Sunday, September 29, 2013

the sunday currently, volume 54.



i know it's national coffee day, & i know i've featured some kind of coffee cup on each of my sunday currently posts this month, but i couldn't resist sharing this photo i took on friday, which captures the autumn abundance i spied in trader joe's. if this doesn't make you feel that tingly fall feeling, i don't know what will.

Happy National Coffee Day! I mean, really, how can you not smile on a day that celebrates the elixir of life? Kidding... kind of. While I love my caramel macchiatos & my pumpkin spice k-cups, sometimes I wake up & just want a good ole cup of English Breakfast Tea. That wasn't the case this morning though, as Justin & I rose with Starbucks Sunday already on the mind. And as we listened to somewhat inappropriate, misplaced rap music as we waited for our coffee confections in the line, I knew today was off to the loveliest of starts...

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G my Anatomy & Physiology book today. Our first test is coming up this week, & there are a few concepts I need to make sure I'm grasping. I've also been catching up on some of my blog-reading.  
W R I T I N G blog posts, because my blog is going to be back in action on Tuesday! I'm so excited to share more with y'all. This month has been an experience - I've missed being in this space, writing, & the satisfaction of hitting that publish button. I did put a new beauty video up on YouTube this past week, though, so go check that out if you'd like. It's a Summer Empties video. I finally learned how to edit in iMovie, & I'm excited to say that I plan to get on a posting schedule for my channel.
L I S T E N I N G to football on TV. Autumn Sunday mornings at their absolute best.
T H I N K I N G that it's important to sometimes have months where you step back, stay in, & save money. Justin & I took September as a low-key month, & it has been wonderful. I am definitely not a person who has to go-go-go to be happy, & we should take advantage of that fact more often. Lots of movies have been watched, lots of dinners have happened around our coffee table, & relaxation (other than school-related things, of course) has been the priority.
S M E L L I N G my absolute favorite candle at the moment - Fall Hayride, by Glade. I took a little whiff of this candle scent while we were shopping in Target a couple weeks ago, & I haven't looked back. I haven't replenished my Fall/Winter Bath & Body Works candles yet - Chestnut Clove & Mahogany Teakwood are at the top of the list - but this Glade selection is more than tiding me over until we do. And I think I'll be picking up some backups when we go grocery shopping this afternoon.
W I S H I N G every day could be National Coffee Day. Justin & I celebrated by trekking over to Starbucks first thing this morning. I got my favorite, a tall nonfat caramel macchiato. I just took the last sip, & I can tell you: it was definitely made with love. As my Anthropology teacher said in class this week, you really can tell if something is made with love or not.
H O P I N G my first test of the semester goes well. Lord knows I've been stressing enough about all of it. I think I actually feel relieved that a test is finally happening, so I can test my knowledge & see if my efforts have been working.
W E A R I N G a long-sleeved polo sleep shirt, black cropped pants, & a green & gray scarf. A bit of a mismatched outfit, but really, a scarf makes everything better.
L O V I  N G blogging. And feeling so excited about getting back into the groove.
W A N T I N G a healthy lunch, just like last week. We ate pretty horribly yesterday. Football season will do that to ya. And a day like yesterday is allowed every once in a while, don't you think?
N E E D I N G to tidy up around the house this afternoon. I finally got caught back up with laundry & dishes, after taking a week off. It feels great. Now, just to keep it that way.
F E E L I N G much better this morning. The aforementioned eating that happened yesterday may have been fun while it was happening, but let's just say my body was not prepared for that. I had trouble sleeping last night because I felt pretty horrible. 
C L I C K I N G The Sunday Secrets & my favorite blog reads this morning. Reveling in the anticipation of getting caught up.

To say that I am excited about being officially back to blogging on Tuesday is the understatement of the century. Meet me back here then, when I'll be sharing my thoughts on taking a month off of blogging, as well as unveiling my new header*, new features for this space, & some other exciting additions**. I hope you're excited, because I sure am. Thank you for being here & reading. My love for this space is pretty huge at the moment, & it's something that I hope is in my life for years to come.

