september: embarking on a cleanse of sorts.

a tiny snippet of the geeky school lists i've been scribbling out lately

I'll admit this is a somewhat awkwardly-timed post, & I'll also admit that I had other plans for my post today, but those plans just haven't panned out on my end.

I'm going to admit something to you, & it's something I'm not happy about. I let school overwhelm me so much yesterday evening, that I spent the night-time-part of my birthday close to tears, in a heap of frustration, & just generally in a state of unhappiness. And I wasn't pleasant to be around. I know I wasn't.

Twenty-seven was such a great birthday. There was a pouring out of love & gifts coming at me from all directions, & I was beyond grateful for it all. The fact that I let school dampen my spirits & manifest itself in a negative way, in my thoughts, actions, mood, treatment of others, etc. kind of sickens me. I went to bed last night, after brainstorming schedules & plans of action, vowing to get in control of everything, figure out my priorities, & devise a plan of success for this crazy semester. 

And that's what I did today. 

I'm coming to you from a place of such increased clarity & ease of mind that I'm actually really excited about what I'm about to tell all of you. 

I am taking the month of September off of blogging. 

First of all, let me clarify: I am taking the month of September - other than Sundays - off of blogging. The Sunday Currently has been going on for almost an entire year now, & I have no intentions of stopping - ever, really. As long as things continue going on in my life [which I hope is always, obviously], I will continue wrapping it all up in my weekly post. And I will enthusiastically invite all of you to continue linking up with me. I know I don't always comment, but I do always read. And I will continue to tweet all the TSC linkers each week.

Now that we've got that clarified, I have a few things to say about my blogging cleanse. In the two years I've been blogging in this space know as siddathornton, my purpose has changed multiple times, my layout has changed multiple times, my attitude toward blogging has fluctuated immensely, & - I believe - the content of my blog has fluctuated immensely. Blogging is a fluid thing - all of the components I mentioned above are constantly changing. And sometimes I find that to be an exhilarating thing. And sometimes I find it to be an overwhelming - in a bad way - thing. 

So, for September, I am going to practice the art of observation. I'm going to observe what I love about the blogging world. I'm going to observe what I don't like about the blogging world. I'm going to observe my feelings toward certain subjects & toward certain styles. And at the end of September, I'm going to come away with the knowledge of where this blog is headed in the future. Whether it's a blog that runs solely on The Sunday Currently postings... whether it's a blog heavy on makeup reviews... whether it's a blog that's updated every single day... whether it's a blog that is updated only when I have put together a post that has been picked apart & obsessed over... I can safely & almost completely confidently say that this blog will go on for the foreseeable future.

Blogging is something I see myself always taking part in. But for the month of September, I will be observing. 

And throwing myself into school. And finding a school routine that is conducive to success. 

And once that routine is found, I will feel confident in integrating blogging back into that routine. 

Well, this post is already miles long, so I'll go ahead & tell you this, too: I am also giving up reading for pleasure. But I'm not just giving that up for September, I'm giving that up from this point forward, until all of my classes are complete this semester. I have too much to read for school - it needs to be given my undivided attention. So, rather than diving into the Game of Thrones series this fall, as I previously intended, I will be diving into my Statistics book... or Anatomy & Physiology book... or Ethics book... or whatever else school book each night before bed. This isn't a decision I'm necessarily thrilled about, but it's a decision that I know will be more conducive the to type of grades I'm hoping to achieve this semester. 

So, there's that. 

Rest assured: when October rolls around, I'll have a plan for this blog up my sleeve. When mid-December rolls around, I'll be posting my Winter Reading List. And when Sundays roll around, there will always, always be a The Sunday Currently post going up at noon eastern.

Of those things, you can be sure.

Until then, I will be finishing out Blaugust strong, with a post each day. I don't know what those posts will be, but there will be posts.

