The Bucket List… Its a process.

Life. I think an important question about it is: What are you going to do with it? Of course there is a billion other important questions, I'm just choosing to address this one now. I realize that is a loaded question. One I don't even know how to fully answer. In fact, I think everyones answer truly changes over time. 

Some of us address the question with a bucket list. I am one of them. I, of course, have a bucket list for life. One that is mostly full of places I want to see, or things I want to experience. There is also simple things on it, like fall in love, have a job. I can happily say I've done some of the things on my list, but then again it constantly changes as well. Usually when I say that I add more. I'm going to have to live a long ass time to get everything done or be rich and not have to work. So fingers crossed I marry a very rich successful man in medical school who would love to experience these same things. HEY A GIRL CAN DREAM! 

But anyway here is my summer bucket list:

1. Get Pierced. Doubles and Cartilage. Boom. Done. 
2. Do at least one pin off Pinterest a month. (I can now do one I've been dying to do thanks to my lovely parents,who got me a sewing machine for my birthday! love you)
3. Try every favor at Juicestop. (I realize this isn't going to happen for a few reasons. I'm broke, there are A LOT of flavors, and its just going to take a lot of time)
4. Go on an afternoon picnic.
5. Go stargazing.
6. Catch Fireflies.
7. Go to the Zoo. 
8. Mini Golf (I haven't done this in years. Actually, does Lincoln even have one? An outdoor one?)
9. Have a sleep over and make a fort!
10. Find a lake and make it mine.
11. Go to a box-office movie. Or have a movie marathon… like a Ryan Gosling one, because you doesn't want to stare at that man all day?
12. SAVE MONEY. (this in fact is a must. I have big dreams and I'm going to make them happen)

So anyway, there it is. Not that interesting but hey its constantly changing and half the things that usually make my summer aren't ever on the list. But if you're willing to give me some more ideas or want to do one with me, I'M ALL YOURS! Here is to summer. 

Yolo???

 Sorry, I couldn't think of another title. I know, lame. WHATEVER. besides doesn't yolo go with anything. Also because I'm assuming my mom is going to read this, YOLO means you only live once.
          Also I kinda have a problem with that. Its false. You live everyday. You only die once, so really whatever you do isn't going to kill you so you might as well do it. SEIZE THE DAY. So I think its like carpe diem for dumb people. My opinion, sorry for the rant.

Anyway so today I just went out and got up cartilage pierced. I've been thinking about doing it for awhile now just never did. My beautiful friend Sara and I were downtown getting coffee talking about her new piercing when I was like lets go see about getting my cartilage pierced. I walked in, talked to some very friendly tattoo artists and was like LET'S GO! So ya, I just did it. Yes, it was completely safe and sterile. But anyway heres a few pics. 

I guess I've done some thinking lately, probably reading too much Thought Catalog and pinterest quotes but life is meant to be spontaneous and not predictable. I realized life is way more fun that way. Also you could probably say I was predictable but I'm going to try not to be anymore. I want to live a life that constantly keeps me on my toes, wanting more. One that challenges me, makes me have fun and enjoy life. When I die it'd be nice to be someone remembered as being spontaneous by bringing fun,laughter and joy into other peoples lives. So I guess theres to trying to be more spontaneous!

The Six Rules of Maybe

So I just finished reading this book called The Six Rules of Maybe. K, cool, get the laugh out that I'm a nerd and read. WHATEVER, DON'T CARE. Anyway, the whole book is basically about hope, our hope for ourselves, and our hope for others. With that, it ties in how we need to have dreams, face reality (cause sometimes hope just isn't enough), and how we sometimes need to learn to speak and see the truth. Its pretty good… girly and a little young for me but hey, who doesn't love semi-predictable teen novels. Besides I have an author crush on Deb Caletti, so its completely justified. JUDGE ME WORLD. But seriously, I've read all her books (when I was younger), well except one which I'll probably go out and get when I'm done with all my Jodi Picoult books. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HER?!?! 

