When people my age, or people who graduated high school the same year as me, or even friends or my boyfriend say they're graduating this year or next year, I'm overcome with a gripping amount of fear.

That should be me, too.

I was screwed over so badly by community college, though, and now I'm permanently stuck behind everyone in my age group—and maybe even stuck behind people who graduated high school a year after me and a year after that. I'm really far behind.

Transfer credits I was told, ensured, would transfer didn't. Transfer credits I checked multiple times to ensure they would transfer didn't transfer. The program they were a part of was cut the year I switched to university. No matter who I argued with or what I argued, they told me they wouldn't accept the credits. So I had to retake math over from the bottom. Yet again. Math is a prerequisite for many other classes needed. Me having to retake and even fail means that classes "standard" freshman take, I wasn't taking as a freshman.

I've also failed five classes so far total in my college career.

I don't let things like failing bother me anymore. I'm determined, and that's all that matters. If I can show people I can succeed because I'm willing to try again and not give up that should mean something. I don't learn the same as other people. College tests your memory skill and I obviously don't have the best memory. I'm not the type to always get things on the first try. I've accepted these things now and I've decided to push forward at my own pace.

But it's still terrifying to see others around me, my age, succeeding.

And here I am. Stuck. Unchanging.

Where am I going to be when my boyfriend succeeds and graduates? Where am I going to be when my friends graduate? How long will I actually be in college? Will I have to give up at some point—quit college to take a break and save money and come back later in life? Will I have to change my major just so I can graduate with a degree?

I'm scared.

On August 19th, 2015, myself, my mother, brother, and boyfriend all went to Slide Rock State Park. Jeremy is from California and has never experienced Oak Creek Canyon, and this was the perfect way to allow him to do just that.

In case you are unaware: Slide Rock State Park is a park located in Sedona, Arizona, in Oak Creek Canyon. Within Oak Creek itself there are natural slides carved out from the water movement of the rock. The water movement has smoothed the rock surface enough to create a slide in the creek, allowing for a ton of fun during the spring and summer seasons.

We explored further up Oak Creek. It was stunning. Clean, beautiful red rock, and no crowds like in the swimming area. We also found an abandoned house/building. Inside it looks as though it served as some sort of water collecting station. Above is my favorite picture of my boyfriend from the day.

Afterward, we went to the swimming hole area and the slides. We went to the slides, Jeremy and my brother Brandon jumped from the cliffs, and I swam. I excluded a picture of myself on the slide because I looked funny! Ha.

Anyway, it was a wonderful day of family, fun, and love. A good way to end summer with fall semester starting in two weeks. I'm also grateful Jeremy got to experience a huge part of my childhood, because I use to go to Slide Rock ever summer since I was eight years old.

Today's product collage promotion is going to be quick and simple on my part in order to allow you to instead just go browse the site-wide sale going on until August 24th. Really, instead of reading about it here you should be checking it out on your own! You can get 33% or 35% off depending on your total purchase amount!

Here are my quick top picks for this sale:

Blue Floral Crochet Striped Loose T-Shirt - I chose this shirt for he specific reason that I see it everywhere and it looks so cute and comfy. It's a simple shirt that can be worn with anything, depending on if you want to come off casual or professional. The crochet adds a nice flair to the shirt and makes it really cute. I also like that it's a "loose" t-shirt because those are obviously always comfy, and also that the sleeves appear almost mid-sleeve but act more as a regular shirt sleeve. I've seen many fashion bloggers do a review for this shirt and love it! Click HERE.

Grey Kimono Sleeve Striped Knit Cardigan - This is a personal favorite of mine and if I had the money right now it would be in my closet ASAP! I love this kimono cardigan. But I am also a huge fan of cardigans in general. I love that it's striped and that it's neutral colors so you can match it with anything you please if you prefer color coordination. According to reviews, it's very thin material so I'm guessing it's made more for the summer and early autumn months. But even so! It's cute and kimono cardigans are adorable when layered. Click HERE.

White Black Sleeveless Striped Dress - Stripes, although I don't own a lot of them, are kind of my favorite. They're really in style a lot lately and they look so great paired with (like in this picture) golden accessories or even super bright colors! There are a million ways to accentuate neutral striped clothing. I like this dress for that reason. I also like it because at the back there are adorable little buttons to add some personality to the dress. Click HERE.

