Simply Smile

Thats all it takes. Look in the mirror and for that one moment of catching your eyes, your reflection, just forget everything thats happening and picture happiness. If you're feeling sad, angry, confused, fearful, take a moment to travel to a different space. Close your eyes and think of a place that truly calms you and brings you a sense of comfort and joy. For me, thats imagining myself laying underneath the warmth of the sun next to the ocean. Nothing is better than the sound of crashing waves and feeling the grainy sand against my skin. It's bliss, and thats what I've been thinking about in times of panic. If you're feeling that mid-week oh my god when's friday slump, imagine yourself in your special place. Even take some time to yourself in your bedroom, close the door, light a candle and just lay and listen to nothing. Hear your thoughts and imagine your goals that you want to reach. 

I've started doing this for the past week and I don't know how but my life has done a total turn around. I'm waking up so giddy and grateful, and I've been interacting with more kids at school and making more friends…I mean is this a coincidence or am I just lucky?! I don't know, but I thought I would share with you guys something thats been helping me, just so it can help you too :)

I hope everyone is having a good week, its almost friday!!

Maddie

Decorating Pumpkins

If you're like me carving a pumpkin isn't the easiest thing in the world. Once I get the hang of it and I can get around using a tiny sharp knife, I don't mind cutting into my design. But ever since I discovered "decorating" pumpkins I kind of became obsessed! It's a lot easier to do and personally I think the pumpkins turn out a heck of a lot prettier. 

My favorites are adding studs and/or jewels. They just stand out from the others and they look a lot more personalized too. Last year I also painted designs and stripes onto my pumpkins (of all sizes) and I couldn't stop looking at them to be honest. They are so cute! And I love the little ones that can fit into the size of your hand, I mean come on how can you not think that isn't adorable. I love coordinating them together because then you can easily arrange them on a table or in a jar and it makes your setting very warm and welcoming.

And the best part is, you dont have to remove the guts and worry about a rotting pumpkin!! ;) These beautiful pumpkin setups with an autumn candle burning and fireplace flickering make me feel soooooo cozy and I love it. Have any of you tried decorating pumpkins like this? Let me know!! 

Maddie

New School Supplies ♦ ♢

Please tell me I'm not the only one that gets overly excited for new school supplies?? I was soooo giddy when I got my list of what I needed. I was like "heck yeah, I get to make some tubmlr binders!" ;) As you can see above, thats what I did to my white binder. I was feeling creative and in the mood to make "inspiration" or mood boards so I decorated my new stuff instead..and it took me over four hours. I know right!! Don't ask me how. I decided to make the front and back two different themes, so I found myself scrolling endlessly through tumblr and pinterest until I forced myself to finally print the paper out haha. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out :)

I'm in love with my two notebooks, especially the orange striped one. Oh, and I finally purchased my first couple rolls of washi tape, and it's as amazing as everyone has been saying it is. The patterns are so fricken cute I honestly want to deck everything I own with it. Maybe a future post on what to do with extra washi tape?! Lol okay maybe not...

So my first day at my new school is tomorrow...I'm actually really excited because yesterday I picked up my schedule and I was able to meet my teachers...Seriously guys I got so lucky <3 It's all thanks to my mom for finding this amazing school!! 

When do you guys start school? Did anyone graduate? :)

Maddie

Rearranging my room ♡

Every now and then I get really tired of the way I have my room. I'm a person that spends a lot of time in my bedroom, so I want it to make me feel relaxed and comfortable, you know? So when I want to re-decorate it or re-arrange it, I don't stop. Sometimes it takes me all day, other times it takes me a few minutes. A couple days ago I started looking around at my dresser and I realized it was cluttered and very dusty. Like, sometimes i dont even remember the last time i dusted...i know. its an annoying habit of mine even though i'm such a clean freak.

