Music Monday

1. When I Get You Alone by Thicke

2. Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend by Marilyn Monroe

3. All You Need Is Now by Duran Duran

xoxo

Lipstick Review: Lancome Rouge In Love

Hey everyone!

Yesterday, I went shopping to pick up some things for a vacation I'm going on next week (so excited!), and along the way I saw this lipstick. It was more expensive that lipsticks that I usually buy, but I couldn't help myself. It was too fabulous.

I had seen the ads for Lancome Rouge In Love with Emma Watson, and was intrigued from the start. Partially, though, that is due to my mild (not so mild) obsession with Emma, but the lipstick looked awesome, too. So when I saw the display, I tried it out in 340B Rose Boudoir. Instant love. It's super moisturizing and is supposed to last for 6 hours. And the color...stunning!

Check it out!

xoxo

Swoon-Worthy Saturday: Jake Gyllenhaal

You know who he is. Just...adore.

xoxo

Moment of Bliss

xoxo

Create Yourself!

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." - G. Bernard Shaw

I found this quote on a website called thehealthypush.com. Go check it out! It's got recipes, workouts, inspiration...anything you need to get healthy.

Anyways, I really like the message. We always hear about people who have "lost themselves" or have identity crises. I don't doubt that those are legitimate phases of our lives, but I like the idea of creating yourself throughout your life-- picking up attributes here and there, dropping them as you need. I picture it as sort of sculpting yourself. We start out as a blob of clay or a slab of marble, and throughout our lifetimes we chisel away at ourselves until we are left with a person that we can truly love and respect--ourselves. It doesn't matter if other people feel the same way, because this sculpture is just for you.

While you are inspired, go listen to "We Are Young ft. Janelle Monae" by Fun. It makes me want to live my life! No regrets. :)

Let me know how you take this quote!

xoxo

Femininspiration: Christina Hendricks

If you have ever seen Christina Hendricks before, you'll understand why I chose her for this femininspiration. She is a curvy gal and she WORKS it. Whenever she discusses her fitness, she makes it clear that she never worked out before she became famous. And she is proud of her body! She doesn't look like all the other waifs in Hollywood, but she is still confident and gorgeous. She sets a great example for young women!

xoxo

Music Monday

This week, I chose songs that help me relax and keep perspective during crazy times. I hope you like them!

1. Wonderful by Gary Go

2. Angels on the Moon by Thriving Ivory

3. Touch by Natasha Bedingfield

xoxo

Swoon-Worthy Saturday: Ian Somerhalder

Alright, ladies! Time for another SWS. This one has mixed reviews amongst my friends and I--I love him, they find him "womanly". Well, haters gon' hate. This week's Swoon-Worthy Saturday is Ian Somerhalder, the star of The Vampire Diaries, one of my favorite TV shows, in case I haven't already made that obvious. He is more than just a pretty face, too--he rescues animals! He's a winner.

xoxo

Moment of Bliss

also, check out this link! we need more magazines to do this!

xoxo

21-Day Challenge Update

Hey there!

As you know, I've been trying to not eat chocolate for 21 days. Well, when I made that plan, I forgot about Valentines Day.

I held off for most of the day, but then I got to convincing myself that Valentines Day should be an exception! It's (in my opinion) a day for treating yourself. Like Halloween.

So, I loaded up on chocolate in preparation for the long haul ahead of me. And let me tell you, it wasn't good.

I hadn't realized how much better I had been feeling until I ate chocolate again. It had only been 5 days, but I swear that I felt better. My sleep patterns were healthier, and my food choices in general were just better. Sure, I was eating a ton in an attempt to satisfy my chocolate craving, but the amount of sugar I was consuming had gone down significantly. My skin was clearing up, and I just felt...right.

Anyways, now I realize how nice it felt to not be eating chocolate, and I can't wait to start fresh today. I have recently read some articles on how bad sugar is for you, and it's really starting to scare me! Since chocolate is my main source of sugar, cutting it out should really help my health.

Feel free to join me in this challenge! Who knows, it might go longer than 21 days!

xoxo

P.S: I'd like to take a second to wish my big sister a happy, happy birthday! Love you Lillie!

Grammys!

Hey guys! I meant to do this yesterday, but I had quite a full day and ended up not having time! So, here it is, a day late...

My thoughts on the dresses from this year's Grammy Awards!

I didn't actually get a chance to watch the Grammys, but I've done my research and chosen my favorite outfits from the night...as well as those that I didn't feel so great about.

First, let's do favorites.

