my charm collection

i have never been much of a collector. i had beanie babies and pokemon cards when i was a kid, but beyond that, i don't really enjoy accumulating things just for the sake of doing so... my exceptions being perfume & juicy couture charms. some people collect coins, some collect shoes or clothes... i collect charms.

now, hear me out: i think juicy gets a bad rap. the face of the brand is so tied with the tracksuits and terrycloth/velour bags that many people write it off and don't look at their actual clothing or accessories. take a look at their leather handbags and you'll often find many that are tasteful and stylish! i will be the first to admit: the velour bags are not appealing to me. for those who like to wear the full tracksuits, more power to you, but it's not my style. my real love for juicy lies in the jewelry.

most of it is "costume jewelry", and i enjoy it as such. the pieces are fun, vibrant, quirky and a simple way to add interest to a plain outfit if paired correctly. the charms are way too exciting to me. i think it has to do with my love of tiny cute things. the attention to detail is something i really admire and it can't be found among other brand who make charms, such as pandora. and though juicy charms are far more outlandish (and a little tacky!), i think they're adorable.

my collection is small. i usually only get charms as gifts or if they're on sale at the juicy couture outlet near my hometown. normally, i wear my charm bracelet without charms as they're simply way, way too heavy to wear all at once. when i do wear them, i wear only one at a time - and even then, it's clunky. but i love my charms, and collecting them is so much fun.

 from left to right: box of cupcakes, perfume bottle, floral heart locket, vampire lips, skull.

frozen yogurt, pizza box, polaroid camera (favorite), lucky cat (maneki neko).

cocktail glass, sunglasses, taffy candy, cupcake.

recently, i've loved gold more than silver, so the silver charms are usually on my keychain or bag. i have way too many charms on my wishlist... pancakes, burger, fries, box of chocolates, chinese takeout, nesting doll, whale, roses & the passport. i'm looking for a cute way to store them, too! the 18 charm boxes juicy made a year or so ago are hard to find these days.

does anyone else collect charms? if not, what do you collect?
 

an alabama snow day

safe to say, it doesn't snow much around here. it happened two years ago, and before that it had been nearly a decade. when they predicted a winter storm, i woke up and drove to birmingham, did errands and went about my day... but on my drive home, the snow began! it was tiny flurries at first, but then progressed to full on, ground covering snow. i know many people deal with this daily, but in this part of the country, it's a treat! i plan to sit inside, snuggle up to some good TV & enjoy the pretty white view outside my window.

ps; my roommate's dog wolf is the cutest.

dior's creme de rose review

i already recommended this product on instagram, but after having used it for a few weeks, i thought i'd write a more detailed synopsis of my thoughts. i love lip balm & i go through them like crazy because i lose them a lot, so i'm always picking up another tube. my tried & true drugstore favorites are burt's bees and soft lips, but the wonderful world of marketing did it's job & made me feel like i needed something better. that something turned out to be dior's creme de rose, which i received for christmas.

price: at $27, i don't see it as a "stop by the store because i need a lip balm" lip balm. it's kind of a weighty decision. am i really paying nearly $30 for a lip balm? well geez, it must be amazing, right? so maybe i need it, and maybe it will last for a long time.

package: to start off, the packaging is lovely. clean, simple, effortlessly dior. as far as functionality goes, pots of product are often labeled less hygienic. but i'll be honest... i don't truly care. use clean hands and throw it out if it smells/looks weird = my philosophy. so no points off for that.

scent: the scent is to die for. some aren't a fan of rose scents, but i really, really am. if you enjoy the scent of diorshow mascara, it's that same rich, velvety rose used here, but a little less chemically. i've had lipbalms that smelled dreadful, but i don't mind smelling this all day/night.

application/results: it applies like any other potted lip balm. it's quite smooth and not too oily, and feels very moisturizing on my lips. after doing a lot of reading about other people's experiences with this product, i had some big expectations. most used it as a treatment applied at night. i did this, and woke up to my lips feeling the same as they always do. after a few weeks of use, i haven't noticed any real difference.

the bottom line: it smells lovely, has cute packaging, but is no better than lip balms more than half the price. if you're looking to spend the money because you expect out of this world results, i wouldn't waste your time. but if you feel like dropping some cash & adore rose scents, go for it.

on alabama football & living history

 

i live in the college football capitol of the world. yes, i said it, the world. if you think you'll find a place on this planet where we love college football more than alabama, you're sorely mistaken. due to our lack of pro teams, at birth, we are assigned to one of "the sides" - are you alabama, or auburn? a rare few are designated neutral, but only until about elementary school when someone brings them over to the dark side and hands them a pom pom. once you're old enough to say "roll tide" or "war eagle", it's journey to a bizarre and fascinating world where pro sports don't exist and families are ripped apart.

