Bonus Post: Faces I've caught myself making.

I do this thing that I'm sure other people do where I zone out completely and when I snap out of it, I realize I've been making some completely absurd face. So, I decided to share them with you cause I'm just that incredible. Enjoy.

Things that make me go :D

Here's a list of awesome stuff that I thoroughly love, curated just for your enjoyment:

• Tattly Tattlys are these cool temporary tattoos. The company was started by a mom who was sick of her kids having to wear mediocre temporary tattoos, and it's grown into something certifiably awesome. My Facebook friends may remember the quotation mark tattoos I had on my chest: those were Tattlys.
• Julia Nunes She's a brilliant, beautiful, talented musician who does bunches of awesome covers and incredible originals mainly on ukulele, though she's been known to also play acoustic guitar, melodica, and a cardboard box. Check out her YouTube channel.
• Melted crayon art is a crafting trend recently and I think it's pretty fantastic. I actually did 2 of them for my 2D design class.
• Pocket Hipster The greatest, most sarcastic, witty, vaguely insulting (Free!) music discover app ever.
• TOMS Shoes are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. And even better, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every single pair sold. They're available on their website or probably at your local Tradehome Shoes.
• Single Dad Laughing Dan Pierce is easily one of the funniest, most refreshingly honest bloggers out there. And for those of you who, like myself, don't have kids, don't worry. This is not just a daddy blog....
• Threadbanger For those of you also obsessed with DIY and crafty stuff, boy do I have a YouTube channel for you. Check out the fun, quippy, and cleverly named Threadbanger on YouTube for tons of cool ideas and tutorials.
• Mental Floss Mental Floss magazine is for the intellectually inclined among us. I was that weird kid who really liked going to school, and so a magazine geared specifically toward telling me awesome things I don't know is pretty much a dream come true.
• 1001 Journals is an art project based on community. You can do your own journal, do one with your friends, launch one and give it to a stranger, or pretty much any other way you can think of to share one.
• TheSixtyOne is an online music discovery sight that really can't be explained except to say that it's awesome and you should check it out.
• Uke Hunt is a ukulele blog with everything from reviews to books to tabs and tutorials. If you can get past the only vaguely inappropriate name, it's a really super blog.

Well, That's what I've got for you today, folks. Hope you enjoyed and found something new to love. Later!

Hair dye tips and tricks

    So, basically I just watched a YouTube video of some idiotic 14 year old dip-dying her hair and it really annoyed me. So, instead of being a moron and leaving tons of spiteful comments, I'm going to bestow my hair coloring knowledge upon all of you. I use semi-permanent rainbow colors mostly. Manic Panic is my go-to, but I also occaisionally use Splat. Enjoy.

• GLOVES. I cannot stress this enough. Your hands will be stained some insane color if you/the person doing your hair doesn't wear gloves.
• If, for some obnoxious reason you decided to ignore my last suggestion, shampoo is the best thing to use when attempting to wash dye off of your hands/face/feet/wherever else you managed to get it.
• I have one towel that I use only for dying my hair. That way the rest of my towels aren't gross. I recommend going to Target and just buying one cheap towel to designate as your "dye-towel."
• If you're dying your whole head of hair, the best way I've found to get really vibrant color consists of 3 steps: 1) Put your dye on once you don't have anywhere else to be for the night, wrap your head in saran wrap. Yes, saran wrap. Then cover everything in a shower cap. 2) Just in case, put a crappy pillowcase on your pillow and/or cover your pillow with your dye-towel. Sleep with the dye in. 3) Rinse the following morning with cool or luke warm water until the water runs mostly clear. 
• The plastic wrap part is essential because it keeps the dye wet the whole time, which allows it to penetrate your hair more effectively. 
• If you don't have and don't want to buy a tint-brush, a cheap toothbrush from the dollar store will work in most cases. 
• If you're bleaching/lightening your hair, I cannot stress enough the importance of conditioning your hair every time you wash it, and going easy on straightening/blow drying your hair to avoid serious damage.
• Buy more product than you think you'll need. It's better to return an unused package than to have to go to the store with half a head of purple hair to buy another.

