Inner Beauty Friday: Don't care

{I felt like since I've been using the YALLFest interviews as Inner Beauty Fridays, and I am quite behind on my other posts, I really needed to post a true blue Inner Beauty Friday}

Now, don't let the title fool you.

I care.

I care a lot.

But I try to care about the right things.

Since getting into beauty blogging I have noticed there are a  lot of women who are insecure. They may judge others because they fear that they are also being judged. They feel like they HAVE to do certain things or else their manicures aren't good enough, or if their makeup isn't perfect it's not blog-worthy.

I can tell you right now that I am the opposite of that.

I can also tell you that, because of that, I am happier.

Sure it's good to be proud of what you can do. I can even understand striving for perfection. 

But for christ sake stop putting yourself down when you don't achieve the impossible perfection!!

I promise you once you begin to believe that you are awesome and rocking it no matter WHAT, you will always feel like you are awesome and rocking it.

I would never post my pictures on the web if I thought "oh no, are my cuticles good enough?! Is my eyeshadow blended enough?!" It's easy to get hung up on insecurities. Don't let your insecurities win.

I aim to show that I'm just an average girl. I don't obsess over every detail. I don't put hours of effort into my looks. And HEY, I still look okay! Better than okay, actually.

I urge everyone to not sweat the small stuff. That takes time and effort out of truly enjoying yourself  and being proud of your efforts.

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

P.s. my September Ipsy bag review is COMING this weekend. I am so behind it's not even funny! Ah, well. I'll try and play catch up this weekend :) Have a fabulous weekend, dolls! Don't do anything I wouldn't do ;)    [that shouldn't be hard. There's not much I wouldn't do]

YALLFest author spotlight: Melissa de la Cruz

:YALLFest is one of the only book festivals focused entirely on Young Adults. It's held in Charleston, South Carolina and this year it starts November 9th. The best part is, it's mostly free! The only thing that cost money are the ticketed events- the keynote conversation and the closing YA smackdown. All signings are free!

I really wanted to go this year! This year's lineup includes 50 young adult authors, including 25 New York Times Bestsellers. That's a pretty impressive lineup! Unfortunately, I don't have the money to go this year, but am definitely planning on going in the near future. If you love to read, live in the South Carolina area (I live in Florida and would DEFINITELY make the drive!)  I absolutely recommend going to this.

photo courtesy of melissa-delacruz.com

Melissa de la Cruz is a New York Times best seller who has a couple of different YA series. I first heard of her through her series, Au Pairs. 

I'm really excited for her because her book Witches of East End is being turned into a show on Lifetime! Before I knew I was hosting this interview, I was watching Hocus Pocus on Lifetime (can I get a hell yeah!) and saw a commercial for the series and instantly wanted to watch it! Upon learning that it was adapted from one of Melissa de la Cruz's books, I got even more interested!

Witches of East End premiers on Lifetime on Sunday 10/6 at 10/9c! I know I am going to record it and watch it as soon as I can! 

Now, on to the best part! the interview!

What one thing do you need to have when you write?
Fear. Sometimes rage. I find that to truly focus I need to feel panic, and then suddenly everything in my manuscript becomes clear. I work best under duress, which is something my editors have learned and they're quite good at instilling fear in me. I appreciate that! I also work well with many distractions, I think it's because I had a day job for nine years and had to write my books in the middle of doing my real work.

Describe your book in 5 words
Post-apocalyptic. Zombie. Dragon. Pirate. Fantasy.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?
The first, definitely. 

Best writing tip you ever received?
To introduce the love interest in the first 30 pages, not that specifically but learning that there was CRAFTING involved in writing a novel, not just voice.

What one young adult novel you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?
Harry Potter. Because! I don't think I have to explain.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1. I was a child model.
2. My favorite One Direction guy was Harry, but now it is Louis.
3. I have a Maltese named Mimi. She is not named for Mimi Force, our kid named her.
4. I learned to drive at 34.
5. I like savory treats better than sweet.

Where's your favorite place to write?
In a cubicle, surrounded by softly ringing phones and people murmuring. Sadly this is no longer possible for me.

