This past week has been absolutely crazy. Because it was Mother’s Day weekend, I was planning on going home for the weekend on Friday, but ended up getting sick Wednesday and going home Thursday night so I could be sick at home. Once I got home, my parents told me we were getting a puppy from California, and that that they would be going to get her on Monday night! I was super excited because one of our dogs passed away a couple of months ago, and ever since then our other two dogs have been really sad and mopey. We all thought a puppy would be a great way to cheer them up, and who doesn’t want a puppy?!
My parents asked if I wanted to go with them on Monday, but I wouldn’t be able to because those are my busiest days with classes, and I didn’t want to miss that much school with midterms coming up. Because of that, we decided to leave Friday night to get her! It took us 12 hours to drive to California from our house, and then another 12 hours to drive back. Needless to say, 30 hours later (we had to stop a lot to let our dogs out of the car to stretch their legs, bathroom and food breaks, etc., which added up to an extra 4 hours) we were all very ready to get home and out of the car.
And this is Willow! The 30 hour road trip was so worth it to get her. She is such a sweetheart and fits right in with our family, which consists of two other dogs and four cats. It took our other two dogs, TJ and Miki, a day or so to get used to her, but they are playing like best friends now.
Here are some photos from the trip:
 |
| She was kind of nervous at first in the car. |
 |
| This is TJ, my dog. |
 |
| She became more brave and started trying to cuddle with him! |
 |
| And then TJ didn’t really like that so he came up and sat on my lap. Not even kidding. |
 |
| Typical puppy chewing on everything. |
 |
| We stopped at Lake Shasta real quick which was really pretty! |
After 30 hours in the car, home didn’t even seem real, and we all slept for a good 12 hours.
 |
| TJ was so happy to be home and able to run around. |
 |
| This is Miki, and she was super happy to be home as well. |
 |
| Miki was really unsure of Willow at first, but she warmed up to her. She loves to “mother” her! |
 |
| Willow just adores Miki – and TJ – and loves to do everything that they do. |
Overall, the trip was actually fun and definitely worth it to get a puppy! I didn’t end up doing hardly any homework which I’m paying for now, but again, so worth it! Willow is the perfect little addition to our family and I will definitely cherish these memories. It’s hard being away at college sometimes when you miss your family, so this weekend was really exactly what I needed! And summer is only a couple of weeks away, so I’ll be able to spend lots of time with all of my puppies.
What did you do this weekend?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I went and saw the Cinderella movie about a month ago and it was so amazing! Dare I say it’s even better than the original animated one?! All of the costumes, hair, makeup, and everything else was so gorgeous! I seriously fell in love within the first five minutes. I also love the message of “have courage and be kind” that they drive to the audience throughout the whole movie.
Since I loved the movie so much, I did a makeup look for prom inspired by it! I had so much fun doing this, and what girl doesn’t want to look like Cinderella for prom?!
I used the colors in my Naked 1 and 3 palette for this look since they both have really pretty soft pinks! I wanted this whole look to be really glowy and soft since Cinderella really doesn’t wear a lot of harsh makeup in the movie, even during the ball.
I also used the “skintuitive” lipgloss from Tarte for this look, and it changes into a different color for each person! It was so cool watching the color change.
Here is my YouTube video where you can watch how I got this look! 🙂
Well I just wanted to do a quick post showing this look! I’m a freshman in college so I of course am not going to prom, but I thought this might be helpful for those of you going to prom! I know I always had the hardest time deciding what makeup to wear for prom.
Have you seen the new Cinderella?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
One of the things that undeniably, and to put quite simply, sucks about the human experience is rejection. Everyone can relate to it and has been through it; be it through a job you didn’t get, a dream role given to someone else, or in your love life. Rejection cuts right to the core and makes you question exactly who you are, and more often than not your self-esteem takes a huge blow. While it does indeed suck, what sucks even more is letting it keep you down and doubt what kind of a person you are. I’m someone who has always struggled with rejection – my self-esteem has never been the greatest, and I often let other’s opinions of myself bother me way more than they should. It has taken me a long time to realize that the only opinion about me that matters is my own. It really doesn’t matter how others see you – it matters how you see you.
