Current Favorites!

Current Favorites

Hello Friends!!!

I'm back today and breaking the boundaries of my blog.

We aren't going to stick to a specific section of the blog today, instead we are throwing them all together with my current favorites!

I'm going to talk to y'all a little bit about some items in my life that I've currently been loving, so lets get right into it!

1.) Light Wash Denim Jacket

This light weight, light wash, denim jacket has been a go to for me lately. It's recently been getting a little toastier down here in South Carolina, so it's out with the thick winter coats and in with the light weight jackets. The color and wear of the denim make it a perfect piece for the spring and an easy piece to throw on with almost any outfit!

2.) White Ball Cap 

It's no secret that lately I've been not in the mood to do my hair so baseball caps have definitely been my best friends. I picked this white one up at a thrift shop, and I haven't put it down since. In my opinion a ball cap is the best way to hide the dirty hair and still stay stylish! Hats in general are a super fun way to spice up an outfit.

3.) Funky Coin Purse

Since it has rolled around to the Spring season I wanted to add a little pop of color to my mostly monochromatic looks, and this fun little coin purse is just the way to do it!

This "it's a GOOD DAY" pouch came from my local Marshall's and I'm very pleased with this purchase. The short saying on the front really is effective for a mid-day pick me up!

4.) Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil

Moving right along to hair care! Ever since I got my hair bleached and dyed blue I've been making sure to take extra care of it whenever I wash and style and this hair oil by organix is the prefect thing! I can definitely see a difference in the quality of my hair since I've started using this product! Not to mention the smell is quite lovely. 

5.) The Help

THIS BOOK. I've been absolutely engulfed by the marvelousness that is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I'm sure many of you have seen this movie, but the book is even better. Set in Jackson Mississippi in 1964 this book takes a look at what it was like for the colored help working for white people and everything that comes along with it. Along with the joy of reading a great book I've also found that reading and taking myself to a different place mentally helps tremendously with my anxiety and everyday worries!

Well folks, that wraps up my current favorites!

I hope you enjoyed and maybe found a few items you'd like to try for yourself.

Let me know in the comments what some of your current favorites are!!!

Thanks for the read!

Paige 

Fashion: Everyday Purse

fashion

everyday purse



Hello darlings!
I'm popping in today to share a little bit about my favorite everyday purse and why I adore it.
On Christmas Eve I was lucky enough to open up this lovely gift from Caleb's cousin Hannah. She knows me so well! Hannah bought the bag from a store in the Greenville, South Carolina mall called ALTAR'D STATE! This exact purse isn't available anymore, but there is one on the website with similar leather and the same pattern that I will link at the bottom of this post if you feel inclined to buy this beauty! 
Let's get to getting!



First of all I absolutely adore the pattern and neutral color of the purse! As soon as I opened it up Gran told me "Oh wow, that's perfect, it will just go with everything!" and she was exactly right! The leather the bag is made of is super soft, so it's not uncomfortable to carry around. Another #1 for me is the fact that the purse is a satchel. I love satchel bags because it leaves me hands free and that is a must for me. 
(I tend to loose things if I'm carrying them in my hands.) 



The next beautiful part of this bag is the hardware. I love the simplicity and clean lines of all of the added details, and the light gold finish compliments the colors of the purse so well. As you can see in the picture above the satchel strap is detachable so I can also carry the purse just as a clutch, but like I said before, I tend to loose/leave behind things that aren't attached to me so for the most part my strap stays attached. 

THREE DIFFERENT SECTIONS, PEOPLE! 
I know this bag looks small on the outside, but when you open the envelope style front you can see that there are three different sections to this bag. An open front section, an open back section, and a small section in the middle that is able to be zipped open and closed. I love this set up because the different sections allows for optimal amount of organization since each section isn't so large. 

The middle section of my purse is probably the section I use most. The fact that inside the zipper pocket there is a card holder attached to the bag. This makes it so easy to grab and go with your id, debit card, or whatever card you use the most! Such a handy detail.

