The Secret to Liking Service

I grew up in a community where service project were a monthly if not bi-monthly thing. I always thought that service was a great idea but I never really engaged without a lot of moaning and groaning! "7 am sweetie! Time to go help Mrs. Larson with her yard" never sounded like an appealing wake up call. Geee I wonder why!

Yet, somewhere deep in side of me I always knew I wanted to serve people but I never found a way that I enjoyed. I tried to get myself to go, I would try to get myself involved. Heck, I even joined a service club in high school and eventually became secretary for them just so I could force myself to do something.

Even then it didn't feel genuine--even then I grumbled in my head.

Yesterday I found out how I can serve people with a genuine smile on my face. Making a difference in a person's life is always a good thing but how do you have it be meaningful to you?

A couple of my Alpha Chi sisters are in a management class and they were required to set up an event for a charity or nonprofit or something with the community to help people. Well my lovely sisters set up a pre-prom activity at a local high school. There was a booth on making corsages, one for learning to take a good picture, one for doing hair and make-up and finally the one I helped with: renting out donated dressed for (drumroll) FREE.

I was astounded. I got so much fulfillment out of the hour I was there, more than I have gotten out of any other volunteer work I have done in the past. You want to know why? Because I used to be there. I remember posters going up and gossip going around about the upcoming high school dances and thinking "how on earth am I going to afford a dress". It's a sore topic for me. I didn't have the money to go out and buy a $500 dress and my parents certainly didn't either.

If this event had been held for me at my school it would have taken so much anxiety and self loathing out of school dances for me. And that's why doing this affected me! One of the girls said "I've never felt so pretty. I feel like a princess." This almost made me cry. 9 different girls went away with free dresses that they probably could not have afforded with out this event.

And I realized what can make service great: when it's personal! How do you volunteer without begrudging it in your heart? You do something for others that you wish someone had done for you! Or you find an organization/cause that has deeply touched your heart!

I mean, yet mowing the old neighbor's yard is great and is never a bad thing but what if you just can't find the umph to do it? Start with service that you love! If you have been affected by an issue see if there is service opportunity for it. If you or a family member or a friend has been a victim of domestic violence then chances are you have more of a passion for helping out at CAPSA than at the homeless shelter...and that's okay! Doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing!

You don't have to rank volunteer work on a goodness scale and feel guilty for not helping out with a more "worthy" cause. Don't feel guilty. Just do what you're passionate about. I have a passion for helping with girls who can't afford to fit into the crowd, and I have a passion for women's equalities as well as a passion for helping African refugees and stopping the abduction of children in Africa.

I work in my passions and it feels great. When I go to a quilting bee I feel bored. You don't have to feel obligated to work with the causes that give others passion. Work with the ones that make you feel on fire!

Make it personal and it will hit home.
Much love,

Carly

Temptation Cupcakes

Okay...can we say impulse sweets stop???

On the way back from a service activity with some of my Alpha Chi Omega girls when we decided to pull into Temptation Cupcake.  Man this place was cute!!!

I just felt like I had walked into a suave little boutique or something! Nice couches, cute small tables and crystal light fixtures every where!

I had a delicious chocolate one with the most delicious buttercream frosting of my life! I have NEVER had better frosting ANYWHERE! I gobbled it down too fast to even think of taking a picture. Sorry guys. But here are some pictures I pulled from their website and from customer reviews on urban spoon:

Black N' White

Key Lime

Almond Joy

Red Velvet

Look great huh? They are amazing! Truly gourmet cupcakes! They are a little pricy individually at around $2 but man are they worth it for someone who has a sweet tooth! I usually don't like cupcakes (especially from the grocery store) so it takes a really special cupcake to get into my heart! I loved mine so much and the girls I was with loved theirs as well!

They also do catering of all sizes, extremely tempting (no pun intended) for weddings and girly parties like showers :)

I would definitely recommend stopping in to satisfy your sweet tooth craving!

The Shoe Project: 3D Design

The assignment: To create a shoe at least 1.5x its normal size and broken down into flat planes. Any material was allowed as long as it was approved first.

