Hello November ♡

Good morning everyone! I have been absent for a couple of days, and that is because I suddenly caught a weird flu! I was (and still am) sick in bed. I can barely eat anything, and doing something as little as walking leaves me feeling light headed. Not fuun! Although, my bed is pretty comfy :) 

 October was a very nice month to me, but I still cannot believe it's over already. Am I the only one? I am very excited to share more memories with everyone and there is so many exciting things I am looking forward to..hello, Thanksgiving dinner?! :)

I hope everyone has a great week! 

♡

xx, Maddie

Chit-Chat ♡

So today I was woken up to the sound of drilling! Yep, we are getting new windows. I am actually really excited because my current bedroom window can't even open! So now I will be able to have the nice Autumn breeze throughout my room. 

On another note, my wisdom tooth is coming in and I am in terrible pain. Have any of you had your wisdom teeth pulled? I'm quite afraid of being put to sleep, and I have never had a tooth pulled in my life! So I don't know what to expect when I get them pulled :( All four of them are impacted...(i know, I am such a lucky girl!)

To try and make myself distracted from the pain, I hung my twinkling lights around my headboard. They were around my mirror, but hanging them this way makes it feel all cozy and Christmas-y in my room. And having a pumpkin candle lit just makes it all the better! 

I can't wait to use these in my YouTube videos. Well, I am just so anxious to start youtube I can't handle it!! Anyone have any tips? :) I'm just going to jump right in and post, haha that's how excited I am.

Have a wonderful day :-)

xx, Maddie

Manicure Monday ♡

Hello lovelies, I hope you had a restful weekend :) Over the weekend I decided to switch up my nail color. I was wearing Essie's 'Sole Mate' and I felt like I wanted to go lighter. I have never really worn light, nude-y polishes before, and I thought this Fall would be a perfect place to start. 

I decided to go with Essie's 'Mamba.' I thought it was a nice nude-y pink color, and it doesn't make my hands look dead! It still gives my nails a glow. I really like it, and I'm glad I am starting to dip my toes (or my hands, get it?) in the water for nude polishes. Cannot wait to buy more!

Any recommendations for me?!

Have a lovely week 

♡
xx, Maddie 

What's On My Face ♡

I have been seeing a lot of these posts lately, and I thought it was a pretty cool idea. I thought, why not? So I will show you what my everyday make up essentials are.

I absolutely love this foundation. It is a little pricey, it's $55. My mom bought this for me when I was in desperate need of a good foundation. Let me tell you, this stuff leaves your face looking like a china doll. Especially used with a buffing brush!

Another Chanel product! But I promise you, I received it as a gift from my mom (thanks mommy) on Christmas and it still looks untouched after almost a year! It's really worth the money because it sets you face without getting cakey or anything else unwanted. 

The beloved HOOLA! Even though it doesn't look dark, when I bronze or contour with it I look like I came back from vacation. I have a light glow and I just must have this on my face.

I have just started using this Maybelline 24HR gel eye liner, and it is perfect for perfecting a cat eye! I have been addicted to it, and since I don't wear eye shadow everyday, I like to make my liner stand out a bit.

And of course the wonderful Full Definition mascara from L'Oreal! 

Lastly, LIPS! My favorite part. I have a collection of lipsticks growing at the moment, and this one just seems to jump out at me everyday. This is "on fire red" from the vivids collection by Maybelline. Gorgeous! Perfect for Fall and Winter :)

So there you have it! Every so often I will change it up a bit of course, but this is what I've been doing for a week or two.

What's you favorite Fall beauty product so far this year?

xx, Maddie 

The Way I Eat ♡

Since this is a blog basically about my thoughts and ideas and lifestyle, I decided I should tell you, my readers and friends, the way I eat. Hmmmm where do I even start!! Beware, this is kind of a long post...

First of all, I eat very clean. By that, I mean I don't ever eat anything from a box or bag or something thats processed. I'm not saying in any way that cereal will never pass my mouth again, I just choose not to eat it. I like to fill my tummy with food and products that grow naturally from the earth, with very minimal factory work.

I also eat littler meals than a regular "American sized meal." I'm saying my meals aren't HUGE. I have a TON of protein, complex carbohydrates (more on that next) and essential fatty acids that are essential to LIVE in every meal. I make sure to get more protein because I am a semi-vegetarian, which means I choose to only eat fish and eggs, not chicken or meat. There's nothing wrong with these foods, but for my body I am better off not eating them.

To make this post a little shorter and to the point, I also choose not to eat gluten or dairy. When I do eat dairy though, I use goats cheese, as it is a lot healthier than from a cow.

Okay so now onto carbs. Most people scream and hide from this word...CARBS! Ahhhh I will get fat and bloated!! NO. STOP. NOW. COMPLEX Carbs are essential for the human to receive energy and burn unneeded fat. Some complex carbs include brown rice, quinoa, veggies, beans, and more. These complex carbs will not bloat you or make you fat, these foods will actually reduce bloating and boost your metabolism. YES! I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Carbs that people are afraid of are foods like white flour, white flour pasta, bread and such. And indeed, yes these foods are bad for you. They are simple carbs that spike your sugar levels, and leave you feeling weak and tired a few minutes later. See the difference?!

