Oak & Oats $250 Paypal Giveaway

Hello lovely readers!  Let me introduce you to Elizabeth from Oak &Oats-it's her birthday! She's offered up such a lovely giveaway that I'm participating in, and she's here to share it with you today! 

hello sweet readers! today i have something BIG for you! you probably already guessed it buy the title of this post and the giant picture of my cupcake & my face, but tomorrow i am turning 26!!! in honor of such a momentous occasion, i joined up with some lovely ladies to give you the chance to win $250 cash! as i thought about what i wanted to do, i wanted to find a way to celebrate with all of you because you are a huge part of my life. think of this as a party where you are all invited over to my house, you get to meet new friends, chat about, and then one of you gets to walk away with the ultimate party favor - two fifty bucks (because i don't want to be the only one getting gifts today!).

THANK YOU TO ALL THESE LADIES WHO ARE HELPING ME WITH THE PARTY!!! Brynne of Thatch & Thistle, Maddie of Maddie Richardson, Alyssa of Impractical Composition, Megan of Rivers & Roads, Liz of Life as Liz, Britney of the Quiet Place, Rachel of Rachel Boulevard, Abby of Becoming Blog, Robin of Fly Free, Elizabeth of Omnnomnom, Jenna of Dearest Love, Tina of Like Ordinary Life, Robin of Living Colorfully, Katie of Lublyou, Angie of My So Called Chaos, Tyler of Arkansassy, Amanda of Little Tranquility, Jillian of Brave Sunday, Mary of Trusty Chucks, and Janene of Celebrating Life.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! all entries to this giveaway will be run via rafflecopter. in exactly one week the giveaway will close, one winner will be selected at random and announced! all entries will be verified, so please play by the rules! i will transfer the $250 from my paypal to your paypal and it is just that easy (if you do not have a paypal account, i highly suggest you sign up with one today!!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 2014 Currently

It's been a little while since I wrote one of these... In fact it was just before school started last August.  It seems fitting that I should write one now that the school year is over and Summer is beginning.  I'm currently...

Reading:  Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney, then I plan on starting The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.

Watching: So much... I just started Penny Dreadful, which looks like it's going to be wonderfully Macabre.  Have been keeping up with the regular stuff, loving The Mindy Project the most but the season finale was this week and now it's over.  Sadness.  Mostly we've been marathoning Leverage and The Paradise on Netflix.  Oh and the little interviews they did for Orange is the New Black which comes back next month!  Oh and Cosmos.  Science is cool yo!

Listening to: Music wise, it's Head or Heart by Christina Perri.  On Repeat.  But also Lights Out by Ingrid Michaelson and a lot of French music like Zaz Recto Verso and Stromae.  Also podcasts.  I've recently gotten super addicted to The Savage Lovecast (Dan Savage is brilliant!) and Star Talk (Neil Degrasse Tyson is also brilliant!)  I love learning-and I learn so much from both.  Emotions and sex talk from Savage Lovecast, and all about science and space and deadly diseases from Star Talk.  It's awesome.

Writing:  This blog mostly.  I have started a chapter in my book-but haven't picked it back up yet.  Oh and my journal.  I've been filling it like crazy! It's almost time to switch over to a new one!

Playing: Duolingo (to practice my French) and my Nintendo 3DS.  Mostly Zelda and Lego games.

Eating:  Lots of salads in a jar (a recipe here), Yogurt, and Trader Joes Mac & Cheese.  Yum.

Drinking:  Lots of coffee & Water.  Also Beer, Wine, Lambic, and Jack Daniels Tenessee Honey.

Wearing:  Lots of clothes from Torrid.  Currently black skinny jeans, with a red button up and boots-but I did just put in an order for these gorgeous items that I can't wait to receive:

Waiting: For the weekend.  Also Summer things like camping, swimming, and traveling.  I can't wait! 

Loving:  My life.  My friends. My family.  School being over.  And a certain someone being back in my life.

Needing: To get my ass to the gym and to start hula hooping again!  Also to make some art.

Wanting: To spend more time with that certain someone.  Yeah I know-I'm such a girl.  Oh well.

Thinking: That I think to much as always.  My mind is always spinning spinning spinning, and sometimes I think myself into a problem that doesn't exist.  But my logical brain is getting better at talking myself down.  But I'm also thinking about good things-lovely wonderful things and possibilities.

Feeling: So much, I don't even know how to sum it up here.  I have a whirlwind of emotions inside of me right now and that's okay.  It's better than feeling nothing at all-and a lot of those feelings are good.  There's a lot of change going on and coming up-so figuring out just how I feel about it is a process.

Hoping:  To love and be loved back.  That's my sincerest and most simple hope at this moment. ♥

Dreaming: Of a future filled with far-off destinations, writing, French, and lots and lots of love.

Being Inspired By:  The PizzaSisters4Lyfe movement on Instagram.  It's a group that I found out about through Okay Allison, and that was started by Lilly The Rad.  It's all about body love at any shape or size, and there are so many fantastic girls to connect with all over the world.  I love it.

May Goals

<a href="http://www.mysocalledchaos.com/search/label/Goals"><img src="http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww257/agofish/For%20Blog/MSCC%20Buttons/monthlygoals_zpsf6ab196b.png" alt="Monthly Goals"></a>

How it works:

The linky goes live on the first Wednesday of each month.

1. Follow all three hosts: My So-Called Chaos, A Peek at Karen's World, & Jenee Thompson
2. Write up a post recapping previous goals & setting goals for the next month. The post needs to include the Monthly Goals button, use the code above!
3. Link-up your Monthly Goals post in the linky below!
4. Visit other blogs in the linky to show support!

April Recap

• Make some art - FAIL
• Bring up my French Grade - FAIL - Stayed about the same
• Play Duolingo to practice my French at least 3 times a week. - SUCCESS
• Read at least one book for fun - FAIL
• Register for Fall Semester & Get FAFSA handled - In Progress - Registered, but no FAFSA.
• Attend SLC Comic Con - SUCCESS
• Have a birthday dinner someplace good - SUCCESS
• Have a fun birthday party - SUCCESS
• Put together an awesome birthday giveaway - SUCCESS
• Go to LaCaille with the roommate's Jr. High class - SUCCESS
• Clean/Dejunk my bedroom once and for all! - SUCCESS
• Finish destashing my nail polish/beauty goods - In Progress
• Keep working on cooking/learn to cook new things - SUCCESS

May Goals

• Finish school with at least a passing grade. (Ugh, that's all I can hope for at this point)
• Read a Book.
• Make some art & figure out where to order prints from.
• Work on reopening my Etsy shop (yay now that summer is free from school!)
• Save $300
• Play Duolingo/practice French at least 3 times a week.
• Start exercising-no excuses!  Replace school with fitness and art!
• Make some doctors/dentist/optometrist appointments
• Keep spending time with a certain someone
• Plan a dinner with Friends for May

What are your goals this month?