This post is going to be full of fun.

Instead of doing Friday Night Musings, I thought I'd share what I wore for most of the day.

I went hiking today. Because vacation hikes are fun, and I was having a good day today. So I decided to take advantage. That and the nature and jungles and forests look so great in pictures and I 100% wanted to find out for myself just how beautiful they were.

And they didn't disappoint.

I can't wait to get all my pictures uploaded. That'll be tons and tons of fun.

Plus I finally got to break out my sports clothing for once. I never get to do that. I got to put on my running shoes... even though I wasn't running. But for the price I paid for them, I was going to use them regardless. And I have more than just that pair of shoes.

Duh.

Without further ado. Here we go.

Idk I think I looked cool today. I should probably also update what I'm listening to because I have a few new things I've been cranking on the iPod part of my iPhone. I did listen to music today while hiking, but I don't listen to anything specific. I know some people like to listen to loud rock music or rap music, but I just keep it simple and stick to my own music.

So here's also some jams I've been cranking:

Cheerleader - OMI
Fire and the Flood - Vance Joy
Great Big Storm - Nate Ruess
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys (if you don't like clowns I recommend you steer clear of this one)
High School Lover - Cayucas
The Legend of Chavo Guerrero - the Mountain Goats
Northern Downpour - Panic! At The Disco
Oscar Wilde - Compant of Thieves
Should Have Known Better - Sufjan Stevens
Your Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Worship You - Vampire Weekend (thankful I put a link to a lyric video? yeah me too lololol)

And just to pump me up a little bit, I also listen to -> this <-, which is John Cena's entrance music. I can't not feel pumped and motivated and ready to beat someone's a$$ when I listen to it. You know how you'll hear someone say "the inside of my head sounds like elevator music"? Well the inside of my head is that song. Plus I have an extremely secret crush on John Cena that's now out to everyone. NOT SORRY.

Links to songs are the song titles.

That's pretty much it.

Also I really miss old school Panic! At The Disco. Such good times.

--

Tank top: $35.00 at Adidas. Find it here.
Shorts: Anywhere between $5.99 and $7.99 from Soffe. These ones are $7.99. Find them here.
Shoes: $110.00 at Nike. Find them here.

xx

Aloha & Planning

You know what I love that you also love?

Being on vacation.

So I survived four months of soul searching in the mountains. And Hawaii sure is purrty this time of year. Heck, it's probably lovely in December in the dead of winter.

//

So I thought I'd make a fun little list of things I have coming up on the blog. Other than the obvious things I used to post. Sharing what I wore, along with writing and musing are things I want to hopefully continue throughout the upcoming school year. Because with classes and work starting almost as soon as I get back from vacation, it's all up in the air.

Along with the two super secret and probably super FUN posts I (still) am planning, I'm also going to share some of my thoughts on something I never thought I'd talk about ever in my life.

Y'all ready for this?

Sorority recruitment.

Yeah. It's a-happenin.

I'm joining a sorority this year. Which one, I have no clue. And I actually have no knowledge, but I guess I just want to share what I, as a newbie, know about it. Which isn't too much. And to ask opinions on what to wear. I know it's usually a semi formal event, so clothes of that style is recommended, but I don't know what //specifically// to wear.

All in due time.

Anyway, that's about all I have for now.

Bath & Body Works scent of the day/night/whatever: Paris Amour. <- one of the most popular ones out there, so I know. You can get it online and in the stores. I have it in the body cream and fragrance mist*. I need to start stocking up on the fall time scents because hollllaaaa. Those scents are coming out of the woodwork.

Love you all.

xx

* = one of my fun things I'm working on sort of has to do with Bath. So yay for that!

Saturday afternoons

Hey.

So.. I didn't blog last night. And I'm sorry for that. I have a good reason, I promise.

//hopes for people to accept this reason//

//praying//

It was my last full week here, and now tomorrow is my last actual full day here. Yesterday was a lot of paperwork and doing things and starting on packing and talking to people and I don't know.. would "debriefing" be good word choice?

We'll just say that it is for the sake of the post.

But today is Saturday afternoon and here I am, blogging, because well.. I have nothing else to do, frankly. I mean, I went hiking, but that's about it.

Idk I'm going to be mushy and reflect a little on my time here.