FAT! Yes, fat. This is hard to explain in a short sentence or two. Fatty acids are essential if you want to burn unwanted fat. YES YOU JUST READ THAT RIGHT! Fat in foods like nuts, avocados, salmon, beans, and more help boost metabolism and burn fatty fat on the body. BAD fat is fat in burgers, ice cream, desserts, cheeses, and things like that. American food mostly! Haha. This fat will be stored onto your body! Most people are afraid to eat essential fat, but the truth is those foods do not make you fat.

Things I eat on a daily basis are meals like this:
Breakfast- Oatmeal, mixed with flax meal, chopped apples, chopped almonds, and stevia
               - Green Protein Smoothie: frozen banana slices, flax or hemp seed, kale, superfood protein mix, stevia, ice

Lunch- Salmon on a bed of steamed veggies, kale or rice
          - Tuna on gluten free Ezekiel Protein bread, with avocado, kale, and pico de gallo
          - Toasted Ezekiel bread spread with almond or peanut butter, topped with sliced apples and cinnamon

*I will post many many dinner and snack ideas! There are way too many to type up right now haha. I will be posting many meal ideas along this journey!*

I try just to eat the best things possible! But you should know, I bake almost everyday cookies, and energy balls that taste like peanut butter cups, and brownies filled with...kidney beans. Yes, kidney beans. You have no idea what I make! And the funny thing is, I feed my creations to friends and they think I buy them at the store or something...I'm very sneaky! I would also like to note that never in a million years will I ever give up chocolate. I just can't. So, there you go :-)

I hope everyone understands where I am trying to go with this, haha! I just wanted to post this to clear a lot of questions up. 

Have a lovely day <3

xx, Maddie

Girl Crush: Ariana Grande ♡

Okay, so recently Ariana Grande has been crazy busy. From traveling to the UK and doing press for her new TV series Sam&Cat. If you haven't heard of her yet (where have you been?!), she is a 20 year old TV actress turned world famous singer, known for her Mariah Carey vocals. 

I started obsessing over her about a year ago. I dunno, something about her just really seems to connect with me. She is very spiritual, just like I am, and she isn't afraid of what people think about her or what she does, which is a trait I like very strongly in people!

I always love the editing she does on her photos. Does anyone know what apps she uses?

Getting to the style side of things: Can we just stare in awe at these photos!? Ari (I feel like I'm best friends with her when I call her that, hehe) knows exactly what to wear at any given moment, and she looks great in any picture. 

I also want to address another thing: her weight. Yes, indeed she is a very tiny thing for a 20 year old. BUT, she has said many many times that she does not have any sort of eating problem. She has simply cut out bad food, and replaced it with the best of the best healthy food. I can understand this because I did this a year ago, and I lost all of my baby weight and cured my acne. In a tumblr post here and here, she stated that she exercises everyday and eats a lot of food every 2-4 hours!! YES THIS WORKS. I eat like this 6-7 times a day. You might think you will gain weight, but it does the exact opposite. I will do another post on this, just because this is about Ariana, and things can get very long lol :)

Well anyway that wraps up one of my girl crushes lol. Do any of you like her? Who are some of your girl crushes?

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

Weekend Drugstore Haul

So this weekend I was sort of stuck in my house. I don't have my drivers license yet (even though I should by now) so I can't go anywhere when my parents aren't home. I decided to ride my bike down to my corner. On my corner there is a few restaurants, stores, and a drugstore! As you can imagine, I was lured in...I might of spent a few bucks on some new items :-)

Ahh, look at how pretty! Yes. I finally got my hands on Essie's "After School Boy Blazer." I cannot wait to try it out

I thought these colors looked absolutely lovely together. I have been looking for nice nude colors, since I have never really gone with a nude color. I picked up "Mademoiselle" and "Mamba."

And the beloved Kate Moss Rimmel lipstick in 107. It is the perfect shade Fall and Winter. It is a deep red wine color. And by the looks of it, it looks pretty smooth and buttery! :)

I thought this color was a really pretty nude. It's not a washed out nude, but it has a pinky feel to it. I am new to nude lipsticks, so this is what I went with. Maybelline "Pearly Pink"

Sticking with Maybelline, I got my hands on the 24 hour color tattoos!!! I am SOO excited to start using these babies. Look at how pretty they look!

This is Bad to the Bronze. It has buildable coverage, so you can make it soft and subtle or loud and shimmery!

 Tough as Taupe. I will be sporting this color daily. It is the perfect neutral shade for everyday.

So those are just a couple of things I picked up :) And sorry for my hands, they are looking very dry and pale. Its the changing weather!! Bare with me!

xx, Maddie

Halloween is coming ♡

This is the center piece of my kitchen table right now.