Here are the six rules:

1. Respect the power of hope and possibilities. Begin with belief. Hold on to it. - so like basically what I got out of it is that we need to dream,have goals, and possibilities. We should take those and run with it because sometimes its all we have. 
2. If you know where you want to go, you're already halfway there. Know what you desire but, more importantly, why you desire it. Then go- Well this give me a some inspiration and motivation. Hey, I know where I want to go, semi why… so thats like a good start, right? But anyway, I kind of actually love this rule. 
3. Hopes and dreams and heart's desires require a clear path- get out of your own way.- Well 1. I realized I don't think I necessarily have a clear path.. yet. One day I will. 2.So I'm going to clear it myself. I'll get out of my own way and stop stopping myself from my hopes,dreams, and desires. ALSO DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T GET IN YOUR OWN WAY. YOU'RE IN DENIAL. SERIOUSLY, LOAD OF BULLSHIT. also not sorry I cussed. This is my blog, I do what I want.
4. Place hope carefully in your own hands and in the hands of others. - Yo, lets be honest, I don't have a freaking clue what this means. Help a sister out?!? I'm assuming maybe it means be careful with your hopes and what they mean and become. Be careful with the hopes you have for others as well. HELL, IDFK.
5. Persist, if necessary.- DON'T GIVE UP.If the hope,dream,desire is what you want and worth it. GO FOR IT.
6. That said, most importantly- know when you've reached an end. Quit, give up, do it with courage. Giving up is not failing- it's the chance to begin again--- Okay Deb. Well said. I can dig it. I get it, at a certain point, when you've reached your robes end and you can't possibly so any farther, you need to stop. Yes its going to suck but guess what, you have the bravery and courage to do so. And most people don't. You didn't fail, somewhere lines didn't cross right, maybe it was someone else's dream, or guess what, maybe that hope or dream changed and you didn't even realize it. GUESS WHAT? ITS OKAY. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE. Such is life.

So yes, that right there is the Six Rules of Maybe, with my take/opinion. I like it. I feel like it kind of gives me a little kick in the butt. "Don't be stupid and give up Paige… but hey when the time comes, you can. It doesn't make you anything less." Thank you Deb. You once again rock. 

I like soul with my pancakes.

So I don't know if I've talked about soulpancake before but if I have bear with me. Its hard to explain what soulpancake is, besides greatness.  On youtube they have their own channel, Y'all should subscribe, but basically they have a whole bunch of videos that should make you smile. Videos about homeless people (I promise its not weird), to different fun things they do out on the street, to this segment called my last days. They also have Kid President and lets be honest, the kid is just freaking adorable. 

I guess thats why I'm writing this post. Yesterday, Zach Sobiech died. While, yes I didn't know him, his story is still inspiring none the less. To be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14 and then at 17 be given only a year to live is certainly a lot to face. He certainly took each and every challenge he was faced with with grace. If I was in his position there would be no way I could handle myself the way he did. He decided to live his life to the fullest. To cherish everyone around him for what they were and what they meant to them. He made this last year worth it. He may have been afraid of death and what he was facing but man he didn't show it. As he was facing his last few months instead of waiting to say those goodbyes or saying them too early, he decided to give those he loved (including himself) closure through song. His song Clouds is a hit on Youtube.Its also my ringtone. Here it is. I hope you enjoy. I also put his My Last Days video, its 22 minutes but I promise its totally worth it. I'll just let you know though… you're going to need tissues, If you don't you don't have a soul. ITS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO CRY!!!! 

The school year in review.

Here's a lot of pictures from my sophomore year of college. Enjoy! 

So as you can see I surrounded myself with some wonderful people. These people made me smile, made me laugh (sometimes so hard I cried). They allowed me to vent, allowed me to be flustered and knew exactly how to unfluster me. They were there when I needed to talk to someone, give me advice, and in derrick's case give me the best music. They allowed me to come out of my shell and explore who I really am and want to be. They push me to be a better person, all I can be all the time. Without these people, my life and year would have been a giant clusterfuck. And I mean that literally. I'm so blessed to be able to call all of these wonderful people my friends and have them be in my life. They have given me so many memories that I will remember the rest of my life. Memories that I hold so dear. So thank you for being apart of my life and blessing me with your friendship and presence.

A post devoted to Thought Catalog

A whole post devoted to Thought Catalog, so sue me. Here are a few ones:

How to want someone you can't have: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/how-to-want-someone-you-cant-have/

11 pop songs that will make you cry: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/10-pop-songs-that-are-surprisingly-emotional/

10 essential songs for the 20-something girl: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/10-essential-songs-for-the-20-something-girl/

6 things 20-somethings want: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/6-things-20-somethings-want/

How to shop at target: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/how-to-shop-at-target-in-20-simple-steps/

This is so very true.

Lastly: 25 things you should know before college 

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/25-things-you-should-know-before-starting-college/

I've been thinking...

So lately I've been thinking…. Yes, I know this is dangerous. Things get interesting when I think, I figure things out, I become more creative, but most importantly I become more of myself. Let's be honest though, I'm in my 20s (well almost… 13 days), this is the time when I'm supposed to find myself. I'm supposed to explore the world and explore what I stand for, become who I want or who I'm meant to be. What's a better way to do that when I'm broke and can't experience the world, then think?!

