Made a New Friend, Grew a Few Inches, & Became Nancy Drew

So almost a year ago I was at a flea market with my friend, and found the cutest thing ever!

I was looking at jewelry and necklaces and saw a bunch of owl necklaces, giraffes necklaces, and elephants, etc.

And then I saw him<3

The cutest little owl.

Meet Diego!

Isn't he just the cutest thing? & he has a lil gold heart too!

Anyways today is the first time I wear him.

I know I usually don't wear half the things I buy until awhile after...bad habit.

But he fit perfectly with today's outfit.

Today I actually wore my forever21 pants I showed in an earlier blog, for the first time! 

I'm loving the colors....as you can see my nails match my pants too!

I like to mix and match a lot.

Didn't clean up excess polish eek!Everyone today was asking me about my shoes. Lately I haven't been wearing my heels and since I'm a pretty short person...my shoes really made people realize the height difference :p

Aren't they a beast!? Everyone kept commenting on them.

Proud to say I wore them all day 8am-10pm. And didn't feel a thing of course until I took them off then I felt short. 

ahh o well I enjoyed being tall for a day.

ahh my tired eyes! 

I was exhausted so I didn't have much effort for my hair (my everyday dilemma )

I really don't know what to do with it. Need ideas, that I can do quickly since I have so much hair 

(even after they thinned it!)

I would've preferred a bit darker toned shoes but still love them! and the pants I can't get over the color. 
Looks red on some pictures but its like a wine/red ish color
First pair of pants from Forever21...and they're big!
I hate when I try pants on they are snug then bring them home and I need a belt. #fail

It was pouring this morning as I made the marathon walk to my car. So I had to throw on a lil trench coat.

Felt like Nancy Drew...won't lie :)

My only waterproof jacket. I love it! only complaint is the waist belt/buckle its sooooo long that i have to tie it...and when I hang it it has to wrap around the hanger.

Again thank you forever21!

-B

Just around the Riverbend

After a stressful day pandora just knows what to play to motivate me.

"Should I choose the smoothest course steady as the beating drum..."

I love Disney sings❤. My best friend and I always break out into songs everywhere! Our life is a musical. I should record out duo performance one day.

Back to work.

B

Nap, Politics, String Cheese...O My!

So the day isn't even near over and it has been a very hectic, distracted day.

I got out of work, and raced back to campus, trying to beat my record of commuting time. I managed to find a decent but still far parking. (College parking is an absolute mess). I hurried my way across campus to my room ready to nap even if for 20 min. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to nap after I got settled and ate lunch. So I hurried my way to my law class. Which can I say, I am disliking extremely, I never was able to understand politics.

Now to actually have a MANDATORY class on it......please someone just save me and whisk me away. I don't understand, it took me 15 min just to understand the FIRST paragraph in the text book. I just can't seem to understand the jargon.

Safe to say this semester will most likely murder my GPA. Yikes!


So I also went to go buy my second snack of the day, string cheese from the lil vendor on campus...and of course they ran out.... :(

#collegegirlproblems

B

Sad Day for My Shoe Closet :(

So last Thursday night as I laid in bed refusing to get up (it was soo cold) I planned what outfit I was going to wear to work tomorrow. Usually I like to lay out a few options before bed after I check the weather. But I was so tired from my workout I decided to just go to bed.

The next morning I wake up get dressed do my makeup accordingly and I went to go find the pair of suede mid-calf length boots I planned to where. I couldn't find it in my closet shelf. So I started to look in all aspects of my room. It started off calm and then turned into a frantic search I destroyed my whole room looking. 

My worst nightmare had occurred:   I AM MISSING A PAIR OF SHOES!!!!

I have no idea where they could be. I always kept them together and in their original boxes too! I had just bought them last year at the end of the season and probably wore them 2x at the most. They were so new I don't even have a picture with her. :(

Image by Google

Yes. My Shoes have names...only because the shoe boxes label them that way. Her name was Wilhelmina. I can't believe she's missing. I have no way of explaining how, since whenever I moved my shoes were the first ones in the car. I usually did a lil "roll call" every time I moved and made sure nothing was missing. But this one move I just did recently I didn't do that, but I can swear nothing was left in my old room.  