Tell me: what do you do to keep your priorities in order? Have you ever taken a blogging break? Please share any anecdotes or advice. Here's to taking control of our lives, knowing our priorities, & doing whatever is necessary to get those priorities in order.

me, at twenty-seven.

this is what the first day of twenty-seven looked like me for me

Yes, I'm doing that thing where I basically missed a day of posting here [gasp, Blaugust] but have decided to do some retrograde posting & pretend like it happened in real time. I've decided this is ok, because honestly, I was so exhausted by last night that this is absolutely the post I had decided to put up, until I decided that lying in bed reading BuzzFeed was more important. 

Sometimes, you just... can't. 

And yet, Blaugust still soldiers on.

things i've learned at twenty-six.

here's what i looked like today, my last day of being twenty-six, while i was writing this post

Tomorrow is my twenty-seventh birthday, so I thought today I would share with you a few - admittedly heavy - things I've learned in my twenty-sixth year, that I consider important.

+ We live in a scary world. And sometimes, the events that happen in this world will make you want to fold in on yourself, never leave your house, & become a hermit. BUT this is not the answer. Rather than locking yourself indoors like you'd like to, go out & live your life each day. Worrying about things that are out of your control is futile. I've decided the best thing for me to do is pray to God for the safety of myself & my loved ones. Hand over your problems & worries to God, as they say. This affords extreme comfort in the face of these scary situations.

+ We also live in a beautiful world. People are out there helping others each day. Some are researchers, slaving away in laboratories to discover elusive cures to diseases; some are social workers, delivering aid to those who need it the most; some are doctors, tending to the sick; some are simply people, loving others unconditionally & outwardly. And then, there's artistic expression, which will overwhelm you with its awesomeness, if you will let it. Focus on these things, not the bad, & your life will improve exponentially. 

+ One of the most groundbreaking things [personally speaking] that I have discovered this year is, I guess, something that I didn't really discover, but rather learned how to recognize in myself. For years, I have had episodes of random restlessness, anxiety, & pit-in-my-stomach worry. And I've learned to recognize it as.... anxiety. That may sound silly, but if you don't know that what you're experiencing is anxiety, it can make it an even scarier, even more anxiety-producing thing. When I start feeling that feeling, I can now identify it, & tell myself that it will pass, & that makes all the difference in the world.

+ The smallest things are what matter the most. This sounds like a cliche', & it pretty much is, but I'll give you an example to make it a little less cliche'-y. The night before my wedding day, I was very stressed out. Not because I was nervous - I knew better than I knew anything ever before that Justin was the person I was supposed to be marrying. The stress was more related to the details of the wedding, & I think anyone who has gotten married can relate. But after the rehearsal dinner, & after Justin & I had exchanged gifts, my bridesmaids & house party gave me a lingerie shower in our cottage. We sipped champagne, I opened pink boxes, & we all laughed & had a great time. But here is where the little thing comes in: One of the girls gifted me with the movie Bridesmaids that night, & one of the other girls had their husband come into the cottage & hook a laptop up to the TV so we could all lie in bed & watch it. I cannot express to you the comfort & ease this very small act provided me. Aside from the obvious - marrying my best friend, Justin - this is my favorite memory of my wedding.

+ Your life is going to progress, whether you like it or not. The ONLY thing you can do is make the most of it. Live your life the way you want to, be friends with those that you want to be friends with, & love on those in your life that you couldn't imagine being without. It is extremely morbid to think of the terminal quality of life, but it is a fact that I was confronted with when I took my Developmental Psychology course this summer. Rather than getting depressed over the indisputable fact that life as we know it on this planet will one day end, I have decided to celebrate my pants off. Celebrate the fact that I've woken to another glorious day of life. Celebrate the fact that I've finally become a morning person. Celebrate the fact that I like my handwriting. Celebrate the fact that I've got a husband, family, & friends who love me, despite my obvious flaws. Celebrate the fact that I am blessed enough to be in school again. 

C E L E B R A T E. Everything. Nothing is too small to celebrate. I repeat, nothing. 

So, there you have it. The things I've learned this year. The things that have changed my life. 

Have you discovered anything lately that's changed your perspective? Please, do share.

how i organize the apps i use on my iphone.