Since I’ve faced a lot of rejection in my life (who hasn’t?) I thought I would share with you guys some tips on how I get over rejection.
1. Give yourself time to simply cry it out.
Crying is such a great therapy sometimes. I actually hate crying in front of others (I was a huge crybaby when I was younger), but it can actually be very therapeutic. I think it’s important to accept your hurt feelings after rejection, and simply give yourself time to say “You know what, this isn’t what I was hoping for, and I’m really sad about it.” The important thing, however, is to not get stuck in this stage. Just give yourself a couple of hours to do this, a day if you need it, and move on.
2. Do not let the rejection define you – it does not have anything to do with who you are.
It took me a long time to realize this. My first instinct after rejection is to start questioning and blaming myself. I was rejected because I’m not pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough. Those thoughts pass through my mind over and over and I have to literally tell myself that it has nothing to do with the person I am. The way you deal with rejection defines who you are. If you let it knock you down and stay there, you are only doing more harm to yourself.
3. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends.
If you’re having a hard time with the rejection, don’t hesitate to reach out to friends for advice, or simply just a shoulder to cry on. There is no shame in asking for help, and your friends will be more than happy to do so. Talking and having someone listen can be really helpful and make you feel less alone. You’ll probably be feeling really insecure after rejection, so having someone there for you can help you feel a lot more secure about yourself.
4. Get your mind off of it.
Go out and take a walk, read a good book, or watch a movie. There are literally hundreds of things you could be doing instead of dwelling on the rejection. It’s not at all healthy to sit at home and think about the hurt all day because you’ll never get over it. Getting your mind off of it helps you realize there are other important things in your life, and that you eventually will get over it.
5. Don’t let it make you afraid.
Sometimes when we face rejection, it’s easy to say “Well I’m never trying that again!” It’s important, though, to get right back on the horse. Don’t let one rejection – or twenty – make you afraid to try your hardest at something, or be too afraid to try it again. So what you didn’t get that one job? You’ll find another one! That guy doesn’t like you back? You will find someone even better. Rejection isn’t the end of the world, but something to learn from and apply the lesson next time.
It’s so important to learn how to deal with rejection, because you’ll probably face it a lot in your life. A bleak point, I know, but if you realize it doesn’t make you a bad person, you’ll be able to handle it a lot better. It’s a part of life, and something that everyone has to go through before they get a simple “yes.” You will hear “no” more, but once you get that “yes,” it’ll all be worth it.
How do you deal with rejection?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day 🙂
It’s no secret how excited I have been for spring and warmer weather, and I have definitely been taking advantage of that by wearing all of my spring dresses! Here is (yet another) outfit I wore the other day when it was a little cloudy out, but still nice!
 |
| I haven’t told you guys, but I’m a secret duck whisperer. |
Dress: Urban Outfitters
Cardigan: Aeropostal
Booties: Nordstrom
I really love wearing this long cardigan with dresses on days where it’s not quite warm enough to only wear a dress! It’s also a great neutral that goes with pretty much everything! The crochet is so pretty, too, and I love the pattern of it.
You might also notice that I got a whole new look for my blog! I’m so happy with it, and it was definitely time for a change! I have gotten really serious about my blog this past year, so I wanted a template that was more clean and simple, but still had some nice color to it. Let me know what you think! I am in love with it 🙂
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!
I can’t explain how stressful this week has been. I have had multiple midterms and a mountain of homework to conquer – I guess I didn’t fully realize just how stressful college can get, since I haven’t been this overwhelmed yet. On Wednesday, I had to just sit down and force myself to take a break from homework and studying because I was driving myself insane. I know that I push myself too hard sometimes, and it’s so difficult for me to take a moment and realize that it’s okay if I need to take a break in order to continue doing my best. I am a perfectionist to the core, so doing something with only half of my effort is never an option. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be unhealthy when I literally force myself to power through homework and studying to the point where I am in tears.
