1. iPhone 5s
Shortly after the iPhone 5s came out, I ordered it in the gold color. I really liked the fingerprint sensor, slow-motion video feature, and overall design of my phone. It was a big upgrade from my iPhone 4s that had terrible battery life. They allowed me to trade in my old phone for the new one, so it ended up not costing me anything. The only downside to this purchase was that since the charging slot is smaller than the previous models, it was no longer compatible with my existing devices, like my radio dock and car chargers.

2. Miss Me Jeans
This was not my first pair of Miss Me’s, in fact it was my 6th pair. But they are my favorite ones because I like all the rhinestones and jewels that are on them. They are very comfortable. The downside is that the jewels can fall off easily and I have to hot glue them back on.

3. Homecoming Dress
When Homecoming was around the corner, back in late September/early October and everyone was scrambling to find a dress, I was unfortunate to strike out every time I went shopping; I couldn’t find anything that I liked and was a reasonable price. Last minute, my mom ordered 7 dresses online from Delia’s in all different sizes. When they showed up to my doorstep, I only ended up liking one of them–but it happened to be too tight. So my mom quickly ordered it again in the next size up, hoping it would come in time. I came the day before the dance and it was the perfect size and I loved the way it looked on me.

4. Free Runs
For my birthday, I ordered my 3rd pair of free runs from Finish Line. They are purple with a cheetah print pattern. I haven’t actually used them to go running in, just to show them off. I like to go running in my older, more broken-in ones.

5. Sewing Machine
With my Christmas money, I bought a sewing machine from Joann’s. I learned how to use one back in 7th grade Home-Ec class, and I turned out to be pretty good at it. I wanted to get myself one so I could make clothes and accessories. So far I’ve only made dog clothes, but I plan on making a lot more in the future.

by RYLEA GILLIS