SIMILAR PURSE LINK

Thanks so much for stopping by to find out a little bit about my favorite everyday purse!
Paige 

Lifestyle: Admiration #2

lifestyle

admiration



Above is a picture of a man I like to call Papa, others call him Bob McGuire.
This is Caleb's Grandfather. 
The picture above is one of my favorite pictures I have of Papa because it's him standing next to the gate of the mill he used to work in when he was a young boy. 
A while back a wrote a post on here that came to be very popular about Papa's wife Gran. You can find that post linked HERE, but I realized the other day that there are a lot of things I admire about Papa as well. Things I wish to live out in my everyday life and look to him for inspiration, so today I'm here to present you with a post similar to Gran's all about why I admire Mr. Bob McGuire. 
Here we go!

#1. Papa's hard work ethic
Papa's life hasn't always been the easiest, and he's had to work hard to get to where he is. From working in the mill, to being in the Korean war, to taking care of Gran, papa is one of the hardest workers I know. I can only hope that I have the will to work as hard as he does for as long as he has. 

#2. Papa's Cleanliness
Saturday is cleaning day. That's the schedule and there is no straying from that. The house is always clean. His son Mike came in the other day with deer blood all over him and as soon as he walked out of the door papa went everywhere he was with a wet cloth and wiped it clear even if there was nothing to be seen.
Maybe an odd characteristic to admire, but I'd like to be that persistent with cleaning. 

#3. Papa's truthfulness
If there its one thing I admire the most about papa it's that he's going to give it to you straight. It doesn't matter who you are, if you go up to Papa on any given day and you ask him how he's doing he isn't gonna give you that fake "Good, how are you?" thing he'll let you know straight up if he's having a hard time or if he's having a really good day. 
It's really the best quality a person can have in my opinion. 

#4. Papa's ability to stay true to his faith 
With all of the things that papa has gone through in his life-some mentioned above-I can't grasp why he still has faith in God. Papa has it. He gets it. It's so simple for him and I admire that so much. He knows what he believes and will still stand in his faith even when everything else could be wrecking his world. He's such a strong man. 

I really hope that you all found a little love for the great qualities that papa has!
I'm so thankful that you stopped by to read. 
Paige 

Everyday: My Poetry

everyday

my poetry

Hello friends!

I'm back here on a rainy Sunday to give you a poem. 

It was one of those things where I got one line stuck in my head and had to write off of it again. 

This poem actually has a lot of meaning for me. More than anybody will realize most likely, but once again take this poem as you will and interpret it how you see fit. 

I've come to realize taking terrible and disturbing thoughts from the past that are holding me back and letting them out of me creates some of the most beautiful things.

Now, lets get going!

Planned

Did you wait? 

Was there thought? 

Or are you mindless? 

You waited

Perfect timing

lucky you

pretty awful

I was the fly

You a spider

built your web just for me

Carefully, but not actually

you waited

I got caught in it

& slowly you sucked my life away

Yet, here I am

Alive

Fortunate they say; how unfortunate

you mindless planner.

While I know it's a scary thing to put your awful thoughts in the forefront of your mind I encourage you all to take a look at them and try to make them into something beautiful. Weather that be physically making art through writing or painting, or just seeing that positive light in those situations find time to acknowledge the bad and create something out of the negativity. It's shown me a lot about myself and made me a lot happier. 

I hope you all enjoyed the read today. 

Thanks a million!

Paige  

Beauty: My Flawless Foundation Routine

beauty

flawless foundation routine

Hey lovelies, 
Over the past few weeks I've found the foundation routine that has my heart for the moment.
I figured since I'm loving all the products I'd share them with you along with the how I've been applying my base makeup! 
Let us get to it, shall we? 