I have never dealt with anxiety and stress well, and being at college, it is only intensified. I worry about the littlest things, and when I’m stressed I am just a ball of nerves that gets worse and worse until I inevitably break down. I envy people who don’t have anxiety; to go a day without worrying about every little thing would be a dream. Sometimes it’s difficult for my friends to understand how I fixate on little things and have trouble making decisions because I worry about every single outcome possible. What if I make the wrong decision? Or what if this happens, or that, or even something I didn’t even account for? I think about it all, and it makes me so angry with myself because I wish I could just easily make a decision and just be done with it.
All my life, my dad has always told me “It ain’t nothin’ but a thing” when I’m really worried about something, which helps put everything into perspective. Like the quote above, the way you deal with stress and anxiety is more important than the actual thing that is stressful. I know that I don’t deal with stress and anxiety in the best way; I just try and focus on other people and never talk about my own stress with others because I don’t want to be a bother to anyone. I love helping people and listening to their problems, but I just don’t like to draw attention to myself since I’m a very shy person. I’ve slowly been realizing, though, that it’s really important to talk about your troubles. Loved ones are the people you should be able to talk about anything with, and for me, that is my parents most of the time. It helps me when I get other opinions and advice, and to also put things into perspective. A big thing to me could be something small to others, which helps me realize that my worry just might be magnified in my eyes, or that I’m making something way bigger than it needs to be
I don’t want this post to be just totally depressing, haha. Writing this is just a sort of therapy for myself after the week I’ve had. My blog is a creative outlet in which I can write about anything, and that sometimes includes things that are troubling me, or struggling with. I want the majority of my blog to be about all of the things that make me happy, but sometimes I need to talk about the hard things in life. I don’t think it would be fair to myself or anyone else if I didn’t share my own struggles, because we all have them and need to talk about them sometimes. So while I had a brutal week, I also know that it’s finally the weekend and I can do nothing and just wind down from all of this stress!
How was your week?
Thank you so much for reading, and as always have a wonderful day 🙂
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned that I have to eat gluten free because of an allergy, but lately I’ve really been wanting to spread the word about living gluten free! I found out I was allergic to wheat about three years ago, and man was it rough cutting out all gluten! Just think of the best foods (bread, pasta, and for me, my mom’s dumplings), and imagine never eating them again! Okay, okay, it isn’t that bleak, but it was definitely a challenge! Today, there are so many gluten free options available so it really isn’t even that hard, you really just have to readjust your taste buds! I thought it would be cool, though, to start sharing my gluten free tips with you guys, and just break down exactly what gluten and gluten free eating is!
So, what is gluten anyway?
Funny you ask! Many people have heard the term “gluten” or “gluten free,” but have never actually looked it up before. The more science-y definition is a mixture of two proteins that are present in wheat, rye, and barley that can cause anywhere from mild allergic reactions (things like skin rashes), to more severe ones (like Celiacs disease, in which a person can’t even have food that is processed in the same factory as wheat). Basically, gluten is in wheat flour, so anything with flour in it is a no-go. Personally, gluten gives me really bad headaches, stomachaches, and oftentimes a very unhappy tummy. Gluten allergies can be determined with a simple allergy test from your doctor, so make sure to get one done if you are having any food allergy like symptoms (skin rashes, upset stomach, itching in the mouth or throat, etc.).
I found out I have to go gluten free…now what?
So begins your journey with rice flours, coconut flours, xanthan gum, and all of the other flour alternatives! The most difficult part of eating gluten free is starting out. You have to find substitutes for all of your favorite gluten filled foods, and learn how to cook and bake with gluten free ingredients (trust me, it can be difficult at times!). Rice will become your best friend (it’s one of my favorite foods!), as will veggies and fruit!