* Editors Note: New header, along with all layout changes, was added on Sunday, September 29 at 3:10 p.m., because I just couldn't wait! Stay tuned for more changes coming shortly.

** Editor's Note: New siddathornton network pages added on Sunday, September 29 at 5:56 p.m. They can be found in the pages bar below the header. More information coming Tuesday on these new additions.


LSC

photo: autumn abundance at trader joes | taken on friday | find it on instagram

Now, tell me: what are your currentlies? Link up & share below!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

the sunday currently, volume 53.

these photos were taken in pinehurst in march, but they have always felt like fall to me

Happy Fall, y'all! With the Fall Equinox comes the first official day of the season, & I have the wine-colored nails to prove it. Today I am raising my glass to toast the season of crackling fires, zipping myself up into the coziest of boots, & that little spark in the air... the one that tells you that Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years are just around the candy-&-tinsel-festooned corner. Perhaps you'll join me in celebrating today, by both reading & sharing some currentlies...


C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G October's Real Simple. I haven't cracked any of my issues open in months, but when this one arrived with a black cat on the front, I couldn't resist. Already enjoying it, too. I'm still reading World War Z as well, for school.
W R I T I N G plans for my official relaunch in the blog world. I have a few little design tweaks coming [other than the small ones you may be noticing today]. I'm going to have a fresh header to start October out with, as well as some additions I'm really excited about.
L I S T E N I N G to cars zoom by on the road outside our living room window. We get a lot of traffic out there, & I find the sounds soothing.
T H I N K I N G that life is so much better when you wake up early. I got up around 6:30 this morning, so that I could drop Justin off at work. I love the process of slowly waking up on the couch with a cup of coffee & watching YouTube vlogs. As further evidence that this is the way to wake up: Due to an alarm malfunction, I woke up seven minutes after I was supposed to leave the house on Thursday morning. I threw on a t-shirt, workout shorts, & ran out the door for class. I was still on time & everything, but my day just felt... off. I didn't get to go through my morning routine, & I found myself missing it all throughout the course of the day. 
S M E L L I N G Archer Farms' Pumpkin Spice K-Cups. Delicious. I picked up the Caramel Macchiato variety in the grocery store this week, & it's delicious too. Archer Farms, you're the best. Thank you for being you.
W I S H I N G my shopping adventure in the mall yesterday had yielded more results. It's disappointing when you set out, ready to indulge in a little retail therapy, & nothing calls to you. Especially when you go through the process of trying on clothes, & they all turn out to be duds. I did buy one of my all-time favorite scents from Victoria's Secret - Warm & Cozy - in both body lotion & spray, though, so that was a success. 
H O P I N G for a week like last week: productive, under control, rewarding, & relaxing.
W E A R I N G my blue & white striped sweater from Nautica, which I love.
L O V I  N G that I rose early this morning, as I mentioned above. It just feels good. And it's a little chilly outside, & a little overcast, too. All of this combined makes my couch + cup of coffee an indulgence that feels heavenly at the moment.
W A N T I N G a healthy lunch - perhaps from Whole Foods - today. 
N E E D I N G to do some laundry. Remember that productive, yet relaxing week I was just boasting about in the hoping section? Well, unfortunately the shirking of house chores was involved in that result.
F E E L I N G at ease. And so grateful for that fact.
C L I C K I N G very little. And feeling very sad about that. But knowing that that's something I have the power to change. I miss reading my daily reads, my not-so-daily reads, & all the ones that fall in between. Maybe this week I'll have some time to dive into the blogging realm & see what's been going on.

