A Valentine's/Birthday Book of Notes

Listening to The 1975 "Chocolate." I heard it on the radio, and I was like, "I have no clue what they're saying, but this is bouncy as crap!" So now it's on my phone.
    Applicable song choice given this post is somewhat Valentine's related. It's also birthday related, since Corey's birthday is on Valentine's day. Y'all may have seen a post or two before about my little mini scrapbooks that I make him, and last year's birthday present for him that had to do with balloons, but this year I trolled Pinterest for cute easy mini-scrapbook ideas so I could do another little "Book of Notes." I got the original idea from Danni over at Oh, Hello Friend: You Are Loved. It was just too cute and fun not to try! This is the fourth reincarnation I've attempted, and given the fact that I'm completely incapable of writing in a straight line, or cut in a straight line for that matter, I think I did pretty great!

    I freakin' love the texture of this paper. I used something similar for the little scrapbooked box I made him for Christmas. I just think it's so fun, and I wanted it to be sort of a neutral backdrop for the main colors I was using, which I sort of want to use as wedding colors - pale blue-grey and eggplant. Since Corey's overseas right now, obviously his present had to be sent by air mail, and when I saw these stickers at Michael's I couldn't resist buying the set. I wrote the "deliver immediately" part, which you can probably tell because it's blatantly crooked. The berry-colored chevron part is a washi tape I found, and the button and beads were scavenged from around the house.

    When you open the book, this is the first thing you see: a cute long-distance quote that I attempted to write like cool typography, but since I write with my paper sideways I couldn't tell just how crooked it all was. The quote on the top left I saw on an e-card from Pinterest and I thought it was hilarious. Then the arrow on the bottom picture is pointing to a little mini envelope with a very inappropriate dirty joke in it (not photographed for obvious reasons). I just wanted something that wasn't as sappy as the rest of the card and that would make Corey laugh since he's stuck overseas for the next five months. The heart sticker came in the same set from Michael's with the "air mail" sticker.

     When you open the long distance quote, you see these two panels. Please ignore how horribly crooked the bottom left is, and the fact that my thumb-print heart was a complete failure. I would've redone it, but the black ink-pad was almost completely dried up at this point and it didn't look as cute without the "Love" frame. The elephant is because I'm Sarah Elephant. Duh. But how cute is that stamp? I've been using it to make these super cute "Thank You" notes for one of my classes and everyone loves them. Plus it's so personalized without being too difficult.

    Alright, now opening the top right flap from the last picture, you get this! The top left is the inside of the flap, a quote from Corey's favorite book and movie of all time. Then under that is a picture of the two of us from after our anniversary dinner this past December. We were both slightly tipsy and exhausted so excuse our weird expressions. Then under that is the note pictured on the right. It's basically just a sweet birthday note.

    This just shows how almost everything works together. The top flap is Corey's birthday and the date that he proposed... I was just trying to make the point that there must be something special about the 14th of the month. Then on the right is the picture of Corey proposing and a little joke about how it was supposed to go - he'd bought a little bottle and put a note in it that said "Will you marry me?" that we were supposed to "happen" upon when walking down the beach. Then the quote sequence on the bottom is what happened after he gave up looking for the bottle his brother had hidden and was prepping to drop to one knee. It was frenzied and fast and so cute. I can't help but smile thinking back on it.
    So there you go! A cute idea if you're into scrapbooking at all, which I'm really not. Just for Corey. But he always thinks they're cute and neat and I know he appreciates the work that goes into them.

Cursed

Listening to Corey say on Skype, "No! Don't call it that! That only reinforces it!"
Sniffing.
    Corey and I are cursed. Since we started dating, almost every time we're supposed to see each other, or we plan something special, something goes wrong. Usually, it's illness. I like to think of the Curse as a hurdle we have to jump in the race to seeing each other.
    It began before we even started dating - that first kiss over Thanksgiving break. I had just gotten over a cold slash was still on medication. So when I kissed him, I was kind enough to share my germs with him. He was sick off and on until Christmas, when he gave them back.
    This past Christmas, we planned to go to Disney World - something we'd been planning since we were first friends. And what happened? Corey came down with the flu because he never got the flu shot. Then even though I had, I caught it, and we went to Disney anyways. Both miserably sick. Then the flu turned into a sinus infection, and ultimately for me, strep.
    This February, we both got sick after we'd seen each other, our bodies seeming to give up as soon as we set eyes on each other. They'd gotten us to our goal and they didn't have to try anymore. And then the morning of the day Corey proposed, I got a drink that was a little stronger than I bargained for, and got more drunk than I'd ever been in my life (which still isn't that drunk, but everyone was worried I'd be too hung over that night to say "yes").
    Now, we're a week and three days from seeing one another for the first time in months, and we're both at the point of exhaustion where we've finally collapsed into sickness. If this isn't a Curse, I don't know what is. I'm chugging tea and popping cough drops like they're lifesavers, and he's guzzling coffee and stewing in denial, our respective cures. We have to get better.
    See, this isn't an ordinary weekend getaway. November 10 is the Marine Corps birthday, and there's going to be a ball to celebrate. Like freaking Cinderella. It's taken me months to convince Corey to take me to this thing, because I'm dying to see him in his dress blues, and I love dancing. He has much less enthusiasm towards both. I'm driving on the interstate all day (one of my biggest fears) to get up there and see him and to go to the ball with him, and dang it, I'm going to be healthy. We're even going to be sitting with his best friend up there, Raggy, and his girlfriend Audrey. It's one of those nights that as of now, everything is set up for it to be a perfect and wonderful night. The only thing that would ruin it instantly is both of us being sick and not being able to enjoy ourselves.
    If the Curse ruins this night for us, I can only imagine what havoc it will wreak on our wedding day.

