warm & cozy.

warm & cozy by siddathornton

It's been quite a long time since I shared an outfit post on siddathornton. To be exact, it was on July 4, 2014. Back then, I was attempting to use affiliate links on my blog, but rest assured that I have since decided that this blog isn't something that I plan to monetize. This is just me, sharing things that I love, with you. Let's keep it that way.

All of that aside, I shouldn't be blogging right now. I came up to school in the hopes of working on both a project and statistics homework. But, I find myself in a kind of melancholy I haven't felt in a long time. And, as I look out of my study room window, I see grey skies, incessant drizzle, and hear the whir and sputter of various pipes and smoke stacks. To say the least, it's more the type of day that you may like to sit and read, or perhaps think about life, or perhaps write a blog post containing some cozy fall things [instead of doing school work]. Obviously, I have chosen the latter. 

Lately, I have been loving relaxed fit jeans. I got some on our summer vacation to Charlotte/Wyoming/Shreveport, from Forever21, and I haven't looked back since. I love them. They are so comfortable, so cozy, that I knew I wanted them represented in this outfit board. Since the gel nails that I wore for over two weeks recently came off, I've been obsessed with what nail polish color I would paint next. I think this Essie shade perfectly straddles the border between September and October. I haven't owned boots like the ones pictured above since I was a child, but I think that is territory I'd be happy to trod on. The shirt above looks like a shirt that I have in three colors. I don't think I'll ever have enough of them. Leaf earrings felt like a good idea, and really, you cannot go wrong with a big, cozy, plaid scarf in the fall, can you? And finally, all fall outfit boards feel just a little bit more complete with a coordinating mug. What else would I drink my pumpkin spice latte out of? A good question indeed. 

I couldn't do an outfit post like this without thinking of Friday's Fancies, which I miss!

What are you dreaming of donning in the fall? Please share. I'd love to know.

See my other fall-themed posts from years past here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  

--

siddathornton through the years:

2012

things to remember today.

At the end of all of this schooling, I will be an occupational therapist!

Waking up early feels good eventually.

Productivity feels good eventually.

Procrastination never results in anything good. 

Music is inspiration.

Writing is inspiration.

Coffee is inspiration.

Blogging is inspiration.

We're all in this together.

--
siddathornton through the years:
2011

sidda listens | fall 2015 playlist.

HOME | edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

40 DAY DREAM | edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros

SKINNY LOVE | bon iver

FOR EMMA | bon iver

FLUME | bon iver

MOUNTAIN SOUND | of monsters and men

TONGUE TIED | grouplove

T-SHIRT WEATHER | circa waves

AUSTRALIA | the shins

TROUBLE | coldplay

THE GREAT SALT LAKE | band of horses

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE | new radicals

LINGER | the cranberries

I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER | donna lewis

DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) | simple minds

TOES | glass animals 

COFFEE | sylvan esso

DRAG | day wave

MY TYPE | saint motel

COLD COLD MAN | saint motel

SEDONA | houndmouth

GET IT | matt and kim

PEACHES | in the valley below

Another season, another playlist. Listen here on Spotify. 

Also: what are you listening to this fall? I'd love to know.

--

siddathornton through the years:

2012 | 2011

from my library perch.

Hello. Good morning. Greetings. 

I'm coming to you today from my school's library. I am perched at one of the prime tables, right when you walk in, staring out over the already-packed parking lot. I both rose early and got here early today, and that is more than I can say for any of the previous weeks of this semester. I feel like I am finally settling into the groove of fall two-thousand-fifteen, and boy do I hope it stays that way.

There is a list of things, sitting to my left, staring at me, coaxing me to do the right thing and possibly cross some of those tasks off, as I have quite a load of free time ahead before class starts. 

But, instead, here I am, writing this blog post. A few of my classmates have zoomed by my table, headed to work on projects, or perhaps read, or perhaps type out blog posts of their own. They ask me what I'm up to, and when I reply, "blogging," I feel transported back to a time when that was almost everything I really had to do each day, back when I was here. I miss Wilmington, especially recently, but I am happy to be busy and to be working toward something in OT school. That's for sure. 

I've been missing Texas lately, too. And yearning for a visit. And Shreveport. I've been missing a lot of places. 

And with the holidays on the distant horizon, that vague sort of excitement has been hanging in the air around me, infusing my days with small, delightful joys. This is, by far, my favorite time of the year. And autumn will officially be upon us in two days.