The inspiration:

So I love this shoe so much, it was for a power girl costume last year...very kinky

I liked the shapes that this boot offered and the unique way the materials interacted with each other

Pleather??? I don't know but it's cool

I liked how the heel, platform and toe were in different colors it made it a good place to distinguish in my project

My professor was telling me to pick a material that would imitate the stiff yet floppy nature of the shoe

The final project:

I chose to use craft foam in blue and white. The foam was stiff enough to create planes yet malleable enough to give it that floppy effect.

I wanted to make sure to capture some of the detailing of the shoe without over whelming the project.

Lots of little in's and out's to shape the shoe

I specifically misconstrued the shoe to make it look more painful, ie. the place where it hurts my foot the most on the front of the shoe goes in like it is pushing on a foot.

Getting that depth in the flopped over top was hard because I wanted it to be flat so bad!

So it took me forever to realize but I had the proportions of the heel length totally off until  the day before when I fixed it. I was wondering why it was looking wrong and now it looks much more like a shoe on the bottom than a platform.

The grade: 97.5% :) "A" baby!!!! I was really happy. We also did a critique in class where we went around and gave one of our ten votes to people and the 10 with the highest votes got critiqued in depth and the others weren't. I got in the top ten :) so not only did my professor like it but my peers did too. I was really happy.

Carly

Fashion: Oversized + White

So, I've noticed lately a popular trend has been oversized white tops. I love this look, I feel like it is so flattering! The button-ups are especially popular in other light colors over tighter tanks or over skinny jeans and leggings. Even thicker fabrics work well with the light colors, I ADORE this hooded cape in the third picture.

Top Left to Right:
Love this look with a pencil skirt and heels--feminine and professional Link
Perfect combo of tough and chick Link
Ugh I want this cape coat so bad...kind of obsessed...its not healthy...Link

Bottom Left to Right:
Such a cute summer look! Especially love the long necklace touch--perfect balance Link
A daring mini and gladiator sandel...love it--makes me think of Ghost :) Link
Trendy! Makes me think of a fashionesta roaming the streets for an antique find or something. Just great accessorizing. Link

This just makes me want to run down to a thrift store and grab up all the men's white shirts...


Love,

Carly

Angie's Restaurant

"Where the Locals Eat" is the saying at Angie's in Logan! Don't be intimidated if you're a college student though, this is really a great eatery for Aggies too (some would say you aren't an aggie until you've eaten at Angie's)

This place is a cute little diner on main street with all the classics with the bar if you want the classic feel, booths and tables for bigger groups, all day breakfast, homemade pies and tons of American classics!

Talk about Locals! Saturday mornings this place is packed!

Evan and I went for breakfast this time though this was definitely not our first time at the Logan hotspot.

We started out with their coffee which they brought out in cute earthen-ware mugs. I love how the girls just walk around and refill coffee constantly. It adds to the diner feel, I think.

I like mine with a lot of cream and sugar :)

I ordered the breakfast fajitas, they came with an order of hashbrowns and man were they yummy!
A soft tortilla wraps up cheese, green peppers, beef and some other delicious stuff I was too busy inhaling to notice :)

Excuse the bite, I was really hungry

I'm glad they cut this sucker in half because I don't know if I could have tackled it whole

Evan ordered a standard breakfast platter (sorry guys I can't remember the name of this) and got toast (yum!) bacon, eggs and hashbrows (which he proceeded to douse with hot sauce).

I might have stolen a piece of toast...mmm toast

Overall a great experience at a great homey resturant! Oh! I almost forgot! They have kid sized icecream cones that are always free! So I got one of those and man! Talk about a good vanilla soft serve! If you haven't been to Angie's and you live in Logan, you have no excuse! Make your way down to Angie's for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Don't forget dessert! They serve some of the best pies in the valley and they are famous for the "Clean the Sink" challenge. I think it is around 8 bucks? And you get a small "sink" full of icecream with your choice of two toppings. If you can do it as a single person you get on their wall of fame and if a group of you does it they will put your picture on their facebook and on their front wall for a while!

Go have a great time at Angie's, Where the Locals Eat!

