Can I be honest?

Okayyy I have finally returned.

I sincerely apologize to everyone who looks forwards to reading my little blog.

As many of you might know, I was diagnosed with a nasty virus a week and a half ago that caused me to have an also very nasty inner ear infection. I am feeling much better but I have just been trying to keep my head above the water. If any of you are University students you will understand what I mean. I missed 2 days of classes which equalled one biology exam, one biology lab and one chemistry lab, and I had to make those up all the while still going to classes and staying afloat. This left very little time to eat and sleep let alone blog.

To top that off, if I am being completely honest here, I lost a bit of why I started blogging in the first place. I started blogging for myself, to remind myself of the beautiful things around me. I ended up blogging for everyone else, wondering what I could post about to get more followers. Don't get me wrong, I sooo soo appreciate having all of you follow my blog. It brighten my day to hear from you. I just became too obsessed with finding ways to add followers, and I found myself networking hours and hours each day just to gain one follower. So, with that said, I am changing things a bit around here. I still plan on doing Tea Time Tuesdays where I interview fellow bloggers and of course I will still be doing Friday Finds to Inspire, because that is what my blog is all about. Besides that, I think I will just post about things that inspire me. Life is crazy and hectic and busy and I want to be a part of that. I found that when I was obsessed over blogging, I would spend hours upon end on the computer, trying to figure out ways to have more followers. That is a big No No for me now.

So keep checking in for some new posts to come!

I so appreciate everyone's support and love.

XXXX

Victoria and Sean are Getting Married!

Norah Jones-Come Away With Me

Today is my best friend's wedding! I am so incredibly thrilled for her. Victoria and Sean truly are best friends and I am so happy that they have chosen to spend the rest of their lives together. They give us al a little hope that there is someone special out there....

Love you pretty lady!

XXXX

Friday Finds to Inspire

Jenny Owen Youngs-First Person

I used to listen to her a ton my freshman year of college but kind of forgot about her until I saw a photo of her recently. love her stuff!

I recently have become obsessed with fuckyeah tumblrs and I found quite a few yesterday that I thought were lovely so I thought this week I would share some!

via: fuckyeahdali

this makes me smile so big

via: fuckyeahralphwaldoemerson

my favorite writer of all time

via: fuckyeahjamesdean

Mmm gotta love James Dean

via: fuckyeahthebeatles

adore this. Is it bad that I know who each one is?? Nahh just means I'm a devoted fan :)

via:fuckyeahindieboys

cutiepatootie

via: fuckyeahbabyanimals

ohmygosh is this even real??! So cute!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. It is so beautiful here with the leaves changing and the weather cooling off. I am getting so antsy being sick, stuck in the house when all I want to do is go for a long walk. Having severe vertigo is sort of prohibiting me though.... Anyways, tomorrow is my best friend's wedding! I am so excited for her and cannot wait! What are your plans for the weekend??

Gingers

Norah Jones-Sunrise

I have to admit, recently it seems the Irish in me does not want to subside. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my Irish roots, but I have always tried to hide the red tint in my hair. Recently I dyed it a dark dark brown but the red still shines through. I became frustrated until I came across these lovely women who do red heads some good. It made me realize that while it is compeltely fine and actually very fun to experiment with hair color, that it is also okay to come to terms with the red tint in my hair. So here is an ode to all of you lovely pale redheads out there and redhead lovers. You are beautiful!

So natural and gorgeous

Whoever happens to be this little girl's parents, I just want to say, you are pretty rad. Love it.

(Oh by the way, the verdict is an inner ear infection caused by a virus that has kinda gone throughout my body. The inner ear infection has caused me to feel like I am constantly on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Kinda trippy but not any kind of fun whatsoever. At least I have an explanation for it now and medication. The bad news is that the sea sickness medication knocks me out so I am trying to stay away from it as much as possible. That means that I am constantly nauseous but I'd rather be nauseous than unconscious. Luckily my professors are being very kind and are letting me make up my exam and labs. I just want to say thank you to the love and well wishes sent my way. )

XXXX

pictures via: fuckyeahredhair

for another awesome website devoted to redheads, check out fuckyeahredheads

Check Out This Giveaway!

The lovely CAPowCAPow is hosting a giveaway at her blog windshield diaries! Stop by, sign up and check out the blog while you are at it!

