Weekly Recap

1// As I said in this post, I enrolled into an online business/marketing school and I am so FREAKIN EXCITED

2// In my acting class at school, I was cast as Beth for our "Little Women" show. She is a character that ends up passing away lol, but I'm still thrilled I've got a semi-big part!

3// I hit 700 followers AND 800 followers on Instagram. God I freakin love you guys :)

4// I had kind of a crying breakdown about my eating disorder, because I've just been having a rough time. As easy as it may seem to recover on the outside, it's like prison on the inside. But, my mom came in my room and hugged and talked to me for at least an hour and made everything better…she's the best.

5// Lately I've been doing a lot more yoga and flexibility routines, and I've noticed such a difference!! I'm getting more flexible, stronger, and I can even transition into backbends and wheels :D 

The weeks have been going bye so fast and I can barely keep up…like it's MARCH. WHAT?? I'll be graduating high school in 2 months…gulp.

Have a lovely weekend xx

Enrolling in a New School?

Yep. You read that right. As of today I am officially enrolling into an online business/marketing school, and I am SO FREAKIN EXCITED. It's everything I've been asking for. I'll be able to learn about social media, branding, networking, building a business and everything else that comes with being a successful entrepreneur. Gosh I'm getting goosebumps just writing this. And the best part is, I'll be able to work and study on my own time, so school or activities will never be in the way. This, as crazy and exciting as it is, is a big step for me. It's out of my comfort zone, and so far it's making me feel so confident and powerful. This year I made it a goal to do things I would normally say no to or to back away from. Why not take risks? There is absolutely nothing bad that can come from saying yes, other than finding out if you like and don't like something. Instead of saying no and regretting it forever, make awesome memories! Make yourself stronger and smarter and happier! I'm already so thrilled that I'm able to do something like this, and it hasn't even started yet. This is an opportunity that was basically put in front of me after praying for something like it to show up, and its crazy to me that my wishes came true. I am SO beyond grateful for my parents too, who are helping to pay for some of it. But I told them they will get every penny back. I'm so excited to start this new wild journey :)

Here's to saying yes to many opportunities and creating a freakin amazing life<3

Reaching Out

There are so many aspects to blogging that I love, but my favorite part, and arguably the best part, is meeting so many different people. A week ago, I made it a goal to reach out to a ton more people on Instagram and tumblr, even through blogs on bloglovin'. I can't believe it, but I've gained over 100 new followers within a couple of days, and for me thats a lot! Leaving comments on pictures leads to so many different possibilities on relationships and followings. Before I set up goals for myself, I was kind of a ghost follower. I never really commented or let people know what I think so of course no one is gonna find me! I don't know why it never clicked, but suddenly it did. Even within the span of a week, I've gotten close/gotten to know some bloggers well and so many more are finding me. I feel so much more in the loop and connected. It's not always about the number of followers you have or gain, but it is nice to see that people are actually finding what I share and enjoy it, you know? It's important to set goals for yourself, and layout what you really want to happen for yourself, because anything you set your mind to CAN happen. You have the power to make your life the way you want it :) Reach out to people! Create new friendships and hobbies. <3

Have a lovely Monday everyone :)

Setting Sun

Lately, I've been so awestruck and taken back by the sunset. Even if I catch two minutes of it, my mind and body feel electrified and recharged. Standing on cold grass, feeling the warmth of the setting sun, while capturing the view of a hot pink and tangerine sky. It's invigorating. Especially after a long, stressful day, nothing is better than watching a sunset. The special part is when it goes dark, and the sky goes purple, then the black silhouettes of trees and mountains come into view. I always get the urge to take a thousand pictures, because none of them ever look the same. This time of day is perfect for reflection, to give gratitude, and visualize abundance for yourself. It's such a special few moments, to ground yourself with your soul and the earth. So the next time the sun sets, take the time to enjoy it for yourself :)

