Ebay Find.

Currently, my most prized possession is my new leather backpack.

It is about ten shades of awesome and I want to take it everywhere. Even places I don’t need it, like the caf or gym. I want to show this beauty off.

Excuse this picture of me. I look slightly high (for the record, I wasn’t) and of course my mouth is open. Do you expect more from me?

You shouldn’t.

But there my backpack is in all her glory. Do you love it or do you l-o-v-e it?

What is your most prized possession right now?

Junque Queen

I love antiques. A quality passed down for generations in my family, it seems.

Today on a mission to find myself some suede boots, Emma and I passed a lovely antique store and I whipped into the nearest parking lot.

It was full of so many things I need!

I need those retro white cups. I do! I do!

Tell me otherwise. I dare you.

We also stumbled upon vintage paper!

Oh the things I could do with the paper.

I was thinking frame them and hang them above my retro couch (theoretically speaking of course, because I live in a dorm room and I don’t have room for a couch) and change the paper as the seasons/holidays change. 

That Valentine’s Day paper is totally boss.

Fashion Icon

Jackie O – perhaps the best dressed woman in history, if you ask me. Wasn’t she a total betty?

When I imagine myself housewifing, I look just like this:

           

Are your palms sweating over that yellow coat? Oh, the buttons! Oh, the high-waist tie! What about the salmon colored dress with the bow?

And the pearls!

And the hair!

I was totally born in the wrong era. I was meant to be a housewife 50 years ago.

I don’t want to hear that it is no longer 1960.

I don’t want to hear that at all.

Shhhh.

My Friend Rain.

February 1995

Blonde, hazel-eyes, and four years small, I shared a room with my brother and sister. They had the bunk beds and I had my very own gold bed across the room from them, right next to the window.

I wasn't a child that was afraid of storms. Quite the opposite. I was full of sass and spunk- I can assure you that has changed. Wink wink.

Late at night when the clouds thundered I would sit up in my gold bed, pull back the curtains and watch the rain.

October 2008

17 years old found me in my junior year of high school. My alarm sounded at 7:15 and I woke up to rain and thunder.

Early morning rain is the best, I thought, and snuggled under my covers for more sleep. I was late for school every day, anyways. Why rush to get up when it's raining?

Eventually I got up, dragged a straightener through my thick hair and brushed my teeth.

And all day long I wished it would keep raining so that when I got home, I could take a nap. Really, any sleep while raining is marvelous.




via

August 2010

College years, almost 20-something years. I am tempted to be mad at the rain pouring down outside because it has messed up the satellite signal and I can't watch Grey's Anatomy.

But then I turned off all the lights, opened the windows and enjoyed something that makes life so beautiful. My best nature friend, Rain.

I'm thinking about a rain wedding? Would you like to come?

Mexican Beauties.

Feast your eyes on these hand painted vases I got in a Mexican market. And on pretty pink & blooming hydrangeas.

I pick out one of these beauties every time I am in Mexico, which is usually every summer for a mission trip (except this summer)

I also get real Mexican Vanilla and handmade blankets.

But the vases- they are my favorite purchase. I love their swirly paintings and bright colors. You should see them when they are housing freshly picked flowers. Lovely, I tell ya!

Do these brighten your June day or what?

p.s. sorry for low quality pics.
My iPhone was subbing for a camera.

500, y'all!

I have an unhealthy obsession.
It's with a song.
It's with a song that came out in 1993.
On average, I listen to it about 17 times a day.
I have never been so in love with a song.
It's pretty much on repeat all day.
While I do homework, while I'm walking to class, while I'm blogging...
I discovered it 27 days ago, late at night when I couldn't sleep.
iTunes is telling me I've listened to it 500 times.
That's not counting the times on my iPod or in the car.
Proof?

I was telling my momma about this obsession on the phone last night and she asked,
"What's the song called?"

"Fade Into You by Mazzy Star."

Deep intake of breath.

"Autumn, I LOVE that song. It's one of my all-time favorites. I listened to it ALL the time when you were little. I actually just listened to it tonight."

Like mother like daughter. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. All that stuff.

Now I realize it's all my moms fault. The song probably brings back subconscious memories or something like that.

So if you haven't listened to mine and my mother's all-time favorite song, I've made it very simple for you. Believe me, it's a beautiful song and you will love it.

Don't judge me.

Keen Imagination

There is a restaurant here in Searcy that I have been dying to try. Hunan Express.

But I've been sceptical because it is pretty easy to screw up chinese food.

I took one for the team though and decided today was Hunan Express-trying-day.

I ordered sweet & sour chicken with steamed rice like I do at every chinese joint.

Beth ordered orange chicken and steamed rice.

Oh, and we shared some delicious wontons stuffed with cream cheese.

Verdict?

Success.

Epic. Success.

