Moving to a New Place!

After I graduated from college (may I just say Hallelujah!!), jobs weren't busting down the door to hire me, so I ended up leaving my beloved City of Oaks behind for what I thought was just going to be a few months. Incidentally, it has been several and a day since I left and I miss it terribly.

My need to be back in Raleigh has never ceased, and could possibly have grown ever stronger since living with the family again these last couple of months, so I have never stopped looking for my next living arrangements. As it turns out, I think I have found it. This little, adorable studio apartment is not quite mine yet, but I have the highest of hopes that it will be by the time December rolls around.

Now, in the past couple of years while I was away at college, I have lived in a dorm room that was a converted hotel room (i.e. a "huge" room for two with a tub/shower and a decent sized sink and counter - amazing in comparison to those dreaded 8-people dorm room suites with a single communal shower - ick!), a two bedroom apartment I was sharing with my dad (a long story but he is a cool dude if I may say so - just a different experience for a sophomore in college), and finally a three story townhouse with two of my closest friends (with 3 1/2 bathrooms and our own washer and dryer). Looking back on it all now makes me realize just how fortunate I was with everything, and I hope this new adventure will be just as memorable.

I wanted a Studio apartment from the beginning of my search, if not a single bedroom, because I want to be able to decorate the way I would like to and be in control of more of my life. Being able to come back to a place of my own would be amazing, but people are always welcome to hang out there with me. I just can't wait. 

I have most of the furniture that I need, minus a couch - a super crucial element to a welcoming apartment but a difficult time in finding the right one for the size of the room. I am hoping to find  an oversized love seat in neutral color that I can pile cute and bright pillows on to it. My color scheme inspiration actually came from an accent pillow I fell in love with on Etsy, and I plan to nab several of them soon!

 

Hopefully everything will work out in the end and I can be back with my 2nd "Family"!! Raleigh, here I come!

Weekly Obsession: Youtubers!

This is hardly an obsession of a single week as it has developed over the past couple of years but I wanted to share my all-time favorites that I am currently obsessed with watching almost on a daily basis.

The one I have watched the longest - even through a channel change - is Grace Helbig!

I will always miss the daily jingles at the beginning of her videos, especially Sexy Friday and Teach You How to Do Somethin', (Stupid My Damn Channel!), but her newest ventures are still completely raw and hilarious to witness. I can't wait to see what she gets up to next. Especially if it includes the Holy Trinity!
I don't know.

x o x o x o x

There is no one that can compare to Jenna Marbles!



I have loved everything that she has ever done and she never fails to make me laugh! What Disney Movies Taught Me is still one of my all time favorites. Her newest trend of videos is to do Drunk Art School and I was incredibly impressed with the skill of her balloon animals!

x o x o x o x

This month has been a vlogging frenzy for a lot of the British Youtubers that I watch, and my favorites are definitely Zoella and a new find named Gabby!

Watching them both move out of their parents' homes over the past year through Homeware Hauls and Daily Vlogs has been so fun. They have their own separate channels but watching them collab together always makes me smile.They are both so sweet and gorgeous, and I can't wait to see what they get up to next!

x o x o x o x

This next one appeals to the artistic doodler in me: Mary Doodles!



She is primarily a watercolor painter, but she is amazing with comic book markers and nib-and-ink sketches. All of her pieces are time-lapsed so most videos are 2 minutes give or take, but what she creates is adorable with a dark, edgy twist. My favorites are 21 Darth Vaders, The Boy Who Lived, and Sunday in the Park.

x o x o x o x

These few mentions are hardly the only Youtubers I like to watch but they are certainly my favorites!
Here is a complete list of all of my subscriptions:
You Deserve a Drink (and second channel Mametown) - Simply Pun-tastic
Niomi Smart - Beauty and Fashion
Pixiwoo - Makeup Tutorials
MoreMarcus - Daily Vlogs
Sacconejolys - aka the cutest Irish Family
Shaytards - aka the craziest American Family
Sprinkle of Glitter (and second channel SprinkleofChatter) - Beauty, Life and Darcy!
Tanya Burr - Beauty and London Life
Thatcher Joe - Hilarity
 Tyler Oakley - Professional Fangirl
and Zoella, Gabby, Grace and Jenna of course!

Please go follow all of these people because they will change you life!

xoxo K

Tatty Tat Tuesday: Harry Potter Edition!

Probably due to the fact that the last few HP books were release in June and July, I have a ritual of re-reading at least 1 of the series during the summer months. Always have, and probably always will. My copy of the first book is proof of that. 

As the summer months have come and gone, I have decided that I wanted to devote an edition of Tattoo Tuesday to the Boy Who Lived and all the glorious and magical stories that accompanied him. These are found either on Pinterest or Tumblr, and they are definitely some of my favorites.

It was because of HP and Ms. Rowling that I love to read so I will include this Buzzfeed article that shows 

50 Incredible Tattoos Inspired by Books.

xox K

 

Weekly Obsession: BANG BANG!

With this crazy cool collaboration, Ariana, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj have created a track that I have listened to constantly the last couple of days, placing it square in my Love in the Moment playlist.

Point your ears right here!

It doesn't hurt that one of my favorite reality dance shows, So You Think You Can Dance, did an awesome Top Ten Group dance routine to this fresh number.

xoxo K

(late night - oops!) Makeup Monday: pixiwoo's Bond Girl "Domino" Makeup Tutorial

What is better than a classic, sexy makeup look to make you feel like you could hold your own against the famous (and gorgeous! *swoon*) 007... 