Well, that's all for today, folks. When I see you this time next week, I'll be one day away from being officially back here in this space, & I'm so excited for that moment. This little sabbatical was absolutely essential for my sanity, but it has also been illuminating. I love sharing with you all, & I love communicating with you all, & to say that I'm looking forward to the reinstatement of that is, well, an understatement. Have a great week, & I'll see you back here next week for another roundup of currentlies.

LSC

photos: welcome, fall | taken in Pinehurst, North Carolina, March 2013

Now it's your turn. Link up below to share with everyone what you're up to. 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

the sunday currently, volume 52.





currently sipping pumpkin spice coffee out of my current favorite mug

1 year!

Today marks 1 year of TSC here on siddathornton. Today marks 1 year of rising each Sunday to get my post up before noon. Today marks 1 year of people linking up & sharing their currentlies with us all. See volume one here. This project has been such a blessing. I've gotten to know a lot of you through this linkup, & I hope I get to know even more of you in this next year to come.


C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G World War Z, for my Ethics class. I'm pretty intrigued by it. And it's nice to be able to read a novel, as mandated by school, since I'm not allowing myself to indulge in pleasure reading until this semester comes to a close in December.
W R I T I N G a LOT of journal entries in my homemade planner this past week. I had quite a rough week, as far as school is concerned, & writing out my feelings, as well as talking them out with Justin, helped worlds. 
L I S T E N I N G to My House Wife Life videos as I tap out this entry.
T H I N K I N G about time management & methods for keeping on top of all my school work without having a mental breakdown. Like I said, last week was a doozie. But I have a lot of hope for the week to come. I think things are going to be better & more manageable. 
S M E L L I N G the pumpkin spice coffee I'm currently sipping on. I need to hurry & finish this post so I can finish the cup before it gets cold.
W I S H I N G it was already December. I'm not one to wish time away - definitely not - but to say that I am ready for this semester to be coming to a close is quite the understatement.
H O P I N G I can maintain control over my emotions this week.
W E A R I N G my comfiest blue t-shirt, my big navy polo pajama pants, & freshly-dyed hair.
L O V I  N G my Harry Potter mug [see photo above]. Kara sent it to me for my birthday, & it was love at first sight.
W A N T I N G a great workout today.
N E E D I N G to make a list & get things prioritized today. I have a few things to accomplish.
F E E L I N G hungry this morning. Ready for breakfast, or brunch, or lunch, or whatever comes my way today.
C L I C K I N G The Sunday Secrets this morning.

I know this wasn't really the perkiest of TSCs that has ever graced this page, but I am still anxiously awaiting October, when I will be blogging full-force again. This break has already taught me a lot about blogging, about expectations, & about time management. I'm hoping that when I return in October,  I will remember to manage my time & my expectations. I can't wait to be back!

LSC

photo: the cutest harry potter mug i ever did see | instagram

Now it's your turn. Tell me: what are you doing? Link up below to share.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

the sunday currently, volume 51.





pretty nails, huh? it's definitely manicure day over here.

Well, hello out there! It feels like it's been years since I've written in this space. And I have to tell you: I miss it. I know that my decision to take the month off is the right one, but that doesn't mean I don't wish I were blogging. There is a LOT going on with my four classes this semester, but I feel like I'm already getting on a pretty good schedule [luckily]. 

Despite my blogging break, I've still found things of a similar nature to take up some of my time. First of all, I'm working on a bit of a redesign for this space, which I'm psyched to roll out upon my regular blogging return in October. I don't want to divulge too many details just yet, but I'll say this: there will be a few more pages joining the ranks of siddathornton. As it turns out, I need more organization in this space, & the pages I'll be adding aid me in that respect. I'm really excited about all the changes I'll be instituting upon my return!

Secondly, as I mentioned in my August 2013 Love List post, I will be re-instituting the accompanying videos upon my return! Now this I am really excited about. In my absence from this space, I have learned how to edit videos in iMovie, something that has long been on my to-do list. Now armed with this new skill, I am ready to bring back my monthly favorites videos. I'm also planning to put up a couple videos in the interim, such as Fall Nail Polish Picks & Fall Lipcolor Picks. I'll tweet out the links to those when they're up. In addition to the video types mentioned, I also plan to vlog any trips that Justin & I go on. This is going to be fun!