25 Facts About Me

1. I've lived in Arizona, United States my whole life

2. No, I don't like it here so I'm hoping to move to Cali in the upcoming years

3. I'm turning 18 on May 27th ;)

4. I've been vegan for a year now-woohoo!

5. I'm a gemini, and boy do I act like one

6. I've been told by many of my teachers that I 'have a gift for writing'

7. I've never really been one to have a bunch of friends, only a couple of really close ones :)

8. I find Numerology and Astrology very fascinating

9. I'm a die-hard yogi, self-taught, and trying to practice as much as possible

10. I must say I make killer vegan desserts

11. I suffer from anorexia/orthorexia/over-exercising but I am in the midst of recovery <3

12. I spend way too many nights laying in my bed scrolling through Instagram accounts and talking to new people ;)

13. Although I'm not properly Buddhist, I practice that lifestyle

14. My style is allllwayyss changing, whether it comes to fashion, hair, lifestyle…

15. My dream is to do what I love and make a career out of it, and be able to financially support myself while traveling all over the world

16. Paris, London, Rome, and Australia are just a few of the places I want to live and visit

17. Every morning I wake up at 5:15 and work out before school

18. Even though I'm an early bird, I find that I get lots of my creative juices flowing in the middle of the night

19. My favorite season is Summer, where I can literally lay in the sun all day and turn a dark golden color haha!

20. Some days I love to go all out and dress up, and other days you can find me curled up in sweats

21. I really wish I knew how to use my Canon DLSR camera correctly-I'm kind of intimidated by it

22. I would love for this blog to grow into a full-time job for me <3

23. Even though I'm turning 18, I feel like a 12 year old most days. 

24. I love saving all the magazines I read, and ripping and tearing out pictures from them and making mood/inspiration boards

25. I spend a lot of my free time on the internet, searching/writing/reading blogs and videos, but it's the best thing that has happened to me

I feel like I could write more but would that be boring?? Haha--basically I'm just a girl who is shy at first and then once I get to know you I can't really shut up. I talk too much about vegan food and I love to instastalk people on a regular basis. I'm an art freak who loves to dance wildly to loud music and also stay in on the weekends and bake cookies with my mom :) Traveling the world is something that I'm made to do and I can't wait to be able to share my adventures <3

Favorite Vegan Tumblr Blogs

Essena

Clean Body Fresh Start

EarthlingMaxi

TessBegg

I've been spending waaaaaay too much time on Tumblr, but as a result I have found, followed, and friended these amazing vegan blogs. I don't know how but I think they are all from Australia, but they are so relatable and just like me. We're all around the same age, we have the same beliefs, and the fact that I'm able to make friends with people around the world is so so cool to me. I love catching up on what kind of meals they create, what exercises they love and find efficient and stuff like that. Sorry if that seems weird but it's what I'm into haha! ;D And what I love most about these blogs is that they promote healthy body image and wholesome eating and fitness, none of that barely eating crap. I think it's so amazing that there are more and more young girls coming out about the right way to eat and the right way to feel and look your best. I've also been obsessed with watching their youtube videos too xx

Check them out if you're interested :-)

iPhone Life

1//Mega green smoothie with bananas, mango, spinach and coconut water- it was heaven! 2//A chakara charm my mom got me at our favorite yoga studio- i have been wanting this for months and i almost cried when she gave it to me. I can't wait to hang it above my bed. 3//Felt sporty with this beanie. 4//Breakyy-Oats, covered with strawberries, blueberries, almonds and heaps of cinnamon

5//My candy-mango. 6//Wearing my fuzzy pink sweater for the last time with my favorite heart necklace. 7//Killed a workout! 8//Love this nude- Revlon color burst matte balm in the shade 'complex'