This past move I didn't move them myself, my ex-boyfriend did while I was at work. Guess I learned my lesson, don't trust a man with my shoes. I looked at home, my car, EVERYWHERE!

The mystery of this disappearance will really bother me for a while. Now I guess I have to add that to my shopping list for this fall. I have a couple of black boots but these where the comfy casual/formal quilted warm ones. 

Deeply saddened,

B

Look who welcomes me home!

Finally after a lonnnggg 3weeks I made it back home ! And the first one to say hi is my lil baby Ariel❤. I love puppies... Yes I know she's not a puppy but I call all dogs pups. Now time to cuddle with my schnoockums

My 30-day Challenge...

So for the past few months, I have been unsatisfied with the way my body is looking. Not saying I think I'm obese but I just am not happy with it. I feel it can be better. And I can feel better-- meaning in shape!

I've always been in the gym and what not but never fully fully committed to making a change. But this year I am actually rewarding myself with a vacation to some tropical/summery place. And I'm thinking to myself.... hey self! you are going to have to wear bathing suits majority of the time...and a realization came over me...... I HATEEE BATHING SUITS! because I just don't like how I look in them. 

I know a bunch of people would say: "you have low self esteem" "you have some eating disorder" "you are not fat" "its all in your head" etc. 

But please hold off on that and let me explain:

All of my life I have been compared to other people, always criticized, and have been forced into competitions based on looks. I hated it with a passion. But unfortunately, it was drilled in my head, and I can't let myself get out of shape. 

I used to be so involved in all these sports and was Ripped! literally was made up of muscle (i was still petite but everything was muscularly) and life happened and I had to grow up and get a job, etc. So I haven't been working out at that level anymore.

I just want to get my stamina back and get toned and be able to run a mile without gasping for air like a fish out the water. (I really can't run around the block without dying) I want to feel fit, and not all sludgy or weak. 

So I've decided to go on a 30day fitness plan that includes workouts and a diet.

HOLD ON... i know "she said the D word!" don't worry its not the stereotypical diet of starving yourself or eating a piece of lettuce for 3 meals. None of that. I'd fail that miserably-- I LOVE FOOD!

When you make plans like this you have to be careful not to set ridiculous rules like, No fat! just lettuce.. because honestly you will not keep that diet and if anything you will gain more weight! your body needs fat...its a natural process. you just have to watch the INTAKE of fat.

My diet is consisting of counting the protein and carbs in my meals. I will have a certain amount of protein and carbs i must have every meal (3 meals) and I can mix and match what I eat. it can be meats, salads, fruits, etc. just as long as it does not pass the max amount of protein or carbs. 

The other half of the plan is working out 5 days a week and resting 2 days. This isn't treadmill workouts (I never exercise like that....running scares me) it's actually weight lifting, cardio, etc. and feeling the BURN! 

I am on day 5 of my plan and it has been soooo hard! especially on a college campus. Food is accesible EVERYWHERE and its not the good kind. I've cheated 2x already but have not splurged just had juice or half a cookie. But I am determined to do this. the key to a good body is 90% mind and 10% body. Dieting is more psychological than it is anything else.

You have to control your self and that is the hardest part. But I have been hanging in there. 

Here is actually one of my meals I had the other day: 

Looks yummy doesn't it? It wasn't actually too bad.

Well we shall see how things go. Wish me luck! I really want to do this. 

1. to prove that I can 

2. because i would like to feel fit and run a marathon!

Much love & harmony,

B

Language Barrier? No Worries!

So lately people have been coming to me for advice, with sometimes , the weirdest questions. But some of them I actually think can help someone else, so I decided to write about it.

I will apologize now, if i may seem to drift off topic or can't explain myself well. I am having lunch and there is construction happening with reallly loud noises! Therefore my concentration can be interrupted and well with my A.D.D that can be a recipe for disaster. Bear with me!

Anyways, Language Barriers.

Someone came up to me and asked me once, how can they make a person (whether it be bf/gf or even a friend) feel comfortable in a surrounding where another language is spoken that they can't understand.

I've had a lot of experience in this since I grew up in a spanish speaking household, and being first generation, I always had to translate. Luckily I've always dated guys that spoke at least a little spanish that they understood what my family would say SOMETIMES.

