212/365

Does anyone else recreate old pictures or is it just me?
The left is my grandmother and one of her classmates when they were on a school trip. I suppose they just saw the sign as a photo opportunity. You guys know how much of a fan that I am of old photos, so when I found this one I decided to recreate it last year. Last September, I pulled off the side of the road on the trace to take this picture because it was similar to one my grandmother took. I'm too much of a sap maybe. Now I'm going to look at pictures of my mother when she was my age. Thank God I finally can.

catch you later
Karleigh

"I’ve found that growing up means being honest. About what I want. What I need. What I feel. Who I am."  //  Epiphany.

211/365

I am so tempted to just write off the last two days, which have been so very long; however, I find that right now is when I want to talk to you all. I'll be honest with you. I'm not very good at reading my Bible. Things always get in the way and I make a lot of excuses and it just never happens. It's bad. I'm not going to lie. 

I have to get better at this. I will always believe that the words of man can ease pain momentarily, but God's word can comfort you like nothing else. And after I find myself comforted, I must remind myself to continually praise Him because He is with me in the light and in the darkness.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"If your religion doesn’t challenge you to care for people you might otherwise be dismissive of and, instead, reinforces your negative feeling about them, you don’t have a religion – you have a formalized structure for institutionalizing your biases." //  The Rev. Mark Sandlin

210/365

These are some words by Tyler Ford and I think they remind us that being ourselves is never a bad thing. It is okay to like stuff a lot and to want to talk about it. It's okay to be yourself and to be excited about stuff. And when other people try to put out your flame, the one that only lights when you are happy, you have to let them sit upon a pile of wet sticks while you offer them the warmth of your delight.

"

do you remember the first time you were called annoying?
how your breath stopped short in your chest
the way the light drained from your eyes, though you knew your cheeks were ablaze
the way your throat tightened as you tried to form an argument that got lost on your tongue.
your eyes never left the floor that day.
you were 13.

you’re 20 now, and i still see the light fade from your eyes when you talk about your interests for “too long,”
apologies littering every other sentence,
words trailing off a cliff you haven’t jumped from in 7 years.
i could listen to you forever, though i know speaking for more than 3 uninterrupted minutes makes you anxious.
all i want you to know is that you deserve to be heard
for 3 minutes
for 10 minutes
for 2 hours
forever.

there will be people who cannot handle your grace, your beauty, your wisdom, your heart;
mostly because they can’t handle their own.
but you will never be
and have never been
“too much.”
" 

catch you later,
Karleigh

"No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid." //  Lupita Nyong’o 

209/365

I'm an obsessive person. It's not really a secret; I've always been like this. I like things to be a certain way and I like to know as much about the unknown as possible. Sometimes it gets in my way and sometimes it helps.

For example, it's not good when I'm going into uncharted territory. I get very anxious because of my need to know a lot. However, my need to have everything neat helps me. I love to have all of my stuff in certain places and I write down deadlines and attempt to stick to them.

It's hard to find a balance in my needs for controlling situations but it's something I work on everyday. I guess we all have things that we have to work on, things within ourselves that could help us instead of hinder us. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't." // Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth and Being Free

208/365

Remember that it is never to late to reinvent yourself. There is always time for you to realize that you might not have done all the things that you wanted, that you remained docile when you should have been violent, that you were quiet when you should have spoken up. 

Everyday you are supposed to do something that scares you. That's a little silly. Everyday you should be excited. You have this opportunity to do whatever you want and to be whoever you want. Don't ever let someone tell you that you should be doing something different than what you know you are meant to do. At the end of the day, you have to live with yourself and they don't. Always put yourself first. Caring about yourself and your future is not selfish. And it is about time that we started remembering that.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Go out and do something. It isn’t your room that’s a prison, it’s yourself." // Sylvia Plath

207/365

I am a huge fan of Daniel Radcliffe. In fact, I have one friend that doesn't like him and sometimes I really wonder about her sanity. Anywho, it's fun to me to watch him in movies and on television, because I remember watching the first movie that he was ever in. So the other day I was browsing Netflix as I gave up on the Borgias and I found a mini series of his.

