Flashback Friday: Broken Dreams and New Beginnings

Hello Lovelies! This is a Flashback Friday post different from most of the others. It's really not beauty related at all--just real life related.

There are a number of reasons I started this blog fourteen months ago--one of which was that I loved to write. I have always loved to write. When I was around eight or nine, I started writing all kinds of short stories. Some never got finished and would just sit in a notebook. Some I actually completed and would put in little binders.

When I was ten, I started a "newspaper" with my then BFF and called it the "Treetop Times." We'd each write articles for it and type it up and hand it out to our classmates.

At eleven, I corroborated with two other friends and we wrote a puppet show skit for the school Christmas play--our teachers actually let us take some time out of class to work on it together! I also got second place in a district essay contest.

This entire time I was also heavily into reading--I had my favorite authors and just knew that somehow, I'd be a writer when I grew up. I didn't think I'd be able to write a whole book though! Maybe magazines or newspapers. I heard the term "freelance writer" and thought that would make me happy--I would just write for whomever about whatever they wanted!

So, in seventh grade, I was twelve. My life, my dreams, my goals were all drastically turned around upside down. Mr. Hall (Michael Chapman Hall. Name has not been changed to protect the innocent) was asking us all one day in class what we wanted to be when we grew up. Without hesitation, I proclaimed that I was going to be a journalist. Mr. Hall nearly laughed at me and said, "With the things you've turned in for English class?"

Lovelies, to this day, I have no idea what he actually meant by that comment. Was it because my imagination was so vivid? (it really was, some of the stuff I wrote was out there! But it was well-written!) But it didn't matter what he actually meant because all I heard was, "That's never going to happen. You're not good enough."

I don't know if I shared with anyone then what he said or how it made me feel. Years later, my mom told me I shouldn't have taken it so personally. But that one moment, shut me down. I still wrote in my journal and would dabble in some poetry in my notebooks here and there; but I never wrote again like I did before his comments. I lost my love for writing because I thought I wasn't good enough.

Years have passed and occasionally I've thought about changing career fields or maybe trying to do some "freelance writing," but I never did. The thoughts still haunting me that I wouldn't be good enough.

However, the story has a happy ending! I mentioned a few weeks ago I may be involved in a new endeavor! And I am! I was recruited to be a contributor to The Flairist--an online magazine for the shamelessly ambitions woman! (Read more about it here!) I'm super excited to be involved in a movement and product that is all about helping women find their way in love, life, and careers. And even more excited that at least in some aspect, I have made it! I am a sort of journalist--when Mr. Hall thought I'd never do it.

So don't give up on your dreams, lovelies! Don't let anyone ever tell you that you CAN'T do something or you WON'T do something. You are the one that controls all those decisions! It's never too late to try something you really want to do.

And make sure you check out The Flairist! There are a number of amazing people working there, and there will continue to be awesome articles that are applicable to where you are in your life right now!

Flashback Friday: Towels--A Thing of the Past

Hi Lovelies! If you're like me, and you have any amount of hair on your head, you are probably used to having the gigantic towel wrapped up like a turban on top of your head! Which of course does it stay there? No, it's top heavy and will start tilting anytime you try to do anything... lotion on your legs? It falls forward. Doing your makeup? It tips to the side. It's heavy and even after you take the towel down, your hair is still wet.

That my friends, is a thing of the past. Several months ago, I discovered the most genius thing EVER!! The Turbie Twist! I'm sure by now most of you have heard of it (and probably have some of your own), but I'm positive I could never go on without it! If you haven't heard of it, I'll tell you it's a microfiber cloth shaped like your head--so that you tip your head upside down, put the rounded part on the back of your scalp, wrap up your hair, and tuck it in the elastic holder on the back. Voila! No more towel weighing down and shifting on your head!

They are also pretty cheap and you can get them at many stores nationwide (my first was from Walmart. My two patterned ones I got 2/$10 at CVS)

Yes, I even tried a generic one from the Dollar Tree... you'll see it is no longer in my collection because honestly it just didn't work.:( I am all for a bargain, and I honestly believe that a lot of times generic brand items are just as good or at least comparable. Not for this, my friends. It didn't fit my head right, I don't think it was real microfiber. It was just awful. I threw it away.