Any advice for getting over your sickness with quickness? See what I did there? 

Oxblood Pucker

Listening to The Flower Duet by Charlotte Church. This song reminds me of the eighth grade. My Aunt Jenn gave my mom a Charlotte Church CD at some point during my middle school years, and I remember listening to that and Nickel Creek on the way to school when we were in the trailers for eighth grade.
Missing Corey like crazy. Two more weeks to the day, guys.
    So I'm working on a new and pretty neat idea for tutorials in the future, but haven't gotten all the kinks out yet. It's the kind of thing I need some practice with, and I really just don't have the time for that at the moment (and no, before you get excited, I'm not making YouTube videos. That's something I just couldn't handle.). In the meantime, I apologetically offer a visual guide to what's on my face today.

    I finally found that ideal oxblood color for my lips. Prepare yourselves for shock and awe - it's a Revlon lipstick, not one of the lip balm stains that I'm obsessed with. The only problem with this product is that it dries and tends to look flaky - like the color is coming off in patches. I always put it over a balm, otherwise it catches on the dry patches of my lips and looks really questionable. But even then, after an hour or so it's just not quite right. I would die and go to heaven if Revlon would come out with a lip balm stain in this color because they really are my absolute favorite lip product right now. (Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquers are a close second). I'll probably wear one of them on my wedding day if I can decide on what color to use. (Also, you know, I've got to get a dress and decide on my hair, and what kind of wedding Corey and I want... There's a lot more that goes into this than I was prepared for.) Anyhoo, these are all products you've seen before here and here. Of course, the Physicians Formula is popping up again, but I have a few e.l.f. products coming in this week I'm excited to try, so perhaps next week, there'll be something new and exciting to talk about! In the meantime, check out how gorgeous that Black Cherry lipstick is, y'all. I. Can't.

 

What fabulous fall lip colors are you loving? Tell me below!

Wait

Listening to the rain (wrote this Sunday night during a storm - so appropriate, I know).
Trying to stay positive.
    I've been in a long distance relationship for almost two years now, which isn't a lot in the long run, but it's longer than a lot of relationships last. Long distance was something I always thought of as a deal-breaker, though. And now I'm looking at another year and a half of long-distance before Corey's and my relationship takes its next step.
    And it's not easy. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done (heyo!). In all seriousness, if Corey wasn't already my best friend, this relationship never would have lasted. If I hadn't already had practice keeping in touch while he was in basic and knowing what I was getting into that Thanksgiving, I never would've been able to handle it. And I'm sure he wouldn't either. But at least I had a reliable means of communicating with him at that point.
    Add in the fact that this is a military relationship (another deal-breaker for younger and less mature Sarah), and you've truly got one of the most difficult relationships - and we've had it relatively easy. The worst we've dealt with was when he was in Afghanistan last summer, a deployment we were told would be seven to nine months which turned out being a mere five and a half. God's hand was all over that blessing. And they were only under fire once the whole time, and nowhere near where Corey was at the time. God had his hands on me that whole time, too - He kept me from depression, which runs in my family, and kept me mostly positive.
    I think I've had more days down in the dumps since he's been back, honestly - not because he's back, of course. It's just - he's in North Carolina, two states away, but still far enough travel-wise that I can't see him except every couple of months. So close and still so far. I know other couples have it worse, but that knowledge really doesn't make it any easier. It just makes me feel more guilty when I complain. (It's like something Corey says in the winter: "Putting on a jacket doesn't make you much warmer. It makes you a little less cold." He may or may not have gotten that from a comedian. I don't know; he likes so many I can't keep track of them all.)
    We've thought about getting married sooner. "So we don't have to be apart," we say. I could live on base with him, he'd get paid more, and we'd get to start "the rest of our lives" right now. But what happens when he's deployed in January? That's a pretty big strain on a new marriage. And Corey doesn't want to stay living where he is now; he wants to come back to our families in Georgia. So what, I'd move up for a year and then we'd have to go through the trouble of moving it all back in a year? Plus, I'm not finished with school and the closest state school to him doesn't have the program I need (plus I really love the Latin professor I have now - shout out to the amazing Dr. E!) Even if I moved up after I graduated, I'd only be there for three months before he got out, which is less time than it would take for me to find a job up there. The only option we have is to be apart until he gets out and we get married.
    I knew before I even kissed him two years ago that this relationship would end in one of two ways - we'd break up or end up getting married at some point. And after I kissed him I knew which one it would be. Knowing that this is the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with is the only thing that keeps me going some days. I think about how I haven't seen him since the Fourth of July and how I still have another month until I'll get to see him again, and I can't help but fell the hot pricks of tears and the knot in my throat. But then I think how thoughtful he is, and how funny and clever and generous, and loving - not just to me, but all the people he's close to. I think about everything that makes him wonderful and I know that it's worth the wait.
     Waiting just sucks.

