February Favorites

Track List:

Trampoline - Kalin and Myles

Budapest - George Ezra

Like Em Young - Tove Lo

Hotel California - Eagles

Uprising - Muse

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Alright, I am officially starting this a month late, but it's better late than never. Since I can't convince myself to turn this whole writing deal into a video blog, I will continue to use this as my primary blogging outlet. Maybe one day I will change my mind. Until that day however, I shall remain here. Seeing as it is the final week of February (how did that happen?) I thought I would go ahead and share with you all everything that I enjoyed this month. It will vary from month to month, with books, movies, music, apps, websites, etc. So lets get this thing started:

Reading:

My first favorite of February (yay alliteration) is In Real Life: Love, Lies, & Identity in the Digital Age by Nev Schulman. Yes, long title, but also yes, a FANTASTIC book. I originally picked this up simply to support Nev. He is a fantastic man and just I genuinely wanted to read this book for fun. I didn't think I would relate to much, seeing as I have never sought love on the internet and that is the premise for basically everything he does. That isn't all this book is about though. It's about self-awareness and relationships with the people around you as well. He also throws in a lot of personal anecdotes, and even though I didn't relate to a lot of them, they are very insightful and very inspirational when you hear about the progress he has made as a person. He assures that you can do the same. Of course I believe every word he says. Trust me, you read this book and you will feel the same way. Reading this made me want to be a better person, and I've never catfished a person in my life. The only regret I have with this book is not highlighting the lines that stood out for me. When I read it again, and rest assured that I will, my highlighter will be in hand.

Listening:

I have two favorites this month to bless your ear holes. The first is Tove Lo's album, Queen of the Clouds. She sings Habits and of course, my personal favorite Talking Body. I have been listening to this album nonstop on Spotify for days now, and when payday comes around I will be buying it. Her voice is raspy like Miley Cyrus, yet still so unique. The format of the album is also something I fell in love with. She has voice overs, an intro and two interludes, that separate sections of the album. In addition to Talking Body, I have fallen in love with a track called Like Em Young, as well as Moments, and Not On Drugs. I'm usually not one to enjoy extremely poppy music. And I'm not sure that is what you would call this, although it definitely isn't my usual drums and guitars. Every track on this album is an experience, and what else can you ask for from music?

My second blessing upon your ears is George Ezra's new album Wanted on Voyage. I fell MADLY in love with his single Budapest the moment I heard it during a workout one day. It's simple, upbeat, and his voice is absolutely incredible. I've never heard anything to compare. I originally did not even think about listening to the rest of the album, after all, I had only heard his single on shuffle thanks to Pandora. However, I jumped on Spotify and checked it out a few days ago. I knew I wanted to put his single in this post, but I didn't think I could talk about his music fairly without having heard more from him. And let me tell you he did not disappoint. Although Budapest still remains my favorite track as of right now, I really enjoy Barcelona and Listen to the Man. The vibes from this album are everything I love about music.

Shopping:

Lord knows I could not do a Favorites post without talking about the clothes I have purchased this month. It's safe to say I spend way too much time shopping online. I'm sure the UPS man hates driving up my hill every day to deliver whatever it is that I've ordered. This month I decided to go ahead and get my concert shopping out of the way. I needed three outfits and so I went straight to Amazon and went to work. At the moment I am really into sheer fabric and cut outs, as well as lace and deep V-necks. So that is what I have decided to go with for my "Summer Concert Series" as I call it. I know I only have two pictures, but that is only because Amazon wouldn't let me save the last one. (Shame on you Amazon.) This first shirt I am IN LOVE with. If it were possible to have heart eyes, I would have them for this shirt. The brand is Sunnow and yes, that is a zipper at the bottom of that plunged V-neck. I am that person to wear long sleeves with shorts and think it's totally fine. I adore the chiffon fabric as well as the slightly raised sleeves. And again, the deep V (major heart eyes). I've told my friends for my birthday, which is also the same day as my 5SOS concert in Raleigh, that we are going sexy. This is my sexy and I absolutely cannot wait to wear it. The next shirt caught my eye immediately, obviously because of the cutouts on the shoulders that continue on to the back as well. This one is from haute18 and I love everything about it. The sheer fabric, the cut outs, even the color gets a 'yes' from me. This will be my 5SOS Charlotte shirt, and I'm already ready for it to be September. I love to shop, obviously, but it isn't every day that you come across finds like these.

