My Month Ahead…March 2016

 

Yay!!! The best month of the year is finally here! So many fun things are going on during this month for me, so I thought I would take the time to share my excitement with y’all.

The start of the  2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Ok, if you live in the Houston area, you already know how big of a deal the rodeo is. From the food, carnival rides, shopping, the livestock show, to the concerts, there are so many things to do, and it is all so fun.

Super Tuesday: This was the day where many states (at least a dozen) in the U.S. had their primary for the upcoming Presidential election. I haven’t gotten to register yet, so unfortunately, I was unable to vote this time. I’m excited to see how the rest of the race will pan out until the official election in November! #GoVote

Midterms: Second to finals, I think everyone can agree that this is one of the most stressful parts of the semester. Even though it’s basically a week full of stu[dying] and taking exams, midterms obviously means this semester is half-way over. (:  I keep having to remind myself that I must remain positive and that hard work will pay off…also that pain is temporary and GPA is forever, LOL.

My Birthday: (!!!) I’m so excited! I’ll Finally be out of my “teen” years! In past history, March 12 was the day Girl Scouts was formed, Gandhi began a protest against the British salt tax, and actress Liza Minnelli and Governor/former presidential candidate Mitt Romney were also born. If you don’t know why my birthday is actually really important to me, read My Story. > here <

Spring Break: I’m so ready to get home and visit with my family and friends on this week. I will definitely be taking advantage of not having class, as I catch up on sleep and binge watch Netflix. I’m also looking forward to going on little adventures with my sisters, baking in my kitchen, and playing with my dog, Ella.

National Chip and Dip day: This weird holiday seems like a lot of fun; good thing I didn’t give up chips and salsa for Lent! (I gave up eating snacks excessively and desserts btw)

Easter Break: We have Spring break, three days of class, then another four day break…#blessed. It’ll be a pain having to drive back and forth from home to school, but I’ll get to see my family some more and we’ll all get to thank Jesus for his sacrifices together.

….And then we have to get ready for April! Be sure to follow me on all of my social media: Instagram//Twitter//Pinterest//Tumblr

Thanks for reading, have a great month!

February Favorites

1. Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Mascara: I really love this mascara because it truly does make my eyelashes look fuller and longer. I can also apply more coats of it throughout the day without it looking like I have tarantula legs above my eyes, a serious pet peeve of mine.
2. Wiped Out! By The Neighbourhood: If you like their song Sweater Weather from a couple years ago, you’ll love their new album. I love how the band puts their chill, but mysterious vibe into each song in unique ways. It’s so hard to pick a few favorites off of this album because I really enjoy each song.  If I had to pick only two favorites, they would be Single and The Beach.
3.  Victoria’s Secret Angel Perfume: The floral scent of this perfume is making me so ready for spring. The scent isn’t too overbearing and lasts most of the day. Currently this perfume retails for $52, but I got it before Christmas for only $25, so I suggest waiting for a sale to buy it.
4. L. L Bean Boots: In my last post, I wrote a review on them and I’m kind of obsessed. They’re perfect for the cold and rainy days we’ve been having here lately in Nac.
5.  Greek Yogurt and Honey: This is such a delicious and easy breakfast option, especially if you live in a dorm with only a mini fridge. I have been eating this before my 9 am classes and I feel satisfied up until lunch time. Easy recipes coming soon.
6.  Lilly Pulitzer Agenda: This month has been pretty crazy for me, hence the lack of posts, so my planner has been helping me keep track of everything.
7.  NYC  Sun n’ Bronze Bronzing Powder in Hamptons Radiance: I like to use this bronzer (very sparingly) to warm up my pale face in the winter. The pink and pearl highlighter colors look nice and glowy on the skin.
8.  Parks and Recreation: The 7th and final season came out on Netflix at the end of January, so of course I had to watch it….which led to me re-watching the entire series. I like to watch it whenever I feel a little bit sad or when I’m feeling stressed. Laughter is the best medicine in my opinion.

Now that February is over, I’m even more excited for March, My Birthday Month!

 

Top 14 Favorite Romance Movies

Happy St. Valentine’s Day! While I do think it is crazy that yet another Saint’s feast day was commercialized to become almost a $15 Billion industry, I do like to take this day to remind my family and friends how much I care about them. Whether you’re having a “Galentines” day party with your closest BFFs or you’re Netflix and Chillin’ by yourself (LOL ME), I hope you enjoy this years Valentine’s day. Here is my list of favorite love stories, in no particular order, that I like to watch to distract myself from the fact that I have literally been single my whole life.