When you first find out you have to eat gluten free, start by making a list of all of the foods you eat that contain gluten. Now, start to look for gluten free alternatives to those foods. Breakfast can be difficult since a lot of cereals have wheat in them, as do pancakes and waffles, but with a little research, you can find some really great gluten free brands! Personally, I have the gluten free waffles from the brand Vans every morning topped with peanut butter, and honestly, I like them so much better than I ever did regular wheat waffles! Gluten Free Works is also a great website to get started with gluten free recipes and foods. Pinterest is also a wonderful resource to find all of the gluten free recipes you could ever need or want! I would also recommend simply going to the gluten free section of your local grocery store, and start trying out the alternatives they have. Annie’s has some great gluten free products (their mac ‘n cheese is the best!), as does KIND for things like granola and power bars.
Okay, I tried some gluten free food, and I think the cardboard box it came in was better. Is this how all gluten free food tastes?
No! It does take some trial and error to find your favorite gluten free brands (my family can definitely testify to this…we have tried some horrible gluten free brands in the past), but eventually you find some really great food! After a couple of months you will easily fall into a gluten free routine and find which foods work and which ones don’t. Some of my favorite gluten free brands that haven’t let me down yet are Annie’s, Bob’s Red Mill, Vans, and KIND. They have really wonderful substitutes (Bob’s Red Mill has great gluten free flour, and gluten free mixes), and recently Krusteaz has come out with a really great pancake mix; it is amazing and smells like vanilla cake!
What do I do when I go out to eat?
This can be really difficult at first, because gluten can be hidden in the craziest of places! Be weary of soy sauce, because it contains flour, and make sure to ask if they have a gluten free version! To be safe at first, always ask the waiter or waitress if the dish you would like to eat contains gluten. That way, you can be 100% sure that what you are about to eat won’t put you in the bathroom all night throwing up! Personally, I always go for rice dishes, salads, or roasted veggies! Restaurants often have gluten free menus, so make sure to ask! You can usually request that your dish be made with gluten free pasta instead, and you can’t even tell the difference. Season salt also usually contains wheat, so if you have a really bad allergy and order fries, make sure you let the waiter know to tell the chef to not put seasoning salt on them.
What about when I go over to a friend’s house?
This can be a little tricky, because you don’t want to seem rude and refuse to eat anything they cook you, but you also don’t want to end up with an allergic reaction. The safest way to avoid an awkward situation is to simply tell them ahead of time that you have a gluten allergy, and won’t be able to eat anything like pasta or bread. People are usually totally fine with the heads up, and really appreciate it so they know what to cook! I sometimes offer to bring my own food to fix if a lot of people will be there, or if it’s an event where you can bring a dish, make sure it’s gluten free, and something that you wouldn’t mind making a whole meal out of!
My tips
-When it gets really hard and all you want to do is go to the first grocery store you find and eat a giant loaf of bread, just remember what happens when you eat gluten! Also try and remember that what you’re doing is so good for your body, and it will pay off to not make yourself sick for the small satisfaction of eating gluten.
-Think ahead and always have gluten free snacks available. You don’t want to be stuck anywhere starving, with the only option being your long lost favorite lemon pound cake from Starbucks.
-Try out as many gluten free recipes as possible, and make a go-to list! That way when you have no idea what to eat, you have a whole pile waiting in the wings.
-Try and start with naturally gluten free foods. Foods like fresh veggies and fruit will be your best friends at first, because you know for a fact they are gluten free!
-Get in the habit of always reading the ingredient lists on food! There can be hidden wheat in the smallest of places, so just to be safe, always always always read the ingredients.
-If you are at a restaurant and you aren’t sure whether or not a food is gluten free, just ask. It can be tedious at times, but it will be worth it in the long run.
-Try and find other glutards (people who are allergic to gluten), and compare recipes/strategies/motivations/anything else that is helpful, because you will learn a lot from them!