This is how my dresser turned out..It's not exactly what I want it to be yet, but it's getting there. I just ordered some acrylic makeup storage organizers (and im SO excited) for my makeup and lipsticks.  so the lipsticks wont stay like that, thank god! In the future i'm going to be painting my room a very light cream, off white color, and im going to paint my dresser too. Should i paint it a bright color, or another off white color? I'm going for a more simple, crisp design but im not sure which way to go. Because I can always bring in color with accessories :D

This is how the top of my bedside table turned out. Again, it's going to be changing soon, but I like how simple it can look. I love the look of stacked books too. As you can see I have a growing collection of crystals and stones, and I also have a couple mini elephants, which all mean luck, wealth, success, etc. 

SO, I mean it's nothing outstanding, but I'm working on it! If you guys have any tips or recommendations, leave some comments below! :) 


xx, Maddie

Lunch Time ♡

So almost everyday or every other day, I eat salmon. I am actually addicted. And I have mastered the way to cook it on the stove top! This was my lunch yesterday:

My specialty (and what my family devours many dinners a week): Carrot Fries

My salmon salad

Mixed in my lovely salad, I chopped fresh Kale. I have gotten used to eating this, so it really has no flavor to me. Someone who has never eaten this before might get a bitter taste in their mouth. Anyway, I love this leaf so I eat it everyday! I mixed the salmon, and also threw in guacamole, sunflower seeds, and pico de gallo. It was SO GOOD. I seasoned it with Himalayan pink sea salt, lemon pepper, and olive oil.

For the carrot fries, all you need to do is chop carrots in half length wise, like above, and cut them how ever skinny you want them. Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and coat them with olive oil and sea salt! Put whatever seasoning you want on them and cook them for about 45 to 50 minutes on 350 degrees. Voila!

Let me know if you like seeing some of my meals or snack ideas! :)

Have a lovely day

xx, Maddie

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here. Even though I love the weekend I had a pretty good week, I'm not gonna lie :-) Here is a new series to the blog, where every Friday I will post some of my favorite images of the week! So below are some of my favorite items I came across!

Favorite Quote:

Favorite Treat: 

Favorite Neutral Outfit:

Favorite iPhone cases:

Favorite Makeup Vanity:

What do you guys have planned this weekend?

xx, Maddie 

Desk Inspiration

Recently, I have been staring at my desk space. As much as I love my antique vanity, it's not really working for me. So far, I cleared everything off the "desk" part of it and now I'm stumped. I bought a few candles from bath and body works and set them on top, but otherwise that's it, along with another antique lamp. So here are a couple of my favorite office spaces that have been inspiring me!

                     
                   I love this desk. The gold and white is so simple and so feminine.

Ahhh! The rose gold phone and the magenta flowers!! I. need. this.

Now how can you not love working here? The lanterns with the gold leaves against the natural light gives it a cozy warm effect. I would be so inspired in this workspace.

Okay. My favorite setup of all. This is what I need my inspiration board needs to look like! Messily organized and crazy chic. And again, I love the white in the background.

What is your favorite desk inspiration?

xx, Maddie

Sweater Weather

Yayyy! It's my favorite time of year again...FALL! How many of you absolutely LOVE Fall and everything that has to do with it? Because I know I do. I already bought two new candles from Bath & Body Works. YUM. And I've put little glass pumpkins on my desk and dresser. Yes I'm addicted. But here is another amazing part of fall: the sweaters!! 

 Adorable, chic, and perfect for the season. The touch of animal print is genius!

Love the preppy feel with this sweater. It's a perfect look when you're on the go! Adding a bright lip in a hurry makes it look like you had a ton of time to get ready. Sneaky!!

Ahh, my favorite color: White!! I love the way this has little peep-holes throughout it. Having the dark oxblood colored nails and black bag totally scream fall (or winter!). You could either add a large statement necklace or a little dainty one. I would even wrap an infinity scarf around my neck!

Eeep! This is my favorite look. Adding a hat with this oversized sweater is so cozy looking. I would love to rock this at the beach or at a bonfire in my backyard late at night.


What are your favorite looks?

P.S. Sorry for my lack of posts. I have been trying to get a job, but I will be posting regularly now!

xx, Maddie

Drugstore Madness!