So! Just when you thought it coudln't get any better! The Turbie people came up with a towel!!

What a genius idea!! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better! So now you can towel dry your hair with the towel before wrapping it up in the Turbie Twist! I just got this so haven't gotten a chance to completely review it yet! But, so far I adore it (of course;) I'll keep you posted as I use it in the near future!:)

this is only half open! it's twice this size!

Do you have a Turbie Twist? Have you tried the Turbie towel yet?:)

Flashback Friday: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Hello Lovelies! Today's Flashback Friday post will be a little different than most of my other ones. In fact, the only thing really similar is that it's on a Friday. lol:) But I wanted to share some reflections with you and then also share some things that will be happening as we go forward together!

First, some flashback thoughts. I can't even tell you the last day I did a face of full makeup. LOL. Crazy right?? The pregnancy has still kept me pretty tired, so I've found ways to cut my makeup routine in the morning and still look not horribly hideous;) As much as I said the Maybelline BB Cream wasn't *super* impressive; it has pretty much been saving the day for the past few weeks! lol. (that and the amazing pregnancy hormones that have cleaned up any blemish I had on my face and replaced it with a healthy glow;) Some BB Cream and mascara to open up my eyes has basically been all I've been doing lately. Then some days on the weekends, I have "makeup free" days. Not because I'm lazy then, just 'cause I want my face to breathe:) On these days, I just use a plain moisturizer.

Truth be told, though, I'm not sure if it's the hormones that have cleaned up my skin OR if I was experiencing random breakouts because I was wearing TOO MUCH makeup and/or using products that didn't agree with my skin very much! (As much as I love love love the Maybelline Dream Foam foundation, I think it did cause several breakouts around my chin--not sure why.)

Anyway! Speaking of pregnancy! For those of you who may have missed the announcement, I am pregnant (nearly 23 weeks now! omg!) And....

via

Ah! Kinda crazy! I know a lot of people were hoping I'd have a little girl so I could doll her all up with hair and makeup and nail fun! But the truth is, I'm super excited it's a boy!! I'm a little nervous of how the whole mother/son relationship will develop; but I can't wait to have my house full of Tonka trucks and hot wheels:)

On that note, you may (or may not) have noticed that I'm still keeping a lot of my personal life (like the pregnancy) out of this blog. I know you all read glitter gloss & glaze because I'm so awesome because you love the reviews, the nail art (which p.s. I *know* I need to get back into), the tips and tricks, and everything else I share--not because you want to know the condition of my uterus and how big my boobies are getting lol. That's why I've started another blog for that stuff. You are under *no* obligation to even check out my other blog, but I know some of you are curious as to how things are going so I wanted to at least let you know it existed! It's called Lipgloss and Sippy Cups: a beauty blogger's journey to motherhood (and yes, it's in my sponsor list on my left sidebar--so sweet that I was willing to sponsor myself;) hahaha. It's a super simple layout; nothing fancy; and for now I'm only blogging there once a week (gg&g still gets about three posts a week:)

And a little sneak peak into something else, I may be starting to write as a contributing author at another site, but until all those details are worked out, that's all I'm saying for now!

Love you all! Thanks so much for your un-ending support!

P.S. Okay, so I talked about the new blog and you're probably wondering what (if anything) will change here. I honestly can't say for sure. As of right now, I don't plan to ever completely shut down glitter gloss & glaze, but when Baby gets here, things may shift and I may start posting more on Lipgloss and Sippy Cups than here; but I just can't say for sure. Truth be told, those first few months I probably won't have time to blog at all anywhere! :)

Flashback Friday: What Team Are You On??

Hi Lovelies! Some of you longtime readers may remember when I did my unofficial survey to see "which team you were on"--Team Ulta or Team Sephora. It was actually a really fun few weeks of people discussing which was better to them and why! I think some may have even swapped teams after reading other stuff people were writing!

Anyway, since this is the last Friday in October, this will be my last Flashback from previous posts over the year. But you can always read older posts by clicking on the drop down "Older Post" menu off in the right sidebar. Take a walk down memory lane anytime you feel like it;)

Without further ado, here are the results that were presented here first on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. (you can also see a lot of the discussion on this post here!:)


...and the debate is over! You may remember that a little over a week ago, I posted a debate question to see if you were all on Team Ulta or Team Sephora! I was very careful to not provide my opinion or any information that may sway the vote! I didn't even reply to any of the comments that all you fabulous readers left!