The first product I put on my face is, once again, a simple find from the dollar general!
I scoop out about a dime sized amount and apply it all over my face.
This moisturizer is thick enough that it even acts a little bit as a primer to hold my foundation throughout the day. 


After the moisturizer drys I dampen my real techniques blending sponge, which I hauled in a beauty post linked HERE, and apply my L'oreal infallible pro-matte foundation in dots arounds my face. The sponge is the tool that makes all of the difference! With the flat edge of my dampened blending sponge I stipple the foundation on my face blending lightly where necessary to create an airbrushed finish. 
For any spots that need extra concealing I go back in with a small amount of foundation and the apply with the pointed end of the sponge. 


When my foundation is blended in seamlessly I take the the flat edge of the real techniques sponge and place this elf High Definition Powder under my eyes and on my T-zone. Don't blend this out yet! I let the powder sit on my face for a minute or two "baking" my face, and then lightly dust away the excess powder. This process seems to make imperfections such as pores and fine lines disappear leaving you with flawless looking skin! Definitely a key step in my routine. 


The final step in my foundation routine is to contour and highlight. This product I mentioned in my first beauty haul, linked HERE. First I apply the contour right below my cheekbones and blend it back into my hairline. I also use a small amount to bronze the temples of my forehead, and to contour right underneath my chin. The highlighter is really subtle, so I apply it to the tops of my cheekbones for a hint light, and also under my contour line to make sure I have a seamless blend. 

Hopefully you found a few new products to test out, and a routine that will leave you looking perfect!
Let me know in the comments what your go-to products are for your everyday makeup routine, or if you have seen any products you would like me to test out and review. 
Thanks for taking peek at my foundation routine!
Paige  

Fashion: Campus Clothes

fashion

campus clothes

Hey everybody,

I'm back with another post about one of the outfits floating around the campus. 

I've recently been really inspired by men's wear, so when I saw how confident this fellow was with his outfit I fell in love with it even more! It made me even more excited to see how pumped he was to let me take a few photos. 

Let's get right on into some pictures of his outfit!

WHERE TO GET IT
(links)
-Hat
-Tee shirt
-Jean shorts
-Jordan's
-Bag

Hopefully you pals found some inspiration in this outfit like I did!
Be brave and wear clothes and accessories that aren't necessarily "for your gender". 
It's been a liberating experience for me!!!
Thanks for popping by,
Paige

Everyday: The Real Struggles

everyday

the real struggles



I'm invisible until I'm Convenient 

Hey pals, 
Today I'm introducing a new segment I like to call "the real struggles". Essentially these are going to be posts where I moan about my (mostly) first world problems and hope that you all feel the same way. Some of these will be more serious than others, but they are all my struggles. 
I've come to realize there are a lot of things that happen in life that might seem simple, but can really ruin a good day. Let me give you an example, the guy in front of me in my History 101 class refuses to acknowledge that I exist and all I'm trying to do is pass the attendance sheet. Low and behold though, as soon as the person next to me said they would try he turned right around and got it. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS AN EVERYDAY THING! To put it bluntly, I'm sick of being invisible unless it's convenient for the other party involved, so I'm here to put in my two cents about issues such as these and rant a little bit about how they make me feel. 
These posts are most likely going to end up in a journal-ish format, so bare with me if they are all over the place. I'll get my point across soon enough. (:
Buckle up, and enjoy the ride. 

I've recently discovered that I'm only visible to people, A.) when they need me, B.) when I'm dressed contrary to others, or C.) when i have makeup on. 

