Welcome to a New Year!

Welcome to my blog in 2014!! How crazy does that sound?  Hopefully, this year will bring great things.  I don't necessarily want a new Arielle, more like an improved Arielle...Arielle 2.0. I'm really excited about starting this year out with goals set and realistic ways of reaching those goals!

I started this year in a sparkly gold top hat.  I highly suggest that all of you try starting the year in a gold top hat. It is highly worth it!  Everyone I met, strangers I passed, they all wished me a happy new year since I looked festive. It was fun.

Drumroll please...I would like you to meet my daughter, Matlida.

Isn't she beautiful?  Sometime soon I'm going to repaint her pot because I really hate the color orange...unless it's on a leaf, or a pumpkin, or a pumpkin pie.

Highlights of past and future week:
I got my tags for Lil' Jeepie taken care of.

I got to see one of my favorite people, Bek!  We had  dinner and it was awesome to see her. One of the things I love most about our friendship is that we are always able to pick up right where we left off. And one of my resolutions is to see her more often.

I saw American Hustle. Totally awesome. Amy Adams rocked my world.

Next weekend I'm going to Orlando for work. I'm sooo excited about warm weather. And on Sunday we are going to Universal Studios and Harry Potter World. Two of my loves combined in one day, HARRY POTTER AND ROLLER COASTERS!! YES!!

And last of all, I got a gift certificate for a free month at World's Gym.. It expires on February 15th.  I've been going to their classes. I've done a spin class, 4 yoga classes, and will do an ab class on Monday. I've never done yoga classes before and I must say that I'm becoming obsessed!

Getting Things Done!

WOO WOO!! Guess who's back in the blogging world? ME!!

 My wonderful co-worker Mel and I decided that we would be each other's accountability partners for everything in life, which includes our life goals and our tiny goals such as cleaning the living room or going to the bank. We write out our goals and give them to each other so we can help encourage and check on each other. I LOVE IT! It has made me stop wasting so much time watching makeup tutorials on youtube and start doing stuff that makes me feel like I've accomplished something.  When I was making up my initial list of goals, I remembered how much fun I had blogging and how I would look forward to posting about random or completely useless topics about my life.  So I figured I would add blogging to my to-do list.  My goal was to post by Dec 31st so I'm totally winning at life right now.

I finally finished Anna Karenina.  My sister told me to read it. Glad I did. The last paragraph is one of the best endings to a book I have ever read.  So lovely. Next, I'm going to re-read the Hobbit because I want to read the Lord of the Rings. I read the Fellowship, and half of the Two Towers in High School and that was as far as I got. I'm just going to start over and make things easier for myself.

HIGHLIGHTS of my past and future week:

• Christmas came and went and it helped stock my poor kitchen
• My whole family was in town and I love them. 
• I finished Anna Karenina
• I cleaned my entire apartment. I mean CLEANED!

• I need to get my Jeep tags renewed because they're expired...shhh! Don't tell the authorities.
• NEW YEARS EVE!!  I have no idea what I'm going to be doing, but I think I'll paint my nails silver and curl my hair for the occasion.

That is all. Part of the reason I stopped blogging in the first place was because of silly posts like this that don't really inform you of anything important. But I'm not blogging for the reader anymore (sorry); I'm blogging for me. So there is going to be a lot more where this came from!

I'm not a "Hippie", I'm a "Free Spirit"