{Shout out to my family for giving me candy and chocolates last weekend. Love Y’all (: }

1) The Notebook

What’s a romance movie list without a movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel? This movie makes me want to visit South Carolina and romantically ride in a boat surrounded by swans SO BAD, and ya know, marry Ryan Gosling too.

2) The Phantom of the Opera

This is my FAVORITE musical of all time. If you ever get the chance to see this play live in New York City, please go watch it for me. The music, the costumes, the storyline- ugh I’m so obsessed.  If the scene where they sing “All I Ask of You”  doesn’t make you ugly cry, then the ending sure will, and it’ll make you want to watch it over and over and over. Such a Classic, 10/10 would recommend.

3) One Day*

Okay, any movie with Anne Hathaway in it is automatically good in my book, and this movie is GREAT. It follows Emma and Dexter throughout their post-graduate life when they meet or call each other on the anniversary of when they first met. I really enjoyed the structure of this movie because it shows a scene from the middle of the story at the beginning, so it succeeds at getting you hooked on the story from the start.

4) Sleepless in Seattle

This movie is currently off of Netflix and I am so mad because it involves Valentine’s day! I’m a big Tom Hanks fan because he’s such a dynamic actor, there’s so many movies he has starred in that I love, and this is definitely one of them. The scene on the Empire state building makes me think of Gossip Girl, so maybe that’s one of the reasons I like it so much.

5) Roman Holiday*

Since Audrey Hepburn is actually one of my role models and my favorite actresses, I think this this movie is a must-watch. She portrays her role as Princess Ann with such grace, it will make you believe she was actually royalty at one point. The plot of this film is super cute and the fact that it was filmed in Rome makes it that much better.

6) The Prince and Me*

I feel like this movie is like a dream straight out of my wild imagination. Paige (Julia Stiles) is a pre-med student, like me, who kind of falls in love with the new foreign exchange student (who is “the prince”) in her organic chemistry lab….not so much like me. Alas, a girl can only dream.

7) The Holiday

This movie has such a talented cast and I love how each scene goes back and forth from Amanda (Cameron Diaz) to Iris (Kate Winslet) in their separate experiences living in each others homes and countries on vacation. This movie makes me want to do a house swap in a foreign country really bad; it seems so fun. Its one of those movies that has a bunch of small scenes, where over time, you forget all of the cute, little details, which personally makes me want to watch it more often.

8) Romeo & Juliet (the 2013 version)

In my opinion, this is the best adaptation yet, mainly because I love Douglas Booth as Romeo and Ed Westwick (!!!!) as Tybalt; well, that’s one of the reasons anyway. I also really like the detail of the costumes and the beautiful scenery and castles in the film. (This version was on Netflix, but it’s currently not.)

If you’re a literature nerd like me, you might enjoy John (king of modern tragic romances) Green’s Crash Course examination of the story.

9) Serendipity*

Oh those little black gloves…they really make you think about all the little things that happen for a reason. This is such a cute movie and at times its suspenseful because you really want Sara and Johnathan to end up together sooner than later.

10) P.S. I Love You

Every time I watch this movie, it breaks my heart every. single. time. If you’ve never seen it, I don’t want to spoil the main plotline, its sad, but it truly shows the possibility of finding love and happiness again after you think all hope is lost.

11) Leap Year*

This movie is about Anna’s journey as she attempts to go through with the Irish tradition that a girl can propose to her boyfriend on leap day in Ireland. You’ll have to watch it to see if her plan works out (; (Plus this movie has Adam Scott in it and he’s an Cardiologist (heart eyes emoji).)

12) Remember Me*

Robert Pattinson, during the midst of his Twilight career, starred in this movie and I actually really like it. Rob plays Tyler, a troubled young adult with family problems in New York City who meets a nice girl, she changes him, and they fall in love….blahblahblah. It’s pretty cliché, I know, but watch it to the ending and it will make you really think about all the significant relationships in your life and why you should be grateful for them.

13) TiMER*

If we really had timers that could tell us when we’re supposed to find our soulmates, my life would be so much easier and I wouldn’t feel like I would end up #foreveralone. The plot is really interesting but I could see the whole concept of love timers becoming really controversial, just like in the movie.

14) Chocolat*

A movie that involves Johnny Depp, chocolate, and France? YES PLEASE. I can totally identify with everyone’s struggle on resisting the urge to eat sweets during Lent, which started this past Wednesday…..Shoot, now I want some chocolate.

{The asterisk (*)indicates that the movie is available to watch on Netflix}

Again, I hope y’all have a great Valentine’s day. What are your favorite romance movies to watch?

