love lists: march.

as march comes to a close, 

i thought i'd share with you

the things i've loved during

this third month of two thousand twelve...

1. drinking lots of water.

my 33-ounce water bottle rarely leaves my side. i fill it up once in the morning & once at lunch. i'll usually have a smaller water bottle or some green tea at dinner.

2. aveeno active naturals continuous protection sunblock lotion, spf 30, for the face.

i have to admit it: i wasn't big on sunscreen usage until this month. but, ever since i've been slathering it on each morning before applying makeup, i've felt so much better about my skin. and i may even be seeing noticeable results already. protect your skin, people. it's important.

3. profusion colour me glow 12-shades eyeshadow palette.

i wasn't going to buy this. really, i wasn't. but that 99-cent price tag was just staring me in the face. taunting me, perhaps. but definitely tempting me. as a person who loves both drugstore & high-end makeup alike, i was over the moon impressed with the rich, creamy, pigmented quality of these shimmery shadows. it is - if anything - worth shelling out the 99 cents.

4. our t.v. lineup.

before moving to kinston, my t.v. habits would best be described as spotty. my mom & i often watched the big bang theory, what not to wear, or almost anything on HGTV together while eating dinner. but really, that was it. now in my first live-in experience with a DV-R, a new habit has formed, in the way of a weekly t.v. viewing schedule. justin & i come home, eat dinner, then plop on the couch about two-to-three days per week currently. what are we watching? american idol, swamp people, how i met your mother, pawn stars, and we were watching jersey shore, until the season ended. another pseudo-guilty pleasure? the food network. somedays, after the gym, i'll come home, change into pajamas, & sit transfixed as paula deen whips something up in the kitchen. some may argue that watching t.v. is a bad habit, but as for now, i beg to differ. with our handy DV-R, we are watching things a lot faster, which means we're not spending as much time in front of the tube as you think.

5. mac mineralize skin finish natural, in the shade medium.

no doubt a cult favorite in the beauty world, this powder has now been officially re-purchased by yours truly. i experienced my first msf about a year & a half ago. and now, with it finally in my possession again, i have no idea why i waited so long to re-order it. it's matte, lovely, & warms up my skin. i'm glad i went with medium, even though i have a relatively light skin tone.

6. bath & body works sensual amber body lotion.

a huge thank you goes out to miss katie kelley for introducing me to this scent. i apply this after almost every single shower. it smells divine. it really does. 

7. bath & body works black currant vanilla aromatherapy hand soap.

bath & body works is going to bankrupt me. justin chose this scent, & it is - by far - one of the best hand soaps i've ever used. sometimes i wash my hands just to smell it. it's that good. thank you for having a keen eye (errrr... nose?) for scents, justin.

8. elf blush combo: candid coral & pink passion.

self-explanatory. elf continues to impress me. these shades are a perfect, glowy combo for spring time.

9. draw something.

just when you thought you were done downloading apps, they went & did it again. my addiction can't be helped. username: siddathornton. let's draw!

10. c.o. bigelow apple rose salve.

how this has avoided making its way onto these lists so far, i have no idea. i put this on my lips (and sometimes my elbows) every night before bed. it does the job, lasts forever (i've had my tin almost a year & still haven't hit pan), & smells delicious.

into watching vlogs?

check out my corresponding march favorites video here, or simply click below to watch!

the still-frames continue to impress...

friday's fancies #25: justin's rainy day picks.

as i sat down to pull together my friday's fancies post for this week, justin surprised me by asking if he could follow the theme & come up with an outfit to feature. of course i said yes. how could i resist? i'm pleasantly surprised by what he chose.

here's a little secret about me: i love the rain. always have. it's a little bit of excitement - a little change - a little spark - in the weather world. and - above all - it is peaceful. some of my best sleep has been derived from a rainy afternoon, a stormy night.

so when {av} announced this week's friday's fancies theme over on {long distance loving}, i was instantly smitten. here's to plaid umbrellas, sweet galoshes, & trench coats to keep the april chill away.

