Ok, so let's start with the mini quarter-life crises. Yes, as in plural. I'm 26 and it's not uncommon in this day and age to feel like you're not fully an adult. I definitely feel trapped somewhere in that in-between phase. It's insane to remember where I thought I'd be at this point in my life when I was a child. Thinking life would just come together for you naturally, with hardly any effort of your own. That was definitely the way it always seemed. Like a dream job, loving husband and adorable kids would just fall into your lap, because at a certain age it's just your due.

Suffice it to say, I am nowhere near being in a place to have a husband or kids. That doesn't particularly worry me so much, yet. What does worry me, is the fact that I seem to have, quite easily, fallen into a pattern where I'm always an observer to the little things that make life so great. I allow fear or reservations to keep me from taking more risks and just-plain not giving a shit. I mean, I'm sure my friends will say that I have sass for days (not that anyone would probably use those words). Or that I'm smart and lovely (thanks guys). But self-confidence has always been an issue for me. Following through with brilliant ideas has always been hard because I talk myself out of things rather than risking failure. It's easier to play it safe and do nothing than to try and fail. But then again, you end up with none of the creamy filling that makes life so delicious. Hence my decision.

I want more out of life. I want to go after the things that make me happy. I want to say to hell with it and dance on the damn table. I want to write about the things I love, or don't love so much, with all the enthusiasm I really feel, even if no one reads it. And even though it's less "marketable", I want to write about all of my loves, not just the ones that will attract readers.

I'm an avid Romance reader and generally read about 3 books a week, varying from Contemporary to Historical and Paranormal Romance. I've also become a bit of a beauty addict, and although I'm not a makeup artist or "Beauty Guru" by any means, I have an avid curiosity and a knack for research. I'm always learning about new products and tips and I hope to share my finds, likes and dislikes with the rest of you.

I'm a big TV lover, so much so that my brother, our friend and I have a podcast where we review new television shows and give away imaginary awards for incredibly random topics (Best TV Show With a Ghost, Best Theme Song, Best TV Pet). So, I will definitely be filling you in on what I'm currently watching and loving and what to steer clear of.

Fashion was one of my first loves, and being a plus-sized woman, I've definitely had to hunt for styles that flatter my shape, not just the prescribed norm depicted in magazines. It's been a long journey getting to a point where I am a bit more accepting of my body. I'm still quite far from the place I should be in terms of loving my body but I've made strides in accepting my size, and not trying to hide it or shop for it as if it were a completely different shape.

My friends and family aren't really as interested in my passions as I am, so I don't really have an outlet to rave about the mascara that just changed my life, or to explain how my whole perspective on life was overhauled by something a heroine did in the novel I'm reading. This blog will be a way for me to work out and express my passions and an outlet for writing, which I find relaxes me and takes the edge off of my emotional stressing over what I have or haven't accomplished in my life.

More than anything, I'm making this blog into a push. A push to take life by the horns, to do (advisably) stupid things that will enrich my experience of the world around me, to get me to a point where I'm happy with the direction in which I'm heading and genuinely excited about the things I'm doing. When someone asks me what's new with me, I want to be able to chatter happily about what I've been up to. Isn't that what we all want from life?

If you've made it through this treatise of a first post, then welcome! You deserve a pat on the back and a stiff drink. I promise not every post will be this long (some might be), but I like to understand things, not in a mechanical sense, but in terms of theory and logic, and therefore I also like to explain my reasons for doing what I do.

So there it is, Cris (me) wants to go out and conquer her world. And this is the blog where she tells you all about it. Prepare yourself.