Now is the time of truth! Now is when we determine which one is actually better and why!!!

So, here's how the "votes" turned out:
Ulta: 5
Sephora: 2
Neither: 1
Both: 1

There you have it! According to my completely, non-scientific, random sampling survey TEAM ULTA WINS!!!!!

Yaaaaaay!!!!

A lot of the factors were price, location, the variety of products and brands, the sales, coupons, etc. I could not more whole-heartedly agree! I wasn't actually sure if I could accurately vote since I've never even bought anything from Sephora; but I made sure I went in to the Sephora at the mall this past weekend so I could give a full opinion:)

I'm going to agree with what a lot of you said--Ulta is fab because it has both the high-end more expensive brands, but also a lot of the drug store brands. It's great that I can buy Urban Decay and Maybelline in the same building!

The sales--there is always SOMETHING on sale at Ulta! And there are always coupons for the store as well! I feel like I'm getting a bargain even if I do buy the more expesnive products.

Location--this is definitely a factor. I have an Ulta and a Sephora about the same distance away from me right now. The Ulta is in a shopping center/strip mall location (which I think is super conveineint) and Sephora is in the mall (which sometimes is a hassle since I've gotta walk the whole way thru the mall even if that's the only place I want to go). I also feel like Sephora is smaller and they cram in a whole bunch of stuff so that I feel overwhelmed and almost claustrophobic. Ulta, on the other hand, is open and beautiful with lots of room to move around and very well lit!

Nail Polish--I really didn't see a huge selection at Sephora (unless I just missed it). But I think Ulta has a more extensive and varied selection.

I'm not completely anti-Team Sephora, I've heard good things about their VIB program, and I think it's cool they give you a little gift for your birthday! So I'll probably look into it:)

For those of you who haven't been able to experience either of them (Marina;) I'm sorry you're missing out! But there is always online shopping ;)

Are you surprised at the results of the debate? Do you think Sally's or another store might win a competition against Ulta?

Flashback Friday: Give Your Hair Away

Hi Lovelies! Another blast from the past from the blog for today's Flashback Friday!! In January, I told you all about how I participated in Locks of Love the previous summer by donating my hair! I figure this is such a good cause it is worth repeating! This post originally ran on Monday, January 9, 2011.

It's Monday Hair Day! No products or anything to review today, I wanted to tell you all about an organization you may or may not be familiar with--Locks of Love. For those of you that don't know, it's a non-profit organization that takes hair donations and turns them into wigs for children that need them--it could be kids that lost their hair due to cancer and radiation or other diseases such as alopecia.

Now, I don't know how long you keep your hair, but after mine gets a little past my shoulder, it starts irritating me. It's already super thick to begin with so the longer it gets, the longer it takes to dry, the harder it takes to style, they heavier and hotter it is.. and all around a big hassle.

Last year, I finally dedicated myself to growing my hair completely for this good cause! They need at least 10 inches of hair for the donation to work. They will still take layered hair if some of the hair is shorter, as long as the longest parts are 10 inches (all the rules can be found on their website:)

So, my hair grew and grew and grew and grew... I was practically Rapunzel!! (slight exagerration, but for me who usually keeps it chin-shoulder length it was a lot for me!) But it felt sooo good to know that when I packaged it up and mailed it out, my hair (which drove me nuts!) could quite possibly make the day of some small child somewhere. And that, my lovelies, is totally worth it.

This isn't to pressure you and tell you you have to grow your hair out. I'm not being compensated at all by saying any of this; I just wanted to get awareness out for a really great cause! If you want more information or have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me!

Flashback Friday: Glitter Removal Revisited

Hi Lovelies! Can you believe I've been blogging here for almost a full year?? Omg, it seems crazy to me! What started on a whim as a "new hobby" has developed into so much more! But enough reminicsing for now, more for another post. But today for Flashback Friday, I wanted to flashback to a previous post! This was actually from my Q&A series and was originally posted last December; however, I still get questions all the time of how I remove glitter polishes! So, without further ado, here is what I shared with you all last year:

Today's question comes from on of my dearest friends @DivaMommyTweets who is documenting her first pregnancy at "A Mommy in the Making" blog If you haven't seen it yet, you should totally check it out! We are just days away from finding out the sex of her baby! (I'm thinking BOY but we will hae to wait and see!!)