Nothing, really. :)

 Bond Girl Domino 

Created by one of my all-time Youtube favorites, Nic of the Pixiwoo sisters, this tutorial shows just how to get that look of a Bond Girl. I have definitely added several views to all of their videos, as they are incredible and easy to follow, but this has procured more that a few from me, and I am not even ashamed! 

Definitely a worthy Makeup Monday!

Moving Day: Roomie #1

Tonight is the last night of the TRIO :(

Roommate #1 is moving out tomorrow and it's kind of surreal. Just seeing everything boxed up and ready to leave in the morning is really trippy because we have all lived either together or within the same complex for four years now. With this and the other two moving days to come we will all be spitting up for the final time. There is no coming back after summer or after a Christmas break. This is it. Of course we will still talk and everything but there won't be anymore hallway parties, where we just sit in the hallway between our rooms on for hours on end, and it won't be just a simple walk down the stairs to see one another anymore. 

I know it is good to move on and gain more worldly experiences with all new people and locations, but it is still tough to lose the comfort zone that has been such a stable surface to rest on. I am absolutely terrified of what is to come, as the ever present job search continues to weigh on my post-grad mind, but everyone has to deal with this type of situation, in one form or another, so I know that this experience won't last forever, and it won't be the last that I see of some of the best people I have ever met. 

It's just a new start, and everything will work itself out.

Random moment of College Love!

I am so very proud of my university's baseball team. The Wolfpack *arrrooooo!* is in the College World Series for the second time in the school's history and they are doing so well. Tonight we play Crapolina for the third effin time (whoever managed to arrange that needs to be pinched a few times), but I am still super excited. Soccer boys are my favorite to watch, for obvious reasons :), but baseball boys are rising in the ranks. Too freakin cute. Austin and Rodon are my favfavfav cause they are adorbs! I am usually not this obnoxious about things I like but you must excuse me just this once. Yummmmy! 

Random Moment of Movie Love!

So not for the first time I have fallen in love with a movie! And to little surprise for the peanut gallery, it is a chick flick. Growing up I was such a tomboy, disregarding pink as an actual color and refusing to wear my hair in anything but a ponytail. As I am growing older, however, my taste has definitely evolved into more of a feminine creature. Now don't get me wrong, I still enjoy wearing the collection of nike athletic shorts that I have managed to acquire throughout the past couple of years, but my closet, and my likings, have shifted towards maxi skirts and curly tresses. 

This little exposition (was supposed to, at least) leads me to chick flicks, and my new favorite, This Means War, with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy. Oh my lanta those two guys are on my crush list officially after this movie because they are on different sides of the spectrum when it comes to the type of guy they represent but they both manage to be genuine and completely adorable. Oh goodness I love it. I think I watched it for the 8th time today and its only been out for less than a year, I do believe. LOVE LOVE LOVE! And not only is it super cute, its full of action because the two guys, Tuck and FDR, as field agents for the CIA, along with being full of wit and humor with Lauren's best friend being a character played by Chelsea Handler. Cuteness, action-packed, laugh-worthy, yes!

View the awesomeness here.

Makeup Monday!

One of my favorite Hollywood ladies with a gorgeous bright pink lip and simple eye makeup. Emma Stone at her finest :)

Hair is the Flair :)

I"M BACK! I know it's been a while but I bring good things :) 

I think these hairstyles are absolutely adorable, and because I have a not so secret obsession with braids, most of these have them :) If you like these you can see a ton more on my Pinterest page, another one of my obsessions.

Countdown . . .

1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 more days!

On this special occasion, I have some of my favorite quotes from the very first book : 

"They don't know know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..." - Harry

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."- Hermione

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six-hundred and sixty-five, is he?"  - Ron

"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"- Dumbledore

 

"Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."- Hagrid

 

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."- Fred and George

 

Top Ten

Top Ten . . . places I want to visit before I die.

10 . Times Square on New Years Eve

9 . The Blarney Stone in Ireland

8 . Versailles check :)

7 . Route 66 from beginning to end

6 . Eiffel Tower in Paris

5 . basically all of New Zealand

4 . the Colosseum in Rome check :)

3 . the southern-most tip of Africa

2 . a World Cup championship game

and finally . . . .

1 . a secret :)

quote to live by . . .

This is my all time favorite quote, and it reminds me of my father. He always tells me to do this when I have a tough decision to make.

"When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you were hoping for."

 I hope to one day get a tattoo with "simply toss a coin" and an image of his favorite coin on the inside of my arm or wrist. I know it would mean a lot to him :)

Countdown . . .

Only 9 more days till the HP finale!! 

and to celebrate here's an epic video that takes you back through all the movies

Click to Watch

This series has been my entire childhood and this finale is completely bittersweet. 

No one wants to see something end that has been loved so much.

Tatty Tats :)

I don't have any at the moment, but I am saving up some money to get one :) here are some of the ones I wanna get or just think are adorable :)

 finger-stache!

 key to my soul...

trees are always going to hold a special place in my heart

First Post!

This is how excited I am...

 haha I seriously cannot wait to really get to use this blog to post all my favorite things to talk about.

who knows what it will turn into? :)