why i watch youtube beauty videos.

I've mentioned here & there in this space, that I'm a bit of a YouTube-beauty-videos junkie. It's an obsession of mine, & I have legitimately worked the watching of said videos into my routine [usually while at the gym working out], since I've been trying to revolutionize my everyday routines over the past few months. 

But, why do I watch them, right?

Well, the honest truth about my introduction to the YouTube beauty scene has roots in snobbery, I'm afraid. Lindsey & I didn't exactly know what we were getting ourselves into when we clicked on a get ready with me video one day during lunch, but we had an inkling that we would find it funny. And we did.

I'm not going to lie - we really thought it was hilarious: over-exaggerated gesturing to showcase jewelry, holding products up in the camera frame as the girl talked about them... we found ourselves in fits of giggles with each video watched.

And that first day was definitely the beginning of something - a lunch-time routine for us, & an insatiable beauty product obsession for me. 

I'm not really sure when viewing the videos crossed over into sincerity for me, but it was probably when I started to feel a change in myself - a yearning to be better, to do better, & to look better. It was about so much more than makeup. The gurus shared their struggles, hopes, thoughts, & fears, right along with every suggested shade of eyeshadow or lipstick. And I started to feel a connection - a type of one-sided, virtual friendship.

I know it sounds weird - but it's also sweet & simple, really. I went from poking fun at something, to being ultimately inspired to be my best self, by people who were strangers.

Over the years, my YouTube subscription box has been filled to the brim with a wide variety of beauty gurus. True, I have my favorites, but the truth is - they all offer something up to me: the burning desire to really take care of myself, put my best foot forward, & cultivate a lifestyle I can enjoy & take pride in. 

And that's why I watch YouTube beauty videos. 

Interested in which channels & videos I'm loving most in the YouTube Beauty Community right now? I'll be sharing some of my current favorites on Monday!

wilmington snapshot: st. patrick's day parade.

Nearly one month ago, Justin & I had our Dallas family visiting, & we were lucky enough to attend the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown. Before attending the festivities, we breakfasted at Dixie Grill, where I had the most delicious Banana Pecan French Toast, ever. Here are some snaps from the main event.

We had a blast, & I really love that Wilmington hosted such a festive event. I wonder what we'll go to next?

photos: nikon

the sunday currently, volume 29.

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you have all had a weekend as relaxing, productive, & restorative as mine. Justin has been in Shreveport golfing & hanging out with his best friends, & I have been here at home, cleaning, doing laundry, watching inordinate amounts of both My Fair Wedding & Awkward, &, as you may have guessed, redesigning this space.

A cleaner, more sophisticated design for this space has been a long time coming. And while I'm definitely no expert*, I'm happy with the way things have come out. Eventually, one day, I'll let a super snazzy designer get their hands on this space, but for now, I'm content.

This weekend has given me a chance to reflect on my life, & through that reflection, a mantra emerged: back to basics. No, not the Christina Aguilera album... but rather, a return to crisp, classic, simplicity. I'll write even more about this in the coming days, but I just wanted to share a little snippet of my vision for the future of this blog, through sharing my current words to live by.

reading has not been my strong suit as of late. Despite my reading schedules that were set in place so that I would finish Little Women by the end of March, I still have a good five hundred pages left to go.

writing a whole bunch of blog post drafts for the future. I've really been on a blog-writing kick lately, & my brand new space is really going to be conducive to releasing a whole lot of creative energy around here.

listening to some brand new artists as I create my Wilmington Spring [2013] playlist on Spotify. After reading Daci's post, I got really inspired to put together a list of songs that will always remind me of my first spring here in Wilmington.

thinking that I am so excited Justin is coming home today! Even though I feel like I needed this solo weekend to recharge & renew, I have really missed him, & I'm so glad he will be here soon.

smelling my Oceane perfume, which I bought from Anthropologie in Jackson when my sister, her best friend Ellen, & I were on a trip to tour Millsaps. Now that Kara is about to wrap up her Junior year, that trip is even more special to me. And I really, really love that I have a scent that takes me back to that moment in time.

wishing I had watched a little more Gilmore Girls this weekend. I just couldn't tear myself away from My Fair Wedding. It's been an addiction lately. For real.

hoping & praying for safe travels for Justin today. I can't wait to see him!

wearing professional clothes again this week, since I'll be shadowing for the second week in a row! My career is on the upswing, folks, & I'm jazzed.

loving the phone calls I have had in the past few days with my parents. It means a lot to me that they took the time out of their busy schedules to call me & chat about everything. I can't wait to hang out with them in person on my upcoming trip to Shreveport!