So on to the Q&A!

Q: I have such a hard time removing glitter polishes. I'll usually just rub polish remover on them and buff the rest out. Do you have a better way to do it?

A: Thanks so much for your question, Diva, I must say that glitter polishes are some of my favorites!! I love small glitter, big glitter, silver glitter, colored glitter--love love love all of it! Unfortunately, it is a pain to remove. This is in no way my secret tip, I found it from reading stuff online; but I can vouch for it and say that it totally works! *drumroll please* The foil method!! To do this, you'll need at least five cotton balls (one for each finger and thumb of one had. You can use ten, or just re-use the five for the other hand:), strips of aluminum foil, and nail polish remover (I use 100% Acetone, because I don't mess around with removal;). Get each cotton ball saturated with the acetone and set on the nail. Then wrap a piece of foil around the finger and ball. It's easier to do one hand at a time. Wait for just a few minutes (like the time of a commercial break if you're watching TV) then unwrap the foil, slide off the cotton ball (with a little pressure on the nail) and Ta-Da! Glitter removed!!! I've done this twice now, and it works like a dream! No more scrubbing my nails, no more picking pieces off, just a good clean swipe! The process looks kinda sillly, but it definitely works.

Now how about everyone else? What are your secrets to removing glitter? Have you tried the foil method? Did it work for you? Does it need to be foil? Can you wrap the cotton balls in saran wrap or something else? Does it need to be cotton balls or would cotton pads work, too? Let me know what you think!

Flashback Friday: Fall Edition

Hello Lovelies!! It's finally fall and you know what that means! Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, apple cider, falling leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, hoodies, boots, sweaters, ALL of fall fashion, cooler weather.... *sigh*

Let me take a moment to remind you, I live in Florida.

It is still 94 degrees farenheit here...

I don't think I ever truly appreciated fall. You see, I grew up outside Pittsburgh, and we never really had fall there either. We had summer and summer went right into winter. Not kidding, there were several years we had to plan our halloween costumes around fitting over our snowsuits. I remember trick or treating with snow flurries! Crazy.

But as I'm getting older, I start feeling all nostalgic during the fall season. It's just such a cozy season. It starts getting cooler (except in Florida :P ), there's fun activities to go to with friends and family, and it means the holidays are right around the corner!

Even in the hot humid days, there is something that can always get me in the fall mood: Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin from Bath & Body works.

I have been using this nearly ever autumn since high school (I'm not even going to remind you how long ago *that* was! lol. But I'm almost 30, it's been a long time hahah). And since I only use it during the fall months, it has a special connection to my brain where I just start feeling all cozy on the inside.

While it doesn't bring back specific memories, it just takes my mind back to a simpler time. Before I had so many bills of my own to pay, before I had to worry about taking care of anyone but myself, before job security and advancement were ever thought about... It takes me back to a time where the biggest things I had to worry about was if I should break up with high school boyfriend and what shoes I should buy with my paycheck.

It reminds me, that it doesn't matter where you live. Fall isn't just about pumpkin pie and cute layered clothes, it's about realizing that even though life changes, there are some things that will always be a constant in your life--in this case, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin--and if you keep holding on to those things, no matter how crazy things become, you can still remember who you are and where you came from. And sometimes, that's all you really need to know:)

What are some of your favorite fall memories?? Or fall items?? What scents do you have that are season specific?

Flashback Friday: Olympics Memories

Hi Lovelies! I figured with the Olympics going on right now, it would be a great time to relive some of my past Olympic memories! I have now been alive for 12 of the Olympic games... I was only five during the 1988 ones, so I don't remember them; my first memories are of Kim Zmeskal and the 1992 Women's Gymnastics Team.

via

I had been in gymnastics myself for about four years, and all I wanted from my young life was to BE Kim Zmeskal. Whenever the gymnastics was on TV, I was in front of the TV watching, memorizing her every move. I dreamed that Bela Karoli would be my coach as I'd do flips and cartwheels in the backyard. I wrote her a letter (this was back in the olden days.. lol before you could just email or tweet celebrities lol). She was my first (and probably only) athlete obsession.