Purple Dip Hem Sequined Top - I recently went on a shopping trip of my own to replace some clothes in my closet and dip hem tops were some of my top choice of clothing I purchased. That's why I chose this top. The color is perfect for autumn. It appears to be a deep maroon-purple and just really gives off that fall color feel. The sequined elbows add some adorable personality to the top, as well. Click HERE.

My choice for clothes this time was quick and to the point! But don't stop at what clothes I've picked! Take a look at the entire site-wide sale, and make sure you do so fast because it ends August 24th!

Today, despite being a bit busy and not really having time to myself and seeing the day flash before my eyes so quickly,

Anyway, I stayed up pretty late "last night" before going to sleep. As in, I didn't go to sleep until almost three in the morning. It's a normal occurrence, although I need to figure out how to make it a little manageable for when fall semester starts.

But back to my point, my day was really good because my boyfriend Jeremy isn't the sentimental type. I've stated it before but really he's not and I feel as though I have to stress that a lot. Yes he loves me. Yes he expresses he loves me, quite a lot. But in different ways. He has his own love language. He's just a very quiet person and that's okay. When we go to sleep, usually there's a routine. One of us says goodnight first. If it's him that says it first, I reply with, "Goodnight, I love you," and he tells me he loves me too. If it's me that says goodnight first, I wait for him to say it in reply and then tell him I love him and he says it back.

This morning, though, I said goodnight first and he immediately responded with, "Goodnight. Love you," and that seriously just made me so happy. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep faster than I have been lately (I've been having sleeping troubles) and it put me in a good mood for when I woke up around one in the afternoon. Even though all I did today was clean the apartment—like literally every single surface—and do some dishes, I had a great day because of those few simple words.

It's not that Jeremy doesn't say I love you often enough—like I said, he has his own love language. He's more of the type to express his love through actions rather than words. He does say I love you, though. To be honest, even if he didn't say it that often, I don't really mind either way. Yes I am the type to need just a little bit of reassurance but I'm learning to not rely on that as often. I really only express my love in words because a lot of the time, it's not that I want a reply back. I just want to remind him that he's awesome and that I'm here and that I care.

Treasure the small things with those you love, and always keep in mind people have different love languages and ways to express themselves. Sometimes Jeremy and I have our ups and downs because of this. We're still learning each other's language. We're still young, we've only been together a year and nine months. We only started living together after a year and a half. It's only natural there will be mix-ups and misunderstandings. But whether this happens a lot or not patience, compromise, and understanding is needed in any relationship. Jeremy and I have that, and that's why we keep growing. And that's why as time goes on and I learn more about him and the way he loves—even if I need reassurance, I also know that he loves me. So, I treasure the small moments like the one early this morning where he said he loved me first.

Okay so. I don't wear makeup. It's just not my thing. I feel really weighed down when I wear makeup and uncomfortable. The most I wear now anymore is mascara—but on very rare occasions—and this thing called Chapstick that doesn't really classify as "makeup" if you ask me.

But recently I got a gift from one of my best friends and in this package she sent, among other things, was Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain.

Now, Lacey knows I don't wear lipstick. Or makeup. So she must have sent me this because she really absolutely loved it and wanted me to try it.

Today, I finally left the apartment to go grocery shopping. And I thought, hey I should probably try Lacey's gift out so I can tell her if I like it or not. And by God I really freaking love this lip stain!!!

As always, my favorite fashion site ever is having yet another sale. Seriously, SheIn always has a sale going on. If you're looking for quality clothing for cheap or decent prices, then SheIn is the place to go.

As of right now, they have a "Summer Further Markdown" sale going on. Meaning some items are as much as 28% off! If you spend a certain amount of money, you can also get an extra $5 or $10 off your total purchase. The details for that will be found at the end of this post. But even if you don't meet the requirements, you can still get cute and fashionable clothing for cheap with this sale.

Like always, I will be choosing some of my favorites from the sale and showing them off to you!

You can find more things such as clothing, shoes, and accessories on sale for SheIn's Summer Further Markdown by CLICKING HERE! Also keep in mind for this sale if you spend over $59, you get an extra $5 off; if you spend over $109, you can get an extra $10 off! The codes for that are found above.

Happy shopping, lovelies!

Synopsis: When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Rude and sensitive. Thought-provoking and mystical. Angry and loving. Both Abbey and this book are all of these and more. Here, the legendary author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, Abbey's Road and many other critically acclaimed books vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah. This is a rare view of a quest to experience nature in its purest form -- the silence, the struggle, the overwhelming beauty. But this is also the gripping, anguished cry of a man of character who challenges the growing exploitation of the wilderness by oil and mining interests, as well as by the tourist industry.