Okay, so a few days ago, I was in the kinda mood where I needed more makeup and I didn't care that I was going to spend money (I'm sure you know what that feels like). So I hopped on my bike and rode down to the marketplace a little over a mile from my house. There is a Walgreens there so thats where I was headed! Keep in mind, when I got on my bike it was hot and sunny outside.

So when I was in the store, I picked up a few goodies! Okay get ready. I picked up 5 lipsticks, 2 lip balms, four eyeshadow quads, a L'oreal mascara and a day/night cream. Yes I did some damage! 

So far the lipsticks are amazing. I got four of them from the Maybelline Vivids collection: Vivid Rose, On Fire Red, Shocking Coral and Coral Crush. Let me just collect myself!!! Okay the pigmentation on these babies is absolutely amazing. And they are so soft to your lips!! Honestly I'm obsessed. Anyone else?! I also got a L'oreal in I Pink You're Cute. Such a cute name right? And the color, OH MY GOD, is a bright bubble gum pink almost, and its a perfect summer staple. But the color I'm going to be rocking for fall is definitely On Fire Red.

Okay and then of course I couldn't leave without getting two BabyLips!! I got one in Cherry Me and the other in Peach Kiss. SO SOFT. I'm addicted.

For the eyeshadows, I picked them all out from Maybelline Eyestudio. My absolute favorite and staple for fall is the new limited edition Violet Femmes. The deep rich purples are sooooo pretty and if you spray your eyeshadow brush with a bit of water or setting spray before you apply the shadow, it will come out so much more pigmented and even shimmer a bit! And then I also picked up the Green with Envy quad and Give me Gold quad, which is also a great summer to fall transition!

So after I checked out, (feeling a bit lighter in my wallet!) I walked out the doors and stopped in my tracks. IT WAS POURING RAIN AND THE CLOUDS WERE BLACK. I COULDN'T EVEN SPOT THE SUN! I literally started laughing because I was stuck under the little overhang for 30 minutes! I couldn't get on my bike and drive more than a mile home! Although I did get a little wet, I made it home just in time! When I got to my room, I lit some candles and put on my twinkling lights around my mirror :) So cozy!! And then I stared at all the cosmetics I poured onto the floor. Hashtag the life of Maddie. LOL.

So that's what happened to me a few days ago! What crazy stories do you have to share with me!? Leave them in the comments below!

xx, Maddie

Makeup Junkie

So I've recently found my passion...

I'm a MAKEUP JUNKIE!! I can't be the only one right??

As you guys know, I'm a little over 16 years old. I'm one of those kids who has a little pint-sized idea about what they want to do when they grow up. Well, now that I'm homeschooled I've had a lot of time to myself. I've been able to really think about the things that I love and have passion for. It all came to me!! Makeup, fashion, beauty, and of course BLOGGING! :) 
I've never had a job but I was recently shopping at the outdoor fashion center like 7 miles from my house, and I stopped in my tracks. SEPHORA. Why didn't I think of it before? Who knows what I was thinking but I know where I'm applying for a job! On the door, it read something like, "Is this your dream job? No matter your age, see the manager for details." I about DIED. I told my mom and she's down for it too. So I'm, like, reallllly super excited to show them what I've got. I can't wait to start collecting makeup. 
I'm just really happy and relieved I found something that I truly have passion over...yeah I'm kind of obsessing over it... ;) Do any of my readers collect makeup!? Leave tips for me in the comments below!

xx, Maddie 

Well hello Blogger!

Well, this is my first post EVER so let me introduce myself! My name is Madison but I usually go by Maddie :) I’m a 16 year old teenage girl..basically I’m obsessed with anything that has to do with fashion, make up, hair, fitness, health, blogging, DIY's, creativity, etc.. So I decided to create my own blog! Here is where I’ll post whats on my mind :) This is a place where girls of all ages can come to share thoughts, get advice, see what I’m posting and more!

I hope you enjoy. Really, this blog is going to be a place of relaxation for me haha! So I can’t wait to talk with all of you and see what you guys are interested in :)

Hope to chat with you soon, and see you in my other posts!

xoxo, Maddie