Happy Thanksgiving!

To my fellow Americans, I hope you have a beautiful and safe Thanksgiving!! I'm headed a couple hours away to my cousins house for the day :) I have plenty of crazy family to keep me busy haha! My mom and I cooked our feast, a huge turkey, stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. Mmmm I can't wait to eat it. Since there will be so much family in one house, there's usually  multiple tables of turkeys and other sides so I just eat what my mom makes because I'm not gonna lie she's the best cook in the family ;)

After we eat our Thanksgiving dinner my cousins and I have a tradition of playing either a family football game or baseball game until its dark outside and time for dessert haha! It usually gets freezing cold and we all end up snuggling together inside with hot chocolate and a Christmas movie :) Isn't that the best feeling? I love being with my family, especially now because I haven't seen them in over a year which is sad and insane!

Does anyone have any traditions or anything special planned for turkey day? :) I wanna hear all about it! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maddie

Fall Inspiration

As Fall continues on I continue to obsess over dark colors. I guess it's just a habit, but I'm wearing it everywhere. On my nails, eyes, lips, and especially clothes. What I'm really looking for is a nice trench coat, not that I need one for the kind of weather I live in haha! 

Just some quick inspiration for everyone :)

Maddie

It's the Weekend!

YES YES YES. This week actually went bye pretty fast for me because a lot was going on, but I'm still so so thrilled its finally the weekend. There were some good moments and some not so good moments haha but thats in the past and we can look back on the good! 

// I drove myself to school every day this week...what. \\

// I got my report card- all A's! \\

// I ate the best crispy apples like every day, oh I love autumn haha! \\

// Had a very nice heart-to-heart conversation with my mom, those are always comforting \\

// Witnessed the most magical hot pink sunset \\

// Talked to some amazingly nice new bloggers! \\

// I have been wearing this berry lipstick like everyday, and I'm not exaggerating. Definitely a fall staple! \\

I hope everyone had a great week. What's something good that happened to you? :)

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

15 Things to do in the Fall

1// PUMPKIN everything

2// Tea every night before bed, with a good read

3// Dark lips

4// Dark eyes

5// Cat Eyes ;)

6// Cold, crisp walks

7// Extra holiday baking

8// Squash, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, all that good stuff

9// Leaves. Look at them, smell them, jump in them

10// Carve pumpkins!!

11// Switch up your decor. Add some rusty colors and spicy scents to totally transform a room

12// Layers. Oh yea, scarves, jackets, coats, hats. Then socks, boots and gloves. Oh how I missed layering

13// More cozy movie nights, with hot chocolate!

14// Wear braids in your hair

15// Go outside and take pictures. Then edit those pictures and make a collage :-)

What are your favorite activities to do in the fall?

Maddie

Monday Mantra

I came across this quote on Pinterest and it couldn't be more on point. We only have so many days in our lifetime. If we experience a crappy day, which we all will more than enough times, then we experience a crappy day. But the thing is, when the day is over, it's over. And it's time to start over when the sun comes up the next day. No more living in the past, and no living in the future either. Life is all about enjoying the moment you are in RIGHT NOW. Right now. You have every right to start the day feeling happy, grateful,  and overjoyed. There is no reason to ruin a perfectly bright day with emotions and feelings from the day before. Our feelings are like the ocean. As humans, we are going to feel waves of excitement, waves of sadness, anger, whatever emotion. We need to accept how we feel and let those feelings pass. So no matter what, everyday should be a new day. Start now! Even as I'm typing this, it's giving me motivation to let go of feelings I've stacked up from a couple days and release them and start over. Believe me, it feels SO good to let everything go and be in the moment. 

Just take a really deep breath in, think about everything that's bothering you or weighing you down, and exhale it alllllll out. Then smile, blast some of your favorite music, and live in the moment and BE HAPPY :) Happy Monday! 

Maddie

Fall Lips

I rode my bike down to the drugstore down on my corner attempting to find a new foundation because I can't believe I'm saying this but I don't know if I'm that happy with my L'Oreal true match anymore! I never thought I would say that, especially since it's such a popular foundation in the beauty world, but it hasn't been sitting on my skin the same way it used to. It looks like the color turned or oxidized more pink, and instead of leaving a dewy skin like finish, now it kind of clings to my dry spots and doesn't blend evenly. I'm really upset because I switched my Chanel foundation for this one! But I guess it's time for me to move on to a different brand. Which brings me to you guys. HELP! What are your favorite or holy grail drugstore foundations?? I can't tell you how frustrated I got walking back and forth between the wall of makeup confused on what to do. Some were wayy to pink, others too white. It was a disaster. So please tell me your ideas on what I could use! I almost tried the L'Oreal true match lumi, but they didn't have a close enough color so I just walked away. 