Anyone  else in a military relationship or long-term long-distance? Any advice? How do you stay positive?

Things Lately

Listening to the soundtrack from Ever After.
Avoiding the veritable mountain of homework I have due tomorrow.
    Life this past week got interesting. That's the best word I can think of to sum it up. Some of it was bad, but it wasn't all bad. And some of it was really wonderful, but it definitely wasn't all wonderful. For example, Friday was Friday the thirteenth. But because I'm non-conformist and not superstitious, I celebrated early with an awful Thursday the twelfth. The day started with my alarm being set for 7:30 pm instead of am, and ended with a parking ticket. You can just fill in the blanks from there (but I will say that in the middle somewhere I was told that "being independent doesn't make you special, it makes you less feminine," and that I "shouldn't even be called a lady").
    That night, I also received a call from my bffl Suzanne with news of her dad, whom I affectionately call Horace. He's been dealing with some heart problems recently - I would say "struggling" with some heart problems, but honestly, a month ago when it all started, it rather miraculously healed itself, so that part wasn't really too much of a struggle. Now, though, because he didn't get into surgery soon enough, he's been paralyzed from the waist down. Now, I've known Suzanne and her family since the fourth grade. We've been best friends for twelve years now. Her big sister is like my big sister, and her parents like my second set. I know it seems overdramatic to be so affected by this news - after all, it's not my dad - but it really did throw me. It doesn't seem to have thrown him, though. I spoke to him (and Suzanne, of course) on the phone on Friday, and I couldn't detect the slightest note of sadness in his voice. There will be sadness, and dark times, I'm sure, and Suzanne says every so often she can tell he's down, but overall, he's taking it so well. The whole family is. He told me on the phone, "Today, I put on socks, which is great! And," keep in mind, he's in the hospital, now, "Maybe next week, I'll get to put on pants, which is even better!" I mean, he's just so positive. Suzanne said he told her that he sees this as God, as our shepherd, breaking his legs (as shepherds do) and throwing him over His shoulders so that he must depend more on Him. Which is just so inspirational. I have to say that I'm so proud of him, of all of them.
    For those of you who recall my mom having surgery a few weeks ago, a little update. She's healing really well. It's difficult for her, seeing it every day, and not noticing too much change, but really, it's healing so much faster and more smoothly than I expected. Her forehead bears just a faint pink line now, and the skin on her nose (at the bottom, the top still has the skin flap until this Friday) is blending perfectly, and she doesn't have too much lasting pain. She does have a headache that's been an issue, but only because of the tightness in her forehead and the bruising. That will all go away. I'm so proud of her for going back to teaching so soon after it happened, too!
    Lastly, I went to a wedding Saturday night! It was Corey's dad's fiancée's daughter's wedding (hard to follow, I know). And it was beautiful. Of course, because I can't go to important events without screwing something up, I went to the wrong wedding first. Turns out there was another wedding going on at the same place at the same time - just a different building. But their decorations looked lovely, and their guests were very nice! It was only when I asked if anyone had seen Amanda yet, and they were like, "Who?" that I realized this was not the right place. Thing was, I only knew two of the guests personally who weren't in the wedding party, so I wouldn't have recognized anyone going into the wedding anyways. That was embarrassing, but whatever. I got there just in time and the ceremony was lovely and sweet, and the reception was possibly the most fun I've ever had at a wedding - and I've been to a lot! I spent the whole time with Brett (Corey's brother) and his girlfriend Robin, who are two of my favorite people on earth. We celebrated until about one in the morning and I danced until my feet hurt, and then kept dancing. The only downside was that Corey couldn't make it (thanks, USMC) and it was sort of depressing watching everyone holding their significant others close for slow dances while I sat in a chair by the dance floor. But the groom, Nick, did ask me for a dance towards the end which was super sweet. He was on the trip when Corey proposed and it was very considerate of him and Amanda to think of me missing Corey on their big day. Just shows you what a wonderfully sweet couple they are. And I know they're going to have an equally wonderfully sweet marriage.

I know this was a long post, but for those of you who were interested enough to read to the end, thanks. I realize it may not have been what everyone wanted from a Monday post, but I've got more on my mind than the next pointers post or tutorial. Sometimes I just need to get out what I'm thinking so I have room to think more.