What are you working on now?
My new series THE RING AND THE CROWN coming next spring from Disney-Hyperion.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?
YA Fantasy and Paranormal. My favorite genre to read is "literary" fiction, but I would have to say I really enjoy bestsellers just as much, I like popular fiction, no matter what genre, I like to read what a lot of people are reading and take the pulse of the culture. But for my own taste, I love smart angry women writers like Lionel Shriver and Kate Christensen. Also cookbook memoirs.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?
When we've sold it!

Be sure to check out Melissa de la Cruz at this years YALLFest! 

to review who else I've hosted interviews for you can refresh:

Cinda Williams Chima can be found here

Lauren Oliver can be found here

CJ Lyons can be found here

Sean Williams can be found here:

Rainbow Rowell can be found here

Ransom Riggs can be found here 

Veronica Rossi can be found here

Kami Garcia can be found here

YALLFest author spotlight: Veronica Rossi

Cue the intro~

YALLFest is one of the only book festivals focused entirely on Young Adults. It's held in Charleston, South Carolina and this year it starts November 9th. The best part is, it's mostly free! The only thing that cost money are the ticketed events- the keynote conversation and the closing YA smackdown. All signings are free!

I really wanted to go this year! This year's lineup includes 50 young adult authors, including 25 New York Times Bestsellers. That's a pretty impressive lineup! Unfortunately, I don't have the money to go this year, but am definitely planning on going in the near future. If you love to read, live in the South Carolina area (I live in Florida and would DEFINITELY make the drive!)  I absolutely recommend going to this. 

Since I am so sad about missing it this year, I am so excited that I am able to get involved in other ways! I was given the opportunity to host interviews with some of this year's YALLFest authors!

Don't forget for more YALLFest info you can head to their Facebook or website. You can also get updates with their twitter @Yallfest

Veronica Rossi is the author of the post-apocalyptic YA trilogy Under the Never Sky. 

She, like all the other authors I've hosted interviews for, will be at YALLFest this year!

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

Yeah, those. And all the ones in between!

Best writing tip you ever received?
$5. Just kidding. Um… tip… I think it’s probably to allow yourself to suck when writing early drafts. It takes away a lot of the fear of generating good material. It’s not easy to be creative when you’re judging your work.  

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1.  In the past year, I discovered a deep love of Brussel sprouts
2. I talk to myself. Heck. Sometimes I argue with myself.
3. I’m arguing with myself about including that last point at this very moment.

4. My favorite animals are elephants.

5. Dresses with pockets make me happy.

Where's your favorite place to write?
 I usually work in my home office, but I love working in hotel rooms. No distractions!

What are you working on now? 

Something I’m very excited about! Can’t divulge any details yet, but it’s an idea I’ve been mulling over for years.

Check out the other YALLFest author spotlights below!

 

Cinda Williams Chima can be found here

Lauren Oliver can be found here
CJ Lyons can be found here
Sean Williams can be found here:
Rainbow Rowell can be found here
Ransom Riggs can be found here 

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

YALLFest Author Spotlight: Sean Williams

the YALLFest series intro for those that have missed it~

YALLFest is one of the only book festivals focused entirely on Young Adults. It's held in Charleston, South Carolina and this year it starts November 9th. The best part is, it's mostly free! The only thing that cost money are the ticketed events- the keynote conversation and the closing YA smackdown. All signings are free!

I really wanted to go this year! This year's lineup includes 50 young adult authors, including 25 New York Times Bestsellers. That's a pretty impressive lineup! Unfortunately, I don't have the money to go this year, but am definitely planning on going in the near future. If you love to read, live in the South Carolina area (I live in Florida and would DEFINITELY make the drive!)  I absolutely recommend going to this. 

Since I am so sad about missing it this year, I am so excited that I am able to get involved in other ways! I was given the opportunity to host interviews with some of this year's YALLFest authors!

Don't forget for more YALLFest info you can head to their Facebook or website. You can also get updates with their twitter @Yallfest

 

 

 

This Inner Beauty Friday interview is with author Sean Williams.

Williams is a best selling Science fiction and Fantasy author!

 

While sci-fi and fantasy is more suited than my close friends than me, it's really great to find YA authors in that genre. And, very great that he's attending YALLFest this year!

