New Changes!

I basically have had the same hair for the last 12 years. Yeah, I've change the color a bit, from blonde and brown to pink or blue, green or purple. But the cut and style has pretty much been the same for soo long. It is time for a change. 

But being me, of coarse, a change isn't going to come easily. I have trouble committing to new things especially when it comes to hair. I've loved having the same long hair for such a long time that I'm not quite sure if I'm able to do anything else.

But I'm pretty sure something new is just what I need right now! So I took some of my older clip in extensions and went to work playing around with them in different ways to see what my options were..

Here's a couple that I narrowed it down to. 

First, I went for some bangs. I had full bangs once when I was younger and longer side swept bangs off and on a few times over the years. but I'm so scared of the commitment of bangs that I don't know if I could ever go back. So here's sort of how it turned out. 

(I felt the bangs deserved a sassy face! Who agrees?)

Surprisingly not too bad. I like that they hide my big forehead hahah. But they looked much better without my glasses on. The glasses I felt sort of clashed with the bangs. I also wasn't sure how I liked them straight down, pulled a bit to the side suited me a little better. But I'm still not sure if they suit me at all!

Another thing I tried out was shorter hair. I haven't had my hair cut short in so long I can't even remember. I've just always loved having long hair!

But I kind of really loved it! The only thing that really sways me is I wear my hair up in a bun a LOT. Mostly because I'm so sick of my hair I never want to do anything with it. But I also just really love a big messy bun! 

(Of course Snapchat filters are the ultimate test!)

I'm also torn between growing out my natural color, which I've been doing for the past several months. Or going with a completely new color. I've been going to a darker brown color for a long time. I've also done burgundy a few times over the last couple of years. All of which I love. 

I'm so undecided and afraid of change when it comes to my hair! I don't know why, it's just hair. It can always be changed and it will grow back fresh and new. Plus I always have my extensions to help me out. 

So now I'm asking for your opinions! Which of the above two do you like best? Anything else you think might look good on me? Any input or suggestions would be so greatly appreciated!! 

Heres to changes, whether big or small! Enjoy your weekend no matter where you are. Be safe. Be happy. And always stay humble and kind. <3

Family, near death experience, campfires, and bears!

View of the Blue Ridge mountains from one of the overlooks. Taken with my iPhone 6 in panoramic mode.

This time last week we were packing up the truck and headed to Virginia for a family reunion. We were all camping at Big Meadows campground, and it was a blast!
Ive never been to Shenandoah National Park, but its on my bucket list to visit every National Park! So I was pretty excited. Camping is one of my favorite things to do and Shenandoah is a beautiful place! So heres a full run down of my weekend:

Thursday morning we left for a 5 hour drive down to Virginia. It was long and boring, but the closer we got, the more beautiful the view! My excitement grew by the minute. We brought the doggos with us, so we made a few pit stops to allow for bathroom breaks and snacks/drinks. My dogs arent the best behaved in the car, so we took them for a walk in the 90-something degree weather to tucker them out, hoping theyd sleep through most of the ride there. (They did!) We finally reached Skyline Drive and I was so anxious I could barely sit still. My motion sickness meds were wearing off and the road was hilly and curvy. Plus the beauty all around was unbelievable. I could not wait to get out of the car! We stopped at a few overlooks before making our way to the campground. Setting up after a long drive is always a stressful time, so among all of the commotion I had a little break down/anxiety attack and wished I had just stayed home by myself. By the end of the weekend I was so glad I didnt! So Thursday evening was basically just us setting up, eating campfire food, and relaxing. Nothing relaxes you quite like hanging around the campfire on a cool summers evening. My happy place.

The dogs all packed up and ready to hit the road to Shenandoah!

