The Chatterbox Chronicles | highlights, hippies, and hot chocolate.

Remember my big-yellow-sweater post? It's remained one of my most popular rambles for some strange reason. I think you guys like it best when I just chatter on about nonsense and life and bits and pieces of whatnot. Literally. If you could see inside my brain and hear my thoughts, they generally sound a lot like my scatterbrained posts. Right now, for instance. I was making my daily breakfast (more like brunch, considering the time,) of over-easy eggs and gluten free toast with jam. . .and "writing" this post in my head. Just a conglomeration of what I want to say. Of course it isn't sounding a thing like how I imagined. But that's the beauty of blogging, I suppose.

So here I am, just finished with my brunch and sipping on a decadent mugful of hot chocolate. (1 1/2 cups almond milk, 2 T honey or maple syrup, 1 T raw cocoa, 1 t vanilla, whisk until boiling, pour into your favorite mug, and enjoy!) I have a fetish with mugs. Today its my "M" mug from Target, in all its squat, chubby perfection. Also pottery. I don't know what it is. . .but you can't take me into Anthropologie  or to a yard sale or antique store or anywhere vases or pitchers are found. Especially if they are miniature. It drives my mom crazy because I have to touch them all. :P

 I'm not eating now because I got up late, mind you. It's been a very productive morning, actually. I wasn't feeling the greatest, but Belle needed a bath and no one else was really up yet. . .so I hauled (literally, I had to pick her up,) her into the bathroom and into the tub. Belle hates baths. Somehow I managed to get her smelling clean--which is no easy feet for a hound dog. Most of the water ended up on me and the floor, but hey, she got out all of her energy (she has a lot of it, just zero stamina,) and is now sunbathing. In other words, we are both relaxing. . .which interpreted means, there-is-a-huge-mess-in-the-kitchen-and-I'm-refusing-to-look-at-it-or-acknowledge-its-presence.

Honestly I'd love a day in. As I've gotten older I've started adulating (unfortunately it happens to the best of us, ;) ) and like to stay busy and on the go. I'm an extrovert that needs her space, but then too much quiet and space wears me out, and I need to get all that pent-up creativity and energy out of my system. Today is a rare day that I just don't feel like doing much. I especially don't want to go to work (2nd shift is the worst,) in a few hours. But such is life. I'm soaking up as much sun (because Ohio is bipolar and can't decide if its spring or winter,) and free-time as I can.

So lets talk about cozy things. I'm in a cozy-kind of mood. Actually wearing the beloved yellow-sweater-with-the-hole-under-the-arm, (still haven't gotten around to fixing it,) but only because its a little too warm for my new baja jacket. Wait, you haven't heard of a baja? Oh my. Let's fix that right away. See, they are these ingenuous oversized hoodies from Mexico, usually brightly-colored and striped, with a pocket in the front and a hood in case you need, you know, added coziness. I picked mine up not even a week ago at an indoor amusement park (we have these kind of cool things in Cleveland,) for $20, and I am obsessed. Seriously. Its bad. So bad that the thought of jumping into my comfy yoga pants and baja motivates me at work. Not even joking. It's fleece lined and super soft and huge and feels like your wearing a blanket. Essentially, you are wearing a blanket. That's right. A baja is just a blanket with three holes for your head and arms.

Its one of those things I would never buy. But it was a cheating day (because when your cousins are visiting from California its perfectly alright to have a little bit of gluten and run around popping bubbles,) and Anna bought one too. . .so I splurged. I feel like its the kind of thing you would only find online or at a county fair or festival of some sort. Or maybe at a hippie store, like the kind they have all over California and touristy places. Anyway. I did some research and found they aren't really a fashion item, though if I'm brave enough I might wear it shopping. Totally rocked it all day at the amusement park, and I can so see it fitting right in to the rustic, hippie-infused mountain landscape of Colorado. I mean yeah. . .on chilly nights around a bonfire or huddled under the stars? So what if its called a "drug rug." Mine is a piece of cozy and is getting lots of love and wear. Are you sold yet? Yep. I knew it. Doing a little online shopping, eh? ;)