Abbey's observations and challenges remain as relevant now as the day he wrote them. Today, Desert Solitaire asks if any of our incalculable natural treasures can be saved before the bulldozers strike again.

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Release Date: January 12, 1985 (published originally in 1968)

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Page Count: 337

Genre(s): Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Nature Writing

I had to read this book for a summer class, and unlike most books I've received as assigned reading, I went into this with an open mind. I'd heard a lot about Edward Abbey—ranging from good to bad—and I actually very much was interested in the summary for this book.

To cut to the chase...I liked this book. Not enough to recommend it to everyone in my path, but maybe mention it to a few who I think also might like it. But it's not a book I would immediately think to recommend. It was...an interesting read, to say the least. Unique, in it's own right. Abbey writes of environmentalism, commercialization, and many other issues.

I felt a little betrayed at the beginning. While I knew this was what the book would be about, and I mostly knew what to expect—Abbey uses very detailed writing and gives spectacular visuals at the start of the book. His writing is eloquent. But it's something you only see in the first few chapters. After that, he switches over to facts and opinions—and only some of it is written in the pretty writing that he exhibited at the start. While I'm not saying the entirety of the book should have been like that, I felt betrayed because Abbey is somewhat of a hypocrite. He advocates many things, and then goes around and either does the exact opposite or goes and does exactly what he is fighting against.

At times, his writing is very spiteful and it's hard to stay on "his side" for very long when caught in the argument of the government versus nature. He comes off as extremely self-centered in his writing, despite practically preaching how much he loves nature.

In the end, I did gain a lot from this book. If you can get past Abbey's personality that clearly seeps through his writing and about some of his rants, the writing was spectacular. He surely has a way with words and persuasion. If not that, then at least take from it what you can about valuing, respecting, and cherishing nature. It and the national parks are about all we have left. Desert Solitaire was definitely a unique read, in my opinion.

This past weekend was extremely hectic for me. First, to start off with, some background:

I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed at the age two months, I think? Maybe someday on here I'll share about it in greater detail. But having it at a young age, according to doctors, has worn down my immune system. I have a pretty terrible immune system. I get sick fairly easily. I also have some other problems. My second main one that is pretty severe compared to my other conditions are my chronic migraines.

This last weekend, both my immune system and my migraines decided to turn against me.

I made a bunch of food earlier in the week. So our fridge was stocked with leftovers. On Saturday, it was leftover day for dinner. All of the leftovers smelled fine, looked fine...tasted fine. But I apparently ate something bad. Before eating, I had a migraine coming on. They always start off as headaches. Since it was still a headache I figured if I ate I could get rid of it early, especially since I was planning to sleep early that day due to plans on Sunday with my mom. I went to bed around ten feeling a little off, slept for four hours, and woke up with one of the worst migraines I have ever had in my life, hands down. The only thing worse was the migraines I used to have before I was ever diagnosed and medicated for them—and this was back in 2003.

I think the migraine made it worse, but I was extremely nauseous. With each passing minute, I felt worse and worse. My boyfriend Jeremy was just going to sleep at that time. Finally, after taking my migraine medicine hoping the nauseous feeling would pass if I could just fall back asleep through the migraine, my stomach decided to get rid of its contents. I was sick for 3-4 hours, and it included vomiting and crying—and some screaming due to the migraine pain, there was so much pressure on my head—but Jeremy was there. Jeremy was worried, because I've never had a migraine this bad before, but he was there for me. He helped me. He practically carried me from the bed to the bathroom and he waited outside the door while I got sick. He made me ice packs and he made the couch into a bed for me. He stayed next to me, and then when I was feeling well enough to go back to sleep in the bedroom he practically carried me back to bed. He texted my mom so she knew I was sick and had to cancel my plans. The next day, he bought me Gatorade to ensure my stomach was settled.

A person is a person. A person is a human being. I think a lot of people set extremely high expectations of their significant other. Jeremy has already been through a lot with me. He witnesses every day my anxiety and stress. He knows about my depression. He deals with my arthritis despite me not being elderly, as expected of those with arthritis. He's always there to somehow calm me and reassure me that things are going to be alright. I don't really understand it sometimes. I love him with all my heart, and I know he loves me, but sometimes I feel like he shouldn't love me. I'm not perfect. In fact, I am broken in many ways.