Friday was the main day for all of the reunion festivities. We were planning on having food and laughter all day. We did not disappoint. In the morning my family had our usually camp breakfast of eggs and potatoes that always seem to taste better when youre camping.. Then we went out for a little ride around the park to see some sights and get some photos. I was so breath-taken by how unbelievably beautiful the views were up there on that mountain. I mean, I knew it would be beautiful..but it was so beyond anything Id imagined. Im the kind of person who really seeks the beauty in the world, and I dont take things like this for granted. This world always surprises me.. I have such a love and appreciation for mother nature. I could have sat there and stared into her creation for hours. But, it was time to head back to the campground and get the food started. So me and my mom heated up our 300-ish meatballs we had prepared and froze before we left and took them down to the reunion site. Everyone else (mostly) was already down there and hanging out. My mom has 8 brothers and sister, all but 2 were able to show. I have family all around the world, so its s soo great (and rare) to have them all in one place at one time. My uncle from Italy, aunt from Oregon, and uncle from California had all made it. As well as most of the local crew and Marylanders. We were just missing Uncle Larry from Singapore! A few of my moms aunts uncles and cousins made their way out too, which was super cool! I hung around for a bit, had something to eat and chatted with some family before my anxiety couldnt handle anymore and I had to head back up to our site to see what the pups were up to. (In the park you cant leave your food out due to bears, so either me or my dad was always at our site with the dogs, who arent great in large groups, and the coolers. So now it was my turn to babysit) Me and my cousin had a cute t-shirt craft planned for the kids..and any adults who were interested. So later in the evening everyone fled up the hill to our campsite to participate in the cute hand print campfire craft I had prepared. They all turned out so cute, and I couldnt have been happier! My sister and her boyfriend couldnt come until after work on Friday, so they didnt make it until around 9:45 that night, but we hung out and had a great time regardless. There were so many stars, I spent quite some time just laying their looking up. I even got to try out Astrophotography for the first time! I loved it and cant wait to do some more!

Left: "Stanton Clan" campfire hand print t shirt craft I did with the kids! Photo taken with my moms Samsung Galaxy S6 Active.
Right: Photo of the stars that night. Taken with my Canon T1i.
Saturday we kind of planned on everyone doing their own thing, hikes, sightseeing, etc. So we thought me, my sister, and her boyfriend would go off on a falls trail while my parents stayed back with the dogs, then wed switch. The hike we chose said it was moderate, ending at an 81 foot waterfall. I was so excited, because waterfalls are one of my favorite things to photograph! And one of my favorite sights ever! The hike down wasnt too bad, I actually really enjoy getting out into nature and hiking. It helps me relax, clears my head, and reminds me of where I belong. We finally could hear the water, and knew it was close! We finally reached the falls and were..so disappointed. I guess we were at the top of the fall? It must have been a little dry to, because there wasnt much water flowing. And we all felt defeated knowing wed have to hike back up the mountain and all for a waterfall the was totally not worth it. :( Still, I wanted to sit there and relax a bit. I still wanted to try and get some photos and we had to try out my dads new life straw. So I got out there and found some decent views to photograph, my sisters boyfriend got his adrenaline rush by holding himself out over the edge like an idiot, and my sister sat there grumpily because she doesnt like nature as much as she thought..hiking isnt her thing..and shes terrified of heights. (on top of a mountain is not the best place to be when youre afraid of heights, is it?) So we hung out there for a half an hour or so then packed up and headed back up the mountain. We did not expect what came next. The hike back up was so much worse than we had anticipated. The elevation made it more difficult to breathe, it seemed much more steep on the way up, it was hot, and the added weight of my camera bag did not help at all. We had planned on taking our time on the way back, but even then it took us much longer than we thought it would. I had to take a LOT of breaks. Drank a lot of water (I didnt bring nearly enough though :/) And I still felt exhausted and over exerted. Finally, after an hour and a half, we could see the car! We were almost there..until.. I felt an uncontrollable need to puke. I had held it back a few times on the way up, but this time I just couldnt.. So I sat down on a rock 50 feet from the parking lot and let it go. My sister and her boyfriend had made it all the way up, so they brought me back some water and a cold pack to put on my neck. Once I let my body rest, and..release..I could finally walk the last few feet to the car and we were on our way back to the site. Where I layed in the hammock and didnt plan to move for the rest of the day! By the end of it I hated that hike..but I am still proud of myself for completing it. And I still enjoyed being out in nature, so it wasnt all bad after all. That evening everyone gathered around again for some more laughs and good times. My mom hung out with her family while the rest of us stayed back at our site, cooked a delicious dutch oven dinner, and had a good time of our own. I wasnt leaving that hammock for much..but that food was worth it. ;)

Results of a strenuous hike. burned a crazy amount of calories and had a ridiculous number of active minutes. Worth it!