Maddie

The Grammy RedCarpet: My Favorite Looks

I know it's only three looks, but to me I thought these were the most beautiful of the night. I thought Taylor arrived looking so sophisticated and beautiful, and kind of like how she used to dress in the big ball gowns. It's different from what she's been wearing recently! Ariana of course STUNNED in that little white Versace gown, the back was my favorite part. I think because she's so tiny its hard for her to pick out any gown that isn't figure hugging, so I thought that silhouette was a perfect fit. And then we have Rihanna, who caused a stir with her gown haha. A lot of people are saying they didn't like it, but I would have to disagree. I think the color is gorgeous and it goes amazingly with her skin color, and the whole body of it to me is fun and funky, just like her personality. It covered her up a lot which is a surprise since she is usually in very little, but I love it overall. I would totally wear it and I think it was a great step for her to wear it!

What were some of your favorite looks from the Grammy's?

oh ps. i changed my blog layout and so far I'm really liking it-what are your thoughts?

xx

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

Bohemian Mood Board

For the past I don't know week or so, I've been reaaaally into the whole bohemian vibe/style…I've been doing a lot more yoga which causes me to get closer to myself and my thoughts, and for some reason I've been changing a lot haha! Might sound weird but I feel like when I do yoga, I get more connected to who I really am, without comparing myself to everyone else, especially on social media and blogs. Sometimes I forget what I really like, you know? My whole life, and especially being a teenager, I've always been into this bohemian style. The stacked bracelets, lace, light flowy clothes, gorgeous dewy makeup, i LOVE it. All of these pictures are what have been going through my mind lately, and I love how it turned out :) I really want to get those gold temporary tattoos, have any of you tried them?? I think once I get tan enough (which might take a while) I think i'll try some because they are gorgeous. Which reminds me, I'm really missing summer…like a lot. I think I'm over feeling like a frozen human all the time, and the dark cold mornings…am I right?!

I hoop everyone is having a great February so far!! When did that happen?! 

Maddie

Weekly Recap

Okay, so this week was a bit of a blur to me! It went bye really fast and was filled with so many different emotions. in my last post I talked about how crazy confused I am about my "diet"/lifestyle, and looking at it now I feel kind of stupid about it.

I've talked to so many different bloggers about this, and I even got in touch with Jordan from the Balanced Blonde (formerly the Blonde Vegan). If any of you know her blog, you know that she was a very strict vegan until last year when she came out about her eating disorder. She has a huuuuge following, and for her to be able to get back to the email I sent her made me absolutely ecstatic. And the email was long and loving and so so amazing, and basically saved me from going into a deep whole of another disorder. I basically told her I'm totally lost with what to do about my disorder, meaning if I should try these certain lifestyles like high carb or high fat. Jordan answered perfectly that I know deep down doing these fad diets not only cause me more of a restrictive mindset, but also inner competition. It's hard to explain but she did so well.

So anyway, I'm not going on a high carb diet. I had low energy, and I'm getting signals from my body that it wasn't working, like my thinning hair and dry skin. Basically I need to get back to the way I was eating, but more. Which brings me to my next point, my calories and fitness. I'm taking a two week break from exercise, which if you know me is totally unheard of. I haven't taken that long of a break for over a year. It's crazy but its true. I read another blog post from Emma D Fitness, and she basically has the same story as me. She lost her period, restricted her food, and became obsessed with healthy food and overexercising. ME. She explained in her post that she had come to the realization in the midst of her eating disorder that what she was doing to her body was absolutely pointless. She was obsessed with having abs 24/7 (guilty) and always pushing herself to her limits (guilty again). She knew she had to gain body fat because she had none in order to get her period back, and to do this she needed to up her calories and stop working out for the time being. To make this story shorter, she did, despite being addicted, stop exercising for 2 weeks and majorly ate more. She didn't gain a ton of weight funnily enough, but she did get her period back. And that was the beginning of her recovery. And I've come to the realization that that's what I have to do too. It's so hard for me not to exercise or at least do yoga everyday, but I HAVE to get my body back to normal. I'm sick of being so thin and tired all the time. For what? I miss my old body, where I was strong and ready to do anything all the time. I miss my thick hair and strong nails..

