time i did one of these 'five things' posts was all the way back in December, so i figured i could maybe start it up again.  These are five things that have been making me happy/i'm currently obsessed with.  Not one of my usual kind of posts, but it's a nice change i think... :)

1. Bon Iver.  I recently went to see Bon Iver live (first date of his summer tour ;) and fell so in love with his/their music again.  Would definitely pay to see them again, so beautiful!  Justin Vernon is incredibly talented & his music is just poetry.  May be a bit cheesy to say, but y'know. :)  Picked up a t-shirt as well, they're printed on American Apparel tees so they're super comfy!

2. ~*Epic*~ films.  If you've followed my blog for a while, you may be aware of my being a super Inception-fangirl.  Christopher Nolan is seriously AMAZING and i literally love all of his films, and this one is just insane.  Lord of the Rings is also incredible, Peter Jackson is just fantastic and i literally love everything about this trilogy.  To me, these are the perfect movies - they're action-y, but they're not mindless (ahem, Transformers, etc.), like they take some thought and actually have substance.

3. Loading up on books to read.  I'm currently in the middle of reading the Harry Potter series (i'm just finishing up Chamber of Secrets) and Lolita (yes, still), but that doesn't stop me from adding books to my collection.  If i spot one or two while i'm at work, i'll pick them up and put them in this 'to be read' pile next to my bookshelf (my actual bookshelf is literally exploding with books, they're all crammed in there, poor things!).  Hopefully i'll be able to finish a few of these up by the time school *cringe* starts.  Can't believe i just said that.

4. Yogurt.  I have been consuming yogurt like crazy these past couple of days!  It just recently became one of my favorite foods, i could quite honestly eat yogurt until i get sick.  This Activia stuff is pretty amazing, my sister says i shouldn't have more than two or three a day though, since i could *actually* get sick... sigh!  Strawberry & blueberry are probably my faves flavor-wise. :)

5. Hand-me-down computers.  My sister recently got a new laptop so she decided to give her old one to me!  I'm using it right now actually & i'm quite thankful she was sweet enough to hand it over. :)

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reading!

I've not always been such a bookworm (i blame school for this), but lately it's not been uncommon to find me with my nose in a book!  I have quite the collection of books in my room (if i do say so myself :O), but have never felt the urge to read all of them.  But with a bit of inspiration from fellow bloggers (particularly Kelly & Zoe) and a little order from Barnes and Noble, lo & behold, i became a proud nerd.

If you are ever interesting in what i've been/what i'm currently reading, feel free to click on my "Books to Read" page.  I'll try and update it whenever i add another book to the list and whenever i finish one!

I don't know about you, but to me there's nothing really like holding a book in your hands and reading it - flicking through the pages, seeing how far you are from the end, etc.  I don't think i'd ever buy an eBook sort of thing, i think it's really because i'm an old soul and a traditionalist at heart.  I never want to see the day when the stop printing newspapers, magazines, and books :(.  "I pledge to read the printed word!"

 1. Classy by Derek Blasberg - This was one of the books i asked for on my Christmas list.  I love the Tiffany blue color, it's such a coffee table book!  It's a modern twist on those etiquette books you may or may not have read when you were younger.  Has a lot of humor and photos, & offers a man's perspective, but also gives a lot of really great information on how to be a classy, modern lady and not a skank!  (To put it like it is :)

2. Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith - This is more of an creative, art project type of book than it is an actual read.  I got this in an Amazon order at the beginning of summer 2010, but haven't really gotten around to completing a lot of the pages.  You can see some of the pages i did here on my Flickr & other people's (which are FAR better than mine!) here & here.

3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - I read this book during the week i was waiting for my books from Barnes & Noble to arrive.  I've had it for years, but again, didn't really feel motivated to complete it.  It's quite an easy read, but i think it's a bit overrated.  Maybe that's just me!  It's about this woman in her (i think it's) early-mid 20's who slowly goes insane.  It sounded like a very 'me' book (yes, i'm crazy haha), but i couldn't really get into it.  Did quite enjoy the writing style & the fact that the chapters were short though.

4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - This is one of the books i ordered from B&N.  This is the book i'm currently reading and i think i should start by saying this book is definitely not for everyone.  It's quite the - shall i say... unconventional? 'love' story.  There's a twelve year old girl who this older man is absolutely fascinated and almost obsessed with... when i read this, for some reason i can't imagine a twelve year old girl and a handsome man, but about an eight year old & a more unattractive older man & it just feels upright creepy.  Really wish my mind's eye would work a bit better, i would be less creeped out when reading this!