ANYWAYS. Since the whole foundation thing took a wrong turn, i decided to treat myself in other ways haha! ;) I was attracted to the lip products this time, picking up a nude matte balm called Complex from Revlon, a squint-your-eyes-its-so-bright red lip lacquer called Big Bang from Rimmel and a deep berry lipstick from the Kate Moss for Rimmel collection in the shade 09. All different shades of Fall I know, but that shows you how indecisive i am when it comes to picking out makeup products haha. Usually when I walk in I plan on getting makeup of the same color family or that I can wear together, but my brain was racing when I was looking at all the different combinations of the new autumnal products...really i have a problem is what i'm trying to say. 

I'm already wearing the revlon matte balm as I'm writing this, and I have to say it's quite nice. It's smooth, and definitely not drying which is good being its a matte product. And I love the shade, it's a nice nude for my skin tone at the moment. 

This is kind of a rambly post and I apologize for that, haha! I hope everyone had a good week, I'm definitely excited it's friday because now I'm on my fall break, which means no school for a week! Oh yea :) And my mom let me stay home today too, so I'm pumped ;)

Happy weekend!

Maddie

Hello October

It's heeeeere :) Last night my mom and I went to the grocery store. And let me tell you it looked like Fall hit that place like a tornado. Pumpkin EVERYTHING. As a matter of fact there were like 20 different types of pumpkins to chose from. Also, some called 'fantasy pumpkins' and they are out of this world beautiful. Huge and white, with swirly trunks. Some were creme, others orange and white striped or spotted. 

I picked up some cans of pumpkin, and I cannot WAIT to start busting out my fall recipes. This morning when I drove to school, it was actually breezy and cool outside. No gust of hot summer air. Ah, fall you bring me lots of joy. Here's to the hundreds of cups of tea and never ending burning candles ;)

Happy 1st of October!

Maddie

Current Fall Nighttime Routine

Lately every night, after I finish all of my chores, homework and social media surfing I take a nice hot shower, cozy up into my bed and pick a magazine to read out of the stack i have on my desk. It's been SO relaxing and catching up on all the latest trends and reports (especially all of the september issues) is very satisfying haha. I also brought my bath and body works "pumkpin cupcake" candle out after months of being stuck in my closet and it smells divine. While I sit in bed and sip on my tea, i like my room to be dimly lit. It makes it feel so much more cozy and calm, just me? haha.

Sometimes I'll read magazines, sometimes blogs, or sometimes I'll write. I really suggest every person to do this before going to bed because it kind of frees your mind of the hundreds of thoughts that swirl around your brain as you try to go to sleep. It's definitely works for me most nights! 

Right now I can't help but think of the butternut squash my mom is going to cook later...mmmmm I love fall haha! ;)

What does your fall nighttime routine look like at the moment?

Maddie

Inspirational Work Space

I've really been wanting to spruce up my desk area in my room. Well, I guess I could say I never finished it because since I started school I kind of pushed decorating my room to the side. I have had the vision of hanging a metal board or a cork board up so i could create my own inspiration boards/mood boards. I love the idea of hanging photos up because it gets my creativity flowing, and it looks aesthetically pleasing to me haha :) Personally, I like the simple lines of shelves and lines, but I also like to add pops of color, like in the photos above. All of these pictures are from my Pinterest board, which i am dangerously addicted to! I also love to have stacks of magazines either on my desk or creating a tower on the ground, it gives off such a cool vibe to me. 

What kind of work spaces do you like to work in?

Maddie

The Moodboard Tag

This mood board is kind of all over the place, but I've been obsessing over black and white...and lately I've been really loving my body and myself, which i guess is a good thing haha! I've just enjoyed looking at myself in my mirror and admiring the body I was blessed with. Sounds a little cheesy but after reading a lot about people who don't have body parts or get sick and can't do something, it really makes me love what I have. This past week I've had so much energy and I've loved sweating and exercising, because it just releases stress and makes me feel amazing. So that's what I wanted to show in this board. Odd I know but that's just me haha! ;)

Thanks for tagging me Victoria! I tag Katie, Ashley, and Rachel :)

Maddie

Autumn Nail Choices

Yeeeeees. Honestly I have never been more excited for Autumn. Even though Summer is one of my favorite seasons, I just can't help but think of cozy sweaters, warm fuzzy socks and blankets and spending cold nights in watching movies with hot chocolate haha :) It's still summer weather where I live, and probably will be for another two months but hey I can imagine I live somewhere else ;)

Every year I come back to these same colors for my nails. I especially like the dark blues and reds personally, but I know other colors like nude and olive are trending this year too, which I want to try out. Essie's 'after school boy blazer' is always a color that I get compliments on when I wear it, so that shade is a popular one. The red color up there is just a polish I picked up from Forever 21 like a year ago, and I have to say for $1.50 the quality is amazing. The color stays on for longer than 5 days and it doesn't chip or anything, so bonus points for them! 