So yep. Starting today I'm eating a lot more, especially fats. I'm not going to exercise for at least a week or two, and we're gonna see where this goes. It's like I'm starting over on my health and fitness journey. It's time for me to get my body back in order, because I'm almost 18 and I'm 20 pounds underweight. Not good.

That's my crazy week for ya! It's been very cold and rainy every single day, which I love, but don't get me wrong I'm constantly feeling like an icicle. Most days after school I've been bundled up reading blogs and catching up on youtube videos ;)

Here's to the beginning of my new journey, day one.

Have a good weekend <3

Maddie

Daydreamin'

Lately I've been so focused and uptight about this upcoming summer, that I think it's staring to consume me a little too much. I know I shouldn't be as worried as I am about what is coming after I graduate, but when will I start to figure it out, you know? I feel like I've over thought so many things that some of what I've thought doesn't even make sense anymore, if that makes sense haha. I want so badly to get a job, blog like a real blogger, and have everything in my life just fall into place. And I know that's a lot to ask for when I'm not even 18 yet. And I guess that's social media to thank. Making it look like those perfect bloggers have their perfect lives, living out their day dream everyday. It stinks that everything takes time and patience, but then again that's the whole point of life, isn't it? To create those memories and relationships between the hard times and the journeys. 

I'm really trying hard to visualize what I want and to write down my goals, because when I used to do that when I was younger, it would always happen oddly enough. I don't know why I ever stopped that in the first place. Do any of you write down what you want to achieve, and do you find that it helps you to accomplish that goal?? 

Just daydreaming….

Maddie

iPhone Life// January

1// New Years Eve rocking some bold makeup 2// White nails 3// Beautiful morning sunrise on the first day back at school (which was kind of wimpy but this picture made the day a lot brighter! 4// Delicious Kale, roasted sweet potato, quinoa, and slivered almond salad

5// Stuck in acting class! 6// A perky little flower I spotted on a lovely walk :) 7// Bling with a fuzzy sweater always makes me happy

These are just some pictures from my instagram from the month of January so far, since it's been going bye so quickly!! I mean really it's almost over…nuts. I feel like I haven't had time to start anything because I've been worried too much about the future. I know I need to stop that and start thinking in the present moment. Ahhhhh. Right now I'm going to pick up a book at the library called "The Starch Solution" and I'm sooooo excited to read it. It's all about being on a high carb, low fat vegan lifestyle. It's nothing about losing weight or anything crazy like that, because that's definitely not something I need, but it's just about feeling balanced and whole through lots of fruits and veggies and stuff like that. Learning about food really interests me and I'll be making a lot more posts about it soon, and about my current diet and what's been on my mind :-)

Happy Wednesday!!

Maddie

Forever 21, H&M and Urban Outfitters Haul

This weekend I was feeling super spendy and while I kind of feel guilty, I really truly need new clothes. It's almost spring and I'm just starting to buy my winter seaters. Like?!! No. Thats not okay! Anyway, I got some money from Christmas, and I couldn't hold on to it anymore haha. So I spent about 2 hours walking around this new Forever 21 store they opened at my mall, and let me tell you, its huuuuge. It's kind of overwhelming at times, especially if you're not in the mood to shop. But I was and I was picking out certain pieces that I wouldn't normally gravitate towards. I've been trying to switch up my style or find what I really like, because I just feel a little lost. Sometimes I feel girly, other times I feel grunge/urban, sometimes I feel more casual…its kind of annoying! Does anyone have some tips on how to find your style? I need them desperately. 

I only picked up a few things, but as you can see they are all sweaters, besides the beanies. And they are all fuzzy too! I don't know whats with me. I'm excited to wear the fuzzy pink sweater, i think its girly but its edgy, and I think it would look good with my high leather boots and a statement necklace.