And, Justin got back into town, via CLT --> PGV late last night. Tahoe and I greeted him as he hauled his golf bag, suitcase, and laptop bag into the waiting vehicle. Words can't express how glad I am that he is home. Words can't express how grateful I am for friends who know that I hate staying home alone and either let me spend the night with them, or spend the night with me. Words can't express how much I truly love normalcy and routine. And couch time each night with television and movies and dinner together. 

I've been running and working out a lot recently, too. I ran in a 5k this past Saturday, and I ran the entire time, which is something I haven't been able to do lately. It was just as much a mental victory as a physical one, and now I am more inspired than ever. This inspiration is expertly timed, as another half marathon has been signed up for, hurtling toward me via its April 2016 date. To say I'm excited is an understatement. To say I'm in for lots and lots of training is an understatement. But, I'm hell bent on training correctly for my second half, since I did everything but for my first. And then, another 5k is on the docket for this weekend.

Thus concludes this rambly bit of nonsense I've elected to post on the internet this morning. I hope these words find you well, and that maybe you're sipping a pumpkin iced coffee, just like I am. 

the sunday currently, volume 107.

breakfast post-race at the scullery with rebekah

Good Sunday morning to ya! Today I have quite a lot to check off on my to-do list, and I am feeling ready to get all of that accomplished! Also, later on I get to pick Justin up from the airport! I can't wait! I have had a great weekend full of homemade curry, spending the night with a friend, and running in a 5k. I'm hoping to carry over this joy into the week, working hard on school and checking everything off my future to-do lists. Here we go!

On this Sunday, I am currently...

reading for school this week. I'm really trying to get back on track with everything and get into a better study schedule. 

writing a lot in my planner lately. It's making me feel a lot better. I feel like I go through phases with my planner, and I'm really happy to be in an "on" one right now.

listening to my Fall 2015 playlist, which I talked about in my TSC post from two weeks ago and will be posting here on siddathornton this Wednesday, since it is the Fall Equinox, and we will finally be officially in the Autumn season!

thinking that I am ready for Justin to get home! He has been in Kansas on a golf tournament since this past Wednesday, and I'm tired of holding down the fort over here. I can't wait to see him!

smelling like Brown Sugar and Fig from Bath and Body Works and Burberry Brit lately has made me so very happy. I'm so glad that I discovered that my favorite scent was back on B&BWorks' website, and that my parents got me a wonderful Burberry Brit gift set for my birthday. Yay for signature scents!

wishing I was better at adulting. I hate staying home by myself while Justin is out of town. Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who have let me sleep over at their houses in the past few days. 

hoping I will have a productive school work week ahead. 

wearing the gel manicure that I got two weeks and one day ago... still. That is a pretty amazing fact, if you ask me. I can't believe it has lasted this long. I must be honest - I am getting a little tired of the color. I might remove it sometime this week and paint them a different color. Maybe grey? Maybe red? We'll see.

loving the fact that I changed my social media handles back to siddathornton - they were lrschristy for a while there. I know it's a bit confusing to change things like this, but lately I've realized just how special the siddathornton name is to me. It feels like a comfortable thing to come back to.

wanting to do quite a few things today: work on statistics at Coffee Shack with Danielle, dye my hair, do a little grocery shopping, and look into transferring my blog over to Word Press, as well as look into purchasing a dot com. And then, of course, pick Justin up from the airport! Busy day ahead! And I love it.

needing to run 3 miles a couple of times this week. I ran the Vidant Run, Walk, and Roll yesterday, and I am so happy. I ran the whole time, albeit quite slow, and it was very inspiring to me. I plan to keep the pace up and hopefully beat my time - 37:16 - at the 5k that Justin & I [and some of my classmates] are doing this coming up Saturday. 

feeling great. I've been working out a lot lately, and it has been a really good change for me. Now, I just need to get my eating in order. Healthy habits! Something I always have to work toward.

clicking Blackboard, my ECU email account, and other such things this week. Here's to school work!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Here's to safe travels for Justin today, as well as anyone else on the road or in the air.

--
siddathornton through the years:
2012

What are you doing? Link up and share below.

so that's what i'll do.

into New Bern

"No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses is playing and we are sitting in Coffee Shack reading and writing and emailing. 