 

 

 

 

photo courtesy of seanwilliams.com

 

Now the best part: the interview!

What one thing do you need to have when you write?
The right music. And chocolate as a reward when I finish.

Describe your book in 5 words
Jump meets Uglies. But different.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last? 

The first line is often the hardest to write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.

Best writing tip you ever received?
Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is exactly the right thing for you!

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a small town, which is why I love it.
2) I still think music from the 1980s is cool.
3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.
4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.
5) I’m minding a pair of green tree frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/.

Where's your favorite place to write?
In my study, a lovely upstairs nook containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.

What are you working on now?
Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.

Have you read anything by Sean Williams? 

To catch up on other posts in this series:

Cinda Williams Chima can be found here

Lauren Oliver can be found here

CJ Lyons can be found here

Thanks for reading, and get to reading all these awesome authors I'm talking about!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

YALLFest author spotlight: CJ Lyons

Today's YALLFest Author interview is with CJ Lyons.

The intro in case you missed it:

YALLFest is one of the only book festivals focused entirely on Young Adults. It's held in Charleston, South Carolina and this year it starts November 9th. The best part is, it's mostly free! The only thing that cost money are the ticketed events- the keynote conversation and the closing YA smackdown. All signings are free!

I really wanted to go this year! This year's lineup includes 50 young adult authors, including 25 New York Times Bestsellers. That's a pretty impressive lineup! Unfortunately, I don't have the money to go this year, but am definitely planning on going in the near future. If you love to read, live in the South Carolina area (I live in Florida and would DEFINITELY make the drive!)  I absolutely recommend going to this. 

Since I am so sad about missing it this year, I am so excited that I am able to get involved in other ways! I was given the opportunity to host interviews with some of this year's YALLFest authors!

Don't forget for more YALLFest info you can head to their Facebook or website. You can also get updates with their twitter @Yallfest

CJ Lyons is a New York Times best selling author. She is a former doctor and now she writes medical thriller novels! I think that's pretty cool. You know you're getting realistic details when the author used to be a doctor herself!

What's more exciting is that November 5th she is debuting her first YA novel! It's called Broken, and is now available for preorder. Since it will be her first YA novel, she's attending YALLFest this year where you can see her and meet her for yourself!

Without further ado, here's the interview you've been waiting for!

Describe your book in 5 words:
Girl dying of broken heart (literally)

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?
The first. I’ll often return to it over and over again until I’ve sliced and diced and fine-honed it to that perfect combination of intrigue, visceral reaction, and emotional connection with the reader.

What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?
Code Name Verity because it is so emotionally honest and inspiring, empowering, not to mention gut-wrenching. Really brings the era to life as well as the sacrifices made in the name of freedom.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
When I was a kid I worked summer stock theatre and was actually a theatre major undergrad before switching to pre-med. I’ve had two hard landings in helicopters while working as a flight doc. I survived rampaging Cape Horn Buffalo and a pack of wild baboons, not to mention a leopard (he’s already eaten) while hiking in Hells Gate Park in Kenya. I’m a Capricorn. I diagnosed my niece with the heart condition that’s at the center of my YA thriller, BROKEN.

What are you working on now?
DAMAGED, my next YA thriller, due out in 2014. It deals with the really tough topic of abuse and coercion and is the most difficult book I’ve ever tackled—there have been times while writing when I was literally in tears as I typed.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?
 I created my own genre of Thrillers with Heart—I love writing fast paced stories with raising stakes but centered on the emotional heart of an evolving relationship. As for reading, I read almost every genre but especially love YA, magical realism, and thrillers. As long as a story grabs me by the throat and won’t let me go because I’m too worried about what the characters are going through, I’ll read it and love it.

In case you missed the first parts to this series you can find them below! 

Cinda Williams Chima can be found here

Lauren Oliver can be found here

Check back on Friday for another great interview with a YALLFest author! 

Are you enjoying these interviews? Have you ever read anything by CJ Lyons? Will you be making it out to YALLFest this year? Sound off in the comments below!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

YALLFest author spotlight: Lauren Oliver

Today I am so excited to bring you another interview with another great YALLFest author!

If you missed the first post in this series, click here. In it I explain what YALLFest is and how you can get involved! If you're looking for more info on YALLFest head over to their website or their facebook! 

