30 day blogging venture: Day 30

Day 30: a photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days
The past 30 days has been a whirlwind of events, and it only gets crazier from here on out! That leads me to #1: a lovely trip to my friend's birthday party in Iowa with a dear friend. #2: it has finally turned warm, and for me that is the ultimate present of spring #3: I have realized how truly blessed that I am and how excited I am about my future. I know there is much in store for me and I can't wait to see where my life will lead!

30 day blogging venture: Day 29

Day 29: something you could never get tired of doingWhether I'm babysitting, at work, or volunteering with them I love kids. I was one of those little girls that carried around her babies and dolls everywhere so I don't think it surprises anyone that I work at a place with lots of kids.
Even though there are the days when I get frustrated or completely exhausted, I don't think I could ever get tired of kids. Maybe I say that because I'm not a mom now, but eventually I can't wait to have some of my own.

30 day blogging venture: Day 28

Day 28: your favorite movie

This is a tough one. Not going to lie I love watching movies, from action thrillers, to romantic comedies, to bloody medical mysteries. I love them all, well except the really scary disturbing movies, I really don't need any more reasons to not sleep well at night. I already have plenty of those. Anyway out of all of those movies that I love there is one series that can never be touched. There is one set of movies that you just can't compare to any others and I think many others will agree with me. Any guesses?

Well if you guessed Star Wars at first you would have been very close {my second favorite series} but no, for me The Lord of the Rings steals the #1 spot. These movies have a way of pulling my into a world of their own filled with their own languages, people, way of life, culture, race, customs....

It is a whole world of its self and I am always eager to enter into its land of fantasy.

30 day blogging venture: Day 27

Day 27: a picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

Taken last year on my graduation day from Immanuel Lutheran College:Taken last month with my one of my girly friends:If you didn't notice the 1st difference between these pictures is my hair color. My natural hair color is a dark blond color, so I'm about between these two colors, naturally.

This past year has certainly been a year of change. As I talked about in this post I have been through some ups and downs, but have come out of this past year stronger.

Academically, my life has done a complete 180. I graduated with my Associated degree from Immanuel and started into the medical field in July. This past year has been a whirlwind of learning a whole new language because that's the best way to describe the medical field. It is certainly something so different that I have never experienced before.

Being in a new school has really opened up my eyes and stretched me farther than I thought possible. Even though there were a few days when I wanted to give up, here I am with 3 weeks to go. 3 weeks of school left and I am done. It feels so good to know that I am almost done with school forever!

There have been so many other changes from my circle of friends, to my household, to the atmosphere around me. Change can be hard sometimes but it will only change more frequently as we get older. This is the time for that. This is the time for growth and new experiences. The time of exploring and new adventures. Even though sometimes I get a little nervous or frustrated that I don't know what is coming up next in my life, it's all about trusting that God has a real plan for our lives.

30 day blogging venture: Day 26

Day 26: a photo of somewhere you’ve been to

One of my favorite places that I've been is England. I visited my sister for 2 weeks when she lived over there for school and loved every minute of it!

These are just a few of the things that we got to see:
: Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey
: Jane Austin's home
: Beg Ben and the London Eye: Pemberley from the new Pride and Prejudice
: platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter
: Oxford University {on graduation day}
: where they filmed the Great Hall also from the famous Harry Potter

30 day blogging venture: Day 25

Day 25: what’s in your purse?

Yes, I'm a little late with this post but the past 48 hours have been a little crazy {to put it simply}. So anyway here is my summer purse. I got this a few seasons ago from American Eagle and thought I was crazy for getting a purse with so much white on it. Surprisingly I havn't gotten it dirty or even had to wash it yet. Prety impressive for me.
This content of my purse changes a little from week to week, but here are my basics that I normally keep in here.
- car keys
- wallet {from Maurices} and RCU checkbook
- a few coffee hard candies that I found in the bottom of my purse
- a few beauty rush lip glosses
- a little jewelry box with a few pairs of earnings for traveling
- a country mix cd
- mini first aid kit
- a compact and hair ties {I think every girl has a few of those floating in her purse}
- my lovely phone
- tylenol bottle
- a little pouch filled with miscellaneous things {pens, chap stick, pencils, gum}

30 day blogging venture: Day 24

Day 24: a photo of something that means a lot to you
Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved animals from fish and birds to dogs, bunnies and cats. These are my 2 little critters. We have a dog {Heidi} and kitty {Jackson}. I never though animals could have so much personality, but these 2 certainly have their own.

One the 1st day of Jackson's arrival he barely weighted enough to move the hand on the scale and Heidi was terrified. She wouldn't go near him, but after a few years they have become pretty good friends. They seem to bond the most in the winter when fighting over the same fireplace, unless Jackson steals the dog's bed {that is what's going on in the picture above}.

While they do take a lit of work, they are rewarding and the best friends you could ever wish for to greet you when you come home or snuggle with at night.