I can now say that I haven’t used real shampoo or conditioner in my hair for about four months!  Instead I have been using baking soda and water as my shampoo and apple cider vinegar and water as my conditioner.  Hooray for being natural.  I’ve been doing a lot of research and my outcome is this: shampoo is bad and conditioner is excessive.  Shampoo harshly strips your hair of ALL of its oils (even the good ones that moisturize and make your hair shiny and pretty),  so your scalp goes into overdrive to replenish those oils.  Add the replenished oils to the conditioner you put on after you shampooed and you have one greasy head.  Then the next day, you see how greasy your hair is so once again you wash it (strip it) and then condition it.  It is a vicious cycle.  So the reason most people have to wash their hair every day is because they wash their hair every day.  Make sense?  Also,  shampoo has ingredients that are quite bad for you.  Here is a link that will explain more.  Most people who transition to the No-Poo movement (that is seriously the name of it, I couldn’t make that up) experience a nasty and greasy transition period because they aren’t stripping their hair anymore but their scalp is still in overdrive mode creating all those oils.  If you know me at all, then you are probably well aware that I’m not the most hygienic person.  I never washed my hair that often, therefore I had no transition period.  I was a perfect candidate.  Also, I have received so many compliments on my hair since I switched!  No, my hair does not smell like vinegar after I shower.  It has no scent.  That is the only thing I miss is having my hair smell like shampoo. There are also less extreme ways to help your hair such as using shampoos that have no sulfates or parabens, or you can start washing your hair less often.  

So I get to check something else off of My Life's To Do List.  I finally completed a quilt.  About time.  I actually finished the quilt in May, then I decided to hand embroider Céo's name onto her quilt.  I procrastinated and finally gave it to Ivan and Ariel to take home two weeks ago.  It was so great to spend time with them and see my beautiful niece again.  She is soooo smiley.  You just have to look at her and she will give you the cutest grin.  She is easily entertained like me....and Ariel...and Ivan.  It is a good trait to have. I love her so much.   

While I was in town I got to go to the Razorback game.  It made me realize how much I miss going to the games.  Someday I hope to have season tickets. Hooray for the Hogs.

Here are some pics of the quilt I made for little baby Céo.

Thanks to Staci Hurst for taking pics for me!  

I've already started my next quilt, but I'm really excited about my new art project.  Here is a pic of my inspiration.

This is what I'm trying to create

 Thank you pinterest for the idea. Today I drew the pattern on my canvas and tomorrow I'm going to start cutting it out.  Hooray for creating. 

I've been stretching every night this week which makes me feel healthy and tomorrow I'm going to try a new workout.  We'll see how it goes.  Maybe I'll become one of those people that works out every day  and feels bad if they miss a workout...I doubt it.  My room has stayed relatively clean so far this semester.  That's a plus. 

Well, thanks for tuning in.

joie de vivre

Well Summer is over. I came back to Little Rock yesterday. School starts on Thursday. I actually frowned when I typed that last sentence.  I had a nice vacation in Fayetteville all summer.  Here are some tidbits from the summer.  As I have previously mentioned I got to go to Wakarusa and see Mumford and Sons.  That is a probably number one on the list of Summer Highlights.  Such an experience.  Speaking of lists, I have been working on a list entitled "My Life's To Do List."  Just like a Bucket List with a more Arielle title.  I keep adding new things to it and I hope I never stop.  Well, this summer I have been able to cross off two things off of my list.  That is an accomplishment.  One of which was to do Karaoke.  That's right.  I had never sang Karaoke.  I love to sing, just not for people. I'm constantly singing obnoxiously when I'm by myself and it slips out a bit around people but I try to spare them.  I can't actually say I sang during my first time seeing as how my debut song was duet to "Baby Got Back" with my friend Becky. It was a pretty awesome performance.  The second one I crossed off was skinny-dipping.  Sorry mom.  Don't worry, no boys were looking.   Part of me wants to post my entire to-do list on my blog but part of me wants to keep it a secret.  I think I'll keep it a secret for now.
 I read ten books over the summer.  I love reading.  The book I read while I was in Florida was Tuesdays with Morrie recommended by my friend Hartleigh.  I feel like everybody should read that book.  It is full of life lessons.
I attended my friend Libby's wedding and she definitely gets the award for best wedding reception EVER.  So much fun.  Jordan Hurst also wins an award for super fun plus one.  So many of my friends were there and it turned into a crazy dance party.  When I was leaving the reception, an older man in a bow tie came up to me and said "I don't know what kind of drugs you were on, but it sure was a pleasure to watch you dance up there."  I'm taking that as a major compliment since that statement is the opposite of this statement: "You sure are boring."  I'll take what I can get.
I've been thinking a lot about not just going through life but actually living it and taking advantage of it.  That is why I've been working on my list.  I think the biggest fear for my life would be mediocrity.  How dull.  Hopefully, by working towards crossing things off my list, when I look back on my life I will view one that is full of experiences and worthwhile memories.  One memory I have from this summer that will stick with me came from Florida.  While at the beach I saw a dolphin jump completely out of the water.  It was very magical.
One of my new favorite TV shows is No Reservations on Travel Channel.  I like living vicariously through Anthony Bourdain. (yes I realize that last sentence completely contradicts the theme of this post.) It gives me ideas of where I want to travel.  Everybody keeps asking me if plan on going back to Fayetteville after I graduate.  I don't really want to, not right away at least.  I'm yearning for adventure and I don't see that happening in Northwest Arkansas.  But I do see it happening in...let's say...Barcelona for example.  The grass is always greener on the other side.  I'm sure there are some Barcelonians out there wishing to experience the thrill of Fayetteville.  Since travel costs money I don't see it in my near future.  I guess it is just up to me to start some adventure no matter where I am.