A Young Doctor's Notebook and Other Stories, based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, tells the story of the older doctor looking back on his younger self and his former struggle with morphine addiction. Now before it sounds much too gruesome I have to mention that it's a black comedy, meaning that you'll be oddly laughing at how passionate the doctor is about syphilis. 

It's a very short series and one that I find nurtures my love for Daniel Radcliffe. Maybe I'll give Horns a try after I finish this. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

“They say happiness is like good health. You don’t notice it, until it’s gone.”// A Young Doctor's Notebook and Other Stories

206/365

I love stationary. It's my guilty pleasure really, but I only ever feel guilty about spending like six dollars for post-it notes. I don't feel bad about have more than twenty yellow highlighters. Those numbers are a little high -- I don't actually have twenty yellow highlighters, but I do have an obsession with stationary. Whenever I change schools, I buy new binders, pens and notebooks. The only thing that I save for buying every six months to a year is a planner.

www.mypapercrush.com

Agendas are the only thing that help me remember my assignments and commitments. I've tried to use my phone calender, but I find it only really works for me when I need constant reminders. Obviously, I don't look at my planner every few minutes. However, I can't work on my phone calender the way that I can with a planner. So I was browsing Target yesterday and found my new agenda for this school year.

It's a gold and white Blue Sky planner. It's extremely thick and has so many features that I couldn't leave it. It was twenty dollars, which means that it will be used often. It's really similar to the Erin Condren planners, if you are familiar with them, but it is half the price. So if you are like me and can't drop fifty bucks on a planner, then this is the obvious next step. 

Each page of the planner is devoted to one day and offers organization by time, to-do, and most important. It offers places for goals and notes at the end of every month. And because this always gets me, there are quotes on each page. As you know, I am quite the fan of quotes. So overall, I am extremely excited to begin using this planner. I feel like buying a planner gets me into a great mindset for going back to school. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Cease to ask what the morrow will bring forth. And set down as gain each day that Fortune grants." // Horace

205/365

When you are scared, you should just think of things that you like. The scared is scared of the things you like. 

"I asked a six year old what my movie should be about, and this is what he told me."

catch you later,

Karleigh

"I have taken action against fear. I sat up all night and wrote." // Rainer Maria Rilke.

204/365

I don't really like Henry David Thoreau. I find his living independently in the woods idea to be a fraud, since he lived on his friend's land, near civilization. Also the whole stream of consciousness writing is a little annoying. With that all said, I have only ever liked two things -- thus far -- about Thoreau. The first is a joke. 

Person One: "I just want to quit school and go live in the woods."

Person Two: "No, you can't just Thoreau your life away."

There has never been a happier moment than when I was actually able to use that joke on someone. The second is a quote: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." I remember when I first heard this quote and I was truly in love with it. I used it in the yearbook when I was in high school, because sharing it with someone else was the main goal. It's nice to think that everything you want could come true. It won't always happen, but realistic dreams -- not things like become an astronaut when you are bad at science -- can usually be made into reality.

That is why I like this quote. It is nice to be reminded that you can do the things that you want to do. It is all about seizing the opportunity when it arises.

catch you later,
Karleigh

"All good things are wild, and free." // Henry David Thoreau

203/365

Sometimes these things are just really nice to do so that we may remember how glorious we are:

1. Cut your hair every now and then. Fresh starts are always nicer than you think. Who needs split ends anyways.

2. Pick a song you really like. Listen to that song a lot. And I mean a lot. Dance around your room naked to that song, beat the song lifeless till it annoys the hell out of you. Then pick a new song and go through the same process. We all need to really hear music, we need to understand what the song we are listening to is really about.

3. Paint your toes black, make it as perfect as possible. Then, scratch it off. Remember nothing is permanent.

4. Go on a run with your dog. Try to race him and beat him. Realize you can out run many things. Then go back and pet your dog, realize that some things you need to go back for.

5. Decorate a plain backpack. Glue on sparkles, glitter, diamonds, newspaper and magazine clippings, lace & ribbon, anything else that may fancy you. Remember, you don’t have to be the same person you were a minute ago.