Carly

Sometimes Ambition Gets in the Way

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.
William Faulkner

I would have to agree whole-heartedly with that one. The more I get locked down with earthly things and to do lists and schedules the less I engage with God and truly enjoy His presence.

I often think, in more quiet moments, that the downfall to my relationship with God is more often time and self reliance than what some would think as "sin".

self-suf·fi·cient

 [self-suh-fish-uhnt, self-]adjective

1.able to supply one's own or its own needs without external assistance.

2.having extreme confidence in one's own resources, powers ect.

Hmmm what do we know about our human condition? We can't supply ourselves with our own needs. We just can't. We need God to step in. So why is it my tendency to try and do it alone?

Maybe because it is in my personality to be independent. Maybe it is my lot to try to push myself to be dependent on God and on others. I don't like relying on others. It agitates me. I would rather do the job myself and do it right than rely on someone else who might fail in my stead. 


Maybe that's it. I think God will fail me. Yet when I think about it I know He wont...but in the back of my mind I wonder if the path God has chosen for me is the one I want.


Trusting God was what kept me from becoming a christian in the first place and still it is a daily struggle. In my head it seems as if God and I are two Co-Captains on a soccer field that both want to lead the plays and have the ball. Yet, I'm the less experienced one, I'm the less knowledgeable one, I'm the insufficient one. So why can't I just trust Him that He will do what is right for me?


I just want my goals and dreams to come true so bad that I push God out of the way saying "I got this" because I'm afraid that if I let Him take control then He will lead me in another direction. So maybe it's my dreams...they get in the way sometimes. I mean, yes God gave us some of the desires of our hearts and He will use them to his glory but shouldn't He be our desire?


Shouldn't my greatest dream be God's glorification through me? Shouldn't my desires allign with the kingdom of heaven--searching without relief for those to harvest for God's kingdom--jumping for joy the moment one person is saved? Shouldn't that me greatest ambition and desire? I want it to be.


I want to be a tool in The Master's hands. I want to hear Him guiding me daily. I want to give up all that I am too him.


Maybe I should start looking at what is holding me back.


Carly

Discrimination Against Women Hasn't Gone Away

Ya know, there have been so many times in my life when I've shrugged off a hurt feeling or a frustration because I thought "this is just the way it is."

There have also been times where I have suppressed sharing my feelings or views because I could hear the voice of men in my past saying "you're overreacting". There have even been times where I have totally ignored my gut instinct to get out of a situation because I felt like I would be mocked for following my gut--I wish I hadn't.

One really sad thing is that I do most of this unconsciously every day. I judge whether it is "worth it" to defend myself and my gender without even realizing I'm doing it. The fact that we are so used to being mocked and criticized every time we express our intuition or tell someone about a need we have makes me sick.

And I didn't even realized I was doing it, or that it didn't have to be that way, until I read Yashar Ali's article's about it. Yashar is a man. Not a woman ranting about how unfair her life is. He is a third party observer and he sees us. He understands the issues women face today. He sees how so many men will outwardly support women's rights but then belittle a woman by telling her that her opinion isn't valid.

I've read three articles from his blog and all have been phenomenal, here are some excerpts:

"... I have never actually been witness to the kind of street harassment my women friends tell me about... street harassment, like all forms of harassment, is about attacking the vulnerable.... I will never know what it feels like for a woman to walk down the street alone. How am I to fully relate to the pain, fear, and humiliation of street harassment when I have never witnessed its full form and lack the the personal experience of being harassed on the street?"

"And therein lies the problem: if and when we think of sexism, it’s about class-action lawsuits,
wage fairness—the big issues. We don’t seem to pay attention to the minutiae of daily life and the discrimination that exists on an everyday level. "

 From Men Will Never Truly Understand a Day in the Life of a Woman. But Why Shouldn't We Try?

"Gaslighting is a term, often used by mental health professionals (I am not one), to describe manipulative behavior used to confuse people into thinking their reactions are so far off base that they’re crazy."

"Those who engage in gaslighting create a reaction—whether it’s anger, frustration, sadness—in the person they are dealing with. Then, when that person reacts, the gaslighter makes them feel uncomfortable and insecure by behaving as if their feelings aren’t rational or normal."