Whoops

Listening to A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton (y'all remember that song?)
Missing Corey. He left today. I won't get to see him again until Christmas.
    I know, I did it again. But in my defense, this weekend was a bit of a whirlwind. I actually had more time than I thought I would to spend with Corey because my awesome boss found it in her wonderful French heart to let me off three hours early on Friday and spontaneously give me Saturday and Monday off. I about lost it. I tried to hug her Friday, but she's not good with allowing other people in her personal bubble. She also won't accept air hugs. I may have sent an overly emotional text in gratitude calling her a "perfect French angel." I was happy, okay. However, since Corey only had this weekend we were everywhere at once trying to spend time with everyone who's important to him - and unfortunately we couldn't get to all of them.
    On top of that, my mom had to have a pretty intense surgical procedure done on Thursday, and then plastic surgery on Friday and she's sort of down for the count. She had the beginnings of basal cell carcinoma in two places on her nose and they had to be cut off. The incisions reached all the way to the cartilage and were about as big as quarters so skin had to be taken from somewhere else to repair it. Unfortunately, the skin on your nose doesn't match just anywhere and the grafts had to be taken from the middle of her forehead. The strip of skin has to be left connected from her nose to her forehead for the next three weeks for blood flow, and then they may have to reshape her nose if it's uneven. Then they had to stitch together the skin on her forehead, but because there's a strip of skin missing in the middle, they had to peel it back from her skull and stretch it back together so it would fit. She's in a ton of pain and honestly, the way her face looks right now has taken a pretty big emotional toll on her. Believe me, if you saw pictures you'd understand. It's not a vanity matter. It's one of those situations where you don't look like you anymore and it's really jarring and taxing. So definitely be thinking of her if you care at all, and keep her in your prayers if you pray. It's been a whopper of a weekend.
    So anyways, people have been in and out of the house to visit her, and my grandma came down to help take care of her. So we had both Grandma and Corey here. And on top of that, my car Little Red has a leak in one of her hoses that's been causing her to overheat and smoke and generally look like she's gonna blow up. A problem which just chose to surface this weekend.
    A Five Faves and a Flop post is coming. I've taken photos and everything, I just have to find time to edit and write. Also, another school post - I've come up with a pretty good way to take notes and keep track of everything that's been working really well for me so far. I haven't gotten behind! ...Yet!

Engaging

Listening to the rain outside. Flood warning in effect for my area. ha ha. Weather Channel humor.
Craving some strong black tea.
    So I guess I should mention that Corey and I got engaged. I'm a little late, and I do apologize, but this time I was actually hesitant to blog about it; I didn't just forget. I wasn't sure I wanted to share the whole story since it's very personal and special to both of us. But I thought really long and hard about it. I have quite a few blogs that I follow closely, and when you consistently read someone's thoughts and opinions, you feel like you know them, even if you don't personally. And I would be bummed if any of them withheld such a big life event from their faithful readers. So I'll just give the short version and a pic or two to keep all five of you in the loop.

    I knew it was coming sometime this year, I just didn't know when. He'd started asking what kind of rings I like, but to be honest, I was expecting it around the Fourth of July when I'm going up to visit him. I was not expecting it to happen at the beach with his whole family. He asked me to go with him to find his brother Bretticus and his girlfriend Robbie who had gone down to walk on the beach. What they'd actually done is go and hide to take pictures. The whole proposal didn't go entirely as planned, but nothing ever does for us. For goodness sake, we got the flu right before we went down to Disney World this Christmas.

    It was super cute and unexpected and perfect for us, and he managed to keep it a surprise the whole time we were down there until we actually started walking down the beach and he started acting all nervous and goofy. Then I figured something was up, I just wasn't sure what. Maybe a picnic on the beach for dinner? Nope. Proposal!

 

What's In My Bag?

Listening to Ingrid Michaelson Mountain and the Sea
Craving Rice Crispy Treats

    Hiya, folks. So I know this isn't exactly a beauty blog, but I do a bit here and there, and Lord knows I love my beauty YouTubers, so here's to something new! If you're anything like me, you're pretty dang curious. I'm always wanting to know what's in people's purses and bags. What they carry around with them is like a 3D scrapbook journal, it tells the story of their everydays with objects instead of pictures or words. And I find that fascinating. So here's my 3D scrapbook snippet for you! What's in my bag you ask?

 

1) Purse from Target (no longer available.)
2) Checkbook received for my high school graduation, and wallet $12 at Target.
3) Coral studded clutch, also from Target, on sale for $9. (They no longer have coral for the clutches, just black and gray for $24.99.)
4) e.l.f. Essential Wristlet in bronze $5 (now only available in silver and black).
5) Dove deodorant (in case I forget), a nail file, and Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer in Warm Vanilla Sugar to get my clean on $1.27.
6) My car and house keys and my teacher candidate ID for when I'm in the classroom.
7) Multicolored pens, to keep the creativity flowing.
8) Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm Stains in Honey and Charm (the former is my favorite, the latter was a huge disappointment) $7.49. I also have Smitten, Rendezvous, and Romantic.
9) What used to be a mirror-brush combo. The brush fell out, so I just use that. Eyedrops - the only ones I'm not allergic to that I can use with my contacts. Dental floss, because whenever I don't have it, I need it. And to the left of those items is a card that Santa gave me when he came into my work. It says, "You've been caught being nice," because I handled a rude customer without being a you-know-what. He gave me the card, winked and said, "Hang in there."
10) My e.l.f. Studio Complete Coverage Concealer in Light $3.
11) Clean and Clear Oil Blotting Sheets $4.99. Lancôme Miracle So Magic! Shimmer Perfume Sheets. (So Magic! was my absolute favorite perfume until they discontinued it. These shimmer sheets were part of a special promotion and my mom surprised me with them.
12) My EOS lip balm $2.99. I have Summer Fruit (which, let's face it, is peach), and Sweet Mint, which I like to wear under the balm stains.
13) My two favorite e.l.f. Studio Matte Lipsticks (Praline, and Tea Rose) $3, and an Aerie lip gloss in Acai Berry (no longer available).
And in the Brackets: Advil, gum, two pairs of sunglasses (both from Target) spare house and car keys, earphones, a car adapter to charge my phone, a hair clip, bobby pins, and Coco's first dogtags.