Can you tell this break has been good for me? Because it has. And I think the fact that I'm missing writing here is evidenced by this huge intro.

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G my statistics book, because y'all, I am determined to get a good grade in that class in particular. It is definitely going to be my biggest challenge, but I think I have the right mindset, which is half the battle for me. Also, I now have another reason to anticipate the end of this semester: I think I've nearly talked my mom into reading the Harry Potter series with me. I'm hoping we can simultaneously read the books, & have Skype book club sessions. This gives me such a huge thing to look forward to, which helps me press on when I have a statistics book in my face & realize that I'm READING. ABOUT. MATH. 
W R I T I N G in my second homemade planner. This one is getting extra bells & whistles, with little post-it flags & the cutest ever post-it notes from Target adorning its pages. I love my homemade planners. I do think I want to transition into the Filofax ranks come 2014, but even then, I plan to continue making homemade planners, for brainstorming, journaling, & rough-draft list-making. Yes, the organization is going to be at that level. It's impressive, I know. 
L I S T E N I N G to the sound of silence at the moment. I rose bright & early at 8:00 this morning, which I was thrilled about - & even tweeted such - because I haven't been able to get up with my alarm since the Labor Day holidays, I'm afraid to admit. But, it's true. I've been watching my YouTube favorites this morning, as well as enjoying a pumpkin spice Archer Farms K-Cup [my new favorite], but I decided I'd like silence to collect my thoughts & tap them out into this post. 
T H I N K I N G constantly about the changes coming for my blog & YouTube channel, & staying in a perpetual state of excitement over it. I said I wasn't going to divulge much about it, but I'll give you a few more hints: there are going to be more photos, more beauty products, more nail polish, more writing, more lists, more outfits of the day, more samplings of possible book ideas, more photo diaries... yeah. And that's a lot. And you may be thinking, How is this going to happen? But, my dears, I guess that is what I will leave for you to find out come October.
S M E L L I N G the residual scent of my quickly-devoured cup of coffee. I didn't have coffee yesterday - I had tea instead - so my cup was an extra-special treat this morning. I find it makes coffee a much more enjoyable thing when you don't have it every single day. And when I say that's what I'm smelling, I mean that's what I'm kind of smelling. My sinuses/allergies have been off their rockers this week. So much so, that I took a Benadryl early Friday evening & passed out before nine o'clock. 
W I S H I N G & hoping for the ability to really keep my head in the game over the next couple of months. The road to getting my school stuff [relatively] under control hasn't been the easiest. Having lights at the end of the tunnel, such as re-reading the Harry Potter series during the holiday season, are what keep me going, & what keep my attitude up in the I can do this atmosphere. 
H O P I N G ... see above. I covered it all there.
W E A R I N G pajama pants & a SAINTS t-shirt. I love football season, I really do. Even if it's just for the sounds of a football game going on, playing background noise to blogging, Pinterest-browsing, & wing-eating. Sometimes I get into the games, sometimes I don't. But nothing really compares to the sound of a football game going on.
L O V I  N G the kind of weekend we've had thus far. I've been doing laundry, doing dishes, doing schoolwork... but also relaxing & working on projects I'm excited about. Not long ago, I would have grumbled at such a weekend: I was lazy with a capital L. But my newfound love of homemaking & organization & productivity has infused a new excitement of life into my daily routine. Really, how could I not love that? 
W A N T I N G wings for lunch today. I guess when this post is finished, I'll be headed out for a run. Football season always arouses in me the desire to indulge. Especially indulgences of the wing variety. My mouth is watering, & it's only nearly 9:30 a.m. Welcome to my life.
N E E D I N G to finish up some projects that have been on the back burner that just plain need finishing. In all of my recent progress with keeping the house together, I still haven't exactly kicked my horrible procrastination habits. Those are always on my list of things to improve. We'll see if they wane at all in the coming months. Let's hope they do.
F E E L I N G wholly content this morning. Feeling as if the day lies ahead, specifically for me to conquer it & make the most of it. There is no better feeling to begin a day with, really. 
C L I C K I N G around on these blogs with gusto recently: Organized Jen & Oh So Pretty. I've also been watching My Housewife Life videos daily, in an attempt to catch up with the huge backlog of videos she uploaded before I discovered her channel. I'm not really a housewife, but I find her videos wildly inspiring.