--

I wasn't expecting much coming in here. I KNOW I still haven't said where I am and I'm still not. My friends/people who know me know, and that's really all that needs to be known. I wasn't expecting much, I didn't have high hopes, and I didn't want to make friends.

I leave with obtaining a VERY good friend who might as well just be best friend status and extremely high thoughts for where I was. I've made so much growth, both personally and not personally, and I'm so much better of a person now than I was just four short months ago. Yeah I was in a good place in more than one way... but I'm in a great place now.

Great > Good

And that's really one of the main points of being here.

To grow and thrive as a person. To rely on yourself more than others.

Was it worth it?
Absolutely.

Would I do it again?
Probably not, but that doesn't mean I hated it.

^ yeah, I didn't love it but I didn't downright hate it. I hit the wall, metaphorically, and I wanted to go home, but I didn't. Like the true warrior princess that I am, I stuck it out. And it was worth it.

I learned so much about myself and the things that I can do in life. I've asserted myself more times here than I probably ever have before. I accomplished things and tackled obstacles head on.

I'm proud of myself. And I don't say that too often about myself. I've really made sure to make 2015 the year about me, and I've said it before, but making this my 'selfish' year has caused friend breakups, but it's also allowed me to make new friends where old friends once were. Do I regret breaking up with anyone? Not at all. I never would have been able to do that a year ago*. And I'm glad I can be someone who can do that if need be.

I don't want to friend breakup with people anymore. Yes I can do it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel good. It feels awful, but it's worth it.

--

Things are good right now. On Tuesday, I'm going to hop a plane to Hawaii and hang out with my AMAZING mama** for two weeks. I think the last time I saw her in the flesh was last summer when I was in Texas. So it's been too long. Once those two weeks are up, it's straight into classes and work starting. Needless to say, I'm actually excited to get back out there and become a normal and functioning*** member of society again.

I especially can't wait to leave here on Monday and drive down to meet up with some family and friends, including the roommate that I had up until she left a week before I'm slated to. So.. last Monday. I got a new roomie the same day my original one left, and oh my GOSH I want to strangle her. She is awful scum trash and I hate her so much. I just want to choke her in her sleep. But then I think logically: "Okay Lily, here are your options. You can strangle your roommate to death BUT you'll also wind up going to jail for forever and not ever get to go to Hawaii, be a member of society again, OR email that really cute missionary you have heart eyes over. OR you can choose to deal with your crappy roommate, take the high road, go to Hawaii, be part of society again, AND email that cute missionary boy!"

So.. guess who's happily**** dealing with her roommate?

Me.

Because common sense.

Bath & Body Works scent of the day is Sea Island Cotton. It's literally my favorite scent, hands down. Splendid summer scent (alliteration ftw), it smells like the beach and vacation, and it isn't overbearing. I have it in a lot of things. Two body creams, two full sized lotions, two full sized perfumes, one and a half (working on one) shower gels, travel sized perfume, and travel sized lotion. I probably have the soaps laying around my house somewhere.

Literally the best scent ever. And it's pretty much a classic; you can find it in stores and online. I've been using my triple moisture body cream the most before I move on to my ultra shea body cream, just because I've had it last summer and I don't want it laying around for another year and risk it going back. Usually the lotions hold up longer than the creams.

Saturday afternoons are the life, y'all. I'm in a hammock right now. I love hammocks.

I love y'all.

I'm going back to my regularly scheduled fashion posts and such as well.

VACATION EDITION!

xxx

* = I couldn't do a lot of things a year ago.

** = Yeah I call my mom 'mama'. What of it, man? #thuglife

*** = LOL more like "a person who does the best they can" member of society.

**** = Oh yeah. I'm the happiest in the land....

Friday Night Musings: Paily

Holy wow, this upcoming week is the last week I have here until I'm home.

I know. I still haven't said where ~exactly~ I am. And I'm still not.

Gotta keep up my mysterious facade somehow I guess.

\v.v/

Anyway.

This week was my newly made best friend Paige's last week of being here. She leaves on Monday. The 10th. In three days. Sad. But I'm also so happy for her because she's made such amazing progress and I'm so happy for her and proud of her. Like I'm proud of every girl here, but I'm proud of her the most (not including myself because holy cow am I proud of myself!).