    Well, that's all I've got for you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Also, check out Manic Panic on their website. They have tons of colors of vegan-friendly, vibrant hair color. Enjoy!

And the World Spins 'Round....

    Today some people died, some people were also born. Some people were told they had cancer, some people were told that their surgery went well and they will live many more years. Some people got married today, and someone's daughter went on her first date. Today I watched movies and made grilled cheese sandwiches and bought a melon with my friend. I gave myself another henna tattoo and took a nap. I opened my window to let in the sunshine, and I sewed a pocket on a shirt. I didn't do anything extraordinary today; but yet, in some way my life, my being alive, made a difference to someone. 

    It's genuinely incredible to think about all of the amazing things that go on around us. I remember the summer before I started college, I was working in a pizza place and it was 9 or 10 at night when this man came in, on top of the world. He came up to the counter and told me that his wife had just had a baby, a little girl. He showed me photos and told me how happy he was. Then he got his pizza and he went back to his wife and his brand new daughter, but for a few minutes, I got to be a part of one of the most important days of that man's life, the day he became a dad.

    That memory will always stick with me. Even though plenty of people I know will have babies and get married and live and die. I think it's the fact that I didn't know that man or his wife, but he so gleefully allowed me to be a part of his story, and the very beginning of his daughter's life. Ever since that night, I've thought a little more about the things that go on around me, and to tell you the truth, it's a pretty remarkable world we have.

Graduation 2012

    Another year has come and gone, and that means another class of Seniors leaves the Blackburn community for the life they're meant to lead. Many of these people have meant a lot to me and have helped me with homework, moving, or just by being amazing friends. I am proud to have been able to share in their lives for two awesome years. I have sung with them in choir, studied beside them in class, had fun with them at college events, and dined with them at dinner. The class of 2012 is full of some very special people and I feel very blessed to call them my friends.

    So, Class of 2012, I leave you with the words of Genesis 31:49, "May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another."

Congratulations and best of luck in every future endeavor.

Magical Things About College: Part 1

• If you're not tired, NOBODY MAKES YOU GO TO BED ANYWAY!
• If you have no real food, Chex Mix and Mountain Dew is a completely acceptable substitution.
• If you want to stay up until 6am and then sleep until 3:30pm on Saturday, nobody cares!
• "Laundry Day" is a magical phrase which excuses wearing ANY combination of absurd, back-of-your-closet clothing.

    On that note, my dear readers, I bid you goodnight (or good morning) because it's 5am and I have somewhere to be at 11. TTFN.

Blackburn: Home Away from Home

    So, I found a scholarship that requires me to write a short essay on why my school is special. I could spend my time telling you about how Blackburn is located in a small town with a low crime rate, about our great faculty-to-student ratio, how our Softball team did incredibly this year, how we were ranked #2 best value in the Midwest by US News,  or how we are the only school in the country student-managed work program. However, that stuff is just what makes Blackburn good, what makes Blackburn great, is the people.

    With less than 600 students, Blackburn is personal to say the least. It’s virtually impossible to get lost in the crowd. If you’re not in class, somebody notices and calls you to make sure you’re okay. My advisor, Bob, not only knows my name and what I’m studying, he remembers my sister and what she wants to study when she gets to college, he knows my parents’ names and what they do for  living. When you come to Blackburn it’s hard not to feel welcome. Upperclassmen in your discipline or your dorm welcome you, ask if you need any help, help you carry your boxes in to your dorm. You walk into choir and older singers immediately welcome you in with a hand shake, a hug, and questions about your range, your experience, what you’re studying, where you’re from. There’s always someone up for a trip to nearby Springfield or St. Louis. I feel especially lucky because not only do I have awesome friends, I have two amazing roommates who not only have fun with me, but will stay on me about studying and homework. The people in the work program are also a huge part of what makes Blackburn unique and amazing. Your bosses aren’t just there to make sure the work gets done; they’re there to help you network, build a resume, and help you plan for the future.

    Here at Blackburn, we aren’t just a college or a community, we’re a family, and that’s what makes us really special.

This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.