Four years later, the 1996 team came out. I was even more excited to love an entire team than just one gymnast! I'd been watching gymnastics throughout the years even before this Olympics and I knew all about the Dominques (Dawes and Moceanu) and Shannon Miller (who was everyone's favorite;) My heart broke when Kerri Strug landed wrong on the vault and Bela had to carry her off.... I felt like I knew these girls; they were ones I wanted to train with, compete with, and just hang out with.

via

I didn't pay much attention to the Olympics after that... I was busy working.. or whatever...  But as I watched the women's gymnastics qualifications this year, it reminded me of the summers I spent at my Grama's house; watching the girls I wished I could be... and it just felt good with those memories:) Plus, this year was the first year our women's team got gold SINCE the 1996 Magnificent Seven that I loved:)

For those of you wondering, it's been twenty years since the first Olympics I remembered. I have been out of gymnastics for a little more than sixteen years... I never made it to the Olympics... but I do "like" Kim Zmeskal's FB page. lol.

How about you?? Do you have any Olympics memories?? Any special athletes stand out to you??

Flashback Friday: MySpace Memories

"Things change, times change, people change. I think the people changing is what's affected me the most. People I was friends with years ago are now nothing but mere acquaintances. Was it they who changed or was it I?"

This quote was from my high school graduation speech and it has stuck with me through the years ingrained in my mind. As we move on through different stages in our lives, some people continue on with the journey while others we leave along the way. Sometimes it's they who do not want to keep going forward with us. Sometimes it's us, realizing some relationships need to be cut in order to get where we're going. Sometimes people just drift apart when one season ends and unfolds into another.

I remember reading a quote years ago that said, "The great thing about pictures is that they never change even when the people in them do." It was on that basis I looked for inspiration for today's post.

Do you remember the world before Facebook and Twitter? Some of you may know that before FB really took off, we were all on a site called MySpace. lol. Before MySpace was really big, I had a blog (if I can call it that?) on Xanga.com. I decided to visit both of those locations lately (to see if they were even still there!) And I was both excited and surprised to see everything exactly as I left it from years past.

a Xanga post

My Xanga still talked about trying to find a job after graduation... things that were going on with college boyfriend... I wrote about my feelings when my Grampa passed away... it was so open. So personal. So emotional.

My MySpace was full of notes and comments from people I haven't talked to in years. Of the "top 7 friends" listed on the site, I'm now only friends with three of them... and one of those I haven't talked to in a few months.

my MySpace profile--still pink and girlie like me now lol

But there was my life from 2004 'til early 2009. Frozen in time. Like a little capsule to take me back to people, places, and events I may have otherwise forgotten.

The internet is a crazy place that way. Keeping everything forever. It's comforting to know that no matter where we go in this life or how far we change from who we were, there is still a record to remember who we were, what we did, and where we came from. It is all those experiences--both good and bad--that turn us into the fabulous women and men we become in our adult and later lives.

So, to answer my initial question "was it they who changed or was it I?" I'm sure it's a little bit of both... but as I read things written by the me of the past, I realize my thoughts and feelings about me, others, life in general, have matured over the years. Inside, I'm still that crazy, girlie, drama-filled 21 year old I was in my Xanga days; but I'm also a stronger woman who can recognize the big picture of things and not get so wound up over every day trials.

How about you? Do you have a life time capsule somewhere on the internet? How do you feel you've changed from back in the pre-social-media-everywhere days?:)

Flashback Friday: Pink and Blue Eyes

Happy Friday!!! There was more sunshine this week, and it was harder to be stuck inside at work:( But! I'm looking forward to the weekend and hoping for some more beach days! Yay!!

When I was younger, I was very impressionable when it came to reading magazines. If Cosmo told me that boys liked girls who wore gorilla suits and pink mohawks, it's quite possible I would've done that. (thankfully, I never read an article that said that;) What I did read, however, was that blue eyeliner made brown eyes pop!