I came across this next site a few months ago and bought some decals for my Jeep, but then decided to return to them to decorate my laptop. The are called RedBubble and they are amazing. The variety they have, just in stickers, is incredible. You can see that I decided on a range of things from song lyrics, to basketball hashtags, and even some ninja turtle penguins. This site is seriously amazing. And they do more than just stickers. There are shirts, home decor, phone cases. Pretty much anything you can think of, they have some sort of artwork on it and they will stick it somewhere for you. I haven't explored the site completely. Mainly because I can't get past how many awesome stickers they have. I highly recommend checking them out if you're looking for any sort of artwork. Trust me, they literally have anything and everything you can think of; unless you're thinking of a unicorn floating past Saturn playing PONG, that's probably still on the drawing board.


Watching:

My final category is for your viewing pleasure. I will admit I am not one to stray from my usual channels on YouTube and rarely ever add new ones to my subscriptions list (I'm just stubborn like that). I find myself usually watching danisnotonfire, AmazingPhil, SORTEDFood, and SmoshGames on a regular basis. Those are really the only channels I avidly follow/watch. Everything else I watch is thanks to the search bar and I rarely hit the like button, and even more rarely hit subscribe. That is of course until a video popped up on my recommended list, and this is what I get for watching 5SOS vine edit compilations at eleven o'clock at night. But it was a 5SOS tag, so of course it got my attention right off the bat. I clicked and watched. It was a girl named Shannon and her friend Vikki, and they were acting like idiots as they asked each other questions about the band. Of course by idiots I mean just like me and my friends. I think that is why I connected so quickly. She made it clear rather fast that she loved Luke and Vikki did the same with Calum so I knew immediately we were all going to get along. (If Ashton's name would have come up I would have felt threatened and I would not have been able to continue - yeah it's that serious.) The chemistry between the two of them was incredible and had me laughing way past the time I needed to go to bed. I ended up watching all of her videos that night. There weren't many, and my work day the next day thanked her for that. But I immediately wanted more from her. Her sense of humor, and how she portrays herself in front of the camera is so very entertaining. I find myself wanting to connect with her and befriend her even though she is five years younger than me. That takes talent, a lot of talent and let me assure you, this girl has got it.
(You can check her out here - you won't be disappointed.)


And there is everything I have been loving in the month of February. Like I said before, the categories will vary from month to month, but I promise to share with you all some pretty amazing things. You know it's never dull around here. I recommend you check out everything I've talked about in this post. You can tell me what you think about them if you'd like. I would love that. I know most of you come from my Tumblr, so feel free to talk with me about it over there as well. Until next time!

Callie
xx

A State of Mind

Tracklist:
Kiss - Prince & The Revolution
Clocks - Coldplay
Never Be - 5 Seconds of Summer
Swear It Like You Mean It - Go Radio
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
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I have told you already about the little motto I've stolen from Shay Carl, "Choose Happiness." I feel so strongly about these two words that I have made them my life mission. Happiness is a state of mind. One you are in complete control over. Your mood does not have to be determined by your situation. It's taken me a while to completely believe in this. I spent many years succumbing to negativity and my life was not enjoyable, to say the least. I am pleased to report now that everything has turned around and I am happier than I have ever been, all because I allow my mind to remain positive, no matter what life hands me.

In this pursuit of happiness, I guess you could call it, I have tried my best to spread the joy I now have in my heart with everyone around me, no matter if I've known them for years, just met them, or are just passing them on the street. Everyone deserves to have a genuine smile on their face.

That being said, I feel like a lot of people see having compassion towards others as a kind of weakness. I know I'm not the only one that has gotten strange looks for being 'overly nice' (whatever that is). Yes, I constantly tell people that I love them. Yes, I give a lot of hugs. Yes, I surprise people with random gifts. But how does that make me a weak person?

