(Not So) Way-Back Wednesday

Today is Wednesday, December 31, 2014. I can hardly believe it. Another year has slipped through our fingertips. And though I will be sad to see it go, 2014 must make way for a new and better year. As I mentioned before, I've been having computer problems and these pictures were supposed to go up two weeks ago, but better late than never. So without further ado, some of my Christmas pictures!!

                  It's clear that we can't take a normal picture

 

                                       Photobomb!

Creepy selfie with Jack

 

I hope that all of you had a blessed holiday season and I'm looking forward to sharing 2015 with you!!

 

Much love,

Callan

#ThankfulFor

I've been tagged by Theresa to name 15 things that I'm thankful for!! I'm going to name the things that aren't quite as obvious such as....

1. Freedom: After recently watching The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay: Part One, I can honestly say that I am beyond grateful to live in a free country.

2. Music: I truly believe that I would go insane if I didn't have music to listen to. It's just beautiful to be able to listen to anything that fits my mood and feel better.

3. My Driver's License: In a word, amazing!!

4. Education: It's a no-brainer, but you can accomplish so much more when you know what you're doing. Duh.

5. Yoga Pants: Please watch this video to understand.

6. Social Media: I know it seems shallow, but I'm able to stay connected with my friends who I don't get to see very often or who live far away.

7. EOS Lip Balm: It's a lifesaver in these cold months!!

8. People Who Believe in Me: It's a great feeling.

9. My Church: We're still fairly new (it's only been a year since we started going), but I know that I've made life-long friends there and I've grown closer to God in the year that we've been there.

10. Bath and Body Works: They have so many amazing scents!! To name a few, Espresso Bar, Paris Amour, and Twilight Woods *swoon*

11. Pinterest: Many things in my life have flourished because of Pinterest. Mostly obsessions, but it's all good, right??

12. Christmas Music: 'Tis officially the season!!

13. The Internet: I think that everyone understands this(:

14. Photography: So I can live vicariously through others.

15. Quadruple Chocolate Cookies: I think I died and went to heaven!!

I hope that this post inspires each of you to reflect on what you're thankful for, because you never know how much it's worth to you until it's gone. So don't take anything for granted, and give back this holiday season!!

Mentally giving all of you quadruple chocolate cookies!!
Callan

p.s.
If you read my previous post you know that I'm having computer issues. Because of these issues I am unable to access my pictures from summer, so the photography challenge and summer bucket list will have to be throwback editions!!
~C

Transitional Fashion || Collaboration

 

Soooooo..... This post was originally supposed to go up a month ago, but I've been having computer problems. As in all of our computers are in various stages of technological decay, to put it simply.

If you follow my beautiful best friend's blog, you will doubtless have seen pictures from our fall photo shoot. If you don't follow her a) you should, and b) here are the pictures from said photo shoot.

 

When we were shooting these, the weather couldn't decide if it was going to be warm or cold so I decided to go with a transitional outfit. 

 

                          The ultimate profile picture

 

                        Full view of my baggy sweater 

 

 

 

 

 

                   Can I just say: these booties are life!

 

 

 

 

                       Cause eyeballs are cool, right?? 

 

                                       Fall Makeup

Eyeshadow Base: Maybelline's Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

 Eyeshadow: Maybelline's Go for the Gold EyeStudio Quad 

 Mascara: Maybelline's Pumped Up! Colossal Volum' Express

 

        So, essentially, everything I own makeup-wise is Maybelline(: 

 

 

                          And here comes the transitional part.... 

 

                             Photo creds go to Theresa Wilson

                                                            

                                                    Top: Goodwill

                                         Jeans: Express, Plato's Closet

                                                     Sweater: Ross

                                                 Booties: JustFab.com

                                            Fedora: I have no earthly idea

                                                       Earrings: Gift

                                                      Necklace: icing

                                                           
Belated fall blessings!!
Callan
p.s.
I'm having problems with centering pictures with text, so I apologize to all of the OCD people out there!!

Music Monday

Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement!! Due to the fact that most Mondays are especially stressful and busy for me I have decided that from here on out I will be doing Music Monday on the first Monday of each month. That having been said, let us proceed to the main event....