It wasn't until recently that I took my friend Piage who speaks no spanish home to visit. My way of making her feel comfortable, was basically giving her a run down of what she was going to encounter before we went into my house.

How my family would try to feed her, how they like to be friendly and joke around, etc. She fit in pretty well, the few times where we spoke spanish for more than 5 minutes I'd translate as I went or spoke "Spanglish" which she could follow a bit.

The main thing to remember to is speak to both whoever you're bringing and to whom you are speaking another language with prior to being all together. Just so that there is a mutual understanding and respect that Hey! there may be a bit of misunderstanding for a bit.

You also want to give a quick general translation as the convo goes on or speak "spanglish" or a combination of english and w.e language you speak. 

I had a first hadn experience how lost one can feel being emmersed in a different language. I went to China and I am fluent in Spanish and French....yea didn't work out so well. 

But never the less they were patient with me over there and spoke Chinglish(?) Don't know if that's politically correct but you get might point. 

Above all, just be OPEN-MINDED! Smile, and be patient.

Hope this made sense, Ihad a bit of trouble finishing this in one sitting, been crazyland here :(

Much love & harmony,

B

First Ulta Haul !!!

So I am a bit late on this but I was uber excited to show everyone what I found. I finally discovered Ulta! I know everyone must think that its nothing that big..but for me it is! I have occasionally seen the store before but honestly never near enough to see inside so I just assumed it was a gym or spa or something of that nature. 

Boy was I wrong. Let me backtrack just a tad bit...I have mentioned before I love to shop, dress-up, etc.  I also love to find cool new places to find different styles and sales etc. I also just recently discovered make-up (in the sense of actually using it aside form eyeliners and mascara) so lately i just been loving to try new colors of eyeshadows, experiment with contouring, and the different types of makeup (powder blush vs creme, etc.) 

As any girl knows, makeup and the makeup brushes are hella money if you buy a whole set right off the bat and that its GOOD QUALITY! Especially me, my skin tends to be moody and sometimes may react so bad to cheap things. So I went into Ulta and I couldn't even fathom where to start, say, get, etc. i was so overwhelmed-- EEK!

But luckily I had a semi-idea of what i needed. So in order to stay on track, I refused to look at anything that wasn't on my "list" since I know I'd buy more than expected.

Just look at that! I went in... *bank account sobs quietly* But it was well worth it since I've used everything I got almost on a daily basis.  Any-who back to my haul. 

I have added to my make-up collection over the past few months and since I am a bit of a neat freak hate seeing my make-up all disheveled and unorganized. So as I was walking through the aisles I saw a section on make-up carriers/containers, etc. I have been in desperate search of one that:

1. I liked
2. big enough
3. decently priced

So as I looked though some of them my eyes fell on this one! (love print) and it was on SALE! double points! It is so much easier just keeping my makeup together. I may need a second or a bigger one pretty soon but this is ok to start me off. I ended up getting it for like $13 which is not bad considering what I've seen on ebay, amazon, etc. 

The other thing I've heard about a bit recently is this creme blush. Powder has the tendency to raise bumps on my skin some times (again my skin is moody!) and other times it just doesn't seem to stick so well. So I was looking through their things and saw the NYX section. I've heard a lot about them and I only have one eye pencil form them so I decided to pick up one of their creme blushes. I ended up looking for the proper shade, I had to choose between an "orangey" based one and a bubble pink. I bought the " NYX Rouge Creme Blush- 08 Hot Pink ".  I've been using it and it is AWESOME! Love it would totally recommend. You really only need to use a few dabs because it spreads easily and its HOT PINK so it noticeable quickly. At first it may seem a bit too much but after applying the rest (bronzer, powder, etc.) it balances it out. My cheeks have that bit of a flushed feel.

Speaking of powder, I have had this mineral powder I think its "Physicians Formula" (don't like it much but it was cheap at the moment) And the brush it came with was a complete fail and waste of bristles. So I was also looking to get a powder brush or as I like to call it "the big FLUFFY one!" So there were a million and one brushes to choose from and again I felt so overwhelmed. I saw the few that had a promotion on and settled on the " real Technique Powder Brush". It is sooo soft and love how it spreads the powder on my face. I looked into their brushes and tutorials (was on the packaging) and I love how it gives you step-by-step, ideas, etc. After I got this I ordered their stippling brush for my foundation application (the sponges weren't doing it for me--too cakey)-- I'll let you know how I like it!