That’s all I have for now, and this will get you off to a good start! Just make sure to do as much research as possible so you can find the right resources for yourself. Don’t be afraid of the phrase gluten free – it is something that can be well adjusted to with a little bit of time, and I promise it will get a lot easier! If you put in a lot of work in the beginning, it will really pay off in the long run. Good luck, fellow glutards! 🙂
I am now officially nineteen. What?! When I woke up yesterday it actually hit me that I’ll now reply “nineteen” to the question “How old are you?” Twenty will most likely be much more scary, but I think nineteen is significant because it means I have been an adult (okay, legally) for a whole year. It was also my very first birthday away from home, which was really strange! I ended up having a wonderful birthday, and got to go out with my two best friends during spring break a couple of weeks ago to celebrate with them as well.
 |
| My outfit that I wore! |
 |
| Good company meant lots of smiles! |
 |
| Look at how beautiful my risotto was. It tasted as good as it looked! |
 |
| They even put a candle on my creme brûlée! |
 |
| I would just like to point out the man in the top left corner… |
 |
| And again…. |
 |
| The exact moment my candle went out before I blew it out! |
I had such a wonderful evening with my two best friends, and I’m so glad I got to celebrate early with them. As you get older, you start to realize who is truly important in your life, and who really cares for you! And even though it gets more difficult, spending time with them is really the best thing in the world.
On my actual birthday, one of my best friends and my floor mates in my dorm threw me a little surprise birthday party! I was so surprised, and super happy! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take any pictures but it was caught on camera! If I end up putting it into a vlog I will definitely post it here. My parents also surprised me (and brought my dogs!) so that was so great as well.
Thank you as well to all of you who have wished me a happy birthday! I had a wonderful day overall, and I also got the CANON T5I!!!!! I cannot contain my excitement, so expect lots of pictures soon.
Also, if you would like to see it, I filmed a ‘Get Ready With Me’ for my birthday!
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Here lately, I have been absolutely loving everything watercolor! I think it’s so pretty for spring and summer (or just anytime), and the pastel color combinations are so beautiful. Because of my newfound obsession, I decided to do DIY watercolor shoes that are “painted” with fabric dye!
I am so happy with how they turned out!! They are going to be so perfect for spring, and I can’t wait to wear them with all of my dresses and skirts! They are also so comfortable, so they’ll be a great everyday shoe.
Without further ado, let’s get into how I made these puppies!
For this project you will need:
-White canvas shoes (I got mine from Walmart for $5!)
-Fabric dye in whatever color you want
-Small plastic cups
-Painting sponges
Mix all of the dyes by filling the cups halfway with warm water. You really don’t need a lot of dye; just enough to make the water look dark! I ended up putting too much blue dye in the water, so I just watered it down a bit!
Here’s what my purple dye looked like.
And here’s how the pink looked! I did have to put quite a bit more pink in the water to color it just how I wanted.
Test out the dyes on a paper towel to make sure you are satisfied with the colors! This is very important because there is no turning back once you start to put the colors on the shoes.
Start out by making spots with the color that is the darkest (or the one you want to be the “main” color).
Make sure to make the dots all around the shoe, and don’t forget the laces!
Once you are satisfied with the number of spots, start putting the second darkest color next to the first. Repeat this process until all of the first spots have little buddies!
Using the lightest color, make spots on the other side of the darkest color. Repeat this process, and fill in with the other two colors as you feel necessary. I did leave some white space in the end, but the shoes are basically covered with color! I just repeated this process over and over until I was satisfied.
The finished shoes!
I am so happy with how they turned out – I have been wanting a pair of shoes like this for so long, and they were so much fun (and easy!) to make!
Here is my YouTube video on how to make them – it might be a little easier to follow since you can actually see how I made them!
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Today was a record high so far this year! I mean, the temperature that set that record was 70 degrees fahrenheit (about 21 degrees celsius for those of you on a different scale), so it’s not like today was a fantastically hot day…But it was still nice to have some sunshine and a warm day! My mom and I actually went shopping yesterday, and I got to wear one of the rompers I bought since it was so nice!