wanting an evening of movie-watching & dinner on the couch with Justin!

needing to paint my toenails. And that's the truth, everyone.

feeling like working out every day needs to be a priority for the next few weeks. There is a little ole wedding coming up soon that I need to look my absolute best for.

clicking a few very different links lately: Demeter, so that I can choose a new signature scent. I'm thinking of Almond, or Honey, or Baby Powder. Have you ever tried a Demeter scent before? What is your favorite? Also, Country Club Prep, with dreams of redesigning my closet, to match my redesigned blog. And finally, this recipe, with hopes of whipping something up in the kitchen soon.

photo: instagram

*somehow, in the midst of all the design madness, disqus got completely removed from my blog, which has thrown my comments section off a bit. it should be resolved in the next couple of days. oopsies!

*update: disqus is now re-installed here on siddathornton, but the comment import is taking longer than expected. if you commented on this post, don't worry - i didn't delete it. it should show back up once the import is finally complete. thank you for your patience as i get this issue resolved.

friday's fancies #65: polka dots + crawfish boils.

As I said yesterday, Justin will be spending the weekend on the golf courses of our hometown, competing in the SAE Alumni Golf Tournament. Afterwards, he'll be chowing down on some crawfish with all of his friends. I'll be holding down the fort, but if I were tagging along, I'm pretty sure this would be my dream crawfish boil outfit.

nail polish | sandals | shorts | top | bangle | jacket | wristlet

How cute are those polka dot shorts?!

link-up: friday's fancies \ {long distance loving}

holding down the fort.

This weekend, Justin is jetting out to take part in his fraternity's alumni golf tournament. I'm staying behind, since in a couple short weeks, I'll be headed to Shreveport for a month-long visit. During my alone-time this weekend, I plan to do a lot of reading, Gilmore Girls viewing, blogging, emailing-answering, working out, cleaning, & relaxing. I'm excited that Justin gets some quality time with his best friends this weekend - I hope he comes back with some interesting stories! And like I said, if you need me over the next couple of days, you know where to find me: the couch gym.

photo: nikon

pinehurst snapshot: blooms + the village.

Back when we went to Pinehurst at the beginning of March, I spent one of my days walking the grounds & snapping some photos.

We really are looking forward to the day when we return here for some more rest & relaxation.

photos: nikon

on time.

There is a section of our favorite antiques store in town, entirely devoted to clocks. Old ones, new ones, forgotten ones. And sometimes I like to go stand in front of the clocks, just to hear the pitter-patter, knocking, clicking sound comprised by all of their unanimous ticking. Because in that moment, I feel like I may be just a little bit in charge of time itself. It feels so much like a tangible thing in those moments, even though I know it's not.

I am one of those people who, at the thought of time plummeting forward, with no concern for me or how I feel about it, can be sent either into a mild or Earth-shattering panic attack, depending on what kind of day it's been. The uncontrollable passage of time leaves me feeling helpless, sad, forlorn, & even ragged, at times.

I am paralyzingly terrified of waking up one day & realizing that I'm horribly old & lonely, with all of my loved ones either gone or too far away to reach. And just the simple act of typing those words has brought tears to my eyes, at the realization & simplicity of that sentiment. Because I've never before been able to articulate exactly what it is that sometimes keeps me up at night, worrying.

So, what is the solution in all of this? Well, of course, I believe it lies in the slowing down of time. That is, to the most extreme degree that this is possible. Obviously, I can't stop the hands ticking away on a clock, even if I am visiting them at my own will in an isolated corner of an antiques shop.

But, I can slow down. I can choose to look around me. I can choose to be present. I can choose to laugh heartily & as much as I want. I can choose to really listen to my favorite songs, drinking them in like the elixir of life, like I used to do when I was young & impressionable. I can remember how to be tender & naive & hopeful. I can breathe in the scent of the coffee before I take the first sip. I can look into your eyes when you are talking to me, rather than at anything at all else. I can breathe deeply, feel thankful, cherish the daily grind. 

What do you do to slow down time? How do you grapple with the terminable feeling that life sometimes has? Please, help me in this arduous quest.

photo: the clocks at the ivy cottage \ instagram

a little wish list: miscellaneous items.

sweater | necklace | camera | bag | shoes | clutch

Even though I'm sharing this list with you on April Fool's Day, I'm not kidding when I say I'd love to add any - or all - of these items to my repertoire. 

see other wish lists here:

drug store wish list

high end wish list