it sounds pretty crazy, right? i mean, i don't watch certain football games with a certain half of my family. we just can't - and by we, i mean "the alabama side" - because the rivalry gets a little too intense. when i was younger, i remember "the auburn side" of the family would call and leave taunting voicemails on our machine after defeating alabama in the iron bowl (those were bad, bad years, y'all). when i started dating a guy who graduated from auburn, we decided not to talk about football. sometimes we do anyway, and we just have to stop because we'll never agree. it's a blacklisted subject with he and i. yes, it's serious. it's crazy. it's completely irrational. but it's all awesomely fun... especially when you're the one winning.

before i decided to come to the university of alabama, i'll admit, i didn't care much about football. there's a lot more to my university than football, despite the fact that our quarterback's girlfriend is plastered across the news and it might be the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about my state. in fact, my greatest college memories have basically nothing to do with it. yes, i go to "the football school", but hey, give us a little credit - we're a historic, beautiful research university with over 30,000 students. and guess what? i know a few people who are about to graduate and have never been to a game.

as i'm writing this, i'm struggling to find a point to drive home. here i am saying football is life, it's a big deal, we live it. which is true. yet, i also want to stress that it's not all we've got going on down here. if you've never been to alabama, take a trip to huntsville, birmingham, tuscaloosa or even the most beautiful area in the state (i'm biased), baldwin county. the politics may be screwy and the stereotypes about alabama run rampant, but we're all pretty good people. at least that's what i've learned in 22 years.

on monday night, my university won it's 15th national championship. everyone in the country hates us now and can't wait for us to lose, i'm sure. but can i just say how incredible of an experience it's been for me? i attended this university during one of the most historic periods of the past century. in 2009, we won a national championship. in 2011, a tornado destroyed tuscaloosa and changed my life in ways i never imagined possible. and for the past 2 years, our football program has brought us even more attention and insanity by winning 2 more national championships. it's really fun to see your classmates and peers so happy. it's awesome to see the opportunities it brings. it's awesome to come together with a bunch of people and want the same thing. and hell, tuscaloosa calls itself "the city of champions" now.

i'm happy that i could end my college career with a bang. i'm proud to be from alabama, football or not, and i love seeing the people at my university so happy. roll tide, y'all.

goodbye 2012 & hello 2013!

visiting bellingrath gardens christmas lights in mobile, rollerskating double date in birmingham, my awesome wrapping skills, 2012 memories, my favorite b&bw scents, my parent's christmas tree, my new juicy pizza charm (after christmas sales, yes!) & my new bracelet.

long time no blog! after over a month, i've finally got the time to sit down & write. i never intended for this blog to be a routine, scheduled thing - after all, i am a busy student & i have to put other things first. but i still love writing, & it makes me really happy when i have the time to do so.

the end of the fall semester was the most stressful of my life. i shed blood (literally, thanks to my clumsiness & nearly taking a finger off with an x-acto knife) for the sake of my classes, but it all paid off! my grades were awesome, and i'm going into my final semester of college excited & optimistic. i've spent the majority of christmas break relaxing and recuperating - trust me, i needed it - and focusing on me. it always feels good to say that. last semester, i let my health slip for the sake of time & convenience, but i've done a wonderful job getting back on track and taking care of myself, which i will undoubtedly continue in 2013.

anyway, it's 2013?!?! how did that happen?! 2012 was a major learning year of my life, full of fun, love and adventure. i learned a lot about myself & about other people. 13 is also my lucky number, so i've got good feelings about the year to come. i'm not normally one for resolutions, but i'll summarize, briefly, what i hope to accomplish in 2013:

• graduate in may with my bachelor's degree, of course! but before then, focus on my classes & enjoying my last semester of college.
• get a real job. oh boy.
• remind myself who my true friends are & give them my all.
• keep negativity out of my life & maintain my health.
• i don't want to jinx it - but i'm planning a big, important trip this spring, & i'm crossing my fingers that it works out. i don't even want to talk about it because i'm scared of getting too excited & then it not going as planned - BUT LETS BE HOPEFUL!

i miss baking, y'all. i just bought THE cutest cupcake liners the other day, & i'm so excited to use them. this weekend i'm going to visit some old friends before i go back to tuscaloosa after the national championship game. i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season & new year, happy 2013!