Today's interview is with Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall & the Delirium series

photo courtesy of deliriumnet.com

Personally I've read Before I Fall and I quite liked it! It had a good message. 

Read on for her interview!

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

Coffee!

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

Honestly, neither. It’s just every single line in between that feels impossible.

Best writing tip you ever received?

Aim for truth and beauty will follow.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

I have fourteen tattoos. I can fall asleep any time, any place. I have a phobia of worms. I hate fruit. I wrote my first novel largely on my Blackberry.

Where's your favorite place to write?

In my sunroom in upstate New York.

What are you working on now?

Two different middle grade books and an untitled young adult novel that my agent described as  “the most disturbing thing he’s ever read.” Oops!

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

I love realistic books that include just a hint of fantasy.

Ooh I don't know about you but I'm pretty excited about the most disturbing thing her agent's ever read! 

Be sure to check out Lauren at this years YALLFest! Have you read any of her books? Are you looking forward to meeting her at Yallfest this year?

YALLfest author spotlight: Cinda Williams Chima

Consider this an Inner Beauty Monday, if you will.

Have you ever heard of YALLFest? If you're like me and love to read Young Adult novels, then you probably have!

YALLFest is one of the only book festivals focused entirely on Young Adults. It's held in Charleston, South Carolina and this year it starts November 9th. The best part is, it's mostly free! The only thing that cost money are the ticketed events- the keynote conversation and the closing YA smackdown. All signings are free!

I really wanted to go this year! This year's lineup includes 50 young adult authors, including 25 New York Times Bestsellers. That's a pretty impressive lineup! Unfortunately, I don't have the money to go this year, but am definitely planning on going in the near future. If you love to read, live in the South Carolina area (I live in Florida and would DEFINITELY make the drive!)  I absolutely recommend going to this. 

Since I am so sad about missing it this year, I am so excited that I am able to get involved in other ways! I was given the opportunity to host interviews with some of this year's YALLFest authors!

The first installment of this series is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima! 

Cinda is the author of The Heir series and the Seven Realms series. You can find her at this year's YALLFest!

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

A computer

Describe your book in 5 words

Wizards misbehave, magic goes mutant.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

Usually the lines in between.

Best writing tip you ever received?

Give yourself permission to write badly.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1.       I am a twin.

2.       I am named after a character in a novel.

3.       I didn’t really start driving until I was 27.

4.       I am descended from Puritans and scoundrels.

5.       I used to be in a folk music band.

Where's your favorite place to write?

On a balcony overlooking the ocean.

 What are you working on now?

I’m writing The Sorcerer Heir, the fifth book in a trilogy.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?
When I’m finished with a full-length novel.

Well there you have it! As an aspiring writer, I definitely love the writing tip! Sometimes, you have to remind yourself of that. I also can always appreciate an ocean view, I can imagine it is very good inspiration for writing! 

Cinda Williams Chima's new book in the Heir series, The Enchanter Heir comes out October 1st! So be sure to pick up a copy so you can have her sign it at YALLFest! 

All information regarding YALLfest can be found: here, or on their facebook page here.

I hope you're as excited as I am about the upcoming author interviews! Let me know if you're going to YALLFest this year! After crying with jealousy, we'll gush over which authors you're most excited to see! 

And if you're like me and can't go this year, I hope you enjoy this opportunity to learn about new authors! 

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

Inner Beauty Friday: I'm going to gush about my favorite book

 Despite this being a beauty-oriented blog, I believe very much in "inner beauty" and believe it is necessary to work on this type of beauty above all else. Every Friday I share my journey through becoming more beautiful from the inside out!

Again I'm linking up to Jasmine at Green Eyed Monster who gave me the inspiration to start this weekly post!

I love to read. When starting up the Inner Beauty Friday theme, I planned to involve plenty of book reviews, as that is what Jasmine, who inspired me, does.

Unfortunately in the past few weeks I haven't had a lot of time to read. I did read one book, which I will review next Friday. But first, I wanted to talk about my favorite book. 

Looking for Alaska by John Green

LFA is a young adult novel. I guess I should mention that I mainly read young adult novels because for much of my life I aspired to write them. I still feel that aspiration in me and quite frankly, I still feel like a young adult. 