Track Review

Track~ Cool Kids

Artist~ Echosmith

Album~ Talking Dreams

     The band Echosmith is made up of siblings Sydney, Jamie, Noah, and Graham Sierota. Their general sound is emo with some '80s dance-rock strains. This interesting combination makes for an amazing sound on their hit single, Cool Kids. This track expresses the innermost desire of every teenager's heart: to be "in" with the "in crowd". The chorus says "I wish that I could be like the cool kids/Cause all the cool kids/they seem to fit in.
      The need to be popular affects everyone in varying degrees. Some people live for popularity, some seem indifferent to it, and others become popular, whether or not that was their intention              
     Singer/guitarist Jamie says that the message of the song is simple: the coolest thing you can be is yourself. Cool Kids focuses on two outsiders gazing wistfully at the world of the cool kids. However, they are conscious of the shallow lives that the populars lead. The second verse says "He sees them talking with a big smile/but they haven't got a clue..... They're driving fast cars/but they don't know where they're going/In the fast lane/living life without knowing.
     It's natural for us to want to be accepted, but we have to realize that our decisions and the way we act and talk should not be based on trying to please others, because ultimately our goal should be to please our Creator. He loves us infinitely more than the "cool kids" ever will. We just have to realize it first.

               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming Posts(hopefully)
    > I want to do a summer recap post that will include the photography challenge, the (mostly) completed bucket list, and some beach pictures. Fingers crossed, everyone!!

    > My beautiful bestie Theresa over at Tmarie and I are planning a fall fashion photo shoot/collaboration for you to enjoy!!

    > Over the next few weeks I'm going to do some varying posts that have to do with all things fall. Comment YAY for fall!!

    > Don't forget to comment a track or album that you would like me to review next month!!

Much love,
Callan

Autumn Observations || New Polish

 

  P E R S P E C T I V E.....

                                              I S.....
 

 

 

  E V E R Y T H I N G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our porch can have a rustic effect

 

 

The newest addition to my fall polish collection...

 

 

Essie || Carry On

Midi Ring || Claire's

 

 

 

Fall blessings!!

Callan

 

Reflections || Opera Carolina

     Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”                                             ~Yoko Ono

     Today I am remembering my reverence. As I sit at the breakfast table eating a waffle with nutella, drinking rooibos tea from my new Rapunzel mug(!!!), and reading an article on constructive criticism (see picture below), I reflect on the past few weeks.

 I'm getting into the swing of things with school and extracurricular activities and everything seems to be going well. I'm getting good grades, I'm not stressed out all the time unlike many high school juniors, and pumpkin spice is everywhere(:
     However, I realize that, as excited I am about fall being here, I haven't actually slowed down for two seconds and enjoyed it in the moment. To me, fall is about slowing down while speeding up. I know that sounds really confusing, but what I mean by it is: Fall is the season where people have to refocus because of school, work, or other such things. But fall is also the season where our perception of beauty is renewed and refreshed and we see the unparalleled pulchritude in the changing leaves and temperatures. So while we have to speed up to match the heartbeat of the rest of society, we also slow down to enjoy the simple beauty of the changing seasons.
     Also, I'm SO SO excited that I get to wear my sweaters all the time!! *Sighs* Yes, fall is definitely my favorite season.

     Okay, so I'm done reflecting. Last night I had the interesting opportunity to go see the opera Nabucco with my friend Abby and her mom Julie. Now, what made this opportunity so interesting is that it was actually the dress rehearsal. We could hear the maestro giving instructions and at one point he stopped the performers and was giving them pointers on how to make the emotion in the song more believable.
     The opera was at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in downtown Charlotte. Its such a beautiful theater and every time I go I feel like I could sit there for hours and just gaze at the place.

   
                               The dazzling rotunda 

                         Panoramic view of the theater

     Its just so breathtaking in the moment.
     The opera we went to see was, as previously mentioned, Nabucco. The storyline follows King Nebuchadnezzar and his journey from being a pagan king to a humble servant of God. There is rebellion, insanity, romance, and sacrifice mixed in. All in all it was pretty good. However, it was in Italian, which was beautiful, but we had to read subtitles to understand what they were saying.

 

                                  
                                       The program

     After the show we went to Amelie's, which is a charming little French bakery with character to spare. I only got a few pictures, the reason being I was so wrapped up in my heavenly dessert.

     In the process of devouring a Large Chocolate Mousse Cup 

 

                                                     
"He that will not endure the bitter, will not live to see the sweet."

     The next time I visit this charming place I will be armed. With my camera, of course. Last night was wonderful and after it's conclusion, I promptly collapsed into my bed(: I advise all of you to visit Amelie's off of N. Davidson Street, or at least a nostalgia-inducing French bakery in your area.

Au Revoir!!
Callan

Music Monday

It's been awhile since I've done a Music Monday, but now that I'm easing into my school year routine, I'll be setting a few times each week to post. So here's to regular posts!!

Track Review

Track~ I Hope You Dance

Artist~ Lee Ann Womack

Album~ I Hope You Dance

This song has been a favorite of mine ever since I heard it about 3 years ago. Even though Lee Ann isn't a Christian artist, sometimes secular songs strike a chord in every heart. To summarize the song in one sentence: Live life to the fullest. My favorite line goes, "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean." It just reminds me that no matter how successful we are in life or how proud or happy we make others, we are still such a small part of a humongous universe.