• First of all being invisible is a huge issue to me because it makes me feel even worse about myself. If I'm making an effort to acknowledge your presence could you do the same? You don't even have to speak to me people; just acknowledge that I'm alive please!
• Second, its the worst thing to me that people can not talk to me at all, not know my name, not look at me any other time, except when they need me. I'm not a freaking shopping cart people. You don't just pick me up if you think you might need a little extra help carrying your load. DON'T USE ME!
• Third, If there is anything worse than getting no attention from humans at all, it's getting attention from every human because you look different. Just because I have blue hair and fashion sense that is different than your cowboy boots and dirty jeans, that does not give you the go ahead to stare at me the whole time I'm walking through campus. I'm not a freak of nature because I look different. 
• Fourth, don't only notice me or only talk to me when I have makeup on. I understand that most days I look like I've just gotten out of a zombie apocalypse because I don't feel like putting on a full face of beauty products, but when I do wear makeup don't stare at me. You didn't feel the need to gawk at me yesterday with my tired eyes and red skin, so don't gawk today. 

With all that being said, there is a positive side to the being invisible thing; when your having one of those days when you don't feel like talking to anybody you don't have to worry about it because nobody is trying to talk to you. 

Find the bright side in these things, loves!

Thanks for the read, 

Paige 

Lifestyle: Latest Tattoos

lifestyle

latest tattoos 



Hi everybody!
I'm back at it with another tattoo post.
Last Tuesday I headed back to my trusty tattoo artist, Rex, and got 4 more lovely smalls added to my arm. Essentially they all play off of each others meanings, but we will get into that later. I'm going to answer the same questions for each of the four I recentlymgot just like in the last tattoo post linked HERE.
Let's get right on into it!

Horizontal line



-what does it mean: Represents time and the fact that you only have a small amount
-artist: Rex at Relentless Tattoo
-pain: 4

Circle



-what does it mean: Represents eternity
-artist: Rex at Relentless Tattoo
-pain: 7

Roses



-what does it mean: Represents life and the chances to grow
-artist: Rex at Relentless Tattoo
-pain: 10

Skull



-what does it mean: Represents death and the fact that there is an end
-artist: Rex at Relentless Tattoo
-pain: 5

Those are the newest ones, friends. I'm so happy with the way they turned out.
Just a little tip - 10 out of 10 would not recommend elbow tattoos. THAT'S THE WORST PAIN EVER AND THE DAY AFTER IS NO JOKE!
Once again, thanks for stopping by and checking out the art on my skin!
Come back soon,
Paige


social media information

Rex Barnes: Instagram- @rexbarnestattoo

Everyday: My Poetry

everyday

my poetry 

Hi, friends!

I was listenning to music the other day and got inspired to write. For some odd reason my brain kept pushing this first stanza of the poem to the front of all the other words in my head, so I decided to build this poem off of those words. 

This one has a lot of meaning and also a lot of no meaning. 

Take it as you wish.

Empty name

Ringing phone; 

I'm trying to answer thoughts

Not picking up

Inside it continues

I'll answer

Search; No finds

Ringing, ringing, ringing

Pick up

"I said no answer!"

Searching

Give me the answer

Ring Silently

Found Answers

No Answer

Thanks for reading my thoughts!

With love,

Paige

Lifestyle: Simplified Planner

lifestyle

Simplified Planner

Welcome back, darlings.

Today we are going to talk about this little life saver I like to call my planner.

Before I started college, or uni, I never in my life thought I was the person who would use a planner. However, during my first semester of college I thought I was going to loose my brain half the time because I just had a journal I would write my to-do lists in. While that was effective for a while I found myself still really unorganized with everything I had to do. Luckily one day on a shopping trip to the goodwill I found this little gem somebody thought they wouldn't need for the upcoming year! 

I HAVE NEVER GRABBED SOMETHING IN GOODWILL SO FAST!

I was so shocked to see that the planner on the shelf was, first of all, high quality, second of all, in date and ready for use in 2016, and third of all, $1.99!

The simplified planner by Emily Ley was exactly what I needed in my life!

Since I've been finding myself carrying this baby with me everywhere I thought it was necessary for me to show you all the bells and whistles and why I love my planner so much!

I'll be sure to share a link at the end of the post that leads you to were you can get one of these magnificent creations yourself!