Sunday was time to leave, so we didnt really do anything but pack up and hit the road. I was a little disappointed that we were the only ones all weekend who hadnt seen a bear..that was until the road out! I saw my first ever bear in the wild. It looked young. I didnt get any pictures of it since it ran back into the woods as soon as it saw us/heard the dogs bark. but I saw it, so that was enough for me! My trip was complete! That weekend the ducks turned 18 weeks old, so we were hoping to see our first eggs when we got home! Unfortunately, there were none. But they had been cooped up for 4 days, so I let them out and by the night I had completely forgotten to put them back in..but I was surprised to see OUR FIRST EGG the next morning when I woke up. She must have been saving it for me to come home ;) She layed it right outside her pool. I was so proud of my big girl! All grown up and laying eggs like a pro. Her first few were tiny little things. But they have strong shells and and growing in size every day. She'll be a great layer, and I cant wait to try my first duck egg!

Savannahs first egg, laid July 25.
I think my favorite thing about Shenandoah was how beautiful the nature all around was. There were deer walking right through the campground, through people sites. There were honey bees pollinating the wildflowers. An unpolluted night sky with endless amounts of stars. And breathtakingly beautiful views everywhere you turn. I cant wait for my next trip there.
Here are a few more of my favorite photos from the weekend:

 One of the few photos I got from our hike to the Waterfall. Taken with my Canon T1i.

 A baby deer that was grazing by our campsite with its mother. Taken with my Canon T1i.

 Breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Taken with my Canon T1i.

 View from an overlook on our way out. Taken with my iPhone 6.

 Honeybee pollinating some wildflowers on our campsite.

 Darla keeping guard, taking in all of her surroundings. My beautiful girl. Taken with my Canon T1i.

 Dutch oven dinner staying warm over the fire. Taken with my Canon T1i.

Two baby deer grazing on the site across from ours. Taken with my Canon T1i.

Have you been to Shenandoah? What was your favorite thing about it? Id love to hear about your experiences there. Im so excited for my next camping trip and cant wait to get back out into nature! Have a beautiful week wherever your are in the world. And remember to stop and take in the beauty that is all around us in nature.
Stay Humble & Kind. <3

Top 3 Week. Day 4: Drug Store Mascaras

Hey beauty,

As I hope you know by now, this week I am doing my Top 3's. Feel free to follow my blog so you can see when the next one goes live! These are my own unbiased opinions based on my personal preference and experience. As always leave me know your top 3 down in the comments! Todays top 3 is my 

Top 3 Drug Store Mascaras

This has been by far my hardest top 3 this week trying to decide the order. Mascara is one of those things that can be either amazing or a total bust. Its can be very hard to find your perfect mascara, so not everyone is willing to fork out big bucks to try all of the prestige brands. And believe me, I almost prefer using drug store brands sometimes. (And even drug store prices are getting up there!) Ive tried a LOT of different drug store mascaras, and I think Ive finally pinned my top 3 picks.

3. My number three spot is going to have to go to Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition. (Which Im just finding out they no longer make) This was the one with the primer/base on one end and mascara on the other. I loved this one because the base was amazing! I first saw this mascara in a Kandee Johnson video and knew I had to try it..I had never used a mascara primer before and was so into the idea! I will never understand why companies discontinue products that their customers love..I know this had to be one of their top mascaras, so it doesnt make sense to me that theyd stop making it. I contemplated choosing a different product that is still available, but this really was my top 3 :(

2. Second choice is Covergirl Lashblast Clump Crusher. I absolutely love the brush/wand on this mascara. It is curved with the both sides being different. The curved shape, I feel, makes it easier to get in there and coat your lashes without making a mess of your eyelid or misshaping your lashes. The one side loads the mascara onto your lashes, while the other "combs the clumps" so you get voluminous lashes without the clumps and blobs. (Im not one of those girls who likes spidery lashes..I like the full, separated look.) 