We clicked like... almost instantly. And we learned that we had a lot of things in common. Since she leaves a week before me, that means that she was here for only a week before I got here. We were put into the same living area with another girl, but when that girl left, it became just us two. And no girl has been put with us. Sooo we have a lot of fun times together*.

She's from Vernal, which I think is pretty cool. I legit know of no one from wayyy over there. Like, it's basically on the other side of the state, but it's around four or so hours away. And I have no need to go over there. It's by the Colorado and Wyoming borders. She's only SIX days younger than me. She's Mormon too which was a really cool fact to know. I remember one of the first things we did was watch General Conference together with some of the other girls.

We basically have a fish together. I named him Ed after Ed Robertson, my ultimate one true love**. She named him Ed after Ed Sheeran. Because... I dunno... she's dumb I guess?

IDK I DON'T LIKE ED SHEERAN NOT SORRY.

We also do a lot of things around here together. Cook, bake, do yoga, hike, art, etc. Cool generic stuff like that. We've also been canoeing and white water rafting. Legit tons of fun. And when we're having a bad time or if we're struggling in general, we'll hold hands. Just as a "hey girl, you're awesome and you're a great friend and a good person and you can get through this" thing.

It's like a comfort thing I guess. Idk. It works tho.

We've dubbed ourselves Paily.

Paige + Lily = Paily.

We're actually really stupid.

I had her listen to Animal Collective for the first time and she in turn had me listen to Twenty One Pilots for the first time. I'm still not sure how I feel about them, but that's okay.

One time when she got to go home for the weekend, she came back engaged to her boyfriend. Which was honestly so stupid cute. Her boyfriend/fiance is a really lucky dude and I'm really really happy for her.

I'm so glad we've been able to bond over the last few months. I didn't think I was going to attach myself to people and allow myself to open up, but I did and I don't regret it at all. It's one of the best things to know you're not the only one in the metaphoric boat.

--

This was sort of mushy, I think. And that's okay. I'm just glad I made a good friend here. She's staying around here for the week with her family and then the day I get out (TEN DAYS FROM NOW!), I'm going down about two hours to see some close family and some friends, and I'll get to see her one last time before I leave on vacation for two weeks with my mom!

Then work and classes start and it'll be time to become a functioning member of society again. Gross. But I'm so so so soooo looking forward to it!

The Bath & Body Works scent I wore today is the infamous Japanese Cherry Blossom. Of COURSE it's in stock. It's from the Signature Line, and it's a classic. Like they'll never take it away. It'll always be a thing there. It's great. I love it. I think some people either love it or hate it and there isn't a between. Obvs I'm on the side that likes it a lot. Even though people also sometimes thing it smells like old people.

I act like a grandma though, so I don't mind. I have it in the body cream, lotion (only bought it in the lotion because I bought it during the 'Buy 3 Get 3 Free' deal that they were having), fragrance mist, diamond shimmer mist, two shower gels, bubble bath, AND sugar scrub.

I love me my sugar scrub. And apparently I love me that scent. I have it in basically everything. I don't have the soap, sanitizer, candle, or room spray. Although I might have it in a candle. I'll have to look when I get home because we aren't really allowed to have candles but F the police.

ALSO BATH IS STARTING TO BRING BACK THE FALL SCENTS I LOVE ME SOME SWEET CINNAMON PUMPKIN!!!!

The fall and winter scents are legit the best ones out there. I hate spring and summer so that's probably why I don't like the spring and summer scents. I'm floral, fall, and winter scent AF.

And is it really surprising to people that I would be Japanese Cherry Blossom AF as well?

I love you all. Thanks for reading! Links to social media are in my sidebar! Check out my "social media" tab to see what my social media is if you want to know before you choose to follow!

xx

* = They're going to assign me a person to live with when Paige leaves, and of course I want to get to know her as well. I don't want to not talk to the new kid in town, of course.

** = I'm not even kidding, he's my one love. One Week is the Brooklilannah song. NOT SORRY.

Friday Night Musings: Reset

Okay. I'm a little bit afraid of making this post because some of my friends might feel like I'm attacking them. And that's not the case. What I'm going to muse about tonight is not about one person or two people or five people in particular. I don't want my Facebook friends specifically thinking I did this because I don't like them or whatever.