I'm new to beanies, but I have always wanted to wear them and incorporate them into my wardrobe, so I forced myself to buy some. I already wore the black one to school once and got many complements on how I looked with it, so that made me feel good! And that goes back to feeling more casual on some days.

Anytime I go shopping I always pick up a necklace or two, and I found these beautiful ones at Urban. It kills me to pay a little more, but cmon they are gorgeous!! And I love the one with the crescent moon, that is my absolute favorite symbol.

Well this ended up being longer than expected haha! Hope you don't mind :-) How would you style these pieces??

Maddie

It's Friday, Friday

As I'm typing this I'm eating some deliciouuuus cookie dough my mama made. It's so sweet and melt-in-your-mouth yummy and just had to share that as I reflected on my week haha! So this week school started up again, and even though it's terribly depressing that all of the holiday festiveness is over it really wasn't that bad. I got to experience my fashion class which is everything I could ask for and more, and i met some really nice girls that I've sat with at lunch for the past couple of days and it's just been really nice. It also warmed up a bit, so now I'm not FREEZING in the morning…don't get me wrong I'm still an icicle but I was able to chill out in the sun for a little while which is my favorite thing to do in the summer…agh those summer feels. I also drove to my grandmas house and stayed with her for a couple hours and we talked and reflected about a lot, and that's something i never get to do with her, so that was a nice surprise and it left me feeling really good.

That was my week! I hope everyone has something fun planned for the weekend :) How was your week?

Maddie

It's a New Year

It's a new year, and to be very openly honest, I really want to change. Not in a big way, but just improve myself. Over the last couple of months I have gone through a lot of confusion about my life, school, where and what I want to do after I graduate high school, and it all got to me. I'm still trying to ease off of myself and just let myself relax and breathe, but it takes time. 

I want to get more personal on this blog, and take it very seriously. Since my head has been anywhere but here, I feel terrible and guilty. There were some weeks where I was content and posting everyday, and over the last month or two its been every 3-5 days, and I'm not okay with that. I'm not saying I'm just gonna post something to have something go up, I want my content to be great quality that you look forward to reading. 

I want my blog to grow so much this year, and I want to DO so much this year. I want to write and achieve goals, accomplish things that scare me, and work my butt off. But at the same time, go easy on myself and tie my body a break when it needs it, because I struggled with that last year. 

The content on this blog will change a bit, I want it to be more organized. Im sort of beauty, food, lifestyle, all over the place, but I've been putting a lot of thought into it and I want to share more of what I love, like design, fashion, baking vegan things (since I am vegan haha!) and overall beauty. 

I am SO looking forward to this year. I know it's going to be amazing and filled with scary situations, but I have to get over that. Im gonna push myself, get inspired, and kick 2015's ass! ;)

Care to join me?!

Maddie

Bordeaux

This beauty of a lip gloss I picked up at Sephora a few days ago with a gift card I got for Christmas, and after walking around the store second guessing myself if I should get it, I am sooooo glad I did. It's a lip cream from Bite Beauty called "Bordeaux" and it is the most gorgeous shade of plum and burgundy. I've been looking for deep purples like this to wear on my lips because I've been feeling a little vampy lately for winter haha, so this is the perfect color. It doesn't smudge at ALL. I wore this on New Years Eve from 10 in the morning until midnight and after eating and drinking it was still purely there. I was surprised, but then again the formula is so thick and pigmented its not gonna budge. 

I also loved wearing this because its all natural, and you can basically eat it, hence the name of the brand ;) which I thought was clever! It also smells like fruit, not too overpowering, but a nice scent. 

Would you try this dark color?

Maddie

Hello 2015

Here's to new beginnings!!! Gosh I can't believe its a new year, a fresh start. I'm so glad I get to start everything over sort of haha, 2014 was a crazy year for me. It was filled with so many different emotions; confusion, loneliness, joy…but in the end its all worth it. I started public school again and even though I was considering going back to online, I stuck through it and now I love it. I've met some really good friends, I've discovered things about myself, and I've learned so so much this past year. So much about well being and happiness and the universe…its crazy.

