T Is For...

While blog surfing, I stumbled across Signe Pling who had posted a few of her favorite things starting with the letter "E". I thought it was a fun idea, so I decided to do the same. I randomly chose the letter "T", for myself.

1. turtles- I recently got a turtle named Gary, and love him to pieces.

2. train tracks- someday, I will take outfit pictures with these in the background.

3. teenage love: "There's kind of this euphoric feeling of when you're falling in love for the first time-- and you're always looking for someone who makes you feel like that again. That's what the song is about-- how being in love makes me feel like I'm living a teenage dream." -Katy Perry for Seventeen Magazine on her song Teenage Dream

all images via WeHeartIt

I tag: anyone who is interested!

Sparks Fly

image via WeHeartIt

I would consider my music choice to consist of a plethora of genres, making it extremely diverse. I enjoy both indie and mainstream, as well as classic, pop, rock, and r&b. But when it comes to Taylor Swift, I will always be the first one to admit my obsession with her music. I was lucky enough to attend a show that was a part of her Fearless Tour earlier this year. It was one of the most amazing experiences ever. She is SUCH a talented song writer, who always seems to uphold a positive image. Her song, 'Sparks Fly' will be one of the many tracks on her newest album, "Speak Now", which is expected to be released on October 25th (you can find a live version on YouTube). I would describe this song as mysterious, romantic, and innocently seductive. I am counting down the days!

This week's list for MUSIC MONDAY:

1. 'Sparks Fly' Taylor Swift
2. 'Walking On A Dream' Empire Of The Sun
3. 'Goodnight Goodnight' Hot Hot Heat
4. 'VCR' The xx
5. 'Love Like Woe' The Ready Set

Face Value

this image is via WeHeartIt

I absolutely love face masks. Whether they are home-made or store bought, I am always looking to try new recipes/products. Here are a few that I have either tried in the past or have recently discovered:

Soft Skin

You will need: 1 tablespoon of egg whites

-apply egg whites to clean skin, making sure to avoid the eye and lip areas

-leave on for ~10 min and rinse

The Clinique Way

One of my favorite face masks is the Acne Solutions oil-control cleansing mask by Clinique. I use it once or twice a week, and after a 5 minute application, it leaves my face feeling clean and smooth. This product can also double as a spot treatment.

The following recipes are from Seventeen Magazine (I have not yet tried these, so I cannot guarantee success):

Calm Redness

You will need: 1 cucumber, 1 tablespoon plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon fresh cranberries (mashed)

-grate cucumber, and combine with yogurt and cranberries (amounts listed above)

-mix ingredients to create a paste

-apply to any red areas of face, neck, or chest

-leave on for 5-10 min and rinse

Brighten Skin

You will need: 3 tablespoons mashed papaya, 2 tablespoons mashed banana, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon coconut water, and 1 tablespoon yogurt

-combine ingredients (amounts listed above)

-stir mixture until it forms a thick consistency, chill in fridge for 1 hr

-apply mask onto clean skin, wait 5 min, rinse with cool water

Stop Breakouts

You will need: 1 teaspoon canned pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon flour, and 1 egg

-combine ingredients, beat mixture with fork until smooth

-apply a thin layer onto clean skin, wait 20 min

-rinse with lukewarm water, pat dry

*You can also use honey on its own as a mask, and leave it on for ~10 min. (I have tried this one, and it works wonderfully!)

**Be sure to take caution with these face masks if you have food allergies. Best of luck!

this image is via WeHeartIt

Fall/Back To School Hairstyles

Hey Everyone! For those of you who are in dire need of some new hairstyles (like myself), I thought you would be interested in this video. I have been watching MacBarbie07's YouTube videos for quite some time now and I think that for being so young, she is incredibly mature and has a great sense of style. Enjoy!

xoxo
SWEATshirt/DRESSshirt

Dress Me Up

dress: Urban Outfitters $30 SALE //white tank: Banana Republic gift from Mom(SALE) //boots: Nordstrom, Star Ling $60 SALE (Anniversary sale 2009)

I'm going to try to be more of a dress person this fall. To me, dresses have always been a timeless symbol of feminism. They are versatile in that they can be worn during the hottest days of summer, as well as the snowiest days of winter. While on the Yahoo! website today, I came across New Dress A Day. It's a blog documenting a woman's goal of transforming one hideous dress a day for 1 year, on a budget of $365. That's $1 for each dress! Pretty amazing, huh?

Fall Must-Haves

images via Polyvore

The end of summer is somewhat bittersweet. You don't want the weather to be cold again, yet...having an excuse to add a few new items to your wardrobe to accomodate the change in weather is always a plus. This year, I decided to keep it simple. Here are a few things I will be looking for when I go fall/back-to-school shopping:

1. Plain t-shirts- great for layering!

2. Long sleeve crew neck cardigans

3. Crew neck long sleeve shirts- these go great with colorful scarves

4. TOM's Shoes- for every pair bought, another pair is donated to a child in need!

5. Headbands- to keep my hair out of my face while in class

6. Scarves- for those colder mornings

7. Skinny jeans- I prefer the dark wash :)

I'd love to hear about what some of you guys/girls have on your lists!

Mine

Just this year, I discovered the "close-up" setting on my camera. I have been taking close-ups of literally everything, ever since. I was a bit surprised to see such high quality photos coming out of my almost-10-year-old camera. But I am definitely not complaining.

In other news, I saw EAT, PRAY, LOVE this past Saturday! It was heartwarming, inspiring, and even a little sappy at times. Ten minutes into the movie, I felt as if I should have brought a pen and notepad with me to write down all of the amazing quotes. Thankfully, I found this website yesterday. Of all the ones I was able to look at (there are hundreds, it seems like!) my favorite would have to be the first one:

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave.

A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master..."

— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

 

This week's list for MUSIC MONDAY:

1. 'On Directing' Tegan and Sara

2. 'Earthquakes and Sharks' Brandtson

3. 'Mine' Taylor Swift

4. 'Be Be Your Love' Rachael Yamagata

5. 'Almost Lover' A Fine Frenzy