That Tucked Away Little Wishlist :)

Hi girls!
As the title suggests..I've got a few little things that I'm gonna be earnin with my work money..thought it would be fun to share!
First of all...a car:

I really do like the VW Jetta...isnt it a pretty car, and super safe :)

I like the Ford Focus too, its a neat little car with pretty good mileage.

And the honda accord...all decent cars, I would really be happy with any of them..or really any car that's safem decent looking, and has good mileage :) I'm not too picky!!
Item number two on the wishlist...A new phone. Specifically...

An LG Rumor Touch from Virgin Mobile...the monthly payment is only $25 a month for unlimited texting and web...and THAT I could definitely use :)
plus you can get awesome cases for them...
like this:

Or this!

Isnt is pretty?
Anyway the touch screen is great, and I love the full keyboard, and its just an allover great phone :)
Item number three on the wishlist:
Mineral Makeup:



I've heard mineral makeup has great coverage and is really good for your skin, gives you an almost flawless look..and I think its definitely worth checking out!!
Item number four on the wishlist...
Outdoorsy Jeans and Khaki shorts:





I'm really sick of this whole really tight and really tight shorts trend...I just want SHORTS, loose and comfortable that I can go running around in the woods in!
Yes, I am still quite a tomboy..running around outside is one of my favorite things to do.
Besides, for girls like me, with a more muscular body type, rather than waif thin, these kinds of shorts are alot more comfortable and flattering. Trust me, I've seen bigger girls wearing super short shorts..and it is NOT flattering. Just because the models are wearing it doesnt mean its attractive for everybody, OR modest, by the way :) I'm definitely not one of those people who will say jeans are immodest, but I will say that those shorts are, and super tight jeans. They just are. I prefer to dress for practicality and comfort...which those jeans are!
Anyways :) Kind of an odd post, but hey I said from the beginning that this blog is going to be unique!
Those are the things I'm saving up for, with my job and and extra money I can get my hands on :)
Have a great saturday girls!! Live every moment for Christ!
Love,
Ari

All my love, and God's blessings, Ari <3

Mhhmmm :)

So, finally, another photography post..I know i havent done one in a little bit, but life's been busy, and so have I :)
So here comes to the photos :) hope you guys like! I dont have time for much else than the photos..a few of them are special though, their the poster collages I was telling you guys about a few posts back. Their made from calenders and I love them :)

These I took in my room at the condo in orlando :)

MMM condensation is so pretty :)

Psh, random I know, but it was cool :P

Isn't it cool? Slightly lopsided, but I just LOVE hummingbirds :)

I just loved this Ansel Adams calender..wasn't he just the best photographer? I am in awe of his shots :)

And this was from a French photography calender of my mom's...man I want to go France someday..it looks so pretty!!

And how about the butterflies strewn all about? A nice touch huh? Anyways, now I love my walls, they are so purtay :)

I am soooo tired, so I have to go now..but I hope you guys like em!

Love,

Ari

Trust and a Black Nissan

Hey girls...has it ever been a roller coaster of a day...and a week, now that I come to think of it. Filled with school, work, and ortho appointments,it's been pretty action packed here!!
So. Here's something I'm contemplating. My boss is selling an old car of hers. A '95 Nissan maxima, black, and in not too horrible shape...and only for $1800. I SO have that money. Seriously. So here's the dilemma: do I ask my parents about it, arrange things with my boss, and get my own car--or do I pass by this oppurtunity and save up $5000 and get a nicer car. One car I've had my eye on is the VW Jetta...it's a cute and safe car.
But...I mean it's my first car...what if I get in wreck? All those hours of working...totaled.
Also, if I buy the Nissan now, I could work for college tuitions, and not for a car.
Can you see my dilemma? I don't want to regret not getting a nicer car, but at the same time, the Nissan is not a beater, it's in good condition, and very cheap. So what do you guys think I should do?