1. Finally, my top pick is Revlon Grow Luscious. Again, Revlon has discontinued all of their best mascaras and have come out with a whole new line of products.. This has been on my favorites list for years now. This mascara gave the most beautiful voluminous, long, full lashes. The formula was also supposed to help them to grow! I just loved the way it coated and separated my lashes. They always looked so long and full, and I got compliments on my lashes ALL the time! I am beyond mad that they no longer sell this product, and I dont know what Im going to do about the fact that Ill never be able to purchase it again! :'(

So really, with 2 of my products being discontinued, I guess this post doesnt make a whole lot of sense, but these were my top three, Im so disappointed that Revlon has gotten rid of two of my favorite products! Let me know your favorite drug store mascaras! I guess now I need to find some new favorites!

Nonetheless, I hope you are still enjoying this Top 3 series and please leave me suggestions for other Top 3's you would like to see in the future!

XOXO
Always stay humble & kind.

TGIF!

Phew..what a stressful week. THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY! I am so ready for a pamper filled weekend. 

Monday night I barely slept because Tuesday morning my pup went in for surgery. He had an enlarged testicle (which the vet said was most likely cancerous, but almost certainly hadnt/wouldnt spread) that we were having removed, and I was soo nervous. Hes a pretty old doggo. Hes probably around 14 years old.. and I had been told before by another vet, that the older the dog the higher the risk when going under anesthesia. And although the vet who was operating on him told us not to worry, there was less than a 1% chance of anything going wrong, that was still going through my mind all day. He went in at 8 am and by 1 we still hadnt heard anything so we gave them a call. A huge sigh of relief when they told us he was fine and we could pick him up at 3:45. A little added stress when the doctor told us when we picked him up that if he had taken a look at Rascals blood work before he did the surgery he never would have done it at all. His white blood cell count was really low and he was at risk of bleeding out on the operating table. Which is so terrifying, my heart stopped when I heard that. Luckily, he didnt bleed at all and everything went over great. But he is now on special food for his kidney. He has a cone for 2 whole weeks, but he is doing so well. Hes eating pretty good, although yesterday he went most of the day without eating (which is okay, we were told its normal for him to lose his appetite for a day or two) He is getting around really well, it took him a day or so to get used to the cone, and he still has trouble with it when he wants to lay down, but Im here to help him whenever he gets caught up. And on top of all this with my dog, I woke up Tuesday morning feeling like I had gotten hit by a truck. I am starting to feel a little better now, but Im definitely still relaxing and getting in plenty of rest to kick this thing in the butt. 

So finally, now its Friday, and I think Ill start my pamper weekend with a little shopping. Lane Bryant is having a sale on jeans and its also time to redeem real women dollars. ($70 jeans for $20, why the hell not?!) I also want to get myself a new lens or two for my Florida trip coming up in March. Then I think Ill give myself a little pedicure while I do a facial mask, a hair treatment, and some teeth whitening. I still have a few shows on Netflix and HBO I have to catch up on. (I should have my new book arriving in the mail today too) So while Im sitting there looking like a weird monster, Ill probably sip on some tea and watch some great TV, with my little cone head by my side. Theres nothing better, after a stressful week, than an awesome pamper weekend. And its great to start of your next week (especially after being sick) feeling all new and refreshed! 

I hope you all have a stress-free weekend yourself & maybe do a little pampering of your own. Always stay humble and kind. <3

Snowed In!

This weekend, here in southeast Pennsylvania, we are in the midst of a blizzard! We are right on the line between 12-18" and 18-24", and I am so ready for whatever is to come! We never really got any good snow last winter, so we are definitely due. ;)

So, since well be stuck in the house for a few days.. (state of emergency! :o ) Ive gotten myself fully prepared! Ive got a nice big stack of wood, just outside the back door, to keep the fire going so we will stay cozy and warm! And ive got myself a few projects lined up to keep myself occupied!