Now, for most of my life, I was convinced my eyes were the color of muddy puddles. You know what a muddy puddle looks like right? Just a dingy brown.. maybe some scum or mold floating around in it... ew. Gross. And that's how I felt about my eyes. They were brown.. but not a pretty chocolate brown. Not some deep color boys would get lost in, lol. There were flecks of green/hazel in them too. And sometimes a yellowish tint... I'm getting sad just thinking about how disgusted I used to be with them (update, I have since grown to accept and enjoy the unique color that is my eyes;) Anyway, if Cosmo said blue would make them pop, I was going to make my eyes pop!

From then on out, it was the same beauty routine on my eyes all the time. Day in and day out. Bonne Bell Eye Style Shadow Box in Girlie Pink (shocking, right? Some things never change... lol) and Wet 'n Wild eyeliner in Deep Blue (or Navy Blue, I can't remember the exact one I was using then. But the eyeliner that was pretty much 99 cents at CVS lol). I rarely used mascara.

I was still all about wearing eyeshadow the "right" way. I would use the lightest pink on my brown bone, the medium pink at the bottom over the lid, the dark pink in the crease for contouring, and the silvery color on the inner corner of my eye. This was my eye routine for my junior and senior year of college... and probably part of my post college life, too...

So... why do I bring this up now...? Maybe it's regression, but.... I'm doing it again. Haha.

Now, I've definitely matured it some! (I'm now using purples instead of pinks; and have upgraded to Maybelline's Define-A-Line eye liner in Navy Blue) But some wisdom from Cosmo is ever enduring, and I really do think that the blue makes my eyes pop!

How about you? Do you ever go back to beauty trends you used in the past? What are your thoughts on colored eye liners?

Flashback Friday: What Were You Watching?:)

Hi lovelies! It's time for another edition of FLASHBACK FRIDAY!!!! Yaaaaay!!! This really isn't fashion or beauty related; but when I found out about this earlier this week, I just knew it was something I wanted to write about and share with you all!

There have been *many* coming of age shows in the past: Facts of Life, Wonder Years, My So-Called Life, 90210, Party of Five, etc. And depending on when you were born and when you were growing up--really when you hit those pivotal teenage years--determines which show you could *really* relate to when all those hard life issues started coming up!

I'm not sure what show it really is for kids these days... Secret Life of an American Teenager? Glee? One Tree Hill? hmm...

Anyway, every once in a while, I see what's new on my Netflix account... On Tuesday, I was pleasantly surprised to find *my* coming of age show!

DAWSON'S CREEK!!!

What joy! What excitement! I used to watch this show alllll the time; I really grew up with the characters since I was the same age they were when the show started. I loved the dialogue... I believe back when it came out there was a lot of controversy over that because critics said that no teenagers spoke with so many words and so many BIG words. I didn't care; I loved it.

There was always drama, conflict, love, confusion.... they broached topics that still weren't that prevalent on TV for young people--sex, homosexuality, etc...

And while I was never really obsessed with Dawson or Pacey... I always wanted to be as pretty as Joey. *sigh* And Katie Holmes is still one of the prettiest people out there (in my mind).

Anyway! It's on Netflix streaming! If you haven't watched it before, watch it. If you loved it when you were younger, you'll love it now!;) I'm only a few episodes in, and there are parts I definitely remember and parts that feel new to me. And you know how there are some shows you thought were soooo awesome when you were younger and now they seem kinda dumb? (Full House, Saved by the Bell lol. Okay, that one is still awesome, but it seems different to me hahahaha). Dawson's Creek still seems real to me... if that makes sense..

If for nothing else, enjoy some of the FLASHBACK-ness of it. Not gonna lie, I've already seen overalls and butterfly clips. HAHAHAHA.

What are some of your favorite old school shows?? What do you consider your "coming of age" show? Did you ever watch Dawson's Creek??

P.S. Just realized that for those of you who have never watched Dawson's Creek, I didn't even really explain it to you! Well! To avoid having this post get too super long, I'd encourage you to read about it here on Wikipedia if you want all the details!:)

Flashback Friday: Graduation Day!