30 day blogging venture: Day 23

Day 23: 15 facts about you

- I have a few nicknames: Em, Emmy, Emma, Ace, Emmie, Emmaline, Mally {from a 2 year old who couldn't say Emily when he was little}
- I work at a day care and love it
- spring is the best season in my opinion
- sun cream is one of the best smells in the world
- I am deathly afraid of bugs and more importantly arachnids
- summer thunder storms are the best
- I like just about any type of music {country, punk, rock, alternative}
- I want to travel more than almost anything
- I love puddle jumping like a little kid
- I am really bad with cars, I can't change my oil or anything
- my hair is naturally a dark blond color but is currently brown
- I love anything in bright colors like yellow or lime green
- cooking/baking, taking a drive, or walking relaxes me after a stressful day
- I love eating the spicy foods that make your eyes water
- I am a total California girl at heart!

30 day blogging venture: Day 22

Day 22: a letter to someone who has hurt you recently
This is not a letter to any person. This is to pain and suffering itself. {deep, I know}

I have been very blessed in my lifetime: I have a loving family who is my ultimate support system, all of my grandparents are well and happy, I have amazing friends who will never know how thankful of them I am, I have a wonderful home filled with more that I ever need....but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been twists and turns along the way. That doesn't mean that my life is perfect.

There have also been many struggles that seemed to overcome me in my lifetime. I have lost many people that I love by either leaving this world, or by choosing to not be a part of my life anymore. The latter has been the most difficult for me to overcome. Some times that pain and suffering come in the form of a falling out with a friend or even worse a break up. Friends can mend anything, but a break up leaves you empty inside. This quote summarizes it best: 'Once there was no 2 hearts so open, no feelings so in harmony. Now we are strangers, worse than strangers for we may never become acquainted. It is perpetual estrangement.'

While pain and suffering have certainly entered my life, they do not define it. They do not define me. I won't let them.

Through these trials and tribulations I have come through them a different person. I have fought the loneliness, the sadness, the resentment, the anger to realize just how wonderful life can be. The world holds so much joy and who are we to not enjoy all that we have been blessed with.

In a strange way I am thankful for all of the hard times that I've endured. It's all the bad days, sleepless nights, and buckets of ice cream that seem to put the joys of life into perspective.

30 day blogging venture: Day 21

Day 21: a photo of something that makes you happy
I couldn't just put up one picture when it comes to my friend, so there you have it. These are just a few of my amazing friends who know me very well and still seem to stick around. Some days I don't know what they're thinking, but most of the time I am just very grateful to have such spectacular people around me. Without people like this in my life I would never be able to make it through the ups and downs that life throws my way!

30 day blogging venture: Day 20

Day 20: the meaning behind your blog name
Inspirations is one of the bases of my blog. Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms, from magazines & songs, to window displays & other blogs, to recipes & photographs....

To me inspiration is creativity and bliss is also one of my favorite words. Bliss is ultimate happiness so it makes sense that I combine these 2 words to create the title of my blog.

30 day blogging venture: Day 19

Day 19: another picture of yourself + a personal update
The past few days have consisted of moving boxes and bubble wrap, lifting desks and trying to assemble furniture.

No, it's not me who's moving it's my sister. It's my older sister whom I have shared a house with for the past 21 years. I am trying not to dwell on the fact that we will probably never live together again and focus on how happy I am for her. She has a 2 bedroom flat above an adorable flower shop in the down town of our city. Even though we have very different tastes when it comes to color schemes or decorating preferences, it will be perfect for her 1st apartment.

I think we've made about 5 trips so far and that hasn't even included 1/2 of her clothes or a few important things like her bed or 2nd desk. There are still loads of things to do, but slowly and surely she will get moved in to her new space. There's not enough time to show pictures now because I have to quickly put this post up before we continue on the packing, but there will be many to come!

30 day blogging venture: Day 18

Day 18: something you crave a lot
There is something that is always good, that I never get sick of, that I couldn't live without, and that I always crave: ice cream. No matter what the day or the weather outside, ice cream is always my favorite comfort food.

30 day blogging venture: Day 17

Day 17: a photo of you and your family
Here we all are! It may not be the most flaterign picture of us all bundled up, but this is the most recent one. Starting from the left, there's my sister, dad, mom, me, and 'lil sis'.

30 day blogging venture: Day 16

Day 16: your celebrity crushIf you would have asked me this question a few weeks ago there would have been a totally different answer. A few weeks ago I might have chosen someone like Rupert Penry-Jones or Channing Tatum, but ever since I saw Marc Blucas as Riley Finn, in Buffy, there is no comparison.
He is the ideal guy: a gentleman, funny, easy on the eyes, sweet, manly, muscular, and did I mention in uniform? He's a member of this super secret military combat group and I can't get enough of him. A girl can dream, right?

