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

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

I'm Thankful for...

I have to be honest, I've been going through a rough patch with coming up with blog ideas. Ever since school started, it has been a bit hard to manage this blog, school work, and other activities I have going on. It makes me appreciate all of the bloggers out there who work their butts off to create such amazing content. It blows my mind how they are able to do so much at a time and still put their all into their blogs. Some days I'll have a bunch of ideas I'll be able to do something with, and other days I'm staring aimlessly at my computer screen just waiting for something to spark. 

After sitting on my bed for a little while I grabbed an old journal of mine where I started to collect my future goals and blog/youtube ideas, and after reading through a couple of pages I just smiled and felt SO much better. Looking through those pages made me realize that I really do have a passion for this, I just needed some reminding. I think like a lot of other people, life gets in the way and sometimes when we start to compare ourselves to others we just want to stop everything and curl up in a ball in our beds haha! 

Anyway, it just got me thinking I am SO thankful for where I am today. Mentally, physically. I am so thankful for the school I'm attending, the yoga classes I'm taking (which by the way are completely life changing), the pure healthy food I eat, my soft cozy bed and sheets. Im thankful for my outstanding parents who always go out of their way to help me with whatever I need...I could go on and on. I'm thankful for the beautiful weather I walk in after dinner, the amazing hot pink and purple sunset I get to witness every night. I'm thankful for my amazing camera I was able to purchase for my birthday, all of my wonderful makeup i'm addicted to! ;) Hahaha 

So overall I think I just needed a little reminder of why I started this blog in the first place. I love to write, I have a passion for a bunch of different things, and I like to speak about my thoughts towards them. I love getting to know people online, and I love social media and branding too. When I first discovered 'blogging' and 'graphic design' a couple years ago, I was SO fascinated, and now years later I still am and I hope to have a job that involves all of the details I just listed :)

I'm so thankful for YOU reading this! :)

Maddie

Weekend Vibes

// Out of this world Persian food //

 

// Major rainstorms ending with rainbows//

// Going on a long long morning walk in the beautiful fresh rain air//

// Hurting my brain thinking about my blog design (really I've been struggling lol)//

// Lighting my pumpkin candle and doing yoga when I wake up (ah bliss)//

// Snuggling in bed with my tea catching up on youtube/blogs/magazines//

// Pinning and pinning and pinning s'more (it's a bad addiction)//

// Thinking too much about the future//

How was your weekend?

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

Going so FAST

Woah, where is the time going?? I can't believe it's Tuesday already. Since I'm not used to blogging and being at school at the same time, I just have to get used to this new schedule. I promise I will be creating and writing more, there's just a lot of stuff happening in my life right now haha! It's crazy, for so long I wished for my life to get busy, and now I am. I'm getting to study graphic design, dance, acting...it's SO cool. Hope you guys are having a great week :-)

Maddie

5 Ways To Make Your Day Better

I don't know about you, but sometimes I wake up in a not so great mood. Even though, for the most part, I try to always stay on the positive side of things, my emotions are too strong and they pull me in the wrong direction. On days like this it's a little tougher for me to find motivation to do things, so I got an idea to share with you guys some little tips on what I do to get out of the weird funk. 

Make a beautiful, delicious breakfast// Okay this one might be weird, but if it's morning and you find yourself unhappy or 'not in the mood', make something good to eat! I love food, like a lot of it lol, and breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. Usually I have a nice warm bowl of oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and cinnamon or a delicious green smoothie. It all depends, but I always make sure to make my meal look pretty. It makes me happy! :)

If you're angry or holding tension, exercise// It might not seem like you would want to exercise if you're unhappy, but trust me, it HELPS. Even if you punch your pillows as hard as you can, you will exert that negative energy out of your body and release "feel good hormones" into your brain. I personally like to do something everyday, whether its run, lift weights, do squats, swim, or yoga. I always make sure to switch it up so i don't get bored, because I'm the type of person that can't have the same routine for very long.

Get up, and dress up!// Make yourself look beautiful! Throw on a great outfit that makes you excited, or if you have a new shirt that you haven't worn, wear it! Then, put on a little makeup, or a lot! Who cares, just do what makes you happy. Add the extra cat flick or go for a bold lip. Sometimes when I'm feeling rebellious, I like to wear dark lipstick. It makes me feel SO good ;)

Go for a walk// If the weather is nice, going for a walk is something I love to do, whether if I'm by myself, with a friend or with my family. It clears my head, and often it's when I get some great ideas coming to mind. Plus, there is nothing better than hearing nature. I love to stop in the middle of countless tall trees and just stare at the sky and think about life. You have to remember that we are only given this life once after all, so anything making you upset is really meaningless. Breathe a couple of breaths and feel grateful for everything.