A lot of people would say it's because I'm not focused on myself, I'm too worried about others. To that I counter with, what is so wrong with being invested in other people's well-being? There are seven billion people in this world, we aren't here alone. This universe does not revolve around our singular being, no matter how much we try to act like it does. It simply does not and other people matter. And all of those people have the right, just as much as you do, to be happy. If I am happy in my life why wouldn't I try and spread that to others?

Random acts of kindness/happiness show others hope. They prove that genuine, selfless, kindness still exists. You never know when a simple 'I hope you are doing alright today, I love you' text can completely turn someone's day around. If you can go beyond that, then do it. There is nothing stopping you. All you're doing is bringing a smile to someone's face, where is the harm? I know I was put on this earth to make other people happy, that is God's plan for me. Seeing others happy, makes me happy, not weak.

All I am trying to do with this post is to get you to understand that happiness is a state of mind and compassion is not a weakness. I would hope that a lot of you would already know this, but that just isn't the case it seems. I am not ignorant to the fact that finding happiness is a daily battle with the world. People struggle and the positivity can get lost. All that I am asking is that you do not give up like I did. You don't have to give in to circumstance. It's all in your mind.

Callie
xx

The Ultimate Support

Tracklist:
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
Honestly - Cartel
Night Changes - One Direction
Moonshine - Bruno Mars
If You Could Only See - Tonic
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If you are in my circle of friends, you are very aware that I try my best every day to tell you/show you how much you mean to me. Whether it be, a text, video, a letter, email, package. Whatever it may be I try my hardest to make sure the people in my life know how much I love that they are there.

Now, that being said, I am going to be shining the spotlight down on someone in particular that has went above and beyond what I even believed friendship to be. You've already been introduced to her, and her name is Brittany.

The purpose of this post is to highlight ultimate support, so I hope you will allow me to brag a little bit about Brittany, because, for me, she provides my ultimate support.

Brittany and I have known one another for a little over two years now (July will be three). She was the first friend I had ever properly made over the internet, and man am I sure glad that meeting people on the internet is no longer frowned upon as much. I have told her on several occasions one of the best decisions I've ever made in life is deciding to send her my phone number in a Tumblr message while sat in the gravel parking lot at college. I will absolutely stand by this.

There is no way that I am going to be able to sit here and write about her and you are going to be able to fully understand the connection the two of us have. Simply, because I don't fully understand it myself. She is the REASON I make sure everyone in my life knows how much I love them, because that's what she does; I get it from her. I've gotten a lot from her. A more positive outlook on life, for one. Granted we both have our moments, but that is why we have each other.

We have each other. That's something I am so thankful. In her I have someone I can always call, text, send strange photos and videos to, someone that gets me completely. She has invested time into my life, which is something not a lot of people have done. You know you have someone special when they take time out of their day just to know about yours. This happens every day with her and I don't know how I've gotten so lucky.

I'm also very lucky to have a person in my life that I have so much in common with. We bonded over the constant: One Direction. However, we became friends for life over everything else. We know each other's families and friends. We've listened to stories about the past. We participate avidly in one another's hobbies and extra curricular activities. And the only reason you won't find us at each other's house every single weekend is the distance between us.

We are very lucky in that we are only three and a half hours apart. A lot of other people have it worse than that. I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis. I want so badly to just drive to her sometimes (mostly when I'm having a bad day). I know she will always make everything better and then some, it's just her personality. Instead I have to settle for a text or Skype call, and it just isn't the same sometimes. Nevertheless, though, I am thankful we are as close as we are.

Tracking back to support. What is life without people surrounding you with support? It isn't one I want to be part of, if I'm honest. Now, there are two stories I'm going to tell. These two stories will be at the end of our friendship highlight reel, I'm sure of it, highlighting what it means to support the people you love with absolutely everything you have. Brittany has her own sides to these stories, but I guarantee you at this point in the post she knows which two I'm going to tell, and she feels the exact same way.