Surprise!

Hooray! It's a surprise blog posting.  I'm starting to feel like a dork constantly posting my blog updates on Facebook so this one is unannounced.  That way I can get a feel of how many people have my blog listed in their bloglines and don't rely on facebook. My blog is going global.  People from other countries are starting to read it.  I do actually know some people living in other countries which include Ireland, Germany, and South Africa and their countries are listed.  But other countries are included in my audience that I have no connections with such as Austria, United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Singapore.  I'm pretty pumped.  They probably came across it by accident and didn't even stick around to read it, but I'm going to pretend that I'm an international blogging superstar.
My fingernails are light purple and I LOVE IT!  I can't stop looking at them.
I have to take a major test in August called the Advancement to Candidacy Exam.  I have to pass it in order to continue on in the Masters Program. Therefore I've been spending a lot of my days in the Public Library.  I'm surprised at how many other college students are here studying as well.  Yesterday when I was leaving and going down the stairs to the parking garage I passed a guy who looked about my age climbing the stairs and he was carrying a toddler aged little girl.  I smiled at them and right after I passed them I heard the little girl ask, "Is that my mom?"  The guy started laughing and said "No, that's not her."  Poor girl can't even remember her own mother's face.  The guy carrying her might not have even been her dad. He could have been a kidnapper.  Either way, I feel like she is in good hands if he is taking time to take her to the library.

Wakarusa, Little Baby Céo, and bits of a quilt

Hokay...I went to Wakarusa and it was pretty awesome.  I mostly went to see Mumford and Sons and let me just say they rocked my world.  They sounded just as good live as they do on their album and they played a lot of new songs that have me looking forward to their new album. Me, my friend Rebekah and her boyfriend Nick went and had a great time. Bek and I brought hula hoops to fit in with the other girls.  

When arriving at Mulberry Mt.  Cops were EVERYWHERE.  But once you get inside Wakarusa gates it is a free-for-all.  I've never seen so much illegal activity in at one time.  Drugs were not a secret.  It smelled like pot throughout the entire event and everybody smoked it openly. Anytime I made eye contact with someone smoking pot they would hold it out to me ask me if I wanted a hit.  I would politely reply  "No thanks, but that is nice of you to offer."  Bek, Nick and I were probably the only drug free ones there.  Back at our campsite offered us his ecstasy that he wouldn't be able to finish.  Once again, "No thanks, but that is nice of you to offer."  Also, shirts were an option for women.  Apparently body paint is the same thing as a shirt to these girls.  No bra, no bikini top, nothing but paint.  

Wakarusa had the best food ever.  Probably because they knew everyone would have the munchies, but they really provided.  They didn't just have the normal corndog/funnel cake stand.  They had vegetarian stands, Asian stir-fry, Greek food.  I had the best gyro of my life.  Mumford and Sons played at 6.  Ben Harper was next.  I wasn't too familiar with him but he was really good.   After the concert we met a guy tripping on acid and then went to another stage to listen to more music.  The band at this stage was very electronic/trance type music.  I had the most fun when me and Bek got in the middle of the crowd and danced like we were on drugs with the rest of them. So fun.  Glad I went.  It was an fun experience.  I think I would only go back next summer if a good band was playing.  