Tea Time Tuesdays- Stephanie from Femmena Mala

Such Great Heights- The Postal Service

(one of her favorite songs)

I met Stephanie while in school and we have connected over blogging and vegetarianism and many other wonderful things. She is such a sweetheart. So please do yourself a favor and stop by her blog after the interview!

Name: Stephanie!

Age: 22

Occupation: Full time student teacher, blogger, sister, daughter, girlfriend, and puppy mama

Website/Blog? Femmena Mala - http://www.femmenamala.blogspot.com

Reason for blog's name? Back in 2006, my dad won a trip to Rome through his company, and one of the teasers they sent him in the mail before he left was a cd of Italian music. One of the songs on the album was called “Mala Femmena.” I thought the song was pretty enough, but I wanted to make the name my own :) Since my heritage is partly Italian, I wanted to embrace it even more. Granted, I didn't start this blog right then, the name has stayed with me since :)

What do you blog about/where do you find your inspiration for your blog? I find my inspiration for blogging everywhere. The biggest thing that I try to keep in mind when blogging is that it is my space, and I have to stay true to what I want to write about, and that is usually my personal life. Blogging is an outlet for me so I try to keep it more of a journal :) I also get lots of ideas from other bloggers, but many bloggers only post features every day, and to me that gets predictable and sometimes boring to read so (in hopes that people are interested in my life) I try to focus on me for the most part! I also get lots of inspiration from NPR. This is pretty much the only thing I listen to in the car so I get a lot of ideas here :)

When did you begin blogging? I have always been a journaler, for as long as I can remember! I had a blogdrive account, and then a Xanga, and then a LiveJournal, and finally, I moved to Blogger this past summer. I love it!

Any final thoughts/words? Yes! So far, I have had so much fun getting to know all of these wonderful blogging ladies that surround me. They have provided so much inspiration and guidance! If you're new to blogging - keep at it! Slow but steady wins the race :) I hope all of you enjoy reading my blog, and I can't wait to meet you! <3

Pumpkins and Horses

As previously mentioned, my lovely friends and I went to a pumpkin patch and then horseback riding this past weekend. Also promised were some pictures so without further ado....

Horses have been such a huge part of my life. I have such a connection with them that there are no words to describe it. My family had me on top of a horse from the moment I could hold myself up there on my own (around 4 years old). I used to jump them but just ride for fun now. My most favorite thing to do is to ride bareback (or without a saddle). I feel so connected to the horse in this way and it just fills my heart with joy. I have been looking for pictures from when I was little riding the horses. I will hopefully find them soon and be able to post those!

(the first boy I ever kissed...back in the day :))

Everyone had a great time and I am so glad I was able to share a little bit of my world with them!

Remember, tomorrow is Tea Time Tuesday where this week's mystery guest will be revealed!

Finally...

but very exciting, I started a Facebook page for my blog. It would absolutely make my day if you were able to stop by and "like" my page. I'll leave a link below or you can click the Facebook badge to the right of this post. I love hearing from you all. It encourages me to keep blogging and posting. Your comments and words mean the world to me. Please feel free to follow if you read but haven't yet pressed the little "follow" button to the right of this post.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

XXXX

Just a Quick Hello!

Madeleine Peyroux-I'm Alright

Just a quick little hello and an "about my day".

Today has been a long one. Yesterday I went out with a group of my girlfriends to celebrate a friend's birthday and we went to a pumpkin patch and horseback riding at my aunt's farm. I calculated it and realized that I spent a total of three hours sitting yesterday, including church with the family, lunch and dinner and driving. The rest was spent standing up, walking in corn mazes, leading friends around on horses, etc.

Let's just say that I am super exhausted today. Luckily, I get to sit at my job all day. I work at a computer lab on campus and get paid while doing my homework so I can't complain too much. But nonetheless I was exhausted today. I had such a hard time waking up this morning. Luckily, I had enough time to stop by Starbucks this morning to grab a chai tea latte and that started to change things around. I was able to get a ton of homework done while at work so now I am able to relax a bit before going back to studying for my biology exam this Thursday (wish me luck!)

(back when my hair was really short!)

I am off to my younger sister's (Maci) soccer game in a few. Haven't been to any this year so I thought it was about time. Then back for dinner and cuddling up with Mr. Bagira while I study biology.

(yes, he has no hair around his nipples. He's odd like that haha but I love him to death)

Then , maybe then, I will be able to treat myself to a little bit of the House marathon I have recorded.

Anyways, I don't like leaving you lovelies without posts, so I just thought I would stop in and say hello.