I first saw these adorable little girls on the ellen show, performing a Nicki Minaj song. They are such princesses!!! So, so cute.

I'm not quite sure why Kate Beckinsale was at the Grammys, but she looked ah-MAZ-ing. The only bone I have to pick is that I think this dress should have been a tad longer. I know she has great legs, but, come on, this is a red carpet event!

I've heard rumors that Kelly Osbourne is not the nicest person, but I'll put that aside for now. She. Looked. Stunning. I love the wacky hair color and her dress was simply fabulous.

And now for the dresses I wasn't such a fan of..

Fergie. What are you doing? Call me old-fashioned, but I think that a true lady leaves a little something to the imagination... This is just too revealing for my taste! I think this dress could have been really nice, but with something a little more covering under it.

For the same reason I didn't like Fergie's dress, I don't like Rihanna's choice of attire for the night. A dramatic neckline can be sexy, just like a side-split and a low back. But all three in one dress? NO! Also, I don't find ribs to be sexy. Or unsupported boobs. In general, this dress just failed. Plus, what is with her hair? Come on, RiRi! Pull it together!

What were your favorite/least favorite Grammy looks?

xoxo

Music Monday

Just some songs I'm loving...

1. One Thing by One Direction

My friend introduced me to One Direction a few weeks ago, and I'm hooked! This boy band was put together by Simon Cowell after they auditioned for the UK's X-Factor. Such a cute song, right?

2. T.H.E (The Hardest Ever) by Will.i.am

Mick Jagger, J.Lo and Will.i.am all together in one song? How could it fail? I can't listen to this song without bustin' a move. :)

3. All This Time by Joe Jonas

I won't lie, I was never a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers, but when I heard Joe's album on iTunes a while back, I bought it immediately. Every single song is so good! I blast this in my car and belt it out shamelessly...

xoxo

Swoon-Worthy Saturday

I've already told you about my obsession with the Burlesque movie. So, this week's Swoon-Worthy Saturday probably won't be much of a surprise...It's Cam Gigandet!

Other than playing Jack in Burlesque, he has also starred in Twilight, Easy A, and psycho-thriller The Roommate. I've been told good things about Never Back Down, in which he plays a boxer, so you can bet that I'll be watching that soon!

xoxo

{p.s: man with baby = +10 points in my book...}

Love Your Body!

Today's post is all about body image. We live in an era when eating disorders consume our society, and it's not just eating vs. not eating anymore. There is bulimia, athlete's bulimia, extreme dieting, the use of laxatives to lose weight, and many more methods of losing weight unhealthily. If I could choose one cause that I would fight for the rest of my life, and probably will, it would be building up confidence in young women about their bodies. 

The picture above shows an average woman with the lines drawn on her to represent the plastic surgery she would need in order to look like a life-size (and I use that term loosely) Barbie doll. Have we really come to this as a society? We should strive to have healthy bodies, not ones that make us look like martians. It is time for us to take a step back and look at what we have come to define as beauty.

This article also bring up an interesting point. It says that the image of ourselves we see in our brains can be up to 2/3 wider than we actually are. So let's ask ourselves: when we look in the mirror, how realistic is what we see?

xoxo

Serene Scene

memories from my baby cousin's birthday party this past summer.

kidlets make the world a better place!

xoxo

Femininspiration: Kat Graham

My love for The Vampire Diaries has already been established, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have a bit of a girl crush on Katerina Graham, who plays the witch Bonnie Bennett on the show. She made an appearance in Justin Bieber's Somebody To Love video, 17 Again, and she was even in The Parent Trap! She's got a few songs on iTunes, my favorite of which is "Sassy". She exudes confidence and fierceness, and that's why I love her! We need some more girls like her in Hollywood.

remember this character from The Parent Trap?

{click on the photo to see it animated}

21-Day Challenge

Hello!

They say that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Well, I'm going to apply this rule to addictions. A food addiction, to be specific. It's chocolate.

Guys, chocolate is my vice. I can't resist it. It calls out to me and I give in. Next thing you now, I'm passed out on the coach from a sugar crash and wake up with a stomach ache three hours later.

Yeah. It's bad.

So, here's my plan to break this habit: I'm going to go 21 days with no chocolate. Not a drop. Not even chocolate milk. Anything with cocoa in it is OUT. And hopefully, on March 1, I will be cured! Of course, I am sure that I will still love chocolate. But maybe it won't be such a problem. :)

First thing tomorrow (it's too late for me today...whoops), I am chocolate-free, people. I'll keep you posted about the whole gritty process--the detox, the withdrawals, the hallucinations...Okay, those are all exaggerations. I hope...

xoxo

Full Moon

Okay, guys. I have a confession.