6. Buy some pretty lights and string them up in your room. Turn off all the lights except for one when you go to bed. Remember it isn’t always dark and lonely. Change your perspective.

7. Lay outside one night. Breathe in breathe out. Accept that you are only one person and cannot do everything at one time. You can take your time. The creator of the stars you’re looking up at did not do it all in one day. Pace yourself.

8. Get up every morning and stand in front of the mirror. Naked, fully clothed, backwards, upside down, who cares how, just do it. Observe yourself. Notice the wrinkles under your eyes from laughing a lot. Count your freckles. Admire your ass. Then name 3 things you love about yourself. You need to love yourself. [Tips from Blossite on how to be okay with yourself.]

catch you later,
Karleigh

"Life is too short to spend it at war with yourself." // unknown

202/365

I've probably started doing this too much but I'm really exhausted tonight. I'm just going to take mini naps and watch The Tudors. Let's meet back here tomorrow.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"They should teach self-love in school." // 6-Word Story #94

201/365

It is interesting that we can spend hours creating our dream home/wedding/wardrobe on Pinterest, when the things that we actually have are what really add up to the dream that is your life. Pinterest is fun, but don't forget that you should actually live your life beyond the idealistic pictures that you post in your boards.

catch you later,
Karleigh

"Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is." // Ernest Hemingway

200/365

It is no secret that I prefer European history to American history. I find that the detailed history of Europe holds my interest much more than any stories of American history. I told you all of how I was watching Spartacus last week, and I finished it yesterday. After that show, I decided to pick up Showtime's The Borgias. The Borgias is a show that details the corruption of Pope Alexander VI and his four children. I have attempted to watch the show before, but found it boring as the history did not strike an interest in me. This time, I find it all a bit differently. 

Cesare, the eldest Borgia son, is a Cardinal or a member of the clergy at his father's will. Juan, the second eldest, is named the leader of the military in Rome. Lucrezia Borgia is the only daughter and known for her three marriages, eleven children and tendency to poison those that wronged her or her family. Gioffre is the youngest son and known for his marriage at the age of twelve to form a wall around Rome in aid to his father, the Pope. Now add in their mother, a courtesan, and many people who wish the Pope dead. 

It all adds up to drama, lots of death and affairs. Obviously, I enjoy it a lot. I do love a corrupted family. And Francois Arnaud that plays Cesare... I love him a lot too.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"We are the unholy family." // Cesare Borgia

199/365

Today, I share a reminder that I write in hopes of you remembering the real possibilities that lie within your dreams. It's been a long time since I've written poetry, yet it welcomes me back with open arms and too many thoughts.

Like Icarus, you may also find yourself in the middle,

stuck in your thoughts, in the weights of what could be versus the dreaded actuality.

You long for the sun, hot upon your back with wings spread as you 

soar upon a wave of glory, nothing to pull you down.  

Apply wings to wax in plan and hope and want, 

don them as any other would wear their clothing.

But the sun burns and wax melts. Feathers may float,
but you, like Icarus, do not.
The waves will swallow you, drown you in their depths of doubt,
of what-ifs and cannots.
The sun, once a welcome warmth, burns you beyond repair and
water fills your lungs.

And you long for the middle, for the grounds that offer no threat.
You find solace in clouds above your head and sand beneath you feet.
They offer no threat, no wet gasps for air or hot wax dripping down spine.
But where is the glory in the middle?
Where does one find the warmth of success or the wet cries of despair but
in high or low. Middle offers no rewards.

So you must fly.
Don your hope and dreams like the wings of Icarus.
Beware the waters that lap at your heels and the sun which
threatens the wax to bubbles.
Fly as Icarus did,
but do not seek his company for he will lead you astray.

catch you later,
Karleigh

"“I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, ‘don’t try to fly too high,’ or whether it might also be thought of as ‘forget the wax and feathers, and do a better job on the wings.” // Stanley Kubrick

198/365

Not everyone enjoys art museums. I have a large weakness for them, as it so happens which is why I wanted to go to the Art Institute of Chicago when I visited the city. I think that, in art, people are allowed to let go of a little, if not all, of themselves. Art is much more than just the paintings that have been put in our history books or that we have seen in the living room of every house that we have ever visited. It is the release of emotion on canvas. 