Recently I've revamped the organization of the apps I use on my phone. I'm really happy with the system I have in place now, so I thought I would share it with everyone, in case any of you are struggling with pages & pages of disorganized apps [a phenomenon that has the ability to drive me completely crazy].

This is what my phone's home screen looks like. The home screen is the screen that pops up as soon as I've unlocked my phone. This page houses my essential apps; the bottom row contains my most heavily used apps, & the ones up top are used frequently as well.

I use the phone's stock Calendar app for basic needs, such as checking the date. This one is pretty obvious. I don't really program my appointments in my phone - I find that it's much more beneficial for me to keep an ink-&-paper planner in which I write down all such information. But, you know, sometimes you just need to check the date, or what day of the week a certain date will fall on. That's what I use this app for.

Next up is the phone's stock Photo app. Often, I will check my photos app to see if there are any photos waiting in queue to be edited & uploaded to Instagram or Facebook. Again, pretty self-explanatory.

To correspond with the Photo app, I have placed the Camera app right next to it. Having the camera on my home screen provides easy access for those quick point-&-shoot moments. When I use my phone to photograph things, I always use the camera app first, then edit the photos with one of my various editing apps [which I'll discuss later in this post], then finally, I upload them to Instagram or Facebook.

The Clock app is essential for me: I use my phone's alarm as my alarm clock each morning. 

I've left the Reminders app on my home screen, though I do not use this feature very often. I mainly use this app when I need to be reminded of something when I am either leaving or arriving to a location, which I think is a really cool feature.

Since I live in a town that I neither grew up in, nor have lived in very long, the Maps app is also an essential. Since the version of the iPhone I currently have has spoken navigation, I find it helpful in guiding me while driving to a new location. I use this on road trips as well.

Next up is Newsstand, which I virtually have no use for; however, the phone will not allow me to delete it. For the sake of appearances & balance, I keep it on the home screen.

The Notes app is one of my favorites: I use this to scribble down anything from blog post ideas, random snippets of writing, grocery lists, wish lists, etc. It is truly a helpful tool.

As you can see, my bottom bar houses my most-used apps, Phone, Messages, Mailbox, & Google Chrome. I highly recommend the Mailbox app. It is extremely helpful in paring down an overflowing inbox. And I keep Chrome on hand to search things that come up during the day.

The second page on my phone houses all the different category boxes, in which I store my different purchased apps. I've broken down these categories into the following compartments: social media, travel, useful, extras, camera, music, & saving money.

Social Media

This compartment houses all of my social media apps. The apps are arranged in order of usage for the most part, but really, the amount I use any of these given apps changes constantly, so there is no need to maintain them in any particular order. I've begun with Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. Out of the three, I would say that I currently use Instagram the most frequently throughout the day. If I'm stuck waiting somewhere, nine times out of ten I will pull up my Instagram feed so that I can marvel at beautiful photos. Next I have Snapchat, Vine, & Foursquare. A few of my close friends & I use Snapchat regularly, & I get a good laugh out of this app quite often. Vine is another one of those things I'll peruse if I have some extra time. [Post coming in the future on which Vine accounts are the best to follow]. I have a love/hate relationship with Foursquare. I can't decide if it's cool or just plain creepy, so my usage is spotty. YouTube is an obvious essential, since I watch beauty videos on the reg. BuzzFeed helps me fall asleep each night. Game Center lives in here because I have no other place to put it. I have an organizational Tumblr blog, so that one comes in handy. Goodreads is here so I can catch up on what everyone is reading & add books to my to read list as necessary. And Keek is a new addition to my collection, which I'll be sharing more about in the future.

Travel

I think this compartment is fairly self-explanatory. I've got my Fly Delta, United, & American apps on hand for when I'm flying, for ease of check in & to monitor any gate changes. I haven't learned how to use Passbook yet, but I've heard it's really convenient. TripAdvisor is helpful in nearly any situation, but especially for restaurants. Embark NYC is an app that was recommended to me when discussing my upcoming trip to NYC - I believe it aids in navigating the transportation systems of the city.