Watch your favorite movie and bake some treats// This might not be for everyone, but yes I am like an 80 year old grandmother, okay?! There is nothing that makes me happier than staying home at night, watching I Love Lucy or the Parent Trap, and baking some cookies. And then eating handfuls of dough lol. And doing it with a friend or my mom is even better!! ;) 

Yes some of these are weird tips, but they help me get out of weird moods and if you've never tried any before you should, just to see if they help you too. Remember, each day is just a day. If you have one bad day, don't scold yourself, and don't hold on to negative energy. Before you go to bed, make a list in your head of things that make you happy, or things that your grateful for. Think about exciting things coming up in your life. When I do this I tire my mind and fall asleep. And then you can start a brand new, fresh day! :) SMILE!! 

Maddie

The Urge

I feel like I need to get something off of my chest. All of the sudden as I sat down I got this urge to write about what  I'm feeling right now, and since this is like my diary, I thought I would just share with you, who ever is reading this.

I'm going through a stage, or period in my life where I really want to break the heck out of my shell. I want to explore as many possibilities as I can and try my very best at things I'm passionate about. Things like blogging, design, photography, modeling, writing, music, and just creating anything in general. But, and I hate to say this, but I feel like I don't belong where I live. Where I live is small, and I personally don't think it's right for what I want to do. Somewhere I need to be is a place like California or New York...California is a lot more believable, cause New York is very expensive and across the country, but I have always seen myself living in Cali, on the beach, enjoying every second of life I can. It's the land of opportunity, where a creative weirdo like me would fit right in. I won't lie, I'm getting choked up as I'm writing this..I want to leave so badly and just start my life already...Does anyone else feel like this?? 

As hard as it will be for me to leave my mom and dad, I need to grow a backbone and realize that growing up is apart of nature and I'm gonna have to do it sometime or another. It's hard for me to imagine that I am already 17 and I will be leaving soon, not because I have to, but because I WANT to. And it's taken me a long time to figure out if I was going to or not. 

Another thing that is bothering me is getting a job. I really really really want to get one, and I really want to start making money. And I don't just want to make money for the sake of having money, but I want to earn it and show myself that I can. And, I need to start saving up a lot of it if I'm planning and dreaming of leaving the state.

I guess I could say I have a perfectly imperfect dream in my head. I know, for the most part, what I want to do, but I need to work hard to get there, to that point. Oh, and my whole school situation. That's a whole other post. It's really been keeping me up at night. Do I stay online or do I go back to a regular school?? I really miss being around people and teachers, i really do. And I keep thinking, maybe I made the wrong decision to switch over to online. Honestly I have no fricken idea. But right now I've been having a hard time with that.

Anyway, I guess this was just a random spur of the moment journal session haha. Are you guys going through anything at the moment? If you ever need someone to talk to, please never hesitate to talk to me. That's something that I love to do, is give advice and talk to people who need talking to. I hope everyone is having a great day or night :)

Maddie

Chunky Coconut Granola

 

I seriously wish you guys could smell how amazing this granola smells. When you make this, your house will literally flood with the aroma of apple pie or Thanksgiving. And it tastes just as good, to me even better than it smells. It's chunky, crispy, nutty, sweet, coconut-ty, and even a bit spicy from the cinnamon. It's all around DELICIOUS. I've been eating mine in the morning for breakfast, with some sliced banana, strawberries and blueberries and some coconut milk. Mmmmm it's making me want some right now lol but I will fight the urge! It's also good just to snack on plain, or on top of anything you want really. So let's get to the recipe! :)

1 1/2 cups of oats

1 cup of shredded coconut

5-6 dried apricots 

1/4-1/2 cup pepitas

1/4-1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup almonds

1/4-1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

Small handful of cacao nibs (or chocolate chips!)

Lots of cinnamon!

First, turn on your oven and set it to 225 degrees (this is in fahrenheit). So basically, you can add all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Chop up the dried apricots into little bite sized pieces, and if you want you can chop up some of the almonds too. I did just because it makes it seem like theres more, and it's easier to eat. Give it a little mix (i just tossed it with my clean hands haha!) and then get a little pot and warm the coconut oil and maple syrup on the stove. This doesn't need to be hot at all, just enough for the coconut oil to liquify, so a couple of seconds on the heat. Then simply pour the mixture over the the dry ingredients and mix mix mix! Now is a good time to sprinkle the heck out of it with cinnamon. Even if you think you put enough, put more. That's the secret to making it so warm and tasty, along with the maple syrup. I dare you to try and not eat any!! ;) Spray a baking sheet and spread the mixture evenly onto it. Put it in the oven and let it bake for about 40 minutes, then check on it and mix it up. Then, I turned the heat up to 280 degrees, and let it cook for another 30-40 minutes. It came out nice and golden brown! It all depends on how crispy or baked you want it. 