Another thing I saw as I sorted through NYX products, was their matte lip cream. I have a few lipsticks/glosses, that have that sparkle, or too bright color and wanted something a bit neutral for simple occasions to give my lips just a tad bit of color. So I nought the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 'Tokyo'. On the bottle it says how "it's not a lipstick nor is it a gloss...goes on silky but looks soft matte" I found that I just need a few dots and spread it with a lip brush or my finger because the applicator it comes with just puts too much. I like it, feel like it wears off quickly so I always use it as a "foundation" for my lips when I'm doing my make-up big or if its a chill day I just but a little and walk out the door. 

So I always had a white eye pencil that was a glittery white, and I usually used it when I'd go out to town on nights and what not, but I wanted just a simple white pencil to use for an 'eye-opener' for those days after an all-nighter or the inner corner of my eyes to illuminate just a little.

Again while in the NYX section I browsed through their eye pencils and found this jump one-- " NYX Jumbo eye pencil 604- Milk " I've used it, I think i should've gone small on this one but I make it work. Looks great, i'm not overly crazy about it but i have no complaints at all. It stays on doesn't not wear off. so for an eye pencil that equals a 10.

My eyebrows have never been full nor dark. I have thin hair on my eyebrows and I use an eye pencil to fill it in. Not so that it looks fake but just enough to look like there is no hair missing. But since I've been so busy the past few weeks and have had a chance to thread my eyebrows (even though I can thread someone else just not myself) I have been plucking them & tried trimming them. But I lost my tiny scissors so its been difficult, they get out of control. Therefore I needed an eyebrow wax or just a clear gel to keep it in place throughout the day. The gel came with like a whole eyebrow kit and since I still had my eye pencil I didn't feel like buying a whole new thing. I decided to go for a clear mascara to  replace the gel. I bought the "CoverGirl Professional Natural Lash ". I don't know if I like it that much. It's hard to put on since it has the mascara brush, but it seems to hold something in place at least for a while.

So when I came to college I left my whole nail polish set back at home. Recently just went to visit and decided to do my nails little did I know my mom decided to do spring cleaning and through my WHOLE collection out!--OUCH. So I decided to buy a bottle just in case for those nights when you just have the nail-painting urge. I got the " Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear 270- Lacey Lilac "I am in LOVEEEEEEE with the color. It just looks FABULOUS! Doesn't chip off as quick as most (mind you I am always working with my hands so therefore its bound to chip)

The last 2 items I bought were pretty simple. I ran out of my Biore poor strips so decided to restock, I meant to buy the ' Ultra' one but ended up getting the 'deep cleansing' one. I've always liked their pore strips.

The other thing I re-stocked but changed up the product was the oil blotting paper. I usually used the generic CVS oil blotting paper but I heard nice things about the " Palladio Rice Paper " blotting tissues I decided to change it up. PLUS IT HAS A BONUS!!! its a blotter AND a Powder, so I don't have to worry about carrying my powder brush etc with me 2:1, who doesn't love those right?!!?! I've used it, and thus far my only complaint it that the powder is a bit extra and can go all over you when taking it out. But I'm almost certain I'm just not using it right, o well still thumbs up!

Well that is all for my Ultra Haul (FIRST ONE EVAA) fell in love even got the club member card thing and can't wait to return and come back with more goodies! OOOO almost forgot my total came out to be: around $60. 

Off to bed since I've procrastinated and have not done my homework yet so I got loads of work tomorrow. Til next time! Toodles!

Much love & harmony,

B

Taking it to the next level...

So a few days ago my best friend Paige and I came to the conclusion that the world should know what is going on in our minds... we got tired of people doing the same mistakes over and over we decided to just speak out minds for those who care to listen. 

This recent one we made is talking about how guys sometimes can't really read all the hints we drop them...

The hints that 'HEY WE LOVE YOU!" or "PLEASE GO AWAY!" when it is obvious to EVERYONE else.

**Disclaimer: We have the tendency to break out into random singing**

This is just a rough draft of our videos...we did this spontaneously so of course not camera ready :O

Enjoy!

Much love & harmony,

B