Useful

This compartment stores app that are just that - useful. First off, I have my Devotion app. This app provides two daily Bible devotions, as well as a trivia question each day. I find this helps to center me, & it is the perfect way to begin & end each day. Next off is my Waterlogged app, which I use to track my daily water consumption. I have two weather apps - the stock one & The Weather Channel's official app, TWC. Next are a slew of sometimes-useful, sometimes-extraneous apps: Calculator, Settings, Mail, Contacts, Compass, Voice Memos, & Stocks. Just for the record, I don't think I've used the compass app or the stocks app once.

Extras

The extras compartment is where I store all the apps that don't have a specific home. It may be that I don't have enough of these individual types of apps to warrant their own folder, or I may never, ever use these apps, but like the other stock apps, I am not able to delete them. This is where both my iTunes & App Store apps live, as well as my sports-themed selections: SportsTracker & Nike + iPod. Then I have Postagram & Netflix, both of which I use sparingly. Dots is the only game I currently have on my phone. Emoji, Videos, & Safari are used almost never. [Just to clarify, I use emojis on my phone almost annoyingly regularly; I was simply saying that I never use the actual app. It just has to be on there in order to have the emoji keyboard].

Camera

As you can see in the screen shot, I haven't named this compartment the actual word camera; rather, I have named it with the cute camera emoji. Not only do I just simply like the way this looks, it also reduces the clutter on my screen. My most-used camera apps include VSCOcam & Afterlight, but I also enjoy Camera+, Diptic, Hipstamatic, CrossProcess, PuddingCam, & BeautifulMess.

Music

Once again, this compartment is named with an emoji musical note rather than the word music. Out of the four apps in this section, Pandora & soundtracking are used most frequently. I don't currently store music on this phone, so the Music app is empty, & I've used up my free Spotify Premium trial, so Spotify doesn't really get used. I keep it on there if I ever decided to upgrade in the future.

Saving Money

This is a fairly new compartment, as I've recently broken into the couponing world. So far I've downloaded Hobby Lobby, Michaels, & CVS, but I am sure to add more in the near future.

I hope this post proved useful to any of you who are struggling to get your apps in order. If you're anything like me, a disorganized phone can send you reeling. Do yourself a favor & create some categorized compartments into which your various apps can be filed. It's definitely worked for me! So, tell me: how do you organize your apps? Do you let them haphazardly occupy pages upon pages of your phone? Or do you create categories like me?

Want to see more organization posts? They're all here, with more to come in the future.

a new beginning.

F A L L     S E M E S T E R     S T A R T S     T O D A Y

the sunday currently, volume 48.

Well, we are now guest-less at the Christy Residence - we dropped my mother-in-law off at the airport bright & early this morning. We had a great visit, & I'm sad that she is now back in Louisiana. Who wants to come visit next? 

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G Rise & Shine, by Anna Quindlen again. I had dropped it off at the library to take a break, but on Friday [the day I usually go to the library], I decided to pick it back up & power through it. According to my Summer Reading List, I've still got to finish Little Women, as well as reading And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini, & Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris. All by September 22. I need to get on this. I'm also excited to put together my Fall Reading List. I've already been considering some titles, & of course, I'll share the list here as soon as it is completed.

W R I T I N G blog posts at the last minute lately. The Sunday Currently always goes up at noon eastern, & it is currently 11:38 a.m. 

L I S T E N I N G to/watching My House Wife Life this morning - the way I've been starting the day lately.

T H I N K I N G that I'm excited to start school tomorrow. I've got some interesting classes on the docket for this semester. 

S M E L L I N G the hot chocolate + milk concoction I'm currently sipping on.

W I S H I N G I hadn't eaten all the goodies I ate this week... but at the same time, I'm glad I did. Sometimes an indulgent week is good for the soul, even if it's not really good for the body.

H O P I N G to work out every day this week. See wishing, above. 

W E A R I N G my big, stretchy pajamas. Again, see wishing, above.

L O V I  N G my gold + turquoise you & me necklace, from Justin's mom for my birthday! I basically want everything from the Elephantine shop.