5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - The other book i ordered from B&N and the book i plan to read next.  I got this before i knew it was being made into a movie (starring Rob Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon nonetheless!) - i genuinely thought it sounded interesting!  I didn't know it was coming out so soon, but i went to see True Grit yesterday & the trailer for the movie came on.. i was like WHAT.  Actually looks quite good.  Really want to finish this before i see the movie!  From what i've heard/read, this book is fictional story about a man's life in a traveling circus during the Great Depression.  I'm simultaneously freaked out & intrigued by circus during the turn of the century/early twentieth century, so i think this should be right up my alley :)

6. Tweak by Nic Sheff - This is one of my favorite books - i've had it for a while & read it about twice.  It's a memoir (i know what you're thinking, memoirs = blah, but after this book i absolutely love memoirs) about a young man and his battle with addiction to methamphetamines.  It honestly really opened my mind & offered a different perspective on people simply considered 'druggies' & 'wastes of space'.  The writing style is brilliant and relatable, and it's just one of those books you can't put down.  Really recommend this one!

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Would love love love recommendations of books to read!

Feel free to leave any recs. for me to check out in the comments :)

xoxo

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currently enjoying...

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since i had a blog post with photos that i took with my actual camera.  I suppose it's just easier to snap a few photos on a webcam and upload them straight to Blogger than it is to take the time to photograph something, upload them to my computer, fix the balance & colors and add my watermark (aka edit them), then upload them to Blogger.  I don't want my blog to turn into just photos of me in crap quality, i'd rather them be pretty photos of other things :).  I'll try harder to do that, promise!

This is just a little post on what i've been enjoying lately.  I guess it's a "five things" post, as i just noticed there are five things that i'm loving at the mo!  Oh, and another thing - i haven't mentioned this in a post yet, but i've added a "subscriptions" page at the top of my blog.  This is a list of my favorite Youtube channels - beauty & comedy/vloggers.  Definitely check it out if you have the time ♥

01. My tripod ♥.  I got this for Christmas and i have already been absolutely loving it.  The legs are flexible, so you can attach them things, or adjust the height with them, etc.  It also helps to stabilize the camera, which i have trouble doing on my own because my hands are quite shaky.  This tripod is from Amazon and was quite affordable for what it does, in my opinion.  The link to it is here!  I used this tripod to take all the photos in this post - including the one of me above.

02. My new phone - HTC EVO.  I mentioned that i got a new phone in my last post, but here it is!  It's so gorgeous haha.  Excuse the black, bulky case on it - i am such a clutz when it comes to electronics, so a case is a must if i want this phone to remain intact for more than a week!  I blurred out my location for obvious reasons.  With this phone came a data plan (my parents absolutely spoils me...), so out goes my social life & in comes my internet addiction!  This phone is brilliant, but the battery life completely sucks.  Well, we can't have it all, can we?

03. & 04.  Classy by Derek Blasberg and The Vampire Diaries.  I talked a bit about Classy in my last post as well, but i'm still enjoying it - definitely recommend it so far!  So, i have been completely addicted to Vampire Diaries lately.  I admittedly finished the entire first season within three/four days (well someone has a life!).  I watched the first like five episodes or so when they first came on TV last year, but i guess i just got busy & didn't bother catching up on them - wellllll, my sister gave me this for Christmas & i'm am addicted once again!  Such an addicting show.  Need to start watching season two ASAP!

05. Victoria's Secret Kissing in Paris Sheer Fragrance Mist.  Another Christmas gift, this one was from my mom.  She said she got it for me because of the name, since i'm going to Paris next April (so surreal to think about).  I thought it was so sweet & thoughtful of her :).  The scent is quite lovely as well, i don't have anything like it in my collection so this was such a nice addition!  It is really fresh smelling, but not floral-y or fresh-laundry smelling either.  Very, very lovely :).

Hope you're all having a lovely week.  I don't even want to think about going back to school on the third.  Also, happy new year if i don't post until then!

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Five Things

Inspired by (well, stolen from!) Emily's "Five Things" post :)

This week has been really hectic with school and my family and everything, but this post will be focusing on much happier things!  These are five things that have made me a bit more cheerful this week.  I wanted to include Mumford & Sons in this post but i literally just did a post featuring them!  Haha, they really have made this week more tolerable though.

So here we go ♥:

1. Slippers!  These may not be the most attractive 'things' you can put on your feet, but they are insanely comfy & warm - and for my abnormally cold feet, these are an essential for wearing around the house :).  (Although i admit to wearing them in public once or twice :P).

2. Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff.  I started re-reading this book a couple days ago, and i love it.  It's a memoir, and it's so raw and honest.  Once i start reading it, i just can't put it down.  Definitely a must-read!  You can read more about it here.

 3. DIY button earrings!  I did a post on these a long, long time ago, but i've recently rediscovered them and have been wearing them with everything.  They really add a lovely detail to any outfit and remind me of something Jennie would like - probably because of the anchors :).