Anyways, as interesting as car talk is, I had something different on my mind when I set out to write this post. The topic at hand--doubt.
I seem to be doing alot of that lately, and it's something that's really plaguing me. I think I have kind of a trust issue...i always get so scared that im going to be let down. Take my skin for example i worry, what if its just a fluke, what if it doesnt really clear up?
It even works that way sometimes in relationships too, I just have spells where I doubt and worry, and I really hate it I know it takes trust in God to dispel doubt../but how do I do that? How do I just trust in God? I want to, I want to just ignore my problems and trust. But again there's that nagging whisper in my ear..."problems won't go away if you just ignore them...what will trusting do? You have to take action!!" so that's when I do stupid things like pop pimples, text my friends nonstop because I need to know that they love me, or freak out for no apparent reason at all. It's like my common sense has absolutely no defense against these attacks, it just backs down and lets doubt take control...I want to stop that patteerm...but how?
Just by trusting God? Can it really be that simple? I know inside my heart that God is the only one with true wisdom, and He has a plan for my life, and he k OSS better than I do. I know that deep inside. So why is it so difficult to live it out?
But I just worry and worry till I'm all stressed out
It creates a feeling of not being in control, an my human nature just hates that.
It wants to be in charge, it wants to have all the answers, it wants to know the end of he story. I know I should try hard to suppress that nature...it's just super difficult, I suppose.
I know my problems may not immediately go away...but in the long eun, i will have benefitted from trusting God this unfortunately, i'm very much a short term person--i like to see results--fast!! But i know thats not how real life works, with anything, including trusting God.
So thts my challenge..amd really it should be all of our challenge, to trust God, no matter what the circumstances. Even if takes forever, and is really difficult.
Because if we can't have trust in our Creator, who can we have trut in? Nobody.
So I will trust Him..and so should you!!
That's my little note for the day..have a grat of the week girlies!
Love,
Ari /)
All my love, and God's blessings, Ari <3

Could it be magic?

So. Another update on my wild road to clear skin...and my goodness, has it ever been wild, and extremely emotional. This past week especially so. I have never broken down so many times about my skin before, EVER. I felt like crying all the time, my poor parents must have thought I was psychotic.
It was like I had hit complete rock bottom and despair, I have honestly never felt so depressed about my skin before, and I was just crying out to God and beggig him to somehow, some way, make it better.
Then. It actually did. I was looking at someold pictures, like from last spring, and noticed how, even when I was freaking out about my skin then, it really REALLY wasn't that bad. So I decided to switch back to what I was using then and KEEP using it NO MATTER WHAT. No switching products, no nothing.
It's been four days since I have decided to switch, and I have not regretted it. Of course I'm not back to my original clearness, but I am ALOT better than I was last week, and I will keep using it faithfully...so I'll keep you guys posted!!

My products:
Velocity facewash and moisturizer:

Neutrogena Alcohol-free toner:

Clean N Clear Persagel:

Now this product has ten percent benzoyl peroxide, so it is very effective, but VERY drying, so use sparingly.
and at night:

from the dermotologist :)
This seems to be the formula that works best for me, the wierd part is, the ingredients used seperately aren't really effective, but put together I believe they make a huge difference.
So that's my little update :)
I'll let you guys know how it's progressing!
Love,
Ari

Hi guys! it's actually the 24th today, so this is kind of a post script or add on note to the post I did yesterday..I didn't really get a chance to elaborate on it, since I was a bit strapped for time, so I'll do today :)
It's actually a really awesome system, I've been using it for about four\five days now, and I am MASSIVELY clear-er than I had been this time last week. I have one horny pimple on my chin that was cyst, but now has a head, but I dare not pop it, so I'm kind of just waiting until it goes away, and a couple on my forehead and like one or two on my cheeks but thats pretty much it.
Basically, my only problem is my picking habit...I definitely dont do as much as I used to, I'm working on it, especially since picking doesn't really get rid of the problem..new zits just come up later to replace them.
I havent had any new big breakouts, just tiny ones that are really easy to cover up and go away in a day or two anyways.
My goal is to get back to looking like this :

This was me in February last year...I dont think I have any makeup on...

And this :

In this one I had makeup on...But you can see the difference. I don't know WHY I ever got off that system. True, it did get a little worse in the summer, but mostly it was like this:

Wierd face I know, but I mostly broke out just on my chine and under my nose, VERY rarely on my forehead and cheeks.

My goal is to get back to that, of course it will take alot of time, but I am totally willing to be patient, now that I see that thats what works for me. I only wish I had discovered it sooner.

Oh and dont think that because my skin was clear back then that I was happy with myself. Nope.

