Friday, May 30, 2014

i'm doing it again.



They said it couldn't be done.

Well, technically, I said it wouldn't be done... ever again. Remember?

But then, I went into one of the biggest blogging slumps of my life [I know... dramatic]. Throughout December & January, I took a much more casual approach to blogging, popping in with informal, often photo-free updates. I was ok with how it was going, but I wasn't loving it, & I realized I wasn't taking much pride in it, either. 

But it continued. March & April came & went, & I still hadn't found a way out of my writing rut. And then May came along, too, & two things happened:

1. One of my all-time favorite content creators, Organized Jen, said she was going to go back to her roots in regard to vlogging. I noticed a near-palpable difference. Suddenly, everything I always loved about her channels was back. Suddenly, I fell in love with her content all over again.

2. My sister graduated college. And suddenly, I yearned for my early blogging days, when my blog played the part of record-keeper for all the main events in my life. 

And, really, my path from there was clear: a trip back to my blogging roots was the answer. 

So, what can you expect to see on this page as I blog every day in the month of June?

Well, you can expect to see a lot of the kinds of posts I used to do: snapshots, favorites [love lists], The Sunday Currently, reflections accompanied by photos, recent reading posts, weekenders, & the lot. I'll also be writing about my career change, our upcoming move, & more. I also plan to participate in more link-ups. 

The main point is, you will see me here every day of June 2014. And I am so very excited about that. I hope you are, too. Here we go!

siddathornton.blogspot.com
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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

the sunday currently, volume 88.



a trip to our local sno cone stand.
justin got tigers blood + watermelon.
i got praline + cheesecake.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to you all! Justin & I kicked off the long weekend with sleeping in very late on Saturday & having a movie day. There were sno cones involved, as you may have gathered from the above photos. Our plans for the rest of the weekend include a lot of the same. I also plan to do all of the laundry, wash some dishes, & just generally clean the house up. I may even start packing some of our things. What are you doing this weekend?

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  blogs more often lately. I've got major goals to start interacting more with bloggers I admire. I've been such a lurker in the past few months.
W R I T I N G  posting schedules for my blog. I have exciting plans for this space. I finally feel like I'm in the right place to start posting regularly again. It's definitely been a journey getting back to this place mentally. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous. But that's the truth.
L I S T E N I N G  to more mellow tunes in the past week, mainly via Band of Horses radio on Pandora. It's been such a comfort to me this week, especially when on walks at my park & while showering. Thanks, Band of Horses.
T H I N K I N G  that moving is always more stressful than I think it's going to be. The good news: my solo road trip to our new town on Friday resulted in our choosing a place, BUT... since this is a holiday weekend, I'll have to wait until Tuesday to set things in motion. We won't be moving until the end of July, either, so we have to make sure they are willing to work with us in that respect, too. 
S M E L L I N G  like French Lavender & Honey constantly, again this week. it is hands down my favorite right now, & perfect for late Spring.
W I S H I N G  houses cleaned themselves, coffee appeared on my bedside table every morning at 6:15, & a whole host of other things. None of them pressing, however. 
H O P I N G  I can continue making strides in managing my stress, though I still have to let myself freak out a bit [internally], take some time to think & reflect, & then decide to let it go & that things will work out. I'm doing a lot better. Tell me, please: how do you manage stress in a healthy way?
W E A R I N G  my hair straight a lot lately. I'm missing the curls, but it's more difficult with my current hairstyle. I've decided to grow it out a bit & try this same style. We'll see. 
L O V I N G  writing, my husband, phone calls, my composition books, my hair color, to-do lists, scheduling, walks at the park, wearing my FitBit again, iced coffee... I could go on...
W A N T I N G  my official school schedule. I'm ready to start drafting up potential routines. Yes, it is all quite as nerdy as it sounds. And I love it.
N E E D I N G  a new favorite daily shower gel. Any suggestions? I'm almost out of my Amber Blush one from Bath & Body Works. I've decided to change things up a bit & use a more neutral-scented shower gel & lotion & let my body sprays & perfumes take center stage. [I'm really on a roll with neediness lately, if you couldn't tell]. I'm looking for a moisturizing shower gel, as well as an exfoliating shower gel. I think I've decided on my new everyday body lotion.
F E E L I N G  much better than I did earlier this week. I was really under the weather with stress & anxiety the first few days, but I've taken conscious steps to alleviate those feelings, with noticeable success. Staying on top of things & living with intention really helps. So does working out.
C L I C K I N G  this post about Joelle's coffee station, which makes me happy. Also, all of Anna's San Francisco posts, which have me jonesing for another trip out west. I haven't been to California since I visited one of my best friends at USC in 2007. Maybe it's time to start planning another trip?

this week's posts:

I'll see you back here in this space a couple of times this week, but come next Sunday, things will be a lot more consistent, as you will see. Cheers to that, am I right? I hope you all have a lovely week. Here's to stress-free, happy, late-Spring days!