Anyone else's mouth watering?! My mom bought a bag of mixed candy corn, and when I saw it I had to walk away, haha. My personal favorite are the pumpkins. They are just so DELICIOUS!

I hope this inspires everyone to go and get a bag of their favorite candy, and display it in a pretty bowl! My mom collects antique silver and crystal, so thats what I display my things in.

Do any of you like to display things in decorative bowls or plates? I would love to know :)

xx, Maddie

Moodboard Monday ♡

Hello my loves! Happy Monday morning to you :) I hope everyone had a nice relaxing weekend! This morning I woke up in a cheery kind of mood and I really thought it was Winter. Strange! I am loving Fall and the amazing weather, but below are some images to get your week off to a nice start. I also thought of some of these things when I woke up this morning! 

A nice cup of hot chocolate...and don't forget the marshmallows! 

How lovely are these carved candles? I want some for my window sill.

This sight made me catch my breath! The changing of the leaves is my favorite part of Fall.

I'm not gonna lie, kind of felt like staying in bed a few extra minutes this morning! :-)

What is your favorite part of Fall?

xx, Maddie

Here I am ♡

Okay, so I feel very very bad that I have disappeared from my blog. To tell you the truth, I have been going through a little bit of a tough time over the past week. For some reason, I have just been in a really odd mood, hiding out in my room, and being a bit snappy to my parents and siblings. I don't really know why, and I am angry about it! It's Autumn and everything should be happy and colorful in my world right now, but I am feeling a bit lost.

I have been comparing myself to others lately, and I know that isn't healthy. For the past couple of months, I have been trying sooooo hard to find myself, and to really accept myself for who I am. I know it is very important to stay positive and be grateful, but like I said, I have just been the total opposite for the past couple of days weeks :(

I have to get this off of my chest- I really do not like the way my blog looks. That is one reason I haven't updated, and I feel terrible. But I am writing to say sorry. It is just a stupid excuse. But please please forgive me, I just haven't been myself and I am just kind of in a block. I am really excited though, because I have found an amazing site with templates and custom designs, so I cannot wait to give my blog a sparkle of ME! 

Like I kind of said earlier, my mind has been racing with ideas and concepts, but I have been stuck! It is kind of hard to explain, but I know some of you will understand. I think this is something that everyone goes through at one point or another. 

To wrap this post up, I just want to say I am still here. I have been writing like a mad person so many different ideas in my journal for this blog, it's insane! Trust me, I have some good stuff coming :) I know this little grey cloud of mine will pass soon... I am seeking inspiration from everywhere, including you :) Thank you for just being here. It really helps, alot. I promise I will be posting more very soon, and my new design and layout is going to scream my personality, haha! 

Have a great weekend 

♡ 

xx, Maddie

Hailee Steinfeld's New 'Do

I have always been a fan and follower of Hailee. I think she is her own person, and she isn't afraid to do what she wants. She doesn't just follow the crowd! And she has an amazing little group of friends, including Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, who have mentioned several times that they adore her. 

I have always loved Hailee for her fierce fashion and beauty choices. Overall, this new look on her I really like. And it's not a severe change, either. The bangs are just long enough to create a versatile style, so if she wanted to do a side-swept look or a slick ponytail, this hair wouldn't get in the way. I think this look makes her appear older and more mature.

What do you think of her new cut?

xx, Maddie

Favorite Flats

As Summer is coming to a close, we know our summer wardrobe is coming to a close as well! As much as I loved wearing my strappy sandals, I'm ready to pull out my fall shoes! My favorites for fall are booties and flats, because they can go with ANY outfit. It can take a drab look to amazing. Here are some flats I spotted and loved:

These are super adorable, and not overly girly. With just a hint of red, they're perfect to spruce up an outfit! These are $30 from H&M.

Okay, anything with leopard probably already exists in my closet. But I have yet to own these! This leopard slipper can be worn with a mix of prints, or just solid colors. Either way your lookin trendy! You can buy these at MatisseFootwear.com for $65.

These are definitely unique, but I love them. The gold buckle ontop is so chic. These are DV by Dolce Vita for $79.

Yet another shoe from H&M! You would never know you only paid $99 for these Oxfords. I would love to wear these with a gigantic sweater while sipping a hot cocoa, wouldn't you?

Well these are some of many of my favorite flats for fall! What's your favorite?

xx, Maddie

Moodboard Monday

Happy Monday lovely people!! :-) How was everyone's weekend? I had some family fly into town and they stayed for a night. It was fun! All weekend long I was gathering some fun and beautiful pictures that got me in the mood for Fall. So here are some pictures that just leave me feeling all warm and cuddly: (Warning: Lots of pumpkin!!)

My favorite part of fall is definitely the leaves changing, and the weather turning crisp and cool! Perfect for morning strolls. I love putting little decorative pumpkins everywhere around my house, accented with orange and rust colored leaves. Ahh, I just love this season. What's your favorite part of Fall?

xx, Maddie