My New Blog Design

This is the last time, I promise!  I will not change my blog's look ever again! { A lie?  I think maybe.} I have been experimenting with a lot of different looks the past few days {You noticed?} but all of those I was never completely satisfied with.  But now, oh oh oh!  I love it!  I found the picture of the birds on http://www.backgroundfairy.com, as well as the background.  I think they blend nicely and they have a nice, sophisticated {yet playful} look.  Does it suit me?  Yes.  Does it match my personality?  Sometimes.  Is it me?  Yes!  {er... maybe?}  

Getting My Artist On

     I am a right-brained person.  I am artistic, I am wild, I am free.  I love dancing, singing, acting, all that jazz.  When I was younger, I was an artist.  When I say artist, I mean drew all of the time, I was the art teacher's "pet," I got into a middle school of the arts {not an easy thing to do!}.  But once I was about halfway through sixth grade, I decided that I did NOT like drawing or art anymore.  I had no interest whatsoever.  I didn't want a thing to do with it.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but I hated it.  Mostly because there were some people in my art class that were... {gasp!} better than me.  I hated that.

     I remained this way for several years.  The only time I would touch a pencil was to write something down, you could forget about me trying to draw something.  If you would have asked me to draw you a picture, I would say, "That ain't happenin'."  While my disinterest in visual arts grew, so did my love of dance, music, and drama.  I found a home school drama class that I went to every week {still doing a drama class, but now a high school one}, I sang all of the time, and if you come over to my house odds are I'll be dancing.  I love the arts to death.  I am an artsy person {though I've never had lessons... :[[ }.

     So I still hadn't started drawing again until December of 2010.  I have a "Bird Identification" project for Biology lab that I have to do. I don't have to draw pictures of the birds, but I am making it kind of like a Lewis and Clark expedition journal.  Do you get what I mean by that?  I want it to look sort of scrapbook-y.  Anyhow, so in December I decided to draw my first drawing in years... a Canada Goose.   

Do you like it?  It took me probably three hours to do this, but it seemed only like 30 minutes.  I enjoyed myself so much, I didn't know why I hadn't started drawing again!

     So then a few days ago I decided to start drawing birds for the project again.  I drew a Yellow-Rumped Warbler, and this is how it turned out:

 

I think they turned out rather nicely, do you agree?  I am also currently working on a Great Egret and Mourning Dove.  They are looking great so far!

     Drawing and taking pictures of all these birds have really given me a new love for our feathery friends.  I think they're pretty, gorgeous, adorable, really cool!  As you can see my my {new} header and signature, I love them now!  I think they have a very classic look as well as being cute and humorous.  You'll probably be seeing a lot more birds on my blog, so be prepared.  I've warned you!  They are my new favorite animal... :]]

I've {Sorta} Been Tagged!

I haven't really been tagged, but I decided to do this anyways.  :]] 

The favourites...
Book?  Umm... My favorite is probably "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. 
TV show? Either Bones or Psych... I love both for different reasons, I can't choose!
Animal?  Peacocks... Definitely.  I think they're absolutely gorgeous!

Bug? Butterfly, but I hate HATE most bugs.

Colour? Turquoise

Type of clothing?  I guess timeless looks are my favorite!

Least favourite...
Bug?  Cockroach... they're disgusting!!!
Color?  Army green

Book?  I have no clue!  If I thought long enough, then maybe...
Animal?   Tasmanian Devil?  I don't know... just 'cause they're ugly?
Type of clothing?  The "I just got out of bed" look.
TV show?  I hate watching any sports, but I hate the show "Barefoot Contessa."  {cooking}

The idea is to share your 7 likes, 8 hates and 1 love.
Likes:
1.  Musicals

2.  Late night reading

3.  Pearls, pearls, pearls!

4.  Baby-talking pets :]]

5.  Camellia flowers

6.  Disco music... "You make me feel like dancin', wanna dance the night away..."
7.  Meltaway Mints

Hates:
1.  Abortion

2.  When people lie to your face
3.  When people hide their feelings

4.  Waking up with greasy hair

5.  Bugs... ugh...
6.  When I'm super busy and can't get anything done

7.  When people don't laugh at my jokes :[[

8.  Skinny jeans

Love:
I love {taking long walks on the beach...} snuggling up on the couch in my pajamas with a cup of tea and watching my favorite TV series {Christy or Bones!}.  Don't forget three blankets and cookies! 