I hated my crooked pre-braces teeth and I was still in the process of losing weight back then so I was totally a basket case about that. I wish I could have appreciated my skin, but I didnt..hindsight really is twenty twenty huh? Well, I'm on the road to recovery...and you guys are along for the ride! Fun. huh?

I'll keep yall posted!

Love (again),

Ari

Random FPOTD!!!

Yep. FPOTD! (Favorite Pic Of The Day), reserved for those girlie bloggers out there who simply cannot write loooooooooooong novels everyday depicting the highly awesome interestingness of their lives!
So. My favorite pic today is a self portrait, and while, in a photographical sense, isn't too amazing, but I really think it captures the essence of ME.

Like I said, not too photographically awesome, but I love it because it's so ME. The old loose tshirt, the slightly messy hair, the huge smile and happy half moon smiling eyes.

It's me in the sense that I just love being free and joyful. I will never be one of those super stylish girls who know how to pull together an outfit perfect, who straighten their hair to perfection and always wear a ton of makeup. I'm just me. I'm the girl who would be perfectly content wearing sweats or even pajamas all day long, my favorite outfits are simply tshirts and jeans, I love my sneakers and dont see a need to buy fancy "gladiator sandles" which look insanely difficult to walk in.

I'm just me, flaws and all, take me or leave me, because I don't intend on changing for anyone.

Besides, I love this photo because I think it shows the joy that God has given me. I love to laugh and smile and hug and dance. That's who I am, and I think this photo represents that :)

But on a more responsible-blogger-like note, today has been a rather interesting day :) I took all my old posters down, cut up some of my favorite calenders and arranged them on my wall in a collage like style.

On one wall there are gorgeous pictures of hummingbirds, and on the other walls there are photos done by Ansel Adams, the super amazing photographer :) I pretty much love my bedroom walls right now.

Well, that's my news! Hope you guys have a super amazing Saturday!!

Love,

Ari

Vacations sure are...SNAZZY!

So. The continuation of the last post's vacayion pictures start...now!! Sorry I can't get much in as far as actual TALKING...I've had a super stressful past few days and a few emotional breakdowns, and I'm working soon, so I'd rather just show you guys what our vacation was like :)

Yep. The car ride over...was very full of books.

Yep. It was a very communal trip. My sister's legs over mine...and my brother being anitsocial with his awesome earphones thingies.

And now...the pictures in Disney, in completely awesome random order!!

There's the family..lookin so goshdarnit good lookin :)

Haha look at Marly's face!! We appreciate art so much....

Annnnd there it is, our favorite rollercoaster, Mount Everest, that we rode as many times at humanly possible!!

It was so epic. Even my little sister loved it!!

I love how this looks all Inception-like..what with the road folding up? Totally awesome!

Toy story!! I loved Toy Story 3..how about you guys? I thought it was even better than the 2nd..what with Spanish Buzz? Hilarious!!

YEAH. My sister is a jamaican mickey :P

Sorry there aren't tons of pictures...I was sick alot, and my mom isn't a HUGE picture taker...but I like what we have so far...hope you guys enjoy!!

Love...

Ari :P

A Day Like Chips And Salsa

Because everybody knows that chips and salsa--are totally awesome!! I just had some...and they were delicious :) But anyway, today has been pretty much like that. Sunny, I got a day off work, all the time in the world to do school and some of the other stuff I love to do--like blog!
So here come my promised pictures from vacation...unfortunately my parents wouldn't let me take my new camera to the parks, in case something happened to it, which makes sense. I took a couple of pictures on my old camera, but my mom has all the epic roller coaster pictures on her camera..so I have to wait for her to upload them!

Yes, the famous castle in Magic Kingdom.

I thought those wreaths were so cool, the way they lined up with the castle. The Christmas decor in January was a little bit wierd..they were even playing Christmas music! I mean, hello, it's after New Year's!

This is one of those pretty little gift shops in Magic Kingdom :)

Yep. Another parade that completely congests the roads and its takes like half an hour to pass through. And plays obnoxious music too. Seriously?

Who knows why they were clutching their heads? Maybe the music gave them a headache!! Haha!

So. I thought these were hilarious.

And so is this. Yeah I totally made him wear those, but it was totally worth it!!

So that was our Magic Kingdom day..more vacation pictures coming soon!

Have an awesome day!

Love,

Ari