"It’s a whole lot easier to emotionally manipulate someone who has been conditioned by our society to accept it. We continue to burden women because they don’t refuse our burdens as easily. It’s the ultimate cowardice."

"No wonder some women are unconsciously passive aggressive when expressing anger, sadness, or frustration. For years, they have been subjected to so much gaslighting that they can no longer express themselves in a way that feels authentic to them."

"I don’t think this idea that women are “crazy,” is based in some sort of massive conspiracy. Rather, I believe it’s connected to the slow and steady drumbeat of women being undermined and dismissed, on a daily basis. And gaslighting is one of many reasons why we are dealing with this public construction of women as 'crazy.'"

"But isn’t the issue of gaslighting ultimately about whether we are conditioned to believe that women’s opinions don’t hold as much weight as ours? That what women have to say, what they feel, isn’t quite as legitimate?"

From A Message To Women From A Man: You're Not Crazy

"Why is the discussion about gender inequality such an inconvenient and annoying bore to men, especially socially progressive men who would otherwise advocate on behalf of any other oppressed group or population?"

"Rather it’s about what is felt by the individual being discriminated against. And often with gender discrimination, women simply don’t share their feelings of frustration because their claims have been dismissed, 'You’re just overreacting. You’re paranoid.'"

"I see one central problem as connected with the men who are fundamentally good, but who pretend as if there is no major gender imbalance. These men, like my friend, when asked if women deserve equality, resoundingly respond “yes.” But when they are put in a position to support the women in their lives or when they are put in a place where they can directly react to discrimination, they lack any sort of action or assertion, or worst yet, they only offer dismissal."

From On Women's Rights: Yeah, Yeah, Blah, Blah, Blah. Whatever.

These articles were so empowering! You know how many times I have told myself I was crazy because that was the reaction I was getting from legitimate emotional responses? My self esteem went down so much whenever I got "you're over reacting" or "you're crazy" or "oh calm down". 

Now I realize that it isn't something I should have to deal with. And if anyone tries to 'Gaslight' me I am going to call them on it. Plain and simple. Women shouldn't be covertly discriminated for being a women. We shouldn't have stores clerk's eyes glaze over when we ask them a question. We are valid. We don't have to take this.

Carly

Photography Tips

I know I don't have a ton of photos up here but I'm trying to get better about shooting more. In the mean time here are some great articles on photography tips.



First off this one is great! It is a simply worded wonderful day-by-day run down of your camera's functions and how to make them work for you! It is wonderful! I learned so much with this!

It goes through manual features, how and why to shoot fast or slow, how to set and understand your aperture and iso, using your depth of field for your greatest advantage and that's just the first 8 days! It is really great and comprehensive.




Now we come to 13 Things Your Camera Wishes You Knew

.This runs through some things that you don't find in the outlines of basic techniques. Its pretty short so don't worry about being intimidated by this one and she has some really great links to other articles and product sites.

The next two sites are objective specific


11Surefire Landscape Photography Tips

Depth of Field, Tripod, Focal Point, Foregrounds, Sky, Lines, Movement, Weather, Golden Hours, Horizons and Point of View. This is a quick overview of some really great tips for landscapes, I found it very helpful!

5 Black and White Photography Tips

 If you haven't covered your basics (like the 31 days) then this one will probably be a bit over your head but this is a really great page that is not too lengthy on black and white photography and how to get the most out of it.


Well I hope these help you guys! They helped me a lot especially with feeling more confident about my camera. I need to go out and shoot some more!

Carly

Sushi Ya

As sushi lovers and starving college students my boyfriend and I love Sushi Ya.

The place may seem too out of the way tucked in next to Logan's south Walmart and across the street from Rumbi and TwizzleBerry but don't let appearances deceive you! This place is a gem!


Some people (myself included) might be a little weary of the "All You Can Eat" sign out front but the worry isn't needed. The sushi is high quality and delicious every time and if you are a light weight like me there are alternatives to the all you can eat route.