W A N T I N G an extremely healthy, yet filling, lunch. Since my body is used to eating a lot each day, I'm now starving.

N E E D I N G to get this post up! It's now 11:49 a.m. Yikes. I'm really taking my time this morning.

F E E L I N G tired. We slept way too long this morning after returning from the airport. 

C L I C K I N G a whole lot of Pinterest lately. What's your favorite thing to search on there?

I think we are going to have a relaxing day around here today. I'm going to probably pick up around the house a bit, maybe do some dishes, but other than that, I foresee a lot of reading & school prepping going on today!

What are you doing? Link up below! 

a fall preview.

It's not even September yet, & I'm already dreaming of fall. The other day, I noticed that an autumn color scheme was emerging on my Instagram feed, & it made me extremely happy. Here are some of those very images.

wardrobe reconstruction: stripes 01.

late summer stripes
top | shorts | flats

Stripes. One of the most classic wardrobe components you'll come across. When deciding the parameters of my personal style, I knew stripes needed to be a key element. I've always loved stripes; they can be nautical, a bold statement, or an understated traditional basic, like in the top shown above. If you visit my stripes-themed Pinterest board - found here - you'll see I've already collected a lot of inspiration when it comes to this wardrobe staple. Be it tops, dresses, shorts, skirts, flats, or bags... gimme those stripes.

Want to read more about my wardrobe reconstruction? It's all here, & there's much, much more to come!

this week's posts:

a song, a book, a quote, a look

beach reading

the sunday currently

little joys: a fulfilling monday schedule

so far...

two candles

drugstore living: recent buys

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

drugstore living: recent buys.

Today I'm sharing a little mini-haul with you. These items have been picked up over the course of a couple weeks, from both CVS & Wal-Mart. My all-time favorite drugstore is Walgreens, but I have to admit that the CVS ExtraCare Rewards Program is both rewarding & easy to use. I haven't gotten as acquainted with Walgreens' program, though, so I will check that out & report back to you.

As you can see, this haul includes a leave-in conditioner from Aussie, a shampoo & conditioner from L'Oreal, a nail polish from the Revlon Colorstay line, a Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, & a package of cotton rounds. Only one of these things is a re-purchase - all of the other items are new-to-me, & I'm extremely excited to be trying them out. Let's start with discussing the re-purchase, since I know the most about it...

Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner | I'm about to begin my third bottle of this stuff, so I think that is saying something right there. Beyond that, this stuff is one of my favorite products because of its convenience & ease of use: simply spray it into either wet or dry hair, &... that's it. Not only does it smell amazing [like coconuts... or kind of like suntan lotion, in a good way], it also makes my hair more manageable, easier to comb through, & more shiny/healthy-looking. The bottle also lasts ages. Remember when I said that this was my third bottle? Well, I started using this product in 2011. That's not very many re-purchases for that time frame. This product will always be an A in my book. I hope they never stop making it. Because if they do, I will cry.

L'Oreal EverCreme Intense Nourishing Shampoo + Intense Nourishing Conditioner | I can't remember which YouTube Beauty Guru told me about this stuff, because sometimes, I listen to beauty videos while I'm in the shower, & since I'm not watching the person as they talk, I will sometimes forget where/who I heard it from. But whoever mentioned this product, simply raved about it. [Come to think of it, it may have been leighannsays, but don't quote me on that]. I haven't yet tried this out, because I'm finishing up the shampoos & conditioner that are currently in my shower, but it smells amazing in the tube, & I'm really looking forward to testing out its supposed amazingness.

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF 20 in Cherry Me | I seriously can't even begin to tell you how many times I've picked this product up in the drugstore, intending to buy it, then talking myself out of it. It can't be that good, I'd say to myself. Why I was belly-aching so much over a product that costs $3.99, the world may never know. But since I picked it up a while ago, I can let you know that it IS that good. Everything that everyone is saying about the Baby Lips line is correct. It's hydrating, the ones with color give your lips that perfect, my-lips-just-naturally-look-this-amazing touch of color, & I can honestly say that the chappedness [definitely not a word, but you understand what I mean] of my lips has decreased dramatically. I plan to slowly collect each of the available varieties. I think the clear ones would be great to keep in my nightstand to apply before bed. 