Care to link up? Join in below!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

songs from wilmington: let's be happy.



Hello everyone. Thanks for your patience as I re-figure out my blogging rhythm. It seems to be a constant battle for me, doesn't it? I've been thinking very hard about blogging lately, & I have begun formulating some new goals, as well as a new mindset & approach toward this hobby of mine. I've also been working on a new design, which I'm excited about, & which I think will help on the motivation-to-post front. 

You may also have read via social media about my career news: I am going to OT school! I plan to share more about this, as well as our upcoming move, here on the blog soon. As expected, I am so excited! Not being able to share this news - I think - contributed in a large part toward the veritable silence in this space. Now that everything can be out in the open, I feel like I'll be posting a lot more frequently, which I feel will make me a whole lot happier.

As for today, I'm back with another playlist post! I love seeing other people's playlists - hopefully you do, too! These are a few of the songs I've really been loving this Spring. Enjoy.

WORK IT OUT | knox hamilton
ELEVATE | st. lucia
BRIDGES | broods
FROM NOWHERE | dan croll
I FEEL IT ALL | feist
FLOAT ON | modest mouse
HAPPY | pharrell williams
SLEEPYHEAD | passion pit
TONGUE TIED | grouplove
PARIS | magic man
MAGIC | coldplay
YOU GOT IT | roy orbison
BE STILL MY HEART | the postal service
NOTHING BETTER | the postal service
PORK AND BEANS | weezer
1234 | feist
WAYS TO GO | grouplove
FLAMES | cider sky
TWELVE THIRTY | the mamas & the papas
ALL OF THE PEOPLE | panama wedding
IT'S ALRIGHT | matt and kim
STEP | vampire weekend
SHEILA PUT THE KNIFE DOWN | junior prom
I WANNA GET BETTER | bleachers
LET ME IN | grouplove

Some old, some new, some overplayed. But all ones that I love. There are quite a few other songs I've been loving recently, but I guess I'll save those for the next playlist. What have you been listening to recently? I'm always up for suggestions!

Want to listen to this playlist on Spotify? It can be found here.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

the sunday currently, volume 87.



Good morning, everyone! We've just dropped Kara at the airport on this chilly, sunny Sunday morning. We have had such a good time having her in town, and I was sad to send her off. I hope she'll come visit us again soon. 

One good thing about dropping people at the airport for early morning flights is that a Starbucks trip is almost guaranteed. And as I sit typing this, Justin & I are curled up on the couch watching Can't Buy Me Love, which I've never seen before. 

In short, it's shaping up to be a lovely Spring morning so far.

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  isn't really something that's happened a lot this week. With Kara in town, I was focusing more on spending time with her & showing her around Wilmington. I need to re-configure my reading schedule, that's for sure, but I also need to make a trip to the library this week for some motivation [and just because I want to, obviously]. As I've said before, borrowing books from the library really gives me the push I need to get my books finished. It's time-sensitive, & that is a great motivator. 
W R I T I N G  ... well, I wrote a freelance piece for Wilma Magazine this week. I have some big goals for my writing in the coming couple of years, which of course I'll share as things develop. What I really want: to publish a novel, to publish a children's book, & to get published in some literary journals. I know, all a bit lofty, but I'm a strong believer that if something is meant to happen, & if you want something to happen badly enough, it will find a way to work out.
L I S T E N I N G  to the movie as I type out this post. I'm trying to pay close attention, since I've never seen it before. And, well, also because I like it. And speaking of "listening," I need to post my Spring Playlist this week, because I feel like before we know it, the Summer Solstice is going to be upon us.
T H I N K I N G  that a chilly morning with the promise of a warm drink is a simple joy indeed. Also, that I'm really looking forward to the time when I get to share some news with all of you. I'm not good at keeping secrets, really, so I think that largely accounts for the silence on this blog recently. I'm not good at "kind of" sharing. Soon, I'll be able to be completely transparent, & I'm looking forward to that time. 
S M E L L I N G  my tall nonfat caramel macchiato. Yum. So, so delicious, especially this morning. They must have made it with love. Also, lately I've been smelling like some of my new scents from Bath & Body Works. They really hit the nail on the head with their Spring line. My favorite so far? French Lavender & Honey. It's such a fresh, soothing scent.
W I S H I N G  a venti nonfat caramel macchiato was sitting in front of me, because they really knew what they were doing when they made it this morning. Also, that they would have taught home economics when I was in high school. Think about it: so many more of us would actually know how to cook if that were the case. 
H O P I N G  Kara's flights are smooth & quick this morning. Also hoping? That R & I have success during our Starbucks scholarship search this week. I'm also hoping that the donut I'm about to eat is as delicious as I am imagining. Chances are, it will be.
W E A R I N G  curly hair this week, I'm thinking. I'm ready for my hair to grow out a bit. I'm missing my messy buns something fierce.
L O V I N G  that Kara loved Flaming Amy's Bowl as much as I do. She even requested a return trip for dinner last night. It is SO good, & I'm glad she recognized that. I'm also just loving the past week in general: we went to the beach, volunteered together at the horse farm, watched a lot of New Girl, & took a road trip to Greenville.
W A N T I N G  breakfast at either Dixie Grill or Sawmill this morning. We've definitely eaten well in the past week, that's for sure. In fact, I plan to charge up my Fitbit tonight so I can really get back on track tomorrow. I'm feeling quite motivated, & I don't plan to waste that.
N E E D I N G  to work on my blog redesign this week, as well as clean the house, catch up with friends, read, catch up on my Bible reading app, catch up on all of my journals, etc. The list is already long, & I'm sure it's building subconsciously, as we speak.
F E E L I N G  tired & happy & thirsty & hungry & excited & content. Lots of emotions at once.
C L I C K I N G  this post of some gorgeous sunrise photos from Betsy. It reminded me of all the reasons I fight against my sleeping-all-day-staying-up-all-night nature to rise from bed early & enjoy those moments when the day is still brand new. Also, this post about writing from Rachel. She really inspires me to just write - to just put words to paper & get it out there. 