Let's get a move on!!!

One of the first things that caught my eye was the fact that the planner had different tabs for each month. This makes it so easy to find the date you need and get straight to it! 

This specific planner even comes with a bonus! On the inside cover there is a pocket that holds a tiny unlined notebook for brainstorming, random thoughts, and anything else you might need it for. I use mine to help me keep track of my blog and write down any new ideas that come to me. 

On the right side of the front page is a short note from the creator of the planner that gives you a quick idea of her life and why she uses a planner!

Since this is "The Simplified Planner", on the next two pages you will find a little blurb about the process of simplifying and also some tips on how to simplify! 

Flipping over to the next two pages you will find a full year calendar so you can get a clear picture of the year ahead. The page right next to that is set up to write down you 2016 Bucket List. To the right of each line is a small bubble for you to place a check mark once you've completed that task!

At the moment mine is empty, but if your little heart desires fill it up to the maximum and check your list off as you go!

 I absolutely love the fact that when I flip open my planner to a month tab the first thing I see is a layout of the whole month. This is where I make sure to mark any important dates, like birthdays, due-dates, and appointments. To the left of the calendar there is also a little section for notes. That's a great place to write down things that apply to the whole month and not just one day. 

Another factor in my love equation for this planner is how each day is set up. As you can see in the above picture there is a page for everyday, and on each page there is a column labeled "Today" with each hour layed out, and a side labeled "To Do" where you can write down the tasks you need to accomplish for that day. At the bottom of each week day page there is a place to write out your plans for dinner, and also any notes that might not fit in the other spaces for that day. 

For the weekends things are set up a little differently. You will find Saturday and Sunday on the same page. Each day has the same columns labeled "Today" and also has a "To Do" column, but Sunday is where the set up changes. Instead of a "To Do" list on Sunday there is a section that is entitled "Weekly Prep". Placed here are a few things for you to do on Sunday that will make the week ahead a little simpler. There are also a few empty slots where you can write down whatever else you may need to tackle on that particular Sunday. I also adore that in between Saturday and Sunday there is a small space that is set aside for you to write down a happy memory from that week, and I think that is a wonderful way to end your weekend and start a new week. 

The last, and probably most simple, part I love about my planner is that on the top of every single page there is an inspirational quote. This, Mrs. Emily, was the most brilliant idea you've ever had! Whenever I feel overwhelmed or like I can't complete everything I have written in my planner all I have to do is take a glance at the top of that day the I will find a little phrase to help me work through it. 

***THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER AND EMILY LEY'S FULL WEBSITE***

Well we got through it all!

Thanks for sticking around through the whole post! Hopefully this helped you with your busy schedules, and gave you a little inspiration to get your life organized!

Make sure you find some time to slip some fun things into your schedule every now and again!

Much love, 

Paige

Everyday: My Poetry

everyday

my poetry

Hello People!

I'm presenting you today with another one of my poems. 
I think I'm going to start posting a poem every Sunday because it's a simple way for me to relax, and hopefully a relaxing thing for y'all to read. 

Once again, I hope you take this as you wish and enjoy it as well. 

Let's hop in. 

Prior 

Heart climbing out of my throat

Focus on breathing

Prescription...I have it

Take one; wait patiently

Awkward air

Still; wait patiently 

Awkward air

Waiting for the escape

Slowly pealing back corners of the pages

It's smoke deciding which windows to leave from

Asking Questions

Begging my brain for answers

No Talking 

It hit

Thanks for the Read!
Deepest love, 

Paige 

Travel: Photo Diary

travel

HELEN GEORGIA PHOTO DIARY

This was one of our first stops on the trip to Helen Georgia for Hannah's birthday!

At the 2nd vintage shop we stopped at I managed to snag a few really great things. I found a magazine all about the American Heritage of the 1920's! I even snagged a white tray I've been dying to have for my room and the fact that this one had vintage character made it even better!