I keep having that out-of-body feeling, even when I'm talking to R or D, like I'm floating above myself, watching us interacting. Sometimes this feeling happens when I start to realize how fleeting these moments really are. It's as if it's my body's way of telling me, this won't last forever, so here's what it will feel like when it's a memory.

I've always known that this wouldn't last forever. We're given two years of classes together, and then we have six months of being in the field, preparing for when we are actually part of our profession. And during those six months, we might be in the same place, but we might not. 

It's hard to imagine what life will be like after we graduate. I've grown so comfortable in my rhythm here, in the patterns of studying and talking-instead-of-studying and running races and doing projects and sitting together in class. It's become home to me, and I know it will be hard when everything shifts, like I know that it will.

All I can do is soak in the moments of the next eight months. All I can do is attend as many gatherings as I can. Participate in as many service opportunities as possible. Meet up for coffee as much as my schedule allows. 

So that's what I'll do.

--

siddathornton through the years:

2012 

the sunday currently, volume 106.

from where i sit

Good morning afternoon! Today I am coming to you from one of my favorite places in Greenville/Winterville - The Coffee Shack - because I've been working with a couple of my friends on statistics this morning. Now, I am no longer working on statistics, but eating a piece of cake and writing a blog post. 

On this Coffee Shack Sunday, I am currently... 

reading nothing. This needs to change. I still haven't finished reading Go Set a Watchman. I just need to make time for it this week. I still haven't made a schedule. I need to just do it. 

writing blog post fragments in my phone lately. I've been having some "moments," since this is the second to last classroom-based semester that I'll have with my classmates, who have become like family. I'm not really allowing myself to think to hard on the fact that the rest of our classroom time together is going to go so fast. 

listening to the songs they're playing in here. Sometimes the music selections make me feel overly emotional. And when they play Christmas music, sometimes I cry. Or, it did last year at least.

thinking that a large piece of cake is always a good idea. Especially since Justin and I are going to go on a run when I get home.

smelling the delicious smell of coffee and baked goods. Environments like this are always the best for getting things done. It's such a comforting atmosphere to me.

wishing I had gotten up earlier today. I'm going to be working on that all week. I will get it right!

hoping to get a lot done once I go home today, as well as this week. I may make a list of everything I want to accomplish this week, later today.

wearing my Jackson Hole shirt and missing Wyoming so much. I want to go back.

loving my friends. I never expected to meet such wonderful people in school, but I did.

wanting a good run today, and a clean house to show by the end of the day.

needing to clean up my diet this week. I have a plan formulated to ween myself off of the ridiculous amount of sweets I've been eating. I've been in a good workout routine, so I need to stop sabotaging that with endless sweets and indulgent meals.

feeling content and productive.

clicking the Sunday Secrets. And I just emailed them to Danielle so she can click on them too.

Well, now I'm off to go for a run and clean up the rest of my house. Here's to productivity! And, also, here's to the wonderful, fall-tastic chill in the air this morning!

What are you doing? Link up and share below.

the sunday currently, volume 105.

yesterday: christmas in september at coffee shack

Greetings! I hope you'll excuse my tardiness for this week's edition of The Sunday Currently. This morning, Justin and I were driving around, trying to figure out where to go for breakfast. Long story short, we ended up driving to New Bern so that we could go to Baker's Kitchen. Hands down, best decision of the week. We had the most delicious coffee and breakfast. I am happy.

And also, I am currently...

reading nothing at the moment.

writing nothing at the moment. It feels good to be experiencing a holiday weekend, I'll tell you that.

listening to my Fall 2015 playlist that I made yesterday on Spotify. I'm still finalizing the details of the list, but once it's complete, I think I might share it here.

thinking that a bad night's sleep is pretty debilitating. I woke up feeling worn out, and my legs felt heavy on the walk with Tahoe and Justin this morning. I'm hoping this afternoon's workout will help.

smelling a mixture of coffee, waffle batter, sizzling bacon, and other breakfast fare was a welcome, wonderful thing this morning. What a comfort.

wishing I had gotten a better night's sleep last night.

hoping to have a great workout this afternoon.

wearing my workout clothes already.

loving my manicure! Danielle and I went to have a mani/pedi yesterday, and I got dark, reddish purple shellac. To me, September is such a purply-grey month, and I wanted my nails to reflect that. I am hoping to keep the gel manicures going for a while - they are so nice. And they last for two weeks!

wanting some more couch time after I finish this post. I'm lazy today. You could probably tell from my lackluster responses.

needing a nap.

feeling tired, worn out, and uninspired. Like I said, I'm hoping my workout is a remedy for that. It usually is.

clicking through threads on Reddit, as usual.