Well, I guess it's time to really get into the movie now. Here's hoping this Sunday is a lazy one. After the back-to-back awesomeness that was this past week, I think we need to re-charge & prepare for the week ahead. Cheers!

Care to link up? Join in below!


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

dear blog...

dear blog,

i miss you. i really do.
things just haven't been the same between us, have they?

i plan to change that. i want to go back to those days 
of getting excited to share things through you. 
photos, words, stories... life. i miss sharing it all. 

but most of all, i miss the thrill of simply running 
a blog that i'm passionate about. 
the thrill of putting together posts. 
having something i can be proud of. 
something that makes me happy when i think about it. 

you were once that thing for me, and i hope you will be again one day. 
until then, i'll stick it out with you. i'll keep trying until i get it right. 
i'll keep experimenting until i get the rhythm back down.

one thing is for certain: i will never give up on you.
 no matter what. we are in this together, you and me. 

love,
lauren

Sunday, May 11, 2014

the sunday currently, volume 86.



i've been upping my motivation for early rising lately. this beautiful, 
early-morning sunshine was my reward for getting up at 6:15 on thursday.

Hello, everyone! And Happy Sunday! Today, Justin and I are coming off the high of a family-filled weekend. We flew into Jackson on Thursday evening, because my sister, Kara, graduated from Millsaps College on Saturday! I am so, so proud of her. And I am also so, so glad that Justin & I were both able to attend. It means the world to me that we got to see her get that diploma.

As for today, we are traveling back over to Wilmington. Then, Kara will be arriving to stay with us for a week, tomorrow! Yay! Let's keep this party going!

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, still. And I owe y'all a recent reading post. I didn't really blog much at all last week, which makes me sad, but it's the truth.
W R I T I N G  a lot of blog posts in my head recently, on my daily walks. I need to put pen to paper, or, well, fingertips to keyboard, I should say, on those posts. Hopefully soon.
L I S T E N I N G  to my beloved air travel playlist, which is housed on one of my old iPhones, which I now call my iPod. It has the best travel tunes - light, inspiring, and comforting.
T H I N K I N G  that I can't believe my sister graduated from college this weekend! I'm so proud of her! And I'm not going to say we're old, because, well, we're not. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
S M E L L I N G  like Sunflowers, by Elizabeth Arden a lot recently. It's a perfume I like to pull out in the Spring and Summer months. I've also been wearing it since I was in 7th grade. It's a good one.
W I S H I N G  for safe, smooth travels for us today, back to Wilmington. And the same for Kara, as she is coming to visit us this week! 
H O P I N G  I keep my travel anxiety in check today. I get so worked up over traveling! I'm sure I'm excited to get back home, though.
W E A R I N G  a new outfit today, that I've been waiting to put into my rotation. It's cute and very comfortable.
L O V I N G  that I got to spend time with my family this weekend. And that I got to see my sister graduate college. And that my sister & I both got to be with my Mom on Mother's Day. And that Justin was able to come with me to Kara's graduation. And seeing my Dad, of course! In short, loving all the family time that happened this weekend.
W A N T I N G  to eat healthfully from this point forward. Actually, I mean "this point" as Thursday, when I am penning this post. I had a bit of a turning point last night, and I'm ready to really be aware of what I'm eating and how I'm treating my body. And now, just to keep up the exercise, as well! That is something I've been doing well with recently.
N E E D I N G  to get motivated to get the house in tip-top shape tomorrow. I already have a list of chores to conquer in preparation for Kara's visit.
F E E L I N G  happy and loved. 