The Goodreads synopsis (which is the same that appears on the back of the book) is: Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

I wanted to talk about a few reasons why I love this book without giving away any spoilers (which will be hard.)

First of all, I love the way it is written. In my opinion it really captures the thought process and attitude of a teenager. It doesn't sound like how an adult thinks a teenager sounds. The way it's written just really resonates with me.

Second of all, I have read this book a handful of times and I still cry every time.  Yes, there are sad parts. And if you're like me, you will cry. Even if you already know exactly what is coming. 

Third, I love the existential element present in most of the book such as "what is the meaning of life?" and thoughts that are explored through Miles's religious studies class, such as "is there an afterlife?" These parts of the book really got me thinking and the way they were written really explain things eloquently.

Finally, the reason I love the book most is Alaska herself. It's like she comes dangerously close to being a real-life Manic Pixie Dream Girl (if you don't know what a MPDG is, you can read more here), so she actively works to counteract that. Her whole purpose is to show that she is a human with flaws and layers and parts of her that are not lovely or make sense. Her whole mission is to make sure you see her as a person instead of an idea. And she's a bit of a feminist so of course, I love her.

Believe me, there is a lot more I could say about this book. I could spend all day talking about it. But I want to keep this short and sweet and I also don't want to spoil anything. 

All in all, I highly recommend everyone on earth read this book. I really do. Of course you knew I was going to say that, since its my FAVORITE book but ah, well. 

Have you ever read Looking for Alaska? Or any of John Green's books? If so, what did you think? If not, do you think you will? I encourage you to :) Let me know!

Inner Beauty Friday: Karma

 Despite this being a beauty-oriented blog, I believe very much in "inner beauty" and believe it is necessary to work on this type of beauty above all else. Every Friday I share my journey through becoming more beautiful from the inside out!

Again I'm linking up to Jasmine at Green Eyed Monster who gave me the inspiration to start this weekly post!

Karma is a belief that is used in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh and Taoism. (According to Wikipedia)

The western interpretation of it is often "what goes around comes around"

This belief is rooted in many religions such as in christianity, you reap what you sow.

All in all you don't need religion to believe in karma. Karma is essentially the belief that if you do good unto others, good will be done unto you. The golden rule of treat others the way you want to be treated also falls under this general idea.

I think the fact that so many religions and countries believe the same idea is beautiful and rare. I can't say for sure that karma is real. Unless you sit and tally everything good/bad that you do and everything good/bad that happens to you, there is no real way to keep score.

But I believe deeply that you get what you give. If you are a loving, kind person, you are going to encounter other kind people. If you are a rude and hateful person, you may get ahead in the short term, but in the long run life will flip you upside down. You can't possibly be a negative person for so long without any downfall.

Sometimes I think karma is a thing we have to believe, to keep us from being evil. If we wanted to, we could simply be selfish and do for ourselves only. We could be mean and nasty. I know sometimes it's easy to look at some beautiful or successful people and think "wow they are not nice people, yet they are so successful?" But the truth is, it will most likely come back to bite them. Even if they advanced far in their career, karma might appear in their love life. 

Karma works in mysterious ways. I like to believe it, simply because I think that life has a way of balancing itself out. Like I said, you can't be negative all the time and receive only positive outcomes. It doesn't work that way and it will catch up to you!

Do any of you believe in karma?  Have you witnessed it yourself?

Next week I am going to talk about my favorite books and how they create inner beauty. I'd really like this to be a group discussion so start thinking about YOUR favorite books and how they shaped the person you are today!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

Inner Beauty Friday

Hey ya'll! Welcome to the 2nd installment of Inner Beauty Friday

Despite this being a beauty-oriented blog, I believe very much in "inner beauty" and believe it is necessary to work on this type of beauty above all else. Every Friday I share my journey through becoming more beautiful from the inside out!

Again I'm linking up to Jasmine at Green Eyed Monster who gave me the inspiration to start this weekly post!

 Well, I can't just leave you all hanging! I received an overwhelming amount of support from my amazing followers last week when I announced that I had applied to college.