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend I went to my cousin’s wedding in Louisiana. Here is what I wore: 

  
Teal Lace Dress: Francesca’s, by the brand “Miami” 

  
Nude Strappy Heels: Steve Madden; bought at Marshalls for $35

 

Jewel Bracelet: J. Crew; similar  
Nail Polish: Essie’s “for the twill of it” 

  
Here’s a picture of me by the end of the night, cold and very tired, but still all smiles. 

Black Quilted Coat: JC Penney 

Tip: Don’t be a dummy like me and not break in your shoes before you have to wear them to an event (:

Thanks for reading!

  

Packing List: Home for the Weekend

  
I’m so happy to be home for the weekend! Here are the things I make sure I have with me before I head home from school: 

• Glasses, contact case, and solution 
• Necessary medication
• Shower stuff and toothbrush/paste 
• Minimal makeup
• Minimal jewelry 
• Outfits for Saturday and Sunday 
• A coat ( if it’s cold; not likely) 
• Pajamas and undergarments 
• Shoes (1 or 2 pairs at the most)
• A small purse
• Wallet and School ID (for student discounts!) 
• Phone charger and headphones 
• And finally my backpack with notes from class ( premeds can’t catch a break ) 

I’m ready to relax and rest with my family (and of course my dog). I hope y’all have a great weekend and thanks for reading!   

Coming soon- Packing List: Spring Break Essentials 

  

Dorm Makeup Storage

So today I thought I would share with y’all how I store my makeup while living in my dorm. I keep everything in this 5 section storage drawer, which I find to be easy and convenient for when I get ready for class in the mornings. I have all of the drawers separated by each type of makeup product and I go through my makeup routine in descending order of the drawers. Whenever I bought these drawers, I didn’t remember to measure the length of my Naked palettes, so that’s why I have them stacked on top of the drawers, in front of my perfume basket.

In the first drawer, I have all of my foundation, concealers, primer, and applicators such as a beauty blender sponge and a small kabuki brush. (P.S. I have a lot of Mary Kay products because my Mom used to sell it.)

I start applying my makeup by first using primer, foundation, and concealer to even out my face.

In the second drawer, I have face powders, blush, and bronzers/highlights along with various brushes to apply them. My favorite product out of this drawer is the e.l.f. Golden Bronzer quad.

After I use the products out of my face drawer, I use the powders in this drawer to set everything and contour/highlight.

In the third drawer, I keep all of my lipsticks, glosses, balms, and also my eyebrow pencil, brush, and tweezers. My favorite lip balm is the Honeysuckle Honeydew eos  and my favorite lip color, especially for fall and winter, is the NYX soft matte lip cream in Copenhagen.

After I set my face and contour, I just use the eos on my lips for class and I darken my eyebrows.

In the fourth drawer, I have eyeliners, mascaras, eyeshadow primer, and a setting spray. I am currently loving the Falsies push up drama mascara to add length to my lashes.

After I do my eyebrows, I put on eye primer and eyeshadow using the original Naked palette and/or the Naked 2 palette. I then use eyeliner and mascara to finish of the day’s look. To set everything I just put on, I use setting spray to keep my makeup in place.

In my fifth and final drawer, I keep all of my nail polishes and nail care tools. My favorite nail polish right now is the coolest shade, Essie’s For the Twill of It, in the top left corner.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about how I store my makeup and the little insight I gave to my daily makeup routine. Since this is my first makeup related post, let me know if you liked it!

( P.S. Starting this week, I plan on posting bi-weekly on Mondays and Fridays around 7pm central time. I have the most free time on these two days during my school schedule, so this way I will be able to post more content. )

Notebook Labels

Tomorrow is the first day of the Spring semester for me, so I thought I would share how I labeled my notebooks for my classes. You may remember this tutorial from last semester, but this semester I did this 5 step, last-minute DIY that turned out pretty well.

For the notebook labels, all you will need is your computer, printer, a sheet of shipping labels, and the Avery Design&Print software.

 

1. The first step is to open the Design & Print software and type in the label’s product number and select the product.

2. Select the blank label is the design tab.

3. Customize your label with text, images, or shapes in the Customize tab.

Below is the basic outline I used for each label.

4. Review you labels and prepare to print them out. Make sure you select only the labels you will be printing on using the print options on the right-hand side.

5. Print!

 

 Thanks for reading, I hope you found this useful and easy!

Good Luck this semester!

5 Tips for Finals Week

It’s everyone’s least favorite time of the semester…”Dead” week and Finals!

