The lovely Alice over at Most Ardently Alice-- seriously, best blog name ever-- has surprised me by nominating me for a Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is one given to bloggers by other bloggers in the hopes that it will help us all discover some wonderful new faces and places to get to know on the big ol' web. Here are the official rules:

Eleven Fact About Me
01. I have chronic migraines, meaning that (if untreated) I have what are politely called "headache days" more than fifteen days out of the month. Luckily I am on a couple of wonderful medications that have helped dwindle that number down to only a couple a month.

02. Because I went untreated for over a year-- hey, I don't like doctors, I can't help it-- I am now a super duper senior in college. But, because I have been there so long, I will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Professional Writing, a minor in Journalism and Public Relations and what they call a "specialization" in Communications. 

03. I can listen to any type of music. Not all of the time, of course, but I don't hate any genre.

04. I decided I wanted to be a writer after reading Resumé by Dorothy Parker in the fourth grade.

05. My first cat, Whiskers, appeared at my mailbox a few months after moving into the house I still I've in-- I was four at the time. She stayed with me until, literally, the last day of my freshman year of college when we sadly lost her.

06. If I read a book, it must stay in my bookshelf. Forever. As a trophy. Or something.

07. I wish I could be like these super organized, neat bloggers who take gorgeous pictures of their homes. But I my clothes are always on the floor and my cats are constantly knocking things on the floor. We'll get there one day.

08. Every so often, I buy a coloring book and spend the day coloring. Especially if it's a rainy day.

09. I make an awesome pan-seared salmon. I brag about it all of the time-- it's, like, the best thing I make.

10. I have super bad anxiety. Also, I have bipolar disorder. And I have very low vitamin D.

11. Because of #01 and #10, I have one of those weekly pill dispensers to help me remember to take all of my medications and vitamins. Ah, yeah, living the life right here.

Questions From Alice

I never realized how much Robin Williams had influenced my life until I heard of his passing last night. I am someone who gets emotional when a celebrity I love dies, but his truly has hit me like a punch to the gut. While I first grew to love the comedian in movies like Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire, I grew to respect the man himself. His honesty about his struggles with addiction paired with his overwhelming love of entertaining others was something I could relate to and I just found myself connecting with his personality.

Above all, my favorite role of his was as Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society. Here are a few quotes from that movie that have influenced me.

Earlier this year, Milani released the Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow range-- so, naturally, everybody was curious. A gel and an eyeshadow? What? How? According to the Milani website, this product begins its life as a gel and it then transformed into a powder through a "special process." It is supposed to give you the crease resistance of a gel or cream product but the blendability of a powder. The best part is that is comes in a pretty wide ranges of shades-- and all for $3.99! Here are the few I picked up:

01 Bella Ivory

11 Bella Charcoal

06 Bella Espresso

17 Bella Khaki

18 Bella Emerald

09 Bella Navy

25 Bella Cobalt

19 Bella Rouge

Dry, Without Primer

The swatches are extremely pigmented, and that is without using a mixing medium or a primer underneath (the way I usually use shadows on a day-to-day basis). With the use of either of those things the pigmentation is sure to be phenomenal. The eyeshadows really are super blendable and so, so soft. Plus, let's be honest, they are just pretty to look at-- which, for plenty of us who are makeup obsessed, is important. There is also, like I said before, a wide range of shades: from the bright and bold to the every day neutral, you are set.

These retail in most drugstores for around the $4 mark and, if you keep an eye on your sale bills, you will often find a BOGO50% deal-- that's how I purchased so many of these on a college student budget. In my opinion, these or a 5/5 product and I definitely recommend that everyone check them out!

I took a bit of a break from blogging last week-- but this time I had a good reason, I swear! A new little ball of fur has recently entered my life!

Here's how it happened:

Some storms rolled in last Sunday and, like I usually do, I sat out on my front porch to enjoy the show. Just as it started to rain there was an awful sounding meow coming from the woods across the road. And then another. And another. My heart was breaking, assuming that I was listening to cries of pain or the last whines of a poor little kitty cat. But, before I knew it, here was this tiny little kitten racing up onto my porch to get out of the rain.

Now she has become Penelope Lane-- you know, Penny Lane, like The Beatles song-- and has been with us for a week. We introduced her to LuLu yesterday and, wow, that was interesting. Penny is like the annoying younger sister who just wants to follow big sis around and be just like her; LuLu definitely reacts like the annoyed big sister.

But, unfortunately, there are many strays out there who do not find homes-- as well as non-strays who are homeless for one reason or another and feral cats who would can often times not be homed. Here are a few things we can all do to help:

Adopt, Don't Shop: One of the most important things you can do to help the animal population is adopt. Luckily the number of pet shops has dwindled in the past decade thanks to the rise of animal adoption and that is a wonderful thing, but adoption also means not buying from breeders. There are millions of animals who want and deserve your love, no matter their breed. In fact, if you do have your heart set on a specific breed, take a trip to your local shelter anyway! There is a chance you may find the perfect dog for you.

Spay and Neuter Your Pets: Bob Barker didn't say this at the end of every Price is Right for nothing. It is possibly the most important thing you can do for your pet and for the pet population in general. If you can't afford it, many shelters and veterinarians will run specials where you can get the procedure done at a cheaper price and some organizations will even help with the cost. Go on Facebook and like some local animal rescue groups as well as your local shelter; often, you will find helpful information about spaying and neutering drives there.

Have an "In Case of Stray" Kit: This is something I never thought I would need until this month. Earlier we had a stray dog run into our yard, frightened by 4th of July fireworks. Then, of course, Penelope showed up. We were relatively unprepared to take care of an extra animal, even if it was only until morning. So we are working on a "Stray" kit that includes collars, leashes, flea spray, blankets, water and food. Of course, more may be needed for the kit-- definitely be creative when making up your own. But it is certainly helpful to have one!

Trap-Neuter-Return: This one is for those feral cats that run around your neighborhood but are unsuitable for adoption and will take a dedicated animal lover. This process, recommended by the ASPCA, includes trapping the feral cats in your neighborhood and, hopefully along with an organization that helps with the cost, having them spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies, then returning them to their regular environment. People who choose to do this are called Colony Caretakers, and they also feed the cats in their area, look after them to monitor their health, finding them temporary foster homes for post-surgery care and also fostering kittens so they can hopefully be adopted. Find out more at ASPCA's website.

Do you have any other ways you help the animals in your area?