(I really liked my fortune)

I'm off to study for a psychology exam.

And then to worship the one who blesses us all.

I hope you do the same.

The worshipping, that is.

Not the psychology.

p.s. Click here to laugh.

Wintry Thursday Nights..

Psychology homework, World Lit test, Friends on TV,

chapped lips, new songs added to iTunes,

hungry, expecting more snow,

Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice,

toaster-oven made chocolate chip cookies...

I love Thursdays.

Wonderful Wednesday

The sun was out and the day was beautiful! I went to Goodwill after class and found two darling skirts for this summer.

I also decided to start trying to eat healthier and picked up a mango smoothie for lunch.

At Goodwill, I found this cute kid.

"Hi, what's your name?"

"Boston!"

"Oh, like the city?"

"No."

Random desk shot.

Utah

Basically, ever since I read the blog NieNie Dialogues, I've wanted to go to Utah. So for about 2 weeks now!

Anyways, Kaylee has family in Utah and when she mentioned she was going:

"I'm going to Utah this summer to stay with my aunt." -Kaylee

"I wanna go!!" -me

"You should come!!" -Kaylee

"How long are you going?" -me

"..like a week." -Kaylee

"Oh my gosh I wanna go. That would be so fun!" -me

Imagine that conversation in high, squeaky voices.

After talking it over with the parental units over Sunday lunch, they agreed and Kaylee booked our flight- June 11-21.

I'm ready to fly (I love flying), be in an airport (I love airports more than flying!), see some Utah mountains and hike, and spend time with my bestie. Plus, I'm getting the full on Mormon experience. I'm not Mormon, so this will be interesting! In a good way.


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

Jersey Friday!

Every Friday, if you are in a social club (private school sorority/fraternity), you wear your club jersey. Every club has them and they in your clubs color. There are some ridiculous rules too, like "don't be caught dead in your jersey after 5 o'clock!"

We like to make things dramatic here at Harding.

After Pledge Week you wear your big sisters jersey until yours comes in. Well guess what? They came in! First day to wear MY jersey!

It says "Iota Chi" on the front and "Dixon 23" on the back. Why 23? Good, legit reasons, let me tell you.

1. 23 was Michael Jordan's jersey number. He's like a basketball legend.

2. 23 is a fab song by Jimmy Eat World. Download it.

3. 23 is Nathan Scott's (One Tree Hill) jersey number.

Told ya...legit reasons.

Cute, huh?

Simple Pleasures

Of course we are all grateful for the big things in life- family, friends, God...

...but the simple things make life great, too.

Having a good hair day

Towels straight from the dryer

Waking up early and realizing you have more time to sleep

Summer nights

Hearing a good song on the radio

Hot chocolate on a cold day

Clean sheets after a long, hot shower

Smell of baking brownies

The smell right after it rains

Feeling when you find a great song

Saturdays spent in PJ's with nothing to do

Candle burning while doing homework

What are your simple pleasures?

Deserted

No, not dessert like a brownie, but desert- as in "If I was deserted on an island I would bring..."
In other words, this is a list of things I cannot live without. I'm not listing Jesus because, come on guys, he is the ultimate and should be a given!


1. The fam- They are all nuts but I guess I am genetically engineered to love them.

2. The besties- as previously blogged about! In case you're too lazy to scroll down, they're THE most amazing girls on the planet.

3. The iPhone- it pretty much never leaves my side now as it is. This was the best technology advance to date.

4. Music- I won't go into the whole spill, but I love me some music. Foo Fighters, Damien Rice, a little Kate Voegele. Mellow, guitar folkish stuff rocks. Anyways, this is a picture of my iTunes (1,050 songs thank you very much!) Currently listening to: Times Like These (acoustic) -Foo Fighters live

5. One Tree Hill- Quite literally the most amazing show on television. Hot actors, great music, dramatic plots, and a splash of hometown feelings. It doesn't get any better than all a'that!

6. Strawberry Chapstick- It's like candy for your lips. I always have a tube.

7. Books- Nicholas Sparks is amazing. Ditto with the Twilight Saga. Currently reading The Lovely Bones. It's a good'en! I love crime novels, as well.

8. Crime shows- CSI rocks my socks off. As does Snapped. I also follow popular murder cases, like Casey Anthony. It's my thang. By the way, this is not my shirt, but it came up when I googled 'crime shows'. If any of you lovely readers are interested in buying me this shirt, head on over to zazzle.com! ;)

9. World War 2/Holocaust- You fellow World War 2 fanatics know this sign. It's the gate to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Yeah, I know right? Weird obsession. I can't help it, I love all things World War 2!



10. The 80's- I wasn't even alive, but I love me some 80's. The hair, the clothes, the music. It's all pretty fabulous! Not to mention Saved By The Bell & Growing Pains. Sheesh. I was totally born in the wrong decade.