It's overcast and muggy here in Greenville today. Maybe that's the reason for my sluggish demeanor? Either way, here's hoping things pick up a bit in the energy/personality department as the day goes on.

What are you doing? Link up and share below.

the sunday currently, volume 104.

scenes from a morning walk

I can't believe it's only been a week since last week's edition of The Sunday Currently - it feels like so much has happened! Between starting fall semester, hanging out with friends, and going to events, I feel like it has been about a month since my last post. But, I'm happy, because it also means I'm being more productive, which I love. Here's to even more productivity to come!

On this back-in-the-swing-of-things Sunday,  I am currently...

reading two books: Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee, and Triathlon 101: Essentials for Multisport Success, by John Mora. First off, I have GOT to finish GSAW, which means that a reading schedule needs to be constructed today. Jessica is probably wondering when she is going to get her book back! Secondly, I'm reading the triathlon book because I plan to compete in my first triathlon next year! My dad sent the book over to me this past week, and I'm enjoying learning more about it.

writing a long to-do list for today. school work, housework, workouts, etc. All good things, but things that need to be done. I'm hoping I can do it all today! Also, writing schedules for the week ahead, so that I can stay ahead!

listening to the old CDs that my parents sent over to me. My high school and college self had good taste in music, if I do say so myself. I am thinking of buying a new album soon, but I'm still deciding what that will be, as I'm sure in the future it will be what defines Fall 2015 for me. What albums would you suggest? Black Keys? Cults? Of Monsters and Men? Matt and Kim? Glass Animals' album, Zaba, is already one that defines Spring 2015 for me, so that amazing album has already been experienced. Please share you music suggestions in the comments!

thinking that Vanilla Cardamom coffee from The Fresh Market is one of the best things. What a perfect flavor coffee to bridge the gap between summer and fall.

smelling like... BROWN SUGAR AND FIG! Remember when I complained about Bath & Body Works in my last post [see: smelling]? And remember how I discovered my favorite scent was available online? Well, I ordered it. And I couldn't be more happy. I am concerned, however, that it is only available online, and that it was so steeply discounted. Does this mean it's going away forever? Who knows.

wishing for a week of low stress and high productivity. This is where the lists mentioned in this week's writing come in.

hoping we have a fun trip to the grocery store. Sundays are grocery shopping days in the Christy Household, and with the birth of our new let's-eat-more-meals-at-home policy, the weekly grocery trips suddenly have more [exciting!] meaning.

wearing workout clothes. Both Justin and I got up early this morning and took TBear on a long walk. I think all parties benefitted, and now we have a puppy sleeping under the table at which we are sitting and enjoying coffee. In short: what a great morning it's been.

loving that this one-hundred-fourth edition of The Sunday Currently is one of those ones where I write a whole lot. Those TSCs are always the more satisfying ones, especially when I go back and read it many months later. It's like a snapshot of my life at that very moment. Therein lies the beauty of these posts for me, and the entire reason I have brought them back to this blog.

wanting to get a tab back at the top of this blog for The Sunday Currently. Back in August 2014, when I wrote the Centennial TSC post, I took the tab off of my blog, since I would no longer be the flagship for these posts. Now that I am hosting again, I need some representation in this space. [And thus opens the can of worms that lies in taking this space to the "next level" - do I switch platforms? Do I redesign? Do I hire a professional designer to "brand" me? I don't know. Sometimes I feel like DIY'ed blogs have a more authentic feel. I want this space to remain authentic and homey and relatable. Any and all feedback on this matter is appreciated.]

needing feedback. And lots of it. See this week's wanting.

feeling content. Drinking coffee, writing this week's TSC post, petting Tahoe every once in a while, talking to Justin, gearing up to go to the grocery store, mentally creating a to-do list for school, etc. Contentment is such an interestingly simple feeling.

clicking Coffitivity. Danielle sent it over to me and told me about an article about how the sounds experienced in environments like coffee shops/cafes promote creative thinking. Love this concept, love this website. Also, hoping to soon be clicking the blogs of certain people in my life. They have expressed that they want to begin blogging, and I'm ready for that to happen!

