LUSH Bath Bombs

I was at the mall Christmas Eve shopping wit my friend and we stopped in Lush.  

I've been in Lush stores before but never bought anything. However after talking to the saleslady there, I finally made a purchase and bought myself a little Christmas treat!

Butterball, Pink Bath Bomb, Cinders

So these are bath bombs.  You place them in your bath and they fizz, make your bath smell yummy, and change the color of the water.

I'm not much of a bath person, but after using these, I think I may have to become one!

I used the cinders one the other night and I was so happy with the result!

It made the water smell really good and when I was done with my bath, I smelled just like the bath bomb.

I can't wait to try the other two!

I feel like bath products are something people don't normally buy for themselves but it's important to spoil yourself every once in a while, right?

I also definitely will be heading back to Lush to try some of their other bath and beauty products!

Have you ever tried Lush?  If so let me know how you like it/what you recommend!

xoxo

Holiday Cookie Recipies

Christmas Eve is usually always spent making cookies.
Every year we look for new recipes to try and make!
So this past weekend, I spent some time on marthastewart.com looking for some different cookies to make.  I wanted to share some of the recipies I found and most definatley will be trying out this holiday!

Giant Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Expreso Snowcaps

Jam Stripe Cookies

Cinnamon-Nut Buns

Basic Sugar Cookies

Black Forest Cookies

Icebox Butter Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies with Salted Peanut Butter Chips
{not from marthastewart.com, but look so yummy!}

What are you favorite cookies?
xoxo

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Sunday Snapshot [12.23.12]

It's finally Christmas weekend and I couldn't be more excited!

Today I'm going to the mall to pick up a few last minute gift cards and then I'll be all ready for the holidays!

On Christmas Eve we always make a bunch of cookies so I'm also hitting the gym today for the pounds of cookies I'll eat tomorrow.

But I can't wait to bake cookies (well more excited to eat them!) with my sister and grandma tomorrow!  I'll also be watching a bunch of Christmas movies tomorrow night.

So in preparation for the holiday, here are some songs/movie clips to get you into the spirit!

The Year Without a Santa Clause

I have to watch this every year.  It's my absolute favorite Christmas cartoon!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - N'Sync

Merry Christmas from my all time favorite boy band!

Elf

Mandatory to watch at least 10 times during the holiday season

What are your favorite holiday movies and music?

xoxo

Changes

When I first started this blog, I intended it to be more of a fashion blog.  

I wanted somewhere where I could share my thoughts about the latest trends, favorite outfits, the classic, preppy clothes I love.

However as I've been writing, I've learned that I like writing about many other things too, not just clothes and fashion.  

So I decided make a few changes to my blog.

Conveniently I have this week off due to the holiday so I'll have plenty of time to play around with it until I get something I  really like!

And I would like to apologize in advance if this blog is a mess this week!

I'll definitely be posting a lot this week since I have time off from school so make sure to check back for new posts this week!

Thanks!

Talk to you soon!

xoxo

NYC Field Trip

So yesterday I had a school trip for one of my classes at school, interior design. 

We hit a few stops in the city including FIT, the New York Design Center, and the site of the Freedom Tower.

It was really interesting to go to the showrooms in the design center and see how the industry works.  

Although interior design is not a career I plan on pursuing, I really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of the job. 

FIT was also extremely interesting.  When I was younger and wanted a career in fashion, I really wanted to got to FIT.  Now being there and touring the school, I don't see myself fitting in there. However their programs looked really amazing and I'm sure going to school in the city has great perks!

Then lastly we went to the Freedom Tower downtown.  It was definitely a bittersweet feeling seeing the tower going up and just remembering all the lives lost that day.  When the tower and memorial is completed it will definitely be a beautiful tribute to those who died that day.
Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my favorite pictures I took at the design center!

Obsessed with the mirror in this picture and the gray textured draws! 

Isn't this headboard just beautiful?

How amazing would it be to have a light fixture like this hanging in your house?

xoxo

DIY Holiday Gifts

So last week I wrote a post about DIY decorating, but today I wanted to share some super easy, super inexpensive DIY gift ideas!

This holiday season I've been trying not to spend a lot of money on presents because I'm saving for a trip (which is super hard!).

However, I don't want this to cause gifts for friends and family to be any less great then I would normally gift.