Number one. Back in November of 2013, I made probably the most spontaneous decision of my life. A few months prior, in September, I was surprised by my Dad and Step-mom (and Brittany) with a trip to London (Brittany's class was going and I was given the opportunity to tag along with them). Everything was paid in full and I was set to go. Brittany was not in the same position as I was, yet she kept very quiet about it. So quiet that it worried me. When she broke the news to me that she may not be able to go because she couldn't make the final payment my heart plummeted and I immediately went into problem solving mode. I had saved up enough money to cover half of what she owed and still have enough to take with me, the other half I could take out of my savings. So that's exactly what I did. I called a friend and asked him to drive me down to her house. (Forever grateful to you Jake for taking me.) He requested to leave work early that day and I set out to the bank. I had been in contact with her mother on this day, making sure it was okay that I did come down there to give her the money. I didn't want anyone's feelings getting hurt. I just wanted to help. Once I got the go ahead from her mother I left a note on the table for my own mother, letting her know where I was going and that I would be back later on. (I didn't dare tell her that I was taking money out of my savings or that I had even driven by the bank- she would find out all of that when I got back later that night.) I remember standing in front of the teller and my hands shaking with adrenaline. I was in disbelief what I was even doing. I told the woman, a family friend, what I was doing and I can still remember the smile she had on her face. "Are you serious?" She said to me, and all I could do was smile and nod (I wanted to cry). "Wow, that's really great. You're such an incredible friend." I smiled again, this time saying something in return. "Yeah, but if you only knew her you would know why." She had handed me the envelope then and I left. I drove straight to Jake's house and we set off for Tennessee. He listened to me panic and rant for three and a half hours with the Pokemon theme song playing in the background (still unsure how he made it). Throughout this time, I had been trying my best to keep Brittany off my trail. I had even sent her a picture of my sister to make it look like I was over at my Dad's house. I was texting her mother the entire drive as well. She was making dinner for all of us and was wanting updates on our drive. It was dark when we arrived and I was so nervous ringing that doorbell. I don't know what was going through her mind, but the surprise on her face when she opened the door assured me I was doing the right thing. I'm not sure if she actually suspected anything or knew the purpose of my visit but the surprise factor was there nonetheless. We walked inside and I told her I had something to give her. I handed her the envelope. "It isn't fair that I get to go and you don't when it's your school that's going." That's all I remember saying to her, besides "Open it." when I handed her the envelope. I don't guess she believed me. I then met her mother and gave her the biggest hug before telling Brittany what we had been doing throughout the day. There were lots of tears. We all sat down and had a nice dinner and watched a bit of television before it was time for me to go back home. I got a lot of hell from my mother when I got back home, but all of that has been resolved.

Story two, it's shorter I promise. This one is all about Brittany. I told you she introduced me to 5 Seconds of Summer, and how grateful I am to her that she did that. Well back in November I was starting to get down about not being able to go and see them on their 2015 tour. Brittany and some of her friends had already planned on going to a show before I had even decided I liked them - I had missed the train. I want to see them, but had no one to go with. The worst part, for me, was that their closest concert to me (two hours away) was going to be the day before my birthday. It was a Friday night (yes, I still remember this), and the Night Changes video had just premiered (yes, I also remember this because it fits in well with how things happened). I was telling Brittany about the show, in Charlotte, that I so badly wanted to go to. After I was finished with my rant, I waited. I was hoping for some sort of, "Well you know they're going to be doing another tour. You will get to see them." Something supportive like that, something I would expect from her. What I got back though brought me to tears. "You know we can do that." That's all she said, and that's all she had to say. I broke down. And when I say 'broke down' I mean, BROKE DOWN. This was all I had wanted for months and with a simple text she had made it all possible. Something I thought was completely out of reach for at least another year, she had placed it right in front of me and said, "Yeah, let's do it." And then when I proceeded to ask her a week ago about what she would do if I bought us Raleigh tickets as well, she was completely ready for it. These things seem so small, I know. "She just agreed to go to a concert with you, Callie, how much support does that require?" To someone who hasn't received as much support as she probably needed, it means the world.