Happy Friday!! In case you missed my Twitter yesterday, I've decided to transition Throwback Thursday officially to Flashback Friday! I'm not sure if I'll keep the linky or not; I think you all like reading and seeing some of my old stuff, but no one really is doing it, too:) So we'll see!

Now, something historic happened 11 years ago yesterday. Something so monumental it has stayed with me forever! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, on May 24, 2001, I graduated high school!!! Ahhhhh!!!

Wow, now let us take a moment to take a deep breath in realization of just how long ago that was. And how old I really am....

Actually, let's not dwell on that! hahaha.

Graduation was a huge deal! Everything we knew was going to be over and the future was full of complete unknowns. Sure, most of us knew where we were going to college and maybe had an idea of what we'd major in, but what would we do after? Who would we marry? Would we have kids? Where would we live? It was a vast unknown, and it was scary.

And exciting.

And sad.

This song actually came out for the class of 2000, but it was still played on the radio graduation season of '01 and to this day, when I hear it, it holds special memories to me! Do you all remember this song??:)

*sigh* good ol' days.

My high school graduation was pretty wonderful. I was valedictorian (okay, go ahead and talk about what a dork I was lol) and had a really fabulous speech! (I'm going to share the parts of it that I remember sometime because it's honestly relevant for even today!) It was the last big event that my Grampa was able to attend before he passed away in 2004. After the reception, high school boyfriend and I went to McDonalds and I'm pretty sure the McDonalds worker thought we had just gotten married! (I was in a white dress and he in a suit and tie lol).

So... eleven years later... and look how far I've come... finished college... have a real job... no husband or kids yet (and I'm okay with that!:) but at times... I still feel like I'm that seventeen year old girl. I have a lot of the same insecurities and fears. The same thoughts and feelings. I've definitely matured, but I think there's a part of me that will honestly always be that seventeen year old girl...

How about you? Do you remember your graduation?? How long ago was it?? (if it's within like 5 years, don't tell me, I'll just feel older jk;) What special memories do you have from high school? How has your life changed?

Share your thoughts with me in the comments!!:)

Flashback Friday: Vintage is from when??

Hellllooo darling friends and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! You may have noticed there was no Throwback Thursday post yesterday (sorry!) Life just got in the way and I wasn't able to get it up in time. HOWEVER! Today, I have a special treat for you! Flashback Friday! Like Throwback Thursday, but different! (and no, I'm not planning on this being a regular thing, just today or days where I have something flashback'y to share;)

So, let's discuss "vintage"! When someone says the word "vintage" what do you think of? In my head, "vintage" to me still means *old* stuff--like probably from the 60's and earlier? Like if I'm poking through an antique store, it would be full of antiques and very "vintage" stuff!

Well, let me share an article with you that I saw earlier this week that just baffled my mind on what is now *technically* considered "vintage"!

The 90s Are Now Officially "Vintage" According to the People Who Deem Things Vintage

by Danica Lo, Glamour Magazine

Today in things that may or may not make you feel old: according to the people who officially deem things "vintage"—turns out, "vintage" isn't just synonymous with "really old"—clothes and accessories from the 1990s can now officially be deemed vintage.

My favorite 90s show: My So Called Life

A few months ago, we told you about how LA's Decades co-founder Cameron Silver was on the hunt for vintage 90s items, and today, Catwalk Queen reports that Patricia Dillon, the Divisional Leader of Design and Applied Arts at the University of Wolverhampton, has decreed: 

For something to be classed as Vintage it needs to be of sufficient quality of design and creative execution for it to stand the test of time and be relevant and desirable to future discerning generations. The 90s are now officially classified as Vintage because we are two decades on and a new generation is starting to discover and enjoy the creative fruits of musicians, designers, artists and film makers who delivered their ideas 20 years ago.

What does this mean? Well, things that were popular in the 90s—like grunge, big shoes, neon, babydoll dresses, neo-preppy, and Euro-designer monograms (everywhere, on everything)—are back in a big way. What do you think about that?

(via here)

Can you believe it?? The 90's still don't seem *that* far away to me. Many of my favorite memories happen in the late 90's, and it just makes me feel sooooo super old to think that the stuff I wore, knew, and loved are all now considered vintage...

Were you surprised at this fact? What is your favorite thing about the 90's? Or what is something you miss most from that decade?