If you don’t know what Dead week is, it’s the week most people use to cram for their tests in a last minute attempt to pass their class. Studying non-stop will result in you feeling exhausted for finals and you’ll basically feel #dead.

I however, am going to try my very hardest to avoid exhausting myself this year with the help of these 5 simple tips.

1. Get rid of distractions

Log out of all social media and Netflix. That’s right – log out of EVERYTHING. Say bye to little distractions on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Yik Yak, Facebook, and my favorite, Pinterest. I know it’s fun to see what your other friends at different universities are experiencing during finals, but it won’t be so fun when all you have to post is crying emojis because you failed and can’t be proud of your efforts these past 4 months. I found this hard to avoid within the first couple of hours of signing out, but every time I tap the icon and see the log in box, I remember that I’m paying a lot of money to learn and pass my classes, not look my phone all day.

2. Prioritize your time

I use my planner and sticky notes to remind myself what I need to do for each class and it’s deadline. I also suggest taking smallbreaks (10-20 minutes) between studying subjects to so you don’t overwhelm yourself, but don’t take too long or you’ll possibly forget what you just studied. You could also alternate where you study so you can focus in various places such as your dorm room, the library, or a study room.

3.Utilize All Resources

To make sure you’re comprehending the material correctly, talk to your professor or TA during their office hours to get a sense of how well you’re doing in that class. You could also create a small study group with friends or go to tutoring for that class. My favorite way to study is to watch the Crash Course videos on YouTube made by John and Hank Green. They make amazing videos on a wide range of subjects like History, Biology, Chemistry, A&P, and Government.

4. Reward Yourself

Feeling frazzled? Paint your nails, take a walk, or go grab some Starbucks. I sometimes break tip number 1 and watch a single episode (around 20 minutes) of my fave sitcoms like Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, or Parks and Recreation. You’ve been working hard, so “Treat yo self!”

5. Think Positively

If you need a little motivation, think  of the future and all the cool opportunities you’ll get when your hard work finally pays off. I use the DailyQuote app (from Apple App Store) and look at the ones I favorited over time to get back into a motivated mood.

Hopefully these tips will help you out this semester and I wish you all the best of luck on your exams!

 

Fancy Fonts

First off, I would like to apologize for my lapse in posts this past month. I started my sophomore year this week at SFA, and all of August has been dedicated to finishing up my summer classes and preparing for the new semester.

Before classes started last Monday, I made sure I had all of my supplies ready to go on Sunday night, which includes this fun, D.I.Y. personalized notebook project. The inspiration came from Pinterest and all of the awesome painted coolers I saw. When painting coolers, most people will transfer a picture, but I chose to do this with a cute font for my class notebooks.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A spiral notebook
• Your favorite font (Mine is “Sweet Pea” from DaFont.com)
• Tissue Paper
• A ballpoint pen
• Tape
• A permanent marker/Sharpie
• Scissors
• Also patience; this takes a while if you’re a perfectionist like me…

1. Start off with printing out your notebook titles out onto copy paper and cut them out.

2. Tape a section of tissue paper onto the title’s paper, making sure the tissue is taut and secure for tracing.

  3. Next, start tracing over the words with a pen.
  4. After tracing all the words, remove the tissue paper from the copy paper and place the tissue paper onto the notebook.   5. (Now this is the scary part) Trace the pen-written letters with the permanent marker and make sure to press firmly. This is the actual transferring process on to the notebook, so take your time. I used a regular sized sharpie for this, but I recommend a fine point permanent marker for small, loopy letters such as this, which will help the letters transfer better.
  *TIP: Don’t remove the tissue paper from the notebook once you start tracing! This is to ensure all of your words are in line and centered on your notebook.*  6. Once you’re done tracing the words with the permanent marker, remove tissue paper.
  *Don’t be alarmed if your words don’t look perfect, this is to be expected and the next step will help.*  7. Use the printed version of the words as a guide to fix your mistakes and the letters that didn’t transfer all the way by gently re-writing them.
  *TIP: Use small dotting motions for the thin lines and the symbols such as the ampersand (&) and later connect the dots.*  8. Once you’ve finished fixing your letters, you’re all done!
  I did this for 4/5 of my class notebooks and I think they turned out well. It took a while to finish each of them, but it was worth it! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

This is my first tutorial/instructional type blog post, so please let me know what I can improve on with my directions! I am taking Technical and Scientific writing this semester, so hopefully it will help. I would also appreciate it if you could give me feedback on this post by liking it or commenting! Also let me know in the comments what else you would like to see in future posts!

*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and instructions are my own.*