Now on to my niece Céo.  I finally had the chance to meet her this weekend when my brother Ivan and my sister-in-law Ariel came to Fayetteville. Let me just say she is one of the prettiest babies I've ever seen.  I don't think it is a biased opinion either.  Everyone who sees her comments on how pretty she is.  To me, most newborns are all blotchy and weird.  Check out this pic of Céo the day she was born. 

She is only three months old.  She makes extremely funny faces.  She can already raise one eyebrow and give you a quizzical look just like her daddy.  She is the squirmiest baby ever and has a very sweet smile.  Let’s look at her some more.  

 I love her and I can't wait to see her again. (FYI her name is pronounced Say-O hence the accented e in her name.)  In the background of the last picture is the her baby quilt that I created.  I will blog about it more when it is completely finished.  

Hot Time Summer in the City

Memorial Weekend is over. That means I have been in Fayetteville for two weeks.  Yay.   Here are some highlights of my time so far: 

My friends Staci, Erin and Melissa were hired to make cupcakes, the groom’s cake and bride’s cake for my friend Barnes’ wedding.  I helped them make them…not really but I did put sprinkles and flowers on over 150 cupcakes.  They turned out really well.  The girls did a terrific job.

Only a portion of the cupcakes we made!

Barnes and Kerry’s wedding on Mt. Magazine on Sunday.  It turned freaky foggy half way up the mountain.  We LITERALLY could not see ten feet in front of us.  It was like the twilight zone.  The wedding got moved indoors due to the fog.  Kerry looked lovely and it was the shortest service I have ever attended which was a plus.  It was really good seeing everyone at the wedding that I hadn’t seen in a while.

On Thursday I went to see Hangover 2.  It was good and bad.  It was exactly like the first one but not as funny (but it definitely had its moments) and much more gross.  I would recommend renting it instead of going to the theatres to see it, unless you are a boy, then you will probably love it.

My friend Drew Swayne had an extra ticket to Silver Dollar City so I went there on Friday.  It was awesome.  The Barbeque and Bluegrass fest was going on so I got to hear banjos at every corner.   My heaven will have banjos at every corner, that is how much I love them.  If any of you are going to SDC anytime soon I would recommend the Big Barn Swing ride.  It rocked my world.  It sounds like a kiddie ride, but I assure you, it is not for the faint of heart.

Pic of the ride I stole from the Internet to show its extreme intensity.

On Saturday my sister and brother-in-law came in from South Carolina and will be staying with us til Tuesday.  Yipee! I usually only get to see her over Christmas.  I also painted my fingernails light blue.  That is pretty crazy for me.  I’m pretty proud of myself. 

Yesterday was absolutely lovely so I took the doors off of my jeep for the first time this week. Rain is not in the near forecast which means I don’t have to put them back on any time soon.  That always gets me excited.  It was also extremely windy so I decided I would go to Wal-Mart to buy a kite.  They had a lot of options: kites with Disney Princesses on them, Dragon Kites, Train Kites, Box Kites.  I decided to get the Pterodactyl Kite so I could make screeching noises when I fly it and pretend to attack the birds.  (I had no idea Pterodactyl was spelled that way until I bought the kite.  I would have spelled it Teradactle…you learn something new every day.)

I’m currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia. I’m on the fourth one.  It is taking me three days per book so It shouldn’t take me too long to finish them.  Next, I’m going to read the Hunger Games.  I have heard excellent things about it. 

I have lost ten pounds since I first moved to Little Rock.  That is bad.  So my goal this summer is to gain it all back.  I’ve already gained 3 of them since I’ve been back so I only have 7 more to go.

Music Update:  Taylor Swift’s new album Speak Now is pretty amazing.  Me and Mom watched Never Say Never and now I have Bieber Fever.  

P.S. If you know Hunter Buwick, you should write on his facebook wall and say “I’m on Team Kennedy Wing.”  Don’t ask questions, just do it.