These two instances in my life are ones that I will never be able to forget. Why would I want to? I have been blessed to know such an incredible and SUPPORTIVE person, The key word is in capitals if you didn't catch it. It isn't about the money or the concerts - those are just the outcomes, it's about what had to happen in order for those things to be possible. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have support. It is what keeps you going, keeps you from lying in bed all day and trolling the internet (unless, somehow, that is your job and if it is can you call me?). If the people around you do not support you 110% in EVERYTHING that you do then why do you keep them around? It isn't about agreeing, it's about supporting. You may not agree with every decision a person makes in their life, however, if you consider them to be a friend you should have their back no matter what. Support.

My relationship with Brittany is stronger than ever these days and it is all because I am finally wising up to the fact that support is how you thrive. You can survive without it, yes, but what's the point? What are you accomplishing without support? Not much.

So surround yourself with people who want to be there. People who will show you on a regular basis how much they love you and how much they appreciate you. It will make a difference. Find your ultimate support.

Callie
xx

Lifestyle Changes

Tracklist:
September - Earth, Wind & Fire
Island In The Sun - Weezer
Forever Young - Youth Group
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
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I am first going to start this one off by saying I am in no means trying to sway you in one way or another with this post. This is about my choices in my life, and whatever you choose for yours is 100% up to you because you have the right to do so, as do I.

I set out back in September of last year to find myself. I had somehow lost who I was after graduating college and I felt as if I was losing the purpose of my life. If anyone ever tells you that life is easier with a college education, they are lying to you. Yes, it may be more helpful in the long run, but just soon as you walk across that stage your life becomes immediately more difficult. These difficulties have hit me like that wrecking ball did that wall in Miley's music video. And I was only half prepared for it.

I spent the four months following graduation pretty miserable. I had a new job that I loved, yes, but of course that was not enough. But then September came along. I credit a lot of these changes I am going to tell you about to being introduced to new music. It's going to sound really lame of me when I tell you this story but I know I'm not the only one to feel this way about this band, or any other band for that matter. For my birthday, which is in September, I was sent 5 Seconds of Summer's debut album by my friend Brittany. Of course, I was skeptical. She had bugged me about them practically every day up until this day and wanted me to listen to them and give them a chance. So I did. I don't think I have ever taken to music so fast. Their sound is what brought me in. Not their looks, or their accents (of course, all of that came into play later). Their music took me back to middle and high school, a horrible time in my life, but full of great music. Music was the only reason I made it through those years. Music from bands like Three Days Grace, Hey Monday, Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, Green Day, and so forth, you get it. Bands like the ones I used to listen to aren't really as popular anymore. It's all about funky pop, or electronic dance club music now. There's nothing wrong with that music, it just isn't my cup of tea. When I listened to the album it took me back to all of those times I sat in my room as a teenager, soaking in every detail of a song and just genuinely being happy despite the fact life around me was falling apart. Music helped me through those years, and in September it did it again. I started listening to my old favorite bands again and all the memories each song brings back are ones I never thought I would get back. I owe Brittany for a lot of things, but sending me that album may be the greatest thing she has ever done for me.

So now with this great music back in my life, where do I go from here? I went a little drastic with my next step into finding myself. I slowly started changing my eating habits, to where by the end of September I was strictly on a vegan diet. I was absolutely one of those people who used to say, "Oh, I can't be a vegan because I love cheese way too much," or chocolate, or whatever else I thought would hold me back. The truth is, it isn't bad at all and I now enjoy not having meat or dairy in my meals, because after all it still is a choice. I feel a million times better and have an incredible amount of energy. I've actually started to get into shape and even though I have a long way to go, I know I am healthy and even the people I work with identify me as the 'healthiest' person they know. This is definitely something I never thought anyone would ever call me. I enjoy being that person though. People are always asking me about my eating habits, and even though sometimes I just want to tell them grass, I know they respect my decision and they just want to learn more about it. So vegan I will stay.