If you had a horse what would you name it?
Lightfoot... from an old, childhood favorite book.  :]]  "The Unicorn Chronicles" If you had the power to change just one thing in the world what would it be?
I'd want to erase hate.  All hate in the world, gone.  Then there would be no more bad.
If you could have one wish what would it be?
I would wish that I was less vain... that I felt "Free to Be Me"

If you were a super hero which one would you be? 

I'd want to be Superman.  I think he's awesome.  Best. Hero. Ever. {'nuff said}

If you could make up a super hero what would he/she be like?
She'd be awesome!!! haha.. need I say more? I think NOT! :D
 

If I were a...
If I were a gemstone, I'd be an amethyst.

If I were a scent, I’d be cinnamon-raisin bread.

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be flip flops.
If I were the weather, I would be 75 degrees and partly cloudy.

If I were a facial expression, I'd be laughter.
If I were a car, I'd be Mini Cooper.
If I were a time of day, I'd be 9 o'clock {p.m.}
If were a month, I’d be September.
If I were a place, I'd be Mount Pleasant, SC.
If I were a liquid, I'd be egg nog.

If I were a taste, I'd be sugar.

If I were a sea animal, I'd be a blue whale.
If I were a food, I’d be homemade lasagna.
If I were a colour, I'd be yellow or violet.
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be an accordion.
If I were a flower, I'd be a white camellia.
If I were a song, Baby Girl by Sugarland.
If I were a planet, I'd be Pluto.  :P
If I were an object, I'd be a pillow.
If I were a fruit, I'd be a raspberry.
If I were a sound, I’d be your favorite song.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday.

I'd tag someone, but I don't really have many people that read my blog.  :[  If you want to do it though, make sure you let me know!

Bones, Aladdin, and Some Hats

Good morning, afternoon, or evening.  I have a new obsession... the song "One Jump Ahead" from Disney's Aladdin.  It is absolutely wonderful, and I have nothing more to say about it!  Aladdin has such a great voice and the tune is just so catchy.  :]]  {I can't believe I'm raving on and on about this.}  Here's the video, you must watch it.  I command you.

January 1st, {New Year's} was my birthday and my dad gave me two things that I asked for, The Christy TV series from the 90's and my *favorite* TV show ever, Bones.  Yes, it may not be the best TV show in the world for younger viewers as it's kind of gross and inappropriate at times, but it is wonderful.  Really, that makes it OK, right?  No, not really.  But I still love it.  I just received the second part today, which is the first three seasons on Bones.  I have seen almost all of them, I imagine... but I still want to be able to watch them whenever I want.  It's wonderful!  I love my Bones!  

Hats.  Hats?  Hats.  I'm not a hat-person.  I'm told they look nice on me, but I don't know.  Anyways, I have two hats that I own.  They're pretty much exactly the same except for different colors.  Since I practiced rolling my own hair last night, I have curly hair again {yay!}.  I thought that with the curly hair the hats would look nice, so here are some pictures of me in my {cute} hats.

 This hat I received as a gift a few years ago... it was handmade!

  I got this hat at JC Penney last January.  It didn't have a tag and it was the last one, 

so I got it for only .99!  Woohoo!

Do you like my look?  I think it's very cute.  I'm still wearing the pink one.  We took Fritzy to the vet today to... well... get him snipped.  Poor guy.  I'm tagging along, and I figured this cute hat would be appropriate for the cold weather.  Also, how do you like my new header?  I made it last night/this morning.  I think it's pretty, though Elle would tell you otherwise.  We don't exactly have the same taste.   {At all.}  Well, as Tigger would say, "Ta-ta for now!"

 

New Signature

Yes, I have created myself a new signature.  It isn't really grand as I don't have the professional "tools" to do a fabulous job, but I like it.  I think it's pretty.  I think it's me!  I might get a new one later on, but until then I'll be using this beauty.  

It Iced... in SC?

Just found out the my first public speaking class AND my doctor's appointment are canceled due to the weather.  Which wouldn't be so bad, but I got hardly any sleep wearing my new big rollers last night so that I'd have pretty hair for today.  Which I do, but now I have no one to show it to.  No, I'll show it to you!  Here's a picture...