Recently I've started following Thought Catalog on Twitter. Its hard to explain exactly what it is but basically I like to think of it as little blog posts or articles by different people that have a theme. So instead of reading a 20 something talk to you about her boring life, you get 80 things you should buy for yourself… something along those lines. I know I say this a lot but if you don't follow them on twitter already, you probably should. So basically Thought Catalog tweets or posts multiple times a day, Ill click on the link and read away. Sometimes the articles are funny, sometimes they're about love, sometimes they're about things you should know, but most importantly, they are about life. I'll read it and it always gets me thinking about my life, does this relate to me, to my friends, etc? Or maybe what if I was in that situation? Thus why this post is called I've been thinking… I know, so creative. :)

Here are a few ones I enjoyed when I was going through them earlier today:

I want to know you: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/i-want-to-know-you/

Five Things You Shouldn't Post On Someone's Wall: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/five-things-you-shouldnt-post-on-someones-facebook-wall/

8 things you should quit doing: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/8-things-you-should-quit-doing-if-you-dont-want-to-date-me/

24 lies people tell women: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/24-lies-people-like-to-tell-women/

And lastly, 

19 ways to love yourself: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/19-ways-to-love-yourself/

I hope you all enjoy! I think I may start posting one everyday at the end of a post if thats okay with you guys. Also, if you haven't checked out buzzfeed you should do that too. So funny! Have a lovely week! 

The last few days.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I've been super busy. Between life, work, and being super tired I just haven't gotten around to it. Sorry. Anyhow, the store looks great. Its all done. All the clothes, jewelry and what not are out and look wonderful. We even got done early today! Holla. Nap time it is. So last night, my beautiful friends Sara, Tessa and I went to see The Great Gatsby. If you haven't seen it. GO. NOW. It was so good. Plus Leo is in it and you just can't go wrong with Leo. EVER. He's had my heart since Titanic, lets be honest. The soundtrack… to die for. Anyway… basically go see it. Afterwards we went over to Sara's and made smores. In the microwave of course. It was equal parts messy and delicious. If you haven't tried it, you probably should.

The first day

So yesterday I started my first official day as a Charming Charlie Charmer. Its a store coming to South Pointe and its new to Lincoln. If you've never been to one, you are totally missing out. Its basically a jewelry and accessory heaven for any woman. Trust me, I'm not that much of a girly girl and I've already compiled a list of things I want. 

Anyway, so we started out unloading the truck… It was a semi-truck. BYE. No… it actually wasn't that bad and we set a new record, with about 15 to 20 people it only took us 20 minutes to unload the entire thing. You probably don't think thats very impressive but once you see how many boxes it was, then you will be. We then went through all the boxes by what they were. We first put shoes away. :) thats all I need to say. We then started working on handbags. If I remember correctly we had over 60 boxes of handbags. Needless to say, If I never see a handbag again I'd be perfectly okay. I also found about three different ones I want but that shouldn't come as a surprise. 

Next was jewelry and getting it in its respective color box. That was quite the task when there was about 30+ boxes ( I think, I'm positive there was more). Then we started on apparel. Again let me just say I think I found my new closet. <3 Anyway, as I think you can see, I had a great first day. I didn't expect to be so sore as I am but I think its because of all the heavy lifting. I also think I walked about three miles around the store yesterday. I'm super excited to work there and I'm looking forward to what today is going to bring. Hopefully not another truck full of things… I don't think my back or my wallet will be able to take it. :)

Lincoln friends: YOU HAVE TO COME OUT TO SEE ME AND THE STORE. YOU'LL DIE IN JEWELRY HEAVEN. IT OPENS TUESDAY. I EXPECT TO SEE YOU SOMETIME MY DEARS. :)

Lessons are for learning

           If theres one thing in life I learned its that in everything theres always a lesson to be learned. Sometimes we want to learn the lesson, and other times its forced on us like vegetables when we're kids. Lessons are sometimes easy, sometimes they suck. And when they suck, man... do they suck. I feel with learned lessons it almost always boils down to a I'm right, you're wrong situation. It's always hard to admit we're wrong. Its sometimes even harder to see the faults in the situation and where we went wrong. So what do you do to correct it? You learn your lesson and apologize.   