Hope you've found this little glimpse into my purse-onal life interesting! (And you thought Pundays were over...)

Five Faves and a Flop

Still listening to nothing. Geek Squad said it'll be a hundred smackaroos to transfer everything from Lucille to Sulpicia (which is what I named my new computer) Poop. I am, however, currently obsessed with The 20/20 Experience, by my boy JT. Cannot. Stop. Listening.
Looking forward to vaca next week with Corey's fam!

   I promised y'all a post, and doggone it, I'm gonna give you one! So here are five favorites from the past few weeks, and one flop!

Photo from here.

Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher. These are probably not the best thing I could be drinking. They're the second most caffeinated drink at Starbucks according to my buddy Matt the Waiter. I refuse to look up anything else about them because I'm terrified they'll turn out to be awful for me. I am so obsessed with these that I found myself in the drive-thru last week ordering not a Venti, but a Trenta. That's absurd. But I sucked it down in about ten minutes flat then sat down and waited for the jitters to set in.

Photo from here.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eye Palette in Classic Nude. I will say this may not be the most inexpensive drugstore brand, but I don't buy it unless I have a coupon. This palette runs for about eleven bucks, but the quality really is top notch and the packaging is super cute. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a mirror, so on-the-go really isn't an option. A lot of people say that the shimmer strips palettes are dupes for Urban Decay Naked palettes. I've never owned the Naked palettes so I don't know, but I can tell you that I bought this palette last week and I haven't stopped using it since!

Photo from here.

Sleek Mystique Fast Fixx Style Prep. My sister Maggs goes to Toni and Guy and she's amazing. She's the only person I've let touch my hair since the beginning of the year, and she's rocked everything she's done. About two weeks ago, she cut it off (it had been about halfway down my back). It's just barely brushing my collarbone now. She layered it and did the best job of anyone who's ever cut my hair (my hair isn't really thick, but I have a ton of it. It took her six hours for a cut and color). She made it a lot lighter than it has been, too. So she bought me this leave in conditioner spray to keep the color looking great. It's fast, easy to use, a great detangler, and smells really good, too.



Photo from here.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes. Some of you may be aware of my weird allergies. Most things I'm allergic to make me itch - penicillin, most contact solutions and lenses, shampoos, soaps, bananas and spinach (which make my mouth itch) - but I haven't had many issues with face soaps because all I've used is Cetaphil which is specifically for people with super sensitive skin. This is all well and good except that I'm the laziest person with sensitive skin ever. Too lazy to squirt soap out on a washcloth and wait for the water to warm up. I tried using some Neutrogena face wipes, and that was a horrible mistake. Hives. Everywhere. So when a beauty guru on YouTube mentioned these recently I jumped on it. They're a dream. Except not the scrubby ones. They hurt. 

Photo from here.

Spoiled by Wet n Wild in Did I Dye It Too Blonde? This fave could really be so much more broad. I'm really just obsessed with neon yellow right now. The neon trend as a whole is fun and all, but yellow has always been my favorite color; neon yellow just brings joy to my soul. As for the polish, I've been wearing it every few days. I may switch it out but I keep coming back to it. The name could be more clever - I've read better. But for like two bucks, you can't beat it. And I wouldn't wear it alone. Definitely use a white base coat, but once you do - whoo! Grab your shades, cause this might just shrivel your eyeballs right up!



Photo from here.

e.l.f. Baked Eye Shadow Palette in California. I know I already touched on my abysmal disappointment in this product here, but I just want you to know that it has deepened. I heard on a few beauty YouTube vids that reviewed this palette that they're better wet. I don't know if it was just me and I had a bad go of it, but water did nothing but worsen these shadows. Not only were they clumpy (weird for an eye shadow, right?), but they went on streaky and immediately creased up. Just a horrible, ugly, gloopy mess. Do. Not. Purchase.

Whatcha think? Have any experiences with or opinions on these products? Tell me in the comments!

Returning

Listening to nothing, because Windows 8 doesn't like iTunes. Yeah, I'm calling y'all out. Come on. Get over your feud so I can listen to my own dang music on my computer and not have to have my phone plugged in
Typing on my new computer!