Last time we were there I got the teriyaki steak which was divine! It was perfectly tender in thin strips with the most wonderfully sweet and tangy sauce. The meal also came with rice, miso soup, house salad (with a delicious peanut sauce) and four pieces of to-die-for tempura vegetables.


Their all you can eat is also very good. The sushi chefs are knowledgeable in their crafts and careful with their ingredients. All of my favorite rolls are the ones with tempura either in them or tempura fried themselves. 


Sitting at the bar is really fun when you are getting all you can eat because you can talk to the chef about his or her suggestions. It is just fun to tell your order directly to the guy who is making it. Plus you get to watch which is really cool.


The wait staff is really nice and on top of things and usually the place isn't overly busy or crowded which is nice.


The price point varies depending on entrees and the dinner all you can eat is $18.95 a person and the lunch is $13.95. The lunch all you can eat is more limited but at a lower price that is to be expected. Entrees range from $9.95 to $14.95 and individual rolls ranging from $4.50 to $9.50.


They also do take out and catering!


Over all a very great place where you can get your money's worth!




Sushi Ya 
981 S Main St #170, Logan, UT
(435) 753-7229



Lunch:
11:00 am – 2:30 pm (Mon – Fri)
Closed on Sundays.


Dinner:
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm (Mon – Fri)
11:30 am – 10:00 pm (Sat)
Closed on Sundays.

Much love,
Carly 

Spring 2012 Fashion Palette

I am just loving the style trends this year, much better than some of the stuff I grew up with!

I love the blush colors this year, so feminine and light!

Image Links:
White blouse + blush skirt + pale blue shoe
Grey cardi + blush dress + grey shoe
Blush collage pic
Blush blazer + black pant + lace top
Bow pencil skirt + white top
Monochrome blush


Corals and Sea-foam are popping up everywhere.

 Image Links:

Neon top + aqua shoe
Blazer + dress
Coral top + sea-foam belt
Can't find a link for the green skirt
Or the white and coral tank
Cardi + Dress


Lace is so big this year it's not even funny and I love it!

Image Links:
Backless White Mini
Can't find the blue dress
Lace top + pink pant
Black Lace Dress
Green top + white lace skirt
Backless Black Lace Dress


Florals are making a comeback, a thing I doubted would happen but I am actually really liking the movement.

Image Links:
Blue floral dress
The link is dead to the vintage look
Abstract floral dress
Floral top + colored pant
Pastel jacket + floral skirt
Red stripes + floral skirt



I'm really excited about shopping this spring and summer because it's all looking cute, cute, cute!

Carly

Dialogue Journaling

“The Journal is a powerful journaling and writing tool that can help you take control of your life.”  David Michael

I tend to agree with him there. Journaling in and of itself is a very powerful tool. It is therapeutic, cathartic and empowering. Ever since I started journaling again I feel much more in control of my emotions. Which, believe you me, is a very hard thing for me to personally regulate.

Now, journaling by itself is great and I love it but what I want to talk about today is called Dialogue Journaling.


SIL International defines dialogue journaling as:
a notebook kept jointly by two people, usually a student and a teacher. Each writes entries as messages to the other. 


Great. What of it? Right? Wrong.


What if I told you this wasn't just for school teachers? It's not.


Dialogue journaling can be a beautiful, productive learning tool for the ultimate teacher and you his pupil.

“Journaling, the writing out of our prayers and God’s answers, provides a great new freedom in hearing God’s voice.”  Dr. Mark Virkler

Writing down prayers? I had never heard of that until I watched The Help and one of the characters mentioned it. Even then I thought it was weird, why would you write it down? Weren't prayers supposed to be an intimate audio or mental conversation? Intimate? Yes. Audio or mental? Not necessarily.

You want to know my vice when it comes to prayer? I get bored, or I can't organize my thoughts and I get distracted and end up (in my eyes) failing and giving up. Because of this cycle I end up dreading prayer time because I worry I will end up 'failing' and disappointing God and myself. 

Do you have any idea how much easier it is to keep on track while writing? For me? So much easier it is laughable that I attempted half-hearted-drowsey-before-bed prayers. If I get distracted or can't sort out my thoughts I can look back to where I was and start back up again.