I just want to take a second to thank everyone reading this. This is my little part of the internet, my own separate world, and I get to share whatever I want to. Not enough, and not well enough either. This year, I want my blog to grow enormously. I want to post frequently and post things that truly mean something to me. I want to broaden my comfort zone and try new things with writing and creating. Im going to push myself to do whatever I can to become a better blogger, writer, creator, photographer, you name it. 

I went through a lot this year but its all in the past now. I have a feeling like 2015 is going to be absolutely amazing, mostly because I'm graduating high school and frankly I don't even know whats coming up yet. So its scary, but so fricken exciting at the same time :)

So this is the look I wore on NYE, I felt like going all out haha! I went for a very sparkly dramatic eye, and very very dark purple lips. All of the colors on my eyes were from the Naked 2 Palette, I used Verve on my lid, YDK on my outer lid and blackout in my crease. I also smudged it under my eye and blended it with my L'oreal eyeliner kajal, which I put in both my tight line and waterline. Then for my winged liner I used my Maybelline Master Precise liquid liner, which I love and use almost everyday for my wings. And my favorite part of the look, the lips :D I went to Sephora and picked up the Bite Beauty Cashemere Lip Creme in "Bordeaux" (review coming soon). So far its absolutely gorgeous and looks so dramatic and deep haha. 

How was everyone's New Year's (Eve)? Tell me all about it!! I hope you have such a great start to the new year, and I wish you best of luck for everything, and good, positive vibes :) I love you guys!!

Happy New Year!

Maddie

Christmas Withdrawls

All of the excitement, the build up, the shopping stress, now it's all over. I have to say every year I always get pretty sad and depressed haha. Doesn't everyone?! My Christmas was very magical and amazing, I woke up right before 6 and heard my little brother rustling through his presents, so I put on my fluffy slippers and robe and joined him to stare at our beautiful tree. That has to be one of my favorite parts of the morning, is just staring at the ornaments, the glistening lights, and the beautiful packages under it :-)

My brothers and I always wait for our parents to get up before we open our presents, its just a tradition we started a long time ago. I'll make my parents fresh coffee and we'll turn on christmas music or the parades. We opened our gifts and had such a great time.

Then my mom and I turned into super mode and we cleaned up the house for the guests that we were having over for dinner haha! There really wasn't that much to clean but making the house spotless was a must. 

The rest of the day was filled with cooking and eating and resting. I made a marvelous tray of roasted veggies, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Mmmmm gosh I could eat it all again I swear. Then after our guests left and I cleaned up the kitchen, I took a nice long shower, put on my new pjs and snuggled up on the couch and watched some youtube, with some cookies of course!! 

Christmas is always such a special day of the year and its sad that it comes and goes so quickly. It seems like we just put up all our decorations! I'll share what I got in a post coming soon ;)

How was your Christmas if you celebrated? I want to hear all about it!! 

Maddie

Merry Christmas!

Merrrrrrrrry Christmas everyone!!! I seriously can't believe its here already. And 2015 is six days away…honestly insane. 

I hope everyone has an amazing day filled with joy and cheer and happiness :) It's been a long year full of confusion and craziness, but when it comes down to it all none of those feelings matter. Its all in the past and now its time to enjoy ourselves with our loved ones…

I remember when I was little, I would always be soooo excited to get gifts on Christmas, and honestly being a little kid who wasn't haha! But as I've gotten older, getting gifts really is the last thing I'm excited about. Decorating the house, the tree, baking christmas cookies with my mom, those are the best feelings in the world, and I'm trying to cherish them as much as i can because it's one of my last holidays living at home as crazy as it sounds. 

So I hope everyone has an amazing day, and you relax and enjoy yourself!! I love you guys :)

Merry Christmas xoxo

Maddie