Lately, I've been seeing great DIY gift ideas on Pinterest and thought I would share them with you guys!

Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls

Make some of these and throw them in a super cute mug and voila - you have the perfect hot chocolate kit!

Candy Sleighs

These are great if you have to make a lot of gifts!  You can even use these if you're giving a gift card as a little something extra.

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

I love gifting bath stuff.  I feel it's something that people don't usually buy for themselves and really appreciate.  I love how colorful this scrub is!

Cookie Ingredient Jar

I think this is perfect for gifts for co-workers or teachers!  I love the way this is packaged in the jar! 

Have you ever given gifts you made yourself?

xoxo

December Birchbox

I was so happy to find my Birchbox when I got home from a long day of school the other day.
It came at the perfect time!
So this month, they included products "that will help you look a feel your best".
I was really happy with my box this month!

And since it's the holiday season, if you're looking for a gift to gift, I totally recommend the Juicy perfume (smells really pretty!), the Balm blush (perfect for so many skin tones), or the lip butter!

Juicy Couture Juicy Couture (Full-Size $19-89) - If you love florally scents, you will love this one.  This is absolutely perfect for the girly girl.

Mox Botanicals Pomegranate & Fig Lip Butter (Full-Size $16) - I really like this! I have a slight obsession with chapsticks and am so happy to add this to the collection!

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo (Full-Size $32) - It's a gentle shampoo that is perfect for girls who wash their hair everyday (like me!) because it won't strip your hair of essential oils!

theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama (Full-Size $20) - The color of this blush (and eyeshadow) is absolutely beautiful and is neutral enough that it's universally flattering.  And I'm in love with the vintage/pin-up girl packaging - so cute!

Birchbox Extra: Tweezerman Filemate (Full-Size $5) - A girl can never have enough nail filers!

Also included was a coupon for Rent the Runway!  I've always wanted to rent a dress from this website however I haven't had an occaction where I've needed one.  If you have a holiday party coming up and don't want to put out a lot of money for a stunning outfit, definitely check it out!

xoxo

Sunday Snapshot [12.16.12]

I had so many posts that I wrote to put up this week but I guess I forgot to schedule them...whoops!
I promise I'll post them this week!

This week was super crazy!  Between school and my birthday (I turned 17 and got my license!), there was hardly any down time.

Now there is only one week standing in between me and winter recess!

I'm super excited for Christmas and can't wait for the holiday break from school!

This week I'm going on a field trip to NYC for one of my classes which is really exciting!  I haven't been on a field trip for school in years so it's defiantly a treat!  It's for my interior design class so we're going to a design firm, The New York Design Center,  FIT, and a few other stops.

I went into the city yesterday and saw the tree in Rockerfeller Center and the Fifth Avenue window displays!  I love NYC during Christmas time.  It's such a magical place!

And as I'm writing this post, I'm taking a break from writing my paper for English.  We have to write an abstract definition for a word, and the word I chose  is friendship.  I'm having a really difficult time writing it though. I know what I want to say however am having trouble putting it into words in a logical way that makes sense.
(kind of like this post...sorry it's all over the place!)

Anyway, I'm pretty much all done with Christmas shopping and am so excited to give everyone their presents!  Just one more week to get through before the holidays everyone!
We can do it!

What will you guys be doing this week?

Whatever you'll be doing, hope you have a great week!
xoxo

Sunday Snapshot [12.9.12]

I can't believe how it's December already.  It seems like this year went by so fast!

I'm super excited for Christmas though!  It's without a doubt my favorite, favorite time of year!

I was extremely excited when I started hearing Christmas songs on the radio!  Christmas music always puts me in a cheery, happy mood.

So today I wanted to share my top 10 favorite Christmas/Holiday songs!

What are your favorite holiday songs?

xoxo

DIY Christmas Decor

There's nothing better to do to get into the holiday spirit then a little decorating!  

I love decorating our house for Christmas.  It's just makes me so happy and excited for seeing family, watching christmas movies, and of course the holiday food.

I usually  buy a little tinsel and string on some ornaments, however I saw these cute DIY crafts that I think would be super fun to use as decor!
If you try out any of these crafts let me know!

Ornament Wreath

Love this!  It looks super easy and it looks so much cuter than a plain, regular wreath that everyone else has hanging on their door!