Now, secondly, the God part. How many times have you related or heard an account of a spiritual experience or revelation and someone's response was "have you written it down?" Personally I've heard it a lot and many times I have sheepishly answered "no not yet", and moved on. Well, I had never realized what a detriment I was being to myself as my memories grew foggy and sentiments got muddled.

Then Yahweh answered me and said, ‘Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read.  (Habakkuk 2:2; NJB)

Duh! How had I not realized this? Why wouldn't I keep record of my most precious interactions with the Holy Spirit? Did I not treasure that moment? Did I not see its worth? I don't know what I was thinking but my satisfaction in personal revelation has shot through the roof since I've brought this into practice.

So Dialogue Journaling is essentially combining these two elements first: writing down prayers and second: recording spiritual experiences and personal revelations.

I learned about this at a class for spiritual formation that was provided by my church and it was phenomenal!

How you put this concept into practice is this:

Step 1: Write down your prayer; pouring into it your concerns and questions, your fears and joys, everything you are feeling. Be honest; there is no point in lying to an all knowing being and avoiding the sore topics aren't going to make them any better.

Step 2: Wait for His response; remember God loves you and not only does he love you but he LIKES you and he wants to do things with you. He wants to have a conversation He wants to sooth your fears and give you guidance. He isn't obligated to love you-He likes you.

Step 3: Write down His response; it is best to do this in another colored pen so that the distinction is clear when you are looking back. Just write. Don't sensor God, that's not doing anyone any good. He will say what needs to be said and nothing more or less. Let him.

A Disclaimer: Check it. Write what you think He is saying in that moment but always check it later. Remember God is never going to tell you anything contrary to the Bible and He will never belittle and demean you. If you have a question about whether or not the revelation you received was really from God just check with a fellow Christian about it. God is kind and he wont contradict what He has already said in his word.

Another tip: If you're worried about someone reading the journal and you don't want a confessed sin or a complaint about someone read feel free to write it in code. The guy that taught my class would confess sin by writing only the first letter of every word. When someone asked "well how do you remember it?" he said: "I don't, God doesn't remember my past sin and neither do I."

I tell ya, this has done wonders for me. I have always had a hard time with the "listening" part after prayer. Impressions just have a hard time sinking into me and I always thought the spontaneous thought was just my own self fulfillment. But, in Mark Virkler's You Can Hear God's Voice: Four Keys to consistent, powerful,life-giving conversations with God he points out that those spontaneous thoughts are exactly how God communicates with us. Writing them down has brought so much clarity to me and more than anything it has emphasized God's love and understanding of me.

You might as well give it a try. It might work for you, it might not be your thing but I think God likes it when we show up.

God Bless,

Carly

I pulled a lot of resources off of The Couching Pair and these are links to the two pages I looked at: One, Two

31 Status

Wow, this is inspiring.
I want to be this kind of woman.
This is such a powerful message and a powerful performance.
It is sad how woman in this world have taken "a huge tasty bite of deception"
I want God's beauty to shine through me!
I wont be defined by the media or by the world's view of beauty.

Stand for your potential!

My Writing

Today my mom asked me "Do you post your poems on your blog?"
and I said "no".
She seemed a bit surprised and I'm guessing some of my friends and family are too so I figured I would explain why.

I don't post anything online that I could potentially publish later. This is because if you post something online then it has been published. Publishers don't like it when they get leftovers. They want to be there first. They want to be the ones to bring it to the world. If anyone publishes any of their work online before it has been put out by a publisher their likely hood of it getting picked up goes way down.

I want to publish.

I want to publish so bad that it makes me ache.

I do want to share my writings with my family and friends, but if I do it on my blog or on facebook or on twitter or allpoetry.com I will never get published.

So here's the deal: If you would like to see something I'm working on feel free to ask me!

Send me an email-Write a comment on this post-Send me a facebook message! What ever! I will be glad (and flattered) to show it to you in a private way.

I LOVE feed back so it would actually be great for me too.

I just can't do it publicly because someday I hope to make some (probably not a lot) money off of my writing.