There are also the learned lessons that aren't the I'm right, you're wrong kind. Those, those suck the most. They are the ones where life just doesn't go as expected. Sometimes its a twist in the story, an unexpected result, or history coming back to just bite you in the ass. Its like just when you have life figured out, had everything squared away, you were on top of everything…. BOOM!!! Life happens, and suddenly you aren't. You're pushed back a few steps. You're left wondering what the hell just happened, why the hell it happened, and how in the world you're going to deal with it. It often takes weeks to get back to normal, to deal with the situation. And thats if it ever does.  But when you finally do get back to normal, you learn your lesson. The journey to learning the lesson wasn't easy. Its often filled with trials and tribulations with some added self-discovery. In the end though, you learn about yourself and others. It may take awhile to see but its worth it. 

With lessons, you learn grace. You learn to have grace in your actions and learn to accept (with grace) that things will not always go your way and honey, there is just nothing you can do about it. This can sometimes be temporary.. and when I say that, I mean it with me. I admit I don't always deal with my lessons with grace. In the end, I maybe find grace in myself when dealing with the results but some how it just doesn't stay long. I end up being back to my shambly self and some how I survive.  Eventually you'll find your peace (this is where I think I find my temporary grace). The lesson is fully learned and you move on. You move on knowing you can face a new day with grace and peace. You've grown. You've experienced this crazy thing we call life. 

 I'll leave you with a quote from Thought Catalog to close: 

"The path is long and unknown but we continue because we know it’s also one of growth and experience". 

Cinco de Mayo

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!! Thats as good as its going to get, guys. Sorry. As a "minor" who can't legally celebrate the holiday (that isn't really a US holiday) with drinks downtown, I just don't care.

Anyway my fifth of may consisted of time well spent with my lovely friends. Started off the morning going to church with Gma. It was lovely. I then proceeded to take my daily nap. I know I really shouldn't but I need to catch up and I had to get up early for church! Its justified! In the afternoon I met up with Sara and went to see Iron Man 3. If you haven't seen it yet…. YOU NEED TO NOW! SOOOOO GOOD. If you ask me it is definitely the best one yet. We then went to her new house and had dinner together with some quality girl talk. Then our friend Andy showed up! YAY! Andy is literally the greatest. He wanted wings so we went downtown to Buffalo Wild Wings… which was not the greatest. I'm pretty sure we were sitting for about 15 minutes before I had to get up and get someone to be our waiter. It was just rough.

As I was leaving Sara's, there was a man outside her house sitting in a running Jeep. Normally I wouldn't be alarmed by this but Sara had mentioned before that he was out there one night a few weeks ago. I called to let her know because as I was walking out he would look at me, look at the house, look down, and repeat. This was creepy. Really creepy. I'm glad I let Sara know because he then got out of his car and walked around the house into the neighboring park. That behavior is shady. I think after that I'm going to be buying some pepper spray. I think I might also brush up on my self-defense. Just in case anything ever does happen because well you never know.

Its the little things.

Today was the first day of summer, and you know what that means…. SNOW! As much complaining as I saw today, I must say I actually enjoyed it. I mean, No, It wasn't the tropical paradise I would have wanted but it was nice. A little unexpectedness in life is nice.

Speaking of unexpectedness, cleaning out my room (and the countless things in it), I stubbled upon a few things today. Things I'm so glad I found. This a picture of what it was (sorry, its crappy. You try taking a picture upside down with a computer… not easy). I stubbled upon these things called warm and fuzzies. Warm and fuzzies is this thing my church does when we go on trips together. What you do is write a nice note to a friend or maybe someone new you just met. Once you're done you put in on the persons clothespin so they can find it! Its supposed to make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside, hints the name :) Anyway, I found some from my last mission trip the summer before my freshman year in college. Did I read them? Of course! I found some from my three favorite people back home, Luke, John, and Kenzie. I started to cry rereading them. It always nice to know that you have people who care, who are always going to be there, and who love you no matter what. I'm always thankful, especially for these three. I also found these challenge cards from a RA board last year on my floor. I've decided, since I (apparently) wanted to accept the challenge, why not get started on it. These will be making it on the summer bucket list, which needs some help at the moment.  SO HELP.  Finding these make me smile. It also made me realize its the little things that can your day. Remember to keep an eye open for the little things.

Since it was the first day of summer, I had to tackle something of my pinterest boards! This is the finished product! Its a jewelry holder, and YES that is mustache fabric. It holds my necklaces, and earrings. I was going to add my bracelets but as you can see by the holder on the drawer, I have a lot of those too. I think I have a problem… and I work at an accessory store. This is going to be interesting. But, Hey a girl can never have too many accessories, right? The accessories bring the outfit together!

Anyhow... enjoy today, tomorrow, and the rest of your life. Remember its the little things that can bring a smile to your face.