Well, that's all for this week, folks. I hope you are all having a great, relaxing, productive weekend!

What are you doing? Link up and share below!

the sunday currently, volume 103.

the joy of birthday dinner

Oh, my lofty goals. I'll put up my TSC posts at 10 a.m. from now on, she said. It'll work, she said. I'm going to be on top of it, she said.

Let's be real. And let's keep the publishing time to noon on Sundays, ok?

Ok.

Now that we have that business out of the way, I can tell you that, as of yesterday, I am officially 29 years old. I had a birthday weekend in Raleigh, and it was wonderful. We had dinner last night at Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern, and it was absolutely delicious. Here's to 29!

On this it's-wonderful-to-be-settling-back-in-at-home Sunday, I am currently...

reading some items for school today. I have a quiz tomorrow, on the first day of fall semester! Also, still reading Go Set A Watchman. I didn't read a lick while in Shreveport, nor on my travels back east. I am going to craft a reading schedule today so that I can finish it by next weekend.

writing a long to-do list for today. Things need to happen. Things, like dyeing my hair, writing thank you notes, getting a little first-day-of-OT-school gift together for my buddy, etc. All fun, productive things, which I am looking forward to doing. The best kind of to-do list.

listening to Justin. Sometimes we are having conversations while I tap out these posts. Now, he's talking to Tahoe. Let's just say that TBear is relieved to have us all back under the same roof; specifically the roof that she is used to being under. She stayed at "her hotel" while we were away in Wyoming, and then I was gone in Shreveport for a week after that. Add in our weekend jaunt to Raleigh, and you have the perfect recipe for a dog in moderate distress. She slept like an absolute baby last night, and she seems to be pretty pumped that life seems to be going back to normal.

thinking that I am also glad to be back home and gearing up for fall semester. I LOVE THE FALL. It is my favorite time of year. The holidays are coming, dark nail polish time is coming, boots, sweaters, darker hair and makeup, football season, a chill in the air. What could be better? I was telling Justin all of this on our walk this morning. I think he agrees. Here's to fall!

smelling like Wild Madagascar Vanilla from Bath and Body Works, and loving it. Nobody tell them I said that, though, because then they will discontinue the scent, like they do with all of the good ones [ahem, Brown Sugar and Fig, I miss you]. WAIT A SECOND. Right after I typed that last sentence, I felt the need to Google Brown Sugar and Fig, just to make absolutely sure that was the name, and it looks like they brought it back! YAY. Sorry for what I said, Bath and Body Works [but you know it's true].

wishing for a wonderfully, relaxingly productive day. As soon as this post goes up, Justin and I are heading out to grab some lunch. Then, it's to-do list making time. Then it's checking off to-do list time.

hoping the semester gets off to a good start!

wearing my favorite workout pants from Tangerine, an Under Armor top, a mint and cream cardigan that my mom gave me while I was in town [it's the best when she cleans out her closet], and a scarf. Basically, my daily uniform.

loving being home and getting back into my routine. I value the ordinary.

wanting my parents to come visit me. And my sister to as well!

needing to get inspired. I feel it coming on.

feeling content. And that first-day-of-school feeling in my stomach. And loved, due to all of the birthday wishes I received yesterday. And happy. And calm. And all of those good things.

clicking The Sunday Secrets, as usual.

Here's to the beginning of a new semester tomorrow! And here's to blogging. It is giving me so much joy to be back here in this space.

What are you doing? Link up and share below. 

inspiration: found. searching for discipline.

serendipitous photographs  

My mom and I ran into a friend while out shopping today. 

We talked about so many things, and it felt so great to reconnect, but it struck me [as it always does when this topic comes up in real life conversations] when we talked about blogging.

She shared that she herself was interested in getting into blogging.

"My blog has been paid for for a few months now," she said. "But it's blank - there's no content."

I want her to start blogging. She's witty, she's funny - she has the BEST kind of dry humor. 

And it made me think. Maybe if I want her to blog so badly, I also want me to blog just as much. And I do. I want to be here. I miss sharing. I miss connecting. 

With the rebirth of The Sunday Currently, I've felt so much joy. That means something, doesn't it? Yes, it does.

Long live blogging. Long live the written word. Long live siddathornton.