    I realize it's been forever and a half. I won't apologize, because let's face it, what good would it do? Knowing me I'll probably go MIA again. But I figured it was about time I gave all four of you who care a little update.
    First off, I started my semester with total crappiness. I got the flu over Christmas - thanks, Corey - and then got a sinus infection which turned into strep. I missed the first day or two of all of my classes, causing me to fall irreparably behind in Linguistics and I had to withdraw (because the second day I missed happened to be drop/add, and I wasn't aware). Then Psych decided to kick my you-know-what to the curb for nine straight weeks (it was a ten week course, rather than lasting all semester) and no matter how I tried to do well in that class, I was stuck with a 62. For those of you who know me, I am an A-B student. Mama does not take Fs. So I ended up withdrawing the week before the final. Ridiculous, I know, but even if I'd made a 100 on the final, I still would have failed the class. It was rough.
    So I'm rounding out the semester with only three classes. However, the work load has been intense. I'm taking two Latin classes back to back on Tuesdays, from 5:00-8:30 (one is a two and a half hour class), and despite the crazy amount of work I have for them, I love them. I've had the delight of being taught by the brilliant mind who is now perhaps my favorite professor and teacher of all time - Dr. E. He's so amazing. Lucky me, I'm taking his poetry class in the fall and we're studying one of my favorite poets - Catullus! Color me ecstatic.
    I only have two school days left - this Tuesday and next Tuesday, and everything in the world is due those days. So of course Lucille takes this as her cue to leave this cruel world and take all my files, music, and photos with her. b!+<#.
    This brings me to my new computer, Sulpicia (named after the female Roman poet). She's an HP ENVY m6 notebook, and so far we get along quite well despite her Windows 8 and its battle with my iPhone, Olga. They're not getting along at all, but I'm going to let Geek Squad handle it. With all the work I have to do this week, I don't have time to fight technology.
    I would like to give one non-recommendation, however. If you've read back one or two posts, you'll see my love for e.l.f. makeup. It runs deep and pure. I ordered a palette last week that I thought was going to rock my sock drawer to the moon and back. Unfortunately, it was the worst thing I've ever tried to put on my eyes (including the time I squirted my face with mop water at work). I love the e.l.f. baked eye shadows. They're a shimmery smooth silky dream made of clouds and unicorn kisses. But the palette is a nightmare. The colors are a horrendously chalky, powdery mess, and the color payoff is nonexistent. I will promote almost every other product from e.l.f. to the grave, but the baked eye shadow palette almost sent me there prematurely. I encourage them to revamp it and I will be the first to purchase it as long as it's just like the individual baked shadows. But as it is now, do not follow in my fateful footsteps, folks.
    Lastly, I'm going to the beach with Corey and his fam in a few weeks. Ordered a new swimsuit online from Victoria's Secret. Stay tuned for a review - I tried some ruched bottoms, so let's see just how unbearable they are!

*I was not paid to promote or recommend any of these items. I mentioned them of my own volition.*

Coco's Birthday Balloons

    Sorry for my absence! I know it's been a while, but life has been getting complicated. And by complicated I mean busy. And by busy I mean that I've had little to no motivation to write.
    I know. I'm a terrible person and there's no way that my writing will improve unless I do it every day (which I may have said in the beginning was the primary reason for starting this endeavor. I suck, I know.).
     Anyways, Coco's birthday was last week and mine is next week so we're meeting up this week to celebrate! I ordered him something super special and came up with the cutest idea to package it and give it to him. In hindsight, I realize I should've taken pictures while I was making it and putting it all together. I took one initially showing all my supplies, but I get so absorbed in what I'm doing I forget to pause and take more.
     Those of you who know me personally know I love making things for Corey. Almost every holiday or celebration I make something cute. Frequently something scrapbookerly, although I don't actually scrapbook. He always buys me the nicest things, but I'm broke, for the most part. Making things is how I show I care. Here are a few examples: 

This was my first Book of Notes. I made it for his 21 birthday, last year.

I forgot to take detailed photos of the second Book of Notes, which I gave him upon his return from Afghanistan. (The second page with the heart stitching is Georgia and Afghanistan. Cute right?)

This is from his Exploding Box of Love that I gave him for Christmas. Directions to make it are here. Basically, you open the box and all the side panels fall open. There are multiple layers, but on each one I put a cute little note or something.

    Anyhoo. This time I saved up so I could get him something nice. I won't say what it is just in case he happens to read this before he opens it. But I'll say that it's small enough to hold in one hand. But I couldn't resist making something, too. So this is my little idea.
    Coco loves his puzzles - brain teasers and the like. It's his 22 birthday, so I got 22 neon balloons (sort of transparent, so you can see inside). I wrote down 22 reasons why I love him and stuck them in the balloons prior to inflation along with some confetti. In 11 of them, I put the letters that spell out what I got him. In order to open his gift, he has to first pop the balloons, sending confetti flying and unscramble the letters to figure out what I gave him. I put them all in an enormous bag with his gift box in the bottom. There are even some balloons inside the box with his gift in it, but they don't have letters, just cute notes. I then supplied him with a card explaining the rules with a pushpin taped inside.
    How cute is that? I'm so excited. And I hope all the little notes are a good enough buildup to his actual gift.