Romper: Pacsun
Bracelet: Forever 21
My necklace was actually a gift, so I’m not sure where it’s from 🙁
Shoes: These are actually a DIY I did the other day. Post to come soon hehe.
Sneak peak of these watercolor shoes! I’m so excited to share how I did this with you guys! 🙂
I’m so glad the weather is finally warming up! It’s already almost the end of spring break, though, so that’s really sad! This quarter should be fun so it shouldn’t be too bad jumping back into classes, and it also helps that my birthday is coming up, as well as Easter! Spring is probably my favorite season because there are so many exciting things going on, and everything feels so new and fresh. Hopefully this spring will be a good one!
What is your favorite thing about spring?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Finals week officially kicks off tomorrow for me, and I don’t know about you, but I always struggle to decide what to wear during the whole week! I never know if I should go for a more put together look, or just all out sweats and sweatshirt and not care at all. That usually ends badly, though, because after the test is done I usually feel super self-conscious that I look like I just rolled out of bed (even though I probably did)! To avoid all of those situations, I put together a couple of comfy-chic outfits that are perfect for finals week!
(Notice the “coffee addict” mug…that is what I am, especially during finals week!)
Surprise Back
I’m calling this outfit the “Surprise Back,” because it looks like a normal, comfortable outfit, but the back of the sweater has this really cool rib-cage inspired cut!
I put on a pretty rose patterned crop top underneath the sweater so it would show through and look really gorgeous!
My crop top matches my laptop cover, so that’s always a plus! I also braided my hair around my whole head to keep it out of the way.
Sweater: Nordstrom
Yoga Pants: Lululemon
Shoes: Macy’s
Crop Top: Forever 21
I think this outfit is so cute, and you can definitely get away with wearing yoga pants! They are just as comfortable as sweatpants, and this pair is especially great because they’re high-wasted so it looks better with the crop top!
Graphic Tee
Another way to dress up yoga pants is to wear a super cute graphic tee!
(Looking at that picture of ice cream on my friend’s wall…so much better than studying!)
Graphic Tee’s are such a fun way to make a boring outfit pop, and they are usually oversized and comfy! I love this one so much since Sunday’s are my favorite days, and I love the saying “Sunday Funday!”
It also helps to do a cute hairstyle as well, since it shows you put in a little extra effort! I also like to have my hair out of the way during tests because when I get stressed I tend to mess with it and lose focus! I don’t know if that’s just me, but either way it’s just so much easier to deal with hair when it’s up and out of the way.
Shirt: Nordstrom
Yoga Pants: Lululemons
Low-key Jeans and Flannel
Ok, flannels are the best. They are so comfortable, and look so cute and casual!
This outfit is perfect if you want to look just a little bit more put together, or if you are going to be going anywhere after your final (celebratory frozen yogurt?!)!
Flannel: Garage
Jeans: American Eagle
Shoes: Converse
Comfiest Put-Together Outfit
This outfit may look put-together, but do not be fooled! It is just as comfortable as – if not more than – the first outfit!
This outfit is perfect if you have a last minute study date with that cute boy in your class, or if you absolutely have to look nice for something, like a presentation! It is still super comfortable since it’s a shift dress and oversized sweater, but looks really nice.
Pairing cute jewelry with this look makes it look even more put-together!
Again, I also like having my hair up just to keep it out of the way. This hairstyle is super easy to do, and looks really cute!
Honestly, I would wear this outfit all throughout finals if it was socially acceptable!
Sweater: Nordstrom
Dress: Nordstrom
Necklace: Forever 21
Ring: Tilly’s
Shoes: Macy’s
This is also a really great option for those of you who live in warmer places and yoga pants and sweaters are way too much to wear! You could just wear the dress if the sweater would be too warm, or pair it with a thinner one!
Alright, those are the options I thought of for comfy chic finals outfits! You can mix and match any of these to create your own unique variation, and they would all be so cute! If you guys try out any of these outfits, make sure to show me on Twitter (@stnkrbug) and Instagram (@stnkrbug)! Good luck to those of you who have finals – we can do this!
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