friday's fancies #25: justin's cold, rainy day picks. by siddathornton featuring cap toe boots

i can't remember the exact day i began dreaming of burberry umbrellas (and well, basically anything burberry), but i know it was a long time ago. i feel i'd have to exercise major self control not to carry this burberry trafalgar packable check umbrella, even if the sun were shining. the trench coat justin chose, this g-star raw lara, is both functional & elegant, which contrasts nicely with the edgy hunter brixon lace up boots in green that he picked out. there's something about the juxtaposition of that combo & the diamond earrings that i really love. the casual items - the reluxe vintage silk scarf, the etoile isabel marant itzel blue jeans, & the marc by marc jacobs bag - keep the outfit low-key enough for an afternoon jaunt to the local coffee shop. 

all in all, i think justin's choices were inspired.

would you let your significant other put your outfit together for you?

link-up: friday's fancies on {long distance loving}

happy birthday, justin!

photos: iphone

a quote.

starbucks sunday: currents.

on this starbucks sunday morning, justin & i found ourselves in the port city of wilmington. and as we set out on the road to tour places like southport & wrightsville beach, we knew where our first stop had to be - starbucks. with a tall iced nonfat two splenda latte, a peppermint mocha frappuccino, a cinnamon swirl coffee cake, & a blueberry scone in hand, we were ready to tackle all the fun to be had today.

currently...

reading april magazines. i really need to finish them (as well as the march ones... eek!) before may arrives. my magazines of choice? real simple & in style.

writing wedding to do lists. i may bite my tongue for saying this, but things don't feel too stressful. i know what i need to do, & i simply want to do it. i'm enjoying planning the little details & can't wait to see them all come together.

listening... well, we were listening to the BEST radio station EVER during our wilmington weekend. if any wilmington natives happen to be reading this, it is 102.7 - and they were playing the best of the eighties & nineties. it's like they knew we were going on a road trip this weekend, & supplied the best tunes they could come up with. it's like i told justin - 'i think someone wanted me to have a good weekend.' unfortunately, the station is just barely out of reach in kinston - as we passed into lenoir county, that's when we started getting static.

thinking wilmington, southport, & wrightsville beach are my new favorite places. i can't wait to go back... & i want to take some friends & family with us! i got some great shots on my phone as we marveled at our surroundings... i'll be sure to share them in the coming weeks.

smelling like it's time for a shower. we've been running around all day, sticking our toes in the freezing atlantic ocean. i'm ready to freshen up before dinner.

wishing for rain on this dreary sunday evening. justin & i plan to have an evening of yummy dinner & the girl with the dragon tattoo from red box. rain would just make it even better!

hoping to do some shopping in the near future. i want to take a trip to greenville to check out this really cute shopping center i saw for the first time during our last visit over there.

wearing my feather dress, a navy cardigan with brass buttons, & a big, chunky orange-beaded necklace. and a top knot, of course.

loving my life. justin & i were talking on the drive home this afternoon about how grateful we are for all of the opportunities & support we are lucky enough to be blessed with. we are so happy. thank you.

wanting to wrap this post up & take a shower! can you tell i'm ready for that?

needing to really get after it in the gym this week - that definitely needs to be a priority.

we were so happy to be able to hang out with our friends alex & ashley this weekend! it was great to see them & go out on the town. the food was lovely, as were the drinks & company.

photo: wrightsville beach, taken with iphone

a photo for your saturday.

missing this dining room. missing book club.

photo: point & shoot

friday's fancies #24: gators' sweet sixteen.

for this week's friday's fancies, a link-up hosted by {av} on {long distance loving}, we set out to create a look to that puts our favorite sweet sixteen teams' colors on display.

since florida made it to this round of march madness this year - and they happen to be justin's very favorite team, ever - i thought i would pay homage to the gators with my look!

friday's fancies #24: gators' sweet sixteen. by siddathornton featuring tory burch handbags

though i'm willing to bet that justin & i will be enjoying the games this weekend from the comfort of our couch, if we were to attend either a game itself or a viewing party at a friend's, i would be thrilled to slip on these duds in preparation. this miss selfridge coral tie front dress is easy breezy, & with its requisite coloring, we have one of our florida gators bases covered. to complete the hue duo, i'd carry this absolutely gorgeous tory burch robinson chain bag. with our gator palette satisfied, now we can have fun with the accesories! the le silla tan and emerald crystal embellished platform sandals are fun & give a playful nod to the beginning of spring. they aren't matchy-matchy, which complements the casual vibe of the frock. the ray-ban folding wayfarer sunglasses, as well as the etoile isabel marant chloe cardigan, ground this outfit & dress it down a bit, which i think would be key for attendance to a sporting event. the trish mcevoy beauty emergency card for lips in be prepared pink indulges my cosmetics addiction, & is just pure & simple fun. all in all, the perfect combo to cheer on the gators!