Just Another Ordinary Day

Listening to Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton - remember her? My sister Maggie and I are kind of on a Calrton Kick. (Side note, end of the music video for Pretty Baby? Creeptastic.)
Devouring Andes Mints like there's no tomorrow. 
    I know. You thought I'd be gone for good, didn't you? Well, I almost was. But I know y'all can't live without my semi-monthly brief life updates (catch the sarcasm there?).
    Lots of stuff has been going on - like COCO GETTING TO COME HOME TWO MONTHS EARLY. Yeah. That happened. And also school started, which has been coco-puffs coocoo. I only have four classes this semester, but one is a hybrid. And that hybrid happens to be for my first education class. Ew, right? (Speaking of, that's another thing Maggie's gotten me hooked on. I've started doing it in everyday conversations then cracking up.) My other classes are British Lit. beginnings to 1660, which I have with Moose if y'all remember me mentioning him once way back here (we're good buddies now, despite what either of us predicted initially), Econ, and Latin 2001. Yay, dead language.
    I did a good bit of shopping yesterday and hopefully my new order from e.l.f. will come in soon and I can share my experiences with them. In the meantime, check out these cute ankle-zip jeggings I got from AE.

Yay!

I'm Back!

from here

Listening to Clopin Clopant by Django Reinhardt. I'm learning to love this guy. Reminds me of the music from this Pixar short.
Contemplating what to make for dinner. Veggie Pizza? Chicken with goat cheese and lemon butter herb sauce? The possibilities are endless! Actually the possibilities sort of end there... I need to expand my cooking abilities.
    Hey, peeps! I'm back! I think life has officially calmed down enough for me to begin blogging semi-consistently again. Stop laughing. I'm going to get better at it. So, an update, yes?
     Finally reached the end of the semester, and got my grades back - two As, a B, and a C. I know, I'm not super happy about the C either, but the class was difficult, and I didn't enjoy it even though I worked hard for it, so I'll live with it. I'm pretty sure one of the Bs was borderline C, but my final project really made the difference in my grade. And the As were in my two favorite classes, so they were expected.
    Back in the last week of April, Coco was deployed. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say exactly where he is, but I'll just say middle east. I get to hear from him once a day if I'm lucky - a little facebook message if he can get access to the internet - and yes, it does suck. He could be there anywhere from seven to nine months. So if y'all could keep him in your prayers, that would be delightful.
    On Saturday night, my sister and I took my mom out to the Cheesecake Factory for Mother's Day. It's a tradition because Maggs and my mom love cheesecake. (My dad was out of state visiting his mother.) The dinner was absolutely delicious, as per usual, but I got the wrong dessert. I ordered the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake, which is not in fact a cheesecake, but chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse. I got it last year and only had three bites the first night then put it in the fridge at home, and by day two, everyone else in my family had eaten it for me. Even though they had their own cheesecakes to eat. So I didn't get to eat my own cake. This year, they gave me a truffle cheesecake instead. I hate cheesecake. So I didn't get to eat my cake this year either. Sadface.
    On a brighter note, I started a writing group with some friends this summer. We're meeting every other Wednesday to discuss what we're working on and critique each others' writing. Four of us are actually working on novels, and then the other one is doing short stories. For the sake of their privacy, I'll use the following nicknames: Kelly Kapowski, Moose, GI Bob, and This Friend. I'm pretty psyched about it. Finally letting people read the book I've been working on for the past four years - it's been four years now, guys!
    So yeah. Gonna be a fun summer. Gird your loins. Ha.

The Year The World Ends*

Listening to Can't Stand It by Nevershoutnever
Eating a mint crinkle cookie from work. Mmmm :) (added: 11:28) And a chocolate chip cookie.
    Sorry for the complete lack of blogness. I have no excuse except for the fact that Corey came home over the break and I practically lived at his house. And by practically I mean literally. Best Christmas ever. No lie.
    So I've got a lot of fun news, none of which directly affects you in any way (unless I know you personally, but it's still unlikely) which I will reveal to you... ... ... NOW!!!

1. I'm moving out! Yay! Finally, right? Not sure if I've complained a whole lot here - probably not - but I am beyond ready to move out of my parents' house. I'll be twenty-one in February. It's time. 
2. For Christmas, I received a keyboard! Yay! See, my mom teaches piano, and I've played my whole life, so I was super bummed about the fact that I wouldn't be able to play the piano when I moved out. Enter beautiful Casio keyboard with weighted keys and a pedal that emulates that of a real piano - not those awkward little box pedals that slide all over the place. Mom gets me. :)
3. This may or may not come as a surprise, depending on how much any of you really looked into our friendship and how often he pops up in my posts** but Corey and I are now dating. I still kind of feel like Robin in the beginning of this episode (I relate everything in my life to How I Met Your Mother, unintentionally, of course), but I'm super happy. Bowl. What's better than dating your best friend, right? Bowl?