Not the best picture, I know.  But I'm not the most photogenic gal in the world.

So as for the weather, you probably guessed that it's icy outside.  Which it is.  But it's not REALLY icy, it's just dripping off of things.  My mom went out earlier and she said that there wasn't any ice on the roads.  Which is why it really irks me that we don't have class today.  Yes, I did just say it irks me.  I'm irked.  But let me tell ya, it has been cold down here.  Like, in the 30's.  Cold.  This morning weather.com said, "Temperature: 30 Feels Like: 20."  {Brrrr...}  As my dear friend Jenna would say, "Global warming in action!"  I agree.  {Brrr!!}  It rained a lot last night, which is why there's a bunch of ice.  Well actually, it kinda... er... ice-rained?  Don't get me wrong, I'm an Iowan at heart... but I don't know that... terminology?  {I'll go with that!}  Haha!  You Northeners with four feet of snow are probably rolling your eyes at me right now.  Well don't.  This isn't a laughing matter, it's cold!  It shouldn't get below 50 degrees in South Carolina.  Ever.  But I did make sure to get plenty of pictures of the icicles.  

 I thought that the ice in all of the wholes was pretty.  :]]

 It is quite a rare sight to see icicles in South Carolina!  Actually, no.  That's a lie.  If you get up to Columbia and Greenville then it snows and ices, but not around Charleston {and under}.  Hehe, the pampas grass in the background looks pretty sad, doesn't it?  

A Little Bit of Skin Care

Every teenager (and some adults) has to deal with acne.  Or some form of it.  You may have really oily skin (my problem), you may have dry, flaky skin, or you might just get the occasional blemish.  Whether you have pimples to the extreme or not, everyone wants to know great, natural ways to take care of your skin.  This is what this blog post is about-- having beautiful skin.  Or for you guys reading the blog, clear skin.  :]]  

If you have...

Oily Skin-  In this type of skin, the oil producing sebaceous glands are overactive and produce more oil than is needed. The oil oozes and gives the skin a greasy shine. The pores are enlarged and the skin has a coarse look. The causes of oily skin are genetics, diet, hormone levels, humidity and hot weather, and the cosmetics you use to cover it up.  This problem usually only occurs in adolescents, your skin tends to get drier with age.  If you want to cure it, here are my quick (and affordable) tips...

Face Wash~~ Don't bother with spending $10, $15, $20+ on face washes that "fix oily skin."  They are full of chemicals and bad stuff that is doing more damage.  My suggestion is to just use regular bar soap.  It dries your skin out for about an hour, but your skin is naturally oily!  After a while it will even out to be perfect.  **Make sure you DON'T touch your face constantly, even though it will feel like a baby's bottom.  This will make your face more oily.** 

Dry Skin- Dry skin has a low level of sebum and can be prone to sensitivity. The skin has a parched look caused by its inability to retain moisture. It usually feels "tight" and uncomfortable after washing unless some type of moisturizer or skin cream is applied. Chapping and cracking are signs of extremely dry, dehydrated skin.  The causes of dry skin are dehydration, genetics, diet, unactive thyroids, environment, and certain medications. 

Face Wash~~ You need a very gentle cleanser if you want more moisturized skin.  Those can be expensive, so try using spritz of COLD, big emphasis on COLD natural spring water.  Don't use a rough washcloth or towel to dry your face, pat it dry.  

Moisturizer~~ You'll want something natural.  I've found that if you use coconut oil it works very well to hydrate and moisturize skin.  If you use it in small amounts, then the results are wonderful.

A Great Facial Mask/Cleanser- That you can make at home!  The "ingredients" are things that most people have laying around the house already, but some things you might have to buy.  You'll need honey, aloe vera, salt (preferably sea salt), Vitamin E Oil, and coconut oil.  Mix about a teaspoon or two of honey with a tablespoon of aloe vera, a little bit of E Oil and coconut oil, and a LOT OF SALT.  The salt with act as an exfoliant while the honey, aloe vera, and oils moisturize.  This is a recipe I came up with myself and it works great!  I love it!  (Honey is naturally very moisturizing, and if you have frizzy hair then eating lots of honey should help to smooth it out.)

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at ckian.cw.blog@gmail.com I'll answer any questions you may have!  I can also give more tips for naturally calming down frizzy hair.
~Alyssa