The transition and chorus go:" And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance..... I hope you dance(time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along. Tell me who wants to look back and wonder where all those years have gone)."

The only objectionable content is the line," Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter," but I honestly didn't know it said exactly that until I looked up the lyrics. You guys can use your own discretion for this line.

The music has a country vibe to it, but not so much so that it's off putting for people who aren't as keen on country music. It's a nice soothing song that really puts things in perspective and is also encouraging to the heart. I hope that all of you will give it a listen!!

Available for download on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube

Until we meet again,

Callan

Leibster Blog Award!!

 So I have been nominated for the Leibster Blog Award!! It's basically a get-to-know-the-blogger kind of thing. I have been nominated by Theresa from Tmarie. Go check her out cause she's amazing, and she's also my best friend!! Thanks so much girly!!   First and foremost, 10 facts about myself. 1. I'm NOT a morning person 2. I'm obsessed with owls 3. I love vocabulary!! Freaking my family out with random words is a favorite hobby of mine(: 4. I want to be a recording artist 5. All of my friends tell me that I should dye my hair blonde(you probably can guess why) 6. I love to dance, but I suck at it!! I can let loose on the dance floor, let me tell ya(: 7. I taught myself how to read at 4 years old 8. I could live off of apples and carrots 9. I have the weirdest sense of humor 10. And last but not least, pajamas and clothing are synonymous. I will wear pajamas all day, and I wear sweatpants to bed. Now onto the questions from Theresa!!    1. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? This isn't so much of a learning as a re-learning. I used to take gymnastics, and I could a variety of flips and handspring and such, but I grew too old to be in a class and I didn't want to join the team, so I quit. You know the old saying, "Use it or lose it?" Well that's what happened. I didn't continue to practice and now I can't do those flips anymore:( So I would like to relearn those things.                                                                                     2. What single quality do you most appreciate in people? I really love when someone can fully appreciate weirdness and anything and everything that comes with it.                                                    3. What makes you laugh out loud? There's nothing like an inside joke, man. 4. What do you like about blogging? I love the fact that I can be myself and be weird without worrying about what people think. Also, it's great to feel like you're having a conversation while still in your pjams.  5. Who is your favorite author? Why? My favorite author is Rick Riordan. I've read several series that he's written; The Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Heroes of Olympus. The reasons I love reading his books are: One, that he has a great sense of humor and incorporates that into his writing. Two, he knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. And three, he incorporates A LOT of history and legend into his books. His books have helped fuel the fire of my obsession with ancient cultures. 6. Name one awkward and one awesome thing that has happened in the last week. Awkward: This isn't from the last 7 days, but it's awkward enough to span the oceans of time. Okay, so we were at a meeting for camp and I found out that throughout the whole week of camp, many people thought my brother Jack and I were dating:\ Just no.  

Awesome: I sat down and got all of my school organized!! I'm such a nerd, I know, but I love knowing everything that's happening. And all things totaled up, I'll have 10 high school credits at the end of the year!! What??!?!? That's pretty awesome to me!

7. What book of the Bible have you been reading from recently? What have you learned from it so far? Recently I've been reading from the lovely book of Esther. Her story has taught me about trusting the Lord in ALL things while believing in myself at the same time. It's hard to find the balance in that sometimes, but once you find it you're cruising! 8. Do you have a favorite shoe style, if so, what is it? Either ankle boots or wedges. It's so hard to choose!! 9.What is your favorite clothing item/accessory and why? And if you have a picture could you share it? My favorite accessory is definitely my heart-shaped sunglasses!! Y'all will have to be on the lookout for mah photography challenge for the pic!! 10. What is your favorite chord to play on an instrument? Oh, Theresa. Only you would ask me this question. On piano my favorite is F#m, and on guitar it's D     So, the rules of the award are:

Thank and link back to the person who nominated you. List 10 facts about yourself. Answer the 10 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you. Nominate bloggers (you cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you)who have less than 20 followers. Ask them 10 questions. Let them know about the nomination.
I've nominated Dakota from over at Raspberry Sparkles as next in line for the award!!
My questions for her are:
1. What is your current obsession??
2. What is your favorite trend in fashion right now??
3. Why did you start blogging??
4. What has the Lord been showing you recently??
5. What is your favorite subject in school and why??
6. If you could go into any career that you wanted, what would it be??
7. What is your favorite book??
8. What was the last movie that you watched??
9. What is your favorite animal
10. What do you love and hate about social media??

Love you guys so much!!
Callan

Another Little Note....