link-up: friday's fancies on {long distance loving}

what i'm listening to.

back in my old office, lindsey & i almost always had music playing. and it was always what i thought of as cutting edge music. how i miss that! currently, i share my temporary new office with numerous other people, so blasting the 'today's college indie' station on pandora is a little uncalled for. when i'm moved into my new office, though, i can't wait to break out some of the tuesday with L & L playlists of yesteryear, as well as create some new ones to send over to the other L. we are kind of musical penpals.

all of that to say, with a drive-time of approximately one song length (give or take thirty seconds) to work, i've been doing most of my music-listening while in the shower.

and lately, the pandora station has been set to none other than one, john mayer. 

but seriously, not only does john mayer remind me of long afternoon naps in my freshman year dorm room (or watching photo slideshows with jenny on our computers - complete with full commentary, or working out constantly in the lambright center), but the musicians accompanying mr. mayer on his station recall nothing but memories of pure high school, pre-responsibility bliss. 

which has inspired the theme of my next mixed tape cd, which has been requested by a couple of folks who are music masters themselves, back home. i hope they know: they're in for quite a treat. as well as a guaranteed trip down memory lane. 

photo: iphone

on being a morning person.

there's a certain vulnerability that's only felt early in the morning. and i don't like it. 

it's like no matter what, i feel like there's no way i can accomplish the things i want to accomplish (usually these 'things' include getting out of bed & getting dressed in order to get to work on time).

if i write early in the morning - like i've been trying to do lately - the whole time i'm writing, it feels inadequate. it is only when i re-read it later in the day, that i realize, hey, this is what i was trying to say... this actually makes sense. 

but, early in the morning, before that requisite cup of coffee... before even 100 paces have been walked... there's a little cloud, taking up residence right above my head, no matter the weather outside. 

will i ever be a morning person? as of now, all signs point to no.

photo: iphone

starbucks sunday: currents.

today, justin & i got in the car & trekked over to goldsboro, a little town about twenty-two miles west of kinston. why the trip? starbucks, of course! you may not know this, but kinston has no starbucks. as far as i've seen yet, kinston has no coffee shop to speak of, either. this very fact is how i've gone for over two weeks without my confection-laden coffee drinks. imagine my joy as we finally pulled through the drive thru of my used-to-be-weekly haunt.

as we pulled away - me with my tall nonfat caramel macchiato & cinnamon swirl coffee cake, justin with his tall peppermint mocha frappuccino & cinnamon swirl coffee cake - i knew that it was time for a 'currents' post here on my starbucks sunday feature.

currently...

reading timeline, by michael crichton. i hope to finish it this week. i'm so glad i finally listened to my dad & picked this book up. it's thrilling, exciting, educational, & just a fun read. afterwards, i'm reading the white castle of louisiana, by m.r. ailenroc. white castle is a book by one of the daughters of the man who built the plantation home where we're getting married. and after that book, it's harry potter re-read time!

writing via ink & paper methods, then transferring it to this blog. i find that i am a lot more creative with a pen in my hand, rather than a keyboard at my fingertips.

listening to john mayer radio on pandora - post coming regarding that later this week.

thinking that i am falling in love with greenville, the town approximately twenty-seven miles north of us. we have been there three times since i moved here two weeks ago.

smelling the most delicious-smelling soap i've come across in quite a while. it's called black currant vanilla, & it's from the bath & body works aromatherapy line. oh, & justin picked it out!

wishing for an extremely productive week. if you know me, you know that i absolutely detest waking up very early in the morning - and well, my job is eight to five now, & i have to get there right on the dot. and while this is difficult for me, i also take pride in the fact that i am getting things done so early in the morning, & the truth is that i love that feeling of productivity. the problem lies in getting there.