/////

this week's posts:

Photo / Early Morning Sunshine / Instagram

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

Friday, May 9, 2014

someone is graduating college.





And just like that, we're off to Jackson.
And just like that, my little sister is graduating college.

By the time this post goes live, we will have landed in Jackson, and we will be reveling in all the graduating-from-college glory that this long weekend holds in store. I still remember the weekend - my birthday weekend - that we dropped Kara off at her dorm on Millsaps campus. I still remember taking a zillion pictures, and the way that Kara acted annoyed, but I knew she really was thankful that she had a crazy older sister, snapping photos here, snapping photos there, commemorating the moment. And next week, you'll get to see one of those photos, because during this graduation weekend, I plan to recreate my favorite photo from that move-in weekend. And then they'll be juxtaposed, and then there will be a blog post about it, and then I'll once again be stifling tears as I realize how very grown up my younger sibling is. 

This weekend is a weekend for pride and for tears and for happiness and for cheering.

And we will do that with all of our hearts.

/////

Happy Graduation Weekend, Kara!

Follow along here, or stalk #siddastravellog.

Photo / Us at Geoff's Wedding / Sowell Archives

Sunday, May 4, 2014

the sunday currently, volume 85.



well, it's one of those "day of few words" days... so bear with me...

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And since I finished The Light Between Oceans since we last spoke, that means a new recent reading post will be headed your way this week! I've really been loving reading lately.
W R I T I N G  new schedule plans for the coming months. I LOVE schedules. I know that sounds nerdy, but it's the truth. I thrive off of structured, scheduled environments. Now, just to find the schedule that works for the interim - I NEED some structure around here.
L I S T E N I N G  to my Spring 2014 playlist a lot this weekend - it'll be up on my blog this week, too. At this moment, though? I'm listening to Elliott Smith, who will, without a doubt, always be my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE.
T H I N K I N G  that early rising sucks for the first few days, but then it starts to feel awesome, because you get to have this time of relaxation before the day starts, and you get to feel that feeling of being awake before everyone else. Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself into it, here?
S M E L L I N G  ... well, I'll tell you what I wish I were smelling, and that's a large cup of coffee. That sounds unbelievably good right now.
W I S H I N G  for a great week, for a good attitude, for feeling good, for the best workouts. Maybe I should stop wishing and just make it happen?
H O P I N G  I never stop reading the way I'm reading right now. Which is, voraciously.
W E A R I N G  old pajamas and new glasses.
L O V I N G  that graduation is this coming up weekend! I can't wait to see my family!
W A N T I N G  ... like I said, coffee.
N E E D I N G  to understand why sometimes, the words come flowing out without any chance of stopping, and then other times, like today, I feel like I'm having to forcefully pull them out of my head.
F E E L I N G  pretty awesome now that Kara has called me! Now, I'm hearing all about her collegiate adventures.

/////

this week's posts:

Photo / Spring Workouts at My Park / Instagram

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

may things.



WELL, I didn't set the bar very high for my April Things, as you may have noticed. In fact, there was only one item on that list of things that I resolved to do, and that was to RELAX. In March, I had some major anxiety flare-ups, and I really wanted to take the month of April to try to correct those tense feelings as much as I could. 

I drank way, way less coffee. I concentrated on exercising a lot, and drinking a lot of water. I also set my mind to eating more healthfully, incorporating as many whole foods into my diet as I could. 

And, you know, it did work. I felt so much better. I have felt a lot more relaxed, more present, and not so worrisome and distracted. I plan to continue down this healthy path, and I plan to get in with a doctor soon as well, just to check everything out and make sure everything is in balance. 

So, what do I plan to do in May? Well, I'll tell you...

MAY RESOLUTIONS

1. Drink between 60 & 80 ounces of water every single day.
2. Keep up the healthy lifestyle: rigorous workouts, eating healthfully.
3. Keep reading.
4. Clean the house & keep it in tip-top shape for the entire month.
5. Get back on track with blogging.

I think five is a good number of things to focus on for 31 days, don't you? I think it's probably best to keep monthly goal lists as short & concise as possible, you know, so that they are actually do-able, and you're not setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Best to stay away from those things, I'd say.

/////

Want to see my other things? They're all here.

Photo / Pretties in the Dunkin Donuts Line / iPhone 5C 

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...