Thanks Guys!
Carly

P.S. I'm not kidding if you're interested message me.

Blogs I Follow

So here's a list of the blogs I follow on blogger:

Religion:
Dear Church -A great blog about this woman's experiences with God as she follows his voice. Great and very motivational!
Soli Deo Gloria-My friend Shayla's blog as she wraps up her bachelor's degree and continues to seek what God wants for her.
Outside the Box-A great philosophical blog that seeks to view God and Science together through each other instead of pitted against each other. Very interesting-this blog is sure to get you thinking.

Fashion:
Another Garcon-This is a professional bloggers look into photography and fashion. He often post pictures of street fashion from his travels and if you're looking for some more inspiration for men's fashion he often posts great pictures of his own looks.
Because I'm Addicted-This is the blog of a 20 something running around in L.A. she dips into a couple different spheres: Fashion, Food, Living and DIY. She has great taste, I'm always finding new things to post on my pinterest from her.
Chic Muse-A fashion blogger on top of the latest trends, she tends to blog more about trendy and high fashion styles instead of very practical looks but all of us fashion-estas need to keep an eye on high fashion.
Glam Canyon-Almost all street fashion photography, not usually a lot of text, short and sweet photos.
MAFFASHION-a personal style blogger on top of the latest trends. She wears a lot of Black Milk which I love :)
Native Fox-Personal style that I LOVE. Almost every outfit she posts goes straight to my style pin board on pinterest.
The Londoner-Okay I LOVE this blog. I wish I could have her life. She posts her personal style along with some trending stuff along with her travel adventures and lovely experiences with great food. I am so jealous!
Vintage Redheads-Great personal style that is very wearable. She also posts sometimes about her shopping adventures which I love.

Crafts:
Because I'm Addicted-This is the blog of a 20 something running around in L.A. she dips into a couple different spheres: Fashion, Food, Living and DIY. She has great taste, I'm always finding new things to post on my pinterest from her.
DIY Home Sweet Home
-Everything DIY and Home. Great tips, tutorials, inspiration, contests and give-aways!
Ella-Marie Designs-My friend Ashley having her go at crafting and repurposing.


Travel and Food:
The Londoner-Okay I LOVE this blog. I wish I could have her life. She posts her personal style along with some trending stuff along with her travel adventures and lovely experiences with great food. I am so jealous! 

Fit Foodie Finds-Recipes, work outs and adventures
Some Day There's Pie-Lots and lots of recipes!
Stil in berlin-Food, art and shopping in Berlin
Because I'm Addicted-This is the blog of a 20 something running around in L.A. she dips into a couple different spheres: Fashion, Food, Living and DIY. She has great taste, I'm always finding new things to post on my pinterest from her. 
Welcome to...Simply Gourmet Photography -A great blog with recipes, and photography tips from a professional photographer who specializes in food.

Letter to my Senator: KONY 2012

Dear Senator Hatch,

I am writing to you because I believe I have a voice. I am writing you because you are my representative and I believe you should hear that voice.

Right now my voice is screaming from the roof tops about KONY 2012. I am guessing you have probably heard about it as there has been such a large response in the last few days, but I want to tell you why I, your constituent, care about this movement.

I believe in an America and a world that cares about the other people on this planet. I believe in an America that will not stand for the degradation of human rights and suffering. I believe in a United Nations that when they say "never again", they mean it.

I know there is a lot of outcry against this cause and a lot of hesitation by our government to step in. I have educated myself on these rebuttals and still believe in what is right. I believe that when a man rapes women and girls, kidnaps children in the night, forces children to kill each other, and ravages a land of its goodness that man must be stopped.

I also believe that this is a task too big for a charity to do alone. I believe that when a government can do something about monstrosities that they should do something. I believe in this country. I believe in this world. I believe that men like Joeseph Kony should not be allowed to roam free, no matter how difficult he is to capture.

I believe in my voice and I will stop at nothing. Do you believe in the people's voice? I am doing all I can do. Are you?

Sincerely,

Carly A. Crosby

Last night I made posters. This morning I wrote my senator. What are you doing?