hoping we never have another bee incident, like we did yesterday. there was a huge swarm of bees right outside our back door & kitchen window. it may just brighten your day to know that justin & i were creeping around outside our house, armed with cans of bug spray, taking on what seemed to be a hives-full-worth of honey bees. when we called the landlady, she told us that they would fly away when the queen left. well, as it was, we couldn't just wait for the queen to tire of our neighborhood, as about twenty of her subjects were taking up residence inside our home. she also told us not to try to kill them - that it would just stir them up. we did not heed this advice, and two cans of industrial strength bug spray later, we were mopping up the inside of our doorway, boiling the kitchen sink, & discarding bug bodies in an effort to sweep up the aftermath. you can only imagine how thrilled i was that poison ended up being sprayed all over the kitchen - i just really hope we don't die from it.

wearing pajamas. we took lazy to the next level this weekend. seriously.

loving being in the same place as justin. and our apartment. it's homey & cozy. and also loving that our friend ben called me yesterday, simply to thank me for sending him a thank you note. that's sweet.

wanting our friends & loved ones to come visit us - i miss all of them terribly.

needing hangers. apparently i have a multitude of clothing. well... we already knew that, actually.

photo: iphone; taken by justin

happy birthday, kniddy booshka!

photo 1: iphone - photo 2: vintage sowell - photo 3: iphone

friday's fancies #23: in celebration of kniddy's st. patty's day birthday.

my sister was born on st. patrick's day.

and she has red hair.

if i were in jackson this weekend & had the pleasure of attending the st. patty's day parade with her, this
is what my festive outfit would look like. sure, it's a little fancy for parade attire, but as i like to say,
better dressed up than down...

friday's fancies #23: in celebration of kniddy's st. patty's day birthday. by siddathornton featuring long sleeve tops

the trek to kinston.

the morning after our engagement party, we woke to a breakfast of coffee, 

snickerdoodle cake, & living room conversation. it was moving day.

with visions of the previous night's fete fresh in my mind, as well as a series of teary-eyed goodbyes, i climbed into the passenger's seat of the 4runner & prepared myself for the 17-hour trip that lay before us.

highlights of the trip included five guys burgers, beautiful scenery, sentimental 

mix tape cds from years past, & a stay in our beloved greenville, south carolina.

and while the stretch on i85 between charlotte & raleigh was blustery & 

seemingly interminable, we finally pulled up at RDU to retrieve justin's tahoe.

a hop, skip, & rural jump later, we were pulling into kinston & having dinner at east coast wings.

if only my bags could unpack themselves... my belongings have exploded all over our apartment.

here's to new beginnings & the promise of adventure!

photos: iphone

a photo for your monday.

these are weekend smiles.

i hope they carry over into the week.

happy monday!

photo: photobooth

starbucks sunday: the stacks + award.

when i went to visit kara at millsaps in jackson, she pretty much gave me the grand tour. 

and this is where i'm walking when i call you every day, she'd say, pointing to a brick staircase set in greenery. i loved seeing all the places that come together to equal out into a typical day for her, but my favorite place on campus - by far - was the stacks. 

after ascending a rickety metal staircase, you are transported into a world where walls are made of books & there are lights - windows - at the end of every tunnel.

it's true - i do this every time i'm in the presence of a multitude of books - i try to fathom how many volumes - how many words - how very many letters are floating in the air around me. 

this admittedly eerie, though undoubtedly charming, little space left me with the desire to make another trip to jackson - its sole purpose being for me to sit in the stacks & take in as many of those volumes - words - letters, as possible.

--

on a non-book-related note, i am so honored to relate to you that i have been presented with the liebster blog award, twice over - many months ago via memory, & just last week via julia. thank you, girls, so much for such an honor & compliment. 

and now, in keeping with the receipt of this award, i will list ten of my favorite blogs to honor with this award. check them all out if you know what's good for you. you won't be sorry. 

1. melissa, from 53 blonde.

2. sam, from ashore.

3. laura, from a diary of little things and curiosities. 

4. laura, from buy now, blog later.

5. bethany, from rinse. repeat.

6. lindsey, from focused linz.

7. daci, from just dandy.

8. jenna, from leggings love.

9. alison, from {long distance loving}.

10. annie, from annie's musings.

much love to all!

photos: iphone