Glitter Fruit

To be completely honest, I love anything glittered.  Glitter is extra essential during the holidays and I think these faux-fruit glitter pears are perfect to put in bowl and display on the kitchen table!

Cranberry Candle

I love the color of cranberries!  I think this would look so pretty at the Christmas dinner table!

Advent Calendar

I just bought an advent calendar, but I think this one is so adorable!  I love how each piece of the calendar is different.

Star Branch Wreath

Another wreath, i think this one is super cool!  All you need are some sticks and a hot glue gun!

How do you decorate for the holidays?

xoxo

Just a little R & R

"Social life, sleep, grades: pick two."

#storyofmylife right now.  That's basically the reason why I haven't been so active on this blog for the past few months.  With the first semester a little more than half way over, I'm starting to learn how to handle all the stress from school and not let it consume my life.  I get really bad anxiety so it's hard to handle at times.  I usually just shut everyone out and either read or listen to music by myself and it usually helps tame the anxiety.  Since I know that I'm not the only one stressing right now, I thought I would share some ways to handle it and relax!

1. Hot Drink: A warm, comforting drink usually always does the trick.  I like either a warm tea with sugar or hot chocolate.  I try to stay away from coffee because it just makes me more awake and jittery in stressful situations.

2. Face Mask

• Love, love, love the Freeman face masks!  They are available at most drugstores and at drugstore.com.  I've tried all three of these and love every single one of them!  My face always breaks out when I'm really stressed or over tired, so these are perfect for calming down skin.

3. Soothing or Upbeat Playlist - Sometimes I need some slow, soothing songs to clam nerves.  Other times I like to jam out to upbeat dance songs.

• Favorite Calm Songs: basically anything John Mayer - favorites include Your Body is a Wonderland and Gravity and anything Ed Sheeran - love Autumn Leaves and Gold Rush
• Upbeat Songs: Love Timeflies, Justin Bieber , and Taylor Swift

4. Magazines or a Good Book

• Love a good gossip magazine: People, InTouch, USWeekly...you name it I love it

5. Fuzzy Socks

• A must! Especially now since it's Fall and the temperature is dropping!  
• Love the ones from Old Navy - they are really soft and extremely cheap!

What do you do when you feel stressed?

xoxo

Sunday Snapshot [11.25.12]

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and of course some football!

Since Thanksgiving just passed, I thought I would share what I'm thankful for today.

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my family.

My parents do so much to ensure that I have the best life possible and love me unconditionally.

I'm super lucky to have them in my life.

And although my sister and I don't always get along, I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

She always thinks of me, and is super fun to hang with.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
xoxo

Fall Dresses

I love wearing dresses during the summer since they are super easy to throw on and to keep cool.

However I always have a hard time figuring out how to wear them during the colder months.

Tights are usually what I turn to when trying to put an outfit together with a dress during the fall.

There are endless colors and textures, so there is always a pair to wear with a dress.

I also feel that wearing a dress during the colder weather allows you to play with layering and try different combinations of shirts, jackets, and accessories.

Here's how I would wear these dresses!

Outfit 1: I plan on going out and buying a chambray shirt dress ASAP!  I love the creamy scarf and burgundy tights to add some fall colors to this outfit.

Add caption

Dress Scarf Tights Boots

Outfit 2: This outfit is casual, but can be worn out to dinner with friends at night with a pair of heels.  Love the all black ensemble, with the blue/black tweed jacket!

Dress Necklace Tights Boots Jacket

xoxo

All Burgundy Everything

This seasons hottest color is this deep red, oxblood, burgundy. 

And I absolutely love it!

During the Fall/Winter season, I tend to gravitate towards darker colors.  

And when I say darker colors, I mean black.

This is a great alternative to black because it's dark and versatile, yet not black.

Here are some burgundy pieces I want in my closet!

Shop! 

Corduroy Pants, Flats, Blazer, Nail Polish, Sweater, Fur Vest, Bag, Heels

How do you feel about burgundy?

xoxo

November Birchbox [& Other Products I've been loving!]

Happy Monday!

I haven't shared what I got in my Birchbox for a while [my last post was in July!] but figured I would start posting these again!

So here's what I received in my November Birchbox!

• Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolue - the smell of this is nice, but reminds me more of my grandma than something I would wear
• Lulu Organics Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder - didn't think I would like this because it's a loose powder...however I love it! makes hair look & smell fresh without leaving white residue!
• Miracle Skin Transformer Vanish Instant Imperfection Corrector - giving this to mom to try
• ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend Lengthening Mascara - have been using this the past few days - love!
• Lifestyle Extra: Chuao Choolatier Potato Chip Mini Chocolate Bar - giving this to my sister because she loves chocolate covered potato chips!

Other beauty products I've been loving:

- Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup - it provides the right amount of coverage and doesn't bother my sensitive skin

- BH Cosmetics 88 Color Palette - I've been going out a lot lately, so I started wearing eyeshadow and love the crazy amount of colors in this palette

What did you get in your Birchbox this month?

What products have you been loving?

xoxo

Top 5 Fall 2012 Make-Up Trends

{all photos via Harpers Bazaar}

I love makeup.  There is something about putting on a fresh face every morning that makes me feel so good.  My everyday routine is super simple.  Just some foundation, a little blush, a bit of eyeliner, and a swipe of mascara.  But there is something really fun about experimenting with different colors and different styles.  I keep up with makeup trends, however rarely do I venture out of my regular routine.  So today I wanted to share this seasons hottest makeup trends that I kind of want to try!

1. Deep Red Lips - I can't wait to try a red lip!  Red lipstick is super intimidating and super dramatic, however I think a red gloss would be more wearable and perfect for a night out!

a. Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish in Brandi

b. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Glossy Stain in 2 Brun Glace
c. Nars Lipstick in Fire Down Below 

2. Brown Smokey Eye - I think this is way more wearable and probably easier to apply than a black smokey eye.  I really love neutral eye shadows and can't wait to try this!

a. Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 
b. Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection

3. Cat Eye Eyeliner - This looks really hard to do, but I think this would be really fun for a night out!

a. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black
b. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink 

4. Defined Eyebrows - Eyebrows are those things that are personal and different for each person.  But this season it's all about those thick, natural brows.

a. Benefit Brow Zings 
b. Anastasia Brow Gel

5. Fresh Flawless Finish - What girl doesn't want a flawless complexion?  A flawless finish can be attained with some primer, a little concealer or foundation, and some highlighter.  

a. Bare Minerals Bare Vitamins Prime Time
b. Benefit How to Look The Best At Everything
c. Benefit Watt's Up!

xoxo

Things I'm Looking Forward to in November

It's so hard to write about materialistic things when so many people just 30 minutes away are left with nothing due to Hurricane Sandy.  I guess the best way to move past this and return to normalcy is to be optimistic.  That is why I wanted to share all the things I'm looking forward to this month.
I really love November, it's my second favorite month (December being my first!).  The crisp feeling in the air, cheery spirits, and family time.

Here's what I'm looking forward to this month!

• Friday night I'm going to a concert with my sister in the city! Super excited to get dressed up and go out!
• Holiday cups at Starbucks - once my Starbucks regains power I'll be the first one there getting my red cup of yumminess!
• Thanksgiving - my two favorite things: family and food!
• Black Friday Shopping - we start late Thanksgiving evening and head to the outlets in upstate NY! They have the best stores and the best deals!
• Start of Holiday Season - well according to the stores, it already started based on the amount of holiday stuff on floors...but to me, the 'official' start of the season is black Friday!

What are you looking forward to this November?

xoxo

Sunday Snapshot [11.4.12]

{how i spent my days in the dark & cold: glamming up some old drink coasters, lighting candles, and reading}

I don't think anyone predicted how bad Hurricane Sandy was going to be.

It's crazy how one storm can affect the lives of so many people forever.

I just regained power and heat yesterday and spent today recovering and cleaning up around the house.

But losing power for a week is nothing compared to the thousands of people who lost everything.

Now that I finally got power back, I was able to see images of the Jersey Shore and Staten Island online and it's devastating to hear all the stories of the lost lives and lost homes.
The boardwalk where I hold so many childhood memories is completely destroyed, floating in the ocean somewhere at this point.  The beach, where I spend my summer days, gone.

I have family in both Staten Island and down the shore who were both greatly affected by the storm.
My cousins in Staten Island lost everything.  Their home, belongings, everything.
Down the shore, my cousins were lucky enough to get minimal damage but returned home to find neighbor's boats, couches, and debris on their front lawn.