The colors that you see, which perhaps make up a face or room or nothing at all, have been placed there by individual stroke. Whether carefully placed or happening by accident, art is the doorway which allows us to access emotions through the eyes of another. All art happens this way, not just the painting or drawings or writings. Art, in any form, is unique to person and acts as a doorway for the people that are allowed to witness it. Art broadens our minds, allows our brains to function in a completely new and complex way, a way that is unlike it could ever be without it. This is why our children deserve to participate in art and music courses in school. Allow the broadening of mind and encourage independent thought. We are naught without complex thought and open mind. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

"I think we are worlds compressed into human form." // Jeanette Winterson, The Daylight Gate

197/365

So I mentioned that I've been exercising more and I really have enjoyed it so far. I'm saying this, most likely, because it's been a long day and I'm going to eat Dominos tonight. Either way, working out has been super great. My mom and I walked from our house, uptown and back last night in forty-five minutes. It was good for us, as in we were both exhausted after it. 

Even if you don't really like being outside -- like me -- or don't like sports -- like me -- you can still enjoy exercising. I read in Glamour that you should do 45 minutes of cardio a day if you want to burn fat. That's what I'm doing now. I've dieted before, but I've never seen my body change like it does when you alter physical activity and diet. I don't know... I just feel like exercise makes you feel a lot better than I ever thought it could.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"You can create beautiful things - but you have to see them in your mind first." //  Bob Ross

196/365

The other day someone was showing me pictures of the show Spartacus. I'm quite interested in Greek and Roman history, so I figured I'd give it a watch since it is on Netflix. Of course, I got bored a bit into it. As it happens, the shows which feature gladiators are often full to the brim with death and sex and blood. I was especially upset when they killed two characters that I liked very much. So I texted the girl and asked if it got better after the first death and she sent me "omg yes you have to keep watching!!!" Just like that. So I did and man, am I glad.

Spartacus is based around the actual life of Thracian gladiator, Spartacus, and his role in the Third Servile War in Rome. If you are religious, then this show gives you a look into life before Christ and the absolute depravity of the people. They have sex in the streets, are nude constantly and value no life. Yet it remains absolutely thrilling. You can find hope in Spartacus and his fellow gladiators, such as Crixus and Oenomaus. They are out for more than the glory of killing people... Well Crixus is after he meets Naevia. 

If you enjoy history and would like a look into the horrors and wonders of ancient Rome, then I definitely suggest Spartacus. You'll find yourself cheering to your laptop screen as they kill the horrible people, the liars and the cheats. Though I definitely do not suggest eating while you watch.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"There is always a choice." // Varro

195/365

Alright, so I told you guys that I'm pretty excited about going back to school which is half-truth and half-lie. I am excited to go back to class, but the social aspect of college is always a bit scarier to me. I'm going in to my new school with a smaller number of friends than if I had attended somewhere else and they are all doing this year of school a bit differently than I am. So that's just a little weird for me and kinda... I don't want to say scary but that's probably the word that fits. I mean we do live in this society where you don't have to do anything by yourself, where you can usually get one person to be in the same position as you and stick to them. Then you have a support system. I sort of feel like I'm taking this next step without the support system that I've had before. So obviously it's a little scary.

I think it's perfectly normal to be scared before you take a new step in life. Actually, if you were indifferent that would be worse because then it's not like it's even a new step. New things in life are scary and exciting. They make you a little anxious. It's normal to be like that... at least it always has been for me. I'm quite an adaptable person. It probably doesn't seem like it if you meet me because I'm a worrier, but I do adapt to new situations well. I transitioned easily from junior high to high school and high school to college. I've not really ever had a lot of friends in school; I think last year was the most friends I've ever had at one time. I always saw school as more of a place to learn and less of a place to make friends. I don't know why... I just feel like I have to make good grades so that I can finish my education the way that I want to and that I can always make friends. Despite not having a lot of friends, I am pretty good at getting people to like me. That is how you form friendships and all. 