The other two colors are Nails Inc. 'Baker Street' and Essie's 'mamba'. Both of these colors look fabulous with tanned or pale skin. Speaking of pale skin, that's something I'll be rocking this season haha! Sadly I've lost my summer glow but for the colder months I absolutely LOVE the way pale skin looks with the dark colors of makeup and clothes. Ugh I can't take it. 

What kind of nail polish will you be wearing during the Fall season?

Maddie

Pastel Moodboard♡

I found myself wandering the realms of pinterest for over 2 hours today and felt the urge to create a moodboard on what I've been obsessing over. I created a few new boards on my pinterest and these collages kind of sum up what they're about haha! The pretty soft pastels with the white are absolutely stunning, but i also love the bright neon chalky colors too. So many decisions ;) I think after looking at so many pictures, I want my room to stem from one of these palates. Probably the one on the top, because I love the way it looks with gold and those colors could pretty much go with anything. 

Oh, and I ended up not going to school yesterday (tuesday) or monday because my city had a terrible rain storm that flooded everywhere, including some major streets and schools, so my school closed! I was taken by surprise, but having an extra two days off after the weekend felt extremely satisfying. 

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! :) Two more days until the weekend ♡

Maddie

Weekly Recap♡

Hi guys! Man i feel like i have been away from my blog for so long. With school starting and everything my life has been SO busy but I prayed for that to happen so I'm not complaining one bit :) 

//No school on monday and a short day on wednesday, amazingness!!

//The most delicious salad for lunch everyday: Chopped apples, raisins, pepitas (seeds), walnuts/almonds, lettuce and walnut oil. It's HEAVEN

//Every night I have been going for the most calming and beautiful walks around my neighborhood. Instead of retreating back to my computer after dinner, this has been helping me to clear my mind and get me into nature and I love every bit of it.

//This isn't anything new for me, but my green smoothie with peanut butter, banana, and cacao has been extra chocolate-y and delicious, maybe it's because I'm happier and noticing the little things, but it's definitely been hitting the spot ;)

//I DROVE MYSELF TO SCHOOL. With NO adult in the car. Ahhhh can you believe it?! I can't that's for sure. I honestly can't wrap my head around the fact that I am now legally allowed to do that. I remember when I was like 10 years old thinking this day was so far away, and now it's here. Crazy. (Ps everything went fine and I'm still alive lol)

//The sunsets. My gosh they have been amazing. Bright magenta pink and neon orange, and then as the sun sets even further the sky turns a deep royal purple and cobalt blue. So grateful I am able to see them.

//Fall is almost here!! Well, it actually won't show up where I live for about another month or two which really stinks, but in my mind I'm gonna pretend I live somewhere where the leaves change and the weather gets all nice and crisp...Ahh wearing the cozy oversized sweater and ankle booties, smelling of pumpkin spice and never taking the deep cherry lipstick off :) 

What made you happy this week?

Maddie

Make A Statement

A week or so ago I went to the mall, and I might add I DROVE myself there. Alone. Just me and my dad’s car. I have to say it was a very thrilling experience and it was one of those moments where I felt like an adult, and there was something so cool about that moment. I remember when I was younger daydreaming about driving myself places, and now that that moment is finally here it made me reflect on how much I’ve grown and changed over the years. Its crazy that it’s almost time for me to start thinking about buying my own apartment.

Anyway lets stop getting emotional and reflective and actually get on with this post haha! So after I excitedly got out of my car and congratulated myself on arriving at the mall, I walked into forever 21 looking for dainty simple necklaces. They ended up not having any which surprised me, but they did have 2 beautiful statement necklaces, which are pictured above. I don’t have many of these, so I thought it would be good to add a couple to my jewelry collection. I have been wearing both of them like crazy and getting compliments every time. I love that I can throw them on with any outfit and it instantly looks like I tried 10 times harder.

The two simpler necklaces I purchased at PacSun. I love this store for their jewelry because it’s so cute and boho-ish. I wanted to get a few bracelets but ended up feeling guilty and put them back haha. I especially like the necklace with the hansa hand and elephant, because I connect with those symbols spiritually :)

What kind of jewelry are you loving into the fall season?

Autumn Beauty Inspiration

Obsessing over the deep cherry/plum and soft nude/mauve lip

So for me, Autumn is all about bringing the beautiful dark, deep colored lips back into the game! It's only been since last year that I am confident enough to sport these colors, and boy am I glad I made the decision to stop caring about what people might think haha! I love to wear these colors because it screams elegance, confidence, power, beauty, and a lot more. I picked out three of my favorite drugstore cherry colors. I've had the Kate Moss color for over a year and every time I wear it someone asks me where I got it! All of these colors are affordable, pigmented, and they don't feather or streak around the lips, which is a big plus for me. 

I can't WAIT to wear these colors in a few weeks! Okay I actually already wore the Kate Moss color to school ;) 

Which are your favorite dark cherry lip colors?

Maddie