When we got into Helen, one of the first places we stopped was in this cute little grocery store called Betty's Country Store! Essentially the market was like a little baby Trader Joe's and they had all of the wonderful things a grocery store could have. I forgot to take a picture of the 1lb. no-bake cookie I bought so here is a picture of all the coffee beans!

One of the last places we stopped in Helen was the Troll Tavern! We all ordered great food and had a good time just hanging out and being family! 

Well friends, I'm sorry about the lack of photos for this travel diary, but we all were having such a great time together I didn't pull my phone out at all, and my camera wasn't really on my mind either. I wanted to thank Caleb's family for being so sweet to me and always loving me like their own! 

Also, I want to wish Hannah a late happy birthday because I don't think I ever did that!

If any of you ever get the chance to go to Helen I highly recommend it for a day trip. They have great food, friendly people, and the most interesting little shops. 

Thanks for popping in,

Paige (: 

Everyday: My Poetry

everyday

my poetry

Hi friends! 

It's something new again today and a little different than usual. 

I used to write all the time. It was my outlet for the longest, and I even entered some contests and a few of my poems ended up being published in some no-name books. Over the past year or two though I have put writing on the back burner, but that has now changed.

I was sent a poem to read last night and my love for poetry came alive once more. The way that a person can take average words and put them together to make something outstandingly beautiful captivated me again, so I've decided to start back up with my poetry.  Take my poems as you will and interpret them however your little heart desires.

Here's my first shot at getting back into it, enjoy. 

silent screams

it's amazing

time stops, tempers flow, nothing happens

silent kids; screaming parents

"I'm ready... I'm ready"

constantly in the living room

constantly in the bed room

"He is the truth, He is so real"

finding things

seeing things

dont expose me to those things

screaming kids; silent parents

lies

fights

mechanisms to help cope

gone

silent kids; silent parents

Thanks for the encouragement to write again. 

Paige

Lifestyle: Tattoos

lifestyle

tattoos

Hi everybody! 

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while now and since I've finally taken the pictures to correlate I can't wait any longer!

I get asked about my tattoos a lot...

"What do they mean?" "Where did you get them done?" "Did it hurt?"

Today, my friends, I will bring all your little minds to ease by answering these questions about each of my tattoos.

Come along for the journey why don't you!

Crescent Moon 

- what does it mean: Represents the different phases of my life.

- artist: Jordynn Sierra 

- pain: 1

Dad's Initials

- what does it mean: Represents the love I have for padre. 

- artist: Jordynn Sierra

- pain: 7

"Worth"

- what does it mean: A reminder that myself along with every other human has worth. 

- artist: Rex Barnes @ Relentless Tattoo in Powdersville, South Carolina

- pain: 5

"Nana" & Mountain Range

Nana

- what does it mean: A reminder that my nana is with me. This is her actual writing.

- artist: Rex Barnes @ Relentless Tattoo

- pain: 9

Mountain Range

- what does it mean: Freedom from anxiety. A place that makes me happy and relaxed.

- artist: Jon Sanford @ Empire tattoo in Asheville, NC

- pain: 5

Bow and Arrow

- what does it mean: Native American Symbol for the beginning of peace.

- artist: Marcus Aday @ Godspeed Tattoo in Breckenridge, CO

- pain: 1

Hand and Dagger 

- what does it mean: A reminder that my negative thoughts are self-inflicted. 

- artist: Rex Barnes @ Relentless Tattoo

- pain: 6

That's all of them folks! 

I'll link all of the artists' instagrams below so you can check out their art work!

Thanks for reading and gaining knowledge about the ink on my skin. 

Check back for more!

Paige 

social media information

Jordynn Sierra: Instagram - @freckledhunny

Rex Barnes: Instagram - @rexbarnestattoo

Marcus Aday: Instagram - @tattoomagic

Jon Sanford: Instagram - @jonsanford