What I'm trying to say is that if you are getting ready to take a big step forward, it's okay to be scared or nervous about it. Your fear will fade within a few days and you'll be fine. My granddaddy used to say that the dreading is worse than the doing. I guess that applies here too.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Be kind to yourself." // unknown

194/365

To be honest, I don't really feel like writing today. I got some news this morning, which wasn't anything bad or anything, and it made me very anxious. So, I've been a ball of anxiety today. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. 

catch you later,
Karleigh

"I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day—spare me from the relentless cage of routine and rote. I want to be free… I want, I want to think, to be omniscient." // Sylvia Plath written in 1949 at age 17. 

193/365

I have a very deep interest in other cultures, which is why I'm mega excited for my anthropology courses this fall. You already know that I love school and I'm super pumped to go back and crack open some new books. I found out that I need a lot more social sciences than I thought that I did, which is fine because I enjoy those a lot -- except psychology, didn't like that. So, I'm pumped. I'm taking an intro to anthropology and cultural anthropology, as well as an intro to gender studies.

I was having a look at on my school's website to see about the courses and had a look into some that I would like to take later on. There is one that is based on the prehistoric to the Persian period in Egypt and Syria-Palestine and it looks super cool to me. I think that it's really nice that you get to take classes that might not pertain to your major, but more to your interests when you are in college.

In fact, I encourage you to do so. Take the opportunity to broaden your mind on things that you are interested in and learn as much as you possibly can while you are in school. You are paying to go there; you might as well take things that you are interested in.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is." // Ernest Hemingway

192/365

We've all heard that "rude" song on the radio, right? The one with the guy asking to marry the girl but the dad says no -- "why you gotta be so rude? don't you know I'm human too" or something along those lines. Well, I was listening to that song the other day and I decided to listen to another tune by that band; they're called MAGIC! if you didn't know. They have a lot of really great songs. I find that bands usually put the song that isn't actually the best on the radio and leave the real gems on the CD. 

The song that I'm talking about is "No Way No" and it has a reggae feel that is really chill and just cool. The song is just really cool. I'm not a reggae person, but this band has a pop/reggae feel that isn't in your face. Also, I love the red suit that the band wears. It's just a really cool tune that you should check out. I've just rambled about it to you, but you have to give it a listen so you can witness the amazing vibe of this song. 

Don't tell me if you don't like it.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Your heart's too big to be treated small." // MAGIC!

191/365

You know how people say that they like to make up stories for people that they see when they are out and about? I do that too, but mainly with people in photographs. If I'm out, I don't have time to observe and create. When I'm scrolling through Pinterest, I do. Of course, on Pinterest everyone's life is perfect. Maybe that's the fun of creating; you can make the bad parts and then decide how they deal with them. But nobody ever really deals with the bad stuff in a perfect way. 

There is a word: sonder. It's "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own" and it's probably the weirdest thing to think about. Obviously when you meet people and get to know them, you learn about them and their problems and what they are fixing or hurting. It's just not often that you think about what the people in line behind you at Wendy's are dealing with in their lives.

Sometimes the world, which is really your version of the world, is crazy and hard and too much. It feels like everything is you, you, you and there is no one else. And it's weird to think that someone somewhere feels the exact same way at the exact time that you do. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Mama said there'd be days like this." // The Shirelles

190/365

Have you ever seen the segment on late night TV where they go around and quiz Americans on random American history? It always serves to make Americans look stupid. We don't keep up with the news or what's happened in the past. We don't remember the placement of all fifty states, unless they are well known. We ignore a lot of our history and a lot of it has been left out of our history books -- but that's for another time. 

The point is that we don't pay enough attention to the things that happen around us and how we have or have not evolved as a country since then. We memorize dates and names and leave them on our test papers without a second thought. And because we don't pay attention to our history, we let it repeat itself.