I am obsessed with the moon. I don't fully know why, but I just find it so majestic and beautiful! Especially when it is full. And tonight, it is full!

My friends and I swear that we feel and act differently (usually nuttier/crazier) on the night of the full moon. I know a lot people think that is just a myth, but it is the one superstition I have.

Anyways, since tonight is the full moon, I thought I'd start a tradition of writing special full-moon posts!

Here are some cute moon-themed items from Etsy that I like...I hope you like them too!

eriadesignsjewelry

I love this necklace! It's simple yet still somewhat of a statement necklace...fabulous!

laonato

Laonato makes great stuff--I've ordered presents for my friends from there, and they've loved what I got them! I think mismatched earring are so cute, and I love that these are celestially-themed. 

LoneCrowPhoto

Back before I could read, my mom would read a Mickey Mouse book to me that had a line that is engrained in my memory: "I see the moon and the moon sees me, and the moon sees somebody I want to see." That makes this poster really touching to me!

Happy full moon! xoxo

Two Things...

Good Morning!

The title of this post says it all...I've got two things to tell you about!

1. I caved...

    Yeah, I did. You know how I wasn't buying beauty products? Well I made it 35 days. I saw a nail polish at Target on Sunday and couldn't resist. It's L'Oreal Club Prive, and it's ah-MAZing. Check it out!

It looks more blue in the photos than it really is. It has more of a green tint than you can tell--it's like an extra-green turquoise. This is two coats and a topcoat. One coat is pretty sheer.

2. I got Pravana!

    Most of you have probably heard of Keratin treatments that straighten your hair permanently. Well, recent research has exposed the fact that the product used in that process contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. But there is good news! There is another method of straightening your hair, and it's called Pravana. I have rather wild hair--not fully curly but not at all straight either...And somehow it isn't really wavy either...Anyways, I finally decided to get Pravana, and I have to say that I'm loving it! These pictures are from the day I got it done, when the hairdresser had styled it. When I let it just air dry, my hair still has body and some wave, but it's SO much smoother.

xoxo

Music Monday

Some jams I'm loving...

1. Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars

2. Shiver by Maroon 5

3. Tattoos on this Town by Jason Aldean

xoxo

Moment of Bliss

xoxo

Swoon-Worthy Saturday

I have been a fan of Jonathan Rhys Meyers ever since I saw August Rush when it first came out. He is, as far as I can tell, a bit of a troubled soul, but those eyes and that accent make it all okay in my book. He plays King Henry VIII in Showtime's The Tudors now, but he caught everyone's eye in 2002 in Bend it Like Beckham and then again as the king of rock 'n roll himself in 2005's TV movie Elvis. Ladies, prepare yourselves...

xoxo

Wish List

Hey guys! I don't think I've mentioned this before, but one of my New Years resolutions was to not buy any makeup for as long as possible. I got through a month, and then the Ulta catalog came. This is when it gets real, people.

So, rather than giving in and buying the things I've seen, I'm gonna make a wish list of the things I want so that I can buy them later, when I've decided it's been long enough. :)

1. Korres Raspberry Antioxidant Liquid Lipstick in Fuchsia 54
    I've swatched this in stores before, and I love it. It is super pigmented, and I love the mission behind Korres. All of their products are natural and good for your skin. This sells for $22 bucks, so I'm waiting for a special occasion to buy!

2. Nails Inc. Wyndham Collection
    I've seen tons of holographic nail polishes before, but this one just blows the others out of the water. The Overglaze topcoat has green, metallic flecks in it that pop out when layered on top of other polishes--like the Teal Black Kensington shade that comes in the package at Sephora.

3. Maybelline Super Stay 14 Lipstick in Continuous Cranberry
    I have an extreme lipstick addiction. Seriously, extreme. I wear it every day, but never get a chance to re-apply when it wears off. And nothing is worse than lipstick that stays around the outside of your lips but not the inside. The effect is something like red lip liner with no lipstick. Not cute. So this stuff seems awesome to me--14 hours of continuous color? I'll take it! I can't wait to try it out.

4. Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker Powdered Blush
    I'm not much of a blush-wearer, but this one looks so cute to me! And the fact that it changes to match your skin tone is perfect.

5. Butter London nail polish in Knackered
    I this color is awesome! It looks blue-grey with fine sparkles. Everybody knows I love my sparkles!

xoxo