So I hope all of you have had a fabulous holiday and a great New Year! Let the merrymaking commence!

*I don't really believe the world's going to end. That's silly.
**See second sentence.

Punder the Weather

from BellaRegazza931 at iconator.com

Listening to Sweet Afton by Nickel Creek. Very relaxing when you feel like death in a hoodie.
Chugging honey-lemon tea, eating honey-lemon cough drops, and burying myself in tissues. 
    In case you haven't guessed, I'm sick. Popped* into the minute clinic for a visit and they sent off a lovely little throat swab from yours truly - the symptoms just hit this morning, so they said the strep test may have given me a false negative. I can not get sick, though it's obvious I am. I'm going to visit Coco Bean on Wednesday, and I really don't want to make that trip sick. No fun at all.
    I'm the kind of person who's totally useless when sick. I actually fell asleep in the Commons on campus today, in the middle of the lunch rush when it's super loud and busy. I put my head down on the table and fell asleep. It wasn't for long, though, because Johnny kept poking me and asking, "Are you sure you're okay?" To which I lied, "yes." I can't even take naps in my bed in a quiet room when I'm healthy, but when sick, tables look pretty comfortable. Once when I was in high school home sick, my mother asked me to throw in a load of laundry for her, which I did. Without soap. I was so out of it, I didn't think to put soap in the washing machine.
    Also, I dislike doctors. Quite a lot. They have shots. And shots involve needles. And needles make Sarah's left eye twitch. That being said, I willingly took myself to the CVS minute clinic today. I even got a shot. That's right. I got the flu shot. I've got the band-aid to prove it. And I didn't even gag when she swabbed my throat! Okay, maybe that's a stretch. I didn't gag much. Hopefully I'll know by Saturday if it's just a virus or strep (no thank you). In the mean time... honey and lemon overdose.
    On a more positive note - a few puns (and jokes)!

• Our neighbor across the street recently got a new kitten. My sister Maggie loves cats. She nearly kisses the fur off of ours and they're fat and stupid, not young and adorable. She told me - in jest - that she wanted to break into their house and steal the kitten. I replied, "That would make you a cat-burglar." Ha! Oh c'mon. You have to admit that's a clever one. 
• At work, someone asked me how spicy the jalapeno cheddar bagels are. I said, "They have a little kick. You can bite these bagels, but they're gonna bite right back." Right? Right?
• And today at lunch. With Johnny. I can't have a punday without Johnny. With my head down on the table, I moaned in misery. Johnny, thinking I said something, asked, "What'd you say?" "Nothing, I was just moaning. Like Myrtle," I joked. He gave me a look that said, I'm about to make this dirty. But I beat him to the punch. "Well," I said, "it was a basilisk." Sorry for those of you who find dirty/slightly sexual jokes offensive. I really couldn't resist. I mean, it was Harry Potter.

*At first, I accidentally typed "pooped." I was thisclose to leaving it, but decided that was just a little too far.

Puns for the Sharp...ie... Of Mind

from DuxRockmySox17 at iconator.com

Listening to the breeze outside.
Waiting for it to turn cold! C'mon, Georgia. Hurry it up!
P.S. Sorry about the post title. It was a stretch, I know.
    Today, I went to the chiropractor. Like I do every Tuesday. I also went to classes and took notes and stuff, but the chiropractor was the big thing for me today. I always feel so good on Tuesday nights. By the time we roll around to Monday again, I'm sore and not sleeping. I wish I could get adjusted every day, but my meager paycheck does not allow for that. Especially when I'm saving for a roughly $350 plane ticket in November to visit Corey! Sorry. I'm way excited. Also I'm going through Coco withdrawals because he's out in the field playing with bombs and stuff for the next week and can't use his phone.
    How much money do I have in my bank account, you ask? Oh, about a hundred. And part of that will be gone by Monday, because I have to feed myself at work on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Yay. Take all of my money, please. I mean, I could easily just make food for myself and not pay, like I know many other people there do, but I feel really guilty when I do that. I'm not a rule breaker. I'm a liar, but not a rule breaker. Don't ask my why; I have no answer.
    So. Sarah's super good at the whole "blog-on-time-every-week" thing, right? I know, I'm awful. But I'm trying! I really am! I have a pun today! (Yes, just "a" pun...)    

•     On the wall in the commons was a poster advertising an Asian soup. It read: "What're you waiting pho?" Ha! Right? Because the soup is called pho? I laughed pretty hard. 
•     Oh wait! I have another! Courtesy of Johnny! I was talking about this boy. I told Johnny, "He's autistic." And Johnny says, "So he likes to dwaw?" Get it? I'm not explaining this one. Just say it out loud. Ha ha. Oh, so funny. :)

    In case anyone wanted to know, I bought sharpie pens today, and I'm super psyched to use them.

I also have the purple and orange. Yay - Secondary colors!!

    I can't wait to take notes in Latin tomorrow evening!! I am so nerdy, I know. Does anyone else get excited about new office supplies?