Racism is more terrifying now than it was in the time of the Civil Rights Movement. And, to be honest, you can call it history all you want but the confederate flag is a symbol of racism. It shows just how backwards we were at the time and it shows that we are holding on to what were some pretty hard feelings. Now you may not care a bit, but I think it's definitely time that our nation retires all confederate flags. If we want to move forward, we have to acknowledge and remove the things that hold us back.

catch you later,

Karleigh

“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.” // Toni Morrison

189/365

I feel so amazing right now! I don't blog about fitness much, because I'm not that good at it. I've told you that before. However, my mom and I have gotten back on the wagon because of some health issues and the impending doom of going back to school. So we have been walking more and eating better and I've discovered my new favorite workout videos. 

The Fitness Marshall is a guy on YouTube that makes workout videos, but they aren't like any that I've tried before. He does cardio hip-hop routines. They are amazing, because he's upbeat and excited and I feel the same as I'm doing the dances. Now, I'm not a very good dancer and sometimes I don't get a move right until the end of the video, but I'm moving and that's what matters. So if you are struggling with working out and having fun at the same time, you should definitely give his videos a try. 

Tonight I did about forty minutes worth of his videos and then walked for about thirty minutes. May this fitness buzz keep its hold on me!

catch you later,

Karleigh

"The only bad workout is the one that you didn't do." // unknown

188/365

A couple of days ago a friend asked me if I had heard Selena Gomez's new song. I hadn't. Well, today I looked it up. Man, I love Selena Gomez. I love pop music a lot, and I'm always proud to hear songs by women, especially songs that make you feel sexy. And Selena's new song does make you feel sexy. Don't believe me? Listen to it while you're getting ready and try not to pose in the mirror after you get finished ... Not that I did that or anything. 

Okay, so I did. Who can blame me? It's a great song. And it's easy to match the key, mainly because she talks her way through it. Those are the songs that I like because I don't have to worry about the fact that I can't sing. Also the video is super sexy without being too much. So, I think that you should definitely go listen to her new song if you haven't. And listen to it while you get ready for maximum self-confidence.

catch you later,

Karleigh

"I’m on my Marquise diamonds, I’m a Marquise diamond" // Selena Gomez

187/365

Because we all need to stop beginning our sentences with "sorry."

catch you later,

Karleigh

"It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for."  // Amy Poehler in Yes Please

186/365

If you are a woman, then it is your job to protect other women. I come from a small town and I worked at a grocery store for a while. One night I had a man come in to the store and ask me if I was married and I had never been so scared. It seems silly now and probably even as you read it, but I had never been in that kind of situation, in a time where I was forced to lie to an older man because I didn't want him to come back and bother me. I knew a girl one time that got mad at me for complaining because her boyfriend's uncle terrified me. She was mad because I was scared of a sex offender. 

Women all over the world are terrified of men. I want you to understand this and know that just because you've been around good men, it doesn't mean that all girls have. Somewhere a girl half your age -- in my case, she would be ten -- is being hit on by a group of men while she walks home from school. Every night, girls are followed off of trains, buses and subways. Men follow them home from work, school or the store. And they do things that you've only ever heard about on the news or seen in a Lifetime movie.

If you are ever in a position to help another woman, please do so. A lot of the time you'll be too scared. They could come at you too. They could hurt both of you. It's hard to make that kind of decision, but I know that if I didn't help another woman when she was in need, I would spend the rest of my life regretting it. Even if it is as simple as pretending to know her, and then whispering that you've seen a guy follow her off the train while you walk into a store. Lose the man that took it upon himself to see women as an object, something he can take as he pleases. I'm not saying that all men are bad, but I am saying that you should try to protect your fellow woman. She may need you today. You may need her tomorrow. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

"Even to me the issue of 'stay small, sweet, quiet, and modest' sounds like an outdated problem, but the truth is that women still run into those demands whenever we find and use our voices.” // Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

185/365

Happy Fourth of July! I'm not super patriotic and I kinda hate that, but I do enjoy a holiday that involves a hotdog and ribs. This holiday falls on a holiday, so I can't really call this a throwback, but I do wanna share some pictures from a Fourth of July from way back. This was probably when I was about four and my family celebrated with some family friends. We all had those cheap plastic hats with the red and blue trim and all of the plates and cups had the same flag print. It was really precious. I wish I had vivid memories from it, but at least I have the pictures!  