Yep. I'm going back to Colorado! At first my feelings were mixed. As you know, the ranch changed my life. It brought me to life, and helped me grow into so much of who I am today. But then I got home, got a job, and started feeling established, if you will. I'm living at home, but very independent. And I like it. A lot. I also am saving in earnest for a trip to Italy and cosmetology school. I know what I want to do, and even though it isn't perfect, my waitress job has helped a ton. So in the last couple of months, I wasn't sure what God wanted me to do. Go back to the ranch for the summer? Stay home and work? I know that staying would mean getting to Europe faster. But then God started working on my heart, soothing those fears, (cause I don't know about you, but I doubt a lot,) and giving me a ton of peace. That means something, right? Yeah. I think so. :) Yesterday I went boot-shopping with Anna, and ended up coming back with a new pair of my own. Totally wasn't in the boot-market. . .but now I have a beautiful pair of steel-grey embossed boots for cowgirl dancin' and special occasions. My old pair will be reserved for working and riding. This is starting to become real, folks. It hasn't sunk in yet, but in just a few weeks (the end of May,) I will be home in my glorious Rocky Mountains.

I did a thing this past Saturday. It was daring and new, and I'm loving the results. If you follow me on Instagram you already know what I'm talking about. . and probably recognize most of these pictures from there. ;) Its been time for a hair-change. I've tried cutting it, I had bangs for a while, and I fried my hair once-upon-a-time with two home-perms-gone-wrong. I actually considered (obviously didn't learn my lesson the first time,) perming my hair again, but my friend and hairdresser talked me out of it, and I'm kind of glad. I've gotten into the habit of curling my hair every day and then finger-picking it out to create beachy waves. I like the freedom (my natural hair is very loosely wavy and kind of coarse,) of wearing my hair straight or curly. But anyway, to the point. I did a thing. Are you ready?

That's right. I got highlights! Honestly I was terrified. Excited, but terrified. You know that feeling of screaming your way through a horror flick (cue, The Birds,) but loving the fright at the same time? Kind of like that. My hair is brown. Just plain, uninteresting brown. In the summer a lot of chestnut and reddish undertones peek through, but otherwise, my hair has been a constant battle. So when my hairdresser asked for color options, I did a quick Google search, and decided on caramel.

The whole journey of sitting in my friends basement (when someone cuts your hair perfectly each time and is cheap to boot, you must hang on to them for dear life,) with layers of tin-foil all over my head was memorable, to say the least. I looked like something from Star Wars. :P Then I had to wait 45 minutes for the product to set. . .in the company of orange-chicory tea and Better Homes and Gardens. Later when I washed my hair in the utility tub I saw (as best as one can upside down,) the first strands of golden-coppery color. . .and I knew I made the right decision. I like that the highlights look very natural. It took me a couple of days to adjust to seeing myself with lighter hair, but now I adore the transformation. Its funny how a small change can make you feel so powerful and confidant. I'm loving me some 25.

Which reminds me. . .I need to fix my age in my "about me." Actually, this whole blog needs a makeover. I was thinking of changing the name. . .I already have one picked out. . .and I'd like to incorporate some pictures from a recent photo shoot into the design. I've haven't posted then yet because I'm waiting for the big reveal. . .but all the PC's in the house are super slow for some reason, so any type of graphic design is almost impossible. Plus my new laptop is dead. Yep. Fried. I tried installing Windows 10 and ended up removing Windows all together. Sooo I can't really work on my new template until it's all sorted out. I'm pretending it doesn't annoy me and am blogging like a boss.

Oh yeah. . .speaking of reminding, there's the kitchen to clean. And my bedroom. And the bathroom. My mug is empty, I've rambled enough. . .I should probably go. I'm thinking of writing a post on staying productive--something I've learned a lot about in the last decade or so. I also want to talk more about travel and I still need to post pictures from the Ball I attended a while back and the Il Volo concert. Tell me what YOU'D like to see in the comment section, and I'll do my best to oblige.

Until next chat, my friends. Here's to jackets that look (and feel,) like blankets, quirky pottery, daring hair-makeovers, life goals, Colorado summers, dreams and destinies, cherry blossoms outside the window, blackberry jam, new beginnings, coconut frozen yogurt, coral and olive (currant color obsessions!) dancing like nobody's watching, laughing through life, looking toward better things, embracing the here and now, and all the things that make life golden.  ❥