30 day blogging venture: Day 15

Day 15: something you don’t leave the house without
If there are 2 things that I never leave the house without it would be #1 a spray of two of my favorite perfume or body sprays. I have quite a few to choose from and each seems to have it's own memories and moods. I use different sprays for not only the different seasons of the year but according to how I feel that day.

My #2 thing that I never leave the house without is one of my favorite possessions, my favorite ring. It's my class ring that I got in high school, but it's not your average class ring. It is made of white gold with a light blue stone surrounded by cubic zirconium. It is engraved with 'Immanuel' on one side and '2008' on the other. I never let it out of my sight!

30 day blogging venture: Day 14

Day 14: a TV show you’re currently addicted to
This is all my sister's fault. Well, I should also blame her boyfriend for getting her hooked, and therefore getting me hooked as well. I have always been a fan of the shows and book with supernatural elements in them {Harry Potter, Charmed, LOTR, the books I am reading at present} so it didn't surprise me that I would get hooked to a show like this one.

It has supernatural elements in it, along with some pretty funny characters that always have my laughing out loud through each episode. The show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I am into the 3rd season with all it's twists, turns, and unexpected plot lines. For better or worse I am addicted to it and enjoy it for a good laugh.

30 day blogging venture: Day 13

Day 13: your favorite musician and why?

This is an extremely hard decision for me to make because I love so many types of music and therefore many different musicians. I listen to just about anything from rock, to country, to punk, to pop.

When I think about music in general and as a whole, there is one band that comes to mind that I couldn't live without. These 4 musicians released their first record in 1963, and in the next 7 years produced over a dozen more. They created a new wave of excitement all the way from Liverpool England and are still one of the most famous and beloved bands of all times.
I hope you all can guess who I am talking about by now and if you guessed the Beatles you are most certainly correct. I was first introduced to their music pretty much as soon as I was born because it all started with my dad's influences. He was a Beatles fan from the beginning and was actually at their last concert before their broke up. He always told me the story about how once the Beatles started singing, all he heard was the sounds of the screaming fans.
When I visited my sister in England 2 years ago, we were fortunate enough to be able to see a Paul McCartney concert in Liverpool. We also took a day trip on the Magical Mystery Tour that took us all around the city, showing us some amazingly famous Beatles landmarks. This included the Cavern {pictured above} where the Beatles first performed, Strawberry field and Penny Lane {2 of their songs were named after them} and the McCartney house where Paul grew up.

It was definitely a once-in-a-life-time experience, one that I will never forget.

30 day blogging venture: Day 12

Day 12: a photograph {or 3} of the town you live in
This is a moment captured last fall on one of my fall photo shoots. The colors were so splendidly amazing I couldn't resist taking over 240 pictures!
I can never resist a brick building.
One of our beloved bridges in my city!

30 day blogging venture: Day 11

Day 11: what is in your makeup bag?
Here's a peak into my typical make-up bag. These are my basics that I use every day.
Face:
Sonia Kashuk hidden agenda concealer palette - my favorite concealer ever
Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid makeup - great for summer coverage, good for the skin
Homemade eye and face primer - keeps makeup in its place
Maybelline Dream matte powder - great for oily skin, stayes on for hours
Eco Tools kabuki brush for face powder - so soft and great for travel

Eyes:Micabella cosmetics lose powder in diligence - amazing shimmer
Covergirl eye enhancers in the lilac palette - love using purple shades with my brown eyes
Maybelline expert wear eyeshadow in sun-baked neutral - perfect for summer
e.l.f cream eyeliner in jet black - great quality for their price
Maybelline expert wear eyeshadow in sapphire ice - amazing pigmentsRevlon eyelash curler - pretty basic but changes your whole look
Maybelline Colossal volume express mascara - one of my all time favorites
Covergirl lash blast fusion mascara - really defines the lashes

Cheeks:
Wet n' Wild Mega glo illuminating powder in starlight bronze - amazing coloring
Physicians Formula multi-colored blush in blushing peach - perfect summer flush
Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in peach satin - goes on like a cream, dries like a powder
N.Y.C. blushable creme stick in plaza pink - stays on well through the humid days
N.Y.C. color wheel mosaic face powder in pink cheek glow - perfect rosy pink color

Lips:
Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss in double truffle - smells amazing, love the color
Covergirl wet slicks fruit spritzers lip gloss in raspberry splash - all time favorite
Revlon super lustrous lip gloss in nude lustre - perfect neutral color
Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss in cherry bomb - amazing pink summer color
Covergirl true shine lip stick in delight - goes great with cherry bomb for the perfect summer lip

Brushes:
First 4 are Eco tools: blush brush, medium eyeshadow brush, concealer brush, angled brush
Next 3 are Sonia Kashuk: brow brush, large crease brush, angled eye liner brush
Last 1 is e.l.f.: contour brush
My bag: It's the perfect size for all my make-up whether I am off the the gym or on vacation!