I live in a suburban town in New Jersey, about an hour away from the Jersey Shore and 20 minutes away from New York City.
The night of the storm there were power lines coming down, trees falling everywhere, and many fires.
But nothing compared to the thousands left without places to stay.

There are may ways that you can help Sandy victims.
- Donate through the Red Cross or through iTunes
- Give blood
- Shop - if you are in the city, Barneys is donating10% of all purchases today to relief efforts ending today
- Donate clothes, gloves, blankets, toiletries

These next fews months are probably going to be really tough for a lot of people.
We'll make it through this.

xoxo

Sunday Snapshot [10.28.12] - Hurricane Sandy Edition

Hope that everyone had a lovely weekend!

I know here in NJ everyone is going crazy over hurricane Sandy.

Due to the crazy storm supposedly coming, school was canceled for tomorrow and probably Tuesday as well. 

Last year when when we had that freak snowstorm (the exact same weekend...weird!), we had off from school a whole week!

But I'm actually really thankful for the day off because I have so much studying and homework to do.  So hopefully if I still have power tomorrow, I'll be able to work on projects and study!

In loom of the storm, I thought I would share my hurricane "essentials"!

1. Rain gear for walking the dogs!

Rain jacket

Boots

2. A good Book (for when the power goes off and there's nothing to do)

OR in my case an SAT prep book!

3. Nail polish (check out my fall faves here!)

4. Some yummy snacks (that don't require microwaves or refrigerators!)

5. Hot drinks - weather it be hot chocolate or some tea, hot drinks are perfect for a stormy day!

I hope everyone on the east coast stays safe!

Talk to you soon.

xoxo

Top Ten Fall Polishes

Fall nail polishes are definitely my favorite!  I'm really drawn to more darker colors, especially during the colder months.  My go-to colors at this time of year are black, oxblood, and navy.

These are the ten polishes I reach for most during the fall:

Row 1: Sephora by OPI Curve-aceous; Essie Wicked; OPI Just Spotted the Lizzard; Orly Decoded; Ulta Moody Blues

Row 2: OPI Metallic 4 Life; OPI Lincoln Park After Dark; OPI Black Onyx; elf Metal Madness; Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me Top Coat

The first red polish reminds me of the color of candy apples, a fall time favorite.  And Essie Wicked is my favorite dark red, it goes perfectly with every outfit. 

OPI Just Spotted the Lizard is extremely similar to Chanel Peridot and I love the way it changes colors throughout the day.

Orly Decoded is the perfect slate grey/blue color.  It defiantly reminds me of winter.

And this list wouldn't be mine if it didn't include a navy blue!

On the bottom row, there are blacks, silver glitters, and a gold.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark is probably the color I wear most.  It's not completely black, which I love!

And I love, love, love any glitter polish!  Except when it's time to take it off.

What are your favorite fall nail polish colors?

Have a great week!

xoxo

Target x Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection 2012

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

So this past weekend I did a little shopping and while walking through the store, I noticed the large amounts of holiday themed merchandise already out on the floors!

It's crazy since it isn't even Halloween yet, let alone Thanksgiving!

I love Christmas though so I don't really mind.  December is my favorite month of the year without a doubt.  It's just such a happy month between holiday shopping, my birthday, and family gatherings!  

Anyway, as many of you probably already know, Target teamed up with the eminent department store, Neiman Marcus, to create a holiday collection being released December 1st.  Tons of well-known designers are participating in this. For example, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, and Diane von Furstenburg are just a few of the established brands.

If you haven't been to Target/tried shopping online when they come out with one of their capsule collections, let me sum it up in one word for you.

Chaos.
Absolute chaos.

I've only gone to the Target closest me, so I can only speak for the people who go there but literally, people act like animals.

Yesterday Target released the look book - to check out the full book click here!

Here are some of the items I'm eyeing - not only for myself but as gifts for friends and family!

Alice and Olivia Luggage $179.99

Brian Atwood Leather Gloves $49.99

Diane von Furstenburg Jewelry Box $49.99

Tory Burch Thermal Drink Container $24.99

So if you are brave enough to face the crazy Target shoppers, make sure to get there early and defiantly wear your running shoes and something comfortable!

xoxo