Because of that, I'm a little disappointed in how everything went down. In my opinion, the education system is not built for the middle (or below) class. Every rule, every protocol, is backwards. Nothing makes sense. It's easy to give up, which is what I have done every semester.

I really, really don't want to give up this time. But it's so hard not to! I went to my school on Wednesday to speak with an adviser and financial aid assistant. I was basically told I would have to jump through hoops, then get TWO loans, and then I might be able to attend school in August.

That's right, I am going to stress myself out for the next few weeks without a guarantee that I will even be enrolled come fall semester.

The details have to do with financial aid once again thinking I'm some sort of rich person (HA! As if I would have a budget oriented beauty blog, am I right?), having to take a group orientation (that wasn't a requirement last time), and not being able to register until the LAST day. Meaning, there is a huge chance there won't be any classes left.

On top of all this, I do not qualify for any grants through FAFSA. I would have to take two loans through FAFSA just to attend ONE year of community college. And that does not leave money left over for a car. Which I would need to get to school. Do you see where this is going? It just doesn't seem entirely worth it to me.

Overall I can't be sure that I am going to start. I have until Aug 2 which is when orientation is. 

I must again stress that I am so thankful for the support I got on my last post. I really hope that everything works out, but I'm trying not to stress out yet seeing as there's nothing I can do until the 2nd.  So after the 2nd I will have another update!

Jenni Fagan- the panopticon

Today in the mail I recieved The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan. I received an advanced readers copy through Read it Forward, a website that has a giveaway every week of books! I have been entering for months and my luck finally struck, I won! 

advanced reader's edition!

I look forward to reading this and providing a review on it for next week's edition of Inner Beauty Friday!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

p.s. I got my Ipsy July bag!! Review will be posted tonight or tomorrow :) spoiler alert: I love it!

Inner Beauty Friday

So while this may be a beauty oriented blog I wanted to make something clear: I believe above all else that outer beauty is not important.

I believe in making yourself beautiful to your standards.

Not anyone elses.

I don't want anyone to think that I am obsessed with makeup and care so much about my appearance. The cold hard truth is pretty far from that. I am usually too lazy to put on makeup. 

The point is, I wear makeup for me. Because I like experimenting with colors and seeing what new things I can try. I do not believe in the idea that everyone has to wear makeup, or that you have to wear makeup to be beautiful.

I just wanted to be very clear on that

Because it's something I feel so strongly about, I was always attracted to "Inner Beauty Fridays" that Jasmine/ Green eyed monster posts every week. 

I think it's important to identify that there are much more important things to focus on improving, rather than your looks.

SO, without further ado, welcome to my first edition of Inner Beauty Friday. 

Today, I took a deep breath, and applied to college.....again.

I graduated from high school four years ago. When I first graduated, I had zero interest in going to college. I felt that college isn't necessary, nor for everyone. I still feel that way, but now I'm a bit smarter about it. I was a bit of a little punk back then, and just wanted to rebel.

For the first year or so, I thought about college but not enough to actually pursue it. Then about a year and a half ago, I made the effort to apply. 

I have been through a lot of shit involving my community college. Financial aid has screwed me, deadlines have caught me off guard...long story short, I still haven't been to college!

I know that I'm going to be in debt for a very long time. I know that with this economy, having a degree doesn't guarantee you a job. I know all this, but I still want to go so badly, it hurts. 

I'm a gemini- I don't know if you believe in all that stuff but the basics of a Gemini fits me pretty dang well. I have a thirst for learning. I want to be educated. I yearn to be taught new things.

So, today I took that first step...again. It's a scary place to venture into. It's extremely overwhelming, if you've never done it before. Especially on your own. A lot of people have their parents helping them, or don't have to worry about things like financial aid. But some of us have to suck it up and do it ourselves!

So, wish me luck, blogging world. I hope that come next week I will be all signed up for classes, and ready to finally begin this new adventure in life.

I believe in educating yourself and making yourself the best you that you can be, and that's what inner beauty is all about!  

Does anyone else have experience in struggling with going back to school? What's inner beauty to you? 

Let me know! Jasmine and I have thought about making this a blog-hop kinda thing, with as many people getting involved as possible.

Follow your bliss, all the way to school!

Ember Darling