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Spanish Moss | Y'all. There is a reason this little baby has gotten its own photograph. I love this color. I love it so much, that this polish has been named my Signature Nail Polish for Late Summer/Early Fall. The first application, which I believe I painted on Sunday, has only minor chipping around the tips, mostly on my right hand. And when I say minor chipping, I mean you can barely tell it's there. This is my first experience with this formula, & the only drawback I've noticed is that, if applied too heavily, it can get a little gloppy & bubbly, which I found out when I painted my left hand first. On my right hand, I applied thinner coats & was pleased with the effect. With these polishes, I suggest painting two light coats. That did the trick for me. I didn't use a base coat or top coat, & it's pleasantly creamy & shiny, & as I said, it is definitely long-lasting. 

White Cloud Cotton Rounds, 100 Count | When I popped into Walmart the other day to pick up some cleaning supplies, I ran across a huge display of all different kinds of cotton rounds. As I had just run out of cotton balls, I thought I'd give these a try. When I compared the different brands & quantities, these came out as the best value. I've been using them to apply my witch hazel toner, & I'm pleased. As you can see in the photo, they are textured, & that aids in removing any stray makeup that may not have been removed when cleansing my face. 

I really enjoyed sharing my mini-haul/mini-review of these recent buys! I may do full reviews on some or all of these products in the future. Let me know if you'd like to know more about any of them. Also, what have you bought recently? Any suggestions for my next shopping trip?

Want to see more Drugstore Living posts? They're all here.

two candles.

Happy Second Birthday, to my creative outlet, 

my space to record the big events in my life, 

my vehicle to connect to others, near & far. 

And here's to many, many more.

Want to know more about siddathornton? Click here.

so far...

these cupcakes have nothing to do with this post. but, i mean, YUM.

Blaugust. 

That thing where I committed to writing a blog post every day of August, to celebrate my birthday month. Because, honestly, YES, it is stressful to put content up on my blog every single day. I don't always schedule the posts ahead of time, I don't always feel inspired to write. But it still makes me feel so productive, so accomplished to get something done each day. And so, here we are. 

I thought today - since it is kind of one of those un-inspired days - I'd do a little round-up of the posts I've written so far for Blaugust. I love a lot of the posts I've put up so far, so I thought, why not? Here they are...

[August 1 a birthday month overhaul.] This is where I talk about my August goals, which I'm actually doing pretty well with, if I do say so myself.

[August 2 weekender.] I love the shorts in this outfit set, & if they'd like to magically appear in my closet, I'd be fine with that. I also shared my new favorite YouTube channels, which I'm pretty much obsessed with right now.

[August 3 thoughts at the park.] A little stream-of-consciousness reflective writing.

[August 4: the sunday currently, volume 46. ]

[August 5: savannah snapshot: gryphon tea room.] A photo round-up of mine & Justin's favorite part of our trip to Savannah.

[August 6: how i organize the blogs i like to read.] By far one of my most favorite posts of all the ones I've written. I've been really getting into organization lately, so I really enjoyed writing about how I categorize my blog reads.

[August 7: little joys.] A tiny little corner of our apartment that brings me great joy.

[August 8: wardrobe reconstruction: defining my personal style.] Another of my all-time favorite posts here on my blog. This is the first post in a series I'll be sharing as I revamp my wardrobe.

[August 9: a song, a book, a quote, a look.] Sharing some of my favorites in this post to participate in one of my new favorite link-ups.

[August 10: beach reading.] Just a round-up of reads from around the Internet.

[August 11: the sunday currently, volume 47.] 

[August 12: little joys: a fulfilling monday schedule.] Y'all. I seriously had one of the best Mondays ever yesterday. Wanna go read about it? You should. It's simple, but lovely.

What are some of your favorite posts that you've put up lately? I'd love to get caught up - leave a link in the comments, & I'll head over & check it out.

photo: strawberry on strawberry cupcakes \ instagram