I fully believe that many people these days go into relationships with "broken" people with the intentions to "fix" them. That's not possible—that's not something you can do. A broken person needs to fix themselves. They can have help and support, but they need to learn to repair their own self. But there is truly something amazing about a person still loving another when they are truly at their lowest. Whether it be because of depression or just because they are sick and vomiting. There is a sort of beauty seeing someone at their lowest and still looking at them and thinking, "Wow, I really love them."

Despite how terrible my weekend was and despite feeling sorry for keeping Jeremy up, and despite feeling embarrassed over being sick—Jeremy kept telling me it was okay, petting my head reassuringly, and was using the sweetest voice possible. He's not an extremely sentimental person. He's the quiet and stoic type. But moments like that make me love him all the more.

I think it's important in relationships, after being with Jeremy for a year and living with him for a year—and living with him so early on in our relationship, at that—to accept that the one you love won't always be perfect. They will appear perfect in your eyes. But you cannot always hold them on a pedestal.

Perfect to you or not, they are a human being. Humans are not perfect. They make mistakes. They have bad days. I honestly think it's important to realize this in a relationship.

Synopsis: New Sailor Moon anime commemorating the 20th anniversary of Sailor Moon.

Usagi Tsukino is a second-year middle school girl who is a little clumsy and a crybaby, but she is full of energy. One day, she meets Luna, a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead, and she transforms into Sailor Moon, a sailor-uniformed pretty guardian of love and justice! As a chosen guardian of justice, Usagi seems to have a mission to find the Illusionary Silver Crystal with the other guardians and to protect the princess.

Meanwhile, the queen of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl, also sends minions to the town where Usagi lives to obtain the Illusionary Silver Crystal, which has immense power. This causes strange events to unfold...

Can Sailor Moon really find the Illusionary Silver Crystal with the other Sailor guardians, and protect the princess...?!

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Title: Sailor Moon Crystal, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal

Episodes: 26

Genre(s): Magic, romance, shoujo

Air Date: July 5, 2014—July 18, 2015

Producers: Toei Animation, Starchild Records, Viz Media, Kodansha
• • • So, I never wanted to watch this show with the intentions to compare it to the original Sailor Moon. I grew up on Sailor Moon. She and the guardians were my first heroes, they inspired me and gave me a life of magic. I love Sailor Moon.

I do not, however, love Sailor Moon Crystal.

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot to love about Sailor Moon Crystal. And for what it was worth, I did enjoy it. But inevitably, despite trying to keep a clear head and open mind, I ended up comparing Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal...and, to me, the original is better. In this review I will absolutely try not to compare it to the original.

For one, I did enjoy the art style. While I did notice some animation errors—which is what actually looks like the animators just got lazy about as the series went on; it almost appears as if after they made the opening sequence and put all the work into the gorgeous design of that everyone lost interest afterward—I felt like they were trying to apply the new, modern drawing and animation style to the unique art style of Naoko Takeuchi. I really enjoyed that aspect because that meant there was a new but older feel to the art style and it also meant a lot of colorful and bright animation.

However, on the topic of the animation, I did not at all enjoy the transformation of the sailor senshi. It was strange, awkward, and just really unusual. It looks like 3D models of the characters were used during this process and then brought to life. But despite being "brought to life" the 3D versions of the 2D sailor senshi don't look quiet...themselves. They're lifeless and more doll-like than anything, and a lot of emotion and liveliness is lacking in their transformations.

I liked that the plot followed the original manga more so than it did the anime that was created before Crystal. However, I did miss some of the quirks from the original Sailor Moon. I think this is where I really started to compare Crystal to the original anime when I really didn't mean to. I missed some of the fillers that gave the character more background and history and life. It felt like all of that was missing in Sailor Moon Crystal. It felt like we were thrown all these characters with nothing unique or specific about them. Maybe a short introduction to give us a peek into their life, but nothing to really connect to. And that's what I loved about Sailor Moon. They had stories, lives, and families and there was a lot of character development.

As I'm sure everyone knows by now—I love character development. There was very little in Sailor Moon Crystal. Whenever development happened, it's as though the animators forgot that it happened and threw one of the characters back to their former self. This is seen more so with Usagi than any of the other girls, I think. I think even Chibiusa matured more than Usagi in the short time she was in the show than Usagi herself did. Everyone talked about how stronger and more mature Usagi had become, and reveled at her new-found determination. However, although she spoke as though she had those things, all I could see was the crybaby Usagi from the first episode. While in Sailor Moon crybaby Usagi was something to love—because she actually does grow and become stronger, and although she has setbacks she still has a lot of development—crybaby Usagi in Sailor Moon Crystal was something I found to be unbearable and annoying.