Well - did I write enough this week? I'm thinking I did. Now, it's your turn: what are you doing? Write your own currently post & link it up below. I love reading about what you're up to.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

the sunday currently, volume 50.



the first pumpkin spice latte of the season happened on friday. hello, fall.

Hello everyone! It feels funny to be posting the day that my blogging sabbatical begins, but The Sunday Currently stops for no one [not even me]. It also feels funny to be writing this edition of The Sunday Currently right now, because it's actually Saturday morning... very early morning, as in 12:53 a.m. Justin & I will be driving back from Raleigh by the time this post will need to go up, so that's why I'm having to write it & schedule it in advance. I've spent the evening up until this point getting the house cleaned up, packing for my little road trip, & watching My House Wife Life videos. It's been a productive day, & I'm thankful for that. 

Since I'm basically writing this with the future in mind, I'm guessing on these... but I have a feeling they may be accurate.

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G road signs & license plates between Raleigh & Wilmington. We are driving home today, after having attended the Louisiana Tech/NC State game, & I'm sure that we are exhausted. Justin has played what I think has added up to four... or five... rounds of golf between Wednesday & now, & I haven't been sleeping well, being in the house by myself since Wednesday night. 
W R I T I N G to-do lists in my head, but deciding they can wait to be put on paper until tomorrow night. It's the Labor Day holiday, which means a three-day weekend! Justin & I are looking forward to a day of relaxation.
L I S T E N I N G to some great road trip tunes. Unfortunately, Justin & I will be traveling in two different cars, since he took one up for the golf part of his trip, & I will be driving up just for the football game. 
T H I N K I N G that I'm really proud of the strides I've made with stress over the past week. I'm starting to get all of my school things under control, & it feels great. I think things are going to go even better than I previously thought. Now, let's just keep that feeling going with lots of proactive practices.
S M E L L I N G ... who knows? Who nose? Ha...
W I S H I N G for a smooth transition into the school & work week after our three-day weekend. Sometimes a longer holiday makes getting back to the grind harder. 
H O P I N G to continue eating healthily & working out consistently. I'm proud of the strides I've made in the past week, especially with meal-planning & even cooking!
W E A R I N G ... well, if I'm wearing what I packed, it'll be orange shorts, a gray slouchy v-neck top, & the scarf Kara brought back for me from Paris last summer.
L O V I  N G finally being back with Justin! I don't know how he stayed here at the house by himself for such extended periods of time, when I was back in Shreveport. I understand now how lonely he must have been. I'm grateful for his selflessness & patience. 
W A N T I N G a black & white cookie. I've been wanting one since Thursday. Maybe since Sunday is Diet Cheat Day, this can be arranged?
N E E D I N G to feel proud of myself for the strides I've made with stress management, routine implementation, & just self control in general. I really have made a lot of progress over the past few weeks, & I'm so happy about that. 
F E E L I N G blessed & loved & thankful. 
C L I C K I N G nothing around the Internets today. It's time to hang out with Justin.

What have you been up to lately? Link up & share below! 

the back and forth.

Justin had to turn on the air conditioner again last night.  It's October 26 - doesn't that mean the heater can stay on? Doesn't...