You may recognize my grandmother in this picture. She was kneeling down for the photo opportunity, even though there is no good picture. In one, my eyes are closed and in the other, hers are. I guess that's just the way it goes. But doesn't that cake look good! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July and you eat a ton of hot dogs and watch some gorgeous fireworks. And of course, God bless America. 

catch you later,

Karleigh

“We forget that there is much more patriotism in having the audacity to differ from the majority than in running before the crowd; we forget that in the resistance of the minority some of the biggest things in our own history have been accomplished, and the man who looks on the Stars and Stripes and doesn't hold a right to say nay to his neighbor, even if the neighbor is of the larger party, has forgotten the history of his country.” // Woodrow Wilson

184/365

I try to be really understanding of the following statement, but I find it very ridiculous: 

"My parents don't want me to work while I'm in school; they just want me to focus on school."

Last Christmas, I worked multiple jobs and went to school. I've worked since my sophomore year of high school and I think it's taught me responsibility, persistence and time-management. While I don't want to be ugly, I can notice a difference in the behavior of my friends that have had jobs before versus the ones that haven't. When you get a job as a teenager, it really adjusts you to what the "real world" and the people beyond your parents/teachers expect of you. 

I wasn't very responsible before I got my first job, which I didn't even want. I didn't want to have to be somewhere at a certain time and do all of this stuff just for a small paycheck... and then I got the paycheck. I used to have a picture with my first paycheck. Hold on a second. Okay, so I had to do some digging, but there it is. I was so excited for that first check, because I was finally making my own money.

Now not every family needs everyone to work and that's cool. If one does come from a wealthy family, I think that working for the experience is just as important. Whether you do it because you had to buy your own things because your family income is focused on other things or if you have a summer job just to keep busy and get some work experience, it's good for you. I'm sorry if you don't like getting up before three pm in the summer, but it's you'll be happy when you get the paycheck.  I've never heard anyone complain when they get paid.

catch you later,
Karleigh

“I can do this… I can start over. I can save my own life and I’m never going to be alone as long as I have stars to wish on and people to still love.” // Jennifer Elisabeth, Born Ready: Unleash Your Inner Dream Girl

183/365

I felt so like a middle-aged mom who just put her kids to bed and settled on the couch with a blanket and coffee last night. Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis came back to Bravo last night and for the first time, I sat down with my mom to watch it. I don't know what it is about decorating shows, but I only love some of them. I don't really care about watching people tile bathroom floors or refinish kitchen cabinets, but I love watching them whine about their team not doing their jobs. I guess that's why I ended up liking Jeff.

Jeff works with his boyfriend, Gage, and his best friend, Jenni. Among them are a bunch of idiots, as Jeff would say, who are basically crappy workers that always get everything wrong. On this epsiode, Joe was too busy texting to get the room/lighting designs to correspond for their meeting with some guy that sells their stuff on HSN. Listening to Jeff yell at him was absolutely invigorating. Someone the other day told me that I would like someone they knew because the person had a mean sense of humor. I should probably be more worried about that being true, but I know it is because I spend less time admiring how much money people spend on houses than I do laughing at Jeff being angry. In my defense, Jeff is hilarious when he's angry. 

catch you later,
Karleigh

"It's a little cruel, but I just love it." // Jeff Lewis

182/365

We are halfway there! Three hundred and sixty-five divided by two is one hundred and eighty two point five. So we are a little over, but I'm counting today as the actual halfway point. I'm so excited that I've been doing this for half of the year. It's exciting and fun and I feel like we have been on this journey together. I'm so excited for the next half. Soon, we will have so much more to talk about. School will start again and I have something planned for the end of the summer that will be fun to talk about. I've got plenty of books to talk with you about, television shows to share with you, and hopefully a lot of exciting things to share as well.

Thank you for sticking with me this far. We've got a little while left to go, but I know so many of you who read everyday and who remind me to keep writing. I just want to make sure you know how much I appreciate your love and support, even when all I do is write two or three lines. Let's be honest, those are probably some of the best. Thank you for letting me do what I love to do. I can't wait to complete this goal and to share it all with you.

catch you later
Karleigh

"Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow." // unknown.