 4. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin.  I got a sample of this through a swap i did and kind of put of trying it out for a while.  I decided to give it a go a few days ago and i love it!  It's basically the same shade as their eyeshadow "Sin", but it's a base at the same time so you can skip a step!  Really love this, makes me want to try out some different bases (such as MAC paintpots or Benefit creaseless cream shadows!).

5. Re-organizing my room.  There's something about rearranging things and finding a home for bits floating around my room that i find really relaxing.  I'm secretly obsessed with all things storage & organization, i'm not sure why!  This is a little glimpse of what's inside my closet, i'm planning on doing a closet tour video when i get the chance!

What has been picking you up lately?

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Fab Friday 002 ♥.

Welcome to the second ever Fab Friday ladies!  Here's the first one if you missed it :)

This week has been kind of all over the place for me.  It started off pretty well, lots of laughter & fun times to be had.  As the week progressed, the days just seemed to get longer & the work load just seemed overwhelming.  I'm already getting behind in a lot of classes :/.

I want to apologize for being so MIA blogging-wise lately :/.  School has honestly just taken over & i really need to focus on that, which i hope you'll all understand ♥.  On to the post!

01. Ombre hair attempt II & The Scarlet Letter ♥

As you may have read in my previous Fab Friday, i was considering ombre-ing my hair & i even bought the dye.  After all your comments telling me to go for it, i finally did!  Well, maybe it just didn't put enough on, or maybe it was the dye itself, but it didn't do much at all.  I just went to Walmart today & bought a different dye - this stuff is scary, i must admit o_o.  Frost?  Eeeeep...worth a try anyway!

I'm reading The Scarlett Letter for English, and i actually really like it.  It's so beautifully written & is super intriguing, it's definitely a book that i would even pick up on my own.

02. Floral flyaways & hand-me-down computers ♥

Showin' my floral cardigan-sorta-thing from Charlotte Russe some love :) - love this thing!

It was recently my mom & dad's 25th wedding anniversary, and my dad gave my lovely mother a new, pink laptop, so i got her old (crappy...ahem) one!  Better than nothing i suppose.

03. Satin Taupe & b-liv skincare ♥

This past week, i did another MakeupAlley swap & this time i recieved MAC's Satin Taupe eyeshadow - it's soo lovely & smooth.  I'm actually wearing it atm :).  It feels so good adding eyeshadows into my MAC palette!  Although i only have two so far, i feel so proud hehe :)

I was kindly sent some lovely skincare products from the line b-liv by Cellnique, and i'm genuinely enjoying them so far.  A full review will be on it's way once i test 'em out for a few more weeks.

04. Random bits :)

This will never get old.  NIN forever ♥.

Anyone buy anything from MAC's Venomous Villans Collection?  I feel the need to make a purchase from the collection as i absolutely adore Disney, but i can't decide!

Ask me anything / Tweet tweet!

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The Teen Vogue Handbook.

I got the book, Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion, back at Christmastime because i thought it would be really interesting and helpful, since i have such a passion for the fashion industry and hope to be apart of it someday.

I turns out it was really helpful and really revealed what the industry was really like, which despite common belief, is intense, productive, and influential.

In this post i'll provide snapshots to give you all a little taste of the handbook :)

The book is packed with photos (which is definately a plus :), but it's also filled with information, tips, and advice about many aspects of the fashion industry.

The book is stuffed with interviews and articles on some powerful names as well as upcoming stars of the industry.  There is a section of the book for each general part of the fashion industry - Designers, Editors, Stylists, Models, Beauty, Photos (photographers & photography), and in the back there is a glossary of words that industry insiders use as well as list of colleges and schools that are really great for an education in fashion.

Each section of the book starts with a question & answer bit and as you read, it goes into further detail.

Going through a typical day of the people working in the fashion closet of a magazine.

This is one of my favorite pages, a tool kit - it has pictures & a brief explanation of useful things one should have on the job.  This one for instance is for an editor.

Another one of my favorite pages!  I've always wanted to go inside a fashion closet :)

Just had to show a bit of this for all you die-hard Chanel fans...an interview with the man Karl Lagerfeld himself :D

Another cool bit of the Handbook are the Teen Vogue Tips; quotations and advice straight from industry leaders.

The articles and interviews give examples of how people got their foot in the door to this industry and how they came to be where they are today.

A few more bits & pieces:

Overall

I couldn't recommend this enough for anyone who is interested in having a career in the fashion industry.  Like i keep saying, it's soo helpful - it doesn't set up any false hopes, but gives you the reality of the industry, which i believe is crucial for anyone interested in work in it.

Even if you feel you don't really want to work in fashion, but it's a hobby or love of yours, i think it would be an interesting read to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes.

No copyright infringement intended.

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