Then just let it cool and you have yourself some delicious homemade granola! You could also drizzle a tiny bit more maple syrup or sprinkle it with stevia while it's cooling :)

Let me know if you bake any <3

Maddie

Sketchy

So I think I found a new obsession: doodling. But especially with the fine-point black sharpies. Am I the only one that finds it so satisfying to draw with those? They make the most perfect, smooth lines and even if you mess up you can create something out of it. I started looking up pictures on pinterest and google to just mess around, but then I found myself sitting in the exact same spot for 3 hours trying to perfect a drawing! It was crazy. A couple nights ago I even forgot to eat dinner, that's how intensely I was into it.

And for those who don't know, I also have an attachment to the yin-yang symbol, don't ask me why. But ever since I can remember, probably since the 3rd grade, I've always loved it. I even have a chocker necklace that's very tumblr looking haha. So I looked up a picture to doodle and 2 hours later that's what I finished. The calligraphy I did actually surprised me, because I've wanted to learn calligraphy for ages now, and seeing that I actually have a chance of being okay at it makes me happy! 

I'm gonna try and doodle my own ideas, because it's kind of boring to always copy something. I've been doing at least one sketch a day, and I find it's making me think a lot more clearly, kind of like I used to when I was painting and playing the piano. Man I really need to get into that again. 

Do any of you doodle? I would love to hear from you :-)

OH p.s.-my house currently smells like Thanksgiving and apple pie thanks to my granola baking in the oven. Recipe will be up tomorrow ;)

Maddie

Weekly Recap ♡

Well happy Friday everyone! :) This week flew bye. I planned on doing more than I did, but I just got caught up with other things and now it's already the weekend, crazy! My dad was away all week for a business trip so I'm looking forward to spending time with him...I'm scheduled to go and get my driver's license (yikes!!) so I need to practice with him a weeeee bit more haha! Anyway, I though I would just share some moments of my week that made me smile. I personally love to read these kinds of posts, so I wanted to write one myself :) 

Monday// I woke up and felt so energized and ready for the week. I had an amazing workout and much needed tan time!

Tuesday// At about 10:00 at night, I got the urge to bake some homemade granola. Lemme tell you, I don't know how I didn't eat the whole batch. It's got everything from sunflower seeds, to walnuts, almonds, dates, coconut flakes, and toooonns of cinnamon. Recipe coming soon ;)

Wednesday// Guess what I ate for breakfast? Yep, my granola. With some sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries, and a splash of coconut milk. It was heaven. 

Thursday// My mom, little brother and I all went out to this outdoor shopping center. We walked around and had the nicest time, then stopped by the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. But you know what that means, yes of course we ordered dessert. I'll just say we all licked the plate clean.

Friday// Since it's technically the beginning of the day I can't really say much, but I am feeling extra grateful all snuggled up in my bed sheets writing this. I'm going to go make some tea and then do some yoga. Ahhh, I'm so happy :) 

I hope this made you smile a little bit! Did you have any special moments during your week? Share them down below! :-)

Maddie <3

∙•Create, Not Compete•∙

We need to create instead of compete. I sat outside just thinking about everything, and this thought popped into my mind. Wouldn't it be amazing if people everywhere just created anything they wanted to, with the intention of being happy? Not out to compete with anyone, but just for the sake of their own happiness?

Just imagine how much freedom everyone would have. No one would be looking for any anger, stress, competition. 

But why can't it be like that now? Why can't everyone just start to create what they want to? Do you want to create your own blog? DO IT! What's stopping you? The fact that someone else has 10,000 followers? Big deal, because you could get there with hard work and belief that you can.

CREATE something. ANYTHING you want. WITHOUT the intention of doing better than someone else, because THAT DOESN'T MATTER. If cutting out pictures from magazines makes you happy, then do it! Don't worry about what the end result will be, just be in the moment. Love every second of cutting those pictures out. 

By doing and creating what you want, you use your imagination and you set off more thoughts and ideas. And it will make YOU happy, and in turn that makes others happy. But don't do something to be better than, or cooler than, or smarter than 'someone else.' Create the life you want, for YOU.

Just some Tuesday thoughts ~

Maddie