Pictures are soon to come of the pumpkin patch/horse riding extravaganza. Annnnddd keep your eyes open for the featured Tea Time Tuesdays posts with a very special and lovely guest tomorrow!

XXXX

images via weheartit & my camera

The Lovely Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg-The Songs We Sing

As promised a post all about the lovely and talented Charlotte Gainsbourg.

What can I say, my words cannot do her justice. Daughter of the talented British actress Jane Birkin and French songwriter, actor and director Serge Gainsbourg, there was no denying that she was destined for a talent. Gainsbourg is an extremely talented actress and musician. I fell in love with her when I first saw "The Science of Sleep" starring Gael Garcia Bernal and herself. Only later did I learn about her amazing music. I think she exemplifies effortless French elegance. Anyways, will leave you with some wonderful photos I found of her as well as some videos of "The Science of Sleep".

The Trailer for "The Science of Sleep"

The Science of Sleep (fight)

The Science of Sleep (Forest Boat Creation)

images via: weheartit

Friday Finds to Inspire

Katie Melua-Two Bare Feet

............................................................................

Because I am feeling so studious. And because I love books.

Currently loving big messy buns like these...

In LOVE with this mug. so in love.

Mmmmm Fall! And I just adore these pumpkins. Such a great craft idea, putting patterned tights over them! Love it.

So inspired by the lovely Charlotte Gainsbourg. I think I will do a whole post on her sometime in the near feature because I adore her so much. Watch the Science of Sleep if you haven't already!

And... because it is Blackbird Fly's one year Birthday today! yayyy

I just want to finish with saying that it has been an amazing blogging year. I didn't really work on progressing my blog until recently and the reception has been amazing. I want to say thank you to all of my lovely followers and readers out there. You all have been so kind. If you read but don't follow, please don't hesitate to hit the little follow button to the right of this post. Don't worry, you won't receive pesky emails or anything. It just lets me know you are reading! I am setting goals for myself and this blog now and I if I could have one present for my blog, it would be to gain more followers. I plan on taking this blog even further this year! So much love for you all.

XXXX

images via: we heartit

Thank You!

Many many thanks!

Today, my lovely readers, I reached an all-time high for page views. This warms my heart.

So I just want to say thank you. And thank you to Starr for her interview!

XXXX

Tea Time Tuesdays

Featuring....

Starr from A Thought Is the Blossom

I came across her blog a while back and fell in love with her fun finds, her decadent taste in fashion and Etsy finds and her amazing photographs.

here is her bio:

I'm Starr , a public relations and film student at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. I'm obsessed with fashion and thrifting and this blog is a place for me to keep up with all of my outfits and found treasures. If you like what you see, you may also like some of the pieces in my shop. For a look at all the collections, photos, and films that are inspiring me right now, visit my inspiration blog, Cupcakes For The Eyes.

Here is her interview:

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find inspiration all over the place. From films and from music, to architecture and prints. There's lots of inspiration to be found on blogs too!

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

It comes from an Emerson quote. "Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it." The blog is where my thoughts start. The language is the communication and connection with my readers, and the fruit represents the items that I sell in my etsy shop which is why I called it "Action Is the Fruit".

You run a vintage shop on etsy. Where do you find these beautiful pieces and how do you decide what is long gone and what is making a come-back?

I find them at thrift stores and estate sales, and I get most of my fashion news through the internet, through blogs and through twitter as for what's 'in' style. Trends are fun to pay attention to, but I don't like to take them too seriously. it's fun to get inspired by things you're into, not by what someone else is dictating.

What kind of camera do you use?

It's a Cannon EOS 400D, but I'm looking to graduate to a 700!

Any final thoughts?

Thank you for taking the time to interview me!

My concluding thoughts...

I love Starr's inspiration for the title of her blog. I adore Emerson and I think that quote is so true and so beautiful. I also love her ideas about fashion and what is "in" and "out". It is so much more fun to dictate what you wear based on what inspires you and not what on others dictate. I am so glad I got to interview her as my first official "Tea Time Tuesdays" post.

So, concluding this feature, I would like to remind you all to stop by and take a peak at Starr's wonderful blog, A Thought Is the Blossom. Also, check out her great vintage finds at her etsy shop, Action is the Fruit.

I cannot wait to do more of these posts every week and can't wait to connect with all of you lovely bloggers out there.

images via:a thought is the blossom