Actually.. total opposite. I love my friends. I love all my friends and I'm so flipping thankful for them. Which is why I did what I did, honestly.

Today I finally got sick of something.

I got sick of seeing my Facebook news feed. I got sick of seeing what people were posting and uploading. None of it was bad, let me be clear. My friends are great and post lovely things.

But I also purposely don't have a lot of friends on Facebook. Honestly, I have less than 100 friends on there. I don't like Facebook and I'm really boring. Those combined make it so I don't want to have friends on there. I'm boring and annoying and no one wants to be my friend and see that crap.

But something inside me snapped and I started thinking to myself "I literally don't care about what these people post. I don't care what they did, I don't care about cats*, I don't care about birds**, I don't care about music***, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. Can y'all PLEASE change your settings to your statuses and pictures to where I can't see them?! I don't want to see this junk on my feed!****". Idk. I've been in a really cranky, grumpy, and all around bad mood this entire week and I just can't shake it.

And I wanted to unfriend people. But then I also thought "Okay. That might make people freak out a little, having a friend less than what they have. And then I'd have to explain why, and that could get messy. And I can't deal with confronting people. I don't want to do that".

So then I backed away for about.. ten or so minutes. And then I thought (for the millionth time) "Hey. I know something that will let me have my cake and eat it too! I can just delete my Facebook for a little bit! I'll be off Facebook and I won't have to see anything and my friends are still friends with me!".

So I deactivated my Facebook account today. And I don't miss it. I really don't. I hate Facebook so much and I hardly ever use it. So with my FB time being non existent now, I can do what I've been doing for only the last few months.

I can keep on working and focusing on myself.

Having time to yourself is great. Working on yourself is great. Finding good things within you is great. It's an awesome feeling to be out in the world (even though the world I'm in now is pretty small, but I'll be out in the REAL WORLD on August 17th... go me!) and doing things that will better you and get you far in life. I'm surrounded by good people here. I've made friends here. I've done things here that I haven't ever done in my life.

So I'm really excited and looking forward to using what I've been gaining here and putting it to use in the "real world". Things are going to be so much better next month (AKA tomorrow.. what whaaat!!) and I think I'm going to continue not being on social media as often as I would. Honestly.. I don't really remember what "life was like" before I came here. I know I did things, but I also remember being so absorbed in what was happening on Tumblr and Twitter and seeing hot selfies on Instagram.

I don't want to be on social media as much as I was before. The amount of refreshing that I was doing on platforms was asinine. So I'm making this a sort of "reset", if you will. I'll eventually get back on Facebook (gotta update homies what I do somehow!), but it won't be tomorrow or the next day. I'm making a personal goal to keep it deactivated until I get back home (on the 17th) so we'll see if I make that goal. I really hope I do.

I don't think my Facebook friends are going to have a problem with this. Odds are they can email me or message me or text me. There are a few ways of reaching me that isn't on Facebook. I can now see why people deactivate or delete social media accounts and start over. That metaphoric reset button is a nice one.

Unrelated but I do this now in my posts, I guess: The Bath & Body Works scent I'm wearing today and tonight is Secret Wonderland. It's online only, and you can get it in the body cream, lotion, perfume, and shower gel. It's heavenly. It's fruity and floral and I love wearing it. I might try wearing it also in the wintertime. The packaging reminds me of a winter night. Who knows.

To resets and smelling good.

xx

* = I like cats. But I would never have one as a pet. I hate cats as pets. I'm a dog person. Not sorry 'bout it.
** = I actually love birds. I love birds so much. I actually ask people if they like birds. Birds for the win.
*** = Obvs I care about music.
**** = It's not actual junk. People are sharing part of their lives to their friends, me included. What my friends post is not actual junk. I love when my friends post pictures of what they're doing and posting statuses about what they're doing. Did you go to the mall today? That's awesome! You took a picture of a cool car you saw, or a picture of a tree? I'm glad you're sharing that cool car or a tree! But honestly... I need to make more friends to balance it out! Haha when you don't have a lot of friends, you end up seeing a lot of the same things! I truly love my friends. And again, I don't want anyone to feel personally attacked. Y'all are great and I love you so much. And besides... you probably think my stuff is junk too. I totally understand it. What did I say about me being boring?! I literally have no life!