As for everyone else and their character development...well, they were strangers. We knew nothing about them, Sailor Moon Crystal took no time to build their stories or expand upon them. They were just plastic, nonexistent characters there to fill up the scene in which they were standing.

The worst part of it all is I really couldn't see Crystal Usagi as the role model I grew up with and learned to adore. The Usagi that I wanted to be like. The Usagi who was strong, brave, and brought people together despite being clumsy and ditzy and crying all the time. Crystal Usagi is overly obsessed with Mamoru and sometimes even forgets that she has friends and not just a soul mate by her side. Maybe a lot of this has to do with the fact that the people behind Crystal didn't even bother to expand upon the other sailor senshi and give them stories or likable qualities to connect to. Whether it does or not, however, doesn't mean that Usagi or even the animators should just throw the other characters on the back burner. Ultimately, that's something that ended up happening.

Due to that fact, although the plot tried to—and did to some extent—follow the manga, a lot of this series just felt like a melodrama. Evil that had to be fought felt similar and repetitive. Crappy love subplots were given to the other senshi, and then never expanded upon. In fact, they were practically thrown out. Whether this is a budget thing, or because the animators just didn't want to focus on anyone that wasn't Usagi, it kind of upset me. I thought during that time that maybe the other senshi would finally get some of the spotlight. If they couldn't have background stories that were to be expanded upon, at least they could have this. But in the end they didn't even get that. And don't even get me started on the Usagi and Mamoru drama—and later the Chibiusa drama—that took place. It was dumb, silly, and painful to watch. I thought a lot of that was bad the first watch with Sailor Moon (I didn't like Chibiusa for quite a while during that series, ha) but this was really terrible to sit through.

I really, really tried to like this series. I did, to an extent. I think really the only thing I actually enjoyed was that it was a reboot and I got to see Sailor Moon in action again. But I really wanted to love Sailor Moon Crystal. I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't come to love this Sailor Moon or even this series.

There are rumors of a second series for Sailor Moon Crystal. Honestly, I would just suggest re-watching the 200 episodes of Sailor Moon.

Title: From Up On Poppy Hill (English), Kokurikozaka kara (Japanese)

Episodes: Movie (1)

Genre(s): Historical, romance, school, shoujo

Air Date: July 16, 2011

Producers: Studio Ghibli
• • • So From Up On Poppy Hill is one of my new top-favorite Studio Ghibli movies. This is also one of the movies my best friend, boyfriend, and myself marathoned the weekend she visited back at the end of June.

Unlike a lot of the other Ghibli films, where they have the more "magical journey" feel, this is a journey of life, and love, and laughter. It's just a normal journey of self-discovery—a theme that is seen often in Studio Ghibli films—but unlike the others films, the characters in this movie make the self-discovery journey fun and enjoyable. Each character has their own charm and color that adds to the story and makes their journey magical in its own way.

I love the intertwining stories of the characters in this movie. It's easy to get attached to the characters and what's happening to them because the story is so simple and relatable. These characters have so many quirks and charms and they literally just make me smile as I watch them, it's so hard to dislike this movie or anyone in this movie. Becoming attached is easy and also makes your heart go out to the characters, so when little plot twists appear you really feel for them.

As always, Studio Ghibli lives up to the animation, colors, and character design in this movie. It's all such a joy to watch and it's so beautiful. Every little detail is taken into consideration when this movie is made and because of the era this movie takes place in, along with how much attention to detail there is, everything is so unique and the art and setting itself, along with the characters, have personalities of their own. Especially the clubhouse. It's just really lovely.

The music for this movie is wonderful. It fits the year of 1963 and it's so wonderful. If you're familiar with the era, or have older parents or grandparents, you may be familiar with some of the songs that appear throughout the movie. But besides that little fact and the familiarity, the music complements the movie and era so well. You have soft, beautiful scores and then you have the jazzy feel of the 60's.

Honestly, this movie is amazing. Simply put, there's a lot of charm and personality. The main characters have an engaging story line and the supporting characters pick up the slack wherever the movie may let off or slow down. It's an enjoyable, simple watch filled with fun and loving characters. I don't really know how to put it...but this movie is just great. It's sweet, charming, and I love it and would recommend it in a split second. Studio Ghibli did amazing, Miyazaki did amazing. From Up On Poppy Hill is a must-watch for everyone, in my humble opinion.