I think Ive mentioned on here before that I am working on making myself a blanket for my bed. Ive been working on it for a few months, but had to put it on the back burner to work on some christmas presents, so Im not as far along as I really should be.. :/ but Im totally fine with that because Ive got plenty to work on this weekend now! :)

I also headed over to our local Aldi and picked up this adorable little animal crochet kit I saw in this weeks ad. I just had to have it! The kit was only $10 and it comes with a little book that shows you how to make 12 different animals, and all of the supplies to make 2 of them. :) mine makes a bunny and an adorable little koala that I am so excited to make! (It also has instructions for an alpaca and a sheep, which are soo stinking cute I cant even contain myself)

We are fully stocked up on dough, crescent rolls and cheese, to make a delicious pizza twists and wreaths. And a brand new deck of cards against humanity, which with my family will be a dangerous night! I wouldnt be surprised if we all die of laughter. Oh, and Ive got a few episodes of Younger to catch up on..not to mention an huge list of Netflix shows..and GOT..that I also need to catch up on..so Ive got plenty to watch too!

You know..snow is one of those things that so many people hate and want nothing to do with. But I actually really love it. Its so magical and beautiful. Just the way it makes me feel as I watch it fall and glisten..it just warms me up from the inside. I think more people need to stop and just take in the beauty that is all around us. 

Ive been seeing a lot of hate and bitterness around lately, and Ive really been trying so hard to spread love and kindness. To help those people see that life isnt fun with hatred in your heart. Sometimes you need to just let it go and let it be filled with love and light. Yesterday I saw Tim McGraws new video for his song Humble And Kind, and Ive been singing it constantly. Those are truly the greatest words to live by.

So heres to love, happiness, winter storms, hot cocoa, and crocheted alpacas! Enjoy your weekend no matter where you are. Be safe. Be happy. And always stay humble and kind. <3

Sometimes I just need to vent..

Warning: This post contains lots of rambling.
          Today I saw an article my cousin had shared on Facebook. It talked about how your dogs might be getting older, their days growing shorter..and how we might not take the time needed to just sit with them, look them deep in their eyes and let them know how much we love them and how much they mean to us.
          This article touched me, not because it made me realize that I need to spend more time with my dogs, I get down on the floor with my babies every chance I get and just love them. But because it reminded me that there are people out there who forget that our dogs need just as much love and attention as the rest of the family.
          Reading this article, with tears in my eyes, also got me thinking. Thinking about all the dogs in shelters, especially the older doggies who are over looked because people don't want to adopt a dog who's days are numbered..they want a young pup who they can watch grow and learn.
          My heart is breaking for those poor babies stuck in shelters. Who spent their whole lives loving someone or some family.. only to be dropped at some shelter to spend their days confused and alone.
          Visiting local shelters to see the dogs (and donate much needed items, which I highly recommend everyone do from time to time!) is a common occurrence in my family. And I couldn't tell you how many dogs Ive seen cowering in a corner, terrified of everything. Or how many cards I've read that said the family just could no longer take care of them or they moved and can't bring the dog.. Just thinking about that now is getting me a little choked up.. I wish I could save them all and show them the love they deserve.
          I'm not sure the purpose of this post..or where I'm going with it.. I guess I just need somewhere to vent and express my thoughts. Maybe it will touch someone and they'll go adopt a dog in need and give it a forever home and unconditional love.. Most of all I just hope this will open someones eyes.
          If you have a dog, go hug it. Feed it a treat. Tell it you love it, it might not be able to understand the words, but I promise they can feel it. If you have the time and a few spare dollars, call your local shelter and ask what they need most, buy a bag of dog food or cat food, donate old sheets and towels, even a small donation of $20 is much appreciated.. Or if you're looking for a new fur baby, please adopt! And not just the cute little babies. Remember that older dogs need loving homes too. <3


Have a beautiful day.
Believe. Dream. Explore. & Be nice to people. & animals.