Hey guys!! It feels like I've been gone forever!! The past couple of weeks have been cray crayy! First I was at Lake Norman and then I was at a mission camp for a week(more on that later), and then I went to South Carolina for 5 days!! Needless to say I haven't been around much.

 And I promise I will get around to posting that photography challenge!!

And after I recover from camp, I'll update my Summer Bucket List! Yayyyy!!

And I have been tagged by Theresa from thetmarieblog.blogspot.com (go check her out just 'cause she's awesome!!)

Whew!! I'm tired just looking at this post.....

It might be awhile before I start posting regularly since I have a couple more trips planned for the summer. Probably once I get back into the swing of things is when regular posting will be happening.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty much ready for fall and a schedule(:

Til we meet again!!
Callan <3

Just a Little Note....

Good afternoon dahlings!! I hope that all of you are having a fabulous Sunday. I just wanted to let you know that there will not be a Music Monday tomorrow, as I do not have access to a computer for the next few days. However, I will post A LOT of pictures from my vacay!! Happy Summer!

Much love and fun in sun!!
Callan

p.s.
I now have an Instagram!! Follow me: @callanrushing
~C

Music Monday

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope y'all had a FAB weekend and are enjoying your summer so far!!

So in honor of US of A playing in the Fifa World Cup tomorrow, I am going to review the theme song for the World Cup.

Track Review:
Track~ The World is Ours
Artist~ Aloe Blacc & David Correy
Album~ The World is Ours

If you love to dance, this song is for you. This song has a great beat that makes you want to jump out of your seat and start a conga line!! The message of this song is clear: This world cup unites us all and we are one big family. If only for a little while. The World is Ours is peppered with encouraging statements such as "Run like you're born to fly," and "When we all come together we light up the dark." Coupling empowerment and world peace with an amazing beat will get you a chart-topper. There's also a remixed percussion interlude that makes me so happy when I listen to it. So blast this song while you're watching Team USA kick Belgium's butt!! So much for unity....... (:

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube

Much love and go Team USA!!
Callan

p.s.
I'm going to do a cumulative post for the photography challenge in a couple of weeks. Comment below if you're doing one as well!!
~C

Introducing Music Monday!!

Long time no talk!! So my summer has been filled with unexpected things that have kept me away from my laptop.

But is that a bad thing?? I'll let you know when I decide.

So if you read the title of this post you would know that I'm introducing a special day of the week. Music Monday!! But first, a backstory......

It was an overcast night in 2014, and the girl wondered if she wanted to risk getting wet, but then she remembered, "Oh wait, I'm going to Faith, Family, and Freedom, so I couldn't care less!!"

In all seriousness though, I went to the FFF concert on Saturday night, and it was BEYOND AMAZING!!! Although it did rain.... So I have some pictures for y'all and then we shall proceed with Music Monday.

Hawk Nelson~ We were late, as usual, so I don't have many good pictures of them.

Luke from For King and Country

Luke and Joel~ They looked quite dashing in their suit coats, given that it was about 90 degrees. For King and Country was definitely my favorite act of the evening. They are AMAZING performers!!

Joel

They like percussion, if you can't tell.

Britt Nicole

No, your eyes don't deceive you. Her dancers are wearing armor. The song they were doing is called Stand(go look it up), and if you read Ephesians 6:10-20 the armor will make sense.

Matthew West.  I only have one picture of him because it started raining at the beginning of his act.

Fireworks!!

If you've never tried to take pictures of fireworks, be prepared for a lot of gross-looking photos. Unless you have a great, uber expensive camera. Most of the pictures I took were awful, but I did get some fairly good ones. You're welcome. (:

Ladies and Gentlemen, you are about to bear witness to the first ever Music Monday on Little Quirks and Lots of Sparkle!! This post will go down in history!!

Okay so it won't go down in history, but I hope that Music Monday will become something wonderful. So without further ado......

Track Review

Track~ Light it Up

Artist~ for King and Country

Album~ Crave

I knew I was going to love this song after hearing the first two bars. Plus, I heard it live first, so that makes it even more awesome. It starts off with a drum beat and then the piano comes in and introduces us to the first verse. Music wise, this track has a great beat that builds with the lyrics and the vocals. The first verse and chorus consist mostly of piano and drums, but then the guitars come in with a bang and add volume and intensity to the song. 

In terms of the lyrics, they are very inspiring. The boys of for King and Country encourage the listeners to let the past be the past and to shoot for the stars. We make our own destinies, and if we let the past blur our vision we can't fully realize our potential and claim our future. I highly recommend this song for anyone who is struggling guilt or self-esteem issues. It's such an encouraging anthem, and it kind of reminds me of Let it Go from the movie Frozen. Can you say mash-up??!?! Listen to Light it Up here

Comment below and tell me what song or album you would like me to review next week!!

Til we meet again,

Callan