Now I have always been one to be open to a lot of things, usually. Depending on the circumstance, I guess. That being said, I have also been a recluse most of my life. I enjoy being by myself and honestly have no problem with staying in on nights and weekends just to spend time with me. I've never been one to have a lot of people to hang out with anyways. I always lived too far away from my friends so being by myself just came natural to me.

October 23, 2014. The day I officially told myself that always wanting to be alone shouldn't come natural to anyone. Again, this post goes back to Brittany (I'm telling you she's something special). Brittany and I met through very special circumstances: Tumblr. Now usually, Tumblr or any other online relationship doesn't go beyond that, online. I've been reading In Real Life by Nev Schulman (he hosts Catfish on MTV) and it is full of talk about how people online are not always as they seem and how risky online relationships/friendships are, emotionally speaking. However, I do believe Brittany and I are an exception to Nev's observations. I'm getting off topic rather quickly here. Anyways, Brittany and I decided that we should bring our relationship/friendship full circle and basically end where we began: a One Direction concert. Not that we plan on ending our friendship after this concert, but we also know they aren't going to be around forever so what better time than now? I assured her we would be going to a concert even though they were not coming anywhere close to either of us (she lives three and a half hours away from me). It didn't matter though, we would make it happen. They were the sole reason we even knew one another after all. After convincing her it would happen, in Baltimore to be exact, I thought about the possibility of bringing in more people so cut the traveling costs, people I had also met through Tumblr and One Direction. I did just that and she did as well with people she had met in the same way. In the end, we had a group of eight One Direction Tumblr girls ready to head up to Baltimore. From two to eight, it was a pretty magical moment. Everything fell into place in every way we needed it to and there was no denying that this was meant to happen.

These girls have had such an impact in my life, even in the short amount of time I have known them. Most of us only know one or two others in the group on a personal level, but that makes it so much more fun for everyone else. I love these girls and would do anything for them and hope I have proven that to them on as many occasions as I can. These girls are going to be my friends for life, I am absolutely certain of that. What I am also certain of is by having this group in my life I am transforming into the person I am going to be from here on out. Someone that yes, enjoys her time alone, but will always be up for spending time with the people I love the most.

So I have great music, a healthier diet, a great new group of friends, what else could possibly need changing? Little known fact, just because you have all of these great things happening, does not mean that you are not affected by stress, not in the slightest. I had all of these wonderful things coming into place in my life, but I still wasn't able to handle the stress that was pushing in from outside this little world I had created for myself. I have taken the saying from Shay Carl, 'Choose Happiness'. I have tried my best to live up to these words in every part of my life, but of course I falter, and in big ways sometimes. I enjoy that saying, but I needed something more. I was letting the stress from work and pressure to 'be an adult' get to me and I was not liking who I was becoming. I needed another change.

Taking up meditation is something I have only recently chosen to do. The difference I am seeing in my attitude towards life and the decrease of clutter from my mind is enough for me to make it a permanent change. I find peace and true happiness when I sit down in silence, or with tranquil meditation music playing, for the forty-five minutes I have allotted and allow my mind to explore. Not think, just explore.

I am fully aware that mediation can sometimes be thought of as a religious thing. No, I have not gone and converted to Hinduism. I love my God and have no plans of ever leaving Him. However, Namaste is something I feel anyone, from any religion, can live by. Just believing in the meaning behind this simple greeting has brought me peace, which is the sole reason I began this journey of trying to find myself. I just wanted to be able to do something that could bring me happiness and tranquility because at this point in my life that is desperately what I need. I want nothing to do with stress, whether it be with people, life, or growing up, I want no part of it. I not only want people to say I'm the 'healthiest' person they know, I also want them to be able to say I am the 'happiest' person they know. Simply because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being happy and I will stand by that statement until I am no longer on this earth.

At this point in my life I am in the middle of discovering a lot of things about myself. Every day I am challenging myself to find peace, while trying to branch out, in addition to continuing to live a healthier life. I've never been more happier with my life and everything that is happening in it. I owe a lot of people a lot of things on this journey and I hope that as I continue walking this path, with these changes I've made, they see their in me their work alongside my own and know what a difference it has made.

Callie
xx